Review: RISE by Piper Lawson || Where the rising feelings of a second-chance romance didn’t disappoint

Title: RISE
Author: Piper Lawson
Can be read as a Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [Adult]
Heat Rating: Warm
Format: Ebook
Expected Publication: 10th April, 2018
Source: I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Falling is easy. Getting up is a b*tch.

When we met, we were lost.
Most seventeen-year-olds are.
We lifted each other up off the ground each time we fell. Until the day I let her down.
Now I have everything. A Bentley, a profile in GQ, a movie option and the company my best friend and I co-founded after school.
Until our paths cross ten years later at a gallery. The backdrop might be the same but we’ve both changed. I know it the second I see Sam standing in front of the canvas my best friend bought.
She’s more than the girl who used to draw comic book characters on my arm after class. The one I had inside jokes with. The one who taught me to be a rock when someone you love is being thrown around by the waves.
She’s beautiful. Confident. Edgy.
Sam should’ve been my first everything. God knows we both wanted it.
Now I have a second chance.
This time I won’t let her down.
This time, we’ll rise together.

Riley and Samantha’s story is a sexy second-chances romance that will give you all the feels. It’s an interconnected standalone with secondary characters from PLAY and NSFW.

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This was a beautiful story of second chance romance. We finally got to see Riley’s story.

Riley and Samantha a.k.a Sam were pretty close during their high school. They both had feelings for one another yet they never got to confess. They fell in love with the right person but at the wrong time. Now after years later, they come face to face again and both of them realise they still have feelings for each other though Sam is reluctant at first. But Riley had already lost Sam once and he is not ready to lose her again.

Layered characters!

First of all, Riley was a very refreshing character. For once a male protagonist didn’t go sleeping around the entire city, he was a serious-relationship type of guy which I absolutely loved. I really want to see more protagonists like this! Riley and Sam’s friendship had clicked the moment Sam joined the same school as him but it was pretty obvious they had mutual feelings for each other but Riley had to take a step back due to Sam’s circumstances. They completely lost contact after that. When Riley goes to run an errand in place for Max, his best friend and co-owner of their gaming company, he is both bewildered and overjoyed to see Sam again.

This book is essentially character-centric and the author does a fantastic job of developing an angst-filled romance with a layer of humour, and that’s why there’s never a dull moment in this book. Sam is a pretty talented artist and Riley is an absolute charmer and he pursues Sam to work with him in his upcoming game to movie adaptation. Though I have to say I loved Riley more than I loved Sam. I understood her initial reluctance but I felt that was a bit too much.

A heart-racing Romance!

Nonetheless, the chemistry between both the characters were pretty palpable and I loved how it slowly developed into something strong. Though the pace in some portions felt a bit off but the characters were enough to move the story forward. I also loved that the characters of the previous books in this series made an appearance and there was also a pleasant surprise!

Overall, RISE was a fantastic read. The plot flowed smoothly and it was executed neatly. The characters managed to make me in love with them and their story and I sooo can’t wait to read more by this author!

Recommend it?

Yes!

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Sooo guys are you excited to read this book? Have you read any previous books by this author?

Review: Player’s Game by Desirae Clark || Where I Lost my Game in the Midst of Inconsistencies || Also, I’m Baaaack!!

Title: Player’s Game
Author: Desirae Clark
Series: Valentine Sisters series, book 1 [Can be read as a standalone]
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Cool
Page Count and Format: 186 pages, Ebook
Published: December 25th, 2017 by BLVNP Incorporated
Source: I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating: 

Blurb (from Goodreads): 

And when I turned around, I expected to see my annoying little sisters but was instead greeted by a familiar face. In the threshold stood Parker Brady with a devious smirk on his face and the looks of a god.

Samantha Valentine’s life turns upside down when she finds out her family is returning to her old town, Scottsdale. It took her a while to make the city her home, and now all of that is for naught, as she has to learn to settle in a quiet town again.

Parker Brady is perfectly happy to make a mess of his life after his best friend, Samantha, left him. He felt betrayed by his most trusted friend, and now he doesn’t care about anyone anymore. The only thing that matters to him is getting girls.

The two are not so thrilled when they meet after years of being away. Old grudges resurface from the past.

Will Samantha and Parker restore their broken friendship? Or will something else rise from its ruins?

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First of all, heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey guys, I AM BAAAAAAAACK!! 🙂

(Goodness, I made way too many mistakes in the first post and published it before checking!!!)

Oh goodness, what a hectic month this was. Well honestly, I had it coming. That’s what you get for not studying the whole year. But oh well, I couldn’t concentrate on anything but I am doing better now… I think, it was a really a big issue but I felt like I haven’t studied this much my whole life. It was hilarious. Kinda. The exams were okay I guess? Eh, I don’t wanna think about that!

Well, I have started 2018 in a positive way. I hope it remains like that. 🙂

Also, I have 5k emails from you guys to check. Wish me luck.

Now onto the review. Before that, a short summary. Samantha’s mother’s job forced her to move away from Scottsdale but after a few of years, they are moving back in. She regretted losing her best friend the most who didn’t even bother trying to keep in touch. Now they are forced to face each other once again. It’s up to them to decide if they want their friendship to give another chance or let go of each other forever.

I’m going to do the point review thingy, okay guys.

🔘 The plot was cliched, it is based on second chance plus best friend romance trope which I looove very much. This book had a lot of potentials if executed rightly but I personally didn’t feel the element of something new.

🔘 The biggest problem I had with the book was, I felt there was way more telling than showing. I mean there’s a balance but I didn’t find that in the book which made it difficult for me to actually care about the characters.

🔘 Now, onto Samantha and Parker. I somewhat liked Samantha but I hoped she would have stood up for herself when she got to know a very important detail about her personal life despite being famous as the notorious prankster as a kid when she was still in Scottsdale. And when that thing proceeded to become a bigger issue, well she did handle it a mature way but it wouldn’t have come to the point if she had clarified earlier about that certain thing.

🔘 And Parker, I don’t know what to say but one thing is, he was a pretty crappy one. He completely cut off Samantha when she moved away. I was curious to know the reason behind it. He gave a pretty lame ass excuse. I was actually enraged!! I mean how could he have a grudge against a Samantha when he clearly knew it was not her fault. Even after realising that, he still didn’t. I think Samantha was better off than being with a guy who called himself her best friend. He was too immature and stubborn.

🔘 Also, the plot focused on way too much thinking rather than interacting. There were rarely one or two conversations the main leads had before they realised they had feelings for each other. It was weird okay. Just weird. The plot had too many inconsistencies that made no sense at all. Also, I didn’t feel the chemistry and Parker was way too bossy sometimes.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy this book. I thought I was going to love this one but it turned out the complete opposite. It was a light read but too much telling even spoiled that. The pacing was sometimes too slow and sometimes too face it was hard to keep track. Anyways. I hope my next read does not let me down.

Recommend it?

No.

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Soooo guys, have you read this? Do you want to?

Review: The Way Back to Us by Jamie Howard // Where I was not much pleased with the way

Title: The Way Back to Us
Author: Jamie Howard
Series: Love Unplugged, book 3 [Can be read as a standalone]
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [New-Adult]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 230, Ebook
Published: December 12th, 2017 by St. Martin’s Swerve
Source: I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Gavin MacCormack found the one. He fell in love. Hard. Until one night he ran out for some ice cream and came back to an empty dorm room, closets bare and nothing but a quick hand-written note saying, I’m sorry. Those two words taught Gavin the meaning of heartbreak. A feeling he never wants to encounter again. And as the lead singer of a Grammy award-winning band he’s had plenty of opportunities for casual, no-strings fun, which is just the way he likes it.

Dani Winters has had more names than birthdays. On the run with her father for nearly as long as she can remember, she’s lived her life by three rules—always plan for the worst, maintain a low profile at all costs, and never let anyone get too close. Except she broke that last rule once and her heart has never forgiven her.

One chance encounter changes everything. Seeing Dani resurrects feelings in Gavin he thought were long buried, and this time he’s not letting her disappear without getting some answers. But Dani’s life is the definition of complicated and she’s playing with fire by letting Gavin back in. When the time comes to run again, Dani needs to decide if a life without love is worth living, or if it’s time to stop running and fight.

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I hoped this book would be more enjoyable than book 2 which was the first book I read by this author. That’s why I decided to give this try. But unfortunately, that didn’t happen. I mean, it had its moments and the romance was the saving grace of this book.

For Gavin, Dani Winters was the one for him. But one day without any goodbye she disappears from his life leaving him shattered. After years, they come face to face with each other and realises their feelings for each other are still buried within. But Dani is still running from her demons. This might be their last chance to build something together or let go forever.

The thing is, the plot was waaay too common. I have read a number of books where the heroine is facing some extreme danger yet some simple communication would uncomplicate the matter but she decides to stay silent throughout the whole book until the end where a solution magically appears. *sighs* This plot has been overused so many times, it simply has lost its charm.

Though I have to say I didn’t see the plot twist coming just before it got revealed. But everything was too anti-climactic. I mean, it the story was following a certain pace but I felt the ending was too rushed and everything just happened all at once. It just didn’t make much sense to leave it like that, it would definitely have been better if some more explanations would have been given for the reason it happened and why it happened. I really wanted the backstory.

Anyway, the characters were the ones who did not let me put the book down. Gavin never got over Dani, for him she was everything and after she suddenly disappeared from his life, he stopped believing in love. A cliche, I know. Though I felt bad for the guy. He never gave up. Dani was a mysterious woman but everything could have been solved as a team but she chose to run away instead. But there were moments which made everything perfectly clear how much she still cared for him. The chemistry between them was electric but I wished there was more plot development.

Overall, The Way Back to Us was an okay read. Although the plot was cliched, I enjoyed the characters and the romance. The writing was smooth and easy to read.

Recommend it?

Maybe.

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Sooooo guys, have you read this book? If yes, how was your experience? Or is it in your tbr??

Review: Behind the Bars by Brittainy C. Cherry || Blog Tour || Where the Music Broke the Barrier

Welcome to my tour stop of Behind the Bars by Brittainy C. Cherry hosted by  Social Butterfly PR.

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Title: Behind the Bars
Author: Brittainy C. Cherry
Series: Music Street, book 1 [Can be read as a standalone]
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [New-Adult]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 373, Ebook
Published:  December 7th, 2017
Source: I received an eARC of this book for the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating: 

Blurb (from Goodreads):

When I first met Jasmine Greene, she came in as raindrops.

I was the awkward musician, and she was the high school queen.
The only things we had in common were our music and our loneliness.

Something in her eyes told me her smile wasn’t always the truth.
Something in her voice gave me a hope I always wished to find.
And in a flash, she was gone.

Years later, she was standing in front of me on a street in New Orleans.
She was different, but so was I. Life made us colder. Harder. Isolated.

Caged.

Even though we were different, the broken pieces of me recognized the sadness in her.
Now she was back, and I wouldn’t make the mistake of letting her go again.

When I first met Jasmine Greene, she came in as raindrops.
When we met again, I became her darkest storm.

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Oooooh my goodness! I didn’t expect this book to be so good! I mean, I had pretty high expectations since I have read mostly raving reviews of the author’s other books, so I didn’t let the chance of reading this one slip from my hands and now I can see where all those ravings come from. This book undoubtedly was one of the best New-Adult and second chance romance I have read this year.

Jasmine and Elliot were miles different from each other but music was the one thing that brought them together. But their romance was short lived since Jasmine’s mother had other plans for her “bright future”. After six years, she is finally back in town but nothing is the same anymore. Both of them have cracks in their life which could or couldn’t be fulfilled with new music.

This book was really beautiful, from the beginning until the very end. Elliot is a shy and bullied boy in school but with a saxophone in his hand, he becomes someone else. Whereas Jasmine’s love for soul music knows no bounds but her mother/manager won’t let her pursue something unrealistic as she believes pop will be the best for her career. Elliot didn’t believe that someone as smart and beautiful like Jasmine could like him but music was the one thing they both cherished and loved and it connected them together.

“Sometimes people don’t need words, Elliott. Sometimes they just need the space to feel what they need to feel, with someone present as a reminder that they’re not alone.”

I loved how their relationship built slowly but the music was always present. In their friendship, in their relationship, in every small moment. I loved Elliot’s habit of answering everything with a question and Jasmine personality, despite having that kind of a mother she still didn’t judge anyone with just one glance. Jasmine’s mother is the one who drags her overseas for her career. She just wanted to be loved and accepted by her mother and that’s why she kept listening to her without any complaint.

“Every person had lyrics in their life that were too painful to sing.”

But everything has a limit. Goooosh!! (I kept tying aigooo!) I hated her so much, she didn’t really care for Jasmine at all, I thought at some point she was going to be the mother Jasmine wanted, at least try but that woman was already gone far off the edge. In contrast, Jasmine’s step-dad Ray was absolutely wonderful. He cherished his princess and she was the only reason he stayed in the relationship with Jasmine’s mother although she ended up ruining that too but the father-daughter bond never disappeared. It was really sooooo sweet!

“You’re the music in a mute world, and my heart beats because you’re here.”

The romance between Jasmine and Elliot was heartwarming, there was the thrill of the anticipation and in the way, everything was executed made the romance even beautiful. Jasmine tried to stay in contact with Elliot but eventually, they lost touch without knowing that tragedy that swept away Elliot’s music. It was really heartbreaking to see the person whose life was music stay away from it. What Elliot had to go through broke my heart, I was really having a hard time reading through my blurry tear streaming eyes but that didn’t mean Jasmine had an easy time as well. After six whole years, Jasmine meets a different Elliot but it’s only with her, he finally starts opening up to.

“One can’t truly heal if they pretend the cracks don’t exist.”

After the year leap, both the characters have grown up and matured but somewhere despite not being able to stay connected with each other, the love still remained. It was absolutely wonderful to see the characters heal each other through their love and music, both of them were hurting but when they were together, everything hurt less. Also, TJ was the best ever music teacher, without him I don’t think they would have been able to find their way back to each other.

Overall, Behind the Bars was a fantastic read! It had all the elements I love in an NA book and so much more. The romance between Elliot and Jasmine was beautiful and I loved their character growth. I was definitely satisfied with how everything was wrapped up in the end but I didn’t want to let go of the characters! The writing was beautiful and smooth and the pace was even throughout the book. Brittainy C. Cherry has made it to my top romance authors list and I will definitely be checking out the rest of her books!!!

Recommend it?

Yes!

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Author Bio:

Hi! I’m Brittainy! Join me as we travel through my mind as a Romance Author. This includes such things as my random thoughts, tricks, tips, things I’m learning, things I’m re-learning, things I’m forgetting, and my weird ways of crafting stories.

Author Links:

Facebook || Twitter || Newsletter || Blog

Purchase Links:

Amazon US || Amazon UK || Amazon CA || Amazon AU

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So guys, have you read this book yet? What did you think about it? And if you haven’t, is it in your tbr? Have you read any other books by this author?

Review: How Hard Can Love Be? by Holly Bourne || Heartbreaking and Beautiful at the Same Time.

Title: How Hard Can Love Be?
Author: Holly Bourne
Series: The Spinster Club, book 2 [Can be read as a standalone]
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Cool
Page Count and Format: 480, Paperback
Published: February 1st, 2016 by Usborne Publishing Ltd
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Amber, Evie and Lottie: three girls facing down tough issues with the combined powers of friendship, feminism and cheesy snacks. Both hilarious and heart-rending, this is Amber’s story of how painful – and exhilarating – love can be, following on from Evie’s story in Am I Normal Yet?

All Amber wants is a little bit of love. Her mum has never been the caring type, even before she moved to California, got remarried and had a personality transplant. But Amber’s hoping that spending the summer with her can change all that.

And then there’s prom king Kyle, the guy all the girls want. Can he really be interested in anti-cheerleader Amber? Even with best friends Evie and Lottie’s advice, there’s no escaping the fact: love is hard.

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Whoa, this book was an emotional roller coaster. I liked Amber in Am I Normal Yet? but in this book, we get to see her more closely and understand her and damn… I loved her sooo freaking much! There were so many times that I felt so bad for Amber that I kept hugging and patting the book.

Amber is excited to meet her mother after two whole years after she remarried. Although she is going to be away from her bffs, Evie and Lottie, she is more excited to form a new relationship with her mother. But her Summer starts going the exact opposite she was hoping for and on top of that, she starts to develop feelings for Kyle who’s working in the summer camp with Amber. He’s a notorious playboy according to her mother but the heart wants what it wants. Will she be able to handle everything?

Sooo, the plot may sound a little bit cliched. Yes, it was cliched but never have I ever loved a cliched book so freaking much! This was so much more than just summer romance, it dealt with Amber’s views of love and life. Amber always had body image issues for being “too tall” for a girl. This is clearly visible in the previous book as well and we can see how much self-confidence she loses because of that. I could relate to it on a personal level. And I could feel her struggle.

On top of that, she was clinging on to the hope of reconnecting with her mother who moved away two years ago after getting remarried. Damn, I could feel it that she was going to be hella disappointed. I mean, she was so happy and over-excited to meet her mother and what I dreaded came true, I felt so freaking bad for her. It broke my heart to see her hurting.

Kyle, on the other hand, was like a ray of sunshine she never expected in her life. That guy is seriously awesome, he is a forever kind of guy, that I could feel within a few seconds of being introduced to him. He was genuinely caring and sweet. And basically nice to everybody. Amber had a tough time believing such a boy could fall for her because the society’s standards were different. God, I hate that so much! Why does society get to decide what we are gonna wear, where we are gonna go, it’s our life and it’s up to us to decide that!!!

“Why would anyone get drunk? Why does anyone need anything like that to escape the world, when the world is its own antidote?”

Okay, before I divert any further, Amber was a tough girl but there’s a limit to how much she can handle. Luckily she had super-awesome friends who were a part of the Spinster Club as well, I loooved how Evie and Lottie encouraged her and boosted her confidence. Everybody needs friends like that in their life. 🙂

“Be you. It’s all you can ever be anyway. But own being you. It’s a fab thing to own.”

The romance was indeed cuuuuuute! And I very much liked Amber and Kyle together. They were adorable and why her mother was so apprehensive of him becomes clear later so. Seriously, I hated that woman. How could she call herself a mother? She didn’t even try… Although Amber kind of forgave her but it definitely wasn’t an easy thing to do but Amber’s last decision was quite weird, totally based on a whim! It just felt a little weird. But nonetheless, I’m glad how it all turned out in the end.

Overall, How Hard Can Love Be? is an interesting read. The writing flowed so beautifully, I didn’t want to put this book down. I loved how the plot was executed and I felt attached to the characters. I just wish some of the characters were developed more throughout the book, especially Amber’s mother but it was a satisfactory read.

Recommend it?

Yes!

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So guys, have you read this book yet? What did you think about it? And if you haven’t, is it in your tbr?

Mini Reviews: Contemporary New-Adult 2 Star Edition || The Thing About New-Adult: A Mini Discussion

Title: Royally Matched
Author: Emma Chase
Series: Royally, book 2 [Can be read as a standalone]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 276 pages, Ebook
Published: February 21st, 2017 by Emma Chase, LLC

                  

Henry’s life is a complete mess after his brother Nicholas put the whole king responsibility upon his shoulders. He does not take his royal responsibilities seriously and when he gets to make a choice of his own, he jumps upon it. He gets an offer for a reality tv show where he would get the chance to choose his future would-be-wife but things start to go down the rails when he finds himself falling for Sarah, a contestant’s sister.

I didn’t quite enjoy the first book in this series but I was actually quite looking forward to this one because we were given a glimpse of both Henry and Sarah in the first book which got me intrigued. Anyway, I read a lot of rave reviews for this book but unfortunately, this book failed to impress me in any way. The plot was enjoyable although cliched. Henry is someone who has never taken much responsibility in any matter and he jumps up on the offer for the reality tv show in a whim. As the show proceeds, he finds himself falling for someone who is not a contestant. I, unfortunately, failed to enjoy the chemistry between Henry and Sarah though I did enjoy them together. 

I wanted more depth in the characters. Henry was charming but he failed to sweep me off my feet. Anyway, this book portrayed how actually a reality tv show actually works and in this book it was sometimes quite funny. But I loved when Henry finally manned up! Overall, I somewhat enjoyed this book. However, I did feel this book was unnecessarily long. The writing was smooth and the pace was even throughout the book.

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Title: #1 Crush
Author:  T. Gephart
Series: #1 series, book 1 [Can be read as a standalone]
Heat Rating: Pretty warm
Page Count and Format: 316 pages, Ebook
Published: February 20th, 2017 by T Gephart

             

I received this book as a giveaway prize from Raven from Dreamy Addictions! Thanks again, Raven!

This book was weird. Super weird in a non-realistic way. Here’s the gist- Tia has always been in love with Eric Larsson who is actually a famous Hollywood actor. Whatever she does, she can’t get him out of his head so she decides to meet him in person. She’s sure he’s going to turn out an asshole which will help Tia to flush him out of her heart but when reality proves her wrong, she can’t help but fall for Eric more and more.

To meet Eric in person Tia decides to attend the premiere of his newly launched movie. As an imposter!!! She actually pretended to be someone else to get into the premiere. First of all, who freaking does that! This really bothered me. Anyway, her plan fails because Eric actually turns out to be a decent human being as well as quite charming. For this book, I liked the chemistry between the two characters. Eric meets up with Tia after a few weeks again and thus begins their whirlwind romance. But even after everything, she continues to lie to Eric about herself. Their whole relationship started off on a lie and I really hated that. I really enjoyed Tia as an individual but her tendency to not tell the whole truth put me off. She had plenty of choices to come out to Eric but she always pulled back. The plot twist threw me

The plot twist threw me off-guard. I was so not expecting that but instead of cheering, I was actually disappointed. Anybody would be!!! I mean love is blind but not that blind dude. Anybody in Eric’s situation would be offended and I didn’t get why and how he did what he did. Anyway, the writing was smooth and the pace was even throughout the book. I would have surely enjoyed the book more if some of the things were more properly addressed.

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Title: Ladies Man
Author: Katy Evans
Series: Manwhore, book 3 [Can be read as a standalone]
Heat Rating: Pretty warm
Page Count and Format: 299 pages, Ebook
Published: April 24th, 2016 by KT Publishing LLC

                            

Tahoe is a player and Gina is a strong level headed woman who knows what she wants. They are both strictly friends yet the more they become close, the more they can’t avoid the undeniable attraction between them. It’s up to them to decide if taking a risk is worth the chance of losing their friendship.

Frankly, I think I have read too many books that have used this trope. I still enjoy if the execution’s well enough but unfortunately, I didn’t feel that way for this book and as a result, it fell flat for me. After Gina’s previous relationship fell out, she’s not ready to be on the dating front soon again but every time she’s with Tahoe her feelings leave her confused and flustered. Tahoe on the other hand, was on a totally different level, although he feels attracted towards Gina, he doesn’t stop being a player and he’s a painful one at that.

This book was too frustrating to read and I just wanted it to be over. For the majority of this book, Gina has a boyfriend who she didn’t even like very much, and Tahoe was well, still sleeping around. They don’t get together until the very end of this book and everything was just on and off and I just didn’t see the point. I definitely liked Gina as a character when I was introduced to her but being such a strong woman, I would have loved to see a bit more of a mature decision at least from her. Anyway, The writing was smooth and the pace was even throughout the book. Overall, I enjoyed this book the least among the three.

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The thing about New-Adult-

Hey there guys! Welcome to Daydreaming Discussions. This is a monthly feature created by me where I discuss anything bookish related or sometimes it might be about any non-bookish things as well. Also, be prepared for a lot of ramblings and rantings and you’re very welcome to be a part of the discussion.

As these reviews and this topic matched I decided to punch them together. Honestly, I hadn’t even though of writing a discussion about this but while writing these reviews I felt the need to voice out my opinion about New-Adult and ask what you guys felt about it.

That cute Chimchim was basically me when I discovered New-Adult. A whole new world opened up to me!!

I didn’t use to enjoy contemporary until I came across New-Adult books, since then I love NA books and I also give YA contemporary a chance as well. But well, let’s not divert into anything else because I have a tendency to do so… like the way cute Jimin is jumping on and off like that and me obsessing over BTS day and night, especially Taehyung…

*Ahem!*

Anyway,  one thing you might have noticed in these 3 mini-reviews that they didn’t have anything extraordinary to make these books stand out.

The thing is that as much as New-Adult can be enjoyable, they can get tremendously repetitive as well. Most of the time I have seen that NA books seem to focus only on sex when it shouldn’t be the main concern at all. As a hopeless romantic, I’m 100% on the romance train *cho chooo* but seriously that shouldn’t be the only factor!

New-Adult books feature characters usually between the age of 18 to 25. This is the age when one steps into college or is trying out for a job and stuff. Basically, it’s the age where you step into adulthood, so there are numerous routes a New-Adult book take other than only romance because let’s be realistic for a second, this age group is freaking tough and sometimes pretty frustrating. I fall into this age group and there’s a whole lot of other struggles like the tension of getting a job, mental as well as physical. Yup, reality sucks!

I want New-Adult books to be more relatable, I want them to feature the daily struggles one goes through during this age group, the different distractions that they might fall into, the inner struggle, battling the inner demons and striving to achieve one’s dream in such a competitive world. Also on the positive side, as this age is the time for stepping into new boundaries, so naturally new friends should also be in the mixture.

Of course, I have found some gems in this category as well and some of those books were really awesome, like Whispers and the Roars by K. Webster (I really can’t say why because that would spoil the entire book) and The Butterfly Project by Emma Scott which was really emotional and beautiful.

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So what do you guys think about the whole New-Adult category? Do you enjoy these books or would you like them more if they were more relatable? Also if you have any awesome NA recommendations, feel free to leave them in the comments!

Review: Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne || Feminism, mental health and positive female friendship!

Title: Am I Normal Yet?
Author: Holly Bourne
Series: The Spinster Club, book 1 [Can be read as a standalone]
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Mental-Health, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Cool
Page Count and Format: 434, Paperback
Published: August 1st, 2015 by Usborne Publishing Ltd
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

All Evie wants is to be normal. She’s almost off her meds and at a new college where no one knows her as the girl-who-went-crazy. She’s even going to parties and making friends. There’s only one thing left to tick off her list…

But relationships are messy – especially relationships with teenage guys. They can make any girl feel like they’re going mad. And if Evie can’t even tell her new friends Amber and Lottie the truth about herself, how will she cope when she falls in love?

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This book was such an epic read!! I breezed through it in no time. Though the beginning was a little slow and I was kinda afraid because of the hype surrounding it but then I understood why everybody loves this book so much!

Am I Normal Yet? follows Evie’s journey as she tries to live a normal life while struggling with her OCD and anxiety. But she is finally taking a step forward, she is ticking off all the things that she has always wanted to do in high school except one, being in a relationship. She wants to tick that off her list too but she can’t even tell her best friends about her condition, will she be able to handle love?

“Mental illnesses grab you by the leg, screaming, and chow you down whole.They make you selfish. They make you irrational. They make you irrational. They make you self-absorbed. They make you needy. They make you cancel plans last minute. They make you not very fun to spend time with. They make you exhausting to be near.”

This book was sooo freaking good. It dealt with so many important topics and it was so relatable! Evie is finally trying to get back to a normal life and be just like the other kids her age but she can’t completely erase anxiety and OCD out of her life. They take a toll on her every day and it’s a daily battle she has to fight. This book dealt with the importance of spreading mental health awareness and the aspect of mental health was handled realistically in this book. Not only that, I LOVED the perfect blend of feminism in this book too.

“Do you ever wonder,” he asked, “how we decide what’s mad and what isn’t? There’s so much crazy stuff in the world – everything’s a mess most of the time – but then people who can’t handle it are called mental and have films made about them… But what if they’re just reacting to the weirdness of the universe? Isn’t it more weird to just think everything’s okay, when it clearly isn’t?” 

Despite making two great friends like Amber and Lottie, Evie is reluctant to share that part of her life, afraid that they might turn her back on her and think her as a freak. As much as I wanted Evie to be open to them, I could understand where she was coming from. But yes, if she was more open to them, facing her problems might have been a little easier but try telling that you to heart. Damn you, heart! There were plenty of situations where it broke my heart, I just wanted to be there for Evie, I wanted to hug her and be there for her, it completely shattered me how she had to face those situations all alone.

From the moment she met Guy (what a weird name! seriously!!), she felt something towards him. Their attraction was visible but damn you, Evie! She deserved so much better than someone named Guy. From the beginning, that boy was anything but trouble and I guess, Evie was attracted towards the bad boy image more than him. The thing between them never felt right to me and it was kinda proved rightly so. I seriously hated Evie for how she treated Oli. I understood, I goddamn understood but she lied to hide more lies and that bothered me very much. She should have at least spoken up about it without taking sides. But I was soooo glad to read the last page of that book and I seriously wanted more.

Anyway, I loved the friendship between the trio. I envied their friendship, it was kind of a friendship that lasted forever. Evie, Lottie and Amber made quite an epic team and their idea to start a spinster club was damn awesome. I wish I could be a part of that team too. Jane was the only friend who knew about Evie but she now has to deal with their friendship falling apart due to Jane’s new found relationship as well. I could so much relate to her feeling overwhelmed and don’t even get me started on anxiety. Despite her daily struggles, despite everything, she was indeed a brave soul.

“Everyone’s on the cliff edge of normal. Everyone finds life an utter nightmare sometimes, and there’s no ‘normal’ way of dealing with it… There is no normal, Evelyn.”

Overall, Am I Normal Yet? was a great eye-opening read. The plot was executed in a realistic way and I fell in love with the characters despite their flaws. It dealt with so many issues which were treated in a sensitive and compassionate way. The writing was beautiful, smooth and easy to read and the pace was even throughout the book. I already have book 2 and I can’t wait to dive into it.

Recommend it?

Yes!

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So guys, have you read this book yet? What did you think about it? And if you haven’t, is it in your tbr?

Review: Thieves 2 Lovers by K. Webster & J.D. Hollyfield || Blog Tour || Where best friends steal each other’s heart

Welcome to my tour stop of Thieves 2 Lovers by K. Webster & J.D. Hollyfield hosted by IndieSage PR. You can view the full tour schedule here.

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Title: Thieves 2 Lovers
Author: K. Webster & J.D. Hollyfield
Series: 2 Lovers, book 3 [Can be read as a standalone]
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [Adult]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 241 pages, Ebook
Published: July 22nd, 2017
Source: I received an eARC of this book for the blog tour in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Best friends aren’t supposed to kiss.
But these best friends did.

He can’t get the taste of her lips off his mind.
She can’t let go of the guilt from her mistake.

He wants to be good enough for her.
She wishes life were different.

He’s the bad boy reject.
She’s the girl next door.

When opposites attract, they collide and create an explosion that can’t be ignored.
Is it possible to be madly in love with your best friend?

Love follows no rules because love is a rebel.

Her: We should talk about what’s happening…
Him: It’s about damn time.

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The 2 Lovers series has been such a fun read! In this book, we finally get the story of Linc, Andie’s brother who made his appearance in book 2 and Ram and Roman’s sister, Reagan Holloway. Like the previous books in this series, this book too didn’t disappoint and it was a pretty enjoyable ride.  You can read my review of book 1: Text 2 Lovers, here and book 2: Hate 2 Lovers, here.

Reagan and Linc had been friends from the moment they met in Roman’s office. They have grown closer in time and they are thick as thieves. Linc wants to be more than friends but there’s the douche boyfriend of Reagan whom everybody loves but Linc can see how that guy actually can be. When fate plays a different game and they are forced to reveal their feelings for each other, what will they do?

The plot was pretty enjoyable and laced with humour. We saw glimpses of these two characters aka, Linc and Reagan in the previous book and there was instant chemistry between the two characters and I was eagerly waiting for their story! I can gladly say this book met my expectations. Linc was fun from the very start. Although he came from the wrong side of the tracks but being with Reagan made him want to be a better man. They perfectly balanced each other. On the other hand, Reagan was such a sweet character, she was the CFO of their company and the little sister of Ram and Roman but she always felt she needed to please her family which led to wrong decisions regarding her relationships. I was so glad to see when she finally took a stand and stood up for herself. But there was a part of her which lacked confidence when it came to her family and with the help of Linc she was able to overcome that and be true to herself.

The relationship between Linc and Reagan developed slowly from friendship, then into something more. As much as they had feelings for each other, for them, their friendship always came first and they were always there for each other no matter what and I loved this so much! Things did become repetitive from time to time which was slightly boring but the entire gang from the previous books were present throughout the book which didn’t let this book fall through. Ram and Roman were possessive of their little sister, especially Roman and the pranks that Linc did, incited him more and it was hilarious!

We also get a few glimpses of Roman and Andie’s baby and she was definitely adorable. Drunk Dani is always fun and I was so glad to see her and Ram once again. Roman being the hot-headed brother did plenty of numbers which made me want to smack him in the head but there was Andie for that job! It was so greart to see everybody together as one big family. The epilogues were especially heart-melting and I loved each and every bit of it. This book perfectly wrapped up this series!

Overall, Thieves 2 Lovers was an entertaining read. The plot was executed neatly and I fell in love with the characters. I loved the romance between Linc and Reagan as well as their chemistry together. The writing was smooth and easy to read and the pace was even throughout the book. I can’t wait to read more books by these two authors!

Recommend it?

Yes.

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Author Bios and Links:

K. Webster-

K Webster is the author of dozens romance books in many different genres including contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance, and erotic romance. When not spending time with her husband of twelve years and two adorable children, she’s active on social media connecting with her readers.

Her other passions besides writing include reading and graphic design. K can always be found in front of her computer chasing her next idea and taking action. She looks forward to the day when she will see one of her titles on the big screen.

Website || Blog || Twitter || Facebook || Goodreads

J.D. Hollyfield-

Creative designer, mother, wife, writer, part-time superhero…

J.D. Hollyfield is a creative designer by day and superhero by night. When she is not trying to save the world one happy ending at a time, she enjoys the snuggles of her husband, son and three doxies. With her love for romance, and head full of book boyfriends, she was inspired to test her creative abilities and bring her own story to life.

Life in a Rut, Love not Included is her Debut Novel. J.D. Hollyfield lives in the Midwest, and is currently at work on blowing the minds of readers, with the additions of her new books and series, along with her charm, humor and HEA’s.

Website || Facebook || Twitter || Newsletter || Pinterest || Instagram

Purchase Links:

Text 2 Lovers: Amazon || Barnes & Noble || Kobo || iBooks
Hate 2 Lovers: Amazon || Amazon UK || Barnes & Noble || iBooks || Kobo
Thieves 2 Lovers: Amazon || Barnes & Noble

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Giveaway!

$25 Amazon Gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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So guys, what do you think about this book? Is it in your tbr?

Cover Reveal: Saving Brad by Siobhan Davis

Today is the cover reveal for Saving Brad by Siobhan Davis! This cover reveal is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours.

Saving Brad (The Kennedy Boys #5)
By Siobhan Davis
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age category: New Adult
Release Date: October 2017

Blurb:

An enemies-to-lovers romance from USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis. Standalone with an HEA and no cliff-hanger.

Brad
I’m in love with my best friend’s girl.
She knows it. He knows it. Everyone knows it.
Faye will never be mine, but try telling that to my stupid heart.
An endless rotation of girls streams in and out of my bedroom in a desperate attempt to forget her, but nothing eases the horrid ache in my chest. Rejection isn’t anything new for me, but it hasn’t gotten any easier.
Until she reappears in my life. Like an out-of-control tornado. Storming in, all fierce and angry, ready to steamroll everything in her path. Rachel is trouble with a capital T bundled in a gorgeous, sexy, Irish package.
She pushes all the wrong buttons, and I can’t decide if I want to yell at her or kiss her.
I should steer clear.
But I’ve never been very good at taking my own advice. Especially when it comes to girls I can’t have and shouldn’t want.

Rachel
I need to escape.
To put as much distance between me and that monster so I can start living my life.
Yet, even the vast Atlantic Ocean isn’t enough to sever the connection. To allow me to forget how he’s ruined me. His hold is more than just physical. He has a vise-grip on my head and my heart, and I can’t breathe, can’t think, can’t function.
So, I do everything to blot it out.
Until he reappears in my life.
Brad McConaughey. So hot. So infuriating. So in love with my best friend.
Every word out of Brad’s mouth makes me want to throat punch him or kick him in the nuts.
But he makes me feel, and I hate him for it. A part of me might actually love him for it.
I should keep my distance, but like destructive magnets, we are drawn together.
This isn’t going to end well.
I know it. He knows it.
But we’re powerless to resist.

You can find Saving Brad on Goodreads

You can pre-order Saving Brad exclusively on Amazon
It will be available to read with Kindle Unlimited once released.

Previous books in this series:

  

The first three books have to be read in order. The books after that can be read as a standalone and have a HEA and no cliffhanger. The Kennedy Boys series is free to read in Kindle Unlimited and book one Finding Kyler is currently available for only 0.99$ on Amazon.

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About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Siobhan Davis writes emotionally intense young adult and new adult fiction with swoon-worthy romance, complex characters, and tons of unexpected plot twists and turns that will have you flipping the pages beyond bedtime! She is the author of the international bestselling True Calling, Saven, and Kennedy Boys series.

Siobhan’s family will tell you she’s a little bit obsessive when it comes to reading and writing, and they aren’t wrong. She can rarely be found without her trusty Kindle, a paperback book, or her laptop somewhere close at hand.

Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Siobhan forged a successful corporate career in human resource management.

She resides in the Garden County of Ireland with her husband and two sons.

Author Links:

Website || Blog || Facebook || Twitter || Google + || Instagram || Goodreads || Amazon || Kennedy Boys Newsletter

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So guys, have you started this amazing series yet?

Review: Loving Kalvin by Siobhan Davis || Where forgiveness was the key to everything

Title: Loving Kalvin
Author: Siobhan Davis
Series: The Kennedy Boys, book 4 [Can be read as a standalone]
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, [Young-Adult]
Trigger Warning: Mention of rape
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 299 pages, Ebook
Expected Publication: July, 2017
Source: I received an eARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Lana
I knew it would end in disaster, but I didn’t listen to reason. I didn’t care. Because I loved him so much.
Kalvin Kennedy ruled my heart.
Until he destroyed it.
Shattered it so completely that I became someone else. Someone I loathed. Someone who repeatedly lied to her loved ones.
So, I ran.
From him. From myself. Desperate to hide my new reality.
But I could only run so far.
When he reappears in my life, I’m terrified. Unbelievably scared of facing the consequences of my actions.
Never mind that I still love him and want him so badly—there’s too much at stake now.
How can I trust him with the biggest secret of all when he’s likely to rip my world apart again?

Kalvin
Lana was always far too good for me. Everyone knew it but her.
I tried to stay away, but I was weak.
And I hurt her.
Crushed her until she barely resembled herself. Forced her to follow a path she would never have willingly chosen.
And then she was gone.
And my world has never felt as empty, as lonely.
She begged me to stay away. Not to find her. To forget she ever existed.
But that’s like asking me to slice my heart in two and toss half aside.
I’ve never believed in fate, but when I rock up to the University of Florida, I’m ready to eat my words.
Because she’s here. Like I hoped she would be. And I’m determined to prove I deserve a second chance.

A friends-to-lovers second-chance romance from USA Today bestseller Siobhan Davis. Standalone with HEA and no cliffhanger.

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Oh, I was sooo excited for this book, especially because the glimpses of what we saw of Kalvin and Lana in the Finding Kyler trilogy was tempting enough and this was such a whirlwind ride and I’m glad this book didn’t disappoint.

Even after every thing that has happened, Kalvin decided not to give up on Lana. Lana can’t forgive herself for falsy accusing Kalvin of rape by coming under the influence of Addison. Kalvin understood how far he pushed her to take such a drastic step but the past won’t leave them alone so easily. And when a shocking truth is revealed, will they be ever able to move forward together?

This book was so freaking good! I enjoyed the plot so much. When we got introduced to Lana in the Finding Kyler trilogy, she came forward as a sweet and innocent girl and when she did the horrendous crime of falsy accusing Kalvin of such a major crime like rape, I was enraged. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Even if she did confess in front of the court that she was wrong and she lied, it wasn’t easy to forgive her but Kalvin knew her better than anyone. He knew how much he had hurt her in the past. Kalvin and Lana had a past and when they come face to face again, at first it becomes an awkward/guilt fest before either of them can move forward.

Lana was truly repenting, if even Kalvin forgave her, she couldn’t forgive herself. You can’t help but love Lana, Addison played her well just like she did with Kyler. But after the twist is revealed, I empathised with her more. I could understand where she was coming from but even after all the things that happened, she should have told Kalvin the truth a little earlier. She tried but just couldn’t utter it and I kind of understand that too. I felt bad for her, although she tried her best to make up for what she did, she was constantly attacked and verbally abused, she didn’t deserve that much hate though.

As their story moves forward, more of their past is revealed and anybody would empathise with Lana. Kalvin did a number on her and even after everything, she couldn’t stop loving him. I loved that Kalvin finally wanted to fight for what he wanted and he didn’t give up. They had explosive chemistry and their relationship slowly builds up all over again and the romance was just sooo good!! When the things blow up towards the end, Lana handled everything so maturely and even Kalving followed her lead, I was glad how the ending wrapped up.

Overall, Loving Kavin was a great read. The plot was executed neatly and I loved each and every moment of it though the middle did become a little monotonous sometimes. The chemistry between the two main characters was just everything, I shipped them so much! The writing was smooth and flowed smoothly and the pace was even throughout the book. This book also ended with a glimpse of Saving Brad and I have a feeling it’s going to epic!!! I sooo can’t wait for it!

Recommend it?

Yes!

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So guys, have you picked up this series yet? What do you think about this book?