Review: How to Be Brave by E. Katherine Kottaras

How to Be Brave
by E. Katherine Kottaras

Genre: Contemporary, Friendship, Romance, Young Adult
Expected publication: November 3rd, 2015 by St. Martin's Press
Format: ebook, 288 pages
Source: ARC, NetGalley
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Reeling from her mother's death, Georgia has a choice: become lost in her own pain, or enjoy life right now, while she still can. She decides to start really living for the first time and makes a list of fifteen ways to be brave - all the things she's wanted to do but never had the courage to try. As she begins doing the things she's always been afraid to do - including pursuing her secret crush, she discovers that life doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes friendships fall apart and love breaks your heart. But once in a while, the right person shows up just when you need them most - and you learn that you're stronger and braver than you ever imagined.

How to Be Brave is a sweet story about Georgia who had lost her mother a few months ago and she was trying to be brave and living her life like her mother wanted her to. With the help of her friend, Liss, Georgia made a list of ways to be brave, things that she was afraid to do and new things that she wanted to give a try. But things don't always go the way she expected.

I truly enjoyed Georgia's story to be courageous after her mother's death. She tried to think of positive thoughts and I love her bucket list. The first half was absolutely entertaining. I love Georgia and how the author portrayed her. She may have her insecurities, but she can be funny.

I love that the author didn't focus much on the romance in the story because I really enjoyed the friendship Georgia and Liss shared. I was happy when Georgia started to make a new friend and met Evelyn, but wasn't really happy with how the relationship goes. Although Evelyn too was facing her own problem, I couldn't help but to think that the story would be a bit better, especially with what happened towards the end. There a a few more things happening in the book, like the relationship with Georgia and her father after her mother's death, and Georgia, trying to be brave with her crush.

How to Be Brave is a story about losing someone, making mistakes, being brave and growing up. I enjoyed the story and the author's writing, but I also thought that the story could be better. I look forward to the next work from the author.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

Cover Reveal: Plan Bea by Hilary Grossman + Giveaway

Plan Bea

by: Hilary Grossman

Series: (book 1)

Release Date: October 2015

Genres: Women’s Fiction 

Publisher: Booktrope

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How well do you really know the people in your life?   

Annabel O’Conner has the perfect husband, two adorable children, an amazing job, and the mother from hell! Annabel doesn’t like it, but has come to terms with the fact that her relationship with her mother, Bea, deteriorated to the point of forced and strained communications. However, an unscheduled call from Bea turns her world around and makes Annabel question everything she believed about her life.

Despite the fact secrets, lies, and misplaced blame have destroyed the women’s relationship; Annabel reluctantly agrees to help Bea plan her wedding. Little does Annabel know the impact of her decision.

In this Women’s Contemporary Fiction novel, Hilary Grossman explores the complex relationship that exists between mothers and daughters in a light-hearted and relatable manner.

Hilary Grossman loves to find humor in everyday life. She has an unhealthy addition to denim and high heel shoes. She likens life to a game of dodge ball - she tries to keep as many balls in the air before they smack her in the face. When she isn't writing, blogging, or shoe shopping she is the CFO of a beverage alcohol importer. She lives on the beach in Long Island.

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Review: Blackmail Boyfriend by Chris Cannon

Blackmail Boyfriend
by Chris Cannon

Genre: Drama, Romance, Young Adult
Publication: August 11th, 2015 by Entangled Publishing: Crush
Format: ebook
Source: ARC, NetGalley
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Sometimes, blackmail is the only weapon a girl has…

Haley Patterson has had a crush on golden boy Bryce Colton for ages. But when she hears a rumor that he hooked up with her she gives him a choice: be her boyfriend for a month to show other guys that she’s dateable—despite her overprotective and very intimidating brothers—or deal with the angry, cage-fighting boyfriend of the girl he actually did hook up with.

Bryce didn’t know the other Haley even had a boyfriend. He was just trying to get his ex off his back. And now, not only is he being blackmailed, he's being blackmailed by an honor student. His new “girlfriend” has two three-legged dogs, her father mows grass at the country club, and she's…well, difficult. And different.

Can something so fake turn into something real?

Haley Patterson heard a rumor that she hooked up with Bryce Colton. Turns out that Bryce hooked up with a different Haley, and the other Haley had a boyfriend, Danny. So Haley gave him a choice: to pretend to be her boyfriend for a month, so that she can show the guys that she's dateable, and for her brothers to stop being overprotective, and Bryce can avoid beating from Danny.

I didn't expect much when I start reading this one. I mean, judging from the blurbs, I know that the story was going to be predictable. Even so, I love reading stories like this. Why? Because I enjoyed reading a light and fun romance after a hectic week. It's relaxing.

I love Haley. She's sweet, she loves animals, and she made me laugh out loud the most. Although, I do think that Haley kinda took the fake relationship way seriously, even though it was all pretend. She can be a bit immature sometimes, which can be a bit annoying. 

The story was written in both Haley's and Bryce's POV, but I think the story would be better if it was written in Haley's POV alone. I do enjoy reading on Bryce's POV, but I don't think there's much difference between Haley's and Bryce's POV.

But still, Blackmail Boyfriend by Chris Cannon was a fun read. It's cute, fluffy and funny. The characters were great. Haley and Bryce were cute together. The story and plot was not so bad, and the most important thing is that, I enjoyed reading this book. I would definitely recommend this book to those who were looking for a light romance.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

Review: Everything You and I Could Have Been If We Were not You and I by Albert Espinosa

Everything You and I Could Have Been If We Were not You and I
by Albert Espinosa

Genre: Adult, Sci-fi, Fiction
Publication: May 26th, 2015
Format: ebook
Source: ARC, NetGalley
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Can you imagine a future where everyone has given up sleeping?

From the creator of the television series Red Band Society and author of the international bestseller The Yellow World comes this uniquely special novel.

What if I could reveal your secrets with just a glance? And what if I could feel with your heart just by looking at you? And what if --in a single moment-- I could know that we were made for each other? Marcos has just lost his mother, a famous dancer who taught him everything, and he decides that his world can never be the same without her. Just as he is about to make a radical change, a phone call turns his world upside down.

Albert Espinosa has a peculiar talent for generating immediate congeniality around him, for shifting people's moods toward the positive and for reconciling them with themselves and the world, when needed.

I wanted to read this book when I heard that the writer was one of the writers for Red Band Society, and I adore the show so much. But, um... I'm not sure what this book was about. I mean, if I were to judge the book by its title, I would probably guess that 'Everything You and I Could Have Been If We Were not You and I', was a romantic kind of book. But this book isn't really about romance. I think that this is one of the weird book I sometimes pick up to read.

The main character, Marcos, had a gift where he was able to read people's memory. So he worked for the police so that he could use his gift. He had recently lost his mother, and Marcos decided to take a drug that will make him give up sleeping forever. I don't understand why anyone would give up sleeping. I love sleeping!

'Everything You and I Could Have Been If We Were not You and I', was a strange book. I wouldn't say that the book was bad, or it was written badly. And I wouldn't say that I didn't like the book. I thought that the writing and the story were okay. I didn't really understand what this book was about. The story and characters were a bit strange, but fascinating. There were a bit of romance and a bit of sci-fi with an alien appearance. But I wouldn't really categorize this book as a romantic or a sci-fi. In the end, I was so curious about the book that I finished it. In the end, I was hoping that the story didn't end like that. I was a bit shocked by the ending. It was a bit sudden and I wish there was just a little bit more to it.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.