How to Seduce a Band Geek by Cassie Mae (Blog Tour)

Sierra Livingston’s got it bad for her sister’s best friend, Levi Mason—the boy who carries his drumsticks in his pocket, marches with the school’s band, and taps his feet to whatever beat runs through his head. Sierra racks her brain for ways to impress the sexy drummer, but the short skirts and bursting cleavage don’t seem to cut it.

When Sierra gets paired with Levi’s sister, Brea, for a mentorship program, they strike a deal. In exchange for Sierra keeping her mouth shut about Brea ditching the program, Brea lets Sierra dig for more info on Levi to help get the guy of her dreams.

But when Sierra discovers Levi no longer plays the drums, his family has moved into a trailer, and he’s traded in his Range Rover for a baby blue moped, Sierra’s not sure if she can go through with violating his privacy. She’ll have to find the courage to ask him straight out—if he’s willing to let her in—and explore other ways to seduce the school’s band geek.

My Thoughts:

Cassie's books always make my cheeks hurt by the time I'm done. This book was just freaking adorable and filled me with all the happy feels. It is definitely a book that I would pick up on a bad day just to lift up my spirits. I really don't think anything I write can do it justice but I will try. :) 

I really didn't think after HOW TO DATE A NERD that I could find another nerdy little couple that I would think we're absolute perfection...boy was I wrong! Sierra and Levi are the cutest ever! Her with all her rambling awkwardness and the way she puffs out her cheeks when she's nervous, and him with his piccolo and scratching his nose when he's nervous. Match. Made. In. Heaven. I love the slow build for their relationship and how they had this crazy chemistry but took their time and didn't just jump into anything. Let me just say...EPIC first kiss. EPIC. 

While Sierra and Levi's relationship was one of my favorite things about this book, the book also focused on Sierra becoming comfortable with who she is and just being herself. Sierra has to deal with a quite a bit of mockery at school and I thought she did a pretty good job of basically ignoring it. (Even though I really was screaming "Girl, shove that donut in her face!") She grows quite a bit in this book and I enjoyed seeing that journey.

Two of Sierra's friends that I want to mention are Adam and Sydney. They are also social outcasts and that is something that has brought them all three together. I adored Adam. I really hope there will be a book about him coming soon! He is such a great friend to Sierra and had her back so many times. Sydney on the other hand I simply could not stand. This girl does some things that made me want to reach through the book and throttle her, seriously. 

I was super excited to see Zoe and Zak quite a bit in this book. I love that we got to know a little more of what happened to them and what their future holds. Sierra and Zoe's relationship has definitely evolved since HtDaN and I love how they are now. Zoe helps Sierra out quite a bit and I love how Sierra tended to turn to Zoe when she needed advice about things.

This is definitely another hit from Cassie Mae and I can't wait to read whatever she writes next! I majorly recommend this book for anyone who wants to have a smile put on their face. 

My Rating:
♥♥♥♥♥

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

**Thank you Harper Teen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.

Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.

The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

. 

My Thoughts:

Psychological thrillers are my bread and butter! I've been excited to read this book for months now and I'm so glad it didn't disappoint me! To top it off this is a dystopian that definitely has its own uniqueness so I never found myself bored 

The whole concept of The Murder Complex and the reason for it was completely engrossing and I eagerly turned the pages to find out what was going on and to know all the secrets. The world building was awesome. I could vividly see the Shallows and the way everyone was living within the Perimeter. Cummings definitely knows how to show detail in her writing and it made me feel like I was really there the entire time. The story was really fast paced and filled with action; I constantly wanted to skip forward to see how things would turn out because I was being crazy impatient!

The story switched point of views between Meadow and Zephyr. Meadow is one of the toughest heroines I have read about. She was tough as nails and did what she had to do without even flinching. Her dad brought her up like a warrior and the girl could kick some major butt. Zephyr had an interesting story and finding out why he was the way he was definitely one of my favorite parts. I only wish that Zephyr hadn't of been so soft. He had this whole other side to him and it was literally like night and day, I really hope in the next book he hardens some emotionally. I know that sounds weird but once you read it maybe you will understand.

I really liked seeing a little bit of a softer side of Meadow that was reserved for her family, which consisted of her brother (Koi), sister (Peri), and her dad. Even though her dad scared the bejesus out if me most the time!! Seriously, I get why he did the things he did but man! Meadow really looks out for her sister and there is a little cliffhanger at the end with Peri that really has me eager for the next book.

I had a few cons with the book that are just some of my personal pet peeves, the happenings between Meadow and Zephyr I really wish would have been slower. I wanted Meadow to really stay hard towards him for the entire book. It felt like the things that happened moved too fast and I just would have preferred a slower build for them. Just some of the scenes of them two together didn't fit with Meadow's personality in my opinion. Another issue I had was the scenes towards the end between Meadow and the creator of The Murder Complex patients. They felt kind of rushed and confusing somewhat. I couldn't tell if Meadow was truly mad or not. I feel like I understand how it was supposed to be portrayed but it didn't follow through like it should have. It's really hard to explain because I can't say too much because it's a major spoiler. 

The ending definitely has a cliffhanger which makes me very eager for the next book. I can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy of this book! If you love fast paced thrillers I would definitely recommend that you read this book! 

My Rating:

♥♥♥♥

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

**Thank you Penguin for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review 

A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world.
 
Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic…. She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

My Thoughts:

Let me say one word about this book that is the best description for it...BEAUTIFUL. From the writing to the scenes everything was beautiful. 

This is my first LaCour book and one of the main things that drew me in was that it had diversity in it. This is essentially a love story between two girls, Emi and Ava, and as I read also found that Emi is a mixed race. I find these tidbits refreshing and I hope to see a lot more diversity in YA like this.

Even though this book was overall about Emi and Ava the part I most enjoyed was Emi's job. I loved seeing these behind the scenes of filming and how Emi made a set come to life. It was all so intriguing and it actually helped me learn so much about Emi and really connect with her. She really loves what she does and her inner voice really shows that and it was just beautiful (told you this was the best word for everything). 

I really liked the dynamic between Emi and Charlotte, her best friend. Charlotte was such a good friend to Emi and was really there for her the entire way through the story. I wasn't a huge fan of Morgan but I think she made me learn more about Emi along the way. I really wish there had been more Jamal in the story and that I had even learned a little bit more background about him. I also enjoyed meeting Lenny (even though it was brief) and it made me wish there had been an epilogue to see what happens in the future with that story line. 

One main thing in this book was the mystery of Ava and her family, while I found that to be an interesting plot it wasn't my favorite. It was entertaining but kind of seemed quite pointless for the most part. Things were found out pretty easily, almost too easily at times, and then the one part that I really wanted to know I never got closure on, and that was things with Tracey. I feel like whatever her deal was I'm still in the dark about and I really wanted to know what the problem was. There was a lot of speculation on Ava's part but never any solid answers. But I guess it's just one of those things I will never know. If anyone read between the lines and figured that out please enlighten me because I want solid answers, not speculation.

Overall this is definitely one of the better YA Contemporaries I have read and you guys know I'm SUPER picky when it comes to this genre. I would definitely give her other books a try because I really do adore her writing. I would recommend this book to everyone and just to let you know majority of my blogger friends who LOVE contemporary gave this a 5 star, so it is very possible that the things that bothered me are just because I'm knit picky when it comes to this genre. 

Rating:

♥♥♥♥

Up For Grabs by Heather Young-Nichols (Blog Tour)

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Released May 6, 2014

Published by Swoon Romance

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iTunes | Kobo

When Flannery Tate left home for a college halfway across the country in Michigan, she'd only planned on getting an education. But when Cain Dorsey walked into her life, she had no choice but to fall for him. However, what’s a girl to do when her scholarship well runs dry? Return home? Get a job?

Flannery gets creative. She decides to sell the most precious and valuable thing she can - her virginity - to the highest bidder. When Cain discovers her plan, their world crumbles. Will they be able to move past her betrayal and find a way back to each other? Or, is this the beginning of the end? UP FOR GRABS is a story of love, heartbreak and truth.

Find on Goodreads here

My Thoughts:

This was a fun, fast paced New Adult book. Flannery is a sweet girl who gets in a tough spot when she loses her scholarship. She sees a news story about someone selling their V-Card for money and decides that she will do this to pay for college, only snag is that she has a boyfriend....Cain. Of course Cainn has no clue about this plan so you can imagine his reaction when he does find out.

Flannery wasn't my favorite character of all time but she had a good voice and was easy to enjoy. Cain I absolutely adored. He had me at the point where he makes a gesture with coffee in class...you will see it when you get there. He reacts I think as any typical male would when he finds out about what Flannery is planning to do. I can't say I blame him, I can think of a MILLION other ways to try to save my college career, BUT that is the story line so we are going with it here. ;D I adored Adam and Kendra and would really like to see a book about them eventually. The banter between Adam and Flannery was also entertaining and what actually drew me in at the beginning. 

A few cons I had with this book was the pacing of Flannery and Cain's relationship. I wish it had taken a bit of a slower pace in the beginning, but it wasn't exactly insta-love so it was still pretty realistic. It honestly probably won't bother most, but you all know I'm knit picky with my contemporary. Even though I knew the premise of the story was about Flannery selling her V Card for college, it still was hard for me to grasp why she didn't seek out other options first. Oh and Cain's brother....he's definitely a con. 

I think this was a great, entertaining debut for the Young-Nichols and I hope to see more from her soon. As always Swoon Romance has published another wonderful book!!

My Rating:

♥♥♥♥

Heather Young-Nichols was born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan and graduated from nearby Saginaw Valley State University with a degree in sociology. The only thing that rivals her love of reading is her love of baseball. When not with her husband and three kids or the cat that likes to bite, she is working to bring the characters in her head to life.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

The Art of Lainey by Paul Stokes + ARC and Swag Pack Giveaway

** Thank you HarperTeen for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.

And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.

What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with, if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be?

My Thoughts:

THE ART OF LAINEY has definitely been one of my top books so far this year. When I got done reading it I seriously just wanted to hug it tight to my chest and NEVER EVER let it go! It is THAT awesome! It is one that I know I will definitely want to pick up on a day where I need some major feels that will lift my spirits. Plus reading about Micah is something I could do ANY time.  ;D

Paula does such a good job bringing Lainey and her story to life.  I quickly became very absorbed in Lainey’s story. I also liked the unique spin of how Bianca suggests that Lainey uses the ART OF WAR as a 

guidebook to getting back her ex, Jason. 

Lainey was a bit of a spoiled brat in the beginning but as time goes on she really begins to find herself and she has a lot of character growth. Bianca, her best friend, was one of my favorites.  She was such an awesome friend to Lainey and she tried to help her out with her problems even though I don’t think she particularly cared to help where Jason was involved. Kendall, Lainey’s other best friend (aka Jason’s sister), was definitely one of my least favorite characters. She cares about nothing but herself and that definitely isn’t something that changes. There were SEVERAL instances that I wanted to smack the mess out of her, especially a certain scene involving Michah’s little sister. Jason was nothing spectacular in my opinion. I really never could figure out why Lainey wanted him back so much, besides the fact that she was already comfortable with him. I was so ready for her to get rid of his skeezy butt.

Now MICAH…ah he is the definition of perfection. I love the fact that he wasn’t your normal jock type and he was rocking the Mohawk and all into music. He is such a great guy and when he and Lainey decided to try to win their exes back working together I quickly started hoping that something would happen between them. One of the first things that won me over with Micah was the way that he was with his little sister. You have to love a guy that is so protective of his family. Micah definitely ends up being an important part of Lainey’s life and I loved going on that journey with them and feeling all the swoons. ♥

This is a MUST read for any fan of contemporary or books in general. I think it is good for a wide audience and it’s one that anyone can enjoy. I can’t wait for the release of Micah’s novella, and I’m majorly hoping for a book about Bianca and Leo, and one about Micah’s sister. Fingers are crossed! 

Rating:

♥♥♥♥♥

Now since I love you guys I'm going to offer up my ARC and a swag pack for a giveaway. It is VERY hard for me to part with this ARC because I have a worry that I will feel the urge to pick it up and read it before July when I get to meet Paula and buy my book O.O But sharing is caring SO....

Giveaway:

US only 

13+ to enter

Cheating will result in disqualification 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci

**Thank you Macmillan for providing me with an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review 

On their way to start a new life, Tula and her family travel on the Prairie Rose, a colony ship headed to a planet in the outer reaches of the galaxy. All is going well until the ship makes a stop at a remote space station, the Yertina Feray, and the colonist's leader, Brother Blue, beats Tula within an inch of her life. An alien, Heckleck, saves her and teaches her the ways of life on the space station.

When three humans crash land onto the station, Tula's desire for escape becomes irresistible, and her desire for companionship becomes unavoidable. But just as Tula begins to concoct a plan to get off the space station and kill Brother Blue, everything goes awry, and suddenly romance is the farthest thing from her mind. 

My Thoughts:

Let me start by saying I have been putting off this book for a few months now because I have seen so many mixed review and I am so picky when it comes to science fiction genre. Now that I have read it I wish I would have read it sooner. TIN STAR definitely took me by surprise.

Tula is the only human left aboard the ship, Yertina Feray after being betrayed by Brother Blue. Even left in this place where she is so uncomfortable she is able to hold her own. She bonds with Heckleck, an alien living in the undergutts of the ship where she is staying, and quickly figures out how to make her life work on the ship. She also finds herself with a bond to Tournour, who is a higher ranking alien on the ship. I love how strong she is throughout the story and she doesn't break down and complain about it. Tula does what needs to be done no matter what. 

The pacing of the story is slower than I'm used to but the writing is so beautiful that it didn't honestly bother me. I also felt that the first half NEEDed to be paced that way. There is also a lot of telling rather than showing of certain things in the story but once again the writing made it so detailed and it just worked. I was quickly taken in by TIN STAR. 

When 3 other humans (Reza, Caleb, Els) eventually come aboard the ship, Tula is very wary of them and I thought that was really smart. I really didn't feel much attachment to any of them for the most part. I instantly didn't like Els, and the boys just didn't interest me at all. The small bit of romance that does happen within the human group in this book bothered me. I didn't really care for that part of the story, it fit somewhat, but just wasn't a fan of it. 

The second half of the book definitely picked up pace and a lot happened. When some of the truth comes out about Brother Blue I wasn't completely shocked, they were things I had suspicions about but it was still entertaining to see how he was doing it. Tournour's role in everything definitely made me smile and he quickly became one of my favorite characters in this book along with Heckleck and Tula. 

I definitely plan on ordering a copy of TIN STAR for myself and will be reading the next installment coming out in Feb 2015. I recommend for fans of THE HOST. 

Rating:

♥♥♥♥

Tease by Amanda Maciel

**Thank you HarperTeen for a copy of this ARC on exchange for an honest review 

From debut author Amanda Maciel comes a provocative and unforgettable novel, inspired by real-life incidents, about a teenage girl who faces criminal charges for bullying after a classmate commits suicide.

Emma Putnam is dead, and it's all Sara Wharton's fault. At least, that's what everyone seems to think. Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, has been criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma's shocking suicide. Now Sara is the one who's ostracized, already guilty according to her peers, the community, and the media. In the summer before her senior year, in between meetings with lawyers and a court-recommended therapist, Sara is forced to reflect on the events that brought her to this moment—and ultimately consider her own role in an undeniable tragedy. And she'll have to find a way to move forward, even when it feels like her own life is over.

My Thoughts

My first thought after reading this book...and honestly the whole time reading this book was "is this seriously how high school kids treat each other now??” I know that bullying happens, and maybe it's because I'm from a small town and a whole lot doesn't happen here BUT this book honestly terrifies me for my kid's sakes. I never want my kid to be like Brielle or Sara, or even like Emma. It is such a heartbreaking story.

TEASE really turns the tables by telling the story from the bully's perspective versus the victims, which is more common in books. While I really hated the majority of the things Sara did and the way she handled things they still didn't make me completely hate her. I honestly felt like if she wasn't friends with Brielle she would have been a good kid, not that this is a valid excuse for her, but it's the truth. They had a highly poisonous friendship and Brielle was definitely the poison. I even felt like Sara and Emma could have been friends if it hadn't been for certain influences, and Emma even tries to point this out in her own way.

This book was really an emotional one. I think anyone having experienced bullying might even find it hard to read if it hit them personally. You can really sympathize with Emma throughout the book and see even from Sara's eyes that something was truly hurting this girl, even outside of the bullying. I do wish that I could have found out Emma's story. I think she had things going on in her home life; I want to know why she transferred schools, and what the deal with her step-dad was. Here's hoping for a novella maybe. 

The guys in this book (besides Carmichael); let’s just say I hope my daughter never likes one like these. I found Dylan to be such a creep. In my opinion he was after one thing with Sara to start with then he does all the things that cause more issues between her and Emma. I wanted to shake Sara when she kept talking to him after everything that happened. Just because Dylan didn't bully Emma, it didn't make him a good guy like he was somewhat portrayed at different times. He was a jerk. Plain and simple. 

And teen girls are guys seriously like these in this book?? If so I'm just locking my daughter up now. Seriously, ugh.

Carmichael was a breath of fresh air when it came to characters in this book. For some unknown crazy reason he was nice to Sara when no one else was. Sara quickly became an outcast but he was a great friend to her and a genuinely nice guy. I wouldn't mind seeing more of him either. 

Overall I liked this book. I think it is a real eye opener to how bullying can get really out of hand now and how kids really don't think when they do these things. Consequences happen when people get hurt physically, emotionally, or mentally and I think people tend to forget this because at the time they are just making themselves feel good, and I think being in Sara's head really showed how easily it is to get caught up in that kind of atmosphere. I would definitely recommend picking it up but just know this isn't a book meant to give you the warm and fuzzies and it won't make you want the characters as your BFF. 

My Rating:

♥♥♥♥

Have you read TEASE? What were your thoughts? 

Between the Spark and the Burn GIVEAWAY

So Penguin is AWESOME and sent me this frickin kick butt package this week!

Behold the pretties ♥

And as you can see I ended up with two ARCs of BETWEEN THE SPARK AND THE BURN, which means you guys have a chance to win a copy!!! This will be a US only giveaway for the ARC, UNLESS if you are INTL you are wiling to pay the difference in shipping costs. Completely up to you. :)

GOOD LUCK! 

Giveaway:

US only

INTL can enter if willing to pay difference in shipping 

13+ to enter

Cheating will result in disqualification 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dangerous Dreams by Kami Garcia

**Thank you Little, Brown Book for providing me with an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review 

Catch up with Ethan, Lena, and Link as they finally graduate from high school and get ready to leave the small Southern town of Gatlin. But when Dark Caster Ridley makes an appearance, the sometime bad girl can't resist picking a fight with her sometime boyfriend, Link. Angry and rebellious as ever, Ridley ends up alone in New York City and becomes entangled in the dangerous underground Caster club scene, where the stakes are high and losers pay the ultimate price.Where's a Linkubus when you need him?

Mini Review

I liked the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series okay but was never a HUGE fan of it. My favorite characters just happened to be Link and Ridley so when I saw this novella I thought I would give it a shot. Sadly it did not do much for me. The short time it showed Link was very disappointing and Ridley just wasn't that interesting for me. She was a little over the top. I found the pacing to be slow and could not connect with the characters or the plot in anyway. The entire story felt like if someone had been reading it to me it would be mono-tone. 

In my opinion this should have just been a part of DANGEROUS CREATURES due to come out and was a pointless novella. Unfortunately it didn't amp me up to dive into DANGEROUS CREATURES, it just solidified my thoughts that these books and writing are not for me. BUT I do feel this is just my opinion, I think big fans of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES will thoroughly enjoy this book and will want to dive into this new series with the way this novella ended. 

Rating:

♥♥

Are you a big fan of the Beautiful Creatures series? Are you looking forward to this book?

House of Ivy and Sorrow by Natalie Whipple

**Thank you HarperTeen for providing me with an eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review! 

Josephine Hemlock has spent the last 10 years hiding from the Curse that killed her mother. But when a mysterious man arrives at her ivy-covered, magic-fortified home, it’s clear her mother’s killer has finally come to destroy the rest of the Hemlock bloodline. Before Jo can even think about fighting back, she must figure out who she’s fighting in the first place. The more truth Jo uncovers, the deeper she falls into witchcraft darker than she ever imagined. Trapped and running out of time, she begins to wonder if the very Curse that killed her mother is the only way to save everyone she loves.

Thoughts:

I don't know how to even begin this review. *sigh*

I enjoyed it. There is a good storyline with the witches and the magic. (Even though the payment for magic made me squirm a few times.) The back story of the Hemlock witches and the witches in general I found to be very interesting. But I wasn't just head over heels for it. I felt that it all had so much more potential. Almost like the book was scratching the surface of an epic story but it just needed to keep digging a little harder. I don't even know if that makes sense to anyone but it's the best way I can explain it. 

There were a lot of really good scenes in this book. Ones that would really have me engrossed and thinking "here we go, this is what I like". I would get excited and be on the verge of feeling like something angst-y or climatic might happen on for it to get about midways and then just stay there. *sigh* But then the characters would act as if something climatic had happened and I'm over her thinking "that was so anticlimactic". I just wanted to FEEL more!!

A lot of the relationship in this book really made me like it though. I loved Jo and Nana's relationship. I also loved the friendship portrayed of Jo, Gwen, and Kat. The sacrifices they all make during this story were insanely awesome and I don't know if I can honestly say if I could ever be that great of a friend. One relationship I didn't care for was Jo and Winn's. I just wasn't a fan. I didn't find it believable at all, and I'm a REALLY tough sell when it comes to romance story lines. One thing I can say though is that their relationship in no way overshadowed the main story in this book so it didn't take away too much for me.

My favorite part of House of Ivy and Sorrow was the magic. It was very detailed and vivid. We were told all the dirty details and even the gruesome sacrifices. I loved that this magic wasn't something like in other books where they were all just going around with a magic wand but had to sacrifice things to use their magic. I didn't care to see them using "flashy magic" and they didn't.

I also want to mention Levi. I really would have loved for him to be a bigger part of the book. I feel like we were meant to feel like he was super important but it wasn't displayed. He was here and there but instead of feeling like he was an important role I was just told he was which saddens me because his character has so much potential.  

Overall it was a quick read; I enjoyed it for the most part I just felt that it could have delivered SO much more. If you have read it and loved it please leave your review links or thoughts for others.

Rating:

♥♥♥ 1/2

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

**Thank you Random House for the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! 

A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
 
We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. 

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

Thoughts:

Wow. Just wow.

I'm going to be honest here....the first half of the book I was kind of back and forth on how I felt about this book. The writing is definitely unique and I wasn't sure if it was for me but my curiosity about Cadence's accident kept me reading. I had to know what happened to her during summer fifteen. So I kept reading. I was thinking I would give this a solid 3.5 because I was enjoying it, it's a quick read, and the story was interesting enough, THEN....THEN the last 30%....the heart-wrenching last 30% of this book made me want to hold it so close and squeeze it so tight and never let go.

This is not something that happens to me often. Usually halfway through a book I know where I stand. The turn of events though and the truth coming out....it was all so unexpected and so tragic. I don't think a book has made me cry like this one did in a long while. I was sobbing like a baby...it was an ugly, ugly cry. 

Liked I stated above, the writing was extremely unique. The way the story is told I felt like I was in a different time, until someone brought up iPads or Angry Birds then I realized I wasn't. Sometimes the writing was almost poetic. I ended up really loving it even though at first I found it to be a little odd. The metaphors worked really well when describing things instead of taking away from the situation or being overdone like I have felt in some books. I also really enjoyed the way there were small fairy tale stories woven in to give little clues about Cadence's life and what happened to her and the Liars. 

The Liars were all very fascinating. Cadence had such a great friendship with them all and you could really see and feel the love they all had for each other. While the book didn't allow me to see a lot of character development for Johnny, Mirren, or Gat, it did for Cadence which really made me attached to her, and this was her story completely. ALL her highs and lows really hit me.

Cadence and Gat had a beautiful summer romance going on but I loved how this didn't overshadow the story or their friendship, it only strengthened everything. I love how different worlds were brought together and even the feeling of them being on the island felt like a different world to them outside of their lives during the year. 

I would highly recommend getting a box of tissues, something to hug, and maybe some chocolate before reading this book. It is definitely needed. Thank you E Lockhart for this touching story that ended up having such an emotional impact on me. 

Rating:

♥♥♥♥ 1/2

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

**Thank you Bloomsbury Kids for providing me an eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! 

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

Thoughts:

I do not know how I am supposed to write a review for this book without it pretty much containing nothing but gushing and fan-girling. It was THAT good. This seriously has got to be one of my favorite YA contemporaries of all times. And if Emery could make Matt Finch seriously come to life there isn't anything I wouldn't do for that woman! He is definitely going on the list of book boyfriends....an honor that does not happen lightly!

Anyways, let me try to at least go about writing a review that makes some sense...this book had all the amazing, swoony, and romantic moments but honestly the best part of this book was the friendship between Dee and Reagan. They were true friends in every sense of the word. They stayed there for each other through thick and thin and no matter what put each other first. I think most people, especially at such a young age, to have that fame would quickly lose themselves and forget their friends, but not Dee, this girl is someone I couldn't help but love and she was the best to Reagan. I love how she kept her so grounded and was just there for her when most people probably would of just walked away. Reagan was a tough girl on the outside, having had a lot of deep rooted issues because of family life but when it came to Dee she let her soft side show and you couldn't have asked for a better person to be on Dee's side when it came down to it. I think both girls really learned a lot from each other and they were such opposites but both searching for the same things at the end of the day....just to be able to find themselves and do the best they could.

Now back to Mr. Finch.....y'all THIS GUY!! I'm such a huge bad boy fan but Matt is just not that, he is sweet, caring, a good friend, just everything great you can think of...that's him. The journey Matt and Reagan go on, I was so wrapped up in it. He was going through his own stuff and somehow he and Reagan helped each other and they just fit. I love that he continuously pushed through her walls and wouldn't back down without a fight. He was just....swoony y'all...that's the best I got....there are no words really.

At the end of this book I was grinning SO huge, I shed a few tears, I said a few awes, and I laughed several laughs. I'm super picky about my contemporaries but this was a 5 star from the beginning. It will make you feel like you are on the tour bus and you will seriously never want to get off! I can NOT recommend this book enough! 

Rating:

♥♥♥♥♥