Guy in Real Life by Steve Brezenoff

 ARC provided by the Publisher via Edelweiss

Author: Steve Brezenoff
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary 
Release Date: May 27th 2014 
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: April 23th, 2014

Synopsis

It is Labor Day weekend in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and boy and girl collide on a dark street at two thirty in the morning: Lesh, who wears black, listens to metal, and plays MMOs; Svetlana, who embroiders her skirts, listens to Björk and Berlioz, and dungeon masters her own RPG. They should pick themselves up, continue on their way, and never talk to each other again.

But they don't.

This is a story of two people who do not belong in each other's lives, who find each other at a time when they desperately need someone who doesn't belong in their lives. A story of those moments when we act like people we aren't in order to figure out who we are. A story of the roles we all play-at school, at home, with our friends, and without our friends-and the one person who might show us what lies underneath it all.

My Thoughts

Just so you know, it doesn't take a gamer to enjoy to this book, even the whole book itself revolves around role playing in various forms. I for one is not a gamer, but now the idea of playing Dungeons and Dragons seems very appealing.

Frankly speaking, at first I really, really, loved this book. It was so much different from most books I have read. I've always loved reading about characters with flaws and both Lesh and Lana were imperfect, yet perfect all the same. I loved their senses of humor. However, Lesh's obsession with Lana was a tad bit too disturbing for me. So character-wise, this book was not too shabby.

What really bugged was the storyline. About the first 60% or so, it was kind of wonderful getting to know the characters and all. However, it dawned on me that nothing much actually happened. It was so dragging, so slow and there was so much detail that I still don't think important. And that took the love that I initially had for this book away.

Overall, it was a cute story.

Thanks Balzer + Bray for the eGalley.

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Author: Marie Rutkoski
Genre: Young Adult | Historical
Series: The Winner's Trilogy
Book: 1
Release Date: March 4th 2014
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: April 11th, 2014

Synopsis
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

My Thoughts
I chose to read this book mainly because of the irresistible cover. Gosh, it was so gorgeous. Besides, based on the blurb, it did sound tempting.

I enjoyed this book a lot at the beginning, albeit the slow pace. It was indeed very interesting and different from other books I have read. I loved the characters, sadly, later on they seemed a bit off to me. I didn't enjoy the second half of the book as I did the first half. Frankly, the pace did get a lot better. Things moved faster and there were a lot of actions and some really messed up events happened. For some reasons, I didn't find those things interesting enough. Maybe it was because of the boring writing. I think the flow made it hard to focus on the story. It was not the kind of writing I'd enjoy.

Overall, the characters and the storyline were very interesting. I had problem with the writing itself, though. It was dragging and rather choppy. 

We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt

ARC provided by the Publisher via NetGalley

Author: Dana Reinhardt
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Release Date: May 27th 2014  
Publisher:  Wendy Lamb Books
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: April 10th, 2014

Synopsis
Nell knows a secret about her perfect, beautiful sister Layla. If she tells, it could blow their world apart.

When Nell and Layla were little, Nell used to call them Nellaya. Because to Nell, there was no difference between where she started and her adored big sister ended. They're a unit; divorce made them rely on each other early on, so when one pulls away, what is the other to do? But now, Nell's a freshman in high school and Layla is changing, secretive. And then Nell discovers why. Layla is involved with one of their teachers. And even though Nell tries to support Layla, to understand that she's happy and in love, Nell struggles with her true feelings: it's wrong, and she must do something about it.

My Thoughts
At one point when I was reading this book, I thought it was going to be one of those books that would blow my mind. Not that the book was not interesting or anything, but the slow, dragging pace really got on my nerves.

The writing which was done very nicely, actually. And that was one of the reasons for me to read and finish this book. It was full of questions that needed answers and I just couldn't put it down until I knew what the heck was going on. I guess the slow pace was because of this book was too overly descriptive. Nell went on and on before getting to the point. I liked her character, but the girl sounded insane at times.

Now on to the characters. I loved that Nell and Layla were not ones of those one-dimensional characters. At the beginning of the book, I was touched by how much Nell loved her big sister. Later, her love became a little too creepy. Though, I liked that she tried to protect her sister and all that.

The ending was not too bad, but I wasn't satisfied being left in the unknown. A bit on what was going to happen afterward would have been more than appreciated. 

Bad For You by Abbi Glines

Author: Abbi Glines
Genre: New Adult | Contemporary
Series: Sea Breeze
Book: 7
Release Date: April 1st, 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: April 4th, 2014

Synopsis
Innocence was never meant for the addictive…

Addiction was something Krit Corbin accepted as part of his nature a long time ago. He decided to embrace it and flip his finger at the rules. Women had always been the number one thing on his list of addictions. He couldn’t get enough. Being the lead singer in a rock band had only made access to his favorite addiction that much easier.

Being alone was the only thing Blythe Denton understood. The small town minister’s family that raised her hadn’t accepted her as their own. The minister’s wife had always made sure Blythe understood just how unworthy she was of love. When Blythe is sent away to college and given a chance to finally be free of living as an unwanted burden, she looks forward to having peace in her life. Being alone isn’t something that bothers her. She escapes reality in the stories she writes.

However, the ridiculously sexy tattooed guy who keeps throwing parties in the apartment above hers is driving her crazy. For starters, he doesn’t treat her like she would expect a guy with a different woman always hanging on his arm to treat someone as uninteresting as her. She looks nothing like the gorgeous women she sees parading in and out of his apartment, but for some strange reason he keeps showing up at her door.

During a party at his apartment, Krit’s new neighbor comes to the door with her long brown hair pulled up in a messy knot and a pair of glasses perched on her cute little nose. She wants him to turn down the music, but he convinces her to stay.

Krit Corbin may have just found his biggest addiction yet. And Blythe Denton realizes too late that she’s finally been claimed. 

My Thoughts
This is a companion book in Sea Breeze series that can be read a standalone, but some characters from previous books do appear in this one also.

First off, I didn't like the cover. I didn't mind the white background much even it seemed a bit lack of creativity and all, but those tattoos really looked weird and downright ridiculous.

I hate to say that I wasn't impressed with this one.Thus far, I have love/hate relationship with this series. I liked most of them enough to continue the series, but man, I need something more than just another new adult books where secrets, abuses and crazy exes. It was entertaining all right, still it felt like I was rereading one of her books, just with different characters. The twist added near the end of the book was a joke, just to create more drama.

The characters were not interesting either. Blythe was so pathetic and very annoying. I was sick and tired for the mentioning of her "innocence" and her being "Perfect". I mean the girl was 19 for eff's sake, not a 5 year-old that needed to be told she was a perfect little girl all the time. And Krit used to be okay for me, back in book 6, I liked him a lot. However, in this one, he just didn't make much sense to me. I liked his protective side, but pushing another guy who just happened to walk near his girl was not cool.

Anyway, it was not that bad if you haven't read a lot of new adult books before, but if you have, you will find that this is anything but original. Some plots were kinda interesting, hence the 3-star rating. I hope book 8 which is scheduled to released this summer is a lot better than this one.

Boys Like You by Juliana Stone

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley

Author: Juliana Stone
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Release Date: May 6th 2014 
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: April 1, 2014

Synopsis
One mistake.
 
And everything changes.

For Monroe Blackwell, one small mistake has torn her family apart –leaving her empty and broken. There’s a hole in her heart that nothing can fill. That no one can fill. And a summer in Louisiana with her Grandma isn’t going to change that…

Nathan Everets knows heartache first-hand when a car accident leaves his best friend in a coma. And it’s his fault. He should be the one lying in the hospital. The one who will never play guitar again. He doesn’t deserve forgiveness, and a court-appointed job at the Blackwell B&B isn’t going to change that…

Captivating and hopeful, this achingly poignant novel brings together two lost souls struggling with grief and guilt – looking for acceptance, so they can find forgiveness.

My Thoughts
A book about two broken-soul teenagers, Monroe and Nathan, being tormented by their pasts, trying to find a way to help each other get through it all...

To be honest, even it was not a bad read, there wasn't much about this book that made it special. There are way too many books out there with so much similar plots as this one. I really have no idea how many books I have read that have been about remorseful/broken people helping each other live again, trying to redeem themselves and whatnot. Therefore, I have to say that I wasn't impressed.

It was a decent book, anyway. The characters were nice; though, I wasn't too keen on perfect characters. Based on the descriptions from the book, they both were absolutely perfect, living picture-perfect lives if their broken souls were not mentioned. Hard to say, this is not the only book with perfect characters, so I think I can let that slide.

As for the romance, I don't think I was into that much either. While it was sweet (a little bit cheesy) and all, it felt a little too fast for me. They moved from barely saying more than a few sentences to completely in love in just a few weeks.

The writing and the pace were okay, I guess. It wasn't neither draggy nor too fast-paced. However, the story was not that realistic in my idea, which did disappoint me a little since I was really psyched about reading it.

The Edge of Never

Author: J.A. Redmerski
Pages: 427 
Genre: New Adult
Published Date: November 15th, 2012
Rating:  ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis
Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.

But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?

Review
As much as I want to say that I loved this book, I simply can't. Don't get me wrong, it is a good book. However, it is not that good. Or maybe it was because I started The Edge of Never with high expectation since a lot of people told me it was so good that it would leave me heartbroken after reading.

When I read the first 10 chapters or so, I was so into the book. It was full of surprises. Heck, I love surprises. I was literally on the edge on my seat and "ooh" & "ahh" quite a few times that I am not ashamed to admit. It was, in my opinion at that time, one seriously great book.

Then things started to get a bit messy and weird when Camryn and Andrew began to talk about sex. It was just so unpredictable. I had already known that there would be sexual content in the book, but it still took me by surprise. At that time, I didn't know I was fond of surprise anymore. Not when it was that kind of surprise. The book became a bit kinky.

Anyway, I loved the characters. Camryn and Andrew were great together. The plots and the wording were also nice (except for that "surprise" part), so it was nice and fun to read.

It was supposed to be a tearjerker, but my eyes were as dry as Sahara desert. It made me wonder if it was me or the book was not that emotional as it is said to be. I was happy that the book ended with a happy ending.

Well, to sum up, the book was good enough to read. Entertaining? Yes. Sweet? Yes. Emotional? Maybe. But it didn't rock my world as I hoped it would.

Breathe

Authors: Abbi Glines
Series: Sea Breeze
Book: 1
Format: Kindle
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Published Date: May 17th 2011
Publisher: Wild Child Publishing
Rating: ❤❤❤

Synopsis
Sadie White's summer job isn't going to be on the beach life-guarding or working at rental booths like most kids her age. With her single mother's increasing pregnancy and refusal to work, Sadie has to take over her mother's job as a domestic servant for one of the wealthy summer families on a nearby island.

When the family arrives at their summer getaway, Sadie is surprised to learn that the owner of the house is Jax Stone, one of the hottest teen rockers in the world. If Sadie hadn't spent her life raising her mother and taking care of the house she might have been normal enough to be excited about working for a rock star.

Even though Sadie isn't impressed by Jax's fame, he is drawn to her. Everything about Sadie fascinates Jax but he fights his attraction. Relationships never work in his world and as badly as he wants Sadie, he believes she deserves more. By the end of the summer, Jax discovers he can't breathe without Sadie.

Review
I wish I could say I liked the book more than this because I really love Ms. Glines's books. Her The Vincent Boys series is very fascinating (I still need to read book 2, though.)

This book started out pretty interesting and I did enjoy flying through the pages. Then it felt a bit too sugary sweet and unrealistic to me. I don't want to sound impolite, but Sadie was just so annoying as h*ll. I knew she was supposed to get hurt when Jax ended their short-life romance, but seriously, she should have gotten a grip. Not eating or going out was just too pathetic.

Moreover, why did every guy (yes, every one of them) have to fall for her? Yes, I know she was sweet, pretty and naive (seriously?), but does it have to be every one of them? I cannot remember how many times I asked myself, "Him too?". 

Let's move on to her mother, the character that bugged me even more than Sadie. A grown a** woman who had a 17-year-old daughter should not have acted like that. Got knocked up, walking around in her underwear, whining about everything and her daughter had to buy condoms for her. Are you for real? Here is what pushed me over the edge:

Jessica slept all night, and if I tried to wake her, she burst into tears. When she cried, Sam cried, so I just left her alone.

For those of you who haven't read it yet, Jessica was Sadie's mother and Sam was the newly born baby boy. This was the scene after Jessica gave birth to baby Sam. I assumed Jessica was at least in her late 30 and the fact that she cried when her daughter wanted her to take care of the baby was unbelievable.

Anyway, I am still  going to read book 2, just to find out what else is going to happen.