Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Release Date: July 8, 2014
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 310
Series: n/a
Review Source: eARC for review from publisher through Raincoast Books

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.

Maybe that was always besides the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

My Thoughts:
Landline is a gorgeous, funny, and lovely read: exactly what you would expect from a Rainbow Rowell novel. It’s a very emotional novel, one that’s sad and bittersweet in a lot of moments, but mostly it just makes you feel everything. Rainbow’s words wrap me up in knots and they never let me go until the end. Even then there's this connection, these feelings for the people you've spent time reading about.

In Landline, Georgie, our main character, is lost. She’s lost in her marriage, but also a little bit in life. This is a book about priorities, about how we spend our time. It’s about marriage and love and how to reconcile the two. It’s about combining two lives, about staying in love and staying together, even when it might be easier to give up. Landline focuses on all aspects of love and romance, from the little things to the grand gestures, to just plain having to put in the effort. It’s so easy in novels to paint one person as the villain who needs to change, but Rainbow’s writing is more nuanced than that. She writes about people and situations that feel real, which means that both Georgie and Neal are flawed. They both make bad decisions and they both let things go, not having real conversations about their issues.

Also as usual in a Rainbow Rowell novel, Landline features great side characters. There’s Georgie's sister Heather, as well as Georgie and Heather’s flamboyant dog loving mom. Neal and Georgie's daughters steal several scenes, and I especially loved Noomi who meowed like a cat. The plotline of the book is interesting as well, something that could be considered magical realism, considering present-day Georgie spends a lot of the time on a magical telephone talking to Neal in the past.

Basically, Landline is such a lovely, happy, and sweet book, despite all the gut wrenching scenes it took to get there. I can’t say much more than: basically? this book is perfection.

The Cover:
Like! Though I like the UK cover even more.

Rating:
[5/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

Boomerang by Noelle August

Boomerang by Noelle August (pen name for Veronica Rossi and Lorin Oberweger)
Release Date: July 8, 2014
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 304
Series: Boomerang #1
Review Source: Edelweiss

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

The first book in a sensational New Adult trilogy from Noelle August.

Welcome to Boomerang.com, the dating site for the millennial gen with its no-fuss, no-commitments matchups, and where work is steamier than any random hook-up

Mia Galliano is an aspiring filmmaker. Ethan Vance has just played his last game as a collegiate soccer star. They’re sharp, hungry for success, and they share a secret.

Last night, Ethan and Mia met at a bar, and, well . . . one thing led to another, which led to them waking up the next morning—together. Things turned awkward in a hurry when they found themselves sharing a post hookup taxi . . . to the same place: Boomerang headquarters.

What began as a powerful connection between them is treated to a cold shower courtesy of two major complications. First, Boomerang has a strict policy against co-worker dating. And second, they’re now competitors for only one job at the end of summer.

As their internships come to an end, will they manage to keep their eyes on the future and their hands off each other, or will the pull of attraction put them right back where they started?

My Thoughts:
This book is so. incredibly. cute, and it made me very happy. If you’re looking for a romance that is relatively light and will make you smile, I absolutely recommend Boomerang.

This book features characters that are fully fleshed out, including the secondary characters. From the main characters’ co-workers to their friends and roommates, to their families: all of them were great. There’s quite a large supporting cast, but I found everyone so easy to keep track of because of how interesting and unique they were.

As for our main characters, Mia and Ethan had awesome chemistry. The forbidden nature of their relationship (because of their office’s no dating policy) helped keep their attraction at a drawn out sizzle, but either way it was clear that these two were fabulous together. I loved Mia's ambition and passion for film and creativity, and I adored Ethan's kindness and his love for coaching kid’s soccer. The joy he got out of motivating and helping people was adorable, and really spoke to his character.

Boomerang is an awesome New Adult read. It’s definitely romance focused, but it’s also so much about that important “what’s next?” question, about the characters figuring out their next step. I loved the swoony romantic tension and the fact that, while it features a couple of angsty moments, it mainly has a happy and sweet feel to it. New Adult fans, definitely pick this one up!

The Cover:
I don't feel like it represents the book very well at all, but purely based on looks I love the cover.

Rating:
[4.5/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

London Falling by Chanel Cleeton (+ Giveaway)

London Falling by Chanel Cleeton
Release Date: July 7, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Pages: 282
Series: International School #2
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

We weren't a relationship, we were a ticking time bomb...

Maggie Carpenter walked away from the hottest encounter of her life when she left the seductive glitz of England for summer break in her South Carolina hometown. Now that she’s returned to the International School in London—and sexy, privileged Samir Khouri is once again close enough to touch—she can’t help but remember the attraction, the drama … the heartbreak.

She can’t help but want him even more.

Samir can’t afford to fall for someone so far removed from his world, not when his time in London is running out. It's his senior year—his last chance at freedom before he returns home to Lebanon. There, he’ll be expected to follow in his father’s footsteps—not follow his heart to Maggie. But when a scorching secret hookup becomes a temptation neither can resist, they’ll both have to fight to survive the consequences … and find a future together.

Don’t miss this explosive sequel to I See London, and the riveting conclusion to Maggie and Samir’s story. This is a New Adult romance recommended for readers 17 and up.

My Thoughts:
Samir + Maggie = OTP. Seriously. I've been dying for this book since I read the first one, and in spite of that fact London Falling completely lived up to my expectations. After the first book you kind of expect a swoony but completely angsty and painful read, and that’s exactly what you get here. In a masochistic way I liked that it wasn't easy for these two. Even when it was painful (and oh gosh it was PAINFUL), it was real. I mean, there are completely serious and realistic reasons why Samir and Maggie shouldn’t be able to make it work long term, so it made sense that things wouldn’t be easy.

Beyond the romance, which is obviously the focus of the book, I liked the character journeys that Samir and Maggie go through. It took longer than I'd like for them to stop being so dense, but again, I appreciated it at the same time, because it felt true to character. To put it simply, I loved this book. London Falling is a steamy, sweet, and emotional New Adult romance that I recommend to all fans of the category.

The Cover:
Generally like.

Rating:
[4/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Harlequin

Check out the author online:
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

GIVEAWAY:

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Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally + Giveaway

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally
Release Date: July 15, 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 306
Series: Hundred Oaks #5
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

My Thoughts:
Miranda’s books always fill me with so much emotion. I’m kind of over the saying “all the feels”, but that really is what Miranda’s books do to me. Her books have such a conversational tone to them, and I always find it so easy to connect with the main character. Annie is no exception to this, and I was quickly swept away in her story. I found it believable and relatable, and I quickly devoured this book.

There are many books which have characters who start to run, or already do so, as a “way to clear their head”, almost so much that it’s become a trope. Thankfully Annie’s story is completely different, and the way running is presented makes it central to the story instead of a throwaway fact. Annie is training to run a marathon in her boyfriend’s honour, as he was training to complete one before he died. I loved how Annie doesn’t start off as a runner, or sporty in any way. It’s simply her passion and determination to do this for Kyle that gets her through the rigorous training. I loved how it presented running as something that’s difficult, but that can be done by anyone willing to put in the effort.

As in all of Miranda’s books, the romance in Breath, Annie, Breathe is a great one. Jeremiah and Annie start off in a whirlwind because of their chemistry (really, there's a scene that kind of comes out of nowhere), but I was glad to see things slow down. Their relationship becomes a friendship and a slow burn of something more while Annie figures things out. There were many beautiful scenes of Annie going through the grieving process over Kyle, and I found it very realistic that she wondered whether she would be willing to open up in that way again. She didn't want to risk getting hurt and losing the person she loves again, especially since Jeremiah is a thrill seeker and adrenaline addict. Jere was such a lovely character, being patient with Annie and believing that waiting is worth it. I like that he was flawed and irritatingly clueless in some circumstances, yet he's a good guy, a sweet guy. He's still growing up, and seeing Annie become a big part of this was very sweet. I liked the two of them together, and I especially loved seeing Jere's family see them together. One of Miranda's past main characters, Matt, is Jeremiah's older brother, and his going from warning Annie about Jere to liking the two of them together is a sweet process.

I always inhale Miranda’s books. They’re smart and interesting and swoony. Miranda brings something to contemporary YA that I don't see in a lot of other books. Her books are about so many things, but they always involve some issue of class and what it's like to work hard for what you have. This is just one aspect of the book, but it's hugely important, and it's something that I find missing in most books. I love that Miranda's books are so down to earth and truthful about about romance, about what it’s like in high school and looking toward the future. I highly recommend Breathe, Annie, Breathe and all of Miranda's books to fans of contemporary YA.

The Cover:
I like it, although I wish it fit with the other covers in the companion series.

Rating:
[5/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

About Miranda:
Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Where to find Miranda:
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

GIVEAWAY:

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Be sure to check out the full TOUR SCHEDULE for more reviews.

Her Dark Places by Kelly Killarney

Her Dark Places by Kelly Killarney
Release Date: June 3, 2014
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 175
Series: The Sutton Files #1
Review Source: eBook from author for review

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
‘Veronica Mars’ meets ‘Felicity’ in this sexy, snarky, New Adult Romantic Suspense novel.

Jasmine “Jazz” Holloway gets more than she bargained for when she heads to Sutton College for her freshman year. A long-distance relationship with her high-school boyfriend is tough to maintain. Especially when Brennan, the cute boy down the hall, keeps flirting. And after someone starts threatening her roommate, Jazz enlists the help of Sean, a smokin’ hot upperclassman who runs a P.I. agency out of a darkened corner of the library.

Jazz has to fight her attraction to both guys as she works to uncover the stalker. But as the stakes rise and tension heightens, the hardest part for Jazz will be keeping her own secret...what she’s really doing at Sutton College. And that’s something no one can know.

My Thoughts:
Her Dark Places was pitched to me as Veronica Mars meets Felicity, which is basically my dream book. I have to say that it really lived up to this for the most part, so A+ to the author for making accurate comparisons. The book features a Veronica Mars-esque snarky heroine who champions her friends and can lash out and act rashly when hurt. The Felicity aspect comes in with Jazz starting her first year at college, settling in and forming new relationships, with Audrey, her roommate, and with Sean and Brennan, two very opposite guys.

Since this is a book set at college I wouldn’t have minded some more scenes about actual class work, but this doesn’t really detract from the book in any way. I enjoyed Her Dark Places quite a bit. It’s a quick read with a satisfying ending. There’s an overarching mystery that will continue with the series, and an episodic mystery that's completed within this book. Her Dark Places is exactly the type of series book that I enjoy. There’s some conclusion, but also enough questions and unresolved issues to keep you coming back.

I recommend Her Dark Places to fans of New Adult, especially to those looking for contemporary New Adult stories that are a bit different from the norm. This book puts the mystery at the forefront, which is a nice change of pace for the category. If you're looking for romance, though, you won't be disappointed. There's not what I would call a love triangle at all, but there are two guys who Jazz interacts with a lot, both of whom I really enjoyed reading about. Overall: a good story + interesting characters = a winning read.

The Cover:
I like it, though I must say when I first saw it I thought "paranormal" because of the blur and the wispy hair.

Rating:
[4/5]

Purchase Links:
Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble

Cover Reveal: Crossing the Ice by Jennifer Comeaux

Today I have the pleasure of revealing the cover for Jennifer Comeaux's New Adult novel, Crossing the Ice. The cover was designed by Sarah Schneider, and the models on the cover are a real Boston-based pair skating team, Alexandria Shaughnessy and Jimmy Morgan.

Here's a little bit about Crossing the Ice, which will be released in August 2014:

Falling hard never felt so good.

Pair skaters Courtney and Mark have one shot left at their Olympic dream. They vow not to let anything get in their way, especially not Josh and Stephanie, the wealthy and talented brother and sister team.

The heart doesn’t always listen to reason, though...

The more time Courtney spends with sweet, shy Josh, the harder she falls for him. But they are on opposite sides of the competition, and their futures are headed in opposite directions. Will their friendship blossom into more or are their paths too different to cross?

And here's the cover:

What do you think?? I think it's very cute, and it definitely fits the theme/subject matter of the book well.

I also have an EXCERPT for you to enjoy:

I turned to Josh with my arms folded and my head cocked to the side. “So, you’re an athlete, a dancer and a musician? If you tell me you’re a skilled artist, I’m gonna have to hate you.”

He laughed. “I can barely draw a stick figure.”

“Whew.” I swiped my hand across my forehead.

“Even if I was the next Picasso, though, I wouldn’t have told you.” He paused and held my gaze. “I don’t like the idea of you hating me.”

My stomach fluttered. Josh didn’t often make extended eye contact, but whenever he locked those sinfully blue eyes on mine, I became a mesmerized puddle of swoon.

Umm, so sweet! I'm very much looking forward to reading this book.

About Jennifer:
Jennifer Comeaux is a tax accountant by day, writer by night. There aren’t any ice rinks near her home in south Louisiana, but she’s a diehard figure skating fan and loves to write stories of romance set in the world of competitive skating. One of her favorite pastimes is traveling to competitions, where she can experience all the glitz and drama that inspire her writing.

Where to find Jennifer:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook

GIVEAWAY:

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Harder by Robin York (Tour Review + Giveaway)

Harder by Robin York
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Bantam
Pages: 352
Series: Caroline & West #2
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

In Robin York’s provocative new novel, two young ex-lovers find themselves together again in the shadow of tragedy—and an intense, undeniable attraction.

Caroline still dreams about West. His warm skin, his taut muscles, his hand sliding down her stomach. Then she wakes up and she’s back to reality: West is gone. And before he left, he broke her heart.

Then, out of the blue, West calls in crisis. A tragedy has hit his family—a family that’s already a fractured mess. Caroline knows what she has to do. Without discussion, without stopping to think, she’s on a plane, flying to his side to support him in any way he needs.

They’re together again, but things are totally different. West looks edgy, angry at the world. Caroline doesn’t fit in. She should be back in Iowa, finalizing her civil suit against the ex-boyfriend who posted their explicit pictures on a revenge porn website. But here she is. Deeply into West, wrapped up in him, in love with him. Still.

They fought the odds once. Losing each other was hard. But finding their way back to each other couldn’t be harder.

My Thoughts:
I liked Robin York’s New Adult debut, Deeper, and I very much enjoyed this second installment as well. That being said, the beginning of this book (perhaps the first third or more?) is brutal to read. It’s really dark and twisty and hard to take. Seriously, Robin York: rip my heart out, why don't you?! To put it bluntly, the book starts with some serious shit going on. It was difficult to read about how much West hates himself and how determined he was to push Caroline away. What he’s been through is A LOT (like, capital letters necessary for emphasis A LOT), but there’s this thing he does to Caroline, and… it may be the worst thing I’ve read in a book for a “hero” to do to the “heroine”. Seriously, it’s really a make it or break it situation, and I can see a lot of readers throwing down the book because of it. I got through it, but I honestly didn't really accept it or forgive it, either.

So, Caroline. If I was Caroline, I definitely wouldn’t have forgiven West or understood him, but I guess that’s the beauty of West and Caroline. On the one hand I, as a reader, was so offended on her behalf. I wanted her to react differently, to rage and kick up a fuss. But I’m also really interested and glad that she didn’t react that way, because that’s not Caroline. Caroline is a constant surprise to me. It’s not that she’s a robot with no feelings, but but she understands West and his motivations. She's willing to look past things, she's willing to forgive him, but she's also not going to take anything from him. Caroline challenges West to be a bigger and better man, and even though she's hurt by his actions, she doesn't let him get away with pushing her away. I admire Caroline, because she’s very complex, and she interests me because her process for everything is so different from mine.

Somehow, despite all the darkness in this book, I really feel like Caroline and West are MEANT TO BE. I liked the journey of them trying to be together, navigating the darkness and finding their way back to one another. Deeper is really about Caroline finding her way, while Harder is about West finding his. In both stories they find their own way, but have each other to lean on, and I really like that. Another great aspect is West with his little sister. I love how Robin York didn’t write everything as perfect, that because they were together as a family everything was suddenly great. I liked that there were issues and that West was impatient and overbearing at times. It was so fitting that West wanted to control everything about his sister’s life, to make it good in the only way he knew how. He feels like his sister is the one thing that redeems him. Besides Caroline, she's the one good part of his life.

I also appreciated that Harder continued on with the revenge porn plot of the first book, with Caroline finding some justice, in a different way than she first intended. I liked that Caroline’s personality shone through in this way as well, that she uses her ambition and her smarts, that she figures out to stand on her own, separate from what her father wants. Deeper and Harder are not easy reads at all, but they are important ones. They take angst and forbidden romance and the college setting of New Adult and bring everything to a higher intellectual level, with real, important issues being discussed within the pages. They’re books about rising above tough situations, about putting painful pasts behind, about finding the things and people that make life worth living. If you’re looking for a New Adult book with grit and heart, I definitely recommend you read Harder and the first book, Deeper.

The Cover:
Kind of meh? I like that the two match, but they're really not my favourites.

Rating:
[4/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Chapters-Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

GIVEAWAY:

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Be sure to follow along with the BLOG TOUR for more reviews, excerpts, interviews, etc.

About Robin:
Robin York grew up at a college, went to college, signed on for some more college, and then married a university professor. She still isn’t sure why it didn’t occur to her to write New Adult sooner. Writing as Ruthie Knox, she is a USA TODAY bestselling author of contemporary romance, including RITA-finalists About Last Night and Room at the Inn. She moonlights as a mother, makes killer salted caramels, and sorts out thorny plot problems while running, hiking, or riding her bike.

Where to find Robin:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads