Category Archives: Teen Romance

Book Reviews
August 19, 2016 posted by Nichole

Book Review: A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J Maas

A COURT OF MIST AND FURYFeyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas’s masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

My Review:

HOLY CRAPOLA. OH MY GOSH. I don’t even know how to write this review. For real, I’m in such mourning right now. I honestly just picked up the book and reread the whole thing again right after finishing it. How the heck am I supposed to wait until 2017 to read the third book. How is that a possibility?! What was I thinking not waiting for all the books to be released for I started reading this series?! WHAT WAS I THINKING?! Seriously, I need some support right now. My heart is absolutely shattered that I’ve already finished this book.

Being totally honest, I hated like the first 70ish pages of this book. Let me try and explain without giving away any spoilers. Okay: I HATED what was done with some of the characters. While that opinion never changed throughout the book, it did finally reach a point where it kind of just moved on and I wasn’t stuck in that rut anymore. And once it gets through that part, it’s smooth sailing from there. Seriously, whenever I was reading this book, I was DEVOURING it. I couldn’t even function properly when I was away from it. I would be away from the house, and I would just turn to whomever and say “I miss my book so much right now.” For real, I’m a big gooey pile of a mess right now. My heart cannot take this one bit!

If you thought that A Court of Thorns and Roses was brilliant, then you haven’t even started to realize the true definition of brilliance. The detail, the action, the romance, the character. HOLY. MOLY. Everything was so spot on and well written. This was like Harry Potter on crack. I need like ten more of these books RIGHT NOW.

There are several new characters introduced in this second book, and I loved every. single. one. of. them. Usually, there’s a least one new character that you really can’t stand. Nope. I’ll take them all again. Everyone was so fantastic and spot on. I LOVED THEM ALL!

And Rhys. OMG. I’m 100% team Rhys. ONE HUNDRED PERCENT. I can’t even. THOSE SCENES. Who else is team Rhys!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?

And that ending?!!?!? OH MY LANTA! I can’t even. For real. I need to shut my mouth right now before I spoil anything for ya’ll.

OK. I’m stopping. All I have to say is that this book is like crack and EVERYONE NEEDS TO GO READ THIS SERIES RIGHT NOW SO THEY CAN SUFFER THE SAME HEARTBREAK THAT I CURRENTLY AM EXPERIENCING AND MOURN WITH ME!!!!!!!!!!

Rating: 250+ stars!

Blog Tour
July 26, 2016 posted by Nichole

Blog Tour and Review: P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

PS Banner

P.S.-I-Like-You-CoverABOUT P.S. I LIKE YOU:

What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?

While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she’s flustered — and kind of feels like she’s falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer — but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

From beloved author Kasie West (The Distance Between Us) comes an utterly charming story about mixed messages, missed connections, and the magic of good old-fashioned secret admirer notes.

 

LINKS: Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository

ABOUT KASIE WEST:

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I write YA. I eat Junior Mints. Sometimes I go crazy and do both at the same time. My novels are: PIVOT POINT and its sequel SPLIT SECOND. And my contemporary novels: THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, ON THE FENCE, THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND, PS I LIKE YOU, and BY YOUR SIDE. My agent is the talented and funny Michelle Wolfson.

 

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook 

My Review:

Holy cuteness! YOU GUYS! Okay, first off, P.S. I Like You is the very first Kasie West book that I’ve read. Shocking, right? I know. Trust me, I get it! I’m behind the times. Is her other stuff just as good as this book? Better? Let me tell you, I’m definitely a new fan of Kasie’s! This book was SO GOOD. I’m so overwhelmed by all the cuteness going on right now that I don’t even know what to say.

PS I Like You started off strong from page one. There were no stumps or bumps, nothing to detract from this book at all. Kasie’s writing is beyond fabulous and powerful. I don’t even know the right words to praise her phenomenal writing. I sucked this one down like it was ecstasy laced crack. Too much? Not enough.

What I really loved about this book was the letter writing between the main character and the “guy.” I don’t want to give out any spoilers, so that’s all I’m going to say about them. The letter writing was unique, clever, witty, old school, and amazingly cute. LOVED!

Another thing that I really enjoyed was the side characters. From Lily’s entire family, down to her best friends, cleaaaaar down to the minor or unpleasant characters. I loved them all. Everyone was so unique and so full of personality. I loved them all.

Overall, I was a huge fan of this book. I can’t wait to read every single Kasie West book that currently exists or that will be existed in the future. Need I say more? GO READ THIS BOOK! And be sure to check out Pavan’s review of PS I love you tomorrow!

Rating: : ★★★★★

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:
 
Week 2:

 

Giveaway:

2 Finished Copies of P.S. I LIKE YOU (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Reviews
July 25, 2016 posted by Nichole

Book Review: Broken Prince by Erin Watt

broken princeThese Royals will ruin you…

From wharf fights and school brawls to crumbling lives inside glittery mansions, one guy tries to save himself.

Reed Royal has it all—looks, status, money. The girls at his elite prep school line up to date him, the guys want to be him, but Reed never gave a damn about anyone but his family until Ella Harper walked into his life.

What started off as burning resentment and the need to make his father’s new ward suffer turned into something else entirely—keep Ella close. Keep Ella safe. But when one foolish mistake drives her out of Reed’s arms and brings chaos to the Royal household, Reed’s entire world begins to fall apart around him.

Ella doesn’t want him anymore. She says they’ll only destroy each other.

She might be right.

Secrets. Betrayal. Enemies. It’s like nothing Reed has ever dealt with before, and if he’s going to win back his princess, he’ll need to prove himself Royally worthy.

My Review:

Broken Prince is the second book in the Royals series by Paper Princess and takes place immediately after where Paper Princess ends. I would definitely recommend that all readers start out with the first book and don’t just right into Broken Prince. These are not standalone NA books and need to be read in order. Otherwise, you’re going to miss a bunch of important stuff.

Unlike Paper Princess, Broken Prince starts out with Reed’s POV and alternates between Ella and Reed’s POVs throughout the entire book. Upside: we got to learn more about Reed. Downside: books with alternating POVs are never as good as they could be. It’s sort of awkward to be jostled around to several different POVs. The only way it’s going to work is if the authors pull a 50 shades of grey and rewrite the entire first book from Reed’s POV. I’m obviously not a very big fan of books that alternate POVs.

For the most part, Broken Prince was absolutely amazing. However, it wasn’t as good as Paper Princess. That slightly disappointed me because Paper Princess was SO GOOD that I expected the very same from Broken Princess. No. That’s not right. I expected more. I expected to be mind blown and to not be able to put the book down. While I did stay up until 1:30 am reading this book, I did take quite a few breaks. Unlike with Paper Princess where I read the book straight through with barely any bathroom breaks to help me survive.

Don’t get me wrong. I did LOVE this book. However, I thought it was slightly odd how Ella went from HATING Reed to LOVING Reed without really any breaks inbetween. I was waiting for a pivotal moment that never happened. A moment where Ella would open her door, see Reed, and then allow him in her room. A crucial moment between Ella and Reed that would tear the hearts out of readers. Instead, it just sort of….happened. No pivotal moment. No heart-wrenching scene. Nothing that crushed my heart into little pebbles. With all the build up of Ella absolutely despising Reed, I was super let down. I expected more.

Another thing that I wish I would have seen was more appearances from both the twins and Gideon. Let me say this: the authors either need to decide to 1) give each of them their own book or, 2) Give them a bunch of show time in the third book. There is so much going on with the side characters and, honestly, I like some of the better than Ella and Reed. Decisions need to be made. I’m going to be pissed if I get to the third book and their stories aren’t told or choppily done so. I was also a little peeved off that Easton didn’t get much show time. All of the side characters seemed to get a lot of page time in Paper Princess and crazy ignored in Broken Prince.

On a more positive note, I thought this book was FULL of action! From beginning to end, I was absolutely hooked on the storyline.  Do I think some areas needed to be more defined? Yes. Do I think this book rocked my socks off? Yes.

The ending of this book…….wow. I don’t want to give any spoilers away, but I will say that it will leave readers DYING for the third book. Most readers are probably going to be extra shocked. I actually saw a lot of it coming. I wish that I would have been a littttttle more shocked than I was. However, it left off with a really strong ending that left the third book open for so many possibilities.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book. I know that I had a lot to grumble about but that’s mostly just because I love this series SO MUCH that I have SO MUCH to say! Don’t get me wrong, though, I 100% recommend this series for all readers! However, I might recommend that you wait until all three books are released….

Rating: : ★★★★☆mu

Book Reviews
July 23, 2016 posted by Nichole

Book Review: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

cinderHumans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

 

 

My Review:

First off, I would like to give a huge thanks to my Secret Sis for getting this book for me! I know, I know. I’m really way behind the times with this series!

I’ve had it stuck in my head for a long time that I don’t like retellings. I can only presume that this opinion stems from the fact that I’m really not the biggest fan of fairy tales to begin with. Why I thought that had anything to do with YA books is beyond me. Cinder is a YA Cinderella retelling and, let me tell you, I LOVED IT. I loved every single moment of it!

Even though I loved Cinder, it did take me a little bit to get into the book. This probably resulted from two different reasons: 1) The first so many chapters were a little slow moving. Nothing major and it didn’t take very long for the story to pick up, but it was a little slow to progress into awesomeness. 2) I honestly just haven’t read very many YA books this year. Cinder is probably like the second or third YA books that I’ve read in about seven months. Since I’ve read close to 60 books this year, you can probably see the gap. I’ve been so stuck on the NA and adult contemporary genres that YA hasn’t really appealed to me. So, even when I decided that I loved this series, it was a little difficult to put my other amazing books down. I’m glad I did, though, because this book rocked!

Science fiction, dystopia, and steampunk genres don’t often appeal to me. It’s just a fact about me: I’m really not the biggest fan of those genres and usually avoid them. Honestly, that’s probably why I didn’t read this series when it first came out. The synopsis just didn’t really appeal to me. After years of other bloggers and readers telling me how amazing this series is, though, I broke down. I put it on my wish list. Let me tell you, I’m glad I did! Even though the above listed genres are incorporated into this book, I would probably lump it more as a retelling with those subgenres. Retellings are a genre of their own, so that makes sense to me. My mom read this book before me and tried to tell me that it was high fantasy………..it’s not. I think sometimes she forgets that, even though she’s read some really cool high fantasy books in the past, I probably have several hundred books on her record. So, if someone tries to tell you that this is high fantasy, please just ignore them. This book is amazing in it’s own right, but it is NOT high fantasy!

Cinder and Kai were amazing leads! I was a bit disappointed that their relationship was a bit cliché. Their moves and actions were fairly predictable. I also would have liked to see maybe some more character development and growth. Same goes for the supporting characters. Everyone kind of stayed at the same pace and not much growth happened from the beginning of the book to the end of the book. This really wasn’t a major complaint for me throughout the book, but it was something that I definitely recognized.

On a more positive note, I really enjoyed some of the twists and turns that happened throughout Cinder. There were some things that happened that I just didn’t see coming. In contrast, there were definitely some roll of the eye moments going on. Some times that happened were definitely a little too predictable for my taste.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I am very excited to read the rest of the books in this series and to see how it progresses!

Rating: : ★★★★☆

 

 

Blog Tour
July 10, 2016 posted by Nichole

Book Review: Vernal by Randi Cooley Wilson

vernal randi cooley wilson

vernalVernal by Randi Cooley Wilson

To be Released on June 30th, 2016

Genre: New Adult/Paranormal/Fantasy

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25901506-vernal

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vernal-randi-cooley-wilson/1123441022?ean=2940152864090

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Vernal-Royal-Protector-Academy-Novel-ebook/dp/B01C65MLGC

Serena has a bright future etched in stone.
Tristan has a dark past that haunts him.
Together, they have a love that can never be.

Sheltered, and unable to escape her bloodline, Serena St. Michael has spent the last two years training at the Royal Protector Academy. Struggling with a dark past, Tristan Gallagher’s current assignment is to protect a lifetime of secrets. One chance encounter will change everything. Serena must decide if she will follow her heart, forsaking all she’s ever known and risking a future worse than non-existence. Tristan will break every rule to save Serena, even if he can’t keep her. In their world of darkness, one love will ignite an ancient war. When pasts collide with the present, and secrets are revealed, will love be enough? Or will one lie destroy it all?

When you’ve hidden behind a mask for so long, would you reveal yourself for love? Vernal, the first novel in The Royal Protector Academy series is a dangerously exciting and darkly romantic tale that will take your breath away.

About the Author:

Randi new

Randi Cooley Wilson is a “New Adult” Paranormal/Fantasy and Contemporary Romance author. A resident of Massachusetts, she makes stuff up, devours romance books, drinks lots of wine and coffee, and has a slight addiction to bracelets. For more information visit:http://randicooleywilson.com

My Review
I fell in love with Randi Cooley Wilson clear back when she introduced me to Asher and Eve. Her writing is magnetic, powerful, and full of love and heartbreak. Vernal, the first in an all new series, brings many of those attributes to the table.
I’m going to try and keep this review as spoiler free as I can keep it. What I will say, though, is that I obviously hadn’t read the synopsis of this book very clearly. You’ll understand what I mean when you read the book, but I felt totally blindsided by some of the revelations this book introduces. That being said, I’m still not sure how I feel about who these characters actually are…… It made me question things that I’ve previously read and…..you know….I’m not really sure quite how to put it. I was just really blindsided and confused.
While I did really enjoy this book, I was very much put off by the returning characters in this book. I didn’t enjoy the fact that this book is so far in the future or how they acted. I was very disappointed in the behavior of several of the returning characters to say the least. After following them in the past four books, I kind of expected more from them….
The whole thing with Gage has me super confused. Don’t get me wrong, I’m SO EXCITED for his book (Seriously, 2018?!) but this book left me a little………confused. Is his book going to be NA or adult contemporary? I’m a little confused at how that all is going to take place. Also, will it be set after the Vernal series? I’m curious as to how that is all going to work out.
Serena and Tristan were a very enjoyable couple to read about. However, I didn’t enjoy them nearly as much as I did with Asher and Eve. I also think that I liked Tristan a lot more than Serena. It took me awhile to warm up to her….. What I will say, though, is that Tristan was HOT! Not quite to the degree of hot as Asher was, but definitely hot! Also, he was hilarious!
The sexiness in this book was way more on point than in the previous series! My only minor complaint was that they were kind of short and a little…..awkward. I would have liked them to have a bit more heat. Also, I would have liked some more heated “wow” scenes between Tristan and Serena. More like the ones between Asher and Eve. However, I did really appreciate that those scenes were more detailed than in the past.
One thing that I absolutely loved in Vernal was the funny, quirky scenes that were mixed in throughout the whole book. I was laughing (mostly from Tristan) throughout the whole book! I LOVED those scenes! I hope that more are mixed in throughout the rest of the series!
Another thing that I really loved about Vernal was one of the major AHA moments mixed in. It was something that I just didn’t see coming. I was super impressed at Randi’s sneakiness with that!
The ending of Vernal was a bit rushed for my personal taste. I would have liked to see more of an action scene than what was there. That being said, the ending really sets it up well for the second book.
Overall, I thought this was a good start to a new series. I didn’t think it was nearly as good as the previous books in the series, but it interested me. I am very excited to see where Randi takes this series and to see more chemistry development between Serena and Tristan! Bring on the sexiness!
: ★★★½☆

 

The Giveaway:

Enter to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card. The giveaway runs from July 1st through July 22nd.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Rest of the Tour Schedule Below!

July 1st

The Voluptuous Book Diva – Author Interview

Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books! – Review

July 2nd

LitBuzz – Review

Hannah Plus Books – Guest Post

July 3rd

Comet Babes Books – Review

Have Book Will Read – Review

July 4th

Ordinary Girlz Book Reviews – Review

For Love of Books4 – Promo Post

July 5th

Novels & Necklaces – Review

RoloPoloBookBlog – Promo Post

July 6th

The Book Beacon – Review

July 7th

Quite Bookish – Review

infinite House of Books – Interview

July 8th

Bookbangerr – Review

July 9th

Latte Nights Reviews – Review

July 10th

Around The World in Books – Guest Post

July 11th

The Perks of Being a Book Girl – Review

July 12th

the bookdragon – Guest Post

July 13th

Owl Always Be Reading – Review

A Leisure Moment – Review

Rockin’ Book Reviews – Promo Post

July 14th

Bibliophile Mystery – Promo Post

July 15th

Just One More Chapter – Promo Post

July 16th

Monique Latrece – Guest Post

July 17th

Honey there are never enough books – Interview

July 18th

Curling Up With A Good Book – Interview

July 19th

Mindjacked – Review

YaReads – Review

July 20th

books are love – Review

Secretly Adorkable Readers – Review

July 21st

Fiction Dreams – Promo Post

YaReads – Character Interview

 

Book Reviews
May 16, 2016 posted by Nichole

Book Tour & Review: Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories by Stephanie Perkins

Summer Days & Summer NightsMaybe it’s the long, lazy days, or maybe it’s the heat making everyone a little bit crazy. Whatever the reason, summer is the perfect time for love to bloom. Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories, written by twelve bestselling young adult writers and edited by the international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins, will have you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake. So set out your beach chair and grab your sunglasses. You have twelve reasons this summer to soak up the sun and fall in love.

Featuring stories by Leigh Bardugo, Francesca Lia Block, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Brandy Colbert, Tim Federle, Lev Grossman, Nina LaCour, Stephanie Perkins, Veronica Roth, Jon Skovron, and Jennifer E. Smith.

 

 

 

Book Review:

Summer Days and Summer Nights was a good read….but not an excellent read. I try to say this as subjectively as possible, but it just wasn’t as good as the Christmas edition. Some of the stories were just flat and boring, one I skipped because I couldn’t stand that the characters were referred to my letters, and some of the stories were super cute and bubbly. Stephanie Perkins’ story, for example, was magical and beautiful. Just as good as the Anna and the French Kiss series. For real, that in itself could have been a whole book.

I loved that Summer Days and Summer Nights includes diverse and LGBTQ themes in the stories. Different cultures are also represented in several of the stories, including SP’s story. So, there’s basically a story for mostly everyone! Which I loved! I loved that it targeted several different audiences.

Overall, I thought it was a good read. I was a bit disappointed, though, that there were several stories in this collection that I just wasn’t very interested in. I wish that it would have been more consistent throughout the whole book. I did like it, though, and definitely recommend it as a good beach read.

Book Reviews
March 31, 2016 posted by Nichole

Book Review: Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires #1) by Rachel Caine

glass housesFrom the author of the popular Weather Warden series comes the debut of an exciting new series set in Morganville, Texas, where you would be well advised to avoid being out after dark.

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don’t show many signs of life, but they’ll have Claire’s back when the town’s deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood. Will she be able to face the town’s terror or will she drown like everyone else?

 

 

My Review:

Holy Moses, I forgot how good the Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine is. It’s been about 8 years since I first picked up the book, so it was like reading it for the first time. I’m so excited to be reading these again!

Glass Houses is about a unique (and slightly scary) little town, in Texas, called Morganville. The main character, Claire, is a 16-year-old genius, who just moved to Morganville to attend college. Unfortunately for Claire, she ticked off the wrong people, and is now being bullied and potentially having her murder planned out. So, Claire leaves Campus to go stay at the Glass House with the other main characters in the story, Shane, Eve, and Michael.

After moving into the Glass House, Claire learns that Morganville is run by vampires and all the humans are fresh meat unless they are “protected” by the vampires. Poor Claire, and the rest of her housemates, are unprotected and must fend for themselves. At the same time, Claire must figure out a way to save her friends, stop the bullying, and be able to attend college without the fear of being murdered by the psycho teenage human disaster who has it out for her.

Glass Houses is full of action and suspense from moment one. There’s never a boring beat or a page to skim over. It’s simply just perfection. I’m not kidding when I say that you need to go get all of these books at once. Trust me, you’ll binge them all in just a couple weeks.

My heart is with all of the characters in Morganville. This was one of those series that I was first introduced to, so all of them play a special role for me. You know? They’re extra special. What I love most about all of the characters is that they all have their own unique personalities and traits. If the book didn’t mention who was talking, you’d figure it out. Shane would be the sarcastic jerk; Claire would be timid and shy. Eve would be in your face, but a little fearful; and Michael would be quiet, but strong. They’re all so unique, and Morganville wouldn’t be the same without any of them.

Obviously, Morganville is about vampires. I know what you’re thinking. Vampires are out. In a sense, I guess. I think we all really chalk that up to the Twilight faze. I’ve never really thought that vampires are out. I mean….some of my favorites books and series are about vampires. The Morganville Vampires series, though, is a bit different than the typical vampire faze. While they’re obviously vampire book, they have a much different feel to them. Keep in mind, as well, that the main characters are humans. There’s just a really cool, weird vibe that this series has going for it.

If I had to choose a slightly negative thing to say about Morganville, I guess I would say that it is a bit on the young side. I’m not talking middle grade young. It’s definitely target to teenagers and young adults, but it is a little young feeling. That might bother some people. It’s never really bothered me, but I could see why someone would be put off by it.

Overall, I loved this book. I’m going to rate it a 4, because I know that some of the other books in the series are way better than the first book. I’m not going to rate it a 3, though, because this book was super good! Seriously, if you haven’t read the Morganville Vampires series…just go do it!