The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary Review

 

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

First Published: 2019

Publisher: Quercus/Macmillan Audio

Format: Hardcover/Audio

Narrator: Carrie Hope Fletcher & Kwaku Fortune

Source: Bought/Audible

Genre: Romance

Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads

This was pretty much everyone’s favourite romance of 2019 so it has taken me far too long to get around to reading it. It follows Tiffy and Leon, two complete strangers who share a bed but have never met. They share a flat but never at the same time; Tiffy gets nights and weekends in the flat while Leon, who works night shifts, gets it during the day. Despite never meeting, the two develop a friendship through notes, and, of course, feelings develop. 

This ended up being more than I expected it to be. I was intrigued by the synopsis and how the romance would develop despite the pair not meeting. What I didn’t expect was the more serious side stories. Tiffy has recently come out of a pretty toxic relationship and Leon is dealing with his brother being wrongly imprisoned. Those aspects added so much to the story and I loved how the difficulties in their lives and issues they are trying to overcome brought them together. I also really enjoyed the development of the relationship through notes. I love an epistolary romance and this had aspects of that. I think is much harder to develop a relationship with convincing chemistry through notes and without the characters actually meeting, but I was completely convinced by the chemistry between these two characters before they ever met. 

The friendships in this book are really great. Tiffy’s friend group are a great example of supportive friends who will drop everything to be there when she needs them. They had such a mix of personalities as well and each one was really well developed. Their interactions made me laugh so many times and I found them to be the perfect comic relief in some of the more serious times. Leon’s brother was also really great and I was so impressed by how well his character was developed when all we got to see of him was through phone calls and letters. 

My one issue with this book was the way Leon’s chapters were written. I listened to this on audiobook and read the physical copy and found those chapters difficult to read and follow in both formats. I found it to be very jumpy and almost threw me around a bit while I was reading. I didn’t like the way the dialogue was written either. It just took me out of the story quite a bit. 

Overall, this was a really sweet romance with some interesting added layers. I was impressed by how much I found myself rooting for these characters and seeing their chemistry before they met, and then they were even better together once they were with each other in person. I loved them as a couple and how Leon was so respectful of Tiffy’s past and the struggles she was going through. I loved the little side stories like Leon’s search for his patient’s long lost love and Tiffy’s crocheting superstar author. This was just the perfect balance of fun, adorable romance and more serious, hard-hitting topics.

Have you read The Flatshare? I would love to know your thoughts.

Sophie :)

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan Review

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan

Series: Hoops #1

First Published: May 20, 2018

Format: Audiobook

Published By: Tantor Audio

Narrator: Sean Crisden & Jo Raylan

Source: Scribd

Genre: Romance

Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads

Long Shot follows NBA star August West ant the mysterious and beautiful Iris DuPree, who meet in a bar one night and can't deny their instant chemistry. The only problem is, Iris is already another 'baller's girl.

This is not at all what I expected. I went into this book knowing very little; just that it was a basketball sports romance. As it turns out, this was so much more. It was a truly heart-breaking, at times difficult to read, story, which dealt with some very hard topics.

HUGE trigger warnings for domestic violence and sexual assault, both of which are shown on page and in graphic detail. I don't have triggers myself, but even I struggled with a lot of the content in this book.

This book is incredibly dark. A few times I had to put it down and take a break from it. At one point, I put it down for two whole days, simply because I was scared for what was to come. This is one of the most atmospheric books I have ever read. I really felt like I was right there with these characters, experiencing not only their highs, but also the lowest of lows. It was just so well written, especially the way the darker topics were handled and discussed. I thought the discussion regarding domestic violence and victim blaming was particularly interesting and presented a lot to think about. It was clear that Kennedy Ryan didn't simply throw this topic in to make the story more interesting. She did her research and made sure to present an impactful and important take on the topic, to bring more awareness and potentially help those affected.

All of the characters in this book were very well developed and real rounded characters with such distinct personalities. I particularly loved Iris and Lotus and their relationship. Their backstories were interesting to read about, and I hope to learn more of Lotus' backstory in the third book in this series. August was an incredibly sweet hero; I just loved him and his devotion to Iris, no matter what. I also loved his relationship with his family. Although we didn't see too much of his family interactions, what we did get to see was just so wholesome and lovely. Even Caleb was such a well-developed character.

I think the thing I appreciated most about this book was the fact that it didn't do what it so easily could have. The hero did not swoop in and save the girl. August didn't suddenly appear and fix all of Iris' problems. So often in romance, the hero saves the day, Iris was a prime example of an incredibly strong, independent woman, and it made me happy and proud to see that was not taken away from her at any point.

I loved pretty much everything about this book. All that is stopping me from giving this book 5 stars is the fact it took me some time to get in to. I struggled at the beginning of the book to understand this infatuation that August and Iris seemed to have with each other after just a few hours in a bar. Although I obviously fell in love with their relationship as the book progressed, I did struggle with it at first.

This was my first book by Kennedy Ryan but I can guarantee it won't be my last.

Review | The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward

The Potion Diaries by Amy Alward
Series: The Potion Diaries #1
Published On: July 2, 2015
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★
Amazon | BD | Goodreads

When the Princess of Nova accidentally poisons herself with a love potion meant for her crush, she falls crown-over-heels in love with her own reflection. Oops. A nationwide hunt is called to find the cure, with competitors travelling the world for the rarest ingredients, deep in magical forests and frozen tundras, facing death at every turn. 
Enter Samantha Kemi - an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent. Sam's family were once the most respected alchemists in the kingdom, but they've fallen on hard times, and winning the hunt would save their reputation. But can Sam really compete with the dazzling powers of the ZoroAster megapharma company? Just how close is Sam willing to get to Zain Aster, her dashing former classmate and enemy, in the meantime? And just to add to the pressure, this quest is ALL OVER social media. And the world news. 
No big deal, then.

Do you ever pick up a book years after buying it and realise you're not interested anymore? This was how I felt about this book. However, I decided to give it a chance before getting rid of it, and I'm glad I did. This is a really fun story of a girl searching for the cure for a love potion in a competition being followed by people all over the world (think The Hunger Games but less violent and deadly). It is full of adventure, fast paced, and generally a really enjoyable read.

The characters did feel a little underdeveloped, particularly the side characters who all felt quite similar. However, they were not bad characters. I enjoyed reading about them and hope to get to know them more as the series continues. The relationships between the characters felt a bit forced - the friendships didn't feel real and the romantic relationship happened very quickly. I do think these can hopefully be improved upon in future books in the series.

As I have mentioned, this is a very fast-paced book with a fun plot. I flew through it and didn't get bored once. There is always something happening. My only other complaint about this book is how convenient things were. This is supposed to be an incredibly difficult competition to find a cure no-one knows the ingredients for, yet all of these competitors just know what to do next or how to solve their problems. There is some very impressive guess work.

Despite having a couple of complaints, I did really enjoy this book. It is not the next great fantasy series, but it is a fast, fun read and perfect for those, like me, who don't tend to enjoy too much fantasy. This read a lot like a contemporary with fantastical elements, which I enjoyed. It is not the best written, most creative book, but it has definitely made me want to carry on with the series and see where it goes.

Review | Roar by Cecelia Ahern

Roar by Cecelia Ahern
Published On: November 1, 2018
Published By: Harper Collins
Genre: Adult, General Fiction, Anthology
Pages: 352
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★★
Amazon | BD | Goodreads

I am woman. Hear me roar. 
Have you ever imagined a different life? 
Have you ever stood at a crossroads, undecided? 
Have you ever had a moment when you wanted to roar? 
The women in these startlingly original stories are all of us: the women who befriend us, the women who encourage us, the women who make us brave. 
From The Woman Who Slowly Disappeared to The Woman Who Was Kept on the Shelf and The Woman Who Returned and Exchanged her Husband, discover thirty touching, often hilarious, stories and meet thirty very different women. Each discovers her strength; each realizes she holds the power to make a change. Witty, tender, surprising, these keenly observed tales speak to us all, and capture the moment when we all want to roar.

*A copy of this book was provided by the published via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

It is no secret that Cecelia Ahern is a favourite author of mine. In fact, I think I start every review of one of her books with that exact sentence. Of course, being one of my favourite authors, I was very excited to get to her newest release. I was unsure about the premise, but I trusted I would enjoy it as I have never not enjoyed a Cecelia Ahern book. 

This is unlike anything I have read before. It features thirty short stories, many only a few pages in length, each following an different woman. These stories take common issues and prejudices facing women in the world today and give them a fantastical twist by taking them very literally. For example, The Woman Who Had A Ticking Clock deals with the societal pressures on women over a certain age to have children and features a woman with a literal ticking clock. I found it incredibly clever and unique.

While I did enjoy this book and all of the stories within it, I didn't feel this was Cecelia Ahern's best writing. The stories were clever in content but the writing felt quite basic at times. I also found myself getting a little bored at times as the stories felt quite similar. However, these are my only complaints. I generally really enjoyed it and took a lot of great messages from the stories.

Overall, I think this is a very good collection of short stories. The stories are unique, I have never read anything like them before, and all contained an important message. I found this book to be quite powerful as a whole and I would definitely encourage you to pick it up if you want to feel good about being a woman, or if you want to look at current issues facing women but in a very different way.

Mini Review | That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

I've been majorly slacking recently and haven't had a chance to review any of the amazing books I have been lucky enough to receive eARCs of over the last few months. In fact, I've been slacking so much that I have now forgotten so much about these books that I can't even write a full review. I will try to do better, but for now you'll have to make do with this half-assed, two month late, attempt at a review.

That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger
Published On: August 28, 2018
Published By: Hodder Children's Books
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★★
Amazon | BD | Goodreads

It's been three years since the Virgil County High School Massacre. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall during the mass shooting. Everyone knows Sarah's story--that she died proclaiming her faith. 
But it's not true. 
I know because I was with her when she died. I didn't say anything then, and people got hurt because of it. Now Sarah's parents are publishing a book about her, so this might be my last chance to set the record straight . . . but I'm not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did--and didn't--happen that day. 
Except Sarah's martyrdom is important to a lot of people, people who don't take kindly to what I'm trying to do. And the more I learn, the less certain I am about what's right. I don't know what will be worse: the guilt of staying silent or the consequences of speaking up . . .

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

As someone who has a strange interest in books about school shootings, this immediately interested me. It's a very different perspective of a school shooting as it revolves mostly around the aftermath and how the survivors deal with what happened to them. I found it particularly interesting that the main story focused less on the shooting itself, but instead on the situation surrounding Sarah. This story was inspired by a true story from the Columbine shooting, yet it was still such a unique take on the topic and a very interesting read.

This book is not action packed and full of drama, but it is incredibly important. It focuses very much on the survivors and the victims, and the importance of remembering them rather than the perpetrators. It is explicitly stated that the shooters name will not be mentioned in the book, and the idea of fans that support shooters in these situations explored, which is a very real concept. This book does a great job of highlighting the genuine issues surrounding press coverage and the way society discusses these situations in a way that makes the reader think about their own actions in similar real life situations.

Overall, the characters in this book were nothing particularly special, in fact I can't really remember them all that much, and the plot was not the most thrilling or exciting you will ever read. However, it is an incredibly important story highlighting some of the very real issues in today's society and how this kind of tragedy can impact the lives of those involved.

Series Review | Did I Mention I Love You? Series by Estelle Maskame

One of my goals for 2018 was to try something new with my reviews and, having realised in my mid-year update that I haven't done that yet, I thought now would be a good time to mix things up. I recently read the second and third books in the DIMILY trilogy by Estelle Maskame, as well as the spin-off/companion novel Just Don't Mention It, so I thought I would try something new and combine my reviews for these books into a series review.

*Please Note: Minor spoilers for previous books in the series may be included in the reviews for the later books. I will try my hardest to avoid spoilers but please be aware that some may slip out.*

Estelle Maskame's DIMILY series follows sixteen-year-old Eden Munro as she spends the summer with her father and his new family in Santa Monica, California, where she meets her new stepmother and three stepbrothers for the first time. One of those stepbrothers is troubled Tyler Bruce, whose bad boy ways both infuriate and intrigue Eden. Throughout the series, we see how these characters grow and how their unconventional relationship develops, as they navigate the challenges of difficult pasts and unknown futures.

Did I Mention I Love You?
Series: DIMILY #1
Published On: April 30, 2015
Published By: Black & White Publishing
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 422
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★½
Amazon | Goodreads

A full review of this book can be found here.

I previously reviewed this book after first reading it last year and went into much more detail on my thoughts in that review. Overall, I thought this was a great introduction to the series that was fun, fast-paced and had me not wanting to put it down. It still amazes me that this series was written by someone so young, as it is written so well. However, this made the teenage voice much more authentic and the actions taken by characters felt very realistic. It is 90% a cute, fluffy romance but there are more series topics dealt with throughout the book, which add a lot of depth to the story. I was impressed by how well someone so young wrote about such serious topics, everything was covered with great sensitivity and maturity. My one and only issue with this first book was that some plot points were a bit predictable and a little immature at times, but I did find that this became less of an issue as the series went on.

Did I Mention I Need You?
Series: DIMILY #2
Published On: October 19, 2015
Published By: Black & White Publishing
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 387
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★½
Amazon | Goodreads

Did I Mention I Need You, book two in the series, is most definitely my favourite! This book in no way suffers from second book syndrome, it's full of great story and a whole lot of fun. This book is set two years after DIMILY and follows Eden as she goes to spend the summer in New York with Tyler. I absolutely adored the setting, as I love New York, and was very impressed with Estelle's knowledge of the city, even more so when I discovered she had never even been until after writing this book. I also really loved the development in Eden and Tyler's relationship and to see how their dynamic changed when they were away from family and friends and didn't have to keep things secret. Tyler himself has grown so much between the first and second books, and while it would have been nice to see that growth as it happened, it was great to see how much he had progressed. He did still have a bit of a bad boy side in there though, which I really liked seeing. There is a bit of a cheating storyline in this book that didn't take away from my enjoyment, but did make me a little uncomfortable and may well be an issue for others. Once again, Estelle throws in a big shocker in the ending, as she did with book one, and makes you need to pick up the third book straight away. I can't praise this book enough, I loved it.

Did I Mention I Miss You?
Series: DIMILY #3
Published On: July 21, 2016
Published By: Black & White Publishing
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★
Amazon | Goodreads

The third and final book in the series takes place a year after the events of DIMINY, during Eden's first summer of college. I had very mixed feelings at the beginning of this book because, for the first time during reading this series, I disliked Tyler! I thought his actions were unnecessary and actually found him to be very patronising throughout the book. He grows so much throughout the series but by the third book he isn't showing any of his former bad boy ways, so as a girl who likes a bad boy I kind of lost interest in him. However, there were many things I loved about this book. I loved seeing how Eden and Tyler dealt with not everything in their relationship being good, it made them seem more real and like an authentic relationship. I also found the situation with their family very interesting to read about, particularly as each family member was dealing with things in different ways. We also get another new setting in this book, which I won't disclose because spoilers, and I absolutely loved it. The settings in each of these books are so well written and explored that I feel as though I am visiting these places with the characters, and this setting was no exception. Overall, I think this was a great conclusion to the series as many of the issues arising throughout the series were addressed, as well as some great new plot points and twists introduced, but things weren't wrapped up in a neat little bow. I loved seeing all the characters in this series, not just Tyler and Eden but also their family and friends, grow and develop into the people they are by the end of book three and deal with all of the challenges life throws at them. I honestly feel like these characters are my friends and I have been on one hell of a journey with them.

Just Don't Mention It
Series: DIMILY #4 (kind of)
Published On: June 21, 2018
Published By: Black & White Publishing
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 470
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★★
Amazon | Goodreads

Just Don't Mention It is a spin-off/companion novel to the DIMILY series, which follows two timelines told from Tyler's point of view. The first timeline, present day, is the first book in the series told from Tyler's point of view. The second timeline is five years prior to that telling the story of Tyler's life with his dad. This is a very, very tough book to read. On the one hand, it's great fun to go back to the start of Tyler and Eden's relationship and get to relive that story through Tyler's eyes. However, on the other hand, in the alternate chapters you have the story of Tyler's horrendous childhood and the horrific abuse he suffered. I really enjoyed the present day timeline, particularly as I spent much of DIMILY wondering what on earth Tyler was thinking. It was interesting to see situations from a different perspective and see what was going on when he wasn't with Eden. The past timeline is not something I can say I enjoyed, that definitely isn't the word to use. I found those parts to be incredibly difficult to read and just heartbreaking. Despite the content, they were very well written and such a difficult topic was covered with great sensitivity and maturity, which is impressive from someone so young. I was impressed with how well this book was written overall, and how easily it flipped from one timeline to the other so seamlessly, yet both stories felt completely different. I thought this was a great addition to the series and I felt as though I know Tyler so much better and understand the reasoning behind many of his actions.

Overall, I really love this series. It starts off as a pretty light, fluffy forbidden romance story but becomes so much more. As I mentioned, the characters are written so well that I feel as though they are my friends and I have experienced this journey with them. The settings are written so vividly that I feel as though I have been there. It blows my minds that this series is written by an author who has only recently turned 21! I can't wait to see what else is to come from Estelle Maskame, she is now one of my favourite authors and I will pick up anything she writes.

Review | Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
Published On: May 3, 2018
Published By: Penguin Random House
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 368
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon. 
So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I never had much interest in Leah's story. I read Simon earlier in the year and didn't consider her a stand-out character that I wanted more from. I did, however, want more of Simon and Blue. They was my sole reason for wanting to read this book, and there they were as adorable as ever. However, that ended up not being the only thing about the book I enjoyed.

If I'm being honest, I didn't like Leah in Simon. I found her quite annoying and didn't like some of the things she did. Strangely, she felt like a completely different character in this book. Perhaps this was because we were able to get to know her better and find out more about her life. I actually kind of liked her, and definitely related to her more than I did previously.

I didn't really like the friend group in general in Simon, but again my opinion changed this time. That could also just be because we were getting to know them better in this book. I actually really loved this friendship group and I think there was more of a focus on friendship in this book, particularly with the build up to prom and graduation. Leah's friends are all so different and I really loved getting to know them all more, I just wanted to be a part of the group.

Leah's friendship with Simon was possibly my favourite thing about this book. I adore the two of them together, they have such a genuine, loving friendship that it made my heart melt. They reminded me a lot of myself and my high school best friend so I think that made me love them even more. I was so rooting for them to stay friends through college rather than drifting apart like my friend and I.

As well as the friendships, I also really loved the relationship in this book. Leah's love interest is not who I would have expected after reading Simon but I was definitely on board with it. I thought the two of them were adorable together and I loved the questions around sexuality that were raised. The one thing I didn't like, though, was that the relationship appeared to come before friendships at one point, which I wasn't happy about.

My only other complaint was that I wanted a little bit more. The ending was a bit abrupt and didn't really explain how things happened. I also really wanted to get to see more of Leah and love interest following the pretty dramatic ending. We did get a little insight into that but I just wanted more. I could read about these characters all day.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book despite not being a huge fan of Leah going into it. I loved diving back in to this world and getting to know the diverse cast of characters a bit more, as well as catching up with Simon and Blue. I liked Leah a lot more in this book and loved seeing her learn more about herself while falling for the girl she, and I, least expected. It was just as adorable as Simon and just as enjoyable.

Mini Review | Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1
Published On: January 5, 2012
Published By: Puffin
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Dystopian
Pages: 387
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation. 
Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future.

I finally did it!
I have had this book on my shelves for years and have included it in more monthly TBR lists than I can count but kept putting it off. I did enjoy and am glad that I finally got around to read it, but it's not a book I'm kicking myself for not having read years ago.

Cinderella as a cyborg.
I loved the concept of this book. I think it was such a unique idea to combine the well-known story of Cinderella with a sci-fi twist. I don't typically read sci-fi so I found the cyborg aspect of the story very interesting and loved learning about Cinder and her cyborg characteristics. I would have liked to learn a bit more about cyborgs and for that to be explored more.

It was an original story.
Although this is a retelling of Cinderella, that wasn't the main story of the book. I really enjoyed that it was a very loose retelling and that it was only part of the story. The main plot followed an original story and didn't rely too much on the traditional story we all know.

The world was interesting.
This book is set in a futuristic, dystopian world that I found so interesting to read about. It wasn't explored as much as I would have liked in this book, there are definitely a lot of things I don't fully understand and would like more information about, but these things may be explored more in the rest of the series.

Average characters.
All of the characters in this book were just okay, nothing particularly special. Other than being part cyborg, there wasn't anything all that interesting about Cinder. She had little personality, as did Prince Kai. I thought the relationship between the two was just fine as well, I didn't really feel anything between them and it seemed kind of insta-lovey.

Very predictable.
My one real issue with this book was how predictable it was. I guessed pretty much every big plot twist early on and nothing that happened came as a surprise to me. I'm willing to give Marissa Meyer the benefit of the doubt, as this was a debut novel, but it was a bit disappointing to not have any surprises while reading.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and am glad I finally read it. I didn't find it as great as everyone made it out to be but it was a fun, well-written story. I'm not sure this series is really for me so I am unsure whether or not I will continue. However, part of me is somewhat intrigued to see how the story continues.

Review | Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Published On: April 7, 2015
Published By: Penguin
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 303
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised. 
With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

To be perfectly honest, I only picked this book up in the first place because the movie trailer looked so good that I wanted to go and see the movie as soon as I could. I had very little intention of reading this book before then, for whatever reason, but I'm glad something got me interested as I ended up really enjoying it. I can definitely see what all the hype was about, it was adorable.

I absolutely adore Simon! He is probably one of my favourite main characters I have read about so far this year. He is such a great character, who felt very real and genuine. I almost felt like I could be reading about a friend, and I spent most of the book actually wanting to be Simon's friend. I just loved him a lot and could have read about him forever.

Unlike many, however, I didn't really like Simon's friends all that much. They were fine in the beginning, they seemed like genuinely nice characters who were supportive of their friend. It was as the book progressed that my dislike formed. I didn't hate any of them but they did start to annoy me and I didn't like some of the things they were doing and the way they were treating Simon at times. It was more of an annoyance than a dislike, they definitely all had their redeeming qualities.

Simon's family, on the other hand, I absolutely loved. It was nice to read such a great family dynamic. Simon's parents were very present in the story, which is often not the case in YA, and were very supportive of Simon. His siblings were great as well and I really loved the relationship they all had with each other.

This book follows the development of an online relationship between Simon and 'Blue' and I found it a great addition to the story to have some of their emails included. This gave a real insight into their relationship and allowed the reader to see the development of their friendship as it progressed to a more romantic relationship simply through their communications. It was also great for allowing the reader to get to know Blue before his true identity was revealed.

Blue's true identity added a fun element of mystery to the story. Unfortunately, I guessed Blue's identity pretty early on in the book, which was a little bit disappointing for me. I was looking forward to a big surprising reveal - and the way in which his identity was revealed would have been perfect had I not already guessed it - but it was a little anticlimactic as his identity had been pretty obvious to me for a while.

Simon and Blue's relationship was probably the best thing about this book. Their relationship, both online and eventually in real life, was completely adorable. I loved watching it develop and was rooting for them the whole way through. I just love them together! I also really loved the fact we got to see beyond the big reveal, it just made me want to keep reading about them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I had some small issues with a couple of things that annoyed me, but nothing that took away from my overall enjoyment of the story and the fantastic main character. This book was written well and the pacing was great, I will definitely be reading more from Becky Albertalli in the future.

Review | By Your Side by Kasie West

By Your Side by Kasie West
Published On: January 31, 2017
Published By: HarperTeen
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 346
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her. 
Only he doesn’t come. No one does. 
Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

Oh Kasie West, I do love you! I make no secret of the fact Kasie West is one of my favourite authors. I have loved every book I have read from her and, of course, this one was no exception. By Your Side fully lived up to the usual standards of her books and definitely met my expectations. I wouldn't say this was my favourite of her books but it is up there.

All I knew going into this book was the two characters getting locked in a library and that immediately drew me in, is that not every book lovers dream? While a somewhat unrealistic scenario, as I have seen many others point out in reviews, I was so much fun to read about. I loved reading about their antics in the library, but I do wish we could have had a little bit more of that before getting into the more serious latter part of the book.

Speaking of the latter part of the book, I was not at all prepared for anything that happened after the library. I wasn't even aware of the fact the story continued on after the characters made it out of the library, let alone all of the drama that followed that. It was such a pleasant surprise to read a whole other aspect of the story I had not anticipated, and I really enjoyed the storyline that followed.

One thing I really appreciated, which became much more of a focus throughout the latter part of the book, was discussion surrounding anxiety. Our main character, Autumn, struggles with anxiety and this aspect was personally quite important to me. I struggle with anxiety in a very similar way as is described in the book. Many of the things Autumn finds the most challenging are those things I struggle with the most, which really emphasised the fact that other people, even if they are fictional in this instance, go through the same things I do and that I am not alone.

Knowing this book dealt with anxiety did put me off reading it for a while. I was worried I wouldn't feel it had been dealt with well, and as Kasie West is one of my favourite authors I would have hated to be disappointed by that. However, I think anxiety was handled really well and the discussion surrounding Autumn's anxiety was quite interesting. I obviously can't speak for everyone but I think this book did a great job of showcasing the real worries of many people, including myself, who struggle with anxiety. Kasie West does a great job of not making it a big thing until Autumn really starts to struggle and it becomes something that needs to be addressed. To me, that really emphasises the fact that anxiety doesn't have to completely take over your life, you can have good times, but when things get bad it is OK to talk about it. Autumn's experiences with her anxiety throughout this book were very realistic to my own, therefore I would consider this to have really good anxiety rep.

Despite this great discussion surrounding anxiety, that seemed to be all Autumn was as a character. She definitely was not the usual Kasie West character, full of personality and wit. In fact, she was pretty bland, just a girl with anxiety. This is disappointing, as I typically love Kasie West's characters. The same also goes for the majority of the side characters as well. They were all pretty bland and had little personality. I can't actually remember any of their names by this point, so they weren't very memorable either.

One character I did love, however, was Dax. I love a bad boy and I love a love/hate romance, both of which this book had. Dax is your typical misunderstood bad boy with a rough home life and a bad reputation, which pretty much makes him my perfect love interest. I just loved Dax, but what I really loved was the way the relationship between Dax and Autumn developed. I was expecting super insta-love, since I thought this book just covered the time in the library, but was pleasantly surprised to discover it was not. Despite knowing they had a connection very early on, their relationship took it's time to develop into something really lovely. I just love all of Kasie West's couples, I can't help it.

Overall, this was a very important book for me. It was much more than your average contemporary romance, with the discussions about anxiety playing an important role, but it was still a very fun and enjoyable read. The characters were not up to Kasie West's usual standards but the storyline and the relationship were, which definitely made up for it. I would highly recommend this book, particularly if you have enjoyed her other books.

Mini Review | Unboxed by Non Pratt

Unboxed by Non Pratt
Published On: August 15, 2016
Published By: Barrington Stoke
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 140
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Four friends meet up at their old school to open the memory box they stowed there years ago - with five letters inside for four of them, because their friend Millie has died. When they open the box they find a new letter from Millie and discover that she has left them special instructions: permission to open her letter only if they all read aloud the letters they wrote to their older selves, revealing their deepest secrets.


What a way to start the year!
I had no idea what this book was about when I started reading and I was not emotionally prepared for what I got. This book is so short but somehow so emotionally impactful. It is more than I ever would have expected from a book of just 140 pages.

This book covers everything.
Yep, that's right, it's 140 pages and covers everything. This book deals with loss as one of the friendship group has died, we have a character struggling with coming out to her friends, one character is in an unhealthy relationship, another has a crappy home life - it is all dealt with in these 140 pages. Even more crazy is that fact that all of these topics are dealt with beautifully. This book is just written so damn well.

Friendship is the foundation of the story.
Though there are many other topics covered in this book, the heart of the story is the friendship. These four friends have grown apart over the years and despite only coming together for the sake of the friend they lost, it is clear as soon as they are together again that they are truly connected to each other through more than just a box. This is probably one of my favourite friend groups I've ever read about.

It had me sobbing.
This book was so impactful that every separate storyline affected me in a different way. I connected to every character and felt all of their struggles in such a real, raw way. It's just a beautiful book, okay?

I wanted more.
My only complaint about this book is that I didn't want it to stop. Although everything is covered so well within such a short book, I wanted to stay in these characters lives for so much longer. I suppose that's not the worst complaint to have.

Overall, I'm now desperate to read more from Non Pratt. If that is what she can do in 140 pages, I can't wait to see what she can do in 300+. This book is a beautiful story of friendship, it is written incredibly well and I would recommend it to everyone.

Review | Some Kind Of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher

Some Kind Of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher
Published On: November 16, 2017
Published By: Michael Joseph
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Chick-Lit
Pages: 389
Format: eBook/Hardcover
Source: Netgalley/Bought
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Lizzy and Ian have been a couple since their first day at university. Now, after celebrating a decade together, everyone thinks they're about to get engaged. A romantic escape to Dubai is the perfect moment, but instead of the proposal Lizzy hopes for, Ian reveals he's not sure he even wants her anymore. 
Lizzy is heartbroken. But through the tears, she realises this is her chance to seize the opportunities she missed as Ian's other half. But what does she want? How much of her is really Lizzy, and how much was Ian's influence? Determined to discover who she is at heart, Lizzy sets out to rediscover the girl she was before - and in the meantime, have a little fun . . .

*A copy of this book was (initially) provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review (but it was so good I bought my own copy anyway)*

I had been wanting to read a book by Giovanna Fletcher for far too long before I picked this one up, I even owned all of her published works, however, I had never gotten around to reading them. As soon as I read the synopsis for Some Kind Of Wonderful, I knew this was going to be the one I picked up first as it sounded exactly like something I would enjoy. I love Giovanna as a person (her Youtube channel is one of my favourites) so, of course, I really wanted to love this book. To my relief, I really did love this book.

The story follows Lizzy who, after a ten year relationship with her university boyfriend, finds herself back in her family home with a broken heart and no idea who she is outwith the relationship. While this isn't the most unique story, it felt like I was reading this situation for the first time. There was something new and fresh about the way the story was told that stopped this from becoming just another version of the many similar books out there. 

This was not a particularly plot-driven book, there wasn't a lot of action and adventure, but it kept my attention and made me want to keep reading. For me, it was a very chilled, relaxing read. The plot kept moving but at a steady pace with the characters driving the story, and some interesting subplots thrown in along the way to keep things interesting.

Lizzy goes on such a journey throughout this book that it's hard not to connect to her character. She is an average woman struggling with the no longer being 'Ian's girlfriend' and having to discover how to be Lizzy, which is a struggle many, myself included, can relate to. Her character growth was incredible - from being so insecure while in her relationship and hiding behind her boyfriend to learning to be comfortable in her own skin and confident as herself - and it was something I found so inspiring. I wish I had read this book when I was in Lizzy's situation as I think it would have been exactly what I needed to read.

The characters were the real highlight of this book. Not only was Lizzy a great main character, every other character in this book was great. There were no unlikeable characters, even the ex-boyfriend and the, sometimes rather annoying, younger sister had their redeeming qualities. We had a great cast of characters, a lovely family dynamic and a hilarious friendship, I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Overall, this book just made me want to read everything else Giovanna has ever written. I was so relieved to discover I loved her writing as much as I love her as a person but I shouldn't be surprised. This book was just as beautiful and inspiring as the author herself and I would urge anyone who has struggled, or is struggling, through a difficult breakup to pick up this book. I related so much to the story and it was one of those books that really made me think and has stayed with me long after I finished the last page.

Review | There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins
Published On: October 5, 2017
Published By: Pan Macmillan
Genre: YA, Horror
Pages: 289
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Over a year after her parents sent her away from Hawaii to live with her grandmother in landlocked Nebraska, Makani Young is still adjusting to her new life. She's made a small group of close friends and even flirted with romance, but her past in Hawaii is still hard to forget. 
And then . . . one by one the students of her new high school begin to die in a series of gruesome murders. Makani doesn't know who's next on the list. Between this, and a secret scorching relationship with the school weirdo, this school year may turn out to be one to die for . . . literally.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

As Stephanie Perkins is one of my favourite authors of all time, of course this was possibly my most anticipated release of the year, meaning I had very high expectations going into it. There's Someone Inside Your House is very different to any of her previous work. She is so good at writing adorable contemporary romance stories that I love, so I was a bit unsure of how I would feel about a horror novel, something I don't typically pick up otherwise.

I feel like this book is a good introduction to the horror genre if, like me, you would normally gravitate towards a cute contemporary. It was very much like a contemporary novel with horror elements thrown in, which made it almost more familiar to me and less out of my comfort zone.

Surprisingly, I really loved the horror elements of the story. I honestly did not expect those to be the parts I enjoyed the most but I found it to be perfectly gory and creepy. I liked that the book wasn't filled with constant horror and gore but I found myself getting excited when I could tell those things were coming. I especially loved all of the creepy, interesting death and methods of killing people. Maybe I'm more of a horror fan that I like to think.

I also found it very surprising, especially for a Stephanie Perkins novel, that I didn't really like the romance. There wasn't anything particularly bad about it, the characters were fine together and it was written well, but it just didn't seem very necessary to the story. It was almost as though she was trying too hard to add in the cute relationship that she has become known for when I think the book would have been just as good without that aspect.

While I wasn't the biggest fan of the romance, I did really love the friendships. There is a really great friendship group in this book that I loved reading about. I want another book just about this friendship group before the events of this story. I especially loved that the friendship group included a transgender character, Darby, who was probably my favourite character and I so badly wanted more of him in the book, particularly as Stephanie Perkins' previous books have not had the most diverse cast of characters (please correct me if I'm wrong but no characters come to mind).

The biggest issue I had with this book was the focus on Makani's huge secret. We were constantly reminded about her troubled past and the huge secret that made her leave Hawaii. I was fed up hearing about this huge secret. It was built up so much that I expected something massive and I was incredibly disappointed. It was just odd and not necessary to the story. It felt like it was added in to the story to make the book a bit longer, fill up some extra space, but add nothing to the story.

I found it very odd that the killer was revealed half way through the book. I had to reread that part a couple of times to make sure I wasn't missing something. It took away from the mystery of the story but I did still enjoy the second half of the book despite knowing who the killer was. I just found it very strange, particularly as that has never happened in any mystery books I have read before so I was not expecting it.

I was expecting, however, a lot of things that happened in the book. It was a pretty generic 'slasher movie' plot and a lot of it was quite predictable. There were a lot of things that I could see coming from very early on in the book, like the ending, and I wasn't surprised by any of the deaths. The one thing I didn't see coming was the reveal of who the killer was.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book but with my expectations being so high, I did judge it very harshly while reading. I think it was a good first attempt at a horror novel and I am definitely interested to see what else Stephanie Perkins can write in this genre. I would like to read more horror from her but perhaps with less of a contemporary feel. However, this was a good starting point for me to branch out into more of the genre. I would say this is a perfect Halloween read and great for anyone who enjoys a good slasher film.

Mini Review | Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
Published On: May 6, 2014
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 449
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

It was Sloane who yanked Emily out of her shell and made life 100% interesting. But right before what should have been the most epic summer, Sloane just…disappears. All she leaves behind is a to-do list.
On it, thirteen Sloane-inspired tasks that Emily would normally never try. But what if they could bring her best friend back?
Apple picking at night? Okay, easy enough.
Dance until dawn? Sure. Why not?
Kiss a stranger? Um...
Emily now has this unexpected summer, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected), to check things off Sloane's list. Who knows what she’ll find?
Go skinny-dipping? Wait...what?

The perfect summer read.
As is the case with all of Morgan Matson's books, this has everything you need in a summer read. It has friendship, romance, adventure and plenty of fun that just made me want to get out and enjoy my summer.

Lists are my thing.
I'm definitely a list person and I really love when lists are used within a book. This was a great summer bucket list with some really cool tasks on it. I enjoyed the way this list was used within this book as not only did it allow for some really fun adventures, it also provided for a whole lot of character development.

Emily is my favourite.
Of all of Morgan Matson's characters, Emily is by far my favourite. She was very genuine and also reminded me a lot of myself so I could relate to her quite a bit. It was nice to see her character grow and develop throughout the book into an even more likeable character.

Sloane is not my favourite.
I can't say I'm a fan of Sloane, her character just annoyed me and I was quite glad she wasn't feature too much. I understand that the whole idea of this list is for Emily to become her own person without Sloane, but to me it seemed that any time she had tried to be her own person with Sloane around she was shot down. To me, she was a very overbearing friend. She did redeem herself a bit by the end of the book but she's still not a favourite character of mine.

New friends are the best friends.
I really loved the developing friendships throughout the book, in fact that was probably one of my favourite aspects. These friendships illustrated the fact that sometime the best friends are people you don't expect to become friends with in the first place, that you can have unexpected things in common with a person and that can bring you together. And also Frank, he was pretty great.

Love playlists.
I had loved the playlists in Amy & Rodger's Epic Detour so I was glad to see some more playlists making an appearance in this book. I think the make a really nice, fun addition to the story as well as providing another layer to the characters since the music you listen to says a lot about a person.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and think it is the perfect book to read during the summer. It did a great job of getting me in the mood for summer, while also being a cute summer romance with a great emphasis on friendship. I would probably say this is my favourite of Morgan Matson's books so I would definitely recommend it if you are a fan of her other books.

Mini Review | Bridget Jones' Baby: The Diaries by Helen Fielding

Bridget Jones' Baby: The Diaries by Helen Fielding
Series: Bridget Jones #4
Published On: October 11, 2016
Published By: Knopf
Genre: Chick-Lit
Pages: 219
Format: Hardcover
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

8:45 P.M. Realize there have been so many times in my life when have fantasized about going to a scan with Mark or Daniel: just not both at the same time. 
Before motherhood, before marriage, Bridget with biological clock ticking very, very loudly, finds herself unexpectedly pregnant at the eleventh hour: a joyful pregnancy which is dominated, however, by a crucial but terribly awkward question - who is the father? Mark Darcy: honourable, decent, notable human rights lawyer? Or Daniel Cleaver: charming, witty, notable fuckwit? 
9:45 PM It's like they're two halves of the perfect man, who'll spend the rest of their lives each wanting to outdo the other one. And now it's all enacting itself in my stomach. 
In this gloriously funny, touching story of baby-deadline panic, maternal bliss, and social, professional, technological, culinary and childbirth chaos, Bridget Jones - global phenomenon and the world's favorite Singleton - is back with a bump.

Completely exceeded my expectations.
I read the first book in the series last year and wasn't a huge fan (review here) so decided not to continue with the series. However, having seen the movie, I thought I would skip the two previous books in the series and give this one a go. I was very pleasantly surprised as I enjoyed it much more than the first book in the series.

Interesting that the book is based on the film.
As far as I am aware, this book was written following the film of the same name. I found that quite interesting as is different from the normal book to movie adaptations. I did prefer the film to the book, the film was absolutely hilarious, but I did really enjoy the different take on the story. There were a lot of things written differently in the book than the movie but also a lot of similarities, both of which I think worked very well.

No focus on weight.
One of my biggest issues with the first book was the constant discussion about weight and how, as a woman of a relatively good weight, Bridget was "fat". I was very uncomfortable with this aspect of the book. For obvious reasons, weight is not discussed in the same way in this instalment. I was very relieved to discover this as it made my reading experience much more enjoyable.

Great mix of funny, serious and sweet.
As you would expect from a book in this series, this definitely had some laugh out loud moments. I really enjoyed the humour in this instalment, more so than in the first book, and found it great fun to read. It wasn't all humour as we had some more serious topics being discussed, including the stigma around single parenting and pregnancy outwith marriage/long-term relationship. I think these were important things to discuss within the book. There were also some incredibly sweet moments that just added to the perfect combination of emotions.

This is a one-sitting book.
I don't know if this is due to the diary format of the book or just because it was so good but I flew through it. I read it all in one sitting and just didn't want to put it down. I was having so much fun reading that I wanted to immerse myself in it.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable instalment in the Bridget Jones series. It completely redeemed the series for me and I may consider picking up the books I missed out in future. I do still prefer the movie to the book, which is probably a lot to do with Patrick Dempsey, but would definitely recommend it to fans of the movie.

Review | The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
Published On: May 3, 2016
Published By: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 519
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Andie had it all planned out. When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future. Important internship? Check. Amazing friends? Check. Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks). 
But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life. Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected. And where’s the fun in that?

Oh my days, this book took me forever! It took me over a week and I can usually fly through contemporaries, even if they are 500+ pages like this one. I don't know what it was but I couldn't read more than one chapter at a time. I don't know what my problem was because I ended up really enjoying it. It took me a little bit of time to get into but after about 100 pages I was really liking the story. It wasn't my favourite Morgan Matson book but it was definitely good.

There isn't a lot to this book, no huge dramas or major tragedy, it's a slice of life kind of story. I thought that might be a bit boring for me but actually I really enjoyed that not a whole lot happened. It is basically just the story of a girl enjoying her summer that didn't end up being what she expected it to be and that was exactly what I wanted to read. It was a lot more interesting than I expected it to be.

The one 'major event' that we have in this book is this scandal surrounding Andie's father, which is obviously the reason her summer doesn't go to plan. In itself, this played a very minor part in the book as a whole but what happened as a result of this scandal really made the book for me. My favourite thing about this book was Andie's relationship with her father. It is pretty non-existent at the beginning but due to this scandal that has resulted in her father being around more over the summer we get to see it develop. I loved every moment that Andie was with her dad and was really rooting for them to have this great relationship that they both really needed.

As well as family, friendship plays a big part in this book. I wanted to be part of this friendship group so badly while reading this. Andie and her friends had so much fun and were all there for each other and, honestly, it made me quite jealous. I've never really had that group of girlfriends like this and they made me want friends like that. It was a very realistic portrayal of friendship, especially as they had their disagreements and fights like all friends do, but also how they dealt with their issues.

As can be seen from the cover, dogs are another major aspect of this book and I freaking loved it. I want every main character in every book I read from now on to be a dog walker. I found it so interesting and some of my favourite scenes in the book are just Andie walking dogs. She made me want to go out and walk my dogs. Bertie, who Andie walks regularly throughout the book, was my favourite character. I absolutely loved him, I think because he was basically a combination of my two dogs so I just fell in love.

The one thing I didn't really love was the romance. I liked Andie and Clark, they were a cute together, but I felt indifferent to the relationship. I was happy they were together but I would still have been happy if she stayed single for the summer or even got with someone else. Clark and Tom's bromance, on the other hand, that I loved.

Clark being a writer was an interesting aspect to the story. I liked that he was a writer and enjoyed the discussion about him not being able to write anymore and why that was. I didn't really like the excerpts from the books that he was meant to have written. I didn't really see the point in them, I didn't think they really related to the main story in any way but maybe I was missing something.

The great thing about reading Morgan Matson's books in order is that familiar faces make an appearance in subsequent books. I really loved the little cameos from other Morgan Matson characters. We got to see Taylor and her family from Second Chance Summer as well as Emily from Since You've Been Gone. Emily is probably my favourite of her characters so I especially loved getting to see her again in this book.

Overall, this is another great summer read from Morgan Matson. Her books always make me want to go to the beach or go and do some summertime activities with my friends and this one was no different. Though the relationship wasn't my favourite, the family and friendship aspects as well as some great characters made this a really enjoyable story.

Mini Review | The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West
Published On: May 5, 2015
Published By: Harper Teen
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 346
Format: Paperback
Source: Gift
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley. 
The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. 
Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

Kasie West has done it again.
I'm still waiting on one of Kasie West's books to disappoint me. I have absolutely loved everything I have read from her but had my doubts with this one having seen a lot of people say it is their least favourite of her books. I do have to agree with those people, this was my least favourite of her books that I have read, but I did still love it. It was an adorable, fun summer read that I really enjoyed.

It was everything I would expect.
I always go into Kasie West's books expecting great characters, a great story and good underlying message and I definitely got all three of those from this book. We also had some fun summer antics thrown into this book, which really added to the fun.

I wanted more from the characters.
I think this could be part of the reason I would consider this my least favourite of her books. Kasie West has written some of my favourite characters, with unique, quirky personalities. While I really liked the fact that Gia, our main character, is just an ordinary girl with nothing particularly special about her, she seemed a little less developed than I would have liked, or have come to expect.

Such an adorable couple.
Though Gia isn't my favourite main character, her and Hayden are definitely one of my favourite couples. They are so completely adorable together but it was their friendship that made me love them so much.

A really great message about friendship.
Like I said, there was a really great underlying message to this story and it was a rather unique message about friendship. I think very often teenage girls stick with a friendship group as they feel loyalty to those they have been friends with for a long time. To me this book encourages you to think about whether those friends are the right for you and consider whether your friendships are healthy. I think that is a really great message, especially for the age group this book is targeted towards.

The perfect ending.
The ending of this book was so perfectly non-perfect. I absolutely loved this ending and the fact that everything didn't just wrap up nicely and everything worked out perfectly because that isn't how life works. I think it shows that life doesn't always work out how you expect it to but that may be for the best.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and though it is my least favourite Kasie West book I have read so far, I would still absolutely recommend it. It is fun and sweet with an adorable romance and good plot, perfect for a summer read.

Mini Review | Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout

Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout
Series: Lux #1
Published On: November 29, 2011
Published By: Entangled Teen
Genre: Paranormal
Pages: 299
Format: eBook/Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Starting over sucks. 
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up. 
And then he opened his mouth. 
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens. 
The hot alien living next door marks me. 
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 
If I don’t kill him first, that is.

I can't believe it has taken me this long.
I've been wanting to start this series for years now and even owned the bind up of the first two books for 2 years, but for some reason never picked it up until now. I was slightly wary of reading it due to all the hype, as I didn't want to be disappointed, but that didn't end up being an issue.

Fun and fast-paced.
Every time this book gets mentioned it is described as fun and fast-paced and I would say that it pretty accurate. I flew through the majority of this book, at least when I found the time to actually read I did, and found it to be a very fun story. I can see the similarities to Twilight, which it is often compared to. This added a nostalgia factor, however they are definitely different stories.

I want to be best friends with these characters.
I absolutely loved Katy, Daemon and Dee, they made the book for me. They are such fun characters, all completely different but all great, well-written characters. I loved seeing Katy's character develop to become more confident and I'm sure that will continue as the series progresses. I really just want these characters to be real so I can befriend them all.

Katy & Daemon give me life.
I mentioned in a Top Ten Tuesday post a while ago that hate-to-love romance is one of the things that instantly makes me want to read a book. I love the snarky comments and sexual tension and this book was full of them. Daemon is the kind of guy I always fall for in books, he is arrogant and rude but his love for his sister shows a glimpse of a softer side. I completely fell for him and his sarcastic comments.

Katy's a book blogger.
So this isn't exactly a fundamental aspect to the story but I absolutely loved that Katy is a book lover and runs a blog. As well as making her incredibly relatable as a character, I loved the mentions of blog related things, like memes for example. It just added a little something extra to the story and made me love Katy even more.

My one tiny little issue - the whole alien thing.
I feel like the whole alien aspect just needs to be explained a little more. I don't really understand everything that was explained to us. I don't know if things maybe get explained in more detail in the next books in the series, or maybe I just need to concentrate a bit more.

Overall, this was a great first book in the series. It was great fun with an intriguing plot that makes me want to know more. I'm interested to see where the story will go now and can't wait to find out, and get more of these great characters, in the rest of the series.

Review | Windfall by Jennifer E Smith

Windfall by Jennifer E Smith
Published On: May 2, 2017/May 4, 2017 (UK)
Published By: MacMillan
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: Netgalley
Rating: ★★★★

Amazon | Goodreads

Alice doesn’t believe in luck—at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she’s been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday—just when it seems they might be on the brink of something—she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes. 
At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy’s father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them to grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy’s newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall. 
As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined . . . and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect.

*A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Jennifer E Smith has done it again with another adorable, fun contemporary. I've been a bit hit or miss with her work before, some I have loved and others not so much, but I absolutely loved this story. The plot was fun, the romance was cute, the characters were great and we got the perfect amount of depth and emotion to balance out the fun and pull on your heartstrings.

I loved the premise of this book. When a book starts out with winning the lottery, you know you're in for a rollercoaster journey and it was such a fun journey to go on. Who doesn't want to win the lottery? It was such an enjoyable aspect of the book, particularly getting to see Teddy spending the money on some really thoughtful, and sometimes just extravagant, things. It was also a really great way to introduce some of the deeper topics, which I think was done really well.

As well as the lottery aspect of the story, we have the adorable romance. I love friends to lovers stories and I loved the way this one was written as you never really knew if they would ever end up together, I couldn't predict the outcome at all. Alice and Teddy's friendship is so important throughout the book and I think the fact that it wasn't ignored in favour of the romance aspect really emphasised how important it is. They never lose their friendship, no matter how much they argue, which I think is really special. I didn't think the addition of Sawyer as another love interest was all that necessary but I did like his character.

All of these characters are great and have some relatable aspects. I enjoyed Alice as a main character, I could relate to her a lot. She developed a lot throughout the book and this was one of my favourite things about it. She discovers so much about herself through her best friend's lottery win and becomes her own person. I loved all of the side characters and family members but Leo was a particular favourite. His sarcastic comments never failed to make me laugh. I specifically liked the fact that his being gay wasn't a big deal. I find so often that author's are trying so hard to make their characters diverse that there is such an emphasis on a character being gay and often a lot of stereotypes are introduced. I really enjoyed reading about an average guy with boyfriend troubles learning how to make love work.

There is an emphasis on family within this book that I think is incredibly important. Alice talks about feeling like an island since her parents died and this analogy develops as the plot does. Alice's struggles with finding home and family really highlight the fact that family does not always mean in the traditional sense. We have two different 'non-traditional' families and the love they all show one another throughout the book is important in showcasing that family can look different to everyone.

As I mentioned, this book deals with the fun of spending all this lottery money but we also get the depth and emotion to balance this out. There are some tough subjects discussed, essentially within the context of winning the lottery. Prominently, we have Alice still struggling with her grief after her parents died 9 years ago. It was so unique the way this lottery win was used to help Alice delve into her past, open up about her struggles and begin to move on and live her own life. I don't cry at book all that often, I'm more of a tear up kind of person, but there were so many moments throughout this book where the tears were rolling down my face. That's when you know a book has had an emotional impact.

Overall, I think this was a great contemporary story from Jennifer E Smith. I laughed, I cried, I swooned over the adorable romance and got frustrated by Teddy's outrageous spending. I was emotionally invested in this story and these characters, and thoroughly enjoyed experiencing both develop. I would definitely recommend picking this up if you are a fan of Jennifer E Smith, or contemporary in general.