Book Review - The Map That Leads to You

The Map That Leads to You by J.P. Monninger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"A romantic, vivid novel that takes place in the tender time of a young woman’s life: Heather has graduated from college and is traveling around Europe with her two best friends. She’s left school responsibility behind and adult responsibility is looming, but this is her one, ONE last summer to be free. Heather doesn’t expect to even meet Jack, let alone fall in love with him. Jack is an enigmatic Vermonter a few years older than she is, who is following his grandfather’s journal to various cities around Europe. But in the same way that forces are bringing Jack and Heather together, life and duty are pushing them apart. And Jack has a secret that is going to change absolutely everything."

I am willing to admit that I am a sucker for a good love story and though there were moments where I wasn't sure how I initially felt about the relationship between Heather and Jack, my heart was rallying for them in a big way.

Heather and Jack are such like-able characters. They have wit, charm, and a fabulous sense of humor. The dialogue/banter between them is enjoyable to witness and though it moved quickly, their love was beautiful to watch take shape. Of course, with every great love story, there is always something else lurking in the shadows. Jack's secret is that something else.

In addition to the sweetness of the Heather and Jack romance, you have the friendships that Heather has with Amy and Constance. How she speaks of her friends gives you everything you need to see how pure Heather's heart is and how much you want her to find her happy ending - whatever that may need to be.

Aside from the obvious love story, I also wanted to point out how beautifully the writer takes you through each city in this romantic European adventure. You are absolutely there with the characters, experiencing the culture in a new way.

This story flows naturally and does not disappoint. If you are a fan of NA/chicklit, I highly recommend this read.

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review - It Had To Be You

It Had To Be You by Melissa Kate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It Had To Be You is an honest to goodness treat. Who doesn't love a steamy (not lewd) romance between the sexy tough guy/playboy and the beautiful town sweetheart? Once, childhood best friends until Oliver suddenly turned his back on Emma, the tale of Oliver and Emma is sweet, sultry, and every bit humorous!

To be honest, I ate this book up in just a day! It's an easy read and I really just needed to see where Oliver and Emma's journey ended.

Thank you Netgalley and Fire Quill Publishing for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review! This is the first book I've read from Melissa Kate and I was not disappointed!

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Book Review - Girl 99

Girl 99 by Andy Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was my first introduction to Andy Jones' work and I was not disappointed. Easily one of the best books I have read in a long time, I absolutely LOVED Girl 99!

To be perfectly honest, I nearly passed on this book. However, I was fortunate enough to win a copy from a Goodreads giveaway, and thought I might as well give it a go since I had it. Lucky, lucky me!!

If you like romcom/chicklit type books, I'd highly recommend this gem.

Written by a man and told from a man's POV, Girl 99 is easy to devour. The characters are brilliant, flawed and spectacularly (sometimes painfully) real. The situations grab you and keep you engaged. During my reading this book, I went through so many emotions. I cringed, I cursed, I felt sad, I laughed and I even applauded. And despite his many mistakes, I felt completely vested in the happiness of our main character,Tom. He's human and easy to love.

I am really looking forward to exploring more books by Andy Jones!

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Book Review - Love Like Crazy

Love Like Crazy by Megan Squires
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I really did. I gave it 4.5 stars and the only thing that kept me from giving it 5 stars is that the ending left me wanting to ask a zillion questions. It felt like there were too many huge revelations all at once and then it ended. That may sound silly but as I said before - I just wanted to ask questions. I wanted a little more closure. Just a bit more!

That said... this book was sweet, touching and far more moving than I thought it would be. I fell in love with Lincoln, Eppie and even Phil. I loved Lincoln and Eppie's pure hearts and I loved how they connected so naturally. They are perfection.

If you are looking for a book that will make your heart smile, this is for you. If you want to see what hope and love looks like, this is for you. If you want to fall in love with beautifully flawed characters, this is for you. This is so much more than a typical love story - this book has real depth.

Somebody, please... please make this into a movie. I want my non-reader friends to enjoy this lovely story!!

4.5*

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Book Review - A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My rating for this book is 4.5 stars

This is my first book by Joshilyn Jackson and to be honest, I had not really heard of her prior to grabbing this book. However, the title, cover, and brief overview of the book seemed interesting enough, so I thought I'd give it a go. I sure am glad that I did!

I can get distracted easy, so for a book to really capture me, it's got to be good. A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty not only captured my attention but left me thinking about the characters long after the story was over. When you reminisce about the characters, you know you have something special.

At first, I wasn't really too sure where the story was going but I have to say, I loved how it was written. The mystery of the baby bones in the backyard leaves you curious and sad all at once and the deeper I got in to the book and the search for the truth, the more I loved where it was going.

Written in three POVs, each of the three Slocumb ladies had their own style of telling their piece of the story and each was incredibly believable. Big, Liza, and Mosey are all special in their own right, even if you do not see the depth of each one straight away. I love that we get to see the strengths and vulnerabilities of each lady throughout the story.

I enjoyed this book greatly and I look forward to checking out more titles by Joshilyn Jackson.

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