Here's the deal... I
learned a long time ago that sometimes you have to use what you've got
to make things happen. What I happen to have is a pretty smile, long
legs and the ability to make men believe anything I say. Before you get
on your high horse and start judging me, can you honestly say you've
never batted your lashes at some guy for a free drink at the bar? That's
what I thought.
Keep that in mind as I tell you my story of
how I took it one step further. My story of lies, deceit, manipulation
and love. Yeah, love. Believe me, it fits. Especially, when you
factor in Nick and Tucker – one had my heart and the other one wanted
it all for himself. Which one? Well, I can't tell you that. It would
defeat the purpose of the story. If I'm going to fill you in about me,
Lila Garrison, and my life as a con artist you're going to need to know
all the facts, including the ones about the two guys who made me want to
give up the life of fancy clothes, expensive jewelry, fast cars and
easy money. Because sometimes, one person can give you something that's
more valuable than all of that.
If you're still interested,
stick around. Just remember, I'm pretty good at convincing people to do
what I want, so if by the end of this whole thing you feel worked over,
don't say I didn't warn you.
4 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Give Me Something
AUTHOR: Elizabeth Lee
GENRE: New Adult
Since I've been in a perpetual con artist high lately, I decided to make a short review of this New Adult book.
3.5 stars
Trickster, bamboozler, grifter. There were lots of names for what I did, but only one that everyone seemed to know -- con artist. That was me and I was good at it.
That was Lila talking, btw. She's currently a sophomore at a private college which she didn't pay for. And guess how that happened?
a. She slept with an admin
b. She blackmailed the dean
Ding, ding ding.
Time's up guys.
Sorry to disappoint, but slut isn't Lila's middle name. It would be a huge disappointment on my part if she turned out to be one. I don't want my female MCs to be sleeping around in exchange for something that one can actually work hard for.
So of course, she just blackmailed the dean to get scholarship. Who knew compromising photos could turn handy one day?
Since she ran away from home 5 years ago (for reasons so materialistic I wanted to bang her head on the wall to shake some sense into her), she'd been in love with her con-partner-slash-pimp, Nick.
Nick owes someone something, and they had to do one last con because of it. And their mark? None other than the golden boy from Sigma fraternity house -- the very rich and gorgeous baseball player, Tucker Kline.
What happened next?
Just a really sexy, albeit frustrating love triangle; and more conning in between.
Supposedly deserving of solid 4 stars right?
Ehhh.
Okay, I was so hooked and then, I wasn't anymore. Although there were still a few unanswered questions, I thought the story was pretty much resolved at 76%. Which means, IMO, it just needed a few pages to wrap up, and certainly not another 1/4 of the book since the rest of the time was mostly spent revisiting the country charm of Tucker's hometown. It gets old you know.
Just when I was about to skim the book for good, things spiced up a bit at the last two chapters.
Well, actually let's just say I was holding my breath until the very end. And my goodness Ms. Elizabeth Lee, my heart almost dropped!
I'm thanking the heavens for that kickass epilogue!
Sparrow Fisher is transforming. No longer dressed up in antiquated clothes and ideals, she is finally trying on her freedom.
Before
she moves to New York City, she meets Ian Sterling, a musician Sparrow
has dreamed about since she first saw him. The attraction is instant,
but their relationship isn't so simple.
Over a five year span,
Sparrow and Ian run into each other in unusual places. Each time,
Sparrow has to decide if she can trust him, if he feels the same for
her, and finally, if love is really enough.
3 STARS out of 5
TITLE: True Love Story
AUTHOR: Willow Aster
GENRE: New Adult
I do believe he loves me.
I just don't believe it's enough.
I wasn't enough for him for the last couple of years, why would I think I could be enough now?
Seeing as this book's first chapter was at the end of Dirty Red by Tarryn Fisher (from my fave romance series) and of course, the high ratings this book received, I was expecting more from it.
Most especially from its hero, Ian.
At first, I've skeptically regarded Ian a bit on the cheesy side BUT THE LETTERS he sent to Sparrow after the whole stupid affair just proved it isn't just a bit! The author even dedicated a whole chapter for that 2-month period of cheesiness alone. A whole freaking chapter!!
Since the aforementioned letters, I was skimming the pages and rolling my eyes at the same time. Then it started to become NOT really sweet and cute at all. It's a bit stalkerish (as Ian said so himself) and it's pissing me off! I seriously just wanted to shoot him and get it over with.
For me, everything went downhill from there.
I enjoy writing about simple things, really, but in a funny, honest way. I'm not too flowery or even deep. I mean... I can go there, but it's most fun to put a twist on an every day subject. Or to write a love story that has real, flawed characters. I don't like things to be wrapped up with a bright red bow. Life isn't that way. -Sparrow
Okay, I get it.
This is about real, flawed characters, but so are the loads of romance fiction books on the market. I don't want my stories wrapped up in a pretty neat red bow either; but the events leading to the much anticipated ending fell a bit short.
I expected more drama worthy of some emotional pull... but nothing happened. What follows are short stories of how Sparrow had one botched relationship after another, all in an effort to forget.
I wanted to love this book, I really do.
But as you can see, I just can't.
Harriet Manners knows a lot of things.
She
knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of
a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she
isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very
much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the
chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's
dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly
humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick.
Even if it means lying to the people she loves.
As Harriet
veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly
enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to
realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than
the real world did.
And as her old life starts to fall apart,
the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she
ruins everything?
3 STARS out of 5
TITLE: Geek Girl
AUTHOR: Holly Smale
GENRE: Young Adult
Meet Harriet Manners -- our resident 15 y/o geek girl.
"I'm not a big fan of the colour red, even if it is the longest wavelength of light discernible by the human eye."
Well, my fave color is red, and I didn't know that.
Let me tell you, I feel pretty giddy whenever I start a book. I believe that no book can be so bad that it doesn't contain even a single new knowledge or information.
Fortunately, this book is full of them. I'm seriously learning lots of actual trivias while reading this YA goodie -- now, that's a first.
Because this book dragged a bit at times, I don't think this could be read in one sitting. Took me almost a month and other good books in between to finish this one. But whenever I pick it up again, I found myself enjoying the few chapters. Nothing beats good humor in an uneventful day.
The only thing that irritates me the most was the varied terms of endearment used by the top model agent, Wilbur.
Petal, Sponge-finger, Chocolate-drops, Baby-baby Unicorn.
Like, seriously??? She must have called Harriet a hundred different names throughout the book!
First off, I have nothing against the gay community. I don't even know how fashion mavens talk but I thought Wilbur's personality was so exaggerated it's NOT even funny. In fact, whenever I read about Wilbur's line, I feel like pulling my hair out. It's just so annoying!!
Thank goodness, I let that out.
~This book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exhange for an honest review.
