Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Book review #57
Forget You by Jennifer Echols
Rating: Five stars

Summary:(taken from Goodreads)
WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . .  AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?  There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.  But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

I don't even know where to begin. I'm kind of beating myself up for not reading any of Jennifer Echols's books before. After reading Forget You, she has officially made it to my favorite author's list. She just has this way of creating realistic characters combined with intense scenes that it's almost...magical. 

Zoey is living a complicated life, but her main goal is to trying to block it all out by being perfect. Her dad is living with his knocked up girlfriend-who is his main priority at the time. Her mother got sent to the mental hospital and then there's Brandon, her guy friend, who she finally went farther with. Things are going OK at the moment, she just made the move on Brandon and things on the swim team or going good. But everything changes the night after the accident. She doesn't remember anything and suddenly mysterious Doug carved a space into her life. She struggles to piece together the details of the night to actually make sense of her life.

There's a lot of things I loved about this book, but I would have to say the writing was my favorite. The writing was scrumptious. After I finished reading the book, I curled back into bed and reread my favorite scenes. Jennifer Echols has a way of making the words flow off the pages making it impossible  to stop reading. It wasn't even that much of a mystery, but I had to find out what really happened that night. Oh and did I mention the love scenes? They were hot! Each and every moment Doug and Zoey shared together were pretty unforgettable, sexual tension filled the air no matter where they were.

The characters were the second key to making this such an amazing read. Zoey. Some may hate or love her. I think the reason some people didn't love this book so much is mainly because Zoey can come off as annoying. Her feelings towards Brandon were unexplainable (I don't want to give anything away), but honestly I knew that she really knew what kind of guy Brandon was. It was all to keep her "perfect" image.  I could relate to the trouble she was going through, so to me she wasn't an unlikeable character at all. Doug! Oh my goodness. I think it's impossible not to love him. Sexy, sweet, and sensitive, but not perfect with his "criminal" history. It's safe to say I would love to have a Doug in real life. Even the smaller characters were very well developed and  memorable.

Overall, Forget You is addictive, sexy, and thoughtful. It's simple, yet so complex. And I almost forget to mention how honest it is. Jennifer Echol's actually goes there and addresses those sometimes embarrassing subjects. If you were wondering if Forget You lives up to the hype, personally I think it certainly does. I would reread this book in a heartbeat, so go ahead and buy yourself a copy :)

Laguna Cove by Alyson Noel

Book review #56

Laguna Cove by Alyson Noel

Rating: Three and a half stars

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Moving to sunny Southern Cal feels like punishment to 17-year-old Anne.  the hippie-ish school is different from her old one on the East Coast, and the social scene is all about hanging out at the beach and surfing.  And then there's Ellie: beautiful, competitive queen of the social scene who takes an instant disliking to Anne.  So when Chris--one of Ellie's oldest friends and, oh yeah, the most gorgeous guy in school--reaches out to Anne and offers to teach her how to surf, sparks fly...in more ways than one.

After reading such a heavy read earlier, Laguna Cove was just what I needed to lighten the mood. It was fast, enjoyable, and very fluffy. It was the perfect mindless read to take your mind of things. It felt nice to jump into the warm environment of  Laguna Cove. Although I did enjoy this one, I did have some issues about it.

Anne is being forced to move to luxury California to live with her dad. It sounds really great to most people, but not to Anne. Things were great back home, she had a great boyfriend, was number one of the dive team, and awesome friends. She begins to slowly adjust when she meets some friends and tries to learn how to surf. Things start getting way better when her and Chris connect. Now the only problems she has is dealing with stone cold Ellie and then of course her family issues on the side.

Laguna Cove was told through the point of views of four different girls. Usually I love when stories are told through different narrators. But I feel like it didn't really work in this case. Each girl had a LOT going on in their lives, and most of the things didn't connect. I feel like it would have been nicer if it was just focused on Anne and Ellie's point of views. Although saying that, the characters were pretty great. I didn't love them, but it was nice seeing such a diverse cast. There was Anne of course, who I definitely understood where she was coming from. Then there was Ellie. I saw her pain and her thirst for competition, I'm glad I got to see her side or else I wouldn't have understood her at all. The two other girls were Lola and Jade who both had their share of boy problems.

One of my favorite things about the book would be the fact that it was in a summer location, but it wasn't summer vacation. It was at  that time of year where school was just starting, which is creeping up pretty quickly for most of is. It was nice seeing school actually play a big part of the plot. The other thing I enjoyed was the role of surfing in the book. Who wouldn't love reading about the beach and waves? 

The last thing I had a problem with was the ending. It was very vague, but I could at least tell that things came together a bit too nicely.  Overall, I think this is a great summer read if you have some time to spare. It wasn't the best book in the world, but I definitely don't regret picking it up :)

Heartless by Sara Shepard

Book review #32
Heartless by Sara Shepard 
Rating: Five stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)
The newest installment in Sara Shepard’s bestselling Pretty Little Liars series is packed with juicy drama and delicious surprises that will keep readers guessing to the very end.

Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Spencer have been telling some outrageous tales; only, the proof always seems to go missing. The friends insist they’re telling the truth, but all of Rosewood thinks they’re just out for attention—and nobody likes a girl who cries wolf. So when the big bad killer comes after them, will anyone believe the girls. . . or will they be the next to disappear?

Heartless was intense, thrilling, and just a perfect addition to the Pretty Little Liars series. Once again I was blown away! You would think being the 7th book in the series, that is would start to get old. Well that definitely isn't the case, it's back and better than ever. Having reading this book on the plane I did get a couple of stares due my reactions. I can't count how many times I said "oh my god!".

Everyone has something going on. All the main characters have their own take on what happened to Ali. Hanna is sent to a mental institution due to A of course. She meets a girl who she automatically clicks with, but there's more than meets to the eye. Iris sure is trouble, and Hanna thinks she may be connected to Ali's story. A sends Emily to live with an Amish family for a couple of days, where she learns some important things. She thinks she might have a lead in the mystery. Ali has her own things going on. Together with Noel she thinks she can contact the spirits and talk to Ali. Then lastly, there's Spencer who learns some disturbing news about her family which was of course sparked by A.On top of all that, the town has officially nicknamed the group Pretty Little Liars, due to the claim the girls made about seeing Ali in the forest after the fire.

The plot really is simply amazing. It has you twisting and turning at every corner. Important things are finally revealed, but knowing this series, you never know what to believe.I became really attached to each character. I feel like I've known them for years now. It's going to be really sad when the series finally ends.

The Pretty Little Liars is officially one of my  favorite series. Mystery, romance, suspense, and that fluff that I love to top it all of, it has it all. I'm dying for the next book to come out. AND it's going to be an ABC Family television show, which makes me extremely excited! If you haven't read this series, I strongly recommend you should. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Top Ten Uses For an Unworn Prom Dress by Tina Ferraro

Book review #31
Top Ten Uses For an Unworn Prom Dress by Tina Ferraro
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

Sophomore year, Nicolette Antonovich was dumped two days before prom by the hottest guy at school. As a result, she became the proud owner of one unworn, perfectly magical pink vintage dress. But Nic is determined to put that night behind her for good. She's a junior now— older, wiser, and completely overwhelmed by a new set of problems: (1) The bank's ready to foreclose on her childhood home. (2) Her father's too busy with his "replacement" daughter to care. (3) Her best friend's brother is an eternal thorn in her side. (4) Her best friend isn't exactly the rose attached to that thorn. (5) Rumors are flying around school that could get her kicked off the volleyball team, which would (6) ruin all chances of a college scholarship. (7) She still likes the boy who dumped her in the first place. (8) And what in the world do you do with an unworn prom dress, anyway? Strangely, it's getting to the bottom of this last dilemma that just might hold the answer to all Nic's problems.

I just spent the last hour or two curled up into a ball, complete with a cup of tea, totally engrossed in the life of Nicolette Antonovich. I really needed a lighthearted fun read too escape from the real world for a bit, and that's just what I got. What I loved the most was that Top Ten Uses For an Unworn Prom Dress was light and fluffy, but at the same time realistic.

Nicolette has quite a bit going on with family issues on the side, two very handsome boys fighting for her, and friendship problems to top it all off. The one thing that helps her get through it all is the "magical" unworn prom dress. See,as a sophomore, Nic got asked out by her longtime crush Rascal to the prom. Nic couldn't have been happier, she bought her dress and everything. Then Rascal's actual girlfriend moves back to town. Leaving Nic with no date to the prom, a broken heart, and an unworn prom dress. She doesn't really know how she feels about Rascal now and then there's Jared who makes things even more complicated.

I absolutely adored Nicolette. I just liked how everyone knew she was great, except the only person that really mattered-herself. As for Jerad (her best friend's older brother) I  fell in love with him the second he was introduced. I always secretly wanted them to get together. Rascal, I definitely did not like. I mean at first I was just as blinded as Nic, but after his true colors came out I finally came to my senses.

The top ten uses for an unworn prom dress were spread out throughout every few chapters. They were so fun and made me love the book even more. That along with the pacing of the book really made this an enjoyable read. You become so engaged and attached to the characters you almost feel like your watching a sitcom.

You can't help but smile while reading this book. It is most definitely one of those feel good books. It certainly made my day a lot better. Romance, drama, and light-hearted all wrapped up in one perfectly describes this book. Find a comfortable spot because once you start this you'll probably be there for awhile :)

*An extra special thanks goes out to Tina Ferraro for sending me a copy of this!

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

Book review #30
The Naughty List by Suzanne Young
Rating: Four stars (refer to the rating system on the right)

Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility!

Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!

When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it? 
 
The Naughty List was one of the cutest books I've ever read. Although cute, adorable, sweet, and light just make up one part of the book. The other half consists of, crime-busting, hard-core spying, and cheater reports. The two aspects combined created a fun and unique book. The Naughty List contained just the right amount of everything making it a perfect light read.

Tessa is the captain of the Smitten Kittens cheer squad, which is also secretly spies for hire which catches cheaters in action. And when I say in action I mean actually in action, as in staking out houses in the middle of the night, spying on dates, and so on. Everything's going great until Tessa's boyfriend, aka one of the few boy not the naughty list, starts acting suspicious. Then Christian and Chloe, the two new kids, start to shake things up.

Tessa was a bit over the top at times, with trying to be perfect all the time, but she really was a sweet person. It's hard to imagine not liking Tessa. She's just one of those people who wants the best for everyone. Her and Aiden were too adorable together. I really liked Aiden and even though he showed some sneaky behavior, I always rooted for him. Let's just say I had high expectations for him. I really don't know why, but I liked Christian, the "bad" kid. I kind of wanted Tessa to like him as well.

I loved the crime fighting  scenes! They were so fun. It was kind of crazy how far they went at times, but that's what made it so enjoyable. It was really refreshing to see some type of report (donation form, cheater report, suspects etc.) at the beginning of each chapter. I really can't stop gushing from how cute this book was! I think I've already mentioned that a couple of times. It was really funny how Tessa used other words instead of cuss words such as cinnamon toast crunch, gingersnaps, queen of sheba, and then of course there's strawberry smoothie. Some people might get annoyed by this, but I was very entertained.

The ending wasn't too perfect, it was just right. I'm so happy there's going to be a sequel! I can't wait to see what happens next. This is definitely a very unique story. You are definitely going to become very attach to all the characters and the plot.  It will be very hard to put down. Why wouldn't you pick this one up?