Joint Review: This Girl by Colleen Hoover

This Girl by Colleen Hoover

This Girl by Colleen Hoover
Series: Slammed #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 30th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

There are two sides to every love story. Now hear Will’s.

Colleen Hoover’s New York Times bestselling Slammed series has brought countless readers to their knees with a whirlwind of love, passion, and heartache. 

Layken and Will’s love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can’t resist his wife’s pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.

In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from his point of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.

Lacey here.

So I have finally, FINALLY finished This Girl by the amazing Colleen Hoover.

And I am just in awe right now because Colleen Hoover did it. Again. She has made me into complete mush thanks to a certain Will Cooper and I can’t even deal with life anymore. I had NO apprehensions before reading This Girl. I knew I would love every word from beginning to end, and Colleen did not disappoint. Everything about this book, the new slams, the way Will loves Layken, the angst, Will’s hardships, the EPILOGUE(!!!!), was SO SO incredibly emotional and touching. And at the end, I wanted nothing more than to keep reading about Will and Layken and their brothers and their story. I don’t think I can ever get enough of them. ESPECIALLY Will.

And speaking of the heart-melting Will Cooper. OH HO HO. Oh my. He is one FINE specimen if I do say so myself. Reading Will’s POV from what happened in Slammed was so wonderful, because Will is probably the sweetest, most selfless, self-sacrificing boy I’ve read. He gave up his whole life for his younger brother, even at the loss of his beloved parents. Probably one of my favorite scenes to read was when Will finally tells Layken the story of when his parents died. Will completely broke my heart when I read it, because it was so heart-wrenching and heart-breaking. And I literally teared up when Will was so happy that his little brother, Caulder, had survived. I B U T T E R F L Y I N G  L O V E this book (hehe This book, get it?). Actually, this entire series. This Girl was just an incredible end to one of the most amazing series I have ever read. The entire book is written in the most beautiful way that you can’t help but fall more in love with Will with every word he says.

Will. Butterflying. Cooper. I just swoon SO HARD because of him. (And Naughty Will was so sexy yet hilarious at the same time! I have no idea why!)

*wails because why isn’t Will Cooper real everything about this series is so beautiful*

 

I will never get tired of this series. I could read it over and over again. And I’m pretty sure I will, too. I’ve come to love and care so much for Will and Layken and everyone else, laughing and tearing up and smiling while reading this series. And when a book has that kind of power, you know that it’s an incredible book.

Absolutely positively 6 hearts!

6 hearts
lacey

Cathy here.

Okay, so I said before that I would wait until August to read this for the first time in paperback…WELL, I caved pretty early. AHH, I COULDN’T RESIST!! It was so amazing, and I’m going to miss Will, Layken, Caulder, Kel, Gavin, Eddie, and Kiersten so much! When I first started reading This Girl, I was so excited because I couldn’t wait to get to hear Slammed from Will’s POV, but when I finished the book, it felt so bittersweet. I was devastated when the story ended, only because I still want to know what’s going on in Will and Layken’s lives! BUT, on the bright side, there were some NEW SLAM POEMS!! WOO HOO!! (= I fell in love with Will even more, if that’s even humanly possible! He’s probably the CUTEST guy in the universe. honeymoon (YAY! SO HAPPY THEY’RE MARRIED! MR. AND MRS. COOPER!! ❤) So the flashbacks were WONDERFUL, since we get to see everything from Will and Vaughn’s breakup to Will and Layken’s wedding night! ^_^ There were some ups and downs, but Lake and Will are so cute together as husband and wife (YIPPEE!). They’re the best couple ever! Their conversations and interactions with each other made my heart melt, and I was so happy for them since they were finally together forever (!) after going through more tragedies than most people encounter in a lifetime! Not only that, but reading from Will’s POV helped me understand his thought process and why he made the decisions he did during Slammed better. And I also love Will for loving Lake so much, and how it was absolutely killing him every single day that they were apart. HE’S SO ADORABLE. I’m glad that we got to see Eddie, Gavin, Kel, Caulder, and Kiersten one more time before the series ended. It was great to see them all together as one big, happy family one last time! EPILOGUE? ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!Since I knew there was an epilogue, I kind of predicted the ending (and I was right!), but it was a butterflying amazing ending, nonetheless! I’m so sad that the series ended, but incredibly happy that I was able to see MR. AND MRS. COOPER’S happily ever after.

6 hearts!! (Because what other rating could we possibly give this book?)

6 hearts
Cathy

Reading Order: Slammed series

Slammed by Colleen Hoover Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover This Girl by Colleen Hoover

#1 ~ Slammed: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Point of Retreat: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ This Girl: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Cover Reveal: Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover
Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover
Series: Hopeless #2
Publication Date: July 9th 2013
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In the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has melted thousands of hearts.

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery.

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

Oh.
My.
God.
AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I am SO crazy excited to read Losing Hope now. I NEED MORE DEAN HOLDER!!! Sigh. Colleen Hoover’s going to break my heart all over again. I just know it. (OMG which reminds me: look out for our review of THIS GIRL soon!)

And even though the guy on the cover doesn’t really match my version of Holder, I’m still a big fan of the cover. I love that it matches with Hopeless’s cover, which is so darn cute! (Even though the book is anything but cute.)

Lookie lookie! Side-by-side!

Hopeless by Colleen HooverLosing Hope by Colleen Hoover

And, ahem… well, on Pinterest, there are some REALLY nice pictures of this guy who I think makes a GREAT Holder.

Like, HOLY COW. (Look at them abs!!!)
Holder 2

I can TOTALLY imagine Holder going out running in this same outfit.
Yes, I know I am weird okay? Gosh.

Aaannd maybe just one more pic….
Holder 1
(Abs!!! More abs!! And that ARM)
Okay. I’m done now.

And if you HAVEN’T read Hopeless yet *narrows my eyes at you* then what are you waiting for?

Go check out Colleen’s blog for more info on the cover!
http://colleenhoover.com/2013/05/11/cover-reveal-for-losing-hope-and-a-giveaway/

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

lacey

Cover Reveal: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Series: Divergent #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: October 22nd 2013
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One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth’s #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

OH MY GOD IT’S SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!! I just CANNOT express my love for this cover and this entire series! But I’m so sad Allegiant is the final book and that the Divergent series will be ending once and for all this coming October. *sniffles* Yet at the same time I’m so unbelievably excited because the last book ended with this twist and it’s like NOOOO WHY DID YOU JUST END IT LIKE THAT?!? October 22nd cannot get here quick enough!

But seriously, if you haven’t started reading this series, what on earth are you waiting for?? Because you are missing out on a fantastic series (one of my favorites actually) with the most incredible characters ever. *cough* Four *cough*.

So go start this series! You won’t regret it.

Series Order: Divergent series

Divergent by Veronica Roth Insurgent by Veronica Roth Allegiant by Veronica Roth

#1 ~ Divergent: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Insurgent: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Allegiant: Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads

Author Appreciation: Colleen Hoover

So there’s this one author that Cathy, Shirley, and I are completely obsessed crazy about, and you guessed it…. It’s COLLEEN HOOVER!!! I decided to make an appreciation post for Colleen Hoover in time for her new release THIS GIRL, out April 30th!

This Girl by Colleen Hoover

OMG SQUEEEEEE!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS GIRL!!!!! I HAVE BEEN DYING FOR THIS BOOK SINCE I FIRST HEARD COLLEEN WAS WRITING IT. IT’S. FINALLY. ALMOST. HERE.

I remember falling immediately in love with Colleen Hoover’s first book, Slammed, and thinking, “Oh my god, that was. FREAKING. AMAZING. HOLYCOW.” And since then, I vowed to myself and the world that I would always read anything Colleen Hoover writes. And boy did she not disappoint. I cannot express just how much I loved reading Slammed, Point of Retreat, and Hopeless. I think, subconsciously, reading them has changed the way I read books now. Because they were so incredibly heart-wrenching and phenomenal, I think I tend to have expectations of books as to whether or not they can make me love them as much as I love Colleen’s books. This is probably a bad thing, since I don’t think there are too many books out there that I can love as much as Slammed, PoR, and Hopeless (but there are! Don’t worry, there are always books that will speak to your heart and just connect with your soul). And another thing Colleen has done is open my eyes towards so many other books, whether they are indie books or from the New Adult genre.

Oh, and how could I forget to mention the amazing hot smexy yumilicious Will Cooper and Dean Holder?!?!?!? At the very least, you should read a book by Colleen for some gorgeous boys Will and Holder!

Holder (Hopeless by Colleen Hoover)

 Like come on. If this doesn’t make your heart melt, I don’t know what does.

GOD COLLEEN HOOVER. YOU. ROCK. But ahem… if you continue to create books like your previous ones which I am so unbelievably in love with it’s crazy and you probably think I’m weird then I will end up as a pile of goo from both your beautiful writing and stories and YOUR. BOYS. But I’m okay with that. Hehe.

GO READ HER BOOKS. THAT IS ALL.

lacey

Cathy here.

WOOO!! COLLEEN HOOVER?! AMAZING WRITER. Each of her books only took me a single day to read, which means I was glued to them ALL DAY. I seriously think these books have ruined any chance for me of finding the perfect guy, because absolutely no guy can compare to, NO, they can’t even come close to the perfection of Will Cooper and Dean Holder. A guy who can melt your heart with slam poetry? The other who’s been in love with a single girl literally his entire life?! NO. NO ONE CAN EVER BE AMAZING AS THE WILL COOPER AND DEAN HOLDER. These books have raised my expectations to admittedly crazy unrealistic expectations, but I DON’T CARE because I want a guy just like them. And the stories themselves were just insanely intense in themselves. Both Layken and Sky are relatable in the way that they hope for the same things we do in life, but their lives are so much more difficult in ways that I hope I myself won’t have to experience. Their experiences in these books prove that anything is possible, and love can conquer all! WOOT! (= Well, that was incredibly cheesy, but being a hopeless romantic, what else can you possibly expect from me? (; While reading these books, I was riding a rollercoaster of emotions. One minute I was practically falling in love (or “live” Dean’s case:) with Will/Dean myself, the next minute I wanted to throw something at the wall, and the next I wanted to bawl my eyes out! It was like Rumplestiltskin (again showing how obsessed I am with OUAT) was tearing my heart out, shoving it back in, only to tear my heart out again to increase the pain by tenfold! CRAZY, RIGHT? I highly recommend reading Slammed and Point of Retreat first since even though they’re both sad, Hopeless is just another level of sadness and depression altogether! I actually had to stop reading it a few times to take a breather because my heart would stop, and my feelings were all over the place. I was a mess.

Anyways, THANKS LACEY for showing me these books and I absolutely love you for showing me these!! AHH. Coolest friend EVER, haha! (= AND COLLEEN HOOVER, thank you for giving me unrealistic expectations for guys now.  I am so happy you brought Layken, Sky, Will and Holder into my life! & thank you for liking my reviews on GoodReads for Point of Retreat and Hopeless! It made me so happy!!  AND we’re all anxiously awaiting This Girl! Lacey’s going to read it on ebook first, and I’m probably (or at least trying) to wait until it comes out in paperback in August. But who knows? I’ll probably cave well before then. (;
Cathy

Reading Order: Slammed series

Slammed by Colleen Hoover Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover This Girl by Colleen Hoover

#1 ~ Slammed: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Point of Retreat: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ This Girl: Our Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Reading Order: Hopeless series

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

#1 ~ Hopeless: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Losing Hope: Lacey’s Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2.5 ~ Finding Cinderella: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

Joint Review: Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter
Series: Heist Society #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: February 5th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback

Katarina Bishop and W.W. Hale the fifth were born to lead completely different lives: Kat comes from a long, proud line of loveable criminal masterminds, while Hale is the scion of one of the most seemingly perfect dynasties in the world. If their families have one thing in common, it’s that they both know how to stay under the radar while getting-or stealing-whatever they want. No matter the risk, the Bishops can always be counted on, but in Hale’s family, all bets are off when money is on the line. When Hale unexpectedly inherits his grandmother’s billion dollar corporation, he quickly learns that there’s no place for Kat and their old heists in his new role. But Kat won’t let him go that easily, especially after she gets tipped off that his grandmother’s will might have been altered in an elaborate con to steal the company’s fortune. So instead of being the heir-this time, Hale might be the mark. Forced to keep a level head as she and her crew fight for one of their own, Kat comes up with an ambitious and far-reaching plan that only the Bishop family would dare attempt. To pull it off, Kat is prepared to do the impossible, but first, she has to decide if she’s willing to save her boyfriend’s company if it means losing the boy.

Lacey here.

Ally Carter is one of my favorite authors ever, because I love her Heist Society and Gallagher Girls series. I remember, a couple of years back, I saw a copy of I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You at Target, and desperately wanting to read it. I mean, c’mon. Spies? Girl spies? And cute boys? There was no way I wasn’t going to read it. And lo and behold, the next time I went to the library, it was there! So I immediately borrowed a copy, and there began my love for Ally Carter. Mind you, I was a young’un then, so Ally Carter’s books perfectly matched my little girly heart, and expanded my love for reading even more. That’s not to say, of course, that you have to be a young, preteen girl to enjoy Ally’s books! No siree. It’s been around 6 years since I first started reading Ally’s books, and I enjoy them today just as much as I did back then. The second book in the Gallagher Girls series, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, is probably one of the books I’ve read the most number of times. If you want light, fun, exciting, and unique books, then what are you waiting for? GO READ SOME ALLY CARTER BOOKS.

Alright, well, I was actually supposed to write my review, but I got a little sidetracked. So. ANYWAYS. I finished Perfect Scoundrels a week ago, and it was a perfect, light read. I finished pretty quickly, because there’s just something about Ally Carter’s books that make you unable to stop reading! (Although there’s also the slight problem of not remembering much from previous books too, unfortunately). Once you start one of Ally’s books, though, you get sucked in immediately into her world of thieves and/or spies.

I loved that the first chapter finally shows us the scene where Kat first meets Hale. It was so adorable and sweet, and you just know that they’re amazing together. The only bad part of the book was when Kat and Hale had their fight. I, of course, knew that THERE WAS NO POSSIBLE WAY THAT HALE AND KATE WOULD BREAK UP FOREVER, so I wasn’t too worried. Hale is as incredible as ever, but now, he has tons of pressure put onto him once he is labeled the sole heir to the multi-billion dollar Hale family company. It’s in this book that we finally get to see the side of Hale he tries so hard to hide from Kat, the world of the rich, the glamorous, and the heartless. Even Hale turns a bit cold towards Kat when he is reintegrated with the rich. I got so mad at Hale for this, and Kat gets so depressed by this, but she has a new mystery to solve (which involves a heist, naturally).

The best part of the book for me (besides Kat+Hale of course!) is Kat’s family and the relationships within her family. Her heist crew is hilarious and lovable, with the Bagshaw brothers being as crazy as ever, Gabrielle being her gorgeous self, and Simon being his dorky, nerdy self. Her father, Bobby Bishop, and her Uncle Eddie, are quite possibly my favorite secondary characters in this series. The love they have for Kat is just so heartwarming, and Uncle Eddie saying “I’ll be here when you get back” just exemplifies everything about the love they share. Kat’s family is her support, her foundation, and without them, she wouldn’t be the strong, tough, clever girl we know her as.

The end of the book is SO. INTENSE. We get this big buildup and then Kat does her thang and everything turns out brilliantly. BUT we still don’t know what Hale’s initials stand for! So I’m really hoping the there’s another book in the series. I don’t want to say more without spoiling, so I’ll just let Cathy and Shirley say what they think of the book!

5 hearts
lacey

Shirley here.

Ally Carter is legitimately one of my favorite authors of all time!  I mean come on, cute boys, spies, mystery and drama?! How can you not fall in love with books like that?

Like most of her books, I was quite excited to read Perfect Scoundrels! It started with the story of how Kat and Hale met, and it was the cutest story ever! I’d love to become a thief if that meant picking up (literally) cute boys…This entire book revolves around Hale’s grandmother’s will, which put Hale as the new owner of the million dollar company. But this book was action all the way! Just when it seemed like there was going to be a conclusion, I would still have over 100 pages to read.

AND THE END. GIRL. That was probably the most mind blowing part of the entire book. I tend to spoil things without intending to, so I’m just going to leave it at that. Sorry for a short review, but I don’t want this post to be too long! Basically, read it.

5 hearts
shirley

Cathy here.

Reiterating what both Lacey and Shirley have said, I absolutely love, love LOVE Ally Carter’s books! I first read I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You when I was in middle school, I believe. And I thought it was pretty interesting, but I wasn’t a huge fan of Josh. But as I kept reading the books, they kept getting better and better! I finally read Heist Society after my friend Cindy showed me it in eighth grade (?) , and I was so excited to read it because I was thinking, “Another Ally Carter book?! AHHHH!!”

So onto Perfect Scoundrels, which is the third book in the Heist Society series. I could not put this book down. Which is quite awful really, since I had a somewhat large amount of homework this weekend, and I delayed all of it until today (Sunday) just so I could finish the book! But that’s the sign of a good book right? Anyways, this book had a whole lot of HALE in it, which is probably why I loved it so much. Like Shirley said, there was action all throughout the book, and never a dull moment! I had to make sure to slow down a bit, because I think it’s important to try to pay attention to the details especially in Ally Carter’s books, since you never know which detail is crucial. And the Hale and Kat moments?! Oh my goodness, I was incredibly happy whenever they were in a scene together! The first chapter got the book off to a spectacular start. “Why?” do you ask? BECAUSE, we finally got to see how Kat and Hale met!! ❤ Whenever Hale referred to Kat as his girlfriend, I was SCREAMING “YES, YES, YES FINALLY!!” So you can imagine my heart shattering when they got into an argument, and Hale said, “No. Wait. It proves I don’t have a girlfriend anymore.” Like what the heck are you doing Hale?! I HATE YOU! But I really don’t, I love Hale; he’s the cutest guy ever, besides Zach of course. (=

And I’m so glad we finally got to meet the rest of Kat’s family! They’re hilarious, and all so lovable. I really wish I could be part of Kat’s crazy family! And when Hale finally met Kat’s family as her boyfriend, those were some of the funniest/cutest scenes in the book, in my opinion. (=

AND THE ENDING?! MY MIND WAS BLOWN. I can’t really say anything without spoiling it, and I’m really bad at keeping it secret when I get super excited about certain parts. BUT the ending? I actually had to do a double take, because in my rush to find out what happened, I was kind of confused. So yes, READ CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY.

YAY FOR ALLY CARTER AND HER AWESOME HEROINES WHO ARE SUPER SMART AND INDEPENDENT! And her incredibly cute guys!! ❤

SO READ THIS BOOK. (= And make sure you’ve read the Heist Society and the Cleopatra Emerald first. Bye! (=

5 hearts
Cathy

Reading Order: Heist Society series

Heist Society by Ally Carter Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter

#1 ~ Heist Society: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Uncommon Criminals: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Perfect Soundrels: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads