The Perfect Game by J. Sterling

About the book

The Perfect Game is the first book in the new adult series of the same name by J. Sterling. The book was published by Lake Union Publishing on 25^th June 2013 and it is 310 pages long.

Synopsis

College junior and promising baseball player Jack Carter has a reputation and the girls know it. That’s why Cassie Andrews vows to stay as far away from him as possible. Jack has other ideas though and is determined to get Cassie to pay attention to him. He doesn’t do girlfriends but Cassie may be the one to change all of that… if Cassie can look past his player reputation long enough to give him a chance.

What I thought

One thing that I really like about new adult novels is that they’re mostly set in college or focus on older teenagers. Most of the time, I can connect with the characters more than I can in young adult books but unfortunately, this book did not have characters who I could connect to.

To start with, I did really like Cassie. While other girls were throwing themselves at Jack, she wasn’t having any of it. She was determined to stay away from him and called him out for being a player. She seemed strong and tough and with a mind of her own. She also tells him that she will not stand for cheating and if that happens, she’s gone. It all went quickly downhill though.

Jack has a very split personality. One minute he’s trying to be a completely gentleman to impress Cassie but then next he is the biggest arsehole ever imaginable. He openly admits to never sleeping with the same girl twice; not dating the same girl twice, sleeping with. What a horrible thing to do and admit to. There were times when Jack was really nice towards Cassie but then he did something utterly stupid to mess it all up. I won’t go into specifics so I don’t ruin the book for anyone who wants to read it but this guy needs a hard smack to the head for being so stupid.

Not too long into the book, it becomes clear that Cassie actually isn’t tough and she really doesn’t have a mind of her own. She falls for Jack’s charm and lies for too easily and quickly hangs off of every word he says. Then, when he messes up completely, several times, she takes him back and forgives him. She goes back on her word several times and simple put, is a mug. If my husband did even one of the things that Jack did, he would be out of the door in a second.

Due to the character’s silly attitudes and juvenile actions, I couldn’t really get into the plot. The beginning was okay but the rest of the book wound me up far too much. The characters became extremely unlikable and the plot just really wasn’t exciting or interesting. I had quite high hopes for this book but it is mostly about bad relationships and people that should never have gotten together in the first place.

Changing reading habits and preferred genres

*Disclaimer: This post has been sponsored by Grammerly, an automated online proofreader that finds and explains grammar, spelling and punctuation mistakes in all kinds of writing.

I use Grammarly's plagiarism checker because even though I have an English degree, I get incredibly confused between colons, semi-colons and all other kinds of grammar and punctuation type things. Having an English degree does not make me a grammar queen!*

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When I first started blogging, I was very interested in young adult fantasy romance novels such as Twilight. Now that I have been blogging for a good few years, my tastes in books and also my reading habits have changed a lot. 

I remember starting my own blog back in June 2010, the summer before heading off to university and looking back, my reviews were so different to what they are now. Maybe not in regards to the way in which they're written but definitely what they're written about. My first ever review was of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey. It has been a long time since I've read anything like that though. 

During the time of having my first blog, and also the second which I shared with another blogger, I was easily reading 7 books a week. Somehow, while I was at university, I was able to read the most I ever have done in a week. Maybe that was partly due to having a job where I could read during my shifts a lot of the time, especially when I worked night times. Now, I'm lucky if I read 1 book a week. I work full time now and have other commitments at home and online. I'm also now a married woman and no longer have all of my time to myself. The last time I read more than 7 books in a short space of time was while I was on my honeymoon in Florida relaxing by a pool. Who knows when I can do that again! 

Not only do I no longer have the time to read as much as I used to but my preference in books has changed quite a lot. Over the years, I have gone from liking young adult fantasy and paranormal novels to young adult romance/ contemporary novels and now to the new adult genre. Maybe this is due to me getting older and wanting something different from a book. I do still go back to new adult contemporary quite often but it is very rare that I read something that isn't contemporary any more. I have fantasy/ paranormal books sitting on my to be read pile and they've been there for month. They will probably stay there for quite some time to come as well. 

I've been a blogger on and off for 3 and a half years now and I imagine in another 3 and a half years, my reading habits will have changed again. I wonder what I'll like reading in 2017. 

Do you find your reading habits change over time? How have they changed since you first started blogging?

I'd love to know your thoughts!

*After checking this post with Grammarly, I scored 64 out of 100! I ended up with 15 critical writing issues which included 5 style issues, 4 punctuation issues and 3 grammar issues. Ooops! *

Book to Film Review: The Great Gatsby

About the film

The Great Gatsby is a 2013 film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same name and it was directed by Baz Luhrmanm. The film has a run time of 142 minutes and is rated  

Plot

Nick Carraway is looking back on his life while spending time in a rehab centre. His doctor is encouraging him to talk about what got him to that place. After saying that he once wrote a book, Nick’s doctor wants him to write about a memory to help him to write again and so begins the tale of how he met Jay Gatsby.

The year is 1922 and Nick has just moved to New York to work on Wall Street. The house he finds to rent in Long Island is small but just what he needs. The house next door however is massive and Nick soon learns that the famous Gatsby lives there. His house is famous for the huge and elaborate parties that are held there every week. Nick eventually receives a personal invitation to one party and hopes that he can finally meet the man he’s heard so much, and so little, about. Once at the party though, Nick realises that no one seems to know Gatsby but they’re just there anyway. But, Gatsby finds Nick and introduces himself and the two instantly hit it off.

Nick’s cousin Daisy Buchanan also lives in New York and it turns out, she’s one of the few people who actual know, or knew, Jay Gatsby. Gatsby is asking a massive favour from Nick and it’s no coincidence that he invited him to that one party…

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby

Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway

Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan

Joel Edgerton as Tom Buchanan

Elizabeth Debicki as Jordan Baker

Isla Fisher as Myrtle Wilson

Jason Clarke as George Wilson

Amitabh Bachchan as Meyer Wolfshiem

Jack Thompson as Dr. Walter Perkins

What I thought

Although a classic novel, I have never read, nor watched another film adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Baz Luhrmann directed this version and so far, I haven’t been disappointed with any of his films.

The film begins with introducing Nick as a main character. He’s clearly in some form of rehab facility and not looking too well. Nick once wanted to be a writer but wasn’t successful. His doctor encourages him to write down a memory in order to be able to write again. His memory is of Gatsby. The beginning of the film really focuses on the mystery surrounding Gatsby. Everyone knows where his house is and his parties are very well-known but no one really knows who he is or where he comes from. There are rumours flying about all over the place but nothing is concrete information. I really enjoyed the anticipation that the beginning of the film gave. Never did you know what you could believe about Gatsby. At times, you didn’t even know whether or not he truly existed as no one knew anything about him. Obviously, I knew that he did and who was playing the part but it didn’t take anything away from the mystery in the plot.

The Great Gatsby is said to be a love story but I’m not sure that I completely agree with that. Gatsby himself has known Nick’s cousin Daisy before 1922 and is absolutely in love with her. He enlists Nick’s help to be able to see Daisy once again and from here, things get quite dark and twisted. Gatsby is driven by his need to see Daisy again and to be the man he thinks she would want him to be, hence the massive parties and splashing around of money. Instead of being about love, I see The Great Gatsby to be more about pure need and the desire to make something better of yourself, no matter what the consequences are.

The casting in this film is absolutely fabulous. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Gatsby and does so with such flair and elegance at the same time. He, along with his background, has an air of mystery surrounding him at all times. He’s also quite the strange character, going from one mood to another in a matter of seconds. DiCaprio was easily the perfect choice for Gatsby. His character is a hard one to play due to the many inner demons that he has and DiCaprio shows the troubled thoughts extremely well.

Toby Maguire on the other hand was a bit of a let-down. I can’t say that I’m the biggest fan of his anyway but I didn’t like him or his character at all. Maguire plays Nick who is a pretty whiney and annoying kind of man. He’s trying to make it in New York after a failed career as a writer and generally comes across as interfering and he didn’t help much in any situation. Actually, Maguire played whiney and annoying really well but I’m not sure that’s how his character was supposed to be portrayed.

Another issue I had with the film was the soundtrack. Luhrmann is known for taking a classic and putting a modern twist on it but I felt as though this one was pushed too far. Jay-Z was the album's executive producer and worked closely with Luhrmann on the whole soundtrack to mix contemporary, hip hop and music from the 20s. However, the soundtrack was far too modern for my liking and I don’t think that it captured the feel of the 20s well enough. With songs like Black to Black and Crazy in Love on the soundtrack, I just couldn’t get away from the modern feel. However, if I were to listen to the soundtrack on its own, I would like it. It just didn’t go perfectly with the film.

Overall, The Great Gatsby is a wonderful film with a few small flaws. The film is entertaining and exciting with a near perfect cast though. 

Falling Harder by W.H.Vega

About the book

Falling Harder is a new adult book by W.H.Vega and part of the Hearts Collective. The book was published on 6^th October by the Hearts Collective and the book is 513 pages long.

Synopsis

Nadia Faber is a survivor. Her parents both died in a car accident when she was only 12 years old and was then thrust into the harsh foster system. Nadia never felt like she belonged until she moved in with one particular family. While the parents were monsters, the other foster kids there were her saviours.

Now all grown up, Nadia has made something of herself. But, she can’t forget her past and the love she lost. In order to save Nadia, Trace was arrested and taken away from her. Nadia spends all of her time helping people in similar situations to her past but she never expects for Trace to turn up on her doorstep one day…

What I thought

Falling Harder starts off with a pretty devastating blow to protagonist Nadia Faber. Her parents are both killed and with no other family anywhere, she is forced to go into the foster system, moving from home to home. She has a terrible time in her new ‘homes’ but when she moves once more, she thinks this may finally be her chance for a proper family. But, she soon realises that her new ‘parents’ are drunks and abusive. The other children there though take Nadia under their wings and keep her out of the way as much as possible.

This is a book that doesn’t shy away from the harsh conditions that can be seen within the foster system. Nadia is put through some terrible things but she finds peace in her new family, Conway, Garrick and Trace. The more time she spends with Trace, the closer she gets to him. He’s her constant rock in a broken home. But, when the foster parents get too much, and try to take advantage, Trace steps in to protect both Nadia and Conway. Obviously, not all foster homes are like this but W.H.Vega focuses on some of the worst situations possible and is very graphic in their descriptions. While some things were pretty hard to read, it all felt incredibly real and also made me feel so much for the characters involved.

I also really enjoyed the developing romance between Nadia and Trace. She’s never been a girly girl and hasn’t had boyfriends before. Compared with Trace who has been there and done it all, Nadia is such an innocent. However, she’s not annoying with it and I really liked watching her grow up with him. The romance between these two characters was sweet and careful, because of their situation, but I was routing for them both all of the time. The chemistry between them was great but it was also never over the top at any point.

While I really enjoyed the first half of the book, I wasn’t as much of a fan of the second half. After Trace goes to prison, Nadia doesn’t see him again, nor does she have any contact with him even though she thinks of him constantly. Nadia is now a successful lawyer and does her best to help out kids in situations similar to hers as a child. One day though, Trace comes knocking on her door and she can’t believe her eyes. The second part of the book was extremely rushed and I no longer felt the connection between Nadia and Trace. I felt as though too much had happened in between them seeing each other again and not enough time getting to know this. They just jumped back into things without much talking or anything and this bugged me.

I wish this book had been split into two and more time taken in the reunion of Nadia and Trace. The first part of the book was so believable and real that it was ruined by the second half a little bit. However, it was still mostly a good read. 

Hopeless For You by Hayden Hill

About the book

Hopeless For You is a New Adult novel by Hayden Hill. The book was published on 23^rd September and it is 215 pages long. I received an ebook for review through NetGalley.

Synopsis

Ash Jensen is just beginning her journey of becoming a doctor at the University of Tennessee. Her fiancé was killed in a car accident only a year and a half ago and she’s struggling to move on. She swore she would never love anyone again. But, when her best friend convinces her to work as an intern on a Canadian conservation for the summer, Ash gets a lot more than she bargained for.

Kade Gyllenhahl has tattoos, a rebellious attitude but a face and body to die for. Ash knows as soon as she meets Kade at the conservation that he’s the wrong man for her but she can’t help sneaking a glance at him. Lucky for Ash, Kade doesn’t have time for someone like her; an unreadable girl who lives by someone else’s rules. Plus, Kade knows the rules. No sleeping with other staff.

Ash and Kade manage to be paired up together for the summer but a routine field trip turns into something else entirely.

What I thought

I really liked the sound of Hopeless For You as soon as I read the synopsis. What makes this book so different from other New and Young Adult books is the setting, which was fantastic. Protagonist Ash and her best friend Gina head off to Vancouver, Canada to be interns at a conservation. The woodland setting was fantastic and certainly interesting. It also provided quite a few exciting but dangerous situations for the characters.

Hopeless For You is told in alternating chapters from both Ash and Kade’s point of view. Ash suffered the loss of her fiancé only a year and a half ago and hasn’t really been herself since. Kade has a past and is known for being a player and a bit of a bad boy back at home and he does not want a girlfriend at all. Both characters were great to get to know mainly because they had such complicated pasts. Neither character was exactly who I thought they’d be and I really enjoyed seeing more of their true personalities come out over the course of the book.

Although both have their secrets and feel as though they don’t really fit anywhere, they manage to find that in common with one another and sparks fly. Also, neither wants a relationship of any kind so the attraction to each other is certainly unexpected. The actual romance of this book is pretty predictable, but then it wouldn’t be a romance book otherwise really would it? The predictability with Ash and Kade didn’t really bother me too much not only because I was expecting it but the plot had enough excitement going on at the same time.

As the book is set around a conservation setting, a lot of the plot takes place out in the woods where Ash and Kade, along with two others, are on the lookout for hawks there. But, some bad and unexpected things happen along the way and Ash and Kade find themselves cut off from their travel companions. This is where the plot really gets exciting. Ash and Kade are stranded in the middle of the woods with few ways to get back and food running out very quickly. I couldn’t believe some of the things that happened in this book and I held my breath so many times.

While this book is predictable, it is also a really good read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry and Giveaway!

About the book

Crash Into You is the third book in the Pushing the Limits series by Katie McGarry. The book was published by Mira Ink on 26^th November and the book is 384 pages long. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review.

Synopsis

Rachel Young does exactly as she’s expected. She gets straight As, wears the designer clothes that she’s supposed to and does whatever her mother says. But, Rachel is keeping secrets from both her parents and her protective brothers. The first secret involves her love of cars and the second involves a seventeen year old boy she has no business even knowing.

Isaiah Walker comes from the foster system and has no idea what a normal family looks like. The only things he knows are his best friends who are always there if he needs them. Isaiah is everything that Rachel’s parents would tell her to stay away from; he has tattoos and is constantly in trouble but he has the most amazing grey eyes that she cannot ignore.

Rachel and Isaiah have more in common than they could have imagined but could being from two different worlds keep them apart?

What I thought

I have absolutely loved the books in the Pushing the Limits series so far and Isaiah has been a character who has made me curious in previous books. I was so happy to see him get his own book and I couldn’t wait to see what he got up to.

The whole series follows a group of young people trying to survive the foster system and families with many problems. Isaiah is no exception. In this book, he isn’t really sure about where he is living but he does know that he wants to be a mechanic. He’s always had a massive love of cars and can’t imagine anything better than working with what he loves. Although Isaiah has a tough exterior with his tattoos, he is such a sweetheart deep down. It is clear that he cares about his friends more than anything and will do anything for those he loves.

Rachel, even though she comes from a wealthy family, has a terrible home life. She’s stuck living in the shadow of her dead sister and can’t seem to escape that. Her mother wants her to be a certain type of person but Rachel actually loves cars and has to keep it a secret mostly. When she takes part in a drag race, she has no idea what she’s getting herself into or who she is going to meet along the way.

Isaiah and Rachel were a fantastic couple. Although both characters come from different backgrounds, they have so much in common with their family problems. Isaiah and Rachel understand each other and they also have such a passion for cars. Isaiah can’t believe his luck when he meets Rachel. However, he knows that she’s way out of his league and should keep away… but he can’t. I really enjoyed watching the chemistry grow between these two characters but also watching them get to know one another better. The romance in this third Pushing the Limits novel was amazing.

I also really loved the plot. You can’t get much better than fast cars, racing and shady deals along the way. I found the plot to be extremely exciting throughout and there was a great mix between the street racing world and Rachel’s rich family and friends. Stereotypes are broken down and the characters surprised me many times.

While Crash Into You is pretty predictable, I didn’t mind one little bit. I quite liked knowing that the guy would get his girl but there is so much going on along the way to make the book more exciting.

The wonderful people at Mira kindly sent me and extra copy of Crash Into You to give away to my lovely readers. All you need to do is enter the form below. Giveaway is open to UK entrants only. Giveaway winner will be picked on 16th January and will have 48 hours to reply or another winner will be picked. 

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Love Struck by Amber Garza

About the book

Love Struck is the second book in the new adult ‘Star Struck’ series by Amber Garza. The book was published on 1^st October and it is 288 pages long.

Synopsis

Lola’s life had always been planned out for her. She was always supposed to choose certain things and marry the right kind of man. When she meets sexy musician Ryker, everything she knows is thrown into chaos. She wasn’t supposed to fall for someone like him but he’s different than he seems on the outside. Ryker seems to ‘get’ Lola but neither is prepared for secrets to come out and how to deal with them. The secrets between Lola and Ryker could ruin everything they have ever wanted.

What I thought

I really enjoyed reading about the hot musician Beckett in the first book in this series but it was really another character who caught my eye. Love Struck tells the story of Ryker, a member of Beckett’s band. The good thing about these books is that even though they’re a series, they can easily be read as stand-alone books.

Ryker couldn’t believe his luck when Lola showed up to one of his band’s shows one night. He had never seen a more beautiful girl and couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He knew she was way out of his league but he also knew that he had to take a chance on her. Ryker doesn’t ‘do’ love though and only his hidden secret can reveal why. Ryker was such a lovely character. Although he has a bad boy exterior, he cares so much for the people around him and works hard. He’s a musician and also goes to school first class to study business. He wants to make something of his life but the only thing he thinks he can’t have is love. Ryker melted my heart a little bit throughout this book but I’ll get to why in a little bit.

Lola comes across as the spoiled rich girl with a bit of an attitude. However, it was clear that as she spent more time with Ryker, there was so much more to her than meets the eye. Just like Ryker, Lola feels instantly attracted to him but she knows she shouldn’t let him in. Her mother certainly wouldn’t approve. Lola has a bewitching effect on Ryker but their relationship is far from perfect. Both character have their own issues which obviously causes tension on them as a couple.

Love Struck has a more exciting plot than I was expecting. Although a lot of the book focuses on Ryker and Lola’s relationship and the feelings between them, there is also so much more going on. Ryker has a secret that he never shares with anyone and Lola, well, she’s a mess pretty much. Her family have an overwhelming control over Lola and how she lives her life and she feels as though she cannot be herself around them. This puts so much pressure on Lola and how she acts in life and the result is a certainly damaging lifestyle. Ryker begins to see glimpses of Lola’s problems and although he tries to help her, she pushes him away.

When I started to read this book, I thought it would be extremely predictable and I thought I knew exactly how things would go. I was wrong. Amber Garza throws in so many surprises and shocks throughout the book and I never knew whether I was coming or going. Love Struck is so much better than the first in this series and I can’t wait to read more from this author now.