Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen

Source: goodreads

Synopsis:  Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

I'm so freaking happy right now I can't even deal.

You know why I'm happy? Because since 'Crappy book day' two weeks ago, I still hadn't read a good book. Until now. I was getting so frustrated, I was reading mediocre after mediocre after mediocre, instalove, i'll-fix-you-cause-you're-so-broken, crap. Well crap is harsh. Except for those two books from crappy book day that will never be mentioned again. Anyway, the point is I had actually given up. That's the longest dry spell I've ever had. I even branched out of young adult, new adult and contemporary since those genres had been failing me so. I tried to find some really good historicals where the women weren't completely spineless and the men had some character, but I didn't have much luck there either.
I found myself at my wits end. I thought this is it. I'm never going to read a good book again (that fits my reading criteria).

But then, just when I'd given up all hope, I found Scarlet. This gem of a read. This book life line that drew me out of the instalove induced jaded darkness in which I had found myself drowning in. So I took a chance, I don't normally read retellings, or fantasy, but book beggars can hardly be book choosers right? I mean technically they can, but that's irrelevant. The little book voice in my head said try it, I did, and here I am screaming from the book rooftops: YESSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the reason why I kiss all of those mediocre book frogs. I do it to find a book prince, like this. I loved it! I loved it! It was just such a good story. I went in cautiously at first. I side eyed every blush because I was trying to protect my poor broken book heart, just in case it turned out to be another fail. But then Scarlet's voice was so clear and it was all so unpretentious and unpatronising... I was completely carried away. BTW, I freaking loved Scarlet, she was awesome. I just...I don't know what else to say. This was an actual story. And it was so awesomely told that I was there with all of the characters while it was happening!

A. C. Gaughen, you have made a fan out of me.

Note: Clean. 4 stars.

x

Crappy book day

I read two books today. Beginning to end. Two whole books. So why isn't this the first of two reviews? Well, both books sucked. The first was just ridled with unneccessary drama and shallowness that I had to take several breaks from out of frustration, and the second was just... I can't even begin to describe how much I hated the troupe of secondary characters. There was a whole village of them, not literally. And they were just terrible. They were the protagonists friends and I'm just shaking my head thinking about how terrible they were. Ugh. I just want to forget this book day. Let's pretend it never happened k?

So the reason you aren't getting two reviews is because I don't want to sit here and rag on somebody else's work you know? It just isn't me. I can go on a rant in my head about how crappy these books were and give a foot long list detailing how they failed in book life, but it's just not in me to put that on here. For other people to see. It's not in my nature to voice criticism that extensive.

Here's hoping for a better book day tomorrow

x

Secret Life by Bria Quinlan

Source: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Rachel Wells is a liar—big time. No one outside her family knows about the panic attacks or meds, the weekly therapy drive-bys or the “safe” outfit. If she could hide it all from her string of ex-boyfriends and her best friend Amy, then why should anything change? But, when the one guy as messed up as she is blackmails her into helping him, life goes from closely restrained to out of control.

Sometimes choosing between sanity and love is the craziest thing of all.

Can we just take a moment. Just one moment to bask in the freaking awesomeness that was this book. The unexpected depth, the smarts, the everything that this was. Wow. I'm in shock. Not the same shock that I wrote about a couple of days ago when things were happening in a book that I didn't understand. I'm in shock because this was so good. Not only was this so good but it was freaking quality. I want to cry with how happy I am. FINALLY. Finally an author doesn't treat me like I'm dumb. Finally an authour freaking lets you into the character's mind so you can feel their emotions and think their thoughts along with them. And actually understand why they feel the way they feel instead of just being told to understand them. FINALLY somebody has stopped manufacturing drama to carry a book along. Finally we don't get the hot girl miraculously fixing a man whore. Finally I don't get told how broken somebody is but actually shown. We get to live broken with them. But in an oh so real, and not at all patronising, manipulative way. Yes we get this. We get depth and layers and realness. We get characters that realise they are no good for each other and actually STEP AWAY!!!!!!! AND FREAKING HEAL ON THEIR OWN BEFORE COMING TOGETHER. I cannot deal with how happy I am that I read this. At first I thought it was going to be good but typical you know? But this book started and then just got better and better and better until at the end my cheeks hurt because I was smiling so much. I could say so much more. SO much more. But I wont.

In short: I loved it. 

Notes: Clean. Was gonna be 4 stars but the last third of the book kicked it up to 4.5. Also can we take a second to appreciate the awesomeness that was Rachel's mother and Ben!

Secret Girlfriend by Bria Quinlan

Source: Goodreads

Ok so I liked this. Duh! I think we all know by now that I don't really review the ones I don't like.
This morning I was trying to decide what my daily read was going to be. After spending 3 hours looking at my to-read list on Goodreads, I kid you not, I finally settled on about 6 titles that I had on hand. Now this was fairly towards the bottom of the list because it was a bit 'lighter' than what I thought I was going for today. However after starting three of the other books I got so frustrated by the shallowness of the other 'edgier' reads that I almost screamed. So I came to Secret Girlfriend and was pleasantly surprised. See the thing is sometimes I need a rest, I need a mental reset from all the abuse and brokenness and the gloom that is prevalent in YA and NA these days. And this provided that break.

See the thing is though, sometimes you go for a light read and often you get...cliche or superficial stories. But this had a depth and quality about it that I loved. Though I didn't always agree with the protagonist's decisions, they were still believable. And I found myself completely drawn into the story and investing in the characters. And really that's all I ever ask for in a book. Take me somewhere. And the better the writing, the less the cynical side of me is able to encroach on the escape.

So yeah, I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. But it's a good clean light read.

4 Stars.

Fighting For The Edge by Jennifer Comeaux

Source: goodreads

Ok I don't have much to say about this one. I really liked it, but I expected to seeing as I had read the first two books in the series. It's been like two years though. I didn't even know there was a third, and soon to be fourth, installment! It was great to see Emily and Sergei continue in their relationship and I loved Chris and Aubrey together. I loved that this was unnecessary-drama-free. Also I have a soft spot for Romances that involve sports.

So yeah, this is a good solid read. Definitely what I've come to expect from Comeaux.

Notes: 4 Stars, Clean.

PS. One criticism is after a while the switch from first to third person got a bit...tiresome? It seemed like it would've been better as dual first person, but whatevs. Wasn't a deal breaker.

PPS. The 2 1/2 installment isn't clean, so, yeah.

x

Perfectly Messy by Lizzy Charles

Ok, what the heck just happened?
Seriously. What. I'm so confused. But in a good way. I think?
So this is the sequel to Effortless With You which I read yesterday. So I read the first half of this last night and finished the rest this morning. So the first half went on like your normal sequel, it was great. I liked seeing Justin and Lucy's relationship together. They were facing hurdles, but nothing too unexpected. And then about half way through a drama happens that I didn't see coming but ok. That was fine, everybody's reactions to it were understandable. And then even Justin's ultimate reaction and resolution was expected as well. I'm trying to be as vague as possible here, so as to not give too much away...

But then, the last chapter of the book? The final resolution that wasn't and then the one that was? And then all the realness and messiness?? I'm here for all of that. I'm totally here for Lucy calling out Justin for his ish. Even though I didn't even know that that's what it was. I know i'm not making any sense here. It's cause I'm still a bit confused. But in a good way. This book is a whirlwind. It's real. I get so bored of everybody's emotions being so cookie cutter and perfect in YA. It's annoying. But this wasn't that.This was the characters having expectations and making mistakes that people have and make in real life. This was having ish blow up in your face like it does in real life. This was not setting people up for false expectations of what love is. This was indeed messy, but perfect at the same time.

So though I'm still kind of dazed from that last chapter, Lizzy Charles you have made a fan out of me. I'm here for all of this realness.

Breath of fresh air.

Notes: Clean. 4 stars

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Effortless With You by Lizzy Charles

Source: Goodreads

Description:

School is out and Lucy is ready for the perfect summer: lazy days at the pool, invitations to the most exclusive parties, and romantic dates with her hot new boyfriend. That is, until she lands in trouble one too many times and her parents issue the ultimate punishment: a summer job. Suddenly, the summer can't end fast enough.

To make matters worse, the job is painting houses with Justin, the most popular, egotistical guy in school. Spending all summer with Justin might be other girls' dreams, but definitely not Lucy's. After all, Justin is cocky, annoying, and a jerk. So what if he's the most beautiful jerk Lucy's ever seen? Or that his grin makes her forget she’s mad at the world? Or that maybe, just maybe, there's more to Justin than Lucy realizes. Only one thing is certain: it won’t be the summer she wanted, but it might be exactly the one she needs

My thoughts?

I really liked this one. Again, I pretty much only write about the ones I really like lol. A few things set things set this book apart from a lot of other books with characters this age. First there was angst but it wasn't stupid, irrational, angst for the sake of angst. That type of angst really really annoys me. The angst in this book was the completely rational kind that often arises in teenage years when you feel completely grown up and want to make all of your own decisions but your parents are still your parents, and still want to, well- Parent. I feel like the author completely portrayed the frustrations and realisations that occur in times like that. It was refreshing.

I again loved that the heroine worked through things by herself, no fixing by the hero that is so popular in a lot of writing these days. She figured things out for herself. She started making conscious decisions to do and be better. And was able to overcome a lot of her insecurities and feelings of worthlessness.

Sexual Content: Some kissing, a few references to sex in conversations, an attempted sexual assault that doesn't go that far.

This one gets 4 stars from me

:)

Naturally, Charlie by S. L Scott

Source: goodreads

 Description:

 "Twenty-five year old Charlotte “Charlie” Barrow is caught between her old life and the one she is beginning to build when she crosses paths with a handsome stranger on the subway. Not looking for romance, she closes her heart off to the possibilities of love. With a knack for mishaps, Charlie maintains her sense of humor while befriending the kind stranger who seems to be there at all the right times.

New York freelance writer, Charlie Adams, is forging his own path beyond the expectations of the society circles of his childhood. Rejecting family money, and fast-lane friends, he is snubbed by his family as he follows his own compass to a life more extraordinary.

Through a coincidence of events, they come to rely on each other for comfort. This is the tale of two Charlies learning to trust again while fighting their fates to create their own destiny"

So despite being an avid, sometimes obsessive reading; I'm not used to discussing about how I feel about books. But i''m just going to jump right in despite my newness at this, because if I don't start now- I never will.

I really liked this book. I wouldn't be writing about it if I didn't. I really enjoyed the friendship between the Charlie's. Oh and that was different, the two leads having the same name. It made me pay extra attention to figure out who was talking. I enjoyed the storytelling, I enjoyed the writing. It was written in dual point of view which I normally enjoy. But this time I enjoyed it especially because each voice was distinct and I was able to connect to both characters individually.

The thing I liked the most about this though? The dialogue, the communication. There was no giant misunderstanding that dragged out for the majority of the book. The characters connected and then explored that connection. I appreciated that.

Now the things I didn't like. The only thing I didn't like was I felt the epilogue dragged on a tad bit. Which is something I didn't think I'd ever say. But I distinctly remember feeling it could've ended a page or two earlier that it did but that's neither here nor there really.

Sexual content?
Kisses, A descriptive make out scene that involves dry humping and a descriptive lead up to sex scene with the actually act boiling down to a few words. Can easily be ignored. So I'm going call this like 90% clean. But still clean enough that I'd read it. Wouldn't let my younger sister read it though ;)

Overall rating?

4 stars.

PS: Oh and I really appreciate that he didn't try to 'fix' her, I love that she worked through her issues herself
PPS: How cute were there Saturday movie dates?
PPPS: I LOVED how supportive they were of each other

Ok that's it, I think.

ETA: PPPPS: It looks like I won't be reading any more S. L Scott books, as all the others seem to have a lot of sexual content :(