The Open Heart Chronicles

FINDING ME AGAIN by Amber Garza:

I know most people don’t find the love of their life at sixteen. But I did. At least that’s what I thought when I fell in love with Tripp Bauer. That’s why it was so hard when we drifted apart after high school graduation.

But I’ve never stopped loving him.

On a trip back to our hometown, I run into Tripp and the spark between us is undeniable.

Is it possible for us to find our way together again? Will I really get the happily ever after I’ve longed for?

Don’t miss the stunning conclusion to Tripp and Hadley’s story!

CONSEQUENCE by Shelly Crane:

Maggie and Caleb are married, leaders of their people, parents to their children, and happier than they ever dreamed, even with the visions they saw of it to prove it so. The council is still rebelling against Maggie’s changes, but this time it’s different. It’s almost as if something…or someone is behind them, pulling the strings and making decisions for them.

And Maggie is having strange visions that only she can see, leaving Caleb helpless to help her. But when her visions start to warn her that their daughter, Ava, will one day be in danger, they’ll do anything it takes to find out what’s going on and how to stop it, even paying a visit to a previous Visionary.

Maggie and Caleb must find out who or what is behind it all and stop them before Maggie is one vision too late.

~~~
HEART BREAKER by Lila Felix:

Breaker James isn’t the boy who is imprisoned in his home anymore. He’s not the guy who is afraid to leave the house. He doesn’t need Ash twenty four hours a day anymore.

Hell, he might not need her anymore at all.

He’s a heart breaker, pure and simple.

Love is easy when you’re secluded from the world within four walls.

Ash now has to learn how to let Breaker love her—without being his crutch.
~~~
ALWAYS by Amity Hope:

~Always is a companion novella to Ditched.

Now that Holly and Max are finally together, life in Harmony Bay should be nearly perfect. Their first Valentine’s Day together is quickly approaching. Between school, interfering family, and long lost friends that have reappeared it has the potential to turn into a complete disaster.

Or it could turn into the kind of night that neither of them will ever forget.
~~~
BREATHLESS MAGIC by Rachel Higginson: 

And they lived happily ever after…

Or that was supposed to be how the story ended. Unfortunately for Eden Kendrick, a new enemy threatens her beloved Kingdom, one more dangerous and deadly than ever before.

After enjoying a deliciously elongated honeymoon, Eden returns to the Citadel with her husband and happiness intact. She’s unexpectedly pregnant, but that’s just one more blessing to add to her blooming happiness.

Eden’s heart is full and her endless life has never been more happy. That is until Dmitri Terletov returns from the dead and threatens everyone she loves and the Kingdom she worked so hard to build.

This time around, Eden is supposed to be shielded from the conflict. She has her growing babies to protect now and Kiran wants her as far from the battle as possible. Although she’s a little stir-crazy with idle hands, she agrees that keeping away from Terletov and his deadly experiments is definitely the right course of action.

Unfortunately, Terletov doesn’t agree. And when he arrives at the Castle, uninvited and desperate for the Magic Eden once stole from him, she has no choice but to fight once again to save the people she was born to protect.
~~~

DERIVE by Jamie Magee:

Aden, son of Tarek, is a seer—an elite member of The Selected which stands guard before The Fall, the border between light and dark realities. Darkness was foretold at his birth along with the words ‘lavender waters will set you free.’ What Aden assumed to be a mythical prophecy, is eventually manifested in a ravishing beauty with long, lavender hair.

Skylynn had seen their future, the sacrifice and divide set before them. She told him they had three days—three days before they must part to meet in a distant future. Aden dares to challenge the limits set before him by empowering his innocent lover with words and energy as he plots to face the darkness predicted before it claims her—and their rightful future together.

Rain's Reviews: This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn't mess around. After all, she's learned all there is to know from her mother, who's currently working on husband number five. But there's something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy's rules. He certainly doesn't seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can't seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy's starting to understand what those love songs are all about?

~~~

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

~~~

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour was a pretty easy read. I enjoyed the writing style and I didn't even mind the flash backs which are usually really annoying to me. It was sweet and thoughtful and nice young adult chick-lit :). I do wish that there was a little more romance in it then there was but it wasn't a turn off. The book works through Amy's guilt, loneliness, grief. It was all really relatable and I could easily put myself in Amy's shoes. All the characters were well developed and consistent which is always nice;). I would most definitely recommend this book to you if you are looking for a quick, sweet and slightly funny read:)

Along for the Ride

Along for the Ride- by Sarah Dessen

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend

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This book was very well written. From the blooming romance (that stayed completely PG), to the really funny moments and all the fights and sleepless nights in between. All the characters were really consistent and the story line and plot were flawless.  
Now after saying all of that I have to admit Sarah Dessen isn't my absolute favorite author. The story seemed slow moving and I found myself skipping to the next paragraph to see if anything interesting was going to happen. But I blame most of that on my impatience,so. If you like stories about self discovery and getting through family drama with a little spritz of romance then I would say this book is a must read for you;).
Favorite moments:
"Okay, let's just slow down." She held up her hands, palms facing me. "First things first. What do you mean, you don't have a date?" 
"Just that," I said, sitting down at the desk. "Jason bailed on me."
"Again?"
I nodded.
"When?"
"About twenty minutes ago."
"Oh, my God." She put her hand over her mouth: her expression was so horrified, like someone had died. "That's the worst thing ever."
"No," I said, swallowing. "It's actually not."
"No?"
I shook my head. "The worst thing is that right afterward, I marched right into the bike shop and asked Eli to go with me, and he said no."
She threw up her other hand, clapping it over the one already covering her mouth. "Holy crap," she said, her voice muffled. "Where does the bike come in?"
"I don't know," I said, waving my hand. "That part's kind of a blur.” 

---

“She's a baby," Maggie told me. "Babies wear pastels."
"Says who?" I asked. ... "Society. The same society, I might add, that dictates that little girls should always be sugar and spice and everything nice, which encourages them to not be assertive. And that, in turn, then leads to low self-esteem, which can lead to eating disorders and increased tolerance and acceptance of domestic, sexual, and substance abuse.”