Love? Maybe. by Heather Helper

Synopsis from Goodreads : Just because Piper's birthday is on Valentine's Day does not mean she's a romantic. In fact, after watching her father and then her stepfather leave, she's pretty sure she doesn't believe in love at all. Then her friends concoct a plan to find them all Valentine's dates, and somehow Piper finds herself with the most popular guy in school. But true love never follows a plan, and a string of heartfelt gifts from a secret admirer has Piper wondering if she might be with the wrong guy.

In this heartwarming romance, true love is more than a maybe - and it might be closer than you think.

Number of pages: 288
My review: This book was so cute! Piper, our main character, is a no nonsense hardworking young girl who, although sometimes a little ditzy and clueless, was an awesome character to read about. She works in a chocolate shop (cue me getting hungry and having insane cravings for chocolate every few pages) and is a girl who hates Valentine's Day. Since I also hate Valentine's Day I absolutely loved this fact about her.
Her friends, Claire and Jillian, were sort too wishy-washy for me. One minute I liked them and they were being cool and supporting her, but then the next they would get all mysterious and I had no idea why. And nothing was really explained in the end.
The whole story line was a little blah and a little predictable for me so that's really why I gave it a four. I just couldn't feel the connection with Piper and her love interest and it just seemed a little far fetched that I was kinda doubting the end of the book.
However, the story was adorable and it was a quick read with very simplistic writing that boosted the score up for me and this book reminded me of stuff I would read when I was in my Freshman year of high school. All that hope, but slight cynicism, and of course a romance! Not to mention boys fighting over girls, lot's of homework, texting, and general teenage girl behaivor. It was very innocent but very not too, since the book touched on other subjects such as Piper's mother going through two divorces. Yikes. But Piper, being the outspoken girl she is, does not shy away from expressing her feelings about anything from candy to crushes. I loved that!
Plus I just love that name, Piper. So cute!
See you soon!

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Anatomy of a Single Girl by Daria Snadowsky

Synopsis from Goodreads: With Judy Blume-like honesty and insight, this sequel toAnatomy of a Boyfriend is about life after first love--romance, sex, friendship, family, and the ups and downs of life as a single girl.

After everything that happened—my first boyfriend, my first time, my first breakup—jumping back into the dating game seemed like the least healthy thing I could do. It’s not that I didn’t want to fall in love again, since that’s about the best feeling ever. But as a busy college premed still raw from heartbreak, which is the worst feeling ever, I figured I’d lie low for a while. Of course, as soon as I stopped looking for someone, an impossibly amazing—and devastatingly cute—guy came along, and I learned that having a new boyfriend is the quickest way to recover from losing your old one. 

The moment we got together, all my preconceptions about romance and sex were turned upside down. I discovered physical and emotional firsts I never knew existed. I learned to let go of my past by living in the present. It was thrilling. It was hot. It was just what the doctor ordered.

But I couldn’t avoid my future forever. 

In Daria Snadowsky’s daring follow-up to Anatomy of a Boyfriend, eighteen-year-old Dominique explores the relationship between love and lust, and the friendships that see us through.

Number of pages: 227
My review: Daria Snadowsky does it again folks! Her writing is so deeply personal, almost as if she were giving me advice instead of writing a novel.
So, basically I loved the sequel as much as the first book Anatomy of a Boyfriend. Dom, our main character, is going through the motions again of heartbreak, confusion, and most importantly, love. Even after her senior year/first year in college she still feels inexperienced and confused as ever over what boys are thinking and how they feel about her. I love how Dom sort of struggles with her own inner feelings because let's face it, what woman doesn't do that?
Anyway, Dom was hilarious as ever in this novel, and I loved how she maintained her relationship with her friend Amy because I think too often in YA fiction we see friendships overlooked and pushed to the side. Through all of Dom's inner emotional confusion she always had her friend by her side. Super cool.
There was seriously never a dull moment in this book! I was flipping through the pages as fast as I could and I wanted to know what would happen next. It was sort of that guilty pleasure you get when you're reading someone else's diary (psh, no I have not done that. Insert guilty look here). You just couldn't believe what your eyes were reading!
I like how Daria Snadowsky never held back in both her novels. She definitely told things like they were and wasn't afraid to write "sex" or "orgasm" on every other page. Although, for that reason I think girls who are a little older should be reading this. Don't go handing this off to some innocent middle school kid.
Also, maybe it was just me because I'm going off to college in a little under 6 weeks (eep!) but I loved the setting of college and also coming home for break. It's just such a huge exciting part of anyone's life and Daria Snadowsky did a really good job of portraying the excitement of college but also the dread of going to school (I mean come on, school is school. Yuck).
Overall, loved both Anatomy of a Boyfriend and Anatomy of a Single Girl. I think they both portrayed really well what girls are feeling a lot of the time, and helped me understand more about myself actually and what I want to look for in a future spouse, and in life in general. If you love romance and contemporary then you'll love these books!
See you soon,

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A Beautiful Fate by Cat Mann

Synopsis from Goodreads: Obsessive and driven by nightmares, Ava Baio is uprooted from her Chicago home after the untimely and tragic death of her loving mother. Taken across country by her antagonistic grandmother and placed as a boarding student at a school in Dana Point, California, Ava struggles with isolation and the loss of her mother and her grandfather. Faced with having left her beloved brownstone behind and attending a new school, surrounded by new faces and unfamiliar scenery, she finds herself sorting through unfamiliar and uncharted feelings with a strange and beautiful boy, Ari – a modern day Adonis. After an unconventional start to their relationship, Ava becomes intensely absorbed by her love for Ari, and with his help and the help of his family, she discovers who she really is – a Fate descended from Atropos. She learns that the Greek mythology she grew up reading is not comprised of myth after all.
Ava faces constant challenges both in her relationship with Ari and with the fact that she is being hunted by six threatening and ruthless men who want nothing more than for her to die so that they can live forever. She has no choice but to stand up for those she has come to love. In doing so, she becomes something she hates, a killer. 
A true page-turner, A Beautiful Fate is Part One of The Beautiful Fate Series. The novel is full of suspense, romance and the allure of ancient Greece. Ava and Ari will leave the reader hoping the story will never end.

Number of pages: 289
My review: Speaking of beautiful, just look at that cover! It's simple, yet striking! I think it's gorgeous.
Anyways, my first thoughts when I finished reading were, "What! But what about...!? Noooo!" Such a cliffhanger! (There better be a second one Ms. Cat Mann)
I finished this in about 3 days it was so good! I loved all the romance that dominated the book, but also loved how Greek mythology and action was peppered throughout the story as well.
Ava was such a bad ass! She had such a tender heart but also could kick the bad guy's butts!
Her supporting characters were hilarious too. Rory (Ari's cousin) was always making me laugh and I especially loved August (her tutor).
The descriptions of Ava being surrounded by Ari's family were some of my favorite scenes. I don't come from a huge family like Ari, but I still love being surrounded by laughing family members and good times with good food. The story made you want to be there; to experience everything right along with Ari and Ava. Not many novels can do that (you're more of in a by-stander approach) but A Beautiful Fate sucked you in as if you were in one of Ava's dreams yourself.
Like I said though I hope there will be a second one because A Beautiful Fate definitely left me hanging! What's going to happen!? If you love romance then you need to pick this up this summer!
See you soon,

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Cinders and Sapphires (At Somerton #1) by Leila Rasheed

Synopsis from Goodreads.com: Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new mistress. Clever, rich, and beautiful, Ada Averley treats Rose as an equal. And Rose could use a friend. Especially now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position of ladies’ maid. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a place at a house like Somerton. Still, she can’t help but wonder what her life might have been had she been born a lady, like Ada.

For the first time in a decade, the Averleys have returned to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. But terrible scandal has followed Ada’s beloved father all the way from India. Now Ada finds herself torn between her own happiness and her family’s honor. Only she has the power to restore the Averley name—but it would mean giving up her one true love . . . someone she could never persuade her father to accept.

Sumptuous and enticing, the first novel in the At Somerton series introduces two worlds, utterly different yet entangled, where ruthless ambition, forbidden attraction, and unspoken dreams are hidden behind dutiful smiles and glittering jewels. All those secrets are waiting . . . at Somerton.

Number of pages: 389

My review: Want to hear the shortest review ever of this book? If you love Downton Abbey you will love this book.

BAM! Done! But seriously, if you like Downton Abbey then this is the perfect book for you. Cinders and Sapphires has just as much drama as Downton along with the switching viewpoints of the upstairs house guests and the downstairs staff (which can I just say I love that concept so much).

There is a huge variety of people to keep track of, and I have to admit that at first I was a little confused, but after a short while you really start to figure out who's who, and start to enjoy the novel for all that it is worth  The two main characters that you really follow though, are Lady Ava (upstairs) and her personal maid, Rose (downstairs). Both characters get into all sorts of shennanigans and mishaps and it truly feels like you're going on a fast paced adventure while you're reading this. 

I loved almost all the characters and felt for them when they got into trouble or some sort of scrape. However, I felt the so-called "villains" or protagonists could have been meaner or somewhat more spiteful. I just felt a little...sympathetic towards them I guess. Their passion for their evil deeds could have run a little deeper, and I felt that if/when the next book comes out they could be persuaded easily to become a better person again. I guess we'll have to wait and see though!

Also, I really hate the cover of the U.S. version. It doesn't seem accurate somehow for they type of things girls in that time would wear (especially the way their hair is styled). And it just looks so incredibely fake and posed.

I completely recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction, romance, adventure, and of course, Downton Abbey. This book definitely made me go through Downton Abbey withdrawls (in the U.S. we have to wait a whole more year before we see our beloved characters again!) Definitely check this out, it's super easy reading and if there is a next book coming out (I could see how there might be since the ending could definitely lead the way to another novel) I will definitely be picking it up!

See you soon!

P.S. This picture pretty much sums up the whole book nicely (for the rest of that review click here!)

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Oath of Servitude by C.E. Wilson

Synopsis from Goodreads.com: This is the story of Teague and Cailin, two teenagers who have been brought together by fate. Teague, a human, struggles to come to terms with the consequences of a recent accident that has destroyed the happy life that he had once enjoyed. Cailin, a pixi, is trying to stay true to herself while fighting against forces beyond her control that have exiled her from her home into this strange world of humans. She fears the darkness. He cannot escape it. But when the two of them are thrown together, they begin to discover the light inside of themselves.

Number of pages: 159
My review: Literally the first words that came out of my mouth when I finished this book was "NOOO!" I'm apparently having bad luck with books lately because all the one's I've been reading keep ending on cliffhangers! Disregarding the cliffhanger component though this was a really good book-solid story, plot, characters, setting, fantasy element. This book had it going on.
Also, it's the first book I've ever read about pixi's so it was cool to explore this whole new world and then see how they interacted with humans. I liked how there was sort of that mystery element that went along with the mystical world of the pixi's as the reader tries to figure out what happened in Cailin's father's past.
Something else that I really liked and that you don't see too much in other books, or if you do it isn't done very well, is quite a large emphasis on other characters, besides the main characters. This was done without the book becoming confusing. Like we learned bits and pieces here and there about Teague, his father Owen, also Cailin's father Nolkrin and all her sisters and the people they are associated with, not to mention we are keeping up with all the rules of this world and the backstory of a few of the characters. I mean in that sentence right there I probably just made it a lot more confusing than it ever was in the book!
The internal struggles that each of the characters go through, not just Cailin and Teague, are really interesting to read, and in your mind you sort of have your own battle with yourself over what each character should do (like if they should do something to benefit themselves or others around them). Again, I probably made that way more confusing than it needed to be. 
I think my main point here is go read this book! It's a lot deeper than it sounds from the synopsis and way before the end of the book you will start to care for these characters as if they were your own friends. It's short and sweet, so check it out!
See you soon!

P.S. Thank you to the author for providing this book to me to read and review! And that cover is so gorgeous! 

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Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Synopsis from Goodreads.com: R is having a no-life crisis—he is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he is a little different from his fellow Dead. He may occasionally eat people, but he’d rather be riding abandoned airport escalators, listening to Sinatra in the cozy 747 he calls home, or collecting souvenirs from the ruins of civilization.

And then he meets a girl.

First as his captive, then his reluctant guest, Julie is a blast of living color in R’s gray landscape, and something inside him begins to bloom. He doesn’t want to eat this girl—although she looks delicious—he wants to protect her. But their unlikely bond will cause ripples they can’t imagine, and their hopeless world won’t change without a fight.

Number of pages: 241

My review: Had I never heard of the movie I probably never would have picked this up (like everyone else, really) but I'm sooo glad I did! It was fantastic! R's way of telling the story is so personable that you instantly feel a connection with him. He's so honest and straightforward about his way of life (or unlife?) that it opens up whole new doors for not only his character but others as well. 

I liked that he had come to terms with the fact that he was a zombie and this whole book wasn't about an angsty and angry guy who is mad at the whole world because he's a zombie. As Julie says continuously throughout the book, he's "different."

Not the whole book was full of zombie fighting action, which was actually nice because then the plot could be set up more, and the settings could also come to life (no pun intended) in a better way too. It is never quite clearly stated exactly why Earth is, the way it currently is, in this time period, but I think that just adds to the whole mystery and intrigue of this novel.

I honestly hope that the movie is just as good as the book, but I have a feeling I'll be disappointed because the book is just that good and it would be hard to capture exactly what goes on within R's mind, in a movie. However, I will keep my hopes up and have an open mind when I do get around to seeing it.

This is a really quick read too! I finished half the book in an hour and the rest flew by later on too. There's just something about Isaac Marion's writing that connects you so deeply and personable with the characters you almost feel as if you're abandoning them when you put the book down. Not many books have that ability to completely enthrall people from the very beginning and then keep up that high level of writing throughout the rest of the story.

Anyways, all around fantastic! Loved the characters, and I liked seeing how they grew and developed, and of course anything with zombies is just freaking cool so I'd definitely recommend that you pick this up!

See you soon!

P.S. If you have seen the movie and read the book (or have just seen the movie without reading the book) let me know how it is!

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Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg

Synopsis from Goodreads.com: A hilarious new novel from Elizabeth Eulberg about taking the wall out of the wallflower so she can bloom.

Don't mess with a girl with a Great Personality.

Everybody loves Lexi. She's popular, smart, funny...but she's never been one of those girls, the pretty ones who get all the attention from guys. And on top of that, her seven-year-old sister, Mackenzie, is a terror in a tiara, and part of a pageant scene where she gets praised for her beauty (with the help of fake hair and tons of makeup).

Lexi's sick of it. She's sick of being the girl who hears about kisses instead of getting them. She's sick of being ignored by her longtime crush, Logan. She's sick of being taken for granted by her pageant-obsessed mom. And she's sick of having all her family's money wasted on a phony pursuit of perfection.

The time has come for Lexi to step out from the sidelines. Girls without great personalities aren't going to know what hit them. Because Lexi's going to play the beauty game - and she's in it to win it.

Number of pages: 261

Release Date: March 1st, 2013

My review: I finished this book in only one day because it was THAT fantastic! The first book I read from Elizabeth Eulburg was Prom and Prejudice and I gave a raving review of that book so when I heard that she was releasing another book, I just had to get my hands on it! So, as you can imagine, the day that Netgalley informed me that my request had been approved to read it, I was ecstatic! 

Anyways, the synopsis does a pretty good job of summing up the story, but once you start reading you realize it has so much more depth than it lets on. Lexi is one of those characters I instantly took a liking to because she knew exactly what she wanted in life, she tried not to take anyone's crap, and she had two of the coolest friends, Cam and Benny, I have ever had the pleasure of meeting in a book.

I really appreciated how as the story progressed she was able to stand up for herself, and this caused her to be a really wonderful (and NOT weak) central female character. I just hate when female characters seem to depend too much on boys or don't have a single thought of their own.

The friendship between Cam, Benny, and Lexi was hilarious and I actually felt a deep connection with them. Their friendship sort of reminded me of the kids from that old TeenNick show "Unfabulous". (Click the picture here to see what I'm talking about) Also, their friendship lasted through the book, it wasn't one of those friendships where the main girl abandoned them after she found a guy, or something. Cam was always saying hilarious statements and even though they were funny they also had a deep sense of truth in them. 

I loved to see the development Lexi went through regarding her family issues, her sister Mac's pageant fiascoes  her friendship, and the way she discovered how important image is to people. This book was on my top books of 2013 that I wanted to read and I'm glad I was able to read it because it was so refreshing and an absolute page turner! (No pun intended) I would definitely recommend you checking it out!

See you soon!

Paige

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Top 10 Tuesday #7

Check out all the info here at The Broke and The Bookish's blog.
February 12: Top Ten Favorite Romances


1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My all-time favorite book. Enough said.


2. Night World Series by L. J. Smith
I LOVE these books and I always reread them because they are such easy reads and just so amazing!



3. Leaving Paradise Series by Simone Elkeles 
I read this a couple years ago and it is still one of my all time favorite series'.


4. Perfect Chemistry trilogy by Simone Elkeles
I read this about the same time as the Leaving Paradise series and it is just as good.


5. Bride Quartet series by Nora Roberts
These are really great!


6. Any Rachel Hawthorne book
Really quick and short reads that usually center around a season or a specific area in the world (theme parks, cruises, etc.)




7. Teen Idol by Meg Cabot
It's a Meg Cabot book. This fact alone should be enough to describe why it's awesome, but if it doesn't, I read this book in like two hours a few years back and reread it about a million times.


8. Elixir series by Hilary Duff
I didn't expect to like this series but I LOVED it and read both books in only a few days.


9. Nocturne by Syrie James
Yet another novel that I just flew through, and I love all of Syrie James' works!


10. Jason and Kyra by Dana Davidson
Really great book!


As always, leave a comment below with your own list and I'll come check it out and make sure to follow!
See you soon!
Paige

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