Daisy's Mini-Review of A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

Title/Author: A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall
Publisher/Date published: Swoon Reads, August 26 2014
How I got this book: got it from Debby, who got an extra copy of it at BEA

Goodreads summary: The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common — they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out. But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship.

Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together....

A Little Something Different is just as cute and adorable as the cover promises! And with all the different POVs, it is definitely something different!

Sandy Hall brings us a developing love story that EVERYONE (even a squirrel) has an opinion about and I enjoyed some POVs more than others. I really liked the squirrel, because basically it is the cutest. And the Starbucks employees and the lady at the diner. I thought their creative writing teacher was a little over the top, but oh well, it was still fun.

The only thing that I can fault with so many POVs, is that you never delve really deep into any of the characters, but for this story it served its purpose and was basically just pink and fluffy and yes to this couple who even orders the same take out without consulting the other first. I was REALLY wondering what was up with Gabe, cause like the summary says, he seemed to have issues. But it was a very good explanation and like always, I was just wishing for them to communicate!

But overall this was an adorable, quick read and if you're in the mood for fluff, you should definitely pick it up!

My rating: 4 stars

Kimberly discovers Lola and the Boy Next Door

Book: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Series: YES!!!

Rating: 5 stars

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.

A month ago I had NO idea that Lola was a sequel/companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss (which I adored). I started reading the book and nearly dropped it when Lola started talking about her coworker, Anna and her boyfriend… I LOVED that little glimpse that we get of what happens after Anna and the French Kiss ended.

As for Lola? She is adorable. I liked her from the start. Her style. Her sense of humor. Her FAMILY. (Her Dad’s are hilarious. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do”, “Honey, that saying doesn’t really work when you’re gay.”

All of the characters were, as to be expected of Stephanie Perkins, so fully developed and imagined that I connected with them. I loved them and hated a few of them. I was so invested in Lola’s relationship with her rocker boyfriend, half the time I was seeing him through her eyes, which made his character an interesting one for me. Cricket was also quite nice… ;) I first thought “what kind of dumb name is that??” It didn’t take me long to change my mind.

If you want a fun, contemporary read, with characters that you will love, with a romance that you will love, give this a read. Don’t forget to pick up Anna and the French Kiss first!

Have you read Lola? Or Anna? Tell me about it in the comments!

Tahleen reviews: "Rush Me" by Allison Parr

Title: Rush Me
Author: Allison Parr
Publisher: Carina Press (e-book only), 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Rachael Hamilton is struggling to make a living in New York City, working as an intern (for free) at a major publisher with hopes of eventually landing her dream job, and temping to pay the bills. One night while out with her roommate at a party with theater friends, Rachael gets lost and finds herself in the wrong party. With the New York Leopards, the city's major football team. After an awkward and tense first encounter with the quarterback, Ryan Carter, she leaves in a hurry with a few angry, choice words—only to realize the next morning she forgot her scarf. Of course she goes back for it, only to be pulled into a poker game with some of the other Leopards, to Ryan's chagrin. Thus begins Rachael's unlikely friendship with a bunch of professional football players, and the slow-burn romance that eventually develops between her and the least likely of the Leopards, Mr. Carter himself.

So I really, really liked this book for the most part. It's what you expect with the "New Adult" genre (which I still maintain is adult fiction with Millenial main characters); young 20-something in the city, trying to find her way in the world, finds a hot and sexy romantic lead. But this book is flipping funny. I loved Rachael (though it took her WAY too long to get over her weird hatred of jocks in my opinion), and Ryan is great too. The secondary characters are all wonderful too; I loved how Rachael just falls in with these guys, who become very brotherly toward her. This was like my dream in college. It's a lot of fun to read.

The dialogue is sparkling and witty, and the situations are occasionally laugh-out-loud. This is a rom-com of the highest order. It was also refreshing that Rachael is Jewish, even though she says she's more Jewish in theory than in practice. Abe, however, seems to be a fairly devout Jew, which is nice to see.

I remember there being a few awkward moment while I was reading where I cringed at a word choice, I think maybe it was the use of a mental disorder as an adjective to describe someone or something that was clearly not suffering from said mental disorder, but other than that my only problem was waiting for the characters just get over themselves, already. I was really rooting for Rachael and Ryan to get together, and stay together, in the end.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoyed Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham, so long as they like more sex and steaminess in their fiction. Because there's that, too. I'm happy to say I've already got the two sequels, Running Back and Imaginary Lines, waiting on my nook.

I do have to say, I know the author personally (worked with her in high school and went to college with her!), but this in no way had any effect on what I thought of this book. Honestly, I'm relieved I liked it so much! Well, maybe I could hear her saying some of the things Rachael says and that made me like it even more, but it's still all good and I recommend it to you anyway. Great job, Allison!

Disclaimer: I bought this e-book with my own money. Even if I also bought it to support my friend. :) It's a bargain, anyway!

Daisy's Mini-Review of Unleashing Mr Darcy by Teri Wilson

Title/Author: Unleashing Mr Darcy by Teri Wilson
Publisher/Date published: MIRA, April 1st 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

So I can't resist a book inspired by Pride and Prejudice and Mr Darcy and Elizabeth as dog enthusiasts? Not reading this was obviously not an option. If you're like me, here's why you need to pick this up:

-It has really cute dogs and dog-people in it.

-There are sparks between Elizabeth and Donovan ALL over the place.

-Elizabeth moves from the US to England to get paid to sit/groom dogs, which is awesome.

-I loved that Elizabeth had a crazy family and one of her sister's was just wonderful, the way a sister should be.

-While some of the plot was slightly ridiculous and at times they seemed to be making problems for no other reason than to NOT end up together at 100 pages, it was really entertaining.

This was light and fluffy just when I needed it and I really enjoyed reading it!

My rating: 4 stars

Julia Reviews The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Title/Author: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Publisher/Year Published:  May 2013 by Simon and Schuster

How I got this book: I own the eBook

Why I read this book: Lots of people in the romance community loved this book. It has been on my to read for a while.

Rating: 5 stars

Every once in a while there is a story that you keep hearing about. Maybe it was something that didn't catch your eye right away, but the buzz surrounding it make you curious. That was this story for me. I was seeing five star review after five star review, so I finally decided to take a chance. 

The Rosie Project is a story about Don Tillman, a professor in genetics who likes his life just so. The story is told from his first person POV. Through his eyes we meet his two friends and hear stories about his not quite the norm life. Though I don't believe ever explicitly stated, Don suffers from Aspergers. Once a woman who he considered a friend told him that he would make an excellent husband. Figuring it was already out of the cards for him, he never really did anything about it until he gets an idea for something called The Wife Project. He devises a survey that he links on his online dating profile that there are a correct set of answers to. This way he doesn't have to waste time with all the face to face nonsense. 

There is a wrench however. Rosie. She is a friend of a friend who fails the survey with flying colors, a smoker, always late, things that Don is against. But he ends up helping her with a project to find out who her birth father is through a series of collecting DNA from unsuspecting men and testing for a match. And through that process everything that he has come to think about Rosie and his own Wife Project gets shuffled.

This book was a real surprise. I didn't think it would live up to the hype for me. For one, the characters of Rosie and Don are great, very dynamic and people I can see living in the real world. The plot itself has an amazing flow. I was able to just allow myself to be sucked away into the story. The primary story is the burgeoning romance, but the secondary find my dad story is great, too (though I did figure it out). 

This was such a refreshing read that I think will appeal to all those who like a story with some romance and unique characters. I don't think it is just for people who like chic lit or romance novels. It's a great story that has a lot of things that make you think along the way, especially with how the story comes to it's conclusion. I don't want to spoil anything but there was a scene in a restaurant that I was very surprised went down the way it did. It made me need to keep reading to find out how everything was going to work out in the end (was it going to work out in the end?! Ah!). 

The pace is a good one and I was able to finish this on one 4hr flight. If you like a beautiful story with a dash of love and humor, check this one out. It was one of my favorite reads of the year so far. 

Jana Reviews: Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae

Title: Wish You Were Italian
Author: Kristin Rae
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Source: ARC from publisher
Rating: 5+ Stars

Pippa has always wanted to go to Italy … but not by herself. And certainly not to sit in art school the entire summer learning about dead guys’ paintings. When she steps off the plane in Rome, she realizes that traveling solo gives her the freedom to do whatever she wants. So it’s arrivederci, boring art program and ciao, hot Italian guys!

Charming, daring, and romantic, Bruno is just the Italian Pippa’s looking for—except she keeps running into cute American archeology student Darren everywhere she goes. Pippa may be determined to fall in love with an Italian guy … but the electricity she feels with Darren says her heart might have other plans. Can Pippa figure out her feelings before her parents discover she left the program and—even worse—she loses her chance at love?

 --

I recently posted a raving review of this book on my personal book blog, and I participated in the author's release week event by posting my 10 goals for my second trip to Italy. Bottom line: I ADORE this book. I adore it so much that I just HAD to write a second review of it here so I could get the word out to even more people!

I read this book weeks ago, yet I still think about it. That's saying something. So, I guess you could say that this post is less of a review and more of a continuation of my fangirling. As soon as I shut the book, I ran into my mom's room and told her she had to read it. She's not usually a fan of my young adult contemporary romances because she thinks they are usually pretty superficial and silly. I know what she means... kind of. But whatever. She LOVED Wish You Were Italian. I'm not sure if it's because she and I both traveled Italy together two years ago or what, but this book was the closest we could get to gong back. Kristin TAKES you to Italy, drops you there, and leaves you to fall in love with the characters. I really could not have asked for more. Well, if the book could come with a ticket to Italy that would be nice. I'd buy millions of copies.

This book has a lot more going for it than Italy, though. I mentioned the characters, and they are AMAZING. Pippa is a risk taker, a realist (but a dreamer at the same time), and just a real down-to-earth person. She loves her grandmother and her friends, and she has the funniest voice. I just loved reading her adventures. She meets this girl, Chiara, in a coffee shop and travel with her to Cinque Terre to work in the family restaurant. Chiara is the voice of reason, and is really the best friend a girl could ask for. Her brother, Bruno, is a sexy stereotypical Italian boy who fit the stereotype SO well that I could not help but love him. And then you've got Darren, this nerdy archaeology student from the States with big hair. The cast of characters is just so much fun!

There's lots of travel adventures, emotion, romance, and growing. I really just can't love this book enough, and I hope YOU go buy it now! I've recommended it to two different people, and they both LOVED it. I'm 2 for 2 right now!

So, have you read Wish You Were Italian? Did you love it? If you have not read it yet, have I convinced you to get on that? Talk to me!

Julia's Romance Roundup - Thus far 2013

As you all are probably aware, I am an avid reader of romance. I usually get into a nice groove and read a ton in a row. Sometimes I feel like I inundate you guys with romance reviews, so occasionally I try to review a ton of them at one time in mini-paragraph format. So as I sit and sway to the seventies-esque sounds of "Get Lucky", I will regale you with my woes and wins. Let's start with the woes and work up to the wins.

Secret Fire by Johanna Lindsey 
Published: 1987 by Avon
Rating: 1 start

I went on a little back-track into back lists of some of my favorite authors when I first started reading romance. Some turned out good, one turned out awful. That was this book. I finished it, but only because I wanted to see how she would try to redeem characters I thought irredeemable. It was a like a wreck that you know you shouldn't slow down for, but end up slowing down to look anyway.

My review on GR captures my full, just finished feminist rage, and the first sentence sums it up pretty well. "This book is the most frustrating, rapetastic, victim blaming schlock I have had the pleasure of reading" 



Let's move on to something marginally better, shall we? Earlier this year I had a SWATH of 2-star romance reads. They were all best classified as "meh". Here is one.  

Jake by R.C. Ryan
Published: February 2013 by Forever 
Series: Wyoming Sky #3
Rating: 2 stars

Mostly I read historical romance, and most of that set in England, but I have always had a soft spot for westerns. This was my first contemporary western, and it was just okay for me. It was pretty predictable and continued for about 100 pages after the climax, but that may have been due to it being the last in a series and having a lot of story to wrap up. Since I didn't read the others, I was just bored. Saying that makes me a bit unsure if I could recommend this (also due to my inexperience in this particular genre), but it was something I did finish because the plot was a little bit entertaining in a secret mystery sort of way. In a completely unrelated note, I have a question for anyone in other parts of the English speaking world (aka not Ohio): Are jeans really called denims? 

The others of my two star reads were honestly so 'meh' for me I was reading the summary trying to remember what they were about, and if I have to do that I might as well move on to the more awesome three and four star reads!* 

Assassin's Gambit by Amy Raby
Published: April 2013 by Signet
Series: Hearts and Thrones #1
Rating: 3 Stars

Assassin's Gambit was a pleasant surprise. I stumbled on a review somewhere that didn't really like it. I find two and three star reviews on Goodreads the most useful because when people give me a critical analysis of what didn't work for them, I can decide if it would work for me. Well, I saw it at the library and decided to give it a go. And honestly, this book was a sweet Fantasy-spy romantic suspense type of book. I really enjoyed it and devoured it! I look forward to the next in the series. A few things about the heroine bothered me a bit and the romance sometimes took a backseat to the overall plot, but it was entertaining. And the way that sex plays into the society of this world, or at least into this spy organization amused the hell out of me.

The Pirate Next Door by Jennifer Ashley
Published: 2012 by Ms. Ashley, originally out in 2003
Series: Regency Pirates #1
Rating: 3 stars

Remember how I mentioned a soft spot of cowboys? Well I have a soft spot for pirates, too. This was a delight to read. A mysterious neighbor moves into a townhouse in London and the widow next door hears some shit going down. She rushes over to help and finds out he is a pirate and is sucked into his crazy world. 

The characters are dynamic and the story engrossing. I'd recommend this one as well :) Who doesn't dream of the moment when a reformed pirate moves in next door? Disney, if you are listening sign me up for that Pirates of the Caribbean reboot!

Defiant by Pamela Clare
Published: July 2012 by Berkley Sensation
Series: MacKinnon's Rangers #3
Rating: 4 stars

Oh, this book. I read it as part of the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books RITA Reader Challenge. This challenge tries to get reviews from the readers to cover every book nominated for a RITA (romantic times version of the Oscar I guess). I looked through the historical romance category and chose this for the fact that it was NOT set in England, but in America during the French and Indian War (which to my embarrassment I had to wrack my brain to remember who came out on top in that war (the English/colonies)). Anyway, I wrote a nice big full length review over there if you are interested in checking it out. But I will also quote the final paragraph. 

Overall, Defiant is historically (as far as I can tell) accurate, well written, gripping, and page turning in the beginning. It slows down in the latter half, but I was still crazy enough involved with it to put off my day and keep reading. Despite some flaws, I highly enjoyed Defiant. It was a refreshing look into a different part of history with an engaging plot and interesting characters. I would recommend it for someone looking for something new in the historical genre."

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare
Published: May 2013 by Avon
Series: Spindle Cove #4
Rating: 4 Stars

This was another book that I read without reading the other books in the series, and it didn't matter at all (I love that). This book was hilariously, bark laughter funny. It reminded me of the earlier Bridgerton books by Julia Quinn, which says a lot about it's lightness content -- great book if you like Bridgerton!

The poignant parts are poignant, the funny parts are funny, and the sexytimes are hot. What more can you ask for? I would highly recommend this to the lovers of the historical romance genre. It is worth your time even if you have not read the first three, and it wont ruin the first three for you either (I hate it when that happens!)



*A Note about my star ratings in this post. I am going by the way I rank on Goodreads, not so much what it says in our sidebar. Most of the books I read and rate are three stars. To me that means they were good, enjoyable in the moment but not super memorable or amazing. Four stars are a big deal because the resonated in some way. Five stars for me are like life changed moments of amazing. Out of the 500ish ratings I have, only about five are 5 stars. When I write full reviews here, I usually round up a bit to match more of what we have in the side bar. So if these seem strict that is why :)

Jana's Recent 5-Star Reads

Since becoming a book blogger, I find myself not LOVING as many books as I used to. I'm not sure if my tastes are changing, if I'm expecting more of a book because I've read so many amazing ones (and terrible ones), or if I'm just getting pickier because I feel like my readers expect brutal honesty from me. I'm not giving out as many 5-star reviews as I used to. Is that good or bad? I'm not sure... Anyone feel like weighing in here on this?

Anyway, I thought I'd highlight a few of the books that have gotten 5 stars out of me lately!

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill 
(full review here)

This might possibly be my new favorite YA contemporary romance! I love the descriptions of London (a place I am just dying to visit), our very nerdy Julia (her nickname is Book Licker. COME ON.), and the swoony young love that blooms and burns sooooo slowly. And the witty banter and hilarious situations can't hurt. Plus, travel. This book knocked it out of the park for me. 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo 

(full review here, in which I make a Friends reference... 

because doesn't Friends fit into everything?)

Guys. I am not a fantasy lover. Or at least I never had been. Leigh has created this super dynamic, exciting, mysterious world for us and I can't get enough of it. Plus, her writing had me salivating. It's absolutely amazing. Throw in a bad-a heroine, a sexy villain, a noble love interest, and SO MANY DETAILS, and you've got a Jana who loves the fantasy genre.

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson 
(full review here)

Yet another book that takes place on a class trip to a far off place. Can you tell I missed out on study abroad and class vacations? Yeah. My love of this book probably comes from my love of Italy. Kim took me right back. Our heroine, Jessa, is perfectly flawed and so much fun to read about. And then there are some sweet boys... and introspection... a little controversy. I just loved it. And honestly, I have not been hearing enough about it these days. Don't let this one get lost on your TBR shelf! 

 
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (full review here)

I probably don't have to explain much with this one. Marissa has me loving Little Red Riding Hood, a story I hate growing up. And I got to see my best pal Cinder again, which was a surprise. I love that Marissa writes strong heroines, and then puts the focus on them. These girls don't need saving, and that's refreshing. I love the balance of humor and seriousness, and I'll never get enough of this world. Ahhhh...

Ok, so there you have it! Do any of you feel the way I do about these titles? And please. Throw some of your 5-star reads at me, because I'd really LOVE to read them! And I'm serious about advice on whether or not you're getting more picky about books as time goes on. Are you a book blogger who finds themselves getting more cynical? Are you getting more selective in your "old" age? Help a girl out!

Tahleen's latest series obsession: Virgin River by Robyn Carr

So by now you all know I mostly read YA and middle grade books. I'm a teen librarian, it's my job. But every now and then I feel the urge to check out something more adult, though not necessarily "better." My latest discovery is the Virgin River series by Robyn Carr.

I got a nice gift card for Christmas to B&N, and since I own a nook I like to use gift cards for e-books. I saw that the first four books in this series were on sale for $10 and took a chance on them. I'm really glad I did.

In Carr's books, Virgin River is a tiny town in Northern California way up in the mountains and woods. Like, I mean tiny--600 ish population. The first book tells Mel's story. She is a young widow whose husband was killed in a violent crime, and in an effort to get away from LA and the emergency room in the city, she decides to take a crack at country medicine. Unfortunately it's not really what she's expecting, mostly because the cabin she was promised is pretty much falling down ("It has a bird nest in the oven!"). But before she can leave, a baby is abandoned at the crotchety old doctor's house where she was originally supposed to be helping out (even though he clearly stated he didn't need her help). So Mel stays, at least for a while. And there the series begins.

I flew through the first three books in this series. I really like the small-town atmosphere, which isn't always exactly neighborly as one might expect. And did I mention that each book is a romance? Yeah, this is a romance series, and it gets pretty hot sometimes to be honest. But it's more than that; it's about family, and what that can mean to different people. Each book sets up future story lines with subplots and perspective shifts (all told in third person), as well as continuing each previous couple's story through the next installments. No one's story really ends after their book ends, which makes me very invested in their lives since I've gotten to know them so well.

It's true, during the third book I could really tell where the next book was going. Every time a single 20- or 30-something shows up on the scene, I know they'll get their own book at some point, and I know if someone is going to die or something. It gets pretty predictable. But I still really like it, especially because it's getting to be familiar. I'm not sure if it will continue this way for me, but I'll enjoy it while it does.

Have you read the Virgin River series? What do you think of it? Do you have any series you read because they're comforting and familiar?

Daisy's Review of Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm

Title/Author: Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm
Publisher/Date published: Graphia, May 8th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "A story of crushes, corsets, and conspiracy
Libby Kelting had always felt herself born out of time. No wonder the historical romance-reading, Jane Austen-adaptation-watching, all-around history nerd jumped at the chance to intern at Camden Harbor, Maine’s Oldest Living History Museum. But at Camden Harbor Libby’s just plain out of place, no matter how cute she looks in a corset. Her cat-loving coworker wants her dead, the too-smart-for-his-own-good local reporter keeps pushing her buttons, her gorgeous sailor may be more shipwreck than dreamboat — plus Camden Harbor’s haunted. Over the course of one unforgettable summer, Libby learns that boys, like ghosts, aren’t always what they seem."

You guys, reading Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink was like hanging out with my best girl friends as in that I was smiling and laughing and just having a blast! And it was just so cute!

I absolutely adored the writing! It was just that perfect blend of lighthearted mixed with some serious things and Stephanie Kate Strohm definitely knows how to bring on the funny! It was just amazing! I immediately fell for the characters and the museum and history camp with all the cute little 8-year-old girls in Libby's group and it just had this wonderful feel-good vibe going on!

Libby is a wonderful, charming and very easy to love main character! She's the smart girl with a sense of style, with a shoe buying addiction as well as a passion for history. And Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink does a lovely thing in showing you how 'don't judge a book by its cover' is something we should all remember! Because of Libby's shoe obsession and her Hello Kitty tendencies, people sometimes judge her to be not all that smart and not so serious about history and the job she's there to perform. It's funny how first impressions sometimes get you, huh? Libby does everything with a passion and she really knows her stuff! I loved her and was rooting for her the whole time, even though she does this thing where she puts her phone in her bra (which I've seen people doing a lot lately), which I HATE (no offense if you do, but it's just not my thing), I excused her for it because she was just so adorable. And it made for a funny moment later on, so I'm good with it.

Libby doesn't have the best douchebag radar, I mean, the gorgeous sailor was basically holding a sign with the term on it and waving it around. But well, I feel like a little old lady saying this, but I haven't been out of my teens all that long and I get it. I mean, at 16-17 my bullshit-o-meter wasn't all it should have been and well, hormones and all you know?
But seriously, the other guy? The BETTER guy?? My little nerd loving heart pitter-pattered all over the place! I absolutely loved the moments between him and Libby, getting to know each other, getting over their prejudices and just having great chemistry and laughter-inducing banter. Their scenes together had me smiling and it was just great! Also, HELLO, KITTY! :) *inside joke, if you read it you'll understand* And the boy had the whole movie kiss down, it was swoonworthy in the extreme!

There were just so many characters for me to love, including Libby's best friend Dev. Who, admittedly, is a bit of a stereotypical YA gay best friend, but I loved him and his quirks! And he totally made it work! And the friendship between him and Libby felt real to me. They were very similar and I loved their interaction and the over the topness of it all sometimes.

So, to sum it all up: Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink is an adorable, feel-good read that had me laughing out loud and had me still smiling a couple of hours after I'd finished it! It's a fabulous debut and Stephanie Kate Strohm is definitely someone I will be watching out for in the future, I loved her voice!

My rating: 5 stars

Daisy's Review of The International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams

Title/Author: The International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams
Publisher/Date published: Walker Books for Young Readers, January 17th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Piper, Cassidy, Mei, and Izzy have been best friends their whole lives. And they've always agreed on one goal: to get out of tiny Paris, Texas, and see the world. The school's foreign exchange program seems like the perfect escape: Piper will go to the original Paris; Mei will go to China; Cassidy will go to Australia; and Izzy, unable to afford the program, will stay at home. To add spice to their semester away, and to stay connected to their best friends, the girls start The International Kissing Club, a Facebook page where they can anonymously update one another and brag about all the amazing guys they're meeting. After all, these girls are traveling abroad: amazing guys abound at every turn! But sometimes fun, flirty vacation flings turn into more serious romances, and sometimes you don't return from abroad the same person you were. Will the girls' relationships - and their friendships - be able to survive?"

Did you know Ivy Adams is a pseudonym for the writing team Emily McKay, Shellee Roberts and Tracy Deebs? Cause it is. And these 3 lovely ladies have written an absolutely cute novel together!

I was SO ready to read a fun book after reading some disappointing ones and The International Kissing Club had me smiling while reading it! And really, how could I not, the title alone gets me in a good mood! I was expecting something light and cute and that was exactly what I got!

I LOVED the dynamics in the group and the friendship these four girls had going on. Each of the girls has a well defined personality and I was never once confused by the POV I was reading from cause their voices are very clear and I knew exactly who was talking. Major props to the authors for that, cause it's definitely not always the case!

Of course there were some obvious things happening and I could see some mistakes the girls made coming from miles away, but that didn't stop me from having a good time reading The International Kissing Club! All four of the girls have their own sweet lovestory and it was wonderful just delving into it. The only thing I can complain about is that with 4 different POVs, 400 pages isn't a lot and I would have liked it to be a little longer so the storylines could have been somewhat longer cause I just loved spending time with these characters so much!

I'm REALLY hoping for a sequel cause I'm dying to find out what happens with all these budding romances! And just what is happening with these girls in general!
It was such a cute read and definitely something to read on a nice spring or summer day!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Daisy's Review of Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

Title/Author: Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett
Publisher/Date published: Sweetwaker Books, December 8th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: ""Think I can turn that boy bad?" 17-year-old Jen turns her life upside down when, out of boredom, she makes a bet that she can turn school geek Trevor into someone like her. Instead, the goth girl finds herself sucked into his world of sci-fi movies, charity work, and even-ugh!-bowling. To truly belong with him - and with her new foster family - she must first come to terms with her violent past."

Sometimes I misread summaries. Sometimes this means that I expected more of a book. This time, it meant that all I was expecting was a cute lovestory and it turned out to be SO MUCH MORE!!!

Seriously, I LOVED this book! Geek Girl is not only a cute lovestory, but it deals with some serious subjects. At first I needed to warm up to Jen, but as the story progressed and I learned more about her backstory, her attitude of somewhat bitterness and the trust issues she had all made perfect sense!

And I really liked Jen! I felt everything along with her and I had the urge to give her a big hug, even though she probably wouldn't have welcomed the gesture. She was so real and it all just felt so natural! I got totally sucked into the story and I felt like I became Jen while reading the book. To me this is the sign of a wonderful, well-written book, so major brownie points to Cindy C. Bennett for accomplishing this! Jen goes through a LOT of character growth and experiencing this along with her was wonderful!

And THE BOY!! I LOVED Trevor I'm sure I'm not even remotely coherent about this! Trevor sounds exactly like the boy I would have fallen in love with in high school! Or actually, he sounds like the boy I did fall in love with: my boyfriend. Really, smart guys rule FTW!! Also, I got pretty much all the 'geek' references and of the movies mentioned, I think I've seen about 80% or at least know of them enough to understand all the geeky jokes. Yes, I'm a geek and proud of it! Trevor is just a really good guy and a wonderful brother and loyal friend. He's my kind of guy!

And of course there's some heartbreak, because what would a good lovestory be without some roadblocks? EXACTLY! But it didn't once feel artificial, I could imagine this happening exactly the way it did in Geek Girl. And the tension-filled moments between Trevor and Jen totally brought tears to my eyes, I LOVED it!

So yes, I'm saying READ THIS! It is absolutely not just a fluffy romance as I expected from the summary and it deals with some really dark and serious stuff. The lovestory in Geek Girl is amazing and real and tear-inducing! The writing completely drew me in and I didn't want to put this book down unless absolutely forced to! I'll be sure to check out anything Cindy C. Bennett manages to come up with after Geek Girl!

My rating: 5+ stars

Tahleen reviews: "Anna and the French Kiss" by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the French Kiss

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Speak, 2011 (paperback)

Okay, okay, I know. What took me so long. Life got in the way, kids. But I finally made it, months after everyone else. And of course, everyone was right.
Anna is being sent to France against her will for her senior year of high school. At least it's an American boarding school, but still, she's pissed at her dad (a famous author who sounds suspiciously like Nicholas Sparks) for taking her away from everything she knows and sending her to some foreign country on her own. But she eventually settles in, makes friends, and is forced to get to know the city by said friends, especially St. Clair (that's his last name, first name Etienne). Friendship gets complicated between these two though, when both start to feel something more but, oh hey, St. Clair has a girlfriend. Then throw in a mean girl, another dude, and the excitement only Paris has to offer and you get one awesome book.

There's really not much more I can say about this book that hasn't been said, but I'll do it anyway. Yes, St. Clair has a British accent and is a super nice guy and is extremely attractive (and short—my fiance would approve), but he also has his baggage. This includes a truly awful father and the inability to be alone at this time in his life (you'll see why). Anna is equally down to earth, and she has an appreciation for film that is rarely seen in YA novels—her aspiration is the be one of the few female film critics. Their relationship is incredibly real and exactly what a friends/more-than-friends relationship is like. Anyone who's ever been in that sort of situation will feel the same way, I'd guess. And I love that it takes the appropriate amount of time for them each to fall for the other.

Did I mention there are serious issues in here too? No? There are serious issues. Bullying, for one. At one point Anna has to deal with some truly terrible people and I actually cried at how they were treating her. That's not the only real-life issue in here, but that's where I'll stop because I don't want to give any spoilers for the few who have yet to read it.

And how could I forget the setting? This book made me want to go back to Paris, since hey, I was there for only 7 hours between trains. The food, the people, the excitement are all intoxicating. Even though it rained most of the days in the book, I still wanted to be there.
I stayed up late to finish this, something I wasn't expecting to do, and that doesn't happen very often for me. So yes, this book is everything everyone has been saying it is. It's truly worth the read, not only because of how utterly delightful it is, but because of it's depth and the truth behind every relationship.
I know the American cover isn't the best, one of the reasons I didn't read it sooner, but let me show you an alternate cover I found:

Isn't that so much cuter?
Side note: Did anyone else think the way Anna was described sounded exactly like Anna Paquin in X-Men? Gap between the front teeth, bleach in the hair, her name is Anna...

Disclosure: I got this book from the library.

Julia Reviews Everything I Know About Love I learned From Romance Novels

Title/Author:Everything I Know About Love About Learned From Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell
Publisher/Year Published: October 2011 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
How I got this book: From my local library
Why I read this book: I read a lot of romance novels and the title is pretty much out of my mouth
Rating: 5 stars

I read my first romance novel right around the age of 12. My cousin gave me some to read that she had gotten through various ways. She said they were really good books I would like them. 13 years later and I am still reading romance.

As a self-professed bookaholic, people often times give me a lot of condecension for my choice of reading. When I tell people that I read 72 books in 2010 and 49% of them were romance I often get "Well those don't count." or "It's just chick porn."

This really frustrates me. Just because it is a book that is heavily focused on romance means it doesn't count? I picked up Everything I Know I Learned from Romance Novels hoping to get some more amo to throw at these people, but what I found was a group of stories and lessons that were enchanting and eye opening.

Everything I Know About Love was written by Smart Bitch Sarah over at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, a site I often frequent. She often asked readers while she was writting to contribute anecdotes, as well as other authors and publishers. What she collected was a chain of stories about people and their relationship with romance. It was really interesting because not only did I realize what other people have taken from reading romance, I realized that a lot of that applied to me as well.

What I Learned From Romance Novels:

• Don't to settle for something less than I am worth.
• Though men are not romance heros, the romance heroes have qualities (like kindness and the ability to listen) that real men can have.
• It's not a problem to embrace sexuality.
• The happily-ever after is not the interesting part. It's how you get there.

I don't expect someone to ride up beside me, sweep me off my feet onto their white horse and tell me they've wait for me forever. I do expect trust and communication, understanding when something happens when life isnt always perfect, someone who will love me faults and all.

For me romance has been an escape, a roadmap to relationships, a way to discover myself to just name a few. What this book really solidified in me is that I don't care that other people may think less of me for reading romance. They dont know what they have taught me. I know that I will be a better friend, lover, woman, and person for reading them.

As for the book, you hear a lot of stories like this neatly divided into sections. If you dont read romance but have wondered why so many flock to it. Pick this up. It is quick and fun to read. It took me one 4 hour flight.

I am not sure how to end my review/personal outpouring. I guess I'll end it with this. Never feel guilty for reading something. A book can mean anything to anyone. :)

Jessi Reviews Love the One You're With

Title/Author: Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin
Publisher/Year: St. Martin's Press, 2008
Where I got it: Picked it up at a used bookstore
Why I read it: I'm a big fan of Emily Giffin, and this was one I hadn't read


Synopsis: The New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and Baby Proof delivers another captivating novel about women and the choices that define them. This is the story for anyone who has ever wondered: How can I truly love the one I'm with when I can't forget the one who got away? 

Ellen and Andy's first year of marriage doesn't just seem perfect, it is perfect. There is no question how deep their devotion is, and how naturally they bring out the best in each other. But one fateful afternoon, Ellen runs into Leo for the first time in eight years. Leo, the one who brought out the worst in her. Leo, the one who left her heartbroken with no explanation. Leo, the one she could never quite forget. When his reappearance ignites long-dormant emotions, Ellen begins to question whether the life she's living is the one she's meant to live. 

Love the One You're With is a powerful story about one woman at the crossroads of true love and real life. 

Review: I don't know about the rest of you, but as for me, I love a good chick lit every now and then. And oh guuurrrl, does Emily Giffin write good chick lit. 

Her books are smart, first and foremost. Many people disregard chick lit as pure fluff, but I think Emily Giffin definitely breaks that mold. Whether it's a girl in love with her best friend's fiance (Something Borrowed) or a married woman given the chance between her fairy tale husband and the "one who got away," Emily Giffin tackles very interesting moral dilemmas. I swear, every time I read a synopsis of one of her books, I sit back and think, "Oh, that's easy--she should do this." But, just like life itself, Emily Giffin shows the answer is not always as easy as one may think. 

Another thing I adore about Emily Giffin is her writing style in general. Her books are so readable. I found myself reading huge chunks of this book at a time. And she writes dialog and people so well. Conversations between characters were never stilted or awkward. People spoke and acted like people actually speak and act. 

I felt so much towards each of the characters while reading, too, which is always a plus. I felt like these people were actually a part of my life. Even though I couldn't relate to everyone, I was able to at least understood them. I found Ellen's story the easiest to relate to, surprisingly, because I thought I would have the hardest time with her. 

As for the plot itself, it was definitely believable, never hokey. At one point towards the end (as I was flying through pages), I felt myself anxiously thinking, "No, no, no! Say it isn't so, Emily!" But never fear--this story ended how I felt it should, while keeping me guessing up until the end. Absolutely incredible. 

For those people who actively dismiss chick lit, or for those looking to try it out, I want to push Emily Giffin's boks into their hands and urge them to give them a try. In my personal opinion, she's one of the best chick lit authors out there.