Puddle Jumping by Amber L. Johnson

Puddle Jumping by Amber L. Johnson
Release date: June 29th 2014
Publisher: Self Pub
Ratings: 5 stars out of 5.

synopsis:When it comes to love there’s no such thing as conventional. 

Everyone thinks Colton Neely is special. 

Lilly Evans just thinks he’s fascinating. 

Once friends when they were younger, their bond is cut short due to her accident prone nature and they go their separate ways. Years later, they meet again and Lilly learns that there is something special about the boy she once knew, but she has no idea what it all means. And she’s not sure if she’s ready to find out. 

When he walks through the corridor of her school the first day of her senior year, she knows that it’s time to get to know the real Colton Neely. The more she learns, the deeper she falls. 

Their friendship grows into love, even as Colton does not express it in words. But one decision threatens to break down the world that Lilly has tried so hard to integrate into and she must figure out if the relationship can survive if they are apart.


It feels like I haven't acquainted myself with a good book for a long long time now, so much so that when Puddle Jumping hightailed my bum from around the corner, so lost was I in its awesomeness that when it hurtled towards me like a formula one race car, I let it run me over. 
Honestly, it was the best feeling in the whole wide world and all my bruises and bleeding innards account for the profound impact that this ridiculously beautiful book had on me. 

Put in the most simplest sense, this really is just an extraordinary story about how a girl fell in love with a boy and how the boy fell love with the girl. It is an all-consuming, passionate and intense kind of a romance where your body aches ,bleeds and beats for the story to progress into an even more impacting finale because you know that its not just the protagonists but also the characters around them who deserve it. Cocooned in the midst of a beautiful romance are the virtues of understanding, need, support and want and more than anything, sensitivity.
It's the absolute best thing when a book manages to not only entertain you, but also educate you. 
I'm already familiar with the issues that surround Asperger's and Autism, but never have I thought of integrating myself with what I know and what is me as much as I have after reading THIS fantastic piece of literature. 

Moreover, in all its entirety, I feel like I've read something novel and original and in its essence also breathtaking.
Actually, on second thought, 'breathtaking' is kind of an understatement because honestly it stole my breath. Wrenched it away from me. Savage beast this book. 
So please, read this book. Not just because it deserves to be read but also because you deserve to read it.

With This Heart by R.S Grey

With This Heart
Author: R.S Grey
Releasing Date: April 6th, 2014
Publisher: Createspace
My ratings: 4 out of 5 stars.

synopsis:
If someone had told me a year ago that I was about to fall in love, go on an epic road trip, ride a Triceratops, sing on a bar, and lose my virginity, I would have assumed they were on drugs. 

Well, that is, until I met Beckham. 

Beck was mostly to blame for my recklessness. Gorgeous, clever, undeniably charming Beck barreled into my life as if it were his mission to make sure I never took living for granted. He showed me that there were no boundaries, rules were for the spineless, and a kiss was supposed to happen when I least expected. 

Beck was the plot twist that took me by surprise. Two months before I met him, death was knocking at my door. I'd all but given up my last scrap of hope when suddenly, I was given a second chance at life. This time around, I wasn't going to let it slip through my fingers. 

We set out on a road trip with nothing to lose and no guarantees of tomorrow. 

Our road trip was about young, reckless love. 

The kind of love that burns bright. 

The kind of love that no road-map could bring me back from. 


Road Trip, unbelievable but delicious boys, believable protagonists, crazy experiences, dreamy nights and drum rolls, you have a phenomenally surprising winner.

I've always wondered. Are books a haven of reality mixed with magic or are they magic mixed with a teaspoon of reality? I wonder because most of the times I find myself trying to identify with the protagonist and his or her experiences and on some days, with some books, I find that I can't. But that doesn't mean that my venture isn't fruitful. Maybe on most days, books balance both it's fictional and non-fictional elements in mysterious methods and when that balance goes in sync with my emotions and opinions, I find myself happy and satisfied.

It happened with this one.

There are so many things that are so hard for me to believe. Yet I found myself agreeing with it and just let it be. 
I was so taken with the journey that Abby Mae and Beckham found themselves on that I found myself needing to go on a roadtrip myself. But of course, a guy like Beck is never going to turn up out of thin air and ask me randomly, if he could go on a roadtrip with me. Reality and its woes. 

Or could it? Could it happen? 
Uncertainty and the unknown are such happy fuckers and I love them.

For me, With This Heart, is a very light-ish read in comparison to some heavy topics it's dealing with. It was fun,very romantic and happy. Although there were sad elements, they didn't affect me the way they should have, but yet again, I was okay with that too. I would have loved to eliminate the last chapter but then again, I guess I'm just nitpicking. Great protagonists, fun story which read like a journey and the reminder that really, you live only once.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Book: Ugly Love
Author: Colleen Hoover
File type: Kindle edition
Releasing Date: August 5th 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
My ratings: four out of five

synopsis:
When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.
Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.
Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.


If only you all could see my face when I finally finished the book.

It wasn't one which screamed ecstasy.
It wasn't a face which resounded heartbreak.
It was nothing but mind-boggling, ground-shaking, wind-blowing utter shock and surprise. 

This is a novel about a girl and boy who meet each other, are sexually and physically attracted to each other and decide that they're going to stick with a friends with benefits arrangement because they have no time for love.

We all know how that ends.

But. This. was. actually. quite. surprising. 
There I was, ready to be not so impressed because I've always been presumptuous and judgemental but then suddenly I realised that I'm actually quite into it and that I don't...hate it.
How nice.

This is divided into sections which give you a backstory and simultaneously show you what's going on in the real world. So it's a gradual succession, until you reach a point where you finally get to know what the entire fuss is about. the fuss being the question and its answer to why Miles doesn't want to give into a future with Tate. 
Honestly, such situations annoy the crap out of me. The characters may understand what they're doing but I certainly don't. Also, such situations make donkeys and potatoes of even the best characters. 
But here's me re-establishing my point. I was surprised.

Individually, I don't mind the characters. They may have had stupid reasons for carrying on with their 'arrangement' even if both of them were aware about its obvious consequences, but what can I say? They were horny. Case closed. 

Otherwise, I loved the balance created by the author. Miles past brings into the fore another character and his relationship with that character and even THAT was pretty appealing to me. IF the present got too weird, it was soon followed by the past which countered its weirdness and vice versa. 

I was listening to this while reading the book and it may or may not have influenced my opinion. It's a fantastic song either way. 
Overall, a nice, entertaining novel which keeps you engrossed, and like me, even happy. 

17 First Kisses by Rachel Allen

17 First Kisses by Rachel Allen

Publisher: Harper Teen      

Publication date: June 17th 2013
My rating: 2 stars

No matter how many boys Claire kisses, she can’t seem to find a decent boyfriend. Someone who wouldn’t rather date her gorgeous best friend, Megan. Someone who won’t freak out when he learns about the tragedy her family still hasn’t recovered from. Someone whose kisses can carry her away from her backwoods town for one fleeting moment.
Until Claire meets Luke.
But Megan is falling for Luke, too, and if there’s one thing Claire knows for sure, it’s that Megan’s pretty much irresistible.
With true love and best friendship on the line, Claire suddenly has everything to lose. And what she learns—about her crush, her friends, and most of all herself—makes the choices even harder.
In her moving debut, Rachael Allen brilliantly captures the complexities of friendship, the struggles of self-discovery, and the difficulties of trying to find love in high school. Fans of Sarah Ockler, Susane Colasanti, and Stephanie Perkins will fall head over heels for this addictive, heartfelt, and often hilarious modern love story.

What a mess this book turned out to be. I was exhausted with the amount of drama these teenagers were going through daily. It was like I was mentally sprinting with them, trying to keep up with who's with who and who's mad at who. 

Someone said 17 First Kisses is what's like to be in high school. But let me tell you this- I would never want to be a part of that school. I want to stay as far away from it as possible because these kids made so many mistakes and their parents don't even care about what they're doing or were never in the book to begin with. How the hell do you kiss 16 different guys before your 18th birthday?! It doesn't make sense! But that's not even the worse thing! Apparently, some random ass statistic shows a girl has to kiss 79 guys before she finds her future husband. Which means she's bound to get herpes sooner or later and that is not a great look on anyone. Claire is defending her action with stating she is still a virgin and definitely not a ho-bag as some other girls called her. Since she lives in a small town I would say she probably kissed almost all her male peers. Jesus! During my time in high school I only liked about 4 guys and I only kissed the last one because I really liked him. I didn't want to mix my saliva with someone I barely knew. Maybe I'm just a judgmental prude. But I'm not. I just have standards. 

I'm not going to discuss the book thoroughly because that would take forever. I just want to say something because it bothered me so much I wanted to fling my Kindle across the room so many times. I'm well aware of the fact characters need to make mistakes till they learn their lesson but I'm not okay with this type of books-where you steal boyfriends from your best friend not only once, but twice; getting with your teacher and all sort of stupid things. I'm sure there are other ways an author could teach us important life lessons without reminding us we could be kissing 3 different guys in one night, getting wasted at a party where some creep tries to rape us. Some people don't get these things are wrong! They will think it's the coolest thing ever and they'll try to do the same. Doesn't anyone see how messed up this is?! Not everyone has the brains to stop ad think before acting with their new hormonal outbursts. 

I apologize to those who are still reading this review. It turned out to be a rant. 

Finally, Forever by Katie Kacvinsky

Finally, Forever by Katie Kacvinsky      

Publication date: May 9th 2014
My rating: 5 stars

College baseball player, Gray Thomas, had to go far out into left field to find a girl like Dylan, the ex-love-of-his-life. More than a year later, literally at a crossroads, they find each other together on a journey that is a pause between a painful past and an uncertain future. In this sexy and offbeat summer read, Gray and Dylan discover that a destination isn't always a place. More often, it's a person. Now it's time for them to finally decide, is this forever?

What a perfect book! I admire Katie Kacvinsky and must check her dystopian novels as soon as possible because there's no way they something other that great as well. 

It's been year and a half since Gray said goodbye to Dylan and released her. Now they meet again and of course nothing is going the way they planned. He's helping her find her pregnant sister which ran away from home with her older, stand up comedian boyfriend. On the way they had to deal with tornadoes, driving a robber, getting arrested, misunderstanding about people they're 'dating', undeniable sexual tension and a sore crotch(haha). It all sounds insane but it worked, trust me. 

I found this book funnier than both First Comes Love and Second Chance combined. First Comes Love was about letting go of the past, moving on and Second Chance was about allowing yourself to try even when it's hard and accepting the inedible. Finally, Forever didn't take itself to serious. In a way it was a beginning of a romance and growing up. It was cuter as well. It's hard to describe how I felt reading this book without spoiling it. 

Even though I love Dylan just the was she is I wanted to yell at her for not doing more about their relationship. I love her optimism, her gentle spirit and creativity but at times she could be a coward. I really can't explain it any other way. When you love someone, you should be able to do everything possible to stay by their side, not just think about yourself. She does refer Gray as the love of her life even to her parents. Gray was the real star in this book. He developed into this great guy. Hell, I'd love to date someone like him. 

In the end I do think Gray sacrificed more. It's hard to explain without spoiling everything but whoever picks the book will know what I mean. 

I'm satisfied with the ending but I  do think there could be at least one more book. We did get 3 books already. What's one more, am I right? Nothing for Katie. She can write another one, at least so I know how things are going for Lenny, if not because of Gray and Dylan. I'd gladly beg. I want to read more books with interesting, unique characters. No one's writing these book, except Katie Kacvinsky. 

Read-Along: My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Last year I signed up for a Fangirl read-along. Sadly, I didn't get the book on time and I didn't want to read the ebook instead so I decided it was time to make things right and signed for another read-along. This time it's for My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick- the book I bought last summer and still haven't read even though my friends have been trying to persuade me to pick it up every time I ask for a contemporary recommendation. I take my YA contemps very seriously. After all, it's my favorite genre. Plus, I'm fickle as hell when it comes to planing on my next read- I never do it because it usually doesn't work out and I end up reading a random book from my shelves. 

Want to join the read-along? Click on the banner on the top or HERE. 

Read-along starts Friday, January 24th and ends next Friday, January 31st. 

Book Review: Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young.

Book: Before Jamaica Lane
Author: Samantha Young
File Type: e-book
Release Date: January 7th, 2014
Publisher: NAL
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

synopsis: One simple lesson in seduction between two friends can turn into so much more… 

Despite her outgoing demeanor, Olivia is painfully insecure around the opposite sex—usually, she can’t get up the nerve to approach guys she’s interested in. But moving to Edinburgh has given her a new start, and, after she develops a crush on a sexy postgrad, she decides it’s time to push past her fears and go after what she wants.

Nate Sawyer is a gorgeous player who never commits, but to his close friends, he’s as loyal as they come. So when Olivia turns to him with her relationship woes, he offers to instruct her in the art of flirting and to help her become more sexually confident.

The friendly education in seduction soon grows into an intense and hot romance. But then Nate’s past and commitment issues rear their ugly heads, and Olivia is left broken-hearted. When Nate realizes he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he will have to work harder than he ever has before to entice his best friend into falling back in love with him—or he may lose her forever…

Personally, I feel that On The Dublin Street was a much better read. The fact that Jocelyn annoyed the crap out of me speaks volumes of how surprising it is that I find myself liking the first book much more than this one.

Before Jamaica Lane had so much potential. This could've been the book to finally acquire the five starrer status which other books by Ms. Young usually miss out on.
I was very excited for Olivia and Nate. You have no idea how much my anticipation coupled with imagination made me restless to finally experience a 'make my heart melt' moment. In the end, while I did get Olivia and Nate and their happily-ever-after, I missed the emotion and depth of their relationship. It's one of those situations where you have two people declaring their unrequited love for each and you just don't buy it.

When I think about the flaws in Before Jamaica Lane, they come very easily to me. Usually I would find myself struggling through hazy thoughts to pin point the flaws in a book. Here, it just comes to me. What I'm trying to say here is that the flaws were crystal clear and not even the promise of a heart-stopping romance could make up for the deep craters in the story that these flaws have seemed to have caused.

Flaw no.1.
Was I supposed to find that funny?

The character sketch of Olivia states that she is a happy-go-lucky, dorky and funny girl. Her jokes are absolutely hilarious and seems to have people rolling on the floor like idiots because she is very funny.
Maybe I'm a nutcase or a tubelight in disguise, but I failed to understand the hilariousness of Olivia's jokes. Every single time, Olivia would say something that was supposedly funny and people around her would all go, 'Oh look. She's hilarious' and I'd have my dork face on because, obviously, I had just missed the humour. Maybe this is a psychological complaint. So for those who disagree with it, it's fine.

Flaw no.2.
The Sunday lunch sessions were abducted by aliens.

Lets go back to Down London Road and focus on the Sunday afternoon lunch sessions which had all the characters laughing at Hannah's antics, Joss's fiery replies, Ellie's romantic opinions and Elodie's endearing reprimanding. Those were points of awesomeness where Ms. Young would let the laughing cavalry out and they would attack us and we would welcome it with open arms.
HERE, there wasn't much of that. Absent lunch sessions led to the absence of the laughing cavalry and because everything was so very absent, I could feel my excitement dimming.

Flaw no.3
I don't buy that.

I think the biggest flaw which made all the difference was the lack of depth in Olivia's and Nate's relationship. I can see how both Nate and Olivia became bestfriends. I can see Nate's commitment phobia and understand Olivia's insecurities. I can see how their time together led to them falling in love with each other. What I couldn't understand was the reality of their romance. I couldn't believe that Nate was ridiculously in love with Olivia. This could also be the case because I felt that the section where Nate tries to convince Olivia that he truly loves her fell short. So much of detailing was put into the first half, which is a good thing, but by the time we reached the second half, I'd lost the connection with characters.
It didn't satisfy me. It did not excite me.
I mean I'm happy with the way things turned out but I missed that moment of catharsis, which of course, wasn't good.

But there were this something that really got to me.
When you lose someone you love, there is nothing that could ever make up for the fact that that someone isn't there anymore. After sometime, you do move on but that person would always be a part of you.

Overall, a book that could've been better but fell short...actually too short in the department that mattered the most, the romance.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St. Martin's Press      
Publication date: February 26th 2013
My rating: 5 stars

Eleanor is the new girl in town, and with her chaotic family life, her mismatched clothes and unruly red hair, she couldn't stick out more if she tried.
Park is the boy at the back of the bus. Black T-shirts, headphones, head in a book - he thinks he's made himself invisible. But not to Eleanor... never to Eleanor.
Slowly, steadily, through late-night conversations and an ever-growing stack of mix tapes, Eleanor and Park fall for each other. They fall in love the way you do the first time, when you're young, and you feel as if you have nothing and everything to lose.

First thing you need to know about Rainbow's books- they're cute but  not overly sweet. Just enough warmth combined with colorful sprinkles. Rainbow's basically offering us a delicious cupcake every time we pick her book up. 

Eleanor & Park is the second Rowell book I read. I read Attachments last October and even though it was a bit weird (because of the sort of  stalker-ish guy) I loved every part of it. In my short review I said her work is 'a Stephanie Perkins of adult sweet romances'. 

In a world of insta-love Rainbow delivers a stellar story about two misfits. During their bus rides they start to read comics together and listen to Park's Walkman. Eleanor lives with her mother, stepfather and 3 other siblings. Her stepdad is a abusing bastard, mom is just taking it and her siblings are tattle tales. On the other side we have Park and his biggest concern is to learn how to drive a stick. 

I'd love to give you more insight about the whole story itself but I'm afraid I'll reveal way too much so you're just going to have to trust my word for it. After all, I'm not one of those easily impressed readers. Hell, check my average GR rating. It's embarrassingly low. 

Aside from the great story you can also rehash on your knowledge of 80's music by listening to E&P playlists HERE.  

It's hard to explain Rainbow's magic. You're either her fan or not. Her books are on my auto-buy list. If you don't mind reading a slow and steady young adult contemporary romance and love authors like Sara Zarr, Stephanie Perkins, Sarah Ockler or Sarah Dessen. Basically, any author with an S in the name  will do. :P 

Book Review: Reasons I Fell For The Funny Fat Friend by Cassie Mae

Book: Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend 
Author: Cassie Mae
File Type: Ebook
Release Date: January 8th, 2013
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

synopsis:
Written by Cassie Mae under the pen name Becca Ann

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.

Reasons I fell for the 'Reasons I Fell For The Funny Fat Friend'.

1. I felt like I was suspended in a delicious mix of chocolate, chocolate and chocolate. Everything was so sweet and nice.

2. It's always nice to see a guy appreciate a girl in each and every way. Right from those warm hugs to the way she talks and the way she walks and her way of looking at life and handling it and the way he feels with her and the way SHE makes him feel. *sighs*

3. If a guy says that he craves you in the least creepiest and the cutest way possible. MARRY HIM.

"I press my forehead against hers, locking her in my gaze. “You are so beautiful. Inside and out. I don’t just need you. I crave you. Everything about you. You are the only person I’ve felt this way about. You’re my best friend.”- Brody.

4. If his craving doesn't convince you, then this definitely should, "Reason 13: I'd beat the crap out of my own flesh and blood for you."

5. "Reason 23: You're as horny as I am."<----Am I the only one who finds this funny? This book was hands down hilarious and equally adorable.

6. A romance like this has always been my fantasy and to see it play out this way made me extra gooey and happy!

Now, you see. Brody is the kind of a guy an average girl generally dreams of. One that doesn't judge you. One that stands by you no matter what. One that bears your wrath even when both he and you knwo that it's your fault. Also,he's hot. (Apparently he has abs and pecs and he's tall. So physically he's a homerun.) That being said, he's your everyday guy. He's horny. He's insecure. He's bored. He stares at a girl's bum and even admits it. He's a cliched dirty-room keeper. But, he's cool. To him, it's what inside that matters and this is something he realizes along the course of the book. Right from the beginning we know that he has the hots for his brother's ex-girlfriend and when Hayley decides to mentor him and help him, he soon realizes that what he feels for Hayley is so much more than what he feels for the girl he's behind. He finds amazingness in her bizarreness. He appreciates her perception. He is responsive and it was all so very real. His thoughts made sense. If he thought that Hayley was an irresistible hot-mama, then she was! HE made me believe in everything he said and in everything he did. I loved this guy!

Now for Hayley?
Since this was from Brody's POV and I was deeply infatuated with him so I couldn't think about anything else. So sorry, Hayley. Though, I will say this that I appreciated their dynamic and since a relationship is a two-way street, thank you Hayley for being fantastic.

TRIFFTFFF (God.) , was fast paced, engrossing and I finished the whole book in one sitting! I was enjoying the ride and I just didn't want to let go of it. It's not the best contemporary book I've come across, but for a rainy day or ,at least for me, any day in general, it's a treat to read.
With a hilarious tone to the book with tons of cute elements, The Reasons I Fell For The Funny Fat Friend is a total winner!

Book Review: The Sound by Sarah Alderson.

Book: The Sound
Author: Sarah Alderson
File Type: Hardcover
Release Date: August 1, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster UK
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

synopsis:When aspiring music journalist Ren Kingston takes a job nannying for a wealthy family on the exclusive island of Nantucket, playground for Boston's elite, she's hoping for a low-key summer reading books and blogging about bands. Boys are firmly off the agenda.

What she doesn't count on is falling in with a bunch of party-loving private school kids who are hiding some dark secrets, falling (possibly) in love with the local bad boy, and falling out with a dangerous serial killer...



IS a thrilling book, thrilling if fails to thrill you?

The Sound by Sarah Alderson, is supposed to be a romance-thriller and as far as I know, when it comes to romance, the ball is in Ms. Alderson's court... as for the thrill factor, not so much.

The Sound introduces us to Ren Kingston, a seventeen year old English girl who's on her way to Nantucket for a nanny job. Ren's plan of action? Lie low and enjoy. But her plan of action doesn't really work the way she initially intended it to work. Ren is introduced to a cliched summer of hot, beautiful boys who love to party and break hearts and a bad boy from the other side, who serves as a competition to the previously mentioned hot boys. So, Ren's summer is off to an interesting start. Do you wish to make the story more interesting? Enters the infamous character of a serial killer who likes to eat Nannies for dinner or lunch or breakfast or anything that suits his time. Our serial killer is sort of a rockstar. He likes them foreign and he's out there to get Ren..and then eat her. If this isn't enough for you, then wait for it, EVERYBODY HAS SECRETS and of course, Ren is the perfect candidate to unravel said secrets. OH YEAH.

When you're about to start The Sound, make sure that you go into it with zero expectations. I'm a romance addict and after reading so much, I've come to realize that fantasy, whether it be urban or paranormal, seems to be just my thing, Fantasy is closely followed by contemporary novels and then dystopian and then science fiction and then..well it just goes on. What I'm trying to say, is that it's because I'm more of romantic that I was able to tolerate the non-thrillyness and non-other-element-ness in the book and I think, that's precisely why, I liked The Sound more than I actually thought I would.

You have to understand, if I were a person who loved mystery and adrenaline then this book would've been a downer for me. And now that we've established that I ignored the absence of thrill, it's safe to say that I atleast noticed that it didn't exist. Which again isn't a good sign, is it?

Alderson's writing style is very simple and clean and I love it. The Lila series is one of my favourites and I can only imagine how empty my life would be if Alex Wakemen never existed. Seriously, my life would've been a dull void of emptiness. I thank god everyday for Ms. Alderson's existence and for her beautiful author-mind that created Alex. *dies*

Anyway, like I said earlier, the writing is very simple and it's simplicity is what helps make the main protagonist sound more real and alive and entertaining. The romance is always subtle but no too subtle. It's there and it's sweet and it's tangy and it's all that the book needs. Alderson's writing works for this book and the romance (and Jesse. YUM.) is the ONLY thing that made this book what it is. I'm not sure how I feel about Ren as the protagonist. The first half felt very bland and slow to me and Ren's narration wasn't really helping it.

It was the second half of the book that redeemed the book for me. It was fun, fast, entertaining and exciting as heck. I'll give this to Alderson: she knows how to write those final-showdown scenes. So much adrenaline. So much anticipation. WOW.

Jesse Miller (the bad boy. *wink wink*) has made his mark. There's this one part where Ren describes Jesse as the mixture of Daimen from Vampire Diaries and Alex Fuentes of Perfect Chemistry. DO YOU SEE WHAT SHE DID THERE?
She used the Alex card on me. She USED the ALEX card on me. She USED the ALEX card on me.
Jesse Miller is perfection. He's intense, broody and oh so delicious. Listen, if not for the romance, read this book for the guy. Please. He's amazing and wonderful and he plays a guitar and his voice is beautiful and he can paint and he can land a solid punch or two. Also,did I tell you about his holy hotness's shirtlessness? OMG.

As I end, all I can say is that even though this book lacks the thrill of a thriller, it's romance and entertaining nature makes up for most of it. Do I recommend you to read it? Yes, definitely. But, I will ask you to proceed with caution. Ciao!

Mini Reviews: The Boys of Summer and An Endless Summer by C.J Duggan

Book: The Boys of Summer.
Author: C.J Duggan
File Type: Ebook
Release Date:  December 17th 2012
Publisher: Self.
My rating: 2 stars.

synopsis:It seemed only natural to nickname them the ‘Onslow Boys’. Every time they swaggered in the front door of the Onslow Hotel after a hard week’s work, their laughter was loud and genuine as they settled onto their bar stools. I peeked through the restaurant partition, a flimsy divider between my world and theirs. I couldn’t help but smile whenever I saw them, saw him ... Toby Morrison.

Quiet seventeen-year-old Tess doesn’t relish the thought of a summertime job. She wants nothing more than to forget the past haunts of high school and have fun with her best friends before the dreaded Year Twelve begins.

To Tess, summer is when everything happens: riding bikes down to the lake, watching the fireworks at the Onslow Show and water bomb fights at the sweltering Sunday markets.How did she let her friends talk her into working?
After first-shift disasters, rude, wealthy tourists and a taunting ex-boyfriend, Tess is convinced nothing good can come of working her summer away. However, Tess finds unlikely allies in a group of locals dubbed ‘The Onslow Boys’, who are old enough to drive cars, drink beer and not worry about curfews. Tess’s summer of working expands her world with a series of first times with new friends, forbidden love and heartbreaking chaos.
All with the one boy she has never been able to forget. 
It will be a summer she will always remember. 
Warning: sexual references, and occasional coarse language



I'll award this series some serious credit for being able to capture the right essence and beauty of summer. It was bright, light and sunny....and it was kind of fun. So..YAY!

I've had crushes on older guys. I remember giggling 'mentally' (Yes, I was too cool.) after sneaking glances to see THAT hot senior guy or group of senior guys in my school. I'd walk by their classes repeatedly and I'd keep looking inside and go all swoony and ah, well....I was creepy. So I understand Tess's infatuation. 

I understand why seventeen-year old Tess was so enamoured by 22-year old Toby Morrison. I definitely see the appeal. It's quite natural, actually and frankly, pretty cute. Old and responsible guy with a cute, sweet girl? Nice dynamic.

The problem?

It wasn't believable. 

Tess, Ellie and Adam are best friends and have a fantastic plan for the summer. They plan to work at the Onslow Hotel, swim in the Onslow lake, watch fireworks and have water bomb fights. So all in all, it's going to be an enjoyable summer. But here's the specialty of YA summer-themed contemporary books: You always have hotties.
And the Onslow boys, aka Toby, Sean, Stan, Chris and Ringer are just that. THEY ARE HOTTIES. 
They are employed. They are sweet and they soon take Tess, Ellie and Adam under their wing which is really nice to read about because they come with buckets of banter and swoon swishing and swooshing over the brim, topped with the beauty of friendship, just like a cherry on a cake or..was it ice cream?

Anyway, the idea sounds so compelling and fun but it all fell apart in the book. I had some serious issues with Tess and her behaviour. I won't judge her for what she did but I, as a person, just couldn't agree with any of it. Ergo, I didn't like her. At all.
I loved Ellie and Adam, though! They were amazing bestfriends but by the second half, their characters started..diminishing? Fading away? So I was a tad disappointed. Some of the twists and turns in the book were unacceptable and I felt like pushing my kindle away before I seriously lost it. Sean's and Stan's and Adam's characters were the comic angle of the book but in the end, not much happened for them as well. Although, I wouldn't say that for Sean, because Sean was the only character in the book who actually managed to swoon me off my feet. 

Now, Toby is a different character. I like Broody and intense. I was made for broody and intense but hell no will I accept broody and intense, especially after ....you know. 
Toby as a love interest didn't sit well with me. I kept on vouching for a Tess-Adam or Tess-Sean dynamic because it made sense. They cared about Tess. They were protective, supportive and responsive which obviously, I didn't think Toby was. It wasn't normal and there was a point when all I could so was roll my eyes. Rolling eyes=Not good.

“Do you want some words of advice, Tess?”
I glanced at Adam’s profile as he sipped.
“Don’t give your heart away too easily.” He turned to me. “Make him earn it.”

  

Book: An Endless Summer
Author: C.J Duggan
File Type: Ebook
Release Date: July 11th 2013
Publisher: Self.
My ratings: 3 stars.                                                          
                                               
synopsis:After a rebellious summer night that almost claimed her life, Amy Henderson – the Onslow publican’s only daughter – is sent away to suffer a fate far worse than any other punishment:

Boarding School.

Three years on, a now nineteen-year-old Amy returns to Onslow for the summer. What once was a cauldron of activity with live bands, hot meals and cold beers, the Onslow Hotel now lies dark, deserted and depressing. All fond childhood memories of loitering on the hotel stairs and eavesdropping on customers’ colourful conversations are in the distant past.

How had her dad let it come to this?

With the new threat of putting the Onslow up for sale, Amy reluctantly turns to a local tradesman for help: Sean Murphy, the very same Onslow boy who saved her life all those years ago. With his help and that of some old friends, the task is clear: spend the summer building the hotel back up to its former glory or lose it for good.

In an endless summer, Amy soon realises that sometimes in order to save your future, you have to face your past, even if it’s in the form of a smug, gorgeous Onslow boy.



And now for, An Endless Summer...

*Drum rolls, please.*

THIS WAS GREAT!

I lean towards feistyness. Timid and shy girls just don't do it for me. I think maybe that's why I didn't like Tess all that much, but Amy, well, she's somebody I liked. And trust me, I liked her A LOT.

We met Amy Henderson in the previous book when she was just fifteen years old.Being the Onslow Hotel's owner's daughter, she was spoilt, irritating and easy to dislike. She was known for throwing tantrums and had a temper nobody wanted to be the victim of. But after almost losing her life when she was sixteen and after being saved and sent to boarding school, things were put in a perspective for this hot-headed train of spirit. 

And guess who saved her?

Presenting to you, the swooniest guy amongst the Onslow boys, Sean Murrrphyyy. I've always liked Sean and I didn't really like how things ended for him, in The Boys of Summer, so the fact that he was getting a book of his own appeased my angry heart. 

It's safe to say, that Amy and Sean were perfect for each other. There was so much banter, humour, swoon and hot-displays-of-chest (OMG.), that I don't think I have anything to complain about.

I loved Amy so much. I loved how she didn't want to let go of the hotel and how she wanted to bring back the hotel to it's former glory! I even started to like Toby which is funny considering how much I disliked him in the previous book. Even Tess seemed sane. HAH! Chris, Adam and Amy were the perfect cousins to each other. Even though, Chris was a tad dominating. Adam comes back to play a MAJOR role as the comic angle of the book and boy, his success in being funny is commendable. AND DO I SEE AN ADAM-ELLIE THINGIE IN FUTURE?

Oh wow.

What I love about such books or any book in a series, in general, is that they always shine a spotlight on the underdogs. I've always loved secondary characters and their potential and when these secondary characters get a book of their own, it just makes me immensely happy and I think that's why I read even the dorkiest of books. I read them because I want to know how the character's life pans out.

And An endless summer was satisfyingly good enough to make me happy.

“Come on Amy, I saved you once, I’ll save you again.”I met his stare unflinchingly. “I don’t need saving.”A wicked grin formed slowly. “Don’t you?”