ARC Review: Operation Prom Date (Tactics in Flirting #1) by Cindi Madsen

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: March 13, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen
223 Pages

Kate ships tons of fictional couples, but IRL her OTP is her and Mick, the hot quarterback she’s crushed on since, like, forever. With only one semester left of senior year, it’s now or never if she wants to land him in time for prom. Since she’s flirtationally challenged, she enlists Cooper Callihan, the guy who turned popular seemingly overnight but who used to be a good friend.
Cooper lives and breathes rowing, but his partner just broke his wrist. When he remembers Kate’s good with a set of oars, he strikes a deal: help him train, and he’ll make sure her crush notices her. Only he didn’t know how addicting spending time with her would be. Or how the more successful the Operation is, the more jealousy he experiences.
The mission has been set. The troops have their marching orders. But what if the target is the wrong guy all along?
Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains stargazing, accidental swimming, and poker swindling. This kissing practice will melt your ereader...and give you a new couple to ship.

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In Kate's world of fandoms and OTP's, she clings hard to the fact that there's one person for everyone. In her mind, her true real life OTP is herself and Mick. The only problem is Kate is shy and introverted while Mick is one of the most popular boys in school. So, of course, she's basically had no contact with him. Enter Cooper, an old friend who has gained some popularity recently. Kate enlists Cooper to help her win Mick over in time to go to prom and for his efforts she'll help be his stand-in rowing partner while his real one recovers from injury. Hi-jinks ensue, feelings grow and fade, and Kate is left to question just who is her OTP.

This book was adorable. I related instantly to Kate. I mean, she ships Olicity so how could I not? I mean, look at them...

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Ok, sorry, got side tracked. Anyway...I pretty much just got Kate's world. However, the one thing I couldn't get behind was her "OTP". I guess the saying 'love is blind' comes to play here because Kate was pretty much blind to anything about Mick that wasn't in her already perfectly constructed picture.

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And then there was Cooper, who obviously was her true OTP because they were just too freaking adorable together. Cooper initially accepts Kate's crazy plan because rowing is his life and he doesn't want to lose practice time. But over the course of spending long hours together, he realizes that Kate is a breath of fresh air from his very scheduled life. She gives him strength when he needs it and even when they seem to be falling apart, she's still there supporting him.

I will say one thing that drove me nuts about Kate is when she's internally complaining about Cooper not liking her back because he isn't showing any signs so he obviously doesn't feel the same way. Girl, you asked him to help you land another guy! Why would he reveal his feelings to you when he thinks you're still in love with Mick?! Ugh, teenagers...

Overall, I adored this. This was my first book from Madsen but am definitely ready to read more. 

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

ARC Review: Off the Ice (Juniper Falls #1) By Julie Cross

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Publisher: EntangledTeen
320 Pages

All is fair in love and hockey…

Claire O’Connor is back in Juniper Falls, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be. One semester off, that’s what she promised herself. Just long enough to take care of her father and keep the family business—a hockey bar beside the ice rink—afloat. After that, she’s getting the hell out. Again.

Enter Tate Tanley. What happened between them the night before she left town resurfaces the second they lay eyes on each other. But the guy she remembers has been replaced by a total hottie. When Tate is unexpectedly called in to take over for the hockey team’s star goalie, suddenly he’s in the spotlight and on his way to becoming just another egotistical varsity hockey player. And Claire’s sworn off Juniper Falls hockey players for good.

It’s the absolute worst time to fall in love.

For Tate and Claire, hockey isn’t just a game. And they both might not survive a body check to the heart.

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I love that hockey books are becoming a thing. As an avid hockey fan (go Sharks!), I was sad to see so many sports romance books that only revolved around football or baseball, and when hockey was used, it was just a general mention. "He played center." "The game was exciting." No details, no setting the scene, nothing. But that's not the case anymore, there's hockey books everywhere! And while some still fall short of capturing this amazing sport, there are quite a few that seem to know what's up.

In Juniper Falls, hockey is a way of life. If you don't play, you aren't important. No one cares about your future - only your right now. Tate Tanley lives in his fathers shadow. Everyone remembers the great Keith Tanley, but the side they didn't see was what sent Tate to the hospital with a broken arm many nights ago.When Tate gets promoted to starting goalie on the varsity team, suddenly his father is back and is everywhere. Tate is just trying to figure out what he wants. He knows he loves hockey, but the game doesn't feel his. It feels like it's his fathers and he wants to be as far away from that man as he can get.

Claire O'Connell has had her share of bad times. Leaving school a year early after getting accepted to Northwestern, she's back when her father suffers a health emergency. She's the only one who knows what happened with Tate and his father that night with the broken arm. But Tate isn't that scrawny boy she remembers. And as she falls harder and harder for him, she also sees the darkness that's eating away at him. Having to deal with her own demons doesn't help the situation. 

This is my second book from Cross and I still enjoy her writing style. Her characters are alive, the situations believable, and the writing just flows. I loved the camaraderie between Tate and his teammates. And Cross does a good job at showing just how important friends and being part of a team are to high school students. High school is tough. No one knows really who they are or who they want to be so most are just living in the now. And that's what Juniper Falls captures. The now. But Off the Ice shows what happens when you begin to live for tomorrow. 

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

ARC Review: Make Me by Beth Kery

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: February 7, 2017
Publisher: Berkley
528 Pages

Available for the first time as a complete novel—the serial from the New York Times bestselling author of When I’m With You that explores hidden pasts, dangerous obsessions, and uncontrollable passion...
 
Harper McFaddan established herself as an investigative journalist by being both compassionate and fearless. After tragedy strikes her family, she moves to the shores of Lake Tahoe to find some peace. But when mysterious software mogul Jacob Latimer enters her life, her thoughts turn from her own healing to an insatiable desire to get closer to him...

No one knows what secrets lurk in the past of Jacob Latimer. He built his corporation from nothing, but rumors abound about his mysterious rise to power. Harper is the last person he should let into his life. She could expose the truth about his origins. But Jacob knows things about Harper’s past that draw him in. He wants nothing more than to make her his—and Jacob is a man who always gets what he wants...

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Jacob Latimer has a past and it's not a good one. He's worked very hard to reinvent himself from that scrawny, helpless little boy to one of the most powerful men in the world. But when he runs into Harper one morning on the beach, everything he's built threatens to crumble. And all because of the one girl he could never have.

Harper McFaddan moved to Tahoe Shores to regroup. After losing her parents, she feels lost and the pace of the big city becomes too much for her. When she meets Jacob, he's not familiar to her at all. There's nothing about him currently that connects him to the boy who saved her many years ago. But as they get closer and closer, Harper's memory starts to realize that there may be more to this man then meets the eye.

I'm normally not one for erotica but this one held my interest. I pretty much read the whole thing on the edge because I was just waiting for Harper to connect the dots. It was a very predictable plot but honestly, I feel like most eroticas are. There's a formula and, hey, if it works, why fix it?

I enjoyed reading about Jacob and how he was able to turn his life completely around. I mean, this was a kid who came from nothing and is now one of the richest in the world. The sex scenes were done well and not overused like a majority of eroticas I have read. Yeah, I know, how dare I want plot amid my sex! And while their backstory was interesting, it definitely was heavy with the drama. And man, did the drama just keep coming. It was also extremely long, but since this was a serialized story, the individual parts made sense to be a little long because when you're only getting a little at a time, you always want more. But put all together, it made for a rather lengthy read for romance.

Overall, it wasn't anything that was exactly new (rich, playboy dom wants demure, wholesome girl) but I enjoyed it. 

 

I received an e-copy of the novel from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

ARC Review: There's Something About Nik by Sara Hantz

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: February 13, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen
167 Pages



Nik Gustafsson has a secret: He’s not really Nik Gustafsson.

He’s not a spy. He’s not crazy.

He’s just the son and heir to one of the most important families in Europe—one where duty always comes first. And his posh, too-public life is suffocating him. So when he gets the chance to attend boarding school in America, pretending to be an average exchange student is too big of a temptation to pass up.

Then he literally runs into Amber on campus. And she hates him at first sight.

It’s kind of exhilarating to be hated for who he is, not for his family name or his wealth. Maybe if he turns up the charm and turns down the aloof mask he habitually wears, he can win her over. Even though a bad past experience has made her swear off dating this year.

But the more he gets to know her, the more uncomfortable he is keeping things from her. Because Nik Gustafsson has a secret. And it’s a big one.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains a hot boy who's the strong and silent type, a studious girl who refuses to believe in fairy-tale romance, and one epic secret that could be disastrous if it comes to light. 

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A book reminiscent of that movie The Prince and Me (which I loved, not gonna lie). 

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Niklas III of Lutgenstadt just wants to be normal and have normal experiences while he's young. He convinces his parents to let him attend his junior year at a boarding school in America. There he will be with the son of an old family friend and an undercover bodyguard (think janitor). But despite wanting to be "normal", Nik quickly realizes it's hard to break out of old habits.

Amber wants nothing to do with boys. Having her heart broken, in a horrible way I will admit, has her focus firmly in one direction - securing a photography internship. When she meets Nik, she's thrown off by his air superiority and vows to steer clear of him. Of course that doesn't work and she soon finds herself wrapped up in everything about him.

It was a cute plot. And I normally love these, but I couldn't connect with either of them. And honestly, I couldn't see why they ended up falling for each other. Almost all of their conversations consisted of them misunderstanding each other and awkward one liners. Amber was very frustrating because she kept criticizing Nik for how he acted, never taking a moment to realize that he was a foreigner in a new country. Give him time to adapt! As for Nik, well, starting a relationship based on a lie is obviously a good idea.

Everything kind of felt thrown together and very jilted. I guess I wanted more depth to characters. A quick and very easy read. Good if you're looking for something light.  

 

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

ARC Review: Weddings, Crushes, and Other Dramas (Creative Hearts #6) by Emily McKay

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: February 13, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen
185 Pages

Falling in love with the best man wasn’t on the program.

Willa is happy to be the maid of honor in her dad’s upcoming wedding to uber-celeb Mia McCain. Not as happy about the best man being her soon-to-be stepbrother, the infuriating—and infuriatingly gorgeous—Finn McCain. Every time their paths cross, the attraction simmering between them grows a little harder to ignore. Willa knows all about guys like Finn—they only want what they can’t have. What’s between them isn’t real.

Finn has never felt anything more real than what’s developing between him and Willa. Sure, her dad warned him to steer clear, but it’s not just about forbidden temptation. He’s determined to prove to Willa he’s not going anywhere—and that happily-ever-after will always be worth the risk.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains a wedding so crazy it’ll make you laugh, a stepbrother so hot he’ll make you swoon, and a heroine so real she’ll make you cry.

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Of all the girls in Austin, why did he want the one he could never have?

We first met Willa and Finn in the second book of the Creative Hearts series, How Willa Got Her Groove Back. Back then, Willa had just found out that her father was marrying Mia McCain - the hottest actress in Hollywood. Aside from getting a new stepmom, she's also getting a new step-brother, Finn. While neither of them are happy about their parents upcoming nuptials, Finn has a little more push to seem happy about it - early access to his trust fund. All he has to do is get Willa on board. How Willa Got Her Groove Back didn't really end with any closure so I'm very happy these two popped up again.

The wedding is on and coming up quickly. Mia had meticulously planned out every spare second of time and Willa and Finn find themselves thrown together for many of the prewedding activities. This would be fine and all if how they felt toward each other wasn't more than friendship. So while trying to deny their feelings, Willa throws herself into her current relationship with her high school dreamboat and Finn, well, Finn broods.

However, I think I will just always continue to be super disappointed in Willa's dad. For someone who was supposed to be super close to his daughter, he does a horrible job of helping her transition into her new life. It's almost like he literally just forgets he has a daughter. I get being wrapped up in love, but your a grown ass man with a child. Act like it.

This was such a short book but it was super cute. The positions the two of them find themselves in always had me laughing  and I found myself rooting for Willa to dump her boyfriend and jump on Finn. I haven't read all of the books in the Creative Hearts series, but it was nice to see characters from the ones I had read show up here. 

 

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

ARC Review: Secrets of a Reluctant Princess by Casey Griffin

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen
320 Pages

At Beverly Hills High, you have to be ruthless to survive…

Adrianna Bottom always wanted to be liked. But this wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. Now, she’s in the spotlight…and out of her geeky comfort zone. She’ll do whatever it takes to turn the rumor mill in her favor—even if it means keeping secrets. So far, it’s working.

Wear the right clothes. Say the right things. Be seen with the right people.

Kevin, the adorable sketch artist who shares her love of all things nerd, isn’t exactly the right people. But that doesn’t stop Adrianna from crushing on him. The only way she can spend time with him is in disguise, as Princess Andy, the masked girl he’s been LARPing with. If he found out who she really was, though, he’d hate her.

The rules have been set. The teams have their players. Game on.

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We couldn't be rich from something cool, like discovering a new fuel source or curing cancer. Nope. It's a luminescent pee target.

Meet Adrianna (Andy) Bottom. Her father's toilet products have recently taken off landing their entire family on new reality show, Bathroom Barons. With a last name like Bottom what other area would you go into? Anyway. With the launch of the new reality show, the family uproots from Seattle to Beverly Hills. Back in Seattle, Andy was teased relentlessly for her father's inventions, and for her nerdiness. She's hoping for a brand new start in Beverly Hills, despite the fact that her family will be on TV. But it's Beverly Hills. And Andy soon finds herself 'little miss popular' even while losing herself in the process.

This book had a cute premise and even had some cutesy parts. I really liked the attention to detail when it came to events like the LARPing tournaments. I adored Kevin and his sister. And I ended up really liking Harper after being extremely wary of her in the beginning.

But there were also things that I didn't like or that rubbed me the wrong way. First were Andy's parents. Andy was constantly taken advantage of by the director of Bathroom Barons, (think indecent exposure of a minor, staged dates/kisses that bordered on sexual assualt) and they were too busy worrying about their business or social status. I'm sorry, but if I was a parent and saw my child harassed this way, I would do more than make a call to the network. And it wasn't like they couldn't see her unhappiness or her side of the story. Just horrible parenting.

Then there was the whole 'being a nerd/geek is grounds for torment' trope. We live in an age where Marvel and DC rule cinema and television. Shows like Big Bang Theory are rated number one. I find it hard to believe that teens are so black and white here. It's cool to like superheroes people! Let's move on.

My main issue, however, was with Andy herself. She was not a strong character, instead she blended into the background a lot and I found myself more interested in what was going on around her than with her herself. But it was her treatment of the so-called "nerds" that rubbed me the wrong way. Here's a girl who knows what the teasing and ridicule feels like, yet she just sits there and sometimes even partakes in this attitude. But yet the author wants us to know that it's ok for her to act this way because deep down inside she feels differently. Or that because she's nice to them in secret, it's ok. NO. You're a weak minded girl who cares more about what people think of you than other people's feelings. There were so many places where she could have easily spoken up but instead she just let it go.

Despite the fact that I didn't like Andy herself, the wrap up of the story was just so 'teen movie cheese' that it was enjoyable. Maybe this book was just a little too young for me to enjoy fully.

Source

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

ARC Review: The Unlikeable Demon Hunter (Nava Katz #1) by Deborah Wilde

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: April 18, 2017
Publisher: Te Da Media
420 Pages

Bridesmaids meets Buffy with a dash of the seven deadly sins.

The age-old story of what happens when a foul-mouthed, romance impaired heroine with no edit button and a predilection for hot sex is faced with her worst nightmare–a purpose.

Ari Katz is intelligent, driven, and will make an excellent demon hunter once initiated into the Brotherhood of David. However, this book is about his twin Nava: a smart-ass, self-cultivated hot mess, who is thrilled her brother is stuck with all the chosen one crap.

When Nava half-drunkenly interrupts Ari’s induction ceremony, she expects to be chastised. What she doesn’t expect is to take her brother’s place among the–until now–all-male demon hunters. Even worse? Her infuriating leader is former rock star Rohan Mitra.

Too bad Rohan’s exactly what Nava’s always wanted: the perfect bad boy fling with no strings attached, because he may also be the one to bring down her carefully erected emotional shields. That’s as dangerous as all the evil fiends vying for the bragging rights of killing the only female ever chosen for Demon Club.

Odds of survival: eh.

Odds of having a very good time with Rohan before she bites it: much better.

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When this book crossed my path, it was in an email asking if I would like to read an ARC copy. Not only did this offer come from somebody I trust when it comes to books, she also described it as "Buffy meets blah blah blah". I literally can't remember the second half because I was sold on Buffy. Then two chapters in, I get quotes like:

"Shar Pei with a Dumbledore beard."

Let's do this!

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Meet Nava, a girl who owns her screwupy ways. While her twin brother, Ari, is off being primed to join The Brotherhood (a band of demon hunters), Nava enjoys more of the party scene and embarrassing her parents. But she loves her brother something fierce. So when it's time for his initiation into the Brotherhood, she sobers herself up (literally), throws on some fancy clothes, and is right by his side. But of course, the ceremony goes wrong. Instead of Ari being the chosen one, the power goes to Nava instead.

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Problem is, the Brotherhood is exactly how it sounds - a brotherhood, all men. They don't take kindly to having a female imitate. This makes for some hilarious interactions and Nava is not one to take any shit. She fires back insults as quickly as they come. There's action, there's humor, there's sexy times (duh, one girl - all guys, you do the math), and there's emotional times. 

"Where's my Giles?"

I wasn't able to give it 5 stars because sometimes Nava was just too much and her dialogue seemed a little forced instead of flowing. But I enjoyed it. The side characters, from her best friend to the other Brothers, fleshed this book out perfectly. Despite spending the whole book trying to get her brother back in, by the end, Nava finally accepts who she is. 

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A great start to a series and I look forward to whatever trouble Nava can get herself into. This was like Buffy, if Buffy didn't have to be rated PG-13 for TV.

I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.