How To Be Brave - E. Katherine Kottaras

Title: How To Be Brave

Author: E. Katherine Kottaras

Rating: 3.5 - 4/5

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before the official release date.

Reeling from her mother's death, Georgia has a choice: become lost in her own pain, or enjoy life right now, while she still can. She decides to start really living for the first time and makes a list of fifteen ways to be brave - all the things she's wanted to do but never had the courage to try. As she begins doing the things she's always been afraid to do - including pursuing her secret crush, she discovers that life doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes friendships fall apart and love breaks your heart. But once in a while, the right person shows up just when you need them most - and you learn that you're stronger and braver than you ever imagined.

Oh you lovely young adult books, mixed with a bit of poetry and phrases that will make you think about life - I missed you so much!

These days, I prefer new adult books over young adult books, but from time to time, I try to pick up a light young adult read, just to remember what this carefree reading feels like. That's the reason I requested How To Be Brave in the first place and also because I thought it would be a good read, making me feel different feelings all at once. I wasn't disappointed.

Georgia isn't one of the skinny girls, she's a curvy one. That is so refreshing from all these books about young girls who find themselves ugly, but are yet super skinny and beautiful in reality. Georgia has her flaws and she knows that. Her mother had flaws, too, capturing her thoughts of perfection of a body in her paintings. That is until she becomes very sick and eventually dies. Ever since that day, Georgia feels lonely and kind of invisible to her father, as well.

There's a letter that her mother left her, telling her to try things out, to be brave and do the things she never did. After that, Georgia and her friend decide to set up a list with things to do. While reading that part, you may think this book is just like all the others about a dying parent and the daughter or son creating a list of things to do before the die themselves. But please give How To Be Brave a chance, because it's different. I promise you it's different.

One day, the two of them skip school and go to the zoo. They meet another girls there, who's much more of a rebel than the two friends. However, one point of their list is to get high and Evelyn, the girl from the zoo, is the perfect match for that, getting high herself almost every day. The scenes about the three girls getting high are great! Especially the museum scene. I liked the flashbacks Georgia had there.

Another point on the list is asking Georgia's crush Daniel out and kiss him. Georgia decides to be a little braver and asks him out before Thanksgiving, but Daniel, although he is such a sweetheart, has got problems on his own. His father is getting sick, about the same as Georgia's mother had been. With him being focused elsewhere it seems like Georgia will never set a "done" mark behind these two special points.

And then there is the question about college and her life in general, and her financial situation at home and the strength of friendship and all that. I'm only mentioning these things so fast, because I don't want to give too much away. Do I?! I hope not.

Sometimes, I'm in the mood for a book that makes you think and sets your brain into action and sometimes I don't. Some young adult reads can be pretty heavy as well, mentally I mean. I picked How To be Brave up when I felt like reading something heavy, though the book isn't too heavy. It deals with death and friendship and losing friends, sure, but there is never a scene that made me want to quit reading.

I have to admit that I couldn't always relate to Georgia's actions, especially about her gentle heart, being so forgiving to people. But that's the great thing about different minds, I guess. I enjoyed reading about her crush on Daniel and her passion for painting things, just like her mother. It's always nice to see someone reconnected with their dead parents in a certain way and I am overwhelmed by the power of E. Katherine Kottaras for creating such a wonderful read. Thank you so much for the sugar in my tea, so to say. How To Be Brave was a special read for me and I will definitely recommend it to some of my friends, hoping they'll read it.

His Work of Art - Shannyn Schroeder

Title: His Work of Art
Author: Shannyn Schroeder
Rating: 3 - 3.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before the official release date.

Reese Carter is definitely not your average college girl. She'd prefer to spend Saturday nights playing Hero's Crusade than attending a wild frat party on campus. When she bands together with Adam, fellow comic enthusiast and illustrator, it appears that Reese has formed a dream team sure to propel her writing into the comic hall of fame.

Adam Hayes has never met a girl like Reese. She's sassy, smart, and loves talking comics, although he can't see why she'd choose DC over Marvel. He's thrilled to finally put his artistic chops to use in their upcoming comic project. But. this relationship is strictly professional. Or so he tells himself. When the two combine forces, they churn out magic in more ways than they had planned; they never expected to develop a steamy romantic sub-plot of their own…

Forget about hot cops or those typical bad boys you read about in almost every book out there. Nerds are the new black. Haha, that statement is kind of funny if you've read His Work of Art because the main charcter Adam is indeed black. I think nerds in books are underrated, but I probably say this as I am kind of a nerdy girl, having a crush on Spiderman for example. I'm not talking about these "I'm a nerd and no girl will ever want me" guys, because those are a chilché. What I mean are boys like Adam, who know what they want but are also into comics, drawings and other nerdy stuff. We need more of those in books please!

Adam's mom owns a comic shop. He regularly works there. Reese is one of the costumers and offers him another job one day - she needs his help for a comic she's written. She needs him to paint the drawings. After a short thinking pause he agrees to work with her, which also includes meeting her friends, playing games and inviting her to a New Year's Eve party. But along the way to finishing her comics, both of their feelings get in the way and make it hard for them to draw a line.

So, His Work of Art isn't a long novel, it's pretty short and cut to the basic line. That was totally fine with me. I don't like books that pick up unimportant topics. Everything written in this book is needed for the story. Anyway, I would have liked to read more about Reese's family background. We know about her mother and her father, but how did she handle the situation? Did it make her the person she is today? Same with Adam, we sure know what issue is, but first he wants Reese, then he doesn't because of his dad and then his mom says a couple of words and it's all forgotton. Alright, I'm not being fair. Adam admits he won't be able to forget the things, so I should just believe him.

You know, I think Shannyn Schroeder has a way to grab your attention. And as an aspiring author (or as someone who tries to be) this book is really good on advice. Reese puts so much of herself into her comics and even the main character is probably a copy version of her own reflection, it's scary. Not in a bad way, just in an understandable way.

I loved the chemistry between the two and loved reading their story. I enjoyed His Work of Art really much and now that I know that there are other books about nerds by this author, I will have to add them to my list. Thanks for writing this really great story. Oh, and Marvel beats DC any day, haha.

No Regrets - Kate L. Mary

Title: No Regrets
Author: Kate L. Mary
Rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before the official release date.

When they were kids, Cami promised her best friend, Julie, not to let life pass her by. But on Cami's 18th birthday, life hit her head-on, and a devastating car crash left Julie in a coma. Cami blames herself. She should have been focused on the people who mattered most to her, not the hot guy from out of town...
Now a college freshman, Cami comes face-to-face with Liam, the handsome British boy who had captured all of her attention on that fateful evening. She tries to avoid him by dating other guys, but the heat between them makes him impossible to ignore. Can Cami admit to her feelings or will she back out on her promise to Julie by letting her future slip through her fingers?

Where to begin?! Uhm... This is kinda difficult for me and I have no clue why. Let me start by saying that I enjoyed the book, though I couldn't stand the main character Cami. Her best friend has been declared as brain dead after an accident. She blames herself and her best friend's mother does as well, which doesn't make the whole thing any easier on Cami. I could relate to that part of Cami - the weak side, the part written to make us see she's just a human and not some heartless girl.

Heartless girl... Yeah, that's what I thought the second I started reading this book. I could not stand Cami. She seemed to be a selfish college student, some party girl that I wasn't interested in finding out about. Luckily, Ryan and Annie appeared soon and I was rescued by these wonderful characters. Seriously, I loved them so much, I probably would have had a much harder time with this book, if they hadn't been included.

Ryan is Cami's cousin and Annie is her roommate at college, a shy girl. The relationship between Cami and her cousin is more like a brother-sister-relationship. I liked their conversations very much. When Annie first appears in No Regrets, you get a real good view of her and Cami as well, let me tell you. Her way of describing her roommate... Well, it's what had me believing she's selfish and not a good friend. To be it seemed like she wanted Annie to turn into a second Julie and I felt so sorry for Annie for not knowing about it. She didn't seem like a friend and turned Annie into her private experiment.

I totally understood the pain Cami had to have felt and I think the letters she wrote to her former best friend and also the thoughts she had were really well-written. I would have liked to read more about Cami's way of trying to cope with it, not just trying to keep the promise she and Julie made when they were younger.

And then there is Liam. No new adult book without a hot guy, and it's a plus if he's British, yummy. Seriously, what is it with us girls and British guys?! No need to mention that I liked him, it's obvious. He, no matter how much he tried to be a bad guy, was the one who made us see a different side of Cami, the caring and loving one.

So, I really liked No Regrets and the scenes, the conversations. My review might give you a different picture, but that's not true, otherwise I wouldn't have rated it the way I did. Next thing I'll do is search for a book about Ryan or Annie, though I fear there isn't one, but I know that one would be one of my very favourites, so I still hope for one. I didn't like Cami, I'm sorry. I can repeat that a million times, but it won't change a thing. Maybe it's because I know I wouldn't be able to be friends with a girl like her in real life either and I wonder how Annie and she got along so well.

I recommend this book if you're looking for a book about loss and friendship without having to grab for a tissue too many times and focus on the good things in life, still. I'm sorry (again, I say that far too many times, I guess haha) if this review isn't what you expected and a little thin on informations.

This Book Will Change Your Life - Amanda Weaver

Title: This Book Will Change Your Life

Author: Amanda Weaver

Rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before the official release date. Thank you so, so much!

College was supposed to be where Hannah’s hard work paid off, but the major in honors chemistry she’s been working towards since childhood is slipping away. Worse, she’s not sure she wants it anymore. Salvation comes from an unlikely place—a used bookstore and Ben, the passionate college senior who works there.

Ben’s trapped in a life mapped out for him. Trapped in a future career as a lawyer to make his father happy. Trapped pursuing a girl he doesn't even like because she fits into a world he doesn’t want, but can’t escape. But then he meets Hannah. And for the first time, he knows what it means to truly want something.

So he gives in to being her friend. Then to wanting her. Then to kissing her. And within the freedom of his impulsivity, both of their carefully planned lives begin to fall apart...

This is what I wrote Amanda Weaver right after I finished this book: "Has This Book Will Change Your Life by @aweaverwrites changed my life?! Definitely! One of my favorite reads this year." It was just so good. I can't wait to get a real copy of this book and find a special place for it on my bookshelf.

I think this is only the second time I read about a main character working in a book shop (I want my own bookstore, thanks to Amanda Weaver now). It's so underrated in books. Authors should create characters like Ben more often. And like Hannah. I fell in love with the two of them right from the start.

Hannah's a chemistry major and got a low score for her first test in the semester. Totally upset with herself, she goes into a second-hand bookstore, having absolutely no idea what to pick up. She's never read a book just for fun, only for school. Good thing a boy called Ben works in the bookstore. Being a total book nerd, he helps Hannah find a book (The Book Thief, he decides after a couple of tries), saying it will change her life.

While Hannah likes Ben right away, thinking he's really cute, Ben notices Hannah's beauty, but is interested in someone else. He likes the barista from the coffee shop across the street, who walks into the bookstore sometimes to talk to him and to bring him a coffee. He's madly in love with her, has been for a year, and still hopes he'll soon get his chance with her. He thinks of Hannah as beautiful as well, which makes it harder to resist her. He finds himself thinking about her more often than he should. And then there is also his father, who forces Ben to go to law-school after finishing college. Ben knows his father would never agree to date someone who isn't a law student and a couple of years younger than him. His real dream is to teach in the future.

Hannah's almost got the same problem. She finds herself questioning her choice of major, but feels guilty for thinking about a different one, since she wants to be the one to cure the sickness her mother died from a few years ago. Will Ben and Hannah be brave enough to admit what they both want?!

Everything in This Book Will Change Your Life is about passion and dreams. The book is unlike from anything I've read so far, which makes it really special to me. I don't know what it is about the story, but I loved it so much. I wish I could rewind the time and read it again for the very first time. Okay, I'll admit that I liked the beginning better than the rest of the book. But that is probably because my eyes hurt after a while and my mood wasn't the best then either. That doesn't mean I disliked the book at any chapter or any line. I did not! I truly loved it all.

The characters were so real and what I especially liked was that the scenes weren't too long. You know, sometimes author happen to write scenes that are too long and don't feel right anymore, like a phone call or something. Amanda Weaver did no such thing. Everything was perfectly timed, developed just the way I like it.

Seriously, I'm still out of words - a week after I finished This Book Will Change Your Life. It's by far one of my favorite reads ever, simply because the characters are so sweet. There wasn't a single character that I disliked. Ben's father was horrible, alright, but I even liked Ben's first love interest. She wasn't my favorite character, but I was able to deal with her.

Ben's the new ultimate book boyfriend for me and I think even boys should read this book, because a) they can learn a thing or two from Ben and b) Hannah can be their ultimate book girlfriend. She's such a lovely character. Young and sweet on one hand and carefree and naughty on the other.

Maybe this is too much (hello fangirl mode!), but I feel like I have to say this: This book needs to be translated into all the languages in the world, made into a beautiful movie with talented actors. Overall, it needs to be heard. Or read, whatever. I hope this book will receive all the popularity it deserves!

Deviation - M.C. Cerny

Title: Deviation

Author: M.C. Cerny

Rating: 3/5

Thanks to NetGalley and M.C. Cerny for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.

Deviation: an action, behavior, or condition that is different from what is usual or expected; an act or instance of deviating; a noticeable or marked departure from accepted norms of behavior.

Edith Willows has escaped the drugs, abuse, and poverty of her early years, but the scars remain. She is imperfect and damaged. Eager to complete her college degree and leave the past behind, Edith doesn’t anticipate the return of a forbidden crush, threatening to destroy her carefully crafted peace…

Jack Hamilton has the perfect life…a woman who fulfills his needs, a successful business, and an adjunct position at his former school. However, a past indiscretion has haunted him for years and, now, the beautiful dark-haired girl he had no business getting involved with sits just rows away from his podium, all grown-up…

When I requested this book for a digital review copy, I completely forgot that I had already written the sample in the book collection called Hot For Teacher, which I really liked. I opened my eReader and re-read the sample, because I didn't know the sample was the beginning of the actual novel. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to catch up otherwise, but the first few chapters of Deviation are exactly the same as the whole sample of it in Hot For Teacher, so let me tell you - no need to worry. Just keep on reading.

I'm a sucker for student/teacher romances and I have no clue why, but I happen to really enjoy reading about them. However, I read some novels concerning this certain topic that couldn't interest me. Reading Deviation I wasn't quite sure whether to like or to hate it. I mean, I really liked the relationship and the author had me at the first few phrases, but...

The thing is that though Edith and Jack's relationship grew stronger along the pages, I was sick of Edith at the middle of the book, so pretty fast actually. The incident you'll read about (if you decide to read the book) felt like a hole-filler to me. Is that the right word in English?! No idea. Anyway, I could deal with the incident, it wasn't that bad, but then it seemed like she would never recover from that and to me that wasn't real. Nothing really happened anyway, so why was she so upset and hurt? I just didn't understand. Just to clarify, her character was well-written and I could feel what she was feeling to that time, but I just didn't understand her in the least.

When you come to that incident part, you'll already know how the story ends. You'll want to continue reading though, because the story isn't bad-written or totally made up and unrelateable. I'm always scared my reviews will seem like that's my point of view whenever I say a negative thing or two, yet that's not the case at all.

Edith's friends were okay, I guess. I can never seem to like the friends of the main characters. Jack was the character I liked best in this book. Big surprise there, haha. So not! He is just lovely and the way he treats Edith is just so sweet. You can't not like him. Is he book boyfriend material? He sure is. At the beginning he was so conflicted about his attraction to Edith and then love conquered and it was so good to read his point of view. I would have gone mad if Deviation was written from Edith's point of view only.

To put it in a nutshell (this is the first time I ever use that term), I liked the book. I liked the relationship, the way this book was written and the way it made me feel. There was love, angst and just all the emotions you can possibly think of. I'm glad the author managed to capture it all so well.

If you are a fan of student/teacher romances like me, you'll have to read this book. There is no way you can ignore this book. It will eventually cross your path and you'll pick it up.

Stupid Love (Stupid in Love #03) - Cindy Miles

Title: Stupid Love (Stupid in Love #03)

Author: Cindy Miles

Rating: 3/5

Thanks to NetGalley and TKA Distribution for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before the official release date.

Memory: Casualties.
That’s how I refer to the guys who’ve had the bad fortune to fall for me. They only see long legs that they wish were wrapped around them, a cat-like smile, and the reckless abandon to take on any wild dare. It’s all a game to me. Show me a bridge, and I’ll leap over the side. Give me a car, and I’ll race it. Give me a heart, and I’ll break it. I always win. I even showed Death who was boss a long time ago.

Or so I thought.

Now, time is running out, and I’m losing fast…and big. I met someone. Jace Beaumont. He’s smart, and good, and I dream about spending days exploring the summit of his perfect lips. But, I’m a grenade. I know I should leave him be. I can’t.

Jace: Study, class, work, repeat. That’s all I have time for. At twenty-five years old, I have a bit more mileage on me than the average college freshman. But, that’s what happens when you spend your youth drinking, partying, and bagging girls like it’s a full-time job. Now, I have goals. There’s just one kink in my plans. Her name is Memory. She’s every guy’s dream girl. She’s intoxicating. She’s trouble. I want to stay away. I can’t.

What is it with Cindy Miles' latest books? I absolutely loved Stupid Girl, the first in this series. It's one of my all-time favourites. When I read Stupid Boy I was disappointed (ooops... I think there is still a review I was supposed to write, haha) and now that I've read Stupid Love I must admit it's better than the previous book in the series, but not as good as the first one.

This book is about Memory and Olivia Beaumont's (main character of book number one) brother Jace. Their "I like you more than just a casual hook up"-relationship begins after Jace's job leads him to Melody. He once was someone who liked to sleep around and as he meets Melody, he knows she is trouble.

Melody is still that type of girl - someone who likes casual hook ups, and she thinks Jace can be one of them. As they spend more and more time together, getting to know each other, their minds change and both want something more. But Melody is keeping a secret from Jace, one that can change everything.

When she was younger, she was diagnosed with cancer and now it is back, a tumor growing inside her brain. Instead of thinking about ways to cure it, chemo, surgery, etc. she is determinded to finsh school before deciding on anything that might cure her or kill her. What I liked was her use of words: "I don't want to be a vegetable." I was close to crying, but laughed as well. One of her fears was to be like a vegetable after the surgery. She wanted to live, not to be a burden to her father or her boyfriend.

I liked the mention of certain bands, making Melody and Jace appear nerdy. That was really cute. Jace himself was just the cutest boy, seriously. As someone who doesn't live in the USA, I was also glad some of the words Melody used were explained. Her way of speaking, also Jasper's way of speaking was mysterious to me sometimes, haha. I don't get all these Southern sayings and words. Unfortunately, I still have no idea what Melody's culture background is. I think I'll have to google it. What was it? French Acadian or something?

Most books, even the new adult books, are about shy girls with a low confidence in themselves. That's probably the reason why I was so scared reading about Melody. She wasn't that type of girl and I had to get used to the fact at first. It made it difficult for me to relate to her or understand the thoughts behind her actions and stuff. But that isn't the author's fault, it's mine.

I'm thankful Cindy Miles didn't focus on the cancer so much, espescially in the beginning. It would have scared the readers away, I think. They first had to get the chance to understand Melody and her intentions just as well as Jace's. By the end, the cancer theme might have seemed a bit rushed, but I think it was okay.

A thing that had me bothered were the conversations with Melody's friends. Until the middle of the book, there were just too many of them, and too many that didn't even make any sense to me, like they weren't necessary for the story. Anyway, it was important for her to have friends, I guess, so I'll let it be.

If you've read the other two books in the series, I recommend you read this one as well. You can't do wrong here. I don't even want to say it was bad, because that would be a lie, but as already mentioned, it wasn't as good as the first one. I didn't even recognize the same style or anything, which makes me kind of sad. But I still prefered Stupid Love over Stupid Boy, so I'm glad I didn't give up on the series after that one.

Deal Breakers (Dealing with Love #01) - Laura Lee

Title: Deal Breakers (Dealing with Love #01)

Author: Laura Lee

Rating: 3 - 3.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley and LAN Fiction LLC for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before the official release date.

Devyn has life all mapped out. She just needs to accomplish one more thing before graduating college and becoming a full-fledged adult—lose her virginity. And who better to assist her than her best friend, Riley?

Riley is the self-proclaimed king of fling. His college years have been filled with meaningless hookups until the one night that ruined him for all other women. The one night he spends with his best friend, Devyn. Right before he screws it all up.

Balls to the wall, baby!

Now five years later, Riley is determined to atone for his mistakes and prove that he can be the man that Devyn deserves. Little does he know that Devyn’s been keeping a secret from him all these years. A big secret. Now he has to figure out how to win back the only girl he’s ever loved while navigating the pitfalls of her unexpected revelation.

I seem to rate so many books with this 3 - 3.5 rating, it's crazy. But decisions aren't my best friends, if that helps explaining it. And most of the time, it's just that a simple three seems so low, I don't want the author to think I hated her/his book.

Normally, I'm not into books that describe the charcters' pasts and the present, meaning the then and now. Sure, I use these terms, too, but the thing is... I haven't read a lot of good books, using that style. However, I had no problem reading Deal Breakers. More like the opposite - I enjoyed this book so much.

In the beginning, you find out about Riley's crush on Devyn and how they meet. It reminded me of one of my favourite shows Greek, so I was hooked right from the start. Then you read about the developement of their relationship, which is always a friends-only thing. Until right before their college graduation. Devyn and Riley make a deal - Devyn loses her virginity to Riley in order to finally turn in her V-card and they'll both move on - no strings attached. Cliché? Probably, but so enjoyable!

The then part ends at a critical point that will leave you stunned (but not surprised, to be honest) and the now part catches up five years later. Riley and Devyn both grew up, learned lessons about life. What I forgot to mention is that they lost touch right after their deal. Riley moved to Boston and Devyn's life got a bit more complicated than that.

Weird coincidences and circumstances have them meeting each other again and that's when everything turns upside down. Riley finds out about a secret Devyn has kept from everyone. She's also with Jackson now, her current boyfriend. That's not what Riley had hoped when he first got to find out about Devyn's presence. One thing is for sure: Their paths will always be connected by a crossroad from now on.

Does that give too much away? I don't think so. Gah, I really liked this book and I didn't think I would, which makes this so much more exciting to me. Deal Breakers isn't a novel that's too long. You'll find yourself reading it without realizing how far you get by the end of your reading time. It's just so easy to follow and understand the characters, their intentions and their motives. The conversations didn't feel forced and though there are a lot of conversations, I didn't feel overwhelmed by them. They fit perfectly into the scenes.

Though I'm not that interested in Brody and Rainey's story, I think I'll read it. But I am very excited for Drew (Devyn's brother) and Charlotte's story, having no idea who Charlotte is yet. I recommend Deal Breakers to anyone who is looking for a light read about boy-girl-friendship through college and wants to know what happens after ways part.