The Wedding Girl by Madeline Wickham

Note: I LOVE Sophie Kinsella. One of my favorite authors, hands down. So of course, when I found out she also wrote as Madeline Wickham, I had to get my hands on one of her books. There is a distinct difference between novels by Sophie Kinsella and Madeline Wickham. I would go so far as to say the Kinsella books are more mature? The Whickham books are more sporadic and pay less attention to the main female, preferring to include everyone in a conflict of their own. I prefer the Kinsella books.

However, The Wedding Girl still has bits of Kinsella’s charm, but again, it’s more of a cliche romance? I don’t really know how to describe it. Ah! Overplotted. Very overplotted. And with so much plot going on, you don’t really have time to insert funnies or develop characters. </sadness>.

You see, Milly is about to get married – to one of the wealthiest men in Britain. However, once her photographer, Alexander, shows up, she remembers she has a BIG secret to hide. You see, Alexander has already photographed her  in another wedding. And she’s not sure if she’s divorced. dun dun dun. With Alexander taunting Milly with her previous marriage, she’s forced to revisit her past. Only, her past doesn’t want to meet up with her. So, Milly must discover 10 years of forgotten history in 2 days and try to keep it a secret from everyone. And of course, she has doubts about her finance, her fiance hates his father, her sister’s pregnant, her parents have unsolved issues, her godmother’s in there too, her husband – a gay American who needed a way to stay in the country with his lover – is no where to be found, and her husband’s lover is married. Oh the drama.

Soap Operaed  out,

Rachel

PS: If you’re desiring a romcom, read a Kinsella book. They are PHENOMENAL.

Insatiable by Meg Cabot

Insatiable: a mediocre novel about vampires. Honestly, I was expecting a lot more than I got. In this case, I truly believe Meg Cabot should have stuck to YA fiction. She tried coming from an angle of the protagonist not liking vampires, hating the world’s desire to read vampire material, and yet she falls for the head vampire. The plot was ridiculous. Ridiculous piled upon ridiculous. At one point, probably three quarters to the end of the novel, I lost the desire to continue reading. It just wasn’t even worth it. Even fiction has a point that you don’t cross. The main character was interesting enough. But she was the only character I enjoyed. Again, ridiculous just piled upon ridiculous. Honestly, there are better books to read. I don’t recommend it. I’ll read the second, but if it’s not promising, I’ll stop quickly and I urge you to do the same.

If you’re into “dark” fiction, I recommend The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko (first in a trio – i think. he might have made more). It’s honestly the best “dark” fiction I’ve read. And even just to lovers of the supernatural or fantasy, it’s a great novel. I s’posse I should write a review on that soon as well.

Disappointed,

Rachel

The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot

First up: YA REVIEW. Meg Cabot is a wonderful YA writer – something I’ll address in her recent adult book review, coming soon. This is another easy to read series, comprising of six books. Each book seems better than the previous, but wonderful in itself. Cabot gives you a feel for all the characters introduced and keeps them in the series. I feel as if I know all the major characters and would LOVE to see another book. Although, I realize that that isn’t going to happen. This is a series that knows when to wrap up and does an excellent job of doing so.

Now, quick summary: Suzie, like any teenage girl, is not exactly happy when she has to leave her home and move literally, across the country when her mom remarries. However, Suzie has more issues than living in a house with her three step-brothers, because, in her room, she finds a ghost. Which in itself is nothing new. Suzie has the ability to see, hear, touch, and talk to ghosts. She’s a mediator. She has to complete whatever task the ghost needs to get done before they can move on. But the ghost in her room, Jesse, doesn’t seem to have any unfinished business. And as Suzie gets to know Jesse, will she really want him gone?
And of course, Suzie finally meets another mediator, the principal of her new school: Father Dom. Together, the three of them – mediators and a ghost – must help the dead move on. -end basic summary-

Now, the series develops excellently. So it is a definite summer must read. And Suzie – the main character – is a witty and snarky NYC girl that you will love to follow. There are tons of small jokes and commentaries that will make you laugh out loud. So, if you’re in the mood for a good  mini series. Read it.

Mediator at heart,

Rachel

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

As an avid reader of 18th and 19th century fiction, I was bound to come across this novel sooner or later, and as an avid reader of Cassandra Clare, I came upon it sooner. At every twist, turn, and character you find Cassandra Clare, as in, if you’ve read her Mortal Instruments Series, you can distinctly see her style. Yet, where City of Bones followed Claire’s conflict and Jace’s was introduced later in the story, Clockwork Angel seems to follow Tessa’s, Will’s, and Jem’s conflicts relatively equally (though Tessa’s and Will’s could beat out the amount of pages devoted to their conflicts.)

Clockwork Angel was an extremely good book, providing more than I expected. It’s action packed and twisty as a pretzel. If you’re ready for an easy read with lots of adventure and plot and a tad bit of YA romance, I recommend it. To devoted classic’s readers, I don’t recommend. The dialect remains distinctly modern, not at all like a novel from Austen or Bronte, but for YA Readers, READ IT. You’ll enjoy. For those that have read The Mortal Instruments, you’re in for good read. I loved how certain characters made appearances and even last names connected the characters from both books. The world Clare has created is wonderful. An introduction of a character you know is like finding an old acquaintance in a new location, adding to his/her personal story as well as that of the book.

One thing I noticed was that there was a lot of open ends (which would be good for the following novels, but it leaves you with a lot of unanswered questions) And there is always mention of a dark secret, but what that secret constitutes is never addressed. The novel was a great YA read and it definitely set up the foundation for another series full of twists and turns. So while this novel was a great starter I cannot wait for the following books. (Clockwork Prince comes out December 6th!) So if you’re looking for another world to immerse yourself in, read the book.

Wishing I lived in another century,

Rachel