1743316518
9781743316511
1743316518
4.21
1,756
Jun 01, 2014
Jun 01, 2014
it was amazing
5 stars
I couldn't help myself - I was on such a shipping high when I finished Every Breath that I had to dive into Every Word right away. And I regret 5 stars
I couldn't help myself - I was on such a shipping high when I finished Every Breath that I had to dive into Every Word right away. And I regret nothing. This series is seriously shaping up to become one of my favorites.
Our heroes, Rachel Watts and James Mycroft, are back in another thrilling adventure that is equal parts intensely dark and incredibly sexy. At the end of Every Breath the ship was a definite THING and now sparks are flying all over the place. Seriously, someone give Ellie Marney all the awards for writing AMAZING kissing scenes. These two have electrifying chemistry, for serious. It's been a longgg time since I've been so infatuated with and flaily about a romance. They are gold. GOLD.
But it's not all sunshine and rainbows - oh no. Rachel's parents' disapproval of Mycroft notwithstanding, after a few chapters of shippy bliss, the plot blasts off and OH NO, Mycroft flies off to London to solve a murder that has some similarity to his parents' deaths. And he neglects to really let Rachel know about this at all, aside from what she later realizes was a kiss goodbye. She decides to follow him because he isn't always mentally stable when his parents are involved, and though that might sound a bit clingy and impulsive, it really is for the best. Rachel keeps Mycroft grounded.
And boy, he needs that, because Mycroft has some serious emotional issues in this book. He's obviously not coping well with the cold case of his parents' murders. He plays pretend to make people think he's all right, but Rachel can see through it all. He believes he's broken and the real James Mycroft died in that car accident with his parents. He believes Rachel deserves better than a broken person. THE PAIN. THE FREAKING PAIN. When all you want is for two characters to keep kissing and they have so much baggage between them that they refuse to? That hurts. (But no worries, seriously, there's more than enough really good kissing.)
*cough* But. Um. The story. Though it's maybe a bit beyond the realm of plausibility that an Australian pathologist would be called in for a carjacking death in England - and that he would be permitted to bring his (admittedly brilliant) teenage assistant with him - it was a great case to read and solve. I got serious Sherlock vibes off of some of the events, general atmosphere, and antagonists. You actually get glimpses of crime scene investigations and autopsies, so mystery fans will probably LOVE this.
And, oh boy, this book is intense. I can't even really go into it because of spoilers, but the mystery heats up and gets complicated, and our characters kind of face MORTAL PERIL. I felt VERY INTENSELY about all of this. It's like I was in the room with them, scared for them, and boy did I have to keep reading to find out how it all ends. Definitely more intense and thrilling than book 1, in the best possible way. And the set up for book 3? SO GOOD. Must read now.
At the end of the day, though, what I love most about this book are these characters and their beautiful romance. I'm not one for ships with a ton of baggage and drama, but believe me when I say that Mycroft's tortured past works for them. It's complicated, sure, but it's also extremely realistic. They really fight for their relationship and all the scary, heavy shit they went through in this book makes their relationship so much stronger. And they still have banter at the worst of times. And the kissing. Oh god, please keep kissing.
Summing Up:
This series is DOING THINGS TO ME. Wattscroft is dominating my life right now, and I regret nothing. Every Word has pretty much the perfect combination of Sherlock-like dark and thrilling mystery and oh so swoony romance. That all makes for a freaking addictive read that you won't want to put down for a second. I have gone down the rabbit hole and now I have no choice but to dive into Every Move right away. Oh and someone crown Ellie Marney Queen of Kissing Scenes, 'kay? 'kay.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Everyoneee. ...more
I couldn't help myself - I was on such a shipping high when I finished Every Breath that I had to dive into Every Word right away. And I regret 5 stars
I couldn't help myself - I was on such a shipping high when I finished Every Breath that I had to dive into Every Word right away. And I regret nothing. This series is seriously shaping up to become one of my favorites.
Our heroes, Rachel Watts and James Mycroft, are back in another thrilling adventure that is equal parts intensely dark and incredibly sexy. At the end of Every Breath the ship was a definite THING and now sparks are flying all over the place. Seriously, someone give Ellie Marney all the awards for writing AMAZING kissing scenes. These two have electrifying chemistry, for serious. It's been a longgg time since I've been so infatuated with and flaily about a romance. They are gold. GOLD.
But it's not all sunshine and rainbows - oh no. Rachel's parents' disapproval of Mycroft notwithstanding, after a few chapters of shippy bliss, the plot blasts off and OH NO, Mycroft flies off to London to solve a murder that has some similarity to his parents' deaths. And he neglects to really let Rachel know about this at all, aside from what she later realizes was a kiss goodbye. She decides to follow him because he isn't always mentally stable when his parents are involved, and though that might sound a bit clingy and impulsive, it really is for the best. Rachel keeps Mycroft grounded.
And boy, he needs that, because Mycroft has some serious emotional issues in this book. He's obviously not coping well with the cold case of his parents' murders. He plays pretend to make people think he's all right, but Rachel can see through it all. He believes he's broken and the real James Mycroft died in that car accident with his parents. He believes Rachel deserves better than a broken person. THE PAIN. THE FREAKING PAIN. When all you want is for two characters to keep kissing and they have so much baggage between them that they refuse to? That hurts. (But no worries, seriously, there's more than enough really good kissing.)
*cough* But. Um. The story. Though it's maybe a bit beyond the realm of plausibility that an Australian pathologist would be called in for a carjacking death in England - and that he would be permitted to bring his (admittedly brilliant) teenage assistant with him - it was a great case to read and solve. I got serious Sherlock vibes off of some of the events, general atmosphere, and antagonists. You actually get glimpses of crime scene investigations and autopsies, so mystery fans will probably LOVE this.
And, oh boy, this book is intense. I can't even really go into it because of spoilers, but the mystery heats up and gets complicated, and our characters kind of face MORTAL PERIL. I felt VERY INTENSELY about all of this. It's like I was in the room with them, scared for them, and boy did I have to keep reading to find out how it all ends. Definitely more intense and thrilling than book 1, in the best possible way. And the set up for book 3? SO GOOD. Must read now.
At the end of the day, though, what I love most about this book are these characters and their beautiful romance. I'm not one for ships with a ton of baggage and drama, but believe me when I say that Mycroft's tortured past works for them. It's complicated, sure, but it's also extremely realistic. They really fight for their relationship and all the scary, heavy shit they went through in this book makes their relationship so much stronger. And they still have banter at the worst of times. And the kissing. Oh god, please keep kissing.
Summing Up:
This series is DOING THINGS TO ME. Wattscroft is dominating my life right now, and I regret nothing. Every Word has pretty much the perfect combination of Sherlock-like dark and thrilling mystery and oh so swoony romance. That all makes for a freaking addictive read that you won't want to put down for a second. I have gone down the rabbit hole and now I have no choice but to dive into Every Move right away. Oh and someone crown Ellie Marney Queen of Kissing Scenes, 'kay? 'kay.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Everyoneee. ...more
Notes are private!
1
1
Oct 19, 2015
Oct 23, 2015
Mar 09, 2017
Paperback
1743318537
9781743318539
1743318537
4.12
1,050
Feb 02, 2016
Mar 01, 2015
really liked it
4.5 stars
On an absolute feels high, it was inevitable that I had to read Every Move immediately after Every Word, finishing my binge of what is now on 4.5 stars
On an absolute feels high, it was inevitable that I had to read Every Move immediately after Every Word, finishing my binge of what is now one of my all-time favorite series. Intense action, thrills, and romance make for an addictive and engrossing read.
Holy intensity, Batman. Every Move pulls no punches. The stakes are high - like insanely high. After Every Word, I think it was generally understood that Wild is not a friendly guy... But in Every Move, he gets possibly even scarier. Murders start littering the streets of Melbourne, bodies resembling those of Rachel and Mycroft, sending a clear message that they are in danger. A secondary character who became super dear to my heart in this book ends up in mortal peril, and I felt like CRYING SO HARD FOREVER HARD. It was thrilling and action-packed, and obviously I needed to read it as quickly as humanly possible. Page turner? Absolutely.
And the climax packs a punch. Mycroft and Rachel aren't about to just go into hiding or surrender to Wild. With their keen wits and intellect, they find out what he's after, and there's one final dramatic showdown. It had me on the edge of my seat, and there were some Sherlock level mindfucks and traps, making this so entertaining to read.
No worries: the romance is still mega shippy. Yeah, it doesn't exactly start off well - Mycroft is consumed by his battle with Wild while Rachel is left dealing with PTSD after the events of Every Word. Mycroft doesn't really win any best boyfriend awards as far as that is concerned. But oh man, I was all about Rachel's character growth here. The PTSD stuff was for real, but she overcame it like a boss, while also reconciling with her mother (finally) and clearly fending off Harris's advances, because even though she and Mycroft hadn't been too close recently, that love is real. The two have so much dark shit to deal with, but they come together and are freaking unstoppable and so lovable. Maybe not enough kissing for me, but man oh man, there were plenty of feels.
So for all intents and purposes, this book was super feelsy and intense and I enjoyed every second of it - but there are two tiny things that keep me from giving it a full, perfect score. First, yeah, if you know Sherlock, you'll probably guess who the bad guy is. I knew instantly, though it wasn't at all that obvious. Second, oh my god, I'm so tried of YA mysteries hinging on the characters not trusting the police. I get that if they did inform them, they would get shut out of investigating, but seriously, the stakes were so high and the police had done a fine job protecting you thus far. I mean, the book was more exciting because they were on their own, but I don't feel like that's fully realistic. (Also, the fact that it was Rachel who lashed out and contacted Wild seemed really out of character to me.)
Summing Up:
Short but sweet - because how many more ways can I say that I love Every Move and this series? I'm only sad that it's over now, because I could read about more of Rachel and Mycroft's adventures until the end of time. This book was at times scary (murder!) and heavy (PTSD!) but so well-written and well-developed. These characters - the supporting cast as well - have imprinted on my heart, and I just cared so much about all of them. And at the center of it all is still that absolutely beautiful ship. Rachel and Mycroft 5ever!
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
EVERYONE. ...more
On an absolute feels high, it was inevitable that I had to read Every Move immediately after Every Word, finishing my binge of what is now on 4.5 stars
On an absolute feels high, it was inevitable that I had to read Every Move immediately after Every Word, finishing my binge of what is now one of my all-time favorite series. Intense action, thrills, and romance make for an addictive and engrossing read.
Holy intensity, Batman. Every Move pulls no punches. The stakes are high - like insanely high. After Every Word, I think it was generally understood that Wild is not a friendly guy... But in Every Move, he gets possibly even scarier. Murders start littering the streets of Melbourne, bodies resembling those of Rachel and Mycroft, sending a clear message that they are in danger. A secondary character who became super dear to my heart in this book ends up in mortal peril, and I felt like CRYING SO HARD FOREVER HARD. It was thrilling and action-packed, and obviously I needed to read it as quickly as humanly possible. Page turner? Absolutely.
And the climax packs a punch. Mycroft and Rachel aren't about to just go into hiding or surrender to Wild. With their keen wits and intellect, they find out what he's after, and there's one final dramatic showdown. It had me on the edge of my seat, and there were some Sherlock level mindfucks and traps, making this so entertaining to read.
No worries: the romance is still mega shippy. Yeah, it doesn't exactly start off well - Mycroft is consumed by his battle with Wild while Rachel is left dealing with PTSD after the events of Every Word. Mycroft doesn't really win any best boyfriend awards as far as that is concerned. But oh man, I was all about Rachel's character growth here. The PTSD stuff was for real, but she overcame it like a boss, while also reconciling with her mother (finally) and clearly fending off Harris's advances, because even though she and Mycroft hadn't been too close recently, that love is real. The two have so much dark shit to deal with, but they come together and are freaking unstoppable and so lovable. Maybe not enough kissing for me, but man oh man, there were plenty of feels.
So for all intents and purposes, this book was super feelsy and intense and I enjoyed every second of it - but there are two tiny things that keep me from giving it a full, perfect score. First, yeah, if you know Sherlock, you'll probably guess who the bad guy is. I knew instantly, though it wasn't at all that obvious. Second, oh my god, I'm so tried of YA mysteries hinging on the characters not trusting the police. I get that if they did inform them, they would get shut out of investigating, but seriously, the stakes were so high and the police had done a fine job protecting you thus far. I mean, the book was more exciting because they were on their own, but I don't feel like that's fully realistic. (Also, the fact that it was Rachel who lashed out and contacted Wild seemed really out of character to me.)
Summing Up:
Short but sweet - because how many more ways can I say that I love Every Move and this series? I'm only sad that it's over now, because I could read about more of Rachel and Mycroft's adventures until the end of time. This book was at times scary (murder!) and heavy (PTSD!) but so well-written and well-developed. These characters - the supporting cast as well - have imprinted on my heart, and I just cared so much about all of them. And at the center of it all is still that absolutely beautiful ship. Rachel and Mycroft 5ever!
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
EVERYONE. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Oct 25, 2015
Oct 27, 2015
Mar 09, 2017
Paperback
3.88
756,759
Aug 09, 2016
Aug 09, 2016
it was amazing
First read: October 2016
Reread: January 2017 - because goddamn I needed happiness in my life.
5 stars
That. Was. Spectacular.
Like, picture the best ever First read: October 2016
Reread: January 2017 - because goddamn I needed happiness in my life.
5 stars
That. Was. Spectacular.
Like, picture the best ever execution of the hate-to-love romance trope and this is THAT good. Hate-to-love office romance is just the best thing in the world. The chemistry. The banter. The sexual tension. Oh my god, I ate it all up in no time flat.
Josh is just beyond dreamy. He can be scary intense, and may be a bit too much of a jealous monster at times, but he's also the biggest sweetheart. Lucy is the embodiment of the Shakespeare quote, "Though she be but little, she is fierce." She takes no shit from anybody, and she is going to take the publishing world by storm.
I loved all of it. The hateful games. The banter. The way Josh cared for Lucy while she was sick. The insanely hot elevator kiss. And the way their relationship definitely became legitimate and meaningful as they got to know each other. I called the few "surprises" at the end from a mile away, but I didn't even care, because the execution was all 100% brilliant.
Will be reread a hundred times over. Can I have this author's next books NOW please?
[image] ...more
Reread: January 2017 - because goddamn I needed happiness in my life.
5 stars
That. Was. Spectacular.
Like, picture the best ever First read: October 2016
Reread: January 2017 - because goddamn I needed happiness in my life.
5 stars
That. Was. Spectacular.
Like, picture the best ever execution of the hate-to-love romance trope and this is THAT good. Hate-to-love office romance is just the best thing in the world. The chemistry. The banter. The sexual tension. Oh my god, I ate it all up in no time flat.
Josh is just beyond dreamy. He can be scary intense, and may be a bit too much of a jealous monster at times, but he's also the biggest sweetheart. Lucy is the embodiment of the Shakespeare quote, "Though she be but little, she is fierce." She takes no shit from anybody, and she is going to take the publishing world by storm.
I loved all of it. The hateful games. The banter. The way Josh cared for Lucy while she was sick. The insanely hot elevator kiss. And the way their relationship definitely became legitimate and meaningful as they got to know each other. I called the few "surprises" at the end from a mile away, but I didn't even care, because the execution was all 100% brilliant.
Will be reread a hundred times over. Can I have this author's next books NOW please?
[image] ...more
Notes are private!
1
Oct 15, 2016
Oct 16, 2016
Sep 10, 2016
Paperback
0399171622
9780399171628
0399171622
4.04
96,371
Apr 26, 2016
Apr 26, 2016
it was amazing
5 stars
The Rose and the Dagger was one of my most anticipated books of 2016, being that it followed the flawless and engrossing The Wrath and the Dawn 5 stars
The Rose and the Dagger was one of my most anticipated books of 2016, being that it followed the flawless and engrossing The Wrath and the Dawn, one of my favorite books of 2015. Honestly, words will never really do it justice. This book - and this series - is wholly unique. So much so that I finished it thinking, "OH MY GOD SO PERFECT SO MANY FEELINGS," and yet any time I thought, "Well, I should write that review," I was kind of left speechless. So I'm going to keep it short. This book is great.
Reasons why you should totally read The Wrath and the Dawn duology, like right now:
- Renée Ahdieh's writing is absolutely to die for. She weaves magic into her world so flawlessly, while you still see the definite links to our own world and Middle Eastern mythology. And overall it has just the right amount of embellishment to draw you in, to the point where you'll never want to put the book down. It's reminiscent of Laini Taylor, Libba Bray, and Samantha Shannon - and if you know anything about me, you know that that's just about the highest compliment I can give.
- Shazi is a feminist icon and totally badass. Though she does not kick ass physically, she demands respect and admiration the instant she walks into a room. Her values are strong and true, she fights endlessly for what she believes in, and it's not hard to see why she would have multiple suitors. And she's so SMART. This series gets pretty political at times, but Shazi knows how to play the game and get the opposition on their knees.
- Khalid. If you ever like the mysterious, dark, broody type, you need to meet Khalid, because I don't think I've ever seen someone do it better than him. Honestly, he nails it. And the chemistry he has with Shazi is amazing. Every time they're together, it's like fire erupts on the page. And though things are at times tough for them in this book, you will have feelings all over the place. Do not worry about a love triangle situation. Technically it is one, but it's so easy to ignore because everything pales in comparison to Khalid and Shazi.
- FEELINGS. This book in particular is quite brutal. It will jerk you up to high highs with new characters you grow to love, beautiful romance, old characters you learn to love even more -- and then it will drag you into the depths of despair because WAR is brewing and not everyone makes it out okay.
- Because I said so. There.
Summing Up:
Yes, arguably it's been too long since I read this book, so I can't go into the itty bitty details. But the simple fact that I want to convey to you now is that I loved every single page of this book, it took me on an emotional joy ride, and it was utterly beautiful from start to finish. I will be stalking this author for any new writing. Heck, I'll take a grocery list - anything.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
EVERYONE. ...more
The Rose and the Dagger was one of my most anticipated books of 2016, being that it followed the flawless and engrossing The Wrath and the Dawn 5 stars
The Rose and the Dagger was one of my most anticipated books of 2016, being that it followed the flawless and engrossing The Wrath and the Dawn, one of my favorite books of 2015. Honestly, words will never really do it justice. This book - and this series - is wholly unique. So much so that I finished it thinking, "OH MY GOD SO PERFECT SO MANY FEELINGS," and yet any time I thought, "Well, I should write that review," I was kind of left speechless. So I'm going to keep it short. This book is great.
Reasons why you should totally read The Wrath and the Dawn duology, like right now:
- Renée Ahdieh's writing is absolutely to die for. She weaves magic into her world so flawlessly, while you still see the definite links to our own world and Middle Eastern mythology. And overall it has just the right amount of embellishment to draw you in, to the point where you'll never want to put the book down. It's reminiscent of Laini Taylor, Libba Bray, and Samantha Shannon - and if you know anything about me, you know that that's just about the highest compliment I can give.
- Shazi is a feminist icon and totally badass. Though she does not kick ass physically, she demands respect and admiration the instant she walks into a room. Her values are strong and true, she fights endlessly for what she believes in, and it's not hard to see why she would have multiple suitors. And she's so SMART. This series gets pretty political at times, but Shazi knows how to play the game and get the opposition on their knees.
- Khalid. If you ever like the mysterious, dark, broody type, you need to meet Khalid, because I don't think I've ever seen someone do it better than him. Honestly, he nails it. And the chemistry he has with Shazi is amazing. Every time they're together, it's like fire erupts on the page. And though things are at times tough for them in this book, you will have feelings all over the place. Do not worry about a love triangle situation. Technically it is one, but it's so easy to ignore because everything pales in comparison to Khalid and Shazi.
- FEELINGS. This book in particular is quite brutal. It will jerk you up to high highs with new characters you grow to love, beautiful romance, old characters you learn to love even more -- and then it will drag you into the depths of despair because WAR is brewing and not everyone makes it out okay.
- Because I said so. There.
Summing Up:
Yes, arguably it's been too long since I read this book, so I can't go into the itty bitty details. But the simple fact that I want to convey to you now is that I loved every single page of this book, it took me on an emotional joy ride, and it was utterly beautiful from start to finish. I will be stalking this author for any new writing. Heck, I'll take a grocery list - anything.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
EVERYONE. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Jun 04, 2016
Jun 05, 2016
Aug 24, 2015
Hardcover
1481404547
9781481404549
1481404547
3.99
40,804
May 03, 2016
May 03, 2016
it was amazing
4.5 stars, rounded up just cuz
Since reading Since You've Been Gone, Morgan Matson has pretty much gotten on my auto-buy author list. Especially when h 4.5 stars, rounded up just cuz
Since reading Since You've Been Gone, Morgan Matson has pretty much gotten on my auto-buy author list. Especially when her covers turn out to be LITERALLY CUTE AS PUPPIES - LIKE, WITH ACTUAL PUPPIES. I mean, I couldn't picture a book more fluffy and all about summer fun times - and that's exactly what this book was. It was DELIGHTFUL.
The Unexpected Everything is about Andie, the daughter of a Congressman, who has always been about intense future plans living up to the stringent ideals that her dad's job kind of foists upon her. So her plan for the summer was to do a pre-med camp, until a scandal in her father's office gets her admission revoked. Now for basically the first time ever, she's stuck operating without a plan. She gets a dog walking job - possibly the lowest thing she thought she could resort to but grows to truly love it. And she gets to experience the freedom and fun of summertime without stressing about how it all looks on her resumé.
Primarily, the happy fun times that Andie experiences involve Clark. Holy crap guys. I have found a new book boyfriend, and he is raising the bar on the rest of them. I loved Clark from the instant he turned up with his geeky sci-fi shirts and his clear nerves and embarrassment around Andie. He is TOTALLY adorable. I loved how he just didn't conform to any of Andie's expectations. She doesn't really do relationships longer than 3 weeks and is used to it always being shallow "let's-get-to-the-making-out" stuff. Clark is so not about that. After an awkward first date, he makes her lower her guard and I was shipping it SO HARD. And it turns out he's a WRITER. The scenes where they tell stories together were seriously some of my favorite in YA romance ever. And the end? Freaking. Gold.
There's also a surprisingly touching father-daughter relationship in this book. If you know me, you know that's my jam. But honestly, they put tears in my eyes. Andie and her dad start off basically estranged from each other - him having mostly lived in DC for the past 5 years since her mother passed and she being used to basically having free reign on how she lives her life. But with both of them home for the summer, they are confronted with the uncomfortable distance between them and start to really get to know each other again - slowly but surely. There were so many adorable moments, with them geeking out about Clark's books together, having their movie marathons, doing the scavenger hunt together... So feelsy. It makes me want to fly over to my dad and give him a great big hug.
And the friendship in this is pretty ace as well. You can tell that Andie's best friends have really become her family. They have this understanding of each other that's so thorough and heartfelt. All of their adventures and conversations are a blast. One particular highlight is the aforementioned scavenger hunt that Palmer arranges. That scene just encompassed the glory and happiness of summers in high school and I was basically reading it with the biggest grin ever.
Now you may think it sounds like this book doesn't have too much of a plot, and you're not wrong. In fact, with this book being over 500 pages, it's almost surprising how engaging, compelling, and addictive it is to read despite the fact that there's no one big central conflict or story arc. It really just captures that glory of summertime. But that is the reason why this doesn't quite get the perfect rating. And when everything falls apart about 70 pages from the end? That just felt weird and made me unnecessarily antsy. But whatever, the ending was great, partially unexpected, but truly realistic.
Summing Up:
The Unexpected Everything was basically everything I expected. (I can't not, I make no apologies, I REGRET NOTHING.) It's funny, happy, fluffy, truly romantic, heartwarming, and wonderful. I got completely addicted to this one and blew right through it in spite of its 500+ pages. Honestly, this book could have been 700 pages and I still wouldn't be able to get enough. Clark is officially one of my favorite book boyfriends of all time, and the relationship between Andie and her father gave me all of the feels. I will be sure to revisit this book any time I want a reminder of what summer happiness truly feels like.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of Kasie West, Stephanie Perkins, and Since You've Been Gone. ...more
Since reading Since You've Been Gone, Morgan Matson has pretty much gotten on my auto-buy author list. Especially when h 4.5 stars, rounded up just cuz
Since reading Since You've Been Gone, Morgan Matson has pretty much gotten on my auto-buy author list. Especially when her covers turn out to be LITERALLY CUTE AS PUPPIES - LIKE, WITH ACTUAL PUPPIES. I mean, I couldn't picture a book more fluffy and all about summer fun times - and that's exactly what this book was. It was DELIGHTFUL.
The Unexpected Everything is about Andie, the daughter of a Congressman, who has always been about intense future plans living up to the stringent ideals that her dad's job kind of foists upon her. So her plan for the summer was to do a pre-med camp, until a scandal in her father's office gets her admission revoked. Now for basically the first time ever, she's stuck operating without a plan. She gets a dog walking job - possibly the lowest thing she thought she could resort to but grows to truly love it. And she gets to experience the freedom and fun of summertime without stressing about how it all looks on her resumé.
Primarily, the happy fun times that Andie experiences involve Clark. Holy crap guys. I have found a new book boyfriend, and he is raising the bar on the rest of them. I loved Clark from the instant he turned up with his geeky sci-fi shirts and his clear nerves and embarrassment around Andie. He is TOTALLY adorable. I loved how he just didn't conform to any of Andie's expectations. She doesn't really do relationships longer than 3 weeks and is used to it always being shallow "let's-get-to-the-making-out" stuff. Clark is so not about that. After an awkward first date, he makes her lower her guard and I was shipping it SO HARD. And it turns out he's a WRITER. The scenes where they tell stories together were seriously some of my favorite in YA romance ever. And the end? Freaking. Gold.
There's also a surprisingly touching father-daughter relationship in this book. If you know me, you know that's my jam. But honestly, they put tears in my eyes. Andie and her dad start off basically estranged from each other - him having mostly lived in DC for the past 5 years since her mother passed and she being used to basically having free reign on how she lives her life. But with both of them home for the summer, they are confronted with the uncomfortable distance between them and start to really get to know each other again - slowly but surely. There were so many adorable moments, with them geeking out about Clark's books together, having their movie marathons, doing the scavenger hunt together... So feelsy. It makes me want to fly over to my dad and give him a great big hug.
And the friendship in this is pretty ace as well. You can tell that Andie's best friends have really become her family. They have this understanding of each other that's so thorough and heartfelt. All of their adventures and conversations are a blast. One particular highlight is the aforementioned scavenger hunt that Palmer arranges. That scene just encompassed the glory and happiness of summers in high school and I was basically reading it with the biggest grin ever.
Now you may think it sounds like this book doesn't have too much of a plot, and you're not wrong. In fact, with this book being over 500 pages, it's almost surprising how engaging, compelling, and addictive it is to read despite the fact that there's no one big central conflict or story arc. It really just captures that glory of summertime. But that is the reason why this doesn't quite get the perfect rating. And when everything falls apart about 70 pages from the end? That just felt weird and made me unnecessarily antsy. But whatever, the ending was great, partially unexpected, but truly realistic.
Summing Up:
The Unexpected Everything was basically everything I expected. (I can't not, I make no apologies, I REGRET NOTHING.) It's funny, happy, fluffy, truly romantic, heartwarming, and wonderful. I got completely addicted to this one and blew right through it in spite of its 500+ pages. Honestly, this book could have been 700 pages and I still wouldn't be able to get enough. Clark is officially one of my favorite book boyfriends of all time, and the relationship between Andie and her father gave me all of the feels. I will be sure to revisit this book any time I want a reminder of what summer happiness truly feels like.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of Kasie West, Stephanie Perkins, and Since You've Been Gone. ...more
Notes are private!
1
May 19, 2016
May 21, 2016
Jul 28, 2015
Hardcover
0062455869
9780062455864
0062455869
3.86
52,743
Jan 31, 2017
Jan 31, 2017
it was amazing
5 stars
She did it again. I don't know how she does it, to be honest. Time and time again, Kasie West writes absolute, pure magic. And despite having l 5 stars
She did it again. I don't know how she does it, to be honest. Time and time again, Kasie West writes absolute, pure magic. And despite having loved all of her books until now, she blew me away with By Your Side, which, I think, has definitely taken her to the next level.
By Your Side starts off as the exact perfect cuteness that all your hopeless romantic dreams are made of: a boy and a girl trapped together in a library for three days. It's the middle of winter, so it's cold, so obviously we should like snuggle. Though the boy in this case is distant and at first loathes making any connection with people, with such a situation it's unavoidable. Feelings... blossom.
But then that part ends. BOOM. And we hadn't exactly gotten to the intensely shippy phase yet. It'd all been about that romantic build up though, without much focus on character depth. So I thought, I was definitely enjoying it 100%, but it may end up being a book that's "just" cute.
I was dead wrong.
This book has the depth you're looking for. Autumn actually suffers from anxiety, and the book tackles her disorder in the best possible way. It's not very heavy, it's definitely still light and swoony, but it's completely realistic. And it has such brilliant insights into how her anxiety affects her. How she doesn't want people to treat her differently, but sometimes, she needs that special treatment so she's given the space to relax. How she doesn't want to disappoint people by flaking on plans or saying no, but in her case, she really needs to listen to what's good for HER. And that when figuring out which boy she should actually be with... she needs to pick the one who makes her feel comfortable and at ease, instead of on edge and panicky. Oh my gosh, how I love this little book so.
I flailed. I swooned. I had butterflies. I had tears in my eyes. This book is the total package, guys.
[image]
*An electronic advance review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review. ...more
She did it again. I don't know how she does it, to be honest. Time and time again, Kasie West writes absolute, pure magic. And despite having l 5 stars
She did it again. I don't know how she does it, to be honest. Time and time again, Kasie West writes absolute, pure magic. And despite having loved all of her books until now, she blew me away with By Your Side, which, I think, has definitely taken her to the next level.
By Your Side starts off as the exact perfect cuteness that all your hopeless romantic dreams are made of: a boy and a girl trapped together in a library for three days. It's the middle of winter, so it's cold, so obviously we should like snuggle. Though the boy in this case is distant and at first loathes making any connection with people, with such a situation it's unavoidable. Feelings... blossom.
But then that part ends. BOOM. And we hadn't exactly gotten to the intensely shippy phase yet. It'd all been about that romantic build up though, without much focus on character depth. So I thought, I was definitely enjoying it 100%, but it may end up being a book that's "just" cute.
I was dead wrong.
This book has the depth you're looking for. Autumn actually suffers from anxiety, and the book tackles her disorder in the best possible way. It's not very heavy, it's definitely still light and swoony, but it's completely realistic. And it has such brilliant insights into how her anxiety affects her. How she doesn't want people to treat her differently, but sometimes, she needs that special treatment so she's given the space to relax. How she doesn't want to disappoint people by flaking on plans or saying no, but in her case, she really needs to listen to what's good for HER. And that when figuring out which boy she should actually be with... she needs to pick the one who makes her feel comfortable and at ease, instead of on edge and panicky. Oh my gosh, how I love this little book so.
I flailed. I swooned. I had butterflies. I had tears in my eyes. This book is the total package, guys.
[image]
*An electronic advance review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Oct 24, 2016
Oct 25, 2016
Jul 16, 2015
Paperback
0545850975
9780545850971
0545850975
4.04
62,185
Jul 26, 2016
Jul 26, 2016
it was amazing
5 STARS ALL OF THE STARS
Anytime a new Kasie West book is on the horizon, I get tingly and excited and just cannot even bare the wait. It was about 10 5 STARS ALL OF THE STARS
Anytime a new Kasie West book is on the horizon, I get tingly and excited and just cannot even bare the wait. It was about 10 times worse for P.S. I Like You, though. The title alone made me excited, the blurb got me bouncing in my chair, and when I got to post the cover reveal, I damn near fainted. IT WAS SO CUTE, THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY THE BOOK FOR ME -- and I was so right. This book is a new favorite.
P.S. I Like You, at its essence, is You've Got Mail - only my favorite romcom of all time - meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda . Does that give you an idea of how adorable this book is? Good. Because seriously. It's perfection. Lily gets an anonymous pen pal in her chemistry class after writing some lyrics on her desk, and suddenly chemistry becomes the highlight of her day (miracles do happen). Slowly they get to know each other... and feelings follow shortly after that.
The magic of Kasie West is that she writes ships like almost no one else. This one is particularly fun, because you spend the first part of the book trying to figure out who the anonymous pen pal is. I had my suspect pretty quickly, and when certain events transpired between them in real life (not in the letters) the ship hit me like a ton of bricks. From that point on it was just so much cuteness and so many adorable, bantery moments, and I definitely got to ACTUALLY PHYSICAL FLAILING LEVELS because this book just plays on all of my favorite tropes and I could not handle the feels. As far as YA contemporary romances go, I'm not sure it gets much better than this for me.
The other thing that Kasie always excels at is family dynamics. Seriously, Lily lives in a crazy house where she can scarcely get a moment's peace - which she needs, as her hobby is songwriting. But her family is so kooky and fun. Her parents compete in everything, getting the family to vote on competing pies, DIY jewelry, you name it. Her three siblings cause chaos, but are absolutely adorable. At the end of the day, all of them go out of their way to help each other. It just all felt so real, if not idyllic, and heartwarming.
I'm a music person, and I adore having music play a role in books, so I loved Lily's songwriting. She has a really alternative, indie vibe, and that's what brings her and her mystery guy together in the first place. But she has never finished a song before. The book actually shows the songwriting process pretty well, as Lily gets inspired by her pen pal's family struggles to write a song which she wants to enter in a competition to win a cash prize and songwriting lessons. She's shy and nervous to share her music with people even though she's so passionate about it, and that's something I could definitely relate to.
As for the rest... There is some minor mean girl drama, but not so much that I was really bothered by it. At the end of the day, Lily's not fussed about popularity and what other people think of her. She is confronted with the fact that she may rush to judgment at times and that she needs to be a little more open-minded. But she has a very authentic voice that just comes with a few natural flaws. I loved the bond with her best friend, because they were just so caring and pure towards each other. I need more healthy friendships like that in YA.
Summing Up:
It shouldn't really surprise you, but Kasie West did it again. She writes absolute magic. This one was particularly adorable, banter-filled, and hilarious. I got completely absorbed by it and couldn't help but finish it all in one day. It just played on my favorite tropes, and it was completely reminiscent of my favorite movie, You've Got Mail. P.S. I Like You is going on my all-time favorites list, and I will surely be reading it again and again.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of Kasie West, You've Got Mail, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda , and Magnolia . ...more
Anytime a new Kasie West book is on the horizon, I get tingly and excited and just cannot even bare the wait. It was about 10 5 STARS ALL OF THE STARS
Anytime a new Kasie West book is on the horizon, I get tingly and excited and just cannot even bare the wait. It was about 10 times worse for P.S. I Like You, though. The title alone made me excited, the blurb got me bouncing in my chair, and when I got to post the cover reveal, I damn near fainted. IT WAS SO CUTE, THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY THE BOOK FOR ME -- and I was so right. This book is a new favorite.
P.S. I Like You, at its essence, is You've Got Mail - only my favorite romcom of all time - meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda . Does that give you an idea of how adorable this book is? Good. Because seriously. It's perfection. Lily gets an anonymous pen pal in her chemistry class after writing some lyrics on her desk, and suddenly chemistry becomes the highlight of her day (miracles do happen). Slowly they get to know each other... and feelings follow shortly after that.
The magic of Kasie West is that she writes ships like almost no one else. This one is particularly fun, because you spend the first part of the book trying to figure out who the anonymous pen pal is. I had my suspect pretty quickly, and when certain events transpired between them in real life (not in the letters) the ship hit me like a ton of bricks. From that point on it was just so much cuteness and so many adorable, bantery moments, and I definitely got to ACTUALLY PHYSICAL FLAILING LEVELS because this book just plays on all of my favorite tropes and I could not handle the feels. As far as YA contemporary romances go, I'm not sure it gets much better than this for me.
The other thing that Kasie always excels at is family dynamics. Seriously, Lily lives in a crazy house where she can scarcely get a moment's peace - which she needs, as her hobby is songwriting. But her family is so kooky and fun. Her parents compete in everything, getting the family to vote on competing pies, DIY jewelry, you name it. Her three siblings cause chaos, but are absolutely adorable. At the end of the day, all of them go out of their way to help each other. It just all felt so real, if not idyllic, and heartwarming.
I'm a music person, and I adore having music play a role in books, so I loved Lily's songwriting. She has a really alternative, indie vibe, and that's what brings her and her mystery guy together in the first place. But she has never finished a song before. The book actually shows the songwriting process pretty well, as Lily gets inspired by her pen pal's family struggles to write a song which she wants to enter in a competition to win a cash prize and songwriting lessons. She's shy and nervous to share her music with people even though she's so passionate about it, and that's something I could definitely relate to.
As for the rest... There is some minor mean girl drama, but not so much that I was really bothered by it. At the end of the day, Lily's not fussed about popularity and what other people think of her. She is confronted with the fact that she may rush to judgment at times and that she needs to be a little more open-minded. But she has a very authentic voice that just comes with a few natural flaws. I loved the bond with her best friend, because they were just so caring and pure towards each other. I need more healthy friendships like that in YA.
Summing Up:
It shouldn't really surprise you, but Kasie West did it again. She writes absolute magic. This one was particularly adorable, banter-filled, and hilarious. I got completely absorbed by it and couldn't help but finish it all in one day. It just played on my favorite tropes, and it was completely reminiscent of my favorite movie, You've Got Mail. P.S. I Like You is going on my all-time favorites list, and I will surely be reading it again and again.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of Kasie West, You've Got Mail, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda , and Magnolia . ...more
Notes are private!
1
Aug 07, 2016
Aug 07, 2016
May 06, 2015
Hardcover
0547628404
9780547628400
0547628404
4.10
25,511
Nov 04, 2014
Nov 04, 2014
it was amazing
5 stars
Wow. Just wow. I loved Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph, so my expectations for Mortal Heart were understandably high. But it met them. Exceptional 5 stars
Wow. Just wow. I loved Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph, so my expectations for Mortal Heart were understandably high. But it met them. Exceptionally well. This is one of the best series conclusions I have ever read, and the series as a whole has forever gained a place on my favorites shelf.
Mortal Heart tells Annith's story. Annith is quite different from Ismae and Sybella. She's more innocent and sheltered, mostly because of the convent's refusal to send her out on a mission. She's a super hard worker though and has gained skills beyond any of the other novitiates. As such, she's desperate to prove her worth and find out why she's being held back. When the abbess tries to make her the next Seeress, leaving her locked up in the convent for the rest of her life, she decides to go out on her own.
I have so much respect for Annith. Honestly, I love Ismae and Sybella too, but Annith's hardworking and curious nature and thirst to prove herself just got to me. That voice came to life on page 1 and completely sucked me into her story. And what a story it is! She faces her doubts about her faith in the gods and in the convent, finds out so much more about the world of the Breton gods, finds out about her own identity, and finally at court helps to find a way to end the French threat on Brittany. This girl goes from here to there and never backs down from a challenge, though she may feel insecure at times because she hasn't been granted the opportunities that the others have. And there were some shocking plot twists. Honestly, there were reveals that made my jaw drop. This story was just awesome.
But, you know where it's at for me: the romance. Like the other books, the romance isn't the focal point in this novel, but the ship is breathtaking. When Annith first flees from the convent, she encounters the dark, mysterious hellequin, Balthazaar. She fears the hellequin, who work for Mortain and could be hunting for her in retribution for running from the convent. But Balthazaar watches over her as she travels with them for a while. He's the strong and silent type - he's moody and distant, but honestly, those first scenes just set my heart on fire. The chemistry was instantaneous and amazing. Honestly, LaFevers knows what she's doing with her romances.
Aside from that, Mortal Heart also focused far more on explaining this world. What had been a bit vague and glossed over in the previous books suddenly became a vivid and engrossing, original world that I was completely enthralled by. The role of the gods in Brittany, their relationships with each other, the human followers each of them have acquired, and the purpose and history of the convent are all explained. And I just loved it. All of it. I can't even really think of anything else to say.
And I just love how this ties in to the actual history of the time period. LaFevers does take some liberties here and there - obviously, it's not historical fantasy for nothing - which she explains in detail in her author's note. But the story feels authentic and blends almost seamlessly into the truth. It really brought to life a segment of history that I knew next to nothing about, and I just love that.
Summing Up:
I'd be hard pressed to choose a favorite book in this series. For Grave Mercy's weak ending and world building, that ship was killer - perfectly executing my favorite romantic tropes. Dark Triumph gave us a fierce, dark MC who undergoes a ton of growth and probably has the most sweet and healthy romantic development. But Mortal Heart really brought this world full circle, had plenty of surprising twists, and the early stages of the romance were breathtaking. Basically: this series is pure gold, and it's one that I would recommend to all readers. With excellent characters, ships, plot, writing, and world building, it's hard for me to point out any flaws.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Everyone. ...more
Wow. Just wow. I loved Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph, so my expectations for Mortal Heart were understandably high. But it met them. Exceptional 5 stars
Wow. Just wow. I loved Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph, so my expectations for Mortal Heart were understandably high. But it met them. Exceptionally well. This is one of the best series conclusions I have ever read, and the series as a whole has forever gained a place on my favorites shelf.
Mortal Heart tells Annith's story. Annith is quite different from Ismae and Sybella. She's more innocent and sheltered, mostly because of the convent's refusal to send her out on a mission. She's a super hard worker though and has gained skills beyond any of the other novitiates. As such, she's desperate to prove her worth and find out why she's being held back. When the abbess tries to make her the next Seeress, leaving her locked up in the convent for the rest of her life, she decides to go out on her own.
I have so much respect for Annith. Honestly, I love Ismae and Sybella too, but Annith's hardworking and curious nature and thirst to prove herself just got to me. That voice came to life on page 1 and completely sucked me into her story. And what a story it is! She faces her doubts about her faith in the gods and in the convent, finds out so much more about the world of the Breton gods, finds out about her own identity, and finally at court helps to find a way to end the French threat on Brittany. This girl goes from here to there and never backs down from a challenge, though she may feel insecure at times because she hasn't been granted the opportunities that the others have. And there were some shocking plot twists. Honestly, there were reveals that made my jaw drop. This story was just awesome.
But, you know where it's at for me: the romance. Like the other books, the romance isn't the focal point in this novel, but the ship is breathtaking. When Annith first flees from the convent, she encounters the dark, mysterious hellequin, Balthazaar. She fears the hellequin, who work for Mortain and could be hunting for her in retribution for running from the convent. But Balthazaar watches over her as she travels with them for a while. He's the strong and silent type - he's moody and distant, but honestly, those first scenes just set my heart on fire. The chemistry was instantaneous and amazing. Honestly, LaFevers knows what she's doing with her romances.
Aside from that, Mortal Heart also focused far more on explaining this world. What had been a bit vague and glossed over in the previous books suddenly became a vivid and engrossing, original world that I was completely enthralled by. The role of the gods in Brittany, their relationships with each other, the human followers each of them have acquired, and the purpose and history of the convent are all explained. And I just loved it. All of it. I can't even really think of anything else to say.
And I just love how this ties in to the actual history of the time period. LaFevers does take some liberties here and there - obviously, it's not historical fantasy for nothing - which she explains in detail in her author's note. But the story feels authentic and blends almost seamlessly into the truth. It really brought to life a segment of history that I knew next to nothing about, and I just love that.
Summing Up:
I'd be hard pressed to choose a favorite book in this series. For Grave Mercy's weak ending and world building, that ship was killer - perfectly executing my favorite romantic tropes. Dark Triumph gave us a fierce, dark MC who undergoes a ton of growth and probably has the most sweet and healthy romantic development. But Mortal Heart really brought this world full circle, had plenty of surprising twists, and the early stages of the romance were breathtaking. Basically: this series is pure gold, and it's one that I would recommend to all readers. With excellent characters, ships, plot, writing, and world building, it's hard for me to point out any flaws.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Everyone. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Mar 16, 2015
Mar 20, 2015
Feb 18, 2015
Hardcover
0399171614
9780399171611
0399171614
4.05
180,710
May 12, 2015
May 12, 2015
it was amazing
First read: August 2015
Second read: June 2016 & my love for this book will never die.
5 stars
The hype for The Wrath and the Dawn took the YA book world First read: August 2015
Second read: June 2016 & my love for this book will never die.
5 stars
The hype for The Wrath and the Dawn took the YA book world by storm this year - and normally that kind of thing would scare me off. I mean, I almost held off on reading this for a while because of it, but then it became our book club pick. Boy am I glad I did not flake out this time. The Wrath and the Dawn is every bit as sumptuous and engrossing as everyone promised.
The Wrath and the Dawn is a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights - a folk tale I was not actually familiar with but grew to love. Khalid, the caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night but has her executed by dawn. Shahrzad volunteers to be his next victim... hoping to break the trend and stop his treachery. She tells him folk tales at night but leaves him with a gaping cliffhanger each time so that she'll live to see the morning. Now, it's kind of like Beauty and the Beast with even more of a hate-to-love romantic transition. Shahrzad has very few kind thoughts about Khalid before she takes her place as his bride, but while figuring him out and plotting ways to bring him down, he worms his way into her heart.
It should be noted, though, that this is far from a sappy or iffy Stockholm Syndrome romance. Shahrzad is way too freaking fierce for that. Oh man, it's been such a long time since I met a main character that filled me with such glee. Shahrzad is smart, brave, calculating, and oh so graceful. I was in awe of her strength and grace, and I completely understood how Khalid would be so fascinated and impressed by her (after his initial suspicion). And he's so mysterious and powerful that the two make an absolute dream couple - a perfect match. Their chemistry was OFF THE CHARTS. Oh man. This is one of my top ships of the year for sure.
Obviously, there's a explanation as to why Khalid has been killing off his brides. This brings magic and politics into the story. Khalid struggles to keep his country under control, as the citizens are growing ever more disgruntled about losing their daughters - rightfully so. The stakes are high. Shahrzad's own former betrothed takes up arms to rebel against Khalid, and so she is torn even more between her head and her heart. Yeah, it's a love triangle - but it's a good one. I totally understood Shahrzad's dilemma and believed her to feel love for both guys (in different ways), and much as I didn't care for Tariq, I understood his intense need to "rescue" her. (But seriously, he can exit stage right in book 2, plzkthnxbai.)
This book is beautifully written and excellently paced. All throughout the story the intensity grows - the romance between Shazi and Khalid, the rebellion against his rule, the mysteries of his past. I got completely swept up in it and just couldn't stop reading. It's honestly hard to believe that this is a debut. It just hit all the right notes: writing, characters, romance, world building, pacing, and plot. I adored this book from start to finish. Except that ending. That kind of cliffhanger should just NOT BE ALLOWED. *pouts*
Summing Up:
Now, I'm keeping it short, for me, because if I continued writing any more, I would just devolve into shouting and flailing about how fabulous this book is. The Wrath and the Dawn is a brilliantly written, extremely engrossing, and seriously impressive debut by Renée Ahdieh. It's a story about achingly beautiful romance and a woman who takes charge of a man to save her country. Shazi is an icon, and I am bowing down. Now gimme the next book.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Everyone; fans of hate-to-love romance, Cruel Beauty, and A Court of Thorns and Roses in particular. ...more
Second read: June 2016 & my love for this book will never die.
5 stars
The hype for The Wrath and the Dawn took the YA book world First read: August 2015
Second read: June 2016 & my love for this book will never die.
5 stars
The hype for The Wrath and the Dawn took the YA book world by storm this year - and normally that kind of thing would scare me off. I mean, I almost held off on reading this for a while because of it, but then it became our book club pick. Boy am I glad I did not flake out this time. The Wrath and the Dawn is every bit as sumptuous and engrossing as everyone promised.
The Wrath and the Dawn is a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights - a folk tale I was not actually familiar with but grew to love. Khalid, the caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night but has her executed by dawn. Shahrzad volunteers to be his next victim... hoping to break the trend and stop his treachery. She tells him folk tales at night but leaves him with a gaping cliffhanger each time so that she'll live to see the morning. Now, it's kind of like Beauty and the Beast with even more of a hate-to-love romantic transition. Shahrzad has very few kind thoughts about Khalid before she takes her place as his bride, but while figuring him out and plotting ways to bring him down, he worms his way into her heart.
It should be noted, though, that this is far from a sappy or iffy Stockholm Syndrome romance. Shahrzad is way too freaking fierce for that. Oh man, it's been such a long time since I met a main character that filled me with such glee. Shahrzad is smart, brave, calculating, and oh so graceful. I was in awe of her strength and grace, and I completely understood how Khalid would be so fascinated and impressed by her (after his initial suspicion). And he's so mysterious and powerful that the two make an absolute dream couple - a perfect match. Their chemistry was OFF THE CHARTS. Oh man. This is one of my top ships of the year for sure.
Obviously, there's a explanation as to why Khalid has been killing off his brides. This brings magic and politics into the story. Khalid struggles to keep his country under control, as the citizens are growing ever more disgruntled about losing their daughters - rightfully so. The stakes are high. Shahrzad's own former betrothed takes up arms to rebel against Khalid, and so she is torn even more between her head and her heart. Yeah, it's a love triangle - but it's a good one. I totally understood Shahrzad's dilemma and believed her to feel love for both guys (in different ways), and much as I didn't care for Tariq, I understood his intense need to "rescue" her. (But seriously, he can exit stage right in book 2, plzkthnxbai.)
This book is beautifully written and excellently paced. All throughout the story the intensity grows - the romance between Shazi and Khalid, the rebellion against his rule, the mysteries of his past. I got completely swept up in it and just couldn't stop reading. It's honestly hard to believe that this is a debut. It just hit all the right notes: writing, characters, romance, world building, pacing, and plot. I adored this book from start to finish. Except that ending. That kind of cliffhanger should just NOT BE ALLOWED. *pouts*
Summing Up:
Now, I'm keeping it short, for me, because if I continued writing any more, I would just devolve into shouting and flailing about how fabulous this book is. The Wrath and the Dawn is a brilliantly written, extremely engrossing, and seriously impressive debut by Renée Ahdieh. It's a story about achingly beautiful romance and a woman who takes charge of a man to save her country. Shazi is an icon, and I am bowing down. Now gimme the next book.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Everyone; fans of hate-to-love romance, Cruel Beauty, and A Court of Thorns and Roses in particular. ...more
Notes are private!
2
not set
Aug 22, 2015
Jun 2016
Aug 24, 2015
Nov 16, 2014
Hardcover
1743316429
9781743316429
1743316429
3.99
3,446
Sep 05, 2013
Sep 05, 2013
really liked it
4.5 stars
Ever since its release last year in the US, Every Breath has been spreading around the YA book blogging circuit as one of the most hyped titl 4.5 stars
Ever since its release last year in the US, Every Breath has been spreading around the YA book blogging circuit as one of the most hyped titles ever. But, I mean, with a premise of a modern YA Sherlock with a female Watson and the promise of great shippy times, who can blame them? I certainly couldn't resist. And I'm so glad I didn't. This boooooook. You guys. Like, seriously. Read it.
So, elephant in the room: basically everyone who has read this book has been going crazy about the romance. I kinda hate hype like that, but I would be lying (SO HARD) if I claimed not to agree with them or that it wasn't my favorite part of the book as well. I mean, I'm not a big mystery reader anyway, so it makes sense that I would be more attracted to the characters. And boy. They stole my heart. As a YA Sherlock-ish story, what's great about the dynamic between Mycroft and Watts is that they are pretty much equal partners in their crime solving adventures. Yes, Mycroft is slightly smarter (*cough*misunderstood genius*cough*), but Rachel has the human side that he lacks sometimes, and she can keep up with his logical leaps without a problem. So here are two highly intelligent teens out on a mission, and heck yeah I'm cheering them on.
But it's not sappy romance from the start - and that's good because I'm typically not such a fan of that. Their romance is a slow burn friends-to-lovers transition that just set my heart on FIRE. I mean, first they're just awesome friends - the best, really, because Rachel is one of the only people who gets how Mycroft's mind works. And he really relies on her company as well. Plus, there's banter. Oh yes, the banter. But then things happen, and these feelings subtly creep up on you here and there, and then there's like BOOM! KISSING! and like REALLY GOOD KISSING, and like OMG PLEASE KEEP KISSING. To say I ship it a lot is like a massive understatement. Like, don't even mind me flailing around in my bed over here. You guys keep kissing.
*cough* Elephant out of the room. I mean, I am a character and ship reader, so with those things being as awesome and wonderful and excellent as they were, this book was guaranteed a spot on my favorites shelf. But the plot didn't disappoint either. Mycroft and Watts get caught up in the murder mystery of one of Mycroft's homeless friends. The police don't really care about it, because hello, homeless guy - who cares, but Mycroft gets sucked into the mystery and Watts comes to the realization that, well, someone should care.
I'm not a big mystery reader, but I'm really happy with how this one panned out. Our mystery solving team is composed of two teenagers, but they're not so smart that no one else can do what they do - just no one else cares enough. They track down clues and make slow progress composed of easy to follow logical leaps, which all felt realistic. And yet, because the characters are highly intelligent and quirky, you get a clear Sherlock vibe that's sure to please mystery fans. There were some twists and turns I did expect and some I didn't, but it sure was an entertaining ride.
Now in spite of how AWESOME this ship was and how it made me cheer and giggle and fall back into a resting smiley face, objectively there are some points that could have been improved on. I kind of lacked the background for Rachel's character, and her frustrations with her parents and living in the city instead of the rural countryside seemed kind of shallow or forced at times. I wanted to know more about her history with Mycroft too - how the two came to be friends when she moved there and such. And though I respected her wits, her voice wasn't exactly the strongest.
But I don't care. Because there was kissing and the kissing was good. Oh god, this ship.
Summing Up:
It really is the biggest relief when a massively hyped book works out for you. Every Breath was absolutely not a disappointment in that sense. This ship is ruling MY LIFE. That was one of the best first kisses ever. But aside from that, I love the balance and dynamic between the main characters, and how together they become a mystery solving team worthy of the Sherlock comparison. I can't wait to continue on with the series!
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of Sherlock and friends-to-lovers romances with lots of banter. ...more
Ever since its release last year in the US, Every Breath has been spreading around the YA book blogging circuit as one of the most hyped titl 4.5 stars
Ever since its release last year in the US, Every Breath has been spreading around the YA book blogging circuit as one of the most hyped titles ever. But, I mean, with a premise of a modern YA Sherlock with a female Watson and the promise of great shippy times, who can blame them? I certainly couldn't resist. And I'm so glad I didn't. This boooooook. You guys. Like, seriously. Read it.
So, elephant in the room: basically everyone who has read this book has been going crazy about the romance. I kinda hate hype like that, but I would be lying (SO HARD) if I claimed not to agree with them or that it wasn't my favorite part of the book as well. I mean, I'm not a big mystery reader anyway, so it makes sense that I would be more attracted to the characters. And boy. They stole my heart. As a YA Sherlock-ish story, what's great about the dynamic between Mycroft and Watts is that they are pretty much equal partners in their crime solving adventures. Yes, Mycroft is slightly smarter (*cough*misunderstood genius*cough*), but Rachel has the human side that he lacks sometimes, and she can keep up with his logical leaps without a problem. So here are two highly intelligent teens out on a mission, and heck yeah I'm cheering them on.
But it's not sappy romance from the start - and that's good because I'm typically not such a fan of that. Their romance is a slow burn friends-to-lovers transition that just set my heart on FIRE. I mean, first they're just awesome friends - the best, really, because Rachel is one of the only people who gets how Mycroft's mind works. And he really relies on her company as well. Plus, there's banter. Oh yes, the banter. But then things happen, and these feelings subtly creep up on you here and there, and then there's like BOOM! KISSING! and like REALLY GOOD KISSING, and like OMG PLEASE KEEP KISSING. To say I ship it a lot is like a massive understatement. Like, don't even mind me flailing around in my bed over here. You guys keep kissing.
*cough* Elephant out of the room. I mean, I am a character and ship reader, so with those things being as awesome and wonderful and excellent as they were, this book was guaranteed a spot on my favorites shelf. But the plot didn't disappoint either. Mycroft and Watts get caught up in the murder mystery of one of Mycroft's homeless friends. The police don't really care about it, because hello, homeless guy - who cares, but Mycroft gets sucked into the mystery and Watts comes to the realization that, well, someone should care.
I'm not a big mystery reader, but I'm really happy with how this one panned out. Our mystery solving team is composed of two teenagers, but they're not so smart that no one else can do what they do - just no one else cares enough. They track down clues and make slow progress composed of easy to follow logical leaps, which all felt realistic. And yet, because the characters are highly intelligent and quirky, you get a clear Sherlock vibe that's sure to please mystery fans. There were some twists and turns I did expect and some I didn't, but it sure was an entertaining ride.
Now in spite of how AWESOME this ship was and how it made me cheer and giggle and fall back into a resting smiley face, objectively there are some points that could have been improved on. I kind of lacked the background for Rachel's character, and her frustrations with her parents and living in the city instead of the rural countryside seemed kind of shallow or forced at times. I wanted to know more about her history with Mycroft too - how the two came to be friends when she moved there and such. And though I respected her wits, her voice wasn't exactly the strongest.
But I don't care. Because there was kissing and the kissing was good. Oh god, this ship.
Summing Up:
It really is the biggest relief when a massively hyped book works out for you. Every Breath was absolutely not a disappointment in that sense. This ship is ruling MY LIFE. That was one of the best first kisses ever. But aside from that, I love the balance and dynamic between the main characters, and how together they become a mystery solving team worthy of the Sherlock comparison. I can't wait to continue on with the series!
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of Sherlock and friends-to-lovers romances with lots of banter. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Oct 17, 2015
Oct 18, 2015
Oct 14, 2014
Paperback
1423178203
9781423178200
1423178203
4.20
15,805
Jan 14, 2014
Jan 28, 2014
it was amazing
5 stars
I loved The Archived when I first read it back in May, but then I put off buying The Unbound for forever - for some reason. LUCKILY, Gillia 5 stars
I loved The Archived when I first read it back in May, but then I put off buying The Unbound for forever - for some reason. LUCKILY, Gillian is a very very lovely bookish friend, and her giving this to me finally gave me the push I needed to read this most excellent sequel. All I can say is, "DEBBY, WHY THE HELL DID YOU WAIT SO LONG, YOU DOOFUS?!?!??!"
From page 1, I was instantly smitten with how lovely every aspect of this series is. But let's be honest, at the top of the list has to be THAT FREAKING SHIP. Wesley and Mac are the absolute best. They filled me with feels from start to finish. Much of the book was spent with an ear-to-ear grin on my face because they are just so adorable. They still have that immaculate banter, as they did in the first book, but now there's even more genuine feeling beneath it. Wesley's pretty open and clear about that - and he's just the best. He does everything he can for Mac because he loves her so much. "Leave the window open." DON'T EVEN. The comfort that his noise brings is... asdfjkl;... can I has a Wesley plz? Mac is more hesitant because she doesn't want to complicate their working relationship and she doesn't want to put him in danger. But basically that just means FEELS. FEELINGS EXPLODING EVERYWHERE.
[image]
Aside from that, the plot is even more intriguing and creepy than the first one, and it's paced perfectly. It gives you just enough reminders about what happened in the first book - but like its predecessor, it has its own clear story arc that is neatly wrapped up in this installment. Yes, there is room for more (and goddamn am I glad that it's coming) but what we got was so intriguing and exciting. The plot is infinitely darker as Mac has nightmares and can't bear to fall asleep. Her exhaustion - or possibly something more nefarious - even causes her to black out and lose time. She starts to doubt herself, doubt what is real and what isn't, and doubt the Archive. It was a page turner for sure. I couldn't put this book down for a second. My biggest critique of the first book was that with all the Doctor Who elements, it didn't seem original enough, but The Unbound sure as hell fixed that.
The plot also made Mac's character so much more interesting. I couldn't remember much about her from The Archived, but in The Unbound, her story is so deeply emotional that I really felt a strong connection to her. I was scared with her and for her and I fell for Wesley along with her too. Her bond with her parents is also tested in this one as she struggles with how her role as Keeper requires her to keep all these secrets and to oftentimes disobey them. It was a realistic portrayal of what this would do to a family. Her mother feels the need to be strict and she's somewhat overprotective, but more than anything all of that comes from a place of love. Parenting is hard, and I could only sympathize. Mac knows that she's giving them a hard time, but she can't really help it either. MORE FEELINGS.
[image]
Finally, the writing and pacing make this a book you really don't want to put down. Seriously, Victoria Schwab writes magic. I didn't even remember having that kind of reaction to the first one, but her style just sucks me in. It was the first time in ages where I absolutely didn't want to stop reading. I just wanted to build a fort for me and this book (and possibly V. Schwab's other novels as well) and stay there forever. She really made Mac's voice so endearing, built such an incredi-creepy world, and knew when to bring the action. The fight scenes were SO thrilling and vivid that my heart was jumping all over the place. I mean, this settles it: I'm buying all of Victoria Schwab's books. Done.
Summing Up:
WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO PICK THIS UP??? The Unbound is an A+ TOP NOTCH sequel to The Archived - upping the romance, the thrills, the characterizations, the writing, EVERYTHING. This series is now one of my absolute favorites, so I cannot wait to read the third book, the novella, and all of Victoria Schwab's other books. But above all, WESLEY OH WESLEY HOW I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOOOO.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Errrr EVERYONE. Seriously, it's worth the hype. ...more
I loved The Archived when I first read it back in May, but then I put off buying The Unbound for forever - for some reason. LUCKILY, Gillia 5 stars
I loved The Archived when I first read it back in May, but then I put off buying The Unbound for forever - for some reason. LUCKILY, Gillian is a very very lovely bookish friend, and her giving this to me finally gave me the push I needed to read this most excellent sequel. All I can say is, "DEBBY, WHY THE HELL DID YOU WAIT SO LONG, YOU DOOFUS?!?!??!"
From page 1, I was instantly smitten with how lovely every aspect of this series is. But let's be honest, at the top of the list has to be THAT FREAKING SHIP. Wesley and Mac are the absolute best. They filled me with feels from start to finish. Much of the book was spent with an ear-to-ear grin on my face because they are just so adorable. They still have that immaculate banter, as they did in the first book, but now there's even more genuine feeling beneath it. Wesley's pretty open and clear about that - and he's just the best. He does everything he can for Mac because he loves her so much. "Leave the window open." DON'T EVEN. The comfort that his noise brings is... asdfjkl;... can I has a Wesley plz? Mac is more hesitant because she doesn't want to complicate their working relationship and she doesn't want to put him in danger. But basically that just means FEELS. FEELINGS EXPLODING EVERYWHERE.
[image]
Aside from that, the plot is even more intriguing and creepy than the first one, and it's paced perfectly. It gives you just enough reminders about what happened in the first book - but like its predecessor, it has its own clear story arc that is neatly wrapped up in this installment. Yes, there is room for more (and goddamn am I glad that it's coming) but what we got was so intriguing and exciting. The plot is infinitely darker as Mac has nightmares and can't bear to fall asleep. Her exhaustion - or possibly something more nefarious - even causes her to black out and lose time. She starts to doubt herself, doubt what is real and what isn't, and doubt the Archive. It was a page turner for sure. I couldn't put this book down for a second. My biggest critique of the first book was that with all the Doctor Who elements, it didn't seem original enough, but The Unbound sure as hell fixed that.
The plot also made Mac's character so much more interesting. I couldn't remember much about her from The Archived, but in The Unbound, her story is so deeply emotional that I really felt a strong connection to her. I was scared with her and for her and I fell for Wesley along with her too. Her bond with her parents is also tested in this one as she struggles with how her role as Keeper requires her to keep all these secrets and to oftentimes disobey them. It was a realistic portrayal of what this would do to a family. Her mother feels the need to be strict and she's somewhat overprotective, but more than anything all of that comes from a place of love. Parenting is hard, and I could only sympathize. Mac knows that she's giving them a hard time, but she can't really help it either. MORE FEELINGS.
[image]
Finally, the writing and pacing make this a book you really don't want to put down. Seriously, Victoria Schwab writes magic. I didn't even remember having that kind of reaction to the first one, but her style just sucks me in. It was the first time in ages where I absolutely didn't want to stop reading. I just wanted to build a fort for me and this book (and possibly V. Schwab's other novels as well) and stay there forever. She really made Mac's voice so endearing, built such an incredi-creepy world, and knew when to bring the action. The fight scenes were SO thrilling and vivid that my heart was jumping all over the place. I mean, this settles it: I'm buying all of Victoria Schwab's books. Done.
Summing Up:
WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO PICK THIS UP??? The Unbound is an A+ TOP NOTCH sequel to The Archived - upping the romance, the thrills, the characterizations, the writing, EVERYTHING. This series is now one of my absolute favorites, so I cannot wait to read the third book, the novella, and all of Victoria Schwab's other books. But above all, WESLEY OH WESLEY HOW I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOOOO.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Errrr EVERYONE. Seriously, it's worth the hype. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Dec 09, 2014
Dec 11, 2014
Aug 25, 2014
Hardcover
1402271875
9781402271878
1402271875
3.86
20,439
Oct 01, 2012
Oct 01, 2012
it was amazing
5 STARS
My heart hurts right now. Though less cheery and bantery than Catching Jordan , Stealing Parker hit me right in the feels and was so meaning 5 STARS
My heart hurts right now. Though less cheery and bantery than Catching Jordan , Stealing Parker hit me right in the feels and was so meaningful... I need to just take a moment. *breathes out* Phew. I'm okay.
I didn't know what to expect at all, going into this book. I hadn't read the premise, since I got it for my birthday from Christina and was resolved to read all the Miranda Kenneally books in existence anyway. The two others that I'd read, Catching Jordan and Breathe, Annie, Breathe were much more romance-centric than Stealing Parker, I think. Stealing Parker was more about character growth to me, with the bonus of a romance. But as with all Kenneally books, the characters are realistic and fantastic, and the relationship dynamics blew me away.
Parker instantly stole my heart, to be honest. I wasn't expecting it. Her family has been torn apart after her mother came out as a lesbian and left. This admission became hot gossip for the community, and soon parents were warning their children to stay away from Parker, because her family of sinners would make her a bad influence. The way that Parker is ostracized, which causes her to develop some serious trust issues, definitely got to me. I could relate to that. A lot. She's not even that much of a deviant - sure, she makes out with multiple guys, whenever she feels like it, but she doesn't have sex with them. Her own frustrations with her mother have her lashing out, trying to prove she's not like her, but in the end, that doesn't much help her image. A lot of the book deals with how you are perceived by others and finding the confidence to be who you are regardless of what they think, and I absolutely fucking loved that. Parker grows in a big way, which really makes me want to hug her forever. She's flawed, but she learns, and it makes her so real.
[image]
As with the other books in this series, sports play a role - and this time it's baseball and softball. I'll admit I actually love baseball, and I went to multiple games while I lived in Houston (ASTROS), so I loved that element of the book. It's less sports-heavy than Catching Jordan, because Parker quit softball to distance herself from her mother and her ex-best friend Laura, but she becomes the manager of the baseball team. I love her descriptions of seeing the sport and instantly having the desire to be around it and participate as much as possible - I have that relationship myself with swimming.
But anyway, baseball team = hot boys and shenanigans. I love Kenneally's boy characters. They are so fantastic. Not only do we get glimpses of SAM FUCKING HENRY which made me ecstatic, but Parker's few close friends also stole my heart. Drew is wonderfully supportive, the only person Parker really trusts anymore. And then there's Corndog (or as her dad calls him, Corn Fritter) who is charming and hilarious and sweet. I just love the camaraderie - also how they likened themselves to the Seinfeld characters when hanging out at the diner. Forever lol.
But then there's the romance. The premise will have alerted you that there's a student-teacher thing going on here. That's a complicated subject, because in fiction, it can be quite charming. And indeed, Kenneally brought the chemistry that did have me swooning for them at first. But Kenneally writes realistic fiction and not escapism. When it comes down to it, student-teacher relationships are not exactly healthy. I was seriously impressed by how it was handled. She kept me on my toes with where this romance was going. I had no clue. There were some surprises and betrayals that absolutely broke my heart. I felt just as betrayed as Parker did, and I just felt so much sympathy for her. She makes mistakes, sure, but with everything she's been going through for the last year, she's just lost and looking for love and support wherever she can get it. I... I need another moment.
[image]
Luckily, it doesn't stay too heavy. Kenneally really has a way of making even these subjects which can be pretty icky turn out light in the end. She's a fan of happy endings, which I'm happy about because if the emotional rollercoaster went on for much longer, I may have burst out crying. Parker turns out all right in the end. And then the ship is glorious and I just fucking wish we had more time with them because asdjfkl; asdfjkl; my feelings.
[image]
I also have to say that I'm deeply impressed by the way that religion is dealt with in Stealing Parker. I'm not religious at all - I was pretty much raised atheist and have only attended church about 3 times, each time having immense difficulty staying awake. Parker actually is religious. She grew up going to the same church with the same people every Sunday, and I liked how that really added this human element of community to it. After her mom left and Laura ditched her, Parker finds herself in a really complicated relationship with her religion. Though her father still wants her to go to church, she never feels comfortable there - constantly feeling the judging eyes of this "community", which has pretty much labeled her a sinner, slut, and a bad influence. She starts doubting her faith, because how could God let her family have to face so many struggles? It seriously made me feel a lot of intense things, in spite of my having no faith at all. It made Parker so real and multidimensional, and the way her struggle is resolved with the help of her mom really brought a tear to my eye.
Summing Up:
Miranda Kenneally is turning out to be one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. She makes me feel SO MANY THINGS ALL OF THE THINGS. I wanted to cry at one moment. I wanted to dance and flail in the next. But these characters, especially Parker, are just so real. I haven't even mentioned how heartbreaking the family dynamics are - with Parker's brother and Corndog's brother and asdfjlk; There's too much greatness in this book, I can't handle it. I just wish we'd had a little bit more time at the end - this book is seriously so short.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Everyone needs Miranda Kenneally in their lives. ...more
My heart hurts right now. Though less cheery and bantery than Catching Jordan , Stealing Parker hit me right in the feels and was so meaning 5 STARS
My heart hurts right now. Though less cheery and bantery than Catching Jordan , Stealing Parker hit me right in the feels and was so meaningful... I need to just take a moment. *breathes out* Phew. I'm okay.
I didn't know what to expect at all, going into this book. I hadn't read the premise, since I got it for my birthday from Christina and was resolved to read all the Miranda Kenneally books in existence anyway. The two others that I'd read, Catching Jordan and Breathe, Annie, Breathe were much more romance-centric than Stealing Parker, I think. Stealing Parker was more about character growth to me, with the bonus of a romance. But as with all Kenneally books, the characters are realistic and fantastic, and the relationship dynamics blew me away.
Parker instantly stole my heart, to be honest. I wasn't expecting it. Her family has been torn apart after her mother came out as a lesbian and left. This admission became hot gossip for the community, and soon parents were warning their children to stay away from Parker, because her family of sinners would make her a bad influence. The way that Parker is ostracized, which causes her to develop some serious trust issues, definitely got to me. I could relate to that. A lot. She's not even that much of a deviant - sure, she makes out with multiple guys, whenever she feels like it, but she doesn't have sex with them. Her own frustrations with her mother have her lashing out, trying to prove she's not like her, but in the end, that doesn't much help her image. A lot of the book deals with how you are perceived by others and finding the confidence to be who you are regardless of what they think, and I absolutely fucking loved that. Parker grows in a big way, which really makes me want to hug her forever. She's flawed, but she learns, and it makes her so real.
[image]
As with the other books in this series, sports play a role - and this time it's baseball and softball. I'll admit I actually love baseball, and I went to multiple games while I lived in Houston (ASTROS), so I loved that element of the book. It's less sports-heavy than Catching Jordan, because Parker quit softball to distance herself from her mother and her ex-best friend Laura, but she becomes the manager of the baseball team. I love her descriptions of seeing the sport and instantly having the desire to be around it and participate as much as possible - I have that relationship myself with swimming.
But anyway, baseball team = hot boys and shenanigans. I love Kenneally's boy characters. They are so fantastic. Not only do we get glimpses of SAM FUCKING HENRY which made me ecstatic, but Parker's few close friends also stole my heart. Drew is wonderfully supportive, the only person Parker really trusts anymore. And then there's Corndog (or as her dad calls him, Corn Fritter) who is charming and hilarious and sweet. I just love the camaraderie - also how they likened themselves to the Seinfeld characters when hanging out at the diner. Forever lol.
But then there's the romance. The premise will have alerted you that there's a student-teacher thing going on here. That's a complicated subject, because in fiction, it can be quite charming. And indeed, Kenneally brought the chemistry that did have me swooning for them at first. But Kenneally writes realistic fiction and not escapism. When it comes down to it, student-teacher relationships are not exactly healthy. I was seriously impressed by how it was handled. She kept me on my toes with where this romance was going. I had no clue. There were some surprises and betrayals that absolutely broke my heart. I felt just as betrayed as Parker did, and I just felt so much sympathy for her. She makes mistakes, sure, but with everything she's been going through for the last year, she's just lost and looking for love and support wherever she can get it. I... I need another moment.
[image]
Luckily, it doesn't stay too heavy. Kenneally really has a way of making even these subjects which can be pretty icky turn out light in the end. She's a fan of happy endings, which I'm happy about because if the emotional rollercoaster went on for much longer, I may have burst out crying. Parker turns out all right in the end. And then the ship is glorious and I just fucking wish we had more time with them because asdjfkl; asdfjkl; my feelings.
[image]
I also have to say that I'm deeply impressed by the way that religion is dealt with in Stealing Parker. I'm not religious at all - I was pretty much raised atheist and have only attended church about 3 times, each time having immense difficulty staying awake. Parker actually is religious. She grew up going to the same church with the same people every Sunday, and I liked how that really added this human element of community to it. After her mom left and Laura ditched her, Parker finds herself in a really complicated relationship with her religion. Though her father still wants her to go to church, she never feels comfortable there - constantly feeling the judging eyes of this "community", which has pretty much labeled her a sinner, slut, and a bad influence. She starts doubting her faith, because how could God let her family have to face so many struggles? It seriously made me feel a lot of intense things, in spite of my having no faith at all. It made Parker so real and multidimensional, and the way her struggle is resolved with the help of her mom really brought a tear to my eye.
Summing Up:
Miranda Kenneally is turning out to be one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. She makes me feel SO MANY THINGS ALL OF THE THINGS. I wanted to cry at one moment. I wanted to dance and flail in the next. But these characters, especially Parker, are just so real. I haven't even mentioned how heartbreaking the family dynamics are - with Parker's brother and Corndog's brother and asdfjlk; There's too much greatness in this book, I can't handle it. I just wish we'd had a little bit more time at the end - this book is seriously so short.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Everyone needs Miranda Kenneally in their lives. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Sep 14, 2014
Sep 15, 2014
Jul 15, 2014
Paperback
B0DM1WY69M
3.73
3,401
Jun 25, 2013
Sep 23, 2013
it was amazing
5 stars
What's that? A perfect score for a self-published new adult book? YEAH. I'm almost as surprised as you are. But honestly, Catching Liam is basi 5 stars
What's that? A perfect score for a self-published new adult book? YEAH. I'm almost as surprised as you are. But honestly, Catching Liam is basically everything I ever wanted from a new adult novel and it just makes me SO SO SO HAPPY.
I should note that prior to reading Catching Liam, I read about 4 other new adult books. I'm binging at the moment. I need the swoons. But whereas all of those previous reads fell to the new adult pitfalls of too sappy, too much sex, too much "sex solves everything", too much "your love has healed me, let's be together foreverrrr", Catching Liam absolutely did not. It was a breath of fresh air right from the start. First and foremost that would be because of the banter. Liam is hilarious and charming and Scottish and awesome. He makes waffles and calls Jillian "chicken", and just thinking about it is putting a massive grin on my face. The dynamic between the two was just wonderful - especially because Jillian doesn't actually want a relationship at first. She has one night stands, but never more than that. Obviously that won't deter Liam, and he cutely tries to court her anyway. The chemistry is palpable, and the hot scenes are really hot. Maybe not the most explicit I've encountered, but I'll gladly hand in one or two degrees of hotness for the excellence of the rest of this book.
Another reason why I love this book so much is because we actually get to see more of the college setting. Jillian actually goes to classes - most notably her Interpersonal Communications course, where she obviously gets partnered with Liam and they have to spend time getting to know each other and learning how to communicate. There's actually quite some character growth in there, because Jillian has closed herself off for so long. She runs away when conversations get tough and people get too close, so this course is actually one of the best things for her. Though, okay, we didn't get to see much more about communication theories and such, but the foundation is there and it's already so much more than I'm used to getting from new adult.
But Catching Liam took a turn that I didn't quite expect but that added so much depth to this story. There's a reason why Jillian pushes people away and doesn't want to get into a relationship - she's coping with a certain illness. The hints are there right at the start of the book, but it doesn't really get identified until later on because she's running from her own illness - as she puts it later, "talking about it would make it real". But I feel like this is the best kind of sick lit I've encountered. Her condition does not define her. She puts in so much effort to try and live her own life - and indeed, with her active party and sex life, she's not moping and whining about it. This could be a dark, depressing story, but it totally isn't. And yeah, she does have some things she needs to face instead of running away (particularly her overbearing and controlling mother, who means well but is a total nightmare), but I can't help but be impressed by her tenacity. I think she's a really realistic character with so much depth.
And obviously, Liam, being the amazing guy he is, wants to help her. At first she's hesitant because you don't want to force someone into a position where they'll have to take care of you for so long. But again, this book doesn't go for the sappy route, where love is proclaimed, and they'll be together forever and tears and whatever. I respect Liam so much because he respects Jillian's boundaries and says himself that he doesn't know about forever - he just wants a fair shot. I'M SWOONING SO HARD I CAN'T EVEN.
Catching Liam also has excellent friendships, painful but important family dynamics, sex positivity, trouble with grades, stress of selecting majors, general anxiety, and it's just so so so good. I loved every second of this book and wow. I was not expecting that.
Summing Up:
I need more new adult books like Catching Liam. This amazing little story had a banterful ship, characters with depth, the ultra-charming Liam, an angry love confession (that's my jam), an authentic college setting, a story with depth and realism, and plentiful swoons. I can't wait to read more of Gennifer Albin, and I dearly hope she continues exploring new adult, because this is how I want it.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
People who want the hotness of new adult PLUS real actual depth. ...more
What's that? A perfect score for a self-published new adult book? YEAH. I'm almost as surprised as you are. But honestly, Catching Liam is basi 5 stars
What's that? A perfect score for a self-published new adult book? YEAH. I'm almost as surprised as you are. But honestly, Catching Liam is basically everything I ever wanted from a new adult novel and it just makes me SO SO SO HAPPY.
I should note that prior to reading Catching Liam, I read about 4 other new adult books. I'm binging at the moment. I need the swoons. But whereas all of those previous reads fell to the new adult pitfalls of too sappy, too much sex, too much "sex solves everything", too much "your love has healed me, let's be together foreverrrr", Catching Liam absolutely did not. It was a breath of fresh air right from the start. First and foremost that would be because of the banter. Liam is hilarious and charming and Scottish and awesome. He makes waffles and calls Jillian "chicken", and just thinking about it is putting a massive grin on my face. The dynamic between the two was just wonderful - especially because Jillian doesn't actually want a relationship at first. She has one night stands, but never more than that. Obviously that won't deter Liam, and he cutely tries to court her anyway. The chemistry is palpable, and the hot scenes are really hot. Maybe not the most explicit I've encountered, but I'll gladly hand in one or two degrees of hotness for the excellence of the rest of this book.
Another reason why I love this book so much is because we actually get to see more of the college setting. Jillian actually goes to classes - most notably her Interpersonal Communications course, where she obviously gets partnered with Liam and they have to spend time getting to know each other and learning how to communicate. There's actually quite some character growth in there, because Jillian has closed herself off for so long. She runs away when conversations get tough and people get too close, so this course is actually one of the best things for her. Though, okay, we didn't get to see much more about communication theories and such, but the foundation is there and it's already so much more than I'm used to getting from new adult.
But Catching Liam took a turn that I didn't quite expect but that added so much depth to this story. There's a reason why Jillian pushes people away and doesn't want to get into a relationship - she's coping with a certain illness. The hints are there right at the start of the book, but it doesn't really get identified until later on because she's running from her own illness - as she puts it later, "talking about it would make it real". But I feel like this is the best kind of sick lit I've encountered. Her condition does not define her. She puts in so much effort to try and live her own life - and indeed, with her active party and sex life, she's not moping and whining about it. This could be a dark, depressing story, but it totally isn't. And yeah, she does have some things she needs to face instead of running away (particularly her overbearing and controlling mother, who means well but is a total nightmare), but I can't help but be impressed by her tenacity. I think she's a really realistic character with so much depth.
And obviously, Liam, being the amazing guy he is, wants to help her. At first she's hesitant because you don't want to force someone into a position where they'll have to take care of you for so long. But again, this book doesn't go for the sappy route, where love is proclaimed, and they'll be together forever and tears and whatever. I respect Liam so much because he respects Jillian's boundaries and says himself that he doesn't know about forever - he just wants a fair shot. I'M SWOONING SO HARD I CAN'T EVEN.
Catching Liam also has excellent friendships, painful but important family dynamics, sex positivity, trouble with grades, stress of selecting majors, general anxiety, and it's just so so so good. I loved every second of this book and wow. I was not expecting that.
Summing Up:
I need more new adult books like Catching Liam. This amazing little story had a banterful ship, characters with depth, the ultra-charming Liam, an angry love confession (that's my jam), an authentic college setting, a story with depth and realism, and plentiful swoons. I can't wait to read more of Gennifer Albin, and I dearly hope she continues exploring new adult, because this is how I want it.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
People who want the hotness of new adult PLUS real actual depth. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Mar 16, 2015
Mar 16, 2015
Jun 24, 2014
Paperback
006233106X
9780062331069
006233106X
3.69
6,202
Jul 08, 2014
Jul 08, 2014
it was amazing
5 stars
By now, if you follow my blog, you may have realized that I'm really discovering - and loving - the New Adult genre this year. That's because F 5 stars
By now, if you follow my blog, you may have realized that I'm really discovering - and loving - the New Adult genre this year. That's because FINALLY (*stands up and cheers*) NA books like Boomerang are coming out: books that are sexy, fun, flirty, personally relevant with new adult situations/feelings, and not bogged down in drama or trauma.
First up is the personal relevance - Boomerang has it a shit ton for me. That's not to say that I engage in one-night stands, but for the past year, I was a marketing intern! I loved seeing that - in fact, I haven't really read other books about college/post-college internships before, so that was refreshing for one. But the fact that Mia and Ethan are doing marketing internships just made it so much better for me - though they don't get into the nitty gritty of marketing and all that entails, I could relate to tasks they had to do, manners of thinking, etc. It was spot on and just made me want to giggle and hug the book to my chest. I mean, it was also a digital media company, which I'm super interested in. Can we say match made in heaven? For the Boomerang dating site, they have to even create profiles for each other and go on dates to test the service, so obviously hilarity (and some well-placed jealousy) ensues.
[image]
That's another thing: this was so light and enjoyable that I read it all in one relaxing day. I was in desperate need of some fluff, so this came at just the right time. I absolutely love how this relationship developed: they (almost) hooked up, found out they were working together, were told office romance was forbidden, and had to find a way to work together. Forbidden romances always work for me, haha, because often, and certainly in Boomerang's case, they come with this palpable chemistry that just makes you root for the couple so hard. Their dynamic was just so great, and it was wonderful to see them growing closer together and learning to support on each other in spite of being competitors. The added bonus that this was an office romance made me a little giddy because of, well, personal relevance.
[image]
But I liked that it also wasn't only about the romance - because both Mia and Ethan were fiercely ambitious and determined to get that job at the end of the internship. They both have goals for the future and are at that stage of really deciding where they want to go with their lives now that their education is finally (almost) completed. It's the same kind of position I'm in now, and it's a real new adult issue, so I really loved seeing how both of them developed in that. And I felt like their POVs were great and very distinctive in portraying those struggles.
[image]
And Mia and Ethan (who as a bonus also is a soccer player, and we all know I have something for soccer players *cough*) aren't the only characters involved in the story. I felt like the rest of the cast was brilliant and made it a fun and well-rounded story: from the office dragon lady Cookie, the wanna-relive-the-glory-days co-worker Rhett, and the mysterious and wealthy boss Adam, to especially Mia's parents and grandmother who is fighting with dementia, and both Ethan and Mia's close friends... it was definitely beautiful as a whole. All the relationship dynamics were so different but so realistic and enjoyable to read about. Indeed, I could see myself rereading this quite often.
Summing Up:
I'm keeping it at least a bit shorter with this one, because how many times can I say that I feel like this book was wonderful? Of course, it especially hit the mark for me because it came to me at the perfect time and carried so much personal relevance, but I believe it's a fun, sexy, light read that's great for the summer. A comfort read, maybe, but one I will gladly experience again. The team of Veronica Rossi and Lorin Oberweger has definitely delivered, and I can't wait to see what they come up with next!
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of forbidden/office romance and fun, light NA (i.e. à la Cora Carmack). ...more
By now, if you follow my blog, you may have realized that I'm really discovering - and loving - the New Adult genre this year. That's because F 5 stars
By now, if you follow my blog, you may have realized that I'm really discovering - and loving - the New Adult genre this year. That's because FINALLY (*stands up and cheers*) NA books like Boomerang are coming out: books that are sexy, fun, flirty, personally relevant with new adult situations/feelings, and not bogged down in drama or trauma.
First up is the personal relevance - Boomerang has it a shit ton for me. That's not to say that I engage in one-night stands, but for the past year, I was a marketing intern! I loved seeing that - in fact, I haven't really read other books about college/post-college internships before, so that was refreshing for one. But the fact that Mia and Ethan are doing marketing internships just made it so much better for me - though they don't get into the nitty gritty of marketing and all that entails, I could relate to tasks they had to do, manners of thinking, etc. It was spot on and just made me want to giggle and hug the book to my chest. I mean, it was also a digital media company, which I'm super interested in. Can we say match made in heaven? For the Boomerang dating site, they have to even create profiles for each other and go on dates to test the service, so obviously hilarity (and some well-placed jealousy) ensues.
[image]
That's another thing: this was so light and enjoyable that I read it all in one relaxing day. I was in desperate need of some fluff, so this came at just the right time. I absolutely love how this relationship developed: they (almost) hooked up, found out they were working together, were told office romance was forbidden, and had to find a way to work together. Forbidden romances always work for me, haha, because often, and certainly in Boomerang's case, they come with this palpable chemistry that just makes you root for the couple so hard. Their dynamic was just so great, and it was wonderful to see them growing closer together and learning to support on each other in spite of being competitors. The added bonus that this was an office romance made me a little giddy because of, well, personal relevance.
[image]
But I liked that it also wasn't only about the romance - because both Mia and Ethan were fiercely ambitious and determined to get that job at the end of the internship. They both have goals for the future and are at that stage of really deciding where they want to go with their lives now that their education is finally (almost) completed. It's the same kind of position I'm in now, and it's a real new adult issue, so I really loved seeing how both of them developed in that. And I felt like their POVs were great and very distinctive in portraying those struggles.
[image]
And Mia and Ethan (who as a bonus also is a soccer player, and we all know I have something for soccer players *cough*) aren't the only characters involved in the story. I felt like the rest of the cast was brilliant and made it a fun and well-rounded story: from the office dragon lady Cookie, the wanna-relive-the-glory-days co-worker Rhett, and the mysterious and wealthy boss Adam, to especially Mia's parents and grandmother who is fighting with dementia, and both Ethan and Mia's close friends... it was definitely beautiful as a whole. All the relationship dynamics were so different but so realistic and enjoyable to read about. Indeed, I could see myself rereading this quite often.
Summing Up:
I'm keeping it at least a bit shorter with this one, because how many times can I say that I feel like this book was wonderful? Of course, it especially hit the mark for me because it came to me at the perfect time and carried so much personal relevance, but I believe it's a fun, sexy, light read that's great for the summer. A comfort read, maybe, but one I will gladly experience again. The team of Veronica Rossi and Lorin Oberweger has definitely delivered, and I can't wait to see what they come up with next!
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of forbidden/office romance and fun, light NA (i.e. à la Cora Carmack). ...more
Notes are private!
1
Jul 15, 2014
Jul 16, 2014
Jun 13, 2014
Paperback
0062379968
9780062379962
0062379968
4.11
5,664
May 17, 2016
May 17, 2016
it was amazing
5 stars
Dear Paula Stokes,
How dare you write a book as flawless as this. We both know I was incredibly enchanted by The Art of Lainey and, as a devoure 5 stars
Dear Paula Stokes,
How dare you write a book as flawless as this. We both know I was incredibly enchanted by The Art of Lainey and, as a devourer of fluff, there was a big chance that I would fall in love with this book too. But, okay, even I did not expect the level of delight and adoration that Girl Against the Universe brought to me. This book is literally the total package, and then to have my name in the acknowledgements... I repeat. How. Dare.
[image]
Reasons why Girl Against the Universe is basically perfect:
1. The depiction of anxiety.
When I first heard about this book, I thought it sounded right up my alley, but that the mental health part would kind of straddle a quirky Disney-like magical realism line with the whole fact that Maguire believes that she's cursed. I was wrong. This book takes a heartbreakingly realistic look at anxiety. With all of the past events in Maguire's life, sure, she believes she's cursed. But through her narrations and her vivid voice you can tell how that belief is firmly grounded in reality and how hard it is to let go of. And the "side effects" manifest themselves in such realistic ways that I was just filled with empathy the entire time. I hated putting this book down and being parted with it.
Maguire's "bad luck" makes her fear being around other people. She develops compulsive habits of always checking her surroundings to make sure there are no hazards or potential dangers. She forces isolation onto herself with the hope that then nothing bad will happen. And the story actually brilliantly dissects psychological theories that explain her behavior, since Maguire is actually in a Psychology class, and that teaches her a lot about herself. Paula, woah. Seriously, woah. I feel like I learned so much about mental health, for one, and just about human nature in general too. I think if you have ever dealt with anxiety, this is easily the kind of book that will make you feel like your whole life has been justified.
[image]
2. The excellent therapy-positive "recovery".
Like many readers, I think, I have been kind of put off stories dealing with trauma or mental health elements because the recovery part often feels so cheap. Therapy is commonly brushed off, if it's even mentioned at all as an option, and more times than I'd care to take note of a love interest swoops in and "his love" fixes everything. This was totally not that book. Girl Against the Universe actually shows real therapy sessions with real step-by-step progress towards recovery. And yeah, it's a slow battle, and there are some setbacks, but that makes it totally realistic and even more meaningful. It made my connection to Maguire that much stronger. The character development was top notch, and you know characters are like my #1 thing.
Of course, there is a romantic element to the story(which is OMGSQUEE -- no Debby, control yourself, you're getting to that), but it doesn't at all dominate. Jordy is absolutely wonderful, and sure, him being there for Maguire helps her recovery, but she does the heavy lifting, and it's not all over and done with the moment he bats his pretty eyes at her.
[image]
3. Jordy. Wheeler.
Oh man, Paula. You unleashed Jordy Wheeler onto the world, but I don't know if the world is quite ready for Jordy Wheeler. How can I even... Jordy is patient, understanding, and kind. Those are traits you wouldn't normally expect from a popular, well-off tennis star who basically has 10 million reasons why he could understandably be the most arrogant man on earth. Here's a kind of shocking reality check: even the people you think have everything can have issues. Jordy is in therapy too, which is how he and Maguire meet. His issues are hardly on her level, but this is another reminder that mental health issues exist on all levels of severity, and everyone deserves help.
But boy did I swoon for this boy. There are so many yummy scenes. I mean, just the whole, "I'll help you practice your serve, here let me put my arms around you to show it how it's done" thing? Catnip for basically any hopeless romantic. That first kiss, during an adrenaline rush? I felt that adrenaline. Fooling around interrupted by parents? So many stomach flutterings. There may have been some truly unapologetically loud giggling on the bus. But what I love most of all is just how supportive Maguire and Jordy are for each other. Even though there was basically some level of attraction from the start, they built up a super heartfelt friendship first, which grew and grew until I yelled "NOW KISS!!!" at my book, and bless their little hearts, but they did listen ♥
[image]
4. This family gave me so many feels.
Character development and awesome romance would usually already be enough for me, but you outdid yourself by adding this awesome layer of family to the story. You'll know, because I ran to tell you right away, that a certain scene with Maguire and her stepfather gave me ALL OF THE FEELS. But yeah, you did that. You actually took the time to make these really 3 dimensional parental units with their own worries, quirks, and funny personalities. This is not a family full of drama - this is a family that, despite drama, supports each other out of a pure sense of love. There were tears in my eyes. Yeah. There were.
[image]
5. Best friends forever.
To round out this list, I have to talk about the friendship, because this is also evidence of the tremendous character arc that Maguire undergoes. Yeah, she started off with basically no friends and so isolated and afraid of people that she hardly knew how to make friends again. But she meets Jade and Penn(who I'm secretly wishing are totally into each other because I didn't make that chemistry up right?) and they are so understanding and awesome about everything. When Maguire actually talks about her issues and anxiety, they support her, don't doubt her for a second, and take the time to patiently sit next to her and help her any way they can. And when Maguire's feeling okay, they just have a ton of fun together.
Now I just feel like hugging this book to my chest and wishing that I had friends as awesome as this. I mean, I guess I do now - at least more so than in high school. But there were just such heartwarming moments that I wanted to yell at the sky with tears in my eyes and say, "See, world?! If you just are yourself, there are people who will accept you as is!!! No games or concessions, just heartfelt friendship!!"
[image]
Girl Against the Universe is awesome.
You are awesome.
This book made me feel all of the things.
Can I go again?
xoxo
Debby
Recommended To:
Fans of The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord.
*An advance review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review. ...more
Dear Paula Stokes,
How dare you write a book as flawless as this. We both know I was incredibly enchanted by The Art of Lainey and, as a devoure 5 stars
Dear Paula Stokes,
How dare you write a book as flawless as this. We both know I was incredibly enchanted by The Art of Lainey and, as a devourer of fluff, there was a big chance that I would fall in love with this book too. But, okay, even I did not expect the level of delight and adoration that Girl Against the Universe brought to me. This book is literally the total package, and then to have my name in the acknowledgements... I repeat. How. Dare.
[image]
Reasons why Girl Against the Universe is basically perfect:
1. The depiction of anxiety.
When I first heard about this book, I thought it sounded right up my alley, but that the mental health part would kind of straddle a quirky Disney-like magical realism line with the whole fact that Maguire believes that she's cursed. I was wrong. This book takes a heartbreakingly realistic look at anxiety. With all of the past events in Maguire's life, sure, she believes she's cursed. But through her narrations and her vivid voice you can tell how that belief is firmly grounded in reality and how hard it is to let go of. And the "side effects" manifest themselves in such realistic ways that I was just filled with empathy the entire time. I hated putting this book down and being parted with it.
Maguire's "bad luck" makes her fear being around other people. She develops compulsive habits of always checking her surroundings to make sure there are no hazards or potential dangers. She forces isolation onto herself with the hope that then nothing bad will happen. And the story actually brilliantly dissects psychological theories that explain her behavior, since Maguire is actually in a Psychology class, and that teaches her a lot about herself. Paula, woah. Seriously, woah. I feel like I learned so much about mental health, for one, and just about human nature in general too. I think if you have ever dealt with anxiety, this is easily the kind of book that will make you feel like your whole life has been justified.
[image]
2. The excellent therapy-positive "recovery".
Like many readers, I think, I have been kind of put off stories dealing with trauma or mental health elements because the recovery part often feels so cheap. Therapy is commonly brushed off, if it's even mentioned at all as an option, and more times than I'd care to take note of a love interest swoops in and "his love" fixes everything. This was totally not that book. Girl Against the Universe actually shows real therapy sessions with real step-by-step progress towards recovery. And yeah, it's a slow battle, and there are some setbacks, but that makes it totally realistic and even more meaningful. It made my connection to Maguire that much stronger. The character development was top notch, and you know characters are like my #1 thing.
Of course, there is a romantic element to the story
[image]
3. Jordy. Wheeler.
Oh man, Paula. You unleashed Jordy Wheeler onto the world, but I don't know if the world is quite ready for Jordy Wheeler. How can I even... Jordy is patient, understanding, and kind. Those are traits you wouldn't normally expect from a popular, well-off tennis star who basically has 10 million reasons why he could understandably be the most arrogant man on earth. Here's a kind of shocking reality check: even the people you think have everything can have issues. Jordy is in therapy too, which is how he and Maguire meet. His issues are hardly on her level, but this is another reminder that mental health issues exist on all levels of severity, and everyone deserves help.
But boy did I swoon for this boy. There are so many yummy scenes. I mean, just the whole, "I'll help you practice your serve, here let me put my arms around you to show it how it's done" thing? Catnip for basically any hopeless romantic. That first kiss, during an adrenaline rush? I felt that adrenaline. Fooling around interrupted by parents? So many stomach flutterings. There may have been some truly unapologetically loud giggling on the bus. But what I love most of all is just how supportive Maguire and Jordy are for each other. Even though there was basically some level of attraction from the start, they built up a super heartfelt friendship first, which grew and grew until I yelled "NOW KISS!!!" at my book, and bless their little hearts, but they did listen ♥
[image]
4. This family gave me so many feels.
Character development and awesome romance would usually already be enough for me, but you outdid yourself by adding this awesome layer of family to the story. You'll know, because I ran to tell you right away, that a certain scene with Maguire and her stepfather gave me ALL OF THE FEELS. But yeah, you did that. You actually took the time to make these really 3 dimensional parental units with their own worries, quirks, and funny personalities. This is not a family full of drama - this is a family that, despite drama, supports each other out of a pure sense of love. There were tears in my eyes. Yeah. There were.
[image]
5. Best friends forever.
To round out this list, I have to talk about the friendship, because this is also evidence of the tremendous character arc that Maguire undergoes. Yeah, she started off with basically no friends and so isolated and afraid of people that she hardly knew how to make friends again. But she meets Jade and Penn
Now I just feel like hugging this book to my chest and wishing that I had friends as awesome as this. I mean, I guess I do now - at least more so than in high school. But there were just such heartwarming moments that I wanted to yell at the sky with tears in my eyes and say, "See, world?! If you just are yourself, there are people who will accept you as is!!! No games or concessions, just heartfelt friendship!!"
[image]
Girl Against the Universe is awesome.
You are awesome.
This book made me feel all of the things.
Can I go again?
xoxo
Debby
Recommended To:
Fans of The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord.
*An advance review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Apr 26, 2016
Apr 29, 2016
May 23, 2014
Hardcover
0575130466
9780575130463
0575130466
4.13
8,299
Nov 19, 2015
Nov 19, 2015
really liked it
4 stars
Ever since I fell in love with The Falconer almost two years ago, I've been anxious to read the sequel. Yeah, it took me a while to get to it, 4 stars
Ever since I fell in love with The Falconer almost two years ago, I've been anxious to read the sequel. Yeah, it took me a while to get to it, which I'm hitting myself for, but there. I read it. And it was awesome.
Arguably, The Vanishing Throne is very much a middle book. There is a fair share of action, and there are a lot of revelations that are driving the series to the next conflicts and battles. But it is kind of an in-between phase that is much more about character building. Aileana comes into this book and is thrust into traumatic events: she failed to save the world, and she's taken and held captive in the faerie realm by Lonnrach. She comes out of it only to find the world in an apocalyptic state, ravaged by the war of the fae on the humans who stood no chance against these enemies they couldn't even see coming.
Aileana has a lot of growth to go through in this book, so it's understandable that the plot is a bit slower. She's obviously feeling guilty about her failure, and she's traumatized by the events with Lonnrach. When she meets up with humans again, she's conflicted about her role and destiny as "the girl whose gift is chaos". She's playing catch up on the state of the world and has more than enough close scrapes with death. The book functions for a large part as her transition from feeling guilty and burdened by her role in this world to reinventing herself as someone who can stand up for the human race. It's not the most dramatic character growth arc, and it is a tad slow, but it was touching and fitting. Aileana shows some vulnerable sides in this book, but it doesn't make her any less strong. It makes her human, and her humanity is her strength.
However, if you dislike the trope commonly used in fantasy where characters die but are brought back to life or end up not really being dead after all, The Vanishing Throne can easily get your eyes rolling. I mean, it's upfront about its use of the trope, for sure, and in the grand scheme of things, it can make sense as the "bringing back to life" thing is part of this faerie-invested world and does come with certain limitations. But at one particular point, a character is likened to a cat with nine lives and, well, it's not a false comparison. The ending, while awesome, does feel the slightest bit cheap. If characters can keep coming back to live, it makes the stakes seem so much lower.
If you're here for romance, you will be pleased though. Aileana and Kiaran are magic. Pure. Magic. Seriously, I ship them so hard. Their relationship is totally built on mutual admiration and respect, and though Aileana does get a little insecure about it now and then, it's real. There are so many feelsy moments, with slightest touches, meaningful looks, foreheads touching, and the like... and there are extremely hot moments too. Meanwhile, the romance never overshadows the story, which can usually easily happen in the middle book of a series. So even if you're not here for romance - it's there if you want it, but not dominating the story.
Honestly, a lot of the plot this time around is just centered on world building. Though Aileana seemed to know a lot about the fae in the first book, that was nothing. This book really gets into the faerie realms, its history and the history of the Wild Hunt, Kiaran's identity, more faerie species, Kiaran's relationship with Sorcha (who you see a lot more of in this book), the origin of the Falconers, and the powers of the fae. It's not exactly overwhelming, but it's so much more than there was in the first book. It's good that we're getting more depth, but the two books are very different. Almost all the steampunk elements are gone now (considering the world is basically destroyed, I can understand that), and Aileana is working more with fae powers than inventing things. That is something I kind of missed.
But in the end, this book still kicks ass. I already cared so much for the characters - including the secondary characters who also realistically develop as a consequence of the war - and the romance, but the end of this book... woah. Elizabeth May knows how to write a good ending. Though I wish she would stop putting her characters' lives on the line right at the end there. What a brutal cliffhanger.... Where is book 3?
Summing Up:
The Vanishing Throne is kind of an unexpected sequel to The Falconer, because it's so different, but that just means that this series is unquestionably unique. I am tremendously satisfied by the character development, romance, and heart-stopping ending of this book. I do feel like it's got some signs of being a classic middle book, but there was a lot of necessary world building that in the end makes this story so much more vivid. I will be waiting anxiously for the next installment in what is definitely one of my current favorite fantasy series.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of KIARAAAAAAAAAAAAN (I much enjoyed that reference). ...more
Ever since I fell in love with The Falconer almost two years ago, I've been anxious to read the sequel. Yeah, it took me a while to get to it, 4 stars
Ever since I fell in love with The Falconer almost two years ago, I've been anxious to read the sequel. Yeah, it took me a while to get to it, which I'm hitting myself for, but there. I read it. And it was awesome.
Arguably, The Vanishing Throne is very much a middle book. There is a fair share of action, and there are a lot of revelations that are driving the series to the next conflicts and battles. But it is kind of an in-between phase that is much more about character building. Aileana comes into this book and is thrust into traumatic events: she failed to save the world, and she's taken and held captive in the faerie realm by Lonnrach. She comes out of it only to find the world in an apocalyptic state, ravaged by the war of the fae on the humans who stood no chance against these enemies they couldn't even see coming.
Aileana has a lot of growth to go through in this book, so it's understandable that the plot is a bit slower. She's obviously feeling guilty about her failure, and she's traumatized by the events with Lonnrach. When she meets up with humans again, she's conflicted about her role and destiny as "the girl whose gift is chaos". She's playing catch up on the state of the world and has more than enough close scrapes with death. The book functions for a large part as her transition from feeling guilty and burdened by her role in this world to reinventing herself as someone who can stand up for the human race. It's not the most dramatic character growth arc, and it is a tad slow, but it was touching and fitting. Aileana shows some vulnerable sides in this book, but it doesn't make her any less strong. It makes her human, and her humanity is her strength.
However, if you dislike the trope commonly used in fantasy where characters die but are brought back to life or end up not really being dead after all, The Vanishing Throne can easily get your eyes rolling. I mean, it's upfront about its use of the trope, for sure, and in the grand scheme of things, it can make sense as the "bringing back to life" thing is part of this faerie-invested world and does come with certain limitations. But at one particular point, a character is likened to a cat with nine lives and, well, it's not a false comparison. The ending, while awesome, does feel the slightest bit cheap. If characters can keep coming back to live, it makes the stakes seem so much lower.
If you're here for romance, you will be pleased though. Aileana and Kiaran are magic. Pure. Magic. Seriously, I ship them so hard. Their relationship is totally built on mutual admiration and respect, and though Aileana does get a little insecure about it now and then, it's real. There are so many feelsy moments, with slightest touches, meaningful looks, foreheads touching, and the like... and there are extremely hot moments too. Meanwhile, the romance never overshadows the story, which can usually easily happen in the middle book of a series. So even if you're not here for romance - it's there if you want it, but not dominating the story.
Honestly, a lot of the plot this time around is just centered on world building. Though Aileana seemed to know a lot about the fae in the first book, that was nothing. This book really gets into the faerie realms, its history and the history of the Wild Hunt, Kiaran's identity, more faerie species, Kiaran's relationship with Sorcha (who you see a lot more of in this book), the origin of the Falconers, and the powers of the fae. It's not exactly overwhelming, but it's so much more than there was in the first book. It's good that we're getting more depth, but the two books are very different. Almost all the steampunk elements are gone now (considering the world is basically destroyed, I can understand that), and Aileana is working more with fae powers than inventing things. That is something I kind of missed.
But in the end, this book still kicks ass. I already cared so much for the characters - including the secondary characters who also realistically develop as a consequence of the war - and the romance, but the end of this book... woah. Elizabeth May knows how to write a good ending. Though I wish she would stop putting her characters' lives on the line right at the end there. What a brutal cliffhanger.... Where is book 3?
Summing Up:
The Vanishing Throne is kind of an unexpected sequel to The Falconer, because it's so different, but that just means that this series is unquestionably unique. I am tremendously satisfied by the character development, romance, and heart-stopping ending of this book. I do feel like it's got some signs of being a classic middle book, but there was a lot of necessary world building that in the end makes this story so much more vivid. I will be waiting anxiously for the next installment in what is definitely one of my current favorite fantasy series.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of KIARAAAAAAAAAAAAN (I much enjoyed that reference). ...more
Notes are private!
1
Apr 03, 2016
Apr 09, 2016
May 17, 2014
Paperback
0553394517
9780553394511
0553394517
3.68
2,205
Feb 24, 2015
Feb 24, 2015
it was amazing
5 stars
One of my favorite author discoveries in 2014 has to be Liz Czukas - I loved Ask Again Later and Top Ten Clues You're Clueless - so whe 5 stars
One of my favorite author discoveries in 2014 has to be Liz Czukas - I loved Ask Again Later and Top Ten Clues You're Clueless - so when she announced a new adult book under a pen name, it was pretty much at the TOP of my wishlist. When Joss Met Matt is banterfluffy perfection, with plenty of swoony sexiness, which all made for the best refreshingly addictive read.
So When Joss Met Matt is the quintessential friends-with-benefits romance. Joss and Matt meet in college, and after Joss gets dumped by her loser boyfriend, they come up with the idea of sorbet sex. Their theory is that you need a good lay after a break up - but it's best if you know that it's going to be good. Having a one night stand could just fill you with more regret and disappointment if the guy/girl ends up being really creepy. So.. they have no-strings-attached sex! After any time either of them breaks up (so long as the other is single). There's no way this could go wrong! Right?
[image]
It's a premise that fills me with glee, to be honest, because even though it's predictable and you know that they're going to end up feeling more for each other and one side might get dumped, their relationship is so awesome. They're such good friends, and their dialogue is 100% banter. They actually make rules - a binding contract - relating to the sorbet sex, one of which being that right after the sex, they have to start teasing each other and giving each other a hard time. I was cracking up all over the place - they're HILARIOUS. And adorable too - cuddling is also mandatory. Say it with me, "AWWWWWWWWWWW!"
[image]
But that sex, man. There's a lot of it, and it's plenty hot, because Joss and Matt have a palpable chemistry - but it's not gratuitous either. It's not, say, Cora Carmack-levels of explicit hotness. In fact, young adult readers would do fine with this book - I'd argue that it's more classed as "new adult" because it covers a wide age range, from 18 - 25. It goes through these seven years of Joss and Matt's friends with benefits relationship and nods to different situations and issues that people in this age range face. There's college with parties and roommates, deciding what to major in, coping with new jobs and new cities to live in, going to friends' weddings... As someone who could be considered a new adult, I liked seeing all of these things while simultaneously getting a super adorable, hilarious, hot romance and not having any of the tragedy or heavy issues that are usually featured in this genre.
It is heavy on the romance, though. Both Joss and Matt go through their fair share of relationships and it may seem like their lives revolve around romance. But I could relate to them feeling pressured like they had to be in a relationship and sometimes making some pretty shitty choices. It's realistic. I loved Joss's voice, actually, and her sex positivity was really admirable. I wish I could be as confident as her. But more than anything, what I love is that we got to see both their friendship and their feelings for each other growing over the years. In their adult years they have a standing brunch date every Sunday - I love that kind of thing! They can tell each other ANYTHING, so it took next to no time for me to SHIP IT LIKE BURNING and wanting them to finally take the relationship plunge. But taking that step obviously carries quite some risk when you're SUCH GOOD FRIENDS - best friends even - so I appreciated the realistic hesitance on both sides (albeit asdfjkl; frustrating and that tiny bit cliché).
[image]
I also have to take a moment to praise the hell out of the strong female friendships in the book. Nellie and Joss are flipping amazing together. They have almost as much banter between them as Joss and Matt - though there's more emotional heartfelt stuff in between. But seriously, Nellie's so supportive and hilarious at the end. She made me giggle, and I loved how she was just a straight shooter, telling it like it is, and making Joss see sense. ALSO Joss has a cat, Darwin, who is cute and hilariously loves Matt more than Joss. That has to be mentioned, because every detail of this book was just that charming.
Summing Up:
When Joss Met Matt was basically everything I wanted, and it cements Liz Czukas/Ellie Cahill as one of my auto-buy authors for sure. I was completely addicted to this book and just COULD NOT stop reading it. The banter was PERFECTION, and the slowly developing friendship and romance between Joss and Matt just made me melt. The sorbet sex scenes didn't hurt either, though ;) Seriously, this book just filled me with so much happiness and glee that I heartily recommend it to ANY romance fans. And I almost want to pick it back up and start rereading it right now. It's that good.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Any romance fans! Even those who would typically shy away from new adult!
*Review copy received for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review. ...more
One of my favorite author discoveries in 2014 has to be Liz Czukas - I loved Ask Again Later and Top Ten Clues You're Clueless - so whe 5 stars
One of my favorite author discoveries in 2014 has to be Liz Czukas - I loved Ask Again Later and Top Ten Clues You're Clueless - so when she announced a new adult book under a pen name, it was pretty much at the TOP of my wishlist. When Joss Met Matt is banterfluffy perfection, with plenty of swoony sexiness, which all made for the best refreshingly addictive read.
So When Joss Met Matt is the quintessential friends-with-benefits romance. Joss and Matt meet in college, and after Joss gets dumped by her loser boyfriend, they come up with the idea of sorbet sex. Their theory is that you need a good lay after a break up - but it's best if you know that it's going to be good. Having a one night stand could just fill you with more regret and disappointment if the guy/girl ends up being really creepy. So.. they have no-strings-attached sex! After any time either of them breaks up (so long as the other is single). There's no way this could go wrong! Right?
[image]
It's a premise that fills me with glee, to be honest, because even though it's predictable and you know that they're going to end up feeling more for each other and one side might get dumped, their relationship is so awesome. They're such good friends, and their dialogue is 100% banter. They actually make rules - a binding contract - relating to the sorbet sex, one of which being that right after the sex, they have to start teasing each other and giving each other a hard time. I was cracking up all over the place - they're HILARIOUS. And adorable too - cuddling is also mandatory. Say it with me, "AWWWWWWWWWWW!"
[image]
But that sex, man. There's a lot of it, and it's plenty hot, because Joss and Matt have a palpable chemistry - but it's not gratuitous either. It's not, say, Cora Carmack-levels of explicit hotness. In fact, young adult readers would do fine with this book - I'd argue that it's more classed as "new adult" because it covers a wide age range, from 18 - 25. It goes through these seven years of Joss and Matt's friends with benefits relationship and nods to different situations and issues that people in this age range face. There's college with parties and roommates, deciding what to major in, coping with new jobs and new cities to live in, going to friends' weddings... As someone who could be considered a new adult, I liked seeing all of these things while simultaneously getting a super adorable, hilarious, hot romance and not having any of the tragedy or heavy issues that are usually featured in this genre.
It is heavy on the romance, though. Both Joss and Matt go through their fair share of relationships and it may seem like their lives revolve around romance. But I could relate to them feeling pressured like they had to be in a relationship and sometimes making some pretty shitty choices. It's realistic. I loved Joss's voice, actually, and her sex positivity was really admirable. I wish I could be as confident as her. But more than anything, what I love is that we got to see both their friendship and their feelings for each other growing over the years. In their adult years they have a standing brunch date every Sunday - I love that kind of thing! They can tell each other ANYTHING, so it took next to no time for me to SHIP IT LIKE BURNING and wanting them to finally take the relationship plunge. But taking that step obviously carries quite some risk when you're SUCH GOOD FRIENDS - best friends even - so I appreciated the realistic hesitance on both sides (albeit asdfjkl; frustrating and that tiny bit cliché).
[image]
I also have to take a moment to praise the hell out of the strong female friendships in the book. Nellie and Joss are flipping amazing together. They have almost as much banter between them as Joss and Matt - though there's more emotional heartfelt stuff in between. But seriously, Nellie's so supportive and hilarious at the end. She made me giggle, and I loved how she was just a straight shooter, telling it like it is, and making Joss see sense. ALSO Joss has a cat, Darwin, who is cute and hilariously loves Matt more than Joss. That has to be mentioned, because every detail of this book was just that charming.
Summing Up:
When Joss Met Matt was basically everything I wanted, and it cements Liz Czukas/Ellie Cahill as one of my auto-buy authors for sure. I was completely addicted to this book and just COULD NOT stop reading it. The banter was PERFECTION, and the slowly developing friendship and romance between Joss and Matt just made me melt. The sorbet sex scenes didn't hurt either, though ;) Seriously, this book just filled me with so much happiness and glee that I heartily recommend it to ANY romance fans. And I almost want to pick it back up and start rereading it right now. It's that good.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Any romance fans! Even those who would typically shy away from new adult!
*Review copy received for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Nov 21, 2014
Nov 24, 2014
Apr 23, 2014
Paperback
1250061458
9781250061454
1250061458
3.57
23,700
Aug 26, 2014
Aug 26, 2014
really liked it
4.5 stars
As soon as I heard the premise of the book, I was sold. This book would have a 95% chance of success for me. 14 point of views all shipping t 4.5 stars
As soon as I heard the premise of the book, I was sold. This book would have a 95% chance of success for me. 14 point of views all shipping two real life people, trying to get them together? SO PERFECT SO CUTE MUST HAS. Then that cover was revealed and my GRABBY HANDS came out to play. All my instincts were 100% correct: this book is adorable, feel good, happy making, and incredibly entertaining.
So the premise of A Little Something Different is that Gabe and Lea, two college students sharing a creative writing class, are just perfect for each other - but both are too shy and uncertain to do anything about it. The match, however, is obvious to almost everyone else, and so we follow 14 POVs of characters surrounding Gabe and Lea, as they watch the relationship slowly transform and bloom.
How ingenious is this plot, though, seriously? For anyone who identifies themselves as a fangirl or fanboy who loves their romance and their ships, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU. Obviously part of it's success hinges on whether or not you too will like Gabe and Lea as a couple. We don't actually see their thoughts, but we see their behaviors through the eyes of their friends, professors, roommates, etc., and I think they are 20 different kinds of adorable. They're both shy and quiet, but that makes them so much cuter. If you are the romance fan that needs driving action and hot make out scenes, however, they might let you down a bit - because the relationship is just sugary sweet and develops extremely slowly.
Though this could be classified as New Adult for the college setting and ages of the characters, it's not NA in terms of sexiness - let's just be clear on that. But I didn't miss the heat, because it really was so relatable as someone who frequently roots for couples to get together in books, TV shows, movies, etc. It may be a little cliche, but it was the fluffy sweetness that I needed on a hot summer day, as the drought of my own love life had shriveled my heart to dust.
So what are these POVs that are explored in the book if not Lea and Gabe's? Well, as said, friends and roommates. But there are the more funny ones that make this story completely laugh-out-loud funny and SO entertaining. First of all there's the Squirrel. The Squirrel roams the college campus in search of his acorns, because WHERE DID HE HIDE THEM? CAN HE FIND THEM AGAIN? The mystery persists. No, I'm kidding, but he gets fed by Lea and grows to like her, while he grows to tolerate Gabe.
[image]
There's also the Bench, who observes a couple conversations between Lea, Gabe, and their friends over the course of the year, while also providing a meaningful commentary on the value of good butts. You may think I'm joking. I'm really not.
So now you know. Respect your benches. No but seriously, at that point, I was basically on the floor laughing.
But there are more human POVs as well, which perfectly display the full range of levels of shipping. There's the professor of the creative writing class, Inga, who picks out Gabe and Lea in her first lecture and instantly knows that's the couple that she's going to try to get together that semester. She tries her best to devise situations in which they are forced to talk and work together and gushes about their cuteness to her wife (lesbian couple ftw). On the other side of the spectrum, there's Victor, their classmate, who is the most hilarious pessimist who hates everything - ESPECIALLY how cute and perfect Gabe and Lea are for each other (or, Big Foot and Giraffe, as he lovingly calls them). In between, there are more passive observers: the bus driver who notices they come and go from the same stops but never talk to each other, the barista whose colleagues are big shippers and gradually gets drawn in herself by Lea and Gabe's frequent and weirdly coincidental encounters at the Starbucks, the Chinese food delivery guy who is baffled by identical orders coming from the same dorm for two different people at the same time... Every single POV is distinct and extremely entertaining, which speaks to the quality of Sandy Hall's writing.
The level of entertainment is, obviously, extremely high - but the relationship doesn't just thrive on the meet-cute idea and all these fate-like moments that indicate that Lea and Gabe are perfect for each other. Nor is their relationship perfect when it finally does evolve. Both Lea and Gabe - but particularly Gabe - have some issues in their past that they're working through. It doesn't get dark or anything, but it adds the level of heartfelt depth the relationship needs to not be too corny or perfect. It's not a fairytale book, and it doesn't carry the perfectly happily ever after ending that would make it fall completely out of the realm of believability. But it is sweet and made of happiness.
The only remotely negative thing I have to say is that there's an unfortunate amount of hating on one of the girl characters in the story: Hillary. She sits in their creative writing class and quickly tries to put the moves on Gabe. Sadly, this is met with SCORN by all, especially the professor Inga, and though I can understand the frustrations of someone getting in the way of your OTP, since this is real life, it was disturbing. Particularly Inga's thoughts about her, practically making Hillary out to be a slut for liking Gabe, were upsetting - but more upsetting was the fact that this thought was echoed by other characters. Not one of them seemed to think that Hillary was worth anything. Though I could brush this off for the humor, cuteness, and entertainment of the story, it's something I could have lived without.
Summing Up:
A Little Something Different is an ode to shipping. It's made of cuteness, giggles, sugar, spice, and everything nice. Possibly getting side tracked, but still - anyone who has ever been in any kind of fandom, who has shipped a couple so hard it resulted in physical flailing and squealing, who is a fan of happiness, needs this book in their life. I see myself rereading this whenever I need a dosage of good cheer. Instant good mood!
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of adorable love stories like Meant to Be, The Distance Between Us, On the Fence, and Fangirl.
*ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review. ...more
As soon as I heard the premise of the book, I was sold. This book would have a 95% chance of success for me. 14 point of views all shipping t 4.5 stars
As soon as I heard the premise of the book, I was sold. This book would have a 95% chance of success for me. 14 point of views all shipping two real life people, trying to get them together? SO PERFECT SO CUTE MUST HAS. Then that cover was revealed and my GRABBY HANDS came out to play. All my instincts were 100% correct: this book is adorable, feel good, happy making, and incredibly entertaining.
So the premise of A Little Something Different is that Gabe and Lea, two college students sharing a creative writing class, are just perfect for each other - but both are too shy and uncertain to do anything about it. The match, however, is obvious to almost everyone else, and so we follow 14 POVs of characters surrounding Gabe and Lea, as they watch the relationship slowly transform and bloom.
How ingenious is this plot, though, seriously? For anyone who identifies themselves as a fangirl or fanboy who loves their romance and their ships, THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU. Obviously part of it's success hinges on whether or not you too will like Gabe and Lea as a couple. We don't actually see their thoughts, but we see their behaviors through the eyes of their friends, professors, roommates, etc., and I think they are 20 different kinds of adorable. They're both shy and quiet, but that makes them so much cuter. If you are the romance fan that needs driving action and hot make out scenes, however, they might let you down a bit - because the relationship is just sugary sweet and develops extremely slowly.
Though this could be classified as New Adult for the college setting and ages of the characters, it's not NA in terms of sexiness - let's just be clear on that. But I didn't miss the heat, because it really was so relatable as someone who frequently roots for couples to get together in books, TV shows, movies, etc. It may be a little cliche, but it was the fluffy sweetness that I needed on a hot summer day, as the drought of my own love life had shriveled my heart to dust.
So what are these POVs that are explored in the book if not Lea and Gabe's? Well, as said, friends and roommates. But there are the more funny ones that make this story completely laugh-out-loud funny and SO entertaining. First of all there's the Squirrel. The Squirrel roams the college campus in search of his acorns, because WHERE DID HE HIDE THEM? CAN HE FIND THEM AGAIN? The mystery persists. No, I'm kidding, but he gets fed by Lea and grows to like her, while he grows to tolerate Gabe.
[image]
There's also the Bench, who observes a couple conversations between Lea, Gabe, and their friends over the course of the year, while also providing a meaningful commentary on the value of good butts. You may think I'm joking. I'm really not.
I'm the oldest bench on this green and I get no respect.
I'd like to say there are worthwhile things about the job. And maybe sometimes there are. Sometimes you get a really perfect butt; however, all rear ends are not created equal.
The one currently seated upon me is the kind I appreciate, it's the kind of behind that I would invite back time and again if I had the ability to speak. And the best part is that it seems to be attached to a person who wants nothing more than to sit. No chatting, no moving around, no graffiti or gum. I could get used to this.
A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall
So now you know. Respect your benches. No but seriously, at that point, I was basically on the floor laughing.
But there are more human POVs as well, which perfectly display the full range of levels of shipping. There's the professor of the creative writing class, Inga, who picks out Gabe and Lea in her first lecture and instantly knows that's the couple that she's going to try to get together that semester. She tries her best to devise situations in which they are forced to talk and work together and gushes about their cuteness to her wife (lesbian couple ftw). On the other side of the spectrum, there's Victor, their classmate, who is the most hilarious pessimist who hates everything - ESPECIALLY how cute and perfect Gabe and Lea are for each other (or, Big Foot and Giraffe, as he lovingly calls them). In between, there are more passive observers: the bus driver who notices they come and go from the same stops but never talk to each other, the barista whose colleagues are big shippers and gradually gets drawn in herself by Lea and Gabe's frequent and weirdly coincidental encounters at the Starbucks, the Chinese food delivery guy who is baffled by identical orders coming from the same dorm for two different people at the same time... Every single POV is distinct and extremely entertaining, which speaks to the quality of Sandy Hall's writing.
The level of entertainment is, obviously, extremely high - but the relationship doesn't just thrive on the meet-cute idea and all these fate-like moments that indicate that Lea and Gabe are perfect for each other. Nor is their relationship perfect when it finally does evolve. Both Lea and Gabe - but particularly Gabe - have some issues in their past that they're working through. It doesn't get dark or anything, but it adds the level of heartfelt depth the relationship needs to not be too corny or perfect. It's not a fairytale book, and it doesn't carry the perfectly happily ever after ending that would make it fall completely out of the realm of believability. But it is sweet and made of happiness.
The only remotely negative thing I have to say is that there's an unfortunate amount of hating on one of the girl characters in the story: Hillary. She sits in their creative writing class and quickly tries to put the moves on Gabe. Sadly, this is met with SCORN by all, especially the professor Inga, and though I can understand the frustrations of someone getting in the way of your OTP, since this is real life, it was disturbing. Particularly Inga's thoughts about her, practically making Hillary out to be a slut for liking Gabe, were upsetting - but more upsetting was the fact that this thought was echoed by other characters. Not one of them seemed to think that Hillary was worth anything. Though I could brush this off for the humor, cuteness, and entertainment of the story, it's something I could have lived without.
Summing Up:
A Little Something Different is an ode to shipping. It's made of cuteness, giggles, sugar, spice, and everything nice. Possibly getting side tracked, but still - anyone who has ever been in any kind of fandom, who has shipped a couple so hard it resulted in physical flailing and squealing, who is a fan of happiness, needs this book in their life. I see myself rereading this whenever I need a dosage of good cheer. Instant good mood!
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of adorable love stories like Meant to Be, The Distance Between Us, On the Fence, and Fangirl.
*ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Jun 22, 2014
Jul 14, 2014
Apr 02, 2014
Paperback
147676316X
9781476763163
147676316X
3.99
9,777
Jun 24, 2014
Jun 24, 2014
it was amazing
5 stars
So if you know me, you'll probably have heard at one point or another that I'm seriously obsessed with the webseries The Lizzie Bennet Diaries 5 stars
So if you know me, you'll probably have heard at one point or another that I'm seriously obsessed with the webseries The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube. For those who are unfamiliar (where have you been??!?!) the webseries is a modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice, which takes place in the form of vlogs in which Lizzie Bennet tells the audience about her daily life and her familial and romantic drama. The adaptation was actually an immersive transmedia experience, using multiple platforms including Twitter accounts for the characters, Instagram accounts, Tumblr posts, etc, in which the audience's reactions also played a role sometimes. For about a year, the story played out gradually over time, and it was a viral hit. I was not alone in my unabashed love for the series.
So when I heard that they were bringing out a book to go with the series, my first thought was, "Wait? What? Are we now doing a retelling of a retelling? Umm, fan exploitation much?" But I discarded that thought soon after - because by reading the synopsis I realized that this book would just be another addition to this truly immersive experience, showing exclusive bonus content you would otherwise miss out on. And I was not wrong, my love for the whole universe of Lizzie Bennet grew exponentially with this book.
So what the book actually is is Lizzie's diary (couldn't have figured that out yourselves, huh?). It takes us in depth into her life and shows us other aspects that she doesn't share on camera. The first thing that stood out to me is that the book perfectly captures Lizzie's voice. Now, you shouldn't be that surprised, because one of the authors, Bernie Su, was the creator of the webseries. But How much of the voice is the script and how much is the actor? Basically, while reading The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet, it was as if the actress Ashley Clements was narrating it to me in my head. It had that perfect blend of sarcasm, intellectualism, and snark.
What I possibly loved most about all the behind-the-scenes stuff we got to see in the book is the relationship between Lizzie and her dad. Yes, there are actual scenes described where Lizzie and her sisters are interacting with their parents - who were always a bit of a mystery in the webseries itself. Just like the webseries adaptation did for the story, the way that these characters are transformed into modern day characters was smart, fitting, and totally engaging. I mean, I love Pride and Prejudice - the book, the movie, and the miniseries - and that relationship between Lizzie and her father has always been really special to me. (I am a daddy's girl, after all.) But seriously, their scenes together with their humorous banter and true familial love just put a bit of a tear in my eye. So wonderful.
The book also reveals some other things that Lizzie was not willing to fully divulge on camera: the full letter that Darcy wrote (asdfjkl; swooooooooooon) and text messages with Wickham (ewwwwwwwww). You really get a sense of seeing the whole story in so much more detail, which adds to the webseries experience when you start considering characters in different ways and when you realize precisely how on point all of the acting was. A rather simple love story suddenly has this immensely beautiful universe of a story... I loved every second of it.
But let's be real, for fans of the series, what you'll be most excited for is DAT ENDING. The ending, in fact, is what I read FIRST - together with Gillian in New York, the day that we got our hands on the precious. We sat, two little fangirls in a row, alternately squealing, flailing, and giggling. It's just so. freaking. perfect. So many feels. Any LBD fan will just NEED to get their hands on this.
Summing Up:
For any LBD seahorse, this book is a must read. And for those who have not yet established themselves as seahorses - please, go watch the webseries - you won't be sorry. The book really perfectly allowed me to experience the story all over again and showed me more than enough other angles to truly add to the experience. My shipper heart was happy with all of the additional feels from the ending. How bloody brilliant. And, as an additional note, the Pemberly Digital team has announced that next year there will be a follow-up book from Lydia's point of view! It goes without saying that I am already impatient to have that baby in my hands.
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
[image]
[image]
[image]
Recommended To:
Everyone who has watched the series - and those who haven't, CATCH UP, DO IT, DO IT NOWWWWWW.
*Copy obtained for free at BEA 2014. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review. ...more
So if you know me, you'll probably have heard at one point or another that I'm seriously obsessed with the webseries The Lizzie Bennet Diaries 5 stars
So if you know me, you'll probably have heard at one point or another that I'm seriously obsessed with the webseries The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube. For those who are unfamiliar (where have you been??!?!) the webseries is a modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice, which takes place in the form of vlogs in which Lizzie Bennet tells the audience about her daily life and her familial and romantic drama. The adaptation was actually an immersive transmedia experience, using multiple platforms including Twitter accounts for the characters, Instagram accounts, Tumblr posts, etc, in which the audience's reactions also played a role sometimes. For about a year, the story played out gradually over time, and it was a viral hit. I was not alone in my unabashed love for the series.
So when I heard that they were bringing out a book to go with the series, my first thought was, "Wait? What? Are we now doing a retelling of a retelling? Umm, fan exploitation much?" But I discarded that thought soon after - because by reading the synopsis I realized that this book would just be another addition to this truly immersive experience, showing exclusive bonus content you would otherwise miss out on. And I was not wrong, my love for the whole universe of Lizzie Bennet grew exponentially with this book.
So what the book actually is is Lizzie's diary (couldn't have figured that out yourselves, huh?). It takes us in depth into her life and shows us other aspects that she doesn't share on camera. The first thing that stood out to me is that the book perfectly captures Lizzie's voice. Now, you shouldn't be that surprised, because one of the authors, Bernie Su, was the creator of the webseries. But How much of the voice is the script and how much is the actor? Basically, while reading The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet, it was as if the actress Ashley Clements was narrating it to me in my head. It had that perfect blend of sarcasm, intellectualism, and snark.
What I possibly loved most about all the behind-the-scenes stuff we got to see in the book is the relationship between Lizzie and her dad. Yes, there are actual scenes described where Lizzie and her sisters are interacting with their parents - who were always a bit of a mystery in the webseries itself. Just like the webseries adaptation did for the story, the way that these characters are transformed into modern day characters was smart, fitting, and totally engaging. I mean, I love Pride and Prejudice - the book, the movie, and the miniseries - and that relationship between Lizzie and her father has always been really special to me. (I am a daddy's girl, after all.) But seriously, their scenes together with their humorous banter and true familial love just put a bit of a tear in my eye. So wonderful.
The book also reveals some other things that Lizzie was not willing to fully divulge on camera: the full letter that Darcy wrote (asdfjkl; swooooooooooon) and text messages with Wickham (ewwwwwwwww). You really get a sense of seeing the whole story in so much more detail, which adds to the webseries experience when you start considering characters in different ways and when you realize precisely how on point all of the acting was. A rather simple love story suddenly has this immensely beautiful universe of a story... I loved every second of it.
But let's be real, for fans of the series, what you'll be most excited for is DAT ENDING. The ending, in fact, is what I read FIRST - together with Gillian in New York, the day that we got our hands on the precious. We sat, two little fangirls in a row, alternately squealing, flailing, and giggling. It's just so. freaking. perfect. So many feels. Any LBD fan will just NEED to get their hands on this.
Summing Up:
For any LBD seahorse, this book is a must read. And for those who have not yet established themselves as seahorses - please, go watch the webseries - you won't be sorry. The book really perfectly allowed me to experience the story all over again and showed me more than enough other angles to truly add to the experience. My shipper heart was happy with all of the additional feels from the ending. How bloody brilliant. And, as an additional note, the Pemberly Digital team has announced that next year there will be a follow-up book from Lydia's point of view! It goes without saying that I am already impatient to have that baby in my hands.
GIF it to me straight!
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Recommended To:
Everyone who has watched the series - and those who haven't, CATCH UP, DO IT, DO IT NOWWWWWW.
*Copy obtained for free at BEA 2014. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the contents of the review. ...more
Notes are private!
1
Jun 03, 2014
Jun 06, 2014
Feb 24, 2014
Paperback
0062238426
9780062238429
0062238426
3.67
4,625
May 20, 2014
May 20, 2014
really liked it
4.5 stars
When I first saw The Art of Lainey pop up on Edelweiss, I thought it sounded good and cute, but I wasn't immediately sold. I put it in the ba 4.5 stars
When I first saw The Art of Lainey pop up on Edelweiss, I thought it sounded good and cute, but I wasn't immediately sold. I put it in the back of my head to check out later. THANKFULLY, the author kept me from making the grievous mistake of passing up on the chance to read this early. She emailed me, asking me to review it, saying that she thought I would like it based on books I had loved, like Meant to Be. Oh man. She's good. She got me right then and there. And she was not wrong. I loved Meant to Be and I loved The Art of Lainey.
So The Art of Lainey is about a girl who gets dumped and wants to win back her boyfriend using tactics from The Art of War. Right away, I was struck with the refreshing tone of the novel. The writing style is fluid and entertaining. The main character, Lainey, is awesome. And I don't use such words lightly. How often have we had main characters who are the shy, bookwormy types? The new girl, the loner outcast? Lainey is not that. In fact, she's pretty popular. She actually doesn't like reading. She's good at sports, goes to parties, has many friends... But she still has her own issues to deal with. Seriously, it was so refreshing to have a main character like that in contemporary YA.
Not only is the main character a breath of fresh air, but the entire cast of characters was refreshingly realistic. They are honest. They have flaws and make mistakes. They grow. The relationships are beautiful - not just the romance, but the friendships and families as well. It just created this beautiful full picture that I could completely relate to.
But this is contemporary romance, guys, so you know what's up. The Art of War is all about sneaky tactics, deceiving your enemy and making him weak. With the coaching of her awesome bff, Bianca, she comes up with a plan. She gets Micah, a rebellious-looking coworker, to pretend to be her boyfriend. Oh. Hell. Yes. Guys. I don't know if I've told you this before, but "fake" relationships are one of my favorite romantic tropes in the world. So many shenanigans and teasing and pushing boundaries and stuff and then those feelings become REAL!?!
[image]
The two are freaking gold together. I absolutely adore Micah. He's rough around the edges, and he has his own issues. He comes from a very different walk of life compared to Lainey, so when they start hanging out, people are concerned. However, they just have so much fun together, and along the way, Lainey starts discovering parts of her she never even really knew. This is how I like my relationships guys. Relationships are all about having fun, being yourself, and making each other grow, be happy, and be confident. And then the chemistry! The tension! SWOONING. SWOON ALERT.
[image]
I was majorly invested in this romance, to the point where I was reading it on the train and the hour and a half just FLEW by. This book is damn addictive. I had to FORCE myself to look up every once in a while to make sure I hadn't passed my stop. I haven't had that with a book in forever. I was ignorant of the whole world. Nothing existed except me and this book, and we were meant to be together, because it was making me so damn happy.
Summing Up:
You guys know I love my fluffy books, and The Art of Lainey is right up there with the best of them. It was a refreshing voice bringing a super entertaining and romantic story. I swooned and flailed and giggled, and all my worries were left far behind me. Are you a fan of sheer happiness? You should read this book. So before I go off now to pre-order my copy (because yes this book will be re-read), I want to thank Paula forever for making sure I didn't miss out on this absolute beauty. This book and I were meant to be (hey-o), and I can't wait to check out your other books! :)
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of HAPPINESS (*cough* okay or fans of Lauren Morrill, Kody Keplinger, or Kasie West)
*ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of the review. PINKY SWEAR! ...more
When I first saw The Art of Lainey pop up on Edelweiss, I thought it sounded good and cute, but I wasn't immediately sold. I put it in the ba 4.5 stars
When I first saw The Art of Lainey pop up on Edelweiss, I thought it sounded good and cute, but I wasn't immediately sold. I put it in the back of my head to check out later. THANKFULLY, the author kept me from making the grievous mistake of passing up on the chance to read this early. She emailed me, asking me to review it, saying that she thought I would like it based on books I had loved, like Meant to Be. Oh man. She's good. She got me right then and there. And she was not wrong. I loved Meant to Be and I loved The Art of Lainey.
So The Art of Lainey is about a girl who gets dumped and wants to win back her boyfriend using tactics from The Art of War. Right away, I was struck with the refreshing tone of the novel. The writing style is fluid and entertaining. The main character, Lainey, is awesome. And I don't use such words lightly. How often have we had main characters who are the shy, bookwormy types? The new girl, the loner outcast? Lainey is not that. In fact, she's pretty popular. She actually doesn't like reading. She's good at sports, goes to parties, has many friends... But she still has her own issues to deal with. Seriously, it was so refreshing to have a main character like that in contemporary YA.
Not only is the main character a breath of fresh air, but the entire cast of characters was refreshingly realistic. They are honest. They have flaws and make mistakes. They grow. The relationships are beautiful - not just the romance, but the friendships and families as well. It just created this beautiful full picture that I could completely relate to.
But this is contemporary romance, guys, so you know what's up. The Art of War is all about sneaky tactics, deceiving your enemy and making him weak. With the coaching of her awesome bff, Bianca, she comes up with a plan. She gets Micah, a rebellious-looking coworker, to pretend to be her boyfriend. Oh. Hell. Yes. Guys. I don't know if I've told you this before, but "fake" relationships are one of my favorite romantic tropes in the world. So many shenanigans and teasing and pushing boundaries and stuff and then those feelings become REAL!?!
[image]
The two are freaking gold together. I absolutely adore Micah. He's rough around the edges, and he has his own issues. He comes from a very different walk of life compared to Lainey, so when they start hanging out, people are concerned. However, they just have so much fun together, and along the way, Lainey starts discovering parts of her she never even really knew. This is how I like my relationships guys. Relationships are all about having fun, being yourself, and making each other grow, be happy, and be confident. And then the chemistry! The tension! SWOONING. SWOON ALERT.
[image]
I was majorly invested in this romance, to the point where I was reading it on the train and the hour and a half just FLEW by. This book is damn addictive. I had to FORCE myself to look up every once in a while to make sure I hadn't passed my stop. I haven't had that with a book in forever. I was ignorant of the whole world. Nothing existed except me and this book, and we were meant to be together, because it was making me so damn happy.
Summing Up:
You guys know I love my fluffy books, and The Art of Lainey is right up there with the best of them. It was a refreshing voice bringing a super entertaining and romantic story. I swooned and flailed and giggled, and all my worries were left far behind me. Are you a fan of sheer happiness? You should read this book. So before I go off now to pre-order my copy (because yes this book will be re-read), I want to thank Paula forever for making sure I didn't miss out on this absolute beauty. This book and I were meant to be (hey-o), and I can't wait to check out your other books! :)
GIF it to me straight!
[image]
Recommended To:
Fans of HAPPINESS (*cough* okay or fans of Lauren Morrill, Kody Keplinger, or Kasie West)
*ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of the review. PINKY SWEAR! ...more
Notes are private!
1
Mar 20, 2014
Mar 24, 2014
Feb 10, 2014
Paperback
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