Catching Jordan

Author: Miranda Kenneally
Pages: 281 
Publication Date: December 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis:
What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

Characters:
Jordan Woods: a seventeen-year-old high school senior. She is in the football team, as a quarterback and a captain.
Sam Henry: Jordan's best friend and teammate. He is the wide receiver in the football team.
Tyler Green: aka "Ty". He is a new student moving from Texas. He is also playing as a quarterback.
JJ: Jordan's friend and teammate.
Carter: Jordan's friend and teammate.
Mike Woods: Jordan's big brother who is also a football player, but in collegiate level.
Donovan Woods: Jordan's father, an NFL player. He disagrees with Jordan's choice to be a football player.
Mrs. Woods: Jordan's mother, who is very supportive to Jordan.
Jake Reynolds: Mike's best friend.
Vanessa: Ty's younger sister.
Kristen Markum: a cheerleader.
Carrie Myer: a cheerleader and Henry's ex.
Lacey: a cheerleader.
Marie: a cheerleader. She and Henry "date" each other.
Coach Miller: Jordan's coach.
Coach Thompson: the coach of Alabama team

Review:
This book is a must-read! I love this book so much and cannot wait to read another of Ms. Kenneally's work. This one of books is simply fantastic. It's clean, precise, funny, romantic, and straight-to-the-point. I strongly recommend this one to the bookish who are like me... hopeless romantic!

First thing that attracted me about this book is the cover. Duh... like always! I love browsing through books and select the ones that have the best covers of the bunch. This one won... hands down! Just one look at the cover and I was like, have to read it.

The inside of the book is not a disappointment either. Each page is just as good as the last one. I love how the author added in a lot of humor. The wording is easy to understand and straight forward, and that's the must important part of any books. Sometimes, I find myself having fun reading a book, but it is just too abstract, messy and too much detail, which is kinda like a turnoff to me.

Here comes spoiler! If you have not read the book yet, I recommend not to read what comes ahead.

Frankly speaking, I was secretly wishing for Jordan to fall for Henry since the beginning. Who doesn't want to fall in love with your best friend? Someone who knows you and loves you for your true self. When she thinks she loves Ty, I was a bit disappointed since I was looking forward to read about Jordan and Henry's road to romance. Hard to judge Jordan when Ty is hot like hell and Henry is not making any move, but pushing her to date Ty. It is a selfless love! And I'm completely falling in love with Henry for that. When Jordan realizes that the one Henry loves is her... I was like, told ya! It is just sweet, very sweet.

I wish there were many other books out there like this one.

Making You Mine

Author: Elizabeth Reyes
Format: Kindle
Publication Date: December, 2011
Series: The Moreno Brothers #5 
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis:
Always in control, the meticulous and professional Salvador Moreno is thrown for a loop when the newly hired bartender Grace Zendejas suddenly invades his family’s restaurant, and infuriatingly, his every thought. For the first time in his life, Sal is fumbling. But after recovering from a few blunders he discovers his feelings for Grace run much deeper.

Things begin to heat up between him and Grace, but then the ever-perfect Sal does something even his brothers never did—screws up royally. Now he’s scrambling to cover up a mistake he knows could cost him dearly. As his relationship with Grace grows even more serious, Sal's secret is a ticking bomb, threatening to destroy the one thing he now lives and breathes for—his relationship with the love of his life—Grace.

Review:
As much as I love this series, I have to say that I was very disappointed. The book itself is not bad, but not good either. It is too predictable since the theme of the book is too much alike the other previously published books under the same series. The story started by Sal meets Grace. They fall in love. Sal is jealous that Grace interacts with other guys. They break up because of Sal's crazy ex. They finally overcome the misunderstanding. The end. Sounds familiar? Well, yes! Angel's story and Alex's story, not to mention Romero's and Sofia's as well. Even there are some changes, but the structure is almost the same. Uncanny!

I do mean I did not enjoy reading this book. Unfortunately, the familiarity is too strong, which bores me and I did what I am ashamed of... wishing this book was shorter! At one point, I just gave the page a quick glance and skipped to another one.

There are going to be more books in this series, as the author assured us. Vinnie and Rose, probably the children of the Moreno. Just cross my fingers that the books do not follow the same structure. It is so unrealistic that everyone in the family is going to face the same destiny when it comes to romance.

Romero

Author: Elizabeth Reyes
Format: Kindle
Publication Date: October 24, 2011
Series: The Moreno Brothers #4
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis:
Prim and proper middle school teacher Isabel Montenegro always runs the opposite direction from men like Ramon Romero. A foul-mouthed, uneducated, loose cannon has no place in her careful plans. But instead of running away, Isabel is completely captivated. The intensity of his nature, while a bit daunting, mesmerizes her in ways she can’t begin to understand. She’s unwilling to walk away—even when her instincts are screaming at her to run.

Romero has no idea what he's getting himself into when he first kisses Isabel. Shocked at the passion she invokes in him, he believes he can keep his usual short fuse under wraps. Falling fast and hard for someone so flawlessly sweet only makes him more aware that he’s far from perfect. If she is ever witness to his biggest imperfection, he’s sure she’ll bail. But when her meddling sister does the worst thing imaginable—bring other men between him and his Izzy—that fuse is lit and all bets are off.

Can two people who are worlds apart teach each other how to love, or will the reality of their differences drive them apart?

Review:
I was so excited when I finally got my hand on this book since I am a huge fan of Elizabeth Reyes. This is the first book I finished this year, so I was so thrilled that I chose this one and it was not any close to disappointment.

Frankly speaking I was a bit let down due to that last two books in the series did not live up to my expectation. When I finished the first book in the series, I was blown away by how great it was. Therefore, I really had a high expectation for this author. The other two books, event though they were not great, were not so bad after all. However, I am glad that "Romero" made me fall back in love with this series.

Speaking about this book, I feel connected with the characters. Ms. Reyes really does know what she is doing. Every expression is so meaningful. The characters are well-thought out. I specifically hate Izzy's sister, Patricia, to the bone, and I normally feel so when the characters are well-written. The way the author wrote about Pat is so clearly that she seems so real.

Maybe I am a bit a sucker for romance, but I really, really enjoy reading Romero and Isabelle. They are so different, yet so similar at the same time. How is that possible? :) But Ms. Reyes made it happen. Romero is, for one, not so romantic, but he is honest and loves Izzy for real. That what matters in relationship.

There are so points that I am not quite satisfied, unfortunately. Sometimes, Romero and Izzy have a fallout without logical reasons, which seems like there is no trust in their relationship. Izzy, on the other hand, is too weak to stand up to her bitchy sister. Not like it is possible that a grown-up woman would shut up all the time in the present of her sister, let alone when she is in a serious relationship. Another one is that there are a bit too many sex scenes, which might not be suitable for younger reader. Well, what can I say? It's adult contemporary romance. :)

Sweet Sofie

Author: Elizabeth Reyes
Format: Kindle
Publication Date: August 2011
Series: The Moreno Brothers #3 
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis:
Her entire life Sofia Moreno has dealt with her overprotective brothers. With three overbearing brothers always lurking, no boy would dare reach out to her. Luckily for Sofia the one boy she's got her heart set on has always been within reach: her brothers best friend Eric. Even though his loyalty to her brothers runs deep, Sofia knows there is only so much he can do before giving in to her.

Two years older than her, Eric Diego has always known there would be hell to pay if he messed with his best friend's kid sister Sofia. Through the years he watches as she blooms into a beautiful young lady right before his eyes. With teenage hormones raging and Sofia more than willing, Eric agrees to the unthinkable. A forbidden secret romance. Feeling emotions and a feverish passion that's new to them both,neither is ready for how quickly their romance spins out of control.

Review:
Since I read the first two books in the series and was generally impressed by how well Ms. Reyes's writing is, I could hardly wait to get my hand on Sweet Sofie, the story about how Sofia, the youngest child in the Moreno family, and Eric, Angel's best friend, fall for one another.


The book started off revealing the childhoods they shared. The bond between Eric and Sofia was formed since they were young and the way the author intensified their relationship was amazing. I, somehow, felt like the title and the story were not very consistent. Sofia is, according to the author, a beautiful girl. But I do not peg her as a sweet one. She is sneaky, stubborn and a bit of a hothead. In short, Sofia is everything, but sweet. I was so shocked when she cheated on Eric, the one who loves her unconditionally, using the excuse of being "inexperience and curious".

I love Eric! He is so together, protective, and more. For these qualities alone, Sofia's betrayal is unexceptionable. Well, the author is able to bend the story and create happy ending eventually. I ain't no writer, so I am holding any authority to judge. However, I feel the story kinda falls flat.

Always Been Mine

Author: Elizabeth Reyes
Format: Kindle
Publication Date: May 2011
Series: The Moreno Brothers #2
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis:
After one heartache too many, Valerie Zuniga vows to never let Alex Moreno hurt her again. A year later, she is forced to reunite with him at a party where one unexpected sizzling kiss tells her she’s far from over him. No way will she allow herself to get sucked back into that torment. She’ll resist him even if that means using the one thing that will stop Alex dead in his tracks: another man.

Alex is coming off one of the worst years of his life. He spent so much time wallowing in self-pity, he never realized how much he’d missed Valerie. That is, until that kiss. Now, he’s determined to get her back one way or another, and no other man will stand in his way. Especially after discovering that Valerie may be in danger, a danger he blames himself for.

Review: 
Always Been Mine is the second installment in The Moreno Brothers series. Due to the pleasant experience I got from the first book, I quickly picked up this book right after I finished Forever Mine. In the first book of the series, we met Sarah and other members of Moreno clan. This book, we continue the romantic journey to the love story between Alex and Valerie, Sarah's cousin.

Unlike the first book, this one started off with the breakup rather than love connection, for Alex and Valerie form their casual relationship since Forever Mine. Always Been Mine is, to some extend, explaining the reasons that Alex usually disappears from Valerie's life.

As usual, the author added problems to the story to buildup the tension. Problems, which normally involve crazy exes! I did not mind that, though. The intensity and the suspense make the story more interesting. However, I still think the second one cannot top the first one even I did enjoy both books similarly.

This book is not suitable for younger reader due to the adult content. Therefore, I recommence this book only to people who are over 18 year of age. Well, even if you are over 18, but you are not comfortable reading erotic (books contain "intimate" scenes), I do not think this book is appropriate for you either.

Forever Mine

Author: Elizabeth Reyes
Format: Kindle
Publication Date: September 6, 2010 
Series: The Moreno Brothers #1 
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis:

When her mother is sentenced to be put in jail, Sarah has no other choice, but to move to San Diego, where her aunt lives, just before her senior year. Leaving her best friend, Sydney, behind is another bad news added up to her misfortune. There, she meets Angel Moreno, a popular and handsome football player in the high school football team. They soon fall madly in love, but Sarah is still holding on to her decision – moving back to Arizona.

Review:

This book just amazed me to the point that I could not find words to describe. The book was so well-written and the plots were well-constructed. The book reveals many different sides of relationship that everyone can relate to. Reading this book gives me nothing but joy. I kept smiling to myself like crazy when I read to the parts that Angel and Sarah are together sharing their love. The protective side of Angel makes me feel connected to the character, somehow.

One disappointment I have about the book is the way the author kept raising the same problem repeatedly. We all know that Angel is being overprotected and everything, but mentioning the irritation Angel has with Sarah being with other men was kind of sweet and romantic at the first few times. However, when similar issues happened again and again, it became a letdown.

All in all, this book is perfectly suitable for people like me – madly in love with romance.

The Future of Us

Authors: Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Pages: 320
Publication Date: November 21, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤


Synopsis:
The year is 1996 when Emma receives a gift of a computer from her father. When her friend and next-door neighbor, Josh, brings her the AOL CD mailed to his family for free, she discovers something - Facebook. The thing is Facebook is yet to be invented. Because of this, Emma and Josh are able to see what their lives are like in fifteen years.

Characters:
Emma Nelson: one of main characters of the story.Emma is a casual relationship which she does not want, but she dares not get out of it.
Josh Templeton: Emma's friend and also neighbor. We used to be so close until something happened that makes them grow apart.
Graham Wilde: Emma's so-call boyfriend.
Tyson James: A friend of Emma and Josh's best friend.
William James: Tyson's father. He owns a pizzeria called, GoodTimez Pizza.
Kellan Steiner: Emma's best friend. She is also in an on-and-off relationship with Tyson
Martin: Emma's stepfather.
Cody Grainger: Emma's crush. He is on a track team with Emma as well.
Sydney Mills: one of the most beautiful girls in the high school.
Rick Rolland: Sydney's ex-boyfriend.
Dale Nelson: Emma's father.
Cynthia: Emma's stepmother.
Rachel: Emma's newly-born half-sister.
David: Josh's big brother who goes to college far away from home.
Kyle Simpson: Emma's ex.

Review:
Usually I am not into scinece fiction, but when the authors introduced the idea of seeing the future through facebook, I gave this book a try. Boy, did I enjoy every single page. The story is very captivating and fresh. Well, maybe there have been several other books built up on similar concept. However, I still find this book pretty amazing.

I have always been fond of the way authors tell the stories from two people's view. When the writers do so, the stories seem coming to life and interesting. Likewise, "The Future of Us" is told from both Emma's and Josh's view.

Another point I find worth mentioning is the characters in the story. There are various personalities you may find in the book from people who are quirky, independent, confident to people who are codependent, rude, and so on.

Lola and the Boy Next Door

Author: Stephanie Perkin
Pages: 338
Publication Date: September 29, 2011
Publisher: Dutton Books
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis:
Lola Nolan loves to wear wigs, sparkling outfits - in short she loves to be bold and fabulous. Her life seems to be right on track. She has supportive friends, caring fathers and a hot boyfriend, who is a rocker. Everything is working out just fine until the return of her next door neighbors - the Bells.

Characters:
Lola Nolan: a seventeen-year-old high school junior with intent interest in costumes. She usually makes her own outfits. She lives with her two fathers in San Fransisco.
Nathan Nolan: One of Lola's father. He is very protective of Lola.
Andy Nolan: One of Lola's father. Andy owns a pie store. Even he cares of Lola as much as Nathan, Andy is not as strict as Nathan.
Max: Lola's twenty-two-year-old boyfriend, whom Lola's fathers are not approved of. He is in a rock band.
Lindsey Lim: Lola's best friend. She loves the idea of being a detective, so she usually called Lola "Ned", a character from Nancy Drew
Cricket Bell: a smart and kindhearted eighteen-year-old boy who is handy when it comes to electronic devices. He also possesses a great sense of style and is very tall.
Calliope Bell: Cricket's twin sister. She is talented figure-skater and she dislikes Lola.
Norah Nolan: Lola's birth mother and a former alcoholic. Norah is also Nathan's younger sister.
Anna: Lola's coworker at the theater.
Etienne St. Clair: Anna's boyfriend and Cricket's dorm-mate.

Review:
Once again Stephanie Perkin wowed me with her work. In this book, even it is another love story other then Anna and St. Clair's, Perkin included them in the story as well. As a recommendation, if you have not have a chance to read "Anna and the French Kiss", well, you'd better read that first before this one.

Let's move back to Lola. I really love this book. I don't know how it possible, but frankly speaking, I like this Lola's story more than Anna's.

As I has said before, I am a sucker for books with great covers. With just one quick glance, I was hooked. Comparing with the previous book, "Lola and the Boy Next Door" definitely has a better cover. I love the clear blue sky in the background. Moreover, if we pay more attention on the cover, we can see every detail of both characters, Lola and Cricket, such as the wig (Lola almost always wears wigs) and the rubber bands that Cricket usually wears on his wrist.

I absolutely adore Lola. She is very quirky, beautiful, fun and smart. Besides, I like the fact that she does not afraid of being herself, even though being herself means wearing bright yellow raincoat in a clear weather.

Cricket, on the other hand, is more charming than St. Clair. He is unbelievably kind. The way the author describes Cricket makes it sound too good to be true. Any way, that is the point of a fiction, I guess. The way he cares for Lola is extremely sweet, which makes the story even more interesting.

I cannot wait for the next book by Stephanie Perkin, Isla and the Happy Ever After.

Anna and the French Kiss

Author: Stephanie Perkin
Pages:  372
Publication Date: December 2, 2010 
Publisher: Dutton Books
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis:
Anna is less than thrilled when her parents tell her she is going to a boarding school in Paris. Anna does not plan to leave her life in Atlanta where her friends, her job and everything else are. She definitely does not plan to meet Etienne St. Clair, a boy who teaches her so much more about life and love. They seem like a perfect match... if only St. Clair were not already taken.

Character:
Anna Oliphant: the main protagonist of the story. She loves movies and plans on becoming a well-known female film critic.
Etienne St. Clair: a Parisian with British accent, whose mother is an American and father is a French, that he does not get along well with. He is charming and understanding.
Bridgette Saunderwick: Anna's best friend in Atlanla. She is a skillful drummer.
Toph: Anna's crush back in Atlanta. He is in a rock band.
Sean: Anna's seven-year-old brother.
Ellie: St. Clair's girlfriend. She does not study with them since she is now a college student. 
Meredith: Anna's next-door neighbor at the dorm. She is the first person that becomes Anna's friend in Paris. She loves football (soccer, in US). 
Rashmi: another girl in Anna's group of friends at the boarding school. She's Josh's girlfriend. 
Josh: St. Clair's best friend. He is a gifted artist, but he does not take school seriously. 

Review:
The book really lives up to my expectation. It is funny, romantic and full of surprises. The first impression from that book is that I love the cover and the title is attractive. When I read the first few pages, I was very interested in Anna since she is very realistic than some other protagonists.

The love story between Anna and St. Clair is very interesting. Until many other main characters, St. Clair and Anna have many flaws, as well as their good qualities. By adding those flaws, the author makes the characters and situations they can somehow be related to.

One point that I find a bit cheesy is that why everyone has to love St. Clair. The author makes it clear that St. Clair is charming, good-looking and all, but it does not have to mean that he will be loved by everybody. And the fact that both Anna and St. Clair have bad relationship with their father is a bit repetitive for me.

I love the part that Anna is being betrayed by her friend, Bridgette. The way that Anna handles the situation is amazing to me. Stephanie Perkin really does an outstanding job capturing the feeling of teenagers during this phase in their lives.

But I Love Him

Author: Amanda Grace
Pages:  245
Publication Date: May 8, 2011
Publisher: Flux
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis:
There might be one point in time when you love someone so much that you are willing to accept anything about them. Likewise, Ann loves Connor dearly that she doesn't care how serious Connor's problem with controlling his temper is.

Characters:
Ann: A senior and a captain on track team. She leaves with her mother before she moves out with her boyfriend on her eighteenth birthday.
Connor: Ann's nineteen-year-old boyfriend. He has issue with anger management.
Abby: Ann's best friend. She tries to help Ann, but later they fall apart
Blake: Captain on  track team. He has a crush on Ann 
Nancy: Connor's mother.
Jack: Connor's father, an ex-con. He also has issue with anger management 
Mark: Ann's coworker

Review:
This book is by far the best book I have read this year, and probably ever. The way the author choosing to tell the story in reverse chronological order makes me even more eager to find out what made the relationship between Ann and Connor boil down to this.

The story starts from the end. The journey takes us back to the development of the relationship between two teenagers, Ann and Connor. When I started reading this I questioned myself why the hell Ann still puts up with the abusive relationship. Connor calls her names and hits her contently. Afterward he apologizes and promises there will be no more, but the opposite is true. However Ann always forgives him. 

Then, the more I read, the more I understand how complicated their relationship is. Maybe somehow Ann hopes that one day the Connor that she once knew will be back. I think she has hope and is willing to take risk so that she could be happy with the one she truly loves. 

Where I Belong

Author: Gwendolyn Heasley
Pages: 289
Publication Date: February 2, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤


Synopsis:
Corrinne Corcoran's life is dramatically changed when her father is laid off due to recession. Since living in Manhattan, New York, is not going to be easy for them, her parents decide to send her and Tripp, her brother, to Broken Spoke, where their grandparents live. Since then Corrinne has faced so many changes.


Characters:
Corrinne Corcoran: a sixteen-year old, beautiful, spoiled rich girl from Manhattan. She is sent to live with the grandparents in Broken Spoke, Texas when the family is having a financial problem due to the recession.
Cole Corcoran: Corrinne's father. He is an investment banker in New York.
Jenny Jo Corcoran (J.J): Corrinne's mother and a former model. She left Broken Spoke for New York when she was 21 and has never been back until then.
Tripp: Corcoran's little brother. He is twelve and sweet. He wants to spend more time with Corrinne, but she tends to disappoint him.
Waverly: Corrinne's best friend. They have planned to be roommates when they come to Kent, a boarding school. However, their plan fails since Corrinne has to move to Broken Spoke.
Billy Bo Houston: Corrinne's grandfather
Sandy Jean Houston: Corrinne's grandmother. She loves cooking and her food tastes great also. She is still working.
Kitsy Kidd: a sophomore and a Mockingbirdette (a cheer leader). She is nice to Corrinne and they become best friends later on. Kitsy is skillful with makeups.
Hands: Kitsy's boyfriend and also a quarterback of the football team.
Bubby: Hands' friend and teammate. He is in the same class with Corrinne and showing that he is interested in her, but she doesn't return the interest. He never gives up though.
Rider: a wannabe rock star. He is in the band called Friday Night After the Light. He also works at the stable with Corrinne.
Ginger: owner of the stable and an old friend of Corrinne's grandmother. She is Corrinne's employer as well.
Kiki: Kitsy's seven-year-old brother. He is the town's champion mutton buster.
Luis: Spanish teacher and also football coach
Sweetbread: Corrinne's horse
Mr. Chin: owner of Chin's Chinese Restaurant


Review:
The first thing that interested about this book is the cover, of course. I am a sucker when it comes to books with  attractive designs. As for this book, the cover is so sweet and it's hard to resist for me. One more point is that the tittle itself is eye-catching, as well. Due to other distractions, I tend to spend more days finishing this book than I have expected. However, it was a joy during the reading process, even though it is not the best one of the best books I have read, I have to agree that it is well-written.

The first thought that came to me when I read this book is Corrinne is a spoilt brat. She is used to the life that she can get whatever she want. So when everything doesn't turn out as she has expected, she just freaks out. Well, maybe if we look at the situation from her perspective, it might be normal to freak out. She has to leave my big city life behind and start a new one, where everything is totally different. 


Speaking of her life in Broken Spoke, I think it is not so bad at all. She still goes to school, even now it is a public school. She also can out with friends and the curfew is not bad at all. Midnight for a sixteen-year-old girl is very generous in my option. But still, maybe I look at it from my view only. 

There are many transformations that happen to Corrinne. She changes from being a shallow, impolite, ill-tempered young woman to a thoughtful and understanding person. Her relationship with her mother is also getting better. I am touched by what Tripp has written about Corrinne being his heroine. It is so sweet.