While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3) by Abbi Glines

While It Lasts by Abbi Glines

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Five/five stars!

Yet again Abbi Glines has managed to bring out an incredible novel full of love, forgiveness, acceptance and humor. I loved this book so much! It was probably one of the best Sea Breeze novels. There were a few things, though… such as rather graphic sex scenes. While It Lasts is probably more of a New Adult novel, than a Young Adult novel. But, pfft, I loved it anyway.

Cage York finally gets his story! After a particularly wild night, Cage finds himself being pulled over by the police. He gets a DUI and is sent off to work on a farm. For Cage, this is horrible. He’ll be away from his friends, Low, girls and bars. Then, on his first day at the farm, he meets beautiful Eva. Beautiful, unavailable Eva. But, will he be able to worm his way into her life? Will Cage York finally fall in love?

Seeing a guy like Cage York on her porch is awful for Eva. She hates seeing people like him. Stuck-up drunks. Besides, she’s still nursing a broken heart after Josh. But, will Eva learn to like Cage? And will she finally be able to love again…?

This really was quite a nice story, with alternating POV’s so we could feel Eva’s heartbreak and Cage’s frustration. The characters were well developed. Obviously, we had seen Cage before in Because of Low, so we knew his background, but we got to learn all about Eva and her past. Eva was kind, thoughtful and very sad, heartbroken. Both characters were amazing and I loved them equally. Cage was actually kinda nice… after a while.

Overall the story line was good. It was planned and well thought-out. Abbi Glines really has a talent for writing romance novels. The chemistry between Eva and Cage was automatic, steamy and realistic. The story wasn’t very realistic, but it was realistic enough, you know?

I loved While It Lasts and I cannot wait for Cage and Eva to get another story!  

Losing Lila (Lila #2) by Sarah Alderson

Losing Lila by Sarah Alderson

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Four and a half stars!!

Losing Lila was just as good, if better, than Hunting Lila. It had me feeling ALL THE THINGS! I loved everything about it. The characters were amazing, and I didn’t realise how much I missed them! Losing Lila was perfect. I cannot wait to read more Sarah Alderson.

Ah, there is so much to talk about!

Losing Lila jumps in straight away! It’s madness right from the word go. It picks up nicely after the first book. 

Lila and Alex are on the run from The Unit. They have joined forces with the supposed enemies and are now living on a boat and planning there next attack, the final one on The Unit. After the show down at Joshua Tree, Alex and Lila were forced to run and leave Lila’s brother and Alex’s best friend, Jack. Now, they are going to get him and Lila’s mother back. Obviously, The Unit is now on high alert, so it is going to be even harder to get into the unit and get Jack and Lila’s mum out. But Lila, Alex, Demos and the rest of the gang form a genius, but potentially dangerous and disastrous plan to get in and out of The Unit’s headquarters. The plan involves potentially risking Lila’s life and FIRE.

Alex and Lila are perfect for each other. But, of course, they had their differences. It was understandable though. Lila was stubborn and just wanted to walk in to The Unit’s headquarters, get her mother and brother and leave the headquarters. Whereas Alex wanted to have a properly formulated plan that didn’t involve risking Lila’s life and killing the people he loves. This caused some issues, but because they are so perfect for each other, everything was sorted out, and they worked together. 

All the characters were amazing. I loved Demos' gang! All of them, even Amber... sometimes. Also, Suki is awesome and I want one.

The ending was perfect. Yes, I loved it, but yes, I want another book; maybe one in Alex’s POV. 

This book was another amazing book from Sarah Alderson. I am so glad I read this series. I will miss these characters and the adventures they have had! I cannot praise the author and the series enough. I love Hunting Lila and Losing Lila. 

No Such Thing as Forever (Girl Heart Boy #1) by Ali Cronin

No Such Thing as Forever by Ali Cronin

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Three/five stars

No Such Thing as Forever was a typical, average YA Contemporary book. It wasn’t anything exciting or special. The main character was stupid and immature. It took me a while to read this. I wish I enjoyed it more.

Sarah is like most clichéd YA girls. She has a solid group of friends, girls and boys, and is a man hater. Until one moment, when she is swept of her feet by someone she hardly knows during a holiday with her family at the beach. This boy, Joe, lives in London and is in university. Sarah is still in school and lives in Brighton. Hmm, see a problem? After the holiday, Sarah goes back to school like a whole new person! She is no longer Sarah the man hater virgin; she is Sarah with a long-distance boyfriend. Of course, naturally, her friends are all exciting for her and interested at first, until Sarah is verging on the point of obsessed. Joe is all she thinks about! This is where Sarah turns completely stupid. More stupid than before, is that possible? She ditches her friends for a boy; a summer fling. A boy who is an ass, who just wants her for her stupidity because she has no idea what he is doing!! Ahh! This was so frustrating! And then, enter Ollie, perfect best friend and typical man whore. Ollie calls her flower… so Sarah isn’t it obvious? No, it wasn’t obvious, not to her. This book was just a silly, short, typical YA contemp. The story line was obvious and non-eventful.

The characters… Well. As you have probably gathered, I did not like Sarah. She was silly, annoying, whiny and immature. She could not see what Joe was doing, she did not understand her friends’ opinions on Joe and she could not see how obvious Ollie was being, until it was practically shoved in her face. I hated Joe. He was awful and a dick and he should not be allowed to treat innocent women like that; women that generally like him. Sarah’s friends weren’t actually too bad. They cared about Sarah and they tried to warn her. I like Ollie and I felt sorry for him. Sarah didn’t deserve him; she was rude and hot headed. Ollie was sweet Ollie; he deserved a girl who actually cared about him.

This book was average. Not good, not bad. Just… okay. I didn’t like the characters very much and the story line was predictable. I wish I enjoyed this more. I might read the next book;  Ash’s story.

Thanks to Penguin Books Australia and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book!!

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 

Four/five stars

This book was cuuuuuuuuuute. It was my second Morgan Matson book, but not my favourite. I liked the story line and the characters. I live in Australia so reading all the things about America was awesome! Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour made me feel happy! There were no really depressing moments, or really clichéd YA romances; e.g instant love, then break up for two days, then “ohmygod missed you so much, let’s get back together, I love you”.

One moment can change everything. Unfortunately for Amy, she has to find this out the hard way. Amy’s father died, her brother Charlie is so messed up and her mother has just decided that they will move to Connecticut. Then Charlie gets into all sorts of trouble and is put into rehab. Then Amy’s mum moves and Amy is left alone in a big house. Amy was supposed to finish up her senior year then fly over to Connecticut. Then she gets a call from her mum saying that she needs the car in Connecticut, so she will be driving there, not flying. Only problem; Amy won’t drive. Not after the accident. The solution; driving across the country for four days with Roger, a guy she doesn’t remember. Awkward. But when Amy see’s Roger, she’s shocked. He is actually kinda cute! Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour was quite epic. Amy rebelled, and she felt good, but slightly guilty. It was about time she was allowed to rebel. Charlie did all the rebelling when they were in school. Amy and Roger developed a close relationship and Amy even told Roger the truth.

I liked this book! It was cute, fun and a quick read. I liked the main characters and all the funny ones we met on the way.

Amy was actually quite strong for someone who blames herself for everything and for someone who just lost her dad. She allowed herself to cry, which many YA characters do not allow themselves to do, which is stupid and unrealistic.  I also liked how, when she saw Roger, she admitted that he was cute and that was it. She did not continue to say that he was crazy hot and that she wanted to have his babies. It was a slow relationship; acquaintances, friends, close friends then more. Their feelings for each other obviously continued to get stronger as they spent more time together and got more comfortable with each other. I liked Roger, too. He was a good character. He was understanding and determined. Very, very determined. I got a kick out of the way he ended it with Hadley! The spoilt little bitch deserved it. He handled it well.

The book was a little slow for my liking. I wish that Matson didn’t bring in Hadley’s brother because that was just a waste of time. Amy and Roger could have been working out the feelings for each other during that time. But, in saying that, the end of the book was sooooo rushed! They kissed and then BAM! everything went super-fast and before I knew it, it was over. And I didn’t want it to end. Although, I must admit, it ended well. Matson finished it, but left it open. She could definitely write another book about Amy and Roger’s relationship. It made sense that their relationship progressed quickly, but I wish that it went slower, and that the book lasted longer.

I also really loved Amy’s playlists. I love musicals so much. And I love The Producers; one of the best musicals/movies ever. I also enjoyed all the Wizard of Oz references when they went through Kansas. I did the Wizard of Oz at school in year 7 and I always quote it and sing it. You can never have enough Wizard of Oz!

Overall, it was a good book. Well thought out, exciting, fun and happy. I liked Second Chance Summer better though. I wish that Matson will write a second Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour. 

{Unrelated} Esther Day

On the 3^rd of August, every year, Nerdfighters around the world celebrate Esther Day. Esther died of cancer a couple of years ago, at age 16. She had battled cancer since she was 12. The cancer, after 4 long years, caught up with her in August, 2010. This year, it would have been her 18th birthday. 

The Vlogbrothers, Hank and John Green, visited Esther and said that they would do anything she wanted them to do, to remember her on her birthday every year. Esther told them she wanted them to talk about love, between friends and family. So every year Hank and John Green tell each other they much they love each other and how much they mean to one another.

This year, Esther Day meant a lot to me. Two years ago, my cousin’s best friend died of cancer. Just a week before Nicole died, she was dancing with my cousin at a birthday party. She was full of life and love. Next week, she passed away. My cousin is still struggling to deal with it. A week before Esther died, she was she making videos. In her last video she was so happy and full of life. 

I realised that life is too short. That one moment, you can have everything, then the next moment, you can lose everything and have nothing. 

So, this year, I made sure I told the people who mean a lot to me, how much they mean to me.

Mum, dad, aunties, uncles, cousins, grandparents, pets, best friends, friends and teachers, you mean so much to me. I love you.

Rest in paradise Nicole. You are missed so much.

Rest in Awesome Esther. Effyeahnerdfighters. DFTBA.  

Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) by Jamie McGuire

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 

Four/five stars

If I had to describe Beautiful Disaster in one word it would be rollercoaster. This book is insane! It really is a beautiful disaster. It made me feel all the emotions. I was happy, then sad, then heart-broken, then crazy happy again! It was crazy, but perfect.

Abigail Abernathy is a good girl. Or at least, she appears to be. She has the right amount of cardigans and is a perfect student. When her best friend, America, drags her along to a fight in the basement, Abby finds herself in the spotlight with resident bad-boy and the perfect definition of a man-whore, Travis Maddox. Abby isn't interested in a relationship, especially with Travis, who reminds her so much of the old life she is trying to run away from, so how come it's so hard to resist? Everyone knows Travis doesn't date. He screws girls, then leaves them. No strings-attached. So when he meets Abby, the only girl who isn't interested in him, how come he feels a pull towards her? How come he can't leave her alone? How come he can no longer touch another woman?Beautiful Disaster follows Abby on her quest to finally be free of her demons and fighting her confusing feelings for Travis.

This was the second time I had read Beautiful Disaster, and I have to say, it kind of grew on me! I enjoyed it this time round so much more. This book is like the nerd equivalent of drugs. It is so addictive! I couldn't stop reading. Even though I knew what was happening, and what was coming, I couldn't bring myself to stop reading it, so I found myself reading at all kinds of strange hours.

I enjoyed Beautiful Disaster, but there were some things that just didn't work for me. Like how Travis was kind of creepy, and needed to deal with his anger. He bet against everything, even his relationship with Abby. The first bet in the book sealed the relationship between Travis and Abby. It was obvious what was going to happen after that. Although, I do commend the author on having such interesting twists and turns, it was quite intriguing. Also, Travis's anger issues! He went crazy in some parts of the book. I understand that he already had issues and being with Abby centred him and calmed him down, but that's not very reliable. It's quite stupid, actually. I hope I do not depend on someone that much. As if they are the air I need to breathe.

I had no issues with Abby. She was a well-developed character with a mysterious and dark past. She was an opinionated woman, who wasn't afraid to say what she thought, especially to Travis, which helped shaped Travis's character. Travis needed a wakeup call, and Abby gave him just that, with her brutally honest remarks and witty and sarcastic comments. I particularly enjoyed this quote from Abby:

"I didn't say you're a bad person. I just don't like being a foregone conclusion for the sole reason of having a vagina." 

There were no problems with the other characters. Sometimes, they annoyed me, but they weren't a big part of the story. It was Travis's and Abby's story, through and through. Although, I did fall in love with Finch! He reminded me of someone I know and was constantly making me smile whenever he was in the story.

Beautiful Disaster was, as its name suggests, a beautiful disaster. The story line was well thought out, the characters were developed and the romance was honest. I'm glad I got the opportunity to re-read this book, as it was so much better the second time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this book!

Insanity (Asylum #1) by Lauren Hammond

Insanity (Asylum #1) by Lauren Hammond


★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ 


Four/five stars


This book was so weird and confusing, but kind of good. Like, not well written good, more like blow-your-mind-out-of-your-butt good. My mind was in a frenzy after reading this. I’m going to try and write a review, but even after a few days, I’m still mentally scarred. 

Insanity is a book that will play with you. It will creep up on you, slowing, but surely. One moment, you’re starting, the next you’re finishing. So much has happened, but you don’t understand. You can’t function. Your brain hurts. This is what I was feeling when I finished it. I was sure I was going to be put in a mental asylum. Insanity was scary, mind blowing, sexy, romantic and intense. 

Adelaide, known as Addy, knows she’s not insane. She doesn’t understand how she ended up in the asylum, or why. Why isn’t she still lying under the willow tree with Damien? Where is her father and his drunken friends? Addy doesn’t remember anything; only that her father was crazy and cruel, her mother left her alone with him, she misses Damien and her new doctor is weirdly familiar. And why is her new doctor pushing her so hard to remember everything? Why is he fighting with her old doctor? And, most importantly, why does he dislike Damien so much? 

As mentioned before, this book was nuts. Crazy. Scary. Mind blowing. You name it! But it was good. I fell in love with the story and the characters, especially Addy. I just want her to get out of the asylum. She doesn’t belong there. She’s not crazy, right? I’m not totally convinced about Dr. Elijah Watson. He doesn’t quite seem legit, and he seems old; at least, way too old for Addy. Team Damien, thank you very much.

I can’t write anymore. You need to read the book to understand. It’s just so… weird. 

I’m glad I read the book, it was an interesting ride, indeed.