The Reading Geek

True
By: Erin McCarthy
Released: May 7, 2013
Source: Netgalley
Purchase the Book: Amazon
*Note this is a New Adult book

”When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory. Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn’t…Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost…” (Summary from goodreads.com)

True was a captivating and quick read for me. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put this book down because I instantly became so invested in the characters.

Rory was an interesting protagonist. Her friends set her up with Tyler for a one night stand. However, Tyler and Rory have trouble resisting each other. I wasn’t always crazy about the choices that Rory makes. However, I liked that Rory fought for what she wanted at times. She surprised me a bit because she went after what she wanted. I didn’t like her roommates all that much and I still think it was really low of them to pay a guy to sleep with their friend.

Tyler doesn’t think he is good enough for Rory because of his past and his family though. I really liked Tyler and I admired how he cared for his family. I also thought the relationship between Rory and Tyler developed well. The passion and chemistry was definitely there and these two characters were believable.

The plot moved along at a great pace. I enjoyed how it developed and there were a couple of twists that I didn’t expect the story to take. Some aspects were definitely predictable, but there were still moments that surprised me. I also loved the references to A Streetcar Named Desire because that’s one of my favorite plays. Overall I just really enjoyed True. It was a story filled with sweet, funny, sad, and heartbreaking moments.

May 17

Book Review: Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini

Touching the Surface
By: Kimberly Sabatini
Released: October 30, 2012
Source: Author
Purchase the Book: Amazon

”When Elliot finds herself dead for the third time, she knows she must have messed up, big-time. She doesn’t remember how she landed in the afterlife again, but she knows this is her last chance to get things right. Elliot just wants to move on, but first she will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed. As she pieces together the secrets and mistakes of her past, Elliot must find a way to earn the forgiveness of the person she’s hurt most, and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever” (Summary from goodreads.com)

I always love when I find a book that is completely different from the other Young Adult books that I have been reading lately and Touching the Surface was just that kind of book. It was a beautifully written and refreshing story.

Elliot is dead for the third time and she has no idea how it happened. All she knows is that she did something bad and she is forced to face the memories before moving on. Elliot was a strongly developed character. She’s just simply realistic. She’s made some huge mistakes and she has to face them now if she wants to move forward. It was really interesting to learn about her previous lives too. There were also several other fantastic characters in this book, but I especially liked Oliver and Trevor as well.

I was able to jump right into this story from the first page. The plot was developed strongly. I loved how Sabatini told the story and how Elliot delves into her memories throughout the book. There is a bit of a mystery at first regarding how she died again and it continues to develop on from there as she delves into more of the memories. The story just really flowed well and it wasn’t always predictable. I found myself actually wanting to take my time reading this book slowly rather than just reading it in one sitting. It could also be a heavy read at some moments too though.

I loved the setting of Obmil and Sabatini’s version of life after death was so interesting. It was all presented just really clearly to the reader. Sabatini truly makes an excellent debut and I will definitely be reading what she writes next. Overall, I just really enjoyed Touching the Surface and meeting these characters. This will be a story that will stick with me.. I strongly recommend Touching the Surface to anyone looking for a Young Adult novel that is different.

May 15

May 13

Book Review: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy #2)
By: Wendy Higgins
Released: April 30, 2013
Source: Purchased
Purchase the Book: Amazon

”Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things. Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind. When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?” (Summary from goodreads.com)

Sweet Evil is one of my favorite books, so I’ve been highly anticipating the release of Sweet Peril for the past year and it was definitely even better than I expected. I read this book in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down. I just needed to know what would happen next to these characters that I have grown so attached to with the first book.

Anna has changed a lot since the previous book. If she wants to live, she has to do what the demons and Dukes want. However, she is also beginning to travel and gather the support of other Nephilim around the world after receiving a message. Anna has developed so much since the last book and she continues to do so in this book. She is just a great protagonist and she is believable. She is far from being perfect and she does what she must do in order to survive.

Then there is Kaiden. If I have one complaint about this book, it would be that there wasn’t enough Kaiden. I just absolutely adore him though so that may just be me wishing that I could have a whole book with just Kaiden. He really develops a lot more in this book too though and I started to see more of a different side to him. I was also happy to see the return of characters like Blake, Kopano, Marna, and Ginger.

The plot was great and I loved that it spanned over a year. I just love the direction that Wiggins took this story next because it’s interesting and not what I was expecting. I especially loved going to new places and traveling with Anna. It was great to go to new settings and meet new characters.

One of my favorite aspects of this series is the mythology of the demons and Nephilim. It’s interesting and explained really well, so I really enjoyed learning even more. Higgins created such a fascinating world with Sweet Evil and she really expands it more with this book. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series! While I wait though I will definitely be rereading this series again and again. I strongly recommend Sweet Peril, it’s a fantastic sequel that will not disappoint!

May 11

Book Review: How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True
By: Sarah Strohmeyer
Released: April 23, 2013
Source: Edelweiss
Purchase the Book: Amazon

”When cousins Zoe and Jess land summer internships at the Fairyland Kingdom theme park, they are sure they’ve hit the jackpot. With perks like hot Abercrombie-like Prince Charmings and a chance to win the coveted $25,000 Dream & Do grant, what more could a girl want? Once Zoe arrives, however, she’s assigned to serve “The Queen”-Fairyland’s boss from hell. From spoon-feeding her evil lapdog caviar, to fetching midnight sleeping tonics, Zoe fears she might not have what it takes to survive the summer, much less win the money. Soon backstabbing interns, a runaway Cinderella, and cutthroat competition make Zoe’s job more like a nightmare than a fairy tale. What will happen when Zoe is forced to choose between serving The Queen and saving the prince of her dreams?” (Summary from goodreads.com)

I really enjoyed How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True. This book was a fun and hilarious read. I read this in one day because it was difficult to put it down.

Zoe and Jess are working in a theme park for the summer with the chance to win a grant. Zoe is assigned to be the assistant to the boss of the theme park though. Zoe gets assigned insane tasks by her boss though and her internship is nothing like she expected. Zoe was a fantastic and realistic protagonist. She puts up with the crazy tasks that “The Queen” gives her. I especially loved the relationship she had with her cousin Jess. She would do anything for her cousin. There were also plenty of other great and fun characters that I loved getting to know.

The plot was great and had a good twist that I wasn’t entirely expecting. There was a good mix of drama, humor, and a bit of romance. I became a fan of Strohmeyer after reading Smart Girls Get What They Want last year and this book just made me a bigger fan. I just love her writing style, it flows great.

I especially just loved the humor of this book. The setting in the theme park and the character of “the Queen” was great. I loved all the rules and how they censored “the mouse” out of everything for “the Queen.” It’s what I imagine working in a theme park would be like. I can’t wait to read what Strohmeyer writes next. Overall, I recommend How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True, it’s a fun and quick read.

May 08

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May 03

Book Review: While It Lasts by Abbi Glines

While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3)
By: Abbi Glines
Released: July 31, 2012
Source: Audiobook from Publisher
Purchase the Book: Amazon
*Note this book is New Adult

”Maybe driving home after a few (or more) shots of tequila had been a bad idea, but hell, he did it all the time. The cops had to have been freaking bored to have pulled him over. He wasn’t even swerving! That’s Cage York’s story and he’s sticking to it. Unfortunately, his baseball coach isn’t buying it. Cage has a free ride to the local junior college for baseball — or he did, until he’d gotten a DUI. Now, Cage has to decide: does he drop out and give up his dream of getting noticed by a college in the SEC, and possibly making it into the Major Leagues — or does he give in to his coach’s demands and spend his summer baling hay? Eva Brooks planned out her life step by step when she was eight years old. Not once over the years had she lost sight of her goals. Josh Beasley, her next door neighbor, had been the center of those goals. He’d been her first boyfriend at seven, her first kiss at ten, her first date at fifteen, and her first tragedy at eighteen. The moment she’d received the phone call from Josh’s mother saying he’d been killed along with four other soldiers just north of Baghdad, Eva’s carefully planned life imploded in the worst way possible. Cage isn’t real happy with his closet-sized bedroom in the back of a foul smelling barn, or his daily interactions with cows, but he knows that if he doesn’t make his coach happy then he can kiss his scholarship goodbye. Only a sick and twisted man would decide his punishment was to be working on a farm all summer. No hot babes in bikinis waiting to meet a Southern boy to make her vacation complete. Just him and the damned cows. Oh — and an uptight, snarky brunette with the biggest blue eyes he’s every seen. But she doesn’t count, because as hard as he’s tried to charm her out of her panties - he’s pretty sure she’d rather see him hung from the rafters than let him get a taste of her pretty little lips.” (Summary from goodreads.com)

I really enjoy this series a lot and I like every new book more and more. Each book follows a different character but these characters are all connected with each other in some way.

Eva has just recently lost her fiance. She has been best friends with Josh since they were little kids and she grew up to fall in love with him. They had their entire lives planned out around being with each other. Although the book begins with Josh’s death, it is still made clear just how much Josh and Eva loved each other. Eva was a great character. She has lost her first love and is trying to move on with a life without him. She is clinging on to a friendship with Josh’s twin brother, Jeremy, because of his connection with Josh. Eva is developed strongly throughout the course of the story.

Then there is Cage who is sent to work on a farm after getting a DUI. Cage is a bad boy who doesn’t want to ever commit to one girl. I admit I wasn’t a fan of Cash for half of the book. I did like that Low was included still in this book and the friendship between Cage and Low is still there. Cage definitely develops really well too though. Also the chemistry between Eva and Cage is clearly evident.

I liked that the chapters alternated between Eva and Cage because it really helped move the story along. The plot was really captivating and hooked me in immediately. It was predictable but that didn’t make me enjoy the story much less. Just the beginning brought me to tears though and I had barely even known these characters yet. My heart broke for Eva as she tries to move on. There are definitely some sad moments, but also some really sweet ones too. It’s a realistic story.

The audio for this book was good and I think the Southern accents just brought me into the setting even more. Overall I really enjoyed While It Lasts and so far this has become my favorite book in the series.

Book Review: Game. Set. Match. by Jennifer Iacopelli

Game. Set. Match.
By: Jennifer Iacopelli
Released: May 1, 2013
Source: E-book from Author
Purchase the Book: Amazon B&N

”Nestled along the North Carolina coast, the Outer Banks Tennis Academy is the world’s most elite training facility. In this pressure-cooker environment, futures are forged in blood and sweat, and dreams are shattered in an instant. Penny Harrison, a rising female star, is determined to win the French Open and beat her archrival, Zina Lutrova. But when her coach imports British bad boy Alex Russell as her new training partner, will Penny be able to keep her laser-like focus? Tennis is all Jasmine Randazzo has ever known. The daughter of two Grand Slam champions, she’s hell-bent on extending her family’s legacy and writing her own happily-ever-after…until her chosen Prince Charming gives her the just-friends speech right before the biggest junior tournament of the year, the Outer Banks Classic. With a powerful serve and killer forehand, newcomer Indiana Gaffney is turning heads. She’s thrilled by all of the attention, especially from Jack Harrison, Penny’s agent and hot older brother, except he keeps backing off every time things start heating up. With so much at stake, dreams—and hearts—are bound to break. Welcome to OBX: Where LOVE is a four-letter word, on and off the court” (Summary from goodreads.com)

I really enjoyed Game. Set. Match. and finished this in one sitting. I love tennis so I’ve been looking forward to this one ever since I first read the synopsis.

The story follows three tennis players, Penny, Jasmine, and Indy. Penny is one of the top rising tennis players and is focused on winning. Then Alex comes into the picture as her new training partner. It’s immediately clear how dedicated she is to the game and how hard she works to be at her best. Penny became my favorite because I really related to her. She is so focused on her goal that she sometimes forgets to have fun. Then there is Jasmine who I wasn’t a big fan of. She has a lot of pressure on her because her parents were once athletic stars. I do like how she develops though. All three girls really develop through the story, but I thought Jasmine was the character that developed and learned the most. Lastly there is Indy. Indy is the new girl who is receiving a lot of attention early. I liked Indy a lot because she honestly works hard too. She has been through a lot to get to where she is and she works hard. I also liked that she stands up for herself and doesn’t hold back. While at the training academy, Indy meets Jack. Jack is Penny’s older brother and agent and he quickly became another one of my favorite characters.

There are a lot of characters in this book and they are introduced early. It got a bit confusing at first to keep each of the girls straight so I made little notes for myself. After a couple of chapters though the characters became much more distinct and it was easier to differentiate between them. I loved how the story was alternated between these three girls and how their lives intertwined. I especially enjoyed the friendship that developed between Penny and Indy.

The plot was really captivating and developed at a great pace. There was good mix of drama and some romance too. It never really got too predictable either. The setting at the academy was great and as I said earlier, I’m a big tennis fan so I really enjoyed reading about the matches. This book also made me want to go out and play a tennis match when I finished reading.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Game. Set. Match. and can’t wait to read where Iacopelli takes these characters next. I definitely recommend checking this one out.