**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net** 

Soulprint is one crazy ride. The idea pulled me in right from the beginning. The idea that souls can live on in multiple live is nothing new. Reincarnation has been around for a long while, but don't let that fool you into thinking this book is something overdone. Megan Miranda took this idea and ran so far with it that you will hardly recognize it. I love the blend of suspense, action/chase, science, and the layers of corruption that she wove into the story of Soulprint. It is one excellent ride!

The biggest mystery to me is why it took me so long to read and finish Soulprint. I really enjoyed this book from start to finish but for whatever reason it took me way longer to read than most books. That is still a mystery to me because I didn't put the book down because I was bored. This book had me thinking and pondering the whole time, which was more than enough to keep me engaged and interested in the storyline. I was fascinated by the clues that June left Alina. Was she good? Was she bad? Just what the heck had she done that made them lock Alina down like they did.

I loved how unique and different this book felt. It had kind of an inception feel to it, even though it was really nothing like inception. It was part political thriller, part sci-fi dystopian, and a whole lot of interesting. I thought the characters and the plot were extremely well done. The romance was nice, but not the predominant theme of the book. It was just kind of there pleasantly swirling around in the background of this awesomely cool and intense chase that Aline, Cameron, Dominic and Casey were on.

Soulprint didn't specifically state that it was going to be the first book in a series, but it was strongly implied. I, for one, really want there to be a sequel. I can't wait to see if Aline will finally find her mother, or if it will be someone else entirely. Plus, there is the whole issue with Dominic. I think there is so much more about him that we have yet to learn. Bring it on! Bring it all on, Megan Miranda! I want more of the world you built in Soulprint.

 This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net** 

I loved Open Road Summer by Emery Lord so much. (but then again, who didn't? Seriously, that book got such positive feedback it was awesome.) And I am beyond happy to say that she has done it again! All of the reviews that I have been reading for The Start of Me and You have been raving. I loved this book. I just want to hug it and have it with me at all times. Even now that I am done reading it. Emery Lord writes some of the best friendships I have ever read in young adult. I know that is a bold statement, but these are friendships that teens (and everyone) should look up to, and idolize. Paige, Tessa, Morgan, and Kayleigh are so there for one another. They would drop anything in a hot second if they thought one of their friends needed them. And they did. Over and over again. They never got sick of hearing someone complain about the same issue on repeat. They were patient, and understanding. Sure they got into little tiffs, but they always bounced back almost immediately. They were real best friends. I will never get sick of reading about this kind of supportive true friendship. I loved it. Not to mention, on top of that, the romance is great and the story makes you feel all kinds of warm and fuzzies.

The Start of Me and You takes place in a small town where one nickname or one incident can haunt you forever. For Paige that incident was when her new boyfriend drowned. Now she is always known as "girl whose boyfriend died" or Kyle's girlfriend, even though their relationship was still in the getting to know you phase. She was forever marked. I really felt for Paige, it was such a tough spot to be in and I applaud Emery Lord for describing the situation so well. There were facets of it that I hadn't even considered, but watching Paige live it took it to a whole different level for me. I love books that have lists, and the Start of Me and You had a list that Paige dubbed her new beginning list. I loved where her list took her. It took her to joining the quizbowl, which hello, I want to join one of those!!

I thought The Start of Me and You was a bit predictable in parts, but I enjoyed that about it because the things that I could predict were the things that I wanted to happen. Like the whole situation with her crush Ryan and his Cousin Max. This book is perfect for a feel good read. Case in point, I am still smiling as I sit here writing my review. I liked it even more than Open Road Summer. Emery Lord is on my auto buy list now because she knows how to write romances and more importantly, she knows how to write quality friendships. I can't get enough of her. The Start of Me and You is such a great book that I am already thinking about when I can re-read it. Fans of YA contemporary romance, of great characters and great friendships need to read The Start of Me and You.

 This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net** 

Summer by Summer is a standalone young adult contemporary. Summer by Summer has so many layers to it, and it will take you by surprise. The cover seems unassuming enough, with a pretty girl on a beach, and the start of the summer is much of the same. Summer takes a summer nanny gig with a rich family vacationing in Belize. But then it shifts. Bray, the families older son, and Summer are stranded on a deserted island. And then when you are reading, it shifts again and again, but I won't give those away. Just know that every time I thought I got a grip on what this book was, it changed. I loved that because the pace and new layers kept me on my toes. Summer by Summer was a very nice story, and way more exciting than I originally anticipated.

It is published by Blink, an imprint of HarperCollins Christian publishing line Zondervan. It is a clean young adult novel, and the main character Summer used to be involved with her church youth group, so up front warning that religion is a theme in this book. It is not overly preachy, but it is a strong vein in the storyline. It comes up in a few different ways. I thought it tied in very nicely with the plot, but I did want to include that in my review because I know that some readers will want to know up front. The religion stemmed from an event that happened in Summer's past, and I loved the way the author kept digging and bringing up this event because each time she wove it into the storyline, I felt like I got to know Summer a little better. And my heart broke for the poor girl. Bray was right, she is super strong.

The romance in Summer by Summer is very predominant and such a sweet romance. I really liked Summer and Bray. I thought they jumped all over the place in their feelings at the start. They were annoyed, they disliked each other and then Bray did a 180 and was all of a sudden very nice, and then they liked each other. That was my only hiccup with the story, but very soon after that rollercoaster Summer and Bray were stranded and from that point forward, I thought their relationship progressed my more naturally. My only other gripe with the story was something that happened in the epilogue. I thought it was all very nice, but it is something that I just don't like seeing in the young adult books that I read. Personal preference of mine, but I can't say what it is without spoilers. (the event/action not the message)

Summer by Summer was a nice read. I enjoyed it, and the part that I liked most of all was that Heather Burch was able to keep me on my toes while reading. Just when I would start to think the plot was dragging a bit, she would change things up drastically and some whole other element that I wasn't expecting would be introduced. I am determined not to ruin the fun of this book with spoilers, so if you have read Summer by Summer please let me know because I would really liked to talk to someone about it! If you are looking for a very sweet, keep you on your toes clean YA- check out Summer by Summer.

 This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

I love a good New Orleans setting, so right away I was interested in Flight. And it did not let me down at all. I really enjoyed Flight and the world that is created within it's pages. I think it is setting up to be a really awesome series.

I loved Allie! I can't even state enough how much I loved her. She totally rocked. She made up for a few problems I had with the other characters. Levi took awhile to grow on me, and Allie's best friend did nothing for me. She actually kind of annoyed me. But once Levi grew on me, I really started to like him. I just couldn't figure out his motives for the longest time, but once I figured him out I was a fan. Plus Allie is just so cool that she makes up for the others that are not quiet as cool as she is. I love how strong she is. She knows what she thinks and what she believes and she sticks with it. That was so refreshing. Too often I encounter a main character that is so wishy washy or easily influenced.

I also a big fan of the world building. It was like a supernatural secret society. How awesome does that sound?!? It kind of reminded me of Paranormalcy in the fact that there were lots of different paranormal and supernatural creatures. It was really interesting and I can't wait for the next book. Allie and Levi have come a long way and the plot line still has so many things I can't wait to learn more about. The second book is going to be so great. Flight is the type of first book in a series that just gets you excited for whats to come in the series. It lays the groundwork for a great story. I think the next book is going to have more conflict than this one, and I can't wait to see the direction it will turn! Flight is a great read.

I absolutely LOVED Flight, the first book in the Crescent Chronicles, so I was desperate to get my hands on a copy of Focus. I just thought the idea of a paranormal and shifter secret society that was not run by your average vampire or werewolf was super interesting. Plus, I am starting to learn that I love New Orleans for a setting. Especially as the setting for a paranormal book.

Focus picks up a little after the end of Flight. Allie is just starting her freshman year at Tulane. I liked that it started with the school year. It seemed like a fresh start for Allie. At least, that's what it seemed like Allie wished it was. She was still hurting with what Levi did at the end of the first book and she was slow to forgive and forget. I actually really like that about Allie. She is not going to just give into Levi because she thinks he is sexy. But at the same time, she isn't unreasonably stubborn. She tries to make things work and she always tries to do the right thing. I think she is a pretty cool chick.

Levi is cocky and all of the things that he was in the first book, but at the same time, no one can deny how strongly he cares about Allie. That is never in question. I thought he really made some progress in Focus and I really liked Levi. There is just something about him. He is intense, but you know he is going to step up and take charge. In a good way. The other characters are really fantastic as well. I loved getting to know Anne and Tiffany. I thought they fit in great with the crazy guys. I loved that we got to know some more about the various parents. Some of them kind of creeped me out.

If you were a fan of Flight, or of Alyssa Rose Ivy, you need to read Focus. You will love it. It is YA paranormal romance goodness. I thought it was a great follow up to Flight and I think it really set the way for a super awesome third book! Plus that bomb that Alyssa Rose Ivy just casually threw at us stunned me! It makes me just as anxious for the next book. I am loving this series.

The Hazards of Skinny Dipping is a great college story for a girl that is trying to figure out what she wants and who she wants to be. Juliet has finished high school and is going off to college in the fall. She gets a list of things to do to bring her out of her shell and the very last item on the list is to go skinny dipping. So she decides to just go for it and she jumps...and she is caught. By her hot neightbor Dylan. Who she has always had a crush on. Dylan finally takes notice that Juliet has grown up, and when they meet up at college they start to date. And Juliet gets her Happily Ever After. The End.

Just Kidding. That all happens pretty close to the start of the story and as you have guessed it that is just the start of one heck of a freshman year at college for Juliet. Juliet is a quiet super sweet girl, and Dylan is nice enough I guess, but he is a loud and sometimes rude guy who is used to girls throwing themselves at him. I don't think he was the biggest jerk on the planet, but I just couldn't see him with Juliet in the long run. But this is her lifetime crush so she just can't give up on him overnight. I do think Dylan cared about Juliet, but I just wanted someone different with her. Someone like Reed.

Juliet works with Reed and he is just flat out adorable. I loved how protective he would get over Juliet. They are thrown together multiple times throughout The Hazards of Skinny Dipping and each time they hung out I liked them more and more. Alyssa Rose Ivy does such a great job developing her characters and romances. I love reading all of her book for this reason. I know that the story will be engaging and fun and the characters will be relate-able and fully fleshed out and the romance will be rockin'. Juliet had me laughing out loud more times than I can count. The Hazards of Skinny Dipping was a feel good new adult book for me, and I can't wait to continue the series.

Derailed was different than I expected. I am super excited to see that this is going to be a series, but it ended pretty final so I will be interested to see where book 2 picks up. I have a feeling it may be one of those series that each book focuses on a different person, but I am not totally sure. (note: it is, I just checked the series out, and I think book 2 is where I will totally fall in love)

Derailed starts out in a law school, when they are studying for finals. I know exactly how Molly felt. I can't say that I have ever walked out on a class before, but it never seemed like something she really wanted to do. The story really starts when she goes back home to clayton falls. She reconnects with her ex, Ben. But she also meets Gavin, a cop that kind of stole my heart. That was the only sticking point I had with Derailed. I liked Ben and I loved Gavin, and Gavin just wasn't going to happen for her. Ben made sure it was only him. And I did like Ben and I did like how hard he tried for everything, but something about him always felt a little off to me.

Molly is determined not to fall back in with Ben when she gets home because she is still dealing with everything else going on in her life, but Ben is pretty insistent, and he is also a pretty great guy. Derailed sets up a very interesting town with Clayton Falls. I love the characters, and I think it will be fun to get to know them in books 2 and 3, especially since each book focuses on different people. I have a feeling Gavin will be my favorite.

Veer is even better than the first book in the Clayton Falls series. I enjoyed Derailed, but Veer had a different feel to it for me. Derailed was more of a second chances kind of story and Veer is more of an opposites attract or what I like to call, "nope-we-don't-like-each-other-kind-of-love-story." One thing that was the same is the consistent good quality writing that I have come to expect and admire about Alyssa Rose Ivy. I have now read 5 or 6 books by her and they are all very well written and well developed. She is an excellent story teller.

Veer is the story of Becca and Gavin. The story opens with Becca and her car breaking down. This is just the tip of the iceberg for her- the girl has a lot on her plate! I connected with her pretty instantly. Because Alyssa's writing is so detailed and descriptive, it was really easy as the reader to get inside Becca's head. I felt like I was along for the ride, right there with her.

I feel like Gavin got a bad rep from Derailed. When I read the first book, I liked Gavin. Sure he had his jerk moment, but I didn't feel like that was who he was. I felt like that was kind of a knee jerk reaction to being hurt. But then I started seeing other reviews and people didn't like Gavin. At all. I was so bummed. But it just meant that I was even more excited to read his story. And I still like him. I think he is good for Becca. He is not perfect, and he certainly still had his jerk moments in this book too, but like I said before- I don't think that is who he is. Don't get me wrong- some of his actions crushed me, but I think he more than made up for it. I loved how thoughtful he could be and how dedicated he is.

Veer is a NA contemporary romance. The plot has a natural, easy flow and it is really easy to just sink into the story. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop and before I knew it, I had finished the book. I didn't even realize that much time had passed. It felt like I had just started reading. Alyssa Rose Ivy has that gift. She is just a consistently good writer. I can't wait to see what the next book in the Clayton Falls series has in store for us.

The Hazards of a One Night Stands is the second book in the Hazards series and it focuses on the love story of another one of the Delta Mu sisters- Mallory. Juliet is still one of the main characters in the story thought, and I really loved that we got to see more of her and Reed. Juliet is such an awesome friend to Mallory, even when Mallory was being kind of Moody. In fact, when Mallory started to annoy me, it was Juliet's faith in her that she was normally not petty like this that told me not to give up on her. And I was really glad that I didn't because I ended up really liking Mallory.

The Hazards of a One Night Stand focuses on Mallory and Colton. Mallory has always had a crush on Colton but he was a year younger than her in high school (even though he was only a few months younger in age) and oh yea, he was also the younger brother of her only serious high school boyfriend. Colton and Mallory had been friends for ages, and right away I could tell that I loved the dynamic between the two of them. It was easy to see how much Colt cared about Mallory.

When Mallory gets back to school and finds out that not only is Colt there, but he is rushing for the frat that Mallory's Sorority hangs out the most, she doesn't want anything to do with him. I felt kind of bad for him, but he doesn't let anything get him down. Not once does he get discouraged or let anything put him in a bad or negative mood. Colt was like a ray of really hot sunshine. I wish Mallory was more like him sometimes. She was nervous because he was younger (which made her seem kind of petty to me.) and because he is her ex's brother, which was a much more valid reason in my opinion. I ended up liking Mallory once she finally got over herself but it was little rocky for me at times. Juliet is such an awesome friend though and when she told Mallory to snap out of it and that this wasn't how she normally was, I figured it was just a rough patch for Mallory and I gave her the benefit of the doubt that she really wasn't so bad. And I was glad that I did. I ended up really liking Mallory. And I love the idea of her and Colt together. They are so good for each other.

There are obstacles in their way to romance though. One named Tanner. I wasn't really sure what his deal was. He seemed overly emotional on one hand, and on the other hand overly confident. Every time Mallory told him she wasn't interested he just brushed it off like she didn't know anything. It was pretty annoying. I can't see myself getting along with someone like Tanner. Not when you have Colt staring you right in the face! Fans of the Hazards series will enjoy this one. I liked the first book a little more but that is because Juliet is just so awesome! I loved that she got to come back to play in this book to. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to her yet. Colton is such a perfect heartthrob. I just want him all for myself. He made the book for me. I can't wait to see who is going to be the focus of the next book. (I am kind of voting for it to be Mallory's "Little Sis")