The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Publisher: Harper Teen     
Publication date: July 2nd 2013
My rating: 3 star

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.
So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.
She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

Caymen works in her mother's doll shop when a rich, totally gorgeous guy comes in looking for a birthday present for his grandmother. They have an instant connection and slowly start to hang out. He is Caymen's perfect guy but her mother would not approve because she was burned in the past, after Caymen's father left her mother when she got pregnant. Due to her mother's past Caymen is afraid to show her feeling towards Xander. 

What I liked the most about this book is the main character, Caymen. If I had to describe her in just one word I would use, sarcastic. She's like the long lost Rose Hathaway twin, without the ass-kicking. She's not only afraid of Xander but also of the future. Since her mother's broke she can't afford to go to college and she doesn't want think about it at all. 

I have a soft spot for guys named Alex and Devyani does too. *sigh* There's just something about that name I find so appealing.  Alex, or Xander, in this book,  was a wonderful male specimen. Like a guy who can make your skin on fire with a single touch and can also hold you when you're having a bad day. I kind of pictured him as Nolan Gerard Funk's character Collin from Awkward. Even though his family owns a bunch of hotels he isn't a snob and isn't afraid to get dirty and dig up a grave, literally. 

I didn't like how the author resolved the money problem in this novel. I highly doubt anything like that happens outside books and movies. I don't want to reveal what really happens but those who get the chance to read it will understand what I'm talking about. 

All in all, The Distance Between Us was a light summer read and I will check out Kasie's future contemporary novels. 

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa C. Walker

Publisher: Bloomsbury    
Publication date: May 22nd 2012
My rating: 4 stars

Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life. 
Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now. 
Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart?

Last year, when Unbreak My Heart came out I didn't want to read it. I can't remember why. I just didn't. but a couple of days ago I was browsing Goodreads and stumbled upon this book I decided to try it out because I was craving a story about redemption and I'm so glad I picked it up. It was just what I needed. 

Unbreak My Heart is a story about Clementine, who's in love with her best friend's boyfriend. She is forced to go sailing with her family after her friends turn their backs on her.  Clem spends the first half of the book being mean to her parents and sister. They forgave her cause she's dealing with a lot of this. Every thing changes when she meets James who's sailing with his dad. 

I think I've never read a book with a red-head love interest so this book already gained some points. James is so freaking cute. He loves to draw, talks a lot and smiles all the time which helps Clementine stop thinking about her problems. Well, she finally deals with them after seeing some people aren't so lucky, like her. 

Aside from cute love interest I would like to mention Clem's parents. They're an awesome example of busy parents doing a great job raising their kids. They still find the time to talk to their daughters and even take 3 months of work to go sailing. They let Clem blow out her steam, even though she was being rude. I don't think I can remember more than 3 examples of great parenting in YA novels so I was really pleased Melissa Walker gave us a loving and supporting family. 

Book Review: Torched by Andrea Lynn Colt

Title:  Torched
Author:  Andrea Lynn Colt
File type:  kindle
Release date:  September 8th, 2012
Genre:  YA, contemporary. mystery

~Sparks fly in this romantic young-adult mystery~
Cheerleader Rose Whitfield's senior year goes up in smoke when she's framed for arson. Sure that the culprit is her neighbor Paxton, with whom she's been feuding since middle school, she sets out to clear her name and take Paxton down hard--not necessarily in that order.

Oh,wow. This book came as a huge surprise! I had no idea it would be so good. Last week, I was looking for books bellow 300 pages I could read, just so I can catch up with my GR reading challenge so I choose Torched because it seemed like a cute book about working with your enemy who would turn out to be a really great guy. 

Aww... I love Rose as the main character because she is basically what every main character should be like. She is dealing well with the fact everyone hates her for the fire she didn't set. She doesn't spend hours in her room crying but with the help of Paxton, her hot neighbour goes looking for the real person who did it. They've been pulling pranks on each other since they were kids and I couldn't help but sigh every time these two got into an argument, or talked, or whenever. 

Andrea Lynn Colt! You better write something new soon. I need more of your awesome characters and cute plot lines. I will read everything you write. 

I wrote this review so I can persuade my friends to pick it up because they won't be wasting their time. Dear friends, please, pleeeasseeee read Torched. It will make me so happy. Everyone needs to read a good fluffy book from time to time. 

She is also a very talented graphic designer. Check out her blog.

Book Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Book: Dare You To
Author: Katie McGarry
File Type: Ebook
Release Date: June 7th 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Synopsis:

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does.... 

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him. 

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Review:This book was sooo good.
I've read Pushing The Limits and even though it had a good story , it just wasn't enough for me to get into it and like it. Pushing The Limits touched emotional topics. Topics that shatter hearts and tend to make readers emotional. But I, as a reader felt nothing and neither did the romance between Noah and Echo feel real and natural. It was there. It had a story but it just wasn't good enough. But Dare You To is an entirely different case and it managed to do what Pushing The Limits couldn't: Evoke emotions and Make itself memorable.

Here's how it is going to be with this one here.
If you're expecting sad secrets and tear-jerking emotions, then don't.
This is Beth's and Ryan's story. A story with characters who speak for themselves and cannot be broken even if things aren't right. Sure Beth is closed off and doesn't let anyone in and sure, Ryan is the tough guy who everybody thinks has a perfect life, but both of them are badass. Both of them have problems in their lives which by the way are explained right from the beginning, so don't expect tears because this one's for the smiles and hearts. This one is about finding your way through a bushy maze in a stormy night with heavy rain pelting your bony heads. And speaking of rain, look at that damn cover....

So here's what you can expect from this book.
Swoon. Lot's of Swoon. Ryan's and Beth's story isn't one that hasn't been read about before but it is what it is and it's enough to make you giggle like a mad girl. In Pushing The Limits we could see a possibility of Beth ending up with her bestfriend Isaiah but as soon as the blurb and cover for Dare You To came out, many were disappointed and didn't expect Ryan's character to be good enough. But , I promise you all, Ryan is one hell of a guy and makes up for all the frowns we had when we saw a Beth and Ryan future with no Isaiah in it.

What's also right about this book is it's key element: Romance.
I love those who fight to get what's theirs and fight to keep it and never let go. Isn't it what it is? Are you going to let that fat bully take your favourite piece of chocolate away from you? Are you going to get that divine bar of awesomeness, just to lose it all over again?

I loved Dare You To and there were some parts concerning Isaiah that broke my heart too! But I don't need to be guilty because there's a third book too! And guess who gets to be the main guy in that? Yes. You guessed it right! ISAIAH! :D

So go ahead! Read this one. Because if you didn't like PTL, you're going to like this and if you did, this is totally different from what you read in PTL and is definitely good.

Book Review: Dizzy by Jolene Perry and Nyrae Dawn

book: Dizzy

author: Nyrae Dawn and Jolene Perry

file type: ebook

Dylan doesn’t do relationships. He and his older brother watched their dad go through hell and back, so they made a pact years ago—no girl would come between the Gibson boys. But his brother sells out. He's getting married anyway. To the sister of a chick Dylan met at a party, who's probably the angriest girl he's ever met. Unfortunately, she happens to be hot, too.

Ziah’s life is upside down—her safe boyfriend turns out to be not-so-safe, and now her sister is getting married before college is over to the older brother of a spoiled, party boy who drives her crazy. And also makes her heart beat too fast.

There’s no denying the attraction, but there's also no denying how much they irritate each other. When they’re thrown together as forced wedding planners, they find an ally in each other--neither wants this wedding to happen.

But instead of putting a stop to the crazy nuptials they find themselves at fittings and cake testing. And maybe even…a few dates?
Dizzy is a novel about what happens when two people who are determined not to fall in love, maybe do anyway. Maybe.

This book makes me soooo Dizzy with happiness.

Dammit book! Where were you all my life? Where were you when I was banging my head on the wall because I was tired of reading horrible characters who make romance=cheese? Where were you when I was a worn out traveller in disguise , in search of books that gave me that kind of lightiness that made me swoon senselessly? WHERE WERE YOU?

Before I start this review , I'm just going to have to warn you all..
This review is going to be LOADED. It's going to be loaded with lot's of gushing! With lot's of incoherent rambles! Lot's of neurotic ideas and lot's of dyiiiiing! You have been warned.

Let me tell you one thing straight. This book is a classic cliche.
Serious cliche. IS CLICHED.
It's the classic story of a boy who comes across a girl in a party where both of them see each other and think that the person before their eyes is a total beauty with all those colourful eyes and perfect bodies and god/goddess looks that beautiful people usually have. It's the same story where both the boy and girl have their issues and try to fight their obvious attraction. It's the same story where there's a lot of funny banter between both the protagonists. It's still the same story where there are lot's and lot's and LOT'S of gasps! blushes! Tingling sensory glands! Invasion of personal space! Urgent kisses! and yeah..the same exact thing. 

BUT

WHATTHEHECK!

I don't care if I've read the same exact thing a thousand times and I certainly don't care if I'm enjoying every bit of it! What I want to do is scream out and do cartwheels. When I had come across Dizzy , I had known in my heart that I would like every bit of it. There is just something about those books....You know the types where you read the given synopsis of that particular book and you know that you're in love and that there is going to be nothing , as in , NOTHING between you and that book. That was the kind of feeling I had When I saw Dizzy.
Dylan and Ziah the main protagonists of the book are such cool characters. Not once did I feel that their romance was forced or that I was supposed to like it. It just flowed and I like flowy things! I love those huge flowy skirts! I love the fountain outside my house! I love my flowy bright curtains! I FREAKING LOVE FLOW! and that is why I love you Dizzy. 

Ziah and Dylan were the typical characters with relationship issues.
And the fact that , that did not annoy me is epic in itself! Like for example, when you're reading a book about this guy and girl who are madly into each other but keep on denying their feelings and do super stupid things and all you , as a reader, feel like doing is PUNCHING THEM. It happens so many times. So many times have I wanted to kick my kindle and Ipad and So many times have I felt like flushing my paperback down the drain. But..So many times there are books which make me want to dance on Dancing Queen by ABBA. So many times I feel like dying of all that swoon. SO MANY TIMES!

Leaving the main protagonists , I think the other characters were fantastic as well! Lora's and Derrick's love story may have not come across totally to the readers , but there was just something about them that made me want to know their story as well. I loved Paul's character. He is again the typical guy-bestfriend. He is the person who plays the part of a party clown , funny tattle and of course , a flirt.

The way I've been up with my psychobabble it almost sounds like the book is perfect. But of course it isn't. It has it's flaw and not everything is as cut out as it seems to be but the awesomeness outweighs the crapiness anyday! The pace is so right...neither is it too long or too short. It's the perfect balance and no way in hell do we ever get a chance to get bored.

Ms.Jolene Perry and Nyrae Dawn have done a wonderful job by collaborating their works and putting in both their talents together. Although , I haven't read a single book by them before , this one here is incentive to keep me moving and just simply enjoy.

In the end, Dizzy is a fun , sweet , fast and an amazingly cute book with all the swoon and brightness a light read usually exhibits. 
For all those who want to enjoy a nice , short fun read , then this is where you need to go and knock.