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**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Royally Roma is the first book in The Royals series by Teri Wilson. Royally Roma is a modern retelling of the classic Audrey Hepburn film Roman Holiday. I found Royally Roma to be a fun whirlwind adventure romance. I can't wait to read more of The Royals series. In Royally Roma we get to see a crowned prince play hooky for a bit, and finally let loose and have some fun. This was a light hearted, feel good romance. I would recommend reading this book on a Sunday afternoon by the pool.
Royally Roma is the story of Julia and Niccolo. Julia is a grad student working as tour guide, and Niccolo is a frustrated prince who took advantage of an opportunity to get away for a day. Part of me felt bad for Niccolo initially, but part of me was annoyed at his attitude. I know he didn't have much of a life because he was being paraded around from country to country making appearances, but he was certainly more than a little snooty at times, which made it hard for me to feel totally bad for him. But most of the time, he really amused me. I liked seeing how amused he was with Julia, who had no idea who he was at first. She thought he was her client, Mano Romano. hahah that name still cracks me up. I liked watching Julia and Niccolo spar, especially the talks they had about royalty.
Royally Roma was not totally without drama ad roadblocks. Niccolo could not hide his identity forever, and he is eventually found out, thus causing some issues. But overall, I really enjoyed the development of this story. It was largely light-hearted fun and the romance ended up being really sweet and satisfying. I can't wait for more in this series. Teri Wilson did a great job writing a fun, feel good book.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Royally Roma is the story of Julia and Niccolo. Julia is a grad student working as tour guide, and Niccolo is a frustrated prince who took advantage of an opportunity to get away for a day. Part of me felt bad for Niccolo initially, but part of me was annoyed at his attitude. I know he didn't have much of a life because he was being paraded around from country to country making appearances, but he was certainly more than a little snooty at times, which made it hard for me to feel totally bad for him. But most of the time, he really amused me. I liked seeing how amused he was with Julia, who had no idea who he was at first. She thought he was her client, Mano Romano. hahah that name still cracks me up. I liked watching Julia and Niccolo spar, especially the talks they had about royalty.
Royally Roma was not totally without drama ad roadblocks. Niccolo could not hide his identity forever, and he is eventually found out, thus causing some issues. But overall, I really enjoyed the development of this story. It was largely light-hearted fun and the romance ended up being really sweet and satisfying. I can't wait for more in this series. Teri Wilson did a great job writing a fun, feel good book.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid is the first in a young adult fantasy series by the same name, and right off the bat I have to say- The Diabolic is tied for my favorite fantasy read of 2016! (and it is so close I can't decide which is number 1 or number 2, this or Heartless) The Diabolic was an exciting and riveting read. I could not put it down. I carried this book with me everywhere, just in case I had a couple of moments to get in a page throughout my day. And I don't do that for too many large books. Normally I carry my kindle around for mid days quicky reads, but even though this one was over 400 pages, I couldn't resist. Also, if you will notice, I put this as the starter for a series. I don't technically know that is true or not, but the ending (which killed me!) kind of leaves it open for a follow up, and I am so badly wishing for one that I am putting it out to the universe as true. This is book one in a series! (please, make that be true.)
The Diabolic was awesomely complex, with all kinds of political intrigue and lies, and mind games galore. There was one things that gutted me, and I really wish didn't happen View spoiler hereThe DOG WAS KILLED! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I seriously cried when I read this. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY??!! WHY?! but, taking that out- because I am honestly pretending it didn't really happen, The Diabolic was a perfect fantasy read for me. And here is why. Nemesis kicks serious butt. I know she is designed to be a lethal killing machine with no emotions, which would seem to make her extremely unlikable, but I LOVED her! She secretly starts developing emotions, which helps, but even when she was more unfeeling she was awesome. She is awesome, and she really can kick some butt. Diabolics are designed to bond with one person, whom they desire to protect at all costs. And Nemesis and Sidonia really did love each other. I liked seeing them interact, but the real fun of the story begins when Nemesis is sent to the imperial court to secretly impersonate Donia so no harm can come to her.
I loved seeing this space world being fleshed out. I thought the world building was awesome. I think fans of fantasy novels mixed in with the political intrigue of court drama will love The Diabolic. It was so expertly executed. The best part of the Diabolic were the excellently constructed, and awesomely different characters. It is not every day you see a main character like Nemesis and a love interest that is so wonderfully complex like Tyus. He is so not your average nice guy, or even almost nice guy. I absolutely loved him, in all of his grey area-ness. He was so unique and different. I have not read a character like him in a long time. Seeing Nemesis and him interact was alsmost as great as seeing Nemesis interact with her dog.
Bottom line: the Diabolic will be a book that you cannot put down. Everything about it is awesome- except for that thing that shall not be named. From the world, to the complex and unique characters, to the plot. I really loved The Diabolic. And I so badly want there to be a sequel! This was one of my favorite books of 2016.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid is the first in a young adult fantasy series by the same name, and right off the bat I have to say- The Diabolic is tied for my favorite fantasy read of 2016! (and it is so close I can't decide which is number 1 or number 2, this or Heartless) The Diabolic was an exciting and riveting read. I could not put it down. I carried this book with me everywhere, just in case I had a couple of moments to get in a page throughout my day. And I don't do that for too many large books. Normally I carry my kindle around for mid days quicky reads, but even though this one was over 400 pages, I couldn't resist. Also, if you will notice, I put this as the starter for a series. I don't technically know that is true or not, but the ending (which killed me!) kind of leaves it open for a follow up, and I am so badly wishing for one that I am putting it out to the universe as true. This is book one in a series! (please, make that be true.)
The Diabolic was awesomely complex, with all kinds of political intrigue and lies, and mind games galore. There was one things that gutted me, and I really wish didn't happen View spoiler here
I loved seeing this space world being fleshed out. I thought the world building was awesome. I think fans of fantasy novels mixed in with the political intrigue of court drama will love The Diabolic. It was so expertly executed. The best part of the Diabolic were the excellently constructed, and awesomely different characters. It is not every day you see a main character like Nemesis and a love interest that is so wonderfully complex like Tyus. He is so not your average nice guy, or even almost nice guy. I absolutely loved him, in all of his grey area-ness. He was so unique and different. I have not read a character like him in a long time. Seeing Nemesis and him interact was alsmost as great as seeing Nemesis interact with her dog.
Bottom line: the Diabolic will be a book that you cannot put down. Everything about it is awesome- except for that thing that shall not be named. From the world, to the complex and unique characters, to the plot. I really loved The Diabolic. And I so badly want there to be a sequel! This was one of my favorite books of 2016.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
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**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire) is a humorous memoir from Jen Glantz. I immediately knew I had to read Always a Bridesmaid by Jen for a few reasons. One, I had already heard of her business- Bridesmaid for Hire and I thought it was genius! I have been casually following her through that and I love seeing things about how it all works. Two, Jen is my age and from the same town in Florida. We even went to the same high school for 2 years before our town built another school and split the students. I didn't know Jen growing up, but I had several mutual friends who did. So I was super curious when I saw she was coming out with her own book! And then finally, look at the tag line: "Stories on Growing Up, Looking for Love, and Walking Down the Aisle for Complete Strangers." That just sounds completely hilarious. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to check this book out. And I was so glad that I did. Always a Bridesmaid(for hire) is fantastically funny and just plain fun.
Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire) follows Jen on a series of blind dates that are each worse than the next and leads up to the start of her business idea. I loved the casual conversational writing style. I felt like I was sitting down with Jen and she was giving me a play by play for how the whole thing happened. I loved it. I read Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire) in one quick afternoon. I'm going to give you a quick run-down for how her business came about, and then I will leave the rest of the fun and juicy bits for you to read about and enjoy. After Jen had been a bridesmaid about a million times, and after about a million bad dates of her own, she drunkenly made a craigslist ad saying she would be your bridesmaid for hire. She would help walk you through all the wedding and bridesmaid stuff that first timers have no idea about, then she went to sleep. And then she went viral and everything went from there. I had a blast on this journey with Jen.
I think this is a book that all twenty somethings should read. I think everyone will get something different out of it, whether you are single or not. I really loved it. I had a serious case of perma-smile while I was reading it. Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire) is a really, really fun book. I laughed out loud so many times I lost count. But more than that, it is so easy to relate to Jen. She is do darn likable. I can't wait to see what she is going to write next! If you are looking for funny and fresh memoir for the millennial generation, this is it. If you are looking for a really funny read, read Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire). And then come back here so we can chat about it!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire) follows Jen on a series of blind dates that are each worse than the next and leads up to the start of her business idea. I loved the casual conversational writing style. I felt like I was sitting down with Jen and she was giving me a play by play for how the whole thing happened. I loved it. I read Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire) in one quick afternoon. I'm going to give you a quick run-down for how her business came about, and then I will leave the rest of the fun and juicy bits for you to read about and enjoy. After Jen had been a bridesmaid about a million times, and after about a million bad dates of her own, she drunkenly made a craigslist ad saying she would be your bridesmaid for hire. She would help walk you through all the wedding and bridesmaid stuff that first timers have no idea about, then she went to sleep. And then she went viral and everything went from there. I had a blast on this journey with Jen.
I think this is a book that all twenty somethings should read. I think everyone will get something different out of it, whether you are single or not. I really loved it. I had a serious case of perma-smile while I was reading it. Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire) is a really, really fun book. I laughed out loud so many times I lost count. But more than that, it is so easy to relate to Jen. She is do darn likable. I can't wait to see what she is going to write next! If you are looking for funny and fresh memoir for the millennial generation, this is it. If you are looking for a really funny read, read Always a Bridesmaid (for Hire). And then come back here so we can chat about it!
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Royce Rolls is a young adult humorous contemporary by Margaret Stohl. I loved this book. I found it to be hilarious. It is no secret that I am a HUGE reality tv show junkie. I watch all of it...the good, the bad and the plain old trashy. I love it. And I loved Royce Rolls because it took all of the aspects of reality tv...from the filming and production, to the impact that being a reality tv "star" has on your life, to all of the absurd moments. It all worked for me. This book is pure guilty pleasure fun. Now, I will admit that if you find the whole idea of reality tv awful, and you can't stand to even think about it...this is probably not going to be the book for you. You might find it superficial and gratuitous, and unnecessarily dramatic...which it is. But to be fair, those are some of the things I love most about reality tv. I found Royce Rolls to be a great time. I loved this book.
Royce Rolls was a blast for me to read about. I loved everything about the set up of the book. I loved the over the top characters, I loved the meddling from production, I loved the footnotes. It all worked for me. I think this book will appeal to a very specific reader. I think you will either love it, like I did, or it will be a complete miss for you. If you like reality tv, this is going to be a hoot and a half for you to read.
I loved Bentley, the main character. I thought she was likable and sweet. She was really easy to root for. I didn't love all of the characters as much as I loved her, but overall I felt like it was a good ensemble. The real winner with Royce Rolls for me was the writing. I loved all the witty dialogue and the seriously hilarious moments. I thought this was an accurate representation of the reality tv aspect of our society today. Honestly, it felt very on point for me. I also liked that I felt like I was getting a behind the scenes looks at Hollywood and production, which is always really fun.
Bottom line: If you haven't noticed by now, my theme for this book is fun. Royce Rolls is a really fun read. I think fans of reality tv will enjoy this over the top family, crazy moments and funny disalogue. I had a blast reading Royce Rolls. It was just as much a guilty pleasure as reality tv itself.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Royce Rolls is a young adult humorous contemporary by Margaret Stohl. I loved this book. I found it to be hilarious. It is no secret that I am a HUGE reality tv show junkie. I watch all of it...the good, the bad and the plain old trashy. I love it. And I loved Royce Rolls because it took all of the aspects of reality tv...from the filming and production, to the impact that being a reality tv "star" has on your life, to all of the absurd moments. It all worked for me. This book is pure guilty pleasure fun. Now, I will admit that if you find the whole idea of reality tv awful, and you can't stand to even think about it...this is probably not going to be the book for you. You might find it superficial and gratuitous, and unnecessarily dramatic...which it is. But to be fair, those are some of the things I love most about reality tv. I found Royce Rolls to be a great time. I loved this book.
Royce Rolls was a blast for me to read about. I loved everything about the set up of the book. I loved the over the top characters, I loved the meddling from production, I loved the footnotes. It all worked for me. I think this book will appeal to a very specific reader. I think you will either love it, like I did, or it will be a complete miss for you. If you like reality tv, this is going to be a hoot and a half for you to read.
I loved Bentley, the main character. I thought she was likable and sweet. She was really easy to root for. I didn't love all of the characters as much as I loved her, but overall I felt like it was a good ensemble. The real winner with Royce Rolls for me was the writing. I loved all the witty dialogue and the seriously hilarious moments. I thought this was an accurate representation of the reality tv aspect of our society today. Honestly, it felt very on point for me. I also liked that I felt like I was getting a behind the scenes looks at Hollywood and production, which is always really fun.
Bottom line: If you haven't noticed by now, my theme for this book is fun. Royce Rolls is a really fun read. I think fans of reality tv will enjoy this over the top family, crazy moments and funny disalogue. I had a blast reading Royce Rolls. It was just as much a guilty pleasure as reality tv itself.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
Don't Kiss the Messenger is a the first book in the young adult contemporary series, called Edgelake High School by Katie Ray. Katie Ray is actually a new name for YA author Katie Kacvinsky (who wrote the books- First Comes Love, Second Chance, Finally Forever, Awaken, Middle Ground, and Still Point). I have never read any of Katie's books, but I have to say I absolutely LOVED Don't Kiss the Messenger. I can't wait for the next book in the Edgelake High series. Don't Kiss the Messenger is a retelling of the classic tale of Cyrano de Bergerac. I can't even tell you how much I loved this version of the story.
Our main character, and this tale's Cyrano is a young lady named CeCe. Cece was in a very bad car accident and has really significant facial scarring from reconstructive surgeries. CeCe is a school superstar student. She is brilliant but she is also a really excellent student athlete. I loved how well rounded CeCe is. She is a really hard worker and I admired that about her. Plus, she is super sweet and honestly, she is a great friend. I loved watching her hit it off with Emmett, the new transfer student. Emmett and CeCe have a really great friendship that I thought developed very naturally. I believed it and their feelings 100%. This is what I wish all YA romances grew out of. Katie Ray did an excellent job showing their chemistry and their bonding. I love Emmett and CeCe!!
But, Emmett falls for the other new transfer student, and CeCe's volleyball teammate- Bryn. Bryn is beautiful and really sweet, but I found myself wishing she were not so one dimensional and superficial. I kept wanting to see a glimpse of more from her. Don't get me wrong, she is a sweet girl...but I was kind of with CeCe, I have no idea how Emmett fell for it for one second. One conversation with Bryn and you know everything about her. I am very ready to be proven wrong about her. I have a feeling that the next book is going to be about her and I can't wait! I have an inkling as to who is going to be her romantic interest and I am really excited for their story.
But now back to CeCe and Emmett. I loved watching their journey. I thought this was the perfect modern take on Cyrano de Bergerac. I laughed, I cried, I cheered when they finally got together. This book made me feel great. Plain and simple. And I loved that about it. I can't wait to read more from Katie Ray. This was a total hit with me. If you like really well written YA romances with awesome characters and a real, believable connection and slow build romance, Don't Kiss the Messenger is going to be a favorite of yours. Trust me, you do not want to miss out on this gem.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Don't Kiss the Messenger is a the first book in the young adult contemporary series, called Edgelake High School by Katie Ray. Katie Ray is actually a new name for YA author Katie Kacvinsky (who wrote the books- First Comes Love, Second Chance, Finally Forever, Awaken, Middle Ground, and Still Point). I have never read any of Katie's books, but I have to say I absolutely LOVED Don't Kiss the Messenger. I can't wait for the next book in the Edgelake High series. Don't Kiss the Messenger is a retelling of the classic tale of Cyrano de Bergerac. I can't even tell you how much I loved this version of the story.
Our main character, and this tale's Cyrano is a young lady named CeCe. Cece was in a very bad car accident and has really significant facial scarring from reconstructive surgeries. CeCe is a school superstar student. She is brilliant but she is also a really excellent student athlete. I loved how well rounded CeCe is. She is a really hard worker and I admired that about her. Plus, she is super sweet and honestly, she is a great friend. I loved watching her hit it off with Emmett, the new transfer student. Emmett and CeCe have a really great friendship that I thought developed very naturally. I believed it and their feelings 100%. This is what I wish all YA romances grew out of. Katie Ray did an excellent job showing their chemistry and their bonding. I love Emmett and CeCe!!
But, Emmett falls for the other new transfer student, and CeCe's volleyball teammate- Bryn. Bryn is beautiful and really sweet, but I found myself wishing she were not so one dimensional and superficial. I kept wanting to see a glimpse of more from her. Don't get me wrong, she is a sweet girl...but I was kind of with CeCe, I have no idea how Emmett fell for it for one second. One conversation with Bryn and you know everything about her. I am very ready to be proven wrong about her. I have a feeling that the next book is going to be about her and I can't wait! I have an inkling as to who is going to be her romantic interest and I am really excited for their story.
But now back to CeCe and Emmett. I loved watching their journey. I thought this was the perfect modern take on Cyrano de Bergerac. I laughed, I cried, I cheered when they finally got together. This book made me feel great. Plain and simple. And I loved that about it. I can't wait to read more from Katie Ray. This was a total hit with me. If you like really well written YA romances with awesome characters and a real, believable connection and slow build romance, Don't Kiss the Messenger is going to be a favorite of yours. Trust me, you do not want to miss out on this gem.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**Kissing in Cars is the first book in the YA contemporary romance series, Kiss & make Up by Sara Ney. Each of the books in the series can be read as a standalone, but the entire series has just gotten a cover makeover and has recently been re-released, so now is the perfect time to binge read them. I love the new covers for the series. Kissing in Cars was great for a quick, cute YA read. It was pretty light. I enjoyed this one, and I will be reading book 2 shortly.
Kissing in Cars is told in dual narrative between Molly and Weston. I ended up really liking both of the main characters. I liked Weston right from the start, but it took me a little bit of time to warm up to Molly. But in the end, I liked her more than Weston. Funny how that sometimes works out. At first glance, Molly seems to be stuck up and superficial. She has no problem describing how pretty she is and all of life's luxuries that she has been given. But the more you get to know her, the more you can see how sweet she is. I grew to really like how confident she was in herself. She isn't superficial, she is just a cool, confident young lady, and I loved that about her.
The romance in Kissing in Cars is a lot of fun too. I will say, I didn't really care for Molly's friend, Jenna. Something about her just rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was the way she carried on about Weston in front of her own boyfriend. I found that to be very rude. Either way, I am really interested in continuing this series. I liked the characters and the romance was really cute. I would reccomend this for someone who is looking for a quick, light read that features a cute romance an awesomely confident main character.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Kissing in Cars is told in dual narrative between Molly and Weston. I ended up really liking both of the main characters. I liked Weston right from the start, but it took me a little bit of time to warm up to Molly. But in the end, I liked her more than Weston. Funny how that sometimes works out. At first glance, Molly seems to be stuck up and superficial. She has no problem describing how pretty she is and all of life's luxuries that she has been given. But the more you get to know her, the more you can see how sweet she is. I grew to really like how confident she was in herself. She isn't superficial, she is just a cool, confident young lady, and I loved that about her.
The romance in Kissing in Cars is a lot of fun too. I will say, I didn't really care for Molly's friend, Jenna. Something about her just rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was the way she carried on about Weston in front of her own boyfriend. I found that to be very rude. Either way, I am really interested in continuing this series. I liked the characters and the romance was really cute. I would reccomend this for someone who is looking for a quick, light read that features a cute romance an awesomely confident main character.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
The House Mate is the third book in the roommates series by Kendall Ryan. The roommates series are each standalone contemporary romances. I loved book one, the Room Mate, and book two, The Play Mate. I liked the third book, but maybe not every bit as much as books 1 and 2. It was a pretty close call though. I'll explain why, but overall this was still a really good read, and I can see people falling in love with this story the most!
The House Mate is the story of Max and Addison. Max is a businessman and bachelor, until his ex from years ago shows up and drops off a baby girl with a note that it is his and she can't take care of her anymore. Umm, what?? Does that kind of thing happen in real life? Max puts in an ad for a live in Nanny for his newfound baby Dylan (named after Bob Dylan) and he meets Addison. I'm sure you can see where this story is going. I loved the characters. Max and Addison are really great people. In fact, because I loved the two of them so much, they really carried the book for me. Because the plot is not one that I love. I'm sorry, I know I am probably in the minority in this one, but it is just not my favorite story line to read about. (I know I have said that before.) But because I really loved the first two books, and because I wanted to continue the series, I wanted to read The House Mate. And I'm certainly glad I did. I liked this one, it just won't be my favorite in the series. It still has Kendall Ryan's signature sass, and URST that I love. The romance is really solid and like I said, I loved Max and Addison. People that like this kind of plot line, will absolutely love The House Mate. Kendall Ryan is a great writer and a fantastic story teller.
Each of the books in the roommates series can be read as total standalones. And I really do mean that in this case. I didn't notice any character overlap. Just a series of standalone novels that focus on the same trope. So if this is a trope that you enjoy, you will love any and all of the books! Kendall Ryan is a great writer. Her books are predictable in the way you want them to be. You know you are going to have characters with awesome chemistry, URST through the roof and witty and sassy banter. Everything I love. The Roommates series is a great read for me.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The House Mate is the third book in the roommates series by Kendall Ryan. The roommates series are each standalone contemporary romances. I loved book one, the Room Mate, and book two, The Play Mate. I liked the third book, but maybe not every bit as much as books 1 and 2. It was a pretty close call though. I'll explain why, but overall this was still a really good read, and I can see people falling in love with this story the most!
The House Mate is the story of Max and Addison. Max is a businessman and bachelor, until his ex from years ago shows up and drops off a baby girl with a note that it is his and she can't take care of her anymore. Umm, what?? Does that kind of thing happen in real life? Max puts in an ad for a live in Nanny for his newfound baby Dylan (named after Bob Dylan) and he meets Addison. I'm sure you can see where this story is going. I loved the characters. Max and Addison are really great people. In fact, because I loved the two of them so much, they really carried the book for me. Because the plot is not one that I love. I'm sorry, I know I am probably in the minority in this one, but it is just not my favorite story line to read about. (I know I have said that before.) But because I really loved the first two books, and because I wanted to continue the series, I wanted to read The House Mate. And I'm certainly glad I did. I liked this one, it just won't be my favorite in the series. It still has Kendall Ryan's signature sass, and URST that I love. The romance is really solid and like I said, I loved Max and Addison. People that like this kind of plot line, will absolutely love The House Mate. Kendall Ryan is a great writer and a fantastic story teller.
Each of the books in the roommates series can be read as total standalones. And I really do mean that in this case. I didn't notice any character overlap. Just a series of standalone novels that focus on the same trope. So if this is a trope that you enjoy, you will love any and all of the books! Kendall Ryan is a great writer. Her books are predictable in the way you want them to be. You know you are going to have characters with awesome chemistry, URST through the roof and witty and sassy banter. Everything I love. The Roommates series is a great read for me.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The House Mate is the third book in the roommates series by Kendall Ryan. The roommates series are each standalone contemporary romances. I loved book one, the Room Mate, and book two, The Play Mate. I liked the third book, but maybe not every bit as much as books 1 and 2. It was a pretty close call though. I’ll explain why, but overall this was still a really good read, and I can see people falling in love with this story the most!
The House Mate is the story of Max and Addison. Max is a businessman and bachelor, until his ex from years ago shows up and drops off a baby girl with a note that it is his and she can’t take care of her anymore. Umm, what?? Does that kind of thing happen in real life? Max puts in an ad for a live in Nanny for his newfound baby Dylan (named after Bob Dylan) and he meets Addison. I’m sure you can see where this story is going. I loved the characters. Max and Addison are really great people. In fact, because I loved the two of them so much, they really carried the book for me. Because the plot is not one that I love. I’m sorry, I know I am probably in the minority in this one, but it is just not my favorite story line to read about. (I know I have said that before.) But because I really loved the first two books, and because I wanted to continue the series, I wanted to read The House Mate. And I’m certainly glad I did. I liked this one, it just won’t be my favorite in the series. It still has Kendall Ryan’s signature sass, and URST that I love. The romance is really solid and like I said, I loved Max and Addison. People that like this kind of plot line, will absolutely love The House Mate. Kendall Ryan is a great writer and a fantastic story teller.
Each of the books in the roommates series can be read as total standalones. And I really do mean that in this case. I didn’t notice any character overlap. Just a series of standalone novels that focus on the same trope. So if this is a trope that you enjoy, you will love any and all of the books! Kendall Ryan is a great writer. Her books are predictable in the way you want them to be. You know you are going to have characters with awesome chemistry, URST through the roof and witty and sassy banter. Everything I love. The Roommates series is a great read for me.
The House Mate is the story of Max and Addison. Max is a businessman and bachelor, until his ex from years ago shows up and drops off a baby girl with a note that it is his and she can’t take care of her anymore. Umm, what?? Does that kind of thing happen in real life? Max puts in an ad for a live in Nanny for his newfound baby Dylan (named after Bob Dylan) and he meets Addison. I’m sure you can see where this story is going. I loved the characters. Max and Addison are really great people. In fact, because I loved the two of them so much, they really carried the book for me. Because the plot is not one that I love. I’m sorry, I know I am probably in the minority in this one, but it is just not my favorite story line to read about. (I know I have said that before.) But because I really loved the first two books, and because I wanted to continue the series, I wanted to read The House Mate. And I’m certainly glad I did. I liked this one, it just won’t be my favorite in the series. It still has Kendall Ryan’s signature sass, and URST that I love. The romance is really solid and like I said, I loved Max and Addison. People that like this kind of plot line, will absolutely love The House Mate. Kendall Ryan is a great writer and a fantastic story teller.
Each of the books in the roommates series can be read as total standalones. And I really do mean that in this case. I didn’t notice any character overlap. Just a series of standalone novels that focus on the same trope. So if this is a trope that you enjoy, you will love any and all of the books! Kendall Ryan is a great writer. Her books are predictable in the way you want them to be. You know you are going to have characters with awesome chemistry, URST through the roof and witty and sassy banter. Everything I love. The Roommates series is a great read for me.
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
The Hot Shot by Kristen Callihan is the fourth book in the Game on series. in 2014, I read, and TOTALLY LOVED the first book in the series, The Hook Up. I mean, really loved it. I always meant to continue on with the series, but life and other books just kept getting in the way. Fast forward to 2017, and I see another book by Kristen float into my email, and I immediately pounce. The books in the Game on Series can each be read as standalone because they each feature different characters. The first book (and I think books 2 and 3) feature college football players, but the fourth book is set in the same world, at the same time as the previous books, but it features a professional NFL player.
The Hot Shot is told in dual narrative between Chess and Finn. Chess is a photographer, and she meets Finn first when she has to take some rather racy pictures of him and his teammates. This book was witty and snappy right off the bat, and I loved that about it. Chess and Finn are so great together, whether they are friends, roommates or more. I just love the two of them. One of the things that I loved most about the last book I read from Kristen was that it wasn't totally predictable. It was predictable in the ways you wanted it to be, but the path to getting there was not the obvious one. I felt like The Hot Shot was like that too. I loved reading and wondering, how are these two going to end up as roommates? I knew they were going to from the summary, but it doesn't happen immediately and waiting to find out was half the fun for me.
Immediately, when I started reading The Hot Shot, I remembered how much I loved The Hook Up. Kristen Callihan has this special quality in her writing...that special something that completely sucks you in and makes you fall in love. This is the kind of book that makes me shut out the rest of the world while I am reading. I loved Chess and Finn. So so much! I honestly don't even know where to start with this one, because I loved it so much. It checked off every box for me. Fabulous writing, fantastic character development, amazing attraction, sizzling romance that was not rushed at all, and a wonderful plot. Honestly, I really couldn't ask for more. Just like when I read book one in 2014, this book is sure to make my top books of 2017 list, top book boyfriends list, etc. If you have not read any of Kristen's books yet, you are missing out. Big time. You need to grab book one in this series and start reading ASAP. This book is a favorite of mine. I loved it so much. The Hot Shot is, hands down, one of my favorite books of 2017.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The Hot Shot by Kristen Callihan is the fourth book in the Game on series. in 2014, I read, and TOTALLY LOVED the first book in the series, The Hook Up. I mean, really loved it. I always meant to continue on with the series, but life and other books just kept getting in the way. Fast forward to 2017, and I see another book by Kristen float into my email, and I immediately pounce. The books in the Game on Series can each be read as standalone because they each feature different characters. The first book (and I think books 2 and 3) feature college football players, but the fourth book is set in the same world, at the same time as the previous books, but it features a professional NFL player.
The Hot Shot is told in dual narrative between Chess and Finn. Chess is a photographer, and she meets Finn first when she has to take some rather racy pictures of him and his teammates. This book was witty and snappy right off the bat, and I loved that about it. Chess and Finn are so great together, whether they are friends, roommates or more. I just love the two of them. One of the things that I loved most about the last book I read from Kristen was that it wasn't totally predictable. It was predictable in the ways you wanted it to be, but the path to getting there was not the obvious one. I felt like The Hot Shot was like that too. I loved reading and wondering, how are these two going to end up as roommates? I knew they were going to from the summary, but it doesn't happen immediately and waiting to find out was half the fun for me.
Immediately, when I started reading The Hot Shot, I remembered how much I loved The Hook Up. Kristen Callihan has this special quality in her writing...that special something that completely sucks you in and makes you fall in love. This is the kind of book that makes me shut out the rest of the world while I am reading. I loved Chess and Finn. So so much! I honestly don't even know where to start with this one, because I loved it so much. It checked off every box for me. Fabulous writing, fantastic character development, amazing attraction, sizzling romance that was not rushed at all, and a wonderful plot. Honestly, I really couldn't ask for more. Just like when I read book one in 2014, this book is sure to make my top books of 2017 list, top book boyfriends list, etc. If you have not read any of Kristen's books yet, you are missing out. Big time. You need to grab book one in this series and start reading ASAP. This book is a favorite of mine. I loved it so much. The Hot Shot is, hands down, one of my favorite books of 2017.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: https://bookbriefs.net**
The Takedown is the debut novel of author Corrie Wang. The Takedown is a young adult contemporary novel that had kind of a Pretty Little Liars/mean girls vibe to it. I really enjoyed this book. I love that FreeForm now has a line of young adult titles. The books are a lot like their tv shows- fast paced, addictive, dramatic, and totally engaging. The Takedown feels like something that could happen in real life, as scary as that is. The book takes place in the not so distant future and it asks the question, "who would you rely on if your tech turned against you?" And honestly, I have no idea. The idea kind of terrifies me. Either way, I was totally hooked on this book. Once I picked it up, I couldn't stop reading.
The thing that I found the most fascinating about The Takedown was actually the characters. The characters in this book are not your typical characters. At least, they didn't feel like that to me. Some of them were likable, and some of them were total jerks. But even the jerky characters worked for me. (which is not always the case. normally I hate a character= I write them off. But in this book, I found myself wondering and strangely attached to all of the girls, even the mean ones.) I found myself particularly attached to Kyla. She is super complex and interesting, and I have no idea what I would have done if I were put in her position.
Kyle embarks to solve the mystery of who is putting up falisfied videos featuring her. The Takedown is a mystery novel that you will not be able to put down. I couldn't rest until I figured out just what the heck was going on. Corrie Wang did an excellent job with the plot and the writing. And the characters. Heck, she did an awesome job all the way around. The Takedown is a book that felt very fresh and very timely. I know it is set in the future, but the realness of the situation added a creepy fatcor to the story that half terrified me and half fascinated me while I was reading it. I couldn't put this book down. If you like mysteries and you like books that tweak the current state of our technologically plugged in to social media lives, you will love The Takedown.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
The Takedown is the debut novel of author Corrie Wang. The Takedown is a young adult contemporary novel that had kind of a Pretty Little Liars/mean girls vibe to it. I really enjoyed this book. I love that FreeForm now has a line of young adult titles. The books are a lot like their tv shows- fast paced, addictive, dramatic, and totally engaging. The Takedown feels like something that could happen in real life, as scary as that is. The book takes place in the not so distant future and it asks the question, "who would you rely on if your tech turned against you?" And honestly, I have no idea. The idea kind of terrifies me. Either way, I was totally hooked on this book. Once I picked it up, I couldn't stop reading.
The thing that I found the most fascinating about The Takedown was actually the characters. The characters in this book are not your typical characters. At least, they didn't feel like that to me. Some of them were likable, and some of them were total jerks. But even the jerky characters worked for me. (which is not always the case. normally I hate a character= I write them off. But in this book, I found myself wondering and strangely attached to all of the girls, even the mean ones.) I found myself particularly attached to Kyla. She is super complex and interesting, and I have no idea what I would have done if I were put in her position.
Kyle embarks to solve the mystery of who is putting up falisfied videos featuring her. The Takedown is a mystery novel that you will not be able to put down. I couldn't rest until I figured out just what the heck was going on. Corrie Wang did an excellent job with the plot and the writing. And the characters. Heck, she did an awesome job all the way around. The Takedown is a book that felt very fresh and very timely. I know it is set in the future, but the realness of the situation added a creepy fatcor to the story that half terrified me and half fascinated me while I was reading it. I couldn't put this book down. If you like mysteries and you like books that tweak the current state of our technologically plugged in to social media lives, you will love The Takedown.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs