The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West | Book Review

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West
Published on May 5, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 344

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When Gia Montgomery's boyfriend, Bradley, dumps her in the parking lot of her high school prom, she has to think fast. After all, she'd been telling her friends about him for months now. This was supposed to be the night she proved he existed. So when she sees a cute guy waiting to pick up his sister, she enlists his help. The task is simple: be her fill-in boyfriend—two hours, zero commitment, a few white lies. After that, she can win back the real Bradley.

The problem is that days after prom, it's not the real Bradley she's thinking about, but the stand-in. The one whose name she doesn't even know. But tracking him down doesn't mean they're done faking a relationship. Gia owes him a favor and his sister intends to see that he collects: his ex-girlfriend's graduation party—three hours, zero commitment, a few white lies.

Just when Gia begins to wonder if she could turn her fake boyfriend into a real one, Bradley comes waltzing back into her life, exposing her lie, and threatening to destroy her friendships and her new-found relationship.

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To be honest, I wasn't expecting a lot from this book based on the premise. It didn't really sound like a book I would fall head over heels in love with. 

But I did.

The Fill-In Boyfriend was such a cute, quick love story about two opposites who spontaneously come together after Gia gets dumped in the parking lot on her way to her senior prom. Gia and her group of friends are the text-book popular kids you hated in high school. They were bitches, snobby and clueless to the world around them, if they weren't the center of it.  Gia had amazing character development through out the book. She started off as extremely self-absorbed and immature, but after problems she faced, she realized she  wanted to make her life better and realize who she truly was as a person away from her sour group of friends. I really enjoyed how Gia ended up content with herself and genuinely happy. 

Hayden and Bec were my favorite part of the book. Their sibling relationship was amazing and refreshing on how real they were. They kind of reminded me of me and my brother's relationship, in a way. I loved Hayden's geeky, yet swoony side and Bec's stubborn, opinionated personality. They really made this story for me. 

Jules was my main issue with this book, though I know her character was necessary in order for Gia to evolve as a person. Gia only lied about Hayden because she was scared she was going to lose her friends if she showed up dateless, all because of  a rumor Jules spread around. Now I know that they really wouldn't be her true friends if they left because of that, but you also need to this situation through the eyes of a seventeen year old. People's opinions of you are all that matters. Jules was the bitchy "frenemy" who was trying to steal Gia's best friends away from. Sounds like a pretty dumb subject, but unfortunately that really is how some teenage girls act nowadays. They fight and lie to get what they want-- in this case, it's friends. I felt kind of bad for Claire and Laney at the end. If only Gia would have realized that they really were her "true" friends, and not let Jules' get her so caught up in the fact that they weren't. 

One of the subjects that West touched base on in her story is about how dependent people now are on technology. About how likes or views on Instagram or Twitter determines what kind of person you are: popular, important, loner. I know this is a subject that has been brought up a lot over the past few years, but I still feel like it's completely relevant. How many of you have almost wanted to quit your blog, Twitter or Instagram because it hasn't gotten as popular as you'd like in the time you wanted it to? I've honestly quit blogging and Twitter before a year ago, because I didn't feel like I was noticed or that my opinions didn't matter because no one ever responded to them. I know now, before reading this book, that that isn't what should matter when you're doing or talking about something that you enjoy. I think I'm going to do a discussion post on this later on to get more opinions and speak more in depth about that. Let me know your opinions on that.

The ONLY fault I have with this book is the ending. It was cute, yeah, but I didn't feel like I had enough closure with the characters. I wanted to see more of a make-up between Claire, Laney and Gia. Maybe even a small scene with Gia and Jules where they call a truce and try to be friends. And let's be honest, I just want more Hayden. Can I get a story that's just all him? Or a real life one Hayden? That'll suffice. 

I really, really enjoyed this book. It made West an auto-buy author for me when it comes to cute contemporaries. I highly recommend if you have an afternoon to fly through a book and just be happy. I read this one sitting and it took me about 4 hours in total to read -- super quick. 

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5/5 of stars. 

Top 10 Spring TBR

I don't know about ya'll, but I have this horrible tendency to buy books based on the covers. I'm pretty sure that half of my TBR on my bookshelves are strictly cover buys. So, this spring, I'm going to challenge myself and choose at least 10 books to read that I've bought just because I love the covers. Let's do this.

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Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

I actually picked this book up around this time last year and got maybe 50 pages into it. I got distracted by other books and put it down and haven't picked it up since. I do remember enjoying what I read so far. 

The Time Between by Karen White

I just love this cover. It's simple, yet peaceful and beautiful.

Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews

I mean, spring is in the title of this book. I have to.

Sweet Salt Air by Barbara Delinsky

The colors are just gorgeous on here, gah. 

Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

Again, simple, yet pretty. 

Family Pictures by Jane Green

I honestly don't know what drew me in on this book, but it sounds interesting at least.

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

I've come to the conclusion that all of Daisy Goodwin's books are auto cover buys from me. I just recently picked up The Fortune Hunter from her last week. Hopefully this will make up for my Downton Abbey withdrawals!

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson

This book looked like it'll be a cute, fluffy one set in South. We'll see if I'm right.

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon

Okay. Now tell me that this cover ain't gorgeous.

Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

I'm going to be completely honest and say I only bought this because it's written by Lorelai Gilmore. 'nuff said. 

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Now that I'm sure I've bored ya'll with a list of chick-lit, only set in Nantucket like books, leave me links below of your spring TBR list. I'd love to check them out!  Till next time.

<3

Standalones | Monthly Recommendations

This monthly tag was made by Trina @ Between Chapters and Kayla @ Kayla Rayne on YouTube. 

While browsing through my GoodReads shelf, I've realized that I tend to gravitate more towards standalone novels. I just really love getting invested into one book and knowing exactly what is going to happen at the end, rather than having to spend time reading multiple books and not really getting anywhere. Don't get me wrong -- I love my series and trilogies. Standalones are just perfect for when you're in a slump or just want to get in a quick, fun read. 

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The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

I just recently read this book at the beginning of this month and I fell in so much love. This is a book that I've heard so much hype about for years and so happy that the hype held up. It's a beautiful story about love and loss, family and friends, and books. Another great standalone by this author is Elsewhere. Zevin's writing is just stunning. 

Recommend for: If you just want to read a beautiful story with even more beautiful writing.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

It's very rare to find standalone fantasy novels where you feel satisfied as a reader at the end of the novel. This is another great example of beautiful storytelling and world building. I fell in love with Black as an author with this book and I can't wait to pick up more novels from her. 

Recommend for: If you're in the mood for fantasy but don't want to take the time to get into a series.

How We Deal With Gravity by Ginger Scott

This book had me ugly crying hard, laughing my ass off, and worried out of my mind. If you're to add any of these books to your TBR, please at least include this one. You won't regret it. Recommend for: If you want a love story about high school sweethearts, but with serious content. 

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

This book doesn't nearly get as much hype as it deserves. I'd describe this as Mean Girls meets If I Stay type of book. It really makes you think about your life choices and how you treat people in every day life.

Recommend for: If you want to watch someone become a better person.

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

Audrey turns into a celebrity overnight when her ex-boyfriend's song about their break up becomes a hit. Recommend for: If you want to laugh your ass off and have a fun time. 

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There you go! I only stuck with 5 because I wanted to give some love to books that I don't see around blogs or BookTube very often that definitely needs to be more well known! Let me know if you've read any of these books before or if you're picking it up based on my opinions! Till next time.

<3

Turning Tables by Heather & Rose MacDowell | Book Review

Turning Tables by Heather & Rose MacDowell
Published on March 25, 2008
Genre: Chick Lit, Adult Fiction, Romance
Pages: 336

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Downsized from her boutique firm, Erin panics as she watches her career ambitions plunge into free fall. Why else would the savvy twenty-eight-year-old take a job as…a waitress? A favorable word from a family friend gets Erin in the door at Roulette, Madison Avenue’s newest exclusive haunt and home to a celebrity chef with a talent for cutting-edge cuisine and spotting the weakest link.

Life behind the apron is even worse than she imagined–from mangling orders to overimbibing at a wine seminar, Erin finds herself in hot water with the egomaniacal chef and the owner’s outrageous wife. And then there’s the dismissive, surly clientele, all but Daniel Fratelli, a flirtatious TV news producer. Is Daniel really as down-to-earth as he seems? Or will he eventually succumb to one of the many glamorous uptown girls in his own social circle?

Determined to prove that she won’t crack under pressure, Erin begins to master the art of waitressing–becoming part shrink, part slave, and part foie gras hustler. But her continuing series of disastrous missteps quickly sends her right back to the bottom of the food chain. Forced to prove her commitment by organizing the storage area and alphabetizing produce after hours, Erin wonders if she’ll ever make it back to the real world. But with a little help from her quirky best friend, she comes up with an idea that might take her life in a whole new direction–and that’s just the first course….

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Turning Tables is one of those books that I've had on my bookshelf for literally 5 years. It's one that I randomly found at the thrift store, saw it was about working in a restaurant, bought it and never picked it up again until a few days ago. I'm glad that I actually gave this book a chance because it was quite enjoyable. I've been working in the restaurant industry as a server for 8 years now and I can tell you that this book is spot on with it's accuracy of what it's like working at one. It's tedious, exhausting and overwhelming. You have to deal with psychotic managers, angry chefs and irritable and nasty customers on a regular basis, yet keep a smile and a positive attitude on constantly. 

 In this novel, we meet employees of a high end restaurant, Roulette, in Manhattan.  We follow our main character, Erin, through her journey of learning the ropes of serving, but also trying to get her life back together after losing her job at a big firm and the possibility of falling in love. 

Though the dialogue was a little dry, I enjoyed just being in the environment of the high-end restaurant world. We were introduced to a variety of different characters, being employees, managers, family members and customers. My favorite character was definitely Cato, who worked and trained Erin at Cato. He absolutely made this book for me with his charm and humor. The head chef of Roulette, Carl Corbett, was without a doubt my least favorite character, but he was written to be that way. He has little redeeming qualities towards the end of the novel, but overall, he's just a nasty guy with a horrible, egotistical personality.

How the relationships were played out in the novel didn't work with me at all. I didn't feel any connection towards Daniel, and even less so with Phil. I didn't mind them as characters, though Phil was kind of a dick, but I didn't like them as love interests. That part of the story line was a dud for me, which is okay. 

 I really enjoyed the accuracy and the atmosphere surrounding the novel. Erin was a decent main character to follow, and enjoyable side characters as well. It was a very fast paced book with constantly different scenarios going on. If you're looking for a nice romance instead, I wouldn't recommend this. However, I would definitely recommend this book for someone who has worked or is working in the service industry. Or honestly, just someone who enjoys reading about someone who is trying to build their life back up again.

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3/5 stars

Landline by Rainbow Rowell | Book Review

Landline by Rainbow Rowell
Published on July 8, 2014
Genre: Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 310

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Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble; it has been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn't expect him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts...

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

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Landline was the second book by Rowell that I've read (Fangirl being the first), and while I've enjoyed them, they haven't completely blown me away. What I love about Rowell is she definitely knows how to write her characters and make them enjoyable. None of the "I'm thin, blonde and tall so I'm lanky, mousy and an Amazon" bull shit that you see in most novels. Everyone was flawed, but perfectly so. Georgie aggravated the crap out of me most of the book, yet I still hung on because I was so attached to her and Neal's story. 

I think I might be in the minority here by saying I freaking LOVED Neal. He's so faithful and loving to Georgie and their girls, Alice and Noomi. I even loved when we met younger, smart ass, loner Neal. Their romance was just so imperfectly perfect and it just made me so happy when I would read about it. 

Seth, though..... egotistical douche bag. Do I need to say more? He was only good for a couple of laughs, but other than that. Eh. 

I feel like one of the main reasons why I didn't completely fall in love with this book was because the story line just got really repetitive. Georgie would go through the same motions day after day, not trying to do anything to fix them, knowing that what she's doing is wrong. I guess that can play into the fact that she is flawed, however reading almost the same scenes over and over got a little boring for me. I just wish something happened more in the middle of the book rather the same wake up-go to work-wait by the phone-don't shower or eat all day-repeat. I understand that she's upset and maybe even slightly depressed with what's currently going on in her life, but there could have been just a LITTLE more umph in there for me to keep me interested in the story as a whole. 

Over all, I did enjoy the book and I'll absolutely be picking up more of Rowell's novels in the future. Landline just fell slightly flat for me. The end felt a bit anti-climatic for me.

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3/5 stars. 

Stacking The Shelves | #2

Hope everyone is having a great Saturday! I accumulated far too many books this week, but I'm extremely excited for them all! 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga @ Tynga Reviews. All you do is just share the book you've recently got this week whether it be physical, borrowed, e-book, etc. 

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PHYSICAL

I got all of these at thrift stores for less than $20. I'm pretty stoked!

 

*These last two I'm a little ashamed of getting because I haven't read the first book in the series yet. I own Cuckoo's Calling but I don't own a Discovery of Witches. I really want to get into the series though and for only $1.50 each for hardcover, how could I really have passed that up?!

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E-BOOK

I found all of these on Book Bub for either free or .99 each. I just realized The Sweetest Thing is book two in a series but it seems to be a companion series so it should be ok. I'm most excited Until We Meet Again!

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REVIEW  

I was lucky enough to get this copy for review from NetGalley. It seems like a super cute read!

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So with a total of 15 books acquired over the course of a week, I think it's safe to say I need to hold off on the book buying for a bit. But we all know that it ain't gonna stay that way. 

Leave me a comment below on what books you got over this past week! Also let me know if you've read any of the books I got and let me know how you liked them. :) Till next time.

<3

The Coffee Book Tag

I was tagged by the lovely Larkin @ Wonderfilled Reads. Go check her out! She has some amazing books on her list. :) <3 

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Black: A series that's rough to get into but has hardcore fans.

Man, this book. I was complaining the entire time I was reading it, yet I still bought the rest of the books in the series. I feel like the reason I didn't like it was because it felt too much like Twilight but with aliens. I hate Twilight. Still going to try and give it a go. Just going to go in with a lot more open mind!

Peppermint Mocha: A book that gets more popular during the winter or festive time of year.

I was going to go with the obvious choice -- Harry Potter. However, I decided that I would go for a book that I reach for more during winter rather than it gets more popular. I absolutely adore this book. It gives me all of the feels that I need. If you haven't read Little Women yet, I highly recommend that you do so.

Hot Chocolate: A favorite children's book.

Although Harry Potter did have a huge influence on my reading as a kid, this book series is what I have to think for even getting me interested in it. I remember being little and wanting to start my own babysitters club and setting up a small "office" and all of that. I worshiped them it seems like. Who was ya'lls favorite BSC member? I loved Kristy and Mary-Anne. 

Double Shot Espresso: A book that kept you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

This book had me going "What the hell?!" at least 5 times. I went into this completely blind. I am SO glad I did because it would've spoiled me for one of my biggest WTF moments in the book. Currently reading the second book Prodigy slowly but surely. It's still just so good. 

Starbucks: A book you see everywhere.

The Hipster Coffee Shop: A book by an indie author.

THIS BOOK GUYS. Oh, the feels. Ginger Scott just has this way of ripping your heart to pieces. This is a book a single mom of an autistic child who's former love comes back in her life. I demand you to go on Amazon and read it immediately. 

Oops! I Accidentally Got Decaf: A book you were expecting more from.

I went into this with extremely high hopes and unfortunately got let down. I didn't hate it, so I will continue on with the trilogy. I was just expecting a bit more BANG instead of meh. 

The Perfect Blend: A book or series that was both bitter and sweet, but ultimately satisfying.

I completely ate this book up. I was able to relate to Amy in the loss of her father. I lost my mine when I was around her age in the book, so I had so many feels for this. Though it made me sad and a few tears were shed, it also made me want to get out there and travel. This book is so well written and it immediately made me want to get more Morgan Matson books to dive into. 

Green Tea: A book or series that is quietly beautiful.

I just recently read this book after years of wanting to. I am so pleased to say that this did not let me down in any ways. It was so beautiful, real and thoughtful. I feel like any Gabrielle Zevin could go for this category, to be honest. 

Chai Tea: A book or series that makes you dream of far off places.

Or dream of Carswell Thorne, am I right? If you've read Cinder and are hesitant to continue on with the series, please just do yourself a favor and keep going. I completely loved Cress and I'm so pumped to read Winter. 

Earl Grey: A favorite classic. 

This here is one of my absolute favorite books of all time. It really makes you think, while also being based around love, compassion, family, and equality. Just because someone may seem different, doesn't mean they're not worthy or special. There are so many amazing Boo Radley's in this world. They just need a chance.

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Leave me a comment down below if I've mentioned any of your favorite books! Till next time.

Also, I don't know very many bloggers so I tag everyone who's reading this to do it if you'd like! Make sure to send me a link to your post so I can check it out. 

<3