Summer Lovin' Blog Tour: Reviews & a Giveaway!

While He Was Away

~Review~

Author: Karen Schreck

Pages: 256

Format: ARC (Thanks Sourcebooks Fire!!)

Release Date: May 1, 2012 (Mark your calanders!! :P)

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Rating: 5/5

Summery:

All she wants is for him to stay. She's been doing pretty well, pretending he doesn't have to go. But one day, after one last night to remember, she wakes up and there's no denying it anymore. He's gone.

When Penna Weaver's boyfriend goes off to Iraq, she's left facing life without him. As summer sets in, Penna tries to distract herself with work and her art, but the not knowing is slowly driving her crazy. Especially when David stops writing.

She knows in her heart he will come home. But will he be the same boy she fell in love with?

Review:

First off, let me just say that I LOVE this cover.  It is amazing.  I mean, look at it.  I love it.  The girl is so pretty and the guy's back is totally cute! ;p  Anyway, on to the review! :P

I loved it.  I don't usually like books like these, but I loved it.  It was like reading a Sarah Dessen book, only a little better.  I've never read a book about the army before, and this was a great introduction to the genre.  The idea was amazing, the writing was amazing, and the story line was amazing.  Everything was perfect.  It's always hard to make books like these interesting, and Schreck did an amazing job with keeping things interesting.  Although it was super sad, I loved the ending.  I really hope Schreck writes a sequel because I want to see what happens with David.  Please, oh please write a sequel!

Even though for most of the story he was in Iraq, I really liked David.  He was nice, sexy, and totally perfect boyfriend material.  And even though by the end I didn't like him as much, I like him.
I also really love Penna.  This book needs a strong female character because a weak person can't deal with her boyfriend being in Iraq, so it was crucial that Schreck write Penna as strong.  And she was. I loved her.

Like I said before, I hope there is a sequel to this book and if so I will probably start screaming when I hear about it because I will be SO FREAKING EXCITED!! :D

 

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The Summer of No Regrets

 

~Review~

 

Author: Katherine Grace Bond

Pages: 290

Format: ARC

Source: Sourcebooks Fire (Thank you!)

Release Date: May 1, 2012

Rating: 2.7/5

 

Summery:

The day Brigitta accidentally flings herself into the lap of a guy she's never met, her friend Natalie is convinced he's Trent Yves, egotistical heartthrob-in-hiding. When the boy, who calls himself Luke, is nearly eaten by a cougar, Brigitta finds herself saving his life, being swept into his spectacular embrace and wondering if she wants Natalie's fantasy to be true.

 

As the two spend the summer together raising orphaned cougar cubs, Brigitta still can't be sure of his true identity. But then again, since her grandparents' death, her father's sudden urge to give away all their possessions and become a shaman, and her own awkward transition from girlhood into a young woman, she isn't sure of anything. What is the truth? More importantly, can she accept it?

 

Review: 

I have truly never read a book like this before.  In the beginning I hated it so much I was going to give it 1 star.  By the end I liked it enough to give it 2.7.  And here’s why.

 

Okay, so in this review I am going to do two sections: The rant about the things I hate, and then the probably much smaller section about the things I liked.  So, enjoy!!

 

First off, I have to get something out of the way.  I’m a homeschooler.  For non-religious reasons.  So you can imagine why the main character being a homeschooler and a religious fanatic might be a problem for me.  I don’t know if the author was homeschooled herself, but if all homeschooled families are like Brigitta’s, then I’m ashamed to be a homeschooler: Here’s a sum-up of the family: Brigitta is an innocent person who has never told her mom a lie but is groundbreakinly a lover of famous people and runs a secret blog.  Her sister is sleeping with her college teacher.  Her dad is off in the woods banging drums like the wacko he is.  And the mom…well, she’s the most normal person there.  Add in preaching about religion and you get a big fat 1.  I thought the story was pointless and shallow.  NOTHING WAS HAPPENING!  Except finding super cute cougar cubs {baby animals are my weakness ;)}.  I had no idea why the author was even incorporating a stupid idiot like Trent Yves into the story.  I actually almost gave up a couple times, but I’m glad I stayed with it.

 

In the beginning of the story, I hated Brigitta.  I though she was a complete idiot and airhead for thinking Luke was Trent Yves.  And then there was the whole dead grandparents thing.  Well, here’s a suggestion for you: get over it.  Yes, it is okay to bawl and cry after your grandparents die, in fact, it’s expected.  But she just went on and on and on and on until I just skipped all the parts.

Really the only character that I liked from the beginning was Luke. From the second he was introduced I loved him.  He’s super nice, super sweet, and super cute.  *drools over keyboard*  Stay back everyone, HE’S MINE!!

 

To be honest, I didn’t like this book until the last 50 pages, when everything came together, and I realized, Hey, maybe this wasn’t such a bad book after all.  The idea was good, the story line was good, and the writing was good.  I still think it was a bit boring at times and I skipped the preaching and the grandparents, but pretty much a good book.

 

Brigitta still isn’t my favorite character ever.  She didn’t really have any personality.  The main character is the one that should be the most developed of the whole cast, and I think Brigitta was the least developed.

Love Luke. *drools some more*

 

I don’t usually do this, but I have to do some cover talk right now.  I hate the cover.  Do you realize that the girl isn’t wearing any pants?  Just a bikini bottom.  And the title makes no sense either.  I guess since it’s a contemp book the author wanted a comtemp title, but it just doesn’t fit.  One of the worst title/cover combinations ever.

 

I have honestly never read a book like this before.  I went from absolutely despising it to thinking it was okay.  I wouldn’t really recommend it to anyone, but if you think you would enjoy it then by all means, pick it up. :)

 

Thank to Sourcebooks for sending me an ARC of this book.  You guys rock!! :)

 

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~Giveaway~

 

In honor of this fantastic blog tour, I am going to give away one e-book ARC of The Summer of No Regrets!  Enter below!! :)

 The Rules:

~There will be one winner. 

~This giveaway is international

~Giveaway ends on May 8, 2012 @ 11:59 p.m.

~Must be a GFC follower

~Must be 13 years or older.

~Fill out the Rafflecopter

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

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Thank you all for stopping by today!  It really means a lot!  I hope you enjoyed my reviews and entered the giveaway! :)