The Rebound Girl by Tamara Morgan

Summary from Goodreads

Plastic surgeon Whitney Vidra knows all about getting over a cheating ex. She followed her boyfriend halfway around the world before she found out about his infidelity. Now she's focusing on her career and her friends, and using men just for single-serving, no-strings fun. Until she meets charming Matt Fuller.

Newly single Matt is captivated by the vibrant Whitney, in every way the opposite of his cheating ex-wife. When he confesses to Whitney that he hasn't had sex since his divorce, she volunteers to be his rebound girl. But Matt's not a no-commitment kind of guy—he's either all in, or all out.

Whitney is determined to remain attachment-free, but Matt is equally determined to prove to her that what they have is more than just a rebound fling.

My Review

A typical story of two persons moving on with their lives from a heart-breaking past and found each other. It's easy to find out where the story is going with the two main characters. But what made me continue reading is the chemistry of the two characters. Matt and Whitney are two persons you shouldn't put together, but with the story and set up, the author had successfully created a very adorable love team. Though adorable should be the last word that should describe them, I can't help myself. But before adorable, we could put hot, irresistible and entertaining. But I'll stand up on my adorable description. A conservative teacher and a liberated plastic surgeon's love story is something I cannot pass on hearing.

Though I know where would the story ends even before I open the book, this book intrigued me on how they will end up together. The humor, sexiness, and depth of this story is really entertaining. In this book, it's not the "how they met" or "how the book ended" what's important. It's what's in between. On how these two found forgiveness and acceptance when they found love together.

Ink by Amanda Sun

Summary from Goodreads

I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

My Review

It's nice to have a breathe of fresh air. And a story with Japan settings is something new for me.  At first, it's really confusing what the story is all about and how all the characters fit in. But as the story goes, everything is coming to its perfect place. I just find myself enjoying the love story between Katie and Tomo.  

The mystery surrounding Tomo is really intriguing that I almost got frustrated how Tomo denies everything when the truth is so obvious, but the story behind the truth is quite hard to get.  I'm not familiar with Kami or any other Japanese legends, so I was hoping that the story would give more details on it. Even how Tomo and Katie got involved in this legend was not elaborately explained, which I'm hoping would be shared in the next book. I guess it would explain a lot.

I also love how American and Japanese culture was mixed so naturally. I didn't even feel confused everytime Japanese words are uttered even though I have no idea what the words are, but as I said, it's quite entertaining to read something different.

What I also loved about this, other than the supernaturals, is how Katie found her home in a foreign place. At first, Katie is lost, a stranger in a foreign land, but as the story goes, Katie comes to love the place and found her place in a place she never thought she could find.  It makes me realize, that sometimes, changes are good. We just have to be open about it.

The After Girls by Leah Konen

Summary from Goodreads

Ella, Astrid, and Sydney were planning the perfect summer after high school graduation. But when Astrid commits suicide in a lonely cabin, the other girls' worlds are shattered. How could their best friend have done this--to herself and to them? They knew everything about Astrid. Shouldn't they have seen this coming? Couldn't they have saved her?

As Ella hunts for the truth, and Sydney tries to dull the pain, a chilling message from Astrid leaves them wondering whether their beloved friend is communicating from the after life. The girls embark on a journey to uncover Astrid's dark secrets. The answers to those questions--questions they never dreamed of asking--will change their lives forever. http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=2568999292484262172#overviewstats

My Review

When their friend Astrid committed suicide, Sidney and Ella are left to pick up the pieces. Pieces of guilt, what ifs and memories of their friendship. Both tried to handle their grief in their own ways. Sydney was the one who wanted to let it go, move forward and just forget everything. I understand her, at least that way, she never have to be reminded of all the opportunities she could have in helping Astrid, and maybe, Astrid would not kill herself. In parties and drinking, Sydney could pretend everything is fine, and even for just a moment, she could forget that one of her best friend died. 

Ella on the other hand wanted to solve the mystery of Astrid's death. They thought everything is fine with Astrid, that all of them have planned the future together. Ella could not accept the fact that Astrid gave up and left them, that Astrid chose to end her life than choose to ask their help in whatever she's going through. She believes Astrid is telling her something, that her ghost is possible reaching out to her ,telling her a message, and he won't stop until she finds out all the mysteries behind their friend's death.

It shows two ways of moving on, one is Sydney's way-- forget everything and move on, and the other is Ella's, that is face all the feelings and facts before moving on. Both are effective I guess, it's the individual's character on how to cope up with the hurt of losing someone. Just one thing remains, both are hurting really bad. :(

It's a little bit confusing where the story is going. Is this a paranormal story or just a simple story of friendship, life and death. But in the end, it doesn't matter. What the books wanted to tell has successfully been expressed by the story regardless if ghosts are real or not. It's that in life, we lose some, we gain some. Losing someone would hurt a lot, it comes with regrets of things we could have done to save them, to stop them from leaving, but when it comes in the end, all we have to do is accept the fact the they're gone, but we still have our lives, to live it and move on and let ourselves be healed. 

Forbidden to Love by Debbie Davies

Summary

Acacia is the third Erosian. She was created by Prometheus to become Eros' lover. However, Eros' only wanted his true love, Psyche. Allana was created first, but Eros rejected her, then Amora. Acacia was created when Eros rejected Amora as well. But same as her two older sisters, she was rejected as well. But because of Eros' anger form losing his love, she cursed these women to only love him, and was forbidden to love other else.

But when Acacia met Josh, an auraless high school student and found him different from others, Acacia can't help but fall in love with him. But being forbidden to love, loving Josh and Josh loving her could only mean two things -- death for Josh and banishment to Tartarus for Acacia.

My Review

Mythology meets high school drama! An intriguing plot and a very nice cover made this book a hit. During the first words there were confusion on how the story will go, but as soon as I got familiar with the setting, the story consumed me. The characters of Allanna, Amora and Acacia is unique, then add the twist about the love of God who's forbidding everyone to love. The politics and battle between gods were maintained but at the same time, Ms. Davies has perfectly mixed it with modern YA story that made the story really exciting. I totally love how myth and YA harmoniously combined, but it didn't seem cliche even for a second. Every page, a familiar new character would be revealed, but you won't expect their role until the story decides it to be revealed.

The story flows naturally, I already thought it would be plottable but this book took me by surprise midway. I thought it would we a simple forbidden love until they conquered everything, but this is more than that. I couldn't say more! :p

Fragments by Dan Wells

Summary from Goodreads

Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence--it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?

Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what's left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira's journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of post-apocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn't even know existed.

The second installment in the pulse-pounding Partials saga is the story of the eleventh hour of humanity's time on Earth, a journey deep into places unknown to discover the means--and even more important, a reason--for our survival. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13170596-fragments

My Review

A lot happened on the first book, but there are still unanswered questions. The second book is all bout these. Kira's journey to find out who she really is and if she would able to make a way to save the world again.

I thought everything would be ok after Kira found out the cure in the first book. But Kira only found how to cure the RM (which I still don't know what means) but no means how to get it. It's weird really, that after finding the cure, Kira seems to forget everything about it and the town forgot everything about her and letting her leave alone without questions asked. 

But now, Kira has different goals for leaving, and also, she's going to do it all alone. She needs to find out how she became a partial, whats Nandita's connection in all of these, and find a way to stop the expiration date of the partials. It just seem like Kira wanted to save everyone. She's a typical hero who wants to save everyone without sacrificing anyone. Hers was an ideal way, there's a problem and she'll find a way that's best for everyone, and she won't stop to get it.

Her journey was long, it came to a point that it got boring because it seems she's going nowhere. It was an endless travel, searching blindly for answers. I know, I'm starting to sound Heron, but who could blame her? Everyone is dying and they're going to something they're not sure of. But what I admired was Kira's faith that she'll find a way.

Though there's a lot of going on, I can't help but think of the love triangle that's happening between Marcus, Kira and Samm. I know the story was not that focused in this issue, but I hoped it did. It could keep the story interesting, especially when all I could read is the endless travel Kira is doing.

The story is quite "technical" with all the medical terms, paragen terms and partial and human. But I honestly had fun reading it. Though there are times that I have no idea what they're talking about, I could easily get the point where the story is going as I continue to read. The story was scattered all over Kira, Marcus, Sato and Ariel was even added to the list. It feels to big for a simple story, but it keeps me expecting how good it would end. If the series will end the same way as it ended on book 1,I don;t care how many rivers or acid rains I would read. :p

a goodbye to a brother

Goodbye Charlie... you've been with us for so long. You've been part of the family  and we'll forever treasure the memories with you.

Thanks for being the best pet ever! It seems like you always know when to come near me and make lambing... Love you Charlie.. I know you're in good hands now. Happy and Healthy. Hope you're having lots of pandesal there. :)

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Summary from Goodreads

Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Can you love someone too much?

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15745950-walking-disaster

My Review

First of all, I would like to thanks Netgalley and Atria for giving me the opportunity to have the ARC of Walking Disaster. Eversince I have heard about Walking Disaster, I'm already counting the days. I was so excited that it's already March and few more days before it will be released, and guess luck is on my side for this month for having the copy even before it was released :D

I was so excited reading it that I can't take off the smile in my face while reading it. Who wouldn't? I'm about to meet Travis again, and not just hear it from Abby... but to hear Travis' thoughts directly from him. Ever since I have read beautiful disaster, Travis' thoughts have been a mystery. He's the emotional one, the more vocal when it comes to his feelings and emotions are everywhere when he's around, so a book in his POV is not just a bonus, it's like a Christmas gift in March wrapped in the best cover ever! :D

The whole book was entertaining to read. You know you know the story, but hearing it straight from Travis "Mad Dog" Maddox, it's like a whole new story to a different level. Though I believe a reader won't enjoy much of the story without reading Beautiful Disaster first. All the questions I had when I read Beautiful Disaster were answered directly here.

It's nice to hear how was Travis was during the time when Abby was dating Parker and how is he everytime he and Abby broke up! And the jealousy? haha! Exactly the "other" side of the story. Beautiful Disaster has been a perfect story form me, until walking Disaster came along. Though I find the story fast-paced, and there are parts from BD that were skipped that I was looking forward to, it complements the first books perfectly. It made Abby and Travis' more perfect, if that is even possible.