The Radleys

Title: The Radleys by Matt Haig
Genre: Fiction, Paranormal
Rating: 3/5

The Radleys appear to be your average family in a small, quiet English village. But they have a secret, one that not even their son and daughter know. They're vampires, abstaining from their dark desires so that their children can lead safe and normal lives. Until the shocking events of one horrifying night make it all impossible.

I found it really interesting that Haig took the idea of vegetarian vampires (a popular concept thanks to Twilight) to a whole new level by having the Radleys abstain from blood completely. I especially enjoyed the side effects he attributed to their lack of blood; Clara's poor sight and ill health and Rowan's terrible rash. But as a complement to this twist on the regular vampire story, Haig's kept a lot of the other parts of the mythology; the weakness to direct sunlight, garlic and stakes through the heart.

I also really enjoyed the notion that the community bottles vampire blood like wine so that they no longer need to hunt humans like they once did. And I found the quotes from the Abstainer's Handbook hilarious. They seem to be advising vampires to not only act human but to become the most boring individuals imaginable. Only don't imagine anything because that road leads to temptation.

I did find that there was a little too much going on, and not all of the storylines that popped up seem to develop or conclude. In particular, the flirtation and possibility of an affair between Peter and the wife next door felt unnecessary and didn't really seem to go anywhere.

The Radleys is an extremely quick and easy read (most of the chapters are only a couple pages long) and one that many will enjoy.

Thanks to Free Press for the review copy of The Radleys. The views expressed above are my own. For more information on The Radleys, check out the Simon & Schuster website.

Meet Me in Manhattan

Title: Meet Me in Manhattan by Judith Arnold
Genre: Non-fiction, Romance
Rating: 4/5

Ted and Erika were high-school sweethearts but had very different dreams for their futures. Fifteen years later, they're both living in Manhattan when their paths cross again. Can their love overcome the obstacles this time around?

Meet Me in Manhattan is part of a new line of reality-based romances from Health Communications, Inc. As a fan of Harlequin and other fictional romances, I was intrigued by the True Vows line and immediately requested a review copy.

I thought that Meet Me in Manhattan was really well-written. Arnold's style was smooth and the story she told was compelling. Choosing to start the book with the scene of Ted and Erika's reunion, before circling back to tell of their original relationship was a fantastic decision. Erika's nervousness at seeing Ted again and her sorrow after they part ways, really hooked me and made me curious as to what went wrong the first time.

My main complaint with the book were the sections written in the second-person point of view. The change distracted from the overall story and most of the information could probably have been worked into the rest of the book without losing anything important.

The characterizations of Erika and Ted were interesting, though admittedly I have no idea how they compare to the real Erika and Ted (or how the story compares as a whole). They were well-rounded, with talents and flaws and insecurities. They seemed more real than a lot of characters in your run-of-the-mill romance novels, which makes sense as Arnold was trying to stay true to the actual individuals. And while this story seems a little less dramatic than many of those other romances, you've got to love a story where people not only get a second chance, but true love wins out in the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed Meet Me in Manhattan and I think it's a lovely and quick read that any romance fan would appreciate. Or anyone who loves a happy ending.

Thanks to Health Communications, Inc. for the review copy of Meet Me in Manhattan. The views expressed above are my own. For more information on Meet Me in Manhattan, check out the True Vows website.