Book BFF Melissa

Review: Since You've Been Gone By: Morgan Matson

2015-06-22T09:01:00.000-04:00

A deep story about friendship with a hint of romance and a touch of comedy.
Fans of Sarah Dessen take notice!

Emily is used to being the sidekick, until one day her best friend Sloane is gone, leaving nothing but a to do list behind. The list has mostly things Emily is afraid of like riding a horse or skinny dipping, but she decides to complete it because it might give her insight as to where her friend went. Each task she crosses off brings fun new people into her life as she slowly builds a life for herself where she is the main character.

Besides Kath from Fangirl, I have never read a character that I deeply related to, until I met Emily. Although age has made me more confident and has helped me stop caring about what others think, I saw my 17 year old self every time I read this book. She's quiet and unsure of herself and relies on her best friend for the courage to do things because she knows if she fails someone will save her. I loved Emily's journey of figuring out how to save herself and how to be confident in who she is. The supporting characters were fantastic. Frank is probably one of my favorite guy characters ever. He's sweet, but he's also very real. Dawn and Collins added some comedic flavor to the story as well. I'd picked this book up because I needed something to read at the beach and now I can't believe I've never read anything by this author. If you're a Dessen fan like me then you should definitely start watching out for Morgan Matson's books!

Did you relate to Emily too? Part of me thinks if someone was the Sloane growing up they'd see Emily as annoying. So, if you were the Sloane did you have an Emily of your own? and how did you react to reading Emily's thoughts?

Return to Blogging

2015-06-18T19:09:00.000-04:00

The one thing I said I'd never do...then did.

We all set goals for ourselves, but sometimes things just get in the way.

I hate that January gets dibs on starting over and making resolutions, which is why I'm being rebellious. I’m making a big change and new goals in June. I'm going to start blogging again. I'd promised myself I would never stop blogging or making videos, and yet, that's exactly what happened.

If you're an old friend, then you might recognize the title of this website has changed from Harley Bear Book Blog. I decided to change it because I had nightmares of people picturing a bear riding a motorcycle and being confused as to what the blog was about (Harley Bear is my brother's dog). I settled for Book BFF Melissa because the YouTube channel I created with my friend is called Book BFF so now there is some consistency. See there is a method to my madness!

But haven’t you tried to come back to blogging a few times before? What’s different this time?

*hangs head in shame*

There was a while where life got crazy. I got a full time job that demanded I work afterhours. I fell in love (no one ever told me how much of a time suck love is, not that I’m complaining). And I started writing a novel which is way harder than I thought. Like harder than getting my butt to the gym regularly which is HARD.

The few times I tried to get back into internet activities I failed because 1. I was trying to branch out into too many topics. I wanted to talk about ALL THE THINGS. and 2. I was not reading as much. How can you write a book blog if you’re not reading? You can’t. So I waited until I found my way back to books which happened naturally…summer has always been a time for me to fall in love with reading again.

So now that I’m focusing on one topic, reading all the time, not working as many hours, and don’t need to be attached to my boyfriend’s hip at all times I think this blogging thing can work again.

The other major change I want to make is the layout. I started this blog following the style I’d seen other people use, but I think a magazine layout would work better. I want to do fun quizzes like this one that I did awhile back. I want to write discussion articles and maybe incorporate my other interests like make up and clothes. Finally, I want to keep my reviews short and easy to skim while still keeping them in depth and meaningful. Ain’t nobody got time for reading paragraphs these days. Oh and occasionally a video from my channel may be posted here.

So what have you been up to while I was gone? Let me know because I miss youuuuu!

My Reading Routine

2015-03-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

My Reading Routine [Video]

I have a little ritual I have to do every time before I can settle down with a good book.

I saw this type of video floating around booktube and just had to make one. What does your reading routine look like? subscribe to the BookBFF channel for more videos!

Weekly Roundup: We're Back and DNF Reaction Video

2015-02-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

I haven't decided if I'm going to try book blogging again, but I will be posting my videos here every weekend as a kind of weekly newsletter for anyone who doesn't want to miss our videos. I know I tend to miss out on content because my newsfeed on YouTube is always overflowing.

Lindsay and I tried branching out to other topics like make up and lifestyle, but we discovered we didn't like it. Here's our goals for bringing this channel back.

Rachel from Books Undone made a video about being unsure whether she should stop reading a book she doesn't like (DNF=Did Not Finish). Here are my thoughts.

Don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more bookish videos!

Liveshow and Giveaways Announcements!

2014-04-15T21:39:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile, but I'm excited to share a fun event coming up. Lindsay and I will be doing a liveshow this Friday April 18th at 6pm EST. There will be two giveaways! Find out more info on how to win and who our 2 guests will be in this video:

The link to the liveshow will be on our channel Friday. Or you can look out for a tweet from us @BookBFFs. Hope to see you there!

{Review} Cruel Beauty (Spoiler FREE)

2014-03-27T20:30:00.001-04:00

It's hard to talk about a book without actually talking about it, but I managed to keep this spoiler free. Let me know if you plan on reading this. Or if you have read it were you as confused as I was?

{Review} Defy by Sara B. Larson

2014-02-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Pages: 336
Publication date: January 7, 2014

Publisher: Sara B. Larson

How I got the copy: From Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

From Goodreads:

A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

To say this review is late is an understatement. But in all fairness I wrote it on my phone in the notes app back in January. So I apologize to the publisher it took so long for me to post it!

Are you a fan of Mulan and Throne of Glass? Then I highly suggest you try Defy. It's got a girl pretending to be a boy in the kingdom's army. She's vulnerable like Mulan and yet really kick butt like Celaena.

And if that's not enough there's tons of action. In fact, I was really surprised some reviews said they were bored and that nothing happened in this book. Maybe they just didn't read far enough because Defy was packed with action and I couldn't stop reading. There's also a mystery and you find a new piece of the puzzle in each chapter which also kept me hooked.

While I'm not a fan of love triangles usually, this one was interesting. By the end I really had no idea who I wanted Alexa to be with more. My only complaint is the dialogue. I love me some witty banter between love interests and main characters and that was not really a component of this book. I felt the character development for the minor characters was also a little bland. When a few people died I found I didn't really care and that's never a good thing.

The world felt middvil which I loved and it was refreshing to read a Fantasy novel that didn't have confusing names or need ten maps for me to understand it. The end of this book wrapped up pretty neatly so I'm curious to see how book two will continue. I will definitely be continuing on with this series though and I suggest you do too.

Goodreads / Website

Ignite Me Discussion

2014-02-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

You know how sometimes you tell yourself you're going to take a mini break from blogging and that break turns into a few weeks? That just happened to me. Although, I've been constantly uploading videos on my BookTube channel (we're at 891 subscribers!)

I didn't do a written review for Ignite Me because I feel like most people already know what the series is about. So here are my thoughts in a video instead.

BEWARE: THERE ARE SPOILERS!

Please talk to me about this book. I've been dying to chat about it with someone.

Sunday Post #45

2014-02-22T21:36:00.001-05:00

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Both are a chance to share what books you got this week, what happened on your blog last week, and what is to come next week.

(45)

I took a mini hiatus from blogging, but I'm back! I've been posting videos on my BookTube channel regularly though because videos are actually quicker for me to do lately and if I'm being honest they're more fun. Here's my latest haul (from ALA)!

ALA video

Here's my BookTube channel: BookBFFs if you want to see the videos I posted this week.

I already wrote a review of Defy by Sara B. Larson and a Ignite Me discussion so those will be up this week. Sorry I've been gone for so long!

What did you get this week?

{Review} Beautiful Bombshell (Audiobook)

2014-02-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Publication date: September 3, 2013

Publisher: Christina Lauren

How I got the copy: Received from publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

From Goodreads:

The gentlemen from Beautiful Bastard, Beautiful Stranger, and Beautiful Player are out for a wild night on The Strip.When Max, Henry, and Will steal Bennett away for a weekend of shenanigans and strippers in Vegas, the first stop of the night doesn’t go at all as planned. With their scheme for a Guys Weekend completely derailed anyway, Max and Bennett begin to play a wild game of stealth and secrecy in order to have their bombshells all over Sin City.

First, I need to apologize. I received this audiobook a month or two ago right around the time I got a new job so I wasn't able to listen to audiobooks anymore. So thank you to S&S Audio and sorry it took me so long!

As most of my followers know, I don't do Adult Fiction. It just doesn't appeal to me usually. So when I find an adult series that I like I'm so excited. The Beautiful Bastard series is one of those few that has gotten my attention. I love that they are companion novels so all the characters and plot lines are so different. And yet when you get a novella like this you get to experience all the characters together. I don't usually care about novellas so I was pleasantly surprised when I liked this one. It's like when you find a twenty dollar bill in your jeans when doing laundry. You weren't expecting it, but it was a nice surprise.

I think what made me enjoy this novella the most was the format. The two guys who read this book on the audiobook are exactly what I would expect the characters to sound like. Their voices are easy on the ears if you know what I mean.

Basically this book was just a fun little appetizer for Beautiful Player. I enjoyed the adventures they went on during the bachelor party and I was left wanting book three asap. If you haven't started this series yet and you like books like Bared To You you should try this.

Goodreads / Website

My first Book Convention: ALA 2014

2014-01-29T18:23:00.001-05:00

I'm typically an introvert on days that end with Y. I talk when it's socially expected of me, but if I don't know the people I feel 50 shades of awkward during the whole conversation. Did I mention I also hate large crowds?

So when I saw American Library Association was happening and that it was possible for me to go I had a few reservations. What if I got lost getting there? What if the crowds were too daunting? What if I ran into people I knew from online?

But the promise of free books can pretty much get me to do anything (within reason of course). So I ventured to my first convention and had the best day I've had in a long time. Besides meeting one of my favorite authors and getting books. I also met three amazing bloggers who I've talked to on twitter for about a year now (Jamie, Betty, and Gabby). And a few other bloggers I'd never talked to before. That's the beauty of events like these. You get to meet people. And while that used to scare me...I'm really glad I put myself out there and did this. I even got the nerves up to ask Rainbow Rowell to say hi for the vlog I made. She was such a sweetheart!

BookBFF BookTube Channel

{Review} The Edge of Never

2014-01-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

Pages: 426
Publication date: November 15, 2012

Publisher: J.A. Redmerski

How I got the copy: Bought

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars

From Goodreads:

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind. continued on goodreads

Reading this book was like riding a seesaw. One minute the mood was up and fun and I was loving it. Next, it's down and some serious stuff is happening. But there were points in between all that where things just got weird. And I'm still not really able to get over that to give this a higher rating.

I'm talking about the reason why Andrew would push her away. Because he needed to "own her". It went from cute little road trip book to weird in .5 seconds. Like seriously, you just met her a week ago. And now you want to own her. What does that even mean? Normally I'd just think it meant he'd want to marry her...like be the last guy who'll ever get to date her. But when you've just met someone and you say this as you're getting physically intimate...it's just...weird. There's no other way to put it.

But aside from that one part that was sort of explained towards the end. I reallllllly liked this book. The main character, Cam is running away from her problems. And Andrew is running towards them. And somehow they help each other through both. I just enjoyed watching their relationship grow and I loved that this was a new take on a "road trip" book. Even if it seemed unrealistically dramatic. It also introduced me to the band The Civil Wars which I now love!

Would I recommend this? I think if you like New Adult books and don't mind the few seconds of weirdness I mentioned you should definitely try this. It's one of those books that you know doesn't really make sense, but the characters and the romance is enough to make it worthwhile. It's also got lots of feels towards the end. Not sure if this is making any sense. I've never been so confused about my feelings for a book before.

Goodreads / Website

Bookshelf Tour

2014-01-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite parts of BookTube is the bookshelf tours. You can tell a lot about a person by which books they choose to buy and keep. I did an abbreviated tour (meaning I don't pull any of the books out). Ain't nobody got time for that! Let me know if you see any you love or if you think I'm missing some good ones.

Guest Post {Review} Dare You To

2014-01-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Nikki from Fiction Freak has graciously offered to do a guest review of

Goodreads

Dare You To. It was disappointing and I wasn't the biggest fan. Not to say it didn’t have its good moments—it did! Just not enough to make me love it as much as I wanted. Which sucked since it got off to an absolutely GREAT start and I loved.

I had a lot of issues with this book, namely the characters. I pushed through this book though because 1) I kept hoping it would get better and 2) I really wanted to see Echo and Noah and Isaiah again.

Now, if you ask Annabelle, she can probably send you all my reactions since I texted her all of them. And none of them were particularly…good. I alternated between hating and loving all the characters, wanting to punch someone and wanting to tackle hug them. I guess you could call them brilliantly flawed, but they seemed more moody and hypocritical to me, though they did have their moments.

So I’m going to basically talk about the characters in this review.

Main Characters

Beth, though, I liked. For the most part. Until she hurt Isaiah because I am absolutely Team Isaiah. I felt absolutely heartbroken for him and sort of wanted to punch Beth. I did sympathize with her situation though and sometimes I felt oddly protective of her. But for someone who was supposed to be closed off and cold, she started crushing on Ryan pretty early on. And hurt Isaiah. I loved Isaiah. Also, did I misread something, or did Ryan and Beth have their first kiss when they were drunk?

Ryan was irritating. He was a jerk and I wanted to punch him most of the time. Mostly for never asking enough questions when he so needed to and for being so naïve, thinking that his little dare wouldn’t hurt anyone. I was pissed at him the majority of the book, but kudos to him for being stubborn with Beth and being sweet when he needed to (most of the times.)

And they both trash talked Echo, if only in passing. I DON’T THINK SO.

Supporting Characters

Chris, Ryan’s best friend, was sort of a prick. Actually, I don’t remember much from him, except that he called Beth freaky (I sort of liked her, remember) then told Ryan that he didn’t think Beth was good for him. Even though he knew his best friend was in love with her and that his girlfriend was Beth’s BFF.

Lacey, said Beth’s BFF. She was sweet and supportive and honestly, I would’ve LOVED seeing more of her! She was by far one of the best characters in the book. And we didn’t really see much of her. But she was kickass and I loved her.

I hated Allison (Beth’s uncle’s wife. So I guess…her aunt) with a passion. She was rude, intolerable, and I had no idea what Beth’s uncle saw in her.

I did like Mark though. Yes to Mark!

What I wasn't thrilled about was that *SPOILER* every conflict just resolved itself after a trip to the hospital—almost exactly like it did in Pushing the Limits. *END*

As excited as I’d been to read Dare You To, it fell flat by a few miles. I’m definitely disappointed, but I seem to be the awkward black sheep and I was in a book slump, so that may be it!

Thank you Nikki for visiting my blog today! Everyone make sure you check out her blog if you haven't already. She's pretty awesome.

BOB Challenge & Giveaway

2014-01-11T22:46:00.004-05:00

GIVEAWAY WINNER: Entry #26 Sharon from The Book Barbies! Congrats. Look out for your email. Thank you to everyone who participated!
Have you ever read a book and thought, "Man I wish these people were real? I would be best friends with them in real life".
Well, I made a tag on my BookTube channel called The Bookish Wedding tag. It's all questions about which of your favorite characters you'd invite to your wedding if you were to marry your top book boyfriend/girlfriend.
Watch my example:

To do the challenge it's not mandatory for you to make a video. If you just want to write the answers on your blog or in the comments here that's fine!
Here are the questions (remember to have fun and tell us why you picked these characters)
1. Which fictional character would you marry? 2. Who would be your Maid of Honor or Best Man? 3. Which fictional world would you want to get married in? 4. Who would you pick to play the music at your wedding? 5. Who would be your photographer? 6. Who would you sit at the singles table (and hope they'd fall in love)? 7. Who would be your flower girl or ring bearer? 8. Who would you want to plan the bachelorette/bachelor party? 9. At the wedding, who would be the first on the dance floor? 10. Who would give a speech or toast? 11. Who would catch the boquet or garter?
Make sure you leave a link to your answer post/video in the comment section down below and enter the rafflecopter for a chance to win a book from The Book Depository!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rules: -Must be 18 or older (or have parental permission to enter) -The Book Depository must ship to your country -Must participate in the bookish wedding challenge -Must be a participant of Bout of Books 9.0 -Winner will have 48 hrs to respond or a new winner will be picked.

Thanks for participating...you have from 11/12/14-11/13/14 at 12:00 AM EST to enter. May the odds be ever in your favor!

Bout of Books 9.0 Goals & Updates

2014-01-05T19:32:00.001-05:00

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 6th and runs through Sunday, January 12th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 9.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

This'll be my 4th Bout of Books Readathon!!! I decided to use a TBR jar this time to pick what I will be reading this week. It was unexpectedly the most fun I've had picking books for a readathon.

Are you participating? What will you be reading?

Updates

MONDAY

Totatal number of pgs today: 70% of Every Little Dream and 63 pgs of Attachments

Thoughts: I decided to pick up my ebook while I was out today and ended up flying through it. It was addicting and unputdownable! Then when I got home I started Attachments and it's really fun so far. Def brings a smile to my face.

Favorite quote of the day: "I'm not even the same person who could zip up that dress. That person thought that wearing an ugly dress on the happiest day of someonelse's life was just the beginning--the line you have to stand in to get your own happiest day. There is no such line. There's just the waiting room scene from Beetlejuice." -pg 25 of Attachments

TUESDAY

Totatal number of pgs today: on 20% of The Edge of Never and 48 pgs of Attachments

Thoughts: on I'm enjoying both books, but the edge of never seems little strange so far. I can't place my finger on it, but I'm not sure how I feel just yet. It switched POVs after 120 pgs and I was thrown off.

Favorite quote of the day: "Tonight it was enough to be one of them. To be somepleace where he always had a spot at the table, where everybody already knew that he didn't like olives on his pizza, and they always looked happy to see him. When Lincon realized he was rewriting the theme song to Chhers, he decided to stop thinking and just play."-84 Attachments.

WEDNESDAY

Totatal number of pgs today: 8% The Edge of Never and

Thoughts: I'm kinda mad at the main character in The Edge of Never, but at the same time I like her. I also really like that this book addresses mental illness and depression. The main character says she's depressed, but we haven't really seen it yet. I'm kinda confused.

Favorite quote of the day: "

"Grandma," Ben said, "this banana is dirty"...

"It's banana-colored."

"Lincoln is not rotting," their grandmother said.

"He isn't living," Eve said...

"I'm not sorry about anything I said," she said. "It was all true. You are rotting here."

"Maybe," he said. "Maybe I'm ripening."
Eve slammed the back door closed.
-pg 118-119 Attachments

THURSDAY

Totatal number of pgs today: 10% of The Edge of Never and 111 pages of Attachments.

Thoughts: The Edge of Never is really creepy and weird in between being cute and fun, but I'm hoping there's an explanation for it.

Favorite quote of the day:

FRIDAY

Totatal number of pgs today: Finished The Edge of Never and Attachments

Thoughts: I cried so hard at the end of TEON. And Attachments made me smile. So I had so many feels this night haha. There ended up being a reason the guy was acting strange and I'm okay with TEON now. I want the sequel.

Favorite quote of the day: "Just because you're wandering doesn't mean you're lost." -Attachments (I think it's a quote from the hobbit but she mentioned it in this book)

SATURDAY

Totatal number of pgs today: 50 pgs of If I Stay

Thoughts: The family in this book reminds me of the family from Easy A. They're hilarious and sarcastic. They have a very similar sense of humor to myself and my family so I was instantly attached to them.

Favorite quote of the day:

SUNDAY

Totatal number of pgs today:

Thoughts:

Favorite quote of the day:

WRAP UP

Books Read: 4

Total number of pages read:

Participated in:

Thoughts:

Challenges:

{Review} Every Little Piece by: Kate Ashton

2014-01-02T19:51:00.002-05:00

Pages: 118
Publication date: December 21, 2013

Publisher: Kate Ashton

How I got the copy: Received from author in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

From Goodreads:

A New Adult contemporary romance - companion novella to Every Little Piece.

Needing to love…

Every day I’m with Chad, I prove my dad wrong, that I can be loved…that I am loveable. So why is our relationship so hard? When we’re together on the dance floor or between the sheets, I pray for a small twinge of lust or something. I remember when his lazy smile sent my toes curling and my lower regions throbbing. But lately, thoughts of Noah come even though I don’t want them to: his valiant efforts to rescue me, his tender, caring side, even though I was being an idiot that night. I just don’t know if I’m ready to shake off one bad relationship to trust in another one.

Wanting to trust…

Her words echo in my head. Let’s be secret friends. Shh, don’t tell anyone. That girl ruined my life. Because of her and what happened I haven’t touched a girl since high school. I haven’t let myself fantasize about a girlfriend. About finding love. Or sex. Shit. Has it been that long since I’ve been laid? Then there’s Carly. The tantalizing goddess I rescued. For the first time I’m feeling things I swore I never would again. Somehow, she’s wormed her way into my heart, but I just don’t know if it’s too late for love and for the two of us.

I got hooked on reading from Sarah Dessen books back in the day. And since her books I haven't found an author who gets me quite as much as she does. But there is something about Kate Ashton's writing that is so similar and I'm definitely a fan. She takes the same serious and contemplative tone that Dessen has, but puts it into a New Adult setting and adds so much more tension and romance.

She also uses metaphors, which any good Dessen fan would enjoy. In this book the ocean kind of represents an ending and a beginning...almost like a baptism of sorts. It's really clever and refreshing.

I loved that both of the main characters had issues to work through. Their characters both developed so much, yet they grew together. There were times I wanted to slap some sense into Carly...and if I'm being honest...Noah too. But overall they were enjoyable characters that pulled at my heart strings. I think that's the main reason I gave this four stars. I just wanted them to stop being so blind about what they wanted and needed, but change is scary so I understand why they were hesitant.

I especially liked the ending. We get hint that book three will be from Chad's POV and I've already started reading it...I couldn't wait! I definitely recommend this to contemporary fans and it's really cheap on amazon right now so you should take advantage of that while you can! This is definitely an author to keep an eye out for!

My review of book 1: Every Little Piece

Goodreads / Website

{Review} Dragonfly by: Leigh T. Moore

2013-12-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Pages: 265
Publication date: June 6, 2013

Publisher: Leigh T. Moore

How I got the copy: Received from author in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

From Goodreads:

Three bad things I learned this year:
-People you trust lie, even parents.
-That hot guy, the one who’s totally into you, he might not be the one.
-Things are not always how they appear.

Three good things I learned this year:
-Best friends are always there for you, even when they’re far away.
-That other hot guy, the one who remembers your birthday, he just might be the one.
-Oh, and things are not always how they appear.

Anna Sanders expected an anonymous (and uneventful) senior year until she crossed paths with rich-and-sexy Jack Kyser and his twin sister Lucy.

Pulling Anna into their extravagant lifestyle on the Gulf Coast, Lucy pushed Anna outside her comfort zone, and Jack showed her feelings she’d never experienced... Until he mysteriously withdrew.

Anna turned to her internship at the city paper and to her old attraction for Julian, a handsome local artist and rising star, for distraction. But both led to her discovery of a decades-old secret closely guarded by the twins’ distant, single father.

A secret that could permanently change all their lives.

Fans of The O.C. pay attention! Jack Kyser is a mixture of rich Seth Cohen, who doesn't want to be part of the high class world anymore + a dash of Ryan Attwood, who is the dark, mysterious, hot, new guy. In the beginning I actually thought he was going to end up being paranormal because his family secludes themselves from the rest of the town and he was so mysterious. I felt like that guy on Ancient Aliens that accuses everyone of being an alien.
But I was glad when he turned out to be 100% human. There was also another amazing love interest. His name is Julian and while he spends some of the time in just the background of the novel, I was routing for him the whole way. It was one love triangle that I actually enjoyed.

The main character, Anna, was so true to what I remember being a teenager was like. She tries to hold herself together when things get rough, but she's being thrown into new situations all the time and it's hard for her to navigate. What I didn't like about her was that she put Jack on a pedistal and expected him to be perfect. He had flaws. In fact, there were times he was kind of a jerk. A lovable jerk once you learned his past, but still.
And I wanted Anna to just pick one of the boys. She kept going back and forth. I've been in a situation like that so I was able to connect with her easily. It is hard to sort through your emotions sometimes especially in High School. But still. Just pick already!

There was a slight mystery at the end that popped up and definitely added another layer to the story. Something crazy happens towards the end that was so unexpected and really brought on the feels! When everything started to wrap up I was expecting a few more chapters of closure, but I turned the page and BAM the book is over! There wasn't a huge cliffhanger or anything, but I was left wanting more of the characters. I miss them already. Definitely need to get book two soon.

If you're looking for a contemporary that is fun and cute, but also has some depth with great characters. This is definitely one you'll want to check out!

Goodreads / Website

Stacking The Shelves & Sunday Post #45

2013-12-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

The Sunday Post is a meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Both are a chance to share what books you got this week, what happened on your blog last week, and what is to come next week.

(45)

I did a video haul for the last three months. I got soooo many books, but they're all really good!

I'm thinking I might pick 3 days a week to always post on. I seem to have gotten lazy with my blog and started focusing more on YouTube channel, but I want to make sure I still post stuff here. I will be hosting a challenge for the Bout of Books Readathon coming up in January so I'm very excited about that!

{Review} Break It Up

{Review} Just One Day

-Review: Dragonfly

-TTT

-(un)haul video

What did you get this week?

{Review} Break It Up by E.M. Tippetts

2013-12-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

I did a video review of this book last week, but I figured I'd share it here and do a full review so that I have something written to put on goodreads and amazon.

Goodreads / Amazon
I'll admit, I only signed up to review this book because I liked the author's previous work and the cover caught my interest. Who doesn't love boy bands? But I was pleasnatly surprised when I started reading and found out it was a companion novel to the Someone Else's Fairytale books. You don't need to have read the first two to understand this one, but I think it would help you understand where the characters are coming from if you did.
Kyra was a very refreshing character because she already knows who she is. She goes through a change in the second book so by the time she gets to this one she's a reformed rebellious teenager and she's confident in that. I loved that there was this underlying theme throughout the book about double standards. Kyra is seen as promiscuous in earlier books, but when Ben does the same thing people just think he's a party boy. And it was nice to see someone touch on that topic without making it feel preachy.
The main love interest, Zach, was really great because he developed as a character too. It was just as much his story as Kyra's. He's so sweet and innocent, yet he's very judgmental. I summed that up to him not really having any social interactions with peers because his mom kept him really sheltered since she was his band manager. But I liked that he had flaws. It made him more real. And it was cool seeing him contrasted next to his cousin, Ben, who was so different. Ben = Kyra's past and Zach=what Kyra was trying to make her future. The whole time I was wondering if she'd just give up on Zach and go have fun with Ben. Because while I did want to smack him sometimes, he did have a charm to him. Like he needed to be saved from himself.
If you liked Between the Lines by Tamera Webber, I think you'd really like this book. They're very similar in that it's a behind the scenes of a celebrities life and relationships. But really any contemp lover would probably enjoy this.

Goodreads Summary: Kyra Armijo is making a few changes in her life. One of them being, she's no longer going to give it up to every guy who looks at her twice. And she's putting her hopes and dreams for her future first. When the aspiring photojournalist gets the opportunity of a lifetime to tag along with international boy band sensation, Triple Cross, she can't pass up the chance.

The only problem is that she's in love with one band member, dodging the unwanted attention of another, and desperate to keep her turbulent past under wraps. Triple Cross have "nice guy" appeal, approved of by parents the world over, but have just let go their longtime manager, who controlled their clean image and media exposure with an iron fist. When Zach Wechsler, the object of Kyra's affection, begins to show interest, she has to be careful.

Surely one girl can't destroy a band that's been together for ten years... only what if she can? Kyra knows she's one bad decision away from ruining everything she's worked for, and taking the hottest act of her generation down with her.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

2013-12-14T08:46:00.000-05:00

It's time to pick a winner for the Lux Series giveaway! Thanks to everyone who entered and fangirled about Daemon.

And the winner is.....

Kat from KitKatsCanRead! I love when someone I know wins! I just started watching Kit Kat's videos a month or so ago and she's really awesome. You should check her channel out.

Congrats Kat. Please respond to my email within 48 hours or I'll have to pick a new winner. And thank you to everyone who entered!

{Review} Just One Day by: Gail Foreman

2013-12-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Pages: 400
Publication date: August 20, 2013

Publisher: Speak

How I got the copy: bought

Rating: 10 out of 5 Stars

From Goodreads:

Allyson Healey's life is exactly like her suitcase—packed, planned, ordered. Then on the last day of her three-week post-graduation European tour, she meets Willem. A free-spirited, roving actor, Willem is everything she’s not, and when he invites her to abandon her plans and come to Paris with him, Allyson says yes. This uncharacteristic decision leads to a day of risk and romance, liberation and intimacy: 24 hours that will transform Allyson’s life.

A book about love, heartbreak, travel, identity, and the "accidents” of fate, Just One Day shows us how sometimes in order to get found, you first have to get lost. . . and how often the people we are seeking are much closer than we know.
The first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

Let's start out with a tweet I wrote a few minutes after I finished reading and collected my jaw from where it had fallen to the floor.

And I'm pretty sure I'm still rocking in a corner as I write this. I have never had so many feels. I didn't think this kind of adrenaline and anger and happiness and pride and sadness and all of that could be bundled into one book. But seriously it really got me.

The main character, Allyson, was easy for me to connect with right away. I went to Europe on a school trip too and I also was very straight laced for most of high school. So when she wants to just throw caution to the wind...for just one day...I totally get it. Not saying I'd run off with a stranger, but hey if he's that cute and has an accent who knows. Willem is funny and sweet, yet he's got such a player/bad boy thing going on. And he's worldly which makes him hotter. But I liked that he had flaws and that the author keeps us guessing the whole time about who he really is as a person. Is he a player or not?

I loved that this was more of a self discovery journey. Allyson truly finds herself. And I loved watching her friendship change with her bff, Melanie. I grew apart from my best friend freshman year of college and then reconciled later too. I love that this was sort of NA even though it's not marketed as that. Gail Forman's sneaky like that. She also snuck in a lot about Shakespeare. Did you know She's The Man (with Amanda Bynes) is a retelling of Twelfth Night? *mind blown*

The writing is phenomenal. I wish I had sticky noted it because there were so many quotes I loved. I'm debating a reread soon just so I can do that. I definitely will be reading book two and I own If I Stay so I'll be starting that "series" soon too. I need someone to talk about this book with so if you've read it an you wanna talk tweet me @HarleyBearBooks! If you haven't read it go get it right now!

“Part of me knows one more day won't do anything except postpone the heartbreak. But another part of me believes differently. We are born in one day. We die in one day. We can change in one day. And we can fall in love in one day. Anything can happen in just one day.”

― Gayle Forman, Just One Day

“What is the real question is not whether to be, but how to be?”

― Gayle Forman, Just One Day

Goodreads / Website

Book BF & GIVEAWAY

2013-12-08T00:02:00.002-05:00

Readers Live A Thousand Lives, Lovin Los Libros, and Starbucks & Books Obsession are hosting this fun event for the month of December. Each day a blogger gets to celebrate their favorite book boyfriend.

Blogging has helped me accumulate more boyfriends than Taylor Swift. Unfortunately, all these boyfriends are characters in books, but we'll discuss that at another time.

Right now I wanna talk about my favorite boy in YA fiction
(besides Aiden St. Delphi of course). He is...

GIVEAWAY

Even though I don't live in a state that allows polygamy I'll still share Daemon with you guys. What can I say? I'm generous. I know. If you win the giveaway I'll send you whichever book from the Lux series you haven't read yet so you can get your Daemon fix.

Rules:

-Must be 18 or older or have parental permission

-International (make sure The Book Depository ships to you)

-Don't cheat. Daemon wouldn't approve.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want more swoonage? Here's the complete event schedule.

End of the Year Survey 2013

2013-12-07T00:25:00.002-05:00

Because this was so much fun last year. Thanks Jamie for making such a fun survey every year!

1. Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

Contemporary YA – Hopeless by Colleen Hoover (The Feels!!!!)
Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic – Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
Paranormal —Origin by JLA
Science Fiction — Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris or Pivot Point by Kasie West
Fantasy — Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas and Sentinel by JLA

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

I love the covers of these, but the content wasn't what I expected at all.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?

I only read Golden because it was chosen for my book club's book of the month, but I am sooooo glad I did. I ended up adoring this book and I was pleasantly surprised by that.

4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?

I know everyone talks about The Fault in our Stars, but I seriously can't recommend it enough. It helped me through hard times and it's very powerful. Everyone should experience it once.

5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

I started the Grisha series this year and WOW you guys. It was my first real Fantasy book and holy moly I'm glad I picked that one to start with. AMAZING.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

I'm obssessed with Sarah J. Maas after reading Throne of Glass this year.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

I'm not a big Sci Fi lover, but I loved The 5th Wave so much!

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

I read Goodbye Rebel Blue in almost one sitting. It was so funny, but had such a powerful message.

9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

I already have my re-read of the Mara Dyer series set up before book 3 comes out!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

The cover of Dead Ends is what made me want to read it. It's like a metaphor.

11. Most memorable character in 2013?

Celaena in Throne of Glass is so kick ass and strong and lethal. Yet she also loves books and dresses.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

Taherah Mafi knows how to write. Unravel Me is like poetry it's so beautifully written.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?

If you want to know why watch this video I made.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?

Someone please tell me why I waited so long to start the Across The Universe series?!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?

Loved the book Parallel

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Longest: The Host by Stephanie Meyer
Shortest: Besides novellas Losing It by Cora Cormack

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

Enough said.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Warner and Juliette's "relationship" whatever it may be...frienamies?

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Any book by JLA really, but I especially loved Wait For You!

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Angela told me to read Hazards of Skinny Dipping and at first I was reluctant, but I ended up loving it.

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

I don't feel like looking it up but probably Dystopian. Surprise surprise.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

Dorian from Throne of Glass. I'm just finishing up that book right now and love him. Or do I love Chaol? I can't pick!!!

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

Reboot was reallllly good. It was such an original idea.

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

I'll go with Ender's Game. That ish was cray. I loved the space parts.

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

I lol-ed a lot while reading Losing It. CAT!

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

I have never cried so hard while reading like I did with Hopeless. Like serious ugly crying occurred during this book. And Every Little Piece got me pretty good too.

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

I absolutely loved this book. It was perfect for summer. I'm not sure why people don't talk about it more.

(optional)

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2013?

In Libris Veritas
Books Live Forever
Maji Bookshelf
The White Unicorn
Ella Bee Reads
Clear Eyes Full Shelves (their podcasts are amazing!)

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2013?

I wrote my review of Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout at 3 in the morning when I was hyper and exhausted all at the same time so it's pretty funny. My GIF reactions (non spoilery reviews) Sentinel and Allegiant

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

I talked about how Pride and Prejudice is still really relevant today. Society is still pressuring women to marry at a young age.

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?

Ariel Bisett the BookTuber talks about Reading in School. She talks about Elementary, High, and Beyond.

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

I met Jennifer L. Armentrout!!!!!!!

my life=complete

6. Best moment of book blogging/your book life in 2013?

Meeting Teresa and Betty at the JLA signing. I'd never met any bloggers in real life before so it was so much fun!

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

People seemed to like me What Should You Read Next Flow Chart

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

The Random # Survey that I created was a lot of fun, but I wish more people had done it.

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

My cousin and I discovered two used bookstores that I got so many amazing books at.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I finished my Goodreads goal of 100 books. I think I read somewhere around 115 with re-reads. I read way over my goal of 20,000 words for the Pg Count goal. My series challenge went...okay. haha I started more series than finished.

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

Graceling. Lindsay has been trying to get me to read this forever and she said she'll buddy read it with me so if I don't read it in Dec it's my first priority in Jan. Also, Frigid because I need more JLA in my life.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

Here's my Top Ten Tuesday Books I'm Dying For. There's too many!

3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

I really want to read Dorothy Must Die. It sounds epic.

4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

I need Retribution of Mara Dyer right now!

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?

I definitely want to meet and work with more bloggers. I plan on going to BEA next year and maybe some more signings.

I also hope to grow our BookBFF YouTube channel.

Top Ten Tuesday #33

2013-12-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and long weekend.

I've been spending it with my family so that's why I've been MIA.

But I'm back!

Hosted by: Jamie from Broke and the Bookish

This Week's List:

Dec 3: Top Ten 2014 Release I'm Dying To Read

There were just too many I couldn't choose. Seriously though, I'd do anything for the last Mara Dyer book. Why must we wait until June!?!

What are you waiting for?