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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

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

If I’m Being Honest // Book Review

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Title: If I’m Being Honest
Author: Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley
Published: 2019
Rating: 5.0/5.0 Stars

Synopsis: When she puts her foot in her mouth in front of her crush, Andrew, she fears she may have lost him for good. In an attempt to win him over, Cameron resolves to “tame” herself, much like Katherine in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. First, she’ll have to make amends with those she’s wronged, which leads her to Brendan, the guy she labelled with an unfortunate nickname back in the sixth grade.
Source: GoodReads

When I read the synopsis of this book, I pictured a slow-burn enemies to lovers story. I imagined a Regina George type character who would become reformed. However, you know the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” well this book proves that you shouldn’t judge a book by the first few chapters.

I was going to dnf this book around 30 pages in, but I stuck it out, and I am glad. This book is much more than a love story. It is about change and forgiveness. I loved that throughout the story Cameron was focused on changing her ways for a guy, yet learned that self-perception is more important. She realized that honesty isn’t always the best policy, and being truthful could do more damage than good.

“I know the truth can hurt, even when you need to hear it.”

The love story was adorable and devolved in a very natural way. It was less enemies-to-lovers, but instead opposites attract. However, my favorite part of the story was Cameron’s home life and relationship with her parents. She sees her mother as weak and broken, while she paints this image of her dad as successful and strong. While she hates the way her absent father treats and talks to her and her mother. His negative outlook has clouded her opinion on her mother.

At the end, Cameron learns of her mothers love and strength. I think that it is the start of an amazing mother, daughter bond. To give a weird, yet accurate description of the novel. It is like an onion, there were many layers that unfold throughout the story. I am very happy to give this a five-star rating. Please share and like this post, and follow the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Book Review: Admission by Julie Buxbaum

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Title: Admission
Author: Julie Buxbaum
Published: 2020
Rating: 3.0/5.0 Stars

Synopsis: It’s good to be Chloe Wynn Berringer–at least, it was, until the FBI came knocking on her front door, guns at the ready, and her future went up in smoke. Now her mother is under arrest in a massive college admissions bribery scandal. Chloe, too, might be facing charges, and even time behind bars. The public is furious, the press is rabid, and the US attorney is out for blood.
Source: GoodReads

When I saw this book on display at my local Wal-Mart I thought the concept was very intriguing. I, like many people, have heard about the college admissions scandal that rocked the media back in 2019. When the events of the scandal unfolded I knew that it was only a matter of time before their was some form of fiction about the affair. However, a YA book wasn’t my first thought. I went into this book with very low expectations, and knowing it would be very cliché.

The characters in the book don’t have much depth to them, and we are seeing the entire misconduct through the eyes of the main protagonist, Chloe. There were many jabs and similarities to the original scandal, which was fun to see. A good subject that the book touched on was how people are so quick to turn their backs on one another. Chloe’s friends and crush didn’t think twice before writing her off as a liar and cheater. They never once asked to hear her side of the story. What her family did was wrong nobody is denying that fact. However, their lack of loyalty to their so-called friend said a lot about them. I think it was a very honest portrait of friendship.

“I think about all the things money can and cannot buy.”

I did get slightly annoyed with many of the characters and how clueless they acted. It was as if they thought everyone got into college this way. In a majority of the book Chloe played dumb, which was frustrating but proved that she was not ready for college. The overall ending message about throwing money at your problems was very real. The author made it clear that yes money can buy you a lot even admissions to college, but that doesn’t make it right. Just because you can have something doesn’t mean you should. Most things in life should be earned, and not taken.

I am glad that I picked this book up, but it isn’t anything to write home about. I probably won’t read it again, still it was a very fast easy read. I would be interested to see a TV movie version of this book. If you have read this book please leave me your thoughts in the comments below. Also, follow the blog to get notified when I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The DNF Tag

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Hello Book Lovers,
I have been thinking about DNFing books a lot lately, because it is something that I struggle with doing. I always want to give a book a fair chance even if I am not enjoying it. I know that is a problem since I read for fun, but I still feel guilty putting a book down. I wanted to see others opinions on this topic, and came across this tag. I thought it was a cool idea, so of course I had to do it for you guys.

I have only DNF a handful of books in my years of reading. It isn’t something I would say that I do regularly, but I am not against it.

Nope! I don’t consider a book read unless I 100% finish it. I think that would be unfair to not only the author, but others that read the whole book. Also, I feel like counting it toward my reading for that month is slightly cheating.

For me, I would say yes. I have some books that I’ve been reading for months, or have put down, but plan on coming back to it within, most likely, a year. I think the main difference is that when you DNF a book you don’t see yourself ever giving it another shot, or at least not for 5 years.

Hmm…I am not sure there are any popular books I have given up on. However, one book that was well rated in the book community that I couldn’t get through was My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. This is a YA contemporary, which is my favorite genre, still I loathed the book. I found the writing slow and the relationship was very instant lovely. I DNF’ed the book when I was about 60% of the way done, and I have no regrets.

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks! I was on a huge Sparks kick for a while, and read many of his most popular books. I didn’t like many of them with The Notebook being my least favorite. Nevertheless, Dear John was the one that still annoys me like no other. I found the book super boring and just not my cup of tea. I was not a fan of the characters, or the plot. I did not enjoy the ending, and can’t understand why I put myself through that book. Fun fact, I have a signed copy of this book, so lucky me.

I have not attempted to read a DNF, but I won’t write-off the idea. I hope that it would be successful for me. Although, I am not sure I want to give some books a second chance.

I don’t usually buy books I haven’t read, so I don’t typically have the issue of getting rid of DNF’ed books. I will either get the e-book or audiobook from the library. If I do get a book I don’t like I either gift or donate it.

It isn’t really about the title for me, but more of the genre. I try to stick with my favorite genres so I have a better chance of enjoying the book. However, this year I am pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, which means I might be DNFing more books. This doesn’t scare me though, since we never know if we like something if we don’t give it a shot.

I hope that you liked this interesting tag about DNF books. I would love to get your thoughts on this topic. I tag anyone reading this post, and feel free to leave a comment letting me know if you did the tag. I think it is cool to learn others take on different bookish issues. As always you can share and like this post, and follow the blog to get notified when I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Book Review: The Thousandth Floor By Katharine McGee

- Bunny 2 Comments

Title: The Thousandth Floor
Author: Katharine McGee
Published: 2016
Rating: 4.0/5.0 Stars

Synopsis: Amid breathtaking advancement and high-tech luxury, five teenagers struggle to find their place at the top of the world. But when you’re this high up, there’s nowhere to go but down.
Source: GoodReads

The first description I got of this book was a sci-fi Gossip Girl, and being a GG lover I knew that I had to pick it up. However, I found the book to be a futuristic version of Pretty Little Lairs. The book is the first in a trilogy that follows multiple characters that live in the same apartment building. Although, they do not all come from élite families all of their stories intertwine, and they all have their own secrets.

I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn’t put the book down. There was so many twist and turns that kept me engage. The characters were very well written, and I wanted everyone to get a happy ending even though I knew that wasn’t possible. I did think something were a little cringe worthy, but I do think that the books covered the more taboo talks well. The story deals with incest, obsession, drugs and social class.

“I believe in happiness. I’m just not sure love will actually get you there.”

The ending was probably the most shocking part of all. I did not see it coming one bit, and was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was sad, dark and fascinating. I know that a lot of people aren’t a fan of this book, but I adored it. It was my first science fiction novel, and I am glad that I decided to give it a chance.

I tried not to give too much away in this review, so I hope that I didn’t spoil anything. I would love for you to share this post with your bookworm friends. Please like the blog to get notified when I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Book Review: The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston

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Title: The Princess and the Fangirl
Author: Ashley Poston
Published: 2019
Rating: 3.0/5.0 Stars

Synopsis: When a case of mistaken identity throws look-a-likes Imogen and Jess together, they quickly become enemies. But when the script for the Starfield sequel leaks, and all signs point to Jess, she and Imogen must trade places to find the person responsible.
Source: GoodReads

This book is part of a companion series, Once Upon a Con, where each book follows different characters, but all the books connect. This story is a “Prince and the Pauper” retelling, which is one of my favorite stories. However, the book didn’t live up to my expectations. I didn’t enjoy the characters from this book nearly as much as the first, and the plot wasn’t as interesting.

Now this story is less of a love story, unlike book one, and more of a self-discovery plot, which could have contributed to my dislike of the book. Nevertheless, the over all plot wasn’t excited and the main characters weren’t very enjoyable to read about. I feel that the writing and story was a bit sloppy and not full fleshed out. I did like the side characters that were introduce, and seeing the characters from the first book was a nice treat.

“I am a nobody, but I’m a nobody who wants to leave the world a little brighter than when she arrived.”

Honestly, my favorite part of this book was the love story that developed between one of the main characters. It was a very real and sweet bond they created that turn into more. Also, I think it was an unexpected LGBT romance that was very well written. Overall, the book was pretty cheesy at time and did let me down, since it read more like a middle grade than young adult. However, I will probably be picking up the next book in the series, since it was decent read just not one that I would recommend often.

I do have a review up on Geekerella by Ashley Poston that you can check out as well. Please like and share this post with all your book loving friends. Don’t forget to follow the blog to get notified when I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

March 2021 Reading Wrap-Up

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Hello Book Lovers,
It is March wrap-up time! I had a pretty good reading month in March, and feel as though I rediscovered my love of books. I read 5 books last month, and I am happy with that total. I am trying not to put as much pressure on myself to read, and I think that has helped a lot.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling: 5/5 Stars
I am doing my first read through of this series please don’t yell at me. I loved this book even more than the first and found it very funny.

The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston: 3.5/5 Stars
This book was very mediocre, and not favorite. I didn’t love it or hate it, but it was a little disappointing.

Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab: 4/5 Stars
I started this trilogy a while ago, and remember the first book being slightly creepy. However, the ghost story in this one pulled at my heart-strings. I did still really enjoy it.

Admission by Julie Buxbaum: 4/5 Stars
This wasn’t on my tbr for the month, but I am glad I picked it up. I feel like it is an underrated newer release, and I am glad I read it.

The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee: 4/5 Stars
Wow, Wow! Need I say more?

I want to let you guys know that I will be doing full reviews on some of these book, so please check back for those. Let me know what you read least month in the comments. Please like this post, and follow the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

5 Books That Intimidate Me

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Hello Book Lovers,
There are many books that I would love to read, but I am super intimidated by them. I know that the title of this post is a dead giveaway about the topic, so I will jump right into the books that intimate me for one reason or another.

The Diviners by Libba Bray: I know that this is a historical, paranormal fantasy set in the 1920s. I have heard nothing, but good things about this duology since the early days of book blogging. I think the premise sounds amazing and unlike anything I have read before. However, this book is a commitment. I think it is over 500 pages, which is very daunting.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass: This book series is being adapted for television, which is pretty exciting. I have wanted to read this book for a while, and the prospect of a live-action version makes me want to pick it up even more. That being said, Maas books have such a huge following, and though this is a “Beauty and the Beast” retelling, which I love, still I’m scared of being disappointed

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik: All I know is that this is a dark academia, whatever that means, and new adult fantasy. I don’t usually go for books like this, still I heard someone describe the plot and it had me hooked. I would like to step outside of my reading comfort zone with this book, still I know that it is a long read. What can I say big books scary me.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik:

For some reason Novik books are very intimidating to me. I know that this is an adult fantasy retelling, but I cannot remember the fairytale it is based on. I do remember thinking that the book sounded unlike anything I have read before, and for that reason made it onto my must read list. However, I am scared of big fantasy that aren’t in the young adult genre. I fear that it won’t be my style and could lead to a dnf, which I hate.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians:

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan: I talked about wanting to start this series and the companion series, The Heroes of Olympus, in my Taylor Swift book tag. I on the entire collection of Percy Jackson, still I cannot bring myself to start it. The reason being there’s a lot of books in the series. Also, as in true book fashion the books get longer as the series goes on, à la Harry Potter.

I hope that I am not the only one that has this running list. I do want to brave this list, yet truly I am not in any hurry. I would love if you gave this post a like and shared it with other bookworms. Please feel free to follow my blog to get notified when I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

My 2021 Must Reads

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Hello bookish friends,
I wanted to do a post about my must reads of the year. There are so many books from past years that I have never gotten too, so this year I am making a yearly tbr, of sorts, for myself. These are the books that are my top priority of the year, but I am not putting in pressure on myself. I find that I read better when I am doing it for fun instead of need. However, I would be very proud if I got to all of these books by the end of the year. I want to quickly note that the last two on this list are authors and not specific books that I want to get too.

Blood Heir by Amélie Wen Zhao: This trilogy is about Anastacya Mikhailov, a crown princess, who has the ability to control blood, a power she has kept secret for years. However, her lifes turns upside down when she becomes the prime suspect in her father’s murder. She must turn to a crime lord, Ramson Quicktongue, to help clear her name.

This series is completely out of my comfort zone, but the cover has me sold. The first book, in the series, was released in 2019 while the second was released early this month. I haven’t heard practically anyone talk about these books, so I will be going into them pretty blind. I will for sure do a review on each book or the trilogy as a whole once I read them all. I would really like to start this series soon.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: This is the story of the March sisters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. We follow the girls as they grow-up, fall in love and face tragedy. I don’t think this book needs much of a description since it is a classic and has had countless movie adaptions released. I am a big fan of the Little Women story and movies, but I have never read the actually novel. I am not the biggest classic books fan, yet I hope to get to this one. I am giving myself a break if I don’t complete the book by the end of the year, still I would like to have started it.

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig: This is a dark retelling of the twelve dancing princess. The main character, Annaleigh, grows suspensions when four of her sisters lives are tragically cut short. Each of their deaths written off as an accident and the villagers think that the family is cursed. Once Annaleigh meets a mysterious stranger she decides to uncover the truths about these death before her life is taken as well.

Honestly, I know nothing about the twelve dancing princess story, so I am not really looking at this book like a retelling. I have been intrigued by this novel since it’s release. It is a dark, twisted tale that I don’t typically pick up, but I want to get into horror and thrillers this year. I will probably be reading this in October for Halloween, yet I might get to it sooner if I am in a spooky mood.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan: This trilogy follows Lei chosen as one of the king’s Paper Girls. Each year, 8 girls are selected to serve the king, but this year is different because there is a ninth girl, made of fire. This series is all about secrets, revenge and forbidden love.

I am mix of emotions when it comes to starting this trilogy. I haven’t heard a lot of good things about it, still the synopsis sounds interesting. However, I feel like the plot could be a bit slower and not as fast paced as I would like in fantasies. I haven’t read anything from this author before, so I am willing to give it a chance. Also, there is supposedly LGBT representation in the book, which is awesome.

Kasie West: I have been a fan of hers for the last few years and usually love all her books. She has quickly become one of my favorite YA contemporary authors to read. I know for some people her books fall short, but for me they are fast, lighthearted reads that I enjoy. I have read three of her books, yet there are so many more that I haven’t had a chance to get too. I would love to pick up some of her older titles this year. She is mostly known for her contemporaries, but she does have a fantasy duology out that I am interested in reading. I am not sure how many of her books I will be able to get to by the end of the year, still I am going to try to catch up on her works.

Jenn Bennett: This is another author I am hoping to get to in 2021. As you probably know by now my love for contemporaries run deep, and people rave about Jenn Bennett’s contemporaries. I am a slightly nervous to read one of her book, because she gives me Sarah Dessen vibes, which is an author I don’t typically enjoy. However, people tend to hype up her books so I am going to try to give her a chance. I am unsure of what book I will read by her, yet I was leaning towards “Serious Moonlight” since it is a contemporary with a mystery element to it. I would love suggestions from other readers about which of her books I should pick up first.

Those are all the books on my yearly tbr, but don’t worry I will still be doing my monthly tbrs. I have so many other books that I am hoping to read this year and plan to have a very fun year of reading. Please support my blog by liking and sharing this post. You can follow the blog to get notified when I post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny