Tag: Young Adult

[New Post] ARC Review: Be Kind Rewind by Melissa Brown

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Title: Be Kind Rewind

Author: Melissa Brown

Page count: 294

Published: February 15th, 2022

Publisher: Valentine PR

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Received: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 4/5

A 90s nostalgia, enemies to lovers novel from Melissa Brown, set in her brand new Spotlight Video Series!

She’s always dreamed of living her life in the spotlight. But for now, she’s just another college student working at Spotlight Video.

The year is 1994 and Naomi Parker has always dreamed of being in the movies. She’s hoping to make that dream a reality by enrolling in the best performing arts program the Midwest has to offer. But respected programs cost money…lots of it…and her scholarship will only go so far. To make ends meet, Naomi gets a job at the most popular video store on campus, Spotlight Video, and she quickly becomes part of its unique culture. There’s only one employee she can’t stand, the Assistant Manager, Buzzkill Ben.

Ben Watson is tired of the employee revolving door at Spotlight Video. He’s tired of people calling in sick, blowing off work, and treating the place like a bar with no cover charge. As the Assistant Manager, he works hard to balance work and school so that he can make something of himself when he graduates. There’s only one problem…he can’t get the newest employee out of his head. She’s just like all the others—she’s constantly late, doesn’t take things seriously and questions his authority. But she’s also nothing like the others, or anyone he’s ever met, and that’s the problem.

Will working closely together spark a romantic interest between these very different people, or will Ben be a buzzkill after all?

I grew up in the ’90s so this book brought back so many nostalgic feels. It was like I was teleported into the past. Makes me miss going into Blockbuster and picking out a movie(s) with my dad and grabbing popcorn or some candy that was at the front to watch with the movies.
Naomi and Ben are going to college and working at Spotlight Video. Naomi is going to university in Chicago majoring in Musical Theater to become an actress. Ben works at Spotlight Video as the assistant manager. With everyone that works there, it felt a little like the Breakfast Club esk. There were laugh-out-loud moments, tons of movie references, lingo, and a time before the world of social media. This was a great blast from the past.

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[New Post] ARC Review: Then You Saw Me by Carrie Aarons

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Title: Then You Saw Me

Author: Carrie Aarons

Page count: 248

Published: August 9th, 2021

Publisher: N/A

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Received: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 4/5

You know what’s guaranteed to send your heart into your throat? Opening the front door of your off-campus house to find the boy you had a crush on all through high school telling you he’s the new subletter.

Of course, he barely knew I existed back then, and still doesn’t even though we attend the same university. But in a house of six college kids, it should be easy to remain invisible while carrying a torch for him. After all, I’m skilled at being overlooked and playing second fiddle.

Except Austin Van Hewitt, my hometown’s golden boy, doesn’t get the memo. After we throw our first party of the year, I’m on his radar and somehow my lips miraculously end up on his. The budding romance is one I’ve always dreamt about. As he shows more and more interest, I push aside the plaguing insecurity of never being good enough.

But then a letter shows up in our mailbox. A time capsule I wrote to myself when I was fifteen. You know, the kind where a teacher sends it to you years later? Guess who opens it by mistake and reads all about how I plan on marrying him and having his babies one day? Did I mention I signed it using his last name?

Mortifying would be an understatement. After he starts pulling away, I’m once again the girl in the background hoping that someone will understand me enough to pay me all of their attention.

The old me, the one conditioned to settle for what she’s given, would back down. This time, though, if I want everything I almost held in my hands, I’ll have to speak up. I’ll have to admit exactly how I feel, fight for the love that was blossoming. And I’m not sure what’s scarier; voicing my inner thoughts or facing his ultimate rejection.

This is the first book that I have read by this author.
Taya is shocked to see her kid crush to whom she has been in love with for years. They haven’t seen one another in years but she hasn’t forgotten him. Maybe now she will be able to get his attention this time around. Austin ends up reading a letter that Taya had wrote when they were teenagers, After Austin a They have a unique bond, you can tell right from the start that they were going to fall head over heals in love with one another. They both have issues with their families but there bond is like no either so that’s not going to stop them.

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[New Post] ARC Review: #Murderfunding by Gretchen McNeil

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Title: #Murderfunding

Author: Gretchen McNeil

Page count: 336

Published: August 6th, 2019

Publisher: Freeform

Genre: YA Thriller

Received: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 3/5

WELCOME TO WHO WANTS TO BE A PANIAC?, the latest reality TV show on the hunt for the next big-hit serial killer. But don’t worry—no one is actually going to murder anyone, as real as the fake gore and pretend murder may appear . . . uh, right?

Seventeen-year-old Becca Martinello is about to find out. When her perfectly normal soccer mom dies in a car crash, a strange girl named Stef appears to let Becca know that her deceased mom was none other than one of Alcatraz 2.0’s most popular serial killers—Molly Mauler. Soon, Becca ends up on Who Wants to Be a Painiac? to learn the truth about her mom’s connection to Molly Mauler, but things turn sinister when people are murdered IRL. Will Becca uncover dark secrets and make it out of the deadly reality show alive? Or will she get cut?

For me this book wasn’t as good as the first one. I had a hard time connecting with the story an the plot. I wish that i was able to enjoy it because i loved the first one so much.

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[New Post] ARC Review: Saving Everest by Sky Chase

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Title: Saving Everest

Author: Sky Chase

Page count: 360

Published: October 22nd, 2019

Publisher: Netgalley

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Received: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 2/5

From the outside, Everest has it all, but there’s only one person who can see him for who he truly is . . . and it changes his life forever.

In this tender, poignant debut novel by newcomer Sky Chase, two teenagers on the cusp of adulthood learn to embrace life in ways neither of them ever anticipated.

Everest is the most popular boy in school. He’s handsome, wealthy, and captain of the football team—he has the world at his fingertips, but he’s desperately unhappy. And when those feelings become too much to bear, he tries to take his own life.

On the surface, Beverly’s different from Everest in every possible way. She’s quiet, shy, hard working, and keeps to herself on campus, focusing on her schoolwork and her part-time job, distracting herself from her less-than-perfect upbringing.

When Everest returns to school after his attempt, he’s in more pain than ever. Discarded by his friends, he draws little empathy and too much attention from those who surround him. But when Beverly and Everest meet unexpectedly in a dusty corner of the old library, they discover together just how rich life can be when given the freedom to just be yourself.

Before I get into my review, this could have just been the mood that I was in when I had read it, that being said. This book wasn’t as good as I thought it was going to be. The synopsis made it sound more interesting than it actually was.

There were a lot of moments that could have been improved imo.

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[New Post] ARC Review: Making Her Mine by Monica Murphy

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Title: Making Her Mine

Author: Monica Murphy

Page count: 450

Published: January 13th, 2022

Publisher: Valentine PR

Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance

Received: From the Publisher/Author in exchange for an honest review

Rating: 5/5

Beck Callahan.

Star defensive Lineman.

Most popular boy on campus.

One of my best friends.

He’s always been off limits because I know a relationship with him could never work. Like, ever. He’s too perfect, too sweet, too good looking. Taking what we have a step further has the potential to ruin everything, and his friendship is too important to me.

So I keep it friendly, always with my feelings locked up tight. We talk. We date other people.

Until the beginning of senior year, one night at a party. When lines are blurred and eventually crossed. It was the best night of my life. A night I will never forget. Or regret. It’s all I can think about. He’s all I can think about.

But I’m also a little spooked. Beck says all the right things, and his sweet words make me feel…everything. He’s determined to make me his.

Should I let him? Or do I risk losing him as my boyfriend and my best friend?

This book was such a sweet and perfect childhood friends to lover’s book. Beck is the sweetest guy which matched perfectly with Addie because she was the sweetest. Beck would do anything and everything to be able to protect Addie and she is one of the most generous female leads that I have read in a while it was so refreshing to read.
With them being childhood friends, they were able to intensify their connection and make a beautiful and compelling story.

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