The Wait Is Finally Over! J. Lynn's "Fall With Me" Is Here!

The fourth installment in Jennifer L. Armentrout's "Wait For You" series has arrived!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with these books, you seriously need to pick up them up...now!

As for the current release, here's a little bit about "Fall With Me":

Eleven months ago, bartender and weird-shirt-wearing extraordinaire Roxy and Officer Reece Anders had a one night stand. Well, kind of. She’s been in love with him since she was fifteen, and he wishes that night they shared never happened. She’s sworn him off forever, but the past and future collide, forcing her to rely on the one man who broke her heart not once, but twice.

Her best friend since birth has been in a long-term care facility since he became a victim of a hate crime years ago, and the person who put him in there is out of prison and wanting to make amends with him and Roxy. She’s not sure she has room for forgiveness in her and when she begins to receive frightening messages and is on the receiving end of escalating violence, she thinks she knows who is to blame. The man who already destroyed one life already.

But Reece isn’t convinced. The threats are too personal, and even if Roxy doesn’t believe him, he’s not willing to let anyone hurt her. Including himself. He’s already messed up more than once when it comes to Roxy and he’s not going to let history repeat itself.

Having been a devoted fan to the contemporary series, I was over the moon when I heard about the next release, even more when I found out that Goodreads was hosting a giveaway for the latest book. Now, I've never had any kind of luck with contests before...like, ever. I'm honestly about as lucky as a black cat sitting beneath an open ladder after spilling a gallon of salt. 

Yep, it's that bad.

So imagine my shock and utter excitement when I find an e-mail in my inbox in February that says I've been selected as one of the winners for the giveaway.

After a healthy fan-girling fit which included screaming excitedly at my laptop (which drew some unwanted attention from the other customers in the café...sorry about that), I read the rest of the e-mail. Sent on February 19th, it said I should wait a few weeks (4-6) to receive the book in question. A month later, and I was itching to get my hands on it.

Uncertain as to how the package would arrive, I'd race outside eagerly after the mailman arrived and would check the front porch several times a day...

 with no luck.

The more time that ticked away, the more restless I became. "Fall With Me" was set to be released on March 31st, and the date came and gone. 

Still no book.

It had almost been six weeks, and the book was already out.

What if it never came?

What if it got lost in the mail?

What if an evil book troll was roaming the neighborhood stealing previous paperbacks from their rightful owners?!?!

Okay, perhaps not the last, but with my luck, it wouldn't shock me.

Then come April 1st, I find a package on my porch. Could it be? Really? After all, it is April Fools. Since I'd mentioned my bookish conundrum to both family and friends, this could easily be a cruel joke of theirs. They all know how much I love reading, so to imagine opening the package with the hopes of seeing my long-awaited treasure, only to discover a copy of my tenth grade Biology textbook wouldn't surprise me.

Bracing myself for whatever could be inside, I'm genuinely elated to find.....

MY BOOK!!!!!!

And it's so pretty!!

Spending Easter weekend with this gorgeous read is pretty much the cherry on top of a delicious Sundae. Greatest thanks goes out to Jennifer and Goodreads for this amazing gift!

Pretty Little Liars: “I’m a Good Girl, I Am” Recap & Review

PLL starts with a bang as author Sara Shepard makes a special guest appearance. Mona’s old friend, Lesli Stone, takes the stand, and her testimony isn’t particularly kind (or honest). It doesn’t help that Alison’s public label as the ultimate “Mean Girl” further tarnishes her image. The only hope that she has is for someone to corroborate her whereabouts on Thanksgiving Day. Months back at the park awaiting Cyrus’s arrival, Alison heard someone inside one of the large pipes near where she was sitting. The girls track down the lead, but it winds up being a dead-end. Mike’s eagerness to help with Alison’s case throws the Montgomery clan into hot water. It’s obvious he wants to testify, but Aria puts the kibosh on that when “A” ships a large box to their house with a huge cow tongue inside.

Aria convinces Mike to go with Ezra out to his cabin, and the boys find an unwanted guest waiting inside for the two. Caleb, the cabin crasher, insists that Mike return to Rosewood for the sake of Hanna and Ali, but Ezra argues differently. During the spat, the youngest Montgomery exits stage left and takes the car, only to be attacked. Ezra and Caleb race after him and come across an old Pathfinder’s camp where a mysterious archer starts firing at the boys. With arrows flying through the air, they flee from the scene before coming across Mike. Having been pepper sprayed in the eyes and knocked unconscious, “A” ties Mike up and leaves him for the others to find.

Caleb and Ezra race to Detective Tanner, relaying the ordeal. Being the archetypal cop in town, Tanner simply brushes them off. Yep, one of Rosewood P.D.’s finest at work. Andrew continues to up the creep factor with every discussion he shares with Aria. First, he blows a gasket over Aria asking for Ezra’s help instead of his. Then after the whole crazy target practice at the scout camp, Andrew mentions to Aria that he just so happens to be an award-winning Pathfinder. No, you don’t say?

Alison DeLaurentis may be the prettiest prisoner of them all, and she’s going to be wearing a whole lot of orange…for life. Following a grueling murder trial, the verdict finally comes in, and it’s unanimous. Guilty. The Liars remain shell-shocked by the ruling, until Aria notices Detective Tanner waiting for all the girls. Without any explanation over the charges filed against them, Spencer, Aria, and Emily get hauled off to be processed before entering the slammer.

The plot of this episode does meander here and there, but “I’m a Good Girl, I Am” is entertaining overall, even if outlandishly so. Mike’s commonsense (or lack thereof) to go venture out alone in the woods is blatant proof that the kid got what was coming to him. The mentioning of Andrew’s archery skills immediately after Hawkeye apparently attacks Mike, Ezra, and Caleb was about as subtle as a brick to the small of one’s back. And the whole Kendra storyline was pure time filler. We already knew Alison was framed, so Kendra’s confession wasn’t for the audience’s sake. The plotline wound up being put on a fast track to nowhere. The only good news to take away from the episode would probably be Toby’s declaration of love to Spencer. Thank the Lord! About time, man. Glad nobody held their breath waiting for this turnaround. Geez.

Detective Tanner has to be working for the “A”-team. Someone gets attacked, and she treats it like it was a jaywalking violation. How could you be in that job position and be that useless? She’s smarter than that, and we all know it. With “A”’s identity apparently being revealed next week, it makes us wonder…who’s under the hood? Some still think Mona’s alive (strongly agree), some think Aria might be behind the whole debacle, and whispers still linger over Wren’s involvement. Remember, how could “A” sabotage Spencer’s Oxford interview and know the exact moment the blood vials would bleed out…unless “A” was there in England? Definitely something to think about.

Pretty Little Liars - “I’m a Good Girl, I Am” Rating:  A -

Pretty Little Liars: “The Melody Lingers On” Recap & Review

The prior Queen Bee of Rosewood finds herself in the hot seat this week as her trial for murdering Mona Vanderwall begins. Since the evidence against Alison is all circumstantial, the prosecution decides to play dirty. Instead of presenting the details of the case, the chief prosecutor resorts to defaming Alison’s character. Given that the girl lies more than a rug, painting an unflattering image of her to the jury comes all too easy. It doesn’t help that “A” assists the prosecution by exposing the truth about Ali’s fake kidnapping story.

The prosecution doesn’t stop there. Hitching a slew of Ali’s loved ones to her ruinous wagon, they force Jason to testify as a witness against his own sister. Once placed on the stand, he tries to do right by Ali, insisting upon her innocence. The tables turn on him though as the prosecution throws him under the bus for his change of heart, resulting in him having to confess to his affair with Mrs. Marin in the process. Ashley breaks things off with Ted after her affair with Jason reaches the public’s attention…but the jury’s still out on whether Ted accepted the decision or not.

The Liars desperately seek evidence to help out both Ali and Hanna by trying to contact Varjak. Using one of Caleb’s burner phones, they text the mysterious blackmailer with the hopes that “A” will reach out. Following a visit with Hanna, Caleb loses his cool and snatches Aria’s phone when Varjak calls her cell after she displays apprehension about answering. He accepts the call, but the anonymous source doesn’t say anything. Instead, Édith Piaf’s song “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien” plays over the speaker. The girls relay the message to Hanna, and she recognizes the tune. Mona used to play it in her room. Going over to the Vanderwaal residence, the girls discover Mona’s room has been ransacked by “A”. Aria insists on not giving up on their search, and Spencer winds up uncovering a note hidden between the silver glass and the backing of Mona’s handheld vanity mirror.

“Chandelier’s rituals. Sister launched lair. A ruler’s list chained.”

Tensions rise with everyone in town and Andrew suddenly goes from Prince Charming to Prime Suspect, casting dispersions on the late Mona Vanderwaal right to Aria’s face. He even appears outside Mona’s house when the Liars are inside investigating. “A”’s little break-in at Mona’s prior to the Liars’ arrival results in a distinct screwdriver being wedged in the floorboards by a broken window. It’s later processed by the police, revealing it came from Boo Boo’s Ice Cream Factory. The show closes out on “A” as the hooded figure shreds all the records related to ‘Varjak,’ using the bits of paper to line the bottom of a birdcage containing Ali’s parrot.

Despite the stakes being high for Alison and Hanna, nothing particularly compelling seems to surface during this episode. Pure regurgitation of prior events plagues the entirety of the trial, and none of the conversations occurring outside of the courtroom really drives the storyline. Everyone pretty much laments over past mistakes. As for the cryptic mirror message, it’s anyone’s guess on what it could possibly mean. With the verdict of Alison’s trial next week, things will hopefully pick up, but until then, it’s a little disappointing. Aria’s behavior really is the only aspect worth reminiscing over. Why did Varjak call her phone when she specifically never tried reaching out to him/her? Plus, her insistency for the rest of the Liars to keep looking through Mona’s room after it appeared “A” already got what they came for is highly suspicious. Could Miss Montgomery really be the notorious blackmailer?

Pretty Little Liars - “The Melody Lingers On” Rating:  C +

Pretty Little Liars: “To Plea Or Not to Plea” Recap & Review

To plea or not to plea. That certainly is the question of the hour. Detective Tanner has pegged Hanna as Alison’s partner in crime, convincing the D.A. to offer a plea bargain for Ali’s confession. So long as Ms. DeLaurentis admits to killing Mona and naming Hanna as her accomplice, Ali will receive a reduced sentence to fifteen years in prison with the possibility for parole in ten. Given Alison’s innocence, she scoffs at the deal, until her lawyer lays out the facts. Her chances of acquittal are slim to none. If she loses, she’s facing life in prison. Mrs. Hastings gets wind of this development and hurries over to the Marin’s, informing Hanna’s mother of the ordeal.

 

Emily seeks out Ezra’s help in trying to uncover the true identity of “Varjak.” James Neilan, the attorney who delivered Mona’s posthumous letter to Hanna during the Christmas special, knows something. Ezra agrees to pay him a visit, calling out the lawyer for his involvement in Mona’s murder. Fitz presses him for information, but comes up empty-handed. Aria meets up with Emily who’s waiting for Ezra outside Neilan’s office. Given that “Ezria” is on what Ross Geller would call a “break,” this leads to an uncomfortable run-in between the separated couple when Ezra exits the building. Thankfully, Fitz managed to rattle Neilan’s cage enough, because the attorney soon rushes out from his office with his cell to his ear. He tears off down the street, and the trio hops into Aria’s car to tail him.

 

They eventually come to a gated piece of property deep in the woods. Emily takes off out of the car just as Aria receives a text from Andrew. The distraction causes Ezra and Aria to arrive at the front gate after it closes, but Emily thankfully managed to slip inside beforehand. Now, all alone, Ms. Fields approaches a cabin, seeing Neilan enter the premises. Clearly flustered, Mona’s former attorney empties out the safe inside. Emily takes advantage of the distraction and begins sifting through the garbage left outside, coming across a receipt from Tony’s Pizza with the name and number of Varjak listed on the slip.

 

Meanwhile in London, Spencer goes against her mother’s wishes and rebooks her flight to head back home. Melissa, however, encourages her to stay. Some strings were pulled and Spencer gets another interview set up for St. Andrews. The sisters finally make amends and agree to a fresh start. Succumbing to her new plans, Spencer decides to lighten up. She enjoys her much needed break away from Rosewood with Wren and Melissa’s flat mate, Colin, keeping her company. The Englishman invites her to see a rendition of Hamlet with him, and the pair goes out for drinks afterward. Some banter exchanges between the two, and they kiss once arriving back at the flat.

 

Sadly, Hanna’s not sharing in her good fortune. Ali receives threats insisting she take the plea bargain, and her unwillingness gets her roughed up behind bars. Finally reaching her breaking point, she decides to go through with the deal. Caleb races over to Hanna’s house, informing her that a warrant has been issued for her arrest. In a state of panic, Hanna prepares to run, but Caleb convinces her otherwise. She must come clean with Tanner about “A”. That’s the only way she’ll get out of this. With all the threats from “A” still on her phone as proof, she agrees. The two go down to the precinct to confess to Tanner, but just as they’re about to speak with the detective, Hanna’s phone goes on the fritz. “A”’s trusty skills with technology emerge in the form of a hack, wiping out all the messages sent from the blackmailer.

 

The other girls inform Spencer of Hanna’s arrest, and they receive a message from “A” calling for a clean slate. Flipping through the texting history, they all discover that “A” hacked each of their phones as well, and any evidence they had is now gone. Ali refuses to sign the plea bargain, making Hanna’s future look a bit brighter. Unfortunately, Hanna gets put behind bars anyway, but to everyone’s surprise, it wasn’t Alison’s doing. Mona’s blood-covered clothes were discovered by police, and forensics revealed a sample of Hanna’s own blood on the sweater.

 

“To Plea Or Not to Plea” falters more frequently than it delivers in execution. Melodrama reigns supreme over the storyline, filling a majority of the runtime with utter fluff. The entire hour recap can be summed up in a single sentence: Aria breaks up with Ezra and Hanna gets arrested. The End.

 

The fluff patting the runtime only points out what everyone already figured was going to happen. Aria’s relationship with Ezra hasn’t show any progress for a number of episodes with no hope in sight, so Aria’s decision to end things seems more like a mercy killing than a bombshell. The same goes for Spencer. As of recently, her relationship with Toby has been about as smooth of a ride as sitting in the back of a school bus going down a gravel road. The way that both girls handle their rocky relationships is the problem. Love triangles are never the answer to resolving conflicts; in fact, its sole purpose these days is to only make things worse. If Aria naturally gravitated towards Andrew and Spencer found herself swept off her feet by Colin or Jonny after an official break up, then all’s well. Technical cheating on both their parts is a bit too bitter to digest, especially when the couples in question have been together for numerous seasons. Everything falling apart all at once just reads as pure melodrama than natural progression. And let’s not even get started on the recent build-ups suddenly hitting brick walls. The entire storyline with Mike’s involvement in Mona’s murder gets wiped out entirely five minutes into the show. With only two episodes left to the #BigAReveal, things better shape up and fast.

 

Pretty Little Liars - “To Plea Or Not to Plea” Rating:  C

Pretty Little Liars: “Bloody Hell” Recap & Review

With the realization that Alison was framed for Mona’s murder, the Liars (minus Hanna) do the unthinkable. The three confront the Queen Bee herself in prison and…ask for forgiveness? Yep, apparently in Rosewood, borderline sociopaths deserve an apology after false accusations are made, even if everything else that has ever come out of their mouths has been one gigantic lie after another. Boy, after all the emotional torment they all suffered at Alison’s hands, are the Liars forgiving or what? Thankfully, Aria stands as the voice of reason, pointing out the absurdity of the situation. Alison’s been about as loving and caring to the girls as a freaking wolverine.

 

To only make matters worse, the Liars throw Mike under the bus by confessing to Alison of Mona’s plan before she was murdered. This new knowledge not only sets up Mike to become a hostile witness for Ali’s defense, but it also puts a massive bull’s-eye on his back in the fight against “A”. Aria turns to Mrs. Hastings for legal advice, and she comes to the horrifying conclusion that charges could be brought against her brother if he’s forced to confess on the witness stand at Ali’s trial.

 

Things thankfully aren’t nearly as devastating for Emily, but it’s still eventful to say the least. After Emily reconciles with Talia, her on-again/off-again beau quits her job at the Brew, separates from her husband, and subsequently crashes at Emily’s place. Geez, hasty much? That girl would be dangerous at a bidding auction. With her impulsiveness, she’d walk away with every item, not to mention an empty bank account.

 

The talented Ms. Fields continues to show off her killer dance moves as she practices for the Glass Slipper pageant. Talia crashes the rehearsal and the two share an intimate moment that soon gets interrupted by Clare, a pageant coordinator, who tells Emily that her connection to Alison jeopardizes the pageant. Talia doesn’t take kindly to Clare’s “suggestion” that Emily should drop out of the competition, and she implies ramifications for Emily’s mistreatment. Break out the cat claws. Reow!

 

Aria seeks out Hanna’s help in confronting Cyrus Petrillo. As it just so happens, Mr. Petrillo was recently hospitalized after an “accident” occurred while working as a mechanic. The girls go to visit him, discovering he was severely burned. Aria pleads with the bound and bloodied A-team member for any information on what happened to him. He only manages to scribble now a single word on a gauze package, reading, “Varjack”. And here, the plot only thickens. Considering Alison’s adoration for Breakfast at Tiffany’s, it only seems fitting that “A”’s new alias would be inspired by the character Paul Varjak. Cyrus’s spelling also lends another helpful hint. He clearly hasn’t seen the name written out to know how to spell it correctly, implying that he’s conducted business with “A” face to face. A very determined nurse though forces Aria and Hanna out of the burn unit before they can get anything else out of Cyrus, leaving him alone to recuperate…or not. After the room empties out, a fellow burn unit patient (who’s conveniently concealed by bandages) rises from their hospital bed and stands forebodingly over Cyrus.

 

Then, at the worst moment possible, Spencer gets whisked away to London for her interview at Oxford. Everything goes swimmingly until “A”’s handiwork bites her in the butt. A mysterious vial of blood planted by “A” breaks in her purse and leaks all over the chair in front of Spencer’s interviewing professor. Not exactly the best first impression to make. She flees from the interview and freaks out, only to receive a text from “A” threatening to tamper with Spencer’s carry-on luggage on her flight back home.

 

Aria does a little detective work in Mike’s room, and something stuck to her brother’s dartboard catches her eye. She climbs on top of Mike’s gym equipment in order to reach the note, but the whole setup collapses right under her. Crashing to the floor, Aria’s met with a concerned Andrew charging upstairs to her rescue. As he makes sure she’s alright, he takes a look at the contraption and something particularly alarming draws his attention. Apparently, the nuts and bolts on Mike’s weightlifting equipment don’t match up with one another. If the youngest Montgomery had used the device, the weights would have unquestionably crushed his skull, revealing the purpose of “A”’s visit to his bedroom in the previous episode. Aria’s emotions get the best of her at the heart wrenching revelation, and Andrew goes into full-on Prince Charming mode, bandaging her beaten foot before planting a kiss on her. Awww. Still don’t trust the fella though. Can you really overlook his “All the President’s Men” plot reference about receiving messages an all-knowing shadowy figure? Be smarter than that, Aria.

 

 

“A” truly has eyes everywhere. Alison receives two threats from the notorious evildoer, from prison! How exactly does this evil mastermind pull off all these elaborate scenarios? When you can’t even give an inmate a magazine, how do you get a creepy doll inside? Even in the midst of all the drama though, Hanna finally surrenders into visiting Ali, in which Alison actually apologizes to her! Hell may have seriously just frozen over here, people. The show closes with something in the DeLaurentis file catching Mrs. Hastings’s attention, warranting a call to her youngest daughter with a plea for Spencer to cancel her flight back home. Uh-oh. Whatever this development may bring, it’s certainly going to give Spencer some alone time together with Wren’s charming flat mate, Colin. Ooh-la-la.

 

“Bloody Hell” certainly raises the stakes for the upcoming reveal, but with the exclusion of Alison’s scenes, the episode does meander a bit with the relationship portion of the runtime. With the exception of Andrew, where are the rest of Rosewood’s familiar male faces? Caleb’s M.I.A., Ezra’s been conveniently out of town or off of work (despite running The Brew), Toby won’t show up unless someone’s being arrested, and newbie Jonny apparently is too busy finding more holy shirts to wear that he can’t make an appearance. There are so many potential love interests for Spencer that she’s not just having her cake and eating it, she’s practically inhaling several others. Slow down there, honey. You’ll get a tummy ache. Alison’s confession to Hanna, however, hits every high note. Alison finally discovers just how uncomfortable it is walking in someone else’s shoes, and finally hearing the Queen Bee admit to her previous wrongdoings is the moment fans have been waiting for. Is there redemption for Ali after all?

 

Pretty Little Liars: “Bloody Hell” Rating: B

Pretty Little Liars: “Out, Dammed Spot” Recap & Review

Book Review - Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

What can I say about Cassandra Clare’s “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones”? Firstly, beautiful world. This urban fantasy of New York blending with the Shadowhunters, Downworlders, and etc. is completely captivating. The mythology, the imagery, and the story are all truly fascinating. But this book does have some character hiccups it needs to sort through. Firstly, our protagonist, Clary Fray. I cannot begin to count all the times I wish I had Clary’s powers so that I could reach inside my book and clock her over the head with my paperback! The way she treats Simon makes me want to scream, and her manner of handling things with Jace is cringing.

That said, the other characters... Epic! I’ve always been a sucker for the sweet, best friend-types like Simon, so I found him utterly adorable. Jace, hmmm…where to even begin? He’s awesome. Brooding, but not in the stereotypical “loner who sits in the corner of the room” sort of way, brilliantly sarcastic, a bit emotionally broken, and let’s face it, he’s a total badass. What’s not to love? As for the glorious Magnus Bane, not much needs to be said other than that he’s flawless. With so many authors out there trying to illustrate such a visually and verbally colorful character and failing miserably, I have to give it to Ms. Clare on this one. Nothing about Magnus feels forced or artificial. He’s lovely, and perhaps one of my absolute favorites. Isabelle, I wish there was more back-story or character building with her in this installment, because I couldn’t quite connect emotionally with her. She always felt more like a physical essence than an emotive entity. Her brother, Alec, on the other hand, had plenty of emotions, not always for the better. His expressed insecurities provided with him with empathy, but his explosive reaction, particularly towards Clary, had me tipping my scale of approval against him.

Cassandra Clare’s ability to have such a broad spectrum of characters on the same plane of existence and not have the story feeling convoluted is impeccable. Her handling of situations ranging from coming-of-age to teenage romance to even sexual orientation is flawless and never feels preachy like so many others seem to make such topics. Overall, this is a beautiful world with wonderful, yet believably flawed characters, and it is a must-read as the introduction to a captivating series.

 

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars