Stacking the Shelves #76

This feature is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's a way to share what books we added to our shelves recently.

This week was a good week for me and a slow week for my books. I only added two books to my review pile.

Received for Review
-Edelweiss-

The Lies About Truth by Courtney C. Stevens

-NetGalley-

Rules for 50/50 Chances by Kate McGovern

I hope you all have a great week!

Review: Denton Little's Deathdate by Lance Rubin

Book Title: Denton Little's Deathdate

Author: Lance Rubin

Published Date: April 14th, 2015

Publisher: Random House Children's

Genre: YA, Science Fiction

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Fans of John Green and Matthew Quick: Get ready to die laughing.

Denton Little's Deathdate takes place in a world exactly like our own except that everyone knows the day they will die. For 17-year-old Denton Little, that's tomorrow, the day of his senior prom.

Despite his early deathdate, Denton has always wanted to live a normal life, but his final days are filled with dramatic firsts. First hangover. First sex. First love triangle (as the first sex seems to have happened not with his adoring girlfriend, but with his best friend's hostile sister. Though he's not totally sure. See: first hangover.) His anxiety builds when he discovers a strange purple rash making its way up his body. Is this what will kill him? And then a strange man shows up at his funeral, claiming to have known Denton's long-deceased mother, and warning him to beware of suspicious government characters…. Suddenly Denton's life is filled with mysterious questions and precious little time to find the answers.

Debut author Lance Rubin takes us on a fast, furious, and outrageously funny ride through the last hours of a teenager's life as he searches for love, meaning, answers, and (just maybe) a way to live on.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from Random House Children's via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

I don't know about you, but I've always been morbidly curious about death. I gotta say that if I got to find out when I was going to die, I'd be relieved. I mean as of right now, we don't know when our time will come. So, in that way, I was envious of everyone living in Denton's world. They all knew when they'd die.

The beginning of the story started off really interesting. We meet Denton the day before his deathday where he will attend his funeral and then the sitting, where everyone basically sits around and waits for the person to keel over.

Quickly, we realize that there's a lot of drama going on. Apparently Denton had sex the night before, for the first time. That in itself isn't drama filled, but the fact that it was with his best friend's sister is. Denton's been dating the same girl for awhile, but she isn't the one he had sex with. So there ya go, typical teenage drama right from the start.

Denton is quirky and unique, but as the book goes on, things continue to go from just odd, to absolutely outrageous, and inconceivable. Normally reading books about how shit hits the fan unexpectedly is at least mildly interesting to me. But this time it was just too much and too fast. I barely got over one surprise in the book before another one showed up. 

I liked Denton, his girlfriend and his best friend, they were usually pretty funny, and to be honest, they saved the book for me. The other characters felt very flat to me, which really bummed me out because that tells me the author didn't flesh them out enough.

The pacing was very uneven. Sometimes things would be going at a decent pace and then shit would hit the fan and it would speed up, only to slow back down a chapter or two later. I wouldn't say this was a bad book, but I was overall very indifferent to it. So I'm going to give this book 3 stars. I'm not sure I'd recommend this book.

Review: Dead to Me by Mary McCoy

Book Title: Dead to Me

Author: Mary McCoy

Published Date: March 3rd, 2015

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Genre: YA Historical

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

LA Confidential for the YA audience. This alluring noir YA mystery with a Golden Age Hollywood backdrop will keep you guessing until the last page.

"Don't believe anything they say."

Those were the last words that Annie spoke to Alice before turning her back on their family and vanishing without a trace. Alice spent four years waiting and wondering when the impossibly glamorous sister she idolized would return to her--and what their Hollywood-insider parents had done to drive her away.

When Annie does turn up, the blond, broken stranger lying in a coma has no answers for her. But Alice isn't a kid anymore, and this time she won't let anything stand between her and the truth, no matter how ugly. The search for those who beat Annie and left her for dead leads Alice into a treacherous world of tough-talking private eyes, psychopathic movie stars, and troubled starlets--and onto the trail of a young runaway who is the sole witness to an unspeakable crime. What this girl knows could shut down a criminal syndicate and put Annie's attacker behind bars--if Alice can find her first. And she isn't the only one looking

Evoking classic film noir, debut novelist Mary McCoy brings the dangerous glamour of Hollywood's Golden Age to life, where the most decadent parties can be the deadliest, and no drive into the sunset can erase the crimes of past.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from Disney-Hyperion via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

This book intrigued me right from the start. From the moment I saw it on Netgalley, I wanted to read this book. It was kinda out of my comfort zone, but I wanted to give it a shot. It was a quick read, but unfortunately I wasn't a huge fan of it.

I need to talk about the pacing first because that was my biggest issue with this book. It started off really well. I really liked it and Alice was interesting to me. I wanted to see how things played out with her and her sister. Sister stories are usually some of my favorite things. Especially if they are done well, which I initially felt this one was.

Unfortunately around 25% the pacing slowed down considerably and I started getting really frustrated with what Alice was doing. I started to question everything she was doing because she wasn't being smart about things. Especially when she started to uncover things about what her sister had been into while she was gone. She was making stupid decisions, and I gotta say that if it was MY sister in the hospital, nothing would have pulled me away from her. 

The pacing sped up a bit around the halfway point of the book, and for the rest of the book, the pace was very jerky. There were fast paced moments here and there, but those were vastly outnumbered by slow paced, boring parts of the book.

There were too many characters to keep track of and I don't feel like they were fleshed out well at all. I struggled to care about any of them, including Annie. If there had been less characters, I feel like they could have been fleshed out so much better.

So all in all, this book wasn't terrible, but it wasn't amazing either. I was left feeling kind of meh about it. That really bummed me out as I had high hopes for this book. I'll be giving this book 3 stars. I am unsure as to whether or not I would recommend it because I seem to be in the minority with this book. So many other people loved it, but not me.

Review: I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Book Title: I'll Meet You There 

Author: Heather Demetrios

Publish Date: February 3rd, 2015

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Genre: YA Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. 

Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

I didn't know what to expect with this book. I'd heard from trusted bloggers that it was a beautiful book, chock full of feels. I was definitely excited to be approved for this book, but I was also a bit nervous. It was getting some major early buzz among my fellow bloggers and I could only hope that I wouldn't be the black sheep for this book.

I absolutely love damaged characters. I know that may sound weird, but reading about flawed characters makes me happy because no one is perfect. Everyone has a flaw or an imperfection and having characters in books that are flawed is so, SO much more realistic.

I really liked Skylar a lot. She was so determined to make something of herself. She wanted to get out of the life she currently had. She was also extremely close to her mother which I totally understood as my mom and I have always been very close. So, I understood her instinct to protect her mom and try to get her mom back to the land of the living again when she lost her job. I understood Skylar's fear of leaving her mom the way she was. It was really hard to read sometimes, but I had fallen in love with this story.

"I hate to break it to you, but your mom is an adult woman. How many times are you just gonna drop everything when she loses her shit?"

I understood this feeling as well. I kept hoping that Skylar wouldn't allow her mother's downward spiral to affect her. I was so afraid that Skylar would forget all about her own dreams and stay in Creek View. Skylar had put so much pressure on herself that she had lost some of herself as well.

Yet there was still one thing that hadn't let her down. Pools. She loved to swim or even to just be in the water in some capacity. Swimming brought her peace, even if everything in the world was crashing down around her.

"Pools didn't get you pregnant, and they didn't die on you.Who needed anything more?"

Now, Josh Mitchell was hot. Normally I don't go for military types, but there was more to him than just the military. Yes, he had a bit of a colorful past in Creek View. Before he joined the military, he'd had a bit of a promiscuous past.

"Yes Josh, everyone in Creek View is well aware of your sexcapades."

When he returned from the military, missing a leg, he was different. He was hurting both physically and emotionally. He and Skylar had known each other for a long time, but it wasn't until this summer that they begin working together at the quirky motel by the name of Paradise.

It was their trips to Dairy Queen that really sealed it for me. I could feel things changing between them and I remember hoping that Skylar's growing feelings for Josh would not change her college plans. I had seen too many girls change their plans for a guy and that made me nervous. I loved the outrageous combinations they came up with. Josh's was pineapple & Snickers and Skylar's was Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and mint. That definitely added to the quirky-ness of this book.

"I'm fucking crazy about you!"

I loved the ending so much. I think I cried a small river by the time the book was over, and I was definitely sad when the book ended. Demetrios rocked this story and I'm excited to read her other books. I'm giving this book 4.5 stars. I wish I could give it the full 5 stars, and I'm honestly not sure why I can't. Everyone needs to read this book.

Review: Alex As Well by Alyssa Brugman

Book Title: Alex As Well

Author: Alyssa Brugman

Published Date: January 20th, 2015

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Genre: YA Contemporary 

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Alex is ready for things to change, in a big way. Everyone seems to think she’s a boy, but for Alex the whole boy/girl thing isn’t as simple as either/or, and when she decides girl is closer to the truth, no one knows how to react, least of all her parents. Undeterred, Alex begins to create a new identity for herself: ditching one school, enrolling in another, and throwing out most of her clothes. But the other Alex—the boy Alex—has a lot to say about that. Heartbreaking and droll in equal measures, Alex As Well is a brilliantly told story of exploring gender and sexuality, navigating friendships, and finding a place to belong.

Disclaimer: I got this e-ARC from Henry Holt & Co. via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

I was really, really excited about this book and I had high hopes for it, but I ended up being really ambivalent to it which really disappointed me. I wasn't sure if this would be a straight up transgender story or if it was due to a congenital issue. I could never imagine feeling like I was born in the wrong body so I knew I wouldn't be able to relate to Alex the way others could, but I really wanted to see how it turned out for him.

Her parents really were crappy. I know it probably wasn't easy for them when Alex began dressing in women's clothes and professing that he was a girl, but instead of working to support what their child wanted, they were holding on to the boy that he was made into as an infant. I so wanted his parents to get over it and embrace the child that they did have.

The best part of the book was Alex herself. She was equal parts awesome and brave. She was going through so much and it hurt me that she had no one else she could talk to about this. Belonging is such a big deal, especially in cases like this, and Alex definitely struggled with the desire to belong. She didn't feel like she belonged anywhere and it was difficult for me to read about that, because I too struggled with not really belonging anywhere.

I am pretty ambivalent about this book. I didn't love it, but I also didn't hate it. Unfortunately Alex was not enough for me to enjoy the book. So I'm giving it 3 stars. I think I would recommend it though, as it was an important read for many reasons.

Review: The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1) by Mary E. Pearson

Book Title: The Kiss of Deception

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Published Date: July 8th, 2014

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Genre: YA Fantasy

Series: Book One in The Remnant Chronicles series

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from Henry Holt & Co. via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

Despite starting off very slowly, The Kiss of Deception ended up being one heck of an epic fantasy read. It surpassed all of my expectations and I was excited every single time I got to pick it back up again. I didn't want to stop reading even though my eyes kept closing late at night. Yes it was a long book, but it was so fascinating that I barely noticed the length.

At first, I was worried that I wasn't going to like it much and it was mostly because it has started off slowly. I normally don't love books that take awhile to really unfold, but I had spoken to several fellow bloggers who loved this book and who pushed me to be patient with this book. So thank you to those bloggers who wouldn't let me give up on this book.

Lia is an absolute badass, and she is definitely one of my new favorite female characters. She's strong, devoted to those she loves, especially Walther, her brother. Honor and duty and tradition are just some of the words that Lia has grown to hate and it's also those words that drive her to disappear on the day she is to be wed.

She finds herself at a distant village where she met Berdi & Gwynneth. I loved both of these ladies and I loved how they were there for both Lia, and Lia's best friend, Pauline who had come to this village with Lia. Berdi was the mom Lia really needed and Gywnneth was that friend that everyone needs.

Soon after Lia and Pauline arrive at the village, two handsome strangers also arrived. Unbeknownst to everyone, including Lia, one of these men is the jilted prince and the other one is the assassin Lia's father hired to kill her. These handsome strangers slip into life in the village, helping Berdi and the rest of the group.

Things just sort of unfold from there and we are introduced to so many characters, including Rafe and Kaden, one of which is the prince, the other is the assassin. I kept trying to guess who was who and I kept failing miserably. This is a love triangle, but it's really hard because both of these boys end up being quite swoon-worthy and so that's only one of the reasons I choose to stay firmly on Team Lia.

The world building was glorious and I loved it so much. It was captivating and it drew me in, in a way that I wasn't expecting. I expect a lot from my fantasy books and The Kiss of Deception absolutely delivered in a big way. I am giving this book 5 stars and I eagerly await book two in this series.

Review: Welcome to the Dark House (Welcome to the Dark House #1) by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Book Title: Welcome to the Dark House

Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz

Published Date: July 22nd, 2014

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Genre: YA Horror

Series: Book One in Welcome to the Dark House duology

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links:  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

What’s your worst nightmare?

For Ivy Jensen, it’s the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it’s bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.

And for seven essay contestants, it’s their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake’s latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn’t even like scary movies, but she’s ready to face her real-world fears. Parker’s sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up. . . at least for now.

Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It’s bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group—the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; “Mister Sensitive”; and the one who’s too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.

Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.

By the time Ivy and Parker realize what’s really at stake, it’s too late to wake up and run.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Disney Hyperion via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

Now this is how you do a horror book. 

I probably enjoyed it even more than I would have originally, because I read it in the dead of night. It was so creepy and I couldn't put it down. I was up until nearly 4am because I had to know what happened and I had to know how it ended. After finishing it, I found out that it was book one of a duology, so YAY. I cannot wait to go back into this story next year. It's gonna be a long wait.

It started off normally enough, with us meeting Ivy, Parker, Shayla, Natalie, Garth, Frankie, and there's a 7th contestant, Taylor, who we don't see much of in this book. I am definitely hoping we see more of her in book 2 because I think she has a lot to add to the story. The book is split up into six different POV's and I was worried that I would have difficulty following the individual stories, and I did at first, but it wore off quickly.

Things start getting creepy that night and it only continues into the next day as they arrive at an abandoned amusement park. A whole lot of stuff goes down, and it's truly scary stuff, I mean I had nightmares after I finished the book because of the stuff that happens in the amusement park.

Oh let's not forget Nightmare Elf, hands down the scariest part of the book for me. It made me think of what would happen if you mixed The Elf on the Shelf with Chucky, and that was enough to give me massive goosebumps while I read this book. The Nightmare Elf visited me in my nightmares after I finished the book.

I have to admit, I love being scared in books, so I was really glad I read this book. I am seriously excited for book 2, and it's definitely going to be a long wait, especially given the cliffhanger that this book ended in. It was a near perfect read for me, and I'm giving it 4.5 stars. If you like the Horror genre, I would definitely recommend this book. If you are easily scared, I'd avoid this book.

Review: Captive (The Blackcoat Rebellion #2) by Aimee Carter

Book Title: Captive

Author: Aimee Carter

Published Date: November 25th, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Genre: YA Dystopian

Series: Book 2 in The Blackcoat Rebellion trilogy

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

For the past two months, Kitty Doe's life has been a lie. Forced to impersonate the Prime Minister's niece, her frustration grows as her trust in her fake fiancé cracks, her real boyfriend is forbidden and the Blackcoats keep her in the dark more than ever. 

But in the midst of discovering that her role in the Hart family may not be as coincidental as she thought, she's accused of treason and is forced to face her greatest fear: Elsewhere. A prison where no one can escape. 

As one shocking revelation leads to the next, Kitty learns the hard way that she can trust no one, not even the people she thought were on her side. With her back against the wall, Kitty wants to believe she'll do whatever it takes to support the rebellion she believes in—but is she prepared to pay the ultimate price?

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from Harlequin Teen via NetGalley in change for my honest review.

Review:

Holy crap, Captive was so freaking good!

I had a lot of concerns about Captive, mostly surrounding the infamous "Second book syndrome" I had enjoyed Pawn so much that I was honestly afraid to read Captive. I really didn't want to be disappointed. Thankfully, not only was I not disappointed but Captive surpassed my expectations in a really big way.

Kitty is still fiercely loyal to her Benjy, the boy she loves, everything she does, she does with him in mind. I still liked them together as a couple, but this book didn't focus as much on the romance as Pawn had, which actually made the book better, I think. It focused on the relationships and friendships rather than the romances.

There were so many surprises that left me screaming "Holy shit" at the top of my lungs. So many twists that I didn't see coming. A few times I was confused, but confused in the best way. I love when books keep me guessing like this one did. It adds an element to it that not very many books have.

The only person Kitty seems to trust is Benjy, and I totally understand that. It makes sense to me that Kitty doesn't trust that many people. I know some people were pissed that she didn't trust Knox, and while I do like him, I also understand why Kitty doesn't trust Knox.

There are so many new characters in this book, but they are woven in nicely, and they didn't add to my confusion. Several of them are really, really important to the story as well. So keep your eye on these characters, as you never know when or even if they'll be important.

The world building was even better this time around. It was good in Pawn, but it was really good in Captive, so kudos to Carter for taking time to build the world that Kitty and everyone else lives in. A well developed world can really help a book be awesome, and in this case it definitely helped.

I hate that I'm being so vague about stuff, but I really don't want to spoil it for anyone. This entire book is filled with spoilers so I really can't say much else about the book. What I can say though, is that I loved it and cannot wait for book 3, the final book in the trilogy. I can also let you know that this book was utterly fantastic and I'll be giving it 5 stars. Go read it now.

Review: Rite of Rejection by Sarah Negovetich

Book Title: Rite of Rejection

Author: Sarah Negovetich

Published Date: December 4th, 2014

Publisher: Sarah Negovetich

Genre: YA Dystopian

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Link: Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"Before you stands the future."

Straight-laced, sixteen-year-old Rebecca can't wait for her Acceptance. A fancy ball, eligible bachelors, and her debut as an official member of society. Instead, the Machine rejects Rebecca. Labeled as a future criminal, she's shipped off to a life sentence in a lawless penal colony.

A life behind barbed-wire fences with the world's most dangerous people terrifies Rebecca. She reluctantly joins a band of misfit teens in a risky escape plan, complete with an accidental fiancé she's almost certain she can learn to love.

But freedom comes with a price. To escape a doomed future and prove her innocence, Rebecca must embrace the criminal within.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

This looked really interesting, so I took a chance and requested it. When I got it, I started reading it very soon because I was afraid that waiting would diminish my excitement over this book. The first 20% was actually pretty good, I felt horrible for Rebecca once the Machine deemed her unworthy of Acceptance. She had pinned all her hopes and dreams on being Accepted and when it didn't happen, her world crashed down around her.

Once she got to the penal colony, that's when things really took a downward turn. There were four other misfits in her little group, but they all bored me. Their character development was virtually non-existent and there was nothing to differentiate these kids. They all acted the same, spoke the same, etc. I wanted more diversity, but I didn't get it. 

The love triangle was a disaster. I didn't buy it at all. One guy had no personality and the other guy gave me the creeps. It just did not work for me at all. There was never any explanation why Rebecca was attracted to these two boys. It felt like she was only attracted to them because of convenience, which really rubs me the wrong way.

This book was a real disappointment to me. It felt like a weird combo of Divergent & The Selection and while I did enjoy the Divergent trilogy as well as The Selection series, this one just wasn't for me. It was a great concept, but it wasn't executed well. I am giving it 2 stars. I would not recommend this book.

Review: The Melody of Light by M.L. Rice

Book Title: The Melody of Light

Author: M.L. Rice

Published Date: November 18th, 2014

Publisher: Bold Strokes Books

Genre: YA Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Siblings Riley and Aidan Gordon are survivors. Together, they survived an abusive childhood, and when a fiery accident incinerates all they have—except for each other—they survive that, too. The tragedy leaves them with burdens and pain beyond their years, but it also sets them free to forge their own paths. Aidan’s road to happiness seems smooth and carefree. But Riley continues to struggle, her only saving grace being a passion for music that helps soothe her damaged soul. As their paths diverge and college looms, Riley will have to depend less on Aidan and more on herself. Fear of failure drives her, but will finding love derail her single-minded determination to succeed, or will it open the door to the family she’s always wanted?

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

This book sounded like something I'd love, so I was excited to get it from NetGalley. It's no secret that I love dark contemporaries and that they usually give me all those feels. Unfortunately, this book didn't do it for me. I was unbelievably bored the entire time I read it. I didn't root for Riley or Aidan to overcome their childhood. I didn't get excited or emotional at all.

Even as young adults they seemed overly involved in each others lives which really gave me the hebie jeebies. There was no reason they needed to constantly be all up in each others business and it really didn't sit well with me. I understand being close with siblings, especially considering their rough childhood, but their co-dependence really made me wonder if they could ever have their own lives.

I was not a big fan of the romance either which is weird because I love LGBT romance. In this book it kinda came out of nowhere I was was left wondering if I had missed clues to the fact that one of the siblings was attracted to their same gender. Even when the couple got together, I wondered why they were ever together because I didn't feel the chemistry between them at all.

Things were really rushed in this book and I don't feel like enough time was spent developing their characters. I wanted more character development for Riley and more for Aidan. I wanted to see how they would conquer the world if they weren't constantly attached to each other. I wanted them to explore their independence 

This book was overall very boring, the sibling relationship gave me the creeps and the character development was very poor. So I'll be giving this book 2 stars. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

Review: Every Ugly Word by Aimee L. Salter

Book Title: Every Ugly Word

Author: Aimee L. Salter

Published Date: July 29th, 2014

Publisher: Alloy Entertainment

Genre: YA Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Link: Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads:

 When seventeen-year-old Ashley Watson walks through the halls of her high school bullies taunt and shove her. She can’t go a day without fighting with her mother. And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t make her best friend, Matt, fall in love with her. But Ashley also has something no one else does: a literal glimpse into the future. When Ashley looks into the mirror, she can see her twenty-three-year-old self.

Her older self has been through it all already—she endured the bullying, survived the heartbreak, and heard every ugly word her classmates threw at her. But her older self is also keeping a dark secret: Something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever. Something even her older self is powerless to stop.

Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

I'm not even sure how I feel about this book. Was I enjoying it and was I excited to pick it back up whenever I could? Yes. Did it confuse me and frustrate me to the point of wanting to yell at the book? Again, that's a yes. 

This book massively confused me. The timeline would jump from present to past and then back to the present again. I was never sure if Older Me was something Ashley really saw or was she exhibiting symptoms of psychosis that no one caught. I was never really sure if the way her mother treated her was really what happened or if it was just Ashley's perception. 

I was never really sure about Matt either. He was inconsistent, not swoon-worthy and I never felt romantic sparks between him and Ashley. I actually felt them more with Dex, even though Dex turned out to be a ginormous creep. I didn't like how Matt continually tried to force Ashley to hang out with his friends, the very friends who tormented Ashley every single day. He didn't seem to care much about her feelings. He was being selfish and aggravating.

The ending was also confusing. I didn't know what was happening. I still didn't know if Older Me was real or a figment of Ashley's imagination. I didn't doubt that she went through the incident as she did have the scars to show for it. I really did wish the epilogue was longer as I don't feel like I got any of my questions answered at all. I'm going to go against my initial instinct and give the book 3 stars. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. As I reflect on this book, I realize that I was really confused by this entire book.

Review: The Fine Art of Pretending (The Fine Art of Pretending #1) by Rachel Harris

Book Title: The Fine Art of Pretending

Author: Rachel Harris

Published Date: September 30th, 2014

Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Series: Book one in The Fine Art of Pretending series.

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you're friends with. Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to change her rank, she devises a plan to become the first type by homecoming, and she sets her sights on the perfect date—Justin Carter, Fairfield Academy’s biggest hottie and most notorious player.

With 57 days until the dance, Aly launches Operation Sex Appeal and sheds her tomboy image. The only thing left is for Justin actually to notice her. Enter best friend Brandon Taylor, the school’s second biggest hottie, and now Aly’s pretend boyfriend. With his help, elevating from “funny friend” to “tempting vixen” is only a matter of time.

But when everything goes according to plan, the inevitable “break up” leaves their friendship in shambles, and Aly and Brandon with feelings they can’t explain. And the fake couple discovers pretending can sometimes cost you the one thing you never expected to want.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Spencer Hill Contemporary via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

Okay, so by now you guys should know that I generally don't do light and fluffy. Light and fluffy normally bores me and I usually need depth to really enjoy the story. However, I had seen this cover awhile back and I fell in love with the cover. So when I saw it up on NetGalley, I decided to give it a shot, hoping desperately that I wouldn't be disappointed.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed. One of the biggest predictors of whether or not I'll like a book is how the character development is. If it's strong and I see a great character arc with tons of growth and I know what makes these characters tick, I'll like the book. Unfortunately, with this book, the lackuster character development, particularly for Aly, was what ruined the book for me.

I think Gabi had the right idea here. She was the only sensible girl who insisted on questioning Aly's reasons for doing it. Gabi knew that changing your whole look just so guys will see you in a different light was insane. Yet Aly had been so sick of watching the boys pass her over for some other hottie, that Gabi's words didn't sink in like they should have.

Look, I'm not hating on Aly. Really, I'm not. I remember how it felt in high school to have all the boys see you as just a friend. It was incredibly hard and it does do a number on your self esteem when you see all the hot girls having dates constantly and no guy will even look your way. It sucks. I think it was just hard for me to relate to her as I would have never changed myself for a guy. When I was in high school (10+ years ago) I was definitely a tomboy and boys generally didn't look my way. Was it hard? Yes, of course it was, but it never occurred to me to change myself just so boys would like me.

I never really felt "it" between Aly and Brandon. They didn't sizzle off my Kindle like I was hoping they would. In romance books, chemistry is key and I just never felt like Aly and Brandon really had chemistry. I did like the tension between them, but I definitely felt like the chemistry was lacking between the two of them. Now friendship chemistry was absolutely there and I felt like they would have made better friends than romantic partners.

All in all, this book wasn't bad, but it wasn't one I enjoyed either. I'm pretty indifferent to it actually, which really bums me out. The lackluster character development and the romantic chemistry were both major disappointments to me. For these reasons, I have to give the book 3 stars. I would recommend this book to a younger reader. I think the tone of this book is for a younger reader. I was never able to connect with it.

Review: Stronger Than You Know by Jolene Perry

Book Title: Stronger Than You Know

Author: Jolene Perry

Published Date: September 1st, 2014

Publisher: Albert Whitman Teen

Genre: YA Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

After police intervention, fifteen-year-old Joy has finally escaped the trailer where she once lived with her mother and survived years of confinement and abuse. Now living with her aunt, uncle, and cousins in a comfortable house, she’s sure she’ll never belong. Wracked by panic attacks, afraid to talk to anyone at her new school, Joy’s got a whole list of reasons why she’s crazy. With immense courage, Joy finds friends and grows closer to her new family. But just when hope is taking hold, she learns she must testify in her mother’s trial. Can she face her old life without losing her way in the new one? Will she ever truly belong in a world that seems too normal to be real?

Disclaimer: I received this book from Albert Whitman Teen via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

Oh my goodness, this book shattered my heart and broke my feels. At the end of 2013, I read Perry's previous book The Summer I Found You and while it was good overall, nothing could have prepared me for what this book would hold. I remember reading the synopsis on NetGalley and really wanting this book. I clicked the request button and crossed my fingers and toes. I was super excited to get approved for it and I couldn't wait to be able to dive in.

Well, it was about 8 days ago that I finally sat down to read this book, and I read it cover to cover in one sitting. It was very different from The Summer I Found You, and actually it reminded me of some of my other favorite books, namely If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch and Fault Line and Bleed Like Me, both written by Christa Desir. All three of these aforementioned books are very dark contemporaries, and they are also ones that I really enjoyed and even loved.

When we first meet Joy, she's settling into a "new normal" She's now living with her aunt, uncle and two cousins. She's still very quiet, prefers to be alone in her room. Family dinners are uncomfortable for her and her uncle Rob scares her. Soft voices are used around her so she's not startled. She shies away from being touched and the smell of beer and cigarettes makes her nauseated and takes her back to the life she had with her mother...and those men. All of those men who hurt her. Especially Richard, the scariest one of them all.

I loved watching Joy's journey. It's was both beautiful and heartbreaking. So many times I wanted to reach through the Kindle and hug her. Her therapist, Lydia set these goals for her and at first Joy struggles to meet even one of them, but as she gets more comfortable, she slowly opens up a bit more. Even if it's just to tell a lie to the incredibly cute Justin.She's supposed to talk to at least one person at school, at first.

Her next assignment is to talk to her uncle Rob. Logically, she knows her uncle wouldn't hurt her, but her body doesn't realize that yet. So her anxiety manifests in strange ways, shaking being the number one way. When she first opened up to her uncle Rob, I full on sobbed. I could tell that this was a big deal for her and I was so incredibly proud of her for doing this.

"Everyone has a different normal, Joy." -Uncle Rob-

As much as I loved Joy as a character, I loved her aunt Nicole almost as much. It was so clear to me that she blamed herself for not getting Joy out of there sooner and it killed me to see this sweet woman blaming herself. Nicole starts attending therapy with Joy's therapist as well, which felt like a betrayal to Joy, until Nicole explains things.

"I was here for me. Because I feel like I should have rescued you a long time ago." -Aunt Nicole-

Nicole carries a lot of guilt for not being there for Joy when she was younger. A conversation from when Joy was 8 years old still plays in Nicole's head and she wishes she had done something more about it. I hated seeing her beat herself up about it. I wanted to hug Nicole hard.

Family has never really meant anything to Joy. She's been abused, mistreated, malnourished her entire life, so she doesn't really understand what it means to have a good family that loves you and protects you. Rob and Nicole give her that sense of security that she has never had before. They make her feel like she's part of a family.

"I'm so heavy." -Joy-

"Then you lean on us for a while. Let us carry you, Joy, until you're not heavy anymore. That's what family is." -Uncle Rob-

There's no way I could end this review without talking about Justin. YES, finally a boy who respects girls, who doesn't push them for more when they aren't ready and who's willing to be friends for as long as necessary before it turns into anything more. I loved Justin for everything he did for Joy. He didn't push her for a relationship. He respected her space, didn't force anything, and probably most important, he didn't run away when he learned of her harrowing childhood. He was the perfect guy to help Joy realize that, yes, there are still good guys her age out there who wouldn't be pushing for more when they were just in a car together.

This book was amazing, absolutely beautiful, heartbreaking and awesome. I adored this book and I cannot wait to see what Perry writes next. 5 stars to this story about what it truly means to be a family, to love and to begin to heal.

Review: The Edge of You by Theresa DaLayne

Book Title: The Edge of You

Author: Theresa DaLayne

Published Date: September 25th, 2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury Spark

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Synopsis from Goodreads:

He left home to escape. She made a new life out of guilt. Neither one expected to find love—but not even the Arctic can cool this steamy romance.

Maya knows she’s doing the right thing by moving to Alaska with her parents, but that doesn’t mean she has to be happy about it. Forced to give up a scholarship to a prestigious art school, she relocates to a Podunk town with one college the size of her high school cafeteria, all to help hold her family together after the death of her little sister. But a fresh start can only do so much.

Jake doesn’t like handouts and he certainly doesn’t need any distractions. Working on a salmon boat in Kodiak, Alaska is the only way to pay for his mother’s surgery back in the lower forty-eight. Juggling college courses and constant worry about his mother’s health, Jake couldn’t imagine anything else fitting into his life. That is, until he meets Maya, the sexy Californian artist who tints his world in technicolor.

But when Maya’s family starts to crumble and Jake’s mom takes a turn for the worse, will they drag each other down, or can they find what they were missing all along?

In this new adult romance, Theresa DaLayne paints a swoon-worthy story about life under the midnight sun, following your heart, and learning to live on the edge.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from Bloomsbury Spark via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

In a romance book, you have to want to root for the couple. You have to feel the sparks coming off the page every time they interact with each other. You have to cheer when they finally kiss. I couldn't root for these two. I just couldn't do it. I think, because I am very picky about my New Adult books that I choose to read, I hold them to a higher standard. Impress me, wow me. Very few NA's have been able to do that.

Maya was impossible to like. She was maddening and aggravating and she made me want to throw my Kindle across the room. At 20 years old, she didn't "need" to go with her family when they relocated to Alaska, but she felt guilty about not going, so she gave up everything and went. But when they get there, she spends half the time whining about it. She sounded like she was much younger than 20 years old.

I did like Jake and his devotion to his mom. That definitely warmed my heart. But it's his behavior after he met Maya that is enough to drive me bat-crap crazy. He barely knows this girl, but suddenly he's putting his job in danger, a job he claims he needs because his mom needs surgery. All of a sudden, since a pretty girl has shown up in Kodiak, his focus has shifted and that really drove me nuts. I would have never essentially put my mom's health on the back burner for a guy. No freaking way would I ever let that happen. So I lost a lot of respect for Jake after he met Maya.

Sometimes, people work better together when they're just friends and I felt like that was Jake and Maya. They never really had the romantic sparks I was expecting. Their chemistry was bland at best. I was really disappointed by this book. I was hoping that I had found another NA that I would love. Unfortunately that just wasn't the case with this one. 

I was completely bored out of my mind with this one, so it should not surprise anyone that I'm giving this book 2 stars. The chemistry was bland, I did not like them as a couple at all. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.