Idol by Kristen Callihan ♡♡♡

Idol by Kristen Callihan is the first book in the VIP series. I've read her Game On series, and I loved it, and I love a good rock star story.

Idol tells the story of Libby, who is living as a hermit in North Carolina, and Killian, a rock star who literally shows, drunk, up on her lawn. We watch as the two grow close and go off on a whirlwind adventure full of music, fun, and tons of drama.

I liked the book, but it just wasn't as good as the Game On, and it doesn't hold a torch to Jamie Shaw’s Mayhem series. I didn't feel connected to the characters, and again, just like with Charged, I felt like there were so many sex scenes, and they weren't all necessary. I think the writing was good, but

The last two new adult books I've read have had a lot of sex, and not for the sake of the plot. It might be time for a new adult break.

What do you think? Has new adult become sexier? If you think it has, do you think that's a good thing?

Idol on Goodreads

Charged by Jay Crownover ♡♡♡

Charged by Jay Crownover is the second book in the Saints of Denver series. I have to say, it was not really what I was expecting, and I was a bit disappointed.

Charged tells the story of Avett, who just can't seem to get her act together, and Quaid, the guy who thinks they have it all figured out. This book had crime, a love story, and lots of sex. We watch as the two try and figure out if and how to make each other fit in their lives.

Let's start with the bad. First, I thought the story worked too hard to introduce characters who will likely have books of their own in the future. Also, this book may have been the most sex filled yet! I have nothing against sex in books, but this almost felt like erotica with extra story. I'm not sure if Jay Crownover is making a move toward more contemporary books, but I enjoyed the Marked Men series so much more than The Saints of Denver. Perhaps my own expectations were too high. I'll probably give the series two more books before I give it up.

I do have to say, for the most part, I liked the character of Avett. Once she starts to figure things out, you can see, she's a good person, even if she can be a bit misguided.

What do you think? Do you think Jay Crownover’s books feel different?

Charged on Goodreads

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah Jessica. Maas ♡♡♡♡♡

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas is the second book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. I loved the first book, A Court of Thorns and Roses, but it was nothing compared to this one.

A Court of Mist and Fury picks up pretty much right where the last book left off. If you haven't read it, you should do that now. I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't read it, so this will be a fairly brief review.

What I will say is this, I did not think there was any way I would love Rhysand so much. I was not expecting one thing that happened in this book. And, if I could, I would give this book infinite hearts, that's how much I loved it.

Now, I just need to time jump to when the next book comes out so I can find out what is going to happen next! If you were on the fence about sticking with this series, I suggest you read A Court of Mist and Fury. It was incredible.

A Court of Mist and Fury on Goodreads.

Sass by Laramie Briscoe ♡♡

Sass by Laramie Briscoe is I book I picked up through BookBub. I was a little disappointed since it was marked as new adult, and then the first page of the book said contemporary romance. But all the same, it was a fairly quick, entertaining read.

Sass tells the story of Sass and Reed. Reed is getting over his breakup with his cheating fiancé, and Sass agrees to pretend to be Reed’s girlfriend to case jealousy. I love the pretend girlfriend stories, so I was looking forward to this.

Overall, the story was OK. At 150 pages, the story moved fairly quickly, and there wasn't much depth to the characters or story. Everything was pretty surface level (having just finished Me Before You, that may have been for the best).

I did almost give up up the book after reading the prologue. The main character, Reed, threatens to force himself on his fiancé after he finds her cheating. While it was said in anger and in a moment of vulnerability, I couldn't like him much after that. I don't care how angry you are, that's no idle threat, and it was unnecessary.

I'm not sure if I would read another book by Laramie Briscoe; for the most part, I prefer longer books where there's more than romance going on; this book was more like a story written around romantic scenes. But maybe another of her books with catch my eye in the future. I'm not ruling it out.

Sass on Goodreads

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes ♡♡♡♡♡

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes was, and I don't say this lightly, probably the best book I've read all year, if not the best book I've read since Easy by Tammara Weber. I wasn't going to review this book initially, because it has already been so popular, but then I loved it so much, I thought I would let people who may be on the fence know, it's worth it!

Me Before You tells the story of Lou, who gets a job taking care of quadriplegic named Will. It is probably the slowest building love story, and I loved every second of it.

One of the reasons I love this story is that it's not just a love story, but it also explored some very serious moral implications and life choices. I picked this book up because I wanted to read it before I saw the movie, but I am so glad I read it. It was a beautifully written, heart wrenching story.

If you haven't read it yet, go read it now!

Me Before You on Goodreads

The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen ♡♡♡♡.5

The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen is the first book I've read by this author. I found out about it like I do with a lot of books, through BookBub.

The Year We Fell Down tells the story of Corey and Hartley. Corey had an accident before starting college that caused a spinal injury and paralysis, crushing her dreams of playing hockey. Hartley is healing from an accident that's keeping him from hockey, too, but only for the season. We watch as Corey tries to reconcile who is is after the accident, and, of course, we watch Corey and Hartley fall for each other.

I enjoyed reading a new adult book where the characters had real life difficulties. So often, the stories biggest problems are about getting the characters together, and I was happy to read a book that was about something bigger. Corey was a great character because she was so strong, stubborn, and vulnerable all at the same time. And we got to see her deal with her injury, college, and love life in a way that was quite endearing.

I'm looking forward to reading more books by Sarina Bowen, and, hopefully, more books in this series.

The Year We Fell Down on Goodreads

My Soul to Keep by Kennedy Ryan ♡♡♡♡.5

My Soul to Keep by Kennedy Ryan is a book I found out about when it was on sale through BookBub. I've never read any of her other books, but this one caught my eye, and I'm so glad I picked it up.

My Soul to Keep tells the story of Kai, a small town, Georgia girl trying to make it in LA after the death of her mother. Her world starts spinning again when she meets world famous musician Rhyson. We watch as Kai tries to navigate life after losing her mother and the intricacies of being linked to a super star.

There were so many things I loved about this story. The writing was so poetic, I easily connected with the characters, and from the opening lines, Kai had such a distinct voice (when I read it, I could hear her accent, no dialect necessary!). The characters also felt realistic to what people in their positions might be like.

The story does end with a bit of a cliffhanger, but I cannot wait to read the next story.

My Soul to Keep on Goodreads