Playing the Player by Lisa Brown Roberts

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Playing the Player by Lisa Brown Roberts! This realistic fiction story introduces Trina and Slade. Two teenagers that seem to be polar opposites. Slade’s mother has set up a babysitting job for Slade in which he will be team-nannying with Trina. Slade’s mother feels that he needs help with his life-organization, goals and motivation, and she believes that Trina can accomplish these things. Trina seems on the verge of a nervous breakdown, especially when her schedule doesn’t work out exactly as planned. Slade seems a bit arrogant when he’s talking to his best friend Alex, but mellow at other times. About one-third of the way through the book, Trina starts opening up about her past and her worries, which helps with understanding her reasoning and intentions. Slade warms up to her and tries to become her friend. The book becomes more complicated and interesting the more it’s read. Trina and Slade are both stubborn and get so angry that they almost lose their relationship. The supporting characters add a lot of realism to the story and help pull the story together. 4 stars for the romantic fun!

Faithful

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Faithful by Alice Hoffman is a surprisingly uplifting book, even though a lot of sadness and turmoil take priority as the story unfolds. I received a book through a Goodreads giveaway and an advance reader copy for a fair review, thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster!

The books by telling the tragic story of two teenage girls involved in a car accident and what happens to both of them afterwards. Helene is in a coma and miraculously heals people by the touch of her left hand. Shelby feels guilty for not being as physically damaged as Helene and continues to blame herself for the accident because she was driving. Shelby has had to deal with horrible experiences even after the accident: trying to commit suicide, being sent to a psychiatric ward, being raped by an orderly in the ward and trying to deal with everything and still live a normal life. Shelby moves in with Ben, a guy she has known for a long time and this way, she finally gets out of her parents’ home and gains a little independence. She saves neglected pets, gets a job in a pet store and builds a relationship with Ben. Shelby meets new people, makes friends and makes some mistakes along the way. Shelby finally realizes she wants to improve her relationships and be more grateful for them. She has a wonderful mother and she finally realizes that also. Shelby’s world turns completely around after the accident, and then, eventually, her world turns around again. Through her struggles and trials, Shelby finally knows what she wants in life and how to let herself enjoy life and love. I give this book 5 stars because I became so involved with the characters and grew to understand parts of my own life more clearly through reading about Shelby! Thank you, Alice Hoffman!

When All the Girls Have Gone

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz!

The story opens with the murder of Gordon Greenslade, which of course would pull any mystery fan into the book! Charlotte and her innocuous life are introduced and she meets Max Cutler, an investigator, who takes on Louise Flint’s homicide case. Louise supposedly overdosed and her laptop and cellphone are completely missing. Suspiciously, Trey Greenslade has her missing items and is searching for a hidden package. Twists and turns kept me reading and the book has a good story line and plot, but it was too drawn out for my taste. 3.5 stars!

Nice Girls Endure

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone for the opportunity to read and review Nice Girls Endure by Chris Struyk-Bonn! Chelsea is an overweight teenager who takes after her father in many ways; personality, likes, dislikes, talent and genetics. The doctor suggests Calorie Counts, a weight loss program run by Bridgette, who helps Chelsea see that her self esteem is more important than anything else. Chelsea has four favorite people: her dad, Bridgette, Melody and Trevor (classmates). Chelsea tries to get involved and make friends, but then bullies set her back. The bullying is already bad enough on its own, but they send pictures of everything online for everyone to see. This book is a touching and inspiring story of the challenges we have to deal with in life and the different ways we can strengthen ourselves. 4.5 stars!

The Tru and Sloane Series by Tera Lynn Childs

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru by Tera Lynn Childs is contemporary realistic fiction with romance thrown in to make a well rounded story. Sloane is a new resident of Austin, Texas and she misses everything she left behind in New York. Tru is Sloane’s new neighbor who is dealing with troubles that he hides well. Sloane’s mom has told her to stay away from Tru; supposedly he is a troublemaker. On Sloane’s first day at her new school, the principal asks Tru to show Sloane around. All of the faculty seem to respect Tru. The story explains why Sloane and her mother left New York and the same thing happens in Austin, only this time it wasn’t Sloane. Dynamic characters and relationships make the story unpredictable in a good way – 4 stars!

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review”.

Thanks to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Falling for the Girl Next Door by Tera Lynn Childs! This story begins right where Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru leaves off. Tru admits he has a drinking problem and breaks off his relationship with Sloane until he can fix the problem. Sloane wants to convince her family that they should live together in Austin, but she finds out that her parents’ marriage might be in jeopardy. Sloane is also the victim of a blackmail attempt because she is receiving emails from someone claiming to know she’s the creator of Graphic Grrl and threatening to expose her unless she bargains with him. Tru and Sloane mature and learn to deal with the feelings they have for each other while trying to keep their relationship strong no matter how many “bumps and turns” get in the way. This story has depth and dynamic main and side characters and includes young adult romance – 4 stars!

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The Sun is Also a Star

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon became a wonderful surprise as I read the book! The story tells us about Natasha and Daniel. Two teenagers with completely different lives and backgrounds. Natasha is originally from Jamaica and her family is supposed to be deported soon. Daniel is Korean American and writes poetry, but his parents want and expect him to be a doctor, whether he wants to or not. The book introduces readers to several strangers and gives us insight into their lives. Historical and scientific snippets are also shared. An Interesting story line that really makes me think of how one person or one moment can affect someone. Some swearing, but it’s not overpowering and fits in with the story. I laughed, I cried and I related to so many parts of the story told in The Sun is Also a Star – 5 stars!

The Bad Boy Bargain

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review The Bad Boy Bargain by Kendra C. Highley!

Kyle keeps his distance from everyone and he enjoys the reputation that has been created about him, the playboy delinquent. Faith is in a relationship that she wants to end. She is ready to find love, not popularity. Faith walks in on her boyfriend, Cameron, cheating with another girl. Cameron then starts rumors about Faith and how cold and horrible she is. At this point, Faith decides to seek revenge. She strikes up a bargain with Kyle to get revenge on Cameron because it just so happens that Cameron and his friends bullied Kyle horribly in middle school. Kyle wants revenge just as badly as Faith does. The revenge doesn’t work exactly as planned and a lot of things change for both Kyle and Faith. Family dynamics, personal secrets and vulnerable characters make this story endearing. 4 stars!

Overdrive by Dawn Ius

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review Overdrive by Dawn Ius! Julia, a teenage car thief living in a foster home with her ten year-old little sister, is busted during a car grab. Julia has been trying to become independent enough to raise her sister, Emma, on her own. She does not want to be separated from Emma and will do whatever it takes for them to stay together. I admire Julia because she loves her sister tremendously and by choice, wants to take care of her. Roger Montgomery wants to give Julia and Emma a place to live. Julia is suspicious, but feels like she has run out of options. A “Gone in Sixty Seconds” young adult story involving teenage foster kids and all the thrills and car chases as the movie. Eleanor, the amazing Mustang from the “Gone in Sixty Seconds” movie, even has a cameo appearance! Since I am a fan of the movie, I thoroughly enjoyed this! It takes a while for the foster teenagers to mesh and get along, but after Roger tells them his secret, they get to know each other better and work well together. Roger seems a bit strange and the teenagers are cautious around him and unsure of his intentions. The teenagers figure out Roger’s secret and things change dramatically after that. Overdrive gets a 4 star rating because of its complex emotions, teamwork and the thrill of the chase!

Forget Me Always

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Forget Me Always by Sara Wolf! This second book in the Lovely Vicious series is as wonderful as the first!

Isis puts her memories of Jack together slowly and bit by bit, while Jack believes he should have been quicker to stop Leo from harming anyone. Isis and Sophia become friends and it seems that even more secrets are hidden with Sophia. Isis is released from the hospital and tries to get back to normal life. Jack has taken up boxing to deal with the frustrations and guilt he feels in not keeping Sophia or Isis out of danger. Leo’s trial is coming up and Jack wants to testify so Leo will be put away and unable to harm Isis or her mom again. Kayla and Isis keep trying to figure out what happened all those years ago with Jack, Avery, Wren and Sophia. Suspense, intrigue, loyalty, clever wit and endearing charm and humor round out this book – 5 stars!

The humor Isis brings to the story helps to lighten the darkness that the group has been dealing with. I appreciate the author adding the bonus content and writing in Wren’s point of view to give readers a glimpse of what’s to come and we don’t get to know what Wren is thinking most of the time. The author’s note shows empathy and personal experience with tragedy.

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I reread Love Me Never by Sara Wolf before I dove into Forget Me Always and the book had me laughing out loud all over again!  When Isis is having a mini rant and Kayla tells her that she’s thinking out loud again, it’s too funny to contain!  Isis’ rants are amusing because she is such a clever and witty character.  Some swearing, just a warning for people who don’t like that.  The swearing is humorous and fits with the dialogue and sometimes silliness of the characters.  Clever writing and intelligent characters bring a myriad of backgrounds to the book and make it hard to put down, even though this was my second time reading Love Me Never.  I appreciate the strong character that Isis is and how she doesn’t feel sorry for herself, even though she went through something terrible.  Isis knows it could have been worse, but she also knows how it made her feel.  Oh, that ending is a tremendous cliffhanger, but now I have the sequel in my hands!

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Sara Wolf, the amazing writer of the Lovely Vicious series with her two books Love Me Never and Forget Me Always ready to read.  I am anxiously awaiting the third book in the Lovely Vicious series: Remember Me Forever.  I just spotted it on Amazon and it will be available May 2, 2017!

Chapter by Chapter Blog Tour Button for Forget Me Always

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Forget Me Always Tour Schedule

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Enjoy this wonderful series!

The Last True Love Story

Posted on by lynndellwatson

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“Received an advance reader copy for a fair review.”

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read and review The Last True Love Story by Brendan Kiely! “The point of living is learning how to love.” This quote from The Last True Love Story sums up the plot perfectly. Teddy is visiting his grandpa, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Teddy is full of integrity and loyalty and he shows this as he helps keep bullies off of his friend, Corrina. The two of them take grandpa on a road trip and it isn’t always easy going. Some swearing (the “f” word); just a heads up. This beautifully written story of a grandson trying to help his grandfather relive and remember his best memories before Alzheimer’s disease takes the memories away for good, is a touching story. A family theme with love being the most important of all. Romantic and inspiring, also. 4 stars.