Dear readers,
This is a very special book to me. I read it a year ago, after having watched the youtube videos, and it completely stole my heart. Therefore, I decided to present it to you orally as well. Hopefully, you will be charmed by it and decide to give it a try. My editor program gave me some trouble, which is why this video is shorter than my usual ones. Thanks for watching! You can also read my written review of this book here.
LOLA XOXO
Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: bought
Publication Date: September 9th 2014
Publisher: Harper Teen
POV: 1st person & female
Pacing: slow
Genres & Themes: YA, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Military, Romance.
BLURB:
Sam McKenna’s never turned down a dare. And she’s not going to start with the last one her brother gave her before he died.
So Sam joins the first-ever class of girls at the prestigious Denmark Military Academy. She’s expecting push-ups and long runs, rope climbing and mud-crawling. As a military brat, she can handle an obstacle course just as well as the boys. She’s even expecting the hostility she gets from some of the cadets who don’t think girls belong there. What she’s not expecting is her fiery attraction to her drill sergeant. But dating is strictly forbidden and Sam won’t risk her future, or the dare, on something so petty…no matter how much she wants him.
As Sam struggles to prove herself, she discovers that some of the boys don’t just want her gone—they will stop at nothing to drive her out. When their petty threats turn to brutal hazing, bleeding into every corner of her life, she realizes they are not acting alone. A decades-old secret society is alive and active… and determined to force her out.
At any cost.
Now time’s running short. Sam must decide who she can trust…and choosing the wrong person could have deadly consequences.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Amazon freebie (!!!)
Publication Date: December 19th 2012
Publisher: indie
Pacing: very slow
POV: 1st person & female
Genres & Themes: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Abuse, Love, Secrets, Family, Friendship, Trust.
BLURB:
Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…
That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.
Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.
The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: bought
Publication Date: July 8th 2014
Publisher: Henry Holt
Genres & Themes: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Mythology, Friendship.
BLURB:
She flees on her wedding day.
She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor’s secret collection.
She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.
She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.
The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can’t abide. Like having to marry someone she’s never met to secure a political alliance.
Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.
THE AUTHOR
Title: Queen of Someday
Series: Stolen Empire #1
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication Date: October 7th, 2014
Genres & Themes: YA, Historical Fiction, Romance, Forbidden Love.
BLURB:
Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophie will have to survive her social-climbing mother’s quest to put her on the throne of Russia—at any cost.
Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family—and herself—Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans…
In a battle for the soul of a nation, will love or destiny reign supreme?
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: bought (and so glad I did!)
Publication date: February 21st 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Genres & Themes: YA, Coming of Age, LGBT, Contemporary, Friendship, Trust, Family, Loyalty.
BLURB:
Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.
The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: NetGalley
Publication date: October 14th 2014
Publisher: Amulet Books
Genres & Themes: YA, Historical Fiction, Gothic, Romance, Magic, Women’s Rights, Liberty of Expression.
BLURB:
Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl—a suffragist—in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. It’s 1900 in Oregon, and Olivia’s father, concerned that she’s headed for trouble, convinces a stage mesmerist to try to hypnotize the rebellion out of her. But the hypnotist, an intriguing young man named Henri Reverie, gives her a terrible gift instead: she’s able to see people’s true natures, manifesting as visions of darkness and goodness, while also unable to speak her true thoughts out loud. These supernatural challenges only make Olivia more determined to speak her mind, and so she’s drawn into a dangerous relationship with the hypnotist and his mysterious motives, all while secretly fighting for the rights of women. Winters breathes new life into history once again with an atmospheric, vividly real story, including archival photos and art from the period throughout.
Queen of Someday by Sherry D. Ficklin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: NetGalley
Publication date: October 7th, 2014
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Genres & Themes: YA, Historical Fiction, Romance, Secrets, True Love, Responsibilities.
BLURB:
Before she can become the greatest empress in history, fifteen-year-old Sophie will have to survive her social-climbing mother’s quest to put her on the throne of Russia—at any cost.
Imperial Court holds dangers like nothing Sophie has ever faced before. In the heart of St. Petersburg, surviving means navigating the political, romantic, and religious demands of the bitter Empress Elizabeth and her handsome, but sadistic nephew, Peter. Determined to save her impoverished family—and herself—Sophie vows to do whatever is necessary to thrive in her new surroundings. But an attempt on her life and an unexpected attraction threatens to derail her plans. […]
REVIEW:
The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Publication date: October 8th, 2013
Genres & themes: middle grade, fairy tales, boarding school, friendship, adventure.
BLURB:
At Ever After High, an enchanting boarding school, the children of fairytale legends prepare themselves to fulfill their destinies as the next generation of Snow Whites, Prince Charmings and Evil Queens…whether they want to or not. Each year on Legacy Day, students sign the Storybook of Legends to seal their scripted fates. For generations, the Village of Book End has whispered that refusing to sign means The End-both for a story and for a life.
As the daughter of the Evil Queen, Raven Queen’s destiny is to follow in her mother’s wicked footsteps, but evil is so not Raven’s style. She’s starting to wonder, what if she rewrote her own story? The royal Apple White, daughter of the Fairest of Them All, has a happy ever after planned for herself, but it depends upon Raven feeding her a poison apple in their future.
What if Raven doesn’t sign the Storybook of Legends? It could mean a happily never after for them both.
Strawberries for Dessert by Marie Sexton
My rating: 4.5 can’t get enough of 5 stars
(I couldn’t resist.)
Strawberries for dessert was…
Sweet…
Riveting…
Charming…
Captivating…
An unforgettable story…
See, I didn’t read the other books in the Coda Books series before picking this one up, so I can’t compare this novel from Marie Sexton to others she wrote. I know a lot of reviewers said it’s not as good as the previous ones in the series, but I thought this novel was fantastic! A MUST read for all fans of M/M romance and contemporary. The characters were very realistic and had something that’ll make you like them automatically. The story was entertaining and just so beautiful…
Second chances…
letting go…
true love…
The perfect combination.
A wonderful read to completely escape from life and witness some swoon and sigh-worthy moments. Since, as I said earlier, I didn’t read the other books in the Coda Books series, so I don’t think you need either if you don’t feel like to. Maybe you’ll be a bit of confused, at the beginning of the story, but just keep reading and it won’t be a bother anymore.
The only thing that I found as a weakness was the fact that the story pretty much was axed on the dialogues when the author clearly could’ve explored much more the world building because of how many country/places they ”visited.”
Overall, it was an excellent, excellent contemporary M/M romance story.
I repeat,
A must read. ♥
PS. Cole, you stole my heart…
The sequel:
View all my reviews on Goodreads.
Hit or Miss Books 