{Review} Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

Posted by Donna
Release Date: May 17th, 2018 
Finished Date: May 2nd, 2018

Publishers: Simon & Schuster Children's UK
Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 432
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

 

From Jenn Bennett, author of Night Owls and Alex, Approximately comes a sizzling, starry romance, perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and John Green.

Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best-friends-turned-worst-enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern-day version of the Montagues and Capulets. But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together.

Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to try to make their way to safety. But as the two travel deeper into the rugged Californian countryside, secrets and hidden feelings surface. Soon it's not simply a matter of enduring each other’s company, but taming their growing feelings for each other. 

The Review: Starry Eyes is the third book I’ve read by author Jenn Bennett and with each book that has been released I find myself excited to see what she has in store for us because so far, she hasn’t disappointed me and I always look forward to her awesome story telling.

In Starry Eyes we see best friends Zorie and Lennon who have suddenly turned enemies but we don’t actually know why they are no longer best friends. Not only were they best friends but most recently had become involved in a secret relationship with each other. When Zorie is offered to go on a glamping trip, she takes the chance to get away from her family but she soon finds out that Lennon has also been invited which means spending the whole week with him. And after much drama with the other members of their group, Zorie and Lennon find themselves camping alone in the wilderness.

I really enjoyed Starry Eyes and I really enjoyed stories that have best friends/romance as I always find them the best types of reads. I think mainly because the characters already know each other so well and it’s fun to watch them discover their love for one another. Zorie and Lennon really have their issues and I liked that we didn’t find out what had gone wrong for them straight away because it added the right amount of suspense to the story that keep me turning the pages. Their relationship is definitely complicated and they don’t really know what went wrong because they haven’t communicated and I really felt sorry for them. They clearly have deep feelings for one another and I was completely rooting for them from the start. And Zorie’s father? I hated him. I wanted to like him but no, just no way.

I honestly don’t think I’ve read many books about camping experiences in the past and then suddenly I’ve read two in the space of two months. I definitely enjoyed Starry Eyes more than the other book I’ve read but I did feel the story was a little longer than it needed to be. It didn’t quite live up to Alex, Approximately which is still one of my favourite reads from last year but still, Starry Eyes is great read with a hot romance and plenty of drama.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's UK for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

Posted by Donna
Release Date: July 27th, 2017
Finished Date: August 10th, 2017

Publishers: Simon & Schuster 
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 400
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

 

The one guy Bailey Rydell can’t stand is actually the boy of her dreams—she just doesn’t know it yet.

Classic movie fan Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online as Alex. Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.

Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new archnemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever it is she’s starting to feel for Porter.

And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.

The Review: I adored Jenn Bennett’s Night Owl a few years ago so as soon as I heard she had a new release coming out I dived at the chance to read it, so thank you Simon Kids UK for the review copy.

Alex, Approximately is everything a summer read should be and so much more. It’s a heart-warming retelling of the movie You’ve Got Mail but written to reflect our modern times with a sweet YA setting. The story is compelling, fun, sweet, romantic and suspenseful story and did I say sweet? It’s super sweet to the point where I couldn’t stop grinning all the way through. From the banter between the characters to the romance, this really is a stinking cute read. But not only that but it does touch of some heavier issues such as drug addiction and abandonment, so it’s not all hearts and flowers all the time but gives the reader a more entertaining read.  

I adore the characters and I seriously loved their communication texts is written. It makes you feel like you are really there with the characters who are going through this journey of self-discovery and to finding each other. 

So when someone asks me what my favourite read of Summer 2017 is, my answer is so simple. It was Alex, Approximately! If you love YA reads then this one is definitely for you. 

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Thank you to Simon Kids UK for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Blog Tour] Night Owls by Jenn Bennett

Posted by Donna
Release Date: August 13th, 2015
Finished Date: July 16th, 2015

Publishers: Simon & Schuster UK
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: ARC

Pages: 272
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Since school had let out in May, gold graffiti had been popping up around San Francisco. Single words painted in enormous golden letters appeared on bridges and building fronts. Not semi-illegible, angry gang tags, but beautifully executed fonts done by someone with talent and skill...

Meeting Jack on the Owl—San Francisco's night bus—turns Beatrix's world upside down. Jack is charming, wildly attractive...and possibly one of San Francisco's most notorious graffiti artists.

On midnight rides and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who this enigmatic boy really is. But Jack is hiding much more - and can she uncover the truth that leaves him so wounded?

The Review: What a super cute read! Seriously this book left me with the biggest smile on my face!

After missing her normal bus Beatrix has no other choice but to catch the dreaded Owl night bus that everyone hates. So when she meets Jack - a gorgeous guy she seems to click with - it definitely made the journey worthwhile. But as her and Jack are about to part ways, Bex discovers something about Jack when a gold can of spray paint rolls out of his bag. Surely he can't be the one leaving graffiti tags all over San Francisco? Bex is compelled to know more about Jack and so when she finds him again and she finds out he's also been looking for her, they embark on a journey of discovering each other and their love of art.

I hadn’t heard of Night Owls until it arrived through my letterbox but as soon as I read the synopsis I just knew it was one I had to read. It sounded slightly similar to Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley and I adored that book, so I definitely had high hopes for this and I’m pleased to say Jenn Bennett doesn't disappoint one bit!

There’s just something about this book that once you start you simply don’t want to put it down. It’s almost magical and the words just seem to flow right off the pages. It’s well written and I loved the mixture of fun and serious moments that was added. It gave the story the right blend and kept my emotions going up and down like a roller coaster.

The characters are quirky and super cute. They're also both very unique. While they have several things in common the biggest one is their love of art and so art is the main feature of this book and I really enjoyed it because both of the characters love art in their own way and they express it in their own way. I really loved the connection between Bex and Jack. It was an instant connection but not insta-love - I loved that. It made me appreciate their story more. They banter back and forth which is so entertaining to read. And even some of their later scenes together are adorable too - swoon-worthy even. Jack is perfect! I don't think I've swooned over a character like him in a long time! I smiled a lot during this book. It's impossible not too.

In all, Night Owls is definitely a special read and it's one I will definitely be recommending to all of my book friends!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster UK  for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Jenn Bennett’s Book Stack

Today, just for you, dearest reader, I pulled twelve random books from my bookshelf. You’ll find them here, as seen with my handsome pug, Iorek. (Don’t trust that sweet face, for he is truly wicked and most evil. And yes, he was named after one of my favorite literary characters, Iorek Byrnison, the armoured bear from the His Dark Materials series.) Some of the books in my stack are related to my YA debut, Night Owls, and some are not. From the top of the stack to bottom, here are the books:

My Crowd, Charles Addams

Dry wit. Hilarious stuff. My character, Bex, mentions the Addams Family. (People at school call her Morticia because she likes to draw anatomy, and therefore assume she must be gruesome. She’s not.)

Infinite City, Rebecca Solnit

This is a terrific compendium of San Francisco atlases. A wonderful Bay Area author friend, A.J. Larrieu, gave this to me. I could stare at it for hours.

Colored Pencil Bible, Alyona Nickleson

My first love is art, and I do a lot of colored pencil drawings. This is a great resource.

Reading Egyptian Art, Richard H. Wilkinson

I’m a fanatic about Ancient Egypt and have been since I was a wee tike.

Struwwelpeter, Heinrich Hoffmann

I was born in Germany (my father was in the U.S. army and was stationed near Frankfurt when my Swedish mother was knocked up with me), and this book of cautionary tales for children scared the bejesus out me when I was a kid.

Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, Peter Guralnick

In my book, my hero, Jack is obsessed with rockabilly music. Cool, young Elvis (we’ll forget about bloated, old bedazzled Elvis for now) wasn’t just a brilliant musician, he also had a great pompadour.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling

Yes, I have them all. Yes, I own all the movies. No, I have never dressed up as Luna Lovegood, I mean, uh…

Perfect Chemistry, Simone Elkeles

Man, I loved this YA romance. The Latino hero is total swoons.

Graceling, Kristen Cashore

One of my fave romantic YA fantasy books. Only, I wish the ending had turned out differently. (Look,  I’m a hopeless romantic, okay?)

Howl’s Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones

Love, love, love this book. Total charmer. Old favorite of mine.

Shiver, Maggie Stiefvater

She’s brilliant. I like her Raven Cycle the best.

Flapper, Joshua Zeitz

I write books for adults about the Roaring Twenties. I’m mad about that era, so I have a whole collection of books about it, if you ever need to borrow one.

AUTHOR BIO: 

JENN BENNETT is an artist and RITA-nominated author who writes books for adults and teens, including the award-winning Roaring Twenties romance series (Bitter Spirits) and the Arcadia Bell urban fantasy series (Kindling the Moon). Her first YA contemporary romance, The Anatomical Shape of a Heart, (aka Night Owls in the UK) will be released in 2015. She lives near Atlanta with one husband and two evil pugs. Visit her at www.jennbennett.net.

Want to be notified when her next book is coming out? Join her mailing list: http://eepurl.com/V5il9

{Review} Binding the Shadows (Arcadia Bell #3) & Banishing the Dark (Arcadia Bell #4) by Jenn Bennett

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: May 28th, 2013 
Finished Date: May 27th, 2014

Publishers: Bloomsbury UK 
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 366
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

In the third book in this beloved and “riveting” (Romantic Times) urban fantasy series, demon-friendly tiki bar owner Arcadia Bell discovers more about her own evolving, and possibly destructive, magical abilities when her bar is the target of a demonic crime wave.

Renegade mage and bartender Arcadia Bell has had a rough year, but now the door to her already unstable world is unhinging. When a citywide crime wave erupts, Cady's demon-friendly tiki bar is robbed by Earthbounds wielding surreal demonic abilities that just flat-out shouldn't exist. With the help of her devilishly delicious boyfriend, Lon Butler, Cady sets out to find the people who wronged her—but her targets aren't the only ones experiencing unnatural metamorphoses. Can Cady track down the monsters responsible before the monster inside her destroys everything—and everyone—she loves? If she survives this adventure, one thing is certain: it's last call for life as she knows it.

The Review: Binding the Shadows is the third book in the Arcadia Bell series and this time, Cady might not get out alive!
As the synopsis tells us – There’s a crime wave happening in the city and it comes knocking on Cady’s bars door, injuring Kar-yee in the process and for some reason… Cady couldn’t do a thing. She knows the people who are doing it are Earthbounds but something isn’t right with their powers – they’re amplified in some way, being able to be used without the transmutation usually needed – and she’s seen it before. So off Cady & Lon go, on a mission to find the punks that robbed her bar and hoping that when she finds out what is going on, it can tell her more about her changing powers too because some freaky stuff is happening to her….and she needs to know what. To top it all off, Lon’s in laws are coming for the holidays and she needs to make a good impression….. let’s hope she can hold it together.
This was a great addition to the series and Cady is again at her best but she is changing, evolving into something and it’s strange and unsettling for her, she seems more emotional in this, like she is doubting herself a lot and showing some insecurities too - not just in her powers but in her relationship also. Lon is as supportive as ever and I liked the direction their relationship took, especially with the arrival of his ex in laws, he showed that he was in it for the long run and that she had nothing to worry about regardless of the fact that Yvonne – his ex wife – showed up too.
The storyline was really good, I liked the idea of a drug interfering with and amping up an Earthbounds power, when you see how it affects them you understand that it could have disastrous consequences for both user and victim and with the fact that it comes to Cady’s bar – she was always going to get involved. I always enjoy the process of the ‘missions’ in these books, things are never straightforward and even though they always seem to be chasing their tail, it all comes right in the end. This is also a book where I can never guess where it’s going or who done what – which is always a good thing in my opinion. Cady definitely gets herself into some scrapes in this and it is perfect to show how she is changing and her powers are evolving, it’s all very strange and unusual but compelling and you want to know the answers alongside her. The action & danger grows and grows throughout the book, building towards a terrifying climax when Cady bites off more than she can chew and peoples true colours are shown. We also get Lon & Jupe’s family in this which only complicates things for Cady, making her feel like she is an outsider and when Yvonne showed up, it got harder. I have to say, I loved the Cady/Yvonne showdown…. I hate confrontation between exes/new lovers but this is really not what you’d expect but shows how awesome Cady is and how much she thinks of Lon & Jupe. The ending is both happy but heartbreaking and I’m really glad I have the final book to move straight onto because with the re appearance of a couple of characters, Cady’s ever changing powers and a couple of secrets to rollover into the next book…. I can’t wait! 

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: May 27th, 2014
Finished Date: 23rd May, 2014

Publishers: Pocket Books 
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 384

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

The fourth and final installment of a "riveting" (RT Book reviews) urban fantasy series about a renegade mage and the demons who love her.

Complicated does not begin to describe Arcadia Bell's life right now: unnatural magical power, another brush with death, and a murderous mother who's not only overbearing but determined to take permanent possession of Cady's body. Forced to delve deep into the mystery surrounding her own birth, Cady must uncover which evil spell her parents cast during her conception…and how to reverse it. Fast. As she and her lover Lon embark on a dangerous journey through her magical past, Lon's teenage son Jupe sneaks off for his own investigation. Each family secret they uncover is darker than the last, and Cady, who has worn many identities—Moonchild, mage, fugitive—is about to add one more to the list.

The Review: Well, I’m sad that it’s over – but what an awesome end to an amazing series!
Following the huge cliffhanger that ended book 3, Cady is trying to come to terms with her new self, come to terms with an unexpected surprise and recovering from her near death beating… but things are never going to be simple for Cady because her mother is still manipulating her from the Aether, putting everyone Cady loves in danger. What does she want? It’s simple really – she wants to possess Cady and live through her permanently…. meaning Cady’s soul will die – and each time Cady taps into her moonchild powers, is another step into the clutches of an insane woman, hellbent on gaining power for her own ends and is prepared to sacrifice her own daughter to do just that. The only hope Cady has is to find the original spell that was used at her conception and hopefully reverse it or find out what was used so that she work out just what she is…. Leading to strangest most random road trip ever! Whilst Cady & Lon are off on their mission, Jupe has decided he won’t let Cady go without a fight either – let’s hope they can all uncover what Cady Needs before Enola Duval can reach her end game.
So, as I said – this was an awesome end to an amazing series, breathtaking to the very end!
I have always loved Cady’s character, I love when I can connect to a character and can become invested in their lives, routing for them in their trials & tribulations, from book one she was just so capable and admirable, having been through so much and living a double life through no fault of her own. She had such a great attitude and I think through her relationships with Lon & Jupe we get to see more diversity in her – with Lon being older, the relationship is more mature and you don’t feel the years between them whereas with Jupe, she can get down to his level as a teen and not only be parental but also someone he can confide in and turn too without judgement – giving us a well rounded female. I love her relationship with Lon and that it isn’t what brings the drama to the story, I like a couple to complement each other and they really do, I mentioned that you can’t feel the age gap and that’s true, we get the same amount of passion and smexiness as ever, making it a total nonissue. I also loved that Lon & Jupe gave Cady a sense of family & belonging which is something she was lacking.
There was only ever going to be one true ultimate enemy for Cady and that is her mother, so it stands to reason that in the final book of the series, Cady will face her nemesis and finally shed light on her conception and what she has become. To do this there is a cool road trip and lots of mystery and intrigue, uncovering clues, tracking down people who don’t want to be found, dealing with people who could be friends or enemies and it is a tough journey of self discovery for Cady, putting her in danger time & time again – at a time when she least needs it! – and we discover just how manipulative & evil Enola Duval is and what lengths she would go to for the ultimate power. There is something that it done to Cady in an attempt to throw her mother off some sensitive information that makes this book quite fun and also gives her & Lon’s relationship a different feel which I thought was genius and brought some great moments to the book. I also loved that we got some chapters from Jupes POV and we get a good feel of how he thinks and how he feels about Cady, making him a good player in the jaw dropping conclusion. This book has it all – great characters, mystery, intrigue, danger, magic and romance – just as every book in the series has and I have loved every single one! 

Thank you to Pocket Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.