First & Then

Rating: 4.8 out of 5

Favorite Quote: "Close your eyes, real tight, and then count to three hundred. That's all you have to do. You just count to three hundred, and when you open your eyes, five  minutes will have passed. And even if it hurts or things are shitty or you don't know what to do, you just made it through five whole minutes. And when it feels like you can't go on, you just close your eyes and do it again. That's all you need. Just five minutes at a time."

Summary: Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive jock, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them--first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.

With wit, heart, and humor to spare, First & Then is a contemporary novel about falling in love--with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.

Background Noise: I find that I listen to music a lot when I read, and I feel it can greatly enhance the reading experience. For this particular novel, I found myself listening to the Acoustic Spring playlist on Spotify. Check it out!

Review: I honestly don't know where to start. When I picked up this book, I expected it to be another cutesy love story that made me smile, but didn't stick with me for long. I expected it to get me through a few mindless hours and offer a bit of entertainment. What I didn't expect was how much I enjoyed this book; I simply devoured it. The writing was absolutely fabulous, almost poetic, and the characters were pleasantly dynamic. It has been a while since I have read a story where I have found myself captivated by even the simplest of appearances from characters/personalities that barely rank as minor. Mills has a gift for creating realistic, multi-dimensional beings. Devon, the protagonist, is commendable but not perfect. The author doesn't try to portray her as the epitome of good or beauty, but as someone who has flaws, knows them, and accepts them. Devon also has a life of her own; her mind doesn't just revolve around her love life, and she evolves not through her relationships with her romantic interest, but with her relationship with her cousin, Foster. I guess it has just been awhile since I have read a novel where the main focus was not on a protagonist's romantic woes. (Don't get me wrong, I love those books, but it nice to have a change of pace every once in awhile.) Foster, was an equally fascinating character. In the beginning, I thought he be nothing, but the sad, peculiar kid that needed a little kindness and understanding; however, as the book progressed, you see how strong he really is. As for the rest, I can not really put it in to words. I guess you will just have to read it and find out. 

(By the way, hope you had a great Easter!)

A Little Update

I'm currently working on a schedule for posting. I've been complete crap, but I have made the decision to commit to this amazing activity because it brings me immense joy. To hold you over until I have everything sorted out, I'm leaving you with a snippet of something I wrote recently. If you guys like it, I might consider writing more. Have a great day or night!

Chapter One

My body is completely frozen, and I feel as though each of my limbs have been superglued to the surface below. I hear voices and strange noises all around me. Metal clangs together softly, momentarily drowning out the constant, ominous beeping of what I can only guess is some kind of machine. I want to open my eyes, but I can’t. My eyelids refuse to budge.“Dr. Karver, her parents have just arrived.” My parents? What are they doing here? What am I doing here? Where is here? Horrible thoughts and questions flood my mind; I can feel my heart beating so fast...too fast. Then, there was nothing.

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My name is Eloise Garner. Before you ask, there really is nothing very special about me. I’m smart, but not enough for it to really mean much. I love to read and I even write a little, but that’s not very original. As if my fate wasn’t already sealed, I’ve been blessed with middle child status. Bernard, my older brother, splits his time between “developing computer software” and taking too many mixed martial art classes. Bertie’s that weird breed of human that has the ability to humiliate someone using their fists or their intellect. Don’t get me wrong, in high school, he was a total nerd whose only friends were those that appeared on the screen of his favorite role-playing games. Then he met Riven, a guy who thinks all that it takes to be “cool” is to have a stupid name and some bad manners, at Walmart while picking up some tortilla chips for nacho night. The two of them have been inseparable ever since. Sarah, my younger sister, is the epitome of everything sunny, cheerful, and good. She volunteers at the local retirement center three times a week, is an active member of every stupid club, and is the worship leader of our small youth group. I kid you not, words flow out of her mouth like silk. There isn’t a person in town that doesn’t think Sarah is the kindest, holiest thing to ever touch earth. Now me, I’m the sarcastic introvert that spends her free time tucked beneath a blanket, a book in hand. Of course that’s not all that I do, I also watch tv, and sometimes I might hang out with a few of my friends. Overall, my life is a ball of fun, and at this point, you’re probably wondering why you are even still reading this? You remember that little paragraph from before? It was the one that described some dark, terrifying scene. Yeah, that one. That wasn’t just some story meant to trick you into turning the page. That happened to be the day I died.

Ugly Love

Ranking 4 out of 5

Favorite Quote: "But then I met you, and every single day since then, I've wondered how someone could be so beautiful if there wasn't a God. I've wondered how someone could make me so incredibly happy if God didn't exist. And I realized...just now...that God gives us the ugliness so we don't take the beautiful things in life for granted."

Summary: When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn't think it's love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her. 

Never ask about the past. Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all. Hearts get infiltrated. Promises get broken. Rules get shattered. Love gets ugly.

Review: I decided to read this book because I've liked every novel I've ever read by Collen Hoover. Plus, this particular story had a pretty high rating on goodreads, and I heard something about it being turned into a movie. I just love being able to go see a movie and tell all of my friends "I read this book." (It makes me feel so smart! My friends also love spoilers so I get to have all the power!!) Before I go into anything about this book, I just wanted to let you all know that it contains some sexual content. It was for this specific reason that I was afraid of reading it, but I told myself "Hey! Got to try something new, right?!...." However, after reading it I can assure you that, if you aren't into that sort of thing, all you have to do is skip over those few pages/parts. (You won't miss anything that connects drastically with the plot.) 

Okay, to move on... This book was surprisingly good. I was kind of shocked by some of the inspirational content. (*My favorite quote.*) At moments, it left me smiling blissfully and other times I was just like...dang.... 

The story switches point of views, but not in the way you would expect. You'll read a chapter from Tate's point of view in the present and then the story-line switches to Miles point of view where he tells the story of his past. I really liked this aspect. In most contemporary romance novels nowadays one or more of the main characters will have suffered from a catastrophic event or set of events, but the reader isn't really made aware of the details of these events/event. That is what is so great about Ugly Love. You get to live through the WHOLE backstory of the darker character (which I appreciated immensely). Honestly, this is what made the book for me.

Besides that, I'd have to say, it was nothing spectacular. It is a typical romance novel without any quirky tidbits or unique plot twists, characters, settings, themes...(*other literary terms*) Even with that said, you should definitely give it a read. It's a good book and it may surprise you. (In a thumbs-up-way not a thumbs-down way!) 

Side Note: I'm taking book recommendations. If you have found an amazing read...or you wrote one. (Even if it is on Wattpad. Because I love Wattpad.) Hit me up! Oh...and also if you have any suggestions for songs I adore listening to music while I read!

Personal Demons

Rating: 2 out of 5

Favorite Quote: I walk up right behind Frannie, where she's sitting near the door, in time to hear her say, " You know what, Tay? Go to Hell," and I smile, because I think it's cute that she's inviting her friends along.

Summary: If you had to choose between Heaven and Hell, which would it be? Are you sure about that...? Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance--even her closest friends--and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions--for Hell--and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he's as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn't stand a chance. Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn't get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul. But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay...for all of them.

Review: Ugh! The summary of this book sounded so good, and really pumped me up, but I was highly disappointed. The characters were just...bad. Frannie, the mainish character, was so wishy-woshy. By the end of the book I had no idea who she was as a person. At one moment she was this sweet and nice girl, but a paragraph later and she would be a complete princess. Overall, she just was not the solid character needed to lead a good book. Then Gabe, the tempting angel, was completely flat. He was solely the "good force" and was beyond boring which is really sad considering he was supposedly fighting for the affections of a "kick-butt" protagonist female. The only decent character was Luc. Luc, a demon sent to tag Frannie's soul for hell, was pretty hilarious with his bad-boy banter, but towards the end he started to become just as boring as Gabe. If it was that bad why did I give it a two? Well, despite everything, there were parts of the book I enjoyed....and I finished it. (That's got to count for something, right?)

Slammed

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Favorite Quote: (It is really the letter at the end, but that gives too much away. Don't worry though this quote is extra long and equally as good.)

"Sometimes life gets in your way. it gets all up in your damn way. But it doesn't get all up in your damn way because it wants you to just give up and let it take control. Life doesn't get all up in your damn way because it just wants you to hand it all over and be carried along. Life wants you to fight it. Learn how to make it your own. It wants you to grab and ax and hack through the wood. It wants you to get a sledgehammer and break through concrete. It wants you to grab a torch and burn through the metal and steel until you can reach through and grab it. Life wants you to grab all the organized, the alphabetized, the chronological, the sequenced. It wants you to mix it all together, stir it up, blend it."

Summary: Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

Review: This book gave me some serious feels.  I mean, throughout the whole book my feelings resembled a rollercoaster. The plot is so full of twists and turns that enhance the reading experience, but it also makes it very difficult to write a review without spoilers. For this reason I am just going to do an overview of some of my favorite characters:

Lakeyn: Lakeyn is a magnificent protagonist. In the beginning, she lives in this pit of immaturity and hatred, but by the end of the book she turns into a strong woman.

 Will: Ugh…and Will. Will starts out being the simple boy-next-door; however, as the story progresses we learn how truly multidimensional he is.

Lakeyn’s Mom: I was extremely skeptical of Lakeyn’s mom in the beginning of the book. To be honest, I got the feeling their relationship would take a dark turn towards the end, but I was totally surprised! Lakeyn’s Mom instead inspires Lakeyn to take a hard look at her life and decide what matters. She also gives some insightful and powerful views on “life”.

Eddie: I absolutely loved Eddie. She is the epitome of the perfect best friend. She is extremely loyal, honest, deep, and just plain amazing. (Very descriptive right?)  Despite her outward appearance, she is a very kind and gentle. She also supplies Lakeyn with much needed support, as well as, a new perspective.

Read it! You won't be disappointed!

White Hot Kiss

Rating: 5! out of 5

Favorite Quote: “People with the purest souls are capable of the greatest evils. No one is perfect, no matter what they are or what side they fight for.” 

Summary: One kiss could be the last.  Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne… it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Review: I'm not going to lie. I decided to read this book after seeing Erika and Cody's book event. The stuff they were saying about the story line and the characters really got me excited! So make sure to check them out at Books, Stars, Writing and Everything In Between and Literary-ly Obsessed. Okay, continuing on...I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK. Recently, I have been in a reading slump, due to all the exhaustion summer classes has brought me, but this book has definitely reignited my flame. (Which sounds oddly disturbing, but let's just move past that...)

 Any way, the book is centered around a girl named Layla. Layla is a "hybrid" sort of thing. (I don't think they really have a name for what she is in the book.) Any way, She is half demon, half gargoyle. (I know you're thinking "Gargoyle?" but let me assure you that Armentrout does a fantastic job at making the gargoyles fit into to the story without making them seem too unrealistic.)  Gargoyles and demons are sworn enemies. Gargoyles are the warriors of  "good" and demons are the epitome of "evil." For this reason, Layla has never truly been accepted any where. Sure, she lives with the wardens (a.k.a. Gargoyles) and even has a close knit relationship with of few of them (Zayne, her childhood friend and crush! *winky face*) , but it seems as if they will never be able to get past her differences. One night, after an outing out with a few of her human friends, she runs into a little situation. (And by a little I mean life-changing.) All of a sudden, she finds herself befriending a (ridiculously hot) demon, and exploring the side of herself she has always been taught to hide.

Ugh! This book was packed with adventure, butt kicking, and steamy romantic connections. However, besides the obvious appeals (*cough* HOT DUDES) this story really pushes the idea that good and evil is beyond what lies on the surface level--which I really appreciated. As Layla moves through the story and her character (along those of others) develops, the reader gets to see Layla embrace more of who she is.

Finally, I'm team Roth all the way! I mean, I get the appeal of Zanye, but I don't think he will ever be able to completely understand Layla the way Roth does. UGH!

Book Combo Tag

First of all, I would like to thank Confessions of a Book Addict for nominating me! (Sorry it took me so long!)

I tag:

Erika from Books, Stars, Writing. And Everything In Between

Tasya from The Literary Huntress

Mia from Mia in Narnia

1. Which two authors would you like to see put their writing skills together and write a new book?

Sarah J. Mass and Sarah Dessen. Mass has really great action scenes and the ability to produce strong characters, but Dessen is able to create such beautiful romances and realistic relationships. I feel like together they would make THE ultimate action-packed romance.

2. What’s your favorite author collaboration?

I don't know if this really counts as a "collaboration," but I have always loved the House of Night novels. (For those of you who don't know, that series is written by a mother-daughter duo. AND you should totally check them out!)

3. If you could combine two completely different stories and make them a book of their own what would it be and what would their combined title be?

This one is hard....Let me consult my kindle for a moment..(twenty minutes later) Angelfall by Susan Ee and Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. They both have this really cool dystopian future thing going on, and I feel like you could make it into a really awesome story. For instance, angels are taking over earth and so the government is building "pretties" (specially engineered soldiers) to fight the war. (A title...I want it to be more than just a mash up of the names...) The Invasion.

4. Which two characters from different books would you ship?

This is another hard one...Gale from the Hunger Games and Dee from the Lux Series. Gale is a good guy, but he has been through a lot. Dee is super sweet and would be able to mend his broken heart, but she is still stubborn enough put up a good fight.

5. Which two worlds from two different stories would you like to see come together to make one  epic world?

I think it would be cool to throw together Evermore and The 5th Wave. The Evermore world is filled with illusions and other dimensions, and The 5th Wave has an apocalyptic feel. 

6. Which duology/ trilogy/ series would you have liked to have been one book?

None. Yep. I honestly, haven't read a dulogy/trilogy/series where I would want less books. Call me a nerd, but that's just who I am.