Twitter Reviews: Back List

I'm trying out a different review format to switch up the blog, some reviews will be 'twitter' style others will be pros and cons!

This first edition of Twitter Reviews will be double reviews aka twice as long as I adjust to Twitter style!

All Lined Up by Cora Carmack, read May 2014 

 

In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.
Dallas Cole loathes football. That's what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.
But life doesn't always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.
Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It's obliterated.
Dallas doesn't know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn't know that Dallas is his new coach's daughter.
And neither of them know how to walk away from the attraction they feel.

Why?

•  Compared to Friday Night Lights- one of my favourite programmes!
• Love Cora’s Losing It series.

Thoughts

I loved the FNL vibe with the American Football 'family' and the insane enthusiasm for the game. I loved Cora's characterisation yet again, her characters are unique and well written. Most importantly All Lined Up never reads like a cliché New Adult book with the ‘typical dramas’.  I’m slowly reading my way through this series and loving it!

Rating

 

 

Shatter by Erin McCarthy , read August 2014

Kylie Warner prides herself on being optimistic, but after finding her best friend in bed with her boyfriend and flunking chemistry, her upbeat attitude has taken a dive. Even an impromptu hook-up with her sexy new chemistry tutor only brightens her mood slightly. After all, it’s not like she’ll ever see the tattooed scholar again…
While he’s a whiz at complex equations, Jonathon Kadisch has trouble when it comes to figuring out women. So when Kylie tells him that she’s pregnant after their night of passion, he’s at a complete loss. He’s prepared to be a good father—unlike his own deadbeat dad—but he’s less prepared to fall for the genuine and alluring blonde bearing his child.
With emotions running high, Kylie wonders if Jonathon’s devotion is out of growing love or looming obligation. And when heartbreak threatens to tear them apart, Jonathon will have to fight for the only girl who’s ever made him feel whole…

Why?

•  I really enjoyed the other instalments of this series.  
• Not sure about Kylie as a character.

Thoughts

Again I found the plot circumvented being cliché by adding twists and well developed characters. Kylie despite her ‘dumb blonde’ facade actually proved herself as resilient and independent. Jonathan was a great male lead with an interesting backstory. I enjoyed catching up with the cast at the end, tying up loose ends. It was a good end to a fab series!

Rating

 

Slowly We Trust  by Chelsea M Cameron, read April 2014

Audrey Valdez didn’t mean to fall for Will Anders. He isn’t her type. At all. But his goofy smile, Star Wars quotes and athletic body make it impossible. She's lived so long in the darkness and Will is like the sun. He makes her laugh more than she has in years and cares for her more than her own family.

But there are things about Audrey that Will doesn't know, things he can't know. She tries to push him away, but he just ends up getting closer to her, and to her secret. Is the risk of losing him forever worth the chance a being with the only person she's ever loved who has loved her back?

 

 

 

  

 

Why?

•  I love Faster We Burn!
• Desperate to know Audrey's secret!

Thoughts

Audrey’s secret was predictable but so much more layered than I had expected! Without spoiling Audrey’s character was softened by her secret making her more likeable and allowing the story to flow easily. I loved Will and how determined he was to be the right guy for Audrey. Eddie was definitely my favourite new character, I hope to read his story later on!
 

Rating

 

 

What do you think of these Twitter style reviews?

Have you read any of these books?

 

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx

Mini Reviews: Reveiw Copy Cleanup Edition!

 

The Only Exception by Magan Vernon

 
Fiercely liberal Monica Remy prefers to blend in. Despite her tattoos, piercings, and outspoken personality, she transferred to Central to escape—before she finds out that her next door neighbour is the uber conservative governor's son, Trey Chapman.
No matter how hard she tries to avoid Trey, he still finds a way to get under her skin. Monica can’t stand his crisp white shirts or his staunch views on women. But she can’t help counting every freckle on his face and wondering what it would feel like to have him stop talking politics and kiss her.
A class debate project forces the unlikely pair to work together, and the political lines are blurred in late-night make out sessions. But despite their fiery chemistry, Trey’s politics threatens to smother their relationship for good.

Thoughts!

I really enjoyed the political aspects of this book. Although as I'm British I did find it hard to follow at times and the issues surrounding contraception completely went over my head. I liked Monica and how direct she was with her thoughts and actions especially with her roommate at the very beginning! I also found her very brave and resilient despite the circumstances. I really liked Trey as a character, he was such gentleman and respectful of Monica with their political difference. I think sometime his politics clouded his actions. Trey's family were refreshingly uncliched despite their political beliefs they were welcoming and friendly towards Monica. I really enjoyed the epilogue and how it wrapped up loose ends and showed how Monica fitted into the Republican family!

Rating!

I enjoyed the politics and the chemistry between Monica and Trey!

 

 Hearbeat by Elizabeth Scott.

Life. Death. And...Love?
Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.
But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.
Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.
Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

Thoughts

This book had such a deep and controversial core issue, it definitely humanised an issue and situation that is often showcased in the media with little attention to the people involved! I admired Emma as she was at the centre of this difficult situation and I think I identified with her as an only child of a single mother. I think she struggled to remember how things had truly been before the accident and also to have faith in Dan. It was hard for her to move on as her mother though technically dead was still there so she'd had no closure through a funeral or anything. It also made her a spectacle  at school, people were confused with how to deal with her. Olivia however was such a supportive and open friend who tried her best to be there for Emma which at times couldn't have been easy! I loved her side story with Roger and her techy parents! Caleb had his own background which I enjoyed learning about and understanding. I liked how he and Emma related to each other and how their friendship/relationship grew throughout the book

I wasn't too keen on Dan, I felt like he and Emma didn't really take an time to figure out their relationship without Emma's mum and he didn't quite understand how to reassure or relate to Emma after the accident.

I loved the journey Emma went on during the book as she dealt with her grief, anger and confusion and struggled with her relationships but ultimately started to repair her relationships, express herself better and say goodbye.

 Rating

 

Believe by Erin McCarthy

 Robin used to be a party girl… until she got black out drunk and woke up in bed with her best friend's boyfriend. Now she's faced with being THAT girl, and couldn't be more disgusted with herself. She can't even tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and she avoids everyone until she meets Phoenix—quiet, tattooed, and different in every way that's good and oh, so bad…
Phoenix is two days out of jail when he meets Robin at his cousin's house, and he knows that he has no business talking to her, but he's drawn to her quiet demeanour, sweet smile, and artistic talent. She doesn't care that he's done time, or that he only has five bucks to his name, and she supports his goal to be a tattoo artist.
But Phoenix knows Robin has a secret, and that it's a naïve dream to believe that his record won't catch up with them at some point. Though neither is prepared for the explosive result when the past collides with the present…

 Thoughts

I really enjoy this series but I wasn't too keen on Robin before I read Believe. In less than a chapter I was completely taken in by Robin and Phoenix! Robin was a lot less confident than she had seemed through Jessica and Rory's eyes especially after the incident. It was refreshing to read about 'THAT girl' from a different perspective and to see  how Robin reacted and felt in regards to it. I think at times she blamed alcohol to heavily for the incident. I loved Phoenix, he seemed like such a cliché bad boy but turned out to be a sweet boy who lived a clean life according to his convictions. I admired how hard he worked and I enjoyed his banter with his cousins. The way he pursued Robin and saw the real her was just what they both needed! Once again great chemistry and a fresh relationship. I also enjoyed seeing how the group's dynamic changed and grew in this instalment and seeing them from the more outsider view of Phoenix. I'm looking forward to next book already!

 Rating

I love this series and each book is just an fresh and passionate as the last!

 

Related reviews:

The Only One by Magan Vernon.

True by Erin McCarthy.

Sweet by Erin McCarthy.

 

Three great books- thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read them!

 

Have you read any of them?

Can you recommend any other Elizabeth Scott books?

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx

 

 

Sweet by Erin McCarthy.

Jessica Sweet thought going away to college would finally make her free of her parents’ constant judgments and insistence she play chastity club role model for their church events, but if anything, the freedom has made her realize she can’t go home and be a hypocrite anymore. Tired of dodging their questions, she stays at school over the summer and lands in an unexpected crash pad: Riley Mann’s house.
Sarcastic, cocky, and full of opinions, Riley is also sexy personified with tattoos and biceps earned from working as a roofer all day. Not the right guy for her even if Jessica was looking for a relationship, which she is definitely not. But Jessica knows that Riley hides the burden of having to raise his younger brothers behind that grin and as she helps him get his house in order for a custody hearing, they begin to fall hard for each other, and she is forced to question what she’s hiding herself. 
Jessica has never had a problem getting naked with a guy, but when it comes to showing Riley how she truly feels inside, her fear of rejection may just ruin the best thing—the best guy—to ever happen to her…
Why?
I really liked Jess and Riley in True so I was hoping they would hold up in Sweet!

 Thoughts.

I loved the dynamic between Jess and Riley especially how they adjusted to living together with compromises and little arguments.
I liked Jess even more in Sweet, I loved her flair for design and her independent streak. I would have loved more with her family as there was a lot of drama and tension there.  I liked how self aware she was although she did sometimes cross over into overly critical. For example Jess knew she'd have to bond with the True boys in her own way and actively tried to. Jess really developed as a multi-layered character and I'm looking forward to this next book so I can see where Jess' career is developing!
Riley surprised me, he was a lot different than I expected, much more witty and thoughtful. I liked how he slowly warmed to most of Jess' ideas and how he treated her. Riley

I was glad to read more about the True family and to see how they have adjusted to their new family situation and especially to see how their family had developed. Easton, in particular, seemed to be progressing well under his brothers' parenting. I loved how Easton and 'U' responded to Jess who is a much more abrasive person than Rory and how she won them over.

Unfortunately because Jess hid so much from Kylie and Rory they didn't have so much of a role but we did get 'Rachel' who I definitely found interesting and I'm pretty sure she crossed a few friendship lines. I have a feeling she may be the next lead character!

Rating!

So far Jess and Riley are my favourite couple in this series!

Have you read the True series?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

NetGalley Mini Reviews!

Mini reviews~ Sometimes I love a book but I just can't do a full review or I just back log reviews!

I think I'm definitely guilty of overindulging on NetGalley but who can resist such great titles! So this edition is dedicated to recent NetGalley reads :)

Virginity.
Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-- a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.



Thoughts!
I hadn't read the new blurb so I was surprised that Garrick was Bliss's professor. I'm not usually keen on student-teacher relationships but it's a lot different outside of the school environment and with older characters. Garrick and bliss were also amazingly well suited and the age gap really wasn't that big. I loved Bliss' friends, Kelsey and Cade they are so different to each other and her but they complimented each other well. Kelsey was so fun loving and free I enjoyed reading her and how she interacted with Bliss. Cade broke my heart! I knew he'd end up heartbroken so I'm looking forward to Faking It where he takes centre stage. The rest of the class had such different personalities and I loved how they played out with the play and performance. I think Hamlet stole the story though, I loved the circumstances surrounding the cat and how grumpy she was! I can see why this book is so popular, it's well written, the characters well developed and the plot comes across as unique in a new category.

I did enjoy this book, especially the characters and it changed my opinion towards student teacher relationships in a college setting!


When Rory Macintosh’s roommates find out that their studious and shy friend has never been with a guy, they decide that, as an act of kindness they’ll help her lose her virginity by hiring confident, tattooed bad boy Tyler Mann to do the job…unbeknownst to Rory.
Tyler knows he’s not good enough for Rory. She’s smart, doctor smart, while he’s barely scraping by at his EMT program, hoping to pull his younger brothers out of the hell their druggy mother has left them in. But he can’t resist taking up her roommates on an opportunity to get to know her better. There’s something about her honesty that keeps him coming back when he knows he shouldn’t…
Torn between common sense and desire, the two find themselves caught up in a passionate relationship. But when Tyler’s broken family threatens to destroy his future, and hers, Rory will need to decide whether to cut her ties to his risky world or follow her heart, no matter what the cost…

Thoughts! 

I loved Rory and her innocence mixed with common sense. Rory, Jen and Kylie went so well together despite their different personalities. I think they helped Rory come out of her shell and Rory grounded them.
I loved the dynamic between Rory, her Dad and Sarah. Sarah seemed to know the exact role she needed to take in order to fit in with Rory and her Dad. Rory and her Dad were so similar, it was scary, I liked their Skype calls and how close they remained!
Tyler and his family were my favourite aspect- I loved the individuality of all the brothers. As the eldest brother Riley had moved out due to his mother but I loved his snarky attitude and his interactions with Jen. U was so innocent, I loved how easily he got on with Rory. Easton was the most obviously troubled brother and I was intrigued by his sad quietness and reluctance to eat.
I didn't like the ending, I didn't feel I knew what would happen to Rory and Tyler after the end! It is the first in a series though so I imagine I'll find out!

I liked how this book mixed so many aspects together such as a bet, a troubled family, rich girl/bad boy etc and created a unique story full of surprises, heartache and hope!




Some things are worth waiting for…
Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.
Some things are worth experiencing…
Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.
Some things should never be kept quiet…
But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?
And some things are worth fighting for......

What I Loved:

Cameron- Perfect! I really admired his persistence from the start and how he was willing to wait for Avery but refused to let her play with his feelings. I liked that we got to see him with his family and the interactions and secrets between them. Cameron's backstory was surprising and a lot deeper than I was expecting. I also loved a lot of the smaller details, like his pet turtle, breakfast making skills and the little witty text conversations between him and Avery.

Side Cast- I loved Brit and Jason, both of them were really good best friends despite how different they all were and they were so accepting of Avery. I liked how supportive Brit was and how she didn't push Avery to tell her anything she didn't wait to. I loved how flamboyant Jason was. I really liked Ollie, especially how he accepted Avery and made an effort to get Cam and her together. I adored how funny and witty he was, definitely what to see more of him! I also loved Cam's family and their dynamics and secrets. I have a feeling Teresa will be popping up again later in the series...

What I didn't Love as much:

Avery's Mum- Avery's mum was a very selfish and manipulative person. It was clear that she was the driving force behind the way the issue was dealt with and that she viewed Avery as an inconvenience.

Molly- She was kind of a late comer to the book but I really disliked how she treated Avery. I can't say more with out spoiling!

 

 

I loved the characters and their unexpected backstories. Already looking forward to the next instalment!

What have you requested lately on NetGalley?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx