Twenty-six-year-old Elsie Sherman has had a crush on her brother’s best friend, Henry Logan, since she was twelve years old. Unfortunately, Henry—now an Air Force officer—has only ever treated her like a younger sister, stepping into her brother’s shoes after he was killed in action.
That is, until the night when one dance ignites a sensual fire between the two, leaving Elsie aroused and confused. Is she allowed to lust after her surrogate big brother, who also happens to be her roommate? As the passion between them crosses the line into a territory that teases with the forbidden, Elsie decides to give herself to the man she has always desired. But Elsie is not prepared for where the relationship will take her.
Henry has been harboring two secrets. One can bring them closer together. The other will tear them apart. Now, with each startling new revelation, Elsie realizes that only she can decide if the past can ever be forgiven—and if a future with Henry is worth fighting for.

My review

Author: June Gray
Pages: 384
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Source:  Library
Contains 6 novellas

My obligatory man in uniform romance fix was almost overdue and I'm quite happy that I picked this one up. I refuse to view this novella collection as a novel. But I do see many instances in which the author could have made these novellas into a real book, story wise.

The whole thing felt very choppy and light so much so that it was almost superficial. Elise and Henry had a cute past that lead up to their relationship, but their relationship in the present didn't have much depth beside the physical type.

There was also the tidbit where I didn’t realize this was an erotic romance when I picked it up. Do I mind? Not really, but I did feel like the story could have been much stronger if there wasn’t a sex intermission in between every important conversation. That's just my opinion and obviously the book gave sufficient hints that it wouldn't be like that. Even so, I found this to be quite enjoyable. 

I did decide to stop reading after novella number 3, Retreat because the story had done what I needed it to, get me out of my slump and I no longer enjoyed the direction it was taking. All in all, an enjoyable romance, really light, sexy and feel good but also heartbreaking as is usually the case with military romances. Recommended for an adult audience.

-MARI

Author: Ann Aguirre
Date of Publication: Aug26/14
Pages: 352
Source: Library

Nadia Conrad has big dreams, and she's determined to make them come true—for her parents' sake as well as her own. But between maintaining her college scholarship and working at the local day care to support herself, she barely has time to think, let alone date. Then she moves into a new apartment and meets the taciturn yet irresistible guy in 1B…. 

Daniel Tyler has grown up too fast. Becoming a single dad at twenty turned his life upside down—and brought him heartache he can't risk again. Now, as he raises his four-year-old son while balancing a full-time construction management job and night classes, a social life is out of the question. The last thing he wants is for four noisy students to move into the apartment upstairs. But one night, Nadia's and Ty's paths cross, and soon they can't stay away from each other. 

The timing is all wrong—but love happens when it happens. And you can't know what you truly need until you stand to lose it.

GOODREADS

Review:
It seems that every DNF review starts with the premise/disclaimer "So I finally got to pick this one up after having read many positive reviews and enjoyed the sound of the synopsis.” And once again that is exactly the case with this one, unfortunately it’s followed by the default, “However, I couldn’t get into the story”.

I Want It That Way is Ann Aguirre, author of YA Enclave Series’, foray into new adult. The story is about Nadia who moves into apartment 2B with her roommates: BFF Lauren, playboy Max and gay friend Angus. They all make an adorable cast, playing, dating and bonding. However, Nadia’s attentions is drawn by the hot downstairs neighbour Ty, a grumpy and tired young father. Mutual interest rises and the rest is history. 

I liked how Nadia came from modest means and was not the common NA heroine with serious psychological damage. She was driven and dedicated to her Special Education degree and this was shown through her daily activities, school, daycare, practicum, home, repeat. It was nice to see a character have a life for once and complain about not having time to eat but sometimes I felt like there was a junk paragraph in the middle of the page telling me that Nadia went to work today where everything was same old, same old; a little unnecessary.

Ty was alright. I did’t really understand him. He was hard to relate to not because he was a father, I think that was my favourite bit about him. His interactions with his 4 year old son, Sam, were wonderful. His job and architecture major were also nice additions, but anything beyond that and voyaging into the world of social skills were questionable. I didn’t find him romantic and for a romance that’s a major of a killer. I’ll say it this way, there were no sparks flying, it was all tell and no show and I can’t take that.

I guess whenever the story surrounds a common or cliche story line there are risks. That could’ve been the main problem here but my issue was more general. There was a wide disconnect between the reader, the character and the plot. Despite being in Nadia's head, I didn’t connect with her, I didn’t understand how or why she started to like Ty (besides the fact that he is a ginger). And the push and pull was all kind of nonsensical for me. I was lost and felt nothing. I skimmed through the sex scene and felt nothing.

It honestly, is too bad because people have enjoyed it, but the direction the story was taking by 56% of the way through was not something that pulls me enough to keep me on the hook. I was intrigued by the possible development of Lauren and Max’s relationship in the future books, so maybe I’ll try that one, but this book is not for me. 

-MARI

Author: Renée Carlino
Date of Publication: August 20 2013
Pages: 320
Source: Kobo

"You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together…then you'll hear the sound of your soul."

Mia Kelly thinks she has it all figured out. She's an Ivy League graduate, a classically trained pianist, and the beloved daughter of a sensible mother and offbeat father. Yet Mia has been stalling since graduation, torn between putting her business degree to use and exploring music, her true love.


When her father unexpectedly dies, she decides to pick up the threads of his life while she figures out her own. Uprooting herself from Ann Arbor to New York City, Mia takes over her father's café, a treasured neighborhood institution that plays host to undiscovered musicians and artists. She's denied herself the thrilling and unpredictable life of a musician, but a chance encounter with Will, a sweet, gorgeous, and charming guitarist, offers her a glimpse of what could be. When Will becomes her friend and then her roommate, she does everything in her power to suppress her passions-for him, for music-but her father's legacy slowly opens her heart to the possibility of something more.

Review:

Books like this give me a peak into what NA will soon blossom into. A rich age category of books with new adult characters facing the next level of life’s curve balls. I’m awaiting that day because if YA walked me through my teenage years then NA is the next phase.

Sweet Thing, from start to finish, is a story of growing up and coming into oneself. Renee Carlino is true to this central theme which becomes evident from the very first page: “The big questions… what do you want to do with the rest of your life? Who will you marry if you marry at all? What career will you choose? Do you want children? It seemed like everything I knew at twenty five morphed into everything I didn’t know by twenty six, when I was suddenly hit with the realization that many of the decisions we make in out twenties, are permanent”. 

However, that isn’t all this book is. The other topics include, family, love, age, friends, status. The main character Mia is a straight up “Gap ad” kind of girl. She wear monochromatic clothing, holds a business degree from Brown and the only hitch in her perfect image is the fact that she is the daughter of a hippy free-to-life Manhattan Coffee Shop owner who taught her to live life through music. Through out the story Mia has a tough time coming to terms with her musician self and understanding that holding a desk job doesn’t make a person more worthy than a starving musician. Occupations don’t make people and love can’t be won through careful calculation and a thick pay cheque.

Many of these realizations came with the help of another very special character, Will Ryan, 29, easy going, musical genius and resident starving musician. Will and Mia hit it off on a plane ride and one thing leads to another and the two end up as roommates. I adored the moments they spent together as roommates. Their relationship developed from general interest to friendship and slowly, painstakingly, to romance. 

My heart honestly hurt for Will who so obviously pined for our confused heroine and had to deal with a lot of her issues. Mia put Will through a lot of awful stringing along and I truly respect him for still managing to stick to his feels but he also had moments when he cracked under the pressure of all the unfairness and we saw a erratic version of him. Something we all have but isn’t often portrayed in literature.

This book is a tribute to all the wonderful people who popped in and helped Mia come into herself and deal with her losses. Her father, despite being the central loss, was present in spirit throughout. There was also her mom, Jenny, Sheil, Martha and all the people at Kell’s Cafe. It just goes to show that people are very important and Mia was lucky to have many people who loved her and supported her no matter what.

Mia was a numbskull when it came to life and sometimes life needs to kick you in the butt to wake you up and that’s what Mia figures out. I hope the rest of us can do it with a little less trouble. Overall a great read.

-Mari

Author: Julie Cross
Date of Publication: October 7, 2014
Pages: 320
Source: Bought
Life loves a good curveball…

Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas's life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she's living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals' super-hot rookie pitcher.

But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.

But baseball isn't just a game. It's life. And sometimes, it can break your heart… 

GOODREADS

Review:

Some might describe me as the farthest thing from athletic but I stand by my 6th-grade fame as the captain of the girls silver medal soccer and volleyball teams. I’m also a fan of hockey and a tennis coach though I can’t say that I’m that good at any of those… Either way, sports have been a part of my life despite my body’s inclination at being bad at it (yes I’m diverting blame) hence, sports books are some of my favourites.

I love the characters in sports books. They are always so determined, so hungry for the win, so dedicated and these are all qualities I value. I’m also a little starstruck by people who have the skill and luck to make it into the major leagues. Whatever Life Throws at You has a nice combination of all of this. I get my peek into a Major League Baseball life and I get my driven characters.

Annie starts out as a fun character. Within the first few chapters she has already been caught red-handed in the team locker room and hilarity ensues. She is charming and the charm appeals to other characters and readers. Annie is a long distance runner, one of the best, and it is obvious that she is very intent on winning. Sometimes the win is all she wants which is relatable. But Annie soon also realizes that winning the race might not the most important thing.

Annie's obvious other half is Brody, an up-and-coming, off limits MLB player with a rough past. He starts out as a cliché, but he proves to be otherwise. He is smart, dedicated and caring. I enjoyed his relationship with Annie’s dad, his pitching coach. I can see young players bonding with their coaches who are their to help them and who believe in them.

Whatever Life Throws At You does have its weaknesses. It’s not high literature, it just good fiction, it’s amusing. There are rough patches with some under developed characters and plots of convenience but they don’t take too much away from the enjoyment of the book. 

One thing that did bother be is the huge taboo and over analysis of Annie and Brody’s age difference of a whopping 2 years… I realize the 2 years was the difference between legal and illegal but it could have been handled more maturely especially on Annie’s behalf who at some point acted quite immaturely. 

I picked this book up on a whim, I read the synopsis and was engrossed. My gut seemed to be right because I devoured this book in a couple of sittings and despite the problems I noted in this book. They might bother other readers but for me they didn’t pose an issue. I noticed their existence but my enjoyment of the story was far greater than any annoyance. 

Whatever Life Throws At You is fun. I’m a fan of sport literature and Miranda Kenneally, anyone who identifies with one of those two might want to give this one a go. I’ll be adding Julie Cross to my authors list.

-MARI

Author: Daria Snadowsky
Date of Publication: January 8, 2013
Pages: 227
Source: Received from the Author for review

With Judy Blume-like honesty and insight, this sequel to Anatomy of a Boyfriend is about life after first love--romance, sex, friendship, family, and the ups and downs of life as a single girl.

After everything that happened—my first boyfriend, my first time, my first breakup—jumping back into the dating game seemed like the least healthy thing I could do. It’s not that I didn’t want to fall in love again, since that’s about the best feeling ever. But as a busy college premed still raw from heartbreak, which is the worst feeling ever, I figured I’d lie low for a while. Of course, as soon as I stopped looking for someone, an impossibly amazing—and devastatingly cute—guy came along, and I learned that having a new boyfriend is the quickest way to recover from losing your old one.

The moment we got together, all my preconceptions about romance and sex were turned upside down. I discovered physical and emotional firsts I never knew existed. I learned to let go of my past by living in the present. It was thrilling. It was hot. It was just what the doctor ordered.

But I couldn’t avoid my future forever.

In Daria Snadowsky’s daring follow-up to Anatomy of a Boyfriend, eighteen-year-old Dominique explores the relationship between love and lust, and the friendships that see us through.

AMAZON / GOODREADS

Review: 

The Anatomy of a Single Girl is the story of  Dominique. She is fresh off her first year of pre-med, first boyfriend and first heartbreak. Now on vacation, all she wants is some down time with her best friend Amy and to shadow a doctor for her internship at the hospital. However, things don't always turn out the way one plans and Dom's summer of quiet turns quickly into one of firsts and lasts, highs and lows all leading to one important revelation.

If I was asked to describe The Anatomy of a Single Girl in one word I would say honest. Anyone who has read it will agree with me. Snadowsky did not refrain from being frank with her readers. Her frankness really set the tone for her writing and helped make the read more realistic. Almost every aspect of the book from the setting to the dialogue and more helped build the realism until I felt like I was reading someone's memoir or watching someone's life unfold in front of me.

Snadowsky's writing was very nice and clear. It sounded like an 18 year old girl speaking and not an adult. The dialogue was fun and quirky with the exception of some parts that I had to note. One in particular that I noticed was between the protagonist and a male friend. They decide on doing something together and so they exclaim "Yeah, let's do it!" Immediately after, they burst into giggles. Ugh no! Thankfully that is the only comment of its variety that I found in the novel so things turned up from that point!

I found Dom relatable. She was just a girl trying to find her place in the world; make friends and find love. She was really smart, as a pre-med should be, and I enjoyed her little medical or just random nerdy facts here and there. It made the read more unique in my opinion.

As for the other characters, I didn't learn much about them, which is one of the cons of the story. I found Dom's parents were always absent and didn't really get to have a dominant role in the story. Same goes for her friends, or lack there of.  Amy, who is basically her only friend, was not my type of person. I found her to be quite mean. The things she said were always put downs in disguise and then she would up and fly away for the next few chapters then pop back in.

Overall, despite some hitches here and there, I really enjoyed the book. It started out slow but picked up quickly and I was wondering what would happen next. I found some great lessons being taught as well which is always nice. It's just a very nice, fun story of a girl and a very wild summer. I recommend it to any one who wished to delve into a funny and drama packed read. Keep in mind though that this is new adult therefore sex and mild language is present.

-MARI

Unless, you have been living under a rock for the past year, you've probably heard of the new category, New Adult. This in turn means that you've probably read and/or heard others speak of it. In my experience, I've read some NA books and I've heard others opinions on it. In this post, I've decided to discuss my opinion on it and what I think of the catagory.

Positive: 
"Great to read about characters who are in University/College."

I 100% agree. Soon I'll be going off to university and with that I have a growing curiosity about university life. Therefore, I was ecstatic when I heard about this new category of books. I think it's really great to have different category for different age groups as it makes it easier for people of said age group or people who enjoy a certain age group to find books that appeal to them.

When I was just starting to go to high school, the young adult category was my saving grace. Well, not really, but it did offer me a lot of advice and insight into life as a high schooler. As a result, it really helped me out and now as I'm going into my senior year of high school I'm really thankful for young adult books. Hopefully, new adult can offer me the same reprieve for the next stage of my life.

Negative: "It's YA with sex... a lot of sex."

I'm not going to straight off agree with this one but it wouldn't be right to say that there isn't sex.. and a lot of it. To date, I've read some of the most popular NA titles and I've noticed the sex. In some I don't mind but the others, I do.


But it's not the sex I mind really, it's how it is incorporated into the story. What I've noticed like many who stand by this statement is that, many NA titles have become a sort of YA erotica. They all feature protagonists who come from some sort of abuse or experience abuse during the book and how they cope, with the help of sex.

This really throws me off because although I love my romance, I value story, characters and a plot much more. As a result of the never ending supply of similarly plotted books, these aspect are dying out in NA or at least they are becoming harder to find.



An example would be:
The Boy Who Sneaks in My Bedroom Window by Kristy Moseley.
This book could have been great. A girl with a dark past and her brothers best friend. But it turned into a book with no plot and therefore no direction, just a lot of sex and uncomfortable situations. The grammar was so bad that I don't understand how it was published. Yet, it has a 4.09 rating on Goodreads. In fact, when I read it in the fall the rating was a 4.30.

However, I still have read some of my favourite books which are NA and some others used to be classified as YA but are now called NA such as:

• Love Story by Jennifer Echols
• Where She Went by Gayle Forman 

and many more 5 star reads.

One legitimate NA title that I adored and will recommend is Easy by Tammara Webber.

This was the first NA book I read and I loved it. I felt there was a plot, the characters were developed, it was realistic and the romance wasn't overly excessive.

In Conclusion:

Despite the possible greatness of this category, I've decided to stay away from it for the time being. This is because, I don't trust the current authors to write books that I will enjoy. When I do find the authors that I do/will respect and genuinely enjoy their books, then I will venture farther into it.  For now, I think I'm going to wait until it develops to something more.

Hopefully one day, it can rise and become what it was meant to be, the next YA!

P.S. This is written as solely my opinion and what I have found while read NA. If you feel otherwise, feel free to let me know why you love this category, what makes it great for you and leave any recommendations. One never knows when they will find their next addiction!

-MARI