This is quite possibly the best contemporary I have EVER read. I enjoyed every minute of The Vincent Boys. I didn't want it to end. It is one of those books that you wish had unlimited pages to turn. You just want to keep reading it forever.

Beau is just plain awesomeness. He is just a guy made up purely of awesome! I want a few Beau's on hand at all times for me. Now you all know, that I am not normally one for the bad boys- but I didn't find Beau to be bad. Not really. He cared so much about Ashton, and he is such a great match for her. He really gets her, and that is the most important thing. I loved how Ashton could just be herself with Beau. Sawyer seems great, and I'm sure he is a great guy but he just seemed fake to me. I started to warm up to him at the very end. I know things must have been hard for him to deal with but still. I guess my main problem was that he wasn't Beau.

This book has such a steamy, awesome, and sweet romance. I could not get enough of it. It ended so perfectly that I am sure it is a stand alone book. And it works great as one, the problem is- I don't want it to be a stand alone. I want to read more about Ashton! So much more.

Abbi Glines tells such a great story in The Vincent Boys. I loved it so much. And I didn't just love the characters, the writing is what got to me. Abbi writes so well. You just can't stop turning the pages. You want more, but yet you want to pace yourself so you can savor the book. I can't say enough good things about this book. If you are looking for a cute contemporary with a wonderful romance, choose The Vincent Boys. You won't be sorry you did.

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


The Natural History of Us is the second book in the young adult contemporary romance series, The Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris. Each of the books back be read as standalones, and they are each told in dual narrative between the book's main couple. The Natural History of Us features Justin and Peyton. I loved Justin and Peyton so much, and their story is just as cute as I wanted it to be.

NatHist_TCfrontThe Natural History of Us is told in dual narrative between Justin and Peyton, as well as told in a dual time line format- alternating between freshman year and senior year. Rachel Harris made a note in her afterword/acknowledgment section saying that both of these dual formats is not for the faint of heart, and I completely believe her. It is a lot to keep up with. (it makes me wonder how she wrote it too. Did she do all the freshman year stuff, and then the senior year events, or did she write it out alternating as she went?)

I ended up connecting with the senior year events more, and wanted to read through the freshman year chapters more quickly, but they are important to the storyline because it shows where the couple "went wrong" the first time. And I will admit, after seeing how Smitten past and present Justin are with Peyton, I was more than a little curious to see how they did fall apart in the first place. They seemed great for each other right from the first moment. Turns out, it was all very high school for their reasons, but I suppose that is fitting, since they were only 15 at the time.

Bottom Line: The Natural History of Us is a very cute story. I loved the class project. What I loved most of all was how hell bent Justin was on winning Peyton back. I am a sucker for a guy willing to go all out to get the girl he wants. And that is exactly what happened in this book. Read it if you are looking for a cute high school romance.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**The Girlfriend Request by Jodie Andrefski is a really cute young adult standalone that will take you by surprise. When I first started reading, I thought this was going to be a catfish type story. (You know, that show on MTV where people "meet" people online, that end up not being who they said they were. Shocker...) But it totally is not that kind of story at all. I loved the way Jodie Andrefski morphed The Girlfriend Request multiple times. She blew my preconceived notions out of the water. And she kept me on my toes. More than once, I thought I knew what was going to happen next only to be wrong. Almost every time! That made reading this story a whole lotta fun.

The Girlfriend Request centers on the theme of Friends-to-more. It is the story of Emma and Eli. Emma has a had a crush on her best friend Eli for as long as she can remember, and she has a plan (though totally convoluted!) that she is sure will finally make him see her in a whole new light. Sounds pretty predictable, right? Well, that is where the predictability ends. This book was super cute, and a really fun ride.

I loved Emma. Even though she sometimes did some stupid things, she was still adorable and a really kind person. And Eli is a sweetheart as well. Both of them totally melted my heart.What I liked most about them, is that they have such a friend friendship. Eli can read Emma like a book. He gets her 100% And he likes her 100% for who she is. It was really adorable to read the scenes where they were hanging out.

Bottom line: If you love young adult romantic comedies, and you are looking for an afternoon of light, fun reading, The Girlfriend Request is a great book for you to pick up. It fits in wonderfully with Entangled's Crush line.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**The Requiem Red is the first in a new, young adult series by Brynn Chapman. The Requiem Red is a fantasy/horror/suspense/historical story, and that is a mix of genres that really works well for me. I enjoyed this story a lot, and it left me pretty desperately wanting the next book. Brynn Chapman clearly excels in books with a flair towards the historical. She can paint a time period picture unlike most authors. She has a gift in that regard.

I loved the mystery and suspenseful atmosphere Brynn created in The Requiem Red. The asylum setting is the perfect place for the creepies to set in. Throw a mystery into the mix and sprinkle in some fantasy elements, and you have a book that I was dying to read. Strangely enough, the thing that I normally crave and gravitate towards the most, the romance, was the thing that did the least for me in this instance. But even more strange, was the fact that it didn't bug me nearly as much as I thought it would. There are so many other things going on in the story, that the romance was kind of pushed to the back burner for me.

Let's take a moment to talk about, what was, in my opinion the real standout star of The Requiem Red. Brynn Chapman is a master storyteller. I loved her writing and I loved the way she set the stage for her tale. Each of her scenes were atmospheric and richly detailed. She is a very deliberate writer, and I think it is what made The Requiem Red shine. I loved the spooky asylum, I loved the characters, and I loved the Brynn not only let me into the world she created by opening the door, she dumped me right in the middle of it and led me on a guided tour that was breathtaking. Not to mention, she ended it leaving me anxious for the next book.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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

The Wedding Date is an adult contemporary romance novel by Kelly Eadon. It is marked at adult, but I felt like the characters were right on the border between New adult age and adult age, so I think The Wedding Date would appeal to fans of both age groups. Can I tell you guys a secret? (that is probably not much of a secret...at all) I am sucker for a fake relationship book. I know, that is not surprising at all, but I just can't get enough of them. They fit perfectly into the fun, light and romantic books I can't seem to get enough of. And The Wedding Date was all of that and more. It was a really fun read.

The Wedding Date is told in dual narrative between Kate and James. I really liked both of the characters. Neither one of them was dramatic at all, so it was very refreshing to see that there was none of the usual over dramatic "roadblocks" that the couple faced. Sure, there were road blocks but each and every one of them was dealt with in a calm, mature way. (mostly.) Again, that was very refreshing.

Kate and James have great chemistry. I could easily seem them being a fun, and laid back couple in real life. The Wedding Date was a bit predictable, just the way I wanted it to be. This is a great read to bring out to the pool or the beach for the warmer weather we have been having. Bring on the beach reads!

Bottom line: The Wedding Date is a feel good, fake relationship romance that is well written, with very likable characters. Whether the weather is beach weather already, or if you are just looking to get into a summer mindset, The Wedding Date is a great story to transport you to lazy summer days.

P.S. The main character Kate is a lawyer, so you know I liked that about her. :p

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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

Don't Get Caught is a hilarious young adult book by Kurt Dinan. I am not exaggerating AT ALL when I say that my face was literally sore from all of the smiling and laughing I did while reading Don't Get Caught. (I'm not sure what that says about my face muscles. Maybe I need to be smiling more to work them out. I do suffer from Resting B Face..but I digress.) The point I am trying to make is Don't Get Caught is the most fun I have had reading a book in a long time. It is just screaming to get made into a movie. I would watch it over and over again.

There are so many things that I just loved about Don't Get Caught, but the main one is how I think this book will appeal to such a wide audience. I think readers old and young will laugh and love Max's story, and I think both guys and girls are perfect target audiences for this tale. it is hard to deny just how fun this book is. I love a young adult book with a male protagonist, and Max is every bit as silly and mischievous as I wanted him to be. Him and the rest of the water tower five lived up to all of my expectations.

The book is told in a series of "heist rules". I loved that. They ranged anywhere from "Rule #3- If questioned, be evasive" to "Rule #7- always get payback" to the obvious- DON'T GET CAUGHT. The ending left open the possibility for a sequel, and I for one and really, really, really hoping that we get one. Come on Kurt Dinan, please don't let us down. My face needs another laugh workout. (you can hold the cure for Resting B***h Face!)

Bottom line: Don't get Caught is pure fun. If this description from the summary makes you say "yes!", then you will love Don't Get Caught: "Oceans 11 meets The Breakfast Club in this entertaining, fast-paced debut filled with pranks and cons that will keep readers on their toes, never sure who’s pulling the strings or what’s coming next."

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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

Trial by Fire is the third book in the young adult paranormal series, Going Down in Flames. Like the previous two books in the series, this one picks up right where book 2, Bridges Burned leaves off, so be sure to read the previous books before starting this one. I liked Trial by Fire, but I think it is my least favorite installment of all the books so far. It is a close call, and to put this in perspective, I love this series so much, that even though this book is my least favorite so far, I still loved it!

Bryn is back at school and dealing with a lot. In fact, all of the characters are. I felt for her, for Rhiannon, Garett and Valmont. (who, by the way, I just adore so much.) There is a lot going on from the directorate, from the mystery they are uncovering, and from the threats flying around. Not to mention the emotional volleyball game that I was watching. Romance wise, this series has my head spinning. I am so freakin' confused! I spent a good bit of time flip flopping with romantic interests in the first and second book. (if you don't know what I mean, I did a good job mapping out everything I was feeling about the guys in this post HERE) And for the most part, my opinions have not really changed. I still really like Valmont, but I would be lying if I said that I didn't have my reservations. I also really like Jaxon. Don't ask me why, I know he is a jerk most of the time. But there is just something about him that makes me want to see what him and Bryn would look like. And therein lies my confusion. I like Valmont more. I think Valmont is nicer and his intentions towards Bryn are easier to see. he should be the clear team for me to ship. But alas, I am still held up on Jaxon. And I DON'T KNOW WHY! (Am I the only one that feels this way? I would really love to discuss this with someone else who has read the series. Let me know in the comments below, or drop me an email.) I was super happy to see one thing. Spoiler alert!-->

Zavien is gone from this book! Good riddance to bad garbage, I say!

Trial By Fire does give us some much needed answers at the end of the book on the mystery front. So much of the book was centered around Bryn and her knight/bond with him, that it was nice to see the mystery develop in the middle of the book. I found myself gravitating to that plot line the most. It was less emotionally confusing for me than the romance.

Bottom line: if you are a fan of this series, Trial by Fire will read a lot like the second book. While I didn't love it as much as I loved the first one, this is still a solid young adult fantasy series. One of my favorite dragon series ever, in fact. I would recommend the Going Down in Flames series to young adult fantasy lovers everywhere. Just be warned, be prepared to be romantically confused in all of the books.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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

No Love Allowed is the first in a young adult contemporary romance series by Kate Evangelista. I have read a few of Kate's books in the past, and I now know that when I pick up one of her books, it will be a fun and light-hearted romance. No Love Allowed was no different. I liked this story. It was not my favorite of Kate's books by any means, and I did have a few annoyances with it, but it was a fun and quick romance.

I bet you can tell where this story is going to go. As the title implies, the two main characters Caleb and Didi embark on a summer fake -nomance, with Caleb's big number one rule flashing over everything- You are not allowed to fall in love with him. I liked Caleb, but I loved Didi. While she is a bit of a scatterbrain and she might get on my nerves if I had to keep up with her in real life, in the pages of this book she was the perfect amount of spitfire and spunk for Caleb. I loved that she didn't take any crap from anyone. As soon as he told her that she couldn't fall in love with him, she shot right back that maybe he would be the one falling for her. She just made me smirk.

No Love Allowed is great for young adult readers who are looking for a quick romance read that is full of sass and lots of fun. The book is pretty predictable, and the characters are immature at times. Readers that get easily annoyed by those things might want to steer clear (but if so, do try another one of Kate's books because I have really enjoyed them. (I would recommend Romancing the Bookworm or Reaping me Softly) But there is no denying that No Love Allowed is a fun read. Give it a shot if you are looking for a quick and fluffy fun story.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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

I don't listen to nearly enough audio books. I should listen to more. Most of my hold up is that 1) I will not love the narrator. (more on that later) and 2) that they will not read fast enough for me. I am a fast reader. And I have to say that both of my reservations were realized, but they were fixable. I never knew that with audible you can speed up the listening speed. That helped A LOT. The other reason is unavoidable, but it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. My audio book takeaway is that I absolutely want to listen to more books. especially in the car. That is time well spent on long driving trips.

Sincerely, Carter is the first in a new adult romance series by the same name by author Whitney G. I really, really loved the story. It was a best friends to lovers trope and that one always warms my heart and makes me smile. The book itself gets very close to 5 big favorite stars, but the audio version of it detracted a bit from the story. I really liked the narrator for Arizona, but the voice for Carter just did not match up at all for me. Not to mention in the Arizona chapters, if Carter had a speaking role it wasn't Carter's narrator doing the voice, it was Arizona in a "guy voice", and that bugged me even more. I see Carter as this strong male character and his voice just didn't live up to that for me. The narrator did a good job, it just wasn't how I pictured Carter in my head. Other than that, the story was excellent. I really loved it. I didn't realize that this was going to be a series, but I am beyond thrilled that it is.

Carter and Arizona have been the very best of friends since 4th (or 5th) grade. And they have never once crossed the line. (until the events of this story) It is something that confounds everyone they meet. I loved watching them see each other in a new light. I didn't think it felt rushed or unexpected. I thought it felt really natural actually. Each one of the characters annoyed me exactly once, and it was at the end of the book. Arizona annoyed me a ton more than Carter. I wanted to slap her for acting so petty. I know that she was hurt but come on! She knew exactly what she was getting into, and the way she acted was way meaner than anything Carter could have said or done. (that's just my two cents though.)

Bottom line: if you are a fan of the friends to lovers trope, Sincerely, Carter is a MUST READ for you. It is one of the best in this story line that I have ever read. Although, I would probably suggest the book over the audio book. (sorry Carter narrator!) I loved this story, right down to every last letter they sent each other. It was sincerely very cute! (I know that doesn't really work, but I am forcing it anyway.)

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs

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

Emerge is a young adult mermaid fantasy by Tobie Easton. It is the first in the Mer Chronicles series. I absolutely love the cover of Emerge. Seriously, it just does it for me. I love the way the dress is the same color as the ocean. It has an ethereal feel to it. Sadly, and I really hate saying this, but the story did not quite live up to the beautiful cover for me. Don't get me wrong, Emerge was still a good read. I enjoyed it, but I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. And it is hard for me to pin down exactly why.

I liked the idea behind Emerge a lot. A Descendant of the little mermaid- umm yes please! And one of my favorite things about the story was also one of the things that caused me a great frustration. You are just dropped into this very imaginative and fanciful world that Tobie Easton created. And I loved that it kind of did have a little mermaid vibe. With all of its strange names for things, and the hectic excitable writing and characters. But it was hard for me to fully get my bearing and get a grasp on everything that was going on, which was difficult for me as a reader at times. Overall, I thought the world was a cool and different world, and I thought the characters were very true to their young adult age. That was spot on and well done.

The main character, Lia, is a mer that has grown up on land. I really liked that the mers that grow up on land have to basically come into puberty before they get their legs. There were a lot of neat ideas scattered throughout the book that I enjoyed reading about. It made the story fun. The romantic interest was also good. I liked the crush that Lia had on Clay. I thought it was cute the lengths that she was willing to go to to save him from the new girl. Lia did get on a nerves a bit. She was so indecisive. But she is a teenager after all. Let's just say she was very age appropriate.

Bottom line: Emerge is a cute young adult fantasy book, that may be good for fans of mermaid action and adventure stories. It falls squarely in the young adult genre, maybe erring on the younger side of the spectrum. There is a lot of action and the pace picks up as the book goes on. It was a decent start to what could be an interesting series. Check out Emerge if you love mermaid tales.

This review was originally posted on Book Briefs