Review: The Score by Elle Kennedy

Series: Off Campus Book #3
Format: Ebook
Rating: 5 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self-published

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she's going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands. 

Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.

Review

It's official: I love Elle Kennedy. And she's just like Sarina Bowen for me. Reading her books makes me want to re-read the others in the series. And that ending. I saw parts of it coing, but I need the next book NOW.

Before this I didn't know I needed a book about Dean and Allie, but I did. And I love them-as characters and a couple. They are so open sexually with each other. It's a breath of fresh air to see a couple so honest and sex-positive.

Speaking of being sex positive: Ms. Kennedy dealt with slut shaming very well. She showed how a person can shame themselves which I don't think I've read before. And I absolutely love that Dean is so strongly against it. He doesn't slut shame, but he also speaks out against it which is great to see.

It was also nice to see healthy family and friend relationships. It would've been easy to make Dean's family the obnoxious rich people, but they are a supportive family. The lady friendship between Allie and Hannah is also real and genuine. Even Dean has some solid friendships with the hockey guys and others. Male friendships are just so great.

Like I said before, I really like Allie and Dean as a couple. They make each other better by being together. And they are also very supportive. It isn't perfect because nobody is but they work well together. They're also funny and I love when a couple has a good sense of humor.

I really liked The Mistake, but I think this may be my favorite book in the series so far.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Review: Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase

Series: Suddenly Book #1
Format: Ebook
Rating: 4 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Avon Impulse

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.

Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.

While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.

Review

This was really fun. It isn't super deep or angsty. And the book doesn't break ground, but it's super enjoyable.

Sam was really easy to like. She's a really normal girl. She didn't let being royalty change her. Honestly, she handled it and the sudden fame the way I think I would.

Normally, I get frustrated by first person books, especially when there's a romance involved. But I really liked Sam's story. Alex is a great guy, but I don't need to get in his head. Ms. Chase showed enough of how he felt about Sam.

I definitely will read the other books in this series because I liked the characters and writing. And I do recommend this especially if you like things like The Princess Diaries or The Prince and Me.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Review: The Assassin and the Underworld by Sarah J. Maas

1Series: Throne of Glass .04
Format: Bind-Up
Rating: 3 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children

Review

My thoughts on this are basically the same as the other novellas. If anything, Celaena my have bothered me even more. She's just so immature and self-centered.

The plot was moderately interesting. I did see parts of it coming, but what are you going to do?

I am definitely a fan of Sam. He's truly a great character and Celaena doesn't deserve him. Although she did actually do some sort of selfless things for him. Hopefully, this means she's growing up.

I think I know what's going to happen in the lat novella and I'm kind of scared/sad to read it.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Review: Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Series: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Book #2
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 4 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: Classic, Children's Fiction
Publisher: Barnes and Noble

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

Through the Looking-Glass is your passport to a topsy-turvy world on the other side of the mirror, where you have to run fast just to stay in place, memory works backwards, and it is possible to believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast. Both stories feature the colored classic illustrations of John Tenniel.

 
Review

I don't know if other people feel this way, but this one felt different than Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Not in a bad way-just different. I do think I liked this one just a little bit more.

This felt more like a cohesive story than random events. Although, there's still a decent amount of randomness. And it starts with The Jabberwocky which is one of my favorite poems.

I'm really glad I read this again as an adult. If I have children I want to read these stories to them. Even if I don't understand everything that's going on, I still enjoy going on the adventure.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Review: The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass .3
Format: Hardcover Bind-Up
Rating: 3 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens

Review

Hey, I'm finally back to reading this book. And I want to review each novella individually.

I haven't been shy about this, but I don't like Celaena. She's incredibly arrogant and obnoxious. This time I thought she might be a little humble, but she wasn't. Honestly, she acts like she's the shit and everyone should bow down to her greatness, but she isn't. I'm afraid this will turn into a rant, but why do people like her so much?

Onto the plotty things. I actually enjoyed the Silent Assassins. They are very peaceful which sounds weird. Maybe I mean that they are calm. The Master especially was very interesting and a nice contrast to Celaena and Arobyn.

I will finish the novellas and read Heir of Fire because I already own it, but if Celaena doesn't humble up I may have to give up on the series. I'm sorry if it's one of your favorites.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Top 10 Tuesday: Books Recently Added to my TBR

Top 10 Tuesday was created by the Broke and the Bookish. You can find more information here  

 

With the holidays and my birthday happening quite a few books have been added to my TBR recently. Definitely, more than 10. But I narrowed down the list. I thought some of these and others were girls.

1) A Bollywood Affair Sonali Dev
2) The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel
3) Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis
4) Oblivion by Jennifer L. Armentrout
5) Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
6) Winter by Marissa Meyer
7) Soundless by Richelle Mead
8) On the Island by Tracy Garvis Graves
9) Timeless by Gail Carriger
10) Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Review: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Stand Alone
Format: Paperback
Pages: 307
Rating: 5 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Atria Books

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

 
Review

I probably shouldn't write this review right now, because I'm still keyed up. But I probably won't write it if I wait. So here we go.

November 9 isn't my favorite Colleen Hoover book, but it's definitely up there. I liked that it's kind of a meta romance novel. And I like the characters and their story.

Fallon is great. I loved seeing her grow into herself and rediscover her self-confidence. And her outlook on life is cool.

I know some people have a problem with Ben, but I don't. I understand he did something bad. But I also believe people can make mistakes. He made a choice in one intense situation that he regrets and spends the rest of his life in penance. Years of remorse and redemption forgive him for me.

The story being told one day per year makes it interesting. It created a tension that made me want to keep reading. At the same time, it was frustrating because I wanted to know what was going on throughout the year. It also makes you look at life differently. Seeing a snapshot of someone's life only shows you so much. Remember that.

Couldn't you give me an epilogue or something though, Ms. Hoover?

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Review: Rush Too Far by Abbi Glines

Series: Too Far Book #4/Rosemary Beach Book #4
Format: Paperback
Pages: 240
Rating: 3 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Atria Books

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

Fallen Too Far was Blaire's story. Now it's time for Rush to share his side.

Everyone in Rosemary Beach thinks they know how Rush Finlay and Blaire Wynn fell in love. But Rush is back to tell his side of the story...

Rush has earned every bit of his bad-boy reputation. The three-story beach house, luxury car, and line of girls begging for time between his sheets are the envy of every guy in Rosemary Beach, and Rush handles it all with the laid-back cool of a rock star’s son. All he needs are his best friend, Grant, and his sister, Nan.

Until Blaire Wynn drives into town in her beat-up pickup truck with a pistol under her seat. The Alabama farm girl instantly captures Rush’s attention once he discovers that the angelic beauty is his new stepsister, but he vows to keep his distance. Even if she needs his help. Even if he craves her.

Because Rush knows why Blaire is all alone in the world, forced to ask for help from the father who abandoned her three years ago. And he knows if he gets too close it will destroy Nan, who has a secret connection to Blaire.

He has every reason in the world to stay away from her. Find out why he doesn’t.

Review

This is a hard one for me to write. A lot of my feelings about this is how I felt about Fallen Too Far. And Rush is the kind of guy in New Adult that bothers me. I did know that going in. Despite my complaints, these books seem to always suck me in.

I did really like getting a slightly different look at Grant and Woods. They are my favorite guys in the series. Sometimes I liked Rush, but he was a little too caveman for me.

Something that really pisses me off is how Rush treats his mom and Nan. He is constantly yelling at them and threatening them with money. To me, this is abusive behavior. Just because they are bad people doesn't mean he can act that way.

If you like the Rosemary Beach series you will probably like this, too. But if you have some issues don't think this fixed them.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Review: The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean

Series: Scandal and Scoundrels Book #1
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 384
Rating: 5 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Avon

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

LADY SOPHIE'S SOCIETY SPLASH

The youngest of the infamous Talbot sisters scandalized society at the Liverpool Summer Soiree, striking her sister’s notoriously philandering husband and landing him backside-first in a goldfish pond. And we thought Sophie was the quiet one…

When she finds herself the target of very public aristocratic scorn, Sophie Talbot does what she must to escape the city and its judgment—she flees on the back of a carriage, vowing never to return to London…or to society. But the carriage isn’t saving her from ruin. It’s filled with it.


ROYAL ROGUE'S REIGN OF RAVISHMENT!

The Marquess of Eversley was espied descending a rose trellis—escaping an irate Earl and his once-future countess. No lady is safe from Eversley’s Engagement Ending Escapades!

Kingscote, the Marquess of Eversley, has never met a woman he couldn’t charm, a quality that results in a reputation far worse than the truth, a furious summons home, and a long, boring trip to the Scottish border. When King discovers stowaway Sophie, however, the trip becomes anything but boring.

WAR? OR MORE?

He thinks she’s trying to trick him into marriage. She wouldn’t have him if he were the last man on earth. But carriages bring close quarters, dark secrets, and unbearable temptation, and suddenly opposites are altogether too attractive…

Review

I bought this on it's release day, went home, and read it straight through. Ms. MacLean writes some amazing historical romance. I'm very excited to read the rest of the books.

The characters were fantastic. Sophie had me from the very beginning. I love a good independent and strong heroine in my historicals. And I like that there were consequences for those actions because society did have different standards. Then, there's King. He had just enough angst to make him interesting. He reminds me of some old-school heroes, but only the good parts of them.

The romance between Sophie and King was also great. There was immediate tension and chemistry. She did a very good job with the arguing tension. Sophie and King have amazing banter and they both give as good as they get. I wish the romance had progressed a little quicker, but it was still very solid.

As much as I love this books it wasn't perfect. There were some side characters that I wish I got more information on. But I'm hopeful that'll be addressed in future books.

Sarah MacLean writes amazing historical romances. I highly recommend her and this isn't a bad place to start.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Top 10 Tuesday: 2015 Releases I Meant to Read

 

Top 10 Tuesday was created by the Broke and the Bookish. You can find more information here
 

Although I did read a lot of the books that came out this year that were on my list, there were some that I didn't get to. I really want to make these a priority in the year to come.

1) Oblivion by Kelly Creagh

2) A court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

3) The Heir by Kiera Cass

4) Brown-eyed Girl by Lisa Kleypas

5) The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick

6) The Sword of Summer by Magnus Chase

7) The Shadows by JR Ward

8) Soundless by Richelle Mead

9) Winter by Marissa Meyer

10) The Remedy by Suzanne Young

Thanks for reading!
Holly

2016 Bookish Goals

This year I wanted to change my style of goals. Instead of focusing on number-related goals I want to be more involved in the bookish community.

A huge part of this is because I'm not very good at creating and maintaining relationships. This is something I'm working on so I thought it would be good to work on here, too.

These goals are hard to quantify, but one thing that's a priority is YouTube comments. I would like to respond to comments on my videos at least twice a week. I also want to comment on other people's videos more often.

Then, there's Goodreads. I've been better about posting updates and at least liking others posts. So, I want to keep up with that. But I also want to be more involved in the groups I'm in. I would like to interact in Top 5 Wednesday and Tuesday Talks more, but I also want to be a part of some read-alongs.

But I couldn't ignore all the traditional goals. I am doing my Goodreads challenge of 100 books.

I also did a video about this on my YouTube channel.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Review: Lakeshore Christmas by Susan Wiggs

Series: Lakeshore Chronicles Book #6
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 384
Rating: 3 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Publisher: Mira

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

 

Maureen Davenport finally gets to direct Avalon's annual holiday pageant, and she's determined to make it truly spectacular. But former child star Eddie Haven is turning out to be a tattooed lump of coal in her stocking. Eddie can't stand Christmas, but a judge's court order has landed him right in the middle of the merrymaking. He and Maureen spar over every detail of the pageant, from casting troubled kids to Eddie's original song. Is he sabotaging the performance to spite her, or is she foricng the show into her storybook-perfect notion of Christmas? And is it possible that they're falling in love?

Review

To be completely honest, this was kind of disappointing read. The writing felt very passive and was often repetitive. I don't plan on reading another Susan Wiggs book. At least not anytime soon.

Maureen really bothered me. She was incredibly uptight and self-righteous. And the way she talked often felt very unnatural. She loosened up a little towards the end, but not enough for me.

On the otherhand, Eddie was great. I really enjoyed his POV and story. He was a nice take on the celebrity trope. And I always like a good sobriety story. He was very kind and I love how passionate he was about music.

The romance was OK. It went really slow and not in a good way. Then, it seemed to go very fast. They're an OK couple, but I don't really feel any chemistry between them.

It did have a pretty nice Christmas feel. There were touches of whimsy and spirituality. And it generally had a feeling of joy and the power of the season.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Review: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Bind-up
Format: Hardcover
Rating: 4 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: Classic, Children's Fiction
Publisher: Barnes and Noble

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

Lewis Carroll's novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (first published in 1865 and 1871, respectively) have entertained readers young and old for more than a century. Their magical worlds, amusing characters, clever dialogue, and playfully logical illogic epitomize the whit and whimsy of Carroll's writing.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland transports you down the rabbit-hole into a wondrous realm that is home to a White Rabbit, a March Hare, a Mad Hatter, a tea-drinking Dormouse, a grinning Cheshire-Cat, the Queen of Hearts and her playing card retainers, and all manner of marvelous creatures. Through the Looking-Glass is your passport to a topsy-turvy world on the other side of the mirror, where you have to run fast just to stay in place, memory works backwards, and it is possible to believe as many as six impossible things before breakfast. Both stories feature the colored classic illustrations of John Tenniel.

Review
I am actually reading this in a bind-up with Through the Looking Glass. But I decided to review them separately. This is a weird one because it's more a series of events than a linear story line. I did like it and can see why it was a favorite when I was a little kid.

I'm definitely a fan of word play so this writing style is for me. That being said, I don't get everything that's going on even as an adult. The chapters with the gryphon and mock turtle are probably my favorite. They played off each other very well.

Alice is also great. She's a little girl, but uses a lot of logic on her journey. I liked that she would ask questions instead of just accepting what everyone in Wonderland was telling her.

Onto Through the Looking Glass.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

December Wrap-Up (2015)

December felt like a really good reading month. I read a lot and the books were all very enjoyable. None of the books I read got less than a 4 star rating. And I completed two series which is always nice.

My TBR is growing a little bit with the holiday sales and Christmas. Plus, by birthday was in December. I want to keep my TBR under fifty or even lower, if possible, so hopefully I keep this reading pace up.

Here are the books I read and their ratings:

Bitten (4 Stars)

 

 

Defy (4 Stars)

Oblivion (4 Stars)

Simply Irresistible (4 Stars)

The Book of Ivy (4.5 Stars)

The Revolution of Ivy (4 Stars)

Persuasion (5 Stars)

A Bollywood Affair (4.5 Stars)

Spell Bound (4 Stars)

A MacKenzie Family Christmas (5 Stars)

Cold-Hearted Rake (4 Stars)

Cress (4 Stars)

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Series: Lunar Chronicles Book #3
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 550
Rating: 4 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fairytale Retellings
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

 
Review

This one had a lot more allusions to it's fairytale than the first two books. Or maybe I just notice them more because I'm very familiar with this fairytale. I did really enjoy the story, but I'm not all cockoo for coco puffs over it the way the internet seems to be.

Normally, stories that have a ton of POVs bothers me, but this works. I like that just because this is Cress's story she isn't the only one. Kai and Scarlet and Cinder's stories all continue. And Ms. Meyer did a good job of pacing the different POVs so that they came at the right time.

Cress is a very nice girl. Obviously she was sheltered, but she was also strong. There's so much she had to go through and she did it without complaint.

The way people talk about Thorne I thought he would be more swoon-worthy. I do like him and think he's generally a good person beneath the arrogance and sarcasm. But I think I like Kai more than him. I hope that's not blasphemy.

I'm really into the plot in this series. There's some mystery and suspense. I never know what Queen Levana is going to do and it makes me nervous when she shows up. There were some more things revealed and I am very interested in Winter as a character.

One thing that really impressed me was Ms. Meyer's use of humor. I wouldn't say this is a funny book, but there is a good amount of humor to lighten up the mood when needed.

Oh, and I love Iko. I mean I've always liked her, but she is just so amazing. She's funny and endearing. Seriously, if she dies somehow I'm going to be pissed. Anyone else can bite it, but not her. Don't spoil Winter for me.

Thanks for reading!
Holly