Showing posts with label Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romance. Show all posts
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
The Summer I Turned Pretty
by Jenny Han
Pages: 276
Release Date: June 3rd 2010
Publisher: Puffin
Series: Summer #1
Other books in Series: It's Not Summer Without You, We'll always have Summer
Source: For Review from Publishers
Buy it: Amazon
| The Book Depository | B&NAdd it: Goodreads
Some summers are just destined to be pretty.
Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer -- they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.
My Thoughts
Okay, so let's get a few things cleared and out of the way first of all. If you're a sucker for summer lovin' romance, beach and hot boys this book is right up your street. It's just totally for you. Those elements are what makes this the perfect summer read. Although The Summer I Turned Pretty wasn't as good as I thought it will be, I still enjoyed it and I liked reading it a lot.
Enter Belly. She's this girl who's cute and really kiddy I guess. She turns pretty and everything changes. People look at her differently and by people I say in specifics- Conrad and Jeremiah. Jeremiah is like the guy who's just your really bestest friend or brother even. He's so much fun and such great company. Then there's Conrad. And what can I say... Dude, he iss hot. (Not that Jer isn't) But then there's all the other little qualities that Conrad has. The annoying kind.
And another guy comes into the picture too. Cam. Bleugh. I rather no talk about him. Why did he need to come into the book at all!? You guys will definitely understand my dislike for this guy, when you read this. He takes up majority of the word count but I gotta admit he is a decent guy. But my heart is only for Con and Jer :D
Another thing, there's quite a few flash backs back from Belly's childhood and all those memories that she had at The Cousins. My all time favourite place! It really helps to understand Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah and how things were like. There's not much of a plot in The Summer I Turned Pretty. Though Han doesn't let us down by giving us scenes and moments that take our breath away. Especially near the end. And it's that ending that makes me crave for the next book, It's Not Summer Without You :)
The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols
The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols
Pages: 320
Release Date: February 7th 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Online eBook
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
Gemma can’t believe her luck when the star football player starts flirting with her. Max is totally swoon-worthy, and even gets her quirky sense of humor. So when he asks out her so-called best friend Addison, Gemma’s heartbroken. Then Addison pressures Gemma to join the date with one of Max’s friends. But the more time they all spend together, the harder Gemma falls for Max. She can’t help thinking that Max likes her back—it’s just too bad he’s already dating Addison. How can Gemma get the guy she wants without going after her best friend’s boyfriend?
My Thoughts
Somebody should kick me! Why have I waited so long to read a book by Jennifer Echols? No, Wait. It's not even that. I did read Forget you (which I loved just so know you). So the real question is, why after loving a book so so much by Jennifer Echols did I not grab another one of her books straight away?
Okay I'll spare you the answer but at least now you know you should if you haven't already, start reading something if anything by this amazing women.
We meet Gemma and when there's Gemma there's Addison. Her 'best friend' and so we are told. She's the very reason of the huge complication in this book. God. She's SO ANNOYING and ruins everything. Then we are graced with the presence of yummy Max and Conor. Ahhhhh Max! So when Gemma and Addison meet these guys things start to get really interesting...
And you know what else is interesting... oh and pretty cool? It's this entire majorette idea that's brought in as well. It's just this awesome dance that involves twirling around batons. Echols description of the routines never fails to please me!
Oh and she sure knows how to suffice my romance crave. Especially hot kissing ;)
Now to just fulfill my Jennifer Echols crave...
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Pages: 240
Release Date: January 5th 2012
Publisher: Headline
Source: For Review from Publishers
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?My Thoughts
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.
Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.
You know that gut wrenching feeling you get when there's such an amazing meal right in front of you, that looks so delicious, so appealing and smells so uplifting that you can't possibly wait to get into it? All you want to do is pick each bite as slowly as possible savouring the taste and simply willing it to last forever though at the very same time you can not wait to finish it entirely so that you can sit there in complete satisfaction and let your thoughts revolve around just how GOOD really it was.
You got it! This is exactly like what I got before I read TSPLFS, as I was reading TSPLFS and after I read TSPLFS. Doesn't this just show my complete adoration and affection for this completely awesome, awesome book? I didn't believe I would love this book so much.
It's a completely normal story. Nothing special but the way it was written was oh so very special. We meet Hadley and Oliver, two people that meet at a airport and spill their worries of their life and talk about everything. In this 24 hour journey we get to see how everything is not about love at sight, how fast relationships can progress and how much we crave for everything to go to our liking.
Hadley has a great personality. She’s a fun character but let’s forget about her and move on to... how I love Oliver! He's just so real you know. No perfect smoochness. With problems of his own, insecurity, he has genuine and real feelings. Don’t see that much often in YA now do we? OMG. He’s British too. SWOON. I wanted so much more of Oliver. More of Hadley. More of Hadley and Oliver together! Though TSPLFS was just so freckin short. I’m talking about 240 pages dude :O
What else is there to say than just go buy the book. Really, experience it all for your self. Oh and one more thing... I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK. In case you didn't know already :D
Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors
Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors
Pages: 336
Release Date: June 6th 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: For Review from Publishers
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother-and she needs one fast.
That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth-that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real.
My Thoughts
What can I say about Mad Love? As soon as I saw the title, I knew that I just had to read it. I wanted to see how 'Mad', 'Love' can actually get. Mad Love wasn't amazing or anything like that but I did enjoy reading it. It was a fun, light yet quick read.
Alice's mother is famous. She's known as the Queen of Romance because of her exceptional romance novels. Though, she's now in hospital and her next novel has to be written for publishing. Alice is now in a very sticky situation but then someone emerges, with the name Errol and he may possibly be able to help her out.
When I started reading Mad Love, I really enjoyed it. I love the pace. The new characters that were introduced and the problems that had arisen. Though, after a while, I felt that the story lost a bit of its touch for me. I should have known, seeing as the title is Mad Love so it would definitely relate to that!
Alice is bubbly and childish. She does some really funny things whilst crushing on a guy called Tony she sees very often. Their romance is very cute! Oh and Errol is quite nice too. He's kind of weird but that's to be expected when he claims to be something you wouldn't even imagine someone would actually claim to be.
Mad Love is truly a funny and amusing read!
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Pages: 309
Release Date: May 6th 2010
Publisher: Orchard Books
Source: For Review from Publishers
Series: The Gallagher Girls
Other books in series: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover, Only the Good Spy Young
Buy the Book: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school teaches advanced martial arts in PE, chemistry always consists of the latest in chemical warfare, and everyone breaks CIA codes for extra credit in computer class. So in truth, while the Gallagher Academy might say it's a school for geniuses what they really mean is spies. But what happens when a Gallagher Girl falls for a boy who doesn't have a code name?
Cammie Morgan may be fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (three of which involve a piece of uncooked spaghetti), but the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through a mall without him ever being the wiser, but can she have a regular relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her? Cammie may be an elite spy in training, but in her sophomore year, she's doing something riskier than ever—she's falling in love.
My Thoughts
I was seriously dying to read this! I wanted to read it real soon but somehow or another I'll pick up another book and completely forget about it. You know those type of books that put you on edge, stun you and completely knock you off your feet... yep you got it I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you is just that type of book! How glad I am that I finally read you!
Cammie Morgan may just seem like your typical teenage girl. She attends school, has many friends and falls helplessly in love. But there's more to her than what meets the eye. Attending a school for spies is definitely out of the ordinary. With so many challenging missions, how was Cammie to know stopping herself from falling in love would be the hardest.
A book full of kiss-ass girl spies? Yes. Yes. Yes. This book is amazing! All the characters are really fun. I particularly liked Bex. Just her British ways and how she helped Cammie with her boy problems. Well, these problems are in fact really major in the 'spying world' and so everything unfolds as we get to see how crazy like could get in Gallagher Academy.
I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you is oh so perfect! Especially since whilst reading it, it was so easy for me to imagine everything happening. I applaud Carter's writing. And especially the hilarious bits! Just hilarious! They're really small things that the characters over think and analyse that make you really laugh out loud. I LOVE IT.
I'm certain that I will carry on with this series. I can't wait to read Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy! You can't help but adore the titles of the books too! Ally Carter is an author that you simply can't miss. You go Ally Carter!
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
by Stephanie Perkins
Pages: 338
Release Date: September 29th 2011
Publisher: Dutton
Other Books: Anna and the French Kiss & Isla and the Happily Ever After
Source: Won in a Giveaway
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.
My Thoughts
Ohhhh LOLA! Where can I begin with this ah-mazing book. Because it was, you know, amazing. I really much enjoyed reading it. After reading Anna and the French Kiss and just being completely 'WOWed' by it, I was so so eager to read the companion novel. And am I so glad I did.
Lola is not your average teenage girl. Her way of life is completely different especially when you count in her dress sense. Lola adores dressing up like any other girl out there but she takes it to great heights dressing up in different costumes every day. For Lola, her life couldn't get any better. She has a great life and her 'amazing' boyfriend Max. But it was until Cricket and Calliope showed up.
Perkins totally rocks my world. I lurrrrveeee her writing. At first I loved Lola and Max as a couple, they seemed pretty cute and I gotta say I did kinda like Max then. I say then as I don't like him now. One word. JERK. But then it all makes up whenever Cricket is in the picture. He just so sweet!! Seriously, how sweet and cute and adorable and amazing can he get! I was a bit peckish at first as he seemed just too nice and so it was just that tad weird. But no no that's just nothing to worry about!
As much as I enjoyed Lola, I have got to say that it wasn't as good as Anna. I loved Lola though, I loved it so much that I'm sure I'll read it over and over and over again just as I did with Anna. Oh and boy did I love it when St Clair and Anna came in. Cute moments!
If only we could pester Perkins and get Isla and the Happily Ever After released quicker. I'll probably die waiting!
Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
Pages: 438
Release Date: October 4th 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Series: Hush Hush #3
Other books in series: Hush Hush & Crescendo
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.
My Thoughts
I simply adore the Hush Hush series. Crescendo definitely left me craving for more. And so after a whole year of waiting for Silence, as soon as I got the chance to read it, I left everything I was doing to read this book. I was just hoping and praying that everything would work out between Patch and Nora!
Silence left off from Crescendo. In this installation of the Hush Hush series, Nora and Patch have been captured by the Black Hand. Knowing Patch, he'll want to do everything in his power to save Nora and so he does by striking a deal to keep her safe. Nora then wakes up in a cemetery with no memory of the past few months. She can't remember anything and so she doesn't remember Patch!! Eventually, bits and pieces are brought back to her as she tries to figure out who kidnapped her and who in the world is Jeff?
As a complete sucker for romance, I have to admit how much I loved all the Patch and Nora moments. I especially enjoyed seeing how she got to know Patch all over again. You get to see how their relationship develops once again with all the chemistry and boy is it something!
The action is all egde-of-the-seat happenings. Ahhh I have got to say, Fitzpatrick did have me going for quite some time. It was all good and every much unnerving. Though, Crescendo has to be my all time favourite.
As soon as I finished Silence, I felt mixture of emotions. Disappointment yet excitement. I was disappointed mainly because Silence didn't finish there, you got it, it doesn't end here like we thought it would. There's another book. And that's where my excitement kicks in. Another book with more Pacth? Hell yeah!
Love, Inc by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
Pages: 448
Release Date: September 1st 2011
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Source: For Review from Publishers
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
Zahra, Kali, and Syd would never have met if their parents' marriages hadn't fallen apart. But when the three girls collide in group counseling, they discover they have something else in common: they've each been triple-timed by the same nefarious charmer, Eric, aka Rico, aka Rick. Talk about eye-opening therapy.
Cheerful, diplomatic Zahra is devastated. Rico had been her rock and sole confidant. How could she have missed the signs? Folksy, flirtatious Kali feels almost as bad. She and Rick had only been on a few dates, but they'd felt so promising. Hardened vintage-vixen Syd is beyond tears. She and Eric had real history... Or so she'd thought. Now all three girls have one mission: to show that cheater the folly of his ways.
Project Payback is such a success, the girls soon have clients lining up for their consulting services. Is your boyfriend acting shady? Dying to know if your crush is into you? Need match-making expertise? Look no further than Love, Inc.
My Thoughts
Being a major fan of chick lit novels, I knew that when I received Love, Inc it was just right for me. It was a great read. It had me laughing at loud, gripping the pages for more and wondering what could possibly go wrong next. I loved this!
Zahra believes she has the most perfect boyfriend. Rico is so sweet and caring. He always listens to her and is there for her. Especially, since her parents split. This then lead to group counseling helping her deal with her parents split. Here, she meets two other teenagers, Kali and Syd. They get along pretty fast and soon giggle about their amazing boyfriends. Zahra, Kali and Syd soon find out how loyal their boyfirends' are in this case, boyfriend.
I love all the characters. I particularly have a soft spot for Zahra, though. Her character is simply funny and entertaining. Her hone life even has the ups and downs too. I really don't know how she handles it. Because her family has Pakistani roots mixed with American customs, it makes everything much more different yet I loved seeing how everything would work out. Though, the best part I must admit was what Zahra and the girl got up to. They sure proved how payback is a bitch.
The best thing about Love, Inc was all the romance. I'm a sucker for love and it was written just great. Though, I did think the story dragged on abit but it was made up at the end. I wasn't disappointed. If you're looking for a fun, light and amazing read, Love, Inc is perfect for you!
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
by Stephanie Perkins
Pages: 372
Release Date: December 2nd 2010
Publisher: Dutton
Source: Gifted by Vickie
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.
As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?
My Thoughts
This is now one of my FAVOURITE books! I COMPLETELY LOVED IT!
From the very first page, Stephenie kept me completely engaged in a world revolving around romance, humour and suspense.
St.Claire or more preferable Etienne is so very down-to-earth! The way he is described simply shows complete hotness. I really love the relationship he and Anna have, especially with all the teasing. It is soooo obvious that they LOVE each other and Etienne is too blind to see through it.
The one thing I really loved was how their love grew by time. It was not the usual love at first sight idea, though Anna couldn't take her eyes off him when she first met him. They had their share of moments and each and every one is something to saviour.
This love story is definitely one of a kind. It's not overdone and it so does not drag on. It's very realistic and all the characters have something special about them. Their personalities come through perfectly and that gives the story more of a spark.
I absolutely loved reading Anna and the French Kiss. It just so frickin awesome! I am really really looking forward to reading more books by Stephenie Perkins! And yes, I CAN'T WAIT to read Lola and the boy next door! :D
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
by Josephine Angelini
Pages: 480
Release Date: June 3rd 2011
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Buy it: Amazon
Set on the island of Nantucket, STARCROSSED tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention.
Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?
My Thoughts
I seem to always come across books that I doubt reading at first but then love after. So yeah it happened once again and boy did I love Starcrossed. Greek mythology? Just gotta love it and plus I haven't read many books like that so yay!
When I say I was addicted to reading it, it's not an understatement. I don't know why. Probably everything about it was just so so awesome. Helen is great. She always had trouble in fitting in but that's what I like. She's different and she knows she is different. Not one of those typical teenagers. Like bleugh. And so when she discovers who she really is, it really is really cool.
Lucas! I love him! But, Helen can't be with him and their destined to kill each other. It was amazing though. Their first meeting, and how sweet he always is to her! They're so meant to be together especially since Lucas is ready to do so much for her :)
With that WOW ending I am just dying to read the next book. The Greek mythology makes it even better, very unique! Starcrossed is an addictive, fast paced novel that YA readers will not forget!
Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin
by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin
Pages: 288
Release Date: March 7th 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Buy it: Amazon
Fans of romance don't need to look any further than the fauxmance brewing between teen idols Charlie Tracker and Fielding Withers—known on their hit TV show as Jenna and Jonah, next-door neighbors flush with the excitement of first love. But it's their off-screen relationship that has helped cement their fame, as passionate fans follow their every PDA. They grace the covers of magazines week after week. Their fan club has chapters all over the country. The only problem is their off-screen romance is one big publicity stunt, and Charlie and Fielding can't stand to be in the same room. Still, it's a great gig, so even when the cameras stop rolling, the show must go on, and on, and on. . . . Until the pesky paparazzi blow their cover, and Charlie and Fielding must disappear to weather the media storm. It's not until they're far off the grid of the Hollywood circuit that they realize that there's more to each of them than shiny hair and a winning smile.
My Thoughts
I was really excited reading Fauxmance. It has a unique and alluring title that no other YA book has. I really liked reading it and I finished it in a matter of hours.
Charlie (Jennah) and Aaron (Jonah) are celebrities. Charlie is like one of those bitchy typical celebrities. Most definitely then, she really cares about her image and how she's perceived by others. Aaron at first is called Fielding, his surname, quite a lot and then it changes into his first name Aaron. Quite confusing at first but then after a while I got the hang of it.
I really liked how the book was told in both Charlie's and Aaron's. Sometimes I didn't get whether it was told in Charlie's perspective or Aaron's perspective as the style of writing doesn't change much. However, it can be easily distinguished with them both just thinking so poorly of each other.
I've got to admit there is a whole lot of humour involved. It's really amusing who they think of one another and it's nice to see how their feelings of disgust change into love.
A very enjoyable and lighthearted read!
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
HaloPages: 496
Release Date: January 1st 2011
Publisher: ATOM
Series: Halo #1
Other books in series: Hades & Heaven
Source: For Review from Publishers
Add it: Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon
Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.
Is love a great enough power against evil?
My Thoughts
Okay, Okay. You've got me. I only read Halo, because I fell undesirably in love with the cover. It's just really beautiful. And her wings? No words! At least, the book wasn't a miss though. I really enjoyed reading it. Cute angelic love!
In Halo, there's Bethany. She's an angel and so are her sister Ivy and brother Gabriel. They've been sent on Earth on a mission. However, there's some disturbance along the way. Bethany falls in love. Something that's prohibited as she falls in love with a human.
As you can tell, Halo mainly revolves around the romance element. It focuses on Bethany and the guy she likes (nope I'm not telling you the name, no spoilers people!) or more specifically loves. It's quite cute I must admit. Especially reading about how their 'relationship' develops and the many challenges they nee to face.
But that's not the thing that really grabbed me. It's another side romance that was introduced in Halo that I was more interested in. Gabriel's admirer. Gabriel's is a very serious and religious sort of guy. He's not into the romance thing at all. With the whole angel thing and all. So it's really cute seeing someone pine over him, trying to impress him and get his attention. Just whatever she can do.
Halo really has me pining for the next book. I hope Hades is just as good. I'm eager to see how everything goes with Bethany but mostly Gabriel. Cannot wait!
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