Blog Tour: If I Fix You by Abigail Johnson ~ Review & Giveaway

Source: e-ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

If I Fix You by Abigail Johnson

When sixteen-year-old Jill Whitaker’s mom walks out—with a sticky note as a goodbye—only Jill knows the real reason she’s gone. But how can she tell her father? Jill can hardly believe the truth herself.

Suddenly, the girl who likes to fix things—cars, relationships, romances, people—is all broken up. Used to be, her best friend, tall, blond and hot flirt Sean Addison, could make her smile in seconds. But not anymore. They don’t even talk.

With nothing making sense, Jill tries to pick up the pieces of her life. But when a new guy moves in next door, intense, seriously cute, but with scars—on the inside and out—that he thinks don’t show, Jill finds herself trying to make things better for Daniel. But over one long, hot Arizona summer, she realizes she can’t fix anyone’s life until she fixes her own. And she knows just where to start . . .

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Lately, I've been gearing away from reading the synopsis right before starting a book. I read it at some point, obviously, to decide whether or not I think I'll like the book. But then time passes and I forget the particulars and then when I actually pick up the book, I discover the story with fresh eyes. That's what happened with this book--I knew I had decided at some point that I'd like it (you know, since I signed up for the blog tour and all) but I couldn't remember what the story was about. Which was MARVELOUS.

Let me tell you about my reading experience:

- I started the book, okay.

- The foundation for the story was laid out, interesting.

- The characters slowly but surely grew on me to where I appreciated every single one (including the ones we don't even like)

- I got SO INVESTED in all of the things

- At 89% I literally said out loud, "ohmygod this book is freaking amazing"

- At 91%(-ish) I literally said out loud, "this is one of my favorite books this year"

- A little after that I literally said out loud, "ohmygosh this is too freaking cute I can't even"

- I reached the end and I was so CONTENT and I wanted more

That reading experience right there? The exact reason I love reading. And If I Fix You made me feel that. 

And, yeah, I said it--If I Fix You is one of my favorite books of 2016. For sure. Without a single doubt in my mind. 

I'm having one of those moments right now where I FEEL so much, but I have no idea how to put words together to explain it. This book was just...so fantastic. The writing was lovely, the construction of the story was magnificent, the characters were perfectly imperfect in a way that made me adore them. There was the most delicious sprinkle of sweetness and romance that balanced out the deeper issues and situations. Moments of humor were placed precisely where they were needed. There were moments that made me happy and moments that made me sad, moments that made me smile and moments where I was literally like "oh MAN this is happening." 

And I loved all of it. Every word, every page, every chapter.

This book...I am in awe.

If I Fix You is a deep, beautiful, amazing debut. It's a book I highly recommend and will no doubt be re-reading often. Abigail Johnson knocked it out of the park with this one, and I am incredibly eager to get my hands on anything and everything she writes in the future. But for now--this book, y'all. If I Fix You is a YA contemporary that is not to be missed.

5 stars - An amazing debut and one of my favorite books of 2016!

~About the Author~ 

Abigail was born in Pennsylvania. When she was twelve, her family traded in snow storms for year round summers, and moved to Arizona. Abigail chronicled the entire cross-country road trip (in a purple spiral bound notebook that she still has) and has been writing ever since. She became a tetraplegic after breaking her neck in a car accident when she was seventeen, but hasn’t let that stop her from bodysurfing in Mexico, writing and directing a high school production of Cinderella, and publishing her first novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

~Giveaway~

Enter to win one of three (3) finished copies of If I Fix You!! (US only)

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This is a tour-wide giveaway. StuckInBooks is not responsible for selecting winners or sending out prizes.

~Tour Schedule~

Week 1:
10/17: Addicted 2 Novels - Review
10/18: Fiction Fare - Q&A
10/19: PaperTrailYA - Review
10/20: A Book and a Latte - How I Write
10/21: Ex Libris - Review

Week 2:
10/24: Lost In Lit - Guest Post
10/25: Tina the Bookworm - Review
10/26: The Irish Banana Review - Fast 5
10/27: The Petite Book Blogger - Review & Moodboard
10/28: Stuck In Books - Review

P.S. I Like You by Kasie West ~ Review & Giveaway

Source:  Received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery?

While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she's flustered -- and kind of feels like she's falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer -- but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

From beloved author Kasie West (The Distance Between Us) comes an utterly charming story about mixed messages, missed connections, and the magic of good old-fashioned secret admirer notes.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository

Review...

I adore this book.  It's everything that makes YA so enjoyable to read.  There are amazingly real characters that I enjoy being around.  There is a great story that has me a little unsure and yet positive.  There is an accurate capture of the YA voice with skillful writing.  This book has it all and I enjoyed every minute of reading it.

Lily is the best.  She's more confident than she realizes.  Though she struggles to talk to the boy she's crushing on, she is comfortable in her style and her own skin.  She's witty and refreshing.  Surprising those around her with what comes out of her mouth, she doesn't feel she fits in with the mainstream but she's okay with that.  Her love of obscure bands, lyric writing and her beloved guitar are her life.  She's also this amazing sister and daughter that others saw as a flaw but it was who she was.  I loved that she grew but didn't change the things about her that made her who she is.  Overcoming her fear of speaking to her crush was just one thing that she did.  I throughly enjoyed her as a character.

I enjoyed the friendship between Lily and her bestie, Isabel.  They weren't perfect with both making mistakes that hurt the other.  But these two were true friends because there was always understanding and forgiveness.  That was nice.

As for the boy in this story, I love him.  He's not perfect.  Struggling with his own issues, he finds common ground with Lily over bands.  Together they share the struggles they are facing and look forward to the notes they share.  There's a lot of misunderstanding between them that have both of the thinking the other hates them.  That's real teenager drama right there.  But this boy is really a good guy and I just adore him.

This is my first Kasie West book.  Yeah, what was I thinking not reading her books before?  I own two more.  I found them on my shelf and set them all together so I can pet them and plan to read them soon.  If you've missing this author along the way, don't wait any longer to pick up one of her books because she is brilliant.  

I picked this up one night thinking I'd read a little before I went to bed.  Yeah, right.  I finished it before there was any sleeping.  

                                            

The perfect combination of amazingly real characters, great story and skillful writing make this book YA at it's best.

ABOUT KASIE WEST:

I write YA. I eat Junior Mints. Sometimes I go crazy and do both at the same time. My novels are: PIVOT POINT and its sequel SPLIT SECOND. And my contemporary novels: THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, ON THE FENCE, THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND, PS I LIKE YOU, and BY YOUR SIDE. My agent is the talented and funny Michelle Wolfson.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

7/18: The Irish Banana Review - Review

7/19: The Book Addict's Guide - Book Scents

7/20: What Sarah Read - Review

7/21: Swoony Boys Podcast - Character Interview

7/22: Jenuine Cupcakes - Review

Week 2:

7/25: No BS Book Reviews - P.S. I Mustache You A Question

7/26: YA Reads - Review

7/27: Fiction Fare - Guest Post

7/28: Stuck In Books - Review

7/29: Reading Teen - Top 10

Giveaway

2 Finished Copies of P.S. I LIKE YOU (US Only)

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This giveaway is hosted and sponsored by the tour host and the author.   StuckInBooks is not responsible for selecting a winner or sending out prizes.

Blog Tour: The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ Review & Giveaway

~ About the Book ~

The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Source: ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes a riveting new story about friendship, survival, and finding your voice.

For some people, silence is a weapon.

For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield.

Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory must make a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | iBooks | Kobo

~ Review ~

I've been deep in the craziness of completing a semester of college these past couple of weeks, so I've been spending way more of my time studying and finishing up work than reading and whatnot. However, when I took a little time to begin reading The Problem with Forever, I ended up pushing everything aside for a short while and flying through the entire novel in a day. This isn't exactly a tiny book, y'all. It's over 400 pages. And I sat down around finals time and read every last word--and I regret nothing. The Problem with Forever is a beautiful, enthralling YA contemporary that won't be leaving my mind anytime soon.

Val started this book at the end of February, at Apollycon. I remember sitting next to her in the airport as she read and she kept telling me that I was going to like Mallory. That she so reminded Val of me. So I was kind of in the mindset, ready to like Mallory. And now, after reading The Problem with Forever myself, I can say Val was exactly right. I see what she was saying. I seriously understood Mallory, and that made this story easy to devour. She's quiet and shy and working her way through a past that is not pretty, and to top it all off, she is easy to relate to.

Rider is the boy Mallory shared a foster home with for years. He was with her when her not-pretty past happened, and then they got split up. When Mallory goes to public school for her senior year, she runs into Rider again, and they reconnect. Rider was one of the most lovely things about this novel. I was a fan of Mallory, of course, but I was so incredibly fond of Rider. He's such a good, caring guy. He had his own issues to work through, but that didn't take away from how amazing he was in the slightest. Honestly, it was understandable, and I was glad to see his journey alongside Mallory's.

Jennifer L. Armentrout's writing was stunning in The Problem with Forever. This was another highlight for the novel. She created this story that pulled me in with these characters I couldn't help but love and played my emotions like a fiddle. Honestly, I FELT so much while reading this book. I was happy and I was nervous and I swooned (ohhh there were some serious swoons) and I was sad to the point of actual tears--a full range of emotions from beginning to end. I absolutely loved it.

Overall, The Problem with Forever is stunning, poignant, and unforgettable novel by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I loved Mallory, Rider, and their beautiful story--definitely a new favorite! I seriously recommend picking this one up if you're looking for an amazing YA contemporary to pull you in by your heartstrings (and make you swoon along the way). 

5 stars - A powerful, unforgettably beautiful novel by Jennifer L. Armentrout!

~ About Jennifer L. Armentrout ~ 

# 1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

~ Giveaway ~ 

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Blog Tour: Essential Maps for the Lost by Deb Caletti (Review & Giveaway)

~ About the Book ~ 

Essential Maps for the Lost by Deb Caletti

Source: ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

When Madison makes a startling discovery, the body of a dead woman floating in the middle of a lake, the summer after her senior year becomes more complicated than she ever expected.

Madison (Mads to everyone who knows her) is staying with her aunt and uncle in Seattle after graduating from high school. Being away from her needy, unstable mother who's been pressuring her to take over the family business is such a relief. Now all Mads has to worry about is taking classes, swimming laps, and fighting off the sadness that threatens to overtake her.

That is, until the traumatic moment Mads collides with a body in the middle of the lake. After swimming the body back to shore, Mads becomes obsessed with uncovering the identity of the woman and what drove her to leap off of the Aurora Bridge. Determined to discover more, Mads parks outside the woman's home and sees the woman's son: the sweet and tormented Billy Youngwolf Floyd.

Through a series of not-so-happenstance meetings, Mads and Billy realize that desperate mothers and rescue missions are not the only thing that bonds them. Billy carries a map in his pocket; the one of the museum from The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler; and it's his dream to visit the museum one day. And though book-loving Mads is expected to return home to her already-decided future, her dream is to run away to a life of her choosing.

As the unlikely pair fall hard for each other and as the summer draws to a close, Billy and Mads must decide whose story to follow: their family's or their own.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository

~ Review ~ 

Deb Caletti is one of my favorite authors. I haven't read every single one of her books (yet), but I've read a majority of them and enjoyed every one (Stay is my favorite, in case you were wondering). So I always get excited when I get a new book of hers in my hands. Essential Maps for the Lost had an interesting premise, so that doubled my excitement for this one. And lucky for me, this book was great (as I expected).

One of the things that I loved most about Essential Maps for the Lost was the characters. Mads and Billy are one of the cutest couples. They're pretty darn adorable individually, but stick them together and you have an awkward mass of nerdy sweetness. I loved learning about each of them, and then seeing them grow to adore each other. They had me smiling so many times throughout the story. While they have some ups and downs, I was rooting for them through it all.

Another high point for this book was Deb Caletti's writing. I always enjoy the way her stories are written, but this one in particular was stunning. It's in third person alternating between Mads and Billy, but there's also this overall self-aware quality to it that was both interesting and refreshing to read. The book starts out with this aspect, which pulled me in right away. Then we jump into the story of Mads and Billy and I was in for the long haul. As always with Deb Caletti's books, Essential Maps for the Lost had was enchanting to me. I was pulled into the world and the characters' lives the whole way through.

My only gripe about the story is that I wasn't fond of the secrets and misunderstandings had between Mads and Billy. I understand why Mads was hesitant to own up to the truth, and I also understand that things get mixed up and complicated sometimes, but a lot of it could have been avoided here simply by telling the truth. It all turned out fine, dandy, and beautiful in the end, so I'm not too bitter about it or anything, but as I was reading the story I got so nervous over this.

Overall, Essential Maps for the Lost is a stunning love story. Deb Caletti's writing is compelling, and the characters are magnificent. I truly enjoyed this book, and I can't wait to read whatever comes next from Deb Caletti. (Though in the meantime, I really need to make it a priority to read the three--maybe four?--books of hers I have yet to read!)

4 stars - Enchanting and beautiful, Essential Maps for the Lost is a stunning love story that I truly enjoyed!

~ About Deb Caletti ~ 

Deb Caletti is an award winning author and National Book Award finalist. Her many books for young adults include “The Nature of Jade,” “Stay,” “The Last Forever,” and "Honey, Baby Sweetheart," winner of the Washington State Book award, the PNBA Best Book Award, and a finalist for the PEN USA Award. Her first book for adults, “He’s Gone,” was released from Random House in 2012, and was followed with "The Secrets She Keeps" in 2015. Coming this April: "Essential Maps for the Lost," her eleventh book for young adults. She lives with her family in Seattle.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

~ Giveaway ~ 

Three winners will receive a finished copy of Essential Maps for the Lost! US only.

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This is a tour-wide giveaway not sponsored by StuckInBooks. StuckInBooks is not responsible for selecting winners or sending prizes.

~ Tour Schedule ~

Week 1:

4/4: Such A Novel Idea - Q&A
4/5: Ex Libris - Review
4/6: Life According to a Bibliophile - Top 10
4/7: Kelly Vision - Review
4/8: The Bookkeeper's Secrets - Guest Post

Week 2: 

4/11: Stuck In Books - Review (you are here!!!)
4/12: Who R U Blog - Novel Secrets
4/13: Between the Pages - Review
4/14: Jenuine Cupcakes - Top 10
4/15: In Wonderland - Review

Blog Tour: Blackmail Boyfriend by Chris Cannon ~ Review & Giveaway

Click on the banner to see the full tour schedule! 

**About the Book** 

Source: e-ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Blackmail Boyfriend by Chris Cannon

Sometimes, blackmail is the only weapon a girl has…

Haley Patterson has had a crush on golden boy Bryce Colton for ages. But when she hears a rumor that he hooked up with her she gives him a choice: be her boyfriend for a month to show other guys that she’s dateable—despite her overprotective and very intimidating brothers—or deal with the angry, cage-fighting boyfriend of the girl he actually did hook up with.

Bryce didn’t know the other Haley even had a boyfriend. He was just trying to get his ex off his back. And now, not only is he being blackmailed, he's being blackmailed by an honor student. His new “girlfriend” has two three-legged dogs, her father mows grass at the country club, and she's…well, difficult. And different.

Can something so fake turn into something real?

**Review** 

I love a good pretending story. I don't think much on tropes (I'm mostly bad at recognizing them), but I am certain the fake boyfriend/girlfriend that turns into a real relationship trope is one I love. Which means I was excited about this book from the start. Pretending, plus cute character dynamics, plus dual POV... yeah, this story was right up my alley. And for the most part, it was right on the mark. I enjoyed it.

Haley was a great female lead. Cute and funny and not perfect, but I was rooting for her to be happy from the very start. I didn't get annoyed with her much, and even the few times I did were times when her behavior was warranted. She's a nice chick I have no doubt it'd be great to have as a friend, which made it a good time being in her head and reading her story.

Surprisingly, Bryce was the character that was more rocky for me. He was never terrible and I never hated him. However, he was VERY set in his ways. This changed over the coarse of the novel, of course, and that growth was wonderful to watch. Still, he got on my nerves more times than I would have liked. He would be headed in the right direction, and then snap back to his old attitude. This backward steps got smaller as the book went on, but I didn't like the back and forth feeling I got with him. That said, he is a super good guy. It took him a while to settle into that, but he really is. So even though he took longer than I would have liked to get completely on my good side, he did end up there and I do heart him.

Two other very mentionable characters in Blackmail Boyfriend are Haley's best friend Jane and Bryce's best friend Nathan. Jane was hilarious and I loved her. Another chick it'd be cool to have as a friend. Plus she brought baked goods for lunch to share. HECK. YES. As for Nathan, I didn't really expect to like him as much as I did, because he started off seeming just like Bryce. But Nathan got his act together way sooner and it was easy to love him. These two side characters were fantastic and made even the more bumpy Bryce and Haley situations so much better.

The novel jumps into the plot right away, which I definitely liked. Haley gets to school, finds out about a rumor including her she had zero part in, confronts Bryce about it, and BAM off the story goes. That made it so easy to get drawn into the story. From there, the story is told in dual POV between Bryce and Haley, which, along with how sweet and funny the book could be, made the story incredibly easy to fly right through. Bryce and Haley each have their own voice, reactions, and narratives, and I enjoyed that insight.

Bryce and Haley as a couple was something I wanted to happen--and STICK--for the entirety of the book. When Bryce isn't pushing her away or reverting to his old attitude, he and Haley are an adorable couple. Yes, they argue and butt heads. But it's perfect. I loved their banter. I also enjoyed their sweet moments. While I wished some of them wouldn't have been dumped on by Bryce taking his backward steps, there were plenty nice moments that showed how great these two could be. And there were even a fair amount of moments that were not compromised by Bryce. All in all, I liked the romance and ended up loving this couple.

Overall, Blackmail Boyfriend is a sweet, fun, and quick read that I really enjoyed. The well-written characters were fun to hang with, and it was so easy to fall into their story. If you're looking for something light that you can totally read in one sitting, I recommend picking this one up.

3 stars - A cute and funny YA contemporary romance!

Val also read and reviewed Blackmail Boyfriend, and she gave it 4 stars! Check out her review here :)

**About the Author** 

Chris Cannon lives in Southern Illinois with her husband and her three dogs, Pete the shih tzu who sleeps on her desk while she writes, Molly the ever-shedding yellow lab, and Tyson the sandwich-stealing German Shepherd Beagle. She believes coffee is the Elixir of Life. Most evenings after work, you can find her sucking down caffeine and writing fire-breathing paranormal adventures or snarky romantic comedies.

Author Links: 

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

**Giveaway** 

There's a tour-wide INT giveaway for a $20 Amazon Gift Card! Enter through the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win :)

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Blog Tour: Jesse's Girl (Hundred Oaks) by Miranda Kenneally ~ Review & Giveaway

Click on the banner above to see the full tour schedule!

**About the Book**

Source: e-ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Jesse's Girl (Hundred Oaks) by Miranda Kenneally

Practice Makes Perfect.

Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya Henry said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow *the* Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.

But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?

**Review** 

I've been in love with Miranda Kenneally's Hundred Oaks series since I read Catching Jordan. It was funny and just plain awesome. Then I read Stealing Parker, and that one was great, too. I haven't read the two books after that yet--Things I Can't Forget and Racing Savannah--but I definitely want to and plan to. Then came Breathe, Annie, Breathe, which turned out to be one of my all-time favorite YA contemporaries and one of the best books I read last year. All that said, I think it's kind of obvious I was excited about Jesse's Girl. More Hundred Oaks, PLUS a title that references a song I like? Count me in.

Well, Miranda Kenneally has done it again--Jesse's Girl is a sweet, fun, and absolutely fantastic novel. Heck yeah, I loved this.

The first half of the book is about Jesse and Maya during her shadow day for school--where she's supposed to shadow someone with the profession she wishes to pursue. Wonder of wonders, she gets paired to shadow Jesse Scott, huge country music star and super attractive human. That first half of the book was amazing. I did lots of laughing and giggling, but they also had some serious moments, too, and those were strewn throughout wonderfully. In this one day, Jesse and Maya connect and have a blast, and it was awesome being there with them through it all. 

At the end of the day, and in the rest of the book, reality seeps in, and things get harder... but they also get deeper. Jesse and Maya start addressing their issues and going for what makes them happy. Once shadow day was over and Maya's life went (almost) back to normal, I felt kind of let down, because things weren't as happy and generally HAPPENING. But the farther into the story I got, the more I saw how much growth was going on, and then just how plain gorgeous it all was. By the end of the novel, I was back to feeling happy as all get out, and ended it with a smile on my face.

Maya's the MC and we get the entire story from her perspective. She wants to be a musician, but is super insecure about performing solo. She's nice and cool--and so open-minded to improving. I loved that about her. Maya's growth was lovely. And can I just point out that this is Maya HENRY--as in, sister to Sam Henry from Catching Jordan?! I didn't know this was about Sam's sister going in, but I was SO SLAP-HAPPY when I realized! So yes, we got to see some Sam and Jordan, and it was hilarious and enjoyable. I especially loved seeing him more in the big brother role. Made me love him even more.

Jesse had his own issues, and he also went through his own growth. He's a good guy, but he's lonely. Dragged down by troubles that aren't really within his control. Creating a relationship with Maya was a huge step for him, and in all the time they spent together I ended up a serious fan of Jesse Scott (even though I do not like country music). 

The romance was sweet. Jesse and Maya forge their connection the day they meet, but they don't end up in a serious relationship until later. I loved watching that form and evolve while Maya went about trying to make her dreams come true. Both of them were so supportive of one another, and they honestly make an amazing couple.

As per usual with books in the Hundred Oaks series, this can be read without having read any of the previous novels. I skipped two in the middle and had no trouble reading Breathe, Annie, Breathe or Jesse's Girl. (Though it really is more fun when you read them in order--which is why I plan to go back and read books 3 and 4...and then I'll re-read Annie and Jesse!) Also, it's worth mentioning that the musical aspects of this book are SO GREAT. I loved them--from the mentions of Queen to the running joke about a quilt sewn to my heart... I loved it all.

Overall, Jesse's Girl was an amazing installment to the Hundred Oaks universe. Miranda Kenneally's writing was captivating yet again, and the story of Jesse and Maya both made me smile and tugged at my heart. I cannot wait to see what comes next from Miranda Kenneally!

5 stars - Sweet, fun, and absolutely fantastic, Jesse's Girl is an amazing installment to the Hundred Oaks universe!

**About the Author** 

Growing up in Tennessee, Miranda Kenneally dreamed of becoming an Atlanta Brave, a country singer (cliché!), or a UN interpreter. Instead she writes, and works for the State Department in Washington, D.C., where George W. Bush once used her shoulder as an armrest. Miranda loves Twitter, Star Trek and her husband.

Author Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

**Giveaway**

There's a tour-wide giveaway for a $50 iTunes Gift Card! The giveaway is international, and you can enter through the Rafflecopter below! :)

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