My Not So Super Sweet Life by Rachel Harris

My Not So Super Sweet Life releases today, and I’m super excited to share it with you!

Ever since I read My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century and A Tale Of Two Centuries, I’ve been waiting for the next book in the series to come out. I was thrilled when I heard it was coming out soon, and when I got the chance to read an ARC, I was even more thrilled.

Cat Crawford just wants to be normal—or at least as normal as a daughter of Hollywood royalty can be. And it looks like fate is granting her wish: she’s got an amazing boyfriend, Lucas; her fabulous cousin, Alessandra, living with her; and her dad planning his second marriage to a great future stepmom. That is, until her prodigal mother reveals on national television that she has something important to tell her daughter…causing a media frenzy.

Lucas Capelli knows his fate is to be with Cat, and he’s worked hard to win her over once and for all. Unfortunately, Lucas has his own issues to deal with, including a scandal that could take him away from the first place he’s truly belonged.

As secrets are revealed, rumors explode, and the world watches, Cat and Lucas discover it’s not fate they have to fight if they want to stay together…this time, it’s their own insecurities.

Well, and the stalkerazzi.

Normally, I like to finish a book and write my review while it’s fresh in my mind. With this book, unfortunately, that wasn’t possibly. I couldn’t form a coherent thought, much less write a coherent review. LOL

Cat: This main character is perfection. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be a celebrity’s child, this book is for you. With a mother who uses Cat only when she needs good press, and her father who tries to keep her protected from the press, this book has exactly what you would expect from a celebrity child’s book. But that’s not the only thing you see about Cat – no, you also get to see the side that is super sweet. I love her relationships with Less, Lucas, her Dad, and eventually, her step-mother also.

Lucas: *sigh* Lucas. He’s perfect. And my new book boyfriend, so keep your paws off. 😉 I loved how Lucas could go from super sweet, perfect boyfriend mode into super sweet, perfect, and protective boyfriend mode in a matter of seconds. He was there for Cat, and he did everything he could to make sure he’d always be there. Is that spoilerish? I don’t think so. If you think it is, sorry.

Other characters: Don’t get me started. I could go on and on about Less and Austin – I loved them in their own book, and they were great in this book too. Cat’s dad and step-mother were great, and I can’t say anything about her mother without being spoilerish (with ALL THE CAPS) so I probably shouldn’t say anything. 🙂

Plot: It’s a cute, YA romance – you’d think you’d have it figured out. This book managed to surprise me once or twice, which was rather impressive.

Overall: This was a very enjoyable read – it only took me several hours because I didn’t want to put it down to do anything. I had to stop for dinner with my family and I was groaning inwardly because I wanted to get back to it.

I am eagerly waiting for Rachel Harris’s next YA book!
My Not So Super Sweet Life on Amazon*
My Not So Super Sweet Life on Goodreads

Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about sassy girls-next-door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Emotion, vibrant settings, and strong families are a staple in each of her Rachel Harrisbooks…and kissing. Lots of kissing.

A Cajun cowgirl now living in Houston, she firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations. She homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches way too much Food Network with her amazing husband.

An admitted Diet Mountain Dew addict, she gets through each day by laughing at herself, hugging her kids, and losing herself in story. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romances, and LOVES talking with readers!.
Rachel’s Website
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*Amazon link is an affiliate link.*

Ella Enchanted

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

How can a fairy’s blessing be such a curse?

At her birth, Ella of Frell was the unfortunate recipient of a foolish fairy’s gift — the “gift’ of obedience. Ella must obey any order given to her, whether it’s hopping on one foot for a day and a half, or chopping off her own head! But strong-willed Ella does not tamely accept her fate. Against a bold backdrop of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella goes on a quest to break the curse — once and for all.

In this incredible debut novel comes the richly entertaining story of Ella of Frell, who at birth was given the gift of obedience by a fairy. Ella soon realizes that this gift is little better than a curse, for how can she truly be herself if at anytime anyone can order her to hop on one foot, or cut off her hand, or betray her kingdom’and she’ll have to obey? Against a bold tapestry of princes, ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, and fairy godmothers, Ella’s quest to break the curse once and for all and discover who she really is is as sharply funny as Catherine, Called Birdy and as richly poignant as Beauty, and has all the marks of a classic in the making.

Some of my favorite books ever are what my Mom calls “Princess Books.” There’s just something about true love, princesses and their princes, and a happy ending that pulls me right in and captivates me.

This was one of the books that made me fall in love with “Princess Books,” and it’s stuck with me ever since. I was probably about ten when I first read it, and I tend to reread it once a year or so.

Ella was given a gift by a fairy when she was born – the gift of obedience. While it might have been seen as a gift by the fairy who gave it to her, to Ella, it’s a curse.

The book follows Ella’s journey – her mothers death, her horrible new mother and step-sisters, her time at an awful finishing school, and how she falls in love with Charmont, the Prince of Frell. But she knows that she can’t marry him – if anyone ever got a hold of her, they could tell her to kill Char – and she wouldn’t be able to stop herself.

Gail Carson Levine did a great job with her characters. I always feel very connected to Ella when I read this book – I laugh with her, I cry with her, I hate the people she hates, and I love the people she loves.

The other characters are great too! Charmont is the perfect prince – he’s kind to everyone, he can laugh if you try hard enough to make him laugh, but he can be serious when necessary. Hattie and Olive – the stepsisters – are perfect stepsisters. They’re mean to Ella, and you don’t feel sorry for them at the end! (Okay, you feel a little sorry for Olive, who was one of Hattie’s victims too.)

My Favorite Scene

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A twig snapped behind me. I turned and saw a vision: six knights carrying rope strode toward me, led by a tall young man. Visions don’t snap twigs. And the young man was Char! he saluted me, but his eyes were on the ogres. Uncoiling a length of rope, he knelt over SEEf and began to bind his ankles. The ogres slept soundly, but they were not unconscious. As soon as he felt the cord tighten, SEEf woke with a roar, which shrank to a purr when he saw Char. “What an honor, your Highness. But why do you bind an ally?” He reached down and loosened the rope. That was proper. Char shouldn’t have been fettering his friend. But Char pushed SEEf’s hands aside and tightened the rope again. How could he be so cruel? The knights had begun to bind the other ogres, who were also stirring. SEEf tried again, “Prince, I would sacrifice my life for you, and you treat me so rudely.” Still, Char paid no attention. I watched stupidly while SEEf’s feet lashed out. Char reeled back, losing his grip on the rope. SEEf rose and kicked the tether away. The knights hadn’t made much progress with their biding either. Everywhere, they were doing battle. An ogre knelt over one fallen knight, about to sink teeth into his shoulder. The knight twisted away, gaining a few seconds, but the ogre was turning toward him. Char regained his feet and drew his sword. he and SEEf faced each other warily. Char spoke to me, his voice oddly loud. “Can you tame them again, Ella? If not, run and save yourself.” The question cleared my wits. “SEEf, NiSSh, ogre friends,” I called in Ogrese. “Why do you wish to destroy your benefactors? They have food for you, but they cannot give it to you until you do what they want.” The ogres stopped clawing and biting and pounding and lunging and kickung and looked at me trustfully. “Would you like to know what the food is?” I asked. “Please,” SEEf said. “The treat they have for you is a dozen baby giants only six months old.” They all smiled beatifically. “But these friends can’t bring the feast unless you let them tie and gag you. When they bring out the infants, they’ll remove your bindings. So seat yourselves and hold out your arms and legs. They will be gentle.” Only NiSSh remained standing, looking dazed. “Sit,” SEEf commanded. NiSSh sat. The tying and gagging was completed quickly. Then the ogres were bound together, treatment that they endured cheerfully. “Ella…” Char swept a deep bow. He’d grown taller. “How did you tame the ogres?” His voice was too loud again. “I’m skilled at tongues, and–“ “I can’t hear you. Oh, I forgot.” He extracted something from his ears-beeswax. “That’s why the ogres’ magic had no effect on you.” “Once we sight ogres, we always put the wax in. The danger is being caught unawares.” Char said that one of the knights, acting as a scout, had seen me. “He reported that a band of ogres was about to eat a maiden when she talked them to sleep. How did you do it?” “I told them about finishing school, and they began to snore.” “Truly?” Char stared at me, then laughed. It was delightful to make him laugh. He was always so surprised. “How did you really do it?” he persisted.

Spoiler

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A twig snapped behind me. I turned and saw a vision: six knights carrying rope strode toward me, led by a tall young man.

Visions don’t snap twigs. And the young man was Char!

he saluted me, but his eyes were on the ogres. Uncoiling a length of rope, he knelt over SEEf and began to bind his ankles. The ogres slept soundly, but they were not unconscious. As soon as he felt the cord tighten, SEEf woke with a roar, which shrank to a purr when he saw Char.

“What an honor, your Highness. But why do you bind an ally?” He reached down and loosened the rope.

That was proper. Char shouldn’t have been fettering his friend.

But Char pushed SEEf’s hands aside and tightened the rope again. How could he be so cruel?

The knights had begun to bind the other ogres, who were also stirring. SEEf tried again, “Prince, I would sacrifice my life for you, and you treat me so rudely.”

Still, Char paid no attention. I watched stupidly while SEEf’s feet lashed out. Char reeled back, losing his grip on the rope. SEEf rose and kicked the tether away.

The knights hadn’t made much progress with their biding either. Everywhere, they were doing battle. An ogre knelt over one fallen knight, about to sink teeth into his shoulder. The knight twisted away, gaining a few seconds, but the ogre was turning toward him.

Char regained his feet and drew his sword. he and SEEf faced each other warily. Char spoke to me, his voice oddly loud.

“Can you tame them again, Ella? If not, run and save yourself.”

The question cleared my wits.

“SEEf, NiSSh, ogre friends,” I called in Ogrese. “Why do you wish to destroy your benefactors? They have food for you, but they cannot give it to you until you do what they want.”

The ogres stopped clawing and biting and pounding and lunging and kickung and looked at me trustfully.

“Would you like to know what the food is?” I asked.

“Please,” SEEf said.

“The treat they have for you is a dozen baby giants only six months old.”

They all smiled beatifically.

“But these friends can’t bring the feast unless you let them tie and gag you. When they bring out the infants, they’ll remove your bindings. So seat yourselves and hold out your arms and legs. They will be gentle.”

Only NiSSh remained standing, looking dazed.

“Sit,” SEEf commanded.

NiSSh sat. The tying and gagging was completed quickly. Then the ogres were bound together, treatment that they endured cheerfully.

“Ella…” Char swept a deep bow. He’d grown taller. “How did you tame the ogres?” His voice was too loud again.

“I’m skilled at tongues, and–“

“I can’t hear you. Oh, I forgot.” He extracted something from his ears-beeswax.

“That’s why the ogres’ magic had no effect on you.”

“Once we sight ogres, we always put the wax in. The danger is being caught unawares.”

Char said that one of the knights, acting as a scout, had seen me. “He reported that a band of ogres was about to eat a maiden when she talked them to sleep. How did you do it?”

“I told them about finishing school, and they began to snore.”

“Truly?” Char stared at me, then laughed.

It was delightful to make him laugh. He was always so surprised.

“How did you really do it?” he persisted.

The Verdict: 5 of 5 Stars

This is one of my all time favorite books, and my brother enjoys it too. It’s a wonderful fairy tale that has a happy ending, and I love happy endings. 🙂

I also blogged this book as part of the A To Z Challenge.

One

One by Leigh Ann Kopans

When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.

It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover.

If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.

Merrin’s mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub’s internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it’s more important to fly solo, or to save everything – and everyone – she loves.

I started following @LeighAnnKopans on twitter several months ago, but I didn’t really interact with her for a while. Then after I started talking to her, she graciously sent me an eARC of her book a week or so before its release date. (That’s an e-copy of an ARC, Advanced Readers Copy.)

I knew that people who’d read it were excited about it, but I wasn’t prepared to get so wrapped up in the story! Merrin’s story grabbed me and held me until the very last word.

I don’t hate “insta-love” as much as other people do, but I was very glad to see that there wasn’t any in this book! Elias and Merrin’s relationship seemed natural and was very sweet. The way she charges in to rescue him at the end made me happy – I’m a sucker for people rescuing the people they love. 🙂

The premise was very interesting – people have half of a superpower? I’ve never heard of anyone coming up with something like that before! Leigh Ann did a really good job, in my opinion, of sticking with the standards for superheroes, but still fully exploring her idea of half superheroes.

This was a great book, and I can’t wait to read TWO, the sequel that’s coming out… in the fall… sometime… I think? I’ll have to ask Leigh Ann. 🙂

My Favorite Scene

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I manage to keep my head down all the way to my locker. All I want is to get there to ditch my sweatshirt, retreat to the girl’s room — if I can figure out where it is — lock myself in a stall for a few minutes, and take a deep breath for the first time since I got here. And maybe eat my lunch in there. Just for today. I wiggle the handle of my locker, but it won’t open. I bend down to take a look at it. No jerk’s poured superglue in there or anything. Before I know it, I’m shaking the stupid locker handle so hard that it’s making a racket, and a few people standing near me look over and cock their heads. When I almost whack my own face with my struggling hand, I give up, resting my head against the cool, solid metal for a second, breathing in through my nose. I am seriously losing it. Over a locker. Half a second later, a shoulder taller than my head pushes into the metal door, and a large hand with long, thin fingers jiggles the handle side-to-side a couple times and wrenches it up, letting the locker pop open. I feel the warmth of his nearness against my cheek, countering the chill of the locker, like a shock on my skin. The guy clears his throat, says quietly, “They’re tricky.” I barely glance at him before I look down at the floor, but I do catch that he has blond hair and glasses. “You new here?” Before I can answer, some guy halfway down the hall hollers, “E! Coming?” The guy at my locker — “E” — gives his head half a shake, smiles a little, then turns to walk away. And now everyone’s staring at me. Great. As soon as I find my way to the bathroom, I place both hands on the rim of one of the sinks, steadying myself there. After a few seconds, I splash my face with water and reach over to the soap dispenser. Everything about this place feels dirty. As I’m lathering my hands, I notice the logo on the soap dispenser. Hub Technology — it appears on every product they make. It’s four arcs, one for each Hub, intersecting in the shape of a circle.. Someone has crossed out the “Hub” in “Hub Technology” and written “Freak” next to it. Suddenly, I can’t get enough air into my lungs. I duck into stall, sit on the toilet, bury my face in my hands, and take one, two deep breaths. I hope with everything in me that all the other kids actually eat in the cafeteria.

Spoiler

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I manage to keep my head down all the way to my locker. All I want is to get there to ditch my sweatshirt, retreat to the girl’s room — if I can figure out where it is — lock myself in a stall for a few minutes, and take a deep breath for the first time since I got here.

And maybe eat my lunch in there. Just for today.

I wiggle the handle of my locker, but it won’t open. I bend down to take a look at it. No jerk’s poured superglue in there or anything.

Before I know it, I’m shaking the stupid locker handle so hard that it’s making a racket, and a few people standing near me look over and cock their heads. When I almost whack my own face with my struggling hand, I give up, resting my head against the cool, solid metal for a second, breathing in through my nose.

I am seriously losing it. Over a locker.

Half a second later, a shoulder taller than my head pushes into the metal door, and a large hand with long, thin fingers jiggles the handle side-to-side a couple times and wrenches it up, letting the locker pop open.

I feel the warmth of his nearness against my cheek, countering the chill of the locker, like a shock on my skin.

The guy clears his throat, says quietly, “They’re tricky.”

I barely glance at him before I look down at the floor, but I do catch that he has blond hair and glasses.

“You new here?”

Before I can answer, some guy halfway down the hall hollers, “E! Coming?”

The guy at my locker — “E” — gives his head half a shake, smiles a little, then turns to walk away.

And now everyone’s staring at me. Great.

As soon as I find my way to the bathroom, I place both hands on the rim of one of the sinks, steadying myself there. After a few seconds, I splash my face with water and reach over to the soap dispenser. Everything about this place feels dirty.

As I’m lathering my hands, I notice the logo on the soap dispenser. Hub Technology — it appears on every product they make. It’s four arcs, one for each Hub, intersecting in the shape of a circle.. Someone has crossed out the “Hub” in “Hub Technology” and written “Freak” next to it.

Suddenly, I can’t get enough air into my lungs. I duck into stall, sit on the toilet, bury my face in my hands, and take one, two deep breaths.

I hope with everything in me that all the other kids actually eat in the cafeteria.

The Verdict: 5 of 5 Stars

ONE was a very gripping book that kept me hanging from chapter to chapter! I can’t wait for the sequel, TWO, to come out!

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen

In an ancient Arab nation, one woman dares to be different. Buran cannot — Buran will not-sit quietly at home and wait to be married to the man her father chooses. Determined to use her skills and earn a fortune, she instead disguises herself as a boy and travels by camel caravan to a distant city. There, she maintains her masculine disguise and establishes a successful business. The city’s crown prince comes often to her shop, and soon Buran finds herself falling in love. But if she reveals to Mahmud that she is a woman, she will lose everything she has worked for.

This was a book in the Sonlight curriculum that my Mom had us doing several years ago. It was “required reading”, but nothing was really “required” for me. I was really interested in the Arabian culture at the time, so this was one of the first books I reached for when we got them.

After reading it, I can say that I’m glad I grabbed it first, because I wasn’t comfortable with Colter reading this. Indigo and Jade might be able to (when they’re older), but the boys shouldn’t. At least not until they’re a lot older.

The girl in the book, Buran, is one of six daughters. Her father is not rich, so he is going to have trouble marrying off all of the girls. Buran takes off into the world, disguised as a man, to help make money (she was the smartest of the girls, so she could do this).

Things get complicated when she meets Mahmud, the son of the Wali of Tyre. They fall in love, but it’s not that easy. Remember, she’s disguised as a man. So there’s a guy falling in love with what seems to be a guy. Then, we get a scene where Buran takes off her clothes and looks at herself in the mirror, telling herself that she’s a female, describing herself.

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I took off all of my clothes, every single piece, and then I stared down at my naked self. I saw….

Yeah.

Then, (thankfully!) Mahmud kinda figures out that Buran (aka Nasir, her male name,) is a female. He starts giving her all of these tests, trying to decide whether she is or not (since just asking would be rude). Eventually she flees Tyre and he chases her all over the place. It ends with them together at her father’s house, which made the romantic in me happy. But most of me was just weirded out by everything else.

My Favorite Scene

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When we reached our courtyard, I sent the porter to wake my parents. They came to meet us side by side, their eyes still full of sleep. “Peace be with you,” Mahmud called out as soon as he saw them. He didn’t want to waste a moment. He didn’t want to give them time to misunderstand. “I am Mahmud, son of the Wali of Tyre.” “And to you, peace,” my father replied. “Your presence does honor to my humble house.” But he didn’t sound of look the least bit surprised. He behaved like a man receiving a guest he’d been expecting for a long time. “My unceremonious arrival at such an unconscionable hour surely requires an explanation,” Mahmud began in the formal, faintly pompous manner which, I was amused to realize, he still adopted when he found himself in a slightly uncomfortable situation. “Especially,” he added, “as I come, unexpectedly, in the company of your daughter.” “I know your explanations,” my father replied bluntly. “You love her. You wish to marry her. My only question is, why did it take you so long to get here?” My father may not have been surprised at Mahmud, but Mahmud was surprised at my father. “She told you about me,” he blurted out. “Not in words,” my father smiled. “I didn’t know your name. But I know enough so that now I can wait for your story. Come, my son. Rest. Eat. Then we’ll talk.”

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The Verdict: 3 of 5 Stars

The fact that this is recommended by a curriculum, without a warning as to the content, concerns me. The fact that there is a woman describing her body kinda freaked me out. I was still little when I read this – my body hadn’t started changing yet. If Sonlight is going to recommend this, don’t you think they should mention something like that?

Yes, it was a cool story about a woman going out there and making smart decisions (and getting the best of her horrid uncle and cousins. lol). But it wasn’t just that.

I’ve looked at Sonlight’s website, and this book is marked as a read aloud. At least they’ve got that on there!

Okay, this post is long and goes all over the place. Sorry about that! 🙂

Book Squirt

Tag Archives: Romance

My Not So Super Sweet Life by Rachel Harris

Ella Enchanted

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

One

One by Leigh Ann Kopans

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen