Book Review: The Kissing Booth by Beth Reekles - #TheKissingBooth

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The Kissing Booth
Author: Beth Reekles
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 14th 2013
Review Source: Delacorte Press

Once a self-published sensation, now a hit Netflix movie starring Molly Ringwald and Joey King, THE KISSING BOOTH is a fun, captivating YA romance with a truly authentic teen voice. Written by Beth Reekles when she was only fifteen years old, the book initially accumulated over 19 million reads on the story-sharing platform Wattpad, and its devoted fan base continues to grow!

Meet Rochelle "Elle" Evans: pretty, popular--and never been kissed. Meet Noah Flynn: badass, volatile--and a total player.

When Elle decides to run a kissing booth at her school's Spring Carnival, she locks lips with Noah and her life is turned upside down. Her head says to keep away, but her heart wants to draw closer. This romance seems far from a fairy tale.

Is Elle headed for heartbreak or will she get her happily ever after?

For fans of Stephanie Perkins and Kasie West, THE KISSING BOOTH is the perfect summer romance read!

The Kissing Booth is definitely a quick and sassy read for the summer. I read it at the right time, after being stuck in a book slump for sometime. I also read it after seeing the movie on Netflix. I would recommend it if your in the mood for something with just the right amount of cute, angsty, and teen drama. Does take you back to those high school years.

I want to pint out that the author wrote this book when she herself was in her late teens, so this is probably why it's so relatable. I think the book does connect and is believable throughout most of the writing. The movie is actually not as tame as the book. You will like it just as much as I did.

So if you haven't read or seen The Kissing Booth, go out and get your copy and enjoy this book while we have a few days of summer still left.

Book Review: Amber Sky by Amy Braun

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Amber Sky
Dark Sky 0.25

Author: Amy Braun
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Released: October 4th 2016
Review Source: Amy Braun

Press-ganged into servitude by a ruthless band of marauders who survived the devastating Storm, Nash has grown tired of his career– the young, undefeated champion of the Stray Dog fighting pits. All he longs for is a place to live where his family is not his enemy.

When his captain gives him an assignment to embed him deeper into the crew, Nash attempts to refuse, until the life of his friend is threatened. Determined to save her, Nash embarks on the mission to subjugate and control a supplier. But the supplier has other clients, one of which could be the son of the most feared pirate captain in all of Westraven.

And if Nash plays his cards right, the key to his deeply desired freedom, if he can live with the consequences of his choice…

Set two years before the events of CRIMSON SKY, this prequel novella tells the story of how Nash and Sawyer crossed paths– and fists. While best enjoyed before reading CRIMSON SKY, this bonus story can be read at any time or enjoyed as a standalone.

To be totally honest, I haven't read the following series so reading Amber Sky was step one for me. For the most part I was interested, but the fight scenes read like a play-by-play announcer, every punch and move mentioned.

The main character, Nash, read like the complainy emo kid. So strong, yet not liked and detesting everything. Okay, sure, its nice he has morals and is surviving in the only viable option he has, but it was rough at times to read.

The story kept me though, seemed like too easy of a wrap up for Sonya. I am hopeful Crimson Sky is as compelling story wise if not more so. I understand this is simply out there to explain how Nash and Sawyer met up in such a vast and empty world.

Book Review: Forever Blue by Abby Wilder

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Forever Blue
Author: Abby Wilder

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genres: Romance | Mystery
Released: June 17th 2016
Review Source: Author

I broke the surface and gulped in air, running my hands over my face to push the water away. A raindrop splattered on my cheek. He did not rise. Seven more raindrops in quick succession splattered against my skin. And still, he did not rise. The heavens opened and rain fell like a sheet, blanketing me, cutting me off from the rest of the world. I thought it was the end of everything. But I was wrong."

Brothers, Ruben and Judah Mitchell, used to be close, but that was before they met Cara Armistead. Once she moved in next door the brothers grew further and further apart, until the tension between them led to an event which left one dead and the other branded by the aftermath.

One year later, after the death of her baby brother destroyed her family, Lennon Donnelly has moved back to her home town of Puruwai. While visiting the cemetery she finds a boy sitting on a gravestone, a boy with secrets in his past, but someone who finally sees her. Accused by the town as a killer, he reaches out to Lennon, but as their relationship deepens the events of the year before present themselves in a way no one could have imagined.

Have you ever watched a horror film then straight after put something light and fun on the TV because the movie scared you? Forever Blue gave me similar feels. I read the last page and I knew I couldn't read anything which wasn't light and cute for a while. I was taken on a journey I didn't expect but very much loved. And at the end, I thought I had that figured out, too. I didn't. That got me the most.

Forever Blue tells the tale of brothers Judah and Ruben and how their lives went from okay to a very quick downwards spiral. People die and others accused. Once good friendships are now filled with hatred. And the truth got buried along with the dead. It's only when Lennon Donnelly arrives on the scene that the truth starts coming to light.

Forever Blue is devourable. Throughout the whole book it's like one big puzzle fitting together. It masterfully mixed romance and mystery and entices the reader deeper into the world. The characters were full of life, vulnerability and secrets. I felt love, excitement and was caught off balance tremendously at the end.

"He knew this was the end. He knew there was no other choice. And he didn't fight. He smiled sadly as the water rushed  in through the open window"

It's a hauntingly beautiful tale of truth and sacrifice you won't want to miss out on any of it.

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Book review: Drain Me by Lana Sky

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Drain Me
The Ellie Grey Chronicles #1

Author: Lana Sky
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Vampire
Released: October 7th 2014
Review Source: Purchased

When diagnosed with a fatal illness at the age of twenty six, Eleanor Gray is resigned to her fate—at least until the enigmatic Dublin Helos appears and makes her an offer she knows she should refuse:

Life or Death?

With a decision as harmless as checking the wrong box on a mysterious questionnaire, Ellie is plunged into a dangerous world where souls are sold to the highest bidder and pleasure is fueled by pain.

The rules of this new life are simple: submit everything—mind, body and soul. But the further Ellie falls under Dublin’s control, the more she comes to realize that it’s not just her sanity at stake, but her heart and a whole lot of blood too.

This is a New Adult  novel recommended for ages 18+ due to sexual content and mature subject matter

Ellie was dying. Her parents were dead and her sister was traveling the world, mooching off the money their parents left. She was alone and dying. The harmless question of 'would you choose life or death?' sent Ellie's life into shambles. Of course, she said yes. But she didn't actually anticipate to live.

Drain Me is a worldwind of emotions. It took two unusual characters, placed them together and the result was twists and turns. Nothing happened the way I expected and I finished the book with a kind of empty feeling. I want more on the unexpected things, more on the relationship (if I can even call it that) between Ellie and Dublin.

Ellie was an interesting character. She confuses me a lot, the things she says and does doesn't match up to the fact she wants to live. She chose to live, but it's the choices after that speak louder. Turns out she's just very stubborn and has very little to care about in the world. She wants to live but not as she knew life before. Truthfully, I don't understand Ellie. I like that I don't understand her because it makes her unpredictable. Unpredictable is nice change.

Vampires are 100% the way to my heart. The majority of my absolute favourites books/series are revolved around vampires so the bar is set really high for me. Lana Sky took vampires back to the good 'ole times to when they weren't nice. When they weren't good characters where everything wasn't easy and painless. It was a refreshing read and a credit to the paranormal genre.

Book Review: Remove Before Flight by Colleen Young

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Remove Before Flight
The Taking Flight Trilogy #2
Author: Colleen Young
Reading Level: New Adult
Genres: Coming of Age | Romance
Release Date: March 25th 2016
Review Source: Author

In the first book of the Taking Flight trilogy, we were along for the ride as college freshman Cory Sorrano started her first year of flight school and found herself in the center of a steamy love triangle between her classmate Samson Wallis and flight instructor Cole Turner. Book One concluded with Cory making a surprising choice – but will she stick to it?

Book Two follows Cory as she begins her summer internship with a charter airline in Washington, D.C. As much as she’s enjoying her work, how will she deal with the office bully or her flirtatious mentor? Meanwhile, Samson is continuing his summer studies at Southern Gulf University. Will he be able to stay focused even as an old love interest begs for his help? And lastly we have Cole, who has graduated and is starting his journey as a professional pilot. He’s struggling to let go of his feelings for Cory and he may have found just the cure for his heartbreak in the form of a sexy pilot named Ana.

This one’s a fast-paced read and will conclude with the long awaited and mysterious “Event.” Buckle your seat belts and get ready for the ride!

Remove Before Flight is book two in the Taking Flight Series by Colleen Young. I must tell you first that I absolutely love this series. It isn’t a super duper deep story, nor a classic to go down in history, but I just absolutely love the realistic nature that this author writes in. So many YA books follow similar formats. There are always tons of unnecessary misunderstandings that lead to pages upon pages of drama that in real life could have been resolved in a matter of minutes. Colleen Young is so awesome in giving us the drama that we need to stay interested and keep the characters and plots relevant and progressive, but also realistic in the sense that when an unnecessary misunderstanding does pop up the characters are not dumbed down. They figure things out pretty quickly and we can move on and move along with the story without the reader getting frustrated at the obliviousness of the characters.

So let’s start out with the plot. Corey, Samson, Cole and the rest of the gang are back from book 1. This time it is summer and rather than the story being taken place all on campus at the college they attend to become pilots, Corey is off to Washington D.C. for a summer internship, Samson is still at school taking summer classes, and Cole has gone to Texas to take his final classes to becoming an official airline pilot. We left off in the last book with Corey and Cole breaking up because Cole was older than her and was graduating and leaving, and Corey and Samson finally admitted their feelings for each other. This book picks up with Corey and Samson figuring out exactly what their relationship is with each other now and the trials of tribulations that occur with being apart for the summer in a long distance relationship.

Now what about Cole you ask? Of course it would be too simple for Cole to be out of the picture and for Corey and Sampson to simply ride off into the sunset. Especially since this is a trilogy and this is only book 2…so I knew things weren’t going to be that easy. So of course since we switch between Corey, Samson & Cole’s POVs throughout the book we learn that Cole is still very much hung up on Corey. He writes her letters telling her that he is in love with her. Cole knows that she is with Samson now but he isn’t going to let her go without a fight. We see Corey and Samson’s relationship through their POVs and it is solid, they are falling very much in love, you 100% think that Cole is irrelevant, but when Corey and Samson have a huge fight and then Cole happens to ask Corey to come and visit her in D.C. during that fighting period weekend, we realize that things are not as black and white for Corey when it comes to Samson and Cole and we thought they were.

I have to say this is the part of the story where I have huge disappointments in Corey. This is not anything to do with the author writing it badly, in fact her bad choices and questionable behavior make the story that much better, but after loving her so much from the first book through to most of this book as a strong, funny, honest and good girl, it was so disappointing to see her morals and values on certain situations. Of course young people make stupid decisions, but I never thought she could do some of the things she did with a pretty much clear conscience. It was so out of character for her and I just really started to not like her for a lot of her actions towards the middle and ending of this book. I won’t say anything more, but you will understand what I mean completely when you read this book.

I HIGHLY recommend this book. I loved the first book but this one was leaps and bounds even better. I will say that this book became a little more “adult” in the sense of the intimate scenes involving Corey and her love life. The first book was pretty PG. Although this book is absolutely no Fifty Shades of Grey, we do see a bit of a push between PG-13 and R rating. So start this book immediately, or the series if you haven’t read book 1 yet! I give it 5 stars because it was really a huge step up from the first book (which I loved too) and I can’t wait for the final installment that should be out in June.

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We recommend starting with Taking Flight: Book One in Taking Flight Trilogy if you have not read it yet.

Check out our reviews of Taking Flight: Pauline's & Yara's

Book Review: Caged by Karina Espinosa

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CAGED
Mackenzie Grey #2
Author: Karina Espinosa
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Released: April 26th 2016
Review Source: Author

It’s hard out there for a lone-wolf.

Mackenzie Grey has started a brand new life in an attempt to escape the Brooklyn Pack. She settles in as a detective in a special unit of the LAPD when her identity is put at risk, and she has no choice but to run again. The question is: does she want to run forever?

As events force Mackenzie to confront her past, she is met with many surprises—including the revelation of her true ancestry. When Packs across the country learn of who she is, Kenz becomes the object of desire in a deadly wolf hunt, and she must once again fight to keep her freedom.

Witnessing first-hand the barbaric treatment of Lunas, Mackenzie has to make a choice—follow the prediction of her Vision Quest or let herself be CAGED...

I have been eagerly awaiting book two of the Mackenzie Grey series. I want to thank the author, Karina Espinosa, for releasing an ARC copy to me for an honest review. I read it all today! Totally five stars worthy! While I did want to see more of Mac in L.A. and read her transitions over the year. As they say however, arrive late and leave early, I loved this book.

Pick up book two of the Mackenzie Grey series on April 26th 2016.

Working within a secret sect of the LAPD with her sexy partner Roman (boyfriend or no?) she has been kicking ass and taking names while still in hiding from the numerous werewolf packs in North America that keep searching for her. In the mean time, being such a late bloomer, there's a lot of important wolf traditions she needs to catch up on (even as a lone wolf) that cannot be over looked much longer. Where does she start first? A vision quest, obviously.

Mac does make it back to NY-- and to Amy. However, It isn't such a happy reunion at first. Almost everyone feels she's making the big mistake, but it's really only one of many to be made by our sarcastically snarky wolf-girl. All the while Bash and Jonah still pull her heart strings, and it's not making her return any easier. With her bloodline in question, after confirming she's adopted, it seems every wolf alpha is out to get a piece of her, even if it's by force. What makes her so damn special? You'll have to read to find out!
I really don't want to spoil this for readers, but know that it's truly a great addition to the series and now I look forward to book three! There are some adult moments, not sexual so just keep an open mind when reading, it is brief but still serious it should be mentioned (and it's not done to offend anyone but to raise awareness of Luna's --and women in general, issues).

Book Review: SHIFT by Karina Espinosa

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SHIFT
Mackenzie Grey #1
Author: Karina Espinosa
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Paranormal 
Released: February 10th 2015
Review Source: Author

It's hard enough being an undergraduate student, an intern at Downtown Manhattan's police station, and a bouncer at a local bar. Add her now ex-boyfriend who recently dumped her for the school's resident bimbo—oh, and she's a werewolf. Mackenzie Grey meets her match when she is kidnapped by the Brooklyn Pack and tossed between Sebastian and Jonah—the Alpha and the Beta. Being a lone-wolf in the city is dangerous, and now that the Pack has found her, so can every supernatural being in the Tri-State area. And not even her sarcastic, smart mouth can get her out of this.

When a string of kidnappings involves Mackenzie in supernatural politics, she questions her new acquaintances and finds unlikely allies. Can she escape Pack law and keep her freedom—or will she be condemned to an unwanted path?

I was given a copy by the author for an honest review, thank you Karina!

I’ve read quite a few Werewolf novels, however, this became an instant favorite. I simply couldn’t tear my eyes away. The entire time I was reading this novel I had a shit eating grin on my face, because I could totally relate to Mackenzie and Amy.

The Mercy Thompson series comes to mind, as this is reminiscent in a very strong alpha female character.

Without too many spoilers: Mackenzie is a lone wolf, and not by choice, she just hasn’t met anyone else like her. What’s a girl to do every full moon? She makes the change, but doesn’t let it change her. The characters, Mackenzie and Amy, seem more like your closest friends, with their banter, sailors’ mouths and realistic emotions that come along with being a werewolf. There is plenty of great drama, fighting and a mystery all weaved into this novel. Karina Espinosa is now one of my ‘must buy all books,’ I look forward to the second novel in this series, I eagerly await reading CAGED.

Book Review: Delinquents by Mark Elizabeth & Sarah Elizabeth

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Delinquents
Dusty #2
Author: Mary Elizabeth & Sarah Elizabeth
Reading Level: New Adult
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Released: October 22nd 2014
Review Source: Purchased

The innocent girl with a delinquent heart has to live with her bad choices. Secret hope and hurt feel like falling while she learns how to breathe again, but there's still freedom in trouble.

The runaway with blacked-out eyes is losing his grip. Crushing two hearts in one fist, his addiction bends rules and breaks deals, but the boy born for bliss isn't going anywhere without a fight.

Love is knowing they should stay away, but love is illogical at best.

She's afraid to let go.

He won't let her.

This is how silliness and foolishness grow up.

Here, forever is a lie.

Every once in a while you come across a series that is very unassuming. It appears to be your typical YA/Romance coming of age, boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, some drama ensues, and in the end they have their happily ever after. That is exactly what I thought when I first began reading this series with book one titled Innocents (The Dusty Series by Mary Elizabeth). Well half way into the first book I started to see the shift and I started to realize this wasn’t just another typical YA book. By the end of the first book I was already biting my nails to the bone in anticipation and stress over where the characters were leading us.

Well book two of this series, Delinquents, picks up where the first book left off. Right from the very beginning on page one we are thrown into the fire with these characters. The story follows Leighlee “Bliss” McCloy and her secret relationship since she was about eleven years old with Thomas “Dusty” Castor. In this book they are both into their teenage years and the angst factor is just amped. Dusty has so many issues with drugs and alcohol and this in turn causes him to treat Bliss horribly at times, yet underneath his addiction and pain he truly loves her more than anything he has ever loved in his life. She is the only light in his life but he struggles to make good decisions and constantly does things that little by little are tearing her down and leaving her broken. In turn, like so many people who love an addict, Dusty becomes Bliss’ addiction. Just as much as his drugs and addiction are killing him and bringing him down, her addiction of him is doing just the same thing to her. The author does a really amazing chapter towards the end of this story that shows just how parallel they both are physically and emotionally in his addiction to drugs and her addiction to him. To top this off they have kept their relationship secret since they were kids because Bliss’ best friend is Dusty’s sister and she doesn’t want to lose the friendship, and her parents also wouldn’t approve of her with Dusty. So not only are they dealing with all this whirlwind of drama and sickness, but they have to do it in secret and then put on their game faces to those around them so as not to attract suspicion.

I hate to say that this story was emotionally draining and that I broke down in tears on more than one occasion, because I don’t want to deter people from taking on something that is a bit deeper than usual. This is truly a book series worth reading. Sometimes I think we need to push ourselves into feeling a little uncomfortable and not relying on that typical formula that most books follow in order to feel something a little more real. Life is not always a Rom-Com. Life has ups and downs, life has tears and heartache. We don’t just get the glossy description of despair in this book…we get the nitty gritty details that really caused me to feel it down to my bones. Someone asked me if there was a happily ever after in this story before she would know if she could read it. I said in all honesty that to say yes or no either way would be misleading. I will say that we aren’t necessarily left one way or the other. What we are left with is hope, and I think that is the most realistic ending to a series I have read in a long time.

I give this book and series as a whole 100 stars (which would be 5 stars here)! Pull up your big boy and girl pants and take a chance on something that I promise will touch your soul, make you think, and give you the chance to look around at what is good in your life and not take it for granted.

Book Review: Innocents by Mary Elizabeth & Sarah Elizabeth

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Innocents
Dusty #1
Author: Mary Elizabeth, Sarah Elizabeth
Reading Level: New Adult
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Released: July 12th 2014
Review Source: Purchased

The girl with an innocent heart knows all about bad choices, but has yet to make them for herself. Searching for freedom, she finds it in the delinquent down the hall.

The troublemaker with summer-sky blue eyes knows he should stay away, but can’t resist the blissful wonder who makes his house a home.

She’s a hopeless romantic. He’s just hopeless.

She’s his reason, but he might not catch her when she falls.

She loves him. He loves her crazy.

This is what happens when a love made of secrets is kept with rules instead of promises.

I was recently rec’d this book by an author who I respect. Before reading a book I usually read up on reviews from others who have already read it. I have to admit that going into it I was a bit nervous because everyone was saying that it was a heavy plot and it was the type of story that once it was done they couldn’t stop thinking about it. The book I’m referring to is Innocents by Mary Elizabeth, book one of the Dusty Series. Let me tell you, once I started this book I could not put it down. I read until the wee hours of the night, in the car (if I wasn’t driving of course), walking around the house, etc. It just gripped me right from the beginning.

The book is a coming of age story if you will. It follows Leighlee “Bliss” McCloy. She moves to Oregon when she is in elementary school and immediately befriends Rebecka Castor. They are attached at the hip from the very start and remain that way all the way through. Rebecka has a brother, Thomas “Dusty” Castor, who is a year older then the girls. Immediately they all intermingle since they, and all their friends, are so close in age. The story starts with them in elementary school and goes through to high school. As Leighlee and Thomas get older they are draw together and end up having a secret relationship that no one else knows about. They keep it hidden because Leighlee spends a lot of time at Rebecka’s house sleeping over and whatnot and if anyone knew her and Thomas were in a relationship she would no longer be allowed to have such free reign at Rebecka’s home. The problem and angst begins as Thomas gets older and begins to have series issues and problems. I won’t get into specifics, but even though we know he truly and madly loves Leighlee, he treats her terribly. Being that she is so young and impressionable she constantly lets him get away with his bad behavior and it is heartbreaking to sit back and witness as a reader. You just want to shake her or hug her and tell her that this isn’t what love is supposed to be like. She isn’t supposed to let herself be treated this way.

I think as girls a lot of us put up with stuff from boys in our adolescents that we would never put up with as adults, but imagine that typical juvenile behavior and multiply it by a thousand in this book between the two of them. Yeah…it’s that bad how he treats her (no…there is no physical violence of anything like that). I have never read a book before where I was so conflicted with really wanting the main two characters to work out and be together, and enjoying their alone time moments together, and to also want this young girl grow a back bone and say enough already and move on. But then there is also the issues with Dusty that you really feel bad for on some level because his parents let him do whatever he wants with no consequences so he has no one to call him out and get him the help he needs. They either don’t notice, or don’t care, that he is drowning.

There is a second book to this series (Delinquent) that I am just about to begin, so this first book was finished open ended and unresolved. I am really hoping there is some happy ending/resolution in the second book but I would be lying if I didn’t say I’m on pins and needles and think it could go either way. I give this book 5 stars! I would give it 10 stars if I could! Definitely read this book. It is a story that stays with you way past when you close the book.