Mini-reviews: More Than Words, When You Read This & Fame, Fate and the First Kiss

More Than Words by Jill Santopolo
Publisher: G.P Putnam's Sons 
Publication Date: 5th February 2019
My rating: 3 stars  

Nina Gregory has always been a good daughter, a good girlfriend. Raised by her father, owner of New York City's glamorous Gregory Hotels, after her mother's death, Nina was taught that family, reputation, and legacy are what matter most. And her boyfriend Tim, thoughtful, kind, and honest, not to mention her best friend since childhood, feels the same. But after Nina's father passes away, she learns he may not have practiced what he preached. As her world falls apart, Nina begins to question everything she thought she knew and to see the men in her life--her father, her boyfriend, and unexpectedly, her handsome and attentive boss, Rafael--in a new light. Soon Nina finds herself caught between the world she knows and loves, and a passion that could upend everything.

I was the biggest fan of Santopolo’s The Light We Lost, it was a story which had me thinking about it for days after and Santopolo’s world building was majestically done. So, when I first heard about More than Words, I dived right in, going into books with the least amount of impressions works wonders for me, as I like being surprised by the different elements a book may bring. And whilst I loved Santopolo’s writing once again with this story; it really was beautifully done, I felt that More than Words wasn’t able to leave a big of an impact as The Light we Lost did. Don’t get me wrong I did enjoy this book, I liked following Nina on her journey of who she was, with the way her life had been going, things were already expected of her; to take over her father’s firm and she was in a secure relationship with her boyfriend Tim. But then with her father passing away and revelations coming from all over the place, things really weren’t as they seemed, what did Nina really want to do with her life? I liked how Santopolo allowed Nina to really explore her options, yes at times there were difficult decisions to make, but if Nina really wasn’t happy with something then she really shouldn’t have to settle. Despite there being several bumps along the way, I was happy with the character that emerged in Nina at the end of this story.

More than Words, gave us in my eyes a truly different story from Santopolo; but one I really appreciated, she once again gave us a gorgeously written story, and although it was tinged with loss and sorrow, it was still a story I devoured in such a short period of time.

When You Read This by Mary Adkins 
Publisher: Harper 
Publication Date: 5th February 2019
My rating: 3 stars   

Iris Massey is gone. But she’s left something behind. For four years, Iris Massey worked side by side with PR maven Smith Simonyi, helping clients perfect their brands. But Iris has died, taken by terminal illness at only thirty-three. Adrift without his friend and colleague, Smith is surprised to discover that in her last six months, Iris created a blog filled with sharp and often funny musings on the end of a life not quite fulfilled. She also made one final request: for Smith to get her posts published as a book. With the help of his charmingly eager, if overbearingly forthright, new intern Carl, Smith tackles the task of fulfilling Iris’s last wish. Before he can do so, though, he must get the approval of Iris’ big sister Jade, an haute cuisine chef who’s been knocked sideways by her loss. Each carrying their own baggage, Smith and Jade end up on a collision course with their own unresolved pasts and with each other. Told in a series of e-mails, blog posts, online therapy submissions, text messages, legal correspondence, home-rental bookings, and other snippets of our virtual lives, When You Read This is a deft, captivating romantic comedy—funny, tragic, surprising, and bittersweet—that candidly reveals how we find new beginnings after loss.

I went into When You Read This not really sure what I was expecting, and to be honest this book did end up surprising me in a lot of ways. Although the story was given to us from the main character Iris’ blog, I liked how despite Iris not being here anymore, the blog had an effect on all those left behind. Those individuals who were an integral part of her of life were bought together in the most unexpected of ways. I really liked the way the story was given to us in the form of emails and text messages, I’ve read a handful of books where this format has worked before, and I’m pleased to say that Adkins was also able to make it work with this book too. It is typically an unusual format, but once you got to know the characters, the story really begins to flow easily amongst them. Despite the story focusing on loss, I liked how Adkins was able to sprinkle some humour in the story too and gave us some lighter scenes to turn too when things became a little grim. I wish I had more of a connection with certain characters, that definitely would have made this story for me, but overall I did enjoy this book and how Adkins showed people dealing with a loss in their own different way. 

Fame, Fate and the First Kiss
Publisher: Harper Teen 
Publication Date: 5th February 2019
My rating: 3 stars    

Lacey Barnes has dreamed of being an actress for as long as she can remember. So when she gets the opportunity to star in a movie alongside one of Hollywood’s hottest actors, she doesn’t hesitate to accept the part. But Lacey quickly learns that life in the spotlight isn’t as picture perfect as she imagined. She’s having trouble bonding with her costars, her father has hired the definition of a choir boy, Donavan Lake, to tutor her, and somewhere along the way she’s lost her acting mojo. And just when it seems like things couldn’t get any worse, it looks like someone on set is deliberately trying to sabotage her. As Lacey’s world spins out of control, it feels like the only person she can count on—whether it’s helping her try to unravel the mystery of who is out to get her or snap her out of her acting funk—is Donavan. But what she doesn’t count on is this straight-laced boy becoming another distraction. With her entire future riding on this movie, Lacey knows she can’t afford to get sidetracked by a crush. But for the first time in her life Lacey wonders if it’s true that the best stories really do happen when you go off script.

Kasie West’s last couple of books hadn’t really worked out for me, I’d struggled getting through them, or the MC’s just appeared too young for my liking. So, I went into Fame, Fate and the First Kiss with mixed assumptions. But I’m glad that I decided to give this book a go, because it started off great, Lacey, had finally got her big chance starring in a zombie movie alongside big time actor Grant. But Lacey had been struggling with her role, her dad was being over-protective and there was always seemed to be a negative press around her. I really was rooting for Lacey, I wanted her to do well in this role, and she was trying her utmost hardest. Then later it seemed like someone was sabotaging her all along, I must admit my interest was piqued here, and of course I had a couple of suspicions of who it could be. This aspect really did have me excited about the book, but then once the person behind it all was finally revealed, it felt like a big build up for no reason. Overall, I did enjoy this book, I was a fan of the cute love interest and the direction the romance went in, but again I felt like some of these characters were just too young for me, I don’t know if it’s because I’ve just moved away from YA books a lot in the last year, or that West’s books are just no longer working for me anymore. 

Mini-reviews: Top Ten and Without Merit

Top Ten by Katie Cotugno
Publisher: Balzer + Bray 
Publication Date: October 3rd 2017
My rating: 2 stars 

Ryan McCullough and Gabby Hart are the unlikeliest of friends. Introverted, anxious Gabby would rather do literally anything than go to a party. Ryan is a star hockey player who can get any girl he wants—and does, frequently. But against all odds, they became not only friends, but each other’s favorite person. Now, as they face high school graduation, they can’t help but take a moment to reminisce and, in their signature tradition, make a top ten list—counting down the top ten moments of their friendship: 10. Where to begin? Maybe the night we met. 9. Then there was our awkward phase. 8. When you were in love with me but never told me… 7. Those five months we stopped talking were the hardest of my life. 6. Through terrible fights… 5. And emotional makeups. 4. You were there for me when I got my heart broken. 3. …but at times, you were also the one breaking it. 2. Above all, you helped me make sense of the world. 1. Now, as we head off to college—how am I possibly going to live without you?

I had such high hopes for Top Ten, seeing as I’d enjoyed Cotugno’s previous books, but sadly Top Ten was such a disappointing read for me. The beginning of the book I actually enjoyed, best friends Ryan and Gabby find themselves over their heads one night, I don’t want to say too much and give it away, but the way things ended, I wanted to know what would happen next, as both Ryan and Gabby would be headed off to college, and with them being friends for so long, would their friendship be able to survive. But instead of continuing off from where things left off, Cotugno decided to give us alternate chapters over the course of the book, and I found this really confusing, the chapters were titled with which year they were focusing on, but the constant back and forth over the years of their friendship I didn’t like at all, I just wanted to find out what was going to happen after that one night. Unfortunately, Ryan and Gabby weren’t characters who kept me wanting to read this book either, I liked Gabby slightly more than Ryan, but I prefer characters which leave lasting impressions and this wasn’t the case with Ryan or Gabby.

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Atria Books 
Publication Date: October 3rd 2017
my rating: 2 stars

Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness. The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit. Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix. Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.

Once again it seems like I’m the black sheep when it comes to Colleen Hoover’s books, ever since I loved November 9, I’ve been giving Hoover’s books a go, hoping there will be more of her books that I will end up loving, however once again this wasn’t the case for Without Merit. I know a lot of my friends liked this book, and I can understand their reasoning for it, Hoover does a good job of dealing and showing the many real life tough issues that people have to go through. Merit’s life wasn’t all fun and games and her family wasn’t your typical “everyone gets along” sort of family either. And of course, Merit’s family wasn’t the type to sit down and discuss their issues, Merit’s mother had secluded herself to their basement and never came out, Merit's dad's current wife and ex-wife were still living in the same house, there was the case of mistaken identity going on all the time with Merit and her twin Honor and on top of that there was all the stuff that some of the family members didn’t know about. So, you can say there was a lot of issues going on within this family and needed to be properly addressed, I guess you could say I found this a bit overwhelming at times. Like at the beginning, I enjoyed how the story kicked off, but as I got to know more of Merit’s family, the more I was put off from reading the story, which is a real shame, as this book in my eyes potentially could have been a brilliant read for me.

Mini-review: Purple Hearts by Tess Wakefield

Purple Hearts by Tess Wakefield
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books/Alloy Entertainment 
Publication Date: 25th April 2017
My rating: 3 stars 

When a soldier with a troubled past and a struggling songwriter agree to a marriage of convenience for the military benefits, neither expects much after saying “I do.” Then tragedy strikes, and the line between what’s real and what’s pretend begins to blur in this smart and surprising romance perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks and Jojo Moyes. Cassie Salazar and Luke Morrow couldn’t be more different. Sharp-witted Cassie works nights at a bar in Austin, Texas to make ends meet while pursuing her dream of becoming a singer/songwriter. Luke is an Army trainee, about to ship out for duty, who finds comfort in the unswerving discipline of service. But a chance encounter at Cassie’s bar changes the course of both their lives. Cassie is drowning in medical bills after being diagnosed with diabetes. When she runs into her old friend Frankie, now enlisted in the Army, she proposes a deal: she’ll marry him in exchange for better medical insurance and they can split the increased paycheck that comes with having a “family.” When Frankie declines, his attractive but frustratingly intense friend Luke volunteers to marry Cassie instead. What she doesn’t know is that he has desperate reasons of his own to get married. In this unforgettable love story, Cassie and Luke must set aside their differences to make it look like a real marriage...unless, somewhere along the way, it becomes one...

I always find myself gravitating towards books featuring fake relationships; I find myself fully immersed with these individuals’ lives, wanting to find out how things will go and love watching the relationship evolve into something way more than either could have expected. With Purple Hearts I liked how believable the relationship became between Cassie and Luke, despite not knowing each other that long or well enough before they decided to marry one another and I liked how their feelings developed slowly over time. The situation that they found themselves in really did contribute I believe to them being able to take their relationship to the next level. Having nearly died and then relying on your fake wife to look after you really does test the depth of one’s relationship. Despite enjoying Purple Hearts overall, it was kind of slow going for me at times, there was a lot of side stories going on to which sort of took my attention away at times, especially as I was more interested in how things would go down between Luke and Cassie. However slow pace aside, Purple Hearts was a book which I couldn’t stop reading, as I mentioned before, I tend to find myself consumed with the lives of characters and that certainly was the case with Cassie and Luke. 

Mini-review: Until the Sun Sets by Tara Wyatt

Until the Sun Sets by Tara Wyatt
Publisher: Swerve
Publication Date: 11th July 2017
My rating: 4 stars

Two best friends at a destination wedding in Mexico are forced into a fake relationship; but when one kiss turns into a week-long fling, could this change everything? Dean Grayson doesn't do commitment. So when his cousin asks Dean to bring a date to his wedding in Mexico, he asks his best friend, Carly Jensen, to come with him. After a recent break up, Carly’s feeling like she’ll never find love, so a week in Mexico with her best friend-slash-boss is the perfect way to take her mind off things. As fate would have it, Carly’s ex is also a guest at the wedding…with his new girlfriend. To protect her pride, Carly and Dean decide to fake a relationship for the week. But between the sand, surf, and sharing a bed, these friends turned lovers realize they’re meant for something more.

I’d never heard of Wyatt’s books until a blogger recently bought Until the Sun Sets to my attention. Fake relationships that develop into something more deep and meaningful have always been a favourite trope of mine. More so when done well and Wyatt did an incredible job of Carly and Dean’s relationship, I’m shocked as this book was only over a 100 pages, but the chemistry coming off these pages had me completely swooning. 

Dean has the reputation of being a player, so much that his cousin suggests that he brings a date to his wedding, as he doesn’t want Dean sleeping around with all the single women and breaking their hearts. Dean has no real options, so asks his co-worker and good friend Carly to accompany him. Both had planned to attend as friends, but things started shifting slowly on the plane journey over, but also when Carly’s ex was at the same wedding, and she didn’t want to come across as lonely individual so told him her and Dean were dating. Here’s when the fake relationship begins and honestly I assumed that these two would just have a great time pretending to be a fake couple and then eventually go back to how they were when they went back home. But both ended up getting something way more than either could have imagined, what started off as just two friends occasionally holding hands turned into innocently rubbing suntan lotion on each other, to some of the hottest scenes *fans self*. I of course was eager for these two to realise that what they had both discovered was something a lot of people spent years searching for and it was right in front of them. But of course I also knew that someone would try and sweep what has developed under the carpet like it was nothing (why does this always have to happen?). However this minor irk aside Wyatt did an incredible job with this short story, so much that I was left wanting a full story from these characters straight away. If you’re in the mood for a hot summer read with chemistry off the charts, then this is definitely the book for you!

Mini-reviews: It Had to Be You and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: May 14th 2013
My rating: 4 stars 

The Windy City isn't quite ready for Phoebe Somerville—the outrageous, curvaceous New York knockout who has just inherited the Chicago Stars football team. And Phoebe is definitely not ready for the Stars' head coach, former gridiron legend Dan Calebow, a sexist jock taskmaster with a one-track mind. Calebow is everything Phoebe abhors. And the sexy new boss is everything Dan despises—a meddling bimbo who doesn't know a pigskin from a pitcher's mound. So why is Dan drawn to the shameless sexpot like a heat-seeking missile? And why does the coach's good ol' boy charm leave cosmopolitan Phoebe feeling awkward, tongue-tied . . . and ready to fight?

I’ve always been a fan of sports romance novels, I’ve loved watching sports since I was a little kid, and so combine this with a well done romance and I’m a complete goner. Also with the types of books I’d been reading lately, nothing had been holding my attention, so when I’d come across It Had to be You, it sounded like the perfect read for me! After reading a few pages I was completely hooked, Phillips did a fantastic job of making the relationship between Phoebe and Dan work, here were some parts where I felt there was unnecessary drama, but their relationship was one of the best ones I had come across in a long time.

Of course I was a fan of Dan straight away, characters that get riled up and shouty and who are as passionate about his team as Dan was always tend to win me over. Also despite being a person who was generally agitated a lot of the time, I loved seeing the tender side of his character come though. It really just made me love him even more. The team dynamics was also fantastically done too, I loved getting to know the characters and their quirky ways, I for one can’t wait to get to know their characters more hopefully in the next books! 

Phillips really made me fall hard and fast for the characters in It Had to be You, but she also dealt with a lot of tough issues really well! I for one can’t wait to jump into the rest of this series right away!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: June 13th 2017
My rating: 3 stars

Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds through the decades—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Jenkins Reid amazes me with her stories; in the past typically I’ve gone into her books expecting one thing and then being left in awe after finishing her book. This time around however I did struggle with this book, it took me a while to complete, but that’s not to say that it didn’t leave a lasting impression with me afterwards. I was left reeling with Evelyn Hugo’s life and everything she had to go through to reach that end point. Evelyn Hugo was a hard person for me personally to like, she did a lot of unimaginable things, but she was one heck of a person to withstand everything that was thrown her way during her attempt to the top; tragedies, people talking crap about her, abuse and people trying to trample over her name. Like I said Evelyn was a woman that I had a difficult time relating to but I could understand all the things that she did. 

I was super curious to see how Jenkins Reid would relate both Monique and Evelyn’s stories together. As it seemed completely out of the blue that Evelyn plucked Monique to write her story and you could say I was super surprised when everything was unravelled, so I wasn’t expecting that connection to be there at all .(Highlight to view spoiler) I was imagining Monique to be Evelyn’s long last daughter or something. But I enjoyed Monique’s time with Evelyn, and how we were given Evelyn’s story from the very beginning, how we got to experience her ups and downs in her big career and to the very end. In many ways The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was a very bittersweet story, and one that will have me thinking about it for a long time afterwards. I really liked the different take that Jenkins Reid gave us in this book, the depths and emotions that she explores with her characters was beautifully done and once again her writing was flawless. I’m really glad that I ended up giving this book a go, although it wasn’t one of my favourites by Jenkins Reid it is definitely one of her most memorable.

Mini-reviews: Love Story and Walk of Shame by Lauren Layne

Love Story by Lauren Layne
Publisher: Loveswept
Publication Date: February 14th 2017
My rating: 3 stars 

When Lucy Hawkins receives a job offer in San Francisco, she can’t wait to spread her wings and leave her small Virginia hometown behind. Her close-knit family supports her as best they can, by handing over the keys to a station wagon that’s seen better days. The catch? The cross-country trip comes with a traveling companion: her older brother’s best friend, aka the guy who took Lucy’s virginity hours before breaking her heart. After spending the past four years and every last dime caring for his sick father, Reece Sullivan will do just about anything to break free of the painful memories—even if it means a two-week road trip with the one girl who’s ever made it past his carefully guarded exterior. But after long days of bickering in the car turn into steamy nights in secluded motel rooms, Reece learns that, when it comes to Lucy, their story is far from over. And this time, they just might have a shot at a happy ending.

Once again Layne brings another one of my favourite tropes to this story; second chance romances. Lucy and Reece have known each other practically their entire lives. Reece is Lucy’s brother’s best friend, so they’ve grown up together. However since a few years ago, things haven’t been the best between the pair, Layne gives us hints of Reece and Luce getting together, but we’re never told about what could have caused their massive fall out, the two don’t seem to get along without bickering, and things don’t help the matter when they’re forced to take a two week trip (Lucy’s original plan was to go to on her own) by Lucy’s parents as they both will be travelling to the same place, so it makes sense too. I for one couldn’t wait to see how this road trip would turn out, could both Reece and Lucy finally get over the disaster that happened all those years ago or would this trip just be another disaster?

I really liked the way Layne gave us Reece and Lucy’s story, we weren’t immediately given their back story and what went down, but small snippets of their history together which built up to the present day. This really worked for me, as I was constantly left intrigued and wanting more. The only reason I wasn’t able to rate this book higher was despite clearly seeing that Reece and Lucy were meant to be together, it just felt as if there were a lot of hold backs (particularly on Reece’s side) and miscommunication which kind of put a dampener on things for me. This aside Love Story was still a great read, I particularly enjoyed the road trip aspect, but probably not one of my favourites by 
Layne.

Walk of Shame by Lauren Layne

Publisher: Loveswept

Publication Date: April 18th 2017

My rating: 4 stars

Pampered heiress Georgianna Watkins has a party-girl image to maintain, but all the shopping and clubbing is starting to feel a little bit hollow—and a whole lot lonely. Though Georgie would never admit it, the highlights of her week are the mornings when she comes home at the same time as her uptight, workaholic neighbor is leaving to hit the gym and put in a long day at the office. Teasing him is the most fun Georgie’s had in years—and the fuel for all her naughtiest daydreams. Celebrity divorce attorney Andrew Mulroney doesn’t have much time for women, especially spoiled tabloid princesses who spend more time on Page Six than at an actual job. Although Georgie’s drop-dead gorgeous, she’s also everything Andrew resents: the type of girl who inherited her penthouse instead of earning it. But after Andrew caps one of their predawn sparring sessions with a surprise kiss—a kiss that’s caught on camera—all of Manhattan is gossiping about whether they’re a real couple. And nobody’s more surprised than Andrew to find that the answer just might be yes.

Walk of Shame was a book which reminded me of why I love Layne’s books so much, Whereas Love Story didn’t leave me feeling my usual giddy self afterwards, Walk of Shame had everything I love when it comes to reading, hate to love and trope, a slow burn romance and a swoony character to die for in Andrew. The constant jibes aside whenever Georgie and Andrew accidently met up in their lobby at 5am nearly every day, I couldn’t wait until things started to get a bit more heated up between them. I knew that there was real sexual tension and chemistry between them and I could honestly say Layne did a brilliant job at building up their relationship. There wasn’t an instant from enemies to lover’s moment and I appreciated how Andrew wasn’t your typical confident guy, yes he was a pretty good divorce attorney, but when it came to dealing with his feelings, he was known for saying the wrong thing and not getting ahead of himself. Whereas Georgie you could say was his opposite in this respect, she knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to put her heart on the line for it. You might be thinking how the heck did Layne even make this relationship work? There were a few road bumps and misunderstandings along the way (but these didn’t at any point take way the enjoyment of the story), but Andrew and Georgie just clicked and it was truly something to watch their relationship develop. 

Walk of Shame is definitely one of my all time favourite reads that Layne has had to offer. Ladies if you want to add someone to your top ten fictional boyfriends, Andrew is your man!

Mini-reviews: The End of Our Story and Strange the Dreamer

The End of Our Story by Meg Haston
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: 4th April 2017
My rating: 3 stars

BEFORE: Bridge and Wil have been entangled in each other’s lives for years. Under the white-hot Florida sun, they went from kids daring each other to swim past the breakers to teenagers stealing kisses between classes. But when Bridge betrayed Wil during their junior year, she shattered his heart and their relationship along with it. AFTER: When Wil’s family suffers a violent loss, and Bridge rushes back to Wil’s side. As they struggle to heal old wounds and start falling for each other all over again, Bridge and Wil discover just how much has changed in the past year. Though they once knew each other’s every secret, they aren’t the same people they used to be. Bridge can’t imagine life without Wil, but sometimes love isn’t enough. Can they find their way back to each other, or will this be the end of their story?

The End of Our Story was really different to what I was expecting, I don’t know what I really expected to leave with, but I didn’t think I’d be left reeling and a little upset, Wil and Bridge’s relationship was beautifully done. I liked how Haston didn’t give us their complete story in one go, but switched between past and present in the chapters. I was quite gutted when I found out how things had ended between Wil and Bridge, as to me their relationship was a beautiful one, and also It’d sort of made me want to take a step back from Bridge’s character. But over the course of the story Bridge was able to win me back once more, she did make a couple of mistakes along the way, but she was one character who I’d wanted to get their happy ending. It was unfortunate the turn of events that bought Wil and Bridge back together and the back story that emerged from it did take me by surprise, as it had me constantly questioning whether I could trust every single character. The End of Our Story was a really beautifully written story with a lot of emotional punches along the way and although I was able to guess a couple of things, this didn’t take away the enjoyment of the book at all. I just wished that we’d got some sort of epilogue, just so that I could have peace of mind about how things ended. Despite this minor qualm aside, The End of Our Story was a poignant story and one I’m glad I didn’t miss out on reading this year.

 

The End of Our Story by Meg Haston
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: 4th April 2017 

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around - and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever. What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving? The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries - including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

I really don’t know what to say, I’m actually quite gutted that I didn’t end up enjoying Strange the Dreamer as much as I’d hoped. I was a huge fan of Taylor’s daughter of Smoke and Bone series, her writing was rich and complex and the story was woven utterly beautifully and I couldn’t help but become attached to such wonderful characters. Unfortunately this was not the case with Strange the Dreamer. I found the beginning such a struggle to get into, I’d heard from many readers that if I could stick out the beginning, then I had so much to look forward to. And although aspects of the book did pick up for me, I enjoyed the journey we experienced with Lazlo and the group of characters he came about. And I did become super intrigued by Azareen and Eril-Fane and what happened between them and made them become this way? I still however found the book to be a struggle, I found myself not fully able to lose myself in this world that Taylor had created and it really was one that imaginative and so creative, but at times it felt a little complex for me. Also I found that I could not connect to the characters as much as I’d hoped, they all really were a diverse bunch, with such mixed personalities, secrets and so much to offer, but I found I couldn’t care less about them (except for Lazlo, Azareen, Eril-Fane and even Thyon who’d won me over by the end). But don’t be put off by my review, as I think I fall in the minority of people who this book didn’t work for. Which I’m still bummed about, as Taylor’s writing was majestic once again, but this time around her book was just not for me.

Mini reviews: Truly and Madly by Ruthie Knox

Truly (New York #1) by Ruthie Knox
Publisher: Loveswept
Publication Date: August 5th 2014. 
My rating: 4.5 stars. 

May Fredericks hates New York. Which is fair enough, since New York seems to hate her back. After relocating to Manhattan from the Midwest to be with her long-distance boyfriend, NFL quarterback Thor Einarsson, May receives the world’s worst marriage proposal, stabs the jerk with a shrimp fork, and storms off alone—only to get mugged. Now she’s got no phone, no cash, and no friends. How’s a nice girl supposed to get back to safe, sensible Wisconsin? Frankly, Ben Hausman couldn’t care less. Sure, it’s not every day he meets a genuine, down-to-earth woman like May—especially in a dive in the Village—but he’s recovering from an ugly divorce that cost him his restaurant. He wants to be left alone to start over and become a better man. Then again, playing the white knight to May’s sexy damsel in distress would be an excellent place to start—if only he can give her one very good reason to love New York.

Truly was a book with one of the most atypical situations, but was a book which really ended up working for me. May finds herself with no money, no ID and so no way to get back home, she’s also just broken up with her boyfriend of four years, so has no place to go either. She ends up in a bar and hopes that some nice person will take pity on her dire situation, instead she ends up with a grouchy guy called Ben and he doesn’t come across as people person at all and has the shortest fuse ever. But like May I found myself drawn to his character, Ben had been through a lot and really wanted a change and maybe May was it, if only he would let himself try. I adored the time May and Ben spent together getting to know one another, like I mentioned both had rough pasts and so I just wanted both to finally find their happiness. It was definitely great seeing how they both bought the best out in each other, you’d think they were complete opposites with how May just let everyone walk over her and dictate her life and Ben losing his temper all the time so quickly. But you could say May and Ben were just the perfect fit for one another, the development of their relationship was mesmerising to watch and their scenes spent together off the charts *fans self*. I also liked how Knox made their relationship so believable, the way Ben was quick to help May out anyway possible when he didn’t even know her did come across as strange to me at first. But the evolvement of their relationship quickly helped me forget the initial doubts that I had and the obstacles that came along the way made me root for them even more. Truly was a book which completely took me by surprise, I enjoyed devouring the sexy as hell scenes and the witty and hilarious characters that Knox created. I for one can’t wait to dive into the rest of this series.

Madly (New York #2) by Ruthie Knox
Publisher: Loveswept
Publication Date: March 14th 2017. 
My rating: 3.5 stars. 

Allie Fredericks isn’t supposed to be in Manhattan, hiding in the darkest corner of a hip bar, spying on her own mother—who’s flirting with a man who’s definitely not Allie’s father. Allie’s supposed to be in Wisconsin, planning her parents’ milestone anniversary party. Then Winston Chamberlain walks through the door, with his tailored suit, British accent, and gorgeous eyes, and Allie’s strange mission goes truly sideways. Winston doesn’t do messy. But after a pretty stranger ropes him into her ridiculous family drama with a fake kiss that gets a little too real, he finds out that messy can be fun. Maybe even a little addicting. And as the night grows longer, Allie and Winston make a list of other wild things they could do together—and what seems like a mismatch leads to a genuine connection. But can their relationship survive as their real lives implode just outside the bedroom door?

Madly was a book which I was extremely looking forward to reading after l’d devoured Truly. I also really wanted to get to know Allie and have her chance to finally shine. This I knew however would be a big undertaking with the great impression that Ben and May had left in Truly, and I guess you could say that this was one of the reasons I didn’t end up enjoying this book as much as I did Truly. I really did like Allie’s character and seeing the development of her relationship with Winston come about, there was passion and a second chance in love that both characters deserved. But their relationship didn’t leave me with the same make my heart feeling that Ben and May left me with. This was definitely proven whenever Ben and May made an appearance in Madly. I guess you could say sometimes it’s just difficult to enjoy a relationship as much, when the bar has already been set so high previously. This minor factor aside, I enjoyed reading about the reason that bought Allie to New York in the first place and although it wasn’t under the best circumstances, I adored the group of friends that she was able to find to rally around her when she needed it the most. Despite having some issues, Madly was still a refreshing read, Knox was once again able to create a story that I found myself completely caught up with and one that I really didn’t want to let go off. Her writing was once again poignant and flawless. I’m utterly grateful that I decided to give this series a go, as it’s definitely been something that I’ve been in the mood for!

Mini-reviews: Undeclared by Julianna Keyes (Burnham college #2)

Hi everyone, Rachel and I have very similar tastes when it comes to reading, so much so that we're often reading the same books at the same time without realising it. So we thought it'd be a cool idea to share our reviews on books that we had both been reading recently. Today we're sharing our thoughts on Undeclared by Julianna Keyes.

Undeclared by Julianna Keyes (Burnham college #2)
Publication date: February 27th 2017
Our ratings: 3 stars (Jasprit) /  3 stars (Rachel)
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo 

Kellan McVey is Burnham College’s most prolific athlete, partier, and ladies’ man—and that’s just how he likes it. Returning to reign for his third year, he wants nothing to change. Then Andrea Walsh shows up. It wasn’t too long ago that Andi and Kellan were lifelong friends, mortal enemies, and, for one hot summer, more. Then Kellan left and Andi stayed behind. Kellan thought he’d moved past that last summer’s heartbreak, but with Andi sitting next to him in class, befriending his friends, and battling for the same once-in-a-lifetime job opportunity, he’s starting to remember why he hated her…and why he loved her. Kellan has a long list of reasons that falling for Andi again is a terrible idea, though every new moment together challenges that theory. But Andi’s all too familiar with Kellan’s love ’em and leave ’em approach—and she’s found someone else to get serious about. Burnham’s campus king has never had to fight for a girl, but if he wants Andi to give him another chance, he’ll have to do the one thing he’s never had the nerve to do: admit it.

I loved Undecided! Crosbie and Nora’s romance just ticked all the boxes for me.  I read and enjoyed Undeclared, Kellan’s story, in 24 hours, but I didn’t love it, and that basically came down to Kellan. Still, like I said I read the book in a short amount of time, hooked by the story. 

I adored Andi, and felt bad for her, because it was inferred that Kellan somehow broke her heart before he left for college. She wasn’t mean to Kellan, when she really could’ve been.  Andi’s priority was college, having had to wait two years while saving money to go, you could tell it was important to her. 

I didn’t like Kellan in Undecided.  Yeah, I get that I’m not supposed to be judgmental if a guy sleeps with a bunch of girls, without promising them anything other than a good time, but hooking up with sixty-three girls without even bothering to find out a good majority of their names doesn’t stir up feelings of swoon for me.  I was soooo ready to change my opinion of him, especially if his actions were motivated by heartbreak, but Kellan was just so self-absorbed and clueless for much of this book! He had no clue what upset Andi at that baseball game?!! Really?!! Omg, I wanted to smack upside the head, he was so stupid!

I keep reminding myself that Kellan is only twenty-one/twenty-two, so I should give this guy a break.  There are not many twenty-one year old guys out there like Crosbie, with his big heart, most fall into the Kellan range of emotional maturity, but Crosbie set the bar high for me in the first book. Still, I rooting for Kellan to get it right, because even when he kept screwing things up you could tell he loved Andi.  I wanted him to get it right especially for Andi, because she really deserved it! Boy-oh-boy, when they were on the right track they burned up the pages! Julianna Keyes writes some hot stuff!

I do love this world Ms. Keyes has created, and I’d love more stories at Burnham.  I was thrilled to “see” Crosbie and Nora together and happy; leaving no doubt they’re in it for good. Marcela was delightfully wicked and hilarious, and I enjoyed her “adversarial” relationship with Kellan.  The book had some fun, clever humor. I cracked up over the Halloween pun costumes!  But most of all, I loved how everything turned out with Kellan and Andi.  I got some insight into why he kept screwing things up, and I finally fell for him.

 

I was a massive fan of Keyes book Undecided, the relationship between Crosbie and Nora was one of my favourites, I loved how it came about with neither of them expecting it. And whilst I was a fan of Kellan too I was eager for him to finally get his own story. If you know me by now you know I’m a massive fan of second chance romances and I was eager for more of Kellan and Andi when I’d learnt about their earlier relationship. It was clear to me that Kellan and Andi were meant to be, bits of their backstory that we were given over time, and the way they were around each other, I just wanted them to drop everything and just be together already. Also with everything that Kellan had dealt with last year, I liked the more responsible, considerate Kellan we got to see this time, even though a lot of the times he just wanted to jump right in with Andi. Keyes once again wrote a smoking hot romance; the scenes between Kellan and Andi were totally swoonworthy, that I wish we had a lot more of these scenes, rather than the obstacles and miscommunications that we got along the way. But this minor detail aside, I loved seeing the development of the beautiful relationship between Kellan and Andi and getting to know some great secondary characters, Dane, Choo and Bertrand were a delight! I just wish I was able to enjoy this book as much as I did Undecided, nevertheless, I will be looking forward with eager anticipation to more from Keyes in the future.