Review | Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

Title:  Point of Retreat

Author:  Colleen Hoover

Publish Date:  September 18, 2012

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Website: N/A

Imprint: Atria Books

My Source:  Purchased at BN

My rating:  3 Stars

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’  (Goodreads Summary)

My Review:

This is the second installment to Colleen Hoover’s book Slammed. I couldn’t wait to dive into it – I couldn’t get enough of Lake and Will and I wanted to read what was in store for them in this second book. I have to admit that while the story was still good and the message still the same, I didn’t like this part of the story as much as I liked Slammed. It felt too contrived at times and the drama (especially surrounding whenever Lake and Will would get together) got to be a bit much. I realize this is YA fiction and teenagers eat this up but I just don’t appreciate that kind of drama. That is where believability gets muddied for me.

The characters, Kiersten and Sherry, were quirky, outspoken and just that right amount of sarcastic that made them fun. I enjoyed being introduced to them and learning a little more about them. I especially liked Kiersten, as a 10 year old her maturity was surprising and nicely integrated into the story. It was that type of maturity that I liked in the first book. Kiersten and Sherry were honest and believable. I do wish there was more character development in the two brothers though. I would have loved to read more about what they were going thru and how their new situations were being handled on a more personal level. Overall, this was still a good read and I would definitely recommend it.

Review | Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Title:  Slammed

Author:  Colleen Hoover

Publish Date:  September 18, 2012

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Website: N/A

Imprint: Atria Books

My Source:  Purchased at BN

My rating: 4 Stars

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she’s losing hope.   Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.  Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.  (Goodreads Summary)

My Review:

YA isn’t typically a genre I enjoy or usually read. At this stage in my life, being a wife and mom, I just don’t relate to these types of stories and won’t typically read them. That being said, I really enjoyed this book. The characters had some depth, were likable, and definitely relatable to readers of most ages. What struck me most was the maturity of both main characters their life experience of losing a parent or both parents made them “grow up” and the writing showed this very well in their interactions with each other, as well as others. As the reader, I appreciated their maturity very much, especially in the wake of a very sensitive issue Lake and Will had to overcome. They handled it very well, better than you would expect an 18 and a 21 year old to handle it.

I found myself crying, laughing, then crying some more. At one point, my kids looked at me and asked their dad, “What’s wrong with mom?”. This story kept me wanting more with each turn of events and I was so glad I had purchased Point of Retreat to continue reading about Lake and Will! This story has such a good message, focusing on doing the right thing. I can’t wait until my daughters are old enough for me to recommend this book to them.

Review | Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens

Title: Thoughtless

Author: S.C. Stephens

Publish Date: September 3rd, 2011

Publisher: S.C. Stephens, via Smashwords

Website: N/A

Imprint: N/A

My Source: Borrowed from a friend

My rating: 3 Stars

For almost two years now, Kiera’s boyfriend, Denny, has been everything she’s ever wanted: loving, tender and endlessly devoted to her. When they head off to a new city to start their lives together, Denny at his dream job and Kiera at a top-notch university, everything seems perfect. Then an unforeseen obligation forces the happy couple apart.

Feeling lonely, confused, and in need of comfort, Kiera turns to an unexpected source – a local rock star named Kellan Kyle. At first, he’s purely a friend that she can lean on, but as her loneliness grows, so does their relationship. And then one night everything changes…and none of them will ever be the same. (Goodreads Summary)

My Review:

Just finished Thoughtless and I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series but I am hoping it goes beyond what I just read. This is a classic love triangle story but the main character, Keira, got a little annoying. I understood that both guys were great/wonderful in their own way (one guy was safe while the other guy was exciting) and Keira had a tough time deciding between the two. But, some of her back and forth indecisiveness got very tiresome. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the book/story just got a little tired of Keira.