[null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://booksniffersanonymous.com/category/young-adult/ya-romance/page/4/", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCIut0BaX8Q/UEoHibUmfQI/AAAAAAAAEWc/CMbp3xy2LUY/s320/15770390.jpg", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCIut0BaX8Q/UEoHibUmfQI/AAAAAAAAEWc/CMbp3xy2LUY/s320/15770390.jpg", "rendered_width": 244, "rendered_height": 320}, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null]
Category Archives: Ya Romance

Review: Alienated by Melissa Landers

1 February, 2014 6:20 am , 4 Comments , Kristin By: Melissa Landers
Release Date: Feb. 4, 2014
Genre: YA Sci-Fi Romance Cara’s been selected to be one of the few chosen from the world to take part in the first ever L’eihr exchange program. A L’eihr (alien) will come down to earth and shadow a human, enroll in their school and learn their ways. When the time is up the roles will be reversed and the human will go to L’eihr and do the same. You can guess that the humans don’t take to kindly to the aliens coming to earth. It doesn’t take long until Cara’s receiving threats. Little does she know that the panic over the L’eihr’s being on earth may have some warrant.

This was a light sci-fi romance. The author does a great job creating a story and keeping the reader entranced from the start. I will admit that I had been in a book slump until I read Alienated. I was starting to think it was just me, but this book immediately lifted my mood. Sure the story was a teensy bit predictable. However, the author still managed to throw in some curve balls throughout the story that I didn’t see coming.

She also took the time to explain the difference between L’eihr’s and humans. For instance, L’eihr’s don’t really feel emotions. They don’t do physical contact and they don’t celebrate birthdays. There was a pretty big cultural difference for Aelyx when he arrived on earth. The author did a great job not over playing it but rather letting it just blend into the story.

I liked that Landers took the time to explain the L’eihr presence as well as why the L’eihr and humans have the same DNA and look the same. I’ll be honest, up until that point I was a little miffed that the L’eihr were pretty much human with nothing to really set them apart from humans. I’m not saying throw in a 3rd eye or anything but I wanted something. However, rest assured that the author thought about this and gave an explanation to the similarities.

I also like that she showed neither species being the enemy. Each side had their good points and bad points. You had Cara’s family who embraced Aelyx as if he were their own, while others were picketing outside their yard. Meanwhile, Aelyx’s friend/fellow exchange buddy was hell bent on causing damage to earth so that the peace treaty among the two planets would cease. So there were faults on both sides as well as those willing to make it work.

My only complaint was that there was no indication that the story was jumping forward in time. One minute Cara would be sitting in the kitchen eating cereal and the next thing you know she’s outside looking at a dragonfly. It also did this when changing POV’s between Aelyx and Cara. This really messed with me since I would have to get my bearings in the middle of reading. However, I did read an ARC copy and therefor this issue may have been resolved before being published.

This is an amazing debut novel and I cannot wait to see what happens next in the storyline. It’s a great story for YA, romance, sci-fi lovers alike. “One by one, she greeted each leader, letting her fingers linger far, far too long, not understanding that she’d given them the human equivalent of an intimate embrace instead of a handshake. When she touched the young male, his lips twitched in an amused grin before he regained his mask of cool superiority.” Posted in: YA Romance, YA Sci-fi

Review: Play With Me by Piper Shelly

17 October, 2013 3:50 am , 2 Comments , Kristin (Grover Beach Team, #1)
By: Piper Shelly
Published: Dec. 9, 2012 Liza’s been in love with her best friend, Tony, since they were little but things have always remained platonic between them. However, Liza is determined to make him see her in a new light when he gets home from soccer camp. However, she finds out that while she was pining away for him while he was gone, he was getting cozy with a co-ed player. Confused as to what’s going on with Tony, the new girl and her feelings, the captain of the soccer team, Ryan starts showing a softer side of himself that she never knew existed. He’s even there to pick up the pieces when it seems like her world is falling apart but can she trust him with her heart?

I don’t usually like short stories. I can never seem to connect with the characters, however, I LOVED this story. I was aggravated at Liza for pining away for Tony when he was clearly shacking up with someone else. My heart melted every time she interacted with Ryan. No seriously, Ryan is the typical “bad-boy” that’s become the norm for YA novels. He’s so freaking sweet and caring. When Liza got really drunk at his party, he carried her to his room so that she wouldn’t be disturbed by other party members “using” the spare bedrooms, since his was off limits to anyone but himself. When she decides to join the soccer team to get closer to Tony, he takes it upon himself to practice with her one-on-one. There were just so many sweet moments that my heart was literally melting the entire time. I don’t think he could’ve been any more swoon worthy if he were holding a basket full of kittens. *Thinks about that for a moment…* Nope, not even with a basket full of kittens.

Considering that this is under 100 pages I fell in love with the characters. I was extremely invested in their life. The author wrote the book in such a way that I didn’t realize it was a short story. I really wish it have been about 4x longer but that’s just because I couldn’t get enough. Piper definitely brought the characters to life as teenagers. I know you’ve heard me whine about it before but I hate when an author writes teens as they THINK they should behave, instead of the way that teens really are. Piper got this one spot on. There was angst, drinking, grounding (how many YA books have you read where the parents are absent?!) and the mention of sex.

I really couldn’t have been happier with this story. I loved it from start to finish. I loved this story so much that I’m clamoring to get my hands on the second novel, Ryan Hunter, which is a retelling of this story but in Ryan’s pov. Piper has made her way to the top of my fave list with just 80 pages. I’m pretty sure I will gobble up anything she writes. This is probably my favorite part simply because this is what goes through my mind on the few occasions I was crazy enough to go for a run with my husband… who’s a Marine. Yeah, not the smartest thing on my part since I’ve been told on numerous occasions that, “You don’t walk, you clomp.”

“How did he do this? Run so far and still speak to me like he was lounging on the sofa. Gasping for aid, I only nodded.” 
Posted in: YA Romance

Review: Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

12 October, 2013 10:00 am , 5 Comments , Kristin (Wild Cards, #1)
By: Simone Elkeles
Published: Oct. 1, 2013 So you’ve heard of books that revolve around a romance between step-siblings but what about a guy and his step-aunt? Yup, you read that right but it’s not what you think. You see, Derek’s father recently robbed the cradle when it came to choosing a his new wife. So when his father is deployed, his step-mom decides to give up their house and move back home during the deployment. However, when Derek gets kicked out of boarding school, he has to pack up and go with her to meet his step-family for the first time. That’s when he meets his step-aunt, Ashtyn.

I really enjoyed the characters in this story. Ashtyn has been playing football since freshman year and she’s really good at it. She’s also the only chick on the football team. So of course, life isn’t easy for her. She gets hazed a lot when it comes to other teams. After all, when it comes to football, a women’s place is to be on the sidelines with pom-poms in her hands. So the fact that she earns the never ending respect of her teammates and coach says a lot. However, she still has to show the colleges and scouts that she is just as good as any of the guys out there.

Derek is you typical broken bad-boy. Since his mother’s passing, he’s been spiraling out of control. He gave up everything that he was working for and turned to causing trouble at his boarding school, which in turn ends up with expulsion. One thing that I would was interesting is that he was a very strange health nut. Spinach banana smoothies for breakfast, no prepackaged foods, no high fructose corn syrup, his body is his temple and he treats it as such. For some reason, the way he portrays himself is so against his eating habits. I don’t know why I gravitated to that part of him so much but I did. He definitely had some quirks that counteracted his impulsiveness.

“My grandson is a wild card. I can’t keep up with him. One day he’s moving to Texas, the next he’s going back to California. For all I know he’ll end up here in Chicago.”

The story is predictable but I definitely enjoyed it. It was fun to read through the drama and watch the two of them come out on top. Not to mention the story was pretty hilarious. The author definitely has a sense of humor and incorporates that beautifully in the story. I found myself chuckling at a lot of parts in the book. I will definitely be keeping up with this series. “Seriously, Ashtyn, I bet my left nut you wouldn’t even notice if I got your dog fixed.”

“Your left nut?” I ask. “Why not your right one? Guys never say they’ll bet their right nut, only their left. Why is that?”

“Because all guys know their right nut is the dominant one, so bettin’ the left one is a safe choice.” 
Review: Defy the Stars by Stephanie Parent

7 September, 2012 2:48 pm , 1 Comment , Kristin Defy the Stars
By: Stephanie Parent
Published: Aug 1, 2012 Julia Cape: A dedicated classical piano student just trying to get through her last semester of high school while waiting to hear from music conservatories.
Reed MacAllister: A slacker more likely to be found by the stoners’ tree than in class.



Review: The Breakaway by Michelle Davidson Argyle

5 May, 2012 10:35 am , Leave a Comment , Kristin The Breakaway

By: Michelle Davidson Argyle 

Posted in: YA Romance, YA Suspense

