Middle Grade Review: Written in the Stars and Playing for Keeps

Quinn's excited to go back to camp this summer. Maybe people won't look at her with such sad eyes because her father died. Plus, she's excited to see her best friends again. But camp in a little different this year. On the first day, she meets a cute boy. He's new to camp.

Soon the other girls in her bunk are getting up early to make sure their hair looks good and they have time to put their make-up on. Quinn's confused. She likes Harry - but what are they supposed to do together besides hang out during free time. One of her bunkmates has a LOT of opinions about the subject.

My Thoughts: This was a cute story about all kinds of drama: family, friendship, relationship.  I enjoyed the camp drama. This is a short book with lots of drama making it very accessible to read. And it's part of a series, giving readers who like this one more options. This book is marketed as a romance, but it's not quite. It's *almost* a romance. I don't want to spoil the ending.

Aaliyah didn't get to see her best friend Travis much over the summer; they were both busy with camps and vacation. He doesn't respond to her texts the night before school starts. When she first sees him in the hallway, he's grown. Everyone's talking about how cute he is and that he has a girlfriend. 

Aaliyah doesn't know what she never found him cute before. She certainly thinks so now, but it's too late. She isn't a huge fan of his girlfriend Harper and she isn't a fan of Travis anymore. He never seems to want to hang out. Everything's changed.

Can they ever be the same?

My Thoughts: This one is a romance and it's super cute. There's a lot of miscommunication and listening to gossip. I enjoyed the friendship drama. Middle school is hard and these characters found their way through it.

Source: Books sent for review

Library Recommendation: Great for your middle grade school and public library collection

Hand this one to readers: who are ready for a little bit of romance

Romance Review: Playing For Keeps

* Book 7 in the Heartbreaker Bay series *

Of course Sadie's seen Suits around before; he always seems uptight. But the night she finds him outside the shop in the middle of a storm trying to rescue a dog, she knows something different is happening. She helps him bring the dog inside and together they fall in love - with the dog.

She names the pup Lollipop. While they barely know each other, they decide to share the rescued pup since neither of them have the time required to give her.

Suits (Caleb) doesn't like emotions; he blocks himself off from them. It works well for his business, but not so well for his personal life. But Lollipop worms her way into his heart. One look at her face and he melts. Sadie's always fascinated him, the more time he spends with her, the more she breaks down his walls.

My Thoughts: Another great book in this addictive series. I must say that Lollipop stole the book for me. She had me laughing at her antics and hugging my own dogs tight. I loved seeing this group of friends again and peeking in on favorite characters. I loved the awkward moments between Sadie and Caleb from their growing friendship, to fighting their attraction for each other, and to finally doing something about it. I liked learning about Sadie's past and how it made her stronger. I loved her co-workers in the tattoo parlor and how they had her back. I liked Caleb's sisters and wouldn't mind getting to know them a little bit better. I can't wait to read more in this series.

Cover Thoughts: Cute
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: If Jill Shalvis isn't an auto-buy author for your library's romance section, you're missing out.