Review: The Wish by Sasha Blake

My Rating: O, R, B

Published: 2010
Publisher: Bantam Books

Purchase @ Amazon.co.uk

THE WISH
All Lulu wants is a lovely man and father figure for her young son. In a perfect world, this would be her gorgeous boss, Ben Arlington. He is her dream man. He’s also highly sought after gaming industry millionaire, and engaged to another woman.

THE SECRET
But not for much longer if Ben’s cold-hearted mother has anything to do with it. Sofia Arlington has a secret to protect, a secret so potentially damaging she’ll do anything to keep it hidden.

THE REVENGE
Now a figure from Sofia’s dark past could change everything. Bessie Edwards is determined to get back what’s rightfully hers, and what she’s about to reveal will turn all their glittering lives upside down.


If you could wish for anything in the world, what would it be? We find out the characters deepest and darkest secrets in this book and can figure out what they wished for. But just because you wish for something, doesn’t always mean it’s going to work out for you the way you want it to. Wishes are fickle things, there are so many loopholes as our characters find out.

Sofia Arlington, she has it all. The wealthy husband, two lovely children and a thriving casino business in Las Vegas. What more could a woman want? Sofia would want it remain the way it is for all time, but unfortunately her secrets do not remain hidden and as they surface it causes a whole lot of heartache.

Ben Arlington, son of Sofia and brain behind the family business. He is the one that has kept the business afloat with his profound business acumen. Ben gets engaged to Sunshine who is basically the female version of him except she a bit more ruthless. But is this what Ben really wants and wishes for? You will have to read to find out.

Lulu loves Ben Arlington but he is also her boss. She would love to have Ben as a permanent fixture in her and her son’s life. Ben is her dream man. But will her wish be fulfilled?

I don’t particularly have a favourite character from this book. I liked and hated them for different reasons. Sofia I hated because she was so ruthless and conniving. She didn’t care who she hurt as long as she got what she wanted. Ben, I adored his character as he was just so sweet with Lulu’s son and was always nice to her. He wasn’t a bad man and even when life threw him some curve balls he swung the bat and knocked them out of the park. Lulu, she is so sweet and kind. She knows when and where to make herself heard. She was misguided once by someone but she was able to rectify her mistake before it was too late. Sunshine, I didn’t hate or like this girl. She is too much like her mother to like her but her circumstances made her who she is and I can’t hate her for that.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It’s a great book to take with you whilst travelling our out and about and have some time to kill. The book didn’t take over my time or enthral me but it did catch enough of my attention to let me see it through to the end. Which I am glad I did, even though I was able to figure out the plot half way through. I kept reading just to prove myself right. So lesson to be learned from this story, be careful what you wish for. Now, what would you wish for?

Disclaimer: This book was given to me to review from Transworld (Between The Lines) as part of their Summer Reading Challenge. I have not been paid to review this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.

Review: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

My Rating: VG, P

Published: 2009
Publisher: Bantam Press

Author's Website: danbrown.com

Purchase @ Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com

The capitol Building, Washington DC: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon believes he is here to give a lecture. He is wrong. Within minutes of his arrival, a shocking object is discovered. It is a gruesome invitation into an ancient world of hidden wisdom.

When Langdon’s mentor, Peter Solomon – prominent mason and philanthropist – is kidnapped, Langdon realizes that his only hope of saving his friend’s life is to accept his mysterious summons.

It is to take him on a breathless chase through Washington’s dark history. All that was familiar is changed into a shadowy, mythical world in which Masonic secrets and never-before-seen revelations seem to be leading him to a single impossible and inconceivable truth...

The Lost Symbol is the latest instalment in the Robert Langdon books and once again Dan Brown has surpassed my expectations. The Lost Symbol is mysterious, adventurous and thrilling. Great recipe for a summer read.

I had heard of the Freemasons before in passing before reading this book but this story was great even with my limited knowledge of the Masonic Brotherhood. It’s one of those mysterious groups that you either do or don’t hear about. In my case I hardly heard or read anything about them unless it was part of a plot. The Freemasons are central and essential to this story though and Dan Brown takes you on a historical adventure.

Robert Langdon is duped into travelling to Washington DC to help a friend. What he finds in DC is nothing like what he imagined he would be doing. With the help of Katherine Solomon, he discovers that the Ancient Mysteries isn’t just a legend that is based on mythological stories. It’s based on fact as Robert soon finds out. Katherine is Peter Solomon’s, Robert’s mentor, sister and is a scientist in Noetics. The Solomon’s are longstanding family in the Freemasons and Peter is very high up within the Brotherhood.

My favourite part of this book was once I connected the dots between the villain and the quest he is on. I figured out who he was about half way through the book and I was so pleased that I figured it out. It just made me want to read the book even more and get to the end to see how it all turns out. I would definitely recommend this book to any Dan Brown fans out there or anyone wanting an interesting and thrilling summer read.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book to review from Transworld. I have not been paid to review this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.

In My Mailbox...(8)

In My Mailbox is a meme that is hosted by The Story Siren every Sunday.

This week from the library I got;

Succubus (n.) An alluring, shape-shifting demon who seduces and pleasures mortal men.
Pathetic (adj.) A succubus with great shoes and no social life. See: Georgina Kincaid.

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they can often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid’s life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies, and she can’t get a decent date without sucking away part of the guy’s life. At least there’s her day job at a local bookstore – free books: all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can’t.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle’s demon underground. And for once, all her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won’t help because Georgina’s about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny...

It’s after dark in New York City, and Clary Fray is seeing things. The best looking guy in the nightclub just stabbed a boy to death – but the victim has vanished into thin air. Her mother has disappeared, and a hideous monster is lurking in her apartment. With her life spiralling into darkness, Clary realizes that she has stumbles into an invisible war between ancient demonic forces and secretive Shadowhunters – a war in which she has a fateful role to play...

Schuyler Van Alen has never fit in at Duchesne, her prestigious New York City private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes to the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates. But when she turns fifteen, Schuyler’s life changes dramatically. The death of a popular schoolmate haunts her in unexpected ways. And strangest of all, Jack Force, the most popular boy in school, is showing sudden interest in her.

Once an outcast, Schuyler is thrust into Manhattan’s most exclusive social circle. Its members are the powerful, the wealthy, and – as Schuyler soon discovers – the unhuman. They are Blue Bloods, an ancient group of vampires, and for centuries they’ve been invincible. Now something is preying on this elite group, and Schuyler wants to find out the truth. But is she the most vulnerable of them all?

The Lost Symbol was received courtesy of Transworld (Between the Lines) for review.

The capitol Building, Washington DC: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon believes he is here to give a lecture. He is wrong. Within minutes of his arrival, a shocking object is discovered. It is a gruesome invitation into an ancient world of hidden wisdom.

When Langdon’s mentor, Peter Solomon – prominent mason and philanthropist – is kidnapped, Langdon realizes that his only hope of saving his friend’s life is to accept his mysterious summons.

It is to take him on a breathless chase through Washington’s dark history. All that was familiar is changed into a shadowy, mythical world in which Masonic secrets and never-before-seen revelations seem to be leading him to a single impossible and inconceivable truth...

‘I’m taking part in the Transworld Dan Brown Summer Reading Challenge!’

Do you love to review books? Do you post reviews on Amazon? Are you an avid blogger? If you answered yes to any of these questions then the Transworld Summer Reading Challenge is for you!

To find out more info about the challenge go to the website here at Between the Lines.

I am going to be reading the following;

1. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
2. Matters of the Heart by Danielle Steel
3. E Squared by Matt Beaumont
4. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
5. Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
6. Forbidden Pleasures by Jo Rees
7. Exit Wound by Andy McNab
8. Second Hand Heart by Catherine Ryan Hyde
9. Assassin by Tom Cain
10. Bryant & May on the Loose by Christopher Fowler
11. Amberville by Tim Davys
12. After You by Julie Buxbaum
13. Lockdown by Sean Black
14. The Wish by Sasha Blake
15. 61 Hours by Lee Child

Let me know if you are taking part - would like to see reviews of the other books also!

Happy Reading!!!