(Blog Tour) Suddenly Last Summer by Sarah Morgan: Interview, Review, and Giveaway!

Title: Suddenly Last Summer
Author: Sarah Morgan
Series: O'Neil Brothers, #2
Published: June 24, 2014 (Harlequin)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Digital review copy provided as part of the blog tour. (Thanks!)

Summary: USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan introduces another irresistible O'Neil brother who's more tempting than dessert and twice as sinful!

Fiery French chef Élise Philippe is having a seriously bad day. Not only have the grand opening plans for her beloved café fallen apart, but Sean O'Neil is back in town and looking more delectable than ever. Memories of the electrifying night they shared last summer leave Élise very tempted, but she knows all too well that eventually Sean will be leaving…again.

Being back in Vermont—even temporarily—is surgeon Sean O'Neil's worst nightmare. Returning home to the Snow Crystal Resort means confronting the guilt he feels about rejecting his family's lifestyle years ago. But discovering that Élise is still in Vermont and still sets his blood racing is a very welcome distraction! Remembering last summer and how good they were together is going to make walking away more difficult than he could imagine….

I was so, so excited to take part in this tour! My introduction to Sarah Morgan was when I read the first book in this trilogy, Sleigh Bells in the Snow, in December, and I couldn't sing its praises highly enough. Obviously I was ecstatic to return to Snow Crystal and read Sean and Élise's story.

Sean and Élise had one previous smoking night together after which they'd never really interacted, and that was fine with them. It was refreshing to see both parties with a modern attitude about sex and what it entailed, and that it had actually worked for them. Had being the keyword there. But then circumstances changed. Sean came back for an extended period of time, and that just blew the plan out of the water. As two complete commitment-phobes, Sean and Élise weren't prepared for a full-out relationship, and for their own reasons, neither wanted one. Watching them fumbling their way into love and a relationship and all those wonderful things was by turns amusing and touching.

Now, I know I talk chemistry a lot, because that happens when you focus on romance novels and YA books with a strong romantic element. But you guys, Sean and Élise brought it to a whole new level! (And spoiler alert: There was outdoors!sex involved at some point. You're welcome.) They also delivered some hilariously awesome banter. Observe:

“You said you wanted a man to perform heroics. I was planning on finding something heroic to do on the walk.” He let go of her arm and adjusted his pace to match hers. “You might want to stick around. You’re about to see a tough, macho man of the forest in action.”

“Does a tough, macho man of the forest always choose to dress in a suit?”

“A bear tore my loincloth when we were wrestling.”

I also really liked both Sean and Élise individually. They were both damaged, ambitious, successful, and a host of other things. They were complicated. They were real. Sean had problems with his family. Élise had problems from her past. But I empathized with both of them even when I was frustrated (with Sean especially), and I could always understand their motivation.

I can't review an O'Neil book without mentioning the O'Neil-and-friends clan, because that's still one of my favorite elements about these books (as you will see in the interview below). The close-knit community feel continued in Suddenly Last Summer, and I loved every scene where the family interacted.

While it didn't quite top Sleigh Bells in the Snow as my thus-far favorite of the trilogy, Suddenly Last Summer definitely held its own! It was a beautiful story set against a breathtaking backdrop of Vermont in the summer, and I enjoyed every moment of it. Now, if only I could build a time machine and get my hands on Tyler and Brenna's story, I'd be a completely happy camper.

Now, it's time to learn more about the fabulous Sarah and this awesome book she's written! She has graciously stopped by for an interview.

USA TODAY bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes hot, happy contemporary romance and her trademark humour and sensuality have gained her fans across the globe. She has been nominated three years in succession for the prestigious RITA© Award from the Romance Writers of America and has won the award twice, in 2012 and 2013. RT Book Reviews has called her 'a magician with words' and she has made numerous appearances in their 'Top Pick' slot. Sarah lives near London, and when she isn't reading or writing she loves being outdoors, preferably on vacation so she can forget the house needs tidying. She loves chatting with readers by email and on Facebook and Twitter. More information can be found on her website.

Sharon: First of all, Snow Crystal has quickly jumped up onto my List of Top Fictional Places. Do you have a real-place inspiration, or is this magical mecca of snow and nature a creature of your imagination?

Sarah Morgan: It’s a mixture of real and fictional. I’ve always loved mountains, snow, lakes and forest and I took certain aspects of places I’ve travelled to, combined them and created Snow Crystal. One of the many benefits of being an author is that you are in charge of the setting. Although Snow Crystal itself isn’t real, certain elements are real. I like to think this place exists somewhere. If anyone finds it, please email me!

Sharon: I think my favorite thing about the O'Neil books is just that: The O'Neils. I love how much importance you place on family - and that family does not only mean those related to you by blood. Is this a dynamic you intended to explore with these books?

Sarah: I wanted to write about a close-knit family and the rest of it just happened. I’ve always been fascinated by how family impacts on a person, how it can produce both conflict and support. The dynamics within the close-knit O’Neil family certainly influences the choices of all three O’Neil Brothers. You know that the women they fall in love with will have a lifetime of big, noisy, possibly exasperating family gatherings ahead!

One of the great things about writing longer novels is having the opportunity to explore not just the close up relationship of the hero and heroine, but the interaction with other family members and friends. It’s about showing how they fit into the wider community. For me, that makes the story more real and part of the focus of each of these stories is showing the family welcoming new members.

Sharon: Élise, our heroine, is a French chef who can whip up anything from a madeline to an eight course dinner without batting an eye. Did you do any research on cooking or recipes for this book? If so, did you discover any new favorites?

Sarah:Writing this book made me so HUNGRY. Truly. Although Élise is French, I wanted her cooking to reflect the local area and the produce she’d be likely to favor, so I did plenty of research. As a result of that I now have at least four brand new cookery books from Vermont on my bookshelves. That is one area of research where my family was keen to take part!

Sharon: I must say that it was a delight watching two such startlingly resolute commitment-phobes as Sean and Élise fall for each other despite their best efforts. Their chemistry was smokin'! How did you write such an interesting dynamic?

Sarah:I loved the idea that Sean and Élise had spent one steamy night together but never taken it further. Both of them think they have their feelings under control but of course that belief has never been challenged because Sean’s work is in Boston and he has his own reasons for spending as little time as possible in Snow Crystal. The fun came in throwing them together so they no longer had distance as a protective barrier. I loved seeing their relationship develop and watching two very independent people gradually relinquishing some of that control.

Sharon: Thank you so much for stopping by today and answering my questions. It was a pleasure having you! (And may I say...I am so excited for Tyler and Brenna's book! October cannot come quickly enough, and not only because I'm already sick of weather over 85 degrees. ;) )

Sarah: Thank you for having me! I’m excited to see Tyler and Brenna’s story, Maybe This Christmas, on the shelves too. This story has the same snowy, wintery feel as the first book, Sleigh Bells in the Snow, and an ending I’ve been dying to write ever since I started this series.

Now, don't go away quite yet! Last but definitely not least, we have a giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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(Review) Riding the Wave by Lorelie Brown

Title: Riding the Wave
Author: Lorelie Brown
Series: Pacific Blue, #1
Published: July 1, 2014 (Signet)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Format: Digital review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review. (Thanks!)

Summary: With a make-or-break world championship on the line, professional surfer Tanner Wright has come back to the coastal California hometown he left a decade ago, carrying only his board and the painful knowledge of his father’s infidelity. Now that Hank Wright is dead, Tanner intends to keep the secret buried to spare his mother and sister the burden.

The last time Avalon Knox saw her best friend’s brother, she was fourteen and he was a twenty-year-old surfer god. She’s never understood or respected the way Tanner distanced himself from the family that has embraced her. But now she has the professional chance of a lifetime: to photograph Tanner for the competition—if he’ll agree.

Out on the waves, they find in each other passion that’s impossible to resist. And Tanner’s not the only one trying to move forward from his past. As the competition heats up, secrets get spilled, and lust takes over. How close can Avalon get to this brooding surfer without getting burned?

I'll be honest: When Estelle from Foreword Literary first approached me about this book, my answer was a resounding HECK YEAH. (No, really. I can go screencap the email if you doubt me.) Long-time crush? Best friend's older brother? Sexy surfers? Forget the sound of the ocean, that was clearly the sound of a book calling my name, and who was I to deny it?

I'm definitely glad I went for this one! It delivered on all fronts. Tanner was a gorgeous surfer who was coming home after avoiding it for 10 years. He'd been keeping his father's secrets for a decade, but now that his dad had passed away, he was free to return to his mother and sister. Except that the past didn't quite stay in the past, and there was still a lot to deal with.

Then there was Avalon, the best friend of Tanner's younger sister, Sage. I really liked her! She was spunky and ambitious and adorable. Sage was awesome, too! I didn't get as much interaction with her as I would've liked, though. I really hope she gets her own book! Preferably one where she is paired with Jack, a surfer who maybe possibly has feelings for her? But we don't actually know; at this point, I'm speculating wildly along with Avalon, but I'm definitely crossing my fingers.

I went into this book expecting there to be lots of tortured I-want-you-but-I-shouldn't glances and smoldering chemistry, but Brown actually surprised me by switching it up! And while I do have a gargantuan small soft spot some forbidden love drama, the best friend's older brother thing didn't really come into play that much. It was a factor in the beginning, but they treated it like adults, and I respected and even liked that. It was more of a problem that they were working together, with Avalon trailing him in the month before the big surfing competition.

While there wasn't forbidden angst, one thing Riding the Wave definitely delivered in spades was chemistry. Yowza! Avalon and Tanner had good build up, and I half expected my Nook to start shorting out when they decided holding out wasn't for them because hello. I also enjoyed the friendship aspect between them and appreciated that it wasn't just sex holding them together.

I enjoyed the book overall, but I did have a couple issues. While I knew that there was family drama and understood the reasons for it, it got a little repetitive after a while. I also think the phrase "apples of the cheeks" was used way too much, especially given that it doesn't really feel like a 31-year-old surfer kind of thing to think. But I've always disliked that phrase, so I'm probably a little biased.

One of my favorite things is that Brown hit the perfect balance when creating the surfing atmosphere. I definitely got the surfing feel, but I also wasn't bombarded by terms or bored to death by action paragraphs I didn't understand. Overall, Riding the Wave was a hit! It definitely made me want to take up surfing, which would be a feat given that I'm about as landlocked as it is possible for a person to be. But one day! Until then, I'll just go watch Blue Crush and Gidget, which is about as close to surfing as I get.

First:The past ten years of the waves down under hadn’t been home to Tanner Wright, not like the gray-green swells of San Sebastian.

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Favorite:Because some people in this world are broken, and some are not. Some of us have broken pieces and we need to find somewhere to fit them into.

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Teaser:If she ever started thinking about his mouth too much, all the she had to do was remind herself of his near-shithead status. Easy peasy.

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|Review| Audacious by Gabrielle Prendergast

Title: Audacious
Author: Gabrielle Prendergast
Series: Audacious #1

Published October 1st 2013 by Orca

Genre: Contemporary YA in verse
Rating: B+

Goodreads summary:

Sixteen year old Raphaelle is that girl who says the wrong thing, who crosses the wrong person, who has the wrong hair, the wrong body, the wrong attitude, the totally wrong clothes. She can’t do anything right, except draw, but she draws the wrong pictures. When her father moves the family to a small prairie city, Raphaelle wants to leave behind the misfit rebel, the outcast, the vengeful trouble-maker she was. Reborn as “Ella,” she plans fit in at her new school, while her perfect younger sister goes to the Catholic girls’ school and her emotionally fragile mother looks for a job.

But Ella might just be a different kind of misfit. She’s drawn to a brooding boy in her art class, Samir, and expresses her confused feelings in an explicit artwork. When a classmate texts a photo of Ella’s art to a younger friend, the horrendous fallout spreads though Ella’s life like an uncontrollable disease. Ella is expelled from school and faces pornography charges, her mother is hospitalized, her sister fails all her classes, and her distant father finally notices something is wrong.

Warning: this review appears longer than it actually is! Don't be afraid.

Let's take a moment to look at that cover and bask in its glory. To make you love it more, the cover belongs to this story. The pink dress on the cover is the exact same pink dress described in the story. The artistic cover also matches the theme of art in the book. Furthermore, the title, AUDACIOUS, is really important in the story so it just makes me so happy that this beautiful cover and title are relevant to the story. YAY!

Audacious is well, audacious. How cliche but the word is perfect for the story. It's bold and I bet a little bit controversial for some people but that's how I like my books. It explores family, religion, art, romance and identity through verse and does all of it in a spectacular manner that makes this book a hidden gem.

Raphaelle, her parents and younger sister move to a new town which means new school. Raphaelle reinvents herself as Ella. She's constantly getting in trouble, initiating controversy, and getting kicked out of Catholic schools so this is her chance to be good. Yeah, that doesn't last long. This is how Raphaelle/Ella struggle with identity and it was interesting reading about a troublemaker for a change. CAN WE GET MORE COMPLICATED FEMALE CHARACTERS LIKE THIS?! I love reading about characters like Raphaelle who are outspoken and not always making the best decisions  so from the beginning, I was loving Audacious and I loved Raphaelle's story.

Click to enlarge

Next, there is family. Raphaelle's dad is no longer a high school teacher but a college professor and he's away more and more. Raphaelle's mother is in really bad shape from a family tragedy which makes her really distant and Raphaelle's younger sister has asthma. Mikayla is the usual annoying, obnoxious younger sister except both sisters have each other's backs. Audacious explores this family who starts off rather broken and we get to see them slowly heal. This was nice in light of all the absent parents in YA. 

Then you have religion. Raphaelle's family are very devout Catholics but not only is Raphaelle struggling with her identity, but also with her faith, which is pretty much non existent. The love interest, Samir, is Muslim so there is another character struggling with faith in the book. This was interesting to me because I'm a Muslim and I go to a Catholic university so my professors are priests and nuns and I learn about theology. So I certainly like religion and learning about all different religions but in Audacious, religions are being questioned so its definitely a different perspective. Reading it was sometimes personally complicated to my own beliefs but it was a valid POV nonetheless and I enjoyed reading about it and applaud Gabrielle Prendergast for tackling the subject of faith. It's part of everyone's life, whether they're questioning it, rejecting it or comfortable with it and I think more YA books should include the subject.

When it comes to romance, there is Samir. Raphaelle and Samir hit it off in art class and it's another dilemma for Samir who can't date and Ella who's trying to be good. Samir is Palestinian and really struggles with the problems Palestine face. Samir uses art to express his thoughts about what's happening in Palestine while Raphaelle uses it to identity herself.

Click to enlarge

This is when the title AUDACIOUS comes in. Raphaelle/Ella creates an art project around the word "audacious", which represents her and its also the controversial and bold side of the story that will not be everyone's cup of tea. Personally, I LOVED it! But as anyone can see, I like anything bad, wrong, controversial, complicated, etc.

This seems like a whole lot but it's not because Audacious is about Raphaelle/Ella. It's not about Raphaelle/Ella and her family or Raphaelle/Ella and religion or Raphaelle/Ella and art. It's about Raphaelle/Ella and there is more to her life then just one thing. Sometimes contemporary YA books can focus on one thing and go from there but Audacious focuses on Raphaelle and explores everything she's experiencing. Once again, I applaud Gabrielle Prendergast for this. I applaud Gabrielle Prendergast for the entire book. I'm in awe of how she handled every different aspect of the book and brought them together.

To top everything off, this book is written in verse and Gabrielle Prendergast has a way with words. I wish my library copy was my own or a Kindle copy so I can highlight the shit out of so many poems but I settled for taking pictures of the poems. So yeah, I cannot wait to read the follow up, Capricious.

Recommend to: fans of novels in verse, contemporary YA lovers and readers who are looking for something different. Readers who want to see more about religion and more variety in female characters. Also for anyone who likes their books bold and well, audacious.

Rating: [B+] A truly hidden contemporary YA gem.

(I learned about Audacious during Verse Novel week hosted at Clear Eyes, Full Shelves when I read a guest post done by Gabrielle Prendergast and immediately added Audacious to my TBR because of the awesome cover and guest post. Thanks Sarah and Gabrielle!)

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(Review) Lovestruck Summer by Melissa C. Walker

Title: Lovestruck Summer
Author: Melissa C. Walker
Published: May 2009 (HarperTeen)
Rating: Lunch Break Read
Format: Paperback lent to me from Racquel

Summary: Yay, summer in Austin! Good food, good times. Fun for everyone!

Okay, living with my sorority-brainwashed cousin, who willingly goes by "Party Penny," is not exactly what I had in mind.

But the cute musicians I've met totally make up for it . . . like Sebastian. Swoon.

So why can't I stop thinking about Penny's friend All-American Russ and his Texas twang??

Saturday & Sunday, from noon to midnight. Don't wait up!

I read Lovestruck Summer on a recommendation from Racquel - when she sent it to me in the mail with a note that basically said, "READ IT!" So I did. It was my last day of Bout of Books. I wanted something quick and fun, and Lovestruck Summer delivered.

Quinn - or Priscilla if you're her mom or the infuriating belt buckle-wearing Texan next door - was a music snob junkie from North Carolina who (somewhat dubiously) scored an internship for the summer with Amalgom Records in Austin. She had plans for the perfect summer between high school and college. Ideal internship. Hipster boyfriend with whom she could discuss music all day. Lots of (anything but country!) music.

Her plans came to pass...to an extent. The internship was there even if it didn't meet her exact expectations. She met Sebastian the hipster DJ almost right off the bat. There was obviously lots of music, but some of it was country. (Surprise! You're in Texas, honey.)

There were several things that were fabulous about this book. It was all about MUSIC! As a music lover myself, I always enjoy stories that incorporate music. Another thing was that Lovestruck Summer challenged stereotypes and encouraged readers to do the same. Sorority girls are all interchangeable bimbos? All country music is whiny and boring? False.

Melissa Walker knows how to write atypical love interests and teens who act like teens, both things I appreciate. Of course, as we've all been and known teenagers, we know this isn't always a plus on the enjoyment scale, but what it does do is add a nice element of realism to the experience. While Quinn had some hang-ups and preconceptions that were frustrating at times, it only served to make the book more realistic.

Russ was all kinds of adorable. I loved watching Quinn accidentally - and against her will - fall for him, fighting all the while. Throw in a cast of unique characters including a cross-dressing dog, and you've never read anything like it. Lovestruck Summer was quick and entertaining - a good summer read!

First:I live my life in headphones.

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Favorite:“Music is music, Priscilla,” says Russ. “If you love music, you give it all a listen. You see what there is to learn in every song you hear. You take chances on shows. That’s part of it.”

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(Review) Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins

Title: Waiting on You
Author: Kristan Higgins
Series: Blue Heron, #3
Published: March 2014 (Harlequin HQN)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Paperback borrowed from the library

Summary: Colleen O'Rourke is in love with love... just not when it comes to herself. Most nights, she can be found behind the bar at the Manningsport, New York, tavern she owns with her twin brother, doling out romantic advice to the lovelorn, mixing martinis and staying more or less happily single. See, ten years ago, Lucas Campbell, her first love, broke her heart... an experience Colleen doesn't want to have again, thanks. Since then, she's been happy with a fling here and there, some elite-level flirting and playing matchmaker to her friends.

But a family emergency has brought Lucas back to town, handsome as ever and still the only man who's ever been able to crack her defenses. Seems like maybe they've got some unfinished business waiting for them—but to find out, Colleen has to let her guard down, or risk losing a second chance with the only man she's ever loved.

There is just something about a Kristan Higgins book. Her writing impacts me in a way that few other authors manage. It's something about her sense of humor and way of conveying emotions. I always laugh like a hyena multiple times and bawl like there's no tomorrow at the end - and sometimes at sporadic times throughout.

There's something else you should know about me: I don't do ex stories. Especially if the h/hr were high school sweethearts. There are very few faster ways to turn me away from a book before I've even started reading it. I don't know why; that particular plot device simply doesn't interest me.

So I had a little pang of disappointment when I saw this was going to be a story about exes. But it was Kristan Higgins. I knew if anyone could do it, she could.

I wasn't wrong.

She pulled it off with aplomb! The chemistry between Colleen and Lucas was mind-boggling. I'm all about the slow burn, but even I was practically shouting, "JUST KISS ALREADY!" Yet it wasn't all about the chemistry. It also wasn't entirely focused on their previous relationship (something that often bugs me about the few ex books I have read). Those were both definitely factors, but Colleen and Lucas also had a relationship in the present that could not be denied. They were a compatible and compelling couple; they won me over quickly.

I really liked both Colleen and Lucas as individual characters. Lucas was a "Southie" who was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago (try not to start singing "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" when you read that, I dare you) until he went to go live with his wealthy uncle's family as a teen. Colleen was born and raised in Manningsport? where she co-owned a bar with her brother and also worked part time at the nursing home where her grandfather lived. Colleen knew everyone. Lucas felt like he never belonged, in the town or with his family.

As usual, Higgins provided a wide and entertaining cast of secondary characters. I kept track of them easily, though that may be due to the fact that I knew some of them from previous Blue Heron books. Fun fact: Colleen was also a matchmaker of the first degree. Her current project involved Paulie and Bryce (Lucas's cousin), a pairing that seemed at the onset to be as strange as it was impossible. But fear not, Colleen to the rescue! There was also a subplot with Colleen's brother and his mystery girlfriend that intrigued me. I really hope he gets a book in the future!

At over 450 pages, Waiting on You could have easily dragged, but it never did. It moved at a steady pace (with a few flashbacks that told the story of Lucas and Colleen's previous relationship). Every page was entertaining, compelling, heartrending, or any combination of the three. In short, Waiting on You was another winner by Higgins. Now excuse me while I run off to Goodreads to stalk the release date of the next one.

First:“Drinks are on the house!”

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Favorite:“Bryce doesn’t need more complications in his life right now.”
“And by complications, you mean what, exactly?”
“The Chicken King’s virgin daughter.”
“Oh, cool! That sounds like a Harlequin romance. I would definitely read that.”

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Teaser:“As of right now, you’re my boyfriend, Jack, and I will castrate you if you deny it.”
“And we wonder why you can’t find a man.”

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|Review| The Troublemaker Next Door by Marie Harte

Title: The Troublemaker Next Door
Author: Marie Harte (Website | Twitter)
Series: The McCauley Brothers #1

Published June 3rd, 2014 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre: Erotic contemporary romance
Rating: B+

Goodreads summary:

He can fix her sink, but can he wrench his way into her heart? 

Flynn McCauley never thought he’d be so cliché as to fall for the girl next door. But when Maddie calls him over to help fix her faulty sink, he’s a goner. Too bad the fiercely independent interior designer wants nothing to do with him. Even worse, he’s forced to rely on the advice of his nosy brothers—and his five-year-old nephew!—to figure out how to make her give him a shot.

I love contemporary romance but I have a hard time find a contemporary romance book that I'll like (besides from trusted authors). Finding the right combination of sweet, emotional, sex and love is tough. I mean I like a sexy book but I need the couple to fall in love for a reason besides earth-shattering sex. I requested The Troublemaker Next Door on a whim from NG because of the bright cover and summary, without having read any reviews, and I'm SO glad I did!! 

The book opens up with Flynn McCauley babysitting his nephew Colin. Then we meet Mike, Colin's dad and the oldest McCauley brother. Brody is Flynn's best friend (and business partner. Hot plumbers!) and a McCauley in every way but name. Last there is Cameron, the youngest McCauley who's different then his blue-collared brothers.  I love this group! They were funny, I understood why they were so close and had each other's backs. Mike's neighbor is a romance writer and likes to sit and listen to group of brothers talk for research and I totally would too. Can we get a book that's McCauley brothers reality TV?

Next door to Mike we have the heroine Maddie and her roommates Abby and Vanessa. Maddie is the feisty redhead, Abby is her shy romance writer best friend and Vanessa is Maddie's intense and slightly psycho cousin. These three also had a great relationship and an interesting dynamic because they were all rather different from each other but their bond was strong. Maddie didn't let her cray cray cousin walk over her and I loved how feisty she was! I just loved reading about the three roommates just as much as I enjoyed reading about the McCauleys (which is saying something!).

If I looked at Marie Harte's other books, I would have realized that this book would be SEXSEEEH ,but I didn't so it definitely caught me by a surprise. A good surprise! Flynn is a filthy dirty talker and if you're not a dirty talker... then what purpose do you have? So I would definitely classify this as an erotic contemporary romance. At one point I thought we would have a threesome but nope. I'm actually pretty sad about that. I shall mourn The Threesome That Never Was for as long as I remember this book. Anyways, there were PLENTY of sex scenes but it wasn't all about the fun in the sheets. Flynn and Maddie's romance was so fun to read because of the awesome banter and chemistry. From Maddie and Flynn's first meeting, I knew they were meant to be:

"I spent ten fucking years working to get to that place. [...] But this insult! In this day and age, with so much bullshit about being PC and sexual harassment has no place in the workplace, and my boss just made me feel him up in his own office during business hours. The perv! I feel like a total—"

She looked up to see a huge, green-eyed hunk filling out a white T-shirt and jeans like he'd stepped out of a Man of the Month calendar. One of them. A man. The enemy. 

Marie Harte summed up the nature of Flynn ad Maddie's romance pretty well at an interview with The Reading Cafe:

"When Flynn McCauley meets Maddie Gardner, sparks fly. She hates men. He’s not into relationships. She lost her job. He fixed her sink—but that’s not all he wants to fix. When a ride home turns into a lot more, Maddie and Flynn decide to keep things strictly casual. Strictly sexual. They won’t date. And they end up not dating…a lot. But soon Flynn wants more from the wary redhead. If he can just keep her distracted long enough to burrow under her skin, Flynn might convince Maddie they have a shot at real happiness. That’s if Maddie can overcome her past to take a chance on the future."

The Troublemaker Next Door is a sexy romance novel that made me laugh out loud, it had great banter between the hero and heroine, great banter between the McCauleys AND great banter between three ladies and to add icing to the cake, it had a cute five-and-a-half year old boy. This series opener sold me for the next next three books and I've already marked my calendar down for Brody & Abby's book, Cameron & Vanessa's book, and last but certainly my most anticipated one, Mike's book which has no info beside a title and cover (I'm guessing that What to Do with a Bad Boy is his book). Of course the book I'm most looking forward to is last!

Recommend to: contemporary romance fans, anyone looking for a sexy hawt read, anyone looking for a romance on the funny side rather than the angsty side. This is a book to read while you're lounging by the pool or beach because of the laughs and hot hot hotness it will deliver. The Troublemaker Next Door is for romance fans all and since its summer, the time to read it is now!

Rating: [B+] Sexy and funny, a terrific combination of a start to a series that promises to deliver more laughs and swoon!

The McCauley Brothers Series

I love these covers! They're hot and they match but they're not exactly alike. I also looooove the titles of all the books. They're so fun and scream contemporary romance. Well done, Sourcebooks Casablanca! I really was not kidding when I said I'm so excited about this new series.

*taken from ARC
First:

"But Uncle Flynn, you promised."

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Favorite:

If Mike didn't want the others to know he'd once modeled for a romance cover, who was he to say?

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Teaser:

"Will you, my sweet, wear these ear bobs as a token of my extreme affection?"

*Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the e-ARC! 

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|Review| We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Title: We Were Liars

Author: E. Lockhart
Published May 13th, 2014 by Delacorte Press

Genre: contemporary/mystery YA
Rating: CONFLICTED! D+ or C-

Goodreads summary:

A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl;
a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution.
An accident.
A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

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

No worries, everything here is spoiler free! People who haven't read We Were Liars are safe to read my thoughts of things to know before starting the book (nothing plot wise!) and readers who read it can know what I thought and we can discuss!

We Were Liars is a hard book to review because its best to read it without knowing anything plot wise. So I can't talk about details but I will say that I read it early on when all the review were very positive and a positive review could just consist of "JUST READ IT!" and that would be sufficient  BUT I didn't love We Were Liars. I thought it was good but I had my problems with it.

We Were Liars is short. A short book is not a bad book but We Were Liars was underdeveloped, the characters weren't that complex and things the summary mention? Brilliant girl? Passionate boy? Group of FRIENDS? TRUE LOVE? I didn't get any of that from the book. I have no idea why the liars are friends (or why they're called liars), I won't comment on the true love thing because NO, and again, the book and character were not developed so I can't really say that Cady is brilliant. Everything was surface level with a whole lot of telling and not enough showing. For instance, Cady gets migraines. She tells us she had a migraine but we don't see it. We don't see how it effects her or any of that. She had a migraine. She told us. Moving on. 

The writing is beautiful. But since I was losing interest as I read on instead of gaining it, the writing just got on my nerves. I liked it but I was also getting irked by it (bipolar much?!). It got to the point where I was reading just so I can get to the end and see what the whole deal is.

On one hand, I understand why this book was kept short and sweet so the mystery won't be given away but I still think the character development needed to be much more complex and I believe that could have been done while still maintaining the suspense of the story. I was definitely surprised and shocked by the Big Reveal so that was nice but it wasn't enough to get me to change my whole perspective on the book.

Would I recommend We Were Liars? Yes, because so many people loved it. But I've also seen people who also believe that the book and characters were underdeveloped so keep that in mind if you decide to read it. The beautiful writing and mystery might be worth the read but I wish the characters had more substance because then I would have definitely loved this book as much as all the fans. I'm thinking about rereading it and maybe picking up on things I missed out on the first time that might make me enjoy the book more but who knows.

One thing for sure though is that this book is an awesome book to discuss. There is a lot of positive and negative things I have to say and I can even discuss with people who completely loved it because I do think this book has ALL the potential but thanks to the underdevelopment of characters, it fell flat for me. But otherwise, this book has an AWESOME set-up, beautiful writing, and a big reveal. I just wish the characters were more developed and I would have loved it for sure. Anyways, I would love to discuss the book with you if you've read it and if you haven't read it yet, I would love to discuss it with you after you read it!

Rating: [Not sure. Between a D+ or C-] Could have been a new favorite book if it wasn't for the underdeveloped characters.

Now go check out Sharon's review! We had different thoughts!

First:

Welcome to the beautiful Sinclair family.

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Teaser:

Once upon a time there was a king who had three beautiful daughters.

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Teaser:

I love him, but I am not sure I like him.

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(Review) We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Published: May 13, 2014 (Delacorte Press)
Rating: Stay Up 'til 2 AM
Format: Digital galley provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!

Summary: A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

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

In a nutshell, We Were Liars is a fantastic book to read and discuss but a terrible book to review. Basically, I can't say much of anything without spoiling it, but I don't want to spoil it for you! I'm one of the few people who figured out the ~big twist~ ahead of time because it's similar to a movie I love and had watched only a few days before reading this book. So yeah, you might guess it, and yes, the book is probably better if you don't.

But! Don't think that ruins the experience. Despite the marketing, there is much more to We Were Liars than the ending. Don't just read it because you want something that's going to shock your pants off (though that very well may happen - hopefully only figuratively speaking, especially if you're in public). Here are some other reasons to read it:

For the characters: The characters are real and flawed and interesting and all so unique from one another. With the exception of one, they're the rich and privileged kids you frequently see villainized but never explained, and I love seeing the other side.

Because it's different. Trust me, there are not a lot of stories like this.

For the writing. Apparently, sort of like Tahereh Mafi and a few others I could name, E. Lockhart's writing style is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing. And I fall solidly and quite happily in the LOVE IT camp. It is honestly a large portion of why I loved the book.

For the emotions. This book turned me into an emotional wreck. Of course, messed up in the head kind of gal that I am, this made me love it more. So if you're on the crazy emotional bandwagon with me, this one's for you!

For the discussions. I definitely recommend reading this along with a friend so you can discuss it afterward! Much like Dangerous Girls, I think half the experience is in the post-reading discussions. And if you don't have any friends up for a readalong, get some new ones, come find me on Twitter, and I'll be happy to discuss it with you!

All in all, We Were Liars is shocking, unique, and thought-provoking. If you are looking for your next book club selection, I would definitely recommend this one!

First:Welcome to the Beautiful Sinclair family.

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|12 in 12| Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

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. 

Check out my 12 in 12 intro post to learn more! I reviewed Sloppy Firsts for January, Audrey, Wait! for February and Lord of Scoundrels was my March pick and it was another winner!

Title: Lord of Scoundrels
Author: Loretta Chase
Series: Scoundrels #3

Published first in January 1995

Genre: historical romance
Rating: C+

Goodreads summary:

Tough minded Jessica Trent's sole intention is to free her nitwit brother from the destructive influence of Sebastian Ballister, the notorious Marquess of Dain. She never expects to desire the arrogant, amoral cad. And When Dain's reciprocal passion places them in a scandously compromising, and public, position, Jessica is left with no choice but to seek satisfaction...

Damn the minx for tempting him, kissing him...and then for forcing him to salvage her reputation! Lord Dain can't wait to put the infuriating bluestocking in her place -- and in some amorous position. And if this means marriage, so be it -- though Sebastian is less than certain he can continue to remian aloof...and stell his heart to the sensuous, head strong lady's considerable charms.

I’ve earned my professional historical romance badge after reading this book because its definitely a staple for historical romance fans. Though I haven’t read Pride & Prejudice so lets say I earned my first degree black belt. I still have ranks to go through, though.

Anyways, I can definitely see and understand why this is one of the most historical romance books.

1) A REAL Rake!!! Sebastian Leslie Guy de Ath Ballister, Marquess of Dain, Earl of Blackmoor, Viscount Launcells, Baron Ballister and Launcells is a legitimate, true, no regrets rake! Hallelujah!! There are so many rakes in historical romance but only .5% of those who claim to be rakes are actual rakes. The only other well done true rake I’ve read is the King of Rakes, Sebastian St. Vincent. It must be Sebastian thing.

2) UGLY HERO! Say whaaaat!!! So I know about Lord of Scoundrels because I’ve seen in it all the “all time favorite” lists and such and I was aware of it but I never read a summary of what its about or a review so I wasn’t aware This Hero is NOT The Most Beautiful Human Being Ever.

He removed [Jess] from the general category labeled "Females" and gave her a section of her own. He made a note that she didn't find him revolting, and proposed several explanation: (a) bad eyesight and faulty hearing, (b) a defect in a portion of her otherwise sound intellect, (c) an inherited Trent eccentricity, or (d) an act of God.
Since the Almighty had not done him a single act of kindness in at least twenty-five years, Dain thought it was about bloody time, but he thanked his Heavenly Father all the same, and promised to be as good as he was capable of being.

3) JESSICA TRENT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jess is the heroine and oh my god. On a scale of one to ten, I give my love to her a NINE BILLION. Jessica Trent is a certified bad bitch. She is my hero. She is my role model. I want to be Jess. I love Jess. I want to read about more Jesses.

4) The romance. Zomg. Put a real rake and a bad ass together and you get a whole lotta swoon. I mean, who know unbuttoning a GLOVE would be hot? Get it.

"I tell you Dain is a splendid catch. I advise you to set your hooks and reel him in."
Jessica took a long swallow of her cognac. "This is not a trout, Genevieve. This is a great, hungry shark."
"Then use a harpoon."

I give the romance itself 5 stars, The Bad Ass Awesomeness that is Jessica Trent a ten million stars and the book it self 3 stars. Why?

Towards the end it did have the crazy, nuts events that most historical romance book has. Why does every book gotta go out with a kidnapping/shooting/world war 3 or whatever? Im definitely all for character drive, subtle romances. I don't need crazy scenarios because all they do is (usually) jar the pacing and make me less interested and more likely to start skimming. There is also a sub plot that I shall not name here due to spoilers that SHOULD have made me happy because I love that particular trope, but man, in this book it was just drama and eye-roll and skimming inducing.

Overall, I can definitely see why this is such a favorite of so many people. The heroine is one of the best heroines I've read. The hero is no whining rake either, he is a straight up bad boy that will be reformed. The romance was swoony as swoony can get and I loved every minute of it. The other subplot, crazy stuff? Not so much. But I bet I'll reread this and just read the good parts because the good parts were GOOD.

Rating: [C+] This is a classic for a reason! Awesome romance but the plot at the end became meh.

First:

In the spring of 1792, Dominick Edward Guy de Ath Ballister, third Marquess of Dain, Earl of Blackmoor, Viscount Launcells, Baron Ballister and Launcells, lost his wife and four children to typhus.

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Favorite:

He never had been, never would be, safe from her.
Femme fatale.
Still, there were worse ways to die.
And Carpe diem, he told himself, as he collapsed against her.

---

Teaser:

"This is not only mortifying, but inconvenient. I am in lust with Dain. Of all times, now. Of all men, him."

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|Review| Written in Red + Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop

I'm going to review the first two books in The Others fantasy series, Written in Red and Murder of Crows  I've heard PLENTY of excellent things about this series and decided to buddy-read them with Heather. 

I think people associate fantasy with a historical like quality and, while The Others is set in a world with (some) modern technology, it is a completely different earth than what we know. So this is not urban fantasy series like I thought it would be (its been incorrectly labeled as that by some reviewers).

Actually, the first two books were NOTHING like I thought they would be. I thought they would be faced paced, because UF books usually are usually fast paced but most of Written in Red is world building. But despite that, these books are addictive. Unputdownable. Anne Bishop has reimagined a whole new world where humans are not the ones who dominate but rather the scary animals who can take up a human form or something resembling a human form. The Others view humans as meat and they barely tolerate them. This is not something I've ever read before. You have paranormal books where the creatures are hidden to the average human and books where they're not but I've never before read a book where the humans are portrayed as the barely-tolerated-can-be-wiped-out-at-any-moment creatures.

The series follows Meg, who runs away from a prison like compound she lived at. She finds herself hiding from the people looking for her at a Courtyard. A Courtyard is a place where The Others live like people, like a mini town, rather than just roaming the wild. In a Courtyard, humans aren't allowed in and human laws don't apply (so you can get eaten by a wolf! Or a bear! Or a vampire!). Meg takes the job of being the Courtyard Liaison which pretty much means she's the mailman. The Others order things from human run places (example: movies) but humans are too scared to deliver these things to The Others. Meg is the in-between girl.

Written in Red is rich in detail and world building. I never found it overwhelming and I don't think anyone would. It's very addictive. I wanted to know what Meg is (unfortunately, the summary & reviews on Goodreads don't mark this as a spoiler and openly mention what she is, except it is a spoiler!! I didn't read the summary or reviews before going in so I didn't know) and see how she navigates life outside the prison-compound she was held at and how she deals with The Others. Meg is VERY innocent because the compound she was held at monitored exactly what information she learned and they didn't allow her to know anything or to be exposed to anything. Nothing. Nada. So essentially, Meg is a child in a grown ups body. So 1) Meg had to deal with learning the normal human ways and 2) learn how to deal with The Others.

Next, you have Simon, a Wolfgard and the leader of the Courtyard. Simon, unlike most of the Others creatures, wants to have some relationship with humans. He wants to observe their ways. He doesn't exactly LIKE humans, but he's not as hateful as others. 

There are *hints* of romance between Meg and Simon in both books but its oh so slow, which FITS these books and characters. Because firsts of all, Meg is untouched by everything. The only thing she knows are pictures she was shown in the prison-compound. Nothing else. You can't go from that to romance. So I like seeing Meg and Simon learn more about themselves and the world around them and eventually the romance will come. There are bunch of side characters that make the books even better. Vlad, Henry, Tess, Winter. I was telling Heather how I would love love love to read books about any of the side characters.

I have only one complaint regarding the series and its not really a bad thing. The books are told in 3rd person and it shifts POVs. Meg. Simon. A nice policeman. Some of the side characters. The bad guys.  So many POV changes which is not something I personally like. I (somewhat) understood the necessity of it and I keep telling myself to get over it but honestly, it took away some of the enjoyment of the two books. But otherwise, I have nothing bad to say. I couldn't put either book down. I didn't want to finish them. I could read about this world forever. In fact, I currently have a book hangover thanks to both Written in Red and Murder of the Crows. I need more of The Others!!

There is no need for me to go into detail about each book because of spoilers but just know this series is very, very, very addictive and all the high praise its been getting? I totally understand why. Now I'll impatiently go wait for book 3 which I know I will DEVOUR.

Rating (for both books): [B+] Very addictive series and I want more, more more!

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(Review) Three Weeks with Lady X by Eloisa James

Title: Three Weeks with Lady X
Author: Eloisa James
Series: Desperate Duchesses, #7
Published: March 25, 2014 (Avon)
Rating: Stay Up 'til 2 AM
Format: Digital review copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review (Thank you!)

Summary: Having made a fortune, Thorn Dautry, the powerful bastard son of a duke, decides that he needs a wife. But to marry a lady, Thorn must acquire a gleaming, civilized dwelling, the specialty of Lady Xenobia India St. Clair.

Exquisite, head-strong, and independent, India vows to make Thorn marriageable in just three weeks. But neither Thorn nor India anticipate the forbidden passion that explodes between them. Thorn will stop at nothing to make India his. Failure is not an option. But there is only one thing that will make India his—the one thing Thorn can't afford to lose: His fierce and lawless heart.

When I first read that Eloisa James was going to write another Desperate Duchesses book, there may have been a happy dance. Of the super spazzy variety. While I do adore her fairy tale books, there is just something about her Desperate Duchesses series that is simply magical without any fairy dust needed.

I'll be honest: I went into this one knowing absolutely nothing about it. I do that sometimes with authors I trust, just for the fun of it. I like to be surprised by what they have in store. (Although now that I think about it, I just realized that the last time I was SUPER burned by a misleading totally-didn't-match-the-book blurb, it was an Eloisa James book. It happened with the most recent one, and it also happened with Thorn's father's book. Huh. Maybe my subconscious is onto something.) But I digress. Blurb or no, I enjoyed every moment between the covers of this book.

Lady Xenobia (better known by her middle name, India) was a fantastic heroine. She was colorful, unique, bold, yet traditional in many ways and demanding of respect. I enjoyed every moment with her. She was a career woman of sorts, in high demand by the members of the ton as, basically, an overhauler of households. India redesigned rooms, decorated, eliminated incompetent staff, and hired new servants when needed. She had made quite the reputation for herself, but India also wanted to marry. She decided to take one more job before retiring: the household of Tobias "Thorn" Dautry.

Thorn was quite the hero. He was as untraditional as could be, a richer-than-Croesus illegitimate son of a duke (the Duke of Villiers, nonetheless!) who had spent the first 12 years of his life as an orphan and a mudlark. Those years had shaped him in many ways, even though he was living as a gentleman now. He needed more than simply his money to appease the mother of the woman he wanted to marry; he needed a respectful residence. So he bought one, albeit one with a rather debauched former owner who displayed erotic art in the front hall. Enter India, hired by Thorn's stepmother to overhaul his new abode. Thus, despite their initial dislike, India and Thorn were forced to work together

Because of this set-up, much of the beginning stage of their acquaintance/friendship was formed through letters. I always, always love when novels have epistolary portions. There's just something about reading the written, personal communication between two people that is so fun and intimate and telling. It is a marvelous way to get to know the characters; I love it when the personalities shine through the writing. I am always amazed at what can be conveyed through simple word choice and placement. While there were only a few missives in Lady X, every bit was splendid. I laughed aloud more than once. It also served as a delightful way to deepen Thorn and India's friendship while they were apart.

Throw in a few "friendly" kisses, an adorable little girl, some witty banter, and a mildly pornographic statue or two, and you will understand why I fell so thoroughly under the spell of Three Weeks with Lady X. I couldn't put it down! It was entertaining, charming, and completely addicting. Color my expectations met: James has written another winner!

First:“Lady Xenobia, I adore you!”

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Favorite:“I would suggest that you place yourself in the hands of Monsieur Devoulier.”
“Why that tailor in particular?” Thorn drawled, thinking with some satisfaction of the various coats Devoulier had made for him over the years. He might not choose to dress like a peacock on a daily basis, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t the clothing to do so.
“He excels in making shortfalls less obvious,” she said coolly. And damned if she didn’t glance at his crotch.

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Teaser:Her eyes glittered. “Are you attempting to intimidate me?”
“Absolutely not. I’m merely attempting to clarify your thoughts on the subject. Because since I haven’t managed to sack you – not that I ever officially hired you – I might as well know my new employee’s opinion of me.” [...]
“First, Eleanor hired me, no you. And second, you are the bastard son of a duke.”
“Do you realize that you are the first lady who has ever said the word ‘bastard’ aloud to me?”
She looked him straight in the eye. “The word has more than one meaning”

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(Review) Satisfaction by Sarah Mayberry

Title: Satisfaction
Author: Sarah Mayberry
Published: February 28, 2014 (Small Cow Productions)
Rating: Staying in Tonight
Format: Digital copy received from author in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: Maggie Hendricks loves her life. She’s got a great job, amazing friends. Everything is perfect - except for one smallish problem. Maggie can’t quite get there, sexually speaking. It’s just never happened for her. And while she tells herself she’s fine with that, she can’t help feeling as though she’s missing out.

When her friend shares the intimate details of an encounter with an extremely talented lover, Maggie makes a desperate pact with herself. She will seduce this man - or allow him to seduce her - and if he can’t get her there...well, then she’ll hand herself over to medical science. A simple enough plan. What could possible go wrong?

Within minutes of meeting Rafel Oliveira, Maggie knows the answer to that one: plenty. But Rafel turns out to be far more than simply talented in the bedroom. As he takes her on a journey toward the ultimate pleasure, Maggie finds herself craving a lot more than his beautiful body. The question is, is Rafel’s heart available for the taking?

I've been reading Sarah Mayberry since I first became a fledgling romance convert years back, and she hasn't let me down yet. Obviously when the opportunity came, I jumped at the chance to review Satisfaction, her newest self-published novel (especially since her last self-pub was so freaking incredible. Seriously, if you like hate-to-love stories, check outHer Best Worst Mistake. You won't regret it.)

Satisfaction is such an original story! I've never read anything like it. This is the story of Maggie, a bookstore owner in Australia who has a frustrating problem: She cannot achieve orgasm. She's in her mid twenties and has never been able to, by herself or with the help of talented (or not-so-talented) partners.

So when her friend describes a one-off hands-down-best-sex-of-her-life encounter with a Brazilian tattoo artist in his parlor but has no intention of pursuing things, Maggie gets a crazy idea. She should go pretend like she's going to get a tattoo and seduce the guy. Obviously someone so legendarily talented couldn't let her down.

Only there's a slight problem.

She gets the wrong guy.

See, it turns out Mr. Potential Orgasm has a twin brother, Rafel, and Maggie propositions him instead. She flees in embarrassment when he rejects her, but a comment that she makes intrigues him. After some pondering, he tracks her down a bit later and offers to help her with her problem. She agrees.

Thus begins their sexy game.

But it becomes more than a game pretty quickly. What could have so very easily been a Magical Sex = Love plot did not fall into that trap. Between their sessions of Pursuit of the Little Death, Maggie and Rafel have real interactions. They talk about their emotions, their dreams. They joke, they laugh. He reads a book purely based on her recommendation. They spend a day together at the beach with his brother and Blue, a close friend of the brothers. And wait for it because this is the cherry on top: They actually communicate and are honest with each other! Something which is delightful to read even when it's painful, which is sometimes the case here.

I have read quite a few books lately where the heroines either work at or own a book store, and it always makes me happy! This one is especially awesome, as Maggie talks about a lot of romance authors like Meredith Duran, Nalini Singh, and Georgette Heyer (Maggie's favorite author, something which prompted me to finally pick up my first Heyer, which I'm currently reading!).

I've never read a story quite like Satisfaction, and I appreciate Mayberry's frank treatment of Maggie's orgasmically-challenged affliction. I'm not going to spoil whether or not she ever, ahem, reaches satisfaction, but I'll tell you that Rafel and Maggie's interactions are certain to have you reaching for a glass of cold water regardless. Plus, they are just so sweet! This is definitely a winner, and I would recommend it for anyone who likes her romances real, hot, and satisfying.

First:“Beautifully written. Very lyrical. And so many triple-score words I had to read with a dictionary by the bedside just to make sense of it.”

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Favorite:“What’s so funny?” he asked, head tilted to one side, quizzical smile on his mouth.
“Such a guy meal,” she said. “The sandwich equivalent of banging your chest like Tarzan.”
“You don’t like meatball subs?”
“I love them.”
“But you’re still giving me grief?”
“Seems like it.”

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Teaser:She felt a little dizzy. The man was so hot he was practically a walking erogenous zone.

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{12 in 12 Review} Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

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. 

Check out my 12 in 12 intro post to learn more! For February, I decided to read Audrey, Wait! and once again, I LOVED IT! For January I read Sloppy Firsts and it was also a hit so I'm really happy with the direction this project is going.

Aaaaand BONUS! Sharon is totally crashing this review with her thoughts, too! Because after Racquel's glowing recommendation and a super awesome review she cannot seem to find again due to failing massively at life, she joined the I-read-Audrey-Wait-and-loved-it club!

Title: Audrey, Wait!
Author: Robin Benway
Published April 10th, 2008 by Razorbill

Genre: Contemporary YA
Rating: A

Goodreads summary:

California high school student Audrey Cuttler dumps self-involved Evan, the lead singer of a little band called The Do-Gooders. Evan writes, “Audrey, Wait!” a break-up song that’s so good it rockets up the billboard charts. And Audrey is suddenly famous!

Now rabid fans are invading her school. People is running articles about her arm-warmers. The lead singer of the Lolitas wants her as his muse. (And the Internet is documenting her every move!) Audrey can't hang out with her best friend or get with her new crush without being mobbed by fans and paparazzi.

Take a wild ride with Audrey as she makes headlines, has outrageous amounts of fun, confronts her ex on MTV, and gets the chance to show the world who she really is.

This is such a Racquel (and Sharon!), book it's not even funny!!

R: It was craaaaazy but Robin sold it. Usually with outrageously crazy books you have to suspend belief but this book was so real (regarding teen life) and the voice was spot on that I just believed every second of what happened to Audrey. Especially since it *could* happen if you think about it. In an entertainment industry where overnight sensations always happen, the plot of Audrey, Wait! is not that far fetched. 

S: I am in total agreement. It's one of those plots that is far-fetched but totally possible in our society. And I enjoyed every moment of it! The writing style totally worked for me, and Audrey was a great MC. Plus, MUSIC! Always a bonus.

R: This book was FUNNY. Like legit LOL funny. As in I actually had to stop reading and put it down for the night because I was laughing too much and my jaw started aching. I have TMJ and excessive laughing/chewing/biting/yawing/any-sort-of-jaw-movement makes my already screwed up and out of place jaw worse so I had to stop for the night.

S: Seriously. You don't even know unless you've read it. I saved almost two single-spaced size 12 Times New Roman pages worth of quotes from this book, an equal amount of hilarious one-liners and fantastic exchanges. It was actually this particular giggle-inducing quote in the mystery review (seriously, if I commented on your review of this book a month or two ago, let me know! I am your eternal servant) that 100% convinced me that I had to read it because this book was my kind of funny.

“Did you just say ‘frolic’?”
“Is it not a word?”
“Who the hell says ‘frolic’?”
I spun the lock on my locker and waited for it to stick like it always did on 33. “I say frolic,” I told her. “And more people should.”
“They should say frolic or actually frolic?”
“Both.”

For the record, I apologize in advance if I go a little quote-crazy in this review. Which I probably will. So, sorry. And by sorry, I mean you're welcome.

R: The romance: CUTE CUTE CUTE CUTE. Super cute alert to the max!! James was such a sweet guy which to be honest is super rare now in books and it was so refreshing reading about Audrey and James. They seriously belong together.

S: Oh. My. Gosh. My heart. The romance in this book was so freaking beautifully awkward and cute, and I am smiling like a loon just thinking about it. But it wasn't overly cheesy or anything! It was simply fabulous.

“I don’t have your number.”
I scribbled it down on a scrap of paper and pressed it into his hand. “Call. Or text. Or IM.”
“How do you feel about carrier pigeons?”
I shuddered. “The equivalent of flying rats.”
“Scratch the pigeons, then.”

R: Victoria is Audrey’s bff and I LOVED her. Now, when I start books and the best friend is introduced, I hate her on spot because I know she’ll either: 1) screw the main character over or 2) act as some sort of plot device, but Victoria was a REAL character!! And it wasn’t like Victoria was the crazy fashionista and Audrey was the shy misunderstood bookworm like what always happens in books. NOPE. Audrey was just as crazy as Victoria and YAAAAY!! I’m tired and OVER the crazy-bffand-main-character-who-does-nothing dynamic. 

S: Yes yes YES! FINALLY a real, healthy, long-standing female friendship in YA! Victoria was hilarious and awesome, and she and Audrey had a great friendship. Yes, they fought, but it was clear that they were actually equal friends who loved each other and had absurd and awesome BFF-y interactions. Plus, Victoria left the best message in the history of messages on Audrey's answering machine:

WHY ARE YOU NOT ANSWERING YOUR PHONE?!? OH MY GOD, DID YOU SEE THE ARTICLE? I AM FREAKING OUT, WHY ARE YOU NOT ANSWERING YOUR PHONE?! Please call me. I’m starting to act like Tizzy around here. It’s getting ugly. Oh, hi, Mr. and Mrs. Cuttler, in case you get this first. Everything’s fine, I’m just trying to get ahold of Audrey. Okay, ‘bye. AUDREY, CALL ME BEFORE I HAVE TO RESORT TO SKYWRITING.

R: Another cool thing: Audrey’s PARENTS! They’re actually present in the book! And wait for it... Audrey actually even says she likes her parents! MY god is this book even REAL?! But oh it is and it's glorious.

S: I don't really have any comments to add here except: YES! And imagine me doing an epic Breakfast Club-style fist pump.

R: This is such a great contemporary YA and I want MOREEE like it! Audrey goes to school and she studies and she has boy drama and she deals with her family and she goes to work and loves music and goes to concerts and spends money on CDs… she’s a REAL PERSON!!!! Despite Audrey’s insta-fame, we still get a story of normal girl with a normal life. Family, friends, school, activities. It’s well rounded with all the aspects of ya know, LIFE. I can’t think of many books like that. So you better believe it: Audrey, Wait! is going on my favorites shelf.

S: Audrey, Wait! is most definitely going on my list of Top 10 YA Books of All Time. And no, I don't have an official list. But it would definitely be on it. It had SO MANY of the things I always beg for but rarely get in a YA book, and in addition, it was original and relatable and hilarious and touching. It is a new favorite, for sure!

Rating: [A] Amazing. Just like we knew it would be!

First:

The day I broke up with my boyfriend Evan was the day he wrote the song. You know, the song.

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Favorite:

“Did Evan actually say ‘kill this vibe’?”
“Those words exactly,” I told her. “Plus some other choice phrases.”
“What? Like ‘Fuck you’?”
“No, more like, ‘How could you do this to me?’ ‘I thought we were gonna be together forever.’ That kind of stuff.”
“Please. He must be a closet romance novel reader. I’m surprised he didn’t break out a lute and try to woo you.”
“If he had done that, I would’ve been more interested.”

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Teaser:

This was, I decided, the best night ever. The rest of my life was gonna have to be amazingly wonderful, like I would have to cure cancer or save the rain forests or win a Nobel Prize, in order for it to ever surpass the greatness that was this night.

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