No-one Ever Has Sex on Christmas Day by Tracy Bloom

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

It's no secret to those that know me well that I'm not a huge fan of Christmas, and I never have been. This year, however, that sentiment has shifted. Maybe it's because I just got married, or maybe I've finally grown out of my grinchly ways. Regardless, this Christmas I'm actually excited about Christmas, not just the overall season. I wanted to make sure there were a few Christmas reads on my TBR this year, to fully make the most of my newfound holly jolly-ness.

No-one Ever Has Sex on Christmas Day is written Love Actually style, honing in on a few families and groups of friends that share connections with one another in some way, shape, or form. Main characters include married couples Katy and Ben, and Allison and Matthew, along with a wide variety of friends and family. I didn't realize until halfway through this book that it is actually part of a series, but that's a good sign because that means it functions great as a stand-alone as well.

Katy and Ben are all settled in for their perfect Christmas when things start to go awry. First Katy's mom demands to attend, then Katy's work life gets turned upside down by an unexpected job offer. Allison and Matthew are expecting their fourth baby, but their well-balanced life could get thrown off by a romance gone wrong. Similarly to Love Actually, the characters all end up together at an office Christmas party, then again at a school Nativity event. At the end of the day, despite all the chaos surrounding them, the group comes to realize that all you need is love.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm a huge fan of Love Actually so when I heard this book described that way I knew I would like it. That being said, it was almost TOO similar, even referencing the movie once or twice in the story itself, so that's where I'm knocking off a star. I would have liked to have seen more unique ideas, but overall this was a fun and fast Christmas read that really puts you in the spirit of the season. The characters were great, and the message was heart-warming and relevant, and I'm so glad I gave this book a chance!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Thanks to Netgalley for digital access to this fun seasonal read!

Busted by Gina Ciocca

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I love a good YA contemporary. They're fun, quick reads with relatable characters and relevant plots. Busted by Gina Ciocca was no exception. Busted follows Marisa, a high school student who catches her best friend's boyfriend cheating. But once word gets around as to what she's done, she accidentally goes from an everyday student to Marisa, cheater buster and sleuth extraordinaire.

When Marisa's old frenemy Kendall solicits Marisa's help in catching a cheater of her own, drama brews as Marisa starts to fall for TJ, the boy Kendall wants her to track. Trouble brews when Kendall discovers that TJ feels the same about Marisa, and sets out to ruin her by exposing her private eye secret. But Kendall doesn't know that Marisa may know a secret about her as well. All this coupled with some additional academic drama makes for a quality contemporary and a really fun read. How far is Marisa willing to go to expose the real truth, and who is she willing to take down with her?

This was a fast-paced story that I devoured quickly. There were never lulls in the plot, and I thought all the characters added something to the story. It also really made me want a leather bracelet like the ones TJ makes! The cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous, but I think it is a little misleading. An image from Marisa's website might have been a better, more fitting option. 

When I read books about high schoolers, I always wonder why everyone has oblivious parents who can't spot an obvious lie. I know when I was in high school, my parents were always ON IT when it came to knowing whether or not I was telling the truth. Aside from a few unrealistic scenes, I really enjoyed this read and think it would be a great choice for any fan of YA contemporary!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Busted by Gina Ciocca hits shelves this coming January, so be sure to pre-order a copy! Thanks so much to SOURCEBOOKS Fire for granting me early digital access to this fantastic read!

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

My lovely blog readers, I'm back! Sorry for the hiatus, but I had my wedding and honeymoon to celebrate! Lucky for you, I read some fantastic books while I was away that I will be posting reviews for in the coming week. The first of these is Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. I actually started reading this as a free digital sampler on my flight home from the honeymoon, and loved it so much I bought the physical copy in the airport during my layover to finish during the second leg of the flight. 

This book follows Samantha, a teenage girl who loves her life, her popular friends, and her boyfriend. She has everything she wants, but a tragic accident forces Sam to face reality and acknowledge the fact that she hasn't been the nicest person in the past in order to finally find peace. You see, Sam is killed in a car accident, but she is forced to relive her last day over and over again until she can make things right.

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast moving and a very quick read. I loved Sam's character, and her friends Ally, Lindsey, and Elody as well. I thought the character development was great and so was the plot, and I loved all the details (I actually ordered a large hazelnut coffee with no sugar and extra cream with a sesame bagel from Dunkin Donuts this morning, if you get my reference!). I really enjoyed seeing how Sam relived her last day over and over, changing into a different person every day. I was a little disappointed with the ending and it was somewhat predictable, hence knocking off a star.

I absolutely have to watch this movie now to see if it lives up to the book. This is the first Lauren Oliver book I've read, but I now have tons more on my TBR!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

October 2017 TBR

Halloween season is finally here, which means it's extra important to pick up some spooky reads! This month is interesting, because I'm getting married in 5 days (!!!) and will be on my honeymoon, so I'll have more time than usual to curl up with a book (only this time it will be on the beach instead of on my couch!). Here's what I'm planning to tackle this month:

• Slasher Girls and Monster Boys by April Genevieve Tucholke
• Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
• The Merciless II by Danielle Vega
• Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalo
• A Midsummer Night's Scream by RL Stine
• Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
• Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker

Do you have any more spooky recommendations for me? I'm down for spooky books all year round of course, but October is just the perfect time!

Goodbye, Good Girl by Renee Blossom

Thanks Renee for my signed copy!

I love contemporaries, especially ones with a character I can identify with, and this book was no exception. Goodbye, Good Girl by Renee Blossom follows Kandace, a girl on a quest to both mentally find herself and physically find her father. Along the way she discovers an adventure she never thought she would be part of, and found everything she was looking for in the process. 

I absolutely ADORED this book. It had so many unique elements: coming of age mixed with travel mixed with family drama mixed with a little raunchiness mixed with a thriller. I loved Autumn/Kandace's character and identified so much with her myself. Constantly struggling to make things work and letting other people dictate her life, I loved seeing her grow and change as the story went on, with her ultimately getting to the point where she determined her own future. I also think April was a great friend for her, and wish I had an April in my life myself! Who knew a chance encounter at a bus stop could lead to a friendship like that?

My only complaint was the Kyle story line, it really seemed kind of pointless after the first few chapters, and I think he was an unnecessary addition to the story. Overall I really really enjoyed this book and am so glad I had the chance to read it! This is Blossom's first novel, and I'm so excited to see what else is in store from this author.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Goodbye, Good Girl by Renee Blossom releases TODAY so be sure to pick it up!

Thanks so much to Renee, Netgalley, and Revolve for both a digital ARC and a signed copy.

September 2017 Wrap Up

So September was a very good book month! I read a good mix of both older and new/upcoming books, totaling 7 books for the month of September. Here are my reads and how I rated them!

• Gold Dust Woman by Steven Davis 5/5
• We All Fall Down by Natalie D. Richards 4/5
• Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips 3/5
• Alone by Cyn Balog 4/5
• Diary of a Haunting by M. Verano 4/5
• There Are No Vampires in This Book by Megan Bailey 4/5
• Diary of a Haunting: Book of Shadows by M. Verano 3/5

Reviews for all of these books have already been completed and posted, so be sure to check them out if you're interested in more detail!

July 2017 Wrap Up

So in total I read 9 books in July. A few were ARCs but most are books already on the market. Here are the books I read and how I rated them. If you would like me to do an in-depth review on any of these I haven't already reviewed, just let me know! Otherwise, check out my Goodreads account for brief reviews.

• Woman No. 17 by Eden Lepucki 4/5
• Dream House by Marzia Bisognin 2/5
• Of Jenny and the Aliens by Ryan Gebhart* 4/5
• Final Girls by Riley Sager 5/5
• Finding Mr. Brightside by Jay Clark 3/5
• The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton 4/5
• The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman* 5/5
• Dead Girls Can't Lie by Carys Jones* 2/5
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer 4/5

*ARC courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher