New Adult

Book Review: Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire

I rated it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

 
 
Overview: Fiercely independent Camille "Cami" Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.

Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt.

Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlor to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red.

As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she’ll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever—even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.
 
Review: I bought this book because I really enjoyed Beautiful Disaster. I was surprised learning that there was going to be a series concerning the Maddox brothers so I started reading hoping McGuire wouldn't disappoint.
 
I thought the pacing was good and the fleshing out of the two main characters great, but it didn't pull me in as much as Beautiful Disaster. This is probably due to the fact that I didn't really empathize with Cami. Don't get me wrong. I respected her and her independence but she just didn't grip me tight enough to care about her or her growing relationship with Trenton. Also, don't get me started on the resolution and the twist. I thought it was pretty lame considering the heightened tension. I literally shut off my kindle, turned to my boyfriend, and said, "Are you kidding me?"
 
It is, however, a typical chick-lit new adult book about a budding romance, so if you're in the mood for that, go ahead and pick it up. But if you have to choose between this and Beautiful Disaster, I would go for the latter. I proably won't continue this series, but if it ends up getting better with the next book, please let me know and perhaps I'll give it another shot.

Book Review: Easy (Contours of the Heart #1) by Tammara Webber

I rated it 5 out of 5 stars.


Overview:

Rescued by a stranger.
Haunted by a secret
Sometimes, love isn't easy...


He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior...

The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he'd worked so hard to overcome, and the future she'd put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.

Only together could they fight the pain and guilt, face the truth - and find the unexpected power of love.

A groundbreaking novel in the New Adult genre, Easy faces one girl's struggle to regain the trust she's lost, find the inner strength to fight back against an attacker, and accept the peace she finds in the arms of a secretive boy.

Review: This is my go-to book that I'm recommending to everyone and anyone who'll listen. I don't read New Adult as often as Young Adult books, but I think that'll soon change with books like this one. Thank goodness for Goodreads, because I don't think I would have found this book otherwise.

So where to begin? I finished this in like two nights. Webber does a great job with characterizing, pacing, and creating authentic dialogue. "I felt like I knew these people," I told Michael after reading it, to which he replied, "You know they aren't real, right?" I shook my head. "They are real! They're alive in these words!"

When you can feel like that after a book, you know it's great. I fell quickly for Lucas and became so proud of Jacqueline by the end of the novel. And once I finished I felt empty because the story was over. It really made me think about my own novel and made me wonder if my characters were vibrant enough that readers would feel attached.

Then I found out there's a book two in Lucas's point of view and my emptiness went away :P Just downloaded it on my kindle and can't wait to read it!

If you like comtemporary romance with a badass good-hearted hero, pick this up. You won't be disappointed.