Review: A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Title: A Midsummer's Nightmare
Story Arc: Standalone
Publication: June 5, 2012 by Little Brown
Hardcover: 304 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Realistic Fiction
Age Group: Teen, Young Adult
Content: Sexual References, Heavy Kissing, Profanity, Assault, Underage Drinking
Source: Bought | Quote(s): Yes

Hangovers are a bitch.

Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great.

Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.

Filled with authenticity and raw emotion, Whitley is Kody Keplinger's most compelling character to date: a cynical Holden Caulfield-esque girl you will wholly care about.

Another reason to be a Kody Keplinger fan

I relished the opportunity to read A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger since I’m such an enthusiastic fan of Kody’s work. Her books feel young, clever, and sexy and I draw immense pleasure from them, from the themes they incorporate and the gorgeous, sensual love interests who divert the main characters from the cracked and disappointing roads they’ve been walking down. So far, THE DUFF remains my favorite but A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger is DEFINITELY a super close runner-up! I couldn’t quite tell you if it has to do with the similarities the two novels share or how much I ended up LOVING the slowburn sexual tension between Whitley and Nathan, but A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger is not only the perfect summer indulgence and amazing for Kody Keplinger fans, but it’s incredibly written, fun, and entertaining if you enjoy reading about teens who get themselves into some really funky situations and come out having evolved and fallen in love.

And, REALLY, who DOESN'T love that, hmm?

Whitley is not, thankfully, a drunken hoe-bag

Whitley doesn’t drink this way because she’s had it easy peasy. Poor girl leads the epitome of a dysfunctional life with a bitter, resentful, neglectful mother waiting at home, a place which is miles away from a man unclear on the definition of a father, and a brother whose gone off to live his own life and start his own family. Whitley’s loneliness and outcries for attention are blatant and sad and emotional—I think peeps who are children of divorce can especially relate even if the circumstances were different than Whitley’s. I despaired over Whitley’s lack of parental involvement, and raged over how unchecked her life has been going up until this point. Those big sisterly urges I sometimes mention in my reviews threatened to smother me when it came to Whitley. What makes it even more emotionally painful? The fact that Whitley doesn’t whine and demand change but instead keeps it locked up inside, taking it and taking it.

Whitley is certainly not as bad as people would like to believe, overlook, and use to satisfy their own greed for gossip or release. She’s actually a jaded young woman who thinks very little of herself and is willing to settle for a few moments happiness no matter how difficult the consequences when her reality is so miserable and wretched. So she seeks solace with the tequila bottle, and, sometimes, when she’s too plowed for her own good, she unintentionally falls into bed with random boys. However, the one-night stand that sets this ball rolling is quite different from the ones that came before.

Harrison, Nathan, and other parts of the step family

Whitley’s step family is nothing at all like she initially expected upon first glance. Wicked stepmother? That’s out the window. Annoying stepsister? Not the case. Forgettable stepbrother? Not. Even. Close. In fact, Nathan is not only UNFORGETTABLY SMOKIN’, but he’s that one-night stand that Whitley is determined to forget, because, for once, what she remembers doesn’t make her wince in shame or regret, but makes her want more from this boy of contrasts than she’s willing to ask for and take, let alone give back. Which makes for all sorts of electric chemistry and loaded looks and hot little knowing smirks. But, I’ll get to all that later.

Not only has Whitley barred any opportunities for romance from her life—and, truthfully, she’s never received any offers—but she’s refused herself the luxury and complications of simple friendship. Some of you might remember Harrison, Wesley’s only close friend in THE DUFF. Well, Harrison begins branching out, it seems, because he adopts Whitley under his wing, and tugs her along into parties and sleepovers and shopping trips and just regular ol’ hanging out no matter how reluctantly and grumpily Whitley behaves. His tenaciousness makes him so much more lovable, and I downright adored him. He and Nathan, together, are the best cure for Whitley and her wayward ways.

Sparks are SOARING, bro

You guys, I felt tingles I don’t normally feel unless I’m reading REALLY good, thorough YA or sexy adult fiction, and I love that about Kody’s books. THE DUFF is all about the sexytimes but in a way that suits the story and has meaning. Here in A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger there isn’t any actual sex apart from flashbacks of that all-too-good, romantic sex she had with Nathan during their one-night stand, and yet all the heated looks and repressed touches gave me spine-tingling, warming shivers in all sorts of places.

The fact is Nathan’s a down-to-earth, honest-to-goodness nice, great guy. He’s trying to atone for the mistakes back in his wild partying days and making up for the hell he put his mother through throughout high school following the death of his father. He gets angry with Whitley, intervenes, protects, and comforts. He sees the potential Whitley does her best to hide, and unwittingly brings out the good in her. And she makes him work twice as hard to keep leading a clean and honest life. I love that their worst qualities and awful pasts make each other want to be better than what they are, that they inspire each other by understanding their mistakes.

The ending was a little too perfect

All throughout A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger the lack of perfection is what makes the story so relatable. People aren’t always flawless and innocent and good; they make mistakes and do terrible, careless things. And yet, when the ending finally came, it felt a little TOO solves-all, everything’s-just-dandy and I felt like that cheated the book out of it’s ABSOLUTE amazingness.

Romance aside, Whitley’s emotional growth and her evolution into the person I always knew was there but was kept buried for a while, served as a major highlight of the book. Despite my few qualms with the ending of the book, I was just as dazzled by A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger as I’ve been since Kody first released THE DUFF. I adored what this book has to offer, and I believe anyone willing to try a Keplinger book will fall in love with this one as well!

"Christ, that's cold," I gasped.
"Sorry."
My whole body tensed as his palm moved down the back of my arm. The chill started on the surface, but it seemed to move deeper. Invading my entire body.
It only got worse when he rubbed the gel between my shoulder blades and down my back. Nathan's hands were calloused, but not too rough. His skin passing over mine left a strange tingly sensation. Like an ice-cold fire spreading across my back and seeping into my veins. Even my fingers trembled a little, and I clenched my fists together to stop them.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Fine," I murmured, but I was on the edge of convulsing.
Every second Nathan's hands were on me, another moment from graduation night flooded back into my memory. The way his fingertips had pressed into my hips. The way I'd practically thrown him on the bed. The way he'd kissed me more passionately than anyone else ever had. I remembered the half-crazed feeling when he took his time kissing me, touching me, whispering things in my ear.
Most boys take advantage of drunk girls. They make the sex all about them and their own pleasure. But that night with Nathan had been different. It had been slow and sweet. All about me. It had been amazing. (71-72)

Rating: Perfect Bed Partner

A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger is, uh, very stimulating, kindling heat with the fiery attraction between Whitley and Nathan and igniting our sympathies for the main character due to her sad home life. I loved uncovering more about Whitley, learning that there’s a lot more to her than meets the eyes, and I basked in Nathan’s unerring faith in her. The rest of the characters are hilarious and real, and each of them work to intervene in Whitley’s self-damaging choices and treat her better than she’s known. Great for summer, certainly, but also a worthy and sexy addition to Keplinger’s stellar writing career!

OTHER REVIEWS: Dazzling Reads Hobbitsies Steph Su Reads

SIMILAR TITLES: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mylnowski The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Don't forget to enter my US (only) giveaway for both A Midsummer's Nightmare and Shut out when you click here!

Got something specific in mind? Dare I believe I might NOT have covered something you wish to know? If so, let me know down in the comments section. Don't be shy!

Blog Tour - Review: Knee Deep by Jolene Perry

Title: Knee Deep
Story Arc: Standalone
Publication: May 1, 2012 by Tribute Books
Ebook: 176 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Young Adult
Content: Sexual Activity, Assault
Source: Blog Tour via Tribute Books | Quote(s): No

Guilt pricks at my chest as I lie in bed and listen for Shawn's motorcycle.

Shawn is the guy Ronnie Bird promised her life to at the age of fourteen. He's her soul mate. He's more uptight every day, but it's not his fault. His family life is stressful, and she's adding to it. She just needs to be more understanding, and he'll start to be the boy she fell in love with. She won’t give up on someone she’s loved for so long.

Luke is her best friend, and the guy she hangs with to watch girlie movies in her large blanketopias. He's the guy she can confide in before she even goes to her girlfriends, and the guy who she's playing opposite in Romeo and Juliet. Now her chest flutters every time he gets too close. This is new. Is Ronnie falling for him? Or is Juliet? The lines are getting blurry, but leaving one guy for another is not something that a girl like Ronnie does.

Shawn’s outbursts are starting to give her bruises, and Luke’s heart breaks as Ronnie remains torn. While her thoughts and feelings swirl around the lines between friendship and forever, she’s about to lose them both.

A surprisingly quick read

I don’t know if it’s because I was so into Knee Deep by Jolene Perry that I didn’t realize I was breezing through it until I reached the end maybe after a two-hour sitting, or it’s simply because it’s not the chunkiest book you will ever come across. Maybe it’s a little mix of both. All I know is, as much as I enjoyed Perry’s Night Sky, I was a bit wary of reading Knee Deep by Jolene Perry. It’s not strictly an issues book, but, man, do the characters have a TON of those. And issue books have the potential to strike gold with me, or they can fail. Epically. It all depends on the writer, the execution, blah blah blah. I don’t want to feel as if I’m being preached to about anything or that I’ve been given the equivalent of an informative pamphlet. What I’ve noticed about Perry’s novels so far, however, is they are smart spins on every day issues. They’re not just intelligently written, but written in a way that’s accessible and weirdly relatable. These issues become personal even if you might never have experienced anything like what the characters are going through.

Knee Deep by Jolene Perry is essentially about a young girl in a very intense and very committed relationship, despite her youth, who comes to realize the person she’s loved for most of her life has ceased to be the real person and has drifted into an idea, a faraway memory. Her relationship has caused her to lose self-confidence and independence, and her loyalty to her boyfriend, Shawn, puts her in a place to be abused, verbally and physically. Stepping back, her altercations may seem minor compared to the crazy situations battered women on television find themselves in, but his actions and his words are both inexcusable and horrible. They’re not MINOR, and Knee Deep by Jolene Perry chronicles Ronnie’s struggle with the truth, with keeping secrets from those she loves, intervention, and her eventual decision to set things right.

One of the most powerful aspects of this book is not only how it shows the quickness in the harmless turning into the harmful, but also about how withholding and secreting something as harsh and dangerous as abuse can not only effect the victim but all those he or she cares about.

I love Jolene’s fictional families

Even when they screw up or tick me off, the families Jolene creates for her characters are ultimately supportive of their children. They may have their own issues and negatives as parents, but they always care for their children and support them in the worst of circumstances. And that’s what I find missing in a lot of Young Adult fiction, that invaluable support system that doesn’t always have to be present throughout the book but should have a presence—a firm, caring one—in the characters’ lives.

Works the same for the main characters’ friendships. Some fictional best friends don’t have to be glued to their hips to be felt in the novel, and I LOVE that. Because I’ve never met a pair of best friends so in each other’s faces day in and day out. They rely on each other, are deeply involved in the other’s life, and they are very much in tune, but they don’t have to be at each other’s house every single day to have a bond. I feel as if a lot of YA literature pushes that onto us, that in order to validate a friendship between two teenagers they have to be with each other every second, and when they’re not, it’s wrong and equals distance. Friendships in Jolene’s books are tightly knit and yet they are not actively present in every scene. I enjoyed the moments when Ronnie seeks comfort with her friend, Mindy, confides in her, but I also enjoyed the fact they have that unspoken knowledge and understanding that they can turn to each other for anything no matter what—despite any gap of time between them.

Ronnie and Luke

Ronnie is very much taken by the start of Knee Deep by Jolene Perry, which is no news there if you read the synopsis. However, I hadn’t been aware that there was a third friend involved, that Ronnie, Shawn, and Luke are a group deal. Now, their situation might seem a bit clichéd—the main character realizing she’s with the wrong best friend—but this setup is far from sweet, simple, and overdone. On the surface, the situation is similar to something you might’ve already seen, but beneath that surface there’s a whole lot of STUFF working there.

Luke and Ronnie have been friends a long time, almost as long as Ronnie has loved Shawn. When Shawn would go away during the year and return for the summer, in between that time without him, Ronnie had Luke. She was never interested in him romantically because she’s always thought of herself as Shawn’s. The sweetness of first love made Shawn’s haunting, terrible change into something poignant and sympathetic. Despite how bad Shawn gets, I couldn’t squash this tiny bit of feeling toward him. Because he was once the boy who gave soft kisses along the beach and made picnics that included lots of marshmallows for the girl he loved before he had to leave. I could understand Ronnie’s loyalty to him even if I didn’t agree with it. Luke, though, OWNED my heart from the beginning. He’s legit best boyfriend material, ya'll.

I wouldn’t say that because he’s perfect. He’s not. He’s a treasure as a friend, always willing to listen and protect, hanging out with the fam and treating the girl he’s secretly been interested in all along like gold without doing ridiculous things to show it. It’s all subtle and sneaky with him, because there’s that punch of lust when you first ‘meet’ him but then he gets all likeable with his vintage t-shirts—he’s not above wearing ones featuring Sponge Bob, Scooby Doo, and the Powerpuff Girls—and passionate acting and chocolate popcorn addiction. His moments with Ronnie are packed with latent sexual tension and sweetness and every confusing bit in between.

Jolene has another hit on her hands

Hopefully my feelings on Jolene Perry’s books become a pattern, because I like having them. I’m all warm and smiley once I’ve closed them, and the issues they tackle are serious enough so that I don’t feel as if I’ve just been reading fluffy romance. Some serious shizz goes down, you guys. But at the end of it all, all the kissing and hugging and almost sexy times gave my heart this hot little lift, this happy boost.

I recommend Knee Deep by Jolene Perry for fans of Sarah Dessen and Melissa Walker, two authors who I think write really awesome issue books with a hot dosage of romance.

Rating: Sud-Kissed

Although I was really nervous about reading another Jolene Perry novel, it turns out there was no need to worry over whether or not I’d enjoy it. For such a short read, there is so much going on, so much to feel. In a relatively small amount of time, I felt attached to Ronnie and kept hoping for happier circumstances. I was super invested in the romance and could not wait until the outcome shifted into what I’d been hoping for. Knee Deep by Jolene Perry has the author’s telltale charming, expressive writing style and fabulously portrays the struggles of a young woman in an unexpected, horrible situation, and her work to overcomes the scars left behind.

OTHER REVIEWS: Realm of Fiction

SIMILAR TITLES: Night Sky by Jolene Perry Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker

Got something specific in mind? Dare I believe I might NOT have covered something you wish to know? If so, let me know down in the comments section. Don't be shy!

Character Interview: Noah & Echo (Pushing the Limits) + US Only Giveaway

Ya'll remember when I said Pushing the Limits put my heart through the wringer and I couldn't pull away? That's still true, BUT my love of this book pushed me to yank out some courage and contact the MAGNIFICENT author behind this awesomesauce book. With us today, because of the fabulous Katie McGarry, is Noah and Echo, the two (BEST!) main characters in Pushing the Limits. CHECK IT:

Your first kiss was…

N: Hot.

Echo blushes as Noah smiles when he notices her red cheeks.

E: Yeah, it was definitely hot…and sweet.

Noah takes Echo’s hand.

N: It was the first time in years I felt like I was home.

Your favorite person is…

N: My brothers—no question.

E: My brother as well—Aires.

Your favorite fantasy is…

N: What is the rating level of this interview?

Echo slaps Noah’s arm.

E: G. We’re doing a G rated interview.

N: Let’s see…G rated…holding Echo as she sleeps and seeing that smile on her face when she wakes.

E: That sounds like an awesome fantasy to me.

Your first impression of each other was…

E: I hated him. He made fun of my name.

N: That she was stuck up, but damn if she wasn’t fun to mess with.

When you kiss him/her…

N: As I said before, kissing Echo is like coming home. It can be hot and crazy, but always deep down inside I know I’m with the person made for me.

E: When I kiss Noah, I forget everything. Sometimes my own name. He has this way of making all the wrongs in the world go away.

Your side of the bed is…

N: Left.

E: Right.

You hate when he/she…

N: Focuses on her scars. She’s beautiful and I wish she could always see that.

E: Sometimes Noah’s too blunt. It can take a bit to get used to.

You love when he/she…

N: Easy—smiles. Echo has a gorgeous smile.

E: Holds me. Noah always makes me feel protected.

When you’re not in school…

N: I work. I’m currently flipping burgers.

E: I paint and draw. It’s sort of my obsession.

What was the most momentous occasion in your relationship together?

N: Definitely that day in the hospital. That whole twenty-four hours was messed up.

E: Yes, it was, but it brought us together.

You want to visit…

E: Colorado! I want to see snow capped mountains!

N: Wherever Echo is or wherever my brothers are. They are everything to me.

When you picture yourselves five or ten years from now…

N: In five years? Graduated from college. Maybe I’ll be an architect like my dad.

E: I’d love to be established selling my paintings in five years.

N: And in ten?

Noah glances at Echo.

E: What? Do you have ten year plans?

Noah shrugs and smiles.

N: I’ve got plans.

Review | Pre-Order for $13.49

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible. Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

GUESS WHAT YOU COULD WIN

Katie McGarry has generously offered some Pushing the Limits Blue Ribbon Bookmarks to a lucky winner! All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

Official Giveaway Info:

• you do NOT have to be a follower
• there are extra entries available
• all entrants must be at least 13 years old or older
• giveaway deadline is July 5, 2012
• giveaway is open to US only*
• read my Contest | Giveaway page, as well as my Privacy Notice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pushing the Limits is in store July 31 from Harlequin Teen, and I can't wait until I see more people chatting this book up! It's so delicious and heartfelt and I LOVED IT!

Let me know about your thoughts on this awesome couple and what you hope to catch in the book down in the comments section below! Don't be shy!

Are you an international follower bummed about not entering? Don't forget to check out my giveaways for The Earth Painter and any one of the River of Time series books!

Review: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters

my thoughts in a few sentences: I don’t think I’ve laughed quite so much in one sitting! When I first heard about Kelsey in Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin, I totally suspected her voice to be too juvenile for me, and I had decided, despite the book’s appeal, that I had to brace myself because I was probably too cool for her childish antics. Turns out? Kelsey is MUCH COOLER than me. She’s impulsive, sarcastic, and very… world-weary in tone and just generally dramatic. Her thoughts are so legit and relatable, like ironic questions about the mechanics of sex, attitude toward the parental unit, and a driving need to stand out among her peers. She does a lot of stupid shizz and is the epitome of the mood-swinging teenager, but that’s just what makes Kelsey all the more tangible, makes her more than JUST another character.

hooking first line: "Here it is, practically mid-September, and it's still too hot to live."

Putnam/Penguin • Library • Contemporary Romance • 3/1/12 • $13.38

ARC Review: Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe

my thoughts in a few sentences: I have no idea what I expected from Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell. I like contemporary romances well enough, and the summer seems to be the best time to get whisked away by them. But, lately, apart from a very few exceptions, I’ve been reading some superfab ones, and Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell is definitely one of those hits. It’s light, it’s sweet, and definitely hilarious with an adorable, bold, fun-loving main character who seriously makes me want to tattoo her name and BFF on my forearm. But, there’s also this surprising depth to it too. Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe by Shelley Coriell is a wonderful balancing act put together by Coriell, and I had so many smiles planted on my face because of this awesome story!

hooking (and a fave) first line: "I love being a burrito."

Amulet • NetGalley • Contemporary Romance • 5/1/12 • $11.32

ARC Review: While He Was Away

my thoughts in a few sentences: An overall disappointment, While He Was Away by Karen Schreck left me aching for something more after all that wasted pent-up excitement. The story is so… forgettable, though, that the lingering dissatisfaction faded into obscurity and from my memory quickly.

hooking first line: "I won't let the Oklahoma wind whip our words away."

Sourcebooks Fire • NetGalley • Contemporary Romance • 5/1/12 • $8.97

ARC Review: Pushing the Limits

my thoughts in a few sentences: I KNOW. This book doesn’t come out until the END OF JULY, and I’m being a total tease for posting this review up SO EARLY. But, I HAD TO. I had to read this book (lying in wait of this on netgalley turned out to be more painful than anticipated), and I had to get the word out about this book ASAP. It is amazing, seriously. I’d go so far as to say it’s a damn near perfect contemporary romance! Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry takes the classic bad boy meets good girl story and twists it up so that not only is there WAY MORE than their stereotyped labels beneath the surface, but also so that the romance is extra delicious, intoxicating, and thorough.

hooking first lines: "'My father is a control freak, I hate my stepmother, my brother is dead and my mother has... well... issues. How do you think I'm doing?'"

Harlequin Teen • NetGalley • Contemporary Romance • 7/31/12 • $13.49

ARC Review: Unbreak My Heart

my thoughts in a few sentences: Sure, Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker is a great addition to our summer reading lists, as it’s all about boating and family, romance, but it’s got so much more going on. This is about harsh consequences for a difficult topic, something we all sneer at and scorn, and about forgiveness, unconditional love, and moving forward no matter how hard. Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker never forgets the minor details, and explores the depth of familial relationships and acceptance of pasts that can’t ever change. I teared up, chuckled, swooned, and basically just gave up on looking cool and settled for hugging my kindle to me. Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker is so sweet and sad, and it makes a statement.

hooking first line: "'Sit on it,' I say."

Bloomsbury/Walker • NetGalley • Contemporary Romance • 5/22/12 • $12.98

ARC Review: When You Were Mine

my thoughts in a few sentences: From the moment Lauren (365 Days of Reading) read the prologue of this book, then following the excellent “Juliet Can Suck It” review written by Posh (Forever Young Adult), I KNEW When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle would a) be unlike EVERY SINGLE Romeo and Juliet retelling out there and b) it would touch me to MY VERY SOUL. Serle captured heartbreak and all its devastation, sadness, and confusion, breaking up friendships, annihilating What Could Have Been, strengthening other bonds, and whipping up a romance with the kind of guy that demands and refuses to settle for less, is dead set against waiting and waiting, letting his heart be tromped all over. He understands and infuriates, the patient love interest who won’t stand aside and proves to Rosaline what beauty and love is, helping her heal what there is of her heart.

hooking first lines: "Shakespeare got it wrong. His most famous work, and he completely missed the mark."

Simon Pulse • Requested • Contemporary Romance/Retelling • 5/1/12 • $13.07

ARC Review: Breaking Beautiful

my thoughts in a few sentences: Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf was a striking surprise, a contemporary read that reaches in and filleted my heart with slashing memories and circumstances that aggravate frustrated tears until they were falling everywhere. Have you ever watched the movie for or read the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson? The searing frustration on behalf of Melinda directed at the few people in her life who judge, mistreat, and refuse to believe her came rushing back to me in Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf. Allie’s telling quiet, instinctive flinches, and disloyal "friends" and family who have looked the other way while she was cut down and broken up in so many ways ignited my already boiling emotions to brimming. A gripping story with an engaging mystery, rending moments, and precious characters, Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf is a wonderfully-written and brutal tale of secrets refusing to stay under and a girl with nothing left but to move forward.

hooking first line: "The clock says 6:45, even though it's really 6:25."

Walker/Bloomsbury • NetGalley • Contemporary Romance • 4/24/12 • $13.92

Review: Awkward

my thoughts in a few sentences: Awkward by Marni Bates is a delightful, short little thing that packs a punch that's gone epically wrong. HOLD ON. You’re probably like, was the book really that bad? The answer is NOT ON YOUR LIFE. What I mean by that statement: You ever witness someone TRY to punch someone else, but when it doesn’t work and their fist flops back leaving no marks, bruises, or internal bleeding, you have to laugh hysterically because they look ridiculous and don’t care. Like Kristen Stewart in that one movie where she played that girl in my favorite books-turned-movies, and she hit that guy, her best friend, the one that turns into a freakishly huge dog. Awkward made me laugh hysterically, and while the story is light and frivolous, the characters do leave a mark, but in a place where it’s not visible. HINT: That place beats.

hooking first line: "You probably think you know me... and I understand why."

Kensington • Borrowed • Contemporary Romance • 1/1/12 • $9.95

Review: Shut Out

my thoughts in a few sentences: Somehow Kody Keplinger manages to strike the right balance between light, funny, and cute, and offset it with heavier issues like sex, and all the decisions and pressures the act entails. Keplinger simultaneously tackles the wrongness of being pressured into uncomfortable situations, of girls being accused of and called abominable things because they like sex, and everything in between even while giving us situations to laugh over, to enjoy, and irresistible, adorable boys to ache for. Content from start to finish, Shut Out by Kody Keplinger is another hit that shows off Keplinger’s easygoing writing style, innate humor, and her fabulous skill at staging some of the best Sexy Times in existence.

hooking first line: "There is nothing more humiliating than being topless in the backseat of your boyfriend's car when someone decides to throw in an egg at the windshield."

Rating: Sud-Kissed | Poppy • Bought • Contemporary Romance • 9/5/11 • $13.83

ARC Review: Life Is But a Dream

my thoughts in a few sentences: From the beginning, I had NO IDEA what to expect from Life Is But a Dream. Despite all the good reviews I noticed, this book remained a big mystery until I sat down with it today. Each word James writes is like biting into beautiful and irresistible pastries. A giant lightbulb hides behind James' writing and illuminates every word so that it dazzles our eyes with pictures we can't see but can feel. Within Sabrina's mind lies a world so brilliant, a wonderful palette that contains a rainbow of colors and shapes, and as she creates some of it in her artwork, James masterfully paints something abstract and intangible and alluring with each drop of his colorful words. While the romance escalates quickly, it's FAR from unsatisfying, though it might be a tad unbelievable. However, that's the beauty of Sabrina's story—we're temped to believe in the illogical, the far-fetched, and enjoy what we find in her incredibly imaginative world.

hooking first lines: "Something is wrong with the sky. Thinner and nearly see-through, the sky is like a worn bedsheet tacked loosely over the sun, which blazes brightly on the other side."

Rating: Sud-Kissed | Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends • NetGalley • Contemporary Romance • 3/27/12 • $13.37

Blog Tour: Review: Night Sky

Check it: Night Sky Blog Tour Blog | Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook

my thoughts in a few sentences: What did I expect from Night Sky? A solid, fun, and light contemporary indulgence. I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. Night Sky is a creeper. Not as in creepy but as in it creeps up on you and suddenly, you turn around and are taken by surprise when you see what's behind you. This is not a cutesy read. This is a sweet and emotional story about a young man with his heart torn in two over two girls—the one he hasn't gotten over, whom he never dredged up the courage to communicate his feelings to, to be honest with, and the one who takes his breath away and fascinates him at every turn with her confidence and spare traces of vulnerability only revealed to him, who demands honesty and gives it back in spades. Jameson is an attractive narrator right from the start, his vivid emotions capable of hooking us into the story with the barest effort, and his journey away from heartbreak to a more exciting, heartwarming, wondrous true love is as perpetually addictive as the girl he swiftly begins to fall for.

hooking first lines: " I push my way through the masses of dancing couples, out the heavy doors of the school, and stop. "

Rating: Perfect Bed Partner | Tribute Books • Blog Tour • Contemporary Romance • 3/1/12 • $2.99

ARC Review: Wanderlove

my thoughts in a few sentences: I didn't love Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard as everyone else seemed to, however that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it. I totally did! I'm not very much into roadtripping type books and there have only been a few successes for me, but this isn't a roadtripping book. It's a travel book, and Kristen Hubbard dazzled me with her beautiful descriptions of the places the main character travels that refrain from feeling overdone; her passion comes through loud and clear. And with the main character's arrival, she brings baggage, so much emotion to the story, and it's so simple to sympathize with her personal hurts. Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard teaches how to rediscover oneself in style, sharing with us the pains and beauty of backpacking across exotic places, even as we witness a slow, torturous romance blossom.

interesting first line: "As soon as I see the blond girl bouncing down the aisle, I know she's heading for the empty seat beside me. "

Rating: Sud-Kissed | Delacorte/Random House • NetGalley • Contemporary • 3/13/12 • $14.49

Review: The Catastrophic History of You and Me

my thoughts in a few sentences: Oh, gosh. *tries to breathe* Jess Rothenberg reins nothing in, leaving emotion strewn about in just about every place we stumble across through Brie's wrenching journey to peace and acceptance. Right within the first couple of chapters, my face was openly drenched for all to witness my sorrow and grief, mourning the loss of a young character's life—a character, incidentally, who I barely knew at the start yet I wept for this world Rothenberg exposes to us since it was now bereft of such a bright, happy girl with a deeply loving family, which includes a little brother who will be deprived of his older sister's presence in the years of his life to come. Literal heartbreak as a story concept isn't as corny as it initially sounds; a dagger breaks into our hearts every time Rothenberg pumps anguish into her words and into the discoveries she unveils.

hooking first line: "There's always that one guy who gets a hold on you."

Rating: Special Shelf | Penguin • Borrowed • Contemporary/Paranormal • 2/21/12 • $14.88

Review: Babe in Boyland

my thoughts in a few sentences: Have you guys ever watched She's the Man starring Amanda Bynes? Babe in Boyland is just like that. The hilarity and the awkward moments just make this such a fun read! Yes, it takes a bit (okay, A LOT) of suspension of disbelief to buy that a girl like Natalie could ever manage accomplishing something as crazy as infiltrating an all-boys school, even for a week. Still, between getting set-up on a date with a girl to getting socked in her make-believe balls in Gym, Babe in Boyland is so full of this irresistible humor that makes you quake with side-splitting laughter. The unexpected friendships, the swoonworthy crushes, and two bffs that never leave the main character's side all create warm, happy feelings, the pages hemorrhaging pleasurable endorphins or something. Barrels of fun, Babe in Boyland is a light, hilarious read that managed to calm the emotional aftermath of yesterday's dive into Pandemonium.

first few lines: "My name is Natalie Rowan. Everyone knows that. Only a select few, however, know I'm the evil genius behind my nom de plume, Dr. Aphrodite. That might be a pretty hefty title for a seventeen-year-old junior who's not even sure she's officially made it to what my mom refers to as "heavy petting.""

Rating: Sud-Kissed | Dial/Penguin • Borrowed • Contemporary Romance • 2/17/11 • $8.99

ARC Review: Shooting Stars

my thoughts in a few sentences: Shooting Stars is that cute guy/girl who, although he or she isn't the most gorgeous across the planet, makes us laugh and ensnares us anyway. A cute, light, funny read that has all the appeal of a Disney movie, Shooting Stars features a sarcastic main character who unexpectedly reconnects with herself and faces long-buried issues, all while developing an adorable, though predictable crush on the teenage heartthrob of the Hollywood she knows so incredibly well, a kind boy who has secrets of his own to keep hidden. Although it has an element of unbelievability, the differentness of Jo's life makes Shooting Stars that much more of a fun, entertaining read.

interesting first line: "I crouch behind some thick green shrubbery to do my final check."

Rating: Sud-Kissed | Walker/Bloomsbury • NetGalley • Contemporary Romance • 2/28/12 • $9.49

ARC Review: Graffiti Moon

Graffiti Moon

by Cath Crowley

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Publisher: Knopf
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Rating: Perfect Bed Partner

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

I pedal fast. Down Rose Drive, where houses swim in pools of orange streetlight. Where people sit on verandas, hoping to catch a breeze. Let me make it in time. Please let me make it in time...

Graffiti Moon is like a dream that entraps your consciousness and urges you to leave reality, and all it's difficulties, behind. Crowley's soft whimsical flow of writing are luminous clouds in a bright blue sky, something beautiful that, when you stop to pay attention and really look, sweetly lulls the mind and heart. It's as if Crowley took the world we live in and put it behind another pair of lenses, granting us a heartachingly wonderful view of the same place only with infinitely more color and vibrancy, a precious place that we wish we didn't have to abandon for our own. For the first time, things cease to seem ordinary and the characters are little points of light that stand out even among all the charm already present in the fancifully written setting. They are weird and fascinating and dazzling, and they never give us a reason to want to escape them. They are open books themselves that constantly tug on our sympathy and ignite our smiles, leaving us with a burning need to see them all happy by the end.

Lucy wants Shadow. Once, Shadow had wanted her. She just didn't know it then... Lucy and Ed can be so opposite yet they share similarities that aren't easily observable, to us and between each other. Lucy is strong-willed, dreamy, optimistic, and even naive, and grabbing the events of the story and trying to focus in on them through her eyes is definitely a fun adventure. Lucy has this way of making us laugh even as we feel something profound, has the ability to cut through the BS and see into the other side. That's what gravitates to her interesting people like ourselves and Ed, the extreme loner-looking guy who has all his words shut in but all the pictures of his thoughts and memories dripping out of his fingertips. Not only is he very cute, but he appreciates art and most of its many faces, has a keen sense of loyalty and a hard strategy on how to show his feelings to others. Lucy and Ed couldn't be a better suited match. The problem? The fact that their first date dropped into a new level of hell and Lucy ended the night in a way that left Ed in pieces of doubt and chunks of disappointment. Their reconnection after these past couple of years is a syrupy progression, with sticky areas of discussion and a slow melting quality.

The other characters were just as thickly characterized, with so much going on inside, and Crowley writes little to let us know it but shows us so much about each person. It isn't a far stretch for us to fall in love with each face and attitude we hang with throughout the novel. The predictable plot was successfully carried out and never once fell and cracked to reveal a familiar dull story. Graffiti Moon is a clever interpretation of a place and storyline we may have seen before, and is also one that's more alluring and beautifully devastating and warm than any I've ever found and enjoyed. Crowley truly has to hatch another sweet, romantic idea told in an equally mesmerizing way as Graffiti Moon.

Lucy looks out the window, staring at something that's in her head, the same way she did two years ago when I watched her. She hasn't changed much except now she's bunching up her hair with paintbrushes. She's still smiling like she's thinking something you want to hear.
"Why do you want to find him so bad?" (25%)

Dusty Reads Review: Going Too Far

Review:

Going Too Far

by Jennifer Echols

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: March 17, 2009
Publisher: MTV Books
Age Group: Older Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: e-book Purchase
Special: 2012 TBR Challenge
Rating: Special Shelf

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge -- and over....

"That's the worst idea I ever heard," I told Eric. Then I took another sip of beer and swallowed. "Let's do it."

I'd been telling myself forever that I was going to read this book. Of course I really liked Echols' Boys Next Door and The Ex-Games novels, and so, after hearing talk of the swoonalicious sexy John After, I couldn't resist FINALLY reading Going Too Far for very much longer once it was actually in my possession. Because that would be stupid, right? And I learned something valuable once I was done with that final, breathtaking page. Bad girls can be more like crack than the bad boys. Slow and searing is the romance. Heart-pounding and emotional is the plot. And the characters stick close to the heart even after the book is closed because the story is never really over there and continues on. But, Meg, our oh-so-lovable wild child protag beckoned me aboard first and really quickly.

Ever watch those cruise commercials on TV and imagine yourself there, vividly, and when the narrator tries to sell you on how wonderful the place is, you wonder why he's even bothering because there are no words needed! Of course, you want to go there! Endorsement isn't required by this point. You would go so far as to kick baby kitties in their jaws if it got you anywhere near a ticket. Everyone wants to go there! Meg is Going Too Far's main attraction, and there is no need for further convincing once she enters the scene. Bad girl to the bone, a little bitter, about 50% obnoxious, Meg leads a very crazy lifestyle, her cavalier attitude toward sex and her constant search for thrills showing just how jaded she is when we first 'meet' her. Her life seems to be bumping along just fine, until Officer John After arrests her for underage drinking while doing some serious trespassing. Like strolling along train tracks and tiptoeing death serious. And when, consequently, Meg is forced to play tagalong with the same stupid, annoying cop responsible for her arrest throughout the duration of what should've been an amazing spring break, she's none to pleased with this young, confusing, MEGA HOT guy weirdly chained to her ridiculously unimpressive hometown. Her endless resentment of John's desire to show her the error in her ways only fuels the animosity between them... and the sexual tension.

BUT NO. They do not go on to have hot jungle sex like crazed monkeys. There's this Opposites Attract slow burn, a peeling back of layers to reach the soft, vulnerable centers of who they are. They discover each other, misunderstand one another, and make mistakes. They unravel secrets and talk pasts and old wounds, overstep and soothe, gradually exploring, constantly testing and toying and teasing. Circling each other. Delicious intensity, Sexy Times, and gooey sweet moments, the story is wonderfully wrapped up in the romance, but it doesn't overrun the crux of it. Mostly, it's about change and healing, of letting go and beginning anew, and how loving someone and having them love us back can be perfectly unplanned and exactly right. Can make us better. And both aspects--the romance and the message--stuck with me tighter than the effects of crazyglue. I'm cuckoo in love with this book.

Going Too Far may just be the best Jennifer Echols will ever have to offer. My heart broke a little when that last sentence led to nothing more.

"...Why would I be embarrassed to be seen with you?"
He asked so earnestly that I felt like I had to explain the obvious. "My hair, and the way I dress."
"You dress like you're Japanese," he said.
"The clueless Japanese who work at the car factory and wear those weird plastic sandals? Thanks."
"No, the cute Japanese girls you see at the mall in Birmingham."
He looked down at his forms, pen poised. But he didn't write anything. That blush crept up from his neck and across his cheeks. He had just realized he'd called me cute.
"I mean, the Japanese girls," he said, still looking down. "You know how you dress. With your T-shirt and your jacket and you jeans and your shoes and your weird socks and your hairpins and your blue hair."
He was digging himself a deeper hole. Now he had told me he'd noticed every detail of what I looked like. (22%)