4 stars. Sarina Bowen does it again with a hockey romance that is big on feels, and that sucks you right in. The fake relationship trope is one that's4 stars. Sarina Bowen does it again with a hockey romance that is big on feels, and that sucks you right in. The fake relationship trope is one that's been done a million times, but darn it, Sarina pulled off something new with this version that really focuses on family and natural chemistry. I LOVED Weston and Abbi and ripped through Boyfriend in about two days. It was just so sweet, Abbi was so sassy, and Weston so good that I couldn't help but fall for them. The family stories were really unique, and I loved how much these two were able to help each other out while also finding their own footing in life, school, and love.
I read Boyfriend right after the new year, and even though it's not quite a holiday romance, it does take place around Thanksgiving and Christmas, so yeah, I consider it a bit of a holiday read. Would definitely recommend it for this time of year! ...more
The Truth About Leaving was a super-fast read for me, because I loved Natalie Blitt's debut, The Distance from A to Z, and I couldn't wait to dig intoThe Truth About Leaving was a super-fast read for me, because I loved Natalie Blitt's debut, The Distance from A to Z, and I couldn't wait to dig into another YA romance by her. Like her debut, Blitt created honest, passionate, and real characters in Dov and Lucy, and I totally fell for them.
Natalie Blitt has the ability to make you drown in a romance and ache for the characters and their plight. This is one of those books that reminds you of the overwhelming feeling of first love, of true love, and maybe, finding love too young. It's a book that realistically allows its characters to find themselves and what they want, to leap into their futures uncompromisingly.
This book. THIS BOOK. This was my first ever male/male romance, and my first gay romance. It’s the reason I picked up this series, because after hearing amazing things from Diana Peterfreund and a host of other bloggers, I knew I had to try Sarina Bowen out. I’m so glad I did. The other books in The Ivy Years were great, but this one…it just blows you out of the water with feels.
Michael Graham is a Harkness College hockey player who’s spent years in the closet, hiding his true feelings behind hook-ups with girls. So when his former best friend, John Rikker, the one he betrayed years ago, gets transferred to Harkness, Graham is in shock, and scared of what this could bring to the surface. Meanwhile, Rikker is just trying to fit in on a team that hopefully won’t be freaked out by having a gay teammate – all the while remembering all his feelings for Graham.
Bowen creates characters who are not only memorable, but also completely understandable and relateable. And nowhere was I more amazed by this than in The Understatement of the Year. Even as a cis-het female, I was completely able to fall into Rikker and Graham’s story. I found their voices incredibly authentic and honest about hockey stereotypes, unrequited love, and yeah, sexual orientation. The characters ache and soar – both the main characters and the secondary ones. It’s actually not surprising to me that this book pretty much launches the rest of the series – the next two books and Rookie Move all feature characters that started in this story.
If you can only read one Sarina Bowen book, I might encourage you to go with this one....more
3.5 stars. This is a sort of re-read, as I read the original book several years ago and have re-read it several times. This new version adds a lot of 3.5 stars. This is a sort of re-read, as I read the original book several years ago and have re-read it several times. This new version adds a lot of extra content and makes some changes. As such, there may be slight spoilers in this review.
The new version of The Cinderella Society starts the same way, with Jess as the lowest of the low on the high school totem pole. A new kid to Mt. Sterling High, it's the last day of school and she's just finished her last exam. Jess has been bullied incessantly by mean girl Lexy Steele, especially after she took Lexy's place on the cheerleading squad. Lexy has essentially turned the entire squad against Jess, leaving her with no friends and unfortunately, a terribly unrequited crush on Ryan, Lexy's hot older brother. Just when things look like they couldn't be worse, along comes an invitation to join a secret society of good-girls: The Cinderella Society. The Cindys sweep Jess into a social circle full of good vibes and makeovers...along with something much bigger: lessons in how to stand up to bullies and win.
Like the first time I read TCS, Jess' voice is very engaging and sweet, and I had overwhelming frustration at the bullying and torture she suffered at the hands of Lexy. Despite the sugar-sweet covers and the fairy-tale name, The Cinderella Society, at its heart, is about how to be good to yourself and others, and how to make positive changes in your life when nothing seems right. It's a book that has stayed with me for years because of how empowering and motivational it is.
The new version of the book - in three episodes, with extra content - expands a bit on the empowering side, but also emphasizes Jess' Christianity, which was never much of a factor in the original. This was interesting, but slightly jarring as a past reader - I know the original so well that the added religious elements set a different tone for me. It's certainly not a bad one - in fact, I think readers looking for Christian fiction will LOVE this book, but for me, it didn't add a ton.
What did add a lot was the change in some of the Cinderella Society's "Makeover Manual" - the original focused on power, and this time around, Kay Cassidy has made it more about image and branding and understanding how to bring that out to present your best self. I thought this made a lot more sense for what the Cindys were trying to do, but felt like it diluted the theme of power a bit. I have no doubt, though, that in episodes 2 and 3, that power theme will come back.
Finally, Cassidy made the decision to change Jess' grandmother's store into a tea shop as opposed to one that sold offbeat magic and Wiccan products. I'm still a little confused by this decision, but wondered if it had to do with, again, the Christian element of the book taking a bigger role, and not wanting to promote paganism. I'll be interested to see how this comes into play later.
I think as a first time reader, I would have rated this at 4 stars - for those new to it, this is a book that still holds as much relevance for teens as it did when it first came out. It's inspiring and fun at the same time. Highly recommended for teens who need a self-esteem boost. ...more
Not quite as sexy as the first book, but definitely worth reading if you loved Grace Colton and Jared Rankin as much as I did. This time around, majorNot quite as sexy as the first book, but definitely worth reading if you loved Grace Colton and Jared Rankin as much as I did. This time around, major surprises abound and we uncover more about all of the characters. I wished that Grace hadn't been quite so scared in this book - I wanted to smack her so many times for not just doing what she knew was right. But the back third of the book was so full of suspense and yearning and angst (in a good way), that I can't help but forgive Heidi Joy Tretheway for dragging out the conflict a little. Can't wait for book three!...more
Very, very sexy and full of power and politics. Highly recommended for people who love strong female characters and don't mind a little darkness in thVery, very sexy and full of power and politics. Highly recommended for people who love strong female characters and don't mind a little darkness in their romance. ...more
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