Audiobook review: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Title: The Distance Between Us
Author: Kasie West
Narrator: Jorjeana Marie
Story rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Audio rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Overall rating: 5 of 5 Stars

SUMMARY
Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

MY THOUGHTS

Sometimes you open a book and know right away that you would fell in love with it. For me The Distance Between Us was perfect. It had all points that make a good contemporary for me.

• Realistic and likable heroine, which I instantly connected with. Caymen was one of the reasons why I loved this book so much. Her voice was so genuine. I also loved her sarcastic sense of humor.

• Hero, who was not only handsome and rich, but also kind and caring. I’ve told this before, but I repeat myself: there are a lot of books in YF genre where the love interest is a rude and arrogant jerk and much lesser books with caring and kind guys. Bad boys are definitely in trend. I personally don’t mind bad boys, but it’s good to have a “normal” hero, who treats heroine kindly. And Xander was just awesome.

• Swoon-worthy romance. Caymen and Xander’s relationship developed gradually (instant-love haters, you shouldn’t worry). The romance was so sweet. And “rich guy fell in love with poor girl” is one of my favorite kind of romances.

• It was a coming of age story at heart. Both Caymen and Xander dealt with family pressure and expectations. They both were at that point of their lives when they were not sure where they wanted to go from there. I’m sure many readers would relate, I sure did.

• Present family. I always prefer books that are not only all romance, but books where family plays a significant role. I liked Caymen’s relationship with her mother and we also see glimpses of Caymen’s family.

• Friends. Though Caymen’s relationship with her best friend was not main focus of the book, she was still very present.

• Kasie West writing is easy-flowing and engaging. It was my first book by this author and I’m looking forward to read more.

• The cover is gorgeous. I’m in love with it!

My thoughts about the audiobook

If you follow me, you probably know that this year I fell in love with Jorjeana Marie. She is my favorite female narrator for YA. Her narration is amazing and I can’t praise her enough. I highly recommend the audiobook.

Audiobook review: One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

Title: One Plus One
Author: Jojo Moyes
Narrators: Elizabeth Bower, Ben Elliot, Nicola Stanton, Steven France
Story rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Audio rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Overall rating: 5 of 5 Stars

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve read this book two months ago and it still stays in my thoughts. Not in a way “this book broke my heart, and I’m still picking up pieces”, but in a way “this book made me happy and put a smile on my face”.

One Plus One is the most lighthearted and funniest book by Jojo Moyes I’ve read so far. It reminded me of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty in that sense that Jojo Moyes manages to tell us about sad, depressing things in such light, full of hope manner that reader never feels overwhelmed by negative emotions.

But this book is not all fun. Yes, there were many comical moments, but there also were heartbreaking scenes, which made me tear up.

What this book is about? Two years ago Jess’s husband suffered depression and went to live with his mother. She raises their daughter Tanzie and her stepson Nicky alone, working low paid jobs and trying to meet ends. Now her Goth stepson is bullied and her math genius daughter has a chance to go to a private math school on a scholarship, but Jess can’t afford even this small payment. Their last desperate chance is a Math Olympiad where Tanzie can win needed sum of money. The only problem, it takes place in Scotland, and they need to get there. This is where Ed comes to rescue; he offered to ride them to Olympiad. Ed is a technology millionaire, whose life recently came apart. He faces major legal problems. This is how this road trip for Jess, Ed, Nicky, Tanzie and Norman (their big and stinky dog) begins.

As all Jojo Moyes’s books, One Plus One is very character-driven story. The author brought to life such interesting complex characters. Jess, Ed, Nicky, Tanzie, each of them has their own personality, their own voice, and the audio format only added to this difference. They are so imperfectly real.

Jess was such a sunny and full of life heroine. Her motto was "Good things happen to good people. You just have to keep faith." Her life was hard but she was so optimistic. It was heartbreaking to see how she at one point lost her believe in goodness. I wanted to hug her and I was happy that Ed was with her.

What surprised me the most was the romance. It was sweet, touching and unexpectedly full of eroticism and passion.

“As they drove she kept stealing looks at him. She found she couldn’t see his hands without picturing them on her skin, that soft mop of hair travelling slowly down her bare stomach. She thought about the smell of him, the tough muscle and the smooth skin of him.”

Despite wonderful romance, One Plus One is more family and character’s growth book. Jojo Moyes masterfully pictures different types of relationship here: Jess and Tanzie, Jess and Nicky, fantastic sibling bound between Tanzie and Nicky, Ed’s relationship with his family, with his father. I was especially touched by Nicky and Tanzie, there were so much love, caring and support between them.

My thoughts about the audiobook

Narration was very good. It’s been a while since I’ve listened to a multiple narration and I forgot how wonderful it is when each character has their own voice. There were four narrators, each for Jess, Ed, Nicky and Tanzie and they’d done a great job bringing these characters to life. I also liked that Nicky and Tanzie sounded like a teenage boy and a girl. I find it very annoying when a young character is performed by a narrator with an “old” voice.

One Plus One ended up on my favorite shelf. I highly recommend it to those who love character driven stories about family and love.

Audiobook Review: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Title: Big Little Lies
Author: Liane Moriarty
Narrator: Caroline Lee
My rating: 5 of 5 Stars
My rating of Narration: 5 of 5 Stars

MY THOUGHTS

I don’t know why I’ve waited so long to read a book by Liane Moriarty. Big Little Lies is brilliant. The author brings to life these amazing complex characters and masterfully dissects marriage, motherhood, friendship and many other important topics. It doesn’t matter if you are married, divorced, or single; if you have children or not; if you work full time or you are staying at home; you will find something for you in this book. Read it.

I’ve listened to an audio version and I highly recommend it. The narrator Caroline Lee made such an amazing job here. I think she added a lot to the story. The only downside of audio was that I couldn’t highlight passages I loved; and believe me there were plenty of them.

I loved Liane Moriarty’s writing style and audio format allowed me to appreciate it more. She writes about serious things (it’s a book about a murder after all), but her writing is easy and funny.

Big Little Lies follows lives of three women, who live in one small town and those children attend the same kindergarten. Madeline is a force of nature. She deals with her ex-husband, teenage daughter and school politics with a smile. Gorgeous Celeste has a life from a magazine cover: handsome rich loving husband, two little sons, and big beautiful house. But nothing is like it seems from the first sight. Jane is a quiet and shy young single mother whose past hides painful memories. These three women couldn’t be more different but they form a friendship.

My favorite character is Madeline. She is such an energetic optimistic person. She is strong and honest, she thrives on fights and never back down. She is so caring and loyal to her friends. I wish I had such a friend in my life. Raising a teenager is not an easy task on its own, but having your ex-husband and his new family living in the same area, and trying to be civil and supportive when he participates in their daughters life despite that he abandoned them? Not an easy task.

Celeste’s storyline was like watching a wreck. You know what’s coming but can’t look away. It also made me question how much I really know about people around me, even my close friends. We all are so quick to post our smiling photos and happy updates on social networks, but who knows what happens behind the closed doors?

Jane was another story. It’s obvious that something happened to her in the past. She is broken and lonely. As her story revealed, I sympathized with her. I was so happy to see how she gradually changes.

Big Little Lies is a very character-driven story. Little happens in terms of plot. The pace is slow and there is a lot of mundane life of characters. For me the beauty of this book was in these everyday events and thoughts.

So many things in this book resonated with me. I connected with these heroines on so many levels. There were sad and ugly things like Jane’s past and Celeste’s present and there were happy and filled with hope moments like Jane’s new love and Madeline’s relationship with her husband. Like in real life.

I was especially punched by this whole suburban community scene. All this judgment, talking behind someone’s back. Community expectations and community pressure. How often does a woman, a mother make her decisions thinking about what her neighbors would say, not what is best for her and her family? Though I live in another country in the big city I recognized so many patterns in my life.

The structure of this book is unusual. Between the parts of main story we have the parts where neighbors and witnesses are questioned. At first it was a little confusing and overwhelming, all these short comments from so many people, but as the story progressed I begin to like it. It’s a great illustration on how community thrives on rumors.

The author keeps the readers glued to the pages not only with the fascinating and complex characters, but also with the mystery and suspense elements. We don’t know what happened with Jane, why she is the way she is. At first we have no clue what is wrong with Celeste. And finally there was a murder. From the start we know that there was a murder at the school Trivia Night, but we don’t know what happened and even who was murdered. The author gives the readers little snippets of information and gradually we can see the big picture. Big Little Lies is not a murder mystery in its classic meaning, this aspect made the book more interesting.

I’m not sure I can make this wonderful book any justice. I highly recommend it. Especially in audio.

Review: Trade Me (Cyclone #1) by Courtney Milan

Title: Trade Me (Cyclone #1)
Author: Courtney Milan
My rating: 4 of 5 Stars

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve meant to read Courtney Milan’s book for a while. Both Keertana from Ivy Book Bindings and Sarah from Clear Eyes, Full Shelves praised her historical romance, but as I’m not a big fan of this genre and other books came into the way. When I’ve heard that Courtney Milan was releasing a NA novel I was quick to pick it up. I’m so glad I did it.

Before I tell you how much I loved this book I want to mention this amazing author’s note, where Courtney Milan gives readers insight into what was happening behind the scene. I’m very curious about why the author decided to write a book this way, what he or she was thinking while writing and what research had been done. So it was a very pleasant addition to the book.

Don’t let the blurb fool you. It makes Trade me sound like an average NA full of tropes and silly drama. Trade me is a well-written novel with complex and absolutely lovable characters, believable romance and amazing family dynamics. Though I admit that plot is a little unbelievable.

Our heroine Tina Chen is a daughter of Chinese immigrants. She is a college student who’s juggling studying, working and trying to support her parents and little sister who is ill. Her life is hard, but she doesn’t give up. Tina is amazing character. It’s difficult not to root for her. And then we have Blake. He is not an average student; he is the son of owner of Cyclone Technology. During discussion about poverty Blake makes an off-handed remark which Tina just couldn’t ignore. So she loses her temper and tells him he couldn’t last a month living her life. To her shock Blake offers her to trade their lives.

Tina assumed Blake is the rich and spoiled guy, who has all he wanted. But as she accepts his offer and begins to live his life, she discovers that Blake is not that simple. He is caring, hardworking and he has his own secrets.

Romance was sweet and touching. Tina was hesitant to start anything with Blake. Though there was undeniable mutual attraction between the two of them from the start she tried to stay away emotionally. I can totally understand her motives but I found myself wishing for them to be together.

Blake’s father Adam Reynolds is a very interesting and complex character. At the first sight he is this awful cynical swearing demanding billionaire, gradually the other side of this ruthless businessman revealed to us. He is loving and protective father. Their father-son relationship with Blake was one of my favorite aspect of Trade me. It is a complex and bittersweet mix of love, caring, loyalty and at the same time fear to disappoint, pressure from father and resistance from son.

My one but rather big complaint is how Adam Reynolds’ issue was handled. When this big thing about Blake’s father was revealed I was shocked, because I didn’t see it coming. Also I was curious about what would happen next. But I was disappointed and even angry because of how it was tackled. I mean what was the message? If you have big money you can just pff… make it all go away? Just like this? I don’t like this message. I think the guilty party got off too easy.

Tina’s relationship with her family is another great aspect of this book. Tina’s parents are constant source of worry, sometimes they embarrass her, but it’s obvious how much they love her. When Tina needed help, her mother dropped everything and came to the rescue.

So if you want character driven contemporary romance with diversity Trade me would be a perfect choice. Speaking about diversity, wait for the second book in this series. It would be about Tina’s trans friend Maria Lopez and an Asian hero. Just look at its cover!

Review: Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

Title: Whatever Life Throws at You
Author: Julie Cross
My rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

SUMMARY (from Goodreads)
Life loves a good curveball…

Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas's life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she's living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals' super-hot rookie pitcher.

But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.

But baseball isn't just a game. It's life. And sometimes, it can break your heart…

MY THOUGHTS

Whatever Life Throws at You is a lovely story and I enjoyed it. I should probably admit right away that I know close to nothing about baseball so I can’t really say if all baseball references were correct. When it comes to sport-centered books I’m usually hesitant to pick up one, but though baseball plays a big role in this novel I wasn’t overwhelmed. So even if you’re not a sport fan, don’t let this steer you away from this book.

Though Whatever Life Throws at You is definitely a love story, my favorite aspect of this book is Annie’s relationship with her father. They have such a strong bond and there are so much love, caring and support between them. It’s so wonderful and it made me tear up several times while reading.

As for the romance, unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. Something was off. I felt like where wasn’t enough chemistry between main characters. Also it is sort of a forbidden love as Annie is seventeen years old High School student and Brody is a nineteen years old baseball player. There are many things at stake for them, especially for Brody. I wasn’t convinced that there was something between them that they would risk it all. Maybe my mistake was that I started reading Whatever Life Throws at You right after I’ve finished Hero by Samantha Young, where chemistry between main characters was off chart.

After reading the blurb I expected this book to be about Annie adapting in her new school and finding new love. As it turned out it is more about family and yes, new love, but we don’t see much of Annie’s school life. Annie is a very likeable heroine. She is such a smart-mouth, her witty remarks and comments made me laugh. She is also strong-willed, competitive, caring and loving person.

Brody in my opinion isn’t developed enough. I wanted to know more about him. I wanted to know what was behind his decisions.

There was also this little part that I loved. Annie is a runner and she is very competitive. There is this girl on her track team, who is Annie’s competitor. It’s obvious they are not best friends, because of all this tension, but I really appreciate that Julie Cross didn’t go with the angry-hate-each-other-girls road. Here we have a healthy competitive relationship where girls obviously respect each other. I especially liked this particularly scene

where Annie hold back and let the other girl to win the trial.

I also liked the side story about Annie’s father.

When we first met Savannah I thought “She would be great for Annie’s dad”. I hoped that there would be something between them. So I was delighted when they sorted out their past and their feelings.

Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross is a sweet and heartwarming novel about family and love. Despite it having several flaws I recommend it.

Review: Flat-Out Sexy (Fast Track #1) by Erin McCarthy

Title: Flat-Out Sexy (Fast Track #1)
Author: Erin McCarthy
Publication date: November 4th 2008
Publisher: Berkley
My rating: 4 of 5 Stars

SUMMARY (from Goodreads)

Independent single mother Tamara Briggs wanted to find a new, sexy, no-strings-attached man - just not one as young as NASCAR driver Elec Monroe. But he sure does get her heart racing. And after she’s tricked into a blind date with him, Tamara gives in to her passion. Things screech to a halt, though, when he asks to meet her children. Whatever happened to wham-bam-thank-you ma’am? Suddenly Tamara has to decide how much risk she’s willing to take to experience the power of true love.

MY THOUGHTS

I picked this book by chance. I was in a mood to read some erotica and Flat-Out Sexy caught my eye. I was surprised when I saw that the author was Erin McCarthy. I’ve read True from her True Believers series, and I had no idea she also had an adult series. So I decided to give Flat-Out Sexy a try. I was expecting light sexy mindless read, but this book was so much more.

It's an adult novel, so it has explicit sex, but the sex is only one aspect. Flat-Out Sexy is also character-driven story, with great main hero and heroine and amazing second characters. Our heroine, Tammara Briggs is a 32 years old widow with two children. Her deceased husband was a race car driver, who died in a racing accident 2 years ago. Now Tammara is trying to juggle raising children and career and trying to start dating again. At a party she bumped into Elec. They are instantly attracted to one another which led to a night of hot sex. However in the morning Tamara discovers that Elec is younger than she is (he is 26 years old), he's also a race car driver. So she decides that it was a one-night stand. But despite the age difference and her apprehension of being with racecar driver again they just can't stay away from one another.

I think Tammara is portrayed very realistic. It’s really difficult not to root for her. After being married for more than decade it’s strange for her to be dating again. She has now children to care and consider. She is afraid to be in relationship with a man with a risky job again. She has insecurities about her body after giving birth to two children. And she is so real. I especially liked her relationship with her children.3

Elec is such an awesome hero. It’s hard not to fell in love with him. He is caring and understanding. He doesn’t push Tammara, he tries to help her. I really liked how close he is to his family. It’s little pieces like Elec asking his mother’s advice about chicken pox or his banter with his siblings. It is very obvious they are very close and they love each other. All in all Elec is a fresh air among alpha-heroes who are often just dominating jerks.

There are amazing second characters in this book. My favorites are Suzanne, Tammara’s best friend, and Ryder, race car driver and Suzanne’s ex-husband. I was thrilled when I learned that there is their own book Hot Finish. Elec’s sister Eve and his brother Evan are another great second characters.

Also this book is so much fun. There are many laugh-out-loud moments and Erin McCarthy surely knows how to right funny dialogues.

So if you’re looking for sexy romance with great characters and humor and light on angst Flat-Out Sexy is what you need.