Review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Title: Saving June

Author: Hannah Harrington

Series: n/a

Publication Date: 1st May 2011

My Synopsis:

When Harper’s sister, June, commits suicide, no one can understand why, least of all Harper. When her divorced parents decide to split the ashes, Harper decides to take them to California, the one place June wanted to go after graduation. Before she can work out a way to get there she meets Jake. He won’t tell her how he knew June, but insists on coming along, Harper realises she won’t get anywhere without him and reluctantly lets him come.

Why I picked this book up:

I had read so many raving reviews I decided to give it a try.

Did it live up to my expectations?

Yes.

What I thought:

I really enjoyed this book, the characters felt so real, and although I have never been through what Harper had, I could sympathise and understood why she felt how she did.

The romance part was exactly the way I like it, a nice slow build, it really felt as though they got to know each other and feel in love naturally. I felt so many emotions during this book that it left me a little exhausted! The writing is brilliant, and all the dialogue felt so real. Everything about this book felt real.

Overall I loved this book and would recommend it to others.

My favourite quote/s from the book:

“He took his pain and turned it into something beautiful. Into something that people connect to. And that's what good music does. It speaks to you. It changes you.”

Read if:

You like contemporary YA, you read and enjoyed Crash into Me by Albert Borris

Up next for review:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Review: Interrupted by Rachel Coker

Title: Interrupted: Life Beyond Words

Author: Rachel Coker

Series: n/a

Publication Date: 1st March 2012

My Synopsis:  

Allie’s lived with her Mum in almost seclusion until one day her mother dies and she is sent away to live with a stranger. Years later Sam Carroll her childhood friend shows up in her town, she blames him for her mother’s death and hasn’t seen him since, can she get over it and learn to love him?

Why I picked this book up: 

I saw it on Netgalley and the synopsis appealed to me.

Did it live up to my expectations? 

I didn’t really have any expectations of this book, it was better than I thought it would be though.

What I thought: 

I don’t normally read historical romance books as I find the time difference to me distracting, but with this book I didn’t really notice it was set in another time, especially in the beginning. Allie annoyed me as a person, it was as though she never grew up and refused to change, I loved Sam though. The romance part was quite good and kept me reading, but at times I found it hard to keep up with the time changes, especially when her mother was dying. I also felt like I had missed out, reading about her as a child, then suddenly she was a woman, and again when Sam went to war, I thought those parts would have made interesting reading.

Overall I enjoyed it, but didn’t love it and wouldn’t read it again.

My favourite quote/s from the book: 

“I did, and the first thing I saw was heaven, the way it was meant to look from earth. Millions of dazzling stars were strung across the sky above us. Tinkling and dancing and singing.”

Read if: 

You like romance books , especially ones set in wartime.

Up next for review: 

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Review: The Fifty Shades Trilogy by E L James

Title: The Fifty Shades Trilogy

Author: E L James

Series: #1, #2, #3 Fifty Shades

Publication Date: 2011







Warning: I only recommend this book for readers age 18 and over.

My Synopsis: 

Ana meets Mr Grey and instantly is attracted to him, but can she keep up with him in the bedroom?

Why I picked this book up:

It didn’t interest me at first, but there was so much talk about it, I had to read it just to keep up with conversations.

Did it live up to my expectations?

I didn’t have high expectations to start with, although did have some expectations about how bad it was, so yes it lived up to them in some ways, not in others.

 

What I thought:

Well my first impression was how badly it was written, then how unrealisitic the characters were, but something kept me reading the first book, I couldn’t stop reading, but couldn’t say why either. The second book also seemed ok, but by the third I was struggling to finish and really didn’t want to keep picking it up. I found the emails quite funny and enjoyed that aspect of it, maybe more of these should be included.  I was expecting the sex scenes to be full of acts and objects that I hadn’t heard of (or least used in sex) but this also wasn’t as bad as I expected.

I reviewed the trilogy as a whole because I couldn’t think of different things to say for each book, they were all quite similar.

Overall I feel the trilogy wasn’t worth reading and I wouldn’t have picked it up if it wasn’t for all the talk about it.

My favourite quote/s from the book: 

“Don’t get your panties in such a twist… and give me back mine.”

If this book were a song it would be:

A cheesy pop song that annoys you when you hear it, but you find yourself singing along until it is stuck in your head all day.

If this book were a food it would be:

Fast food, you know it’s no good for you and most of the time disappoints in taste, but you can’t help yourself having one every now and then anyway.

How it stood as part of a series:

This would have been better condensed as one book with alot of rubbish taken out.

Read if: 

You don’t care how badly books are written.

Up next for review: 

Interrupted: Life Beyond Words by Rachel Coker