REVIEW: Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

(Summary from Goodreads). There are two sides to every breakup.

This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They're even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation. 

Then Jordan dumps Courtney -- for a girl he met on the Internet. 

It's too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney's heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la -- this is Courtney pretending not to care. 

But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot. 

Turns out, he's got a secret or two that he's not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can't get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other.

This book was a book of many secrets. I love books like this one. It was a really quick read.

I definitely knew about the affair… it was really predictable. I want to know what happens next with Courtney's mom! I wish there was more about her mom. It was mainly focused on her dad, which I understand…. but isn't her mom important too? Anyways, it was overall a fun book to read.

I felt bad for Jordan… I still don't understand why he broke up with Courtney. I also don't understand why he didn't just tell Courtney about her dad being so rude to him. It just didn't rub me the right way. There are just so many questions!

I have the companion book to read next and I really can't wait. It wasn't a bad book to read, but it wasn't my favorite contemporary book.

Four out of five stars.

REVIEW: A Positive Spin of Events by Melissa T. Liban (SWOONREADS BOOK)

(Summary from Swoon Reads). The last time Lexie Stein saw or spoke to Dalton Reyes, their lives changed forever due to the events of that day.
Five years later, he turns up in the school hallway and they lock eyes. She’s relieved to see that he’s actually all right, but confused about the instant pull she feels towards him. And it’s not just his good looks she’s attracted to, she feels a connection.
Lexie leads a life of lies. If she doesn’t want the truth to come out and her life to fall apart, she can’t be near Dalton. To add to her confusion, her grandmother warns her to stay away from him. She tells Lexie that Dalton will lead to nothing but trouble. But it turns out, staying away might be harder than she thinks it is.
And once Dalton lets her in on a secret he’s keeping, she never wants to let him go again.

This book though… Guys. It is literally so swoon-worthy. I loved the story. I didn't think that I would like this story as much as I did. Dalton was everything… cute, funny, and broken. He has a lot of health problems and has been in love with a girl all his life. He only talked to her once int he past and then he shows up at school after five years. 

Lexie. I don't know how to describe her. I didn't like that she was a liar, but then I understood why she is how she is. A lot happened to her in the past and it really shouldn't have. Her dad put her through so much at such a young age and she was never the same since. Not only was her friendship with Dalton ruined before it even started, she didn't let people get too close to her because she feared they would leave her.

The "flashback" scenes were incorporated in the story perfectly. 

My favorite character in the book has to be Lexi's grandma. She is so great and adorable. I would love to know what happens with Lexie and her dad… I don't want to know what happens with Dalton mainly because I don't want him to die. I love where the story ended. 

Overall, I loved the story.

4.5 out of five stars.

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.