Tag: Contemporary Romance (Page 53 of 95)

BOOK REVIEW – We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

February 16, 2016 / Anna

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
There are a few things Henry Denton knows, and a few things he doesn’t.

Henry knows that his mom is struggling to keep the family together, and coping by chain-smoking cigarettes. He knows that his older brother is a college dropout with a pregnant girlfriend. He knows that he is slowly losing his grandmother to Alzheimer’s. And he knows that his boyfriend committed suicide last year.

What Henry doesn’t know is why the aliens chose to abduct him when he was thirteen, and he doesn’t know why they continue to steal him from his bed and take him aboard their ship. He doesn’t know why the world is going to end or why the aliens have offered him the opportunity to avert the impending disaster by pressing a big red button.

But they have. And they’ve only given him 144 days to make up his mind.

The question is whether Henry thinks the world is worth saving. That is, until he meets Diego Vega, an artist with a secret past who forces Henry to question his beliefs, his place in the universe, and whether any of it really matters. But before Henry can save the world, he’s got to figure out how to save himself, and the aliens haven’t given him a button for that.

This is, my friends – without any doubt – the most unexpected and remarkable book I’ve read this year (and the year before, if I’m being honest), soothing and yet poignant at the same time. I feel as if I should wait and write a better review because let’s face it, my midnight thoughts hardly come close to what this book deserves but I can’t. I’m ecstatic and barely thinking straight as huge is its impact on me, and honestly? I need to vent.

As far as 5 stars ratings are concerned, mines are often of two kinds : the flashy, mind-blowing, usually crazy ones (what? I love my evil cutters), and the quietly unforgettable others. We Are the Ants is part of the latter : I can’t, for the life of me, think about something I didn’t like in this strange and beautiful story.

Closing this novel, I feel like a walking-talking-contradiction : speechless, and yet so many words are fighting fiercely into my mind for the honor of – perhaps – convincing you to give it the chance I strongly think it deserves.

► Must I mention the splendid characterization that gives life to these flawed, multi-layered and endearing human beings, whose relationships are pictured in such honest and real way? Speaking of which, do you know why I think that Shaun David Hutchinson shows so much talent when creating his characters? Because albeit begrudgingly, I can’t hate any member of Henry’s family – they’re messed-up sometimes, but oh, how they ring true! Their struggles, their reluctances, their mistakes – none of them can hide the profound love they feel for each others, even if they don’t always know how to show that yes, they do care. Also, Diego. Gah. I won’t say much and let you discover this hopeful wonder of a boy by yourself but trust me, he won’t let you indifferent.

► Can I gush about the fact that everything is beautifully crafted, every event way more complicated than it first appears? Forget the blurb and your – well-deserved – doubts : although Henry’s journey is freaking weird, it works wonderfully.

► Should I talk about the heartbreaking yet so realistic confusion between what the characters believe about themselves and the reality? How the fog they’re walking in can be both their end and their relief? How Henry’s narration, hovering between lucidity and delusion, never loses its hilarious and off-beat spikes, especially when he describes the world we’re living in? Gosh, I’m still recovering from the SnowFlake Page. So fucking true.

☞ I could go on and on and on for hours, it wouldn’t do it more justice than this little sentence can : We Are the Ants is brilliant, and like nothing I read before. Oh, who am I kidding? It just entered my all-times favorites. Highly recommended.

PS. I may never get over the giant cockroaches. Bloody HELL.

BOOK REVIEW: The Year We Fell Apart

February 6, 2016 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

The Year We Fell Apart by Emily Martin
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
In the tradition of Sarah Dessen, this powerful debut novel is a compelling portrait of a young girl coping with her mother’s cancer as she figures out how to learn from—and fix—her past.

Few things come as naturally to Harper as epic mistakes. In the past year she was kicked off the swim team, earned a reputation as Carson High’s easiest hook-up, and officially became the black sheep of her family. But her worst mistake was destroying her relationship with her best friend, Declan.

Now, after two semesters of silence, Declan is home from boarding school for the summer. Everything about him is different—he’s taller, stronger…more handsome. Harper has changed, too, especially in the wake of her mom’s cancer diagnosis.

While Declan wants nothing to do with Harper, he’s still Declan, her Declan, and the only person she wants to talk to about what’s really going on. But he’s also the one person she’s lost the right to seek comfort from.

As their mutual friends and shared histories draw them together again, Harper and Declan must decide which parts of their past are still salvageable, and which parts they’ll have to let go of once and for all.

In this honest and affecting tale of friendship and first love, Emily Martin brings to vivid life the trials and struggles of high school and the ability to learn from past mistakes over the course of one steamy North Carolina summer.

*No rating*

“I know what you’re probably thinking after tonight. But it’s not…I mean, people say things that aren’t…”

The rest dissolves on my tongue. Declan’s fingers graze my collarbone and grasp the chain of my necklace. He pulls it out from underneath my shirt and slides it down to the infinity pendant at the bottom before letting it go.
“I know who you are.”

Yeah yeah I know……I read this book a week or more ago. Well, I just now feel like reviewing it and I don’t feel like skipping it because I have some truly amazing gifs that fit this book and review perfectly. I don’t plan on saying much and I don’t want to ramble on; However, I have to say something….otherwise I would feel rather incomplete. And I HATE feeling incomplete. I’ve had to pass up way too many reviews due to time restraints and overlaps when reading too many books…and I don’t plan on continuing that trend more than I have to.

I drive home in silence. When I turn onto my street, I pull over and crank the radio up loud. I reach for the spare towel I keep in the backseat, roll it into a ball, and cover my mouth.
Scream until my voice goes hoarse.

This book. Hm. Well, I did really enjoy it-Honestly. But there was just so much that could have been done and handled differently that would have made this a definite five star-EASILY. As it was, too much grated and got under my skin for it to be more positive than negative. But then you flip the coin, and there was just
so much good that had my heart soaring, my feels going haywire, and my smile exploding. And that is exactly why I’m not rating this book-Good or bad.

First ten years of friendship. The kind of friendship that means knowing everything there is to know about each other. Where every one of our scars is, and how we got them. The pitch of his laugh when he’s had a lot of sugar, or exactly what kind of coffee I need after a bad day. Friends who could spend twelve straight hours doing absolutely nothing and still want it to last twelve more. Who listen, even when the other is wrong; even when they’re not making sense. Friends who could be mad at the whole universe, but never got angry with each other for long. Who love each other unconditionally.

Even now, after having a week to think about what suits this book rating wise, I still can’t pin point my exact thoughts down to a rating and find any inflection one way or another. I guess that just goes to prove my point: I can reach into the recesses of my mind all I want, but it’s an equal amount of both positive and unhappy thoughts that resurface. And when I begin to rate it a 5, a 4, a 3, a 3.5, literally nothing feels right.

Then, six months of everything. A spring of skipped heartbeats every time he called me his girlfriend, then a summer of learning what being part of someone really meant. Six months of discovering the sound his heart makes with my head against his chest, and the taste of his tongue after he eats something salty. Or how his breath catches when I kiss his throat, and the way it tickles when he traces my collarbone. Two seasons of feeling more connected to a person than I ever thought possible.

And, in a weird way, that makes me extremely sad. I picked up this book and expected something spectacular. I wanted extreme gushing and unforgettable moments. I longed for passionate moments and flares of extreme emotion-either in hate or love, it didn’t matter. But what I got was a constant string of ups that were quickly followed by downs (mostly by our main character who had issues understanding the consequences of her actions).

Two polls pull me in opposite directions. There’s this girl I’ve been lately, the things I’ve done. And there’s the person I want to be. The girl Declan used to love. And right now I’m neither. I’m stuck, floating between the broken ends.

Harper was….a realistic girl. I’ll say that there were many, many moments where I could agree that I totally understood where she was coming from and might have even mimicked these actions at one point in my life (not the stupid make outs with a loser-REPEATEDLY-or the need to drink to drown my emotions). I, too, had-and still have-bouts where miscommunication was the only form of communication. It reeked havoc on my relationship with my parents and even with my now husband. So many simple little words, sentences, and even texts could have saved me a lot of heartache and prevented a lot of fights. Hey, I’m still trying to get the hang of it, honestly. But the absolute disregard for the obvious and the easy was just too much for me after a certain point (on Harper’s part)-and that point was about 50%.

“I know enough.” He wipes his hand across his mouth. “So what, you’re going to drive him home and then….”
I don’t know what he wants to hear, or whether I’m actually supposed to fill in the blank. I’m not even sure what he’s mad about anymore. But before I can get an answer out, Declan scowls again.
“Whatever. Do what you want. I just don’t like the way he looks at you.”
“Oh, okay, and how’s that?”
His eyes sink down to my necklace and he steps off the sidewalk. “Like you’re replaceable.”

And then Declan. Ah God, he wasn’t without his flaws, that’s for sure. He, too, had moments where the cluelessness could have been taken down a notch. Though..his was purposeful and with reason…So does that make it right or better? A little, if I’m being honest. For one, he didn’t do the whole running off to another girl shit. He loved Harper, it was clear, and never swayed from that. Even when he first got back, you could tell that he had never lost any love or feelings for her, despite whatever had went down. For two, he tried, repeatedly, to make things right. For three…who gives a fuck?? He was clearly more mature, clear-headed, and sure of what he wanted and chose to take higher roads, even after she INCESSANTLY added DANGEROUS speed bumps. Like, fuck sakes, MUST you run off to your asshole friend and smoke and drink every little time something goes wrong? He’s WATCHING OUT FOR YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR HEALTH, YOU LITTLE TWATWAFFLE! Oh yeah, and he’ll love you FOREVER. GAHD!

I nodded, but didn’t say anything until he gently tucked a curl behind my ear. “What am I to you?”
He recoiled from my question. “What are you? Harper, you’re everything.”

So..clearly the anger is still there. And clearly, even as I often sympathized with Harper, she also grated on my every nerve at a certain point. Neither were perfect, but I think it’s more than obvious Declan is the reason this book is so difficult to rate. His loyalty, his friendship, his kindness. Not to mention their mutual friends, both old and new, who were always there for them. Cory (O), Gwen (N), Mackenzie (N).

Declan takes a long breath, avoiding eye contact with me until he pulls himself together. We’re still sprawled out on the ground, and he props himself up on one elbow. He gestures to me.
“That’s the smile.”
I start giggling again. “What?”
His expression softens. He scratches above his eyebrow and shakes his head, suddenly looking almost bashful. “I’ve been waiting all summer to see that smile.”

A story of love lost and found again, given a second chance through mutual forgiveness, mistakes, hopes, and unrelenting belief in the love that was shared and of what could be. More than once I couldn’t breathe and had uncontrollable giggles that couldn’t be stifled. The butterflies from old flash backs, crushed feelings Declan’s face revealed, and new moments filled with curiosity and fumbling emotions that cease to let old feelings die weren’t in short supply. I can’t say I will rec this to anyone, nor can I put my Chelsea stamp of approval-Not enough impressed me to ask friends to give it a try. However, neither will I dismiss it and forget all about it-There was too much that I liked and multiple quotes I’ll never forget. I’m sorry to say that, even though I wrote a review, I am no help-Everyone is on their own. Sorry.

We can’t go back. The only way to change our past is by adding to it.

Final thoughts I forgot to put in (but still want to mention) but am too lazy to go add in somewhere:

-The problem that caused it all wasn’t what I wanted or expected it to be. It wasn’t bad…it was just kind of anti-climactic.
-The loose ends-there were quite a few… but isn’t that like life??
-The way some things were addressed but then never touched again
–Writing was AMAZING

********

I have too many mixed emotions and a convoluted mess of thoughts. Extreme feels, lots of heartache.
Review MAYBE Monday
. Hopefully I’ll be able to decipher my emotions by then. ♥

Declan-5 stars
Harper-3 stars
Supporting friends and cast-5 stars
Her loser friends/Sadie-2 stars
Harper’s decision making skills-1 star

See?? No fucking clue…because…Declan. SO many passionate scenes with him and his deep-rooted love that are hard to forget that make my heart and mind do crazy things. Yikes. In troublleeeee.

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Split by Swati Avasthi

January 29, 2016 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

Split by Swati Avasthi
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
A riveting portrait of life after abuse from an award-winning novelist.

Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret.

He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind—his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret.

At least so far.

Worst of all, Jace realizes that if he really wants to move forward, he may first have to do what scares him most: He may have to go back. Award-winning novelist Swati Avasthi has created a riveting and remarkably nuanced portrait of what happens after. After you’ve said enough, after you’ve run, after you’ve made the split—how do you begin to live again? Readers won’t be able to put this intense page-turner down.

I wonder if I’m a broken kid. Was Christian ever broken? My mother would say, No, too strong, and would sneak a satisfied smile at her folded hands.

What about me, Mom? I would ask.
And the smile would leave her.
She would be right.

Once again I find myself bursting with so many emotions that I can barely contain them…yet at a loss on how I can explain how wonderful, deep, and thought-provoking this book is without tarnishing it’s beautiful simplicity. It’s not often a book speaks to you on such a fast-paced, addicting level, yet keeps a slow, steady pace that manages to portray the overall message without becoming boring. This book wasn’t explosions and romantic rendezvous’ and extreme acts of heroism-It was so much more than that.

Sometimes I wonder why words can’t actually make us bleed.

It was heartbreaking struggle and broken relationships. It was wishful dreaming and regrets of mistakes from the past. It was aching for forgiveness and finding who you are, fighting to be better than you appear to be, even when you can feel the darkness creeping in through the edges of your peripheral vision. This book fought to show what it means to walk away even when it’s hardest…the story not often told: After. What. Happens. After? This was Jace’s story.

In Chicago, I knew everything. I could look at the sky and know how warmly to dress; I knew where every street led, and where every fight would end. I could look at my father and know when to keep my mouth shut, when to piss him off so I could take the hits for my mother, and when only his wife-punching bag would do. I understood when a fight was coming, how fast It was going, where it was going, everything. Fights have a rhythm; they do. I swear it. And they don’t end up like that. Not where I’m from.

I guess I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked this story up. The blurb was clear that our dear Jace was abused, but I didn’t really know just what the story would be about. I mean, yeah-He’s abused by his father, as was his whole family. Years ago, when Jace was 10 or 11 (I forget which), his brother finally had enough of it; Enough of seeing his mother beaten to a bloody pulp; Enough of standing in the line of fire so his mother could avoid another crippling fight; Enough of almost dying. Jace, at the time, was a child-he still idolized his father even though he saw things that made him cringe and retreat to hide frequently. He didn’t understand the magnitude of what was happening and what it meant for his family…even as they were fracturing into pieces right before his eyes.

Fightology Lesson #8: Relax when hits are coming because it hurts less.

When Christian, his brother, left, he thought that Jace would be fine-After all, he was his father’s favorite. But the one thing he didn’t take into account was just how much his brother loved, adored, and looked up to him. He didn’t look past the last rib-breaking blow to see that he was his little brother’s role model….And that when he left, Jace would just step into his place.

Right hook. Let him explain away a shiner. Like I’ve had to. Soccer, I’ve said, Fight, I’ve said, Hockey, basketball, croquet.

Fast forward a few years later: At sixteen, Jace did the one thing that neither his brother nor his mother had ever thought to do: He fought back. Thus leading to the start of the story when Jace shows up on his estranged brother’s doorstep bloody, beaten, wired on Mountain Dew from a 19 hour drive, and barely able to stand on his own two feet. What?? I didn’t say he won, he just tried.

My stomach is starting to flutter because I know what I want to do, and I have stage fright. Fist into his face. Another in his gut. After all, I’ve had a day. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? Hit something, hit someone. The moment our fists make contact, we feel better, right, Dad? Let it out. Punish her so she won’t do it again. Right, Dad? Isn’t that the way?

This story, you guys, was just so special to me. It didn’t need loud storytelling or colorful sex scenes to touch my heart. It seemed, from page one, I was a slave to it’s meaningful message and heartfelt words. I can’t even begin to explain the intense feels and capture of each waking thought that this story provoked. Each scene where Jace and his brother would open up a little more to one another-past the pain, the hurt, the secrets-becoming closer through simple acts and small gestures, my heart would squeeze and seize up, forcing me to choke out silent tears for how hard their lives were and how they were slowly, but surely, finding each other again.

It’s weird when someone gets you, understands what you would never say, not even to yourself. It’s so weird that it makes my throat tighten up again. When I speak, my voice comes out small.

For once…I wasn’t rooting for the romance (though there was a very small one that made my heart shine with happiness at each and every turn) to take precedent: I wanted Jace to find his inner strength and peace, his freedom of body and soul and, more than even that, I longed for his loneliness to cease as he and his brother worked to make themselves whole again-One puzzle piece at a time.

“You’re the incentive.”

The writing was so simplistic, yet poetic (at least, to me), out-of-this-world amazing, and spoke to me on so many levels. I can’t always explain why certain styles of writing speak to me, but sometimes it’s just a matter of: Because. And sometimes, that just has to be enough. Each chapter, layered with vivid, imaginative, and candid storytelling, ensnared me in ways I can’t even begin to express. It’s a story not often told, at least not correctly, and I think it’s an important book for people to read. I am on a huge realistic fiction kick, of that I am certain everyone is aware, but none have spoken to me on such a deep emotional level like this one did. Perhaps it was the story itself, or maybe the family bonds that are tested with each dwindling email from his mother, or it might just be the broken down, tortured young man that only wants to begin a new life with his brother…either way, this is my first REAL absolute favorite this year and it somehow feels, I don’t know…it makes me feel as light as air. I’m not sure why-perhaps I am just enlightened…or maybe I just read a truly exceptional story that blew my expectations out of the water.

We all screw up. We all wish we were stronger than we are, and not one of us will get through this life without regret.

Jace’s story isn’t a happy one, but he is on the road to recovery. He doesn’t always do what’s right and he isn’t what you would call ‘morally sound.’ He holds a secret that not only defines him, but weighs so heavily on his heart that he’s like a walking, talking, ticking time bomb.

Fightology Lesson #5: Anger comes in all forms: a slow burn; relentless, constant flames; or a hot flash, popping here and there. It can lie in wait, and you think you’ve forgiven, you think you’ve doused it with trust, but give it a sudden burst of oxygen and-backdraft.

Pinned down and held back by his secretive past, he feels he can’t truly move on with his life, date the girl he’s falling for, and altogether become who he wants and strives to be. Grasping on and desperately holding to the abysmal hope that his mother will finally break away and join he and Christian (And Mirriam, Christian’s girlfriend whom I ADORED but ran out of time to talk about-their relationship (she and Jace’s) tore me to shreds…I can’t even) in their new private life, miles and miles away from the abusive man they know as their father.

Isn’t it too convenient just to forgive yourself, let yourself off the hook?

Not everyone’s story is a HEA, and I think that’s the harshest reality this book brings to light. We don’t all get to live in a fairy tale and wake up with the perfect man in the perfect life with the perfect family. Everyone has flaws; Some minute, others destructive and abusive and depraved. But that’s the point: Don’t let who you used to be define who you are. Pave your own path and make your own way. Never look back. Never blame others for your mistakes. But most importantly: Family is everything. Don’t let past hurts and mistakes obliterate what could be the most valuable and endearing moments in your life. Jace’s story, whether a happy ending or not (I can’t say, you have to read it to find out), is over: Yet, there are so many untold stories being written as we speak-Decisions being made, excuses spewing left and right, and women (even some men) and children fighting for their lives…Take the time to hear them.

Second chances. Who deserves one of those, anyway?

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

Without a doubt one of my favorite realistic fictions…ever. A strong, poignant, and dark voice, this book tells the story of a boy left behind to fend for himself and his mother as they were beaten to within an inch of their life by his father. This is the story of when he finally says enough is enough. It’s not sugar-coated or contrived, but beautifully written and told in a way that makes it impossible to put this masterpiece down….I still am having trouble NOT thinking about it.

I am beyond excited to try and express how much I adored Jace’s journey of finding himself and reconnecting with the brother that left it all behind. Jesus, I am tearing up just sitting here typing this.

SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS FUCKING STORY. AMAZING-from beginning to end.

Review to come-Most definitely. ♥

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

January 28, 2016 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

Speechless by Hannah Harrington
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

Running my mouth has hurt enough people already-the least I can do is shut up. Why can’t everyone see I’m doing the world a favor?

There are so many books that I admire and adore, especially when it comes to YA realistic fiction. And while I can’t say they all make lasting marks on my heart, they do get under my skin. I’m starting to read so many in this genre that I am beginning to get pickier, look deeper, see what I crave-It’s not simply, oh, this is realistic fiction, now. It’s-Oh, well, this worked for me here, so let’s find something even better. And that’s exactly where this book landed, for me: I found a niche last year that gripped deep into my soul, and I’ve yet to find many wins for it. My absolute favorite book last year was Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers, and literally nothing has compared since. And while this was a super close second…it just didn’t hold a candle to my wonderfully depraved, over-the-top, and beautiful boy holding favorite of 2015.

I can’t believe this is my life now. Spending lunch in the library. Doing homework. Ahead of time. Homework I cannot even understand. Oh, parabolas, why must your formulas elude me so?

Which isn’t this book’s fault-It was a delightful take on one of my now favorite type of stories ever. But, for me, when the last page turned….I was fine. I didn’t need more, I didn’t wonder what happened next, it was just over for me. And that’s probably due to the fact that this wasn’t as dark as I’d have hoped. And yes, I was told this was lighter on the bullying front, but I do tend to like a little more vigor behind the former-best-friends trope. And all I really got was a mild confrontation or two where feelings were hurt…and not much else.

Maybe some bridges are better left burned.

I expected the girls to be vicious, cruel, unrelenting…and they were, to an extent. But when I was bearing down, expecting dirt and grit and something extra it just…leveled. And that’s the main reason I can’t give this more than four. While the story and boy stole my heart…the depth just wasn’t there for me.

I am trying so hard not to be that person anymore. I am trying to be the kind of person who deserves to be looked at the way Sam is looking at me now, like I’m someone worth caring about, someone worth knowing. I want to prove that the risk he’s taken in reaching out to me isn’t for nothing, but I don’t know how to do that.

Which leads me to Sam-kind, loyal, smart, endearing, and fiercely protective, he, of course, wormed his way into my heart. In the beginning, he wasn’t a huge fan of our MC (I refuse to say Chelsea, it’s odd almost talking in third person without it being funny lol), but he never treated her with anything other than respect. And this is a favorite of mine-When the male doesn’t like the MC because of some past misdeed done to them or someone they love (COUGH SOME GIRLS ARE COUGH MY HEART). He begins to see she’s a good person, she has a good heart…she just can’t shut her mouth to save her life when it comes to gossip.

You can be surrounded by people and still be lonely. You can be the most popular person in school, envied by every girl and wanted by every boy, and still feel completely worthless. The world can be laid at your feet and you can still not know what you want from it.

And that’s my other favorite part about this story-He fell for her mind, her actions, her smile…not her mouth, not pretty words, and not her declarations of how she did no wrong. I feel this put a nice, new twist on something that has been done before, and it made it all the more sweeter when the popular-but nerdy-Sam finally fell for the gossiper trying to set things right after hurting someone.

He faces me, my Nelly dog in his hands. Oh, God. That’s embarrassing.
“I met your friend,” he says. He cups the back of Nelly’s neck and bobs her droopy head up and down. “Arf, arf.”
“I think she likes you.”
“Well, we’ve been bonding.”
I let out a fake gasp. “Uh-oh. Does this mean I have some competition?”
“She’s cute, but I don’t think so. There’s only one girl for me,” he says. His smile is like floodlights, lighting up everything.

^^See, this is why I might have given a five (he’s so cute-it’s always a boy for me, lol) if it wasn’t for the lack of grit!!!^^

So, yeah. Other people did the evil ex-best friends work and there wasn’t as much..hmm..darkness as I’d have liked, but this was a great story that really satisfied my inner worry that I’d never find another book like my beloved SGA from 2015-and it was funny! I loved her voice, she really cracked me up. And while I wish I was a little more satisfied, I was content in the fact that it was fun, sweet, and I met yet another wonderful loyal boy. I’m starting to find all these sweet ‘loyal’ guys lately…and I’m really loving it. It’s fresh, it’s not done correctly very often and I’m going to savor this win streak of sweet boys as long as I can find it. ♥ ♥ ♥

Maybe when it comes down to it, what we’re interested in doesn’t mean so much-it’s who you are that ties people together.

(Inadvertent) Christmas gift from the lovely Jen!! love ya lots! ♥ ♥ ♥

******

Another realistic fiction win. While there was quite a bit left to be to desired (One of my absolute favorite books last year was Some Girls Are, so this had a lot to be compared to), I still found that it was exactly the type of book I love to read. It’s so rare that you find an excellent book centered around the new outcast of a once social queen-At least for me it is-and I ate this shit up. The friends turning against her, the school…it just hit all the right places.

And then, of course, Sam!!! Her knight in shining armor. Seriously. I am in SUCH a win streak. Still waiting on my first realistic fiction five star of the year, though.

Review to come!

View all my reviews

REVIEW + EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY – I Wish You Were Mine (Oxford #2) by Lauren Layne

January 27, 2016 / Jen / 2 Comments

I Wish You Were Mine was a forbidden love story that made me so giddy and happy. I can’t wait for you to meet Jackson and Molly! So please check out my 5 Star Review below, read an excerpt that pulled at my heartstrings and enter a fabulous giveaway. Enjoy!

REVIEW + EXCERPT + GIVEAWAY – I Wish You Were Mine (Oxford #2) by Lauren Layne

I Wish You Were Mine (Oxford #2)
by Lauren Layne
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Perfect for fans of Alice Clayton and Emma Chase, Lauren Layne’s Oxford series heats up in this story of forbidden desire as a brooding jock hoping for a comeback falls for a woman who’s strictly off-limits.

A year ago, Jackson Burke was married to the love of his life and playing quarterback for the Texas Redhawks. Now he’s retired, courtesy of the car accident that ruined his career—and single, after a nasty scandal torpedoed his marriage. Just as he’s starting to get used to his new life as a health and fitness columnist for Oxford magazine, his unpredictable ex shows up on his doorstep in Manhattan. Jackson should be thrilled. But he can’t stop thinking about the one person who’s always been there for him, the one girl he could never have: her younger sister.

Mollie Carrington can’t say no to Madison. After all, her older sister practically raised her. So when Madison begs for help in winning her ex-husband back, Mollie’s just glad she got over her own crush on Jackson ages ago—or so she thought. Because as Mollie reconnects with Jackson, she quickly forgets all her reasons to stay loyal to her sister. Tempted by Jackson’s mellow drawl and cowboy good looks, Mollie is sick and tired of coming in second place. But she can’t win if she doesn’t play the game.

Review:

I Wish You Were Mine was fun, sexy, and sweet with its to die for males and females that I would love to have as my friends. This is part of The Oxford Series, a spin-off from The Stiletto Series, and all of these stories have made me feel something I haven’t felt in years. You see, my favorite show ever is Friends…of course I have the DVDs, the game, and can quote for hours, but these two series are the first time since Friends has ended that I’ve felt back in a world somewhat similar to theirs. Because I adore this group! Their friendships are heartwarming, their love lives are emotional and sigh worthy, and each time I find myself being pulled in by their joy, heartache, and laughter!

This time we got to meet Jackson Burke, Oxford’s newest team member at the country’s leading men’s magazine. His world was flipped upside down after a horrific car accident. He went from a married quarterback in Texas, to a single fitness editor in New York. But before you jump into his life as it is now, the first chapter gives you a glance back at 8 years ago. Where he had stepped away from his own wedding to talk to Molly, his wife’s younger sister. Going into this book I was a little squeamish. Not only because of the synopsis, but also because in that first chapter Molly admitted to herself that she had fallen for her sister’s husband. Eeks! I didn’t think I’d be ok with watching them forge into the unknown…..or so I thought, because I became their biggest cheerleader.

Lauren Layne has perfected the tortured male with Jackson. And I love tortured males! Jackson was charming and seductive, but also utterly lonely and completely unsure of himself in his new life. His inner turmoil about what happened to him created little tears in my heart. He was so hard on himself for something he had no control over. But then, he also became his own worst enemy at times with Molly. Molly who was always his friend and confident. And even though there was a spark between them, he refused to allow himself happiness with her since Molly is his ex’s sister.

Oh, I adored Molly! And while I felt her inner struggle over not wanting to betray her older sister, since she wanted her ex, I also wanted to shake some sense into her. I don’t want to say why, because of spoilers. But just know that while at first I was against Jackson and Molly being together, those feelings went flying out the window. Like sailing so far away, that they were long forgotten and irrelevant.

I Wish You Were Mine was a forbidden love story that made me so giddy and happy. Not only because it had the perfect balance of banter and sexual tension, but also since it had so many of the people from Stiletto that I love! And I have to say that while I can’t wait for Lincoln’s story, I’m so glad his book wasn’t in this books place. I loved watching the slow reveal of learning who Lincoln truly is, since there are moments in this story where you can see beyond his facade. It left me even more excited for his book, which is next in line. So yes, this was another Lauren Layne win in my eyes, and I can’t wait to read her next release!

*ARC kindly provided by Random House Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Reading Order & Links: Amazon (click on covers) & iBooks (click on titles) *Each book can be read as a standalone, but best enjoyed in order.*
Irresistibly Yours #1 Reviews: Jen Chelsea	I Wish You Were Mine #2 Reviews: Jen	Someone Like You #3 Reviews: Jen Chelsea
I Knew You Were Trouble #4 Reviews: Jen	I Think I Love You #5 Reviews: Jen

IWYWM_3

Excerpt:

[scroll-box]“I thought I might find you out here,” he said quietly as he took a sip of his own champagne.

Mollie snuck a look out of the corner of her eye. He’d come looking for her? She hadn’t thought anyone had noticed she’d slipped away.

“I messed up the toast,” she said quietly.

“Nah,” he said, stretching his long legs out in front of him and slouching down a bit to get comfortable. “Just think how many people you educated on the mating ritual of parasitic worms. They should be thanking you.”

Mollie groaned. “It was supposed to be romantic. I did a paper about them for my systematics and biotics diversity final. They’re unusual because they’re bonded for life. Most organisms sleep around or, you know, the male dies after mating—”

Jackson winced, and Mollie wished she could wither and die just like a male bee.

Mollie knew she had lots of useless trivia in her head, but she didn’t normally go spouting it out like this. Not that she was a smooth talker or anything, but she was usually pretty quiet and normal, if a bit nerdy.

But tonight she felt . . . off. Starting with the fact that the dress Madison had picked for her was the exact color of Mollie’s complexion, so she looked like a mole rat. And then there was the fact that she’d tripped a bit as she’d been going down the aisle, courtesy of the five-inch stilettos her sister had insisted on.

Add in an awkward maid-of-honor speech where she’d gone on for a good five minutes about Schistosoma mansoni worms and how they mated for life, just like the bride and groom, and . . . oh God. Why had nobody stopped her?

Mollie scrunched down on the bench with a moan as she took a sip of champagne.

“Madison’s going to kill me.”

Madison was in a mood anyway. She’d been a bridezilla from the moment Jackson had put a ring on it, but Mollie had figured when the actual day came around, her sister would relax.

Nope.

She’d been pissed about the flowers being ivory instead of true white to match her dress. Had bitched about the fact that Lily, one of her bridesmaids, had styled her hair in a way that was too close to the bride’s style.

Then Madison had vented about how the bracelet Jackson’s mother had shyly presented as Maddie’s “something old” was dumpy.

That one had gotten under Mollie’s skin. Mrs. Burke was the closest thing to a mother that either of them had. Their own mother had died of an overdose years ago, and Mollie would have given a kidney to have a surrogate as lovely and kind as Jackson’s mom.

“Maddie won’t kill you,” Jackson said, putting an arm around the back of the park bench and smiling down at her. “She loves you, even if she doesn’t get your whole triple-major, science-camp vibe.”

Mollie withheld a snort. That was an understatement. She loved her sister, but the closest Madison ever got to science was her monthly chemical peel.

Still, Mollie felt a fierce need to make sure that Jackson Burke knew she was an adult. “I’m twenty. I do not go to science camp.”

He lifted an eyebrow, and Mollie pointed her champagne flute at him. “Okay, I used to go to science camp. But I’m not the one who used the word ‘lactation’ in relation to a mermaid.”

“Hey, you’re not the only one who took bio in college.”

“But you were a communications major. Journalism,” she said.

He gave her a surprised look, and Mollie looked away, mentally kicking herself. That was exactly what Jackson Burke didn’t need—another groupie stalker.

She snuck another glance and saw that he’d slumped even farther, matching her own crappy posture, and Mollie was surprised to see that he looked . . . exhausted.

“Are you okay?” she asked. Because she couldn’t not ask. Not after she’d seen the weariness around his eyes, the slight tension in his shoulders.

Jackson turned his head so their eyes locked and he frowned before returning his attention to the mermaid. “Nobody ever asks me that.”

Her heart squeezed at the lost note in his voice. It was strange to think of someone as big and important as Jackson Burke being lonely, but somehow . . . somehow she knew he was.

Even here, among all these people, he was somehow alone. Apart.

Like her.[/scroll-box]

BUY NOW

Amazon | B&N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo

About Lauren Layne:

Lauren Layne

Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance.

Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. In 2011, she and her husband moved from Seattle to New York City, where Lauren decided to pursue a full-time writing career. It took six months to get her first book deal (despite ardent assurances to her husband that it would only take three). Since then, Lauren’s gone on to publish thirteen books, including the bestselling Stiletto series, with several more on the way in 2015.

Lauren currently lives in New York City with her husband and spoiled Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll find her at happy hour, running at a doggedly slow pace, or trying to straighten her naturally curly hair.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads