Virgin, by Radhika Sanghani--New Adult Book Review

 I got an arc copy of this through Netgalley. In honor of it's release on August 5, here's a review. Run out and get it on Tuesday!

Virgin by Radhika Sanghani

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


4.5 stars

I love books that make me laugh. That's all there is to it. If a book can make me laugh out loud even once, it's pretty much guaranteed 3 stars even if it's crap. And this book is not crap.

In short, it's about a girl trying to lose her virginity. But it's also about so much more. Considering the shallow topic/plot of the book, I was expecting it to be a lot of fluff. But for someone who places such importance on such a thing as virginity, our protagonist is actually smart and somewhat empowered. It was a very female book, and even though it has a great message about accepting ourselves, it is definitely not for everyone (especially those uncomfortable with the word "vagina"). This book is all about loving oneself completely, as our protag Ellie learns to do.

But aside from the important feminist issues cloaked in the silly, candy-coated shell, this book is just real. It's like reading someone's diary--someone very honest with herself. I doubt most people are even this honest in their diaries, so I applaud the author for not shying away from squirm-inducing topics. On top of that, the characters are loveable as well as real and honest. Even when some parts get predictable or obvious(her mom walking in on her, Jack talking about someone else), they still work. You are waiting for them to happen, cringing because you know they will, but it doesn't make them any less painful when they do.

By the end of the book, when I hit the 90% mark, I was so invested that I got a bit teary-eyed when Ellie is rejected. I wanted to punch the guy...but I also wanted to say, "Yes, this exact thing happened to me!" It didn't, but this book felt so real that for a second, I thought it had. I WAS Ellie in that moment. I've had enough similar situations that it felt completely real. And that's where this book succeeds--because we've all been rejected, or misread the signs, or gotten our hopes up, or gotten crushed and had to pick ourselves up and start over (and the lucky ones have had friends as good as Ellie's to bring wine, encouragement and their own horror stories).

I would recommend this frank, hilarious book to just about all women, but especially those in the 18-30 age group. THIS is the new-adult book I've been waiting for. THIS is the book I was excited to read when I heard about the new-adult category. Not another romance with a generic plot-line and carbon-copy characters.

I could not stop reading this book. I found every excuse I could to read more of it. I used precious moments when I should have been doing other things, but all I wanted to do was keep reading. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me become the character. It grabbed me and didn't let go. All that adds up to a 5-star read. This book may not change your life, but it will make you feel good. Sometimes, that's enough all by itself. Not every book needs to be THE NEXT BIG THING. This book is like it's message--it doesn't try to be something it's not. And that's just fine with me. For what it is, it's perfect in itself.





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Cover Reveal: Clarissa Wild's FIERCE

Title: Fierce

Author: Clarissa Wild

Publication Date: January 27th 2014

Genre: New Adult Romance

Fight for your dreams. Fight for your life. Fight for love. 

Nerdy girl Autumn Blakewood is the prime example of a goodie two-shoes. She studies every night, is never late for class, and always follows the rules. She has never felt the need to step out of her comfort zone. That is, until she meets Hunter. 

 Hunter Bane is a cocky, confident bad-boy, who's nothing but trouble. He’s a dangerous distraction to everyone around him. Sexy and strong, Hunter enjoys the swooning effect he has on women. Especially those who aren't used to attention, like Autumn. 

 Autumn finds it hard not to give into Hunter’s advances, even though it all seems like a game to him. Trying to understand him is impossible, because he shrouds himself in mystery. 

What she doesn't know is that Hunter has more baggage than anyone should have to carry. When she discovers he's in an illegal frat club to save the one person that matters to him, Autumn realizes this could mean the end of her undeniable connection to him. Even their lives are at risk. 

But it's too late to turn back now ...

When he
comes up the steps, his gaze is already set on that one empty spot beside me.
I’m squeezing my legs together, as he sits next to me. My instinct is to scoot
far away, but I can’t; there’s nowhere to go.

I feel
watched, which isn’t strange, considering his gray eyes are practically trying
to penetrate my skin.

Anger is
seething inside him, I don’t have to look at him to know; I can feel it flow
out of him like a radiator that’s burning up.

God, I want
to die.

He keeps
staring at me, as if he has nothing better to do. My heartbeat is rising, and
I’m starting to feel really sweaty. I don’t know why he’s doing this, but it’s
freaking me out, and I don’t like it one bit.

“Don’t you
have to pay attention?” I say, avoiding his eyes.

“To You?
Yes.”

His words
make my insides broil.

“The
teacher has already started talking.” I point to the front, but Hunter doesn’t
even flinch. His eyes are still on me like a hawk zooming in on his prey.

“I don’t
care.”

I swallow,
gathering the courage to turn my head and look at him. The moment my eyes make
contact with his I’m drowning. Drowning in amazement. Drowning in fear.

Fear of the
unknown.

“But your
grades …” I stammer.

He snorts,
and a smile curls the corners of his mouth while he shakes his head. “Yeah,
right.”

And all I
can do is stare.

If looks
could kill, I would be dead.

He looks so
damn handsome when he smiles. It’s like everything around us fades and all I
ever want to see is that smile. It just makes me feel good.

But when
the smile disappears, so does my mood.

The
darkness falling over his face unsettles me.

In his eyes
I see the hurt, the worries, the insomnia. Sleepless nights have worn down his
face, making him look saggy and dull. But I know there’s so much more inside
there.

Endless
stories and an undiscovered world I’m intrigued by.

I want to
know what’s in there. Inside him. Why he’s so angry and sad at the same time.

A sudden
overwhelming feeling to grab him and hold him tight takes me aback.

He’s having
so much trouble in his life right now, even though I have no idea what’s going
on. I can see it in his eyes that something is so wrong. And I want to help him
get through it.

But I don’t
come any close. I don’t move one muscle.

I’m scared.
Scared of what he can do. Scared of his power, and his temper.

In my mind I
can still see his bloodshot eyes and the hateful look on his face. He was in
that fight yesterday, I’m sure of it. The only question is who was the one
instigating it.

I open my
mouth, but nothing comes out.

I can’t ask
him. I just can’t get the words to come out. I’m really chicken shit.

“Something
wrong?” he says.

I shake my
head.

“Then why
are you looking at me like that?”

Hunter
inches closer. I instinctively draw back, but he scoots even farther to my
side. I’m scared to death he wants to do something to me, and I have no idea
what, which makes it even scarier.

A devious
smile appears on his face, and it’s almost as if he’s enjoying this. Taunting
me seems like his way to pass time in class. I don’t like it one bit, but on
the other hand I’m excited as hell.

He raises
his head, and his nostrils flare. I turn my head, my breath hitching in my
throat. I can’t look when he’s doing this, entering my private space uninvited.

It feels as
though his nose is close to my hair, because there’s hot air flowing close to
my ear. And then he inhales.

Holy shit.

Is he
smelling me?

I’m frozen
in place from sheer panic, my heart beating like crazy.

No guy has
ever come this close to me.

He lets out
a huge breath afterward and chuckles softly. His breath lingers on my ear, and
a shudder runs through me.

“I like
it,” he whispers.

Oh. My.
Fucking. God.

My skin
tingles where his hot breath brushed over me. My groin clenches, and my clit thumps.

Why?

His whisper
does this to me. Just a whisper.

I never
felt like this before. I think just died inside.

Hunter
muffles a laugh. It’s like he can smell my fear.

He takes in
a sharp breath and moves back to his usual spot. As if what he did just now was
the most normal thing in the world.

I’m still
shaken, my body stiff from the encounter. I feel completely naked, and I know
he’s watching me.

The look in
his eyes is like that of a boy who just did something totally against the
rules. And it’s so fucking sexy I can’t stand it.

Clarissa Wild is the erotic romance author of the Blissful Series,
The Billionaire's Bet series, the Doing It Series and the Enflamed
Series. She is an avid reader and writer of sexy stories about hot men
and feisty women. Her other loves include her furry cat friend and
learning about different cultures. In her free time she enjoys watching
all sorts of movies, reading tons of books and cooking her favorite
meals.

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REVEAL Wednesday: Book Cover Preview: The Invention of Wings, by Sue Monk Kidd

If you read The Secret Life of Bees and loved it as much as I did, chances are, you read something else by Sue Monk Kidd since then. I read The Mermaid Chair. Good, but not much can surpass Bees, one of my favorite books ever.

So, I was especially excited to have the opportunity to help reveal the cover of Kidd's new book, The Invention of Wings, coming to a bookstore near you on January 7, 2014.

Without further ado...

I cannot wait to read the next novel by this fabulous author! I love the cover already.