Confessions of an Undercover Girlfriend (Confessions #2) - Kay Marie BLOG TOUR

Confessions of an Undercover Girlfriend (Confessions #2) by Kay Marie

Out on October 11th

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Summary:

From bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis, writing as Kay Marie, comes the second book in the Confessions series, a romantic comedy being hailed as "the new Bridget Jones!" (Broc's Bookcase). 

So, I'm no longer a virgin sex columnist—thank you, Ollie—but if I thought that was going to make my life easier, boy was I wrong! John is back in town determined to win my forgiveness. Blythe is more ready than ever to take me down. Bridget is totally onto the new twinkle in my eye. And, well, Ollie is just as distractingly delicious as usual.

So, naturally, I have a few more confessions to make.

Confession #1: I came up with what I thought would be the perfect plan to keep my relationship with Ollie a secret—pretend to get back together with John!

Confession #2: It backfired. A lot.

This is a sweet romance, perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Meg Cabot, and Emily Giffin!

About Kay Marie (Kaitlyn Davis):

Bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie.

Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found indulging in some puppy videos, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family. If you have any questions for her--about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general--you may contact her at: KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com

To stay up-to-date with all of Kaitlyn's new releases, sign up for her new release newsletter here: TinyLetter.com/KaitlynDavisBooks

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Kay_Marie

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kay-Marie/e/B00UGILMD0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Confessions of a Virgin Sex Columnist:

Two hot guys. One big lie. What's a virgin sex columnist to do?

My name is Skylar Quinn. I just moved to New York with my best friend Bridget, and I have a confession. Well, more than one. Okay, quite a few really. Fine, here goes!

Confession #1: I'm a sex columnist. Hold on, that's not really the confession. You see, I'm sort of a virgin...sex columnist.

Confession #2: I'm kind of in love with Bridget's older brother, Oliver. No, I was. No, I am. Wait, was? Am? Crap.

Confession #3: I've been avoiding Oliver for four years. Or I was until today, because he just moved in. Yes, you read that correctly. He's my new roommate. So that night we've both been pretending never happened, well, we might not be able to keep it a secret any longer.

And trust me, this is only the beginning.

From bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis, writing as Kay Marie, comes a new adult romantic comedy about a girl who'll soon discover that some secrets can't be kept forever, especially those of the heart. This is a sweet romance, perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Meg Cabot, and Emily Giffin!

Excerpt from book 1 (no spoilers!):

I haven't seen him in four years. In fact, I've actively been avoiding him for four years. And now he's here. In my kitchen. Drinking my milk—from the gallon no less! Did I mention he looks completely and utterly gorgeous? Maybe even hotter than I remembered…if that's even possible…
Okay, I'm veering off track.
"Ollie?" I gasp. "What are? Why are? When?" Great reporting, Skye… I swallow, stilling my racing words and form an actual sentence. "What are you doing here?"
"Here in New York or here in your kitchen?"
Here pretending to be your sister while I confess my deepest secrets? Here looking at me with that infuriating half-smirk smile thing you do? Here pretending like the last time we saw each other wasn't the most horrifying moment in my entire life?
I don't say any of that, of course. Instead, I shrug. "Um, both? Either?"
He puts the milk back in the fridge and closes the door. I can't help but notice a toned bicep below the sleeve of his white T-shirt—the same bicep I used to fantasize about during chemistry class, the bicep of the most popular guy in the school, the bicep of the quarterback. Six years since he stopped playing football, and crap, he still looks good.
"I'm guessing Bridget forgot to mention that I got offered a job at a new steakhouse opening on Fifth Ave? As a sous-chef?"
I shake my head. "Nope, she didn’t mention anything."
He licks his lips, biting back a wider grin. "So she probably also didn't tell you I accepted the offer and just moved to New York?"
"I don't recall ever hearing about that…" I trail off as my palms begin to sweat. I have a very, very bad idea where this is going.
Astronomically bad.
Iceberg straight ahead bad.
Ollie's eyes brighten a shade, crystal aqua, clearer than any Caribbean water I've ever seen. He leans against the wall, crossing his arms, looking at me through a side-glance, the hint of a dimple on his cheek. My rapid heartbeat has nothing to do with my panic attack anymore.
Oh yeah, this is bad.
"So," he says, lifting his brows and looking at me apologetically, "she probably also didn't tell you that I'm moving in for a few weeks until I can find my own place?"
"You’re the new roommate?" I shout and then clamp my hands over my lips. I've said enough to him tonight—too much. In fact, all of that information is crashing back down around me.
Ollie is my new roommate.
Ollie knows I'm a virgin.

Ollie knows I'm a sex columnist. 

Buy it here:

Salt to the Sea - Ruta Sepetys

Goodreads summary:

Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.

Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war.

As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom.

Yet not all promises can be kept.

Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope.



My review:

5/5

I LOVED IT SO MUCH!

Ruta Sepetys did it again: she managed to write a punching novel that made me experience all kinds of emotions, and it was done in a beautiful way. I am now officially convinced that she's one of my favourite authors.

Since I didn't know much about this particular novel before reading it, I wasn't expecting it to be written in multiple narrators. If I had known that it would be that way, I might have dreaded it, not knowing if it would be well done or not. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised, especially when I discovered the variety of narrators, who all offer a different point of view on the same story. From the beginning, I loved Florian, Joana and Emilia - not so much Alfred, but that was to be expected. I couldn't decide who was my favourite, because they all seem so real and complex that I liked them even more after reading every single one of their chapters. Florian is brave, strong and clever, even though all he wants is to be left alone to let that facade fall away. Seeing him through different point of views, I started noticing his kindness, his protectiveness and his will to live and to forget about the war that's going on. Joana is strong and lives to help others, but every second brings her closer to a breakdown, because she wishes she could see her family and feel safe and home again. She's an inspiring character, with all her hopes and her determination. Emilia really touched my heart. Her life hasn't been easy, not only because she's a Polish. Her self-defense reactions are heartbreaking, and we get to see more and more of them as the story progresses. I still can't believe everything that happened to her, even though I know she'd only one of the hundreds and hundreds of people who suffered from such a hard life.

I loved all the historical aspects of this story, as horrifying as some of them were. I've always loved history, particularly around WWI and WWII, so I couldn't get enough of all the details in this story. Instead of focusing on details everyone had heard of, Sepetys chose to show a dark side of history that most people haven't heard much about. I think that this is a fantastic idea, because so many atrocities happened during WWII that we have chosen to focus on a few of them instead of learning about all of them.

One thing I have to say about this story is that it's heartbreaking. I listened to its audiobook, but I often closed my eyes while I was listening to it, just to try and block out some of the awful things happening. I had to remind myself that as gruesome as some of the details were, they, along with much worse events, truly happened, so I can't just ignore them. One moment that truly made me break down was the All the Little Duckies moment towards the end, which you'll get if you've read the book. Emilia's calming song was always sad to hear about, because she usually thought about it when she was distressed, but that moment was the worst.

Overall, I thought that this novel was absolutely fantastic. It's beautifully written, it's clever, it's heartwrenching and it's raw. I absolutely recommend it, along with the rest of Ruta Sepetys's novels. She's definitely one of my favourite authors by now.

By the way, I'm sorry for the mistakes that might be in there - I wrote this on my phone since I'm on vacation, so I didn't have Wifi either.

Shuffle, Repeat - Jen Klein

Goodreads summary:

When Harry Met Sally for YA romance readers. This opposites-attract love story is perfect for fans of Huntley Fitzpatrick, Stephanie Perkins, and Jenny Han.

June wants high school to end and real life to begin. Oliver is soaking up senior year’s glory days. They could have coasted through high school, knowing about—but not really knowing—each other.

Except that their moms have arranged for Oliver to drive June to school. Every. Single. Day.

Suddenly these two opposites are fighting about music, life . . . pretty much everything. But love is unpredictable. When promises—and hearts—get broken, Oliver and June must figure out what really matters. And then fight for it.


My review:

4,5/5

If you guys didn't get to see my initial review for this book, you might not understand how much I loved it. It wasn't much, but let me tell you this: it was in all-caps, and I did restrain myself from using too many exclamation marks when I was typing it. The effort was there, but the results weren't.

At first, I wasn't sure if I would like this novel, because June seemed easy to judge and stuck up. The truth is that she is, but I started warming up to her as Oliver started to shake her inital opinions on high school and life in general. Then, I discovered that she's nice, funny and smart, which makes her a pretty good character, in the end. As for Oliver himself, I think he's pretty easy to like, because he seems a bit too perfect when you don't know him. When he opened up to June, I started liking him even more, because no one likes a perfect character. This is when things went downhill for me, because he became absolutely adorable to me and I didn't want anything more than to get him and June together.

Their relationship is really well written, especially when it comes to its pace. The fact that the story takes place over an entire school year makes their relationship realistic and even deeper, because they know each other pretty well after a year of carpool. I liked these moments between them, when they're talking about their lives, school or each other's bad music tastes. Although the playlist is a big part of this novel, I liked the fact that it didn't overpower the rest of the story, since it gets less important as the plot develops. It's a nice touch, especially since it's written at the end of the book, but there are so many more important things in this novel.

I liked June's group of friends, even though I don't think they are present enough in this novel. I wish we'd seen a bit more of everyone, because aside from Itch and Shaun, I don't feel like I know June's friends, so it's hard to understand their friendship.

When I became really invested in the story, June started acting like a big old idiot, which made me very, very, very mad. I almost didn't want to keep reading, but I knew (hoped) that things would get better, so I kept reading and I am very glad that I did. The fact that it made me feel so many emotions proves how much I enjoyed reading this book, which hasn't happened to me that often with books that aren't rereads this year. I was really happy about that! I hope this book truly takes me out of my reading slump, because even though I'm reading books these days, I don't feel as enthusiastic as I'd like to. Fingers crossed!

As you can imagine, I 100% recommend this book, because I think it's an amazing YA. I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I did!

What You Always Wanted (If Only... #8) - Kristin Rae

Goodreads summary:

If only…he was the boy she’s been dreaming of.

Theatre girl Maddie Brooks has always had high standards for guys. But she has yet to find one who can live up to the classic Hollywood heartthrobs, especially the dreamy song-and-dance man Gene Kelly. When Maddie begins to carpool with Jesse Morales, her new neighbor and star pitcher of the baseball team, she’s struck by his wit, good looks, and love for his family—but a guy so into sports is definitely not her style. Then Maddie discovers that Jesse was raised as a dancer and still practices in the community theatre’s dance studio to keep in shape. Perhaps her perfect dream guy exists after all! But when it becomes clear that baseball—not dance—is Jesse’s passion, can Maddie find a way to let her dream guy go and appreciate the charms of the amazing guy in front of her?

This fun, high school theatre romance in the If Only line is for anyone who has ever wished for that impossibly perfect guy.


My review:

4/5

What an amazing YA! I've read a good amount of books from that genre by now, but some of them still truly impress me, and this novel was one of those!

The first aspect of this book that charmed me was the fact that it's so easy to relate to, especially for bookworms. In this novel, Maddie has extremely high standards because of all the movies she's seen, which all have perfect gentlemen in them. Is anyone here familiar with this? I am, but because of books. Since I can relate to Maddie very much when it comes to relationships, I learned quite a few pieces of advice from this novel.

I also loved the importance of theatre in this novel, since I'm a sucker for quirky hobbies and characters who are passionate about them. I actually don't know anything about acting, musicals or classic movies, but it was very interesting to learn about all of them, especially since Maddie has such big dreams created around them. If anything, I think there could have been a bigger place for Maddie's passion of acting in this novel, because it really gives the book a different style than most YAs.

A big part of the novel is centered around Maddie's relationship with Jesse - who is absolutely swoon-worthy, by the way, whether you like dancers or not. I loved how they grow closer and closer as time flies, because it's much more realistic than love at first sight. Their relationship suffers from Maddie's high standards and prejudices, but I have to admit that I shared her opinion more than once, maybe because we're a bit similar. I was very pleased with the ending, even though I didn't expect it to end that way.

Obviously, this book isn't perfect, but as far as YA novels go, I'd say that it's a pretty good one. Highly recommended!

Shug - Jenny Han

Goodreads summary:


SHUG
is clever and brave and true (on the inside, anyway). And she's about to become your new best friend.
Annemarie Wilcox, or Shug as her family calls her, is beginning to think there's nothing worse than being twelve. She's too tall, too freckled, and way too flat-chested. Shug is sure that there's not one good or amazing thing about her. And now she has to start junior high, where the friends she counts most dear aren't acting so dear anymore -- especially Mark, the boy she's known her whole life through. Life is growing up all around her, and all Shug wants is for things to be like they used to be. How is a person supposed to prepare for what happens tomorrow when there's just no figuring out today?

My review:

5/5

This book is adorable and I loved it.

It's a short, cute and lovely story that I wish I had read years ago, when I would've been able to relate even more to Shug. Even though she's years younger than me, I relate a lot to her and I loved reading about her.

Shug's personality is really interesting, because she's authentic and honest, but she has flaws, too. She cares about her friends and family, but not so much about popularity, even though she wishes she could be with her friends without being excluded all the time. Her family has issues, but she understands them very well and she still loves her sister and her parents, which I thought was adorable.

I disliked Mark. I understand that he's at that age when you want to look cool and be in the popular crowd, but I hated the fact that he couldn't stand up for his best friend. I thought he would change and realize that he can't act like that, but I was disappointed to find out that he didn't. It's what felt the most immature in this book, the fact that so many of Shug's friends want to look cool and act horribly to do so. I'm really happy to be older than that.

I loved Jack. I could see why he would act like that, being older than him, and I thought he was really cute and nice. I was happy to see him grow up, unlike Mark, and stand up for Shug. He doesn't care much about popularity, which made me like him even more.

I smiled throughout the whole story (except once, I teared up a little because I could understand the deeper meaning of a conversation between Shug and her mother and I thought it was really sad) and it's so short that I would reread it anytime. I highly recommend it, no matter what age you are, because you'll find something adorable and easy to read.

Interview: Linda Ballou

Nothing pleases adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, more than seeing gorgeous country from the back of a good horse.  Her articles have appeared in Equus, Horse Illustrated and numerous travel magazines. Being a stowaway on a cross-country course in Ireland is detailed in her story Irish Mist which was included in the anthology Why We Ride with a forward by Jane Smiley.  She is also the author of Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, and Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i an historical novel that transport the reader to the Islands as they existed prior to missionary contact.  The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon which takes you from the show jumping arena to the high Sierra and back is her first “new adult” novel. I recently interviewed her and became very interested in her personal story, so keep on reading to discover what an amazing person she is! If you haven't yet, you can read my review here.

 

What inspired you to write The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon?

LB: I was crawling from my bed to the refrigerator on my knees for about six weeks due to extreme nerve pain when it occurred to me that I had to do something, or I was going to go crazy. I was told that I had to give up riding, give up my mare and that if I was lucky I wouldn’t have to have surgery on my back. Crying didn’t help much. Writing this story took my mind off my predicament and the tremendous sense of loss I was feeling. John Muir’s book My First Summer in the Sierra prompted me to take a couple of horse pack trips into the Eastern Sierra’s that imbued me a deep love and respect for nature. Many of the details in this story were collected on those journeys. I always wanted to return and trail solo in the high country, but had to let Gemcie do it for me. Writing Cowgirl was a big part of a healing process for me. I gave my mare to Hearts and Horses where she helped with handicapped children. When I was able to walk again, I went on to become a travel writer with a penchant for guest ranches and International riding treks. .


What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?

LB: While I was writing Cowgirl I was reading On Writing by Steven King, considered by many to be the best book written on the subject. I didn’t realize until I reached the last chapters that he too was writing to distract himself from the tremendous pain he had to endure while his body healed from an accident. I didn’t know that he had been run over by a van and that he had extensive injuries that made my garden variety herniated disc seem like a cakewalk. Feeling connected to this great writer and his suffering helped me through this very difficult time. As for research, I was immersed in the riding world and had read just about every book written on riding technique, horse psychology. My first published article “The Art of Falling” appeared in Horse Illustrated. After that my byline turned up in Equus, and Western Horseman to name a few. I was doing three-day events at the time of my injury and my whole life revolved around the horse world.


How did you come up with the title?

LB: That’s funny you should ask. A girlfriend gave me a t-shirt with that tag over the picture of a cowgirl jumping over the moon on a starry night. It just stuck with me. I always loved the image and cut it out when it was time to toss the well-worn gift away. I wrote the first draft of this story many years ago and that little reminder was pressed inside the journal that contained the notes for the story that has it found its way to fruition.


Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

LB: The Mariposa equestrian facility in the story is modeled after what I observed in the celebrity-owned ranches nestled in Hidden Valley in Southern California. I was a groupie at horse shows trying to absorb the courage of the riders like Susan Hutchison, recently inducted into the 2015 National Show Hunter Hall of Fame. I so admired Susan’s riding skill and bravery that I kept her foremost in my mind while writing the riding scenes in the book. She is the protégé of the legendary trainer Jimmy Williams, who I was privileged to interview in 1993, not long before his passing. The character Billy is modeled after this authentic “horse whisperer,” who was a giant in the riding world.


If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

LB: I actually have two authors that I admire. Tim Cahill, author of nine adventure travel collections, is my travel-writing hero. I went to his home in Livingston, Montana to interview him. The outcome of that conversation is in my book Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales. Jack London, the master of adventure writing, said that desire incited struggle followed by action creates character arc. He wrote in a crisp, succinct manner that I love. In my piece Jack London and Me I talk about how my personal path and that of one of America’s finest writers have crossed. 


What book are you reading now?

LB: Mustang-The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West by Deane Stillman. This book provides a comprehensive history of the horse from the beginning of time to the present with focus on the wild herds of mustangs that still roam 10 western states in the U.S. I became interested in the plight of the herds that are being rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management in response to ranchers whose cattle are competing with them for natural feed resources. It seems the answer is to exercise birth control in the herds. This is more humane than the slaughter house, but will eventually cause the wild horse to go extinct if it is effective.


What are your current projects?

LB: I am an adventure-travel writer with a host of articles on my site. I am anxious to get back to taking great trips and writing about them. In September I am spending time in St. Croix in the American Virgin Islands with Sharon Pohl who has invited me to test drive the Wellness Week for Equestrians she plans to offer. Sharon’s site www.Zealoushorses.com (in the pre-launch stage) will provide many exciting tips for horse lovers including a couple of my articles on horse treks I’ve taken.


What was the hardest part of writing your book?

LB: It was physically difficult because I had to write it standing up at my breakfast bar. Sciatic pain in my right leg would not allow me to sit for any length of time. Like a shark I couldn’t rest and had to keep moving. Deep emotions over the loss of what I cherished washed over me during the first raw draft. I needed to put the story away for many years. Still, I loved the characters and the environmental message delivered through Brady’s actions became more important to me over time. It took huge self-discipline for me to steal a nine-month chunk out of my life to focus on getting the story right, but I needed to finish what I had started. Reader response is making me feel that it was worth the effort. 


Have you ever hated something you wrote?

LB: No, but I wrote a story that everyone who read it hated. It was a short story about the controversial use of an anti-rape device. I thought my story leveled the playing field, but apparently it flattened it and offended readers male and female alike. I finally put it back in my drawer and will never share it again. However, in my mind it remains one of my best efforts.


Do you have any advice for other writers?

LB: Writers write. Builders build. Surgeons cut. If you say you are a writer then write. Keep notes of your stay on the planet. Journal about your experiences. Reflect upon what you see and try to capture the essence of it in words as a painter tries to capture it in colors and images. You will not remember the details that make a story vibrant. You have to write your impressions and feelings down as you go along. Then when you have time to organize your thoughts and know what it is you are trying to say you can go back to your notes and extract details that will enliven your work. Don’t wait to be a writer. Life go goes by too fast. Simply be a writer and see what happens.


Thank you for answering!



Adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, calls Topanga, California home. She shares Great Outdoor days in L.A, as well as a host of travel articles on her site, along with reviews of her books travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, her historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i and her latest action-adventure novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com. Her quest today is to get to as many beautiful places as she can before they are gone. Subscribe to her blog www.LindaBallouTalkingtoyou.com and receive updates on her books, and travel destinations.

Here's the book trailer for The Cowgirl Jumped Over the Moon:

Twenty Boy Summer - Sarah Ockler

Goodreads summary:

"Don’t worry, Anna. I’ll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won’t say anything?"
"Don’t worry.” I laughed. “It’s our secret, right?"

According to Anna’s best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there’s a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there’s something she hasn’t told Frankie–she’s already had her romance, and it was with Frankie’s older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

TWENTY BOY SUMMER explores what it truly means to love someone, what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every beautiful moment life has to offer.


My review:

4/5

I really really really liked it! It's a really nice summer book, although you should know it's probably going to make you cry.

From the title, description and cover, I expected a love story. I thought this book would be about Anna learning to love again, and though part of it was about that, it's mostly about Anna starting to get over Matt. I was surprised, but in a good way, because it's all really sad yet sweet. It made me cry more than once and I felt really sad for Frankie, Matt's sister, too, but overall I'll remember this book as a very good one.

Friendship is a big part of this novel, too, and I really liked Anna and Frankie's. I did hate Anna a bit for hiding her relationship with Matt to her best friend, especially since it makes it even harder for her to get over her boyfriend's death, but part of me understood it. I liked how both girls supported each other when they were grieving and how close their families are, because it's not common for people to be so close and supportive all the time. The only thing I disliked about that is the fact that no one ever asks Anna how she feels, not even after they know that Matt and her were more than friends. She realizes it, too, but she never mentions it and I wish she had.

I liked how Anna's relationship with Sam was almost platonic. It's obvious that once their vacation is over, their relationship is, too, but they know it and they act in consequence of it. It's not often that I see something like that in YA novels, but I was happy about it, especially since the last thing Anna needs is someone holding her back now. I think it's realistic and well done.

I really liked this book and although it's missing something in my opinion, I would absolutely recommend it.

Books, Blogs, & Reality - Ryan Ringbloom

Goodreads summary:

Life can suck…

When reality becomes overwhelming, seeking comfort in fictional fantasies keeps hope alive. And while this escape may be a little delusional, it’s also therapeutic.

Sharing secrets is daunting, but virtual friends don’t often judge and they are always ready to share a glass of wine…or three…while typing out life’s latest endeavors.

Brooke believes obstacles only add to romance, not detract. Rachael longs for a more intense relationship, or so she thinks. Lizzie misses the excitement in her life, but sometimes new situations find you when you’re not even looking. And Jess believes a tiger can change his stripes. It can’t.

Bound by a shared passion for blogging about happily ever afters, these four young women use keyboard therapy to work through their expectations, anxieties, and inadequacies, all with the hopes of achieving the perfection found in romance novels.

Completely blinded by what they think life should be, they navigate their unique paths in search of what they envision is right. But when reality taunts them with persistent curve balls, will they be strong enough to choose wisely? Or will their happy endings escape them?


My review:

4/5

Short and sweet, this story truly made me smile. I do wish it had been longer, especially since it's about more than one life, but I think it ended nicely.

I really liked the girls' friendship and how they tell each other everything. I completely understand how easy it can be to confide to someone when you're typing, instead of when you're face to face. Their love for romance made me smile, especially when they get into explicit conversations about fictional characters (and sometime not so fictional). I liked how different they are, because they live for away from each other and they live completely different lives.

Lizzie's story is the one that made me want to finish the book as soon as possible, because her life is more serious than the others' and her story is more complicated, too. I liked what she got out of everything, just like the other girls did, because they're still young and they have a lot to learn, even though it was hard to believe it with Lizzie, who has experienced much more things.

I liked this story and I think people who love making friends on the internet and romance novels would enjoy reading this book.

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)

A History of Glitter and Blood - Hannah Moskowitz

Goodreads summary

Sixteen-year-old Beckan and her friends are the only fairies brave enough to stay in Ferrum when war breaks out. Now there is tension between the immortal fairies, the subterranean gnomes, and the mysterious tightropers who arrived to liberate the fairies.

But when Beckan's clan is forced to venture into the gnome underworld to survive, they find themselves tentatively forming unlikely friendships and making sacrifices they couldn't have imagined. As danger mounts, Beckan finds herself caught between her loyalty to her friends, her desire for peace, and a love she never expected.

This stunning, lyrical fantasy is a powerful exploration of what makes a family, what justifies a war, and what it means to truly love.


My review:

3/5

It's definitely a weird book, but I still liked it! It wasn't what I was expecting, but that isn't always bad.

I was confused when I started reading because of the narrator. There are parts like "this sucks, to change in the final draft" that took my interest off, because it was out of place and confusing. I realized later that this book is actually an attempt at a novel from a fictional character - I know, confusing - and that those are the fictional narrator's words. While I didn't get it at first, I came to love this part of the novel, because it makes the narrator unreliable and it had me questionning everything that happened when he wasn't there, since it could be complete bullsh*t.

I had trouble understanding the characters, because there is a lack of background for some of them. Also, since they're young, there's a lot of swearing, which I found weird sometimes. It felt out of place, especially when they were out of Beckan's mouth. I think the characters I liked the most were Rig and Tier, because of their relationship issues and how realistic they are, but, for them as well as for the other characters, I hated the fact that the narrator is unreliable, since it made me wonder which part of what's written is true and which one isn't. It was fun to wonder, but when you're trying to get to know characters and everything you read about them might be completely false, it's confusing and irritating.

One part of this book that I liked was understanding the relationships between fairies, tightropers and gnomes. I liked how interesting fairies are and how rare it is for them to be whole, as weird as it sounds, because I found that to be very peculiar. The way they start to accept each other in Ferrum is amazing and I liked how they used each other's abilities. I wish the ending was better for the population in general though, but I gess you can't always get what you want.

I found it really weird how everyone seems obsessed with the idea of love in this book. I know part of it is because of the unreliable narrator, but I felt like the l-word is pronounced a billion times in this book, in platonic or non-platonic ways, although it's almost never clear. I was always confused by who is in love with who because of that. Also, sex is a big part of this book, since Cricket, Beckan and Scrap are prostitutes, which is something I was really not expecting when I picked this book up. There's a lot of mentions about sex, although they're not really explicit.

The story itself is good, but it's a bit slow. I liked how the war changed aspects of their lives and how the main characters reacted to them, but sometimes Josha and Scrap seemed to react too much.
Beckan is strong and she leads her pack very well, which I liked to see. I was suprised by plot twists towards the end of the book, because I was absolutely not expecting them. The story's interesting and it kept me wanting to know what would happen, but I feel like a big part of it is about the past and not much actually happens. I liked the pictures and excerpts included in the pages, but some of them were unnecessary, in my opinion.

I enjoyed reading this book, my only problem with it is that I have a long list of "but" sentences to add to this.

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)



Sugar - Deirdre Riordan Hall

Goodreads summary:

I’m the fat Puerto Rican–Polish girl who doesn’t feel like she belongs in her skin, or anywhere else for that matter. I’ve always been too much and yet not enough.

Sugar Legowski-Gracia wasn’t always fat, but fat is what she is now at age seventeen. Not as fat as her mama, who is so big she hasn’t gotten out of bed in months. Not as heavy as her brother, Skunk, who has more meanness in him than fat, which is saying something. But she’s large enough to be the object of ridicule wherever she is: at the grocery store, walking down the street, at school. Sugar’s life is dictated by taking care of Mama in their run-down home—cooking, shopping, and, well, eating. A lot of eating, which Sugar hates as much as she loves.

When Sugar meets Even (not Evan—his nearly illiterate father misspelled his name on the birth certificate), she has the new experience of someone seeing her and not her body. As their unlikely friendship builds, Sugar allows herself to think about the future for the first time, a future not weighed down by her body or her mother.

Soon Sugar will have to decide whether to become the girl that Even helps her see within herself or to sink into the darkness of the skin-deep role her family and her life have created for her.


My review:

4.5/5

I LOVED this book. I expected to read this in a couple of days, but once I started, I simply couldn't stop myself.

This book made me so, so , so sad. I hated how Sugar's family treats her, except for Fat Henry. They don't even give her time to breathe, they just shoot her without interruption. I was so angry that I wanted to cry and I had to stop reading for a couple of seconds once in a while to digest all of this. The worst part is probably the fact that Skunk and Sugar's mother don't even seem to realize how badly they treat a family member and they're completely guiltless. I would've punched them repeatedly. Also, the way Sugar sees herself made me really sad. I'm no stranger to confidence issues, even though I might not be fat, but her thoughts made me ache for her. The way her family members treat her doesn't help, which is another reason why I was so angry while reading this book.

All the anger and sadness I experienced made Even perfect to me when he arrived. I loved how he treated and how much better he made her feel. I was really happy when he realized how bad Sugar's life was and tried to make her realize it, too. He made a great difference in her life and I'm really thankful for him. He acted so sweet towards her that he made my heart melt and I would've cried at things he said or did sometimes. He's a great character and I loved how he and Sugar bonded.

I think this book is good at dealing with eating disorders because Sugar tried to change the way she eats, looks and lives for herself. She realized that always being breathless wasn't good for her and that there are other ways for her to feel better than to eat. I'm glad she didn't do it to please someone, because it would've been such a fragile change in her life.
I wish Sugar had realized that she isn't the only one with confidence issues. She always talks about people who aren't fat as confident and fat people as insecure, but weight isn't the only problem. It bugged me a little, because it's as if she's judging, too. I understood her point of view, though, I just wish she had realized people around her have insecurities, no matter how beautiful or confident they can seem.

There's an event that surprised me and that I wish didn't happen, especially since it seemed an odd moment for it to happen. However, things got better after and I liked how the story ended, so it wasn't too bad.

I highly recommend this book. It made me feel so much more emotions than any other book I read recently and I'm convinced I'm not the only one who experienced that.

(Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.)