Review: Stay With Me (With Me #1) by Elyssa Patrick

Stay With Me by Elyssa Patrick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Published August 30th 2013 by Elyssa Patrick

This is definitely one of the books that I've liked more this year. The story of a child actress/starlet who basically wants to pull away from her old life and do normal stuff. Going to college and dating ordinary guys is a bit out of Hailey's comfort zone so its refreshing that she's even giving it a try.

I did like the good background settings that cropped in here and there. Anyone who watches E! or reads the gossip mags can only grasp at what life as a young superstar must be like. Admittedly I didn't learn anything new about her previous business but the author did certainly do her research.

I loved the boys network of Caleb and his housemates. Caleb is a safe and solid guy to fall in love with. He has no ulterior motive, no shady side to him. Just a nice guy who likes the girl! Any drama was always going to be in Hailey's head. Not anywhere else.

The big secret and its reveal? Well, it wasn't the biggest. Honestly, I wasn't even that surprised. Horrible what happened to her? Yes, absolutely. Did I doubt Caleb? Never in a month of Sundays.

I loved the HEA. I see that there'll be other books based on the other guys. Definitely worth reading!



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ARC Review: Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley

Don't Call Me Baby by Gwendolyn Heasley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Expected publication: April 22nd 2014 by HarperTeen

To grow up as a bloggers baby might have been quirky and fun as a youngster but now 15 year old Imogene has had enough. She can't even get out of bed in the morning without her mother waking her up and snapping a quick photo (with bed hair and all) for her blog, Mommyliciousmeg dot com. Even her name was chosen pre-birth by a blogging poll. What was once a feeling of being special for a mother and daughter is now an invasion of Imogene's privacy, in her eyes anyway.

This book has an intriguing premise, and one very real in bloggerland. The message is clear. How far is too far when blogging. Imogene's mother has forgotten how to be a mum, she's a blogger first and foremost. Imogene doesn't have many friends, never had a boyfriend and constantly is heckled by her schoolmates who all read Meg's blog. And Meg doesn't hold back. She announced her daughters first period, first bra purchase and other personal moments.

This story was believable to a certain extent, even to the point where I was almost cheering Imogene on for overcoming obstacles. I had to finish reading to find out what would happen.

Definitely worth a read mainly because its about blogging!

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ARC Review: Anything to Have You by Paige Harbison

Anything to Have You by Paige Harbison

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Expected publication: January 28th 2014 by Harlequin Teen

I usually like Paige Harbison books. They have a realism and edginess that authors can sometimes not quite nail. Unfortunately I didn't connect with this one at all and was still trying to figure out the message the book was trying to convey.

Natalie and Brooke have been BFF's since a young age. When a new, hot guy arrives at school Brooke is the one to take a step out with him, although Natalie told her to put in a good word for herself. Brooke, who is a little jealous of her popular but introvert friend appears to take this as a challenge and soon enough Brooke and Aiden are dating. One year on, Natalie is still popular and quiet, Aiden is the nice, kind boyfriend, but Brooke isn't happy with her life. This is where the book picks up from.

The characters are very real. Brooke is obsessively jealous of her best friend and boyfriends friendship and thinks the only way to try to be more popular than Natalie is to drink and party. She seeks attention, craves it, wants guys to ogle her even though she has a boyfriend. Her jealousy soon gets mixed with antagonism. She hangs out with like-minded people who are not like Natalie. She begins to see how Natalie and Aiden are more suited as a couple but she refuses to give him up.

Natalie however goes to a party, a rarity for her. She wakes up the next day knowing something happened with a guy but is unsure who it was. Eventually, she sees a change in Brooke and keeps her growing feelings for Aiden undercover. After all, you do not get with your best friend's boyfriend, big no no!

The story is told from two POV's, Natalie and Brooke. My honest opinion is that the author wanted readers to warm to Brooke. To understand the whys and wherefores of how she works. Personally it only made me hate her even more.

Topics covered as our two best friends free-fall are drugs, alcohol abuse, pregnancy and cheating. I would say that they were all covered sympathetically, the author could have gone for a far more shocking story than she did.

Two things strike me as I finished. Firstly, the book title was wrong. It should have been Anything to be you. Certainly Natalie didn't do anything to get Aidens attention, she was just herself. And Brooke didn't want Aiden, not really so that doesn't work either. The second thing was that none of the characters talked. Even though they're all supposed to be very best friends and shared a lot of time together they never aired their laundry with each other. I mean, don't teenagers break up and make up all the time, not sit on problems and let them escalate as badly as they did in this book.

I honestly think the author took her finger off the pulse on this one and therefore it just didn't seem quite accurate. But that's just my opinion. :)

- CBx


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Review: The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Expected publication: December 31st 2013 by Balzer + Bray

The cover pretty much sums up the book. Sweet, innocent, little Wren and older (by a couple of years), Grayson. One adorable couple who want to try for something real. No pretence, no lies, just an honest relationship.

"Wren: 
Wren Caswell, Doesn't participate in class.
Bright but quiet.
Quiet. Quiet.
Too quiet.
I tried not to let the evaluation bother me, but it did. Being quiet was not a conscious protest. It was my nature."

They do share a connection from the beginning of the story. Even though their beginning is Grayson acting an idiot in front of his friends and speaking down to her. Wren, equally not amused by him, is the only one looking when he starts choking on a mini sausage. One Heimlich manoeuvre later and he sees Wren through different eyes. In fact, his whole outlook on life changes.

"Grayson:
She's just a girl, Grayson. 
A girl who saved my life. 
I wanted to sweep the hair away from her face, feel her body against me, without an audience or the threat of my imminent death.
Connecting with her had felt different. Real. I had to get to know her."

Don't be misled. This is a book of secrets and lies, back-stabbing school mates, evil Ava, and the beginning of a romance that might easily be thrown away if the couple doesn't try hard to make it work. Time and again Grayson's past comes back to haunt and ruin him. But Wren is a smart cookie. She's good at damage control, especially with herself. And she's definitely is not one to be underestimated. She's a fighter.

The only thing I would criticize is the lukewarm ending. The rest of the book had sizzling eyes, warm hands and plenty of kissing. I couldn't help feeling like I wanted a little bit more heat.

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ARC Review: The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Traitor (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2) by Julie Kagawa

Publishers: Harlequin Teen

Published Date: Oct 29th 2013

From: NetGalley

My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:

In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice. 

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again. 

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.

Review:

Everyone who has read my previous reviews on anything by Julie Kagawa will know how much I adored The Iron Fey series. The Lost Prince was also a good story, unique, different than the other storylines. Not so much time spent in Nevernever, more in the our real world.

However, this one didn't really hold my interest as much as it should have. I don't know whether it's because I actually don't find Keirran that interesting, other than he's Meghan and Ash's son. Or if it's Ethan POV that grates a little. Yes, we all know he hates anything to do with Fey but here's the thing. The Iron Traitor is another adventure/journey through New Orleans (which we did already in the past) and then travelling through the Wyldwood (which we also did in the previous stories). Okay, there are new beasties to fight and other interesting fey on the way that get in the way of Ethan's progress. But i just couldn't help feeling that I wasn't really reading anything new.

What held most people interest in the Iron Fey stories was the stunning romance beginning between Meghan and Ash. These characters don't hold the same charm and lack the luster really needed to keep the momentum going.

I gave it a 3 out of 5 because there's no doubting that Julie Kagawa is an extraordinary writer and visionary.

You can reach Julie Kagawa here:
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Review: Lick (Stage Dive #1) by Kylie Scott

Lick (Stage Dive #1) by Kylie Scott

Publishers: Momentum

Published Date: July 1st 2013

From: NetGalley

My rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis:

Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this.

Evelyn Thomas’s plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure as hell never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened.

One thing is for certain, being married to rock and roll’s favourite son is sure to be a wild ride.

Review:

I loved, loved, loved this one! So much that I read it again straight after finishing. At the moment everyone seems to be writing books about rock stars and the antics that go with it. Lick is slightly different from the start.

Evelyn wakes up curled up in the bathroom feeling extraordinarily rough after a night on the tequila. Sat opposite her is a gorgeous guy, definitely swoon-worthy. After a few words she discovered the worst possible nightmare. She married him! Him being David Ferris, God Guitarist of the rock band Stage Dive. He's world famous, very rich, and for some reason likes big-boned, heavy boobed Evelyn.
Its all a big misunderstanding she tells herself. If she forgets about it no one will ever know, it could be a secret. However, the world press are waiting at the airport the next day and Evelyn is headline news!! Here begins her adventure into how to get unmarried, and nothing goes to plan!

What I loved most was the chemistry between Evelyn and David. The obvious reason is that they are perfect for one another, even though Evelyn can't see it and David acts like an ass because of his own insecurities! This book isn't so much a rock star on the road story that I've been reading a lot of, more of an intense romance with a whole lot of love involving a girl-next-door and a guy who clearly adores her for who she is.

Even if you don't like rock music Lick is a great goosebump bringer, heart-acher with the added bonus of mature love for +17's.

You can reach Kylie Scott here: 

Web
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Review: Come Back to Me by Coleen Patrick

Come Back to Me by Coleen Patrick

Publishers: Coleen Patrick

Published Date: April 10th 2013

From: NetGalley

My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:

Whitney Denison can’t wait to start over.

She thought she had everything under control, that her future would always include her best friend Katie… Until everything changed.

Now her life in Bloom is one big morning after hangover, filled with regret, grief, and tiny pinpricks of reminders that she was once happy. A happy she ruined. A happy she can’t fix.

So, she is counting down the days until she leaves home for Colson University, cramming her summer with busywork she didn’t finish her senior year, and taking on new hobbies that involve glue and glitter, and dodging anyone who reminds her of her old life.

When she runs into the stranger who drove her home on graduation night, after she’d passed out next to a ditch, she feels herself sinking again. The key to surviving the summer in Bloom is unraveling whatever good memories she can from that night.

But in searching for answers, she’ll have to ask for help and that means turning to Evan, the stranger, and Kyle, Katie’s ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, life flips again, and Whitney finds herself on not only the precipice of happy but love, too, causing her to question whether she can trust her feelings, or if she is falling into her old patterns of extremes.

As she uncovers the truth about her memories, Whitney sees that life isn’t all or nothing, and that happy isn’t something to wait for, that instead, happy might just be a choice.

Review:

I liked this book. It mainly dealt with real life teenage issues, mostly alcoholism and dealing with death of a loved one. One significant party in particular led to Whitney losing her memory completely, wrecking her car, and resulted in seeing her dead best friends ghost.

For me this was one I had to see through to the end. Not only to piece all the puzzle parts together but also to find out how Evan was involved with the great mystery.

My only problem was the length of the book. The narration did ramble a lot, and various topics were discussed at length repeatedly at various stages of the book. Katie was mentioned on nearly every page which brought me to believe Whitney actually had a very unhealthy relationship with her so called best friend before she died. Again this is discussed many times and is drawn out in the conclusion of the book.

This more of a journey to travel along, not an romance discovery themed book as I originally thought but still definitely worth a read.

You can reach Coleen Patrick here: 

Web
Goodreads