Reasons I Fell For the Fat Funny Friend by Cassie Mae (writing under the pen name of Becca Ann)

Several weeks ago, I wrote about the New Adult genre – what it is, what I love about it, what I wish was different about it – and introduced you all to Cassie Mae, author of Friday Night Alibi.

Well, I enjoyed Friday Night Alibi so much that I looked up Cassie Mae’s other titles and was intrigued by this story. Now I’ll say that I usually shy away from stories featuring protagonists that stress about their weight and obsess over it and try to go on diets and are generally annoying and cause me stress as the reader. This isn’t like that. At all.

In this, Hayley (dubbed the funny fat friend because she sets her friends up on dates but doesn’t go on any for herself) holds tight to a crush on her sign language partner, Brody. She knows, though, that Brody has a huge crush on his brother’s ex… so she offers to help him get a date with her even though it will amount to torture for Hayley.

What I really like about this book is that we get to hear Brody’s point of view, which is a breath of fresh air. I don’t want to say too much more for fear of ruining any surprises, because really I liked this that much. It wasn’t your stereotypical kind of overweight girl story, and it had a true and really satisfying depth to it.

I really, really, really recommend this for high school girls and especially any young (or not so young) woman who struggles with confidence in their physical appearance, even if it’s not weight. There was just something really special about watching Hayley come through the story better in the end than she was when it began. It’s available on Amazon here, both in kindle and print editions.

A Missing Peace by Beth Fred

First, pay no attention to the fact that this book is published through Harlequin Enterprises Australia. I don’t know how this caught their attention… it’s not a genre romance novel, and it take place in Texas. Not Australia.

Anyway, this story centers around two very different characters and is told in alternating points of view (which I adore more than anything in a book).

Mirriam is an Iraqi refugee. She’s been in the US for two years, moving around with her family in an attempt to stay hidden and safe in the wake of her father’s death after being mistaken as a terrorist by US troops. With the situation so shaky in Iraq, they make arrangements through family connections and make it to the US. Where this story starts, Mirriam has just moved to a small Texas town know primarily for its military base. Of course, given her history and dislike of US military troops, life is bound to be rocky… especially when she gets hit on by a typical all-American army brat on her first day at the high school.

Caleb is a high school senior with two college football scholarships to choose from… unless he decides to enlist in honor of his dad who was killed in combat in Iraq. He’s popular and not short on options for dates, until he hits on the new girl and is very publicly shot down.

As Mirriam and Caleb spend more time together, they begin to realize that they have far more in common than they could ever have imagined. Of course there are sparks and romance and those things you find in all great stories, but this is a heartwarming story, really, more about two teenagers healing together than about a sub-par genre romance storyline.

Needless to say, I really liked this. A lot.

A Missing Peace will be available online as an ebook starting on September 1st. AND… it’s a 99 cent preorder right now on Amazon. Go buy it!

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

A few months ago, I read and reviewed This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith. I really loved it a lot.

So of course, if you’re a total book nerd like me, finding one book you love by an author that’s new to you prompts you to look into the rest of that author’s books. When I looked into Smith’s books, I discovered this one… which I’d heard about but not read, and had to pick it up.

This story is one of Hadley, who misses her flight from New York to London for her father’s wedding by mere minutes. Consumed with angst over the fact that her father is marrying a woman she’s never met, and the fact that she even has to go to the wedding, Hadley finds a welcome distraction in Oliver, a cute British boy who turns out to be on her flight, sitting in her row.

I loved the whole story. Finding out more about Hadley and Oliver both as they talk and fall in love on an airplane (which is about the most unromantic place ever, honestly… props to Smith and her imagination for being about to make an airplane come alive as a viable setting for love). And then, seeing what happens when they finally get to London and they’re removed from the “romance” of the airplane was sweet. I won’t say more because, really, you should just read it.

But I will say that I found myself rooting for Hadley and Oliver. I liked them. A lot. Smith has a great ability to create a romance you want to see last beyond the pages of the book.

This title is reportedly in the works for a movie, though I haven’t heard any recent details. There’s an article here if you’re interested; I think it would make a really fun, quirky romantic movie that even my husband could stand to see in the theater.

Click here to see it on Amazon. Enjoy it!

Criminal by Terra Elan McVoy

This review was originally published on July 12, 2013 at SheReads.org, where I’m the YA Reviewer. 

This book was not what I expected. I knew it would be dark. I knew the content would be difficult to read. I knew these things. I wasn’t prepared, though, for what it was.
So why would I recommend it here, on She Reads? Because it is incredibly well written and fascinating. It’s a bit like a train wreck, where you can see that things just are not good and you feel like you shouldn’t even be there, observing, and yet you can’t quite turn away from it.
Criminal is the story of Nikki, a troubled teenage girl who is hopelessly in love with Dee, a guy who oozes bad news. Nikki doesn’t have any real family to step in and show her that he’s scum and she deserves better, and she is so caught up in Dee that even warnings from Bird, her friend and the closest thing she has to caring family, fall on deaf ears.
The story is interesting as we pick it up right after something awful has happened – a crime which Nikki was unknowingly drug into by Dee – and we see bits and pieces unfold as we learn the truth of the whole story right along with Nikki. There were times when I literally wanted to reach into the book and shake some sense into her. There were times when I didn’t even want to keep going, but I couldn’t stop, either… the train wreck phenomenon.
If you’ve ever wondered how a person can get so wrapped up in a horrible romantic relationship, or how a teenage girl can be so wrapped up in herself that she doesn’t even realize what she does to other people she cares about, this book will give you something to think about. In fact, it’s something for all of us to think about. You don’t have to be an accidental accomplice to a murder in order to see how Nikki’s cycle in the book plays out in our lives – something happens, we hit rock bottom, we realize a need for change, and we set about making things right.
By the end of the book, I was hopeful for Nikki, which is why I can recommend Criminal. If it weren’t for the hope that McVoy weaves into her ending, the book would be completely disturbing and depressing. As it is, though, it’s an interesting journey through crime, the criminal justice system, and one character’s sincere effort to grow up and have a positive future.

Taste Test by Kelly Fiore

For those of us that enjoy reality TV competitions like Master Chef and The Next Food Network Star, Kelly Fiore’s Taste Test has everything we could ever want.

Nora Henderson is a high school senior about to spend her final semester of high school as a contestant on a reality cooking competition. She’s grown up helping her dad in the kitchen of their North Carolina mountain BBQ restaurant, so she has plenty of skill in the kitchen… but can she handle the stress of school, the drama of the competition, and the possibility of a new romance (or two)? It’s really fun to experience everything along with Nora – I enjoyed this the whole way through.

There’s more to this than just your standard romance (as the cover would suggest). I like the way Fiore throws in elements of family drama, romantic comedy, coming of age, and even a pretty solid mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. Don’t worry, though, there’s quite a bit of the swoony romance all of us girls love.

Taste Test will be available in stores on August 27, but you can go ahead and preorder it now – Click here to find it on Amazon. Also, spend some time on Fiore’s website, which is completely adorable and creative, and she’s also doing giveaways leading up to the release of Taste Test.

OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu

Ok seriously. If I were to judge this book by its cover, I’d think it was a fun, quirky romance with some harmless stalking thrown in. It just looks fun.

However, we all know you can’t judge a book by its cover. And that’s so true in this case.

Yes, there is romance.

Yes, there is fun and quirk.

Yes, there is stalking.

But my goodness, nothing about this book is harmless.

I am absolutely fascinated by this, and I have no idea how Haydu was able to write this without going completely insane. Fortunately, I’ll be interviewing her on the blog in September so I can ask her about it.

Bea, the protagonist, struggles with a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and its many manifestations in her life. She also struggles to balance those compulsive behaviors with a budding romance, a best friend, her parents, school, and driving. This story is engrossing and enthralling and intense and disturbing. Bea is unreliable and loveable – you don’t always think she’s telling you the truth (if she even realizes the truth for herself) but you always want her to be ok. You want to see her get better.

OCD Love Story may not be your average light-hearted romantic comedy, but it’s rich and sweet and well worth the time you’ll invest in reading it. I definitely recommend this for high school and up. Grab a copy and enjoy!

Great Retelling of an Austen Classic

So it’s sort of impossible to be a fan of romance in stories and not appreciate Jane Austen. Even if you wouldn’t choose to sit down and spend the day reading one of her classic stories, you still have to recognize them for what they are – iconic romances that inspire story after story even today.

Claire LaZebnik’s latest, The Trouble With Flirting, is a clever take on Austen’s Mansfield Park. In it, Franny is a student working a prestigious summer theater program in a humbling role: assistant to the costume designer (who just happens to be her very serious and tediously boring aunt). To say the least, Franny’s not thinking it’ll be a really exciting summer… until the theater participants arrive. One of the students there is a guy Franny’s had a crush on for years, and she starts spending as much time as she can with him and a new group of friends. Of course, she tries to get his attention by flirting with a guy who’s showing some interest in her, and that’s where the trouble with flirting really begins.
I’m a fan of Franny in this. She’s spunky and smart and she stands her ground in most situations. And, even though she’s stuck being the costume designer’s assistant, she’s not sulking around and being miserable… she’s out there having fun, making the best of it, getting the guys. She’s someone I would have waned to hang out with in high school.
Check out The Trouble With Flirting! Hope you enjoy. :)

New Adult fiction and one excellent title to start with… Friday Night Alibi by Cassie Mae

A new genre has been created. Young Adult used to cover a broad range of ages, from lower middle school up into college. As we all know, a sixth grader is light years away from a college student in maturity, interests, culture… Having one genre to cover all of those ages was a bit too much.

So, with the ever growing interest in young adult fiction (because it’s awesome), you’ll see some subdivisions branching out. Middle grades and Teen Fiction are fairly self explanatory, but what about New Adult? 
New Adult is the term that is used for books with protagonists and characters in that post-high school but pre-career and marriage time of life. They’re older, more mature, and wresting with very adult issues, but they’re still young. They don’t have everything figured out and they don’t always know where they’re going, but they’re making progress. 
I think this new genre is great. I’ve enjoyed reading a dozen or so new adult titles already, and the issues dealt with in these books are close enough to issues I still deal with in my thirties that I can relate easily to the characters. I think it’s unfortunate, though, that many new adult authors are putting heavy doses of graphic sexuality and foul language in their titles. It reminds me of a child actress going out and thinking she has to do nude scenes in adult movies before she’s seen as fully grown up. It’s annoying, especially when it just seems extraneous in the middle of a really good story. 
One new adult title I can whole heartedly recommend, though, is Friday Night Alibi by Cassie Mae. In this book, we get all of the romance and drama and happy we want, without sex scenes that border on pornographic. I’m looking forward to reading more from Cassie Mae!

Ender’s Game

I know, it’s sad that I hadn’t read Ender’s Game before now. And honestly, I don’t even know why it took so long… I thought it would be more of a younger middle school and upper elementary story, but I was very wrong. 

Ender’s Game has everything in it that made me love The Giver. First of all, there’s a futuristic, thoroughly screwed up society. It needs fixing and saving. And Ender, like The Giver’s Jonas, is the one who is called upon to save it. 
The action and language are more intense than The Giver, but never in an inappropriate way. It’s tense, and the resolution is unexpected – though I figured out most of what was happening before it was officially revealed to Ender and the reader. It was a fun bit of speculation and dramatic irony for a little while. 
Having really enjoyed this book, I have to say that I’m very much looking forward to the movie coming out soon. From the descriptions of everything in the book, I’m thinking it’ll definitely be one to go see in the theater. I’m not sure that I’ll read any of the sequels to Ender’s Game, though. I’m kind of happy with where it ended. 
I definitely recommend this book to middle school and up – and there’s a lot here for adults, too. As always, read the book before you see the movie!

Jennifer Echols

Here’s a great summer reads author for you guys: Jennifer Echols! 
Echols’ books are romantic dramas with a sense of humor – she’s so good at writing a developing romantic relationship between two characters that you’ll feel like you’re there with them. The three pictured here, Forget You, Going Too Far, and Love Story, were the first books I read this summer… and I went through them all in about three days.
For content reasons, I’d recommend these to teens in their upper high school through college years. I’m pretty conservative with my recommendations, I know, but that’s just me. Overall, the stories here are engaging and I loved watching each romance spark and ignite. 
Echols has a new title, Dirty Little Secret, coming out in July. I’m looking forward to it!
Enjoy. :)