Giveaways
Erin L. Schneider
Goodreads Giveaway: SUMMER OF SLOANE
Goodreads Giveaway: SUMMER OF SLOANE

Book Reviews

My Review: UNCOMMON CRIMINALS by Ally Carter

Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society, #2)Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long — and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous, and that is . . . the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend — the gorgeous Hale — and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

My Review:

Sequels are often tricky. Often pale in comparison to their predecessor. Often try too hard to live up to the success from the first book. And often fail.

My Review: RULES OF ATTRACTION by Simone Elkeles

Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry, #2)Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado . Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.

My Review:

It's not often I write a review on a book I didn't particularly care for. Maybe it's because being a writer myself, I don't want to knock the writing of someone else - after all, I know how much heart and soul one puts into their pages. Maybe it's because I'm sure plenty of other people liked what they read.

Whatever it is, I'll say I thought RULES OF ATTRACTION was just okay and give a couple of reasons why:

My Review: PERFECT CHEMISTRY by Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry, #1)Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for — her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect.

Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.

In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

My Review:

I enjoyed PERFECT CHEMISTRY - at least the first 2/3 of the book. The banter between Alex and Brittany was entertaining, as well as believable - and I loved that the chapters toggled back and forth between both POV's.

My Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Where She Went (If I Stay, #2)Where She Went by Gayle Forman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

My Review:

I thoroughly enjoyed If I Stay...but Where She Went, brought me to a whole nother level. Gripping in every way possible, heart wrenching, and just plain beautifully written.

My Review: IF I STAY by Gayle Forman

If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)If I Stay by Gayle Forman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

My Review:

Beautifully written, this story enveloped me from the first page, and left me torn between the choices I would've made myself.

My Review: Anna And The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads summary:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

My Review:

I have absolutely no idea why it took me so long to read this book! I'd heard about it everywhere (Goodreads, Twitter, blogs), my friends had recommended it, and yet, it hadn't made it's way to my TBR pile. Until this past Monday. And had I not had to work this week, it would've been finished later that same night (and I think staying up to 2am the past 3 nights to read, probably took a toll on my abilities to function at work).