 People feel so much. Love is so big and it leaves behind a crater. Even when it's wrong.  Title: Meet Cute: Some People are Destined to Meet Author: Multiple authors Series: Standalone Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Anthology Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers Date Published: January 2, 2018\ Pages: 320 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Synopsis: Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere. MEET CUTE is an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of "how they first met" from some of today’s most popular YA authors. Readers will experience Nina LaCour's beautifully written piece about two Bay Area girls meeting via a cranky customer service Tweet, Sara Shepard's glossy tale about a magazine intern and a young rock star, Nicola Yoon's imaginative take on break-ups and make-ups, Katie Cotugno's story of two teens hiding out from the police at a house party, and Huntley Fitzpatrick's charming love story that begins over iced teas at a diner. There’s futuristic flirting from Kass Morgan and Katharine McGee, a riveting transgender heroine from Meredith Russo, a subway missed connection moment from Jocelyn Davies, and a girl determined to get out of her small town from Ibi Zoboi. Jennifer Armentrout writes a sweet story about finding love from a missing library book, Emery Lord has a heartwarming and funny tale of two girls stuck in an airport, Dhonielle Clayton takes a thoughtful, speculate approach to pre-destined love, and Julie Murphy dreams up a fun twist on reality dating show contestants. This incredibly talented group of authors brings us a collection of stories that are at turns romantic and witty, epic and everyday, heartbreaking and real. Review: In case it wasn’t obvious, this book is an anthology. I haven’t reviewed an anthology on my blog before, but I am going to try by giving each story it’s own section and rating! So, without further ado, let’s get into the review! Siege Etiquette by Katie Cotugno: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Siege Etiquette is about two people stuck in a bathroom, hiding from the police at a high school party. Sounds pretty cliche right? Think again. This story was anything but cliche. It was adorable, witty, and incredibly fun to read. It was definitely a great story to start out the anthology and one of my personal favorites. Print Shop by Nina LaCour: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Print Shop is about two girls meeting through a customer service twitter page for a print shop. This one was another of my favorites. I flew through it. Even though it was a short story, I enjoyed how there were little twists and turns throughout it. I also loved the story behind all of the characters, it made everything about this story ten times better! Hourglass by Ibi Zoboi: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hourglass is about a girl desperate to get out of her small town in her last month of high school. One of the main things that I liked about this story was how the characters weren’t perfect. I feel like that is something that is not really shown that much, especially in short stories, so I appreciated that aspect. I also enjoyed the main character. I can’t explain why, but there is just something about her that I loved. Click by Katharine McGee: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click is about two people that met through a futuristic dating service. Okay, I just need to get this out there: I AM SO HAPPY THIS WAS WRITTEN IN TWO PERSPECTIVES!! I rarely get to read dual perspectives, so when I saw that was the way Click was written, I was over the moon! However, what really pushed this one over the top for me was the backstory behind the main character. It brought an air of mystery which really enthralled me. It also added so much depth to the story which made this short story a five star one. The Intern by Sara Shepard: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Intern is about a girl that is stuck with the job of taking a famous person on a tour. I thought that this story was very cute and adorable, albeit a little unrealistic. I also really loved the fact that the main character was interning because it kind balanced out the unrealistic with more realistic things. I thought that The Intern was super enjoyable and I had a lovely time reading it! Somewhere That’s Green by Meredith Russo: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Somewhere That’s Green was absolutely phenomenal. I truly believe that this story is something extraordinary. I loved it so much! It follows a huge issue in today’s society which is something that I loved since it brought light to the issue. I can’t even say enough about how much I enjoyed this twist on a controversial issue (I also loved the dual perspective in this one as well)!! The Way We Love Here by Dhonielle Clayton: ⭐⭐⭐ I’m sad to say that I didn’t love this story as much as the other ones. I found it to be kind of repetitive. I also had a hard time clicking with the characters, which is definitely important in short stories. However, I did like the world building throughout the plot! Oomph by Emery Lord: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Oomph was another one of my favorite stories in this anthology. It follows two girls at the airport. First, I loved the characters. In addition, the plot was positively adorable and I was definitely rooting for the main characters the entire time. I also enjoyed the hopeful ending that we were left with. The Dictionary of You and Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was also one of my favorites! Agh, I can’t say enough about how much I loved this one! It was everything I expected and more. It was cute, witty, charming, and extremely entertaining. It was predictable but it also wasn’t (which probably makes no sense, just read it and you’ll know what I mean)! The Unlikely Likelihood of Falling in Love by Jocelyn Davies: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I adored The Unlikely Likelihood of Falling in Love. I loved the characters, even though they didn’t have much of a backstory (I know, crazy, right?). And to make this book a five star story, there was even a hint of feminism throughout the plot! 259 Million Miles by Kass Morgan: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 259 Million Miles was a funny and cute story, but I didn’t love it. I feel like it was pretty predictable. I was able to predict the ending at the beginning of the story. Other than that, I liked the characters and the plot. I also loved the world building! Something Real by Julie Murphy: ⭐⭐⭐ I was not a fan of Something Real. It was so predictable and cliche, I just wasn’t able to enjoy it. Not only that, but I also did not find any connection to any of the characters. However, I won’t go into the negative parts of the story too much for the sake of the length of this review. Say Everything by Huntley Fitzpatrick: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Say Everything was one of the most unique stories in this anthology. I really enjoyed this story because it was different. In addition to that, I really enjoyed the main character’s backstories (yes, again). The Department of Dead Love by Nicola Yoon: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Department of Dead Love was incredible. There were also twists and turns throughout the entire story and I truly didn’t expect the ending. The characters were easy to love, the world building was there, backstories were there, and the plot was enthralling! Buy Meet Cute:
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*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*  Title: Girls of Paper and Fire Author: Natasha Ngan Series: N/A Genre: Fantasy Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Date Published: November 6, 2018 Pages: 336 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Synopsis: In this lush fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most oppressed class in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards still haunts her. Now, the guards are back, and this time it's Lei they're after--the girl whose golden eyes have piqued the king's interest. Over weeks of training in the opulent but stifling palace, Lei and eight other girls learn the skills and charm that befit being a king's consort. But Lei isn't content to watch her fate consume her. Instead, she does the unthinkable--she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens the very foundation of Ikhara, and Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide just how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge. TW: violence and sexual abuse. Review: Girls of Paper and Fire is a book that is really hard to write a review about. On one hand, I really enjoyed this book. It was a really interesting concept and it read really well. However, on the other hand, it was really hard to read. This is because of the sexual abuse that was very prevalent throughout the story. Without the sexual abuse, Girls of Paper and Fire is a really interesting book, with an intriguing concept. Admittedly, it was very similar to a lot of other YA novels, but it had a lot of differences. This mainly included the air of mystery throughout the novel. Especially at the end. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and recommend picking it up, just be mindful of the trigger warning. Where to buy Girls of Paper and Fire:
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*  Title: Escaping From Houdini Author: Kerri Maniscalco Series: Stalking Jack the Ripper, #3 Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Date Published: September 18, 2018\ Pages: 416 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Synopsis: Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly. But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It’s up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer’s horrifying finale? Review: Wow. That is the word I would use to describe this book. It was absolutely phenomenal. From start to finish, Escaping from Houdini is a wild ride. I can't wait to start talking about this book, so let's get right into it! I obviously have to mention the two main characters, Thomas and Audrey Rose. Even though I have been reading this series since it came out, and know a lot of things about these wonderful characters, Kerri Maniscalco finds a way to continually add more and more details about the characters. This successfully rounds out the characters and really makes this book great. Anyone know knows me knows I love a good mystery. Escaping from Houdini keeps the mystery alive until the very last page. I literally could not stop reading! Everytime I thought I had figured out the killer, I am proven wrong. Nothing about this book is predictable and I can't put into words how amazing that is! Finally, the last thing that I want to touch on is the world building in this book. Every chapter something new gets added to the world that you thought you knew everything about. This added a certain depth to the mystery that was truly phenomenal! I can't recommend this series enough. Seriously. Go to your nearest bookstore/online and preorder this book. It comes out really soon and I guarantee you will love it!! Where to buy Escaping from Houdini:
 Today I am going to be posting a Top 5 Wednesday theme that is technically for next week but I couldn't resist, so I am doing it this week! This post is going to contain 5 books that I really want to read before 2018 is over! 1. Caraval by Stephanie Garber I have heard so many wondeful things about Caraval and I can't wait to pick it up before the year ends! 2. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake The entire concept of Three Dark Crowns is super intriguing to me. It's been high up on my TBR for a while now, and I can't wait to read it! 3. The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli I got this book in my Owlcrate a little while ago, and I am super excited to read it! 4. Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff I've seen so many people on Bookstagram rave about this series and I am eager to finally read it. 5. Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
I recently read another book by Jenn Bennett and loved it so I am stoked to pick up this one!  Hi! Guess what? I am finally done with school (until September)! That means that I will be able to post on here way more frequently which I am super excited about, especially since I am coming up on my 2 year blog anniversary! So, without further ado, let's get into my post!
At the moment, I am currently reading Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco! I received an ARC of it a little while ago and I am super excited to be reading it! After I finish I am thinking of getting into a new series. Any recommendations? Do you do a IMWAYR post? If so, please leave the link in the comments below, and I will definitely check it out! Don't forget to comment and subscribe to get notified when I post! :) *I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*  Title: Starry Eyes Author: Jenn Bennett Series: Standalone Genre: Contemporary, Romance Publisher: Simon Pulse Date Published: April 23, 2018 Pages: 432 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Synopsis: Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets. But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together. What could go wrong? With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely. And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars? Review: Starry Eyes is easily one of my favorite books of the year so far! It was absolutely phenomenal! I am so glad that I got the opportunity to read this book!! I have a lot of things to talk about in this review so let’s jump in! First, I have to mention how much I adored the setting! As someone who really loves hiking and the mountains, it was so much fun to have that as the setting of most of the book! I’ve never read a YA book before that took place in the mountains, with hiking and camping, so this was super unique to me and I absolutely loved it! The way that Jenn Bennett incorporated the setting into Lennon and Zorie’s journey was simply wonderful. I also really loved the characters of Lennon and Zorie. There were so many unique quirks to both of them which really made the story that much more enjoyable. In addition, I love the chemistry that was between them. Even immediately, you can tell that something has happened between them. Finally, I want to mention the underlying plot. Of course, there was the adorable main plot going on between Lennon and Zorie, but there was also a second plot about their parents that really kept the mystery alive, which is pretty rare in YA contemporary novels. Overall, Starry Eyes is an AMAZING book, and I can’t praise it enough. I highly, highly recommend getting your hands on this book and reading it!! Where to Buy Starry Eyes:
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*  Title: Love & Luck Author: Jenna Evans Welch Series: Standalone Genre: Contemporary, Romance Publisher: Simon Pulse Date Published: May 8, 2018 Pages: 320 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Synopsis: Addie is visiting Ireland for her aunt’s over-the-top destination wedding, and hoping she can stop thinking about the one horrible thing she did that left her miserable and heartbroken—and threatens her future. But her brother, Ian, isn’t about to let her forget, and his constant needling leads to arguments and even a fistfight between the two once inseparable siblings. Miserable, Addie can’t wait to visit her friend in Italy and leave her brother—and her problems—behind. So when Addie discovers an unusual guidebook, Ireland for the Heartbroken, hidden in the dusty shelves of the hotel library, she’s able to finally escape her anxious mind and Ian’s criticism. And then their travel plans change. Suddenly Addie finds herself on a whirlwind tour of the Emerald Isle, trapped in the world’s smallest vehicle with Ian and his admittedly cute, Irish-accented friend Rowan. As the trio journeys over breathtaking green hills, past countless castles, and through a number of fairy-tale forests, Addie hopes her guidebook will heal not only her broken heart, but also her shattered relationship with her brother. That is if they don’t get completely lost along the way. Review: Love & Luck is one of the cutest books I have ever read. I really loved this book, it really is a feel good book, perfect after a bad day to cheer you up. I loved all of the characters in this book. The main characters, Addie, Rowan, and Ian undergo some development in their character before the book ends, which is pretty rare for a contemporary YA novel. In addition, I loved how there was information that wasn’t revealed until much later in the book, which added a little layer of suspense and made me want to keep reading and never put the book down! I also really loved how Jenna Evans Welch left room for the reader to imagine what happens after the end of the book! I haven’t read many books that end like this one did, so that was a bit of a breath of fresh air for me. I can’t wait to see if there are more books like this one by Jenna! Overall, Love & Luck is a really lovely book and I highly recommend it to any contemporary romance fan! Where to Buy Love and Luck:
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*  Title: Water Weaver Author: Morgan Sheppard Series: Wraidd Elfennol, #2 Genre: Fantasy, Romance Publisher: Morgan Sheppard Date Published: October 31, 2015 Pages: 644 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Synopsis: The Isle of Wraidd Elfennol is a place balanced by the four elements of nature – Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. The essence of each element is contained within a sacred artefact, helping to keep the balance of life. At the Summer Solstice celebration, the Lords and Ladies of the Elements announce their artefacts are missing. A human and animal partnership is Chosen for each Element, to find the missing artefacts and help restore the balance. Together, they embark on a quest to find the missing artefacts. As the world around them changes, danger lurks with every challenge the group must face. Time is not on their side as their quest must be completed before a year and a day has passed. Rejoin the World of Wraidd Elfennol as Marella and Nixie, the Chosen of Water, learn how to work with those of the other Elements. Review: Water Weaver is epic. That is the only way I know how to describe it. This book is over 600 pages long and never feels boring. The moment you start the book, you are drawn into this phenomenally crafted world, and you will never want to leave. The first thing that I just have to talk about is the world building in this series. It is absolutely amazing! Little aspects of the world that you learn as you continue reading, form the fantastic world and really makes you feel like you are in the world. The characters in Water Weaver are also so amazing. The development of each and every character really pushed the book over the top for me and made it a five star book! Overall, Water Weaver is uniquely brilliant and I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy and doing yourself the favor of reading it! Where to Buy Water Weaver:
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*  Title: Twelve Steps to Normal Author: Farrah Penn Series: Standalone Genre: Contemporary Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Date Published: March 13, 2018 Pages: 384 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Synopsis: James Patterson presents this emotionally resonant novel that shows that while some broken things can't be put back exactly the way they were, they can be repaired and made even stronger. Kira's Twelve Steps To A Normal Life 1. Accept Grams is gone. 2. Learn to forgive Dad. 3. Steal back ex-boyfriend from best friend... And somewhere between 1 and 12, realize that when your parent's an alcoholic, there's no such thing as "normal." When Kira's father enters rehab, she's forced to leave everything behind--her home, her best friends, her boyfriend...everything she loves. Now her father's sober (again) and Kira is returning home, determined to get her life back to normal...exactly as it was before she was sent away. But is that what Kira really wants? Review: Twelve Steps to Normal is not a book that I would’ve picked up on my own. I tend to lean more towards fantasy novels. However, when I picked up this book to review, I fell in love with it. This book is AMAZING! Seriously, read it!! First, I have to mention the representation in this book, which I loved because things like addiction and alcoholism are not represented enough in YA today. This book mainly focused on the main character’s father and his struggle with being an alcoholic. The main character, Kira, has spent her recent life on kind of rocky terms with her dad. This book follows the journey that Kira, her father, her father’s friends, and her friends take, coping with this new life. Something that I loved was the friendship in this book. A huge part of Twelve Steps to Normal was focused on the friendships between different people. Friendship is typically overshadowed in YA, but in this novel, Farrah Penn exquisitely executes the friendships between several people, which made the book for me. Overall, Twelve Steps to Normal is a phenomenal, fast-paced book, and I highly recommend picking it up and giving it a read! Buy Twelve Steps to Normal:
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.* There's no point in wishing. We can't change anything about the past. We can only remember. We can only move forward.  Title: The Astonishing Color of After Author: Emily X.R. Pan Series: Standalone Genre: Magical Realism, Contemporary Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Date Published: March 20, 2018 Pages: 480 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Synopsis: Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird. Leigh, who is half Asian and half white, travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. There, she is determined to find her mother, the bird. In her search, she winds up chasing after ghosts, uncovering family secrets, and forging a new relationship with her grandparents. And as she grieves, she must try to reconcile the fact that on the same day she kissed her best friend and longtime secret crush, Axel, her mother was taking her own life. Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love. Review: The Astonishing Color of After is one of the most unique books I have ever read. I received it for a review, and after getting about half of the way through the book, I had trouble finishing it. However, I continued reading and I am so glad that I did. After the brief struggle midway through the book, The Astonishing Color of After because one of my favorite books of 2018 so far. The characters were so well executed, I truly felt an attachment to almost all of them, which is hard to come by in books. The way that these characters were written just blew me away. What really stood out to me in this book is how the characters interacted with each other. I’m so used to seeing perfect characters never making any mistakes. It was so refreshing to see these character be… real. Another thing about this book that I loved was the setting change. The setting in this book does change a few times, and when it does, Emily X.R. Pan made sure that every setting was described so well that the reader feels like they are living in that world. Overall, The Astonishing Color of After is a phenomenal book, meant to be read over a few days, which I believe to be necessary to completely enjoy this book. If you get stuck in the middle like I did, please please continue reading! You will not regret it, I promise! Buy The Astonishing Color of After:
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