Left Drowning by Jessica Park

Author: Jessica Park
Genre: New Adult | Contemporary
Release Date:  July 16th 2013
Publisher:  Skyscape
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: January 27, 2014

Synopsis 
What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?

Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.

My Thoughts
Another great book by Jessica Park. This book shared some similarities with Flat-Out Love, which I also loved dearly, yet they were so very different.

This book touched even tougher topic than I had expected, but there were some very hilarious scenes as well, even they weren't that many. It was a story about abuse and regrets. These seem to be the most popular themes for new adult books at the moment, but trust me this one has set the bar for the others.

There were some VERY erotic scenes. But I still liked the book and after those steamy moments, the story became even more emotional, which kinda made up for that.

Best of March 2014

I think it might be fun to wrap up what I have read each month, so I guess I'll start with March. I had read 36 books last month - that includes some novellas. Some of them were new adult books, but most were young
adult books as I was a little fed up with new adult books being about nothing but secrets, secrets and some more secrets. I don't normally rate a book 5 stars, so you'll see A LOT of 4-star books being listed below.

So here are my favorite of the month:

I really enjoyed reading this book. Well, I'm not a big fan of time traveling, but this one really changed my idea of this genre. This book was very fun (and also heartbreaking) to read with its engaging dialogues, well-developed characters, beautifully written storyline and unpredictable plots. Moreover, the romance was really sweet without being over the top.
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: March 5th, 2014



I haven't read many post apocalyptic fictions (mostly I read contemporary), but this book was really good.  I found it enjoyable, yet very sickening at times. It was brutal and dark, especially around the last 10 chapters. It did capture my full attention even at some points it got a little too intense for my liking.
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: March 8th, 2014



Well, it wasn't very original for sure. Lack of originality aside, it was a very sweet romance, especially the ending, which was so sickeningly sweet! And I loved it!

Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: March 8th, 2014




It was a lot better than its predecessor Maybe This Time. I liked the characters and the plots way more than when I read book 1. The romance was so much sweet too which made it a fun read.
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: March 11th, 2014

 After I finished this book, I had a little problem with the rating. I wasn't sure whether I should rate it 2 stars or 4 stars. It was so difficult to decide as I both loved it and hated it almost equally. Then I went with 4 stars because of the emotional stuff going on in the book and the ending which was well-executed.
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: March 14th, 2014


One of the most romantic and most emotional books I have ever read. EVER! I loved it so much. I just couldn't put it down even it made me cry buckets. I was hesitated at first since it sounded so depressing, but I'm so glad I chose to read anyway.
The pace was so nice and the story sucked me in so completely from the very beginning.
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: March 17th, 2014

 Another great book about second chance romance. It was extremely emotional and I wept like a baby some many times to count. The problem I had with this book is the cover which was so ugly and didn't look professional at all.
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: March 17th, 2014

Because Colleen Hoover wrote it. Duh! It was such an amazing book. Again, this author made me cry and I loved every second of it. A must read by any book lovers because I can't think of any reason why not. If you have a chance to read it, don't forget to listen to the songs as well. Boy, it took my reading experience to a whole new level with those songs playing along.
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: March 18th, 2014

A great young adult book about really abuse. It was frustrating more I can describe, but I guess that what made this book interesting. It was a little slow for me as well, but last few chapters were so freaking good. The novella, The Blue Haired Boy, was just as wonderful.
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: March 23rd, 2014



This is a second installment in Unwanted series. I received an ARC from the publisher and I was so happy because I really loved The Unwanted Wife. While it couldn't be compared to its predecessor, this book was just as emotional. I enjoyed it a lot that I finished it in one sitting.
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: March 26th, 2014

 One of the best GLBT books I have ever read. Great plots, amazing characters, witty wording. I also received an ARC of this book from the publisher. In fact I got it since February and I'm still angry with myself that I chose not to read it right away. It was that good.
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: March 28th, 2014

 Another ARC I should have read sooner. It was a very-written book about Tora who stuck on earth alone after most of the people died while the rest were evacuated to another planet. It was fast-paced and full of suspense.
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: March 29th, 2014

The Secrets of Lily Graves by Sarah Strohmeyer

ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss

Author: Sarah Strohmeyer
Genre: Young Adult | Mystery
Release Date: May 13rd 2014 
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
Read: April 2, 2014

Synopsis

Growing up in a house of female morticians, Lily Graves knows all about buried secrets. She knows that perfect senior-class president Erin Donohue isn’t what she seems. She knows why Erin’s ex-boyfriend, hot football player Matt Houser, broke up with her. And she also knows that, even though she says she and Matt are just friends, there is something brewing between them—something Erin definitely did not like.

But secrets, even ones that are long buried, have a way of returning to haunt their keeper.

So when Erin is found dead the day after attacking Lily in a jealous rage, Lily's and Matt’s safe little lives, and the lives of everyone in their town of Potsdam, begin to unravel. And their relationship—which grew from innocent after-school tutoring sessions to late-night clandestine rendezvous—makes them both suspects.

As her world crumbles around her, Lily must figure out the difference between truth and deception, genuine love and a web of lies. And she must do it quickly, before the killer claims another victim.

My Thoughts
I loved Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer, and since this one was written by the same author, I was really excited. She didn't disappoint as The Secrets of Lily Graves was such an intriguing book.

First off, I have to say the title didn't seem to fit the book. The book was amazing all right, but I'm not sure if I had missed anything or there wasn't anything about Lily's secrets. Well, she was observant and knew a lot about people around her, but those were other people's secrets, not hers. Anyway, it wasn't big of a deal.

It started out a little slow, but still pretty nice and not at all boring. The pace did pick up close to the end of the book when finally the murderer was reveal. The twists were great and surprising, but I did, however, know already who killed Erin.

The characters, on the other hand, were well-developed. I loved that each of them had certain personality that differentiated them from the others. It made the book more realistic that way. I loved Matt, Lily and Auntie Boo the most among all the characters. Sara was also a great character.

Overall, I think this book was a real nice young adult suspense. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a nicely-written book with interesting characters and plots that keep you guessing.

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.