Tag Archives: Contemporary

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

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Review: Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

Title: Dreamland
Author: Sarah Dessen
Pages: 250 pages hardcover/paperback, 256 ebook
Rating: ★★★

When I started reading Dreamland, I felt like it was going to be a book I struggled to finish. I just couldn’t get connected to Caitlin and I felt like I was reading from a distance instead of being right there. About halfway through, that changed.

Caitlin has always lived in the shadow of her older sister, Cass. So when Cass leaves one night without warning, Caitlin feels like it is her responsibility to step up and fill in that “perfect child” role. At the same time, she doesn’t want to be Cass. She doesn’t want to have to be perfect. She’s confused and doesn’t know which way to go. Her confusion ends up leading her down the wrong road, sending her life spiraling down a hole she never thought she’d end up in.

In the attempt to step out of her sister’s shadow, she falls into Rogerson’s. The relationship between these two is heartbreaking, horrific, and realistic. Caitlin’s confusion over how she feels about Rogerson is what makes it all worse because I can understand her thinking. Reading about her struggles made my heart ache for her. He met her when she was already down and only brought her lower.

I think the reasons I didn’t find myself completely loving this book are because of that initial disconnect between me and Caitlin, as well as how blind those closest to Caitlin were. Out of everyone that knew and loved her, not one took enough notice of her downward spiral. I understand why it was done that way, but I still wish one of them had shown something more.

Dreamland is a quick read, but a powerful one. It shows that sometimes the weak are actually the strongest and that what we see on the outside my only be an illusion.

If Dreamland sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
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Review: The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

Title: The Rose Garden
Author: Susanna Kearsley
Pages: 441 pages paperback, 428 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

Time travel is a tricky thing. A novel written around it can either be wonderful or completely fail. Thankfully, The Rose Garden falls into the wonderful category.

After losing her sister, Eva heads back to the home where they had spent summers growing up. It is where Eva remembers Katrina being happiest, where she wants to spread her ashes. While there, she is faced with the fact that the house will never be the one she remembers because it is missing her sister. She also learns she has the ability to jump through time.

She goes back to the home in 1715, when the owners were two brothers on the wrong side of the crown. They manage to stay just above the law, but there is always the risk of being caught and falling prey to the constable. The more time Eva spends with Daniel, the older brother, the more she starts to fall for him.

She continues to jump back and forth, helping Mark and Susan set up the home so it can continue to operate in the future, all the while realizing that she doesn’t belong at the house at that time anymore. The more she is in the present, the more her heart wants to go back.

Kearsley paints a beautiful picture with her words. I have never been to Cornwall, and yet I could picture everything clearly in my mind. I could smell the see and feel the ground beneath my feet.

I don’t really know what to say about Daniel and Eva’s romance because it was beyond words. It fell exactly how it should have been. They never knew how much time they would have together and so they made the most of it. Daniel did not expect Eva to conform to his society’s standards when it was just the two of them, and Eva gave Daniel a reason to be happy. It was like reading about two puzzle pieces finally fitting together.

The Rose Garden is a fantastic novel about love and what it means to be happy. It also reminds us that home is not always a place with four walls and a roof, it’s about the feeling you have once you find it.

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

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Review: Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

Title: Epic Fail
Author: LaZebnik
Pages: 295 pages paperback, 309 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

I started Epic Fail because I was in the mood for a light, sweet read that would put a smile on my face and wouldn’t make my heart hurt at all. That is exactly what I got.

The story centers on Elise and her relationship with Derek. Derek is the son of two famous movie stars and despite her desire to not judge him based on that, in trying to do so, she ends up judging him the wrong way from the beginning. They go back and forth in liking each other and not, but it doesn’t get annoying or frustrating. It still holds that sweet feeling of high school romance.

The other reason I enjoyed this book so much was the relationship between Elise’s sister Juliana and Derek’s friend Chase. Those two are the initial reason Elise and Derek begin to hang out and even though they aren’t the main part of the story, I loved reading the little bits of their relationship as well. They have the high school drama as well, but once again, it wasn’t eye-roll worthy. It made the characters a little more real to have something like that happen, but they also didn’t break down like the “typical” teen in a book would do. Juliana brushed herself off and kept on moving forward.

Elise’s family was a little extreme, but they were made that way. Her little sister Layla is a lot to handle and even though she was one of the annoying characters in the book, in a way, her excessive amount of drama even made sense.

Epic Fail is a quick read book, but it is still a sweet look at high school romance in a unique setting. It made me smile and it’s the perfect kind of book for a pick-me-up kind of afternoon.

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

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Review: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Title: Hopeless
Author: Colleen Hoover
Series: Hopeless series
Pages: 486 pages
Rating: ★★★★★

Here’s the thing. There’s a lot about Hopeless I shouldn’t like. Holder was a little too perfect for my tastes, there’s a lot of drama, and the high school is stereotypical. The adults are a little too conveniently absent, there’s a friend you shows up occasionally…basically, a lot of the things that usually turn me completely off a novel are here and yet…I loved it. Hoover wrote everything in such a way that I didn’t care about any of that. I was completely engrossed in the novel and never wanted to put it down.

Let’s start with Holder first. I mean…they guy is practically perfect and usually, that bothers me. I like when they screw up and say stupid things and aren’t perfect. Holder knows the right thing to say, the right thing to do even before Sky knows it’s what she needs. I think in any other book, I would have been rolling my eyes and yet I found myself smiling each time he spoke of did something. I think I was okay with it because it wasn’t because he was perfect, but rather because he pretended to be and that confidence made everything work.

The storyline is filled with turns and even though I had figured most of it out pretty early on, I still wanted to see how everything played out. I wanted to see Sky face everything and see how she came out on the other side. I was rooting for her the entire time and her strength was amazing. She found that being weak doesn’t mean you aren’t strong…it only means you need a break before turning around and facing everything again. She found her strength in her weakness and I love it.

Hopeless is a book that I love more than I should. I love it more than I thought I would. It’s heartbreaking and yet impossibly sweet. Hoover’s novel sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down. Definitely an amazing read.

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

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Review: The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani

Title: The Shoemaker’s Wife
Author: Adriana Trigiani
Pages: 475 pages hardcover, 496 paperback, 494 ebook
Rating: ★★★★★

Wow.

That is the only word that was running through my head as I finished reading The Shoemaker’s Wife. I did not expect to feel as much as I did. This book grabbed me from the very first word and wove its way through my heart.

Ciro and Ezra grew up in villages just a few miles from each other and yet never met. Ciro and his brother are raised by nuns after their father dies in a mine accident in America and their mother is unable to care for them. Ezra grows up on the mountainside, taking on more responsibility than she is asked, growing up faster than the rest of her siblings. Their first meeting is filled with such sweetness in such a sorrowful moment that I couldn’t help but wish for them.

Both end up going to America; Ciro is to become a shoemaker’s apprentice after being banished from the mountain and Ezra is going so she and her father can make more money in order to build their dream home. Ciro and Ezra run into each other in New York, but once again, life has different plans for them.

Throughout the entire novel, my heart was with these two. There were so many chances, so many opportunities for these two to get together, but their timing was just never right. Their paths crossed, but didn’t entwine.

By the end of the novel, tears were running down my face. I simply cannot think of powerful enough words to describe how much this book touched me. Trigiani pulled me right in and I fell in love. Ezra and Ciro had such a perfectly imperfect, sweet, wonderful, powerful, all-consuming love for each other that it was almost as if I could reach into the novel and touch it.

The Shoemaker’s Wife will grab your heart and make you cry with how amazing it is. I truly do not have the words to say how much I love and adore this book.

If The Shoemaker’s Wife sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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Review: Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Title: Stealing Parker
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundren Oaks series
Pages: 462 pages
Rating: ★★★★

Sometimes, companion novels worry me. I spent time falling in love with the characters of one book and introducing me to other characters can rattle me a bit. I was already so in love with one set of characters, why not write more of their story? Why risk writing a new story when people already love the original?

Stealing Parker makes me rethink my view on companion novels. It is a separate entity from Catching Jordan, but it is still just as sweet. Through the entire novel, I just wanted to pull Parker away from the choices she was making and make her see what she was doing. My heart hurt for her and how much hurt she had gone through. Trying to navigate through some tough issues while still being a teen is never easy.

Right from the beginning, it’s easy to see things aren’t going to be easy. Things keep building up; creating a precarious tower that could fall at any second. For each little happy thing that happened, something equally as horrible was added to the pile until it all falls down.

The ending was sweet, but I felt like there was a little bit more story to tell. Parker has a few choices in front of her and I wish I got to read the path she decides to take. The end tied up loose ends, but the ends were still a little bit frayed and there was the possibility to explore just a little bit more.

I really didn’t think I would end up enjoying Kenneally’s books as much as I have. Catching Jordan caught my attention and as soon as I finished it, I knew I was going to be a Kenneally fan. She writes teens exceptionally well and manages to put in some good life tips while doing so. Stealing Parker is another fabulously sweet novel and has me anxiously awaiting Things I Can’t Forget.

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

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Review: Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Title: Nobody But Us
Author: Kristin Halbrook
Pages: 272 pages paperback
Rating: ★★★★

Nobody But Us is not Bonnie and Clyde meets If I Stay. It’s not. If I were to rate it only based on those comparisons, it’d be 1.5 stars. Yes, there’s a bit of a Bonnie and Clyde feel, in that it’s a couple on the run, but Will and Zoe are more than that.

Zoe runs away from home with Will. She’s only 15, he’s 18. Their dream is to just run away from their pasts and their problems, and to start life fresh. They do have a bit of a plan, so they aren’t completely clueless, but they’re living on their dream. Then reality crashes on them and they are each forced to make big decisions about their future together.

Zoe seems a bit mature for her age at times, and then at other times it’s easy to tell she’s only 15. I believe she believes she is in love, even if I’m not sure what she actually feels is love. Will offers her kindness and a way out, when everyone else in the town turns their backs and ignores the truth. I think Zoe falls in love with that, with the white knight, but it can be hard to tell as you read the novel.

Will breaks my heart. He could have been so much more, but he’s given up on a system that gave up on him. He believes he is the only person he can trust and rely on all the time, but he wants to be better for Zoe. He wants to be the kind of guy he thinks she deserves, even if he goes about it the wrong way. Every decision he makes for the two of them breaks my heart just a little bit more.

I can see where people might have issues with the destructiveness of their relationship, and to be fair, it isn’t a healthy relationship, not by a long shot. Will has temper issues and needs to learn how to control his violent urges. Zoe needs to be able to stand up for herself more and not rely on someone else to prove her worth. However, not once did I get the feeling this book was supposed to be a sweet romance.

It was a book about how a destructive relationship destroys. It turns the good into bad and it makes happy endings hard to come by. Maybe that’s just how I viewed the novel. I just felt as though the point wasn’t to write a relationship that has typical teen issues, it was to write a relationship that was self-destructive not only to the relationship as a whole, but to the two individuals.

Nobody But Us was a rough, gritty novel that pulls are your heart and makes you hope, all the while, you know things can’t end well. It’s not like If I Stay meets Bonnie and Clyde, but it is a good book. Definitely worth a read.

If Nobody But Us sounds like your kind of read, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

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

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Review: Hooked by Liz Fichera

Title: Hooked
Author: Liz Fichera
Series: Hooked series
Rating: ★★★★

I was pretty excited to read this book. It had an interesting twist on the usual high school love story and I couldn’t wait to see just how Fichera had the story unfold.

The book opens right away with Fred joining the team. For Fred, this golf team means the opportunity to do what she loves and possibly got a college scholarship. A college scholarship would mean the chance to do something more than waitressing with her life.

At first, Ryan is annoyed that his best friend Seth’s golf team spot is given to Fred, no tryout needed. He doesn’t see it as fair and doesn’t see how she could be good enough to compete with the boys. After their first tournament, his opinion starts to change, even though Seth is still set on making her life miserable. It doesn’t help when Ryan starts to have more than friendly feelings towards her. Not only does Seth see this as a betrayal, but Ryan’s maybe girlfriend, Gwyneth, isn’t too fond of his feelings either. Pretty soon, Seth and Gwyneth start to bully and antagonize Fred in retaliation.

The romance between Ryan and Fred has a slow build. At first, Ryan came barely stand to look at her. After their first tournament, he starts to respect her and that builds into a tentative friendship. From there, a sweet little love starts to grow. It’s a sweet romance and it just makes you smile and feel good.

The one thing I wish was different about this book is Fred’s reaction to the bullying. I wanted her to stand up for herself just a little bit more. She didn’t have to be confrontational, but there were some moments when I wish she would have said or done something more.

Overall, Hooked is a great book and it’s definitely one I’d recommend. The golfing twist keeps it fresh, but the love keeps you happy.

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

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

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Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

Title: Easy
Author: Tammara Webber
Rating: ★★★★

I am definitely glad I didn’t let my lack of enthusiasm for the last book of Webber’s I read get in the way of me reading Easy. It is, obviously, a very different type of book, but Webber does an amazing job of handling a tough situation and she does it in a way that feels incredibly real.

Jacqueline followed her boyfriend to college instead of pursuing her own dreams for after high school. Everything seems fine until partway through her sophomore year, he dumps her. She still goes with her best friend/roommate to a frat party, but when she is attempting to leave, she is sexually assaulted.

This book is about her coming to terms with what happened, finding a way to empower herself to not be afraid, and a little romance.

To me, the most important part of this book was the parts that dealt with the aftermath of the assault. One thing constantly repeated in the book was “it’s not your fault.” It should be a simple concept to understand, but Webber demonstrates perfectly how society tries to make excuses and look at everything else except the truth. It’s unfortunate and needs to stop.

The other part of the book was the romance. It was sweet and unforced. I figured out the twist almost immediately, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment. Lucas is a wonderful, sweet nerd who works his hardest to overcome his past. I wasn’t exactly head over heels for him, but he was still wonderful.

Erin, the best friend, is one of the best written friends I’ve read in a novel. She is supportive and always there for Jacqueline. She even signs up for and attends self-defense classes with Jacqueline. She’s the best friend everyone needs.

Easy deals with an extremely tough topic, but in a sensitive and realistic way. It doesn’t shy away from what needs to be said. There’s even a little love in there to make hearts smile. If you don’t mind the tough subject matter, this is definitely worth a read.

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

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Review: The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski

Title: The Edge of Never
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Series: The Edge of Never series
Rating: ★★★★★

I love books that make me cry because of how good they are. Books that really reach in, grab your heart, and twist it every time they can. The Edge of Never is one of those books.

Camryn is stuck in her life. She had dreams and plans, but things fell apart. Instead of getting away from people’s expectations and traveling the world with her boyfriend, she works at a department store, hasn’t gone to college, and has to be practically forced by her best friend to even try and put herself out there. So when she’s finally reached the end of her rope, she buys a bus ticket to anywhere, just to leave.

It’s on her bus ride across the country where she meets Andrew. He’s using the bus ride to prolong the trip to Wyoming to see his dying father. From the beginning, it’s easy to tell this trip isn’t going to be what either of them thought it would be.

Cam’s depression is something that I can understand. She’s at a point in life where she just wants to feel something. Anger, sadness, happiness…she doesn’t care which, she just wants to feel. Being with Andrew makes her feel again, both the good and the bad things.

I’m glad they didn’t have that “insta-love” because that wouldn’t have felt real. Both Andrew and Cam needed to work through things before they could get to place where a relationship is something that wouldn’t be destructive. The easy-going feeling of their first interactions really sets up the rest of their relationship. For them, laughter is what helps heal their wounds.

For as happy as the novel made me feel, there was always a storm cloud waiting in the background. I was waiting for it to hit because I knew it would be the heart-twisting moment. And boy, did it hit hard.

The Edge of Never is a book that you can’t put down. Your heart will be in your throat the entire time. It makes you think about life, love, and finding a way to live your life for the moment instead of focusing on what has happened in the past or what is coming in the future. It’s definitely one of my favorite books of the year.

If The Edge of Never sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
Amazon
Audible
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound