Review: Attachments

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lincoln is a 29-year-old man who lives with his mother, plays dungeons and dragons on the weekend, is crippling awkward, and is unable to recover from his breakup with his high-school "sweetheart" 9 years later. For being a nerd, an awkward one at that, he is quite handsome and seems to be a quiet and respectable individual. Lincoln O'Neill works the night shift as an internet cop, which only adds to his awkwardness. His job consists of flagging emails that are not on topic for the jobs of the individuals. Lincoln's boring job compels him to amuse himself by reading the emails between two friends, Beth and Jennifer.

Without ever actually meeting Jennifer or Beth, Lincoln seems to know them better than he knows others his sees in person. He knows of their relationship mishaps, their comedic emails, and every aspect of their personal lives.

"Lincoln couldn't explain, even to himself, why she mattered to him. She and Jennifer were both funny, both caring, both smart as whips. But Beth's whip always caught him by the ankle..."

Fast forward a few months to mid-2000, Lincoln yearns for a change- he moves out of his mother's place to rent a place of his own, and finally meets Beth in person...

"There are moments when you can't believe something wonderful is happening. And there are moments when your entire consciousness is filled with knowing absolutely that something wonderful is happening. Lincoln felt like he'd dunked his head into a sink full of Pop Rocks and turned on the water..."

I rated this book 4 stars because I didn't feel fulfilled by the ending of the book. The book started off a bit slow, but I am glad I read it because it is a Chick Lit by a male's perspective and provides insight that interested me. I do love the dynamic between Lincoln and Beth, and I am happy that they got together at the end!!

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Review: Cold Day in the Sun

Cold Day in the Sun by Sara Biren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Holland Delviss wants to be known for her talent as just a hockey player, not as a girl hockey player on the boys' high school varsity team. She continually has to work hard to prove herself worthy of being on the team. To keep her spot on the team she sets 2 rules for herself: practice harder than anyone else on the team, and no dating anyone on the team (no matter who it is). Wes "Hot Sauce" Millard is the bossy team co-captain of the hockey team, and although they argue and bicker at each other till their wit's end, Holland seems to be noticing Wes more, as does Wes her.

"...the strangest thing happens as we switch spots. As I lower myself onto my rightful seat, he puts his hand on my back to steady me, pressing his strong fingers against me, warm and confident. I feel the heat through my Hanson jersey, a zing that courses all the way down to my toes"

When the boy's varsity team is selected for Hockeyfest, a televised statewide event, Holland becomes the lead story. Not everyone is thrilled with Holland's new fame, but there is one person who fiercely supports her, and its the last person she least expects- witty and bossy Wes. Wes keeps on surprising Holland with all of his charm and similarities. Wes shares her passion for 1980's glam metal, and touch is strangely electric to Holland.

"I'm about to say something snarky when Hot Sauce slides his arm around my waist, his fingers pressing lightly into the space just above my hip bone. I suck in a breath at the sudden warmth of his touch..."

With the cameras set to roll with Holland's interview for Hockeyfest, Holland is dangerously close to breaking her rule of dating a team player, but when she expresses her rule to Wes, their relationship experiences a stumble in the road.

"This. You and me. Being friends or whatever we are, I like you, Dutch. A lot. The time we spend together- it's the best part of any day. I like being with you as much as I like playing hockey. And playing hockey with you- it doesn't get any better than that"

The Hockeyfest pushes Holland to her limits and shows her how much her dedication and passion have led her to her achievements and spot on the boy's varsity team. The ending of this novel is so poignant and heartfelt and their dynamic made me smile A LOT. Anyone will enjoy this wonderful summer read!

"Life is kind of like one big search for meaning. We look for answers and try to make sense of the world around us. You need a decent soundtrack for all that s***"

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Review: The Opposite of Innocent

The Opposite of Innocent by Sonya Sones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My only request for those who read this book is to NOT read a summary or the inside cover of this book because it will take away from the suspense of the book. This novel is written in prose and the characterization of creative and innocent Lily reflects the writing style insurmountably. The topic of this novel is one that is written frequently, but Sones's take on the issue provides a new insight and depth of emotion that no other author has achieved. This book is simply magnificent and I will highly recommend to any reader of any age to learn from and enjoy the heartwrenching story.


When you say you haven't read The Opposite of Innocent yet...

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Review: Hearts Made for Breaking

Hearts Made for Breaking by Jen Klein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lark Dayton strings along any boy that comes her way, and is the queen of breakups. When she ends things with a boy, there are never any hard feelings, because she deliberately says something for the guy to have doubts about their relationship. Lark does not want to hurt anyone, nor does she want to hurt herself over a boy. Her best friends, Cooper and Katie, though, dare her to have a bad breakup with someone that actually matters- meaning she has to have feelings for a guy and then she would be able to break up with him directly.

"I'm determined to make it happen. After all, Ardy might not be like the boys I usually date, but... I don't know how to say this... there was something about the way he almost smiled at me. That tiny tension around the corners of his mouth did something to me, To my insides. It's like I got tense, too. But in a good way..."

Lark chooses "undateable" Ardy Tate, a mysterious challenge that transferred to her high school for his senior year. He has a bad reputation when it comes to breakups, and soon Lark is drawn to him like she has never been with any other boy. Ardy is different from any guy she's ever dated, for this is the first guy who does not seem interested in Lark like her ex-boyfriends were.

"But with Ardy, I'm oddly shy, maybe because I feel more like myself. Like who I really am, way down deep. The girl who someday could have the courage to use her voice to express real opinions... Ardy makes me want to be that girl right now..."

Ardy first just wants to get to know Lark and take everything slow (contrary to Lark's usual relationships). Ardy takes her on a spontaneous trip to Lark's utter surprise, and by the end of the night, she finally gets her first kiss with Ardy. Cooper and Katie have heard rumors of Ardy's previous relationships, which sparks Lark's curiosity. Will her curiosity completely break their relationship? Or will it allow Lark to uncover the truth about herself and Ardy?

I really enjoyed this book, and it is a perfect short summer read! I love the characters and their relationships, and the dynamic of Ardy and Lark. I love how the end of the book ties in with the beginning and I am anticipating reading another of Jen Klein's novels!

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Review: Since We Last Spoke

Since We Last Spoke by Brenda Rufener
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"My sister Kate told me love was glue, a strong adhesive holding people together. She swore it worked as a protective layer of bulletproof glass, something shatter-free... But if unprotected, love will shatter, too."

It took Aggi Frank 17 years to fall in love with Max Granger, and when they finally admitted feelings for each other, the unthinkable happened. A fatal car accident involving both of their older siblings turns their lives upside down. And with a restraining order in place between the two families, Aggie and Max's seemingly endless love runs cold. Even though they share the same driveway, simply just talking to one another seems like a distant fantasy.

"[Aggi is] every time period of art mixed into one masterpiece. Sharp edges in one spot, rounded corner in another. Eyes I can't figure out..."

Both Max and Aggi cannot rid of the guilt they feel from their older siblings taking their last breaths as they were on the roof of the college science building, their bodies intertwined for the first time. Their guilt is insurmountable, as they are unable to help each other over this tremendous loss. But Aggie and Max eventually reunite at a lake-house party, but as they begin to rebuild their relationship, Aggie's little sister Grace flees from home after their father spirals into a fit of rage.

"When you want someone so bad every inch of your body aches, you'll stop at nothing to get them. You'll dive into freezing lake water, shovel already-shoveled snow, sit on the porch and watch for a shadow in the window, long for a wave..."

"My heart wants her. My brain wants her. Every cell in my goddamn body wants Aggi, and it's time for me to bulldoze through my fears and tell her exactly how I feel."

With the support of friends, Max and Aggie must confront each other and their families in the hopes to rekindle the beautiful love they share for one another. It takes grief and longing to finally reunite Aggie and Max, as well as their families. This book is an uplifting novel of teen love in the face of grief, and the beauty that it creates. This novel is a perfect read for anyone, I believe, because it is not a cliché romance novel- it is a story of how two people can come together again in the face of grief.

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Review: The Rescue

The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For as long as the town of Edenton has remembered, Taylor McAden is driven to take terrifying and heroic risks to save lives. But the one thing he cannot bring himself to make; he cannot fall in love. Whenever he is in a serious relationship, he inevitably leaves them as soon as they dream of a future with him. A record-breaking storm hits a small town, and Taylor comes across Denise Holton, a single mother trying to find her missing son after a car accident. As a volunteer at the local fire department, Taylor finds Kyle within hours, and from that point on, they seem to have a connection. At almost 5 years old, Kyle suffers from a delayed speech disorder and so many people ignore him and do not interact with him like they do with other children. Taylor is different, however, and sees Kyle as an ordinary cute 5-year-old boy.

"Taylor couldn't help but watch her. The lovely, almost mysterious face accented by high cheekbones and exotic eyes, long dark hair...a shapely figure... Taylor..wonder[ed] how he could have overlooked her beauty that night..."

As Taylor spends more and more time with Denise and Kyle, he realizes how adoring and caring and beautiful Denise is as a woman and a mother. Taylor is different from other men that Denise had known. The way Taylor looks at Denise is so romantic and endearing, and Denise cannot help but fall for Taylor too. Denise also realizes how patient and caring is to both herself and her son Kyle.

"His face was tan and lean... his waist was narrow, and his shoulders were heavily muscled... his arms looked as if he'd pounded thousands of nails..."

Taylor continues to battle with his demons from childhood, and he is left at a standstill when it comes to Denise. He truly and deeply wants to have a future with Denise, but is unable to express his desires, as his dark experiences hold him back. Taylor has a lot of guilt from his experiences and is not open to share his past with Denise. Once he acknowledges, though, that his hesitancy is tearing their relationship apart, he overcomes his past and decides to live a life where he can be content- and that life includes Denise and Kyle.

Fortunately, the Sparks novel has a happy ending, but that does not mean I did not cry... The characters in this novel have so much love and devotion for one another, it is hard not to fall with them. The storyline of this book is based on real events, which also adds a sense of realness to the novel and characters. This book is a must read!!

"She knew intuitively the meaning of Taylor's touch, the words he'd left unspoken. Not because she'd come to know him o well. She knew because she'd fallen in love with him at exactly the same time"



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Review: Lovely War

Lovely War by Julie Berry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This masterpiece of a book braids together two love stories set in WWI and the inseparable bonds that war can create on two passionate couples. Hazel Windicott, a pianist, and James, a builder-turned-soldier, are acquainted at a London dance in 1917, on the eve of James's departure to the trenches. Hazel is not fully aware of the glances James is throwing her way as she is immersed in playing the piano. But Aphrodite cannot help but give James a nudge to ask her to dance. This single dance sets in motion the beginning of their unacquitted love for one another...

"Hazel kept on playing, but she had seen straight through those brown eyes and into the depths behind them, and felt something of the thrill of being seen, truly seen..."

'She was so, so pretty. At first it was the music, and then her eyes, and her hair, but now he saw how entirely adorable she was..."

Aubrey, a Harlem ragtime musician, and Colette, a Belgian singer scarred by German atrocities, meet at a YMCA relief hut in Saint-Nazaire, France. Aubrey is a member of the Army Band of the National Guard 15th New York Infantry Regiment when Colette is first introduced to him. Colette has been scarred by the war, as her entire family and her Stephané were brutally killed by the German forces. Meeting Aubrey is a breath of fresh air for Colette, but she is not sure if she is ready to leave her guilt and past behind for a new lease on life for herself and Aubrey.

"She kissed him. Not a thank-you kiss. A kiss that said, there's more where that came from."

War, though, takes a toll on James & Hazel, as well as Colette & Aubrey. War is neither an easy nor lovely thing to endure, but the love experienced in this novel is something I have yet to read about, much less alone experience myself. The idea of the Greek gods retelling such a story is a bit awkward at first, but the insights that are accompanied with the story truly add to the love between the characters. This story of war and love is poignant and touching, as their love is inseparable, even when the worst happens as a result of the war. War can tear families and communities apart, but it can also bring scarred people together, in which they form unbreakable bonds. This novel tears your heart, but mends it up again- it is a MUST READ!

"If you think I can live without you, Miss Windicott... you don't know me at all..."


(me waiting for another novel as touching and heartfelt as this one...)

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Review: Safe Haven

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When you do not have any family to turn to and you think you are in this world alone, you have to muster the strength to continue thriving. A mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small town of Southport, and her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Katie is a beautiful yet self-effacing persona, she appears to remain focused on her job and nothing else, avoiding personal relationships at any costs. A series of events, however, tie her to her cheery neighbor, Jo, and another with Alex, a widowed store owner to two children. Katie begins to lower her guard and grows increasingly attached to Alex and his family. But Katie does not love him, nor will she ever, is her mindset...

Even as Katie begins to fall in love with both Alex and his children, she struggles with her dark secret that initially brought her to Southport (I will not spoil it). With Jo's support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose a life of safety or one that will make her content and feel loved. She comes to the conclusion that love is the only safe haven.

"It was suddenly easy for her to imagine that her fears were pointless. That he would love her no matter what she told him, and that he was the kind of man who loved her already and would love her forever..."

This novel by Nicholas Sparks has so many plot twists and emotional and heartfelt events that you can't help but feel like you are there with Katie and Alex. I love the dynamic of the characters and how much Alex was willing to give just to be with Katie, while also dealing with a loss of his own. Katie seems to be the missing piece in Alex's life, and once they were together, there is no separating them. What I also really enjoyed about this novel is that event though lex's wife had passed, she still plays a great role in Alex's and Katie's relationship. Even if you are hesitant about reading Nicholas Sparks book (which you shouldn't be), this novel is nothing like his other works!

“I’m in love with you. If you stay, I promise, there’s no safer place in the world than right here with me.”


Cheers to a beautful book!


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