Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

YA/New Adult Romance, Published July 2012

Read August 2012, 384 pp.

❤ Team: Noah

Challenges: Debut Author Challenge

4/5 STARS

Book Blurb:

“I WON’T TELL ANYONE, Echo. I promise.”

Noah tucked a curl behind my ear. It had been so long since someone TOUCHED ME like he did. Why did it have to be Noah Hutchins?

His DARK BROWN EYES shifted to my covered arms. “You didn’t do that—did you? It was done to you?”

No one ever asked that question.

They stared.

They whispered.

They laughed.

BUT THEY NEVER ASKED.

SO WRONG FOR EACH OTHER…AND YET SO RIGHT.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with “freaky” scars on her arms. Even Echo can’t remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she’ll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Thoughts:

This romance is definitely on the borderline of YA and the “New Adult” genre.  While the characters are still in high school, the content still seems quite mature for younger YA readers.  Echo Emerson has problems.  She has survived a very abusive home life and only has a few friends in school.  Noah used to be the popular jock, but now has a few secrets of his own.  While Noah is portrayed to be the bad boy, he really hasn’t done anything wrong, other than defend his younger brothers.  I loved the chemistry between the Noah and Echo and how they truly begin to support one another as friends before anything else.

Can’t wait to read Noah’s friend Beth’s story in Dare You To.  I have a feeling her story is going to be very interesting!

Quotes:

Luke used to give me butterflies.  Noah spawned mutant pterodactyls. (p. 84)

Similar Reads:

• Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry
• Chelsea Fine – Sophie & Carter
• Jessica Sorenson – The Coincidence of Callie & Kayden (Mature – New Adult)
• Jamie McGuire – Beautiful Disaster (Mature – New Adult)

Thanks to NetGalley and HarlequinTEEN for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

YA Fantasy/Fairy-tale Retellings, Published 2012

Challenges: YA Historical Fiction Challenge, Debut Author Challenge

❤ Team: Rob

Read: September 2012, 287 pp.

5/5 ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤❤

Book Blurb:

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

Thoughts:

I loved the twist of the Robin Hood story that Gaughen brings.  Scarlet has secrets – secrets she won’t even tell Rob.  Rob gets Scar to join the Hood when she tried to steal from him.  I loved the relationships between the characters of the Hood.  I do wish Scar had stood up for herself more with John and would’ve loved to have seen more between Scar and Rob.  Scarlet is a likable heroine and brings a fresh take to an old story.  Her backstory was very interesting and could be a book in itself!

It does take a little time in the beginning to get into the vernacular of the story.  At first I found it annoying, but after awhile, I got into Scarlet’s character and didn’t notice it anymore and in fact, it brought a different richness to the story.

A great debut for A.C. Gaughen and I can’t wait to read what she writes next!

If you’ve ever loved the story of Robin Hood, you’re going to love Scarlet! 

Quotes:

No one really knows ’bout me.  I’m Rob’s secret, I’m his informant, I’m his shadow in dark places. -Opening line

Book Trailer:

I purchased my own copy for my shelves.

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Review: My Life Next Door

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

YA Contemporary Romance, Published June 14, 2012

Challenges: Debut Authors 2012

Read June 2012, 395 pages

4/5 STARS

Book Blurb:

A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase’s family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

Thoughts:

Samantha has always looked over to her crazy neighbors with too many kids and too much mess, with a feeling of wanting to be a part of it all – much to her mother’s disgust.  When her mother becomes too busy for her and her sister leaves for the summer, Sam instantly becomes one of the Garretts after a fateful night of meeting Joe on the roof of her house.

But then one night changes everything…

This is a pretty predictable story, but will still be a very enjoyable summer read with loveable characters.  You’ll instantly fall in love with all of the Garrett brothers.  I liked that Sam and Jase were friends first.  I did not like, however, how Sam’s mother and her boyfriend dealt with the “crisis” and the way they pressure Sam into doing or not doing, as the case may be, the right thing.  I was disgusted, as I guess I was meant to be, by their “adult” way of covering things up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dial/Penguin Young Readers Group (USA) for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins

YA Romance, Published June 2012

Read June 26, 2012, 383 pages

5/5 STARS

Book Blurb:

Your heart misleads you.

That’s what my friends and family say.

But I love Noah.

And he loves me.

We met and fell in love in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview, while we rode our horses together through the grassy fields and in those moments in each other’s arms. It should be

ROSE & NOAH

forever, easy.

But it won’t be.

Because he’s Amish.

And I’m not.

Thoughts:

When Rose’s father moves her and her brother to live in Amish country, to say Rose is not excited would be a great understatement.  The only bright side is having her horse near her.  Their Amish neighbors, being neighborly and wanting to get on the good side of the new country doctor, come to help the family fix up their old farm house.  Noah immediately notices Rose and finds every excuse to talk to her.  And so it begins..

I was instantly drawn to the forbidden attraction between Noah and Rose.  I just could not put the book down, which is what I look for in a great summer read.  Temptation brings an interesting and new twist on Amish fiction.  Noah is not interested in leaving his faith or family, but is conflicted with his feelings for Rose.  I loved the interactions between Rose and Noah as well as her growing relationship with Noah’s sister, Sarah.  I also loved Hopkin’s witty writing style and the back and forth character POVs.  The reader not only gets to see an outsider’s point of view of the Amish, but an insider’s as well.

The ending definitely leaves you wanting more – which, conveniently will happen since this is the first in a new series.  I was a little disappointed to see how both Rose and Noah worked to manipulate the other, but I think this is because they are both so young and have a very narrow view of life.  Some have pointed out that the sexism bothered them, but I found it very true to the story.  I don’t think this is meant to teach or influence young readers to not stand up for themselves, but it does make them aware of other cultures, faiths, and to learn to make their own decisions.  *SPOILER ALERT* Now that Rose and Noah are together, a whole new set of obstacles will be before them.  How will they make it work?  Will they go through with a marriage?  They are both so young and since Rose is from the outside world, how will she be able to live with the Amish rules and their constrictions of women?

Quotes:

In that instant, I knew she belonged with me.  But what is forbidden is not so easily forgotten.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarlequinTeen for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby

YA Fiction, Published February 28, 2012

Read: March 2012, 272 pp.

Challenges: Debut Author Challenge 2012, NetGalley Challenge 2012

3/5 STARS

Book Blurb:

Behind the flashing lights, the camera reveals all . . . even love.

Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

Thoughts:

Shooting Stars is a cute twist on today’s public obsession with celebrities and their latest photo op – especially the bad pics.  Hey, you know it’s true!  We all want to know the truth behind the glitz and when the paparazzi snap the most unattractive photo, we’re often glad to see they’re more like us – the regular folk – than they often like to admit.

Jo is the daughter of a known paparazzo and he wants her to follow in his footsteps.  Since she is so young and small for her age, she can often slip by security unseen and get some good shots.  When she is offered $50,000 to follow a known teen pop star, Ned Hartnett, into a rehab facility, she takes the chance for the money to further her education.  (With the celebrity name Ned Hartnett, I was constantly thinking of the movie Win a Date with Ted Hamilton!)  What Jo wasn’t expecting was to fall for the guy and let her emotions get in the way of her job.  Then when her time with Ned is almost up, a secret that would get her a mega bonus check is revealed.  Will Jo follow her heart or take the money and run?

I enjoyed the concept and think younger readers would really enjoy this read.  I liked Jo’s sense of humor and all her “rehab” friends.

Quotes:

Surprisingly enough, I sleep okay for someone who’s being paid thousands of dollars per day and is not doing her job. 

Thanks to NetGalley and  Walker Children’s Books/Bloomsbury Children’s Books for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Monthly Wrap Up – March

I did so much better this last month than in February and am back on track (according to goodreads, anyway).  I love how goodreads tells me I’m doing a good job – this time last year, it was goading me because I was so far behind! I never even bothered to post a March TBR list since I didn’t even read any of the books on my February TBR pile.  At least now I have either read or started to read (which is most likely the case) all most of the books I had listed. Man, was I optimistic! Anyhoo, here’s a recap of what I read this month:

Books I Read:

1. Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby – NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012, Debut Authors 2012 Challenge, 272 pp, March 2012, 3/5
2. The Fellowship of the Ring (LOTR #1) by J.R.R. Tolkien and narrated by Rob Inglis – Audio Book Challenge, Mount TBR, unabridged, 19.5 hrs, March 2012, 5/5
3. I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella – NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012, 433 pp, March 2012, 4.5/5
4. The National Parks: America’s Best Idea by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns and narrated by the Authors, unabridged, 6 hrs, March 2012, 5/5
5. River’s Call (Inn at Shining Waters #2) by Melody Carlson – Christian Historical Fiction Challenge, NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012, Glass Roads PR Blog Tour, 315 pp, March 2012, 4/5
6. Before the Scarlet Dawn (Daughters of the Potomac #1) by Rita Gerlach – Christian Historical Fiction Challenge, NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012, 327 pp, 4.5/5
7. Undeniably Yours (Kowalski Family #2) by Shannon Stacey – NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012, 384 pp, March 2012, 3.5/5
8. Love on the Range by Jessica Nelson – NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012, 288 pp, March 2012, 4/5

Books Reviewed:

• The Humming Room by Ellen Potter – NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012, 192 pp, February 2012, 5/5
• I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella – NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012, 433 pp, March 2012, 4.5/5
• Woodrose Mountain (Hope’s Crossing #2) by RaeAnne Thayne – NetGalley Month (Jan), NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012, 384 pp, January 2012, 4.5/5
• River’s Call (Inn at Shining Waters #2) by Melody Carlson – Christian Historical Fiction Challenge, NetGalley Reading Challenge 2012, Glass Roads PR Blog Tour, 315 pp, March 2012, 4/5

Other Posts:

• February’s Monthly Wrap Up
• Teaser Tuesday – 3/13 – I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
• Musing Mondays – 3/19 – Would you choose to review a book if its description sounded interesting but the cover was terrible?
• Teaser Tuesday – 3/27 – The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge
• Wordle Wednesday & WWW – 3/28

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Review: May B.

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

Children’s Historical Verse Novel, Published January 10, 2012

Challenges: YA Historical Fiction, NetGalley Month (Jan), Debut Authors 2012

Read: January 2012, 240 pp.

4.5/5

Book Blurb:

I’ve known it since last night:
It’s been too long to expect them to return.
Something’s happened.

May is helping out on a neighbor’s Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it’s hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May’s memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she’s determined to find her way home again. Caroline Starr Rose’s fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives readers a strong new heroine to love.

Absolutely Gorgeous Trailer (LOVE the music):

Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed May B. and can’t wait to get my hands on a hard copy of this book because one thing with the ARC version is I think you lose the syntax and structure of each verse on the separate pages.  May does not want to leave home to “help out;” she really just wants to go to school so she can become a teacher some day, but she has a hard time at school, especially in reading and hates that everyone talks to her like she’s stupid because she knows she is definitely not.  I thought it very sad that for someone like May who might have struggled in school, it was thought pointless so you might as well get good at house work.  When Pa drops May off at the Oblingers, she soon learns what it means to be truly alone.  She makes all the meals, gets the water, scrubs the pots and stokes the fire, but what is it that Mrs. Oblinger is doing?  Nothing!  She just sits and stares out the window. 

Then the unthinkablehappens and May is left completely alone to fend for herself on the prairie with the arrival of winter.  At first, she is overjoyed to finally be free!  But then the rush of freedom ends and she must prepare for the oncoming snow storms.  I liked that May grew up in this story and learned to depend on her own strengths – remembering all the lessons she learned from her parents and from school.  With hard work and determination, May can battle any storm.  The story is very reminiscent of any Laura Ingalls Wilder tale and my favorite, Caddie Woodlawn.  I know I would have devoured this book in grade school just as much as I did now!

Look for May B. by Caroline Rose Starr – January 10th.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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