Before I start I want everyone to know that I don’t watch reality television on a regular basisOriginally reviewed at Life According to a Bibliophile.
Before I start I want everyone to know that I don’t watch reality television on a regular basis. I’ll watch a few episodes here and there if I’m really bored but otherwise, I don’t really care for it. There’s just something about reality television that I can’t stand to watch over and over. BUT when I found out that Alison Cherry was writing a young adult novel along the lines of The Amazing Race, I knew I had to check it out. Sadly, For Real was far from fun and romantic and beautiful places.
Lets talk about Claire, our main character and Miranda her older sister. Claire, from the beginning, I knew was going to be someone I wasn’t going to like. While she felt like her older sister didn’t treat her like her age, Claire didn’t do anything about it. I understand that standing up to an older sibling (especially an older sister) can be hard, spending the entire book whinnying about the lack of respect, I wish Claire had said something. There were plenty of times in the book where I wanted to slap Claire to wake her up from her dreams. I think that Claire had a lot of potential because she could have killed it at the game but nope.
Also, the characters in this book weren’t developed at all. There was no development to speak of and this was so sad. What’s a better way to grow as a person than through traveling the world? I just wanted so much more in terms of characters. Samir, the antagonist I guess was just a guy. And I can’t even remember the name of the love interest her was no uninteresting so there's that. If there's anything, I liked the idea of this story. It sounds like so much fun and for the girl that loves traveling (because I've traveled so much), the idea for such a reality show sounds like heaven. Heck, even I'd apply to be on it!
Overall, I was so bored with For Real. The countries weren’t interesting at all, the characters weren’t developed, and overall, I just wasn’t as impressed. There was so much room for growth but alas, I didn’t get any. I’m sure some really liked this novel but for me, it didn’t click. ...more
What even was this book?! I can't believe I've waited this long to read it. I really want to read the second book but since it's 2:12 am, I need some What even was this book?! I can't believe I've waited this long to read it. I really want to read the second book but since it's 2:12 am, I need some sleep....more
There's something about New Adult books that makes me..weary. I haven't really liReview originally posted at my blog Life According to a Bibliophile.
There's something about New Adult books that makes me..weary. I haven't really liked many of the NA books I've read. There's something about them that just doesn't work for me. I was hesitant to read Boomerang because there was nothing interesting sounding about it. But of course after all of the hype on Twitter and all the blogs I followed loved this book, I knew I just had to read it. So when it came on sale, I grabbed it and began reading. I needed up reading the book in about one day!
One of my absolute favorite aspects of this book was the sex positivity! Mia had sex and one night stands and talked about sex with her friends and...nothing. There was no shame or ridicule found within the pages of this book. People didn't call Mia a slut but rather ignored her sex life altogether. Like, it's normal for a girl to have sex and be in control of her body and her actions so that's always a win-win in my book!
But there's something about Boomerang that isn't anything new. You hasn't seen or heard of this kind of plot coming. I know there are some movies with this plot like (the ones coming to mind are Indian movies which I don't think any of you guys watch) but I can't help but think of some books too. So, no, the plot isn't all too original but it doesn't take much away from the book. I would, however, love to see a book where the two people don't fall in love (scandalous I know).
Overall, I enjoyed Boomerang a lot. While it's refreshing to see that there wasn't any angst and that both characters felt real and not cliched, the familiarity of the plot was a set back. I wish something...else had happened to add more of a WOAH factor but I was still satisfied with the end result.&...more
This book is the reason I have read the majority of the adult books I've read for the past few Originally reviewed at Life According to a Bibliophile.
This book is the reason I have read the majority of the adult books I've read for the past few weeks. There was just something so addicting about this book that I simply did not want to stop reading it (literally...I read it in about two hours total)! Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare used all of the cliches there are in the romance genre but the way she told the story was done with acute mastery. Basically, I loved all of the clichés because they worked in a way I wasn't expecting them to.
Izzy was such a perfect protagonist that I don't even know. There's just something about a young woman who is strong and fierce but also vulnerable. She has to show all sides of herself no matter what. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling writes:“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.” THIS is why I loved Izzy as much as I did. No matter what her situation in life was, Izzy was always, always kind to people. People who didn't as much money as her or people who were far richer, she was kind and compassionate. But Izzy's kindness wasn't a weakness, it was her strength. It allowed her to empathize with all people and allowed her character to shine.
Guys, my favorite Disney Princess is Belle and Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney. EVER. And one of the biggest reasons for this is because I love the Beast and Belle's love story because the Beast isn't the best looking or the nicest guy around but Belle's able to get past his roughness. And this is why, I think, I loved the romance in Romancing the Duke. Random, Duke of Rothbury, is scarred and disabled and not the nicest guy around but our girl Izzy is able to get past that by simply being herself. I love that Izzy got to know Ransom better NOT because she pities him but because she's a nice person who is also lonely. Both Ransom and Izzy saw something in each other that went past their attraction for each other; it was their mutual understanding of the other. This allowed both characters to treat the other as an equal and this was utterly refreshing.
Overall, I really loved this book. It was one step from being perfect because even though I loved what I got, I wanted more...seriousness. There were plenty of times where the story line could have had more depth but it only scratched the surface. But that didn't stop me from loving this book, however, and I found myself thinking about the characters well after I finished the last page. Romancing the Duke was the perfect read for a time when I needed something to make me happy and to get back into reading. It was fun, light and heartwarming....more
If you've read my reviews of the two previous books in this trilogy, you'd know that I'm not thOriginally reviewed at Life According to a Bibliophile.
If you've read my reviews of the two previous books in this trilogy, you'd know that I'm not the biggest fans of these books. There's something really boring about them for me. So why did I read this one then? Well, I wanted to give this trilogy one more try and to finish with the trilogy. When given the chance, I like reading all of the books in a trilogy, series, etc. To get right to the point? I didn't finish this book. While the other two kept me engaged enough to keep reading them to the finish, The Shape of My Heart was simply...boring. I was so uninterested in everything that was going on that I found myself skimming the pages. I think I got about 25% before I decided to move on.
As I said, the plot itself was boring and there was no sexytimes at all. But for me, characters make or break it for me. If I love the character then the plot isn't as important. I wouldn't care what happens to them because I would be invested enough to keep reading. With this, Max and Courtney were both bland and boring ("boring" seems to be the word for this review...). Courtney was introduced in the first book of the trilogy but she was mainly nonexistent from the entirety of both books so The Shape of My Heart was the real introduction to her. And frankly, she's the stereotypical bad girl. What's really badass about having tattoos? Maybe it's just me but I didn't get it. Max, too, was boring. He didn't do anything and whenever it was a scene that was intended I'm assuming to be heart wrenching, I was waiting for something...anything...to happen.
In the end, I didn't even get half way with this book before I gave it up. I was far to bored to care about the characters or the plot or anything. I'm not sure if I'll read another NA book by this author. After this third one, I think I'll stick to her YA books instead. ...more
I liked the first book in this trilogy, I Want it That Way, but As Long as You Love Me was more of a rollercoaster ride for me and the end result was not pretty. I can’t quite pin what exactly about this relationship I didn’t like but something about Lauren and Rob bothered me. The writing wasn’t the most spectacular and the explicit sex scenes were once again present but something about their relationship bothered me the most.
I want to preface anything I say by pointing out that Lauren had feelings for Rob when she was a young girl and when she moves back home and sees him, the feelings are re-awakened. But Rob is dating a girl named Avery and therefore off limits to Lauren. The two begin getting close simply as friends but their physical attraction is still there. Lauren often wonders about Rob but keeps her hands off. I liked that they got to know who they were now as adults and I could see their relationship blossom. That is until I got to the point where Rob is single and they have sex for the first time. I came to this quote and I was instantly put off
“Before Rob, I’d used condoms, but I’d wanted him for so long that I hated the thought of stopping for latex.” (location 1907 of 3799, 50%)
Yes, Lauren is on the pill but it still irked me that they would take this chance. The pill does not always work. I know people (both married and not) who have had sex while on the pill and got pregnant. I get that Lauren’s in love with Rob and has waited a long time for him but using a condom seemed like a smart decision. This isn’t the biggest deal in the world but was the first thing I highlighted in this book. <-This is a personal opinion and I understand if you don't share it. But neither of them would be able to care for a baby so this decision didn't seem to fit.
Then we get to this gem:
“You don’t even have to touch me, baby. Before I broke up with Avery, you had me ready pretty much every single day.” (Location 1961 of 3799, 52%).
This made me so mad that I put the book (or my Kindle) down. I don’t condone cheating at all and this, regardless of what you might think, seemed like emotional cheating to me. Rob’s excuse for not breaking up with Avery at this point was that he didn’t want her to hear it over the phone but thinking about being with another woman over a course of about a week or two (can’t remember exactly) is a better idea. What?! And if that wasn’t enough, there was this interaction, during the same scene,
“‘So you were waiting for her to come home to do it in person?’ Rob nodded. ‘By then, I didn’t even care when she got back because all I could think about was seeing you again.’” (Location 1969 of 3799, 52%)
So not only did Rob think about another woman in a sexual way while he was still in a relationship, he didn’t even care about when his girlfriend came back…and I’m supposed to like this guy?
But I did. I did like Rob and after that moment, he got better. Or so I thought. Lauren did not have a car so she had been borrowing Rob’s for the good part of the begging of the novel. Later on, when she has saved up enough money to buy a car of her own, she does. She brings Rob’s truck back to him and shows his her new car. Rob loses it:
“I mean, you didn’t talk to me or ask me to inspect the car before you bought it. That’s the one thing I know about—fixing things. I can’t do a lot for you as a boyfriend, and it makes me feel like a worthless sack of shit when you cut me out” (Location 2274 of 3799, 60%).
This was frustrating to me on various levels: a) Lauren is an adult who can make adult decisions. She went with her mom and looked over other vehicles before choosing one, b) Why does Rob need to get upset over this? He is not her father and he doesn’t own her and c) Lauren’s supposed to show Rob all aspects of her life so he can feel validated? In my opinion, Lauren did nothing wrong to get this reaction out of him. This is simply a small portion of the big speech he gives her and I was instantly put off.
Besides the fact that I knew Rob and Lauren were going to break up and then make up, I wasn’t surprised when it happened. Rob, though, acted very much out of character but at this point in the book, I couldn’t have cared less. Overall, I wasn’t in love with this novel. While some aspects were great, the majority of it bothered me. Lauren was hands down the best part about this novel and Rob was the worst. I know a lot of other people loved these books but they weren’t for me. ...more
I am, it seems, the only person who didn't truly love this book but I have accepted that I willOriginally reviewed at Life According to a Bibliophile.
I am, it seems, the only person who didn't truly love this book but I have accepted that I will often be the black sheep of the book blogging community. Immediately after finishing this book, I gave the book a 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. It was so good, I thought. But of course, as I allowed my thoughts to marinate (is that a strange word to use?), I came to the conclusion that I did not in fact love this book as much as I thought. I had issues with the plot and the various plot points, the characterization, and various other aspects of this novel. In the end, I Want it That Way by Ann Aguirre was nothing new in the new adult arena and offered nothing fresh or special.
I Want it That Way is the story of Nadia, who I believe is twenty-one and a college student, and Ty, her neighbor and single dad who is also her love interest. Immediately, from the second they meet, Ty and Nadia have a pull to each other. He is standoffish when they meet for the first time but as time goes by, they begin to know each other and their attraction intensifies. From the very beginning, I could not help but roll my eyes at their romance. It just seemed so insta-love to me and I initially did not understand Ty’s behavior. It’s one thing if your neighbors are being loud and obnoxious but if they’re simply moving in and struggling at that? There was no reason for him to be so upset. And this, of course, begins Nadia and Ty’s love story. Their attraction is immediate and when Nadia is not anywhere near Ty, she is thinking of being with him and kissing him. It was, in the end, too much for me. I wished that Nadia spent half of that much time thinking of her best friend and her roommates and possibly her college education.
I did, no matter how negative this review might seem, like Nadia and Ty. I couldn’t actually resist Ty because he was such a sweetheart and a great guy who was dealt an interesting hand: Ty’s son is the highlight of his life but the situation surrounding the mother of his son has a negative turn to it. I could understand Ty’s hesitance in the beginning because for any woman to have a relationship with him meant becoming a mother-like (and possibly a stepmother) figure to his son. And Nadia was a strong willed character and while I didn’t always appreciate her actions (in the spoilers section), I understood her pain and wanted what was best for her.
One of my biggest issues I had with this novel was the random introduction to little plot points, none of which see a closure to the best of their ability: *SPOILERS BELOW* Firstly, there was the issue Nadia was having with her best friend Lauren. They’ve been friends for a very long time and by the time the book begins, Lauren doesn’t act like herself. Once Ty comes into Nadia’s life, Nadia seems to on occasion think of Lauren. Nadia and Laruen have been friends since elementary school (if I remember correctly) and it seemed odd to me that Nadia wouldn’t further pursue the issue. Lauren ends up going back home and Nadia learns THEN that Lauren was unhappy. It bothered me that Ty would become such a big aspect of Nadia’s life for her to forget about her best friend.
Furthermore, the story line concerning Ty’s ex-girlfreind and the mother of his son was incomplete and it felt as though Ty was not completely over her. The story line seemed to being when Nadia first learns about the mother but does not truly get resolved. I’m not saying she needed to be present but Ty, in my opinion, did not have the closing he and Nadia deserved. I felt as though Ty still have lingering feelings for her. *SPOILERS END*
I haven’t even gotten to my biggest complaint: what exactly is the point of having such explicit sex scenes? I honestly do not understand the point of it and it’s one of my biggest issues with NA books. It seems that the majority (of the ones I’ve read) have such explicit sex scenes that I begin to feel uncomfortable and I am not easily uncomfortable.
Overall, I wasn’t as impressed with I Want it That Way as I wanted to be. The book sounded fabulous and I so wanted to enjoy this new adult book but alas it was not meant to be. I did like Nadia and Ty and Sam, Ty’s son, was my favorite character. I rooted for both of these characters love even if it was almost insta-love. I know plenty of people have enjoyed this book and I would recommend this book to people who like the recent releases of new adult novels. ...more
Sometimes, for a book to truly click with the reader, it takes a re-reading to find that relatiOriginally reviewed at Life According to a Bibliophile.
Sometimes, for a book to truly click with the reader, it takes a re-reading to find that relationship. Initially, I was ready to give this a low rating. There was something missing from this book that I hadn’t found in the other three books in this series. But after a few weeks, I re-read this book and I couldn’t help but like it far more the second time around. In Your Dreams is different then the other three books and I’ve realized why I didn’t love it the first time around.
When I initially read this book, I was so disappointed with the romance and the sexitimes because there didn’t seem to be enough of it. I wasn’t in love with Jack and Emmaline (I did like Jack and Emmaline as separate people, however) so I couldn’t care if they got together or not. But what I came to realize about In Your Dreams is that this is as much Jack’s story as it is Emmaline’s. In the last three books, all of the male leads had issues they had to overcome but with Jack, there were more then one misgivings he had to deal with. Jack himself had to change and grow as much as Emmaline did and while I didn’t see—or appreciate—this at first, I did the second time around. As much as the other characters helped each other, Jack and Emmaline had an understanding. They talked to each other; they told each other their problems and allowed the other to help.
Emmaline and Jack were both such similar yet such different characters. Emmaline’s shy and reserved and hasn’t lived in Manningsport her whole life. Jack is the nice giy everyone loves and knows; he’s very much a people person. When her ex-fiance sends a wedding card, Emmaline feels as though she has to go but doesn’t want to face her fears. Jack, as Emmaline’s date, is going to California to escape his problems. While neither wants to share what’s going on, they trust in each other and open up. They put their contrasting personalities aside and work to help each other. Their character growth, something I didn’t notice the first time around, was astounding.
Jack and Emmaline, unlike the other characters, were vulnerable from the beginning of this story so it was a reverse idea: we saw two vulnerable characters trust and believe in each other whereas the other characters were strong but grew to open up with others. There is just something about the way Kristin Higgins tells a story, both in terms of her writing and story telling ability, that makes me fall in love with her characters.
Overall, I didn’t love this book but I liked it far more the second time than the first time. I was able to step away from the other three stories in this series and see this new story for what it truly was. I ended up loving Jack and Emmaline and more then any couple, I wanted them to be together. Yes, this wasn’t my favorite book but my favorite couple. It happens. ...more
The very first point I want to make with this review is that I am utterly happy that I did not Originally reviewed at Life According to a Bibliophile.
The very first point I want to make with this review is that I am utterly happy that I did not read the Blue Heron books in the order they were published. These books can be read as standalones but being in a series, characters overlap. While I enjoyed The Best Man, the first book in this series, I did not enjoy The Perfect Match as much and had I read them in order, I don’t know if I would have continued on with this series. There was something missing from Honor Holland and Tom Barlow’s love story.
Admittedly the marriage for convenience plot is one I haven’t read that many books about but I was curious to see how this one would go. I knew certain events that would happen but their execution fell flat. For example, we all know that the main love interests will have some sort of disagreement but they won’t be able to stop thinking about the other person. Slowly, they begin to realize their love for one another. Distance makes the heart grow fonder and all that. In this case, I just didn’t care when Honor and Tom were apart. There wasn’t enough of a spark between these two characters.
I did, however, appreciate Tom and his loyalty to Charlie, his unofficial stepson. When so many people (did) would put aside a teenage boy, Tom stepped in. I loved seeing their relationship grow and develop into a father son love. It was also nice to see Charlie open up and allow others in. I should also mention that Tom is British and as I cannot help but love the accent, I couldn’t help but love Tom. There is more to Tom then just his accent; he’s broken and has shielded his heart from love. He was not expecting Honor and this idea made reading this book far more enjoyable. There are certain times when I wish he had acted differently but those are minor problem.
I didn’t think I would love Honor as much as I did but I had this connection with her that I didn’t expect. I’m not the most serious of my family but I am rather the black sheep who doesn’t let anyone faze me. Honor, the no-nonsense member of her family also seemed to have this trait and it changes when she tells the guy she likes how she feels. It’s Honor’s response after being rejected by this guy that showed me how similar we are: even if we’re hurting inside, our outside appearance is a neat and clean as any other day. Seeing Honor open up to Tom and allow herself the ability to love again was wonderful.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Certain aspects were annoying (Brogan and Dana; who lied about something rather big which made me dislike her even more then I did before), others were heart wrenching (I feel for ya Charlie!), but in the end, I didn’t feel as thought there was enough spark between Tom and Honor. This might be because they are both such serious characters and maybe if my timing had been different, I would have loved this book. ...more
There are certain things people love to read about. Maybe it’s about summer love or a love blooOriginally reviewed at Life According to a Bibliophile.
There are certain things people love to read about. Maybe it’s about summer love or a love blooming during a road trip but for me? It’s childhood romance. There’s just something so…innocent about young love that makes my heart flutter. Maybe it’s because when you’re love, you aren’t always emotionally hurt and you’re not in the big, scary world allowing the romance to blossom.
Colleen O’Rourke and Lucas Campbell were high school sweethearts but one day, Lucas broke Colleen’s heart. While she’s always tried to move on, there was something about that love that hindered Colleen’s ability to find true love for her. If you don’t already know, Colleen has a great track of getting people together but not for herself. She’s confident and sarcastic and loving and loud but underneath all of that is a girl aching for love, even if she won’t openly admit it. I loved Colleen because that’s how I am (sans the high school romance and broken heart) because I often hide my true feelings behind something else.
Lucas was such a sweetheart and I couldn’t help but fall for him. He’s had a rough past but was able to make the best out of it. Lucas had to grow up too fast so it was vastly more mature when he was younger than expected. I did, however, still feel as though some of his actions later on in the book were uncalled for. I can understand, also, that he still cares for Colleen but I felt his attitude that Colleen would be waiting for him a little bit…annoying. He didn’t always feel that way but when he did, I felt as though his ego go the better of him.
Some flashbacks allow the reader to see how Colleen and Lucas meet and fall in love and I loved every minute of it. Even the heartbreak was (heart wrenching) but important to read about because it helped give Colleen and Lucas more background (clearly). But there was something about their adult love that seemed off for me. Maybe because they were both adults and a lot had happened to both of them to change them in unexpected ways, but I didn’t feel as though the spark from their childhood came back. Maybe it was because they didn’t get enough time to work out their issues (a specific issue that happened with Colleen and a member of Lucas’s family that was blown way out of proportion and I didn’t like the way Lucas reacted), but I didn’t feel the spark.
Overall, I enjoyed Waiting on You for the most part but the romance felt a little bit off. Maybe because the love between these two characters already existed and it needed rekindling but I just couldn’t love it. In all honesty, I think it had to do with the fact that neither Colleen nor Lucas talked about their issues with each other. There were too many loose ends but I did enjoy reading it nonetheless. ...more
Look, I'm not saying that all best friends fall in love but it's fair to assume that they can admit to finding the other person attractive. This book Look, I'm not saying that all best friends fall in love but it's fair to assume that they can admit to finding the other person attractive. This book had too much "WOW my best friend is attractive!" or "WOW I never thought of you in this way at all!" Like, you're adults. You can find your best friend to be attractive without wanting to do them. ...more
Instalove, cliches, and the whole "why me?" was enough to get me to DNF at 19%.Instalove, cliches, and the whole "why me?" was enough to get me to DNF at 19%....more