Showing posts with label Favorites. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Favorites. Show all posts

Monday, July 13, 2020

My Thoughts: Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (Audiobook)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52090948-take-a-hint-dani-brown
Take a Hint, Dani Brown
(The Brown Sisters #2)
by Talia Hibbert
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: June 23rd 2020
Publisher: Avon Books / Harper Audio
Pages: 361
ISBN: 9780062941237
Genre: Romance

Narrated By: Ione Butler
Audio Length: 10 hours
ISBN: 9780062941268
Source: Own

Add to Goodreads

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
Audible | LibroFM | Scribd

Talia Hibbert returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him “rescuing” her from their office building goes viral...

Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.

When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse?

Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his... um, thighs.

Suddenly, the easy lay Dani dreamed of is more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint? (Goodreads)


Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert was at the top of my list of most anticipated reads to check out this summer, and I, of course, dropped everything and started reading the book the moment it was in my hands. I have absolutely no regrets – this book was fantastic!

I was admittedly super late to the party when it came to reading Get a Life, Chloe Brown, the first book in the Brown Sisters trilogy, but once I finally read it, I was HOOKED, and I knew this was a book series that I was going to love. I adored Chloe and Red from the first book, and I was so excited to get started on Dani and Zafir’s story!

There are so many things that I loved about this book, but one of the main things were the characters. Dani is brilliant, and confident, and curvy, and SO much fun! (She’s also a vegetarian, like me, AND struggles with anxiety, also like me!) And then there’s Zafir, the romance reading, audiobook listening, emotions feeling Zafir. (Yes friends, he’s super dreamy.) Zafir has definitely earned a spot of my favorite fictional men list. When you put Dani and Zafir together, wonderful things happen!

I also really, really loved the storyline for the book as well. It’s the fake dating trope, and I don’t read nearly enough of those! Dani and Zafir are *really* good at fake dating, you’ll have a hard time believing that it’s fake. (Seriously, adorable!) I definitely need to read more books with this kind of storyline!

And while I own the physical copy of the book, I opted to listen to the audiobook for Take a Hint, Dani Brown, since I listened to the first book on audio. Both audiobooks are fantastic! The narrator for this book, Ione Butler, has a beautiful voice! Not only was her accent completely charming, but her voices for the characters were fabulous as well! I could definitely listen to her narrate books all day long, and I will for sure be checking out more audiobooks narrated by her soon!

Overall; If you couldn’t tell by this super gushy review above, I really, REALLY loved Take a Hint, Dani Brown! The characters were so much fun, and the storyline completely captivating, and I loved every minute of it. Now I will be over here patiently waiting for the third, (and final), book in this sister series, Act Your Age, Eve Brown, which is currently set to release March 2021. I am so excited for Eve’s story!

Sunday, October 20, 2019

My Thoughts: The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan

The Burning Maze
(Trials of Apollo #3)
by Rick Riordan
Website | Twitter | Instagram

Publication Date: May 1st 2018
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 431
ISBN: 9781368024129
Genre: Middle Grade | Fantasy | Mythology
Source: Own

Add to Goodreads

Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

The formerly glorious god Apollo, cast down to earth in punishment by Zeus, is now an awkward mortal teenager named Lester Papadopoulos. In order to regain his place on Mount Olympus, Lester must restore five Oracles that have gone dark. But he has to achieve this impossible task without having any godly powers and while being duty-bound to a confounding young daughter of Demeter named Meg. Thanks a lot, Dad.

With the help of some demigod friends, Lester managed to survive his first two trials, one at Camp Half-Blood, and one in Indianapolis, where Meg received the Dark Prophecy. The words she uttered while seated on the Throne of Memory revealed that an evil triumvirate of Roman emperors plans to attack Camp Jupiter. While Leo flies ahead on Festus to warn the Roman camp, Lester and Meg must go through the Labyrinth to find the third emperor—and an Oracle who speaks in word puzzles—somewhere in the American Southwest. There is one glimmer of hope in the gloom-filled prophecy: The cloven guide alone the way does know. They will have a satyr companion, and Meg knows just who to call upon. . . . (Goodreads)


I cannot even begin to tell you how much I am enjoying the Trials of Apollo series by Rick Riordan, and The Burning Maze is just another great addition to this already fantastic series. (I thought I had already done a review for this book, but I see that I have not. My thoughts for this book are going to be a little short and sweet, because while I have read the book twice now, I have read quite a few books since, and my brain is a little jumble-y. Bear with me!)

So a while back I set out on a journey to read ALL of Rick Riordan’s books, which I read 1 book per month until I was officially caught up, and now I get to do the impatient yearly wait for a new book to release. (This is not fun. I definitely enjoyed binge reading more. *grin*) But these books are definitely worth the wait, and I am more than happy to do so.

The Burning Maze picks up right where The Dark Prophecy leaves off, and is an adventure from the start of the book to the end of the book. In this third book, we get to see if Apollo will survive the third task he needs to accomplish in order to get back his godly status, all with the help of some really awesome friends. (It’s SO nice to see some of the characters from different books again!) The storyline for the book is completely fascinating, and full of twists and turns. (Oh, and there is one thing that will probably break your heart. I know it did mine, and I’m still a little upset with Rick over it.)

One thing I love about these books is that I am totally learning so much about mythology. We didn’t learn most of this stuff in schools, and I’m absolutely fascinated by it. (Seriously, I can’t get enough!) And, this knowledge has come in handy for more than one episode of Jeopardy!

Another thing that I love about the series are the characters. Both new and old, you’ll love them all. I especially love that Apollo is growing on me more and more as the series goes along. I am SO rooting for him now, and I can’t wait to see what the next two trials, (and books), have in store for him.

I also want to add that I have been listening to the audiobooks for this series, which are narrated by Robbie Daymond, who narrates all of the books in this series so far, and he does SUCH a great job with all the different voices. Very entertaining! If you have the opportunity to listen to these books on audio, I highly recommend them.

Overall; The Burning Maze is another great addition to the highly addictive Trials of Apollo series! I can’t wait to get started on the next book, The Tyrant’s Tomb, which is officially out as of September 2019! I hope it’s great!
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0x6Y1LnePI/

Monday, December 15, 2014

Merry Christmas Giveaway 2014!!

Merry Christmas, everyone!
2014 has been such a great year for books!
I've read over 100 amazing books,
and what better way to celebrate Christmas
than to share one of my 2014 favorites with YOU!







ONE lucky winner will get to choose ONE book from my favorites listed above.
There are lots of chances to enter, so please don't be shy!
I can't wait to share one of my faves with you.

Good luck!


The Rules:
ONE winner can chose ONE book listed above.
US and International Shipping
(Please make sure TheBookDepository.com ships to your area before entering!)
Winner be contacted on 12/24, and will have 48 hours to respond.
Must be 13 years or older to join.

By entering in this giveaway, you are agreeing to the terms above.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Review: The Girl with the Windup Heart by Kady Cross

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18513756-the-girl-with-the-windup-heart
The Girl with the Windup Heart
(Steampunk Chronicles #4)
by Kady Cross
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: May 27th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780373211197
Genre: Young Adult | Steampunk
Source: Netgalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

In 1897 London, a final showdown is about to begin.

London's underworld is no place for a young woman, even one who is strong, smart and part-automaton like Mila. But when master criminal Jack Dandy inadvertently breaks her heart, she takes off, determined to find an independent life, one entirely her own. Her search takes her to the spangled shadows of the West End's most dazzling circus.

Meanwhile, taken captive in the Aether, Griffin King is trapped in an inescapable prison, and at the mercy of his archenemy, The Machinist. If he breaks under the hellish torment, The Machinist will claim his powers and control of the Aether itself, and no one in either world will be safe-especially not Finley Jayne and her misfit band of friends.

Finley plunges headlong into the Aether the only way she knows how, by temporarily dying. But she cannot parry The Machinist's maneuvers for long. To defeat him for good, Griffin will have to confront his greatest fear and finally come face-to-face with the destructive power he wields. (Goodreads)
The 'Steampunk Chronicles' by Kady Cross has to be one of my most favorite series from Harlequin Teen. I was super excited to finally read 'The Girl with the Windup Heart', as I was excited to see how Griffin, Finley and crew were finally going to beat The Machinist. This book definitely did not disappoint, and is a wonderful addition to this awesome series!

The book had two parts to the story. One part revolves around Griffin, Finley and crew verses Garibaldi, who, even in death, just will not leave Griffin alone. Seriously, this guy is evil like no other, and there was nothing that I wanted more than for him to be defeated once and for all. Can I just say that all of these characters work so wonderfully together as a group? They are all among some of my most favorite characters. I love Griffin and Finley’s relationship, as well as Emily and Sam’s, and Jasper and Cat’s.  Not only are the relationships great, but the friendships are excellent as well. And I love that they are all willing to do whatever it takes to keep each other safe, and to defeat The Machinist once and for all.

The other part of the story was about Jack Dandy and Mila. Jack Dandy is a character that I’ve loved every since we first met him in the beginning of the series. He’s so dark and mysterious, and I was thrilled that we get to learn more about him in this book. He has definitely had an interesting past. Jack and Mila were so super cute together, I adored them!

I’ve really enjoyed the storyline for this series since the very beginning. It’s made for a really unique read for me, as I’ve not really read a lot of steampunk books. I liked that this book wrapped up all the loose ends throughout the series as well.  I really hate to see this series end, as I’ve really come to love these characters.

Overall; I really loved this wonderful addition to the 'Steampunk Chronicles' series. While I am sad to see this series end, I am really looking forward to reading Cross’ next series, expected out in 2015!



Monday, May 26, 2014

Review: The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16068910-the-art-of-lainey
The Art of Lainey
by Paula Stokes
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: May 20th 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780062238429
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Edelweiss

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.

And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.

What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be? (Godoreads)
I was really looking forward to starting The Art of Lainey as it has gotten lots of great reviews lately, and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. This book definitely did not disappoint, and was a great book to kick of my summer break!

When Lainey’s boyfriend dumps her in the middle of a crowded café, all of future plans that she had made for the summer and her senior year drift away. Determined not to let him go without a fight, Lainey and her best friend Bianca set out to win him back, with the help of a book called The Art of War.

To be honest, I didn’t really think that I was going to like Lainey when I first met her in the novel. She was popular and pretty shallow, and there were times in the novel when I wanted to shake some sense into her. Thankfully she grew throughout the book, and I really started to like the person that she was becoming.  I really adored the relationship between her and her best friend Bianca. Even when Lainey was being insane, Bianca was there for her. She was a really great character and such a great friend as well. Their plan to win the boyfriend back was both brilliant and hilarious.

Micah was definitely the highlight of the story for me. He was such a great character, and he was so perfect for Lainey, even though it took her a while to catch onto this. I loved the ‘dates’ that they went on together, some of the places that Micah took her to were insane! The thing that I love most about Micah was that he was just such a caring and all around good guy and you don’t get to see that very often.

The storyline for the book was a lot of fun, and at times, very relatable. (Who hasn’t acted totally crazy after a breakup?) This book is definitely a quick read as well, when I actually had time to sit and read, I pretty much flew through the pages. The romance in the book is really sweet, and the author took time to build it throughout the novel. No insta-love here and that was a pretty refreshing.

The only thing that I really didn’t care for in the book was the teenage drinking. I’m not a fan of drinking in general, but even less a fan of teens drinking, and especially driving after drinking. This was not the main character, but another one of her friends who I didn’t really care for. I am hoping that this part of the novel was just included so that Lainey would finally open her eyes to see what a bad person this friend was, but then Lainey goes on to do almost the same thing, just without the actual driving.

Overall, I found The Art of Lainey to be a really cute read. It will be a great book to add to your summer reading list! I’m definitely looking forward to reading more by this author in the future!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20705736-infinite-repeat

Don't forget to add Infinite Repeat,
a novella from Micah's POV, to your reading list!
Out August 5th!

Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Monday, May 19, 2014

Review: Breakable by Tammara Webber

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17936925-breakable
Breakable
(Contours of the Heart #2)
by Tammara Webber
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: May 6th 2014
Publisher: Penguin Berkley
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780425266861
Genre: New Adult | Contemporary | Romance
Source: Own

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

He was lost and alone. Then he found her.
And the future seemed more fragile than ever.


As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise — until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat. (Goodreads)
The first thing you should know before starting this book is that Breakable not a sequel, but is more of a companion novel to Easy. In this book we get to see Lucas’ side of the events that happened in Easy, but we also get to see the person that he was before he met Jacqueline, when he was Landon Lucas Maxfield, a young boy who suffered a tragic event that changed his world forever.

I fell in love with Landon Lucas Maxfield when I first met him in Easy. He was such a mysterious and complex character. While we did get some of his back story in the Easy, we didn’t know everything that had happened in his past, and how he became Lucas. Landon’s story is, at times, truly heartbreaking.  We get to see all the events that happened in his childhood and teenage years, and it was interesting to see how completely different he was during this time. All of the events in this past and everything that happened to him definitely shaped him into the Lucas that we love so much, and honestly, I’m so glad that he changed for the better.

I know a lot of people really aren’t fond of books where the story is the same as a previous book, just told from a different character. That really isn’t the case for this story. While we doing get to see Lucas’ viewpoint on some of the things that happened in Easy, it still felt different than what we saw from Jacqueline in Easy. When we ‘see’ Lucas from Jacqueline’s eyes in Easy, he seemed like such a mysterious, tattooed bad boy, but once we see the story through his eyes, we realize how much more there is to him. I really enjoyed seeing this side of him.

While Breakable can be read as a standalone novel, I definitely recommend reading Easy first.  It definitely made reading parts of Breakable even more special to me.

Overall; I really enjoyed reading this book! If you’ve already read and loved Easy, I definitely recommend that you check out Breakable. If you haven’t read this series yet, and are a fan of New Adult Contemporary novels, I totally recommend you adding this to your reading list today!

Also in this series:


Easy

Friday, May 9, 2014

Review: Take Me On by Katie McGarry

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18333898-take-me-on
Take Me On
(Pushing the Limits #4)
by Katie McGarry
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: May 27th 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 544
ISBN: 9780373211180
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Netgalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means.

Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for. (Goodreads)
I was super excited to hear that Take Me On was going to be the fourth book in the ‘Pushing the Limits’ series.  I’ve loved Katie McGarry’s writing style every since I first started the series, and I absolutely could not wait to read West and Haley’s story. Now that I’ve finished the book, I can honestly say that if you’ve enjoyed the series so far, you’re definitely going to love this wonderful addition!

Haley is a titled champion kickboxer who vowed to never step in the ring again after a tragic night that changed her world forever. But when the guy she saves late one cold night accepts a fight in her honor, she once again finds herself back in the ring. Training West shouldn’t be too hard, he’s got raw talent and he knows how to use it, but he’s definitely not someone that Haley wants to get involved with. When a bond starts to form between the two, Haley and West must overcome their fears and family issues, and discover that love is a risk worth taking.

Haley is a really awesome character. Life has not been very kind to her and her family, but they struggle through and make the best of what they have to deal with. She’s definitely not shrinking violet, but is instead a trained fighter, who can even take down an experience fighter when she has to. But some things in the past have changed her, and she has had a hard time overcoming the fears that haunt her.  Even so, she’s still a strong character that loves her family and will do whatever she has to do to keep them together. I love her determination and strength; it was really admirable considering all that she has gone through.

When we first met West in Crash Into You, I honestly didn’t think much of him. As I read Take Me On and get to know him better and the reasons why he did some of the things that he did in the past, things start making more sense regarding him. I love his stubbornness and his protectiveness over Haley. I love that while he was considered a ‘playboy’, he was completely faithful to her. I always love that in a bad boy. These two characters are so well written and so complex, you can’t help but to love them.

The book is told through both West and Haley’s point of view. I really love books that are written this way, as we get to climb inside both characters heads and see exactly what’s going on with them and how they feel. West and Haley were made for each other. Both were stubborn and determined. They made such a great pair.

I fully expected to take my time and read this book slowly to savor each little bit of the story, and at 544 pages, I totally could have dragged it out to be a long and enjoyable read. But once I started reading the story, I absolutely couldn’t stop. I read the bulk of the book in just a day’s time. I can’t help it, I was totally hooked! The storyline for the book was really touching. The struggles that both characters had to face made them such stronger people, and I really felt bad for both of their situations. But they are fighters, both in the physical and emotional sense, and I think that together they could overcome just about anything.

I also want to mention that I love that in McGarry always includes includes some characters from her previous books. In this book we get to see Rachel, Isaiah and, of course, Abbey, who I absolutely love and who I hope gets her own story in the future. It’s great to see these characters that I love once again. Isaiah is one of my most favorite bad boys ever. I would read just about anything with him in it. *wink*

Overall; If you haven’t read this series before, I definitely recommend that you do so. Take Me On is an excellent addition to the Pushing the Limit’s series. I can’t wait to see if there are more stories in this series in the future. I am totally hoping that there will be!




https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10194514-pushing-the-limitshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13561164-dare-you-tohttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17233800-crash-into-you

Pushing the Limits   |   Dare You To   |   Crash Into You

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18808865-red-at-night

Crossing the Line   |   Red at Night

Monday, May 5, 2014

Review: The Sound by Sarah Alderson

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18723063-the-sound
The Sound
by Sarah Alderson
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: May 13th 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781442499331
Genre: Young Adult | Mystery | Thriller
Source: Edelweiss

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

A British nanny looking for a low-key summer finds buried secrets, murderous attention, and unexpected romance when she visits the Nantucket Sound.

The Nantucket Sound is a beachfront playground for the privileged and elite, where the sunny days are filled with scenic bike rides, backyard picnics, and bonfire parties.

But all Ren Kingston—a visiting Brit still reeling from heartbreak—really wants is a quiet summer as a nanny for one of Nantucket’s wealthy families. Getting acquainted with handsome Jeremy and his young group of trust fund, private school kids was not part of the plan. Neither was befriending the local bad boy whose reputation is more dangerous than charming.

After a dead body is found next to The Sound’s postcard-perfect view, Ren starts to wonder where the real threat lies. Because it’s becoming clear that her newfound “friends” are much more than they seem. They’re hiding secrets. Secrets that Ren wants no part of.

But once The Sound has you in its current, it won’t want to let you go… (Goodreads)
The Sound is a story about a British girl named Ren, who, while recovering from a breakup with her boyfriend, comes to Nantucket to be a nanny for a wealthy family for the summer. After getting acquainted with a group of young, privileged kids her age, she realizes that with these kids, there’s a whole lot more than meets the eye.

Ren was a really interesting character. She was sarcastic and humorous, I loved her attitude. She was also British, and I haven’t had the privilege of reading many main characters that were British. She loves music with a passion and even blogs about it. While there are some parts of the story that made me want to shake some sense into Ren, she definitely had a good head on her shoulders.

The bad boy in the story, Jesse, is definitely swoon-worthy. I wondered at first if I was going to like him or not, but I ended up really liking him. Though he has a bad reputation, Ren sees something in him that no one else does, and befriends despite everyone warning her not too. I love his protectiveness, not only of his family, but of Ren as well. Swoon!

The novel has a diverse group of secondary characters as well; some that you will really like, and some that you will really dislike. Far too many to mention by name, so read the book for yourself to see who you like and dislike!

The book starts off with a bang, and keeps on going from there. Within the first few pages I was completely hooked. I really loved the mystery in this book. There were SO many people that I kept picking as the ‘bad guy’, and just when I thought I had it narrowed down to one person, something would happen that would make me suspect someone else. Everyone was a suspect!! It definitely kept me guessing, and kept me hooked to the story. I read this book in just a few hours time; I just couldn’t put the book down until I figured out what was going on.

Overall; The Sound is the first book I’ve read by Sarah Alderson, but it definitely won’t be the last! She managed to draw my in with this mysterious story, and had me hook to the pages throughout.  Now that I’ve gotten a taste of Alderson’s writing, I’m really looking forward to reading some of her other books, starting with Hunting Lila! 




Monday, April 28, 2014

Review: Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18189606-since-you-ve-been-gone
Since You've Been Gone
by Morgan Matson
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: May 6th 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 448
ISBN: 9781442435001
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: ARC

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just... disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try... unless they could lead back to her best friend. Apple Picking at Night? Ok, easy enough.Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not? Kiss a Stranger? Wait... what?

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Um... (Goodreads)
I was super excited to start Since You’ve Been Gone, as I had heard so many great things about this book, as well as the author, Morgan Matson. This book did not disappoint at all. It’s been a really long time since I’ve been quite so engrossed in a book, it was absolutely wonderful. I’m beyond thankful for my dear friend Kathy for letting me know about this book!

Emily’s best friend Sloane and her family have disappeared, and no one seems to know where they have gone. Did they go on a spur of the moment family vacation? Possibly, but with Sloane not answering her calls or text, Emily is starting to get worried. That is, until a peculiar to-do list arrives in the mail from Sloane. It is a list of tasks for Emily to do, some of which she would never actually consider doing, like skinny dipping, for instance. But with the help of some new friends, she may just be able to accomplish them all.

I found Emily to be an extremely relatable character. She’s painfully shy and a bit introverted, and doesn’t have many friends other than Sloane. There were a few things in the book that Emily went through that were painfully awkward, but that just made me connect with her even more. I really enjoyed watching Emily grow throughout the story, and achieve all the tasks that were on the list. I think each achievement gave her a boost of confidence that she definitely needed. I cheered for her every time that she marked something off her list, I laughed with her when she and the crew did something super funny, and I even teared-up a few times for her, for when she just felt like everything was going wrong. Emily is one of those really great characters that will stick with me always.

The new friends that Emily made in the book were pretty great. Collins and Dawn were great as secondary characters, but the best would definitely have to be Frank; sweet, swoon-worthy Frank. I think he was a big part of helping Emily finally find herself. I loved the interactions between them, and all the moments that they shared together. It was really sweet.

The storyline for the book was really fun to read, and was definitely addictive. Not often does a book manage to grab me the way this one did. I honestly could not put the book down, not that I even wanted to, and I stayed up well into the night to finish it off. I just HAD to know what was going to happen next, and how the book was going to end. It definitely had me hooked, and made for an excellent read!

Overall, I really, REALLY enjoyed this book! If you don’t already have it on your list, I definitely recommend that you add it. It was especially make for a great summer read. I can’t wait to check out more books by Matson ASAP!

Happy Reading!!


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7664334-amy-and-roger-s-epic-detourhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11071466-second-chance-summer

Amy & Rogers Epic Detour   |   Second Chance Summer