Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

This book is part of my 2013 TBR Pile Challenge.

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Everneath
Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath #1
Publication date: January 24th 2012 by HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Goodreads - Amazon

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned--to her old life, her family, her boyfriend--before she's banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance--and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.
< br/> As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen.

Nikki has been away for a hundred years.

She made the choice to leave those she loved behind her when she decided to go to the Everneath. But when the option of coming back to the Surface and see her family and friends and her boyfriend once again was presented to her, she couldn't bring herself to say no.

Time passes differently to those who live in the Surface, and Nikki has been away for only six months when she crawls out of hell and back to earth. To say that reconnecting to the people she loves is hard is an understatement, but Nikki is determined to spend the last six months she has on earth with those she cares about before the Everneath claims her back.

But things aren't as easy as she thought they would be, not when Cole, the Everliving who took her to the Everneath in the first place, does everything in his power to try and convince her to go back with him. He wants to take over the throne and rule the Everneath, and he has no doubt in his mind that Nikki can help him make that happen.

Nikki's time is running out, and she finds herself faced with an impossible task: escape the claws of those trying to suck her back into the Everneath or accept her fate and come back down as Cole's queen and rule the underworld.

Eerneath was quite a fun read. It was heavy on mythology and with a non-linear timeline that gave us glimpses of the past and of how Nikki got herself into this mess as we went along. That also made the beginning a little bit confusing for me, because I had no idea who was supposed to be the bad guy and what the hell was happening (I didn't read the blurb before starting the book).

I got hooked in right from the beginning, trying to make sense of what was happening and how everything fit together. The author did a wonderful job with portraying Nikki's emotions and I really felt for her and what she was going through as I read the story.

Jack and Cole just made everything better, from Cole's manipulative ways to Jack's love for Nikki. They were total opposites of each other, and reading about their interactions with Nikki and with each other really brought something more to the book.

Nikki's resolve to keep things from people was one of the downsides of Everneath for me. It felt unnecessary, and every time she failed to mention something important to someone because she was too scared to do things the hard way I just wanted to shake her.

"I took the easy way out. I begged for the easy way out. Cole took the pain away, and I didn't care it would ruin everything in my life, because I was stupid enough to think I had nothing else to lose."

And that's Nikki's problem. And why it was so hard to relate to her and like her sometimes. Because even though she knows taking the easy way out ruined her life, she kept making the same mistakes because she didn't want to face people's hurts and reactions to what she'd have to tell them.

Everneath was still a good book, and it had an ending that, although predictable, still left me wanting to know more about Nikki, Jack, and Cole's stories. There were a lot of ties left loose, a lot of history to be explored, and I hope it all gets answered in the second installment of the Everneath series: Everbound.

Review: Waiting for You by Shey Stahl

Waiting for You
Shey Stahl
Series: Waiting for You #1
Publication date: February 21st 2013
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Goodreads - Amazon

Bailey Gray is tired of her perfectly planned life. Everything about her life has been organized and lived out to the expectations set of her parents. She is the class valedictorian, has perfect grades, the perfect friends, a perfect boyfriend, basically perfect life...or so everyone thought. That's when she realizes the path planned isn't always the path chosen.

On graduation day she makes a decision. One that changes everything she thought she knew about her intended future.

On a whim, she runs away with the town rebel, Dylan Wade, in search of the unknown.

Dylan Wade isn't looking to run away from anything.

He knows what he wants as he's been waiting on it for years.

On a journey to find the unknown, they discover a friendship they once knew along the open highway and have not a care in the world. Between the yellow and white lines of the heated summer asphalt, a spark draws them together as Dylan's past and Bailey future try to ripe them apart.

Could it be that Dylan and his GTO are exactly what her perfectly planned life needs?

Bailey is tired of meeting everyone's expectations of what she should do with her life and what kind of person she should be. She's tired of having her life planned out for her by her parents and of having to be the perfect daughter, student, best friend, and the perfect girlfriend. They forced her on a path they would have liked to go on themselves, and Bailey doesn't know how to make them understand she wants something different.

Something quite like what she felt when she was little and used to play with her neighbor, Dylan.

Or really, when she was "allowed" to spend some time with him.

Because when tragedy struck Dylan's family and his father started to drink, Dylan started acting out. He earned his bad boy title sooner in life, and Bailey's parents didn't think she'd get something out of being friends with him other than a bad reputation by association. So Bailey, being used to doing what her parents want, cuts all ties to the one person that makes her feel normal.

It's not until graduation day that Bailey finds herself strong enough to break the control her parents have over her and her life, and her first step into becoming an independent person who stands up for herself is done in style. In the form of her getting in a car with Dylan and driving away from the only life she's ever known.

Dylan has his own reasons to leave their town behind, but he doesn't turn Bailey away when she asks him to let her come with him. He's actually pleasantly surprised to have her around, because he never really forgot the little girl Bailey used to be. And he definitely wouldn't mind having her back, making her his.

They take off without looking back, ready to find something more for themselves, ready to let themselves feel and experience life in their own terms. Both Bailey and Dylan rediscover their friendship and find that what they feel for each other runs deeper than that, and they learn who they really are, that it's okay to go after their dreams, and that sometimes people makes mistakes.

Waiting for You is a really sweet story about finding yourself and realizing that it's okay to break the mold and do what makes you happy, whatever that is.

I'm a big fan of road trip books, but this didn't really grasping my attention. I still had fun reading about Bailey and Dylan's relationship and how it changed with the more asphalt they left behind, but it ended up just being an okay read for me.

Even though I really really really liked the characters - I especially related a lot to Bailey, with the whole tired of meeting people's expectations of her thing - and the plot kept me hooked, I found some of the dialogue really sappy. It was just so freaking sweet sometimes I'd have to stop reading and go do something else because I just couldn't take it. It made me cringe.

But overall, Waiting for You was a really fun read about a boy and a girl who set out to prove to themselves that there's more to life than what they lived so far. They find love and themselves along the way, growing up as the scenery changes, and realizing that doing what's important to you and being happy matters more than doing what people expect you to.

Review: Leo by Mia Sheridan

Leo
Mia Sheridan
Series: Sign of Love #1
Publication date: March 11th 2013
Rating: ★★★★☆

Goodreads - Amazon

Evie and Leo met in foster care as children and formed a bond of friendship. As they grew, their bond turned to love and they vowed to make a life together when they turned 18 and were no longer a part of the system.

When Leo unexpectedly gets adopted as a teen and he moves to another city, he promises Evie that he will contact her as soon as he gets there and come back for her in a few short years. She never hears from him again.

Now eight years later, in spite of the odds, Evie has made a life for herself. She has a job, she has friends, she's content. Then a man shows up out of the blue, claiming that her long lost love, Leo, sent him to check up on her. The attraction between them is undeniable. But, should she trust this sexy stranger? Or is he keeping a secret about what his connection to Leo is really all about and why Leo disappeared all those years ago?

Evie and Leo were inseparable.

Both grew up in foster care after surviving horrible things as children and quickly became the best of friends. They knew they could rely on each other, and the friendship they formed served as the source of care and love they so terribly needed in their lives. But as they became older, their feelings for each other started to change.

As their friendship turned into something more, life decided to intervene. When Leo is fifteen and Evie is fourteen, Leo gets adopted by a family and ends up moving across the country, leaving Evie behind. Before he goes away, though, he confesses his feelings for her, promising to write her letters and come for her as soon as she turns eighteen so they can start their lives together.

And then Evie never hears from him again.

Now it's eight years later and Evie has worked hard to build a life for herself. She has a job, a home, and complete control over her life. She left behind all the hurt from her childhood and moved on to better things, but she still can't help but wonder what happened to Leo.

It's not until she meets Jake that she gets her answer.

He's been doing a terrible job of following her around, and when she confronts him she's shocked to discover that he's friends with the boy that used to mean everything to her. Jake's also not scared of making his feelings for Evie known, and as they relationship progresses and Evie lets herself get closer to someone, secrets that could destroy everything they've built for themselves are revealed.

Leo was a really great, if not somewhat painful, read.

Since the moment I first picked up the book until the moment I read the final sentence, I was feeling for Evie, Leo, and Jake. That's a really powerful thing in writing, when the author manages to make you want to cry in the first few pages of their book, and that's exactly how it was with this one.

Evie and Leo's story was heartbreakingly sweet, and the flashbacks throughout the story only served to make it even more so. I loved that the writing made it so that I didn't feel disconnected to what was happening whenever I went from Evie's present to her past. They kept me connected to what was happening while giving me important insight into who Evie was and how she dealt with what was going on with Jake, why she was reacting the way she did and why she was thinking certain things.

And the plot twist, oh my god.

Even though I had an idea of what was going on, I was still surprised when the big reveal was... well, revealed. It was like everything that we'd read since then finally made sense and aligned and just connected.  And at the same that I was super happy about it, when I found out about the reason it happened I just wanted to stab myself in the eye with a fork because that wouldn't hurt as much as what I was reading.

It was a lovely experience reading Leo. It was sweet, sad, and incredibly touching to get to know these characters and their stories, and to know that even though you were hurt by those who were supposed to stand by you, you still can find your happily ever after and have your dreams come true.

Review: Real by Katy Evans

Real
Katy Evans
Series: Real, Raw & Ripped #1
Publication date: April 8th 2013
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Goodreads - Amazon

A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

Remington "Riptide" Tade is the boxer every woman wants.

What Brooke Dumas isn't expecting is to be included in that list, but when her best friend, Melanie, drags her to one of his fights she can't deny that the attraction is there. Especially not when he sees her on the stands and surprises everyone by smiling and sending a wink her way.

Which is something he does not do, ever.

But it seems like breaking protocol is the theme for the night, something Brooke soon learns when she's called back to his hotel room after the fight is done and ends up being offered a job.

This is Remy's attempt to find something real. To have someone who sees him as who he really is, and not just as the guy who is good at throwing punches. He's tired of people wanting to get closer to "Riptide", but never giving a damn about Remy.

He finds his chance in Brooke, who specialized in athlete rehab in college after having her Olympic dream ripped out from under her feet. She knows the opportunity to work with him as his physical therapist is too good of a deal to say no to, and he even thought he's not surprised when she agrees he couldn't be happier about it.

Accepting his offer means that Brooke has to fly across the country with Remy as a strong and silent presence by her side. She's so aware of his every move that she thinks she's going to go crazy before the tour ends, but it's during those times that she gets to know who Remy is. Or at least a side of him.

They start communicating through music, carefully choosing songs for the other to listen to as they wait to get to their destination. Brooke finds herself more and more captivated by him, and as they grow closer and start sharing more moments outside the confines of a plane, she starts to get a glimpse into the kind of person Remy truly is. Someone who can be incredibly sweet and caring one moment only to have a dark and aggressive edge to him on another.

Real had so much sexual tension I thought I was the one who was going to go crazy. And not necessarily in a good way.

The amount of times Brooke had difficulties in controlling her body's reactions to Remy were troubling. Seriously. Every other page or so we had a comment about soaked panties or weak knees or how hot he was. We get it, alright? He's gorgeous and she wants him. No need to mention it all the time.

That was also one of the reasons why I didn't really buy Brooke and Remy's relationship. It seemed like they were so focused on their mutual attraction that they didn't spend any time outside of airplanes and sharing music actually working on building a connection and developing their relationship.

And the way the author portrayed Remy's mental illness (he's bipolar) was just. Ugh. Ugh.

One, there was the over use of the word "speedy" whenever Remy had an episode. Whether he was manic or depressed, the characters would just say he was "speedy" and leave it at that. Like it explained everything.  Hint: It doesn't.

Two, for some reason whenever he did have an episode his eyes changed from blue to black. As far as I'm aware, suffering from bipolar disorder does not cause dilated pupils. So if you're going to write about mental illness of any kind, at least do your research.

Three, the way the other characters handled Remy when he was manic was to just sedate him and hope for the best. I mean??????? There was no real help given from anyone when Remy so obviously needed someone to be there for him. That was not okay.

And fourth, apparently Brooke had some kind of magical ability to control Remy when he was manic? Because it's mentioned that all she needed to do to was to cuddle in bed with him and he'd be as calm as a kitten. And that was so implausible, especially considering Remy was not being treated for his illness, because mania means that you're feeling like the king of the world and no one can stop you. Not even the woman you have feelings for. Because bipolar disorder is a medical condition that's not cured by resting or love.

So yeah, I gave Real three stars because the entire communicating through music aspect of it all was really touching and sweet and also because the story really had the potential to be something more. Remy's back story was actually really interesting, and maybe if the book wasn't told entirely from Brooke's point of view I would have enjoyed it more. 

Review: A Different Blue by Amy Harmon

A Different Blue
Amy Harmon
Publication date: March 29th 2013
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Goodreads - Amazon

Blue Echohawk doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know her real name or when she was born. Abandoned at two and raised by a drifter, she didn't attend school until she was ten years old. At nineteen, when most kids her age are attending college or moving on with life, she is just a senior in high school. With no mother, no father, no faith, and no future, Blue Echohawk is a difficult student, to say the least. Tough, hard and overtly sexy, she is the complete opposite of the young British teacher who decides he is up for the challenge, and takes the troublemaker under his wing.

This is the story of a nobody who becomes somebody. It is the story of an unlikely friendship, where hope fosters healing and redemption becomes love. But falling in love can be hard when you don't know who you are. Falling in love with someone who knows exactly who they are and exactly why they can't love you back might be impossible.

Blue Echohawk is a nobody.

Abandoned by her mother when she was two and raised by a drifter, she has no idea who she is. She doesn't remember her name, her parents, when she was born, or where she came from. Everything about her life and herself is based on wild guesses, but her talent to carve things out of wood, something her adoptive father taught her before he disappeared.

Needless to say, not knowing her identity makes it really difficult for Blue to feel like she belongs. So she hides behind snark remarks and faceless boys, using the way she looks in her favor. As if her only worth as a person come from how pretty others find her.

When Darcy Wilson starts teaching history at Blue's school, her life takes a different turn. The teacher first sees her as trouble, but through one of his lessons he can't help but find himself drawn and curious about who Blue Echohawk really is. Even more so when he discovers that she doesn't have a story, as least not one that's known to her.

They form a tentative friendship throughout the school year, but it's not until graduation day that Blue decides to change the path she's on. The situation she finds herself in makes it easier for her to make that choice, and  Wilson ends up becoming a really big part of Blue's resolve to truly find herself and figure out who she is as a person.

Him being by her side no matter what provides her with the stability she needs to get herself back together, and as Blue's life progresses and grows into something better she finds it's really hard to keep from seeing him as just a friend. Especially when Blue's world gets turned upside down and they both realize how strong and brave she is as she deals with everything thrown her way with her with her chin up.

I thought A Different Blue was going to be a lot better than I thought it was.

For me it was one of those books that had a really interesting premise and I was all excited about reading it, but when I actually did? Meh.

The one selling point was the fact that Blue and Wilson absolutely did not jump into a relationship. They both  had their priorities straight and had time to work on their lives before deciding to take a chance and be together. I'm really glad the author choose that path for both of them, especially considering everything Blue went through and the impact it all had in her life and in how she saw herself as a person.

The rest of it, though? Most of the book was either Blue having flashbacks about her life as a child with Jimmy Echohawk, her adoptive dad, or Wilson's history lessons.

The flashbacks are good to gives us info about how Blue learned to carve wood and why her dad is not in the picture anymore, but that's about it. There's also a interesting one where we learn about where she got her name from, but after that it just left to me like they were unnecessary to the story. Like they were just taking up page space.

For Wilson's history lessons, same thing. It was nice to read about it when the lesson itself served as a way to shake up Blue's life and make her think about things, but after a while it got tiring to have him going on and on about the subject when it had no real impact in the story whatsoever.

And the over use of Britishisms made getting through A Different Blue three times more difficult. The dialogue already felt stiff and made some of the characters sounded off, so we really didn't need to be reminded one of them was British by constantly having slangs thrown at us left and right every time he opens his mouth.

By the time I finished reading the book I wanted to congratulate myself on having the strength to go through with it. I have no doubt some people found A Different Blue and its characters to be quite a good read, but it just wasn't for me. At all.

Review: Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder

Falling Into You

Jasinda Wilder
Series: Falling #1
Publication date: March 14th 2013 by Jasinda Wilder
Rating: ★★★★☆

Goodreads - Amazon

I wasn't always in love with Colton Calloway; I was in love with his younger brother, Kyle, first. Kyle was my first one true love, my first in every way.

Then, one stormy August night, he died, and the person I was died with him.

Colton didn't teach me how to live. He didn't heal the pain. He didn't make it okay. He taught me how to hurt, how to not be okay, and, eventually, how to let go.

A little warning before the review. Falling Into You deals with self-harm as a form of coping with grief. If that's something particularly troubling for you but you still want to read the book anyway, just be careful.

Kyle Calloway is Nell's first love.

They grew up together and have been inseparable since they were little kids, so it's really to no one's surprise they end up together when they grow up. It just seems like the natural progression of their relationship, and everyone around them agrees they are perfect for each other.

But destiny has other plans, and on one stormy night Kyle was ripped away from Nell's life. For good.

Nell turns into a shadow of her former self, going through life like she's not really there, blaming herself for what happened to the first boy she ever loved. She's broken inside, numb to the world, restoring to desperate measures to make herself feel something, anything, to make sure she's the one still here and still  breathing and not gone out of this world.

Like Kyle.

And then Colton Calloway, Kyle's older brother, happens.

The first time Nell sees him is at Kyle's funeral. He's the complete opposite of who his brother was, the black sheep of the family with inked skin and a smoking habit. But more importantly, he understands what she's going through, knows exactly how much it hurts. So she can't help but lean into him when he offers her comfort, and then she also can't help but feel guilty about her reaction to him when the boy who holds her heart, Colton's own brother, is dead.

They don't see each other until two years later, but the memory of Kyle's death and the moment shared between them is still fresh on Nell's mind.

Colton can see her pain clear as day, mostly because he knows a lot about what is like to be hurting and not knowing how to deal with it. So he offers Nell his understanding, his time, and a shoulder to lean on when things get to be too much and the pain is almost blinding.

Together they learn that it's okay not to be okay, and that the only way to let go is to allow themselves to feel the hurt and guilt and pain and misery that Kyle dying brought them. They learn to count on each other, and that, sometimes, if you let it, something beautiful can come out of the worst things that ever happened to you.

Falling Into You was heartbreaking.

Get into it I knew it was going to hurt because of the premise of reading about a girl falling in love with someone only to have that person taken away from her too soon. I knew there were going to be tears and sadness and heartache, but I still put my big girl pants on and decided to keep going.

Colton and Nell were screwed up inside. They both had a lot happen to them that they didn't know how to or didn't allow themselves to deal with, and that messed them up deeply. But also brought them closer and closer together.

For both of them, being around someone who understood what they were going through and didn't try to make any excuses about it or tried to make it better was... Relaxing is not the right word, but it's the first that comes to mind. It was like they didn't have to pretend they had it together when they were around each other, they didn't have to pretend they were okay because they weren't and keeping up a facade was exhausting.

And that was beautiful.

It was such an experience to read about characters that weren't trying to fix each other at every bad turn, but instead were allowing themselves to tap into that hurt and grief they were so obviously still feeling. Colton not wanting to make Nell better, but instead telling her that there were no magic words or tricks he could say or do that would make her okay again and saying that he understood was amazing, okay?

He was just there for her, showing her that he wasn't going anywhere and that there was a light at the end of the tunnel of endless pain she was stuck in. Because he had been in that same tunnel and he came out on the other side of it. And yes, it was after a lot of heartbreak and misery and nights thinking that feeling hopeless and empty and broken was all that was to him, but he got out, and she could, too, if she wanted.

Falling Into You wasn't a story about healing, it was about learning how to take that step. It was about having something horrible happen to you, letting yourself feel it, and learning that it's okay not to be okay. It was about realizing that no one can help you unless you're willing to help yourself, but that there are people who still love you and are willing to hold your hand while you're trying to figure things out.

Review: Parallel by Lauren Miller

This book is part of my 2013 Debut Author Challenge.

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Parallel
Lauren Miller
Publication date: May 14th 2013 by HarperTeen
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Goodreads - Amazon

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

Abbi's life is spiraling out of her control.

She spent her entire high school career carefully planning her way into Northwestern so she could become a journalist, not leaving even the smallest detail in the hands of fate. That is, until one of the classes that form her perfect schedule gets canceled.

Forced to make a choice between drama or astronomy classes, Abbi decides to try her hand at theater and ends up getting the lead in one of her high school plays. Her performance is so good that, next thing she knows, she's stuck in a Hollywood movie set on the eve of her eighteenth birthday and kissing all of her college dreams goodbye. All because of one tiny choice she made all those months ago that she'd do anything to take it back.

And then she wakes up in her dorm room at Yale next to the roommate she never met and trying to figure out what happened.

With the help of her best friend, Caitlin, Abbi finds out that she's living in her alternate life. In a parallel universe where she took astronomy instead of theater and never got the opportunity to be a Hollywood movie star. But not only is she living the life of her parallel self, her parallel is living Abbi's senior year of high school and altering Abbi's life with every choice she makes.

As Abbi struggles with her ever-changing reality she has to learn that somethings are out of her control, that soulmates exist, and that all paths, no matter how wrong they seem, always lead to the same destiny. Her own.

Parellel was complicated.

The beginning can be extremely confusing if you're used to reading at lightning speed like I am. It took me about four chapters to decipher what the author was trying to tell me when the parallel universes were introduced to the story, much like I had absolutely no idea in what universe the real Abbi was in until about a third of the story.

Dr. Mann and Caitlin's explanations of what was going on actually helped a lot. They were fascinating, to say the least, and made the book a thousand times more enjoyable to me. The only reason Parallel is getting three stars is because of Dr. Mann's classes and Caitlin's science boner and how cool it and entertaining it was to read about it.

Because something had to entertain me, really, after all of the not knowing what was happening.

Plus, Abbi got on my nerves a lot. It's understandable that you're going to be a mess while trying to grasp the fact that you're stuck in a universe that's not yours while your other self is screwing up your life, but if it bothers you so much to be living a life that you didn't chose for yourself do something about it.

And that's the biggest problem of Parallel for me. Abbi, or should I say the plot, were entirely way too focused on the romantic relationships between characters than in actually trying to find a way for Abbi to go back to her rightful universe. 

What started out as a book about science fiction and the wonders of parallel universes and what makes them so differently unique ended up as a character's struggle to discover who was the right man for her. And I don't think we need parallel universes to figure that out, do we?

Review: Music of the Heart by Katie Ashley

Music of the Heart
Katie Ashley
Series: Runaway Train #1
Publication date: March 24th 2013 by Smashwords
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Goodreads - Amazon

For Abby Renard, the plan was supposed to be simple—join her brothers’ band on the last leg of their summer tour and decide if she’s finally ready for the limelight by becoming its fourth member. Of course, she never imagined stumbling onto the wrong tour bus at Rock Nation would accidentally land her in the bed of Jake Slater, the notorious womanizing lead singer of Runaway Train. When he mistakes her for one of his groupie’s, Abby quickly lets him know she sure as hell isn't in his bed on purpose.

Jake Slater never imagined the angel who fell into his bed would resist his charms by promptly kneeing him in the balls. Of course, the fact she seems like a prissy choir girl makes her anything but his type. So he is more than surprised when after betting Abby she wouldn’t last a week on their tour bus, she is more than willing to prove him wrong. But as Jake’s personal life begins to implode around him, he finds an unlikely ally in Abby. He’s never met a woman he can talk to, joke with, or most importantly make music with.

As the week starts comes to a close, neither Abby nor Jake is ready to let go. Can a sweetheart Country songstress and a bad boy of Rock N Roll actually have a future together?

Abby is supposed to join her brothers' band while they're on tour and play with them, taking the opportunity to see if she's ready to become their fourth member.

At least that's the plan, not that it works out so great for her.

Because bad hearing and people's inability to do their jobs lands her in the wrong bus. Or, more precisely, in the wrong bed. Yep, that's right. Abby climbs into bed only to wake up later with someone who's very much not related to her trying to lay there with her. She couldn't be more surprise when she finds out that said someone is actually Runaway Train's lead singer, Jake Slater, because that's their bus she ended up on.

Jake's reaction to her is one of surprise, because he never imagined that anyone who fell into his bed would promptly resist his charms and actually knee him in the balls. He's so sure of himself that he thinks the only reason she didn't want anything to do with him is because she's dressed like a choir girl which, in his eyes, means that she judged him worthless of her time the minute she laid eyes on his tattoos.

What he least expects is for her to take him on his bet: that she wouldn't survive spending a week on the tour bus with them. Abby immediately jumps on the chance to prove him wrong, much to all of her family members' horror, and to prove that there's more to people than what they look or dress like.

The week they spend together is full of ups and down, family drama, misunderstandings, finding love in places you never thought you would, heartbreak, and, of course, lots and lots of music.

I didn't fell in love with Music of the Heart and its characters. It was those types of books you pick it up and have a good time reading only to promptly forget everything about it afterwards.

Nothing really stood out to me except for Abby's take-no-shit attitude and Jake's relationship with his mother. 

For Abby, it was really fun reading about a lead character who's not afraid to speak her mind and let everyone know when they're being total and complete jerks. It's nice to know that there are books about there about girls that are not okay with being pushed around and are not afraid to stand up for themselves.

And as for Jake and his mom... You could feel through the pages his despair and hopelessness and how hurt he was about what was happening. It was really difficult to read about their interactions and not be touched by the amount of love they had for each other. And then it was just downright heartbreaking reading about what happened.

But yeah, Music of the Heart wasn't really for me. I don't regret taking the time to read it, but I also don't feel up to reading more about Abby and Jake. That's not to say I didn't like Katie Ashley's writing and wouldn't read any other books by her, because I would. This particular story just wasn't my thing. But maybe it could be yours.

Review: Fighting for Flight by Jamie Salsbury

Fighting for Flight
Jamie Salsbury
Series: Fighting #1
Publication date: February 25th 2013
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Goodreads - Amazon

What happens when in order to win, you’re forced to lose?

The only daughter of an infamous Las Vegas pimp, Raven Morretti grew up an outsider. Liberated from the neglectful home of her prostitute mother, she finds solace as a mechanic. With few friends, she’s content with the simple life. Flying under the radar is all she knows, and more than she expects.

Until she catches the eye of local celebrity, UFL playboy Jonah Slade. 

Weeks away from his title fight, Jonah is determined to stay focused on everything he’s trained so hard to achieve. Undefeated in the octagon, he’s at the height of his career. But resisting Raven’s effortless allure and uncomplicated nature is a fight he can’t win. 

Jonah trades in his bad-boy reputation and puts his heart on the line. But when her father contacts her, setting in motion the ugly truth of her destiny, Jonah must choose. In a high-stakes gamble where love and freedom hang in the balance, a war is waged where the price of losing is a fate worse than death.

Will the hotheaded Jonah be able to restrain his inner fighter to save the woman he loves? 

Or will Raven be forced into a life she’s been desperate to avoid?

Raven Morretti is nothing more than a pawn in a game she doesn't know she's playing.

She's the daughter of an infamous Las Vegas pimp who basically used her mother to create the perfect hooker. Yep, that's right. Raven's mother was bred (actual word used in the book, I know) to give birth to a child just so she could grow up to work for her own father.

No need to say Raven is not close to her parents. Her father wants nothing to do with her until she's grown up enough to fulfill her "duties" to him and his business, and there's really not much mention of her mother except for the fact she's still turning tricks and basically neglected Raven her entire life. It's a screwed up thing to do, but understandable.

So Raven grows up and falls in love with cars, making her money working as a mechanic at one of her friend's shops. And that's where she crosses paths with Jonah "the Assassin" Slade, UFL playboy, and her entire life turns upside down.

Jonah is your typical playboy. His life as a fighter has made him rich, and he doesn't do relationships. He doesn't sleep with the same women twice, and he never brings any of the girls he's been with back home with him. He's all about his career and making sure he keeps his winning streak intact, no distractions.

Until he meets Raven, and everything chances. There's just something about her that instantly grasps his attention and he can't seem to stop thinking about her, no matter how hard he tries. And Raven is the same way. She can't believe the Assassin would ever look twice at her, but she can't deny the chemistry between the two of them as they spend more and more time together and get to know each other.

But then reality comes crashing down in the form of Raven's father and, suddenly, everything they've worked for is in danger of being taken away. Raven finds herself discovering the truth about how she came to the world, and Jonah ends up having to fight for the life of the woman he came to love. Literally.

The entire daughter-of-a-pimp scheme was what first got my attention in Fighting for Flight, because I just knew nothing good could come out of it. The prologue was as horrifying as it was interesting, and I was instantly hooked.

Too bad I didn't stay that way.

Fighting for Flight up until Jonah and Raven met was great. And when I say great I really do mean that. I was into the story, I wanted to know what would happen, the pacing was good and it kept me interested, and I was just really liking what I was reading.

But the thing is - and I think it's important for me to say that I don't really have a problem with insta-love as long as it's handled carefully and not thrown in your face all the time - Raven and Jonah's relationship just felt like too much way too soon. Parts of the dialogue between both of them were supposed to be really sweet and loving but ended up sounding so awkward and forced that I'd mentally cringe from it.

The only reason I kept reading it was because I was still super interested in finding out how Rave'n's dad would screw things up. I so desperately wanted to know what kind of messed up thing he had in store for her and how that would affect Raven's life and the lives of people she cared about.

And that's actually why this book was awarded three stars from me. I wasn't disappointed with Morretti's complete detachment from his own daughter, how sick and twisted he was, and the lengths he was willing to go through to get what he wanted. And I don't want to give away any spoilers but Raven's mom also comes through in the end and I just really liked her for that.

In my opinion, Fighting for Flight had everything to be a better book than it was but the romance part of it just felt flat. It was still a good read about not judging people based on where they come from, creating something good for yourself out of something bad, and learning to feel worthy of people's love for you. I don't know if I liked it enough to read the sequel, but who knows? Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Review: Going Under by S. Walden

Going Under

S. Walden
Publication date: March 14th 2013 by Penny Press
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads - Amazon

Brooke Wright has only two goals her senior year at Charity Run High School: stay out of trouble and learn to forgive herself for the past. Forgiveness proves elusive, and trouble finds her anyway when she discovers a secret club at school connected to the death of her best friend. She learns that swim team members participate in a “Fantasy Slut League,” scoring points for their sexual acts with unsuspecting girls.

Brooke, wracked with guilt over her friend’s death, decides to infiltrate the league by becoming one of the “unsuspecting girls,” and exact revenge on the boys who stole away her best friend. An unexpected romance complicates her plans, and her dogged pursuit of justice turns her reckless as she underestimates just how far the boys will go to keep their sex club a secret.

(This is a New Adult fiction book with mature themes. It contains graphic sex and language and a description of sexual violence.)

Before I begin, trigger warning: sexual assault. This book contains scenes of sexual assault against women told from the point of view of the victims and it might be a trigger for some readers. If you still decide to read Going Under, proceed with caution.

Brooke is trying to come to terms with her best friend, Beth, committing suicide, feeling like her actions towards her when she was alive were part of the reason that lead her to take her own life. When her mother moves away she's presented with the opportunity to go live with her dad and attend Beth's high school, finding out that the empty school halls hold more secrets connected to her friend's death and what happened to her beforehand than she first thought.

But the deeper Brooke digs, the worse things get.

She finds out about that the swim team's "Fantasy Slut League" is as sickening as it sounds, and that some of the boys participating on it are willing to go to any lengths to get what they want and score more points for themselves.

And that can only mean that what happened to Beth also happened to other girls.

Since Beth is not there to forgive her for her mistakes, Brooke is determined to make those who made her best friend suffer pay and punish herself all in one go. And maybe, just maybe, after she gets what she thinks she deserves for not being a good friend, she'll finally stop feeling guilty about the part she played in her Beth's suicide.

I don't need to tell you that what happens in Going Under is horrid and much more common than anyone thinks. Parts of the story will make you feel sick while other will give you such a strong sense of hope and pride for how some of the character's deal with the trauma they went through.

That was one of the most amazing aspects of the book for me, actually. That the author made sure to include different reactions and responses to being sexual assaulted, showing that everyone deals with these types of situations differently. And also that some people choose not to report the crime for being afraid of what people will think of them.

Brooke was... I found her to be incredibly brave, but also incredibly stupid. She made some really poor decision throughout the story that, at the same time made her real, made her really hard to like. She was an amazingly written character, though, as were all of the people mentioned in the books. I got lost in this story, in these character's lives and what they went through, and I felt for each and everyone of them.

Going Under was a fabulous book about having something taken from you but still having the strength to speak up for yourself. It's about finding love, forgiveness, and the willing to live after tragedy strikes. It will torn your heart apart, put it back together, and make sure you never forget or regret reading about Brooke and Beth's story.

Review: Lost & Found by Nicole Williams

Lost & Found

Nicole Williams
Series: Lost & Found #1
Publication date: May 7th 2013
Rating: ★★★★☆

Goodreads - Amazon

There’s complicated. And there’s Rowen Sterling.

After numbing pain for the past five years with boys, alcohol, and all-around apathy, she finds herself on a Greyhound bus to nowhere Montana the summer after she graduates high school. Her mom agreed to front the bill to Rowen’s dream art school only if Rowen proves she can work hard and stay out of trouble at Willow Springs Ranch. Cooking breakfast at the crack of dawn for a couple dozen ranch hands and mucking out horse stalls are the last things in the world Rowen wants to spend her summer doing.

Until Jesse Walker saunters into her life wearing a pair of painted-on jeans, a cowboy hat, and a grin that makes something in her chest she’d thought was frozen go boom-boom. Jesse’s like no one else, and certainly nothing like her. He’s the bright and shiny to her dark and jaded.

Rowen knows there’s no happily-ever-after for the golden boy and the rebel girl—happily-right-now is a stretch—so she tries to forget and ignore the boy who makes her feel things she’s not sure she’s ready to feel. But the more she pushes him away, the closer he seems to get. The more she convinces herself she doesn’t care, the harder she falls.

When her dark secrets refuse to stay locked behind the walls she’s kept up for years, Rowen realizes it’s not just everyone else she needs to be honest with. It’s herself.

Rowen has been spiraling down the road of self-destruction for the past five years in an attempt to numb the pain her distant mother has caused her. She hides behind her dark clothes, boys, alcohol, and an attitude that makes it hard for people to want to be closed to her. But for Rowen, that's kind of the point.

She's shipped off to spend the summer helping out at her mother's friend's ranch, where she meets the gorgeous cowboy Jesse Walker and his super tight jeans. Only Jesse doesn't seem that scared of her when they meet, which is certainly new for Rowen who's used to people giving her side-way glances and calling her a freak behind her back.

While in the ranch Rowen learns what is like to have people show genuine affection and concern towards her without expecting anything in return, that mother's don't always know best, and that sometimes you have more in common with the people you never thought you would than your own family.

Lost & Found's plot is not original. The entire bad-girl gets shipped off to a ranch in the middle of nowhere by her mother and meets and falls in love with the owner's son isn't something we haven't seen before, but Nicole Williams still managed to turn it into an entertaining story.

I had a blast reading about Rowen's interactions with Jesse and the easy way they bickered and tease each other. Especially when she tries her best to get Jesse to stay away from her by being overly sarcastic and rude, and all he does is smile at her and offer a witty comment right back.

The only thing that bothered me was Rowen's fear of letting people get close to her, and when they did, push them away. That aspect made for some pretty predictable situations throughout the story where I just knew she was going to do or say something mean and mess up the good things she had going for her.

It was still a really sweet story about life's ups and downs and learning to accept yourself for who you really are, and it only served to cement my undying love for anything written by Nicole Williams.

Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

This book is part of my 2013 Young Adult Contemporary Challenge.

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Dare You To
Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits #2
Publication date: May 28th 2013 by Harlequin Teen
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads - Amazon

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Like a lot of people who have been following the series, I was so confused when I read the blurb to Dare You To and saw that this story was about Beth but not about Isaiah. From the little insight we had about Beth's life in Pushing the Limits we already knew Isaiah and her were super close, so it was really not a stretch to think this book would be about them.

Well...

It wasn't.

It was still about Beth. It was still about how the only real concept of family she has is two boys and the basement of someone's house, how dealing with an alcoholic mother who has an abusive boyfriend made her a more than a little skeptical and closed off, how she's used to people only wanting to use her and then forgetting all about her.

And then there was Ryan.

Ryan had what others thought it was the perfect life: he had money, popularity, and a bright future ahead of him. But life at home was not like everybody thought it was with Ryan's parents barely speaking to each other, his dad pressuring him into a career he doesn't know if he wants for himself, and the painful absence of his brother during family dinners.

Beth and Ryan couldn't be more opposites, but as they say: opposites attract.

What follows is Beth trying to evade Ryan's every move, believing that if she lets him get too close to her she's only going to end up hurt. It makes for a very frustrating plot device, because every time you think something's going to finally happen... Beth runs!

It's understandable, though, especially with what's going on in her life. We also learn more about her family and have the introduction of her uncle Scott, who plays a really important part in getting Beth the help she needs. Noah and Echo make an appearance, not letting us forget what we already went through to get to Beth's story.

I actually liked this book a lot more than I did Pushing the Limits. The realness of all the characters and the situations they found themselves in hooked me from the beginning, and I couldn't put the book down until I found out what happened to all of them. It was one fabulous written sequel, and I can't wait to read what comes next.

Review: One Week Girlfriend & Second Change Boyfriend by Monica Murphy

One Week Girlfriend

Monica Murphy
Series: Drew + Fable #1
Publication date: January 10th 2013 by Monica Murphy
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads - Amazon

Temporary. That one single word best describes my life these last few years. I’m working at a temporary job until I can finally break free. I’m my little brother’s temporary mother since our mom doesn’t give a crap about either of us. And I’m that temporary girl all the guys want to get with because I give it up so easily. According to the rumors, at least. 

But now I’m the temporary girlfriend of Drew Callahan, college football legend and all around golden guy. He’s beautiful, sweet—and he’s hiding way more secrets than I am. He’s brought me into this fake life where everyone seems to hate me. And everyone seems to want something from him. The only thing he seems to want though is… 

Me. 

I don’t know what to believe anymore. All I know is, I think Drew needs me. And I want to be there for him. 

Forever.

When college football star Drew Callahan asks Fable to be his temporary girlfriend, Fable thinks this is some kind of a joke. That or that he listened to all the rumors going around that she gives it up easily and he wants something. What she doesn't expect is to be offered money to spend an entire week with him up at his dad's house with him and his stepmother.

A lot of money.

The kind of sum that would mean she wouldn't have to worry about paying rent or bills or making sure her little brother is okay, at least for a while.

So Fable agrees.

She figures that whatever reason Drew has for wanting her to tag along couldn't be worse than her own problems at home. If she can put up with her mother never being around and having to take care of her brother by herself, then whatever it is Drew is hiding from will be a piece of cake for her to deal with.

Fable couldn't be more wrong.

And not only Drew's secret is much darker than she thought, she also has to come to terms with her new-found feelings for him. Because as messed up as their lives are, Drew needs her. And she might need him right back.

One Week Girlfriend is a roller coaster of a book.

The entire pretend relationship aspect of it is one of my favorite things in fiction, and it was wonderfully written in the book. It was so much fun reading about Fable and Drew testing the waters and trying to make their fake relationship real, and ending up creating something between them.

It's not really hard to figure out what Drew's hiding, but to read it all as Fable puts the pieces of the story together and reading about Drew's reactions to certain situations had me hooked. As a reader, I could really see how Drew was struggling with everything around him, and I personally think that the way the author dealt with the kind of trauma he went through was really good. It was believable and it felt real, and it was one of the reasons why I liked this book so much.

Fable was lovely.

There was not a moment in the story where I wanted her to stop or do something different or just go away. I don't necessarily agreed with some of her choices throughout the story, but I could still relate to her and what she was going through and understand where she was coming from. And her relationship with her brother always brought a smile to my face.

Even with its darker edges, One Week Girlfriend was an amazing book and I'm really glad I picked up it.

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Second Chance Boyfriend
Monica Murphy
Series: Drew + Fable #2
Publication date: April 6th 2013 by Monica Murphy
Rating: ★★★★☆

Goodreads - Amazon

Lost. That one single word best describes my life at this very moment. I lost the last games of the season and both my team and my coach blame me. I lost the last two months because I drowned in my own despair like a complete loser. And I lost the only girl who ever mattered because I was afraid being with me would destroy her.

But now I realize how truly lost I am without her. She has become my story…and even though she acts like she’s moved on, I know she still thinks about me just as much as I think about her. She’s beautiful, sweet—and so damn vulnerable, all I want to do is help her. Be there for her.

Love her…

If only I could convince Fable to give me a second chance. Then I wouldn’t feel so lost anymore, and neither would she. We could be found together.

Forever.

Second Chance Boyfriend  picks up about two months after One Week Girlfriend ends, and it deals with the fallout of Drew leaving.

No need to say everything is a mess and everyone is miserable, with Fable trying to move on with her life and support her brother and Drew trying to come to terms with what happened to him and finding a way to help himself.

But it's not until Fable gets a new job working at a restaurant and Drew bumps into her while at a party at the same place that things start looking up.

Fable is a little hesitant to give Drew the time of day after the way he left her, but she can't deny her feelings for him and how much she misses him. All the while Drew realizes how stupid he was to walk away in the first place and tries his best to make it up to her and show her that now he's there for her, for whatever she needs.

So I have to say that, much like Fable and Drew's relationship, this book is kind of a mess. But, in my opinion, it all works out for the best and it was a very entertaining read.

We get Fable and Drew embarking on a new relationship after everything that happened to them. Both are still dealing with the aftermath of Drew living and Fable learning about his secret, all the while trying to figure out how they work as a couple. Seeing as they only had that little time together before everything turned upside down.

But what we don't see much throughout the book is Fable and Drew being a couple, doing silly couple things, learning how to be together and what works for them as a couple. What we have instead is a lot of drama and life throwing things their way for them to deal with.

I felt like there were some aspects of the plot that could have been explored to a greater extent, and the fact that they weren't left me feeling like something was missing in the story. Or maybe I'm just so used to having the other shoe drop when things seem to be okay that when they don't I get the feeling like something's not quite alright.

Despite all of that it was still a really good book, although not as good as the first one, with a satisfactory ending to Fable and Drew's story. And maybe all of the answers I think I'm missing will be answered on Three Broken Promises, where we'll learn everything about Colin and Jen's relationship.

Review: The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

The Secret of Ella and Micha
Jessica Sorensen
Series: The Secret #1
Publication date: October 4th 2012
Rating:★★★★☆

Goodreads - Amazon

A rule-breaker with a fiery attitude, Ella always wore her heart on her sleeve. Then she left everything behind to go to college, where she transformed into someone who follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. Now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. But once there, Ella fears that everything she's worked so hard to bury might resurface-especially with Micha living right next door.

Smart, sexy, and confident, Micha can get under Ella's skin like no one else. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. If he tries to tempt the old Ella to return, he will be impossible to resist. But what Ella doesn't realize is that when she left, she took a piece of Micha's heart with her. Now he's determined to win back the girl he lost, no matter what it takes.

Ella ran away to college because she wanted to forget. She wanted to forget her old life, her old self, and the boy who gets her like no one else ever has. So she really should have known better than to drive back home during break and expect things to go down smoothly, expect the walls she build up around herself and her new persona to hold and not break.

Micha hadn't seen Ella since she left eight months ago, right after he finally decided to make his move and kissed her. They grew up together and were the best of friends, so Micha can't help but be a little surprised when the Ella that comes back to their town looks anything but like the Ella he'd always known.

Determined to bring his old friend back, and maybe convince her that they're perfect for each other, he begins the slow process of showing Ella that there wasn't anything wrong with who she was before. And that just because she changed the way she looks and acts, it didn't mean she changed who she really was inside.

The Secret of Ella and Micha was such a fun read, with its endearing and strong-minded characters. Jessica Sorensen did a great job with writing and giving us a very clear insight into both Ella and Micha's point of views in the book, making me relate to what I knew about them and still keeping me hooked and wondering about all of the things that I didn't.

I just fell in love with the characters and their stories, even though the ending kind of left me feeling cold all over. But thank god for the epilogue to give me all the warm feelings again! It made me so excited to find out what happens to Ella and Micha, and I'm glad I won't have to wait forever since the release date is set for tomorrow!