Of Dukes and Peasants by Lena C.

Of Dukes and Peasants by Lenah. C

Summary Provided by the Author:

On the summer of 1861, six year old Serena Fallows suffered humiliation in the hands of the Duke of Norton. So what's she supposed to do when they meet years after? Why, throw a shoe at one of the most respected gentlemen in English society of course!

W.S.'s Reviewing:

Fresh and well articulated, "Of Dukes and Peasants" is the new P&P with spunk and a more dynamic supporting cast. Lenah C. creates a smooth transition from hate to love in 38 short chapters of this novella. Although not as historically correct as one would hope, it is the closest I've seen an author come to Jane Austen's authentic works. I have a hard time imagining people having the names Derek, Serena, and Alvin. However, I feel like the balance of the characters' personalities are well done, although I would have liked to see more of the antagonists. Some side plots felt unfinished, especially with the handsomely evil Daniel's womanizing acts that causes unwanted changes in the situations between Derek and Serena. Also, there could have been more appearances of secondary characters. Serena seems like a 21st century girl, but as the story progresses and she learns more of the society she is born into, she becomes refined and a less whiny character. As for Derek, he is the stereotypical male hero who hates the girl and finally falls for her. However, Lenah C.'s choice for him to court Victoria (the polar opposite of Serena) was brilliant, steering him into the path of "she's not my 'type' but I'm still in love with her." I would have wished for more plot twists and more historical fluff, but "Of Dukes and Peasants" is worthy of a nice relaxing afternoon and a cup of British tea.

The Story You Shouldn't Know by Bingo

The Story You Shouldn't Know by Bingo

Summary Provided by the Author:

"Perfection does not make allowances. Perfection doesn't weaken. And Anna would." Anna's life was pleasant enough ... until the moment she met Josh. Because Josh might be a lot of things, but mainly, he's the Devil.

W.S.'s Reviewing:

Not your average fantasy romance novel, The Story You Shouldn't Know ventures beyond the opposite forces dilemma, and analyzes not just evil and good, but also human nature. An emotional read, one is expected to cry, groan, and smile through the story. Bingo creates a future fictionpress classic with this story, weaving the fate of the world into the ending. The Story You Shouldn't Know makes you think who exactly is the good guy, and who cannot be trusted. Causing suspicion on all characters, the psychological thriller questions the balance we have in life between disasters and miracles. Although the story had the potential to go deeper into the whole anthropological mess of war and conflict versus utopia and perfection, Bingo leaves it clean and perfectly cut with the right amount of details, and the right amount of cheese in the intense story. The supporting characters, Hussein, Mary, and the Wolf makes us wonder about if our actions truly corresponds with our emotions. The sexy but devilish Josh makes us think about what is the line beyond acceptance and losing of own character. We question his love for Anna, but his affection and recognition of his own feelings makes us realize that there really are two sides to one person (or devil in this case). Because of Anna's birth status, we are able to explore what we all want to be, and what we actually are in this world. A crazy roller coaster ride, parental secrets are revealed and the world... will be either saved, destructed, or something else-ed. More than a romance, The Story You Shouldn't Know is definitely a "story you should read."

To Feel the Sun by Aurette

To Feel the Sun by Aurette

Summary Provided by the Author:

When the love of her life marries someone else, Gracie has to accept reality and move on. With devastatingly attractive lawyers and cute cellists who won't go away, love shows that if it's one thing, it's unpredictable.

W.S.'s Reviewing:

With flair and charm. Aurette captures readers with not only the three guys who create a mess of a love square, but also with the very realistic main character, Gracie. She begins a self-conscious and troubled character, who we can all relate to, and eventually grows to become someone who is less passive and more confident (as shown in her stealing of a certain someone's bathrobe). To Feel the Sun is more than one love story; it is three with, the charming Colin, spontaneous Simon, and the quiet Jonah. While a normal love life of an average girl usually has one guy at a time, Gracie has to juggle three different men at once. With her long love Colin, it's the well played "Is she ever going to get over him? Will he ever notice her?" dilemma that is explored until the very end. A twisty path between Gracie and Colin, she tried to keep her conscience, befriending his new wife. A classic friend-maybe-turned-lover is born. Simple Simon's social status is certainly down played compared to Gracie's rich family, Colin's heir status, and Jonah's hot-shot position as a rising defense lawyer. However, I do have a thing for cellists like Simon. The romance between Simon and Gracie is sparked by the matchmaking Sarah (Gracie's glorious twin sister). Getting off from the wrong foot at Colin's wedding, the two meet again with more class and better attitudes. Simon is the tramp, as Gracie is the lady, but a tramp may always be a tramp. A storm of fights and acceptance comes between the chemistry of Simon and Gracie, which leaves readers wondering about the end. At last, but not least, the mysterious and quiet Jonah is a lawyer working at Gracie's father's firm. Gracie is working as the secretary/receptionist at the law firm, and I'll say that the relationship between Gracie and Jonah is not exactly like the famous Jim/Pam pairing of the Office. Jonah's silent pining over Gracie is obvious since he is introduced (Aurette has a one-shot featuring Jonah's attraction to his boss's daughter). A steady under-beat of the story crescendos throughout the story. When a misunderstanding arises between Gracie and her twin sister, and a guy finally makes a move (whether it's a right one or a wrong one will be obvious to you when you read it), who will stay by Gracie's side, and who will she choose? The friendly Colin, the realistic Simon, or the serious Jonah? Read to find out what the fate of Gracie's love life will be!

"The Champagne Gang" by punkturnedwriter

The Champagne Gang by punkturnedwriter

Summary Provided by the Author:
"Does that kiss have anything to do with why we're on a train to New York in the middle of the night?"

W.S.'s Reviewing:
Sometimes, when something looks sweet, it's actually bitter in the inside. Life in Thorton Academy represents the richest in America. They're hot. They're beautiful. And they're all liars and cheaters. So how is Summer Ward going to know who to trust and who to love? When you have a large, dysfunctional family after an accident, the best way to cope is to move, right? So when Summer's life is already smashed up in pieces after her brother's death, Thorton is ready to shatter it even more. The queen of the school recruits her friend to destroy her. The king of the school is in love with her, which isn't as fun as it sounds. So how does Zach Gellar play in? When you have parties over-seas and girls liking you because of your boyfriends, life pretty much sucks. It's a beautifully written piece, lacking some originality, but the dynamic characters with rounded personalities make up for the loss. Punkturnedwriter has captured the whole net of romantic feelings into one bunch. I would suggest you to read the Champagne Gang, if you're looking for the whole upper-class teens who drink champagne. It's hot. It's beautiful. And it's a whole web of lies, cheating, and the faint glow of hope Summer is able to find in the whole mess.

"Aelyn's Story" by timpanigirl

Aelyn's Story by timpanigirl

Summary Provided by the Author:
Aelyn has been trained as a soldier her whole life, but when she is captured by the enemy army, survival takes a whole new twist.

W.S.'s Reviewing:
Takn place in a whole different world with different countries, "Aelyn's Story" is a beautiful semi-fairy tale fiction. The author creates two nations, enemies after a misunderstanding, and in them, resides Aelyn. Aelyn is a special girl (and someone beyond the reader's knowledge until the end) who loves her family dearly. In the first chapter, we can see she is a soldier and loves her late twin brother deeply. Once she is captured she must understand the new culture she is pulled into. There, she meets people unlike the civilians of her home country. However, the warm feelings of friendship and romance are still there too. We see a very understandable culture shock she experiences in Dramaria. There, things get intense as she forms a surprising friendship with the soldier who captured her, and the Dramarian king's sister. How is she able to fulfill the profit of saving her country, when she is in love with the enemy king? This is definitely worth the read and brings readers into "once upon a time" with a twist.

Hello Kitty by Endless Dark

Hello Kitty by Endless Dark

Summary Provided by the Author:
After a drunken night, Lira wakes up next to Jude, a childhood nemesis. It gets worse when they find that they’re married. But when an opportunity too good to pass up presents itself, what will happen when they stay married?

W.S.'s Reviewing:
It's absolutely cliched and predictable, but the characters make the whole experience worth it. Jude is the stereotypical rich white kid, but seems to have trouble realizing his whole feelings (for some reason, his complication with his feelings for Lira reminds me Booth in the TV show, Bones). Lira on the other hand, is the product of a woman obsessed with marriage. She's that pretty book-worm who fails chemistry and loves Hello Kitty. Okay, so what happens when you wake up next to that hot guy you love to hate, with the tattoo of his name on your hip, and a matching one on his that says, "I love Hello Kitty"? Of course, it's called a deal producing in a hundred thousand bucks, a cute little house, Mahew (you shall find out who this penguin-man is if you read it-- he's the most awkward character I've ever met/read), bitchy mother-in-laws, and perhaps, romance rather than lust in this "temporary" (?) marriage. Alright, so go read the story and be jealous of Lira. GO! NOW!

The Quiet Sound of Pride by Tabitha Grey

Summary Provided by the Author:
A retelling of Pride and Prejudice. From the moment Elizabeth Camden met Kent Darcy she hated how proud he was and tried as hard as she could to beat him at anything and everything.

W. S.'s Reviewing:
Pride and Prejudice is the mother of all romance. It's the mother of cliched hate-at-first-sight stories, and it's an international classic. In this modern retelling, Tabitha Grey edits all the characters (for example, the Bennett sisters, excepting Elizabeth, are molded into one: Kat) and places them in a boarding school, St. Mary's. She is the beautiful, scholarship student at the prestigious school. Kent Darcy, on the other hand, is her rival in her studies (and many other things, such as golf). He, like the original Darcy, has great hatred for Jack (the adaptation of Wickham) and protects Elizabeth from him. Many things are similar to the original, such as Darcy having to propose/ask Elizabeth out twice, but overall, the plot is a little twisted with many creative changes. It's on the shorter side, and it's cute, but it also frames many things the original did not, such as Elizabeth's persuasion. I love it, and not because it's an retelling, but because the characters are developed very realistically.

To Make a Scene by xXKirariXx

To Make a Scene » by xXKirariXx reviews

Summary Provided by the Author:
And the winners for Cutest Couple are…” I looked down at the card in my hand, and my eyes bugged out. For there, scrawled in neat handwriting was my name…and Michael’s. And he was standing right next to me. Help?

W. S.'s Reviewing:
Yes, it's cheesy and a cliched rich-and-beautiful-people story (and a dash of beautiful friendship blooming, as dorky as it may sound), but I think that's part of how it makes this story really cute, just as the "Cutest Couple," Holly and Michael. Childhood acquaintances turn into enemies, and finally to a couple? How can that be, you may wonder, but it's pretty simple: one should never ever ever (as the other Michael, from The Office puts it for Jim) give up on true love. Never, just as Michael never gave up on Holly, even when she pushed him away. Or maybe he pushed her away at first. Or maybe it was Holly who never realized that she loved him after the fateful ride on the Ferris wheel. Or maybe... well, I think you can figure it out if you read "To Make a Scene" yourself. The epilogue it also cute and it secures the future after the plot, so it's pretty much a super-happy-ending, I'd say :). And as Holly puts it all too beautifully:

"Love is not about romantic endings, or dancing under the moonlight as a fourteen-year-old with the one person you’d rather be without, or making scenes, or playing mind games with each other throughout a never ending spiral of events. No. It’s about slowly letting in the one person that you’d never expected you’d want to spend the rest of your life with until you’re too deep in when you finally realize it, and seeing the whole world ahead of you two."

Breathtakingly Gorgeous by xoxluurve

Breathtakingly Gorgeous by xoxluurve reviews

Summary Provided by the Author:
“I'm already in love with someone,” I said. “And who is this supposed moron,” he muttered darkly. I turned and looked at him. Oh God, here goes the last shred of dignity I own. I took a deep breath. “You.”

W. S.'s Reviewing:
It's short. It's sweet. And it's breathtakingly gorgeous. Although it's a short story, a one-shot/chapter, "Breathtakingly Gorgeous" portrays so much in life. Fate: Kaia and Ryan's constant encounters, Friendship: Courtney's lectures and matchmaking skills, and Honesty: the double confessions that takes even in the very short time during the typical teen-age party. Can a jerk really be prince charming for the sarcastic and smart Kaia? And can Ryan finally tell his feelings since seventh grade to the girl who "hates" him? I sometimes (as in every time I re-read this) wish this wasn't a short story, but was a long, epic novel. But then, I realize how perfectly formed this is just BECAUSE it's short and sweet. I think it would have just been another pick-me-up chick-lit that's cliched if it weren't so. It pin points the most important event in the invisible plot. "Breathtakingly Gorgeous" proves that short romances can be just as gorgeous as the longer ones.

A Perfect Game by vanderhall

A Perfect Game » by vanderhall reviews

Summary Provided by the Author:
Ally Leinberg is a successful, 23-year old novelist living in New York City, away from everything she knows. She's devoted to her career until something gets in the way. Enter Trent Harbor, the Yankees' newest superstar. Will they strike out?

W. S.'s Reviewing:
I personally dislike the Yankees with passion. Yeah, I'm a Sox fan so stick that in your juice box and suck it! Just kidding, but the Sox still rox. And Rock, Ally's guy friend totally agrees with me. But anyway, Ally Leingerg definitely leads the most perfect life as a writer. I mean seriously? Not every sexy 23-year old can be a famous writer AND date a super baseball player. But she totally deserves all that goodness by being "too talented for your own good" in writing (as her stupid literary agent, Leonard, puts it) and cheering Trent at a game when everyone else scorned him. And no, this is not some random miraculous chick-lit that has too much fate: it's realistic and honest. They go through twists and turns when things go wrong and the green monster of jealousy is unleashed. But hey, who ever said life was perfect, even in the fictional world? The side plot of Rob and Daisy Lynn, although a little heartbreaking at first, is extremely sweet and cute. Whoever thought baseball could be this romantic?