Angel Reads

01 Mar

Book Review: What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume #LoveOzYA

Posted by angelreads Book Reviews, OZYA No Comments

What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume

Pages: 265
Publish date: February 26th 2019
Publisher: Pan Australia
ISBN: 9781760559120
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

You know all those movies where teenagers have, like, THE SUMMER OF THEIR LIVES?

This summer is probably not going to be that.

Source: Everything that’s happened since yesterday …

The last thing sixteen-year-old Maisie Martin thought she’d be doing this summer is entering a beauty pageant.

Not when she’s spent most of her life hiding her body from everyone.

Not when her Dad is AWOL for Christmas and her gorgeous older sister has returned to rock Maisie’s shaky confidence. And her best friend starts going out with the boy she’s always loved.

But Maisie’s got something to prove.

As she writes down all the ways this summer is going from bad to worse in her school-assignment journal, what starts as a homework torture-device might just end up being an account of how Maisie didn’t let anything, or anyone, hold her back…

What I Like About Me:

I received an arc of What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume from Pan Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings.

When it was announced, I was drawn to the book. But I also never read the synopsis properly. I thought it was just going to be summer romance and finding yourself kind of novel. I didn’t expect there to be a beauty pageant. So that did take me back a little, nevertheless, I still really enjoyed the book.

What I Like About Me follows Maisie Martin who’s last thought this summer was to enter a beauty pageant. But there is a lot of this going around this summer. When Maisie left for the summer with her best friend to her usual family getaway she just wanted to have a fun summer. But now her best friend is going out with the guy she has always had a crush on, her dad is behaving strange and her older sister is back.

Maisie was a very interesting protagonist and for the most part, I really enjoyed her. Maisie felt very real throughout What I Like About Me. She has insecurities, family dilemma and just wants to be a teen. And while Maisie did keep a lot of things closed off, I adored how she was able to tell everything in her school project. I also adored how she hated it. She was very clear about that, but still poured her heart and soul into it.

Myke Simon

And while I did find Maisie very read, there were some things that happened throughout the novel that didn’t sit with me well. Most of it had to do with her best friend Anna and everything that came along with that. I didn’t have great friendships growing up. They were pretty bad actually. So I am always striving and wanting great female friendships in YA novels. And while for the most part Maisie and Anna had a great relationship, this summer it is tested and I didn’t really like how it all panned out.

Maisie has had a crush on Seb for years now. Before she was able to talk with him, hang out and have so much fun. But now it’s all too awkward. Maisie thought that maybe this summer might be her chance. But that didn’t go to plan. With Anna spending so much time with Seb, Maisie and Beamer are left alone. And that is when the magic happens. While I don’t really agree with anything that happened between Seb and Anna. Maisie and Beamer just lit up the book.

I adored the interaction between Maisie and Beamer so much in What I Like About Me. I couldn’t help but smile like an idiot for most of the book. It was really nice seeing their relationship grow from being ‘enemies’ to something so much more. I loved how Beamer tried everything to make Maisie not only happy but distracted her from what else was happening in her life.

Family is a big theme throughout What I Like About Me and I liked that it looked at different family dynamics and how they can also play a part in insecurities. I wasn’t a massive fan of Maisie’s mum, even the little things that she said or did really didn’t sit well with me. Maisie needed someone to support her and I don’t think her mum did. I really enjoyed a particular scene between Maisie and her sister – and while it didn’t make up for everything that happened between, it helped build a bridge.

Sam Wheeler

So let’s talk about the beauty pageant aspect of the novel. While I didn’t expect it in What I Like About Me, I didn’t hate it. In saying that, beauty pageant novels have never really been my thing. I don’t know what it is, but they always rub me the wrong way. Both in books and in real life. But I did like how it made Maisie strong, more herself and let her recognise and understand her own insecurities.

Another aspect that I adored about What I Like About Me was that it was set, here in Australia. We don’t get many novels, especially YA set in Australia. So I was just loving it. I spent most of my summers growing up by the beach, so I can imagine everything that comes along with it so easy! I loved that Jenna didn’t stay away from the sense of Australia either. It made me feel at home.

Overall, I liked What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume. I thought it was a fantastic debut novel that explores coming of age in a time where looking ‘perfect’ is in everything that we do. It explores that being yourself is so much more important, that looking a certain way that appeases everyone in life. Maisie goes through many ups and downs throughout the novel, but they all make her who she at the end. It’s a fluffball of a book that is both adorable and so timely. If you are looking for a new book about body positivity and coming of age, then this one is for you.

Have you read What I Like About Me by Jenna Guillaume? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat!

26 Feb

Book Review: The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros + Giveaway

Posted by angelreads Book Reviews, Giveaways 1 Comment

The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros

Pages: 434
Publish date: February 26th 2019
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
ISBN: 9781640635333
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – QBD

Beckett,

If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have.

I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride.

My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. It’s not fair.

And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart. She’s going to need help.

So if I’m gone, that means I can’t be there for Ella. I can’t help them through this. But you can. So I’m begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family.

Please don’t make her go through it alone.

Ryan

The Last Letter:

I received an earc of The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

Also a quick note, I tried to not spoil anything in this review, however, there were things that I had to speak about. In saying that a lot of the things that I did mention happen close to the start of the novel. Reminder to stay to the end to win a copy of The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros

Rebecca Yarros was one of the first New Adult and Adult romance author that I really loved and devoured their books. So, of course, I had to pick up her newest edition. And gosh this one got me when I finished reading The Last Letter, I just cried. It was an emotional rollercoaster for sure, but oh so good.

The Last Letter follows protagonists Ella and Beckett as they write to one another while he is off fighting for his country. But then tragedy strikes in so many different ways and Ella and Beckett are brought together. But after all this time can Beckett tell Ella who he really is, or will it hide it from her forever. Ella has already been pulled through the blender, but nothing matters more to her than her children, but when things starting falling apart, she doesn’t know if she can stay together anymore.

Aurelie Tack

Ella was such a fabulous protagonist and I fell in love with her right from the start. She is such a strong female character that it was so easy to fall into her life. From the very start, the reader is able to see how much Ella cares about those around, especially her two children. She will do anything for them. But she will also do heaps for her brother. So when he asks to write to a fellow teammate, she does and everything starts from there. Ella is put through a lot during The Last Letter, especially with Maisie and her health. But I also think it added to Ella’s character arc, she isn’t the same person at the end of the novel as she was at the start. And although Rebecca Yarros put her through, hell, Ella was pretty amazing at the end.

Beckett was a really interesting protagonist. I could see a lot of Rebecca Yarros other characters in him, but he also stood very strong on his own. Like Ella, he has been through a lot, and while the reader doesn’t know anything at the start, as the novel goes, everything starts to fall into place. I really liked getting to know Beckett, not only through this point of view but also through the letters between him and Ella.

I think that the letters enabled the reader to see Beckett in a different way as there wasn’t a filter. My heart broke with how much he cared about Ella and her two kids, he took everything head on and wanted to give them the best he could. The thing that I liked best about Beckett was that he was a character on his own, he didn’t fall as a love interest or a side character. He had his own story, his own past and his own character arc.

Christiana Rivers

The romance was everything. When I pick up romance novels, I am normally expecting a fast-paced romance. But the romance in The Last Letter was slow and perfect. The reader is able to see Ella and Beckett fall in love, not only in real life but also through their letters. Rebecca Yarros was able to really utilised her life experiences with the military to really capture the essence of these letters and everything that happens while at war and on leave. I adored that they just slowly fell for each other and built lives together.

And while it is slow, it’s not snail slow. It’s done in such a way that the reader falls into the story and keeps egging them both to get together. It also wasn’t perfect. They had their ups and downs, but that made The Last Letter so much more real. The characters were leaping off the page and had substance.

Something else that stood out to me in The Last Letter was the family dynamics between Beckett and Ella as well as her children; Maisie and Colt. My heart was so full and I couldn’t stop smiling with how much they all cared for one another. Maisie and Colt are adorable and just made the novel so much better. Their innocence, but resilence just shone through. The reader is not able to see the relationship between Ella and Beckett grow, but also Beckett’s relationship with Maisie and Colt. He really took them under his wing and it was such a nice thing to see. Both Maisie and Cold adored Beckett and he returned it as well. There is a line that Maisie days to Ella that just broke me towards the end of the book about Beckett and Colt and gosh I couldn’t handle it.

Annie Spratt

I am not going to lie, it doesn’t take much to make me cry. Really I cry at things most people don’t. But I haven’t cried like I did while reading The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros, in such a long time. It was a full sob cry, like a hurt in my chest kind of cry. Yarros was able to create so many emotions throughout the whole book, but the last couple of chapters torn me apart. My heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest over and over again. I don’t want to say too much about what exactly made me cry so hard, but when you read, I think you will know. As I am writing this review, I am thinking about everything that happened, and I want to cry again.

Overall, The Last Letter is a very emotional read. I cried so much in this book. But that is also what made it so good. Both Ella and Beckett have incredible character arcs that really captured me from the start. The reader is not only able to see them grow as individuals, but also together. The Last Letter explores childhood illness, war, family and everything that comes along with life. There are many surprised in store when reading, but it’s also a beautiful story of love and family. If you are looking for a new romance or contemporary read, then please pick this one up.

Have you read The Last Letter by Rebecca Yarros yet? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? If you are, you can enter the giveaway below to win a Kindle copy of it.

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22 Feb

New To Me Authors I Read in 2018 | Part 2

Posted by angelreads Discussions No Comments

A few weeks ago, I shared some of the authors that were new to me in 2018. Today I am continuing the series and sharing some more of these authors. From the authors of contemporary to fantasy, I always try and read new authors every year. So today I thought I would share all the new to me authors that I read last year.

Some of these authors, I have fallen in love with and cannot wait to read more from them, some I will probably never read again and some, well I am still on the fence about. Anyway, like always these are in no particular order.

Devney Perry: The Birthday List was a fantastic read. I really enjoyed The Birthday List, it was an emotional read by far. There were so many times that I just crying, but it was also really beautiful. I loved that the romance was slow burning and just worked so well. My full review will be up soon. I just noticed that there is going to be a second book in this series, so will need to pick it up in June.

Natasha Preston: Lie to Me explores the notion of what it’s like to be family and shows that blood isn’t everything. another romance that I really enjoyed and while it was much more fast-paced, it still was really beautiful. The protagonists are very different from one another, but they seem to balance each other nicely. My full review will be up very soon. Natasha does have quite a range of books, but I don’t know if I will pick them up any time soon.

Theresa Meyers: This is another one of those that I knew nothing about when I picked up her book The Switched Baby Scandal. And it didn’t really pay off this time. For the most part, the book was okayish. But I just didn’t get anything that really grabbed my attention with the romance and the storyline. Normally, I am pretty good with kids in books and that wasn’t the problem here either. I might pick up books by Theresa Meyers in the future, but not for now.

A.K. Evans: This author is not for me. Not at all. I didn’t like most of the book and it just wasn’t something that I even enjoyed. I am most likely not picking anything up by her again.

Drew Elyse: After reading Marked by Drew, I ended up picking up her Savage Disciples MC series as well. While they aren’t the best books out there, they were really fun, emotional and intense romances books that also included a little suspense, crime and a motorcycle club. I cannot wait to read more from Drew and in the MC world that she created. You can check out my reviews of Marked and Inked now.

A.M. Salinger: The thing with reading romance or anything really, is that something you just don’t like the books you are reading. And I just didn’t like this one at all.

Erin Hayes: Another author that isn’t for me. I had really bad luck with picking up new authors for a while and this just added to it.

Maya Banks: This has to be one of my favourite new to me authors of 2018. I had heard of Maya Banks before, but I never really picked her up. Then last year I was in the mood for some military stories and I found her KGI series – and fell in love. I ended up binging the series and then buying them all in physically because I loved them so much. And yes I read all 11 books in this series last year and I cannot wait to read more!

Heather Demetrios: I’ll Meet You There had been on my TBR for years, and I really wanted to like this. It had all the right elements for books that I just enjoy. A summer romance, a different setting, and disability diversity. But gosh it fell so short. I might pick up something from her again in the future, but not any time soon.

Madeline Miller: The Song of Achilles had to be one of my favourite books from last year. I adored it x10. It had everything that I love to see in a novel and I can’t wait to read more from her. One of my favourite things about Madeline Miller is her writing. It’s poetic, captivating and is still able to tell the story in a way that is easily understandable.

And that is it for this post. I think I have 1 more of these coming your way in a couple of weeks. Have you read anything by these authors? What did you think of them? Are you planning on giving any a go? Let’s Chat!