Cinderella Screwed Me Over - Cindi Madsen

Cinderella Screwed Me Over - Cindi Madsen
Grade: Adult-Romance
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Darby Quinn has a bone to pick with Cinderella. Burned one too many times by ex-boyfriends, Darby has lost all belief in the happily-ever-after that the fairy-tale princess promised her. She's sworn off love, Prince Charmings, and happy endings and she's happy about it. Really. Or at least she was…until she met Jake, her gorgeous neighbor and the manager of her favorite restaurant. But Darby has rules about dating, ones she's culled from her years spent with so-called “princes,” and starting something with Jake would break all of them.

Charming, fun, and unwilling to give up on her, Jake doesn’t fit any of the profiles Darby has created from her case studies of ex-princes-gone-bad. Finally presented with her own Prince Charming, can Darby take a chance on a happily-ever-after?

Full of wit and sarcastic humor, Cinderella Screwed Me Over proves that sometimes the perfect love, like a perfect pair of shoes, is just within your grasp. (Description from Goodreads)

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I adored this book! It was like reading the script to a RomCom, only with added extra thoughts from the main character, and it was so much fun!

Darby Quinn is sceptical about love. She's been through so many rough relationships, so many broken hearts and screwed up paths, that she's given up on long-lasting relationships. In fact, she's giving up on dating completely. The main cause for her broken view on life? Well Fairytales and Disney stories, of course. Where else do you find an unnaturally large amount of situations that all point to Happily Ever After and the Perfect Prince saving the day? But things start to become complicated when Jake Knight comes on the scene. I had a very long giggle when I realised Jake's surname was 'Knight'. I liked the irony of him becoming the Prince to change Darby's heart...and he's a knight!

I had mixed feelings about Darby. Most of the time I loved her, and could even identify with telling yourself that it's better off not being in love so you can't get hurt; but other times I just wanted to shake some sense in her, especially when it came to stringing Jake along. Darby, not looking for anything long-term, manages to hook Jake's interest and feelings, while constantly pushing him away at the same time. It was frustrating because all Jake ever did was try to make her happy. He gets bonus points for being more patient than anyone else.

I mentioned before that it's very RomCom-esque. I haven't branched out into adult chick lit before, so I can imagine there are a lot of books that read like a favourite movie; but for me this was one of the first and I just adored it. I can see myself taking Cinderella Screwed Me Over off the shelf when I'm in the mood for an easy, fun, romantic drama story; and I know I'll love it every single time I pick it up.

One of the best parts of this book was seeing Darby's past relationships as pre-created 'Case Studies' for how a previous relationship broke down and comparing them to popular male characters from favourite fairytales. I loved the case studies, and not just because they let us into Darby’s life; let us see why she was so broken and wary of love. I think I may have had the wrong reaction to them at times; I was just excited to come up to the next Disney or fairytale story and see how they were represented. I loved seeing the Robin Hood-a-like throw a bullseye on the dart board, mirroring the image of Robin Hood and his bow and arrow; or Ariel’s obsession with forks, or even the mention of “twitterpated” giving me Bambi flashbacks. It was like getting a Disney fix, without actually watching Disney, all while being torn apart and analysed endlessly. It’s a bit strange liking the mentions the most; I really enjoyed them as case studies too, because it showed Darby had some really rough relationships. But I’m a sucker for Disney, so I can’t be blamed for loving the book for these extra reasons.

An incredibly fun, entertaining and romantic story, with just the right amount of cynicism, sarcastic comments, and Disney references to make any girl happy!

4/5 stars

Kim
(also posted on Goodreads)

All the Broken Pieces - Cindi Madsen

All the Broken Pieces - Cindi Madsen
Grade: YA
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

What if your life wasn’t your own?

Liv comes out of a coma with no memory of her past and two distinct, warring voices inside her head. Nothing, not even her reflection, seems familiar. As she stumbles through her junior year, the voices get louder, insisting she please the popular group while simultaneously despising them. But when Liv starts hanging around with Spencer, whose own mysterious past also has him on the fringe, life feels complete for the first time in, well, as long as she can remember.

Liv knows the details of the car accident that put her in the coma, but as the voices invade her dreams, and her dreams start feeling like memories, she and Spencer seek out answers. Yet the deeper they dig, the less things make sense. Can Liv rebuild the pieces of her broken past, when it means questioning not just who she is, but what she is? (Description from Goodreads)

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'All the Broken Pieces' was one of my most anticipated reads for 2012. When I found out Cindi had a YA contemporary hitting the shelves, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it (I even stalked the postman a little when I knew the book was in the mail) After all that waiting, I can tell you it met expectations and more.

Olivia Stein's past is a mystery - not in a way that the reader isn't aware of her past, but that she literally has no clue what her life was like before waking up to an unknown couple telling her she'd been in an accident and that they are her parents. With no memory of who they are or what she went through, it's a lot to take in. It's bad enough not remembering who you are or how to act, but this is the least of Liv's problems. When two different voices fight for attention within her mind, bringing with them memories of forgotten lives, it's enough to drive a person mental. I loved Liv's tortured and mysterious past, it's something I always like seeing in YA contemporaries - main characters having something to overcomes and I really enjoyed seeing this in 'All the Broken Pieces.'

Liv's memory loss drove me crazy; not because she was left to relearn the things most people take for granted, like tasting junk food and watching blockbuster movies, but because I was dying to find out what happened to her before her accident cause amnesia. We get hints and teasers of her other life and you can sort of guess what happened, but when the answer hits you won't believe it. You better be prepared to pick your jaw up from the floor!

I mentioned before that Liv goes about recreating memories and experiences she missed out on. The biggest part of this recreation involves the secretive and incredible Spencer Hale. A loner at Liv's new school, Spencer becomes the one stable part of Liv's life - despite a shaky start and a few less than friendly moments wrapped in jealous. I loved Spencer's relationship with Liv. In the beginning it was all based on friendship and helping Liv to experience situations she couldn't remember; but, like all good contemporaries, it grows into a romance you don't want to miss. The easy, playful and funny way Liv and Spencer interact made me smile and wish for more scenes with just the two of them; and learning about Spencer's own hidden past during their time together added an extra mystery element to the story. Part of why I loved these two so much was because their interactions reminded me of a mix of my favourite Sarah Dessen books ('Along for the Ride' and 'Just Listen') - bike rides, a list of essential experiences, musical educations and a relaxed, sweet relationship - Who could want anything more?

The only part I had an issue with was the end. It wrapped up very neatly. For something this huge (and you'll understand when you read the book) I wasn't expecting an easy end. But having never been in that situation before, I can't say I know how it should have ended instead. I did love that there's an epilogue that gives us a glimpse of the life to come; it made the ending more whole.

I adored this book and I hope there are more contemporaries in Cindi's future.

4.5/5 stars

Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)

Demons of the Sun - Cindi Madsen

Demons of the Sun - Cindi Madsen
Grade: YA
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Persephone didn’t ask to be the guardian of Hades Dagger, an artifact Hades forged to turn demons into daywalkers. She didn’t ask for the demon blood running through her veins that allows her to touch the thing, either.And she definitely didn’t ask for Jax, a cocky Warrior, to barge into her life and proclaim himself her bodyguard now that Hades wants his dagger back.

Forced to deal with this reality, along with an increase in demon attacks, and the fact members of the Order of Zeus keep turning up dead, Persephone finds her hands full.

When demons tell Persephone that she’s one of them she’s appalled... And a little intoxicated by the power she feels when they call her their queen. Telling Jax about her demon side might turn him away from her forever...

Something bad is brewing, and if Persephone doesn’t figure out a solution, and soon she’ll be responsible for unleashing Hell on Earth. (Description from Goodreads)
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I’d been looking forward to reading ‘Demons of the Sun’ for so long. Unlike the rest of the YA world, I haven’t jumped on too many Greek Myth stories, so I went into it with a mostly clear head; but I was really interested to see what Cindi Madsen came up with. I was not disappointed.

Persephone is the last remaining Sentry; guardian of the Hades Dagger, a dagger that would cause the world to be overrun by demons if it got into the wrong hands. The problem is, the dagger calls to her – tempting her with its power and history. If she’s not careful, it could consume her. Persephone is a tough chick. Strong willed, skilled with a weapon or two, and independent in her thinking and actions. She’s one you just can’t help loving. I adored the opening scenes of ‘Demons of the Sun’ because we got to see Persephone in action straight away. A break-in at your house, late at night? No problem, the many weapons hidden in the rooms and the handy flipping coffee table make for good objects for defence! Persephone keeps this up throughout the whole book. She’s an action girl – despite the need to sometimes fall back and stay protected.

‘Demons of the Sun’ has a heavy focus on mythology and the paranormal, especially when it comes to Persephone’s task in life, protecting the Hades Dagger. As the name suggests, the dagger belongs to Hades himself; ruler of the underworld and master of the demons (creatures of the underworld that come out at night) If Hades has control of the dagger, demons will be able to walk the human world in the daytime. The destruction that would come from this would be impossible to stop. When this information popped up, I couldn’t help thinking of the Persephone myth and wondering whether Cindi would draw on it completely or deviate into her own world more. The connection between Persephone and Hades is well known and I was interested to see if it would be a major part of this story too. I loved the inclusion of Myths and Gods. Even though she grew up and lives in the United States, Persephone defaults to the Greek Gods and myths when praying for miracles. The legends and beliefs have been taught to her so strongly, that nothing – not time or space – pulls her apart from the world she’s been brought up in.

The romance in this story almost killed me. Hard to avoid the heart wrenching when you've got such an intense love triangle. Persephone is torn between the man of her dreams – literally – and the strong, handsome Warrior who is trying to protect her. Adrastos has always been on Persephone’s mind, and she lives for the moments he turns up in her dreams and professes his love for her. But then there’s Jax, who rarely sees the kind side of Persephone because she’s determined to do everything her way or no way at all; Persephone struggles to decider what she feels for him. I fell for Jax instantly, and not just because I’d heard amazing things about him. The fact that he was someone solid and caring, who didn’t just promise to be there for Persephone but was there for her, made my heart melt. He was cheeky, dangerous and there was a moment where I was so close to tears I didn’t think I could love him, and his relationship with Persephone, any more than I already did. Adrastos’s influence does make the battle for Persephone’s heart interesting though.

The ending wraps everything up perfectly, but leaves you with enough questions and possibilities that it’s open for more adventures in the future. The danger Persephone and Jax face is more than they’ve come across before and there were times when I thought it might be too much for Persephone to handle – but she’s stronger than she looks.

I really enjoyed 'Demons of the Sun' and I hope for more books from this world in the future, because I’m certain there are more exciting stories to be told.

4.5/5 stars


Kim
(Originally posted on Goodreads)