From the shelf: My Life Next Door

Title: My Life Next Door
Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance
Date read: January 24-26, 2016
Dawn Rates: ★★★☆ (3.5/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

"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, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

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

My Review: (also in goodreads)

Judging someone by how they want to live their life may be downright rude. And this is what Samantha has to live with. She has a mother who who hates their next door neighbor for no one knows why and a sister who is so free-spirited leaving their mother to be uptight to her and she had to live with that for years. But she had a secret. She used to follow the Garrett family like a movie on the side. Not until a Garrett talked to her, that's when everything changed. I liked the way she stood up for herself and tried to get to know her next door neighbors even behind her mother's back. What really annoyed me the most is Clay....definitely Clay.

Till the next read...

From the shelf: I Was Here

Title: I Was Here
Author: Gayle Forman
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Date read: January 7-8, 2016
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

Cody and Meg were inseparable.

Two peas in a pod.

Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

 

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

 

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

My Review: (also in goodreads)

This would be Gayle Forman's book outside of her duo series which I loved and I think this was a much more emotional story. Cody and Meg were friends for as long as they can remember, more than best friends kind of like sisters. It was then when one day Cody found out that Meg killed herself was when her world and how she sees it changes her forever. This is a story of discoveries and acceptance. Cody who once thought that Meg was her rock, didn't know what to do now she was gone. It was one of those cliche stories in which they both lived in the same small town but they had big dreams on leaving and taking over the world together. If I were in Cody's place, I too will feel betrayed that something was going on with that person which I consider as my sister. Betrayal will be the first emotion that would transcend after being numbed by the news. Sometimes we think we know everything about the closest to us only to realize that there are things unsaid. This is Cody's journey in rediscovering her best friend and even discovering things about herself. What was off at least for me in the beginning is Cody's romance with Ben. It was weird at first but if you look at it in another way, it was like Meg brought them together. A bit morbid but that could only explain everything. The title of this story is apt. Everyone, no matter how small their trace would be, could send ripples to everything around them. 

Till the next read...

From the shelf: The Harder We Fall (Addison Hill #1)

Title: The Harder We Fall (Addison Hill #1)

Author: Mina V. Esguerra

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Date read: October 31, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

She knows it won't last...

Nicholas is unlike anyone Daria has ever dated, and yet he hasn't left her mind since she got her hands on the 23-year-old rugby player when he took a tumble during a game.

But they aren't even really dating; a fast fling is all they have time for. He's heading to Japan to play pro and is only in town to tie loose ends. She's graduating in three weeks, and is only covering his struggling rugby club to win a internship spot in a documentary that'll start filming in Europe.

Getting what they want means they don't get to stay together. But that doesn't mean they can't have fun -- as long as they don't fall hard.

My Review: (also in goodreads)

Looking back: Learning to Fall

This was a gift to me by my best friend who went to Mina Esguerra's book signing. I was ecstatic having this signed book that I read it in one go.Which was very weird because I already read the 3rd and latest book in the series before this first. Now where does the first and third book intersect? Apparently this Daria is Steph's roommate. And Grayson was once co-captain with Nicholas. I loved their chemistry, the tension was there and the witty banter was also there. But if I would compare the Learning to Fall and this, I would definitely choose Learning to Fall. But that doesn't mean I didn't like this...I did.

Till the next read...

From the Shelf: Cinder & Ella

Title: Cinder & Ella

Author: Kelly Oram

Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance
Date read: September 28, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

My Review: (also in goodreads)

It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder. 

… 

Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.

My Review: (also in goodreads)

This is a cliche story about a popular male character and an ordinary female character. Or to be more accurate this is a retelling of one of the popular fairy tales: Cinderella. Only in this sense, life got in the way. Ella was once a popular book blogger (that I can relate) who was recuperating from the tragic thing that happened to her which was the reason why she lost her mother leading her to live with her estranged father and his new family. Of course there would be stepsisters (twin stepsisters that is). The lesser of the two evils, Juliette is my favorite. Anastasia might be bitchy but I kind of get her. My favorite scene is the comic con. I would not elaborate because it might give out that favorite part but I loved it. This may be a simple story but I gave this 4 stars because of its...yep, simplicity and the ability to make me laugh. This is one of those books which I enjoyed reading while riding the long bus ride home. 

Till the next read...

Book Review Request: Learning to Fall (Addison Hill #3)

Title: Learning to Fall (Addison Hill #3)

Author: Mina V. Esguerra

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Date read: October 14, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

“Go out with a stereotypical romance novel hero WHO ISN’T YOUR TYPE.”

Avid reader and art student Steph is participating in a monthly blog challenge to Live Like Fiction, and this was the task for October. When Grayson, former co-captain of her university rugby team, walks into her class, she knows it’s meant to be – she has to go out with this guy. Even if she’s never been attracted to big, hunky, athletic types. With Grayson’s “player” reputation off the field, Steph thinks he’ll be good for one date that’ll be worth blogging about, and that’s it. 

But you know how it goes: Soon, it becomes more than just one date – and Steph and Grayson are caught up in “living like fiction.” How long can they keep playing their roles before reality steps in?

My Review: (also in goodreads)

It's always an honor to receive a book from the author asking you to give an honest review about it. It means they value your review and your ability to review without any pretense. Therefore, I'm going to give this an honest review:

I got this ARC...yay! I enjoyed this book. I am excited to buy my physical copy. I even did a cover reveal of this.

Having a female blogger (book blogger to be exact) as the protagonist hits close to home. Steph is an art student who currently resides out of her hometown to pursue her dream while fixing the setbacks that happened just before she graduates. She is an avid (book) blogger who is currently doing the Live like Fiction book challenge, and for October she is willing to date someone who is not her type. To fulfill that challenge she has to ask Grayson, the typical jock, to be her date. Their then deceit will pile up. I know that the basic frame of this story might be cliche: girl meets boy, gets into a 'pretend' relationship with boy and eventually they get together but what made me like this is because of Steph's ideals. I can definitely relate with Steph...definitely. This is the problem with book worms. They tend to overthink and follow their ideals closely. This is most definitely the problem with FEMALE bookworms, female being the operative word. The more we read, the more we want something perfect. Especially with FEMALE HOPELESS ROMANTIC bookworms (I know some). Ouch. Crazy but true. It takes a lot to get out of the comfort zone. It takes a lot to courage to get past the ideals and just take the leap. This story made me think about things. LOL. But the truth is, what I loved about this, is that I could definitely relate to Steph.

Mina Esguerra is one of my favorite Filipino authors (support local!). Her first book that I read is "My Imaginary Ex" around 2009 or 2010? It was a long time ago. Oh, Zack *still swooning* I definitely recommend that book.

Till the next read...

From the shelf: Conquer the Memories

Title: Conquer the Memories

Author: Sandra Dewar
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Date read: July 25, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★ (3/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

Young Carla Fox had sung her way to stardom--and into the heart of fan Drake Lanning. Then she'd vanished abruptly from the limelight.

Years later, rock star Drake found the elusive Carla, and his boyhood crush turned into powerful adult love. Battling her in an adoption dispute, he saw that she'd become a dedicated social worker. But why was she burying her real talent, denying herself the fulfillment of performing? He vowed to pull her back onstage--and into his arms--yet there were painful memories to conquer before they could make sweet music together. 

My Review: (also in goodreads)

Once again, I read this to pass the time. Plot on the Silhouette romance era is always the same or at least has the same formula. This time, this book is about a past popular singer and a guy who once had a crush on her. The male protagonist is now a popular rockstar and the once popular singer/actress now lives as a social worker escaping the limelight due to painful events that has happened to her. And the story starts there. 

Till the next read...

From the shelf: His Potential Wife

Title: His Potential Wife 

Author: Grace Green
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Date read: July 15, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★ (3/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

A convenient proposal...?

Dr. Scott Galbraith is fed up of women trying to get him up the aisle! He's looking for a new nanny, not a wife, and his ad has one condition - the successful candidate must strictly have no interest in marriage!

Willow is single and attractive but she certainly seems immune to Scott's charms - something which, to his surprise, begins to infuriate him!

And suddenly he's thinking the unthinkable: a marriage proposal....

My Review: (also in goodreads)

I read this book just for nostalgia. I was looking at a favorite bookstore since I was in high school which sells cheap, old books and saw this. The story was simple, and mostly the same old story that revolves around the Harlequin, silhouette romance era. Nevertheless, it was still a good way to pass time.  I was about to give this 2.5 stars but because of nostalgia I gave it a 3.

Till the next read...

From the shelf: The Fine Art of Pretending

Title: The Fine Art of Pretending

Author: Rachel Harris
Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary
Date read: May 21-24, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★ (3/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you're friends with. Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to change her rank, she devises a plan to become the first type by homecoming, and she sets her sights on the perfect date—Justin Carter, Fairfield Academy’s biggest hottie and most notorious player.

With 57 days until the dance, Aly launches Operation Sex Appeal and sheds her tomboy image. The only thing left is for Justin actually to notice her. Enter best friend Brandon Taylor, the school’s second biggest hottie, and now Aly’s pretend boyfriend. With his help, elevating from “funny friend” to “tempting vixen” is only a matter of time.

But when everything goes according to plan, the inevitable “break up” leaves their friendship in shambles, and Aly and Brandon with feelings they can’t explain. And the fake couple discovers pretending can sometimes cost you the one thing you never expected to want.

My Review: (also in goodreads)

I'm still all for stories that involves friendships turning into something more because familiarity is that safe haven that I like. No more getting to know each other, pretending to let someone like you first in the surface. No pretensions, just all you. And this story has that flavor. Although there were times that it was too stereotypical and I got a bit dragged in the middle, it still had me engrossed on the 'will they or won't they drama'.

Till the next read...

From the shelf: The Fill-In Boyfriend

Title: The Fill-in Boyfriend
Author: Kasie West
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Date read: May 18-19, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★ (3/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

 My Review: (also in goodreads)

The story unlike the last two novels was completely different. There wasn't any character connections in between the stories. There were times in between where I hated Gia's character for being clueless and shallow (cue Clueless movie) but I liked how her character developed. Although I was a bit sad about her falling out with her friend Claire (not much about the other ones), I think Bec and Hayden were much more real and better friends for her. There would come a time that one must distance themselves from their past life to reflect and let themselves grow. If the friendship reconnects for the better, then they grew into a better person; but if it is not, it wold be one of those relationships you have to distance from to let yourself fully grow.

Till the next read...

From the shelf: On the Fence

Title: On the Fence
Author: Kasie West
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Date read: May 18, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★ (3/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she's spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.

To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can't solve Charlie's biggest problem: she's falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

 My Review: (also in goodreads)

This was an entertaining read from Kasie West. After reading 'The Distance Between Us', it took me months to try another book from this author and this was a very entertaining read. What amused me is the slight cameo of Caymen and the mention of Xander from the last novel. I loved the fact that she was the only girl in the family and that her brothers were overprotective and at the same time hilarious. Though the plot was cliche(having a boy you've known your whole life suddenly seen more than just a brother), this read was still an entertaining romcom in the making. I especially love the witty banter between Charlie, her brothers and Braden.

Till the next read...

From the shelf: Just One Night

Title: Just One Night
Author: Gayle Forman
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Date read: May 16, 2015
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

After spending one life-changing day in Paris with laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter, sheltered American good girl Allyson “Lulu” Healey discovered her new lover had disappeared without a trace. Just One Day followed Allyson’s quest to reunite with Willem; Just One Year chronicled the pair’s year apart from Willem’s perspective. Now, back together at last, this delectable e-novella reveals the couple’s final chapter.

My Review: (also in goodreads)

Lookback: Just One Day, Just One Year

It was nice going back to re-visit Allyson and Willem's 'one fateful encounter'. This was like the answer to all the questions that has been running through my mind at the end of Just One Year. This is the appropriate ending to their story. The ending for this novella might be unsure about the future, at least they found each other. Everything finally fell into place.

Till the next read...

From the shelf: Looking for Alaska

Title: Looking for Alaska

Author: John Green
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Date read: October 1-26, 2014
Dawn Rates: ★★★☆ (3.5/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.

After. Nothing is ever the same. 

My Review: (also in goodreads)

This book has been a recommendation since I asked readers what to read next after reading "The Fault in Our Stars". Sometimes I have qualms in getting into another book of a previously read author just because of a hype but I did it anyway. Looking for Alaska is a story of growth and maturity found in the adolescent years. One's coping up with friends and love and the ability to open up that much, the ability to show one's feelings and being sensitive of theirs. I had a faint idea on what the story's direction would be because of the title. Till the end, for me, the story is kind of vague. Alaska's reason may be significant to her death but there are still questions unanswered like her sort of feeling for Pudge. Either way, if I look at it again, no one knew what Alaska was thinking while she was driving off to her end.

Till the next read...