Always and Forever, Lara Jean

                Hello happy readers!  I am excited for the weekend, mostly because I'm off and don't have to work.  I also no longer have to worry about mowing or vacuuming which were on my to-do list because my chiropractor said don't do it and I have to listen to his orders.  Which means he wants me to rest and relax so I hope to get some reading/listening down and that is always a win!  Last weekend was very fruitful as I was able to finish up two audiobooks.  One of which is the final book in a series I have read this year, Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #3) by Jenny Han.  I reviewed the previous books here:  To All the Boys I've Loved Before  and P.S. I Still Love You. 

Rating:  5 Stars

                We left off Lara Jean and things are good.  She is in her senior year with everything going great from school, prom, trips, her father finally found someone who makes him happy again, and oh yeah her boyfriend Peter is amazing.  She has plans to go to her dream college which is close enough she'll be home on weekends never going far from the family.  She has everything planned out.  Until the unexpected happens and the girl who doesn't like change has to rethink her future plans that cause her head and her heart to go in different directions. 

                So Lara Jean and Peter found their way back to one another and now they are stronger than ever.  Peter is so amazing.  Seriously I had my doubts at one point but he gets Lara Jean in a way others don't.  He can tell when she needs an out or just needs some support.  He knows how much her family means to her and works to be there for them too and to me that just makes him for me.  They are so normal and sweet.  High school sweet hearts who have so much going for them and wanting to make it work but as life starts to pull them in different directions they have to work harder to keep to their plans.  So many couples in high school face the option of doing long distance or ending things and it felt so normal to have this struggle. 

                The struggle of course is only compounded by their own unique circumstances.  Lara Jean never saw herself leaving home.  She loved her family and wants to continue to be super close with them and be there for her youngest sisters firsts as she grows up.  I loved that the idea of going to a college further away was a struggle but not just over a boy.  While love can make it a tough decision it had more going for it.  She has her family to think about and her own levels of comfort.  She would be somewhere completely new all alone and that can be scary for anyone.  Lara Jean is a lover for sure but she has much more going for her and considers everything.

                The in and out of the sisters and how they are dealing as life continues on with Margo coming to visit and seeing all that has changed.  Family dynamics change as new people come and go from our lives.  I think this was a beautifully rounded story about the every changing moments of our lives and the choices we make giving the risks, struggles, and rewards of it all.  It was so full of love, heart break, friendship, excitement, and growth.  Lara Jean and Peter have come a long way.  He has really been a catalyst for her to grow into the woman she was meant to become.  Seeing the world through her eyes was so much fun and experiencing all the huge senior moments with her was icing on the cake!

                This was a wonderful heartfelt series I just adore.  I was so happy I could listen to all of them pretty quickly without waiting.  I was happy to connect with Lara Jean and her crazy passionate life!  I am even more thrilled that I finished them before the movie comes out as I keep seeing trailers for it pop up on all my social media!  Now I can sit back and enjoy in a different format!

                Until next time…

The Edge of Juniper

                Hello happy readers!  So last year I read and reviewed Outspoken by Lora Richardson (review) and really enjoyed it.  When I was asked about reviewing her next book The Edge of Juniper I was more than happy to do so.  Things got a bit crazy and I’m more than a bit behind but I was finally able to read this book in pretty much one sitting.  Would have been one but I got off work and hard to drive home to finish it ;)  So here are my thoughts and feels on it.

Rating:  5 Stars

                Sixteen-year-old Fay is spending the whole summer with her Aunt, Uncle, and cousins in the small little town of Juniper, Indiana.  She is excited for the adventure having been close and loving her week long visits to spend with her cousin Celia.  Though she quickly discovers that things are not what they seem and far from the perfect way she imagined.  Her Uncle has a grudge with the Dearing family in town and no one is supposed to speak with them, off limits.  Not a problem.  Until Fay is left with lots of free time as Celia has a boyfriend keeping her busy most of the time.  Enter Malcolm, the sweet, warm, and attractive boy who caught her eye.  Only one problem, he’s Malcolm Dearing and off limits.  This only makes her think of him even more as the summer and all the happenings going on in Juniper.

                I really enjoyed this one.  It was super sweet in so many ways.  I just adore Malcolm.  Seriously book boyfriend material of the highest quality!  The story was also very real.  It tackled so much in handling so many issues from alcoholism, first love, and all types of relationships and loves both healthy and not so healthy.  Still while some items really tugged at your heart or upset you there was so many other funny or lighthearted scenes that all flowed so wonderfully together.  The story as a whole really came together and I just had such a good time reading it.

                I enjoyed being with Fay as she stayed with her family for eight months and learned so much but mostly about herself.  She came to really know who she is as a person and the self discovery was wonderful.  While I didn't always agree with Fay she had he reasons for things and she was willing to admit when she was wrong.  Malcolm was just wonderful in so many ways and what I think most would adore in a boyfriend.   Celia is so much different from Fay in many ways but at the same time you see the similarities as well.  Their relationship also had me turning the pages to see what would happen. The Edge of Juniper is a beautiful contemporary that you can fly through on a nice lazy day but that might also tear at your heart as well.  I know I got teary in parts.  Falling in and out of love, first love, and family love are just a few of the loves to love about this book.  I highly recommend it. 

                Until next time…

Since You've Been Gone: A fun summer read

                So as you may have noticed I’ve decided to take part in the summer writing intensive Ready. Set. Write. which has put me spending some of my normal reading and reviewing time into my own writing.  I’ve also been preparing for UtopYA which was last week and it’s been crazy to say the least. I was hoping to post before but there was so much to do!  I’m still adjusting to being back and unpacking and such, it’s a slow process.  For further on my trip and to enter to win a swag pack (tons of stuff) check it out here.  On to a much needed review. 

 

                I read Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson a couple weeks back with a friend of mine.  She does a great job of giving a completely spoiler-free review you can check out here.  I have a couple of her books but this is the first one I have picked up and it was mostly because of the great reviews I have seen/heard on it and the fun summer cover.  The inner jacket is even like a scrap book and just makes you feel nostalgic.  The basic premise is that of Emily who has been defined as ‘Sloane’s friend’ since they became friends a few years back.  She was okay with that.  She loved it actually.  Then one day her friend is just gone.  Right before what is supposed to be their epic summer. 

                Sloane is gone without a trace or word but she does send a to-do list much like the ones she’d sent Emily in the past on her short trips and Emily is convinced if she completes the list she will bring her best friend back.  The list seems harmless enough, apple picking at night, dancing until dawn, easy enough.  Kissing a stranger or go skinny dipping…a bit more of a challenge for Emily.

                 So overall I enjoyed the book.  I liked following along in Emily’s journey because, frankly, I connected to her.  I related to her shy nature and feeling more at ease when a friend is by your side to allow you to be more open and take the lead when you are unsure.  I’ve recently started working on that myself, UtopYA was a HUGE step for me and really put me out of my normal comfort zone but so worth it.  I really liked Emily even when she did things I didn’t really agree with.  One of those things being still holding Sloane up as such an amazing friend when from the start I wasn’t sure I liked her at all.  Leaving a friend high and dry without a word as to if you are okay or anything is not friend material to me.  However, I did like the flashes of their past together which showed different aspects of their past together.

                Now while I didn’t care much for the Sloane character I did enjoy getting to know new people in Emily’s life from Frank, Dawn, and Collins.  Watching as she comes out of her shell and learns to adapt to her life as it currently is and come out of the shadow of Sloane I wanted more.  I looked forward to watching each item on the list come up and be worked on crossing it off.  The way she went about the list so methodically as if doing it would bring her an answer and in the end it does though not the one she had been looking for.  The story for me was really about coming into your own and again it resonated with me and made me want to create my own to-do list of wild crazy things to cross off and put me into new situations that put me out there. 

Inside dust jacket!

                With memorable characters and self-discovery filling large parts of the story there was also a great deal of care put into the relationships.  Of course the here and gone aspect of the Emily and Sloane relationship but more than that.  The friendships she makes along the way even if she didn’t intend to do so.  She also has a good relationship with her family which was refreshing, specifically her brother. 

                I gave this book a solid 4 stars.  My only downside for the book was more personal than anything else.  I just never grasped the depth of the friendship between Emily and Sloane.  I understood Emily’s side but never the connection between them, though it was more of a personal issue than anything else.  I also wanted a bit more at the end, more closure and answers to a few questions I had about the resolution but I’m told they come up later in another book all being in the same world and such.  I still highly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading her other books in the future. 

Rating: 4 Stars