Everyday Magic by Emily Albright | Book Review

Everyday Magic by Emily Albright

Reading Group: High School+

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: From the critically acclaimed author of The Heir and the Spare comes another enchanting tale of love and fame set in England, among the privileges and pressures of the red-carpet life. Maggie's dad is a Hollywood director, and he has her whole life planned: Not only will she grow up to be an entertainment lawyer and work for him, he literally blackmails her to date the boy who's starring in his new movie. But Maggie loves Preston, the British boy who stole her heart, and despite the risk that her dad will make her mother miserable if she doesn't give in, Maggie decides to go for it, designing a red-carpet gown for a young duchess that puts her and the duchess in the limelight. Once there, she turns to Preston and issues a challenge: Can a girl who has given up the glamorous life any other girl would want...be the girl for him?

Cover: The cover of this book shows palm trees and bright lights.  It's very 'Hollywood, ' but no part of this story takes place in Hollywood, so I get it because Maggie's dad is a director, but I wish it were something that had more to do with the story.

My Review: I really liked this book.  I loved The Heir and the Spare, and I still like it a little bit more, but I really loved Maggie and Preston's characters.  I loved that Maggie was a fashion designer because it's just something so interesting and something I don't know how to do so I'm in awe of the people who can sew actual pieces of clothing.  I thought her situation was also a really good story because she's trying to balance school and family and boys, and it really shouldn't have been too difficult for her, but throw in a blackmailing dad and two boys and it becomes a crazy balancing act.  I was really sad when Preston broke up with Maggie, but I couldn't blame him.  It was hard for him to explain why the girl he was seeing was also seeing a movie star, so he cut ties with her.  Of course, once everyone knew what was going on they knew the two of them had to work it out and thankfully they did.  You guys know I love a happy ending!  Also, the fact that Edmond was going to propose to Evie was said in fewer words in the ending, and that just made me all the happier, because like I said, I loved them so much.  This was a great story and a quick read.  I would recommend this to anyone who read The Heir and the Spare, and I would recommend The Heir and the Spare to anyone who loves a sweet love story, or anyone who loves Will and Kate.

Click to stay connected:

Main Twitter: @juliann_guerra

Second Twitter: @writerjewels

Instagram: juliann_guerra

Second Instagram: writerjewels

Tumblr: juliann-guerra

Goodreads: Juliann Guerra

Wattpad: @writerjewels

Pinterest: Juliann Guerra

Spotify: juliann.guerra

Bloglovin: Juliann Guerra

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider | Book Review

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider

Reading Group: 17-years-old+

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: John Green's The Fault in Our Stars meets Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park in this darkly funny novel from the critically acclaimed author of The Beginning of Everything.

Up until his diagnosis, Lane lived a fairly predictable life. But when he finds himself at a tuberculosis sanatorium called Latham House, he discovers an insular world with paradoxical rules, med sensors, and an eccentric yet utterly compelling confidante named Sadie—and life as Lane knows it will never be the same.

Robyn Schneider's Extraordinary Means is a heart-wrenching yet ultimately hopeful story about the miracles of first love and second chances.

Cover: The cover of this book shows the night sky and the woods.  The woods are important because the characters spent time in the woods and it's actually connected to two of the character's deaths.  Charlie dies in the woods and Sadie gets hurt in the woods, which eventually leads to her death.  The characters also talk about stars throughout the story so I like to think that the two shooting stars are for Sadie and Charlie.  

My Review: I really enjoyed this book and I can definitely see the relation between it and The Fault in Our Stars.  Stories like this definitely remind me how little time we may have with certain people and that we need to make those moments last.  The quote on the cover of the book "Life goes on until it doesn't" sums that up really well.  We all expect a tomorrow and that any mistakes we make can be fixed tomorrow, but that's not always true.  Sadie was lucky that she was able to go to Lane and tell him that she never wanted to break up because it wasn't long after that that she was attacked in the woods.  I think this book also pointed out the importance of friendship and showing that we all have those people that we're willing to break the rules for.  And it's nice to know that people like that are around you.  Life is so much more than resume building and I know that sometimes we don't think about the future at all and other times we think about it too much, but I don't think you should ever do something you don't want to do because it 'looks good' because there are plenty of things that will give you a great future at the same time as making the present awesome.  This story was a great one and a relatively quick read.  It kind of broke my heart, and you all know I prefer a happy ending, but like All the Bright Places there was something about this one that made me want to force my friends to read it,

Stay Connected:

Main Twitter: juliann_guerra

Second Twitter: writerjewels

Main Instagram: juliann_guerra

Second Instagram: writerjewels

Tumblr: juliann-guerra

Goodreads: Juliann Guerra

Wattpad: writerjewels

Pinterest: Juliann Guerra

Spotify: juliann.guerra

Bloglovin: Juliann Guerra

Blogger: Juliann Guerra 

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler | Book Review

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Reading Group: High School+

Personal Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Given Summary: Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances, a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

     So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life—and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

     It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last....

Cover: So the cover of this book is a broken heart being put back together, but why is it a cookie?  Shouldn't it be a cupcake?  It should be the decoration on top of a cupcake that depicts the healed broken heart.  The book makes such a big deal about cupcakes and how Hudson is the Cupcake Queen, so the cover shouldn't have a cookie on it.  I guess the baking theme is there and it's a cute cover don't get me wrong, I just think it would be better if it was a cupcake.

My Review: Sometimes we think we want things we used to have, but when we get them again they're not as we remembered.  Hudson thought that if she won the skating competition it would bring her back to her days of skating when everything was good in her life.  But that's not how life works.  Sometimes we have to roll with the punches and just keep moving forward.  Everything will work out in the end even if it's not where we though we would end up.  That's something we have to learn on our own though, just like Hudson.  It's something you say over and over, "It will all work out..." but it's hard to fully believe until we have a moment where we look around and decide we are where we need to be.  This book also throws in the importance of the people around you.  Some people are going to let you down in life.  They'll leave and never come back.  However, there will also be people who will always be there for you so it's important to appreciate them.  This novel can be seen as a coming to age story that depicts how sometimes we have to follow our dreams without trying to go back in time.  

Smile!  I'll talk to you soon!xxx

Stay Connected:

Main Twitter: juliann_guerra

Second Twitter: writerjewels

Instagram: juliann_guerra

Tumblr: juliann-guerra

Goodreads: Juliann Guerra

Wattpad: writerjewels

Pinterest: Juliann Guerra

Spotify: juliann.guerra

Bloglovin: Juliann Guerra

Blogger: Juliann Guerra