Tour Review: Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton

Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton
Release Date: June 24, 2014
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 320
Series: Cocktail #2
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

In this sequel to Wallbanger, the second book in the Cocktail series, fan favorites Caroline and Simon negotiate the rollercoaster of their new relationship while house-sitting in San Francisco.

Playing house was never so much fun—or so confusing. With her boss on her honeymoon, Caroline’s working crazy long hours to keep the interior design company running—especially since she’s also the lead designer for the renovation of a gorgeous old hotel on Sausalito. So with her hotshot photographer boyfriend gallivanting all over the world for his job, she and Simon are heavy-duty into “absence makes the heart grow fonder” mode. Neither has any complaints about the great reunion sex, though! Then Simon decides he’s tired of so much travelling, and he’s suddenly home more. A lot more. And wanting Caroline home more, too. Though their friends’ romantic lives provide plenty of welcome distraction, eventually Caroline and Simon have to sort their relationship out. Neither wants “out of sight, out of mind,” but can they create their own happy mid-ground cliché?

USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton delivers another delicious, frothy cocktail of a book, shaking up her characters, stirring in laugh-out-loud humor, and serving sizzling romance straight up!

My Thoughts:
First of all I must say that I love how this book is a continuation of Caroline and Simon’s story from Wallbanger. Alice Clayton has done that before in a romance series (the Redhead books), but most authors don't. Rusty Nailed is exactly what you would expect from a sequel to Wallbanger: charming, swoony, and, of course, hilarious.

A great thing about this book is that it’s very much about the romance and about Caroline and Simon growing and changing as a couple, but it’s also about their personal journeys. It’s about Simon facing his past, and about Caroline working towards her future with her job. On the romance side of things, I enjoyed so much that it’s a book about the “next stage” of a romance. In most romances we don’t get to see a committed (and very much in love) couple, so it was really awesome to see these characters trying to figure out what life together means: to see them figure out who they are as an “us”.

I also appreciated how Alice Clayton managed to write a couple going through things without completely tearing them apart or bringing cheating into the mix (at least in the case of the main couple). It would have been so easy to create unnecessary drama and tear Caroline and Simon apart, but that's not what happened here at all. Of course there are issues and some drama, because it wouldn’t be interesting without it, but I thought the book was a fair representation of both a couple's growing pains and their successes.

Overall, this was an amazing second chapter in Simon and Caroline’s story. I highly recommend this book to fans of Wallbanger, and I recommend both titles to adult romance fans who appreciate character depth and wit in their sexy books. I would also be remiss not to mention Clive, who is an absolutely amazing cat character. Seriously, this cat is epic, and his interactions with his humans? Priceless.

The Cover:
Not sure about the pastel, but overall it's okay.

Rating:
[4/5]

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

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 449
Series: n/a
Review Source: ARC from S&S Canada

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just... disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try... unless they could lead back to her best friend. Apple Picking at Night? Ok, easy enough.Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not? Kiss a Stranger? Wait... what?

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Um...

My Thoughts:
If you're a fan of contemporary YA and you haven't read Morgan Matson's books, your next task in life is to race to the bookstore and pick them up. Seriously. They are that good. Her books so, so charming and relatable, and Since You’ve Been Gone is no exception. Morgan’s books have a Sarah Dessen quality to them, which, in my opinion, is a huge compliment.

Since You’ve Been Gone is a great story of friendship, most of all, but it’s also a book about discovering yourself, about romance, and about family. The book intrigues readers from the beginning with the mystery of where Sloane and her family went, but it very quickly focuses on Emily as a character. It’s a book about who Emily was, who she is, and who she wants to be. It’s a summer of dares, of Emily stepping outside her comfort zone.

I love how Morgan Matson writes relationships, romantic and otherwise. The romance here is a total slow burn, but it’s completely epic. Emily’s summer is spent with Frank, and their friendship is so lovely. They have such a rapport, a complete understanding of one another. Their conversations were amazing, and their chemistry leapt off the page. All the secondary characters were fabulous too. I loved Dawn. I smiled at Collins and his wannabe pimp attitude that covered insecurity. Emily's brother Beckett and his need to climb everything was adorable. Em and Beck's parents were a bit clueless and obsessed with their play, but you could tell they loved their kids all the same.

Since You’ve Been Gone is a story about hidden layers. It’s about surprising yourself and others surprising you; who people seem to be isn’t always who they are. I loved the characters and how the story was told. I adored both of Morgan Matson’s previous books, so it was no surprise to me that I loved this one as well. Morgan Matson is absolutely an auto-buy author for me, a must read for all lovers of contemp YA. I highly recommend her books to fans of Sarah Dessen, Stephanie Perkins, and Leila Sales.

The Cover:
Awesome!

Rating:
[5/5]

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

Sempre by J.M. Darhower

Sempre by J.M. Darhower
Release Date: originally self-published 2012; ebook on November 25, 2013; paperback coming February 25, 2014
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 528
Series: Forever #1
Review Source: Edelweiss

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

A sexy novel about two seventeen-year-olds—one a victim of human trafficking; the other the son of the man who enslaved her—who fall in love and question everything they ever believed…
Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco grew up under vastly different circumstances. Haven, a second-generation slave, was isolated in the middle of the desert, her days full of hard work and terrifying abuse. Carmine, born into a wealthy Mafia family, lived a life of privilege and excess.

Now, a twist of fate causes their worlds to collide. Entangled in a web of secrets and lies, they learn that while different on the surface, they have more in common than anyone would think.

In a world full of chaos, where money and power rule, Haven and Carmine yearn to break free, but a string of events that began before either of them were born threatens to destroy them instead. Murder and betrayal are a way of life, and nothing comes without a price—especially not freedom. But how much will they have to sacrifice? Can they escape their pasts? And, most of all, what does it mean to be free

My Thoughts:
Looking back on my reading of this book I just think “ugh”, which is never a good thing. Full disclosure: I stopped reading Sempre at 70%, however I did skim through the rest, so I figure I have a right to share my thoughts (unlike a true DNF where I stop reading within the first 30% or so). I was intrigued by the idea of this book, but I mostly wanted to read it because bloggers whose taste I usually share were raving about it. Well, this is one case where we differ, because I definitely didn’t care for this one. I have to say, though, that it kept me reading that long (and this is a long book, so 70% is a lot of pages), and that’s something.

For this book to really work I think you have to be 100% behind the relationship between Haven and Carmine, and I just didn't really get their connection. They were cute together, I guess, but it felt like Carmine changed for no real reason, with no real trouble… but he was still a very complicated character. I didn’t really understand what made Haven care for him, except for the Stockholm Syndrome aspect of him being the first guy her age she’s ever really known, and the first person to treat her relatively well.

One thing that really distracted me about the book, and that I found problematic, was that Haven didn't worry about her mom more often. I could understand her not trying to escape her circumstances because she’s lived her whole life as a slave and doesn't really understand freedom, but to basically never think about her mom at all except in convenient scenes? Very strange. I was also confused by the way her intelligence was presented. She supposedly teaches herself how to read and soaks up information from Jeopardy like a sponge, which, okay, some people are like that. But then she would be completely naive about certain expressions or customs, while others, that seemed more obscure to me, she totally understood. Like can we talk about the cherry coke thing? Carmine asks her to get him a Cherry Coke, and Haven comes back with a Coke with real cherries in, which surprises Carmine. This clearly indicates that there was Cherry Coke in the fridge. Haven, why would you look past the pop can with PINK CHERRIES on it (no reading comprehension necessary) and instead go for regular Coke and add cherries to it? That is such a dumb little thing, but it really bugged me.

I guess the worst thing about this book, from my perspective, is that it was so high stakes -- like serious actual consequences happening, which I did appreciate -- but I never felt nervous or upset about things. I was actually pretty apathetic while characters were getting killed, and that’s a horrible way to feel. I think I was just so bored with repetitive scenes of things like cleaning the house and making dinner that by the time the action scenes were occurring I just didn’t care at all. The book is so incredibly long, and yet it feels like not a lot happens in it. Perhaps most frustrating of all was the fact that, despite its length, the book feels like it’s missing background information and character development -- you’re thrown into the situation without really knowing how it all works. For some books that can be awesome, but for this one it just felt confusing.

While there’s obviously something about Sempre that has made its readers praise it so much, I clearly missed out on that aspect. Sempre lured me in and made me give it chance after chance, but in the end I just couldn’t care enough to actually finish the book.

The Cover:
Not my fave, but it is very fitting.

Rating:
[2/5]

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

Playing Dirty by Jennifer Echols

Playing Dirty by Jennifer Echols
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Publisher: Pocket Books
Pages: 448
Series: Stargazer #2
Review Source: Edelweiss

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
A public relations expert tries to prevent the breakup of a raucous country band and corral their wild—and very sexy—lead singer in book 2 of the Stargazer Series.

As an expert in public relations crisis management—that is, babysitter to the stars—Sarah Seville just spent nine months in Rio trying to keep rock singer Nine Lives out of jail long enough to record his new album…and barely succeeded. Now she needs a triumphant success so she can keep the Manhattan-based job she loves. Trouble is, her new assignment is to travel to Alabama to prevent the breakup of the raucous country band The Cheatin’ Hearts, headed by sexy Quentin Cox. As she edges closer to Quentin, she discovers layers of secrets. It seems Quentin is taking the spin doctor for a spin.

The Cheatin’ Hearts have stayed on top of the charts two years following three rules. Rule One, no drugs. Rule Two, no sex with other band members. Rule Three, no sex with record company spies. Quentin figures he’d better follow the rules, because he made them. And because if you break a rule, you’re out of the band. But he can’t resist the record company’s beautiful PR agent, and inevitably he breaks Rule Three with hot Sarah Seville. As he falls for her, he finds out that she has plenty of secrets of her own, and one of them comes knocking on her door: what really happened to her in Rio.

My Thoughts:
I definitely liked the first book of this series (Star Crossed), but I loved this one. Usually I don’t like books where the main characters are lying to one another, but something about Sarah and Quentin was just perfect, even when they aren't being 100% truthful with one another.

There are such crazy antics going on in this book (drugged up past clients going after our heroine, massive lies within the Cheatin’ Hearts, etc) that it could have easily felt way over the top. Thankfully it didn't feel that way at all. All the elements came together and just worked so well, telling a crazy story, but an awesome one too.

I loved how Quentin wanted to appear one way to the public, and even to Sarah, but that he was so different underneath. The guy he really was was amazing, and I so enjoyed reading about him. I also liked how this book was romance focused, but that the band issues and Sarah doing her job were of equal importance. The band dynamic in this book was so much fun, and I loved seeing them work together, even with all their problems. Another big focus of the book was Quentin’s allergy and asthma issues. I haven’t read many books where this is such a serious issue, so it was really interesting to read about.

Overall, this was super enjoyable, and one of the best I've read from Jennifer Echols.

The Cover:
Cute!

Rating:
[4/5]

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

The Vow by Jessica Martinez

The Vow by Jessica Martinez
Release Date: October 15, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 432
Series: n/a
Review Source: Edelweiss

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
No one has ever believed that Mo and Annie are just friends. How can a guy and a girl really be best friends?

Then the summer before senior year, Mo’s father loses his job, and by extension his work visa. Instantly, life for Annie and Mo crumbles. Although Mo has lived in America for most of his life, he’ll be forced to move to Jordan. The prospect of leaving his home is devastating, and returning to a world where he no longer belongs terrifies him.

Desperate to save him, Annie proposes they tell a colossal lie—that they are in love. Mo agrees because marrying Annie is the only way he can stay. Annie just wants to keep her best friend, but what happens when it becomes a choice between saving Mo and her own chance at real love?

My Thoughts:
I’m not actually sure I’ve read a YA book where the boy/girl friendship actually stays platonic, so bravo to Jessica Martinez for that. I loved how deep the connection was between Annie and Mo and how much they felt for one another, while still keeping romance off the table. I really admired Annie’s resolve and her willingness to support Mo and keep him in the States. Her reasoning was selfish at times, but she was also willing to give up the thing she really wants, which I think says a lot.

The most interesting part of the book, for me, was the look at US immigration, and how families can be snatched up from their lives and everything they know because of a job loss. I was also fascinated by the dichotomy of Mo being "too foreign" to fit into small town Kentucky, and yet also being seen as "too American" by his relatives in Jordan. Mo was someone who didn’t truly fit in anywhere, and I was intrigued and saddened by that concept.

On the romance front I loved basically everything about Annie and Reed: how they were together, how they got each other, and how he gave her the benefit of the doubt. What I didn’t care for was all the drama with Annie’s family. What happened to Annie’s sister and how Annie’s parents acted seemed extraneous to the story. It almost deserved to be its own book where it could be discussed wholly and not as a side plot in another novel.

I did enjoy The Vow, and I think it’s well worth a read, but the story definitely felt too busy at times. I liked the characters and I felt for them, but I also wish that I had connected with them more.

The Cover:
I like it alright, but it's one of those covers I think will look way better in person.

Rating:
[3.5/5]

Find The Vow by Jessica Martinez on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano
Release Date: October 1, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 356
Series: The Internment Chronicles #1
Review Source: ARC from S&S Canada

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

My Thoughts:
This book has a very slow start. I was intrigued by the world and what was happening, and I was definitely curious where things would go, but I wasn't fully involved with the characters for the longest time. I think this is because the majority of the book is very internalized to what Morgan is thinking and feeling. Much of the book is her musings about Internment, the edge, below, and how she feels about her brother and the others in her life. There's a bit of a mystery as things are happening and we're wondering who is committing crimes and why. This added a bit of action to the book, and made me keep reading.

While I never grew to love Perfect Ruin, it became more and more engaging as it went on. I don't want to spoil where the story leads, because it is such a journey to get there, but toward the end there's a lot more action and things happening, rather than just ruminating about them. It’s a bit frustrating, actually, that the book ends right when things were getting incredibly interesting, even though it was a logical stopping point for the book. While the beginning was a bit rough, I did like the characters enough that I’ll be continuing on to Book 2 to see where things go, and to get some explanations.

The Cover:
I don't care for the photograph, but the illustrated design (which continues inside the book) is gorgeous!

Rating:
[3.5/5]

Find Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano on Goodreads, Book Depository, Chapters Indigo, Amazon.ca, & Amazon.com.