The Best Reader:
4 stars

The Story of Us by Deb Caletti
Publisher: Simon Pulse (April 24th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 390 pages
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Cricket’s on a self-imposed break from her longtime boyfriend—but she’s picked a bad week to sort out her love life. For one thing, her mother’s romance is taking center stage: After jilting two previous fiancés, her mom is finally marrying Dan Jax, whom Cricket loves. But as wedding attendees arrive for a week of festivities at a guesthouse whose hippie owners have a sweet, sexy son—Ash—complications arise:Cricket’s future stepsisters make it clear they’re not happy about the marriage. An old friend decides this is the week to declare his love for Cricket. Grandpa chooses to reveal a big secret at a family gathering. Dan’s ex-wife shows up. And even the dogs—Cricket’s old, ill Jupiter and Dan’s young, lively Cruiser—seem to be declaring war.
While Cricket fears that Dan is in danger of becoming ditched husband-to-be number three, she’s also alarmed by her own desires. Because even though her boyfriend looms large in her mind, Ash is right in front of her…

Review:

The Story of Us is a serious book, but there are so many hilarious moments. Cricket's family has gathered with her mom's future-husband Dan's family for their wedding and it's a little like that movie Christmas Vacation. There are so many disasters happening around every corner. Cricket's worried about her mom taking off again before the wedding but she's also dealing with her own issues which include the cute guy Ash, her evil future step-sisters, and a house full of crazy, stressed out family members.

Cricket was a good character because she does truly love her family and worry about them — even her older brother. And while she is young, she still comes off as mature and wise. She wants what's best for her mom and that has become a big priority in her life. She has started to question her relationship with Janssen. They have been together forever but she just can't get over a few doubts. Although we don't really get to know Janssen first-hand, he is still very much included in the book. Cricket emails with him often and shares their history. This gives us a great chance to get to know him through her experiences and he was a fascinating character!

Ash is there, and he's hot, and he pays attention to Cricket. He has a bit of that dark, mysterious vibe going on and that really draws Cricket to him. She just has trouble finding out if that's real affection or her just latching on to something for comfort.

The plot was really what created such a well-rounded story in this book. Each character brought so much drama and fun. I think that everyone will find at least a few characters who remind them of a person in their own family. Some parts of the story lagged a bit for me, especially with a great deal of focus on the family dog. Not that I dislike dogs, I don't, but her emails with Janssen were mostly about the dog and I just wanted to know more about their relationship instead.

This book is a real coming-of-age story, involving a girl just trying to deal with the changes in her life. As with many young adults, change is scary and it can be difficult to let go of the security of a home, boyfriend, or friend. It's a time where a person takes a big leap of faith and that's exactly what Cricket had to learn to do. Deb Caletti truly knows how to target the mind of a teenager and dive into their dreams and fears.

Recommended: People looking for something cute and funny, but with a deeper meaning.

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Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperTeen (February 28th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 375 pages
Source: ARC from Publisher
Series: Delirium #2
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.
Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

Review: SPOILERS!! Pandemonium may be just one of the many dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels we have seen recently; however, it will always stick out to me simply because of the complexity of Lauren Oliver's writing.

I admit, it took me a while to get into the groove of this book. The chapters alternate between"now" and"then" and I had a hard time figuring out when was now and what was then. Yes, slightly confusing. About mid-way into the story I felt more comfortable with that structure. It gave us a glimpse of what Lena is doing now, compared to where she was once she first got into the Wilds. Lena"then" was more weak, a bit whiny, and sort of got on my nerves. Then again, she is dealing with the fact that Alex is not with her so I tried to understand her struggles to fit into this foreign world.

If anything, Lena's time in the Wilds showed her exactly what she needed to survive. She learned how people take care of each other and the true dangers of living away from everything she knew.

The"now" part of the story takes place months later with Lena in New York. I won't go into a lot of details of this section because it was part of the surprise of the book. I was fascinated reading what was going on and how Lena was involved. But I will say that this is the part of the story where the love-triangle begins and we meet Julian.

Lena and Julian do have a very unlikely connection and I liked that a lot. I felt Julian was a wonderful character to add to this story; but, I have a difficult time with this particular relationship. Part of the enjoyment of Delirum was the honest, true love story between Lena and Alex. I feel that is a bit tainted now. This made me become irritated towards Lena during the end of this book and question her feelings. Plus, the cliffhanger didn't help. I like to have a book end during a good place where I can feel good about what I just read. I didn't really feel that way at the end of Pandemonium.

Although I didn't like this sequel nearly as much as Delirium, Lauren's writing still continues to amaze me. Each new plot line or setting is beautifully crafted and it really transports the reader into the story.

Recommended: Dystopian/Post-apocalyptic fans. Read Delirium first.

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Loving Emily by Anne Pfeffer
Published: October 2011
Paperback: 278 pages
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ryan Mills is torn with guilt over the death of his best friend, and it's all because of Emily Wintraub. If Ryan hadn't seen those incredible gray-blue eyes, hadn't pegged her as a Potentially Amazing Woman, he would never have gone looking for her at the party that night. He would never have left his wasted friend Michael alone, when Michael needed him and asked him to stay. And if Ryan hadn't left, Michael would never have driven off, totaled his car, and taken the cosmic rocket ride into death.

As far as Ryan's concerned, when you’ve done something terrible, you don’t deserve to be happy. He tries not to fall for Emily, but he can't help it. Before long, he is"completely, gonzo, out-of-control in love."

Ryan then learns that Michael died with a secret. Still grieving, he feels compelled to take on his friend's unfinished business. When Emily begins to question where his commitments really lie—with her or with Michael’s memory—Ryan is forced to examine his choices. What does he owe to Michael, to Emily, and to himself?

Review:

Michael's death hits Ryan hard, obviously. He can't shake the feeling that he shouldn't have walked away. It doesn't help that Michael seemed to have something he wanted to share with Ryan. For a while Ryan seems to just float from day to day. He spends time with Emily but holds back from really telling her how he feels. Ryan's relationship with Emily was sweet and romantic. It wasn't all"hot and heavy" from the beginning like some stories. They really seemed to slowly build upon their connection with each other.

Loving Emily doesn't just give us a sweet romance between 2 characters, we really get a good idea of Ryan's life. He has a life that may seem perfect from the outside but he doesn't have the best relationship with his parents, especially his mother. Even though Michael dies early in the story, Ryan shows us how their friendship developed and it was easy to see why Ryan thought so highly of his friend. This was what really seemed cute to me. His accounts of the childhood events he shared with Michael really helped me see how they were just two little boys trying to figure out life.

I won't give away what the secret is but it really puts a whole new spin on this story. At the same time, it made me dislike Emily in a lot of ways. She didn't seem to really grasp what Ryan was going through or why he was so focused on his"task". I thought her actions, while mostly realistic for a teenage girl, made her just seem selfish and uncaring. I'm a hopeless romantic but there were times where I thought that maybe she wasn't even needed in order to have a super strong story. Maybe it should have just been Ryan's journey to make peace with himself.

On the plus side, I adored Ryan's point-of-view and I honestly didn't want to put the book down. I felt very invested in the story and finding out what Ryan would do in his situation. It was gripping, heartbreaking, and realistic.

Loving Emily is honestly a beautiful story. It's so much more than a romance and, even though it deals with a serious topic, it wasn't dark and depressing. A very enjoyable read.

Recommended: People wanting a realistic teen read dealing with death.

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Bite Club by Rachel Caine
Publisher: NAL Hardcover (May 3rd, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 340 pages
Series: The Morganville Vampires, #10
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
After discovering that vampires populate her town, college student Claire Danvers knows that the undead just want to live their lives. But someone else wants them to get ready to rumble.

There's a new extreme sport getting picked up on the Internet: bare—knuckle fights pitting captured vampires against each other—or humans. Tracking the remote signal leads Claire—accompanied by her friends and frenemies—to discover that what started as an online brawl will soon threaten everyone in Morganville.

Review:

Recommended: People looking for a long paranormal series. Perfect for people who enjoy watching characters mature and change over time. Morganville will grab you and refuse to let go!

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The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa Publisher: Harlequin Teen (April 24th, 2012) Reading Level: Young Adult Hardback: 485 pages
Source: ARC from Publisher Series: Blood of Eden #1
Rating: 4 of 5 stars In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

Review:

First, the vampires in this story are not the kind we see nowadays. They are vicious, heartless, and cruel (most of them). There is nothing swoon-worthy going on here. People avoid the vampires at all costs. The first thing that grabbed my attention with this book was the world-building. This was my first experience with a novel by Julie Kagawa and wow, she has mastered this setting. I could picture this dark, deadly place, where vampires and rabids lurk in the dark and the people on the fringe just hope to scavenge some food each day. The kids grow up without parents and a person would rip your head off for a piece of bread. Yes, it's gruesome and real. Julie Kagawa did not shy away from exposing the real death in this story.

Allison is an Unregistered, which means she doesn't exist. Like many others, she has not been tagged by the vampires and doesn't have to give her blood to them. The downside is that she doesn't get their food or help either. But Allison is willing to risk this. Along with a few of her crew, she is forced to live off of very little and fight for survival. Then one adventure puts her on a completely new path.

Once Allison changes she learns way more about the vampire society than she would have thought possible. At the same time, she learned how strong and powerful she is. I truly admired Allison's courage and independence. It took an enormous amount of strength to get through what she had experienced and she never gave up.

She meets quite a few people on her journey and some prove to be challenging for her. One that she can't seem to keep her mind off of is Zeke. Zeke is kind, considerate, and loyal. He seemed to see a part of Allison that she didn't even know existed.

The plot of this book is full of twists and turns. There is a lot of intense action, heart-breaking moments, and blood-- lots of blood! My only complaint is that this book is long, super super long. Due to this, some parts were a little slow to me. Somewhere around the middle I lost focus and had to put it down for a while.

Julie Kagawa has created a fascinating story where vampires are not the good guys, and the humans are the cattle waiting for their slaughter. In this dystopian world, a young girl may have to fight everything she is in order to keep her humanity and compassion for others. The battles are deadly, and the heroine never back down. Julie Kagawa now has a new fan.

Recommended: People looking for an old-fashioned vampire tale with a brand new dystopian spin. Complex and full of action, with a plot that will keep readers intrigued.

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While He Was Away by Karen Schreck
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (May 1st, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 256 pages
Source: eGalley from Publisher
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
"This is just something I have to do, okay?" I hear David say."The right thing."

He cradles my face in his hands. He kisses me hard. Then he lets go of me. His eyes dart from me to whatever's next.

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:

I loved the beginning of the book where we really get a good idea of Penna and David's intense relationship. It's obvious that they care deeply about one another and are hurting from the idea of being apart. I gotta say, after David leaves the book took a lot of turns I didn't expect. Maybe it was the summary that threw me off but I thought this would be about Penna changing while David was gone and not feeling as connected to him, or David dealing with issues while he was away. Or, even Penna finding someone else she was interested in while he was gone. It wasn't really any of those things.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad book at all, and I do think it accurately portrays the emotions of a teenage girl missing her boyfriend who is overseas, but it just may not be the book people expect. To me, this was more about Penna's journey to find her grandmother, deal with being alone, handle her mother, and learn how to be more self-sufficient. Those issues seem to be much more important to the story, rather than anything about David's feelings about being away.

Penna was a good character and I admired her courage. Even though she was young, she did everything she could to keep in touch with David and let him know how much he meant to her. One bonus was Ravi. He was an old friend of David's and he is dealing with is own issues. I admit, I thought he would be playing a much bigger role in this book. He was an interesting character and I liked his interactions with Penna.

I could have handled the overall plot of the book just fine; however, the ending threw me off. I didn't expect it to be like that and I guess it didn't really make sense to me. I didn't see it coming, which was good, but it just seemed abrupt. This made it maybe a 3.5 rating for me but I went up to a 4 just because I did really enjoy Karen's writing style and realistic portrayal of a young couple dealing with being apart.
Recommended: Contemporary fans looking for a book with some deeper aspects.

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Broken at Love by Lyla Payne
Published: Createspace (March 12th, 2013)
Reading Level: New Adult
Paperback: 338 pages
Series: Whitman University, #1
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Summary:
When a knee injury ends twenty-year-old Quinn Rowland’s pro tennis career, he’s not only dumped by his hot Russian girlfriend but ordered to attend college by his disinterested billionaire father. A rich kid who’s not used to being disappointed by life, Quinn and his sociopathic half-brother Sebastian create a frat house game intended to treat girls how they see them—as simple game pieces to be manipulated for their pleasure.

College sophomore Emilie Swanson knows Quinn’s reputation—after all, he did send one of her sorority sisters into therapy earlier in the semester—but the game and his charm bring them closer together and soon she starts to believe there’s more to Quinn than people think.

But what if the more is something darker than a game of toying with emotions and breaking hearts?

Quinn and Emilie might be falling for each other, but there are secrets he’s not ready to tell—and lifestyle changes he’s reluctant to make. She willingly stepped on the court, but if Emilie finds out she started out as nothing as a pawn in Quinn and Sebastian’s twisted game, she might never forgive him.

To his surprise, Quinn finds that he might finally care about someone more than he cares about himself… even if that means letting Emilie walk away for good.

Review:

I really enjoyed this book. At first I worried that I wouldn't be able to see any redeeming qualities in Quinn. He is a tough guy to like. Him and his friends treat girls horribly and have even made a game out of getting them in his bed. It's gross. But sadly, I'm sure a lot of college guys do similar things.

Emilie was a challenge for Quinn from the beginning. Not only does Emilie manage to turn Quinn down, but she gives him a big surprise right from the start. It's obvious to Quinn that she isn't like all the others. She's also passionate about art and wants to prove to her parents that she's good enough to have that as a career. Both Quinn and Emilie have issues with their parents and it's a big force that tries to drag them down. It's also something they can relate to each other on.

I enjoyed the way we are able to get to know the characters in this book, and although it's harsh the way Emilie is treated in some areas, she was strong and able to fight back against Quinn's attitude.

She was the perfect match for him and it really challenged his way of thinking. We get to read from both points-of-view in this book, which was much needed. Honestly, I felt that Quinn's POV was the most interesting because he had the most growth from start to finish. He seemed to be in a bubble at the start of this book. He had no positive thoughts about anything and didn't care how he treated people. By the end of the story we can see how many changes he has made.

Broken at Love is a fantastic story with 2 characters who deal with the troubles of live in different ways. Through their connection they are able to help each other and finally find someone who accepts them.

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A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers (March 20th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 448 pages
Source: Author/Publisher
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance…

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world's past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.

Review:

She has no idea what's going on and Darius, the older of the brothers doesn't seem too pleased with her arrival. Soon she gets a much better understanding of who she is, what her parents were trying to protect, and what she will have to do in order to stay safe.

Helen was a pretty strong character. I was amazed at her ability to remain calm under stressful situations. This is a historical novel so she seemed very composed and poised most of the time. Then there were times where her emotions showed — like when she was with Griffin, or when she would become stubborn when listening to Darius and his demands. While she does make a few silly, and dangerous, decisions, she was enjoyable to get to know.

Darius is hot-headed, bossy, and difficult. He knew how to push Helen's buttons but in a way, that helped her become so much stronger. Griffin was the sweet, gentle brother. There was immediate chemistry between Helen and Griffin and I enjoyed watching their relationship form. Then there is another young man from Helen's past that truly makes her question what is right and wrong. I won't spoil it, but I liked this character and I felt he really brought a lot to the story. In a lot of ways he helped me to better understand Helen as well. I am curious to see where this"triangle" goes.

The plot and world-building of this story is very complex. Most of this book did seem to be focused on setting up the world these characters live in. We get to know the paranormal creatures, history, and powers involved. For this reason, the beginning was a bit slow for me. There is a large chunk of it dedicated to explaining the history and current situation Helen is faced with, which was needed, but got a little tiring. But, by the middle I was hooked on this story and excited to see what would happen.

A Temptation of Angels was a great beginning to this paranormal story involving fantastic world-building, a steamy romance, and a heroine seeking justice for her family.

Recommended: Paranormal/historical fans looking for a new series with a complex format and great characters.

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How to Ruin My Teenage Life by Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Flux (June 8th, 2007)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 281 pages
Series: How to Ruin #2
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
In this sequel to How to Ruin a Summer Vacation, EVERYTHING in sixteen-year-old Amy Nelson Barak's life is going wrong! Her mom got married and moved to the suburbs, and now they are going to have a baby. Amy moves in with her dad in Chicago and signs him up for an online dating service. His first four dates are that night..
What else? Her dog Mutt impregnated her grumpy neighbor's prized poodle, so Amy will actually have to get a part-time job to pay for half the veterinary bill. And there's this totally annoying boy, Nathan Rubin, who just moved into her apartment building. Luckily, Amy has a cute boyfriend named Avi. Only he's more like a non-boyfriend considering Avi is in the Israeli army for the next three years.
What's a girl to do when everyone is conspiring to ruin her life?

Review:

Amy is now back in Chicago after her summer in Israel. She has little contact with Avi because he is now serving in the Israeli army and she isn't sure what to make of their dating status. She refers to him as her"non-boyfriend". On top of that, Amy's mom is now married and expecting a baby. Amy doesn't really feel she belongs in the house with her mother and stepfather. Instead, she moves in with her father so they can build a better relationship.

I really enjoy Amy's no-nonsense attitude but she did make a few silly decisions in this book. Signing her dad up for the dating service was one of them. He had no interest in dating and it only proved to get her into a lot of trouble. It did seem that while this was a heavy focus in the book, it was just thrown in without real meaning. I wanted to know more about Amy's school life, friends, and experiences.

There is a new guy in this book, Nathan, and he was a fun character. Amy isn't fond of him from the beginning and then he starts giving off some very mixed signals. She is confused as to what he wants from her and what she wants with him. After a huge surprise, things get even more complicated for her.

I liked that this book lets us get a better idea of Amy's new life. How she deals with her father, who is very strict, and how she deals with Avi being away. I feel that by the end of the book Amy really understands herself much better than she did before. Her and her friends were a fascinating group to get to know! This book has nearly as many laugh-out-loud moments as the first one. Now, I have to get my hands on How to Ruin My Boyfriend's Reputation! It sounds amazing! That review will be up soon… (update: soon as in, tomorrow).

Recommended: Contemporary fans who love Simone's writing. Be sure to read book 1, How to Ruin a Summer Vacation first.

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Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Publisher: Random House Children's Books (February 14th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 272 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

Review:

Lucy is searching, but it doesn't seem to be just a guy she's searching for. She is fascinated with the graffiti artist who creates wonderful works of art all over town at night. His name is Shadow and she just knows if she meets him, she will fall in love.

Ed is someone Lucy knows, and their history hasn't been a positive one. They went out once and it was a total disaster. I'm sure many teenagers can relate to that. Since that date Lucy and Ed have tried hard to avoid each other; however, under some strange circumstances involving a few of their friends, they end up thrown together on a journey to find Shadow.

Everyone will know immediately who Shadow is so this book wasn't based around that mystery. It simply involves these 2 characters spending a few hours together one night, both searching for different things. What really makes this book special is the way Cath Crowley writes the story. The writing truly captures the story like the artwork described in the book. I'm sure it is difficult to develop a story that takes place in such a short amount of time but Cath Crowley did that brilliantly.

Lucy and Ed were each realistic characters. They didn't have perfect lives and, in some ways, they focus on what's on the surface. Their night together forces each of them to think about things differently.

Another perk of this book for me was the setting — Melbourne, Australia. I've always wanted to visit Australia so this was the perfect book to dive into in order to get the feel of the area. There's so much more to this book but I don't want to spoil the surprises. A few parts of the book lagged a bit for me but it was still a highly enjoyable read.

Recommended: Contemporary fans who enjoy books with a unique setting, poetic style, and artistic edge.

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The One That I Want by Janenifer Echols
Publisher: Simon Pulse (December 6th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 288 pages
Source: Author (Thank You!)
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Gemma can't believe her luck when the star football player starts flirting with her. Max is totally swoon-worthy, and even gets her quirky sense of humor. So when he asks out her so-called best friend Addison, Gemma's heartbroken.Then Addison pressures Gemma to join the date with one of Max's friends. But the more time they all spend together, the harder Gemma falls for Max. She can't help thinking that Max likes her back--it's just too bad he's already dating Addison. How can Gemma get the guy she wants without going after her best friend's boyfriend?

Review:

That driving spirit puts her at odds with her best"friend" Addison. Addison was one of those girls who seems to only rely on friends when it benefits them, or uses friends as a way to make herself feel better while putting them down. She was not a good person, at all. She was constantly short-changing Gemma and trying to get under her skin. I loved that Gemma was able to keep control of herself and not let Addison rule her self-esteem.

Once Gemma and Addison run into some football players from another school, Addison immediately sets her sights on the one Gemma likes, Max. This puts Gemma in a difficult situation because she is paired with Max's best friend, who she obviously doesn't have anything in common with. But as Gemma and Max interact more, their feelings for each other really start to show.

Gemma and Max were really able to connect on a deep level. They understood each other and gave each other that much needed friendship. Max was a wonderful character. He was a guy with a lot of insecurities and worries of his own. I enjoyed seeing him open up to Gemma and, in turn, show her that she could be liked for who she is and not who she could be.

The One That I Want was a lovely, sweet romance with a great underlying message. I do wish Gemma would have punched Addison a few times (ha!) but this book may help people realize what friendships are unhealthy and what romances are worth fighting for.

Recommended: People who love Janenifer Echols (ME!) and people who enjoy a romantic contemporary with a focus on friendship.

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