Tag: book recommendations

What I Thought Was True By Huntley Fitzpatrick

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what i thought was true by huntley fitzpatrick

I haven’t done a ton of reading lately. I’m trying to make my way through the piles of books I already own before adding more to my overflowing library. I bought What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick in February before going on vacation to Arizona. I finally got around to reading it and I devoured it in two days. Two working days!!

Summary:

17-year-old Gwen Castle’s Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, is slumming it as a yard boy on her Nantucket-esque island this summer. He’s a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners to her island’s summer population. Gwen dreams of getting off the island, and a summer job working for one of the elderly residents might just be her ticket to the good life. But what will it mean for Gwen’s now life? Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to come to terms with what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—and figure out what really is.

Review:

Like I said above, this was a super quick read for me and I really enjoyed it! I love fluffy YA reads that make me glad I’m no longer a teenager. Gwen was fierce and opinionated and I honestly loved that about her. She went through her phases of self-doubt that made her easy to relate to. Cass was sweet and charming, everything you could wish for in a boyfriend. There’s issues between Cass and Gwen that make for a cute and funny storyline.

Many times when reading YA books you tend to see the same kind of characters over and over again. What I Thought Was True had very unique characters and location. I enjoyed learning about Gwen’s lifestyle and her family dynamics. It made for an interesting read!

Favorite Quotes:

“I remember…watching that separation of sea and sky…and for the first time I realize that none of us are seeing the same thing. That all our horizons end in different places.”

“Dressed-up Cass is like a creature from another planet. One I want to colonize.”

“If there were an Olympics for kidding yourself, I’d take home the gold.”

“You need to come with a goddamn YouTube instructional video.”

“When she’s worried Vivien gives herself pedicures and facials. Nic lifts weights. I bake. So, Vivien ends up looking more glamorous. Nic gets fitter. And I just get fat.”

“That what you’ve always had doesn’t mean that’s what you’ll always get. That what you’ve always wanted isn’t what you’ll always want”

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Huntley Fitzpatrick is one of my favorite YA authors and I haven’t read anything so far that I don’t enjoy. What I Thought Was True is such a heartfelt book that made me want to hug my family a little tighter and enjoy the little things in life.

Sometimes YA books can be easily forgettable but I know I’ll be imaging the seaside that Gwen sees everyday for awhile.

Have you read any good books lately?

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A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

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A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro book review

One of my favorite Youtubers, Abigail’s Cup of Tea, recommended the Charlotte Holmes series awhile back and I added it to by TBR list. Abigail is a huge Harry Potter fan and an avid book lover and we usually have the same taste in books. A Study In Charlotte is currently free on Kindle so I downloaded it and got to reading!

Summary:

Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers are one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She’s inherited Sherlock’s volatility and some of his vices—and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she’s not looking for friends.

But when a student they both have a history with dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

Review:

I lived off of Baker Street when I studied abroad in London so the Sherlock Holmes series is associated with a really happy time in my life. As soon as I heard about this book I knew that I had to read it not only for the Baker Street reference but also because it sounded like a really unique twist on the original idea of Holmes and Watson.

First of all, I loved the gender swap with Charlotte Holmes playing the strong, unemotional, and intelligent female lead. Jamie Watson was just as devoted to Charlotte as the original Watson was to the original Holmes. I also liked that they moved the characters from England to America. You still get all of the British lingo and culture with the American culture thrown in as well.

When a fellow student ends up being murdered this duo has to pair together to solve the mystery. Details from the Sherlock Holmes books are brought in to try and frame Charlotte and Jamie for the murders. It’s suspenseful and entertaining.

Favorite Quotes:

“Four girls went by here last night in a group, She said finally getting to her feet. You can tell by the stampede of ugg boots.”

“You think you’re defending my ‘honor,’ but you’re just as bad as he is.”

“The two of us, we’re the best kind of disaster. Apples and oranges. Well, more like apples and machetes.”

“I began wondering if there was some kind of Watsonian guide for the care and keeping of Holmeses.”

“I don’t need someone to fight for me. I can fight for myself.”

“I have a rainy-day fund, you know,” she said, not quite looking at me. “Until recently, it was raining…rather a lot. But I…I’ve been trying to use an umbrella.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t trust you,” I said to my Holmes, in a low voice . . . “I meant to say that I won’t doubt you again.”
“You won’t,” she said with flat surprise. “You really won’t, will you?”

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

I really did enjoy A Study in Charlotte but I’m only giving in 3.5 stars because I ordered the next book in the series, The Last of August, right after finishing this book and still haven’t brought myself to read it. Usually if I love a book I read the next book in the series ASAP. In this case, something has been holding me back.

If you like a good mystery but nothing too dramatic then this is the book for you. Can we also take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this book cover? I’m a sucker for a good cover design!

Do you like Sherlock Holmes? Have you read any good books lately?

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Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

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Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

2019 has been a great year for reading so far! I discovered the world of YA literature last year and fell in love! I read All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven earlier this year and was it really impacted me (seriously, go read it if you haven’t already). Jennifer’s writing style is powerful and I knew I had to read more. I already have a third book lined up by her to read in the near future.

Summary:

Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed “America’s Fattest Teen.” But no one’s taken the time to look past her weight to get to know who she really is. Following her mom’s death, she’s been picking up the pieces in the privacy of her home, dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief. Now, Libby’s ready: for high school, for new friends, for love, and for EVERY POSSIBILITY LIFE HAS TO OFFER. In that moment, I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything. 

Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin, too. Yes, he’s got swagger, but he’s also mastered the impossible art of giving people what they want, of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a newly acquired secret: he can’t recognize faces. Even his own brothers are strangers to him. He’s the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything in new and bad-ass ways, but he can’t understand what’s going on with the inner workings of his brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don’t get too close to anyone.

Until he meets Libby. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game—which lands them in group counseling and community service—Libby and Jack are both pissed, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. . . . Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world, theirs and yours.

Review:

I needed to read this book. For the past year I have been beating myself up about gaining weight and Libby made me want to love myself again. Libby is the definition of a strong female lead who picks herself up off the ground and makes big things happen. She is brave, resilient, and unstoppable. I also love how she is so supportive of other girls in her class. I love when girls support girls instead of ripping each other apart.

And then we have sweet Jack Masselin who so badly wants to be a good guy but his undiagnosed neurological condition makes it hard for him. The common theme with Jack is peer pressure to do things he wouldn’t otherwise think to do. The “shitty” thing he does actually brings him closer to Libby which in the long run may save him from himself.

This was another quick read for me. I just couldn’t put it down! If I was reading it on a weekend I probably would have read it in under 24 hours. The characters, the plot, and the message were so good and made me want to keep reading. The ending was perfect too.

Favorite Quotes:

“I want you to know I’m rooting for you.’ Sometimes we need to hear that, even from a stranger.”

“We never know how long we have. We’re never guaranteed tomorrow. I could die right now, right here.”

“One of the worst things a pretty girl can say to a fat girl is You look really pretty.”

“Life is too short to judge others. It is not our job to tell someone what they feel or who they are. Why not spend some time on yourself instead? I don’t know you, but I can guarantee you have some issues you can work on. And maybe you’ve got a fit body and a perfect face, but I’ll wager you’ve got insecurities too, ones that would keep you from stripping down to a purple bikini and modeling it in front of everyone.

As for the rest of you, remember this. YOU ARE WANTED. Big, small, tall, short, pretty, plain, friendly, shy. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise not even yourself.

Especially not yourself.”

“Everyone in my life is a stranger, and that includes me.”

“It’s my experience that the people who are most afraid are the ones who hide behind mean and threatening words.”

“Dear friend, You are not a freak. You are wanted. You are necessary. You are the only you there is. Don’t be afraid to leave the castle. It’s a great big world out there. Love, a fellow reader”

“We’re all weird and damaged in our own way. You’re not the only one.”

“People are shitty for a lot of reasons. Sometimes they’re just shitty people. Sometimes people have been shitty to them and, even though they don’t realize it, they take that shitty upbringing and go out into the world and treat others the same way. Sometimes they’re shitty because they’re afraid. Sometimes they choose to be shitty to others before others can be shitty to them. So it’s like self-defensive shittiness.”

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Libby and Jack may not be real but they can teach you a thing or two about life. I am giving Holding up the Universe 5 stars because it made me think, feel, and opened my eyes to other’s thoughts and feelings.

I love reading books that make me want to take action when I’m done. This one motivated me to put myself out there again and try to be the healthiest version of myself. It motivated me lose weight because I love myself and not because I hate my body.

Once again, Jennifer Niven is a brilliant writer. I’m pretty positive I will love anything Jennifer writes and am already looking forward to reading the next one.

What’s your favorite book at the moment?

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Five on Friday #8

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Five on Friday

Happy Friyay!

I hope that you had a great week and are looking forward to an even better weekend! Because it was the first full week of the month I was super busy preparing client statements and doing account maintenance. The weather is finally getting better in Michigan so I’ve been taking Oscar for walks and it’s motivating me to do more after work. All in all, things are starting to look up!

  1. I bought an Apple Watch last weekend for my work’s upcoming walking challenge. I really love the Apple Watch so far but I still need to figure out how to work a few things! I am hoping that having this watch and doing the walking challenge will help motivate me to continue pushing myself towards my healthy lifestyle goal.
  2. It might finally be nice enough out this weekend to start doing yard work! It also might rain and I will not be raking leaves in the rain haha.
  3. My sister in law is having twins in July or August! They have been trying for the last few years to have a baby and they announced at Christmas that they are expecting twins! I am preparing for the babies in the best way I know how – reading! I’ve read all the articles and blogs on twins that I can find. I’ve been shopping and planning the shower. I seriously can’t wait to hold those little miracles.
  4. I watched the movie Seven with Brett and our friend last week. It was the creepiest movie that I have ever seen and I can’t stop thinking about it. UGH! Have you seen it?
  5. I know I’m behind on the times but I finally started using the Kindle App on my iPhone! I’ve already read two books and know that this will help me increase my reading! I’m really going to miss paper books though so I know that I won’t be reading everything on Kindle. I’m always looking for book recommendations so please let me know if you have any!

How was your week? Do you have any plans for this weekend?

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Top Ten by Katie Cotugno

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Top Ten by Katie Cotugno - YA Book Recommendation

Last summer I reviewed 99 Days by Katie Cotugno and I really enjoyed it! If I like a book by an author I always make sure to check out other books that they have written. Top Ten has been on my Amazon wishlist for months and I finally purchased it when I was looking for a quick and fun read.

Summary:

Ryan McCullough and Gabby Hart are the unlikeliest of best friends. Prickly, anxious Gabby would rather do literally anything than go to a party. Ultra-popular Ryan is a hockey star who can get any girl he wants—and frequently does.

But somehow their relationship just works; from dorky Monopoly nights to rowdy house parties to the top ten lists they make about everything under the sun.

Now, on the night of high school graduation, everything is suddenly changing—in their lives, and in their relationship. As they try to figure out what they mean to each other and where to go from here, they make a final top ten list: this time, counting down the top ten moments of their friendship.

Review:

If you want a book that will take you back to high school, this is it. I hated 98% of my high school experience but I do really enjoy YA books. This book was so relatable because it explored friendship, first loves, breakups, tense family dynamics, and mental and physical health.

I really enjoyed the perspective from both Ryan and Gabby. Their characters were developed really well throughout the book. The timeline was a bit hard to follow because it kept jumping back and forth from the past and present. But overall it was cool to read about how their friendship developed and changed over the years and it made me miss my high school friends.

What I loved most about this book though was Gabby. I loved her introvertedness and how awkward she always felt. I loved when she explains her anxiety and her fears. I loved her sisters and her family. And I really loved reading about how she finally overcame her fears.

I did not enjoy the ending of the book. It feels unfinished and I still have so many questions. I enjoy having everything tied up in a neat little bow and that didn’t happen this time. I was also left thinking about my own high school experience which is never the most fun thing to think about.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

I’m a quick reader so if I like a book I can fly through it in one sitting. This book took me a couple of weeks to finish. I’d read a couple chapters each night before bed but honestly I wasn’t super invested in the book itself. I still give it 3 stars because the characters were so well developed and I did enjoy the plot. I think Katie wrote about some tough topics that are important to read about and understand.

There’s just something about high school that makes everyone a little mushy on the inside. Whether you enjoyed it or hated it, there are still so many memories associated with that time period of your life. For me, I had a best friend turned boyfriend who I dated for the first two years of high school. We had been friends for years before that so he just felt like such an important piece of my life at the time. He was nothing like Ryan from this book though and it was a blessing in disguise when he broke up with me. But still, the memory of my ex-friend/boyfriend is one of the main things that ruins my high school memories.

I’m already finished with my next book so hopefully I’ll have another book review up soon! Have you read any good books lately?

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Book Review: Meet Cute by Various YA Authors

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Meet Cute YA Authors Book Review

I began reading Meet Cute before I published my New Year, New Reading list post. Brett got me this book for Christmas and I was so excited to start reading it! Some of my favorite YA authors are featured including Nicola Yoon, Huntley Fitzpatrick, and Katie Cotugno. I fell in love with the writing styles of many of the other authors and have already added some of their books to my TBR list. I can’t wait to read more!

Summary:

Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere. Meet Cute is an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of “how they first met” from some of today’s most popular YA authors.
 
Readers will experience Nina LaCour’s beautifully written piece about two Bay Area girls meeting via a cranky customer service Tweet, Sara Shepard’s glossy tale about a magazine intern and a young rock star, Nicola Yoon’s imaginative take on break-ups and make-ups, Katie Cotugno’s story of two teens hiding out from the police at a house party, and Huntley Fitzpatrick’s charming love story that begins over iced teas at a diner. There’s futuristic flirting from Kass Morgan and Katharine McGee, a riveting transgender heroine from Meredith Russo, a subway missed connection moment from Jocelyn Davies, and a girl determined to get out of her small town from Ibi Zoboi. Jennifer Armentrout writes a sweet story about finding love from a missing library book, Emery Lord has a heartwarming and funny tale of two girls stuck in an airport, Dhonielle Clayton takes a thoughtful, speculate approach to pre-destined love, and Julie Murphy dreams up a fun twist on reality dating show contestants.
 
This incredibly talented group of authors brings us a collection of stories that are at turns romantic and witty, epic and everyday, heartbreaking and real.

Review:

First things first, the format of this book is incredible! I was skeptical of the short story format but really fell in love with being able to read a whole story in under 30 minutes. It was a perfect before bed read because I’m one of those people who have a hard time just reading one chapter. I tend to stay up way too late reading at night if I’m really into a book. The short stories allowed me to read one or two a night and then go to bed happy. 

I don’t want to give away too much about the book by reviewing each and every story. However, I can say that there wasn’t one story in this book that I disliked. Each one was unique and the endings left much to the imagination yet I was disappointed at all. I love when books have clear endings that leave everything tied up in a neat little bow. Even though many of these stores did not have clear endings I still loved them! 

I also love that these stories feature more than just your traditional boy-girl love story. Emery Lord’s story about two girls meeting in an airport was one of my absolute favorites! It was so cute and charming!

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Let’s be honest, I’ll probably only ever write reviews for books I love because I can never seem to force myself to finish reading a book that I don’t enjoy. I’ll keep trying but in my opinion life’s too short to read a bad book.

Seeing each author’s writing style and unique take on first impressions was such a cool experience. It fueled my love for my favorite authors and helped me find new authors to add to my favorites list. 

Have you read any amazing books lately? How do you feel about short stories? 

Until next time! Thanks for reading!

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New Year, New Reading List

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2019 Reading List

In 2018 I fell back in love with reading. I learned to read at an early age and always had a book with me when I was growing up. As I got older my love for reading always remained but the free-time I had to read dwindled. In 2018 I wanted to read more and find the joy of a good book again. Going into 2019 I want to continue this exploration of books and my love for reading.

What does this mean for the blog?

Hopefully it means more reading lists and book reviews. The amazing thing about reading is that it reminds me how much I love to write. Reading inspires writing which inspires blogging. Therefore, more reading equals more blogging!

To start off 2019 I will be sharing a list of books that I am hoping to read this year. If I don’t like a book I have a very hard time convincing myself to continue reading it. I’ve read reviews for all of the below books and I’m really hoping that I like them! By the way, this list is in no particular order.

  1. Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares – Rachel Coon and David Levithan
  2. 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do – Amy Morin
  3. People Like Us – Dana Mele
  4. Meet Cute – Various YA Authors
  5. Becoming – Michelle Obama
  6. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – Mark Manson
  7. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up – Marie Kondo
  8. Holding Up The Universe – Jennifer Niven
  9. One Day In December – Josie Silver
  10. The Yellow Envelope – Kim Dinan
  11. The Librarian of Auschwitz – Antonio Iturbe
  12. The 5 Love Languages – Gary Chapman

If I find other books I will be adding them to my list. I have a huge stack of books on my nightstand right now and I tend to just grab whatever sounds good and start reading it. Brett knows that if he needs to buy me a gift for any reason he should go straight to my Amazon wishlist and buy any of the books that I have on there.

Please let me know if you have any other book recommendations! I go through books pretty quickly especially in the summer and winter months so I always appreciate a good recommendation.

Have you read any amazing books lately? Or are there any books that you are dying to read this year?

Thanks for reading!

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Summer 2018 – What I Read

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summer 2018 reading list

Hellloooo!

I keep talking about books and reading on the blog. I have always loved reading but just didn’t have the time in college to read for fun. After graduating I really wanted to get back into reading and this summer I was able to fall back in love with books. I’ve been sharing a few book reviews but I wanted to share the whole list of books that I read this summer.

Just a side note, please let me know if you’d like full reviews on any of these books. I did review To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and 99 Days if you want more information on those. I have a hard time finishing books that I don’t like so I can honestly say that I would recommend every one of these.

  1. Empty Mansions – Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr.
  2. Love & Gelato – Jenna Evans Welch
  3. 99 Days – Katie Cotugno
  4. 9 Days and 9 Nights – Katie Cotugno
  5. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before – Jenny Han
  6. P.S. I Still Love You – Jenny Han
  7. Always and Forever, Lara Jean – Jenny Han
  8. I See London, I See France – Sarah Mlynowski
  9. Tell Me Three Things – Julie Buxbaum
  10. Wanderlost – Jen Malone
  11. My Life Next Door – Huntley Fitzpatrick
  12. The Boy Most Likely To – Huntley Fitzpatrick

I think this is pretty good considering my goal was to read 1 book per month! I started a few other books but didn’t like them so I didn’t finish reading them.

What were your favorite books that you read this summer?

Thanks for reading!

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Five On Friday #2

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Weekend - London Airshow

Happy Friday!!

I had a great response to my first Five On Friday post so I thought I would share another for this upcoming weekend.

  1. I took a half day at work today so I will be leaving work around 1 to drive to Canada with Brett. His sister, Mallory, lives near London so of course we had to visit her for the London Airshow.
  2. This is our fourth (and final) weekend in a row at an Airshow. I miss my bed! Air Show season is wrapping up and I can’t wait for some relaxing weekends at home.
  3. I will be reading The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick. I read My Life Next Door by Fitzpatrick last weekend and it was really good. The Boy Most Likely To continues on with some of the same characters and I am so excited to read it!
  4. Sunday we will be relaxing with Mallory and her boyfriend, Matt. Mallory lived in Michigan when I first met Brett so we are pretty close and I am really excited to spend some time with her. It’s been a year since I last visited!
  5. I also took Monday off work which means that Brett and I can have a pretty relaxing travel day back to Michigan. I hate feeling rushed while driving so I’m happy to have Monday off work!

I’d love to hear what you are up to this weekend!

Thanks for reading!

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99 Days by Katie Cotugno

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99 Days Katie Cotugno Book Review Summer Reading List

Happy September, friends!

This summer has been full of reading for me! I just can’t seem to get enough of the fun “beach reads” even though I haven’t actually gone to the beach to read them. 😉 I am a fast reader but I have been amazed at how quickly I have been getting through books lately.

99 Days by Katie Cotugno was a quick and easy read that I couldn’t get enough of! I found myself relating so well to Molly even though (thankfully) my life has been much less dramatic than hers.

Molly Barlow just graduated from her high school boarding school in Arizona. Before she can head off to college in Boston she must spend 99 days back at home. The home she ran away from when her mom wrote a book detailing her love life.

I don’t want to give too much away but I spent pretty much the whole book hating Molly’s mom for her decision to publish the book. Of course, Molly should have made better decisions in the first place but moms are supposed to help and guide you. Not write every single detail of your most embarrassing moments for the whole world to read. Plus, high schoolers don’t make the best decisions. Mistakes help people learn and Molly should have been able to leave her mistake behind.

Anyway, I will get off my high horse and continue on with the book. Here’s the details according to Katie:

Molly Barlow is facing one long, hot summer—99 days—with the boy whose heart she broke and the boy she broke it for . . . his brother.

Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that’s how I know everyone still remembers everything. She has every right to hate me, of course: I broke Patrick Donnelly’s heart the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe. Now I’m serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college and be done.

Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn’t finished. I’m expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it’s just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me. “For what it’s worth, Molly Barlow,” he says, “I’m really glad you’re back.”

Day 12: Gabe wouldn’t quit till he got me to come to this party, and I’m surprised to find I’m actually having fun. I think he’s about to kiss me—and that’s when I see Patrick. My Patrick, who’s supposed to be clear across the country. My Patrick, who’s never going to forgive me.

Gabe is so sweet to Molly throughout the book and for a second he is the only one who will talk to her. I really liked his character. I thought he was funny, charming, and so down to earth. I never really understood what Molly saw in Patrick.

In my opinion, cheating is very wrong. Judging people when you don’t know the whole story is also wrong. And as Ross Geller from Friends said, “We were on a break!”

giphy

Break ups can be messy and confusing. Maybe they weren’t really broken up? Who knows? Point is, people shouldn’t have been so judgmental. Molly should not have been shunned and driven out of her hometown.

This book was addictive. I immediately ordered the sequel, 9 Days and 9 Nights, from Amazon and impatiently waited for it to be delivered. I even scoured the internet looking for free chapters while I waited. And let me tell you, 9 Days and Nights did not disappoint!

Have you read any amazing books lately?

Thanks for reading!

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