Hopeless - Colleen Hoover

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies...

That's what Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she's never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past she wishes could just stay buried. 

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he's nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn't at all who he's been claiming to be. When the secrets he's been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky's life will change forever.

I read Slammed and Point of Retreat earlier this year not knowing much about the books before I picked them up.  Turns out, those stories were about a high school senior who moved with her mother and younger brother after the death of her father, to live across the street from a guy who has lost both his parents while in college.  He changed his life course to take care of his younger brother.  Somehow, even in the middle of a story line tragically serious... Colleen Hoover wrote an amazingly beautiful, funny and butterflying awesome drama that had me unable to put them down.

Because of this, I had no reservation picking up Hopeless knowing nothing about it.  I didn't even read the above synopsis.  Again, Colleen takes a story that is truly serious, but somehow finds the beauty in a story that made me fall in love with Sky, Holder...and maybe even a little bit more with her.  I think it's safe to say that if Colleen Hoover writes it... I will read it!!!

There are some serious plot lines to this story.  I'm not going to pretend everything gets wrapped up in a neat little bow and everything has it's rightful place.  Sometimes there are things in life that there are no reason for or answers for.  That makes this story that much more real.  

It's heart-breaking and scary, but even through the bad it's beautiful.  

Sky is a different type of teenage girl who would so badly like to just be normal, but being adopted,  home-schooled with no TV, Internet access or sugar in her diet has left her as far from normal as possible.  Her best friend lives outside her window and is fast and free when it comes to boys which has given Sky a guilt by association reputation.  She loves her best friend so much that she doesn't care. Even when she goes to public school and people call her a slut, she turns it into a joke.  

Dean Holder is a sexy guy with a bad reputation as well.  Rumors fly about the type of things he's done and where he was last year since he wasn't in school.  But that's what high school is, right? Just a bunch of rumors flying around.  

I honestly don't want to spoil, ruin or giveaway anything so I will say this... this book is anything but Hopeless.  I want to tell you that I "lived" this book, but I am no where in the middle with it.  I freakin' loved it.  My only word of advice other than read this and read it now...is pay attention to the warning.  If you are sensitive to certain subject materials, than beware but that's it.  Otherwise, this is as close to perfection as I believe can be achieved.  

Forever My Girl (The Beaumont Series) - Heidi McLaughlin

I was never supposed to be a rock star. I had my life all planned out for me. Play football in college. Go to the NFL. Marry my high school sweetheart and live happily ever after.

I broke both our hearts that day when I told her I was leaving. I was young. I made the right decision for me, but the wrong decision for us. I’ve poured my soul into my music, but I’ve never forgotten her. Her smell, her smile.

And now I’m going back.

After ten years.

I hope I can explain that after all this time.

I still want her to be my forever girl. 

This story is about love…it’s about happiness, and following your own dreams.  This is a story about second chances, second chances with family, friends, lovers… and the second chances you’ll never have because sometimes, in some cases it is too late. 

Liam Westbury was a football star.  He and his friends and teammates broke records and won championships.  He was recruited to play in college and was part of dream that lead him to spotlight of the NFL.  "I told her I'd love her forever. I said I love you first and promised to never let her go."

Liam Page is a tattooed rock star who gave up the All American dream and the All American girl to play music.  But when he gave up the dream, he never stopped loving her and turned his pain into a prosperous career. 

Neither side of Liam had been back in Beaumont since he made the choice to leave for Los Angeles and his music.  "I gave up on their dreams and the life we had all planned out. And now I was heading home to face the music."

Josephine “Josie” Preston was a cheerleader and the other half of the All American dream.  Date Liam, Love Liam, go to college, Liam gets drafted, get married, have babies, stay in love forever.  It’s what every girl wants, right? Until the day he destroys your dream and leaves you, never answers her calls, and changes his number.  She moves back to Beaumont with their high school best friends (and couple Katelyn and Mason) and pulls her life together the best she can, knowing that a piece of her will always be with Liam Westbury (not Liam Page). 

Heidi McLaughlin takes us through the story as it’s happening now from both Liam and Josie’s POV’s now and flashbacks from their years in high school and the day of their break up.  Heidi’s writing is amazing.  I felt like I could see it all happening.  It was descriptive enough without being too wordy and I honestly read it all in one night because I couldn’t wait to see how it was all going to unfold.

The book hooked me emotionally in the first chapter and never let me go.  Would I say I didn’t know how it would end? – No…but I couldn’t wait to get there and see it. 

The only real issue I had (and I know I should have an issue with the way she treated Nick, but I just don’t), is that I felt like I needed a little bit more at the end.  I mean yes, it’s a good place to stop, and yes I know there is going to be another book BUT that book is a companion book more than a sequel and while I’m sure Liam and Josie will be in it, it won’t really be about them… so I just felt like I wanted a little bit more from the both of them.  Take me on tour…or through the last scene from her POV… I don’t know.  I felt like we went along for such an emotional ride and I wanted a little bit more of the good stuff. 

Otherwise, I think this was a fantastic debut novel for Heidi McLaughlin… I’m looking forward to many more nights with a piece of her mind. 

Kiss Me (The Keatyn Chronicles: Book Two - Stalk Me sequel) - Jillian Dodd

I’m at a boarding school, where I have to lie about who I am.
I can’t see my family.
I’m tutoring a hottie god that tortures me with his smile.
The most popular girl already hates me.
But there’s this boy.
This hot, sweet, sexy boy.
So I’m going to stop trying to script my life and just live it.
Because who knows how long I have left.



This series is often compared to the TV series Gossip Girl. And IF we're talking the first season of Gossip Girl when "S" is someone you want good things to happen for and "B" really is the Queen of the Mean girls and "Lonely Boy" had a decent haircut, I'd say - maybe. But if we're talking the whole series over all, absolutely not...these books are SO much better! And in my mind the boys are SO much hotter (well except maybe Chase Crawford...he's pretty hot regardless of how much his character sucked at times).

So when I read the first book, I was totally Team Cush (with a little affection for Aiden)!! And I really hate to be a flip flopper, I like to make my choice in the first book and stick with it (Phillip, Ramsey, Colt, hell...I'm still team Jacob!), but in this series I have changed teams. I am 100% team Dawson now.

Kiss Me starts right where Stalk Me left off and I picked it up and ran with it. I couldn't put it down. I actually think this book was better than the first one. What I like about Keatyn Monroe is, whether she is visiting her friend's summer house, going into the city, or at her school she is who she is. She's a teenage clothes and boys obsessed girl who loves what she loves. In book one I felt like she changed based on what guy she was dating and I didn't feel that was about her in book two. I also think she's trying to make smarter decisions about her love life. And maybe her life in general.  Lying to these people that she is developing all types of relationships is becoming harder for her.  It's like she wants to be a better person. 

Aiden...that boy... I wanted to love him and I think his hot and cold attitude has to do with Keatyn but sometimes it's just too much. Dawson is perfection! Seriously, I love him!

Jillian Dodd has done it again and I CAN'T WAIT for more. I will be ready for one click buying as soon as I see the update that Date Me has gone live on Amazon.

Troubles and Treats (Chocolates Lovers 3) - Tara Sivec

Drew and Jenny have spent years being the envy of their friends with their out of control sex lives - well, not really. Mostly it makes their friends want to throw up in their mouths a little.

With two little kids and two busy lives, for the first time, Drew and Jenny aren't on the same page in the bedroom. Drew will stop at nothing to get his previously amorous wife back in the sack, and Jenny will do anything for a full night of sleep.

Carter and Claire, and Jim and Liz are their usual (un)helpful selves and are full of advice for the discontented duo, wanting nothing more than to help restore order to the usually happy couple's lives.

In the third and final installment of the Chocolate Lovers Series, will Drew and Jenny find the spark that's been missing in their marriage, or will the trouble they're having cause a stickier situation than the time Jenny poured honey all over Drew and he fused himself to a tree?

Tara Sivec is "bringing sexy back, bitches!" in the third and (hopefully not) final installment of the Chocolate Lovers series (I think Gavin should get a grown up story...just my opinion of course).  To be honest, as much as I love Jenny's use of the wrong words ("Whitney Houston we have a problem!") and Drew's t-shirts and knack for saying something inappropriate...I wasn't sure if either or both of them had enough substance to carry an entire book.  I love Claire and Carter! And Gavin is one of my all time favorites, so I was a little worried at first.  I am so happy to say that I should NEVER doubt Tara Sivec.  She is a GENIUS!!! Comedy Genius! - FACT!

Unfortunately, I am having a hard time coming up with an Amazon friendly review since almost all my favorite quotes from this book use the word fuck (or some other word Amazon would banish my review for using).

This book was crying while laughing funny just like the first two.  I think the first one is still my favorite...but I'm partial to the original almost all the time.  So without pissing off Amazon...here's what I can tell you.  Tara sticks to the script...all the family has returned to support Jenny & Drew's book -  Claire, Carter, Gavin, Liz, Jim, and all their kids - (yup! Liz & Jim have kids now too) and you will still get lots of sex stories, giving birth stories (sooo funny!), and of course the ever popular 80's movie quotes "Did you just quote Top Gun?" - uh yeah he did!! :)

If you are looking for a laugh out loud funny book/series - this is it!

Come Away With Me (With Me in Seattle Series Book 1) - Kristen Proby

Being confronted on the beach by a sexy stranger wasn't part of Natalie Conner's plans for a peaceful morning taking photos. And why on earth would he think she's taking pictures of him, anyway? Who is he? One thing’s for sure, he’s hot, and incredibly romantic, feeding Natalie’s wounded soul.

Luke Williams just wants the world to give him a break, so seeing yet another camera aimed at his face has him ready to pounce on the beauty behind the lens. When he finds out she has no idea who he is, he's intrigued and more than a little tempted by her. Natalie has a body made for sex, a sassy mouth and Luke can’t get enough of her, but he’s not ready to tell her who he really his.

Natalie is a no nonsense girl who doesn’t do well with lies and secrets. What will happen to this new relationship when she discovers what Luke’s hiding?

I loved this story in the beginning.  It hooked me in the first chapter and I didn’t want to put it down.  I knew right away what Luke was “hiding” but I don’t think the author was trying to keep it a secret from us by the context clues.   

Luke Williams gets bonus points (and an extra half star) for the grand romantic gestures.  That boy is totally swoon-worthy! Do you know those scenes in Sweet Home Alabama where Reese Witherspoon walks into her roses filled apartment and then later gets proposed to in Tiffany’s and every girl you know fell a little more in love with Patrick Dempsey…Luke Williams blows him out of the water! On top of that he’s sweet, sensitive, he cooks and he’s hot behind closed doors (or wherever)…he’s like everyone woman’s perfect man!  

I liked Natalie too.  I like that the story was told from her first person point of view and that we got into her inner dialogue "I've fallen in love with a beautiful, sexy, sweet, jealous control freak. Shit."  Because we got into her head, we could understand her reservations at first for falling for Luke and a little about what made her tick. 

So if I loved Luke (and believe me, I did) and I liked Natalie, why only 3 stars? I wish I could explain it better than just saying I felt like there was something missing…but I’m not sure what.  Maybe a little more supporting story between the two of them.  More interactions? I don’t know.  I read the book in one sitting, anxiously anticipating something… but I just didn’t know what and I felt like I never got there.  However, I will say Luke Williams definitely made the story worth the read and I will probably read the next book in the series to see what happens with Natalie’s roommate Jules and to see if we get any sneak peeks into Luke and Natalie’s life in the future!