Review: THE REALITY OF EVERYTHING by Rebecca Yarros

Title: The Reality of Everything

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Flight & Glory #5 (Standalone)

Publisher: Entangled Embrace
Publication Date: August 24 2020
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Two years after the man she loved was killed in Afghanistan, Morgan Bartley is trying to put the pieces of her life back together. The reno on her dilapidated beach house in the Outer Banks might be just the distraction she needs to keep her debilitating anxiety attacks at bay and begin to heal her heart... if she can ignore the ridiculously handsome guy next door.

At twenty-eight, single dad Jackson Montgomery's life revolves around his five-year-old daughter and his job as a search-and-rescue pilot for the coast guard. He's no stranger to saving a damsel in distress, and though his gorgeous new neighbor is clearly in distress, she's no damsel. She's stubborn as hell with walls a mile thick, and the dog tags hanging from her rearview mirror give him a pretty good clue as to why.

It doesn't matter that their attraction is undeniable—she swore she'd never fall for another pilot, let alone a military man. There are some wounds time can't heal, and some fears too consuming to conquer. 

She's a barely breathing heartbreak on the edge of recovery. He's a crash waiting to happen. Together they could have it all... if they can endure the coming storm.

 

"I can't even suggest that it will be easy, because that's a huge lie, but I swear 

that I will always make the shitty lows pale in comparison the to incredible highs."

Wow. Just. Wow. I actually wasn't aware that this was book five of a series. Luckily, it can be read as a standalone and still be fully enjoyed without any confusion. Evidence #1: I LOVED IT. The Reality of Everything was so raw and heart breaking, yet so beautifully hopeful. I'm eager to jump into the first four books now to learn more about the other couples' backstories. I'm desperately wishing that two side characters will receive their own HEA too (Please, Rebecca Yarros hear my prayer). Not only did I love Morgan and Jackson—and Fin, I also loved the entire Cape Hatteras friendship circle. The Reality of Everything shines a light on grief, loss and healing. Witnessing Morgan's pain and struggles felt like being stabbed in the heart, but it made the moments of genuine joy that much sweeter.

Review: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

Title: Just Listen

Author: Sarah Dessen

Publication Date: February 28, 2008

Standalone
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To find the truth, you've got to be willing to hear it.

When she's modeling, Annabel is the picture of perfection.

But her real life is far from perfect.

Fortunately, she's got Owen. He's intense, music-obsessed, and dedicated to always telling the truth.

And most of all, he's determined to make Annabel happy...

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"But being nice wasn't as easy as it seemed, especially when the rest of the world could be so mean."

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Just, wow. Powerful, touching, down right emotional. There are two elements that I absolutely love in any book: an emphasis on family and character development. This book had those in spades. The story was beautifully written and, in my opinion, the flow was spot on.

The title, Just Listen, fits this story to a tee and is told in the pov of Annabel Greene, the youngest of three sisters. She lives in a modern styled home known as The Glass House, exposing them to their neighbors and passersby. From the outside, the Greene family seems perfect. Annabel was known for being in TV commercials and was dubbed as the girl who had it all. That was far from the truth. Her friendship with her best friends, Clarke and Sophie, had ended badly which left her isolated. Her sisters had moved out together and didn't call home much which left Annabel alone. She didn't have anyone to confide in so she bottled up her thoughts. When she was with her family, it was apparent how her parents would shield her from family problems and push her opinions aside because of her age. All Annabel ever did was do what she was told and listen.

I liked Annabel. I liked her loyalty to her family. I understood her decisions. She was being bullied at school but she didn't want to burden her family by telling them so. She wanted to stop modeling but she didn't want to hurt her mother's feelings. She was hiding a secret from everyone because she was scared. Just Listen was realistic. One of my favorite aspects of this book was the relationship between Kirsten and Whitney, Annabel's sisters. They had a fall-out ever since Whitney was forced to move back home. They hardly spoke to one another. Their character growth as individuals was poignant and I cried my eyes out when they made up. Not one to inject herself into situations, Annabel quietly observed her sisters from the side. The narrative was so descriptive and thought provoking, throughout the entire book really, and it made my heart ache (in a good way).

"Music is the great uniter. An incredible force.

Something that people who differ on everything and anything else can have in common."

Annabel's growth wasn't as awe-inspiring as her sisters but I still really enjoyed seeing her come out of her shell after meeting Owen. He was the broody, lonely guy at school who was always listening to music. Their friendship developed slowly but sweetly. Owen had a rule to always be honest and Annabel couldn't even fathom being so. His obsession with music was endearing. I loved that he tried to get her to be more open-minded about the different genres of music. I LOVED HIM. He was such a warmhearted guy and an incredibly wonderful brother. His interactions with his younger sister, Mallory, had me smiling wide. I loved that Annabel could be the "older sister" when it came to Mallory and you can see another side to her that's doesn't come out in her own home. The secondary characters made this book just as much as the main characters. And it's those kinds of stories that I find more believable and sucks you right in.

I gave Just Listen 5 stars for the story. It's very much a story of family and self-discovery in my opinion. The romance was subtle and sweet. I loved that it highlighted the importance of trust and communication, that you shouldn't be so quick to judge someone based on their appearance or demeanor. I highly recommend this book to all YA contemporary lovers. It was my first Sarah Dessen book and I must say, she hit this one out of the park. I cannot wait to read more of her work!

"Don't think or judge. Just listen."

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Rolly

Owen's best friend. Rolly was great comic relief and adorable.

I loved that you got to see his own romance bloom, I was cheering for him the entire time.

Review: FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Fangirl

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Publication Date: September 10, 2013

Standalone
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Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath's sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can't let go. She doesn't want to. Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn't want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

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"The whole point of fan fiction is that you get to play inside somebody else's universe."

Fangirl was my first Rainbow Rowell read and boy did I enjoy it! Wonderful and endearing. This is the kind of book that many book lovers can relate to, especially to the heroine Cath. Helpful and caring. She immersed herself in all things Simon Snow, a popular book series, and was dedicated to writing Simon Snow fanfiction. Cath was a great, genuine character.

One thing I loved about Fangirl was how all the chapters started with a passage from either the Simon Snow books or from Cath's fanfiction stories. The passages often reflected the tone of the next chapter. It was almost like a sneak peak into what was expected! Another part of the book I enjoyed was seeing the personality contrast between Cath and her twin sister, Wren. They used to be fanfiction writing partners and each other's best friend. Wren however, wanting to live it up as a freshman, tried her hardest to separate herself from Simon Snow and Cath. I didn't like Wren. I could see why she'd wanted to be more of an individual but she could have done it gradually! My heart hurt so much whenever Cath thought or worried about her sister when Wren probably didn't give a rat's bottom at the time. Gah. But I was happy to see Cath slowly come out of her shell as the story progressed. In a way though, I guess it was thanks to Wren.

"Underneath this veneer of slighly crazy and socially inept, I'm a complete disaster."

Unlike Wren, Cath continued writing fanfic. She was determined to complete her story, "Carry On", before the final book in the Simon Snow series released. She had a passion for writing and even enrolled in a Fiction Writing class, which she thoroughly enjoyed and excelled in. When she received a zero on one of her assignments, Cath couldn't understand why. I felt so bad for her during that scene! I definitely understood Cath's argument, seeing as it was technically her work even if the characters weren't. To hear the professor tell Cath that it was plagiarism though...ouch. But I loved that the moment really pushed her out of her comfort zone (Simon Snow) and in helped improve her fiction writing skills.

In my opinion, the highlight of Fangirl was most definitely Levi *cue swoons*. He was incredibly friendly and easy-going. I couldn't help but smile whenever he was in the picture. He was always asking Cath to read parts of her fanfic to him and I thought that was so sweet of him. Levi is the kind of guy that says hello to everyone, whether he knows them or not. I loved seeing Cath coming out of her shell around him. And how he would walk her home from the library. Besides one part that made me want to punch him in the gut, he was all kinds of wonderful! I'll certainly be picking up another of Ms. Rowell's books soon <3

"Happily ever after, or even just together ever after, is not cheesy...
It's the noblest, like, the most courageous thing two people can shoot for."

Extras: Character Casting

Review: THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY by Katja Millay

Title: The Sea of Tranquility

Author: Katja Millay

Standalone
Publication Date: November 13, 2012
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Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone earning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

Josh Bennett's story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is to be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won't go away until she's insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she's been hiding—or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

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“I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.”

WOW. This book was B-E-A-UTIFUL. The Sea of Tranquility tells us the story of Nastya Kashnikov who, after a tragic event, leaves her family to move in with her aunt Margot. She wears a mask in the form of heavy make-up and revealing clothes to keep her past a secret. She eventually meets Josh Bennett who she notices IS avoided and left alone by the other students. I was intrigued from the very beginning by how mysterious both Nastya and Josh seemed to be.

“At the age when most kids are trying to figure out who they are, I was busy trying to figure out why I was. I didn’t belong in this world anymore.”

I really liked Nastya. She had a sense of humor considering how her life got turned upside-down. What I found interesting about Nastya was that she had a hobbie of collecting names and finding their meanings. Nastya, rebirth and resurrection.

I loved Josh. He had a quite demeanor and was constantly woodworking or thinking about it. The only social interaction he really had was with Drew, his wonderful best friend, and Drew's family. I loved that he watches soap operas for his mother, drinks tea and takes the time to make a table or a bookcase just to give as gifts. I'm glad this book was told in dual POVs because it was through his narrating that I came to understand and fall for him. Josh, salvation.

I'll be honest. The very first time Nastya showed up at his house and just sat down to see what he was doing, I was confused at what she was doing. That's certainly how Josh felt. But when they started falling into a routine of doing woodwork in his garage, it felt normal. Two lonely souls finding comfort in each other's company. He was the only one Nastya would talk to.

“You are so pretty that one of these days I’m going to lose a finger in my garage because I can’t concentrate with you so close to me.”

There were a good number of wonderful secondary characters in this book (like Clay, what a sweetheart). But I like to think it was because of Drew that they became friends to start with and that Josh could admit his feelings for her. The build-up of Nastya and Josh's relationship was perfect, and the pacing was steady. Every moment in his garage made my heart get all warm and fuzzy.

When she reverted back to her old (but not old-old) self, I wanted to cry! I thought she was making such progress. But what was worse was what she was so close to doing at the party Drew took her to. It only got worse when they went to Josh's after it! MY HEART DURING THAT SCENE. OMG. I was really close to throwing my book. I was relieved that they didn't kiss and make up right away after that emotional tornado though. The separation made it more real.

And those last two words of the book... It was like the clouds parted and everything started making sense. It was fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it. They were just meant to be.

“Every day you save me.”

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Drew Leighton

How can you not love this guy? He's such a wonderful friend, to both Josh and Nastya.

Three reasons why I adore him:

1. He has a big heart

 2. He  always tries to ease any tension in a room

3. He's a mama's boy

The Chair
"He hasn't given me a place to sit. He's given me a place to belong."
When she checked underneath and saw the engraving (45%),
I squealed and clapped my hands with a huge grin on my face.
IMO, this was the turning point in their relationship.

Extras: Character Casting