Book Review: This is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland

I almost judged a book by its cover here, if I did, I would have lost out on one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read

Rating: ★★★★ and 1/2

Synopsis: Gillian of Warewick knows no other treatment than the terrible physical and mental abuse issued by her father. When he arranges a match for Gillian with Christopher of Blackmour, she is fearful: Blackmour is rumored to be an evil sorcerer. When Gillian meets him, he proves to be far more of a man than her father is, yet he is unwilling to be a lover to Gillian. She finds that Blackmour has as many psychological scars to heal as she has physical scars.

Review: This book honestly makes me cry almost every time I read it. The emotions are so raw and visceral, I literally can’t help it. This book is very much an emotional rollercoaster, with a plot twist I was genuinely not expecting. Although parts of this book are truly painful and gut-wrenching, watching how each of them struggles with their identities and worth, I love this book. The wholesomeness is enchanting and the growth that each character goes through is inspiring.

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Why I’m boycotting Amazon + my fave (online) ethical booksellers UK

Amazon started off as a book shop and is now one of the (or the) most used book shops. Actually perhaps even as any online store in general. In my opinion, Jeff Bezos doesn’t need any more money especially when he donates hardly any to charity. He could change so many lives with that money but just has it laying around. So my morals align with Amazon’s which is why I have stopped using it. It’s quite scary how people go straight to Amazon when wanting to buy something.

This is slightly difficult as some books are printed by amazon meaning that you can get them nowhere else (abe books and book depository and such are owned by amazon so that’s not a choice either) so here I have compiled some of my favourite online ethical booksellers. Also, a warning that some of these are second hand (actually most) as I feel no need to add another new book into the world when there is a perfectly good one available, it’s just more sustainable and nicer to the earth! ☺️

1) Worldofbooks.com

World of books is a second hand bookseller that has pledged to donate 1 million books by the end of 2020! They recycle all books that are unable to be donated or sold and are actively trying to become a more sustainable brand by reducing carbon emissions. Their operations have saved 1,670 tonnes of CO2e! (Although if you are trying to find a book type the book and then world of books and it is more likely to show up. I don’t know why but when searching on the website sometimes books don’t come up even though they do sell them)

Shipping: Free to the UK- Ships to 190 countries

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Book Review: Girl at Heart by Kelly Oram

Rating: ★★★★ and a 1/2 or 4.5 stars

Synopsis: As the daughter of a successful Major League pitcher, Charlie Hastings has baseball in her blood. Unfortunately, being the only girl on her high school baseball team, Charlie has always been just one of the guys.

When her best friend, and secret love of her life, asks another girl to the prom, Charlie is devastated. She’s tired of being overlooked by boys because she’s not like other girls. Suffering a massive identity crisis, she decides to hang up her cleats and finally learn how to be a girl.

But with only two weeks until the state championships, the Roosevelt High Ravens can’t afford to lose their star catcher. Team captain Jace King makes her a deal: Don’t quit the team, and he’ll help her become the girl she’s so desperate to be. After all, he’s got four sisters, one of whom happens to be a cheerleader. He knows a thing or two about girls. (And if he can win her heart in the process, all the better.)

From the bestselling young adult author of Cinder & Ella, V is for Virgin, and the Avery Shaw Experiment comes a new sweet romance that’s sure to leave you with all the feels! Girl at Heart is a clean and wholesome sports romance that will leave you with warm fuzzies and an itch to watch a baseball game.

Review: I had been wanting to read this book for a while but kept putting it off. And what better time than to read it in quarantine. And my verdict is “this is so cute, my heart exploded!”, some bits were not that cute but overall it was just so heartwarming and sweet.

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Book review: Follow me Back by A.V. Geiger

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: Tessa Hart’s world feels very small. Confined to her bedroom with agoraphobia, her one escape is the online fandom for pop sensation Eric Thorn. When he tweets to his fans, it’s like his speaking directly to her…

Eric Thorn is frightened by his obsessive fans. They take their devotion way too far. It doesn’t help that his PR team keeps posting to encourage their fantasies.

When a fellow pop star is murdered at the hands of a fan, Eric knows he has to do something to shatter his online image fast—like take down one of his top Twitter followers. But Eric’s plan to troll @TessaHeartsEric unexpectedly evolves into an online relationship deeper than either could have imagined. And when the two arrange to meet IRL, what should have made for the world’s best episode of Catfish takes a deadly turn…

Told through tweets, direct messages, and police transcripts.

Review: Incroyable. This book (although I first read it over a year ago still) excites me and warms my heart which is exactly what we need at these times. Tessa Heart is struggling with her agoraphobia, working up the courage to leave her bedroom, her only solace is the music and life of Eric Thorn. Eric Thorn is a famous singer who hates how his fan base, as well as his managers, objectify him. They begin talking over twitter however Eric is under a different account, a hate account of Eric Thorn. This story is just so thrilling, there are so many twists and turns!!

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Book Review: The Academy by Emmaline Andrews

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: The Academy
Where things are not always as they seem…

My name is Kris Jameson and I’m a student at the Royal Academy. I’m at the top of all my classes, what they call a “model student.” There’s only one problem—the Academy is an all boys school and I’m a girl.

It started as a prank when I took my brother’s place. But things got complicated when I caught Broward, the school bully, in a compromising position. They got even worse when I was assigned my roommate—the handsome but enigmatic North who saved me several times from the bully’s attacks.

Now the consequences of my deception are coming back to haunt me. The penalty for fraud at this exclusive school is much worse than simple expulsion—I could lose a hand. Worse, so could my beloved brother.

With so much at stake, it’s imperative that I keep my secret safe. And the person I’m closest to, North, is the one I have to be most wary of.
The trouble is, I think I’m falling in love with him…

Review: THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE READ SO FAR! The Academy by Emmaline Andrews mixes traditional with dystopian and my word this book was an adventure to read! I love a good girl-disguised-as-a-guy-due-to-misogyny book and this one is at the top of that list!

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Book Review: Just One of the Boys by Leah and Kate Rooper

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis: Alice Bell has one goal: to play for the elite junior hockey team the Chicago Falcons. But when she’s passed over at tryouts for being a girl, she’ll do anything to make her dream a reality…even disguising herself as her twin brother. With her amazing skills on the ice, Alice is sure she’ll fit in easily. That is, until she starts falling for one of her teammates…

Hayden Tremblay, star of the Falcons, can’t keep himself out of the penalty box. Constantly living in the shadow of his older brother, Hayden’s losing his passion for hockey. But when he gets shown up on the ice by the Falcons’ new rookie, Hayden’s determined to teach the kid a thing or two. Little does he guess that “Al’s” surprises on the ice are just the beginning…

Review: Cute. Amazing. Gripping. All these words I would use to describe this book. Just one of the boys uses a topic in books that I love, a girl affected by gender inequality by defying the rules and pretending to be a boy. For some reason, I just love this type of book and with just one of the boys, it has to be the best one I have ever read.

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Book Review: Friended by Kilby Blades

Rating: ★★★ and 1/3 or 3.5 stars

Synopsis: Compared to life on tour with her wannabe rock star mother, finishing high school in Rye is a snooze. At least Roxy has her best friend, Zoë, her dad, and her music. When her standoffish Civics class partner, Jag Monroe, breaks ranks and randomly friends her on Instagram, Roxy swiftly declines.

Jag is Roxy’s total opposite: stinking rich, conceited, and hot in that obvious kind of way. Roxy’s sure that his repeated friend requests must be a joke. Then Zoë does the unthinkable: snatches Roxy’s phone, accepts Jag’s latest friend request, and follows him back.

As the posts (and sparks) fly, Roxy begins to suspect that Jag may not be as shallow as everyone thinks, and that he may be into more than just her music.

Review: Ooh this book is so cute! The characters were very lovable and the addition of music for each chapter actually helped make the book more immersive if you will.

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Book Review: The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

Rating: ★★

Synopsis: How do you know who to trust when you can’t even trust yourself?

I look at my hands. One of them says FLORA BE BRAVE.
Flora has anterograde amnesia. She can’t remember anything day-to-day: the joke her friend made, the instructions her parents gave her, how old she is.
Then she kisses someone she shouldn’t, and the next day she remembers it. It’s the first time she’s remembered anything since she was ten.
But the boy is gone. She thinks he’s moved to the Arctic.
Will following him be the key to unlocking her memory? Who can she trust?

Review: I though would really love this book, the blurb was amazing and it had so much potential but… I just really didn’t like this.

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Book Review: The Wrong Bachelor by Alexandra Moody

Rating: ★★★★ or 4 stars

Song that reminds me of this book: Perfect Strangers by Jonas Blue ft. JP Cooper

Synopsis: Bachelor: A desirable potential boyfriend. AKA not Cole Kingston.

Seventeen-year-old Madison (Madi) Matthews wants nothing to do with the dating competition her school is holding to raise money for charity. She’s never been interested in chasing a guy before and she certainly isn’t interested in competing for one in front of the whole school.

But, when Madi is voted as one of the ten “lucky” contestants, she’s given no choice but to vie for the heart of Lincoln High’s most eligible bachelor. The problem is, they’ve chosen the wrong guy.

Cole Kingston might be good looking, great with a football and practically the king of Lincoln High, but he’s also cocky, arrogant, a serial flirt and Madi’s sworn enemy.

Will she be able to resist him though when the competition heats up and he turns his charms on her?

Review: Oooh this book was great! It is a YA contemporary romance that I actually enjoyed which is pretty unusual but the whole story was interesting enough to keep me hooked as well as build up tension.

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Book Review: My Life with the Walter Boys by Ali Novak

Rating: ★★★ and 1/2 or 3.5 stars

Synopsis: My Life with the Walter Boys centers on the prim, proper, and always perfect Jackie Howard. When her world is turned upside down by tragedy, Jackie must learn to cut loose and be part of a family again.

Jackie does not like surprises. Chaos is the enemy! The best way to get her successful, busy parents to notice her is to be perfect. The perfect look, the perfect grades-the perfect daughter. And then…

Surprise #1: Jackie’s family dies in a freak car accident.

Surprise #2: Jackie has to move cross-country to live with the Walters-her new guardians.

Surprise #3: The Walters have twelve sons. (Well, eleven, but Parker acts like a boy anyway)

Now Jackie must trade in her Type A personality and New York City apartment for a Colorado ranch and all the wild Walter boys who come with it. Jackie is surrounded by the enemy-loud, dirty, annoying boys who have no concept of personal space. Okay, several of the oldest guys are flat-out gorgeous. But still annoying. She’s not stuck-up or boring-no matter what they say. But proving it is another matter. How can she fit in and move on when she needs to keep her parents’ memory alive by living up to the promise of perfect?

Review: This book had such a unique story that I was intrigued as soon as I read the synopsis. This book did not disappoint! The story line and characters were great!

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