Click to Subscribe L.M. Augustine

Pages: 214
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Indie
Release Date: May 9, 2014

135,789. That’s how many subscribers sixteen-year-old West Ryder has on his web vlog series. But he only has eyes for one of them. As one of the internet’s most prestigious video bloggers, West talks about high school relationships under the name “Sam Green.” As far as he knows, no one from school, not even his best friend, Cat, has seen his videos. But the highlight of the whole thing is Harper Knight, who comments every day at exactly 2:02 in the afternoon. He doesn’t know anything about her aside from the occasional deep philosophical messaging on why pizza tastes so delicious, but as stupid as it sounds, he might be falling for her. So when they finally agree to meet in real life, West’s hope for romance seems more and more in reach. But that all changes as soon as he arrives at their meeting spot and sees Cat walking toward him, wearing the same “I <3 Sam Green” T-shirt Harper promised she'd have on.To his alarm, West realizes he is falling in love with the best friend who has always been a sister to him.

So, after Eileen ranted about this, of course I had to read it. (First of, you must know how I thought that Eileen was just advertising her YouTube thing because she had the words "Click to Subscribe" as her profile pic. What?)

So this was an adorable read that was just so cute! (And sort of highlights how guys can be so stupid when it comes to girls. No offense, guys.) I loved Cat and West's relationship because of how hilarious they were together and how perfect they were! L.M. Augustine did a wonderful job bringing these characters to life and their humor was definitely contagious! They acted so realistically and I loved the awkward moments! Because, honestly, those were sort of hilarious.

Now, I haven't had the best experience with Indie books, but Click to Subscribe was one of the few I really liked! It was a rather short read, but definitely enjoyable! And this book definitely made my eyes wet. Surprisingly, there was a subject that was touched in this book, and it made me want to cry. It was horrible, but I also kind of felt bad for his father. I also hated it when West would push Cat away, just because he was her best friend.

Speaking of, I felt like West was just an idiot when it came to his relationships. Maybe this is because I'm a girl or because I sort of could understand how Cat felt, but I really wanted to slap him sometimes. He kept giving her hope, then pushing her away, giving him hope, then pushing her away. I really wanted to cry for Cat sometimes, but I got why he didn't want to risk it. She was his best friend and if their dating didn't go well...he'd be basically alone. But Cat loved him so much, and I just wanted to shove him and give her a chance. He was in love with Harper--he's already in love with Cat.

Cat was my favorite character. She was fiery and hilarious! She made me laugh and I loved how she was okay to accept not being a couple with the guy she loved per his request. I loved how she said she'd never give up on him, and I loved how sweet she could be! Not to mention she was entirely snarky and I'd love to have her as one of my close friends!

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Secret for a Song by S.K. Falls

Pages: 206

Genre: Contemporary/Psychological

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Createspace

Release Date: May 31, 2013
UPDATE: The book has been bought by a literary agent so it's no longer available. When it re releases though you guys need to get it and read it!

Saylor Grayson makes herself sick. Literally.She ate her first needle when she was seven. Now, at nineteen, she’s been kicked out of college for poisoning herself with laxatives. The shrinks call it Munchausen Syndrome. All Saylor knows is that when she’s ill, her normally distant mother pays attention and the doctors and nurses make her feel special.Then she meets Drew Dean, the leader of a local support group for those with terminal diseases. When he mistakes her for a new member, Saylor knows she should correct him. But she can’t bring herself to, not after she’s welcomed into a new circle of friends. Friends who, like Drew, all have illnesses ready to claim their independence or their lives. For the first time, Saylor finds out what it feels like to be in love, to have friends who genuinely care about her. But secrets have a way of revealing themselves. What will happen when Saylor’s is out?

After seeing this floating around the blogosphere for a while, I caved and asked the author for a review copy. And was it a good idea? Yes.

At first I was a bit wary because I've heard of this type of psychological syndrome before and I've never understood it. I got that people wanted attention sometimes, especially from absent parents, but I could never fathom how people could hurt themselves, make themselves sick, when others who were naturally sick were trying desperately to live their normal life or become better.
So it wasn't really a surprise that I hated Saylor at first. She didn't seem to understand the people around her, and her hurting herself--for attention, no less--irritated me to no ends. She had a sick fascination and all she wanted was attention, bad or not. She wanted to be noticed, and I loathed that, not to mention that she faked a terminal illness just to feel "special".

Saylor also developed as a character throughout the book, but it was so gradual I almost didn't notice. She starts to learn about the people behind the diseases, and how horrible it is, being sick. She starts realizing that maybe there are things more important than attention--much more important. She grew on me, and I honestly didn't realize it until her world fell apart and my heart just started hurting for her.

Falls clearly did a lot of research on not only Munchausen Syndrome, but all the other diseases mentioned, and it definitely seemed like she knew what she was talking about (but I'm no medical professional!) Not only that, she managed to delve into the mind of a teen with Munchausen and create a realistically portrayed character with it. No matter how annoying she was at first.

All the secondary characters were all amazing and I loved each individually, but we have to focus on Drew. He was absolutely sweet and adorable. And it was deja vu all over again with The Fault In Our Stars. Knowing that the YA love interest you're falling in love with has a disease that'll eventually kill him? It's horrible and bittersweet, especially when you feel like you're invested in their romance. The two just seemed to compliment each others' personalities and how they reacted around each other was just too sweet for words.

At the end of this novel, I actually couldn't read the last two pages because tears were rolling down my face and blurring my vision. I'm not even kidding. Secret for a Song is heartbreaking, but hopeful, and it leaves us with an open ending, giving us just a little bit of hope for our characters. Gorgeously written, beautiful, and lyrical, Secret for a Song is one I have to recommend. And will likely shove in your face should you mention standalones or contemporaries.

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Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Goodreads Blurb

Starting over sucks. When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don’t kill him first, that is

So here's what happened: I was browsing through another blog when I came across Obsidian. I wasn't so sure if I should buy it, so I checked out all the reviews I could find and with all the great reviews, I finally bought it. I was wary; usually 3/10 books I buy are absolutely horrible, but thankfully, Obsidian wasn't one of them!

Generally, I don't read sci-fi with aliens. I mean, come on! It'd just ruin sci-fi for me. After all, I never was a space person. But of course, with all the five-stars going around, I had to buy it. I'm so happy I did! I know I've said this for a few other novels, but Obsidian truly is a breath of fresh air. I bet no other author could make aliens sound so alluring like Miss Armentrout did! Usually, like many of us know, aliens just seem nerdy in fantasy books. No edge, danger, or much action. Obsidian was the opposite of all that, and I loved every moment of reading it!

Here's what happens: Katy moves to a tiny town where everyone knows everyone, so of course Katy feels just a tad nervous, Now imagine what happens when she find out that she lives next to sweet and bubbly Dee, but also gorgeous Daemon. Perfect life? She think so too until it turns out that Daemon is the perfect popular stereotype: gorgeous and a jerk. Cliche? Never. Sure, Katy felt attracted, but she truly hated him, something that stands out among all the "love at first sight" thing going on in the fictionworld.

Katy was a perfect heroine, strong and smart, but with her own insecurities. She wasn't a "total loser" like in some books or a "queen bee" either. She was...normal. And you know what else I loved about her? She had her own love of books, her own book blog even! Even memes like Waiting on Wednesday and In My Mailbox were mentioned. It was fun reading about a protagonist who not only readers can relate to, but even more so for bloggers!

I was ensnared within the first chapter and kept flipping through the pages, dying to know what was going to happen. Obsidian was a great read filled with romance, jealousy, danger, and sacrifice. It's honestly one of the most enticing sci-fi novel I've read!

Okay, turns out I actually hate this. Forget what I said before. The paranormal thing just seemed to be thrown in to make it more mainstream and the writing was awkward. The plot went really nowhere and it had way too many similarities to Twilight.

Pages: 299
Series: Lux #1
Genre: Sci-fi/romance
Rating: 2 stars

Embrace by Cherie Colyer

Goodreads Blurb

How far would you go to save the people you love?

Madison is familiar enough with change, and she hates everything about it. Change took her long-term boyfriend away from her. It caused one of her friends to suddenly hate her. It’s responsible for the death of a local along with a host of other mysterious happenings. But when Madison meets a hot new guy, she thinks her luck is about to improve.
Madison is instantly drawn to the handsome and intriguing Isaac Addington. She quickly realizes he’s a guy harboring a secret, but she’s willing to risk the unknown to be with him.
Her world really spins out of control, however, when her best friend becomes delusional, seeing things that aren’t there and desperately trying to escape their evil. When the doctors can’t find the answers, Madison seeks her own.

Nothing can prepare her for what she is about to discover.

 

A Read to Review:

Main character, Madison, hates change. It took people away from her, it made everything worse. But she’s about to find out, that not all change is bad, though it’s always surprising. But when new boy, Isaac comes around, creepy/weird things are starting to happen.

(There may be spoilers ahead. Be warned.) This book has to be one of the best romantic fantasies I’ve read in a while that has classic fantasy in it, excluding the vampires and werewolves that have become so popular nowadays.  It was a fun read that’s perfect for any rainy day! When I received this, I immediately started reading it and finished it within two hours! It’s an amazing story and has twists and turns almost everywhere you look.

It does have its clichés like the new, mysterious boy coming in, but something that is different is that instead of being part of the popular group or being cocky like in other books, Isaac is nice, friendly, and is immediate friends with Madison, although there is that attraction that’s looming above them. And quickly, it turns their friendship into something more. But you can already tell that from the blurb, can’t you? Anyways, the romance isn't a big part of he story which is great. Sometimes, when the everything just circles around the romance, it can get annoying. That's not he case here. there was enough romance to add some more drama, but not enough to make the book seem completely fake.

I have to admi, I fell or some tricks that were played in the story. I pointed fingers at someone who had (almost) nothing to do with what was going on and got a bit turned around again when I did the same thing. So, yeah, this is a pretty good book! Something hat kinda hit me was that Kevin (you'll find out who he is early in the book) doesn't seem like an important chaacter in the first half of the book, but then, all of a sudden he's a giant part of the plot. So, yeah. that's really it!

Pages: 220

Series: Stand-alone

Genre: Romance/Fantasy

Rating: 3 stars

"Kaylee, there's no one there." And even though I couldn't see anyone, I was still freaked out.