Category Archives: Contemporary

These are the books that fall into the contemporary novel genre.

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Review: Live Through This by Mindi Scott

Title: Live Through This
Author: Mindi Scott
Rating: ★★★

I don’t mind when all the loose ties aren’t wrapped up at the end of a novel. Not everything can be explained or taken care of. I do need the big loose ends to have some sort of conclusion though. I was enjoying Live Through This right up until the very end.

Coley has what looks to be the perfect life. Her family is a bit loud, and they get on each other’s nerves sometimes, but they look happy. She’s on the dance team and is great at it. She’s got the perfect friends-to-more relationship that people envy.

What people don’t see is how messed up her home life is, how her best friend no longer speaks to her, her dance team is filled with tension, and she has no idea how to try and take control as her life spins out from under her.

Coley and Reece started as friends, and as they start a more romantic relationship, the other strings of her life start to unwind. She doesn’t know how to keep Reece and deal with what’s wrong in her life.

The pace of the novel is quite fast, but it works. Scott starts the novel right away and doesn’t make you guess what’s going to happen. She dealt with an extremely tough subject delicately, but she didn’t gloss over things. She laid it all out there and that’s why the ending felt off to me.

I don’t want to give any spoilers, but the ending felt too abrupt and left a few too many things in the air for my taste. I don’t mind using my own imagination to come up with how the story continues, but there was too much left unanswered for me with this ending. Just a little bit more, covering the conversation she was about to have, would have felt like a better fitting ending.

Live Through This is a mature novel that handles the topic of sexual abuse as best as a book can. I didn’t feel as connected with the characters as I would have liked, and the ending didn’t feel like quite enough, but it is still a good book.

If Live Through This sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker

Title: One Tiny Lie
Author: K.A. Tucker
Series: Ten Tiny Breaths series
Rating: ★★★★★

I read One Tiny Lie while in the hospital and hooked up to a heart monitor. Normally, reading in the hospital is one of the most peaceful, uninterrupted times I get to read. However, when the five electrodes monitoring my heart’s activity send constant updates to my nurse as I read (making her come check on me frequently), my time is not so uninterrupted. Each time my nurse stuck her head in the room and asked for the reason my heart was racing, I shyly held up my book and just said “good part.”

One Tiny Lie is not an extremely long book. So it says something that my nurse was making near constant stops by. The entirety of this book was so good, it literally had my heart acting up.

Livie is the normal one of the two Cleary sisters. She hasn’t had a mental breakdown, she’s done well in school, and she’s stayed focused on her dreams and ambitions. She’s starting at Princeton, looking ahead to being pre-med and saving children. Everything she does is to live up to the promise she made to her father. “Make me proud.” She’s never deviated from the path she knows he’d be proud of.

Once she’s in college, though, she starts actually living life. She has fun with her roommate, goes to parties, and starts getting interested in boys. There’s Conner, the guy she know her dad would be proud of. And then there’s Ashton, they guy who frustrates her and pushes her buttons a little too much.

Not only are their guy troubles, but college isn’t what she expected. She’s not acing every test. Volunteering at the children’s hospital has her unsure if she could really be a pediatric oncologist. And she’s no longer sure if she’s still keeping her promise to her father.

Something that I really connected with was Livie struggling with college. The first time I tried college, I fell apart. Not for the same reasons as Livie, but I started questioning myself and my life path. I had been so sure for years of what I wanted to do, but circumstances had me questioning that. In my desire to not let my parents down, I tried as hard as I could to make it work. I understood Livie as her future started to fall apart in front of her. I know the feelings she was having. I know how much it hurts to feel as though you are failing to live up to the promises you make your parents.

Ten Tiny Breaths moved me because of how much Kacey had to go through in order to find herself. She didn’t have a starting point and had to build herself up. One Tiny Lie had an even bigger impact on me because it wasn’t only about finding who you are. It’s about coming to realize that what you think you are doesn’t have to be the truth, but not knowing where to go. That confusion in losing yourself after years of thinking you know what you’re doing is such an important thing to talk about. Just because you don’t live up to the original idea doesn’t mean you aren’t living up to yourself.

One Tiny Lie is a fantastic book that is a definite must read.

If One Tiny Lie sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Crush by Nicole Williams

Title: Crush
Author: Nicole Williams
Series: Crash series
Rating: ★★

Crush is definitely a more adult book than the previous two and my review reflects that. For that reason, I have not included my review on the front page. Please click below to read my review.

Continue reading →

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Review: Clash by Nicole Williams

Title: Clash
Author: Nicole Williams
Series: Crash series
Rating: ★★★

I enjoyed Crash more than I thought I would, so I decided to give the rest of the series a try. Crash had its flaws, but it was still enjoyable and I had hopes that things would improve as the series went on.

Clash was about as enjoyable as Crash, and it still had its flaws, but it wasn’t bad. Lucy and Jude were still a little too volatile for my tastes, but they didn’t cross any of my boundaries when it comes to relationships.

Lucy and Jude are in college and testing out the long distance relationship. They spend as much time together as they can, but doubts are always there. Jude is the big man on campus and while Lucy says she trusts him, there are moments when it’s clear she doesn’t. Even if she says it’s only the people around him she doesn’t trust, she still doubts him and what he says.

Jude just wants to make Lucy happy and play football. He’s been given a second chance at a life he never thought he’d have and he’s trying to make the most of it.

The drama of the novel is the one part I found myself enjoying less. As often as I tried to remind myself that the characters where still teens, just figuring life out, I still found myself bogged down with their drama at times. I understand that some of it is necessary in order to move the story forward, but some of it felt like it was thrown in there just for something to fill the pages. Instead of having the characters talk and work issues out, drama ensues for a little while before they have that talk.

I read this book while on vacation and I think this is what the series is for. It makes for a nice summer read, while you are lounging on the deck of a cruise ship and sipping a tasty drink. It’s not really a light read, but it’s definitely not a deep one. If you’re looking for a book to just sit back and read, this would be a good choice.

If Clash sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Title: Dirty Little Secret
Author: Jennifer Echols
Rating: ★★★★★

Yet another amazing Jennifer Echols book.

I know when I pick up a book by Echols; I’m going to love it. I know I’m going to get the heart swoons, the stomach fluttering, and the little smile on my face. I also know I’m going to get a great story to go along with it. Dirty Little Secret is no different.

Bailey and her sister Julie used to go out and play the music scene together. Then Julie got a record deal and Bailey was left behind. Not only were her dreams pushed to the back burner, her family wanted to keep her a secret. That is the part of the situation that hurt Bailey most. Not that her sister found success, but that Bailey had to be sacrificed for her to get it.

Sam has a band and will do anything to make it big. That is his one focus. When Bailey entered his life, he didn’t expect his focus to change. He didn’t think making it big would cost him something he hadn’t had in a while.

The romance between these two is delicious. There’s attraction and there’s annoyance. There’s lust and there’s more annoyance. The push and pull never seems childish, but more like actual adults having misunderstandings and miscommunications and being forced to work through them if they want to be together.

Ace and Charlotte could be their own story. There is so much I want to know about those two. They may be secondary characters, but they gave the novel something special.

Dirty Little Secret is yet another fantastic Echols novel with country flair. If you’re looking for a romance that will leave you smiling and get music stuck in your head, this is the book for you.

If Dirty Little Secret sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to Jennifer Echols for sending me an advanced copy of the novel.

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Review: Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend by Louise Rozett

Title: Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend
Author: Louise Rozett
Series: Confessions series
Rating: ★★★★★

I don’t talk about this often, because I don’t feel it is important enough to mention in reviews. However, Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend deals with this topic a lot. Depression.

I fight a daily battle with depression. I’m better now than I was two years ago, but it’s still a daily fight. Some days are good and some are bad. On those bad days, it’s hard to be able to express myself well. I have thoughts, but I can’t get them to come out the way I need them to.

Why did I feel like it was important to talk about this in my review of Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend? Because Rose is dealing with her own depression in this novel, and Rozett did such a perfect job of writing it, that it almost felt like I was reading a story about me.

Yes, Rozett wrote another great story about Rose dealing with high school, friends who seemingly have their lives together, a mother that doesn’t understand her, and a brother that doesn’t try and talk to her. On top of all that, Jamie keeps giving her mixed signals and it’s no surprise Rose isn’t quite sure if her head is screwed on straight. All of that isn’t why I loved this book so much, though.

Rose is not depressed in the “I hate life” way. She’s depressed in the “Why don’t I like anything” way. The difference between the two is one is easily identified as depression, while the other can be tricky. I’ve worked through both, and for me, not being able to understand why I don’t like anything is worse than hating everything. At least hate is an emotion.

Rozett managed to do something I haven’t found in other books. She made everything feel real. Rose’s inability to put into words how she feels or what she needs and wants is basically how I spent two years of my life. I have never read an author write depression so perfectly. This book gave me feelings; they weren’t great feelings, but they definitely weren’t bad feelings. Instead I felt all the struggle and difficulty come back full force, allowing me to connect with Rose in a much powerful way.

I am sure this book isn’t for everyone. It has its flaws, but it handles such a tricky subject perfectly. Rozett doesn’t try and make Rose feel worse than she needs to, or happier than she needs to. She makes her confused and frustrated, but she also gives her moments of breakthrough. For that reason alone, for how well Rozett wrote the depression struggle, this is a must read book for me.

If Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to HarlequinTeen and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Burning by Elana K. Arnold

Title: Burning
Author: Elana K. Arnold
Rating: ★★★★★

Burning is not what I thought it would be. And that’s a good thing.

The idea of a forbidden romance is one of my favorite things to read. Something about having to overcome obstacles in order to be together makes me heart sing. Some of Burning is like that. Some of it is not. And the parts that don’t have to do with forbidden love are the ones that made this book for me.

Lala is a gypsy, in town in order to make money off the tourists in town for the Burning Man celebration. She plays up the idealized gypsy, telling fortunes and reading people in order to make money for her family. She’s engaged to a man her parents chose years ago and feels as though her life is not really her own.

Ben is getting ready to leave his family and his friends to go to college, leaving at the same time as the town he has called home for his entire life is being closed up and shut down. His father doesn’t have a job, his mother might not be able to support the family with hers, and his brother is talked about behind his back. Ben has the golden ticket–a full ride scholarship based on his running ability and his intelligence. Despite working hard for everything he has in life, he still doesn’t feel quite worthy enough, since it means leaving his family and friends behind.

When Ben’s friends force him to visit the gypsy camp in order to have his fortune read, the meeting of Lala and Ben has far-reaching consequences neither of them saw coming.

At first, I was worried this was going to be one of those insta-love novels, where the two characters fall in love after a day and decide to spend their life together. In a way, it is. But even more than that, it is about two people deciding to do what feels right and make the choices they want to. They have to deal with consequences of their choices and think about the future in a way they hadn’t before. For Lala, it’s about breaking free. For Ben, it’s about coming to terms with the cards he’s been dealt.

Arnold does an amazing job of writing these two people. I could feel their emotions and even though I wasn’t always a fan of their choices, I understood them, and that’s what is more important to me. These were two people, and even though we only got a little glimpse into their lives, so much was said about who these people are and the uncertainty of the future. Nothing is set in stone; action can change the future just as much as inaction.

Burning was a fantastic novel that was nothing like I expected. There’s romance, yes, but this book is about so much more than that. I applaud Arnold for writing this book the way she did. It’s an interesting read that can definitely spark new thoughts for anyone who reads it.

If Burning sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Thank you to Random House Children’s Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Title: The Sea of Tranquility
Author: Katja Millay
Rating: ★★★★★

Sometimes a book comes up and smacks you in the face with how amazing it is. You think you’re ready when you read it, and that the heartbreak you know is coming won’t sneak up on you. Then you’re reading the book and before you realize what it happening, you heart is in a million pieces, those pieces have lodged themselves in your throat, and you can’t breathe because of how perfect the words you are reading are.

The Sea of Tranquility is one of those books. I was wholly unprepared for what this book did to me. I knew it wasn’t going to be lighthearted, yet parts of it were. I knew there would be a bit of love, but I didn’t understand just how perfect that love would be. I knew my heart would break, but I didn’t realize how many pieces a heart could break into until I read this book.

Nastya is trying to find her way in a new life. Everything she has ever known was taken away from her in a few short moments and she’s left to rebuild some form of life. As much as she wants to find a way to live, things are holding her back. She can’t seem to find a way to move forward without things dragging her back to a world she doesn’t know how to live in anymore.

Josh loses the people he loves until it’s just him. He shuts people out, not wanting to risk losing anyone else. If he doesn’t give himself anyone to love, he won’t have to lose anyone else. He has people in his life, but he keeps them safely locked away from any real emotional connection to keep them safe.

When these two people started an unlikely relationship, I knew the hurt was going to come. They share some secrets, but keep others. What started as a relationship of toleration slowly becomes friendship which leads to romance. These two people don’t jump right into their feelings; both know that feeling can be dangerous.

Nastya and Josh are looking for the second chances. They’re looking for a way to forge ahead in life, even though their pasts haven’t been kind. They want the chance to love and be okay. Every page is laced with that need. Even more than they want each other, they need that second chance. Millay did an amazing job in keeping the story authentic, giving just the right about of hurt coupled with a pinch of hope.

I really don’t have the words to express how much this novel moved me. Nastya and Josh were broken, and they aren’t magically fixed in this book. To expect perfection after everything that happened would have made this book felt wrong. Even though everything wasn’t wrapped up in a perfect little bow, the last words of the novel were exactly what they needed to be. I will never look at pennies, garages, or woodwork the same again.

The Sea of Tranquility is a perfect book. Read it. There’s nothing else I can say.

You want to buy this novel and read it. I know you do. So click here:
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Audible
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Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Title: Dare You To
Author: Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits series
Pages: 462 pages hardcover, 480 ebook
Rating: ★★★★★

I love to sleep. From the moment I wake up in the morning, I look forward to crawling back in bed that night, curling up in a ball, pulling the covers around me, and going to sleep. So when a book makes me want to avoid sleeping, makes me drink caffeine just so I can stay awake to finish it, I know that is an amazing book.

Dare You To is one of those books.

I hadn’t expected to love Pushing the Limits as much as I did, so when I started Dare You To, I was ready. I knew that if this book was anything like the first, I’d be in for quite a ride.

Beth takes care of her mother at all costs; risking herself in order to make sure her mom is somewhat safe. When things go horribly wrong and she ends up being forced to live with her uncle, all she wants is a way out.

Ryan is the town’s golden boy who can do no wrong. To everyone else, his life is perfect…he has the perfect parents, the perfect home, the perfect life. He can’t share the imperfections with anyone.

When Ryan is dared to get Beth to go on a date with him, he looks at her as a challenge. Beth doesn’t feel worthy of Ryan’s perfection and his attention, so she turns him down at every chance. When they start to fall for each other, secrets come out, trust is put to the test, and their relationship faces difficulties at every turn.

I think what I enjoyed most about Dare You To is how real the characters felt. It was easy to imagine these two people growing up in my city, going to my high school. They are both rough around the edges, but are constantly trying to make themselves better. They aren’t the amazing teens that sometimes fall into young adult novels…they make mistakes and don’t always think things through.

Pushing the Limits surprised me with how much I loved it. Even going into Dare You To with high expectations, I was still blown away. McGarry has an amazing way of writing and I’ll be anxiously awaiting the day I get to read what comes next.

If Dare You To sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
IndieBound

Thank you to HarlequinTeen and NetGalley for providing an advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Belonging by Karen Ann Hopkins

Title: Belonging
Author: Karen Ann Hopkins
Series: Temptation series
Pages: 408 pages paperback, 416 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

I had some problems with Temptation. I felt like the relationship was very one-sided and that Rose was giving more to the relationship than Noah was. After all, Rose was the one giving up everything in order to be with the person she loves. I still wanted to give Belonging a fair shot, though, because there was potential there. Hopkins could make something fantastic out of this series.

Temptation was all about the sweetness of falling in love for the first time. It was about the putter-pats your heart makes the first time you love someone and that all-consuming feeling that comes with being with them. Belonging was about was comes after that, about finding yourself, and discovering what you are willing to sacrifice.

Rose thought becoming Amish would be easy. She needed to do it in order to be with Noah and that was all that mattered. Her father might not be in agreement, but she was going to prove him wrong. She adapted to her new life, even though Noah has started acting like the Amish boy he is instead of like the boy she first met. After a while, doubts start to creep in and make her think about the choices she is making. They aren’t just temporary; she is giving up nearly everything from her former life in order to be with Noah. She has to find a balance between sacrifices she can make, and ones that would crush her.

Belonging dealt with my issues with Temptation. Rose starts to feel crushed under the weight of the new rules in her life. People point out how one-sided her sacrifices are. Sure, she gets to be with Noah if she becomes Amish, but in order to do that, is she just giving up modern advances, or is she giving up herself? All of that is addressed and Rose starts to think beyond the feeling of first love.

There is a cliffhanger of an ending, so if you don’t really like those, I’d wait to read until the next book is out. I could see the twist coming and yet it still made me catch my breath. Belonging moves beyond the fluttering feeling of first love and starts taking a look at how life can be altered by that love. It was a good read and has me invested in Rose and Noah’s story.

If Belonging sounds like your kind of book, you find find it here:
Amazon

Thank you to HarlequinTeen and NetGalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.