Review: Amour Amour by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Amour Amour by Krista & Becca Ritchie
Publication Date: December 12, 2014
Publisher: Self-Published
Page Count: 347 pages

Summary: The best aerial technique won’t land 21-year-old Thora James her dream role in Amour—a sexy new acrobatic show on the Vegas strip. Thora knows she’s out of her element the second she meets Amour’s leading performer. Confident, charming and devilishly captivating, 26-year-old Nikolai Kotova lives up to his nickname as the “God of Russia.” When Thora unknowingly walks into the cross hairs of Nikolai’s after-show, her audition process begins way too soon. Unprofessional. That’s what Nik calls their “non-existent” relationship. It’s not like Thora can avoid him. For one, they may be partners in the future--acrobatic partners, that is. But getting closer to Nik means diving deeper into sin city and into his dizzying world. Thora wants to perform with him, but when someone like Nikolai attracts the spotlight wherever he goes—Thora fears that she’s destined to be just background to his spellbinding show.

I didn't hear about Amour Amour until very recently, as I was currently reading the Addicted series by the same authors. I was already completely hooked on the series because of the writing, the characters, and their chemistry with each other whether through friendships or relationships. These authors do such a good job with all the aspects of a book that I truly love, so I decided I had to try Amour Amour. Especially since I was just finishing the last of the Addicted books. I had high expectations all things considered, and I was not let down! I really loved this one as well.

Review: I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Publisher: Dial Books
Page Count: 371 pages

Summary: Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

I’ll Give you The Sun is the second young adult novel by Jandy Nelson, her debut being The Sky Is Everywhere. I enjoyed her debut so much; the imagery in her writing captures the emotions of her characters so well and the writing is beautifully poetic, which gives a certain feel to the words on the page. It’s almost overwhelming to read her prose and the emotions that are evoked. I can say the same for this one as well. She so easily makes my chest tighten for Lennie, Noah, and Jude.

Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

(short note: Sorry for the major delay in posts! Busy times so I didn't have much time available for putting together posts. So I'm getting back into the groove of things with this review, so it's on the short and simple side.)

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Publication Date: May 4, 2010

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Page Count: 344 pages

Summary: Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it's Amy's responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn't ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip - and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar - especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory - but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour is my first journey into the world of Morgan Matson novels. I've had this one on my to read list for a while now but I just hadn't brought myself to read it yet. Then Since You've Been Gone (will be reviewed in the future) came out and all the excitement and love over this book and for Matson in general had me deciding, I just have to give her books a try! I have to say, I wasn't disappointed with this one at all. I love discovering new voices who come to be some of my favorites.  

The novel starts off with Amy, who's left alone in her old house for the last month before summer and the new beginning in a new place, as per her mother's choice. Due to some things that have yet to be revealed in the story, instead of Amy driving herself across country to get to her new home, she's joined by Roger. Roger agreed to drive her because he's also going to the east coast to visit his father after finished his semester at school. Both are meeting for the first time right before heading off on their little adventure.  

Amy and Roger's Detour was a delightful little read about learning how to deal with grief and letting go for the sake of the future as well as emotional healing. Amy and Roger both have their fair share of emotional turmoil and incidents to come to terms with and together they grow as they continue to travel from state to state, ignoring the itinerary made by Amy's mother. While it doesn't take long to understand what Roger is dealing with, Amy's story is revealed slowly within the novel, within length of her acceptance and understanding. I enjoyed the evolution of their relationship with each other, and the growth of their friendship and the camaraderie that builds on the road trip. It's not forced or superficial, nor is it something that moves too fast. For me, it was just right and unique to them. Both were also great characters to read about outside their relationships. Amy specifically, with what we see of her and her brother and his own healing as well. I wish we'd gotten to see more between Amy and her mother, how they were able to work through things together but the book still had a great end to it.  

Overall, this was a great first novel to start by Morgan Matson. Second Chance Summer will be the next one I'll try.

Review Time: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
Publication Date: April 15th, 2014
Publisher: Walker Children's
Page count: 342 pages

Summary: After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

Open Road Summer was something I'd been greatly anticipating after hearing about it while going around visiting book blogs ( you've probably heard enough of it by now but I just have to talk about it). Whether it was people who had already read it or wanted to read it, I saw nothing but good things and my hype was quickly building. I even attempted to wait it out because school had me so busy and I was also currently reading something else. Alas, I'm not good at denying myself what I want! I started it....and I was immediately drawn into the book.

What I liked about it: Reagan O'neill, for starters. She was heart weary and a bit shattered emotionally after too many mistakes in her life, but she wanted to change things and to become a better version of herself. She didn't make excuses about her actions and she didn't take anyways crap. I also enjoyed that this was another female character in the young adult genre who wasn't squeaky clean; Reagan has had her fair share of fun with boys and other things and she's had her moments of carelessness.

“I wanted to reach back into my history with a grade-school pink eraser, scrubbing away my decisions like mistakes on a math test. Too bad I drew my mistakes in ink.”

Dee Montgomery was another great character. She was the complete opposite of Reagan in so many ways but she didn't judge Reagan for who she was or what she did. She was a sweetheart but she wasn't a bland one; you couldn't not love her and you certainly couldn't go without loving their friendship. It's one that most of us yearn for or are lucky enough to have ourselves.  They love each other to death, they trust one another so much with everything they have, and they support each other without a second of hesitancy when something goes wrong. Even if they're mad at each other. However, this doesn't mean their friendship was “perfect”. You can't be as close as they are and not occasionally butt heads. What's important is they don't let their fights get in between what's important to them: their friendships.

The third reason I liked it is the Romance of course! And Matt Finch. Thinking his name gives me warm feelings because he was such a beautiful addition to this novel. Reagan was hooked on him the moment they meet and so was I. But, Reagan being her new and improved self who doesn't want to do anything stupid, doesn't let him now just how much he affects her. They clash in the best of ways and his teasing is so perfect when it comes to breaking down Reagan's walls. His songs, his feelings, his actions, everything about him is so genuine and different than what Reagan believes she deserves so seeing the romance between them as they fell harder and harder was beyond any words I can type to try and explain. Did I mention he sings?

“Do you want me to beg you? Do you want me to say please? Then this is the rest of my pride, girl. This song is me down on my knees. Just give in, give in to me, girl. I'll give everything I've got.”

Overall, I enjoyed everything about this book. All of the characters, the plot, the dialogue and all the beautiful quotable words. Emery Lord gave me a contemporary young adult novel that I'll be thinking about for a long time, and will be making me switch up my list of favorites! Go forth and read it immediately!

What I Thought Was True by Huntley FitzPatrick (Arc Review)

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Publisher: Dial (Penguin)
Page Count: 416 Pages

Summary: Gwen Castle's Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, is slumming it as a yard boy on her Nantucket-esque island this summer. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and house cleaners who keep the island's summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she'll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen's dad gives her some shocking advice. Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is.

I was beyond excited to start this book before I had even received it. Excited because I'd won the giveaway and excited because I was so satisfied with My Life Next Door I couldn't wait to see what else Huntley Fitzpatrick had written and if she had the ability to get me hooked on another story. She did, with such ease. 

What I Thought Was True is one of those stories about summertime. It's about the lives of people who live year round on an island and what it's like for them outside the vacation frenzy of the rich people, as well as how important those people can be for them. I immediately fell for the setting and how Ms. Fitzpatrick so easily has you lured into the beauty of Seashell Island. Less so for the occasional bout of snobbish ways for a few of the characters.

Gwen and Cass (Especially Cass, one of my favorite boys of YA now) were both such wonderful and delightful characters to read about and get to know. Their back story was more complicated than I at first was expecting, but I enjoyed the back and forth between them. It was another thing so well done when usually it's something that leaves me annoyed with the characters. They were so hooked on each other and just didn't know what to do about it with their past mistakes hanging over them and so much fear to go forward. I was rooting for them from the very start. I enjoyed the chemistry (so much), and the dialogue, and especially the sweetness.

The side characters were also very enjoyable, more specifically Gwen's family. These were lovable and supportive people with their own problems and experiences into the story. They balanced so well with the drama and plot of the story. They were as important in Gwen's life as Cass and even her relationship with Mrs. Ellington. The book was so specific in every little detail, there isn't anything I didn't love about it. It's almost as if you're learning about life and what the future holds right along with Gwen, Cass, and the rest of the gang.

Definitely 5 stars for this one, I think in many ways I enjoyed it even more than My Life Next Door. I can't wait for what Huntley Fitzpatrick has prepared next.

Review - Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay
Publication Date: November 13, 2012
Publisher: Atria Books
Page Count: 380 pages

Summary: Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone discovering her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay. All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone, and everyone allows it because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space. Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. The more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to.

I picked up this book with excitement because I saw so many good things being said about it, and that is always a reason to try a book out. I started it with certain expectations and it turned out to be a complete 180 in regards to these expectations. Sea of Tranquility is a story about two lonely teenagers who've each had their own tragedies to survive through before they've even had time to grow up. Nastya is still closed off and angry after a brutal incident took away something that was more important to her than her life. Josh is floating through life convinced that being alone is his only option after everyone he loves dies. Things change when Nastya is enrolled at his school.

This one started off slow for me. There was so much inner dialogue in the beginning and it was a bit harder to work through, but it was still good and I was too curious about Nastya and Josh to skim or flounce. Both of them are almost emotionless or numb in the beginning, and it was another tough thing to push through. However, their interactions and all the little scenarios that gradually morphed into more important feelings and moments were exciting and had me on the edge.

Drew, on the other hand, kept interrupting the excitement. I'm glad he ended up caring about Nastya but all the playing around he did was annoying and had me frustrated on more than one occasion. One of my favorite moments, though, was between him and his sister when she exploded on him with some kind of wake up call. I like that it showed he cared, and we did get to see his growth on the sideline along with Nastya's and Josh's.

Nastya's tragedy was more complicated and random than I expected—even if she said it herself in the story. My mind couldn't conjure up something as brutal as the truth. And the emotions and problems that Josh had to work through himself, seemed to correlate so smoothly with everything going on in Nastya's world. While her family struggled when it came to coping with what happened to her and her feelings since that horrible day, I wasn't fond of the birthday scene. Such an unnecessary ambush.

The very last page though....insane. I don't even think I can put into words how that last scene made me feel but it was delightfully amazing.