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New to You (11): Ginger Reviews P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

June 14, 2018 1 Comment

Welcome to New to You!

This idea came along last year when I was supporting Lauren Miller’s newest book All Things New and I asked Kelsey to read and review Parallel, a book I have read more than once. I didn’t really get it going until December when I offered people the chance to sign up to read and review a book that has been a favorite of mine that they have never read. I got a great response and I’m happy to tell you (minus January) you will see a New to You post twice a month.

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Next up for New to You is Ginger from G Reads!. I can’t even tell you how Ginger came into my life, but I’m so happy she did. We have a lot of great text conversations, stupid distance, and talk a lot about books. I really thought G would connect with this book when her and I were discussing it and I’m so happy she it. Let’s see what she thought about P. S. I Like You.

New to You (11): Ginger Reviews P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West
Published by Point
on July 25, 2017
Amazon, Goodreads

Signed, sealed, delivered...While spacing out in Chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk, and added a message to her. Intrigue!Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters -- sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she's kind of falling for this letter writer. Only who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery, and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can't always be spelled out...Kasie West brings irresistible wit, warmth, and sparkle to this swoon-worthy story of love showing up when you least expect it.

I’ve come to learn about Kasie West novels that they sneak up on me and surprise me in the best way possible while reading them. This particular story was such a delight to read. From beginning to end, I found myself smiling from the adorable storyline, to the irresistible characters. I couldn’t get enough of this breath of fresh air.

Lily is a girl after my own heart. She comes from a very crazy hectic family that is so full of life. Immediately I was drawn to the addictive chaos that Lily called home. She is still a girl with her own dreams, and her own aspirations, on top of managing siblings and household duties. Her solace lies within lyrics. Her dream is to win a lyric writing contest, where she hopes to pursue a life long dream. Already I was rooting for Lily! What she doesn’t expect is for someone to discover her lyrics, which begins as an innocent relationship of pen pals between Chemistry classes. I found myself anxious, just like Lily, to discover the next hidden note that was waiting for her in class. As Lily began to develop a connection to this secret pen pal, I too, wondered who could be on the other end of those letters.

Though the reveal came almost half way through the novel, as the reader you begin to suspect early on based on the interactions Lily has with other classmates. Without spoiling the fun, I’ll just say that her secret pen pal is not at all who she thought it would be. And when she does realize who it is, there’s an instant disappointment. Lily had built up this pseudo relationship in her mind, only to be crushed when the reality of it was revealed. This is where the true beauty in this novel really began to shine. The story shifted from an adorable secret pen pal randevu, and melded into a solid, deeply rooted story about discovering real relationships in the most unlikely places, all while learning who Lily truly is herself.

Kasie West delivers again and I can’t wait to read another one of her novels. I am so thankful for Andi’s New to You feature because it has brought a book that’s been sitting on my shelf, for far too long, front and center in my reading world.

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Thanks Ginger for signing up for New to You! I’m so happy you joined and enjoyed this one. I still giggle thinking about one part of this gem! If you want to follow Ginger and see some great romance recommendation, check her out of Twitter.

My review of P. S. I Like You

Have you read anything Kasie West books? PS is my favorite contemporary book by her with Pivot Point being my favorite of her none contemporary.

Blog Tour, Giveaway, Guest Post

Forever Summer Reading Blog Journey: Jenny Holiday’s It Takes Two

June 12, 2018 No Comments

Welcome to Forever Romance’s Forever Summer Reading blog journey for June. I’m super excited to take part of this journey and share my love of Jenny Holiday and her Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series. I fell in love with Jenny’s first book, One and Only, in the beginning of 2018 and I’m really excited to read It Takes Two. If it is a series you haven’t picked up yet I HIGHLY recommend it!

Today though, I am happy to share with some some summer reading books suggested by Jenny herself. I always have a fascination with what other authors are reading and Jenny didn’t disappoint. I personally have one of these on my TBR already and I think a couple more may follow.

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Summer Reading List – Jenny Holiday

One of the best things about summer in my part of the world is that reading can become an outdoor activity. I don’t think there’s anything better than reading on my front porch in the evenings, cold glass of rosé at hand. This is what I’ll have loaded on my eReader this summer.

Grumpy Fake Boyfriend by Jackie Lau

I’m not really sure I have to say anything beyond: look at this title! LOOK AT THIS TITLE! But I also love that this book is set in Toronto and a beach town in my neck of the woods. And I do adore a cranky hero.

A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole

I, along with the rest of Romancelandia, am really looking forward to book 2 in Alyssa’s Reluctant Royals series. And, people, it is reportedly about an American socialite who goes to Scotland to become a sword-maker’s apprentice. A SWORD MAKER.

Imperial Stout by Layla Reyne

Layla Reyne’s books are the exceptions to two of my usual romance reading rules: I don’t really do romantic suspense, and I hate books that end with cliffhangers. But here I am, on the edge of my seat waiting for book 1 in her new m/m series.

Scoring With the Wrong Twin by Naima Simone

Naima’s books are hilarious. She has such a snappy, of-the-moment voice that practically sparks off the page. I’m reading backwards in this series, having recently finished (and loved) #2.

How to Bang a Billionaire & How to Blow it With a Billionaire by Alexis Hall

I’ll be rereading these two books this summer. I recently finished the second one, which is my favourite read of 2018 so far (it came out in late 2017, but I was a little late to the party). Now I want to go back and read them back to back (while I wait for book 3….did I mention I hate cliffhangers?). These books are comedies that will delight you, but they are also full of humane characters trying so hard to be better. I don’t quite know how Alexis does it.

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Forever Summer Reading Blog Journey: Jenny Holiday’s It Takes Two

It Takes Two by Jenny Holiday
Published by Forever
on June 26, 2018
Amazon, Goodreads

All’s fair in love and warWendy Liu should be delighted to be her best friend’s maid of honor. But after years spent avoiding the bride’s brother – a.k.a the boy who once broke her heart – she’s now trapped with him during an endless amount of wedding festivities. Luckily she’s had time to perfect her poker face, and engaging Noah Denning in a little friendly competition might just prove that she’s over him for good…

Noah Denning is determined to make his little sister’s wedding memorable. But it seems Wendy is trying to outdo him at every turn. Challenging each other was always something he and Wendy did right, so when she proposes they compete to see who can throw the best bachelor or bachelorette party in Sin City, Noah takes the bait – and ups the stakes. Because this time around, he wants Wendy for keeps. And when you’re fighting for love, all bets are off.

It Takes Two, Book 2 in the Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series, by Jenny Holiday will be on sale June 26, 2018.

Buy

About Jenny Holiday

About Jenny Holiday: Jenny Holiday is a USA Today bestselling author who started writing at age nine when her awesome fourth-grade teacher gave her a notebook and told her to start writing some stories. She lives in London, Ontario, with her family.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

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#ForeverSummerReading Sweepstakes

Blog Tour, Cards by Andrea S., Crafty Fun, Giveaway

Blog Tour: Save the Date by Morgan Matson {giveaway}

June 7, 2018 4 Comments

Today is my stop of the blog tour for Morgan Matson’s newest book, Save the Date (out 6/5/18). I’m super excited I was selected to take part in this tour because 1) I love Morgan and all her books, 2) She will be in the Boston area tonight for a signing, and 3) Is there a more perfect book for me to make cards for than a book about a wedding?

That’s right, for this stop on the tour I am sharing three cards I made for events that usually come with a wedding. What kind of cards did I make? I made a card for an engagement party, a bridal shower, and the wedding itself.

Let’s start with the Engagement card:

I have wanted to make a card like this for a long time. I I grabbed some Audrey Blue card stock and some silver glitter card stock and used a couple of dies I have in my stash to create the box and the “diamond”. Since the box is rather large I decided to keep the rest of the card simple and just stamped a sentiment from my favorite set that says: ‘Happy girls are the prettiest. – Audrey Hepburn’ (can you see what I’m doing here?!?!) and a simple congratulations on the inside. I have to admit it was my favorite out of all three cards.

Next up is the Bridal Shower card:

I had recently purchased a heavy weight vellum so I knew I wanted to make a card out of it. Using a stamp and die set I created the bride. I stamped her on white card stock and again on a textured card stock. I hand cut the dress out on the textured paper and glued it on. Since the card is translucent I added a second die cut to the back of the front flap to match the cover. Inside I placed a simple rectangle and once again stamped the word congratulations.

And lastly we have the Wedding Day card:

Trying to tie the Wedding card into the Engagement card I used the same silver glitter card stock and die cut out the phrase, ‘Mr. & Mrs’. I adhered that to the shimmery opal card stock and some die cut flowers. I added a gem to the center of each flower to add a little more interest. Since I didn’t want to use congratulations I simply stamped the phrase: Happy Wedding Day.

These cards were a lot of fun to make and very fitting for the subject of the book.

Save the Date by Morgan Matson
on June 5, 2018
Amazon, Goodreads

Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait—for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is desperate for one last perfect weekend, before the house is sold and everything changes. The house will be filled with jokes and games and laughs again. Making decisions about things like what college to attend and reuniting with longstanding crush Jesse Foster—all that can wait. She wants to focus on making the weekend perfect.

The only problem? The weekend is shaping up to be an absolute disaster.

There’s the unexpected dog with a penchant for howling, house alarm that won’t stop going off, and a papergirl with a grudge.

There are the relatives who aren’t speaking, the (awful) girl her favorite brother brought home unannounced, and a missing tuxedo.

Not to mention the neighbor who seems to be bent on sabotage and a storm that is bent on drenching everything. The justice of the peace is missing. The band will only play covers. The guests are all crazy. And the wedding planner’s nephew is unexpectedly, distractingly…cute.

Over the course of three ridiculously chaotic days, Charlie will learn more than she ever expected about the family she thought she knew by heart. And she’ll realize that sometimes, trying to keep everything like it was in the past means missing out on the future.

Amazon || Barnes and Nobles || Book Depository || Kobo || IndieBound || iBooks

About Morgan Matson

Morgan Matson was born in New York City and grew up there and in Greenwich, Connecticut. She attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, but halfway through a theater degree, she started working in the children’s department of Vroman’s Bookstore and fell in love with YA literature.

Following college graduation (and the proud bearer of an incredibly useful theater/English degree) she received her M.F.A. in Writing for Children from The New school and worked as an editor for YA novels. She received a second M.F.A. (for reasons that made sense at the time) in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California.

Her novels have been translated into dozens of languages, and published all over the world.

Morgan’s first novel, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour, was inspired by her love of road trips, snacks, and the quest for the perfect playlist. It was named an ALA Top Ten Best Book, a Publisher’s Weekly Flying Start book, and was shortlisted for the Waterstone’s Book Prize.

Her second novel, Second Chance Summer, was inspired by her experiences spending summers in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. It was the winner of the California Book Award (YA category) and was named to the ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults List, selected for the Oklahoma Sequoya List, and selected as a School Library Journal Best Book.

Her third novel, Since You’ve Been Gone, was published in 2014, and was a Publisher’s Weekly and international bestseller. It was named to the YALSA Teens Top Ten list, and the Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award List.

Morgan’s fourth novel, The Unexpected Everything, was published May 3rd, 2016.

She currently lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Murphy.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

Win a copy of SAVE THE DATE by Morgan Matson; US Only; Runs 6/4 – 6/21

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

June 4th
Pink Polka Dot Books– Welcome

June 5th
Aimee, Always– Q&A and Creative Option
The Candid Cover– Review

June 6th
The Readers Den– Review
Girl in the Pages– Review

June 7th
Andi’s ABCs– Creative Option
Latte Nights Reviews– Review & Favorite Quotes
JustAddAWord– Review & Book Aesthetics

June 8th
Fangirl Fury– Review
The Book Slayer– Review & Favorite Quotes
Here’s to Happy Endings– Review

June 11th
Book Beach Bunny– Review
The Heart of a Book Blogger– Review

June 12th
The Left-Handed Book Lover – Review
Rocky Reads– Q&A

June 13th
That Artsy Reader Girl– Review
Never Too Many To Read– Creative Option

June 14th
My Thoughts Literally– Review & Favorite Quotes
Vicky Who Reads– Review

June 15th
JennReneeRead– Review
The Book Nut– Review & Playlist
A Perfection Called Books– Review

Books, Review

Review: The Kiss Quotient – Helen Hoang

June 6, 2018 1 Comment

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Published by Berkley
on June 5, 2018
Amazon, Goodreads

A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases--a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice--with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan--from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Holy. Wow. What a book!

That was my first thought after I finished The Kiss Quotient.

I had seen a lot of people talking about The Kiss Quotient and I admit that it made me a little scared to read it. Hyped up books can sometimes go horribly wrong. You get your hopes up and expect something earth shattering only to be let down. I have been burned before and super sad about it. But The Kiss Quotient was not one of those burns. It was fun, and real, and filled with smoking hot chemistry.

At first glance, Stella and Michael are complete opposites. Stella is a serious and quirky character that has Asperger’s, while Michael is this cool, suave guy that happens to be an escort. On paper there is nothing about these two that should fit. They live in different worlds and lead very different lives. But in the end that is exactly what made them work. When Stella hires Michael all their boundaries are pushed and they end up finding a comfort with one another they never expected. Their differences end up bringing out the best in each of them and making them start to question the rules they have been living by. Watching them step out of their respective comfort zones and form a physical and emotional bound is a pure thing of beauty. Meeting one another changes them to the core and that is what I found so special and unique about The Kiss Quotient.

Miranda Kenneally said it was a reverse Pretty Woman and she was so spot on with that description and I’m mad at myself for not even seeing it because the obvious aside (Stella hiring an escort), it had the same feels as that classic movie and made you just root for this two to be together. Honestly it was my favorite romance read of the year and I think it will be yours too. Go and check it out!

Buy links: Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Nook, Books a Million, Indiebound, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play

About Helen Hoang

Helen Hoang is that shy person who never talks. Until she does. And the worst things fly out of her mouth. She read her first romance novel in eighth grade and has been addicted ever since. In 2016, she was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in line with what was previously known as Asperger’s Syndrome. Her journey inspired THE KISS QUOTIENT. She currently lives in San Diego, California with her husband, two kids, and pet fish.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Have you read The Kiss Quotient yet? Is it on your TBR?

Top 10 Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday – Books I Reluctantly DNFd

June 5, 2018 3 Comments

I try to give every book I read a chance. I’m okay with not finishing a book, but there are certain books I really want to like/love so I try to read as much as I can. But even I have my limits and I have to DNF a book from time to time. Honestly in the 5+ years I have been blogging I only have 18 DNFs which isn’t that bad considering how many books I read. Out of those 18 though, there were 5 books that I was reluctant to stop reading but had to because my heart wasn’t in it.

From Twinkle, with Love – I’m so super sad about this. I read 41% of the book and I really, really wanted to love it. I enjoyed When Dimple Met Rishi so much so I had high hopes. Sadly Twinkle didn’t work for me. I was kind of forcing myself to read it in hopes of falling in love but it never clicked for me. I will say that I loved Sahil. He was the saving grace. It breaks my heart even thinking about this DNF.

One & Only – I made it 49% through this book, a book so many of my friends love, and I called it quits. The backstory of this book was really what killed it for me. I wasn’t crazy about it at all and got to a point that I couldn’t force myself to read it any more. On the plus I did pick up the author’s original series, Secret Society Girls, and that has been a much better experience. This one just wasn’t for me.

The Last Boy and Girl in the World – I made it about 45% through this one before calling it quits. I had read Vivian in the past and really enjoyed her stuff, but something didn’t click for me with this one. I said in my mini review that I didn’t know if I was expecting something different or what, but it wasn’t working so I threw in the towel. I do know that plenty of other people loved this one and I know that I enjoy this author. Again it just wasn’t a good fit for me.

Follow Me Back – This one I stopped earlier in, 30%. So many friends loved this book and I was excited for it. But I put it down for a week and was not into picking it back up which is not like me. I was pretty bored reading it and just had no interest in the long run. I thought about maybe going back and trying again, but I just don’t think this is my kind of book when it comes down to it.

The Harry Potter series – I made it all the way through book 4. I was liking it up it wasn’t feeling the love. I tried book 5 and after an hour of listening to the audio I came to the realization that the series wasn’t for me. It was really hard to stop because of the love I know people have for this special series, but it wasn’t my thing. I often wonder if it would have been my thing if I read them with everyone else. Guess I will never know.

What books have you reluctantly DNFd? Have you stopped reading any of the above?

*Top Ten Tuesday is brought to you by That Artsy Reader Girl

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