For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime. Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day. It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with the lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard. Synopsis from Goodreads.  ✱ Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout  ✱ Pages: 480 (hardcover) ✱ Publication date: 17 May 2016 ✱ Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ✱ Amazon UK | Amazon US

The story is based on two people - Mallory and Rider - who both faced abuse as children. I was kind of prepared for the waterworks.

Dealing with Old Wounds

Rider and Mallory both felt real to me - I understood their reactions, I understood their decisions, and how their past had affected them in different ways. These two high school students have tried to put behind them these horrible things in their past - but they are very clearly still dealing with them. It's emotional, and it naturally affects the story and drives it forward. It's a good premise - if a bit heart-breaking and tear-inducing.

High School is Hard for Everyone

Something Mallory starts to see is that maybe she's not as different from everyone around her as she thought. It has an impact on her journey as she tries to be like the others, to prove to herself and her foster parents that she's doing better and is able to go to school.

The Problem with Forever is an emotional, evocative and inspirational story about love, family, and how our experiences make us who we are. 

My favourite thing: Mallory's struggle felt so real to me, and it was easy to identify with her. I think we all have our struggles in high school, and even though her situation is worse than most, it still hits me hard.

Props to the Author

The Problem with Forever is absolutely lovely, moving, and overall just very, very emotional. It's clear that the author has done her research, and she paints a realistic picture of young foster children who sometimes slip between the cracks in the system.

Romantic YA (maybe even NA because of some tough topics?) that treats love in a very realistic way. I cry at the drop of a hat, really - but I have this rule that if a book makes me cry, it's probably easily worth five stars. I CRIED OKAY.

Do you read books that you know will make you cry?

Kate and Mark have sat next to each other in calculus all year, but the first time they actually talk is when they run into each other during a night out in the city.  Mark is in love with his best friend Ryan, and Kate has just escaped her friends, afraid to meet the girl she is in love with even though they have never spoken or met before. This chance meeting between Mark and Kate brings them closer than they would ever have thought. ✱ Pages: 256 (hardcover) ✱ Publication date: 7 June 2016 ✱ Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ✱ Amazon UK | Amazon US

I've heard David Levithan's name so many times but never read his work before, so when I came across You Know Me Well (co-authored with Nina Lacour!), I was really interested. The title is lovely, and the premise made me think. How well do we know ourselves? How well do our friends and our family know us? What about complete strangers?

The story starts during Pride, and the events unfold over a week, from the initial meeting between Kate and Mark, until the end of their high school careers. Alternating between the points-of-view of Mark and Kate, it's a look at two teenagers on the brink of adulthood, trying to be true to themselves, trying to hold on to old friendships, and trying to navigate the paths of first love. You feel the uncertainty, the pain, the joy along with the characters. 

I loved Kate and Mark, they are wonderful and real, and they have their own issues, and they feel really strongly about friendship and just being there. So yep, I really, really loved them both, so much. There was something very realistic about this book to me, and I'm so happy I got to read it, and to share the journey Kate and Mark were on.

Another thing I love, is the depiction of the LGBT community in You Know Me Well - especially when it comes to teenagers finding somewhere they belong, with people they feel won't judge them. I think it's really important to discuss these topics, in YA literature especially, so I genuinely appreciate what the authors are doing here. This book could be a really important one for teens dealing with coming out, identity, and acceptance from other people.

First loves, friendships, the end of high school, the dreaded future - something we've all gone through.You Know Me Well is delightful, refreshing, and full of feeling.

Have you read David Levithan before? This was my first! Do you have other books in mind that touch upon LGBT themes?

I'm catching up on my ARCs - and you'll be delighted to know (or not) that I finally ventured into historical romance (yes, I'm looking at you, Ezrah!).

Orphaned and living at Fellsworth School, Isabel Creston and her young stepsister Lizzie go from the strict morales of Fellsworth to the high-handed care and guidance of an aunt that Isabel can't even remember meeting. Things at their new home, Emberwilde, are very different from the school, something strange is going on in the woods near the estate, and somehow Isabel finds herself with two possible suitors. ✱ Pages: 352 (ebook) ✱ Series: Treasures of Surrey #2 (stories in series not strictly related) ✱ Publication: May 2016 (Thomas Nelson) ✱ Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ✱ Amazon UK | ✱ Amazon US

The cover is pretty. I was feeling guilty for avoiding things labelled 'romance.' I thought maybe it was fate?

I'm pretty picky when it comes to romance in books. It's either because I'm not a romantic, or because I'm too much of a one. Who knows? Whatever the case, I feel hesitant about picking up books that actually focus on the romance - because I'm so afraid of them getting it wrong and ruining it for me. Luckily for me, in addition to a sweet romance, Dawn at Emberwilde also provided some intrigue in the form of a nice sub-plot, so overall I was a happy camper.

The characters are the driving force here, and Isabel is precisely the kind of protagonist I like: caring, stubborn, and knows her own mind. Especially when it comes to a historical setting, I appreciate a woman actually having agency - or at least trying to achieve it. Alternating points-of-view for the chapters make the story move efficiently, and we get to know the two main characters, Isabel and Mr. Galloway. well enough to care about their happiness.

So yes, I did like this HR novel. It was sweet and innocent and romantic and I enjoyed every page of it, okay? (No, I'm not being overly defensive.)

Against my initial expectations, I did enjoy this one. If you have a sweet-tooth and you're in the mood for a light Regency romance, look no farther ;)

So. Would it be acceptable to go on a bender and start on pride & prejudice next?

 

What are your feelings about historical romance? Any recommendations? Let me know in the comments :)

This book is beautiful! Not just the cover - which is so pretty - but the story, you guys. It's amazing.

Amani is poor, orphaned, and female. All of these traits are particularly unfortunate in her oppressive dead-end of a home town called Dustwalk. Luckily, Amani is also a talented gunslinger, and has the resolve and intent to leave Dustwalk behind her. Meeting a foreigner in a shooting contest may just be the answer to her prayers. Add it on Goodreads.

You know what? I usually feel this pervasive sense of shame when I want to read chick lit. I'm so happy I ignored that feeling and actually picked this book up for my kindle.

The book focuses on Jane Hayes, a New Yorker obsessed with the BBC adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. She's intense when it comes to relationships, and hers have never seemed to work out very well. There are funny little snippets featuring all her boyfriends between the chapters. Essentially, Jane ends up on a trip to Austenland, an English resort that allows her to dress and act like she was part of Jane Austen's world. There are also some very handsome actors to make the ladies feel like Austen heroines...