Twisted Perfection by Abbi Glines

This is the first book in the Perfection series by Abbi Glines.

When Woods sees Della at the gas station, not understanding how to put gas in her vehicle, he knew that he was going to have a one night stand with her and would remember every minute.

He just didn't know that she would stay in his mind for months afterward. Nor did he think that he would imagine being with Della when he was with his future fiance, Angelina.

And the one thing he did not see coming is Della coming crashing into his personal life. Because now that she has come back into his life a second time, he's not sure if he will be able to let her walk away again.

A one night stand was not on Della's to do list, but she is just starting to get out in the world, so she supposes that it's okay. Besides, she has other things on her mind; like where her next place of sleeping will be. Or where she is going to be able to get the money to find somewhere to sleep.

But when things go wrong at her current stay in Dallas and she needs to leave fast, one of her co-workers sends her to his condo in Florida. Tripp just wants to make sure that she is safe and is near his friends because he knows that they will take care of her if she needs it.

Trouble comes, though, when Della realizes that she is back at the place where she had the best one night stand of her life. And then she finds out that he is going to be her new boss at the country golf course.

Yep, things are about to get interesting. Because once she sees Woods, everything from that one night comes rushing back to her. And boy, was that one of the best nights of her life.

However, she finds out that he is about to be engaged. After the last encounter she has, Della knows not to get in that situation.

And Della has her own problems to deal with. Because when certain things are said or done, an attack is triggered. And Della is transported to the days where she was locked inside with yelling and confusion. To the days where she needs to get past, because she will not turn into her mother.

The connection between Della and Woods is too hard to ignore, but if Woods doesn't do what his father insists, everything Woods has worked for his whole life will go up into smoke. Now, though, Woods is wondering what exactly he wants in life. Maybe it's Della. But first, he will have to figure out his life and get past the walls Della has put up. And Della has to figure out how to escape her dark past.

Can things work out between Della and Woods, or will they forever be trapped in their own personal hells? Read Twisted Perfection by Abbi Glines to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Just a forewarning, this is a NEW ADULT novel, which means that it's a little bit more mature and graphic than a YA novel but not too racy like an adult novel. Mainly, New Adult (NA) novels are set in college and are about characters who are starting to grow up, but still do things that are immature.

I've pretty much decided that anything by Abbi Glines is a must read and buy no matter how much it costs because it will be awesome. This book was well worth the wait and the money I spent from the minute I clicked on the available link to buy on Amazon!

I got this and finished it in 3 hours. I didn't take any breaks and I flew through this novel, loving every minute of it!

I've got to say, this is a very dark and edgy book. The situation that Della went through makes my skin crawl. I could never imagine going through that. She may think she is crazy, or will be, but I think Della is very strong and amazing.

This book is not for the faint of heart. There is a lot of sexual scenes in here, very descriptive. A lot of language and it really suited for older readers. But it is very emotional and very heart wrenching.

All in all. For older readers, this is an amazing book! I would most definitely recommend it to other NA lovers out there and for any Abbi Glines fans this is a must read!

And Woods. Oh, Woods. What to say about him. He is definitely different than what we were introduced to during the "Too Far" series, but that's what I like about point of view novels. We got Blaire and Rush's thoughts about him in their books, but Woods is definitely a lot different than what they perceived him to be. And honestly? I really liked Woods. He was always trying to make everyone else happy, but realized that he wasn't happy with his life. The struggles he had really showed how much he wanted to change, and what he really wanted in life.

And the ending! I cannot wait to see what happens in the next novel! I had an idea what might happen with Della and Woods, but this ending brings all kinds of possibilities!

Amazing novel! So glad I got it when it was released and finished it! Now I just have to wait until the next one :-/ I would most definitely tell other older readers to read this and hope that everyone enjoys it as much as I did!

Never Too Far by Abbi Glines

This is the second novel in the Too Far series by Abbi Glines.

My review of #1: Fallen Too Far.

WARNING - There will be spoilers from the first novel in this series. Proceed with caution after this sentence!

After Blaire found out that she has a half-sister and no one told her - not even Rush who she gave her heart to - and everything has horrible thoughts about her mother that can't be true, she leaves Florida and goes back to Alabama, where her mother and twin sister are buried  To the only home that she has ever known.

But even though Blaire has run away from the problems that have come upon her, she can't escape them. Especially when she realizes she is carrying Rush's child.

She can't trust Rush again though. The secret about her father having another daughter is too much to hide from her - she had a right to know instead of walking on Rush's family saying horrible lies about her mother and herself.

Then Blaire finds herself back in Florida, living with her closest girl friend Bethy and back working at the country club as a server. Only 4 people know her secret about the baby, but Rush isn't one of them. Which isn't stopping Rush from wanting to be with Blaire again, but Blaire is having a hard time forgetting what happened.

Rush is in over his head. He needs to protect Nannette from everything that happened, but he was a wreck when Blaire left him. Now that she's back, he won't lose her again. He will not allow it.

But trying to keep Blaire and Nan to play nice with each other isn't working. Nan won't get over what happened and is treating Blaire horribly. Soon Rush is going to have to make a decision between these two girls - the one he has protected his whole life or the love of his life who could tear his world apart.

Just when Rush might have made a decision, things fall apart when one of the women he loves gets into a boating accident and is unconscious in the hospital. Can Rush really make a decision between the two, or will he be torn into two forever?

And will Blaire ever be able to trust Rush again, or is the damage between them just too much for her to forgive and forget?

Read Never Too Far by Abbi Glines to find out what will happen with Rush and Blaire!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Just a forewarning, this is a NEW ADULT novel, which means that it's a little bit more mature and graphic than a YA novel but not too racy like an adult novel. Mainly, New Adult (NA) novels are set in college and are about characters who are starting to grow up, but still do things that are immature.

Wow. I flew through this novel and still wanted more by the end of it!

This was definitely different than the first novel, but that's okay because we got to get to know Blaire and Rush better. This novel also allowed the reader to read Rush's point of view, instead of just Blaire's like the first novel, so that was a nice change to finally understand how Rush thought of Blaire and the situation.

I did think, though, that Blaire wasn't as feisty or determined as she was in the first novel. Probably because she had nothing else to go toward and didn't know what to do in her situation, but I sure did miss her 9 millimeter gun that she pulled out last novel!

This novel definitely had a lot more sex than the first, and very descriptive as well. But we got over the hurdle of first meeting one another in the first novel, so the sexual tension was just bursting through this book!

I was so anxious for this book that I paid more than $0.99 like I usually do! So glad that I did, though, because I couldn't wait any longer to find out more about Rush and Blaire :)

Originally this was supposed to be the end of their story, which I would have found disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it ended well enough but I feel like there could be so much more told about these two. They definitely won't have lives without drama - not with their messed up family tree - and it was just getting good at the end. Plus, other relationships could be salvaged and initiated if it was continued in another novel.

And Abbi Glines has decided to write a third novel in the series! Only after the readers begged and pleaded, but she stated on Facebook and Twitter that she will start writing another one for all of us! So excited to see what's in store for the world that Glines has created!

I would definitely recommend this novel, but be forewarned that there is a lot of sex and language in this novel, plus you should definitely read the first novel to keep up with what is going on. Older readers will probably be better than teens as well. I cannot wait for the next novel, and I'm so glad that I got this one right away!

One Week Girlfriend by Monica Murphy

This is the first novel in the Drew + Fable series by Monica Murphy.

Living in a college town, Fable is able to work at a local bar and get steady tips from all of the drunk, rich students. She also has a reputation that follows her around, saying she is easy and is a slut. Fable only does what she has to in order to bring in money for her family.

Her mother drinks too much and parties with her boyfriend of the month, so Fable has to be the responsible one and take care of her 13 year old brother Owen. Which is getting harder because Owen is getting more defiant and running around with the wrong crowd.

When Drew confronted Fable outside of the bar after her shift, Fable thought it was to hook up, which she was not doing. But Drew threw her a curve ball: he wants to pay Fable to be his fake girlfriend for one week, over Thanksgiving Break.

Fable was going to say no, but when she heard it was for $3,000, she couldn't pass it up, so off to Drew's parents house she went, fake girlfriend status in tow.

Throughout the week, Fable and Drew realized that they have a lot in common. And that they are mutually attracted to one another.

But they made a deal, and in one week they would no longer have to talk to each other.

That will be hard to do though. Because the reason Drew wanted Fable at his house had to do with his father and stepmother. And now Fable is getting closer to Drew's secrets. At first he didn't want her Fable to know, but now that she's getting closer to his dark secrets, he's finding out that he might be able to trust her.

But can he fully give himself to Fable, or will Drew forever be haunted by his dark past? Can Fable find a way to get Drew to open up, or will their "relationship" be over in a week? Read One Week Girlfriend by Monica Murphy to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Just a forewarning, this is a NEW ADULT novel, which means that it's a little bit more mature and graphic than a YA novel but not too racy like an adult novel. Mainly, New Adult (NA) novels are set in college and are about characters who are starting to grow up, but still do things that are immature.

I gotta say, I'm glad I got this book for $0.99 and didn't wait until it was free! I really enjoyed it and flew by, even though I'm upset that there is another one and I have to wait for it!

I absolutely loved Fable. First, her name is awesome, even though she probably gets a lot of crap for it. And secondly, she is single-handedly raising her younger brother and avoiding her mother. She just needs to leave her mother and have one less ungrateful person to take care of, but that's just my opinion.

And Drew. Oh, poor Drew. I figured out what happened to him to make him want a fake girlfriend over the holidays before it was revealed, and my heart was breaking for him over and over throughout this eBook.

There was a lot of messed up topics and events in this book, but I really loved it. Fable is amazing because once she finds out, she doesn't run away yelling. Oh, no. Our Fable stays right by Drew's side and makes him realize that he is not at fault. It's only Drew that is running away, even though he doesn't want to.

The only bad part about this book was that I found out it is part of a series... And the second one isn't out yet! So I have to wait until I find out when it comes out and snatch it, because I need to know what happens. Now!

Okay, enough ranting. I really enjoyed this and I think other readers who are having a New Adult kick like I am will enjoy it as well. I would recommend it for older readers because of the topic content, but I'm really glad I got it and would recommend it to others because I enjoyed it so much!

Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines

This is the first novel in the Too Far series by Abbi Glines.

Moving from Alabama to Florida is a big change for Blaire. She just buried her mother who she has spent the last three years taking care of when she was sick, so now she is on her own and meeting her father for the first time in 5 years.

Only, when she gets to her father, Abraham's, house, he's not there. Instead, there is a huge party in the mansion size house and Blaire finds out that she has a hot older step-brother named Rush.

And Rush has a younger sister named Nanette, who hates Blaire on sight, and a younger brother named Grant. All of whom have a different parent from Rush, making them step siblings as well.

Blaire knows she's not wanted at Rush's house when she sees the disgust on his face and the fact that he tells her to get out of his house before he throws her out. Blaire is just about to leave when he suddenly changes his mind, letting her stay in the maid's room for a month.

Blaire will take that deal - she just needs to find a job and start making some money until she can find her own place to live. She didn't want to stay there indefinitely, especially when Nanette and Rush hate Blaire so much.

Thankfully, she found a job on her first day looking at a country club selling drinks to golfers outside on the course. She even started that day, making more money from tips than she expected. By this rate, she would be out of Rush's house, and life, for good!

Which was good, because Rush is acting biopolar - one minute he's being nice and talking to her, the next he's giving her the evil eye and yelling at her.

Everything changes between them, though, when Blaire goes out with her new friend Bethy from the country club who she works with. Because Rush comes with, and things heat up between them, making Blaire realize he was acting biopolar to stay away from her. But now Blaire and Rush are together, even though their time is limited.

Things go horribly wrong when Blaire finds out about a secret about herself. A secret that everyone in this town knew, and no one decided to tell her. A secret that makes Blaire's mother an evil person, which Blaire knows she is not. And a secret that might very well rip her and Rush apart from one another.

What is the big secret? Can Rush and Blaire work through it, or is it too back-stabbing? Read Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Just a forewarning, this is a NEW ADULT novel, which means that it's a little bit more mature and graphic than a YA novel but not too racy like an adult novel. Mainly, New Adult (NA) novels are set in college and are about characters who are starting to grow up, but still do things that are immature.

Wow. Just wow. From the first 3 pages, I was hooked because Blaire pulled out a gun from her pick up truck when a stranger knocked on her window. I mean, a pick up truck and a gun!? So amazing!

Okay, I really really loved this book. I've heard so many good things about Abbi Glines and have been wanting desperately to read her novels, though many of the libraries I can lend from don't have them :-( So when I saw this eBook on Amazon for $0.99, I had to get it! And I'm so glad I did - she lived up to my expectations!

Blaire was a great character and I loved her so much. She was used to taking care of everyone, so when she saw a mess at Rush's, she wanted to clean up to make up for living at his place while she was working. She is so lovable and I would most definitely be her friend.

Rush tried so hard to stay away from her, but he was very territorial when other guys - his friends - started to hit on her. He was a lost cause, but he did try very hard to stay angry at her because of the secret everyone was keeping from Blaire.

When Blaire finally saw her father at the end, I wanted to cheer her on. She ripped her father a new one, yelling at him and lecturing him about the way he treated her and her mother when he just left 5 years ago. I was so proud of her, and was very emotional through the ending of this novel.

The second novel comes out at the end of this month! I'm so stoked and I will be spending whatever money I have to to get this eBook off of Amazon. I need to keep reading about Blaire and Rush - like now. But I will wait until the 26th when it comes out.

I would most definitely recommend this novel to any NA lovers out there, and I am going to try my hardest to get more of Abbi Glines novels as well. If they are going to be as great as this one, the novels will be worth every penny!

So, go get this book and wait for the second one on the edge of your seat like I am!

Bad Rep by A. Meredith Walters

Maysie's in a bit of a pickle when she got a credit card bill sent from her parents stating that they are not going to pay the $3,000 debt. Maysie likes to spend money. She likes to shop. And now she has to find a second job along with full time schooling, which she has to take summer classes because she slacked the previous semester.

So she and her roommate Riley decided to apply as a waitress at Bartons, she was thinking of the easy tip money. When she spotted Jordan, the hunky bartender with an eyebrow piercing, a tongue piercing and a tattoo on his back, she was definitely thinking about something besides paying off her debt.

Near closing on her first shift, the tension between Jordan and Maysie was sky high. They couldn't keep their eyes off of each other, and they were definitely more touchy feely than they needed to be when getting the drink order.

However, Maysie's sorority sisters stopped by to get a drink. And one just happened to be talking to Jordan, who she very soon found out was dating someone! For the last 3 years! And who was none other than the president of Maysie's sorority, Olivia.

Now Maysie is extremely mad. Sure, nothing had happened between her and Jordan, but he gave the image that he was single and ready to mingle with Maysie. Thankfully, she didn't hook up with him so it shouldn't be awkward at work, right?

Wrong. The tension is flying off of them and everyone can see it. Everyone, that is except Olivia, who is oblivious to everything going around her unless it has to do with the sorority.

So even though Jordan and Maysie have put a stop to their flirting, it's still awkward. And Jordan seems past the point of caring what is right and wrong, because he kisses Maysie at a sorority party where they were caught by Milla, Olivia's best friend.

Now, Maysie is the harlot of campus. Everyone knows about her and Jordan "hooking up" and calls her a lot of nasty names. After awhile, she's able to ignore it and be with Jordan, but things get too out of control and her sorority sisters are pulling horrible prank after prank, assaulting Maysie.

Maysie can't handle it anymore. She really likes Jordan and they are great together, but the rumors that are spreading around campus are too much for Maysie.

Can she get past what everyone is saying, or will she keep running away from Jordan to try and save her reputation? How can they possibly be together when the whole school is against them? Read Bad Rep by A. Meredith Walters to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Wow. This was an eBook that I just had to buy, and I couldn't put my Kindle down until I finished the novel. I think I've found my new favorite genre, and that is New Adult, which means that it's a little bit more mature and graphic than a YA novel but not too racy like an adult novel. Mainly, New Adult (NA) novels are set in college and are about characters who are starting to grow up, but still do things that are immature.

Okay, so the book. I loved it when Maysie and Jordan were together, and even when they weren't but were in the same room together, because I could feel the attraction through the pages.

But there is a bad part to this novel. I HATED the sections where Maysie ran away from Jordan and cried, sobbed, moped in her room, only to do it all over again. It drove me crazy. She couldn't make up her mind and let everyone else rule what she should do rather than what she wanted to do.

Letting other control your life is never a smart decision because it basically means the person isn't happy with what they are doing, and Maysie was definitely not happy throughout a lot of this book because she wasn't with Jordan.

Okay, besides my ranting, I really did like this novel. The waitressing part made me think of the old days when I used to waitress, and I really dug that Jordan was in a band and in a fraternity - such a contradiction! I would love to read this novel through Jordan's viewpoint because I might actually like most of the novel. He was always chasing Maysie rather than running away, until he got to the point where he couldn't take the rejection anymore.

I see that Walters is going to be writing a companion book to this one, only about Riley and Garret - a band mate of Jordan's. This book I will not miss because Riley is spunky, rude, sassy, and takes crap from nobody. She is my kind of leading woman!

So, for older readers who want to read about college years and being slighted by society, this would be a good book for you to pick up!

On Dublin Street by Samantha Young

This is the first novel in the On Dublin Street series by Samantha Young.

When Jocelyn was a freshman in high school, she got the tragic news that her mother, father, and baby sister were killed instantly in a car accident. Because she was a minor and had no other family, she had to go into the foster system for the next four years.

During those four years, she also lost her best friend who died at a party, so Joss was very guarded and secretive. She didn't get close to anyone again and was very quiet about her past and her likes/dislikes.

After college, Joss moved to Scotland and pursued her dream to be a published writer. Her parents had a lot of money with her father's job, so she didn't have to worry about working a steady job to pay rent/food, etc.

Joss had to go into her trust fund, though, when she was looking for a new apartment. Ellie's apartment was great and was close to the pub she worked at a few nights a week, so she decided to move in.

And the first thing that happens to her when she has the apartment to herself and taking a bath, Ellie's older brother Braden walked in. On Joss. Naked.

The attraction between them is undeniable. But Joss will not let Braden get inside. She will not allow herself to care about someone because it will just mean more hurt later.

Except that Braden and Ellie are worming their way inside. She is starting to care for them and after she makes an arrangement with Braden to just have a physical relationship with him rather than going out as girlfriend/boyfriend, she's have all sorts of feelings that she doesn't want.

Just when things seem to be going great in Joss's life, another tragedy happens - this time, it's Ellie who got sick and may be dying.

Joss wants out. She doesn't want to go through another death and is ready to run away.

But now she's dedicated to this family. She doesn't know what to do, but either way, things are about to change in Joss's life. Read On Dublin Street by Samantha Young to find out what happens!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Just a forewarning, this is a NEW ADULT novel, which means that it's a little bit more mature and graphic than a YA novel but not too racy like an adult novel. Mainly, New Adult (NA) novels are set in college and are about characters who are starting to grow up, but still do things that are immature.

I really liked this novel! It was a random pick from Target when I got a gift card and I was intrigued by the synopsis - so glad I grabbed it!

I can see similarities to 50 Shades of Grey, but it's more low key. The guy is rich and the girl just got out of college who wants to work with books. Other than that, things start to become more On Dublin Street rather than 50.

I cannot even imagine what Joss went through. To hear that your whole family is gone one day and then having to spend the next four years with strangers? I think Joss did very well under the circumstances.

And I love Braden! He knew he couldn't treat Joss the way he usually acts around females and knew how to make her comfortable by being with him. He was trying to get her to loosen up so he can slowly pick away at the wall around her heart that she has built for the past 8 years.

So yes, I very much enjoyed this novel and I think fans of 50 would like it as well. I would also say that older teens/20 years olds would really enjoy this book since it's an NA novel.

This is part of a series, but the second book following is not about Joss and Braden's story. Rather, it's about a secondary character, Jo, who Joss works with at the pub, and her unique lifestyle that she has in order to survive. It sounds very entertaining and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for it to see what Young has in store for Jo.

I would definitely recommend this novel (I already have!) and I think many might enjoy this story line!

Stay With Me by Paul Griffin

Cece

Working in a restaurant is hard business, but her family has a great time doing it. Cece works with her mother, who's a server, and her brother, Anthony, who prepares the food. 

Things were going good. They weren't great, but it was what they were used to. 

But then Tony tells everyone that he signed up with the armed forces - army. He'll be leaving in a month. Cece thinks she's psychic and sees her brother dying overseas in the war. She doesn't want him to go. 

But he does go. Before he leaves, he tells his friend Mack to take care of Cece for him while he's gone. Cece just met Mack and doesn't want a stranger looking out for her, even when Mack is the most gorgeous guy she's seen. 

Mack

Growing up, Mack has had it rough. His mother bailed, his father is a drunk, Mack dropped out of high school because it was too hard for him, and Mack is not the kind of guy someone wants to mess with. He has learned to grow up expecting the worst. 

The only thing Mack likes is to train dogs - pit bulls preferably. Mack has the touch, he's a dog whisperer. He'll take any wild dog and will be able to train them to be house pets. 

When he is transferred to another restaurant after the first one closes, all Mack wants to do is make money and go home to work with the dogs. 

But then he meets Cece, the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. 

Even though Mack knows not to get involved with Cece, he does anyway. Things are bound to get screwed up because of Mack's personal life and nothing good ever sticks for him. 

Can Cece and Mack beat the odds and find a way to stay together? Or will circumstances tear them apart to the point where they will never be able to be a couple in the future? Read Stay With Me by Paul Griffin to find out happens with these two characters!

My Thoughts/Reflections

This was an okay book. There were good parts and bad parts to it, for me, and overall it was a decent novel. 

It took a while for me to get used to the writing of the novel. The dialogue and narration was a little different than most, making me have to slow my reading pace in order to really understand what was trying to be said. 

I felt like I, personally, didn't connect with either Mack or Cece at all throughout the novel. Maybe it's because I never experienced what they went through, but then again, I've waitressed before and still couldn't connect with that aspect of the novel. 

This was told through alternating viewpoints of Mack and Cece, giving the reader a chance to look into both of their heads and understand their side of the story. 

Yeah, usually I have more to stay about a book but this one left me feeling, "meh". I can't say that I loved it but I can't say that I hated it either. It was just a story that I read and will probably forget in a week or so. 

I did like the aspect with the dog training. And with pit bulls, none the less. 

There was a lot of information and subjects in this novel to keep track of, but it wasn't rushed or glimpsed over either. 

And now that I've completely confused every one of you who has read my reaction to this novel because of how contradictory I am, I think I'll just end this by suggesting who might enjoy reading this novel. :)

I read a reviewing saying that fans of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles might enjoy it, but I think that anyone who wants to read about a rough life trying to live day by day and falling in love for the first time might enjoy this novel as well. It's a standalone so what you read it what you get, leaving no doubt how this story ends. 

I'm sure others have read and enjoyed this novel more than I did, and if you have I would really like to hear what you thought about it! Feel free to leave a comment if you want!

She's So Money by Cherry Cheva

Maya is an over responsible high schooler. She has impeccable grades because she wants to go to Stanford in the fall - anything to get out of Michigan. She also works every free time she has at her parents Thai restaurant as a waitress.

So when her parents were gone for five days, leaving Maya in charge of the restaurant, it was a great time to be a high school student and slack on a few things. But after angering paying customers and having those customers call the Health Inspection (and not doing some nightly chores to clean up) she found herself with a $10,000 fine that she had to pay in a little over a month.

$10,000 that she doesn't have.

Then she came up with a plan - ask the notorious rich boy Camden King, whom she was tutoring, if he wanted to pay her for doing his homework. That could pay off some of the fines, right? But she needed more money, and more time to do everyone's homework who was willing to pay.

So she asked some of her friends, and they asked some of their friends.

And now it looks like Camden and Maya have a little business going on. The cash is coming in, Maya has 4 times the homework to do, plus she is waitressing every minute the restaurant is open that she's not in school.

This can work. Or it would have, if she didn't get caught by her stalker and fellow tutoring guide Leonard. Now, because she won't go out with him, she has to pay HIM $5,000 around the same time as her Health Inspection fee is due.

It seems like Maya can't get a break.

Oh, and another thing? Now her and Camden are sneaking kisses left and right. She knows he is a pronouned sleaze bag who has been with every female known to man, but there is something about Camden that she is attracted to. Even though she probably shouldn't be.

Can Maya make both payments by the due date and can she do her operation without getting caught by the school, authorities, or, worse, her parents? Read She's So Money by Cherry Cheva to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This book made me laugh so many times! I really enjoyed it!

Now, I may have connected with this book a little bit - no, not the cheating part, but the waitressing part :) I was able to think back on my waitressing days and I think Cheva did a great job depicting the responsibilities of a waitress job.

Maya was in over her head. I remember high school and while the homework wasn't extremely hard, I would not want to redo assignments over and over again all night long.

But her and Camden's operation was pretty slick, I must say. Maya is a genius so she came up with the smarter side of the scheme and Camden proved that he wasn't a dumb jock who lived off of his parents money. Well, not all of the time.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It had many laughs, many tears, and a whole lot of lack of sleep and loopy moments. The scenes with Camden and Maya as a "couple" were cute, but not very steamy or romantic. I mean, she was doing homework whenever she had time off - not too many chances to become steamy romantic.

I think high school girls would like this novel. It does talk about cliques and society in high school, so they could relate to that. I hope no one would relate to the cheating aspect of this novel, but who knows! And maybe they will read how smart Maya is and want to do better in their schoolwork?

Anyway, it was a cute novel and I'm glad I read it. Makes me glad I'm not in high school anymore, that's for sure!

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

When the Garretts moved in years ago when Samantha was 5, her mother said, "Oh, no, not one of those families" and told her two daughters to never talk to them.

What Samantha's mom meant was, the Garretts have 8 children, a messy house and yard, and nothing is ever quiet or in their proper place. A total nightmare for Samantha's mom.

But an intriguing setting for Samantha to observe. She's always been fascinated by the Garretts and has envied their lifestyle, since it's just Samantha and her older sister Tracy with their single mother.

Now, years later at 17-years-old, Sam's mom is the senator of the state, and Sam has grown up in a very strict household to keep her mother happy.

And it's also the first time Samantha has talked to Jase Garrett - Number 3 in the eight kid household and also 17-years-old.

Soon, Samantha finds herself lost in the Garrett household. She visits their house more often than staying at her own house and has now learned how to feed an army of 8, while also changing her first dirty diaper.

Samantha finds out, though, that she is a natural at it and really enjoys the insanity that happens everyday.

She is also finding herself falling very much in love with Jase. But Samantha is okay with that. She just needs to find a way to tell her mother without being evicted from the house or "ruining" her mother's chance for re-election come November.

Things that are too good to be true often show the dark, ugly side later, as Samantha found out the hard way. Everything is going amazing until her mother ruined not only Samantha's life, but another family's life.

Now Sam has to make a decision. Keep quiet and let her mother run for office with a clean slate, helping her chances of winning again, will ruining a family's life, or betraying her mother to do the right thing, the moral decision that she was raised to do.

Whichever choice Samantha picks, she is going to hurt someone in the end, and Samantha isn't sure what is the right thing to do anymore... Read My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick to find out what Samantha does!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I've been eyeing this book on Goodreads for awhile and was very happy when I checked it out from the library. However, I have to say this book didn't live up to the hype I thought it had originally...

Don't get me wrong, I really liked the storyline even though most of it was just being a rebellious daughter and dating a boy her mother doesn't like.

And there were tons of topics in this novel, like the political side with Samantha's mother and the sport aspect with Sam loving swimming and Jase training to get a football scholarship for college after senior year.

But for some reason I wasn't able to connect with the characters as well as I wanted.

I think the beginning of the book was the worst, especially when Jase and Samantha first talk to each other after 12 years of silence. Jase seemed really weird and his style of talking was abnormal.

Toward the middle and end, though, when Jase and Samantha became comfortable around each other, their personalities got better. But then it just felt like Samantha was trading families and moving from one lonely house to a house with too many people to keep track of.

One thing that I absolutely loved about this novel was Jase's family. Just think, a family of 8 - 10 if you count the parents. It's like 7th Heaven only a little bit more. And a lot more chaotic. Yet Jase's parents made it work, from having a 20-year-old to a some-odd-number month old baby. And I absolutely loved the scenes with the younger Garretts because they talked about the most random topics - just like normal kids to today.

So, this was a good novel, but not a great novel. I would like to see if I can connect with other novels from Fitzpatrick in the future, since this is her debut novel. I think I could get into her writing after reading her style a few more times.

Anyone who wants another read like Maureen Johnson and Sarah Dessen will love this novel. A summer romance ending in a twist, showing how life throws twists and turns in a relationship and whether love can outlast betrayal and family.

While He Was Away by Karen Schreck

During the summer before Penna's senior year in high school, her boyfriend, David, went off to Iraq to fight in the war.

The time when David went off to training camp was hard on Penna. Now David will be in Iraq for a year, a year that Penna has to find something to occupy her mind with so she doesn't go stir crazy while David is away.

Penna's mother then makes her work at Red Earth, the restaurant that she manages. At first Penna wants nothing to do with working. She wants to write to David, think about David, and anxiously sit next to the phone for when he can call.

But after working at Red Earth for awhile, Penna finds herself making some new friends, finding activities to do, and the waiting is less intense than at the beginning of the year.

Penna also has found her lost long grandmother. Now Penna can get to know her roots and get to know her grandmother after all of this time.

After a while, Penna finds that she's missed phone calls from David. Before, it would have really upset her that she missed them. She tries to call back but is not able to get through.

It's almost the beginning of senior year. Only 9 more months until David is back. Will things fall back into place by the time he returns? Will Penna be the same girl when he left? Will David be the same boy before he left? Read While He Was Away by Karen Schreck to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Okay...This book. I'm at odds with it. On the one hand, it was a great depiction of what happens when loved ones are separated and when an armed forces solider goes off to war.

On the other hand... I could not relate to this novel or the characters at all. I think I had to be able to understand what was going on and I just couldn't.

I've never had anyone in my family go off to war. Not even distant relatives. So what Penna and David were going through? I have no idea. Maybe this is how relationships happen when one goes off to war.

So while I didn't enjoy this story, I can completely understand how everything panned out the way it did and why the characters acted the way they did.

I think readers who have been through this situation would enjoy the story better than I did. I'm not sure if younger readers could read this and really understand the meaning behind the story, and old readers can read it, but they might have the reaction I did if they have no experience with this subject.

It is a great story to be told, though, given the events that are happening today. I just didn't connect with the story as well as I wanted to for some reason.

The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti

Indigo is a busy-body. She loves working at Carrera's, the little diner in her town. She even took all of her harder classes during her last year of high school early so now she can work during 1st and 2nd hour at the diner and then go to school during 3rd hour.

After high school, Indigo plans to work as a waitress full time and not go to college because she doesn't want to be anything but a waitress. She loves to feed people and get to know their habits - what else gets better than that?

Indigo also has a problem with smoking. It kills people and she's very adamant about her smoking thoughts.

So when a new customer comes in during the same time a few days a week and Indigo sees he has cigarettes in his coat - she tells him exactly what she thinks about that nasty habit.

Who knew that by speaking her mind and worry about a random person that she would get a 2.5 million dollar tip!

At first, Indigo thought it was a joke, but when she realized who her customer was, Richard Howards, a multi-million dollar CEO, it was no joke. She tried to give it back, but he was not going to let that happen.

Now Indigo a millionaire. She has no idea what to do with the money. However, everyone around her has an idea of what THEY could use the money for - which was a bit frustrating for Indigo.

The one thing Richard Howards asked of her was to let the money make her bigger, not smaller. But with 2.5 million dollars, it's a little hard to look at the big picture when there are items out in the world that are easy to grab in an instant.

Will Indigo be able to see the big picture, or will she become a rich, snobbish person and let the money control? Read The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Okay, I've worked as a waitress before - a few times actually. Once was even in a supper club so rich people came. I never once, not once, got that much money for a tip!

Now I've found my new goal in life :)

Anyway, I really liked this novel! Indigo had things all figured out for her life. She would finish school and work at Carrera's full time - making money, doing what she loves, and seeing all of her usual customers since they are basically friends now.

But when you throw money in the loop, things get a little crazy.

Indigo was very grown-up and knew the life she lived in, so I really liked her. I also liked her boss, Jane, and all of the customers in the diner.

I did have trouble with the writing at times, though. It seemed there were times that it kept rambling, and I found myself skipping a paragraph of things that didn't necessarily need to be there.

However, I would definitely recommend this to teens! And adults as there is a life-altering lesson deep in this story that I think anyone could learn from. It's also a stand alone novel so we don't need to wait for a sequel, and I really loved the ending so I think everyone should read it! :)