Several years ago, when I was a Wattpad fanatic, I started reading this insanely popular book called The Bad Boy's Girl by Jessgirl93. I don't remember much about that book, but I do remember that I really enjoyed it. So when I found out that this book was published? I knew I had to pick it up. 
The Bad Boy's Girl follows Tessa O'Connell, a high school senior content to live her life hopefully flying under the radar. She lives in constant fear of her peers, who bully her mercilessly... That is, until the one person she would've never expected comes back into her life and turns everything upside-down. 
Cole Stone, the brother of the boy Tessa's hopelessly in-love with. He tormented her through her childhood, but now he's back. And he's different. Cole is kind. And he pushes Tessa to be better, to actually live a real life. 
Tessa is a highly relatable character, she's not aloof. She feels real. She's someone the reader can really connect with and understand. And she's funny (as is the story in general.) 
Cole, Cole is basically everything you want in a boy, or I want in a boy. Dark hair sarcastic attitude and a heart of gold underneath all the blunder. What a perfect boy, he proves over and over again how perfect he is through his acts of chivalry towards Tessa. He's back and he's there to prove that he's the one for Tessa O'Connell. 
All in all, this book was a really fun read. It has the components that would win me over in a contemporary novel. Funny, relatable protagonist, bad boy with a heart of gold and an entertaining plot line. The protagonists aren't the only well shaped characters in the story either. No, there are some side characters included who are very well rounded. 
Thing is, the book had such a strong start. The first two thirds of it were fantastic. It was a fun, lighthearted read. Just a book that would make your day better, you know? Aside from having some grammatical flaws, The Bad Boy's Girl was, sorry I'm repeating myself a lot, but the perfect contemporary read. 
And then the last third of the book... This is the reason I'm so conflicted about the story. The ending of a story is really the major thing that sticks with you after you finish it... And the last third of the Bad Boy's Girl was highly disappointing. Actually, the last third of the book really felt unneeded and actually felt more like it was dragging. It kind of felt like it forgot all the side characters and just concentrated on Cole-Tessa and that got... boring. Just the same little things happening over and over and the tension just felt really arbitrary and forced. No, I'm not just upset about the ending because by then I didn't really care that much, plus I've also read the Wattpad version so I know there's more to the story. Basically, the last third of the book kind of ruined it for me. It was forced and just... Meh. I didn't enjoy it. Which is why the star rating is lower than it should be for all the praise I gave for the beginning. 
Would I recommend this book? ... Not sure. See, as I keep repeating over and over. The beginning 2/3s is GREAT. It's the perfect story, it just drags near the end. I want to really like this book, I do... But I just can't get over the ending, I'm sorry. Also the editing is pretty poor-- there are a lot of grammatical errors. But I understand that because I make grammatical errors all the time (I bet there are about a million in this very review), but I would expect it to be a little more clean in a published book. All together I'd give the Bad Boy's Girl 6/10 stars. I've said all I want to say on the topic. Actually, I've just repeated the same thing over and over again. So I think you all know how I feel about it. Sorry this review sucks, I'm just really conflicted over this book and also have a big back up of reviews and it's been a while since I actually read the book. 

Synopsis: 

“Some people bring out the worst in you, others bring out the best, and then there are those remarkably rare, addictive ones who just bring out the most. Of everything. They make you feel so alive that you’d follow them straight into hell, just to keep getting your fix.”
— Karen Marie Moning, Shadowfever

Tessa O’Connell is a girl as ordinary as they come-or so she thinks. Her aim for senior year is to keep her head down yet somehow manage to convince her childhood love Jay Stone to love her back. What she isn’t prepared for is for Jay’s brother, Cole to return to town and change the life she’s always been seemingly content to live. Tall, gorgeous as all hell and a bad boy with ocean blue eyes and the perfect edge of adorability, he was her greatest tormentor, her number one enemy.But the guy that’s come back is like no one Tessa’s ever come across. He challenges her, he tests her limits, he forces her to bring out the girl she’s long ago buried under a veil of mediocrity and most of all he compels her to consider that perhaps the boy that infuriates her to the point of no return might just her guardian angel.

Warning: The story comes with a bad boy notorious for making you swoon, inducing hysterical laughter and making you question whether you could purchase a clone on ebay

Anyway, thanks for reading. I'm sorry my reviews have sucked lately, please bear with me, I've been very busy and haven't had much of a chance to write. Also... Yeah. Well. I'll try to clean them up! 
Love you all, 
Anj

Cute, light and happy, everything you want in a contemporary novel. How do introverts fall in love? Apparently texting. Maybe I should try it out sometime, haha. 
Several years ago when I was super into Wattpad, I started reading this story called the Cell Phone Swap. I really enjoyed it, so when I saw this book, the published version, I just knew I had to get it. And I do not regret that choice in the slightest. 
Extrovert follows Keeley, an introverted girl who's always lived in the shadow of her brother Zach, who's captain of the football team and one of the most popular boys in school. She's never been the star of her family or her school, that was always Zach's place. Then, one day Keeley accidentally swaps phones with someone who happens to be an extremely attractive guy. 
While Textrovert is every cliche put to the max, it's still highly enjoyable. This book doesn't use the cliches in that annoying I've-read-this-one-million-times before way. No, it actually uses the cliches in the way that you can enjoy the classic adorable tropes. Sure, everything was extremely predictable, but aren't all contemporary novels? The fun of contemporary novel isn't the mystery, it's the journey the story takes you on. :Like how much you smile and laugh while reading this book. 
I frequently found myself grinning from ear-to-ear whilst reading this book, as well as squealing from the adorability of it. 
An extra just cute factor of the book is that it's formatted so that the texts sent between Keeley and Talon are depicted as actual texts, which I just absolutely loved. 
Keeley is a relatable protagonist who's easy to sympathize with. I soon found myself falling in love with her, the way she thought and her relationship with not only Talon, but also her brother. Even though Zach is the "star" he still needs his sister, and doesn't want to be separated from her. That pulled on my heart and I just... I love Zach. I love all the characters in this book-- there isn't a single one that I found really annoying, no I liked the way they all fit together. But back to Keeley. She's the perfect protagonist for the story, I loved following her thoughts throughout. She's funny, and over text she comes off as sarcastic and a little confidant, while in real life she's shy and frequently second guesses herself. Tell me that isn't relatable. I can really relate with having a relationship (I'm not talking about boyfriend girlfriend, just a relationship as in a connection between two people) over text/the internet with someone being perfectly okay-- where you can basically tell each other anything, but when we come face to face? It's kind of awkward at first. Neither of us are really sure of what to say to each other, or how to act. So yeah, I really relate to Keeley in this story, and not only because of that. She's just a very likable protagonist. 
Talon is Keeley's love interest. The guy she accidentally swaps phones with. He's the perfect boy. He has his flaws, but that makes him so much more perfect and realistic in my eyes. He's cocky, sure, but he has a heart of gold underneath and really, that's all that matters. I don't really want to give too much away about him. I'll let you fall in love with him on your own. 
I've already mentioned my love of Zach, he's so sweet and my heart frequently twisted for him in this story... I'm actually maybe crossing my fingers for a spin-off/ companion novel following Zach. Yeah, that's how much I love this character. 
All in all I would give Extrovert 8/10 stars. It was everything I could want in a contemporary novel, sweet romance with heartstoppingly cute moments that had me squealing loud enough to scare my cats, funny moments and lines that had me laughing hard enough to scare my cats, and characters that are so easy to grow attached to that my heart could barely handle it. (Yeah, could't relate that to my cats, sorry.) I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy some good, cute, light romances as well as some well-used cliches. 

Synopsis: 
​
Summer is nearly over and Keeley is about to start her senior year when disaster strikes: she picks up the wrong cell phone by mistake. 😞 Just her luck that it belongs to Talon, a totally arrogant jock 🏈 who’s just left for football camp—with herphone. Keeley doesn’t know him, but they’ll need to rely on each other to forward their messages for an entire week.

Talon is so full of himself, but Keeley quickly discovers he’s funny, too—at least his texts are. 😅 And he listens to Keeley—which is more than anyone else does. Texting Talon, she can be more than just the quiet twin sister of a popular boy. Texting Talon, she can be the outgoing person she’s always wanted to be. Soon the two are falling for each other, hard.

But when true identities are revealed and secrets are exposed, will Keeley’s feelings stay the same?

Anyway, thanks for reading <3
Anj

This isn't a tale for the faint of heart. It's no superhero story. No this is a tale of the origin of two villains, all starting when two brilliant young men meet in college. Ten years later they emerge, one with an undying need for revenge, and the other on a mass murder spree. When they meet again the collision will be cataclysmic... And only one will emerge victorious. 
Eli and Victor were best friends in college, but one fatal day changed all of that, landing Victor in jail and Eli set on a new mission. 
This is a fun novel to read, especially if you love anti-heroes. Because Victor and Eli are far from anything close to being heroic. It's slow, and takes a while to get in to, but after a while the book becomes hard to put down. It's intriguing, finding out what happened to tear Eli and Victor apart and set them in the places they currently are. 
Like all other Schwab novels that I've read (which is a grand total of two), this book has an air of distance to it, as in the reader doesn't feel as connected to the characters, but at the same time it's really hard to put down. The characters are so... strange and different from anything I've ever read before. Both are psychopaths for sure, and neither of them are even close to being in the right. But that's what make them so compelling, because they both believe they're doing the right thing with such a strong conviction... But then again, doesn't every villain think they're the hero in their own story? 
This book's world is so interesting, think of it as something like the world of X-men, but without any good in it. There's no Charles and Magneto, there's just... Well, I don't know the X-men well enough to find the perfect parallels. There are people with powers, and in this world they're called EOs (standing for extraordinary). Part of the fun of reading this book is finding out everyone's different powers and how they got them. 
Between Victor and Eli, I can't help but like Eli better. I have no idea why, because they're both horrible choices. But I just sided more with Eli in this book, maybe it's because his character is more appealing to me. Or maybe it's just because I dislike Victor more. I really don't like Victor that much, like he has some redeeming moments in the novel but overall just from the start... He's not a character that I find appealing. Eli's horrible, he really is, but for me, Victor is just worse. 
There are plenty of other characters in this book, but all in all the only thing it comes down to it Eli and Victor. While there is a connection between the "side kicks" it started with E and V, and that's how it ends too. 
All in all, I'd give Vicious 7.6/10 stars. It was a really good novel, well-written with very unique characters, some of which I still think about and have no idea how I feel about. That's the thing with Schwab... Her books stay with you for a long time after you finish them. It's impossible to stop thinking about them. I hear there's a second book coming out... And I'm eager anticipating it-- this book couldn't have ended the way it did. My biggest problem with the story is the ending. It irks me how it ended, but if there's a sequel... Maybe it can help redeem the book in my mind, because that ending.... It's hard for me to see past the ending. Not saying that the ending is bad enough to make you not read the book at all, I really recommend it, I had a lot of fun reading this one, and I wouldn't want you to miss out on the experience. 

Anyway, here's the official synopsis: 

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. 

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

SPOILERS BELOW 

As I said earlier, I really don't like the ending of the novel. It irked me so much I had to rant to my father, who was driving us to see my cousin's christening. I expected so much out of this ending, I expected these two great forces to both level each other, that one wouldn't come out on top. I thought it would be a balanced ending. But Victor won, and that irks me. Like I said earlier, I don't love Victor. Not that I love Eli, I was just hoping the ending would be fair for both of them. And yet I do get the ending seems poetic. It ends the way it ended ten years ago, with one sending the other to jail. 
I don't know the exact ending I was expecting, but I know I wanted slash thought it would be even, as I keep repeating. I thought either somehow they'd find a way to both die or they'd make up somehow, I had no idea how but I thought that's how it would work out. Because when two great forces collide, shouldn't it come to a standstill? 
Also I regret Serena dying, that irks me. Just Eli's side in general lost this one (how is he gonna get out of jail? He's not like Victor who can pain his way out.) But Serena.,. You see her redeeming quality in her telling Sydney to get to safety. I would've liked to see more of her. She irked me at times, but everyone in this book did. I wish we had more time to get to know not just the main characters, but the side ones. All these forces combined? I wish I would be able to see that. 
Anyway, that's all. My small rant-ish thing about the end. 
Anyway, thanks for reading! 
​-Anj

"Corsai, Corsai,
Tooth and claw,

Shadow and Bone
Will eat you raw.

Malchai, Malchai,
Sharp and sly,

Smile and bite
and drink you dry.

Sunai, Sunai,
Eyes like coal,

Sing a song
And steal your soul.

Monsters, monsters
Big and small,

They're gonna come
and eat you all."

Imagine a world that's so dark that crime isn't an uncommon occurrence. And I don't mean petty little crimes, I mean real ones. Where people are murdered or beaten to the verge of death on a daily basis. A time when crime is such a common occurrence that people's sins have given birth to monsters.
For a long time I heard about Victoria Schwab this, Victoria Schwab that. She's a big deal, and it seems like everyone loves her. So of course, eventually I gave in and decided to try one of her books. This is the first one.
Overall, I can't exactly explain how I felt about it. Schwab's writing style throws me for a loop. Though it had a slow beginning, the book just suddenly pulled me in and I was intrigued, and yet I still somehow felt distanced from the writing. I'm writing this review after reading three of Schwab's books, and I feel the same way about the writing style in all of them.
The world building in this story is very unique, it's kind of a dystopian novel, but kind of not because it takes place someone that is not here. Though, it is in the future where everything is destroyed so maybe it is dystopian, I just don't like the assumptions that come along when someone says "dystopian" these days. NO NOT ALL DYSTOPIAN NOVELS ARE LIKE THE HUNGER GAMES. It's a whole genre, not just one template. This book takes place in a city called Verity. It's been split in half, North and South.
North V-City is kind of like normal life, you can still do your job and go to school. The only difference is that it's ruled over by an evil, kind of mob boss type man who controls monsters. The people who live there have to pay a steep price, and still, they don't dare venture out at night. Because that's when the monsters come out to play.
South V-City is more of the dystopian feel, it's completely destroyed, but the people there aren't living with a self applied blindfold. They're the ones who know how terrible the monsters are, and are fighting to keep their freedom and to stay away from Callum Harker's terrible reign.
It's not often you'll find a book so dark and violent, and yet so enjoyable.
This is kind of a twist on Romeo and Juliet, minus the intense romance. Kate Harker is like her father, or, at least, she tries to be cunning and cruel. She longs to be a vicious monster, not the kind that haunt the streets at night, but the kind that has humanity, but choses to ignore it. While August Flynn is the "son" of the leader of South V-City. He's a real monster, and all he really wants is to be human.
"But the monsters-- real monsters-- didn't look like the stupid little hood ornaments. No, the real monsters were much worse." 
I lived for the interactions between these two. It took a while for the two's path to actually cross, but once they did, the book sure got a whole lot more interesting. 
All in all, I'd give this book 7.5/10 stars. Like I said before, I can't exactly put my finger on how I felt about this book, I know I enjoyed it, but I can't really place the extent of enjoyment. I was having a great time reading it, yet I was kind of distanced from the story. I would recommend it, but I didn't absolutely love it. I think it's a fun, different read, though. If you're tired of classic tropes, Schwab's books are definitely for you. 
"People are users. It's a universal truth. Use them, or they'll use you."

Here's the synopsis: 

There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

Anyway, thanks for reading, 
​Anj

Did you know you're more likely to be struck by lightning than win the lottery? Maddie isn't much of an impulsive character, but on a whim she buys a lottery ticket... And then Maddie's life gets turned upside-down. No, she didn't get struck by lightning, she won the lottery. 
Like many of Kasie West's books, Lucky in Love is stock full of cliches, but that just makes the story all the more adorable and enjoyable. 
Maddie, the main character, is someone who likes to be in control. She has a perfect plan for her future... but her life is thrown into chaos when she, shockingly enough, wins the lottery. I enjoyed Maddie's character. She's practical, for the most part, and I could relate with her determination. Though, yes, she could be naive at times and the way she was spending her money drove me a bit crazy at times, it was all good. I still really liked Maddie's narrative, she's part of what made this book so good. 
Maddie's love interest is Seth, a wannabe filmmaker. He's a darling sweetheart. Very lighthearted, he and Maddie made quite the cute pair. 
Maddie's friends, Elise and Blaire, were good characters as well. They were well rounded, not flat like the side characters in West's last novel, By Your Side. These girls have their own personalities that you can really picture while reading this book. 
Same with Maddie's family, yes, they could be insufferably irritating at times, but they felt like real characters, which was another aspect of why this book was so good. The characters felt real. 
All in all, I would give Lucky in Love 7/10 stars, it was a great romance. Really cute, though I wasn't invested enough in the romance to squeal a lot while reading it, I still found myself smiling while reading certain pages. I recommend this book if you're looking for a feel good, cutesy novel, also if you haven't read any other of West's books, they're fantastic. I especially recommend P.S. I Like You and The Fill-In Boyfriend. They're cliche and that's what makes them such cute reads. 
Synopsis: 
​
Can’t buy me love…

Maddie’s not impulsive. She’s all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment--

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie’s life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she’s talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun…until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now Maddie isn’t sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn’t seem aware of Maddie’s big news. And, for some reason, she doesn’t want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

If you've ever wondered what might happen if you were trapped in a public library with a mysterious brooding boy who may or may not have a checkered past... Well, this book may answer that question. By Your Side is written by Kasie West, one of my favorite romance authors. Her books are filled to the brim with cliches, but the fun kind, not used in an annoying way. 
By Your Side follows Autumn Collins who, as previously mentioned, gets trapped in the library for a weekend with the school's mysterious bad boy, Dax Miller. On the outside, it would seem that Autumn is your typical popular girl. She has a ton of friends, and the perfect boyfriend-ish figure. On the outside, Dax is your typical delinquent character. He's been to juvie, and keeps to himself. Frequently skipping classes and scaring everyone else enough to stay away from him. 
Of course, everyone is a whole lot deeper than how they appear on the outside. That made these characters more interesting to follow, especially since their problems seemed to compliment each other (what good couple's don't?) 
All in all, By Your Side is a very quick read, and a good romance. I couldn't help but be attached to the other guy-- Jeff, as well. The characters are fairly interesting, but for the most part this book didn't quite do it for me. It didn't have me squealing in excitement or adoration over the heartstopping romance like some of Kasie West's other stories. Still, it was a good read, just not my favorite. I would give By Your Side 6.5/10 stars. It was good, just nowhere near great. I wasn't exactly attached to the characters in any way, or their relationships. But I still did find myself tearing my eyes away from the book in the awkward moments, which means I could feel some of the emotions of the book. 
While the main characters are fairly well rounded, most of the other characters are VERY flat. I guess there wasn't enough time to characterize any of them. Some of the parts of the book just seemed unnecessary, like they're just there to add length. That is, the book still was very quick. I would definitely recommend some of West's other books more than this one (P.S. I Like You, On the Fence, The Fill-In Boyfriend etc.), it still was a good read. 
Synopsis: 
​
When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

"Sometimes the people who mean the most to us, like our family, do things that make it difficult to love them, but we do anyway because that's what love is." 
Awe, imagine running into a handsome boy, spending the evening with him and then finding out he's part of one of the most famous bands in the world. And then that he wants to see you again. Having trouble seeing it? Well, Paper Hearts will help you out with the imagery, because that's what this book is all about... or at least that's how this book starts out. 
Paper Hearts is the second book in Ali Novak's Heartbreak chronicles. The first book was called the Heartbreakers, following an aspiring photographer, Stella Samuel, as she accidentally falls in love with the Oliver Perry, the lead singer in the world famous band, The Heartbreakers. If you haven't read that book yet, I highly recommend that you do. It's an adorable, quirky read that will have you squealing from joy all the way through it (that is, if you're like me and you squeal when you're reading basically anything good in a book.) If you're interested, go check out my review on it. 
Paper Hearts follows Felicity, a hardworking girl who just happens to run into Alec Williams, a member of the Heartbreakers-- possibly the most famous band in the world. She and Alec immediately hit it off, which is how he ends up helping her chase down her runaway sister. Yeah, sorry if that was bad, I don't know how to explain this book without spoiling it. 
This book includes a cute romance and an impromptu road trip-- what's not to love? Oh, and don't forget an adorable boy. It's been a while since I read The Heartbreakers, but I do remember seriously enjoying this book, so of course I ordered this book when it came out. While I was reading the Heartbreakers, I had certain expectations from reading the Wattpad version of it. Those expectations left me a little disappointed when some things didn't happen (JJ and Cara, anyone?). I had no expectations for this book because I never read The Queen of Hearts on Wattpad. 
I actually couldn't tell you which book I like more, because I love the characters in the Heartbreakers and I love the romance as well, but I think Ali's writing has improved in Paper Hearts and the plot of Paper Hearts is so well thought out... I can't decide! Also it's been a while since I read the first book (it's sitting right next to me at the moment), so I couldn't provide an honest, unbiased opinion since I just read Paper Hearts. 
Anyway, my point is both books are fantastic and I hope all of you romance lovers will pick them up. There are some cliches but who doesn't love a good cliche? There's a good and bad way to use cliches, and these stories are the good cliches. 
I'd give Paper Hearts 8/10 stars, it was a fantastic novel. One that, like the first book, had me squealing in delight, so much so that my cat got freaked out and ran from my bedroom, but hey, it was worth it. One of the most exciting things for me while reading Paper Hearts was seeing the other Heartbreakers as well as Stella. I was waiting since the beginning to run into the other boys and when we finally did !!! I was seriously excited. Don't get me wrong, I did really like the characters introduced in this book, but seeing old (old being I've already met them) characters just made my heart jump with joy.
My one little eh about this book was how quick everything went. It didn't quite feel like instalove, but the attraction between Alec and Felicity sparked up very quickly. Sure, there can be attraction at first sight, but they seemed to develop a deep connection with each other very quickly. And the looking back, I realize that most of the book happened in a couple days making the romance look a whole lot more rushed and quick. Like to me, that definitely wouldn't be love yet. Still, it was only a little problem. Not one that irked me throughout the entire book, I actually really enjoyed it mostly while reading it. Just sometimes when the drama would go down I would think hold up, how long have you two known each other? 
Alec is very sweet, but then again I already knew that from my previous experience with both versions of the Heartbreakers (the Wattpad and the published version). It was nice being able to spend more time with him in this book. He's the quiet, not brooding but deep one. While the shy type isn't exactly my type when it comes to books (except in real life I've been known to like shy guys so...), I couldn't help but swoon a bit over Alec in this book. He's just such a sweetheart. I always enjoy seeing the Heartbreakers around each other-- they're just so cute and fun together. 
Felicity, I didn't mind her. It's not like I absolutely loved  her character, but I understood where she came from, and why she did the things she did. She didn't annoy me, but I just didn't love her. All in all, I think she's a good match for Alec. She's very hardworking and diligent, which I appreciated .
"Hatred takes up more space in your heart than you realize, and it doesn't leave room for things like love and joy." 

Synopsis: 
"I'm sorry," he said, slowly untying the ribbon that held his mask in place. "It's just-I didn't want you to think of me any differently." 
Somehow I kept my mouth from falling open. I knew his face, but my mind couldn't accept that he was the person looking down at me. 
"My real name is Alec."
Felicity has her entire future planned. Ever since her older sister ran away, she's had the full weight of her mother's expectations on her shoulders. So she works hard to get straight As and save for college. 
Except sometimes the best things in life are unplanned-like when Felicity meets a handsome, masked stranger while she is volunteering at a charity masquerade ball. She never thought he'd flirt with her. And she certainly never thought he'd turn out to be a member of the world-famous Heartbreakers band, Alec. 
Then Felicity uncovers a shocking family secret. Suddenly, she, Alec, and her two best friends are off on a road trip to find Felicity's missing sister. And she's about to discover that unexpected turns have a peculiar way of landing her right where she needs to be...

(Also just side note about the tagline on the front: HOW IS ALEC THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN HELP HER FIND HER SISTER? He has a car, but yeah.) 
Anyway, thanks for reading, 
Anj

Coming Up For Air is the 8th and possibly final book in Miranda Kenneally's Hundred Oaks Series. This is a series of companion novels, meaning each book centers around a different character / couple, but still includes characters from previous books. 
This novel follows 17-year-old Maggie as she struggles to balance her career (swimming) with relationships. All Maggie ever has time for is swimming. She's been training ever since she was a toddler to be an Olympic athlete, and she's so close to her dream... But all her swimming is holding her back from having a normal life and normal relationships, and Maggie's starting to realize that she might be missing out. 
All in all, this was not one of my favorite Hundred Oaks novels. The way the relationship starts (or at least, the physical part) was just so awkward and uncomfortable for me. I mean, yeah, the boy is cute and sweet, but just... I don't want to spoil you all, but it just was really awkward and weird. And I just felt really weird reading it. 
I really enjoyed the side characters and the relationships with them, as well as the cameos from my favorites from other books (looking at you, Jordan). Though, it's kind of weird seeing them all grown up. 
If you're reading this and haven't read any of the previous Hundred Oaks books, I highly recommend that you start at the beginning, with Catching Jordan. Not only will you be spoiled on the outcomes of previous books if you read later books first, but I thought the first couple books were the best in the series. I never got nearly as attached to the romances or the couples after the first few books, I still really enjoyed most of the novels, I just wasn't all in with them. They're still really good, cute books to read if you're in the mood for contemporaries and I love seeing other couples appear in later books. Basically this is a really fun, cutesy series that is great for anyone wanting a contemporary. 
I'd probably give Coming Up For Air 6/10 stars, it ended well, but something about the writing felt weird to me as well as just... the way the physical relationship started is just so weird and uncomfortable. Not my favorite in the series, but it's still worth the read. 
Synopsis: 

Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swim. Swim. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat.

All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships—she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic tryout, so Maggie feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to sacrifice in the water to win at love?

Since I think this is the last book in the series, I'll list the books favorite to least favorite: 

1. Stealing Parker 
1a. This is by far my favorite book in the series. Every time I reread I can't contain the giant grin spread across my face and my squeals of happiness from the sheer adorability of the story and its romance. (This is contradicting previous reviews, but just after so many rereads I have to say this is my favorite).
2.Catching Jordan
3. Jesse's Girl
4. Racing Savannah 
5. Breathe, Annie, Breathe
6. Defending Taylor 
7. Coming Up For Air 
8. Things I Can't Forget

Anyway, thanks for reading, 
​Anj

The best kind of villain is the kind you can almost sympathize with. The kind you can almost root for, or can at least understand. The kind that you almost don't want to see get defeated because they're just that good at being bad. 
Because You Love to Hate Me is an anthology of 13 stories about villains. Each of these stories are written by different authors (advertised as famous, but I've never heard of some of them // some of them don't have stories published?), with prompts from 13 famous book tubers. That's actually how it came to my attention. I find it amazing how these authors built fascinating worlds from the short little prompts. Like many bind ups of multiple stories, some stories were a hit with me and others were a miss. I'll give a quick overview of how I felt about each story. 
While reading this, I almost wanted to sleep while I continued reading it. See, I was tired and some stories I was just so done with, but others were actually worth the time. 

Synopsis:
Leave it to the heroes to save the world--villains just want to rule the world.

In this unique YA anthology, thirteen acclaimed, bestselling authors team up with thirteen influential BookTubers to reimagine fairy tales from the oft-misunderstood villains' points of view.

These fractured, unconventional spins on classics like "Medusa," Sherlock Holmes, and "Jack and the Beanstalk" provide a behind-the-curtain look at villains' acts of vengeance, defiance, and rage--and the pain, heartbreak, and sorrow that spurned them on. No fairy tale will ever seem quite the same again!

Featuring writing from . . .

Authors: Renée Ahdieh, Ameriie, Soman Chainani, Susan Dennard, Sarah Enni, Marissa Meyer, Cindy Pon, Victoria Schwab, Samantha Shannon, Adam Silvera, Andrew Smith, April Genevieve Tucholke, and Nicola Yoon

BookTubers: Benjamin Alderson (Benjaminoftomes), Sasha Alsberg (abookutopia), Whitney Atkinson (WhittyNovels), Tina Burke (ChristinaReadsYA blog and TheLushables), Catriona Feeney (LittleBookOwl), Jesse George (JessetheReader), Zoë Herdt (readbyzoe), Samantha Lane (Thoughts on Tomes), Sophia Lee (thebookbasement), Raeleen Lemay (padfootandprongs07), Regan Perusse (PeruseProject), Christine Riccio (polandbananasBOOKS), and Steph Sinclair & Kat Kennedy (Cuddlebuggery blog and channel).


The Blood of Imuriv by Renee Ahdieh
Prompt given by Christine Riccio (PolandbannasBOOKS) (aka my favorite booktuber) 
This story was good, despite my issues wth Ahdieh's books, she is a good writer. And the prompt? A hilarious prompt that only Christine would come up with. The story gives a good villain origin story, and actually made me want to read more. See the hero this villain would one day be up against, and the story that could come out of this world. 7/10 stars. (Also Christine's bit at the end was fantastic) 

Jack by Ameriie
Prompt given by Tina Burke (The Lushables) 
I'm going to be honest here, I did not like this story. The writing felt like something a seventh grader might write and the story and main character weren't compelling. In fact, this was one of those stories that I just wanted to be done with. This was not a villain I loved to hate, this was a villain that I didn't like in the slightest and found to be actually really irritating. Wait-- that's actually how I would describe how I would feel about the entire short story. 4/10 stars. 

Gwen and Art and Lance by Soman Chainani
Prompt Given by Samantha Lane (Thoughts on Tomes) 
Pretty good story, and while sure, Gwen did manipulate, I wouldn't exactly consider her a villain. This story is told in the from of texts, which made it rather unique and cool. I did enjoy reading this one-- it was a quick read, that actually did tell a story as well. 6.9/10 stars

Shirley & Jim by Susan Dennard 
Prompt Given by Sasha Alsberg (abookutopia) 
Two people I absolutely love! And this story was actually a lot of fun to read. Dennard is a great author, she wrote an intriguing story that I really wanted to see more of. In fact, could we get more of it? Haha. Even though I don't know anything about Sherlock, I still really enjoyed this story. 7.5/10 stars. 

The Blessing of Little Wants by Sarah Enni 
Prompt by Sophia Lee (thebookbasement) 
This story was okay. I didn't really care for it, but it was well written and the only reason it felt a little rushed was because it had to be a short story. The protagonist (or shall I say antagonist?) wasn't all that interesting. I didn't find myself rooting for her. 6/10 

The Sea Witch by Marissa Meyer 
Prompt given by Zoe Herdt (readbyzoe) 
Marissa Meyer is a great author, and of course she gave us a well written story. While it was a good story... I was definitely rooting against the main character (she's a little creepy), but you know... it's a good origin story for a villain, and this girl is definitely going to become a villain. It was a good story, though. 7/10 stars. 

Beautiful Venom by Cindy Pon 
Prompt given by Benjamin Alderson (Benjaminoftomes) 
THIS STORY WAS AMAZING. I've never even heard of Cindy Pon before, but her writing is beautiful. This was probably my favorite short story, scratch that. It was my favorite short story. 8/10 stars.

Death Knell by Victoria Schwab 
Prompt given by Jesse George (JessetheReader) 
Wow, I've never read anything by Victoria before, but her writing is beautiful. I'm definitely going to pick some of her books up soon. I liked this story, didn't love it but I liked it. It was beautifully written with a good story to tell. 7/10 stars. 

Marigold by Samantha Shannon 
Prompt by Regan Peruse (PeruseProject) 
I do love the Victorian Era type feel of this story, and the twist of it was fun. It really was a fun read, just not one that I absolutely loved, I mean I could see where it was going before it even got halfway through.  7/10 stars.  

You, You, it's All About You by Adam Silvera
Prompt by Catriona Feeney (Littlebookowl) 
Interestingly, this is written in 2nd person. I wasn't all that into the villain, but... I really enjoyed the twist at the end of the story with Karl. That made me want to read more into the story and the going ons in this world. 6.8/10 stars

Julian Breaks Every Rule by Andrew Smith 
Prompt given by Raeleen Lemay (padfootandprongs07)
This story was fun, but not all that interesting. It had a plot, but barely. 6/10 stars. 

Indigo and Shade by April Genevieve Tucholke
Prompt by Whitney Atkinson (WittyNovels) 
It had a haunting feel and I could see exactly where it was going. The protagonist wasn't really a villain at all, he was kind of dull, but I still did enjoy reading the story. 6.5/10 stars. 

Sera by Niccola Yoon
Prompt given by Steph Sinclair and Kat Kennedy (Cuddlebuggery) 
This story had an eerie feel to it. It wasn't anything riveting or that I was particularly attached to, though. It was okay. 6/10 stars. 

Something I found surprising about these stories was that a lot of the "villains" didn't actually feel like villains. Not in the way where they're supposed to be likable villains but in the way that they actually just don't really count as villains at all. 
Anyway, the average for this book is 6.6/10 stars. Overall, it's a fun read if you have the time to sit down. 

Thanks for reading, 
​Anj

Ready to be transported to an ancient world of war and magic? Reign of Serpents continues the journey of young Alexander of Macedon, as he works his way towards becoming Alexander the Great. Historical knowledge and fantasy are twisted together to form an enchanting series that will be sure to enrapture its readers. 
​Reign of Serpents is the third book in the Blood of Gods and Royals series. As mentioned previously this series follows Alexander before he became the Great. It seamlessly mixes fantasy with history, creating a fascinating story. The first two books are two of my favorites, if you have yet to read this series? What are you waiting for?! Go pick Legacy of Kings up now, if you need more convincing, I do have book reviews up for both of the previous books, so feel free to go check them out. (Legacy of Kings & Empire of Dust) 
Now, if I'm being completely honest here, this book was a little bit of a disappointment for me. A lot of the elements of the story felt rushed, or just too easy. Like a problem would be introduced, just to be resolved in the next few pages. For me, there wasn't much suspense in the story, because after a few times I realized all the issues would quickly be fixed. 
Also, while the unique use of third person present tense worked for the most part in the past books, it made the narrative feel strange at points as well as the reader feel a bit disconnected from the story. 
One of my biggest issues, though, was the way the story would cut out some of the most interesting scenes. For example, a character breaks out of being captured and must find a way to safely get away from their captor. This escape is not actually shown in the story, only described later as an after thought after they were already in relative safety. Then, another big time this showed up was when a character was killing someone, only it didn't show that happening. Just descried it later as, again, an afterthought. In fact, it seemed like a lot of the action didn't actually occur when our main characters present, or if it did, it wasn't described as it was happening. 
I believe that some of my issues with this book could have been resolved if it had only been a bit longer. The story was too crammed together. It was in a hurry to just get to the BIG moments, that it missed the small ones the hold a good tale together. 
I'm going to give Reign of Serpents 6/10 stars, it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either. I wasn't left yearning for the next book as the last two have left me. I was just done with the book, and that felt okay with me. I would recommend reading this one, though, if you've already read the first two. There are some very rewarding moments for fans of certain characters, and like I said before, it wasn't horrible. I certainly won't be quitting the series, I've come to far and am too invested in these characters' fates to leave them now. 
 Synopsis: 

New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman entwines the real scandals of history with epic fantasy in this action-packed follow-up to EMPIRE OF DUST.

In REIGN OF SERPENTS, the ancient power of Snake Blood threatens the known world. While Prince Alexander struggles with a very deadly inner demon, his betrothed, Zofia, is on her way to him, to unite their kingdoms…even as she begins to realize where her true allegiance lies. The fierce Cynane meets her match-not in her future husband, the deranged king of Illyria, but in her great-great-grandfather, Talus, possessor of Smoke Blood, who will teach her the true meaning of betrayal. And marooned together on an island in the Mediterranean, romantic tension blooms between Katerina and Hephaestion as they learn of lost civilizations and discover a device that could help them do the impossible: kill the last living god.

SPOILERS BELOW FOR REIGN OF SERPENTS 
One of the easiest *get out* scenarios that was in this book was the way Riel was killed. Sure, he might not actually be dead, but if he is... Really? That's how a God will go out? WITH A COMB? (Yes, I do realize that Jacob's blood is on the comb, but really? I think a God should go out in a more epic way.) 
Another easy scenario is when Kat uses the whale to kill the hydra. She got out before the hydra was actually killed, which also is an example of how the story doesn't actually show the good action moments. 
I have to say the only tie I was held in suspense and actually excited for the story was when I thought there would be a Kat Jacob reunion. AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN. Honestly really looking forward to the next book because I want my Kat Jacob reunion. I still can't tell what endgame is, I thought it was Kat and Heph, but after reading this book... It seemed like Jacob still had a decent shot. 
I didn't really care for the oracle of delphi character, I would have flipped out if she and Jacob became a thing-- I thought it was going in that direction, but thankfully no. She left so thanks oracle character. 
I'm looking forward to seeing more of Alex in the next book-- I do love his character. And I was perfectly okay with us not seeing too much of Cyn, she aggravates the hell out of me, and Zofia? yeah, I still don't love her. She annoys me. 

Anyway, thanks for reading, 
​Anj