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Flutters and Flails

I"m a girl who likes to read and tell - so I do :)  Make sure you check out my blog - and if you want to follow it, that would be awesome!  http://fluttersandflails.blogspot.com/

The Truth About Letting Go (The Truth, #2)

The Truth About Letting Go - Leigh Talbert Moore This one was just okay for me -- I mean, I read it so obviously it held my attention...but it just didn't evoke any kind of response. I didn't find myself invested in anything. Not the characters, the storyline, the outcome. I just wanted something to read while I couldn't sleep -- so I guess the fact that I stayed awake until the end says something about the story. And like I said, it wasn't bad...it was just okay. **shrugs**

Uncharted: An On the Island Novella

Uncharted - Tracey Garvis-Graves For real, is there anything better then learning that there will be "more" about characters you love? Nope.So I was super excited when I found out about this Novella.Like, cartwheels down the street excited :)Owen Sparks was the other (and earlier) inhabitant of "the island" -- but his was a willing decision and Uncharted is his story. So many of the questions that Anna and TJ had during their ordeal were answered and this novella provided the perfect finish to On the Island. That final flourish. That final tug on the pretty bow at the end.At first I was a little sad that there wasn't more TJ/Anna in this novella, but once I had a chance to sit back and gather my thoughts, I'm now glad that there wasn't. They were still there, and they are still some of my favorite characters ever, but there is an inherent overkill risk with follow-up novellas/epilogues. Allowing this story to be Owen-centric kept that from happening.I still love Anna and TJ just as much as before.And now I love Owen and Calia too.

For Internal Use Only

For Internal Use Only - Cari Kamm I'm conflicted about this book. I honestly don't know quite how to review it without giving away a pretty big detail, but I'm gonna give it a shot.For Internal Use Only is the story of Chloe Kassidy's search for the meaning of love - both in her personal life and in her career as a photographer. Her story starts on the day she gets invited to participate in "Love Through Light", an exclusive exhibit at a prestigious gallery. Basically, this is a huge make it or break it event for her and starts her thinking about love and how or even if it truly exists. Enter her amazing group of friends -- each in a different place in life and love. The happily married couple, the woman scorned, and the impulsive single mom on a perpetual quest for her soul mate". And then there is Christoph. Swedish diplomat, do-gooder, writer, lover of family, man of beautiful words. But lets just say that their relationship does little to help Chloe find the true definition of love. NOTHING about their relationship is traditional. Can love even be defined or is it just a product of fairy tales and Disney?That is what kept me up reading until 2:30 in the morning just so I could finish the book. First off, the writing in this book is gorgeous. GORGEOUS. The descriptions and the fluidity and the back and forth with Christoph...I highlighted so many beautiful passages that I just had to stop and read over and over again because they were just perfect. And the emotion -- I totally connected with Chloe. From start to finish. I felt her eagerness and trepidation and hesitation and free-falling. I felt all of her highs and lows, and while she frustrated me at times with some of her decisions, they were realistic decisions. I do feel like I have to give a warning though -- NOT A SPOILER. There is a twist in this book that I was not expecting. At all. In any way, shape or form. I was happily reading and basking in the swoony words when all of a sudden...huh...maybe...huh...did that...oh. OH! In other words, there was not the traditional fluffy, wrapped up in a perfect red bow HEA I was expecting - though I do classify it as a HEA. It just didn't take the path I was expecting when I started back on page one.All in all, this was a solid 4 stars for me. Well done, Ms. Kamm.

Time After Time

Time After Time - Tamara Ireland Stone So many feels...review to come when I can pull my thoughts together.

Playing the Part (Entangled Brazen)

Playing the Part - Robin Covington Playing the Part is exactly what I needed to read today. Right after I finished it, I had a big smile on my face and was just...happy. Because who doesn't enjoy a well-written Happily Ever After? Robin Covington creates a cast of characters that totally compliment each other. Piper, even with her understandable issues, has enough gumption to balance out superstar Mick. She doesn't let his ego get in her way and has the guts to stand her ground when needed. It is so nice to see that -- and what I especially liked was their communication. The all-to-common "lets jump to completely irrational conclusions and make knee-jerk decisions without giving the other party a chance to explain so we can wallow in our own misery for months on end before learning the truth" was missing and it was nice to read. The secondary characters were well-developed and didn't feel superfluous and I actually "woohoo'd" when the...nope, no spoilers here. Lets just say that the villian gets what he deserves. Another aspect of this book that I feel needs to be mentioned and appreciated is the ethnic diversity in this book -- I can't think of another book off the top of my head with a bi-racial hero. I know there are others out there, but it is a shame that one doesn't come to mind. So kudos, Ms. Covington. Hopefully more authors will follow your lead.All in all, Playing the Part is a fun, flirty, unffy read that will keep you entertained from start to finish.

Geoducks Are for Lovers

Geoducks Are for Lovers - Daisy Prescott I'll be the first to admit that I read a disproportionate amount of YA and New Adult books -- mostly because books are my escape from real life and why would I want to read about the same problems that I have on a daily basis? But every now and then a book about those of us in the "not so new Adult" age range catches my eye and that is what happened with Geoducks Are For Lovers.I had seen a few tweets about it while author stalking doing some blog promoting on Twitter and I was intrigued...especially when the blurb on Goodreads asked "What happens when the generation from The Breakfast Club and Reality Bites meets The Big Chill?" It was like it was speaking directly to me. Once I started reading Geoducks (which is pronounced Gooey-ducks -- who knew?!?!), I couldn't put it down. Her characters are so real and...normal. I mean, Maggie blogs in her pajamas -- guess what I'm doing RIGHT NOW! I could so relate to her - not because our lives have taken the same paths, but because her story is believable. And maybe because a little part of me is jealous of where and how she lives. This is a story of second chances. Love and heart-flutters aren't limited to the YA crowd. Just because we are closer to 40 than 20 doesn't mean that our boys can't still be swoony. Because Gil...hello! It is also a story lauding the bonds of true friendship. Maggie and her group all live in different places and lead different lives -- but once they get together, none of that matters. All the pieces come together like a jigsaw puzzle...or a game of scrabble. I stayed up until almost 1:00 AM reading this book because I couldn't go to bed without knowing how it ended. And while I had to take a nap the next day, I have no regrets. It was a super sweet, super real, super enjoyable read and I recommend it to everybody who likes reading about second chances and self-discovery. You can also find this review on my blog Flutters and Flails

MisMatch (A Humorous Contemporary Romance) (Love Match)

Mismatch - Nana Malone Y'all...wow. Talk about a hot mess. There was too much going on and the ending was way too simple. Sigh.

Throne of Glass

The Assassin and the Princess - Sarah J. Maas Review to come

Unbreak Me

Unbreak Me - Lexi Ryan 4.5 stars -- it wasn't perfect, but Im rounding it up to 5 because of Asher. Every girl deserves one like him. Unbreak Me is a story of survival and triumph. Of learning how to trust and tearing down walls. A story about how words and gossip in a small town can become so corrosive that they become the "truth" until they no longer matter.Maggie Thompson is a victim of her past choices (and lack thereof). Backlash has her convinced that she is a whore, that she is a disgrace, that she is a failure. Back in town for her sister's wedding (to Maggie's ex-fiance - talk about a slap in the face) Maggie has one thing on her mind -- turning over a new leaf and surviving. But that takes time and during a well needed respite from the wedding reception, she runs into Asher Logan.Asher Logan. Gah! WANT.Asher is an outsider. He lives in the house next door, but hasn't been around much. One benefit of being an outsider is that he is prejudiced by the gossip, the rumors, the resulting Scarlet Letter that Maggie has branded upon herself. He sees a girl who hurts.Wounded by his own choices, he helps Maggie tear down the walls she has built to protect herself and realize that maybe she isn't a total disappointment. That her past doesn't need to define her and that she is worthy of being loved.This story broke my heart. Reading it took me back -- not because my past was like Maggie's (thank goodness) but I know what it is like to have so little self-worth. To have walls. To not trust.I remember the first time a boy tried to break down my walls. I totally wasn't ready and I remember the hurt in his eyes 21 years later. Reading Maggie struggle with letting Asher in - it brought back so many feels.One thing I will say about Maggie, is that while she has a negative self-image, she is NOT a doormat. I felt sorry for her, but I did not pity her. She is witty and snarky and the back and forth with Logan was totally believable. I do wish there had been a little more of Asher's back story in this book -- a little insight into why he was able to understand and forgive so easily. The things he says, the way he cares for Maggie and the way he allows her to slowly trust...and then, when he's sitting in jeans, shirtless and barefoot strumming a guitar...a'wkjfda;askjrfdsalsa;. All in all, this book was a really good read. I started and finished it in the same day and will definitely search out other books from Ms. Ryan. **I received a review copy of Unbreak Me in exchange for an honest review**

On The Island

On the Island  - Tracey Garvis-Graves I don't want it to be over!I remember seeing On the Island mentioned quite a bit when it was first published last summer and I've had it on my Kindle for months, but it had gotten buried somewhere on page 4 or 5 and I had forgotten about it. On a whim, I started reading it on Wednesday afternoon and from the beginning, I couldn't. put. it. down.I have to confess, I think part of the reason I had put off reading it so long is because the first thing I noticed when reading about the book was that it told the story of a 30 year old teacher being stranded on an island with a 16 year old student. I mean, hello -- giant red warning flags, right? But I sort of hate that it is even mentioned because that is SO not what this story is about and yet it was always kind of always in the back of my mind saying "what kind of book is this going to be?". Until all of a sudden, it was gone. Please don't let my ramblings scare you off -- I promise I wouldn't tell you to read something squicky.Trust me.Anna and TJ are on their way to a summer in the Maldives when tragedy strikes and their plane crashes. After they survive the impact, they somehow make it to a deserted island where hope for rescue. Surely somebody will be searching for them, right? Right?Right?Hours turn to days...to weeks...to months...to years.As the story progresses, you find yourself pulling for these characters, for Anna and TJ to survive. You don't see 30 and 16, you see trust and growth and strength. Told in alternating POVs, this book evoked every possible reaction. I laughed, I smiled, I cried, I was scared, I cried, I cheered, I was angry...and when I finished it, I was sooooo sad. Not because of what happens, but because it was over. Gah, it is so hard to write what I want to say without giving anything away.Tracey Garvis-Graves writes beautifully. The story was fluid even with the alternating POVs and captivating. I look forward to reading more by this author. On a side note -- Jaime and Bri and Tara and Jess...WHY did you not make me read this one sooner?

Don't Bite the Bridesmaid (Entangled Covet)

Don't Bite the Bridesmaid - Tiffany Allee I used to read Paranormal Romance all the time, but then it seemed like they were all the same and omg, they were ALL ABOUT VAMPIRES. All of them. So I stepped away, only reading one from time to time when I needed a break from my usual genres.And to be perfectly honest, this was why I picked up Don't Bite the Bridesmaid last week. Because I felt like I needed a palate cleanser from all the YA and New Adult I had been reading.What a surprise! It was refreshing to read a PNR that was funny and sweet and light and all kinds of romantical and has all the key elements (ahem) of why we read romance books to begin with. But it wasn't over the top with the stereotypical all knowing vampire and doormat heroine (cough Bella Swan cough).Neighbors for years but barely even acquaintances, Alice and Noah's lives collide when desperate circumstances require that they spend a week together on a cruise ship. The situation isn't ideal for either of them, but there's that whole saying about life and lemons and lemonade.Alice is easy to like -- sure she has her flaws, but who doesn't. Especially when they've been burned before. And her family cracked me up. Noah is a bit broody, but I would be too if I being forced into an arranged marriage. Yet he manages to set it aside to help Alice out when she needs him. And he doesn't sparkle!As the week progresses and walls come down, acquaintances become friends become more. Knowing the cruise is a week long allows the pacing of their relationship to seem realistic and the ending will leave you with a smile on your face -- complete enough to read as a stand alone, but with enough openings to allow for potential future books. Tiffany Allee has written a story that entertained me from beginning to end. I would recommend this one to anybody looking to add to their summer reading list -- and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she writes more about this cast of characters. *I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This Girl (Slammed, #3)

This Girl (Slammed, #3) - Colleen Hoover I am so flippin' happy right now!A few days ago, I did a quick Facebook status on my Flutters and Flail page that mentioned Colleen Hoover. I had just finished reading This Girl and was so overcome by, well...flails :) that I had to do something. That was the whole point of me starting my blog and social media outreach -- to do something with my feels about books like this one! Because lets face it, I can tell my poor dog about all the books I love, but she's not going to do anything with it.So...back to the point. Normally, I am a big believer in less is more. In a world where seemingly every book written is a part of a trilogy or series and books are divided into two movies (WHY???), when I heard that there was going to be a 3rd installment in the Slammed series and that it was going to be a retelling of Will and Lake's story from Will's point of view, I was honestly a little meh. BUT...I also loved Slammed and Point of Retreat so much I knew that I'd end up reading it.I ended up loving it. His perspective on their story, their relationship added just the right amount of...finish. I didn't feel like this book was just a regurgitation of the previous two. I didn't feel like it was excessive or unnecessary or over the top. It felt right. “If I took every romantic poem, every book, every song, and every movie I've ever read, heard or seen and extracted the breathtaking moments, somehow bottling them up, they would pale in comparison to this moment.This moment is incomparable.” And they lived happily ever after.

All Our Pretty Songs

All Our Pretty Songs - Sarah McCarry This makes me so sad because the cover is gorgeous and the writing is incredible, but it really just didn't click with me.It reminds me a lot of the way I felt about The Night Circus, except I actually finished this one. Maybe I'm broken?

Burning

Burning - Elana K. Arnold I didn't hate it, I didn't love it...The cover is gorgeous.I guess you can probably tell I'm rather ambiguous about this book. I read it. I'll read something else tomorrow.**shrugs**
Kissing Fire  (An Edge Novel #3) - A.M. Hargrove I need to think about how to review this one...

After Hours: (InterMix)

After Hours: (InterMix) - Cara McKenna Good lord, it is like she gets in my head and writes exactly what I need to read.That is all.