Tag: Romance

Fiction · Historical · Romance · Young Adult

Lovely War

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Title: Lovely War

Author: Julie Berry

Page Count: 480

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: March 5, 2019 by Viking Books for Young Readers

Format: eBook

Review: In the past I have enjoyed both books relating to Greek mythology and World War I/II.  Never before have a read a book that combines both themes.  It is an interesting concept, and I gave the book an extra half star in my rating for originality.

There were parts of the story I really enjoyed, however, there were also parts that I felt fell short of my expectations.  This story is meant to be a sweeping romance, intertwining three sets of lovers, but I did not feel swept away by any of the couples.  It is a very sweet story, and I greatly enjoyed the historical aspects.  The two mortal lovers are struggling through a very dark point in history, World War I.  This is a less common setting than the more commonly discussed World War II.

Trench warfare is truly heinous, and I think the author did a good job of depicting how wretched and traumatizing fighting in this war was.  I was less of a fan of the insta-love that sprang up between the two mortal couples.  I know that war has a tendency to heighten emotion, but the complete and utter devotion that the couples felt towards each other upon meeting was a bit difficult for me to wrap my head around.

I was not at all a fan of how the author incorporated the mythological aspect of the Greek gods into the story. To be honest, it didn’t really seem as well constructed as the rest of the story, and it did not really add much to the plot other than an introduction of the mortal characters.  I think the story would have read equally well if this portion of the story had been eliminated entirely.

In the end, I can safely say that I liked the story but did not love it.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Goldhalf star

Fiction · Romance

Fumbled

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Title: Fumbled

Author: Alexa Martin

Page Count: 320

Series: Playbook, Book 2

Publishing Date/Publisher: April 23, 2019 by Berkley

Format: eBook

Review: This was one of those books that teetered between a 3 and 4 star rating for me.  The story is very cute, and there were certain aspects that I thought were worthy of note, but there were also a few places it fell short for me.

The main character, Poppy, was great and I loved how down to earth she was.  However, I personally did not think that there was enough build up leading to her rekindled romance with TK.  He did not have to work very hard to be back in her life, and the attraction between them seemed mostly sexual.  I would have loved to see them connect on a deeper level beyond their shared child.  I did, however, really like that TK idolized her post-pregnancy body.  This really spoke to me, because I have struggled with accepting the permanent changes in my body post-pregnancy, and it made me feel good to see stretch marks, saggy boobs, and a few extra pounds portrayed as desirable and beautiful.

I also don’t think that the author ever really provided an explanation as to how TK missed out on the news regarding Poppy’s pregnancy.  It is implied that this was a machination of his meddling mother, but it was not explained how she got to his text messages before he did.  And who was the girl that answered his phone?  I suppose we may never know.

This is actually the second book in a series, and I like how the author incorporated characters and storylines from her first book into this one.  From early on, it seemed pretty obvious that her next book will focus on a romance between two supporting characters, Maxwell and Brynn, and I think that will be fun.

It should also be noted that the author spent 8 years as an NFL wife, so I assume that her depiction of what life is like for the wives and girlfriends of players is pretty accurate.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Goldhalf star

Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

Only a Breath Apart

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Title: Only a Breath Apart

Author: Katie McGarry

Page Count: 368

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: January 22, 2019 by Tor Teen

Format: eBook

Review: This was a very sweet love story that tackled the very difficult topic of abuse.  Both Scarlett and Jesse have been victimized by a parent, causing deep and lasting trauma.

At times this was a painful read, because it really shows how devastating and self-perpetuating the cycle of abuse can be.  Sadly, it is not uncommon for a victim of abuse to blame themselves, and many are trapped in a toxic relationship because of fear, love, finances, and/or a misplaced belief that the abuser can change.

This story also demonstrates that there are different types of abuse, and that emotional/psychological abuse can be equally as damaging as physical abuse.

Scarlett and Jesse show that it is possible to heal, and that reaching out to people we trust can help us transcend a dangerous situation. There are many other important lessons to be found in this story and I think that makes it is a great reading recommendation for teens.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

Fallen Heir

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Image result for fallen heir by erin watt

Title: Fallen Heir

Author: Erin Watt

Page Count: 300

Series: The Royals, Book 4

Publishing Date/Publisher: August 28, 2017 by Timeout LLC

Format: eBook

Review: It is hard for me to rate this book, because I LOVED the first three books in the Royals series, but not so much this one.  This book focuses on a different Royal brother than the first three, and I was disappointed with how it turned out.  Easton was perhaps my favorite of the Royal brothers, so I was very much enthused when I found out he would be getting his own book, but the writing of this particular book seemed to take a turn for the worst.  Perhaps this is because the authors have published so many books in such a short amount of time, but this one felt kind of like an add-on, and it didn’t really add anything special to the series.  The way it ended, I assume there will be a Book Five.  I will probably read it, but I am far less excited for it than I was for this one.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

Wild Crush

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Title: Wild Crush

Author: Simone Elkeles

Page Count: 304

Series: Wild Cards, Book 2

Publishing Date/Publisher: September 22, 2015 by NLA Digital LLC

Format: eBook

Review: This book is far from Elkeles best.  It was a quick read, and it had it’s entertaining moments, but it was not delicious (which is the quality I’m looking for in a teen romance).  If you are looking for a guilty pleasure read, her Perfect Chemistry trilogy is far better.  I also enjoyed her Leaving Paradise duology.  I don’t recommend diving into the realm of Elkeles with this book, because it might taint your opinion of her books in general.  I say give the other books a try first and then circle back to this one if you feel like it.

Reader: Bekah

Rating: 

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fantasy · Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens

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Title: Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens

Editor: Marieke Nijkamp

Page Count: 320

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: September 18, 2018 by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR)

Format: eBook

Review:  It can be very difficult to rate short story anthologies because the content is so varied; however, I think that 3 stars would be my average rating.  As expected, some stories I enjoyed more than others, but overall I was impressed by the diversity of characters represented.  There were LGBT characters, gender fluid characters, persons of color, persons of different religions, and of course, all characters had some sort of disability, whether it be physical, intellectual, or emotional.  Some of the genres covered were horror, science fiction, fantasy, and romance.

There were a couple stories where it was not clear what disability the character had.  The descriptions were very ambiguous, and if you did not know that this was part of an anthology featuring youth with disabilities, you would probably miss the fact that a disability was even involved.  It would have been nice if  the authors had covered what inspired the characters they created in their short bios at the end of the anthology.

Another thing that really stood out to me is that the title of the anthology does not adhere to person first language (i.e. Stories Starring Disabled Teens vs. Stories Starring Teens with Disabilities).  Admittedly, I am very aware of this distinction due to a training I received at work, so perhaps it does not stand out to others the way it does to me.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

 

Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

Road to Somewhere

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Image result for road to somewhere by kelley lynn

Title: Road to Somewhere

Author: Kelley Lynn & Jenny S. Morris

Page Count: Not Available

Series: N/A

Publishing Date/Publisher: March 11, 2014 by Bloomsbury Spark

Format: eBook

Review: This book was the definition of O.K….certainly nothing to write home about.  I did not feel any real attachment to the characters or romances.  All in all, a truly forgettable read.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

Leah on the Offbeat

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Title: Leah on the Offbeat

Author: Becky Albertalli

Performer: Shannon Purser

Length: 7 hr, 11 min, 21 sec

Series: Creekwood, Book 2

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2018 by Harper Audio

Format: eAudiobook

Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, so I was thrilled when I found out the author was publishing a book highlighting another character introduced in the first of the Creekwood series.

Leah was a character I enjoyed very much in Simon’s book, and I was excited to get to know her better.  Leah’s character is self-assured and opinionated, and she loves her appearance, despite the fact that her body type does not adhere to traditional standards of beauty.  She is confident in just about every aspect of herself, except her sexuality and her art.  Leah is a very talented artist, but she is reluctant to show her deeply personal work to the people in her life.  Perhaps she is worried that it will be revealing of the secret she has been harboring from her friends…her bisexuality.

Based on the description above, I should love Leah, but once inside her head, I actually found her to be a bit obnoxious.  To make matters worse, many situations in the book made me cringe, because Leah was outright rude or inconsiderate to the people around her.  By the end of the book, I was not her biggest fan.

The romance between Leah and another character was also very problematic.  Her love interest came off extremely flat and the chemistry just wasn’t there.  The story also does not address any blowback that would have undoubtedly occurred if the romance progressed the way it did in the book.  It was extremely unrealistic and disappointing when the author jumped over any inevitable falling out and just included a “happy ending” epilogue to gloss it all over.

Despite my disdain for this book, the performer did a great job with her narration.  I would give her a higher star rating than the book itself if I could.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold

Fiction · Romance · Young Adult

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

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Title: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Author: Becky Albertalli

Performer: Michael Crouch

Length: 6 hr, 45 min, 6 sec

Series: Creekwood, Book 1

Publishing Date/Publisher: 2015 by Harper Audio

Format: eAudiobook

Review: This love story is adorable.  Simon is adorable.  Everything about this book is adorable.

In all seriousness though, this is an excellent coming-of-age/teen romance.  It’s angsty and endearing and you just want to reach through the pages and give Simon a big hug.  It is hard for me to relate directly to his experiences coming out to his family and friends, but many of Simon’s struggles to accept himself are universal.  The supporting characters in this story are, for the most part, also very likable.  Simon’s friends and family are so accepting of who he is, that at first it seemed silly to me that he is so reluctant to come out to them. As the story progresses, however, I really got a better grasp of how scary this step is to a teen, regardless of whether or not they have a strong support network.

I enjoyed this story in audiobook format.  I have listened to other audiobooks performed by Michael Crouch, and his voice is very well suited to books told from the perspective of a teenage boy.  It’s a very generic “young man” voice, and his even cadence makes his performances very easy to listen to.

After reading this book, I was very excited to rent the movie adaptation Love, Simon.  My expectations for book-turned-movie adaptations are always low, but the movie was extremely well cast, and they captured the feel of the book very well.  This can be difficult to do, especially when so much of the book is introspective.

Both the book and the film were very heart-warming, and I highly recommend both to fans of this genre.

Reader: Bekah

Rating:

All_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_GoldAll_Star_Gold