Book Review- After I Do

Yesterday, I finished After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid for a BookSparks Summer Reading Blog Tour.


About the book:

 When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.

 Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?

 This is a love story about what happens when the love fades. It’s about staying in love, seizing love, forsaking love, and committing to love with everything you’ve got. And above all, After I Do is the story of a couple caught up in an old game—and searching for a new road to happily ever after.

Wow.  Right from the beginning I completely felt for Lauren.  The backflashes of their relationship when they were still in love and the scenes in current day where you could feel how they'd grown apart.  And I got it.  It hit home in some ways.  I  miss the days where you get butterflies hearing you significant other's voice.  The days where he/she tried to impress you and make you happy.  The days where you'd primp for him/her instead of wearing pajamas for most of the days on weekends.  Luckily, we've never had the "I can't stand each other feelings" and I can't imagine being as okay as Lauren was when they split.  I know marriage takes a lot of work and I hope ours never reaches that point.

I liked that Lauren grew so much during their one year apart.  There are some things that happen during the separation that I think would bug me if it were happening to me and I'm not sure I'd ever get over it.  You'll have to find out for yourself if Ryan and Lauren do.  I'd definitely recommend this book.  I think everyone can relate in some way.

I gave this book a rating of 4.5/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge Book Tour.


Praise for the book:

 “Moving, gorgeous and, at times, heart-wrenching. Taylor Jenkins Reid writes with wit and true emotion that you can feel. Read it, savor it, share it.” – Sarah Jio, New York Times bestselling author of The Violets of March


Buy the book
~Amazon Paperback
~Amazon Kindle


About the author:

 Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author and essayist from Acton, Massachusetts. She graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Media Studies. Her first novel, Forever, Interrupted, was named one of the “11 Debuts We Love” by Kirkus Reviews. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and her dog, Rabbit. Her forthcoming novel, After I Do , will be published July 1, 2014.


Connect with the author:

~Facebook
~Twitter
~Website
~ Goodreads

Book Review- Elly in Love

I finished reading Elly in Love by Colleen Oakes today for a BookSparks Summer Reading Blog Tour.


About the book: 

Curvy wedding florist Elly Jordan has had quite a year. First, she had to design her ex-husband’s wedding to the mistress who split them up, and then she  roke up with the hottest musician this side of St. Louis. Three months have passed since then, and now Elly is primed for what promises to be the best wedding season of her life. Helped by her loyal friends, Elly is on the verge of opening a chic flower boutique uptown when BlissBride, a popular wedding reality show, asks her to design the wedding of a famous—make that infamous –celebrity. Elly is about to get everything she’s ever wanted, when a stranger shows up at her store with a request that changes every aspect o f her life–including her budding relationship with deli owner Keith. As she struggles to stay calm in the midst of growing chaos, Elly will learn the true meaning of love and sacrifice.

I enjoyed being able to read this sequel right after the first book.  I was looking forward to seeing how Elly and Keith's relationship played out.  I really like them together.  Keith is so good for her, and to her.  And as for his big secret, I definitely didn't guess it!

As for the stranger that shows up.  I didn't like him at all.  I think we were supposed to feel empathy for him, but there was nothing likable about him.  He was just lazy and I was surprised that Elly put up with it.

I liked reading about BlissBride and the famous celebrity.  I DID have empathy for her.  She was likable, even with all of her faults.

One of my bigger pet peeves of the first book was that it mentioned over and over again how overweight Elly was.  I think the author did a better job of not overdoing it this time.  And I'm glad that in just like every good chick lit, there's a happily ever after.

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge Book Tour.


Praise for the book:

 “Elly is so endearing that you can’t help falling in love with her. I thoroughly enjoyed being on her journey as she dealt with love, loyalty, friendship and following her dreams. Elly in Love is a delightful story and I can’t wait to see what’s next for this character!” – Susie Orman Schnall, author of On Grace


Buy the book: 

Amazon for paperback 


About the author:

 Colleen Oakes is the author of the Elly in Bloom series and the YA fantasy Queen of Hearts Saga, both published via SparkPress, a BookSparks imprint. She lives in North Denver with her husband and son. When not writing, Colleen enjoys swimming, traveling, and immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. She is currently at work on the last Elly novel and her second YA fantasy series, Wendy Darling.

Connect with the author:
~ Facebook
~ Twitter 
~ Website
~Goodreads

Book Review- The Revealed

I finished reading The Revealed by Jessica Hickam last night for the BookSparks Summer Reading Blog Tour.

About the Book:

Lily Atwood lives in what used to be called Washington, D.C. Her father is one of the most powerful men in
the world, having been a vital part of rebuilding and reuniting humanity after the war that killed over five billion people. Now he’s running to be one of its leaders.

But in the rediscovered peace on Earth, a new enemy has risen. They call themselves the Revealed – a powerful underground organization that has been kidnapping 18 year olds across the globe without reservation. No one knows why they are kidnapping these teens, but it’s clear something is different about these people. They can set fires with a snap of their fingers and create a wind strong enough to barrel over a tree with a flick of their wrist. No one has been able to stop them, and they have targeted Lily as their next victim.


But Lily has waited too long to break free from her father’s shadow to let some rebel organization just ruin everything. Not without a fight.

I wasn't too sure what this book was going to be about when I first started reading it, but I was quickly engaged in it.  The writing drew me in and I was so intrigued with figuring out what The Revealed was.  I told a friend that it's not often that I have no clue what was going to happen, but that was the case for this book and I quite liked it!

The main characters were great.  I loved that Lily didn't play princess just because her father was running for President.  She was completely her own person.  And Kai.  I liked him and was/am hoping that things will work out for them.  Rory was a great sidekick and best friend.  She completely surprised me too!

I found myself not wanting to put the book down and I love that feeling!  I don't see anything that shows that there will be a sequel but I sure hope there is going to be one!  There is so much more that I want to know about Lily, Kai, and Rory and The Revealed!

**updated to add that The Revealed is the first book in a trilogy.  Woohoo!

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge Book Tour.

Buy the book:

·         Amazon for paperback

About the author:

After graduating from Arizona State University in 2011, Jessica relocated to Los Angeles where she nowStar Trek: Into Darkness, her experiences have only reinforced her love for living in other worlds – whether they be from her own imagination or someone else’s. The Revealed is her first novel.

works in the film industry. From acting to assisting on the Paramount feature 

Connect with the author:

·         Facebook

·         Twitter

·         Website

·         Goodreads

Book Review- Cure for the Common Breakup

I finished reading Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick early this morning for a BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge Blog Tour.

About the book:

Flight attendant Summer Benson lives by two rules: Don’t stay with the same man for too long and never stay in one place. She’s about to break rule number one by considering accepting her boyfriend’s proposal—then disaster strikes and her world is shattered in an instant. Summer heads to Black Dog Bay, where the locals welcome her. Even Hattie Huntington, the town’s oldest, richest, and meanest resident, likes her enough to give her a job. Then there’s Dutch Jansen, the rugged, stoic mayor, who’s the opposite of her type. She probably shouldn't be kissing him. She definitely shouldn't be falling in love. After a lifetime of globe-trotting, Summer has finally found a home. But Hattie has old scores to settle and a hidden agenda for her newest employee. Summer finds herself faced with an impossible choice: Leave Black Dog Bay behind forever, or stay with the ones she loves and cost them everything..

I really enjoyed this book.  Well, except for the plane crash part.  But yeah, I always forget how much I love a good Chick Lit book.

Black Dog Bay--it would be awesome if this was really a place!  I could so see myself going there (if I wasn't married of course).  Somebody get Beth Kendrick's permission and take off with this idea! (The Whinery, Retail Therapy, Better Off Bed-and-Breakfast...the whole nine yards!)

Anyways, I liked Summer.  She was a bit more wild than I'm used to.  But she also had a sweet side too (even though she didn't want to admit it).  I love how she handled the old ladies.  She had this great sarcastic side that made me laugh out loud several times.  And I liked Dutch (although for always saying no to the women, he sure said yes to Summer pretty quickly.  I think she should have had to work harder).  And I liked that Ingrid was okay with her brother dating.  It was refreshing that she was so eager to see their relationship work instead of brooding like most stories would have her do.

As my favorite stories always do, this book ended with a great happily ever after.  I look forward to reading more books by Beth Kendrick!

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge Book Tour.

Praise for the book:

“Beth Kendrick has reminded me once again exactly why I love her books so much. Cure for the Common Breakup is packed with humor, wit and a lot of heart. A charming and exceptionally entertaining story! Ican’t recommend this book highly enough.”--Jane Porter, national bestselling author of The Good Wife

“Beth Kendrick has written a sharp, sassy, surprisingly emotional story that will make readers laugh out loud from page one and sigh from the heart at the end. Light and lovely perfection!"--Roxanne St.

Claire, New York Times bestselling author of The Barefoot Bay Series

“Utterly delightful! Summer Benson will charm and disarm her way into the hearts of readers as easily as she does the residents of Black Dog Bay.”--Meg Donohue, USA Today bestselling author of

All the Summer Girls

Buy the book:

• Amazon for Kindle
• Amazon for paperback

About the author:

Beth Kendrick is the author of The Week Before the Wedding, The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service, and Nearlyweds, which was turned into a Hallmark Channel original movie. She lives in Arizona with her two rescue dogs, but she loves to vacation at the Delaware shore, where she goes to Funland, eats boardwalk fries, and wishes that the Whinery really existed. 

Connect with the author:

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• Website
• Goodreads

Book Review- Love and Other Foreign Words

I finished reading Love and Other Foreign Words by Erin McCahan today for a BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge Blog Tour.

About the book:

Sixteen-year-old Josie lives her life in translation. She speaks High School, College, Friends, Boyfriends, Break-ups, and even the language of Beautiful Girls. But none of these is her native tongue--the only people who speak that are her best friend Stu and her sister Kate. So when Kate gets engaged to an epically insufferable guy, how can Josie see it as anything but the mistake of a lifetime? Kate is determined to bend Josie to her will for the wedding; Josie is determined to break Kate and her fiancé up. As battles are waged over secrets and semantics, Josie is forced to examine her feelings for the boyfriend who says he loves her, the sister she loves but doesn't always like, and the best friend who hasn't said a word--at least not in a language Josie understands. 

I have to admit it.  It took me a little while to get into the book.  The language at the beginning just wasn't flowing and seemed awkward.  I was really wondering about the author's writing style.  But then I read about Josie being gifted.  I'm not sure if I missed it at the beginning or it just wasn't clear, but once I understood that, the writing seemed to be much more effective.  I got it.

I liked Josie.  She was exceptionally smart.  And because of that, she was in her own world.  But I also saw touches of Asperger's in her.  It was never mentioned, but I've taught several kids with Aspergers and they had some of the same qualities with everything needing to be in its place and with sensations (for example, no one being able to touch her hair.)  I found her to be quite funny in her frankness.  And I liked that the author wrote her as being extremely gifted, even attending a local college half day, yet she wasn't an outcast at school.  I liked that while she knew she was different, she was still welcome and fit in, in her own way.

I thought they whole premise of the language aspect was really interesting.  The Josie language versus the popular languages and the languages of individual people really made me think.  I started thinking about the individual languages of the loved ones in my life and even my kindergartners.  I liked that it made me reflect.

Even though there's no sequel (at least, I'm pretty sure there isn't one) I would love to read more about Josie!  Without giving away the ending, I want to know what happens next!  Does it work out with the boy, and what happens in her senior year of high school? I guess it's up to my imagination--and it has to be in Josie language of course! 

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge Book Tour.

Buy the book:

• Amazon Kindle
• Amazon paperback

About the author

Erin McCahan is the author of the YA book I Now Pronounce You Someone Else (Scholastic, June 2010). Erin’s debut novel was a 2010 Cybils Award finalist. She grew up in Michigan and worked extensively with teenagers before beginning her writing career. She lives in Columbus, Ohio. 

Connect with the author

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• Website
• Goodreads

Book Review- The One & Only

I finished reading The One & Only by Emily Giffin last Thursday on the plane on the way to California for a BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge Blog Tour.

About the book:

Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas—a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares. Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker’s legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave. Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade. 

 But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea’s comfortable world is upended, and she begins to wonder if the life she’s chosen is really enough for her. As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most—and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.

 Thoughtful, funny, and brilliantly observed, and brilliantly observed, The One & Only is a luminous novel about finding your passion, following your heart, and, most of all, believing in something bigger than yourself . . . the one and only thing that truly makes life worth living.

I enjoyed reading my first book by Emily Giffin.  I have most of her other books on my bookshelves, but this is the first one I've read.

The story was pretty predictable.  I could figure out how it was going to end early on but that was okay.  That being said, her infatuation with Coach was a little disturbing to me.  It shouldn't be, I guess.  The whole love knows no boundaries thing and all.  But being in love with your best friend's father just creeped me out for some reason.

But the football part.  Oh, the football part.  I am a football fanatic.  My undergrad degree was in sports broadcasting.  I would have to loved to have had Erin Andrews job (in fact she is only a few years older than me and graduated from the same college).  So to read this book, which revolved around football and reporting football was right up my alley. And it wasn't dumbed down.   It was so perfectly detailed and just thoroughly entertaining to me.  Emily Giffin did some great research to get this book right. I was completely engrossed the whole time!

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge Book Tour.

Praise for the Emily Giffin: 

 “Emily Giffin ranks as a grand master. . . . She has traversed the slippery slopes of true love, lost love, marriage, motherhood, betrayal, forgiveness and redemption that have led her to be called ‘a modern- day Jane Austen.’ ” —Chicago Sun-Times

 “Giffin’s writing is true, smart, and heartfelt.” — Entertainment Weekly

 “[Giffin] excels at creating complex characters and quick-to-read stories that ask us to explore what we really want from our lives.” — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 

“A dependably down-to-earth, girlfriendly storyteller.” —The New York Times 

“Giffin’s talent lies in taking relatable situations and injecting enough wit and suspense to make them feel fresh.” —People

 “When it comes to writing stories that resonate with real women, bestselling author Emily Giffin has hit her stride.” —San Francisco Chronicle 

Buy the book:

•  Amazon Paperback
• Amazon Kindle

About the author: 

 Emily Giffin is the author of six New York Times bestselling novels: Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Baby Proof, Love the One You’re With, Heart of the Matter, and Where We Belong . A graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law, she now lives in Atlanta lives with her husband and three young children.

Connect with the author: 

• Facebook
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• Website
•  Goodreads