Thursday, December 26, 2013

Double Feature Review: Juliet Madison's novellas

By Melissa Amster

I really enjoyed Juliet Madison's debut novel, Fast Forward, earlier this year. It had a surreal aspect, but she played it out so well that it might as well have been the real deal. I was thrilled when she came out with some novellas to tide over her readers until her new series comes out in 2014. If you're looking for some entertaining and quick reads, definitely check them out!

I Dream of Johnny

Getting three wishes isn't all it's cracked up to be when an unfortunate spelling error in Mandy's high-tech magic lamp changes her wish for a Greek God to a Geek God. His fashion IQ is in the negatives, he’s clingier than cling wrap, and he has a penchant for breaking into song at inappropriate moments. Before Mandy can request a replacement wish, she has to put up with him for twenty four hours, and the timing couldn’t be worse — it's her friend’s wedding day, her ex will be there, and the God of Geeks insists on coming along for the ride! (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

I Dream of Johnny was very cute and funny from start to finish. I found myself laughing out loud quite often. There were some fun and unexpected twists that kept me on my toes. There was even a moral to the story that is definitely important to keep in mind. The only (very minor) setback was that the geek was too much like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. He even did the door knocking the same. Still, he had his own personality outside of that aspect. Very enjoyable story!

My "dream" movie cast:
Mandy: Brie Larson
Jonathan: Christopher Mintz-Plasse

Starstruck in Seattle

Aspiring actress Anna Hilford might only have a small role in a leading television drama, but she longs to be dreamboat Karl Drake’s leading lady. Sick of being loveless and overlooked, Anna seeks the help of intuitive love coach, Lulu, from LuluTheLoveAngel.com to give her the courage and determination to follow her destiny.

But fate has different ideas, Lulu has undisclosed power, and Anna is about to realise that life happens while you’re busy making plans…
(Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Starstruck in Seattle was a nice escape for someone like me, who fantasizes about their actor crushes. It was a sweet story, but there were some elements of predictability. Still, I kept second-guessing my predictions when she threw in a new twist. The fantasy element was enjoyable, but I also felt like things were able to tie together too neatly as a result. It was a very satisfying love story, overall.

Going to the "stars":
Anna: Anna Faris
Karl: Chris Messina (If he can play a hot doctor on TV, then he can totally play an actor playing a hot doctor...)
Charlie: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Lulu: Jean Louisa Kelly

Thanks to Escape Publishing for the books in exchange for an honest review.

You might also enjoy:

No comments: