Tag: teen romance

BONUS REVIEW: The Perfect Escape by Suzanne Park

BONUS REVIEW: The Perfect Escape by Suzanne Park

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Nate is caught between a rock and a hard place. His family is struggling financially, and he needs money to fund his future plans. One of the rich kids at school offers him serious cash – like, buy-a-new-car serious –  if he’ll deliberately let his grades drop. Nate doesn’t need the A’s because his applications for college only care about junior year. And if Nate agrees, some of the other high performing kids will also “take a dive” so these rich kids have a chance for some academic honors for their own applications before high school is over. While Nate needs the money, he’s not really comfortable with the whole idea.

Kate’s dad has always hyper-focused on work. But since her mom died, he’s been worse. She feels like a prisoner in their high-tech home. An internal computer system tracks her comings and goings, her vital signs, her phone calls, and her spending. Even worse, her dad thinks he has the right to dictate what she will study in college, and what she will do with her last semester of high school – and it all has to do with him and his work. If she could get some serious cash, Kate could leave town and follow her own dreams for the future and finally be free.

When Kate and Nate meet through their jobs at a zombie-themed escape room, it seems only natural that they team up for the zombie survivalist contest. The winning team gets $50,000. That would help both of them out of their predicaments. They just have to win first.

Review

This was so fun! I loved it. I don’t generally enjoy zombie things, but this wasn’t too gory or over the top. (These are fake zombies for the contest, not real zombies.) I was expecting the contest to be the bulk of the book, but it was really just most of the second half. The first half really develops the characters as individuals and in their circumstances, as well as their budding relationship with one another. I enjoyed the pacing. It never felt like “get to the good stuff.” It’s all good stuff!

I loved Nate and Kate. They take turns telling the story which is the perfect format for the story. The first part of the book lets the reader get to know both teens. You see who they are as individuals and then get to watch their friendship develop.

The early part of the book also examines the stakes for both kids. They each have a strong motivation for getting the money. Kate’s felt stronger to me – her dad was SO creepy in his controlling! Nate could have just said no to the guy at school. But he was tempted by the opportunity to help his family. This “unevenness” in their motivations, though, was perfect for how things would play out.

The survivalist contest was a clever plot point. I loved how all of the pieces of this came together in the end.

This is a delightful, funny, sweet romance with some suspense – and zombies! I had such a good time reading this one – don’t miss it. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: How to Speak Boy by Tiana Smith

REVIEW: How to Speak Boy by Tiana Smith

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Is it weird to have a nemesis in high school?

Because Quinn Edwards does – Grayson Hawks. Handsome, smart, son of the governor. Her fiercest competitor in everything since he moved to town. Even when she beats him, he is always hot on her heels. Like with the captaincy of the speech and debate team. She couldn’t just beat him and have it all to herself. Nope, they had to be CO-captains.

Quinn’s best friend, Naomi, thinks Grayson likes Quinn. He flirts with her all the time! But Quinn thinks her friend is delusional. Even if he was flirting, Grayson is NOT to be trusted.

Assignments at their school are done by student ID numbers instead of name. So when Quinn gets someone else’s AP Government assignment, she starts exchanging notes with that person. All business at first, then turning playful. It’s thrilling to have this honest little relationship with a stranger – to say things she would never say to anyone else.

As Quinn struggles in some of her classes and bombs her first speech meet, her notes with #15211 have become a highlight of her day. Should they share who they are? Or is it better to leave things secret for now?

Review

This was darling! It’s You’ve Got Mail set in a high school around speech and debate team. I loved it! The chemistry between Quinn and Grayson jumps off the page. Even when she thinks she hates him, their banter and bickering shows there’s potential for something more.

I loved how the notes played out. At first, Quinn just enjoys them, but eventually she combs through them looking for hints. I loved watching the story unfold, watching her try to figure out who the hints lined up to.

Through the ups and downs, the warm moments and the trials, I adored Quinn and Grayson, both individually and together. They are my favorite sort of YA pair – smart, endearing, and kids you are always rooting for. Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

REVIEW: The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Lady Alessandra Stathos is not a young woman to be trifled with. She knows her own mind and her plans for her future. Nothing will get in her way.

The one young man who broke her heart was killed by her own hand.
Her various lovers all have secrets they wish to keep so they keep their liaisons secret as well.
And now that her older sister is betrothed, Alessandra is finally permitted to join society. And she has her eye on the biggest prize of all – the Shadow King.

She will make him fall in love with her and then marry her. And once she’s queen, she’ll kill him and take over the vast kingdom. But the first step is to get him to notice her out of a slew of young beauties vying for his attention. And the second is to keep an assassin from killing him before she can do it herself.

Review

This was fantastic and different. I loved it! It’s a classic fantasy tale of lords and ladies and royal marriage. But the protagonist – the “hero” – is a murderess. She tells you in the first sentence of the book. She’s wicked smart, calculating, and ruthless. She will do anything to get what she wants.

The king has a ruthless streak of his own. It’s not as well explored because Alessandra tells the story, but there are some stellar moments in this where you really see that part of him. He’s a conqueror, and he will kill anyone who crosses him or fails him. These are the stars of the story! These are the potential love interests. And it’s crazy because Alessandra is so likable. The writing of these characters is brilliant to pull that off. I’ve read standard protagonists who were morally good who I didn’t like as much as I liked Alessandra.  Her relationships with her new friends at court and her no-nonsense conversations with the king were actually endearing. I loved her sass, her fashion sense, and her confidence.

There’s a touch of magic in this – enough to add an interesting layer to the king and to the story, but something simple enough not to require tons of world building. The details could be doled out over time to keep the intrigue while never mucking up the storytelling. But the magic is essential to the plot. The whole setup was brilliant.

The ending was terrific. I loved how all the pieces fit together. I would absolutely read this again! This is a stand alone story, something which can be hard to find in YA fantasy. The dedication describes this as a “Slytherin romance,” and that is the most perfect description of this I can think of. Now I need to track down the author’s other books because this was so great! (Some language, sexual references)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

REVIEW: Lucky Caller by Emma Mills

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co. in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Nina is in her last semester of high school. Her mom is newly engaged. And she’s partnered with Jamie, the last person she wanted in her group for her broadcasting class.

The early weeks of their show are rocky. Jamie is choosing the music for their 90s shows. Sasha works on publicity. Joydeep is their on-air host, and Nina is the producer.

The problems are hard to miss. Their host is wooden on air, they’ve had technical difficulties, and they’ve accidentally broadcast some language and conversations that should NOT have been aired.

To salvage their show, they decide to hint at a secret guest coming to the show. Nina’s dad, a radio personality, would be ideal to speak not only on the air but also to their class. They run into a few problems, though, when their listeners start making their own assumptions about the secret guest, and when Nina is reluctant to even ask her dad to come.

Review

There were several parts of this that I loved. There are some great laugh-out-loud moments. And I loved the game of pretend Nina and her sisters played with Jamie when they were kids. The climax of the radio show plot thread was fantastic!

But getting to those great moments took a lot of work for me as a reader. The development of the romance was slow, especially the reveal of the original fracture between Nina and Jamie. The story meandered a bit through their awkwardness and her mom’s engagement, and some of the radio things. I prefer stories with clear motives and goals from the outset. This story is more subtle than that.

Readers who enjoy a slower unfolding of the story – the pieces are all there, but you have to wait awhile to put them all together for the big picture – should check this out. And the big moment with the secret interview was the main thing that made the journey worthwhile for me. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson

BONUS REVIEW: Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Adam’s parents have recently separated. He’s angry – and a little confused. His dad left, but his mom helped him pack. She even made his favorite pie for him. AFTER he moved out! Adam’s older brother, Jeremy, seems to be rolling with the changes better than Adam is. He’s just so angry. He hates the idea of his mom at the house alone when he stays with his dad every other weekend.

Jolene’s parents have been divorced for awhile. Her dad had always been a cheater. But he finally left after he hooked up with Shelly. Her parents have turned fighting into an Olympic-level event. Neither seems to care about Jolene except as a pawn in their efforts to make the other person as miserable as humanly possible. Jolene’s dad lives next door to Adam’s dad in a crappy apartment. So Jolene sees Adam when she stays there every other weekend.

Over time, as Jolene and Adam get closer, they open up to one another about the struggles in their families. But what sort of relationship can develop between two people who only see each other every other weekend?

Review

This was so good! I was heartbroken for both of these teens. Adam’s family is grieving. It’s been two years. His mother acts as if she has nothing to grieve while his dad knows they have to start to move forward in this new normal. Adam and Jeremy are left in the middle with their own grief.

Jolene’s family situation is worse. The things her mother does and says, her father’s absence, and the way both of them use her to put the screws to the other parent were horrifying. I was concerned how desperate she would get with the series of losses in her own life.

The development of these characters was excellent. Their emotions felt honest and real. Their banter was just the right amount of levity to balance the darker parts of the story. I can’t help hoping that Adam’s ideas about their future will come true.

This is a character-rich story. There’s no obvious goal or journey for them. It is the story of their meet ups every other weekend and the relationship that develops over time. It’s also about the ways their relationship with one another encourages and helps them with the other struggles they are facing. While there were hard, painful moments, I loved this journey with Adam and Jolene. Fans of the author’s other work (I loved Even If I Fall) and fans of strong character-driven stories should be sure to check this out. (Some language, TW: sexual assault)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: It Started with Goodbye by Christina June

REVIEW: It Started with Goodbye by Christina June

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

It starts when Tatum’s best friend asks for a ride. Before Tatum really knows what’s happening, she’s being arrested because her best friend’s boyfriend decided committing grand larceny was a terrific idea. While Tatum was only there to keep an eye on her friend because she didn’t trust the boyfriend, she now has a record, a fine and community service. And she’s completely lost the trust of her dad and step-mother.

At home, Tatum’s punishment is a loss of most of her freedom. Her step-mother checks her mileage before and after she drives to work. She also denies Tatum any chance to socialize outside of her community service hours. Her step-mom even called her own mother to stay with them for the summer to help watch Tatum while she works and manages her daughter’s dance career. And Tatum’s father leaves the country for work right after everything falls apart, leaving her at the mercy of her critical, demanding, helicopter “step-monster.”

Tatum has a lot of time this summer for contemplation. And she has a lot to consider – her relationship with the people in her house, her friendship with the “best friend” who got her into this mess, and questions of who she even wants to be. One saving factor for her summer is the graphic design business she starts. Not only is the work a nice, creative distraction that will help her pay off her fine, but it also puts her in touch with a talented, flirty musician in need of a website. His emails definitely make her summer more enjoyable!

Review

This was so sweet! I loved it. The family and friendship pieces of this Cinderella-esque tale are terrific. The dynamics between Tatum and her step-mother and step-sister are fascinating. There’s a lot to overcome here, but also some things that maybe Tatum isn’t seeing or reading correctly. There are issues with Tatum’s dad, too, frankly, but those are more in the background since he’s gone for most of the book. Tatum’s step-grandmother, though, is a breath of fresh air in a tension-filled home where control, authority and propriety are the name of the game.

But the romance is what delighted me. It’s warm and sweet and builds perfectly. I loved every moment of it! I would have read five more chapters of just the happy couple together – along with the two other potential couples from the story. They were adorable.

I have really enjoyed the books published by Blink YA in the past. I read this author’s book No Place Like Here earlier this year and loved it. But it wasn’t until I finished this that I realized No Place stars Tatum’s best friend from this book and is the third book in a collection. Now I’m going to have to read that book again to put it in its proper context. And I have to track down the second book, Everywhere You Want to Be, that stars Tatum’s step-sister. I need to get the full story on these young women!

So far, this is my favorite of the two Christina June books I have read. But I recommend both of them for readers who love contemporary YA with some romance. Obviously the books stand alone, which is good for clueless readers like me. But I am eager to read them in order to get the full picture of the teens and their lives as things develop for all three of them.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

REVIEW: 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Sophie is happy to let her parents leave town for Christmas to go help her pregnant older sister. She’ll spend the holiday with her grandparents and large extended family. In fact, she’ll be heading there after her parents leave. Although maybe not as quickly as they assume.

Sophie is hoping to spend a few hours with her boyfriend, Griffin, before going to her grandparents. This is a perfect time for them to have quality alone time. If only she can find him! He doesn’t answer his phone when she first calls. Sophie finally finds him at a party. And overhears him say he was glad when he thought she would be gone for Christmas break because he thinks he wants to break up with her.

Sophie is devastated. She cries most of the way to her grandparents’ house. And she tells her Nonna all about it. By the next day, her whole extended family knows. and before the humiliation even sets in, her grandmother has gotten the bright idea to have the family set her up on some blind dates over the holiday to help her shake off this bad break up. The humiliation knows no end!

Review

A delight from start to finish! This is now the book I am telling everyone about. I absolutely adored this. The premise is fantastic and funny. Sophie’s extended family is a hoot with all these blind dates. I loved the four main characters as well as the larger, quirky crew. The family pieces of this – Sophie’s sister’s complicated pregnancy, checking in with her parents who were several hours away during the story, etc. – were a great B-story to complement the blind date/break up part of the book.

I laughed SO MUCH with this! The blind dates, the family betting, the social media sharing and so many other things. I didn’t want the reading experience to end because it was so fun! I will definitely be buying my own copy of this and reading it again. I would personally pair this with Prince in Disguise for two fantastic, funny holiday romcoms.

I can’t recommend this highly enough. Don’t miss this one! (One of the dates may be on the risque side for younger readers.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Technically You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson

REVIEW: Technically You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

It starts with a text message.

Haley gets a text about her AP history essay from Martin Nathaniel Munroe II, a guy in her class.

Believe it or not, there are TWO Martin Nathaniel Munroe IIs in her class (cousins – it’s a long story). But this Martin says he’s “the good one.” And Haley assumes that means he’s the one she doesn’t hate.

Next comes the mistake text. She thought she was texting someone else, but she starts another text exchange with Martin. And that turns into a regular exchange of texts – about school, parents, quirks, TV shows, books, friends, and all manner of things as they get to know one another. A real friendship starts to form. But there are hints in their exchange that clue Martin in on the fact that Haley thinks she’s talking to his cousin. He’s actually the Martin she hates. But their new relationship is so important – and too fragile – for him to spring the truth on her. So they keep texting. And he keeps hoping Haley will catch on.

Review

This was so cute! I was reading two text-exchange books at the same time. One I finally had to put down because I just didn’t care. But I was captivated by this one from the beginning!

For 300+ pages of text messages, the conversation was full of sass and bantering, which I loved. And the progression of the messages from reserved and shallow to vulnerable and rich felt honest and real. And the author did a great job with subtext and inference (like when Martin figures out who Haley thinks she is texting) with such a sparse medium like text messages.

There are a couple conversations about sexuality in the book – the Kinsey scale, bisexuality, and demisexuality – that drove me to Google for more information. So I felt like I learned some things along the way as well as enjoying a good story.

If you are a fan of teen/young adult rom-coms, don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Hope and Other Punch Lines by Julie Buxbaum

REVIEW: Hope and Other Punch Lines by Julie Buxbaum

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

For Abbi, it was her first birthday. She was celebrating at day care. She had a paper crown and a red balloon.

For the rest of the world, it was September 11, 2001.

Connie, Abbi’s favorite day care worker, carried her away from the World Trade Center. Someone caught a picture of them fleeing along with a handful of others as the first tower collapses. The photo goes viral. People have the photo framed in their homes or printed on clothes as a symbol of hope triumphing over evil. Everyone knows Abbi as “Baby Hope.”

Noah has been obsessed with the Baby Hope photo for years. But not because of Abbi. He goes to high school with her. But behind her, in the photo, is a guy in a University of Michigan hat and flannel shirt. A man who looks like Noah’s dad. While the story is that his dad died that day – while newborn Noah was in the hospital with a heart defect – the picture shows him – alive.

Review

This was everything I was hoping for when I first read the synopsis. Abbi and Noah are fabulous. They are my favorite sort of teens – honest, awkward, sincere, and sweet. Both carry the burden of 9/11, although in different ways. While for many people it’s remembered in a “where were you when” sort of way, 9/11 is a daily factor for these characters (and others in reality.).

The author weaves real factors from 9/11 into her fictional account, giving it extra weight. The stories characters tell about the aftermath – their gratitude, their grief – feel very real. And they are raw and heartbreaking at times. Yet the story as a whole maintains a hopeful tone. It’s really masterfully woven together.

Readers with personal ties to 9/11 could find this triggering for grief and/or trauma. Readers who are curious about 9/11 and the personal toll of the day and the aftermath will get a glimpse of that here. This is also a great story for anyone who loves teen romance, dual perspective storytelling or just terrific YA stories. Don’t miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn

REVIEW: You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Clay Coolidge is country music’s latest bad boy. He might only be 18, but his drinking and carousing and recklessness is starting to catch up with him. And his record label is NOT happy.

Their solution is to have him convince Annie Mathers to open for him on a summer tour. Annie’s parents were music legends before their deaths (overdose and suicide) when Annie was 13. While Annie doesn’t want to ride their coat tails into a music career, her own talent and their names would be a great asset on a tour.

Clay and Annie are drawn together by undeniable chemistry both on and off the stage. But their personal baggage, grief, and Clay’s self-destructive behavior could destroy both of them, condemning them to a repeat of Annie’s parents’ lives.

Review

This is SO good! The social media buzz for this has been tremendous – and it’s well-deserved. My heart broke for these two teens trying to negotiate adult decisions and the pressures of music careers while weighed down by the grief they each carry. I LOVED both of these characters. I wanted to hug them – and shake Clay several times. The supporting cast – Annie’s best friend and cousin who are her band mates and Clay’s best friend/band mate – are also fantastic. It’s easy to get caught up in the story and forget how young they all are.

The music pieces – recording studios and summer festivals, concerts and song writing – all felt absolutely realistic. I traveled on the fringes of such things once upon a time, and this felt very familiar.

This is a fantastic example of dual-perspective storytelling done well. Each character has a clear and distinct voice. Telling their own parts of the story – their thoughts, their grief, their feelings about one another – was so rich for me as a reader. I also liked that they were fairly honest with each other. This is not one of those “If only they TALKED about their feelings” books. Their feelings were apparent. The roadblock wasn’t secrecy but grief, fear, and Clay’s choices.

If you enjoy a star-crossed love story, or stories from the music scene, be sure to check this one out! It’s fantastic. (Language, alcohol/drug use, hooking up [off page], TRIGGER WARNING for suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥