When We Collided by Emery Lord

Title: When We Collided

Author: Emery Lord

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's

Release Date: April 5, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Seventeen-year-old Jonah Daniels has lived in Verona Cove, California, his whole life, and only one thing has ever changed: his father used to be alive, and now he is not. With a mother lost in a deep bout of depression, Jonah and his five siblings struggle to keep up their home and the restaurant their dad left behind. But at the start of summer, a second change rolls in: Vivi Alexander, the new girl in town.

Vivi is in love with life. Charming and unfiltered, she refuses to be held down by the medicine she’s told should make her feel better. After meeting Jonah, she slides into the Daniels’ household seamlessly, winning over each sibling with her imagination and gameness. But it’s not long before Vivi’s zest for life begins to falter. Soon her adventurousness becomes all-out danger-seeking.

Though each high and low, Vivi and Jonah’s love is put to the test…but what happens when love simply isn’t enough?

In just a few years, Emery Lord has become a household name when ti comes to contemporary YA romance. She writes fantastic stories and I’ve loved every one of them. So it should come as no surprise when I say that I absolutely loved When We Collided.

It’s no secret that I absolutely love Emery Lord and her books. Both Open Road Summer and The Start of Me and You are among my favourite books of all time. So as excited as I am whenever I get to read a new book by this author, I also put a lot of pressure on that book. I almost expect it to become a new favourite almost instantly and those are some pretty high expectations to have. Add to that everyone reading the book in question and having nothing but amazing things to say, raising your expectations even more. And now you pretty much know how I felt before reading When We Collided. Honestly, I was almost afraid to read it because I feared it couldn’t possibly live up to any and all of the expectations I had. But I should have known better. Because everything everyone has said about When We Collided? It’s absolutely true. Emery Lord has written a story that is both touching and heartbreaking, a story that felt achingly real and showed the realities of mental illness. But even though mental health is featured prominently in When We Collided, it didn’t feel like I was reading a book about mental health. And that’s where the beauty of this story lies. Mental illness is just one of the many parts that make up the characters in the story as opposed to being what defined them. And those characters are why I loved When We Collided so much. 

Vivi completely leapt off the page. I’m hard pressed to remember the last time I read a story where I saw a character come alive the way that Vivi did. It was honestly hard not to be completely charmed by Vivi. She had so much personality and so much of that personality wasn’t defined by her mental health. She was just a girl who enjoyed life and was always looking for her next adventure, no matter how big or small it might be. And I loved her, every version her. I laughed along with her when she was happy, and my heart broke when she was struggling. I couldn’t help it. And that’s the same ay I felt about Jonah. Compared to Vivi, he was quiet and reserved but he still leapt off the page. Seeing him struggle with his grief all while trying to hold his family together completely broke my heart. He needed someone like Vivi to bring back some life into his life. I loved their romance, as imperfect as it was. It felt real in a way that many young adult romances sometimes don’t. Even if my heart was completely broken by the time I flipped the last page, I couldn’t have asked for a more satisfying ending. One that was right for the story and right for the characters. 

If you haven’t already, do yourself a favour and pick up one of Emery Lord’s books. Each one is amazing in its own right and will hit you right where it hurts in the best way possible. If you choose to read When We Collided (which you should really do), have a box of tissues handy, you’ll probably need it. 

Red Girl, Blue Boy by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Title: Red Girl, Blue Boy (If Only... #5)

Author: Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's

Release Date: October 20, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Enjoy Red Girl, Blue Boy and the other standalone titles in Bloomsbury’s contemporary If Only romance line entered around an impossible problem: you always want what you can’t have!

Sixteen-year-old Katie and Drew really shouldn’t get along. After all, her father is the Republican nominee for President of the United States while his mother is at the top of the Democratic ticket. But when Katie and Drew are thrown together in a joint interview on a morning talk show, they can’t ignore the chemistry between them. With an entire nation tuned into and taking sides in your parents’ fight, and the knowledge that—ultimately—someone has to lose, how can you fall in love with the one person you’re supposed to hate?

This title in the If Only line is a frank and funny romance that shows how sparks fly when opposites attract.

I don’t really think I have to explain why Lauren Baratz-Logsted’s Red Girl, Blue Boy would be the kind of book I would enjoy? If you know me, it really should be a no-brainer. And it shouldn’t come as a surprise when I say that Red Girl, Blue Boy was a fun and totally adorable story.

Katie has spent her whole life in politics. After all, she was only four years old the first time she helped her father campaign. Now sixteen, Katie is ready to go back on the road with her father as he embarks on his biggest campaign yet: the one for president of the United States. Katie is ready for it, she knows exactly what she has to do in order to help her father win. The one thing she doesn’t count on, though, is Drew. Drew who just so happens to be the sixteen-year-old son of her father’s competition. Drew never wanted to be in the spotlight. He’ll support his mother’s bid for president, but that doesn’t mean he wants to be out campaigning with her. But when circumstances make it so him and Katie are forced together, Drew becomes intrigued by her. Katie and Drew know nothing can happen between them, but they are the only ones that understand exactly what the other is going through. And there’s something powerful in that. But being together could screw everything up for both their parents. 

I’ve loved every single book I’ve read from Bloomsbury’s If Only line. I mean, this is a line of cute contemporary romances so how could I possibly not love them? They pretty much have my name written all over them. And so I love it when I find out that there’s going to be a new book coming out in the series. So I was really excited about reading Lauren Baratz-Logsted’s Red Girl, Blue Boy. Plus with the upcoming election in Canada next week and the one in the US next year, it felt oddly timely. But that’s not really the point. Red Girl, Blue Boy was a fast, fun and highly enjoyable story to read. I loved getting this sort of behind the scenes look at presidential elections, at the way the candidates’ families are affected by it all, even if it was a fictionalized account of it all. I liked seeing the relationship develop between Drew and Katie. How even though it started out being about their parents running against each other in the election, it soon became about a whole lot more than that. It was just the kind of story that puts a smile on your face and keeps you turning the pages because it’s fun to read. And there were totally times when I was chuckling at bit at what was happening or at what some of the characters (*cough*Katie*cough*) were doing. Red Girl, Blue Boy was just plain old fun. And that’s how I like a lot of my YA romance.

If I’m being completely honest, it took me a while to like Katie. She was just so into her father’s campaign that it got to the point where she came across as almost robotic. There’s nothing wrong with being into politics and campaigning. Heck, I have a degree in political science so I would fall into that category. But with Katie, I had to wonder if she actually enjoyed it and loved it as much as she did because that’s truly how she felt or because she hasn’t really known anything else. But as I got to know her more and as she started doing more than just politics-related stuff, I warmed up to her pretty quickly. She was an amusing character to read about because everything that would be normal to any other teenager was so new to her. One of my favourite moments in the story is when she goes shopping for “regular clothes” with her secret service agent. And Drew was pretty much her complete opposite. He didn’t care much for politics and wasn’t exactly excited about his mom running for the highest office there is. But he was the perfect balance to Katie’s character. And they were kind of adorable together. And I loved them together.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted’s Red Girl, Blue Boy was a whole lot of fun. This story was a quick read that put a smile on my face. It was exactly the cute contemporary romance story I wanted and I enjoyed every moment spent reading it. 

Wild Hearts by Jessica Burkhart

Title: Wild Hearts (If Only... #4)

Author: Jessica Burkhart

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's

Release Date: May 5, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Enjoy Wild Hearts and the other standalone titles in Bloomsbury’s contemporary If Only romance line entered around an impossible problem: you always want what you can’t have!

Brie Carter’s father’s land development business has taken her family all over the world, but as soon as they arrive at their new home in Lost Spring, Wyoming, the town turns out to protest. They don’t want a new hotel if the resident mustang population will be displaced or hurt as part of the deal. Then Brie meets Logan, a gorgeous local who has a special connection to the mustangs, and she is immediately drawn to him…and the horses. However, with Logan’s father leading the protests and Brie’s father refusing to budge, it’s clear that their parents are heading towards an all-out war. Can Brie and Logan find a way to save the mustangs and be together? Or is their love doomed from the start?

This new title in the If Only line is the perfect summer read and proves that love flourishes in the wildest places!

Do I really need to explain why I wanted to read Jessica Burkhart's Wild Hearts? It should be pretty self-explanatory by now why this would be the kind of book I would enjoy. So I'll just say this: I loved Wild Hearts.

Brie Carter has moved around a lot. Because of her father's job, she's lived all over the country. But when her family arrives in Lost Spring, Wyoming, things are different. The locals don't want her father to build a new hotel if it means hurting the local mustang population. At first Brie doesn't understand, but when she meets Logan and sees his passion for the horses, she starts to change her mind. Before long Brie finds herself being drawn to Logan and the horses and becomes determined to find a way to protect them. Even if it means going against her dad and hurting her family in the process. 

I’ve never had any particular desire to go to Wyoming. And then I read Wild Heats. Throughout the book there are all these descriptions of the mountains and the nature around this small town and I just wanted to go there and see it all for myself. Doesn’t help that it doesn’t take much to make me want to travel anywhere, but the descriptions just made me want to go to Wyoming. And like I said, not really someplace I’d ever considered going before. But that’s not the point, right now. Other than making me want to travel, Wild Hearts was everything I hoped it would be. I’ve read some of the other books in the If Only line and I have loved them, so I had certain expectations when it came to Wild Hearts. And those expectations were met. This was a fun, adorable romance and I couldn’t get enough of it. While I was reading I both couldn’t stop but also wanted to slow down to make the story last longer. And my favourite part of the romance was that it was pretty much drama free. Sure there was some drama in the story, if there wasn’t it would make for a pretty boring story, but the drama wasn’t between Logan and Brie. And I loved that. From the moment they were together, they stayed together. And they were pretty freaking adorable, if you want my honest opinion.

I don’t know how to talk about Brie without talking about Logan. Don’t get me wrong she totally stands on her own as a character, but I just loved her and Logan together so much. But I liked Brie on her own as well. I liked seeing her grow over the course of the story, going from automatically siding with her dad on the horse issue to doing some research and coming up with her own opinion on the subject. It was just nice to see that evolution in her character. And Logan obviously had something to do with that, what with him being so passionate about the horses and all. And Logan, well he was Logan. I mean, the guy was a real, live cowboy who was the sweetest and nicest guy ever. How was Brie supposed to resist all that. Because I know I stood no chance. But for real, though, Logan was great. He was just a genuinely good guy. And as much as I loved him with Brie, whenever I got to see him spend time with his little brother it absolutely melted my heart. Aside from Logan and Brie, the other character worth mentioning is Amy. I loved seeing the friendship develop between her and Brie. And as much as I loved the romance it was nice to take a break from it every now and then to see the friendship. 

Needless to say that I loved Jess Burkhart's Wild Hearts. The romance was just what I wanted it to be and I had a huge goofy smile on my face he whole time I was reading. If you like YA contemporary romance, you should definitely check out the If Only line.  

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Title: The Start of Me and You

Author: Emery Lord

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: March 31, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for a year, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school…and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.

Emery Lord wrote one of my favourite books of 2014. As a result, I couldn’t possibly been more excited about her new book, The Start of Me and You. So much so that I’ve already read the book twice and it still isn’t out for another few days. But that’s the kind of book The Start of Me and You is, a book you can reread over and over again, and each time it gets even better.

For the past years, Paige Hancock has been dealing with her grief, trying to move one from being the girl whose boyfriend died in a freak drowning accident. But it hasn’t been easy. Everywhere she goes, people give her That Look. The look that tells Paige people feel pity for her. And she hates. With the start of a new school year, Paige decides that it’s time for her to start living her life again. So she makes a plan and it should all be simple enough. Find a way to go out with Ryan Chase, the guy she’s been crushing on since the sixth grade, join a club, make new friends. It’s all simple enough. But then Ryan’s cousin Max transfers back to their school and Paige’s plan starts to go off track. But in deviating from her plan, Paige just might start living more than she thought she would, and learn all about second chances.

Open Road Summer was one of my favourites of 2014. I just couldn’t say enough good things about it, and it left me absolutely desperate for more from Emery Lord. And then I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of The Start of Me and You. As much as I wanted to wait until closer to the release date, I couldn’t help myself and pretty much read it right away. And I ADORED it. And then this past week I read it AGAIN. And loved it even more. That’s just the kind of story Emery Lord wrote, one you can read over and over again and never get tired of it. If anything, it will get even better every time. And that’s just because the story itself is absolutely beautiful and perfect. And there’s so much to love in this story. Yes there’s romance, but that’s not really the point of this story. When I was reading it felt like The Start of Me and You was so much more about the friendship than it was about the romance. It was about the longtime friendship between Paige and her girlfriends. It was about her new friendships with Ryan and Max. And to some extent it was about her friendship with the members of her family. And I absolutely LOVED that about the book. I loved seeing all the friendships grow and develop. And I loved how it led to the best and most satisfying slow burn romance I’ve read in a long time. The romance between the characters didn’t come as a surprise, not in the least. That was the point. But I still loved seeing it all happen.

I can’t even begin to explain how much I loved Paige. Right from page one, she was someone I wanted to be friends with. If I’m being completely honest, I would love nothing more than to become part of her group of friends so I could hang out with Morgan, Tessa and Kayleigh. Those girls’ friendship is a friendship I would love to have. But Paige was also her own person outside of her friends, even if she struggled with figuring out who exactly that was. And I loved seeing her figure it out. Especially with Max along for the ride. And Max was just perfect. Well, he wasn’t actually, but that’s what really made him perfect. But in all seriousness, Max was the nerdy guy of my dreams. As much as I love reading about bad boys or athletes or broody guys, the nerdy ones are my favourites. And I have made it my goal to find myself a real, live Max. Apart from my love of him, I loved seeing the relationship grow and evolve between Paige and Max. Seeing them go from being friends while Paige still thinks she wants to be with someone else. And then seeing them come to the realization that they were becoming more than friends. All of it just warmed my heart and the adorableness was almost too much to handle at times. Just read the book, you’ll understand what I mean.

With The Start of Me and You, Emery Lord has easily become one of my favourite authors and one whose books I will automatically buy. Just do yourself a favour and buy a copy of the book because you’ll just fall in love with this story. And if you need some more convincing, I’ll leave you with this quote from the book. It’s perfectly describes how I felt rereading The Start of Me and You.

Blog Tour - Not in the Script by Amy Finnegan

Title: Not in the Script (If Only... #3)

Author: Amy Finnegan

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Millions of people witnessed Emma Taylor’s first kiss—a kiss that needed twelve takes and four camera angles to get right. After spending nearly all of her teen years performing on cue, Emma wonders if any part of her life is real anymore…particularly her relationships.

Jake Elliott’s face is on magazine ads around the world, but his lucrative modelling deals were a poor substitute for what he had to leave behind. Now acting is offering Jake everything he wants: close proximity to home; an opportunity to finally start school; and plenty of time with the smart and irresistible Emma Taylor…if she would just give him a chance.

When Jake takes Emma behind the scenes of his real life, she begins to see how genuine he is, but on-set relationships always end badly. Don’t they? Toss in Hollywood’s most notorious heartthrob and a resident diva who may or may not be as evil as she seems, and the production of Coyote Hill heats up in unexpected—and romantic—ways.

This novel in the deliciously fun If Only romance line proves that the best kinds of love stories don’t follow a script.

Fun and flirty YA contemporary romances are absolutely my favourite. There is nothing I don’t love about them. They just always make me happy. So it really shouldn’t be a surprise that I loved Amy Finnegan’s Not In the Script. Because I loved it A LOT.

Since she was twelve years old,e very one has known what was going on in Emma Taylor’s life. It’s what happens when you work in the entertainment industry. Now, though, Emma wonders how much of her life has been real. When you first kiss was essentially choreographed, how do you know if your romances have been real? She doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to boys, but when Emma meets Jake, her co-star on her new TV show, she thinks her luck might be changing. Except Emma has sown off on-set relationships. But Jake seems to be just the guy she needs.

Fun main character, swoon-worthy boys, cute romance, drama and movies stars, Not In the Script had it all. I absolutely loved Amy Finnegan’s debut. Based on the premise, I had a pretty good feeling I would enjoy Not In the Script. I mean, it sounded like a total “Emilie book.” I just hadn’t anticipated loving it as much as I did. When I sat down and started reading I figured I would just read a couple chapters. But that’s not what happened. Not even close. Instead, the next thing I knew it was dark and I had about 100 pages left to read. Not In the Script was an addictive story. I wanted to keep reading and see what would happen between Emma and Jake. I loved seeing their relationship develop because it was jut the kind of romance I love. There was immediate attraction between them, but it was also a slow burn kind of romance. Emma and Jake were friends long before they were something more. And I loved it. Almost as much as I loved Jake and Emma themselves.

I loved that I got to rad this story from both Jake and Emma’s perspectives because it meant I got to know both of them really well. They were definitely different, but at the same time they were so right for each other. Right from the start they had a connection and I loved seeing them both struggle with how they felt about the other. And of course the back and forth banter between Emma and Jake was also pretty awesome. I just loved what each one brought. Emma had been in the entertainment industry for so long that she didn’t really know who she was anymore, while Jake just wanted to do whatever he needed to in order to help his mom. So it was great to see Jake help Emma see what she really wanted for herself, and Emma in turn helped Jake figure out how to get out of this industry he didn’t really want to be in in the first place. All that to say, I really loved Emma and Jake, and apparently putting how much into words is proving to be difficult. So just read Not In the Script and hopefully you’ll fall in love with Jake and Emma as much as I did.

I was surprised by how much I loved Amy Finnegan’s Not In the Script. It was a fantastically fun read with just the right amount of love, drama and humour. And I LOVED every single page.

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Title: Open Road Summer

Author: Emery Lord

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind…and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

You know those books everyone seems to be raving about? Those are the books I’m sometimes wary of. I’m afraid that it just won’t live up to the hype. But then I’ll give in and read the book and every so often, I will be completely blown away by what I read and understand what the hype was all about. Most recently that happened with Emery Lord’s Open Road Summer. And I couldn’t be happier about it.

Reagan O’Neill is ready for a summer on the road with her country music superstar best friend, Lilah Montgomery. This summer is supposed to be about getting over heartbreak and leaving behind all the drama that has followed her in the last year. But when rumours about Lilah start making front page news, Matt Finch joins the tour as an opening act and as a publicity stunt to quiet the rumours. Reagan is determined to stay away from Matt, to not let herself fall for him. But before long she can’t do much to resist Matt’s boy-next-door charm and Reagan once again finds herself falling for someone. Could things be different this time though?

To everyone who told me Open Road Summer by Emery Lord was amazing: you were so totally, absolutely right. I can’t even begin to explain how much I loved this book and how perfect it felt while I was reading it. I’m not going to lie, I just flew through this book. I picked it up and I couldn’t even handle having to put it down to sleep and go to work. And the whole time I was reading, I just had this big smile on my face. Because if nothing else, Open Road Summer made me happy. It was just the light and fun summer read I wanted it to be, but it was also a whole lot more. Once I started scratching the surface, I saw that there was so much more to this story. Sure, it was a about a summer country music tour, but it was also about growing up and finding your place in the world. It was about mending a broken heart but also still being open to love. It was about learning to live with grief and finding joy in life again. So yeah, Emery Lord’s Open Road Summer was a whole lot more than just a fun summery read. 

I couldn’t help but love Reagan. I started reading, and right away I connected with her and I knew that I would spend the entire length of the story rooting for her. How could I not? She was trying to do better for herself and give herself more credit. And I loved seeing her growth over the course of the story, even if sometimes I wanted to yell at her to see what was right in front of her. More than just Reagan by herself, I loved her friendship with Dee (Lilah). The way Reagan and Dee were portrayed as friends just felt real and honest. It wasn’t always pretty, but they would be there for each other no matter what. And now for the gushing. Because how can I not gush about Matt Finch? Everyone always seemed to be talking about how awesome Matt was and in my mind he couldn’t possibly have lived up to that. But he totally did. In fact, Matt Finch surpassed any expectations I may have had for him. And I LOVED him. I highly doubt anything I could possibly say about him would even come close to doing him justice. He’s just that fantastic a person and character. But what I loved most about him was that he wasn’t perfect and he didn’t pretend to be. And he was just a genuinely GOOD and SWEET guy. And honestly, those are the best.

So yes, I loved Emery Lord’s Open Road Summer. I can’t even begin to describe how much. But hopefully you’ve gotten the idea. If you’re afraid of the hype surrounding this book, don’t be. I was hesitant and afraid, but in the end, I couldn’t possibly have loved this book any more than I did.

The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt

Title: The Chapel Wars

Author: Lindsey Leavitt

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Release Date: May 6, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Acclaimed author Lindsey Leavitt brings her trademark heart, humor, and romance to her hometown—Vegas.

Sixteen-year-old Holly wants to remember her Grandpa forever, but she’d rather forget what he left her in his will: his wedding chapel on the Las Vegas strip. Whatever happened to gold watches, savings bonds, or some normal inheritance?

And then there’s Grandpa’s letter. Not only is she running the business with her recently divorced parents, but she needs to make some serious money—fast. Grandpa also insists Holly reach out to Dax, the grandson of her family’s mortal enemy and owner of the cheesy chapel next door. Not matter how cute Dax is, Holly needs to stay focused: on her groups of guy friends, her disjointed family, work, school and…Dax. No wait, not Dax.

Holly’s chapel represents everything she’s ever loved in her past. Dax might be everything she could ever love in the future. But as for right now, there’s a wedding chapel to save.

As much as I love contemporary, and as much as I try to read every contemporary book I can get my hands on, I had yet to read one of Lindsey Leavitt’s books. Now that I have though, I will be going back and reading the ones I missed out on because I absolutely love The Chapel Wars. It was exactly what I had hoped it would be.

All Holly has ever wanted is to finish high school, go to business school and one day take over running her grandfather’s Vegas wedding chapel. And this does happen, just a lot sooner than Holly ever expected. When her grandfather dies, he decides to leave his chapel to Holly. But there’s also a catch: Holly needs to make some money and fast if she wants to keep the chapel. That’s not all though. There’s also Grandpa’s letter, the one that tells Holly that she needs to deliver a letter to Dax Cranston, the grandson of the owner of the rival chapel. Dax isn’t what Holly expected. For starters, he’s nothing like his horrible grandfather. But Holly shouldn’t be spending time with Dax, she should be focused on keeping the chapel open for business and keeping her grandfather’s legacy alive. No matter what she does though, Holly can’t stop thinking about Dax even if the chapel is what she should be thinking about.

So, The Chapel Wars. What didn’t I love about this book. Until now, I hadn’t read any of Lindsey Leavitt’s other books, but that is soon going to change. To put it simply, I absolutely loved The Chapel Wars. This story had just the right balance between the light and fun, and heaviness. From the start, you’re thrown into the heavier stuff, what with the book pretty much opening with the reading of a will and a funeral. But even with all of that, there was also humour injected in the story right from the start. So while I felt like I should feel back for what Holly was going through, I couldn’t help but want to smile at all the craziness that was happening through it all. And craziness there was. But I guess when you’re dealing with Vegas wedding chapels, it’s to be expected. Beyond the mix of craziness of the wedding business, this story was also about grief and learning how to move on. That’s what Holly had to learn over the course of the story and by the end, she had. But it wasn’t just about Holly learning to move on, it was also about everyone else learning to move on from what had happened in the past, and that of course included Dax. And of course where Dax and Holly are involved, that also means romance, and I personally loved that romance in all its imperfection.

Holly is a very goal-driven person. Case in point, she’s been working her whole like to take over her grandfather’s wedding chapel. Because of that, she hasn’t really taken the time to really get to know who she is outside the wedding chapel. But over the course of the book, she starts to figure it out and I loved getting to know her as she got to know herself. Holly was also kinda unusual, but I really loved her. There were so many aspects of her personality I could relate to and that made me enjoy her story that much more. Of course, a large part of Holly in this story was who she learned to be with Dax. And Dax was pretty great, if you want my honest opinion. He was pretty much the complete opposite of who I expected him to be. I don’t really know why, but as I started reading I had this image in my mind of who Dax was going to be. But he turned out to be someone completely different, and I loved him for it. Dax wasn’t perfect, not by a long shot. He was dealing with his own grief and because of that he wasn’t always acting in the most intelligent ways. But at the same time, it made it so him and Holly could be really good together, helping each other through their respective grief. So basically, all that to say that I loved Holly and Dax together. 

In case it wasn’t clear by now, I really loved Lindsey Leavitt’s The Chapel Wars. It was just the right mix of fun and heavy, just how I like my contemporary stories to be. You can be that I will now be going back and checking out Lindsey  Leavitt’s other books. If they’re anything like The Chapel Wars, then I know I’ll love them. 

Waiting on Wednesday (75)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to. This week I have two titles I am particularly looking forward to reading.

Dead Ends by Erin Jade Lange

September 3, 2013

Bloomsbury USA Childrens

A riddle rarely makes sense the first time you hear it. The connection between Dane and Billy D doesn't make sense the second time you hear it. But it's a collection of riddles that solidifies their unusual friendship. Dane is a bully with two rules: don't hit girls and don't hit special kids. Billy D has Down syndrome. When Dane doesn't hit him, Billy sees a sign of friendship and reaches out for help. Billy is sure the riddles his missing father left in an atlas are really clues to finding him. Together, Billy and Dane piece them together, leading to unmarked towns and secrets of the past. But they're all dead ends. Until the final clue…and a secret Billy shouldn't have been keeping. 

As a journalist, Erin Jade Lange is inspired by hot button issues like bullying, but it is her honest characters and breakneck plotting that make Dead Ends a must read.

Right when I first heard about Dead Ends by Erin Jade Lange I knew it was something I wanted to read. The story just sounds so different from what's out there in YA already and from the synopsis I gather that it deals with a lot of issues that don't necessarily get enough attention, whether in society or in books. So all that to say that I'm really excited about Dead Ends.

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

September 24, 2013

Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she'd like to forget completely. But when Callie's mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie's real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Dollar writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.

I'll admit that I still have to read Trish Doller's Something Like Normal (it's on my shelf, I will get to it soon I promise), with all the good things I've heard about it, I can't help but be excited about Where the Stars Still Shine as well. The story sounds really interesting and like it has the potential to really do damage to my hear--and I love when stories do that.

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

October 1, 2013

Walker Childrens

Another year, another move--with a Dad in the military, starting a new school in the middle of the year doesn't faze Derek. But moving with his new step-mother to live with the father and sister she hasn't seen in years? Awkward. Even worse--his new step-aunt Ashtyn, is seventeen, hot--and the kicker for the high school's football team. A football prodigy, Derek has stayed as far as possible from the field since his mom's death--and not even an infuriatingly sexy housemate who talks stats and reams of a Division I scholarship can change his mind. But when Ashtyn's quarterback boyfriend bask out of their road trip to a prestigious summer football camp run by top recruiters, Derek and his car become Ashtyn's only route to making her dreams of playing college ball com true. Four nights. Multiple star lines. Football. Secrets. Sex. This is one road trip neither of them will forget.

In a steamy new series featuring a new, irresistible band of teammates, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Simone Elkeles blends the romance and drama of Friday Night Lights with her signature explosive storytelling.

In all honesty I don't even need to know what this story is about, I just needed to know that Simone Elkeles wrote it in order to be excited about it. I absolutely LOVE Simone Elkeles' other books (Perfect Chemistry anyone?) so I'm beyond excited to have more from her to read. Plus Wild Cards sounds really awesome and is getting compared to Friday Night Lights. How could I not be excited about this?

As you can tell, I'm already getting excited about fall books and it's only March. It's a good thing there are plenty of awesome books coming out in the meantime--it will definitely make waiting for these ones easier!

Waiting on Wednesday (69)

For those who don't know, Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers showcase books they are particularly looking for to. For the next few weeks, I'm going to be doing this a little differently. Like I did last year, each week I will be talking about books that are coming out early next year from different publishers. Up this week are the last of the January 2013 releases coming from Amulet Books, Bloomsbury & Egmont USA.

Splintered by A.G. Howard
January 1, 2013
Amulet Books

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl's pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers--precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretched back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother's mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice's tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice's mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

I remember seeing this book popping up everywhere for quite some time, but never really paid attention to what it was really about. All I really knew was that it had a pretty cover. But once I looked into it more, I realized that this was a story that I was really interested in reading and all the positive reviews I've been seing are only adding to this want. So yeah, I really want to read Splintered.

Doomed by Tracy Deebs

January 8, 2013

Bloomsbury

Beat the game. Save the world.

Pandora's just your average teen, glued to her cell phone and laptop, surfing Facebook and e-mailing with her friends, until the day her long-lost father sends her a link to a mysterious site featuring twelve photos of her as a child. Unable to contain her curiosity, Pandora enters the site, where she is prompted to play her favorite virtual-reality game, Zero Day. This unleashes a global computer virus that plunges the whole world into panic: suddenly, there is no Internet. No cell phones. No utilities, traffic lights, hospitals, law enforcement. Pandora teams up with handsome stepbrothers Eli and Theo to enter the virtual world of Zero Day. Simultaneously, she continues to follow the photographs from her childhood in an attempt to beat the game and track down her father, her one key to saving the world as we know it. 

Part The Matrix, part retelling of the Pandora myth, Doomed has something for gaming fans, dystopian fans and romance fans alike.

There are plenty of retellings out there but this is the first I heard of a retelling of the Pandora myth so it definitely piqued my curiosity. And the whole concept of it also sounds really interesting, and to an extent almost realistic. Who knows what would happen if the world were to go completely dark? All I know is that I'm definitely looking forward to reading Doomed. 

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

January 22, 2013

EgmontUSA

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them .They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That's why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they're young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute's monitoring. But now they've ID'ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can't make the hit. It's as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are--because no one else ever notices them.

I absolutely love Jennifer Lynn Barnes' Raised by Wolves series so I get excited any time I hear she has a new book coming out. And as we all know by now, I am a sucker for anything that vaguely resembles a thriller. So this book just sounds perfect for me. I can't wait to be able to read Nobody.

So that's the last of the January 2013 books I'm waiting on. If I want to make it to February I may have to finally get around to renewing my library card because I don't know how I'm going to be able to afford all these books. Or even how I'm possibly going to even be able to read all the books I'm looking forward to.