Two Young Adult Tear-Jerker Mini-Reviews

These are two YA books that I read and cried even as I enjoyed them more than anything this January.  All of them got 5 stars from me.

Without Merit by Colleen Hoover:

Published:  October 3rd, 2017
Source:  Purchased paperback/listened to digitally downloaded audiobook from Library
My Rating:  5 stars

I purchased this book when I finally got the chance to meet Colleen Hoover, one of the authors on my must-meet list since I first read one of her books about two years ago.  It was a little later before I finally got around to reading this, because I really wanted to listen to the audiobook from the library, even though I owned a physical copy of the book.  The characters were all so unique and they just jumped right off the pages.  This was one really messed up family. But we start out not knowing exactly what all those issues are.  And then this guy named Luck shows up, and I loved him!  He made me laugh so much!  Although later in the book he does do something that made me very angry.  The book just got weirder and weirder as it went.  The craziness just piled on to this family. And then it took a turn I totally didn't see coming!  One that had me in tears and at about 35% in the audiobook, I gave up and just picked up the book to start reading.  I can read so much faster than it takes to listen to the audiobook.  Halfway through she had me sobbing so hard I could barely see through my tears to keep reading.  ANd I had to stay up and read, couldn't go to bed without getting past a certain point.

A couple things that I loved, there's a funny fact in the book about how you can't hum when you're holding your nose closed.  I want to know who actually read that part and didn't then actually try it.  I admit it, I tried!  Then there is a quote about not trusting an overconfident person, and I totally agree with that 100% from all my past experiences in life.  And because I just have to share it, here is my picture with Colleen Hoover!

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Not every mistake deserves a consequence. Sometimes the only thing it deserves is forgiveness.

The Voss family is anything but normal. They live in a repurposed church, newly baptized Dollar Voss. The once cancer-stricken mother lives in the basement, the father is married to the mother’s former nurse, the little half-brother isn’t allowed to do or eat anything fun, and the eldest siblings are irritatingly perfect. Then, there’s Merit.

Merit Voss collects trophies she hasn’t earned and secrets her family forces her to keep. While browsing the local antiques shop for her next trophy, she finds Sagan. His wit and unapologetic idealism disarm and spark renewed life into her—until she discovers that he’s completely unavailable. Merit retreats deeper into herself, watching her family from the sidelines when she learns a secret that no trophy in the world can fix.

Fed up with the lies, Merit decides to shatter the happy family illusion that she’s never been a part of before leaving them behind for good. When her escape plan fails, Merit is forced to deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth and losing the one boy she loves.

Miss Me Not by Tiffany King:

Published:  November 11th, 2012
Source:  Purchased ebook
My Rating:  5 stars 

This is one I downloaded because there is a page in my romance author coloring book.   Now, honestly, the picture in the coloring book doesn't quite match the way the story was.  I loved the story though. So many wonderful emotional scenes to this story.  While the other book I read by the author, The Write Stuff, was more New Adult, this was really YA.  I wish it was one I could purchase for my school library with school funds, but I would have to order it from Amazon with my own money and then wait to get my district to catalog it.  This book was so good that as I was reading it, I would tell myself just one chapter before bed, but before I knew it, I'd read way past the time I had meant to go to bed because of work the next day.  I loved Dean, and totally felt for Madison.  Really a great read.  It does deal with suicide and depression, so that is important for those who need trigger warnings I guess.  Oh yeah, here is my finished page from the coloring book.  You can see it looks kind of sweet and cheerful, and honestly this was a pretty dark story, lots of tears on my part!

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
Madison Hanson's past demons have given her a shadow of an existence with little hope. With the sudden tragic death of a fellow student, Madison questions her own life choices, and is now forced to evaluate everything she thought she believed in. 

When fate intervenes and partners her with Dean Jackson, a popular "all around good guy" from school, Madison gets a glimpse of a life that is filled with sunshine that has the power to break through the darkness she has cloaked herself in. 

With Dean's help, Madison discovers a desire to finally step out of the shadows, and embrace life and all its gifts. 

Four Romance Mini-Reviews

Okay, here go a few more mini-reviews.  This time they range from a Colleen Hoover book that actually is kind of a YA book, as the main characters are high schoolers, to a more risque book from Laurelin Paige and Sierra Simone.

Hopeless (Hopeless #1) by Colleen Hoover:

Published:  December 17th, 2012
Source:  Received book from giveaway
My rating:  5 stars

I can't remember for sure if I got this either from a giveaway, or possibly through one of the exchange groups I've participated in.  But as usual, Hoover's story blew me away. She kept me guessing for over half of the story on how in the world Holden could have known Sky without her knowing him.  And when the story finally unfolded, it was really good.  In the end the way it all played out was very suspenseful, kept me on the edge of my seat, and so hard to put down!  Another great book by Hoover.  I've got a copy of the third book in the series, I just need book 2 so I can move on!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

The Undateable (Librarians in Love #1) by Sarah Title:

Published:  February 28th, 2017
Source:  Stripped cover from bookstore where I work
My rating:  4 stars

Honestly, this story could be about me.  I am pretty undateable, and I am a librarian.  I am just like the main character in that I pretty much feel like why should I have to change myself to get someone to like me? They should like me the way I am, right?  I'm not a big feminist person like she is, but other than that, I'm probably just like her.  Of course, I need to lose some weight, if I was at the correct weight, I'd definitely be her.  I have decided that maybe I do need to try a little bit if I hope to meet someone.  :-)   This was a sweet story, pretty much left the sex out, except for one or two bits.  And that's fine.  It was humorous and fun to read.  We got both Bernie's and Colin's points of view, and that made for a good way to enjoy the story.  This is the first in a series that I'll be looking forward to continuing to read, again because I'm a librarian, and it is about librarians in love.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
One San Francisco librarian would rather check out a good romance than dare to experience it herself. Luckily, her own next chapter is full of surprises…

Melissa “Bernie” Bernard isn’t familiar with fame. After all, she works at a college library with hardly any visitors. But when a video of a marriage proposal in her stacks goes viral, it’s not the bride and groom who capture the Internet’s attention. It’s Bernie—caught rolling her eyes. Now, just as she’s ready to go into hiding and permanently bury her nose in a book, a handsome reporter appears with a proposal of his own…

If Colin Rodriguez doesn’t do something big to attract new readers, his boss will hire someone else to dole out dating advice. Determined to prove he’s an expert at romance—despite his own pitiful track record—he pitches a story: He will find dates for the undateable. Specifically, for the now-infamous, love‑hating librarian at Richmond College.

Even though Bernie doesn’t believe in happily-ever-afters, she’s not one to resist a good challenge. Yet with one disastrous date after another, she’s ready to give up. Until Colin proves he’ll do anything to find her the perfect match—even if it means putting himself up for the role…

Tight by Alessandra Torre:

Published:  January 31st, 2015
Source:  Received as part of The Great Paperback PIF Exchange group
My rating:  4 stars

So, I assumed, based on the title, that this was going to be an extremely sexy, erotica type of story.  And don't get me wrong, it definitely had sexy scenes in it.  However, it was not at all about what I thought it was going to be.  We get the story from two different viewpoints, or I guess you could say from two different time periods.  One is Riley, and that is who the synopsis below is about.  The other is from a woman who has been kidnapped and sold into the sex slave business.  This woman also is in love with Brett Jacobs.  We don't learn exactly who she is till the very end, in a very unique twist.  There are hints all throughout the story, but let me tell you that it isn't what you think.  It's a dark read, and of course it does come with a warning at the beginning for those who need a warning.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
I was happy in my small town. In my life as a single, thirty-two year old woman. I had a good job, wonderful friends, my independence.

I also hadn't got laid in three years. Hadn't been on a date in two. Had stopped counting calories and wearing makeup... a while ago.

Then Brett Jacobs waltzed in. Caressed my thigh, dug rough fingers into my hair, lowered his soft mouth to my skin, took sexual control of my mind and stirred it all around with what he packed in his pants. He flipped my quiet life upside down and crawled into a place in my heart I thought was dead.

The issue is his secret.
The issue is her.
The issue is that I don't even know she exists, and he thinks she's dead.
The issue is that shit is about to hit the fan and I can't hold on to him tight enough.

Porn Star (P*rn Star #1) by Laurelin Paige and Sierra Simone:

Published:  March 8th, 2016
Source:  Purchased from author at 2016 Kinky in Kansas City Convention.
My rating:  5 stars

Okay, basically this is a sweeter, romantic version of the movie Boogie Nights, without all the drugs.  You really like the characters, you definitely root for them both.  It takes a good look at how women are treated in the industry, but also makes you think about how it may not be as horrible as it seems if it could be run by more people who had the art and film part of it in mind instead of being sleazy.  But that's just an opinion.  In the end, it is a happy ending.  It definitely has very sexy scenes, not really as much when they are filming, as when the two of them are on their dates.  

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
You know me. 

Come on, you know you do. 

Maybe you pretend you don’t. Maybe you clear your browser history religiously. Maybe you pretend to be aghast whenever someone even mentions the word porn in your presence. 

But the truth is that you do know me. 

Everybody knows Logan O’Toole, world famous porn star. 

Except then Devi Dare pops into my world, and pretty soon I’m doing things that aren’t like me—like texting her with flirty banter and creating an entire web porn series just so I can get to star in her bed. Again. And again. 

With Devi, my entire universe shifts, and the more time I spend with her, the more I realize that Logan O’Toole isn’t the guy I thought he was. 

So maybe I'm not the guy you thought I was either.

Five New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance Mini-Reviews

Up until now, most of the mini-reviews I've done in one post have been e-books.  About the only time I've done more than one physical book mini-reviews in the same blog post is when they were part of a series.  Well, as you've been hearing me say, I'm soooo far behind on reviews, that I've decided to do some grouping together of books and get some reviews done. So you'll get my thoughts on the book, and instead of my normal personal synopsis, I'll just share the one from Goodreads. 

Point of Retreat (Slammed #2) by Colleen Hoover:

My rating:  5 stars
I got this book by asking a fellow bookstore employee to pick up the bargain copy at the Barnes and Noble store close to where she lived, since the one that we work at didn't have any in stock.  At first I didn't enjoy this as much as the first one, but then something happened that I totally didn't see coming and it really grabbed me.  I don't know if I'll go on and read the next book, since I think it is just the original book, Slammed, told from Will's point of view instead of Layken's.  But who knows.  If you want to read my review of Slammed, you can go HERE.

Layken and Will have managed to overcome the obstacles that threatened to destroy their love, proving that they are destined for one another. What they are about to learn, however, is that the things that have brought them together may be the very things that ruin their connection forever...

Layken is left second-guessing the relationship whilst Will is jumping over hurdles to prove his love for her. What the young lovers discover about themselves along this journey may change their entire world, and the lives of those who depend upon them the most...

The Secret of Ella and Micha (The Secret #1) by Jessica Sorenson:

My Rating:  4 stars
This book is one that I found at either the Dollar Tree store. It made me want to read more books by the author.  It wasn't exactly what I'd expected, but I did read it very quickly and am glad that I have the 2nd book ready to go as soon as I get a chance.

If you loved Beautiful Disaster then you're ready to discover . .

THE SECRET OF ELLA AND MICHA

A rule-breaker with a fiery attitude, Ella always wore her heart on her sleeve. Then she left everything behind to go to college, where she transformed into someone who follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. Now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home. But once there, Ella fears that everything she's worked so hard to bury might resurface-especially with Micha living right next door.

Smart, sexy, and confident, Micha can get under Ella's skin like no one else. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. If he tries to tempt the old Ella to return, he will be impossible to resist. But what Ella doesn't realize is that when she left, she took a piece of Micha's heart with her. Now he's determined to win back the girl he lost, no matter what it takes.

Deceiving Lies (Forgiving Lies #2) by Molly McAdams:

My rating:  4.5 stars
The first book in this series is the one that won me back over to this author after I'd been disappointed in the first book I'd read by her.  You can read my review of Forgiving Lies HERE.   This second book wasn't as good as the first one, probably because a lot of it was spent with the two main characters apart.  But, it was still so good that when I picked it up to read while taking a bubble bath, I didn't stop reading for an hour, yeah, the water was definitely not hot anymore by the time I finished.  But I didn't notice because of how into the story I was.  I did get this book and the first one both in the bargain section at the Barnes and Noble where I work part-time.

Rachel is supposed to be planning her wedding to Kash, the love of her life. After the crazy year they've had, she's ready to settle down and live a completely normal life. Well, as normal as it can be. But there's something else waiting—something threatening to tear them apart.

Kash is ready for it all with Rach. Especially if all includes having a football team of babies with his future wife. With his line of work, he knows how short life can be, and doesn't want to waste another minute of theirs. But now his past as an undercover narcotics agent has come back to haunt him ... and it's the girl he loves who's caught in the middle.

Trent Cruz's orders are clear: take the girl. But there's something about this girl that has him changing the rules and playing a dangerous game to keep her safe. When his time as Rachel's protector runs out, he will turn his back on the only life he's known, and risk everything, if it means getting her out alive. 

Easy Love (Boudreaux #1) by Kristen Proby:

My rating:  4 stars
I got this book when I got to meet the author back at NOLA StoryCon in October.  I was definitely grabbed by the story in this book pretty quickly.  As I read, I realized the place that the main character was staying was very close to where I stayed when I was in New Orleans for the convention, and when she gets mugged, well, let's just say it made me think maybe I shouldn't have been walking around at night so much by myself.  Oh well.  Nothing to do about it now!  But I'm definitely going to read more in this series for sure.

Eli Boudreaux’s family has built ships and boats in Louisiana for generations. He comes from a hard working, wealthy family and his empire is growing by leaps and bounds. At thirty, he is the youngest CEO to ever head Bayou Enterprises, co-chairing with his eldest brother. His head for business and his no-nonsense work ethic is also quickly making him the best the company has seen in generations. His staff admires him, women adore him and Eli’s family is solid. But he’s recently discovered that someone on the inside of his business is stealing from him and he’s determined to find out who.

Kate O’Shaughnessy is hired by companies all over the world to slip inside and investigate every member of the organization from the CEO down to the custodial staff to find the person or persons responsible for embezzling. She’s excellent at blending, becoming part of the team, and finding the weakest link. She’s smart, quick-witted, and she’s now been hired by Bayou Enterprises, specifically Eli Boudreaux. The attraction is immediate and the chemistry is off the charts, but Kate has heard all about Eli’s playboy past and she has a job to do. Sleeping with the boss isn’t a part of that job, even if just the sound of her name rolling off that Cajun tongue and the way he fills out a designer suit does make her sweat.

Eli’s southern charms surprise Kate. The man whose reputation labels him as a ruthless, callous womanizer is not the man she’s coming to know intimately. He’s generous, protective and makes her smile. Cracking through Kate’s cool, reserved demeanor and discovering her love of sexy, expensive lingerie is a challenge Eli can’t resist, but her sweet nature, love of family and sense of humor pull at him in ways no one else ever has.

But when the person responsible for trying to single-handedly dismantle Eli’s empire comes to light, and it’s time for Kate to move on, to what lengths will Eli go to keep the woman he’s fallen in love with by his side? 

Sins and Needles (The Artist's Trilogy #1) by Karina Halle:

My rating:  5 stars
I first learned of this author when I downloaded and read the book Smut, which I loved and you can read my review of HERE.  Shortly after I read and fell in love with Smut, I found out that the author is going to be at ApollyCon in Marcy, and I can't wait to meet her now!  I will have to buy a copy of Smut too before I go.  Anyway, I ordered this book into my bookstore to buy, and this book was really good too. Although I knew that Camden was going to catch Ellie robbing him, it's in the synopsis, when it happened, it was still really sad.  But I really enjoyed the book, could barely put it down when I needed to in order to get to bed.  Now I just have to get ahold of the 2nd one to read on!

There's a Fine Line Between Sin and Salvation . . . Ellie Watt is a woman on the run. Raised by a pair of thieves who taught her the art of the grift-and pursued by a mobster who fell for her con-she hopes to find refuge at her uncle's farm in quiet Palm Valley, California. Ellie swears she's through with her life of crime. But before she knows it, she's right back in the game when she meets an easy mark who's too good-and too hot-to be true. His name is Camden McQueen. A master tattoo artist and a total inked stud, Camden is nothing like the awkward kid who crushed on Ellie back in high school. Now, as owner of the wildly successful Sins & Needles, he's got tats to kill for, muscles to die for, and money to burn. Ellie can't believe the transformation-and can't resist pulling off one last con. But when Camden catches Ellie red-handed, the tables are turned. The mark becomes the master. And when the ultimate player gets played, you never know who's going to end up on top . . . 

Audiobook Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Book info:
Title:  It Ends With Us  
Author:  Colleen Hoover
Genre:  Romance
Published:  August 2nd, 2016
Source:  Digital audiobook downloaded from public library
My rating:  5 stars

Once again I know why I love Colleen Hoover.  This book.  I don't know if I can even express how good this book was.  So often, because they are fiction, relationships work out, even dysfunctional ones like the one in this book.  I can even relate it to one of my newest favorite books, the After series.  But this book is how it should work out.  While it may actually not be realistic for how people do handle this in the real world, it is the way it should be.  No matter how much I believed that at first the problems were accidents, and that Ryle wasn't really a bad guy, soon it became exactly what those things do.  And it totally helped me, as someone who has not ever been in that kind of situation, to understand where those first forgiving moments by the woman, which sound like excuses, really do make sense. Because I was there at first as well.  

The main character in this is Lily.  Lily grew up in a family with an abusive father.  When we first meet her it is right after her father's funeral.  It is at this point that she meets Ryle for the first time.  Both of them are dealing with things that are very emotional for them.  Ryle, as a doctor, has lost a patient, a kid, and it makes him think of something that happened in his past.  Something that was one of the reasons he even became a doctor.  At first they have just one chance meeting.  But is this very meeting that inspires Lily to take the money she gets from her father's will and invest it in something that is one of her dreams, to open a flower shop.  It is through this endeavor that Ryle will come back into her life.  When Ryle's sister shows up and becomes friends with Lily, once again their paths cross.  But Lily doesn't want a casual relationship, she's not that kind of girl.  Ryle doesn't want any more than that.  Something about Lily keeps him thinking about her, and he decides to give it a try.  

Through the book we also get flashbacks to a boy in Lily's past that really was a big influence in who she has become, a boy named Atlas, who was also her first love.  She runs into him while out with Ryle one night, and it really does a number. But he seems to be doing very well for himself, and has moved on.  So she goes on with her relationship with Ryle, and it keeps hitting rough spots.  First it is an accident where he burns his hands grabbing a pan out of the oven without an oven mitt, and when Lily goes to help him, he elbows her back, slamming her and the glass dish to the floor where she is hurt, and he is as well.  This incident to me was such an accident.  But what he did gave Lily flashbacks to memories of how her father had abused her, and she told Ryle that she would not be treated like that.  She wouldn't be like her mother and just take the abuse.  So she gives him another chance.  And the relationship goes from there.  

Atlas does come clean about things for him not being quite as perfect as he's made her believe.  But he makes her promise if anything ever happens again, then she is to call him for help.  He leaves her his phone number.  But is finding this phone number that causes yet another incident.  

I won't tell you any more about how it goes.  I just feel like it was done so perfectly.  I don't watch The Ellen Show very often anymore.  This book has so many memories of Lily watching it, as well as the diary entries that she wrote as if she was writing to Ellen, that I think Ellen should have her on the show if she hasn't.  As much as I loved how it went, I still was sad that it had to be that way.  But this is what you call realistic fiction.  And Colleen Hoover has once again blown me away.  

Waiting on Wednesday: Love Between the Lines Coloring Book by Christina Collie

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.  My pick this week is a little unusual, it isn't a book to read, it is a book to color!  I actually discovered this first from a cover reveal post on Bookhounds.  Now, I do actually participate and enjoy the new coloring craze.  But when I saw that this book would have drawings inspired by one of my favorite authors, Anna Todd, as well as some other awesome authors, I was sold.  I MUST have this!  Only problem?  It's not out till November!!!  I really need it now.  Here's the blurb from Goodreads:

Fall in love all over again with this adult coloring book featuring 45 hand-drawn illustrations inspired by romance novels from bestselling writers Colleen Hoover, Anna Todd, S.C. Stephens, Abbi Glines, K. Bromberg, Jodi Ellen Malpas and more. Sit back, grab your pens and markers, and get ready to explore LOVE BETWEEN THE LINES.

 
In the pages of this book you will find:
· Designs to help you relax and reduce stress
· Hidden images and book quotes
· Each design printed on a separate page
· Elaborate drawings s as well as quickie pages for when you just have a few minutes to color

Illustrations inspired by the works of:

Anna Todd, Jodi Ellen Malpas, Colleen Hoover, S.C. Stephens, Abbi Glines, K. Bromberg, Claire Contreras, Jillian Dodd, Amy Harmon, Tiffany King, R.K. Lilley, Molly McAdams, Tara Sivec, Alessandra Torre, Mia Sheridan, J. Sterling, Katy Evans, Emma Chase, S.L. Jennings, K.A. Linde, Beth Ehemann, Tarryn Fisher, Karina Halle, Helena Hunting, Leisa Rayven, Madeline Sheehan, and K. A. Tucker

I can't even express just how excited I am by this!  I mean look at that list of authors!  Have you joined into the new coloring craze yourself?  Are you a fan of any of the authors this book features work inspired by?  What book are you eagerly awaiting this week?

Review: Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Book info:

Title:  Slammed
Author:  Colleen Hoover
Series: Slammed
Genre:  NA Contemporary Romance
Published:  January 5th, 2012
Source:  From OTSP Secret Sister

This is an older Colleen Hoover title, compared to the first one I read.  But it is just as good, and continues to cement my love of this author's work.  As a teacher myself, I often have some issues with any kind of relationship between teacher and student, but in this book, it works for me because of their ages and definitely their circumstances.

The main character is Layken.  Her father recently passed away unexpectedly, and so her family, which includes her mother and younger brother, have moved to where a friend of her mother's lives.  On basically the first day there, Layken meets the neighbors across the street, a little boy who is the same age as her brother and immediately they become best friends.  And also his older brother, Will, who is his brother's guardian, as they lost both of their parents.  Layken is 18, and Will is 21, and there is an instant attraction between the two of them.  Will is very much into poetry slams, and takes Layken to one shortly after they meet. And then, when Layken finally starts at the local school for the end of her senior year, their relationship hits a big obstacle.  Turns out that Will is going to be one of Layken's teachers.  

Of course this means that they can't keep dating.  As Will is the guardian for his brother, and the only family left, he cannot lose this job that helps him take care of his brother.  Yes, Will is kind of young to already be a teacher.  It seems as if this is a bit of an internship type of job, and that he will be guaranteed a job as long as he does well.  Will must put his brother first, and so he tells Layken that they can't be together anymore.  Layken tries to stay away, even thinks about switching classes.  Until Will realizes it isn't fair to make her do that, and they will just have to try to go to a teacher-student/neighbor relationship, at least for the rest of the year.

Of course it isn't just this relationship that will cause Layken stress.  Something to do with her family will cause her life to turn upside down, and she will turn to Will for comfort. And while the two of them are able to do their best to stay platonic, in the end they will have to admit their feelings and decide how to handle them in a way that won't destroy both of their lives. 

I loved the romance, and the book ended so good, but left me so eager to read on since this is a series I guess.  So now I'll have to get a copy of the 2nd book.  Once again I am going to suggest that if you haven't read Colleen Hoover yet, you need to grab one of her books and get started!  Another great emotional romance from this author! 

NA Audiobook Review: Confess by Colleen Hoover

This was my next audiobook that I checked out from the library. Ever since I first listened to November 9, I have become a huge fan of Colleen Hoover.  And this book didn't disappoint. 

There are two main characters that the story is told by in alternating chapters.  First is Auburn, and when we first meet her she is young, and visiting her dying boyfriend in the hospital.  Then in Chapter 1, she is in a meeting with a lawyer, and trying to figure out how she can come up with the money to do what she wants.  We aren't told what she has asked him to do, and we don't find out for quite a while actually.  She has just moved to Texas.  On her way home from the lawyer's office, she notices a help wanted sign in the window of a building that is covered with people's confessions.  As she stands there reading some of them, and wondering what the job might possibly entail, the door opens, and we meet Owen.

Owen is an artist, and he uses the confessions that people leave at his studio to create paintings.  He is getting ready to have his monthly show that very evening, and he needs someone to help him work it.  You see, it had been his girlfriend, who just broke up with him. So he needs someone right away.  He convinces Auburn to stay and work, since he is paying $200 for one night's work, she can't very well say no to that.

But somehow it seems that Owen knows Auburn from before.  We know that it has something to do with when she was in Texas visiting her boyfriend.  But it takes a while before it comes out exactly where and how he knows her.  This first night, working the art show, something between them seems to click.  For both of them. And Owen walks Auburn home after taking her to the bar across the street for a late dinner after the show.  The scene at Auburn's apartment is really cute.  Especially the part where he doesn't seem to want to leave, even once the door is almost closed.  They set a date for the following evening.  But it turns out that something happens, and Owen never shows.  They didn't exchange phone numbers, so she has no way to even call him after she is stood up in the restaurant. 

It turns out that Owen was arrested for drugs.  Something that when Auburn finds out, about a month later, it really changes whether she can be around him.  It doesn't change the connection she feels, but it is a problem for what she is wanting to do with her life.  There is another guy in her life, Trey, and he is the brother of her boyfriend that passed away when she was younger.  He is a policeman, and he seems to be interested in Auburn.  She has never really felt that way about him.  I mean, he's the brother of who she loved!  But with all the issues that Owen has that could mess up Auburn's plans, she decides that she has to let Trey in, and give a relationship with him a try.  Not only does Auburn's roommate not like Trey, Owen warns her about Trey. 

Such an emotional story.  The reason why Owen had the drugs is not what it seems, it is not such a bad thing, and actually shows what a great caring guy he is.  The reason for Auburn going to a lawyer is so heartbreaking and you are just rooting for her so much!  And then, the end, what Trey does, it's just wow.  A very intense ending, but another happy one. 

Colleen Hoover is a great writer, and I look forward to reading more and more of her books.  And hopefully one day I can meet her.

Audiobook Review: Maybe Someday (Maybe #1) and Maybe Not (Maybe #1.5) by Colleen Hoover

Another audiobook success, leads to another new favorite author for me, Colleen Hoover. And it's really cool that she's on tour over in Italy with my other favorite new author, Anna Todd, because I get to follow them both!  I can only hope that if I ever get the chance to meet one of them, they'll be together so that I can meet them both at whatever signing I go to.  Unfortunately, I've not noticed Hoover to be as interactive with her fans as Todd is.  :-(  While these books say they are a series on Goodreads, nowhere do I see anything about there being a book 2.  I can only hope there is, because I totally loved this one.  There will be one fact that I will have to give away, and it is kind of a tiny spoiler for the first 15% of the book.  But without knowing that, it makes it really hard for me to express just what I love about the book so much.  And I decided to do the reviews for both of these books together in one post.

Maybe Someday

So, there are two main characters. First is Sydney, and when we first meet her in the book, she's sitting outside her apartment in the rain on her birthday, after finding out that her boyfriend and roommate/best friend are sleeping together.  The other main character, Ridge, is kind of her friend, he lives in the apartment building across from where she did live, and she has only ever communicated with him by text.  You see he sits outside on his balcony and plays his guitar loud enough that she could hear it when sitting on her balcony.  She loved listening to him, his original songs, and she would even make up her own lyrics and sing them to herself as she would sit and study while listening to him play.  At the beginning of the book, Ridge invites Sydney to come stay with him and get out of the rain, because he sees that she sends the taxi away, which she has to do because she left her purse in her apartment.  Sydney is still mad at Ridge, and doesn't want to go up, until one of his roommates, a girl named Bridgette, comes and takes her suitcase and leads her up to the apartment.  For some reason Bridgette decides that Sydney must be deaf, and treats her like that, yelling at her when she's talking to her.  You see Sydney is mad at Ridge, because he knew that her boyfriend had been cheating on her.

Once inside Ridge's apartment, Sydney is confused when he doesn't speak to her, but only texts her.  And that, *SPOILER* is because Ridge is deaf.  This leads to all kinds of interesting things.  I mean of course she first wonders how he can play the guitar so well when he can't hear.  And then as they begin to hang out, she has to learn how to communicate with him, as well as she is so curious about what it is like for him.  And with Sydney, he is able to try to hear/feel her singing, and he does it by placing his ear right up against her chest and feeling the vibrations.  Of course this is a very intimate thing to do, and both of them begin to feel an attraction.  *END OF SPOILER*

So of course there is a problem once Sydney gets over her issue with Ridge, he has a girlfriend. So while he is definitely attractive, and she feels attracted to him, after what happened with her boyfriend, she doesn't want to be the other woman, and she doesn't want to make any other woman feel that way.  And Ridge, well his girlfriend is deaf, and he only wants to do whatever he can to take care of her, after all that she's had to deal with in her life.  Of course living together, with the girlfriend not nearby, and only visiting every couple weeks can lead to attraction growing between Sydney and Ridge, even as much as they fight it and refuse to give in.  They even begin a little game to help themselves fight it. Whenever they begin to get those feelings, they ask the other one for a flaw to help them be disgusted or not think of them as highly.  They do this through texts and also on Facebook chats.  

Oh yeah, I never told you why Sydney and Ridge started texting each other from their balconies in the first place.  Ridge was having trouble writing lyrics for his band's songs, and when he sees Sydney singing along, he asks her to tell him her lyrics.  And he is amazed by them.  He uses this opportunity to get help with the lyrics, and it also ends up helping her when she needs a place to live after leaving her apartment to get away from her cheating boyfriend and traitor of a roommate/best friend.  

I've seen some reviews saying this book is all about cheating, and in a way you could say that. BUT!  These people are the way I believe I would be.  With neither of them wanting to hurt his girlfriend, who he still loved, I think they handled it the best they could up until you know, well they have to be found out.  And the way his girlfriend deals with it, I believe it could be realistic as well in how it all plays out.  

There were parts of this that weren't so angsty and sad.  There were parts, before it got that way, as well as all the way through, that had me laughing so hard while listening to it at the gym, that I had to cover my mouth to try to keep the people around me from thinking I was crazy.  The roommates that are already living there, Bridgette who we've already met, and Warren who is one of Ridge's oldest friends, they lend such a great levity to the story.  Bridgette is basically a bitch.  She is really beautiful, and works at Hooters, and behaves like you'd expect a character like this to act.  Warren is hilarious, he is kind of the lovable, yet seemingly constantly horny guy, who is always watching porn on the TV in the apartment.  The pranks that they all play on each other, the things they do and say to each other, exactly the type of people I love to hang around with.  And Ridge's girlfriend is such a sweetheart, you love her, and that makes it so hard to root for Sydney in the end.

Maybe Not:

This book is told from Warren's point of view.  Good old loveable Warren!  In the first book we kind of knew that he had a bit of a thing going on with Bridgette.  We also know that the two probably had more feelings for each other than they let on, that it was more than just a friends with benefits, or just hookup type of relationship.  

In this second book we get to see how Warren first meets Bridgette, we learn there is a reason why she came to live with them in the first place.  At the beginning, Ridge's brother Brennan still lives there. And it turns out there is a connection between Brennan and Bridgette, not romantic, but one that makes him want to let her stay, and makes him want to help her out.  

We get to know more about Bridgette, although this book is all told from Warren's point of view.  And wow, do I love Warren!  Other than one bit in the first book that really upset me with him, he soon redeemed himself again, and it made sense why he did what he did.  This book is also fun to see all the pranks that get done to him by the other people in the house, not to mention we find out just why he is always watching porn.  But it's not just a fun book, there are definitely some heavy emotions in this one, as Warren tries to get Bridgette to come over to the side of giving him a chance of more than just being sex buddies.  


All in all, I love all the characters, and I could definitely hope that there would be more in the series.  I can think of at least one other character, like Brennan, Ridge's brother, who I'd love to see a book about.  And others, but I'll leave  those unmentioned so as not to do any more spoilers. 

Audiobook Review: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

This is going to be a hard review to write because of the amount of love I have for this book, not to mention just how much of a book hangover it gave me, one that I still get twinges from once in awhile.  This was the last audiobook I checked out from the library.  It was my first experience with this author.  I have never really thought that I wanted to read her books. They just didn't sound up my alley.  But for some reason, the synopsis on this one just totally caught my attention.  Here, let me share it:

Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

So, I think that it has to do with maybe the author and his muse bit.  Or the fact that it sounds a bit like the book/movie One Day.  Only, this book, THIS BOOK!  I don't know how I can express just how much I loved it.  I listen to audiobooks in my car, or when I'm on the treadmill.  That's it.  There have been times that I've sat in my car a few more minutes just to hear a little bit more of a book that was really good.  But this one, it sucked me so far into it, that I just couldn't stop listening.  The 2nd to last day I was listening to it, I was at the gym on the treadmill.  It was a bit awkward at first because I was listening to a part that made me want to cry.  

 

But then, as I kept walking, and the two girls on either side of me left and then two guys began using the treadmills on either side, the story changed from sad to sexy.  Yeah, that was a bit awkward!  

Then, the day I finished it, I had about 40% left in the book when I had to get out of my car and go into work that morning.  I couldn't even imagine picking up my e-reader to read the book I was in the middle of reading on it.  So I had to drive out and get lunch.  And not just go and get lunch and go back to work.  No, I went to Sonic, and that way I could sit in my car and eat and listen.  Still getting back to work after lunch was hard.  So on the way home, I went 15 minutes out of my way, just to keep listening.  And I still had to know how it all would end.  So I went into my house, I didn't turn the tv on like I normally do first thing.  I ate my dinner listening to the audibook. When I was done with that, I sat on my couch and listened for 40 minutes until I finished it. Can I just say that I love this book?  I don't think I can express how much, but I do. Sooooo, soooo much!

Okay, let me give you my summary of the book.  There are two main characters, Fallon and Ben.  Fallon is a girl who was burned in a fire when she was 16 so badly that she now has scars down one side of her body, including her face.  At the time she'd been a star in a tv series, which all changed once the fire happened.  She is meeting her dad for lunch, on the anniversary of the fire, November 9 if you couldn't guess.  The fire took place at his house.  And for some reason, he had forgotten she was there that night and so didn't go to save her.  No one knew to get her until they heard her screams from inside.  On this day she is going to tell her father that she is about to move to New York City.  Her father is kind of an ass though.  When she tells him that she wants to maybe try out for Broadway plays, he basically tells her that because of her looks now, she should know better.  There's this attractive boy, Ben, that Fallon had seen sitting at the booth behind their booth when she'd gone to the bathroom earlier.  It's after one of these things her father says that Ben slides into her side of the booth and puts his arm around Fallon, then acting as if her is her boyfriend.  He helps her kind of tell her father off, kind of puts him in his place.  Fallon goes along with it, wondering what in the world is going on.  Soon her father leaves, and Fallon and Ben decide to hang out for awhile before she has to get on her plane to go to NYC. There's something about Ben.  It's like he doesn't see her scars, or like he thinks she is beautiful, not in spite, but because of them.  He does a lot for her confidence, and they  have a lot of fun being pretend boyfriend-girlfriend for the day.  But Fallon doesn't want to get into a relationship now, in fact she doesn't want it until she is 23 because of what her mother has told her about being old enough to really know yourself and be ready.  So the two agree that they will only see each other on November 9th each year.  They won't talk to each other at all throughout the year.  No phone numbers, they block each other on social media.  They only know that they will meet the next year at the same restaurant at about the same time as this year.  And so goes the story.

We get parts of the book from both Fallon and Ben's viewpoints.  So it is great to kind of see what each of them is going through.  We get more from Fallon until the end.  Each November 9 is so different. Each one brings so many different feelings as I read.  The first one goes so well.  The 2nd one, wow, sadness, happiness, and then more strong feelings as decisions must be made.  But then the 3rd one comes and there's so much hope for it to go more like the 1st one, but it doesn't.  Again, as they say, this one has all the feels.   And the 4th one, looks like maybe it won't happen.  But what does happen, again, happiness, that sexy time I talked about above and then, a major cliffhanger on what will happen for the final November 9. And that my followers, that is the part that I couldn't stop listening to for the last 40 minutes of the book.  I can't tell you much more without giving things away.  Just that Ben is really the perfect guy.  The way he loves and treats Fallon.  But his secret, I thought maybe I might know what it was at the beginning, but when nothing happened to even point that way, I figured I must be wrong.  In the end, it was basically what I'd thought.  But the way it happened, and how Ben told about it, incredible, emotional.  And Fallon, even when she should have hated him, or totally given up on him, the reasons she didn't hate him, or didn't give up on him, so perfect, in my opinion, so right, so much the way I believe I would have chosen, or anyone should have chosen.

I wish so much that they would make a movie of this.  While I pictured Ben from the description, I need to SEE him.  I just do.  I need to own this as a movie.  A movie to watch to laugh, to cry, to feel the heat between them.  I have to stop now.  I could go on and on.  But hey, if this book sounds good to you, I do have a giveaway going on up until Valentine's Day that you can enter to win it, just go to the post HERE. 

One way to tell my  love is the fact that I had to use Supernatural gifs in my review.  So one more to leave you with for this review.