Book Review: PAPER PRINCESS by Erin Watt

Paper Princess by Erin Watt

Published: 4 April 2016
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: Paperback, personal copy

Overall: ☆☆☆

goodreads | amazon | barnes & noble

Summary: From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself.
These Royals will ruin you…
Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone.
Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.
Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.
He might be right.
Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees.

With the amount of positive and raving reviews on Goodreads, I knew I had to get this book. Firstly, I read this book in two days; which doesn't happen very often. But it's not because I was loving it. It was because I just wanted the book to start. For something to happen. 

There are so many characters in this book that I feel like our lead Ella never really got to develop a relationship with any of them. Including Reed. They went from hating each other to almost boning each other and I never even understood where the chemistry came from!

Another reviewer on goodreads stated that Paper Princess reminded her of Boys Over Flowers--one of my least favorite Korean dramas ever. And I can totally see that. This book frustrated me for those same reasons that Boys Over Flowers did. Reed is an ass, they're all asses and yet we're supposed to like him. We're supposed to feel for him.

With all of the frustrating parts of this book, there were some things that I did like about the book. Callum, he's a confused, lost man who just wants what is best for his sons and Ella. Valerie, as little as we got with her, I liked her spunk and positivity. Gideon, yet another character we never get to see in this book, but he seemed to be the only brother who wasn't a complete ass hole and female degrading douche! (Seriously, the amount of degrading and disgusting things said in this book.) And even though Ella annoyed the hell out of me a lot, I liked that she never apologized for the life she had to live, the things she had to do to get by in life. It's what she knew and that's all she cared about. Even though she did some seriously questionable things I was always rooting for her. 

I plan on reading the next two books in the series to find out what happens next because this one is quite a cliffhanger! I'll just be getting them from the library and won't be purchasing the books. 

Erin Watt can write some sexy scenes, and this felt more like a NA book than YA, so I hope she delves more into that drama and leaves the ass hole boys out of them!! Jen Frederick, Elle Kennedy, Erin Watt... whoever she is. I should probably read more from her. Recommend one!

Have you read Paper Princess? Am I the only one who thinks this!? Let me know!

Book Review: FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Published: 29 October 2014 by Alfaguara Juvenil
Genre: YA contemporary
Format: Hardcover, library

Overall:  ½

goodreads | amazon | barnes & noble

Summary: Cath is a Simon Snow fan.
Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...
But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.
Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.
Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.
For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?
Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

I had never really been interested in Fangirl until I started seeing it on Tumblr. People were posting their collection with the multiple covers and I figured it must be really good. It had to be..why else would you buy multiples of the same book?

I won't say I'm disappointed--I'm not--but I definitely wasn't as satisfied as I thought I would be.

We're pulled into the world of Cath--and even though it was in second person, you're somehow still in her head. I related so hard to Cath it was almost embarrassing. An introvert with social anxiety and obsessive issues. (I may be a bit more extreme.) That was my favorite part about this book; I LOVED about that aspect of the book. How Rowell deals with mental disorders in, many forms, was perfect.  It made me think too hard about my own issues, especially when someone who has never met me can express how I feel.

Why did I rate it 3½ stars? Something about Fangirl felt off, like something was missing. I could never tell what it was, but it caused me to feel detached to anything else other than Cath's emotion...if that makes sense.

I loved Cath, I loved her roommate, I loved Levi, I loved her writing, I loved Simon Snow... but I didn't love this book.

I actually am very excited to read Rainbow Rowell's other books, however.

How do you feel about Fangirl? Or if you haven't read it, will you?

REVIEW: Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

Publication: 09 June 2015
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Format: Hardcover from library

Overall: ★★★

goodreads | amazon | barnes & noble

Summary: Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.

She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.

Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.

I am quite the fanatic of K-Pop and K-Dramas. If you know me, you know that's not a secret. So when I heard about a book involving the two, I had to read it. Though, I won't lie... I was a little disappointed in that aspect.

I will start by saying the beginning reads like a K-Drama would play out--I was waiting for the back hug, or piggy back rides. Then it starts to go a little downhill for me. That being said, it was fun, quirky and just a simple read.

Grace was the kind of girl who was driven to form her own path, but was still lost in the naivety of her own mind. She inspired me when she would just go and do things, but in the same breath annoy me when she came close to a wall. It was like she would turn around and go back. Never trying to scale it, go around or even jump. Just Oh well, I at least got here.

I was hoping for a book that would pull me in and make me never want to put it down. I was waiting for as many Kpop references as possible. I was waiting for the fangirl/boy feels that most Kpoppers feel just by seeing their bias blink. But it felt a little dull on that end.

I'm not opposed to insta-love, but I am also not opposed to the feeling YUP! THESE TWO, TOGETHER. SHIPS HAVE SAILED!, ya know. . . something like that. And I didn't even get close to that. I didn't really feel much of a connection. I actually felt more for the second lead. Then again, I usually do. I don't know if it's the writers, or I'm always cheering for the underdog.

Grace's roommate Sophie was the fun in this book for me. I loved everything about her. And I felt like she and Grace's sister, Jane, were the only minuscule glimpses at what a fangirl is/can be. And it wasn't enough.

I hope Sophie gets her own story. I think it would be nice to see the way her mind works. Maybe a few years in the future. [ahem, Katie.]

When Grace pushed Jason away, we get why. She explains why... in her head. But when she'd decide to hang out with him, write songs, or whatever, she was fighting the urge to tackle him. And I'm not sure about Jason, but even I had whiplash.
And the fact that she was there for as long as she was, in school taking the KOREAN LANGUAGE class and not learning anything but "hello", "thank you" and "pretty"... SERIOUSLY!?
It was obvious at times when the author would talk about a famous Korean star and you'd know immediately who she meant. Storm... aka RAIN! Uh huh!

The ending was a bit too cutesy and curt for me. It felt like she was running out of ideas, time, paper...something and just ended it.


If you're looking for a cute book without too much character development or anything too deep and one cute Asian guy; this one is for you.
If you're looking for KPOP, KDRAMAS, good times with friends, exploring a new country and culture, romance, or just sexiness... this one isn't for you.
However, I hope this opens a new door for authors that take fads and make them into books that could be great. I know there are a lot of great fanfic works out there.... but I'm hoping for more about all new people.

Hello! I'm Katie, and I write Young Adult books. My debut is called Hello, I Love You, and it releases with St. Martin's Press on June 9, 2015!
I'm from Atlanta, Georgia, but I have a passion for travel, which has taken me all over the world. I've lived in Thailand and England, and I've visited five continents. I love Southern sweet tea and English sticky toffee pudding, and I work in social media and marketing for a Christian charity.

website | twitter | instagram | pinterest

REVIEW: Tortured by Kate Givans

Tortured by Kate Givans

Series: #1 Tortured Soul
Published: 19th July 2014
Genre: NA Contemporary
Format: kindle | for review

Overall: DNF

goodreads | amazon

Summary:      A contemporary romantic drama about loss, healing, and love's ability to reach beyond scars and secrets, no matter how deep or hidden.

WARNING: This book is intended for 18+ readers ONLY. Potentially triggering content and concepts in books to follow.

More than a year after the death of his best friend, Josh is still tormented by the past. Everything changes when free-spirited Willow barges into his life. She challenges him, helps him feel something other than the overwhelming pain, sadness, and anger.

There’s just one problem.

Underneath that carefree spirit, Willow is elusive and secretive. Josh believes she may be fighting a few demons of her own, but the harder he tries to uncover the truth, the more she pushes him away.

Can Josh get her to open up before it’s too late? Or will he discover that some secrets are better left untold?

I was contacted to review this book and post for the blog tour, after reading the summary on goodreads I wanted to give it a shot. I have been reading a lot of New Adult lately--too much, honestly-- and I figured I may enjoy this one. I liked that it would be told from a male's POV.

I'm pretty sure that if I read this a year ago, or even a few months ago, I would love it. But I am so burned out on new adult and the same storyline that I could not take the book seriously, at all.
I'm over the harboring secrets, the push and pull, helping each other through their "dark" pasts, blah blah blah... ENOUGH!!!

From the very very very beginning, there was no one else but Willow and Josh and this attraction that Josh had towards her for no reason. At all. I could not find a single moment when I thought "I could see why you would like her." We knew nothing about her other than she smelled like vanilla and sugar and had a "side smile." That's not enough for me to want to be with someone. Especially the vanilla and sugar scent. Gag. [Two of my very least favorite scents....ever.]

Josh is harboring all this pain for possibly killing his best friend on a drunken night and Willow blows in and brings him smiles and laughs and etc etc... the same thing.
I'm sure something else along the way may be different than any other book, and maybe Willow's story grows and we learn more about her, but I just couldn't bring myself to care enough to read further.

This may very well be a book for someone, judging by the reviews on Goodreads, but this book was just not for me!!

I need to run from the NA contemporary genre and come back when I've cleared my head of the repetitiveness. Redundant.

It's repetitive and redundant. It's repetitive and redundant. (Gilmore Girls, anyone?)

REVIEW: Gone by Anna Bloom

Gone by Anna Bloom

Expected Publishing Date: 28th July 2014
Genre: NA Contemporary
Format: Kindle (ARC)
Overall:
goodreads | barnes & noble

Rebecca Walters harbours a dark secret, and as the fifty-three bangles she wears on her wrists as a self-imposed sentence of guilt remind her, she can’t even begin to consider moving on. Not after what happened on that night six months ago… a night which she can’t remember and yet managed to change her life forever.

When Rebecca comes across Joshua Adams, man equally haunted by past tragedies, on a moonlit beach, both of their lives are destined to change forever, and when the girl made out of the sun meets the boy made out of the moon and sea, anything can happen… but will the knowledge of their murky pasts bring them together or drive them apart?
Will Rebecca finally be able to claim her freedom? Will she stay and fight to be the girl she found on the sandy beaches of Cornwall or is she destined to keep running and hiding from a past that won’t stay Gone? One thing’s for certain: either way, nothing will ever be the same again.

When this book was recommended to me, I read the synopsis and decided to hop on the blog tour. I definitely don't regret it. This book was a great read.

There were times I felt like it was very slow paced and I would feel like I should be further along than I really was. But I didn't completely hate the slow pace; we got to spend time with Rebecca--or Bex as only those closest to her call her--and Joshua.

They were adorable together and I loved that I could hear their voices and their accents as I read the book. There seemed to be this extreme spark and pull  between the characters that never really was defined in the book, but I believe that was supposed to be the point. That sometimes you find someone and you can't explain how, when, where, or even why... but you just need them in your lives. And I loved that aspect too.
I felt like the author had quite an artists mind as she wrote this. That everything she wanted to say, she was almost painting the scene, the words and everything that happened.

I did feel like all their secrets and the dark cloud that hung over both of their heads was a bit too much and pulled a lot of the reality out of the story for me. I understand that not everyone is happy (boy do I understand) but I don't think one person has so much pain and finds someone else with pain that has an almost identical cause and they just happen to work. It felt a bit forced.
When I'd ignore that part or when it wasn't the center of the book, which was rare, I loved them together. They truly were amazing together.

This is the kind of book I'd like to see turned into a movie.
However, I'm not a fan of dreads, so I'd prefer if Josh's hair accidentally gets chopped early.

Because I truly do enjoy Ms Bloom's writing style, as if she is painting with words, I will delve into her other books as well! Check this one out!


Plot:
Characters: ½
Ending:
Writing: ½
Cover: (although her hair is a bit too perfect, and not red enough for Bex)

BOOK REVIEW: How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Published: 7th May 2013 | Simon Pulse
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Format: Kindle

Overall: ½

goodreads | amazon | barnes & noble

Summary: First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she’s on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel’s packed with drama and romance!
Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.
To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

Review: I have been avoiding a lot of YA lately as I've fallen (very deeply) into the genre that is NA. But books about summer road trips are by far my favorite genre (yes, I think it's its own genre. Deal.); so I knew I had to pick this book up. Knowing that I wasn't very into the YA scene I was weary of what I'd read. I figured there'd be a lot of juvenile dialogue and shenanigans....but this ended up being a fun and funny book from start to finish. I never found myself bored. In fact, there were times I could not bring myself to stop reading even when it was 4am! I haven't read a book like that in a very long time.

Rosie has the inability to think before she speaks or acts--she's impulsive--and because of that comedy ensues, as well as igniting her boyfriends car. Then she's forced (but really, who wouldn't want to go on a road trip 'cross country?) to take a road trip with her reliable neighbor, and best friend, Matty and his two nerdy (or not really?) comrades, until her TRO (temporary restraining order) court date. Along the way she learns to let go of the past and find a future that looks a little brighter as well as meeting a few people along the way that give her a new way to look at life.

I loved each character throughout the book and I was probably the minority in saying that Matty wasn't my favorite character. In fact I think he was last. It was that "friend forever I think I like you" character that I was over. Spencer and Logan were my favorite of the bunch. Though at times Logan's weirdness was a bit too much, and it is justified, throughout, why he seems so stiff.
The adventure across the country had me yearning to go on a trip myself. And then they make it to Arizona. Now, I've never been there myself, but I've always had this weird secret fascination with it. The desert like state, the colors the idea of Native American culture still living freely there... I want to go, and after reading of their time I now know that I need to go!

This book isn't heavy in the romance department, which I am just fine with, but you do get lovey dovey times and cute boys. And honestly, what more could you ask for? Road trip? Sure. A douchey ex-boyfriend who gets what he deserves? Check. Fun times with a possible bucket list started by the time you're done? Double check. Comedy that comes out of no where and causes you to snort like a pig? Why not.
So, why didn't I give it a full five stars? The ending... It was too abrupt and didn't feel like an ending at all. I wanted more. At least another paragraph. Anything.
I cannot wait to read her second book, Famous Last Words. A great great debut from Ms Doktorski!


Plot:
Characters: ½
Ending:
Writing:
Cover: