The Protector by Jodi Ellen Malpas | Book Review

Reading Group: M for Mature 

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Synopses: Jake Sharp resides in his own personal hell. The ex-SAS sniper was distracted from duty once before, and the consequences were devastating--both personally and professionally. He vowed never to let that happen again The job of bodyguard to Camille Logan isn't the kind of distraction from his demons he should take. Women and Jake don't mix well, yet the lesser of two evils seems to be protecting the heiress, whose life is threatened as a result of her father's ruthless business dealings.  

He thinks he knows her type: beautiful and spoiled, with her father's bank balance to fund her lifestyle. But he soon discovers the real Camille--warm, compassionate, determined to be independent and happy after struggling with past mistakes. Now, his duty to protect her turns into something deeper than a well-paid job, no matter how hard he fights it. He needs absolution. He comes to need Camille. But he knows he can't have both.  

For fans of Maya Banks, THE PROTECTOR delivers the all-consuming romance and devastating alpha hero that make a Jodi Ellen Malpas novel an irresistible, passionate read.

Cover: I love the cover of this book because it's the scene what Jake carries Camille out of the club after she gets attacked by her ex-boyfriend.  This scene is the turning point in their relationship because when they get back to Camille's apartment they finally give in to their feelings.  It's also the picture that ends up in magazines and they use it to help figure out who's following Camille.

My Review: I really enjoyed this book.  It was similar to what Christina Lauren would write, but different at the same time.  By the end of the book, Jake and Camille are completely in love with each other, but it didn't start out that way.  Jake was hired to protect Camille and both of them had preconceived opinions about the other.  But eventually the realize that the other person isn't exactly what they thought and they're able to form a romantic relationship.  However, Camille is still being threatened by someone who is trying to punish her father and Jake is suffering from PTSD and a secret that he doesn't want to deal with.  I really don't want to give too much away but the story is full of love, lies, and blackmail which makes it hard to put down.  Honestly, I don't know how realistic this story might be, but when has that ever stopped me from loving a book?  It was an easy read with a few different plot twists that had me hooked and staying up to finish it.  So if you're into a romance novel with some action strung throughout it I would definitely recommend this book to you.  

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What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick | Book Review

Reading Group: High School+

Personal Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Synopses: The eagerly anticipated follow-up to My Life Next Door is a magnetic, push-me-pull-me summer romance for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han.

17-year-old Gwen Castle's Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, is slumming it as a yard boy on her Nantucket-esque island this summer. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners to her island's summer population. Gwen dreams of getting off the island, and a summer job working for one of the elderly residents might just be her ticket to the good life. But what will it mean for Gwen's now life? Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to come to terms with what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—and figure out what really is.

Cover: The cover of this book has Gwen and Cass standing in the water.  Water is really big in this story because they live on an island, Cass and Gwen's cousin are both competing for swim team captain during the story, and Cass helps teach Gwen's brother to swim.  However, water is also a sign of rebirth, which is what happens with Cass and Gwen's relationship.

My Review: Huntley Fitzpatrick reminds me of Sarah Dessen in the way she writes her books because they're all fun, summer books.  I really enjoyed My Life Next Door, so I was excited to read this book, and it was as great as I expected it to be.  Year round island living involves everyone knowing everyone else's business.  Mix in high school and what you ate for breakfast might as well be front page news for how fast people learn things about you.  Gwen was humiliated by Cass the summer before this story starts, resulting in her hating everything he stood for.  But now he's everywhere she is and it's impossible not to form some sort of relationship.  Over time Gwen can't deny that Cass is a good guy.  Especially when he's the only one who can help her little brother learn to swim.  Or when he's so loyal to his best friend he's willing to keep a secret he knows will upset Gwen.  Plus, it's impossible for him to lie to her, so he's easy to trust.  And as Gwen's family life continues to grow crazier, Cass is the good crazy she can escape into.  This book is all about second chances and discovering that when things are meant to be, they'll happen even if some obstacles have to be overcome first.  

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Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker | Book Review

Reading Group: High School+

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Synopses: After a terrible car accident destroys her life as she knew it, twenty-year-old Kacey escapes to Florida, where she encounters an irresistible man determined to capture her wounded heart.

Just breathe, Kacey. Ten tiny breaths. Seize them. Feel them. Love them. 

Four years ago, Kacey Cleary’s life imploded when her car was hit by a drunk driver, killing her parents, boyfriend, and best friend. Still haunted by memories of being trapped inside, listening to her mother take her last breath, Kacey wants to leave her past behind. Armed with two bus tickets, Kacey and her fifteen-year-old sister, Livie, escape Grand Rapids, Michigan, to start over in Miami. They’re struggling to make ends meet at first, but Kacey’s not worried. She can handle anything—anything but her mysterious neighbor in apartment 1D. 

Trent Emerson has smoldering blue eyes and deep dimples, and perfectly skates that irresistible line between nice guy and bad boy. Hardened by her tragic past, Kacey is determined to keep everyone at a distance, but their mutual attraction is undeniable, and Trent is desperate to find a way into Kacey’s guarded heart—even if it means revealing an explosive secret that could shatter both their worlds.

Cover: The cover of this novel shows Kacey underwater wearing a white dress.  The whole thing screams innocence and rebirth, it's very baptismal.  Kacey moves to Miami to have a fresh start in life, so I think the cover is fitting.

My Review: A lot of this book is about Kacey finding her place after leaving behind such a traumatic past and moving to Miami.  She makes friends, gets a job, and falls in love.  However that all comes crashing down when she learns that her boyfriend, Trent, is actually the same person who owned the car that crashed into her father's and started a downward spiral in Kacey's life.
Trent handed over his car keys one night to a friend that said he was fine to drive.  That friend wasn't okay to drive and crashed the car killing himself, a friend, and Kacey's parents, boyfriend, and best friend.  Trent and Kacey survived the accident and Trent thought that if he could make it up to Kacey, his guilt would ease.  However, finding out the boy your dating has actually been stalking you for four years definitely changes some aspects of your relationship.  
There were traits about Trent that hinted he was involved in the crash.  He moved in at the same time she did, which he landlord points out is odd for him to get two new residents that quickly; he doesn't drink alcohol, and he drives a motorcycle, not a car, which makes it impossible for him to be the one in charge of car keys if he ever did go out with friends and he could never get stuck in a motorcycle if he were to crash it the way Kacey remembers being trapped in her car.  And looking at the situation from his point of view I can understand it.  He thinks if he reaches out to the only other survivor he can apologize and they can get on with their lives.  However, she wants nothing to do with him so he tries to figure out another way, hence how the stalking came to be.  I don't think his initial intention was to fall in love with her, that was just what happened when they got to know each other.
I know I gave away a giant spoiler from this book, but there is a lot more to it than one giant lie.  Kacey has to rebuild a life for herself and just when she thinks she's in the clear the lie is revealed and she has to start all over again.  The book covers her emotional state and how she tries to fix it herself and what happens when she can't.  The ending is also adorable, but I'll leave that for you guys to discover on your own.

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Confess by Colleen Hoover | Book Review

Reading Group: 17 years old+

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Synopses: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a new novel about risking everything for love—and finding your heart somewhere between the truth and lies.

At age twenty-one, Auburn Reed has already lost everything important to her. In her fight to rebuild her shattered life, she has her goals in sight and there is no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry. 

For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is keeping a major secret from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

To save their relationship, all Owen needs to do is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin.

Cover: This cover is similar to the other Colleen Hoover that I've read where there is actually an image within the text.  On this book, the images could quite possibly be Auburn, but there are also paint splatters that remind you of Owen and the confessions he paints.  I think it ties the two together in a way that shows that they both have confessions that they hide.

My Review: I decided to read this book because Snooki and JWoww mentioned the Go90 series about it in one of their YouTube Videos (I became slightly obsessed with them towards the end of school).  I thought it was really cool that there was a short series based on the book and I really wanted to watch it, but I figured it was only fair to read the book first.  So I bought it with the gift card I was given at Christmas, and it did not disappoint.    
First of all the idea of painting people's confessions is so unique and I absolutely loved it.  I also appreciated when Owen said he didn't like to put a face to the confession because it messed with his mental image of it.  I totally got that because I do the same thing when I read, and I think a lot of you do too.  We all visualize what a person looks like or what an apartment looks like, and then you see the movie, and you're all 'I definitely would have been a better set director.'
Both characters have internal battles about what they want to do vs. what they feel they need to do.  Owen takes the blame for his dad because he still feels guilty about a car crash that was beyond his control.  Auburn dates her son's uncle to try to get custody of her son back.  It's a crazy mess, but it all works out somehow, and I loved it.  Fate wants the two of them to be together, and there's a twist at the end which connects the two characters to prove this that I found fascinating, but I don't want to give it away because I think you should all go read this book!  However, it's hard for them to think of a future with each other when they're struggling to correct wrongs they each made in their pasts.  I'm sure you can guess as to whether or not they end up together, but it's how they get there and what they have to do that makes this book significant and one I was happy I read.
Like I said there is a series version of this book on Go90, which is a free website.  There were changes made to the series like the location and the time frame, but I still enjoyed it.  I liked that it was a series because it allowed the story to be told in more detail where a movie would have to cut certain scenes.  It was the same concept in 13 Reasons Why on Netflix.  If you enjoyed the book, you should check it out, even though it's ironic in a way because of the scene where Owen says he likes to come up with his own idea of things.

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