This Side of Forever by Juliann Farnsworth

Book Description:

When Michael Devereaux, a biotechnology graduate student at Brigham Young University, suddenly finds himself "accidentally" engaged to his best friend's sister, he is faced with a choice. Should he marry the beautiful and wealthy model, Kirsten Talon, or follow his heart? His choice will lead him on a heart-pounding, life-threatening journey that promises more complications than he bargained for. This book will leave the reader laughing, crying and dying to turn the next page.

Christina's BookReview

RECAP:

Michael Devereaux is a graduate student living a solitude life. When his best friend, Nick Talon, sets him up with his little sister Michael thinks that maybe he can try communicating with women. As the two “date” Michael seems content with the relationship he’s built with Kristen. And then he’s suddenly engaged to her and still he seems to be content with the outcome. But Michael isn’t expecting the turn his life is about to change. That change coming in the form of Nicole Talon.

When Michael meets the third Talon sibling he isn’t prepared for what he discovers. And as he spends time with Nicole and begins to finally realize what a real connection between man and women is his world turns upside down. Now he must make a decision, marry Kristen or let go and find his true love.

MY TAKE:

I have to say that although I like the premise of the story and the outcome I wasn’t excited reading this. It dragged a lot, had a lot of grammatical errors, the characters had no depth and some events were unrealistic. The book was constantly jumping from one character to the other and I found it to be tedious and unnecessary.

The main characters were dedicated to their faith so there was a lot of that going on in the book but it wasn’t overbearing. There were also the secondary characters that didn’t walk in the same steps as the main characters and seeing them go through their journey in some way was nice to read about.

All in all a 2.5/3 Star read because the premise was something new to read and unique. It was a quick read and I wanted to know the outcome so I finished it.

Dress Me In Wildflowers by Trish Milburn

Book Description:

Farrin Taylor is a living rags-to-riches story, but it's not a story she cares to share with anyone. To her, the rags part of her story is in the past and should stay there. When she left Oak Valley, Tennessee, she had no intention of ever going back, of ever being the person she'd been there. She's no longer poor little Farrin with the outdated clothes and nonexistent social life. She remade herself into one of the top designers in New York, specializing in wedding and special occasion gowns for starlets, royalty and those with fat bank accounts.

So when Tammie, her best friend from high school, invites her to their fifteen-year high school reunion, Farrin can't think of anything she'd rather do less. Only when Tammie's mother, who'd been like a second mother to Farrin, encourages her to come back to Oak Valley for a visit does Farrin relent. She intends to be in and out in a day, but that's not exactly how things pan out. The next thing she knows, she's bought a historic inn to keep it from being demolished, learned her high school nemesis didn't have the perfect life she always thought, and her teenage crush has grown up and just might like her back. She also realizes that time and distance are funny things, and that Oak Valley isn't as bad as she remembers. In fact, it and the people there might be the things she's been looking for without realizing it.

Christina's BookReview

“You need to grab happiness whenever you can in life because you never know how much time you have. Make the most of it.”

RECAP:

Farrin grew up to be a completely different version of the girl she used to be. She’s hardworking, work oriented, rich and has avoided her childhood home and the people in it. When Farrin is forced to go back things don’t turn out as bad as she thought. People have grown up along with her and Oak Valley isn’t a scary place anymore. In one weekend her life will change forever.

Childhood friendship is reconnected, old love resurfaces, enemies aren’t enemies anymore, and a town becomes home.

As Farrin begins to become attached to Oak Valley she is faced with tough decisions. Her life is in New York City not in the country. But Oak Valley continues to call her back home. Will she finally be able to let go of the past and finally find a home? Or will Farrin continue to run?

MY TAKE:

The first things that caught my attention with this book was the beautiful cover. The bride running in a field was just exquisite and quickly intrigued me. When I read the synopsis I thought this book would be a quick, light read and I was right with one thing. It was a quick read but light it wasn’t.

Although I initially thought this book would be chuck full of romance it really wasn’t. There was a romance but the focus of the book was forgiveness and the ability to let go of the past.

I understood the dread and sadness in Farrin and why she didn’t want to relive her past. It truly is a “rags to riches” story but one that shows you the difficulty in finally letting go of the past. There are many lessons in this book and that is what made me love it so much. Farrin must learn to forgive the people from her past and to move on and accept that people change as they grow.

I also loved all of the secondary characters in this book.

Dara and Jason were just to freaking adorable. Dara was one smart little girl and you instantly fall in love with her. Faye and Tammie were incredible friends/family to Farrin and I liked that they were her backbone throughout. Drew was as sweet as pie and you instantly adore him and forgive him for his past transgressions.

The person that really pulls at your strings is Janie. Although you instantly want to hate her as much as Farrin, you just can’t. Farrin isn’t the only one that had a transformation. But unlike Farrin thinks, Janie’s life hasn’t always been as picture perfect as she thought.

If you haven’t read this book you are missing out on a cute story or love, forgiveness and yes some romance. The only reason this got 4 stars was because the romance was minor and because I wanted more! It’s a quick read and something to curl up and read, or on the beach, or read during a road trip.

I look forward to reading more from this author. 

Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Book Description:

Freshman Rose Zarelli has rage issues.
  First of all, her father lost his job, took work as a contractor in Iraq...and never came home.
  Second, she likes the wrong guy and his super-intense, scary cheerleader girlfriend is now her nemesis.
  Third, her fashionista best friend, Tracy, is suddenly infinitely cooler than she is—and talking about losing her virginity. (What?!)
  Rose is ahead when it comes to studying for the PSAT, but she’s so far behind socially that she might as well be moving backward. She needs Tracy’s help choosing the right clothes, she likes all the wrong extracurricular activities, and she can’t even make a decision about which photo of her father to put on the memorial website she’s making (and hiding from her adolescent-shrink mother).
  With her brother away at college and her mother always locked in her office with her messed-up teen patients, Rose struggles to get through each day without inflicting bodily harm on anyone.

Christina's BookReview

“Bad things happen whether you're scared or not, so you might as well not bother being scared. It's a waste of time.”

RECAP

Rose Zeller is your normal 14 year old girl starting off her freshmen year in high school. She is frustrated with the high school drama, frustrated with her family, and frustrated with her life in general. Rose Zeller is an angry girl. But she has the right to be. With a mother that’s detached, a brother that is gone for college, a best friend that’s as selfish as they come, the drama of starting high school and the lost of her father, Rose’s life isn’t so perfect. The only beacon of light which isn’t so much is Jamie.

Jamie is the schools bad boy and also dating the insane cheerleader of the high school. Jamie has been Rose’s’ secret crush since he played hockey with her older brother, Peter. But Rose knows that Jamie will never look at her as more than a friend’s little sister. Jamie is a Junior in high school and has his own issues to work out.

When Rose starts to notice that Jamie might want more she is exhilarated. But his hot and cold attitude and his crazy girlfriend isn’t something Rose thinks she can handle. Unfortunately for her, there’s no going back. High school is about to be hell on earth for Rose.

Rose has anger issues and a teenager with anger makes things a lot more complicated.

MY TAKE

(I received this book free on a read to review basis. Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin)

I have to say that I was going into this ready to read about a really angry teenage who throws temper tantrums. I didn’t expect to NOT get it. It just makes sense, “Confessions of an Angry Girl” is the title of this book.

Rose is angry and in her predicament you would understand why. But although she does have a lot of resentment and does lash out at times she’s pretty considerate of people around her. I thought she would be a girl that had no filter and doesn’t care, but she’s conscience of what she says and feels bad. I wanted her to not have a filter and not put up with people’s bullshit. She had a really selfish best friend and was really patient with her when an angry person would have lashed out more. Rose puts up with a lot and surprisingly much more than girls would now and days.

Although I think the book has a romance it really doesn’t take precedent while reading. Jamie is a very standoffish guy and it’s hard to have any thoughts on him when he’s pretty much missing most of the time. If I had one wish for this book, it would have been to have him more involved or to at least feel the connection between the two.

I enjoyed reading this because it was filled with a lot of the normal things that happen now and days. The bullying in high school, the social outcast, lessons on safe sex, and the experience of starting high school. I think this is a great book for younger girls to read and it’s pretty educational about handling the whole sex issue.

I devoured this book in one sitting! I can't wait to read the next book in this series to see what happens next.

ROOM by Emma Donoghue

Book Description:

In many ways, Jack is a typical 5-year-old. He likes to read books, watch TV, and play games with his Ma. But Jack is different in a big way--he has lived his entire life in a single room, sharing the tiny space with only his mother and an unnerving nighttime visitor known as Old Nick. For Jack, Room is the only world he knows, but for Ma, it is a prison in which she has tried to craft a normal life for her son. When their insular world suddenly expands beyond the confines of their four walls, the consequences are piercing and extraordinary. Despite its profoundly disturbing premise, Emma Donoghue's Room is rife with moments of hope and beauty, and the dogged determination to live, even in the most desolate circumstances. A stunning and original novel of survival in captivity, readers who enter Room will leave staggered, as though, like Jack, they are seeing the world for the very first time.

Christina's BookReview

“Stories are a different kind of true.”

RECAP:

Five year old Jack and his Ma have spent the last five years living in ROOM. Jack doesn't know anything other then what his Ma has taught him and what he has learn from TV. To Jack ROOM is the world and there is no OUTSIDE. He spend his days doing different things with Ma and then hides in WARDROBE when Old Nick comes to visit. Old Nick is not very nice but Jack has to be quiet and hide from him.

When Ma makes the choice of finally revealing to Jack that the world is bigger then just ROOM life as Jack knows it changes forever. Ma is shutting down and Old Nick is terrible. Jack must save Ma and she has a plan. Although he is scared he will do it for Ma.

Will Jack and Ma finally be able to get out of ROOM? Or will Jack refuse to leave?

MY TAKE:

This book was written as if being told by Jack so you spend the whole time in his head. And although it was a good concept I found it a little disconcerting when at points he sounded like a five year old and others he sounded like an adult.

Through Jack you learn about the life he and his mother have been living and everything after their escape. It is truly a very sad one and although he doesn't know what's happening you do and automatically feel sorry for the life he's had to be brought up in. The journey Jack takes when he finally is able to see the OUTSIDE is one that you comprehend and expect. Taking a person from the surroundings they were born and raised in and putting them in today's society can be disconcerting to anyone but more for a child. Seeing him adjust to the new people in his life and new environment is amazing.

Throughout the book I found myself wondering what made the author write this book in Jacks perspective and realized that in every book you read you only get the adult perspective. Never the child's perspective and it's what made the book so unique.

I did like the book and the concept of the child’s perspective but I couldn’t get my head wrapped around the writing and behavior of the child and at times the mother. I understand that in order to be able to understand the behavior you would need to know about their sufferings but that’s the case with every book. In this book you just don’t feel the connection just the sympathy of their situation. The mother is at times very rude and selfish when she is trying to be helped and the boy is rude and gets away with it. Even in their situation, a little bit of discipline wouldn’t have been bad.

All in all an Okay read. I would recommend it because it is a different perspective of a crime that is still sadly committed in today's society.