(Review) Falling for Max by Shannon Stacey

Title: Falling for Max
Author: Shannon Stacey
Series: Kowalski Family, #9
Published: July 2014 (Carina Press)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Paperback, borrowed from the library

Summary: Max Crawford has reached the point in life where he's starting to think about settling down. Unfortunately, he's always been a little awkward when it comes to social interactions, and working from home doesn't help. He spends so much time alone, painting beautiful, historically accurate model trains that half of Whitford has begun to joke that he may be a serial killer. Not exactly prime husband material.

Tori Burns has found happiness in Maine, thanks in large part to her shifts at the Trailside Diner. She likes the work, and she loves the local gossip. When shy, geeky Max Crawford becomes a regular, she's intrigued. When she finds out he's in the market for a wife, she's fascinated…and determined to help.

Molding Max into every woman's dream turns out to be much easier than expected. But has Tori's plan worked a little too well? As she turns his comfortable life all sorts of upside down, she'll have to find a way to show just how she's fallen for him…the real him.

So, I was all set to use my spare time tonight to sit down and write my review for Level Up, which I read a few days ago and adored. But I plopped down with my Chick-fil-A in one hand and this book in the other, and once I started, I couldn't stop until I'd reached the end. So now I need to tell you about my feelings for THIS book. And be prepared, because I have a lot of them. (But be on the lookout for my other review, too, soon. Because Level Up was awesomesauce.)

Three things I love but can almost never find all together in one package: contemporary setting, a humorous tone, and slow burn.

And guess what?

Falling for Max has ALL THREE OF THEM. Plus awesome characters. And I'm not just talking about the main two, either.

(This review is just basically going to be me gushing. In case you hadn't gotten that vibe already.)

Honestly, though, I already knew I loved Shannon Stacey. But it had been quite a while since I'd read one of her books, and I'm a lot pickier about my romance nowadays. It takes more to hook me and keep me invested in the characters and the romance, much less actually impress me. But that is exactly what Stacey did.

I loved Max. I loved Tori. I loved Tori's best friend, Hailey, who was the town librarian and kept Tori supplied with books. You may think that this is extraneous information, but a) it actually wound up being important and b) she was just awesome. I really enjoyed reading about their friendship, from the book drops to the dialog to the supportive friend moments. Give me a solid lady friendship, and you're already one step further into my good graces. Also, Hailey said this, which has no relevance except for the fact that I love it and want to share it:

Bad things happen to people who write in library books, Tori. Very bad things.

BUT I WILL MOVE ALONG. To, you know, the romance. Or we might be here all night.

Falling for Max is basically a super amazing reverse Pygmalion / My Fair Lady / The Ugly Truth. The heroine offering to help "make over" the hero? HELLO, I'M THERE. I was very excited about this premise, and I love how it worked into the story. Tori didn't go overboard with the advice, never suggested that Max had anything to be ashamed of. She was more of a coach and a cheerleader, all wrapped up into one. Over the course of working together (which involved a fake date at one point, and let me tell you, if I have a single trope weakness, it's Fake Dating), Tori and Max bonded and quickly became friends. Of course, it didn't stop there, but they were friends for a very long time while the chemistry sizzled steadily in the background. But while my toes were curling in anticipation at every longing stare, it wouldn't have made sense for them to get together in the beginning. So they didn't. And I was a happy camper, just waiting for them to get around to figuring things out and then deciding whether or not to do anything about it. And in the mean time, I enjoyed the heck out of their friendship. They made me giggle and swoon, and I genuinely enjoyed every time they interacted.

As for the characters themselves, I was definitely fan.

Max was an introvert and socially awkward, but Stacey did an excellent job of writing him. A lot of times when authors attempt to write socially awkward or anxious characters, the characters wind up feeling like cartoonish stereotypes. But this wasn't the case with Max at all. He felt real. I understood his perspective. And he wasn't All Awkward, All the Time. He was just, in his own words, a bit of an odd duck, and I mean that in the most loving way possible. (And trust me, that's a lot of love.)

Max was very familiar with people saying logical in a tone that suggested the word had a negative connotation to it.

And Tori! Tori was a graphic designer slash waitress, and she was a delight, honestly. She was friendly and outgoing, and unlike Max, she was very engaged with the community. She had major hang-ups about love and marriage, due to her parents' nasty divorce (which weren't magically swept aside by The Power of Love, either), which she was honest and up-front about from the beginning of the story.

You know what else is great?

Honesty.

There was no Big Misunderstanding in this book, because the characters were honest with each other. They were up front about things. Was everything hunky dory? No. Did they fight? Yes. Did I believe they would make it in the long run? Without a doubt.

I have only one complaint about the entire book, and that is the ending. It was rather abrupt, and I wish it would have been drawn out a bit longer. It just felt a little jarring. And then there's the fact that it ended, period, which let's face it, was pretty sad. But I do happen to have two other Shannon Stacey books checked out from the library right now, so there's a silver lining.

I wasn't super impressed by the cover or title of Falling for Max, but please don't be fooled by either! This is honestly one of the best contemporary romances I've read in a long time. I laughed out loud on multiple occasions. I saved tons of quotes. And I fell hard for the characters and the romance. (And did I mention that it was slow burn? Because it was slow burn. And this fact alone makes me want to get up and do a happydance.) This book reminded me why I automatically smile when I see Shannon Stacey's name on a book cover, and I definitely recommend it.

First:On the first day of each month, Max Crawford made it a habit to compile a list of everything he wanted or needed to accomplish that month. Without a list, he tended to immerse himself in work and then wonder why he was out of mouthwash and the car payment was overdue.

As the calendar ticked over to October, he catalogued which projects he was working on and their due dates. He noted there were two birthdays on his calendar, which meant shopping for and sending gifts to his mother and niece. The furnace needed its annual checkup. And he wanted to find a wife.

---

Favorite:"I have feelings. I intend to kill them with ice cream."

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Teaser:“Did I tell you how nice you look tonight? Definitely the good nice.”
“You didn't have to.” He took her hand and started toward the door.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I see the way you look at me in this sweater.” He stopped walking. “Maybe I should leave it in the car. This is a family restaurant.”
She slapped his arm and nudged him forward. “I've created a monster.”

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(Review) The Word for Yes by Claire Needell

Title: The Word for Yes
Author: Claire Needell
Published: February 16, 2016 (HarperTeen)
Rating: 2 stars
Format: Digital galley received from publisher in exchange for an honest review. (Thank you!)

Summary: After their parents’ divorce, Jan, Erika, and Melanie have to get used to the new world order: a father who’s moved to another continent and a mother who throws herself into moving on. Jan, off at her first semester of college, has plenty to worry about, including an outspoken roommate who’s kind of “out there” and an increasingly depressed and troubled long-distance boyfriend. Her younger sisters, left at home in New York City, and dealing with all the pressures of life in high school, aren’t exactly close. Erika is serious and feels awkward and uncomfortable in crowds, though her beauty tends to attract attention. Melanie is socially savvy and just wants to go out—to concerts, to parties, wherever—with her friends. The gap between all three girls widens as each day passes.

Then, at a party full of blurred lines and blurred memories, everything changes. Starting that night, where there should be words, there is only angry, scared silence.

And in the aftermath, Jan, Erika, and Melanie will have to work hard to reconnect and help one another heal.

{ Trigger warning for mentions of rape. }

This is a very difficult book to review. If it had been a library book, I would not have written it. In fact, if it had been a library book, I would not have made it past the first chapter.

The Word for Yes is the story of three sisters: Jan (The Oldest), Erika (The Brain), and Melanie (The Pretty One). It is also the story of some of their friends and acquaintances, because there are a few portions narrated by characters other than the sisters. But by and large, it is about these three girls going through the various stages of their lives along the course of several months, about the circumstances that draw them together and push them farther apart.

The main thing you need to know about this book is that it does tackle very heavy issues, the main one being rape. Needell did not shy away from the confusing, blurry circumstances that can surround it, and that is important. Rape isn't always about the random predator that leaps on unsuspecting girls from the bushes - in fact, scenarios along that line make up a scarily low percentage of sexual assaults. But I digress. Rape is an important topic, and I appreciate that Needell took on the challenge of writing a story about it.

One positive I can say about the book is that sometimes Needell captured very human aspects to some of her characters. There were moments where I felt like I was observing actual people, with their little details and idiosyncrasies that make them unique.

Unfortunately, however, the book overall was not a success for me.

My main complaint is, without a doubt, the writing. It was incredibly stilted and off-putting, especially in the first few chapters. The author relied very much on telling rather than showing, both in the narration and in the actual dialogue. The dialogue itself was often unrealistic, sometimes rambly to the point of being incoherent, in the case of Jan's roommate Eliza. The entire book was bogged down a slew of unnecessary details. The random backstories and side characters that were thrown around were distracting and did nothing to enhance the story. The author attempted to tackle too much in the limited number of pages and as a result, it just didn't all come together like it should have. I also wasn't a fan of the ending, which was very abrupt. I think a more thorough editing job would have helped this book immensely.

The other problem was the characters. I had trouble connecting with them. But I couldn't quite tell if it was because the characters themselves or because I couldn't connect to the book overall, due to the writing. They seemed to me to be at turns flat then larger-than-life, relatable then repulsive. There were moments when I would empathize with one sister or another, but then she would totally lose me. It was an odd experience that I can't quite describe, but it might have been a problem with me rather than with the book.

The Word for Yes had potential, and I appreciate the courageous effort by the author to tackle such an important subject. There was a great book here struggling to get out, but in my opinion, it ultimately failed.

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(Review) Between You & Me by Marissa Calin

Title: Between You & Me
Author: Marissa Calin
Published: August 2012 (Bloomsbury USA Children)
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Format: Hardcover, borrowed from the library

Summary: Mia appears on the first day of drama class, and she is fascinating. You can't cast someone to be fascinating, they just are. And Phyre can't help but want to impress her - especially since Mia is her teacher. But as she rehearses for the school production, Phyre realizes that her feelings for mia go deeper than she's ever experienced.

Phyre's best friend is a constant, ready to help Phyre make sense of her emotions. But just as Mia doesn't realize what Phyre feels, Phyre can't fathom the depth of her best friend's devotion...until it's almost too late.

Written as a screenplay, Between You & Me offers a breath-by-breath, moment-by-moment story of first love.

I've had Between You & Me on my TBR list for a couple years now, and I finally got around to picking it up for this round of Bout of Books! I didn't quite have time to sneak it in under the wire for BOB, but I kept it around and picked it up a few days later.

This is a somewhat difficult book to review, because there were a lot of things about it that worked for me but some things that didn't.

Between You & Me is the story of Phyre (pronounced like “fire” according to the baby name websites I checked), a sixteen-year-old girl who develops a crush on her teacher. It happens to the best of us. (I mean, I was homeschooled, so I didn't get the Hot Teacher experience until college. But hey, better late than never, right?)

The biggest thing I liked about this book is that Calin was not afraid to take risks when writing it. The whole thing is told in a screenplay format, but it's more than just reading a play. There's plenty of internal dialogue and description. It is difficult to describe, but trust me when I say it works! But perhaps the most interesting aspect is that the book is written from the perspective of Phyre (“me”) but addressed to her long-time best friend, known only as “you.” That's it. We don't get a name or a gender or a physical description other than tanned skin and blonde hair. It is entirely up to the reader's interpretation.

I am always up for something new and interesting in books, and this is no exception. It works very well with this story and these characters. To me, it felt new and refreshing and fun without being gimmicky. The script format in particular serves to enhance the story rather than take away from it, as the vast majority of the book focuses on theatre classes and rehearsals and performances. It all fits together in one easy-reading package.

But back to the story. Phyre develops an instantaneous crush on her new drama teacher, Mia. Ahh, crushes. Probably both the best and worst thing about being a teenager. I have to say that Calin does an exceptional job capturing what it is like. The way they overtake your every thought, the hyper-awareness of every single movement you make around them, the way you blow little moments entirely out of proportion. Reading this was like stepping into a time machine and jumping back the better part of a decade, and though the experience was not entirely pleasant, it was certainly familiar.

Yet for all the things I liked about Between You & Me, it took me a long time to really care about what was happening. I think it probably stemmed from the fact that I was obviously not rooting for the teacher/student romance, nor did I think it was going to happen. Because as long as you've read the cover summary (and probably even without it), you know the love story is clearly between Phyre and her best friend. You (the reader) just have to wait until she realizes that “you” (the best friend) has been there all along and that she belongs with them.

Go ahead and burst into Taylor Swift now. I'll wait.

However, most of the book consists of Phyre obsessing over Mia (though there's barely more than like two lines about sexuality, which I found odd) and not much else. I wanted a little more substance, a little more of her relationship with her best friend. I also found myself growing annoyed at Phyre at times, because her actions were often flighty and incredibly self-involved, even for a sixteen-year-old girl with an all-consuming crush. So that took away a bit of my enjoyment as well.

Overall, though, I did like the book, and I appreciate the risks that Calin took when writing it. It was courageous and definitely made an interesting change of pace. I would recommend Between You & Me to anyone looking for something a little different but not too deep or difficult of a read.

First:Phyre, sixteen, that's me! And this is my life. Or how I picture it. The door swings open and I smile up at you.

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Favorite:Seeing a play stops time – makes the real world seem so harsh.

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Teaser:I wonder how different I would be in a world with no consequences. Will the voice telling me what's right always be so loud?

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(Review) Almost Famous Women by Megan Mayhew Bergman

Title: Almost Famous Women
Author: Megan Mayhew Bergman
Published: January 2015 (Scribner)
Rating: ★★★★☆
Format: Hardcover, borrowed from the library

Summary:The fascinating lives of the characters in Almost Famous Women have mostly been forgotten, but their stories are burning to be told. Now Megan Mayhew Bergman, author of Birds of a Lesser Paradise, resurrects these women, lets them live in the reader's imagination, so we can explore their difficult choices. Nearly every story in this dazzling collection is based on a woman who attained some celebrity—she raced speed boats or was a conjoined twin in show business; a reclusive painter of renown; a member of the first all-female, integrated swing band. We see Lord Byron's illegitimate daughter, Allegra; Oscar Wilde's troubled niece, Dolly; West With the Night author Beryl Markham; Edna St. Vincent Millay's sister, Norma. These extraordinary stories travel the world, explore the past (and delve into the future), and portray fiercely independent women defined by their acts of bravery, creative impulses, and sometimes reckless decisions.

The world hasn't always been kind to unusual women, but through Megan Mayhew Bergman's alluring depictions they finally receive the attention they deserve. Almost Famous Women is a gorgeous collection from an "accomplished writer of short fiction" (Booklist).

I will preface this review by saying that I don't tend to like short stories. I am all about the characters and getting to know them, and when one has less than 40 pages (sometimes less than 10), there simply isn't an opportunity do so. But I stumbled across this collection when I was at the library the other day, and I was too intrigued to let the opportunity pass me by.

I went ahead and picked it up, and then I took the plunge and began reading it. I am immensely thankful that I did.

Megan Mayhew Bergman's writing is absolutely stunning. She weaves together similes and adjectives and the most unlikely strings of words on occasion, but they all somehow coalesce into a moving reading experience. Whether you are experiencing joy or revulsion or compassion, the words are there to make each moment just that much more poignant.

Her stories are all compelling, though each is completely unique. It is difficult to compare a story about a multiracial swing band to that of a cross-dressing heiress who owns her own island and races boats. What I can say about all of these stories is that they all explored human nature in the most interesting ways and from all different angles.

The idea of taking real women from history and writing fictional stories about them is risky, but the author pulls it off splendidly. I felt like I was immersed in each woman's life from the very first sentence of each segment. While it is not an uplifting read – the stories tend to be rather dark in subject matter – it never feels cumbersome or depressing. It is more like seeing each woman when she is most human, whether viewing her in a single moment or in brief snapshots throughout the course of a life.

If I have a single complaint, it would be that “The Lottery, Redux” did not fit with the rest of the stories, being based on a fictional work. I have not, in fact, read “The Lottery,” (or if I have, it's been quite a long time), so reading a *cough*fanfiction*cough* “cover story” on it did not interest me at all. The author does say in her notes, however, that McSweeny's specifically asked her to write a cover story of a classic, so apparently someone felt that it was needed.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this collection, the writing in particular, and I will definitely be checking out Mayhew Bergman's previous short story collection soon.

First:Let me tell it, I said.
No, you're a liar and a drunk, she said. Or I said.

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Favorite:L is choreographing in her head again, making mental diagrams: the arch of a back, a lunge, a flexed foot. Her own bare feet tap the floor of the rented flat. She wants to stumble upon an invisible idea and render it with her body, amplify it. She feels something savage and raw inside and wants to show it on the stage, or in a patron's garden. She wants to begin a discussion underneath the orange trees.

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Teaser:Time didn't matter on Whale Clay. You did what Joe wanted to do, when Joe wanted to do it. That was all.

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|Review| The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes

Title: The Art of Lainey
Author: Paula Stokes
Published May 20th 2014 by HarperTeen

Genre: contemprary YA
Rating: A

Goodreads summary:

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?

Round of applause for Paula Stokes for writing a real teenage girl in all her judgmental glory! I'm here to read about Laineys. Yes please.

So I was the idiot who waited 7 months to read Lainey even though I've been waiting for it for ions and when all the great reviews started trickling in, I become even more excited. So I put it off, of course. Typical me problem. But what matters is that I got to it within a year (miracle, see Typical me problems again) and I'm here to share what I LOVED about it!

+Lainey: she's 17 years old and she can be judgmental and make stupid comments which is perfectly fine and perfectly on point! People don't pop out of the womb aware of what's harmful and what's not. Lainey has her group of friends and her soccer team and this very narrow view of the world which is why she's judgmental to outsider stuff. However, the summer her boyfriend breaks up with her and she gets to meet Micah is when she gets out of her bubble and embraces how everyone is different. I LOVED seeing this character growth.

“If you asked me whether I was the type of person who liked trying new things or preferred sticking with what was familiar, I would have told you I was the second girl. The if –it-aint-broke-don’t-fix-it girl. I also would have told you plays were lame. It suddenly occurs to me that I don’t seem to know very much about…me. It’s a weird feeling, like maybe a stranger is inhabiting my body. Or maybe a stranger was, and I kicked her out.”

+Senior year: the books takes place over the summer before senior year and Stokes captures the uncertainty of what's to come at the end of high school SO WELL. Wariness of change, figuring out who you are outside of a long term boyfriend and a group of friends. These are things that seniors definitely deal with and it took me back to just two summers ago when I was graduating.

+Micah: SWOON TOWN. Can I just leave it there? Micah was for sure top ten YA book boyfriends material. Mohawk. Tattoos. Eyebrow piercing! He was actually kind of a bad boy but he wasn't a caricature one. I liked that he didn't let Lainey get away with her shit but their relationship was still fun and just my favorite in YA to read about.

The Art of Lainey is such a ME book, it's ridiculous. Challenging heroine, swoony guy, realistic high school setting AND soccer. I couldn't ask for more. I'll definitely be rereading this and picking up Paula Stokes' future books.

Recommended for fans of: realistic AND fun contemporary YA & fake boyfriend trope. 

Rating: [A] is one for the all the contemporary fans!

Teaser

“Not sure how you can get them to him without looking like a crazy stalker chick," Micah says."You think I'm a crazy stalker chick?"
"You're using an ancient war manual to try to win back your boyfriend. I think you're a girl who will do whatever it takes to get what she wants," he says. "Hey, at least you're committed.” 

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Favorite:

“I go through memory after memory, looking for reassurance that nothing has changed, but it's like flipping through a book of stories I've outgrown. Everything has changed.”

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Teaser:

“Standing up for yourself is about more than flinging barbed-wire insults around. Its about picking your battles, knowing when to fight, knowing exactly what and who is worth fighting for.” 

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|12 in 12| Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer

12 in 12 is me committing to read 12 books in 12 months. These 12 books will be old books that I've had on my TBR since the dawn of time and have been pushed aside for all the SHINY. 

I did 12 in 12 last year and it was success for me. I read a lot of books that I've been saying for years I would read and they were favorites! While I didn't keep up with 12 in 12 on the blog, I still loved my progress so here we go again! Here is the 12 in 12 intro post I did last year.

12 in 12 January Pick

Title: Seeing Me Naked

Author: Liza Palmer

Published January 8th, 2008

Genre: contemporary fiction

Rating: A-

Goodreads summary:

Elisabeth Page is the daughter of Ben Page, yes, that's right, THE world famous novelist. And yes, she's also the sister of Rascal Page, world famous novelist in his own right. So what does Elisabeth do? Much to her family's disappointment, Elisabeth is a pastry chef. And a pretty damn good one, at Beverly, the hottest restaurant in LA. The last relationship Elisabeth had was with Will, a man she grew up with and whose family ran in the same social circles as her family. But Will's constant jaunts around the world have left her lonely and brokenhearted in L.A.

That is until Daniel Sullivan bids on one of Elisabeth's pastry tutorials at a charity auction. Daniel is everything her family is not: a basketball coach, a non-intellectual, his family doesn't summer on Martha's Vineyard, and the only metaphors he uses are about passing the ball and being a team player. But somehow they fit. Between her family, Will, and the new cooking show that Elisabeth is recruited to star in, Elisabeth's life is suddenly incredibly new and different--the question is, can she embrace being happy or has her family conditioned her to think she's just not good enough?Liza Palmer expertly depicts a woman trying to come to terms with professional success, personal success, and finally dealing with a family that might love her from the bottom of their heart but doesn't necessarily have her best interest always at heart.

I've been meaning to read Liza Palmer since 2013 which is not that long since rest of the books in my 12 in 12 pile are much older than that. However, Liza Palmer comes HIGHLY recommend from so many people I trust (Sarah, Estelle, Angie, Ellice, Hannah, Cass) I just had to read one of her books and I have to say, I understand the love!

I picked Seeing Me Naked as my first Palmer because Nowhere But Home is too hyped for me so I was scared to make it my first choice and when I saw that Elisabeth is a chef, I had to start with this one since I love chef books.

There is a lot to love about Seeing Me Naked. There is chef Elisabeth and I just love chef heroes/heroines. This is a very character driven novel and I love reading about Elisabeth as she dealt with making a decision about her extremely demanding job that does not allow her to have a life outside the kitchen. Her complicated family composed of a Pulitzer winner (snobby) father, charity  extraordinaire mother and her brother who's on the road to author fame himself. Family books for the win!

There is also her complicated love life. There is Will, who's Elisabeth childhood friend and love but he's rarely available and there is new0in-town basketball coach Daniel. This is not a love triangle in any sense, it's just two men who serve two different purposes. I loved Daniel who's a nice hero! I like nice guys. This book is not just romance focused but the meeting scenes between Elisabeth and Daniel were really cute and the overall romance was well balanced with the rest of the story.

I'm a big fan of family books and that aspect was really important here. Elisabeth's family is well, elite with a capital E. Her dad doesn't approve of her career or career goals. I love seeing this complicated, messy family who ultimately loves each other, yes, but they're not always good for each other or show it in the best away but no family is perfect. Elisabeth's family screws up a lot but that didn't mean they were The Worst Ever. It isn't just either perfect or not perfect and I just loved that complexity!

Again, I also loved Elisabeth who struggled with her privilege.

Apparently, when I'm not being a pompous asshole or a know-it-all, I have very little to say. Good to know.

She knew she could pretentious and even "shitty" and constantly tried to rein it in but everyone is a snob about something which for that something is food (she's a chef!). I enjoyed reading about her because in the end she really was your average person. She struggled with family, with being everyone's definition of a "good" person and in her love life. It was so realistic but on top of that, there were some great laugh out loud moments. Perfect combination, anyone?

Rating: [A-] My first Liza Palmer but definitely not my last. Binge reading, here I come!

First:

The crowd simmers down as the bookstore owner approaches the podium.

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Favorite:

"Your building is in a commercial part of town. There are no kids there. Who are you going to pass candy out to, prostitutes?"

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Teaser:

"How do you — I mean, how does one become a professional Santa?" I'm oddly intrigued. But at the same time, who is this person? What utopian parred did he frolic off of?

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|Review| The Devil Takes a Bride by Julia London

Title: The Devil Takes a Bride
Author: Julia London
Series: The Cabot Sister #2

Published January 27th 2015 by HQN Books

Genre: historical romance
Rating: B+

Goodreads summary:

From powerful love to sizzling passion, Julia London always delivers an incomparable reading experience. Returning to her acclaimed Cabot Sisters series, we meet an earl who can only be tamed by one wicked lady…

A plan born of desperation…
Once the toast of society, Grace Cabot and her sisters now await the shame of losing high status and fine luxuries upon the death of the Earl of Beckington. The dire circumstances are inevitable unless, of course, Grace's wicked plot to seduce a wealthy viscount into marriage goes off without a single hitch. But once a stolen embrace with the wrong man leads her to be discovered in the arms of Jeffrey, the Earl of Merryton, her plan takes a most unexpected—and scorching—twist.

…and altered by passion.

Governed by routine and ruled by duty, Jeffrey had no desire for a wife before he succumbed to Grace's temptation. Though his golden-haired, in-name-only bride is the definition of disorder, he can't resist wanting her in every way. But once her secrets meet his, society might consider their lives to be ruined beyond repair…while Jeffrey might just see it as a new beginning.

If it isn't clear by now, arranged/force/convenience/in-trouble marriages are my FAVORITE romances to read so of course I was all over The Devil Takes a Bride. Good thing too because it was definitely different than the average historical romance I read PLUS it just reiterated why I love marriage romances so much.

Grace, the heroine, is the second oldest Cabot sister after Honor and is followed by Prudence and Mercy. Due to the desperate financial situation that Grace's family is currently in, it drove her to the situation that has her accidentally married to our hero, Jeffrey. I really liked Grace! She was headstrong and was constantly moving forward and trying to make the best of her marriage to Jeffrey and that's why I like reading about these types of stories! Seeing the characters work hard at it makes the payoff so well earned! I also liked that the author didn't make her unlike the ~other~ women of the ton to highlight how special she is. Grace admits that she likes flirting and enjoyed the game of suitors but when things got tough, Grace did what she thought would benefit their family.

She rather enjoyed flirting and suggestive innuendo.

Jeffrey is what made the book special. He's OCD and well, he's kinky. BUT he doesn't know that his kinky side is normal and thinks he's plagued by some sort of evilness, especially when you factor in his OCD. He doesn't have any friends or people close to him to tell him how normal he is so he was a rather shy man which was so cute to read about and a welcome change from the regular alphas.

She wondered if there was a way to reach that she boy, buried in that aloof man.

Can we get more diverse heroes? PLEASE AND THANKS! So, Grace and Jeffrey are secluded in Jeffrey's country estate which means that they're all alone in the country and they must learn to be a couple. Be still, my heart.

"I thought if we had some friends in common, we might...well, we might become friends, too."

Oh, this is what dreams are made of!! If this isn't a Racquel book, I don't know what is! Add in the fact that this is a sister series (yay sisters!) and we have some really good family scenes, especially with Jeffrey and his brother, John. The epilogue did not disappoint which makes me so happy since to me, epilogues are either super satisfying or super sucky. This would easily be an A read, honestly, but it took me over a week to read it thanks to school and that is one of my worst bookish problems. If I take more than a day to read a book, I lose enjoyment no matter how much I'm loving the book. Other than that, I didn't have any issues (that my memory can recall). Another book to solidify my love for married couple books? check!

Would I try the other companion books? HELL YEAH.

Recommended for: fans of unique historical romance!

Rating: [B+] A really pleasant surprise!

*quotes taken from an eARC.

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(Review) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Title: Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Published: June 5, 2012 (Crown Publishers)
Rating: Stay Up 'til 2 AM
Format: Paperback, purchased

Summary: On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn't do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

What can I possibly say about Gone Girl that hasn't been said a thousand times? I've heard that this book is very much a love-it-or-hate it thing, and I most assuredly am in the former category. Though I kind of want to create my own little club, called the Hate Myself a Little Bit for How Much I Loved It. Because this book was Messed Up, capitalization included. It was twisted and twenty kinds of disturbing, and it was incredible.

I picked up this book as part of my 2015 project to stop avoiding super-hyped books. It was my second one of the year, right after The Fault in Our Stars. That one did not have high results, which is why you haven't seen my review on it yet. I was bummed by how underwhelmed I was by Fault, so I was a little leery of starting Gone Girl. Surely it would be disappointing, too. Well, guess what. It wasn't. In fact, it surpassed my expectations.

This review probably won't be super long, because I don't want to spoil you. Funny story: I actually thought I had been spoiled for this book before I actually read it. Twice. But the two "spoilers" directly contradicted each other, so I wondered which could possibly be right. And guess what? NEITHER ONE WAS. I can totally see how some people guessed the Big Twist, but in my case, I was so concentrated on the two possibilities I had in my head that I didn't even think of other possibilities. So that was interesting.

But really, let's talk about the hero of this book, and I'm not talking about Nick. I am talking about Gillian Freaking Flynn and her Amazing Words of Awesome. I actually didn't save very many quotes from the book, for a couple reasons. One being that I was extremely sucked into the book and didn't want to stop to take notes. The second (and main) reason being that she had one of those writing styles where everything felt like a quote. Every single page. I could flip to a random spot in the book and pick out something worth quoting within moments, I guarantee it.

When I become enamored with someone's writing style, I kind of become their devoted servant for life (I'm looking at you, Vladimir Nabokov and Tahereh Mafi). And Gillian Flynn certainly made her way into the coveted ranks. Seriously, though. You might think that I'm just talking about the writing because I can't really talk about the plot, but YOU ARE WRONG. Because if I could talk about the plot? I would probably talk about the writing more. In addition to having a unique and evocative style, Flynn's writing was flat-out powerful. She could slam you in the gut, punch you in the face, make you want to throw up, enrage you, intrigue you, repulse you, surprise you, make you laugh, make you cry, all with her carefully crafted, perfectly chosen words. And they weren't always pretty words. Sometimes they were so crude, I wanted to put the book down, BUT IT WORKED. It was so perfect for the characters, and it only served to heighten the scene and what was happening in or around the character.

So, speaking of the characters, there were a few. I suppose I might have to talk about them a little bit. Nick was the husband of Amy, who disappeared on the morning of their fifth anniversary, but whom we get to know through diary entries. And you think these people are all charming but then you know things get messed up, and you are totally captivated by wondering HOW they got messed up and just how far it went. There were also some interesting side characters, such as Nick's twin sister Go (short for Margo) and Amy's parents. All of them were multifaceted, and can I mention how much I love that everyone was flawed? There were no cardboard cutout characters here.

That's about all I have. I can honestly say that I am not sure if I ever plan to re-read Gone Girl. I am happy that I own it, and I can look at it on my shelves and remember it (sort of?) fondly. But it was dark and disturbing. It was a great experience, but I'm not sure if I am going to put myself through that again. Regardless, Flynn has definitely shot up on my Authors to Watch list, so I will definitely be reading her other two books in the near future.

First:When I think of my wife, I always think of her head.

---

Favorite:And then you run into Nick Dunne on Seventh Avenue as you're buying diced cantaloupe, and pow, you are known, you are recognized, the both of you. You both find the exact same things worth remembering. (Just one olive, though.) You have the same rhythm. Click. You just know each other. All of a sudden you see reading in bed and waffles on Sunday and laughing at nothing and his mouth on yours. And it's so far beyond fine that you know you can never go back to fine. That fast. You think: Oh, here is the rest of my life. It's finally arrived.

---

Teaser:There's something disturbing about recalling a warm memory and feeling utterly cold.

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|Review| Worth the Fall by Claudia Connor

Title: Worth the Fall
Author: Claudia Connor
Series: The McKinney Brothers #1 (companion)

Published  September 9th 2014 by Loveswept

Genre: contemporary romance
Rating: C+

Goodreads summary:

They meet on a beach. . . . Abby Davis isn’t wearing a skimpy bikini or sipping umbrella drinks, not when she’s busy chasing around four little ones. And Matt McKinney isn’t looking for fun—he’s a Navy SEAL, a grown man with a long list of missions . . . and fallen brothers.

They only have a week. . . . Abby has brought her children to this beach to start over, to give them the enjoyable memories they deserve. Matt’s been sidelined by a combat injury, and haunted by the best friend he lost and the promise he made: to remain a SEAL—focused and dedicated. This leaves no time for what he’s always wanted: a family.

But a week is all it takes. . . . Matt opens her heart while Abby soothes his soul. And though they plan to say good-bye when the week is over, something magical happens on that beach, something neither can forget. Something utterly, completely worth falling for.

Most of my romance recommendations come from Twitter and this one was no different. A few people praised the book, someone linked the page to Amazon, I accidentally clicked "one click" and turns out it works super fast! Even if you stop the page, the transaction went through in that nanosecond and I'm glad it did! Why would I not enjoy a romance with a Navy SEAL hero and a pregnant, widowed heroine who already has four kids? No reason!

Worth the Fall delivered and I can definitely see why it's been circling the romance Twitterverse. The beginning is set at the beach where Matt meets pregnant Abby and her four kids Annie, Jack, Gracie, and Charlie. Jack and Gracie kind of pull Matt into the family and it was just so heartwarming to read these scenes. The kids played a big part of the story and they were not just caricatures. Jack and Gracie, who who had the biggest role, had so much personality which made me so happy! I love romances where the hero or heroine have kids because I like the complexity that presents but its usually never used to its full potential in books. However, it was just perfect in Worth the Fall.  I LOVED the kids and their scenes with Matt were some of my favorite.

Now the only thing I didn't like about Worth the Fall and what's keeping me from giving it five stars is the drama at the end. All romance books has the drama inducing misunderstanding at the end where the couple separates before they have to learn grow up and they have the "I love him/her!" epiphany. Well, Worth the Fall had about twenty of those moments. One ended, we think its time for the heavily ever after then boom, another drama inducing misunderstanding. On their own, it wasn't bad-but-back to back drama llama misunderstandings? It was too much for me. I barely tolerate the stupidity of the drama inducing misunderstanding in the first place so having more than one just killed the ending for me. If you have a high tolerance for drama, this won't bother you as much.

Despite the nature of the end, I don't regret reading the book and I see myself rereading the first 70% of the book. The romance was just that sweet! Matt and Abby were really well matched and they overcame the obstacles holding them back quite well (widowhood, the Navy, dramadramadrama). The beginning portion of the book that is set at the beach and it's just 10 star worthy. I felt like I was the beach and seeing Matt slowly join the family just completely warmed by heart and it was swoony!  To sum everything up, the romance was so sweet and touching, the kids were the cutest and I'm more than ready for the next book! So do I recommend Worth the Fall? Yes!

Recommended for: readers who like their romance sweet flavored or readers who enjoy hunky brothers series!

Rating: [C+] Don't let my rating fool you, I thoroughly enjoyed this romance & recommend it!

First:

"You ever notice that hot, mostly naked chicken don't show up in a snow covered train whenever you pop open one of these?"

---

Teaser:

Gracie grabbed Matt's free hand and tugged. "Come on. I have to show you somefin. It's weally portant."

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(Review) He's So Fine by Jill Shalvis

Title: He's So Fine
Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Lucky Harbor, #11
Published: September 30, 2014 (Grand Central Publishing)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Egalley provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review (Thanks!); paperback borrowed from my sister, borrowed from the library.

Summary: For Olivia Bentley, Lucky Harbor is more than the town where she runs her new vintage shop. It's the place where folks are friendly to strangers-and nobody knows her real name. Olivia does a good job of keeping her past buried, not getting too cozy with anyone . . . until she sees a man drowning. Suddenly she's rushing into the surf, getting up close and personal with the hottest guy she's ever laid hands on.

Charter boat captain Cole Donovan has no problem with a gorgeous woman throwing her arms around his neck in an effort to "save" him. In fact, he'd like to spend a lot more time skin-to-skin with Olivia. He's just not expecting that real trouble is about to come her way. Will it bring her deeper into Cole's heart, or will it be the end of Olivia's days in little Lucky Harbor?

I had He's So Fine for several weeks before I finally read it. I would look at it, get excited, then stop before I actually read the first line. Why? Because reading it would mean there would only be one more Lucky Harbor book for me to read ever, and that's just a terrible thought. Thankfully, the release date came around, and my cousin devoured this book faster than you can say "sa-woon." This, of course, prompted me to finally crack it open (figuratively speaking, obviously, as it was on my Nook), so we could discuss it!

As always, it was wonderful to be back in Lucky Harbor. I always like seeing it through the eyes of characters who are both new to town (Olivia) and those who grew up there (Cole). And, of course, those who make the town as quirky as it is (Lucille, who had recently navigated the transition from Facebook to Tumblr, due to their less restrictive photo policies, all the better for posting shirtless photographs of our favorite resident ship captain).

Oh, Cole. He is what made this book for me. Truthfully, I was surprised to learn this book was about him, because in the Lucky Harbor mini-trilogies, the most intriguing hero of the three is usually saved for the last book, and I was drawn to Cole immediately. (I am certainly eager for Tanner's now! Who knows what amazingness Shalvis has been holding out on us?) Far be it from me to complain, though! I'll take a nice, sexy, honest, comfortable-in-his-own-skin handyman any day of the week. Cole had some things he had to work through, but he was definitely the star of the show.

Olivia was a little difficult to get to know as a character, because she was hiding a lot of her past. She had been a child star named Sharlyn, but her super popular show was canceled when at age 16, she finally looked too old to convincingly play a young girl anymore. After this, she had a typical Hollywood meltdown, went into hiding, and rebuilt her life as Olivia. She was scrappy, smart, and dedicated, but she was also used to being secretive and hiding her past. This created a problem when she started to get involved with Cole, who was all about the honesty.

Their interactions were spectacular! I mean, really. Their first official meeting happened because she jumped into the water to rescue Cole after watching him fall from a boat, only to make matters worse because he was actually fine, and she had no idea what she was doing. It was hilarious! She had the best of intentions, though, you had to hand it to her. Though they got started on kind of a crazy foot, Cole and Olivia fell into something like friendship pretty quickly and naturally, but although they had some pretty sizzling attraction, things had to be worked out before either was ready for a real commitment.

I only had a few small problems with this book. One is that the book felt kind of thrown together at times, the writing a little rushed. I would have liked to see some of the details a little more fleshed out, and I definitely wanted more interaction between the three main guys.

However, I was super excited to see Callie, Becca and Olivia's new neighbor, show up! She's clearly going to be the third heroine, and I'm already anticipating her story. Especially since she used to have a crush on Tanner AND is related to Lucille. I know the next book is going to rock. If I can ever convince myself to read it, that is. But if He's So Fine - and all the previous Shalvis books I've read - taught me one thing, it's this: Saying "yes" to a Jill Shalvis book is always the right answer.

First:For a guy balancing his weight between the stern of his boat and the dock, thinking about sex instead of what he was doing was a real bonehead move.

---

Favorite:“You’re engaged to be married,” Callie reminded her.
“Yes, but it’s Captain Jack Sparrow,” Becca said. “He’s a fictional character. You’re allowed to lust after fictional characters when you’re engaged. It’s in the Engaged Handbook somewhere.”

---

Teaser:“Just because we’ve done...it,” she said, “doesn’t mean–”
“We discussed your sexual vocabulary. ‘It’ is not on the list of acceptable descriptions for what we did.”
“Fine,” she said. “We had wild monkey sex that ruined me for all other men. Happy?”
“Getting there.”

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(Review) Once More, My Darling Rogue by Lorraine Heath

Title: Once More, My Darling Rogue
Author: Lorraine Heath
Series: Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James, #2
Published: August 2014 (Avon)
Rating: Stay Up 'til 2 AM
Format: Paperback borrowed from the library

Summary: Born to the street but raised within the aristocracy, Drake Darling can’t escape his sordid beginnings. Not when Lady Ophelia Lyttleton snubs him at every turn, a constant reminder he’s not truly one of them. But after rescuing her from a mysterious drowning he realizes she doesn’t remember who she is. With plans to bring her to heel, he insists she’s his housekeeper—never expecting to fall for the charming beauty.

While Ophelia might not recall her life before Drake, she has little doubt she belongs with him. The desire she feels for her dark, brooding employer can’t be denied, regardless of consequences. So when her memory returns, she is devastated by the depth of his betrayal. Now Drake must risk everything to prove she can trust this rogue with her heart once more.

I went into Once More, My Darling Rogue very excited but also a little hesitant. I'm not always a fan of amnesia stories. Although they can be enjoyable, a lot of them wind up blending together in my mind because they're so similar. In order for me to desire to read one, I need something more. The heroine being completely hateful to the hero, followed by the hero taking advantage of the heroine's amnesia and making her act as his housekeeper? That'll do it. I knew Heath would have to tread carefully, because while the story would definitely be unique, it could also be the perfect setting for a good, old-fashioned alphahole, the fastest way to ruin a book. Thankfully, my trepidation was for naught. I fell head over heels for this book and devoured it in a day.

Let's start with the characters. In the beginning, Ophelia Lyttleton was kind of horrid. And I LOVED it. She was spoiled by servants, totally taking them for granted, and you know what? That's real. Highborn ladies of the time were pampered, waited on hand and foot by servants. They weren't expected to do anything for themselves. She was of the upper class, and she was well aware of it, having been raised by a father who drilled into her their superiority to those of lower birth. It was incredibly refreshing to see this, even though it did not make her the most likable of heroines at first. In addition, she was a total witch to the Drake, snubbing him repeatedly in front of others. To be fair, we mostly saw this from his perspective and memories, and the small glimpse we got into Ophelia's head showed that she was using this behavior as a defense mechanism against her attraction toward to Drake, someone with whom she could never be associated without losing her dowry and what was left of her family. There was also a lot more going on beneath the surface with her, secrets she did not reveal even in her thoughts until much later in the story.

Then there was Drake. I think the first line says it all:

I was born Peter Sykes, the son of a murderer, the son of a woman murdered, a heritage that has always haunted me.

Um, HELLO. Way to make an impression with the first line. It wasn't at all what I expected when I cracked open the book. That first line captivated me, and I continued to be intrigued by Drake through the whole book. He was smart, a great businessman, intimidating, but fair, but he had innate inferiority issues due to his birth, despite being raised in a duke's family. (I was completely intrigued by his pseudo-adoptive parents, as well, and I really hope Heath has written their story at some point in the past. I got that impression, and I would love to read it!) He also had a dragon tattoo. I'll let you read the book to discover where, but I'll just say that there was a scene about it that caused some definite swoonage.

Drake and Ophelia each brought out the worst in each other. She was mean to him to keep him at a distance, and the easiest method was to remind him of his inferiority. This was his one big weakness, the one issue that would really get to him. While usually in amnesia stories, I prefer to know how the hero and heroine would have gotten together without that particular plot device, I don't think this one would've worked without it. They were caught in a circle of animosity. They needed some reason to see beyond the barriers they had erected. And in their particular case, I don't believe that really would've happened in normal circumstances.

BUT ANYWAY. Now that I've written an essay on the first 50 pages or so, I can move on to the rest of the book.

When Drake found Ophelia washed up on the side of the river, he rescued her. After he got her safely to his house and discovered who she was, he had the brilliant housekeeper idea. And this is where it all could've gone horribly wrong. Thankfully, it didn't. At this point in the story, Drake hated Ophelia, and I could absolutely see why. He had every reason to. He had an irrational whim and went with it. He just wanted a laugh, a little revenge, something to keep her in her place when she tried to humiliate him again in the future. He wasn't going to make her do anything potentially dangerous or harmful, only tedious things like preparing dinner and dusting the library shelves.

But - insert shocked face here - things didn't go as planned! Due to circumstances, Ophelia had to stay with him longer. And while Drake had a few idiotic moments and should've told her the truth way earlier, I always understood his reasoning. With the way things played out, Drake and Ophelia got to know each other for real, in a way they never would have before the accident. And oh, oh but it was wonderful to watch. I enjoyed both of their perspectives. Ophelia knew instinctively that something was wrong with her new life, knew that something was off, but she was a good sport and went along with it. Her attempts were sometimes rather hilarious, like when she went to prepare a pheasant for dinner:

She couldn’t cook something that had the ability to glare at her, to make her feel guilty about preparing it.

By the end of the story, Ophelia had a new-found respect for servants and their jobs, having been in their shoes for a while. But that was pretty much all that changed. It wasn't a magical transformation from evil termagant to glowing saint, something that is common and drives me absolutely bonkers. Ophelia always had a good heart: loyalty, devotion, compassion towards animals, and many other qualities. We just didn't see them until she (albeit, unwillingly) let her guard down and allowed Drake to see them.

And did I mention the chemistry? Because yowza! The chemistry between these two was phenomenal. You could tell from the beginning that there was something explosive there that was being strongly repressed on both sides. Obviously Drake held back for a long time once she was in his care, but there was still attraction simmering between them. While I wouldn't exactly call it a slow burn, it unfolded slowly and deliciously, and I enjoyed every moment.

Once More, My Darling Rogue fulfilled every one of my wishes and expectations. Heath took a prevalent plot device and put a unique spin on it with refreshingly real, flawed characters. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys actual hate-to-love stories, because this one was well executed and absolutely lovely. It made me want to go look up more books by her, which I will very likely wind up doing.

First:I was born Peter Sykes, the son of a murderer, the son of a woman murdered, a heritage that has always haunted me.

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Favorite:Friendship isn’t measured by time. It can happen in the blink of an eye when you meet someone you like.

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Teaser:If looks could kill...well, hers might wound him, but it wasn’t going to be the death of him.

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(Review) It's in His Kiss by Jill Shalvis

Title: It's in His Kiss
Author: Jill Shalvis
Series: Lucky Harbor, #10
Published: August 26, 2014 (Grand Central Publishing)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Egalley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!)

Summary: Becca Thorpe has uprooted her life and escaped to the beach. Now's her chance to get away from city living, throw caution to the ocean winds, and live in the moment. Especially if the moment includes the deliciously sexy surfer she meets shortly after arriving in Lucky Harbor. Something about the dark intensity of Sam's eyes and the thrill she gets at his touch convinces her to stay awhile.

Boatbuilder and investment genius Sam Brody is a self-made man who knows how dangerous it can be to mix business and pleasure. But he can't resist offering Becca a job just to hear her laugh and have her near. Yet when her brother comes to town asking for help, will he tempt her back to her glamorous life in the city? Or do Sam and little Lucky Harbor have a chance to win Becca's heart?

If I could pack up and go live in my choice of any fictional setting I've ever read, I would choose Lucky Harbor. And not just because I've always had an obsession with small towns or the fact that it's constantly overflowing with hot, available men (though that certainly doesn't hurt). Maybe I'm just feeling a little melancholy and bittersweet because this is the beginning of the end - the first book of the last "trilogy" in the Lucky Harbor series. But really. Truly. I love the atmosphere of the town. I love Lucille. I want to stay at the B&B and visit the Love Shack and maybe even get pulled over by Sawyer (because yum!).

In all seriousness, though, Shalvis has captured my heart again. I am completely head over heels for this new group of guy friends: Sam, Tanner, and Cole. They have years of co-worker/friendship/blood brothers bonding behind them, and if I'm a sucker for any dynamic, it's that one. I love a good male friendship. I was already excited for Sam's story because he was the sexy, taciturn runner we got to see just enough to be teased in the previous set of Lucky Harbor books, but I was just as fascinated by Cole and Tanner as I was by Sam. I found myself wanting to know more about each of them individually, and I can't wait for their stories.

But back to the love story that I did get this time around, because it was a doozy. I laughed (because hello, this is a Jill Shalvis book, and if I don't laugh at least a dozen times when reading a Jill Shalvis book, call an ambulance) and sighed and swooned. I was captivated from the first page. I picked it up during Bout of Books, not sure if I was going to go for it or one of my other books on my goal list. But as soon as I started page one, I was a goner.

See, Sam wasn't the only one with secrets; in fact, that was not his department as much as it was Becca's. In fact, he wasn't nearly as silent as he gave the impression of being. He cared deeply for those within his circle. He was very sweet and sincere in his actions, even when not in words. Yeah, he was gruff sometimes, but it worked for him. I could absolutely see why Becca fell head over heels.

As for Becca, my heart hurt for her immediately, because you just knew she had something in her past that was haunting her. But she was a fighter. She went after what she wanted (including Sam, telling him straight-up what she wanted from him on a number of occasions, from wanting to sleep with him to wanting to date him, and can I just revel for a second in how refreshing that is?). She was scrappy and fun and totally obsessed with ranch popcorn and knew how to laugh at herself. Basically, I would totally be friends with her if I could somehow finagle my way into this fictional universe.

I was completely captivated by this story. It dealt with family problems and friendship, with fears and expectations, all against the charming and fun backdrop of the Pacific and Lucky Harbor. It had a good story and great characters, and not only the leads. I want to know more about Cole and Tanner. I want to know more about Olivia, Becca's neighbor. Thankfully, it seems I will be getting my wish in the next couple books! And while I'm not excited about getting closer to the end, I think these stories will be worth it.

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Blog Tour: Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne (Review)

Welcome to my stop on the Wild Iris Ridge blog tour! Be sure to check out the Tour Page at CBB Book Promotions for all the other stops.

Title: Wild Iris Ridge
Author: RaeAnne Thayne
Series: Hope's Crossing, #7
Published: June 24, 2014 (Harlqeuin HQN)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Egalley provided by publisher as part of the book tour.

Summary: Lucy Drake and Brendan Caine have only one thing in common, and it's likely to tear them apart. Because it was Brendan's late wife, Jessie—and Lucy's best friend—who'd brought them together in the first place. And since Jesse's passing, Brendan's been distracted by his two little ones…and the memory of an explosive kiss with Lucy years before his marriage. Still, he'll steer clear of her. She's always been trouble with a capital T.

Lucy couldn't wait to shed her small-town roots for the big city. But now that she's back in Hope's Crossing to take care of the Queen Anne home her late aunt has left her, she figures seeing Brendan Caine again is no big deal. After all, she'd managed to resist the handsome fire chief once before, but clearly the embers of their attraction are still smoldering…

Even though I'd never read any of the Hope's Crossing books, I jumped at the chance to read this one. Why, you ask? Because of the story. I mentioned in a recent Lit Ladies video just how much I adore the storyline where a widower and his love interest are only connected by his late wife. It all started years ago with Sarah's Child, so I guess I'll blame Linda Howard. But I love stories that rip my heart out of my chest before providing the HEA, and this is obviously a storyline that can do that. However, interestingly enough, Wild Iris Ridge didn't capitalize on that too much. It had been two years since Jessie, Brendan's late wife, had passed, and though grief was obviously a factor, it was handled tastefully, and the book wasn't an angst-fest (like, say, Within Reach *clutches heart*), which I know a lot of readers will appreciate.

Having never read anything by RaeAnne Thayne before, I was definitely pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Wild Iris Ridge. I finished it in less than 24 hours. I would have finished it in one sitting, but I had to do the whole sleeping thing in order to do the whole work thing the next day. But I finished it at the next possible opportunity. The story unfolded at a leisurely pace, - though the I-love-you-HEA was a little rushed - but I couldn't put it down!

The hero, Brendan, was a fire chief with two small children, and the heroine, Lucy, was a marketing director who had just been fired from her job (basically as a scapegoat, since the fiasco wasn't her fault). She had temporarily returned to the mansion in Hope's Crossing she had inherited from her great aunt to turn it into a B&B, which had been a dream of her great aunt as well as Jessie, who had been her cousin and best friend. As she lived less than a block away from Brendan, they interacted frequently for a variety of reasons, and there was obvious chemistry between them from the start.

I liked both Brendan and Lucy! They were very different but compatible, once they got past their original dynamic where each thought the other didn't like them, leaving them in a perpetually awkward state. Also, Brendan's kids were absolutely adorable, and he had a large, messy, wonderful family as well. Clearly, you could open up a copy of Wild Iris Ridge alongside a list of my weaknesses and check them off one after the other.

My one real issue with this book stemmed from a tiny source, but it's a huge pet peeve of mine: a puppy. I'm not a dog person by any stretch of the imagination, but I've been around them enough to know that puppies are not magical, sparkling little balls of sunshine that miraculously cure all evils with which they come into contact. But that's what happened in this book. The energetic boy with no attention span settled down, the introverted bookworm became more outgoing, and the rebellious teenager suddenly became totally friendly and helpful with only a mild dose of sarcasm. I mean, seriously? No. Just no.

Beyond this, though, I didn't have any serious issues. I liked how the Career vs. Small Town dilemma was handled. I loved the family atmosphere and the characters. Plus, the hero had a brother who was totally geeky cute and pushed all my nerd girl buttons. I will definitely be on the lookout for his book! And in the meantime, I will probably investigate some of the earlier books in the series. If my feelings for this book are any indication, they will probably be a hit!

First:This was, without question, the craziest thing she had ever done.

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Favorite:An object in constant motion eventually had to run out of steam. She didn’t know if that was an actual physics principle, but it definitely applied to five-year-old boys.

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Teaser:Don’t make the mistake of thinking because a place is small, nothing of significance happens there. The smallest moments in a person’s life can be life-changing.

*All quotes from a review copy and may differ from the published version.

USA TODAY bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne loves words. This led her to a fifteen-year career in journalism as a newspaper reporter and editor. But through it all, she dreamed of writing the kind of stories she loved best, romance, and has since published more than 40 titles. RaeAnne finds inspiration in the rugged northern Utah mountains, where she lives with her hero of a husband and their children. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website, RaeAnneThayne.com.

Don't run away just yet, because now it's time for the giveaway! TWO WINNERS GET: 1 book from the Hope's Crossing series, 1 beaded HOPE bracelet, 1 Iris necklace (US/CA)

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(Review) The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel

Title: The Break-Up Artist
Author: Philip Siegel
Published: April 29, 2014 (Harlequin TEEN)
Rating: Like a Train Wreck
Format: Review copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review. (Thanks!)

Summary: Some sixteen-year-olds babysit for extra cash. Some work at the Gap. Becca Williamson breaks up couples.
After watching her sister get left at the altar, Becca knows the true damage that comes when people utter the dreaded L-word. For just $100 via Paypal, she can trick and manipulate any couple into smithereens. With relationship zombies overrunning her school, and treating single girls like second class citizens, business is unfortunately booming. Even her best friend Val has resorted to outright lies to snag a boyfriend.
One night, she receives a mysterious offer to break up the homecoming king and queen, the one zombie couple to rule them all: Steve and Huxley. They are a JFK and Jackie O in training, masters of sweeping faux-mantic gestures, but if Becca can split them up, then school will be safe again for singletons. To succeed, she'll have to plan her most elaborate scheme to date and wiggle her way back into her former BFF Huxley’s life – not to mention start a few rumors, sabotage some cell phones, break into a car, and fend off the inappropriate feelings she’s having about Val’s new boyfriend. All while avoiding a past victim out to expose her true identity.
No one said being the Break-Up Artist was easy.

I will open with this: The reason it took me so long to review this book is that I wanted to wait a while for my rage to subside to more reasonable levels. I will do my best to keep this a review rather than a rant, but I make no guarantees.

I really was excited to read this book! I texted Racquel and Alexa when I found it on NetGalley. I thought it was going to be fun, refreshing, different. A unique change of pace. I was prepared to not take it too seriously, bringing along a grain of salt or two for the experience. Plus, I was really happy to actually be reading a YA by a male author (or anything by a male author, for that matter), because since I've slid more to the romance and YA side of things, I've read a shockingly small amount of books by male authors. I've been wanting to change that, so this would serve that purpose well.

The book delivered everything I expected - for about the first half. Sure, I was more than a little put off by just how far Becca would go to break up couples. Yes, I thought her reasons for doing so were more than a little far-fetched. Yes, most females were portrayed unfairly. But hey, I could ignore all that for the time being, right? It was funny. It was a pretty solid 3 stars. I laughed.

I really thought I loved Ezra. At first, he reminded me a lot of Jesse from Pitch Perfect with his love of movies and such. (And that alone is pretty much guaranteed to make me adore you for life, because Jesse is my imaginary boyfriend. We're gonna have aca-children. It's inevitable.) I'll also give Siegel props for tricking me into liking Ezra, because that realistic element made me believe that Becca and Val could like him, too. At least in the beginning.

So that's all I've got for positives. Moving on to the not-so-awesome elements.

First, there was the overarching theme that I found so offensive: Siegel's portrayal of girls and women.

Every single girl in Becca's girl (excepting herself) was desperate for a man. We're talking crazed, talking-only-about-boys, lying, cheating, back-stabbing, friend-abandoning, make-up-caking, slutty-wardrobe-buying, any-trick-I-can-play desperate for a boyfriend. Not even someone with whom to share a relationship. It was apparently all about status and someone to go out with and being able to start sentences with, "My boyfriend..."

Now, full disclosure: I was homeschooled throughout high school. I never attended a public high school. But I did have a youth group and a homeschool theatre group, and I also attended a public university for 4 years. So while I don't exactly have first-hand knowledge, I know enough.

To justify this incredibly demeaning portrayal of high school girls, apparently this high school had a very unbalanced ratio of males to females (I believe it was 30/70). This portrayal lasted the entire book and never really changed.

This gives guys a huge advantage. They can be fat, lazy and pimply and still get to be choosy. Finding a suitable guy to date is a study in Darwinism. Survival of the hottest.

For the next point, I didn't like any of the characters. Becca, the protagonist, was a dramatic hypocrite who didn't actually follow anything she claimed to believe in. Ezra was scum; Val (Becca's current BFF) was annoying. I could never make up my mind about Huxley (Becca's ex-BFF), because she was a completely inconsistent character. She was basically anything the author needed her to be. A snobby bitch who would dump Becca for a boy a few years back or attack her opinion in class in a really mean way? Check. A sudden bestie who would take Becca to the mall and give her great advice? Check. Up and down and all around. Then there was Diane, Becca's older sister and partner in love-hating. Diane had been dumped at the alter a few years (yes, years) earlier, and it had apparently stunted her ability to live FOREVER. She didn't have friends. She was also either unemployed or had a really sucky high-school-level job; I can't remember now. She spent all her time alone in her room in sweats.

Spoilers in this paragraph. Then there was the portion of the book where Ezra was cheating on Val with Becca. Becca had spent the entire book complaining about how Val had abandoned her for Ezra and how horrible that was and how could girls lie to each other just to get a man? AND THEN SHE DID THAT EXACT THING. With no hesitation, barely a qualm to be found. She didn't seem to really think there was anything wrong with making out and pursuing a relationship with her best friend's boyfriend.

I don’t want to hurt Val, but this is my life, too. If she’s such a proponent of love and relationships, then she will have to understand. Nobody’s perfect, even best friends.

She jumped to Ezra's defense.

[After Huxley calls Ezra a creep]
"He's a good guy."
“He’s dating your best friend and openly pursuing you. I don’t have a dictionary on hand, but I’d say that’s a creep.”

There were also just general elements of the story that made it less than impressive, such as the fact that I was pretty bored for a good chunk of time around the middle and the fact that some of the situations were just ridiculous. But I figured there would be some ridiculousness going in, so I can't really hold that against the book.

To sum up: I went into The Break-Up Artist excited. What I was not prepared for was to be so offended and outraged I spent almost an hour longer to read it because I had to keep stopping to rant and read ridiculous/offensive quotes to my best friend/roommate. Overall, I was obviously not impressed with The Break-Up Artist. It had its moments of being interesting and entertaining, but it was also by turns boring, offensive, and enraging, and the decent ending did not make up for that.

I'll leave you with this gem:

My mom stares at me in my stripper-pole tracksuit costume. I should agree with her that this outfit is a total affront to feminism, but I look so good in it, I can’t complain.

First:Couples are made to be broken.

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Favorite:“Or maybe they just fell for each other under really cruddy circumstances.”
“But what would’ve happened when things calmed down, when Romeo didn’t have to recite sonnets and get in sword fights? What would they be like on a random Tuesday? The couples that thrive on drama flame out the quickest. I’ve seen it a million times.”

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Teaser:Love has no rules, no boundaries. It’s gone all these years unchecked. That doesn’t make it whimsical; that makes it a tyrant.

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