Review of Don't Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough

Title: Don't Expect Magic
Author: Kathy McCullough
Published by: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 256
Source: Library
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 3 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Delaney Collins doesn't believe in fairy tales. And why should she? Her mom is dead, her best friend is across the country, and she's stuck in California with "Dr. Hank," her famous life-coach father—a man she barely knows. Happily ever after? Yeah, right.

Then Dr. Hank tells her an outrageous secret: he's a fairy godmother—an f.g.—and he can prove it. And by the way? The f.g. gene is hereditary. Meaning there's a good chance that New Jersey tough girl Delaney is someone's fairy godmother.

But what happens when a fairy godmother needs a wish of her own?

We've all read about vampires, fairies, werewolves, angels, witches, etc. but Kathy McCullough brings us an often overlooked fantasy character...fairy godmothers, and not in the way we'd  expect them.

Delaney Collins is such a great character.  When tossed into a new situation she doesn't conform to the popular crowd, instead she stays true to herself and her spunky personality.  Delaney and her father have a strained relationship, but things get better when she finds out he's not only a fairy godmother, but she might be one too.  A series of events unfold as she tries to prove to him that she can handle being a fairy godmother, while still leading a normal life. 

The rest of the characters in Don't Expect Magic are just as great.  They are original and extremely realistic, and while they are not necessarily the type of characters you'd expect, they are so much themselves that you can't help but love them.  They defy typical stereotypes and that in my book makes them the best type of characters. 

The storyline itself was a bit cheesy and expected.  There was not a whole lot of magic, despite what you'd think from the title, but the magic that was there was used to help people.  There was no using magic for self-promotion and it was not always meaningful, but it was used to help peole who truly wanted something.  The writing was light and at times hilarious.  There were laugh-out-loud moments and a couple of aww moments too with the little bit of romance laced throughout the novel. 

This was a cute story, and if you're looking for something a little different try Don't Expect Magic.   

Review of Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Title: Vixen
Author: Jillian Larkin
Published by: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 421
Source: Bought
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 4.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It’s a dangerous combination.

Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they?

Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . .

Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry.

If I could go back in time to any era, I would pick the 1920s.  Ever since I was little I wanted to be a flapper; there is something about the sexiness and the scandal that pulls you in.  Jillian Larkin portrayed this wonderfully in her novel.  She brings you to the past filled with  gangsters, speakeasies, and flappers who captivate your attention in a way where you won't want to come back to the twenty first century. 

Each of these girls bring a new element to the story.  Gloria is the perfect girl who just wants to rebel a little and break out of her strict confines.  Lorraine is jealous and completely out for herself and Clara just wants to escape her past.  All of the character were completely believable and while Gloria and Clara were easy to like, Lorraine is another story.  I have never yet a character was deceitful and vindictive.  Her tone was completely petty and self-entitled.  She was an easy character to pin as "the bad guy." 

Vixen is filled with forbidden romance and surprise love around every corner.  At first it's hard to know who to trust and who not to, but each character shows their true colors soon enough. 

I don't know what has taken me so long to read Vixen, but I can't wait to continue the series.  I hope it's just as fabulous and as scandalous.