[Review] The Perfect Game - J. Sterling

Released: October 11th, 2012

He's a game she never intended to play.

And she's the game changer he never knew he needed.

The Perfect Game tells the story of college juniors, Cassie Andrews & Jack Carter. When Cassie meets rising baseball hopeful Jack, she is determined to steer clear of him and his typical cocky attitude. But Jack has other things on his mind… like getting Cassie to give him the time of day.

They're both damaged, filled with mistrust and guarded before they find one another (and themselves) in this emotional journey about love and forgiveness. Strap yourselves for a ride that will not only break your heart, but put it back together.

Sometimes life gets ugly before it gets beautiful.

"Our scars don't point us in the direction we're headed, Cass, they simply remind us of where we've been."

I read this book so long ago and now I'm finally writing a review on it.

Oh. My. God.

Every time I think about this darn book, I keep thinking about the way Jack just fucked things up. Oh yes, he sure as hell did. But let's get to that later. This review's not going to be as long as my usual since I forgot most of the story already except for certain details.

Basically, the book started out so well. God, I loved the characters so damn much. I mean, you've got the complete package of the smoking hot jerk and his snarky love interest. The book was also very nicely written since I liked the author's writing style.

Cassie was awesome since she stood up to Jack unlike the other girls who fell at his feet. This may seem like a cliché and well, it is. It's the typical plot but I was really hoping that the author would develop it into something much more. Something unique.

The first half of the book, I was like:

The other half, not so much:

*sighs in deep agony* I had so much hope. SO. MUCH. DAMN. HOPE. Hope that this book would turn around and become what I expected. My hopes were stepped on, crushed, crunched, thrown to the wolves. 

Jack. Jack. Jack. You stupid idiot. Yes, he did one silly mistake because thought with his dick and not his head. He could've easily turned things around and make things right. But what did he do? He was impulsive and did something ridiculously, unbelievably stupid. I mean, really? The least you could do was check if it was true? Even I expected something was up. I get that he was trying to do the right thing, but puh-lease where is the logic in all this?

A lot of people loved this book and its average rating is around 4 in Goodreads. That's why I got it in the first place but I was horribly disappointed sorry to say. I wish that the author did something better with Jack so that he could actually think straight. 

Minor Faults:

• Jack being a stupid, reckless idiot.
• The ending was so rushed and unbelievable
• MY GOD I WAS JUST SO ANGRY WITH THE PLOT AND DEVELOPMENT
• so much more I can't even list down

MY RATING:

2 AND A HALF APPLES!!!!!

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About The Author:

J. Sterling got fired from her last job. So she said, screw them, and started writing her first book. With this, she realized that writing books that mean something to her is a million times better than working her ass off for someone who doesn't really care about anything other than the bottom line. She feels more satisfied and her heart more full.

Check her out in these sites:

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WoW: The Marriage Merger - Jennifer Probst

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine to spotlight releases that we're looking forward to! Here is my choice this week...

The Marriage Merger

Title: The Marriage Merger

Author: Jennifer Probst

Is it a sequel? Yes. 4th book to the Marriage to a Billionaire Series

Release Date: July 30th, 2013

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Her sisters have found wedded bliss with their wealthy, wonderful dream men but not Julietta Conte. She's stayed on terra firma as top executive of the family's corporation, La Dolce Famiglia bakery. Work is her passion, and her trendy Milan apartment her sanctuary… until Sawyer Wells, a masculine masterpiece in a suit, lures her out of hiding with an irresistible offer: an exclusive partnership with his international chain of boutique hotels.

Julietta's been burned before - and trusting her brother-in-law's friend, whose powerful gaze alone has her rethinking the best use of a conference room, is the riskiest proposition. But with a once-in-a-career chance to take the bakery global, will she mix stone-cold business with red-hot seduction?

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

My Comments:

I was honestly not that pumped to read the fourth book since honestly the second book was not that good and the third a disappointment. The first one though I absolutely, super duper love with all my heart. So I'm hoping this one will make up for the last two. Crossing my fingers!

What are YOUR choices this week? Let me know in the comments below!

[Review] Pulse - Gail McHugh

Released: July 9th, 2013

How do you keep existing when your heart is so splintered, so completely torn to shreds, your pulse is fading?

You're… broken. How do you move forward when every breath is nothing more than a constant ache? Living becomes an insidious reminder that you threw away the single largest part of yourself. Your… soul. No amount of distraction can pull you from the torture of losing you… life.

Now that Emily Cooper has walked away from her first love, she finds herself running toward her only love. Unraveling fast, but clinging to hope, Emily risks all she has left on the man that has consumed her every thought and dream since the day they met. Will Gavin take her back? And if so, will their reunion be a collision of two hearts destined to complete one another and rekindle a love that knew no boundaries? Or will scars from their past rip open, tearing slowly at what each of them was meant to be? Can fate, the ultimate game changer, mend the shattered road it laid out from the start?

Only time will tell…

Tick-Tock…

"Our past is imperfect, but our future's breathtaking."

All I felt was pure, unadulterated love for this book. I fell in love with Emily and Gavin in Collide because they've always been the right-person-wrong-time kind of couple. They're such a great ship even though it may seem pretty normal in the first book. The love they share in this one is mind-blowing. I laughed, cried, grinned at every single moment they shared.

"We were written for one another, and I wouldn't change one line in our romance novel. The good, the bad, the in between. It's ours. We own it."

I don't think I've ever read about a couple who's more obsessed for the other than them. Well, maybe I have but right now none of them comes to mind. I'm still stupidly grinning over their adorableness.

At first, I thought Emily was going to turn into one of those stupid girls who just gives up and lies around waiting for the guy to come back to her. I had a bad feeling initially that I was going to hate Emily's change of character in this book. BUT THANK JESUS CHRIST. Gail McHugh knew better than to turn Emily into a whiny girl-in-love. Can we have a round of applause for this first please?

Thank you. Now, moving on to Emily again. She's such a strong character. You should've seen my surprise when I realized that she was actually chasing after Gavin. My God, I was like, "YES! YES! YOU SMART GIRL! YOU GO GLEN COCO!" I was so damn proud okay.

"Something inside me told me I was supposed to be with you, but I fought against it. So many things about you scared me at first, and then you showed me who you really are. Please forgive me for fighting against us, Gavin. Please forgive me for not fighting for us when I knew we were supposed to be together."

She actually admitted her mistakes! If she just sat around, waiting for Gavin to come around, it probably would've been too late and she would end up wallowing in self-pity.

That would've sucked. Ass.

But, she didn't! So, thank you, Emily. She was an awesome character throughout the whole book honestly. I loved how selfless she was and how much she truly cared about Gavin. She had her insecurities but instead of burying them deep down and causing misunderstandings, she actually talks to Gavin about it.

And then there's Gavin. Super shmexy. Super sweet. Super duper awesome. He is the perfect boyfriend. He goes alpha caveman 24/7 but he doesn't just shove around people impulsively. He's so considerate of Emily and her feelings. We could see how much he truly was head-over-heels for her.

"Clichéd or not, her smile lit up the room like a ball of fire in a darkened sky. Clichés were created for her. End of story."

MY GOD AND HIS INNUENDOS??? I melted.

"You can drive every stick I own whenever you want."

His "showdown" with Dillon?

Rock and roll my man.

I was so damn proud of the way he handled everything. Yes, he lost his temper at times, but then again, who doesn't? But, the ending? The way he took care of shit. A+++. I give him a million applauses.

The thing that I completely salute to in their relationship is their complete trust in each other. Whenever they have problems or issues - even teeny tiny uncertainties - they always talk to each other and work things out. This way, no misunderstandings would be caused. When they let the other blindfold them, I think that's just the ultimate sign of trust. You have to fully give up your sight and, giving up what you see means that you trust the person completely.

This book was just so good. Gail McHugh added minor conflicts to most of them but resolved them in the same chapter so it doesn't sound too dramatic. And when it seems that it's all going to fall apart, she just saves the book.

Don't get me started on the love quotes. Jesus, this whole book is a quote.

Minor Faults:

• She pulled a my-English-teacher-hates-this-thing in one scene and I must say I did too. I was slightly pissed but glad. You'll find out when you read it.
• Two many lists like "One: bla bla bla, two: bla bla bla" or "First: bla bla bla, secondly: bla bla bla" 

MY RATING:

5 SUPER SHMEXY APPLES!!!!!

I was close to giving it a 4.5 but I loved it way too much \(^o^)/

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

About The Author:

Gail McHugh has always been a lover of writing, but mostly dabbled in creating poetry while raising her three beautiful children. She is grateful for her husband of fifteen year's presence. Without his help, writing would be an impossible endeavor. In late June 2012, she felt the urgent need to write and she began writing one of her first novels, Collide.

Check her out in these sites:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

[Review] Avoiding Commitment - K.A. Linde

Released: July 29th, 2013

Jack and Lexi never had a typical relationship. After 2 years without speaking, she receives a phone call that changes everything. He unexpectedly asks her to convince the new girl, Bekah, that he's ready to commit. Jack is calling now after everything they had been through because there is another woman. She can't believe it. Follow Lexi in this heart wrenching drama as she relives her past relationship, or lack thereof, with Jack, and not just in her own mind, but to his fiance-to-be. Throw in Bekah's hot brother who always seems to be in the right place at the right time, a past with more secrets to unravel than you can even imagine, and you get a recipe for disaster. Find out what happens to Lexi as she travels to Atlanta to get the closure she so desperately desires from Jack, and how the bumps of life seem to keep getting in the way.

"You were the only one I saw when I closed my eyes." "Then why wasn't I enough when they were open?"

I was expecting so much from this book because the ratings were good and there are so many terrific reviews on this. So I tried it out. I'm not sure what to say about it other than it was a so-so kind of novel. It was up and down, fast-paced, back and forth. Kind of like jumbled up all over.

Though, I must admit that I absolutely love the way K.A. Linde revolved between Lexi's past and present. It gives us an insight on how she dealt with him in the past, how their relationship was, and compared it to how it was today.

Jack and Lexi have this connection. It's like they're always with the right person at the wrong time. It's either the fact that Jack's in a relationship, or Lexi's the one dating, and maybe even both! They are never at the right place and time. But they have this fire that's been blazing for so long and it's so hard for Lexi to put it out that she becomes so attached to Jack, she can't even stay with one guy long enough. I kind of felt bad for her.

So, Lexi. She's actually this vivacious, attractive and stunning woman. She can capture men's attention in the room and she can have her first pick. She's strong-minded, intelligent and stubborn as hell.

But there's only one teensy little issue. Jack.

"And Lexi had to deal with that fact. She had to deal with knowing that he hadn't chosen her. He didn't want her."

She is so obsessed and in love with Jack that she's blinded by her surroundings. Lexi has so many great friends that care so much for her well-being, especially Chyna. I love Chyna's character because she was rooting for Lexi to get over Jack. She needed to. Lexi still hasn't gotten over him even after all those years and it's bringing her down.

"I did those things because of my lack of control. When you touch me, Jack, I completely succumb to you. I give into your every whim."

I'm guessing that it's because Jack's her first love and all but he's such a fucking idiot. I fucking hated him. I felt so bad for Lexi because she's still so in love with him that she can't see what a true jackass he was. She had to learn how to let him go. But, their whole relationship is a never-ending, torturous cycle. They get together, they're apart, they date other people, end up together again. And repeat.

"She had worked a year to get him out of her life as much as she possibly could. He always had a place in her heart since she had loved him so obsessively for such a long time, but she had been able to extract herself from him to an extent."

Lexi felt like this but she couldn't help it:

I guess Jack would be the other main character in the story as he was the love interest. But, God, I honestly wanted to murder his character. I wish he'd just stop giving Lexi false hope by saying that they'll be together someday, but he needs more time.

Lexi: "I wanted answers." | Jack: "And I don't have any."

What a fucking dick. I mean seriously, all she wanted was closure. She needed him to just make a fucking decision. But he just keeps stringing her along, as if she'd always be there for him to use. He's draining her whole life. She's wasting her time, pining for him every single second. Once she starts to walk away, he says things like this:

"You have always been what I want. I just made mistakes along the way. I told you that I would make it up to you, that I would show you what I could be for you, if you would only let me."

So, after he says these things, they're together. And he leaves again. He just has Lexi for his own convenience, the fucking prick.

I was praying the whole time for Lexi, "JUST DUMP HIS SORRY ASS AND JUMP ON RAMSEY!" Oh Ramsey. At first, I thought he was merely interested in her physically. But by the end of the book, he was really considerate and it was as if he really cared for her. Ugh, I think it may be my new otp since I hate Jack.

I'm not sure if I'm going to read the sequel because I was actually pretty happy with the ending. I would've given this 0.5 less if it wasn't for the ending. The only things that saved this book were the ending, Lexi finally doing the right thing, and the author's writing style. Oh, and Chyna! Love that girl ;)

Minor Faults:

• It was too repetitive. Sure, Lexi was in love with him but it was the same thing over and over.
• Jack's a complete jackass and I want to murder him. But I guess that was part of his character.

MY RATING:

3 AND A HALF APPLES!!!!!

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

About The Author:

K.A. Linde graduated with her Masters in political science from the University of Georgia in 2012. She also has a bachelors in political science and philosophy. She wrote the Avoiding Series while struggling through advanced statistical modeling and writing her thesis. She enjoys dancing and writing novels that keep you guessing until the very end. She currently resides in Georgia with her boyfriend and two puppies, Lucy and Riker.

Check her out in these sites:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

[Review] Losing Hope - Colleen Hoover

Released: July 8th, 2013

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder's past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away. Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him...

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder's head during all those hopeless moments - and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

"But I've learned over the past year what it really means to be able to miss someone. In order to miss someone, that means you were privileged enough to have them in your life to begin with."

LA LA LA. I want to shut off my feelings. This book was so freaking intense, it's unbelievable. Somehow, I find it much more interesting when a book's written in the guy's point of view.

If you loved Holder in Hopeless, you are going to fall hopelessly in love with him in this one. Since it's all told by Holder, we figure out more about his character and understand deeper about his past and why he is the way he is.

This book not only focuses on the romance between Sky and Holder. It's also telling the story about a young boy who lost a friend and has been carrying all this guilt inside of him. And then there's also the complications with his family. He's maturing so fast in such a short period because his whole environment had affected him.

Okay, let me start off by saying that Dean Holder is so fucking perfect with all his imperfections. He's cracked but not broken. He's strong but he's not unbreakable. He's cocky but he's not arrogant. He's like this giant contradictory.

Now, let's begin with his looks. Dean Holder is so motherfucking gorgeous. I mean, all the ladies want into his pants and it's only the rumors and his reputation that's holding everyone back. Everyone trusts the gossip and believes that he did all the bad shit for all the wrong reasons. But, really, it's impossible to not be attracted to him.

And then there's his vulnerability. I think that the fact that he feels so responsible for all the shitty things that's been going around him is very noble of him. He carries around so much guilt inside of him that it consumes him. Everything from Hope to Les. He feels like he's letting people down.

"Then that reminds me of the pictures she was at my house for, then that reminds me of Les, then that reminds me of Hope. Then of course I'm consumed with guilt again."

God, in scenes like these, I just want to hug him!

And he's so damn grown up that, because of what happened around him, he realized something:

"We lived in this perfect world where adults are always right and bad things don't happen to good people. Then, in the span of a minute, you were taken and everything we thought we knew turned out to be this false image of life that our parents had built for us. We realized that day that even adults do horrible things. Children disappear. Best friends get taken away from you and you have no idea if they're even alive anymore."

Holder turns into a realistic character as he accepts that the world isn't as perfect as the adults around him has made it seem to be. Crime happens. Hate exists. Shitty things just hit us like a ton of bricks without a warning. 

Enough of the depressing stuff *wipes away tears* GOD, NOW COMES THE ROMANTIC SIDE. I can quote so many things from this book that include all of his sweetness. He has such a way with words that leaves you speechless.

"Time has completely stopped, and all I'm thinking about while we kiss is how this is what saves people. Moments like these with people like her are what make all the sufferings worth it."

"I live you, Sky...I live you so much."

And their sense of humors match and that's so freaking adorable *squeals* Really, they could probably make a good comedy team with their texts and banter. Holder's actually pretty witty in both an intellectual and cocky kind of way and that's just alerkjaelkr best.

"Those texts will inflate your ego so much, you'll explode. We need to rectify this situation before you start suffering from delusions of grandeur."

I love how they're so easygoing with each other and they end up having a best-friends-slash-boyfriend-girlfriend kind of relationship. That's just the best kind of dating.

Minor Faults:

• There's too much repetition of the words 'hopeless' and 'helpless'. I get that Holder felt that way but Colleen kept using those two words over and over.

MY RATING:

4 AND A HALF APPLES!!!!!

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

❤ READ MY REVIEW OF HER BOOKS ❤

Finding Cinderella (Hopeless #2.5) ❊ 5 APPLES!!!

About The Author:

Colleen hoover is a huge fan of music and she has an eclectic taste. She's addicted to diet pepsi, and it's a serious case. She gets excited with friend requests on goodreads. So far, she's written two series, which include the Slammed series and the Hopeless series. She is expected to have two more books coming out in 2014.

Check her out in these sites:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Fanmade Friday!: Anna and The French Kiss Fanfiction

And this week's Fanmade Friday! is...

Anna and The French Kiss Fanfiction

Okay I'm totally biased to this book. It was such a great read and I was looking for materials for a new FF! and came across this fanfiction.

Fanfiction Information:

Title: Are You Mine?

Author: likemoves on fanfiction.net

Summary:

A different kind of Thanksgiving.

Status: Incomplete

Link to read

My Comments:

I stumbled upon this one when I was searching for fanfictions and it's not a bad read. Although it's still so short and incomplete, I look forward to reading more :}

Tune in next time for another Fanmade Friday!

[Review] The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith

Released: January 2nd, 2012

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliva, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more? 

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

"Did you know that people who meet at least three different times within twenty-four hour period are ninety-eight percent more likely to meet again?"

Quirky, easy, and fun read. Jennifer E. Smith's writing style reminds me of Gayle Forman. It really does. There's the story in the present time but the chapter almost always starts with a flashback from Hadley's past. A memory about her father. Some people say that this is an odd way to write a book but I strangely like it. It's refreshing and different.

Hadley's a character that almost everyone can relate to. She has issues with her parents, complications with love, and this pent up anger inside of her. Her father's getting married again to someone she hasn't met, so of course she'd be unexcited to attend the wedding. But Charlotte ends up surprising her by being so pleasant.

She's actually pretty wise for her age since I guess she's been through a lot. She's had to be the mature one in the family with her parents dealing with the divorce. Her mom was bipolar over the whole thing for a while and her father was all the way in London. She's had to be the adult. Because of this, she's pretty shaken up. She's not ready to take on this much news.

"After all, it's one thing to run away when someone's chasing you. It's entirely another to be running all alone."

While her father preps himself for his big day, Hadley has to face all her feelings alone. Her mom's not attending and so she has no one to talk to. That's probably why Hadley was grateful to have met Oliver on the plane. They were strangers, hence it was easier for her to spill her heart out. Plus, Hadley doesn't believe in marriages. She's old enough that she's become a realist. She isn't a romantic initially.

"It shouldn't be this big fuss, where you drag everyone halfway across the world to witness your love. If you want to share your life together, fine. But it's between two people, and that should be enough. Why the big show? Why rub it in everyone's faces?"

 And then there's Oliver. *sigh* I don't like the name Oliver but this guy has wowed me and I might just have a certain fondness towards the name now. He was so adorable. He's been doing his "research" on different things and keeps mentioning really random facts.

"Did you know that twenty-four percent of all mayonaise is actually laced with vanilla ice cream?"

"Those are cumulus clouds. Did you know that? Because they look the way clouds are supposed to look, the way you draw them when you're a kid."

"People who meet in airports are seventy-two percent more likely to fall for each other than people who meet anywhere else."

God, he's such an adorable nerd *SQUEALS* I have a thing for adorable nerds okay.

And their romance is a Romeo and Juliet kind of thing. No, not the forbidden part but the way that it's so extreme. They fall in love over a 24 hour period. At first, I didn't really get why it was 'love at first sight' since they didn't literally fall in love at first sight. But I guess since they've found comfort in each other even though they've only known each other for a short period of time. The romance is ah-dorable. It's a puppy love kind of thing but it's also so strong.

Minor Faults:

• The beginning was too dragged on
• The story was a bit too bland, not well-developed

MY RATING:

3 AND A HALF APPLES!!!!!

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

About The Author:

Jennifer E. Smith is the author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, The Storm Makers, You Are Here and The Comeback Season. She earned her master's degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and currently works as an editor in New York City. Her writing has been translated into 28 languages.

Check her out in these sites:

Website | Twitter | Facebook