What I'm Reading: January - April Mini Reviews

Hello, friends! I'm on vacation this week, so I'm finally catching up on some things I've neglected recently, like posting reviews! I have actually read more books than I've reviewed on the blog; I've just gotten really lazy about posting! Then I end up getting frustrated with myself when I want to remember what I thought of a book and can't find anything I've written ... so I'm trying to fix that now! 

Review: "Foremost" by Jody Hedlund

I just finished reading Foremost, the second novel in Jody Hedlund's Lost Princesses series, and I'm left with just one question: How long until I can pick up Hereafter, the final book in the series? (Answer: about a month. Thankfully!)

Review: "Hope and Other Punch Lines" by Julie Buxbaum

Julie Buxbaum is one of my go-to YA fiction writers when I'm looking for something that has a little more depth. (Don't get me wrong—I enjoy a fluffy romance, obviously, but every once in a while I'm in the mood for something a little more serious.) She's also become an "auto get" for me, so when Hope and Other Punch Lines came up for review, I pounced 😉.

Review: "We Were Beautiful" by Heather Hepler

Let me just say, the Blink imprint is quickly becoming my favorite publisher of YA novels! They are always on the clean side (no sex, maybe a minor swear word but nothing more), and the stories are so engaging! We Were Beautiful is probably my favorite Blink title to date, and it's definitely one of my favorite reads of the year (so far).

Review: "Within These Lines" by Stephanie Morrill

Over the last month or so, I've been seeing so much buzz about Within These Lines. The book intrigued me when I first heard about it, but then when the glowing reviews (and gorgeous pictures) started hitting Instagram, I couldn't wait to read it!

Review: "Pretty in Punxsutawney" by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Time loops are totally my thing. Groundhog Day is probably the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a time loop, but I've enjoyed other movies as well: Edge of Tomorrow, About Time, and the ABC Family Christmas movie The 12 Dates of Christmas are some of my favorites. Over all, though, I prefer two TV episodes: Stargate: SG-1's "Window of Opportunity" and Lois & Clark's "Twas the Night Before Mxymas."

But with all those movies and shows, I don't think I've ever read a book that features a time loop. Until now.

Review: "The Orphan's Wish" by Melanie Dickerson

Ah, Hagenheim. I absolutely love every chance I get to visit Melanie Dickerson's medieval kingdom! When I learned that her latest Fairy Tale Romance would be about Aladdin, well, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. You see, Aladdin is my favorite Disney movie, so I already knew I loved the basic story—I just didn't know how Dickerson would adapt it!

Review: "A Worthy Rebel" by Jody Hedlund

I realize I'm like a broken record when it comes to Jody Hedlund's medieval YA romances, but it's true: THIS is the type of book our teens should be reading!

Review: "Unbreakable" by Sara Ella

I finally found time to dig into Unbreakable, the final book in Sara Ella's Unblemished trilogy. What a wild ride!

Review: "Unraveling" by Sara Ella

When it comes to sequels—especially ones so closely connected to their predecessors—I'm often at a loss when it comes to writing a review. How can I talk about the book without spoiling book one? Really, I can't. So consider this your spoiler alert: If you haven't read Unblemished yet, go ahead and skip this review.

Review: "Unblemished" by Sara Ella

I've wanted to read Sara Ella's Unblemished ever since I first heard about it. I always had great intentions of reading it, but other novels took precedence ... even when I got book two, I still wasn't ready to give it a go.

Flash forward to last Saturday, when I received the third and final book from the Fiction Guild. Suddenly, it was time. I picked up the book Saturday evening, decided to skip the new Hallmark movie in favor of reading (this is practically unheard of for me 🤣), and finished the book Sunday night. I've had pressing review books to read this week, but I can't wait until I can continue Eliyana's story!

"The Practice Boyfriend" by Christina Benjamin

Well, it's January 4, and I have my first "dud" of the reading year. It was bound to happen, right? But did it really have to be my third book of the year?

It's my fault, really. I got this book through the Kindle Owner's Lending Library without reading any reviews, but author Christina Benjamin was compared to Kasie West, and you know I love me some Kasie West! Plus, the title brought to mind the adorable Adorkable, which is another fake boyfriend book that I really enjoyed reading last year.

"All Things Now Living" by Rondi Bauer Olson

A few years ago, YA dystopian novels—like The Hunger Games and Divergent—were all the rage. I (like many others, I imagine) tired of the genre, and it's been ages since I've read YA dystopian. But All Things Now Living caught my eye, and I decided to give it a chance.

"What to Say Next" by Julie Buxbaum

Last summer, I read Julie Buxbaum's delightful Tell Me Three Things. Then What to Say Next released, and my sister highly recommended it, so I requested it from my library. (Remember how awesome my library is?) It turned out to be every bit as good as I'd hoped!

"The Distance Between Us" by Kasie West

Of the now 3-1/4 Kasie West books I've read, The Distance Between Us falls somewhere in the middle. I liked it a lot, but I didn't love it ... probably because I read it right on the heels of On the Fence, which is shaping up to be one of my favorite reads of the whole year 🙂.

(One day, I might be able to drop that 1/4 book ... I'm just not sure if I'll ever go back and finish Lucky in Love. Why spend time on a book I can't get into? Lucky in Love seems to be an anomaly, though, so if you've tried it and not loved it, you should still give West's other books a chance.)

"On the Fence" by Kasie West

Moms of teenage girls, listen up: If you're looking for YA romance novels that are safe for everyone, check out Kasie West's books. I've now read 2-1/4 of her books (that 1/4 is her latest, Lucky in Love, which I just couldn't get into), and I can't remember a single swear word, instance of teen drinking, or sexual content that goes beyond fairly undescriptive kisses. Plus, the books are, for the most part, so much fun to read!

I read On the Fence in about three hours because I simply couldn't put it down! It's easily my favorite of West's books ... so far, anyway!

"Turtles All the Way Down" by John Green

Full disclosure: The Fault in Our Stars is one of my DNF (did not finish) books. So I probably wasn't the best candidate to read John Green's new novel, Turtles All the Way Down. But I saw it on the new release shelf at my local library and snagged it. I mean, how could I not? With so many book lovers so excited for its release, I thought I should give Mr. Green another chance.

"Ninja Girl" by Cookie O'Gorman

After reading Cookie O'Gorman's Adorkable last month, I couldn't wait to read her next novel, Ninja Girl.

Except I had to.

Adorkable and Ninja Girl are both part of Kindle Unlimited, and Kindle owners can choose one KU book per month to read for free. Adorkable was my September pick, so I had to wait until October 1st to check out Ninja Girl.

Trust me, I checked it out as soon as I could 🙂

"By Your Side" by Kasie West

I've heard a lot about Kasie West over the years—she's a favorite among some of my favorite bloggers—but By Your Side is the first of her books I've read. And while it's not perfect, it's a good one!

"The Start of Me and You" by Emery Lord

Oh, my goodness. This book is just the cutest!!! In a YA scene that's growing increasingly sexual and profane, The Start of Me and You is like a breath of fresh air.