Thursday, March 24, 2016

Review: Wanting More by Jessica Ruddick

Wanting More
By: Jessica Ruddick
Release Date: March 28, 2016
Series: Love on Campus #2

Description:
I can’t stop wanting her…

Bri Welch likes to play it safe. I don’t. She’s wound tight, and I’m all about a good party. But there’s something about her that makes me want to pull those uptight layers away one-by-delicious-one. But the worst thing is she makes me want more…

Links




Review:
This was definitely a book about how much opposites attract to one another.  Jessica Ruddick did a great job of showing how these two characters could be so different from one another but somehow make their union work really well together. 

We meet Brianna who is a young graduate student working as an academic advisor.  She’s very put together and by the book.  That is until she meets Josh.  The troublemaker with no aspirations in life and no set goals yet, her complete opposite.  He’s in a fraternity and loves to party and hang out with no ambition at all.  The two couldn’t be more different from the other, but I think it’s this difference in them that makes them so great together.  They both bring out the best in the other, they make each other better people when they are together.

There are some great friends in this book, which some of the characters are from the first book in the series which I haven’t read yet but I definitely will after reading this one.  They all seemed like really great friends to have and to be by your side when you need them the most.  I also love books about college life, I miss those days, and they were too much fun and less responsibility that now.  Oh the good old days.

This book didn’t only revolve around the relationship of Bri and Josh, it also showed great dynamic and relationships between parents and their kids.  Seeing the interactions between Josh and his dad it was touching and moving and I even had a tear in my eye.  It was sweet and it doesn’t happen overnight but all it takes is for you to start it.  Really endearing moments throughout the book.  I really liked all aspects of this book.  Even the moments when they touched upon abuse, I think though if the author was going to put it in there she probably should have flowed with it a little more or maybe not put it in there as much if that makes sense.  It’s a serious subject that should always be explored if it’s put out there. 


Overall I really enjoyed this book, will have to check out the other books in the series and the first one.  Great read, quick and entertaining.  Love the cover so innocent and makes you want more. 

Disclaimer:
I received this book from NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, so that I may give my honest opinion and a review. Whether it is good or not please do not let it discourage you from purchasing/reading the book yourself and forming your own opinion. What might be good for me may not be good for you and vice versa. With that said, Happy Reading Everyone!!!

Friday, March 11, 2016

Review: Unexpectedly Yours by Coleen Kwan

Unexpectedly Yours 
By: Coleen Kwan
Release Date: March 14, 2016

Description:
He wasn’t what she was expecting...
Derek Carmichael has harbored a secret crush on his best friend’s older sister for years, but she’s always been out of his reach. Now that Hannah is back in their hometown and newly single, suddenly the five-year age gap doesn’t seem so huge. But convincing her to see him as more than just the kid she used to know is another story.
Hannah Willmett can’t believe how grown-up Derek Carmichael has become. The troubled kid from her youth has turned into a sexy, successful TV celebrity, but Hannah’s wary of his player past and the rampant rumors connecting him to beautiful socialites. Still, she can’t help but give in when their attraction reaches a boiling point.
Trying to keep their fling a secret from her overprotective brother is one thing, but when Hannah finds herself unexpectedly expecting, her life is thrown upside down. She and Derek may be becoming parents together, but that’s no basis for a happily-ever-after.


Review:
Aw this book was so sweet and adorable.  I loved the way the writing flowed easily and it was a quick and enjoyable read.  It’s tough when things happen unexpectedly but sometimes really they are just meant to be.  Coleen Kwan kept me interested from the very beginning and has definitely left me wanting more from other characters as well.

We meet Derek who is back in town to take care of his grandfather, one thing leads to another and he runs into his best friend’s sister.  He just so happened to have a major crush on her when they were kids, it’s always adorable to see crushes from young people grow up and turn into something more meaningful.  I mean really how many times have you thought or dreamed about a best friend, or a sibling’s friend, and hoping that it would work out one day.  It’s the curse of being around the same people all your lives, but this book was adorable to no end. 

I enjoyed the fact that this book was not overly explicit but it seemed all very innocent and sweet and realistic really.  I loved the whole best friend aspect of the book, the other characters in the book were also intriguing especially the idea of Caleb (Hannah’s Brother) and Amber (Hannah’s best friend), and how fun would that be! Let’s not forget grouchy grandpa and his aide. Oh romance all around for everyone, I’m down with that.  


Overall I thought this book was great, can’t wait to check out more from this author.  The cover is definitely what got me interested, then reading what the book was about but what kept me interested were the words on the page, the story, the setting, and the characters.  Sometimes you have to remember in life that it’s okay to lean on other people for help, you can’t always do everything yourself and I really think that is a lesson that Hannah learned.  Total adorable story. 

Disclaimer:
I received this book from NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, so that I may give my honest opinion and a review. Whether it is good or not please do not let it discourage you from purchasing/reading the book yourself and forming your own opinion. What might be good for me may not be good for you and vice versa. With that said, Happy Reading Everyone!!!

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Review: Beauty and the Mustache by Penny Reid

Beauty and the Mustache
By: Penny Reid
Release Date: August 28, 2014
Series: Knitting in the City #4

Description:
There are three things you need to know about Ashley Winston: 1) She has six brothers and they all have beards, 2) She is a reader, and 3) She knows how to knit. 

Former beauty queen, Ashley Winston’s preferred coping strategy is escapism. She escaped her Tennessee small town, loathsome father, and six brothers eight years ago. Now she escapes life daily via her Amazon kindle one-click addiction. However, when a family tragedy forces her to return home, Ashley can’t escape the notice of Drew Runous— local Game Warden, reclusive mountain man, bear wrestler, philosopher, and everyone’s favorite guy. Drew’s irksome philosophizing in particular makes Ashley want to run for the skyscrapers, especially since he can’t seem to keep his exasperating opinions— or his soulful poetry, steadfast support, and delightful hands— to himself. Pretty soon the girl who wanted nothing more than the escape of the big city finds she’s lost her heart in small town Tennessee. 

This is a full-length novel, can be read as a standalone, and is the fourth book in the 'Knitting in the City' series.

Review:
Imagine a world full of beards, that’s what I see when I picture Ashley and all of her brothers, very hot brothers at that.  Penny Reid is a fantastic writer and her series of the Knitting Club just gets more and more interesting each time I read them.  I love that we get a glimpse of all the previous characters and that these women have formed such a strong bond with one another that they are for all intents and purposes one big happy family that just keeps growing from book to book.

This book focused on Ashley, and she may think she is not worth anything really, but to me and everyone around her she is a fantastic person with a great overall ethic.  It’s a really sad reason as to why she has to go home and I will not lie, I had tears in my eyes at some points throughout the book.  But it’s a good thing that she did go home because after being away for so long so much has changed.  She needed to get back in touch with her roots, and many beards. 

Home is where we meet the blond bearded Drew, whose energy she just gravitates to.  It was touch and go between the two of them for a while, but I think after finishing the book that he did these things on purpose and for a reason.  But when the two of them smiled at one another, and he wrote poetry about her, it was magical.  I love the chemistry between characters that Penny Reid seems to create.  It’s not lustful at first sight, no there is a growth there and companionship, but let’s not forget the laughs from Sandra either.   


Drew helped Ashley through a really tough time, the introductions of her brothers were a fabulous addition to this ever growing family and I can’t wait to read more about each of them because they all have such special personalities.  Overall this was another great addition to the series and I can’t wait for more.  And oh how I dreamed of so many beards everywhere, he he.