Review: My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris

Author: Rachel Harris

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release Date: September 18th 2012

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy/Time Travel
 

Blurb: 

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore. Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

About the Author:

Author of fun & flirty romance about sassy girls-next-door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Vibrant settings and strong families are a staple of all my books...and kissing. Lots of kissing.

I homeschool my two beautiful girls and watch countless hours of reality television with my amazing husband. I write YA, NA, and Adult romance and LOVE talking with readers!

My Review:

There was so much awesomeness going down in this book. Gorgeous setting? Check. Time travel? Check. Yummy Italian guy? Check. Strong heroine? Check. Witty dialogue? Check.
I could go on and on. This book was amazing and fun. I really enjoyed watching Cat grow from a suspicious loner to a young woman who was able to love and be loved.

Lorenzo was fantastic. Ohhhh man. I definitely have a new guy to add to my book boyfriend list! I loved reading about his golden curls, flirty personality, and artistic flair.

Overall, this was an excellent read. I'm dying to read the next book. I'll definitely be reading more of Rachel Harris' books in the future. Rachel consider yourself stalked. Haha.

My Rating:

I'm currently in the process of reading the second book in this series and HOPEFULLY will be reading the ARC of the third book for the blog tour celebrating the release.

Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Image taken from Goodreads

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication date: Feb 12, 2013
I read: Kindle Edition
Series: Pivot Point #1

The Blurb:

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

The Characters:

Addison: Blond curly hair. Has super powers. Can search her future. Her parents are getting divorced.


Duke: Blond hair. Blue eyes.  Has super powers. Cocky. Football player. Popular. Persuasive. Friends with a bunch of jerks.


Trevor: He's a "norm". Keeps a messy bedroom. Injured quarterback. Long eyelashes. Beautiful. Quiet. Artistic. Sexy.

My Review:

I was blown away by the originality of the plot. The world was unique, nothing to be overly excited about, but still kept my interest. I think she could've maybe done a bit more with it, by adding a bit more description, but I don't think that was what the author was really focused on.

I really, really loved Trevor. I seriously had a new imaginary crush while I read this book, and he stayed in my mind all the next day. He was beautiful, serious, broken, and strong. I got the impression he would take care of any woman he loved. What a man!

I will definitely be reading book two!

My Rating:

Camp Boyfriend by J.K.Rock

Image taken from Goodreads

The Blurb:

The summer of her dreams is about to get a reality check.

They said it couldn't be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school halfway across the country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren's nerves and she can't wait to return to summer camp where she's valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she's broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn't even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.

But Matt isn't giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn't really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she's more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren's friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she's changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?

The Characters

Lauren: After moving to Texas, she loses her braces, straightens her hair, and gets a new wardrobe. She wants to escape to camp to return to Seth and her former self. Throughout the book she decides not only which boy to date, but who she is inside.


Seth: Lauren's old camp boyfriend. Loves nature, superheros, blond curly hair, sexy bod, good kisser. Can I say yum?? Why yes, yes I can!!


Matt: Lauren's boyfriend at the start of the book. Football player, Mr. Popular, gorgeous, athletic, popular, charismatic, troubled, musical, loyal, caring, passionate, and strong.


Secondary Characters I loved: Gollum and Emily.

My Review:

I loved it! It was fun. It was silly. It was serious. What a good book for young girls trying to find themselves. Girls need to understand that they don't have to have a boyfriend to discover who they are. I'd recommend Camp Boyfriend to anyone, even if they aren't so young anymore.

That being said, this book still had plenty of fun stuff involved! I loved Gollum with his whistle and Emily with her strong, loyal, energetic personality.

Lauren was very easy to relate to. I loved it that she fit in with more than one crowd because that's how I felt in high school, and not everyone seemed to appreciate that. it was really hard for me to figure that part of me out too.

To me it was realistic because it showed that we don't all just fit neatly into the categories that society places puts us in. We're each unique human beings, and it's possible to love high fashion, reading, and be a big video game nerd at the same time. I would know! :)

Finally, the guys. This one was tough for me. I had already fallen for Seth in Camp Kiss, so when I started Camp Boyfriend I wasn't impressed with Matt, but I suspect that was what JK Rock had planned all along. As the book progressed I slowly began realizing how amazing both guys were.

By the end, I was team Matt all the way!

I can't wait to see what's next!! I will definitely be reading the rest of this series!

My Rating: