Review: This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Posted on Sunday, June 30, 2013 9:16 AM



Format: Hardcover


Source: Library


Publication Date: April 2nd, 2013


Publisher: Poppy


Pages: 416


Goodreads Link: HERE


Buy this book: Amazon

From Goodreads:



If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?


My Thoughts:


I must admit that since I had read and absolutely LOVED The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight last year, I went into this book expecting it to be absolutely amazing.  Unfortunately, This is What Happy Looks Like didn’t meet my expectations.  For some reason I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I would have liked.
Ellie has been emailing a guy that she only knows as GDL824 for months after he sent her an email by mistake.  Ellie has no idea that she is actually talking to Graham Larkin, the seventeen year old movie star.  Graham also doesn’t know Ellie’s Identity; the only thing he knows about her is that she works in a sweet shop in Henley, Maine.  So when the location for the movie that Graham is scheduled to shoot falls through, he talks the director into shooting in Henley so that he can finally meet Ellie, only she has no idea that he’s coming.
Ellie wasn’t expecting Graham Larkin to come into her life and with her aversion to cameras and being in the paper she isn’t sure what kind of relationship they can have.  I really like that this book was told in alternating POVs, so not only do we understand why Ellie feels the way that she does when it comes to the photographers that follow Graham around but we also see how he really feels about his life as a movie star. 
This is What Happy Looks Like has an interesting story line, although it was a little slow at the beginning it picked up about halfway through.  My favorite part of this book was reading Ellie and Graham’s emails that they had sent each other before they knew who the other person was.  While I enjoyed reading This is What Happy Looks Like, it didn’t ‘wow’ me like I was hoping it would, but that could just be because I had such high hopes for this book.   


Rating:

 



 


Stacking the Shelves (16)

Posted on Saturday, June 29, 2013 1:00 AM



Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that showcases what books we have got the past week.
 

Here's what I got this week:


Unravel Me by Tarereh Mafi (Traded)

Reboot by Amy Tintera (Traded)

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston (Traded)
Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook (Traded)
Dark Star by Bethany Frenette (Won from Armchair BEA)
Burn Bright by Bethany Frenette (Won from Armchair BEA)

Born of Illusion by Teri Brown (Won from Jenna Does Books)

Requiem by Lauren Oliver (Traded)

For Review:



















 
The Truth About Letting Go by Leigh Talbert Moore (Netgalley)
This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales (Netgalley)

What did you get this week?


Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass

Posted on Thursday, June 27, 2013 8:32 PM


Series: The Selection #2

Format: ARC

Source: Traded via YA Book Exchange

Pages: 323

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: April 23, 2013

Goodreads link: HERE

Buy this book: Amazon

From Goodreads:

The hotly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Selection.

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

My Thoughts:


*WARNING- This review may contain possible spoilers from The Selection* 

I said in my review of The Selection (You can find my review HERE) that I would hopefully be able to choose a team after reading The Elite and I am happy to report that I have finally chosen a side.  I am proud to say that I am now (Drum roll please)…Team Maxon. 
I must admit that like America it took me a while to decide which guy to choose.  One minute I would be rooting for America and Maxon and then in the next chapter Maxon would do something I didn’t like and I would go right back to wanting America to be with Aspen.  But I’m pleased to say that by the end of this book I understood a lot of Maxon’s actions and I am unquestionably a firm America and Maxon fan and hopefully nothing can sway me back to the other side.
One of my favorite things about this series is that it has amazing secondary characters; I just adore America’s maids, especially Lucy.  I also love Marlee now more than ever, there for a while America and Marlee’s friendship was strained because she was hiding something but in this book we find out what it is and let me tell you, I wasn’t expecting it to be what it was.
America has such a big heart and she truly cares for those around her, the only thing that really bothered me about her was her indecisiveness; not only about which guy she wanted but also about whether or not she even wanted all of the responsibilities associated with the crown.  Eventually she figures everything out; I just wish she had gotten there a little sooner.

Overall, The Elite was just as engrossing as its predecessor, I was hooked from the very first page and I was left with wanting more.  I can’t wait to see what’s in store for America in the next book.


Rating:



Trendy Taglines (1)

Posted on 7:00 AM
 
Trendy Taglines is a weekly meme hosted by Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian
 
Here's a couple of taglines that grabbed my attention
 
 
What are some of your favorite taglines?

Waiting on Wednesday (17)

Posted on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 1:00 AM
 
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that showcases books that we are eagerly anticipating.

 
My Waiting on Wednesday pick this week is:
 
Frigid by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout)
 
Expected publication date: July 30, 2013

 
For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.


 
What's your 'Waiting On' pick this week?
 


Top Ten Tuesday (6)

Posted on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 12:30 AM
 
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
 
This weeks topic is Top 10 Books I've read so far in 2013. 

 
Here's my list:
 
 
Golden by Jessi Kirby ( Goodreads / My Review )
 
Dare You To by Katie McGarry ( Goodreads / My Review )
 
With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent ( Goodreads / My Review )
 
The Selection by Kiera Cass ( Goodreads / My Review )
 
The Elite by Kiera Cass ( Goodreads ) *Review Coming Soon
 
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green ( Goodreads / My Review )
 
My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi ( Goodreads / My Review )
 
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas  ( Goodreads ) *Review Coming Soon
 
Breaking Glass by Lisa Amowitz ( Goodreads / My Review )
 
Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs ( Goodreads / My Review )
 
 
What are your top books of 2013?
 
 

 
 

 
 
 


Review: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

Posted on Monday, June 24, 2013 6:12 PM

Series: The Hybrid Chronicles #1

Format: Hardcover

Source: Library

Pages: 357

Publication Date: September 18, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Goodreads Link: HERE

Buy this book: Amazon

From Goodreads:

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

 

My Thoughts:


In the futuristic world of What’s Left of Me, everybody is born with two souls inhabiting the same body; each soul has their own personality, likes and dislikes.  Around the age of five is when settling happens, this is where one of the souls would disappear and only the more dominant soul would remain.  Even though Eva and Addie are now 15 years old, they still haven’t settled and both souls are still very much present within their body.  Eva and Addie are considered to be hybrids and the have to keep this a secret from everyone due to the fact that hybrids are considered a threat to civilization.
I’m saddened to say that this world didn’t draw me in like I had hoped it would, I literally had to fight the urge to put it down and pick up a different book.  To me it was a little predictable at times, especially with Hally, I had her figured out from the moment she is introduced to the story.  Another thing that bothered me with this book was a lot of the questions that I had at the beginning of the story didn’t get answered and I was left wondering why everyone is born with two souls and why are hybrids considered a danger to society?  These questions might be answered in the next installment but I’m not sure whether or not I will read it to find out.

Overall, What’s Left of Me was just an okay read for me and I hate to say that because I had heard such wonderful things about it and based on the summary I really thought that I would love it, but unfortunately it didn’t measure up to my expectations. 

Rating:
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 

Stacking the Shelves (15)

Posted on Saturday, June 22, 2013 1:00 AM
 
Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that showcases what books we have got the past week.


Here's what I got this week:

 
 
 

 

Breaking Glass by Lisa Amowitz (For Review)
Linked by Imogen Howson (Traded)
Splintered by A.G. Howard (Traded)
Variant by Robinson Wells (Won @ Counting in Bookcases)
 

For Blog Tour:

 
Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols (Blog Tour stops here on July 11th) 

Kindle:  

 
 
Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
 
 
Hysteria by Megan Miranda
 




What did you get this week?
 


Early Review: Breaking Glass by Lisa Amowitz

Posted on Friday, June 21, 2013 5:32 PM


Format: ARC

Source: Publisher (Thanks Spencer Hill)

Pages: 232

Publication Date:

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Goodreads Link: HERE

Pre-Order this book: Amazon

From Goodreads:

On the night seventeen-year-old Jeremy Glass winds up in the hospital with a broken leg and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, his secret crush, Susannah, disappears. When he begins receiving messages from her from beyond the grave, he's not sure whether they're real or if he's losing his grip on reality. Clue by clue, he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, and soon realizes he must discover the truth or become the next victim himself.

My Thoughts:


Breaking Glass was one of my most anticipated reads of the summer, so when I received an ARC in the mail, there was quite a bit of might have been a little bit of jumping up and down (which led to my husband thinking I was crazy…oh well, you all understand me).  After I calmed down, I immediately dove into the mystery that is Breaking Glass. 

Jeremy Glass has always had a crush on Susannah Durban but he’s never been able to tell her how he feels since she is dating his best friend, Ryan.  On the night that Jeremy gets drunk and is hit by a car, Susannah disappears.  No one has heard from Susannah since the night that she disappeared, no one except for Jeremy.  Susannah has been sending Jeremy messages and he’s the only one who can figure out if Susannah is really trying to contact him from the other side or if he’s going crazy. 

Lisa Amowitz wrote Jeremy so perfectly, due to his mom’s history and the fact that he is an alcoholic I was constantly going back and forth on whether or not he was actually being haunted by Susannah.  Marisa was a really great character, even though I wasn’t sure what to think of her at the beginning, I completely adored her by the end.   

Overall, Breaking Glass is a suspenseful and gripping mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat.  I have to say that this is one of the best mystery books that I have read, there were so many twists and turns that I never saw coming.  I went into this book with high expectations and I am happy to say that it did not disappoint, this book was fantastic and I look forward to reading more books by Lisa Amowitz.

*This book was provided to me free of charge by the publisher in exchange for an honest review, this does not affect my review in any way, all opinions are my own*  


Rating:



 

 

Review: Addicted To You by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Posted on Thursday, June 20, 2013 6:06 PM

Series: Addicted #1

Format: e-ARC

Source: Provided by Authors

Pages: 322

Publication Date: July 1st, 2013

Goodreads Link: HERE

Buy this book: Amazon

From Goodreads:

No one would suspect shy Lily Calloway’s biggest secret. While everyone is dancing at college bars, Lily stays in the bathroom. To get laid. Her compulsion leads her to one-night stands, steamy hookups and events she shamefully regrets. The only person who knows her secret happens to have one of his own.

Loren Hale’s best friend is his bottle of bourbon. Lily comes at a close second. For three years, they’ve pretended to be in a real relationship, hiding their addictions from their families. They’ve mastered the art of concealing flasks and random guys that filter in and out of their apartment.

But when they go on a family boat trip, surrounded by open seas and limited male bodies in sight, Lily’s confronted with a big fear. Only one guy onboard can fill her addiction, and she’s sworn off going there with Loren Hale ever again.

Now the only person who can truly help her can barely help himself.

**This is a New Adult book recommended for readers 18 and up**
 

My Thoughts:


To their families Lily Calloway and Loren "Lo" Hale have been the perfect couple for the last three years, but the truth is they have been pretending to be in a relationship so that they can keep their families from learning about their dangerous compulsions.   Even though I knew this book was about addictions, I didn't really understand how much those addictions could alter someone's life. 

Lo is addicted to alcohol, which is quite common now days but Lily's addiction is more unconventional and less talked about, Lily is addicted to Sex.  Alcoholism tends to runs in families so with Lo having the father that he does I can understand where his addiction stems from but since sex addiction is so unusual I'm not sure how Lily's started but I'm hoping to find out in the next book.

I'm not quite sure what to make of Lily and Lo's relationship, it's very complicated to say the least, you could see the affection that they had for one another but instead of trying to help one another fight their addictions they just enabled each other.  Even though they clearly cared for each other, neither one seemed to be able to get it together enough to have a healthy relationship and until they admit they have problems and get the help they need, they never will.

I absolutely loved the secondary characters in this story.  Rose, Ryke and Connor are all amazing in their own ways and I honestly feel that had they not literally pushed themselves into the lives of Lo and Lily that things might have turned out completely different. 

Addicted To You is an extremely emotional read that deals with real life problems that a lot of people struggle with everyday.  I applaud Krista & Becca Richie for writing about such a complex and delicate subject.  I can't wait to see what happens with Lily and Lo in the next book.

*Disclaimer - I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review, this in no way affects my review, all opinions are my own*

Rating:



 


Waiting on Wednesday (16)

Posted on Wednesday, June 19, 2013 12:30 AM

 
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that showcases books that we are eagerly anticipating.

 
My Waiting on Wednesday pick this week is:
 
Thornhill (Hemlock #2) by Kathleen Peacock
 
Expected publication date: September 10, 2013
 
 
Mac can’t lose another friend. Even if he doesn’t want to be found.

The ripple effect caused by Mac’s best friend Amy’s murder has driven Mac’s new love, Kyle, to leave Hemlock and disappear from her life forever. But Mac knows that Kyle plans to enroll in a rehabilitation camp, where he can live with other werewolves. She refuses to accept his decision, especially since the camps are rumored to be tortuous. So she sets out in search of Kyle with a barely sober Jason—and Amy’s all-seeing ghost—in tow.

Clues lead Mac to find Kyle in a werewolf den in Colorado—but their reunion is cut short by a Tracker raid. Now Mac and Kyle are trapped inside the electric fences of Thornhill, a camp for young werewolves. As she devises an escape plan, Mac uncovers dangerous secrets buried within the walls of Thornhill—and realizes that the risk to the people she loves is greater than ever before.
 
 
What book are you waiting on?
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Top Ten Tuesday (5)

Posted on Tuesday, June 18, 2013 12:30 AM
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
 
This weeks topic is Top 10 Books at the top of my Summer TBR list. 

 
1. Breaking Glass by Lisa Amowitz
 
2. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
 
3. Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn
 
4. All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry
 
5. In The After by Demitria Lunetta
 
6. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
 
7. Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
 
8. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
 
9. Linked by Imogen Howson
 
10. Undercurrent by Paul E. Blackwell
 
 
 
What's at the top of your summer TBR list
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