Review of 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

13 Little Blue Envelopes

By Maureen Johnson

Star Rating: 

Genre: Young Adult
Number of Pages: 368

Season: Summer

Synopsis:(From Amazon)
When Ginny receives thirteen little blue envelopes a
nd instructions to buy a plane ticket to London, she knows something exciting is going to happen. What Ginny doesn't know is that she will have the adventure of her life and it will change her in more ways than one. Life and love are waiting for her across the Atlantic, and the thirteen little blue envelopes are the key to finding them in this funny, romantic, heartbreaking novel.

Review:
This is a typical coming of age story, with a twist.  Not only does Ginny have to deal with a hole in her heart, but she learns what type of person she wants to be in the future.  This novel is full of good advice, and showcases how one person alone can easily be taken advantage of, and things that young ladies need to be cautious of.  Ginny also learns that people come from very different walks of life, with different backgrounds and morals, but that doesn't mean they can't all turn out good in the end.  Ginny also comes to realize that everyone has their own secrets.

This book was a quick read and hard to put down, and seemed quite realistic.  This is a great, quick summer read, and I'd recommend it as a nice quick read to anyone getting ready to go out into the world as a young adult.

13 Little Blue Envelopes also has a sequel, which you can find out about on the amazon page for The Last Little Blue Envelope.


Bio: (from Amazon)
Maureen Johnson is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several YA novels, including 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Suite Scarlett, and The Name of the Star. She has also done collaborative works, such as Let It Snow (with John Green and Lauren Myracle), and The Bane Chronicles (with Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan). Maureen has an MFA in Writing from Columbia University. She has been nominated for an Edgar Award and the Andre Norton Award, and her books appear frequently on YALSA and state awards lists. Time Magazine has named her one of the top 140 people to follow on Twitter (@maureenjohnson). Maureen lives in New York, and online on Twitter (or at www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com).




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Review of Lily and the Beast and Lily and the Beast 2 by Amelia Jayne

Lily and the Beast

By Amelia Jayne

Star Rating: 

Genre: Romance
Number of Pages: 134

Synopsis:(From Amazon)
Aidan Pierce led a charmed life. Wealth, power, the love of a good woman - until his taste for kink triggers a devastating accident that forever changes his life. Now a mysterious recluse, Aidan doesn't let anyone see what he's become.

In order to save a loved one, Lily Gray is forced into an agreement that gives Aidan absolute power over her body for one year. Lily has sacrificed her freedom and surrendered her body, but she never imagined he'd take possession of her heart. What will happen when Aidan threatens to dominate her entire life? Steeped in darkness for so many years, Aidan never dreamed his sweet little sub would come to command him with a single smile. Can her love lead him into the light?

Will beauty tame the savage beast, or will his dark desires tear them apart?

*** This is a dark, erotic retelling of the classic fairy tale and contains elements of BDSM. Not intended for readers under 18. *** *** This book contains a cliffhanger. The conclusion, Lily and the Beast 2, is available now. ***

Lily and the Beast 2

By Amelia Jayne

Star Rating: 

Genre: Romance
Number of Pages: 160

Synopsis:(From Amazon)
Lily and the Beast 2 continues Lily's journey into submission and Aidan's dark desires.

Aidan Pierce led a charmed life. Wealth, power, the love of a good woman - until his taste for kink triggers a devastating accident that forever changes his life. Now a mysterious recluse, Aidan doesn't let anyone see what he's become.

In order to save a loved one, Lily Gray is forced into an agreement that gives Aidan absolute power over her body for one year. Lily has sacrificed her freedom and surrendered her body, but she never imagined he'd take possession of her heart. What will happen when Aidan threatens to dominate her entire life? Steeped in darkness for so many years, Aidan never dreamed his sweet little sub would come to command him with a single smile. Can her love lead him into the light?

Will beauty tame the savage beast, or will his dark desires tear them apart?

*** This is a dark, erotic retelling of the classic fairy tale and contains elements of BDSM. Not intended for readers under 18. *** *** This book concludes Lily and Aidan's story with a HEA. ***


Review:
Together these make one comprehensive story.  While I don't dislike books that go together in a series, these two books easily could have been published together.  The first book is listed at .99 on kindle with the second book at 2.99, altogether putting the full book around $4.  Given that the author used the same description for both, proving that these two books are essentially one story.

Firstly, I gotta say that while "Lily" is an alright name, it doesn't exactly fit what you typically see in a Beauty and the Beast rendition.  The last name "Gray" seems an obvious tribute to Fifty Shades of Grey.  Beyond that, I think that most of the casting is spot on.

The beastly aspect of Aidan is far different than what you may think of from other retellings, but it is brilliant.  Aidan may be beastly, but it's his emotions that seem to have suffered the worst.  Lily's sisters, which were lost in the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast, are spot on in attitude given the original tale.

I really enjoyed the way that Jayne changed Lily's father from the caring father seen in both Disney's version and the original tale.  The drama and the forced change in Lily's life shows that she's resilient and doesn't need others to take care of herself.  Lily isn't a Mary Sue, nor is she a damsel in distress: she's a perfectly capable individual who has to make a very serious decision regarding love and her future prospects.  In the end, she has to do what she knows is right for her, what she can live with, and what makes her happy.

Although this book (which is what I consider the two parts together) specifically states that there is BDSM, it is incredibly limited, stunted, and a very small portion of the entire book.  I think that having Aidan as a character interested in that makes perfect sense, especially as you get to know his backstory, but you'd think that perhaps the author could have done a bit more research into that world herself.  If that's what you're aiming for, go for some Anne Rice or M. Pierce instead.  M. Pierce is also quite light, but in a more comprehensive and complete way.

Biography: (from Amazon)
Amelia Jayne lives in a cottage by the sea with her two cats and a very understanding husband. When she's not busy writing smut or reading historical romances, she's dreaming up semi-healthy recipes to explore her love of chocolate and Italian food.

To find out more about her works, visit her website at www.ameliajayne.net






If you like this review, and the writing style of this quirky reviewer, please consider visiting and liking my Facebook author page: Lizzy March.

If you have any books you'd recommend, or that you think would fit the one I just reviewed, please feel free to leave a message in the comments below!

Thank you! 

Slowly catching up...

This summer I have read about eighteen or so books.  You may be thinking: that's great!  You may also be wondering where the reviews are.  No matter how hectic life gets, you should never stop doing something you love.  Books have always been a refuge for me, an exciting place where anything can happen, adventures can be had, and time can be forgotten.  Sometimes people stop reading because they "don't have time."  While I didn't write reviews for a while, I still read.  Sometimes I only read at night before bed, but there was always some sort of story going on in my head at some point in the day (even during those days when it was my own, that still counts!)

It's amazing what ten or fifteen minutes of respite can give you.  When reading, even if just for that brief period at night before you go to sleep, you get to enter a whole new world.  And entering a whole new world is really magic, isn't it?