{Release Day} The Commitment Test By Amanda Aksel

The Commitment Test
(The Marin Test Series: Book Two)
By: Amanda Aksel
Release Date: February 4th, 2015
Publisher: Elephantine Publishing
Genre: Women’s Fiction

Available Now on Kindle | Nook | iBook | Kobo

BLURB:

When a Valentine’s Day proposal doesn’t come with an engagement ring, Marin Johns begins to wonder if she and James will ever get married. As her closest friends begin to move forward with their lives, she refuses to be left behind.

Hope is restored as she devises a plan to get James down on one knee by becoming the ideal mate. Everything seems to fall into place until her college boyfriend resurfaces after a decade with his own ideas about their future. Will Marin be forced to choose between the man of her dreams and the diamond ring she’s always dreamed of?

Amanda Aksel Bio
Amanda Aksel is an author with an affinity for love. Becoming a couples therapist was her “backup” career, and after completing her BA in Psychology she was on her way to solving love’s most complicated quandaries one couple at a time. Now she plans to solve love’s most complicated quandaries one novel at a time.

LINKS:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter

Link to buy Amanda's first novel The Man Test (The Marin Test Series: Book One) on sale for $.99!

{Review + Giveaway} The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri

The Cottage At Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

GENRE: Fiction
THEME: Myths/Family Drama
RECEIVED: Received for Review from HarperCollins
AUTHORS BLOG: Heather Barbieri Site



BLURB:

Married to the youngest attorney general in Massachusetts state history, forty-year-old Nora Cunningham is a picture perfect political wife and doting mother. But her carefully constructed life falls to pieces when she -along with the rest of the world - learns of her husband Malcolm's infidelity.

Humiliated, hurt, hounded by the press, Nora packs up her daughters, Annie, seven, and Ella, twelve, and takes refuge with her maternal aunt on Burke's Island, a craggy spit of land off the coast of Maine. Settled by Irish immigrants, the island is a place where superstition and magic are carried on the ocean winds, and wishes and dreams wash ashore with the changing tides.

Nora spent her first five years on the island but has not been back to the remote community for decades-not since that long ago summer when her mother disappeared at sea. One night, while sitting alone on Glass Beach, below the cottage where she spent her childhood, Nora succumbs to grief, her tears flowing into the ocean. Days later she finds an enigmatic fisherman, Owen Kavanagh, shipwrecked on the rocks nearby. Is he, as her aunt's friend Polly suggests, a selkie, a mythical being of island legend, summoned by her heartbreak; or simply someone who, like Nora, is trying to find his way in the wake of his own personal struggles?

Just as she begins to regain her balance, her young daughters embark on a reckless odyssey of their own, a journey that will force Nora to find the courage to chart her own course-and finally face the truth about her marriage, her mother, and her past

REVIEW:

The cottage at Glass Beach was a little out of my norm of genres, but it had that kick of mythology and romance that I absolutely love. The major premises of this novel are really about family and healing from the heartbreak in the families past and present. This was my first novel by Heather Barbieri and definitely not my last.

Nora Cunningham has just been dealt with a major blow, her husband a well-known political figure has cheated on her. It’s been all over the news and she just has to get away. Taking her two daughters to the island where she was born, just trying to make it through the summer to heal and maybe mend her relationship. But the past of her mother’s disappearance and a man, who washes in with a storm, brings a whole lot more drama into Nora and her daughter’s lives.

Nora is a very strong woman whom is devoted to making sure her daughters don’t see what there father has done. But sadly has to deal with one daughter in particular who thinks her mother is at fault. I felt so bad for Nora; she has a good heart and really loves her daughters. Her husband is a selfish and horrible man, who really only thinks of what he wants and not his family. She slowly uncovers her mothers past and what kind of woman she really was.

Owen is a man who is all about mystery, washing up from a ship wreak and taking in my Nora’s aunt. He becomes someone who helps heal not only Nora, but also her Aunt whom is damaged a bit from her sister’s disappearance. He is kind and really tries to connect and help Nora. I absolutely loved his character and his connection to the myths of the island.

My only issues were that Nora didn’t explain more to her daughters. She was the victim and her daughters kept asking for their father who hurt their mother. Ella, Nora’s eldest daughter was cruel and extremely hurtful to her mother, I really didn’t like her at all and she pretty much angered me through the whole book. Also the ending fell flat and felt unfinished for me, in some ways people who see it as finished but for me I wanted more explanation. The readers do get a hint about Owen and what happened to Nora’s mother, but for me more would of been better.

Overall I enjoyed the mystery and the myth behind Nora’s family, both Owen and Nora’s aunt really pulled the story along and kept me reading. This is a story about a family that needs to heal and is trying to find that strength to help each other. This is the perfect summer read that you’d be able to relax and dig into a story, really making you pull for these characters to find that piece that’s missing in their lives.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is an adult book that’s a perfect summer read, the island details make you wish you were there with the characters. Fans of Nancy Thayer of Heat Wave and Mary Alice Monroe of The Beach House will enjoy The Cottage at Glass Beach.

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1Print Copy

{Character Post + Giveaway} for The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri

Today on Seeing Night Reviews, author Heather Barbieri is here to talk about her lead character Nora from her new release The Cottage at Glass Beach a book about family, with mystery, myths and a bit of romance. I'll also be giving away two copies one today and one along with my review tomorrow.

I would also like to say Happy Release Day! for The Cottage at Glass Beach! You can purchase your copy today at Amazon | Barnes and Noble.
Authors Site: Heather Barbieri Site

Nora Cunningham:

Nora Cunningham seems to have it all: the picture perfect political wife with two young daughters and a rising star husband, the youngest attorney general in Massachusetts state history. Yet beneath the surface of her well-ordered life, trouble is brewing. She learns that Malcolm has had other ambitions than attaining higher office—he has also been having an affair, a revelation that devastates her. To protect her children and distance herself from the scandal, Nora returns to Burke’s Island, invited by her maternal aunt, a woman she barely remembers, and who sent Nora an old compass that once belonged to her mother.

Nora left the remote community off the coast of Maine when she was five years old, after her mother’s disappearance. Her father never spoke of the incident, relocating to Boston shortly thereafter, and Nora was left to wonder whether her mother had died or abandoned her. That early loss—and the lack of communication surrounding it—shaped her character. She became a typical high-achiever, getting the best grades at her parochial school, a scholarship to a prestigious university, working hard at everything she undertook, including her marriage. Having a strong nuclear family was all the more important to her, because she didn’t have one growing up. Known for being capable and organized, she has a law degree, but she devotes her time to raising her children, serving as the head of various charitable organizations, and supporting her husband, defining her identity—until everything is thrown into question and she is left to wonder who she is and what she wants. The old sense of abandonment returns, ten-fold.

The quiet of Burke’s Island gives her a respite from the swarming media attention, but it also gives her time and space to think—perhaps too much. She finds more questions than answers--that the past, and not only the recent past, haunts her, that she worries about the effect of the last month’s events on her daughters, and that she, too, is susceptible to an illicit attraction, in the form of an enigmatic islander, Owen Kavanagh. The emotions that she has suppressed begin to surface—loneliness, desire, loss, threatening to overwhelm her. She has difficult choices to make and challenges to overcome, only then will she be able to chart a new course for herself and her daughters and find her way home at last.

1 Print Copy of The Cottage at Glass Beach
USA/Canada

1 more chance to win tomorrow with my Review!

{Review} Back to You by Natalie Nicole Bates

Back to You by Natalie-Nicole Bates
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

GENRE: Contemporary Fiction
THEME: Romance/Drama
RECEIVED: For Review for CBLS


BLURB:

Twenty years ago, Nick Lincoln broke teenager Lynsey Reznor’s heart when he decided to marry another. Now she is back, along with a chance to reclaim her love. But Lynsey wants answers from him that he may never be able to give out of duty and guilt.

REVIEW:
Back to You is a book about past loves that are reunited many years later. I liked the concept of past loves meeting up again and trying to see if they have that spark again. But I felt that the story fell short and I couldn’t get into the book or it’s characters.

Lynsey is a successful writer but can’t seem to find that lasting relationship, especially like the one man she fell for when she was sixteen. But after a failed relationship she decides to move back to her hometown, where she faces her past love and the realization that they still belong together.
Lynsey had a lot of potential as a character but I just couldn’t connect to her with the details in the book. I wanted to know more about her writing and why she was determined to get married so quickly. I enjoyed her interaction with her best friend Suzy, I wished I got more detail with their friendship instead of just having Suzy push her brother at Lysney.

Nick, I liked his character the most. I feel it was because there was more detail about his life as a cop, his marriage that fell apart and is love for Lysney that never faded. I really pulled for this guy to open up to Lysney and accept that he needed her and still cares for her.

Overall this is a short novel, I felt it was rushed and I wanted more from both the plot and characters. There were characters, which I wanted to get to know more about and it would of added more depth to the storyline.. I did enjoy the relationship between Nick and Lysney, it was a sweet romance and held a lot of emotions for both of them. In the end this is just my opinion of this novel and all reviewers have different thoughts on novels.

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{Review} of Austentatious by Alyssa Goodnight

Austentatious by Alyssa Goodnight
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Fiction
THEME: Romance/Drama
RECEIVED: Won from Chick Lit is Not Dead
AUTHORS BLOG: Alyssa Goodnight's Site


BLURB:

In this quirky, sexy novel set against the lively, music-filled backdrop of Austin, Texas, a young woman learns that romance can wreak havoc with even the best laid plans. . .

It started innocently enough. While browsing in one of Austin's funky little shops, Nicola James is intrigued by a blank vintage journal she finds hidden among a set of Jane Austen novels. Even though Nic is a straight-laced engineer, she's still a sucker for anything Austen-esque. But her enthusiasm quickly turns to disbelief once she starts writing in the journal--because somehow, it's writing her back. . .

Miss Nicola James will be sensible and indulge in a little romance. Those twelve tiny words hit Nic like a thunderbolt, as if her diary was channeling Austen herself! Itching for a bit of excitement, Nic decides to follow her "Fairy Jane's" advice. The result: a red-hot romance with a sexy Scottish musician who charms his way into Nic's heart in about five seconds flat.

Sean MacInnes is warm, funny, and happens to think Nic is the most desirable woman he's ever met. But a guy like Sean doesn't exactly fit into her Life Plan. With no one but Fairy Jane to guide her, Nic must choose between the life she thought she wanted--and the kind of happy ending she never saw coming. . .

REVIEW:
I’m such a sap when it comes to anything Jane Austen; I always love the strong female lead and the wonderfully crafted romance. Alyssa Goodnight has written a story that every Jane Austen fan would love to have happened to them, Jane Austen herself giving advice, especially romantic advice. I immensely enjoyed Austentatious and look forward to reading more from Alyssa Goodnight.

Nicola James is an engineer in Austin Texas. She has always gone by her plan on how she wants her life. But her life is about to get a whole lot more interesting when she comes across a magic journal, which seems to answering anything she writes in it. Soon she realizes the possibility that Jane Austen herself is writing her back as well as helping her along the way in a new relationship. It seems like Nicola’s “Plan” for her life is about to change in a big way.

Nicola in a way reminded me a little of myself. I always had a plan in life and went by it completely until I met my soul mate. She finds herself falling for Sean, a man who is not apart of her plan but it just feels right whenever she’s with him. Of course she guided by her magical journal, which changed her skeptical views into truly wanting the journal aka Fairy Jane’s advice. I really enjoyed Nicola’s little freak out moments when the journal starts writing back to her. I can only imagine what my reaction would be to that.

Sean, a Scottish and very good looking motorcycle riding man who captures Nicola’s heart, was wonderful. I loved how he pushed her out of her safe zone and challenged her in just the right way.

Overall I was thrilled to read this light hearted and humorous novel. The main characters were fun and witty, along with some hilarious secondary characters who guide Nicola as well in her new romance. Oh and of course there is some great romance, let just say that there is a Kilt involved…enough said! I highly recommend this novel to Austen fans.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult romance that lightens your heart and makes you want to read all of Jane Austen’s books again and again. Fans of author Jane Green and Sarah Mason will love Austentatious by Alyssa Goodnight.

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{Review} Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt

Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Fiction
THEME: Romance/Drama
RECEIVED: For Review for The Teen Book Scene Tour
AUTHORS BLOG: Liz Reinhardt's Blog


BLURB:

What happens when you fall in love with the perfect guy...twice...in one day?

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be more darker and more complex than Brenna's willing to handle.

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in both academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.

She has to make a choice. But how can she when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other's?

REVIEW:
You know when you start reading a book and for a moment you just need to stop and just say, “wow, this is fantastic!” Well that’s how I felt when I was reading Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt, and I have to add that I’m ashamed of not reading this book sooner and not reading any of Reinhardt’s books either. What a thrill this novel was, the passion, the drama and the characters were like I just ate the best chocolate candy ever, utter delicious and amazing.

Brenna Blixen moves back to her hometown after being in Demark for a year. She starts her sophomore year challenging herself with classes and meeting new people. But what she didn’t expect was two boys who in the end make her life a whole lot more interesting.

Brenna is such a down to earth and truthful young girl, she’s very open and compassionate and I think that’s why I really enjoyed her character. She was something different then what I normally read of female character and it was a wonderful change. She meets two boys who are very opposite and really both challenging her in how they treat her and how they themselves need her in different ways.

Saxon, oh boy… This guy is very tricky and of course a playboy with lots of arrogance. But there was something charming about him, with a lot of vulnerability that I couldn’t resist. His interactions with Brenna are always full of spunk and irritation that I felt both character were just feeding of each other. I really enjoyed each scene he was in; lets just say it was never boring.

Jake, let me just add that this boy melted my heart and turned my insides into butter. He’s a doll with an extremely broken past; I really pulled for this guy to redeem himself and stop putting himself down. He has the charm that I love in a guy, by being so open and truthful about his life. And though he may be ashamed he really trusts Brenna and would do anything for her. Their scenes together were smoking! I loved how they both were trying something different and grew in their relationship.

Overall I couldn’t get enough and I was just enthralled in this story, that I actually went back a re-read some scene that I loved. Truth be told, I have never re-read scenes after just finishing a book. I just couldn’t help but be giddy after I finished. There is so much more to this story than just romance and drama, there’s Brenna’s relationship with her parents, friends and dedication to school is what tied everything together into a nice bow of greatness. I highly recommend this series and even though I felt this could be a stand alone, there are many more stories to come of these characters, so look out!


RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult story that does contain mature elements for older young adults. Fans of Stephanie Perkins author of Anna and the French kiss, will be forever addicted to Liz Reinhardt’s Double Clutch.

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{Review} of Untraceable by S.R. Johannes

Untraceable by S.R. Johannes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Young Adult Contemporary
THEME: Romance, Mystery
REVIEW: Received for Review for The Teen Book Scene
AUTHORS BLOG: S.R. Johannes' Blog



BLURB:

16-year-old Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival. 

When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him. 

One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father. 

Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

REVIEW:
Untraceable is a young adult mystery thriller that pulled on my emotional side because I’m such a daddy’s girl and the strong female lead really cares for her dad. S.R. Johannes did a fantastic job creating the mystery behind a father that goes missing and a daughter determined to find out the truth of what really happened.

Grace is an all around tomboy, who loves nature, hiking, and anything to get her hand dirty. Growing up with a father who taught her anything and everything about survival in the forest. But when he (the first ranger) goes missing in the forest and is presumed dead, Grace finds that it’s unbelievable for a person with so much survival experience to end up missing or dead. Untraceable follows Grace, who unravels a dangerous mystery behind her father disappearance and even her own town. Along the way she meets a mysterious boy in the forest who seems to capture her heart, which causes a little friction with her past boyfriend.

I’ve always loved the beautiful green forest, whenever I head up to the mountain areas. It’s so beautiful, but surviving the dangers would be a whole other story that I would have to figure out. S.R. Johannes really put her lead character to the test, everything Grace learned from her father she put herself to work to find clues. That’s when she meets Mo, a guy who not only knows how to fly fish but also has many and I mean many secrets up his sleeves.

Overall I was constantly rooting for Grace to unwrap the mystery. She had to deal with an absent mother; she really irritated me with how inconsiderate she was to her own daughter. Plus Grace needed to find herself again, she had been closing herself off from everyone after her father went missing, but I don’t blame her. She really had to deal with a lot and I applauded her for the determination she had through out the story.

If your looking for a story with romance, action, mystery and a whole bundle of twist and turn, then this is the noel for you! With an ending that really gets you thinking and wanting to see what Grace’s next mystery will be, I recommend this series!

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel that really pulls at the heart and has lots of dangerous task for the lead. Fans of P.T. Michelle, author of the Brightest Kind of Darkness and Karen Amanda Hooper of Tangled Tides will love this thriller by S.R. Johannes.

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{Review} of Brightest Kind of Darkness

Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Paranormal Romance
THEME: Dreams/Future
RECEIVED: Received for Review from Author
AUTHORS BLOG: P.T. Michelle's Site

PURCHASE Brightest Kind of Darkness:

BLURB:

Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore. 

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate. 

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.

REVIEW:
P.T. Michelle’s Brightest Kind of Darkness is a book that kept me guessing, the plot and characters were so original and beautifully written its taken a top spot in one of my favorite Young Adult story for this year.  To live everyday and know exactly how each detail is going to happen,  but what happens when you see something that you know needs to change?

Everyday since Nara was little has known how her days were going to pan out. Why? Because each night she dreams about how the next day is going to be for her.  But past consequences made her choose wisely what to change; until a bombing occurs at her school she feels she had no choice but to change it. Then everything changes, and not for the better, no dreams, people getting injured, the mysterious Ethan becomes her closest friend and something dark is after Nara.

Nara has to make some quick choices; she’s a tough girl that has to deal with some pretty harsh students at her school. I really felt bad for her, with her dreams gone Nara has to learn how to study, play soccer and be herself without the help of her dream. She has many girls who are definitely the mean girls of the school treating her horribly; I wanted to punch half of them for Nara. Michelle’s details in portraying the bullies in her school hit an emotional cord. But in a good way, I can’t imagine what some kids go through with bullies these day but you really get an understanding in this novel.

Ethan is the cute, dark and mysterious new guy in the school. People stay far from him but Nara feels a connection and a need to be near him. He’s very closed off about himself but opens up to Nara and the secrets of his past. I loved their chemistry and the way that they give each other strength. There is so much to Ethan that I loved, but I feel if I talked about it, it would spoil the story so I’ll just say he’s pretty awesome and I can’t wait to learn more about him and the mysterious tattoos.

Overall this was such a joy to read, it was dark, mysterious, romantic, and most important it made you think. With each turn of the page I was surprised and really taken with this story. The ending left me hanging a little but I’m happy that the mystery is just starting to unfold. I highly recommend The Brightest Kind of Darkness.


RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult book with intense situations and lots of twist and turns that will leave young on the edge of your seat. Fans of Jennifer Echols and Ally Condie will love this series.

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{Teen Book Scene Tour} Review of The Predicteds by Christine Seifert

The Predicteds by Christine Seifert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Fiction/Drama

THEME: The Future

RECEIVED: Received for Review for Teen Scene Book Tour

AUTHORS BLOG: Christine Seiferts Site

PURCHASE The Predicteds:

BLURB:

Our future is not your own...
"We wanted to know what makes a good kid good and a bad kid bad. Can you blame us for that? We found an astoundingly, marvelously simple answer: The brain isn't so much a complicated machine as it is a crystal ball. If you look into it, you will see everything you want to know."
-Dr. Mark Miliken, senior researcher at Utopia Laboratories

Who will it be?
Will the head cheerleader get pregnant?
Is the student council president a secret drug addict?
The whole school is freaking out about PROFILE, an experimental program that can predict students' future behavior.

The only question Daphne wants answered is whether Jesse will ask her out...but he's a Predicted, and there's something about his future he's not telling her.

REVIEW:

Can you imagine knowing your future? Knowing that you will be a criminal in the future? The Predicteds is a story that reminds me a lot of the movie Minority report; I wouldn’t know how to handle to situation that the teens in this book have to deal with. Seifert writes a story that really makes you think, especially with technology growing, who knows if something like this could happen for the future.

The Predicted’s is a story about a program called Profile that is created to test individuals to see if they are meant to be a criminal in the future.  The company that runs the program uses Quiet High as their starting group, after a school incident. In the middle of it all is Daphne, daughter of the creator of the program and a girl who falls for the boy who has been predicted. 

Daphne enters Quiet High as the new girl, but is put in a pretty tough situation after a school incident that shakes the town. Now with students being predicted for crime, people are being divided and prejudice is brought out in full force. Daphne I felt was almost like a young detective, she really tried to sort out everything and wanted to discover the truth about everything. She falls for a guy that pretty much saved her life and he feels the same, except for when the Profiles of the student are handed out their lives take a massive turn.

Jesses is a Predicted, a student that has been predicted to do crime in the future. Everyone starts treating him like a outcast, a violent criminal and even wont let him in the same class as the “good” students. I felt he was a strong character, but his secrets put him in a lot of really bad situations. 

Overall I really enjoyed The Predicteds, it had some crazy twist and I kept getting caught off guard with every page.  I really connect with Daphne, I felt that she did a lot of what I would do being put in such a hard situation with friends, family and the one you care about all taking different sides. I loved  the characters that are definitely there to hate, they made me frustrated and angry, but most important pulled the story into such a dramatic and great story. I highly recommend this book, it makes you think of the future in a different way and makes you question what you would do if this program really existed. 

RECOMMENDATION: 

This is a young adult book with intense situations and lots of twist and turns that will leave young on the edge of your seat. Fans of Jennifer Echols and Ally Condie will love this novel.

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{Review} of Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Love Story by Jennifer Echols
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Fiction
THEME: Drama/Humor/Writing
RECEIVED: Purchased
AUTHORS BLOG: Jennifer Echols Site
PURCHASE Love Story:

BLURB:

She's writing about him. he's writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines.. 

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment? 

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter . . . except this story could come true.

REVIEW:
I loved the idea behind Love Story by Jennifer Echols, a young girl wishing to be a romance writer and struggling with her past and family.  Echols wrote such a heart-wrenching story with elements of humor, love, and family that I really felt for the characters emotionally and it just enthralled me completely.

Erin grew up in a family full of money, but she also grew up having dreams similar to her mothers where they would live a life of their choosing.  Erin dreams to be a romance novelist, but her grandmother demands her to take over the family business. Sadly enough Erin’s life takes a turn after her graduation when her grandmother gives her college money and inheritance to the boy who works on the farm. Now in college Erin is struggling to live but her writing is everything she could ask for until the day Hunter, the boy who took everything from her walks into her class.

If felt like I was in Erin’s shoes every step of the way, Echols wrote her with such emotion and detail. If I was in Erin’s position I could see myself making a lot of the choices she made, I wouldn’t know if I’d be angry with the person who took my life or remember the feelings that she felt for him were stronger than her anger. Erin was such a great character in her writing, in her personality and I loved her strength that she never wanted to give in to her grandmother’s demands.

Hunter, no matter how much I love his character, I seemed to always be mad at him along with Erin. But deep down I could see how much he cared for her and really wanted their friendship the way it use to be. The chemistry between the two was undeniable and beautifully written.

Through out the novel, each character had to write short stories for their creative writing class. I was thrilled to actually be able to read the stories that they wrote and understand the emotion behind what they go though as they wrote each story. I was glad to see an author show another side to their characters instead of just saying plainly what they write.

Overall this was a wonderful story that I read in one sitting. I can’t think of the word to describe how much I enjoyed the journey with Erin and Hunter. My only quip is that the ending for me left me needing to know more about what happened after. It was a satisfying ending but I just needed a little bit more for me to be completely happy. But that’s just my feeling. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially those who love to read and write because this really captures the love of writing.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult book with a beautiful and drama driven story that is a must read. Fans of Stephanie Perkins and Holly Shindler will absolutely be taken by Love Story.

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