Book Review- The Poison Diaries

05 Jan, 2012 by in maryrose wood, poison diaries 1 comment

The Poison Diaries #1
by Maryrose Wood, The Duchess Of Northumberland
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published July 20th 2010
by Balzer + Bray
ISBN 0061802360
4 stars

In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love . . .

Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure — or kill.

When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined .
I had a lot of high hopes for this fascinating story about a lonely Northumberland girl and her apothecary father. The premise and the cover are both beautiful. So is the writing. THE POISON DIARIES gets off to a tentative start, but there is a poetic beauty in the words that kept me reading. The first person point of view is very well done.

Jessamine is the daughter of a healer who is famous throughout the land for his miraculous cures. Their ancient, rambling home is surrounded by gardens. Jessamine is as talented with plants as her father, but she yearns to learn more. The gated, locked up Poison Garden is forbidden. This is something she accepts, until the boy, Weed, shows up at their door. Their attraction to one another is sweet and subtle. The respect and admiration they have for one another is a strong foundation for their fledgling romance.

The mysterious Weed is charming in his innocence but almost frightening in his power as Jessamine learns of his ability to communicate with plants. More than once, I was reminded of the classic 80’s film, Edward Scissorhands. Although the setting is historical, there are parallels in the fragile beauty of Weed’s personality — a throwback to that film.

Of everything in this book, the voice of Maryrose Wood stands out. The articulation of scene, of setting and of character, is beautifully crafted. I found the words to be as haunting as the story. But THE POISON DIARIES is not a fast-paced book. It does drag along in some sequences as the young lovers struggle to hold on to one another. In contrast, the evil, eerie twist in the final pages is riveting. It definitely opens the door for more books in the series.

With reservation, I have to suggest that not everyone will find this dark, romantic tale to their liking. I would have preferred a bit more cleverness in the plotting. More sharpness in the editorial eye. However, it is a thought provoking read and a unique story that readers will be relieved to find among all the clutter of cookie-cutter Young Adult fiction.- reviewed by Danielle Thorne
About the author: Maryrose grew up in the wild suburbs of Long Island, moved to New York City at age 17 to study acting at New York University, then dropped out to be in the chorus of a Broadway musical — which flopped…Maryrose did eventually graduate from NYU’s Gallatin School. She enjoys gardening, biking, kayaking, napping, reading books and trying new vegetarian recipes. She lives in New York with her two children, two cats and a small, feisty, red-headed dog
Find more about author Maryose Wood on Goodreads/ Twitter/ her site

Read The Poison Diaries now for only 99 cents!

ARC Giveaway- Statisitical Probability of Love At First Sight

04 Jan, 2012 by in poppy, statistical probability of love at first sight 24 comments

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

by Jennifer E. Smith
Hardcover, 236 pages
Published January 2nd 2012
by Poppy
ISBN 0316122386
Book Source: Publisher
5 stars

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?


Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan’s life. She’s stuck at JFK, late to her father’s second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley’s never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport’s cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he’s British, and he’s in seat 18C. Hadley’s in 18A.


Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver’s story will make you believe that true love finds you when you’re least expecting it.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight was easily one of my very favorite reads of 2011. My parents were divorced when I was a teen and I often had to fly between states on visits so I always dreamed I would meet some fun foreigner on one of my trips. What happens between Oliver and Hadley on their airport adventure is every girls dream. Oliver is quirky and British, Hadley is nervous to be flying to London to meet her new step-mother for the first time. When the two of them bump into each other it is magic!

I guarantee you will fall head over heels in love with this book. It’s a light fun contemporary YA read with some underlying bigger things going on. For me it was a perfect 5 stars and just in time for Valentine’s Day.

About the author: Jennifer E. Smith is the author of the three young adult novels: The Comeback Season, You Are Here, and The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. She earned her master’s degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and currently works as an editor in New York City.

Fire and Ice is giving away our advanced Reading copy of The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight to one of our readers. Click read more and enter via the rafflecopter form below. Ends January 17, 2012.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review- Under The Never Sky

03 Jan, 2012 by in under the never sky, Veronica Rossi 9 comments

Under the Never Sky
by Veronica Rossi
Hardcover, US, 400 pages
Expected publication: January 3rd 2012
by Harper Collins
ISBN 006207203X
Book Source: Netgalley
3.5 stars

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love – one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

I had a rocky start with Under the Never Sky mostly because I spent the opening chapters scratching my head wondering what was going on.The first scenes really reminded me of Lord of The Flies as we are introduced to a  group of friends who leave their main pod for an outing and things turn violent.  Without any character building or back story or explanation why, you see teen boys gone savage. It isn’t until much much later that we understand part of why things happen the way they did. It took a good half of the book  for me to start enjoying myself since I felt lost as a reader to the world Rossi was building. When I finished  the book a month ago there weren’t many reviews posted on Goodreads to help fill in the blanks of what I couldn’t put together. Now there are a ton, and it seems many readers caught on and loved the setting much more than I did.

The world is based on two societies, one in pods or realms where the inhabitants are protected from the other harsh and dangerous outside world full of savages and cannibals. Members of pod society wear eyepieces that give an receive transmissions, only experiencing things as a simulated reality. Aria, one of the main characters is discharged from her pod into the outside Death Shop to fend for herself after the skirmish of the first chapters involving a top officials son. There she encounters Peregrine, or Perry for a second time. The two are forced together by circumstance though they hate and mistrust one another. Their relationship takes a long time to build and develop which I enjoyed but I wish I felt more of a connection to Aria. We don’t know much about her except for that Perry thinks she smells wonderful and she can really sing. I found myself wanting to more more of her history and her relationship with her mother whom she is fervently seeking contact with. I liked Perry and the idea of genetically evolved humans made a lot of sense. My only turn off was the pointy teeth and lion-like predator aspect of him which I know was part of the adaptation to his world, but threw me for a loop. My favorite scene between both narrators involved Aria’s training to face a coven of cannibals on the roof of their allies’s protected community. If you know which one I am talking about it is awesome!

Under the Never Sky will appeal to fans of dystopian post apocalyptic fiction and it is unique int hat it has supernatural and fantasy elements. Already, those who got an advanced read are calling it amazing. I don’t know why it didn’t quite click with me but am hoping book two will fill in some of the world building and character connection gaps. I would recommend it for older teens and adults as there is heavy violence and two characters have a sexual relationship, though I appreciated that it was not described in detail and the author often left much of the romance to the readers imagination. Thanks so much to Harper Teen and Netgalley for the early peek.

About the author:

Veronica Rossi’s debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, will be published in over twenty international markets, starting on January 3rd 2012 in the United States. Film rights to the trilogy have been optioned by Warner Bros.

When not writing, she chases after her boys, who make her laugh every day, and who teach her about love that’s “a million gazillion times bigger than the ocean.”

Learn More on Veronica’s Goodreads/ Blog/ Website/ Twitter/ Facebook

Love & Leftovers Review and ARC Giveaway

02 Jan, 2012 by in sarah tregay, YA contemporary 1 comment

Love & Leftovers
by Sarah Tregay
Hardcover, 448 pages
Published December 27th 2011
by Harper Collins 
ISBN 0062023586
Book source: publisher
3.5 stars

My wish
is to fall
cranium over Converse
in dizzy, daydream-worthy
love.


When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.


By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this “vacation” has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you’ve watched your parents’ affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? can you even know it until you’ve lost it?


Love and Leftovers is a beautifully written story of one girl’s journey navigating family, friends, and love, and a compelling and sexy read that teens will gobble up whole.

I picked up Love and Leftovers from Harper Collins over the holiday and found it to be a nice, fresh break from heavy reading. Even at over 400 pages, since it’s written in verse it’s a quick nicely flowing read, similar to the style of Lisa Schroeder. Marcie and her family are living in Idaho where she has the perfect emo boyfriend who is somewhat shy and studious with a rock band made up of a group of her friends called the leftovers. They don’t quite fit in with the rest of the groups at their school but they stick together and make the perfect fit amongst themselves. Life shifts one day when Marcie and her mother run into Marcie’s dad with a another man who is more than “just a friend.” Mom decides it’s time for a divorce and heads back to her hometown in New Hampshire with Marice in tow.

Sarah Tregay does a great job contrasting the life of Idaho versus the life on the Eastern seaboard, describing the humorous accent “like buttah.” JD, a popular member of the football team takes an interest in Marcie as the new girl at school and she shifts from being a leftover to being one of the popular crowd. All the while Marcie’s mom has taken a spiral for the worst and is battling severe depression. Without becoming heavy handed the story addresses teenage sexuality, coming of age, divorce, depression, teen parenting and codependency. I really liked the way Marcie’s mother’s issues were written in a realistic fashion that accurately portrays how parental depression can influence a teen. While battling to function daily, her mom doesn’t have the skills to cope with what’s going on with Marcie who has just recently discovered she has hormones and questions- a lot of them.
I also liked the way her dad and his partner handled Marcie. Dad coming in to answer her questions while his boyfriend takes up running alongside Marcie to get to know her. Even though I don’t agree with some of their answers I like their open lines of communication. Obviously she has a lot of navigating to do and both she and her boyfriend make some pretty stupid choices. But overall, the tone remains light. I will say this is definitely a book for older teens as there is moderate swearing including the “f” word and very open discussion of sex, condoms, birth control, sexual orientation, and exploration. It is heavy handed in the hormone department so parents may want to check it out. I like that the author compares how the mother and father each handle or don’t handle Marcie’s tough questions. Thanks so much to Harper Teen for the advanced reading copy!
Author Bio: Raised without television, I started writing my own middle grade novels after I had read all of the ones in the library. I later discovered YA books, but never did make it to the adult section. When I’m not jotting down poems at stoplights, I can be found hanging out with my “little sister” from Big Brothers Big Sisters or stressing over performance classes at a model horse show
I have both a Bachelors and Masters of Fine Art in graphic design, and my obsession with typography and layout naturally translates into formatting poetry on the page.
I live in Eagle, Idaho with my husband, two Boston Terriers, and an appaloosa named Mr. Pots.
Find Sarah on her website and Amazon
Fire and Ice is giving away our advanced reading copy of Love and Leftovers to one of our readers! To enter fill out this form. Giveaway ends January 16, 2012. Must be 16 or older and have a US mailing address.

Best Ebook Deals

30 Dec, 2011 by in Uncategorized 2 comments

I have been loading up my ereader with lots of books now that so many of them are on sale and wanted to pass these great deals on. I know a lot of you got a new Nook or Kindle for Christmas and since it’s a holiday it’s the perfect time to read. Hope you enjoy! Barnes and Noble offers most of these titles for the same rates…

Free

99 cents

1.99-2.99

2.99

If you see any other great deals out there or are an author and have a sale going on, leave the information in the comments below and I’ll add it to my list! Happy reading 🙂

Book Review- Northanger Alibi

29 Dec, 2011 by in book review, northanger alibi, walnut springs press 4 comments

by Jenni James
Paperback, 254 pages
Expected publication: February 2012
by Walnut Springs/Inkberry Press
ISBN 139780983829317
Series: The Jane Austen Diaries

Book Source: publisher
4 stars

This modern Gothic remake of Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, and nod to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Series, will leave you in stitches–literally.

Seattle Washington, and the Russo family, are no match for Claire Hart and her savvy knowledge of all things vampire related. Thanks to her obsession with the Twilight series–if there is anyone who would know a vampire when she saw one, it’s Claire. And she’s positive totally hot Tony Russo is a vampire, she just has to prove it! Follow Claire’s hilarious journey on her first summer adventure away from home, where she learns everything isn’t what it seems, and in some instances, reality is way better than anything she’d ever find in a book.

I am adoring the Jane Austen Diaries series as a fun, clean choice for tweens and teens. Book two of the set, Northanger Alibi follows the crazy antics of Clarie Hart, a die hard Twilight fan who is itching to get a glimpse of Washington State. She and her sister Cassidy win the perfect opportunity as friends of the family invite them both to stay with them for the summer in their small town near the center of all things Forks. Both girls have led a pretty sheltered life, so Claire gleans her excitement reading and re-reading Stephenie Meyers series. At 16 she has never been kissed. But that is all about to change!

Once the girls hit Washington they meet the Russo family, rich and perfect with twin brother and sister Claire’s age. Tony likes to ceaselessly tease Claire. At first she is utterly unimpressed. But he also has an air of mysteriousness- doesn’t eat, seems to be able to read her mind…Claire begins to wonder, is he a vampire? All the while her older sister is about to find out what all this crazy nonsense and inability to separate real life from fiction is all about as she picks up the books for the first time and can’t put them down.

Twi hards and those who love them will either be laughing out loud and relating to Claire’s obsessiveness or rolling their eyes at the references to the uber popular books. It adds a fun parallel Austen element, but may also be a turn off for those who are sick of hearing about the paranormal werewolves and vampires. Those who know where there is an Edward (Tony) there must also be a Jacob- or Jaden in this case.
Claire meeting Jaden is my favorite part of the whole book. I’ll just say it involves an Old Navy clothing store, a slushee and will make you laugh! Jenni is genius at writing the first flutters and awkward moments of a teenage crush and her kissing scenes are to die for. She navigates the sometimes quirky, drama laden moments that can happen with a love triangle, but wraps things up with a heart warming conclusion.

I would recommend Northanger Alibi to all readers, and think it will especially appeal to middle grade and younger teens. If you haven’t read the first in the series, Pride and Popularity I would go pick it up, since it was one of my favorite reads of this year. This, book two is a stand alone so you won’t be lost without book one. Thanks once again to Walnut Springs press for introducing me to such a fun series!

Author Bio: I’m married to a totally hot, redheaded Air Force Recruiter, named Mark. Together we have 10 kiddos (7 ours, 3 fostered). We have just moved back to the States after living 9 awesome years in the Azores Islands of Portugal and England! Our kids love the USA!

When I’m not writing up a storm, I enjoy reading, acting, portrait painting, directing plays, cooking, planning elaborate parties and chasing my kids around the house. Oh, and before you ask–I haven’t been to college, YET! But I’ve always been able to write one mean essay when I needed to. *wink*

Learn more about Jenni James on her website/ blog/ Goodreads / Twitter/ YouTube

My Top 25 Reads of 2011

28 Dec, 2011 by in Uncategorized 5 comments

Yay! For the first year ever I set and met a Goodreads goal !
150 books read this year.
Several of you have asked me for book recommendations so, here is a list of my top 25 favorite and five star reads from 2011 (in no particular order.) Click on the book title to see our review.
1) Aglow by Michelle Pennington
2) Snowed In by Rachel Hawthorne
3) Night’s Child (Wicca, #15) by Cate Tiernan
4) Eternal Starling (Emblem of Eternity, #1) by Angela Corbett
5) Not My Type: A Single Girl’s Guide to Doing It All Wrong  by Melanie Jacobson  
6) Outer Edge of Heaven by Jaclyn M Hawkes
7) Hope’s Journey by Stephanie Worlton
8) Pride and Popularity by Jenni James 
9) Count Down to Love by Julie N. Ford
11) The Hiest Society and Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society, #1,#2) by Ally Carter
12) The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
13) Carrier of the Mark (Carrier Trilogy, #1) by Leigh Fallon
14) Daughter of Helaman by Misty Moncur
15) Intrinsical (The Yara Silva Trilogy, #1) by Lani Woodland
16) Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth
17) Ammon (Book of Mormon, #4) by Heather B. Moore
18) Possession by Elana Johnson
19) Die for Me (Revenants, #1) by Amy Plum
20) Borrowed Light by Carla Kelly
21) Josette by DanielleThorne
22) Unearthly and Hallowed (Unearthly, #1, #2) by Cynthia Hand 
23) Phantom Universe (Summer Chronicles, #1) by Laura Kreitzer
24) Hourglass by Myra McEntire
25) (dis)Abilities and the Gospel by Lynn Parsons and Danielle Ferguson  
What were your top reads from this year?  


Book Review- Wings of The Wicked

27 Dec, 2011 by in urban fantasy, wings of the wicked 12 comments

Wings of the Wicked
Angelfire #2
by Courtney Allison Moulton
528 pages
Expected publication: January 31st 2012
by HarperCollins
Katherine Tegen Books
Series: Angelfire #2
Book Source: Publisher
4.5 stars

Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.

Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.

Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.

Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.


I’ll be the first to admit that I am not big of action movies, horror, or monsters in abundance so the fact that Courtney Moulton keeps me engrossed in her latest book, Wings of The Wicked is a huge accomplishment on her part. I sat down yesterday to refresh my memory for this review and 10 chapters later I was swept up again in Courtney’s world. You know a book is REALLY interesting when I read it more than once!

Book two in the Angelfire series finds Ellie tyring her hardest to balance her life as the Preilator with every day life as a high school student, friend and daughter. Her days are spent in class and nights in training with two new angelic reapers, learning to wield the kophesh and angelfire. By her side is guardian Will who continuously puts himself on the line to protect her life. Things are really heating up between the two of them and their chemistry was my favorite element of the storyline. As Ellie is starting to get some of her memories back from her previous lives, her love for Will runs even deeper than the here and now. But he is often stand offish and sullen. Cadan is back from book one, and shows up when you least expect it to shamelessly flirt with Ellie in an attempt to steal her heart. Underneath his identity as the enemy is much much more than readers will bargain for. Lines become blurred between what is evil and what is good, and where loyalties lie.


Courtney has a gift with creating all kinds of creatures superimposing them onto the human world. This is a book that starts right off with non-stop action and keeps the pace until the very end. My only struggle that kept me from giving it a full five stars was that some of the scenes were too disturbingly violent for my personal taste. Ellie is not a weak teen protagonist. She gets out there and kicks some butt. However, if you can’t stomach blood and swords this series may be a bit much because the author is not afraid to kill off her characters!


Content: This book looks at grief and guilt, as well as what could and often does happen when under age teens drink too much at parties and put themselves in a bad situation. Other content includes domestic violence, moderate swearing and talk of sex as well as tension. This is one is best suited for older teens and adults.



I can’t say I’ve enjoyed an urban fantasy quite as much as Wings of the Wicked in a long time. The writing is brilliant, characters well developed and pacing perfect. Courtney not only made me crave Coldstone cookie dough ice cream in a waffle cup, she also left me craving the next book in the Angelfire series. I can’t wait for you all to read this one coming out just in time for Valentine’s Day because Will + Ellie = pure perfection. Thanks so much to Harper Teen for an awesome action packed holiday read.

You might also like: Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda

About the Author: Courtney Allison Moulton lives in Michigan, where she is a photographer and spends all her free time riding and showing horses. She has always loved reading about ancient mythologies, studying dead languages, and telling scary, romantic stories. ANGELFIRE is her debut novel.

Goodreads/Twitter/ Website

Watch the trailer and enter to win a signed ARC of Wings of The Wicked on Courtney’s site here.

Our Giveaway: We met the author at BEA this year and we have three awesome bookmarks with Will, Cadan and Ellie to giveaway. To enter to win a set of three Angelfire bookmarks simply comment below. Ends January 7, 2012 and is open internationally.