Review: With or Without You

 

Jordan and Cindy hate each other - and so do their families. They work on rival food trucks and they're always getting into arguments.

BUT

the arguments are fake, the families are friends, and Jordan and Cindy are secretly dating. They can't be seen in public and ruin the vibe. They have one summer at home before Jordan escapes town with his new food truck. Cindy's going to travel with him as they see the sights. One more summer seems perfectly doable.

UNTIL

a reality TV show opportunity comes their way. Both families think it's too good of a deal to pass up. Old wounds reopen and soon this fake feud might not be so fake. Will the two families survive the summer?

My Thoughts: I really loved this book. Food trucks. Secretly dating. Feuds. Reality TV. What's not to like here? This book has ALL the drama and I couldn't read it fast enough. I loved the food, the families, the friendships, and the behind the scenes look at reality TV. I love that it took place after high school. This was such a fun read; I was sad when I finished it. 

Source: My Library

Cover Thoughts: Amazing

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your library's collection. 

Review: Take

 

Cara isn't headed to college, she's headed to South America to go rock climbing. She has one last summer at home with her friends before they leave for college - together. Cara's worried that she's going to be left behind. The friends are determined to spend all their time together.

But when Cara's father isn't answering her texts or phone calls, she worries about him. She heads over to his house. He's not there, but she does find a wall of information. Cara isn't sure how to unravel all the information; there are pieces that don't seem to fit. Many of the clues involve a famous climber. Her ex-boyfriend read all his book. As much as she doesn't want to call him, she's desperate enough to ask for his help.

Can the two of them work together and solve the clues?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I love how all the pieces came together. There's so much in this book: rock climbing, second chance love story, figuring out your future, family drama, bits about WWII and Japanese Internment Camp. I liked the journal entries from the past interspersed with the present. Lots of twists and turns had me turning the pages quickly.

Cover Thoughts: Amazing

Source: Book sent for review

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your school and public library collection.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books Set In College

 This week's topic is a school freebie. I always enjoy books set in college - so here are some.

 

 

 

Want to read:

Any other recommendations? 

Review: The Moon and More

Emaline's lived in Colby her entire life. She loves it and yet, she's excited to leave at the end of the summer and head for college. She's spending the summer working for the family real estate agency/rental properties. 

In 24 hours, her entire life changes. She and her boyfriend of three years break up. Her father (who had a relationship with her mother at a very young age) is spending the summer near Colby with her half brother. 

Now she has a potential new boyfriend and a relationship with her father to fix. Will this summer be one to remember or one to forget?

My Thoughts: I'm a huge Sarah Dessen fan and I really liked this book, but I didn't love it. I had a problem with the romance. I can't say much without ruining the book, but I wasn't a big fan of Theo. While I didn't like the romance, I loved the rest of the book. 

I like that the book took place after high school and right before college - with all the unknown and worries about what's coming next. 

There were so many layers of relationships that were amazing. I loved Emaline's relationship with her mother and her Dad. I like how she struggled with her relationship with her father and loved Benji. Benji was sweet, funny, and great for comic relief. I loved Morris and his relationships with both Emaline and Daisy. I loved "Talk soon." I loved seeing old characters and familiar places. I really liked Clyde and his art. I found Ivy entertaining. I loved the ending scene - it was almost perfect.

Cover Thoughts: I like it, but it doesn't really match the book and there's no sand.
Source: My Library

If You Like Stories About New Adulthood

If You Like… is a feature highlighting blogger recommendations for books, authors, TV shows, movies, and music based on the things you already know and love. This week’s post includes recommendations for stories that take place during new adulthood.

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If you like stories about new adulthood, you might like…