- See more at: http://blogtimenow.com/blogging/automatically-redirect-blogger-blog-another-blog-website/#sthash.KYM0koNE.dpuf Her Fiction Fix | Reviews.

Site Revamp: HerFictionFix.com

Saturday, March 08, 2014 § 0 Comments

It's been a while (9 months and 8 days, to be exact), but yes, I'm back. I've been spending the last few weeks revamping the site and finally I can breathe and say it's finished. What's been happening prior to those last few weeks? I won't bore you with the details but I basically became a workaholic and had fallen off the face of the earth. One good thing that came out of my long and unannounced hiatus (which I'm sorry for, by the way) is that I've caught up on a majority of my reading list and started expanding my tastes a little bit. Which is why I'm happy to say that I will now be reviewing other books outside of the Young Adult genre. I've also got my very own spiffy domain, so you can now visit the site at HerFictionFix.com.

I've always planned to continue blogging and reviewing, but for a while I wasn't able to find a balance with the site and my life offline. There's still so much I want to say and share with you all... you can't get rid of me that easily! With a few reviews already up my sleeve, I'm really excited to be getting back into the swing of things, and I'm feeling better about being able to maintain HFF now that I have my life a little more under control behind the scenes. Thanks to everyone who has been patient with me and have kept in touch, and to those reading this right now; I appreciate you all to the moon and back.

Cover Reveal: Speak Easy by Melanie Harlow

Friday, May 31, 2013 § 0 Comments

Today, I'm happy to be a part of the cover reveal for Melanie Harlow's debut New Adult novel, Speak Easy. I find the roaring 20's super fascinating with the flapper dresses, sharp suits, mobsters, cocktails, and everything in between. If you're like me, then you'll definitely want to keep this title in mind. Check out the gorgeous cover below.


Title: Speak Easy
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Historical
Expected Release: July 22, 2013
Cover Design: Tom Barnes Design


Synopsis:
July, 1923. The ‘20s are roaring, and twenty-year-old Tiny O’Mara is desperate for a little anything-goes excitement. But when her father is kidnapped by a mobster in Detroit's exploding organized crime scene, she’s shocked to find herself caught up in the bootlegging wars of Prohibition—and torn between two gorgeous gangsters on opposite sides. To save her father’s life, she’ll have to choose between them. But deciding whom to trust isn’t easy in a world where everyone wants something—be it booze, money, power, or sex—and no one cares what it takes to get it.

Temptation is everywhere.

About the author:
Melanie Harlow likes her martinis dry, her lipstick red, and her history with the naughty bits left in. SPEAK EASY was inspired by her cocktail-culture obsession, her affection for good gin, and the view from the end of her street. She lifts her glass to NA readers and writers from her home near Detroit, MI.
Melanie Harlow | Facebook | Twitter


The author is also offering a chance to win a $25 Barnes & Noble or Amazon gift card.

Cover reveal organized by

The Sunday Post: 11th Edition

Sunday, May 26, 2013 § 3 Comments


Hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer:
It's a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.
Sad to say it's been a slow week for me reading-wise. Instead, I found myself knee-deep in PVR recordings and Netflix. I started watching Showtime's The Borgias about two weeks ago and managed to finish/catch up on seasons two and three in the past six days. I have a problem, guys. I'm absolutely addicted to this show. And now I'm learning they might not make a fourth season? No. You can't just dangle the show in front of my face and then snatch it away just like that. The show did awaken my love for history, which has died down a little since I graduated and decided to distance myself from it (Roman and Greek in particular) after 4+ years of studying it every day. But now it's back and I found myself scouring the shelves for even more historical literature, both fiction and non-fiction. If you guys have any recommendations -- I'm open to any era, really -- just leave a comment!

Last week on the blog:

Coming this week:
  • Come See About Me C.K. Kelly Martin
  • Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
  • One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper
  • Cover reveal for Speak Easy by Melanie Harlow, hosted by AToMR Tours

New bookshelf additions:
Purchases / Downloads


The Program by Suzanne Young
Poison by Bridget Zinn
Snow White and Rose Red: The Curse of the Huntsman by Lilly Fang
Every Day by David Levithan
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
Madonna of the Seven Hills by Jean Plaidy
Light on Lucrezia by Jean Plaidy

Review: Piece of My Heart by Lynn Maddalena Menna [ARC]

Tuesday, May 21, 2013 § 0 Comments

Title: Piece of My Heart
Author: Lynn Maddalena Menna
Genre: Young Adult, Music, Contemporary
Publisher: Merit Press
Release date: June 18, 2013
ISBN-10: 1440561052
ISBN-13: 9781440561054
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
Still in high school, Marisol Reyes gets the chance of a lifetime to be a real singer, and she leaps at it. After all, this is the dream she held on to, all the days and nights she spent growing up on means streets of East Harlem. Marisol never gave in--no matter what her boyfriend or her best friend had to say. Who cares if only one in a hundred pretty, talented girls make it? She will be the one. In her rush to fame, Marisol tramples on the heart of her loyal best friend, and Julian, the boy she loves. But will it be worth it?

One night at a private gig in the Hamptons, the little Latino girl with the big voice from East Harlem gets a severe reality check. A famous rapper who claims to be interested in her talents turns out to be interested in something else, threatening not only Marisol's dreams but her body and soul. Will the realities of the gritty New York music scene put out the stars in Marisol's eyes forever?




My Review:
'Piece of My Heart' is your typical musician's fairytale; small town girl with big dreams suddenly gets thrust into the industry and finds out that it's not all it's cracked up to be. It's all very Sherrie Christian in Rock of Ages... minus the stripping. But instead of taking place in Hollywood, we're taken across the country to New York. Marisol is blessed with golden pipes and knows that she's made for more than small gigs at weddings and birthday parties. But is she ready?

Told from Marisol's perspective, Menna paints a pretty picture of both the gritty streets and glamorous side of the Empire State with its music, fashion, and nightlife, all of which are described very vividly. The music industry is all about connections, and boy does our starlet encounter a lot of those. Marisol, with all her teenage naïveté, is easily pulled into different situations that she gladly jumps into because, well who doesn't want to become a famous singer, right? She's travelling all over New York and playing gigs with people who, just months before, only played in her stereo as she danced and lip-synched to them in her room with her best friend. Speaking of best friends, while Marisol is living the high life, her relationships with her friends back home goes through the ultimate test and finds out that even those nearest and dearest to her might not be the people she thought them to be.

While I liked the premise (and the fact that the title is undoubtedly taken from one the greatest songs ever), I felt disconnected from all the characters throughout the whole story. But it had potential overall. Marisol's relationships with everyone went back and forth so much that it was hard to keep track of who she was actually friends with in the beginning. Maybe I would've liked it better if it wasn't written in first-person perspective, because Marisol's always moving around and there are a lot of other characters that it's hard to keep track of what's going on. I also wished that the issues Marisol faced were more fleshed out. Sometimes she went through big, big changes in her life and career, but it'd be over and onto the next issue just pages later. The narrative made me cringe at a few places, especially when she was performing. It just got really cheesy sometimes. Like Marisol was too good for her own good, if that makes sense. There's belief in your own talent, and then there's being cocky about it. There was also a lot of focus on describing the settings and fashion that it took away from the characters. Yes, it's interesting to know how great you think you look in that white dress with white-gold shoes, and how gorgeous your friend looked in her skin-tight mini dress that reached just above her knees, but for it to take up that much space? It all felt a little superficial.

'Piece of My Heart' is a light read, but if you're looking for some deep, thought-provoking fiction about someone truly struggling to make it in the music industry, this might not be for you. Behind it all is a rather relatable story about a teenage girl struggling to find her place in the real world as she finds out that sometimes the only person you can trust to make the best decisions for your life is, ultimately, yourself.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Merit Press for providing me with the ARC.

My rating:

Visit the author:
Facebook | Goodreads
Buy this book:
IndieBound.org | Amazon.com | BarnesAndNoble.com

Top Ten Tuesday (6): Favorite Book Covers Of Books I've Read

Monday, May 20, 2013 § 7 Comments


Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish:
This week's topic is your Top Ten Favourite Book Covers Of Books I've Read, in no particular order.


  1. Midnight City by J. Barton Mitchell
  2. The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter
  3. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
  4. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
  5. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
  6. What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang
  7. Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
  8. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
  9. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
  10. Cinder by Marissa Meyer