Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label contemporary. Show all posts

Friday, July 26, 2024

Book Review: "Check & Mate" by Ali Hazelwood

Title: Check & Mate
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Genre: YA Romance
Page Length: 352 pages
Publication Date: November 7, 2023
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Dare I say Ali Hazelwood can do no wrong? Once again, I am obsessed. 

Check & Mate is Ali Hazelwood's debut into the YA romance sphere. On the surface, it's a gripping romance between two rival chess players. But underneath, it's a story about family, self-identity, the transition into adulthood, and sexism in organized competition. This, to me, is one of Ali's most balanced books in terms of plot, romance, self-exploration, and secondary characters. 

I was sucked in from the beginning. We're introduced to a very compelling main character that you can see is having a rough go of it. She's trying to support her family, often at the expense of her own happiness and fulfillment. Playing chess, and the cash rewards that come with tournaments, is a way for her to support them, despite all of the complex emotions around the sport.

It's hard to pick what I loved most about this book. I know that I was laughing and giggling and kicking my feet often. I also know that it dealt with a lot of complex situations and emotions in a thoughtful way. Yes, the main plot was about the main character playing chess tournaments and getting closer to a rival player, Nolan (swoon!), but it was also about so much more. 

Check & Mate somehow managed to address so many topics including the transition of growing up into adulthood, complex and differing family dynamics, friendship strains and changed, sexism and misogyny in sports, self-identity exploration, and even the issues with class and money. If I even try to address all of them I'll end up writing an entire essay. 

All that to say, I loved it. Mallory and Nolan were delightful to read about. Nolan is so unlike any of Ali's other male leads (and that's not to say I don't love the others too) in a refreshing way. Mallory is so focused on everyone but herself and it was beautiful to watch her put herself first finally. This was just a pair of characters who are flawed but beautiful and kind and I loved watching their romance bloom.

The side characters were equally interesting and compelling. Each one had such a unique voice and distinct impact on the main characters. I loved them all, especially as the story went on and we got to see how each of their relationships with Mallory evolved. 

Overall, this was one of Ali's strongest novels to date and has become a new top favorite of mine. I'm quite excited to get a copy for my shelf and read it over and over again in the years to come. 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Thursday, April 6, 2023

Series Review: "Hannaford Prep" by J. Bree


Series: Hannaford Prep
Author: J. Bree
Genre: New Adult RH 
Reading Order & Individual Ratings
  1. Just Drop Out - 4 // 5 stars
  2. Make Your Move - 4.5 // 5 stars
  3. Play the Game - 5 // 5 stars
  4. To the End - 5 // 5 stars
Overall Rating - 4.75 // 5 stars

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Book Spotlight: "Where the Road Leads Us" by Robin Reul

Blog banner with the cover of the book "Where the Road Leads Us" on the right side and the phrases Lauren's Bookshelf presents Book Spotlight: Where the Road Leads Us by Robin Reul on the left. All of this is set against a light teal background.

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! Today I am so incredibly excited to be doing a book spotlight for Where the Road Leads Us by Robin Reul, an upcoming YA contemporary focused around a road trip! This book releases April 6 from Sourcebooks Fire so there's still time to preorder a copy. Until then, here's everything to know about Where the Road Leads Us...


The word Synopsis written in a cursive font.
Sometimes the best path is the unexpected one.

Jack is on the verge of leaving for college, but before he does, he wants to track down his estranged brother, Alex and find some closure in the wake of their father's death. Meanwhile, Hallie has just found out some upsetting news about a friend in Oregon, and she has a small window to go see him before it's too late.

Jack and Hallie are practically strangers. They shared a class together years ago and haven't seen each other since, though they have more in common than they'd ever imagine. And when fate puts them into the same rideshare to the bus terminal, it kicks off an unconventional and hysterical adventure that may lead them to their own true selves…and maybe to each other.

Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: April 6, 2021


The phrase Purchase the Book written in a cursive font.

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Robin Reul has been writing since she was in early elementary school, when she used to make her own book club flyers for her classmates and then pen them original stories. At thirteen, she had her first meeting with a major publisher, and the dream of someday being a published author firmly took hold.

As the daughter of a film producer, she spent her childhood on location, growing up on movie sets, and developing a fine appreciation for strong black coffee. She graduated from Boston University with a degree in Broadcasting and Film, and worked for many years in the film and television industry, both as an actress and in motion picture development. One of her favorite jobs was working as an Outreach Assistant for the Disney/PBS show “Bill Nye The Science Guy.” Ultimately, Robin decided to return her focus to writing young adult novels full-time. She likes to write the same sort of stories that helped get her through her teenage years: funny, honest stories filled with quirky, memorable characters that at the end of the read, make you feel like you’ve just had a visit with a good friend.

When she’s not writing, Robin can be found singlehandedly driving up the profit margin of her local Starbucks and indulging her love of baked goods, particularly those in the key of pumpkin.  She lives in Los Angeles suburbia. Her first novel, MY KIND OF CRAZY, debuted in April 2016 followed by WHERE THE ROAD LEADS US in April 2021.

Author Photo & Biography from www.robinreul.com

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Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Thursday, March 4, 2021

February 2021 Wrap-Up


Well everyone, February was just not my month. There were quite a few things that made it rough including starting my final semester of undergrad and everything seeming to break on me. I only read two books this month which was quite disappointing. However, given how much work I have for my classes and internship, that probably should have been expected. Hopefully March will be a better month for me. 


1. 
Title: Hot British Boyfriend
Author: Kristy Boyce
Rating: 3.5 // 5 stars

2. 
Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-





Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Friday, February 12, 2021

Blog Tour: "Hot British Boyfriend" by Kristy Boyce + GIVEAWAY


Hello everyone! Today I am so excited to be bringing you all along for my stop on the blog tour for Hot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce. I knew from the moment I saw the cover and read the synopsis that I had to read this book. This tour stop if full of awesome stuff including a GIVEAWAY! Let's go ahead and dive right in!

Follow along with the rest of the tour here


After a horrifying public rejection by her crush, Ellie Nichols does what any girl would do: she flees the country. To be more precise, she joins her high school’s study abroad trip to England. While most of her classmates are there to take honors courses and pad their college applications, Ellie is on a quest to rebuild her reputation and self-confidence. And nothing is more of a confidence booster than getting a hot British boyfriend.

When Ellie meets Will, a gorgeous and charming Brit, she vows to avoid making the same mistakes as she did with the last guy she liked. Which is why she strikes up a bargain with Dev, an overachieving classmate who she’s never clicked with, but who does seem to know a lot about the things Will is interested in—if he helps her win over her crush, then she’ll help him win over his.

But even as Ellie embarks on a whirlwind romance, one that takes her on adventures to some of England’s most beautiful places, she still needs to figure out if this is actually the answer to all her problems…and whether the perfect boyfriend is actually the perfect boy for her.

Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pub. Date: February 9, 2021


Kristy Boyce lives in Columbus, OH and teaches psychology as a senior lecturer at The Ohio State University. When she’s not spending time with her husband and son, she’s usually writing, reading, putting together fairy gardens, or watching happy reality TV (The Great British Bake-Off and So You Think You Can Dance are perennial favorites)

WEBSITE    |    TWITTER    |    INSTAGRAM


AMAZON    |    BARNES & NOBLE    |    BOOK DEPOSITORY
INDIGO    |    INDIEBOUND


Prize: One finished copy of Hot British Boyfriend
February 8 - February 15, 2021
Direct Entry Link

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Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Friday, February 5, 2021

January 2021 Wrap-Up


The first month of 2021 is already over and what a month it was. A lot happened, both personally and worldwide, and I didn't get much reading done. I'm 100% okay with that, however, as I'm making an effort this year not to force myself into reading. I did read three books this month and made progress on three others, so let's just dive in!




BOOKS READ
1. 
Title: She's With Me
Author: Jessica Cunsolo
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
-reread-

2. 
Title: Her Reasons
Author: J.L. Akins
Rating: 2.5 // 5 stars

3. 
Title: Impetuous
Author: Mercedes Jade
Rating: 3 // 5 stars



BLOG POSTS




Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Friday, August 7, 2020

Book Review: "Boyfriend Material" by Alexis Hall

Boyfriend Material
Title: Boyfriend Material
Author: Alexis Hall
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Page Length: 432 pages
Publication Date: July 7, 2020
Rating: 5 // 5 stars
Goodreads

This was one of my most anticipated romance releases of this year and I had big expectations. From the moment I saw that it was a romance featuring a fake-dating trope and a m/m pairing, I was in. I have to say, I absolutely adored this book in so many ways and I'm so happy to have read it.

Boyfriend Material is the kind of romance book you want all romance books to be. Full of romance, obviously, but also a story with an in-depth plot, complex characters, and plenty of humor. Not only that, but it had some of my favorite tropes such as fake-dating, "there's only one bed," rivals-to-lovers, and grumpy boys who are secretly soft.

I enjoyed every second of this book. I ended up listening to the audiobook and, while I could have smashed it out in 1/3 the time if I had read the ebook, I am so happy that I listened to it this way. Honestly I may have to commit to listening to most romances on audiobook from now on.

I think the main reason I loved the audiobook was because I got to hear and experience the emotions a lot easier and better than if I had read them on a page. Listening to the narrator's voice get loud when the character was frustrated or soft and cracking when he was sad? Perfection. Also, this book takes place in London and getting to experience the story with actual proper accents made it so fun.

This book was so fun and humorous. I already was having to pause the audiobook in chapter 1 because I needed to take a moment just to laugh. There's a good mixture of humor in this book from stupid puns, jokes, sarcasm, embarrassing moments, people poking fun at each other, and even more. I was laughing so many times throughout this book and I truly think that the humor is at least 40% of the reason why I loved this book so much. Of course, even though there was a lot of humor, there were plenty of serious moments as well. I thought that the balance between the humor and the serious emotional scenes was quite well done.

My favorite part of this book, though, had to have been the characters. Luc and Oliver were so much fun to read about. They're both so unique and different from each other in really every way possible. I really loved them together though. Even from the beginning there was never any animosity in their fake dating relationship which was a breath of fresh air. I think the support they have for each other was wonderful and I love each of them so much. We only get Luc's POV throughout the book so I feel like I connected more with him, but I also loved Oliver and think that they're such a cute pairing.

I think that the individual character developments as well as relationship developments were really well done. I really enjoyed getting to see how both Luc and Oliver developed throughout the story and seeing the progress in their relationship from fake-dating to possibly more.

The side characters were also so fun. I did occasionally lose track of who was who with the audiobook but I really liked how well-written the side characters were. I think my favorites were Alex, Bridget, and Luc's mom. I think that the side characters really helped move the story forward and added an extra depth to it.

This book also dealt with some serious topics such as depression, anxiety, and homophobia (throughout) and cancer, borderline abuse, and eating disorders (briefly). I cannot speak on some of these representations but I thought that the depression and anxiety was done in a very realistic and respectful way.

Overall, I just really loved this book. There was the perfect amount of angst, humor, and seriousness while having some of my favorite romance book tropes. I loved the characters and their developments as well as the overall story itself. I loved it so much that I already ordered a physical copy for my shelves and for me to flip through whenever I want. I highly recommend!



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Thursday, May 7, 2020

BLOG TOUR: "The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly" by Jamie Pacton + GIVEAWAY


Hello all! I'm back today with another super exciting blog tour stop for The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton in collaboration with Page Street Kids. I'll keep this introduction short because there is a bunch of exciting stuff in this post but I am super excited to be bringing this post to you today! I was lucky enough to review this book and curate a playlist for it and compile a list of my favorite quotes. 



SYNOPSIS

Kit Sweetly slays sexism, bad bosses, and bad luck to become a knight at a medieval-themed restaurant.

Working as a wench―i.e. waitress―at a cheesy medieval-themed restaurant in the Chicago suburbs, Kit Sweetly dreams of being a knight like her brother. She has the moves, is capable on a horse, and desperately needs the raise that comes with knighthood, so she can help her mom pay the mortgage and hold a spot at her dream college.

Company policy allows only guys to be knights. So when Kit takes her brother’s place and reveals her identity at the end of the show, she rockets into internet fame and a whole lot of trouble with the management. But the Girl Knight won’t go down without a fight. As other wenches join her quest, a protest forms. In a joust before Castle executives, they’ll prove that gender restrictions should stay medieval―if they don’t get fired first.

Publisher: Page Street Kids
Release Date: May 5th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance



MY REVIEW

4 // 5 stars

To start my review, I would like to thank Page Street Kids for allowing me to participate in this blog tour. I really enjoyed this book and I'm so grateful for the chance to review it and promote it to everyone!

That being said, I really enjoyed this book! I flew through it in only two sittings and it was a wild ride. I've always loved Medieval history and so I was so excited to read this book centered around a Medieval restaurant. I went to my first renaissance faire last summer and loved it, so I was really excited to be able to visualize the actual knight action scenes. 

I loved Kit. I loved reading from her character voice and I just love how resilient she is. Of course, the main plot of the book deals with overcoming the gender bias at her job, but there's also a lot about friendship, family, working class struggles, and issues with just being a teenager. The main focus was on the feminist storyline, but I liked that we got to see multiple sides of Kit and her life. It made her a much more realistic character for me.

The side characters were all very fun to read about as well. We have a wide cast of characters who are in this struggle with Kit and I thought they were all very fun to read about. Our most developed ones were Chris, Jett, and Layla while the other few didn't get much page time (not a bad thing, though). Still, I thought they were all enjoyable characters. 

I adored how much representation we got in this book. There were multiple queer and non-white characters and I loved it. A lot of time in books there has to be a "reason" for a character being queer but I liked that in this book it wasn't a plot device it was just because queer people exist and deserve to be represented too. That was one of the things that I just loved seeing throughout the book. 

The story itself was very compelling. I'm a feminist and I was just metaphorically pumping my fist in the air for most of this book in support of Kit. I did think that the romance plot line did take a bit of a backseat but I still enjoyed it. I don't think that romance needs to be the number one focus in every book, so while I did annoy some people on Goodreads, I thought that it was perfectly fine. This felt less like a contemporary romance and more a coming-of-age story of resilience, friendship, and fighting for what you believe in. And I loved it.  

I actually go to school in the same area as this book is set, so I loved that I could understand all of the little setting markers that the author sprinkled in. It was a small thing that I picked up on but just one that made me smile throughout the book. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I'm so glad I got to read it as a part of this tour. I highly recommend it and hope you'll enter both the giveaway at the end of this post and the one over on Instagram! A big thank you to FFBC & Page Street Kids for the free ARC! 



PLAYLIST

YouTube

Who Run the World (Girls) - Beyonce
We are the Champions - Queen
Fight Song - Rachel Platten
Don't Give Up On Me - Andy Grammer
Help! - Beatles
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
Raising Hell - Kesha



FAVORITE QUOTES

"This is really all I want. A life with the people I love. Together. Eating shit tons of pancakes"

"People of all genders have been fighting for centuries, in places all over their world. But you've not heard their stories. Here at the Castle, we think it's high time for a change"

"Let's go storm the Castle."

"A little bit of my barf and a huge piece of my heart goes with him."

"Who brings a block of cheese to a laundromat?"

"It's a reminder of your dreams, stupid."




MEET JAMIE PACTON

Jamie Pacton writes all sorts of books: dark, feminist YA fantasy; contemporary YA stories with a funny + geeky bent; funny MG adventure-fantasy; and, even the occasional adult rom-com. She was a Pitch Wars mentee in 2015 and she mentored YA in 2016, 2017, and 2018. She grew up minutes away from the National Storytelling Center in the mountains of East Tennessee; she’s the oldest of ten kids; and, she currently lives in rural Wisconsin with her husband, their two kids, and a dog named Lego. The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly (forthcoming May 5, 2020) is her Young Adult debut.

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Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Sunday, March 29, 2020

Book Review: "She's With Me" by Jessica Cunsolo

She's With Me by Ava Violet
Title: She's With Me
Author: Jessica Cunsolo
Series: "With Me" #1
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Page Length: 328 pages
Publication Date: January 7, 2020
Rating: 5 // 5 stars

I've been following this book since the first chapter was posted on Wattpad many years ago. I was 14 or 15 and I was obsessed. Even after I started reading more traditionally published books, I would still come back to Wattpad to read this as new chapters released. 

When I found out a few months ago that this was finally being (rightfully) published in actual book form I was so excited! I'd always wanted a physical copy of this book on my shelves because this story has such an impact on me when I was younger. Sadly, I wasn't able to pick up a copy on release day but I recently was able to buy one and let's just say it arrived today and I just finished reading it. 

The first feeling I got while reading this book was nostalgia. Like I said, I'd been following this book and series for years. I read it multiple times when I was younger. Revisiting this story and these characters in a newly edited and published form was so fun for me, so reminiscent of my past reading habits. 

This book is by no means perfect. There are cliche moments, cringey moments, and some predictable plot lines. However, for every cliche or predictable moment, there was another one that made this book stand out apart from others. And, despite any cliche moments, I love it so much anyway. 

It's fun. It's addictive. It's full of friendship, romance, real-world issues, high school drama, and so much more. It's got depth and characters that I absolutely love. I'm so torn on waiting for the revised second book to come out or just head straight to Wattpad to read the first draft of the second book. 

I could ramble for a long time about how much I love this book. Part of why I love it so much is because of the nostalgic feelings I have surrounding it, but the other part of why I love it is because it's fun and addicting and a welcome distraction from the current state of the world.



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Blog Tour: "Tweet Cute" by Emma Lord


Hello all! Today I am very excited to bring another blog tour to you guys! Today I'm discussing Tweet Cute by Emma Lord, a new contemporary that's coming out in just a week! In today's post, you'll find information about the book and author, links to preorder, and an exclusive excerpt. Let's go ahead and dive right in! 



SYNOPSIS

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming — mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account. 

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time. 

All’s fair in love and cheese — that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life — on an anonymous chat app Jack built. 

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate — people on the internet are shipping them?? — their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.



MEET EMMA LORD

Emma Lord is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, grilled cheese, and a whole lot of love. Her sun sign is Hufflepuff, but she is a Gryffindor rising. TWEET CUTE is her debut novel. You can find her geeking out online at @dilemmalord on Twitter.


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PURCHASE TWEET CUTE




EXCERPT

JACK

“Look.” I glance into the classroom, where Ethan is thoroughly distracted by Stephen and no longer keeping an eye on us. “I may have . . . overreacted.”

Pepper shakes her head. “I told you. I get it. It’s your family.”

“Yeah. But it’s also—well, to be honest, this has been kind of good for business.”

Pepper’s brow furrows, that one little crease returning. “What, the tweets?”

“Yeah.” I scratch the back of my neck, sheepish. “Actually, we had a line out the door yesterday. It was kind of intense.”

“That’s . . . that’s good, right?”

The tone of my voice is clearly not matching up with the words I’m saying, but if I’m being honest, I’m still wary of this whole overnight business boom. And if I’m being honest, I’m even more wary of Pepper. If this really is as much of a family business as she claims it is—to the point where she’s helping run the Twitter handle, when even I know enough about corporate Twitter accounts to know entire teams of experienced people get paid to do that—then she might have had more of a hand in this whole recipe theft thing than she’s letting on.

The fact of the matter is, I can’t trust her. To the point of not knowing whether I can even trust her knowing how our business is doing, or just how badly we need it.

“Yeah, um, I guess.” I try to make it sound noncommittal. My acting skills, much like my breakfast-packing skills, leave much to be desired.

“So . . .”

“So.”

Pepper presses her lips into a thin line, a question in her eyes.

“So, I guess—if your mom really wants you to keep tweeting . . .”

“Wait. Yesterday you were pissed. Two minutes ago you were pissed.”

“I am pissed. You stole from us,” I reiterate. “You stole from an eighty-five-year-old woman.”

“I didn’t—”

“Yeah, yeah, but still. You’re them, and I’m . . . her. It’s like a choose your fighter situation, and we just happen to be the ones up to bat.”

“So you’re saying—you don’t not want me to keep this up?”

“The way I see it, you don’t have to make your mom mad, and we get a few more customers in the door too.”

Pepper takes a breath like she’s going to say something, like she’s going to correct me, but after a moment, she lets it go. Her face can’t quite settle on an expression, toeing the line between dread and relief.

“You’re sure?”

I answer by opening the container she handed me. The smell that immediately wafts out of it should honestly be illegal; it stops kids I’ve never even spoken to in their tracks.

“Are you a witch?” I ask, reaching in and taking a bite of one. It’s like Monster Cake, the Sequel—freaking Christmas in my mouth. I already want more before I’ve even managed to chew. My eyes close as if I’m experiencing an actual drug high—and maybe I am, because I forget myself entirely and say, “This might even be better than our Kitchen Sink Macaroons.”

“Kitchen Sink Macaroons?”

Eyes open again. Yikes. Note to self: dessert is the greatest weapon in Pepper’s arsenal. I swallow my bite so I can answer her.

“It’s kind of well-known, at least in the East Village. It even got in some Hub Seed roundup once. I’d tell you to try some, but you might steal the recipe, so.”

Pepper smiles, then—actually smiles, instead of the little smirk she usually does. It’s not startling, but what it does to me in that moment kind of is.

Before I can examine the unfamiliar lurch in my stomach, the bell rings and knocks the smile right off her face. I follow just behind her, wondering why it suddenly seems too hot in here, like they cranked the air up for December instead of October. I dismiss it by the time I get to my desk—probably just all the Twitter drama and the glory of So Sorry Blondies getting to my head.

“One rule,” she says, as we sit in the last two desks in the back of the room.

I raise my eyebrows at her.

“We don’t take any of it personally.” She leans forward on her desk, leveling with me, her bangs falling into her face. “No more getting mad at each other. Cheese and state.”

“What happens on Twitter stays on Twitter,” I say with a nod of agreement. “Okay, then, second rule: no kid gloves.”

Mrs. Fairchild is giving that stern look over the room that never quite successfully quiets anyone down. Pepper frowns, waiting for me to elaborate.

“I mean—no going easy on each other. If we’re going to play at this, we’re both going to give it our A game, okay? No holding back because we’re . . .”

Friends, I almost say. No, I’m going to say. But then—

“I’d appreciate it if even one of you acknowledged the bell with your silence,” Mrs. Fairchild grumbles.

I turn to Pepper, expecting to find her snapping to attention the way she always does when an adult comes within a hundred feet of disciplining her. But her eyes are still intent on me, like she is sizing something up—like she’s looking forward to something I haven’t anticipated yet.

“All right. No taking it personally. And no holding back.”

She holds her hand out for me to shake again, under the desk so Mrs. Fairchild won’t see it. I smile and shake my head, wondering how someone can be so aggressively seventeen and seventy-five at the same time, and then I take it. Her hand is warm and small in mine, but her grip is surprisingly firm, with a pressure that almost feels like she’s still got her fingers wrapped around mine even after we let go.

I turn back to the whiteboard, a ghost of a smirk on my face. “Let the games begin.”



EARLY PRAISE

"Tweet Cute delivers in every possible way: a perfect enemies-to-lovers romance, a whip-smart plotline, and endearingly real characters. I devoured it.” - Francesca Zappia, author of Eliza and Her Monsters

"Sweet and fun! An adorable debut that updates a classic romantic trope with a buzzy twist." - Jenn Bennett, author of Alex, Approximately and Serious Moonlight

“A witty rom-com reinvention for the Twitter age, Tweet Cute pairs delicious online rivalry with deeply relatable insights on family pressure and growing up. This fresh, funny read had us hitting ‘favorite’ from page one.” - Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Always Never Yours and If I’m Being Honest 



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Book Review: "A Match Made in Mehendi" by Nandini Bajpai

Title: A Match Made in Mehendi
Author: Nandini Bajpai
Genre: YA Contemporary
Page Length: 320 pages
Publication Date: September 10, 2019
Date Started: November 1, 2019
Date Finished: November 12, 2019
Rating: 4 // 5 stars

Fifteen-year-old Simran "Simi" Sangha comes from a long line of Indian vichole-matchmakers-with a rich history for helping parents find good matches for their grown children. When Simi accidentally sets up her cousin and a soon-to-be lawyer, her family is thrilled that she has the "gift."

But Simi is an artist, and she doesn't want to have anything to do with relationships, helicopter parents, and family drama. That is, until she realizes this might be just the thing to improve her and her best friend Noah's social status. Armed with her family's ancient guide to finding love, Simi starts a matchmaking service-via an app, of course.

But when she helps connect a wallflower of a girl with the star of the boys' soccer team, she turns the high school hierarchy topsy-turvy, soon making herself public enemy number one.



*I was sent a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own* 

From the moment I read the synopsis of this book I knew I wanted to read it. Everything about it appealed to me from the idea of a matchmaking app to high school drama. I will be the first to admit I have been out of high school for a few years now and that I haven't really missed it. However, while I was reading this book, I was getting very nostalgic. I kept getting pulled back to those afternoon car rides with my friends and study sessions on the living room floor with a bowl of cookie dough.

The first thing I noticed about this book is how easy it was to fall into the pages and get lost reading it. The writing is very simple yet still produces vivid settings and strong connections to characters. Not only that, but it's so easy to follow that you start reading and get so engrossed that you don't realize you've just read 100 pages. Despite how many days passed between when I started and finished the book, I read it in only two sittings because it was such a fast read.

The drama and high-school angst was great. I've been out of high school for only a few years so I definitely can remember a lot of it and a lot of the things that I went through. I felt as though this book encapsulated a lot of the struggles of teenage girls and just high school in general. Plus, I'm always there for some drama. Even with some of the light drama, this book did deal with some more serious topics such as bullying and being outed against your will. I thought the way the author handled these things was done really well.

The characters were very compelling. I really enjoyed our main character Simi. She's a young girl trying to find a way to fit in high school while struggling with what her family wants for her versus what she wants for herself. Simi is a genuinely nice person who tries to do good and help those around her, but it doesn't always work out for her. I also liked our side characters, though Simi was definitely the main attraction for me with this book.

However, the thing I liked most about this book was getting to see more of Indian culture and desi identity. As a white American, I've never experienced the family dynamics, culture, or functions that Simi does. It was not only eye-opening but also just really enjoyable to get to read about the culture and family dynamics from an own-voices author.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a fun, fast-paced read that a lot of teen readers will enjoy. I will reiterate that this is a book for teen readers, our main character is young, and the writing voice is aimed at younger audiences so those who enjoy dense adult high fantasy may not find the reading experience to be the same. However, I really liked it and am so grateful that I got the chance to read it. I highly recommend it to all YA contemporary lovers out there!

Trigger warnings: public outing of a character, bullying



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Monday, July 15, 2019

Book Review: "Red, White & Royal Blue" by Casey McQuiston

Title: Red, White & Royal Blue
Author: Casey McQuiston
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Page Length: 423 pages
Publication Date: May 14, 2019
Date Started: July 7, 2019
Date Finished: July 13, 2019
Rating: 4.5 // 5 stars

Since before this book even came out people have been raving over it. Everyone talked about how it was phenomenal, funny, and one of the best debut books of the year. After reading it, I'm inclined to agree.

Do I think this book was perfect? No. There were a few times while reading it where I felt like it was dragging. I thought it could have been a bit shorter than 400+ pages. However, that was pretty much my only issue with this book. My overall thoughts of this book consist of: "Oh my gosh" and "AHHH" and "I love it."

I think one of the reasons I liked this book so much was that I could see myself in it. Now, obviously I'm not a princess or a the daughter of the president but when I saw I could see myself in this book I mean it in a different way. I could see myself in the struggles of the characters when they discuss their childhoods, their relationships, their sexualities. That representation is something I don't typically get in a fantasy book so I really enjoyed seeing it here. Additionally, I could see my political views represented in this book and that's something usually not shown in books.

I thought the story itself was compelling and interesting, though it felt a bit insta-love to me. I know the characters have big backstories with each other, but we didn't get to read those and were only told about their previous encounters. While I liked where we started, it felt a bit sudden to me when we'd moved so quickly past the just-friends stage. Still, I loved their relationship and the plot outside of just theirs.

Another thing that was absolutely amazing was the relationships the characters had outside of each other. Seeing strong sibling relationships, parental ones, etc was wonderful since so many books I read have negative relationships in them. Also, seeing a character with divorced parents like I have was great since usually parents are either in a (happy or unhappy) marriage still or one of them is dead. I have to say, I'd read an entire book about Henry, Alex, and all their friends hanging out at the lake house.

The political journey was interesting. I'm not one who enjoys politics but am more someone who is being forced to pay attention because it affects almost every aspect of my life. Seeing different political processes that I'd never much thought about was interesting to say the least and I'll definitely be looking more into it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's definitely going to be one of my favorite contemporary books for a long time and I know for sure that I'll reread it at some point. I also highly recommend it to anyone who doesn't know much about American politics but wants to learn the basics without having to go to school for 10924 years.



Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



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Sunday, June 16, 2019

Blog Tour Review: "Only A Breath Apart" by Katie McGarry


I am so excited to be bringing another blog tour post to all of you guys! Today is all about Only A Breath Apart by Katie McGarry which is an absolutely amazing book that I enjoyed every second of. I was first introduced to Katie's works through her Thunder Road novels and absolutely fell in love with her writing and stories. When I was given the chance to read this book for the tour, I was simply ecstatic at the chance to finally read her newest book. I could go on and on in this section about how amazing it was, but I'll leave that for my review down below! What you can find in this post is a synopsis, praise for the book, an author bio, my review, links to where you can purchase it, and a GIVEAWAY! 



SYNOPSIS

Bestselling author Katie McGarry’s trademark wrong-side-of-the-tracks romance is given a new twist in the gritty YA contemporary novel, Only a Breath Apart. 

Jesse Lachlin is cursed. 

So the town folklore says, but while Jesse’s had his fair share of tragedy, the only curse he believes is in his grandmother’s will: in order to inherit his family farm he must win the approval of his childhood best friend, the girl he froze out his freshman year, Scarlett Copeland.

Scarlett Copeland is psychic.

Glory Gardner tells Scarlett she has hidden psychic abilities, but Scarlett thinks Glory is delusional. What is real is Scarlett’s father’s irrational fears, controlling attitude, and the dark secrets at home. Scarlett may have a way to escape, but there’s a hitch: she’ll have to rely on the one person she used to trust, the same boy who broke her heart, Jesse Lachlin.

Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings for each other. But as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head… 



PRAISE FOR ONLY A BREATH APART


“Katie McGarry knows what YA is, how it works, and what it can do better than anyone, but she always takes it one step further.” ―Hypable

"Fair warning: Picture-perfect Scarlett and misunderstood Jesse will have you in your feels." ―Girls' Life Magazine

“Beyond a haunted teen romance is a beautiful, moving exploration of domestic violence, forgiveness, and self-love. ...Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming.” ―Kirkus, starred review

“McGarry ably captures the feeling of desperately wanting to come home to a friendship that has radically changed. The novel manages to tackle domestic violence in a way that never feels clichéd, and the romance is sure to win over even the most cynical reader. This is a story you’ll want to read slowly, just to be able to stay with the characters for a moment longer.” ―Booklist

“A gorgeous, heartfelt journey of redemption and love.” ―Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author

“Powerful, emotional, and ultimately hopeful. An unforgettable story that will leave its mark on your heart.” ―C. J. Redwine, New York Times bestselling author

“Gritty and real, Only a Breath Apart is a story of hope conjured from pain, strength drawn from innocence, and love earned from self-respect. Beautiful, poignant, and fierce.” ―Kristen Simmons, critically acclaimed author of the Article 5 series

“Meticulously weaves a fragile love story through a minefield of loss, broken trust, and familial curses both real and imagined. Haunting, authentic, and ultimately hopeful.” ―Tammara Webber, New York Times bestselling author

“A painful, beautiful, and utterly magical story about the family you’re born into versus the family you choose.” ―Trish Doller, author of In a Perfect World

“A touching tale of love and fate straight from the heartland.” ―Mindy McGinnis, author of The Female of the Species

“Scarlett and Jesse’s story will stay in your heart long after you finish the book.” ―Simone Elkeles, New York Times bestselling author

“Southern Gothic at its finest, this is Katie McGarry’s best book to date!” ―Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan and Breathe, Annie, Breathe



MEET KATIE MCGARRY

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. She is the author of the Pushing the Limits and Thunder Road series.





PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON    |    BARNES & NOBLE    |    BOOK DEPOSITORY    



MY REVIEW

I loved this book, plain and simple. I've enjoyed all of Katie's books that I've read but there's something about this one that just hit me straight in the heart. I connected so much to these characters and I'm still thinking back to this book over a week after finishing it. 

For starters, Katie's writing has always been so wonderful. From page one, I always am able to just fall into her stories. This book was no exception. I was only planning on reading one chapter of this book before I went to bed but the writing sucked me in and I ended up reading over 100. If that  alone doesn't give you reason to pick up this book, just sit back and wait for the rest of this review.

Katie's characters and stories are so compelling. The characters in this book struggle with a lot, both in terms of their relationship but also with a lot of real-life stuff. From toxic family relationships, death, financial struggles, and more, these characters don't have it easy. Yet this isn't a depressing book. It's addicting because not only are the characters amazing but their situations are so real.

The main reason this book hit me so hard was because of the connections I made. I don't think I've ever seen myself as much as I have in this book. Now, this may be because I stick to fantasy books most of the time and I don't go off fighting in wars every day. But I connected with this book so hard. I don't have the exact same experiences as these characters, but a lot of the lessons and inner struggles they dealt with in this book were ones I had. I honestly had to put this book down at one point because I was crying over the fact that I could see my personal struggles in a book for the first time. Not only did I find myself in this book, but I am also able to take the advice these characters got...take their techniques...and apply them to myself moving forward.

I think this is why I loved this book so much. I loved the characters, the plot was compelling, the writing was wonderful...but more than any of that I connected with the struggles these characters went through and found healing processes I can try myself. I've never gotten that from a book before and I'm getting a little weepy just thinking about it.

This kind of turned into a rant about how much I loved the fact that I connected so hard with this book but even if I hadn't connected in this way, I still loved the characters and the story. It's a compelling story with no easy way out but it's such a wonderful journey with angst and hope and bright moments. I miss these characters and I wish I could revisit them again for the first time or somehow know how they're doing after this book.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. It was phenomenal and Katie, like always, didn't disappoint. If you're a fan of contemporaries with a hint of something else, I'd definitely suggest picking this up.

TW for domestic abuse



GIVEAWAY


Giveaway is Open Internationally | Must be 13+ to Enter
5 Winners will receive a Copy of ONLY A BREATH APART by Katie McGarry

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren



You can follow my bookstagram here. A brand new giveaway will be posted soon!

To get more awesome content like this post, click the follow button to the right!

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