(Review) Married for Christmas by Noelle Adams

Title: Married for Christmas
Author: Noelle Adams
Series: Willow Park, #1
Published: December 1, 2013 (Createspace)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Digital galley received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: After years of dreaming, Jessica is finally getting married, but the marriage isn't exactly what she thought.

Daniel is her best friend, and she's known him all her life, but he's never gotten over losing his wife two years ago. His dream is to become the pastor of the church in their hometown, but the small-town congregation keeps balking over calling an unmarried minister. Since Daniel needs a wife and Jessica wants a husband and family, she proposes an arrangement that benefits both of them.

They can get married. They can build a life together. They can celebrate Christmas as a couple. It's fine that he doesn't love her. And it's fine that she's not exactly suited to be a small-town pastor's wife. And it's fine that she's more attracted to her sexy, brooding husband every day.

Jessica can be practical about this marriage. She knows what she's getting into, after all...

I was beyond elated when I stumbled across Ruthie Knox's post about this book a few days ago. A Christmas romance! With a marriage of convenience! Between two people who are already friends! Those are three things almost guaranteed to get me to read a book, ALL ROLLED UP INTO ONE LOVELY PACKAGE. Obviously, I needed to read it.

I am happy to say that Married for Christmas fully satisfied my rather high expectations. It was stunning. It made me swoon. It made me giggle quite a bit, because Jessica and Daniel's interactions could be quite amusing. It made me cry, because amidst the fun exchanges, there were buckets and buckets of angst. Watching as problems got resolved, as feelings were revealed? I was blubbering like a baby. Adams captured just how awkward it really would be to suddenly find yourself married to a good friend, despite thinking you were ready for it.

I loved Jessica's pragmatism and her willingness to put herself out there and go after the future she wanted for herself. She did have insecurities, but was honest about herself and her desires most of the time. And Daniel. Oh, Daniel. I do have a fondness for pastor heroes. He wasn't perfect. He had lost his first wife in a car accident two years before and still had not fully accepted that, though he thought he had. He was struggling with things he did not admit to himself or Jessica for a long time. These caused him to withdraw from Jessica, which was perhaps not the best coping mechanism. It led to tension between the two of them that had not been there before. This made for a very uncomfortable situation, given that their marriage was already unconventional. Daniel had issues to work through, and the two of them had issues to work through together. But by the end, I was completely sure about their love for each other and the fact that their marriage was solid and, despite its origins, 100% real.

This book did have a bit of theological and religious discussion - as one would expect - but was definitely not enough to classify it as an inspirational romance. There was quite a bit about the Christmas events Daniel's church was hosting. And it was great! This book really did have Christmas as an integral part of the story, and it made me very happy to see.

I was definitely a fan of Married for Christmas! It was the embodiment of several of my favorite tropes and did not disappoint at all. I will be looking forward to the next books in this series.

First:
Jessica Cameron had to propose marriage in a couple of hours, and she was a little nervous about it.

---

Favorite:
She knew he'd been comfortable financially, since he'd saved for years and didn't splurge on anything except books.

(*gigglesnort* Huh. Clearly I have been splurging on the wrong books.)

---

Teaser:
"For a rather infuriating man, you really might be the best husband in the world."
"I'm glad you recognize it."

*All quotes taken from an advance copy and may differ from final version.

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(Review) Take Me Home for Christmas by Brenda Novak

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Title: Take Me Home for Christmas
Author: Brenda Novak
Series: Whiskey Creek, #5
Published: October 29, 2013 (Harlequin)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Format: E-galley received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: Christmas is a time for remembering. Too bad all memories aren't pleasant. Everyone in Whiskey Creek remembers Sophia DeBussi as the town's Mean Girl. Especially Ted Dixon, whose love she once scorned.

But Sophia has paid the price for her youthful transgressions. The man she did marry was rich and powerful but abusive. So when he goes missing, she secretly hopes he'll never come back—until she learns that he died running from an FBI probe of his investment firm. Not only has he left Sophia penniless, he's left her to face all the townspeople he cheated….

Sophia is reduced to looking for any kind of work to pay the bills and support her daughter. With no other options, she becomes housekeeper for none other than Ted, now a successful suspense writer. He can't bring himself to turn his back on her, not at Christmas, but he refuses to get emotionally involved. He learned his lesson the last time.

Or will the season of love and forgiveness give them both another chance at happiness?

Before I go into the review of the book itself, I would like to explain why I dislike the cover blurb. For one, it's misleading, implying that Sophia simply rejected Ted once upon a time. When, in fact, she was his long-time girlfriend and freaking slept with someone else. Just a tiny bit different. But my major problem is the wording of this: "But Sophia has paid the price for her youthful transgressions. The man she did marry was rich and powerful but abusive." I don't care how much of a bitch she was in high school. No one deserves abuse. Ever.

Now that that's out of the way, we can move onto the actual book.

I had a rather strange relationship with Take Me Home for Christmas. I came extremely close to DNFing several times (and I almost never DNF books if I've read more than 5 pages). You know why? Because NOTHING WAS HAPPENING. You think I'm kidding. I mean, the book did start with Sophia's husband dying in an attempt to fake his own death. But after that? It was a depressing snooze-fest for another hundred pages. Ted and Sophia didn't even SEE each other until 100+ pages into the story. What could have been conveyed in 2-3 chapters took 9.

But! I stuck it out. And I am glad I did! Because after they finally started interacting, things got good fast. Like, holy crap, you guys. I usually am not a fan of ex stories. In fact, I never would have requested this one, had I known (I guess that's Blurb Writer: 1, Sharon: 0?). But I am happy I did! Because that actually wound up being my favorite aspect of the story. This book was emotions galore, and it was BEAUTIFUL. It was smoking, sizzling, longing, angsty deliciousness. What it WASN'T was a story about people more in love with nostalgia than each other. And I love it a lot for that.

Another great thing is that this book did not feature a "likable" heroine. Sophia was horrid in high school (for mostly unnamed reasons). She had cheated on Ted in the past. She dealt with depression in the wake of everything that happened with her husband. She was a recovering alcoholic, which was a constant struggle for her. She did her best to stay strong because of her daughter, Alexa. But she was human. She made mistakes. Unfortunately, by the end, she was rather sickeningly good, to provide a nice foil against the horrible person she was supposed to have been earlier in life. I kind of just wanted to roll my eyes and say, "Yeah, she's nice now. WE GET IT!" But I did like the idea behind it.

Ted was quite swoon-worthy. He made a valiant effort to not be in love with Sophia, and I applauded his efforts to try to be logical about his approach to love. Of course, he failed. Because as he spent more time with Sophia, he fell in love with her. And even if he had carried a torch for her over the years, he fell for the current her, not only an idea of her. And I believe I've already spent several adjectives describing how I felt about that bit.

Unfortunately, I did have a problem with the fact that a book called Take Me Home for Christmas contained maybe a page or two related to Christmas things. It's just so frustrating to pick up a book, rightly expecting a book with a decent amount of Christmas, only to be disappointed when there's nothing more than a couple of throwaway references.

I also had issues with Eve. She was a fabulously friendly and strong female character who was willing to stand up and help Sophia and tentatively extend a hand in friendship...until Eve started dating Ted. And then OH NO, she could possibly even be friends with Sophia. Because Sophia might make a move on Ted. Eve went from Great Side Character Whom I'd Like to Get to Know straight to Grinchy Girlfriend in 2.8 seconds. Thankfully, she snapped back out of it, but I didn't really get why it had to happen in the first place. It didn't seem to go with her character.

Now you can see why I said my feelings about this book were complicated. I found a lot of things to be either boring or frustrating. BUT I was absolutely in love with Sophia and Ted and their love story. So in conclusion, I would say that Take Me Home for Christmas is worth reading for that alone.

First:
Sophie DeBussi’s husband was gone.

---

Favorite:
“Anyway, love doesn’t necessarily make a relationship successful.”
“No, but it gives you a hell of a lot more to fight for – and it makes life far more rewarding when you win.”

*All quotes were taken from an advance copy and may appear differently in the finished book.

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(Review) Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan

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Title: Sleigh Bells in the Snow
Author: Sarah Morgan
Series: O'Neil Brothers, #1
Published: October 29, 2013 (Harlequin)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: E-galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: Once upon a time, Christmas was Kayla Green's favorite time of year. Now all the workaholic wants for Christmas is for it to be over—as fast as possible! So when duty calls her to snowy Vermont to close a deal with a new client, Kayla is grateful for an excuse to avoid the holidays for another year.

Jackson O'Neil left a thriving business behind to return home and salvage his family's resort—it's in his blood, and he can't let it fail. Now that he's got marketing whiz Kayla Green working with him to put Snow Crystal on the map, success is on the horizon. The fact they strike enough sparks off each other to power all the Christmas lights in Vermont is just an added bonus.

Kayla might be an expert at her job, but she's out of her depth with Jackson—he makes her crave the happy-ever-after she once dreamed of, and it's terrifying. As the snowflakes continue to swirl, will the woman who doesn't believe in the magic of Christmas finally fall under its spell?

For some reason, when I picked this book up weeks after I looked at the summary for it, I was thinking it was going to be a snowbound together story. Not quite sure why I thought that, but there it is. I was prepared for something cute, fun, and sexy. And that's what I got. But you guys, I also got so much more.

Sleigh Bells in the Snow was not a story about two people being snowbound together, but a family business on the brink of going under. Jackson had come home to do his best to keep Snow Crystal Resort & Spa afloat, but they were lacking publicity. That's where Kayla, workaholic and super marketing genius, came in. Jackson's grandfather was sure Kayla could not come up with a decent campaign for Snow Crystal without truly experiencing it, so Kayla was to stay on the property for a week first. Thus, Kayla decided to come immediately. After all, Kayla wanted to escape Christmas, and a secluded cabin in Vermont is the best possible way to barricade yourself away, right?

Wrong. At Snow Crystal, Kayla found Jackson's family, and they were all about Christmas. There are few fictional families I've ever loved as much as I do this one. Shannon Stacey's Kowalski family. Julia Quinn's Bridgerton family. But the O'Neils are a class all of their own. And my favorite thing about them was that it wasn't just the official O'Neils. There were a couple family friends in the mix who were clearly just as much family as the ones related by blood. As that is very much how my own family operates, I absolutely love seeing it in books. The O'Neils were close-knit and clearly loved each other, but they still gave each other a hard time and even fought sometimes. The interactions between the three brothers in particular were simply fantastic. Each character was clearly presented and unique, and while each stood out individually, they were very much a collective unit. Jackson's grandfather loved Snow Crystal and was resentful of Jackson for changing so many things. Jackson's brother Tyler was doing his best to raise his teenage daughter who had just come to live with him. We even got some sneak insight into that relationship with a little bit of their perspective, and it makes me so excited for Tyler's book. Not to mention the fact that I'm already falling all over myself with how much I want his love story with Brenna. But I digress.

Due to issues from her past, Kayla was extremely uncomfortable with both Christmas and the open affection of the O'Neil family. It broke my heart to watch her go through this. I've read a lot of books where the hero or heroine hates Christmas due to something tragic in their past, but I think this was the best handling and explanation of it that I've ever seen. Though a little dramatic, it felt authentic, and I loved seeing Kayla slowly open up and conquer her fear caused by the past.

Kayla and Jackson had some great interactions. It kind of reminded me of "The Proposal," actually, with the closed-off, workaholic city girl out in the middle of nowhere and learning to adapt and open up with the help of a very hunky guy. Even though their story basically took place over a week and thus they had pretty quick relationship development, it never felt rushed. They had great chemistry and had some butterfly-inducing almost moments, which ultimately led to things getting pretty steamy but never gratuitously so, which I appreciated. There were so many more important things to focus on! Like Jackson teaching Kayla to ski, which made me giggle:

“Want to try again?”
“Why not? I think there might be a centimeter of my body that isn’t bruised, and if I’m going to be black-and-blue I’d prefer to be black-and-blue all over. I like a uniform look.”

Or even Kayla bonding with Jackson's mother, which nearly made me cry.

Speaking of crying, I want to bawl over the fact that the next O'Neil book doesn't come out for another six months. And Tyler's book, which I'm most eager to read, doesn't even have a release date yet. But I will wait for it. Oh yes, I will.

Also, just a moment to look at how freaking cute the cover is, because it needs to be admired. Now, moving on.

You guys, I don't even quite comprehend why I loved this book so much. It was one of those times when everything just clicked. The amount of Christmas in the book was just right, not just a bit just shoved in there as a marketing technique. I loved the family. I loved the characters. The setting was positively magical. The writing was fantastic. I may not be able to fully explain it, but I can tell you one thing: This was my first Sarah Morgan book, but I can guarantee you it most definitely will not be my last.

First:
Kayla Green cranked up the volume on her favorite playlist and blocked out the sound of festive music and laughter wafting under her closed office door.

---

Favorite:
I preferred snow when it was my desktop image.

---

Teaser:
To hell with professional, it’s Christmas. People do crazy things at Christmas.

All quotes taken from an advanced copy and may appear different in the final version.

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(Review) Big Sky Christmas by C.J. Carmichael

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Title: Big Sky Christmas
Author: C.J. Carmichael
Series: Coffee Creek, Montana, #4
Published: October 1, 2013 (Harlequin)
Rating: Stash in the Glove Box
Format: E-galley provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: Jackson Stone will always be grateful to the Lamberts, who took him in when he was just a kid. But since the accident that killed his foster brother, Brock, he stays away from the family at Coffee Creek Ranch. Especially now that Brock's former fiancee, Winnie Hays, is back in town with her little boy.

The simmering attraction between them may surprise Winnie, but Jackson fell for her at first sight years ago. Loyalty and guilt require he keep his distance, even as their feelings blossom into love. In the end, it's his own conscience Jackson must master. But with the help of the Lamberts, can this Christmas be a time of healing and a new beginning?

When I first read the blurb for Big Sky Christmas, I knew I absolutely had to read it. Let's see how many of my favorite tropes it has. Christmas romance? Check. Long-time crush? Check. Forbidden love? Check. Potential for major angst? Double check. How could you go wrong?

Well, unfortunately, it did.

First of all, there was the secondary character overload. Holy crap, but there were a ton of people. Yes, I jumped into the middle of a series, but it's a romance series, not A Song of Ice and Fire. I should have been able to navigate it without needing a character diagram. I basically just gave up and decided to stop trying to keep track, because it was a waste of time and energy. Most of them weren't even necessary. But the book opened in a wedding where EVERYONE was, and all the introductions were made at once. No, thanks. Eventually, I caught on to two or three who were important, and that was enough for me.

Then we have the main(?) story: the romance. Jackson was Winnie's dead fiancé, Brock's, foster brother, and he had been pining for Winnie for years. Surprisingly, Jackson and Winnie didn't have nearly as many hang-ups about this as I would have expected. Given that this was the case, I am glad they didn't drag it out too long. Because the excuses they did have not to get together were about as thin as a sheet of paper. It would have dragged otherwise. But their relationship progressed - at least in the beginning - at a pretty good pace. But then came even more obstacles.

Now, you might be confused regarding the question mark in the paragraph above. Wouldn't the romance be the main story of the romance novel? You would think. And yes, it was in a way. But in reality? Every single thing revolved around one very obnoxious and annoying old woman named Olive, Brock's mother/Jackson's former foster mother and apparently the devil incarnate. Nearly every bad thing in the book could be traced back to her, and 98% of the drama in the story was influenced by her in some way or another. And I didn't freaking care about Olive or her opinion, and I didn't really get why anyone else did, either.

There were some positive aspects to the book. Winnie's son was adorable, and it was great to see Jackson interacting with him. They had a couple scenes that made me smile. The small town atmosphere was charming. I liked Jackson's foster brothers. Jackson and Winnie's love story was believable. Overall, the story was cute, if a little frustrating and fairly underwhelming. I would recommend reading the others in the series first, which would no doubt help with the character overload.

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(Review) Merry and Bright by Jill Shalvis

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Title: Merry and Bright
Author: Jill Shalvis
Published: September 24, 2013 (Kensington)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Paperback, borrowed from the library

Summary: Jill Shalvis is back with a collection of three endearing, sexy, and yuletide-filled short stories.

I'm sure it came as a surprise to absolutely no one that I was salivating over this book. Even though I'm not always a fan of short stories - I prefer the more long, drawn out variety - Jill Shalvis can simply do no wrong, and I want to read everything she writes. And what's a Christmas elf to do when one of her favorite authors puts out a Christmas collection?

Read it, of course!

And I did. I sped through this book pretty quickly! The fact that it is broken into three different stories makes it seem to read faster than a normal book of its size. I'm going to go ahead and break it down by story, because the three were completely separate. They had no connection whatsoever, aside from the fact that they all took place around Christmas.

The First Story: "Finding Mr. Right"

This first story sucked me right in. It was about a chemist named Maggie who always went for guys who were exactly like her: intelligent, motivated by work, and not overly romantic. So due to some encouragement by her sister, Maggie decided to go after something different: a night with Mr. Wrong. And who should be there to be her Mr. Wrong but Jacob, the sexy architect she'd crushed on in high school.

This was a really cute story with a surprising bit of mystery/adventure thrown in. In fact, aside from the fact that Maggie was a very different sort of narrator, the whole thing read very much like a Stephanie Plum novel. Entertaining, sexy, and a very quick read, "Finding Mr. Right" was quite the fun way to spend a morning.

The Second Story: "Bah Handsome!"

This second story had a rather interesting premise: B&B owner Hope had taken a loan out from her (very pre-epiphany Scroogeish) step-brother, and his (adorably geeky and yummy) solicitor was there to assess whether or not it appeared she would be able to pay it back on time. And then he got snowed in. One of my favorite tropes!

Unfortunately, this one shared quite a few elements with the first story and thus failed to stand on its own feet. With some stronger editing, I think it could have been really good. But it was a little weak, and reading it right after the first story kind of felt like reading the same thing over again with different names. And quite a bit more snow. It was cute, though.

The Third Story: "Ms. Humbug"

The third story was about Cami, a strictly by-the-rules woman who was annoyed by no one more than Matt: hard-working office playboy - and recently appointed mayor/Cami's boss.

I think this was probably my favorite of the stories. Due to the length of the story, their relationship had to progress rather quickly. But although it did feel a tad rushed, I believed it could happen. Matt and Cami had known and respected each other as fellow hard workers for a while, even if Matt did set Cami's teeth on edge. In a fun trope change-up, though, it wasn't mutual! Matt knew he pressed Cami's buttons, but he had always been intrigued rather than put off by her. They also had some fabulous chemistry, which is hard to create in the space of only 80 or so pages. I could also see how some people might be put off by Cami as a narrator, but I really liked her character and seeing the story from her perspective.

These stories weren't anything ground-breaking, but they were definitely enjoyable! If you're looking for some entertaining holiday reading that doesn't take itself too seriously, this collection is a fabulous choice.

First
For two months, Maggie Bell walked past him every day on her way out of the office, and every day she took in that tall, leanly muscled body, those incredibly well-fitted Levi's hanging low on his hips thanks to his tool belt, and forgot everything else just to take it all in.

---

Favorite
It was the right thing to do, the polite thing to do. Thank-you-for-the-perfect-sex cookies.

---

Teaser
He couldn't have been more stunned if he'd just been hit head-on by a moving freight train. He'd just had the best sex of his entire life. On the ground. In the great outdoors. In the wilds of Colorado. In the snow.

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(Review) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Published: September 10, 2013 (St. Martin's)
Rating: Stay Up 'til 2 AM
Format: Physical ARC as part of a Literary Lushes tour

Summary: Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Now Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

I've taken quite a while to formulate my thoughts about Fangirl. I read Eleanor & Park earlier this year, and while I did enjoy it, I did not fall head over heels for it like 98% of the blogging community.

Fangirl, on the other hand?

This book could have been written for me, y'all. I waited a long time to write this review, because I thought I might be able to be more coherent, more logical, spelling out points A, B, and C as to why this book is awesome.

I gave up. Sort of. I decided to do the logical thing and make a list! But fair warning: it probably won't be coherent, because my love for this book refuses to be contained.

I know this book isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. But it was exactly, exactly what I have been wanting from the New Adult genre. I don't want another story about the good girl and the brooding, tattooed boy. Appealing, yes, but that's not what I wanted when I complained for years and years that there were never any books set in college. This was. It was fun, challenging, and unique. I could go on, but I'm going to stop now and let the list do the talking. So, without further ado...

The ABCs of Why Fangirl Rocks, Why I Loved It, and Why You Might Want To Read It
A: Addicting. I couldn't put this book down! I read it in one sitting, and it's not a small book.
B: Baz. Baz was basically the Draco Malfoy of the Simon Snow world. He was the arch enemy of Simon Snow, but you knew there was something going on beneath the surface, too. Cath loved to write him, and I loved to read him.
C: College. For years, I've been longing to read books set in college, and this one nailed it! I especially love that Cath's college had a huge agricultural program that differentiated it from your typical universities. As I attended a school where most people (including my roommate) came for the equestrian programs, I appreciated this.
D: Dad. I really loved reading about Cath's relationship with her dad, even though it was hard at times.
E: Eeeee! This book will make you squeal and basically turn into a giant spaz. Or, at least, that's what it did to me.
F: Fangirliness. If there's one thing I can relate to, it's being a fangirl. I have been deeply involved in various fandoms over the last 10 or so years of my life, and I love it. I really do. It was fun to see this being played out in a book.
G: Growing up. Cath had to learn to grow up in a lot of ways over the course of the book, even though it wasn't easy.
H: "Happily ever after, or even just together ever after, is not cheesy. It’s the noblest, like, the most courageous, thing two people can shoot for."
I: Issues. Cath had issues. Her dad had some sort of manic disorder. Her mom had left (sort of) on September 11 (yes, that one). Cath herself had social anxiety she had to conquer to be successful in her new life at college. These were not small things, and Cath had to figure out a way to work through them.
J: Just Because. You should read it! Because I said so, that's why. (Hey, it works for my mom...)
K: Kissing. There is KISSING in this book. Good kissing.
L: Levi. GAH. I could write paragraphs on Levi. He was so far from your typical gorgeous hero, for so many different reasons. He was a farm boy. He was so happy, always finding something bright to focus on, and Cath had an obsession with his ten thousand smiles. I could go on, but I will stop here. I still have half the alphabet to go!
M: “Months are different in college,” Levi said, “especially freshman year. Too much happens. Every freshman month equals six regular months – they’re like dog months.”
N: NaNoWriMo. Fangirl was Rainbow Rowell's NaNoWriMo project! How awesome is that?
O: Originality. I've never read another book like Fangirl.
P: Perfect. Okay, so Fangirl not quite perfect. But it comes pretty darn close. It's definitely a favorite.
Q: Quotable. I saved so many quotes from this book. I love Rainbow Rowell's writing style, and she had some amazing, funny, and relatable quotes in here.
R: Roommate. Cath's roommate, Reagan, was a really interesting character! I liked getting to know her. Rainbow Rowell showed the difficulties of having a roommate, but the advantages, too.
S: Simon Snow. I know not everyone was a fan of the snippets Simon Snow books and fanfiction, but that was one of my favorite parts! I looked forward to them. More than anything, I quite honestly want Rainbow Rowell to stop all current writing projects and write the Simon Snow books for real. I would totally read them. Plus, they have the best fandom name ever: Snowflakes. How cute and fun is that?
T: Twins. Cath and Wren (Cath. Wren. Get it??) were twins who had been close for a long time, but Wren was always the outgoing one with the stronger personality. They also used to be Simon Snow fangirls together. But in college, Cath and Wren struggled to find that relationship where they could still be close sisters but also have separate identities.
U: "Underneath this veneer of slightly crazy and mildly socially retarded, I’m a complete disaster."
V: Variety. If you're looking for something a little different, chances are Fangirl fits the bill. It's not typical YA, NA, or adult romance, but it is sure to appeal to lovers of any of the three.
W: Writing. Cath was a writer. She wrote fanfiction, and she was at college to study writing. And her writing was actually good.
X: X-treme Swoons. Yeah, okay, so I cheated a little. But seriously. SO MUCH SWOONING in this book.
Y: Young. Cath actually seemed young in a lot of ways, even though she was mature in others. And I loved that. College is a time for figuring things out. Most people are still quite young and immature as freshemen, and that's okay.
Z: ZZZs. HA. Just kidding. You totally won't be getting those until you finish this book. Who needs sleep, anyway?

“I’m not really a book person.”
“That might be the most idiotic thing you’ve ever said to me.”

---

There should be a word for a laugh that ends as soon as it starts. A laugh that’s more a syllable of surprise and acknowledgement than it is anything else.

---

Sometimes writing is like running downhill, your fingers jerking behind you on the keyboard the way your legs do when they can’t quite keep up with gravity.
All quotes have been taken from an advance copy and may differ in the final edition.

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(Review) The Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins

Title: The Perfect Match
Author: Kristan Higgins
Series: Blue Heron, #2
Published: October 29, 2013 (HQN)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Digital ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: What if the perfect match is a perfect surprise? Honor Holland has just been unceremoniously rejected by her lifelong crush. And now—a mere three weeks later—Mr. Perfect is engaged to her best friend. But resilient, reliable Honor is going to pick herself up, dust herself off and get back out there…or she would if dating in Manningsport, New York, population 715, wasn't easier said than done.

Charming, handsome British professor Tom Barlow just wants to do right by his unofficial stepson, Charlie, but his visa is about to expire. Now Tom must either get a green card or leave the States—and leave Charlie behind.

In a moment of impulsiveness, Honor agrees to help Tom with a marriage of convenience. But juggling a fiancé, hiding out from her former best friend and managing her job at the family vineyard isn't easy. And as sparks start to fly between Honor and Tom, they might discover that their pretend relationship is far too perfect to be anything but true love….

I have a theory as to how the idea for The Perfect Match came about. Kristan Higgins magically stumbled onto The Book Barbies, clearly pulled in by the number of times I've referred to her as one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. She went, "Huh, this Sharon seems pretty awesome. Let's have a look at her favorite things! Hm. British heroes? Marriages of convenience? I can do that!" And BOOM, this book was born.

Admittedly, it's not a likely theory. But given the contents of this book, it's certainly possible.

From the opening scene of the book, it was clear that Honor was not your typical heroine. She was in the middle of her annual birthday tradition - getting a pap smear. Honor was practical, logical, and a workaholic at the family wine business. While she was happy with some things in her life, her romantic life was at an unhappy stand-still, as she had been hung up on the same man for years. This was quickly and humiliatingly resolved when Honor mustered up the courage to go after what she wanted, only to be rejected. Thankfully, this allowed her to attempt to move on.

And then came Tom. Tom was a complicated character. At first, I honestly was not sure whether or not I was going to like him. Tom was a bit heavy on the drinking at the beginning of the book, something he blamed on being British. He also wasn't always the nicest guy. But this made him more real to me. I like that he had flaws and wasn't some perfect British specimen of a man. That would be too obvious, too boring. The fact that you had to get past some walls to really see him made him even better.

One of the reasons I fell so hard for this book was Tom's relationship with Charlie, his unofficial stepson. Charlie was even more hostile and defensive and apathetic than your average fourteen-year-old boy, and it would have been so easy for Tom to give up on him. After all, Tom had no official legal or blood ties to the boy - only a relationship forged during Tom's relationship with Charlie's now deceased mother several years before. Aside from Tom, Charlie had no one in his life besides uncaring grandparents, and he completely broke my heart. To see him finally begin to respond to Tom - and Honor as well - was just amazing. And the fact that Tom cared enough to do this was huge. So often, fake finacé or marriage of convenience plots are based off something absurdly far-fetched, not that this diminishes my love for them. But it was so refreshing to have a realistic reason behind the need for this relationship, and more than that, one that I whole-heartedly believed.

Also, once Tom and Honor were living in the same house, I love how Higgins portrayed it. They were so awkward with each other! And for good reason. That would be bloody uncomfortable, I have to say. Sharing a house and an impending marriage with a near-stranger? Definitely not a situation to put you at ease. They had to learn so many things in such a short time.

The Perfect Match was such a charming read! There were many things I enjoyed about it, from the interactions of Honor's family to Tom's hilariously creepy boss at the university. I also have to point out that Higgins had the chance to rely on a very common - and one of my least favorites - trope, toward the end of the story, but she didn't. And that made me love her just a little bit more. Therefore, I am happy to say that Higgins remains one of my favorite contemporary authors, and I await more from her Blue Heron series.

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(Review) Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Title: Dare You To
Author: Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits, #2
Published: May 28, 2013 (Harlequin Teen)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Format: Digital ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary: If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...

When I first found out that there was going to be another book in the Pushing the Limits series and that it involved Beth, I automatically assumed it would be Beth and Isaiah's story. However, this was not the case! And while they were interesting in Pushing the Limits, I am relieved that McGarry went a different direction with Beth's story. Not to mention Isaiah's story, which will be coming out later this year!

Although I had some issues with Dare You To which I will go into in a bit, I did like it overall. Beth a rather interesting character, and I'm glad that we got to know the girl behind the façade we saw in the first book. She was not always the most likable character: she was rude, judgmental, whiny, obnoxiously standoffish, and really made herself more miserable than she would've been otherwise. But I already knew this going into the book, and I wanted to know why. And while I did get some explanation for that - she had gone through a lot of tough stuff and was still dealing with it - it got old after the same reasons for her issues were repeated over and over.

And then we had Ryan, the ultra-competitive baseball player with a selfish streak. While he had his flaws, I will at least give him the fact that when he knew what he wanted, he went after it. One of my favorite moments was Beth and Ryan's initial meeting. It was hilarious! Ryan and his friend Chris - both baseball jocks - were participating in one of their apparently infamous dares. Ryan was dared to get Beth's number. As she was dressed in skater punk clothes and cursing every other word, Ryan felt less than comfortable with her at first, but at the same time intrigued.

Thus began their beautiful romance. (This is sarcasm. Just FYI.)

These two had issues from the beginning, with pride and dishonesty galore, and I never really believed their relationship. Yeah, they each thought the other was hot, and their relationship seemed to have promise at times. But I never got fully invested in them, nor was I convinced they were going to last.

If you will indulge me for a moment, pretend you know nothing about this book, these characters, the "romance," or anything of the sort. Clear your mind. Now, read this passage.

Anger erupts from deep inside and takes control. I don’t lose and I won’t lose her. Beth turns and runs for the forest. She’s fast, but I’m faster. I grab Beth by the waist, yank her to face me, tunnel my fingers into her hair, and kiss her. She tastes like fresh rain and smells like crushed roses. I don’t care that she’s not kissing back. I move my lips against hers and hug her body to mine. I love Beth and she needs to know that. Know it in her head. More importantly, know it in her heart.

Sorry-not-sorry, but that passage is NOT romantic. As a habitual romance reader, I come across a lot of angry kisses, some good, some not. But this could just as easily have been written from the prospective of some obsessed stalker who finally broke and attacked the object of his fascination. The way you show a girl you "love" (and mind, I'm using this term loosely) her is NOT by chasing her down against her will in the middle of a rainstorm at night and proceeding to assault her even when she shows no sign of acceptance or participation. We (and Ryan) just have to assume Beth's consent, which is not okay.

Another thing about Ryan was that he was apparently an amazing writer, which he felt conflicted about because his life was baseball. However, I have known several people in my life who were high school age and wrote fiction. Let me tell you, they could have written the absolute pants off of Ryan and his less-than-stellar "George" story. And they probably would have taken his shoes and given him a literary wedgie while they were at it. This is one of the very few times when I prefer telling over showing in books, because I am very rarely impressed with the examples that are given for these "gifted" YA protagonists.

Everything about this book was not bad, though, I promise! One of my favorite characters was Beth's uncle Scott, even though I was not sure about him at first. I really liked Ryan's brother. I was also very intrigued by his friend Logan, a guy who was crazy smart but also a daredevil who did not take caution even when he should have. I'm seriously crossing my fingers that McGarry is planning a book with his story, because I would be excited to read it. And although I'm not quite as in love with Isaiah as some people, I do want to see what's in store for him in the future! I also enjoyed seeing the personal growth of Beth and Ryan as the story went on, and it had a great ending.

Basically, I really wanted to love this book, and there were moments where it won me over. But overall, there were just too many problems with the book for me to fully enjoy it. I did like it. But ultimately, I found it overflowing with drama but lacking real substance.

Nothing makes you think you might need years of therapy like having to say the word breasts in front of your mother.

---

I wish I could think of something wittier, but at times, the plain truth is good enough.
*All quotes from an advanced review copy, and may differ from the finished version.

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(Review) The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise

Title: The Boyfriend App
Author: Katie Sise
Published: April 30, 2013 (Balzer & Bray)
Rating: Stay Up 'til 2 AM
Format: Hardcover, borrowed from the library

Summary: In The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise, super-smart, somewhat geeky Audrey McCarthy can’t wait to get out of high school. Her father’s death and the transformation of her one-time BFF, Blake Dawkins, into her worst nightmare have her longing for the new start college will bring.

But college takes money. So Audrey decides she has to win the competition for the best app designed by a high schooler—and the $200,000 that comes with it. She develops something she calls the Boyfriend App, and suddenly she’s the talk of the school and getting kissed by the hottest boys around. But can the Boyfriend App bring Audrey true love?

I was pleasantly surprised by The Boyfriend App! I went in expecting a fun pool-side read. And it was definitely that! Even if it wound up causing me to spend way too much time indoors for a short period of time after said pool adventure. But it was actually so much more than fluff!

The Boyfriend App totally drew me into the story! I felt like I was living right alongside Audrey. And honestly, I don't even have any reasons to explain how or why. I guess I just related to Audrey that much, especially in the first half. I never wanted to put it down. It was so refreshing to have a smart and nerdy main character who was unashamed of who she was, who was so attached to her computer (which she built herself) that she named it Hector. I want more of those! I loved reading about all her fellow "trogs" (her group of fellow, talented computer-loving friends), especially Aidan.

You guys, Aidan gave me ALL THE SWOONS. He was just so. freaking. adorable. I can't even stand it. He was so normal and geeky and sweet, and I was rooting for Audrey and him so hard. There were a couple moments in their interactions where I was just like YES. Because Katie Sise captured all the awkward passion that comes along with a huge teenage crush, and the freaking out that commences when you think your feelings are actually returned. Because friends, being a teenager with a crush is dramatic, okay! I could totally relate to Audrey in those moments.

Another thing I really enjoyed about The Boyfriend App was Audrey's cousin, Lindsay. I liked her vibrancy as a character. She was also a very successful fashion blogger, and it was so great to read about followers and Twitter, dealt with in a realistic manner! She mentioned things we bloggers deal with every day (though obviously to a much larger scale than most of us are used to). I loved that element! I think that was another thing that helped me connect to the book more.

I did have some problems with Audrey's behavior later in the book. She did some things I did not quite understand, and her reasons were never really fully explained. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just leave it at that. Regardless, she did redeem herself to an extent, so that was good. There were also some crazypants happenings and a few dramatics. But in the end, the positives far outweighed the negatives.

Basically, even though there were a couple small issues, I loved this book. Trogs for the win!

I tried to smile back, but my facial muscles weren’t really working right because they were trying so hard not to freak out.

---

“Thanks,” I said, mentally filing the details of the parent/child bowling league my mom and I played during sophomore year in a folder marked THINGS YOU DON’T EVEN TELL YOUR THERAPIST.

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(Review) Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Title: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
Author: Morgan Matson
Published: May 4, 2010 (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Hardcover, borrowed from the library

Summary: Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

So, the other day this thing happened. It was called a #LitLush Twitter chat. It came up that Magan, Cass, Sana, and I had never read Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. And that was, apparently, entirely unacceptable. Thus, an impromptu readalong was promptly set up.

I was always scared this was going to be one of those overly-hyped books. You know, the one you see EVERYWHERE, and everyone loves it. So your expectations are a little higher than they would be for a book you just picked up randomly off a shelf because it looked good. Then you read it...and you don't get it. It's fine, but nothing special. Thankfully, this was NOT the case with Amy & Roger. It is beloved for good reason.

I'm completely in love with the typography. Just LOOK AT IT. ♥

I harbor a lot of adoration for this book. It took me a while to fall in love. While I really liked it in the beginning, it grew more and more magnificent as the story progressed. I finally got a chance to sit down and devour it after a couple days, and I was so grateful! Because by then, I was completely immersed in the the story.

It's been a while since I've been on a road trip, and this book majorly renewed my desire to do it again. There are only three things that are absolutely mandatory for a great road trip: good music, good company, and good snacks. And this book had them all. I LOVED how much music there was in this book. I knew a bit of Roger's music, but I'm a huge musical fan. So if we were to compare our iTunes, I probably would have had a lot more in common with Amy.

I loved both Roger and Amy. They both had their issues to work through. They were in a potentially rather awkward situation, driving cross-country with a near stranger. But they found a way to make the most of it, visiting places they wanted to see, accidentally taking deserted roads, finding unexpected friends, and confronting pieces of their past. My only complaint is that I would have liked a little more resolution with Amy's best friend. There was an issue mentioned several times, but it was never really resolved.

The way the book was written was very appealing. Though I know some people aren't a fan, I love the jumping back-and-forth in time approach to books. It keeps you on your toes, and it reveals things as they need to be known. And I much prefer flashbacks to infodumping. You really get to know the characters better that way, too. Matson used the flashbacks very wisely in this book. There were enough to know the story and the characters, but not enough to feel superfluous.

I happened to be obsessing over the new Jillette Johnson album at the time I was reading this. As a rule (although there are exceptions), I don't listen to music with words while I'm reading. I love the music too much and get pulled out of the story because I want to sing along. But there was a really obnoxious bird right outside while I was reading, so I put on this album while I was reading to drown it out. Around the second time around, it hit me that one of the songs was perfect for the book! "True North" wound up sort of becoming my Amy & Roger theme song.



Overall, Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was a thoroughly charming read. If you've yet to read this one, a few words of advice: be prepared to cry a little, swoon quite a bit more, and be bitten by the road trip bug. And if you're like me, you'll enjoy every second! Now, I just need to read Second Chance Summer. After I've restocked all the Kleenaxes in the apartment. I have a feeling I'll be needing them.

“Tomorrow will be better.”
“But what if it’s not?” I asked.
“Then you say it again tomorrow. Because it might be. You never know, right? At some point, tomorrow will be better.”

---

“Amy Curry,” I could still hear him intoning, “never end a sentence with a preposition!” Irked that after six years he was still mentally correcting me, I told the Mr. Collins in my head to off fuck.

---

But I’d always loved the chance to become someone else for a few hours. Someone for whom the words had been written, every gesture and emotion plotted, and the ending figured out. Almost like life. Just without the surprises.

---

There sometimes isn’t much difference between a knight’s quest and a fool’s errand.

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(Review) Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas

Welcome back to Sizzle & Swoon! I am so excited to be here with the review of the third book in the Travis series! If you missed them, make sure you check out Racquel and Alexa's reviews of the first two. For more sizzling fun, head over to Alexa Loves Books today to see some of our favorite couples!

Title: Smooth Talking Stranger
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Series: Travis Family, #3
Published: March 31, 2009 (St. Martin's Press)
Rating: Stay Up 'til 2 AM
Format: Hardcover, borrowed from the library

Summary: Ella Varner is responsible and controlled. Her childhood taught her that love is best avoided. That is, until she’s left holding her reckless sister’s baby. What Luke needs now is stability, and Ella's determined to do what is best for him. As her bond with the baby grows stronger every day, Ella confronts the man her sister claims is the father: Jack Travis.

Billionaire, savvy businessman, and all-around ladies’ man, Jack Travis has a reputation as big as the state of Texas. No one has ever truly touched his heart or soul...until Ella Varner comes along. With a baby in tow, an independent streak, and her incredible practicality, Ella is unlike any woman he has ever known. But she may be exactly what he needs.

Although I had read Smooth Talking Stranger twice before, I decided to re-read it again for this review. It had been too long, I had never taken notes on it, and I did not want to produce a half-hearted review. This is one of my all-time favorite series! And I have the honor of reviewing the last one, after Racquel and Alexa reviewed the first two. Best decision ever! I picked it up, only to devour it in a few hours, in one sitting (minus a quick break to fix my lunch).

When I read Smooth Talking Stranger for the first time, I was all prepared for it to be my least favorite of the bunch. Random baby? Worst cover of the three by far? Yeah, there was no way it was living up to Sugar Daddy or Blue Eyed Devil, both of which were out-of-this-world amazing. Little did I know. I should have known better than to underestimate Lisa Kleypas.

My love for this book runs deep. Although I could probably ramble for three or four times the length or my "average" review, I will try to contain myself (but if you'd like to discuss further, feel free to comment! I will definitely be up for it).

Ella was a great heroine! I loved that she had self-worth and ideals, and she stuck to them. At the same time, she was willing to compromise on some things when she realized she was wrong or believed them for the wrong reason. She was practical, logical, and responsible, but she had issues with developing true intimacy, due to growing up with her mother's behavior and endless string of boyfriends. Thus, she was both the best and worst person to find motherhood suddenly thrust upon her.

But Ella dealt with it in a way that was impressive and believable. She learned that it's not the end of the world accept help or to open up to someone. Her storyline with Luke runs a very close second to her relationship with Jack as my favorite thing about this book. Luke was adorable, and I loved watching the bond between them grow.

I fell head over heels for Jack Travis. When I think of the Travis series in the context of Book Boyfriends, Hardy Cates tends to be the first one that comes to my mind. But I always forget how much I love Jack (and Gage, too, albeit to a slightly lesser extent). Jack was a business man and a playboy, entirely Alpha. Ella did not want to like him because he made her uncomfortable, and was the kind of man she usually could not stand. But he was kind, funny, and amazingly sexy, and as she got to know that, their relationship began to turn. Jack and Ella's chemistry was unbelievable, and they played off each other perfectly. Each of them was what the other never knew they needed.

Smooth Talking Stranger is more than a romance. It is a story about commitment, family, motherhood, relationships, responsibility, and love of every kind. Also, the end makes me sob happy tears every time. It is so good. I highly recommend this one.

Quick note before you go out, buy this book, and read it. Although it could definitely be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the first two books in the series before reading this one. You will enjoy it so much more!

“You always tell people to face their problems.”
“Yes, but I prefer to ignore mine and let them fester.”

---

He could probably get a woman pregnant just by winking at her.

---

Babies were dangerous...they made you fall in love before you knew what was happening. This small, solemn creature couldn’t even say my name, and he depended on me for everything. Everything. I’d known him for little more than a day. But I would have thrown myself in front of a bus for him. I was shattered by him. This was awful.

---

I reflected that for all the people you lost touch with or couldn’t hold on to, life occasionally made up for it by giving you the right person at the right time.

Bonus point! Smooth Talking Stranger was, until recently, believed by many to be the last in the Travis series. Some of us stubbornly held onto hope that Joe, the last Travis sibling, would get a book. And four years later (two weeks ago), Lisa Kleypas announced that it was actually going to happen! If you happened to hear a loud noise or sense a disturbance in The Force on June 19, that was the sound of Racquel and me screaming together from opposite sides of the globe.
Don't want to miss any Sizzle & Swoon? Check out our master list of all the posts!

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Blog Tour: (Review) The Art of Love by Anne Whitney

Title: The Art of Love
Author: Anne Whitney
Published: June 18, 2013 (Anne Whitney)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Format: eARC, won from The Book Brats
Purchase: Amazon | SmashWords

Summary: Marina Phillips has spent her entire life as her father’s victim. But enough is enough. All it took was one moment of realization to send her fleeing across the country into the unknown of New York City with no plans and no money. A new life without the constant torture is all she wants, but what she finds waiting is something she never expected.

Fitz is New York’s premiere playboy artist. Sexy, tattooed, and coveted by women and men alike, his performances are heralded as the coming of a new god of modern art. But when Marina wanders into his show, she becomes the inadvertent piece he’s always waited for – a girl to sculpt, to change, and to craft in his own image.

She never expects to fall head over heels into the world of parties, drag queens, agents, and artists craving for her and her benefactor. She didn’t even expect to begin falling in love with someone like Fitz, the sexy, pretentious man of her nightmares.

Above all, Marina never expects her father to stage a cross-country mission to paint her as a kidnapped girl taken by a psychopath.

My foremost thought about this book is that it was certainly unlike anything I've read before. Marina's story was interesting, and more than a little creepy. But there were definitely funny moments. Marina and Fitz had one of the most original and hilarious meetings ever.

Like Marina, I'm not a fan of modern art. I just don't get it. So it was especially enjoyable to read about Fitz's world from Marina's point of view. Having grown up very sheltered from the outside world, due to the extreme possessiveness and protectiveness of her abusive father, Marina was not accustomed to any of the things to which she was exposed. She was naïve in a lot of ways, though never annoyingly so. It would have been easy to overdo her character, but I think Whitney captured a very realistic combination of strength, vulnerability, and hesitancy. Her development as a character was believable (even if her mysterious weight loss and lack of concern about it was not).

A big part of Fitz's world was comprised of his best friends, who were vivid and very involved in the story, as well as being my favorite thing about the book. There was Derek, the self-described stereotypically gay man and drag queen, as well as Viridian, the secretive but friendly painter. Each of them helped bring out something in Marina. I especially enjoyed her interactions with Viridian.

Unfortunately, not everything in this book did it for me. I never quite connected with the story like I wanted to, and the romantic aspect never clicked. This was partially because I never fully liked Fitz. He was a very nice and creative guy, but some aspects of his character and behavior rubbed me the wrong way. I thought Marina deserved better. I did enjoy the writing style, although there were quite a few typos and grammar mistakes. These will probably be resolved in the finished copy.

The Art of Love was unique and edgy, as well as entertaining. If you're looking for a New Adult book unlike any of the others, this one would definitely fit the bill.

I forget to chew my food. It’s hard when you’re eye level with a man’s naked twig and berries dangling like Christmas ornaments.

---

There are two types of man in New York. They’re either assholes or they’re gay. Well, and then there is Fitz.

---

“Everything is art,” he says. “Life, death, love, hate, beauty, nature, pain. This world you live in is art and we are its artists.”

*Quotes are from an advance copy and may be slightly different than the finished, published version.

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(Review) Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl

Title: Close Enough to Touch
Author: Victoria Dahl
Series: Jackson, #1
Published: August 28, 2012 (HQN Books)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Digital galley provided by publisher via NetGalley

Summary: For makeup artist Grace Barrett, Hollywood isn't the land of golden opportunity. It's the land of difficult divas, cheating boyfriends and unemployment. So when her great-aunt offers her a free place to stay in Jackson Hole, Grace thinks she'll spend a little time in the sticks to figure out her life, and then move somewhere exciting to live out her dreams. But it turns out that there are a few more thrills in this small town than Grace was expecting…. Cole Rawlins is a rugged Wyoming cowboy born and bred. Yet he can't help but be drawn to the fascinating big-city girl who moves in across from him. He wants to get close enough to Grace to see past her tough facade, but if he does, she might see the real Cole. The one with a Hollywood history gone bad. As they discover a sizzling attraction, it becomes harder for him to keep his demons at bay—and those fires from long ago may burn them both.

They'll need more than scorching-hot passion to make this opposites-attract affair work. But if they can learn to trust one another enough to reveal their secrets, they just might have a chance at forever.

Victoria Dahl is one of those authors whom I always enjoy but never remember to list or look up when I'm at the library or in the bookstore. But she just writes such fun, sexy stories with her own flair. They're really good, and Close Enough to Touch was no exception! I'm also totally in love with the cover. The purple, the negative space, the plays with fonts.

One of my favorite things about Close Enough to Touch was the originality of the heroine, Grace. Far from the visual her name might inspire, Grace was a touch girl with purple hair, black boots, and a few things in her past that might cause sideways glances. Being a city girl, Grace wasn't sure what to make about a lot of the aspects of small town life. It was amusing to watch her adjust to the difference. She also had secrets she had to deal with.

Cole was a super sexy cowboy who also happened to be incredibly frustrated, due to the fact that he was injured. And as such, he could not work. He had bunches of down time, interspersed with brutal but helpful physical therapy appointments. Then Grace moved into the room next to his. It was dislike at first site, but of course, it didn't last. Soon enough, Grace and Cole were discovering more and more they had in common, despite their apparent differences.

I liked all the touches Dahl included. The small-town bar was great. Grace's eccentric aunt who only rented to men (Grace being the sole exception). How Grace got to experience real friendship outside of her only long-time best friend. The side romance that was incredibly cute.

Close Enough to Touch was definitely an enjoyable read. I'm also super excited for Too Hot to Handle, the next book in the series. Merry absolutely cracked me up, and I can't wait to read more about her. But back to Close Enough to Touch: If you love watching the sparks fly as dislike turns to something else a lot more fun and a lot more romantic, this one is for you!

This made it official: Grace Barrett’s life was over. Or, at the very least, it was so irrevocably screwed up that a quick death would be a blessing at this point.

---

Even cowboys can take a hint when you’re bashing them over the head with it.

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She’d started the day off in her underwear in a hallway. That seemed like the kind of day that should end with a beer.

---

Once a guy ruffles your hair, your vagina has ceased to exist for him.

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(Review) Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous by Kathryn Williams

Title: Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous
Author: Kathryn Williams
Published: August 21, 2012 (Henry Holt and Co.)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Format: Hardcover, borrowed from the library

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Sophie Nicolaides was practically raised in the kitchen of her family’s Italian-Greek restaurant, Taverna Ristorante. When her best friend, Alex, tries to convince her to audition for a new reality show, Teen Test Kitchen, Sophie is reluctant. But the prize includes a full scholarship to one of America's finest culinary schools and a summer in Napa, California, not to mention fame.

Once on-set, Sophie immediately finds herself in the thick of the drama—including a secret burn book, cutthroat celebrity judges, and a very cute French chef. Sophie must figure out a way to survive all the heat and still stay true to herself.

I was so excited for Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous! What a fun idea! As a self-proclaimed Chopped addict (even though I don't like any other reality shows unless they involve dancing), I was definitely looking forward to this one. The story sounded so cute, and how completely adorable is that cover?

While it was not exactly what I was expecting, Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous delivered on the cuteness level. Which I desperately needed, as I had recently finished sobbing for basically 2.5 hours straight because I went to see Les Mis. It was an entertaining little story with lots of fun drama and antics. Stick a bunch of teenagers in a high-stress environment with little-to-no privacy in which to express their thoughts? Oh, you're going to have drama. But it was pretty authentic. I could see this being a show on the cooking channel. In fact, it would probably be more interesting than several of the shows I've seen (well, at least previews) on the Food Network.

I really enjoyed reading about Sophie's family. Sophie had a large family who owned and ran their Greek-Italian restaurant. I liked the whole atmosphere. While her family could be a bit much, she still loved them. The whole restaurant crew as well as Sophie's best friend Alex were basically treated like part of the family, as well, and they would sometimes sit down to these gigantic, crazy dinners. I felt like I was there in the middle of the chaos, and I loved it!

As for the love story, there are actually some twists you might not expect from the summary, and I don't want to give anything away. But I thought it was interesting how it all played out, even though I was totally convinced of something that was not the case at one point. Although I wasn't a fan of the execution, I did wind up liking the way it ended.

Perhaps my favorite thing about the entire book was the recipes it included! I was so happy about that! I feel like it would be worth buying for the recipes alone. Several of the recipes included looked delicious, and I only wish it had included more.

Overall, I enjoyed Pizza, Love, and Other Stuff That Made Me Famous. Word of advice, though: I would not recommend reading while you're hungry! Or if so, make sure you have some great ingredients handy, because this book will make you want to embrace your culinary skills (no matter how imaginary they may be) and whip up something delicious.

For the first time, I understood what romance novels meant by “swooning.”

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Everyone knows sleep deprivation makes for good reality television.

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Baking is a very different skill than cooking. It requires precision and the ability to follow directions. Baking is for the obsessive-compulsive.
(I laughed really hard at this one. So true! It certainly explains why I love baking so much more than cooking.)

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Friday Five: YA Edition (#04)

Book: The Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan" by Cameron Dokey
Published: February 10, 2009 (Simon Pulse)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Thoughts: I like fairy tale retellings when they're well done, and The Wild Orchid was such a good one! The story of Mulan has always been a favorite of mine, so I was excited to stumble across this at the library. It read super fast, and I enjoyed it. The author built a believable world and culture in the short number of pages. The writing was gorgeous, which was a very pleasant surprise!

While our heart’s rhythm may seem steady, so steady that we take it for granted, this does not mean the heart is not also full of wonders and surprises.

Book: The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg
Published: January 1, 2010 (Point)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Thoughts: Confession time: I don't like the Beatles (though I do love the Across the Universe soundtrack). I had no idea this was a Beatles reference, or I probably would not have picked it up. Thankfully, though, even though Penny was Beatles-obsessed, that in no way turned me off the book! I like it quite a bit. While some of the dialogue seemed a little stilted, Eulberg had a really great cadence to her writing that I thoroughly enjoyed. Penny stood up for some great things and learned a lot of good lessons throughout the story. It was a cute one!

I wondered if it would’ve been too subtle to wear a T-shirt that said Thank you for your interest, but I am no longer dating.

Book: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
Series: Sweet Trilogy, #1
Published: May 1, 2012 (HarperTeen)
Rating: Stay Up 'til 2 AM
Thoughts: Sweet Evil was a super-quick, super-addicting read. I sped through it in a flash. It had an interesting premise. The two main characters had some great chemistry. Higgins had an interesting habit of combining two words into one such as "bloodred" of "superfast," which I actually wound up liking, because it made Anna's voice more authentic. I could totally hear her thinking like that. However, Higgins was entirely too fond of pronouns; there were two scenes (one of which was possibly on purpose) where I had no idea who it was who was actually speaking the lines. It really took me out of the story. Other than that, though, I liked it.

Wowza. He was smokin’ hot. As in H-O-T-T hott. I’d never understood until that moment why girls insisted on adding an extra T. This guy was extra-T worthy.

Book: Ripple by Mandy Hubbard
Published: July 21, 2011 Razorbill/Penguin
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Thoughts: Ripple fell smack dab in the middle of "average" for me. It wasn't by any means terrible, but it wasn't great. My favorite thing was probably the premise, followed closely by the fact that it had an older heroine (18). The romance was good, although I wanted more from it. In fact, I really wanted more from several aspects of this book. More characterization for the MC, her best friend, and the love interest. More character development from the MC. It had a pretty good twist and a fairly enjoyable story, though.

I pretend to be apologetic, but I suspect my dopey smile counters that impression.

Book: Being Friends With Boys by Terra Elan McVoy
Published: May 1, 2012 (Simon Pulse)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Thoughts: I had conflicting thoughts on Being Friends With Boys. The summary was extremely misleading, which is a huge pet peeve of mine. One of the things that I didn't like about this book was that it always felt like something was about to happen. But nothing really ever did. There was all this (really subtle, relying on guesswork) build up around the supposed love triangle, and by the end, I honestly didn't care about the romance. Not a bit. I honestly think I would have enjoyed the story more without it (aaand there was the sound of jaws dropping around the world because YES, I JUST SAID THAT). My favorite thing about this book is how McVoy sneaks up on you with some original, lyrical turns of phrase you totally aren't expecting. It kind of reminded me of Elizabeth Scott. I also think Char was an interesting character, and I liked reading about her, her friendships, and the whole band element.

Oliver smiles. That slow, full-lipped, wide-mouth one he has that takes up half his face, not showing any teeth. The one that crawls into his deep blue eyes from the bottom.

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