A Manifesto of What NOT To Do

 

Expected Publication:  October 1st, 2013

How To Love

By: Katie Cotugno

Balzer + Bray

ISBN-13:  9780062216359

 

Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time. But he’s never seemed to notice that Reena even exists…until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated—and pregnant—Reena behind.

After: Almost three years have passed, and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena’s gotten used to being without Sawyer, and she’s finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn’t want anything to do with him, though she’d be lying if she said Sawyer’s being back wasn’t stirring something in her. After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?

In this breathtaking debut, Katie Cotugno weaves together the story of one couple falling in love—twice.

 

Review

 

     Reena and Sawyer had known each other forever.  But when Reena turned fifteen, they finally began to connect as friends, which led to a really complicated and destructive romance.  Sawyer left town, leaving behind a pregnant and bewildered Reena behind.  Almost three years later Reena is raising Hannah, their daughter, with the help of her best friend, boyfriend (her friend's brother), Dad and Stepmom.  She's also going to community college and in a healthy relationship.  It all starts to come crashing down when Sawyer comes back to town and tries to get Reena back into his life - and his arms.  Will Reena be able to forgive Sawyer for leaving her behind, or will they crash and burn again?

     I'm going to have a really hard time reviewing this book.  I'll lay it on the line right now: I pretty much hated Reena's guts after I finished the book.  I understood her, but really hated her with all my heart.  I felt like she kept making the same stupid decisions over and over again, while pretending that things were changing.  Cotugno definitely knew how to write a compelling novel and her writing style is very easy to read and realistic.  Sometimes it's the most realistic novels that get to you the most.  Reena's family was screwed up, but trying to be as supportive as possible.  My heart broke for her Dad, even though I did agree with Reena that he had basically stopped loving her/forgiving her when she became pregnant outside of marriage (they were Catholic).  Her best friend Shelby was really a bright spot and always was there for Reena.  I did like that she called her on her bullshit and horrible treatment of Shelby's brother (and basically her placeholder boyfriend till Sawyer got back).  I felt like their relationship was mostly about Reena's drama and very little about Shelby.

     The way Katie got me, as a reader, involved in this book was amazing to me - especially since I disliked the main character so much.  She definitely had a way with words and kept the action moving along, although the angst did get a little ridiculous at certain points.  Mainly besides Reena what annoyed me the most in this novel was the destructive and unhealthy relationship between her and Sawyer, that was romanticized and made out to be so wonderfully epic.  Sawyer was a dirtbag of the lowest order.  He was basically a man-whore, who dated Reena's best friend to get to her and cheated with Reena.  Throughout their entire relationship he basically just used her for sex and took her on 'dates' to meet his drug supplier.  And he gets an underaged girl pregnant and abandons her.  Yeah, he's a real Prince Charming isn't he?  I feel like a lot of the reason Reena got sucked into his web again was because she had put on blinders in regards to his use/discard treatment of her and always hoped he'd come back and they'd be the perfect family.  It all felt very MTV Teen Mom to me, in the worst possible way.  The thought of them getting back together when all they do is bring out the worst in each other made me want to gag.  Overall, not something I really enjoyed even if it was well-written and I wouldn't recommend it to young teens.  It totally might send the wrong message if the teen reading it isn't bright enough to read between the lines.  The only reason I'm rating what I am is the high quality of the writing and the fact that I finished it.

 

VERDICT:  2.5/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via Edelweiss.  No money or favors were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication is October 1st, 2013.*

Sometimes All You Need Is a Second Chance

Expected Publication: March 5th, 2013
The Second Chance Cafe
By: Alison Kent
Montlake Romance
ISBN-13: 9781611097894

Kaylie Flynn was luckier than most children left to the Texas foster care system, blessed with a foster mother who taught her the comfort of home and the healing power of baking the perfect brownie. Now, Kaylie has journeyed back to Hope Springs to open a cafe in the charming Victorian she once shared with her foster family and to finally find answers about her past and where she came from. Yet Kaylie's carefully laid plans quickly become complicated. The house needs far more work than she realized, and Tennessee Keller, the carpenter Kaylie hires, stirs up feelings she hasn't felt in a long while. When an unexpected crisis threatens to unravel her dreams, Kaylie seems to have all the ingredients for a perfect disaster or quite possibly the perfect love.

Review

 

      Kaylie Flynn had a tough life before she was taken in by her last set of foster parents - the ones that made her feel like she finally had a home.  But when she aged out of the system and went to college, Kaylie never looked back until the couple both died.  Then she waited for the house to be for sale again.  After she finally buys her childhood home, Kaylie returns to Hope Springs, Texas to open a cafe and live in the place she was always the happiest once again.  Helping her realize her dreams, contractor Tennessee Keller comes with baggage of his own and a one-man, ex-convict crew.  Her new friend Luna also has something to hide - a secret bigger than Kaylie ever imagined that involves her in the most personal way possible.  With the help of her new friends and the hint of romance in the air, can Kaylie confront her past once and for all, leaving it behind for a new future?  Or will she always be looking for a place to call home?  This was a really good romance on the surface, but there was another layer of story much deeper between Kaylie and her birth Father who she always though abandoned her and her Mom.  Kaylie's issues of trust and problems with abandonment rang very true, making me wince at certain parts that were especially harsh.  Luna was definitely a friend that was good for Kaylie, but the secret that she kept was too much in my opinion.  Ten Keller felt kind of unrealisitic, in the way he insisted on martyring himself for something beyond his control.  It got on my nerves after a certain portion of whining had already been done.  The romance between him and Kaylie was sweet, but nothing to set my soul on fire.  Overall, I reallyy enjoyed the family and friendship aspects of this book and the heroine was well characterized and written (even if I did like her dog, Magoo, best at the end still!).  I would recommend it to those who like fluffy romance reads, but prefer something with a bit more substance added to the recipe.  Oh yeah, and there are some great brownie recipes in this book too! :)

 

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

 

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is March 5th, 2013.*

Come to My Window, Come Inside

Expected Publication: June 14th, 2012
My Life Next Door
By: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Dial Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9780803736993

A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another

“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

Review

   Samantha Reed has been watching the Garrett family with longing ever since they moved in next door.  There might be a lot of kids and a lot of noise, but compared the Sam's distant, proper family it seems like heaven on earth.  So imagine her surprise when one summer night Jase Garrett comes up onto her terrace and enters her world.  At first they become friends and Sam thinks she can keep it from her Mom, who disapproves of the Garretts and is running to be re-elected as a senator.  Then they begin to fall in love, Sam gets seriously close to the Garrett kids during the times she babysits them and she no longer feels like she needs to hide it from her Mom.  But the last thing she wants to do is disappoint her family.  So at first, she just doesn't tell anyone.  Not exactly lying right?  But when something devastating happens to Jase's Dad, with Sam's Mom and her creepy political boyfriend are to blame, will she be able to do the right thing if it means losing her own family stability?  And will her relationship with Jase and the Garretts be over when the dust settles?  I can understand why this book has been compared to Sarah Dessen - the whole first love, personal identity and family issues mix definitely makes it similar.  But I thought that the way the book ended was pretty weak.  The plot twist involving Jase's Dad getting hurt and Sam's Mom being involved seemed a little too Lifetime movie of the week for my taste.  Huntley should have just stuck to the love story and the side-story of a family in need of healing.  That was what truly interested me about this book.  Jase and Sam made a wonderful couple.  The sub-plot with Sam's best friends, Nan and Tim, was truly wonderful.  I sympathized with Nan and hated her at the same time.  Tim I just wanted to wrap in a hug, feed a hot meal and save him from the downward spiral he was on.  Jase's brothers and sisters were awesome, especially Duff, George and Alice.  Tim cracked me up every time he tried to put the moves on 'Hot Alice.'  Definitely worth the read and it does the small town life admirably well with plenty of heart from each character.  I just don't know where in the HELL that crazy-cakes plot twist came from! :)

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is June 14th, 2012.*