Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Jellicoe Road
Melina Marchetta
YA Contemporary
Standalone 
Paperback, 432 pages
9 March 2010 (First published in AUS; 2006) by Harper Teen US

Goodreads Ratings: 4.16/5
My Rating : ALL THE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE

In this lyrical, absorbing, award-winning novel, nothing is as it seems, and every clue leads to more questions.

At age eleven, Taylor Markham was abandoned by her mother. At fourteen, she ran away from boarding school, only to be tracked down and brought back by a mysterious stranger. Now seventeen, Taylor's the reluctant leader of her school's underground community, whose annual territory war with the Townies and visiting Cadets has just begun. This year, though, the Cadets are led by Jonah Griggs, and Taylor can't avoid his intense gaze for long. To make matters worse, Hannah, the one adult Taylor trusts, has disappeared. But if Taylor can piece together the clues Hannah left behind, the truth she uncovers might not just settle her past, but also change her future.

"You just have to belong. Long to be."

"By blood?"

"By love."

Do you know what's beautiful? its THIS BOOK.
Do you know which book I love? its THIS BOOK.

Do you know which book I'm planning to reread every year? its THIS BOOK.

Do you know which book made me cry so effortlessly? its THIS BOOK. (i didnt notice there were tears until my cheeks got wet)

I'm going to make it my life mission starting from now to make sure everyone I know has read this book at least once. And that includes you. Until then, we're not friends.

Its YA but its not very YA bcs its light yet its heavy. Its fluffy yet so full of heartbreaking tragedies. Definitely suits all ages.

(PUSH THROUGH THIS BOOK EVEN WHEN YOU ARE FEELING CONFUSED. ITS GONNA BE WORTH IT, I PROMISE YOU.)

Wise word from my friend Farah :

"I spent the first 50-100 pages of the book in a tug-of-war of boringness and this-scene-makes-me-want-to-read-the-book-more. EVERY TIME I felt like giving up on the book, Marchetta bait me with this scene that made me intrigued to find out what happens next. And it works! EVERY TIME."

(watch her review video here) 

SEEEEEEEEEE?!!1!?!?!?1!!!1?!?!

The only word that describe this book so perfectly is this; BEAUTIFUL.

“It's funny how you can forget everything except people loving you. Maybe that's why humans find it so hard getting over love affairs. It's not the pain they're getting over, it's the love.” 

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Illuminae
The Illuminae Files #!
Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Trilogy
Young Adult Scifi
Paperback, 608 pages
20th October 2015 by Knopf Books

Goodreads Rating : 4.31/5
My Rating : 5/5

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.
But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes. 

READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT READ IT

Ok tbh I've been trying to write a proper review of this book since 8.30pm but I failed. I got writer block or anything u call it, but try as hard as I may, I couldn’t fully express what I want to say about Illuminae in an interesting way. I already typed 4 paragraphs of my review but I stopped because it isn’t what I want.

So im just gonna write this in point form lol.

•  The hype over this book is justified. I can guarantee that. I'm so so glad that I get to read this book and enjoy it. (This book intimidates me tbh)

•  It’s a scifi + dystopia. Its perfect for scifi lovers, really, And probably star wars lovers too because it mentions the space, space war, spaceships and some other aerospace things.

•  Illuminae is told in a very very unique way—Its in footage style. We have IMs, emails, hacked documents, journal entries, pictures, transcription of surveillance videos etc etc, which revolves around spaceships, an attacked planet, a robot/machine and 2 amazing characters. I don’t know how Amie and Jay did that but they nailed it!!! Not only that the unique and cool formatting enhance your reading experience, it also makes you feel  various type of feels for the characters.

• VERY VERY PRETTY COVER ART!!!!!! My edition is the paperback one. The hardback in its naked form is gorgeous too. I might buy the hardback edition once I found a good deal on it because hardbacks are expensive here. I love the book too much <3

•  I LOVE THE MAIN CHARACTERS. KADY GRANT IS MY SPIRIT ANIMAL. AND EZRA MASON!!!!! <3 <3<3<3<3<3 FOR HIM.

• I got sucked in immediately when I was introduced to both these characters. I like them both even as individuals with all their characters. Kady is an intelligent girl hacker with her ‘I do what I want to do and I do it my way, y’all are stupid anyways’ attitude and Ezra with her charming witty self. I was definitely won over, big time.

• AIDAN. God, I don’t know what to make of AIDAN. I hate it. I love it. I cried for it. I pitied it. I want to kill it. I want to hug it. I feel all of those things for AIDAN. You’ll understand me when you get there.

• VERY VERY INTERESTING PLOT I SWEAR!!!!!!! AND THE PLOT TWISTS!!!! I DIDN’T EVEN SEE THEM COMING!!!!! My God.

• Have I mentioned that I cried while reading this book?

COMPLAINS I HAVE FOR ILLUMINAE

1.    Truthfully, Illuminae is so hard to understand T___T. I had to ask a friend to explain the basic plots for me to be able to confirm what I have in mind. That happened because of the unique formatting and lots & lots of scientific terms. (Im ashamed because im a biochemistry student but I always find it hard to understand scifi books tsk)

2.    There are still a few things I don’t understand but some of them are cleared up once I had a discussion+fangirling session with Hanan.

3.    One of the reasons for the confusion is that we don’t really have a background story before Kerenza was attacked. The story starts right where the attack happened and it moves forward after that, with very few notes about the past. Some readers felt that they couldn’t really connect with the characters because of this.

4.    This book contains a lot of cuss words but they are all blacked out as in highlighted with black highlighter so you couldn’t see them. It gets annoying at some points but those blackened words can be predicted. If you prefer a cuss free book, then this is for you.

5.    The romance bit is okay but at some parts it gets cheesy. I found this being said by a reviewer and I couldn’t agree more :

     "I’ve read a decent amount of reviews touching on the subject of the romance aboard Illuminae and how it was too much, too cliche. I’m not going to go into a lot of detail, but the one thing I kept in mind when reading the ‘love story’ bits was this: when your family is gone, and you have the one person that you used to love in front of you, the only remnant of your home planet, what would you do? (& I advise that all prospective readers keep it in their head, too.)"

Kady & Ezra is still OTP, though <3

TIPS TO READ ILLUMINAE

• Make sure you have someone you can go to in case youre feeling confused/need explanation. You can always PM me :)
• Focus. Don’t think of anything while reading this book. It requires your utmost attention

SPOILER/DISCUSSION (Quickly scroll pass this if u haven’t read the book yet)

1.    Zhang. When he met Kady at Alexander, he said something like, “I do it for you” or something like that. I don’t really get it. What does he mean by that???? Was he in love with Kady or???/

2.    WHEN THAT ONE PARTICULAR CHARACTER DIED OMG I WAS SO SHOCKED I COULD BARELY RESPOND. I WAS HEARTBROKEN.

3.    Ezra’s mom????? WTF WAS THAT??? God, I need book 2.

4.    I was in absolute emotional pain when AIDAN was dying T_____T Poor AIDAN T____T

*SPOILER ENDS*

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably have seen my outrage over Illuminae since yesterday so please read this book and fangirl with me. Please.

WARNING : ok so i understand that there is a lot of hype surrounding this book. Just because I love this book, doesnt mean that this book IS SUPER GOOD. it may not match your taste because I believe this book isnt for everyone. You may hate the book despite my overflowing praise for it. I also have a few complains like i mentioned above so i understand if some people find it overhyped. I just dont want people to go all 'im disappointed. i dont find this book entertaining at all' on me.

If you haven’t known yet, Warner Bros and Brad Pitt has signed Illuminae up to adapt it into a scifi movie. Honestly? I dont know. Illuminae is unique as a book because of its formatting. Lets just see how Warner Bros will deliver the uniqueness of Illuminae in movie form.

OH AND THE SEQUEL OF ILLUMINAE IS CALLED GEMINA!!!!!!

(This review I did still fail to express what I want to say about Illuminae sigh)

A Court of Thorns and Roses ( A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Sarah J. Maas
New Adult, Fantasy
Paperback, 416 pages
5th May 2015 by Bloomsbury's Children

Goodreads Ratings : 4.34/5
My Rating : 5/5

The breathtaking start to a seductive high-fantasy from New York Times bestselling author of Throne of Glass series.

Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price.

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

"Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don't feel anything at all.” - Rhysand

WOW. WOW. WOW.

WHAT WAS THAT ?!!?!?1?1?!

ACOTAR is my first book of the highly-praised Sarah J. Maas. I was so afraid to start this to be honest because this fantasy genre isn’t exactly my best forte (Full exception on Harry Potter hehe) What if this book and her writing style isn’t my cup of tea ? What if I would be the minority who wouldn't enjoy this despite all the glory ? But I’m so glad that I took a step and brace myself with whatever possibility that might arise BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE READ THIS YEAR NO KIDDING. I would come down to say that Sarah J. Maas is the princess of the fantasy world. Considering the queen will always be JK Rowling. But still, YOU KICKED ASS SARAH !!!

ACOTAR is the first installment of the A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy. It’s about a 19 years old girl named Feyre (pronounced as Fay-ruh) who killed a soul while she was hunting for food and was being hold captive by a faerie for her crime, only to let herself be fully involved with love, sacrifices and the magic world. Or Faeries world. Same difference.

I love this book. I love the characters, the relationships, the romance, the love triangle, the villains, the world, the setting. EVERYTHING. Feyre is a lead character who doesn’t have any special abilities. Most of her success are purely out of luck. She’s not Katniss Everdeen nor she is Hermione Granger. Well at least, shes not Bella Swan. Shes your typical girl who is stubborn and wouldn’t listen to orders but shes kind and responsible and knows what she wants. She might be frustrating at times but shes the strong force of this book.

“Because I wouldn't want to die alone, I said,and my voice wobbled as I looked at Tamlin again,forcing myself to meet his stare.Because I'd want someone to hold my hand until the end, and awhile after that.That's something everyone deserves, human or faerie.” - Feyre

One of the things that I really really love about ACOTAR is the romance between Feyre and Tamlin. ITS NOT INSTA LOVE YOU GUYS THANK GOD ! All those books on insta love are making me sick. I love how the romance is built slowly out of trust and not pure lust. It is beautifully developed that I can’t help but to fall in love too.

There is a bit love triangle on the second half of the book and I am really surprised when I found myself liking it. I’m not a fan of love triangles. I have this tendency to hate the other character that disturbs the couple that I shipped. BUT I DON’T HATE RHYSAND. AT ALL. I LOVE HIM EVEN. (to the point of being okay if Feyre-Tamlin didn’t work out and Feyre be with Rhysand instead oops) I found a few people who dislike Rhysand for being a bit rude and stuffs but lol I seem to have no problem of that. Rhysand to me is like Choi Young Do of the Korean drama The Heirs. So far there is no love feelings on Feyre side for Rhysand but I don’t know about the next books. But I would love Sarah J. Maas to death if she built another character later in the trilogy for Rhysand to fall head over heels with. PLEASE DO, SARAH. PLEASE. Please allow Rhysand to have some happiness.

The setting and world building of the Faeries World is beautifully written and descriptive that I can imagine every scene down to every detail. I got too invested and absorbed in this book that I felt like I was there with the characters in every step of their stories. I also found myself having to stop to take a few breath, rubbed my face a few times and just chill BECAUSE THE FEELS WERE OVERWHELMING. I was never left emotionless by this book.

The ending is satisfying with no cliffhanger, but it’s enough to left me wanting the sequel. There are still a few things left unanswered but considering this is the first book of the trilogy, it’s understandable.

There are some obvious weaknesses and flaws that I can point out but I love it nonetheless. This is what I feel about this book so despite whatever bad reviews it may receive by others (which is not that many btw), my feelings are going to stay the same. 

ACOTAR reminds me how much I love reading for the joy it brings me, and for that reason alone, A Court of Thorns and Roses has become one of my best read of 2015.

“I love you,’ he whispered, and kissed my brow. ‘Thorns and all.” - Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Thorns and Roses

The Deal (Off Campus #1) by Elle Kennedy

The Deal
Off Campus #1
Elle Kennedy
New Adult, Sports Romance
Ebook, 328 pages
24th February 2014

Goodreads Ratings : 4.39/5
My Rating : 5/5

She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy... 

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date. 

...and it’s going to be oh so good. All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

From Goodreads

I AM IN LOVE

/satisfied sigh/

Oh, Garrett. Oh, charming charming Garrett. Definitely one of my top book boyfriends. /swoon/

So The Deal is the typical New Adult and Sports Romance. A jerk but super hot and super cool guy whos a jock in college (Garrett) and one day he met a girl (Hannah) who hates all those arrogant attitude. You know what happens next. But no matter how typical and cliche the book is, it managed to get into my top favourite list. Thats how good it is.

One of the many things i love and respect about Hannah is that, despite her rape history, she managed to get over it. I mean, yeah being raped is a huge issue. One may be full-on traumatized about that, which might be a huge issue on herself and her sex/love relationship which more often than not, this situation is famous in most new adult / romance fiction with the whole panic attack thing (it's starting to get old, really) but this time, is completely a fresh story. Hannah managed to put it past her, although not completely, but its still impressive. 

“I know it wasn’t my fault. I know I didn’t ask for it or do something to invite it. It didn’t steal my ability to trust people or cause me to fear every man that crosses my path. Years of therapy helped me see that the burden of blame lies solely on him. There was something wrong with him. Not me. Never me. And the most important lesson I learned is that I’m not a victim—I’m a survivor.” - Hannah Wells

See that ? You go, girl !

Garrett is the captain of hockey in college. AND HES EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED. He's confident, sexy, funny, hes a brilliant student. his witty and the flirty remarks are gold. And the list goes on. He lives off campus with his football teammates and THE WHOLE PACK IS INSANE. 

Overall, this book is perfect. Full on 5 stars without a doubt. I would talk about it on and on but i think this would do. Elle Kennedy, you rocks !

“I fight back laughter. “As you wish.” “Did you really just Princess Bride me?” “Did you really just use Princess Bride as a verb?” - Elle Kennedy, The Deal 

Book Review : Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu

Champion
Legend #3
Marie Lu
Young Adult, Dystopia
Paperback, 353 pages
5th November 2013 by Penguin

Goodreads Ratings : 4.4/5
My Rating : 5/5

He is a Legend.

She is a Prodigy.

Who will be Champion? 

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position. 

But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything. 

With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

From Goodreads

Wow what an amazing ride this is.
Wow.

Champion is the best last book  in the history of trilogies. EVER. Even Mockingjay and Allegiant aren’t as good as this one. How this trilogy ends simply astonished me.  I thought the ending would break my heart to tiny little pieces. I was preparing myself for the worst with a box of tissues and a tub of ice cream beside me. I was preparing for the massive heartache. I was so ready to cry.

But then the epilogue came AND IT IS ONE OF THE MOST SATISFYING ENDINGS I HAVE EVER READ. I COULDNT AND WOULDNT ASK FOR MORE ! (okay actually im going to ask for more : I NEED A NOVELLA ON METIAS AND THOMAS FAST !!!)

But honest to God, I am very satisfied with how the ending goes. It's the best solution for Day and June. They went through a lot. So they deserve all the happiness in the world. 

During Prodigy, I didn't think that Day and June match each other well. I ship June and Anden way more than June and Day. And I was led to believe (by myself lol) up until Champion that June is better off with Anden. But when I finished reading this trilogy with full satisfaction, i just realized that maybe I do ship Day and June, after all.

Personally, I cant picture Day and June as a 16/17 years old kids. Theyre all so mature to be a 17, it doesn’t make sense. Oh and I love Anden. There wasn’t a time where I was annoyed with Anden. None. Nil. Nada. For such a young Elector, he did a very good job at becoming one. If there is a character I hate in this trilogy, it would be Tess. Her mood swings annoyed me. Urgh. 

This whole trilogy has a perfect amount of romance and suspense. There were times when I went all AWWWWW and OMG YES !!! and there were also times where i found myself gripping the book so hard and not being able to look anywhere else because the suspense is really full of suspense. (Am I making sense ?)

Over all, the Legend trilogy is simply one of the best dystopian books i have ever read. Hands down. Congratulations to you, Marie Lu. 

“Then Day reaches out and touches my hand with his. He encloses it in a handshake. And just like that, I am linked with him again, I feel the pulse of our bond and his- tory and love through our hands, like a wave of magic, the return of a long-lost friend. Of something meant to be. The feeling brings tears to my eyes. Perhaps we can take a step forward together.

“Hi,” he says. “I’m Daniel.” 
“Hi,” I reply. “I’m June.” 
― Marie Lu, Champion

Book Review : Aflame (Fall Away #4) by Penelope Douglas

Aflame
Fall Away #4
Penelope Douglas
New Adult; Contemporary Romance
Ebook
21st April 2015 by Penguin 

Goodreads Ratings : 4.4/5
My Rating : 5/5

From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Bully, Until You, Rival, and Falling Away comes the sizzling conclusion to the Fall Away series. 

The tables have turned. Now I have the power—and it’s his turn to beg…

Everyone wants to be me.

Maybe it’s the sway of my skirt or the way I flip my hair, but I don’t care. Even though their attention is the last thing I crave, I just can’t stop. I dominate the track, the speed rattles my bones, and the wind and the crowd screams my name.

I’m her. The girl driver. The queen of the race. And I’m surviving—something he thought I’d never do.

They all still talk about him. Did you see Jared Trent on T.V? What did you think of his last race, Tate? When is he coming back to town, Tate?

But I refuse to care too much. Because when Jared does come home, I won’t be here.

Tatum Brandt is gone. I’m someone new.

From Goodreads

Aflame is the last book in the Fall Away series.

Last book = Absolute ending

Last book = No more Jared, Tate, Madox, Fallon, Jax and Juliet

Last book = I have to let go of the series

I AM NOT READY FOR THIS !

/cries

Fall Away has been one of my favourite new adult series ever. Having to let go of this series got my heart breaking. I didn’t know this was the last book until I reach the Epilogue and everything just clicked. That’s when the feels hit me right in the core.

But on the bright side, Penelope wrote the most perfect ending for this series. Everything is so perfect it got me grinning so wide. I couldn’t ask for more. I’m happy with how it ends. I’m happy for Jared and the gang because they deserve that. They deserve all the happiness in the world.

This is embarrassing to admit but I love angst. Angsty stories will always have a place in my heart. I love to feel the pain, the heartbreak, and all the feels the characters are going through. I want it to hurt. I don’t know why but it feels good. It feels like I am breaking it too. And Aflame has the perfect amount of angst. There are a few scenes in this book that scream angst and they got me clutching my heart because they are all brilliantly written. Kudos to you, Mrs Douglas.

I went all AWWWWWWW when Jared, Madox and Jax surround their younger little sister Quinn. I want to see it in my own eyes so bad. Why do they have to be fictional /sigh.

Maybe this series doesn’t have to end yet. Maybe there’s going to be a novella on Quinn and her insanely protective, awesome and hot brothers. How about that, Penelope ? /wriggling eyebrows/

“I’m never letting you go again, Tate,” I whispered, almost desperate. “I’m your friend forever, and if that’s all I get, then that’s what I’m taking, because only when you’re here”—I took her hand and placed it on my heart—“do I feel like my life is worth a damn.” 

― Penelope Douglas, Aflame

Book Review : The Trouble with Love (Sex, Love & Stiletto #4) by Lauren Layne

The Trouble with Love
Sex, Love & Stiletto #4
Lauren Layne
Ebook, 237 pages
3rd March 2015 by Random House
Contemporary Romance

Goodreads Ratings : 4.34/5
My Rating : 5/5

As Lauren Layne’s salacious Sex, Love & Stiletto series returns, a jaded columnist discovers a steamy way to get over an old flame: falling for him all over again.
 
As Stiletto magazine’s authority on all things breakup-and-heartache, Emma Sinclair writes from personal experience. Five years ago, Emma was Charlotte, North Carolina’s darling debutante and a blushing bride-to-be. Now she’s the ice queen of the Manhattan dating scene. Emma left her sultry Southern drawl behind, but not even her closest friends know that with it she left her heart. Now Emma’s latest article forces her to face her demons—namely, the devilishly sexy guy who ditched her at the altar. 
 
After giving up everything for a pro-soccer career, Alex Cassidy watches his dreams crumble as a knee injury sidelines him for good. Now he’s hanging up his cleats and giving journalism a shot. It’s just a coincidence that he happens to pick a job in the same field, and the same city, as his former fiancée . . . right? But when Emma moves in next door, it’s no accident. It’s research. And Alex can’t help wondering what might have been. Unlike the innocent girl he remembers, this Emma is chic, sophisticated, and assertive—and she wants absolutely nothing to do with him. The trouble is, Alex has never wanted her more.

From Goodreads

GAHHHHHHHHH LAUREN LAYNE HAS DID IT AGAIN !!!!

Actually, I am taking a break from reading this month. I've been through 5-6 books I think this past week and I DNF-ed all of them. Every single one. I thought maybe I got tired from all these reading activities so I decided to take a break. Plus, I have final semester exam coming in less than a month so a break sounds good because I need to get my head in the game. You know.

Things were going great until I got a notification saying that a book is gonna be released on the 3rd March and of all books, its this one particular book which I actually have been waiting for months. So yep, ladies and gentlemen, its just the fourth day and I already broke my reading hiatus. I EVEN  FINISHED IT IN ONE DAY. I JUST COULDNT WAIT OKAY. The best part is, the torturous waiting and the broken mission IS REALLY REALLY WORTH IT. THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE IS JUST SO DAMN GOOD !!!11

Ever since book two (Just One Night) happened where I was introduced to Emma-Cassidy, I was riled up. All I ever knew were Emma Sinclair and Alex Cassidy were once engaged, and Cassidy left her at the altar. like whaaaaaaaaaat ?! THATS NOT ENOUGH EXPLANATION OKAY I NEED MORE. GIVE ME ALL THE JUICY DETAILS NOW. Well, until this book happened, that is. And when it did, I was blown away. all. across. Antartic. because. of. the. feels. THE. FEELS.

It's funny, intense, hot, sexy, sad, sweet and heart warming all at once. But then again, Lauren Layne has always managed to make me feel that way with her books. So it is safe to say that this book is not a disappointment, at all. If anything, it reminds me of how much love I have for her books.

So Emma Sinclair and Alex Cassidy were engaged. But the wedding was canceled. Just what actually happened, right ? This whole plot development went pretty slow actually as more insight were given, hidden feelings were exposed and the old painful memories comes back. But it works pretty well for me as finally, I got the big picture. BUT BUT BUT OH MY GOD, the reason why it happened made my heart aches along with Emma and Cassidy. I mean, Emma was bitter and closed off since then.  And I'm cool with that. Heartbreak and bad break ups can do nasty thing to people sometimes. Not everyone can be as bubbly as Julie is or as outspoken as Riley is by the way. But if those misunderstanding (for the lack of better word) didnt happen, they wouldnt have to experience all those 7 years of misery and torture.

ALEX CASSIDY. Just his name alone could bring out the girl in me. I really love how guy-ish he is. I mean, just read this :

Cole leaned forward and reached out a hand. "Lemme see the orgasm bit."
Alex ignored him, pulling a sheet of paper from the top and shaking it. "This one is two thousand words about push-up bras. About the brands, and the way they should fit, and listen to this: 'The trick with the appeal of push-up bras is to know what kind of guy you're dealing with. Is he visual? If so, he's not going to mind that you had a little help to achieve that fantastic cleavage. But if he's more tactile, you might want to consider skipping all that padding...He wants to feel the real you.'"
Alex let the paper flutter to the desk in horror. "I just...I can't even." 

and and and

Alex clicked his pen and fought for calm. She was right, of course. He should be responding to her as editor-in-chief. Not as personal anything.
But with every day that passed, Alex seemed to grow more aware of their history. More conscious of their unfinished business.
More aware of Emma.
As a woman.
As his woman.
Well. Former.
Damn it.

SEEEEE ??1?!!?!!? 
/swoon/

But theres one thing missing about this book, I mean, this book is all about second chance romance. Which literally means they already had the 'romance' thing the first time around. I actually have been waiting for a peek at their good old memories, you know, the happiness they went through before the incident happened.  Lauren basically went on and on and on about the 'incident' and the heartaches and pain that not much 'young and in love Emma and Cassidy' was pictured. 

But who am I kidding ? I still love this book - this series - with my heart and soul. I love how relax, alive, funny and charming all the characters are. I love this whole Julie-Mitchell, Jake-Grace, Sam-Riley and Emma-Cassidy gang/group. I love their friendship. I love how supportive they are to each other. I love their careers. I love their banters :

"I brought desert," Riley said, holding up a box of cupcakes.
"I told you I made dessert!" Julie said.
"Right you did. I totally forgot," Riley said, exchanging a glance with Mitchell.
Julie caught it and spun around to glare at her fiance. "What did you tell her?"
"I told her nothing," Mitchell said. "No words were exchanged."
Julie's eyes narrowed as Mitchell took a sip of wine. "I may have sent her apicture of your, um, cake."
"I baked," Julie announced to everyone else with a happy nod.
"That's great, honey!" Grace replied. Then she turned her head toward Riley and spoke out of the corner of her mouth. "Good call on the cupcakes."
Julie pointed a finger. "Just for that, you have to try the first bite of my cake."

Basically just everything. By the end of the book, I was all like, "No, this is not enough. I need more. Moreeeeeee." But I supposed its a good thing, right ? Wanting more ?

I dont want to let go of this series just yet. I hope theres another one coming up soon. A book on Cole Sharpe, perhaps ? /wriggling eyebrows/

I know Lauren's going to release Crushed this year (which is awesome btw), but if there is ever news on book 5 of the Stiletto series, or book 3 of The Best Mistake series, I'd be over the moon, Lauren. Seriously.

"He was the bad guy. He got that.

Preferred it, even. Because being cast as the villain was a hell of a lot better than everyone knowing that you'd spent you wedding day half-drunk, feeling like there was a crater where your heart should have been." - Alex Cassidy, The Trouble with Love