Review: The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash

pub. 6/14/16
find this book on:
goodreads | amazon

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love 

by Sarvenaz Tash

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Series: None 

Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romanace

Rating:

John Hughes meets Comic Con in this hilarious, unabashedly romantic, coming-of-age novel about a teenager who is trying to get his best friend to fall in love with him from the author of Three Day Summer.

Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy...
Archie and Veronica...
Althena and Noth...
...Graham and Roxy?

Graham met his best friend, Roxana, when he moved into her neighborhood eight years ago, and she asked him which Hogwarts house he’d be sorted into. Graham has been in love with her ever since.

But now they’re sixteen, still neighbors, still best friends. And Graham and Roxy share more than ever—moving on from their Harry Potter obsession to a serious love of comic books.

When Graham learns that the creator of their favorite comic, The Chronicles of Althena, is making a rare appearance at this year’s New York Comic Con, he knows he must score tickets. And the event inspires Graham to come up with the perfect plan to tell Roxy how he really feels about her. He’s got three days to woo his best friend at the coolest, kookiest con full of superheroes and supervillains. But no one at a comic book convention is who they appear to be...even Roxy. And Graham is starting to realize fictional love stories are way less complicated than real-life ones.

---

I think I felt my interest begin with the whole "comic-con" event. Of course, I've always wanted to go to comic-con, but wasn't fast enough to snatch those tickets.  My initial interest in The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love, began from the blurb to the cover, but did not continue onto the first page until about 25% into the story. 

I thought that the beginning was boring. Quirky, yes, but boring. I wasn't feeling it that well. At that point all the feeling I could understand were that: I liked Graham, but Roxy? Eh, not so much. I'll be honest and say that Roxy isn't one of my favorite lead female roles in stories. In my opinion, Roxy wasn't really entertaining and I wasn't really feeling a connection between Graham and her. But I really liked Graham, his personality, and his hilarious quirks and comments. 

I couldn't help but giggle a little whenever I read through Graham's inner dialogue. Who knew someone could be so cute and funny and also love all the geeky things that make me happy. 

Sunday Street Team: The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn Nguyen (Review + Giveaway!)

Hey guy! It's Rin here and on this Sunday it's my review for The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn Nguyen! Don't forget to enter in the giveaway at the end of this post! The Sunday Street Team is hosted by Nori @ReadWriteLove28!

I hope you enjoy!

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pub. 6/07/16
find this book on:
goodreads / amazon

The Way to Game the Walk of Shame

by Jenn Nguyen

Publisher: Macmillan/Swoon Reads

Series: None
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Rating:

Taylor Simmons is screwed.

Things were hard enough when her single-minded dedication to her studies earned her the reputation of being an Ice Queen, but after getting drunk at a party and waking up next to bad boy surfer Evan McKinley, the entire school seems intent on tearing Taylor down with mockery and gossip.

Desperate to salvage her reputation, Taylor persuades Evan to pretend they’re in a serious romantic relationship. After all, it’s better to be the girl who tames the wild surfer than just another notch on his surfboard.

---

Five words to describe this book: Fun. Heart-stopping. Funny. Happy. Lovely. 

The Way to Game the Walk of Shame has to be one of the most fun and cute books that I've read so far. It was just so funny, it made me smile, laugh, and crinkle my eyes. 

I fell in love with both Taylor and Evan. Both of them are such great characters with a lovely sense of humor and a chemistry that left me oh so happy and full of giddiness. Their relationship was just a work of art. It's not perfect, but it has all the perfect aspects in it. While I don't usually pick up books with a "contracted relationship" I found myself really enjoying this particular one. 

I found myself connecting well with who Taylor is and finding out that I related a lot with who she is, what she does, and how well she plans her future. I loved her small quirks, her stubbornness, and her bossiness, and everything about her. 

Evan is by all mean the complete opposite of Taylor. Evan is a handsome, girl-loving, funny, carefree guy who changes in the best way because of Taylor and her quest to save her "reputation". 

I loved the journey throughout the book. I loved the transition between both of these characters and how well everything blends together. From the first page where they meet to the start of their contract, to the end. 

Of course, with all romance novels, there will always be that splash of drama. Sometimes that drama is annoying, but in this case, there was the perfect balance of drama to romance. This story was mostly rom-com. There was a small itty bitty case of a love triangle. Though, it wasn't a huge deal. 

This book was truly wonderful and it was a very fun read! I recommend this to all romance lovers, because this book is something that belongs on your to-be-read list! 

Sunday Street Team: Summer of Sloane by Erin L. Schneider (Review + Giveaway!)

Hey Guys! It's Rin here and welcome to this very exciting post! Today we have a spring debut, Summer of Sloane by Erin L. Schneider. I have so much love for this book and I'm so happy to be posting this. Sunday Street Team is hosted by ReadWriteLove28, Nori!

I hope you enjoy! 

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find this book on

goodreads | amazon

Summer of Sloane 

by Erin L. Schneider 

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Series: None

Genres: YA, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: 

Warm Hawaiian sun. Lazy beach days. Flirty texts with her boyfriend back in Seattle.

These are the things seventeen-year-old Sloane McIntyre pictured when she imagined the summer she’d be spending at her mom’s home in Hawaii with her twin brother, Penn. Instead, after learning an unthinkable secret about her boyfriend, Tyler, and best friend, Mick, all she has is a fractured hand and a completely shattered heart.

Once she arrives in Honolulu, though, Sloane hopes that Hawaii might just be the escape she needs. With beach bonfires, old friends, exotic food, and the wonders of a waterproof cast, there’s no reason Sloane shouldn’t enjoy her summer. And when she meets Finn McAllister, the handsome son of a hotel magnate who doesn’t always play by the rules, she knows he’s the perfect distraction from everything that’s so wrong back home.

But it turns out a measly ocean isn’t nearly enough to stop all the emails, texts, and voicemails from her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, desperate to explain away their betrayal. And as her casual connection with Finn grows deeper, Sloane’s carefree summer might not be as easy to find as she’d hoped. Weighing years of history with Mick and Tyler against their deception, and the delicate possibility of new love, Sloane must decide when to forgive, and when to live for herself.

---

"There will be no letting others control how I feel. And there will definitely be no drama. None of that.

Because this time, it's all about me. It's all about the summer of Sloane." (quote)  

Summer of Sloane was by far one of the best books I have ever read and one of my all time favorites. I laughed, I cried, I laughed again, and I smiled.

This book, this beautifully written piece of literature is one of the best things I have ever read in my entire life! This book was filled with such fun, but also raw emotions that were both painful and unforgettable. It was told in the point of view of Sloane McIntyre who just found out that her boyfriend cheated on her with her best friend, who is now pregnant. By this point, she's already on her way to Hawaii when she meets a boy named Finn and learns more about herself throughout the summer.

Sloane's point of view was emotional and while I was basically informationally blind that has anything to do with Mick, I was enjoying living in this brand new world where the chemistry between Sloane and Finn was soooo strong. I loved how I started off with the "big news" and then we get whisked off into this island where Sloane is ignoring her problems and is trying her hardest to (for the moment) forget about everything that just happened to her. I met Finn (*squeals*), I smiled a hell of a lot, and then we get thrown back into reality. I liked how the author wrote this is a way where it's neutral because we're clueless, and then it's happy, and then we get all the sad tornadoes in one full blown hit to the heart and gut.

Review: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

P. S. I Still Love You  
by Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #2
Genres: YA, Romance, Contemporary

find this book on: 
goodreads | amazon

Rating:

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Timesbestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing.

***

“So I take Peter’s hand; I put it on my heart. I tell him, “You have to take good care of this, because it’s yours.” (quote)

I loved this book as much as I loved To all the boys I've loved before. I am in love with this series and I just can't stop fangirling about Peter and Lara Jean. I seriously can't stop, there is no way in stopping me from constantly looking to see if this series is going to become a movie. I literally can't stop thinking of a third book (which I know is unnecessary and it won't happen). I cannot decide whether I liked this book better or the first book. 

I love Peter he is so sweet in this book and he is so cute with her! I simply can't! I love this series so much and I am dying because this series is over. Peter was such a gentleman in this book and he just wanted Lara Jean happy which I loved so much about him. I really did not like it when he just had to hang out with Genevieve because of some "secret" that he couldn't tell Lara Jean. 

Lara Jean was really cute in this book and I could always visualize her in my mind. I always saw her as a vintage girl who really liked antique and unique things. I thought that she was always really cute with Peter since he seemed like a good looking guy. 

John Ambrose McClaren was so irritating! I don't know if it's just me, but I thought that he was annoying and I didn't like him at all. I favored Peter throughout the whole thing because Peter is just so cute and adorable and he is the perfect match for Lara Jean!

All in all, I LOVE this book and duo-logy (is that what we're calling it now?) so much because I'm gonna say it, this is the best romance duo-logy I have ever read so far!

Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All the Boys I've Loved Before 
by Jenny Han 
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young readers
Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1
Genres: YA, Romance, Contemporary

find this book on:
goodreads | amazon

Rating:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

---

"Not a good-bye letter. "

"Just a plain old love letter. " (quote)

I absolutely loved this book times infinity! I read and read this book within days and every time I opened this book to read I would start smiling because I LOVE CLICHE BOOKS! Judge all you want, but this is such a fascinating book I enjoyed it so much and would recommend it to anyone who loves cliche romance stories. I really liked all of the characters to be honest, but of course I hated the antagonist (Genevieve). 

I always loved Peter because c'mon he's Peter. Lara Jean and him were such a cute couple and I just couldn't! The way that the author described all the characters was amazing! I loved the style of every character and I was just in love and interested in this book the entire time. 

The ending was BAE! OMG I loved the ending because it was just so darn adorable! I love Peter and I still do because he is so polite and cute! I had some parts in the book where I thought he was being pretty unfair to Lara Jean, but he made it up in the cutest way possible!

Peter may be stupid, but it doesn't mean he isn't a good person he is just those people who try to hard when they are already fine. 

(I am literally obsessed with this book rn and I am looking to see if this book is going to become a movie because I will watch it so many times! If it is I am so curious who the cast will be!)

Blog Tour: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro (Review + Giveaway!)

Hello Guys! It's Rin Here and welcome to my tour stop on A Study in Charlotte (by Brittany Cavallaro) Blog Tour. Make sure to enter the giveaway at the end of this post to win 1 of 10 finished copies of A Study in Charlotte! For more information about this tour, visit the tour page right here. This tour is hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club. Hope you enjoy!

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A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes #1) 
by Brittany Cavallaro
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Series: Charlotte Holmes #1
Genres: YA, Mystery, Contemporary, Retelling, Fiction, Romance, Thriller

goodreads | amazon

Rating:

The last thing sixteen-year-old Jamie Watson–writer and great-great-grandson of the John Watson–wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s enigmatic, fiercely independent great-great-granddaughter, who’s inherited not just his genius but also his vices, volatile temperament, and expertly hidden vulnerability. Charlotte has been the object of his fascination for as long as he can remember–but from the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else.

Then a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Holmes stories, and Jamie and Charlotte become the prime suspects. Convinced they’re being framed, they must race against the police to conduct their own investigation. As danger mounts, it becomes clear that nowhere is safe and the only people they can trust are each other.

Equal parts tender, thrilling, and hilarious, A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy brimming with wit and edge-of-the-seat suspense.

"Just this morning, she'd chased me from her lab, wielding her violin like a weapon. Tomorrow night we might be sharing a cell. Tonight? Tonight, I was getting punch."

I had a lot of fun with this book. I had a few good laughs and never-ending smiles as I read on about these two. A Study in Charlotte is a retelling of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson as their descendants Charlotte Holmes and Jamie Watson  try to solve a murder that they are being framed for. 

Both Holmes (Charlotte) and Watson (Jamie) are both great characters. I couldn't help, but love their skills at solving crimes and how great they both are at doing it--though not perfect. 

Charlotte is a very complex character with so many personality traits. James had already caught my attention from the first page. Together, they are a fantastic crime solving duo as thick as thieves. In this book, we get these two unique characters who will definitely bite back with twice the intensity.  

This plot had an edge to it that I really liked. It had wonderful concepts, a bit of fluff and a bit of aghast here and there. Some parts really hit a spot in my heart. The pacing wasn't too slow and moments did speed up more than others. 

Charlotte's drug usage was very emphasized. It was everywhere. She had problems and as I got deeper into the book, I liked that I actually got to know her more and that she wan't just a hardcore drug user who looks a bit goth and is very antisocial. She had personality. 

I am rating this book a total of 4 stars out of 5 stars, because the plot was well thought through and mysterious, the characters were snarky, and the writing flowed well creating a wonderful debut.

Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

Emmy & Oliver
by Robin Benway
publisher: HarperTeen
pages: 352
genre: Young Adult | Romance | Contemporary 
published on: June 23, 2015

find on: Goodreads / Amazon
rating: 4 out of 5

Emmy’s best friend, Oliver, reappears after being kidnapped by his father ten years ago. Emmy hopes to pick up their relationship right where it left off. Are they destined to be together? Or has fate irreparably driven them apart?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life.

She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents’ relentless worrying. But Emmy’s parents can’t seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared. 

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart.

He’d thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing and his thoughts swirling. 

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy’s soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together? 

Readers who love Sarah Dessen will tear through these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver’s father’s crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.

This book was honestly a tear in my heart. And although, it wasn't as emotional for me as it could be seen in the synopsis, I still enjoyed reading about their story and what the had to go through to get to where they were meant to be. 

I thought that the beginning was adorable and the writing style was very pleasing. *whispers* And so was the choice was names. 

The story of these two friends lovers was one that was great. A story you would like to hear on a bad day to make yourself feel happy again. I was not stunned to my seat or thrown into a river of heartache, but it was something that I liked reading. 

Oliver was kidnapped by his father when he was little and returns back home to his family and to Emily who has been waiting for his return. 

I loved the flashbacks that were fit into the story perfectly. I loved how subtle yet so important they all meant to the growth of Emmy and Oliver. I didn't have any problems with caring or connecting emotionally and mentally with the characters. I was comfortable with the pace of the overall books/romance. 

I loved the characters and the way they were first introduced into the story. Each and every personality had it's own place to fit in and bring the whole story together just like puzzle pieces would. 

Emmy & Oliver was fluid, lovely, and overall special in it's own way. I did feel at times that there could have been "more" to the story (see even I don't even know what I'm saying right now), a spark that for me, was just not there. BUT I am giving this book all the love it deserves.

tell me: have you read this book? what did you think about it?

Waiting On Wednesday [ 14 ]

[ It's Rin Here ]
-

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme created and hosted by Breaking the Spine.

title: Take the Fall

author: Emily Hainsworth 

publisher: Balzer + Bray

pages: 368

genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Thriller | Mystery, issue: Murder 

expected publication date: 16 February 2016

more: Goodreads  

WHO KILLED GRETCHEN MEYER? 

Fear grips the residents of Hidden Falls the night Sonia Feldman and her best friend, Gretchen Meyer, are attacked in the woods. Sonia was lucky to escape with her life, but Gretchen’s body is discovered at the bottom of a waterfall. Beautiful, popular, and seemingly untouchable, Gretchen can’t be gone. Even as Sonia struggles with guilt and confusion over having survived, the whole town is looking to her for information…could she have seen something that will lead the police to the killer? 

At the top of the list of suspects is Gretchen’s ex-boyfriend—and Sonia’s longtime enemy—Marcus Perez. So when Marcus comes to Sonia for help clearing his name, she agrees, hoping to find evidence the police need to prove he’s the killer. But as Gretchen’s many secrets emerge and the suspects add up, Sonia feels less sure of Marcus’s involvement, and more afraid for herself. Could Marcus, the artist, the screwup, the boy she might be falling for have attacked her? Killed her best friend? And if it wasn’t him in the woods that night…who could it have been?

I'm ready to put my detective hat on and try to solve this murder with the book. I'm hoping that I'll learn a few things and be shocked a few times. Who is it? Because I want to know for sure. Everything is interesting, everything is and might be worthy of my love. The cover is beautiful and would look perfect on my shelf (pssst, can you hear me book? Yeah, I'm talking to you!).

 Thoughts? Share and Comment Down Below! 

 Tell Me: Are you going to wait for this too? 

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Review: I Am Her Revenge by Meredith Moore

[ It's Rin Here! ]
follow on: bloglovin' | twitter | tumblr | goodreads

~ - ~

title: I Am Her Revenge 

author: Meredith Moore

publisher: Razorbill

genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Mystery | Thriller | Romance 

publication date: 7 April 2015

more: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

She can be anyone you want her to be. 
Vivian was raised with one purpose in life: to exact revenge on behalf of her mother. Manipulative and cruel, Mother has deprived Vivian not only of a childhood, but of an original identity. With an endless arsenal of enticing personalities at her disposal, Vivian is a veritable weapon of deception. 

And she can destroy anyone. 
When it’s time to strike, she enrolls in a boarding school on the English moors, where she will zero in on her target: sweet and innocent Ben, the son of the man who broke Mother’s heart twenty years ago. 

Anyone… except for the woman who created her. 
With every secret she uncovers, Vivian comes one step closer to learning who she really is. But the more she learns about herself, the more dangerous this cat and mouse game becomes. Because Mother will stop at nothing to make sure the truth dies with her.

I thought long and hard about this book. It was against the points that yes, I very much indeed enjoyed this. I enjoyed it a lot. I thought about the characters, the plot, the overall story, and I finally decided that logic put aside I LOVE THIS BOOK. I read for diversity, not for the same story with the same build, but for new unique reads that cross my path from time to time. 

In my perspective, I saw Vivian as a doll. She is controlled and manipulated to look, see, and think about the world in a different view. Reading from a point of view of someone who is clearly manipulated and molded into something that she may be not was interesting. I saw her point of view on everything she did and just how messed up in the head her "mother" really is. Though, "messed up" is taken to another level in this one. I love how Vivian can change herself in a way where she can get what she wants. And what she wants is what she is going to get. She is a built machine with different personalities and different mindsets. In my not-so-eloquent words, she was a total badass. 

Vivian. Good and bad? How does it feel like to read characters who are villains, but love it? I'm not always the "hero" type of person as I do love evil and darkness equally as much as I love light. After her mother got her heart broken, she sends her daughter to avenge her (or do her dirty work). I was actually very impressed, given the fact that her plan was SO PERFECT (Credit to the author for such an amazing job)! Who has such a well planned out plan that actually works out the way they were expecting it to? It was such a spot on plan that wasn't predictable or overused. 

I Am Her Revenge is a mind game and a mind mystery. There were times when I thought I knew exactly what was happening, but later on felt as if I was clueless after actually finding out the truth. It played with my mind a bit. I saw love and I saw growth, but (without spoiling anything) who knows? All the feelings that it made me feel may be part of the game. You know those small little details that actually play a big part in the whole idea? Yeah. 

The writing style was wonderful to read. It was an atmosphere where I could sit for hours on end and read this book. If you've been around for a while, you would know that I don't really connect that well with contemporary. But, this book passed my expectations. 

Maybe it was the heartbreak? The sadness? All of it combined that left me in this place where there is a possibility that it would be hard to find another book that was so different from the other books that I normally read that I will never forget about it. Plus, the name choices were very new (beautiful names make me very happy). 

Then I say, "THIS IS SO GOOD, GO GET IT NOW!"

Am I crazy? Naw. 

rating

 Thoughts? Share and Comment Down Below! 

Doodle Review: Two Emotions Regarding My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzptrick

[ It's Al Here!]

title: My Life Next Door
author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
publisher: Dial Books for Younger Readers
genre: Romance | Contemporary

more: Goodreads

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A transporting debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.

Excited. I was so excited and thrilled to find out what was going to happen next because it was so interesting and romantic. I loved how they met each other and how they knew that they were meant to be! I thought that was so romantic and cute because not everyone can get true love because not everyone has true love so I really enjoyed reading this book.

Irritated. I did not like how Samantha’s mother just couldn’t accept the Garretts and to me that was irritating, because she should support her daughter’s choice and I was really irritated at her for the whole book. I know parents always want to protect their children but I think that her mother should really just respect her decision because she is old enough to make her life decisions.

 Thoughts? Share and Comment Down Below!