Review: All of You by Christina Lee

From Goodreads:

Avery has just met her hot upstairs neighbor. He's irresistible. Tattooed. And a virgin.

Nursing student Avery Michaels wants nothing to do with dating—she's perfectly happy single. Privy to too many of her mother's bad decisions and even worse taste in boyfriends, all Avery can handle is a string of uncomplicated hookups whenever the mood strikes.

When she meets smoking hot tattoo artist Bennett, she wants him—for just one night. But he won't accept a no-strings-attached arrangement. He lives by a straight-laced code of values based on his own troubled upbringing.

Bennett sees something special in Avery and he wants more from her. Way more. As Avery wrestles with her emotions for Bennett, danger and tragedy force them to open up to each other. And Avery must face the terrifying realization that she wants more from him, too.

So she needs to make a choice—let Bennett go or finally let him in.

You know what, I really enjoyed reading this book.  

In a world filled with stories of good girls and bad boys, it was nice to see this dynamic.  Not that Avery is a "bad" girl, but she is definitely not like so many of the heroines we meet these days.  Having recognized the shortcomings and failings of her mother, she has taken control of her life and refuses to let a relationship define her.  Men and love are trouble with a capital T and she's better off without the distraction.  

Until she meets Bennett.

 
Bennett.  Gah, I need a minute to compose myself because just thinking about him makes me get all kinds of starry-eyed.  Like Avery, he also had a childhood that was far from textbook, but instead of emotional walls, he chooses abstinence.  Knowing what it was like living with a single mother, he refuses to be that man. 

Once Avery realizes that Bennett won't fit into her lifestyle, she tries her hardest to forget about him.  Easier said than done once he moves into an apartment in the same building.  

I love it when fate decides to intervene.

The dynamic between Avery and Bennett is one of my favorites in the New Adult genre.  With the proverbial lines drawn in the sand, they try to just be friends...and we all know how that ends up.  The chemistry between them is palpable, but beyond that, they genuinely care about each other.  Because they GET each other.

But with that connection comes a bit of vulnerability, and I'd be wrong if I didn't say that the two of them are ridiculously stubborn at times.  Thankfully there are strong secondary characters that do their best to knock some sense into Bennett and Avery and allow them to see what they could be missing.  Not gonna lie, I absolutely adored Mrs. Jackson and the role she played in this story.  What a gem.       

It is hardly a secret that I love swoony boys with ink and that I've been known to fist-pump when I find a story that has a heroine that refuses to be a Bella Swan doormat.  This book has both.  Add to the mix a storyline that didn't seem contrived or ridiculous and All of You is a book that did not disappoint.

  





 

Waiting on Wednesday: Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

From Goodreads:

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.

I want.  Desperately.   

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a meme hosted by the lovely bloggers at Breaking the Spine - head on over and see what other readers can't wait to read.   

Review: Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves

If you follow me on Goodreads, you would have seen that I finished this book last week and gave it "ALL THE STARS I CAN GIVE".  I wasn't kidding.

I've been sitting on this review for a week now because I was convinced that anything I could possibly put in this space would only lead to massive embarrassment because of my inability to convert my thoughts about this book into words.  I mean, how in the world am I supposed to do it justice?

It is no secret that I loved the two other works I've read by this author - On the Island and the follow up novella, Uncharted, so Covet has been on my radar since I first heard that it was in the works.  Then came the magical day when I saw it on Netgalley and when I got the email saying I was approved...let me just put it this way:

Covet is Claire's story.  And Chris's story.  And Daniel's.  It is the story of how appearances aren't always what they seem.  We pick up after Claire and Chris have been married for several years, have two children, and after Chris has recently been hired after being unemployed for a year.

"We're the Cantons.  Sun-kissed, all-American, picture-perfect.  By all appearances, we're the ideal suburban family.  As long as you don't look too closely."

On the outside, things look great.  But with Chris's new job that requires traveling five days a week, not to mention the stress of being unemployed for a year and all the stresses that come along with that, life in the Canton household is far from perfect.

Claire does everything she can to keep the hopes and emotions of her family buoyed - but that comes at a cost.  With her husband gone so often, she gets the leftovers - the scraps - of what little is left of his time after the ridiculous demands of his boss and after he spends time with his his kids.  "As he should" she says.  But after all that - simply put - Claire is lonely.

Enter Daniel. 

Now, this story is not what you think.  It is not a story of adultery or betrayal.  It is a story of loneliness and devotion and vulnerability and faith.  It is a story of friendship and love and connections between people.  It is a story of clinging to whatever you have to to cope and survive.

Covet is written from three different points of view - Claire, Chris and Daniel.  We get glimpses into their past, into their present, and not only into their lives, but the lives of their friends and neighbors.  Glimpses that go beyond the outer layers until you see just how vulnerable these characters are, no matter how things appear from a distance.  I was pulling for Claire and Chris.  I loved the friendship between Claire and Daniel - is it even possible for a man and a woman to be just friends?

And when tough decisions had to be made, I felt the heartbreak.  But beyond that heartbreak, I also found hope.  And faith.  And my heart was completely full of FEELS! 

This book blew me away.  From the very first page until the very last word, I couldn't put it down and Tracey Garvis Graves secured her spot at the very top of my "I'll read anything and everything they ever write" list.  I didn't eat.  I stayed up way too late.  I even went ahead and pre-ordered it because just having it on my Kindle isn't enough.  I need to hold it and love it and read it over and over and over again.

Simply put, books like this one are why I read.  

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 Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Covet.
 

Review: The Guardians by T.M. Franklin

Sometimes books just don't want to let go. You read them and enjoy them and move on to read other books, but you find yourself thinking back to characters or plotlines and not really paying attention to what you're currently reading.

Yeah, that happened.

I know I reviewed More, the first book in this series last week, and I had every intention of saving this review until a bit closer to the publication date...but well, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

It even distracted me from Candy Crush and that is SERIOUS BUSINESS.

The Guardians picks up a few months after More ends. Caleb and Ava's relationship is as solid as ever and Ava has continued to learn more about who she is and what she is capable of. But this book is not more of the first book. It takes us deeper into the world of the Guardians, members of The Race that have broken away from the Council and operate a sort of underground railroad for half-breeds. We meet Caleb's father, laugh at the interactions between Ava and Tiernan (I love this dynamic), and learn a little bit more about what devious plot The Rogues have conceived.

And it is a doozy.

But that's all you're going to get from me about that -- no spoilers here! Nope. It is no secret that I read a lot of books. A Lot. And over time, I've sort of come to expect a sort of sophomore slump with the 2nd book in a series. That did not happen for me this time. I am just as intrigued, if not more after reading The Guardians and I can NOT wait to get my hands on the next book.

Review: The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

From Goodreads:

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.

No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.

But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?

Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything is a lyrical, witty, and heart-wrenching novel about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.


You know those moments when the stars align and you read the perfect book at the perfect time?  Yeah, that happened to me last weekend.  I was in a meh mood and life was just one kick in the ass moment after another...until I started reading this book.

THIS BOOK.

I can already tell that this post is going to be a bunch of different rambles all with the same message.  That being, you need to read this one.  My emotional response to this book just stomps all over my ability to form coherent thoughts.  I don't even know...the writing, the words, the characters...they just marched into my heart and decided to take up permanent residence. 

Ezra.  Gah, what can I say about him?  I loved him from the very beginning.  His struggles...I have been there.  Obviously not in the same way, but the parallels...yeah, they were absolutely there.

That everyone's life, no matter how unremarkable, has a moment when it will become extraordinary-a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen.

I know my moment.  The very single instance when I figured out who I was and what was truly important in life.  Maybe that was my connection to this book - that having had my moment, I found myself pulling for Ezra and rooting for him as he searched for his path.

And Cassidy...I both loved her and hated her.  And maybe felt a little bit jealous of her until I wanted to hug her.  This vibrant tornado that appears everyday and uproots everything Ezra thought he needed to hold on to.

I loved the two of them together.  The back and forth between them, the emotional connection, the cuteness and awkwardness of early relationships...perfect.  And real.  

There was a true balance in the writing.  There were moments that were completely poetic and there were moments that were so completely high school that I found myself alternating between giggling and swooning over pretty words.  Ezra and Cassidy...their life experiences have unfortunately propelled them to this level of philosophic maturity where they shouldn't have to be at 17, and then they would say something or laugh at something that would remind you that oh yeah, they were definitely still in high school.

And even when it all comes crashing down around them, it results in an ending that works. 

I told you my thoughts were all over the place...

  
But like I said in the beginning, sometimes the book gods smile down and you read the right book a the right time.  With its blend of happy and sad and funny and reality, The Beginning of Everything has a permanent place on my list of favorites and will be one I recommend forever.