Contemporary

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 // September 2021

- Bunny 2 Comments

Hi Friends,
It is TBR time once again. I am shocked that we are already at September, where has the year gone. August was a great reading month for me. I ended up hitting my reading goal for the year! I have officially read 30 books in 2021. Yay, me! But that doesn’t me I plan on slowing down my reading anytime soon. I would still love to make progress on my owned tbr. I have tons of books that I haven’t read, which is overwhelming. Starting now I will be putting two books in my collection on my monthly tbr. Let’s start talking books!

A Whole New World by Liz Braswell
As part of the Twisted Tales series, the book follows the story of if Aladdin never found the lamp. This is a newer edition to my book collection, but I have been wanting to read one retellings this year. I have a feeling it is going to be a good fall read.

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett
This is the second book from my shelves that I want to read in September. I am anticipation it to be a solid read, since I am all for an enemies-to-lovers story. And, lighthearted contemporary will never get old in my book. I haven’t read anything by this author, and I hear that I am missing out.

The Lucky List by Rachael Lippincott
This is most likely a hard hitting contemporary that will give me all the feels. Rachael Lippincott is one of the writers of ‘Five Feet Apart’, which I read in August. If you want to know my thoughts on that book subscribe to the blog to get notified when my review for it goes live.

One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus
In August, I read ‘One Of Us Is Lying’, and knew that I had to read the companion novel soon after. This story follows the young sister of a character from the previous story. It has to do with a dangerous game of ‘Truth or Dare’. It sound creepy, but not to scary.

The Dazzling Heights (The Thousandth Floor #2) by Katharine McGee
I have been wanting to continue on with this series for a while, so why not now. After the events of book one, I am nervous and delighted to jump back into this story. I don’t know where the author plans to take the story, but I prefer to go into this book blind.

Tell me what’s on your September tbr in the comments below. Did you enjoy this post? Then why not like and share it. And, subscribe for all things bookish and more.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

On The Fence // Book Review

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Title: On The Fence
Author: Kasie West
Published: 2014
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary

 

With three older brothers, Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, has always been more comfortable calling the shots on a basketball court than flirting with the opposite sex. So when her police officer dad demands she get a summer job to pay for the latest in a long line of speeding tickets. She’s more than a little surprised to find herself working at a chichi boutique. And going out with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game. Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with her neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. Sitting back-to-back against the fence that separates them. Braden may know her better than anyone. But there’s a secret Charlie’s keeping that even he hasn’t figured out—she’s fallen for him. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win. But if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.
Source: Google Books

If you are in the mood for a fluffy, cute YA contemporary then this is the book for you. I am slowly working my way through Kasie West books, and wanted to pick up one of her older works. The story follows a teenage girl who has always been one of the guys. She is a sports-loving tomboy. And, the only girl in a household of men. She has a close relationship with her brothers and long-time neighbor.

I enjoyed the family relationship immensely. Although, they weren’t a huge focus in the story, her brothers were a great side characters. You could see the love they had for each other. As for the romance part, this is a sweet friends-to-lovers story that I wasn’t able to put down. Charlie was a very relatable female protagonist. She was blunt, imperfect and put up strong front. But she was willing to try new things like modeling and makeup. I liked how she didn’t judge people, because they were different from her.

“Bedazzled? What the heck was a bedazzle?”

The book wasn’t all Xs and Os, but talked about loss as well. The author did a great job handling the topic of grief without making it the whole focus of the book. Charlie made mistakes weaving a web of lies. But her decision to own up to her deception showed growth and maturity. There was a slight twist in the book, while predictable it showed how we protect the ones we love from pain. The book talks a bit about mental health, bipolar in general, if I’m remembering correctly. There is no secret that this is a love story about personal growth. Still I wish that mental health struggles was discussed more.

All in all, this is the type of contemporary I adore. From the plot, to the writing style and characters, I was head-over-heels. It was a quick read for me and one of my favorite West novels. If you are a fan of YA friends-to-lover romances than you might want to give this a read. Side note, it gets bonus points for helping me get out of a reading slump.

If you love book reviews and other bookish content you should probably follow the blog. It helps me if you like and share these post. Also, it makes me smile.

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

Books On My Re-Read List

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Hi Friends,
Today I wanted to talk about some books I am hoping to re-read. As book lovers, we tend to forget about those ‘old favorites’ of ours. We are quick to buy up the newest releases, and sometimes forget to go back and read our first book loves. Or perhaps we need a refresher of a book series before we can move on to the rest of the books. I, too, am guilty of not re-reading, but hopefully that will change.

1) ‘Caraval’ by Stephanie Garber: This is a fantasy novel about two sisters, magic, and more. The book was filled with lots of twists and turns, but sadly I can’t even remember half of what I read. The ending is a mystery to me. However, I would like to read the final two books in the trilogy. But I need to re-read Caraval before that can happen.

2) ‘The Afterlife of Holly Chase’ by Cynthia Hand: Every holiday season, I read A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens. This is a young adult retelling of this classic, so I thought it would be fun to re-read it every year at Christmas as well.

3) ‘The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants’ by Ann Brashares: I have read all four books in the series, but never picked up the 5th book that was released in 2011. I want to re-read this entire book series before reading the last book. Now that I am an adult, I would like to know if my thoughts on the books have changed. I’m predicting a cringe-worthy reading experience.

This was a shorter post then I originally thought it would be, but I guess don’t have a ton of books I would like to re-read. I will probably think of more after this is posted, but that is typically how my brain works. Please like and share this post, and follow my lovely book blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

10 Truths And A Dare // Book Review

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Title: 10 Truths And A Dare
Author: Ashley Elston
Published: 2021
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary

It’s Senior Week! That magical in-between time after classes have ended, but before graduation, that’s filled with gimmicky theme parties, last-minute bonding, and family traditions. Olivia couldn’t be more ready. Class salutatorian, and confident in her future at LSU, she’s poised to sail through to the next phase of her life. But when the tiny hiccup of an unsigned, off-campus P.E. form puts Olivia in danger of not graduating, she has one week to set things straight without tipping off her very big and very nosy extended family.
Source: GoodReads

Last year, I read “10 Blind Dates” by this author. It was a charming YA contemporary set during the Christmas season. I was excited to pickup her newest read, which follows one of the minor characters from that story. This time around, we follow Olivia, who is a straight-A student, salutatorian, and bound for LSU. However, she must complete her required off-campus P.E. course in only a week, or she can kiss graduation goodbye. Sounds like the making of a great contemporary, right? Maybe not.

I wanted to like this book; and believe me, I tried. I felt very disconnected with both the lead character and the plot. I have noticed a trend in YA contemporary females; they are all portrayed as perfect students and planners. Basically extreme versions of Rory Gilmore. Olivia was also an academic perfectionist, but one who couldn’t handle fulfilling a simple P.E. requirement. I understand that someone with a workload of all AP classes might not put much effort into P.E., but why wouldn’t she want a good grade? She is an overachiever, after all.

One plot point that didn’t make sense to me was Olivia’s overbearing mother. The fact that her mother texts her multiple times in an hour, and installed a tracker app on her high-school senior daughter’s phone is a bit much. I don’t know if that was supposed to seem funny, but it was more weird. Also, the title suggests there be more of a truth-or-dare aspect to this story. But the question of truth or dare, was more of a way to get the plot moving, than an actual feature in the story.

A disappointment for me, was that there wasn’t many characters besides Olivia. We did have moments with other characters, like her cousins and love interest, but I wanted more of her extended family. One of the best parts of “10 Blind Dates” was the family relationships, which this book woefully lacked. As for the ending, everything was wrapped up with a nice little bow, but was a bit too convenient and predictable. Also, books about golf, unless they are super original, always bore me.

I am not by any means writing Ashley Elston off, but this book was a letdown. Let me know your thoughts on the book in the comments below. You can follow the blog via email to get notified whenever I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

What’s Not To Love // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments

Title: What’s Not To Love
Author: Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Published: 2021
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary

Since high school began, Alison Sanger and Ethan Molloy have competed on almost everything. AP classes, the school paper, community service, it never ends. If Alison could avoid Ethan until graduation, she would. Except, naturally, for two over-achieving seniors with their sights on valedictorian and Harvard, they share all the same classes and extracurriculars. So when their school’s principal assigns them the task of co-planning a previous class’s ten-year reunion, with the promise of a recommendation for Harvard if they do, Ethan and Alison are willing to endure one more activity together if it means beating the other out of the lead.
Source: GoodReads

I love a good enemies-to-lovers story, if it’s done right. Unfortunately, this one fell short for me. The lead characters argued all the time, and had no chemistry. For the first half of the book, they bickered the whole time, which annoyed everyone around them. Honestly, there wasn’t a point where I, as the reader, could see them becoming more than rivals. It was irritating that these two had absolutely no reason to dislike each other, except for the fact that they wanted to out-do the other. The whole meaning behind their rivalry was very juvenile.

The lead male, Ethan, isn’t a horrible character, but he was trying to find himself in this feud he has going on. As for the female lead, Alison, she was one of the major downfalls of this book. I understand not wanting to be treated like a child, but she was immature, snobbish, and self-centered. The way she treated her friends was one thing, but how she acted towards her family was unbelievable. She was downright rude and offensive to her older sister because her life wasn’t they way Alison thought it should be. She had no right to judge her or talk the way she did to her family. Honestly, for someone that wanted to be seen as a grown-up, her attitude was very immature.

The plot seemed random, since I don’t believe a high-school principal would care about two students’ petty feud. If it was such a big problem, you’d think it would have been dealt with sooner than their senior year. They could have put them in different classes, or set up a meeting with their parents. The whole main plot was just off. There was a nice throwback to “Time Of Our Lives” which is another novel by this duo. Two of the characters from the book did show up in this one, but since I wasn’t a fan of “Time Of Our Lives” it didn’t mean much to me.

I want to like this author duo, but I am starting to think that “If I’m Being Honest” was a fluke. I might pick up their next release, but go into it with low expectations. Please give this post a like and share, and follow my little book blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Book Review: Time Of Our Lives by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

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  1. Title: Time Of Our Lives
    Author: Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
    Published: 2020
    Rating: 2.5/5.0 Stars

Synopsis: Time Of Our LivesWhen Fitz and Juniper cross paths on their first college tour in Boston, they’re at odds from the moment they meet– while Juniper’s dying to start a new life apart for her family, Fitz faces the sacrifices he must make for his. Their relationship sparks a deep connection–in each other’s eyes, they glimpse alternate possibilities regarding the first big decision of their adult lives.
Source: GoodReads

I was dreading writing this review, because not to long ago I was singing the author duos prayers. I was very unhappy with this book, and couldn’t get behind the plot. I was hoping for a cute boy meets girl type of story, but that is not really the premise. Are two leads are both college seniors, Fitz and Juniper, who cross path during their multiple college tours. The characters are different, yet similar. Fitz is very dedicated to taking care of his ill mother and has a strained relationship with his older brother. Juniper wants nothing more than to get space from her tight-knit family and has her college life mapped out.

When various chance meetings draw them together they start to develop feelings that become hard to ignore. This sound like a cute opposites attract book in which they both end up learning something from one another, right? Wrong! Well, kind of. Here is the kicker and a major faux-pas within the plot, Juniper has a boyfriend. Yep, they had been going strong for about a year and started the college road trip together. This was a twisted I never saw coming, and didn’t enjoy.

For me, Juniper was a very unlikable character determined to runaway from her family, because they were overbearing. I wanted to shake her and tell her that you don’t need to push your family away to live your dreams. However, I might be projecting, since I have a close-knit family. She was very stubborn at times, and always tried to push her ideas, opinions and the way she lived her life on to other. It got frustrating quickly. Needless to say, I didn’t enjoy reading her dialog.

“It’s extraordinarily freeing.”

Fritz on the other hand was hands down the redeeming part of this book. He was quirky, thoughtful and awkward. I loved that he was willing to give up all his dreams for his mom, and make new goals for her sake. I enjoyed the moments between him and his brother, and you could see the distance between them. However, you could tell that they did love each other even if at times they tried not to care.

I didn’t find Fritz and Juniper a believable couple at all. I couldn’t get over the fact that Juniper kept pushing her wants on the Fritz and essentially peer-pressuring him to-be like her. Maybe, I interrupted her wrong, but her personality was a bit abrasive. I felt like Juniper didn’t learned anything from Fritz, or change throughout the book. Their were small moments that you could see her personality shifting, yet they didn’t last long.

As for Fritz, his character growth was amazing! He discovered that he could live his life for himself while still caring about and for his mom. He learned that his brother cared just as much, maybe even more, than him about their family, but tried to play it cool. During the story, they came together as brothers and it was very touching. Is it sad that I would rather have had a strained brother road trip story instead of the one we got.

This book fell middle of the road for me, which isn’t bad but isn’t great either. I will continue to read whatever these two publish next, yet I might be keeping my expectations low. I want to add that there might be an epilogue in this book, but it isn’t in the e-book or audiobook versions, so I’m confused. I didn’t get a chance to read the epilogue, since I primarily read the formats I mentioned that didn’t contain it. Let me know your thoughts on this book in the comments.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Book Review: Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston

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Title: Bookish and the Beast
Author: Ashley Poston
Published: 2020
Rating: 3.0/5.0 Stars

Synopsis: When Rosie and Vance’s paths collide and a rare book is accidentally destroyed, Rosie finds herself working to repay the debt. And while most Starfield superfans would jump at the chance to work in close proximity to the Vance Reigns, Rosie has discovered something about Vance: he’s a jerk, and she can’t stand him. The feeling is mutual. But as Vance and Rosie begrudgingly get to know each other, their careful masks come off—and they may just find that there’s more risk in shutting each other out than in opening their hearts.
Source: GoodReads

I am happy to-be done with this series of companion novels but Ashley Poston. I started this series on a high note with Greekerella, but than it slowly went down hill. I wasn’t a fan of the second book in the series, and I’m sad to say this one fell short for me as well. I am a Beauty and the Beast fangirl and delighted to see a version of the story in the Once Upon a Con world. Unfortunately, I soon realized that I had too high of hopes for this book.

Rosie and Vance barely had any interaction, and no chemistry. Honestly, I would much have preferred to see their first meeting and watch their relationship build from their on. They would both talk about their first meeting and the instant connection they had, but during their present interactions I didn’t buy it. Also, Vance’s nobody understands me act was quite off-putting. He was seeking action by acting out, which was immature.

As for Rosie, she was the typical I’m “not like other girls” female lead. Her mother had passed away and they both shared a love of book, mainly the Starfield novels. I want to point out that I don’t think Rosie was a horrible character, but I am not a fan of that character type in books. The book did have character that were part of the LGBTQ community, which I love to see. However, the side characters played a very small part in the story.

“Books are not really just books at all, but doorways. They are portals into places I’ve never been and people I’ll never be.”

Frankly, I feel like she tossed these characters in, so that she could say the book diverse. I believe at one point they mentioned in passing that her father was bisexual and he was obviously developing a crush on Vance’s manager, he might not have been his manager, but I digress. I feel like her father being a bisexual was completely out of the blue, and a random add in. However, I would love a book on her father and possible falling in love with a woman and man, or a trans character.

Overall, I didn’t think that the love story was believable, the main characters were irritating to say the least and I could scream about what she did to Darien and Elle’s relationship. Also, only two other characters from the earlier books showed up in this one, which was lame in my opinion. I bet you can tell that this book wasn’t for me. In total, I would give the entire series a 3.5 start, but save yourself the time and read only “Geekerella.

I will note that there is a novella in the series, which I have yet to read. A safe bet is that I probably won’t be reading. Please share and like this post all your book loving friends. Follow the blog to get notified when I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

April 2021 // Reading Wrap-Up

- Bunny 1 Comment

Hello Book Lovers,
In the month of April, I read 4 books total. I am happy with that number, since I did take a small week-long reading break during the month. I feel like most of the books I have read haven’t amazed me. I don’t feel like I am a hash book rater at all, still a lot of the books have simply been 3 star reads for me. Also, I want to note that whatever I rate about doesn’t mean it is at all bad. Book ratings are all personal opinions.

If I’m Being Honest by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley: 5.0/5.0 Stars
Incredible! I was going to dnf this book, but I am glad I stuck with it. It is a new favorite of mine.

Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston: 3.5/5.0 Stars
This is a cute contemporary retelling, but not standout in my opinion.

They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman: 3.0/5.0 Stars
I have mixed feelings about this book. I didn’t love it, didn’t hate. It was okay.

Time Of Our Lives by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley: 3.0/5.0 stars
Of course, I had to pick up another book by this author duo. Unfortunately, this one was a bit of a let down.

As always I will be doing reviews for each book, so that I can share my complete thoughts on them. I was very happy to have read a five-star read, but I feel as though the rest of the books put me in a small reading slump at the end of the month. Let me know about the books you read in April, and leave me your book recommendations in the comments. If you want to support me give this post a like, share and follow the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny