Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

"Everything about Jessie is wrong. At least, that’s what it feels like during her first week at her new ultra-intimidating prep school in Los Angeles. Just when she’s thinking about hightailing it back to Chicago—the closest place she has to something like home—she gets an email from a person calling themselves Somebody/Nobody (SN for short), offering to help her navigate the wilds of Wood Valley High School. Is it an elaborate hoax? Or can she rely on SN for some much-needed help?" -Goodreads synopsis 

"Perfect days are for people with small, realizable dreams. or maybe for all of us, they just happen in retrospect; they're only now perfect because they contain something irrevocably and irretrievably lost."

I'm finding this review hard to write... That typically happens when I'm so angry at a book that I can't even see straight. This isn't the problem I'm facing with TMTT. I liked it so much that there is so many things I want to say. I've truly never faced this issue before with a contemporary book before. It's my least favorite genre to read. Not including John Green books, I don't think I've ever been excited to finish a contemp book before this... I really thought about it too and nothing comes to mind.

I'm going to do this review a little different and stick with the common theme that TMTT and I'm going to tell you the three things that made me love this book.

1) The "Dear Reader" note. It really isn't often I read these. This time I figured why the heck not. So glad I did. Julie explains why this book means so much to her, and why it was this book was so easy and so hard for her to write. She talks about the loss of her mother and how it really changed her whole life. This personally meant so much to me because I too lost my mother way before her time. What really hit home for me is when she quotes her main character Jessie. "She will never see who I grow up to be-that great mystery of who I am and who I am meant to be-finally asked and answered". This hit way to close to home. It's such a selfish/non-selfish reason to think this, but it is so very true. It took me years to realize that my mother wouldn't be there for events and that's when everything really hits you.

2) Jessie. She is an outstanding lead. She is the perfect combination of raw real human emotion and comical teenage girl. She gives the right emotions at the right time and talks to her age. She is beyond relatable and will completely pull you into her story. When Jess struggles, loves, gets lost you feel like you're right there with her. The funny dialog she manages to keep up through out this story is just great. Julie also hit the nail right on the head with how teenage girls think. Jessie's life has so many typical YA tropes in it that it could have easily taken this down a mundane path that would have ultimately lead to me having the same issues that I do with others. However Julie makes the typical something new and fresh. Jessie is a breath of fresh air along with all the other side characters.

3) The mystery. When you read the synopsis of the book you figure out right away that there is basically a "who done it" style plot. Jessie starts receiving emails from an anonymous sender going by the username Somebody/Nobody (SN). This style would normally annoy the crap out of me. I've read plenty of books that have done this and almost 100% of the time I find myself skipping ahead, not caring about the story, getting bored, just not caring, and sneaking to find out the answer. With TMTT this wasn't at all the case. I was so interested in the story and going through things with Jessie that I didn't want to find out until the last possible second. The mystery as you can tell is all about who is SN. You, like Jessie, will go back and forth about who you think it will be. I will say that I had a pretty good idea about who it might have been, but I often found myself second guessing. Second guessing made reading this book so much fun. Warning: Julie will leave you guessing until the last second. The only thing I will suggest is that you keep maybe a little scrap piece of paper to write down the names of the guys in this book. Once all the key players were introduced once or twice I had to stop and remind myself who was who and who had what traits. When I jotted it down I was right back on track. Also kind of made me feel like I was playing a game of clue or something.

Tell Me Three Things will without a doubt be my favorite contemporary all year. So thankful to have gotten an early copy of this, and am excited for others to get to read it too. This book has so much heart, so much fun to read, and left me with a huge giddy grin on my face.

10/10 Stars 
-Angela  

Broken Skies by Theresa Kay

"Thirty years ago, civilization collapsed. Few survived.
Ten years ago, the aliens arrived…and stayed.
One year ago, I killed two men and went a little crazy.
Today, the aliens took my brother and I will do anything to get him back." 

Until recently, the E’rikon have remained segregated in their city and ignored the few humans who have tried to engage them, that was until now... They have taken Jax’s brother. After the aliens have taken him she finds that she wasn't the only one left behind. One of the aliens was also left.  Coming to some sort of an agreement, they decide to work together to get her into the alien's city. That seems like it would be the hardest part of their journey... it's not. In this world where alien and human are at odds, the connection forming between the two could have major consequences. What started off as a rescue mission sets a chain of events in motion which threatens everyone one earth. 

We were fortunate to be asked by Theresa Kay to give this book a try in exchange for an honest review. Below we are going to post both of our views on Broken Skies. 

Angela's Review

All I knew about Broken Skies was that it was being compared to The Lux Series a lot... If you know anything at all about me you know that The Lux Series is my favorite series. And yeah it is very comparable, but too me it was more like The Lux Series, The Dustlands Trilogy, Taken, Alienated, and The 5th Wave had some kind of crazy sex party and during which a baby was formed and that baby turned out to be Broken Skies. Yeah it's that insane. On top of all of that I am a known Alien obsessed freak so I have very high standards when it comes to alien books... All that being said... I LOVED THIS BOOK! I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.

Starting off with the characters. Jax is this fiery strong willed sassy redhead that you will love. Her loyalty and determination are absolutely amazing. Her character growth is off the charts! She is strong; yet weak at the beginning, but by the ends transforms into the leading lady that you wanted and you'll be standing behind. Her attitude is much like mine aka very sarcastic, and made it very easy for me to connect with her. Lir... OH LIR... I loved him. The second he appeared and was described I knew I was in love. Normally it's the characters I have to worry about falling in insta-love, nope this time it was me. whoosh, SWOON. Even when I hated  him I loved him. The relationship between the two is what really makes this story, and I have no complaints about that. Their relationship is an emotional roller-coaster that I want to ride on another 50 times. They don't have insta-love just insta-like and it was to cute for words. I like how their relationship builds, what it becomes, and how it is left at the end. At one point when they are in the Alien city and things happen with Lir (can't say what because spoils) that I seriously screamed....

It's just so good. The sub characters like her twin brother Jace, her family friend Flint, and Lir's cousin Rym were all strong and well rounded. I especially liked Rym. Pretty sure if some kind of side story or novella was written from his point of view I would eat that junk right up. The next thing I loved about Broken Skies was the world building. It wasn't anything over the top. It was just enough to get it's point across and then left it so you could fill in the rest yourself, and I loved that. Their journey never feels forced or rushed, another plus side too this story. With strong characters, and a strong story you think that is all I would really have to say about this book but its not... My favorite thing about Broken Skies is that Theresa has given us something new to the alien genre!!! AND THANK YOU!!! She gave us a new spin on what aliens look like. Their hair color was brillz, their eyes amaze, but the fact that they have these scales on their backs leading into their hair line was something that I thought at first hear was going to be odd... NO LOVED IT!!!!! Never thought a man with scales could sound sexy, but I loved being wrong about that.... And I know I've said this before as well but I don't care Imma say it again... I DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE IF ALIENS DO COME HUMANS AND ALIENS COULDN'T BE TOGETHER!!!!! I seriously love them that much. And who are we kidding I know we all hope aliens come and that they look like Lir, Daemon Black, and Evan Walker. BEAM ME UP HOTTIES!!!! AM I RIGHT?!?!

The plot is fast paced and constant, leaving you with a "never a dull moment" feeling. The story starts small and just keeps building up and up until the ending leaves you breathless. No it didn't per say leave on a cliffhanger but just about as close as you can get too one. Action packed, no emotion left un-felt, and super suspenseful... Too me the ending was left at the perfect moment.

 I can not wait to read book two in this series, and hope that Theresa will bless us with more chances to read her work... Theresa Kay was born to write. She might be an "under known" author right now, but I have no doubt that that will end soon. 

10/10 Stars 
-Angela

Leah's Review

I'm not as big of an alien fanatic as Angela, but I do love some romantic action packed alien stories. When Theresa contacted us and described this as a post-apocalyptic scifi novel that is like Lux.... Well, SOLD.

I was sucked into the book as soon as I started reading. You find out early on that Jax is pretty damaged as far as emotions and people skills go. Something really awful happened to her which pretty much changed her life and now she relies on her brother to keep her together. Once her bro is taken away by some aliens, she kicks it into high gear and sets out to find him. Problem is that one of the aliens got left behind and is now with her. He also just happens to be a super handsome, sarcastic, and charming alien named Lir (seriously, who knew a dude with a line of scales on his back could be hot... don't knock it until you read it!!).  The thing that I love about Jax is that she knows she is broken. She knows that what happened to her really screwed her up, but it doesn't stop her at any point in the book from being a complete BA. She reminds me of Katniss from The Hunger Games where she channels her hurt and pain into doing what she has to do for her loved ones. I think she is a killer leading lady.

The majority of the book follows Lir and Jax on their misadventures through the woods trying to make it back to the alien city where Jax's brother is supposedly being kept. A lot of stuff happens along the way that brings them together... then apart... then together... You get the picture. Basically they spend two weeks together hiking through the woods and almost dying several times and accidentally fall in love with each other. They have to learn to depend on each other and trust each other, but EVERY TIME things seem to be going good for them, something else happens. It was so frustrating!! It was also sort of awesome at the same time because there isn't a whole lot of insta-love going on and you have to stay on your toes to keep up with all the action. But when it happens, BAM YOU LOVE IT. Oh, and I just love Lir. I love how he could be Daemon Black's handsome witty cousin. They could get together and be sarcastic and makes girls drop their underwear all over Earth.

There are some pretty major plot twists that happen. Like, I had NO idea and was completely thrown off my game because I had no idea where the book was going to go. In short, this book was amaze-balls. I was on the edge of my seat pretty much the whole time because I had no clue where Theresa was going to take the ending. My favorite part of the book is when Lir and Jax actually get to the alien city and the time they spend inside of it. My only complaint with the book is that I wish that there would have been a little less time in their woodsy adventure and more time focused on them once they got in the city. THAT ENDING THO. Holy bananas. Talk about a cliffhanger. I seriously need book two NOW because everything ended right when you are on the edge of your seat and have NO idea where your allegiances lie.

If you are an alien lover or just a fan of scifi in general, this is definitely a book you want to pick up. It reminded me a lot of Lux, The 5th Wave, and Alienated, which btw all happen to be my favorite alien books.

5/5 stars
-Leah

Wicked by Jennifer L Armentrout

Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout
22 year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student... She's part of the Order. An organization that hunts down and kills Fae. Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s 6 feet and 3 inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. Losing the boy she loved nearly destroyed her, but the tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants and needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her. 

I'm pretty sure I start off every review for a book that Jla writes by saying something along the lines of this... JLA HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!! Another amazing novel. This lady can write anything. Contemporary, paranormal romance, NA lit, anything. If she published her target shopping list I would read it because I know she would make it amazing. Wicked was so wicked!!! Too me it was like the polar opposite of her Dark Elements series and I loved that (I love The Dark Elements)!I just loved that it was so different.

Wicked is a paranormal new adult and a first in The Wicked Trilogy. Pretty sure at one point I told Leah I thought I just got pregnant reading this. Whoosh it was so hot! It wasn't just the steamy scenes that made this book. It was everything. The world building, plot, flow, and the characters. Ivy is funny, strong, and awkward. The things that go on in her head are hilarious. Ren is so upfront, charming, and wickedly hot. The relationship between Ren and Ivy is almost insta-love but falls closer to insta-lust. Which I think is a good thing. The things they say to each other (mainly Ren) is so so yummy. 

"um, yeah. I do. Baking... is like a hobby." Okay that was a total lie. The only cakes I could bake came out of the box. It was Tink who baked the cakes from scratch. "And why haven't I been offered any cake?"..."You're going to have to get to know me better before you taste my cake."... "Was that an invitation? Because I'm willing to get to know you in any way possible if that means I get to taste your cake." "Invitation for....?" Oh my God. My words replayed. My face turned crimson. "You are such a pervert!"

I really enjoyed Ren as a character so much. He is seriously like the sweet caring version of Roth from TDE. They even both ride motorcycles. He also knows Disney movies. For some odd reason men knowing Disney movies is hot. Hell, Jla seriously can make anything hot. She did some job on Ren. Kid you not this was me 99.9% of the time he was involved...

He was the perfect leading man. Romantic and Take charge. One of my favorite things however is how Ivy is described. She's a curvy frizzy haired ginger. Loved it! The romantic scenes between the two of them are written perfectly. Saying they were hot would be an understatement. I was reading this at work and had to stop because I couldn't stop blushing. I can't wait to see what happens between these two crazy kids as the story continues. As for sub characters the main ones are Val and Tink. Val is Ivy's best friend and is a little on the slutty side (no judgement). But my favorite, FAVORITE character is Tink. OMG I love him so much!!!! The one foot-troll doll lovin-pop culture junkie-little brownie stole the show. Everything he says is amazing.  

"Grabbing a scarf off the chair, I threw it at him. He caught it, clutching it to his chest as he flew into the air. "You gave Tink a scarf. Tink is free!" He flew out into the hallway like a little cracked-out fairy, screeching, "Tink is freeeeee!" Ren looked at me. "What the actual fuck?" I sighed. "He's obsessed with Harry Potter. I'm sorry."

  

The Twilight, Dr. Who, Harry Potter, and Salt and Pepa references he threw around killed me. It had been a long time since I had laughed that hard, and at a sub-character too. He took this story too a whole new level. 

"He ignored me. "Sex is best when it's one on one!" Stopping in the hall, I turned to where he was doing a pelvic thrust. "Isn't that a George Michael song?" "Maybe. but he was wrong. I like to think sex is best when it's like three on three or something. Seems more adventurous." Whatever. Goodnight, Tink." I closed the door as he broke out in a Salt-n-Pep a song. 

Every character in this book is so perfect. The plot if fast paced and action packed. There was never a dull moment, or a time I was bored. The plot starts strong and doesn't let up. There are two twist in this story. One was very predictable and one I had no clue was coming. I don't think I've ever updated my GR status so many times before, especially out of pure excitement. Seriously wasn't kidding when I said I needed water. This book was like a sauna!! And the ending. Holy sweet Jesus way to leave us hanging!!! Wicked has to be one of my favorite books and start to a series I've read all year.

10/10 Stars

-Angela

Angela pretty much summed everything that I wanted to say perfectly. All I really want to add is how much I really, truly enjoyed this book. It is by far, hands down, no contest my favorite JLA book so far. The plot stays interesting the entire time and you will not be able to put it down. Ren is my ultimate book boyfriend and has not only made a place for himself on the Holy Grail of Book Boyfriends list, but he has taken the #1 spot which was formally held by the (literally) out-of-this-world Daemon. Ren is a beautiful mix of Daemon and my former #2, Roth. I think what really sets him apart from the others is that there isn't a point in the book where he is angsty and has to/wants to push Ivy away. From the very beginning, he knows he wants to be with her and isn't shy about his feelings. He doesn't play games and is upfront with her the entire time.

The plot twist in the book left my jaw and my brains all over the floor. JLA bamboozled me!! She had me CONVINCED absolutely convinced that the story was going to go one way but at the very end (like literally the last page) she drops bombs everywhere and smacked me in the face with her plot twist. IT IS SO GOOD! I don't know how I am going to make it until summer 2015 for the sequel. If you haven't read this book yet........ ORDER IT RIGHT NOW YOU NEED IT IN YOUR LIFE ASAP. 

5/5 stars 

-Leah

Ugly Love: Colleen Hoover

Ugly Love: Colleen Hoover 

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, in a drunken blaze of glory, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. But that doesn't stop them from being attracted to one another. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for it, so that just leaves the sex. This arrangement could really work out for the both of them, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her: Never ask about the past and don’t expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all. So where will this leave them..?

HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER!!!! MY HEART IS SO PERFECTLY BROKEN! I DON'T THINK I TOOK A BREATH THE WHOLE TIME I READ THIS BOOK! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME COLLEEN HOOVER!!! I HATE YOU BUT I LOVE YOU! YOU RUINED ME AND I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH! 

IF YOU CAN'T GUESS IT BY MY NON STOP CAPS THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO THAN SCREAM "I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!". 

WOW JUST WOW! I DON'T KNOW HOW OR WHEN I'LL GET OVER THIS BOOK HANGOVER.

Ugly Love was nothing like I expected it to be. I excepted it too be like a 50 Shades of Grey fan fiction with just a butt ton of thrown together steamy scenes... No, it wasn't it was so much more. I knew I was going to like Miles (because he sounded so hot), but I had no idea that I was going to love him. That he was going to have an actual back story... That he was going to be actually interesting in a realistic way... I had no idea he was going to break my heart.

All that being said I have a few bookish confessions to make before I really get into the review, I choose to read this book 1) because I heard it was becoming a movie and if there's anything I love nearly as much as reading it's seeing movies 2) because this is who they have playing Miles:

Yeah I didn't notice the dog at first either...

and 3) I also need to admit that I didn't get what was so appealing about this book that it was actually going to become a movie... I get it now. I get all the hype and talk surrounding this book. I have NEVER, EVER, EVER cried so hard in a book. That's the very last thing I thought this book was going to make me do.

The characters in this book felt so real. Tate was naive and normally that would make me wanna punch a B, in her case it made me love her. Unlike most leading ladies she isn't overly sassy, or has incredible lol rebuttals, she was realistic. Her brother Corbin, OMG CORBIN, I loved every single thing about him. He has to be one of my favorite sub characters ever. He was what I imagined a brother would be and even with him not being a constant character just his presence had me. Then there's Miles and he is hands-down the star of this book. The moment you meet him you hate him. He is a mysterious mess and I thought he was going to annoy me fast. He won me over once they started going into his back story. The further they went into it the more I could feel what was coming... Yes, I knew where this story was going and what was going to happen but in no way, shape, or form was I actually prepared for it. I was a blubbering weeping ball of emotions.

The switch between time and POVs was done flawlessly and revealed the perfect information at the perfect time to keep you hooked and wanting more. Colleen set up this story so at first you would only like Miles because of his looks (which I've already made clear I was guilty of)...

"his shirt isn't buttoned. I'm staring at his stomach. Oh my word he has the V. Those beautiful indentations on men that run the length of their outer abdominal muscles, disappearing beneath their jeans as if the indentations are pointing to a secret bull's-eye."

And yes, he is a looker, but by the end I could have cared less about what he looked like. He could have worn a bag over his abs for the last half of the book and my heart would have still been his. The relationship between Tate and Miles is like nothing I have read before. It was something else that really surprised me about this book. Saying it was complicated would be an understatement. I thought that the steamy scenes were going to take up most of this book, but it didn't... Normally that would be something that would make me rank a book lower, but the scenes were so well written and again realistic. They were well placed and well thought out. Just enough to make this book not "too much" which is what had me falling hard for this read, way harder than I anticipated. The scenes are hot though like dump a bucket of water on your head hot. Miles and Tate's conversations roll so smoothly and the moments between them are so; I don't even know a word for them, they're just perfect (that word really doesn't do justice). Not only is he romantic but he made average things so hot.

Orange juice is hot, rugs are hot, scrubs are hot, and curtains are so so hot. whoosh. 

Honestly though the scenes that turned out to be my favorite were just "average scenes", like when they all go and visit Tate and Corbin's family for Thanksgiving. That whole section had to of been my favorite. I loved how I thought this story was going to be Tate's but turned out to be Miles'. I love how I thought this book was going to be a light sexy read but turned out to be a heartbreaking love story. I just loved how everything came together while falling apart.. Because when all Miles story is finally shown and is laid out in it's fullest I was basically like this...

I want to rant and rave even more about this book, but this is something you really need to read and experience for yourself. Ugly Love might just be the biggest surprise read I've had all year. I can't express enough how impressive the characters, plot, and play out of this story are. I didn't think that this book was going to be so hard on me... And yes, it hurt. And yes, it was a total sobbing fest, but that ending... Good golly miss molly.. That ending was perfection. I don't know if I can ever forgive Colleen Hoover for what she did to me, but God dang it I love her so much for it. I didn't see this coming and I've never been so happy to be emotionally slapped in the face like I was reading this.  

THANK YOU COLLEEN HOOVER! You gave me a book hangover that even the strongest ibuprofen couldn't cure.

*please give her a round of applause people* 

10/10 Stars 

-Angela