Review: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

 Title: November 9

Author: Colleen Hoover

Source: Purchased

Synopsis:

Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

 

Review:

November 9 by Colleen Hoover was just...wow. I can sum up the synopsis and say that a guy and girl meet and decide to meet every year on the same day, but that won't do it justice. There's so much more to that, but I feel like I can't mention much else without giving anything away.

I love that the heroine of the book is physically flawed. Fallon isn't model perfection like so many heroines are. Maybe she was at one time, but now she is insecure and hides behind her hair and clothes. These qualities just make her seem more real. And then there's Ben, the writer. How can you not love Ben? He has made some bad choices in the past, but there really are no bad qualities about him. On the outside, he seems like a carefree and fun guy. On the inside he is filled with more pain and guilt than anyone should ever have to feel – but we don't find that out until the end. One character is scarred on the outside and the other is scarred on the inside.

“One of the things I always try to remind myself is that everyone has scars,” she says. “A lot of them even worse than mine. The only difference is that mine are visible and most people’s aren’t.”
― Colleen Hoover, November Nine

There were twists in the book that I loved. There were SO many feels. There were times where I was so frustrated that I was sure I was going to give this book 4 stars instead of 5. However, I'm giving it 5. I can't NOT give it a 5. I was a little unsure up until those last few pages though. I love Colleen Hoover's writing and this book is no exception. If you haven't already read all of Colleen's other books...what are you waiting for?

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Review: The One by Kiera Cass

 Title: The One (The Selection #3)

Author: Kiera Cass

Source: Purchased

Synopsis:

The time has come for one winner to be crowned.

When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon's heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she'll have to fight for the future she wants.



Review:



 

The One is the third book in The Selection series by Kiera Cass. Knowing this is the last in America's story makes me sad. I just have to say, the cover is stunning. It ranks very high on my favorite covers list. Not that I actually have a list. But, you know...if I did...it would be toward the top.

Maxon and America were both stubborn in the fact that they refused to admit their feelings to each other. Because of that, I don't think they got as close as they could have been. There was a little bit of passion missing from these two. I felt like there was more action/adventure in this story than romance.

And what was the deal with Aspen?!?! That came out of left field. Another thing that bothered me was the fact that during this book, America suddenly didn't love Aspen. In the first 2 books, she couldn't choose between Aspen and Maxon and then suddenly in this last book she doesn't have those sort of feelings for Aspen anymore. That made things a little too convenient for me. Don't get me wrong, I loved the fact that America wasn't kissing two different guys in this book. She had her mind made up. I just would have liked it to have been more gradual.

This book had some surprisingly sad parts. Despite my frustration with a few things, I really did like this book (and the series)! I was sad to see it end. It ended a little too quickly for me. I wanted to know more. A lot more. Luckily, I just bought Happily Ever After and it has a bonus epilogue in it. Hopefully that will satisfy my need to know more. Overall, this is a great young adult romance and I will be keeping these books to give to my daughter when she gets older. 

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Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass

Title: The Elite (The Selection #2)

Author: Kiera Cass

Source: Purchased

 Synopsis:

The Selection began with thirty-five girls.
Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon's heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?

America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America's chance to choose is about to slip away.



Review:

The Elite is the second book in The Selection series by Kiera Cass. In this book, the group of girls has been narrowed down to 6 girls. America has made it in to The Elite, but is still unsure of her feelings.

There is still a love triangle going on because America can't seem to let go of her first love, Aspen. He just so happens to be a guard at the castle so she is still able to see him. Poor Maxson has no idea that America's first love is a guard in the castle and that she has been seeing him. I know that America is having a hard time making up her mind, but it's disappointing to see her kissing both guys and leading them on.

I would be fine with either man that America decides to choose. Both guys have great qualities. I just want her to pick one once and for all. And I know this is common with books that are in the middle of the series, but I felt like there wasn't a whole lot of plot progression. Nothing really happened, besides finding out the King's true colors. Still, the book did what it intended – kept me turning the pages in hopes that something big would happen.

Despite my negative remarks about this particular book, I still adore this series. I'm really looking forward to the next one and I am hoping that America will be able to make a choice. 

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Usborne Books & More

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Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

 Title: The Selection (The Selection #1)

Author: Kiera Cass

Source: Purchased

Synopsis:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.




Review:

Combine the reality show The Bachelor with dystopian, teenagers and a royal family – and you have The Selection by Kiera Cass. This was a great young adult book set in an interesting futuristic world. A specific year hasn't been mentioned, but things are definitely different than they are today. I'm not talking about flying cars and robots – just more subtle differences.

The heroine of the book is named America and she is a great character that all teen girls can look up to. In all the land, she is one of 35 girls chosen to be part of the selection. The only problem is, she doesn't want any part of it – she has a secret boyfriend that she loves. She has no interest in dating a stuffy prince.

There were a lot of characters to try to keep track of. I actually had to take notes throughout the book so I would remember details of certain characters. I liked how there was more romance involved in this book than some other dystopian books I've read. This story is more focused on the characters and relationships than on the world around them.

After having a fight with her boyfriend, America heads to the palace to take part in the Selection. She doesn't think she will last very long – after all, she's the only girl there that's not interested in being a princess. Prince Maxon is not at all what she was expecting though. A friendship forms between them and before long America is trying to figure out her feelings for the prince. This book does contain a love triangle and both guys are great characters. There is no cliffhanger ending, but the story definitely isn't over yet. I'm so glad that I waited to read this book so I don't have to wait for the other books to come out. I definitely recommend this to anyone to loves young adult romances.

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Review: Perfectly Broken by Prescott Lane

Title: Perfectly Broken

Author: Prescott Lane

Source: Received through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:

Even after years of trauma therapy, Peyton still believes she’s broken. She has little desire to date or show off her natural beauty, content simply to hang out with her best friends and run her pie shop in New Orleans. But her world turns upside-down when a handsome architect and self-confessed player shows up in her shop and thinks she’s perfect, much more than the usual hook-up. While Peyton does her best to resist his charms, believing she could never be enough for him, she can’t deny the obvious heat between them. With Reed determined to have her, Peyton must decide whether to continue to hide behind her apron and baggy clothes or take a chance and share her scars with Reed, a man with a playboy reputation and scars of his own -- a dark past he can’t possibly share with Peyton, not after learning the horrors she’s endured. But if they can find a way to trust each other, and themselves, they just might be able to heal, to save each other, to live perfectly broken together.



Review:




Perfectly Broken is a cute contemporary romance from Prescott Lane. The main characters are both a little broken – more so the heroine, Peyton. She is a rape survivor and hides behind baggy clothes so she won't attract attention. She keeps busy by making pies in her own pie shop. Peyton has very few people in her life and you just can't help but feel sorry for her. She doesn't seem to feel sorry for herself though – she is a strong character that you will like.

The prince charming of the story is Reed – though Reed has issues with commitment and sleeps around. He doesn't have a great reputation but he does have a lot of charm. These two characters don't seem like a likely pairing, but it works. The way Reed fell for Peyton was cute.

This story is written in third person, and is constantly switching the point of view throughout the book. There were even some viewpoints from background characters, which felt odd to me. It was sometimes a little hard to follow and didn't flow as smoothly as I would have liked.

I don't know if the story was the problem or just my timing with reading it (I just started a new job with overnight hours that I'm still getting used to), but it took me forever to read this. I don't know if I was just overly exhausted, or if the story just didn't catch my interest – but I was only able to get through a chapter a day before putting my kindle down and going to sleep. There really wasn't anything specific about the story (besides the POV) that I didn't like. It's a cute story and I recommend it to others that enjoy contemporary romance.

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Release Day Launch: Racing the Sun by Karina Halle

From the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Where Sea Meets Sky comes a new adult novel about a young woman who becomes a nanny in Capri and falls for her charges’ bad-boy brother.

When I’m traveling, I feel like the secret to my life, to myself, to really becoming, is one step ahead. It’s in the next destination, the next town I get lost in, the next stranger I talk to. It’s always next but never here . . .

After six months of backpacking and soul-searching across the world, Amber MacLean is flat broke. There are worse places for a twentysomething to be stuck than the Amalfi Coast, but the only way she can earn enough money for a plane ticket home to California is to teach English to two of the brattiest children she has ever met.

It doesn’t help that the children are under the care of their brooding older brother, ex-motorcycle racer Desiderio Larosa. Darkly handsome and oh-so-mysterious, the young master of the crumbling villa tests Amber’s patience and will at every turn—not to mention her hormones.

When her position turns into a full-time nanny gig, Amber grows dangerously closer to the enigmatic recluse. But can she give up the certainty of home for someone whose closely guarded heart feels a world apart from her own?

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With her USA Today Bestselling The Artists Trilogy published by Grand Central Publishing, numerous foreign publication deals, and self-publishing success with her Experiment in Terror series, Vancouver-born Karina Halle is a true example of the term "Hybrid Author." Though her books showcase her love of all things dark, sexy and edgy, she's a closet romantic at heart and strives to give her characters a HEA...whenever possible.

Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiancé and rescue pup.

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