Regina
In book #3, the fire-and-brimstone brigade is out in full force again, and somehow that made this third part of the saga harder to stomach for me than the previous book(s). Especially Isaac's dad is just... Seriously, I'm at a loss for words.
I am happy to see, though, that Isaac finally seems to be able to start working on getting out from under his father's thumb. And while I'm still rooting for Preston (sorry, Isaac!), I really enjoyed the after-prom-dinner scenes. <3
Let's just say that even though I had my problems with this particular part of the saga, and I'd give it an overall 3.5 / 5 stars, I've already bought book #4, because I want to know how Destiny's story continues.
I really enjoyed this second book in the series!
This part of the story is giving me hope for Isaac - and not only because I don't have to feel bad for Aspen anymore. Could it be that he's developing something that looks suspiciously like... gasp... tolerance? While I'm not confident that he'll eventually grow a spine and make his own decisions (yet), I can definitely see the possibility now.
To be honest, I am a bit bummed about how Destiny is treating Preston. He seems like a good guy, and I had been rooting for him in book 1. I think the way Destiny uses him - and can't make up her mind about the two boys - is kind of unfair (though absolutely realistic).
Looking forward to reading the next part of the saga! :)
I really wanted to like this story more than I did - but that's quite difficult when you don't like one of the main characters and are supposed to be rooting for them. :(
I liked Indigo, but I found it unfair how Duke treated her and judged her by what her parents (mostly her dad) had done to his mom in the past.
Well, this was unexpected...
Not that the story was fast-paced and wildly entertaining - having read other books by Whitney Dineen before, I totally expected that - but I certainly did not expect it to go there. o.O
(I'll leave it at that, because... spoilers...)
Will I read more thrillers by her? Well, duh! Of course I will. :)
This was a pretty angsty read where I sometimes felt like grabbing both main characters by the scruff of their necks, shake some sense into them and yell at them to just TALK to each other. :)
That being said, I liked both Jackson and Cindy and was rooting for them to get things sorted out. I get both their hang-ups, so it was understandable where all that angst was coming from.
I really liked how the story got resolved, and it was nice to reconnect with Veronica and Micah, too.
Giving me the Warm Fuzzies (pun intended ;) )
This might be the first story I read by Laurie Baxter (when it was published together with The Rescue in “A Cute Pair of Shorts”), and the re-read was just as cute and funny as I remembered!
Keesha's adventures in online dating range from hilarious to cringe-worthy (and sound all too plausible), and - just like the first time I read the story - I only wish it had been longer and I'd gotten to know Keesha and Bob better. :)
I didn't expect religion to play such a prominent part in this story, and, to be honest, the concept of religion (not necessarily faith) having such a strong influence on everyday life - who your friends are, who you are ‘allowed' to talk to, who to like - is unfamiliar to me, to say the least.
That being said, it was interesting to get a peek behind the curtains of faiths I am not (that) familiar with.
I like Destiny as a main character, and although she seems to attract a certain amount of drama, it's rarely her own, mostly other people's.
I'm not sure if I like Isaac (yet?). I might be biased because I really don't like his folks, but in the last chapters it looks like there might be hope for him, yet. ;)
I thoroughly enjoyed Dulce and Nolan's story and getting to know them and their families. From page one, I was rooting for Dulce and her mom to finally catch a break - those ladies are a force to be reckoned with!
So far, this is my favorite story in the series, but I haven't read them all, yet. :)
5/5 I-wish-I-could-live-in-Sterling-Beach stars
Jamie is such a lovely person, and I'm happy that she not only manages to stand up to her larger-than-life father, but also gets the great guy she deserves!
Alex is a hero I can definitely root for, my only “complaint” (if you can call it that) is that he doesn't come across as all that nerdy. (That might just be me, though, being used to - and living at - somewhat higher levels of nerdiness than what Alex's story shows.)
I loved getting to know Alex's family, and experience how much they care for each other.
It was also fun to reconnect with Jamie's friends, Oliver and Liv from “Tall, Dark & Nerdy”, and meet a future hero (?) in Tieg. :)
Thank you, Heidi, for this super-early Christmas present! <3
Miranda and Carl are two of my favorite characters in the DBS world, and I love this story to pieces. Besides those two and all the swoons they bring, this story also has a healthy dose of DBS shenanigans, brought to you by your favorite rock doofuses.
All the smiles, all the happy sighs, all the swoony feels, all the Christmas magic, and - of course - all the nogg! :D
Kait already had me in the very first scene, when Sebastian is working with one of his rescues, Ginger. I was wishing right there and then (and still am) that there were more Sebastians-at-heart in real life. I'm not only a fan of his horsemanship skills, I'm also firmly on #TeamSebastian where Christmas movies are concerned. Just so you know.
Laurel made quite an entrance (no pun intended), and I appreciate that she continues in the tradition of capable, take-charge heroines in and around Eden's Ridge.
On a side note, I love Ari's matchmaking meddling, and I hope to read her story eventually, when she's done some more growing up.
(And there are also little crossover easter eggs for fans of Tawna Fenske: I'm chuffed to bits that Sean gets to cater their wedding, and that Logan and Athena are spending their honeymoon at the Ponderosa Resort! <3 )
Once again Tami Franklin delivers a lighthearted, feel-good story that gave me all the warm fuzzies. I enjoyed my return to Holiday Junction and meeting new and old friends alike. :)
I especially had fun with the POV of Holiday Junction's newest (and probably youngest, so far) matchmaker - so cute! <3
Disclaimer: I'm usually not a big fan of so-called “alpha” heroes because, frankly, that translates to “jerk-of-a-douchecanoe” way more often than not.
And just as frankly, someone like Mac would drive me absolutely nucking futs IRL. But he is so much fun to read about!
And Poppy with her Southern charm and - dare I say it - sass* is a wonderful (and sometimes hilarious) counterpoint to all that silent, manly broodiness.
I especially loved the little details, like the Cookie-isms at the beginning of each chapter, Poppy's Southern posse (including Bunny!), the description of Mac's eloquent eyebrows, and the overall concept of family (not necessarily blood relations).
This story gave me all the feels, from smiles, to snorts, to laughs, to swoons, to tears. So... if you think of reading this book on public transportation: You have been warned!
* I'm usually not a big fan of “sassy” heroines, either. Go figure.
It's been a while since I read “a Bria book”, but I got immediately sucked in again with all the little details I love about her writing.
Despite all their quirks, the characters feel real, they mean well, but they still mess up, and they are all just so darn likeable I couldn't help but root for them from page one.
Lyra is a funny (and formidable) heroine, and Spence might start out as the master of misconceptions, but he manages to get his head (and heart) sorted out - with a little help of Lyra's awesome gang of friends.
There is just enough drama to provide tension, but it's not over the top. The story made me smile and laugh and swoon and now I'm officially in love with Starlight Harbor and its charming and quirky inhabitants.
I'd like to put on record that I'd pretty-please-with-buttercream-and-chocolate-sprinkles-on-top like to preorder the whole series right now. I want to read ALL the stories! Vivian and Cam and Skye and Noah and Jamie and all the folks I haven't even met yet... <3
A new, super-cute addition to the “Cute Shorts” series! Yay!
I'm always delighted when I learn that Laurie Baxter has published something new - I thoroughly enjoy her light-hearted stories, and “Blindsided” is no exception.
One of Laurie Baxter's gifts is creating characters that I'd like to know and be friends with in real-life. Abby and Mark make a fun couple (albeit unwilling at first), so Trish and Jeff had the right idea (in general), even if the set-up was not necessarily the smoothest... ;)
Overall, the story is well written and I liked the main characters. But I felt like the story tried to tackle too many issues beside the YA romance (cancer, death, dyslexia, teen suicide), and didn't do any of them justice in the end, so that fell a bit flat for me.
That being said, Lane was a really nice guy (if you ignore the initial bet), and I liked to see how he and Trudy eventually became friends and more.
Here I thought that Intermediate Thermondynamics would always be my favorite in the series (because, well, Esther...), but Penny and Caleb are giving Esther and Jonathan a run for their money in that regard.
Following Penny on her journey from “good girl” to “fun Penny” made me smile a lot (and occasionally laugh out loud).
Caleb is one of the good guys, though I'll admit I got a bit frustrated at times with his “on” and “off” switch. I think a dual POV might have helped me understand him a bit better.
Bonus points for the supporting characters: especially George, who helped put certain things in perspective, but also Penny's knitting group (old friends from the previous books), and her BFF Olivia who always had Penny's back.
5 / 5 dramatic donkey-ear-flip stars
“Rally, love is... awful. Why did I want this so badly?”
While things may get quite difficult (and, yes, awful) for both Cassie and Mateo, this is a lovely and engaging story, and I can't help but root for both of them to get over their respective misconceptions and finally get their HEA.
As always, the characters are three-dimensional, and I especially enjoy the family dynamics - not only with Mateo's family, but also with Cassie's mom and the BFFs. (Bonus points for Rally being an exceptionally awesome friend!)
4 grudging, drama-filled stars
This story was not quite what I expected. It is, in fact, a long prologue for another book in another series, and as such it didn't work well as a standalone story for me.
I also had problems connecting with Jace, who acts like a self-absorbed, irresponsible jerk (AKA teenager) and keeps hurting the people who love him most. Understanding where he's coming from doesn't make his actions much easier to stomach for me (possibly because I'm more of a Hayes).
That being said, the writing is excellent, the (general and particular) teenage idiocy is captured perfectly, and the characters feel all too real.
The email exchange between Jace and Snap Dragon is beautiful and heartfelt, and, personally, I would have liked more of that.
3.5 / 5 stars
I appreciate Meredith Schorr's writing, her ability to paint a vivid picture, and the humor she imbues her stories with.
While I enjoyed the overall story arc of personal growth and self-discovery, I found it at times hard to connect with the main character. I was still glad to see that Maggie had her “posse” - her family and a group of great friends - who had her back, who cheered her on, but also gave her the occasional (and much needed) reality check.
3.5 / 5
When I started this story, I was not aware that this was a “true” series, meaning this is not really a standalone story. While it doesn't end on a real cliffhanger, it is still sort of open ended.
While the motocross scene is definitely not my natural habitat, I had fun dipping my reader-toes into this world.
I liked Bella - and especially her relationship with her best friend - and also how Liam owned his mistakes.
I'm not sure if I'm going to read the other books in the series, though.
I was hooked from the start (no pun intended!)
The premise was intriguing, the story is well-written, and I had a lot of fun with it! King Tut was definitely not what I expected, and Anubis and his wisecracks cracked me up. :)
I couldn't put the book down, it kept me up waaaay past my bedtime...
(And I loved how the story was resolved!)