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The Fortune Cafe is a really cute book with three mini love stories in it. The book is divided into three different parts, and they are each different stories but all of the characters revolve around this one Chinese restaurant where the fortune cookies are rumored to be magic. And each of the stories has a cameo of who the next main character will be. I really liked seeing how the stories lightly overlapped like that. Once I saw who the second story was about and I remembered her from the first one, I kept reading the second story trying to guess who the third story would feature. It was really fun. It kind of reminded me of a Love, Actually type of movie with a bunch of different mini storylines going on and sometimes they cross over with other ones.

Emma, Lucy and Stella are the three ladies in The Fortune Cafe. I think I liked Emma's story the best. Hers was about a guy that had a crush on her in high school suddenly coming back into her life. It was so cute. I also really liked the luck theme going through "Lucky" Lucy's story. The stories are not pure fluff though. They each have their own unique hardships going on. One of the three girls starts out engaged and gets dumped by her jerk of a fiance. And another one has the stress of caring for her abusive and mentally ill mother. The stories each felt like glimpses into the real lives of these women.

You can't help but root for their happy endings. I really enjoyed The Fortune Cafe. It is a feel good book that is sure to put a smile on your face. Emma Stella and Lucky Lucy are each great characters and any one of them can easily turn out to be your favorite. This book made me want to go out and get some fortune cookies to see what my fortunes would be. The Fortune Cafe is feel good fun that I think fans of young adult and adult contemporaries will easily enjoy.

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Fire and Flood is intense and action packed. I could not put this book down. I gobbled it up in one sitting. The book takes place in multiple settings, first in a forest and then in a dessert. Each extreme in their own ways. Victoria Scott did such an excellent job bringing these awful conditions to life. The contestants in the Brimstone Bleed competition had to endure so much. Fire and Flood has a very mysterious vibe. The people behind the Brimstone Bleed and the competition itself is all shrouded in mystery. And then there are the pandoras, which are mysterious in and of themselves. I loved getting to know all of the different pandoras and seeing what they can do.

I have seen more than a few comparisons to the Hunger Games, and while I do see some similarities, I feel like Fire and Flood has a different focus than the Hunger Games. Yes, they are both dystopians and a majority of the book takes place in a competition like arena where the stakes are high enough for people to kill, but for me the main focus in Fire and Flood was aimed at uncovering the past of the Brimstone Bleed and discovering what secrets it held. In the Hunger Games everyone knew the history of the games and the focus was mostly on the capitol. I was so curious about the race itself, and I was super surprised at what we learned about it. It was a great plot development. Everyone that goes to the race is trying to win a cure for a loved one in their life. This was one thing that I was questioning while reading. Why was everyone convinced that this single "cure" would work for everyone. How could this brimstone bleed know just what every sick loved one would need. I asked myself that at least 5 times while reading. But that is the only hold up I had.

Not only is the Brimstone Bleed plot super interesting, but you also get a really great romance between Tella and Guy. Tella was pretty awesome all on her own though. She is laugh out loud funny and I adored her connection and love for the pandoras. (which kind of reminded me of pokemon)Each contestant gets their own pandora to help them out in the competition and they are all different. Fire and Flood is an awesome start to a series that I dying to continue. Victoria Scott rocks.

Star Struck is the second book in the Lights, Camera Series. The first book, Take Two was about Movie star Micah Preston. This book is about his co-star from the movie they were filming the in the first book, Heather. I was really happy that this was Heather's story, because other than knowing she was a big time movie actress that had a tendency towards being stuck up, we really didn't get to know her at all. In Star Struck we really got to break past all of her walls and defenses and we got to know her really well. That is my favorite kind of character development lately. When you can actively see the growth; slow and constant. Laurelin Paige did an excellent job telling Heather and Seth's story.

Heather is complicated. She certainly has a diva flair to her, but it is not for the reasons that you might be thinking. She doesn't only think that she is too good for other people. She fears fans, and anyone really, getting to close to her because she is nervous that they will discover her secret and consequently think that she isn't worthy anymore. It was sad really. Her parents really did a number on her. It was crazy, and sad, to see such a successful and confident woman doubt her self-worth. The thing that I loved the most about Seth was that he always made it known that he thought she was worthwhile, even when they were fighting like cats and dogs.

I understood Seth's secret a little bit better. It made the book a little bit predictable, but the story was still oh so much fun. I loved watching them go from fighting to more. It wasn't fast or rushed. They each tried to deny what they felt for the other. But even more than their awesome chemistry, they were great because they each pushed the other to face their fears. It was whole other layer to Star Struck that I really enjoyed. I might have even liked it more than the first book! Laurelin Paige knows how to write an awesome Contemporary Romance. I am loving her Lights, Camera Series.

The Accidental Socialite is one heck of a hilariously funny ride. You won't believe all of the crazy things one girl manages to get herself into. Paige packs up and moves to London after she graduated from university. Armed with a degree, very little cash and a couple of suitcases she goes to make something of herself. And what she gets is one thing after another. She goes on an adventure all ride, but it not the one that she thought she would. She is a hoot, and The Accidental Socialite will have you laughing out loud more times than you can count. It was a lot like reality TV for me, you can't turn away. There were a few parts of the book where I felt like the storyline was dragging, and not really progressing anywhere. That was a bit tiring, but I still felt this need to find out what was going to happen to Paige next.

Paige is a Canadian, and she is so clueless about pretty much everything about British culture. It was so funny to see her get words and phrases mixed up. Actually, I thought some of her funniest scenes were about the differences in cultural phrases. I loved her scene about "fannies". She thought she was talking about fanny packs and well, she wasn't. It was too funny. Plus, the whole Pickle sandwich fiasco. I was happy that her boss seemed to have a good sense of humor at least. I thought she was going to get fired countless times.

This is not your typical romance. It is not about finding that one great guy. It was more just like a series of unfortunate events and dates. It reminded me of the reality TV show, the Hills. Everyone is young and hot, there is so much drinking- every night of the week. These are adults in their 20s and 30s and they are out closing the clubs down 6-7 days a week. Way too much for me, but you can't help but be interested in it. This book is a guilty pleasure. Paige is a hot mess. She is falling all over herself, and bad thing after bad thing keeps happening to her. The media can't wait to tear her apart. But she is the train wreck of hot messes, you just can't stop watching. The humor is the highlight in The Accidental Socialite. Stephanie Wahlstrom is very talented and witty with her writing. I can't wait to read more humor from her, maybe a romantic comedy?

Hungry centers around a very unique plot line. It is a dystopian, and in some ways it is set up very similar to your typical YA dystopian. A power hungry government that demands complete control over it's citizens, while holding onto tons of secrets of their own. But in other ways, Hungry felt very different. The descriptions of the world captivated me. H.A. Swain immerses you in a world in the not so distant future that is so utterly different than the one that we know. There are still some grandparents and parents that were around when the world started running out of food. That is how quick of a timeline we are talking about.

I was confused about some of the background information, and a couple of logistics, like the whole oxygen issue if there were no plants and fauna around, but H.A. Swain quickly sweeps you into her crazy new world and you are lost in the detail and story line. I was so wrapped up in the story that I didn't even think of those questions again until long after I had finished the book.

Thalia is the main character, and from what I can tell her generation is the first generation born into this world of synthetic food drinks that supply you with all the nutrients you need and also make it so that you never feel hungry. I have to admit, that the technology aspect of this world completely fascinated me. The cars, the personal gizmos that everyone had, the social centers, all of it seemed so freakin' cool! I want a personal assistant gizmo and I don't care if that makes me weird that I want something from this creepy society.

Another thing that H.A. Swain did that I thought was brilliant was working social media and youtube esque channels into society. The job that you would get out of school was based on what kinds of popularity your personal reality video channel was getting. The more popular channels would get more product placement and sponsors which would mean more profit for the government. The social aspect of Hungry kind of reminded me The Lego Movie (which is excellent by the way.) It was very in the vein of Ayn Rand, with their whole big business (president business) and "profit is good" motif. I loved those undertones in the story.

Thalia is a great heroine. She is a little wacky and marches to the beat of her own drum, but she will not stop asking questions until she is satisfied with the answers. She is a free thinker and that alone made me love her. This became especially apparent when Hungry took a huge surprise turn and we stumbled upon the second/new society. I was not expecting that at all, and it was even creepier than the city! H.A. Swain really impressed me with the thought she put into her story. The detail and world building was beyond fantastic and the plot was very original. You kind of get two dystopian societies/governments in one with Hungry and I want more stories set in this world! (a prequel, a companion, anything!)

By Jove is a mythology romance that takes place in a Boston University. Theo is a graduate student studying Latin (and greek and roman get woven in through other members of the classics department.) It is a mythology and history nerds dream book. I loved the academic setting, and the mythology buff in my squeed over the idea of a whole classics department being taught by actual gods and goddesses. How cool would that be? I loved guessing who everyone was. Some were easy to figure out, and others were a little tougher, but it all made reading the book more fun. Marissa Doyle did a fantastic job with her attention to detail. Even the clothes and food and drink were added into the story properly. It was excellent. It is just how I would imagine Gods living in the modern world. I loved the opulence of their parties.

Theo is my kind of girl. Nerdy and not at all ashamed by how interested she is in learning. It was such a joy to watch her passion for Latin ooze out of her. Those were honestly the only thing I liked about Julian as well. Julian and Theo did have some interesting conversations about the Gods. I enjoyed watching them in that aspect, but I was a lot like Grant. I just never did trust Julian. But I can understand how easy it was for Theo get swept up in it all.

Grant is an interesting one. It was easy to see that he behaved differently than the rest of the staff and faculty. I thought it was simply because he was new at the university, but as the book went on, I figured out the real reason for his strangeness. It took me a while to figure out who he was, but there were enough clues for me to puzzle it together a ways before it was revealed. Grant is so easy to like. At times, I wished Theo was more patient with him. Their journey together had so many bumps and roadblocks.

I am not going to spoil this book for you at all. The twists and turns make reading this book so much fun. I loved every single page, and at times I genuinely had no idea how it was going to turn out. It has all of the makings of a classic mythology story. There is even a quest. How does the quest end? Who does Theo end up with? Does she end up with anyone? This book is not at all predictable- it is brilliant. By Jove is a must read for fans of new adult/adult mytholgy. I want more Marissa!!

Going Down in Flames is about Bryn- a girl who can shapeshift into a dragon. I loved it! I don't think I have ever read a young adult book where the main characters are dragons. It was interesting because none of it felt overdone or standard. Every piece of information that the author gave us really added to my overall picture of the story. Bryn gets shipped off to basically the dragon boarding school, where you learn all about your newly manifested dragon powers and basically get prepped for your life within dragon society.

Bryn is a unique case because she is the product of crossbreading- something that the Directorate (think government full of Umbridges) told everyone wasn't possible. Her father is a red dragon and her mother is a blue dragon. Bryn became a little bit of each, which means that she has lots of really cool abilities. People from the clans pretty much hate Bryn on sight. Not all of them, but most of them. I felt bad for her. This is all so new to her. Most kids from dragons know what is going on and they know the rules and customs. It's true that everyone at the school gets their powers at 16, so she is not behind in that aspect but she still doesn't know anything about their world. So to be dumped into that overnight AND to find out you are pretty much the most hated kid at school is rough. I wouldn't have blamed her for moping around a bit- but no. Bryn is a feisty one. She is not going to feel sorry for herself, and she is not going to take anything from anyone. I loved Bryn. She is a little spitfire, even if that sometimes gets her in trouble.

My favorite part of Going Down in Flames was learning all about the dragon world. This book read beautifully. Chris Cannon did a fantastic job with the descriptions and background information. I never felt like I was left too in the dark, but I also never felt overwhelmed or like I was in an information dump. The characters are great as well. I really enjoyed the little gang that Bryn met at the school. They were a lot of fun. Not a ton of romance in this, but the little that was there really suited the story. I wasn't thrilled about the ending of the story. I wanted more and it just kind of stopped. I need another book. It doesn't say, but I have to believe that this is part of a series. Bring us book two Chris! Going Down in Flames is an easy and super interesting read that you will not want to put down.

The Line That Binds is an interesting start to what looks to be a creepy and super cool paranormal curse series. The story starts off in the past tense where we meet a man and a jilted woman, who casts a curse on the family and descendants of the man who wronged her. Then, we flash forward to the present where the current owner and family member of the house is losing her mind/memories and dying, supposedly from the curse. She gives the main house and most of the land to some of her estranged relatives. And she gives the other part of the land to the son of her longtime grounds keepers. Her niece, nephew and their father moved in and the story really begins.

The book is told in alternating point of view between the grandson of the grounds keeper- Ben and Aunt Genies Niece LJ. Ben's grandfather is really worried that LJ will be affected by the curse just like her aunt and he wants Ben to look out for her. And to keep her away from this well that somehow is connected to it all. I was super intrigued by the well, just like LJ. How could she not be. She moved into this huge old house and all over the place there are hand painted and number paintings of the same well. It would creep me out and intrigue me as well.

I loved the writing of the story and the concept of it. Even more, I loved Ben and LJ. The little dance that they did around each other, each holding back their feelings was beyond cute. Their flirting made my heart warm and put a smile on my face. What I wanted to see more of was the actual curse. It came up a lot in the beginning of the story, but then we kind of meandered along and we didn't find anything new about it until the end. We saw some effects that it was having on LJ, but other than that the curse plot line felt kind of slow. I want more on that creepy well! We only actually saw it in person once in the whole story! I hope there is more in the next book, because it has completely captured my attention.

The whole story is really well written and makes me long to read the next book to see what is going to happen. The characters will make an impact on you and their romance is very endearing. You will root for these two. The curse is teasing and will leave you wanting for more, but it is such a cool concept that it is just enough to whet your appetite. Bring on the second book!

The Blonde is Anna Godbersen's first adult novel. And boy oh boy did she start off with a bang! (ha ha) The Blonde is the fictionalized historical telling of Marilyn Monroe. Going off the premise...what is Marilyn Monroe was a spy. Does that sound cool? Well it really was. There is tons of classic Marilyn woven into these pages. Lot's of sexy, flirty Marilyn, and under it all- a very lonely woman. The story starts with a flashback to her childhood and from then on it flashes forward to the height of her fame. The chapters are each labeled with the location, month and year. It was a nice progression for the story. Sometimes there were multiple chapters per month and sometimes only a few.

The actual story line was wonderfully imaginative and addictive. I had so much fun reading about the actual historical events wrapped up in Godbersen's intriguing re-telling of it all. And the most impressive part was that she captured the spirit of Marilyn so well. I felt like I was reading some of Marilyn's lost diaries. Anna Godbersen introduces us to a russian man called Alexie who was the one that jump started Marilyn's career, simply saying that he would be calling in a "favor" later with her. And so started her secret career as a spy.

The espionage and spy thirller aspect of the story was the coolest melding of history and fictions. I just ate it all up. Anna Godbersen's writing is magic. That is the only way I know how to describe it. She casts this spell with her words as she weaves them into a story that even though you know is fiction, seems both too fantastical and yet somehow plausible. It is crazy. I had so much fun living in this re imagined view of history. I loved picturing Marilyn as this reluctant bombshell spy. It was a cool twist on her relationship with the President. The Blonde is so unlike other stories. It was so well thought out and expertly created. I loved The Blonde and I think you will too.

This book just makes me happy. I loved the characters, I loved the romance, I loved the fence chats, and I loved the self discovery that was all packed into this little sunny looking book. This is a great fluffy read- perfect for summer. But don't let that fool you, this book is more to it than cute boys and romance. Oh, it has that too and it that part is wonderful, but this book also has some great discovery in it for the main character, Charlie.

Charlie grew up with all brothers. She is such a tomboy, and I loved every inch of her tall athletic self. She can play practically any sport, and she is not afraid to get in there and school the guys. On the Fence takes place the summer before her senior year in high school, and for the first part of the book Charlie spends all of her days playing sports with her brothers and their friends, including her neighbor Braden.

Charlie, her 4 brothers, and Braden all grew up together, and even though it was easy to pick out Braden as the eventual love interest, it didn't take anything away from the book. I loved Braden right off the bat, and then I loved him more at the fence chats at night, and I loved him even more when he told charlie not to change for a guy. Charlie got in trouble with her dad when she got a speeding ticket. Her punishment- getting a job at the mall. The job brought Charlie out of her comfort zone, but it also brought new friends and new experiences into her life.

On the Fence is everything you are hoping to find in a summer ya contemporary romance. There is a great guy, a spunky and fun main character, fabulous plot development and oh so many smiles. The fence chats were beyond adorable, and I found myself awaiting night time as much as Charlie, hoping her and Braden would end up by the fence and play their "who knows the other better" fact game. It was super cute. This book is not one dimensional though. Kasie West does a wonderful job making Charlie face her past. I really felt for Charlie. Overall, On the Fence is a top pick for ya summer reads. I dare you not to enjoy it!