The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen

The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen
Release Date: September 29, 2014
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 281
Series: The Ivy Years #3
Review Source: eARC from author for review

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.

Five years ago, Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexuality from everyone. Including himself.

So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenseless. For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team’s new left wing could destroy Graham’s life as he knows it.

John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it’s worse than usual, because the media has latched onto the story of the only “out” player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused.

And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.

Rikker didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won’t even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, his former… best friend / boyfriend / whatever isn’t doing so well. He drinks too much and can’t focus during practice.

Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won’t be easy is the Understatement of the Year.

Warning: unlike the other books in this series, this heartbreaking love story is about two guys. Contains sexual situations, dance music, snarky t-shirts and a poker-playing grandmother.

My Thoughts:
When it comes to Sarina Bowen’s novels I’m automatically swept up in the characters and their situations. I always feel so attached to her characters, wanting to know them and their stories. The Understatement of the Year was no exception. It's Sarina’s most hockey focused book yet in her Ivy Years series, with the novel taking place during hockey season and with both of the heroes being part of the team.

I definitely felt a deep ache when it came to Graham’s character. He is so deeply in the closet and so completely terrified of being found out, so Rikker's reappearance in his life is troubling. I was definitely angry at him for denying Rikker, but he’s not someone you can condemn, considering you can really experience his complete panic and fear, knowing how an incident when he and Rikker were younger completely shaped his future. Rikker, on the other hand, has become this model gay guy without wanting to be. He's out (though not by his choice, hence why he's so understanding of Graham), he's had boyfriends, and he's the first out Division 1 hockey player.

As usual, Sarina Bowen did a fantastic job with secondary characters. I loved Bella, who we will be seeing in her own book in the future. Bella first appears as this slutty hanger-on stereotype, but she's so much more than that. I adore books that subvert tropes and show that a person can appear one way and be another or that they can be one way or do one thing, but also be someone else. Another favourite character is Rikker’s grandmother, the person who became his rock when his parents basically disowned him. She is a firecracker and their relationship was adorable.

One thing I think that this author always succeeds at is epic chemistry and there was definitely that between Graham and Rikker. The wanting, the anticipation, the massive history between them -- all of it is so close to boiling over for so long, and it’s delicious to experience. What I really liked about this story is that there wasn’t any perfect answer to everything. It wasn’t just like a switch flipped and suddenly Graham would be cool wearing a rainbow flag. It’s a gradual process for them to be together, and a gradual process for Graham to come to terms with who he is. Even in the end it’s a work in progress, but it’s a beautiful one.

The Understatement of the Year is a story of self acceptance and learning to love yourself. It’s a painful journey for Graham, and even an awkward one for Rikker at times, when he has to deal with his teammates’ reactions to his sexuality. There were various reactions to Rikker being an openly gay hockey player, and they felt realistic to me. The majority of people didn’t care or at least didn’t make a fuss about it, but there were a few very supportive people and a few who were the vocal minority, being complete assholes about it. That range of reactions felt true, and I loved how Rikker himself was aware of it, grading those around him on his own personal Rikker Scale based on how cool or not cool people were.

This is a heart wrenching book, a sexy book, a romantic book, and, yes, a funny book too. I loved the characters and I thought the story was so well told, which is no surprise. I've come to expect amazing romantic fiction from Sarina Bowen, and she never disappoints.

The Cover:
Generally like it.

Rating:
[5/5]

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

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White
Release Date: September 9, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 288
Series: n/a
Review Source: Edelweiss

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.

“I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have.”

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.

Kiersten White captured readers’ hearts with her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy and its effortless mix of magic and real-world teenage humor. She returns to that winning combination of wit, charm, and enchantment in Illusions of Fate, a sparkling and romantic new novel perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, The Madman’s Daughter, and Libba Bray.

My Thoughts:
By now it’s pretty much a guarantee that I’ll enjoy a Kiersten White book, so I was looking forward to this one, especially when it seemed so lush and romantic. It definitely had that feel to it, and I loved the historical aspect of it too, with all the dresses and formal balls, etc. This book has such a depth to it, with a big theme being colonialism. I had no idea this would be a part of the book, and so pervasive, too. I love reading about these types of dialogues, not that I like the situation, but they’re so interesting with the dynamic of the oppressor and the oppressed. I really appreciated what Kiersten included about the oppressed people trying to hang on to their culture, and what happens with that generation of people who were born under a colonial type of rule. What is their identity when they have a cultural background but are raised under another society’s customs?

With all of this going on in the background you might expect a dark book, but it really isn’t. Despite everything bad going on there’s still a light cheerfulness that Kiersten manages to insert into all of her books. One of the bigger aspects of the book is MAGIC, which is a lot of fun. This is centred around Finn, a mysterious figure who turns out to be a handsome lord torn between two cultures himself. I don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler to say that Finn and Jessamin have a sweet romance with an instant kind of connection between them. Considering their relationship is based on a certain kind of fate, it could easily have become a “you’re made for me, it’s fated” type of thing, which I generally dislike, because it means the characters have no agency. I was incredibly pleased when this wasn’t the case. There was a truly sweet courtship and slow connection between Finn and Jessamin, despite the crazy circumstances.

Illusions of Fate is a great book full of magic, friendship, romance, cultural differences, action, and so many other awesome things. I definitely recommend it, and I’m excited to see what comes next from Kiersten White.

The Cover:
I adore it!! So completely gorgeous.

Rating:
[4/5]

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

As Long As You Love Me by Ann Aguirre

As Long As You Love Me by Ann Aguirre
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Pages: 352
Series: 2B Trilogy #2
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Most people dream about getting out of Sharon, Nebraska, but after three years away, Lauren Barrett is coming home. There are the justifications she gives to everyone else—missing her family, losing her college scholarship. And then there’s the reason Lauren can’t admit to anyone: Rob Conrad, her best friend’s older brother.

Football prowess and jaw-dropping good looks made Rob a star in high school. Out in the real world, his job and his relationships are going nowhere. He can’t pinpoint exactly what’s missing until Lauren comes back to town, bringing old feelings and new dreams with her. But he’s the guy that women love and leave—not the one who makes them think of forever.

Though she’s terrified of opening up, Lauren’s ready to take that chance. Because the only thing more important than figuring out where you truly belong is finding the person you were meant to be with.

My Thoughts:
I loved Ann Aguirre’s first New Adult romance, I Want It That Way, so I was very excited to read As Long As You Love Me. I also adore the “best friend’s older brother” type of romance, so that automatically made excited for this one. I have to say, the book really lived up to the total swoon I was expecting.

Lauren has loved Rob for forever, basically, and it’s easy to see why. He’s gorgeoussssss and muscular from working with his hands for a living, but -- most importantly -- he is incredibly sweet. I loved getting to know him, and I loved the rapport between him and Lauren. The beginning part of the book was actually my favourite because it’s so much about Lauren letting Rob see himself for who he truly is. It was pretty amazing to see the hero as the one with the vulnerabilities and insecurity, since it’s usually the heroine who’s like that. I loved how Lauren helped Rob’s self esteem, teaching him to ignore how people have treated him (pretty but dumb) and to embrace the smarts and talent that he has.

Before beginning this book I had read on Twitter that Ann tried to subvert the “evil ex” trope. When we first meet Avery I had a hard time believing that. You definitely hate that she’s with Rob and wonder why on earth he would put up with her, etc. But then there’s a turning point, and I don’t think it’s too spoilery to say that Avery becomes this cool character who changes a lot. You get to see her back story and why she’s acted the way she has. It doesn't make her actions right, but it explains them, and you get to know the real her who is pretty amazing.

Even if the general story line fits New Adult and Romance tropes, I like that Ann is telling different kinds of stories. Most NA books are about college away from home, about branching out and moving away. Lauren’s story, on the other hand, is about coming home and moving back with her mom in her small hometown. I really liked that difference, how Lauren wasn't afraid to claim her home and realize that it was where she wanted to be.

There’s another turning point in the book, a twist of sorts, that I think I can talk about in (somewhat) vague terms without spoiling too much. I’m really not a fan of the hero or heroine sacrificing themselves for the good of their partner, by which I mean they push the person away for “their own good”. I was really MEH on this part of the book, which is the only reason it’s not another five star read.

For the most part, though, As Long As You Love Me is just as swoony and lovely as the first book. As I’ve said, Ann is great at taking things and turning them upside down, taking the cliches or tropes of the genre and making them different. She’s amazingly talented at making her characters feel like real people. If you’re looking for an emotionally honest New Adult romance, I would definitely recommend Ann’s books to you.

The Cover:
Like!

Rating:
[4/5]

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

Outlander TV Review

I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon in August 2013, a couple of months after it was announced the show had been picked up and around the time the actors were being cast. It was the talk on Twitter and on book blogs that got me interested in this book, and in watching the TV show, which is why I think it's pretty cool that Shaw Media reached out to me and other book bloggers to review the TV show.

If you haven't heard of the show or don't know the specifics, here's a little about it:

Outlander follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743 Scotland, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world and her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate relationship is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

By now I've watched all the episodes that have aired in Canada, but to give you a taste of the show here are my thoughts on the first two episodes.

Episode 1: Sassenach

I thought this was a good introduction episode. It might be a bit slow at first if you haven't read the book and don't know what's coming, but it's hard to say. It needed those set up moments, and there's definitely a sense of "something's going to happen". I thought they did a good job of showing Frank and Claire, how there's true affection and desire between them, but also some distance in their marriage.

There were definitely a few parts of the episode that were very convenient and foreshadow-y, like of course she knows all about botany and the medicinal application of plants and of course she's an ultra-special "not your typical 1940s female", growing up with her archaeologist uncle, etc. These aren't the fault of the show, as I felt the same way while reading the book, I think they just jumped out a bit more when they were presented as voice over and asides within the limited show time.

Overall my impression was quite a positive one. The scenery is just GORGEOUS and they did a great job of showing it off. The casting seems spot-on: I liked what we've seen of the actors so far. Caitriona Balfe has the perfect spunk for Claire, and Sam Heughan is -- let's face it -- gorgeous, but more importantly, he seems just right for Jamie.

Sassenach is definitely an intro episode, giving us just a hint of what's to come, but that was exactly its job. Most importantly, the glimpse it provided was one I really liked. It's always interesting to see a book come to life, to see the vision of the producers and the director, and I enjoyed watching this first episode.

Episode 2: Castle Leoch

This second episode is a good continuation of the story. We see a bit of what Claire has to deal with and how she deals with it. This episode seemed to have a bit of a slower pace to it, which had me checking my watch a few times, but it never truly lost my interest. There were a couple stand out scenes for me, one being when Claire is at dinner weaving a fake story about her life, and another being when she takes dinner to Jamie at the stables. There's definitely huge chemistry between Claire and Jamie. I love that it's there in the background already; it shows me they're doing a great job at weaving things in to the show for the future.

I didn't count them, but it felt like there were a lot of flashbacks to things that happened in the first episode. I understand that Claire is having déjà vu to things that were only a few days ago for her and that actually happen hundreds of years in the future, but sometimes it felt like too much. Maybe it was because I watched Episodes 1 and 2 at the same time, but it was like "Yes, we know she went in that particular room. Get on with it already!".

What I thought this episode did well was showing the balance Claire has to maintain. On the one hand she has to try to deal with her surroundings and survive (i.e. don't give people any more reason to think she's a spy), but on the other hand she's very determined to return to Inverness and find a way back home to Frank.

This was a smaller scale episode, taking place at the castle, rather than the journey of the first episode, but I enjoyed seeing how the castle ran, who was in charge of what, etc.

Overall impressions:
The show has a quiet pace to it in some parts, but there are also great action scenes, so I think they balance each other out nicely. While the voiceover was a bit much in some parts it also provided key information that I really don't think could have been presented in any other way, and I liked hearing Claire's thoughts. The scenery is gorgeous, the costuming is amazing, and the actors are perfect for their roles. It felt like something true. What I mean is (and not that I'm an expert on the period or anything), it felt like it was accurate and you were really watching a scene from the past come alive. I truly enjoyed these first two episodes of Outlander, and I'm interested to see where they go with things from here.

Outlander airs at 10 pm Sunday on Showcase in Canada.

Forget Me by K.A. Harrington

Forget Me by K.A. Harrington
Release Date: August 7, 2014
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 288
Series: n/a
Review Source: ARC from Razorbill Canada

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

An edge-of-your seat psychological thriller with a romantic twist

On the three-month anniversary of her boyfriend Flynn’s death, Morgan uploads her only photo of him to FriendShare to get some closure—but she’s shocked when the facial recognition software suggests she tag him as "Evan Murphy." She’s never heard of Evan, but a quick search tells her that he lives in a nearby town and looks exactly like Flynn. Only this boy is very much alive.

Digging through layers of secrets and lies, Morgan is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her boyfriend, her town, and even her parents' involvement in this massive web of lies.

My Thoughts:
I was extremely intrigued by the concept of this book from the first time I heard of it. The very basic premise could have gone so many ways, which I really liked because it made it hard to predict. Forget Me is a straight up contemporary mystery/thriller, which we don’t see a lot of in YA. I can’t talk too much about the plot because it’s incredibly twisty, and it’s more like journey that you need to experience for yourself. What I can say is that I thought the author did a great job. The story ties together in such an interesting way. I loved the mystery solving aspect and how it made sense that teens were the ones doing the detective work, figuring out if there was some kind of conspiracy.

Forget Me has an eerie feel to it, especially at the beginning when you have no clue what's going on. Granted, I started reading it late at night, but an abandoned mini golf course is genuinely creepy. Most of all, though, an abandoned amusement park. Can you say fun house mirrors?! The book has some definite pull the covers up to your chin moments.

There are a lot of great aspects to this book, with one of my favourite parts being the friendship between Morgan and Toni. I love celebrating awesome female friendships. Both girls here felt like fully realized characters, and they were unflinchingly supportive of and loving to one another.

Overall? I found Forget Me to be a very intriguing and satisfying read.

The Cover:
Like! Perfect creepiness. (Although I have to admit when I see a smaller version I keep thinking the carousel is a boat.)

Rating:
[4/5]

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

Haze by Paula Weston (Tour Review + Giveaway)

I really, really love the Rephaim books, so I was very excited to take part in a tour for them again, this time for Book 2, Haze. I even picked today as a tour date so I could promote a book I absolutely adore on my birthday. But imagine my surprise when I opened up my copy of Haze and found this:

So exciting!! I've been blurbed in catalogues and on Amazon pages before, but this is the first time I've seen a blurb of mine in a book. So thank you, Tundra! I love that this happened with one of my favourite series.

Haze by Paula Weston
Release Date: September 9, 2014
Publisher: Tundra Books
Pages: 448
Series: The Rephaim #2
Review Source: Finished copy for review from publisher

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Gaby Winters' life used to be pretty normal. She lived with her best friend. She worked in a library. She was slowly getting over the death of her twin brother, Jude. And then Rafa came looking for her.

With him, her blood-soaked nightmares stopped. But now they are reality. She is one of the Rephaim - a wingless half angel, descended from the Fallen. Demons exist and they are hunting her.

She knows she's alive when she's meant to be dead. And that means maybe Jude is too. So why isn't she out there looking for him?

My Thoughts:
Sometimes when you love a book it's hard to describe exactly how much and why you love it. This is exactly the case with Shadows (Book 1) and Haze, but I'll attempt to do my feelings justice. To put it simply, this book makes me happy. It makes me excited about the series and where it’s going, and it makes me excited about reading in general. Haze is exactly the type of book I wish more people were reading.

I mentioned this in my Shadows review, but angel books generally don't do it for me. This series? Huge exception. Haze has cemented the fact that The Rephaim is one of my favourite series. These books are exciting and 'unputdownable', an equal mix of quiet heartfelt moments and action.

Even though I love exciting plotlines, I mostly read for character. The characters here are layered and dynamic. Gaby is dying to find her brother, but she has conflicted feelings about it, too. Rafa misses his best mate, Jude, but he also has to deal with his growing feelings for Gaby. This is complicated further by him having a whole history with Gabe. Rafa is irritatingly vague about this past, but it’s understandable that he wants to move forward with Gaby and have a fresh start of sorts. I loved how protective Rafa was over Gaby, and that these feelings are mixed with him wanting Gaby to be the strong, kick butt person she once was. I adored this continuing relationship between them. It’s antagonistic and messy, but there's also a trust there. Rafa and Gaby have a deep connection filled with affection and, let's face it, hotness.

The main plotline of Haze is centred on the idea of finding Jude and figuring out what happened during Gaby’s missing year. Even though it's just been a week since Shadows started, Gaby has definitely come into her own. She still feels lost and confused (who wouldn’t after finding out all your memories are lies?), but now that she has a purpose she's willing to fight for it and those she cares about.

This book is exciting and it all leads up to a "no no no, why did you leave it there?!" type of ending. North American readers will be dying for the next book, Shimmer, and jealous of those in the UK and Australia who already have it. I can’t recommend these books enough. They have a distinct Aussie style to them, with the setting and the language. They also feature fantastic world building and characters who you really get to know and love. Even with the characters you dislike it’s easy to find depth in them. Shadows and Haze are well written books which provide an engaging reading experience, one that will make you excited about the Rephaim world, the characters, and about young adult books in general.

The Cover:
Like!!

Rating:
[5/5]

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

As part of the blog tour we answered some questions to find out Which Rephaim Character are You? And it turns out...

I'm pretty excited to be Ez! She is completely bad ass, but she's also very loving. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone else's results, which will be revealed on their tour date.

GIVEAWAY:

Tundra is giving away sets of Shadows (signed!) and Haze hardcovers to three winners. Simply reply to this post for one entry. You can follow along with the blog tour and reply to each post for additional entries. Full contest details can be found here. Ends Sunday, September 21, 2014 at 11:49 pm EST.

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Publisher: Dial
Pages: 384
Series: n/a
Review Source: ARC from Razorbill Canada

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell.

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

My Thoughts:
If I had three words to describe this book, those (very fancy) words would be: So. Freaking. Gorgeous. (!!!) I've been anticipating this book ever since it was announced that Jandy Nelson had a second book coming out. I was so excited to receive an ARC that I was planning on dropping everything and reading it right away. But that didn’t happen. In fact, I've been holding on to the ARC, almost scared to read it. You know when you anticipate a book SO MUCH that you're terrified it will disappoint you? Yeah, I had that with this book. But yesterday I finally felt ready, and of course, OF COURSE, I'll Give You the Sun lived up to every expectation I had. I’m not sure why I ever doubted. Jandy Nelson, how do you write so beautifully?! You're in a club of few people (Melina Marchetta and Gayle Forman being a couple of the others) whose words inspire me so greatly, whose books make me feel SO MUCH. The Sky is Everywhere is one of my favourite books of all time (I read it pre-blogging days, so no review -- must get on that!), but I’ll Give You the Sun is definitely in good company with it.

I’ll Give You the Sun is the story of Noah and Jude, two twins who have little in common, and yet have a seemingly unbreakable bond. The story drifts between Noah and Jude, between “before” and “after” -- before the twins separated, before their mom died, after so many disasters have happened, after their family broke apart. The book switches between two time periods, but they’re very large chunks of time, and it’s easy to keep track of everything. As you read it, it’s a little bit of a mystery: why have the twins basically switched personalities? What did Jude do that was so awful? How did everything get like this?

Beyond that description it’s difficult (and perhaps even unnecessary?) to discuss a lot of the book’s plot. It’s a meandering story, and yet there’s so much going on, but a lot of that has to do with the emotions of the story. It’s a story where you don’t need to know a lot going in, because the joy of I’ll Give You the Sun is discovering Noah and Jude’s world and unraveling their stories. There are few books which have wrapped me up emotionally as this one did. Throughout the book I felt so full, whether it be in a happy or devastated way, and at the end of the book I just wanted to cry or burst out laughing -- maybe both. The real heart of the story is about the family and their relationships with each other, as well as the romantic relationships that Noah and Jude have. Also central to the story is art. Art is Noah’s lifeblood, it’s his oxygen, it’s all he can imagine doing. Art is also a part of Jude, but it’s almost something she resents, and then it becomes something of a punishment for her. The beauty of art and what it means to create and so many other things are discussed here in a gorgeous, completely non-pretentious way. I mean, this is fabulous literary fiction, but I like it think of it as accessible literary fiction.

I felt very protective of Noah’s character. He’s easy to cheer for and to like. He’s the outsider, the one who feels different and who expresses it through his art. That’s not to say he’s perfect, because he definitely has his moments of questionable behaviour. Jude, on the other hand, is prickly. She’s harder to like, especially at some points, but she’s a lovely character, too. Jude is flawed, but who isn’t? She’s not a bad person, she’s just made some mistakes that have come out very wrong. Ultimately, Jude is a girl trying to find herself and her place, dealing with crappy situations and reacting in the only way she knows how. I loved her for her flaws, and she seemed all the more real because of them.

This book is so much about relationships. It’s about the twins and how they fit together now that they’re older and have been through so much. It’s about the way they feel about their dead mother and how they communicate with their living, but emotionally absent, father. There’s also an incredible mentor-mentee relationship between Guillermo and Jude, Guillermo being a sculptor who has an unknown, but important, connection to Jude and Noah. There are also bits of romance. The romances here are not really the focus of the book, but I still loved Brian and Oscar. Brian is the perfect fit for Noah, and even though their relationship (or lack thereof?) is painful, it’s beautiful too. The energy between them is just perfection. Oscar is this sweet but messed up guy. He’s been through a lot, and while it’s not easy for him to deal with, the connection he feels with Jude is undeniable.

This book is sweet, it’s sad, it’s incredibly emotional. I really can’t say enough good things, so I’ll finish by saying that I absolutely loved this book, and I encourage everyone to read it.

The Cover:
I love it! So perfect for this book.

Rating:
[5/5]

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