Young Adult Books

This week I've been giving you some mini-reviews from Indie/New Adult books that have been released over the past year or so. I'd read a ton of them so it's easier to review a few at once. Monday had the books that got a 5 star review from me and yesterday featured the 4 star books. Today is another batch of 4 star books. Hopefully you will find a few you'd like to add to your list. Fallen Crest High by Tijan Add to Goodreads As far as new adult authors go, Tijan is not one that pops up often. I happened to find this book while browsing one day and was so glad that I did. This is really one of those books where the characters stay with you. You may not love every aspect of the story, but you can't help but keep reading till it's finished. Mason and Logan (the bothers) were great in their own ways and Sam has the misfortune of living with them after her mom decided to marry their dad. This book is pretty complicated with all the plots, sub-plots, and characters but I definitely want to see what happens in the new book. Hopeless by Colleen Hoover Add to Goodreads This one is easy to spoil because there is a lot going on. Tons of tragedy! When Sky meets Dean she has no idea of their past. Sky has been through more than many people could imagine. It was sad to see how broken she was but I was glad that Dean could be there for her. At times the drama seemed a bit too much but it was still a well written story with a lot of great moments between the characters. Dean was my favorite. You can't help but love him and hope that these characters can somehow find happiness through all the heartbreak. Not sure when/if I'll read the next one but so many people loved this one. Play With Me by Piper Shelly Add to Goodreads You know how sometimes you just want a light, sweet book to read? This one is perfect for those times! This was one of the cutest romances ever. Liza is a cutie! Poor girl has been in love with her best friend Tony forever and he comes back from soccer camp in love with another *sigh*. So, she has a plan to become sporty herself in hopes he will notice her. What she doesn't plan for is the soccer captain, Ryan, to start paying attention to her. They have so many of those cute moments that have you saying "awww." The ONLY complaint I had about this story was that it was just too short! I wanted more! Of course, there is now a version in Ryan's POV but still... I wish this one would have been a bit longer. But, I totally recommend it. If You Stay by Courtney Cole Add to Goodreads Some books say they have bad boys but this one is really bad. Pax is a jerk, 100%! He has money to burn but is rude, disrespectful, and has a whole slew of drug issues. Not the easiest character to like but I liked that there was no doubting his personality. Everyone knew immediately what type of guy he was. Mila is a sweetheart who can't help but try to help Pax. Even though she is told to forget about ever changing him, she can't help but have hope that he will get better. It took a while for their sparks to really heat up but I liked seeing Pax change. Much is the story is from his POV and it was easy to see how Mila got under his skin. Courtney Cole is a great author and I look forward to reading more from her. Someone to Love by Addison Moore Add to Goodreads This is a light story and a nice college-age romance but there was something lacking. Maybe it was depth for the character? Not sure. But, in this book, Kendall wants to be a player and she goes to the king of all players, Cruise, for help. She says she's determined to learn how to play guys. The overall story was fun to read but I'm not sure I fully bought the whole "wanting to be a player" thing. I think that with more work this book could have hit it out of the park but for something light and fluffy, it's a pretty good read. I've seen other people with some mix

5 chocolate chocolate chip cookies.Cover Love:Meh. Don't love it, don't hate it.Why I Wanted to Read This:This one has been on my TBR forever. I noticed the movie was on NetFlix and wanted to watch it, but it is my general rule to only watch movies made from books after I read the book. So, I read the book-finally! Here's the synopsis from GoodReads:Troy Billings is seventeen, 296 pounds, friendless, utterly miserable, and about to step off a New York subway platform in front of an oncoming train. Until he meets Curt MacCrae, an emaciated, semi-homeless, high school dropout guitar genius, the stuff of which Lower East Side punk rock legends are made. Never mind that Troy's dad thinks Curt's a drug addict and Troy's brother thinks Troy's the biggest (literally) loser in Manhattan. Soon, Curt's recruited Troy as his new drummer--even though Troy can't play the drums. Together, Curt and Troy will change the world of punk, and Troy's own life, forever. Romance?: No, in fact there are no female characters in the whole book. My Thoughts:Most of these thoughts I wrote as I was reading the book. There is nothing spoilerish but I wanted to remember a few things as I was going along.I love how Troy's dad gets it. When we first meet him he seems like he will be such a hard ass, but he isn't. He is a really good guy--he knows that he isn't doing the best by Troy and recognizes that his son needs something like this to help him become more. He also really wants to help Curt, he's just not sure how much he should do.The most heartbreaking relationship to me is Troy & Dayle's. When Troy is talking about taking Dayle on the subway when they were little and how Dayle looked up to him as a big brother it brought tears to my eyes. When do those kind of relationships change so much?I love Curt so much it's not even funny! Everyone needs someone like Curt in their life. Maybe not a homeless, ADHD, local rock legend, but someone who will push you out of your comfort zone, who will challenge you to try something new, who doesn't easily take no for an answer, but will back down when you need them to.It is heartbreaking to see Troy try and navigate this friendship--his first "grown-up" friendship. It's like seeing a girl twist herself into knots over a boy because she constantly think that he will leave her.I just have to say again, I love Troy's dad. He's a retired Marine who lost his wife and has no clue how to raise two boys. BUT, he is trying and he is not bad at it and he wants the best for Troy, whatever that may be, even if it is punk rock and Curt. It hit me about 3/4 of the way through that this book has no female characters in it. Well, a few very, very minor ones, but really, it's an all male book. An all male YA book. That is next to unheard of in YA lit!Okay, now that I am done I have to say I loved it! This is a coming of age book. There were no magic fixes, no make overs for Troy or Curt, just people headed with hope in the right direction. Nailed it!To Sum Up: This is just a very engrossing read that I want to shove in the hands of both female and make young adults. Excellent stuff!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where bloggers feature upcoming book releases that they're looking forward to. This week I'm eagerly anticipating... Soulbroken(Legacy of Tril #2)by Heather Brewer Publisher: Dial Release Date: August 20, 2013 Synopsis (from Goodreads): [SPOILERS from first book!!] Sometimes you have to break the rules to discover the truth. In this follow up to Legacy of Tril: Soulbound, Kaya has learned that she is Soulbound to Darius, the Barron she secretly trained with at Shadow Academy. But he’s been sent away, leaving Kaya with questions about how he could be Soulbound to her and another Healer. Determined to find answers and prove herself worthy of fighting in the war against King Darrek and the Graplars, Kaya sneaks away, encountering a mysterious Barron named Gage in her travels. But Darius has shocking information about Gage—information that changes everything Kaya thought she knew about what it means to be Bound. I seriously enjoyed the first book in this series, Soulbound, and it feels like it's been FOREVER since it was released. I'm so looking forward to this second book!!

I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music. Attribution Billy Joel

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine spotlighting upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating. Release Date: October 8, 2013Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young ReadersAdd to GoodreadsSummary (from Goodreads): A week ago, Dinah’s cousin Claire cut her wrists.Five days ago, Dinah found Claire’s diary and discovered why.Three days ago, Dinah stopped crying and came up with a plan.Two days ago, she ditched her piercings and bleached the black dye from her hair.Yesterday, knee socks and uniform plaid became a predator’s camouflage.Today, she’ll find the boy who broke Claire.By tomorrow, he’ll wish he were dead.I always love a good revenge plot, and as soon as I heard about Josin L. McQuein's Premeditated, I was already dying to to read it! My sister and I immediately gushed together that we needed to read it and find out what happens because there is something just so satisfying about seeking vengeance and making others pay for their horrible actions. With just a few lines, I already want to comfort Claire and help Dinah serve her own form of justice against the boy who hurt her cousin so badly... Premeditated definitely sounds like a book you won't want to miss reading!

My Librarian friend Jess from I Read to Relax came up with a great idea. It's to highlight the books on hold at the library. I usually have 20-40 items checked out Five Summers: Sounds like the perfect summer book and I Love the cover!Dad is Fat: Love Jim Gaffigan! Excited that he has a book. He talks a lot about food!Tea Rex: Looks SUPER Cute!Bones Never Lie: Sounds intriguing.

Rating: 5/5 StarsGenre: Contemporary/HumorRelease Date: 2/5/2013Add to GoodreadsAudible Audiobook PreviewAbout the Book: Thirteen-year-old Nate is from a small town in Pennsylvania and he dreams of being on Broadway. When his best friend Libby tells him of an open audition of ET: The Musical, Nate and Libby devise a plan for Nate to run away to New York City and audition. Will this be Nate's chance to move out of his small town and become a star?GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I knew I was going to love this book from the moment I heard it booktalked at ALA. I love musicals, I love show tunes, I love Broadway. I spent every summer from fourth grade into college attending and working at a fine arts summer camp. I was a drama and choir kid all throughout my school years. I knew Nate and I would become kindred spirits. And I was not disappointed one bit.Nate is a kid that I would love to have in my library and we would talk Broadway and it would be awesome. I love Nate that much. He has the perfect blend of humor and heart that you just have to adore in a main character. He's from a small town, so he's a bit naive at times, but I believed it all-this is the first time Nate's ever been out of Jankburg PA (except for that trip to Disney) and this is first trip to a big city. His innocence about New York is part of his charm-he sees the good in everything which makes you want to cheer Nate on.In New York, Nate discovers what Broadway is like-from auditioning in a room full of adults to pushy stage moms and incredibly talented kids up for the same role as you. Tim Federle is obviously writing about a subject he knows-and knows well. He captures the craziness of a show, the excitement and nervousness of auditions and the painstaking wait as you wonder if you'll hear more.This isn't just Nate's journey to New York, but also to accepting who he is. Nate is teased back home for liking musicals. He's a bit of an outsider and doesn't feel like he fits in. He's teased for being gay, but as Nate says, he's thirteen and he doesn't know who he likes and why should it matter anyway? Nate's journey to New York opens him up not only to the world of Broadway, but to a larger world outside the small minded town he's used to. What I appreciated about Nate's story was that it was a story about Nate learning that he's awesome and it's OK to love musicals-gay or straight-and that he can be a boy who loves to sing and use Broadway flops and curse words.I was lucky enough to listen to this one on audiobook and there are some authors that are just meant to narrate their books and Tim Federle is one of them. He gives Nate a wonderful voice and blends his optimism, innocence and passion for musicals in a brilliant way. He also plays the jokes well and really adds to Nate's humor. I'm sure I would have laughed if I had read this book, but listening to it I was laughing out loud the entire time. It's well worth listening to! A funny and heartwarming read that has worked it's way into my heart. It's the perfect book to hand over to kids who feel as though they a bit of an outsider and are looking for a place to belong. I hope this debut isn't the last from Federle-he's a writer to look forward to.Book Pairings: Withering Tights by Louise Rennison, Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt,Full Disclosure: Reviewed from audiobook provided by the publisher for review

Source: Received an egalley to participate in blog tour and give an honest review. Release Date: Already Released. Description from Goodreads: Secretly crushingCrushed by a tragedyCharlee May’s been crushing on Dexter Hollingworth since she was fifteen. Five years later, a horrific skiing disaster at Mason’s Ski Lift Resort leaves her millionaire dad critically injured and her mom dead at the hands of Dexter operating the lifts. Charlee is suddenly the sole caretaker for her little brother while their world falls apart. Dexter couldn’t be more different from Charlee. He’s tattooed, avoids exclusive relationships and his Dad has a fair share of illegal dealings. With Dexter’s reputation, almost everyone believes he planned the Mason’s skiing disaster.And after all these years he’s still crushing on Charlee May, the girl who’s too good for him.When this cruel twist of fate ties Charlee’s family and Dexter’s reputation together, Charlee and Dexter wonder if their feelings are reciprocated, while Dexter discovers his dad is trying to steal the May’s millionaire fortune. But like an addiction, one look, one touch, one taste—they’re hooked no matter the consequences.Disclaimer: Recommended for mature readers due to sexual content and crude language. Purchase Links: Amazon Paperback | Amazon Kindle | Smashwords | Kobo REVIEW After first reading the description and seeing the gorgeous cover, I couldn't wait to read Drowning In You. I found it to be an enjoyable story, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. I loved Dexter and Charlee, and I definitely liked their chemistry. While certain aspects of the story did leave me pretty confused, I think that this a New Adult story that many will enjoy. While I didn't love Drowning In You as much as I thought I would, I did really enjoy certain aspects of the story. Charlee's situation was pretty horrible. Her mother was dead and her father was in terrible shape, but I really thought that Charlee's reactions to the situation and the way that she was coping with it all were extremely well done. I also thought that her relationship with her brother was well developed and it made me feel a lot for the characters. I also enjoyed her attraction to Dex, but at times she left me confused. She'd say one thing and then say something completely contradictory immediately afterwards. All in all, I did like her as a character though, and I also absolutely loved Dex. I wasn't a fan of how he mistreated himself, but I still really liked him, and I liked that he had a lot of layers. The characters were my favourite part of this book, and I enjoyed reading from both of their perspectives. The overall story was pretty dramatic in the sense that both Charlee and Dexter were constantly denying that they were attracted to each other and were pretty much the only things standing in the way of their own relationship. I could understand both of their motivations for that though. Both of them were conflicted over the accident, but it did get to a point where enough was enough and they were kind of bouncing back and forth and just wouldn't make up their minds...and I was so glad once they finally did. :P Overall, Drowning In You was an intense story. Both Charlee and Dexter had a lot to work out in their own lives and over the relationship they had with each other, and I enjoyed seeing them both mature throughout the book. While I did enjoy this story, I was often confused when scenes abruptly changed or when the timelines of certain aspects in the story just didn't fit. However, I still think that the characters were worth reading about, and I think that readers who enjoy stories that are heartfelt and emotional will like this one. :) AUTHOR BIO Rebecca Berto is the author or the dark contemporary/literary novella, PRECISE and the upcoming new adult contemporary romance novel, DROWNING IN YOU. She is also a freelance

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander’s whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father’s death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a [...]

Summertime is right around the corner and we are so excited to soak up some sun, especially because Summer 2013 is the Bella Andre Summer of Love! Help us celebrate this spectacular summer of hot reads and the release of the first three books in Bella Andre’s sizzling Sullivans series with the Bella Andre Summer of Love Beach Bag Contest! Don’t miss THE LOOK OF LOVE (JUNE 2013), FROM THIS MOMENT ON (JULY 2013) and CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE (AUGUST 2013). One lucky winner will receive a fabulous beach bag filled with summertime essentials from hot brands such as O.P.I., Evian, Not Your Mother’s Hair Care, and Unisun Eyewear. (Enter via Rafflecopter below.) Also... It’s the Bella Andre Summer of Love Mixtape Contest! Visit Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks from May 22nd – May 31st and create your SUMMER OF LOVE Mixtape for a chance to win a trip for YOU and THREE friends to Las Vegas. *No purchase necessary. Ends May 31, 2013. Thanks so Harlequin Mira and Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc. One lucky winner will receive a fabulous beach bag filled with summertime essentials from hot brands such as O.P.I., Evian, Not Your Mother’s Hair Care, and Unisun Eyewear. Open to US only. Must be 16 or older to enter. Ends June 5th, 2013 a Rafflecopter giveaway /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} THE LOOK OF LOVE BELLA ANDRE Harlequin/MIRA $5.99 U.S./$5.99 CAN. ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-1556-8 Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. When her car skids off the side of a wet country road and into a ditch, she’s convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is he? A successful photographer who frequently travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women. Chase thinks his life is great just as it is—until the night he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley. Not only has Chase never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, he realizes Chloe has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, Chase is willing to move mountains to love—and protect—her, but will she let him? Chloe vows never to make the mistake of trusting a man again. Only she can’t help but wonder if she’s met the only exception with every loving look Chase gives her, the attraction between them sparks and sizzles. Chase didn’t realize his life was going to change forever in an instant, and he isn’t the least bit interested in fighting that change. Instead, he’s gearing up for a different fight altogether—for Chloe’s heart. Bella Andre is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, and has sold more than 1.5 million books. Her books have appeared on Top 5 lists at Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. After signing a groundbreaking seven-figure print only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella’s Sullivan series will be released in paperback in a major global English language launch in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia in continuous back-to-back releases from June 2013 through April 2014. Known for “sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine “Red Hot Reads” twice and have been translated into nine languages, and her Sullivan books are already Top 20 sellers in Brazil. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post has called her “One of the top digital