Review: Rebound (Boomerang #2) by Noelle August

Book Title: Rebound

Author: Noelle August

Published Date: February 10th, 2015

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Series: Book Two in Boomerang Trilogy

Book Link: Goodreads

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Hooking up is only the beginning of the fun in this sexy and irresistible second installment of the thrilling New Adult series, Boomerang.

Adam Blackwood has it all. At twenty-two, he’s fabulously wealthy, Ryan Gosling-hot and at the top of the heap in the business world. His life is perfect, until a scandal from his past resurfaces and knocks the tech wunderkind down, throwing his company, Boomerang, a hook-up site for millennials, into chaos.

Three years ago, Adam married his high school love—and then lost her in a tragic accident. Now, the heartbreak and guilt he’s tried to bury with work and women begins to take over his life.

Alison Quick, the twenty-one-year-old daughter of a business tycoon—and the very ex-girlfriend of Boomerang’s former intern, Ethan—has a problem of her own. She’s got one chance to prove to her father that she deserves a place in his empire by grabbing control of Boomerang and taking Adam down.

But as Alison moves in on him, armed with a cadre of lawyers and accountants, she discovers there’s much more to Adam and Boomerang than meets the eye. Will earning her father’s approval come at the price of losing her first real love? It appears so, unless Adam can forgive her for wrecking his life and trying to steal his livelihood. But Alison hopes that old adage is right. Maybe love can conquer all.

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from William Morrow Paperbacks via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

You guys know that I am normally so picky about my NA reads and how rarely I read NA because they disappoint me so much. Yet last year, right about this time, I reviewed Boomerang, which is the first book in the Boomerang trilogy. I fell in love with this book because they didn't follow a typical NA formula that I had become so used to.

When I heard this book was going to be about Ethan's ex, Allison and Ethan's former boss, Adam, I was a little nervous to see how it would all play out. I didn't expect to like Allison given what we had learned about her in Boomerang. Surprise, surprise, I ended up really liking her. She was in a tough position as her father was very powerful and used to getting his way through manipulation. Allison also loved horses, and I loved reading about how she cared for the horses her father owned.

Adam was a difficult one for me to warm up to. I didn't love him in Boomerang, so I was hoping I'd love him in Rebound. I ended up liking him more and more as the book went on. He complimented Allison quite well. Where she was weakest, he was strongest. Where she was strongest, he was weakest.

That Catwoman/Zorro scene at the beginning of the book was H-O-T.

We also learn a lot about Adam's past, which I loved. I didn't know what to expect with his past, but when certain things revealed themselves, it was clear to me that he was still struggling mightly, but he was hiding it from so many people. Hiding things is so unhealthy and I felt bad for Adam, and really wanted him to find that happy ending.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed Boomerang. It took me awhile to like Adam, and certain other things kinda bugged me about this book. I do still recommend not only this book, but the first book in this trilogy. I'll be giving it 4 stars.

Review: NIL (NIL #1) by Lynne Matson

Book Title: NIL

Author: Lynne Matson

Published Date: March 4th, 2014

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Genre: YA/Science Fiction

Series: Book One in NIL trilogy.

Book Link: Goodreads

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have one year. Exactly 365 days--to escape, or you die.

Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s lying naked in an empty rock field.

Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that to save their future, Charley must first save him. And on an island rife with dangers, their greatest threat is time.

Disclaimer: I own this book.

Review:

I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book. I had really high hopes for it, but wasn't sure if it would deliver. And for a little while, I wasn't sure it would. It was a bit slow in the beginning, which worried me. But by the time I reached page 80, it had picked up and I was captivated by the story. Plus, if it's going to be compared to my all time favorite TV show, LOST, then the chances are pretty high that I'll fall in love with it.

I had a hard time trying to figure out what genre I'd put this book in. It was obviously YA, but there were several sub-genres that I could have put it in. There was romance, there were paranormal elements and there was science fiction. In some ways, I find these kind of books the most compelling because there are multiple elements involved and they each do their part to tell the story.

Even though Charley & Thad were considered the main characters, I really loved Natalie. She was so vulnerable, so realistic. I loved how she trusted Thad and Charley despite all of the craziness going on. She cared about all of NIL's inhabitants. She had a good heart, a caring heart.

NIL itself was interesting. Not only was it an island but it also seemed to be personified. I'd never seen this in a book before, so that was captivating. Was NIL also a person or was she seemingly personified because of the mental health of all the inhabitants.

"To NIL we come, from NIL, some go, and some like me, will stay. The clock winds down, our time runs out, and NIL will have her way."

That is probably the creepiest song I've ever heard. Legitimate shivers. Not a lot was said about Ramia, but I was so, so curious about her. I actually had some theories about her and her connection to NIL. I probably spent a bit too much time thinking about her and her possible connection to NIL.

Now Charley & Thad. I understand that a lot of people were a bit iffy on how quickly things developed between them, but this wasn't typical life. They were on an island for goodness sakes. It's not like they had a million other life things to attend to, Yeah they were off searching for gates and even newcomers, but there was more time to develop a relationship. I liked them together, I rooted for them to get together and that is a great feeling to be able to do.

"You're right, Charley. NIL does change the way you see things. NIL makes everything more clear. What's important, what matters. And for me, that's you."

This book stressed me out completely. I can't exactly say why it did, as it could be considered very spoilery, and I really don't want to ruin it for others. But, I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it. I am giving it 5 stars and I cannot wait to read NIL Unlocked, which I'll be starting ASAP.

Review: The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

Book Title: The Fill-In Boyfriend

Author: Kasie West

Published Date: May 5th, 2015

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: YA Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend— two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party — three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

Disclaimer: I won this book in a giveaway.

Review:

Legitimate question: How does Kasie West do this?

I mean, this is her 3rd contemporary novel and she just has this ability to create swoony boys and put them together with imperfect girls. God, her formula is awesome. The Distance Between Us is still my favorite Kasie West contemporary, but The Fill-In Boyfriend is fighting for 2nd place alongside On The Fence.

We meet Gia just as she's getting dumped on prom night by her boyfriend, Bradley. That was rough to read. High school can be a cruel place, especially if you attend a promo solo. For Gia, the idea of attending prom on her own is not something she wants to face. Not when Jules, her frenemy, has doubted the existence of Bradley since the beginning. The last thing Gia wants is to be seen as a liar.

On a whim, she asks a guy who just dropped his sister off, to be her date to prom. She wants him to pretend to be Bradley, and after a little bit of bantering, he agrees. The night ends a little rocky, and Gia doubts that she'll ever see Fill-In Bradley again.

Until it's revealed that she's been sitting behind his sister in one of her classes all year.

Now it's time for Fill-In Bradley to pass Gia off as his girlfriend at a party that his ex will be at. Fill-In Bradley is clearly still in love with his ex, and is willing to do whatever he has to do in order to get her to come back to him. His sister is all for this plan although she intensely dislikes her brother's ex.

More craziness ensues at the party, but my favorite part was seeing the sparks increase between Fill-In Bradley and Gia. I could feel the chemistry between them, I felt like I could root for them as a couple. That, right there is an awesome feeling. 

I loved the romance between Gia & Fill-In Bradley. It worked for me because there were things that balanced each of them out. When things went sour between Fill-In Bradley and his ex, his self-esteem took a nosedive. Gia helped his confidence. Gia started off the book a bit uptight and rigid, but Fill-In Bradley helped relax her.

I loved Gia's character arc. At the beginning of the book she is so obsessed with doing everything perfect, being friends with the right people, never showing her true emotions, but as the book unfolds, Gia starts to crack, she starts becoming more flawed, she starts expressing her true emotions, especially around her family.

On the surface, her family seems normal, loving and supportive of each other, but as the book continues on, we realize that Gia doesn't really share anything with her parents, and her mom especially, keeps her emotions bottled up, just like Gia does. I did love her dad though. Her dad was awesome and protective.

"I hate boys."
"He didn't hurt you, did he?"
"No, well, he just hurt my heart."
"Oh honey, I'm so sorry."

This book explored the complexities of sibling relationships as well. I spent most of the book detesting the hell out of Gia's brother Drew. He just seemed like such a jackass and most of the time, the things he would say would enrage me. Things between Drew & Gia were complicated, but I liked how it ended.

Friendships in your teen years are difficult as well. For Gia, her friendships with Claire, Laney and Jules were difficult. I truly think that Jules was awful, but that she was also the Alpha. Claire & Laney were the Betas. I also feel like Gia was never her true self around these girls. Like she had to behave a certain way for these girls to even tolerate her. The exploration of teenage friendships was truly great.

I really enjoyed this book, and it was everything I've come to expect from a Kasie West book. I am giving this book 4.5 stars. I'm not actually sure why I cannot give it the full 5 stars, but I definitely recommend it very highly for contemporary lovers.

"We're not perfect and we don't have to be."

Release Day: Last Will and Testament (Radleigh University #1) by Dahlia Adler

Title: Last Will and Testament

Author: Dahlia Adler

Pub date: December 9, 2014

Series: Radleigh University

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Smashwords

Synopsis

Lizzie Brandt was valedictorian of her high school class, but at Radleigh University, all she's acing are partying and hooking up with the wrong guys. But all that changes when her parents are killed in a tragic accident, making her guardian to her two younger brothers. To keep them out of foster care, she'll have to fix up her image, her life, and her GPA—fast. Too bad the only person on campus she can go to for help is her humorless, pedantic Byzantine History TA, Connor Lawson, who isn't exactly Lizzie's biggest fan.

But Connor surprises her. Not only is he a great tutor, but he’s also a pretty great babysitter. And chauffeur. And listener. And he understands exactly what it’s like to be on your own before you're ready. Before long, Lizzie realizes having a responsible-adult type around has its perks... and that she'd like to do some rather irresponsible (but considerably adult) things with him as well. Good thing he's not the kind of guy who'd ever reciprocate.

Until he does.

Until they turn into far more than teacher and student.

Until the relationship that helped put their lives back together threatens everything they both have left.

Dahlia Adler is author and lover of YA & NA. Blogger, and macaron fanatic.

Review: Famous in Love (Famous in Love #1) by Rebecca Serle

Book Title: Famous in Love

Author: Rebecca Serle

Published Date: October 21st, 2014

Publisher: Poppy

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Series: Book One in Famous in Love trilogy

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Link: Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The romantic story of a girl who gets plucked from obscurity to star in the next major feature film franchise based on a book and the ensuing love triangles she gets entangled in on—-and off screen. 

Meet Paige Townsen, Rainer Devon, and Jordan Wilder…

When Paige Townsen, a young unknown, gets cast in the movie adaptation of a blockbuster book series, her life changes practically overnight. Within a month, Paige has traded the quiet streets of her hometown for a crowded movie set on the shores of Maui, and is spending quality time with her co-star Rainer Devon, one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive. But when troubled star Jordan Wilder lands the role of the other point in the movie’s famous love triangle, Paige’s crazy new life gets even crazier.

In this coming-of-age romance inspired by the kind of celeb hookups that get clever nicknames and a million page views, Paige must figure out who she is – and who she wants – while the whole world watches.

Disclaimer: I read this book with On The Same Page ARC Tours.

Review:

I was honestly a bit unsure about this book. I had had so many hopes for The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle, but it hadn't worked for me. I wanted to give the author another try, so I joined the ARC Tour for this book and boy am I glad that I did.

Normally I dislike the books that are all about the romance. I love books that are grittier in nature, ones that give me those feels. Yet as it turns out, I really needed a fluffy romance book this time around. I've been experiencing a bit of a slump lately, and it was really starting to drive me crazy. Once I started reading this, I couldn't stop. It was exactly what I needed. A fluffy book with a love triangle (I don't normally like love triangles but this one worked somehow)

Paige has been a normal teenager, until she gets plucked from obscurity to play August, the female lead in a blockbuster movie. I liked Paige a lot even though I couldn't really relate to her. She was dealing with a lot of sudden changes, and at first she seems to want to stay connected with Cassandra and Jake, her friends from back home, but then she seemed to let things shift, where it became more about the movie and becoming August, and less about still being herself.

I normally don't root for the "bad boy" but Jordan was awesome. He showed more of his personal side to Paige than Rainer ever did. He treated Paige like an equal, and that was something Rainer didn't do. He protected her and coddled her and acted like she was a poor helpless little girl just because she was brand new to the scene. Rainer used to be the type of guy I'd go after. The fiercely protective type, and in fact my ex fiance was very much like him.

The cliffhanger! It's gonna be a long wait to find out what happens next. I'm sure the drama is only beginning now that Paige picked her man (for now at least) Definitely read it if you're up for a fun read with drama and love triangles at the center of it all. I'm giving this book 4 stars and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

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: 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.

Review: Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally

Book Title: Racing Savannah

Author: Miranda Kenneally

Published Date: January 1st, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: YA Contemporary

Standalone/Companion

Book Link: Goodreads

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:

They’re from two different worlds.

He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.

With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…

Disclaimer: Library book.

Review:

Yay, finally we get a book set on a horse farm! Like most girls, I loved horses as a child. I even took horseback riding lessons from 4th to 8th grade and I loved it. I was never all that good, but I loved doing it all the same. Some of my favorite books were The Saddle Club series and it's spin-off Pine Hollow. My other favorite horsey series was Throughbred. So of course I had to get this book. It seemed like it was right up my alley and I couldn't wait to dive in.

It started off a little slow for me. It wasn't until I was about 100 pages into it that I really started to get into it. I'm not even sure why that was. It could have just been my mood, because by the time I hit page 105 I was really getting into it and I loved all the horse racing stuff. It brought me right back to my childhood.

I liked Savannah, yeah she had some issues with rich people, but once you got the backstory behind that, I wasn't bothered by her attitude towards the rich people anymore. She had a totally different life than the Goodwin's or the Whitfield's. Savannah's dad, his pregnant girlfriend Cindy, and Savannah struggled to make ends meet. College wasn't even something Savannah was entertaining because just to apply cost money and her grades weren't great.

I didn't love the romance in this one. It got better towards the end, but I never really liked Jack for Savannah all that much. I wanted to feel the heat, the sexual tension between them and I just didn't feel it at all. That really bummed me out as I think it had the potential to be a very hot romance.

Savannah's journey was absolutely fascinating and heartwarming to watch. Her journey from thinking that horses were all there was to realizing that she could go to college if it was important to her. Watching her relationship with her dad's girlfriend evolve was definitely good to see. Despite it having been 5 years since her mother had passed, I think Savannah struggled with the fact that her dad was in love & having a baby with someone else. 

I did enjoy this book a lot, despite not liking the romance and I think it's because there was a lot of self discovery happening for Savannah. I'm always a sucker for those stories. I am going to give it 4 stars, and Miranda Kenneally has earned herself a spot on my auto-buy authors list. I'm definitely a fan of her books.

Review: Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Book Title: Lies We Tell Ourselves

Author: Robin Talley

Publish Date: September 30th, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Genre: YA Historical

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever.

Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily.

Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town’s most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept “separate but equal.”

Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another.

Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.

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

Review:

"I don't think right and wrong is always that simple."

This book made me feel all the things. Anger, sadness, happiness, hope, despair and so many other emotions, it's hard to keep it all straight. Right off the bat, we're introduced to Sarah Dunbar, her sister Ruth and 8 other "colored" students who are attempting to be the first colored students to integrate into Jefferson High. 

I had studied this time period in college history classes so I was worried it wouldn't feel authentic. But it did. Everything that Sarah, Ruth, Yvonne, Chuck, Paulie & Ennis went through was heartbreaking and before I had even gotten a quarter of the way through it, I had sobbed out loud, multiple times, scaring my cat.

Not only is Sarah dealing with integrating at a new, all-white school, she's also dealing with sinful thoughts about girls.

"I used to think the wrong things all the time. Before I knew they were wrong." -Sarah-

At this time in history, being LGBT was considered "wrong" and "sinful" and "not normal" Sarah struggled with knowing that the way she felt about girls was considered wrong by society & by God. She's so focused on pleasing her parents and being a good girl and not disappointing them, that she doesn't take the time for herself to think about what she wants and what she believes.

"I don't talk back and I don't ask questions. That's what good daughters do. Being good means being invisible." -Sarah-

I know I would have failed big time in this time in history. I get that it was a totally different time in our history, but wow, things have definitely changed at least in some ways.

"It isn't right for girls to talk about being smart around boys." -Sarah-

This line absolutely infuriated me. Again, I know that this was a very different time in our history where girls were expected to shut up, not question their father or their husband and pop out babies. I was absolutely livid at reading this. Especially knowing that Sarah was smart. She was very smart, yet she couldn't talk about that around boys.

"Everyone is counting on me. I can't be a failure." -Sarah-

That seems like a lot of pressure on a teenager and I was, once again, infuriated on Sarah's behalf. She was so concerned about not failing anyone and I was honestly worried for her. What would happen if she did fail? Would she be able to deal with the disappointment and move on?

Linda had it all. She was popular, worry free and seemingly happy. Her father was well known in the community and he was also very well respected. But Linda's hiding a secret, well a couple of secrets. Both of which she knows she cannot leak out or it would damage her family's reputation.

Since she was a small child, she's obediently listened to her father and willingly parroted all his beliefs to her friends. She agrees with everything her father says about the dangers of Negroes and how the end of segregation is going to ruin America. But everything changes when she meets Sarah.

"It didn't seem right that she had to be so scared just because she was a Negro. She couldn't help the color of her skin." -Linda-

Linda waffled on her beliefs a lot and while I was continuously frustrated by her, I understood her, at least a little bit. All her life her father had said bad things about Negroes and she was so desperate to get his approval that she agreed with him without doing any of her own thinking on the subject. Meeting Sarah was exactly what Linda needed in order to realize that maybe these people were okay. Maybe they weren't lazy, uneducated slobs like her Daddy always said they were.

Linda was also dating a much older boy in the hopes that they would get married after graduation and she could move out of her father's home and start popping out babies with Jack. She honestly didn't think there were any other choices. At that time, marriage and babies were really the only choice for most women.

"Jack is all I need." -Linda-

That quote frustrated me, but again I know why she felt like that. She wanted to get away from her awful father and she truly believed that Jack was all she needed because she wanted to marry him and leave home. She was convinced that a life with Jack was all she wanted and needed.

It's Sarah who tries to get Linda to figure out on her own what she believes and to stop taking everything her father says as gospel. Sarah is not afraid to call Linda out on it either. That I loved.These two had so many passionate discussions on what was right and what was wrong. That was the basis of many of their conversations early on which I thought was awesome.

I wish there had been more in the way of romance. I was definitely excited to see the romance unfold and I was disappointed that we really didn't get a lot of it. Also, at about 65% of the way through, it had slowed down and it was a bit boring for awhile. Thankfully it picked back up. I did enjoy this book a lot, more than I expected to actually and I'm really glad I took a chance on this book. I'm giving it 4 stars.

Review: Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

Book Title: Breathe, Annie, Breathe

Author: Miranda Kenneally

Published Date: July 15th, 2014

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: YA/NA Contemporary

Standalone/Companion

Book Link: Goodreads

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

Disclaimer: Library book.

Review:

I had a lot of hope for this book. I had heard awesome things about it and it was going to be my first Miranda Kenneally book, so I was definitely feeling apprehensive. What if I didn't like it? What if it didn't wow me like I wanted it to? I'm so glad I can answer this positively. It was an awesome book where I very quickly fell in love with Annie and with Jeremiah.

I loved how Jeremiah didn't push her, he let things unfold at her pace and he didn't try to rush her. He reminded me of my fiance in that way. He knew Annie was still grieving for the boy she loved before.

Yet he introduced her to his family along the way. Guys don't do that unless they are seriously interested in a girl. He even took her to meet his grandfather who was living in an old folks home. Jeremiah had a close relationship with his PopPop, allowing them to joke around.

"Stop hitting on her PopPop. She's not your type." -Jeremiah-

"And what is her type?" -PopPop-

"Somebody under seventy." -Jeremiah-

I loved the rest of Jeremiah's family. They all seemed very close knit, and his mother especially seemed overly concerned. I understood why she was so anxious about her adrenaline seeking son, but as someone who is very much an adrenaline junkie, I totally sympathized with Jeremiah. I understood the feeling of wanting that rush, but not wanting to hurt or even scare my family.

Annie's family was interesting. It was just her mom, Annie, and Annie's brother Nick. Annie lives her life with constant thoughts of what if. She constantly blames herself for Kyle's death although as we find out, no one is to blame. She even goes as far as to blame her mother for Kyle's death. Of course she regrets saying that. 

Her mom never really felt things with Kyle were all that healthy. When Annie began dating Kyle, she dropped everything. Her friends, her activities, things she did for herself. If Kyle wasn't a part of something, Annie didn't want to participate. 

"A guy should fit into your life, Annie, not become it." -Annie's mom-

I totally agreed with her mom on this. A guy should never be your whole life. He should never become the only thing you think about or hang out with. A guy should compliment you, not complete you. 

Kyle was also the reason she lost friends. Kelsey in particular was hurt when Annie began dating Kyle and I totally understood. To Kelsey, it felt like Annie had left her behind in favor of a boy. While I understood Annie a little bit, I was also so angry with her. Boys should never come before friends and I was so annoyed that Annie had allowed that to happen.

I loved the ending, it was awesome and it left me incredibly happy. It felt like I was Annie for so many reasons. We were both afraid to move on, and love someone no matter how caring and supportive and patient they were. I absolutely loved this book and I cannot wait to read more of Kenneally's books. 5 stars to this awesome book that broke me out of my reading slump.

"If you don't put yourself out there, if you don't take risks, you can't truly feel."

Review: Fan Art by Sarah Tregay

Book Title: Fan Art

Author: Sarah Tregay

Published Date: June 17th, 2014

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Genre: YA Contemporary

Standalone

Book Link: Goodreads

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When the picture tells the story…

Senior year is almost over, and Jamie Peterson has a big problem. Not college—that’s all set. Not prom—he’ll find a date somehow. No, it’s the worst problem of all: he’s fallen for his best friend.

As much as Jamie tries to keep it under wraps, everyone seems to know where his affections lie, and the giggling girls in art class are determined to help Jamie get together with Mason. But Jamie isn’t sure if that’s what he wants—because as much as Jamie would like to come clean to Mason, what if the truth ruins everything? What if there are no more road trips, taco dinners, or movie nights? Does he dare risk a childhood friendship for romance?

This book is about what happens when a picture reveals what we can’t say, when art is truer than life, and how falling in love is easy, except when it’s not. Fan Art explores the joys and pains of friendship, of pressing boundaries, and how facing our worst fears can sometimes lead us to what we want most.

Disclaimer: I got this book from Katherine Tegen via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

Oh man, I was so excited about this book and for the first about 20% of it I was actually enjoying it. But everything took a downward turn and I started to feel really bored while reading this book. 

I was so excited about the possibility of Jamie and Mason getting together as best friend romances are some of my favorite things in the world. Add on the LGBT aspect of it and that would ordinarily excite me so much that I'd devour the book at lightening speed. I am not really the artsy type but I was hoping that the slow burn romance would allow me to overlook the artsy parts of the book.

But not with this couple. I really felt like Jamie and Mason would be much better as friends and that a romance would really ruin the friendship. I wanted to root for them to get together, but I didn't feel "it" between them so I didn't root for them because I didn't feel any chemistry. It was awful feeling like this and feeling like there was no character development for either of them, which was definitely something I was looking for.

It kills me to admit this, but this book really disappointed me and I was so bored while reading the book. So I'll be giving it 2 stars. It had a lot of potential, but it wasn't executed all that well and it felt like a chore to pick this book up every single time.

My Love Story- Or How I Got Past the Fear

Hi everyone, I know I promised some of you that I would share my love story. I had an open space on the blog today, so I decided to tell the story of how my fiance and I met and fell in love. This actually was inspired by Jamie's post recently.

It wasn't some love at first sight thing. That would have been really weird considering the fact that we were only kids when we first met. I was ten and he was eight. We met at this group for kids in wheelchairs. At the time, I only used my wheelchair sparingly, but he used his a lot more. We remained friends for a long time, but nothing ever really happened between us. I think we were both terrified of losing our friendship.

It was the day after Christmas in 2002 when he asked me out for the first time. We did go out for about six weeks, but then he proposed to me. Yeah, I was sixteen & he was fourteen and he proposed. I freaked out and ended it. I had goals and dreams and getting engaged in high school was not something I wanted.

Two years later we found ourselves drawn back to each other. He and his family came to my high school graduation, I introduced him as my boyfriend and we were excited to give this another try. That didn't last long. About a month later, I broke it off with him. I wanted to start college single and I had high hopes that I would meet someone there.

In 2006, I was invited to his high school graduation as well as the graduation party his family was hosting. I went because we were old friends and he had come to mine. I thought it was important that I go.

We didn't speak again for four years.

In March 2010, his mother contacted my mom to tell her that his longtime girlfriend died while awaiting a heart transplant. I contacted him to express my condolences and from that point on, we were in frequent contact. 

January 2011, my mom left an abusive marriage and since I was still living at home, I went with her. Chris was a wonderful source of support for me and he was wonderfully sweet and kind to my mom and to my brother, who was ten at the time.

We didn't start seeing each other again until July 2011. I was absolutely terrified to go through this cycle again. I respected him too much to do this to him again. So we moved very slowly and for that, I thank him. Not a lot of guys would be as patient with me as he was.

Marriage has always been something I wanted, but I've never really had any marriage role models. My mom's been married & divorced twice (both assholes) My grandmother is on her 3rd marriage and my uncle has yet to be married at all. I have very little contact with my bio dad's family, but I know out of all of them, only one couple has managed to stay married (they celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary this week) So I was frightened that I didn't have what it takes to make a marriage work. Chris's parents have been together for 30 years and no one in his family has been divorced.

When my mom suffered a work injury last September, he called or texted me every day to see how she was doing. He was always willing to do something to help us out. Even if he just ordered dinner for us and had it delivered.

It took 8 months for my mom to actually have surgery on her injury. 8 months of worrying how we were gonna pay the bills. 8 months of her being in constant pain. That also included an unlawful termination by her (now) former employer. Through it all, Chris stuck by me, supported me and cared for me. I could not have asked for more.

The day of her surgery, we had to be there at 10:30a.m. Without even asking me, Chris showed up at the surgery center with a coffee for me and some herbal tea for my grandmother. I remember looking at him when we were sitting in the waiting room and I just knew. This was it. He was the one I wanted to spend forever with. I told him I loved him on that day.

He asked my mom for her blessing to marry me two weeks later, even though it wasn't really necessary. It was something he wanted to do, so I didn't argue. We went out, we searched for a ring. I picked out my top 3 and he picked out the actual ring. He popped the question over Chinese food and a movie. So completely US. Simple, unflashy and private.

We set our wedding date for October 10th, 2015