Book Review: The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E Smith!

 Synopsis:

Four minutes changes everything. Hadley Sullivan 17 misses her flight at JFK airport, is late to her father’s second wedding in London with never-met stepmother. Hadley meets the perfect boy. Oliver is British, sits in her row. A long night on the plane passes in a blink, but the two lose track in arrival chaos. Can fate bring them together again?

Publisher:

Poppy/ Little Brown

Release Date:

January 2, 2012

Standalone

Date Finished:

July 26, 2015

My Rating:

3 Stars

Edition:

Hardcover

How I Got It:

Library

My Thoughts:

When I started this book, I didn’t know what to expect. I vaguely remembered reading the synopsis but I couldn’t remember exactly what it was about. Upon finishing it, I had very mixed feelings about it. Now, months after finishing it, I still have mixed feelings about it.

On one hand, I really enjoyed the story. The love story was very cute. I also really liked the concept of the story. I thought it was adorable.

On the other hand, I really just wanted more from it. I wanted to see more of her relationship with her parents. I wanted more of her with Oliver and more of what happens with them after the end of the book. I also found it the story to be a little predictable at times.

With that being said, I do want to read more books by Jennifer E Smith. I actually plan to read a couple of them within the next couple of months. (Also, the covers for her books are so cute! I love them.)

Have you read this book?

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Collide by H.M Ward!

 

Synopsis:

When Mari accidentally overhears that Trystan is in love, she can’t believe it. He’s pining over some girl that doesn’t know he’s alive. The confident swagger and endless stream of girls is a facade. It conceals his loneliness and hides how messed up he’s really become trying to flee from a life that’s battered him to his core.

Trystan tries to figure out how to make it clear how much he loves Mari, but every insincere kiss and every broken promise haunts him, because she knows them all. Now, Trystan has to prove to the one girl he’s actually fallen in love with that she’s not just another conquest. 

Mari has no idea who Trystan loves, but she can tell that whoever it is has captured his heart entirely. Soon Mari sees the man behind the mask, the guy that Trystan tries so hard to hide. Everything about him is appealing, and too hard to resist. 

In a moment of desperation, Trystan uploads a love song he wrote for Mari, but before he can show it to her, the video goes viral. Everyone wants to know who he is, and the only thing shielding him is an anonymous account name and some thick shadows hiding his face. Tyrstan realizes that the consequences of revealing his identity will be disastrous. Everything he’s tried so hard to hide will be exposed. It’s a secret that is impossible to keep and the only girl who he wanted to hear it will never believe him.

Release Date:

August 30, 2012

Publisher:

Laree Bailey Press

Series:

The Secret Life of Trystan Scott – Book 1

Edition:

Paperback

Rating:

3 Stars

How I Got It:

Library

The reading experience for this book was a little different f. Me and my sister decided to read this book together. So we started reading and didn’t stop until about 3 AM and we only stopped then because I was so tired that the words were starting to blur. When we got up the next morning we immediately picked it back up and continued reading until the end.

The story was entertaining. There was a few very interesting characters.  Those characters made me laugh multiple times throughout the book.

The story overall was alright. I just wanted a little something more from it. I do plan to read the rest of the series soon. I don’t know what to expect from the rest of the series but I’m excited to see where it goes from here!

Have you read this series?

📚 Happy Reading!📚

Book Review: Amy & Rogers Epic Detour by Morgan Matson!

Synopsis: Amy Curry is not looking forward to her summer. Her mother decided to move across the country and now it’s Amy’s responsibility to get their car from California to Connecticut. The only problem is, since her father died in a car accident, she isn’t ready to get behind the wheel. Enter Roger. An old family friend, he also has to make the cross-country trip – and has plenty of baggage of his own. The road home may be unfamiliar – especially with their friendship venturing into uncharted territory – but together, Amy and Roger will figure out how to map their way.

Release Date: May 4th 2010

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Series / Standalone

My Edition: Paperback

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

How I Got It: Library

Honestly, this is one of my favorite contemporary novels. There’s so many things that I love about this book.

First, I really loved the way the story was told. I really loved the pictures, receipts and little notes from their trip that was throughout the book. It added a little extra touch that made the reading experience more enjoyable for me. I also liked the little facts and notes about each state they drove though.

I also really enjoyed the romance in this book. It wasn’t heavy on the romance but the relationship between Amy & Roger was very adorable.

This was the first road trip book that I’ve read. It did not disappoint! Now I’m needing more road trip books in my life!

I was expecting a lot out of this book when I started it. I had read one of Morgan Matson’s book before this one. I really enjoyed that one (Second Chance Summer) so my expectations for this one was really high. Thankfully, I really enjoyed this one just as much as Second Chance Summer.

Morgan Matson is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Now that my review is done, who wants to go on a road trip?!

Happy reading!! 📚

Book Review: Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout!

*Possible spoilers for White Hot Kiss.*

Synopsis: Every touch has its price
Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could.

But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: October 21st, 2014

Series / Standalone: The Dark Elements #2

Edition: Paperback

Rating: 4 Stars

How I Got It: Library

This book was as addicting and fast as the first. Jennifer L. Armentrout has a way of grabbing my attention from the beginning and not letting go. Even after I’ve read the last sentence.

I could feel the tension between Layla and Abbot throughout the book. I felt bad for her. She spent a lot of her life looking at him as a father and it seemed to her that he just suddenly started treating her differently. As the story went on I couldn’t help but dislike Abbot more than I had in WHK and in the beginning of SCT.

The love triangle didn’t bother me in this series. At times, I did feel like it was unnecessary. Mainly because, I do feel like she has more of a romantic connection with Roth than with Zayne. With Zayne, I just don’t see that kind of connection. I think her relationship with him is more of a sibling connection than anything else.

That cliffhanger at the end of this book made me want to immediately pick up the 3rd book. I can’t wait to pick up the last book and see how that storyline wraps up.

I think that I did like White Hot Kiss more than this one. I did enjoy both of the books and I’m really interested to see how this series will wrap up. I know that Jennifer L. Armentrout let the fans of the series pick which guy Layla would end up with. I’m really excited and nervous to see what the fans ended up choosing.

Have you read this series?

Do you ship Layla and Roth? Or Layla and Zayne?

Happy Reading!

Book Review: White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout!

Synopsis:

One kiss could be the last 
Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she’s anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. 
Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she’s crushed on since forever. 
Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she’s not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn’t an issue, considering Roth has no soul. 

But when Layla discovers she’s the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: February 25, 2014

Series / Standalone: The Dark Elements #1

Edition: Paperback

Rating: 4.5 stars

How I Got It: Library

I haven’t read a book that fast in a while. I literally read this entire book in less than a day. This is the second book I’ve read by Jennifer L Armentrout. So far her books are fun, addicting and fast reads. I can’t wait to read more of her books in the future.

This book intrigued me from the very beginning. I haven’t read any books about gargoyles. The story about a girl that’s half gargoyle and half demon had me just wanting to know more about her. Raised by the Wardens, she’s trying to repress her demon side and her temptations. It’s something she struggles with even after she meets Roth.

The fact that Layla could suck out souls with just a kiss was interesting. That makes dating someone a little difficult. Seeing her struggling with the pull to suck out souls was also interesting. It was like an addiction that she was constantly battling because of temptations around her.

I did notice a few Twilight references throughout this book. They made me laugh when I did notice them. There was a few references that I didn’t notice until after I finished the book and watched a few book reviews where they were pointed out. It didn’t bother me it just made me laugh.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast, fun and interesting. Sometimes you just need a book that isn’t too heavy and is just a fun adventure. I found that with this book. I hope I love the rest of the series just as much as I loved this one. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Layla.

Have you read this series?

Happy Reading!

Book Review: What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi!

Synopsis: It’s all Ryden’s fault. If he hadn’t gotten Meg pregnant, she would have never stopped her chemo treatments and would still be alive. Instead, he’s failing fatherhood one dirty diaper at a time. And it’s not like he’s had time to grieve while struggling to care for their infant daughter, start his senior year, and earn the soccer scholarship he needs to go to college.

The one person who makes Ryden feel like his old self is Joni. She’s fun and energetic—and doesn’t know he has a baby. But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep his two worlds separate. Finding one of Meg’s journals only stirs up old emotions, and Ryden’s convinced Meg left other notebooks for him to find, some message to help his new life make sense. But how is he going to have a future if he can’t let go of the past?

Series/ Standalone: Standalone

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Release Date: August 4th, 2015

My Edition: Kindle eBook

My Rating: 5 Stars

How I Got It: NetGalley/ Sourcebooks Fire

Oh man. Upon finishing this book, all I could think was ‘What did I just read?’ ( in the best way). I really loved this book. The story was addicting and I just could not put this book down until I finished it. The one or two times I did put this book down, I kept thinking about it. Wondering what was going to happen next. With it being so addicting, I finished this book in a day (Which was a miracle because while reading this book, I was trying to get out of a reading slump)

The single father aspect of the story wasn’t something I had seen before. It was part of the reason I was so intrigued and wanted to read this book. (If you know of any others out there please let me know about them. I want to read more like this!)

The big thing I loved about this book was Ryden’s relationship with his mom. She would help him out by watching Hope while he was at work, but she made him raise her and do most of the work concerning Hope. I loved that. I think she made him a better father by not giving in and doing everything for him. While he didn’t always make the best decisions, his mom let him make them and learn from his mistakes. (Best mother award?!)

Ryden’s growth throughout the story was pretty amazing. He started out as a grieving teenage father. And he slowly starting figuring out the kind of father  (and person) he wanted to be. He went through a emotional rollercoaster and I felt bad for him throughout most of the book.

His relationships throughout the book was hard to read about sometimes. I didn’t agree with the decisions he made regarding the people in his life. When I thought about it though, we all make mistakes. Especially at that age. We all have made decisions that probably weren’t the best. That’s another thing I loved about this book though, it felt real.

I truly loved everything about this book.

I will buy myself a finished copy of this book when I get the chance. I can’t wait to read other work by this author.

Do you plan on picking up this book when it is released?

Happy Reading!

Book Review: I Was Here by Gayle Forman!

Synopsis: Cody and Meg were inseparable.

Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.
 
When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss

Publisher: Viking Juvenile 

Release Date: January 27, 2015

Series / Standalone

Edition: Hardcover

Rating: 3.5 Stars

How I Got It: Library

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. Part of me really liked it. It was a fast read, and I kept wondering how all of this would end. The other part of me was a little uncomfortable with how intensely she “researched” into Meg’s past. As I’m sitting here writing this review I still have ‘Rating’ blank because I’m not sure how to rate it. Honestly, I’m not even sure how to continue this review.

I really did enjoy reading this book. It was intriguing. Gayle Forman’s writing style and storytelling had me flying through this book. This is the first book I read by her, but now I know why she is such a beloved author. She grabbed me from the first sentence and I just had to know what was happening and what was going to happen next.

Suicide is not something I read about very often. I’m not sure if I will read more books containing that subject now after finishing this book. I’m not opposed to reading more, but I’m not sure how soon I will.

I personally haven’t been affected by suicide. Well, I have but not with someone as close as Cody was with Meg. I don’t know if the way Cody was after Meg’s death is realistic. It seems like it’s possible to become that obsessive with what had happened to cause someone you love to do that to their self. I did become a little uncomfortable when Cody became, what seemed to me, a little too obsessive about parts of Meg’s life that she didn’t know about.

Have you read this book?

Is it on your TBR?

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson!

Synopsis: A princess must find her place in a reborn world.
She flees on her wedding day.
She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor’s secret collection.
She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.
She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.
The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can’t abide. Like having to marry someone she’s never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love. 

Publisher: Henry Holt

Release Date: July 8th 2014

Series / Standalone: The Remnant Chronicles #1

Edition: Hardcover

My Rating: 4.5 stars

How I Got It: Library

Holy macaroni. This book was just amazing. I need the sequel to this book. I need it in my life as soon as humanly possible.

While I was reading this book, I kept going back and forth on who was the prince and who was the assassin. Just when I thought I knew who was who, something would happen that would make me second guess everything. That was one thing I really loved about it. I never really knew what to expect.

I became really invested in the story. I even teared up a couple times towards the end. I also don’t even know where the story is going to go next. I’m excited, and a little scared just thinking about it.

I don’t even really know what else to say about this book without spoiling it. It was just full of beautiful writing and an amazing story that I devoured.

I honestly think this is going to be one my favorites of the year. I cannot wait to read the sequel as soon as possible.

Have you read this book? What do you think of it?

Happy reading!

Book Review: Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers!

Synopsis: Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn’t mean she has… 

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Release Date: November 4, 2014

Series/standalone: His Fair Assassin #3

Edition: Hardcover

Rating: 4.5 Stars

How I Got It: Library

This is easily one of my favorite series. It kept my attention throughout every book. I just wanted and needed more. I could not get enough. Even now that it’s over, I still want more.

Starting out, it was dragging a bit. I knew from the synopsis that Annith was going to leave the convent but it felt like it was taking forever for her to actually leave. When she finally left, I was excited to see where she would head to next.

On several occasions while reading this book, I was taken completely by surprise. A lot of the things that eventually came out, I was not expecting. I’m not sure what I was expecting with the reasoning behind the abbess’ actions. The reason though, was far from anything I would have ever expected.

This entire series has some of my favorite couples. The couple in Mortal Heart may not be my favorite couple in the series, but I still loved them. (The couple in Dark Triumph is OTP). With Annith, I was a little surprised at who her love interest is. I did love them together, but it surprised me.

I really adore the entire series. I want to own them all one day so I can reread them over and over again.

Have you read this series? Do you want to?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Happy reading!

Me when I think about this series:

Book Review: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers!

Synopsis: When Sybella arrived at the doorstep of St Mortain half mad with grief and despair the convent were only too happy to offer her refuge – but at a price. The sisters of this convent serve Death, and with Sybella naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, she could become one of their most dangerous weapons.

But her assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to the life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. But when Sybella discovers an unexpected ally she discovers that a daughter of Death may find something other than vengeance to live for… 

Series / Standalone:  His Fair Assassin # 2

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books For Children

Release Date: April 2nd, 2013

My Edition: Kindle eBook

My Rating: 5 Stars

How I Got It: NetGalley/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Starting this book, I was a little disappointed that it followed a different character. I really wanted to know what was going to happen to Ismae and Duval next.

After I got over the initial disappointment, I really started to love this book. Almost as much, if not more, than the first. I was a little thrown off, being in d’Albret’s household.  It confused me, and I really didn’t understand why Sybella was there to begin with. As things started to unravel, and we started to understand more and more, I really started to feel bad for her. Even more when I found out the extent of what she had gone through growing up.

I was really happy when one of my favorite characters from Grave Mercy had a bigger part in this book. (Trying not to spoil anything. If you have read the series, you know who I am talking about) He was my favorite side character in the first book, so I was beyond thrilled to have him back in this one.

When it comes to the abbess, I have always distrusted her. From the beginning of the series, I just knew that something was off about her. In this book, my distrust turned to loathing. Some of the things she did or said throughout the book just made me angry.

I really hope we find out what happens with Ismae and Sybella in the third book in the series. I know that it’s also in a different point of view, but I’m really hoping to see what happened with them as well. I can’t wait to see how this series ends, and what happens with Annith.

I plan on buying myself a copy of this book for my bookshelf. This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

((I’m sorry if this review was all over the place.))

Have you read the series? What are your thoughts on this book?

Happy Reading!