Tag: Spencer Hill Contemporary

Review: Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Posted January 26, 2016 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Scorched by Jennifer L. ArmentroutReviewer: Rowena
Scorched by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publication Date: June 16th 2015
Genres: New Adult
Pages: 248
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Jennifer L. Armentrout (also known as J. Lynn), New York Times bestselling author of the Wait for You series, presents her latest book, Scorched.
Sometimes life leaves a mark...

Most days, Andrea doesn't know whether she wants to kiss Tanner or punch him in the gut. He is seriously hot, with legit bedroom eyes and that firefighter body of his, but he's a major player, and they can't get along for more than a handful of minutes. Until now.

Tanner knows he and Andrea have had an epic love/hate relationship for as long as he can remember, but he wants more love than hate from her. He wants her. Now. Tomorrow. But the more he gets to know her, the more it becomes obvious that Andrea has a problem. She's teetering on the edge, and every time he tries to catch her, she slips through his fingers.

Andrea's life is spiraling out of control, and it doesn't matter that Tanner wants to save her, because when everything falls apart and she's speeding toward rock-bottom, only she can save herself.

Sometimes life makes you work for that happily ever after...

-- Jennifer L. Armentrout

Scorched is the companion novel to Frigid and it follows Kyler and Sidney’s friends as they fumble their way to their happily for now ending. Andrea and Tanner have bickered like immature teenagers since the first book in this series but over time, that shit got old.

I knew that Andrea had a thing for Tanner and wanted them to get together when I first read Frigid so I was glad to finally get this book but after finishing it, I’m still not quite sure where my thoughts are. Did I enjoy it? For a good chunk of the book, yes but there were things that I did not enjoy. Things that were choppy and drove me crazy.

First things first, Andrea’s best friend and Tanner’s best friends are together. Kyler and Sidney want to get out of town for a week to unwind and just relax and they want their best friends to go with them. It’s not a secret that said best friends don’t like each other but they all decide to go on the trip anyway….together.

Before they decide to go up to a cabin for some much needed R&R, Tanner and Andrea get into another argument where things go a little farther than either of them anticipated. As always, they bring out the worst in each other and Tanner knows that he was out of line and things changed for him. In an effort to make peace before heading out, Tanner takes Andrea home after a night out at the bar where Andrea gets really drunk. He’s not quite sure how it happened but she stopped being Sid’s best friend and before he knows what’s what, he realizes that he wants to really get to know Andrea. He wants to be more to Andrea and that’s easier said than done because 1) she doesn’t trust him and 2) she only seems to want him when she’s drunk.

Tanner thinks that Andrea drinks too much and has a substance abuse problem. Andrea disagrees. When she’s not drinking, they get along great but when Andrea gets alcohol into her system, she turns into freaking Medusa and Tanner doesn’t know how to deal with that. All he knows is that he wants her, his heart has chosen her and he’s not going away without a fight.

Andrea, for her part has always wanted Tanner but he doesn’t remember her and she can’t get over the past so it’s hard for her to let that go and truly be with him. She wants to be with him but she doesn’t know how to be. She knows that holding the past against him is dumb, considering he doesn’t even remember it but she can’t help it. But her troubles with Tanner aren’t the only troubles she’s got and it’s the other trouble that keeps the story going.

Andrea’s journey throughout the book was hard to get through and I didn’t completely understand her problems or her illness so it made liking her, let alone connecting with her hard. I spent a lot of time pissed at her for the hot and cold act she had going with Tanner. The whole drinking thing pissed me off because once again, I was ignorant to what her problem actually was…even when the shit hit the fan at the end, I didn’t understand it and was still completely pissed off at her. I wanted her to be stronger. I wanted her to get her shit together and in the end, I was glad that she finally did. But by then, too much time had passed and I spent so much time being pissed off at her that I didn’t understand why Tanner stuck around or what he saw in her.

I will say that the book was interesting but my reservations with Andrea and my inability to connect and understand her made my enjoyment of this book suffer. So while there were good moments, this isn’t one of my favorite books from Armentrout.

Grade: 2.5 out of 5

Reading Order:

Frigid
Scorched

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Review: The Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris

Posted November 20, 2014 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

fine art of pretendingRowena’s review of The Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris.

According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you’re friends with. Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to change her rank, she devises a plan to become the first type by homecoming, and she sets her sights on the perfect date—Justin Carter, Fairfield Academy’s biggest hottie and most notorious player.

With 57 days until the dance, Aly launches Operation Sex Appeal and sheds her tomboy image. The only thing left is for Justin actually to notice her. Enter best friend Brandon Taylor, the school’s second biggest hottie, and now Aly’s pretend boyfriend. With his help, elevating from “funny friend” to “tempting vixen” is only a matter of time.

But when everything goes according to plan, the inevitable “break up” leaves their friendship in shambles, and Aly and Brandon with feelings they can’t explain. And the fake couple discovers pretending can sometimes cost you the one thing you never expected to want.

This sounded like such a cute book so of course, I wanted to read it. I’m a sucker for these cute contemporary YA’s and I’m happy to report that this book definitely worked for me.

Alyssa Reed is sick of being friend zoned. She’s going to be a senior when school starts up and she wants to go out with a bang..err, something like that.  So gone are the sweats and the boy clothes. She’s going to revamp her style and hope that boys will start to notice her as someone they want to hook up with and not something they need to get serious with. She kind of had a thing for best friend, Brandon but when he didn’t reciprocate her feelings, she let it go.

Now she needs his help in getting other boys to notice her so she asks him to pretend to be her boyfriend on the senior camping trip so that the boys at their school will finally notice her.  Her plan completely works. The boys are definitely noticing her, but so is Brandon.

Brandon has never wanted a complicated relationship with his best friend.  He loves the girl to death but because she deserves someone that would put her on a pedestal and he’s too young to commit to just one girl…but when he gets roped into helping Alyssa snag the attention of the boys in their class, he can’t stop thinking about her. And wanting to kiss her. And other things.

What a cute book this turned out to be. I really enjoyed it even though there were times when I wanted to smack the crap out of Brandon and Alyssa. There were some times when their communication broke down and I would shake my head because they’re best friends. They should be able to communicate a whole lot better than they did in this book but the angst was real and the characters were charming and I really enjoyed this book. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything by Rachel Harris before but she’s on my radar now and I will definitely be reading more.

I loved seeing the growth in both Alyssa and Brandon’s characters. I thought they were adorable and seeing them try to figure things out was entertaining, sweet and just too freaking cute. If you’re a fan of cute, lighthearted contemporary YA romances then you’ll probably enjoy this one.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Spencer Hill Contemporary. You can purchase it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Camp Boyfriend by J.K Rock

Posted July 19, 2014 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Rowena’s review of Camp Boyfriend by J.K. Rock.

The summer of her dreams is about to get a reality check.

They said it couldn’t be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school halfway across the country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren’s nerves and she can’t wait to return to summer camp where she’s valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she’s broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn’t even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.

But Matt isn’t giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn’t really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she’s more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren’s friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she’s changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?

I’m a fan of cute summer reads and by reading the blurb, this one looked like it would fit the bill.  This book follows Lauren Carlson as she tries to get rid of all strings that will get in the way of what she really wants. To be Seth’s year-round girlfriend.  Seth is Lauren’s summer camp boyfriend.  The entire time that they’re at camp, they’re together but when the summer comes to an end, they’re free to do whatever they want and the cycle repeats itself each year.  Lauren really likes Seth and even though she’s morphed into a new person over the year that she’s been apart from Seth, she likes the person that she is with Seth and wants to have that relationship year round but things don’t always go her way when the boy she’s trying to break up with, Matt ends up going to summer camp…WITH HER.

While reading this book, I definitely didn’t see the ending coming the way that it came.  And I kept reading to see who she’d end up with and the guy she ends up with was not the guy I thought.  I saw the appeal of both boys and liked them each in their own way but I don’t know, I don’t think I would have chosen the guy she ends up choosing.  I’m not even sure why, I just liked the other guy a tad bit more.

This should have been a short read but for some reason, it was hard to get through the beginning. I kept waiting for things to pick up already and so it took me a lot longer to immerse myself into the story but once it finally picked up, I was glad.  Lauren was hard to take through most of the book, her wishy washy attitude made me want to smack her upside her head but in the end, it was all good. I’m still interested in continuing this series.

Grade: 2.5 out of 5

This book is available from Spencer Hill Contemporary. You can purchase it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Frigid by J. Lynn

Posted June 16, 2014 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Frigid by J. LynnReviewer: Holly
Frigid by J. Lynn
Series: Frigid #1

Publication Date: 2013
Genres: Fiction, Erotica, Suspense
Pages: 260
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Jennifer L. Armentrout (also known as J. Lynn), New York Times bestselling author of the Wait for You series, presents Frigid.

For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.

This was recommended by a friend on Goodreads because I said I enjoy friends-to-lovers. I’m glad she recommended it.

There were a lot of things I liked about the book. The early chapters that showed Syd and Kyler’s friendship set the foundation for their romance well. Syd’s pain when she would see Kyler with a woman really came through. When Kyler realizes Syd is in love with him, he looks back at his past and sees all the times he hurt her. This showed great growth on his part, which I felt was needed.

I did have a problem with Syd’s insecurities and their lack of communication. For having been friends for so long there was a lot they didn’t know about each other. There were way too many misunderstandings through the course of the book. I would have liked to see them talk to each other rather than make assumptions and jump to conclusions.

The suspense portion of the book was unnecessary. It served as nothing more than a platform for Kyler’s past sins to be brought forward.

Still, I enjoyed the romances and the overall growth of both main characters.

3.5 out of 5

Something aside from the story that bothered me? There were a lot of spelling and grammatical errors.

This book is available from Spencer Hill Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

three-half-stars

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Review: Frigid by J. Lynn.

Posted November 19, 2013 by Rowena in Reviews | 2 Comments

Frigid- J Lynn
Rowena’s review of Frigid (Frigid #1) by J. Lynn.

For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn’t anything new. They’d been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the ‘man’ in man-whore. He’s never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn’t want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she’s perfect and she’s everything. But the feelings he has for her, he’s always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.

But when they’re stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor’easter, there’s nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.

Kyler and Sydney are best friends, and Sydney has been in love with Kyler for as long as she can remember.  What Syd doesn’t know is that Kyler has those same feelings for her but he won’t let himself act on them because she’s too good for him.  He’s the boy from the wrong side of the track and she’s the girl he’ll never let himself have because she deserves someone better than him.  But things are thrown in the air when they’re stuck at Kyler’s Mom’s cabin in the mountains during a massive snow storm.  Feelings come to the surface and things spiral out of control until they have no choice but to deal with it all.

There is nothing I like more than a good ol’ best friends to lovers story and this was definitely one of those.  Kyler and Sydney are young adults who have feelings for each other but have not come clean with each other…and there were times in the book where these undeclared feelings got to be a bit much.  I mean, my heart hurt for Syd and then my heart sighed for Kyler but the longer they kept their feelings for each other a secret from each other and then the goofy way they acted when Sydney comes clean made me want to smack some damn sense into the both of them.

But this book ends the way that it needs to end and even through all of my frustrations with both Kyler and Sydney, I did end up really liking their story.  Kyler was completely droolworthy and Sydney was completely relatable (is that a word?).  They frustrated me but I chalked that up to them being young.  When I closed the book, I was happy that I read the book and anxious for more from this author so that’s saying something, right?

Either way, if you’re in the mood for a New Adult read, pick this one up.  It’s good.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Spencer Hill Contemporary.  You can purchase it here or here in e-format.

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