Pushing the Limits, by Katie McGarry

Release date: July 31st 2012
Published by: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Contemporary (YA)
Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

It's incredibly difficult to read a hyped book. I get nervous, and I just don't know if I'll like it or not, if it's going to be disappointing or mind-blowing. More difficult than that, however, is to write a review on a hyped book that I loved more than anything. That's exactly what I'm facing right now. I have no idea how to put what I feel about this book into words. Pushing the Limits was fantastic, and I honestly don't know where to begin.

Perhaps I should probably begin by saying that Echo and Noah were fantastic characters, not because they were strong, or kick-ass, but because they were so damn human it hurt. They went through so much - Echo, because of her scars, and Noah, because of his tough family situation - that it's impossible, completely and totally impossible, to not sympathize with them. Both Noah and Echo were realistic to the extreme, and not once did I look at them and thought "Wow, that just didn't make sense", because everything, from the way they decided on things, and to the dialogues, was realistic and well thought. I cried for them, I cheered for them, and I couldn't get enough of these two.

The set of secondary characters couldn't have been more eclectic. Noah's friends, Echo's family, Noah's brothers, and the school counselor, were delightful characters, and they all fit into the story without taking the spotlight away from Echo and Noah. I loved the relationship between all the characters, the dynamic that it created between them. It was incredibly refreshing and also allowed us to get out of the drama and hurt that usually followed Echo and Noah around.

And - just because I can't help myself - I gotta talk about Noah. My newest crush is simply adorable. Noah is the kind of boy that's tough on the outside - he has to be, to stand everything he's been through - but on the inside, he's a boy separated from his brothers and in love with a broken girl. He's strong for all of them, while at the same time struggling with his own problems. I couldn't be prouder of the way things turned out in the ending for him - and Echo, of course - because he really deserved it. The romance that developed between them was sweet, and full of pain as well. It was heart-breaking and swoon-worthy at the same time.

I waited more than 3 months to read Pushing the Limits. I read every review out there, and I was positive I'd love it. And yeah, I did love it - but Pushing the Limits is also the best contemporary novel I have ever read in my life. The characters and flawed but impressive, the multiple points of view were distinguishable, the writing was smooth and the romance was wonderful. The waiting, my friends, was well, well worth it.

The Thing About the Truth, by Lauren Barnholdt

Release date: July 10th 2012
Published by: Simon Pulse
Genre: Contemporary (YA)
Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon

Kelsey’s not going to let one mistake ruin her life. Sure, she got kicked out of prep school and all her old friends are shutting her out. But Kelsey’s focused on her future, and she’s determined to get back on track at Concordia High.

Isaac’s been kicked out of more schools than he can count. Since his father’s a state senator, Isaac’s life is under constant scrutiny—but Concordia High’s his last stop before boarding school, so Isaac’s hoping to fly under the radar and try to stay put for a change.

When Kelsey and Isaac meet, it’s anything but love at first sight. She thinks he’s an entitled brat, and he thinks she’s a stuck-up snob. So it surprises them both when they start to fall for each other. Kelsey’s happy for the first time in months, and Isaac’s never felt this way about anyone before...But nothing’s ever completely perfect. Everyone has secrets, and Isaac and Kelsey are no exceptions. These two may have fallen hard, but there’s one thing that can ruin it all: the truth.

They say "Don't judge a book by its cover", and sometimes, that really does prove itself true. Unfortunately, The Thing About the Truth doesn't fall into this category. I've never been a fan of this cover, but the summary looked so interesting and just plain entertaining, that I decided to give it a try, regardless of the specifics. And yes, Lauren Barnholdt's newest novel is plenty of fun and very enjoyable, but... it wasn't memorable. At all.

My problems with this novel is related to the main character, Kelsey. I will be honest with you; the entire time, she looked like a brat to me. She fought with Isaac for no reason at all, only to spite him and - at least that's what it looked like - to prove how mature and sure she was of herself, when really, her actions spoke of the opposite. She mistreated Isaac over nothing - he helped her countless times, and all she did was turn her back on him, and I hated that. I hated how self-righteous she was, and most of all, I hated how she didn't care about anyone else, only her grades, in a difficult moment. If someone were crying her eyes out in the bathroom, or passing out in front of Kelsey, all she did was think about how late she'd be to her meeting with the principal. I mean, really?

Also, the big "truth" that was supposed to come out and destroy Isaac and Kelsey's relationship wasn't shocking at all. Sure, I understand why it was difficult for both of them to face this omitted truth, especially Isaac, but even then, it wasn't serious enough to do that much damage. Maybe I just never went through that sort of thing, but really - after I learned what big secret Kelsey was keeping, I was expecting a simple fight between them, not something epic like that.

The romance, however, was incredibly cute - if you forget Kelsey's ridiculous decisions - and since that's what I was looking for, basically, I was left with a feeling of satisfaction. The Thing About the Truth did its job as a light contemporary novel - it entertained me and gave a lot of swoon-worthy scenes - but as a romance book with a deeper meaning, it failed to impress.

The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

Release date: January 10th 2012
Published by: Dutton Books
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 5/5 stars
Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon

 Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Everybody talked about John Green when The Fault in Our Stars came out, and honestly, I didn't know why. I mean, was this novel really that special? However, I was curious, and that's why I bought a copy and started reading it. And now I know why people loved this book so much. The Fault in Our Stars is a book about death, about life, and a lot more than that. 


Hazel, the main character, is easily someone I could become best friends with. She was honest, simple, and snarky. The kind of protagonist that can make you love the story just because of her. Cancer crushed her childhood dreams and expectations, and you can see that as the plot unravels. And when she meets Augustus Waters... well, that's when the book really pulls you in. Their relationship is at the same time fast and slow. Their dialogues were so constant in the chapters that I grew tired of it, all the while yearning for more. I honestly don't know how John Green made me feel that way, but he did, and only an extremely talented author has such power over the reader. 

It took me almost a week to figure out how to write this review, and even now, I'm struggling with it. Not because I had mixed feelings over the book, but because I was so overwhelmed by it, that my thoughts just flew out of my head. What I really loved about this novel isn't the romance that I just described, however. It's the way it's written. John Green writes fiction books, but The Fault in Our Stars was real, somehow. These characters, Hazel, her parents, Augustus, his parents... they were so real, and the situations they went through so realistic, that this felt like a diary, not a fiction book. 

John Green exposes the truth about cancer, things that we all know, but prefer to ignore it. A 16-year-old girl isn't courageous, and she isn't fighting the cancer bravely. She's suffering, and this disease, this awful disease, is destroying her from the inside out. It's not something brave, it's something painful that she has to endure because there isn't anything she can do about it. That's exactly how John Green portraits Hazel, and it changed a part of me. This beautiful novel is a story that not only opens your eyes; it changes you, makes you see everything so differently that you wonder why the human population haven't read this book yet. 

I know, now, why my Goodreads friends loved The Fault in Our Stars. I know, now, why John Green is considered one of the best authors in the world. To him, I can only say "thank you". And to every reader out there, I can only recommend this novel. It's an unforgettable ride.

Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe, by Shelley Coriell

Release date: May 1st 2012
Published by: Amulet Books
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 4/5 stars
Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon

- A copy was provided by Netgalley for review purposes










Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.

My Thoughts

Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe, picked my curiosity not only because of its cover - which, let's admit, it's unique - but because of the premise. I was looking for a light, contemporary story, and right after reading the synopsis, I knew I had found it. However, after a couple of chapter, I realized that Shelley Coriell's book is a lot more than that. 

Chloe Camden would be that girl in school who's charming and knows how to make someone laugh, even if the person is her worst enemy. She's clever, has good taste in shoes, and most of all, is loyal to those she loves. I found this particularly endearing. She's self-centered sometimes, but still cares about her friends and family. The author created a character here that felt very real. I do know some people that can make me laugh and see things in a positive way, even when my life is going downhill. Needless to say, I loved Chloe. 

With a perfect, yet very human, main character, it's easier for the plot to flow smoothly. Chloe's issues with her best friend, Brie, her grandmother, and the radio staff, were connected and each one added something new to Chloe's personality. She learned to listen, to use her compassion... The character development in this novel was palpable, and I'm not just talking about Chloe here. A simple plot and a lovely main character open a lot of doors, including the probability of exploring secondary characters more deeply. Clem, the radio admin, and Duncan, were remarkable addictions. 

It's no secret I love a love story. And with Duncan, I had some of that. It wasn't The love story, but something light and heart-warming, that felt natural to both Chloe and Duncan. I'm very satisfied with this aspect of the story. Mrs. Coriell has a lot of potential, not only when it comes to romance, but in general. Her writing is full of details, and at the same time, incredibly easy to comprehend. 

What started off as a cute and funny story ended up being a surprisingly fresh book about growing up and facing the changes life has to offer. Welcome, Caller, This Is Chloe, is an excellent novel, and though it took me a couple of days to really get into it, I'd recommend it to anyone, especially teenagers. Truly bewitching. 

The Probability of Miracles, by Wendy Wunder

Release date: December 8th 2011
Published by: Razorbill
Genre: Contemporary (YA)
Rating: 5/5 stars
Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon











Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.

A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.

My thoughts:

The Probability of Miracles is one of those novels that makes you feel so much while reading it, that makes you stop and change your perspective of life in so many ways. It's impossible not to be drawn by its premise: A dying girl who moves to a new town that's known by its miracles, and falls in love. It wasn't just the synopsis that caught my eye, however; it was the cover, the reviews, and the readers that cried their hearts out with Mrs. Wunder's story. Who doesn't want to feel emotional enough to cry over a book?

Cam Cooper was just the kind of girl I had expected. It's not that she didn't want to live... she just accepted that death is imminent, and that it's pointless to spend the rest of her life searching for an answer - a miracle - that doesn't exist. Her sarcastic personality seemed shallow at first, at least to me, but as I got to know her better, it became obvious how much she was suffering. Instead of whining and acting like a child, she hid behind sarcasm, which was fine by me, since her thick wall of indifference starts to crumble when she meets Asher. 

Ah, Asher, Asher... He was the responsible for my tears. Wendy Wunder created such a real, solid character in him. I could relate Asher to anyone in my life. It's nice to see a boy with a believable appearance, personality, actions, instead of someone stoic, mysterious, and sexy. Asher and Cam's story is full of angst, regret, pain... but it's also full of love. Their issues made me want to hug them at all times. And even when things were going downhill, they dealt with whatever came at them with their hearts, which was another positive point for me.

I always try to read a contemporary novel between heavier genres, like fantasy or historical fiction, to stay in touch with realistic stories that deals with the same kind of things we have to deal with in a current basis, like cancer. And though I knew how this book was going to end, it didn't left me in tears... it left me sobbing. I actually didn't expect it to mess up with me so much, but it did. 

The Probability of Miracles is not only a novel about cancer. It's about finding your first love, enjoying every moment you have, loving your family, and most of all, it's about learning peace, even when you're carrying a burden as heavy as a disease. This is one of the most beautiful novels I've ever read, and I admire Wendy Wunder for creating such a touching story. If you haven't read this book yet, do it. It has the potential to change you.

Perfect You, by Elizabeth Scott

Release date: September 21st 2010
Published by: Simon Pulse
Genre: Contemporary (YA)
Rating: 3/5 stars

-- Find it on: Goodreads, Amazon











Kate Brown's life has gone downhill fast.

Her father has quit his job to sell vitamins at the mall, and Kate is forced to work with him. Her best friend has become popular, and now she acts like Kate's invisible.

And then there's Will. Gorgeous, unattainable Will, whom Kate acts like she can't stand even though she can't stop thinking about him. When Will starts acting interested, Kate hates herself for wanting him when she's sure she's just his latest conquest.

Kate figures that the only way things will ever stop hurting so much is if she keeps to herself and stops caring about anyone or anything. What she doesn't realize is that while life may not always be perfect, good things can happen -- but only if she lets them...

My thoughts:

After Anna and the French Kiss, let's just say I spent a couple of months looking for a good contemporary novel. The Fine Art of Truth or Dare was a complete disappointment, so I went straight to one of the most famous authors of this genre: Elizabeth Scott. I now know why she's this famous. Perfect You had an interesting premise: Girl who's a nobody at school, ignored by her best friend, harassed by family issues, and constantly wondering if the boy actually likes her, or is only trying to add her to his ranks.

 Pretty cliché, right? I thought so, too. But Elizabeth Scott involves not only teenager's problems, but realistic family issues, which only makes the story solid. Kate's father quit, and decided to sell Perfect You vitamins. However, pursuing a dream is hard when you have a family to support, and bills to pay. Kate's family getting poorer and poorer while Steve turned his back on reality and focused on video games and vitamins was tough even for me to read. I felt bad for Kate and her mother and brother.

 However, as much as Kate's situation was complicated and acceptable, her frequent whining was not. I couldn't understand her half the time, to be honest. If your family is out of money, and working with your father is not making things any better, why not look for another job, one that would actually provide some money? But no, all that Kate did was cry and complain like a child about the lack of freedom and happiness and go after Anna like a dog. 

Yes, I said it. Kate acted like a dog around Anna. If your best friend forgets about you, makes fun of you behind your back with people you hate, and doesn't look at you not even once... well, it's bye-bye for her, honey. I understand that Anna's friendship was very important to Kate, but really, some self-esteem is in order these days. Anna didn't want to be Kate's friend, she just wanted someone who supported her above all else, and would always be there for her. Like, you know, a dog. Or, in this case, Kate.

The romance was pretty cute, I admit that. However, it would've been perfect if Kate hadn't acted like she was so superior around Will. She didn't even let him finish a sentence - literally - and always thought the worst of him, even before he began to speak. It bothered me immeasurably how Will always respected Kate's wishes and treated her right, but Kate crushed him under her shoe whenever possible. It's wasn't a balanced romance, with mutual respect and acceptance. That's the only bad aspect of it. 

The writing was great, though, and I liked how some things were left unresolved at the end. I would've loved to see more of Kate and Will's relationship, since their last conversation didn't really give me much of a closure. Despite the narration on the last chapter resuming how it all went after that, I still thought it was left incomplete, somehow. Good plot, good ending, non-remarkable characters, and an enjoyable romance. I say if you're looking for a quick contemporary read, go for it. 

The Catastrophic History of You and Me, by Jess Rothenberg

Release date: February 21st 2012
Published by: Penguin Young Readers Group
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 4/5 stars
- Goodreads page












Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever.

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

My thoughts:

I bet 5000 dollars you once thought "What must be like when we die?". Every single human being has this doubt, and it can make us fearful and uncertain of what'll become of us when our hearts stop beating. Brie learned the answer to this very question sooner than she ever imagined. At sixteen, she had the perfect life, boyfriend, and best friends. When a date goes terribly wrong, her heart literally breaks in half upon hearing the words, "I don't love you".


After dying, Brie must learn to let go of her life, so that she can move on. Brie can observe everything that happens in the "normal" world, and with that, she finds out her life hadn't been so perfect after all. Secrets that surprised both Brie and me, betrayals that I wasn't expecting at all, turns Brie's after life in a living hell, and it's harder than ever to let go. How can Brie forget her life, if her heart is broken constantly by it?

Brie is told that there are five stages to go through after death:  Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Sadness, and Acceptance. And so she goes through it all. And as she learns the very truth about her friends and family, Brie makes mistakes, she breaks hearts, she fixes them, and learns to move on. For me, that was the magic. Brie evolved so much as a person it felt real, just like someone would mature if something awful happened.

Patrick acts like a sort of guide for her, providing the necessary information so that she can move on as quickly as possible. At first, I didn't like him that much. It was like the author was trying to make Patrick realistic, but failed horribly. However, as the story goes on, Patrick turns out to be a completely different person. His sarcastic personality hides a secret that changed the whole concept of the book for me - and what I thought of him. In the end, Patrick won me over. His romantic relationship with Bree develops painfully slowly from the very beginning, and it's both frustrating and great to see the tension between them heating up.


However, as much as I loved Brie and Patrick, I can't help but talk about the secondary characters. The author knows how to create characters and make them feel real. With solid backgrounds and distinct personalities, Brie's family and friends pulled me into the story just as much as Brie herself. They were the ones who made me cry at Brie's funeral. I felt their pain as if they were my own relatives.

The Catastrophic History of You and Me takes young adult romances to a higher level - no pun intended at all. Dying of a broken heart is, indeed, catastrophic, but it raises one hell of an eyebrow. It's one of those plots that could either work out wonderfully, or terribly. Fortunately, it was more of the former. Jess Rothenberg managed to put family, friendship and love issues, character development and an incredible ending, all that in 400 pages. Bravo!

The Fine Art of Truth or Dare, by Melissa Jensen

Release date: February 16th 2012
Published by: Speak
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Rating: 2/5 stars
Goodreads page











Ella is nearly invisible at the Willing School, and that's just fine by her. Still, it's hard being a nobody and having a crush on the biggest somebody in the school: Alex Bainbridge. Especially when he is her French tutor, and lessons have started becoming, well, certainly more interesting than French ever has been before.

My thoughts:

When I first set eyes on The Fine Art of Truth or Dare, I thought this would be a book I'd enjoy. Especially when people started to compare it to Anna and the French Kiss (a contemporary novel I loved). It turned out, a lot of things went wrong, things that made my rating fall, and hard. 

Ella is the main character, a shy girl who's one of the invisible kids at the Willing School. She has a horrible scar on her neck and shoulder, which makes her socialization with other students much harder. The love of her life is Edward Willing, an artist who died in 1916. Ella talks to Edward in her mind, like in imaginary conversations. He gives her advices all the time, but this is seriously creepy. I expected Ella to realize how insane this is at some point, but no, she acts like it's no big deal. 

Other than that, her shyness would be a girly and cute aspect of her personality, had it not been so accentuated. She wasn't shy, she was a chicken, and that's it. She was afraid of people staring at her scar, she was scared of basically everyone with a social life, she was afraid of singing, of dropping her soda on her shirt, of doing the wrong thing in front of Alex, of losing her friends... Her point of view was so tiring; I couldn't wait to finish reading this book. If someone yelled "You're a freak, and you look like Freddie Krueger!" on my face, I wouldn't start to cry. I'd beat the crap out of the girl, or at least ignore her. Guess what Ella did?

Ella didn't feel real, as well. If Alex told her "Oh, we're having lunch with the lacrosse team, and you're going to take off your clothes" with a wink, she would start trembling and shaking, wondering if that was true. Then she would whisper, "What?” terrified of what was going to happen. This felt way too forced. I couldn't understand how Alex was able to stand her. I felt bad for him. 

Now, let's talk a bit about the romance. I enjoyed it, I really did, but neither Ella nor Alex seemed to like each other so much. It was like Ella was totally in love with Alex, and Alex liked her, which in turn made Ella insecure (again) and tried to block her feelings for Alex. So tiring. The reason I'm giving this book 2 stars is because I loved the ending more than the whole book. The last chapter made me smile a lot of times, so, props to the author. I'm glad at least one thing in this exhausting contemporary was worth it. 

Last, but not least, 20% of the book could've been cut out. Sentences, like "I peed. I washed my hands and smelled the Diptyque fig candle." made me want to scream "UNNECESSARY INFORMATION!" over and over. I know I'm probably being a baby right now, but I had to point this out. My eyes kind of bleeded with these sentences. 

Overall, I'm extremely disappointed with The Fine Art of Truth or Dare. I don't know how this book got to be compared to Anna and the French Kiss - it has nothing to do with it, seriously -, but I do know a great amount of people are liking it far more than I did. So, to those readers, I'm glad someone out there loved Ella and Alex's story. This just isn't the book for me.

Double Clutch, by Liz Reinhardt

Release date: September 28th 2011
Published by: CreateSpace
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 2.5/5 stars













What happens when you fall for the perfect guy...twice...in one day?

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she's back in the States, she's determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance.

What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once.

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus.

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn't know why he can't get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake's sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be darker and more complex than Brenna is willing to deal with.

Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies...and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

Between keeping the peace with her lovingly over-protective parents, designing t-shirts for her high school's rising punk band, keeping up her grades in classes split between academic and technical high school, and running the track like a maniac, Brenna has enough to worry about with out juggling two guys who make her heart thud and drive her crazy all at once.

She has to make a choice, but how is she supposed to do that when giving her heart to one of them might mean breaking the other's?

My thoughts:

Beware: This book has a confusing love triangle. If you love those, and want to be torn between two guys, this is the right book for you xD

Ok, now humor aside, Double Clutch was a funny, (hot), and quick read. Brenna Blixen is one of those characters with a personality that’s 50% sarcasm, and 50% cuteness and cleverness. Love triangles are often dealt with pretty ridiculously. How many times did you read a book about a girl who doesn’t have anything smart, intelligent, funny, cute, or lovely in her, and all of a sudden, two guys are falling all over her? And you just don’t understand why she’s treated like a Greek goddess by, not just one, but two boys? Well, with me, that happens a lot, and it makes me really mad.

But in Double Clutch, I could actually see why Saxon and Jake liked Brenna. She’s just beautiful, both on personality and, according to the guys, on appearance. What really bothered me is that I couldn’t connect with her throughout the book, not in the way I wanted to. And that’s lame, because Brenna’s such an adorable girl, and I really wanted to know her better.

The same happened with the love interests. Saxon, the bad boy that every girl desires, and Jake, the sweet, hard-working boy with a mysterious past. That sure sounds interesting, but as the story progressed, I didn’t feel much about either of them. I just didn’t care if Brenna was with Jake or Saxon. Even though I like Saxon better – his honesty was one of the most admirable things in him, and I just loved his sense of him – I didn’t really cheer for him. Jake and Saxon were just there, Brenna felt things for both of them, and that’s the end of it.

I admit, though, that Brenna’s background was well defined. The author wrapped all the things that happened to her up, and her friends, family, and colleagues had a story and plot of their own. I hate it when everything in the world happens around the main character and her love interest. It’s just boring and unrealistic. In Double Clutch, Brenna’s life is well balanced, and it felt real and common.

I don’t know if the ebook I bought had some kind of error or something, but I found a lot of grammar mistakes in it, and yes, they bothered me. And some sentences were so confusing I had to re-read it three times to understand, and some of them I just don’t know what the author meant.

“The top shelf is new stuff on the right and stuff I feel like I really should read, but haven’t gotten around to reading, on the left.” Please, did anyone understand this? I… I just can’t!

The plot was a little predictable – especially when the synopsis gave away what the drama was about between Saxon and Jake. I would have enjoyed the book more if this little thing was a surprise, instead of something we knew just by reading the synopsis.

Double Clutch was, indeed, a very good book, but some things about it really didn’t work for me. Yes, I loved the dialogues and background and all of that, but the writing, plot, and main characters didn’t really please me. I may re-read this next year, though. I want to give this book another chance.