REVIEW: Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

(Summary from Goodreads). Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question. 

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

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

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

I really liked how this book was paced. It was very fun and easy to read. The characters were likable. I would really like to know more about Jason and Julia! I want to know more about their story. I really connected with Julia. I love how connected she was with her books and what she was passionate about. It is really refreshing to read. 

I love the setting of this book… It really made me want to travel back to Europe! I felt for Julia though. I know what it is like to be not liked by others on a trip that should be the trip of a lifetime. 

I was kind of getting the feeling that Jason was hiding something with the phones. I honestly thought that HE was Chris… Hahahha. But the ending was really surprising. I liked how it played out. It was interesting that Jason wanted something to happen between him and Julia after being so rude and mean to her… BUT things happen for a reason. 

This book was a fun read. I feel like there was a lot of detail about some parts of the story, but some left out from others. I liked it enough to want to read it again though. 

4.5 out of five stars.

REVIEW: When it Happens by Susane Colasanti

(Review from Goodreads). At the start of her senior year in high school, Sara wants two things: to get into a top college and to find true love.Tobey also wants two things for his senior year: to win Battle of the Bands and to make Sara fall in love with him. However, a popular jock named Dave moves in on Sara first. But Tobey’s quirky wit and big blue eyes are hard for Sara to ignore. Plus, he gets the little things that matter to her. Can a slacker rock-star wannabe win the heart of a pretty class brain like Sara?

Hilariously and movingly told through Tobey and Sara’s authentic voices, Susane Colasanti’s debut novel sizzles in its portrayal of two young people searching for The One.

This was a reread for me. I've always loved Susane's books and I want to reread all of her books before City Love comes out. I am really looking forward to it. 

I picked this book up YEARS ago when I first started reading YA. I have always loved her writing and rereading it was very nostalgic. 

I love Tobey and Sara and their relationship. I think some aspects of the story development are lacking, but it is okay… I still love it. I love that Tobey has always liked Sara and borderline obsesses over her like girls obsess over some guys. :) 

This is definitely a light and easy read. It can be confusing at first if you don't understand it, keep going. I still got a little confused about the friend's names… but this time was more about just rereading the story. I love how this author's characters make cameos in her other stories. I am really excited to reread all of Susane's books (except Keep Moving On… that one is heartbreaking and VERY hard to read because of how sad it is…).

Five out of five stars.

REVIEW: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

(Summary from Goodreads). What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?

This was a really fun and easy read. It wasn't my favorite story in the series. I did like the characters and how they developed throughout the whole story. Ty was really annoying to me… 

The books in this series really improve as you move through the series. I started out reading 'Breathe, Annie, Breathe' and I loved it. It was perfect and amazing. 

I don't have much to judge this book on… it was good for what it is. I like it enough to read it again, but it just wasn't my favorite of the series. I wish I had started out with this book and read the series in order, but it is okay to not read them in order. 

I hope that Ty has his own story in the series. I would love to know more about him and read his own story. 

3.5 out of five stars.

REVIEW: His Bad Boy Ways by Faye (SWOONREADS BOOK)

(Summary from Goodreads). Katie Steven is the head cheerleader and popular girl at Easton high. She is feisty, loyal and super protective of her friends. When her best friend Kayla gets dumped by school bad boy Drew Parker, Katie promises to exact revenge on the boy who broke her best friends heart. But when her father gets a job transfer to Europe and her only choices are between leaving the only place she has ever known as home or residing with the Parkers the very ones who spawned Satan himself reverently referred to girls by as Drew. Katie has no choice but to move in with him. But the more time she spends with Drew, the more she finds it difficult to get him back for what he has done to Kayla and the more she tries the harder it is to resist his pull. Because Drew is not just a bad boy, who uses girls and hides his kindness behind a mountain load of attitude, but behind his many layers he is a boy of wonder. One that might show Katie with a melting smile and the glint of danger in his eyes, what falling in love is all about.

I picked this book on Swoon Reads because it was one of the top ones on the Read Now list. I'm happy I picked it up. I really did like it. There were a couple small errors in punctuation/grammar (that I don't remember what page), but it was easy to skip. I've read books where there is literally a spelling mistake, punctuation mistake, or grammar error on EVERY PAGE. This was actually a really well written story that I loved reading. 

I couldn't put it down! At times it seemed like Drew was a little angry and I wish that that aspect of his life was addressed more. I would love to know more about Drew and what this book would be like in his POV. 

It was good for what it is. It is a quick and easy read. I would really like to know more about Drew's past. 

TBH, I would never choose staying at a school with friends over living in Europe… but to each his own, I suppose. ;) 

Four out of five stars.

REVIEW: The Boy Next Door by Katie Van Ark

(Summary from Goodreads). Maddy Spier has been in love with the boy next door forever. As his figure skating partner she spends time in his arms every day. But she’s also seen his arms around other girls—lots of other girls.  

Gabe can't imagine skating with anyone but Maddy, and together they have a real chance at winning some serious gold medals. So, he’s determined to keep thinking of her like a sister. After all, he’s never had a romantic relationship that lasted for more than two weeks.

But when their coach assigns a new romantic skating program, everything changes. Will this be the big break that Maddy’s been hoping for or the big breakup that Gabe has always feared? 

I liked how this story was about ice skating. I've always had a fascination about ice skating, dancing, and gymnastics. I loved being in the world of Gabe and Maddy. It is a really cute story and an easy read. I started out not liking Gabe, but after he proved himself… (although it took a while)… I started to like him. 

I love the relationship between Gabe and Maddy. They truly did grow up together and had each other their whole life. I love the friendship between people who have known each other since they were born. I love that Gabe was good to Maddy despite his reputation. I felt that Maddy was really pushy… she knew what she want… 

OMG. How did they NOT get caught sneaking into each other's houses and sleeping in the same bed!

The story was funny at times. It was kind of unrealistic… and some parts were dragged out. I would love to read more by this author. I love that the book started out being read on Swoonreads. 

3.5 out of five stars. 

The Secrets Between You and Me TOUR stop! (+REVIEW and GIVEAWAY)

(Summary). 4 wheels on a rusty truck. 2 gray eyes. 1 secret that could ruin everything.

All Hannah wanted was a summer break from being “perfect Hannah Cohen” and a chance to forget about the devastating family secret that could ruin her seemingly perfect life. So when she takes off for her eccentric aunt’s house in the mountains of North Carolina and everyone makes one big (wrong) assumption about her past, Hannah figures that it’s easier to live a lie than have to face the truth.

She never expected to make any real friends, like the hilarious and spontaneous Kate and Ashton, who drag her to late night bonfires and ice cream marathons. And she especially never counted on meeting Jude Westmore, the brooding bad boy next door with gray eyes and permanent oil smudges on his fingers, or that he would ever take an interest in her.

Between moonlit movie nights in the bed of Jude’s truck and nearly romantic Ferris Wheel rides, Hannah’s old life seems further away then ever, but can she keep her secret, or is the truth worth the risk of losing everything, including Jude?

THE SECRETS BETWEEN YOU AND ME is the second book in the Stolen Kiss Series by Shana Norris.

Purchasing Links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
iBooks

The Boyfriend Thief: The first book of the Stolen Kisses collection. Both stories can be read independently. :)

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I received a free copy of this book for an honest review.

I really liked reading this story. The character development and storyline was so different. The beginning of the story kind of threw you into the middle of it, but not in a confusing way like other stories. I liked how this book started and progressed. As Hannah is going off to spend the summer with her Aunt, in comes Jude. Jude has been a reserved, quiet person ever since his brother passed away. 

I didn't read Norris's companion story to this one, but I really liked where it picked up. I could tell there was a previous story, but you do not need to read it to enjoy this story. From the reviews on Goodreads, people are saying it was "so-so." BUT they were also fans of the other book. I liked this one just fine. It was a fun read and really interesting. I liked how the characters grew up and changed over the two months. Jude and Hannah meeting was good for both of them. They helped each other grow up even if they didn't know each other for a while. Their connection was evident in the first time they met. 

This story was a fun read and really anybody that likes contemporary will like this book. 

There is one thing I want to know though… who took the money? I think it was Carter. ;)

4.5 out of five stars.
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Most days, Shana Norris still feels like she’s stuck at sixteen, which is probably why she enjoys writing about teens. She has faced her fear of heights to climb to the top of Chimney Rock near Asheville, NC, but she isn’t yet brave enough to go cliff-jumping into ponds. She lives in a small town in eastern North Carolina with her husband and small zoo of pets, which currently includes two dogs, five cats, and a flock of chickens.

Shana Norris has entertained millions of readers as the author of Troy High, the popular Swans Landing series, and The Boyfriend Thief, a companion book to The Secrets Between You and Me and a part of the Stolen Kiss collection.
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Thank you so much to Tara Sorin and Paper Lantern Lit for the chance to be part of this book tour!
@PaperLanternLit
@TalkativeTara
@ShanaNorris

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SURPRISE!!! The PLL is adding a giveaway to this tour! It is for 3 iBook copies of TSBYAM. It applies to iBooks only (so for Mac, iPhone, and iPad). This giveaway is running from 2/10/15 to 2/26/15. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

REVIEW: My Life as a Walter Boy by Ali Novak

(Summary from Goodreads). My Life with the Walter Boys centers on the prim, proper, and always perfect Jackie Howard. When her world is turned upside down by tragedy, Jackie must learn to cut loose and be part of a family again.

Jackie does not like surprises. Chaos is the enemy! The best way to get her successful, busy parents to notice her is to be perfect. The perfect look, the perfect grades-the perfect daughter. And then...

Surprise #1: Jackie's family dies in a freak car accident.

Surprise #2: Jackie has to move cross-country to live with the Walters-her new guardians.

Surprise #3: The Walters have twelve sons. (Well, eleven, but Parker acts like a boy anyway)

Now Jackie must trade in her Type A personality and New York City apartment for a Colorado ranch and all the wild Walter boys who come with it. Jackie is surrounded by the enemy-loud, dirty, annoying boys who have no concept of personal space. Okay, several of the oldest guys are flat-out gorgeous. But still annoying. She's not stuck-up or boring-no matter what they say. But proving it is another matter. How can she fit in and move on when she needs to keep her parents' memory alive by living up to the promise of perfect?

So… this book. I couldn't put it down… I started reading it around 8 PM and finished around 1:30 AM. It was just so hard to put down. I loved every minute of it. I'm really sad that Cole didn't' get together with Jackie, but *hopefully* in the sequel? WHICH DOESN'T COME OUT UNTIL 2016. 

This book is really good. It is kind of confusing trying to remember all the brother names, but after a while you get the hang of it. There are a lot of boys (and Parker), but they are all different and all have their own personalities. Usually I get confused with more than a couple of names… this wasn't hard to remember at all.

At the end of the book there were like 5 pages left, and the ending wasn't necessarily "perfect." It made me really anxious! Haha. I think that where the author left it off is a perfect ending for the story. 

I started reading the other book that is on wattpad that is the "unofficial sequel." 

Overall, great book. Amazing characters and story. The development and changes in all of the boys (and Parker)  when they got to know Jackie was very heartwarming. All the older boys are swoon-worthy! I now see why the author ended it in the place that it did… and I respect that. 

4.5 out of five stars.