The Book of Luke by Jenny O'Connell

This book reminded me of the movie "John Tucker Must Die," which was an ok movie. I did, however, enjoy the book. It was funny and even though it had a predictable ending I enjoyed reading it just the same.

The overall story focuses on Emily Abbott and her move back to her childhood home in Boston (from Chicago). Emily has always been the "nice" girl. She always goes with the flow and does what everyone wants and expects her to do. Being nice has gotten her nowhere….unless dumped (on moving day no less) and with an absent father is considered a desirable situation.

At first Emily decides to try and pick up where she left off, reconnecting with her best friends (in Boston), Josie and Lucy. She soon discovers that they too have been dismissed by some guys themselves. A senior class time capsule project creates the perfect opportunity for Emily to connect with that not-so-nice girl in side and get some payback for her and her friends.

The project: a guide for future generations of guys - an instruction book that teaches them the right way to treat girls.

The test subject: Luke Preston - who broke up with Josie by email (did I mention he is sublimely hot and popular?)

Will Emily be able to go through with the plan or will Luke surprise her? I really liked all of the guy guide tips at the start of every chapter; they added an extra splash of humor into the book. Over all it was a cute book and a very quick read!

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

I want to start this review by saying that I LOVED this book! I could not put it down and the same was true for the follow up "Rules of Attraction," but I will get to that later…lol. Anyways...

Brittany Ellis is perfect in every way. Or at least that’s what she has led everyone to believe. The truth is that her life is anything but perfect. Britney’s façade is the only thing protecting her from her problems at home and it’s threatened when she gets stuck with Alex Fuentes as a lab partner in chemistry. Alex is wrong for her in every way but she soon finds out that he is not who he appears to be and maybe she is not the only one hiding who she really is.

Alex is a gang member from the other side of town. Alex takes pride in his bad boy persona but at home he is just trying to protect and support his family the best way he can. When a friend and fellow gang member makes a bet that Alex can’t get "Perfect Britney Ellis" to sleep with him, Alex thinks nothing of the challenge. That is, until he realizes that there is much more to Britney then she lets anyone else see.

The rest of the story is comprised of their struggle to follow their heart or stick with the path that has been laid out for them. Simone Elkeles has delivered an amazing story! The story is told from both Brittany and Alex's perspective so the reader always know how the other person is feeling even if Britney and Alex haven’t quite figured it out yet. Read it! You’ll love it!

The Pace by Shelena Shorts

The Pace was even better then I anticipated. I was expecting just another clear cut “girl falls in love with immortal boy” story, but Shelena Shorts provided a much more meaningful story. Sophie Slone has moved to California with her mother. These cross country moves were not new to Sophie but this time she was able to convince her mother to spare her the torture of starting a new school for her senior year. So she will be finishing her high school career with an online high school. This doesn’t leave many opportunities for Sophie to meet anyone. Her loner status is abruptly changed when she literally crashes into the beautiful and seemingly perfect Weston Wilson. Sophie is shocked by her immediate fascination with him and how peculiarly he reacts to her.

She soon discovers that all the things that Wes has been telling her about his past don’t seem to add up. The truth is bigger then Sophie could have ever dreamed. While Wes may not be immortal he has some serious longevity. The plot thickens when Sophie discovers her role in Wes’s history and her troubling fate. Immortality suddenly means and array of different things. I think that this is one of my favorite books so far this year. The story gave me everything I crave: romance, mystery, the supernatural, and a touch of drama. I don’t think this book has gotten the attention it deserves. Make sure you add it to your “to-read” list!

Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia

I have been anticipating this book for months. I have to say that I really enjoyed this book. It had a great plot that really drove the story. I couldn’t seem to put it down. My one criticism for the book was the length. I think that it could have been a little longer (and not just because I wanted more to read). I thought that the interactions between Teagan and Garreth could have been more descriptive and I would have liked to here Garreth talk more about what it is like to be in a "human" body.

Teagan McNeel is your typical seventeen year old girl. She lives with her single mother, hangs out with her best friend Claire every weekend, and trudges her way through high school. Then the dreams start. She feels like she is being watched. She is also confused by how differently she responds to the dreams. Sometimes she is left feeling warm and comforted, while others she is cold and scared. At least they are only dreams….or are they? When they suddenly start to happen at school Teagan thinks that she is loosing her mind.

Then the fantastically gorgeous new guy Garreth Adams pops into her life. He is perfect in every way and she is shocked that he seems to have his sights set on her. What Teagan doesn’t know is that Garreth is her Guardian and he is here to protect her from his enemy Hadrian. Hadrian is the (also stunningly gorgeous) dark angel plotting to enslave all Guardians and by proxy, their human charges. The conflict that Teagan has between her love for Garreth and the pull she feels toward Hadrian opens the door for an interesting sequel. Which is on its way, but once you read Angel Star I’m sure you will agree that it can’t come soon enough! So If you haven’t already make sure to add this to your "to-read" list.

The Seven Rays by Jessica Bendiner

This story was good but not great. I had really high hopes for this book because the plot is very good. Beth Michaels receives an anonymous message that says, “You are more than you think you are.” Then Beth starts seeing things that she can’t explain. She suddenly sees pink dots everywhere and is able to look into people's pasts, their fears, their secrets, their desires. All Beth really wants is for it all to stop. Unfortunately when you tell someone you are having hallucinations the only thing they think is “Crazy!” Beth is inclined to believe them, but similar messages keep arriving and soon it seems like Beth has a much bigger purpose then she ever dreamed and never wanted.

I was a little frustrated by the terminology used. As a fan of young adult books I am accustom to the use of age specific dialogue. So that being said don’t miss understand me when I say that for a young adult book I felt like it was a little juvenile at times. The main character is supposed to be smart (graduating early) but she uses words like feelsees, grooze, and talk’s way too much about bodily functions. If you have read some of my other reviews you know how I feel about all the bodily fluid talk (see my review of Blue is for nightmares).

The love story wasn't as well developed as I would have liked either. One of my favorite parts of paranormal romance is the ROMANCE and it was kind of lacking. The love interest kind of just wakes up in love with Beth and even has a sudden psychic connection to her. There is a feel strange scene involving a hotel room and an iPod. I won’t give too much away but it was the weirdest love scene ever. The main issue I have with the romance in this book was that after I was done I was left wondering if it was even real love or some kind of "spell." Anyways, the over all idea behind the book was really good the execution just wasn't right. I hear that there will be a sequel. I might pick that one up...we'll see.