The Score (Off-Campus #3) by Elle Kennedy

Title: The Score
Series: Off-Campus #3
Author: Elle Kennedy
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: January 11, 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

He knows how to score, on and off the ice

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she's going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands.

It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over
Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.

Review

I have been loving the Off-Campus series so I was thrilled when I finally got The Score.  I love the setup of the series; that while they are all stand-alone the book takes place in the same setting with a familiar cast of characters.

It is hard for me to pinpoint my exact reasons that this was only three stars for me instead of the 4-5 of the first two books.  Basically I felt like this one had a lot more sex scenes which ended up outweighing some of the other elements in the story.  Though if you are looking for a steamier read, this one has plenty of steaminess! I liked Dean as a character as aside from his semi-cliche trope of player until he finds the right girl.  Aside from that I loved that he had a good heart and was a smart guy.  The Twilight jokes between Dean and his friend are fantastic as well.  I just did not connect really with Allie which impacted my overall rating.

All that being said, The Score was still an entertaining read, probably the most sex heavy in the series thus far.  The ending though, the author for sure drops a bomb and walks away, leaving you shocked and wanting the next book. 

Two Summers by Aimee Friedman

Title: Two Summers
Author: Aimee Friedman
Publisher: Point
Release Date: April 26th 2016
Source: Audio-book from Scholastic Audio. Thank you Scholastic!  

Summary from Goodreads:

ONE SUMMER in the French countryside, among sun-kissed fields of lavender . . .

ANOTHER SUMMER in upstate New York, along familiar roads that lead to surprises . . .

When Summer Everett makes a split-second decision, her summer divides into two parallel worlds. In one, she travels to France, where she’s dreamed of going: a land of chocolate croissants, handsome boys, and art museums. In the other, she remains home, in her ordinary suburb, where she expects her ordinary life to continue — but nothing is as it seems.

In both summers, she will fall in love and discover new sides of herself. What may break her, though, is a terrible family secret, one she can't hide from anywhere. In the end, it may just be the truth she needs the most.

From New York Times bestselling author Aimee Friedman comes an irresistible, inventive novel that takes readers around the world and back again, and asks us what matters more: the journey or the destination.

Review

Two Summer was not the light summer vacation read I was expecting.  Two Summers is really about a young girl experiencing two different journeys  to get to the same place.  These journeys are not easy journeys either.  Summer lives with her mother who is divorced in New York but has plans to visit her father in France for the summer.

The story alternates between the two different journeys.  There are family secrets, new friendships, changed relationships, new loves, and ultimately new experiences.  Two Summers offers the reader a deeper look into one girl's life and how while the journey matters sometimes the destination is the same.

While I did enjoy the audio narration, plot pacing, and the character development, Two Summers was heavier than I was looking for in a summer read.

Mini Reviews: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh, and The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release Date: May 3, 2016

Review

My oh my. I feel like I need an ice cold bath and a nap after every SJMaas book I finish. Her books take me on such an emotional roller coaster and they keep getting steamier and steamier! For those who’ve read her Throne of Glass series, I would say that ACOMAF is similar to Heir of Fire in feel such that it is very character-driven and full of changes. Feyre is going through an incredibly transitional period in her life as she recovers from all that she endured Under the Mountain and adapts to her new life. Since I’ve come to care for her in the first book, my heart went out to her, which made her transformation all the more rewarding. She was always fierce, but now she is fierce in a whole new way. While ACOTAR took place predominantly in the Spring Court, ACOMAF takes place mostly in the Night Court. I loved deepening relationships with old characters (ahem RHYSAND ahem), meeting new characters, and exploring more of this world that SJMaas brilliantly crafted. And there was plenty that happened to set up what I’m sure will be one hell of a next book. Of course, I need it now.

Title: The Rose and the Dagger
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn #2
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 26, 2016

Review

*Happy sigh* This conclusion was everything I had hoped it would be and more. It was just as beautifully written, suspenseful, romantic and magical as the first one, if not more so. And I felt that the story had a strong focus on love and forgiveness which I really appreciated. It picks up right where The Wrath and The Dawn left off and expands the world considerably. Yet everything is still wrapped up nicely in the end. Shazi learns quite a few new things about herself and I enjoyed watching her develop her talents, even though it was only a small portion of the story. Most of the story was focused on breaking the curse and saving Khorasan. And while Shazi and Khalid are still the shining stars of this series, there were so many secondary characters that stepped into the limelight. One of which I particularly loves getting to know was Shazi's younger sister, Irsa who grew into quite the young woman. Everything about this book was wonderful.

Title: The Crown's Game
Author: Evelyn Skye
Series: The Crown's Game #1
Publisher: Balzery & Bray
Release Date: May 17, 2016

Review

I had so much fun reading this one… until the ending at which point all I could do was cry! The premise of two magical people competing for a place of power, with only one being able to survive, might not sound like such a novel idea. Variations of this type of story have obviously been done before. And probably 9 times out of 10, the two competitors fall in love because what a convenient layer of complexity that adds! BUT what made this book unique was the historical Russian setting and the magic that was performed, which was intricately woven into the setting and very beautiful. And who cares if the basic plotline isn’t new, it was still fun! I liked the characters and I thought their attraction to each other was sweet, even if it could’ve used more time to develop. I loved the playfulness with which they competed. And I loved the emotional turmoil they each underwent for being torn between wanting to win and not wanting to hurt the other. BUT I DID NOT LOVE THAT ENDING. I stared gape-mouthed at the end of this book not wanting to believe what I just read. I need the next book now because I need this to be fixed! And I want more magical fun.:)

Wanderlost by Jen Malone

Title: Wanderlost
Author: Jen Malone
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 31st 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

Not all those who wander are lost, but Aubree Sadler most definitely is on this novel’s whirlwind trip through Europe.

Aubree can’t think of a better place to be than in perfectly boring Ohio, and she’s ready for a relaxing summer. But when her older sister, Elizabeth, gets into real trouble, Aubree is talked into taking over Elizabeth’s summer job, leading a group of senior citizens on a bus tour through Europe.

Aubree doesn’t even make it to the first stop in Amsterdam before their perfect plan unravels, leaving her with no phone, no carefully prepared binder full of helpful facts, and an unexpected guest: the tour company owner’s son, Sam. Considering she’s pretending to be Elizabeth, she absolutely shouldn’t fall for him, but she can’t help it, especially with the most romantic European cities as the backdrop for their love story.

But her relationship with Sam is threatening to ruin her relationship with her sister, and she feels like she’s letting both of them down. Aubree knows this trip may show her who she really is—she just hopes she likes where she ends up.

Review

This is the perfect summer book.  It had everything I was looking for, romance, adventure, and humor.  Even having traveled more than a handful of times, I thoroughly enjoyed all the nerve-racking feelings Aubree felt on her first trip.  She is already an apprehensive traveler and on top of that she is in charge of the safety and happiness of an elderly tour group.  I truly felt for her.

Her travel struggles had me grinning through the entire book.  The fact that new and unknown foods wig her out was so relate-able and laughable.  I know when I travel there are times when I am just like, yea no thanks, plain bread please. (I know, terrible!)

Overall, I highly recommend Wanderlost; it was a cute and fun read.  I was laughing and constantly rooting her on.  She really sees past her tour members' age and she sees past her traveling fears, truly embracing the joy exploring can bring.  She finds a new part of herself through the course of the book that really gave the story an additional layer of depth.

Stacking The Shelves (169) - June 25th

Stacking the Shelves - hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews - features books that you bought, borrowed, rented from the library, received for review, etc.

Upcoming Reads

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The Vanishing Throne (The Falconer #2) by Elizabeth May
Ghostly Echoes (Jackaby #3) by William Ritter
The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game #1) by Evelyn Skye
Summer Days & Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories

What books are stacking your shelves??

Mini Reviews: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows, And I Darken by Kiersten White,

Title: My Lady Jane
Author: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: June 7, 2016

Review

My Lady Jane will no doubt put a smile on your face and, if you are anything like me, even make you laugh quite a few times (the horse jokes were amazing). It is just FULL of personality. The characters are charming, the relationships are full of heart and the plot was just plain fun. Readers will especially relate to Jane and the great lengths she will go to for her beloved books. I really liked how her relationship with Gifford developed - – they were an adorable pair - and I really enjoyed the magical twist on this story. I don’t know much about this period of history or if any of it rings true, but it was definitely interesting AND entertaining. I could easily have rated this book 4 stars but If I had to guess why I withheld half a star is that maybe this book read a little young. Or maybe because it failed to live up to its potential just a teeny bit. But if you are a fan of any of the authors on their own, you should definitely read this book. Their voices really shine through.

Title: And I Darken
Author: Kiersten White
Series: The Conquerors Saga #1
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: June 28, 2016

Review

THIS BOOK WAS SUCH A PLEASANT SURPRISE. It wasn’t really even on my radar (granted that’s not saying all that much considering how MIA I’ve been) but then I was looking up reviews for some books I had on my shelves to help me decide what to read next and this book was getting some serious attention so I decided to read it. First, I am so so glad that I did. Second, this book deserves all the praise. It’s a slower moving book, and I wasn’t really sure where the plot was going while reading most of it, but god damn was it captivating. It’s very character driven and Lada is such a different character than we are used to seeing. She did what she had to do to take care of herself and those she loved even if it made her appear cold and distant to those around her. She always thought two steps ahead and didn’t really let her emotions cloud her judgment. She also battled with being considered equal to men. She constantly resisted and fought back against the limitations that were placed on her by society for being a woman. Another thing I loved about this book was the political focus and "conquer or be conquered" theme. There was really so much I loved about this book and I honestly can’t do it enough justice. Just read it. You won’t regret it.

Title: The Dark Days Club
Author: Alison Goodman
Series: Lady Helen #1
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Release Date: January 26, 2016

Review

My feelings for The Dark Days Club is definitely a case of, “It’s not you, it’s me”. Or maybe we can take joint responsibility, I don’t know. There was nothing overtly wrong about this book - it even had quite a few surprises that impressed me while reading it. But overall, I think I’ve either outgrown this type of story/time period (and I mean preference wise, not age wise!) or I just wasn’t in the mood for it. It felt like a story I had already read countless times and there was very little about it that marked it as different. As a result, I started getting restless to finish the story and almost didn’t but I realized I was close enough that I might as well just power through. I felt very little for the characters so I highly doubt I will continue with the story. But if you want to read about Historical London and underground Demon-fighting clubs than you should give it a shot.

All the Feels by Danika Stone

Title: All the Feels
Author: Danika Stone
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Release Date: June 7, 2016
Source: ARC received from Publisher in exchange of an honest review (thanks Swoon Reads!!)

Summary from Goodreads:
College freshman Liv is more than just a fangirl: The Starveil movies are her life… So, when her favorite character, Captain Matt Spartan, is killed off at the end of the last movie, Liv Just. Can’t. Deal.

Tired of sitting in her room sobbing, Liv decides to launch an online campaign to bring her beloved hero back to life. With the help of her best friend, Xander, actor and steampunk cosplayer extraordinaire, she creates #SpartanSurvived, a campaign to ignite the fandom. But as her online life succeeds beyond her wildest dreams, Liv is forced to balance that with the pressures of school, her mother’s disapproval, and her (mostly nonexistent and entirely traumatic) romantic life. A trip to DragonCon with Xander might be exactly what she needs to figure out what she really wants.

Review

What I enjoyed most about All the Feels was the fandom premise. This is the book's most obvious draw in my opinion. As avid readers, we all likely belong to several fandoms and we GET it. We've  waited hours for our favorite books or to meet our favorite authors. We've suffered those book hangovers. We've cried over those soul-crushing deaths, or breakups or whatever. And we've fangirled and vented with our friends via text and over the internet. SO much about this book was relatable. AND geek-tastic. Especially the Dragon-Con experience during the last third of the book. It was fun reading a book that really speaks to readers.

BUT.... it felt a little too over-the-top. Liv grieved for her fictional hero like I might grieve for one of my closest family members and that felt a little wrong to me. I've shed many a tear for some of my favorite characters and yes, at times it might've feel like there was a Dementor sucking away all of my happiness but I moved on because it is fiction and I am a sane and functioning human being. Whereas, Liv basically let her entire world crumble. But if I overlook that, I enjoyed Liv's passion for vidding and being a part of the Starveil community. The cosplay and SpartanSurvived movement was fun. 

My second favorite part of the story was Xander. He was such a unique character with his steampunk obsession and old-world demeanor. And  he was SO SWEET.. I have a pretty good picture in my head of that boy and YUM. I loved Liv and Xander's easy way with one another and the slowly building attraction between them. Their happy ending was well worth the wait.

Other than that, there was an even balance of nice-touches that I appreciated and things I that I thought were unnecessary and only added for dramatic effect. For a little bit I was even leaning towards a 2-2.5 star rating because the scales were tipping towards the unnecessary but the ending made up for it. So we get a nice even 3 stars. I don't think this book is a MUST read but it had it's merits and is a pretty quick one if you are looking  for some geeky relatable fun.