Review: Biggest Flirts by Jennifer Echols

I picked up a copy of this book at BEA 2014.  Yes...that is correct - 2014.  I thought it looked really cute and even added all of the companion novels to my TBR list as they were announced, but never got around to reading them.  A few weeks ago I was looking for something light and fun to read at the pool and this finally jumped off the shelf at me.

Tia is getting ready to start her senior year of high school. She has a reputation for being a party girl, but she is also extremely smart and a talented drummer in the school's marching band.  Her mother left years ago and she has watched her three older sisters make epic mistakes in the relationship department.  As a result, she vowed to always keep it casual and to never have a boyfriend.  

Will is the new kid at school.  He recently moved from Minnesota to Florida and his entire world is turned upside down.  At his old school he was the drum captain, student council president, and a star hockey player.  Now that he has to start over, he is no longer the star of the show.

Tia and Will meet his first night in town and immediately hit it off.  When Will wants to continue their relationship she shuts him down due to her no dating rule.  As Tia gets to know him and sees everything they have in common, and the great chemistry and friendship they have developed, she begins to question why she is holding onto this rule.  Then she becomes jealous when Will starts dating someone else and she knows she has to do something to get him back.

This series is based upon a school survey taken at the beginning of the year, which places all of the seniors into various categories for the yearbook.  Most likely to succeed, perfect couple, biggest flirts, etc.  After only a couple of weeks of band practice prior to the start of the school year, Will and Tia's actions led them to being voted biggest flirts.  The pressure of the title put a strain on their easy going relationship and led to some entertaining drama.  I loved both of their characters and everyone could see they were perfect together except Tia.  I was happy to see her come around in the end and hope we will see more of them in the companion novels.  

We were introduced to several of Tia's longtime friends throughout the book. I'm pretty sure the companion novels will focus on some of them, which will allow us to continue the series with the same basic group of characters.  

Review: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

Goodreads Overview:

Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things. 

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

Review:

Sweet Peril is the second book in the series and was just as good as the first.  After the discovery of  a prophecy that could free the Nephilim from the control of their fathers, they begin recruiting allies from around the world.  This is a very delicate task and has only succeeded to this point with the help of Anna's father.  Unfortunately, the other Dukes are beginning to questions some of the unusual activity taking place amongst the Neph, and Anna's father is under suspicion. I was happy to see there is a possibility the Nephilim may gain their freedom and could possibly live their lives without the controlling influence of their fathers.  They are; however, putting themselves in an extreme amount of danger.  The outcome is far from guaranteed, but they believe the reward exceeds the risks they are taking.

Anna and Kaidan have finally agreed to give in to their feelings for each other, but understand they must be extremely careful.  As a son and daughter of the Dukes of various sins, they are expected to spread their father's evil while forsaking their own feelings and desires.  Personal relationships between Neph are not allowed.  Things were definitely heating up between the two of them, but they can still only see each other when her father tells them the coast is clear. Obviously this isn't an ideal situation, but it is a drastic improvement from their previous circumstance.

Another character that I really enjoyed was Blake, the son of envy. who really seemed to have it all.  An amazing house with a pool, ocean view, and all the toys imaginable.  He excelled at just about everything and was always the center of attention.  He was able to share some of his energy with Anna and take her mind off of things when she needed it the most.

I am really enjoying this series and would definitely recommend it to any YA fan.  It has some fantasy/paranormal elements, but reads more like a contemporary.  Without the umbrella of fear the Neph are constantly under, the characters wouldn't be much different from any other teenager.  I can't wait to see how everything unfolds for them in the final installment, Sweet Reckoning.

Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Review:

I have seen this book around for years, but for some reason it never even made it to my TBR list.  One day I was scrolling through Netflix and noticed it was a Netflix original movie.  All of a sudden my interest was piqued and I added it to my TBR list, because you certainly can't watch the movie before reading the book.

Lara Jean is the middle of three sisters.  Her mother died when she was younger and her father is a very busy doctor.  Lara Jean's older sister, Margot, leaves to attend St. Andrews in Scotland and she is left to manage the house and her younger sister.  She is starting her junior year of high school when the unthinkable happens.  Someone mailed the letters she had written to five boys she had crushes on at various points in time since middle school.  The letters were never intended to be read by anyone except Lara Jean.  They were her way of expressing her feelings and putting an end to crushes she never acted upon.

As the boys begin approaching her about the letters, she decides to kiss Peter Kavinsky in front of Josh.  Both of the boys received letters, but Josh is the one she thinks she still has feelings for. Peter recently broke up with his girlfriend and wants to get her back, so the two devise a plan to act like they are dating  to make their true love interests jealous.  As the months pass by...they begin to realize they aren't pretending anymore.

This was an excellent story with very lovable characters.  I flew through the book and can't wait to read the rest of the series.  The ending was a bit abrupt and would have resulted in an agonizing wait for those who read this when it was first released.  That is definitely one of the pluses of stumbling upon a series after all of the books are already available.

I did watch the movie and was a bit disappointed.  They changed quite a few details compared to the book, which I didn't really think was necessary.  Perhaps if someone hasn't read the book and watches the movie without any expectations, they will find it more enjoyable.  I thought it was average at best and would have been happy with just the book in this case.

Review: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Goodreads Overview:

First, there were ten—a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal—and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.

Review:

I added this book to my TBR list when I was watching the PBS Great American Read series.  I enjoy murder mysteries and felt this was a classic I should probably read.  Then it was on my son's freshman year summer reading list, so we decided to read it together.

The book starts out with each of the guests receiving an invitation for an unforgettable week on an exclusive island.  Some are enticed through a needed vacation, while others are offered various forms of employment.  For example, a doctor is summoned to evaluate Mr. Owen's wife who supposedly refuses to seek medical care.  A police officer is asked to investigate/uncover some suspicious activity.   A married couple is offered employment as the cook/housekeeper and butler/handyman.  

All of the guests appear to have nothing in common, but they soon discover a link between them.  A recording accuses each of them of committing a murder the legal system can not hold them accountable for.  As the guests begin to die one after the other they realize these are not suicides as they originally thought.  They are being targeted and nobody will leave this island alive unless they are "very careful."  They search the island and can't find anyone else, so they conclude it must be one of them that is committing the murders.  Then they search everyone's possessions.  There aren't enough clues to point at anyone, yet the guests are falling faster than dominoes.  

This was an interesting tale, but it wasn't your typical murder mystery.  The author didn't leave a number of clues that in retrospect should have enabled the reader to solve the mystery on his or her own.  There is a very lengthy epilogue that spells out everything that took place on the island.  Without this additional information, I don't think anyone could have uncovered the truth.  That isn't exactly my idea of a murder mystery.  I realize this book was written in the 1930's and times and expectations may have changed.  This may have been the norm in that time period, but it wasn't nearly as engaging as trying to solve the mystery yourself.  As my son and I were reading we would discuss who we thought was the leading suspect, who was going to get picked off next, etc.  Without credible clues and evidence this soon became a fruitless process and my son began to lose interest.  

Overall, I enjoyed the story and could piece things together in the end with the help of the epilogue.  I do not think Preston was too impressed with the story and was just happy when it was over.  If it weren't for the help of an audio book when we had a weekend car trip, I don't think he would have ever finished it.