Tag: Young Adult (Page 41 of 159)

BOOK REVIEW: Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J Maas

October 17, 2018 / / 2 Comments
BOOK REVIEW: Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J MaasEmpire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)
by Sarah J Maas
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

In this breathtaking fifth installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, Aelin will have to choose what—and who—to sacrifice if she's to keep the world of Erilea from breaking apart.

Review:

*Leans back, cracks knuckles, thinks to myself ‘MUAHAHA THESE GUYS HAVE NEVER READ ANY OF MY MAAS REVIEWS YET’*

I’m sorry, I really am because up until now you’ve probably all thought that I was pretty normal.  I think I’ve fangirled mildly in my previous reviews but honestly, nothing brings out my inner book-fangirl-freak than reading a Sarah J Maas book, lol.  So sit back and enjoy as I reread the final two books in this series before Kingdom of Ash comes out on the 23rd and life as I know it ceases to exist.  Also I apologize in advance for the swearing but I was freaking out when I wrote this and didn’t want to change it and also there are probably some spoilers so if you haven’t read this yet, AVOID, AVOID, AVOID.

“Men can make their own light, Heir of Brannon.” 

I am speechless…No. No that’s not right. I actually have a lot to say. Because this book was even crazier and longer than QOS. It’s just hard to know where to even start. I finished this book late last night and afterwards I just lay there in a puddle of tears wondering how in the F that Maas has continuously done what she has done. Even though I have never been a write, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t my dream to become an author of a YA series of this caliber someday….but there is no way in hell I could ever craft something like this. The plots were INSANE. Like I’ve read enough YA, and even enough of Maas’ books to start to recognize when she leaves a clue here of there….but there were still so many things at the end that had my jaw dropping. 

Rolfe let out a low laugh. “The talk of young idealists and dreamers.” 
“The world,” Aelin said, “will be saved and remade by the dreamers, Rolfe.”

I might as well start with the girl that started it all. . .Aelin. Can I just say that about halfway through this book I just took a break and thought about how far this series has come from book one. Seriously, if you singularly read book one, it’s a story of a broken, girl assassin who loves chocolate and pretty things and can be wicked when she wants to be but is a good friend to Nehemia, Dorian, and Chaol despite everything that has happened to her in her past. THIS BOOK. This good features a grown-ass-woman who has more power than fucking Maeve, Queen of Darkness. I actually am really glad that she still gets to play Celaena every now and then because let’s face it, a lot of us fell in love with this series because of Celaena. Aelin on the other hand is something else entirely to behold. There were times in this book where I really wanted to put a boot up her ass. She is STILL, CONSTANTLY hiding her schemes from everyone (especially us as readers) and that pissed me off at certain points…until that ending. Honestly every single thing that she did in this book that annoyed me was made up for at that ending. It all made sense. It made everything that much more heartbreaking, too. Aelin is the Queen that Terrasen needs and deserves (so fuck you, Darrow).

And then Aelin said to Rowan with a secret smile, “You, I don’t know. But I’d like to.”

These two a-holes. Man. If any of you have read my previous reviews, you know that I was a DIEHARD Chaolena shipper. My heart bled for them, and was shattered to pieces at the beginning of QoS. HOWEVER. I think I knew in my heart by the end of HoF that Rowan and she were endgame. As much as I love my Chaol, he is in no way good for Aelin whereas Rowan is her complete equal. I actually think it’s pretty funny because a lot of people are saying that they didn’t like the couple as much in this book as others…where I finally let myself love them together and thought that what they had was great. It was a little two sweet at times but come on, she deserves all that and more. (BTW for all of you who read ACOMAF, wasn’t it obvious that they were mates??!?! I didn’t get why they weren’t admitting it until the end but when everyone was all surprised by it?? How?)

“The useless sentries in the watchtower are now all half in love with you,” he lied. “One said he wanted to marry you.” A low snarl. He yielded a foot but held eye contact with her as he grinned. “But you know what I told them? I said that they didn’t stand a chance in hell.” Aedion lowered his voice, holding her pained, exhausted stare. “Because I am going to marry you,” he promised her. “One day. I am going to marry you. I’ll be generous and let you pick when, even if it’s ten years from now. Or twenty. But one day, you are going to be my wife.”

Speaking of ships….this book was full of them. It was unreal. I am loving the slow burn that is Lysandra and Aedion…and that quote up there ^…I just about died. Manon and Dorian—sign me up. To all of you out there that are pissed about it, I get it. Really I do. BUT. You have to remember, Dorian and Manon are both different for very specific reasons. Dorian had a Valg prince inside him for months—he was bound to get a big darker. And Manon. Manon has found out that her whole life has been a lie. She’s a fucking View Spoiler ». She’s bound to become a little less dark, herself. The only ship that I am not fully convinced with yet is Lorcan and Elide. I love, love, loved Elide in this book, and the time she spent with him was enjoyable to read but…I just don’t know yet.

“I think love should make you happy,” Elide said, remembering her mother and father. How often they had smiled and laughed, how they had gazed at each other. “It should make you into the best possible version of yourself.”

Character development. I honestly think the character development in this book is one of my favorite things about it. I loved seeing Dorian’s darker side, I loved seeing everything that Manon has become and the hope that she now has, and I loved reading every single page that featured Elide and Lysandra. Lysandra especially has become everything. Man she saved all of their asses so many times…she deserves the entire world. And Elide too. Her entire journey to find Aelin was filled with so much growth. I was so proud of the bravery she showed the closer and closer she got to her Queen and was so damn happy when Aelin finally got to relay her the message from her mother. Man, that slayed me. I was also so happy Aedion got to meet his father and Fenrys wasn’t a bad addition either…(BUT HIS WINNOWING??!?!? I NEED MORE ON THIS) 

Scions—each of them touched by a different god, each of them subtly, quietly, guided here. It wasn’t a coincidence. It couldn’t be. 

Plot: This was the one part of the book where I had a few problems with, and it kind of goes back to what I said earlier about how this series has transformed from book one to…this. It’s not that I don’t like it—really I do…it’s just that there were times where I was thinking that it was too much. Too many threads (all of which seem to actually come together, but still) and too many people who keep becoming important. And with Maas, you know that there is always that some else hidden that you find out in the next book. While I wouldn’t actually change anything about this series, I just think that it’s all a lot to take it. Also….these ACOMAF parallels are making me MIGHTY SUSPICIOUS. Winnowing, similar quotes, TALK OF WYRD GATES??!?!? Maas help us all.

That cocky smile widened. “Hello, bitch,” Ansel purred. “Hello, traitor,”Aelin purred right back, surveying the armada spread before them.“Looks like you made it on time after all.”

Ending. View Spoiler »

“It is not such a hard thing, is it—to die for your friends.”

BOOK REVIEW: The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder by Cookie O’Gorman

October 15, 2018 / / 4 Comments
BOOK REVIEW: The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder by Cookie O’GormanThe Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder by Cookie O'Gorman
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

In the south, everyone has a secret--and murder is served with sweet tea.

The word's out: Ethan Wilder’s coming back to town, and the people of Bowie, Georgia are in a southern tizzy. Everyone knows the story. He shot and killed his sister four years ago, and people say his father, Jim Wilder, the biggest holy roller this side of the Mississippi, sent him packing for just that reason. Even if her death was unofficially ruled a suicide, Ethan’s return has everybody talking.

Seventeen-year-old Delilah Doherty can’t go anywhere without hearing his name. Born and raised in Bowie, Delilah knows firsthand about the gossipmongers and how they love a good scandal. The daughter of a wild child and niece of the local psychic, she’s also the only one who doubts Ethan’s guilt.

After Ethan saves her life, the two start a slow and steady burn neither can deny. But when Bowie's spiritual leader is nearly murdered, it rocks the small southern town to its core. Delilah and Ethan are caught in the crossfire, their relationship threatened before it's even begun. Someone has it out for Ethan's family. With everyone convinced of Ethan's guilt, it's up to Delilah to unravel the mystery before someone else gets hurt or worse...dead.

Review:

The Unbelievable, Inconceivable, Unforeseeable Truth About Ethan Wilder was quirky, adorable and completely entertaining.  While this had some of my favorite aspects of Cookie’s writing, a heroine I adored, a male I lusted after and a storyline that had me flipping through the pages, this book had a unique feel to it.  So if you’re a fan of books that are filled with friendships, a sweet love story and some mystery in the pages then definitely give this book a chance.

“What good does lying do?” he added. “People believe what they want to believe, no matter what the truth is.”

With a mom who was rumored to have a provocative past, to her Aunt being a psychic, Delilah had it rough at times.  She was not only bullied by another classmate, but also by a teacher at her high school. Thankfully she had two best friends, a mom and an aunt who loved her with their whole hearts.  But one day, a boy showed up and saved Delilah’s life while she was drowning, and then he disappeared. Until the next day at school, and he was the new student.

I couldn’t stay away from Wilder if I tried. I was in too deep to give him up now.

I adored Delilah, she was fierce, brave and she didn’t have a problem speaking her mind or standing up for those she loved.  She was such a good friend, daughter and niece. So when Ethan Wilder came waltzing into her life, of course she was interested.  The boy was beyond gorgeous, even if he seemed to have a ton of baggage.  The rumors said he killed his sister, but Delilah knew first hand how untrue rumors could be.  But Wilder could be such a jerk to Delilah. And it didn’t help that he was cold and distant at times.  

“You know who I am, what I’m capable of.” A beat passed as he let the threat sink in. “Only assholes talk about girls that way. Don’t speak to her like that again.”
“You can’t tell me what to do,” Grant said—then took a step back as Ethan suddenly leaned forward.
“I think I just did,” Ethan said.

With Wilder at her school, he watched what Delilah experienced.  And things slowly started to shift. He stood up for her. He protected her.  And even though he had more walls than anyone his age ever should, every once in a while he let her have a look in.  And what I saw blew me away. Ethan Wilder was a fun mystery to unravel and he was beyond intoxicating.  I loved how he didn’t even have to try and he oozed sex appeal.  But I was desperate to get into Wilder’s head! I needed to know his thoughts since he could run hot and cold.

My heart was still his even if he didn’t want it.

I’m not going to say any more than that….just know that all of the characters were breathtakingly real and the story covered everything from love, friendship, bullying, family to standing up for yourself.  There was a few mysteries and while I guessed them all correctly, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book.  And the only thing I was left wishing for was that Delilah and Wilder had more moments together. But regardless, this ends with a wonderful hfn.  So I recommend this book to everyone that loves ya romance that has some mystery and quirkiness in the pages.

BOOK REVIEW: If the Summer Lasted Forever by Shari L. Tapscott

October 10, 2018 / / 5 Comments
BOOK REVIEW: If the Summer Lasted Forever by Shari L. TapscottIf the Summer Lasted Forever by Shari L. Tapscott
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Every year when the weather gets warm, tourists flock to Gray Jay, the cutest little resort town in the Rocky Mountains. Seventeen-year-old local native Lacey has one rule: never fall for the summer boys. She’s been there, done that, regretted it for a solid year. No one is going to change her mind, not even tall, blond, and handsome Landon Tillman.

Landon’s not looking for a summer fling. Still nursing a broken heart months after his girlfriend dumped him, he’s content to travel the country with his family and create videos for their wildly popular internet travel channel.

When well-meaning family members try to push Lacey and Landon together, the duo decides to fake a romance so they can enjoy their summer in peace. After all, what could go wrong?

True, they’ll have to spend a lot of time together to make the relationship look believable. They might even have to share a kiss or two for the sake of credibility. And sure, it’s possible lines will blur and fake feelings might morph into something real…

But that’s just a chance they’re going to have to take.

Review:

If the Summer Lasted Forever was a super quick and adorable book!  By the first chapter I was already smiling and laughing.  And while it seemed to move a little slower than I was use to, I happily found myself devouring this book.  I was shocked how addicted I became and that I even had tears in my eyes towards the last few chapters. This is the 4th book I’ve read by Sharri L Tapscott and I can’t wait to read the rest of them!

Every time I see him, my breath catches, and my stomach flutters. I know it’s just a crush, something meaningless, but I don’t want to feel that way about him or anyone else.

Lacey lived in the middle of nowhere Colorado, and come summertime her tiny little town would become a tourist trap.  She worked at the campgrounds and cabins her mom owned, along with her Uncle Mark. Summer boys would always come and go, but after getting her heart stomped on last year, Lacey swore off all boys.  Unlike her best friend, Paige, who was the cutest ever and loved the summer boys! But when the Tillman’s came to stay the summer at Lacey’s family’s campground, their oldest son Landon caught her eye.

Landon’s eyes search mine, and his fingers tighten on my sides. I gulp. We’ve crossed a line—a very serious line. And I want to do it again. In fact, I want to erase the line, scratch it out, wash it away and pretend we never created it.

I heart Landon!  He was charming, adorable and made me constantly smile.  He would say and do the cutest things ever and while Lacey tried to keep her distance from him, it was impossible.  I also loved Lacey too. She was easy to talk to, such a hard worker and had the hugest heart ever. It was easy to see why Landon was pulled in by her.  And every time they were around each other they caught themselves flirting. It all felt like first love, it was so cute, a little bit awkward, entirely innocent and I loved every minute of it!

I freeze as Landon casually drapes his arm over my shoulder, pulling me to his side like an affectionate boyfriend would. He gives me a squeeze, reminding me to play along. The problem is that I’m trying not to swoon.
He doesn’t need to know that though.

But each of them had their guard up.  Lacey didn’t want to get attached because she knew he would just be leaving in a few months.  And Landon had his reasons for not jumping into a relationship with Lacey. But both of their mom’s kept pushing for them to be together.  Now here’s the funny thing. I completely forgot this was a fake boyfriend/girlfriend book. When it finally happened I had the hugest grin ever.  Finally they wouldn’t have an excuse to not be around each other.  And that could only lead to touching and kissing, sigh. I was beyond ecstatic and loved how this story evolved!  What started out innocently, turned into something where the lines blurred.  Yes they were pretending to be together, but it felt real at times. And my heart was oh so happy!

“We’re not in public,” I remind him when he brushes his lips against my jaw. It’s my last noble effort to keep things simple.
“No, we’re not.”
“I thought we weren’t going to—”
“I changed my mind.”

So if you’re looking for a quick, adorable book with the fake boyfriend/girlfriend trope then definitely give this one a chance!  I loved how it mixed friendship, romance and family relationships together.  And I also loved how the secondary characters and even dogs played such an important part of this story.  If the Summer Lasted Forever had so much heart and I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

BOOK REVIEW: Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor

October 8, 2018 / / 8 Comments
BOOK REVIEW: Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini TaylorStrange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1)
by Laini Taylor
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

Welcome to Weep.

 

He had a trio of fears that sat in his gut like swallowed teeth, and when he was too quiet with his own thoughts, they’d grind together to gnaw at him from within. This was the first: that he would never see further proof of magic.
The second: that he would never find out what had happened in Weep.
The third: that he would always be as alone as he was now.

And so begins one of the…well…strangest, but most wonderful books I’ve ever read. And I’ll admit that it took me a while to decide to read this, mostly because I didn’t connect with this author’s other work for…reasons…but it never meant I didn’t enjoy her actual writing. Or that I didn’t LOVE the male lead and the idea of the romance she created. So when I saw this beauty coming out centered around an orphaned, young, lonely boy-Lazlo Strange-I couldn’t help but fall prey to my number one weakness by well-written authors-A young tortured male lead. Yes please.

They came to stand face-to-face-arm’s reach without reaching. The three strings that joined them wound them ever nearer. Hearts, lips, navels. Closer, still not touching. The air between them was a dead place, as though both of them were carrying their hopelessness before them, hoping for the other to dash it away. They held everything they had to say, every desperate thing, and they didn’t want to say any of it. They just wanted it to vanish-here, at least, in this place that was theirs.

Yeah yeah, we’ve done this song and dance before-I’m a masochistic psychopath who loves the tortured men. I do. It’s a blessing. It’s a curse. It’s virtually impossible not to fall for these guys and, yes, there are many of them…but that’s the best part of being a book slut-I have room in my heart for them all. And not one of them is treated as ‘less than’ or forgotten. Sure, I may move on right after this and fall for yet another tortured soul. Or a prince. Or a pirate. Or, even, a thief/gangster. I love them in all shapes and sizes 😉. But that doesn’t stop the fact that, when I think of my young men individually, my heart beats in a different way for each and every one of them.

“…None of us became monks to be nursemaids.”
To which the child Lazlo replied, with fire in his soul, “And none of us became children to be orphans.”

And now it’s Lazlo’s turn. I have chosen to bestow him with my obsession for the time being. He’s such a poor soul, yet so full of hope and wonder and whimsy-left behind like many orphans, he doesn’t even know his own name. I just…I loved him from the moment I met him. Kind, earnest, sweet-and his dreams lead him to the city that’s name was stolen from the world, only leaving the name Weep in its wake.

Lazlo wanted to go and find out. That was his dream, daring and magnificent: to go there, half across the world, and solve the mysteries for himself.
It was impossible, of course.
But when did that ever stop any dreamer from dreaming?

As I mentioned above, I may not have liked her other trilogy, but I so adore her writing. This book was no exception. Beautiful, alluring, addicting writing that I can’t help but to obsess over. I was in a weird mood where none of the books I had purchased to read were suiting my fancy-so I was like, hey, what about that book the publishers sent me RIGHT when Aubrey was born? I had been saving it for a rainy day-a day where I didn’t know what to read or why, because I knew it would be a book that needed full attention and an open mind-as many thick fantasy books do. So, for some reason, in my new home where chaos surrounded me, I found solace in this crazy, wildly imaginative novel-Imagine that. Even I wouldn’t have guessed this book would soothe my soul. But, alas, it was everything I never knew I wanted or needed.

Sarai understood Ruby’s hunger. She didn’t spy on such private moments anymore, but even the sight of a strong, bare arm crooked gently round a waist or shoulder could make her ache with the yearning to be held. To be one of a pair of bodies that knew that melting fusion. To reach and find. To be reached for and found. To belong to a mutual certainty.
To wake up holding hands.

And it’s not just Lazlo I’m obsessed with, which shocked me. But I adored Sarai, as well. And her ‘brothers/sisters’ that weren’t really sisters/brothers-namely, Sparrow, Ruby, and Feral. And, again, since I haven’t paid much attention with anything to do with this book or series, I had no idea really what this was about. Honestly. For one, I thought he went to Weep, like, alone? I thought it started much sooner in that world. And, frankly, I didn’t realize a lot of this was a ‘journey’ book, which I mostly despise. And, I guess the difference was that we had many POVs interwoven so beautifully, so seamlessly, that it didn’t matter, because we were always somewhere else, or unraveling mysteries with different characters.

And…okay….the bad. I really couldn’t handle the child slaughter. This isn’t something I was aware of and it really sickened me. I have a personal trigger now that not only centers around animals, but children/babies, as well. I don’t know what it says about me that it didn’t bother me before having a child, but there you have it, either way. I used to not care, but now I do. It makes we want to hurl, and I sometimes recede into a shell that borders on depression when I see or hear about something to do with this-and, I’ve noticed recently, this has been a recurring theme in a ton of my books lately-and this one centers heavily around it. I could hardly stand it.

I told myself that if I didn’t LOVE the end I would lower the rating-obviously that didn’t end up being the case, because the end was just…ahh my masochistic, peril-loving little heart. It burst with pride when I finished this. Subtle chaos is just the best chaos, ya know?

So, that was my bad thing-everything else was just so wonderful and addictive. I thought I’d hate the slow nature-I did not. I thought it would be too out of this world for me-It was not. And, I worried the story would just be a total let down-and, alas, it was not. I devoured this massive book as fast as I could with a teething baby/toddler/whatever that thing is, and I didn’t regret a moment (aside from when I couldn’t be reading).

The mysteries of Weep had been music to his blood for as long as he could remember. This time tomorrow, they would be mysteries no longer.
The end of wondering he thought, but not of wonder. That was just beginning. He was certain of it.

In the end, that wasn’t AT ALL what I was expecting. Talk about picking up a book and not knowing at all what it was about, truly. And the imagery-it was unreal. The imagination and creative flow it takes to make such vivid dreams and descriptions-it blew me away. I could taste what they were eating or drinking and I could see the layers upon layers it took to create each individual moment. It was jaw-dropping, if I’m being honest. But, this is what I’ll leave you with-I just COULD NOT not picture Glamora or live-action smurfs. LOL. I got over it, though, as you will, too. Now I must wait a month to see the fate of all my children-even that evil, manipulative little Minya. GRRR. But she does add that epic villain vibe, ya know?

******

What a wondrous, magical book.

Also, I am dead and dying. What a monstrous, evil, wonderful book. You stole my feels.

RTC.

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: Losing the Field (The Field Party #4) by Abbi Glines

October 3, 2018 / / 2 Comments
BOOK REVIEW: Losing the Field (The Field Party #4) by Abbi GlinesLosing the Field (The Field Party #4)
by Abbi Glines
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Losing his dream, his ultimate plan, and his future- Nash Lee never expected to be facing a life without football. One wrong move and it had all changed. Going back to school for his senior year no longer appealed to him. He’d rather not leave his house. Walking back into Lawton High School, seeing pity in everyone’s eyes was just another reality in his nightmare.

Revenge wasn’t a pretty thing. Tallulah Liddell had found it was rather controlling. The way you looked at life changed completely when you clung to the ugly notion. But she’d done it anyway. From the last day of her junior year when Ryker Lee had made a fat joke about her and Nash laughed with him, she’d been driven by pain. It wasn’t like no one had made fun of her weight before. She was used to that. What had hurt so deeply was Nash’s laughter. He’d always been the one person to notice her, include her, not treat her differently. But that one moment had changed it all. From the time she walked out of the school building to the moment she returned for her senior year Tallulah had been determined to lose weight and finally be the size her peers considered acceptable.

What she wasn’t expecting on her return was to find a broken Nash Lee who no longer smiled, rarely spoke, and didn’t care about anything or anyone around him. He was just existing. But the pain in his eyes she understood all too well. He was alone. He no longer fit into the perfect package.


You know those daydreams you have for years . . . the ones you know won’t come true, but they get you through the day?

An epic start to what turned out to be a total letdown of what we began with. This book legit started out with me fangirling and just knowing I had to have it on my shelf. I’m not kidding-within that first 20%, I was texting my friend and praising the glories that be, so excited that a cover so gorgeous would soon grace my shelf because Nash was just…he was just so dang addictive.

That is, until he wasn’t. I’m not sure what Glines was doing here, but she turned what started out as an epic novel into a hot mess that careened out of control. I won’t lie and say I have always loved her writing-because I haven’t. In fact, I found that, years ago, I needed to say bye to this author because her overly-dramatic and cheesy [and, I’m sorry, somewhat trashy] books weren’t to my taste. I didn’t bash. I didn’t continue to try and make it work-I just gave up and moved on. Yeah, her dudes are hot. And, yes, I LOVE some of that hot boy drama…but that’s just what it is: Drama.

And I’ve never gone back. Not once. Though, when I started following Glines on Bookstagram because our blog began to become a big part of Instagram, I fell in love with her. Her precious daughter. I really like this woman-a LOT. Same with CoHo-her posts crack me up daily-but that doesn’t mean I agree with either of their books’ writing styles.

But then Glines posted about her new book coming out, I got curious, I looked it up-and it was INSTA-LOVE, my friends. Well…we all know how we feel about insta-love, amirite? I read about the hate-to-love romance and how the girl wanted revenge on the tortured FOOTBALL player and I just…I caved. Maybe her writing was different. Maybe the guy would be enough. And, in the beginning, it was. I was OBSESSED. This book was a 5, people. And then I started to see why I stopped reading her work in the first place.

Repetitive issues. Words. Statements. Overly used drama. Too many problematic themes that literally had no place in the story. Like……the one dude that showed up at the football game suddenly became a big part of Nash’s story-Why??? It was so irrelevant and dumb and just…stupid, I literally laughed when that arc ended. Come on. Really, Abbi? Really? I’m so sorry, but no. So silly.

And the one dramatic element that didn’t belong that I loved?? That I wanted to be a thing??? It literally went NOWHERE and actually ruined the book. It did. It made Nash into somebody hard to relate to and I just don’t get why this was a path she didn’t jump on. It was so epic!!!!! I LOVE WHEN THESE INTERFERENCES HAPPEN! Bring on the jelly.

And, worst of all, this ruined opportunity also ruined what was blooming in Tallulah and Nash’s relationship. I think we saw so little of them together, in my opinion, after a certain point, that I was disgusted. Isn’t this the point of a smutty YA/NA? To see them get past stuff and recreate issues and get past it again? Why are we getting so little time of them on the page together? This gutted me because, honest to God, even after the trainwreck that was the middle, I rooted for this to shape up and for me to get obsessed again.

But, alas, in the end, I was disappointed and don’t think I could give this author another chance. I mean, maybe when I’m in the right mood? Who doesn’t love the HS football player arc? Many don’t, I suppose, but I adore it…so I might go back and read the others and hope their drama is more central to the actual story. But, for now, I’m so sad and disappointed in what had started out with so much dramatic promise. I’m still pouting about it. Honestly. And, also, come on now-Tallulah? That name?! That’s the name you use when you can’t think of someone’s name or a good make believe name. I kept picturing Phoebe signing for Monica’s bed in Friends-Monicaaaa Tallulaaaaah Gellar. *My apologies to anyone named Tallulah*

So. Yeah. This sucks. But better luck next time, I suppose.

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