ARC Review – How to Hack a Heartbreak by Kristin Rockaway

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abouthebook2

Publication Date: July 30, 2019

Publisher: Graydon House

Genre(s): Women’s Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit

Format: Paperback, 352 pages

 purchaselinks

AMAZONBARNES AND NOBLEGOOGLE PLAY – BOOK DEPOSITORY 

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Swipe right for love. Swipe left for disaster.

By day, Mel Strickland is an underemployed helpdesk tech at a startup incubator, Hatch, where she helps entitled brogrammers—”Hatchlings”—who can’t even fix their own laptops, but are apparently the next wave of startup geniuses. And by night, she goes on bad dates with misbehaving dudes she’s matched with on the ubiquitous dating app, Fluttr.

But after one dick pic too many, Mel has had it. Using her brilliant coding skills, she designs an app of her own, one that allows users to log harrassers and abusers in online dating space. It’s called JerkAlert, and it goes viral overnight.

Mel is suddenly in way over her head. Worse still, her almost-boyfriend, the dreamy Alex Hernandez—the only non-douchey guy at Hatch—has no idea she’s the brains behind the app. Soon, Mel is faced with a terrible choice: one that could destroy her career, love life, and friendships, or change her life forever.

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mythoughts

Entertaining, Hilarious, and Wonderfully Empowering

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How to Hack a Heartbreak by Kristin Rockaway is an entertaining, hilarious, and charming rom-com that had me relentlessly flipping through the pages. It’s not only delightful and fun, but also wonderfully empowering. Such an amazing book and I honestly can’t rave about it enough.

With Rockaway’s meaningful and addictive writing style, I found myself utterly captivated with this story. I love that I could feel what the characters feel and sympathize with them. Whether it’s from their awkward dates, misunderstandings, heartbreaks, work troubles, or personal shortcomings, I could relate and feel their emotions. I really love that about this book. The plot is fast-paced and engrossing with the perfect blend of drama, angst, wit, conflict, and the amazing ups and painful downs of finding love in a digitally driven world. I adore the characters and wanted to be best friends with them. The romance is not really the main focus, but I still enjoyed it. The last few chapters are definitely my favorite and had me tearing up a few times. There’s also a few scenes that had me cheering, smiling, and just overwhelmed with positivity. I really enjoyed this novel and the ending is fantastic – it’s hopeful, profound, and touching.

I love Melanie and her girlfriends. They’re quirky, determined, talented, witty, loving, and incredibly supportive. They’re such strong and independent women and I think they’re all just so inspiring and admirable. Their friendship is endearing and one of the things I adore about this book. I really enjoyed seeing them have fun, take chances, find love, and most importantly empower each other.

I like the romance aspect of the story. It doesn’t sizzle off the page, but the chemistry between Mel and Alex feels realistic and relatable. I definitely rooted for them early on and even if there aren’t too many swoony moments between them, I think they’re just so cute and great together.

Riveting and heartfelt, How to Hack a Heartbreak is fun and addictive and one of my favorite reads this summer. The writing is superb, the characters are lovable and fierce, and the plot is humorous, bold, and inspiring. Kristin Rockaway absolutely captured my heart with this amazing story about strong female friendship, empowerment, love, and the importance of in person connections and relationships. This truly has been a joy to read and I think you should definitely add this gem on your TBR.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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(Mini bio and photo taken from author’s website)

kristinrockaway

Kristin Rockaway is a native New Yorker and recovering corporate software engineer. After working in the IT industry for far too many years, she finally traded the city for the surf and chased her dreams out to Southern California, where she spends her days happily writing stories instead of code. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, browsing the aisles of her neighborhood bookstores, and planning her next big vacation.

Her second novel, How to Hack a Heartbreak, will be released from Graydon House/HarperCollins on July 30, 2019. Her debut, The Wild Woman’s Guide to Traveling the World, is in stores now.

authorlinks

WEBSITEGOODREADS –  TWITTER – INSTAGRAMAMAZONBOOKBUB

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Hope you enjoyed reading my review and get to meet Melanie and her sassy girlfriends. I really enjoyed this story and cannot wait to read more from Kristin Rockaway.

Have you read this book? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

sincerelykjologo

ARC Review – Hearts Made for Breaking By Jen Klein

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Happy Monday Lovelies! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and read some fun books. Today, I’ll be sharing my review for this sweet, heartfelt and fun teen romance and some of my favorite quotes from the book. I really enjoyed reading Hearts Made for Breaking and cannot wait for you to meet Lark and Ardy and all their adorkable chemistry when this book releases tomorrow. divider3

heartsmadeforbreaking

aboutbook

Expected Publication: April 30, 2019

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages

 purchaselinks

AMAZONBARNES AND NOBLEGOOGLE PLAY – BOOK DEPOSITORY 

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From the author of SHUFFLE, REPEAT and SUMMER UNSCRIPTED comes a new novel about mysterious boys, first-time love, heartbreak, and the incredible bonds of friendship.

17-year old Lark knows how to survive high school dating: date boys briefly, let them down gently, remain friends, and move on. Her best friends, Copper and Katie, think that Lark is denying herself the opportunity for true love because she does not want to be hurt. They challenge her to break her pattern by staying in a relationship long enough for Lark — or the boy — to fall in love. Intrigued by the challenge, Lark sets her sights on the mysterious new boy, Ardy, who has been labeled “undateable” by the other girls in school. Lark is curious about, and then completely intrigued by, the enigmatic Ardy — so much so that she finds herself falling for him, only to risk having her own heart completely broken.

Jen Klein has once again crafted a funny, contemporary story sure to resonate with teen readers.

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A Delightfully Cute, Wonderfully Entertaining and Heartwarming Story

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This book is a YA contemporary gem! It was utterly charming and so ridiculously adorable. I was completely enamored with how cute and fluffy and wonderfully entertaining it was and cannot stop thinking about that swoony ending that left me smiling and wanting more.

I read Shuffle, Repeat a few years ago and absolutely enjoyed the chemistry between Oliver and June. I smiled, laughed, and even teared up a bit in the end. I knew then that Jen Klein would be one of my go to YA contemporary authors when I want something lighthearted, fun, and cute. I haven’t gotten the chance to read Summer Unscripted since I’ve been playing catch up with my TBR, but when I saw this book and the cover on Netgalley, I just couldn’t resist. My feedback ratio is still around the 50ish percent, so I didn’t really set my hopes up too high. BUT, to my surprise, I actually got it! I squealed (internally of course since I was at work when I was checking my inbox) and was super excited when I received the approval email. I had to get through a few more books for reviews, but when I finally started reading Hearts Made for Breaking, I was completely smitten!

This book had everything… and I mean EVERYTHING I love in YA romances. It was interesting, nostalgic, heartfelt, funny, swoony, and realistic. There were a few cheesy moments that may make other readers cringe, but to me, they were actually kind of fun. If I’m being totally honest, sometimes cheesy works and I’m a hopeless romantic, so I like them more than I don’t. I thought the pacing was good and if I didn’t have work or adulting to do, I easily could have finished this in one sitting. The romance was one of the cutest I’ve ever read. I liked the twist with the prom, the tag scene, the texts between Lark and Ardy, the meet-cute in Ikea, and all the other adorable and amusing moments in the story. The ending may have seemed a tad bit rushed, but it was absolutely gooey, sweet, and adorkable. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was really looking forward to an epilogue (because I wanted more Lark and Ardy moments), but I was quite happy with the conclusion.

I loved that both Lark and Ardy were perfectly weird, relatable, and likeable characters. I liked that there was something offbeat about them which I thought made them even more interesting and lovable. I also liked their easy-going chemistry and just how effortless and real it felt. Sure, they were a bit awkward at times, but the fact that both of them seemed to be acting that way together was super adorable. Nothing felt forced between them and I liked the way their relationship developed. They had so many cute and deliciously swoony moments that made my heart melt over and over. Of course they also had their own drama, tension, doubts and heartbreak, but they’re all part of what made their relationship so realistic for me. I totally shipped them so hard and to me, they were really great together.

I have to talk a bit ARDY because I absolutely loved him with all my heart and soul. I never understood why he was being labeled “undateable” or why him being a little different or weird makes him that. He was irresistibly sweet, caring, kind, loving, honest and just a really good person. I loved how he introduced himself to Lark’s mother and what he said to her. I loved that he respected boundaries and never pushed. He was a true gentleman and I adored him so much.

The other characters were interesting and entertaining enough. I wasn’t too fond of Katie or Cooper in the beginning, but I definitely liked Cooper more. I did really like Hope and thought she was sweet and such a great friend to Ardy. All in all, none of the side characters really stood out for me, but they made the story a bit more fun with their personalities, quirks, and drama.

Hearts Made for Breaking was just too charming and adorable! I swooned more than I expected and smiled like a dork who’s falling in love for the first time. With lovable characters, an addictively engaging storyline, and meaningful coming of age lessons, this book was a truly delightful, fun, and heartwarming story. I can’t wait to read Summer Unscripted and whatever else Jen Klein comes out with next.

If you love reading sweet, swoony, and lighthearted teen romance stories, then this book might just be perfect for you.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts, opinions and swoons are my own.

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favoritequotes

(These were taken from the ARC. Final publication may be different. Please don’t read if you don’t want spoilers).

 

“You’re shivering,” he says, and I don’t correct him, although it’s not the cold anymore but him that’s the cause. It’s less a shiver than an ongoing tremble, an electric current just below the surface of my skin. Vibrating everywhere, everything. Like I’m more alive than I ever have been, like I’m powered by his nearness.

The thing about falling in love is that, no matter how you rail against it, a fall is involved. And you can’t control the world around you when you’re in free fall. You have to let the wind and the sky and the air take you where you’re going to go.

And then Ardy’s mouth is on mine. It’s warm and delicious and perfect. It’s better than every other kiss that’s ever happened, because this time nothing is blurry. Everything is crystal clear. Finally.

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(Mini bio and photo taken from author’s website)

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Hi! I’m Jen Klein. I write YA romance, both contemporary and paranormal. I’m also an Emmy-nominated TV writer who worked on Grey’s Anatomy and Star, and am now a writer and producer on The Resident.  I live in the City of Angels with my husband, two sons, and several animals, all of whom are unruly and ill-behaved.

Originally from North Carolina, I eventually ended up in L.A. where I live-tweeted celebrity events (for money) and wrote all kinds of craziness, including: logic puzzles, a movie for Lifetime, oodles of great cartoons and things you may or may not have seen on television. Then I simultaneously landed my dream job and returned to my first love: writing novels. And here we are. 

authorlinks

WEBSITEGOODREADS –  TWITTER – FACEBOOK – INSTAGRAM

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Hope you enjoyed reading my review. Don’t forget to grab your copy tomorrow!

Have you read this book? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.

sincerelykjologo