Review of The
Guy Most Likely To...by Leslie Kelly, Janelle Denison and Julie Leto
Published: June 26, 2012
5 out of 5 smirks
Synopsis: "Ever wonder what
happened to the guy most likely to...
Score with the prom queen?
Lauren and Seth were the high school
“it” couple—until Seth disappeared on prom night. But a reunion gives Seth a
chance to show Lauren an evening long overdue.
Not date a Playboy Bunny?
Ali was the highlight of geeky Will’s high school years. But now that he’s
ditched the nerdiness, he’s 100 percent of calculated hotness...and Ali won’t
be able to say no.
Ride out of town on a Harley?
Rebel Scott “Rip” Ripley always had a thing for the elusive Erica. But reunion
night holds a few sexy surprises when Erica decides it’s time to take the bad
boy for a ride."
What can I say about Lauren and Seth's story? It was refreshing to be introduced to
realistic characters who say what real life people would actually say. Lauren and Seth are a truly witty and funny
couple who get a second chance at happily ever after. I also loved how the story didn't drag on,
but got right to the point. Well done, 5 smirks.
Will and Ali are two characters who defy high schooler
logic. Even though in the real world we
all know the cheerleader and nerd can end up together, the logic conveyed by
the small minds in this story is just too irresistible for this snark to pass
up. I loved the clichés and how Ali and
Will were able to break free from everyone at their reunion. 5 smirks.
What I loved about Rip and Erica's story is how it is also a
story about being true to one's self. I
admire the courage and leap of faith Rip and Erica took in one another. I would really love to see what happens in
their future. 5 smirks.
Review of When Snow Falls by Brenda Novak
Published: October 30, 2012
5 out of 5 smirks
Synopsis: "After growing up in cheap motels, moving from town to town with
her sister and mother, Cheyenne Christensen is grateful to be on her own. She's
grateful, too, for the friends she found once her family settled in California.
But she's troubled by the mystery of her earliest memories, most of which
feature a smiling blonde woman. A woman who isn't her mother.
Although Cheyenne has
repeatedly asked for explanations, the people who could help aren't
talking. Cheyenne is set on finding answers, but without so much as a birth
certificate, it won't be easy.
Things get even more
complicated when her closest friend is attracted to the man Cheyenne has
secretly loved for years. For Eve's sake, she decides to step aside—which lands
her right in the arms of Dylan Amos, oldest and baddest of the hell-raising
Amos brothers. He's the kind of guy she's sworn to avoid. She can't afford to
make a mistake, not when she finally has a chance to learn who she really is
and change her life for the better. But…maybe there's more to Dylan than she
thought. Maybe letting him go would be a bigger mistake."
S
When Snow Falls by
Brenda Novak is a story that will have readers rooting for the underdogs to
finally have their shot at true happiness.
Cheyenne is a character whose loyalty is as strong as her will to
survive her background is, which is so inspiring the pages just fly by as
readers time becomes irrelevant. What is so amazing and different about When Snow Falls is how there is a love
triangle, but it is such a love triangle full of honesty and trust it is almost
shocking to read it through. The first
time Dylan speaks to Chey I instantly am rooting for him and them as a couple,
because even the words on the pages readers
can see their souls colliding with each other. As for Chey and her hardships, her
friendships, family, her relationship with Joe and all the other messes that
seem to collide in her life all at the same time, the constant is always the
same. While I won't say what the
constant is, I will say that Chey discovering her past, her present, what she
wants out of her life, and how she finally stands up for what her heart truly
desires is the best part of this book. When Snow Falls by Brenda Novak is
easily 5 smirks because this story makes readers fall in love with characters
who don't know how to give up and who strive to never lose what they thought
they could never have.
Review of Blazing
Midsummer Nights by Leslie Kelly
Published: June 5, 2012
5 out of 5 smirks
Synopsis:"Anything can happen on a magical
midsummer’s eve...
Marketing director/workaholic Mimi Burdette has The
Plan—work for her father and date his right-hand man. Problem is, there’s no
heat in the relationship. Not even a spark. And worse still, Mimi is having
some seriously sexy, panties-ablaze dreams—and the star looks a lot like Xander
McKinley, the hunky firefighter next door.
Mimi’s dreams might be due to the strange tea she drank. Or
the predictions from the fortune cookie she ate. Or they could be due to
Xander’s smokin’ hotness. But whether it’s magic or just old-fashioned
fireworks, Mimi is about to break all of the rules—including her own!"
I loved how this story took on a life of its own, much like A Midsummer Nights Dream itself. I loved the parallels this story took and how
modernized the characters became. Mimi
is a character who is devoted and endlessly beautiful; Xander has a certain wit
and calmness along with hotness about him which will keep readers on the edge
of their seats trying to figure out when these two characters will
collide. I don't want to give anything
away, but if you are a Shakespeare fan then you know how the story goes. I give 5 smirks to Blazing Midsummer Nights by Leslie Kelly because it's hard not to
fall in love with the characters and a modernized classic.
Review of Shades
of Desire by Virna DePaul
Published: May 29, 2012
4 out of 5 smirks
Synopsis: "What she can't see could kill
her...
Natalie Jones is the lucky survivor of an elusive killer
who preys on young women and then disappears from view. And since her harrowing
ordeal, the once gutsy photojournalist has remained isolated in her home,
paralyzed by fear and her failing vision.
Special Agent Liam “Mac” McKenzie has scars of his
own. But despite his efforts to ignore the attraction that simmers between him
and Natalie, he needs her help to catch a predator. Soon, they will forge a
tentative alliance—charged with desire. Through a soft-focus lens, Natalie
dares to envision a future with Mac beyond the investigation…never guessing
that the clues hidden within her photographs are drawing them into an explosive
confrontation with a madman."
Shades of
Desire by Virna DePaul is a mystery thriller story about trusting in others
as much as you trust in yourself. What I
loved most about this story was how unrelenting both Natalie and Mac are
towards one another. They seem to push
the other to be a better version of one another which makes their relationship
rocky until they figure out they are exactly what the other wants. I loved that this story did not revolve
around solely Mac and Natalie's budding romance, but intertwined it with a
murder mystery involving a lot more people than readers will realize. I give Shades
of Desire by Virna DePaul 4 smirks because Natalie and Mac have heated
passion that will give readers pause on how things may or may not turn out.
Review of Trust
In Me by Beth Cornelison
Published: December 11, 2011
4 out of 5 smirks
Synopsis: "A hero for the rest of us?
Escaping the cheating fiancé and sheltered life her father has arranged for
her, Claire Albritton wants nothing more than to take control of her life and
learn to fight her own battles.
Kevin Fuller believes he must rescue damsels in distress and Claire is
decidedly out of her element in small town South Carolina. When trouble
inevitably finds Claire, Kevin's white knight protection and heroics are
exactly what Claire doesn't want. But his kisses...that's another matter."
Trust In Me by Beth Cornelison is a story ultimately about
trust. What I found most appealing about this story was how both Kevin and
Claire have almost the exact same trust issues that come to light when they try
to fight their attraction to one another. I loved that Kevin is this almost
surly character who isn't surly at all, but comes across as such before he opens
his mouth to speak. Claire in contrast
seems like a sweet woman, but underneath it all she has a fire just waiting to
be let out. I loved how this story comes
together and almost all the characters in it have trust issues, but because of
their togetherness as a community learn how to overcome those issues. I give Trust
In Me by Beth Cornelison 4 smirks because this story, while is about trust
issues, expresses how a community can heal itself.
Review of The
Guy Most Likely To...by Leslie Kelly, Janelle Denison and Julie Leto
