Emmy and Oliver

Goodreads Summary

Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.

She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.

He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling.

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

What Did I Think?
I adored this book! I had seen it on Goodreads just before it was released and thought that it would be an adorable yet heart-wrenching read. I was right. It was the perfect blend of heartbreaking and heartwarming. You can't help but feel terrible for Oliver, but you also can't help but love his connection with Emmy. Contemporary gold!

When Oliver comes back after being away for 10 years it's pretty much what you'd imagine. The press are everywhere, his peers at school are hellish, and his old friends are told to "give him space".  He spent the past 10 years thinking one thing and then everything is turned on its head. There is a quote in the book that I think pretty much sums up everything, “Coming home is like being kidnapped all over again”.  How heartbreaking is that?

Thank goodness for Emmy. Emmy is Oliver's childhood best friend and next door neighbour. She  doesn't go out of her way to re-friend Oliver, but she doesn't treat him like a sad little puppy either. Their friendship is good for both of them and it develops nicely. It's hard to not imagine what their relationship would have been like if he wasn't taken from her.

I absolutely adored this and see myself reading it again (which doesn't always happen). I think you should read it too!

Landline

Goodreads Summary
Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble; it has been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn't expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts...

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

My Thoughts
I had no idea what this book was about before I picked it up. I knew it involved a phone because that was quite obvious and that everyone loved it. That's it.  I also knew that I couldn't get past the first few chapters of Fangirl and didn't enjoy Eleanor and Park (sorry Aunt Lori). I'm not sure why I decided to buy it. I should be more careful with my money. Ok ok I'm glad I bought it.

This book was ok. I really didn't like Neal. I think I just didn't get him. Speak you mind, man! Show some emotion! Any emotion! I didn't understand Seth. Do you like Georgie? Love her? Just want her to be miserable? I'm not even sure if he knows. I did like Georgie though. She was completely neurotic and confused, but wanted her marriage to be ok. She clearly loves Neal, but they have been married for a long time and they fail to communicate with each other. I'm not saying I know what that's like, but I think I get it.

If you already love Rainbow Rowell, read this if you haven't already. If you like contemporaries with a twist then read this. Otherwise I'd pass on it.
 

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1)

Goodreads Summary

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

My Thoughts
I somehow forgot how much I love Katie McGarry's writing. I first fell in love with her characters when I read Pushing The Limits and have been a fan of her stories and her amazing character development ever since. She has a way of creating characters that are so multidimensional and interesting. The characters in Nowhere But Here are no different.

Emily (a rather simple and somewhat boring name, but I think that was intentional) is a sheltered girl who wants nothing to do with her biological father. She dreads seeing him once a year. She soon finds herself living with him for the summer and discovering secrets that she never could have imagined. Oz, on the other hand, comes from her father's world. He's about to join a biker's club and has always respected the family she never knew or understood. That doesn't stop these two from meeting though. I'm not one to believe in fate, but in my opinion these two were meant to be together and if their circumstances were different I still think they would have ended up together.

This book ruined me. Motorcycles have never been more appealing...hell they've never really been appealing. And it's not just Oz because those scenes on his bike were some of the best scenes in the whole book. I want to reread them to experience it all over again.

This book was amazing. I loved all of the characters (ok Razor freaked me out and I probably won't read the book based on him). They were charming and although not easy to love, I found myself liking more and more as Emily did. Give this book a try if you enjoy a good contemporary as much as I do.

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)

Goodreads Summary
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

My Thoughts
Sarah J. Maas has done it again. I'm not quite sure how she comes up with these amazingly different characters, but she is a master at it. Each of her male characters are so different from one another, but they are all so incredibly easy to love. Tamlin and Lucien are no different. 

This book is so much more than I was expecting. I have seen and heard some amazing reviews, but I didn't want to get my hopes up because I've been disappointed before. Not this time. From the moment Feyre arrived in the fae world I was hooked. I knew that this book was something special. The world was just so beautiful and yet dark and broken. I could picture everything happening before my eyes and that isn't usually the case for me. 

I'm extremely curious to see where book two will take us. I hope Lucien finds a little bit of happiness because he definitely deserves it. I also want more Feyre and Tamlin in my life. These two practically sizzled. 

Get your hands on a copy of this asap!!
  

Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold (Broken Hearts & Revenge #2)

Goodreads Summary

The war rages on between Gemma and Hallie in the second installment of the Broken Hearts and Revenge series.

...I cut out this section of the summary due to major spoilers of the first book. You can however find it on Goodreads if you really need to know...

Gemma and Hallie find themselves locked in an escalating revenge cycle. Just when Gemma thinks she has the upper hand, the biggest bombshell of all is dropped. And it’s one that threatens to change her life forever. This exciting sequel to Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things To Mend will leave you begging for the third installment.

My Thoughts
After finishing Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things To Mend I immediately knew that I had to get my hands on this book. The last book finished on such a tense note that I had to know what Gemma was going to get herself into next.  

This second installment was even more intense than the last. If you don't like drama then this isn't the book for you, but I rather enjoyed it.  Gemma and Sophie, with the help of Gwyneth and the gorgeous, yet dorky Ford, have quite the task ahead of them. Ahhh I can't say anything else or I'll give too much away. 

I will say that I quite liked Josh in the first book (and I did in the second too) until the last chapter or so when I became team Ford. He was always a close second for me because he and Gemma had some adorable moments, but my love for Josh had me placing him as the runner-up. Well Gemma made me change my mind. I'm definitely team Ford now. 

I think that if you like young adult contemporary novels than you will simply love Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things To Mend and Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold. Just go ahead and read them now so that you'll be ready for the third installment when it comes out sometime next year.

 

A Pound of Flesh (A Pound of Flesh #1)

Goodreads Summary 
Lose your heart to your new bad boy book boyfriend. Wes Carter - sexy, edgy, behind bars, with emotional scars as permanent as the ink on his skin, just waiting to be healed by love...

Their love is forbidden. But won't be denied... Can true love heal the deepest scars?

For Kat Lane, teaching inmates at a New York prison is her way of upholding the legacy of her beloved father, murdered fifteen years ago. But when new student Wes Carter walks into her classroom, she's shaken by the strength of her attraction to him. Carter is as handsome as he is dangerous, as mysterious as he is quick-witted - and he ensures people keep their distance. Yet vibrant Kat bypasses his defences and challenges him to reveal the real man behind the intimidating reputation. As their emotional barriers crumble, their inescapable but forbidden feelings cannot be ignored. But will Kat's discovery of Carter's role on the night her father died force them apart...or bind their hearts for ever?

A Pound of Flesh is a tale of loyalty, redemption and all-consuming love against the odds, introducing an irresistible bad boy hero... 

My Thoughts and All The Feels
It is no secret that this was my most anticipated read of 2015. I first fell in love with this story about five years ago when Sophie Jackson wrote weekly (sometimes monthly...or longer) chapters of the story and posted them online. I would drop everything and immerse myself in this world of convicts and lovers.  I loved the original story line and the passionate characters. 

Five long years later, I actually possess a copy of this beautiful book. I will say that it's not the exact same as the original. There are plot lines that were lost and some characters that didn't make the final cut, but I still really loved it. I did at times find the story to be a little choppy due to cutting scenes, but I don't think you'd feel the same way unless you'd read the original numerous times. There were aspects cut that I agreed made sense and there were some that I really missed (mostly the ending). I don't want that to lead you to believe that I didn't love this...I did. 

Kat and Carter (yes I thought their names were fitting and Carter is just as sexy as Cullen) are like fireworks. They are explosive on their own, but together they put on quite the show.  Their chemistry is beyond sexy. There is something really special about both of them and it's really a miracle that they met at all. You have to pick up this book so that you can meet them too. You won't regret it.

Get your copy June 9th!!!


  3/4

Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend (Broken Hearts & Revenge #1)

Goodreads Summary

Hot sun. Blue waves. New romances. Old secrets.

Gemma had her summer all planned out, but it takes a sharp turn when she gets dumped and finds herself back in the Hamptons after a five-year absence.

Being there puts her at risk of bumping into Hallie, her former best friends (that is, before Gemma ruined her life). But people don't hold grudges forever. Do they?

Gemma intends on making amends, but a small case of mistaken identity causes the people she knew years ago—including Hallie and her dreamy brother, Josh—to believe she's someone else. As though the summer wasn't complicated enough already.

Filled with summer sun, boys, and friendships gone sour, Katie Finn's first novel in the Broken Hearts and Revenge series sizzles and delights.

My Thoughts
I hate to admit that I could have read this MONTHS ago after getting an advanced copy through NetGalley. I just thought it was another contemporary and never got around to reading it. I had no idea, until a month or so ago, that Katie Finn is Morgan Matson's pen name. If I had known that I would have read it asap. I love Matson's writing!!

This book did not disappoint...at all. The characters were great. Gemma is a sweetheart even if she did a terrible thing when she was eleven. She may make some really stupid decisions along the way, but I genuinely think she did them for the right reasons (excluding what she did when she was eleven). Josh is a contemporary lovers dream. He is athletic and yet adorably nerdy. He loves The Princess Bride for pete's sake. I loved when he got nervous and actually flushed...so cute. Gemma's friend Sophie was a little underdeveloped, but I like where her character is headed. I think Gemma needs her. 

Although the plot was a little convoluted, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Gemma was a little dense at times, but I'd like to believe that she was just naive and in denial.   

This book left is on a major cliffhanger, but thankfully the second book Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold is already out. Check this out if you enjoy Morgan Matson or contemporary novels in general. I highly recommend it.

Afterworlds

Goodreads Summary
Darcy Patel has put college and everything else on hold to publish her teen novel, Afterworlds. Arriving in New York with no apartment or friends she wonders whether she's made the right decision until she falls in with a crowd of other seasoned and fledgling writers who take her under their wings…

Told in alternating chapters is Darcy's novel, a suspenseful thriller about Lizzie, a teen who slips into the 'Afterworld' to survive a terrorist attack. But the Afterworld is a place between the living and the dead and as Lizzie drifts between our world and that of the Afterworld, she discovers that many unsolved - and terrifying - stories need to be reconciled. And when a new threat resurfaces, Lizzie learns her special gifts may not be enough to protect those she loves and cares about most.

My Thoughts
I feel like this took me all of May to read. It is a massive book, but it's also technically two books which I know is not a good enough excuse.

I really enjoyed Darcy's journey to get her book published. I found her discovery of the publishing world to be really insightful and honestly scary at times. I had no idea how many hoops authors have to jump through even after their book has been sold to a publishing house.  I enjoyed her relationship with her sister/accountant. I thought that was really endearing. I adored her relationship with Imogen and respected Scott Westerfeld's choice to have such strong LGTB characters.

Afterworlds itself I found to be a little slow and at times boring to read. I liked Lizzy as a character, but didn't really buy her falling for the death god.  I, like a few "fans" of her book, preferred her to end up with the special agent.

At times I found the book to be a little confusing. At the beginning of the novel Darcy goes out to an author party at a bar and no one questions if she is legal to drink or not. She just graduated from high school, but looks old enough to be 21? Really? There were small moments where I thought maybe Scott Westerfeld was British and that was why no one questioned things, but he isn't. I don't know...maybe this only bothered me.

At the end of the day this is a good book. Was it my favourite? No, but it was an enjoyable read.