Book Review: How To Make Out by Brianna Shrum

Author: Brianna Shrum
Series: N/A
Audience: +15
Genre: YA, Contemporary Y
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Release Date: September 6, 2016
My Rating: 3.5 cups
Source: Edelweiss
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old Renley needs three thousand dollars for the math club’s trip to New York City, and she knows exactly how to get it: she’s going to start a how-to blog where people pay for answers to all of life’s questions from a “certified expert.” The only problems: 1) She doesn’t know how to do anything but long division and calculus. 2) She’s totally invisible to people at school. And not in a cool Gossip Girl kind of way.

So, she decides to learn to do . . . well . . . everything. When her anonymous blog shifts in a more scandalous direction and the questions (and money) start rolling in, she has to learn not just how to do waterfall braids and cat-eye makeup, but a few other things, like how to cure a hangover, how to flirt, and how to make out (something her very experienced, and very in-love-with-her neighbor, Drew, is more than willing to help with).

As her blog’s reputation skyrockets, so does “new and improved” Renley’s popularity. She’s not only nabbed the attention of the entire school, but also the eye of Seth Levine, the hot culinary wizard she’s admired from across the home-ec classroom all year.

Soon, caught up in the thrill of popularity both in and out of cyberspace, her secrets start to spiral, and she finds that she’s forgotten the most important how-to: how to be herself. When her online and real lives converge, Renley will have to make a choice: lose everything she loves in her new life, or everyone she loves in the life she left behind.

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Edelweiss and Sky Pony Press in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my opinion or my rating of the book in any way.

If you're expecting a light, fun read, know that this book is much more complex than that. It's actually one of the things that surprised me about this book, but also one of the things I loved most about it.

The blurb fooled me. Like I said, I was expecting a lighter read, instead I found myself reading about the danger of losing yourself, and how easy it is to be influenced by others, especially at such a young age.

Renley is funny, and awkward, and at times she reminded me of myself and of most of my girl friends growing up. She had many thoughts that I did, so I was able to relate with her in certain moments. Towards the end though, I felt as though she wasn't as aware of the consequences of what she did and how it could affect others. The one thing I didn't like about her was this "say like me or you're not my friend" attitude. Throughout the book she had these moments where she seemed a bit selfish, and I think that if you call someone your best friend, then you're accepting the dose of honesty that they'll give you when you need it.

Drew was actually my favorite character. I loved the guy, and I wish Renley would have noticed him earlier. He's a really thoughtful guy, and I would've wanted to see him more throughout the book. While I believe what he did was extreme, I'm glad he did it and it showed that he cared about Renley more than he let on.

One of my pet peeves in YA is, as you probably know, irresponsible adults. I had a bit of an issue here with that, because I feel that it was a bit too much, in a way. Renley's mom is not in the picture, her dad is not a father figure, and Drew's parents are just as bad, if not worse. So I'm not really sure how the adults in this book expected these kids to be just fine and to be mature and stuff.

I'm sure the blog aspect of this book has been brought up a lot, but it is a very important aspect of this book, too important to be left unmentioned. I'm not sure how she got to be so popular, since in the beginning she wasn't really dedicated to her blog, visiting it, creating new posts and such. I found the fact that Renley was willing to do a bunch of things for this blog, that otherwise it probably wouldn't have crossed her mind, very important and very telling. It showed that she really didn't get over her mom abandoning her, and that no matter how much she tried to pretend otherwise, her dad was also a negative figure for her. I liked how near the end of the book, after a scene with her dad, she acknowledged the scene as a really important one for their father-daughter relationship. But at the same time, I'm not sure I believe Renley learned her lesson. She's sixteen and she can make mistakes, and she should make some mistakes, because that's how you learn, but I would want to believe that she learned something.

The plot is pretty fast, and I read this book in one sitting. There were a bunch of funny scenes in this book, which I enjoyed. All in all, a pretty good and funny book.

Top Ten Tuesday #9: Favorite TV Shows Of All Times

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

Hello everyone and happy Tuesday! Today's topic is all about the TV shows. And let me tell you guys, I am addicted to TV shows. If it weren't bad for health, I'd be a couch potato, binge watching TV shows ALL THE TIME! In honor of my love of TV shows, I've decided to share with you my Favorite TV Shows Of All Times.

1. Supernatural

Any TV show list is not complete without Supernatural in it. It just isn't. I'm slowly re-watching it from the beginning, and this brings back memories of watching the show for the first time almost 10 years ago, during university. My favorite moment was probably during a snowstorm about...8 years ago. I was supposed to study for exams, but instead I kept watching Supernatural (sorrynotsorry). I don't remember exactly which season that was, but the funniest thing ever was that it was a pretty scary episode. Right as the brothers were about to kill the beast, the lights go out in my neighborhood (because of course they do!). I don't think I've ever been so freaked out :))

2. Blindspot

I like not knowing what is going on, I like being surprised, and this show is giving me that. Also, Lady Sif, Major Scott and the teenage girl from What Women Want are in this, which I adore!!

3. Strike Back

Speaking of Major Scott. Strike Back is probably my favorite military TV show ever, and it will most likely stay that way. What I love about it is that unlike most shows that must have a happy ending, in this show the good guys can lose. They can be defeated, and they sometimes are defeated by the bad guys. It's grittier, darker, and it's what makes sense in my head.

4. NCIS

Another old favorite of mine. I am sad that Michael Weatherly left the show, but I'm also curious to know how they'll move forward.

5. Star Trek

One of the shows I watched as a kid, Star Trek will always hold a special place in my heart. I remember being in love with the show, and I'm planning on watching it again soon.

6. Quantum Leap

It was a ritual of Mom and I to sit in front of the TV each day and see who Scott Bakula would become in the new episode, who did the deed, why did history need changing, what could possibly happen in the future as a result of the changes he made. One of those childhood memories that I'll always cherish.

7. Xena, The Warrior Princess

Another TV show that just cannot miss from any of my TV show list. There's a lot of reasons why I love this show, and it would take me too long to talk about all of them. But, to this day, there's no other show that I love more. Except probably the next one on the list.

8. Hercules: The Legendary Journeys

Okay, so Hercules and Xena are both favorites of mine since early childhood. I grew up watching these shows religiously.

9. Lost Girl

Lost Girl ended last year, and that made me sad. I haven't watched the last two seasons, but I'm working my way to them. I'm actually re-watching the entire show. Bo was a fantastic character. The mythology of the show was fantastic, and I'm kind of sad it's over. Also, Kenzi was fantastic!

10. How To Get Away With Murder

This is a show that just plays with the viewer's head. Last season's finale did just that, because I did not expect that AT ALL! Viola Davis is the show. Sure, I love all other actors and actresses in it, but I started watching it because of her. She's fantastic. There's this scene in season 1 when she's in a courtroom and she's interrogating a senator. I got chills when I first saw that scene, because I immediately remembered Jack Nicholson's famous scene in A Few Good Men. She deserves all the awards she gets and a few others. The show might be crazy, it might even seem impossible that a bunch of people can get away with murder so easily (and not just a murder, but several), but I love it.

11. Buffy, The Vampire Slayer

This show gave me a crap-ton of good lessons growing up, just like Xena did. And just like with Xena, I could probably fill an entire post with the awesomeness of this show. *whispers* I was (and still am) Team Spike.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

I couldn't end this post without mentioning a few shows that didn't make the list, because while not my most favorite shows, they do entertain me, I do enjoy watching them, and , ultimately, I like them. A few of these shows are: Arrow, The Flash, Once Upon A Time, Castle, Grey's Anatomy, Bitten, Orphan Black, Roswell, Saved By The Bell, 90210 Beverly Hills (the original, guys, the original!), Hellcats, Agents Of SHIELD, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, The Twilight Zone, The X-Files... Trust me, I could be here all night talking about TV shows! Literally all night! I think it's safe to end this post here, otherwise you'll get bored of me.

What about you? What are your favorite TV Shows?

Comic Book Tuesday #14: Monstress #3 by Marjorie M. Liu

Author: Marjorie M. Liu
Series: Monstress (Single Issues) #3
Genre: Comic Book, Graphic Novel
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: January 27th 2016
My Rating: 4 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Maika must confront the deadly secrets that live inside her.

*Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of this book from Netgalley and Image Comics in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my opinion or my rating of the book in any way.

The third issue of the Monstress comic sheds a little light into the thing that "lives inside her", as the blurb says. We get to learn about this monster that she's fearing so much. The artwork for this part of the story is stunning, and it made me think of some really ancient evil. There's also a lot of really bright colors in these panels, which I like.

I know I'm repeating myself, but I really enjoy the way Sana Takeda, the illustrator, mixes up the colors in this kind of ironic way, with the scenes with the witch nuns and the soldiers in really bright colors, and Maika in really dark ones. I really love that aspect of the story and the art.

Kippa, the fox girl featured on the cover of the third issue, is absolutely amazing. I love her innocence, as well as her courage. She's a fierce little girl, and I hope she gets a happy ending.

The end of the story is, like in the previous issue, one of my favorite parts. Again, we get to explore the history of the Arcanics and of the war that happened between them and the humans. I'm actually looking forward to getting to these "lectures", as they're called, each time I start reading a new issue.

I did think the pacing of the story was a little slower than the previous two issues, but I didn't have that big of a problem with that.

All in all, a nice continuation of the story, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Book Review: Playing By Her Rules by Amy Andrews

Author: Amy Andrews
Series: Sydney Smoke Rugby #1
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC (Brazen)
Release Date: July 11th 2016
My Rating: 4 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

In this grudge match, the first to score…

When style columnist Matilda Kent accidentally lets slip that she was once involved with the captain of the Sydney Smoke rugby team, she suddenly finds herself elevated to the position she’s always wanted – feature writer. The catch? She’s stuck doing a six-part series on her ex. Still, there’s no way she can turn down a promotion…or the chance to dish the dirt on the guy who so callously broke her heart.

…could win it all!

Tanner Stone wants to be involved in a feature series about as much as he wants to snap an Achilles. But the thought of seeing Tilly again is a bonus—and has him more worked up than he wants to admit. Only he’s not prepared for how different she is – all cool and professional. His Tilly is still in there, though…and he still wants her, now more than ever. All he has to do is charm her into giving him a rematch. And this time, winner takes all!

*Disclaimer: I was offered an eARC from Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC in exchange for an honest review. 

It seems that second chance romances are popular again, which I don't mind in the least, let me tell you.

Matilda and Tanner have an explosive relationship, one that isn't just going to go away, no matter how much they want it to. I liked their interactions. At times it felt like watching a tennis match, wondering who will render the other one speechless first, who will make the other one mad, or laugh like a lunatic.

I have to say, for about half of the book I was confused about my feelings for Tanner. I understood what he did, why he did it, but I wasn't really sure why he couldn't have done it any other way. Some wisdom from Matilda's grandmother, as well as a great scene between the two love birds made me change my mind about him. I'm actually really happy with how the story ended for these two.

Matilda has a pretty unique sense of humor, if you ask me, especially in the articles she wrote about Tanner. I didn't exactly agree with her search to find something that will "expose" Tanner, but I did like her professionalism and how she didn't let her personal feelings ruin what she was writing.

I like that this story is about Aussie characters. That was a change for me, and a very good one, too. I would want that the focus would fall a little bit more on the sport itself too, to be honest. I was also very pleased with how this book opens the door for the series focusing on the other rugby players from Tanner's team. I thought it was a good introduction to a new series, and I'll definitely be checking out the rest of the books when they will be published.

Book Review: 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Six

Author: Jennifer L Armentrout, Lorelei James, Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright, Donna Grant, Rebecca Yarros, Kennedy Layne
Series: 1001 Dark Nights
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Military Romance
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
Release Date: August 23rd 2016
My Rating: 4 cups
Source: InkSlinger PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Jennifer L. Armentrout, Lorelei James, Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright, Donna Grant, and introducing Rebecca Yarros and Kennedy Layne.

Seven Dark Tales. Seven Sensual Stories. Seven Page Turners.

DREAM OF YOU: Abby Erickson isn't looking for a one-night stand, a relationship, or anything that involves any one-on-one time, but when she witnesses a shocking crime, she's thrust into the hands of Colton Anders. His job is to protect her, but with every look, every touch, and every simmering kiss, she's in danger of not only losing her life but her heart also.

STRIPPED DOWN: A flirty game of sexual truth or dare between best man, Wynton Grant, and maid of honor, Melissa Lockhart during their BFF’s wedding reception results in a steamy hookup. But their plans for a one and done change when a family crisis leaves Wyn shorthanded at the Grant Ranch. Mel volunteers to help and gets way more than she bargained for.

RAGE: Rage has never had a problem charming the females. All except Lucie Gaudet. The lovely Geek is a born troublemaker, and it was no surprise to Rage when she was kicked out of the Wildlands. Now the Pantera need a first-class hacker to stop the potential destruction of their people, and it’s up to Rage to convince Lucie to help.

KILLIAN: Gorgeous, brutal, aggressive, and human, Killian O’Roarke wants only two things: to get rid of the Pantera DNA he’s been infected with, and get back to the field. Rosalie lost her mate to a human, and now the Hunter despises them all. In a time of war between their species, isn’t any chance of love destined for destruction?

DRAGON KING: Grace Clark has found the perfect spot to break through her writer's block. Until Arian, a Dragon King who has slept away centuries in his cave, appears and tries to force her away from the mountain. Unaware of the war she just stumbled into, Grace doesn't just discover the perfect place to write, she finds Arian - the most gorgeous, enticing, mysterious man she's ever met.

IGNITE: In Legacy, Colorado, I buried my father alongside his elite Hotshot team. Ten years later, I’ve followed in his footsteps—fighting fires in the mountains of Alaska with my brother.
Amid the flames, nothing ignites me like Avery Claire. She’s stubborn, strong, sexy as hell, and my best friend. She also has no idea that I’m in love with her.

FATED IDENTITY: Grady Kenton relishes the long seductive weekends with Brienne Chaylse, the beautiful CIA liaison who understands his boundaries and accepts things the way he needs them to be. When Brienne’s identity as a CIA special agent is leaked to the media, she and Grady must race to discover whose betrayal runs deep while their true feelings emerge.

Every Dark Nights tale is breathtakingly sexy and magically romantic.

*Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book from InkSlinger PR and Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or my opinion of this book.

I am slowly, but very surely, becoming addicted to the 1001 Dark Nights series, guys! Besides the fact that most of my favorite authors are writing for this series, I get to find out about more authors that need to be on my shelves ASAP.

Dream Of You by Jennifer L. Armentrout

When I saw that this bundle had an Armentrout novella in it, I did a happy dance. I may have squeed a little bit too (not a very nice sound, let me tell you). I can always trust Armentrout to write a really relatable female character. Abby was phenomenal, there's just no other way to describe her. She has, what is in my opinion, the perfect job. But aside from that, I love how strong she is. She was scared out of her mind, but she still did the right thing, and I respect her a lot for that. Colton was a great hero, and it was really sweet seeing how he viewed her in high school. I loved him mostly for his integrity, for his sense of right and wrong. He's a great guy, and I really loved him, and I'm super happy they found each other again, even in the most terrible way.

Stripped Down by Lorelei James

It seems that not long ago I found the perfect cowboy romance series, by Lorelei James. So when she comes out with another cowboy novella, I trust her to write great heroes, great heroines, but also really natural, real human interactions. There's just something about James' characters that make them feel like real people, and that's what I felt with Wynton and Melissa. They were funny and sexy together, there's no denying that, but I also loved reading about how they interacted outside of the bedroom. Melissa is struggling to come to terms with some really important developments in her life, and it was a really fascinating to read about that. I also loved seeing how even with what was going on with her, she still found it in herself to help Wynton when he needed it the most. I also loved the ending. I laughed at it, because it shows just how perfectly these two characters fit together.

Rage/Killian by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright

I really need to go back and read the Bayou Heat series from the very beginning. Rage and Lucie have a very peculiar relationship. Lucie's childhood is filled with a lot of pain, and I was amazed by her strength and by how she managed to make a really good life for herself. I'm pretty sure Rage would have helped her had he known what was going on back then, as he even says as much. I was glad to see these two end up together.

Killian and Rosalie's story has a different tone than the previous one. Both of them have lost a lot, and they're both a little damaged. It was interesting to read about Killian's struggle to come to terms with what was going on with him. I would have wanted to read more about him and about his story prior to being exposed to the Pantera DNA. Rosalie is in a lot of emotional pain, and she's lashing out at everyone, including herself. I was really sad reading about her story and about her past. I like how, in the end, they both kind of help each other heal.

Dragon King by Donna Grant

I loved this take on dragons. I haven't read many books with dragons, but I was really happy with how Grant wrote them. This was my first Dark Kings book, so in a way, I understood Grace and how new she was to this world. I really liked Grace. She's a writer, she travels to Scotland to find her muse, and I really enjoyed reading about that, about her thought process, about her struggles to write a book under a strict timeline. Arian is a great character, and I loved reading about his past. He's really good with words, with explaining the history of dragons, and I found myself kind of lost in that. I know this book is part of a long series, and I am definitely going to check it out, because I need to read more about these dragons. Also, I'm really hoping the King of Kings gets his own story.

Ignite by Rebecca Yarros

River is the kind of guy you just have to love. Everything about him is perfect, from his sense of duty, to his little rituals when getting home from a fire, to his willingness to do the right thing even if it means he doesn't get the girl. He's a nice guy, and I liked him a lot. Avery is a girl who's been through a lot, much more than any person should go through. My heart was breaking while I was reading her story, because she's a good girl that's stuck in a really shitty situation. I respected her a lot, how she took care of her dad and her little sister, but at the same time I wanted to shake her. I was happy with how the story ended for her, but I would have wanted to see her have the courage to do what she did, earlier. I'm hoping there are more books in this series, because I am very curious to see how her life goes on and how her sister grows up.

Fated Identity by Kennedy Layne

The last novella in this bundle was a really powerful one. I kind of felt like watching scenes from NCIS, to be honest. There's a lot of intense scenes in this book, a lot of danger, the pacing is amazing. Brienna and Grady are really great characters, and it was fascinating to read about them. Grady is struggling to adjust to some changes in his relationship with Brienna, when they get the news that she's in danger. And I was really fascinated with how he reacted, and especially with how they were both willing to sacrifice themselves in order to see the mission complete. I also liked how Brienna stated some facts that Grady wasn't really ready to hear, but that he needed to. I am definitely going to check this author out, especially since this particular novella is part of a series.

OVERALL RATING

I was super happy to have received an ARC of this bundle and I absolutely loved it. I cannot wait for more 1001 Dark Nights novellas and bundles to come out, and to discover new authors and new series, as well as read more stories from my favorite authors.

2016 ARC August Wrap-up Post

Hi guys! I can't believe that August is over, and that ARC August has come to an end. I'm also sad, because this means my vacation is also over, but that's another matter. I was super excited to participate in this challenge. When I signed up, I had 27 books on my list. Here's what I managed to read:

That's 11 books out of 27, which is way more than I expected when I made up the list, to be very honest with you. 

I also read 2 books that were not on the list, that were also ARCs:

So I read a total of 13 books in August. I'm super proud of myself, given that I haven't read this many books in one month in a very, very long time. 

Since I still have some ARCs on my hands, as well as some other books I've received for review, I plan on reading (and hopefully finish) them in September. 

How was your ARC August? Did you read the books you planned on reading?