Review: The One that I Want

Gemma and her BFF Addison meet two boys at camp. They're working on their majorette skills while the boys practice football.  One boy is the quarterback and the other the team's kicker who never misses.

Gemma likes Max and it appears that he likes her too. She doesn't understand why he'd ask out her best friend instead of her. The more time she spends with him, the more she likes him.

She hopes he'll notice her as something more than a friend, but she doesn't want to betray her best friend. Is there a way for both of them to win?

My Thoughts: I really love Jennifer Echols, but this isn't my favorite book of hers. I couldn't stop reading because I wanted to find out what happened.


The friendships of the book bothered me. I hated Addison. She was horrible. I wasn't fond of Gemma at times either. Together they don't mix well. I know these relationships do exist - but it was hard to read about them.

I hated Carter.  I hated the relationship between Carter and Max.

I liked Max - he was quirky and amusing. He said random things that got him into trouble. I really liked the conversations between Max and Gemma. 

Books with cheating partners isn't for me - I have a hard time forgiving the characters even if they're cheating with the one they're meant to be with.  By cheating I mean falling for your best friend's guy.


Ultimately I did like it, but it was hard getting past a few issues. I know that teens will gobble this book up.



Cover Thoughts: LOVE it! I really like the heart in the O too - a nice touch. Although the model is Asian and it's a big part of the book.


Source: my Library

Review: Getting Over Garrett Delaney

Sadie's in love with her best friend Garrett - and has been since they met two years ago. Now she's facing the idea of summer without him. It was supposed to be the summer he fell in love with her while they were at writing camp. Instead, she was rejected from the camp.

She bullies her way into a job at her favorite coffeehouse.  After a complete meltdown after answering one of Garrett's phone calls, she realizes that things have to change.

Sadie comes up with a plan to get over him for good. She's starts by purging her life of items from their past. She eventually discovers that she needs to find herself

My Thoughts: I really loved this book. 
I hated Garrett. He was so annoying in the beginning and horrible when he came back from camp. I wanted to smack him. 

The strong connections with the characters (either good or bad) really make the book come alive. I feel like I'm in the story, rooting for Sadie (especially when she's on the floor of the coffeehouse after her mini-meltdown.) Those connections are what makes reading for me. 
 I loved the coffeehouse and the employees there. I loved how Sadie reconnected with Kayla. I love how she explored fashion, pop culture fads, current movies, and sporting events to uncover her true feelings.



Cover Thoughts: I LOVE it. I love the book over her face and the general frustration/agony felt. 

Source: Netgalley


Random Thought: I think the cover looks like a Sarah Dessen novel and I think it's a perfect book to hand readers who love Sarah Dessen. It reminded me SO much of Truth About Forever (which is my favorite SD book)


Stay Tuned tomorrow for an interview with Abby McDonald!

Review: Whatever Happened to Goodbye

Mclean's family has been torn apart. Her parents went through a nasty divorce. Her mom has a brand new family. Mclean wants nothing to do with her.

She lives with her dad who moves frequently due to his job. Mclean's become a different person with every more - starting off with a clean slate.

With the latest move, it seems she's becoming more like her old self. She still doesn't play or talk basketball. Mclean's been running from her old life and her old self for so long. Now shes finding it hard to become herself again.

Dave just might be the person to help her become the person she's meant to be, not the person she's been trying to hide.

My Thoughts: I LOVED this book - I'm such a huge Sarah Dessen fan. I Loved how other characters popped up from her previous novels. I'm so intrigued by Jason after disliking him so in Truth About Forever. I loved the journey of Mclean - how she held back from people and how she finally let people past her walls. I felt for Mclean - sad, heartbroken, and hopeful. Sarah Dessen is a master of writing teen contemporary romances. It's impossible not to fall in love with her books and her characters.

Cover Thoughts: I love it. I really like the addition of the pink curtains.

Source: My Library