Tension, humour, romance, coming-of-age. LOVED IT!
924925
I found myself hooked early in the novel.
"The Holdout" kept my interest level high for every line and eagerly turning pages--other than when I stopped for a good laugh. There were plenty of great humorous punch lines. Now they take writing talent to pull off.

The characteristic was excellent; I could visulise every one.

There was so much happening, yet woven seamlessly so you could follow the merging story lines of courtroom drama, the behind the scenes of reality game shows intermixed with humour, betrayal and the tension a mystery who-done-it revelation. Into this successful plot line is woven o personal and family coming-of-age and romantic development that draws to a feel-good story ending.

I'm giving it five stars, and I want to read more of this author's work. I loved "The Holdout".
2147936
Rare is a romance that surprises me. And when they do, I LOVE it!

What A Girl Wants focuses on the relationship between Maddie and Alex, two friends who have attraction simmering beneath the surface. On one business trip to Hawaii, Maddie decides to throw caution  and her underwear  to the wind and turn up the heating on their friendship. Unfortunately for her, Alex wants to preserve the temperature for the sake of their relationship  even while he fantasises about her legs. Cue a whole load of hilarious seductions from Maddie, some super-charged stares, banter that makes you laugh out loud, and kisses hot enough to melt chocolate.

Selena Robins has a gift for humour. Its on every page, in Maddie and Alexs banter, in her talks with her friend, in her thoughts: If marriage is the answer, Ill take another question. I found myself smiling more with this book, than I have for a while. Not only does Robins balance the humour well without it getting hijinks-silly, the sexual tension between these two friends is scorching. Their first kisswell, trust me on this. Youll want to have some ice nearby.

So, sexy, funny, cute, light-hearted. Why did this book surprise me? The plot thickens  literally. We delve into a much deeper issue about parentage, which is balanced expertly with the lighter comedy-romance parts. Not only this, Robins also delivers twist after twist after twist. Just when I think I know where the plot will go next, she flips it on you and takes you to somewhere completely different. The end is fast-paced, but realistic, and I love how the issues surrounding the book are resolved. I loved the secondary characters, both of the MCs friends. Id love to see a sequel  hint, hint!

Im definitely looking forward to more books by this author.
1945683
THE THREE R's

Review:
A story about maturing: learning to face the past and moving into the future. Ultimately, a story about love: platonic, romantic and familial.

It starts out as a high school story but soon becomes more than that. The reader follows the protagonist on an astonishing story, spanning a decade, of self-discovery, love and truth As the book progresses, Lia is forced to look inside and find the source of her problems in an emotional journey that will change her perception of others and who she is.

In the short time I spent with this book, I fell in love with the characters. A salute to true friendship. Lia is strong but it's her friends who make the most difference in her life; they are the source of her strength. From soulmate Wilson to pensive Doug, and nice Maddie and confused Chad.

Oh, Chad!

I want to slap him and hug him at the same time.

I'm not going to reveal any spoilers but I was crying on more than one occasion. If you pay attention, the clues to unlock Lia's past are sprinkled around the book. Enjoy tying everything together at the end.

There were some sentences that, when read aloud, felt stilted somehow; like have cotton wool in your mouth while doing a tongue twister. Apart from that, a lovely read.

Rating:
Hot! Not too preachy but the message still resounds clearly: it'll be alright. In the end, everything will fall into place.

Recommend?
Yes; as this is a New Adult book (with adult themes), I can only recommend for those over 18.
Also, trigger warnings!
962174
Losing It was such a fun book to read! If you're looking for a light read with a hot English actor, that will make you laugh and swoon, then Losing it is for you!

I loved the book! I was already laughing from the first page at the awkwardness of Bliss, a virgin college student who decides that she doesn't want to be the only virgin between her friends, only to back out at the last second and leave the sexy English one-night-stand in her bed never expecting him to turn up at her class. As her teacher. Talk about awkward.

I loved the awkward situations Bliss was thrust into, they always cracked me up and I couldn't stop reading until there were no more words to read. It was easy to get into the book and fall in love with the realistic characters and don't get me started on the characters, or mainly a certain character also known as Garrick. Dear god, he seriously was swoon-worthy, totally sexy and..yummy. I also liked Bliss, her voice was quirky and sarcastic, adding humor to the awkwardness to make it a hilarious mix.

I loved Garrick's relationship with Bliss, the chemistry between them making their romance cute and sexy with an edge of awkwardness that made it really sweet and I was 'aww' -ing a few times. And there is the sexual tension at the first half of the book, totally frustrating and hot, but it got even hotter once they got together!

Noticed how many times I said awkward? Losing It is full of awkwardness, the good kind, and I loved that. It was realistic, and discussed something common, virginity, and that It's not a problem to be one

The reason why I didn't give this book five stars instead of four was that I grew bored about halfway through. It was slow, nothing really happened, but once that was over, the flow and humor returned and I was in love with it once again.
785557
I found the characters witty and quirky. It was well writen, with a flow that makes you want to find more from this author once you've finished the book. I like that the characters has major hurdles to overcome, from the past and present, yet they weren't made out to be tortured. The writer found humour in life and allowed the characters to show flaws. she also showed that we can be loved with our flaws and sometimes for them. There was drama and plot peaks in all the right spots and it seemed effortless. I can't wait to finish this review and check out more from this author :-)
4765743
I was roaming my library, looking for something fun to read when I stumbled across this title. I was super excited because I love, love, love Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Before even reading the plot description, I was carrying this book to the self-check out machines. And I must say, brilliant decision my part. This book was amusing, funny and had an interesting story.

So, Lily's brother and cousin decide it's high time she met a boy, so they take it upon themselves to place a red notebook in The Strand, full of dares to encourage Mr. Right to complete if he is interested in meeting Lily. Lily's is fully aware of the plan, but has her doubts about it's validity. However, when Dash, a snarky, intelligent boy stumbles across it, her life becomes more interesting then she ever expected. Soon, she is sharing her secrets with the mysterious boy while completing daring acts she never would have contemplated before. Dash, on the other hand, is intrigued by the mysterious girl at the other end of the notebook. However, he is afraid if he meets her, the dream he has of her will be shattered. With the help of friends and family, the two teens navigate NYC, love, friendship and dares resulting in a unique and adventurous teen romances.

I like Dash the best, since he is slightly pretentious, snarky and a bit of a hipster kid. He is always amusing, causing me to laugh out loud at some of his comments as well as his thoughts. David Levithan, the writer of Dash's scenes, has an excellent and witty sense of humor. I liked Lily as well, although she was less snarky and more awkward and charmingly nerdy. Although, I have to say what really made this book, was it's cast of secondary characters. The dry-witted, often quiet cousin who helped create the notebook, Lily's gay brother and his partner, Dash's loyal, kind-heated friend Boomer: all these characters and more, really added a depth to this book, show-casing the importance of the people in their lives. It made Dash and Lily three-dimensional characters, full of stories, heartbreaks and joys.

All in all, this was a great read. I would probably recommended this for high-schoolers and older teens. Although it does not have as much sexuality and language as Nick and Norah, Dash does have a bit of a mouth on him. I think many readers will find this book enjoyable and it's perfect for the holiday season, since it takes place right around Christmas. Hopefully, this book will be enjoyed by many.
747660
THE DISTANCE FROM A TO Z surprised me with how addicting it was! I got completely caught up in Abby and Zeke's summer of learning French and getting to know each other. From the beginning they had great banter and tension. I soaked up every moment. And let me tell you, French is definitely the language of LOVEEE.

I don't think the end revelations were particularly surprising, though I'm not sure they were suppose to be to anyone but Abby, and some of the angst got to be a bit much for me in the middle (I know many people love that sort of stuff, but my tolerance is very low). BUT that also made me want to KEEEEP READING, and this was one of the quickest books I read last year. Not because it was short, but because I was totally invested.

I also love strong female friendships and Abby's relationship with her roommate Alice was a major highlight of this book for me. I enjoyed seeing their friendship bloom - and how much both of them cared and protected each other from Abby helping Alice with her anxiety issues to Alice always being there when Abby needed to talk. Everyone needs a close friendship like these two.

I am not much of a sports person, but I grew up around people who love baseball, including attending games, so that part of Abby's life was very nostalgic for me (although she would see it differently herself). I also used to play trivial pursuit with my family and my cousins were experts on all the sports stuff, so I loved that scene. Plus it's a yummy one, so keep your eyes peeled.

I wish this book could be in print so I could add it to my shelves. This is an author to keep your eye on. Highly recommended!
1907979
4.5 stars  I received a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

Well that was apparently JUST what I was in the mood for!  After a few meh books, I took to this one like a fat kid on a smartie  I devoured it right up!  I stayed up way too late last night reading it after getting started, and then gobbled the last half up in no time this morning.  I even didn't want it to end.  I just wanted to keep reading about Lia and Pierce.  I don't know if it was just the mood I was in, or if it really was just that fantastic, but whatever it was it was awesome.

So what was great about it?  Well it was a nice classic YA contemporary romance.  A couple of fantastic characters going through their own individual strugglesand I really liked that their struggles didn't automatically fix right away, but was something they had to keep working through through most of the book (even if we got an unrealistic climax resolution, I just didn't care and actually craved it).  Both characters were both genuinely good people who made mistakes here and there, but had some great personality and sass.  I felt like they stayed pretty true to who they both were throughout it.

And the bantering and development of their relationship, both online and in real life, was so satisfying!  It gave me some great cute/sweet/awww moments, and that first kiss was very gratifying!  I don't know, maybe its that while I have no skills on the ice whatsoever, I love both sports (hockey and figure skating) and have always admired the athletes that pursue those sports.  And while there were no sports crossovers (ie they didn't try out each others sports), I do love the idea of a hockey player and a figure skater together, ever since my early days of watching The Cutting Edge over and over.

I think the only thing I would have liked more of would have been depth on secondary characters.  I mean, we actually got some great depth with both families (LOVED the relationship between Pierce and his brother Carson), but I was hoping to learn a bit more about each of their friends.  Especially since this appears to be the start of a series, I was surprised that I didn't really crave anyone elses story, so I have no idea whats going to be coming next.  I mean, don't get me wrongI will be looking forward to more, its just that this story was very focused on Pierce and Lia, and we didn't really get as much from the friends in their lives as I would have liked.

I probably should round down because of that, and because Im usually not big on miscommunication plots, but I just ended it feeling such a high that Im going with my gut.  Love it when a book pushes all of my own personal buttons. :)
2826523
First things first, I won a free copy of this book from the goodreads (website) drawing/contest. While I was not required to write a review, or rate this story, I simply enjoyed this romantic, comedy, coming of age tale too much not to say "Hey this was a fun, sweet read."
Let me ask you a question, Did you like the book Bridget Jones's Diary? If you said yes, than this story will likely be for you. It has the same kind of shed-a-tear emotionally moving scenes, splashed some laugh out loud moments, throw in some cheesy lines, and finish with a sappy ending. And for me.. it was enjoyable. :D
We are introduced to Jane in her current life, reviewing some of her bumpy (at times quite sad) past, finally into her much delayed entrance into the world of romance, and witness as Jane learns how to move past old hurts and into a bright new future.
I found the read to be full of emotions (at times angsty) and that pulled me into the plight of Jane and BFF/neighbor Larry as they explore the world of dating in their search for Ms/Mr right.
As the story concluded I found myself smiling, crying and laughing at these characters.
I recommend this story to readers who enjoy emotional romantic stories.
3450605
Stroked was my first book by Meghan Quinn so I really didn't know what to expect as I personally find romantic comedies can be hit and miss. However, that so wasn't the case with Stroked; I was addicted from the start, the author getting such a natural flow with the witty writing style she uses for all characters.

The two main characters, Paisley and Reese, were very likeable and refreshingly unique in characteristics, especially Paisley. Paisley is a feisty, strong, athletic in her own way, unique woman while Reese is a typical alpha male with a side to his character the world hasn't always seen before and you cant help but love him. The character of Bellini was just in another world and so unique and impossible to like that there are no good words to describe her (and I mean that in a very good way to the author). The chemistry that sparks fairly instantly between Paisley and Reese and the way it evolves over the course of the book will definitely pull you in and leave you rooting for these two to find a way to get a HEA. I think the most unlikely of characters was Pope Francis who you definitely can feel sorry for!

The book is told from three points of view; Paisleys, Reeses and occasionally Bellinis. As I already said, the flow of the book worked well with the alternating points of views to move the story along while adding in such a natural humour that it leaves you laughing out loud at some scenes and comments. While there is plenty of drama and issues, I would say overall the book is relatively light hearted. Also, for anyone worried by the theme of a sports romance, this book definitely isn't heavy on sports, the details that are needed clearly explained and easy to follow (I personally am not a follower of Swimming). The book is definitely on the steamier side with some dirty talking and intense sex scenes that will definitely leave you panting, a sign of how well written this book is. The epilogue ties up all ends of Paisley and Reeses story, making it a true standalone book.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to any who enjoys a steamy sports romance and even recommend it to anyone who just enjoys a well written romantic comedy with two very likeable and unique main characters!

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.
4436239
Filled with humor, playful banter, sexual tension, and romance, of course, makes this book a hit! This was a fun book to read. The characters were believable and had lots of, well, character. One thing I liked about this story was the fact that there wasn't that one person or incident that threatened the couple (like in so many romance novels,) other than the couples own thoughts/feelings. They were their own enemies. This didn't have that resident mean girl or evil villain. It reads easily and quickly. Though there was a small amount of sex involved, it wasn't overly graphic. I feel it would be ok for teens and up to read. There is a 'lesson' (involving love and romance) in the story that so many people could benefit from if they read this book.
1852873
I absolutely LOVED this book. With each instalment of the the Rom-Com on the Edge series, we are given loads of real-life issues and they are blended with a comedic outtake, to make the perfect read.

I liked that this book went back to focus on our main characters, from book 1. We picked up a little bit after the our last details from book two, with Claire finally getting the child she always wanted. However, we are now hit with everything a woman feels, especially as she ages and kids take over the family life. Anger, Jealousy, Fear, Insecurities, Worry and the feeling you will lose your partner to a younger version of yourself.

As Claire approaches the next stage of womanhood, they are looking to adopt again (yes, already). However, with a blend of young, flirtatious women, the inability to keep up and a growing gap between the two, we see the relationship start to fray. We have to read along as both funny and sad things happen to them and their friends, which furthers the problem. Just when you think things couldn't get worse, an old fling of Claires comes back to town and they deal with working together, only on friendly terms of course

I liked the further development of the characters, in the book. Yes, sometimes I was furious with both of them, for how they were thinking and acting, but mostly I loved them and just how real they were. None of us want to admit we are either of them, but we all have a bit of them personalities in us.

The humour in the book was perfect. Once again, Carol has given us an excellent match of giggles with a more serious side. I also liked that, just like the previous books, the humorous  moments we a great mix of what the, WHAT?! moments and things that we have all truly seen happen. It was easy to go from laughing to crying my eyes out, as I saw where their lives went, and I loved every moment of it.

I also thought the pace was very good. We were given ample time to get to know the new characters, reintroduce ourselves to the characters that weren't in book two and see how the mains moved forward. Carol also gave us the opportunity to feel swept up in it all, with slightly faster paced moments, giving you the feeling you were actually in the story.

Overall, this is a brilliant book. I have loved every book in this series and the writing style of the author. I highly recommend this book!

* I was given this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
4236326
I loved the premise of this book.  Not only does Brandy run out on her wedding, but she jumps on the back of a motorcycle and is whisked away into a new world.  A quick make-over and a new job and suddenly sparks fly and they fall in love.  I could almost call it a classic!  Throw in some great humor and steamy sex and you have the perfect contemporary romance.

Brandy turned out to be one of my favorite characters.  She's strong enough to know what she wants but she also has moments of weakness when she's unsure of herself and to me, that makes her very relatable.  She's also very funny (I was laughing through much of the book) and had a slight ugly-duckling syndrome due to her attempts to separate herself from the family business.  But of course, a make-over is inevitable and the siren that lives within her comes blazing forward.  That's when the heat really kicks up!

Marco was a great hero.  He had his moments where he was a complete jerk, but those moments moved the story along and were short-lived.  His attraction to Brandy is almost instant, happening well before her make-over.  This was a key element for me because I'm not a fan of the hero falling in love with the heroine only after he realizes she looks hot.  And of course, I loved his reaction to her make-over (it's not what you might expect) and the follow-up scene (it's exactly what you might expect).

I loved the side characters, too.  Brandy's mother, Marco's sister, his business partner, their employee.  They were all fun characters, well written and important elements in the story-line.  I would like to read more about them in future novels, but I'm not sure if the author is planning more books for them.

Of course, there's a reason Brandy ran out on her wedding and it wasn't just cold feet.  And although the story centers around this event, Marco isn't without his secrets, either.  The suspense isn't a large element in the story, but it's well written, weaved throughout the story, and everything comes to a head at just the right moment.  It definitely kept the story moving along at a good pace and kept me interested.

You can read my full review here: [...]
854907
I've been on a bit of a paranormal kick for the last couple of years and have read very few contemporaries, but Pushing the Limits might just bring me back to them. Although, it's a book about a couple of troubled teens, it had some awesome swoonworthy moments and I actually cried, something I haven't done when reading a book for a long time. And not always because of sad reasons, but happy, emotional ones.

Echo and Noah both attend the school counsellor and this is how they come to really get to know each other. Echo used to be one of the popular kids, before the incident, and her friends and family are trying to get her back to that place. While Noah, whose parents died a couple of years ago in a house fire, is a loser stoner who is in the foster care system. Usually, they would be keeping their distance from each other.

Echo can't remember exactly what happened to her and the counsellor is trying to help her remember and deal with it. It was intriguing to fill in the gaps along with her, throughout the book. She is a really likable character and I loved seeing things work out for her. At the start of the book, she is a fairly weak character and gets walked on by everyone. By the end, her character has grown immensely and she is able to stand up for herself and take over her own life.

Noah is awesome, I loved him. He has been between a few different foster homes, and was separated from his two little brothers after the fire. His hope is to get custody of them when he reaches 18, but with the way things are at the moment, that's not going to happen, so he needs to make some changes.

When he starts falling for Echo, it is so sweet. With the tough exterior that he has built around himself, he hardly realises it and part of him doesn't want to accept it. And Echo can't believe that she is having feelings for Noah Hutchins "the stoner!" if she goes out with him, it will be social suicide. Seemingly, so wrong for each other, really, they are perfect together.

This was one of my favourite books this year. I loved the relationship between Noah and Echo and their scenes together were the best. It's fast paced and kept me glued to the pages. I can't recommend it enough.
4783207
A fabulous read, and quick! I couldn't put it down. Jess Love creates a diverse cast of fun, interesting, complex characters in this realistic coming-of-age story. Hannah and Nick are adorable, and Hannah's friends/sister are exciting and a joy to interact with. I strongly suggest this book for all teens (and adults!) in search of a fun new romance that speaks to the joys and heartbreaks that can occur when you finally meet your true love In Real Life.

:)
3629707
I knew nothing about this book when Kiersten brought it to me, but the cover was ok and I liked the title, so I said I would read it. I am really glad I made that decision, because this book was wonderful!

Petula's family had experienced a HUGE tragedy, and this turned Tula into a pessimists with a million phobias. Her irrational fear of just about everything had been her coping mechanism until Jacob came into her life. He was this bright ray of sunshine, who appeared severely optimistic and tended to bring out the best in those around him.

"I learned some lessons that day:
Life is not fair.
Tragedy can strike when you least expect it.
Always expect the worst. That way, you might stand a chance of protecting yourself and the ones you love. "

The blurb on the back of the book pretty much summed this book up for me

"One pessimist. One optimist. One love story. Award-winning author Susin Nielsen's irresistible novel is both heartrending and laugh-out-loud funny."

One minute, I would be laughing because Petula was hilarious, but then I would be crying because it was so tragic, it was all so tragic. The pain was so raw and real. Nielsen did such a fantastic job depicting this broken, grieving family. Petula would often compare the before family to the now family, and it just broke my heart into pieces.

"We moved into Arcadia. Just the three of us and our invisible zeppelin of grief. "

The heart of this story was Petula and her band of teen misfits. As part of her penance for some heinous acts, Petula had to attend an art therapy group. This group was filled with some interesting and colorful characters. It was not surprising that Nielsen did a great job portraying the flawed teens knowing her background as a writer for Degrassi Junior High. This group was so delightful and authentic, and I enjoyed getting to know each and every one of them.

"Jacob resuscitated you," said Koula.

The love story was quite sweet. It unfolded slowly, and I smiled a lot. As the connection between Tula and Jacob grew,  Petula began to heal, and she began to resemble her former self.

Other things to love:
-Catadaptions!
-Crafting (I wish I had such skills)
-Petula and her mother are readers, and there is a lot of fun bookish stuff in this book
-The principal (he really did put the "pal" in principal)
-Where the Wild Things Are (*tears*)

Overall: A beautiful story of love and healing, of overcoming great losses and being able to be open to new beginnings.
788056
My gosh, I loved this book! It seemed like a young adult novel, but felt so adult at the same time.

Tate has been tortured by her former best friend Jared for years after he returned from his father's a changed kid. He's bullied, pranked, and embarrassed her for the entirety of their high school careers though Tate isn't sure what exactly precipitated it. Then Tate goes away to France her junior year and returns determined not to allow Jared to intimidate her any longer. They are under each others' skin and as the story evolves there are some very explosive moments between Tate and Jared. You find out, as is usually the case with bullies, hurting people hurt people. The reasons behind all the pain and turmoil make sense to a certain degree.

Damn. Good. Book. Seriously. The tension and Tate's turmoil was beautifully written. The behaviors of the high school students was realistic enough, painfully so at certain points. And when the tension finally boiled over? Absolutely electric. It toed the line with erotic tension between minors until the perfect part of the book and I enjoyed reading every part.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Bully was just too good not to read the follow up.