More Than This by Jay McLean

More Than This by Jay McLean
Publisher: Amazon
Publication Date: July 10, 2013
Number of Pages: 311
Genre: Young Adult, New Adult
Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary via GoodReads}:
When Mikayla imagined her prom night, she envisioned a fairy-tale evening full of romance. So when betrayal and tragedy come in quick succession, Mikayla is completely destroyed. Suddenly, everything she loved and everyone she relied on are tragically, irrevocably gone.

Jake, a handsome boy she just met, happens to witness her loss. With no one to turn to, Mikayla is forced to depend on this near stranger and his family, and he in turn is determined to take care of her. But Mikayla - thrust into adulthood with no one to guide her - is desperate to contain her grief and hide what she considers to be her weakness. Mikayla and Jake both want more, but despite their growing closeness and intense chemistry, she tried to keep her distance and protect her heart. As he does everything in his power to win her trust, Mikayla must choose between remaining alone and safe or letting love in.

She thinks: This book is both unbelievable as well as believable. That sounds very convoluted. There are parts of this book that I believe wholeheartedly could happen - feeling a deep connection to someone you've just met, having everything taken from you in the blink of an eye, not knowing how to process your feelings, etc. The author has a good grip on how a teen/new adult might feel in these fascinatingly unusual circumstances. Then, there are moments are not nearly as plausible - random strangers offering up their home as a place to stay, being allowed to go on a trip with a boy you've just met, etc. Of course, there are extenuating circumstances in this book, but I wish it was a little more grounded in reality. I would love to believe that all these nice things would really happen, but it just doesn't seem likely.

BUT...if you look past all that and just enjoy it for the story it is, it's romantic and angsty and full teenage drama. Sometimes that's just the kind of book you need. It's also a quick read so if you need to get back into reading, this is a great book to break your dry spell. Sink yourself into the sappy sweetness of true love and transport yourself back to your teenage years!

Before You by Amber Hart

Before You (Book One) by Amber Hart
Publisher: K-Teen {Kensington Books}
Publication Date: July 29, 2014
Number of Pages: 320
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary via GoodReads:
Some say love is deadly. Some say love is beautiful. I say it both.

Faith Watters spent her junior year traveling the world, studying the exquisite places, before returning to Oviedo High School. From the outside her life is picture-perfect. Captain of the dance team. Popular. Happy. Too bad it's all a lie.

It will haunt me. It will claim me. It will shatter me. And I don't care.

Eighteen-year-old Diego Alvarez hates his new life in the States, but staying in Cuba is not an option. Covered in tattoos and scars, Diego doesn't stand a chance of fitting in. Nor does he want to. His only concern is staying hidden from his past - a past, which if it were to surface, would cost him everything. Including his life.

At Oviedo High School, it seems that Faith Watters and Diego Alvarez do not belong together. But fate is as tricky as it is lovely. Freedom with no restraint is what they long for. What they get is something different entirely.

Love - it will ruin you and save you, both.

She thinks: To be honest, I'm not really sure what I think of this book. It has me perplexed. I thought about this book for three days before I wrote this post. I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to say. So, I'll say this: the plot is definitely addicting, and I found myself not wanting to stop reading at the end of my lunch break. However, I am staunchly against present tense narration. I just don't like the way it feels when I read.

Now, despite my aversion to present tense narration, I liked the A Walk to Remember vibe that was going on. Good girl/pastor's daughter falls for bad boy who is misunderstood. I liked the twist on the tale in which the good girl has some demon's in her closet too. They supported each other, and it was beautiful.

At the same time, it felt a little preachy about how life ruining gangs and drugs can be. At one point towards the end, the author has this small moment where you just know she wants you to understand how she feels about young people having to resort or choosing to live those lifestyles. She wants them to understand that they have other options, and I do too. I just wish that particular moment wasn't so in your face.

Other than that, I enjoyed the book for what it was. At one point, I was crying and silently screaming in my head (because the mister was already in bed), "WWWWWHHHHHHYYYYYY?" But, I'll leave you to read the book and figure out that particular moment for yourself. Sigh. The love story is beautiful...if not a little rushed, as I find with most of the YA books I love so much. It is definitely a book that I would check out from the library.

See what others are saying about Before You by Amber Hart:

• Celeste @ The Book Hookup
• Jenea @ Books Live Forever
• Nick @ Nick's Book Blog

Since You've Been Gone by Anouska Knight

Since You've Been Gone by Anouska Knight

Publisher: Harlequin HQN

Publication Date: July 29, 2014

Number of Pages: 320

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary via GoodReads:

How do you learn to love again?

In one tragic moment, Holly Jefferson's life as she knows changes forever. Now to the external world, at least she's finally getting back on her feet, running her business, Cake. Then she meets Ciaran Argyll.

His rich and charmed life feels a million miles away from her own. However, there's more to Ciaran than the superficial world that surrounds him, and he too is wrestling with his own ghosts. Will Holly find the missing ingredient that allows her to live again and embrace and unknown and unexpected tomorrow?

She thinks: I wasn't ready!!! The tragic moment happens so fast. I was left reeling; I didn't know whether to put the book down and walk away or power through. I am proud and eager to say I powered through though, and it was wonderful. It was light-hearted yet touching at the same time.

Bad boy turned good guy. We've seen it and read it before...a million times probably. And that won't stop me from reading it a million more when their presented in such nice packages. Ciaran sweeps Holly off her feet reluctantly and bittersweet hilarity ensues. Ciaran's father is a hot mess, and the Ice Queen will wish you had stabbed her with a pair of stilettos instead of a cake. I definitely needed some of my own cake after finishing this book! 

If you are in search of a feel good read in which you wish you could be friends with the main character (or live her life), then I highly suggest you pick up this book. {You can thank me later!}

And, if you're anything like me, this song has been on repeat in your read since you read the title of the book. Plus, Pitch Perfect makes everything better!!!! You're welcome!

Ready to Wed by Cindi Madsen

Ready to Wed by Cindi Madsen
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Publication Date: July 22, 2014
Number of Pages: 350
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary via GoodReads:
Dakota Halifax loves to be in love. In fact, as one of Las Vegas' premier wedding planners, she's built a whole career around romance. Which is why her own wedding has to be nothing short of perfect. And then her fiance' jilts her. While she's waiting in her wedding dress. On a cruise ship already out at sea. Once back on dry land, Dakota tries to pour her heart into her business and weekly wedding advice column, Get Ready to Wed. But how can the heartbroken celebrate others' true love? When she reconnects with her childhood best friend, surprisingly sexy and all-grown-up casino bouncer Brendan West, Dakota wonders if maybe she can fall back in love with being in love.

But then her ex reappears, begging for another chance, and suddenly Dakota questions if she'll ever understand love. Can someone once-burned and twice-shy ever find her way down the aisle again?

She thinks: I had high hopes for this book because I wanted a light read. It sounded like a humorous plot, and it started out that way too. It quickly took a turn into not exactly "weird" but overly predictable. Dakota is trying to figure out her life after being left at the altar when her long lost friend comes back into her life. As soon as he showed up, I knew what was going to happen. Somehow, it wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be. It happened too quickly and then there was too much drama after it happened for me to like the book completely. Waaaaahhhhh. Yay for happy endings though!!

See what others are saying Ready to Wed by Cindi Madsen:

• Heather @ Turning Pages
• Angela @ The Reading Cave

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennett by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su and Kate Rorick

Publisher: Touchstone

Publication Date: July 1, 2014

Number of Pages: 400

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary {via GoodReads}:

Based on the Emmy Award winning YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Twenty-four year old grad student Lizzie Bennet is saddled with student loan debt and still living at home along with her two sisters, beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. When she records her reflections on life for her thesis project and posts them on YouTube, she has no idea The Lizzie Bennet Diaries will soon take on a life of their own, turning the Bennet Sisters into Internet celebrities seemingly overnight.

When rich and handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck up friend William Darcy, things really start ito get interesting for the Bennets and for Lizzie's viewers. But not everything happens on screen. Lucky for us, Lizzie has a secret diary.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet takes readers deep inside Lizzie's world and beyond the confines of her camera, from the wedding where she first meets William Darcy to the local hangout of Carter's, and much more. Lizzie's private musings are filled with revealing details about the Bennet household, including her growing suspicions about her parents' unstable financial situation, her sister's budding relationship with Bing Lee, the perils of her unexpected fame, and her uncertainty over her future, and whom she wants to share it with.

Featuring plenty of fresh twists to delight fans and new readers alike, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet expands on the web series phenomenon that captivated a generation and reimagines the Pride and Prejudice story like never before.

She thinks: Okay, I admit that at first I was a little skeptical about reading this book when I first discovered it. So, I passed on by it and didn't think twice about it until I started seeing all these tweets pop up in my feed about The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube. Naturally, curiosity {and a weekend without my husband} got the best of me, and I decided to check it out. I'm not proud to admit this {okay, maybe I'm a little proud}, but I watched the whole YouTube series in less than 24 hours. It was just so addicting! It gave the classic Pride and Prejudice tale a face and a voice to relate to. That's what I love the most about the video series - how relatable {did I just make up a word?} it feels. And, the book is no different!

{via thestate.ae}

It comes complete with the trappings of the quintessential novel it's based on with exciting twists and turns along that way to make all the necessary plot elements fit. Now, before you get defensive and nervous that your precious Austen novel has been manhandled, let me allay your fears. It is done tastefully and quite wittily, if I do say so myself.

{via giphy.com}

I will caution you though - if you have already watched the YouTube videos, the book will seem repetitive at times. But once I got past that, I found myself wanting to watch the videos that corresponded with the diary entries. And, who knows, maybe one day I will! For now though, it was wonderful to get to know the inner workings of Lizzie's mind. I like having a vivid picture of how it all played out both on and off screen thanks to The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and her secret diary.

{via thegrownupya.com}

If you have not had a chance to watch the YouTube series, I highly encourage you to do so, and maybe you can match up the diary entries with the webisodes! Let me know how it goes if you do choose to do that. It'd be a double dose of Austen - in film and print! =]

See what others are saying about The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet:

• Gillian @ Writer of Wrongs
• Quinn @ Quinn's Book Nook
• Melanie @ Finding Bliss in Books
• Tiff @ Mostly YA Lit
• Jesse @ Pretty in Fiction

Also - BuzzFeed gives you 15 reasons you should love The Lizzie Bennet Diaries!

{via rebloggy.com}

Love by Numbers by Sara Donovan

Love by Numbers by Sara Donovan
Publisher: AUS Impulse
Publication Date: July 1, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary {via GoodReads}:
What if there was a scientific 7-step formula that triggered your heart into feeling passion?

Would you follow it to fall in love with your "nice guy" bestie - the sensible choice who was actually available?

Set in the glittering north shore of Sydney, Love by Numbers follows the story of April, a successful HR executive who is in the middle of a serious man drought. To deal with her boredom, she fantasies more than she should about her hot, but uninterested-to-say-the-least office crush, Ryan. When April finally gets Ryan to drinks one night and she watches him fall for her flirtatious house-mate, April decides never again to trust her instinctual "man-picker." Her only solution is to rewire her brain and create passion with the one guy she knows she can trust.

This is a story about how far you can go to control your heart's choices, and what happens when you try.

She thinks: This book was very disappointing. It wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be when I first requested it. I'm not sure if I was distracted by the cover or what happened, but I didn't enjoy the book.

It started out good. I liked how the characters were introduced. I liked how it ended...sort of. Not everything that happened in the book was resolved. And the middle of the book was a jumble of thoughts that seemed thrown together. Like, let's put a cliche scene here then some introspective-ness then a scene with parents that has nothing to do with the plot and - oh! - let's put another cliche in here. Make sense? Yeah, me neither, but that's how the book felt.

I wish I could recommend this to others, but I don't think it would be worth the time and effort put into reading it. Someone needs to take a red pen to this book and help it make sense. There are too many unimportant characters thrown into the plot that just need to go. It would make the book so much better.

Love, Lies, and Lemon Cake by Sue Watson

Love, Lies, and Lemon Cake by Sue Watson
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: June 27, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC via NetGalley

Summary {via NetGalley}: 
Faye Dobson has lost her sparkle.

Living on film star fantasies and vague memories of a marriage that once was, she can't help feeling that life is passing her by. She dreams of being whisked to Paris for dinner, making three wishes at Trevi fountain and having sex under the stars. But the wrinkles are multiplying, her husband's passion is for plumbing, and the nearest she'll get to Rome is take-away pizza.

So when Faye meets Dan the gorgeous Australian surfer guy working in the local deli she can't help but wonder what it would be like to see the world. He is blonde, tanned, ten years younger, and bakes the most amazing lemon cake. Unlike her husband, Dan actually listens to Faye, his smile makes her feel fizzy inside, and when he smiles...Oh. My. God.

But is Faye being silly? What would Dan see in someone like her? Even if he did have feelings for her, could she give up everything to be with him?

She thinks: I don't even remember why I picked this book up. Maybe because it talked about cake and I quite possibly was craving some at the time? That's got to be it because I only got five chapters in before I abandoned this book. Faye, the main character, was too whiney for my taste. The entire part of the book that I read felt like a giant complaint. I mean, I get that some people aren't happy with their lives, but I don't want to read about that if all you're going to do is complain the whole time. I have enough of my own problems; I don't need yours too. I might pick this book up again one day, but it's just not for me right now.

Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore

Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Publication Date: July 22, 2014
Number of Pages: 300
Genre: Young Adult
Source: eARC {via NetGalley}

Summary {via GoodReads}:
Pretty and popular track star Marijke Monti is confident about almost everything - she's got great friends, a great family, and she's on her way to the State Track Championship. In fact, the only thing Marijke isn't confident about is her relationship with Tommy Lawson.

Lily Spencer has spent her entire high school career preparing for the future - she's participated in every extracurricular activity and volunteer committee she could. But, at home, she watches her mother go on date after date with dud-dudes, still searching for "the one." Lily realizes that she's about to graduate and still hasn't even had a boyfriend.

While they live on each other's periphery at school, Lily and Marijke never seemed to have much in common; but, after a coincidental meeting at the movie theater, Lily gets an idea - why can't life be like a movie? Why can't they set up their perfect romantic situations, just in time for their senior prom, using movie techniques?

Once the girls come up with the perfect plans, they commit themselves to being secret cohorts and, just like in the movies, drama ensues.

She thinks: This book was just what I needed after spending a whole week reading City of Heavenly Fire. I've been reading so many heavy books lately that I needed something light, and this was perfect!

Now, a prerequisite to loving this book as much as I did is certainly a love of chick flicks. If you think they are silly movies, then this book probably isn't for you, and that's okay because I loved it to pieces! We're talking references to Easy A and Friends with Benefits and Say Anything and Never Been Kissed and The Holiday and When Harry Met Sally. I mean, let's be real, it's a chick flick bonanza in a book!

{via liveluvcreate.com}

Marijke and Lily are perfectly crafted high schoolers looking for their true loves. We've all been there and know the pains of unrequited or unequaled love. Our gal pals definitely got us through the tough times with ice cream and coffee {more like wine now} and movies. Remember when you wanted a Hollywood romance? Wanting to be swept off your feet by Mr. Right? God, I miss those days. Don't you? If so, read this book!

Just Like the Movies was a great way to revisit my high school days without all the awkwardness. I enjoyed delving into a world of prom proposals {of which I was never a recipient} and all missteps along the way. I remember dreaming of how I could craft the perfect meet cute in high school with little luck. I'm the Lily in this book. I would love to know which character you identified with more - Lily or Marijke!

Pride, Prejudice, & Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway

Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits {book one} by Mary Jane Hathaway
Publisher: Howard Books
Publication Date: June 10, 2014
Number of Pages: 352
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC {via NetGalley}

Summary {via GoodReads}:
This hilarious Southern retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice tells the story of two hard-headed Civil War historians who find that first impressions can be deceiving.

Shelby Roswell, a Civil War historian and professor, is on the fast track to tenure - that is, until her new book is roasted by the famous historian Ransom Fielding in a national review. With her career stalled by a man she's never met, Shelby struggles to maintain her composure when she discovers that Fielding has taken a visiting professorship at her small Southern college.

Ransom Fielding is still struggling with his role in wife's accidental death six years ago and is hoping that a year at Shelby's small college near his hometown of Oxford, Mississippi, will be respite from the pressures of Ivy League academia. He never bargained for falling in love with the one woman whose career - and pride - he injured, and who would do anything to make him leave.

When these two hot-headed Southerners find themselves fighting over the centuries-old history of local battles and antebellum mansions, their small college is about to become a battlefield of Civil War proportions.

She thinks: So, I wouldn't really call this a retelling but more of an adaptation. It follows the general plot line of the classic Jane Austen novel, but I don't consider it an actual retelling. There were too many differences. I liked trying to figure out which characters were which, since they all have different names, and I liked the extra depth Ransom has. It makes his actions much more understandable.

{via youtube}

However, there were some moments that I thought were just too far fetched in order to make the story echo the original Pride and Prejudice. And, while I get why it needed to be done, I wish it could have been done another way. There either needed to be more lead up to those particular parts of the plot, or it should have been left out all together. I felt as if towards the end of the book random bits and pieces were just thrown in to the story.

All that being said, I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to Elizabeth & Darcy fans! In fact, I already have.

See what others are saying about Pride, Prejudice, and Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway:

• Chelsea @ Magical Musings
• Rissi @ Dreaming Under the Same Moon
• Vi @ She Read Until the Lights Had Long Sing Gone Out

Me Without You by Kelly Rimmer

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Me Without You by Kelly Rimmer
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: June 6, 2014
Number of Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source: eARC {via NetGalley}

Summary: 
A story of how love can break our hearts - and heal them.

A year ago, I met the love of my life. For two people who didn't believe in love at first sight, we came pretty close.

Lilah MacDonald - beautiful, opinionated, stubborn and all kinds of wonderful in ways that words could never quite capture. The woman who taught me to love again.

My Lilah, who gave me so much, and yet kept from me a secret that she knew would break my heart.

My name is Callum Roberts, and this is our story.

She thinks: I have been going through a spell of reading very emotional books lately, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I was in the perfect head space to enjoy all of those books; this one included. I first wanted to read this book because it touted that it was similar to The Notebook and One Day, which are both outstanding books with beautiful love stories. Thankfully, this book did not disappoint one bit. I found myself captivated from the first few lines. 

"It was absolutely not love at first sight...maybe it was actually love at second sight."

This book will certainly break your heart or warm your cold heart, depending on your circumstances. That being said, you need to have a box of tissues by your side once you get to the end of the book. Consider yourself warned! The character development was perfect, and the story is plausible. I loved the dual POVs - Callum telling us their love story and Lilah writing privately in her journal. Callum wears his heart on his sleeve whereas Lilah keeps her emotions hidden away.

You will walk away from this novel a better person with more appreciation for the life you have and the lives of others. We all have our own battles and challenges to face every day, and if I learned one thing from the book, it's that it's easier to have company along the way.

See what others are saying about Me Without You by Kelly Rimmer:

• Simona Elena @ Sky's Book Corner
• Library Cat @ Chick Library Cat
• Ella Janine @ The Filapina Booknote
• Steph @ Judging Covers
• Alba @ Lost in Chick Lit

Scared Scriptless by Alison Sweeney

Scared Scriptless by Alison Sweeney {yes, that Alison Sweeney!}
Publisher: Hyperion
Publication Date: June 3, 2014
Number of Pages: 320
Genre: Chick Lit
Source: eARC {via NetGalley}

Summary {via GoodReads}:
Maddy Carson is a mass of contradictions. She loves her job as Script Supervisor on a hit TV show, but hates "Hollywood." Super-organized and down-to-earth, Maddy is clearly one of the best at her job, and her strict dating rule - "No Actors!" - helps her keep focused on her career.

However, a budding relationship with Craig, one of the executives at her company, may even propel her into the big leagues. Could Wolf County, her beloved hometown in the mountains, be saved from a financial crisis by creating a reality show featuring the eccentrics in the small ski village? Maddy is determined to try, even when she learns that Craig's agenda doesn't exactly line up with her altruistic goal.

Meanwhile, Maddy still has a full-time job to manage, her family to deal with, and a gorgeous new actor, Adam Devin, determined to wear down her resistance. Eventually, Maddy must learn to break all her self-imposed rules and simply follow her heart.

She thinks: First, let's talk about the fact that that Alison Sweeney - Days of Our Lives star and Biggest Loser host - has written books. Yes, plural. Not one, but two. Scared Scriptless is her second novel, and I have to admit, I kind of liked it. Okay, maybe more than kind of. Honestly, I had a hard time putting down.

I loved the characters and their motivations. Maddy is hard working and driven and has a lot rules and lists. I have so many self-imposed rules and sometimes I have a hard breaking them. There are rules for a reason, right?? Anyway...Craig is completely transparent, and I wanted to smack him for hurting dear, sweet, trusting Maddy. And, can I just say that I would to have hot male actor friends like Billy and Adam. Be still my heart!

This is a book about a woman reaching her potential with the help of those around her. Maddy works through her stumbles and falls to become confident in her own skin...finally!!! Tango, anyone?

See what others are saying about Scared Scriptless by Alison Sweeney:

• Tara @ Nestled in a Book

The Best Man for the Job by Lucy King

The Best Man for the Job by Lucy King
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: June 1, 2014
Number of Pages: 224
Genre: British Chick Lit, Romance
Source: eARC {via NetGalley}

Summary {via GoodReads}:
The wedding guest from her past...

For Celia Forrester, Marcus Black - her brother's best friend - was always totally off-limits. Especially after The Night That Nearly Happened. It was years ago, but Celia remembers it for all the worst reasons! But now, Marcus is back in the picture - he's the best man at her brother's wedding and more gorgeous than ever.

It's all kinds of inappropriate, but giving in to temptation looks like the best way for Celia to get Marcus out of her system. But their one night comes with consequences. And this time, it won't be fifteen years until they have to face them...but nine months!

She thinks: If you need a predictable and light read, then this is the book for you. The story is a little choppy - you come in randomly, play catch up a little bit, and then are left with a quick ending. I will say that the ending is satisfactory though, as if we could expect anything less from a Harlequin book. Plus, if you like your books on the steamy side, then you will like this one.

I was confused by the motivation of the characters in the book though. I couldn't figure out what was driving them as much as King tried to explain it. I didn't not get as invested in the characters as I usually do with books so I definitely do not have a book hangover. In fact, it took me a couple days to get into the book, but once I did, I breezed through it. Honestly, I was hoping for more from the book.

If you're at the library and in need of something to read, pick this one up. It'll placate you while you search GoodReads or Google or whatever search engine you use to find books for your next exciting read.

Unmasking Juliet by Teri Wilson

Unmasking Juliet by Teri Wilson
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Number of Pages: 368
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: eARC {via NetGalley}

Summary {via GoodReads}:
Ever since she was a little girl learning to make decadent truffles in her family's chocolate shop, Juliet Arabella has been aware of the better feud between the Arabellas and the Mezzanottes. With their rival chocolate boutiques on the same street in Napa Valley, these families never mix. Until one night, when Juliet anonymously attends the annual masquerade ball. In a moonlit vineyard, she finds herself falling for a gorgeous stranger, a man who reminds her what passion is like outside the kitchen. But her bliss is short-lived when she discovers her masked prince is actually Leo Mezzanotte, newly returned from Paris and the heir to her archenemy's confection dynasty.

With her mind in a whirl, Juliet leaves for Italy to represent the Arabellas in a prestigious chocolate competition. The prize money will help her family's struggling business, and Juliet figures it's a perfect opportunity to forget Leo...only to find him already there and gunning for victory. As they compete head-to-head, Leo and Juliet's fervent attraction boils over. But Juliet's not sure whether to trust her adversary, or give up on the sweetest love she's ever tasted.

She thinks: If you like the classic story of Romeo & Juliet, then you will definitely like this book. You might also like this book if you love chocolate. It took a lot of willpower for me not to devour box after box of chocolate as I read this book. It made me want to go out and buy real chocolate, not prepackaged chocolate. {I'm still trying to find the best place to do this!}

The best part of this Romeo and Juliet-style story is that there's less death {read = no death}. It's also a little steamier than Shakespeare depicted the original story. I enjoyed the dual POVs too because, let's be honest, what woman doesn't want to get inside a man's head and know what he's thinking? It can't be naughty thoughts all the time, right?!?

Check out this read for a good, chocolate-filled time. Juliet and Leo won't let you down!

Teri Wilson has released and will be releasing similar books like Unmasking Juliet. Her already released book is called Unleashing Mr. Darcy, which is a book modeled after the story line of Pride and Prejudice. After Unmasking Juliet is released, Wilson is scheduled to release a third book entitled Unschooling the Professor, which is a modern interpretation of My Fair Lady/Pygmalion. It will be released in January 2015. Hopefully, I can get my hands on an ARC for that book too. In the meantime, I'll have to placate my need for books like Unmasking Juliet by reading Unleashing Mr. Darcy. After all, it was recommended to me by a friend!

See what others are saying about Unmasking Juliet by Teri Wilson:

• Christina @ Reading Extensively
• Lyn @ Reading Tsinoy
• Kimberly @ Wit and Sin

The Last Word by A. L. Michael

The Last Word by A. L. Michael
Publisher: Carina UK
Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Number of Pages: 288
Genre: British Chick Lit
Source: eARC {via NetGalley}

Summary {via GoodReads}:
Tabby Riley's online life was a roaring success. Her blog had hundreds of followers and legions of young fans ardently awaited her ever Tweet. Her real life was a bit more of a disappointment. Living in a shared flat in North London, scratching a living writing magazine articles on 'How to Please Your Man in Bed' wasn't where she thought she'd be at twenty-six - especially when there was a serious lack of action in her own bedroom.

Until she was offered the job of her dreams on online paper The Type - and gained a sexy new editor, Harry Shulman, to bounce her ideas off. Tabby had previous bad form when it came to falling for well-dressed, smooth-talking editors, so no way was she going there again...ever! But had she got a little too use to hiding behind her laptop screen? Perhaps it was time for the real Tabby Riley to come out and have some fun!

She thinks: This book is a cute read for a Debbie Downer kind of day. If you are in the mood for a sassy woman as a main character who has feelings and insecurities but a guy falls in love with her anyway, then this is the book for you! The relationships in the book feel real and aren't the typical cookie cutter types that you find in regular Chick Lit. They have a purpose other than to move the plot along, and I enjoyed getting to know the other characters too. Tabby is a little whiny {what woman isn't some days though?}, but her gal pals slap her right back into place with their logic and poignant words. This book made me long for college when I was hanging out with my girls all the time. Miss you ladies!!

Paradigm by Ceri A. Lowe

Paradigm {Book One} by Ceri A. Lowe
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: June 13, 2014
Number of Pages: 382
Genre: YA Dystopian Fiction
Source: eARC {via NetGalley}

Summary {via Press Release}:
What if the end was just the beginning?

Alice Davenport awakens from a fever to find her mother gone and the city she lived in ravaged by storms - with few survivors. When Alice is finally rescued, she is taken to a huge underground bunker owned by the mysterious Paradigm Industries. As the storm worsens, the hatches close.

87 years later, amidst the ruins of London, the survivors of the Storms have reinvented society. The Model maintains a perfect balance - with inhabitants routinely frozen until they are needed by the Industry.

Fifteen-year-old Carter Warren knows his time has come. Awoken from the catacombs as a contender for the role of Controller General, if it is his destiny to succeed - where his parents failed. But Carter soon discovers that the world has changed, in ways that make him begin to question everything that he believes in. As Carter is forced to fight for those he loves and even for his life, it seems that the key to the future lies in the secrets of the past...

She thinks: This book could be more coherent and cohesive, but the last 3 chapters were absolutely enthralling. I spent the first part of the book trying to figure out the dynamics of the characters and trying to decipher how the chapters were comprised. It was a push to get past all the backgrounds of the characters and the flashbacks they kept having. I kept having to stop reading to go back and reread something to make sure I hadn't missed a key plot element. Lowe speaks to her readers through flashbacks and reminiscing, which, I have to admit, took some getting used to at first. Also, there is a lot of information to swallow in order to understand the actions of the characters. But, once I got about halfway through the book, I couldn't bear to put it down. The humanness {is that even a word?} of the characters will make your heart ache, and you will want to make the world a better place because of this book. You might even need some tissues; I know I almost had to grab some towards the end. The truth will set you free!

This book is part of series, and I am very much interested to know how it concludes. For book one, I have rated it as a cupcake. It is not one that I would go out and buy, but I would definitely borrow it from the library  or a friend in a heartbeat. And, never fear, I'm suffering from a book hangover because of Paradigm. Um...when do books two and three get released??