The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 464
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

"I might be Cinderella today, but I dread who they'll think I am tomorrow. I guess it depends on what I do next."

American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it's Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain's future king. And when Bex can't resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.

Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, Nick's sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family whose private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he's fated to become.

Which is how she gets into trouble.

Now, on the eve of the wedding of the century, Bex is faced with whether everything she's sacrificed for love-her career, her home, her family, maybe even herself-will have been for nothing.

My Thoughts:
Oh my word!!!! This book was epically good. It put me through the ringer, made me a complete emotional mess. The Royal We took me from giddy to butterflies in the stomach to anxious to angry to heartbroken to hopeful to happy and everywhere in between. I can honestly say this is the best book I've ever read involving royalty and involving dealing with the press and paparazzi.

What surprised me most about this book is that it has some serious weight to it. Just based on the genre you’d expect a story like this to be on the shorter side, but nope, this is an extremely long book. Despite the length I could not set it down: I just kept reading and reading, which shows you how involved with the book I was.

The Royal We is a linear story with five different sections, set at different times. The story starts with Bex meeting Nick at Oxford and their friendship that becomes more. We see different stages of their courtship and all the aspects that come with that. I loved Bex and Nick together but this book made me question whether being with him was worth it for Bex: the expectations, the judgment, the ceremony, the never having a normal life. This is really the big question of the novel: is it worth giving up so much to be with someone you love? & Can you make it through the horrible and still have something worthwhile left?

This book does such a good job at showing us a royal family that we can easily identify as a version of our own, while equally making the characters different and truly themselves. It has some incredibly amazing secondary characters, some you'll love (Freddie!!! Oh gosh, I could go on and on about Freddie), some you'll loathe (Richard!! aka Evil Prince Dad), and some it's so complicated you're not even sure (Bex’s sister, Lacey). I mean, these characters are totally layered and complicated. Even Richard you can feel a twinge of sympathy for at times, though mostly he's just Prince Dick.

If I had one complaint about this book it would be that I wanted more cute Bex/Nick scenes to make up for the angst and/or a longer ending so we could see people’s reactions and how everything went down (do these things missing mean there'll be a sequel? *optimistic*). However, the way it ended was perfect too. It felt like a very Nick and Bex ending, instead of an ending for HRH and Future Duchess Rebecca.

By now it’s clear that this book made me feel So Many Feelings. I just loved every bit of it, even when I was so tense it made my stomach upset or when tears were continually streaming down my face. This is the first book in a while where I've felt SO strongly about loving it. The Royal We is an AMAZING read, one I would highly recommend to all contemporary romance fans, New Adult fans (after all, this book is truly about growing up and finding yourself, making those tough decisions), and to fans of books about royalty and/or celebs. I honestly can’t recommend this book highly enough.

The Cover:
Amazing!!

Rating:
[5/5]

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

Unmarked by Kami Garcia

Unmarked by Kami Garcia
Release Date: September 30, 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 384
Series: The Legion #2
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

The heart-pounding sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, Unbreakable, by New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures co-author Kami Garcia.

He is here... and he could be anyone.

Kennedy Waters lives in a world where vengeance spirits kill, ghosts keep secrets, and a demon walks among us–a demon she accidentally set free.

Now Kennedy and the other Legion members–Alara, Priest, Lukas, and Jared–have to hunt him down. As they learn more about the history of the Legion and the Illuminati, Kennedy realizes that the greatest mystery of all does not belong to any secret order, but to her own family. With the clock ticking and the life of someone she loves hanging in the balance, Kennedy has to ask the question she fears most: what is it about her past that has left her Unmarked?

My Thoughts:
One of the things I absolutely adored about the first book, Unbreakable, was the Supernatural feel to it. They hunted down clues in different locations, they fought off spirits or whatever came their way. In terms of cast members it was more of a Scooby Gang, but the feel of the book was pure early days Supernatural, and it was awesome. Needless to say I was disappointed when that feeling was missing here.

While the book has a different feel to it, that doesn’t mean it lacks in excitement. There are some huge reveals that I can't really even hint around, because they’re massive spoilers that you definitely want to read for yourself. There’s a lot going on in regards to studying the history and mythology behind the Legion of the Black Dove. Because so much happened I can’t really say that Unmarked suffers from second book syndrome. What I can say is that I should have been excited by how action packed the book was, but instead I was almost bored at times because of where it ended up. I think what I missed were the quieter moments, like the conversations between Kennedy and a certain character (you might guess who, but I can’t talk about it, because, of course, spoilers).

Another thing I didn’t care for was the complete cliffhanger ending. While the first book also ended at a crazy moment, it ended in a place that the book was leading you to. The group had followed a set of clues and the book ended after the big reveal. In Unmarked, on the other hand, we’re still working towards something when the book suddenly ends. Yes, a piece of information is revealed, but plotwise we’re totally hanging off a cliff, which is not my cup of tea.

I definitely still enjoyed this book, but I didn’t love it like the first book. I look forward to where the series is going -- I just wish it had stayed closer to the first book with group antics and more conversations, instead of Kennedy being so insular.

The Cover:
Kind of meh?

Rating:
[3/5]

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

The Worlds We Make by Megan Crewe

The Worlds We Make by Megan Crewe
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 288
Series: Fallen World #3
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

The virus has taken away Kaelyn’s friends, her family, her home.

And now a deadly enemy threatens to take the one hope she has left: THE CURE.

When Kaelyn and her friends reached Toronto with a vaccine for the virus that has ravaged the population, they thought their journey was over. But now they're being tracked by the Wardens, a band of survivors as lethal as the virus who are intent on stealing the vaccine no matter what the cost.

Forced onto the road again, Kaelyn and her companions discover the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta is their best hope for finding scientists who can reproduce the vaccine. But with the virus already spreading among them, the Wardens hot on their trail, and hundreds of miles to cross, Kaelyn finds herself compromising her morals to keep her group alive. Her conscience seems a small price to pay if protects them and their precious cargo. Unless even that is not enough...

In the final installment in Megan Crewe’s captivating the Fallen World trilogy, Kaelyn is on the run from her biggest adversaries yet. While she continues to face horrific loss, her resolve is still strong. But to survive this shattered world, will she have to sacrifice all that's left of the girl she was?

My Thoughts:
The Worlds We Make, the conclusion to the Fallen World trilogy, is a book filled with tough decisions, harsh realities, and heartbreaking situations. But don’t let that scare you away, because this book, out of the three, definitely has the most hopeful tone, despite its dark edges.

Kaelyn is a character who I definitely admire. She always seems to find the determination to go on, no matter how difficult her situation is. I really love her strength and how she cares for other people. Kaelyn is an intelligent and empathetic young woman, someone who has had to make tough decisions and do things that aren't pretty, but who ultimately wants to do right by people. She always sticks to her goal of ending the virus by getting her late father’s vaccine to the right people. This requires making huge choices, but I so loved seeing Kaelyn realize that she has the power to shape the world into a place where she wants to live.

Megan Crewe is a very powerful writer. You can really feel the frustrations and hopes and all of the things that the characters are feeling and experiencing. This book, like the others, really looks into the nuances of human behaviour, examining the type of things you'll do to survive. There’s also heart pounding action alongside these philosophical musings, as this book focuses on Kaelyn and her group trying to avoid those who aim to hurt them.

At the end of the book I felt like some things were a tad open ended, but the way the trilogy ended still felt very right. There was definitely enough closure and a “happy for now” type of ending, or at least “at peace for now”. This is such an interesting and thought provoking trilogy, and I'd definitely recommend it to all YA fans.

The Cover:
Like it.

Rating:
[4/5]

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

Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine (Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway)

Before You Break by Christina Lee
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group)
Pages: 336
Series: Finding Fate #1
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Sometimes moving on means moving in.

Pixie Marshall wishes every day she could turn back time and fix the past. But she can't. And the damage is done. She's hoping that a summer of free room and board working with her aunt at the Willow Inn will help her forget. Except there's a problem: the resident handyman is none other than Levi Andrews. The handsome quarterback was once her friend-and maybe more--until everything changed in a life-shattering instant. She was hoping to avoid him, possibly forever. Now he's right down the hall and stirring up feelings Pixie thought she'd long buried . . .

Levi can't believe he's living with the one person who holds all his painful memories. More than anything he wants to make things right, but a simple "sorry" won't suffice--not when the tragedy that scarred them was his fault. Levi knows Pixie's better off without him, but every part of him screams to touch her, protect her, wrap her in his arms, and kiss away the pain. Yet even though she's so close, Pixie's heart seems more unreachable than ever. Seeing those stunning green eyes again has made one thing perfectly clear--he can't live without her.

My Thoughts:
Best Kind of Broken is the story of two people with a past relationship who, for some reason, have fallen apart. At first the interactions between Pixie (thankfully a nickname) and Levi are quite immature. It was definitely frustrating to see them treating each other badly, especially once you know the reason why and when you see how close they were in the past. I was frustrated with their interactions at times, but it became clear that both the characters were at a loss, blaming themselves for what happened, and not knowing how to deal with the consequences.

I liked the humour and tone of this book, and I was rooting for the characters to open up to one another and work through their issues together. Unfortunately the book didn’t really stand out from other similar New Adult titles. That disappointed me a bit, because I know from reading her other books that Chelsea Fine can write romance and chemistry that makes your heart ache. Overall, though, I thought this was a good story with great secondary characters.

The Cover:
Like.

Rating:
[3.5/5]

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

Praise for Best Kind of Broken:
"By turns humorous and heartbreaking, Best Kind Of Broken has become one of my favorites!"
--- CORA CARMACK, New York Times bestselling author of Losing It

"You'll fall for Pixie and Levi, just like I did!"
--- JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT (J. Lynn), #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wait For You

"Tangled with friendship, history and heartbreak--not to mention a huge dose of humor--Chelsea Fine's New Adult novel is not to be missed! Beyond an incredibly HOT read, Pixie and Levi's longing for each other will have you rooting for them till the very end."
--- JAY CROWNOVER, New York Times bestselling author of Rule

"This book destroyed me. Tore me into little tiny pieces. But somehow with lots of laughs and some very steamy times, Chelsea put me back together again! Chelsea Fine's style is witty, visceral and fresh. All I wanted to do was crawl inside this book and live with the characters. And now all I want is MORE."
--- CHELSEA M. CAMERON, New York Times bestselling author of My Favorite Mistake

"Sandwiched between laugh out loud moments and some serious heat, Best Kind of Broken is an unforgettable story of loss and forgiveness that will leave your heart aching."
--- LISA DESROCHERS, USA Today bestselling author of A Little Too Far

About the author:
Chelsea lives in Phoenix, Arizona where she spends most of her time writing stories, painting murals, and avoiding housework at all costs. She’s ridiculously bad at doing dishes and claims to be allergic to laundry. Her obsessions include: superheroes, coffee, sleeping-in, and crazy socks. She lives with her husband and two children, who graciously tolerate her inability to resist teenage drama on TV and her complete lack of skill in the kitchen.

Where to find Chelsea:
Website | Facebook | Twitter
YouTube | Instagram | Goodreads

EXCERPT:

Levi is so distracting. His arms are all raised, and his shoulders are all broad, and he’s fixing crap, and it’s just…it’s just…annoying.

With a huff and a puff and some choice words in my head, I grab my sliced bell peppers and force my feet to the stove. I throw the vegetables into a frying pan, grab a wooden spoon, and ignore Levi’s close proximity.

My body hums.

I ignore that too.

I steal a glance in his direction and watch as the corded muscles in his forearm flex as he unscrews something on the fire alarm box. Why does he have so many muscles in his forearm? That can’t be healthy.

I drop my eyes to the frying pan and focus on bell peppers, because bell peppers are interesting and they don’t have backs the size of Alaska or copious amounts of forearm muscles.

The forearm muscles that I’m not thinking about lightly brush my shoulder and the humming inside my body knots together and zips around like a bumblebee on crack.

I casually turn down the heat on the stove, like that’s the reason I’m suddenly a human vibrator, and go back to stirring. Levi goes back to screwing.

Bell peppers.

I’m thinking about bell peppers.

He brushes against me again, except this time his forearm grazes my breast and my body immediately goes wild like I’m some love-starved teenager and the humming dives low in my belly and the stove gets hotter and my breaths get shallow and suddenly bell peppers are the sexiest vegetable on earth.

From the corner of my eye, I catch his Adam’s apple bobbing with a nervous swallow, which can only mean one thing. The boob brush was an accident.

Well crap.

If he had been trying to cop a feel with his Hulkish forearm, I could have responded with some kind of snarky “you’re a pervert” comment. But it wasn’t on purpose and somehow that makes it sexier and now the cracked-out bumblebee is buzzing in my nether regions and my hands are starting to tingle and why the HELL is this stove so hot?

I turn the burner down another notch and take a slow, deep breath. I have a boyfriend. A great boyfriend. So this sexual frustration I feel around Levi is nothing to get my bee-loving panties in a bunch about. I just need to calm down.

Levi lowers his arm for a moment, his eyes still on the alarm, and stretches his neck.

Ah, the neck stretch. The universal sign of stress. Well at least I’m not alone in my frustration. My hot, distracting, pants-are-so-inconvenient frustration.

Wait, what?

Who said anything about pants? I am NOT thinking about pants—or lack thereof. Damn you, bell peppers!

I toss the wooden spoon to the side and move back to the counter where the threat of being turned on by a handyman or, you know, a sautéed vegetable is much less severe.

I bite back a groan. What was I thinking, living under the same roof as Levi? There’s no way I’ll survive the summer.

Hell, I can barely survive breakfast.

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Alienated by Melissa Landers

Alienated by Melissa Landers
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 352
Series: Alienated #1
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

My Thoughts:
This was such an enjoyable read! I liked how there were lighter and funnier moments, but that it also tackled serious issues, like systemic discrimination. The aliens are seriously looked down upon by people, to the extent of hate groups forming and demanding laws to banish them.

I really liked how Cara was so accepting of Aelyx, even when at first he was pretty solemn. It would have been so much easier for Cara to diss him and get acceptance from her whole community, but her actions show how strong a character she is. Aelyx is a very complex individual with a great character arc. He comes to Earth determined to hate all humans, looking down on them, but a certain redhead begins to change his mind with her thoughtfulness. I loved the personal relationship between these two, but I also loved what they represented with looking beyond appearances, not judging, etc.

Alienated has pretty much everything you could ask for. There are heart stopping action scenes, steamy kissing scenes, and it features a lovely friendship that slowly develops into something more. It also gives readers a lot to consider regarding discrimination, politics, and ethics, without going overboard and leaving readers feeling lost. This was such a great YA debut, and I look forward to seeing where the series will go next.

The Cover:
Like!

Rating:
[4.5/5]

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

Roomies by Sara Zarr & Tara Altebrando

Roomies by Sara Zarr & Tara Altebrando
Release Date: December 24, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 288
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

It's time to meet your new roomie.

When East Coast native Elizabeth receives her freshman-year roommate assignment, she shoots off an e-mail to coordinate the basics: television, microwave, mini-fridge. That first note to San Franciscan Lauren sparks a series of e-mails that alters the landscape of each girl's summer -- and raises questions about how two girls who are so different will ever share a dorm room.

As the countdown to college begins, life at home becomes increasingly complex. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives . . . and each other. Even though they've never met.

National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr and acclaimed author Tara Altebrando join forces for a novel about growing up, leaving home, and getting that one fateful e-mail that assigns your college roommate.

My Thoughts:
I absolutely LOVED this book. Seriously. Full stop LOVE. I just thought it was so perfect in so many ways. I adored what it had to say about friendship, romantic relationships, growing up, and change.

Roomies tells the story of two girls who are very, very different in many ways, but who also “get” each other on a larger level. I adored how their stories were so different, and yet both of them had a focus on family, boys, and friends.

What’s so fun about the relationship between EB and Lauren is that they only communicate by email up until the end. It really shows how it’s possible to grow a friendship online that’s very complicated, but also very meaningful. Speaking of meaningful, Roomies also features such perfect secondary characters. I especially adored Lauren’s family and EB's love interest, Matt.

For a relatively short book, Roomies covers so many important stories and truths. I loved how things were presented and examined. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot, but I also enjoyed the central theme of getting ready for college and preparing for change. While I enjoy a lot of New Adult books that are out there, Roomies touches on a lot of things that I wish more NA books would mention. This is the type of NA story that I find relatable.

The Cover:
I suppose it's appropriate, but I really don't care for it (maybe just the colours I don't like??).

Rating:
[5/5]

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