February 2016 Wrap up

Hello All My Fellow Readers :)

I'm here today to do my February 2016 wrap up! Just like last month, I discovered many amazing books, and I'm excited to share a little bit about all of them with you guys. I don't think I actually realized until I started typing this up, just how many books I read in February! But I definitely enjoyed the majority of the ones I read, and I hope to continue on with many of the series I read this month in March.

One Star Books:

Thankfully, I'm once again able to say that I had no one star books this month. I had a few that came close, but I was able to find something redeeming in each of them to rate them higher than that.

Two Star Books:

The One and Only by Emily Giffin: I've previously read Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and Love The One You're With by this author, and I've really enjoyed them all. So obviously I was excited at the prospect of reading her newest novel (newest at the time it went on my tbr list anyways lol). Unfortunately this book was just not what I expected at all, and hence I only felt it was worthy of a two star rating to me personally. My issues with it we're basically the following 1) While going into it, I knew this book focused on football which I'm not a fan of, but I have read many sports books in the past that I still loved. Unfortunately, football was literally the main focus of this book, and it just became extremely repetitive to me as the football talk went on and on and on. 2) This is a tad of spoiler, so maybe skip this if you're still planning on reading it, I found the love story to be a tad on the odd side. Not because of the age difference, because of the father figure factor, and it just didn't sit right with me.  

Heart Of The Matter by Emily Giffin: Unfortunately, it's really beginning to appear to me that I'm just not a fan of Emily's books anymore. I did really enjoy Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and Love The One You're With, but this is the third book by her this month that has left me highly underwhelmed. From the synopsis of this book, I was expecting it to be about two families that are tied together by both parties being involved in a fatal accident, or something along those lines. SPOILER!!! I was not by any means expecting this whole book to be about an affair, and I really couldn't stand the way that it was written that we should sympathize with Nick and Valerie for the feelings that develop because Tessa isn't being an attentive enough wife to him, and Valerie has no one she can depend on. This whole book honestly just annoyed me, and I couldn't stand Valerie or Nick's characters, and if I'd known from the synopsis that this was about an affair, it probably never would have made my TBR list in the first place. Sorry to say, but I do not recommend this one.

Three Star Books:

Finding Mr. Brightside by Jay Clark: This was another highly anticipated book for me, as I really loved the premise of two grieving teenagers finding comfort in each other after a disastrous affair between two of their parents climaxes in a deadly car crash. And while I did enjoy the overall story, and thought it was a sweet, YA contemporary, I just felt like there wasn't any huge plot developments in the second half of the book. So while I definitely did it enjoy it, it's one I probably won't read again in the future.

Where We Belong by Emily Giffin: Suffice to say that I did like this one a lot more than The One and Only, and Heart Of The Matter,  but I still didn't like it near as much as Something Borrowed and Something Blue. It was a pretty quick read and was pretty enjoyable, and I loved the fact that one of the main characters was named Kirby. I've never seen my name been used as a book character's name before so that was awesome. Although I did enjoy this book, I just didn't care for the ending, as I felt it didn't truly resolve everything for me.

Light Of Day by Allison Van Diepen: I was super excited to read this, since I loved On The Edge, which is the first book in this series. While I honestly did really enjoy this one, it didn't quite live up to the hype of the first book for me, mainly because I honestly just didn't feel there was a lot of chemistry or connection between Gabby and X (the two main characters), especially when compared with the romance between Maddie and Lobo in the first book. I still really recommend giving it a try though, and I will definitely be continuing to look out for new releases from this author in the future as her book The Vampire Stalker is honestly one of my all time favorite books. All in all, this was a really good book, I just didn't think it compared to the first one for me personally.  

Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty: This is a middle grade novel that has intrigued me ever since I first watched the amazing book trailer on YouTube last year. The trailer was so well done, one of the best book trailers I've ever seen, that I knew I definitely had to read this amazing sounding book, about a young girl who discovers something sinister happening at Biltmore estate, where she lives unknown in the basement with her father. I was a little disappointed overall, compared to what I was expecting, but it  definitely was a fun read, full of adventure, sinister plot lines, and a young girl's quest to finally fit in, and  find a place she belongs. It was especially interested to read all the historical bits about Biltmore estate, and I really loved how Robert Beatty entwined this so well with the mystery happening throughout the novel.

Four Star Books:

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella: I'm not going to go into too much detail on this one, since I did talk about it in my "Mental Health Awareness Books" post a couple of weeks ago, but I did truly enjoy this book, and Sophie Kinsella has delivered another winner in my opinion. I love how she was able to blend such a serious topic in with her signature quirky sense of humor, and I really recommend giving this one a try.

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord: Once again, I talked about this one in depth in an earlier review, so I'm just going to say that it's a really cute contemporary that attacks important issues such as slut shaming, and finding comfort in the wrong types of things, and I really enjoyed it, and can't wait to read more from Emery Lord in the future.

Remember When by T.Torrest: This book was actually not what I was expecting at all. I thought from the cover, and yes I'm not gonna lie I picked this one solely from the cover through iBook's, that it would be a carefree, YA contemporary that would be a perfect spring break beach read. (Even though I had no plans to spend spring break on the beach but that's another topic haha). However, I was quite blown away by this emotionally, intense NA novel about a couple that first fell for each other back in the 1980's in New Jersey. I also, at first, didn't realize this is a first book of a trilogy, and that the second and third books talk about their relationship after high school. And after reading this one, I'm really excited to sink my teeth into two and three. Note to self: please purchase books two and three in the Remember trilogy ASAP!

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr: I'm not gonna say too much about this one since I will be posting a full review of it soon on my blog.  I will, however, say that like most books I've read that talk about the Fey culture, I did find it slightly confusing lol, but that's honestly usually how I find books about the Fey culture, and says nothing about how this book in particular was written. It was also a lot darker than I originally expected it to be, but I did enjoy it overall.

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: I've already done a full review for this one as well, which I will be posting soon,  but I will just say that it was completely out of my comfort zone, but I really ended up liking it. If you're like me and don't usually read these type of novels maybe go ahead and give this one a try, cause I ended up really really really liking, even though it is about a serial killer.

Dumplin by Julie Murphy: I adored this story. Willowdean is such an amazing young lady, and I loved how this book was about her coming into her confidence the way she was, and not about her having to be someone she isn't to be happy. I did do a short review on this one , which will also be posted soon,  so I'm not going to say too too much else about it. I will say, however, that the only thing that kept it from being a five star book for me, is I felt the ending left a few too many things unresolved that were important to me, but I highly recommend this one, and I can't wait to read more from Julie Murphy in the future :)

Between Us and The Moon by Rebecca Maizel: This one I honestly went back and forth between giving it three stars or four stars, but I did decide to go with the higher rating. I was expecting a cute, contemporary about a girl learning to find herself, and finding love along the way, but this book was not that at all. It was honestly a much deeper novel than I was originally expecting, and I really found myself intrigued by Sarah's character, and how she comes to realize there's much more to life than her science experiments, and ex-boyfriend who breaks her heart at the beginning of the novel. I love the friendships she develops with the other girls she meets on the island, and the way she finally is able to open up about her true feelings to her family, but I honestly did not care too much for the romance part of this book. I loved Andrew's character, but SPOILER, the dishonestly that Sarah brings into their relationship was just a bit too much to take for me, and it really portrayed her in a selfish light, that was a little hard to empathize with for me. But, however, I did enjoy this book overall, and I'll be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Under The Spotlight by Angie Stanton: I've really been enjoying The Jamieson Collection by Angie Stanton, and ever since I read the first book, Rock and a Hard Place, I've been looking forward to finally reading Garrett's story. Garrett was always such a jerk for the first two books, and I was hoping going into this book that we would see a bit more of his character, and understand him a better. I was definitely not disappointed, as I think Angie Stanton really gave his character the story he deserved, and I thought his and Riley's romance felt really realistically portrayed. I still liked Peter and Libby's story the best, but this one definitely came in second.

Mandie and the Cherokee Legend by Lois Gladys Leppard: I've really been enjoying these books that were such a big piece of my childhood. While I may have forgotten quite a bit about them, it's so refreshing to come back to them and see Mandie, Joe, and Polly still getting in all kinds of trouble, Snowball causing nothing but mischief, and the way that Lois Gladys Leppard incorporated events from her own mother's childhood in many of these books makes them all the more interesting to me.

Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: I'm not gonna say too much about this one, because I will have a full review of it up soon, but I will go ahead and say that I really enjoyed it. It was such an interesting take on the werewolf culture, written from the viewpoint of a human girl, and I loved the fact that although Bryn really has no choice but to become a part of the wolf pack that rescues her, she in no way becomes the typical submissive human doing their bidding. She is a kick butt character, and I can't wait to find out what happens next.

The White Rose by Amy Ewing: I'm not going to say too much about this one, since I will have a full review posted soon, but I thought it was so much better than the first one. Without a doubt, this series is one of the most original story ideas I've ever read before, and I'm anxiously awaiting October to see how Amy Ewing is going to end this series :)

Joyride b Anna Banks: Anyone who read my 2015 reading wrap up will know that I listed Of Poseidon by Anna Banks as one of my favorite books of the year. I still need to finish that series as I have yet to read Of Neptune, but when I saw that she had a new book out that was a contemporary, I knew I had to go ahead and read it. This was a much deeper story than I was originally expecting, as it deals with issues surrounding Immigration to the USA, and the way that the main character has to grow up much too fast when her parents are sent back to Mexico, while her and brother are left to fend for themselves in Florida. Through a rare friendship that Carly develops with an older gentleman who often comes in to buy alcohol from the convenience store she works at, her life is opened to many new possibilities, including a friendship with this man's great nephew, Arden. This book honestly went in a much different direction than I was originally expecting, and I really enjoyed it, and loved how it kept me guessing. The only thing I didn't care for about it however, was the fact that to me the ending left a few things unresolved that were important in my opinion, but I still recommend giving it a chance.

The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick: This is my third book by Huntley Fitzpatrick, and I'd been highly anticipating reading it, as the main characters Tim and Alice, were first introduced in My Life Next Door, which is another one of my all time favorite books. While I did really enjoy this story, and how Huntley Fitzpatrick's books always deal with serious issues, and deep content, I was a little disappointed that the romance between Alice and Tim seemed to take a back seat to the other issues going on throughout the book. I did really enjoy reading this, I just wish we'd been given a little bit more details surrounding their relationship :)

Stranded by Dani Pettrey: This was an amazing novel, although I didn't like it quite as much as the first two in the series. It centers around an investigative reporter who travels to Alaska to work undercover on a cruise ship, to help her friend and fellow investigative reporter work on a story she has some stumbled upon. Something dark and sinister is occurring on this cruise ship, and Darcy soon finds herself investigating not only the original story, but the disappearance of her friend who first discovered the story to begin with. This book definitely left me guessing right until the end, and would definitely make me a little leery taking cruises in the future. All in all a really great read.

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover: I absolutely adore Colleen Hoover, and her books are absolutely amazing. This was such a deep, and twisted romance novel that definitely left me with a huge book hangover, and falling hard for Dean Holder and the way he fell so deeply for Skye. I'm looking forward to reading Finding Hope, which is the book from his point of view, as part of my March TBR list.

Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes: I mentioned earlier in this post how much I enjoyed the first book in this series, and that definitely continued with this one. I've heard this series described as "Criminal Minds with children", and that's definitely a pretty good description. I enjoyed getting to read about the continued friendship building between all five of "The Naturals", and the introduction of their new handler. I unfortunately didn't find the mystery in this one quite as compelling, as unfortunately I had already pieced quite a bit of it together on my own, but I still really enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to reading the third book in the series, hopefully in March.

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer E Smith: I'm a huge fan of Jennifer E. Smith's previous books, and so I was super excited to read her new novel. I loved the premise of this book, being about two high school graduates who need to decide once and for all on their last night before leaving for college, if they should stay together or break up. I enjoyed both Clare and Aidan's stories, and the numerous important places from their relationship that they visit on their last night. In typical Jennifer E. Smith fashion, it's a sweet, adorable contemporary with a touch of melancholy and seriousness thrown into the mix. I really enjoyed this one, and will definitely continue to pick up books by her in the future.

Mandie and the Ghost Bandits by Lois Gladys Leppard: It's always a fun treat getting to read these cute, inspirational books from my childhood. As always, Mandie finds herself in trouble, and must rely on her friends and her faith to get her out of it. I also love how these books are set in the South, since anyone who knows me knows that I have an unhealthy obsession with it.

Girls That Growl by Mari Mancusi: I'd heard a lot of people say that they didn't care for this title as much as the original two in the Blood Coven Vampires Series, but I actually liked this one even more than the first two. It was absolutely hilarious, and I was outright laughing through most of it. I love Rayne's sarcastic, in your face personality, so I just knew that  her assignment by Slayers Inc to go out for the cheerleading team would be a riot, and it definitely was. I also loved her humorous encounter with the English Coven, and the tragic results. I also loved how this novel didn't go in the predictable route I was expecting, and I can't wait to read the rest of this series, hopefully soon.

Silenced by Dani Pettrey: I've really been loving the Alaskan Courage Series, and this one definitely didn't change my opinion. I loved getting to see more of Kayden and Jake's backgrounds, and gaining more insight into why they were the harsher characters they were. The mystery was developed really good, although I found it a tad more confusing to follow than in the earlier three. Still a great read though, and I'll hopefully be finishing the fifth, and final book in this series in March.

Mandie and the Forbidden Attic by Lois Gladys Leppard: I always enjoy getting to read the Mandie Collection novels, and this is one I don't believe I'd actually read before. It was neat to get to finally read the book where Mandie first starts attending boarding school, and the first book introducing her friends, Celia and Thomas.

Five Star Books:


Lastly, we come to the best books I read in February:

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven: This book completely blew my mind. I did a full review on it earlier, so I will simply say that if u have not read it, READ IT NOW!!!! Especially before the movie comes out next year.

The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord: Once again, I did a full review for this book earlier on my blog, but I highly recommend giving this one a try. I absolutely loved the main character, and her awesome friendship with her three best friends, and both of the male love interests in the book. It's a highly recommended read from me.

Mandie and The Secret Tunnel by Lois Gladys Leppard: I have pretty much been an avid reader my entire life. I was always that child that preferred curling up with my book over watching TV or playing video games any day, and as such, there's a lot of series that I still cherish from way back in my childhood. The Mandie Series was honestly one of my all time favorites, and I remember I started reading them after a lady from our church recommended them to my Grandmother for me, and she purchased a few of them for my birthday. I loved reading and rereading the few that I owned, but somehow I never got around to reading the rest of the series, and so I randomly decided a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to go ahead and read this whole series, and I'm honestly glad that I did, because I love them just as much now, as I did years ago. I will forever treasure the few that my Grandma bought me, since she is no longer with us, they are extra special to me, and I'm looking forward to passing them on to my own children some day.

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre: I really didn't know to much about this book going into it, I just knew that it was a YA contemporary, and that I really loved the cover. (Hey, sometimes you end up discovering amazing books by loving the cover!) But I was completely blown away by this amazing story. I loved Sage's character, and how she literally sees herself as "the queen of bright and shiny things," I thought it was super inspiring how everyone else's happiness means so much to her, and I loved the true friendships she develops throughout the book with Lilah, Ryan, her aunt, and of course Shane. I personally thought her relationship with Shane was adorable, but also super intense and seemed to me personally to be realistically portrayed. I also loved how Ann Aguirre told this story without adding unnecessary drama that's often included in YA books. Everything that happens throughout the pages of this novel was quite realistic to me, and I highly recommend giving this book a try. I look forward to picking books up from this author in the future :)










Shattered by Dani Pettrey: I read Submerged, the first book in the Alaskan Courage series, back at the end if December, and ever since then I've been looking forward to continuing on with this series. I was so excited to pick up this one, knowing it was Piper and Landon's story. I love how Dani Pettrey writes her thrillers, as they usually keep me guessing right until the end, and I adore the whole McKenna family, and the beautiful way she portrays Alaska throughout her series. I highly recommend giving this series a try if you're a fan of inspirational fiction, or a fan of thrillers.