Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Pages: 352

Genre: Contemporary

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Release Date: Jan 7, 2014

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

Being Sloane Jacobs was definitely high on my TBR, especially since Meant to Be managed to get to my Favorites of 2012. And having the covers match? Score!
The premise definitely excited me--a YA version of the Parent Trap? Please! And I have always been one for these contemporaries that have a dramatic flair.

Being Sloane Jacobs didn't disappoint! At first, I felt a bit iffy about it--what are the chances of meeting someone with the exact same name and looks similar to you, has family problems, and ice skates too? But that's the thing about books like this--you can't help but fall in love with them, even with all their improbabilities.

To be honest, I wasn't exactly the biggest fans of these two girls. Sloane Devon seemed to judge to quickly, one of those "Shoot now, ask questions later" kind of people and Sloane Emily seemed a bit cliche in her rich-girl-with-problems situation. And yet, there's something about them that grows on you and makes you love them throughout the story. We get to see them develop as a character, seeing them out of their comfort zone, but still making the best of it. They were so different, dealing with their own problems, their own secrets, but they were still the same--wanting to forget themselves and live another life.

But, to me, the romance is my favorite part. Being Sloane Jacobs wasn't by any means focused on the romance, but really. Who can resist two swoony guys?
While we didn't really get the full story on them, they were still adorably wonderful. We had Matt, Sloane Emily's love interest, who was a player-turned-sweet kind of guy who was surprisingly romantic and unbelievably adorable.
Nando, Sloane Devon's blast from the past, had that mysterious thing going on and it was clear that he had a thing for our tomboy turned girly! He was just as adorable, really, and how he acted around Sloane? Squeals!
My only complaint was that both romances were a bit underdeveloped and that our love interests were lacking and not entirely written well.

But honestly, we can't forget the writing. Morrill's writing style is brilliant and that's pretty much all I have to say about that! For someone who usually dislikes dual POV, I enjoyed how the author split the scenes and how she would perfectly keep us hanging without making the cutoff seem too abrupt.
And oh, the hilarity! I loved the humor in the book and I honestly LOL'd so many times I'm pretty sure my stomach hurt at the end of the day!

Being Sloane Jacobs was a pretty fantastic read that had me falling in love with the characters--and falling out of my chair! Morrill has a way with words that makes you giggle too many times than any human should be allowed to and makes your heart ache. While there were a few things I didn't exactly like, I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a light read that'll cheer you right up!

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Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally

Goodreads Blurb
They’re from two different worlds.
He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.
With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…

Racing Savannah is one of those books that I'm just...not quite sure how I feel about it. I haven't read Catching Jordan or Things I Can't Forget (but I plan to!), but I have read Stealing Parker. And it wasn't my style. So when I started Racing Savannah, I was a bit wary. And, apparently for a good reason.

Honestly, I almost DNF'd (did not finish) it because I just couldn't stand Savannah. Or maybe this just wasn't my type of book. I wasn't the biggest fan of Savannah, honestly. She assumed the most ridiculous things sometimes and she had such a giant prejudice against rich people, although we never really see what fueled it. She was a mostly flat, rather annoying character, and I couldn't really relate to her all that much. Except, perhaps, her passion for what she loved to do. And that was pretty much the only reason I tolerated her throughout the book.

Jack was a pretty cute love interest, but I just wasn't swooning over him as much as I wished. I hated how he kept backing away from Savannah for fear of his father, but what I found interesting was that Mr. Goodwin was actually really nice and seemed to really care about his staff, including Savannah. I just couldn't really see him all that angry if Jack wanted to date Savannah.

The romance did seem pretty rushed though--almost insta-love. Despite Savannah's prejudice, she was almost instantly enamored with Jack and he pretty much crushed on her almost as quickly. Surprising since he was supposed to be leading on a different girl and never had a serious girlfriend. They didn't really understand each other that much, I think.
But it was cute, the stolen moments, the secrecy, the teasing. If Kenneally hadn't rushed it so much, I'm sure I would've loved the romance wholeheartedly!

Since I've only read one other Kenneally book, I'm pretty sure there were a lot of inside jokes I didn't really get. (Hey, I read the teasers of the other books!) We do get to see some old characters and, even though I haven't read the books, it was hilarious to watch them! (And the siblings of two old characters pop up! And oh, one of our couples get married. And another are engaged. Fun, right?)

All in all, I was pretty disappointed, but it wasn't totally bad. Fans of Miranda Kenneally are sure to love it! (And I'll go get started on the other books, yeah?)

Pages: 304

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Series: Hundred Oaks #4

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: Dec 3, 2013

Rating: 3 stars

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Goodreads Blurb

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind. 
Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. 
But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

I was a little bit wary jumping into Crash Into You. Of course I loved Pushing the Limits--I just wasn't the biggest fan of Dare You To. But then I realized I just didn't like it, mainly because I hated Beth for both being bitchy to Echo and hurting Isaiah.

ISAIAH!

I have now decided to start my review with Isaiah. Because he is, quite honestly, my favorite of all the guys in this series. I honestly don't think anyone pulls off that tough-but-secretly-sweet persona as wonderfully as Isaiah because he's just so...absolutely...broken. I've been in love with him since PTL, and after we see him over and over, even more hurt and destroyed than before...it practically killed me. And then I sort of fell in love with him even more throughout this book. How was that even possible?

And Rachel. Rachel! I loved that girl! She made my heart hurt, guys. She tried to be the perfect daughter for her family, she tried to remodel herself after her dead sister for her mom who wants her to be Colleen's replacement, but she was practically smothering herself, trying to be someone who was her opposite. And it hurt that it seemed like everyone in her family just encouraged her to keep a smile on her mom's face, damn the consequences. I can't even imagine how that would feel.
But she was still sweet. And she was strong in a different sort of way. She was perfect for Isaiah and I just loved how they acted around each other.

Yes, the romance was insta lovey. But it worked! Their chemistry was a steady burn that was enchanting and the way they balanced each out was wonderful. Rachel pulled Isaiah from the brink and Isaiah helped Rachel be herself--it was beautiful and their relationship just seemed so heartfelt that I couldn't help but adore.

But the best thing about this book was that it wasn't purely a romance. There was a thrilling feel to it as they raced against a clock to pay back a certain not-so-friendly friend. I didn't really know how it'd play out, but I definitely wasn't expecting the end! (I think I almost died at the end). Also, Katie McGarry is either a genius with cars or she did some hardcore research. Or I'm just an idiot when if comes to cars.

And all our characters are back! Our wily old counselor, Noah, Echo, Beth, Ryan, Logan (and he plays a rather large role too.) all made an appearance and I couldn't help but love it. I may have warmed up to Beth too, which is sort of surprising.
New characters are introduced too though, and I think Abby is my abortive secondary character ever. Do we get a spin off on her too? She's sarcastic and surprisingly kind, despite her tough shell, which I guess isn't surprised since she grew up in an environment possibly worse than Isaiah. But you can't help but love her--pretty much like everything else in the book!

Crash Into You was an enthralling read that I managed to finish in a day! It didn't disappoint and it's definitely my favorite of all the books. So all I can say? Read it. 

Pages: 474

Genre: Contemporary

Series: Pushing the Limits #3

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: Nov 26, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Bruised by Sarah Skilton

Goodreads Blurb

When Imogen, a sixteen-year-old black belt in Tae Kwon Do, freezes during a holdup at a local diner, the gunman is shot and killed by the police, and she blames herself for his death. Before the shooting, she believed that her black belt made her stronger than everyone else -- more responsible, more capable. But now her sense of self has been challenged and she must rebuild her life, a process that includes redefining her relationship with her family and navigating first love with the boy who was at the diner with her during the shootout. With action, romance, and a complex heroine, Bruised introduces a vibrant new voice to the young adult world -- full of dark humor and hard truths.

Oh my GOSH! Abrams publishes some of the best books, EVER.

Bruised definitely surprised me! At first I thought this would mainly be Imogen going through work and school, being comforted by friends, feeling numb, having a steamy romance, but it was so much more to my surprise!

This book, I think, is more about relationships and accepting that no one can change the past. It's about realizing your own strengths and weaknesses, and I don't thin I could describe it any other way! It was definitely a heartfelt novel that tugged at some strings. I didn't cry, but throughout the second half of the book, when things get deeper and darker, the entire time, tears were pushing to get out.

The number one thing about this book are the relationships between Imogen and all these characters. There was Hunter, her mom, her dad, Ricky, Shelly, Hannah, DJ, and so many other secondary characters. I really can't explain it but something about the way that these relationships were...they just managed to get to you! The ones that I felt stood out the most?  Hunter who didn't seem to know why his sister hated him and I did sympathize with him, but Imogen definitely had a reason to be pissed at him; her dad who was trying to do his best, and loved Imogen, who just missed the guy her dad USED to be--before diabetes, before it looked like he gave up; DJ, who left Imogen alone when she needed a friend the most. I can actually relate to this and can definitely say a friend like that? They don't DESERVE to be my friend and I loved Imogen for still fighting to stay strong.

Just wanted to give you a glimpse. :)

Now, the romance aspect of this honestly wasn't important. It was the finding someone who understood that was significant. And I loved Ricky! He was sweet and had his cute flaws (like laughing when he's nervous! Which isn't a flaw, but I still had to mention) and he put up with Imogen. Even when she punched him straight in the face. Ouch. He was honestly the perfect guy for Imogen! Talk about a match made in heaven!
As for Imogen herself, she was definitely one of those lovable flawed characters who still annoyed you sometimes. But hey, my friends annoy me sometimes but I still love em!

Throughout the book, Imogen struggles to not only come to terms that the gunman died, but also that she can't remember anything, and seems to think she and Ricky hid under the tables the entire night.
SPOILER.
That's not what happened.
But Imogen is definitely one of those strong heroines in a totally different way. She's out to prove herself and throughout the book, we see little bits and pieces of what made her her, and why she feels this way. The way that this is written is unbelievable because it somehow helps you connect with the plot more.

Like I said up top, this book gets a lot deeper and sadder in the second part of it. Something just sparks this hopelessness and it makes everything so much more raw. The first half isn't bad, but it doesn't seem as serious as the second half. (But when they say dark humor, they mean dark humor.)

Did any of this ramble make sense? Prrrooobbaaabbllyyy not. But here's the entire thing in short:
Read the book, buy the book. It's incredibly well written and I think everyone should read it, or at least understand what Imogen is going through. It's a hearbreaking book that you will absolutely love!

Also, ABRAMS publishes some of my favorite books.
*Just want to clarify that my love of this and for ABRAMS is not because they sent me free copies of books. They seriously publish good stuff. SPLINTERED and THE STORYTELLER, anyone?*

Pages: 288
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Rating: 4.5--->4 stars