She's Got Books on Her Mind

Eloise "Lou" Whittaker lost her father to cancer. If that wasn't too much of a heartbreak for Lou, her mom has decided to move her all the way to nowheresville to a small town called Poisonfoot where her grandmother lives. So not only has she lost her father who she was very close with, she also loses all of her friends and the life she's always known. When she tries to make friends with the resident loner, Cooper, in her new town she's met with a lot of warnings about his character when he seems like a very normal, nice guy. Lou is determined to find out the conspiracy this small town has with Cooper and the Reynolds' family but as she delves deeper into the mystery of this particular family she discovers that she may have a connection with a supposed curse. What will happen when all is revealed to Lou?

Lou and Cooper are really likable characters. I connected with them both right away. Lou is this tomboy that is supposed to put out this tough exterior to the world but really is a sweetheart. Cooper is treated like an outcast but from what I can tell he is one of the nicest people in town. He keeps to himself and tries to stay out of everyone's way but he is still treated like the worst human being in the world. Lou and Cooper are just a match made in heaven. I love when they are together and seeing them interact. They are both such nice people and it's rare for me not to be able to think of anything (even slightly) bad about two main characters who are romantically involved with one another. They don't make dumb choices. They don't hurt one another. They were a breath of fresh air. It was slightly bothersome for the whole town and Cooper repeating to Lou that she should stay away from Cooper but it is a minor detail in an otherwise great book.

I must have not read the summary correctly before reading this book because the series name "Dog Days" made me assume it was going to be about wolves. I actually really liked that the curse dealt with coyotes and not wolves because wolves/werewolf stories are so common. Coyote curses not so much. I enjoyed discovering this curse with Lou and discovering some other interesting things about the small town she lives in. I didn't want to stop reading and the cliffhanger at the end was simply amazing. I stayed up all night reading Autumn until my eyes screamed for me to stop. I can't wait to read the rest of the series especially since I see potential for another love interest. That might be a turnoff for some people but it's not as bad as you think.

Overall: Autumn will keep you guessing and keep you wanting more well after you finished its story. It has fantastic characters that you can really care for and it has a great mystery and plot. I definitely recommend you give this one a try! ( )

4.5/5
A quick, easy and very enjoyable read which reminded me of A Brightest Kind of Darkness series by P. T. Michelle. I was curious to see Sierra Dean get away from her usual genre of urban fantasy and try this one, but this is one of paranormal YA books done right. Nice, simple with no overblown drama and sensible main heroine. I'm very much looking forward to the next book, Winter, which comes out in December 2013. ( )

Originally posted at The Bookaholic Cat

Autumn is the first book in the new YA series Dog Days by Sierra Dean.

Lou Whittaker is not only dealing with the lost of her father to cancer but also with the drastic changes it brought to her life. Medical expenses left her and her mother broke and in need of a fresh start; with no other option they leave sunny California behind and move in with her paternal grandmother who lives in the small town of Poisonfoot, Texas.
Being new at school is not as bad as Lou was expecting, especially after meeting the loner guy of the school, Cooper Reynolds.
Lou doesn’t understand why everybody including her grandmother avoids Cooper and tell her she should do the same, but when she asks for a reason nobody can give her one, until the day Cooper is honest with her and tells her his family bears a curse, every male of the Reynolds family turns into a coyote on the day of his eighteenth birthday. Cooper has left than a year left to find a way to break the curse before it will be too late for him.
Lou thinks she can help Cooper and going against everybody’s wishes she embarks in the search for a way to lift the curse. What Lou wasn’t expecting was to learn that their connection is bigger than what they could have ever imagined.

I really liked Lou; she was smart and funny despite her circumstances. She has had a tough couple of months with some difficult days, still she is doing pretty well and trying to be better.

Cooper is a sweetheart; he is also dealing with loss and with an uncertain future. Lou and Cooper are perfect together, they not only find solace in each other arms but together they are a force to be reckon with.

The town of Poisonfoot is not your usual small town, is not only full of secrets but also its inhabitants are more than what they appear. It’s a town where curses, magic and supernatural beings mingle with one another.

From the secondary characters it’s difficult to know who to trust and what to believe; they show you one face, you believe something and at the end you couldn’t be more wrong.

The story in engaging, well paced and with many twists and turns. When you are sure you know how things are going to develop Mrs. Dean in her best “gut-wrenching” style throws us a curveball and leaves us gasping for breath.

If you know me and follow my reviews you know that I love Sierra Dean with all my big bookaholic heart. I can easily say that she is one of my top three writers and one I recommend all the time. I love her and her books (Secret McQueen series) so much that I feel a little bit stalkers-ish at times. Her writing style is so good that I’m pretty sure even her grocery list will be entertaining to read. I was a little surprise when I learned she was writing a YA series, but knowing how talented she is I didn’t doubt for a second it wouldn’t be as good as her Secret McQueen series, and I was right, Autumn was great start to a very promising series.

Next book in the series, Winter, will be out in November; saying I’m eagerly waiting for its release it’s the understatement of the day. ( )

Originally posted at The Bookaholic Cat

Autumn is the first book in the new YA series Dog Days by Sierra Dean.

Lou Whittaker is not only dealing with the lost of her father to cancer but also with the drastic changes it brought to her life. Medical expenses left her and her mother broke and in need of a fresh start; with no other option they leave sunny California behind and move in with her paternal grandmother who lives in the small town of Poisonfoot, Texas.
Being new at school is not as bad as Lou was expecting, especially after meeting the loner guy of the school, Cooper Reynolds.
Lou doesn’t understand why everybody including her grandmother avoids Cooper and tell her she should do the same, but when she asks for a reason nobody can give her one, until the day Cooper is honest with her and tells her his family bears a curse, every male of the Reynolds family turns into a coyote on the day of his eighteenth birthday. Cooper has left than a year left to find a way to break the curse before it will be too late for him.
Lou thinks she can help Cooper and going against everybody’s wishes she embarks in the search for a way to lift the curse. What Lou wasn’t expecting was to learn that their connection is bigger than what they could have ever imagined.

I really liked Lou; she was smart and funny despite her circumstances. She has had a tough couple of months with some difficult days, still she is doing pretty well and trying to be better.

Cooper is a sweetheart; he is also dealing with loss and with an uncertain future. Lou and Cooper are perfect together, they not only find solace in each other arms but together they are a force to be reckon with.

The town of Poisonfoot is not your usual small town, is not only full of secrets but also its inhabitants are more than what they appear. It’s a town where curses, magic and supernatural beings mingle with one another.

From the secondary characters it’s difficult to know who to trust and what to believe; they show you one face, you believe something and at the end you couldn’t be more wrong.

The story in engaging, well paced and with many twists and turns. When you are sure you know how things are going to develop Mrs. Dean in her best “gut-wrenching” style throws us a curveball and leaves us gasping for breath.

If you know me and follow my reviews you know that I love Sierra Dean with all my big bookaholic heart. I can easily say that she is one of my top three writers and one I recommend all the time. I love her and her books (Secret McQueen series) so much that I feel a little bit stalkers-ish at times. Her writing style is so good that I’m pretty sure even her grocery list will be entertaining to read. I was a little surprise when I learned she was writing a YA series, but knowing how talented she is I didn’t doubt for a second it wouldn’t be as good as her Secret McQueen series, and I was right, Autumn was great start to a very promising series.

Next book in the series, Winter, will be out in November; saying I’m eagerly waiting for its release it’s the understatement of the day. ( )

Originally posted at The Bookaholic Cat

Autumn is the first book in the new YA series Dog Days by Sierra Dean.

Lou Whittaker is not only dealing with the lost of her father to cancer but also with the drastic changes it brought to her life. Medical expenses left her and her mother broke and in need of a fresh start; with no other option they leave sunny California behind and move in with her paternal grandmother who lives in the small town of Poisonfoot, Texas.
Being new at school is not as bad as Lou was expecting, especially after meeting the loner guy of the school, Cooper Reynolds.
Lou doesn’t understand why everybody including her grandmother avoids Cooper and tell her she should do the same, but when she asks for a reason nobody can give her one, until the day Cooper is honest with her and tells her his family bears a curse, every male of the Reynolds family turns into a coyote on the day of his eighteenth birthday. Cooper has left than a year left to find a way to break the curse before it will be too late for him.
Lou thinks she can help Cooper and going against everybody’s wishes she embarks in the search for a way to lift the curse. What Lou wasn’t expecting was to learn that their connection is bigger than what they could have ever imagined.

I really liked Lou; she was smart and funny despite her circumstances. She has had a tough couple of months with some difficult days, still she is doing pretty well and trying to be better.

Cooper is a sweetheart; he is also dealing with loss and with an uncertain future. Lou and Cooper are perfect together, they not only find solace in each other arms but together they are a force to be reckon with.

The town of Poisonfoot is not your usual small town, is not only full of secrets but also its inhabitants are more than what they appear. It’s a town where curses, magic and supernatural beings mingle with one another.

From the secondary characters it’s difficult to know who to trust and what to believe; they show you one face, you believe something and at the end you couldn’t be more wrong.

The story in engaging, well paced and with many twists and turns. When you are sure you know how things are going to develop Mrs. Dean in her best “gut-wrenching” style throws us a curveball and leaves us gasping for breath.

If you know me and follow my reviews you know that I love Sierra Dean with all my big bookaholic heart. I can easily say that she is one of my top three writers and one I recommend all the time. I love her and her books (Secret McQueen series) so much that I feel a little bit stalkers-ish at times. Her writing style is so good that I’m pretty sure even her grocery list will be entertaining to read. I was a little surprise when I learned she was writing a YA series, but knowing how talented she is I didn’t doubt for a second it wouldn’t be as good as her Secret McQueen series, and I was right, Autumn was great start to a very promising series.

Next book in the series, Winter, will be out in November; saying I’m eagerly waiting for its release it’s the understatement of the day. ( )