Review: Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys

Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


When she was nine, Megan Meade met a group of terrible, mean, Popsicle-goo-covered boys, the sons of her father's friend -- the McGowan boys. Now, seven years later, Megan's army doctor parents are shipping off to Korea and Megan is being sent to live with the little monsters, who are older now and quite different than she remembered them.

Living in a house with seven boys will give Megan, who has never even been kissed, the perfect opportunity to learn everything there is to know about boys. And she'll send all her notes to her best friend, Tracy.


My review:


This was one of those times that my real life probably got in the way of my starting out with a good impression. Put it down to having two teenaged boys (though honestly, she utterly nailed the teenage boy part of it) and the fact that I don't know any parent that would send their sixteen year old daughter to live in a house with seven boys - half of which were around her own age. Or put it down to spending 21 years as a Navy brat and another 21 as a Navy wife and knowing just how orders work...and that you're told well in advance of a change of orders, especially overseas. And that for two career officers of high rank (which they would be to have a sixteen year old daughter) to be sent to Korea, for two years, isn't something that's likely to happen.


Again - something probably only other service wives/brats would cotton to but since the premise didn't ring true, the story started out in the negatives. I was able to set it aside, though, because the story itself did grab me.

I loved Megan's emails to her BFF in Texas, and probably because I have two teen boys, I loved the way they acted...like boys. Walking around in their boxers without a care, leaving the bathroom looking like something out of a truck stop that hasn't seen a good cleaning in decades, all of that. I loved Miller, totally associated with Regina being so thrilled to have a girl in the house for a change. I hated Hailey with the intensity of a thousand suns an she totally earned it.

I seriously loved the way she showcased the soccer - and that Megan was a hardcore player. The author did an excellent job of explaining the action sequences in the practice - the way Megan took the ball up the field to how the illegal hits tripped her up and flattened her to the grass. I also loved that Megan was a serious player and took it all in stride. That part was brilliantly done.

In the end it comes down to...well, the end. Without too many spoilers it fell flat to me. No clear resolution at all. It just sort of...stopped. And mostly, the one defining thing was Megan's crush(es) with the McGowan boys and as the story wound down, after the dramatic climax, there wasn't any reunion. There was the main conflict resolution and then...boom, a motorcycle, an ultimate frisbee game, what could have been a great reconciliation and then...the end.

If we'd just seen that one reunion - the two together after their aborted Moment of Truth. But it wasn't meant to be. Still, I enjoyed reading it but it won't be one I go back to again.

Review: Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:

"Think I can turn that boy bad?" 17-year-old Jen turns her life upside down when, out of boredom, she makes a bet that she can turn school geek Trevor into someone like her. Instead, the goth girl finds herself sucked into his world of sci-fi movies, charity work, and even-ugh!-bowling. To truly belong with him-and with her new foster family-she must first come to terms with her violent past.

My review:

Have you ever picked up a book on Sunday morning, intending to read a few chapters, get an idea of the story while you finish your coffee....then look up, realize it's noon already, and you've read the whole thing?

It's not the first time it's happened to me, but this was the first one that had me crying over my coffee. And not at the parts one would think.

I'll grant that the story follows the usual pattern - the bet, the slow fall into unintended areas, the discovery, the aftermath - but Jen's voice is so refreshing, it all feels new again. I also liked the new spin - taking the geek and not making him popular, but making him bad.

And the reason, when Jen finally revealed it to herself, and to us, broke my heart.

I think what I loved most about this book was that it wasn't just a girl-meets-boy love story. There were other love stories intertwined - family, friends, beautiful secondary characters. And the moments that made me tear up were the ones from these secondary relationships.

I don't have any words for Trevor because he was, in a word, beautiful. He was also flawed in his own way, but not afraid to speak up when things just didn't make sense. Then there's the way my heart sped up every time this happened:







I have a feeling I could gush for hours on hours about the story but since I'd have to skate over the spoiler line, I won't. If the story of a young girl coming into herself, and to terms with a past she had no control over, appeals to you, this one's worth checking out.

Review: Me & My Invisible Guy by Sarah Jeffrey

Me & My Invisible Guy by Sarah Jeffrey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:

The cheerleader who has everything . . . ? Mallory Dane has a great family (at least on the surface), is popular at school (as long as she doesn’t make waves), and dates an amazing boyfriend, Todd (who happens to be completely made up). Boys—and sex—are something Mallory just can’t deal with, so she created her “invisible guy” to avoid it all. But when Liam Crawford comes along—a real guy, flesh and bones and strumming his guitar—Mallory starts questioning her fictional relationship. Is she really willing to give up Todd for Liam? And can she make amends for the lies she’s told—even to her best friend, Tess? What if your biggest, most embarrassing secret was broadcast to the whole world? Letting go of her secret will be easier said than done, and Mallory will risk everything—her family, Tess, cheerleading, her reputation, and most of all, her heart.

My review:

Another recommended to me impulse buy (starting to think I need to make a shelf for that, tbh.)

Another story that didn't really know what it wanted to be, so it tried to be everything. It almost succeeded. The almost is what kept me reading despite the issues - because even if it kept going from theme to theme, they were still brought together to a logical and fulfilling resolution. I was still cheering for Mallory, and her sister, her friends, her family, and I wanted to see if everything tied up. Surprisingly, it did.

I should put a warning on - if you're turned off by books that mention God, or have characters whose faith is a strong part of their character makeup, this probably isn't for you. I didn't find it overly preachy at all - and it could have been. Just putting that out there.

Still trying to figure out what the underlying theme was supposed to be. Lying is bad and will mess things up faster than you can blink? Premarital sex is bad and will mess things up exponentially, too? Lack of religion in your life can leave you empty/not all religious people are fanatical? Standing up for what you believe in is more important than being popular? Making the right decision is more important than making the wrong one for the right reasons?



Those are the main areas of the storyline as Mallory's story moves through a few months of her life that upend a life that's about as stable as lake ice in November. Sure it looks frozen solid, but one wrong move and it all goes to hell fast. The first crack splinters and leads to more and more until she's drowning in it.

The synopsis is pretty spot on for the story - the plot doesn't center around Mallory's relationship with her fake boyfriend, but on the fallout of what happens when she "breaks up" with him and still the truth gets out. One truth, then another, and another. Crack, crack, splinter, splash.

I did like the way Mallory stood up to every crack in the ice. Once she had made her decision, and her 12 steps, to stop lying - she really did stick to her plan. She did backslide once (which, to my mind, made it more realistic) but rectified it almost immediately. And though she kept trying to be everything to everyone, and sometimes did the right thing only because her hand was forced...once she did, she stuck to her reasoning. Even when it meant losing everyone.

Even then, she didn't back down. She owned it.

The love story was more a secondary thing - important, and even adorable - but this was more Mallory's story than it was Mallory and Liam's. And it really was a good one, even if it had a little trouble staying on course at times.

Review: Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend by Becca Ann

Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend by Becca Ann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


It’s stupid to fall for your brother’s ex. It’s even worse to enlist another’s help to win the ex over. But Brody is desperate and Hayley, his partner in American Sign Language, is more than willing to lend him a few tips. 

She’s the school’s matchmaker,’ and with her bizarre and positive personality, Brody finds her easy to talk to, even about the most awkward situations. Hayley’s tips seem to be working, but as Brody learns more about his matchmaker, he starts finding reasons to spend time with her, and not the girl he thought he was in love with. 

But Hayley isn’t ready to fall for anyone. Labeled the “Funny Fat Friend” within her group, her self image makes it impossible for Brody to share his feelings without Hayley shrugging it off as a joke. 

Convincing her Brody can, and did, fall for the “Funny Fat Friend” turns out to be harder than simply falling in love.


My review:

I think it's happened to all of us. You see a book the Amazon recommendation carousel, the cover snags your eye, the title snags your attention, the synopsis looks good, and, what the hell, it's only $3 so why not?

Then you read it and you groan...knowing suddenly why.

Every now and then, though, you get one like Reasons. You can't put it down, you hate the 'falling asleep' feeling and fight to stay awake so you can keep reading, first thing you do on Sunday morning after checking email is coffee, Kindle, and the next thing you know you've lost three hours.



That's what happened for me with this book. I've spent, literally, all morning reading because I needed to get to the next reason.

For the purists out there, let me add a small codicil. This is not A Deep Meaningful Read. This isn't a Groundbreaking Emotional Study. This is a boy's story of how he fell in love. It's his story, it's told entirely in his voice, and with all the good and stupid boy thoughts mixed in.

Yes, I'm still laughing at him calling his room the "ass room" because it smells like ass. Mostly because this is what my 19 year old and I both call his. And it does. I should own stock in Febreeze by this point.

Back to the story. This beautiful, touching, funny story. I loved the way it was laid out. Because of the title, you expect the chapter titles - but when you finally find out the reason, they mean so much more. Especially when they finally come out in the story itself. One of my favorite scenes.

I loved that the characters weren't perfect - they made mistakes, made me want to reach into the pages and shake some sense in to them. I also loved that not everything was explained out (like Hayley's aversion to swearing) because that wasn't what was important to Brody. The why didn't matter, just that she had that aversion and he tried to stop. It's one of those things you suspect will be discussed later, or off screen if you prefer, but not a vital-to-the-story thing.

All in all, I got just what I wanted from this book - a pleasant surprise, a lovely story (and if we're honest, a written out fantasy for all the not-cute-and-skinny high school girls like me who were always playing wingman to their guy friends because they knew there wasn't any way the hot guy would ever be into them and covered that up with laughter.)

Review: Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Cast in point:

- As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school--not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.
- As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn't exactly on everyone's must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise's beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince's best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.


My review:

Meant to write this review last night, but the words were just not flowing.

Apparently, my writers block was short lived. I know the four people reading my reviews are relieved =)

This was one of the cutest stories I've read in a long time. It's not classic literature, it's not the next great American novel, and it's not breaking any new ground.

What it is, though, is a very enjoyable story of how first impressions can shape our relationships - both good and bad - and how sometimes we let those impressions get in the way of what might really be there waiting.

Elise was a joy of a character to read. I loved her sarcastic snap backs when answering questions, the elaborate stories she'd craft ("I'm not a miracle worker, man!") on the fly. I loved her relationship with her older sister...and seriously wanted to slap her other sister Layla.

Her parents were believably eccentric and odd, but they were consistent about it. The only thing that didn't seem to fit was the mother being all starstruck about Derek. For parents who wouldn't allow cell phones to be used in the house, and didn't want living in such a posh area to change them...she was practically crawling into limos and simpering to Derek.

I probably could have done a little less time with the beginning of the story, though, because I wanted the second half to go on a lot, lot longer.

Review: In the Band by Jean Haus

In the Band by Jean Haus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


When family problems push Riley Middleton into giving up a percussion scholarship in another state and attending college from home, her friends push her to try out for a local rock band. Of course, Riley makes the band. She rules at the drums. 

Riley soon finds out rock bands have a different dynamic than marching bands, especially when each of her male band mates has a major ego and is a major player. Two of them relentlessly flirt with her. The other—a dark, sexy rock god she can’t help being attracted to— is a total jerk and pushes her to quit. She becomes determined to ignore his rudeness and his hotness. Even if she was interested in jerks, a hook up would probably get her booted out of the ego-ridden band, and playing keeps her sane. Behind the drums, the world and its troubles evaporate. 

If she wants to stay in the band, Riley needs to ignore the growing sparks between her and her band enemy. But as she gets to know the man behind the stage persona, ignoring him proves to be more difficult than flowing through a time sig shift.


My review:

Cute story. Not a long read or a heavily involved plot. There's a good bit of angst, a good conflict between the two main characters, It's what I'd call a perfect beach or long-car-trip read.

I think one of the things that drew me the most (apart from Romeo and Riley, but I'll get to them) is the brilliant job the author did with the cycle of depression/enabling. It never starts out as a conscious decision - just one little choice after another until those decisions are habits. You make dinner one night, then the next, and a week later you're making dinner all the time and the depressed has one less reason to climb out.

As a depression sufferer, I'm always interested to see how other authors handle the subject and I have to say it was very, very well handled here. Riley's mom has her moments of robe-and-bed, but she's mostly functional. Especially with Riley picking up her slack. She's not a caricature of the disease but a very well-written sufferer. It was hard to watch her hit bottom, but necessary for her, and for Riley, to find that bottom so they could both begin to climb back out.

Romeo. Oh Romeo (sorry. had to.) He was such a complete and utter jerk. At first. Of course. I thought it was going to head in the direction of 'love turning him around' until the first time Jamie came to band practice. it was the first glimpse he gave us that the dick persona was just that. A costume he pulled on and zipped up. The reasons for it melted my heart just as they melted Riley's and made the times he put it back on again that much harder.

Riley I loved to pieces even when I wanted to shake her. I saw why she was doing what she was doing, I even understood why she was doing it. I still wanted to slap her upside the head for it. What I really loved was her reactions to music - to when she played, the longing when she heard the drumline, the bubble she was in when she was onstage. I didn't understand a lot of the terminology, but I could hear the sounds she described perfectly.

Fabulous story, well written characters, and makes me want to read more from this author sooner rather than later.

Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Speechless by Hannah Harrington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.


My review:

I read and reviewed a book called Impossible a week or so ago. It was about the downfall and rebirth of a mean girl...and I remember thinking the whole time that in just another chapter, the heroine would take one of her many realizations and start to be a better person. It never quite happened.

The exact opposite can be said for Speechless.

Chelsea is a delight. Unabashedly wrong at the beginning, happy on her little throne as second to the throne and feels perfectly justified in what she does, and doesn't do, to stay there. Which, of course, means time for the catalyst to change. In this case, a drunken mistake borne out of years of gossiping without remorse.

The results are devastating for everyone and Chelsea begins her vow. I think this is what I liked about this story the most. Maybe not wholly original, but very well played out. And a hell of a talent for the author to have her main character completely mute for nearly three quarters of the book and still manage to have her forge friendships, find reconciliation with who she was and who she wants to be.

She broke my heart as the little realizations hit her, and she won me over with her stoicism in the face of bullying and harassment by her former friends and there was one scene that actually had me cheering out loud. I loved the way she took each new eyeopener and grew from it.

I was a little leery on this one because I'm big on dialogue playing a big part of telling the story, but I have to say it. Despite the fact that Chelsea was mute, she still managed to tell her story, and explain her path.

Sam was. Sam was brilliant. Strong, secure, and openminded enough to see past the girl taking a vow of silence, the girl partly responsible for his best friend nearly being beaten to death. Then Asha. Oh Asha! I think she's my favorite secondary character in a very long time. I adored her to death and I'm still dying over the "knit her a muzzle" line.

Brilliant story and definitely going on the favorites shelf.

Review: Impossible by Komal Lewis

Impossible by Komal Lewis
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


Ashton Summers is on her way to becoming the most popular girl in school and nothing—or no one—is going to stand in her way. Especially not Luca Byron, her freak neighbor, with his tattoos, loud music, and distracting green eyes.

Luca Byron has three goals in life: get through high school with a low profile, make sure his garage band becomes something more than a hobby, and try to forget about his insufferable ex-best friend, Ashton, who he can’t get out of his mind.

The last thing Ashton and Luca want to do is rekindle their friendship, but when Ashton takes a tumble down the social ladder, Luca—with his new makeover—is the only one who can help her rise up again by pretending to be her boyfriend. At first, being together is unbearable and annoying, but things start to change as Ashton and Luca discover the real reasons they drifted apart seven years ago. 

Now, keeping their hands off each other seems impossible.


My review:

I knew I was going to have a rough time with this early on. Not the best phrasing, some questionable wording choices, choppy storytelling, etc, but I pressed on nonetheless. I love the boy/girl next door thing, always have, so I kept going just for the story.

I think I was at 60% on my kindle when I actually wondered out loud if Ashton would be a bitch through the whole damned book or if she would *ever* grow the hell up.

Unfortunately, the answer is not really. She has a few moments where I thought. "Okay, this is it. She's had this beautiful, touching revelation, *now* she'll grow up."

Every one of those moments ended in her reverting to bitch-form.

I swear to God, every time Luca went all mush about her, he lost points with me. By tens and twenties.

I could almost make allowances if the story was better constructed. There were too many stops and starts. Too many "I've been horrible...hold me" moments followed almost immediately by "but it's getting me what I want so it's okay" moments. How many times can one person have a self-revelation with absolutely no positive growth?

Slight pet peeve, too. When I was writing Harry Potter fanfiction year ago, I bent over backward to make sure I used Britishisms because my story was set in England, the characters British. If I can do that for a fanfiction, I don't think it's too much to ask that other authors do that when they set their stories in America (ie - at a party, we'd have candy and chips, not sweets and crisps.) /Rant

So. It could have been an interesting love story, but when the writing isn't tight, and the main character seriously hard to like? It's more like homework than pleasure reading. Blarg.

Review: What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.

Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.


My review: 

I actually finished reading this morning, but I wanted to give myself time away and occupied with other things to let my feelings and the story filter through my brain before I tried to review the book on the whole.

Sid. Apart from the red hair, I was Sid in high school. Not fat, but pudgy enough to feel less attractive than the girls she hangs out with - and that's a scarydamn place to be. Not for the first time, I'm happy I went through it in the 80s. For all the bad hair and legwarmers, the threat that ultimately lead to her downward spiral wasn't there. Not yet.

The story itself. Hard as it was to read, it felt very real to me. The rationalizations, the way her mind twisted everything and the self-assurance that she had everything under control. Full codicil here - I've never suffered from an eating disorder, so I can't say whether this meshes with a real struggle. I just know that it read very genuine to me.

A word about Corey. Or a few. And lots of love. I'll admit to wondering where the connection was for him, and why he stayed after the two screaming outbursts, until the confession on the night of her birthday. Then it clicked and it wasn't as unrealistic as I'd first thought. The final fight, of course, when she completely snapped, had me crying. Crying for her, crying for him. The confession right before it.

I think what I loved most about this story is how...natural it was. From the way that one action, that one run, made Sid feel something not miserable and how that blossomed into her path to self-destruction. How she seemed to normal to everyone else, how she convinced herself it was fine, the small bursts of temper that hinted at the iceberg underneath. And I like that it wasn't wrapped in a pretty bow at the end. The story reaches its conclusion, the loose ends are tied up, but the reader is left to take these characters' futures onward in their own imaginations.

I, for one, hope for New York.

Review: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

My review:


Now on my second Dessen book and I'm sensing a pattern. My next Dessen book download came from the library while I was reading this one and I'm holding off on that revelation until I have a third to make the final determination.

Onto the review for this one.

I have to say I liked Auden more than McLean. She still had her issues, but in my opinion, she handled hers a little better. Or, maybe more realistically. I also liked that we got to know Eli a little better than we did Dave - there was more time together for the couple, more bonding, and perfect first kiss.

I also loved the secondary characters. Especially Maggie and Heidi. And Adam. Oh, how I loved Adam. I would have had a serious crush on him in high school.

I think what I liked most about the story was the theme of second chances, and the way she wove it through the whole story. Auden's second chance with a happy childhood. Her mother's, her father's. Adam's. Even Eli's. Not all of them were spelled out, but when I thought back over the story as a whole, I found them. Beautifully done.

And, final word...the food fight. Perfectly timed, beautifully executed, and just amazing.

Review: Chasing Nikki by Lacey Weatherford

Chasing Nikki by Lacey Weatherford
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


Chase Walker used to be a good kid—charming, athletic, and with a bright future ahead, but that was before travesty struck his life, sinking him into deep despair. Caught up in a world of drugs and alcohol, he doesn’t notice time slipping away until he’s arrested for underage drinking one night.

Fed up with watching her son destroy his life, Chase’s mom relocates him to live in a small ranching community with his ex-military grandfather. Chase is far from happy about the situation until he meets, Nikki, the cute cheerleader who won’t give football players like him the time of day.

Chase enjoys a good challenge though and sets out to claim Nikki for his own. He soon discovers she’s more than a pretty face—she’s a balm to his troubled spirit also. But when tragedy strikes Nikki’s life too, suddenly Chase finds himself put to the ultimate test. Can he trust Nikki, and all that she’s taught him? Will it be enough?

My review:


There won't be much to this review - mostly because the majority of the reasoning behind its 2-star rating is a massive spoiler. As I'm late to the party on this book, it's possible that the secret isn't so secret anymore, but I'm not going to be the one to spoil it for someone else.

Suffice to say, I'm seriously rethinking my stance on not reading reviews before reading the book and I'm very happy I got this book on a day amazon offered it for free. There are reasons I read the genre I do...and one of those reasons is to avoid books that end the way this one did.

The two stars come from the first 2/3 of the book and Chase's deliberate pursuit of Nikki - it was adorably told and I loved the way Chase was with her, adorkably persistent. And I loved that while there was some lingering douche in Chase, the inconsistency in it showed just how much of it was artifice.

And I loved not only the way he plowed his hand into Jeremy's face...and the way the principal wanted the *whole* story.

Surprisingly, not all of my issues were with The Event. I also had problems with Chase's instalove for Nikki - he got pretty damned serious about her pretty damned quick, especially for someone still using chemical and alcoholic escapism to cope. Then there was the timing of the story itself. Namely, the huge jump months in time. That was seriously disconcerting and I had to check page locations to see if I'd somehow got a glitchy copy.

I'll be skipping the second book in the series for one reason - for all the rush, she sold me on the package in this book as being One True and that makes it hard for me to suddenly say "oh...*this* is the one true, huh? Okay. No prob."

Review: Play with Me by Piper Shelly

Play With Me by Piper Shelly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


Ryan Hunter's parties are legend. And tonight she's going to be there.

Liza Matthews anticipates the return of her best friend and only love since kindergarten from soccer camp. But when Tony finally shows up, his mind is more focused on another girl. And worse, she's a soccer player. Fighting for the attention Liza craves, she's just a hairbreadth away from making a very stupid decision. But when extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, she's prepared to play ball to get her man.

The tryouts are hell, the first match ends bloody, and the morning after the selection party she wakes up in the worst place possible—in the arms of the captain of the soccer team. The hottest guy in school. Ryan Hunter.

My review:


Hmm.

I'll admit it, when I saw this on the "Customers who bought this also bought..." list after I finished Catching Jordan...I was drawn straight to the soccer ball and clicked "Buy" without blinking. As a former player and current soccer mom, I do love anything and everything soccer.

Unfortunately, because I am immersed in the soccer world, and especially at the high school level, the lack of correct technical details really drew me out of the story. High school soccer is a competitive thing and unless the high school team is more club than team, it's rarely a walk-on sport. Especially for someone who's never played. Or can't run half a mile without gasping for breath. (Serious issues with the one player asking if she was going to get a "soccer dress" or play in sports clothes, and Liza's statement that she wouldn't be wearing cleats.) Also, soccer is very rarely a fall sport at the high school level. Tryouts would have been in the late winter/early spring.

Okay. Rant finished.

That said, the love story itself was incredibly cute. I absolutely loved Ryan, I wanted to throttle stupid Tony and Liza herself was adorable. Then again, I am a sucker for stories when the heroine misses what's right in front of her. That part of the story kept this review from dipping down into 2 stars and I think it's because I read it literally back to back with Catching Jordan. The underlying romantic conflict was the same and to my mind, it was executed better in this story. There were hints of the crush that we, the reader, could see even if Liza couldn't.

Very probably a re-read for the great scenes between Ryan and Liza, even with my initial issues with the soccer stuff.

Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:


"Whoever said football and girls don't mix hasn't read Catching Jordan. I couldn't put it down " -- Simone Elkeles, New York Times bestselling author of the Perfect Chemistry series

ONE OF THE BOYS

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?

My review:


Amazing story. I ended up reading it in a day because I couldn't put it down. I had to know how it ended, because Jordan really pulled me in and had me rooting hard for her.

One of the things I really liked about it was that it wasn't the more cliche story of her trying to overcome the odds and join the team. Jordan already was the team - and one respected by her team as their captain. I think my favorite part of the whole thing, in fact, were her relationships outside of the romance. For me, that's saying something since I'm a complete romance junkie at heart. I loved the scenes with JJ and Carter, the way they'd tease each other, advise each other, the pre-game pasta tradition.

I also liked the way the story was crafted - from Jordan's issues with her father, with the realizations that what you want most might not be the best for you, to the way sex wasn't treated naturally for a couple of late-teen characters (ie - a big deal but not A Declaration of Forever). I also like that it wasn't dwelled on - their only sex "scene" was their first one and the rest happened off screen. The focus of the story was about all of the aspects of Jordan's life, not just the naked ones.

My heart soared and broke for this wonderful, strong, determined young woman - so powerful at times and then, with a few words (or lack thereof) destroyed down to her core.

I think one of my favorite scenes in the whole story was the water cooler incident when she was in Alabama.

And I think I could read a whole book just about her teammates. They were awesome squared. It does lose the one star for a little misdrection in regards to Henry, but that's small potatoes, really.

A powerful story and a touching, and realistic, romance along with it.

Review: What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Goodreads summary:
Since her parents' bitter divorce, McLean and her dad, a restaurant consultant, have been on the move-four towns in two years. Estranged from her mother and her mother's new family, McLean has followed her dad in leaving the unhappy past behind. And each new place gives her a chance to try out a new persona: from cheerleader to drama diva. But now, for the first time, McLean discovers a desire to stay in one place and just be herself, whoever that is. Perhaps Dave, the guy next door, can help her find out.

My review:


The funny thing about reading something from a new author - I'm never sure if it was just the one story that didn't thrill me to bits...or if I just don't care for the author's writing/storytelling style. Because in the case of this story - it could be both or either. Whichever the reason, though, the story didn't really resonate with me.

Dave was adorable, but wholly underused if this is going to be billed under the romance banner. There were so many lovely little scenes with them, but he was very much an afterthought character to me. Deb, Riley, Hunter, even Opal got more screen time, so to speak. Then he makes a point of saying he didn't build model trains, he did war staging. Then he says "all that time with model trains didn't go to waste." I honestly couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or if the author forgot what his specialty was.

I loved the head on the shoulder in the van, I loved what happened with the model, I just wish there'd been a little bit more.

I seriously didn't connect at all with McLean at all, especially at the end when everything started to unravel. She's strong enough to register herself for different schools, get moves organized, basically raise herself...but her friends find her aliases, and she freaks/runs. Then she finds out they might be moving again, and she freaks/runs again. Misunderstands an overheard conversation...boom, she's off. I dunno, I wanted to smack her upside the head more than I empathized with her.

The only thing I did like is the way the author handled McLean's shifting perceptions of her parents - how her father was sainted at the beginning and her mother the selfish jerk, but as McLean started to remember herself and the way it really had been, her father's warts started to show as did her mother's compassion. It was brilliantly handled for a complex realization.

Overall, it wasn't a bad story, just not one I really connected with.

Review: Let It Snow Anthology

Let it Snow by John Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm giving this one 3 stars....and that's a gift.

I don't read anthologies often, but I do like them. It's a good opportunity to find new authors and I've found some brilliant ones in the past. Unfortunately, in this case, the only think I'm sure of after reading these three stories is that I'll probably not read any of their other books. They weren't bad, per se, they just weren't to my taste, writing wise.

Or maybe some day I'll relent and try again in case it was just these characters and not the writers.

When I finished the first story, I was kind of pissed because there was a pretty big question left unanswered. That was until I started the second one and realized the authors were each writing a couple in this town on this snowy Christmas Eve/Christmas Day until they all converged in a Starbucks the day after Christmas and had their Ah ha! moments of unknowingly intersecting with each others lives for 3 days.

In the first story, Jubilee meets Jeb on the train and he's frantic about something...something he's still frantic about when he runs into Tobin in the second story....that something being Addie, the girl we meet in the third story. And so on.

The one story I did like was Tobin and the Duke, and it's probably the reason this has 3 stars and not 2. Tobin was deliciously boy-clueless and watching him come to terms with unthinking things, and middle happy, and poor Angie wanting to kiss him and/or knee the clueless out of him was a delight to read.

Jubilee and Stuart - dude, I have no idea what I was reading even as I read it. Was Jubilee ubersmart? Or just a bubblehead who didn't track well. I saw no signs of the former and many of the latter. And seriously, what was up with the mother and "you're one of us now." I kept expecting her to be locked in the basement or sent up to the mother ship or something.

Then there's Addie. Self-centered Addie who has some remarkable epiphany? I don't buy it. Maybe I would have if her moment of showing that she'd changed wasn't filled with "hey, you're that Addie?" and "omg is that a pig??" sprinkled into it. And Mayzie...seriously, what was with the strange bit of angel stuff thrown in there out of absolute nowhere??

It felt to me that they had a great opportunity for deus ex machina with Mayzie, or probably moreso with the Tinfoil Guy (don't ask) but even though he was *in* every story, he didn't seem to have any sort of impact on the couples. I don't know if that would have helped, but even then, I'm not sure.

Review: Snowed Over by Angie Stanton

Snowed Over by Angie Stanton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very cute story, but definitely a novella. It reminded me a lot of the old Silhouette days, actually. A very fast-paced story where most of the action took about 3 days.

Doesn't mean I didn't like it - it was just very different from other things I've read recently and really put me in the Christmas mood.

I liked Katie a lot, Alex, too, and I wanted to reach through the Kindle and smack Trina in her stupid mouth. I seriously felt for Alex, though. A good kid who tried to do the right thing but got thwarted by lies and his own sense of right and wrong.

When Katie was finally at the cabin with her mother and sister and the not-boyfriend, I wanted to be disgusted with her because of the general 'tude she was throwing out. Then her mother started speaking and wow, did my disgust jump like a tick onto a warm body. Her mother needed to be throttled until a clue rattled loose in her head.

The end was sweet, just the right amount of hope for the future, and a lovely little tie-in to their time in the cabin.

In all likelihood, I'll be looking for more from this author.

Review: One Moment by Kristina McBride

One Moment by Kristina McBride
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mark this as another time I wish we had the ability to give half-stars. It wasn't a full four, but it wasn't a three, either. Since it captivated me to the point I couldn't put it down, it gets rounded up.

This is not an easy story to read. It's not your typical young adult romance. And it doesn't give you a chance to settle in before ripping your heart out of your chest.

It might have been predictable (or maybe I've just read too many stories with foretelling and mystery), but for the first time it didn't bother me that I had it figured out before the Big Reveals. I was so engrossed with Maggie and her friends, with watching them find their way through every stage of grief, Maggie's struggle with her repressed memories, everyone struggling to try and find normal again in a world tossed upside down. To handle their own mortality in a time when they should be focused on having the whole world ahead of them.

I also had a healthy amount of rage towards Joey. Well, maybe not rage. But I did want to go into the story and kick his nuts into his throat. Especially during the end scene, when the biggest reveal came. He was, in a word, a tool, a narcissist, and while it was devastating for Maggie - in a sense, losing him twice - I was glad to see her come away with the right mental approach about putting people on pedestals. There were times I shuddered to think of what her life would be if those blinders hadn't been pulled from her eyes.

Review: On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves

On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This doesn't happen often...but I need more stars. Many more. Five doesn't cover it.

I'm trying to put my feelings about this book into words and I'm pretty much failing abysmally.

I'll admit I probably had the same reservations everyone else does when they read the synopsis. 16 year old kid? Seriously?

It didn't take me any time at all to get over that. It just took meeting TJ, meeting Anna, and watching them struggle through their early days on the island, the heartbreak of rescue that just doesn't come. Illness, hunger, dehydration, holidays that come and go. Any reservations I had were wiped away before I'd hit 30% finished and then I was just sucked in like dust into a Dyson.

After a few books with some somewhat spotty characterization issues, it was a breath of fresh air to read two that were so brilliantly written. So achingly real. TJ was a guy - a little more mature for his age since his brush with death by lymphoma, but a guy just the same. (Like when he peeked when he saw Anna bathing and she started to masturbate - he didn't discreetly walk away. He did what any guy would do. Again, refreshing, achingly real.) Anna was the same. A woman at a crossroads when she started on the ill-fated tutoring job, and still at a crossroads after the hellacious ordeal.

I think what I loved most was that for the first time in probably forever, I found a contemporary romance that didn't feel the need to focus on sex. Yes, sex happens, but it's more often than not simply referred to and not spelled out in aching detail. This was a story about how two people fall in love, and fight to keep it against unimaginable odds. A story that made you fall in love with the characters just as they fell in love with each other. Not about how many times they could bang each other, and how many times that could be spelled out in repetitive detail. I can only hope that trend picks up...though I doubt it (especially based on the "Romance" offerings in the GR Choice awards.)

I'm finished rhapsodizing about it now. Mostly because I want to open it back up and read my favorite parts again. And again. And again.

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Review: Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot

Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another one that's got me on the fence between 3-4 stars. In this case, it's the fact I was up until 1.30am finishing it...and just sat at my desk, hiding my Kindle, and re-read the ending again that bumped this one up to 4 stars.

I found the same technical issues with Umaking as I did with her previous book, Almost. In some cases it's an overuse of exclamation points, but in others its in Vere's crippling shyness around her crush and, to some extent, other boys that aren't Hunter/Dustin. I don't want to call it inconsistent because it wasn't - maybe it's just the difficulty of reading that when it's expressed in dialogue and thought mixed.

What I truly loved was watching as Hunter morphed into Dustin. How the brash teen rocker was made to see a true geek's life and while he played it up to geek himself out more, there was also a recognition of the pain of being alone in a crowded room.

I loved the way he fell in love with Vere...bun and all. I loved the scene at the lake house. I loved Jenna's speech before the "moonlight walk" because it was awesome.

I especially liked Hunter/Dustin's thoughts and discussion about and with his mother. At first I wanted to put it down to an inconsistency because he seemed to express hatred of her...but then he'd say he loved her. The more I read, the more I understood that he did both and that was another thing, apart from the fame and being shuttered inside, that kept him from being whole again. Their talk, and what she told him, ripped at me. Especially when he finally owned up to one thing.

It's at times a bit of a technical struggle to read, but for the overall story itself? It's a gem.

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Review: Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn

Measuring Up by Nyrae Dawn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I finished this late last night (okay, early this morning,) I wondered if I would have given *this* book the five star rating instead of What a Boy Wants if I'd have read it first. Waking up this morning, I know I wouldn't have. What a Boy Wants was the stronger story.

It's not that I didn't like this one, I did, but Sebastian's story was stronger.

I did love Tegan, don't get me wrong. He was lovely and flawed at the same time. I also liked Annabel. Their story warmed my heart, made me cheer and sniffle, get angry and laugh out loud. They were both real in that they made mistakes, serious ones, backsliding ones, but came back stronger for their learning experiences. I think I just connected more to Sebastian than I did to Annabel.

Still. I did love the way he loved her. I loved the whole progression of the story and the way some things worked out, and some things didn't. (view spoiler)[And I love that what came from heartache were two stronger people able to be fully together. It was heartwrenching to read even though I knew it had to happen. Annabel was right - she put him on a pedestal he could never have lived up to, and that she found the strength in herself to accomplish her goals outside of Tegan's encouragement. (hide spoiler)]

My original intent was to read Finding Carter by the same author...but then I read the synopsis. It reads a lot like this one (hero with a protection complex) so I think I'll put a few books between this one and the next, see if I can read without comparing them.

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