Brave (Oni Fighters #1)

*I want to thank NetGalley and and EBS for the opportunity to read this book. My review will be an honest one as always*

Goodreads Summary

A moment in time, that’s all it took. Beauty, pain and tragedy.

Xander “Pretty Boy” Todd was a demon in the ring. A professional MMA fighter with a career that had the world a buzz—but now it’s gone. Or is it?

Eden Sommers had her dreams of an international modelling career within her grasp—and lost it. Gone within a few seconds, leaving nothing but pain.

How do you go on, when the one thing that defines you is suddenly ripped away—only to leave scars and a hollow shell in its place? Has the beauty gone forever? Or has it just retreated—to now be hidden, and dormant; guarded by the inner demons?

Can these two wounded souls find the inner strength to fight back the demons together and find the beauty in their lives once again?

To do this, they must first accept—The hardest demons to defeat are the ones inside. They’ll have to be BRAVE.

My Thoughts
I love a good MMA fighter story. I'm not too sure why because I don't watch the sport, but I always enjoy these books. Brave was no exception. From the very beginning you realize that you are reading about two characters who have been through something that not many people can say they have gone through. They both have scars that they have to deal with; Eden's just happen to be on the outside as well as on the inside. 

The chemistry between Xander (one of my favourite names for a guy) and Eden was pretty amazing. He has always been drawn to her, which to be honest I found to be a little clique. When they were introduced as adults they were both immediately interested, but they didn't immediately get together. Thank god! Xander wanted to help her conquer some of her fears after the fire as well as help her with some self defense. She in turn made him realize that he had demons that he should be conquering too. 

I unfortunately found some of the dialogue to be a little robotic and stiff. Other than that I don't have any major complaints though. 

This is a story about love, friendship and fighting the demons that live inside each of us. It's about being brave enough to stand up to those who try to put you down.

 

Stupid Love (Stupid in Love #3)

*I was given this book by NetGalley and TKA Distribution for an honest review*
Goodreads Summary

MEMORY
Casualties. That’s how I refer to the guys who’ve had the bad fortune to fall for me. They only see long legs that they wish were wrapped around them, a cat-like smile, and the reckless abandon to take on any wild dare. It’s all a game to me. Show me a bridge, and I’ll leap over the side. Give me a car, and I’ll race it. Give me a heart, and I’ll break it. I always win. I even showed Death who was boss a long time ago. 

Or so I thought. 

Now, time is running out, and I’m losing fast…and big. I met someone. Jace Beaumont. He’s smart, and good, and I dream about spending days exploring the summit of his perfect lips. But, I’m a grenade. I know I should leave him be. I can’t.

JACE
Study, class, work, repeat. That’s all I have time for. At twenty-five years old, I have a bit more mileage on me than the average college freshman. But, that’s what happens when you spend your youth drinking, partying, and bagging girls like it’s a full-time job. Now, I have goals. There’s just one kink in my plans. Her name is Memory. She’s every guy’s dream girl. She’s intoxicating. She’s trouble. I want to stay away. I can’t.

My Thoughts
I have a few confessions to make first. The first being that I hate this cover. It does not have ANYTHING to do with this book and makes absolutely no sense. The second is that I requested this book on NetGalley not knowing that it was the third book in a series. Thank goodness they are more like companion novels because otherwise I would have been thoroughly confused.

I was really not expecting to enjoy this so much. I figured it would be an annoying New Adult book where the girl is frustratingly naive and the guy is a master at avoiding. As it turns out I could not have been more wrong. 

Memory is a risk taker. She lives life to the fullest. She sky dives, bungee jumps, and occasionally has one night stands.  She doesn't care what people think because she is enjoying the life she was given. Jace is straight laced and content with his studious life. He has no way of knowing that one towing job will completely change his life forever.Their connection was pretty instant, but there was no instalove for these two. Thank god! Memory knew she wanted his attention and Jace just though she was trouble. When they did get together their spark was electric. Of course that all went to shit when Memory started getting headaches. 

There were so many aspects of this book that made it great. There were tears (the kleenex on my floor can conform that) and moments where I laughed out loud. I loved all the movie quotes and references. That was fun for a movie nerd like myself. Memory's friends were pretty awesome and it wouldn't surprise me if a couple of her friends get a book of their own. Jasper and Memory's dad were great characters that really let you see another side of Jace and Memory.

Overall this book was good. If you enjoy New Adult than definitely give this a shot.

  1/2

You

*Sorry for the language used in this review. I felt it was necessary. If it offends you, I'm sorry. You should skip this book if you can't take the F word though. Carry on*

Goodreads Summary

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

My Thoughts
I tried reading this book and couldn't get into it. I put it down, returned it to the library, but couldn't completely give up on it. I then heard that the audiobook was good, so I thought I'd give it a try and I am so happy I did. You became the book I listened to on my walk to and from work, during breaks, and anytime I decided to step out of the house.  I absolutely loved this fucked up book. And it is. Fucked up, I mean. You will either love this or hate it. I don't see many people sitting on the fence with this one. 

There is no question that Joe is fucked up. You quickly realize that in the first chapter.  He meets Beck and immediately locks onto the idea that she is his. He does everything in his power to stalk her. He manages to get so far into her world that she has no way out. He knows what she emails to friends and classmates, he stalks her twitter and facebook, he watches her through her window, and the more her knows her the worse his behaviour gets. 

There are moments in this book where you are so scared of Joe and what he is doing, but there are also moments where I found myself laughing out loud because of something he said or did. It's always fun to look like the crazy girl laughing to herself. I wouldn't say Joe is charming because he's too psychotic for that, but there are moments where you like him and then you immediately hate yourself for it. 

Joe isn't the only character in this that you will despise. Beck's no peach either. She is narcissistic and flaky. Her friends are uptight and controlling. Her ex Benji just uses her for sex and only really cares about himself. No one in this is likable. There are moments where you might like someone, but the next second they do something unquestionably horrible that you despise them again. This is what makes this book work! If you loved Beck than you would always hate Joe. If you hate Joe than the book doesn't work. It's genius. 

I recommend this to all the twisted people out there.

Anything But Broken (Hurricane Creek #1)

*I was given this book by NetGalley and Joelle Knox for an honest review*

Goodreads Summary

After five years, tragedy brings Hannah Casey back to Hurricane Creek to bury what’s left of her family. She’s flunking out of college, haunted by scandal, and the only person who cares is Sean Whitlow, an irresistible bad boy with a soft spot for her. The problem? He’s her dead sister’s ex.

Sean doesn’t bleed red, he bleeds motor oil. During the week, he struggles to turn his auto repair shop into a profitable business. But when Saturday night rolls around, he’s the reigning stock-car king of the local race track. He doesn’t know how to lose–or how to walk away and leave Hannah alone with her grief.

Between her grades and her wealthy family’s dark secrets, Hannah’s barely holding her life together. And the last thing Sean needs is to get tangled up with another Casey girl. As the attraction between them spins out of control, they’ll either find a love with no limits–or go up in flames.

My Thoughts
I had never read anything by Joelle Knox before, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. This was a beautiful story about reckless love and true love. It's about the power of friendship and the evil life can throw your way. 

When Hannah comes back to town for her father's funeral she doesn't expect to run into her sister's ex. She doesn't know what to do with the spark that she feels because her sister isn't there anymore to tell her what to do. The connection is real, but can she really be with her sister's ex? Can she be with him if he doesn't know the truth about Cait? Sean's friends don't want to see him get wrapped up in another Casey girl because the last one was Trouble. Her family looked at him as if he were nothing. Cait almost ruined him when he was younger, but he can't help what he feels for Hannah.

Sparks fly. Secrets come out. Hearts are broken.

Hurt

Goodreads Summary
 At seventeen, Mathéo Walsh appears to have it all. He is a champion diver and a hot prospect for the upcoming Olympics. He is a heartthrob, a straight A student and lives in one of the wealthiest areas of London. He has great friends and is the envy of many around him. And most importantly of all, he is deeply in love with his girlfriend, Lola. He has always been a stable, well-adjusted guy . . .

Ok I'll be honest...that's only part of the Goodreads summary. You should really go into this book blind and that is why I did not write the rest. If you really feel like you need to than you know how to find the rest, but I really recommend that you don't.   

My Thoughts
*blows out a breath*
I knew that this book was going to be emotional. It's called Hurt for pete's sake.  I also know that Tabitha Suzuma writes hauntingly, beautiful stories that will kick your emotion's ass. Everyone recommends her book Forbidden, which I just can't bring myself to read so I decided to pick this one up instead. After years of trying to hunt it down, I am so glad I did. 

I adored Mathéo. He is your typical teenage boy who has a girlfriend that he adores, a family that pressures him to take his diving to a different level, and a life he loves. Something happens (no I'm not telling you what) and he tries so damn hard to fight his mind and live the life he has always wanted. He is one of, if not the strongest, characters I have ever read about. 

This book is an emotional roller coaster and although I did not cry until the last few pages, it is an emotional read for sure. So go pick this up at your local bookstore or library, skip the back cover, and just dive right in. I think Mathéo, although fictional, would want you to read this story. 

 

Paper Towns

       Goodreads Summary

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew...

My Thoughts
I saw the trailer when I went to see a movie last weekend and I knew I had to read this book. I already knew I loved John Green and his writing, but I wasn't sure if it was just because I loved The Fault in our Stars so much. It wasn't.

This book is not my typical read. Q is the type of character I've seen in books before, but Margo sure isn't. She something completely different than anything I've read before. This girl is Trouble. She disappears in the middle of the night and no one sees her for days. She does this numerous times starting at a rather early age. This time thought she has Q worried and he makes it his mission to find her.

If you enjoy John Green than I say give this book a go.

 

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!