Review of The Start of Me and You - 5 Stars!

“Knowing what happens is different from knowing how it happens. And the getting there is the best part”

This book was refreshing like a glass of lemonade on a hot day. It has been a long time since I have read a book based in high school where there aren’t petty fights and uncontrollable jealousy. This was a story of a group of friends who have all had their struggles and yet, they never stop supporting each other. Each character brought their own ideas and personality and they all added something to the story.

Paige, the main character, experienced a hardship that would be hard for anyone at any age to handle. However, she was determined to make her life better and had a great group of girls (and guys!) behind her every step of the way. It was encouraging to read about a group of kids who supported each other and never wavered.

The book focused more on the good that kids in high school could do together, instead of the ugliness that we usually associate with high school. There was no hatred in this book and I can’t praise that enough.

Also, the book shows that you can go through something horrible and still be in one piece after its over. It showed that you can get through anything, and also shows that the journey through grief and finding yourself can be such a positive and powerful thing.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is feeling discouraged in life and needs a breath of fresh air. You won’t be disappointed!

I'm Back!

I have been doing quite a bit of reading so I will have a new review up soon. :)

Review of Chat Love

Goodreads Description

City girl Lucia is having trouble finding a man. With a few nudges from her friends, she decides to try out Chat Love, an online dating service for New Yorkers. Hilarity ensues with one disastrous date after another…where do these men come from? Mars? Certainly not Manhattan! She finally meets someone from work who is almost perfect, but decides to move on as he’s still seeing other women. She keeps in contact with a man named Jack on the Chat Love site. Could he be the one? What about her love interest at work? Just like the lovable cast of characters from Sex and the City, Lucia is Carrie, a stylish woman who has found her “Mr. Big” but can’t seem to get him to commit. Danni is Samantha, who loves to have fun and is wild and promiscuous. Autumn is Charlotte, desperate to meet the right man and settle down. Skyler is Miranda, level-headed and quick to offer advice. Will these ladies ever find love? Will Lucia find her man? Chat Love will give you something to talk about!

My Review

Before I start, thank you to Justine Faeth for giving me a free copy of her book ‘Chat Love’ to review! J

Lucia is in her late twenties and wants to get married but has had no luck finding the right guy. She joins a dating website because she is sick of the dating scene at the bars. To say the least, she meets many interesting guys through this website.

This book is frustrating and adorable at the same time. I always knew what was going to happen so there were no surprises. It was hard to know exactly what was going to happen and have it take so long for it to actually happen! The story was entertaining and kept me laughing throughout the entire thing. The writing was simple and it was an easy storyline to follow. I am a sucker for love stories, so I did find Lucia’s outcome to be very cute, yet predictable. However, Lucia and Jackson annoyed me multiple times throughout the book. They were both sometimes so indecisive and I think certain events went on longer then they needed to.

I thought all of the different dates Lucia went on were very entertaining. I felt like she encountered every situation possible and I tried to picture myself in that situation and what I would do. Lets just say I’m happy that I haven’t been in those kinds of situations!

Lucia’s friends were hilarious. I loved meeting them at the very beginning and then watching how they all changed throughout the novel. I love how they looked out for Lucia, even though they sometimes tried too hard or said the wrong thing. I also liked how all of her friends were different. Some of them were hardcore romantics, some were fed up with relationships and others just wanted to have sex. They all provided unique perspectives about the dating scene.

Her family annoyed me quite a bit. I do not like being told what to do so I understood when Lucia had moments of frustration when dealing with her family. I think families just need to be supportive and not shove their ideas and opinions on fellow family members. However, as the story went on, you could start to see that her family truly did care about her and love her. They just wanted her to be the happiest she could be.

Overall, ‘Chat Love’ was an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more of Justine’s books in the future!

Currently Reading

A review will be posted soon! :)

Way Back Then… On A Friday

Goodreads Description

I know your secret...

Stacey's junior year at boarding school isn't easy. She's not the most popular girl at school, or the smartest, or the prettiest. She's got a crush on her best friend's boyfriend, and an even darker secret that threatens to ruin her friendships for good. And now she's having nightmares again. 

Not just any nightmares – these dreams are too real to ignore, like she did three years ago. The last time she ignored them, a little girl died. This time they're about Drea, her best friend who's become the target of one seriously psycho stalker. It started with weird e-mails and freaky phone calls. 

Now someone's leaving Drea white lilies – the same death lilies that have been showing up in Stacey's dreams. Everybody thinks it's just a twisted game . . . until another girl at school is brutally murdered. There are no witnesses. Worst of all, no one has a perfect alibi. With everyone as a potential suspect, Stacey turns to the one secret weapon she can trust – the folk magic taught to her by her grandmother. 

Will Stacey's magic be strong enough to expose the true killer, or will the killer make her darkest nightmares come true?

My Review

This book is the first in the series. I read this quite a few years ago but whenever I am at the bookstore and see it on the shelf, I smile. I adored this book back in the day. It is different, simple and yet it kept my attention. I found myself reading this late into the night because I wanted the mystery to be solved.

The characters are enjoyable but not really anything special. They are the type of characters you would expect to find in a young adult novel of this variety.

I found the nightmares that Stacey experiences throughout the novel to be extremely interesting. The connections between the nightmares and what was happening in the plot was well done.

The mystery behind everything definitely kept me hooked. With that being said, if you are looking for a quick and enjoyable read, this book is for you. There are three books after this one and I highly recommend reading those as well if you enjoy Blue is for Nightmares.

Way Back Then Wednesday

Hey all! I was at work today and got to thinking about how I wish I was able to post more reviews on this blog. I tend to work almost everyday so finishing a book sometimes takes me longer then I would like. This puts the brakes on being able to write a new review so you see my dilemma.

The idea behind 'Way Back Then Wednesday' is a chance for me to still be able to reach my goal of one review a week. Every Wednesday, I will be choosing a book from my Goodreads 'read' list that I finished quite some time ago and posting a review. That way, I can post reviews more consistently and still be able to read in my free time. I will be posting reviews of books I am reading currently as often as I can.

Without further ado, here is this Wednesday's 'Way Back Then' review. Enjoy! :)

Goodreads Description

Something Borrowed tells the story of Rachel, a young attorney living and working in Manhattan. Rachel has always been the consummate good girl---until her thirtieth birthday, when her best friend, Darcy, throws her a party. That night, after too many drinks, Rachel ends up in bed with Darcy's fiancé. Although she wakes up determined to put the one-night fling behind her, Rachel is horrified to discover that she has genuine feelings for the one guy she should run from. As the September wedding date nears, Rachel knows she has to make a choice. In doing so, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk all to win true happiness. Something Borrowed is a phenomenal debut novel that will have you laughing, crying, and calling your best friend.

My Review

I picked up this book at my local library when I was attending high school. To this day, I still do not know what made me pick up this book. I am usually more into young adult books, and this books characters were much older then what I was used to. Well, back then, 30 seemed old. Now that I am 23 I feel a lot differently!

However, I am very happy with my high school self for picking up this book and giving it a chance. I absolutely love this book and the movie is pretty good too! I found myself relating to Rachel throughout much of the story. I was always seen as the 'good girl' out of my group of friends, really quiet, let people walk all over her, didn't think I was deserving of what I wanted, etc. Rachel struggles with all of these issues as well throughout the novel so I felt very connected to her.

Darcy.. oh Darcy. I could not stand her. She drove me crazy. She comes off as very materialistic and all about what she wants. I thought those feelings might change as I continued reading, but they didn't. I felt a little sorry for her as events transpired, but I was always rooting for Rachel's happy ending.

I liked Dex… for the most part. I just wish he would have had more of a backbone earlier on. He's alright for the most part.

One thing that I found funny about this book is that the way that its written actually messes with your mindset about cheating in a relationship. Most people, including myself, firmly believe that cheating under any circumstances is wrong. However, as I was reading 'Something Borrowed', instead of scolding Rachel for developing her relationship with Dex, I was cheering her on. This blew my mind.

This book shows just what people will give up for their friends. It also shows that sometimes you have to put yourself and your own happiness before the people in your life. It also encourages you to never be afraid of pursuing what is going to make you truly happy.

Review of Dead Silence

Description From Goodreads

Violet thought she’d made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers…that is until she acquired an imprint of her own. Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team Violet works for have no intention of letting her go.

When someone close to Violet becomes a suspect in a horrific murder, she finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a madman with an army of devoted followers. Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.

My Review

“When you grow accustomed to something, when it becomes part of your everyday life, you notice when it suddenly vanishes”

Dead Silence was my least favorite book of this series. I could just not get into the background story of the killer. Yes, it had that creepy factor like the other books but it was different. I found myself sighing quite often as I was reading. I think I finally got fed up with Jay being jealous and Violet making stupid decisions. I love seeing character development in a series and while they did do some growing up, they all had so much more potential. The book just seemed very dull to me. I thought the end of the book would safe it since the endings of Dertings are always very well put together but I was disappointed. The book just did not end in the way that I was expecting.

The one aspect of this book that I thoroughly enjoyed was the knowledge we gained about Violets ability. Violets grandma’s journal entries were extremely interesting and the connections Violet was able to make from reading the entries were very interesting as well. Throughout the book you learn more about how imprints and echoes work as well.

The rest of the book was very similar to the others in the series. Violet and Jay argue, they stop talking and they make up. If I have to hear Violet fantasize about Jay taking his shirt off ever again, it will be too soon. Trust me. If you read this book, you will know exactly what I am talking about when you get to that particular part. Rafe stares at Violet, Violet gets all hot and bothered but denies having any feels for Rafe whatsoever. Jay overreacts and gets extremely jealous and lashes out at Violet. So, the usual.

Overall, the only reason I would recommend reading this book is just so you can finish the series. It does provide a lot of information that we did not know before but other then that, there isn’t much to it.