Parent Trap-esque Found Family

Another random audio book picked out by simply scrolling through what was available on the Libby app.  I'm so glad I read it though, it was just what I needed.  It was unique and different than anything I'd read recently.  I found myself super engaged and I love it when that happens to me when reading a book.  What's the last book that had you feeling that way?

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You Have a Match by Emma Lord

This was a very unique spin on a sort of Parent Trap situation.  Involving found family, secrets hidden, and best friends torn apart, this story was way more than I bargained for when I checked it out from my Libby app.

I was expecting a young adult romance, and while there is a bit of that going on, it's very secondary to the main story of found siblings.  I love that the sister relationship and the parent's backstory is the main focus of the book and the teen romance is in the background.  I also love that while there are obviously the two siblings as the main characters, there is so much depth given to the surrounding characters.

I also liked, that just like in the Parent Trap stories, the book is mainly set in a summer camp.  It gave me very nostalgic feelings.  I love the Parent Trap movies and while, again, this take on that type of a story was VASTLY different, I did enjoy the feel of the similarities.

If you enjoy found family, young adult contemporary, and summer camp vibes, you're going to love this book.

Rebel Rendezvous

Ok, so if you haven't read a book by Piper James yet, you are seriously missing out.  All romance readers need to jump on board the James train right now!  Every page of every book I've read by this author is amazing and I'm so glad she's got another series coming out with this book!  Rebel Rendezvous is sure to be another fantastic success!

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I Wanted it to be You by Piper James

I was extremely happy to be able to read another book by the fabulous Piper James.  I Wanted it to Be You took me back to that place of first loves and second chances that only an amazing romance novel can do.  The characters practically leapt off the page in their relatability and I found myself connected with them and the story from the first chapter.

I love a good second chance romance, and I loved even better that it combined that with a best friend's sister, AND a plus sized woman.  This was just an all around good story, a great romance and an un-put-down-able book!  

I think that the addition of the online presence added an adorable side to the story that made it all that much sweeter.  I think that contemporary romance readers will truly enjoy this story and be eager to start a brand new series by such an engaging author.

Book Two, better Narration!

I absolutely loved this book and am loving this series.  If you haven't checked it out, I think it's a must.  The first one in the series had a narrator that put me off, but this one did not and that helped me love it even more!  It's amazing how something like that can make or break a book.  

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The Bride Test by Helen Hoang 

After reading The Kiss Quotient, I was eager to get started on The Bride Test.  I was hoping that the series would follow the original couple, but at the end of book one it became obvious it would not.  But I have to say how incredibly happy I was to learn that the story was about Khai!  I was intrigued with the mention of him in the first book, so I was eager to learn more about him and I loved getting another story with a neurodivergent love interest.  In addition to the fascinating and lovable character of Khai, is Esme whom Khai's mom finds to match him with and she is endearing in her own way.  I love how she has such ambition and goals and is willing to work hard to attain them.  With such great characters, it's no surprise that I was drawn into the story right away and couldn't get enough.  I also loved that there were some appearances from the people in the first book, so we kind of get a peek into their lives.  At the end of the book, there's even a little hint as to who will be in the third book, which I can't wait to read.

This author is definitely someone to look out for.  Her writing is amazing and I love the different cultures and diversity that she includes.

Challenged

I'm getting really tired of so many books being challenged, banned and burned in our country.  Have you all been keeping up with the news?  A majority of the books that these groups and parents find questionable, I've already read, but the ones I haven't I wanted to.  So, this is the first of those that I was able to read.  The complaints heard about this book were that it was pornography, had illicit drug use, and while there was the drug use aspect, it was integral to the telling of the story.  And there was nothing even remotely like porn in this book.  Anyway, this is my review of Hey Kiddo!

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Hey Kiddo! by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

After hearing that this book had been challenged by a local parent, I decided to check it out from the library and read it myself.  While I did not see any of the concerns that the parent had mentioned, I did see a very relevant story, a true one at that, that revolves around a boy who grew up not knowing his father and learning that his mother was an addict.  Is there some tough content in the book, yes, but there is tough content in life as well and I'm sure that one of these students who are getting access to this book through their school library are going to connect with it and maybe feel less alone.

I don't usually read graphic novels, but I did enjoy the drawing and how the story mentioned time and time again the main character/author and his journey as he found his art.  I loved the use of lyrics of songs listened to in the background of the artwork as well.

I'm very happy that the school board in question chose not to remove this book from the libraries.

Travel to Greece!

When I read on my Nook or Kindle, and it's not because I've specifically purchased a new book, I usually just scroll through all the freebies I've downloaded and pick one that looks good in the moment.  This time, on my Nook, I chose Seven Days of Friday.  As you'll see from my review, it took a bit for me to get into it.  Because of this, it took me nearly a month to read it.  Don't get discouraged though!  First of all, not all books are for all people.  What was slow to start for me, might be excellent from page one for others.  Also, just for the record, when I do read on an e-reader, that is my "night time reading" and it only happens before bed.  During the day, I am either reading a physical book or listening to an audio book.  So, yes some books do take me longer to finish.  Anyway, that might be more than you need to know about my reading habits, so let's move on to the review!

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Seven Days of Friday by Alex A. King

When I first started this book, I thought I wasn't going to like it much, and to be honest, it did take me a bit to REALLY get into it.  But the more I read, the more intrigued and interested I became.  Once the characters get to Greece, I was hooked.

I really liked the alternating points of view throughout the book to show what's going on from all sides of this complicated story.  I also loved that it wasn't a definitive every other chapter type of deal, but just sort of flowed with which character had more to say at the time.

As a former "cutter" I feel the need to share that there is a possible trigger in that area.  For me, it helped me identify with that character, but not everyone is in the same place in their lives, so please be aware of that.

I think women from teens to mature adults will enjoy this book.  It really showcases how things can be different throughout our growing up, but also remain the same.  There is a definite generational feel as you read about the various characters, so there is something for everyone, no matter what stage of life they are in.  I'm interested to see where the next book might take us.

TikTok Strikes Again

A lot of people on TikTok have been talking about this series.  I was blessed to win a copy of the first book from one such TikToker.  I won't jump in on the "war" on TikTok about which is better, (as I state in my review,) but I will say that I definitely did like Crave.  I liked it so much I went on ThriftBooks before I was finished to buy the 2nd book.  Unfortunately, it arrived severely damaged and unreadable, so I am still waiting for a better copy when I can afford one.  In any case, here's my review for book 1!

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Crave by Tracey Wolff

In a classic case of TikTok made me read it, I've picked up this book based on many reviews and an epic Crave vs. Twilight war! Now, I won't say which is better, I personally liked each for different reasons.

Crave is not your average vampire romance. First of all, we're dealing with way more than vampires, and even more than vampires and werewolves. Secondly, I think it's interesting to have the supernatural be the "norm" and the human be the abnormal one in the school. I absolutely love the Boarding School aspect of this story.

Many things are happening in this first book, from Grace moving to the school and ending up hurt... a lot, to uncovering a plot that will hurt many and change the world as we know it. I loved all the action and the paranormal creatures that are not as common in YA books.

The ending was SUCH a shock and cliffhanger! I both loved and hated it! But also, my book had some extra chapters from Jaxon's POV and I really enjoyed those. I'm not sure if that's something in every book or not. I know there are five books in this series so far, and I'm very excited to read the rest of them.

Autistic Characters

As I'll state in my review below, I love reading about characters who are neurodivergent or who have special needs.  I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy every book in this series.  I did struggle with the narrator, as I also state below.  But to give a bit more information... due to the main character being Autistic, the stilted and slow speech seemed a bit like making fun of her.  It was difficult to listen to.  I'm not sure that's what the narrator meant to do, but that's how it came across and since I am so passionate about these things, it was difficult.  If there hadn't been such a long waiting list for the ebook, I would have switched.  However, I loved the writing and the actual story.  I loved it so much, I powered through and I ended up just loving this story.  

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The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

I listened to this book on audio from the Libby app.  I have to be completely honest and say that if I had read it myself, I probably would have given it 5 stars.  The narration for the audio book was stilted and very hard to listen to.  Even after speeding it up, there were parts that made me cringe.

The book itself was amazing.  I loved the idea behind the story and the way it was executed.  I love that we have so much diversity going on in the book as well.  And not just racial diversity, but neurodiversity as well.  I hope this trend of writing characters who are not the "normal" will continue.  As a person who works with special needs for my job, I love having that type of character included in the books I read.

I loved watching the main character, Stella, come out of her shell a bit and realize that some of her so-called problems were not actually her but the people she had been dealing with prior to Michael.  I also loved Michael's family and that whole dynamic.  I love big extended families that are super close.

The end was the epitome of an HEA and I could not have been happier with where these characters ended up.  I sincerely hope that we get to see more of them as this series progresses.