Review: If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Forman

Book Title: If I Stay (If I Stay #1)

Author: Gayle Forman

Published Date: April 2nd, 2009

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Genre: YA Contemporary

Series: Book 1 in If I Stay duology

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.

Stay, he says.

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it’s the only one that matters.

If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.

Disclaimer: Library book.

Review:

Oh boy, this book has been so hyped up recently due to the movie that is coming out very soon. I’ve watched the movie trailer about half a bazillion times and I knew I wanted to read the book first to decide if I really want to see the movie. I liked the book overall, but I didn’t love it the way I wanted to.

Normally I don’t like the lyrical writing style, but in this book it was effectively used and I found myself really liking the writing style. It was beautifully written throughout the entire book, which really made me happy. Beautiful writing both excites me and scares me because sometimes the writing is beautiful in order to cover up a book that is not very interesting overall. Yet it can also be a tool used to draw the reader right into the world of the book that’s being read.

I craved just a little more character development. It was decent but it wasn’t amazing like I was hoping it would be. Mia’s character development overall was stronger than Adam’s which bummed me out. I wanted to know more about Adam, but I really didn’t get what I wanted. With Mia, we knew what made her tick, who she spent most of her time with and what her passions were. We got some of that with Adam, but not as much.

I gotta say that I didn’t cry as much as I was expecting to. I got teary eyed a couple of times, but the time that really broke me is when Mia’s grandpa was sitting with her and telling her it was okay if she wanted to go. Full. On. Sobs. That absolutely broke my heart and I wanted to reach through the book and hug her grandpa.

I did enjoy the book and I’ll most likely be going to see the movie at some point. It was a quick read, but it was not at all, an easy read. If you haven’t read it yet, you definitely should. I’ll be giving this book 4 stars.

Review: Boomerang (Boomerang #1) by Noelle August

Book Title: Boomerang (Boomerang #1)

Author: Noelle August

Publish Date: July 8th, 2014

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Genre: NA/Romance

Series: Book 1 in Boomerang trilogy

Book Link: Goodreads

Pre-Order Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Welcome to Boomerang.com, the dating site for the millennial gen, with no-fuss, no-commitment matchups and where the action on the job is steamier than any random hookup

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

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

What began as a powerful connection between them is treated to a cold shower, courtesy of two major complications. First, Boomerang has a strict policy against coworkers dating. And second, they’re now competing for the same job opening in the fall.

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

Disclaimer: I received this book from William Morrow Paperbacks via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

Normally I am very picky about my NA that I chose to read. It just seems like every NA book follows a similar format. Man & woman meet and then spend the rest of the book in bed together. Boomerang was a wonderful surprise as it had two independent people who valued hard work, family and friends.

I loved Ethan. He came from a modest background, but he was close to his family and had friends that he always made time to see. He coached kids soccer, which I loved. A man who willingly helps kids in his spare time wins all kinds of brownie points in my book. Usually I don’t go for the athletic types, but damn Ethan was swoony.

Mia was awesome. Like Ethan, she was close to her family and always made time for her friends.Her family was more well off than Ethan’s was which lead to some potentially sabotaging moments for herself because she felt like Ethan needed the job more than she did. She had a grandmother with dementia which was clearly hard for her. I often wanted to just hug her. It was clear that she felt a closeness to her grandmother that had started at a young age.

Mia had two wonderful friends by the name of Beth and Skylar. They were absolutely not afraid to tell her exactly what she needed to hear. These ladies were the type of friends that all women need and I was glad that Mia had them in her corner.

“But with boys, you act like goddamn Sleeping Beauty. Like they’re the only ones with choices to make.”

Mia’s track record with men isn’t great, but the last thing she wants to do anymore is wait around for Ethan to come to her. She wants to chase him, pursue him. Only question is, after that wild night together, does he want something more? She knows Ethan’s the one she wants, but after Ethan’s ex, Alison comes back into the picture, she’s no longer sure if he really wants her.

“I want someone who just wants me, without question.” 

This book was incredibly hot and sexy. Really, this book should not be read in public unless you take some enjoyment out of getting all hot and bothered in public places. The sex scenes were tasteful without taking over the entire book. They were actually small pieces in a book that was primarily about friendships and work and family, which was a great surprise to me.

I was totally surprised by this book. Happily surprised, and it definitely didn’t hurt that Veronica Rossi co-authored this book. I am giving it five stars and I cannot wait for the next book in the trilogy to come out and dazzle me like this one did.

Review: Broken Beauty (Broken Beauty #1) by Chloe Adams

Book Title: Broken Beauty (Broken Beauty #1)

Author: Chloe Adams (real name Lizzy Ford)

Published Date: September 22nd, 2013

Publisher: Indie Inked

Genre: YA/Contemporary

Series: Book 1 in a 6 book series

Book Link: Goodreads

Purchase Link: Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads:

**Contains graphic content and the sensitive topic of rape and its aftermath. Not intended for teens under the age of 18.**

Sometimes bad things happen to beautiful people.

When socialite party girl Mia Abbott-Renou wakes up in a garden she has little recall of the previous night — except that she is naked…hurt…terrified. Not only has she been raped, but she knows one of her assailants: the son of a wealthy politician who happens to be her own father’s political ally.

Mia wants and needs justice. Except this privileged boy has an alibi and her father forbids her from going to the police. It’s a critical election year, one that his party might lose if his image as a doting father is soured due to Mia being labeled a lush or worse, promiscuous.

Devastated at not having the support of her family, Mia finds herself in a tug-of-war with her conscience over what to do, especially since she can’t remember exactly what happened that night. Worse, the men who attacked her have hurt several other girls, and Mia may be the key to stopping them.

Mia tries to forget, until the unthinkable happens, and she’s left reeling once again, faced with a new challenge that will force her to take more control of her life.

Originally published in October 2012 as “No Way Back” by Chloe Adams.

Disclaimer: I received this e-book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Review:

When I first started this book I had no idea that it was part one of a six part novella that had initially been one whole book.I only found that out after I finished reading it and was formatting this post.This book was horrifying and heartbreaking but it did send a very strong message,that no matter what,rape victims are strong and they are fighters. No matter what.Even if, like Mia, they have no family support.

That to me was really the most heartbreaking part. She had a politically minded family but they couldn’t put aside their politics to help her. That was awful and I cried SO much. The only people she seemed to be able to rely on are her best friend Ari and Dom, who was one of the detectives assigned to her case.The only family member that seemed to care about her at all was her uncle Chris.Very rarely are incles featured so prominently in books.This book or novella as it’s referred to,was different.

Normally I don’t like novellas all that much but this one was different. In 85 pages it brought out the feels in me so much. I was angry,heartbroken,happy and hopeful. It’s rare to have all of those feelings in such a short book which is why I am giving it five stars. I eagerly await the next installment of this series.