Waiting on Wednesday

This is a feature started on Breaking the Spine that puts the spotlight on upcoming books.

This week’s pick is:

Love Songs & Other Lies

Release date: January 30th 2018

Goodreads: The debut romance that Katie McGarry calls “fun [and] full of heart” with “a hero who stole my heart!” Part Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” part Paramore’s “Still Into You.”
It’s summer romance and second chances, the songs that stay in your head, and the boy you’ll never forget.
Two years after rock-song-worthy heartbreak, Virginia Miller is looking forward to a fun, carefree summer. Her friends just landed a spot on a battling bands reality show, and Vee is joining them for her dream internship on tour. Three months with future rockstars seems like an epic summer plan. Until she learns she’ll also be sharing the bus with Cam. Her first love, and her first heartbreak. Now Vee has more than just cameras to dodge, and Cam’s determination to win her forgiveness is causing TMZ-worthy problems for both of them. With cameras rolling, she’ll have to decide if her favorite breakup anthem deserves a new ending. And if she’s brave enough to expose her own secrets to keep Cam’s under wraps.

Why I’m excited: It looks really cute and the fact that it uses songs to describe the book really intrigues me.

Weekly Reading Recap

It’s nice outside! *grabs book to go outside and read* Finally!

Currently reading:

Finished reading:

Reviewed:

What I’m hoping to get to next week: to read

to review

Books read it 2017: 94

Debut authors read in 2017: 26

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday was started by The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday there’s a different topic. This week is a Top Ten books from X genre I’ve recently added to my TBR list. I chose fantasy. There’s probably a few that don’t even have covers yet.

10. Allied – Amy Tintera. This is the third book in the Ruined series and after the second one, I need this one soon!

9. The Half King – Melissa Landers. I’ve really enjoyed Melissa Landers books so far. Here’s hoping this new series is just as good.

8. The Gilded Wolves – Roshani Chokshi. I’ve only read one of this author’s books so far but I liked it and this one really intrigues me.

7. The Nameless Queen – Rebecca McLaughlin. This one really intrigues me. A thief inherits a Kingdom? Yes please.

6. Black Rose – Bree Barton. Graceling meets Pride and Prejudice. I didn’t know I needed this.

5. A Curse So Dark and Lonely – Brigid Kemmerer. It’s Brigid Kemmerer. Enough said.

4. Honor Among Thieves – Rachel Caine. I really loved the Morganville Vampire series so I’m intrigued by this one.

3. A Poison Dark and Drowning – Jessica Cluless. Really enjoyed the first one and really need this sequel.

2. The Broken World – Lindsay Klingele. The first one surprised me with how much I liked it so I am definitely excited for this one.

1. Even the Darkest Stars – Heather Fawcett

Book Review: After the Game by Abbi Glines

After the Game

Riley Young fled from Lawton, Alabama. After accusing the oldest Lawton son, Rhett, of rape, everyone called her a liar and she had no option but to leave. Now she’s back, but she’s not at Lawton High finishing up her senior year. She’s at home raising the little girl that no one believed was Rhett’s. Rhett is off at college living the life he was afraid he’d lose with Riley’s accusation, so Riley agrees to move back to Lawton so she and her parents could take care of her grandmother, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. But the town still hasn’t forgotten their hate for her, and she hasn’t forgotten the way they turned on her when she needed them most. When town golden boy Brady Higgens finds Riley and her daughter, Bryony, stranded on the side of the road in a storm, he pulls over and gives them a ride. Not because he cares about Riley, of course, but because of the kid. But after the simple car ride, he begins to question everything he thought he knew. Could Brady believe Riley and risk losing everything?

I’ve really been enjoying the Field Party series so far and I have to say, this third addition is my favourite of them. Brady has been a character I liked since book one and it was great to see him finally get his own story. Riley was a great addition to the series and such a strong character. The book really shone when they had scenes together.

There was definite chemistry between Brady and Riley but they both had reasons to avoid it. The more they decided to give each other a chance, the more they grew as characters. It was an interesting dynamic between the town’s good guy football star and the outcast girl who’d just returned. I liked seeing Riley opening up to Brady and eventually letting others from his group of friends into her life. I also liked seeing Brady questioning himself and his actions.

The book, like the first two, really depended on the growing relationship between the two main characters to push the plot forward. Both Brady and Riley had a lot of things they were dealing with but it was really only with each other that they started to come to terms with it. It should be interesting to see which characters will be the focus of the next book. I know there’s a few I’m hoping to see.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer

Letters to the Lost

Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother’s death, she leaves letters at her grave. It’s the only way Juliet can cope. Declan Murphy isn’t the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he’s trying to escape the demons of his past. When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can’t resist writing back. Soon, he’s opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they’re not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.

I loved Brigid Kemmerer’s Elementals series so I was really excited to see what she would do with contemporary. She’s written some of my favourite characters and character dynamics and this book definitely did not disappoint in that regard. Both Juliet and Declan had very unique voices so it was easy to tell which POV was being told and I was immediately drawn into their story through their letters to each other and the way it contrasted with their real life meetings.

Juliet was still grieving after her mother’s death and writing letters to leave on her grave was a way for her to cope and still feel close to her. Declan was dealing with feeling like his mom and stepdad didn’t want him around, especially after he crashed a car the night of their wedding. Both Juliet and Declan needed someone to talk to and, without really meaning to, found that with each other. It was great to see them opening up to each other and sharing their pasts, giving each other confidence to put themselves out there. It was also interesting to see how different their real life interactions were since they were both very guarded people who kept rubbing each other the wrong way. I loved the progression of their relationship.

I also loved the supporting cast. Juliet’s best friend was great but Declan’s friend Rev was perfect. I wanted so much more of him. I liked that there were adults in their lives that were trying to get through to them, adults that weren’t their parents. There were a few examples of great teachers who truly care in this book. We didn’t get to see much of Rev’s parents but they definitely took home the award for top parentals.

The plot dealt a lot with grief and with perceptions. Both Juliet and Declan had lost someone close to them and it shaped their lives afterward. It showed how wrong forming an opinion of someone based on how they dress or how they act can be, and how hurtful it can be even if the person doesn’t show it. I also appreciated that it showed how sometimes it can be easier to open up to someone who’s a total stranger over someone who knows you very well. This is definitely a book that will find itself on my re-read list.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

May Wrap-Up/June TBR

How is it June already? Seriously? Where is this year going? So many books have come out that I want to read and so many more are coming out. I need a time turner.

May Wrap-Up:

Dividing Eden – Joelle Charbonneau. 3.5/5 stars. I really loved the siblings battling for the throne and the different ways they planned their strategies. The world-building seemed to lack a little but I’m hopeful to see more in the next book.

If Birds Fly Back – Carlie Sorosiak. 3.5/5 stars. I really liked seeing the two main characters bond over their need to get to know an elderly gentleman and how it played into their separate journeys.

Honor Girl – Maggie Thrash. 3.5/ stars. It was interesting but I do find I get more distracted while reading graphic novels for some reason.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue – Mackenzi Lee. 4/5 stars. Review. I loved the setting, the sass of the characters, and the growth arc.

The Art of Starving – Sam J Miller. 4/5 stars. Review. This book reminded me of We Are The Ants in some ways, as in it made me question if certain things were actually happening or if they were all in the main character’s mind.

Signs Point to Yes – Sandy Hall. 3/5 stars. This was a cute, easy read. Very good for the summer or for a light read mood.

This Is How It Happened – Paula Stokes. 4/5 stars. Review. Paula Stokes just keeps getting better. I loved the main character and the whole premise.

Ginny Moon – Benjamin Ludwig. 4.5/5 stars. Review. I don’t venture outside my reading YA comfort zone often but when I do, I love it when it’s books like this that keep me up until 3am.

The Both Die at the End – Adam Silvera. 4/5 stars. I think Adam Silvera likes getting me attached to amazing characters only to break my heart. So mean.

Project Semicolon – Amy Bleuel. 5/5 stars. This is one of those life-changing types of books where I can’t rate anything but top marks.

Little Wrecks – Meredith Miller. 3.5/5 stars. My enjoyment of the 3 different girls’ POVs was uneven so that played into my overall enjoyment.

Who’s That Girl – Blair Thornburgh. 4/5 stars. Review. This one surprised me with how much I ended up liking it. I just fell in love with the characters.

Bad Romance – Heather Demetrios. 4.5/5 stars. Review. Heather Demetrios is another one who just keeps getting better. This book was terrifying in all the right kind of wake up calls ways.

After the Game – Abbi Glines. 4/5 stars. I think of the three in this series, this one is my favourite. It got to me.

Letters to the Lost – Brigid Kemmerer. 4.5/5 stars. I’m so sad it’s over but so happy there’s a companion coming. These characters were amazing, their journey was great, everything was great.

Everything All At Once – Katrina Leno. 4/5 stars. This is a great summer read that reminded me a bit of Since You’ve Been Gone crossed with The Loose Ends List.

Scrappy Little Nobody – Anna Kendrick. 4/5 stars. Love Anna Kendrick. She’s perfect.

June TBR:

Waiting on Wednesday

This is a feature started on Breaking the Spine that puts the spotlight on upcoming books.

This week’s pick is:

Even the Darkest Stars

Release date: September 5th 2017

Goodreads: Set in a fictional Himalayan kingdom, this is the story of a girl enlisted by a legendary explorer to help him climb the kingdom’s deadliest mountain – only to discover that his true mission may threaten her whole world.
Kamzin has always dreamed of becoming one of the emperor’s royal explorers, the elite climbers tasked with mapping the wintry, mountainous Empire and spying on its enemies. She knows she could be the best in the world, if only someone would give her a chance.
But everything changes when the mysterious and eccentric River Shara, the greatest explorer every known, arrives in her village and demands to hire Kamzin—not her older sister, Lusha, as everyone had expected—for his next expedition. This is Kamzin’s chance to prove herself—even though River’s mission to retrieve a rare talisman for the emperor means cimbing Raksha, the tallest and deadliest mountain in the Aryas. Then, Lusha sets off on her own mission to Raksha with a rival explorer, and Kamzin must decide what’s most important to her: protecting her sister from the countless perils of the climb or beating her to the summit.
The challenges of climbing Raksha are unlike anything Kamzin expected—or prepared for—with avalanches, ice chasms, ghosts, and other dangers at every turn. And as dark secrets are revealed, Kamzin must unravel the truth about their mission and her companions—while surviving the deadliest climb she has ever faced.

Why I’m excited: September is a time I love reading fantasy and this one sounds very good. It seems like it will have a lot of elements I love.

Weekly Reading Recap

So many books to read, it’s hard to choose.

Currently reading:

Finished reading:

Reviewed:

What I’m hoping to get to next week: to read

to review

Books read it 2017: 90

Debut authors read in 2017: 26

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday was started by The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday there’s a different topic. This week is a Top Ten books I’m looking forward to in the second half of 2017.

10. Warcross – Marie Lu. I love Marie Lu and am really excited to see a new book by her.

9. Renegades – Marissa Meyer. Like Marie Lu, I love Marissa Meyer so again, very excited for a new book.

8. Before She Ignites – Jodi Meadows. Third pick in a row where I love the author and it’s a new, first book in a series coming out.

7. One Dark Throne – Kendare Blake. After the way the first one ended, I can’t wait to find out more in this one.

6. Into the Bright Unknown – Rae Carson. So excited for this conclusion.

5. Roar – Cora Carmack. I’ve been hearing some amazing things about this one.

4. Lucky in Love – Kasie West. Kasie West never lets me down.

3. The Color Project – Sierra Adams. This one caught my attention a while ago.

2. A Map for Wrecked Girls – Jessica Taylor. This one has been popping up on my feeds for a while.

1. Here We Are Now – Jasmine Warga. It’s a new Jasmine Warga.

Book Review: Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios

Bad Romance

Release date: June 13th 2017

Grace wants out. Out of her house, where her stepfather wields fear like a weapon and her mother makes her scrub imaginary dirt off the floors. Out of her California town, too small to contain her big city dreams. Out of her life, and into the role of Parisian artist, New York director—anything but scared and alone.
Enter Gavin: charming, talented, adored. Controlling. Dangerous. When Grace and Gavin fall in love, Grace is sure it’s too good to be true. She has no idea their relationship will become a prison she’s unable to escape.
Deeply affecting and unflinchingly honest, this is a story about spiraling into darkness—and emerging into the light again.

I absolutely love Heather Demetrios, she’s become an auto-buy author, and as long as books like this one keeps coming out that won’t be changing. I loved the way this book was written, where future Grace was recounting the downfall of her relationship with Gavin. I loved the strong relationship between Grace and her two best friends, Grace and her sister, and Grace and her group of friends. It wasn’t an easy read, it dealt with a lot of issues, and was a very worthwhile read.

Grace was a character I felt an instant connection with due to her quirkiness and her love of Broadway. She had a huge crush on Gavin so when he started paying attention to her, she fell hard and fast. He was an escape from her bad home life and she felt a gratitude toward him for that and for picking her out of all the other girls. Grace was smart, funny, was full of theater references, had big dreams, and it was hard watching her be manipulated by Gavin.

There were some great female friendships in this book and I loved them. Grace’s two closest friends were always there for her, ready to support her, ready to tell her the hard truths she needed to hear, ready for whatever Grace needed. Her sister lived away at college so we saw less of their relationship but her sister was still a great support system. I also loved the addition of Grace’s male friends who showed that there were still good guys left and they all weren’t like Gavin and her stepfather.

I loved all the theater references through the whole book. I’m a huge Broadway fan so that was fun plus it made sense since Grace wanted to direct plays. She had dreams and plans on how to achieve them so when she would prioritize Gavin over herself, it was frustrating but also easy to see how she was manipulated into it. This book showed how easy it can be to get into an unhealthy relationship and how hard it is to get out of one. It didn’t pull any punches or sugarcoat anything and is definitely one I will remember.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.