Mini Reviews #31

I've got three fabulous summer reads for you today. If you haven't read these last year you should definitely find a place for them in your beach bag this season. Enjoy!

The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morill

Lauren Morill stands for quirky, funny and sweet YA contemporary reads. Her debut novel MEANT TO BE is one of my favourite books.

In her newest book Lauren Morill sends her characters around protagonist Liza on a luxury ship cruise. She and her friends are trying to win back funding for their school band and are entering the Destiny's talent show. There's a lot of band stuff going on throughout the story, with rehearsals and battles with their greatest rival in the talent show.

The ship's name Destiny is a little hint towards Liza's romance, too. On the ship she meets former crush Lenny and there's also cheeky jock Russ. Pranks, misunderstandings and romantic confusion are all preprogrammed in this romantic comedy.

3,5/5 ***/* THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY - A fun high school cruise with friends and... rivals. Show your talent!

THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY wasn't entirely what I expected the story to be, because Liza's romantic delusions and her kind of love triangle was going on for too long and sometimes the talent show fights between the high school kids were just a bit too juvenile. Still Lauren Morill's THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY is a quick and fun read and promises a unique setting and storyline. Where else does a high school band contest take place on a cruise ship?

Publisher: Delacorte
Publishing Date: December 8th 2015
Length: 263 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, friendship, ship cruise, talent show
Source: Netgalley
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Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally

Maya plays in a band, she is ambitious and has great talent. Music means everything to her. And so she is supposed to be shadowing famous country star Jesse for her career mentoring day. It would've been too easy if these two had hit it off from the start. Jesse is cocky and quite impolite. And Maya, too, fears that this boy is only just a cliché.

Miranda Kenneally's HUNDRED OAKS series has concentrated on different sports so far, now the soul of JESSE'S GIRL is music. Two people connecting over music is really beautiful.

Jesse and Maya have a great chemistry and sizzling attraction between them. They clash, they kiss, they connect. Jesse is gorgeous, a sexy country star and he always supports Maya. She can be a bit stubborn, too, but Maya is loyal and passionate about the things she loves. Maya really is this cool rock chick and bike fan! When it came to their relationship I truly believed it, because Miranda Kenneally really accomplished to show what it means to fall in love in the music business, about all the hardships and insecurities.

Maya is Sam Henry's little sister and of course that calls for many Sam und Jordan updates. I just loved that! If you don't know who they are drop everything and go read CATCHING JORDAN immediately!

4/5 **** JESSE'S GIRL - A musical YA contemporary with a sweet and sensual romance!

Mellow country ballad or powerful rock song? You don't even need to chose, Jesse and Maya are a package deal. Music, a sexy romance and even more Jordan and Sam Henry. Fans of Miranda Kenneally's HUNDRED OAKS series will love her fifth companion novel, JESSE'S GIRL! 

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publishing Date: July 7th 2015
Length: 304 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, friendship, school, music, celebrity

Source: Netgalley
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The Summer After You and Me by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Strom Sandy left big parts of the New Jersey shore in pieces. After the storm and the terrible losses it has brought with it, the land and its people need to start healing again. Two people who are brought together in this healing process are Lucy and Connor. Both are back on the little barrier island where Lucy has grown up. The intriguing part of their story is that they already have a past together. Now we need to find out what happened this past summer between them and if they can ever find their way back to each other. Theirs is a very kind and gentle love story, complementing the very emotional and devastating story of their island. THE SUMMER AFTER YOU AND ME is such an authentic read because Jennifer Salvato Doktorski considered all the factors that influence life of the locals after such a disaster, like personal loss, financial hardships, the repairing that will take a long time, media coverage and political notions all well. At the beginning of every chapter there's a fun tidbit about the sea life's mating rituals. That's because Lucy writes her junior thesis about marine biology and it also cheers up the story a bit. Very lovely idea!

4/5 **** THE SUMMER AFTER YOU AND ME - An emotional story about mending fences, rebuilding life and finding back to yourself.

Jennifer Salvato's second YA contemporary romance tells a story about storm Sandy that hit the New Jersey shore and its inhabitants hard. She tells the story with much sensibility and emotion and therefore made it easy to connect with her characters after only a few short chapters. THE SUMMER AFTER YOU AND ME is a great summer read for people who are looking for meaningful stories with personal fates.

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publishing Date: May 5th 2015
Length: 320 pages
Keywords: YA, contemporary, love, friendship, storm Sandy, New Jersey shore

Source: Netgalley
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