Remembrance by Meg Cabot

Title: Remembrance (The Mediator #7)

Author: Meg Cabot

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Release Date: February 2, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Fifteen years after the release of the first Mediator novel, #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot return with a deliciously sexy new entry to a fan-favorite series. Suze Simon—all grown up and engaged to her once-ghostly soulmate—faces a vengeful spirit and an old enemy bent on ending Suze’s wedded bliss before it begins.

You can take the boy out of the darkness. 

But you can’t take the darkness out of the darkness.

All Susannah Simon wants is to make a good impression at her first job since graduating from college (and since becoming engaged to Dr. Jesse de Silva). 

But when she’s hired as guidance counselor at her alma mater, she stumbles across a decade-old murder, and soon ancient history isn’t all that’s coming back to haunt her. Old ghosts as well as new ones are coming out of the woodwork, some to test her, some to vex her, and it isn’t only because she’s a mediator, gifted with second sight.

From a sophomore haunted by the murderous specter of a child, to hosts of a very different kind—including Paul Slater, Suze’s ex, who shows up to make a bargain Suze is certain must have come from the Devil himself—Suze isn’t sure she’ll make it through the semester, let alone her wedding night.

Suze is used to striking first and asking questions later. But what happens when ghosts from her past—including once she found nearly impossible to resist—strike first?

What happens when old hosts come back to haunt you?

If you’re a mediator, you might have to kick a little ass.

There are some books out there that I feel like I have been waiting forever to get to read. Meg Cabot’s Remembrance is most definitely one of those books. A book by my favourite author in one of my favourite series? How could I possibly not be excited about this book? And no matter how high my expectations were, this story most definitely lived up to them.

Something you might know about me if you’ve been following my blog for quite some time: Meg Cabot is absolutely, without a doubt, one of the reasons I read. Oh and she’s totally at the top of my list when it comes to my favourite authors. And her Mediator series? Some of my all time favourite books featuring what is probably the first couple I ever shipped. Though that might be Michael and Mia from the Princess Diaries. Or Jess and Rob from the 1-800-Where-R-You series. Seeing a trend here? If you haven’t picked up on it, what all those couples have in common is they were written by Meg Cabot. I spent all of middle and high school reading Meg Cabot’s books and to this day, they remain some of my favourites. So a couple years ago, when it was announced that there would be a seventh book in the Mediator series featuring grown up Suze and Jesse? There was definitely excitement on my part. Probably some (loud) squealing. Maybe even some excited jumping around. Possibly some full on excited yelling. 

Once I calmed down from my excitement, it proceeded to feel like the longest wait EVER until we all got more information about this book. But then somewhere in the middle of that, the news about the new Princess Diaries book came along (and there was a repeat of the excitement I mentioned above--sometimes I wonder how my roommates put up with my excited yelling about books on a weekly basis) and that tied me over. And then one glorious day in December 2015, I got UNBELIEVABLY lucky and was able to read Remembrance early. It was one of those drop-everything-must-read-this-book-right-at-this-very-moment-but-I-should-wait-to-make-the-fun-last-longer-but-I-don’t-care-I’m-reading-this-NOW moments. And, guys, Remembrance was absolute perfection. I started reading, and it felt like barely any time had passed since the last time I read a Mediator book (which I think was when I was a high school senior, for those curious). I was able to jump right back into the awesomeness that is Suze Simon and her ghost ass-kicking ways. It was just like seeing old friends again after a long time, but even better. I don’t even know how to put into words how awesome Remembrance was and how amazing a job Meg Cabot did giving fans a story about characters they love.

And let me take a moment to talk about Suze and everyone else in her life. As much as I remember loving these books when I was a teenager, I didn’t remember how much Suze would make me laugh with her inner dialogue and the way she reacts to everything that happens in her life. It was absolutely amazing getting to know her again as an adult in her early/mid twenties trying to make sense of life. And how could I have possibly ever forgotten how freaking dreamy Jesse de Silva was? Alive, grown-up, soon-to-be doctor Jesse? Even dreamier. And, honestly, I will be shipping Suze and Jesse together until the end of time. They are perfect together and I just want them to be happy and keep being together and I would absolutely keep reading about them just doing regular stuff forever. I just love them that much. But it wasn’t just Suze and Jesse that were around, all the characters that I loved from the original six books, and even that I didn’t love so much (*cough* Paul Slater *cough*) were around and putting a smile on my face. And Suze’s triplet nieces? They kind of stole the show. And I’m kinda hoping for a next generation Mediator book (books?) with them, kinda like is happening with the Princess Diaries series. Because I would totally read that. In a freaking heartbeat.

If you’ve made it through this majorly ramble-y review, you are awesome and I love you. Now if you’ve never read the Mediator series, you should really get on that. If you have, get yourself to a bookstore pronto because you need to be reading Remembrance, like yesterday. And then come back and tell me how awesome it was and I’ll be here to tell you, “I told you so.”

Oh, and I’ll be waiting and crossing any available limbs int eh hope that Meg Cabot gives us all more books about Suze and Jesse.

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

Title: Firsts

Author: Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: January 5, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

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

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

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

From the first moment I heard about Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, I just knew that I had to read it. When I started seeing what other people were saying about it, it just reinforced that desire to read the book. And now that I’ve read it, I can say that it was everything I hoped it would be.

Mercedes isn’t shy when it comes to sex and she’s willing to help those who need. Her one condition when boys seek her help is that they be virgins and that they treat their girlfriends right when they give them their first time. That’s all she asks for. The one thing she never had. No one has ever suspected what Mercedes is up to, and her system is working. Or it would be working if she had been able to stop after helping five boys, like she had told herself she would. But now she’s helped ten boys and her best friend’s boyfriend is seeking out her help. And then there’s Zach, the one boy who doesn’t want Mercedes’s help but actually wants her for who she is. Mercedes had a system and it was working. But now that it’s fallen apart, she isn’t sure how to handle all the fallout. 

From the moment I first heard about Laurie Elizabeth Flynn’s Firsts, I knew I had to read it. It sounded so different from other YA books out there and like it could be a very powerful read. It was certainly both of those things. And on top of that, it was absolutely my kind of book. I will say straight off the bat that Firsts won’t be for everyone. There are people who will read the synopsis and it will immediately make them not want to read this book. And that makes me sad on so many levels because this is such an important and powerful story. There were plenty of times when Firsts wasn’t easy to read. Because of the subject matter it dealt with. Because I wanted so much for Mercedes. And because the story was real. And I’m realizing as I’m sitting here, trying to write this story, that Firsts is hard to put into words. Especially because I don’t want to give too much away, since everyone should read this story the way I did: without knowing anything beyond the synopsis.

Mercedes is the definition of a flawed character. And she’s the kind of character that a lot of people are going to have trouble liking. But her imperfection is what makes her so perfect. And it’s what made Mercedes feel so real as I was reading. So it should go without saying that I loved Mercedes and all her flaws, and I wanted so much for her. Even though I didn’t agree with what she was doing, I understood why she was doing it. And it broke my heart a little. And it made me want so much for her. And I wanted so badly for her to realize that Zach was perfect for her and that he wanted her for who she was. And can I just take a moment to share my love for Zach? Because I really, really loved Zach. And for much of the book, I was just waiting for Mercedes to come to the same conclusion about him I had. And Faye was pretty much the perfect friend for Mercedes. Mercedes just had to realize all that for herself. 

I can’t say enough good things about Laurie Elizabeth Flynn’s Firsts. This is an important story that I fully believe everyone needs to read. It was real, it was heartbreaking, it was touching. It was just a perfect story where I’m concerned. 

Most Anticipated of 2016

A few days ago, I posted about my 20 (well, 23, technically) favourite books of 2015. And it was hard limiting that list to just that number. Even harder was choosing just 15 books from 2016 that I'm excited about. If I could, I would just list ALL THE BOOKS. And then there are ones that I know authors are planning but haven't been announced and therefore can't really talk about. But despite all that (and despite wanting to bang my head against the wall in frustration a couple times), I was able to narrow down this list to just 15 books (not really, because, again, I cheated because this is my list and I can do whatever I want with it). Unsurprisingly, there are only two books on this list that aren't contemporary because that's who I've become in the last couple years. But that's besides the point. So in no particular order, here are the 15 books I'm the most excited to read in 2015.

Game On by Michelle Smith - Since Play On was on my best of 2015 list, it shouldn't really be a surprise that I really (REALLY, REALLY) want and am looking forward to Game On. I need to read Eric's story. I wanted to read Eric's story while I was reading Play On (even though I loved Austin and Marisa's story). So yeah, I need Game On.

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West - Kasie West writes some of my favourite lighthearted contemporary stories. Though I still have to read the one that was published this year (I know, I know), I still can't wait for this next one. I just know reading it is going to put a smile on my face.

Traitor's Pyre by Josephine Angelini - I DESPERATELY NEED THIS BOOK. The ending of Firewalker left me begging for Traitor's Pyre. Even if I'm afraid of what Josephine Angelini will do to my heart with this book, I still can't wait to read it. 

When We Collided by Emery Lord - I've actually had a a copy of When We Collided for a few months now and why I still haven't read it, I don't know. But it's an Emery Lord book and I know I'm pretty much guaranteed to love it. 

Out of Frame by Megan Erickson - I absolutely LOVE Megan Erickson's In Focus series. The two books that are already out were some of my favourite books of 2015 and I can't wait to read more in Out of Frame. Though I am a little worried about the emotional rollercoaster these books tend to be.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson - You can't really go wrong with a Morgan Matson book. I've pretty much been waiting for a new one since finishing Since You've Been Gone. So The Unexpected Everything can't come soon enough.

All Closed Off by Cora Carmack - IT'S STELLA AND RYAN'S BOOK. Do I really need to add more? If you've read the Rusk University books, you totally know what I'm talking about.

Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally - I've yet to be disappointed by a book Miranda Kenneally has written. So Defending Taylor is pretty close to teh top of the list of books I absolutely need in 2016.

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover - I know literally nothing about this book. Only that Colleen Hoover is writing it. And that's pretty much all I need to know where this book is concerned. 

Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry - I've been thinking about Walk the Edge since finishing Nowhere But Here. And it feels like I've been waiting so much longer than I actually have been waiting. Basically, I need Walk the Edge in my life.

Wicked Sexy Liar by Christina Lauren - In the past year I have become a major Christina Lauren fangirl. And I can't even begin to explain how much I need Wicked Sexy Liar. I need Luke and London's story like you wouldn't believe. I just need this book.

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes - I loved Paula Stokes's The Art of Lainey and reading the description for Girl Against the Universe I just know that it's totally going to be my kind of book, there's no doubt in my mind about it.

Right of First Refusal/Out On Good Behavior by Dahlia Adler - I loved Dahlia Adler's first NA book and I can't wait for the two sequels. I've read an excerpt of Right of First Refusal and it only made me want the book that much more. And I can't wait to read another f/f romance by Dahlia with Out On Good Behavior.

The Inside of Out by Jenn Marie Thorne - The Inside of Out was said to be Meg Cabot meets Glee and that's pretty much all I need to know. A combination of my favourite author and one of my favourite TV shows, this pretty much has my name written all over it.

Inflict by Cora Carmack - This is the second Cora Carmack book on this list and for good reason. I've been DYING to read Inflict from the moment I finished reading Inspire. And now I'm finally close to being able to read it and I can't wait. 

Have you heard of any of the books on this list? Are any of them books you're excited about?

Best of 2015

With the year coming to an end in less than a week, I figured now was a great time to share some of my favourite books of 2015. Let me just say that, as always, narrowing down this list was HARD. To give you an idea, I've read 179 books so far this year and so many of those were books that I absolutely loved. Somehow, I managed to get that list down to 20 (well, 23 technically). Much like last year, A LOT of contemporary (of any "age category") this year, so much so that I've barely read from other genres. Like there's only one book on this list that isn't contemporary. Or two, depending on how you qualify one of them. And I guess, maybe a third when you go down to the Honourable Mentions. The point is, that's actually pretty representative of my reading for 2015. But I digress. So, in no particular order, here are my favourites from this year.

Emilie's Favourite Books of 2015

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider - Robyn Schneider quickly became a favourite author after I read her debut a couple of years ago, and Extraordinary Means only solidified the fact that I will read anything she writes. This story was beautiful and heartbreaking and had me in tears by the end. But it was so completely worth it.

Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot - If I had to just pick one author as an absolute favourite, Meg Cabot would definitely top that list. I have been reading her books, the Princess Diaries series in particular, for half of my life. Royal Wedding was absolute perfection and so much more than I hoped for. I couldn't have asked for a better ending for Mia and Michael (even if I still totally want more books about them).

Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally - Miranda Kenneally is a favourite and I have yet to read one of her books and not love it. It was exactly the same with Jesse's Girl. I loved all the nods to eighty's music and the glimpses of characters from other books. And Maya and Jesse were pretty great, too, I guess.

The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick - I had been wanting to read Tim's story from the moment that I finished My Life Next Door. So The Boy Most Likely To was pretty much my dream book. And I didn't want it to ever end. This book exceeded any expectations I may have had and succeeded in making me love Tim even more than I thought I could.

Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry - Katie McGarry is another favourite and I have yet to not love any of her books. I was curious about what this new series would be like and Nowhere But Here ended up becoming one of my favourite books by this author. 

Come Back to Me by Mila Gray - A recent read, Come Back to Me took me completely by surprise. I hadn't heard much about it until I read it and I found myself absolutely loving it. This story left me so many conflicting emotions but it just worked. And I loved it. 

Play On by Michelle Smith - Another book that took me completely by surprise. I didn't know much about Play On before reading it and I didn't expect the story to affect me as much as it did. This was a book that I read in the span of an afternoon and that left me in a puddle of my own tears. 

99 Days by Katie Cotugno - 99 Days was a very polarizing book. People either loved it or hated it. And I found myself solidly on the side of people who loved it. I had loved Katie Cotugno's debut and I loved this one just as much. Not always an easy story to read, but one I loved just the same.

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord - So I'm cheating because I totally included this as an "Honourable Mention" last year, but I reread it this year so it totally counts (also, this is my list and I can do what I want). I loved absolutely everything about The Start of Me and You and I can't help but want someone like Max in my life.

Under the Lights by Dahlia Adler - I actually read both books in this duology this year and Under the Lights easily became a favourite. I loved this story so much, both for the romance and for the friendships. I would have been happy to just keep on reading about Vanessa and Josh and Brianna forever. 

Loving Dallas by Caisey Quinn - I actually loved all three books in Caisey Quinn's trilogy, but I think that Loving Dallas was my favourite one out of all of them. There was just something about Dallas and Robyn's story and their second chance at romance.

Him by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy - On their own, Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy both became favourite authors for me. So it was impossible for me not to love a book written by both of them. And Him was just absolute perfection. This m/m romance is quite possibly the sweetest romance I've read all year, and one of the sweetest I've ever read, period.

November 9 by Colleen Hoover - Colleen Hoover is one of my go-to when it comes to romance. And I thought I knew which of her books was my favourite. But then November 9 came along and replaced it. I didn't expect this story to hit me the way it did and I loved it, regardless of what it did to my heart.

Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson - I'm pretty sure that Trust the Focus is one of the first m/m romance that I read. And because of that it will always be a favourite. But also because it's just a beautiful story about love and friendship. And it's in fierce competition with Him for my favourite romance of the year.

Truth & Temptation by Riley Edgewood - I love Riley Edgewood and her books. This could have just as easily been Surf & Surrender, but something about Teagan's story in Truth & Temptation did it for me. I had high expectations about this story and it more than surpassed them.

The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan - Like a number of other books on this list, this is one that took me completely by surprise. I so did not expect to love The Royal We as much as I did and once I read it, I just couldn't shut up about it. And I'm still waiting for the book all about Freddie.

Firewalker by Josephine Angelini - It's no secret that I absolutely love Josephine Angelini and her books. I loved Firewalker and what it did for the story that started in Trial by Fire. And I'm both scared and excited to see how it's al going to come together in the final book.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen - If I had to put my all time favourite authors in a list, Sarah Dessen would be at the top with Meg Cabot. Saint Anything was different and darker than her other books but I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - People wouldn't shut up about Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda for a very good reason. This is quite possibly one of the most adorable stories I have ever read and just thinking about it puts a goofy smile on my face and fills my heart with all the feelings.

All Played Out by Cora Carmack - I love Cora Carmack and her books, especially her Rusk University series. Of the three that are out so far, All Played Out is absolutely my favourite. I loved Torres and Nell and would happily keep reading books about them if Cora writes them.

Honourable Mentions

(Because they didn't come out in 2015 or aren't out yet)

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta - If I'm not mistaken, Jellicoe Road was the first book I read in 2015 after having been told repeatedly by my friend Ciara that I needed to read it. And she was right, I totally needed to read this book. Even though I didn't know what to do with my feelings when I finished reading, I still absolutely loved this story.

Remembrance by Meg Cabot - I was lucky enough to be able to read Remembrance, the upcoming seventh book in the Mediator series, early and it was perfection. I am loving that Meg Cabot is revisiting some of her older series and writing new stories set in the those worlds. As long as she keeps writing them, I will keep reading them.

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn - Firsts is definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but it's an important book. It might not have always been the easiest story to read, but it's one that I totally loved.

Have you read any books on this list? Were any your favourites?

Blog Tour - With Every Breath by Lia Riley + Giveaway

Title: With Every Breath

Author: Lia Riley

Publisher: Forever

Release Date: December 29, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher/Wordsmith Publicity

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play

BREATHE DEEP…AND JUMP IN

At the ends of the earth, Patagonia is a land where ambition trumps reason and the savage summit of La Abuja lures the most determined climbers. It’s also the last spot a “play-it-safe girl” like Auden Woods expects to find herself. But she’ll lace up her brand-new hiking boots and do whatever is takes to secure a dream job at an adventure magazine…even if it kills her. And it just might. When disaster strikes, her only chance at survival comes in the form of the surliest, sexiest mountaineer ever to come out of Scotland.

After a climbing accident cost him his brother, professional mountaineer Rhys MacAskill is at the end of his rope. Redemption is not in his future. That is, until a terrifying storm blows a budding journalist into his tent and it’s up to him to make sure they both survive until morning. Despite the demons weighing on him, Rhys can’t resist the temptation of the charming American and one wild night just isn’t enough. 

Auden and Rhys soon learn there are no shortcuts as they navigate their way between life, death, and atonement, and discover something they never expected—love.

Lia Riley has easily become one of my go-to authors when it comes to NA and contemporary romance. I always get really excited when I find out that she has a new book coming out, and I jump right into reading it the first chance I get. And it was no different with her latest, With Every Breath.

Auden Woods is determined to put her journalism degree to good use and land her dream job at an adventure magazine. The only problem is that Auden isn’t exactly the adventure and outdoors type. She’s someone who plays it safe and because of severe asthma, has never gone too far from home. But now, Auden is determined to wander out of her comfort zone, traveling to Patagonia on her own to talk to climbers getting ready to climb La Aguja. When the trip doesn’t go quite as planned, Auden crosses paths with Rhys MacAskill, a Scottish mountaineer who sees this climb as his redemption after his last climb cost him his brother. Rhys will stop at nothing to be the first to reach the summit of La Aguja. But what he didn’t anticipate, was Auden barging in to his life and making him rethink everything he thought he knew. Both were looking for something in Patagonia, but what they didn’t expect to find there was love.

In the past year, Lia Riley has totally become one of my go-to authors when it comes to romance and NA books. I mean, between October 2014 and now I’ve read seven books and two novellas written by her. So it really shouldn’t come as much of a surprise when I say that I was excited when she first announced her latest, With Every Breath. Not only is this book NA romance, but it also involves travel and it basically had my name written all over it. So basically, I was in when it comes to With Every Breath. And for me, Lia Riley once again delivered. I got sucked into the story, I connected with the characters and I just wanted to keep reading. In fact, I might have stayed up way past my bedtime to read even though I had to be at work the next morning. But as tired as I was the next day, I didn’t regret my decision to just keep reading until the end. And, not gonna lie, With Every Breath totally made me want to go hiking in Patagonia. Never really thought about it before reading this book, but now this is a thing that I want to do. So be warned, this book may give you a slight (or major) case of wanderlust. With Every Breath simply reaffirmed that I will read just about anything that Lia Riley writes because her stories just suck me in and usually result in me falling a little bit in love with fictional characters (but really, that’s not exactly anything new).

When I first started reading, it didn’t take too long for me to connect with Auden. Much like her, I very much tend to be someone who plays it safe, not necessarily doing all that much to go out of my comfort zone. So I definitely understood that side of Auden’s personality, and I even admired her for actually going out on this trip to hike by herself in Patagonia. As much as With Every Breath made me want to go hike in Patagonia, I don’t think I would actually decide to do so on a whim and just take off and go for it the way Auden did. Though if I had someone like Rhys with me, I might reconsider. Because, holy brooding, hot, Scottish guy. Rhys MacAskill is gruff and surly and not exactly the most welcoming or warmest of person. But when you crack his shell, he is something else entirely. And I hardly blame Auden for falling for him as fast as she did. Because I’m not sure I would have put up much resistance if I had been in her shoes. But for real though, I more than liked Rhys, even if sometimes I kinda wanted to (lovingly) hit him in the back of the head for being a stubborn idiot. But at the end of the day, I liked what they brought out in each other and enjoyed reading their story and seeing them come together.

After having read With Every Breath, I can say that Lia Riley will continue to be one of my go-to authors for all things NA and romance. Just like with all her other stories, I got sucked into this one and I loved the characters. And as a bonus, it gave me a major case of wanderlust.

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