Review: Miss Mayhem

Miss Mayhem
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Published: April 7th, 2015
Hardcover, 273 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and her best friend, Bee, has returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can focus on the important things in life: school, canoodling with David (her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie), and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant.

Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they'd rather train David than kill him. The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can't stay David's Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her or make her more powerful than ever.

I was so excited to jump back into Harper Price's crazy world. The first book in this series, Rebel Belle, blew me away with its mix of girly Cotillion and bad-ass demon hunting. It was a mix between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The O.C. with drama, fighting and some super cute romance mixed in. This one had all the same elements as the first book, but something about it fell flat for me. It was short read but not very much happened to make it seem like it only needed to be 273 pages. The book starts off with Harper and her friends trying to find Bee after she's been missing since Cotillion. It bings them to this magical house where they find out she is being trained to be a replacement Paladin if Harper does not pass her tests, tests she knew nothing about. Turns out she's not a real Paladin until she passes and the Ephors want David for reasons other than just killing him. Add to that the fact that Harper and Ryan have been actively forcing down David's oracle powers to protect him, and this whole book just calls for drama.

I went into this book thinking this was a duology but was incredibly surprised at the end with the cliffhanger-ish ending to find out that there will be a third book. Knowing this, made me enjoy what I had read a bit more because as an ending it would have been awful. So now that I know it's the middle book, I see total second-book syndrome all over it. There is very little plot progression and character development that left me disappointed. Harper and David are adorable at the beginning of the book, something I love once two characters get together. I know we need drama to make things interested, but I would rather that drama have been between Harper and the Ephors or Harper trying to save David's life. Instead, my OTP fought for most of the book and David was very upset when he found out what Harper's been doing to his powers. I did love Harper and Bee's relationship, something I find very important in books. Even though things are tough and Bee is potentially dating Harper's ex-boyfriend, that doesn't get between their friendship and Bee is always there to help Harper when she's in trouble.

The humor in this is equal to the first book, a lighthearted way of looking disaster in the eye. Harper is a fun character that holds her own throughout the book and keeps her spirits high in the hardest of times. Like the first book, Harper joins into a group event to save the day. This time she's part of the Miss Pine Grove pageant, surrounded by young girls who are way more into than her. The last 50 pages of this book, including the pageant, were the highlight of this book. As much as I hated the ending, the event leading up to her made for some action-packed fun. Of course, I must get my hands on the third and final book because what Hawkins did at the end of this book still haunts me a month after reading it and I just need everything to wrap up perfectly. Is that too much to ask?

"Honestly, not enough people know how to use good manners as a weapon."

Review: Kissing in America

Kissing in America
Author: Margo Rabb
Published: May 26th, 2015
Hardcover, 400 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

In the two years since her father died, sixteen-year-old Eva has found comfort in reading romance novels - 118 of them, to be exact - to dull the pain of her loss that's still so present. Her romantic fantasies become a reality when she meets Will, who seems to truly understand Eva's grief. Unfortunately, after Eva falls head-over-heels for him, he picks up and moves to California without any warning. Not wanting to lose the only person who has been able to pull her out of sadness - and, perhaps, her shot at real love - Eva and her best friend, Annie, concoct a plan to travel to the west coast to see Will again. As they road trip across America, Eva and Anne confront the complex truth about love.

In this honest and emotional journey readers will experience the highs of infatuation and the lows of heartache as Eva contends with love in all of its forms. 

This book was so different from what I expected it to be, but it was still fantastic. Eva lives inside romance novels, escaping the world around her. She lost her father recently, and she lies about how he died to anyone who asks. She seeks the comfort of the books instead of people, but when Will starts showing up to her tutor sessions, suddenly she wants to live. He sees her and the moments they spend together on the roof of the school make her believe they are meant for each other, just like the characters in her books. So when he moves to California to go live with his father and he tells her to come see him whenever she's free, she takes him up on the offer and goes on a road trip across the country with her best friend, Annie, and her Aunt. They make a trip of it, stopping to see landmarks along the way. Eva puts all her hopes into being with Will, thinking that once she sees him again everything will be okay. Truths and discoveries along the way make for a memorable journey about love, friendship and family.

This book started off so dreamy. Eva lives vicariously through her romance novels and Will makes her believe them to be true. She's a hopeless romantic, young and in love, in a place where we've all been. She believes him to be the one and she'll do anything to get him back. Her plan to go to California is fun and unique. She gets Annie to apply to be on a TV series called Smartest Girl in America, and Eva will be her lifeline for the categories she isn't great in, like literature and music. The two girls make a great team and they have the kind of friendship we all remember having or still have if we're lucky. It takes Annie a bit of convincing before she decides to go along with Eva's plan, but once they are on the road, they have a great time together. There are moments that test their friendship like when they are visiting Annie's cousin and they spend more time together without Eva around. There are lots of moments where people tell Eva she is wrong about Will, which just amkes Eva more determined to see him.

Will is the guy we'd all fall for in high school. He's a bit of a player, but he's super sweet to every girl and acts like they are the only one he wants. From the beginning I wasn't so sure about him, but the things he said and did with Eva showed me why she fell for him. A young woman will do anything for the guy who's captured her heart. With first love comes first heartbreak and I won't say I didn't see it coming, because I thought maybe Will would be different, but when they finally see each other again, it's not at all like Eva had hoped. The ending was unexpected but I completely understand why Rabb did it like this. This is an important book for young women on the power of love and the way that it can make or break you. Eva's relationship with her mom was equally as important as Eva's relationship with Will and I loved how their story arced throughout the book. The misery of losing a family member causes people to react differently and I loved the moment they were able to see each other again.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever been infatuated with someone. There isn't as much kissing as I would have liked, but this was a great road trip story with an unpredictable ending.

"I think sometimes the biggest influence isn't what's present in your life, but what's absent. Those missing pieces that shape you and change you, the silences that are louder than the noise."

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Authors I've Read the Most Books From

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where we make bookish lists of bookish topics.

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Authors I've Read the Most Books From

1. Rachel Vincent (11 books) Still have to read her Shifters series, but she is by far my favourite author!

2. Sophie Kinsella (13 books) She's still one of my favourites, though I still haven't read Shopaholic to the Stars

3. Sarah Dessen (10 books) Only two more of hers that I need to read. Love them!

4. Colleen Hoover (12 books) I've read them all and I've loved all of them!

5. Cora Carmack (7 books) Literally my favourite New Adult author. She's so sweet!

6. Miranda Kenneally (6 books) More please.

7. K.A. Tucker (8 books) Breaks my heart every time, but I always come back for more. A fantastic writer.

8. Nicholas Sparks (12 books) Yes, I was really into Nick for a while there, but I've kind of grown out of it so even though there are still about 5 to read and on my shelf, I'll probably never get around to them, unless they make them into movies, that seems to get the ball rolling.

9. Sophie Jordan (8 books) Both her Teen and New Adult books have blown me away.

10. Lauren Oliver (10 books) The queen of YA. Her writing is amazing and I've loved every one of her books. Can't wait for another one!

It's easy to read a lot of books from an author when they write well and continue making great series. Even better when they move between genres, like Ya and NA to keep me interested. Who are some of your go-tos?

Review: Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold

Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold
Author: Katie Finn
Published: May 5th, 2015
Hardcover, 400 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

The war rages on between Gemma and Hallie in the second installment of the Broken Hearts and Revenge series.

After the humiliating events on the 4th of July, Gemma's trying to handle the fact that Hallie knew who she was all along, and she was the one who stole Teddy from her. Gemma vows revenge, but things get more complicated than she planned. Ford, Gemma's long time crush, has arrived in the Hamptons cuter than ever. Josh is refusing to speak to her after she lied to him, and Teddy is playing champion to his beloved Marsh Warbler (in Gemma's backyard, no less).

Gemma and Hallie find themselves in an escalating revenge cycle. Just when Gemma thinks she has the upper hand, the biggest bombshell of all is dropped. And it's one that threatens to change her life forever. This exciting sequel to Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend will eave you begging for the third installment.

If I thought Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend was full of girl drama, revenge, and misunderstandings everything has just one upped itself in this sequel. The events at the end of the first book threw everything into a tailspin and even though I predicted how it would have ended, it was still a shock when everything fell into place. Hallie is one tough cookie to break and Gemma is determined to get her back for everything she put her through over the beginning of the summer. Gemma is ready to seek her own revenge but Hallie isn't done with her yet. Juicy things are bound to happen as these two girls go head-to-head. Throw in some boys - Teddy, Gemma's ex-boyfriend who is now dating Hallie, Josh, Hallie brother who Gemma lied to all summer and who finally knows who she really is, and Ford, Gemma's long time crush who's here for the summer and ready to help Gemma in any way she needs. Trust me, this one's a dousy.

Every character in this book has aspects of deceit. It's human nature, but Finn has taken in and turned into one huge revenge scheme and it fantastic. The book was filled with crazy tactics and times where I thought it couldn't get any worse and it did. The ending was fantastic and made me crave the last book in the series. It seems everything goes wrong and it was a lot of fun to read as these two girls got over their pain by trying to destroy the other. Okay, I guess "fun" might not be the right word, as they did some pretty deplorable things to each other, but I'm really hoping they find a way at the end of all this to become friends again. Things get bad, some things happen that I would find unforgivable, but I feel like that ending opens things up for them to potentially get through all this in one piece. I say this book is fun because I sped through it and I loved trying to guess what plot schemes they'd come up with next and trying to figure out how everything would play out. These girls are intense and it made for good reading.

Gemma has done some terrible things, but so has Hallie, and now that they both know what the other has done, it's time for them to set things right. There were some cute moments with Josh, even cuter moments with Ford, and even though I am not ever a fan of love triangles, this one was different and actually worked for me. I understand why Josh reacted the way he did, he feels like he doesn't know Gemma at all, and Ford is just too cute. Nerdy with surfer good looks? Sign me up!

I don't want to get specific as I feel like the revenge plots are what makes this story so great. I love that Gemma works at an ice cream shop and that Teddy handcuffs himself to a tree in her backyard for the endangered birds he's trying to save. There are such great moments in this book and I enjoyed every second of it. So, seriously, when can I have the last one?

Review: Second Chance Summer

Second Chance Summer
Author: Morgan Matson
Published: May 8th, 2012
Paperback, 468 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Taylor Edwards' family might not be the closest knit - everyone is a little too busy and over-scheduled - but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor's dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains. 

Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven't actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend... and he's much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.

As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they're more aware than ever that they're battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance - with family, with friends, and with love.

There's no beating around the bush on this one - it's a tearjerker. Taylor's family hasn't really been that close, but when her dad is diagnosed with cancer, suddenly everything is going to change. One last summer at the lake house will bring the family together like never before. It was an amazing summer full of family, friendship and love and I was in love every step of the way. Taylor's last time at the lake house was memorable for all the wrong reasons. She left without saying goodbye to her first "boyfriend" (they were twelve) Henry, and her best friend, Lucy. Back after so many years, she's not surprised with the hostility they both show her once they realize she's there for the summer. But this is a summer for second chances, and throughout the book, we watch Taylor redeem herself and find out how she became so good at running away. This is a typical summer book with a dash of grief mixed in. The more Taylor learns to live, the more she realizes her father won't be able to anymore. The hope and loss is strong and every chapter brought me closer to an ending I would never be prepared for.

Every character in this book was great and well-rounded. Taylor was very typical for a seventeen year old girl, she liked to run away from problems and I won't lie when I say I've done the same. Her and Henry are awkward at first, but you can tell right away that he cares about her and wants them to be friends again. Lucy is not so easily persuaded and Taylor works really hard over the summer to earn her friendship back. They work together at a concession booth on the beach and the close quarters certainly made for great tension while their friendship was on the rocks. I was very happy when they became friends again as strong female friendships are so fun to read in books. I love when an author makes it as important as the romance because a seventeen-year-old girl would tell her friends everything. I remember how important friendship was at that age, and even now I don't know what I'd do without my best friends. Taylor's family was very realistic as well. Her older brother is an awkward brainiac who also finds love over the summer and it's the cutest damn thing. Her little sister, Gelsey, is a talented ballerina who takes after her mom and is constantly the center of attention. My favourite part with her is when Lucy and Taylor teach her how to have a proper sleepover, something every little girl needs to know!

Throughout the book, there are flashbacks to Taylor's twelve summer, a time when things were easier and everything was happy. It played really well into the story and made Taylor's redemption that much stronger. The closer I got to the end, I knew the summer was coming to an end. As Taylor grew closer to Lucy and spent romantic moments with Henry, her father's death longed in the back of her mind. Matson certainly knows how to tug those heartstrings. Taylor grew closer to her family, spent time with her father and made new memories over the summer. Family is the main focus of this book and even though Taylor spent her days with her friends, the times with her family were more important than anything. Summer stories hold a certain place in my heart. They are always hopeful and fun and nights spent looking out at the lake as the sunsets is what dreams are made of. Matson has weaved together a tale of summer love, summer friendship and moments that will forever be captured in my heart. You'll want to hug your dad and your family after this book. You'll want to say "I love you" to everyone you love before it's too late. This one is a keeper, and sometimes you need a good cry, right?

"A thousand moments that I had just taken for granted - mostly because I assumed that there would be a thousand more."

"And I've realized that the Beatles got it wrong. Love isn't all we need - love is all there is."

Top Ten Tuesday: Fairytales & Fairytale Retellings

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where we make a list of bookish things each week.

This week's topic is: Top Ten Fairytales & Fairytale Retellings

 1. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Cinderella)

2. The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler (The Little Mermaid)

3. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (Red Riding Hood)

4.  Beastly by Alex Flinn (Beauty and the Beast)

5. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (Wizard of Oz)

6. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George (Snow Queen)

 7. Cress by Marissa Meyer (Rapunzel)

8. A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn (Sleeping Beauty)

9. Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George (Twelve Dancing Princesses)

And one I want to read:

10. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge: Because Beauty and the Beast and Greek Mythology sounds perfect to me.

Review: Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend

Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend
Author: Katie Finn
Published: May 5th, 2015
Paperback, 368 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Gemma had her summer all planned out, but it takes a sharp turn when she gets dumped and finds herself back in the Hamptons after a five-year absence. Being there puts her at risk of bumping into Hallie, her former best friend (that is, before Gemma ruined her life). But people don't hold grudges forever. Do they?

Gemma intends to make amends, but a small case of mistaken identity causes the people she knew years ago - including Hallie and her dreamy brother Josh - to believe she's someone else. As though the summer wasn't complicated enough already.

Can Gemma keep up the charade? Or will she be found out by the very people she's been hiding from?

A good revenge story is always fun to read and this one was a good time from beginning to end. Gemma used to spend her summers in the Hamptons and met her best friend the summer they were 12. She and Hallie had a great summer until Gemma did something unforgivable and ruined the whole thing. Gemma stops going there until a summer five years later gives her no choice. She's not sure if she's ready to face the wrath of Hallie and a case of mistaken identity gives her a way out. Hallie's brother Josh doesn't remember her and now thinks she's Sophie, Gemma's best friend, due to the name on her Starbucks cup. But Gemma doesn't think Hallie will forget her but when they finally meet again, Hallie is nice and makes me move to remember her. Gemma thinks she'll have the summer to makes things right with Hallie, but when things start going wrong it almost seems like she's being sabotaged. But Hallie doesn't remember her, so it must just be in Gemma's head, right?

Drama in the Hamptons isn't unusual and this book is no different. The things that happen to Gemma are brutal and heinous and I'd never want them to happen to me. The more things heat up with Josh, the less Gemma wants to tell the truth. It's a tough line for her to walk and it's hard to decide if what she did was in anyway the right way to go about it, but I can't imagine being able to admit my mistakes either. As we found out more about the summer when they were 12 and why Gemma did what she did, I'm sure she's not the only one who has thought or done something like that. Reminded me a lot of The Parent Trap, but yes things like that have consequences and Finn certainly let Gemma feel them all.

The writing was fun and I found it super easy to read and couldn't put it down. At some points it got predictable, but I was okay with that as it was still a lot of fun to read. I guessed where the whole thing was going but it didn't make it any easier to read what happens to Gemma and Hallie. The ending made me eager to pick up the second book in the series, which thankfully is already out, so I could read more of the story. Gemma loses things she loves for a mistake she made years ago, but it's finally time for her to apologize to Hallie and make things right. It may too late, but I'm hoping they'll be able to get past everything that's happened and go back to how they used to be. Revenge is a sad thing, but it makes for great reading. This book is fun for anyone who likes a quick summer read and heinous characters that kind of get what they deserve.

"It seems that thinking 'things can't get any worse' is an invitation for things to get much, much worse."