Tag: Book Review

Book Review: Throw Like a Girl by Sarah Henning

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Sarah Henning
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: July 20th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Friday Night Lights meets Morgan Matson’s The Unexpected Everything in this contemporary debut where swoonworthy romance meets underdog sports story.

When softball star Liv Rodinsky throws one ill-advised punch during the most important game of the year, she loses her scholarship to her fancy private school, her boyfriend, and her teammates all in one fell swoop. With no other options, Liv is forced to transfer to the nearest public school, Northland, where she’ll have to convince its coach she deserves a spot on the softball team, all while facing both her ex and the teammates of the girl she punched… Every. Single. Day.

Enter Grey, the injured star quarterback with amazing hair and a foolproof plan: if Liv joins the football team as his temporary replacement, he’ll make sure she gets a spot on the softball team in the spring. But it will take more than just a flawless spiral for Liv to find acceptance in Northland’s halls, and behind that charismatic smile, Grey may not be so perfect after all.

With lovable characters and a charming quarterback love interest, Throw Like a Girl will have readers swooning from the very first page.

SUPER CUTE SPORTS ROMANCE.

Okay, read this in a day (via audio, great narrator!!). Really enjoyed. Highly recommend.

I could probably leave it at that, but I’ll go in a little bit deeper.

I loved these characters. Everyone felt like they actually belonged in high school, but that it wasn’t rudely dramatic. Liv (and others) learned to apologize and accept mistakes and consequences. New friendships formed and the girl vs. girl hate was tamped down to appropriate levels. I just love that this team felt real, and Liv’s family felt real. Fantastic characters who really sold my love for this book.

The rooooomance was one you wanted to root for. Grey and Liv hit it off with a bit of banter and a whole lot of swoon. There was a natural flow to their story and the sweet kisses gave me all the heart eyes. I love the support Grey gave Liv and the trust they showed in each other. All around a wonderful YA love story.

You never know how a sport is going to come off in a book. For the football aspects, I thought this did a great job. I don’t remember glaring inaccuracies that took me out of the plot. And it never overshadowed either. Those final scenes with Liv on that field were those magical movie sports moments you love to see. I found myself cheering alongside everyone else.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: recount of drunk driving accident (only involving the driver, no one else harmed), sports injuries (bruises, concussions, etc.), homophobic remarks, school expulsion, parent with cancer

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Book Review: Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

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Rating: ☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 359 pages
Author: Siobhan Vivian
Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 24th, 2018
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A summer read about first love, feminism, and ice cream.

Summer in Sand Lake isn’t complete without a trip to Meade Creamery—the local ice cream stand founded in 1944 by Molly Meade who started making ice cream to cheer up her lovesick girlfriends while all the boys were away at war. Since then, the stand has been owned and managed exclusively by local girls, who inevitably become the best of friends. Seventeen-year-old Amelia and her best friend Cate have worked at the stand every summer for the past three years, and Amelia is “Head Girl” at the stand this summer. When Molly passes away before Amelia even has her first day in charge, Amelia isn’t sure that the stand can go on. That is, until Molly’s grandnephew Grady arrives and asks Amelia to stay on to help continue the business…but Grady’s got some changes in mind…

NOT SWEET ENOUGH.

Meh.

That’s how this book made me feel. What seemed like a cute young adult rom-com really never reached that whatsoever. Amelia focused SO MUCH on her best friend Cate that I honestly started thinking that this book must be about her. I was tired of hearing about Cate because I wanted to see some development in Amelia. She had no backbone and whined the entire book about not being good enough. Wow did that get old.

I did think the romance was mostly sweet. If it had been a larger part of the story I think it would have helped the books overall case. Also, this book made me want to make ice cream. So those are the redeeming qualities I found.

Going back and forth in the timeline to a different character didn’t mesh well either. I felt taken out of the book each time it flipped to Molly’s perspective. Yes, it was integral to the story but only at a forced angle. Only the last few pieces added to Amelia’s world and finally made her get it together.

Very underwhelmed by this.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult contemporary / romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses/make-outs
  • Violence: mentions of war and missing soldiers (WW2)

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: September 2021

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Kept busy with September. It went a lot better than August!

Favorite Reads: These Hollow Vows, Beasts of the Frozen Sun, Love Lists, and Fancy Ships, With You Forever, and The Love Hypothesis

Least Favorite Reads: The Last Legacy and The Star-Touched Queen

  • Throw Like A Girl by Sarah Henning
  • These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows #1) by Lexi Ryan
  • [Novella] Elevator Pitch by Jennifer Griffith
  • Beasts of the Frozen Sun (Frozen Sun Saga #1) by Jill Criswell
  • [ARC] The Keeper of the Night (The Keeper of the Night #1) by Kylie Lee Baker
  • The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle
  • Made in Korea by Sarah Suk
  • Crystal Caged (Air Awakens: Vortex Chronicles #5) by Elise Kova
  • Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
  • Battle Royal (Palace Insiders #1) by Lucy Parker
  • [Novella] Dawnshard (The Stormlight Archives #3.5) by Brandon Sanderson
  • Illusionary (Hollow Crown #2) by Zoraida Cordova
  • Losing Hope (Hopeless #2) by Colleen Hoover
  • [ARC] Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
  • Kingdom of Ice and Bone (Frozen Sun Saga #2) by Jill Criswell
  • The Last Legacy by Adrienne Young
  • With You Forever (Bergman Brothers #4) by Chloe Liese
  • The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
  • Defy the Night (Defy the Night #1) by Brigid Kemmerer
  • The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen #1) by Roshani Chokshi
  • Small Favors by Erin A. Craig
  • The Widow and the Highlander (Tales from the Highlands #1) by Martha Keyes
  • The High King’s Tomb (Green Rider #3) by Kristen Britain
  • [ARC] Starling by Isabel Strychacz
  • [ARC] Steelstriker (Skyhunter #2) by Marie Lu
  • Maid of Dishonor by Gracie Ruth Mitchell
  • The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
  • The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games #2) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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Book Review: Dating Makes Perfect by Pintip Dunn

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Pintip Dunn
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: August 18th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The Tech sisters don’t date in high school. Not because they’re not asked. Not because they’re not interested. Not even because no one can pronounce their long, Thai last name—hence the shortened, awkward moniker. But simply because they’re not allowed.

Until now.

In a move that other Asian American girls know all too well, six months after the older Tech twins got to college, their parents asked, “Why aren’t you engaged yet?” The sisters retaliated by vowing that they won’t marry for ten (maybe even twenty!) years, not until they’ve had lots of the dating practice that they didn’t get in high school.

In a shocking war on the status quo, her parents now insist that their youngest daughter, Orrawin (aka “Winnie”), must practice fake dating in high school. Under their watchful eyes, of course—and organized based on their favorite rom-coms. ’Cause that won’t end in disaster.

The first candidate? The son of their longtime friends, Mat Songsomboon—arrogant, infuriating, and way too good-looking. Winnie’s known him since they were toddlers throwing sticky rice balls at each other. And her parents love him.

If only he weren’t her sworn enemy.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED.

Ohhhhh my goodness, this was precious. If you’re a YA contemporary romance fan, add this to your TBR stat. It was reminiscent of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and I was smitten with this childhood friends to lovers story.

The audio was great and really brought these characters to life. I loved getting to know Winnie’s family. It’s always refreshing to me when I get to read about sibling and parent dynamics in a book. They were heavily present and really showed off the cultural aspects and coming of age for Winnie.

Faking dating trope alert! Bless Winnie’s Mom for including this because Mat and Winnie were definitely endgame. I thought having all of the dates be recreations of pop culture romances were laugh out loud inducing. I’m sure people thought I was the weird one smiling out on my jogs while I listened to this. It really is a can’t help but smile book.

The ending came together so beautifully well. Winnie came through in owning who she wanted to date and how she wanted to go forward. Her parents were accepting and loving of her decision (and her sister’s). All around heartfelt and wonderful.

Overall audience notes:

  • Young adult contemporary romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: kisses/make-outs

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