Sunkissed

Sunkissed // Book Review

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Title: Sunkissed
Author: Kasie West
Published: 2021
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary

Fan favorite Kasie West is back with another unforgettable summer romance that reminds us falling in love is full of wonder, heartache, and—most of all—surprises.
Source: Goodreads

Reading six of Kasie West books has made her one of my favorite authors. I love her writing style and lighthearted young adult romances. When I heard she was releasing a summertime contemporary this year I 100% thought it would be a 5 star read. However, this book frustrated me to no end. I am going to try not to make this a rant review, but it might end up that way. Sorry.

The book is set at a summer resort where there is no cell service or internet. Are main character, Avery, and her family are staying there for a month. Right off the bat, the love interest left me with a sour taste in my mouth. He completely judged, Avery, and never truly apologized for it. Also, his whole broody musician personality was so annoying. I get it you’re dealing with a lot of shit, but so is everyone else.

“Sometimes staying in the box we’ve made for ourselves is so easy. It’s comfortable and familiar in there. And a lot of times, the people around us want us to stay in there, too, because that’s how they’ve always known us: in that box.”

Probably the biggest issue I had with the story was Avery’s personality. She was so passive it drove me insane. Honestly, she is exactly like my mom, who I love her to death, but found that I cannot read a character like her. She would let everyone walk all over her, and never stood up for herself. Her excuse was that she didn’t like conflict, but sometimes in life conflict is necessary. Another infuriating thing was how rude her so called “love interest” friends were towards her at the end of the book. At one point her “boyfriend” did stick up for her, but in my opinion it was too little, too late. I guess bros over hoes.

I did enjoy some of the resort worker we got to know, and that they welcomed Avery into their group with open arms. Avery’s sister Lauren was another one of my favorite characters. At first, Lauren comes off as self-absorbed but really she was just immature. By the end, you could tell she cared about her sister and wanted her to be happy. I enjoyed seeing their relationship grow and transform into a nice sisterly bond. Besides the sisterly aspect, I don’t feel like family was a major aspect of the story. It is more of a story about self-discovery and finding your passion.

I am not here to say that this book is trash. I am glad that I picked it up and it hasn’t turned me off from Kasie West. Because her writing style is still amazing. This book just didn’t give me the feels her past ones had. Hopefully her next release will redeem this book.

Let’s chat in the comments about this book. Also, like, share and follow the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

To Be Read // August 2021

- Bunny 2 Comments

Hello Friends,
It is monthly TBR time again! I am going to be talking about all the books that I hope to get to in August. This TBR is very ambitious since I read practically nothing last month. I was in a major reading slump for most of July, so here’s hoping that I can snap out of it in August. I gave myself a lot of genre options to choose from to help widen my reading choices.

‘Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories’ by Various Authors: This is a collection of short YA stories from tons of different authors. I think that all the stories are contemporary, so it’s right up my alley. I have been interested in picking this book up for years, but I hope this summer I can finally get to it.

‘Undead Girl Gang’ by Lily Anderson: I started this book about two or three years ago. I read about 30 pages before putting it down. I remember enjoying it but at the time I wasn’t in the right mood for it. It seems like a fun contemporary with some magical realism thrown in.

‘There’s Someone Inside Your House’ by Stephanie Perkins: This is another book that I started a few years ago but set aside. I am a fan of Perkins’ lighthearted contemporaries, so I was excited to read something a bit darker from her. This is a YA thriller novel that doesn’t have the best reviews, but Netflix is releasing a film adaption, so there has to be something good about it.

‘Peter Pan’ by J.M. Barrie: I have been wanting to read more children’s classics. I have never been the biggest Peter Pan fan, but I have heard good things about the original story. Also, there are quite a few versions of the audio-book with celebrity narrators that excite me.

‘Fool Me Twice’ by Carrie Aarons: This book has been on my tbr since its release. It sounds like a great summer read, and I can’t wait to see if it lives up to my expectations. The book kind of gives me “John Tucker Must Die” vibes, which I am down for.

‘Sunkissed’ by Kasie West: Of course I have to read Kasie West newest YA contemporary. The title alone screams ‘summer romance’. Honestly, I don’t know anything about this book, yet that’s okay with me. I’m predicting this to be a 4-or 5-star-read, so here’s hoping I don’t end up being disappointed.

‘The Elite’ (The Selection #2) by Kiera Cass: I hate that this book is on my tbr, but I am determined to finish this series. This is a YA dystopian contemporary with a ‘ The Bachelor’ style plot. I didn’t love the first book, but maybe they’ll get better.

‘Bridge of Souls’ (Cassidy Blake #3) by Victoria Schwab: This is a middle-grade/YA trilogy about a tween ghost hunter that I adore. I am sad to pick up the last book in this series, but interested in seeing how it will end. The other books have been really good, so I assume this book will keep that streak going.

‘Alex, Approximately’ by Jenn Bennett: I have been told that if you like YA contemporary than Jenn Bennett is a must-read author. This book seems to be the go-to for a lot of readers who are new to Bennett’s work, so I am going to follow the process of others. Also, this book takes place in the summer and has a “You’ve Got Mail” kind of romance, which sounds adorable.

‘One of Us Is Lying’ (One of Us Is Lying #1) by Karen M. McManus: This is another older release that I never got around to, but I saw that a TV adaption is being released, so I knew I had to read the book first. I have heard that the book is somewhat problematic, and anti-climactic. However, the plot gives me a ‘Breakfast Club’-meets-thriller vibe, which intrigues me.

‘Five Feet Apart’ by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, and Tobias Iaconis: This book was a last-minute addition to my tbr. I had been interested in this book since the movie adaptation was released, but had heard mixed things about both. Also, the ending was spoiled for me, so I wasn’t sure I was ever going to give it a read. But witt the movie being add to Netflix I thought why not bite bullet and read it.

This TBR is every bit as ambitious as I thought it would be, but I think that I can get to at least half of these books. Let me know what you are reading in August in the comments below, and don’t forget to like and share this post with all your bookish friends.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

To Be Read // June 2021

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hello Book Lovers,
Today I am doing my very late June TBR post! I was looking forward to this month of reading, but unfortunately I fell into a bad reading slump at the end of last month. I am hoping to kick start my reading soon, since June is my birthday month after all. I was unsure of what I wanted to read, but I think I have a few good titles to pick from here.

What’s Not to Love by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley: This is the duo’s fourth book release, and is an enemies to lovers story. I don’t know too much about the plot except that it follows to high-school rivals that must work together to plan the year reunion of a previous class.

Sunkissed by Kasie West: I no absolutely nothing about this book, but that is fine with me. I am a huge Kasie West, and she can do no wrong in my book. I was very happy to find out she was releasing a new YA contemporary, and cannot wait ti dive into this read.

Cool for the Summer by Dahlia Adler: This is a new to me author, and the book title is giving me Demi Lavoto vibes. The book is about self-discovery and new love. I believe it has LGBT+ representation, which I love to see in YA books.

Off The Record by Camryn Garrett: This is a recent add to my tbr, and I am excited to pick it up. The book is about an aspiring teen journalist that gets the story of a lifetime. It is targeted as Almost Famous meets the “Me Too” movement. I have never seen Almost Famous, but it is one of my husbands favorite films. I am looking to forward to seeing how this book unfolds.

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed: I might be most excited to pick this title up. The plot sounds amazing and something I haven’t ever read about. It is historical fiction and YA contemporary combines, which is intriguing. The story takes place in 1992 during the Rodney King riots. It is a coming-of-age novel, and 1992 just so happens to be my birth year.

Those are all the books on my June tbr, and I am hoping to read a lot in this next week. I have been doing surprisingly good with my reading this year, and I don’t want to loose that momentum. Let me know what your reading plans for June are, and please support my blog by liking and sharing this post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny