Review: The Art of Lainey

THE ART OF LAINEY

by Paula Stokes

Pages: 384

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: May 20th 2014

ISBN: 0062238426

Summary 

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.
And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.
What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be?

Review

"Standing up for yourself is about more than flinging barbed-wire insults around. It's about picking your battles, knowing when to fight, knowing exactly what and who is worth fighting for."

What do you do when your seemingly perfect boyfriend walks straight up to you - at work, in front of EVERYONE - and dumps you? Well, I think if that happened to me there would be a sprinkling of anger and a whole heap load of wallowing. But for Lainey Mitchell it's all about getting her boyfriend back. And with a little help from her best friend and a certain warlord it looks like she might just be able to pull it off. But here the thing, does Lainey really want him back?

The Art of Lainey is by far one of my favourite contemporary reads of 2014. I was a little dubious going into it because there had been so much hype in the blogging world about this soccer (correctly known as football) playing protagonist but I'm happy to announce that it definitely lives up to the name it's carved out for itself! The story and the characters were both fun and intriguing to read about. The mix of social circles made for an interesting hook to the plot and the way in which the characters progressed and developed throughout the book was really kind of moving.

Being a devotee of The Bad Boy movement I have to say that this book stole my heart a little. Micah is hot! Full stop end of story hot that makes you wan to head to a heavy metal concert and find yourself your own mohawked boyfriend. He's a sexy punk book boyfriend with a big heart and I couldn't get enough of him. He has his flaws, which I think makes him all the more endearing and his character compliments Lainey's perfectly making them all the more likeable.

"I Just figured instead of obsessing about what is out of your hands, why not control the things you can?"

Lainey has to try and find a way to accept her new reality in this book and that reality is one without her seemingly perfect boyfriend Jason. She has to be able to change and adapt to new friends and opportunities otherwise they might pass her by leaving her to come to terms with all the changes in her life on her own. Lainey's development throughout the story was probably my favourite part. The plot had the occasional cliche but it was the way that Lainey discovered who she was and was able to look outside of little bubble and find happiness and contentment that really made this book special.

"I know what you're saying I guess I'm just wondering how we know when to give up and move on."

This book is about Lainey learning who she is. It's about her gaining perspective on her life and seeing that maybe the way she is isn't the best she can be. Again it's Lainey inability to change that stops her from really enjoying herself and it's a constant threat throughout the book. From a lover of lists myself I get needed to make a plan and stick to it, but if only she had been more susceptible to Micah in the beginning she could have saved herself a whole lot of heart ache.

The Art of Lainey is an enjoyable, funny and endearing book that is perfect for the end of summer. I highly recommend this book and for any of you going through a rough breakup it will help remind you that maybe, just maybe it wasn't the worst thing in the world. Everything happens for a reason right? 

"All the ladies love the mohawk."

GIVEAWAY (UK)

Paula was very lovely and send a large bag of Lainey swag my way and there was plenty to split between a couple of giveaways. SO if you didn't win last time here's your second chance! 

I also have a copy of The Art of Lainey to giveaway too.

ONE winner will win both swag and book! 

Good Luck xx

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: On The Fence

On The Fence

by Kasie West

Number of Pages: 320

Publication Date: July 1st 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

ISBN: 0062235672

Summary

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.
Fun, original, and endearing, On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect.

Review

Oh where to start, where to start! I've been so excited about reading this book and when I finally got my hands on it I didn't believe my luck. It's actually killed me knowing it's been sitting on my kindle but I've had other books to read! But I've read it now and OH MY GOD I LOVED IT! The character's are exciting and new, the plot is well written and perfectly executed. It's everything you could want from a YA contemporary read this summer. You're going to love it!! 

Now, if you've read my reviews recently you'll have probably picked up on the fact I struggle with a dual narrative and I am happy to say that On The Fence is told from a singular point of view. You have no idea how happy that made me, seriously! Instead this was told from the point of view of one Charlie Reynolds. Charlie is a tomboy in every possible way, which might have something to do with the fact her mum died when she was six and she has spent the majority of her life around her dad, three older brothers and rather sexy next door neighbour. However, after being caught speeding - again - Charlie has to get a job and said job leads her into the unfamiliar world of girlie. 

With a story like this you tend to have one of two things happen with the plot line. Firstly the whole book centres around the love story, which is fine but sometimes you need something extra to keep you interested and to stop the book becoming mindless drivel. Or secondly, the author tries to imprint some kind of complex dilemma to liven up the plot. Which again can be okay, but also has a habit of becoming cliché or taking over ever aspect of the book. When that happens you're left with more of a mystery/thriller than a contemporary. So I am more than happy to report that neither of these were the case with On The Fence. Kasie cleverly intertwined a deeper plot line that gave the book the depth it needed but as it subtly unfolded throughout the book it didn't completely overshadow everything else. After all, this is a story about finding yourself, about first loves, friendship and family. It's about knowing you're the only person who can define who you are and if the whole 'mum' plot line had been anymore than it was some of those things would have gotten lost.

If there was ever a book to make you wish you had older brothers then this is it! Jeeze, from the very beginning I was ready to trade in my younger brother for an older model. Gage, Nathan and Jerom are complete goofballs that treat Charlie like one of the boys. Throwing her around, kicking her butt or at least trying to. However, Charlie can match her over protective siblings at pretty much anything. It's these scenes that made the book for me, constantly placing a smile on my face! 

Oh and then there's Braden! Even though this was a single narrative you were given all the information you needed on his story too. He's swoon worthy personified and the perfect boy next door. Braden has his own issues to deal with throughout the book but they only make him more fascinating to unravel. 

Overall I loved this book! I had high expectations and it did not disappoint. Charlie was a honest, real and easy to connect with character. Her story was compelling and inspiring. The love story was beyond adorable and above all else, it was completely unputdownable. Another great book for summer and I hope you all get to read it soon because it really is worth a read. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Edelweiss to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

The Geography of You and Me

The Geography of You and Me

by Jennifer E. Smith

Publishing Date: April 15th 2014

Publisher: Headline

ISBN: 1472206290

Received from: Headline Publishers via BookBridgr

Summery (From Back Cover) 

Owen Lives in the basement. Lucy lives on the 24th floor. But when the power goes out in the midst of a New York heatwave, they find themselves together for the first time: stuck in a lift between the 10th and 11th floors. As they await help, they start talking...The brief time they spend together leaves a mark. And as their lives take them to Edinburgh and San Francisco, to Prague and to Portland they can't shake the memory of the time they shared. Postcards cross the globe when they themselves can't, as Owen and Lucy experience the joy - and pain - of first love.And as they make their separate journeys in search of home, they discover that sometimes it is a person rather than a place that anchors you most in the world. 

Review

This is my first Jennifer E. Smith book and as excited as I was to read The Geography of You and Me, I was also a little dubious. I'd heard some mix reviews, some saying it's the best thing since sliced bread, while others said it dragged on. And the strange thing? I think both opinions are correct. I really enjoyed this book but I'm not entirely sure anything actually happened. But I'm getting ahead of myself, lets start with the story.

Lucy, a sixteen-year-old rich New Yorker and Owen, the seventeen-year-old son of Lucy's building manager get trapped in an elevator when the power goes out in New York City. They're only stuck for a short period but that time was enough for them to catch each others attention and they end up spending the rest of the evening walking around a powerless city, eating melted ice-cream and staring up at the stars. It almost seems too perfect and when the power comes back on their lives start to take them in opposite directions. But Lucy and Owen can't shake each other. They refuse to let the other go. Can they make the whole long distance thing work? Were they ever meant to be more than just friends? And is one night really enough to base a relationship on?

"The map was as good as a door swinging shut. And the geography of the thing - the geography of them - was completely and hopelessly wrong."

If you're not one for romance heavy books then you probably won't like this. The whole focus of The Geography of You and Me is how and if Lucy and Owen can be together. It's so sweet it will give you tooth ache. But isn't that what summer reading is all about? The conversations between our two lovestruck teens are adorable, sarcy and put a smile on my face almost instantly. Lucy wants to see the world, she wants to wander Europe and be free, while Owen has this innate sense of responsibility towards his father. Everything is against these two, and I think that's what makes it all the most endearing.

I had a couple of issues with the whole changing location part of the book - which seems ridiculous being as it's the whole point of the story - but there you go. I just found that because there was such a big gap between each chapter (time frame wise) that the story itself felt a little choppy. Also, while I'm nit-picking, I struggled with the third person point of view. It got confusing at times, and I'd forget who I was meant to be reading from. I think it would have worked better in first person as we would have gotten two distinct voices and I feel it would have made it easier to follow. But as I said before, I'm nit-picking!

You'll either be a lover or a hater of this book. It's subtle and not one to skim through as you'll miss all the little things. Jennifer E. Smith is a literary goddess when it comes to adding in the details, and it was really clever the way in which both Lucy and Owen's thoughts crossed over throughout different sections of the book. And things one did at the beginning the other mirrored towards the end, adding yet another layer of sweetness to this little love story. It's not a life changing novel, but it is the perfect easy read for the upcoming summer. I fully recommend it to all you contemporary lovers out there and I hope you enjoy it.

"Even before he flipped it over to find the note, he was thinking the very same thing: that he wished more than anything she was here, too. And just like that, his heart - that dead thing inside of him - came to life again."

**I received this book as an ARC from Headline & BookBridgr to read and review. This is a 100% honest review**

Now, to switch things up a little we have a second review from the lovely Sam over at The Book Corner. You can find this review on her blog, but if you haven't read it yet then here you go. No need to thank me, I just love spoiling you! Enjoy and let us know what you think.

Although I have another book by Jennifer E Smith sitting on my bookshelf I have not yet read it. So this was my first encounter with this author. There has been a lot of hype surrounding this book on Twitter and Booktube and I was expecting great. 

The story idea is a good one, Lucy and Owen both live in New York in the same apartment block, one day the city loses power and they both happen to get stuck in a lift together. They begin to talk to help pass the time until someone comes to rescue them. After this night they have both left lasting impressions on each other. As their lives take them down different paths, they find themselves in opposite directions of the globe. 

On visiting a new place they send each other postcards keeping in touch, a small joke between them that was started after that fateful night. 

We follow Owen and Lucy as they move from city to city - something that I particularly enjoyed reading about as a keen traveler myself this appealed to me. The description of the cities was excellent and the book flowed well. 

I would say that at times I thought the book was moving a little slowly and a chunk in the middle felt like not a lot happened. I found that the story picked up again around part 3 and really enjoyed the book from this point. 

The story is told from both Lucy and Owen's point of view and we learn bits about their family from their own perspective. I particularly enjoyed reading Lucy and knowing more about her life. I felt sorry for her at times that she was always left at home while her parents went off traveling without her. I also feel that the relationship Lucy had with her mum was very real, and a mistake like not asking a question can dramatically change things. If only Lucy had asked to be taken away maybe she would have been.

I didn't feel like I connected as well with Owen and his family, there were times when I really enjoyed reading about him, especially with his dad but I found him a bit depressing, a lot of the time he would be down about his mum and didn't seem to ever have anything to look forward to, this was until I would say getting into part 3 of the book and this is where I began to enjoy his character more. 

The story is a sweet one, but not a massive page turner for me. This gives you hope and faith that long distance relationships can work if you want them to. 

Overall I did enjoy the book, it was not taxing and quite a light read. I did not find that it gripped me but I loved to read about places in the world to visit and I liked the idea of how a long distance relationship like this could work.  

WoW #7

On The Fence
by Kasie West

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: July 1st 2014

Language: English

ISBN: 0062235672

  

"Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn't know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she's got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she's falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Fun, original, and endearing, On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect."

Why I'm waiting...

I'm on a complete and utter YA Contemp binge at the moment. I just can't get enough!! This looks like one of those books that i'm just got going to get enough of, and fingers crossed there's a book boyfriend in there as well. I'm almost giddy with excitement about this one guys and I can't really tell you why... I'm sure a fangirl when it comes to Kasie West its unreal. 

What are you waiting for this fine Wednesday?

Cover Reveal - Whatever Life Throws at You

WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT YOU
JULIE CROSS

Release Date: 7th October 2014

Entangled Teen

Summary (via GoodReads)

Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas is too young to remember her dad's glory days as a pitcher for the Yankees. So when her father is offered a coaching position with the Kansas City Royals, Annie is intrigued to see the baseball side of her dad. Of course, knowing he'll be a mentor to hot young rookie pitcher, Jason Brody, certainly makes it more enticing. 

About the Author

Julie Cross is the International Bestselling author of the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex and the final instalment, Timestorm (St. Martin's Press). She's also the author of Letters to Nowhere (8/13), a mature young adult romance set in the world of elite gymnastics, as well as several forthcoming young adult and new adult novels with publishers like Entangled, Sourcebooks, HarperCollins, and St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books. 

Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She's a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former Gymnastics Program Director with YMCA. She's a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres. Outside of her reading and writing credibility's, Julie Cross is a committed - but not talented - long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict. You can find her online vis Twitter, her personal website, email, Facebook, Goodreads, or co-moderating the YAwriters section of reddit. 

Author Links:

http://huliecross.blogspot.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3429117.Julie_Cross

http://www.twitter.com/Juliecross1980

http://www.facebook.com/FansOfJulieCross

Cover Love

This round of Cover Lovin' is all about the YA Contemporary Romance. Some of my favourite covers are romance covers - there's something enchanting about them that makes you want to delve into its covers and immerse yourself in it's love story. I've managed to narrow down my cover love pick to 4 up and coming YA Contemporary Romances. 

No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown

Published: December 9th 2014

Harper Teen

The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder

Published: April 10th 2014

Razorbill

ISBN: 1595145141

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Published: April 15th 2014

Dial Books for Young Readers

ISBN: 0803739095

Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour

Published: May 15th 2014

Dutton Juvenile

ISBN: 0525425888

So what do you think?