Monday, April 28, 2014

In My Mailbox- April 28, 2014



WEDNESDAY
Just Like the Movies- Kelly Fiore--review for an Around the World ARC Tour










SATURDAY
Wicked Jealous- Robin Palmer--PaperbackSwap










Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky #3)- Veronica Rossi--PaperbackSwap

Sunday, April 27, 2014

The Sunday Salon- April 27, 2014

The Sunday Salon

Another week down...only 5 and a half weeks til summer break!  We finalized our Disneyland trip details.  I sooo cannot wait to go!  And only 2 more weeks til I'm (hopefully) cleared to run again!!

I finished and reviewed the following books last week:
Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins 










Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore 










I am currently reading Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg and up next (if I don't get a tour book) is 45 Pounds (More or Less) by K. A. Barson.

Book Review- Just Like the Movies

I finished reading Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Pretty and popular track star Marijke Monti is confident about almost everything – she’s got great friends, a great family, and she’s on her way to the State Track Championship. In fact, the only thing Marijke isn’t confident about is her relationship with Tommy Lawson.

Lily Spencer has spent her entire high school career preparing for the future – she’s participated in every extracurricular activity and volunteer committee she could. But, at home, she watches her mother go on date after date with dud-dudes, still searching for “the one.” Lily realizes that she’s about to graduate and still hasn’t even had a boyfriend.

While they live on each other’s periphery at school, Lily and Marijke never seemed to have much in common; but, after a coincidental meeting at the movie theater, Lily gets an idea – why can’t life be like a movie? Why can’t they set up their perfect romantic situations, just in time for their senior prom, using movie techniques?

Once the girls come up with the perfect plans, they commit themselves to being secret cohorts and, just like in the movies, drama ensues.


This was such a cute story!  I for one, am a sucker for happily-ever-after endings.  Yes, I know they're not realistic but that doesn't stop me from loving them!  (and I loved the Disney references!!  I myself went to prom in a dress that slightly resembled Belle's...and my wedding dress did too!)

As for the relationships---I liked and bought the interactions between Lily and Joe.  Joe seemed like a sweet guy.  But Tommy and Marijke (ugh, I so don't like this name.  I can't say it right in my head and it bugs me). I don't like Tommy.  I don't buy that he's loyal and truthful.  I've been in relationships with guys who can't express their feelings about me and it just doesn't end well.  Marijke deserved someone better.  But my favorite relationship was between Lily and Marijke.  An unlikely pairing, maybe, but their friendship was real.

If only life was like the movies....

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

Just Like the Movies will be released on July 22, 2014

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Book Review- Rebel Belle

I finished reading Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins today for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him--and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.


It took me a while to get into this book.  The beginning was weird for me for some reason. But once things were explained better and I got what was happening, I started liking the book more. And Harper got on my nerves at the beginning.  Her whole perfect, into everything personality was just grating although I guess I got used it because by the middle she didn't bug me anymore (or maybe once her powers kicked in, she became less annoying).

The storyline was familiar but new.  Familiar in that a teenage girl suddenly has magical powers.  New in that I'm not sure I've read about Paladins before.

 But there wasn't a lot of action...really only two parts and one was pretty light.  In fact everything was pretty shallow.  I mean, we know that Harper sister died recently but it didn't really delve into how she felt about it.  Just skated the surface of how she was trying to be this perfect daughter now.

I enjoyed it but I definitely like the Hex Hall series by the same author better.

I gave it a rating of 3.5/5.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

In My Mailbox- April 21, 2014


In My Mailbox: Here's what I got in my mailbox last week

MONDAY
On the Fence- Kasie West--review for an Around the World ARC Tour










Split Second (Pivot Point #2)- Kasie West--PaperbackSwap










Renegade (Mila 2.0 #2)- Debra Driza--received from friend










So Much Closer- Susane Colasanti--PaperbackSwap










Open Road Summer- Emery Lord--review for an Around the World ARC Tour










TUESDAY
Sleep No More- Aprilynne Pike--review for an Around the World ARC Tour










SATURDAY
Salvage- Alexandra Duncan--review for an Around the World ARC Tour










Gorgeous-Paul Rudnick--from publisher










Unbroken (Ruined #2)- Paula Morris










In the Shadows- Kiersten White & Jim Di Bartolo



Sunday, April 20, 2014

The Sunday Salon- April 20, 2014

The Sunday Salon

Happy Easter!  I made my first traditional holiday meal tonight: ham, green beans, scalloped potatoes, deviled eggs, and rolls.  It turned out pretty well!


I finished and reviewed the following books last week:

On the Fence by Kasie West 











I am currently reading Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins and next up (if I don't have a tour book) is Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Book Review- On the Fence

I finished reading On the Fence by Kasie West for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Fun, original, and endearing, On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect.


I love reading about girls playing sports.  I'm a huge sports freak so this story was right up my alley.  But Charlie wasn't just a tomboy.  She did have a different side that she was just letting through.

I thought all the characters were great in this story.  I loved the family dynamic between Charlie and her brothers (although I did tend to forget which brother was which) as well as the boy-next-door who is around so much he acts like a brother.  I found myself cracking up at their antics with each other.  

I liked the love triangle.  Both guys were great guys--no bad guys here.  And I think Charlie ended up with the right guy.

There was also a small surprise about her past that came at the end but I had already guessed it.

I really enjoyed the writing style.  It just flowed so easily and I got absorbed in it.  Just what I needed in a book!

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

On the Fence will be released on July 1, 2014.

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Monday, April 14, 2014

In My Mailbox- April 14, 2014


In My Mailbox: Here's what I got in my mailbox the last few weeks (my computer was broken)

MONDAY
To All the Boys I've Loved Before- Jenny Han--review for an Around the World ARC Tour









On the Road to Find Out- Rachel Toor--received from a friend










Push (The Game #2)- Eve Silver--received from a friend










The Sweetest Spell- Suzanne Selfors--PaperbackSwap










The Sassy Belles- Beth Albright--received from a friend










TUESDAY
Nantucket Red- Leila Howland--review for an Around the World ARC Tour










Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend- Katie Finn--review for an Around the World ARC Tour









The Winner's Curse- Marie Rutkoski--review for an Around the World ARC Tour










THURSDAY
Fates (Fates #1)- Lanie Bross--review for an Around the World ARC Tour










The Secrets of Lily Graves- Sarah Strohmeyer-- review for an Around the World ARC Tour









Catch a Falling Star- Kim Culbertson--from publisher





Sunday, April 13, 2014

The Sunday Salon- April 13, 2014

The Sunday Salon

Due to my computer being broken, I haven't done one of these in a few weeks.  Spring break came and went.  We didn't do anything so while on one hand it was nice to just relax, on the other hand it was boring.  I'm using to planning something fun.  Speaking of which, one of my friends is getting married in Los Angeles in June and we're planning to go to Disneyland for few days after.  I'm super excited about that!

I finished and reviewed the following books last week:
Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel










To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han 










The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski 










Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn










Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza 











I am currently reading Origins: The Fire (Mila 2.0 #0.5) by Debra Driza and up next will probably be a tour book.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Book Review-Mila 2.0

I just finished reading Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past—that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza’s bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity-style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.


I enjoyed reading this story about an android who is more human than machine.  It was an interesting concept to me--a girl who doesn't realize she's a machine until an accident happens.

Sure, I thought some of it was far fetched.  And I thought the connection between Mila and her mom was weird. The mom seemed awfully cold at first to have loved Mila enough to steal her from the science lab.  And Mila was really infatuated with a boy she only knew for a short period of time.  

There was lots of action that kept me on the edge of my couch. It was faced paced and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the next book.  (And there's a prequel novella that I'm going to read next!)

Oh, and I have to say, I think there's something off with Three.  I can't figure it out, but it'll be interesting to see if more comes of that in the next book or if I was just imagining it.

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 Around the World Tours.