Review Time #77

Jardine by Lessa Bow

At eighteen, Ava is sure she has found her soul mate in Jardine. Convincing their friends and family that what they have is more than just a crush, however, is an entirely different story. Jardine's parents have his life mapped out with plans that don't include Ava. 

Their plans to get into med school and start their future together crumble when cricket sensation Jardine is selected to play for the Australian team and expected to spend most of the year touring internationally. Ava knows since they agreed to follow their dreams, no matter the cost, she has to let Jardine go.

Ava also discovers a new inspiration to move on with her life. But can she keep it a secret from Jardine? If he discovers the truth, everything between them could be destroyed.

Jardine is the prequel novella to Bow's new series with the first book Caught Out releasing later this year.

Ava and Jardine have both just finished high school and waiting on their results to see if they get enough marks to get into med school. However, Jardine who is and up and comer in the cricket scene is looking to be selected in the Australian test side in the test series against India, the country which his grandfather played for. 

For Ava, not having her boyfriend around all the time is a hard adjustment and when a night out goes wrong she starts keeping secrets from Jardine. All Ava wants is for Jardine to follow his dream and with her secrets weighing down on her, she is unsure whether she should be with Jardine. I really enjoyed the romance between the two and you could see that they really cared about each other. I also loved the best friend relationship between Cleo and Ava, which I look forward to reading more about in Caught Out.

Jardine is a great prequel novella that makes you wish you had book 1 straight away & to what looks like will be a fantastic series by Bow. Caught Out book 1 in the series will be out later this year. 

Thankyou very much to Lessa for providing a review copy for me to read!

Rating: 4.5/5

Keely xx

December Wrap Up 2014!

Hey everyone! It is 2015, how bloody fast did this year go by? It feels like only yesterday that it was the start of 2014 and now a year on, soon I will no longer be a teenager (which is kind of strange) and half way through my degree! I read a lot of books in 2014 (440 when I have written this post), I know that this year I won't read that many because I am going to have to focus more on uni (even though I said that last year) so my goal will be 200 (which is what originally 2014 was). 

I mainly got books for Christmas this year, which I am in no way complaining about! I also got a crystal glass dressing table set (family inheritance/pass down), a hockey stick, money for some shopping in Sydney to come later this month, Veronica Mars S3 & Rizzoli & Isles S4, and Taylor Swift 1989 tickets for November! 

This months posts:

• Review Time #74
• Review Time #75
• Summer TBR
• Top 14 of 2014: YA
• Top 14 of 2014: NA & Adult
• Most Anticipated for 2015

Christmas books:

Some Christmas books/presents

• Fetish, Split, Covet, Hit and Siren by Tara Moss
• Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander
• Dark Triumph and Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
• Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas
• Breaking The Rules by Katie McGarry

Bought:

The super pretty new hardcover editions of Nancy Drew!

• Nancy Drew #1-#4 by Carolyn Keene
• Captivate by Aimee Carter
• Percy Jackson Series #1-#5 by Rick Riordan

Review Books:

The amazing ARC of I Was Here!

• I Was Here by Gayle Forman
• The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E.Lockhart
• Jardine by Lessa Bow

Thanks Simon & Schuster, Allen & Unwin and Lessa Bow for these review books!

E-Books:

• Forever With Me by Kristen Proby
• You Were Mine by Abbi Glines
• That One Summer by C.J Duggan
• Mai Tai'd Up by Alice Clayton
• Upside Down by Lia Riley
• Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally
• Jaden by Tijan
• Seaside Sunsets by Melissa Foster

So many books this month! Let me know what books you got for Christmas/this month in the comments! Have an awesome 2015 everyone!

Keely xx

Review Time #68 & #69

Winning the Player by Leesa Bow
Hey everyone, today I am reviewing the two Lessa Bow books I've gotten ARC's of & they are both short so I've added them together!

When injury destroyed her dream of playing college basketball, Aubree Taylor fled overseas. Now she's finally home again and ready to move on with her life. Until she runs into Hunter Stone on her first night out, the only guy who's ever meant anything to her – and the last person she wants to see.

Since she ran out on him two years ago, Hunter hasn't been able to get Aubree off his mind. The sexy football star has had girls all over him for years, but Aubree is the only one to have ever seen behind the cocky persona he puts on for the crowd.

Despite her attempts to keep her distance, Aubree is unable to resist the strong attraction between them and it isn't long before they fall into a passionate relationship. She has never been afraid of a challenge, but Hunter's arrogance and inablity to trust are testing her to her limits. Aubree must decide whether to follow her heart and lower her guard…or risk losing the best thing that's ever happened to her.

After injuring her knee in year 12 Aubree's scholarship chance to play college basketball in the US is shattered. Taking off for two years to travel the world, Aubree has returned home. However, all she wants to do is to stay away from Maddy's cousin Hunter who is part of the reason why she decided to run off to travel in the first place.

Hunter plays AFL (Australian Football League for those non-aussies!) and the guy who Aubree has a crush on. Hunter is a player and keeps everyone out of his life by not letting anyone in. Aubree is lost and has no idea what she wants to do with her life now that she can no longer play professional basketball.

Once they start to work through their problems and try to be friends they realise that that is never going to happen knowing they have feelings for each other. Although Aubree does try and stay away from Hunter because of his past but Hunter can be the good guy on occasion.

Winning the Player was a book about finding yourself again after your dreams have been shattered and learning to let others in even though you don't want them to know our weakness. 

Rating: 4/5

Charming the Outback by Leesa Bow

When jaded city girl Maddy McIntyre packs up and leaves Adelaide for a new job in the country, it's not only a chance at a fresh start. Six months ago, the first guy she'd ever loved shattered her heart before moving home to Broken Hill. Deep down inside, Maddy is hoping that living in the same town will give her an opportunity to prove to Luke that she's one temptation he can't resist.

But when she arrives in Broken Hill, Luke White is not the same guy she knew in the city. And it soon seems very clear that he doesn't want her there. Although Maddy settles in quickly, excelling at work and partying with her new friends, she can't understand why Luke is remaining so distant. Particularly when all her instincts are telling her that they're meant to be together – and that he feels the same burning attraction.

As Maddy learns more about Luke's family and background, she begins to understand that his mixed messages are caused by balancing what's expected of him with what he really wants. Maddy gave Luke her heart long ago and, despite their differences, she knows she'll only ever be happy with her hot country boy. But how can she convince him that she's the risk he needs to take?

Charming the Outback is the companion to Winning the Player involving Hunter's cousin & Aubree's best friend Maddy.

Maddy leaves Adelaide for a full-time teaching job in Broken Hill. Which may or may not be where her ex-boyfriend has moved back home to to work in the mines and on his family's station. Luke had to return home to Broken Hill to run his family's station after his uncle had a stroke, but still working as a geologist during the weekdays. Luke not wanting to force Maddy into his way of life broke up with her to return to home. 

It is pretty obvious that both Maddy and Luke still have feelings for each other but they have a lot of problems before they even think of getting back together. Maddy doesn't know the real reason why Luke broke up with her and wants to make him regret it.

Throughout the book you find out why Luke broke up with Maddy and the process that they take to get back together again. They really needed to talk more which did start to annoy me (Maddy let the man talk!). I love the friendships that Maddy makes in Broken Hill and her wanting to learn more about station life.

Also loved how Maddy and Aubree on the way to Broken Hill counted the road kill because I do that driving to Armidale for uni (2 Wombats, 4 Kangaroos & 6 unidentifiable animals in one trip)!

Charming the Outback is a story about not giving up love when you know that it is something more. Also nothing better than a NA book set in outback Australia!

Thankyou Penguin Teen Australia for letting me read these ARC's off netgalley!

Rating: 4/5

Keely xx