Soulspark by Eliza Tilton

From Goodreads: 

Dealing with the loss of her mother, seventeen-year-old Jessica Stone tries to find an escape from the pain by secretly medicating herself with Xanax, but the anxiety increases, crushing her and her grades.

Then she meets Caleb Jonas, the pastor’s son at her mother’s church. Between his cute dimples and love of fast cars, Jessica is completely smitten, and the feeling is mutual. But dating a Christian boy isn’t easy. He doesn’t party, and he never goes past first base. Jessica struggles with his faith, since it makes her question her own, but for the first time since her mother’s death, she can breathe. Life is finally shifting into a state of happiness.

But that happiness shatters when Jessica catches Caleb kissing her ex-best friend—and step-brother’s girlfriend—Rachel, the girl who used to be like her sister, and the same girl who betrayed her once before.

While her stepbrother hints at a deeper connection between the two, Caleb insists it was a one-time mistake and begs forgiveness. With contradicting stories coming at her, Jessica isn’t sure who to believe, but sometimes the truth is better left undiscovered and she’s about to find out why. 

My Review: 

When I first read the synopsis of this book I was thinking this would be a contemporary book but for me it was so much more than that.

Things I liked: 

1) Jessica-  I found myself connecting to her right away. I felt sorry for her. They way she deals with her moms death was not ideal but I got why it happened.

2) Caleb- At times this guy was not my favorite but he redeemed himself. I overall loved the way he treated Jessica. He helped her in a lot of ways as well.

3) Rachel- So this character was the one that you were meant to hate. I didn't actually hate her. I felt sorry for her most of the time.

4) The writing is so beautiful. It took me less than 1 day to read this book because of the writing. I thought the writing was addicting and I had to know what what going to happen.

5) Ray- I loved the relationship between him and Jessica. He is her stepdad but he treated her and cared for her like she was his own daughter.

Things I was not fond of:

1) Jason- No surprise here if you have read this book. He was a jerk and just dumb!

I really enjoyed this book a lot. The one thing I had a problem did not affect the rating for me because I liked the rest of the book so much more and could over look that. I am excited to see what else this author writes and will definitely check out her other books.

My rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

*I received this from the author on a read and review basis*

Emancipated by M.G. Reyes

From Goodreads: 

The good girl, the bad boy, the diva, the hustler, the rock star, and the nerd. Six teens legally liberated from parental control for six different reasons, all with one thing in common: something to hide. 

Now they’re sharing a house in Venice Beach, acting like a family, and living their lies. No parents. No limits. No alibis. One witnessed a crime, another might be a murderer—and one’s been spying on them all.

As they cling to a fantasy of freedom and slowly let down their guards, the past creeps up on them. And when one of them gets arrested, everyone’s carefully constructed facade comes crumbling down. 

In this steamy, drama-filled series, relationships are tested and secrets revealed as lies threaten to destroy their perfect setup.


My review:
This book was more of a meh kind of book. Lets get on to why :)

Things I liked: 
1) I enjoyed the perspectives of all 6 characters. Each one had there own story line but also they intertwined.

2) The premise seemed interesting. 6 teens emancipated  living together to me sounded intriguing.

Things I was not fond of: 
1) I felt like the Emancipation thing was kind of skimmed over. Some was explained but not in great detail.

2) There was some drug use in this book. I mean I do not care that people do drugs but its really not something I like to read about most times.

3) I felt as though there were no change in voice in characters from chapter to chapter. I had to look at the top to see who I was reading about because they didn't talk or act differently.

4)  I also felt like the pacing was rather slow. It took me a bit to get into. At times I was kind of bored

My rating: ♥♥♥

*I received this book from Edelweiss on a read and review basis*

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider

From Goodreads: 

At seventeen, overachieving Lane finds himself at Latham House, a sanatorium for teens suffering from an incurable strain of tuberculosis. Part hospital and part boarding school, Latham is a place of endless rules and confusing rituals, where it's easier to fail breakfast than it is to flunk French.

There, Lane encounters a girl he knew years ago. Instead of the shy loner he remembers, Sadie has transformed. At Latham, she is sarcastic, fearless, and utterly compelling. Her friends, a group of eccentric troublemakers, fascinate Lane, who has never stepped out of bounds his whole life. And as he gradually becomes one of them, Sadie shows him their secrets: how to steal internet, how to sneak into town, and how to disable the med sensors they must wear at all times.

But there are consequences to having secrets, particularly at Latham House. And as Lane and Sadie begin to fall in love and their group begins to fall sicker, their insular world threatens to come crashing down. Told in alternating points of view, Extraordinary Means is a darkly funny story about doomed friendships, first love, and the rare miracle of second chances.



My Review: 
I will not lie. I requested this book but when I received it I totally forgot about it. So I went into it blind and boy did it surprise me.

Things I Loved: 
1) Sadie- The moment she was introduced I knew I liked her. She is such a strong, sarcastic and funny character. If you read this and don't fall in love with her I would be surprised.

2) Lane- I thought he was such a sweet character. He was an awesome friend and such an optimistic character.

3) I loved the little group of friends. They all cared about each other in some form. It was great to see a group of teenagers be friendly with each other( This could be because I have read about some horrible teens the last few books)

4) The dual perspectives of Sadie and Lane were great. I always enjoy these types of books.


Things I was not fond of:
1) The beginning was kind of slow but once it got going I could not put it down!

2) I wish Latham House was explained more.(This is me nit picking though but it was a major a part in getting the rating it did)


I loved this book. I would recommend it to anyone. I think its one of those books you need to read at least once because its so sweet. The rating I gave does not mean its a bad book I just felt as though some things in the book were unnecessary.(I cannot say them just read it!) This book made me laugh, cry, and just melted my heart. Just go pick it now :)


My rating: ♥♥♥♥

*I received this book from Edelweiss on a read and review basis*

Tiny Pretty Things by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton

From Goodreads:
Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.


My review: 

Things I liked:
1) Gigi- this poor girl. She was my favorite character out of the ones in this book. She definitely didn't make wise decisions but still better than the others. 

2) The ballet aspect of it was nice. I have never read that in any book so it was nice to learn about that life.

3) Once this book got going it became super addictive. At first I was thinking I was not going to like it because it was slow and i found it boring. Then when it finally got going I was like how could I say this was boring.

Things I was not fond of:
1) Bette-This girl did some atrocious things. How can someone be so cruel? My least favorite character out of the bunch.

2) June-This girl is another one that just made bad choices and just was mean!

3) Alec-I knew early on that I was not going to like him. It became very apparent after he did something so dumb that I could not forgive him for. This guy apparently was someone so amazing but I really didn't see it.

4) The ending-I was so not happy with the ending. Why would you leave it there seriously? I understand this is going to be a series or trilogy but dang it still sucks that I have to wait so long for another book.

With all this being said. I still really enjoyed this book. I marked down one star since it took so long for me to get into and some of the things that went on but overall I liked it enough to continue with the series if there is one.

My rating: 💜💜💜💜

* I received this book from Edelweiss on a read and review basis*

Reader Problems Tag

I got tagged to do this by Denise at Confession of a Book Addict. Thanks so much for tagging me! Here we go!

1) You have 20,000 on your TBR. How in the world do you decide to read next?

Normally I read the first sentence of the book and see if it grabs me. Also it really depends on my mood of what I am wanting to read at that particular moment.

2) You're halfway through a book and you're just not loving it. Do you quit or are you committed?

I quit. I cannot tell you how many books I have quit reading because I have read quite a bit of it and was just hating it. The only exception to this is review books. I will most of the time stick it through so I can review the book!

3) The end of the year is coming and you're so close, yet so far away from your Goodreads reading challenge. Do you try and catch up and how?

I try really hard to catch up no matter what. I will read the smallest book ever to catch up! 

4) The covers of a book series you love do not match how do you cope?

I don't cope. I get angry then I figure out where to get the covers I like so that they match!

5) Everyone and their mother loves a book you really don't like. Who do you bond with over shared feeling?

I don't really have a person that I bond with about books I don't like. Normally I would just just look at Goodreads reviews that are the same rating or lower than I gave the book.

6) Your reading a book and you are about to start crying in public. How do you deal?

Well I do not read in public ever so yeah.

7) A sequel of a book you loved just came out, but you've forgotten a lot from the prior novel. Will you re-read the book? Skip the sequel? Try to find a summary on Goodreads? Cry in frustration?

I would just find some spoiler filled reviews on a blog. 

8) You do not want anyone- ANYONE- borrowing your books. How do you politely tell people nope when they ask? 

Let's be honest here. I don't think I would be very polite so I have no way to answer this question.

9) Reading ADD. You've picked up 5 books in the last month. How do you get over your reading slump?

When I am in a reading slump. I do not read. I normally just play games or watch Netflix. Normally If I read when I'm in a reading slump I end up hating the book.

10)  There are so many books coming out that you are dying to read! How many do you actually buy?

I will buy all of them eventually. May not when it first comes out but definitely will happen eventually.

11) After you've bought the new books you can't wait to get to, how long do they sit on your shelf before you get to read them?

Most of the time it takes me a really long time to get to the books. I'm not proud of it!

Thanks for tagging me! I tag anyone who sees this and wants to do it!

Liebster Award #2

I was nominated for another Liebster Award by HannahCassie from PS I Love That Book. Thanks you so much! 

Rules
Link back to the person that nominated you
Give 11 random facts about yourself
Answer 11 questions from your nominator
Nominate 11 new and obscure bloggers
Come up with 11 questions for them to answer
Inform your nominees

Random Facts about me: 

1) I write down my thoughts on a book while reading

2) I think I may have a pen obsession(I haven't admitted to myself yet)

3) I learned how to type on a type writer!

4) I go out of my way to get the covers I want for books!(Yes, I will repurchase some to get the ones I like)

5) I am obsessive about updating my Goodreads sometimes.

6) If candy could be a food group I would not mind!

7) I have tons of journals that I plan on writing in daily when I buy them but that only lasts like a week.

8) I cannot stand regular oreos. ( I can eat the flavored ones but I got sick on the regular ones)

9) I do not like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

10) I really want to dye my hair lavender and turquoise.

11) I wear sweaters all the time. Even in hot weather sometimes!

Questions from HannahCassie: 
1. Dogs or cats? 

Dogs
2. If you could be anybody, who would you be? 

I wouldn't want to be another person.
3. If you could change one big thing in world history, what would you change? 

I would like for 9/11 to not happen.
4. Somebody told you you can have 3 books you want for free, what would you buy?

1) Don't Look Back-Jennifer L Armentrout 2) The Girl of Fire and Thorns 3) Isle of The Lost
5. Night out with friends or cozy time with book in bed?

Definitely cozy time with a book in bed.
6. Hot chocolate or tea?

Hot Chocolate
7. How would your life change if there was no more coffee left in the world?

I would be pretty mean and have no friends probably :(
8. What languages can you speak?

Only one I can speak is English and Sarcasm(that counts right?)
9. What are you thinking right at this moment?

I am thinking that I want this headache to go away!

10. What was the last book you read?

The last book I read was Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls.
11. What book you want to buy but keep having second thoughts?

I keep putting Asylum in my amazon cart for some reason take it out every time. 

My Nominees:

1) Erika from Books And Stars

2) Lynn from Lynn's Book Blog

3) Melissa From Around The World In Books

4) Nicole from My Book Filled Life

5) Cody-Leigh from Literary-ly Obsessed

6) Saloni from My Fantabulous Bookshelf

7) Danna from A Reading Habit

8) Confessions of a Book Addict(I am sorry I could not find your name)

9) Selina from Dear Book Geeks

10) Eclectic Introspections ( Again, I could not find a name. I am sorry)

11) Lan Lan from Idiotic Book Reviews

Questions for my nominees:

1) A popular author you have not read books by?

2) If you could have a boxset of any 6 books what would they be?(Can be any book)

3) Favorite genre of music?

4) Would you like to be an author?

5) A strong female character in a TV show that you like?

6) Biggest physical book pet peeve?

7) Favorite place to buy books?

8) What are two people that you ship not from the same book?

9) Skydiving or bungee jumping?

10) What is your opinion on libraries?

11) Favorite tv show couple?

So there we go! Thank you for the nomination. I cannot wait to see all my nominees posts :)

Vanished by E.E. Cooper

This book follows three best friends Beth, Brit and Kalah. Kalah has feeling for Beth but she doesn't tell her about it. Then one day Beth goes missing. She had been talking about leaving when she turned 18 but no one took her seriously. Then some secrets are found out about different characters. Then Brit commits suicide. After this Kalah does not who to trust. 

I found this book to be very mysterious and to be a page turner. I read 18 books in January so this one took me a bit to read. It wasn't because I didn't enjoy it but I just really needed a break from reading.

What I liked: 

1) Kalah-even though I felt bad for her during most of the story. I still loved that she was just trying to keep her friendships together.

2) I loved the way that this book was written. For a debut novel E.E. Cooper did a great job of keeping the mystery of the story. 

3) Zach- What a great boyfriend!

Things That I Wasn't Fond Of:

1) Beth- I feel like she was one of those impulsive characters. She didn't seem to care how leaving would affect everyone else.

2) Jason- Can I say super jerk? Yep that's how I feel about him. I did not like him what so ever.

3) Brittany- Arg gosh. The last 20% of this book I was hating this chick more and more!

My rating: ♥♥♥♥

*I received an e-arc of this from Edelweiss*

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

From Goodreads: As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.

But Ani has a secret.

There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.

With a singular voice and twists you won’t see coming, Luckiest Girl Aliveexplores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that's bigger than it first appears. 

The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free?

My review:

As soon as I seen that this was compared to Gillian Flynn I had to give it a shot. Although I do not like it when books are compared to other books because that just makes me so excited but then let down because I will compare them in my head. This one did not disappoint. 

Things I liked:

1) Ani- At first I was not sure if I was going to like her. She came off dare I say bitchy? She was not the nicest person at all. Then once we learned her story I was in love with her.

2) Flashbacks- The book is told in present and past events which I really loved.

3) I loved the mystery. The book kept you guessing.

Things I was not fond of:

1) I found at parts was kind of boring. 

2) It took me a few chapters to get into. If I was basing this review on that first 3 chapters I would have given this 2 stars.

I would recommend this book if you are a fan of Gillian Flynn. The writing is not at all the same but the story line is dark and pretty disturbing.

My rating: ♥♥♥♥

*I received this book from Net Galley on a read and review basis*

Perfect Victim by Jan Christensen

From Goodreads: 

A few days after Sylvia Leominster is murdered, private investigator Paula Mitchell interviews Sylvia's fiancé in their small-town Rhode Island jail. Warren Wade's fingerprints are all over the murder weapon, he has no alibi, and Sylvia broke up with him the night she was killed. After another young woman friend of Sylvia's is bludgeoned to death, Paula is dismayed when the police keep Warren in jail. They claim the second murder could have been committed by a copy-cat and remind her Warren's fingerprints are still on the weapon that killed Sylvia.

Working with her best friend who often hires Paula to investigate cases and who is Warren’s lawyer, Paula searches for answers. Paula and her computer guru lover narrow down the suspects to the victim's friends. The group is led by a mesmeric young man with political ambitions. Paula doesn’t trust him, especially when she learns that all of Sylvia's friends have lied during her interviews. At the preliminary hearing, some answers begin to emerge. Paula zeros in on the killer and sees firsthand how friendship and loyalty can be used for personal gain. With Warren’s freedom on the line, she has to find a way to capture the real killer. But in doing so, she doesn't realize she’s putting herself and her own best friend in danger.

My Review:

In no way am I trying to bash this book. It really was not my cup of tea. Here goes.

Things I liked:

1) The premise seemed interesting.

2) Paula- I liked this character sort of. I mean she was the only reason I continued.

Things I was not fond of:

1) I found this story to be so boring. The mystery aspect was not there. 

2) So much of the book is Paula questioning people and that really was not for me. 

3) By the end of this book I could care less what happened. I really just wanted to finish it. 

My rating: ♥♥

*I receieved this from NetGalley for review*

The Program by Suzanne Young

From Goodreads: 

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

My review: 

I decided to pick this book after I picked it for a friend to read as a challenge. I figured since I was making her read I may as well. I hope she likes it when she does read it because I sure did.( You know who you are)

Things I liked:

1) Sloan- From the start I knew she was going to be my favorite. I found her to be super strong, knows what she wants, doesn't string people along and so funny. Loved her!

2) James- I will say he was not favorite character in the beginning but once he came around I was amazed how much he changed! 

3) Realm- He was another character I was not sure of. He seemed off to me(and not in a good way). I eventually understood why he was like that and could not help but love him.

4) I liked that the book was split in two sections.I wont go into detail what they are but It was wonderful to know.

Things I was not fond of: 

1) Roger- This is kind of a no brainer. If you have read this you probably now why.

2) I wish some things were explained more in detail but that is really me just being super curious about somethings.

I would recommend this book if you are looking for a different type of dystopian novel. I found it rather interesting!

My rating: ♥♥♥♥

Bomb by Sarah Mussi

From Goodreads:

When Genesis goes on an internet date she is only anxious that this latest guy won't be 'The One'. She's not at all worried about meeting a dodgy bloke or getting in too deep. And when her date appears she texts her best mate, Jackson, to let him know that she thinks this time, he just might be 'The One'. And he texts her back with a huge: I LIKE.

It's the one all right. But not in the way she expects.

For when Genesis wakes up the next day, she can't remember a thing. She can't remember where she is, or how she got there. And she can hardly move because she is strapped into some kind of body armour ... and then a voice sounds in her head: 'Get on to the 37 going north. You are strapped to a vest made entirely of explosives. At the push of one button I can detonate you right where you stand.'


To her horror, Genesis has become an agent of mass destruction. The countdown to detonation begins now...

My Review:

Things I liked:

1) The concept of the book was great! The whole reason I wanted to read was because of the synopsis( Why else right?).

2) Genesis' demeanor throughout the book. She didn't freak out when she found out what was happening. She was calm and collected.

Things I was not fond of:

1) It took me a bit to get into. Yes it started off like what is happening? For me in the beginning not much was said to make you continue. It took me awhile to actually say that I would continue. 

2) The plot was not executed right. It was such a great idea. Seemed like it would be action packed and amazing but for me it did not deliver.

3) Genesis need more development as a character. She had no personality at all. I did feel bad for her but by the end I didn't really care to much about what happened to her. I know that is sad to say but it is what it is.

4) The ending was the main reason why I gave this the rating I did. It was action packed then bam its over? That was not cool. Why would anyone do that?

I know it seems like I hated this book but I really did not. I found the writing to be done well. I would say pick this up if you want to read it. I think most people will probably enjoy it but it really didn't work for me.

My rating: 💜💜💜

* I received this from NetGalley on a read and review basis*

Kissing In America by Margo Rabb

From Goodreads: In the two years since her father died, sixteen-year-old Eva has found comfort in reading romance novels—118 of them, to be exact—to dull the pain of her loss that’s still so present. Her romantic fantasies become a reality when she meets Will, who seems to truly understand Eva’s grief. Unfortunately, after Eva falls head-over-heels for him, he picks up and moves to California without any warning. Not wanting to lose the only person who has been able to pull her out of sadness—and, perhaps, her shot at real love—Eva and her best friend, Annie, concoct a plan to travel to the west coast to see Will again. As they road trip across America, Eva and Annie confront the complex truth about love. 

My Review: 
I was really happy when I got this book for review because I loved the synopsis of it but I really did not enjoy it as much as I had hoped. Here goes my review.

Things I liked: 
1) Eva- From the beginning I knew I was going to like her. She was funny and witty.

2) I thought the premise of the story seemed interesting obviously why I wanted to pick it up.

3) I loved the writing style of this book.

Things I was not fond of: There are quite a few things that I had problems with.
1) Although I loved Eva in the beginning she started to make some decisions that were not very smart.

2) Will- I hated him from the start. I found him to be selfish and he really didn't care about Eva's feelings at all.

3) Why does Eva decide to go from New York to LA by herself for a boy??? That was beyond stupid to me. Its not like they really had a relationship really.

I really had high hopes for this book but for me it fell flat. It was bad decision after bad decision. I think both Eva and Will needed to be more developed as characters.

My rating: ♥♥♥

* I received an e-arc of this book from Edelweiss*