Book Review: Heart-Break You

                     "This seems to go on forever, but time for me seems to be at a standstill. It's like watching a slow-motion movie playing out in front of me and not knowing how to stop it." 

                    I could not put this book down! I read the whole book in one sitting, it is that good. Seriously!!! This picks right up from where we left off, almost like watching a movie scene play out. I love this book a lot more than the first installment, which is funny because I really liked the first one. The characters are just flawless, and the plot is spectacular! 

Summary: 

                    "Our story didn't exist, it was broken before it began. Kisses were covered with lies. Lies were covered with kisses. Hate turned into lust. And lust turned into fantasy. That's what we were, a fantasy. Nothing more, nothing less. Now it's time to move on. But how can you when your heart wants to say stuck in the fantasy? When even through all the lies and kisses, you still have lust?" 

Characters:

                    Theadora: I find myself loving Theadora more and more as time goes by. She is such a strong character with a personality to match; you can't help but love her. She goes through a lot more in this book than the last, and it definitely shapes her views on everyone. I love how she is able to love herself, and takes the time she needs to do that. She is a lot stronger than she was in the beginning, and she has a whole new respect for herself. 

                    Atlas: In the first review I wrote about this character, I didn't really like him. I felt like he was just an average character, nothing more. However, in this one, he stands out to me! He has such a great character arc, and we see him in a whole new light. He still has the same personality and attitude before, but we can see his growth and attempt at being who he wants to be, rather than who he should be. 

                    Secondary characters: These characters have a bigger role in this book than the last, and I love that. I was able to connect to all of them in a different way and perspective. The first book sort of had them there for just entertainment purpose, but in this book, they are there for plot and entertainment. They all help the story to be as good as it is. 

Plot:

                    Since this book takes place seconds after the first book, the plot continues from book one. It slowly progresses into a new plot, while still having parts and tidbits of the old plot. 

                    I loved the plot! I love how Theadora is her own boss now, and doesn't take sh*t from anyone, including Atlas. There are so many surprising moments, and emotional moments, you can't help but just get sucked in. The pace is pretty fast, but it's kind of a short book to me, so it works out. 

                    This novel seems to develop the characters a lot more. They all have a character arc at some point, which definately changes up the plot. However, the plot is still very suspenseful, and sometimes violent. 

                    Everything just comes together perfectly in a simple and concise way! I like that the author sticks to the characters, and remains true to them. She doesn't change a character, but rather makes them better. 

Rating:

                    I constantly changed my mind between a 4 or a 5, so I went right down the middle: 4.5 stars. This book is a rather quick read, but it keeps you on your feet at all times. There are so many great moments between characters, even the villainous ones. Overall, I really liked this book, and can't wait to see where the author goes in the future! 

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Book Review: All The Little Lies by S.J. Sylvis

            "Since you're acting like a man-toddler, stomping around and yelling like a freaking Neanderthal, we're going to talk outside. So, let's go." 

I could not put this book down! Every time I put it down, I just kept thinking about it and all that was happening. There's so much happening, I love it. If you are a bully romance lover with intense chemistry and a great plot line, then PICK THIS BOOK UP NOW! It comes out this Thursday!!! (I didn't mean to yell, but hey, it's just that good) Now let's dissect this book! 

Summary:

                                        "English Prep stands tall with its ivy-covered exterior and old, wrought-iron doors. The stone gargoyles sit at the school's entrance, knowing just as much as anyone: I don't belong. Once upon a time, I did. I belonged in the "it" crowd with all the other well-endowed kids, but now, I am no longer welcome. Not after five years away from this place. not after the scandal that landed me on the wrong side of the track. i'd be lying if I said I'm not looking forward to seeing the one person who was always by my side. my old best friend. My safe place. Only, Christian isn't the same boy I left behind. His cold, brooding, devastatingly attractive glare sends chills down my spine. My old best friend doesn't welcome me with open arms, and I have no idea why. Lies continue to fall from our lips. Christian wants me gone. But I'm determined to stay. "

Characters: 

     Hayley: I really admire Hayley (and not because her name rhymes with mine, although that is a cool plus). I love how strong of a character she is. She doesn't give a crap what people think of her, and she constantly relies on herself for everything. I love how individual she is. She don't need no man to take car of her! (I don't know why I sounded like that 😊In my head it sounded better, oh well). 

However, Hayley has her fair share of baggage, and because of that said baggage, she has walls miles high around her, to protect her. Along with the walls, Hayley is a very stubborn and hard headed seventeen year old. At times, it's really funny to read her interactions with other characters because of the fun banter. The banter is hysterical. Overall, Hayley is a great heroine with an amazing personality. 

    Christian: AHHHH, Christian is such a sweetheart, and an a**hole at the same time. 😊 He is very protective of the people he loves. Sometimes he goes a bit above and beyond in the protective department, but that's what makes him Christian. He puts up a front, but underneath, he really is a caring and gentle person with real feelings. Like Hayley, Christian has a lot of baggage that shapes who he is in this book.

 There are a lot of characteristics within Christian, but I would say the main two are his loyalty, and determination. He is very loyal down to the bone, which is a great quality to have. He also has a lot of determination that may or may not be the best thing at times. But overall, he is a really loving character with good intentions. Ok, semi-good intentions. 

Chemistry: 

     The chemistry is soooooo there. If you can't feel it within the pages, then I don't know what you can feel 😊 (just kidding, but you get the gist). You can definitely see and feel their connection from the very beginning to the last page of this book. They didn't just have a physical connection, but a connection on a deeper level which created so much more depth and dimension. There was so much pull and tension between these two that the chemistry on fire!! 

Plot:

     The plot is spectacular! It's so original and unique. I've read so many bully romances, and I can safely say that I haven't read a book like this. Like I said in the beginning, there is so much happening, it's crazy. I loved it! There's action, suspense, romance, and even a comedic aspect. On the surface of this book, it's just another bully romance book, but I can guarantee you it's not. The characters deal with things (I can't say, but it's certainly juicy) that they haven't experienced before, and it's all new to them, so they aren't fully sure what to do. (I'm pretty sure everyone has been through this stage at least one in their lives, right?) There is violence, and suspense, which makes the plot a lot more intense, well to me it does. Overall, the plot is original, and really well written (cheers and applause for the author). 

Rating: 

     I give this book 4.5 stars, it was that good! I loved the characters, and the inner monologues they had.  Hayley and Christian's POVs are hilarious and very entertaining. I constantly found myself smiling so many times throughout this book. The suspense slowly built up in the book until BOOM. There are so many questions in the beginning that are answered with the BOOM, it's great.  

     I love this book, but I give it 4.5 stars because I feel  some parts seem a little bit unrealistic in this type of setting. However, it is a fictitious book, so...

     I completely fell in love with all the characters, and I'm really excited for the next book. The two leads in the next book...*inwardly screaming for their book to come out*  So, go check this book out, you won't regret it! 

     I almost forgot. Totally on Team Edward from day one. (You won't get this reference until you read it). 

                         I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

   

Book Review: The Hunter by LJ Shen

           

   " I'm afraid I'll have to run you over. So let's spare you the hospital visit and me the                                                     inconvenience. Can you tell me why you're here? You're getting me in trouble."

    Time literally flew by when I read this book. All I remember was starting the book around 7:00 am, taking some breaks (the normal food, and bathroom breaks) and BAM, it was 3:00 pm, and I had just finished this book. Even though this book is not a part of the All Saints High Series, I highly recommend reading that series because you will enjoy this book a whole lot more. Luckily, most of the series is on Kindle Unlimited, so you can get them for free if you are subscribed to that.😊 

I must've been living under a rock because I didn't even realize that this book was downloaded on my kindle. One day, I literally just went onto the kindle app and BOOM! There it was. This book was amazing, funny, charming, sizzling, emotional, and just an overall roller-coaster ride that I never wanted to end! 

Summary: 

                                       " Hunter: I didn't mean to star in a sex tape, okay? It was just one of those unexplainable things. Like Stonehenge, Police Academy 2, and morning glory clouds. It just happened. Now my ball-busting father is sentencing me to six months of celibacy, sobriety, and morbid boredom under the roof of Boston's nerdiest girl alive, Sailor Brennan. the virginal archer is supposed to babysit my ass while I learn to take my place in Royal Pipelines, my family's oil company. Little does she know, that's not the only pipe I'll be laying...

                                        Sailor: I didn't want this gig, okay? But the deal was too sweet to walk away from. I needed the pubic endorsement; Hunter needed a nanny. Besides, what's six months in the grand scheme of things? It's not like I'm in danger of falling in love with the appallingly gorgeous, charismatic gazillionaire who happens to be one of Boston's most eligible bachelors. No. I will remain immune to Hunter Fitzpatrick's charm. Even at the cost of losing everything I have. Even at the cost of burning down his kingdom. "

Characters:  

    Sailor Brennan: First off, I love the name. Seriously. It is such a special and unique name, that I just LOVE it. 😊 Besides that, I enjoyed reading Sailor's perspectives. They were very entertaining, yet serious too. There is a lot more to her than just a try-hard Olympic archer. I liked diving deeper into who she is, and who she wants to be. Although, at times I felt she was a little overly paranoid. 

    Hunter Fitzpatrick: As one of my favorite judges from So You Think You Can Dance said, "HOT TAMALE!" I don't know why, but I freaking loved Hunter. He was so childish at times, but very adulty at others. (Is adulty even a word?) He is a charmer, and able to put on the charm for most anyone. On the outside he is HAWT, but on the inside, he is a hot mess. So many things happened to him that built up time and time again, which created who we know as Hunter Fitzpatrick. I loved reading his perspectives, because they were just so funny. Hunter had very childish antics at times, but deep down he was a very loyal and caring character. 

Chemistry:  

    Did the room just get hotter, or was that just me? OK that sounded a little cringy, my apologies. The chemistry was everything. It was intense, funny, and fiery. I loved the banter between the two. The banter was so much fun to read, and I'd also imagine it was fun to write too. There were definitely many LOL (laugh out loud, in case you've been living under a rock and just entered the 21 century)(JK, it's just a common saying) moments, and swoon-worthy moments. When Hunter wants something, there's no stopping him. I loved how it wasn't an insta-love relationship. This one took it's sweet time, but the build up was totally worth it. 

Plot:  

    The plot was a lot more than I originally thought. It's not just a cute, nanny falls for the playboy romance. There is a lot more that goes on, and a lot of it under the radar. The story develops as you continue reading, especially at the end. WOAH, that ending! *mind blown* This book has depth and dimension that many do not even think or notice about while reading. The build up between the two characters was really well done. It was very well written in a way that makes the reader want to skip through the pages to see what happens, but also stay and read every single word. 

Rating:  

    I give this book 4.5 stars. I loved the plot, and Hunter Fitzpatrick. (Of course, hunter Fitzpatrick! Duh.) The characters were very well devolved, and detailed, as well as the plot. The plot had a lot of dimension and variety which I loved. The only thing I wasn't in love with was Sailor. I liked Sailor, but at certain times I just felt like she was very paranoid, a little overly paranoid. Overall, this was a spectacular read and I'm very excited to continue reading this series! 

Book Recommendation: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

So I read this book all the way back in 2014. About six years ago. That's crazy that time has passed so much since I read this book. 

Anyway, I originally read this book because I saw the movie and had a crush on Jaime Blackley. It was a small one, but I'm pretty sure anyone who saw this movie, had a small crush on Jaime. Raise your hand if you had a crush on him. *raises my hand as high as I can*

I decided to give this book a try, and I really liked it. I liked the story line, and I loved the ending! I don't know if it's just me (it usually is) but the ending was fantastic. The way Gayle Forman was able to create such a breathtaking ending, was incredible. 

Summary: If I Stay follows Mia, a gifted musician, with a family everyone longs for, and a boyfriend everyone wishes they had. Mia has to choose between following her dream of attending Julliard and becoming an accomplished cellist, or following her heart and staying with her family and the love of her life. Either way, there are positives and negatives with both choices. But then one morning, her entire life is turned around. Mia must answer the question that remains: Should I stay or should I go?  (anyone automatically think of the song by The Clash?)

Overall Review: 

This book is filled with everything from happiness, laughter, and love, to sorrow, tears, and loss. Forman is able to write a book filled with parallels to show readers that life has no opposite. There is no opposite for true love and life, because it is eternal. Forman writes such a breathtakingly beautiful story that has many readers and fans in tears. I loved the message she proves in this book, and the meaning behind life. 

Rating: I give this book 4.5 stars. I loved the characters, and the story Forman writes. It is just a masterpiece. I did not give it 5 stars because at some times I felt that the book had many memories strung together. Some of the memories just seemed kind of pointless to me. But still, I highly recommend this book, because this story touched my heart, and even today I think of this story. It leaves a lasting impact on you. 

Book Review: Some Boys by Patty Blount

               

How is it that this book came out in 2014, but I am just hearing about it now?!?!? My friend recommended this book to me sometime during quarantine, and I was like why not? I am so happy that I went along and read this book, because it covers so much important themes and messages that I feel everyone should know about. 

Warning: This book deals with rape and the repercussions and the detrimental effects that come with it. 

Summary: "Some Boys" follows a teenage girl named Grace who was raped by the town's golden boy, Zac. The entire school and town believe that Grace "cried wolf" that night, and therefore the whole town shuns her, because the golden boy is always right and never does anything wrong. (Can you hint the sarcasm? LOL). Anyway, by some accident, Grace meets Zac's best friend, Ian during school break as part of school punishment. Ian, along with the rest of the town believes that Grace lied, and constantly defends Zac, but he starts to really think about that night, and what actually happened. As Ian and Grace grow closer to one another, the threat of Zac, and the town are still there. The story begins with Grace's perspective 32 days since her rape. 

Characters; 

    Grace: I love and admire Grace. She is one strong and brave heroine who is not afraid for standing up to fellow peers, and even teachers. It takes a lot of courage to stand up to adults, and Grace had the courage to stand up. After the incident, the school and town constantly harassed and bullied Grace, even some of her close friends and family members. Yet, she stood tall and continued her life as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. At just a teenager, Grace has already seen some horrors of life, and actually lived through one, but the way she fought back was so inspiring and admiring. She is a truly spectacular person. 

    Ian: I have a love/hate relationship with this one. At times, he was super sweet and understanding, but other times he was so gullible to the people around him. For instance, his best friend Zac! I disagree with the way he handled the situation, and the affects of the situation. He did have a character development, and that was very fun and interesting to read about, but I felt like that could be more detailed.

    The Secondary Characters: Some of the secondary characters like Grace's dad, and Ian's family added a lot more  character to the book. It was like a story within a story, if that makes sense. On the outside, the book is about rape, but as you go closer, the book starts to develop into multiple different sections and it discusses family, friendship, and humanity, amongst many other things. 

Chemistry:

    I have to say the chemistry has there, and not. I feel like this book covers such an important event that, that outweighed the chemistry. In other words, I feel like the author focused on the affects of the rape more, instead of the chemistry. It wasn't just about Grace and Ian, but everyone in the school, their families, and the town. Not saying that there was not chemistry, because there was, it just was not all consuming. 

The Plot: 

    Oh the plot! I loved the plot, and the way the author went about it. I liked how she talks about the stereotypes of people, and the affects of the rape. The plot was very good, and very well written. I loved how family was also a huge part of this book, and how family can affect someone. The author did a very nice job with incorporating other storylines to just give the book more depth. 

The Writing Style: 

    This book is told in dual first perspectives, starting with Grace. The writing in this book was fantastic. The cohesion and fluency this book had, made me love it even more. The writing made me feel like I was in the book, watching the whole story unfold, which I LOVE. I did not see many, if any spelling or grammar mistakes which is also a huge plus because I hate reading books with so many typos and issues. 

Rating: 

    I rate this book 4.5 stars. I loved the concept and the overall message. The theme was great and the execution was fantastic. The only reason I didn't rate this book 5 stars was because of Ian. I felt like he had a character development, but just not a big enough one. I felt like Blount could have improved him and gave him a bit more detail and depth, but that is just how I feel, who knows? 

Overall: 

    This book discusses a topic that is not read lightly. Unfortunately rape does happen, and it happens a lot more often than you think. I loved how this book talks about and describes the affects of rape. Grace is a victim, who suffers from anxiety attacks, and so much more, all because of one boy and that one decision he made. This book shows how even if you feel like you are alone, you are not. You can always ask for help, especially with your family members. If not family members, then someone you can trust. There will always be support for you. 

    This book also talks about the theme of judgement, and how easily people judge someone without really having the facts. Just look at the WHOLE TOWN for example. There are always two sides to every story, and it is important to at least hear them both without bias. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone because I feel it is important to know that actions do affect people, and not always on a positive note. There are multiple lessons to be learnt in this book, which is why you should GO READ It. (LOL).