Category: Review (Page 208 of 296)

BOOK REVIEW – On the Island (On the Island #1) by Tracey Garvis-Graves

December 28, 2015 / Jen / 6 Comments

On the Island (On the Island #1)
by Tracey Garvis-Graves
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Anna Emerson is a thirty-year-old English teacher desperately in need of adventure. Worn down by the cold Chicago winters and a relationship that’s going nowhere, she jumps at the chance to spend the summer on a tropical island tutoring sixteen-year-old T.J.

T.J. Callahan has no desire to go anywhere. His cancer is in remission and he wants to get back to his normal life. But his parents are insisting he spend the summer in the Maldives catching up on all the school he missed last year.

Anna and T.J. board a private plane headed to the Callahan’s summer home, and as they fly over the Maldives’ twelve hundred islands, the unthinkable happens. Their plane crashes in shark-infested waters. They make it to shore, but soon discover that they’re stranded on an uninhabited island.

At first, their only thought is survival. But as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.’s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

Review:

*Buddy Read with my fabulous friend, Chelsea*

On the Island was an enthralling story that always kept me guessing what was going to happen next. It was easy to become stranded on the island with TJ and Anna, and I found myself finishing the book faster than I wanted to. But throughout the story, I kept wishing that the writing was a little different. It felt flat at times and always left me desiring more. I was nervous that it would affect my attachment to TJ and Anna, but luckily it didn’t. But then again, I wasn’t able to fall head over heels in love with the story. Nonetheless, On the Island was a fast-paced story that kept me entertained and had me swooning over TJ.

“You make me feel safe,” I whispered.
“You are safe.”
I gave in to the pull of sleep and the escape it offered, but seconds before I drifted off completely, I could have sworn T.J.’s lips brushed mine in the sweetest and softest of kisses.

Anna was hired to spend the summer tutoring TJ, to get him caught up in his school work, since he had just beaten cancer. But both of their summers took a turn that no one saw coming. While on their way to TJs family’s vacation spot, their pilot had a heart attack and they crashlanded in shark infested waters. They found themselves on a deserted island, in the Maldives, with challenges at every turn.

“We live here now.”

While Anna was 30 and TJ was almost 17, romance and love was the furthest thing from their minds. Not only did Anna view TJ as a 16 year old kid, but their most pressing matters were food, water and shelter. And so many of those didn’t come easily to them. They were met by so many obstacles in their new lives, and the reprieves they did receive never felt long enough. But as their time on the island continued, they forged a deep friendship that was based on trust and respect. They relied solely on each other for survival and companionship, and that created a beautiful friendship.

If we were in Chicago, I wouldn’t stand a chance with her. But I was starting to wonder if, here on the island, I might.

While I liked Anna for her pragmatic approach to life, my favorite was TJ by far! He was the sweetest person in the world. And as time passed, we got to watch him grow into a man. A man who became impossible for Anna to ignore. A man whose bold actions and swoon worthy gestures made us both smile. His need to take care of Anna made me easily fall for him, and I couldn’t help but root that Anna was able to see the man that was right in front of her.

I didn’t know if I could make it without her. The sound of her voice, her smile, her—those were the things that made living on the island bearable. I held her a little tighter and thought if she woke up I might tell her that. She didn’t though. She sighed in her sleep, and eventually I drifted off.

On the Island was such a fun book. I’m a little sad that I wasn’t completely blown away, but as I said before I struggled at times with the writing. I craved so much more, and at times their voices did sound a little similar. But I did enjoy the characters she created and how the story progressed. So I will try one of her most recent books in hopes that the writing has changed a tad and has become more enticing. Fingers crossed!

BOOK REVIEW: Kiss the Sky (Calloway Sisters #1) by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie

December 23, 2015 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

Kiss the Sky

BOOK REVIEW: Kiss the Sky (Calloway Sisters #1) by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie

Kiss the Sky (Calloway Sisters #1)
by Becca Ritchie, Krista Ritchie
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Virgin. Sex addict. Daredevil. Alcoholic. Smartass … Jackass. Her five friends are about to be filmed. Reality TV, be prepared.

Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she’s a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But with a sex addict as a sister and roommate, nothing comes easy.

After accepting help from a producer, Rose agrees to have her life filmed for a reality television show. The Hollywood exec is her last chance to revive her struggling fashion line, and boundaries begin to blur as she’s forced to make nice with a man who always has his way.

Twenty-four-year-old Connor Cobalt is a guy who bulldozes weak men. He’s confident, smart-as-hell and lives with his equally ambitious girlfriend, Rose Calloway. Connor has to find a way to protect Rose without ruining the show. Or else the producer will get what Connor has always wanted—Rose’s virginity.

This New Adult Romance can be described as Friends meets The Real World. Expect fist fights, drugs, sex of varying degrees, crude humor and competitive alpha males. Definitely for mature readers audiences only.

People hope to touch the sky. I dream of kissing it.
-Connor

Let’s get this out real fucking quick: This book, this man, this story stole my heart. I know it’s been a lucrative year for me, good book wise, but that’s because I’ve surrounded myself with people who truly know me, my tastes, my obsessions, and, most importantly, my dislikes. And, while this has been on my TBR for probably a couple years, I never took the plunge. Why is that, you ask? All because of the reason I mentioned above-no one I knew loved it enough for me to do so. It’s not enough to have a fandom behind a series, because, let’s face it, that fandom would jump off a cliff for said series, and they just can’t be trusted-sorry. And it’s not because they’re lying about how good the series is-it’s really not that simple, because every opinion is subjective. And herein lies the problem: I have wanted so badly to read this book, but haven’t had enough ammo and found that it went against a number of my rules. Well, and excuse my French here, GR friends, because I’m going to be frank-I ABOUT FUCKING LOST OUT.

I let go of Rose and take a step forward. “We haven’t formally met,” I say, holding out my hand. “I’m Connor Cobalt. The guy whose girlfriend you want to fuck. And just so you understand, the odds don’t look good for you.”

If my dear, sweet, Rose-like (haha) Anna hadn’t have read this, I bet this would have sat on my TBR shelf another two years. But, as it is, she made me buy this. She pushed me to give this a try. Her reasoning?? Oh come on, now. Anyone who knows me and reads my reviews enough can probably guess a variation of what I’m about to say, but here it goes anyway: ‘Bu-bu-but…Connor…’ Or wait, am I mistaken? Wasn’t it more like: CONNOR. THAT IS ALL. Either way, it’s fucking clear. She knows me well enough to know that I would see past all the bull shit and drama (honestly it wasn’t what I expected, there wasn’t that much) and fall for the beautiful man that can’t love-Connor Cobalt.

I try to imagine a life without Rose and I see something gray, something motionless-a world without time and a place without color. I see mundane and dreary and lackluster.
I can’t lose her.
Not for anything.

And it’s true, I do have a lot of book pet peeves, and the list seems to become more excessive with each passing month rather than shrinking as I’d hoped it would. But sometimes the barest needs trump the pesky idiosyncracies that come with the territory of reading so many books. Sometimes, not always, but sometimes….the best books are hiding in your worst nightmare.

I had no one before Rose. No true friends. No family, not really.
Now I have her. I have people I care about. People that I want to protect.
Now I have everything.
The only thing about having everything is that you can lose it all.

And that worst nightmare is a fucking reality show type story (says the blurb, but I say hogwash) with a NA label, an addiction label, and a set of flawed characters that have either scared everyone away or drawn them to an inexplicable high that can only be flamed when a new book in the series is released. I chose to give the series a fair chance by starting with the story that appealed to me most, skipping the more depressing predecessors that scared some of my closest and best friends away. I may be taking risks and calling December my ‘fuck it, I need permanent BBF wins’ month and throwing my bookish inhibitions out the window, but I don’t want to commit book suicide and depress the shit out of myself right before the holidays-and my BDAY-AND VACAY-YAY ME. And even though I didn’t get the build up to Connor and Rose’s tentative relationship and battles from previous books, I couldn’t be happier with what I chose to do, because the minute these words were uttered (and if you read the book you know the context and just who he is talking to): “Suck. My. Cock.” I was a goner. I was in deep shit. I was utterly, completely, inexplicably Connor’s…and that was only in the prologue.

I meet those fierce yellow-green eyes. Even in the wake of my pain, she has this resilience that’s more beautiful than words can describe. It’s fire to my water. And I want her to burn me alive.

And one would think I was jumping to fangirly conclusions, but to that I say, you know, wait just a second there, Fella. Because, again, inexplicably, my BBF-dar was right on the money as each passing page made my lady boner fill out a little more and become fully erect by chapter two with every new Connor filled page. He had little flaws, sure, things that might have had me running for the hills (ahem, can anyone say diamond collar???) had I not fallen for him before such things arose, but, as it was, it didn’t bother me. In fact, I could have cared less. It certainly didn’t add to the story, but it didn’t deter my ass either. But then here’s the real kicker, and I am not at all shocked to say this, Connor wasn’t the only contributing factor to my bookgasm: Rose was a badass motherfucker as well….and she not only added to the story, but became one of my favorite heroines-say it like it is, Bitch, I got yo’ back.

I roll backwards, and he only grins more. This is not a cat-and-mouse game like he believes. I am not a mouse. And he’s not a cat. Or vice versa. I am the fucking shark, and he’s a lame human in my ocean.

Rose and Connor were perfect for one another, and not in the same ways. She’s the bitch to his peacemaker, she’s the cold virgin to his skilled lovemaking, she can love even as he claims love is inconsequential, she’s the business savvy, intelligent, competitive ass to his…well, they are the same on that front, but you get the point.

Rose Calloway was different. She was fashionable. But not a sorority girl. She was a genius on paper. But not a team player. She was quick to loathe others. But not against loving.
She was a complicated equation that didn’t need to be solved.

I could maybe understand how people wouldn’t connect with the say-it-like-it-is Rose who gets in people’s faces and snaps her fingers at the drop of a hat, but I did. I loved her. I thought it was comical, her prowess, her knowledge of all things business and things I will never know or understand. But there was an empowering feeling to it, as well, seeing her match word for word with Connor and not backing down on anything…

I hear the criticism already. And I don’t wilt by it. I’m just angry.
So bring it on, motherfuckers. Try to hurt me. Because I won’t let you.

but I think I’m forgetting my favorite part of Connor (they’re all my favorite, but whatever you get it), and all it did was make me love his cockiness on the outside even more.

She holds up a warning finger at me. “Don’t you dare say do you like what you see? I will break up with you right here if you utter those fucking stupid words.”
I laugh into a wider grin and say, “I don’t have to ask you, Rose. I already know you do.”
She pushes me lightly in the chest and tries not to share my smile. “Why am I with you? You’re so conceited, arrogant-“
“Narcissistic,” I add, “attractive, lovable, brilliant.”
“That wasn’t an invitation for you to compliment yourself.”

Connor had a gentleness to him that truly fleshed out his character and made him into such a circumvent character that my poor little heart had no chance whatsoever. His dedication, loyalty, and adoration for Rose stole my heart, and in those moments when people weren’t looking-and better yet, even when they were-he became someone who would die for the woman he….well….adores. Controlled, arrogant, intelligent, cocky, Connor is the poster child for that guy I’d normally want to strangle, but he just…ugh. I can’t even. You don’t understaaaaandddd. He can’t love, or rather, he was raised to believe love isn’t what matters-However you want to explain it. So you think, okay, no jealousy, right? There can’t be. The cool, calm, collected Connor can’t be jealous if he doesn’t love her…

I spent years building barriers and defenses. I could take care of a woman better than any other guy could. But my mother never taught me how to love.

but wrong, WrongwrongwrongwrongWRONG. Everything is a game, who can win, who is best, who will get the girl….but it isn’t, not really. Not for Connor. He plays it like it’s not about him loving her, that his goal is only to devirginize her (again, not really, that’s such a small piece of what Connor could be like), but when the cameras stop rolling, when the show airs or he hears things that people say about her or when he thinks Rose is threatened or he might lose her…the real Connor slips, his façade starts to fade, and we begin to see just how deeply he *ahem* adores her, and just how much he’d give up to be by her side. And, I assure you, that was certainly not in the blurb.

I rub her back, the water slowly turning lukewarm. As she rests on my lap, something strong grips my heart. I’ve never been so possessed by another person before. She consumes my body and mind in ways that I can’t articulate.

Speaking of: That is one of the shittiest blurbs I’ve ever read. That blurb doesn’t do this book justice. I won’t elaborate, but just know that there was so much more that should have been said, or maybe even not said, I don’t know.

I near her, cupping her face with large rough hands. I stare down into her yellow-green eyes. “You’re not a pit stop. You’re my finish line. There’s no one after you.” I kiss her powerfully, my tongue parting her lips, and she responds. But not as much as I hoped. So I break apart and add, “I want you for eternity, not for a brief moment in time.”

And yeah, there were parts that might have lagged??? I don’t know, because I’ve been very sick, unfortunately, and it was the kind of sick that drained you and you couldn’t read after the day was over because your eyes just wouldn’t let you. So, yeah, I lost connection at times and it truly broke my heart, because this is one of my absolute favorites and that stunted my enjoyment and maybe even my judgment a little, but it should also say something. Even after reading only two chapters a night for a while, this still got a five. C’mon now, that’s amazing.

I think I hate him now.
“I know you’re glaring and I can’t even see your eyes,” Connor tells me. “Would you call that intuition or magic?”
Well, Connor doesn’t believe in magic. If Hogwarts actually existed I’m sure they’d send an owl to shit on his head.

And, finally, Rose’s addiction: I was kind of obsessed with it, no pun intended. She has a severe case of OCD, needs everything to be spick and span, neat, clean, tidy, organized, you name it. And when something goes wrong, she loses it, and this is where Connor’s adorable sweetness shone through, becoming her knight in shining fucking armor, making all his earlier vulnerabilities that much more endearing. Just…sigh. And yes, I did make something about Rose come full circle back to my boy-shut it.

“Rose,” Connor says, half with worry and half with warning.
I don’t listen. Still holding my wine glass, I squat down in front of the tabby cat. She’s a hostile bitch (like me). She has scratched my arms. Hissed at me. And I swear she pissed on my Jimmy Choos, although I can’t confirm that.

So…phew. That’s it. I could keep going but I think I’ve fangirled enough, yes?? I’ve touched on it’s flaws, possibly forgetting to mention, perhaps, the heir of unbelievability at times and maybe a few things I wish hadn’t happened arising. But other than that, I have nothing more to say lest I bore you with my word vomit. I didn’t dislike Lo and Lily, but I do wonder how the first books are so popular. Lo is sexy, admittedly, but he can be very cruel, making me cringe at times. And Lily was a tad whiney and backwards for me, making them my least favorite couple-HOWEVER-if not only because I need to see young adversaries, Connor and Rose, in the background (don’t let me fool you, that’s totally why) I may someday commit book suicide to see why book one is so depressing. I will run out of Calloway sisters spin-off books eventually, likely before January 2016 has passed, and I’ll definitely be craving them. I’m a glutton for punishment and will probably hate it…and I might not ever get to it, but I might someday look into it-It’s just not completely off the table, is all I am saying. Who knows. I certainly don’t. I mean….I’ve tried literally everything outside of my comfort zone this year, maybe 2016 will make me crazy like Ryke and Daisy (wooohoooooooo, wordplay). 😛

“Kiss the sky with me,” Connor whispers, a beautiful smile pulling his lips, “and don’t ever come down.”

*******************

“Kiss the sky with me,” Connor whispers, a beautiful smile pulling his lips, “and don’t ever come down.”

INSTANT.

BOOK.

BOYFRIEND.

INSTANT.

FAVORITE.

‘Nuff said.

Oh, and review to come, if I can!!! I HAVE TO TRY FOR CONNOR!!!!

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW – Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer

December 23, 2015 / Jen / 4 Comments

Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Thomas Bellweather hasn’t been in town long. Just long enough for his newlywed mother to be murdered, and for his new stepdad’s cop colleagues to decide Thomas is the primary suspect.

Not that there’s any evidence. But before Thomas got to Garretts Mill there had just been one other murder in twenty years.

The only person who believes him is Charlotte Rooker, little sister to three cops and, with her soft hands and sweet curves, straight-up dangerous to Thomas. Her friend was the other murder vic. And she’d like a couple answers….Answers that could get them both killed, and reveal a truth Thomas would die to keep hidden.

Answers that could get them both killed, and reveal a truth Thomas would die to keep hidden…

Review:

Thicker Than Water started out as an intriguing mystery that morphed into a paranormal story that had a sinister twist. I easily fell into Thomas and Charlotte’s world, and their first few interactions had so many feelings floating around in me. Sympathy for Thomas being convicted as his own mother’s murderer, especially since he was the one to find her. Anger for how he was easily judged and convicted within others eyes. Curiosity for Charlotte and if she would be his saving grace. And anticipation if they would eventually become something more. But while I quickly flew through the pages, some things made me pause and not allow me to be entirely immersed in the story. So I’m left torn, because this was such a fun, quick read yet I did have some issues.

A storm is coming, but still we stand here. “I saw her,” he says. His voice is hollow. “That night.
I saw what happened to her.”
“I know,” I whisper.

Thomas was definitely my favorite thing about this book. I have a huge soft spot for tortured males, and he fit that part perfectly. With his broken heart and the whole town against him, he quickly pulled me in and always left me wanting to know more about him, since the book alternates between the two of them. But when he was around Charlotte, he was a mixture of confident and self-conscious which easily made me melt. Thomas was sexy and alluring without ever trying. And those are always the sexiest men in my eyes!

His lips curl into a slow smile. “Penny for your thoughts.”
“They’re not decent.”
I. Did not. Just say that.
His smile widens, and he looks genuinely amused. “Really. What if I offer you a dollar?”
I put my hands over my face.
“Can we please just pretend this moment isn’t happening?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Shush, you. Eat your food.”

Charlotte was more of a gray area for me. I loved how she would try to help our believe in Thomas, but her inner thoughts of contemplating whether he was a murderer or not irritated me. I mean yes, by all means please be cautious with this new boy whose situation is insanely questionable. I definitely would. But don’t lead him alone into the woods to talk, when you’re going to picture him as a murderer once you two are truly alone. Granted, she was young and extremely sheltered, so I gave her way more passes than I normally would, because I did like her. And just a heads up, Charlotte does have a sex-obsessed best friend. But I found Nicole to be entertaining and utterly ridiculous while still being adorable.

“No one knew her. No one cares about her. No one cares about finding out who did this. They just care about how much they hate me.”
I have to stop talking. I’m going to lose it right here in the parking lot.
Arms go around my neck, and I stiffen in surprise. She’s hugging me. Charlotte is hugging me.
I can’t remember the last time anyone hugged me.

To be honest, I’m a little torn over that ending. I liked how some things worked out, but another part of it left me so conflicted. It wasn’t what I wanted, and I was left wondering if everything would truly work out, even after that final page. You see, Thicker Than Water was nicely setup for a possible second book. There is closure in the final pages, but there is also a lot up in the air. So I was left with questions and I really wish I had those answers. But I have to say that the twist was amazingly done! Wow!

Thicker Than Water was a quick book to devour whose mystery kept me stuck to the pages. The paranormal element was different, in the fact that it didn’t play a large part, but looking back you can see how it was laced throughout the story. And even though it did leave me with questions, I can’t deny that I absolutely adored Thomas. So I will try her Elemental Series down the road, and hopefully we will mesh up much better. Plus I can’t wait to see what male character she has created in that story!

*ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

BOOK REVIEW: Shine Not Burn (Shine Not Burn #1) by Elle Casey

December 16, 2015 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Shine Not Burn (Shine Not Burn #1)
by Elle Casey
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
A full-length new adult/adult crossover romance novel of 101,700 words. Stand-alone, not part of a series. CONTENT WARNING: Due to adult sexual situations and language, this novel may not be appropriate for readers under 18.

IT HAPPENED IN VEGAS. I can't be held responsible. Things that happen there are supposed to stay there, right? Right? Yeeeah. Not so much.

Andie's just days away from tying the knot, but there's just ooooone little glitch. Apparently, she's already married. Or someone with her name is married to a guy out in Oregon of all places, and the courthouse won't issue her a marriage license until it's all cleared up. Tripping her way through cow pies and country songs to meet up with a man who gets around places on horseback is her very last idea of how to have a good time, but if she's going to get married, make partner at the firm, and have two point five kids before she's thirty-five, she needs to get to the bottom of this snafu and fix it quick ... before her fiance finds out and everything she's been working toward goes up in flames.

Okay, so, I didn’t love this. And, come on, let’s give me a little credit: I may hand out a lot of 4 and 5 stars, but those books aren’t ever given a 5 based solely on the boys I so fondly adore. No, they have to earn it by merit, and yes, sometimes I may bump up the rating a little because I just wanted a happy read and something made me happy-that’s just how I work. But when there is something so ghastly as what bothered me in this book, then I just can’t do the ‘oh-my-gosh-this-was-perfect-but..’ rating bump. Because, as much as it pains me to say this, there was one thing and one thing only I hated about this book, and it was enough to lower my rating by TWO WHOLE STARS:
THE MAIN CHARACTER, ANDIE.

Never in all of my life, well, maybe once or twice, have I hated a main character in such a fun-loving romantic comedy book as much as this chick. She’s indecisive, wishy-washy, ignorant, and completely blind. Indecisive. Back and forth. Did I say indecisive? Pulls on heartstrings. Waitwaitwait, there’s more…..SHE’S THE LITERAL DEFINITION OF A MOTHER-FUCKING DOORMAT. For real-People dissed on Tate from Ugly Love?? Andie could take lessons from Tate, she’s that dumb, PS-I adored Tate in Ugly Love, she just seems to be the first person I can think of that people would know. I mean, what person cares so little about their life and their happiness…all so they can follow a GD life plan?? Wtf. How moronic. Don’t hate me, Jen, please, because I have a super redeeming sentence for this review that will make you think way more of me:

Mack was the most amazing, selfless, sexy-as-sin male lead I’ve read about in a long time, and he is the only reason I literally cannot rate this book lower than a 3. It’s impossible, sorry not sorry. I only said I can’t give this five stars for a guy, I didn’t say I wouldn’t keep the rating respectful for him. He is just….god he was the kindest, sweetest, most butterfly-inducing man, even if I think he fell for a dumbass bimbo way too quickly in Vegas-However, I do think it was so sincere and so sweet that it didn’t bother me. And, again, the only problem with any of this story was that…ARGH-Andie chick. And if I had room ANYWHERE on my BBF shelf, he’d be up in the higher rankings. I know, I know, will wonders of Chelsea never cease to exist?? lol

I can’t say I don’t want to keep going on and on and on about Mack….because I do. I just couldn’t get enough of him. No, I didn’t believe it at first, the whole in love with a dipshit thing, but as the story progressed, he broke my heart and made my stomach unbearably butterfly clogged, and he even whipped out that, dare I say it, hoarse, broken whisper voice (EEEEEPS, I KNOW! Be still my heart!!). So, he got me-he got me good. But, like I said, there was just too much that annoyed me with the MC to keep going on about and not become a broken record. So, to sum up:

MACK-5 STARS
ANDIE-0 stars (indecisive twit)

Well…there you go.

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers) & Book Depository (click on book #)
Shine Not Burn #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	MacKenzie Fire #2 Reviews: Jen

BOOK REVIEW: Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

December 11, 2015 / Chelsea / 1 Comment

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open-door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but only if the guy fulfills a specific criteria: he has to be a virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward, fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in return is that they give their girlfriends the perfect first time- the kind Mercedes never had herself.

Keeping what goes on in her bedroom a secret has been easy- so far. Her absentee mother isn’t home nearly enough to know about Mercedes’ extracurricular activities, and her uber-religious best friend, Angela, won’t even say the word “sex” until she gets married. But Mercedes doesn’t bank on Angela’s boyfriend finding out about her services and wanting a turn- or on Zach, who likes her for who she is instead of what she can do in bed.

When Mercedes’ perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her reputation and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. Funny, smart, and true-to-life, FIRSTS is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel about growing up.

**ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

I switch out my lamp and stare at the ceiling in the dark, taking a series of shaky breaths. I know that it’s better this way, being the one in control. The one in control calls the shots, and the one in control sets the pace.
Most important of all, the one in control doesn’t get hurt.

I’d be lying if I said this is something that I would have read had I found it on my own…but seeing the type of things being said about it paired with the edgy blurb, this sounded like just what I needed-In a very odd, very different way. This book-this wonderful, magnificent, outside of the box book-shocked me to the core. No, the content is not necessarily new, nor is it something that I think everyone will love. However, I must say, this book took something that is deemed dirty, wrong, depraved, and made it…..okay.

Right, okay, I knew you’d think that. How can a book about a girl propositioning guys in committed relationships to show them the ropes of how he should treat a girl for her ‘first time’ (ie, all the boys are virgins, as are the girls) ever, in any universe, be okay??? Well, I’ll admit it. It made me sick-truly. The thought of this happening to me in high school (it totally could have…you fill in the blanks) makes my stomach drop, my insides curl, makes me see red. But, let’s get real-it didn’t happen. I don’t imagine it happens in real life (does it?? Because if it does…*shudders*). And I don’t think this book was following a trend. So, as with most of the books I read, I flipped my hair over my shoulder, I took a deep breath, and chanted to myself that this is just a work of fiction, to just enjoy it. Yeah, well, I did.

His secret, like those of nine of his fellow seniors, is safe with me. At Milton High, I’m my own statistic. People fail to see the great equalizer, the one thing the band geeks, the drama nerds, the jocks, and the preppies all have in common.
Me-Mercedes Ayres.
The girl who took their virginity.

In fact…I enjoyed this a little too much. From the moment I picked this up, I was immediately hooked. The writing, the characters, the scenarios-in spite of them being so bizarre-were just, I don’t know, epic. Yeah, yeah, I know, it was a typical high school with typical students and an indisputably flawed narrator. We’ve seen it before, yes? Well…not like this. At least, I don’t think so. She was absolutely deplorable, if you look at the cold hard facts:

-She sleeps with virgin boyfriends
-She takes away that wonderful first time that a guy should experience only with his girl
-She writes in a journal about it (Sigh….come on, girly. You know better)
-She lies to her best friend
-She lies to my beautiful, beautiful man (more on my man later. YES I have yet another man-HUSH)
-She ignores allllll the signs. Alllll of them
-She finally deludes herself by the middle of the book
-She-

Do I really need more?

For real. I know this. I know she was totally in the wrong. Deep in my heart, I know it. And yet…I loved her. Yikes, okay, let me back track. I ADORED her. Ahhhh there, that feels better. But here is the crazy thing-I also hated her. I hated how she hurt those girls forever, without them even knowing about it. I hated how blind she was. I hated how she lost herself when she had always wanted it to be a noble cause. I hated how she lied to-shh, leave me alone-Zach, and I hated how she treated Zach. Hell, okay, let’s just talk about the elephant in the room, that way I can focus on more solid facts for the rest of the review. Cool? Might as well, or I’m going to start becoming annoying (START?? I’m well past that).

Zach wanting to see me next Wednesday is almost like Zach asking me on a date, if I were a regular girl wanting a regular relationship.
But I’m not a regular girl. I don’t want to hold hands in the hall at school and slow dance at prom and see a movie with Zach. I don’t want to be the girl he dates senior year and loses interest in when he goes off to college. I want to be just fast enough for Zach to have to run to catch up, because if I stay ahead, I won’t ever have to see his retreating back.

ZACH. Zach. Z-A-C-H. Zacharyyyyy. Now, I know what you’re thinking, for real!! How can a girl who sleeps with a ton of dudes-Taken dudes, might I add-have one set boy she is actually truly into? And I’ll answer, thusly: If you did something that you weren’t proud of, something that used to feel like the right thing but now felt like a dirty, suffocating secret, wouldn’t you feel…lonely? And, more than that, wouldn’t you want to be wanted by someone who (ahem) loves you, who adores you, who, despite your bitchy flaws and dismissive attitude, still wants to spend time with you and wants to treat you right? Well, I imagine that’s how I’d feel. And Zach, while only her ‘Wednesday friend’, is that guy. That guy who, even though he is treated like shit and only kept at an arm’s length, is utterly loyal to you.

“I think I’m in love with you.”
…
“That’s your orgasm talking,” I say. “You’re not really in love with me.”
“You can’t tell me how I feel,” he says. His voice gets quiet, trails off at the end. “I could be your boyfriend.”

And here is where my real feels (lies, lies, lies, feels were abundant from chapter one) came into play. I’ve met some loyal friends and guys in a lot of books, but I think these friends, this guy, blew the loyalty of other said characters out of the water. I will say this once and only once: Faye and Zach were two of the most loyal literary characters I’ve ever come across-And I don’t take that shit lightly, I assure you.

The loyalty that came into play…it was unreal. It was so out of this world unreal that I started crying (a dainty crier I am not) out of nowhere. To be put in the position they were and to just…ugh. Unconditional love is hard to come by. Standing by your friend, no matter what, is rare-Virtually unheard of. Loyalty can’t be bought, it can only be given freely, and even though I’m doing a horrible job of explaining it, I need to get out what I can. This aspect, if nothing else, made me an unflinching and
loyal fan of this book, and I truly think this is a story I will revisit time and time again-even though the angst threatened to swallow me whole.

I’m so used to planning for guys, dressing and undressing for them and trying to morph myself into their dream girl. I’m so used to it that I don’t really know where that girl ends and the real me begins. I suppose what it comes down to is confidence. I’m confident in that girl, the one who emerges from my walk-in wearing lingerie when I’m done getting ready. But at Faye’s house, I’m not going to be that girl. I’m going to be me.
Whoever that is anymore.

I’m doing a horrible job with this review, aren’t I? My thoughts, though…Guys, I have SO much to say that my head is spinning and I’ll try to start a point in a paragraph and all of a sudden I’m cracking out and interrupting what I was explaining and it just becomes a weird, fangirly mess, and isn’t that the best, though?? Knowing you loved something so much that you can’t possibly get every thought on the page? Well, this is me saying that I’m trying to make this as fluent and coherent as possible, but I’m failing miserably, because I have so much to say and so little capacity to make it right.

The doorbell rings and I sink into a heap on the carpet. With any luck, whoever is down there will just go away.
But I’m just starting to think nothing goes away, no matter how deep you try to bury it.

Let me finish it all with my point, what I’ve been trying to say from the beginning: Mercy is far from what we would call an upstanding citizen…but her heart is in the right place. She wants girls to get the most amazing experience possible, something she never got and something that made her that closed off girl she is today. She really and truly wants to help, to be someone who betters another life behind the scenes. But alas, her methods are wrong and they can only hurt in the long run, so no matter what her ‘rules’ are, someone is eventually going to find out. And it doesn’t matter what you say or even how you say it, you can’t polish a turd:

Hi, I know you don’t know me, but I had sex with your boyfriend and tutored him on how to treat you and how to speak to you in a respectful, kind way, so as to not ruin your romantic night because you’re both so nervous…I hope you don’t mind? I had the best intentions!

Boundaries will be pushed, you will feel utterly uncomfortable, and you likely will be on the edge of your seat for most of the novel, but it was the best feeling. I really hope people will open their mind and read about this wonderful set of flawed characters. My heart was in my throat, my stomach in knots, my hands over my mouth and eyes after 30% on, but not once did I dislike the feeling. To evoke such strong emotion from me is noteworthy, because it doesn’t happen often. In fact, I often avoid books like this because I just want to be happy-but this, this made me happy even with all the turmoil. My heart was crushed even as it was slowly being stitched up from the previous fracture, causing an endless loop of soul-crushing, mind-blowing, and heart-wrenching moments all swirling around in a tornado of feels, making my head spin and my body rebel any chance of sleep. But any author that can make me compare them to my beloved Courtney Summers is okay in my book, and I only hope her next novel is just as compelling-I know I will undoubtedly be watching and waiting for it.

*************************

I loved this book with all my heart-even as every increasing page ripped my heart to shreds a little more. And here’s the thing-I felt like I was reading a Courtney Summers novel…and that is the most surprising, most wonderful thing about this book-BESIDES ZACH, OF COURSE.

And LOYALTY. Mother fucking loyalty. My heart. Oh Gahd, it hurts.

SUCH a win.

Full review to come-I can’t WAIT to write this one tonight!!!! Eeps.

Category: Review (Page 208 of 296)

BOOK REVIEW – On the Island (On the Island #1) by Tracey Garvis-Graves

Synopsis:

Review:

“You make me feel safe,” I whispered.
“You are safe.”
I gave in to the pull of sleep and the escape it offered, but seconds before I drifted off completely, I could have sworn T.J.’s lips brushed mine in the sweetest and softest of kisses.

“We live here now.”

If we were in Chicago, I wouldn’t stand a chance with her. But I was starting to wonder if, here on the island, I might.

BOOK REVIEW: Kiss the Sky (Calloway Sisters #1) by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie

Synopsis:

BOOK REVIEW – Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer

Synopsis:

Review:

A storm is coming, but still we stand here. “I saw her,” he says. His voice is hollow. “That night.
I saw what happened to her.”
“I know,” I whisper.

BOOK REVIEW: Shine Not Burn (Shine Not Burn #1) by Elle Casey

Synopsis:

BOOK REVIEW: Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

Synopsis:

I switch out my lamp and stare at the ceiling in the dark, taking a series of shaky breaths. I know that it’s better this way, being the one in control. The one in control calls the shots, and the one in control sets the pace.
Most important of all, the one in control doesn’t get hurt.

His secret, like those of nine of his fellow seniors, is safe with me. At Milton High, I’m my own statistic. People fail to see the great equalizer, the one thing the band geeks, the drama nerds, the jocks, and the preppies all have in common.
Me-Mercedes Ayres.
The girl who took their virginity.

“I think I’m in love with you.”
…
“That’s your orgasm talking,” I say. “You’re not really in love with me.”
“You can’t tell me how I feel,” he says. His voice gets quiet, trails off at the end. “I could be your boyfriend.”

The doorbell rings and I sink into a heap on the carpet. With any luck, whoever is down there will just go away.
But I’m just starting to think nothing goes away, no matter how deep you try to bury it.

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BOOK REVIEW – On the Island (On the Island #1) by Tracey Garvis-Graves

Synopsis:

Review:

“You make me feel safe,” I whispered. “You are safe.” I gave in to the pull of sleep and the escape it offered, but seconds before I drifted off completely, I could have sworn T.J.’s lips brushed mine in the sweetest and softest of kisses.

“We live here now.”

If we were in Chicago, I wouldn’t stand a chance with her. But I was starting to wonder if, here on the island, I might.

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BOOK REVIEW: Kiss the Sky (Calloway Sisters #1) by Krista Ritchie & Becca Ritchie

Synopsis:

Share this:

BOOK REVIEW – Thicker Than Water by Brigid Kemmerer

Synopsis:

Review:

A storm is coming, but still we stand here. “I saw her,” he says. His voice is hollow. “That night. I saw what happened to her.” “I know,” I whisper.

Share this:

BOOK REVIEW: Shine Not Burn (Shine Not Burn #1) by Elle Casey

Synopsis:

Share this:

BOOK REVIEW: Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

Synopsis:

I switch out my lamp and stare at the ceiling in the dark, taking a series of shaky breaths. I know that it’s better this way, being the one in control. The one in control calls the shots, and the one in control sets the pace. Most important of all, the one in control doesn’t get hurt.

His secret, like those of nine of his fellow seniors, is safe with me. At Milton High, I’m my own statistic. People fail to see the great equalizer, the one thing the band geeks, the drama nerds, the jocks, and the preppies all have in common. Me-Mercedes Ayres. The girl who took their virginity.

“I think I’m in love with you.” … “That’s your orgasm talking,” I say. “You’re not really in love with me.” “You can’t tell me how I feel,” he says. His voice gets quiet, trails off at the end. “I could be your boyfriend.”

The doorbell rings and I sink into a heap on the carpet. With any luck, whoever is down there will just go away. But I’m just starting to think nothing goes away, no matter how deep you try to bury it.

Share this:

Follow Us

Enter Email to Subscribe to Posts

Recent Reviews

Fun Lists About Books

Recommendations

Jen’s Currently Reading

Archives

Follow Us:

Search:

Archives

Recent Reviews

Fun Lists About Books

Recommendations

“You make me feel safe,” I whispered.
“You are safe.”
I gave in to the pull of sleep and the escape it offered, but seconds before I drifted off completely, I could have sworn T.J.’s lips brushed mine in the sweetest and softest of kisses.

A storm is coming, but still we stand here. “I saw her,” he says. His voice is hollow. “That night.
I saw what happened to her.”
“I know,” I whisper.

I switch out my lamp and stare at the ceiling in the dark, taking a series of shaky breaths. I know that it’s better this way, being the one in control. The one in control calls the shots, and the one in control sets the pace.
Most important of all, the one in control doesn’t get hurt.

His secret, like those of nine of his fellow seniors, is safe with me. At Milton High, I’m my own statistic. People fail to see the great equalizer, the one thing the band geeks, the drama nerds, the jocks, and the preppies all have in common.
Me-Mercedes Ayres.
The girl who took their virginity.

“I think I’m in love with you.”
…
“That’s your orgasm talking,” I say. “You’re not really in love with me.”
“You can’t tell me how I feel,” he says. His voice gets quiet, trails off at the end. “I could be your boyfriend.”

The doorbell rings and I sink into a heap on the carpet. With any luck, whoever is down there will just go away.
But I’m just starting to think nothing goes away, no matter how deep you try to bury it.