ireadya – Page 20 – Sincerely Karen Jo

The Big F

Maggie Ann Martin

5 ★ – Fabulous and Fun

Published by Swoon Reads August 29, 2017

Genre(s): Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Pages: Paperback 304

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Danielle effed up. Big time.

Danielle’s plans for the future were pretty easy to figure out… until she failed senior English and her single college application was denied. Suddenly she’s in hot water with very few options, because honestly who applies to a safety school when their mom is a semi-famous “college psychic”?!

Determined to get her life back on track, Danielle enrolls in her hometown community college with a plan: pass her English class and get back into Ohio State and her mother’s good graces. Romance isn’t on her radar… until she reconnects with her childhood crush and golden-boy-next-door, Luke.

Between family drama, first love and finding her own way, Danielle can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed. Thankfully she has her friendship with the snarky and frustratingly attractive Porter, her coworker at the campus bookstore, to push her to experience new things and help keep her afloat.

One thing’s for sure: This time, failure’s not an option.

OHMAHGOSH this book… I breezed through this one in less than 24 hours and absolutely loved every moment. The Big F by Maggie Ann Martin is such a heartwarming story about self-discovery, family, friendship, and love. It’s completely adorable, sweet, and just the perfect summer read that will leave a smile on your face.

The romance in this book so stinkin’ cute and I could not get enough. There’s plenty of sweet moments, spine tingling kisses, and boy drama to last your for days. Also, there’s a love triangle… and for the most part I really don’t like them. BUT this one just worked and it was absolutely swoony and perfect in every way. Not to mention there were definitely A LOT OF FEELS with both of the guys. Luke and Porter are such great love interests. They both played a specific role in Danielle’s life that affected her in different ways but no less important than the other. I’m obviously not going to spoil anything more, but I walked away feeling satisfied with how both relationships played out.

The characters are complex and flawed, but fabulous in their own ways. I could totally see myself hanging out with them and sharing a pizza or two.

• Danielle messed up big time, but she eventually owns up to it and makes a plan. I love that she takes responsibility and doesn’t ask anyone for help even if she could. She still makes mistakes here and there – she is human after all. But she is trying to learn, to grow, and to figure out what she really wants.

• Zoe is just the BEST best friend anyone can have and I completely adore her. She’s always there to tell you how it is and still be supportive as ever. Seriously, everyone needs a Zoe.

• Luke is the handsome boy next door and childhood crush you dream about being your boyfriend. He’s athletic, outgoing, and fun, but you realize he isn’t as perfect as you imagine him to be and that’s okay.

• And then there’s Porter… He’s kind of a mystery, so you’re immediately drawn to him. He pushes your buttons quite a bit, but then he’s also really nice, super sweet, funny and so charming that you can’t help but fall head over heels for him.

There are so many things I love about this book – terrific writing, realistic characters, great family dynamics, awesome friendships, and sweet romance. But what I love most is the coming of age aspect and the many life lessons Martin weaves throughout the story. Failure doesn’t mean the end of everything. Life may not always go according to plan, but that’s okay. You can always create new goals, new plans, and new paths.

If you’re looking for a light, funny, and endearing YA contemporary, then I highly recommend you pick this up!

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

Follow and Connect with Maggie Ann Martin: Website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook

Thanks for reading!

Sincerely Karen Jo

Starswept

5 ★ – Beautiful and Unforgettable

Published by Snowy Wings Publishing August 29, 2017

Genre(s): Young Adult, Romance, Sci-Fi

Pages: Hardcover 376

Some melodies reach across the stars.

In 2157, the Adryil—an advanced race of telepathic humanoids—contacted Earth. A century later, 15-year-old violist Iris Lei considers herself lucky to attend Papilio, a prestigious performing arts school powered by their technology. Born penniless, Iris’s one shot at a better life is to attract an Adryil patron. But only the best get hired, and competition is fierce.

A sudden encounter with an Adryil boy upends her world. Iris longs to learn about him and his faraway realm, but after the authorities arrest him for trespassing, the only evidence she has of his existence is the mysterious alien device he slipped to her.

When she starts hearing his voice in her head, she wonders if her world of backstabbing artists and pressure for perfection is driving her insane. Then, she discovers that her visions of him are real—by way of telepathy—and soon finds herself lost in the kind of impossible love she depicts in her music.

But even as their bond deepens, Iris realizes that he’s hiding something from her—and it’s dangerous. Her quest for answers leads her past her sheltered world to a strange planet lightyears away, where she uncovers secrets about Earth’s alien allies that shatter everything she knows.

Starswept is absolutely beautiful through and through. I mean the book itself is ridiculously gorgeous! The cover, the design, and the interior chapter spreads… I seriously don’t think I’ve ever seen such a pretty book. And you know the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” well you can just throw that out the window right now because Starswept is stunning and undeniably mesmerizing.

Look at that chapter spread!!! Gorgeous right?!?!

I’m a bit of a sci-fi nerd and have always been fascinated with the concept of aliens. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I read the synopsis for this book, but I was very much intrigued. The first few chapters were a little slow for me, but definitely not boring. To be honest, I actually didn’t mind it all that much because Mary Fan’s writing is astounding and once the story picked up pace, I was a goner.

The world building is just fabulous – a bit complex, terrifying at times, colorful in every way, and definitely creative. I enjoyed the plot and loved how dark it got towards the end. There’s plenty of drama, conflict, action, mystery, and some really awesome twists that gave me the chills. There was something unearthly and somewhat disturbing about the story, but I was so enthralled with everything that I didn’t want to stop reading.

I love Iris so much. She’s curious, sincere, genuine, and passionate. She truly loves playing her viola and I admired her determination. No matter how fierce and competitive it was at Papilio, she never took the easy way out. Dámiul is so mysterious and I was as fascinated with him as Iris was. I enjoyed figuring him out and by the end, he more than won me over. Not only is he dreamy and charming, but he has such a big heart.

I absolutely adored Iris and Dámiul together. Their romance was slow and steady, but incredibly swoony. I definitely got that star-crossed lovers vibe so that made their love story more interesting. It was so endearing to watch their relationship progress to something more.

While I may have fallen in love with this book before I even started reading it, Mary Fan’s elegant, captivating and fantastic writing completely swept me off my feet and stole such a big piece of my heart. Starswept is ethereal, enigmatic, thrilling and such a wonderful story. If you love YA, and romance, and sci-fi, and beautiful writing, then I highly recommend you grab yourself a copy.