Review: What You Always Wanted

* part of the If Only line *

Maddie Brooks blames her high standards for guys on her love for old movies. What guy her age can compete with Gene Kelly?

Maddie and her family move into a new town, where she meets her new neighbors. One of them becomes her best friend and the other could be her new crush (especially when she uncovers he's hiding a few secret dance moves)

But there's a reason his dance moves are a secret, and the more Maddie pushes him the more he retreats. At the moment, baseball is his one true love.

Can Maddie accept that?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book and I'm a huge fan of this line. I really liked the addition of theater in this book and the old movies. I hope that readers look up the movies that Maddie loves and discover them and pass them around. 

I really liked Angela and Tiffany. They had a great friendship and some fantastic moments.

I loved the banter between Jesse and Maddie.  

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library

Final Thoughts: A fun romance with flair. If you're a romantic comedy fan, don't miss this one!

Upcoming Review: Red Girl, Blue Boy

Katie's dreamed of being in the limelight again. Now that her father's running for President, she's about to get her wish.

Unfortunately, it doesn't go well. Her blog causes her father trouble. Then she called out the son of her father's opponent on . TV after he declines to show up for their interview together.

Now Drew wants revenge. They agree to go back on the show the next day. When Katie's ambushed on the show, Drew jumps in to protect her. Afterwards, Katie and Drew play hooky from school.

Underneath the snark and banter, they find a connection. As they spend more time together, the more that connection grows. Can they become something more than friends with their parent's competing against each other?

My Thoughts: I loved this book (and this series). I really liked the political aspect of the book and the family drama. I felt bad as both teens had their lives changed by their parents. They had to act perfectly, especially in public - which also led to social media outlets.

I really liked Katie - she was sheltered, bossy, and a know-it-all. I loved watching her experience things and break out of her shell. She bought new clothes to hang out in, but wanted to pretend they weren't new. She learned about life from movies. I loved the moments where Drew and Katie hung out while he worked on his car. Plus the time they spent working on their costumes for the dance was fantastic. 

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: ARC sent for Review
Release Date: October 20th

If You Like:

Final Thoughts: A charming romance with a political spin with great banter. Make sure you grab this one come October.

Wild Hearts Tour with Jessica Burkhart

I really loved this book, you can read my review here.

Let's start chatting.

Thanks, Jessica for stopping by the blog.

What's your favorite horse book from childhood/teen years?

So tough to answer this one! I would have to kinda cheat and say the THOROUGHBRED series by Joanna Campbell. Those books are ones I still read every once in a while for inspiration. I owned every single one as a kid and recently bought the series on eBay. 

What's your favorite moment on a horse?

I was riding this small appaloosa gelding and I jumped him across a creek with a 3-4 foot spread. It was amazing and so fun! 

What are you working on right now?

I just finished HEATED--the first Canterwood Crest e-novella. I'm working on a secret (for now!) project and am also just beginning to write SANCTUARY--the second Canterwood e-novella that will follow Sasha Silver adopting an off the track rescue thoroughbred. I can't wait to delve into it!

Why YA?

I'd written 20 tween novels and four chapter books and it felt like a natural progression to try YA. I absolutely love it and hope to write more YA in the future. 

What's the best writing advice you can give?

Write. Ever. Single. Day. 

What's something cool that would be found in Amy's room?

Since she's obsessed with all things Southern and shops on eBay, I imagine she has a super cool desk lamp made out of a giant conch shell. 

Great interview, Jessica, thanks again. 

The rest of you, go grab the book - it's perfect for summer with a hot boy, great best friend, horses, and a forbidden romance.

Review: Wild Hearts

* Book 4 in the If Only... series *

Brie's lived all over the world because of her father's business. Usually settling into a new town and seeing the sights is fun, but not when the whole town hates your father without meeting him.

They think Mr. Carter's going to destroy the town with the new hotel he's planning to develop. Plus wild mustangs roam on the land to be developed. Now the town's protesting his arrival outside his new house. Her father's a workaholic who's not going to stop because of some protesters.

Brie, on the other hand, starts talking to Logan - the boy she met on the first day into town. He's a protester, but he's not the jerk she imagined him to be. As they get closer, the tension between their fathers heats up. How can think about a possible romance when their families are enemies?

My Thoughts: While it's technically Book 4 in the series - this series isn't connected except in the concept of contemporary romance - so it's basically a stand-alone novel. But that isn't to say you won't enjoy the other books in the If Only line.

I like how the romance started out snarky but grew into something much more. I loved how it built slowly and then burned brightly. 

I loved how Logan and Brie (and others) worked together to save the mustangs. It's amazing how they pulled things together.

I felt horrible for Logan - taking on so many responsibilities with his mom leaving, the economy, and this dad's health. I loved the moments between Logan and Holden.

I loved Amy. I loved her room and her mindset towards Southern charm. I like how she and Brie overcame their first meeting to become friends. I love how she goes after what she wants - on eBay and it's afraid to show off her style. She's a really great friend.

I loved the Brie wanted to find something she was passionate about - and not something that she was doing because of someone else. This had to be something for her. 

Cover Thoughts: Amazing - I love the pop of the colors against the black and white sketch.
Source: Sent for review

Final Thoughts: I loved Jessica Burkhart's middle grade series Canterwood Crest, so I was super excited to hear about her debut YA novel - and it's everything I wanted: great romance, great friendship, a fantastic main character, drama, and of course more horses. If you like forbidden love stories, then this is the perfect read for summer.

Review: Not in the Script

Emma's grown up on TV - through the awkward situations, including her first kiss. She's made some bad boyfriend choices in the past and now that she's about to star in a new teen drama (Coyote Hills) she's sworn off dating co-stars.

That was before she met Jake. The model turned actor who's off limits and not just because of her past. Her BFF adores him (or at least the him on paper). The more Emma hangs out with Jake, the more she falls for him. Can she risk  both her friendship and her heart on another co-star?

My Thoughts: I really really enjoyed this look at Hollywood behind the scenes. I loved seeing what happens on the set of a TV show and the relationships between the co-stars. Lots of drama and misunderstands and hurt feelings that translated into the papers as well as relationships that aren't there just to sell the idea of the show. You have to ask yourself - how much of the Hollywood life is true and how much is made up for the cameras to sell the movie/show. The questions of real friendship and loyalty in the business were brought up. While I liked the idea of Emma having a BFF not from the acting world - her BFF wasn't a true friend. I really loved the relationships Jake had with both his mom and his friends. I loved the moments where Emma and Jake got to know each other and started falling for each other. Their banter, their cute moments, and their hidden moments were adorable. I loved how Emma needed to live her own life and not the life set out before her by the media. She took control of her life including her past. A fantastic book that made me long for a sequel just to stay with the characters longer.

Similar Read:

SummerTime Review: Wish You Were Italian

Books perfect for the beach or to read by the pool

Pippa's annoyed with her family shipping her off to Italy for the summer - for an art history program. She's not even interested in art history. Her father feel guilty and slips her some extra cash, which she finds when she lands.

When she finds the money, Pippa decides to be a little reckless and stay in Rome for a few nights. Then, after meeting a girl in the bakery and a boy at a gelato stand, she decides to ditch the program all together.

The girl from the bakery takes her home to meet her family. The family invites her in, gives her a place to stay and offers to show her the sights.  When her new friend Chiara travels to her aunt's house, Pippa goes along too.

Pippa's happy to be seeing more of the countryside - and to meet some hot guys, especially Chiara's cousin. Before she left home, Pippa and her BFF made of list of things she wants to do while in Italy. And falling for for a hot Italian guy is on the list. Pippa knows it's just a matter of time before her family uncovers the truth, but until then, she's determined to have the time of her life.

My Thoughts: I loved this book - for the travel descriptions: the sights and the food. I loved the romance - even though there was a love triangle, I really liked the final result. I loved how Pippa met Chiara and how they fell into an easy friendship. I confess I would have liked going to the art history program (but that's just me.) I loved seeing all the art and architecture there and long to go back and explore more. I also really enjoyed the connection Pippa had with her grandmother: sweet, honest, and refreshing. A great summer book if you're longing for a vacation, but can't get away. You don't have to leave home to be transported to Italy.

Cover Thoughts: Love it
Fun Fact: I traveled to Italy several years ago, so I could easily place myself in Pippa's shoes. Here are a few photos from my trip.