Magic Hands by Jennifer Laurens (It has a teenage jock who does women's nails in it)

Magic Hands by Jennifer Laurens


Publisher: Grove Creek Publishing
Publish Date: February 1, 2007
Paperback, 216 pages


My rating: 3.25/5.0



FTC Disclosure: ***I received this book through Around the World Tours.***  I also do not receive money through the links provided to Amazon.com.  The Amazon Associates program does not pay out to residents of NC.

This is my third Jennifer Laurens book and it's another book I enjoyed. However I did not like this one as well as Nailed or Heavenly.

The story was enjoyable - popular girl who stays away from jocks and really dating in general,catches the eye of the biggest jock and most popular boy in the school. Of course, she doesn't want anything to do with him, at first. Then she becomes intrigued by him, especially since he is doing a very non-jock guy job of doing nails. And he's good at it.

It's a cute story and I really like the characters of Cort and Rachel. The nail salon job also makes things interesting. I enjoyed reading the book, but just was left with a less than fulfilled feeling. The characters grew some but not a lot and everytime I thought the plot was going somewhere it went there but a little too quickly. Things moved the story along but nothing was really that consequential. I'm used to a little more meaning and meat to Ms. Laurens' stories.

That said I did enjoy the book and wish it could have been longer to develop things with Cort and Rachel more. I also liked that this book made virginity out to be a prize, without the characters seeming like saints.

It's a good book and an entertaining read for an afternoon.

Mailbox Monday - March 8

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.  I'm not able to link up this week because of a death in the family but I am able to post what I received this week.  I will also check out your mailboxes when I get back.

 It's been another good one and I wish I could start all of them right away!

 

 

 

Mailbox Monday

Crystal's favorite books »

Out of Touch for a little bit

My grandmother passed away Friday night so I won't be able to post much for a few days.

I guess this is why I need to stay ahead in my posting so I have things scheduled to post, but I'm a procrastinator. I do have a few posts done scheduled to go up, but will run slightly behind on reviews, but I will catch up.  I should be back to posting on Wednesday, so I will see you then.

I have a bunch of great books coming up for review and I'm looking forward to reading my kindle more too.
Have a good beginning of the week all.

My grandmother "Ma" will be greatly missed. I will hold memories of her close and know that one day I will see her again and at least she is no longer suffering. At least that's what I tell myself in between crying spells :) It's true but the hurt is so fresh now that I have to keep reminding myself that she is much better off. I love you Ma!

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (Young Adult)

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young
Publisher: Razorbill
Publish Date: February 4, 2010
Paperback, 272 pages


My rating: 4.0/5.0

My Review:

The Naughty List is really what young adult fiction is all about, just simple fun with some meaning but not too deep or too shallow - it's just right and leaves you feeling good when you finish it. After reading a lot of books full of meaning and dealing with heavy subjects, it was very refreshing to read The Naughty List.

Centering around cheerleader friends who make up the Smitten Kittens, not only are they cheerleaders, but they are also girls undercover who find out whether your boyfriend is cheating on you are not. Sweet girl cheerleaders by day and stealthy girls by night, these aren't your average everyday cheerleaders. Tessa is a particularly strong female character but she still has insecurities. Through the book her relationship with Aiden seems on the up and up but with a few seeds of doubt planted will Tessa still trust Aiden. And where does she draw the line about whether finding out about cheaters really helps the girls or hurts more.

The Naughty List is a fun quick read with characters that develop before your eyes. The first in a series, I look forward to learning more about some of the other Smitten Kittens and seeing more of Tessa and finding out what happens in her life.

About the Book:

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility!

Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!

When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?

Other Reviews of The Naughty List:

Frenetic Reader
Just Your Typical Book Blog
yaReads.com
The Undercover Book Lover (not really)

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book through 1-ARC-Tours.  I do not make any money on reviews, and my reviews are my own thoughts. I will write how I feel whether it is good or bad.  I also do not make money from my Amazon.com links - I live in NC and we cannot profit as an Amazon Associate.

Weekend Wondering + Giveaway - What Review do you want to see

Still no topic to ramble on - sorry.  My grandmother is going down hill and we are expecting the call at any time.  I will greatly miss her.  My mom has encouraged me to stay home and just come up for the funeral and to remember my "Ma" as she was.  So that is what I am doing.  As soon as we get the call and know the plans we will head out of here and drive 5 hours with a 4 and 9 year old.

Last week's weekend wondering winner is:

MarthaE

So I have some reviews I never did - these were either books from my shelves or library books.  So to enter this week -simply tell me which book you would most like to see reviewed.  That's it.  The winner will get a choice from my giveaway box, which some of the books are shown below.  Be advised that the winner from today gets a choice so one book will be gone, but there is still plenty to choose from and there is a good chance I will add more this week.  Followers (blog, facebook, networked blogs, twitter) and tweets/blog posts will earn extra entries.  Help me decide what review to do.


So here are some books I haven't reviewed:

• 13 1/2 by Nevada Barr
• Sole Survivor by Dean Koontz
• Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
• Hunted (House of Night #5) by P.C. and Kristen Cast
• Only in Your Dreams (Gossip Girl #9) by Cecily von Ziegesar
• Relentless by Dean Koontz
• True Colors by Kristin Hannah
• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
• Matters of the Heart by Danielle Steel
• The Pretty Committee Strikes Back (The Clique #5) by Lisi Harrison
• Revelations (Blue Bloods #3) by Melissa de la Cruz
• Dead as a Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse #5) by Charlaine Harris
• Invitation Only (Private #2) by Kate Brian
• Smash Cut by Sandra Brown

Books you can win:

Crystal's favorite books »

Winners

 

First up I have the winner of Hear No Evil by Matthew Paul Turner (donated by the publisher, mailed by me):

Miranda Whitman

 

Next are 3 winners of The Moon Looked Down by Dorothy Garlock (from the publisher):

Karen K

Mary (Bookfan)

Sue

I have emailed these winners.  To previous winners - I am slightly behind but don't worry you will get your books.  If you haven't received something just contact me, crystalfulcher(at)ec.rr.com and I'll check on whether I have gotten it out yet or not.  I plan on making a big mail day one day next week.

Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens

Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens
Publisher: Grove Creek Publishing
Publish Date: August 15, 2009
Paperback, 294 pages

My rating: 4.25/5.0



My Review:

Heavenly is an absolutely amazing book. I have read three of Ms. Laurens' books now and I can definitely see where she is growing as a writer.

Heavenly looks at a relationship between a guardian angel of sorts, Matthias, who looks over Zoe's autistic little sister. But Zoe can see him which is unusual. Most of the time the guardians are unseen. Zoe's friendship with Matthias grows and he understands her and she understands him. He also sheds light on her little sister who Zoe has started to regret because so much attention has to go to her and there is little left for her parents' to give Zoe and her brother.

So of course with little attention both Zoe and her brother are engaging in risky behaviors, at least until Matthias steps in.

The characters of Zoe and Matthias are fascinating. You can see underneath Zoe's exterior that she really wants to do what is right and she begins to grow and change. Matthias is such a guiding force and a steady force that I wish we all had someone like him in our lives to help us see the good and help guide us to do what is right.

The relationships are captivating. I could not put this book down. I had to know what would go on next and how things would work out between Matthias and Zoe.

I think I ran through the gamut of emotions in this book and loved it all. Ms. Laurens kept me entertained and made me think which is one thing that makes me truly love a book.  One last thing - this book honestly surprised me - I did not see where this was going and that was great.  I look forward to the next book in this series, Penitence .

About the Book:

I met someone who changed everything. Matthias. My autistic sister's guardian angel. Honest. Inspiring. Funny. Hot. And immortal. That was the problem. What could I do? I did what any other girl would do-I fell in love with him. Zoe's sister darts in front of cars. Her brother's a pothead. Her parents are so overwhelmed; they don't see Zoe lost in her broken life. Zoe escapes the only way she knows how: partying. Matthias, a guardian sent from Heaven, watches over Zoe's autistic sister. After Zoe is convinced he's legit, angel and lost girl come together in a love that changes destiny. But Heaven on Earth can't last forever.

Some other reviews of this book:

BCF Book Reviews
My Overstuffed Bookshelf
The Bibliophilic Book Blog
Around the World Tours links to reviews
Stop, Drop and Read



FTC Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.  I do not make any money on reviews, and my reviews are my own thoughts. I will write how I feel whether it is good or bad.  I also do not make money from my Amazon.com links - I live in NC and we cannot profit as an Amazon Associate.