Tag Archives: New Adult

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Review: Crash by Nicole Williams

Title: Crash
Author: Nicole Williams
Series: Crash series
Pages: 484 pages paperpack, 323 ebook
Rating: ★★★

I didn’t expect to enjoy Crash as much as I did. It was an easy quick read that did have a few issues, but it wasn’t horrible.

Lucy’s life changed drastically five years ago and her family still hasn’t recovered. Her father shuts out reality to cope, her mother freezes the rest of the world to cope, and Lucy tries to save things that don’t have much hope of being saved.

I think that reason is why Jude’s anger issues didn’t bother me as much as they usually would. Normally, if I read about a guy as angry and violent as Jude, I am immediately turned off. I wouldn’t put up with it in my own life and I don’t want to read about some girl putting up with it because the guy’s hotness cancels out his issues. But in Crash, Lucy knows he has issues. She doesn’t put up with it much and makes Jude start to change. Yes, he still has anger issues at the end of the book. But he isn’t the boy who needs saving anymore.

Don’t get me wrong, the violence still bothered me. If I met someone like that in my own life, I’d probably walk away. But in Crash I think it works a little better because Lucy knows and acknowledges Jude’s issues. Lucy’s main problem is feeling the need to fix everything, leading her to stick with Jude longer than she should have. In the end, though, they both grow from where they began in the story and I did like that.

As for the rest of the story, some things are a little far-fetched, but I can forgive because they don’t really add or take away anything from the novel. They could have been removed and the novel still would have read basically the same.

Crash wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. It has its issues, yes, but it also has its silver linings. I’ll probably read the next books eventually, since I’d like to know how Jude and Lucy’s story continues, but for now, it was a decent read that I enjoyed.

If Crash sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Review: Ten Tiny Breaths by K. A. Tucker

Title: Ten Tiny Breaths
Author: K. A. Tucker
Series: Ten Tiny Breaths series
Pages: 304 paperback, 262 ebook
Rating: ★★★★

I had this book figured out before I even started it. I knew what the twist would be; I knew how it would end. It was the little pieces; the little bits that I couldn’t quite figure out, that made me enjoy this novel.

Kacey’s life hasn’t been the same since she lost her parents, best friend, and boyfriend in a crash caused by a drunk driver. She still has her sister to live for, but to Kacey, her life feels shattered so much she doesn’t think it can ever be put together again. She runs off to Miami with her sister to start fresh. It’s a place no one knows them and no one knows her story.

Their next door neighbor is Trent. He’s practically perfect, except he’s not. He and Kacey begin a relationship and he manages to break down the defense walls Kacey has built up. He’s completely swoon-worthy and says the right things at the right times.

My favorite character, though, was Storm. She and her daughter are the real reason Kacey begins to change. They are the first to break down a piece of her wall and from there on pieces continually fall. She’s a contradiction, but one of the best characters I’ve read. This novel wouldn’t be the same without her.

I can’t really say what I wish was different about the novel without giving a major spoiler, but it did take me a little bit out of the novel. Things were forgiven just a little too easily and I wish there had been more time devoted to working through that problem.

Ten Tiny Breaths is about learning from tragedy and finding a way to move on with life. It’s about forgiveness and living for yourself. Second chances and love; it’s all important. Ten tiny breaths is a way to slow the world down and give you the perspective you need to tackle life’s problems, and Ten Tiny Breaths is just that. There are tough times, but it’s like taking those ten tiny breaths and finding yourself thinking clearer and feeling better.

If Ten Tiny Breaths sounds like your kind of book, you can purchase it here:
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Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

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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: 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:
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Audible
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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
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IndieBound