Waiting on Wednesday #55: P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

March 30, 2016March 15, 201913 Comments

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s book:

Title: P.S. I Like You
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Point
Publication Date: July 26, 2016

Summary (from Goodreads): What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?

While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she’s flustered — and kind of feels like she’s falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer — but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

From beloved author Kasie West (The Distance Between Us) comes an utterly charming story about mixed messages, missed connections, and the magic of good old-fashioned secret admirer notes. Continue reading →

Teaser Tuesdays #49: The New Guy by Amy Spalding

March 29, 2016March 15, 201914 Comments

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today’s Teaser Tuesday:

Book cover for The New Guy by Amy Spalding
Summary (from Goodreads): A ridiculously cute, formerly-famous new guy dropping into your life? It’s practically every girl’s dream.

But not Jules McCallister-Morgan’s.

I realize that on paper I look like your standard type-A, neurotic, overachiever. And maybe I am. But I didn’t get to be the editor of my school’s long-revered newspaper by just showing up*. I have one main goal for my senior year-early acceptance into my first choice Ivy League college-and I will not be deterred by best friends, moms who think I could stand to “live a little,” or boys.

At least, that was the plan before I knew about Alex Powell**.

And before Alex Powell betrayed me***.

I know what you’re thinking: Calm down, Jules. But you don’t understand. This stuff matters. This is my life. And I’m not going down without a fight.

—-

* Okay, I sort of did. But it’s a sore subject.

** I mean, I guess everyone knows about Alex Powell? Two years ago, you couldn’t go anywhere without hearing about viral video boy band sensation Chaos 4 All. Two years ago, Alex Powell was famous.

***Some people think I’m overreacting. But this. Means. War.

Filled with romance, rivalry, and passive-aggressive dog walking, Amy Spalding delivers a hilariously relatable high school story that’s sure to have you falling for The New Guy. Continue reading →

Review: The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

March 28, 2016March 15, 201915 Comments

Title: The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy #3)
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Date: March 29, 2016

Summary (from Goodreads):

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it, with the East as his ally and the empire as his enemy. He's finally managed to dismiss the memory of Kestrel, even if he can't quite forget her. Kestrel turned into someone he could no longer recognize: someone who cared more for the empire than for the lives of innocent people-and certainly more than she cared for him. At least, that's what he thinks.

But far north lies a work camp where Kestrel is a prisoner. Can she manage to escape before she loses herself? As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover unexpected roles in battle, terrible secrets, and a fragile hope. The world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and Kestrel and Arin are caught between. In a game like this, can anybody really win?

❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃

Review

The Winner’s Kiss by Marie Rutkoski is such a fantastic instalment to The Winner’s Trilogy! I was definitely not as prepared for this epic conclusion to the series as I thought. This book is filled with action and suspense and contains one of my favourite main characters in YA. If that wasn’t enough to sway you, the writing in this book is so gorgeous and will make you fall in love with The Winner’s Kiss right away. Continue reading →

Review: Stone Field: A Novel

March 26, 2016March 15, 201912 Comments

Title: Stone Field
Author: Christy Lenzi
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: March 29, 2016

Summary (from Goodreads):

In a small town on the brink of the Civil War, Catrina finds a man making strange patterns in her family’s sorghum crop. He’s mad with fever, naked, and strikingly beautiful. He has no memory of who he is or what he’s done before Catrina found him in Stone Field. But that doesn’t bother Catrina because she doesn’t like thinking about the things she’s done before either.

Catrina and Stonefield fall passionately, dangerously, in love. All they want is to live with each other, in harmony with the land and away from Cat’s protective brother, the new fanatical preacher, and the neighbors who are scandalized by their relationship. But Stonefield can’t escape the truth about who he is, and the conflict tearing apart the country demands that everyone take a side before the bloodbath reaches their doorstep.

Inspired by Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.

❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃

Review

Stone Field by Christy Lenzi is so different from anything I’ve ever read! This Wuthering Heights retelling features a brave main character who goes against society. Even though I found the pacing of the book to be a bit off, the incredible writing overpowered that fact. Continue reading →

Review: Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

March 25, 2016March 15, 201911 Comments

Title: Flawed (Flawed #1)
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: April 5, 2016

Summary (from Goodreads):

You will be punished…

Celestine North lives a perfect life. She’s a model daughter and sister, she’s well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she’s dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.

But then Celestine encounters a situation where she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule and now faces life-changing repercussions. She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found flawed.

In her breathtaking young adult debut, bestselling author Cecelia Ahern depicts a society where perfection is paramount and flaws lead to punishment. And where one young woman decides to take a stand that could cost her everything.

❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃

Review

Flawed by Cecelia Ahern was one of my highly anticipated reads this year, so I was thrilled when I was able to get my hands on a copy. The concept really drew me in, and I had such high hopes for the book. However, the main character was too impulsive and sort of selfish for me, and there were some graphic scenes that I wasn’t prepared for. As much as I wanted to love this book, I ended up a little disappointed with it. Continue reading →