Mini-Reviews (16): Ice Like Fire, Wedding Date For Hire, An Inheritance of Ashes

So sometimes I fail at writing reviews for the books I've read, and 2016 has me failing spectacularly (as did 2015). And because it's been AGES since I read these, I'm just gonna do mini-reviews of them, so as to clear my need-review shelf (cause it's humungous, it's not even funny).

Title/Author: Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2) by Sara Raasch
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, October 13th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

I really liked the first book in this series, and sadly Ice Like Fire didn't work quite as well for me, mainly because it suffered from second book syndrome. The whole book basically feels like there are BIG THINGS ABOUT TO HAPPEN, but then they fail to really start happening until about the end of the book.
Which is not to say that I didn't enjoy it, I liked getting to know more about this world and the magic and what the heck is up with this chasm and everything. I just would have liked it to be a little more filled with action as well, along with the worldbuilding. Meira is being held back because she is Queen now and it's not Queen-like to go around throwing a chakram. And while I get this, it's also REALLY annoying.
The love triangle continues and ermagerd, I liked Theron in the first book, but now he was just being annoying and I have mixed feelings about Mather and can we maybe get another option? Because I'm not having shippy feelings for either of them.

The ending definitely leaves me curious to find out how this will be wrapped up in the last book, which is hopefully filled with awesome.

My rating: 3,5 stars

Title/Author: Wedding Date For Hire by Jennifer Shirk
Publisher/Date published: Entangled Publishing, October 12th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

Mostly what I remember about this book is not really being into it, but finishing it because it was only 200 pages. I'm always down for a good fake dating story, but this one just fell a little short of what I wanted. There's not a lot of actual depth to the story or the characters and it goes from fake dating to LOVE in ten seconds, which is just not really my thing.
I mean, it was ok and there were some nice moments between the two main characters, but Maddie just seemed too naive and not really seeing what was in front of her and while Trent is a good guy, I just didn't get the shippy feels.

My rating: 2 stars

Title/Author: An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet
Publisher/Date published: Clarion Books, October 6th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

I almost DNF-ed this in the beginning so many times. Then things started to pick up a bit, but I don't know, I just expected more based on the summary. There's never that edge of your seat feeling going on. Mostly, I felt like part of the book was missing, because it felt like we were being dumped down in the middle of a story and things don't make sense and aren't being explained later on, like I'd expected and I'm still confused about a lot of things. I'm still not really sure what was going on with the Twisted Things and the God and what the heck was up with everything??
The plot just sort of simmers on, but while there's a sort of battle at one point, it doesn't really get exciting. But Leah Bobet builds this incredible atmosphere that I can't describe any better than 'grey'. All of it just felt grey and bleak to me and that's the feeling I also get just thinking about the novel. And she did manage to suck me in, because at one point I was like, yeah, ok, I do actually want to know how this ends.

I'm still not really sure what to think of this book, other than that I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either.

My rating: 2,5 stars

Review of The Wedding Date by Kelly

Title/Author: The Wedding Date by Kelly Eadon
Publisher/Date published: Forever Yours, April 5th 2016
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley, thanks!

Goodreads summary: A little fake relationship never hurt anyone...

Kate Massie has big dreams - they just haven't worked out. Yet. In the meantime, she spends her days clerking for a judge and her nights fantasizing about her tall, dark, and sexy gym crush. So when she runs into him one night, she's shocked to realize he was her shy, nerdy junior-prom date. But that isn't where the surprises end...

James Abell needs a date to his sister's wedding. So when Kate agrees, he's relieved... until one little lie turns their wedding date into a full-blown fake relationship. Only it doesn't feel fake - not the toe-curling kisses and definitely not the electricity. Neither of them is looking for something real... but they just might fall for their own little white lie.

So in between all of my fantasy reads lately I was definitely ready to get some contemporary romance action going! And I basically read The Wedding Date in no time at all, it was a nice little break from all the epic tales I'd been reading.

I liked that Kate and James sort of had a history. I mean, they're not just random stranger bumping into each other and starting a fake relationship, they've actually already met because Kate was James' last minute prom date way back when. There's some reminiscing about this going on, but not a lot of actual details about how their night went back then and why they didn't keep in touch except for him not daring to ask her number. And they did have one actual person in common, though she doesn't feature much except to facilitate their first meeting.

Basically James and Kate were pretty cute together, there are some obstacles in their way, James' decision to not get involved with anyone because he just broke up with his ex and is not ready to dive back into a relationship, Kate's issues with trusting someone not to break her heart. BUT they do work together and there were sparks between them, which I obviously supported.

The thing is, this was pretty short. So while I liked the overall idea of this, it was just a little short of being amazing because there was just not enough of everything. I mean, there's an I love you at some point that had me like HUH? Already?? I could have done with a little more moments where they were finding their footing and moments of doubt and the main fight was resolved pretty easily... I mean, I would just have liked it to be a little more. Because it had all the ingredients I like in a romance novel, but not fleshed out enough to have me shipping everything and having feelings all over it.

That said, it was a very nice, fun read and a good way to spend Easter Monday afternoon!

My rating: 3 stars

Review of Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins

Title/Author: Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins
Publisher/Date published: Sourcebooks Fire, November 3rd 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: They exist in two different centuries, but their love defies time

Cassandra craves drama and adventure, so the last thing she wants is to spend her summer marooned with her mother and stepfather in a snooty Massachusetts shore town. But when a dreamy stranger shows up on their private beach claiming it's his own — and that the year is 1925 — she is swept into a mystery a hundred years in the making.

As she searches for answers in the present, Cassandra discovers a truth that puts their growing love — and Lawrence's life — into jeopardy. Desperate to save him, Cassandra must find a way to change history... or risk losing Lawrence forever.

I was SO hoping to love this book, and while I did enjoy it, it wasn't all that I'd wanted it to be.

I'm a sucker for time-travel romance, there's just something about the whole idea of going back in time, I'd LOVE to be able to do that. So I was a little disappointed by the fact that Cassandra and Lawrence really only meet on the beach. I mean, it owuld have been so much more interesting if they'd be able to visit each other's homes and the beach pretty much looks the same 90 years later, so... And somehow I would have thought that there'd be more to work out manner-wise between a girl from 2015 and a guy from 1925. I mean, lots of things about what is appropriate and what's not and manner of speech and everything, but I wasn't feeling that this was really an issue aside from a casual mention of it every now and then.

I liked Cassandra and how she's not immediately like OMG you're so hot, so it's totally cool that you're on this private beach that you should not be anywhere near when she meets Lawrence for the first time. She's suspicious and hesitant and I liked that. I kinda didn't like that she's also being pressured by her mother to date this other guy and she goes along with it. I felt that she was leading him on and it was just not very nice. I also really had a problem with her mother's behaviour, I mean come on, Cassandra does a stupid ass thing at the beginning of the novel, but she's not a bad kid in general and I felt her mother was being too hard on her and pushing her in directions that I didn't really get.

So Lawrence is basically a good guy, but I never really got a very good feel for his character beside that. He says all the right things, but at the beginning of the book he's a bit of a pushover and that's not very attractive. I did like that he writes poetry and that's secretly a career that he wants to be pursuing instead of being a lawyer.

I did like Cassandra and Lawrence together, but I was never really shipping it. And I was having a WTF moment towards the end when Lawrence says that Cassandra is 'the love of his life', I mean, SERIOUSLY??? You're what, 17? And you've known each other for a month? REALLY??? That is just. Wow. I mean, NO. Just NO. I cannot deal with this and it's probably what soured my opinion about the rest of the book because it left a really bad taste in my mouth.

I feel like I'm sounding really negative about Until We Meet Again and it definitely had it's flaws for me, but I did like seeing how Cassandra and Lawrence were trying to figure everything out, though I felt that Cassandra was fighting harder for Lawrence's life than he was himself. There's a whole lot of shenanigans going on and I did not see coming how it would all play out in the end.
So Until We Meet Again was an ok read for me, but I feel that it could have been so much more and the 'love of my life' bit was just not working for me.

My rating: 2 stars

Mini-Reviews (5) Boomerang, For All Time, The Vanishing Season

So ever since June of 2014 I've been failing at writing reviews for the books I read. I know. And because it's been AGES since I read these, I'm just gonna do mini-reviews of them, so as to clear my need-review shelf.

Title/Author: Boomerang (Boomerang #1) by Noelle August
Publisher/Date published: William Morrow, July 8th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

I enjoyed Boomerang, I'll admit that I wasn't as big a fan as some other people whose reviews I've seen floating about the blogosphere, but it was really fun! I liked both Mia and Ethan and could root for them to get together, and I liked that there was some real conflict, I mean, a job on the line is something that will effectively stop you from being together if the company doesn't allow coworkers to date. Which is a really annoying rule in my opinion.

The reason that Boomerang doesn't get more than 3,5 stars is that I felt that it started to drag towards the end, I thought that they were making it unnecessarily hard to be together and it was kinda annoying. Also, I could have done with a little less of them thinking about how hot the other person was. Ok, they're both hot, I get it, moving on. Please just start thinking about all the other stuff you like about each other.

But I did really like that Boomerang dealt with real people, real friendships and real jobs.

My rating: 3,5 stars

Title/Author: For All Time (Nantucket Brides Trilogy #2) by Jude Deveraux
Publisher/Date published: Ballantine Books, July 1st 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

I really liked True Love, the first book in this series and was itching to get back to Nantucket and see others find their happily ever after. I need some good fluff in my life every now and then. But Toby and Graydon just didn't work for me the same way that Alix and Jared did. I never really FELT their chemistry enough to believe in it and sorry, but being together just because you can tell Graydon apart from his identical twin and that means you're "meant for each other" *insert eyeroll* is just not enough for me.

I do enjoy a good prince story and there was something real keeping them apart, but it just felt so old-fashioned! I mean, I get this in my historical romance novels and also in fantasy series and such, but in a contemporary romance? I was constantly wanting to yell at them to start living in the 21st century. Though I do realise that this might be the way things still work for royal families, it was still annoying.

So while this was an ok read, I was waiting for that wow factor that never came.

My rating: 2 stars

Title/Author: The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, July 1st 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

I'd never read anything by Jodi Lynn Anderson before, but I've heard amazing things about Tiger Lily and was excited to start The Vanishing Season. I did like The Vanishing Season, and I can see the potential of Jodi Lynn Anderson's writing, she really has a way with words. The plot for The Vanishing Season just wasn't as exciting as I had liked it to be.

I wasn't really invested in Maggie, Liam and Pauline and could see from MILES away where this was going, there was this sense of doom over the whole story for me. I don't really want to tell you about what happened, cause it will ruin the surprise and shock effect and that in itself was perfection. The ending of The Vanishing Season was basically what saved this novel and I am glad I stuck with it for that.

My rating: 3 stars

Review of The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Title/Author: The Rosie Project (Don Tillman #1) by Graeme Simsion
Publisher/Date published: Simon & Schuster, October 1st 2013
How I got this book: bought it
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical — most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.

Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent — and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie — and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.

Guys, I LOVED this book! It was so sweet and funny and just such a feel-good book, I was basically smiling pretty much the whole time I was reading it. I love books that make me smile.

Let me tell you first that I also have a lot of love for The Big Bang Theory and Don Tillman reminds me of Sheldon. And I adore Sheldon's quirks. And Don is actually a more friendly version than Sheldon, he's just also stuck in his routine and doesn't know how to deal with people and people don't know how to deal with him. But really, he's a true friend and a wonderful person and I love him. And he says things like 'In order to prevent further violence, I was forced to sit on him.' I snorted at that one.

I loved getting a glimpse into Don's mind, his brilliant mind, and how he has designed his life and the people he leaves his mark on. I loved how he deals with problems and how it gets him into even more trouble, like the one the quote comes from. He was funny without meaning to and I was just amazed by things like his Standardized Meal System and how it does make a lot of sense, but I wouldn't see myself implementing something like it. And then he goes and makes a questionnaire to find his ideal partner. And it's in the back of the book and it was just awesome.

And then there's Rosie, who is everything Don is NOT looking for in a woman: a smoker, late, vegetarian. She barges into his life and disrupts it and it actually turns out to be a perfect fit (ok, nobody really counts this as a spoiler, right?) and I loved them together! They dance and she makes Don step out of his comfort zone and risk his job to help her find her biological father and I think they just bring out the best in each other. And she doesn't try to change him in big ways, but accepts him, but just asks him to try something different. And it works while he stays true to himself.

I just totally loved the crap out of this book, it was smart, sweet and funny and simply amazing. I had never expected to love it this much, but I did and I'm so happy I decided to pick it up! Do yourself a favor and get in on this action, cause it is one of the best books I read in 2014!

My rating: 5+ stars

Review of Return of the Bad Girl by Codi Gary

Title/Author: Return of the Bad Girl (Rock Canyon Romance #4) by Codi Gary
Publisher/Date published: Avon Impulse, December 30th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: Bad girls don't forgive.
Bad girls don't forget.
Bad girls don't fall in love.

Caroline Willis may be known for causing trouble, but she is NOT about to become homeless. So when she learns that her perfect apartment has been double-booked — to a dangerously hot bad boy — Caroline's bad-girl reputation comes out in full force. He may be sexy as sin, but she's not afraid of him... or his panty-melting smile.

Rock Canyon's got room for only one bad attitude — and Gabe Moriarty was here first. Still, starting over means playing it smart, so while sharing his new apartment is less than ideal, it's worth getting his dream business off the ground. Not to mention that it means shacking up with a sexy wild child. Caroline may be giving him the cold shoulder, but Gabe always was good at starting fires...

Caroline vows to keep things professional with Gabe, but as close quarters begin to ignite the sizzling chemistry between them, she's left wondering: Bad boy plus bad girl equals nothing but trouble... right?

I enjoyed Good Girls Don't Date Rock Stars, the second book in this series and haven't read the other two yet, but I have to say that I wasn't much a fan of Return of the Bad Girl.

As I'm sitting typing this review, I'm not even all that sure why exactly I finished reading it, because I wasn't all that into the romance. Which is kinda the point of a romance novel, right? I think it might be due to the fact that Return of the Bad Girl has two adorable teeny tiny kittens in it and I'm a sucker for anything feline ever since we got a cat ourselves a couple of months ago. And as I was away from home all week, I craved a cat companion no matter if it was just a fictional one. Or two.

Caroline and Travis have both had a tough past and are both more than a little damaged by it. They both have scars and that feels right considering everything. The one thing that I can't figure out is why there's nothing about Travis' five years in prison in the book. I mean, it's mentioned, but that's it. Nothing about his experiences there, which felt off to me. I mean, that's a big part of your life and it's gonna shape you somehow.

I was wondering why their parents were so sucky, even if Caroline's father comes around after she confesses her big secret to him. She and her father should really learn to communicate better. And while I really liked the small town vibe in Good Girls Don't Date Rock Stars, it really annoyed me in Return of the Bad Girl, because everyone was so judgmental and just plain mean. And how are there so many sleazeballs in such a tiny place?

But mostly the problem was that I wasn't feeling it. I wasn't feeling the romance and the drama and was a bit like yeah, maybe you shouldn't be together. Which is not what you want to be thinking when you should be rooting for a couple.

My rating: 1,5 stars

Review of Wild by Sophie Jordan

Title/Author: Wild (The Ivy Chronicles #3) by Sophie Jordan
Publisher/Date published: Avon, November 18th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Months after her boyfriend dumped her, Georgia can still hear the insults he hurled at her. Boring. Predictable. Tame. Tired of feeling bad, she’s ready to change her image, and go a little wild. What better way to prove her ex wrong than a hot night of sexual adventure at the secret campus kink club?

In the shadowy den of the kink club, she unexpectedly runs into Logan Mulvaney, her friend’s little brother. A player extraordinaire too hot for his own good, he may be younger, but the guy is light years ahead when it comes to sexual experience. Now he’s telling her to go home — “good girls” don’t belong here!

Georgia is tired of having others define her. She’s going to teach Logan a lesson he won’t forget — one white hot, mind-wrecking kiss... that leads to another... and another... and... Realizing she’s way in over her head, Georgia runs.

Only Logan won’t let her go. Everywhere she goes he’s there, making her want every inch of him. Making her forget who she is. Who he is. And just how wrong they are for each other.

You guys, I rely on Sophie Jordan to bring me the swoons. And she did it again!

I absolutely loved the chemistry between Georgia and Logan and how the fact that he's a little younger and younger brother to one of her friends added a very believable embarassment and drama-inducing factor. I mean, it's not like it's wrong if the girl is older, but you don't see it often, but hey, you fall in love with a person, not their age, right? And also, Logan sounds totally hot and very mature (unlike most 18-year-old boys I know). I was definitely shippping it. Georgia becomes a more daring version of herself when she's around him and I think she turns his world upside down, so I felt like they were affecting each other equally. And I liked it.

Georgia is smart, careful, a little too oppressed by her mother and also a caring person who is afraid to give her heart away, but does it anyway. At one point I was so rooting for her to have it out with her mother and just find out WHY she was so hell bent on getting Georgia and Harris back together, because OMG, that guy is a douche and why would a mother want her daughter to be with a guy who CHEATED on her?? I don't get it. My mom would definitely NOT be encouraging it, especially not if I'd made it clear that I wasn't interested in him anymore. So what gives?

Logan is a beautiful boy. He sounds beyond delicious and just made me swoon with all his maleness and putting it all out there and then getting his heart stomped on and OMG how COULD SHE? I mean, I GET it, sort of, but UGH, poor Logan. I loved that even after all that's been going on in his life since he was a kid, he's still this warm, loving guy who's protective of his friends.

So like I said, the age difference and the fact that he's her friend's brother makes for some stomach-clenchingly good drama and I stayed up till 2 AM to finish it even though I had to get up at 6.30 the following morning. I could literally not sleep before I knew they'd be having a happily ever after and I was swooning all through the end and it was just awesome.
I'd definitely recommend trying Wild for yourself and finding out just why I love Sophie Jordan's writing so much!

My rating: 5 stars

Zoë stamp of approval:

Cuddling the bear like I'd cuddle Logan ;)

Review of It's In His Kiss by Jill Shalvis

Title/Author: It's In His Kiss (Lucky Harbor #10) by Jill Shalvis
Publisher/Date published: Grand Central Publishing, August 26nd 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: ONE KISS CAN LAST FOREVER
Becca Thorpe has uprooted her life and escaped to the beach. Now's her chance to get away from city living, throw caution to the ocean winds, and live in the moment. Especially if the moment includes the deliciously sexy surfer she meets shortly after arriving in Lucky Harbor. Something about the dark intensity of Sam's eyes and the thrill she gets at his touch convinces her to stay awhile.

Boatbuilder and investment genius Sam Brody is a self-made man who knows how dangerous it can be to mix business and pleasure. But he can't resist offering Becca a job just to hear her laugh and have her near. Yet when her brother comes to town asking for help, will he tempt her back to her glamorous life in the city? Or do Sam and little Lucky Harbor have a chance to win Becca's heart?

So I was really craving something cute and fluffy after the abomination that was our book club read for this month. And I figured from what I'd heard about Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor series that it would be just the thing.

And I have to say that this first encounter with Jill Shalvis' storytelling did not disappoint! It was fun and there was tension and a good storyline for the romance to fall back on and though there was a lot more drama than I had expected, it was ok. I was really curious about Becca's past and just what had happened to make her up and leave everything behind. I liked her quirks and her spunk and how she didn't just agree with Sam when he made this annoying rule about not being with her cause she's working for him and not automatically confirming to his alpha-male-ness.

Even though this alpha-male-ness is totally hot. Seriously. He's a surfer. And sexy. And he removes spiders for Becca, which means he's the best kind of guy. That's just an automatic win in my book. He has this really big heart and I like that in a man.

Together they had chemistry and I just wanted to shake Sam every time he fell back on the 'you're working for me so we can't be together' thing because UGH just own up to your feelings already and just GO FOR IT. But it was a really fun read and I'm thinking I'll be trying for of Jill Shalvis' books in the future!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of The Summer of Jake by Rachel Bailey

Title/Author: The Summer of Jake by Rachel Bailey
Publisher/Date published: Entangled Publishing, Embrace, August 4th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan...

Life is just dandy for aspiring fashion designer Annalise Farley. She has a great job (or she will once her designs are discovered), parents who only slightly disapprove, a cat that thinks she’s a dog, and a best friend... even if she hasn’t seen her in a while. But then Jake Maxwell saunters back into her life. Jake, the love god. Jake, her best friend’s older brother. Jake, who broke her heart at sixteen without realizing it, then left to become a pro surfer. Now he’s back, having taken the surfing and business worlds by storm, and he’s ready for a new challenge — catching the eye of another girl. And he wants Annalise’s help. Helping Jake land his next girlfriend is too fraught with emotional danger for her liking, but then Jake offers to put her designs in his shops. Is that the sound of her life cracking at the seams? It’s hard to tell with Jake smiling at her like she’s the only thing that makes him happy...

I LOVE the best friend's older brother plot. Seriously. As a teenager I used to wish one of my friends had an older brother that I could fall in love with, but sadly, that never happened. So I live vicariously through stories like this.

I really liked Annalise! She has spunk and is a little quirky, with her car she named Mindy and her cat who thinks she's a dog and I liked it cause I could identify with her quirks. Plus, she's a badass fashion designer and I respect creative people. Also, she knows what she wants and knows what she DOESN'T want and I respected that she didn't want to be just another fling for Jake.

And Jake. Jake is kinda awesome and I probably would have fallen for him as well if he'd been one of my friends' older brother or basically just walking by. He's a bit clueless when it comes to women and his own heart and has ISSUES because of his dad and I just wanted to shake him at one point because he was acting like an idiot and just UGH! But it made for some beautiful tension and it made the happy ending all the sweeter, so it all worked out in the end.

So Annalise and Jake definitely had chemistry and I loved seeing them grow closer and felt like they truly had a solid basis for their relationship. And they were surrounded by a lovely family, Jake's sister and mother are wonderful and loving and just my kind of people.
The one thing that I was a teensy bit iffy about is that Jake goes to Annalise to get fashion advise because he's trying to get together with a woman, but he doesn't seem all that interested in her at all, so it felt a bit off that he would go to such lengths to get her and never feel like he's all that into her. But other than that I was happy with this fluffy romance!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Keeping Her by Cora Carmack

Title/Author: Keeping Her (Losing It 1.5#) by Cora Carmack
Publisher/Date published: William Morrow, August 13th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: Garrick Taylor and Bliss Edwards managed to find their happily-ever-after despite a rather... ahem... complicated start. By comparison, meeting the parents should be an absolute breeze, right?

But from the moment the pair lands in London, new snags just keep cropping up: a disapproving mother-in-law-to-be, more than one (mostly) minor mishap, and the realization that perhaps they aren't quite as ready for their future as they thought.

As it turns out, the only thing harder than finding love is keeping it.

So I really liked Losing It, which started this whole series. I thought the romance between Bliss and Garrick was sweet and quirky and it was just a really fun read. Of course I was interested in seeing what happened for them after the events of Losing It!

In Keeping Her we meet both of them again, they've been together for a year now and got engaged and are now travelling to London to meet up with Garrick's parents. And Bliss is basically a basket case because of it. She's nervous and awkward and just generally not really presentable at the end. And really, I mean, how did either of them think it would be a good idea to arrive at Garrick's parents' after they'd had a drink? Or rather, LOTS of drinks? I mean, that drunk doesn't make for the best first impression.

But I really disliked Garrick's parents. I mean, his father is basically a pompous ass and his mother is trying to make Bliss feel inferior. And these are people who are supposed to love Garrick and want what's best for him and that usually means that they'd try and make a fiancée feel welcome. Yeah, not gonna happen here. His mother even invited ex-girlfriends. So. Not. Cool.

While I liked reconnecting with these two, I didn't really thought this novella added much to the general storyline. I mean, it's cute to see them be all lovey-dovey, but that spark that was there in Losing It was just a little lost here. I did like seeing Garrick's home turf so to speak and it was a really quick read, but I would have liked a little more. It ended rather abruptly after some big drama got resolved and I was just a bit like: that's it?

My rating: 2,5 stars

Made me crave: over too quickly to make me crave much of anything

Review of A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris

Title/Author: A Tale of Two Centuries (My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century #2) by Rachel Harris
Publisher/Date published: Entangled Teen, August 6th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley and bought a shiny finished copy
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating — and infuriatingly handsome — surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in... and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?

**WARNING: SPOILERS POSSIBLE FOR BOOK 1**

Awww, you guys, I just feel like awww-ing at this book, because it was adorable! I really enjoyed My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century and was so excited to learn it was going to be having a sequel! Because EEE! I love Cat and Allesandra!

So it's been two years since Cat left Alessandra, at least, in Alessandra's time. She's been trying to be a good daughter and it basically gets her nowhere but betrayed by the man she thought would be her future husband. So of course I was rooting for my girl to get her own adventure! Our lovely gipsy-friend intervenes again and sends her off to Cat's Beverly Hills, which is the beginning of a wonderful time!

I loved seeing Less transform from the prim and proper sixteenth century girl into a modern, confident young woman! She definitely grows as a person and learns to go after what she wants for herself and not just abide by other people's wishes! Also, I loved the relationship between Less and Cat! They're more equal now that Less is also 16, even though Cat obviously has the upper hand in know-how about the 21st century. These two are genuine friends and I miss that in YA sometimes, real female friendships are hard to find.

It was funny to see Less navigate everything that comes with being a 21st century teenage girl and finding a way to deal with BOYS. Because well, courtship in the sixteenth century is nothing like it is these days! And while the romance wasn't as swoony for me as it was in My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, I really liked it! Austin is a bit of a broken boy and Less is good for him. And he brings out the more confident and daring side of her. They both can learn things from the other and while there were some moments in which I went: WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? Mostly, I was just smiling and enjoying the flow of their relationship as it progresses from antagonistic to something more. It was just so cute!

If you're looking for an adorable, quick read, go grab this book! I totally loved curling up on the couch with it and am very much looking forward to reading the next book! I mean, I'd love to have more adventures with both Cat and Less!!

My rating: 4 stars

Made me crave: chocolate pepernoten (it's a Dutch thing, and YUM!)

Review of My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris

Title/Author: My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century (My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century #1) by Rachel Harris
Publisher/Date published: Entangled Publishing, September 11th 2012
How I got this book: bought it :)
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother-to-be and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

Guys, I LOVED THIS BOOK!! It was so cute and YAYYY!!! :D I read it on a very sunny afternoon spend at the lake near my house and it was just perfect!

So Cat has parental issues. Her parents have split up and now her father is engaged to another woman, who Cat liked at first, but now she's really getting on her nerves. I thought Rachel Harris handled this situation really well, I mean, I could feel Cat being unsure because of all of the drama going on there and you know, this does have an impact on someone and I like that it's not something that just functioned as background noise. It's a true part of the story and I like that.

So Cat goes exploring and ends up at a gypsy tent after which she's POOF transported to the sixteenth century. Yeah, I would have been a bit surprised at that as well if I'd been in her position. Cat actually deals with it pretty well, she someone figures out that she's probably supposed to learn something and after that she'll be sent back. So she goes with the flow and tries to figure out what it is she needs to learn. And while this is going on, she gets to stay with an amazing loving family and meet a sixteenth century hottie! I'd say that's a pretty good deal :)

I really liked Cat, she's trying so hard to hide her insecurities behind this game face she puts on and it was really good to see her opening up when she's in the sixteenth century! I mean, she doesn't really have any friends because she doesn't trust anyone and isn't willing to put herself out there and that's really sad. I loved that she had such a passion for art and wouldn't it be awesome to travel back to the Renaissance and actually see these people in action? I mean GAH!

And guys, I REALLY loved the family Cat meets in the sixteenth century! They are warm and loving and welcoming and just good people. I love that Cipriano is instantly a protective older brother to Cat as well as his sister Alessandra. And Alessandra is AWESOME! Seriously, that girl is so sweet! I just wanted to hug her! So their parents definitely have different views on marrying and how much a girl has to say in the choosing of the groom than people nowadays, but this added some brilliant conflict and I can imagine things going down that way in the actual time period.

And then it's time to talk about the boy: LORENZO. Say it with me: LORENZO. Doesn't just saying his name make you think of warm summer sunshine and a beautiful Italian boy? Oh, and really good icecream. But that could just be me. Lorenzo is insanely swoonworthy with this artistic soul and beautiful personality beneath that pretty-boy-veneer. He's passionate and gorgeous and romantic and just *SWOON* I can totally get Cat falling for him.

So there's a lot going on and it was just wonderful to see Cat actually learning the lesson she was sent to the past to learn. She really does grow as a person and I love that she really does something with what she's been taught. And seriously, THE ENDING! It made me SO EXCITED for the next book, A Tale of Two Centuries!! I cannot wait!

My rating: 5 stars

Made me crave: cookie dough icecream

Review of Invisible by Marni Bates

Title/Author: Invisible (Awkward #2) by Marni Bates
Publisher/Date published: K-Teen, August 1st 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Jane Smith has survived three years of high school without making a single enemy, all by keeping a low profile. Not even her three best friends, Kenzie, Corey and Isobel, can say the same. But with Corey dating the lead singer from ReadySet and Kenzie in a relationship too, being invisible tends to be lonely. But now she's written an article for her school newspaper that has accidentally snagged the attention of some celebrities. Turns out, people get really upset when their innermost secrets are splashed all over the front page. And new her well-ordered life is being blasted to hell, with results that are wildly unexpected.

Guys, why have I never picked up Awkward?? I mean, seriously, Invisible is totally my kind of book!!

I loved Marni Bates' writing style! It's funny and quirky and totally engaging and I loved it from the minute I turned my eyes to the first page of Invisible! I love it when a cute contemporary deals with actual teen issues aside from the maybe less plausible plot of having her two friends get famous overnight, and Marni Bates totally made it work!

Jane sees herself as Invisible. And so does half of the school. She's embraced her nerdiness and as long as she has her best friends, she doesn't really care that she's not part of the popular crowd. And I like that. You create your own happiness and all that. But this turns into a problem when her friends actually do start having more of a social life and not really having time for Jane anymore. So now Jane has to decide if she's ok with her friends seeing her as an Invisible as well.

Guys, I could recognize so much of myself in Jane! I'm that girl who tries to avoid confrontation and who knows she's not sticking up for herself enough. And I loved seeing Jane grow as a person and overcome some of her fears and just branching out and meeting new people! She's challenging herself and I like that! And really, while her best friend Kenzie bored me at times (maybe this would have been different if I'd read Awkward?), I really enjoyed reading about her new crowd, including the school newspaper photographer and a Notable girl. Mostly because these people push her to be honest with herself and are maybe truer friends throughout the happenings in Invisible than her 'best friends'.

So Jane lands herself into some funny situations and falls in love and does all of it with a certain flair that I found totally endearing! I love that in the end she stands up to her friends and I was totally reminded of Dumbledore with the 'it takes greater courage to stand up to your friends than to your enemies' speech. And I loved that!

I breezed through Invisible and while I wasn't entirely sure about the romance going on, in the end it worked for me, though at times it felt like they were barely friends, let alone in love with each other. Invisible was such a lovely read that I'll be sure to pick up Notable (the next book in the series) when it comes out!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Made me crave: french fries

Review of Tarnish by Katherine Longshore

Title/Author: Tarnish by Katherine Longshore
Publisher/Date published: Viking Juvenile, June 18th 2013
How I got this book: bought it, because HOW COULD I NOT??
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Anne Boleyn is the odd girl out. Newly arrived to the court of King Henry VIII, everything about her seems wrong, from her clothes to her manners to her witty but sharp tongue. So when the dashing poet Thomas Wyatt offers to coach her on how to shine at court - and to convince the whole court they're lovers - she accepts. Before long, Anne's popularity has soared, and even the charismatic and irresistible king takes notice. More than popularity, Anne wants a voice - but she also wants love. What began as a game becomes high stakes as Anne finds herself forced to make an impossible choice between her heart's desire and the chance to make history.

So do any of you by chance remember how much I LOVED Gilt?? Because I totally did and combine this with my Tudor obsession and GAH YOU JUST HAVE THE PERFECT NOVEL IN TARNISH!!!

Excuse me while I continue to gush.

I cannot even begin to explain how much I love books of the English court and in particular of Anne Boleyn (and Elizabeth I) because she is SUCH an interesting historical figure! I mean, can you imagine if she'd had a son and lived? How different the world would probably be? I really need to read The Boleyn King in which this turn of events is explored.

I LOVE that Katherine Longshore doesn't villify Anne, as is done in so many of the novels set around these events. Anne is an actual person here and not just a backstabbing, manipulating girl who makes a dramatic rise AND fall. I felt how Anne just wanted to be accepted and mostly just wanted to be seen as a person instead of a sister/daughter to be sold to the highest bidder. And of course every author takes some poetic liberties with the truth, but I really feel that women didn't have much other choice than to try to rule through men and I FELT this.

This is probably why I love Katherine Longshore's books so much, because I actually FEEL what's happening in history and all of the people in it seem to come to life and become real people with goals and emotion and not just flat things on a page. And I LOVE THIS! It's so nice to see Anne's vulnerable side! To see George in a different light than I did in The Other Boleyn Girl and to just see the beginning of Anne's rise to power.

I think this is also the first novel ever to make me care about Thomas Wyatt. I never thought much of him, but in Tarnish this man has hidden depths and is actually swoonworthy! And I KNOW things don't work out, but I was so rooting for him! Even though he's married and it's kinda despicable and yadayada, I KNOW OK and I still loved him.

I also loved that Jane is Anne's friend and not just the horrible person she is depicted as most of the time. She mostly comes on scene in these novels as the jealous, nagging wife and here she actually stands up for Anne. Even though there are some awful moments in which you see how she could evolve to become this person in history.

This one quote nearly killed me:
"I have but a little neck," I tell the king. "It will not hurt if the blow comes clean."

KILLED ME! TEARS! ALL THE TEARS!

All the events are so bittersweet because I know what actually goes down in history and every time I read about it, I still start wishing things will turn out differently this time, but I know they can't. I liked that Katherine Longshore leaves us with a somewhat happy Anne, at the beginning of her relationship with the king with the whole world open to her and not with the sad events that I know will happen to her later on. All of the hard things she will go through.

Bottom line: I LOVED THIS BOOK! SO MUCH! I cannot even begin to explain the genius that is Katherine Longshore's writing, but I just get all these feelings while reading it and I love to see history come to life and just GAH GO READ IT! ALL OF YOU! You won't regret it, it is AMAZING!

My rating: 5+ stars

Made me crave: strawberries

Review of Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt

Title/Author: Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt
Publisher/Date published: Simon Pulse, July 9th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Here are Peyton and Jace, meeting on vacation. Click! It’s awesome, it’s easy, it’s romantic. This is the real deal.

Unless it isn’t. Because when you’re in love, you don’t just stop calling one day. And you don’t keep secrets. Or lie. And when your life starts falling apart, you’re supposed to have the other person to lean on.

Here are Peyton and Jace again, broken up but thrown together on a road trip. One of them is lying about the destination. One of them is pretending not to be leaving something behind. And neither of them is prepared for what’s coming on the road ahead...

So this is the companion novel to Two Way Street, which I have not read, but let me reassure you: you don't really have to in order to read this book, it works perfectly as a standalone.

I really like Lauren Barnholdt's books and when a new one comes out, it's automatically added to my TBR list, so I was pretty excited to start Right of Way. Also because I was really in the mood for a cute contemporary. And while I think I like some of her other books better, I really enjoyed Right of Way!

The constant switching between the present and past and in the POV from Jace to Peyton and back again, Lauren Barnholdt really kept me on my toes, reading this required my full attention. But it never felt like a chore, because somehow she made it work. Jace and Peyton both have a distinct voice, though they are somewhat similar in their trains of thought. I didn't fully connect to either of them though, maybe because of the constant switching between their POV.

One thing that didn't work so well for me was their backstory. I mean, they had the whole sweet romance going on when they first met and they're SO in love and then all of a sudden they stop speaking to each other? Over that?? I mean, seriously?? UGH! I didn't completely believe it, though I know sometimes there are really stupid reasons for relationships not working out. If they didn't have so strong a connection, I would have more readily believed this explanation I think.

I did like the story Lauren Barnholdt weaves with the road trip that isn't much of a road trip actually but still fun to read about. Jace and Peyton and Jace's dog (who is AWESOME) have a little adventure and because road trips force you to be in each other's vicitiny for long hours, they couldn't get out of communicating and really, guys, communication is important. I also kinda loved Jace's mom! She's a fierce mama bear and I like that.

There are some serious issues in the background of this lovestory and I kinda hoped we'd see them resolved within the novel, but we didn't really. But Right of Way is a very entertaining read, perfect for the summer day it was while I was reading it!

My rating: 3,5 stars

Made me crave: marshmallows

Review of True Love by Jude Deveraux

Title/Author: True Love (Nantucket Brides #1) by Jude Deveraux
Publisher/Date published: Ballantine Books, July 9th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Just as Alix Madsen is finishing up architectural school, Adelaide Kingsley dies and wills her, for one year, the use of a charming nineteenth-century Nantucket house. The elderly woman’s relationship to the Madsen family is a mystery to the spirited Alix — fresh from a romantic breakup — but for reasons of her own Alix accepts the quirky bequest, in part because it gives her time to plan her best friend’s storybook wedding.

But unseen forces move behind the scenes, creaking Kingsley House’s ancient floorboards. It seems that Adelaide Kingsley had a rather specific task for Alix: to solve the strange disappearance of one of the Kingsley women, Valentina, more than two hundred years ago. If that wasn’t troubling enough, Alix must deal with the arrogant (and extremely good-looking) architect Jared Montgomery, who is living in the property’s guesthouse.

Unbeknown to Alix, Jared has been charged with looking after her while she lives on the island — an easy task for him, considering the undeniable chemistry between the two. But Jared harbors secrets of his own, which, if revealed, may drive a wedge between the pair.

With a glorious Nantucket wedding on the horizon, sparks fly, and the ghosts of the past begin to reveal themselves — some of them literally. Finding their lives inextricably entwined with the turbulent fortunes of their ancestors, Alix and Jared discover that only by righting the wrongs of the past can they hope to be together.

I'll admit that I'm more of a historical romance kinda girl, there's just something about the big dresses and forbidden affairs and all that, that makes my heart beat a little faster. BUT True Love by Jude Deveraux proved to me that I can just as easily love a good contemporary romance!!

I must say that, not being from the US, I'd never heard much about Nantucket before. And OMG, it sounds completely AMAZING!! I can totally understand the Nantucketers dislike of tourists, cluttering up their beautiful island, especially because they have this tight community going on. So yes, I very much fell in love with the idea of this island and all the gorgeous houses Jude Deveraux describes.

And I loved seeing it all through Alix's eyes! She's a spunky, intelligent girl and generally a good person. I liked that she was fresh out of architectural school and 26, because I can totally relate to being done with your education and holla for a heroine that's close to my age! She's a little starstruck by Jared at first, but once she gets over that I loved that she doesn't hesitate to give her own opinion, even if he is one of the greatest architects of America.
And Jared was swoonworthy! Admittedly, he was a little grouchy at first, but once he gets over that and shows his true character, I fell for him right along with Alix. They had such great chemistry and their banter was really fun to read! They had a lot in common and I actually believed their lovestory.

So I was pretty intrigued by the whole mystery about one of Jared's ancestor's and had thought that the book would be centered around finding the answers. But it actually kinda wasn't. And that's one thing I didn't like. I mean, Alix's whole reason for being on this island is that she is supposed to look for answers regarding Valentina's disappearance and she doesn't even really look for them until pretty much the last couple of chapters. She didn't seem remotely interested in this. And ok, I get that there's a sexy man around and you're designing beautiful houses and such together, but really, it was all just SO MYSTERIOUS!! I wouldn't have been able to control my curiosity.

Another thing that I liked somewhat less was that the ending felt rushed and Alix and Jared's relationship was rushed right along with it. I know there's this thing when people say when you know, you just know. But really, they've only KNOWN each other for what, two months? I wouldn't put on a wedding dress after two months.

But for the most part while reading this book I was just smiling and happily moving along in whatever direction Jude Deveraux took us with this story! And it is a beautiful story, I'm very much looking forward to the other books in the trilogy!!

Jude Deveraux combined all those things I love in a romance novel: a heroine I could root for, a manly swoonworthy hero, secondary characters to steal my heart and hold a promise for future books, witty, engaging writing and just a romance that makes me smile!

My rating: 4 stars

Made me crave: pancakes!!

Review of Golden by Jessi Kirby

Title/Author: Golden by Jessi Kirby
Publisher/Date published: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, May 14th 2013
How I got this book: read it on PulseIt
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she’s about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap — one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery — she decides to take a chance.

Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High — perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. But Julianna’s journal tells a different story — one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are the secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane’s jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury.

Reading Julianna’s journal gives Parker the courage to start to really live — and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places that she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference.

Ok, so why has noone been SCREAMING at me to read this book??? Seriously??

I stumbled across this on PulseIt when I had nothing to do at work and was scouring the internet for something interesting. I hadn't really given this another glance when I'd heard of it around its release, so I went in with basically no expectations.
And HOLY WOWZA!! I really want to kick myself for not reading this sooner! It was SO, SO GOOD!

Jessi Kirby immediately drew me in with her extraordinary writing style and the characters that I could relate to so, so much! I love stories like this, finding out hidden stories within stories by reading a diary and doing some detective work!

Parker is awesome. And very uptight and in need of a good shove in the right direction every now and then. She's a smart cookie and I loved her drive and seriously, I WAS that girl who was afraid to break the rules back in high school. She was under a lot of pressure from her mother and though of course her mother loves her, at times it was hard to remember this.
I also really loved Parker's best friend Kat and the boy who wants to be more than a friend. Kat is a true best friend who wants what's best for Parker and supports her in everything. I loved her spirit and the bond between the girls!

Sometimes you just know when you make a decision that when you do, you can never turn back or take it back and Golden is about some of those decisions. It's in the decision Parker makes to open Juliana's diary, to go looking for the truth within those pages, to decide what she wants to do with her life and to take a chance on a boy she's known for a long time.

Juliana and Shane's story is both tragic and heartbreaking, but at the end it also filled me with hope. I loved how completely Jessi Kirby had me invested in this story with her engaging writing and amazingly loveable characters! They FELT real to me, as if I could just pass a cafe and find Parker and Kat there drinking a cup of coffee or tea and laughing together.
This book broke my heart and put it back together and is generally just a beautiful story that you should all put on your reading this this summer!

My rating: 5+ stars

Review of How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer

Title/Author: How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer
Publisher/Date published: Balzer & Bray, April 23rd 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: When cousins Zoe and Jess land summer internships at the Fairyland Kingdom theme park, they are sure they've hit the jackpot. With perks like hot Abercrombie - like Prince Charmings and a chance to win the coveted $25,000 Dream & Do grant, what more could a girl want?

Once Zoe arrives, however, she's assigned to serve "The Queen"-Fairyland's boss from hell. From spoon-feeding her evil lapdog caviar, to fetching midnight sleeping tonics, Zoe fears she might not have what it takes to survive the summer, much less win the money.

Soon backstabbing interns, a runaway Cinderella, and cutthroat competition make Zoe's job more like a nightmare than a fairy tale. What will happen when Zoe is forced to choose between serving The Queen and saving the prince of her dreams?

Guys, you have no idea how much I would have loved to work at an amusement park as a summer job when I was in my teens. Seriously, that would have been EPIC. Especially if you can share it with friends. So of course I jumped at the chance to read How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True!

And it was so much fun! This is why I read contemporaries every now and then! I love that they can have an extremely fun and cute storyline and mix it up with real issues. I loved that I could identify with Zoe and her love for her best friend, her cousin. I loved how she had all these memories connected to the place she was working at and how she gave everything even if she didn't really felt appreciated.

And seriously, I totally loved pretty much the whole cast of this novel! From the prince charming who is terribly afraid of horses to the Queen herself who can be put in a better mood by getting a piece of dark chocolate and having it NEVER MENTIONED that she gets this with her lunch from Zoe. LOVE.

I also really enjoyed the scenes with Zoe and the boy who turns out to be her very own prince charming after all and how she could be herself with him and even talk about her mother who passed away. Even though I did think a lot of the problems in this novel could have been sorted out easily if people just TALKED TO EACH OTHER, but yeah, that's usually the problem ;) I loved all the intrigue going on in Fairyland and the competitiveness because of the chance of winning a LOT of money. I don't want to spoil it, but I seriously laughed at the ending when all is revealed.

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True has everything I need to put a smile on my face and I read it in no time at all! I read it during the dark hours of Dewey's read-a-thon, but I think it would be perfect to dream away with on a sunny afternoon when you have nothing going on. I'm definitely going to be reading more by Sarah Strohmeyer!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Don't You Forgot About Me by Alexandra Potter

Title/Author: Don't You Forget About Me by Alexandra Potter
Publisher/Date published: Hodder & Stoughton, July 19th 2012
How I got this book: it was a Christmas gift from my brother :)
Buy it at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: After a bad break up, doesn't every girl want the same things?

* For her ex-boyfriend to stay single forever...
* Or maybe emigrate, to a remote, uninhabited island?
* Better still, that she'd never met him in the first place!

But what if one of those wishes came true?

Tess is heartbroken when Seb breaks up with her and can't help blaming herself. If only she'd done things differently. If only she could make right all her regrets... But she can't. It's over. She has to forget about him. Drunk and upset on New Year's Eve she wishes she'd never met him.

But when she wakes up to discover this dream has come true, she realises she has a chance. To do it all over again. And to get it right this time...

Guys, I remember when I used to read pretty much nothing but chicklit. And while I appreciate the range of genres I've gotten to know since then, I still love to revisit my old friends every now and then. And Alexandra Potter has never disappointed me before!

There's just something about Alexandra Potter's writing that makes me get sucked into the story. I think it's mostly that she writes about things I can wholeheartedly relate to and she just gets it right. I mean, haven't we all at one point thought 'what if I'd never met him?' or 'if I could do it all over, I'd do this, this and this differently'? I have. I've been extremely lucky, meeting the boyfriend when I was almost 18, but before him I did have some relationshiops and I'd always blame myself when things didn't work out. I love how Alexandra Potter captured all of those insecurities and the feeling of needing to be different for a guy to like you into this novel.

I really liked Tess. Even though I thought she should take her job a little more seriously, she is a nice person, she's just a little obsessed with Seb. Who was a bit of a douche if you ask me. I loved Tess' loyalty to her friend Fiona and thought it was pretty funny that she was trying to get Fiona to stop being a different person around one of her friends when she was making all these adjustment and feigning interest in stuff she hated to have a relationship with Seb.

And I really, REALLY liked Tess' grandfather. He was awesome, I would have loved having a grandfather like him. He's got the whole charming rebel thing going on in his home for the elderly, smoking and gambling. I loved that he was so proud of Tess and supported her in everything she did.

And then there's the other guy, who I won't name in fear of spoilers, but he's amazing and kind and just gets Tess and I was SO rooting for him! And wanting to shake Tess, screaming WHY WON'T YOU JUST SEE THIS GUY?? Admittedly, he was pretty impulsive and some of his side story wa kinda unbelievable, but the point is that he is awesome. And a good guy. I like good guys.

Alexandra Potter is one of my go-to authors when I'm looking for a cute chicklit and Don't You Forget About Me didn't disappoint me at all! It was sweet and funny and I loved exploring the question of 'what if you could do it all over again'.

My rating: 4 stars

Review of Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

Title/Author: Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill
Publisher/Date published: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, November 13th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy it at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Meant to be or not meant to be... that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the — gasp — wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts... from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

Sometimes you just need something light and fun to read and Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill was exactly this for me!

Even though Julia is REALLY uptight, I could relate to wanting not wanting to break the rules and being scared of jeopardizing her future because of someone else's antics. I liked her, though there were times when she made me want to shake her a little because she was just so obviously not seeing something and sometimes also being really unfair to Jason.
I liked that Jason had hidden depths and that he sorta serenaded Julia during one of their trips and is a fan of the Beatles. I mean, I KNOW all their songs by heart cause my dad has all the CDs, so I was sorta raised on them. I liked that he brought a little fun into Julia's very serious life.

And while this was a really cute, running around London and confusion over what guy was the right one for Julia book, I did had some issues with the romance. I mean, Jason just blows hot and cold and seriously, I would have been SO MAD by something that was revealed towards the end! They were pretty sweet together, but just when I found myself swooning over Jason he'd do something to mess it up. It was like someone kept dumping a bucket of cold water on me after I'd just warmed up again.

I really liked Lauren Morrill's writing, she kept it light and fun and the story never lagged. I flew through this book in no time and it was exactly what I needed after reading some darker and issue heavy books!
Meant To Be is a fun, cute read and I loved rediscovering London along with Julia and seeing all my favourite places through her eyes!

My rating: 3,5 stars