MY SO-CALLED (LOVE) LIFE: A. L. MICAEL

After falling insanely in love with Michael's The Last Word, I was super excited only days later to find that yet another book had been released. I was going to be on vacation and I couldn't wait to take this baby with me.

I did love it, although it is so similar in story line and also characters as The Last Word that I wished there had been something more to set them apart so they don't glob together in my mind. We had the boy and girl fake relationship that leads to more, and then we had two best girlfriends where one of them is gay...again. I mean seriously it was too much like the first book I loved. Yet, here is the thing. I said I loved the first book so that means I loved this too.

I just hope that the next book of this author's has some characters that I couldn't mistake for being the same ones in this book. Either way, I'll be excited to read whatever comes next!

BOOK BLURB:
Meet Tigerlily James: romance cynic, North Londoner and die-hard margarita fan.

Tigerlily James has been a member of the Young and Bitter Club ever since she was dumped on Valentine’s day. By her fiancé.

Surviving on a diet of cynicism and margarita-fuelled ‘Misery Dinners’ with her best friends, she’s become a romance free zone…and that’s the way she likes it. Until an invitation for The Ex’s wedding arrives. Suddenly in need of a plus one, Tig has little choice but to bin the takeaways, ditch the greying underwear collection…and start pretending to view the opposite sex as something other than target practise.

Then, she meets Ollie – ie. the perfect solution. No sex. No strings. Fake boyfriend. The only catch is that she has to pretend to be his girlfriend for three whole months.

Dating without the heartbreak: the best idea Tig’s ever had, right? Wrong!

Right now this particular book is cheaper on Amazon then her other books. Go ahead and get it for some fun HERE!

THE LAST WORD: A. L. MICHAEL

Utterly and completely charming. I adored this from the beginning and I just loved every second of reading this. I always love me some British Chick-Lit and this one delivered. My biggest disappointment? That I cannot seem to be able to buy a physical copy of the book. It seems to only be available as an eBook! How am I supposed to add it to my ever growing British Chick-Lit collection?

BOOK BLURB:
Tabby Riley’s online life was a roaring success. Her blog had hundreds of followers, and legions of young fans ardently awaited her every Tweet. Her real life was a bit more of a disappointment. Living in a shared flat in North London, scratching a living writing magazine articles on ‘How To Please Your Man in Bed’ wasn’t where she thought she’d be at twenty-six – especially when there was a serious lack of action in her own bedroom.

Although that might all be about to change when she’s offered a position at online newspaper The Type as a real journalist – and gains a sexy new editor, Harry Shulman, to work with. Harry’s confident, smooth talking, and completely aware that he drives Tabby mad. Which is fine, because Tabby’s dated an editor before, and it’s never happening again. Ever. But as her reputation at the paper grows, Tabby has to wonder: is it time to get out from behind the screen and live her life in the real world?

Perfect for fans of  Mhairi McFarlane, Sarra Manning or Paige Toon. Not many people have heard about this and reviewed it yet, but I hope it catches on so I can enjoy more books by this delightful author!

Read more about it HERE. 

IT'S NOT ME IT'S YOU: MHAIRI MCFARLANE

How delightful are the characters in Mhairi McFarlane's books? I can't even tell you. Three books now and I have been delighted by all of her characters. Her writing style in this book is the same as in her previous two. She writes a TON of little asides that go way over my head. However, her characters shine and make me want to read and read and read and then cry when there is no more to read. 

BOOK BLURB:

Delia Moss isn’t quite sure where she went wrong.

When she proposed and discovered her boyfriend was sleeping with someone else – she thought it was her fault.

When she realised life would never be the same again – she thought it was her fault.

And when he wanted her back life nothing had changed – Delia started to wonder if perhaps she was not to blame…

From Newcastle to London and back again, with dodgy jobs, eccentric bosses and annoyingly handsome journalists thrown in, Delia must find out where her old self went – and if she can ever get her back.

You can read more about it HERE. Thank you Edelweiss for the review copy.

ONE PLUS ONE: JOJO MOYES

This is the kind of book that I just see a lot of people liking. It just has these fun, loveable, flawed characters that are just interesting to read about. It isn't a "dumb" book, but it isn't isn't a hard read either. It is just that kind of novel that sucks you in and entertains you and makes you believe in happy endings despite the crap of life.

BOOK BLURB:

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages . . . maybe ever.

Tiny bit of swearing, a little romance. Overall, not overly adult in nature.  

You can read more about it HERE.

HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU: MHAIRI MCFARLANE

Yesterday I was talking with my friend Suzy about this book and I looked on Goodreads to see what I had written about it and I realized I had forgotten to review it! Do you ever do that? I'm sure I do it more than I realize, I read too much.

With this particular book, I think I forgot because I planned on sharing how much I enjoyed it on the blog, and I kept putting it off and I forgot. Well enough about my scatter brain self and now on to why I liked this book.

McFarlane's writing style is pretty specific to her. She likes to make lots of jokes that honestly distract me quite a bit. But I like her stories and honest characters so much I don't mind being a tiny big distracted. If you are a British chick-lit fan (and if you actually read my blog you should try a few if you haven't read any before), then I would read Mhairi's first book You Had Me At Hello and then if you love it then you will probably love this too.

BOOK BLURB:
The new novel from the bestselling author of You Had Me At Hello. What if the last person you wanted to see was the person you needed? After the runaway success of You Had Me At Hello, Mhairi McFarlane is back with a new cast of characters in her second book, Here's Looking At You. In essence it's an ugly duckling tale. Our heroine Aureliana returns to school after fifteen years for a reunion. School doesn't hold happy memories for her, as being a roly poly Italian (known as the Italian Galleon), and always armed with a Tupperware full of pungent Mediterranean food, she was bullied incessantly throughout her years there. Now in her 30s, Aureliana wants to put the past behind her once and for all and face up to the bullies who made her life hell. But she is much-changed from the girl she once was - all curves and because I'm worth it hair - and no one recognises her when she arrives. Losing her bottle, she backs out on her plan for revenge and slinks off, hoping never to be reminded of her years at school again. But fate gets in the way, and after the reunion her path keeps crossing with James - major hunk and Aureliana's major crush back at school. But alas, as a cronie to the bullies, Aureliana to this day believes that his beautiful exterior hides an ugly interior. As they continue to cross paths a love/hate relationship ensues until eventually something shifts, and they both start to discover what the person underneath is really like...Full of Mhairi's trademark laugh out loud humour, Here's Looking At You is a novel about facing your demons and being happy with who you really are.

You can read more about this book HERE.

THE ROSIE PROJECT: GRAEME SIMSION

I'm usually wary of popular books that a lot of people have read and books that I have to wait in line a long time before my name is at the top of the library list. However, The Rosie Project was worth the wait. I always love the voice of characters with Aspergers, I enjoy their observations about the silliness of our society's "norm". Our hero, Don was a delightful voice. Reading about his projects was just plain fun.

BOOK BLURB:

An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love.

Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.

Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.

The Rosie Project is a moving and hilarious novel for anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of overwhelming challenges.

If you haven't yet heard of this book, I hope it is on your radar now. You can read more about it HERE.

IT FELT LIKE A KISS: SARRA MANNING

So one of my best Christmas presents was from my mom. She snagged me an ARC of our favorite author's new book. Normally I would wait and be patient to read this closer to the release date, but I don't even know the US release date...so who cares right? Instant book gratification never hurt anyone that much.

It Felt Like A Kiss was great. It was a bit slow starting, but I was still enjoying it. The last half was almost impossible to put down. Also, I love love loved having cameos from my two favorite Manning characters Vaughn and Grace as well. 

BOOK BLURB:

Ellie manages a swank Mayfair gallery, but it’s her life that’s a real work of art. Great job, really good hair, loyal friends, loving family. It’s only her succession of lame duck boyfriends that ruin the picture.

Oh, and the world-famous rock-star father she’s never met, who won’t even acknowledge her existence.

Then Ellie’s perfect life is smashed to pieces when her secret is sold to the highest bidder and her name, face (and pictures of her bottom) are splashed across the tabloids. Suddenly everyone thinks she’s a gold-digging, sex-crazy, famewhore.

Enter David Gold. Charming and handsome David Gold. On paper he’s even more perfect than Ellie, if only he wasn’t her father’s ruthlessly ambitious lawyer whose job is to manage the crisis – and her. He certainly doesn’t think that Ellie’s the innocent party and she doesn’t trust him at all. So why is it that every time they’re alone together, damage limitation is the last thing on their minds?

So what are you going to do since this book isn't even out yet in the UK, which means who knows when you'll be able to get it in the US? I have a brilliant solution for you: Go to Amazon and either borrow Unsticky for free if you are an Amazon Prime member, or freaking buy it for $2.99. I'm sure you have bought worse books for that price.

After that you will be all caught up on Grace and Vaughn. If you can't wait for more Manning You Don't Have To Say You Love Me is also crazy cheap and available to borrow. These are two of my favorite books of all time people!

Sarra writes some sexy scenes in her books, but they are not glamorized romance novel type scenes. There is always a fair amount of character driven swearing as well. 

She is my favorite author of chick-lit and YA. End of. (That is my favorite British saying ;) )

PAIGE TOON: THE LONGEST HOLIDAY

If you have not yet read a book by Paige Toon and you love fun light reads where you get totally involved in the characters lives...then what are you waiting for? I cannot give enough cheers for Paige Toon where my only complaint with her books is that they end too soon. For those of you in the US, you might find your library has slim pickings for Toon books. However, you will find that on Amazon you can purchase used copies for a steal.

I recently devoured her most recent release, The Longest Holiday and loved it.

BOOK BLURB:

He's smiling down at me with tears in his eyes as I say my solemn vow:
'I, Laura, take thee, Matthew, to be my lawful wedded husband…' I thought I would never feel like this about anyone ever again. Not after my first love… Not after the heartbreak and the loss and the trying to pick myself back up again… Then I met Matthew, and I know that he has my heart forever: my perfect, gorgeous, adoring Matthew. And then I wake up. And I remember that he's not perfect. He's so far from perfect that my heart could surely collapse from the pain that instantly engulfs me…
To say Laura is unlucky in love is an understatement. Her first boyfriend died in a horrific accident, and now she's just discovered that her husband of six months has been hiding a terrible secret. Devastated and unwilling to face reality, she escapes on a girls' holiday to Key West with her best friend Marty. But a deep and instant attraction to a sexy Cuban scuba diver takes her completely by surprise. When her two weeks in the sun come to an end, Laura doesn't want to go home again. But she can't run from real life forever. Can she?

Read more about it HERE.

BLACKMOORE: JULIANNE DONALDSON

When I receive an early release eGalley I like to wait until a book is close to the release date so that when I review it on my blog it is fresh on my mind. With Blackmoore though I just read it. I had been in such a reading rut and I couldn't take the wait. Don't worry I jotted down some notes while it was still fresh. 

Fans of Donaldson's Edenbrooke with not be disappointed. This is another clean period tale heaped with romantic tension. I felt the longing feelings of our heroine right from the start, and cheered for her throughout the book. I couldn't give this a full five stars though because a few thing distracted me. One was the horrific mother, I just hated reading about her and found her annoying brash ways too much. Also, Donaldson adds these flashbacks that are well written, but they totally pulled me from the story at hand...a story I was WAY into and did not want to be pulled from AT ALL. You have to read the flashbacks though, because they move the story forward.

BOOK BLURB:

Kate Worthington knows her heart and she knows she will never marry. Her plan is to travel to India instead—if only to find peace for her restless spirit and to escape the family she abhors. But Kate’s meddlesome mother has other plans. She makes a bargain with Kate: India, yes, but only after Kate has secured—and rejected—three marriage proposals.

Kate journeys to the stately manor of Blackmoore determined to fulfill her end of the bargain and enlists the help of her dearest childhood friend, Henry Delafield. But when it comes to matters of love, bargains are meaningless and plans are changeable. There on the wild lands of Blackmoore, Kate must face the truth that has kept her heart captive. Will the proposal she is determined to reject actually be the one thing that will set her heart free?

Set in Northern England in 1820, Blackmoore is a Regency romance that tells the story of a young woman struggling to learn how to follow her heart. It is Wuthering Heights meets Little Women with a delicious must-read twist.

I'm not generally a fan of historical romance but both of Donaldson's books have been really fun reads. I do recommend reading Edenbrooke first just because I liked it a tad more.

Read more about Blackmoore HERE.

GRACE GROWS: SHELLE SUMNERS

I will say right off that I can see some people not enjoying this book as much as I did. It kind of goes on and on and in quite a bit of detail. But for me I just got sucked in right away to the details and enjoyed this very much. I do think it is stronger in the beginning as our two main characters meet and grow close together. There is a distinct plot point where I thought the whole story slowed down, but by then I was so invested I was still a happy reader. For me, I related to the whole idea of being afraid to really fall in love and get hurt like the MC, so I liked Grace very much.

BOOK BLURB:

Grace Barnum’s life is precariously balanced on sensible choices and uncomfortable compromise. She dutifully edits textbooks that, she  fears, may be more harmful than helpful to kids. She is engaged to a patent attorney who is steady and reliable. She has a cautious relationship with her  fascinating father, a renowned New York painter, and she prefers her mom slightly drunk.

Always a planner, Grace feels prepared for most eventualities. Until the responsibility-challenged Tyler Wilkie shows up. Fresh in town from the Poconos, Tyler has warm eyes, a country drawl, and a smile that makes Grace drop things. Worst of all, he writes devastating songs. About her.

Tyler reaches something in Grace, something she needs, but can't admit to. Something she wants, but won't succumb to. Tyler Wilkie loves Grace Barnum and ruins everything.  And Grace grows.

A great easy read with a little bit of swearing, and sex scenes that aren't in extreme detail. Read more about it HERE.

ME BEFORE YOU: JOJO MOYES

This is the kind of story that could have had a political agenda, and I am so glad it didn't. Moyes just tells us a story without picking sides. This is the kind of book that won't be easy for me to forget. It was lovely and sad while being hopeful and funny.

BOOK BLURB:

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.
What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Has a bit of swearing, but otherwise a clean read. Read more about it HERE. 

Thanks Edelweiss and Penguin for this read.

DOMESTIC VIOLETS: MATTHEW NORMAN

There is a scene in Sex And The City when Carrie meets Burger and finds out he is an author who "relates to men the way her writing relates to women." And then Burger makes some comment how men don't want to read books like that. Do you know that scene? Every time I watch it I wish that weren't true, that there were more books by men that were light funny books about what it was like to be a guy. So discovering Domestic Violets, a chance to get in the head of a sarcastic, almost middle-aged guy, was a huge treat.

Norman had me from the first page with this line: "At least I think that's ironic, that word gets misused a lot." This book is seriously honest, so much so that it could make you blush. It is also seriously hilarious, I was laughing throughout the whole thing. Norman wrote the voice of a character that I was kind of in love with while simultaneously being glad I wasn't this man's wife.

Overall, this book is funny, touching, and sad while being real and full of forgiveness. Every character was bright and full of life. They were a bit exaggerated for drama and laughs but still felt like real people. If you are someone like me who wished there were more books that were about what it is like to be a guy then you will probably love this book.

BOOK BLURB:

In the tradition of Jonathan Tropper and Tom Perrotta comes Matthew Norman's Domestic Violets--a darkly comic family drama about one man's improbable trials of love, loss, and ambition; of attraction, impotence, and infidelity; and of mid-life malaise, poorly-planned revenge, and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Read more about it HERE.

A GIRL LIKE YOU: MARIA GERACI

This is a very light little story with a great voice and very interesting supporting characters. It is a twist on the traditional romance, and even though I figured out the ending I still loved it and think many might find the ending to be a total surprise. I loved how this book explores the idea of how often it is that the way we see ourselves is so different from how others see us. Also, our main character might be all grown up, but she grows a lot throughout the book and she is always likeable even at her unlikeable times.  As always, I also give this book extra marks for being a relatively clean read. No sex scenes and very little foul language.

BOOK BLURB:

What if you found out you were the ugly friend?

Emma Frazier is smart, hardworking, and loves her job as a journalist for a Florida lifestyle magazine. Emma knows she’s no great beauty, but she’s pretty certain she has a shot with her handsome new boss, Ben Gallagher—until Emma overhears a mutual acquaintance refer to her as the “ugly friend.” In an effort to reclaim her battered self-esteem, Emma decides to impress Ben at work by promising an exclusive interview with NASCAR legend, Trip Monroe.

Emma and Trip went to high school together and although it’s been fourteen years since they’ve spoken, Emma is certain she can score an interview with the elusive super star. But connecting with Trip turns out to be harder than Emma imagined. Her quest for the interview leads her back to her tiny hometown of Catfish Cove, where old secrets and a new romantic interest shake up Emma’s views on life and teach her that maybe the key to finding true love is as simple as accepting yourself for the person you were always meant to be.

Read more about it HERE.

DREAMING OF SUMMER GIVEAWAY HOP: THE BLUE BISTRO

I'd say most of the books I read could be described as light "beach reads", so it was kind of tricky to pick a book to feature for this giveaway. The Blue Bistro is so summer! I am re-reading it now and I am currently sucked into a wonderful Nantucket setting surrounded by food I wish was real.

BOOK BLURB:

Adrienne Dealey has spent the past six years working for hotels in exotic resort towns. This summer she has decided to make Nantucket home. Left flat broke by her ex-boyfriend, she is desperate to earn some fast money. When the desirable Thatcher Smith, owner of Nantucket's hottest restaurant, is the only one to offer her a job, she wonders if she can get by with no restaurant experience. Thatcher gives Adrienne a crash course in the business...and they share an instant attraction.
But there is a mystery about their situation: What is it about Fiona, the Blue Bistro's chef, who captures Thatcher's attention again and again? And why does such a successful restaurant seem to be in its final season before closing its doors for good? Despite her uncertainty, Adrienne must decide whether she'll move on, as she always does--or finally open her heart.

I'm gonna give away one copy to one lucky winner! Enter for your chance to be that winner...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

EDENBROOKE: JULIANNE DONALDSON

There were so many reasons for me to NOT like this book. The heroine is smart and funny, but completely clueless to the obvious men in her life, the plot was pretty darn predictable, and the scandal storyline seemed almost like an afterthought. However, I still totally loved it. I don't know why, but I did. Edenbrooke is super cute and swoony, and is a completely 100% clean read. I also had a very hard time putting it down.

BOOK BLURB:

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.

From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will she be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.

Read more about it HERE.

WHO'S AFRAID OF MR. WOLFE?: HAZEL OSMOND

I really enjoyed this. It was kind of predictable, but then the way it went about it's predictableness (I know that is not word) was a surprise. It is probably not a book you can get at your local library, but it is available on amazon for way cheap.

BOOK BLURB:

Ellie Somerset is a great advertising copywriter going nowhere fast - a boyfriend who is always at work, a tendency to dress like a short-sighted bag lady and a Creative Director who rejects her fresh ideas - they all conspire to keep her just treading water. Even her Great Aunt Edith, a demon at filthy scrabble, has a better social life than she does. All that changes when Jack Wolfe becomes her boss. Whilst everyone else at the agency thinks he's Heathcliff in jeans, Ellie just sees a stalking, scowling Alpha male with a nasty redundancy plan up his sleeve. As Jack makes it his mission to smarten up Ellie's attitude and her appearance, it's time for her to prove herself. But that means getting closer to this very sexy, very wicked man, and as she does Ellie discovers that this particular Heathcliff has an awful lot to hide.

A few steamy scenes and mild language. Overall a light and enjoyable read without being silly. 

Read more about it HERE.

BOND GIRL: ERIN DUFFY

Ok, so I'm currently a little burned out on the silly YA books that I have picked up as of late so I found myself on a blog that reviews books about the older gals. I spotted a rave review of Bond Girl, so I picked it up at the library. This was an interesting read for me, because it doesn't seem to have any real plot development. It is more just random anecdotes that author Duffy might have experienced herself while working on Wall Street. Also, our heroine Alex is a spoiled rich girl who makes some obviously bad decisions about her dating life. But guess what? I loved the book anyway. Maybe it is the business major in me, but I found the setting of the finance world utterly fascinating. Especially the character portrayals of the men Alex works with day-to-day.

BOOK BLURB:

When other little girls were dreaming about becoming doctors or lawyers, Alex Garrett set her sights on conquering the high-powered world of Wall Street. And though she's prepared to fight her way into an elitist boys' club, or duck the occasional errant football, she quickly realizes she's in over her head when she's relegated to a kiddie-size folding chair with her new moniker—Girlie—inscribed in Wite-Out across the back.

No matter. She's determined to make it in bond sales at Cromwell Pierce, one of the Street's most esteemed brokerage firms. Keeping her eyes on the prize, the low Girlie on the totem pole will endure whatever comes her way—whether trekking to the Bronx for a $1,000 wheel of Parmesan cheese; discovering a secretary's secret Friday night slumber/dance party in the conference room; fielding a constant barrage of "friendly" practical jokes; learning the ropes from Chick, her unpredictable, slightly scary, loyalty-demanding boss; babysitting a colleague while he consumes the contents of a vending machine on a $28,000 bet; or eluding the advances of a corporate stalker who's also one of the firm's biggest clients.

Ignoring her friends' pleas to quit, Alex excels (while learning how to roll with the punches and laugh at herself) and soon advances from lowly analyst to slightly-less-lowly associate. Suddenly, she's addressed by her real name, and the impenetrable boys' club has transformed into forty older brothers and one possible boyfriend. Then the apocalypse hits, and Alex is forced to choose between sticking with Cromwell Pierce as it teeters on the brink of disaster or kicking off her Jimmy Choos and running for higher ground.

Fast-paced, funny, and thoroughly addictive, Bond Girl will leave you cheering for Alex: a feisty, ambitious woman with the spirit to stand up to the best (and worst) of the boys on the Street—and ultimately rise above them all.

Interestingly, as I read the reviews of those on Goodreads that did not like this book, I agree with their reasons for not liking it.  But I found myself completely mesmerized by the world Duffy created and I don't think I will ever look at Wall Street the same again. The book has some flaws, but it has some real strengths too.

Read more about it HERE.

ON THE ISLAND: TRACEY GARVIS GRAVES

I've heard so much about this book and I was really excited that it now has been published by Plume and my library acquired it right away. This survival story was almost impossible to put down. I kept allowing myself to read just one more chapter (they are short, and addicting), and before I knew it. I wasn't tired anymore and it was 2 AM.

BOOK BLURB:

When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends.

Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island.

Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

This isn't a perfect book, and I had some issues with it. I enjoyed the alternating male/female POV, but I thought they sounded pretty much like the same person. Also, I could picture the island so clearly that little story issues stood out to me. Like tell me how boxes of tampons survive a plane crash in the ocean? 

I'm surprised I felt so connected to the characters because the writing style is a little plain and straight forward. It sometimes just feels like a list of what is happening and not much of what the characters are feeling. Despite Graves’ style, I was involved completely with Anna and T.J. 

Some language, not much though. Sexual situations and frank talk about sex in general. This isn't an island romance novel with love scenes for the sake of just having them to entertain.

JOHNNY BE GOOD & BABY BE MINE BY PAIGE TOON

I have been going through a real British chick-lit phase these days. I don't know what it is about them, but I can't seem to get enough. I recently read and reviewed and LOVED Paige Toon's Chasing Daisy. I couldn't wait to read another one of her books, so I bought myself a copy of Johnny Be Good. And guess what? It doesn't have a real ending! I was totally furious until I realized that three years after Johnny Be Good came out there was a sequel, Baby Be Mine. And I tell you, I was so glad I didn't have to wait three years to see what happened next. (I did however, have to wait for the book to be shipped...which was torture!)

In my normal life, I never like the bad boys. However in books I love them, and Johnny Jefferson is the ultimate bad boy. I also love reading about relationships that I cheer for, even though I think maybe they shouldn't work out. That is why I enjoyed these two books more than Chasing Daisy. There is nothing more perfect in the summer than getting lost in a Paige Toon book, and you can quote me on that. :)

BOOK BLURB: (for Johnny Be Good)

If your boss was the hottest rock star on the planet, would you mix business with pleasure?

I'm Meg Stiles. This is my leaving party. And that song we're making a mockery of? That's written by one of the biggest rock stars in the world. And I'm moving in with him tomorrow.

Seriously! I am not even joking. Well, maybe I'm misleading you a little bit. You see, I haven't actually met him yet...

No, I'm not a stalker. I'm his new PA. His Personal Assistant. And I am off to La-La Land. Los Angeles. The City of Angels—whatever you want to call it—and I can't bloody believe it!

Celebrity PA to wild boy of rock Johnny Jefferson, Meg's glam new life in sun-drenched LA is a whirlwind of showbiz parties and backstage passes. Cool, calm Christian, in town to write his famous friend's biography, helps keep Meg's feet firmly on the ground. But with Johnny's piercing green eyes and a body Brad Pitt would kill for, how long will it be before she's swept right off them again?

As a note Toon has scattered use of foul language, but not a ton. She also does not write overly descriptive love scenes.Also reading about Baby Be Mine will give away a few plot points so read about that book with caution if you don't like spoilers.

Read more about Johnny Be Good HERE.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME: SARRA MANNING

Since I loved Sarra Manning’s YA novel Let’s Get Lost, I didn’t waste much time getting me a copy of You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me to see how she writes for adults. This book is long, and I loved that getting lost in the length. I was able to enjoy the day to day events of Neve and they weren’t boring to me because I think Manning is a great writer. It reminded me of how I felt reading One Day by  David Nicholls (without the part that made me so mad I wanted to throw the book across the room), because I got such an intimate glimpse in a friendship and relationship. 

BOOK BLURB:

Sweet, bookish Neve Slater always plays by the rules. And the number one rule is that good-natured fat girls like her don’t get guys like gorgeous, handsome William, heir to Neve's heart since university. But William’s been in LA for three years, and Neve’s been slimming down and re-inventing herself so that when he returns, he’ll fall head over heels in love with the new, improved her.

So she’s not that interested in other men. Until her sister Celia points out that if Neve wants William to think she's an experienced love-goddess and not the fumbling, awkward girl he left behind, then she’d better get some, well, experience.

What Neve needs is someone to show her the ropes, someone like Celia’s colleague Max. Wicked, shallow, sexy Max. And since he’s such a man-slut, and so not Neve’s type, she certainly won’t fall for him. Because William is the man for her… right?

Somewhere between losing weight and losing her inhibitions, Neve’s lost her heart – but to who?

This book has some saucy scenes. They are not written in “bodice ripping” style, but just a straight forward “this was how it was" way. And it might be too much for those who don't care for romance books, but I personally prefer the tell it like it is approach to the flowery fake one when it comes to love scenes. 

Read more about this book HERE.