Blog Tour + Early Review & Giveaway: Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

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Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks #5 (full reading order below)
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication date: July 15th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

“Breathe, Annie, Breathe is an emotional, heartfelt, and beautiful story about finding yourself after loss and learning to love. It gave me so many feels. Her best book yet.” — Jennifer Armentrout, New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You.

Purchase:
Amazon Kindle • Amazon Hardcover • B&N • Kobo • iTunes

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Oh, my heart is still fluttering after reading this book! Without a doubt, Breathe, Annie, Breathe is my favorite of the Hundred Oaks series so far. Miranda Kenneally does YA contemporary romance so well, I already knew I would end up enjoying this latest book of series, but I just never expected to love it THIS much!

I was in the perfect mood for reading a sweet, heartfelt story, and Breathe, Annie, Breathe gave me all that and more. It’s a quick read, but it packs powerful emotions within its pages. I felt every emotion Annie felt–I laughed when she laughed, I ached when she ached, and I loved when she loved. This book is about loss, but it’s also about hope. It’s about trying to find your way through life, and Miranda Kenneally does an excellent job of conveying this in Annie’s journey.

A quarter mile more.
One foot after the other.
Breathe, Annie, breathe.

After the loss of her boyfriend and love of her life, Annie signs up for the Music City Marathon. Her boyfriend, Kyle, was training for it until he died, so Annie decides to honor him by running the race for him. She hires a trainer, and every practice is brutal–Annie has to practice running for miles and miles before she’s ever ready for a 26.2 mile marathon. But what I loved best about Annie is that even when she wants to give up, she doesn’t. She keeps on going. And I loved that fact that she hated running–because I can completely relate to that. I am awful at running, but reading about Annie and her perseverance made me want to pick up a pair of jogging shoes and go out running.

Annie is easily relatable–she’s lost her sense of direction in life, and doesn’t know how to move on from Kyle’s death. She’s about to attend college in the fall, but doesn’t know what to do. It’s like she’s going through the motions in her life, but running is the one thing that makes her feel alive. She meets new people, new friends, while training. We see Matt, from Things I Can’t Forget, who is her trainer. And Annie becomes especially close to Matt’s younger brother Jeremiah.

Jeremiah is a total sweetheart. He’s cute, funny, and cheers Annie on throughout the entire book. Jeremiah wholeheartedly believes in Annie and believes that she has what it takes to finish the marathon. He’s also peculiar in that Jeremiah’s an adrenaline junkie–he’s always looking to find a new challenge to feel a rush. I loved how supportive he is of Annie, and I loved the tension between them. Sparks fly between Annie and Jere–they’re so perfect with each other, for each other. Their banter is hilarious and their friendship is rock-solid.

“Aren’t you gonna run up front and try to win?” I ask.
“I’d rather run with you.”
“You want to come in 5,094th place?”
His mouth quirks into a smile. “I don’t care.”
“Jeremiah? You make me happy.”
“You make me happy too,” he says quietly.

I just can’t get enough of these two! They had me smiling for the entire book. They’re absolutely adorable together!

But Annie, understandably, holds back. She loved Kyle, and finding new love is a scary thing. I loved seeing them grow close to each other, to learn to lean on each other. They fall in love slowly, and my heart was bursting for them.

We get cameos of other characters from the other books in the series, which totally made me squeal!

Overall, I had the most wonderful time reading Breathe, Annie, Breathe. I never expected to love a book about running, but I do! I was cheering for Annie the whole way through. I loved seeing her grow, both as a runner and as a person. The whole book is so emotional, and Annie’s journey warmed my heart.

If you don’t put yourself out there, if you don’t take risks, you can’t truly feel.
And I’m ready to feel again.

I was honestly so sad to get to the end of this book–I never wanted it to end!

5 hearts
lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Hundred Oaks series

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally
Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally 

#1 ~ Catching Jordan: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Stealing Parker: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Things I Can’t Forget: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Racing Savannah: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#5 ~ Breathe, Annie, Breathe: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#6 ~ Jesse’s Girl: My Review • EbookHardcoverPaperback • Goodreads
#7 ~ Defending Taylor: Shirley’s Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads

about the author button

Miranda KenneallyGrowing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Website • Goodreads • Facebook • Twitter

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2x 50$ B&N Gift Card
3x Signed copy of Breathe, Annie, Breathe

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Blog Tour + Early Review: Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren

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I am so freaking happy to be a part of the Sweet Filthy Boy blog tour!! I loooooved Sweet Filthy Boy, and you can read my review below. Don’t forget–SFB releases TOMORROW, so make sure to preorder!

Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren

Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren
Series: Wild Seasons #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 13th 2014
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Gallery Books) in exchange for an honest review
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One-night stands are supposed to be with someone convenient, or wickedly persuasive, or regrettable. They aren’t supposed to be with someone like him.

But after a crazy Vegas weekend celebrating her college graduation—and terrified of the future path she knows is a cop-out—Mia Holland makes the wildest decision of her life: follow Ansel Guillaume—her sweet, filthy fling—to France for the summer and just…play.

When feelings begin to develop behind the provocative roles they take on, and their temporary masquerade adventures begin to feel real, Mia will have to decide if she belongs in the life she left because it was all wrong, or in the strange new one that seems worlds away.

Buy Links:
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • iTunes • Sony • Amazon UK
Simon & Schuster • Powell’s Books • The King’s English • Mysterious Galaxy • Indie Bound • Target

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Oh my gooooosh!!! I’m so freaking IN LOVE with this book!! Christina Lauren have outdone themselves! I can’t even begin to describe all of my feelings, my love for this book! When I got my arc, I literally jumped for joy and squealed. And I devoured Sweet Filthy Boy in pretty much one sitting. Sigh. I wish this book never ended. I could read about Mia and Ansel and France forever.

Christina Lauren fans, I’m delighted to say that you absolutely will not be disappointed with Sweet Filthy Boy! When I finished SFB (with a HUGE smile on my face), I was thinking, “Oh my God, I think I love this book as much as I love the Beautiful Bastard series.” I fell in loooove with the characters (oh, Ansel), the writing (France!!), and everything else about this book. To be quite honest, Sweet Filthy Boy was perfection.

So we have our lovely heroine Mia, who, along with two best friends, goes to Vegas after graduating college. And at Vegas, Mia meets Ansel, who is sexy, alluring, and French (let me just say I fell in love with French boys because of Ansel. I WANT MY OWN FRENCH BOY PLEASE). Buuut, after a night of hard partying and drinking together, Mia wakes up and can’t remember the night before. Enter the shocking little plot twist that I didn’t see coming at all! If you read the book, Mia’s situation may seem a bit similar to a certain other rocker book I shall not mention, but SFB as a whole is nothing like it. SFB was unique, refreshing, and so much fun to read. It’s become one of my favorite books of the year!

What we know is dimly lit bars, playful banter, the clean, crisp sheets of hotel rooms. What we know is the unrequited possibility, the temptation of the idea. The make-believe. The adventure.
But when you choose the adventure, it becomes real life.

Ansel and Mia have an undeniable attraction to one another. Ansel wants Mia to give them a chance at forming a relationship, but Mia isn’t sure that the two of them can actually work. They had a one night stand at Vegas, ended up in a crazy situation, and now Ansel wants Mia to go back to France with him? Umm… I’d have been a little skeptical too (although now that I’ve read the book and fallen in love with Ansel, I would’ve DONE ABSOLUTELY WHATEVER ANSEL WANTED ME TO DO). Still, when Mia looks at the prospect of her future after graduation, she’s not happy about any of it. So… she decides to take a chance, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and go to France with Ansel.

So Mia will spend the summer in France with Ansel, and they deal with their relationship day by day. They have a bumpy start at the beginning of their relationship though. Ansel has to work a lot, and doesn’t have much time to spare to spend with Mia, and Mia is in a foreign country left to fend for herself. There’s a definite strain in their relationship, especially since they started off rocky anyway, but the two of them are determined to make their relationship work. And it helps that Ansel is just so freaking sweet to Mia…

“I just want to make love to you all day,” he says against my mouth and rolls on top of me. “I don’t want to think about work or friends or even eating. I want to exist on you alone.”

Ansel is just… perfectly imperfect. He’s got so many sides to his personality, and it was incredibly easy to fall in love with him. He’s sweet, charming, funny, sexy, and he whispers sweet nothings–in French! He’s an impulsive kind of guy (which is good and bad), he’s definitely a lover and not a fighter, and I was swooning so much for Ansel throughout the book. You just can’t not smile because of him.

“I love that you’re trying to learn my city. And God help the poor boys who see you walk by in that little sundress I saw hanging in the bathroom. You’ll have admirers following you home and I’ll be forced to chase them off.”

Do you SEE how freaking cute and sweet Ansel is??

And as the two of them spend their summer in France together, they slowly… fall for each other. It’s slow and sweet and heartwarming and inevitable. They never really thought that they’d fall for each other, but they do, and this creates complications, because what happens after the summer is over? Mia has to go back to America, and Ansel has to stay in France. My heart was aching for the two of them, because I wanted them to work so bad. Mia and Ansel are perfect together, and have become one of my all-time favorite couples.

“I’m lost in you.”
I gasp, nodding frantically. “Me, too.”…
“What you feel, Cerise? I feel it, too. Fuck, Mia, I feel everything for you.”

Mia and Ansel’s beautiful romance was an absolute joy to read. I was swept away by their whirlwind romance, by the depth of the characters, and by the writing. There’s the perfect amount of sexy to balance out the sweet, and I loved how much Sweet Filthy Boy wrung so many emotions out of me. I’d be smiling and giggling one moment, and hurting for Mia and Ansel the next.

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. I can’t say enough good things about it–everyone needs to experience Ansel and Mia and France. You will fall in looooove like I did.

5 hearts
lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Wild Seasons series

 Dirty Rowdy Thing by Christina Lauren Dark Wild Night by Christina Lauren Wicked Sexy Liar by Christina Lauren

#1 ~ Sweet Filthy Boy: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dirty Rowdy Thing: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Dark Wild Night: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Wicked Sexy Liar: My Review • EbookPaperback • Goodreads

about the authors button

Christina LaurenLauren Billings (but everyone calls her Lo) has a Ph.D. in neuroscience and before she made writing her full-time job, would spend her days doing nerdy research-type things wearing a lab coat and goggles. She is silly Mommy to two littles, wife to one mountain biking homebrewing scientist, bestie to a shoe-stealer, and an unabashed lover of YA and romance.

Christina Hobbs (but you’ll always hear Lo call her PQ) used to spend her days in a junior high counseling office surrounded by teenagers. Married to the cutest boy in school, she has a thirteen year old daughter, is an unapologetic lover of boy bands and glitter, and also likes to steal Lo’s shoes.

You can follow their shenanigans at:

Their Website@lolashoes (Lauren) & @seeCwrite (Christina) on Twitter. On Tumblr! where we post kissing gifs and writerly stuff and Wattpad for short stories and sneak peeks!

For official information about their books, events, interviews, movie news and more, follow @beautifulbastrd.


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Review: Love, in English by Karina Halle

Love, in English by Karina Halle

Love, in English by Karina Halle
Series: LIE #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 20th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback

He’s thirty-eight. I’m twenty-three.

He speaks Spanish. I speak English.

He lives in Spain. I live in Canada.

He dresses in thousand-dollar suits. I’m covered in tattoos.

He’s married and has a five-year old daughter. I’m single and can’t commit to anyone or anything.

Until now. Because when they say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, boy ain’t that the f*#king truth.

***

To a restless dreamer like Vera Miles, it sounded like the experience of a lifetime. Instead of spending her summer interning for her astronomy major, she would fly to Spain where she’d spend a few weeks teaching conversational English to businessmen and women, all while enjoying free room and board at an isolated resort. But while Vera expected to get a tan, meet new people and stuff herself with wine and paella, she never expected to fall in love.

Mateo Casalles is unlike anyone Vera has ever known, let alone anyone she’s usually attracted to. While Vera is a pierced and tatted free spirit with a love for music and freedom, Mateo is a successful businessman from Madrid, all sharp suits and cocky Latino charm. Yet, as the weeks go on, the two grow increasingly close and their relationship changes from purely platonic to something…more.

Something that makes Vera feel alive for the first time.

Something that can never, ever be.

Or so she thinks.

“Love is like a thief, it robs you of all thought and logic, and all you have left is a heart that you can only pray is strong enough to survive the rest.”

I read Love, in English the moment it appeared on my kindle and I couldn’t. stop. reading. I literally had to force myself to stop when it was 2 AM and by then I was around halfway done. God, this book did a number on me. I can’t stop thinking about it–my mind and heart are still in a jumble of a mess right now. All I really want to say is the I love this book so freaking hard. Love, in English has become one of the best books, the best romances, I have read this year yet, and it’ll most likely stay that way because, simply put, this book is phenomenal.

“You can fall in love in a second,” she said with a snap of her fingers. “The heart has no regard for time.”

First, let’s talk a little bit about forbidden love! Yes, as you can see from the blurb, our heroine, Vera Miles, falls in love with a married man. A married man, you say??? Yes, yes, a married man. This is a touchy subject, but it’s one I felt Karina Halle handled flawlessly. I normally stay far, far away from books that involve cheating, and only very, very few books have made me fall in love with the story and characters. Love, in English is one of them. So if you’re wary of the cheating aspect of the book, I would say to not turn your back on it just yet.

The thing about Love, in English is that it is so much more than just a forbidden romance. The very essence of this book is not the forbidden part, but the love part. Vera goes to Spain to teach English to a group of Spanish native speakers, and there she discovers more about herself and about love than she could ever have dreamed of. She thought she was fairly okay with her life up until her trip to Spain, where she meets new people who “get” her. She doesn’t have to pretend with these group of Spaniards and Anglos, who welcome her with open arms, something she never had at home.

“You are lonely, but you say you like to be alone.”
I nodded. “I do. I prefer it. But… it doesn’t mean I don’t want someone to love me.” My eyes stung, as if tears were on their way. I bit my lip, debating if I should say more. “It doesn’t mean that I don’t have a lot of love in me to give someone.”

And along the way of this self-discovery, Vera actually falls in love… but it just so happens that he’s married. And what I love most about Vera, besides her kickass attitude and her awesome tattoos, is that she knows what she feels for Mateo is wrong. She knows there would be consequences and was very adamantly against having any feelings for him. And it certainly is wrong to act on those feelings, but what she feels for Mateo is something completely different. As she spends more time with Mateo, talking with him, getting to know him, her feelings blossom into something… beautiful. And it is very obviously reciprocated by Mateo.

“What is love? In English.”
I raised my brows. “Love, in English, is love?”
“What is it in Spanish?”
I was so enthralled by his hypnotic eyes, I could barely remember. “Amore?”
He shook his head ever so slightly. “No. Love in Spanish is you.”

Cue the blubbers!!! My heart was seriously bursting here. *sigh*

But but but… heartbreak is like a dark cloud hanging over Vera and Mateo. If they had only met under different circumstances, then a love this theirs would have been the most wondrous, glorious thing. But they didn’t, so what can actually come out of a love between the two of them?

“You and I, we were always a memory in the making.”

Cue the goddamn tears!! Karina Halle is so powerful with her words. I could feel the heartbreak, the anguish, but most of all, the love between Vera and Mateo. And another thing Karina Halle so eloquently expresses in this book? Spain. It was like I was taken into another world, a special place designated to Mateo and Vera for falling in love. And I was rooting for them every single second. They were two people falling in love at the wrong time, but there was no doubt that the two of them were meant for each other, meant to be with each other. I had no idea what direction Karina Halle would have the two of them take, but everything was honest, heartbreaking, breathtaking, and real.

“But love makes you an optimist,” she said. “That is what love is. It is hope for the future. Love doesn’t want you to lose faith, to view the world darkly, to have no hope. Love makes you believe in the impossible. That is the meaning of the word.”

All in all, Love, in English was one beautiful book. It made me laugh, made me cry, made me hurt, and made me feel nearly every emotion out there known to man. I was gasping one moment, and tearing up in the next, but every single second I was falling more and more in love with the book. This is without a doubt one of the best romances I have ever read, and I wish every single person out there gave Love, in English a chance.

5-hearts

lacey

Reading Order: LIE series

Love, in English by Karina Halle Love, in Spanish by Karina Halle Where Sea Meets Sky by Karina Halle

#1 ~ Love, in English: Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
#2 ~ Love, in Spanish: EbookGoodreads (Nov. 11, 2014)
Spinoff ~ Where Sea Meets Sky: EbookPaperback • Goodreads (March 1, 2015)

Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Series: Blood of Eden #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 30th 2013
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover

In Allison Sekemoto’s world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood

She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie’s birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever—and possibly end human and vampire existence.

There’s a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago—and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time.

Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make.

It’s been foreeeever since I’ve read a YA book, but reading The Eternity Cure has reminded me of just how much I’ve missed YA books, and paranormal ones at that. Although, to be honest, it’s Julie freaking Kagawa, so of course I’d end up loving anything and everything by her!

Anyways, The Eternity Cure was so. freaking. gooooood! I don’t know why I waited so long to read it, especially since I read book one, The Immortal Rules, so long ago. But seriously, Julie Kagawa never ceases to amaze me. I was instantly sucked back into this post-apocalyptic, devastated world she created. I couldn’t stop reading, couldn’t stop flipping the pages, because everything is so heart-pounding, thrilling, and intense. I’d forgotten how much I liked Allison as the heroine–she’s kickass and all around just an incredible heroine for this series.

Allie has left Eden–and Zeke–to go in search of her sire, Kanin, who is in the hands of a psychotic, evil vampire. Kanin is being tortured, and Allie knows she’s running out of time before Kanin turns dark and loses all sense of humanity. Along her journey towards Kanin, she encounters Jackal, who is another offspring of Kanin, and the vampire who also killed her friends. I thought Jackal was a fabulous addition to the set of characters in the Blood of Eden series–he’s bold, he’s crass, and he’s hilarious. He’s not exactly there for comic relief, although he does lighten up the story every time he opens his mouth. Allie pretty much hates him, and the two have a very tenuous relationship–they become unlikely allies in their search for Kanin. Julie Kagawa does a great job in bringing Jackal’s character to life–I didn’t care for him when he was first introduced in The Immortal Rules, but now I can’t imagine Allie going on her journey without him.

So if you’ve read The Immortal Rules, I know what you’re thinking–WHAT ABOUT ZEKE??? For all you Zeke fans, don’t despair! Zeke is THERE! He wonderfully surprises Allie–but I won’t say when or why, just that he does! And while I don’t particularly LOVE Zeke, I was still so, so happy he was there with Allie. They make such a great team together, and he brings out the best out of Allie.

The thing I love most about this series is that despite it being young adult, Julie Kagawa holds nothing back. There’s death, blood, gore, and violence, and all of these things add up to one heart-pounding, fantastic sequel. This series is, without a doubt, one of the few vampire series that doesn’t disappoint.

5 hearts!

5-hearts

lacey

Series Order: Blood of Eden series

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

#1 ~ The Immortal Rules: Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Eternity Cure: Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Forever Song: My Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads

Joint Review: Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
Series: Maybe #1 (can be read as a standalone)
Publication Date: March 18th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Paperback • Soundtrack

At twenty-two years old, aspiring musician Sydney Blake has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her good friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter cheating on her with Tori—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by her mysterious neighbor, Ridge Lawson. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the daily guitar playing he does out on his balcony. She can feel the harmony and vibrations in his music. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either: He seems to have finally found his muse. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one…

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance—and the enchanting music that inspires one young woman to put her life back together.

Alrighty, well the first thing I should say is that I finally have time to post more reviews, and what better way to start than with MAYBE freaking SOMEDAY? *fangirling commences*

So. Colleen Hoover. Is it ever possible for you to write a book that I won’t fall in love with? That my entire heart and soul won’t be invested in? That won’t take me, like, 3-4 days to recover from? No? Okay. Well, that’s fine. I’m totally okay with that. You know why? BECAUSE I FREAKING LOVE YOU, COLLEEN.

In case you couldn’t tell, I loooooooved Maybe Someday. It was probably the worst book Colleen Hoover has written so far, in terms of the amount of heartbreak and anguish. This book nearly killed me. And I loved every second of it. I honestly had no idea how much pain and heartbreak Maybe Someday would put me through. I mean, my first impression of this book was that it was freaking hilarious. Laugh-out-loud funny, and in my opinion, Colleen’s funniest book yet. But… as we get more into the story, more involved in the lives of Sydney, Ridge, Warren, and everyone else, all these layers come peeling away. We get such an in-depth look at all the characters that it felt like I knew them, like I connected with their souls. It was perfect.

As the book progressed, I loved that we slowly got know the very hearts of the characters. Sydney isn’t just a girl whose boyfriend has been hooking up with someone else–she’s a kickass girl who writes awesome lyrics to songs. She incredibly relatable–she’s funny, compassionate, and all around a good person. And Ridge is so much more than Sydney’s neighbor who’s talented at playing the guitar. He’s got to be one of the sweetest characters I’ve ever read. Ridge truly has a heart of gold and I fell in love with him over and over in Maybe Someday.

One thing I should highlight is that you absolutely MUST listen to the Maybe Someday soundtrack while reading this book! It makes an already fantastic experience so much better when you actually listen to the songs as they appear in the book. And can I just say–Griffin Peterson is incredible! I am so, so impressed with the songs he and Colleen created.

Maybe Someday is like nothing I’ve ever read. I don’t want to spoil anything about the book, because it’s just so much better to get the full experience without knowing anything, but the direction Colleen Hoover took the story is so unexpected, but so real, raw, honest, and pretty much… perfect. I couldn’t imagine a better story for Sydney and Ridge.

And don’t even get me started on what Maybe Someday did to my emotions. Jesus H. Christ, it was like a freaking roller coaster. But you know what? I love roller coasters. My heart was going crazy for Sydney and Ridge and everyone, because one second it would be full to bursting from love for everything about this book, but then my emotions would shoot straight down to where tears were in my eyes and my heart was aching so badly. Maybe Someday is far from a simple, easy read. It has so much heart–from the characters to the writing, everything comes off the pages so clearly and with so much emotion.

I’m listening to the songs on the soundtrack right now (Hold On to You is my favorite one, though Maybe Someday is a close second) and I still can’t over the beauty of this book and these characters and these words and these songs and these lyrics. And I probably never will. 5+ hearts!

5-hearts

lacey

Hey guys!

I know I haven’t been on this blog for a while now (but look at how successful it’s gotten! so proud of Lacey (‘:  ) but I decided to write a post for this book.

I will always come back for Colleen Hoover.

Ahh yes, once again, Hoover has lived up to our expectations, if not exceeded them, with Maybe Someday. My feelings throughout the book? Heartbreak, awe, loneliness, happiness, and of course, sadness because of the 1/billion chance of meeting a guy like Ridge. I read this entire book in one sitting, and honestly it was probably the best 3 hours of my life.

When Colleen said that this book would be accompanied with a playlist, I was so excited to see how it would turn out! Since the main characters are both musicians and end up writing songs together, it feels so much more realistic when we actually get to hear the music. Griffin Peterson sounds amazing as well! The lyrics and his voice go together so well, and he sings with so much emotion that completely fits the songs. Not going to lie though, when I heard the first song, i was a bit skeptical because…well, Peterson didn’t sound like what I thought Ridge would. I grew used to it though, and I’ve actually had the entire soundtrack on repeat for the last week. Yep.

Ridge and Sydney’s situation was a mess. It made me cringe, smile, cry, laugh, and shake my head “no” repeatedly. ALSO- can I just say that Warren (Ridge’s best friend) was absolutely HILARIOUS? One of my favorite moments was when Sydney found out that Ridge was part of a band that was pretty well-known, and she started fangirling wow i COULD TOTALLY RELATE (that actually gave me hope that one day I will meet my favorite band member and we will begin our wonderful relationship and have a happily ever after). Their relationship was so cute and so funny, and I JUST LOVE IT. There was so much meaning in everything that they did, and every lyric that they wrote. This was a book that went from lust to heartbreak to even more heartbreak to love to heartbreak and then to full-on love.

It’s actually really amazing how Colleen Hoover is one of the very few authors that has never written a book that I was disappointed in.
Translation: Go read her books.

Until next time! (6 hearts because why would Colleen Hoover deserve anything less)

shirley

Update: Colleen Hoover released a novella about Warren!!

Maybe Not by Colleen Hoover
Review • Ebook • Goodreads