Joyride

Author: Anna Banks
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: June 2, 2015

Summary: It’s been years since Carly Vega’s parents were deported. She lives with her brother, studies hard, and works at a convenience store to contribute to getting her parents back from Mexico. Arden Moss used to be the star quarterback at school. He dated popular blondes and had fun with his older sister, Amber. But now Amber’s dead, and Arden blames his father, the town sheriff who wouldn’t acknowledge Amber's mental illness. Arden refuses to fulfill whatever his conservative father expects. All Carly wants is to stay under the radar and do what her family expects. All Arden wants is to NOT do what his family expects. When their paths cross, they each realize they’ve been living according to others. Carly and Arden’s journey toward their true hearts—and one another—is funny, romantic, and sometimes harsh.

Review: I ended up having a love/hate relationship with this book. First of all, it was a lot shorter than I had originally suspected it to be. When I first got my greedy little hands on it all I could think was, "This is it?" Although that ended up not being a bad thing, I was initially put off by it's short length.

I did however enjoy the main character, Carly. She had a ton of determination, self-control, was strong-minded, and very witty. I had a lot of fun whilst reading the initial exchanges between her and Arden. Although, every character has some flaws. Carly's would have to be that she was very submitting, especially when it came to her brother/family. 

Let's talk about Arden Moss. Honestly, he was one of my least favorite characters in the novel. He kept on getting angry at Carly because she kept letting Arden know that unlike him, she actually had to work for a living while he could just lounge around because he came from big money. It really annoyed me that he would get so frustrated when Carly was just stating the obvious and Arden knew that. That is really the thing that made him my least favorite.

The story line. Well . . . let's just say that by the end, I did not see that one coming! From the synopsis, I was expecting something similar to the lines of a Sarah Dessen book maybe? Mainly just a contemporary romance . . . as the genre above specifies. Although this novel is contemporary, and does contain some romance, it didn't really feel like a YA contemporary romance to me.

Okay, okay, from the review above it may seem like I hated this book. But I didn't!! It is filled with charm, honestly, and discussed the important subjects of poverty and immigration. Although I don't think I'll read this one again, I don't regret reading it.

The Wrath & the Dawn

Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn #1
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Retelling
Release Date: May 12, 2015
Summary: Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend. She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.
Review: First of all, I am sorry I haven't posted in a while! I took a short hiatus (due to a reading slump). Thankfully, I overcame that slump by reading, The Wrath and the Dawn. Okay, this book was . . . ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND FASCINATING AND EVERYTHING GRAND!! It makes me feel like this when I think about it.

For the past couple of weeks I have been on a fantasy kick! Needless to say, nothing was satisfying my craving until I got this book in the mail, thanks to Uppercase! I had heard nothing about it, surprisingly, and just decided to sit down and start reading without any expectations or notions. That was probably the best decision I've made. After simply reading the first page I was hooked with the writing style, setting of the story, and uniqueness of it all. Although, this did end up being a little frustrating due to the fact that I had a difficult time pronouncing some of the characters names.

Aside from that slight frustration, this book was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!! I love love loved (!!) everything about it. Shazi was such a kick butt main character! Her attitude and wit had me rooting for her from our first encounter. Shazi was such an impeccable main character and was so well written. I thoroughly enjoyed reading from her perspective

Khalid. OH Khalid. Although you had a very ogre-ish attitude at the beginning, I couldn't help but fall in love with you along with Shazi. You made me swoon, and sigh, and wish that you were real so that I could steal you for my own! I adored you so much and you didn't ever let me down!! *sigh* Khalid was such a great love interest! The mystery surrounding him was irresistible and held my attention for quite some time. Seriously though, I'm basically in love with Khalid.

Overall, this was an incredible read as I have already stated. It may or may not be my favorite book of the year thus far. One that you need to put on your to-read list immediately!! I can almost guarantee that you will not be disappointed with this action-packed, plot twisting, romantic fantasy!! I'm desperately awaiting the debut of book 2, The Rose and the Dagger!!

Enclave

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Razorland #1

Genre: Dystopian, Sci-Fi, Romance

Release Date: April 12, 2011

Summary: New York City residents, decimated by war and plague, live underground in Enclaves, barely past age 20. Deuce 15, trained as Huntress, pairs with odd Fade, who was boy Topside. Elders ignore warning, exile both. Monster Freaks, more organized, killed nearest Enclave. Guided by old memories, in gang-infested ruins, pair face apocalyptic world with new dangers and feelings.

Review: I'm basically in love with this book! Such a unique story line and wonderfully written characters! 

I loved Duece; she was a strong heroine and that alone had me rooting for her throughout the entire novel. I enjoyed her attitude and how strong minded she was. Also, the fact that she can kick some major butt is a plus!!

Fade, oh Fade. He was a perfect love interest for Duece! I loved the way that their relationship developed throughout the novel. Even while they were fighting off the Freaks/Eaters (whatever you prefer to call them) I was still swooning by his complete and utter hotness! I also really enjoyed the chemistry and sexual tension between these two! Can't wait to see what's in store for book 2!

After Duece and Fade are banished from the Enclave, I knew the story was definitely going to be picking up in the pace department! Boy was I right! Their adventures Topside never seemed to diminish. I could not turn the pages fast enough!! I totally engulfed everything that happened after their banishment!

Tegan was such a fun and incredibly tough character; after what we learn about The Wolves and what they had done to her, although a tad bit shocking, it left me rooting for her without a doubt. 

I loved the ending of this story, although I'm not quite sure how I feel about what Duece and Fade found towards the end. Hopefully I'm not disappointed with the next two installments in this trilogy. Aguirre has an incredibly creative writing voice that kept me turning pages all night long! This isn't one you'll want to miss!

The Start of Me and You

Author: Emery Lord
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: March 31, 2015

Summary: It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

Review: I initially checked this book out because it sounded similar to Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson. Unfortunately, I put off reading it since I was in the middle of two or three books at the time I checked The Start of Me and You out. After finishing my other books and wondering what to read next, I picked this one up (it's due date was right around the corner!) hoping that it would exceed my expectations. And let me tell you, it did just that!

I really enjoyed Paige aka Grammar Girl aka Janie! She felt real to me. Her 'flaws' were refreshing, her voice was realistic, and she was very down to earth. Her sense of humor! *insert chuckle* Let's just say I was laughing a lot more than I expected in this book. Take this quote for instance:

"Okay," he said, leaning closer to me. "I have a proposition for you." 

Dear God, let it be marriage, I thought."

If Paige actually existed, we would be friends. No doubt about it.

Speaking of friends! Paige and her group of besties, Tessa, Morgan, and Kayleigh, were totally awesome! Their dynamic was incredibly written. I feel that often times you have the MC and his/her best friend and the other characters/friends just end up being, well, fluff (?). Not with these girls. They each had their own unique and distinct personality that made them all relate-able in their own way. Who run the world? GIRLS!!!

Okay, the romance in this book is so on point it's not even funny. I looked much like this for a majority of the book:

One of the things I loved most about the romance in The Start of Me and You is that it felt real. It happens over a long period of time. And the fact that Paige and Max started out as friends and grew to love each other is just totally perfect.

Also, this book gets DOWN AND NERDY!! Honestly, the witty/nerdy banter is this book was absolutely HIL-AR-IOUS! I mean, they argue about Pride and Prejudice!! And the whole Quiz Bowl? Oh my goodness, high school flashbacks people!!

All in all, this was a great read! I laughed (a lot), cried, swooned, and was incredibly moved all while reading this book. Perfect for the start of summer. Definitely add this one to your "Must-Read" shelf immediately!

"I may still be stumbling through these steps, but at least I'm stumbling forward." - Paige Hancock