The Truth About Us by Janet Gurtler

The Truth About Us by Janet Gurtler
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 304
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

The truth is that Jess knows she screwed up.
She's made mistakes, betrayed her best friend, and now she's paying for it. Her dad is making her spend the whole summer volunteering at the local soup kitchen.

The truth is she wishes she was the care-free party-girl everyone thinks she is.
She pretends it's all fine. That her "perfect" family is fine. But it's not. And no one notices the lie...until she meets Flynn. He's the only one who really sees her. The only one who listens.

The truth is that Jess is falling apart – and no one seems to care.
But Flynn is the definition of "the wrong side of the tracks." When Jess's parents look at him they only see the differences-not how much they need each other. They don't get that the person who shouldn't fit in your world... might just be the one to make you feel like you belong.

My Thoughts:
My first thought upon finishing The Truth About Us was “wow!!”. I found it to be a very strong book with an incredibly interesting premise and great character transformation. I think I say this every time I read a Janet Gurtler book, but she does such an amazing job of telling stories that balance friendship, family, and romance. Those are my favourite types of contemporary YA, and I always enjoy what Janet has to offer.

Jess is the main character of this book, and she’s dealing with family issues -- or rather she’s not dealing with them. Bad things have happened and Jess feels ignored, so she just checks out. She acts out and has "friends" who she doesn't really seem to like. Jess is playing this part until she takes it too far and her uber strict dad steps in.

Flynn is someone who is so opposite from Jess in many ways, and yet he's so similar too. There’s a connection there between them that no one else seems to see. Flynn comes from completely different circumstances than Jess, and I think this book is very realistic about how differences of class can matter even now, when there's so much disparity between the two. I understood everyone being concerned about Flynn and Jess, and yet I also raged at how heavy handed people were at trying to keep them apart.

This is the story of Jess and Flynn, but it's also the story of Jess, of her finding her way back to who she wants to be. It’s the story of Jess’s family growing back into place, but especially of her mom trying to move past what's happened to her. I loved how Jess changed as she worked at the shelter, how she learned about the world and connected with people she normally wouldn't. I loved the granddaughter/grandfather banter relationship she had with Wilf, and the sister/brother and friend one she had with Flynn's little brother, Kyle.

The Truth About Us is a truly lovely book that made me feel so many things. It made me feel the butterflies of a crush and the feelings of it becoming something more. It made me feel the anguish over lost friendship. It made me feel disgust at people's horrid assumptions and rage at people thinking they knew everything and trying to control Jess and Flynn.

I highly recommend this book to all fans of contemporary YA, especially to fans of Sarah Dessen, Morgan Matson, and Emery Lord.

The Cover:
Honestly not a fave at all.

Rating:
[4/5]

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

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 334
Series: n/a
Review Source: eARC for review through Raincoast Books

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won’t peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She’s learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it’s working just fine… until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He’s a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.

Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He’s got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn’t expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.

But love doesn’t mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again…

My Thoughts:
For a writer who has predominantly made her career in the SF/F category, Ann Aguirre sure knows how to pack a punch in the contemporary genre. I've loved her New Adult stories, and this first contemporary YA offering impressed me just as much. Two things all of Ann's books have in common, regardless of genre, are a well developed protagonist and strong, interesting relationships between characters.

The Queen.. is so many things. It's a fun book, a sweet book, a sad book, a borderline angsty book. It encompasses all of those strong emotions that go hand in hand with being a teenager. Sage is someone who has had an incredibly rough past (things are hinted at, but you don't get a completely clear picture of her past until close to the end), and she's determine to be The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things: someone who is known for being nice and showing kindness to others. She's genuinely a good person, but she's always scared of going back to the scared and angry person she was, so she hides the "bad" parts of herself.

A big part of this book is the relationship between Sage and Shane, and I absolutely adored them. Shane is a little bit damaged from his own less than ideal past, but he's also very sweet and hungry for affection. I think both Sage and Shane are desperate for someone to love them, which could turn out badly, but instead they come together in a very healthy way, becoming a couple who support each other and build each other up. There are so many cute moments between these two, and so many realistic little fights that (shocker for the romance genre) they resolve quickly, using the experience to learn about each other and how to communicate and interact.

Of course this book is also about Sage as a person, learning about herself through this romantic relationship and through new friendships. I especially loved her friendship with Lila and how supportive they were of one another. Sage also has a great relationship with her Aunt Gabby, who she lives with, and what she learns about herself and her environment make this bond even stronger.

I highly recommend The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things to all contemporary YA fans. It's a book which I fell for right in the first couple of pages, and that connection never let go. I mean, I actually burst into tears and got goosebumps at one of the parts close to the end of the book (minor spoiler: the scene when Sage gets the post-it's from everyone else /end minor spoiler), I was so overwhelmed with emotion. Bottom line: this is an incredibly well-written book filled with realistic teenage characters. At this point I think Ann Aguirre could write anything and I would love it.

The Cover:
GORGEOUS!! I absolutely adore it.

Rating:
[5/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Books-a-Million | Powell's | IndieBound

About Ann:
Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author and RITA winner with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. Ann likes books, emo music, action movies, and she writes all kinds of genre fiction for adults and teens, published with Harlequin, Macmillan, and Penguin, among others.

Where to find Ann:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Newsletter | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt from The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things:

When I walk past the music room, I hear something that stills me in my tracks. People push past; I've become a rock in the middle of a rushing stream, but I can't move. Then someone shoves me from behind, not on purpose, but the result is the same. I slam into the lockers past the classroom and bounce. The underclassmen who were wrestling don't even notice that my brain has stopped firing.

Shane Cavendish plays like it's his reason for living.

I don't write that on the Post-it, of course. That would just get him beaten up even harder. Instead I scrawl, You’re awesome on the guitar, because the jocks might think that’s cool and leave him the hell alone. It's a long shot, as I don't have any particular cred with their crew, but being a musician is pretty spectacular. I can't breathe for how good—how remarkably talented—he is. And I suspect that if he found out anyone was paying attention, he'd stop playing.

Backtracking to his locker will make me late for class, but it's worth it. I stick the note just below the vents, as I always do, but this time it feels weightier, more somehow, like this is a turning point. Shaking off the odd sensation, I dodge into Econ with a mumbled excuse. Sadly, it holds no weight with Mrs. Palmer. Unlike the male teachers, she isn't impressed with talk of 'female problems', so I get my first detention of the year, only the second I've ever had.

Since tomorrow is Friday and I have standing plans with Ryan, I ask, “Can I just get it over with tonight?”

I calculate; school lets out at 2:45. An hour of sitting in silence, and I’m supposed to be at work at four. If I hurry, I can still make my shift at the Curly Q. Which sounds like a diner, but it's actually a hair salon. I'm not qualified to do anything but wash hair, sweep up, and answer the phone, but it's better than fast food. I work two afternoons a week from four to eight, which earns me spending money for the week. Since I'm under eighteen, I get paid fifty cents an hour less than an adult; that makes me a bargain. After detention ends, I’ll just need to ride hard to keep Mildred from yelling at me.

Mrs. Palmer glances up from scribbling down my doom. “Can you get a ride home?”

“Yeah.”

I’ve always got my bike out front, and the town is small enough that I can ride anywhere I need to go from school. This is the one positive aspect of living in a tiny berg like this, especially given my opinion of privately-owned fossil fuel burning vehicles, which covers nicely for my lingering fear.

A Perfect Ten by Linda Kage (Tour Review, Giveaway, & Playlist)

A Perfect Ten by Linda Kage
Release Date: March 30, 2015
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 426
Series: Forbidden Men #5
Review Source: eARC from Tasty Book Tours

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Let your hair down, Caroline, they said. It'll be fun, they said.

I know I've closed myself off in a major way in the past year, ever since “the incident” where I messed up my life completely. It's past time I try to live again or just give up completely. But this is quite possibly the craziest thing I've ever done. In a last ditch effort to invigorate myself, I'm standing outside Oren Tenning's bedroom, I just peeled off the sexiest pair of underwear I own, and my hand is already raised to knock. My brother would disown me for doing anything with his best friend, and he'd probably kill Oren. But if I play my cards right, no one will ever know about this. Not even Ten.

Maybe after tonight, I’ll finally get over this stupid, irrational crush I hate having on the biggest jerk I’ve ever met. Or maybe I’ll just end up falling for him even harder. Maybe I’ll discover there’s so much more to my crude, carefree hunk than meets the eye.

My Thoughts:
I definitely enjoyed this book, but I have to admit that my first thought upon finishing it was that the book is a little bit long for the story that it tells. It definitely could have been condensed a bit. That being said, there are tons of great scenes and great characters, and if you’ve been following the series you’ve probably been waiting and waiting for a Ten/Caroline book, and A Perfect Ten was a lot of fun in that regard.

I liked that we get to see behind Ten's mask here. He’s still the Ten you know from previous books (more than a bit crude, tons of swearing, etc), but he’s also a sweet guy, a very loyal guy. We’ve seen glimpses of this before, but it really comes out when he’s around Caroline. You can tell how much he cares about her. Caroline is a character we’ve seen around the periphery of the series, her being Noel Gamble’s little sister. Caroline is super outgoing and a bit crazy, which makes her the perfect match for Ten (or Oren as only she can call him).

I liked this book a lot, but it wasn’t without its issues. There’s the length issue that I mentioned above (okay I really feel like Ten would interrupt here and say “that’s what she said”), but I also felt like the reason for Ten and Caroline staying a secret was a bit overdone (or maybe it just went on for too long?). I think this is because I also found it hard to identify with Noel's reaction to them as a couple, as if Ten wasn't a totally loyal friend to him. It felt a bit out of character for Noel to be such an asshat. On the other hand, I liked seeing a different side to a hero from a previous book.

While I didn’t like this book as much as some of the others in the Forbidden Men series, I still loved the dynamics of it enough to rate it 4 stars. Linda does such an amazing job of writing group scenes and adding in mentions of previous couples. I especially loved following up on Quinn and Zoey (or Zwinn as they become to be known) from With Every Heartbeat. While this wasn't a perfect read, I still enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a very decent New Adult book. I highly recommend the series in general, and I know if you start reading these books you’ll be dying to read this addition to the series.

The Cover:
Like. :)

Rating:
[4/5]

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

About Linda:
Linda grew up on a dairy farm in the Midwest as the youngest of eight children. Now she lives in Kansas with her husband, daughter, and nine cuckoo clocks. Her life's been blessed with lots of people to learn from and love. Writing's always been a major part of her world, and she is so happy to finally share some of her stories with other romance lovers.

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

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Linda Kage's Soundtrack for A Perfect Ten:

It would have to have:

--"Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond - because that's the song Asher sings for the group when Ten demands a song out of him at the end.

--"We Want Some P---y" by 2 Live Crew - because that's Ten's ringtone on his cell phone at the beginning of the story.

It might also have:

--"GDFR" by Flo Rida - Perfect for the scene where Caroline becomes Midnight Visitor because that's when it "goes down for real!"

--"Honey, I'm Good" by Andy Grammer - This would work for the scene where Ten turns down the girl who comes onto him after he hooks up with Caroline.

--"Fireball" by Pitbull - I always imagined a drunk Ten and Caroline dancing to this song on the beach the night they're in Lake Tahoe.

--"Catching Stars" by One Republic - I imagine this song happening during one of Ten's introspective scenes where he's missing Caroline and wishing he could be with her openly.

--"Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls - This just feels like it would fit perfectly in the scene where Ten and Caroline seriously claim their love for one another in her bedroom, right after her younger brothers beat the crap out of him!

--"Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran - Would be a good closer for their epilogue!

And that's the playlist I came up for A Perfect Ten!

Thanks, Linda!! Everyone, be sure to follow along with the rest of the tour on Tasty Book Tours.

Losing the Ice by Jennifer Comeaux (Tour Review & Giveaway)

Losing the Ice by Jennifer Comeaux
Release Date: February 23, 2015
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 132
Series: Ice #2
Review Source: eARC from author

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Courtney and Josh are in love and excited to finally compete as skating partners. When they take the ice for their first competition, they want to show everyone, especially Josh's family, they are the perfect pair.

But ice is slippery, and one misstep puts all their dreams in jeopardy. Now they must show each other both their love and their partnership are strong enough to survive.

My Thoughts:
Losing the Ice is an exceptional novella. Seriously, it’s just so, so good: exactly what I’ve grown to expect from Jennifer Comeaux. Courtney and Josh are interesting, layered characters, and their story is told through clear, engaging writing. Jennifer is perfect at writing both sweet moments for the characters and total crises. She’s a pro at making her readers feel the emotions of her characters. Whenever I pick up a book from her I completely identify with the characters and feel like I’m on the journey along with them, feeling their anguish and their love.

Another thing Jennifer is great at is writing moments on and off the ice that have to do with skating, training, etc. You can tell that the author is a super fan of skating, because all the descriptions of Courtney and Josh’s work feel real. Admittedly I’m not into watching skating, but I love books about any type of sport, and Jennifer’s works always draw me in to the competition and artistry of skating.

This book is a sequel to Crossing the Ice, which is definitely something you should read to get the full picture of the characters and their situation. Here we have Courtney and Josh partnering in skating for the first time, but it's not at all smooth sailing for them. Beyond skating issues and emotional issues which I won’t get into (because reading about them yourself will be so much more fulfilling), Jennifer has done the most amazing job at creating a character you'll positively loathe. All of Josh’s family is pretty terrible, but no one can beat his mom. I already knew that Jennifer was a pro at writing characters you absolutely despise (see: Elena, for most of Edge of the Past), but Josh’s mom takes the cake, because I can’t find anything redeeming in her. She’s not exactly warm and welcoming to Josh, but she is beyond evil in her dealings with Courtney. As hard as these scenes are to read, I love how they show Josh’s loyalty and how much he’s grown as a character. He stands up for Courtney and he’s strong in his convictions, no longer willing to sit back and let life happen to him.

If you hadn’t already gathered, I absolutely loved this novella, probably even more than the first book in the series. Its short length just made me want more of the characters, so I’m glad that there will be a third book featuring Josh and Courtney. I love these books, just as I loved Jennifer Comeaux’s Edge series. If you haven’t read her amazing novels, I highly recommend you start with Life on the Edge and go from there.

The Cover:
Not bad, but it doesn't reflect how awesome the book is.

Rating:
[5/5]

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

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 die-hard 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. Jennifer loves to hear from readers!

Where to find Jennifer:
Website & Blog | Twitter | Facebook

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to follow along with the rest of the tour on Itching for Books.

More Than Comics by Elizabeth Briggs

More Than Comic by Elizabeth Briggs
Release Date: February 23, 2015
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 163
Series: Chasing the Dream #2
Review Source: eBook from author for review

Synopsis:

They're friends online - but can they be more in real life?

Writer Tara McFadden has been friends with artist and drummer Hector Fernandez for years, long before his band became famous on reality TV – yet they’ve never met in person. They finally have a chance to connect offline when they’re both sent to Comic-Con to promote the graphic novel they collaborated on.

Hector's secretly been in love with Tara for as long as he can remember, and once they meet, she sees him in a new light. All the years of longing lead to an incredible night of passion after one of his concerts, but neither is sure if their online relationship can translate into a real life romance – or if this will ruin their friendship forever.

Over four crazy days at Comic-Con, Hector and Tara must decide if they want a future together. But when their story seems to be over, it’s up to Hector’s entire band to make sure he and Tara get their happy ending.

My Thoughts:
This is a short book, but it's a great story. I mean, when the only real flaw is that you wish you had MORE of the characters, that's a pretty good thing, right? So yes, I would have enjoyed a longer, more drawn out story. It might have been more fun to deal with the sexual tension for a while before things progressed -- a longer period of "will they, won't they", but on the other hand because of the short nature of the book you get to the good stuff fast, and it leaves little time for large amounts of drama. What little drama there was, was resolved fairly quickly in a logical way, which is exactly how I like it.

More Than Comics was a bit more sex focused than I prefer, but the scenes were definitely very hot. I think why I would have preferred less sex, or maybe just more of other parts of the story, is because Hector and Tara had such an amazing friendship. Their conversations and just hanging out together were so cute and fun, so I wanted more of that aspect of the story. I liked seeing their chemistry in more than one way. Another thing I loved was seeing from Hector's POV. He's this ripped guy who could totally be cocky, considering he's insanely successful in two professional avenues and is super gorgeous, but he's actually quite sensitive and he almost has low self esteem in some instances. He doesn't see himself as anything special, whereas Tara sees all the good in him.

This book has a great setting and plot point, being set at Comic-Con. You get to experience some of the panels, signings, and costumes, which makes it a lot of fun. Despite the short length of the book and my wish for more time with these characters, More Than Comics does cover a lot of ground. I obviously liked the romance angle, but I also liked how Tara had to make a huge decision which would impact her future. I liked that she thought about Hector when deciding which job she should take, because it was realistic, but I loved that Hector and his friends showed her how she had to make the decision based on her wants and needs. Overall, this is a great second book in this series, and I wholeheartedly look forward to reading Elizabeth Briggs' next book.

The Cover:
Good!

Rating:
[4/5]

Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Google Play | All Romance | Smashwords

About Liz:
Elizabeth Briggs is a full-time geek who writes books for teens and adults. She plays the guitar, mentors at-risk teens, and volunteers with a dog rescue group. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a pack of small, fluffy dogs.

Where to find Liz:
Website | Facebook fan group | Newsletter | Twitter

More Than Comics playlist:

As much as I enjoyed this book, I absolutely *loved* the first book, More Than Music. Click on the graphic to find purchase links for this great book:

If everything else hasn't convinced you to check out this book and this series, maybe this will. Here's an excerpt of More Than Comics from Tara's POV:

The lights dimmed and the entire crowd seemed to jump to its feet at once, including me. Fog crept across the stage and a red glow slowly illuminated the darkness. The stadium was silent except for the buzz of excitement, the anticipation for the band about to come out. My chest was tight, my breathing difficult, my heart a speeding train that threatened to derail at any moment.

Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more of it, the room burst into sound with the opening of “Uprising” by Muse. The lights brightened, gradually revealing the band already on stage. Maddie on the right, her fingers flying across her guitar, the fake wind blowing her hair like in a music video. Kyle on the left, rocking out behind his keyboard, his black hair hanging in his eyes. And Jared in the middle, playing bass.

A spotlight flashed on him when he started singing. In person he was even more drop dead gorgeous than on screen, with his tattooed arms, sinful blue eyes, and naughty smile. His voice had a way of creeping into your very soul, and he had this crazy magnetism that made it nearly impossible to take your eyes off him. Especially when he wasn’t playing and could grip the microphone like a lover and croon into it. No wonder so many ladies threw themselves at him.

But while everyone drooled over Jared, my eyes sought out Hector, who had gone shirtless tonight. It was harder to see him in the back, but I could still glimpse his muscular arms and shoulders while his drumsticks danced through the air. He was an animal, pounding against the drums like he was possessed by something, yet somehow never completely losing control.

The big screens beside the stage flashed between the different band members and showed Hector from behind, giving a shot of his smooth back, all those coiled muscles flexing and rippling while he played. Sweat slicked his arms as he poured himself into the music, his drumsticks moving fast yet never missing a beat. He was glorious. Strong. Powerful. And ridiculously sexy.

I wanted to lick the sweat off him, which was sort of gross, but I didn’t care. I’d do it to taste him, to explore that hard, muscular body with my tongue. And my hands. And every other part of me.

I couldn’t deny it any longer. Meeting Hector in person had awakened something in me. I’d always found him hot, of course. And sure, I’d fantasized about him a few times, but I’d never seriously thought of him as anything more than a friend. He’d always been too far away, too off limits, too impossible to even consider. But now he was more than a daydream I tried desperately to ignore—he was a very tempting reality.

Once we’d come face to face a flick had been switched, and I felt something…more.

And seeing him play tonight? That made me want him.

So, yeah. Hector = hot, sensitive, artistic, rock band drummer. Yes please?