Category Archives: Romance

Review: Bright Burning Stars by A. K. Small

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , , ,
Bright Burning Stars by A. K. Small shows an almost impossibly thin girl in arabesque on a black background.

Bright Burning Stars
A. K. Small
Algonquin Young Readers
Available May 21, 2019

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About BRIGHT BURNING STARS

Best friends Marine Duval and Kate Sanders have trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School since childhood, where they’ve formed an inseparable bond forged by respective family tragedies and a fierce love for dance. When the body of a student is found in the dorms just before the start of their final year, Marine and Kate begin to ask themselves what they would do to win the ultimate prize: to be the one girl selected to join the Opera’s prestigious corps de ballet. Would they die? Cheat? Seduce the most talented boy in the school, dubbed the Demigod, hoping his magic would make them shine, too? Neither girl is sure.

But then Kate gets closer to the Demigod, even as Marine has begun to capture his heart. And as selection day draws near, the competition—for the prize, for the Demigod—becomes fiercer, and Marine and Kate realize they have everything to lose, including each other.

My Review

I’m a total sucker for a good ballet book. This probably shouldn’t be surprising, since I took ballet lessons for more than six years and at one time, wanted to pursue dance professionally. So I’m always on the lookout for stories featuring ballerinas because I enjoy reading about dance and all the nostalgia that comes with it.

The ballet terminology runs a bit thick in some places. I’m not sure how this would impact a reader unfamiliar with dance. Sometimes I think it would make certain scenes confusing because without a mental visual of what the characters are trying to do, it would be hard to grasp the significance of the scene. Thankfully, with Google and YouTube at our fingertips, it’s pretty easy to look up the terms and see what the moves look like.

BRIGHT BURNING STARS totally immerses its readers in a high-stakes world where only the top ballerinas remain in the elite program. An injury or indiscretion could mean the end for any student. So could gaining a few pounds too many. Pretty much any bad thing that could happen to a dancer, happens in this book. Pregnancy? Yup. Drug addiction? Check. Weight gain? Eating disorder? Yes. Heartbreak? Injury? Mental health issues? It has those, too.

One thing that was challenging for me reading this book was the way one character reacts to becoming pregnant. She feels it’s a career-ender for her, doesn’t want the baby, and takes some drugs while pregnant, too. While I know unwanted pregnancy is a real issue for some, it was hard for me to read after my own struggles with infertility.

It probably didn’t help that I read those scenes while holding and nursing my baby, the one that for a long time, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to have. So really, that’s just one of those experiences where my story runs very contrary to the character’s journey. I respect that not everyone feels the same about babies or pregnancy. And I’ve learned I probably need to update my mental list of things I can read for now. I had a really hard time connecting with Kate as a character, and I suspect that at least part of it came from my reaction to this part of her story.

But I loved Marine, though– she’s totally the best friend everyone wants to have, and the girl who carries too many burdens until they bowl her over. I definitely connected with her, and found myself really rooting for her to succeed and to stay smarter than some of the games happening around her.

Though the plot isn’t very similar (beyond a bright young dancer reaching for stardom), BRIGHT BURNING STARS reminded me a little bit of the movie BLACK SWAN with Natalie Portman. It had the same kind of intensity and pressure and strong, talented character driven to the edge.

All in all, I’m glad I read BRIGHT BURNING STARS and particularly enjoyed Marine’s character and her story.

Cultural Elements
All characters are French except for Kate who’s American.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used rarely.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Brief but graphic descriptions of sex. It’s clear that the boy is using her, but she thinks this is true love. She makes this mistake more than once.

A girl trades sexual favors for drugs.

At one point, a pregnant character purposefully triggers as miscarriage.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content – TRIGGER WARNING
Students talk about a girl who died by suicide after not being chosen to go on to the ballet company. Includes some graphic descriptions of how she killed herself.

One character intends to die by suicide, taking all preparations to do so.

A girl battles anorexia and ends up nearly hospitalized. Some eating disorder behaviors are normalized by the girls—there are lots of weigh-ins, and the girls are required to keep their weight below a certain point or risk being asked to leave the dance academy.

Drug Content
One dancer is known to have a stash of drugs and alcohol that he sells to the other dancers (or trades for sexual favors). Kate depends on drugs and alcohol in multiple instances to amp her up for rehearsal or drown her sorrows after a heartbreak.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which cost you nothing but, when used, help support this blog.

Review: Get It Together Delilah by Erin Gough

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Get It Together, Delilah
Erin Gough
Chronicle Books
Published April 4, 2017 (orig Feb 1, 2015)

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About GET IT TOGETHER DELILAH

Seventeen-year-old Delilah Green wouldn’t have chosen to do her last year of school this way, but she figures it’s working fine. While her dad goes on a trip to fix his broken heart after her mom left him for another man, Del manages the family cafe. Easy, she thinks.

But what about homework? Or the nasty posse of mean girls making her life hell? Or her best friend who won’t stop guilt-tripping her? What about her other best friend who might go to jail for love if Del doesn’t do something?

But really, who cares about any of that when all Del can think about is beautiful Rosa who dances every night across the street. . . . Until one day Rosa comes in the cafe door. And if Rosa starts thinking about Del, too, then how in the name of caramel milkshakes will Del get the rest of it together?

My Review

The very first thing about GET IT TOGETHER DELILAH that hooked me was Delilah herself. I loved her spunky, quirky voice. It was easy to feel that sense of being overwhelmed and struggling to juggle all her responsibilities even as the weight of them was crushing her. I loved that the story pulled me in so quickly that way.

Delilah’s relationships felt real and complex, too. I wasn’t a huge fan of some of them, but others were totally endearing. I loved Lauren (the guilt-trip queen) and Charlie (who loves to be in love) and enjoyed watching both of those relationships evolve in the course of the story.

Some moments got a little weird for me. At one point, Del gets super drunk and stoned and tries to hook up with a guy, but it just gets awkward and weird and literally going up in flames.

But I loved the messages about community. Del realizes the only chance she has at saving the cafe will come from pulling together her people, depending on each other, and working together. That message absolutely resonated with me and made the book really satisfying, too.

Recommended for Ages 17 up.

Representation
Del’s friend is Asian. Del herself is a lesbian.

Language Content
Extreme profanity used fairly frequently.

Sexual Content
Kissing between two girls. One reference to reaching under each other’s shirts. Kissing between a boy and girl and some fondling each other.

Spiritual Content
None.

Some battle sequences with situations of peril.

Drug Content
Charlie smokes pot, and Del occasionally joins him. They drink alcohol, too.

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Review: Geekerella by Ashley Poston

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Geekerella
Ashley Poston
Quirk Books
Published April 4, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About GEEKERELLA

Geek girl Elle Wittimer lives and breathes Starfield, the classic science-fiction series she grew up watching with her late father. So when she sees a cosplay contest for a new Starfield movie, she has to enter. The prize? An invitation to the ExcelsiCon Cosplay Ball and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor in the reboot. With savings from her gig at the Magic Pumpkin food truck and her dad’s old costume, Elle’s determined to win – unless her stepsisters get there first.

Teen actor Darien Freeman used to live for cons – before he was famous. Now they’re nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. Playing Carmindor is all he has ever wanted, but Starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. As ExcelsiCon draws near, Darien feels more and more like a fake – until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise. But when she disappears at midnight, will he ever be able to find her again?

Part-romance, part-love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, Geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom.

My Review

I’ve been seeing lots of love for GEEKERELLA on social media and other book blogs lately. From first glance, a lot of things appealed to me about GEEKERELLA: the sci-fi fan stuff (I loved this element of THE ONLY THING WORSE THAN ME IS YOU), the re-imagined fairy tale (no magic, all contemporary, like IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE), and the comic con scenes. Plus, Elle’s a blogger! Yay! I loved seeing a character I could identify with in that way.

On the fairy tale retelling side, I felt like GEEKERELLA was both faithful to the original Cinderella story but also re-imagined it really creatively so that as I read, I felt like I was following both stories and loving every minute.

Several of the characters really shined and made their scenes extra great. I loved Darien’s bodyguard and Elle’s coworker at the Magic Pumpkin food truck. I also found it really moving the way so many of Elle’s memories of her dad were tied in with the Con and his love for Starfield. It made the contest so much more than just a hopeful fan wanting to win. It was like she needed to win as a nod to her dad and how much she missed him.

On the whole, I totally loved this book. I read it pretty quickly (and stayed up way too late– no regrets), and I’m super interested to check out Poston’s next book, THE PRINCESS AND THE FANGIRL, which is a retelling of the Prince and the Pauper.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Darien, who plays Prince Carmindor, is Indian on his mom’s side. Elle talks about how important it is that the role of Prince Carmindor gets played by a person of color, since that’s who he is. She worries that some white guy will get cast as Carmindor in the reboot, but that doesn’t happen. Two minor characters are lesbians.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity. A few crude remarks about some discomfort Darien experiences wearing gear for his stunts, and a director makes a crude comment meaning that he thinks Darien’s pretty brave.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Two girls have crushes on each other.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some descriptions of Darien acting in fight scenes and doing dangerous stunts.

Drug Content 
None.

Review: The Truth About Romantic Comedies by Sean McMurray

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The Truth About Romantic Comedies
Sean McMurray
Anaiah Press
January 15, 2019

Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

About The Truth About Romantic Comedies

Sixteen-year-old Timothy Gephart’s life is a chronicle of loser-hood. Trapped by the decaying walls of his family’s trailer and saddled with the responsibility of caring for a grandmother stricken with a wicked combination of Alzheimer’s and cancer, Timothy isn’t exactly thriving in the teenage chapter of his life. To make matters worse, his girlfriend inexplicably dumps him through a text message. Heartbroken, Tim drives his grandmother to and from her radiation treatments as if the last page of his life has already been written. And then the enigmatic Rachel Wilson struts into the cancer center’s waiting room.

Self-proclaimed social scientist Rachel Wilson hasn’t reconciled herself to her mother’s cancer, but she’s doing her best to stay positive…and distracted. With his dry wit and easy acceptance of her bright blue hair, Timothy might be the answer to a prayer Rachel hasn’t had the strength to ask.

As a fast friendship blossoms into something more, Timothy and Rachel learn that Rachel’s father’s job will soon take her family to a new life across the country. Knowing that their time together is running out, Timothy and Rachel go all in on an experiment that will put every romantic comedy cliche to the test, to say nothing of the foundation on which their relationship was built. Happily-ever-after has never been so hard.

My Review

This is such a cute book! It took me a couple chapters to really get into Tim’s character, but I found it easy to like him once I did. He’s caring and sweet, funny and a little bit awkward. The romance develops in that classic, sweet way with bumps and unexpected reveals here and there keeping it interesting.

Only a couple small things stuck out to me as not working, and they’re all pretty minor. If a girl dyed her hair as often as Rachel did, I think it would all fall out. At one point I kind of expected that Tim would discover her hair was all wigs. Ha. But she’s quirky and fun, always a bit of a mystery to Tim, which again, made THE TRUTH ABOUT ROMANTIC COMEDIES a fun read.

Later in the story, Tim goes with Rachel to a youth convention and listens to a speaker talk about online bullying. I liked the message, but it’s kind of a pet peeve for me when a story includes a long sermon section. It feels like taking a time out from the novel for a PSA, which most of the time doesn’t work. It’s just the one scene, and it’s not that long, so it’s kind of a minor deal.

On the whole, THE TRUTH ABOUT ROMANTIC COMEDIES reminded me a little bit of ZAC & MIA, another contemporary romance with a pretty straight line narrator and quirky love interest. Plot-wise, it has a little of the John Green (think PAPER TOWNS or THE FAULT IN OUR STARS in terms of the list element) vibe to it in that Rachel and Tim have a list of things (romantic comedy clichés) to do together before their relationship ends.

I highly recommend THE TRUTH ABOUT ROMANTIC COMEDIES to anyone looking for a sweet, funny contemporary romance.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
I think all the major characters were white and straight.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to making out or kissing for longer periods of time. Rachel discusses not being ready to have sex.

Spiritual Content
Rachel is a Christian and goes to a Christian school, but she’s not preachy about her faith. Tim has pretty limited experience with and interest in Christianity. He’s pretty much just an observer on that front. At one point Tim goes with her to a youth conference and listens to a Christian speaker talk about his past as an online bully and how damaging/wrong the behavior was.

Violent Content
Tim briefly wonders if he should have fought another boy who’s interested in Rachel.

Drug Content
A grief stricken adult calls Tim for a ride home from a bar after becoming too drunk to drive.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing, but help me buy more books.

Review: In Another Life by C.C. Hunter

Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

In Another Life
C.C. Hunter
Wednesday Books
Publishes March 26, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Wednesday Books

About IN ANOTHER LIFE

Chloe was three years old when she became Chloe Holden, but her adoption didn’t scar her, and she’s had a great life. Now, fourteen years later, her loving parents’ marriage has fallen apart and her mom has moved them to Joyful, Texas. Starting twelfth grade as the new kid at school, everything Chloe loved about her life is gone. And feelings of déjà vu from her early childhood start haunting her.

When Chloe meets Cash Colton she feels drawn to him, as though they’re kindred spirits. Until Cash tells her the real reason he sought her out: Chloe looks exactly like the daughter his foster parents lost years ago, and he’s determined to figure out the truth.

As Chloe and Cash delve deeper into her adoption, the more things don’t add up, and the more strange things start happening. Why is Chloe’s adoption a secret that people would kill for?

My Review

Usually I’m not a big fan of those dreamboat oddball hero names. You know, the kind that don’t really sound like actual names. In this case, though, Cash’s name really works because his dad was a con man, and money was all he valued. So it was kind of perfect and made sense.

I liked Chloe right away. You could definitely feel her hurt and frustration at being caught between her parents. She had reasons to be angry with both of them, but also loved them both, too. I liked that her family wasn’t perfect going into the story. It added a lot of tension right at the beginning of IN ANOTHER LIFE.

In terms of Cash’s character, I’m kind of a sucker for the unworthy, heart-of-gold guy. It’s hard for me not to like someone like that. On the other hand, that unworthiness creates huge problems for anyone trying to have relationships with him, and I liked that IN ANOTHER LIFE addressed that as well – it wasn’t just about Chloe’s history. Cash also had to confront some demons and he wasn’t a purely romanticized character, even though the main focus of the novel is unraveling the circumstances surrounding Chloe’s adoption and what really happened to the missing girl.

The story reminded me a little bit of THE FACE ON THE MILK CARTON by Carolyn Cooney, so it struck some nostalgia for me. I think fans of that duology or THE LOST AND THE FOUND by Cat Clarke will enjoy IN ANOTHER LIFE.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
Brief mention of one character’s mom being a lesbian. Brief appearance by Chloe’s dad’s cousin and his husband.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used infrequently. Some crude comments.

Romance/Sexual Content
Lots of kissing. Chloe mentions losing her virginity to her last boyfriend. At one point Chloe removes her top and lies down with her boyfriend while they kiss and touch. There’s a cut scene later, where they lead up to going to have sex and then the scene picks up afterward.

At one point, a man watches a girl sleep and has some sexual thoughts about her. They’re not super graphic, but it’s definitely creepy

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Cash remembers bits of his past, including getting shot by police while his dad tried to run from a crime. He gets into a couple of physical altercations with another student– a boy who bullies others. At one point, someone shoots at the car Cash and Chloe are in. Another woman gets shot, which is briefly described

Drug Content
Chloe’s mom abuses sleeping pills for a short time. She ends up taking antidepressants, and almost as soon as she starts taking them, she feels better. I didn’t think this was very realistic, but I did like that it was a positive portrayal of taking medication for depression.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links which cost you nothing, but help me buy more books.

About C. C. Hunter

Website | Facebook | Twitter

C.C. HUNTER is a pseudonym for award-winning romance author Christie Craig. She is lives in Tomball, Texas, where she’s at work on her next novel.

Christie’s books include The Mortician’s Daughter series, Shadow Fall Novels and This Heart of Mine.

Review: Running Strong by Diana Sharples

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , ,

Running Strong
Diana Sharples
Published on June 29, 2018

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Running Strong

Races are won in the turns.

Flannery Moore rides motocross bikes and can’t remember the last time she wore a dress. She’s also in love with one of her riding friends. Although nothing else could make her do so, Flannery decides to redefine herself into the kind of girl Tyler Dorset might fall for.

Despite his mother’s desperate efforts to keep Tyler close to home, he has dreams of his own. Dreams that will take him far away from sleepy and safe Bentley, North Carolina. Will Flannery understand how a well-played guitar solo moves his soul? Or will their bond fade away if he’s not riding his dirt bike anymore?

When her mother is diagnosed with cancer, Flannery is compelled to make sacrifices, some obvious, some that break her heart. Will this mean settling for “less than” with Tyler when she longs for so much more?

For the sake of staying true to themselves, both Tyler and Flannery are pushed to make the choice between running away… or running strong.

My Review

This was such a sweet book. I read RUNNING LEAN some time ago when it came out, but I hadn’t realized this companion book existed. RUNNING STRONG takes place after the end of RUNNING LEAN and follows two characters who appeared in that first book: Connor’s friends Tyler and Flannery.

I think Flannery’s journey affected me the most. After her mom’s cancer diagnosis, Flannery struggles with a lot of fear and anxiety over what will happen with her mom. Her relationship with Tyler becomes both a happy place and another stressor to her. I found it easy to identify with her roiling emotions and her battle over wanting to be herself or change herself so she fit into popular ideas about femininity.

Ultimately, Flannery decides the person she needs to please, in terms of the way she dresses and acts, is herself. I liked that she’s both the motorcross girl and the girl who likes makeup.

Tyler’s guitar playing added a lot of depth to his character, I thought. It really showed a lot of passion and drive, and I liked that. His struggle to break away from an overprotective mom also felt pretty real.

Overall, I liked this book. In terms of spirituality, it’s definitely written from a Christian perspective, but I didn’t think it sounded preachy. It’s a sweet, clean story, perfect for readers who are just beginning to read romance or who are looking for a gentle love story that also tackles family issues. You can read my review of Diana Sharples’ first novel, RUNNING LEAN, here.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Major characters are white. One character has recently been through recovery from an eating disorder. Flannery’s mom receives a cancer diagnosis early RUNNING STRONG. Most of the characters are Christian.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex—Tyler wants to make sure he doesn’t go too far with Flannery, since they both believe in waiting until marriage to have sex.

Spiritual Content
Both Flannery and Tyler’s families attend church. At one point, Tyler’s family meets with a pastor for counseling. He uses a Bible verse to talk about speaking life, or saying positive things, to one another.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
Tyler’s mom believes his uncle drinks and uses drugs. Another family member died from a drug overdose in the past.

Note: This post contains affiliate links which don’t cost anything for you to use but which help support this blog.