A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

Can you hate and love a character all at the same time? That is what I felt for Whitley. Her poisons are tequila and boys. She has almost no delusions about herself. She is a self-proclaimed drunken hook up. She’s not one for relationships, friends or otherwise. And that’s how she likes it.

Even if she finds herself in predicaments like getting drunk…

And having a one night stand…

with her future stepbrother.

In her defense, she didn’t even know his name at the time.

So, yeah. She’s a…

But she does have SOME delusional thinking. She hates her entire high school because they call her a drunken whore. And even though she doesn’t exactly have sex with every boy at a party she can get her hands on, she comes pretty close to it. I really can’t blame her classmates for thinking she is a certain way because she perpetuates it with tequila bottle held high.

What I feel bad about is the reason she is doing this in the first place.

Her dysfunctional story slowly unfolds thru the book. She hates her mother and adores her father. Maybe to the point of stubborn blindness on both parts. The reader starts out wanting to bitch slap her and ends up wanting to adopt her instead. And Nathan, her almost step-brother hook up, he is just an angel.

He hates the way she acts but does not hate her. And he’s there for her. Every. Time.

It was a great love story and the characters were flawed but fabulous.

Thumbs up!

From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer

Started out pretty decent and fast paced. Kylie is her high school’s valedictorian. Or she will be if she can  turn in her last paper of the semester. She is partnered with Max, the IT guy of her school, who is absolutely NOT interested in doing the BS paper. Nobody is doing it except for uptight Kylie. Who heard of homework the day before they graduated anyway?

And because Kylie is wound up tighter than Spanx,

 she and Max are off to a rough start.

 

The book is a comedy of errors. A harmless trip to Starbucks to discuss their projects starts off with a theft, followed by an accidental kidnapping, and ending with illegal border crossing into Mexico. All the while, their misconceptions of each other fall away.

It was a good story and had a set of strong supporting characters. Max’s current girlfriend could easily have been cast as the bitchy popular cheer leader. And she is. But she is more than that. Kylie’s best friend can be cast as the flamboyant gay guy. And he is. But he, also, is more than that.

The middle of the story sort of dragged out and but it caught up again in the end. It was a sweet story about a girl who took herself too seriously because it was expected of her at home. It was also about a boy that lived his life how others wanted him to until this adventure made him question his direction.

Writing: Good

Heat: Mild (with references to sex and gay sex)

Recommend: Sure

When in Paris by Beverley Kendall

Olivia Montgomery is starting as a freshman in a college and the last person she expects to walk in her class is her nemesis from high school Zachary Pearson. He is hands-down the most gorgeous guy she has ever had the misfortune to run into. Too bad his personality sucks.

Well, at least when he was around her. And she never knew why.

Zach has his own reasons for avoiding Olivia throughout high school. Just his luck, it’s starting all over again in college. And just like before, she can turn him on like no other. She is also the last girl he can hook up with if he wanted to keep some peace and quiet in his life.

The story had no major emotional turmoil or huge obstacles to overcome. This is a nice story about a guy trying to appease his family but wanting a life of his own at the same time. This is also a story about a girl who does not understand why the only guy that seems to interest her, hates her on sight. 

Now… the heat was a medium but it felt hot. Zachary resists but when he finally decides he has had enough and goes for it. Yikes!

Olivia doesn’t take any crap from Zach either. When Zach makes it known he is looking for more of a friends with bennies type of situation, she doesn’t even give him time to explain himself. She’s just out of there.

You really can’t totally blame Zach for wanting a more casual situation and I can’t tell more without revealing some spoilers. So, the way the two lovers have to negotiate in getting what each of them wants out of a relationship is entertaining and makes the book a great read.

Writing: Great

Dialogue: Even Better

Heat: Medium to Hot

Recommend:

The Billionaire’s Pregnant Mistress by Lacy Monroe

**Spoiler alert**

Jumping right in: from the get go, this book made zero sense. The intro and the premise of the book was just…

and this is coming from someone who has been reading romance novels since (never you mind) and I have forgiven A LOT of odd plot lines in the name of HEA.

The story reminded me of those old Loveswept series circa 1980s. I saw that it was published in 2004 but that can’t be right. The ideas, the language...it had to be a reprint.

First off, Xandra (Xandra?) Fortune is a French supermodel (working only in Europe) who only took a modeling job because her family’s old money has turned into no money. Her mother is humiliated enough that her daughter even has to work for a living much less as a model which is practically next to being a hooker according to her standards.

So she hooks up with a billionaire Greek hottie (no complaints here) who she gives her virginity to… (huh?) Gets pregnant (hence the title) but he doesn’t believe her so he throws her out of their apartment(not cool). Heartbroken (understandably) she goes back to her real persona as a broke American and promptly disappears. Having a change of heart, the Greek Hottie decides to look for her but cannot find her because Xandra is not even her real name and he has no idea who she really is.

To top it all off, the Greek Hottie’s grandfather refuses to make a life-saving operation until he marries a proper girl because the family needs an heir. This was the main reason why he got rid of Xandra in the first place.

 

Everything in this book was over the top. When I read about the restaurants they ate at, the places they stayed, the sidewalk they trampled I kept hearing Robin Leach in the background. It was BEYOND ridiculous. You can describe opulence without being so….I don't know. You'll know when you read it.

If Mystery Science Theater 3000 did romantic novels, this would have been in it. If I had known the direction this story was going, I would have had a grand old time with it like those old hecklers from The Muppet Show. As it was, all I got was a headache from rolling my eyes so much.

Writing: Don’t get me started.

Dialogue: Archaic (I saw fossils)

Recommend:

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren

I think people have a hard time rating this book because it was not advertised as a certain type of genre. As a romantic novel…..

 (BTW...he's my beautiful bastard)

But an erotica?

I really thought this novel was going to have a little more storyline to it as well. But when I saw all that going on within the first few pages? Well….

Let me give you the Lowdown:

Chloe is an intern in Bennett’s company. He’s a d*ck. But that’s okay. Because around him, she turns into a raving shrew.

Plot? Goes like this...

Bennett vs. Chloe

then

And then, Chloe vs Bennet

Then some more...

then… okay lemme stop because you get the idea.

As limited as the plot is, it was still well written. I think the turn on is that Bennett is such a tool but he still manages to turn on Chloe like the Fourth of July anyways. 

And Chloe…

Bennet can’t get her out of his mind and it’s driving him crazy.

Writing: Good

Heat: Lava

Recommend: