Lucky in Love by Kasie West

Lucky in Love

by Kasie West

Source: bought

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

Can’t buy me love… 

Maddie’s not impulsive. She’s all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment—

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie’s life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she’s talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun…until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now Maddie isn’t sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn’t seem aware of Maddie’s big news. And, for some reason, she doesn’t want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

****

How can I not love a Kasie West book if she’s the queen of cute contemporary romances. I read Lucky in Love in one of those “sad days” and it amazed me how her books always make me feel better.

Even though her main characters are starting to feel too similar for me (I know, I’m going to hell for saying this), Kasie West brings to life Seth, one of the cutest love interest I’ve seen.

I loved Maddie and Seth’s relationship and how cute they were together and while I felt like Maddie was a little dramatic and sometimes even did not deserve Seth, I still loved how everything turned out to be.

You see, this book is about money and money is almost always a hard topic, because not everyone feels the same. So, half of the book I was really angry with Maddie decisions, they felt too childish and self centered, and sometimes I kept thinking it was unrealistic, but I can’t know for sure, because it obviously never happened to me (you know, to be millionaire). The other half, I kept feeling bad for her and I just wanted her to be happy.

While money stuff wasn’t my favorite part to read, the romance was EVERYTHING, I still haven’t found any other author that makes fall in love with a romance as much as Kasie West does. I want all her couples to live happily ever after.

Overall, I enjoyed Lucky in Love, it didn’t disappoint at all, and now I can’t wait to read what’s next from her! 

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The Becoming of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #1) by Michelle Hodkin

The Becoming of Noah Shaw (The Shaw Confessions #1) 

by Michelle Hodkin   

Source: eARC provided for review, thank you!

My Rating: 4.5 stars

Goodreads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

In the first book of the Shaw Confessions, the companion series to the New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer novels, old skeletons are laid bare and new promises prove deadly. This is what happens after happily ever after.

Everyone thinks seventeen-year-old Noah Shaw has the world on a string.

They’re wrong.

Mara Dyer is the only one he trusts with his secrets and his future.

He shouldn’t.
And both are scared that uncovering the truth about themselves will force them apart.They’re right.

****

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to write a full, long review of this book because it’d be full of spoilers. So, just let me tell you this: The Becoming of Noah Shaw will NOT disappoint you.

If you enjoyed the Mara Dyer trilogy, then you’ll definitely enjoy this one, too. It has all the things that made The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer unforgettable: nerdy conversations, gore, mystery, darkness and that passionate and all consuming love between Mara and Noah.

Please be aware, the first thing I noticed when I started reading it were the trigger warnings. I don’t even remember all of them, but if the first page (on my kindle) was full of trigger warnings, then you know this is going to be fucked up. 

The plot was just as intriguing and puzzling as the previous trilogy, and even though there are answers to questions from Mara’s books, the mystery never ends.

Michelle Hodkin brings back her old characters and puts them in way more complicated situations, testing them, and testing us. 

While there isn’t a love triangle at sight (thank you!) the ending is still heartbreaking and full of angst. I am actually dying to read the next book, but I wasn’t expecting less. 

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My Thoughts On: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Turtles All the Way Down

by John Green

Source: bought

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Aza never intended to pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate. So together, they navigate the short distance and broad divides that separate them from Russell Pickett’s son, Davis.

Aza is trying. She is trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, a good student, and maybe even a good detective, while also living within the ever-tightening spiral of her own thoughts. 

****

 

I’ve been a huge fan of John Green ever since I read Paper Towns, and I think I’ve loved all of his books, even when the language barrier made it hard for me to properly understand them. That’s why I’ve been anticipating Turtles All The Way Down since the day it was announced. I couldn’t wait to read, so of course I started reading it on the release week. 

Maybe because I’m a huge fan it’s hard for me to describe how I feel about this book. The thing is, I liked it so much, but I didn’t love it because I couldn’t feel John Green in it. For starters, since I didn’t read the synopsis, I was bit shocked to discover the book is narrated by a girl (yeah, I know TFIOS is narrated by a girl, too), but I was used to his male narrators (Quinn, Will Grayson, Colin, Miles), so I was kind of expecting a boy as a main character. But that’s my fault cause, like I said, I didn’t read the synopsis.

The second thing that bothered me a little is the romance, but even I don’t know why. I understand why it was the way it was, but I was expecting a little more when it came to it. 

You see, I don’t know what to think. I’m a mess inside. This book is about Aza’s (the MC) struggles with her mental illness and how she’s trying to overcome it, and at the same time, explain them to the people around her. Aza is such a great character and she broke my heart throughout the book and all I wanted was her happiness.

Aza’s journey is deep and heartbreaking, but John Green has the ability to capture the feelings of wonder with his words, so, at the same time, there were many times when this book made me feel happy!

And have I told you how good was the friendship between Aza and Daisy? In all honesty, that friendship was my favorite part of Turtles All The Way Down. 

So, overall, I enjoyed this book. I might not have loved it as much as TFIOS, but I still liked it and I’ll read John Green writes from now on.

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Review: What to Say Next by Julie Buxbaum

What to Say Next

by Julie Buxbaum

Source: ARC provided for review. Thank you!

My Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

When an unlikely friendship is sparked between relatively popular Kit Lowell and socially isolated David Drucker, everyone is surprised, most of all Kit and David. Kit appreciates David’s blunt honesty—in fact, she finds it bizarrely refreshing. David welcomes Kit’s attention and her inquisitive nature. When she asks for his help figuring out the how and why of her dad’s tragic car accident, David is all in. But neither of them can predict what they’ll find. Can their friendship survive the truth?

****

What To Say Next is one of the cutest stories out there.

This is my first book by Julie Buxbaum, but I’ve heard so many great things about it that I was dying to read it.

The beginning felt a little slow and confusing for me, but suddenly it became a page turner. I don’t know how to explain it, except that this book fascinated me.

I’ve read many, many book about “issues” or mental illness because with limited education and not a lot of free time, I learn through books, and What To Say Next is not only a beautiful book with a lovely romance, but a thought provoking read, too.

The main characters, David and Kit are likable and charming. Their lives are complex and hard, but I loved how they both are… well, nice. David is such a lovely, lovely boy.

Their friends-to-romance relationship was so cute and it happened naturally, so I shipped them hard.

There are so many great things to say about this book, but you know, it’s really hard to think about them individually because I loved this book overall.

The characters were all realistic and “almost” (except Kit’s male friends) all of them were likable. My favorite one was David’s sister. I loved how supportive she was!

The writing was fast-paced and enjoyable. And the ending was really satisfying.

If you’re looking for a thought-provoking read and a cute romance between diverse characters, add this book to your TBR right now!

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Warcross (Warcross #1) by Marie Lu

Warcross (Warcross #1)

by Marie Lu

Source: eARC provided for review. Thank you!

My Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads/ Amazon/ TBD

Summary:

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. Needing to make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

*****

Warcross, by Marie Lu is one of the best books I’ve read this year so far. I’m not a gamer, and I loved it, I guess that means if you’re a gamer, you will enjoy it even more.

There are so many good things to say about this book that I don’t even know where to start.

Marie Lu is such a wonderful storyteller and every world she creates is one where one wants to live.

From New York to Tokyo and the virtual reality of Warcross, each description is vivid and atmospheric; it’ll make you be a part of it.

And if a brilliant world-building wasn’t enough, the cast of tough and diverse characters will win you over.

I loved every one of these characters, even Zero, the antihero.

Emika and Hideo are (were?) my favorite and I loved the dynamics between the two of them.

One of the things I liked the most about Warcross is that even though this book is an action packed roller-coaster, it also has some very emotional moments, and  some of them almost made me cry.

In a world where virtual reality is their reality, these characters gave us precious moments of humanity.

To be honest, I was a bit worried about the romance when I realized who the love interest was. But their relationship was slow burn and sweet… but this is Marie Lu we’re talking about, so of course, there’s more to that.

And the ending was EPIC. There were some unexpected twists and turns, and even though one of them wasn’t that surprising, it makes the wait for the next book feel longer.

Once again, Marie Lu delivers a story full of action, friendship, betrayals and the promise of something better to come.

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