Jaguar Sun by Martha Bourke 4/5 Stars

From Amazon:

December 21, 2012 Will that fateful day destroy our world, or did the Mayans have something else in mind? Maya Delaney knows. Unfortunately. Maya Delaney is just an average sixteen-year-old. She's busy dealing with exams, her soon to be ex-boyfriend and fitting in. But Maya's got bigger problems. She's hiding a major secret from her dad and having strange visions she can't control. In her struggle to figure out who she is, she learns that she is meant to fulfill an ancient Mayan Prophesy and bring forth a New Age on earth. Will the spirit magic Maya wields be enough to defeat Toltec, an evil society bent on keeping her from her destiny? Or will that destiny itself destroy her?

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading Jaguar Sun. In a time of world ending prophesies, Jaguar Sun offers a ray of hope for the world, a new beginning. Maybe. I loved the protagonist Maya and her boyfriend Matt. If I were a wee bit younger, I'd love to steal Matt for myself! Both characters were well defined and the twins really added warmth and humor. Add a really bad ass antagonist to the mix and you get a very entertaining novel. I look forward to reading Jaguar Moon.

50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James 4/5 Stars

From Amazon:

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

My thoughts:


I hesitated a long time before buying 50 Shades of Grey. I read tons of great reviews and almost as many bad reviews, but when I read that E. L. James was offered 4 million dollars plus for the movie rights, I caved.

Erotica is not anywhere near the top of my list of favorites, neither is pure romantic fiction. That being said, I have to own up to loving all kinds of novels including the Twilight series, Hunger Games, Misery, The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Kushiel’s Dart, and Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer. So as you can see, I’m all over the place.

Down to the nitty gritty. I have to say I loved 50 Shades of Grey. Just as I did in Twilight, I could easily identify with someone who felt awkward, clumsy, unattractive, and never quite fitting in - a square peg in a round hole. Add a gorgeous, wealthy, more than slightly twisted stalker, and I’m there. Okay, so maybe I’m a little twisted too. Who knew?

I enjoyed how both Ana’s and Christian’s characters developed as their relationship grew and changed as well. I am giving 50 Shades of Grey 4 out of 5 stars (the humor alone is worth 4 stars) instead of 5 out of 5, only because it ended with a cliff hanger. I like novels to be stand alone even when they are part of a series. It’s just my thing, but I will most likely buy the other two in the series. Wait, who am I kidding? Of course I’ll buy the next two! They are just a click away on my Kindle.