Thursday, June 16, 2016

The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

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I received this book for free from Bloomsbury in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn BarnesThe Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Series: The Fixer #2
Published by Bloomsbury on June 7th, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Thriller, YA
Source: Bloomsbury
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four-stars

Tess Kendrick, teen fixer extraordinaire, returns in a pulse-pounding thriller about a deadly conspiracy at the heart of Washington.

For Tess Kendrick, a junior at the elite Hardwicke School in Washington D.C., fixing runs in the family. But Tess has another legacy, too, one that involves power and the making of political dynasties. When Tess is asked to run a classmate's campaign for student council, she agrees. But when the candidates are children of politicians, even a high school election can involve life-shattering secrets.

Meanwhile, Tess's guardian has also taken on an impossible case, as a terrorist attack calls into doubt who can--and cannot--be trusted on Capitol Hill. Tess knows better than most that power is currency in D.C., but she's about to discover first-hand that power always comes with a price.

Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Ally Carter, the second book in this thrilling series will leave readers breathless.

Do you like Scandal? Do you like political thrillers? Do you like mind games? WELL. YOU HAVE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE. But also, go read book one which is called The Fixer and is amazing.

So, if The Fixer made you swoon and made your heart beat faster and nearly killed you, I have some real bad news for you. It all gets worse in The Long Game. I had my feels shredded, my OTPs stomped on and my heart set on fire. I hope Jennifer Lynn Barnes at least feels a little bad about what she did to me.

Tess is still as amazing as always if a little more nosy than she should be. She thinks she is nothing like her sister but we all know that she enjoys fixing other people’s problems and helping the underdog. The thing about her is that even with her hero-like qualities, she doesn’t quite become a trope. She is more complex and multi-layered than that. There is more to her with her insecurities and her imperfections and her tendency to NOT always be right or do the ‘right’ thing.

But then again, most of the characters in this book are. Barnes takes complex characters who walk the grey line to a whole new level in this book. THE PUNCHES. I am still not over this book. So basically, if you thought you knew what the characters were capable of, think again because they will surprise you and hurt your fee-fees (feels).

I think many of us have wondered whether or not The Long Game would have more romance and the answer to that is complicated. The book has one of the swooniest kisses ever but also so much heartbreak and not enough cuddles. Some ships sail and others don’t and it’s all very complex. Much like the characters. Much like literally everything about this book.

The plot is also really amazing but there is one twist which I have not entirely made up my mind about and is also the reason why this book doesn’t get the entire 5 stars. I love twists but it turns out, I am super picky about them. Oops. And even though it’s been a while since I finished this book, I still haven’t made up my mind yet about that twist. I don’t know if it works for the book and there are certain things it might suggest which I don’t think the author wanted it to.

Overall though, this book is still amazing and this series is amazing and please read/buy it so that I can get a third book. If you don’t want to do it for yourself, DO IT FOR ME. TAKE PITY ON ME. LET ME HAVE THE THIRD BOOK.

four-stars

4 Hot Espressos

Blog Tour: Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff – Review

Posted by on 06/15/2016 • 1 Comment

Today I am taking part in the blog tour for Places No One Knows. I have my review below for you.

This was one of those books that I wasn’t really sure what to think of. I liked the idea of her dreaming herself into somewhere else, but it was a bit weird and it’s not like she has some special power or anything. And the characters didn’t do a whole lot for me. There were a few that I liked enough, but most of them irritated me. I thought that Waverly was a bit melodramatic and very shallow. I suppose when you have a best friend like hers it’s kind of hard not to be though. I guess I had a hard time really connecting with all of it,…

Review: Can You Keep A Secret? (Fear Street Relaunch #4)

Posted by on 06/14/2016 • 0 Comments

I read this one a while ago and got busy and kept forgetting to post my review for it. I have really been enjoying the Fear Street Relaunch books, and I enjoyed this one too. It’s dark and creepy at times, but not really scary. I thought the story was really fun and interesting. I liked that there was more than one type of danger going on, and how it all came together at the end. The characters were great and well done.

Emmy was pretty much your typical high school girl. She likes to hang out with friends, her boyfriend, party, and do things she’s not supposed to. Only, she gets herself in way over her head when she’s snuck out to go camping with her boyfriend and some…

Fresh Batch (June 12th – 18th)

Fresh Batch (June 12th – 18th)

Posted by on 06/11/2016 • 2 Comments

Fresh Batch, posted weekly, keeps you up to date on the hottest releases of the upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

How It Feels to Fly Kathryn Holmes Publication date: June 14th 2016by HarperTeen

Goodreads Purchase

The movement is all that matters.

For as long as Samantha can remember, she’s wanted to be a professional ballerina. She’s lived for perfect pirouettes, sky-high extensions, and soaring leaps across the stage. Then her body betrayed her.

The change was gradual. Stealthy.

Failed diets. Disapproving looks. Whispers behind her back. The result: crippling anxiety about her appearance, which threatens to crush her dancing dreams entirely. On her dance teacher’s recommendation, Sam is sent to a summer treatment camp for teen artists and athletes who are struggling…

Epic Cover Battles #6: Hardcovers vs Paperbacks

Posted by on 06/08/2016 • 6 Comments

It’s been a whole month since I’ve done one of these! Life got in the way so I apologize. It’s summer now so I am BACK with another of Cover Battles! This time, I am going to be battling hardcovers and paperbacks. I love my hardcovers but sometimes, a paperback is just PRETTIER and more affordable. Other times, a paperback doesn’t live up to the amazingness of the book inside and other times, THEY ARE EQUALLY PRETTY.

SO go forth and vote for which cover is PRETTIER! May the best cover win! 😀

Review: 738 Days by Stacey Kade

Posted by on 06/07/2016 • 4 Comments

It’s been so long since I’ve read a book that completely hooked me and wouldn’t let go. I am so glad that I picked this one up to read because it reminded me of how much I love getting absorbed in a book and nothing can stop me from putting it down. The characters were so complex and amazing, and the story was interesting to read. I needed to know what would happen next and how their relationship would progress. This book gave me all the feels and I had many tears of happiness, and of heartbreak. I felt like I really knew the characters and what was happening to them took a toll on my emotions.

I will start with Amanda Grace. My heart broke for her so much,…

Fresh Batch (June 5th – 11th)

Fresh Batch (June 5th – 11th)

Posted by on 06/04/2016 • 3 Comments

Fresh Batch, posted weekly, keeps you up to date on the hottest releases of the upcoming week.

Flavor of the week:

My Lady Jane Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows Publication date: June 7th 2016by HarperTeen

Goodreads Purchase

The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob…

Review: Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake

Posted by on 06/02/2016 • 3 Comments

I read this book a while ago, but have been totally slacking on actually writing reviews. I’m sure that you all have noticed. I am going to try to do my best with this since I get hazy on details if I wait to long. I really did like the characters, and I thought they had good chemistry. I haven’t been reading a whole lot lately, but I have been really into contemporary novels and this one was one I did enjoy.

Hadley is a bit of a rough character. Her father cheated on her mom, but they are still together, but it’s not really a happy place. Her mother tries to make her father as annoyed an uncomfortable as possible, and he tries to act like it’s all okay….