Ok, I admit, this blogging thing is way harder than I originally thought. I’m basically rubbish at it and I’m not sure how much that’s going to change but when I do get around to doing it, I really enjoy it. It’s a fun way to get the reviews in my head onto “paper” and I love keeping track of all the fun things I find online and the fabulous (and sometimes not even remotely fabulous) books I read.

So today, with that said, I’ve got two books for you.  That’s right, a twofer! (thank you Tina Fey and 30 Rock for introducing that term to me eons ago). Up first is:

Throw Away Girls by Jennifer Vaughn

From Amazon:

Hard-charging, insightful, and ambitious, Jaycee Wilder wants to take her TV news career to the next level. The Los Angeles reporter is hungry for the big story. When dead girls begin to pile up at seedy nightclubs that cater to whimsical, fetish-seeking strangers, Jaycee suspects a serial killer is at work. She aligns herself with an east coast cop trying to resurrect himself- and his once stellar career- from a drunken skid. The killer lives a normal life during the day, while hunting the Throw Away Girls at night, punishing them for their dark urges. He leaves messages behind in his victims’ blood, his explanation for enacting such brutal, twisted justice upon the unworthy. He watches the media coverage. He knows the wily reporter is chasing him. As Jaycee follows her gut, and the evidence, she forces him to act. But when a killer is clever and cunning, he can infiltrate anywhere. Jaycee must utilize all her skills to expose him before he gets to her first.

My Take:

Ok, so I read this book fairly quickly because it was easy.  I thought it was entertaining but the writing was completely sophomoric and at times borderline silly. The dialogue was quite cheesy as well:

 “Shh”, she said dismissively. “Another girl, sexed up and then sliced up. I’m trying to listen here.” (loc.155)

And would then move on to this:

At it’s core, this was a highly metaphysical superstructure of balance. (loc.1952)

Say what?!

The Jaycee Wilder character totally reminded me of the Courtney Cox role in Scream, you know, the pushy and annoying reporter, etc. Jaycee certainly ended up way over her head and frankly, I could have told you “whodunit” from the beginning so to me there was no mystery but bottom line, I was anxious for this book to be over so I could move on. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it because it was pure Stilton in book form and didn’t require much brain power.

Up next: 

Until I Met Her by Natalie Barelli

From Amazon:

She’s gone from nobody to somebody. And she’s not going back.

When ordinary Emma Fern strikes up a friendship with glamorous Beatrice Johnson Greene, her favourite author, she can’t believe her luck. But Beatrice has an unusual favour to ask, one that will change Emma’s life forever.

For Emma, desperate to please, it’s an offer she can’t refuse. All she has to do is let Beatrice publish her latest novel under her name. But the book becomes a huge triumph and after her first taste of success, Emma wants more. And she’ll stop at nothing to get it. This is her masterpiece, after all. It says so on the cover.

Only Beatrice knows the truth. And surely there’s a solution to that.

My Take:

Holy smokes! I loved this book, could not get enough! I ripped through this one,  not because I wanted to get it over with but because it was so damn good. I waffled for a good long while on who was the bad guy because the characters were so rich and well developed. Eventually I came to the same conclusion most people would but it was quite a ride getting there.  Emma Fern starts off as your normal, run of the mill woman and then basically turns batshit crazy. I mean, she did have some provocation but let’s be real.  Beatrice was a bitch, I get it, but should that turn someone murderous? Probably not. At least not a sane person.

I loved the side angle story with her husband too, it added another dimension or layer which makes Emma spin out of control. But I don’t want to divulge too much info so I’ll just leave it at that.

I would 100% recommend this book and imagine my glee when I just noticed there is a follow up! I know what I’m downloading asap…!

**Full discolor: I received these books for free in exchange for an honest review.