Review: If I Was Your Girl – Meredith Russo

 

Title: If I Was Your Girl
Author: Meredith Russo
Genre: YA, Contemporary, LGBTQ
Release Date: May 3rd 2016
Rating: ★★★☆☆/★★★★★
Goodreads // Amazon

 

 

A new kind of big-hearted novel about being seen for who you really are.

Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. Like anyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret, and she’s determined not to get too close to anyone.

But when she meets sweet, easygoing Grant, Amanda can’t help but start to let him into her life. As they spend more time together, she realizes just how much she is losing by guarding her heart. She finds herself yearning to share with Grant everything about herself, including her past. But Amanda’s terrified that once she tells him the truth, he won’t be able to see past it.

Because the secret that Amanda’s been keeping? It’s that at her old school, she used to be Andrew. Will the truth cost Amanda her new life, and her new love?

Meredith Russo’s If I Was Your Girl is a universal story about feeling different?and a love story that everyone will root for.

 

Hello friendly bookworms,

Today’s book is a YA featuring a trans protagonist. While I was not hugely fond of this book, there were parts I enjoyed, and it is a good read until the climax of the story..hence the 3 stars rating.

If I Was Your Girl is written in the present day, and in Amanda‘s POV. It is written by a transgender author about a transgender main character named Amanda who’s in her senior year of high school.
After she was bullied and beaten in a women’s bathroom, she moves to Lambertville to live with her father who didn’t really cope well with her transition.
Now that she can be herself without worrying about people’s reaction and be known as Amanda, she makes friends and starts dating this guy called Grant. But, secrets don’t stay secret for long, right? How will her friends and boyfriend react when they know the truth?

There are some stuff I found troublesome while reading, like the chapters; They skip back and forth between present and a few years ago back when Amanda was Andrew. That had gotten me dizzy trying to remember the time shift if it’s in present day or not.

Another thing is this Bee girl (Amanda’s first friend). She’s a Bisexual character that develops a crush on Amanda but then outs her when she’s rejected, in front of the entire school at Homecoming. (won’t say more so I wouldn’t spoil the whole thing)

The third thing is this book  had an open ending…I, personally, don’t do good with open endings, I find it problematic!! I like a finished book that states an obvious ending.

Lastly, the author Meredith Russo acknowledges at the end of her book that this is a fictionalised look at ONE transgender experience!!

 

“I wasn’t sorry I existed any more. I deserved to live. I deserved to find love. I knew now – I believed, now – that I deserved to be loved.”

 

If you’re curious enough and like such themes, give it a go 🙂

Happy reading.

ARC Review: Girl Without a Face – Medeia Sharif

Title: Girl Without a Face
Author: Medeia Sharif
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Release Date: March 3rd 2017
Rating: ★★★☆☆/★★★★★
Goodreads

 

 

 

Destiny awakes with amnesia. She’d been driving on a wet road, about to leave flowers at a memorial marker of a deceased classmate, when she almost met that same fate.

Her mother, Mildred, is beyond restrictive, and she doesn’t want Destiny to have her cellphone back. A nurse sneaks it into her room, but it’s useless without the passcode. After her hospital stay, her mother becomes physically abusive.

Destiny and the boy she’s developing feelings for decide to drive around to spark her memory. She’s positive she crashed near a memorial marker. When they find the place in question, and when Destiny remembers her phone’s passcode, nothing is as it seems—and Mildred is crazier than she first thought.

 

*ARC kindly provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review*

 

I saw this book on Netgalley, and as much as the description lured me in, I couldn’t help but give it 3 stars.

The book tells the story of Destiny, a 17 year old girl who wakes up in hospital suffering from amnesia.
I was pretty excited about this story because the description sounded so interesting and had me intrigued but honestly…the plot was easy and predictable. Also it was such a fast and quick read,
Destiny is a good, very trusting and innocent character. Her relationship with Gabriel becomes addictive the more you read!! I enjoyed their relationship at the end.
I had an issue with the mother’s behavior..she obviously got problems.

If you’re looking for an easy and enjoyable, read, give this young adult book a try.

 

Happy reading!

 

Review: Tear Stained Beaches – Courtney Giardina

 

Title: Tear Stained Beaches
Author: Courtney Giardina
Genre: Contemporary, Chick-lit
Release Date: February 19th 2013
Rating: ★★★☆☆/★★★★★
Goodreads // Amazon

 

 

Haylie Julian wants nothing more than to put her crumbling marriage back together. Chase used to be a fun-loving, light hearted husband who has lately become an overworked attorney obsessed with climbing the corporate ladder. It isn’t long before Haylie starts waking up next to a man she barely knows. His secretive phone calls and late nights at the office leave her feeling alone and afraid of what he might be hiding. Ignoring his continuous pleas to just leave well enough alone, she continues to dig for answers and discovers a heartbreaking truth.

Struggling with what she has just learned, Haylie sets off to a quaint little North Carolina beach town to decide if her marriage can survive. It isn’t long after she arrives that her world is once again turned upside down as Chase’s secret stares her right in the face.

 

Hello!!

This book was about the struggles, the trust and the fidelity in a marriage. It was a quick read, though the whole story and situation in it was too predictable.

The plot is good, I liked how we were given a female who stood up for herself, took the commitment of marriage seriously unlike some books where they would have the woman going back to the cheating partner and endure whatever is thrown in her way.

The book starts out as Haylie and Chase are married (with flashbacks to how they met and got together). Haylie is questioning her marriage, and is almost sure that her husband, Chase, is cheating on her. Clear signs were flashing in her face but remains in denial. She starts investigating just to find the truth staring her in the face.
She heading out of town to think about things, her marriage, her life.. during her time out, she meets and befriends a girl named Meghan. Eventually, Haylie has to confront Chase and make a decision.

Did Haylie forgive Chase? Or is she moving on without him? Well, you have to read the book to find out! 😉

Happy reading!!

Review: Fear Us (Broken Love #3) – B. B Reid

 

Title: Fear Us (Broken Love #3)
Author: B.B Reid
Genre: Dark romance, Adult contemporary, New adult, Erotic romance
Release Date: September 22nd 2015
Rating: ★★★☆☆/★★★★★
Goodreads // Amazon

 

 

 

KEENAN
It’s been four years since I ran away—from home, my brother, and my maybe father. I created a life free of expectations while pretending I wasn’t being hunted by all of the above. I managed to stay under the radar all this time… or so I thought. When big brother shows up and saves my ass, I’m forced to face everything I left behind, including her.

SHELDON
It’s been four years since I became another statistic. I made a lot of mistakes when it came to Keenan Masters. The first was loving him at all. He took something from me the night he left, and when I told him I still loved him, he told me he’d always hate me. After that, I learned how to be okay… until he came back. Gone was the boy who always knew how to make me laugh, and in his place was a cold, arrogant monster

 

Hello!!!!

Back again with the third book in the Broken Love series. This book is about Keenan and Sheldon and it is told from their POV.

Four years earlier, Keenan found that he was living a lie; His father wasn’t really his dad,  Keiran turned to be his REAL brother, and he girl he loves (or thought he does)? Abandoned him when he needed her badly. Being all alone and angry, what does he do? He ran from everybody just to return differently..seeking revenge.

Sheldon was the girl who was madly and hopelessly in love with Keenan.. she even forgave him for cheating despite her heart breaking each time he was unfaithful to her (guuurl, why -_-).
Eventually, when she found out about his affair with their teacher, she broke their relationship off and left him. She was sassy and feisty at some point and had tried to understand him but, at the same time, she didn’t want to get hurt by him.

“I hated him for everything he forced me though for love. In the end, what hurt the most was he got to be the one to leave and I was left holding the shattered pieces.”

 

My issue with Sheldon was with her attitude at some moments in the book. She got so fixated on Keenan when she should’ve been obsessed with her daughter (helloo?????!!)

The new Keenan made me so angry…He was worse than Keiran. Couldn’t believe the stuff he did to hurt sheldon. I get that Keenan was basically raised by Keiran and had his own issues but, one’s dark past does not make an excuse for a person to be an asshole; he was abusive (choking and burning and being a total dick) and bitter over the fact Sheldon left him (after he cheated on her!!! She FORGAVE him several times, but now that she got her things together and chose a path, he couldn’t understand that? really? wow….). He was different in the first two books though..

Answers are about to be gotten within the fourth book  AND find out about Willow & Dash‘s relationship.

Enjoy!

Review: Fear me (Broken Love #1) – B. B Reid

 

Title: Fear Me (Broken Love #1)
Author: B.B Reid
Genre: Dark romance, Adult contemporary, New adult, Erotic romance
Release Date: January 26th 2015
Rating: ★★★☆☆/★★★★★
Goodreads // Amazon

 

 

I don’t believe in fairy tales and Prince Charming.

I believe in fear.

He taught me how to be afraid.

We first met on a playground on a wonderful summer day. It was the first time he hurt me and it wouldn’t be the last. For ten years, he’s been my tormentor and I’ve been his forbidden. But then he went away, and yet I was still afraid.

Now he’s back and wants more than just my tears. You see…he thinks I sent him away so now he wants revenge…and he knows just how to get it.

 

Hello,

Broken Love is a dark romance series composed of 5 books (adult content and sensitive themes +18)

I have a love-hate relationship with this book..The thing that did  bother me is this story took place with the characters in high school. The content was very adult and based on the violence and the amount of power Kieran has, I feel that it would have been better if the characters are a little older (couple of years or so). As well as the bullying and forcing someone into something..not sure how to feel about that.

The first book in the series; Fear Me is told mostly from Lake’s POV

It opens up to Lake (one of the main characters) not being so welcoming to her senior high school year. That of course is because of her tormentor (of 10 freaking years) Keiran Masters‘ release from juvenile. For ten years, Keiran was bullying and hating her (for unknown reasons that you’ll find out later).

“I don’t believe in Fairy-tales and Prince Charming.

I believe in fear.

He taught me how to be afraid.

We first met on a playground during a wonderful summer day. It was the first time he hurt me and it wasn’t the last. For ten years he’s been my tormentor and I’ve been his forbidden. But then he went away and yet I was still afraid.

Now he’s back and wants more than just my tears. You see…he thinks I sent him away so now he wants revenge…and he knows just how to get it.”

 

We go back in time to their first meeting as children, then as the story developes, we learn the reason why he’s torturing Lake and what was the cause of sending him away. The story follows them in present as Kieran returns; He hated Lake so much and he demanded her fear. I frankly think he did so because of his fear of her and what she could do to him; more precisely, what she could make him feel. Heading toward, the story shifts and there appears to be a mystery to be solved.

Keiran is a very complex character. Lake is the object of his unhealthy obsession. He’s hateful, dominant, possessive, a bully and relentless.

Lake, the victimized innocent girl that endures Keiran’s cruel taunts without making any attempt to defend herself. I was left very frustrated with how weak she was, letting him do whatever he wanted. Why did she not fight back and why was she scared? I think she has a masochistic hunger for the pain.

The Book ends with a set of shocker (surpriiiiiiiiiiise) that will make you want to read the 2nd book “Fear You” as soon as you can.

Happy reading!