Category Archives: St Martin’s Griffin

June 1, 2016 · 11:58 pm

Review: You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour

Title: You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, LGBT
Length: 256 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Who knows you well? Your best friend? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? A stranger you meet on a crazy night? No one, really?

Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for an entire year, but have never spoken. For whatever reason, their paths outside of class have never crossed.

That is until Kate spots Mark miles away from home, out in the city for a wild, unexpected night. Kate is lost, having just run away from a chance to finally meet the girl she has been in love with from afar. Mark, meanwhile, is in love with his best friend Ryan, who may or may not feel the same way.

When Kate and Mark meet up, little do they know how important they will become to each other — and how, in a very short time, they will know each other better than any of the people who are supposed to know them more.

A book told in alternating points of view by Nina LaCour, the award-winning author of Hold Still and The Disenchantments, and David Levithan, the best-selling author of Every Day and co-author of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (with Rachel Cohn) and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (with John Green), You Know Me Well is a deeply honest story about navigating the joys and heartaches of first love, one truth at a time.

Review:

Set during pride week in San Francisco, You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour is a charming coming of age novel.  This beautiful young adult novel explores the intricacies of friendship, young love and facing fears.

Although Mark Rissi and Kate Cleary have sat beside each other all year in Calculus, the two have never spoken to one another. But that all changes after a chance encounter in a gay bar at the start of pride week.  Kate ducks into the bar while she is working up the nerve to meet the girl of her dreams when she notices Mark dancing on the bar in his underwear. Despite this awkward first meeting, the two become fast friends who support one another during a tumultuous, life-alternating week.

Mark convinces his best friend Ryan to sneak out to a gay bar in the Castro to celebrate the beginning of Pride Week.  Although they are extremely close and their relationship has occasionally crossed into “friends with benefits” territory, Mark has been in love with Ryan for a long time.  While he is hoping this adventure will give Ryan the courage to come out of the closet what he really wants is for his friend to fall in love with him.  Much to Mark’s dismay, the night does not exactly go as planned when Ryan begins to fall for someone else.  Mark is heartbroken but with Kate’s encouragement, he finally confesses his feelings to Ryan but he is not at all prepared for the effect his admission has on their friendship.

Kate is on the verge of finally meeting her long distance love interest Violet for the first time.  However, right before their introduction, Kate’s doubts and insecurities get the best of her and she runs away.  This becomes a common theme for her as she ducks out on commitments and avoids her best friend, Lehna. The two young women have been best friends for most of their lives, but they are beginning to drift apart now their senior year is coming to a close. As graduation nears, Kate tries to pinpoint why she less enthused about her future than her fellow classmates. Her budding romance with Violet is also fraught with tension as Kate continues to resist truly committing to their relationship.

You Know Me Well by David Levithan and Nina LaCour is a unique young adult novel that is both angsty and heartwarming.  The characters are well developed and their struggles are realistically portrayed.  The storyline is engrossing and well-written but it is sometimes a little difficult to figure out which character is speaking.  The novel is written in first person and the chapters alternate between Kate and Mark’s points of view but these shift in perspective are not marked. Despite this issue, You Know Me Well is an entertaining and moving story of friendship and new beginnings that will appeal to readers of all ages.

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Filed under Contemporary, David Levithan, LGBT, Nina LaCour, Rated B, Review, St Martin's Griffin, You Know Me Well, Young Adult

April 11, 2016 · 11:57 pm

Review: Island in the Sea by Anita Hughes

Title: Island in the Sea by Anita Hughes
A Majorca Love Story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Juliet Lyman is a senior executive at Yesterday Records. Music is her passion and she’s very good at her job. That’s why her famously philanthropic boss Gideon sends her to Majorca, Spain to work with a very tortured, but talented client. Lionel Harding is one of the best song writers of the 20th century, the multi-Grammy award-winning lyricist of the third most recorded song in history. But now he’s 42 and six months overdue on the his latest paid assignment. Juliet is not leaving Majorca without either new lyrics or a very large check.

To Juliet, business comes first. Emotions are secondary, and love isn’t even on the menu. But to Lionel, love is everything, and he blames Gideon for his broken heart. He’s determined to show Juliet that nothing is more important than love, but Juliet is just as determined to get Lionel to create the music that made him famous. If she can sign up local talent, even better. Her new friend Gabriella has a voice like an angel, but she’s not interested in fame. Her grandmother, Lydia, wants the world for Gabriella, and she wants Juliet’s help to give it to her.

As her professional and personal lives start to mix for the first time, Juliet is forced to reevaluate her priorities. Gideon hasn’t been totally honest, and love may be the only thing that gives them all what they need.

Island in the Sea is Anita Hughes’ captivating sixth novel, filled with exotic descriptions of food, fashion, and romance.

Review:

In Anita Hughes’ latest release, Island in the Sea, readers are whisked away to an idyllic island setting when  music exec Juliet Lyman travels to Majorca, Spain to convince songwriter Lionel Harding to fulfill the terms of his contract.

Juliet is passionate about her career and although she works long hours and spends a lot of time on the road, she loves working in the music industry.  With her job on the line, she is determined to convince Lionel to either pay back his advance or turn in the songs he was contracted to write.  When he insists on telling her a story that explains his lack of progress, she extends her visit by two weeks, becomes friends with locals Gabriella and Lydia and begins dating tennis player Henry Adler.  With her departure date looming, Juliet unexpectedly finds love but will a surprising discovery ruin her chance at happiness?

Juliet does not have much time for a private life and while fulfilled her in professional life, she is taken off guard when she feels a little lonely after her long days come to a close.  At loose ends while waiting for Lionel to finish his story and turn in his songs, she explores Majorca, gets to know Gabriella and Lydia and enjoys extravagant dates with Henry.  When Henry surprises her with a declaration of love, Juliet is confused by her own feelings and when he begins planning his future around their budding relationship, she is shocked by her reaction.

Lionel is self-indulgent, whiny and somewhat shallow.  The story of his rise to fame is initially interesting but as he falls victim to the trappings of success, he becomes just another overspending jerk who loses sight of what is truly important in life.  Easily convinced to go on the road despite his promises to his girlfriend (and muse), a misunderstanding and behind the scenes maneuvering leads to the demise of their relationship.  Despite his continued success, Lionel really never got over his first love and when he finds out the truth about the real reason their romance failed, he becomes morose and petulant. He also makes a  somewhat passive aggressive decision to not fulfill the terms of his contract.

While the descriptions of Majorca bring the setting vibrantly to live, the rest of the storyline falls a little flat.  Lionel’s past is revealed through a series of flashbacks which detail a lovely romance that ultimately falters under the weight of his career aspirations.  The transitions between past and present are a little abrupt and not always clearly marked.  Juliet is a likable character but she comes across as much younger than her actual age.  The romance aspect of the plot has a bit of an insta-love quality and the reasons for the behind the scenes manipulations seem a little heavy handed and arrogant.

Despite a few issues with some of the plot, Island in the Sea by Anita Hughes is a lovely, light read with an exotic and relaxing setting. Overall, an angst free romance with a unique storyline that fans of contemporary romances will enjoy.

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Filed under Anita Hughes, Contemporary, Island in the Sea, Rated C+, Review, Romance, St Martin's Griffin, St Martin's Paperbacks

March 27, 2016 · 11:58 pm

Review: Dear Thing by Julie Cohen

Title: Dear Thing by Julie Cohen
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 432 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

After years of watching her best friends Ben and Claire try for a baby, Romily has offered to give them the one thing that they want most.

Romily expects it will be easy to be a surrogate. She’s already a single mother, and she has no desire for any more children. But Romily isn’t prepared for the overwhelming feelings that have taken hold of her and which threaten to ruin her friendship with Ben and Claire-and even destroy their marriage.

Now there are three friends, two mothers and only one baby, and an impossible decision to make…

Thought-provoking, heart-rending but ultimately uplifting, Julie Cohen’s Dear Thing is a book you won’t be able to put down, until you pass it on to your best friends.

Review:

Dear Thing by Julie Cohen is an emotional, poignant and thought-provoking novel about infertility and surrogacy.

Ben and Claire Lawrence are the perfect couple.  Happily married and successful, they have been trying unsuccessfully to conceive and after their latest IVF ends in a miscarriage, Claire is ready to give up.  Upset over Claire’s decision, a drunken Ben confides in his best gal pal and single mom Romily Summer.  Romily impetuously suggests that she be their surrogate and Ben does not have to think twice before eagerly accepting her generous offer.  Needless to say, he is stunned by Claire’s hesitation to move forward with the plan.  After careful consideration, Claire’s desire for a baby outweighs her many reservations about the arrangement and Romily is soon pregnant with their baby.  

While the plan seems simple enough, things quickly become complicated as the months pass. Claire is hesitant to believe their good fortune and although grateful for Romily’s willingness to be their surrogate, she cannot help but feel like a failure.   Despite her assertions that she will not become attached to her unborn child, Romily’s longtime love for Ben changes her feelings about the baby she is carrying. Ben becomes confused about his emotions when he begins viewing Romily as the mother of his child instead of his best friend.

Claire is a little uptight and reserved so she sometimes appears emotionless and distant.  She and Romily have never been particularly close and things are often awkward between them without Ben acting as a buffer.  Angry and a bit resentful that Romily can have a baby while she cannot, Claire refuses to become involved with the pregnancy for the first few months.  A teacher at a local school, she becomes over involved with a trouble student and even though her heart is in the right place, Claire loses her objectivity and jeopardizes her career.

Unlike über structured Claire, Romily is disorganized and a wee bit forgetful.  A scientist, she is analytical and logical so she is taken off guard by the emotional impact of her pregnancy.  Friends with Ben since college, Romily has been in love with him almost since their first meeting.  Before she could work up the nerve to confess her feelings, Ben fell in love with Claire and Romily was content to stay his friend although her love for him never waned.  After a casual fling years earlier, she gave birth to daughter Posie who is now a precocious but charming seven year old.  No one is more surprised than Romily when old flame Jarvis re-enters her life and once he discovers he is a father, he wants to get to know his daughter.

Although Ben is the catalyst that sets the surrogacy into motion, he remains on the periphery of the story.  He encourages Claire to spend time with Romily and he blithely goes on with his life without realizing the emotional firestorm he has inadvertently created.  As Ben spends more time with Romily, Claire feels more and more left out.  With Ben unable to understand Claire’s concerns, the two begin to drift apart and it is only a matter of time before their marriage reaches a crisis point.

Dear Thing thunders to an uncertain conclusion as tensions mount and emotions run high between Claire, Romily and Ben. With unexpected twists and turns, Julie Cohen skillfully keeps readers on the edge of their seats wondering how this delicate situation is going to be resolved right until the story’s heartwarming ending.  This fast paced and riveting story is a sensitive and compassionate depiction of surrogacy and infertility and I highly recommend it to fans of contemporary women’s fiction.

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Filed under Contemporary, Dear Thing, Julie Cohen, Rated B+, Review, St Martin's Griffin, Women's Fiction

January 13, 2016 · 11:57 pm

Review: Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz

sanctuary bayTitle: Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Mystery/Thriller, Supernatural
Length: 321 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by the NetGalley

Summary:

When Sarah Merson receives the opportunity of a lifetime to attend the most elite prep school in the country-Sanctuary Bay Academy-it seems almost too good to be true. But, after years of bouncing from foster home to foster home, escaping to its tranquil setting, nestled deep in Swans Island, couldn’t sound more appealing. Swiftly thrown into a world of privilege and secrets, Sarah quickly realizes finding herself noticed by class charmer, Nate, as well as her roommate’s dangerously attentive boyfriend, Ethan, are the least of her worries. When her roommate suddenly goes missing, she finds herself in a race against time, not only to find her, but to save herself and discover the dark truth behind Sanctuary Bay’s glossy reputation.

In this genre-bending YA thriller, Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz, Sarah’s new school may seem like an idyllic temple of learning, but as she unearths years of terrifying history and manipulation, she discovers this “school” is something much more sinister.

Review:

Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz is an intriguing young adult novel with supernatural elements.

In the foster care system since her parents’ deaths when she was three years old, Sarah Merson cannot believe her good fortune when she is presented with a scholarship to attend the elite Sanctuary Bay Academy. Set on a secluded island off the coast of Maine, the majority of students are from privileged and wealthy families, so Sarah is out of her depth and uncertain of her reception by her classmates. Pleasantly surprised by their easy acceptance of her, she shares a suite with two other teenagers, Isobel “Izzy” Trescott and Karina Sharma and they are quick to include her in their circle of friends. Curious about her new roommates mysterious midnight excursions, Sarah follows them one night and when she is discovered, she is invited to join a secret society known as the Wolfpack. Seemingly harmless, she enjoys being a member of the pack, but when a prank goes too far one night and Karina goes missing, Sarah turns to Karina’s indolent boyfriend, Ethan Steere, to help search for her.

Given her past, Sarah is somewhat guarded and finds it difficult to trust people. She has a bit of a chip on her shoulder and she is quick speak her mind when her temper gets the best of her. Sarah easily jumps to conclusions on occasion and lashes out at those around her when she feels threatened. She is little curious about some of the strange happenings but overall, Sarah is happy with her new school and she is grateful for the opportunity to make a better life for herself.

Ethan is indifferent to the opportunities provided to him at the academy and unlike most of his classmates, he is not happy about being on the island. He is deliberately antagonistic to many of the students and his relationship with Karina is rather rocky. He is a rule breaker who defies authority and he has a bad boy reputation with the school’s administrators and his fellow students. Ethan’s rebellion and antisocial tendencies make him the perfect person for Sarah to turn to when she needs help searching for Karina.

The first half of Sanctuary Bay is pretty ordinary with Sarah and her friends going to class and hanging out together. There are a few anomalies that pique Sarah’s curiosity but she easily sets these troubling questions aside. It is not until she joins the Wolfpack that the plot turns a little more sinister. Even then, there is nothing too troubling other than a few creepy rituals which include drinking a concoction that heightens Sarah’s senses and experiences. However, Karina’s disappearance ups the ante and Sarah is truly frightened by her friends’ inexplicable behavior. It is not until she and Ethan begin making progress with their investigation into Karina’s disappearance that Sarah’s fear turns to horror as they uncover shocking information about Sanctuary Bay.

With a compelling and unusual storyline, Sanctuary Bay is a fascinating young adult mystery. With one notable exception, the characters are well developed and three-dimensional. Although rather slow-paced in the beginning, the novel thunders to an action packed and exciting conclusion. Although most of the loose ends are tied up, a few unanswered questions will leave readers hoping that Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz plan to write a follow-up novel starring Sarah and Ethan. All in all, an enjoyable contemporary young adult novel that I recommend to readers of all ages.

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Filed under Contemporary, Laura Burns, Melinda Metz, Mystery, Rated B, Review, Sanctuary Bay, St Martin's Griffin, Supernatural Elements, Suspense, Thriller, Young Adult

December 14, 2015 · 11:56 pm

Review: First Touch by Laurelin Paige

first touchTitle: First Touch by Laurelin Paige
First and Last Series Book One
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Erotica, Mystery
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: C

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

When Emily Wayborn goes home to visit her mom while on hiatus from her hit TV show, she receives a voicemail from her former best friend, Amber. Though the two were once notorious party girls, they haven’t spoken in years. Although the message might sound benign to anyone else, Amber uses a safe word that Emily recognizes, a word they always used to get out of sticky situations during their wild days. And what’s more chilling than the voicemail: it turns out that Amber has gone missing.

Determined to track down her friend, Emily follows a chain of clues that lead her to the enigmatic billionaire Reeve Sallis, a hotelier known for his shady dealings and play boy reputation. Now, in order to find Amber, Emily must seduce Reeve to learn his secrets and discover the whereabouts of her friend. But as she finds herself more entangled with him, she finds she’s drawn to Reeve for more than just his connection to Amber, despite her growing fear that he may be the enemy. When she’s forced to choose where her loyalty lies, how will she decide between saving Amber and saving her heart?

Review:

The first installment in Laurelin Paige’s First and Last duology, First Touch is a sexually explicit and boundary pushing exploration of lead protagonist Emily Wayborn’s long dormant submissive desires.

Emily Wayborn’s friendship with Amber Pries ended six years earlier but when she receives a message in which Amber uses their distress signal, Emily drops everything to look into her disappearance. Although she hires a private investigator to help find Amber, Emily begins her own investigation which leads straight to Amber’s former lover, wealthy resort owner Reeve Sallis. Despite the sinister rumors swirling around Reeve, he immediately awakens the dark and dangerous urges that Emily has tried to ignore and her investigation into Amber’s disappearance soon takes a backseat to her progressively dangerous and erotically charged sexual encounters with Reeve.

At first, Emily seems like a self-confident and self-assured woman who is comfortable with her sexuality. Since hitting rock bottom six years earlier, her acting career has taken off and she has a starring role in a popular sitcom. Mainly concentrating on her career, Emily no longer craves or desires the types of relationships she was in during her friendship with Amber. But right from her first meeting with Reeve, she easily slips back into the habit of using her generously endowed curves to garner his attention. Once she captures his interest, she finds herself fully captivated by his need to take control and she soon becomes needy, jealous and insecure and it is rather troubling how easily Emily capitulates to his destructive dominance both in and out of the bedroom.

Reeve is the typical bad boy billionaire with a dark and mysterious past. There is little factual information available about him or his family but rumor, innuendo and gossip fill in some of the blanks. Reeve is domineering, controlling and possessive and he makes no effort to hide these aspects of his personality. These very traits appeal to Emily’s need to submit but even she is ill-prepared for the heavy kink that he introduces to their sexual encounters.

Emily’s quest to find Amber is quickly lost in her increasingly dangerous and toxic relationship with Reeve. He demands complete control of their sex life and her consent becomes dubious since she is such a people pleaser and so submissive that she has refuses to say no to anything he asks of her. There are no safe words and absolutely nothing is off limits. Their relationship is purely sexual and neither of them make any attempt to disguise this fact. The sexual element of the storyline is sometimes unsettling as their explorations delve into the darker side of dominant/submissive erotica and their encounters are sometimes disturbing.

While Emily’s investigation into Amber’s disappearance is mainly overshadowed by her disquieting relationship with Reeve, she does make a few half-hearted attempts to find out what happened to her friend. However, for the most part, Emily uses her “investigation” as an excuse to continue seeing Reeve and her continued efforts to investigate seem a little ridiculous under the circumstances. Emily is eventually so blinded by lust and desire that she makes foolhardy decisions that could literally jeopardize her life.

This first installment in Laurelin Paige’s First and Last series is a well-written, highly erotic novel that is not for the sexually faint of heart. While not much progress is made in learning the truth about what happened to Amber, First Touch ends with a shocking cliffhanger that will leave readers impatiently awaiting the release of final book in this two book series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Erotica, First and Last Series, First Touch, Laurelin Paige, Mystery, Review, St Martin's Griffin

October 28, 2015 · 11:56 pm

Review: How to Be Brave by E. Katherine Kottaras

how to beTitle: How to Be Brave by E. Katherine Kottaras
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult
Length: 288 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Reeling from her mother’s death, Georgia has a choice: become lost in her own pain, or enjoy life right now, while she still can. She decides to start really living for the first time and makes a list of fifteen ways to be brave – all the things she’s wanted to do but never had the courage to try. As she begins doing the things she’s always been afraid to do – including pursuing her secret crush, she discovers that life doesn’t always go according to plan. Sometimes friendships fall apart and love breaks your heart. But once in a while, the right person shows up just when you need them most – and you learn that you’re stronger and braver than you ever imagined.

Review:

How to Be Brave by E. Katherine Kottaras is an engaging and realistic young adult novel about friendship, grief and moving on after a terrible loss.

High school senior Georgia Askeridis begins her senior year of high school still deeply mourning the loss of her mother from complications of diabetes and obesity. Her father has left her to deal with her grief on her own as he works long hours in the family’s restaurant. The school year is off to a rocky beginning as the school’s “mean girls” target her but her close friend Liss comes to her rescue with some well aimed barbs at the popular teens. Taking her mother’s last words and letter to heart, the two young ladies devise a list of things to accomplish that will hopefully help Georgia live life to the fullest. Aiding them on their journey is new student, Evelyn, and the three quickly begin checking items off the list. However, after a terrible mistake ruins her friendship with Liss, Georgia cannot help but wonder whether the list is truly helping her cope with her loss.

Georgia is a bit directionless without her mom but she has no choice to deal with the cards life has handed her. Her efforts to be positive in the face of her loss are quite heartening although this is a goal she struggles to meet. Her list is a mix of fun and easy to accomplish items but most of what she hopes to accomplish is well out of her comfort zone. Despite how uneasy some of her tasks make her feel, Georgia (with some not so gentle nudging from Liss) gamely sets about fulfilling her goals. After things go too far one night, her friendship with Liss is threatened and she begins avoiding Evelyn. Giving up on her list, she concentrates on what is probably the most important item she originally set out to accomplish and Georgia throws herself into a huge art assignment which yields very surprising results.

Written in first person from Georgia’s perspective, How to Be Brave touches on relevant issues facing teens today such as bullying, experimenting with drugs and struggling with self image. E. Katherine Kottaras’s depictions of Georgia’s actions and thought processes ring true as do her overprotective father’s reaction when he discovers what she has been doing with her friends. The growth of the characters is absolutely phenomenal and watching Georgia find the courage to stand up for herself is immensely gratifying. All in all, a very unique and enjoyable journey of self discovery that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys contemporary young adult novels.

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Filed under Contemporary, E Katherine Kottaras, How to Be Brave, Rated B, Review, St Martin's Griffin, Young Adult