February Wrap-Up

Where has this month gone?! I feel like it should still be January. Crazyness.

Welcome to my very first wrap up post! I'm quite excited for this one, since I had a pretty good reading month in February. I read 9 books total which is amazing for me. So let's get into it!

Started off with Fifteeth Summer by Michelle Dalton. This was a super cute, light and fluffy read. Chelsea is enjoying her fifteenth summer with her family at her grandma's cabin by the lake. This summer is a bit different, though, as her grandma recently passed away that year. She meets Josh at the local bookstore and instantly hit it off. Their romance is insanely precious! I loved how this story including the reality of summer flings -- sometimes, they don't always work. Or will it...? ;) I read this book in less than 24 hrs and it definitely deserves a 4 star rating. Highly recommend for anyone who wants something light for this summer! It's pretty short, too, (272 pages) so it's a perfect read for anyone who's going through a slump. 

 Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella was my next read. This was her YA debut novel. She is one of my favorite authors, so this was a definite auto-buy from me. This is about Audrey, who is a teenager who suffers from an extreme anxiety disorder caused by 3 teenage girls whom Audrey went to high school with. The author didn't go into much detail as to what exactly happened.  The characters could be quite annoying and over the top (namely her mother, good grief) but it just adds to the realism of the story. which I enjoyed.  From reviews that I've read/watched, I've seen some say how Audrey's anxiety wasn't realistic or relatable and I beg to differ. I was able to relate incredibly well to Audrey's thoughts and emotions as someone who also suffers from anxiety. I would just like to point out that not everyone's symptoms are going to be text-book anxiety. We're all different and we all react differently. This was a 3 star read for me. Didn't hate it, but did enjoy it.

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. This is a case of it's been sitting on my shelf for over a year and I finally pick it up and binged the shit out of it. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith is a novel that takes place over a 24 hour period. Hadley misses her flight on her way to London for her father's second wedding. Meets cute British guy, Oliver, in the airport and he just so happens to be on the same plane. In the seat right next to her. (Cliche, I know, but SO. CUTE.) I absolutely loved Smith's writing. Actually discovered one of my favorite quotes from this novel. "He's like a song she can't get out of her head. Hard as she tries, the melody of their meeting runs through her mind on an endless loop, each time as surprisingly sweet as the last, like a lullaby, like a hymn, and she doesn't think she could ever get tired of hearing it." So beautiful, right?! Obviously, this is 5 stars and Smith is now an auto-buy for me.

I was a lame kid and never read A Series of Unfortunate Event book. It just didn't interest me with how dark and sad it was. I was more of a Babysitters Club kind of kid. I felt like I needed to at least give this a shot, so I picked up The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket. Super quick read. It was so depressing, so I feel kind of shitty if I say I enjoyed reading a book about kids being abused pretty much, but I enjoyed it? I loved how strong the kids are as a family and how they'll try anything to make their lives better. It was a 4 star read for me.

Then I finally finished Cress by Marissa Meyer. Cinder and Scarlet were meh reads for me and I was contemplating whether or not to continue with the series. Thank the heavens that I did, because Cress was fantastic. This was the second and last 5 star book I read this month. I love Cress as a character so much...though not as much as I love Thorne. (ungh.) This book was so fast paced and I completely raced through it. I wish I could right a better review about it, but too many feels and I just wouldn't make any sense. Needless to say, if you are iffy about the series as I was, just picked up Cress. You own't regret it.

Stolen by Lucy Christopher was....interesting, for lack of better word. It was slow, repetitive, disturbing, boring, but yet I wanted to know how it ended. the ending was not how I imagined it would go. This is the story of 16 year old Gemma who is kidnapped by her stalker, Ty, at an airport and taken out into the desert in middle-of-nowhere Australia. It has a huge Stockholm Syndrome trait to it, so if you're not into that, I'd stay away. The writing is in the form of a letter that Gemma is writing to Ty, describing the time she spent with him. I just.... eh. 2 stars.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover was another meh read. This was the 3rd book that I've read by Hoover and I stayed up till 4am every book and read it straight through. I don't know how, but she just reels you and hooks you in and you can't get out, even if you don't exactly like what's going on in the book. This novel is about Tate, who moves in with her pilot brother, and meets Miles, her brother's friend and neighbor. They start off with a strictly just sex relationship, but we all know how those work out in the end. The wishy-washy back and forth of the characters aggravated me. It's like they would have the same argument, but different days and it got old. I really did enjoy Miles POV in his flashback chapters. The writing style wasn't my cup of tea, but the characters from his past really reeled me in. 3 stars.

This book started off SO well and so promising. The writing at the beginning was great and flowed.... and then somehow, it just all started going down hill. Ignite by Lily Paradis is a story on how a family tragedy put Lindsay in charge to raise her 3 step-siblings whom she doesn't know well. Friend of the family, Dean, catches Lindsay's eye and have immediate chemistry. I felt like the romance was a bit rushed and didn't give the reader any time to register what was going on. Once Lindsay and Dean became an item, the novel became mainly romance-based instead of focusing on what I assumed was the main storyline, which is Lindsay bonding and getting to know her siblings. While I did like the characters individually, I really loved Dean, I didn't find their romance believable. 3 stars.

Last book of the month goes to The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. This story was so unique and amazing. This book took me about a week to read because it was just so weird. I had to read it slowly and make sure I grasp every word so I could understand exactly what was going on. I really enjoyed the world that Black created, and the main characters were just amazing. I've never read a book about Fae before, nor have I read any book from Holly Black. 4 stars.





Not a shabby reading month, eh? Comment below and tell me if you've read any of these books and your opinions. Also, what was your favorite book you read this month? Mine has to be Cress. I love Cress and Thorne so much. See ya'll next time!


-Britt