Book Review: Fight or Flight by Samantha Young

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I have really high expectation for this one. The premise is so interesting (Enemies to lovers romance? YES, PLEASE). Samantha Young is one of my favorite author, I've never given her novel rating below than 4 stars! However, I'm quite disappointed with this for few reasons. 

I'm going to start with what I like first. (1) main character - Ava is a strong female character. Her best friend - Harper is a bad ass character too. I really adore their friendship. (2) Enemies to lovers romance (of course). (3) The cover is gorgeous.

My problem with this book:
1. I hate the male main character - Caleb Scot. Alpha male, successful career, possessive - when will author get tired of this? Because I hate it. I usually can look past the character flaws when the author developed the story (or their past history), but nope. Nope for Caleb "bastard" Scot. I think his past is not fully developed, that is why I'm having a hard time looking past his flaws.
2. I can only see Ava & Caleb connection through their sexual desire (70% of their activities is sleeping with each other, sooo). Nothing else. I can't really feel the love.
3. The freaking ending of the book. [SPOILER ALERT] Ava was really mad with him for rejecting her and because he said something that really hurts her. But, when he surprise her by secretly booked a plane seat together (it's supposed to be sweet as this is how they first met) and then apologize to her, she immediately forgive him and proceed to have sex with him in the plane's toilet. Really? What the hell.

4. The weird spelling of the Scottish accent.

I gave this book 2 stars on goodreads. 

Thank you to Penguin Random House & Samantha Young for providing a copy for an honest review.

Book Review: As Dust Dances by Samantha Young

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

As Dust Dances is the second novel in Play On series by Samantha Young. Although it's book 2 in the series, it can be read as a stand alone. Play On series has unrelated characters, only connected with the theme of "Arts Industry", which is so cool in my opinion. Also all stories setting are in Scotland.

Skylar Finch can't really handle the fame of being a famous pop-rock star. One day, when a bad tragedy happened in her life, she ran from her band and disappear for a long time. The story start with Skylar being homeless and alone. Until she meets Killian O'Dea. An Artist & Repertoire Executive from a label in Glasgow.

The first half of the story mostly flashback to what happened to Skylar before she fled from everyone of her past. This is when Killian and Skylar get to know each other and build great connection. However, due to their situation, they can't really have a love relationship. Forbidden romance? Yes, please!

The romance between Skylar & Killian is a slow-burn, and the build-up is just so amazing. The sexual tension between them just making me crazy, and when it happens it's so perfect and beautifully emotional.

"I love you. I love you more than I love anyone." 

I love the relationship portrayed between Skylar and her mom, Angie. Every time Skylar talk about her mom, I can't help but to shed some tears. I can really feel all the sadness that Skylar went through, I am sad for her, for what happened to her & her mom. I have a soft spot for a mother-father-daughter relationship in a book, it gives me all the feels.

All in all, I loved As Dust Dances! I adored Skylar & Killian. I would recommend this book to all the people who read romances. I also loved that this book remind us that no matter how lost we are, we can always find our way back.

"You started out with a pure, whole soul and life took hits at it. It charred it, bruised it, and sometimes even smashed it to dust. But there were ways to hold on to it and to even piece it back together in new ways. To add patches of light to a shadowy bruise, to stitch a crack with a little thread of joy." 

There is a minor trigger warning for rape in this book.

Thank you to InkSlinger PR & Samantha Young for providing a copy for an honest review.

Book Review: Aquicorn Cove by Katie O'Neill

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gorgeously illustrated.

This book is about a girl - Lana who recently lost her mother. The story started with she and her father arrived at their previous hometown to help her Aunt Mae clean up a mess due to the storm that hit the village. Throughout the story, we can see that Lana is coping with her sadness of losing her mother. One day she found one sick baby creature “aquicorn” and tried to help it. Little did she know that this creature came from the magical kingdom in the sea.

The illustrations are really gorgeous and mesmerizing! I really like the message that the author bring - about the environment & our society nowadays. I give this book three stars in Goodreads and would like to recommend this book to environmental activist out there.

Book Review: The Fragile Ordinary by Samantha Young

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

The Fragile Ordinary is a coming of age YA Contemporary. If you know me, you know Samantha Young is one of my favorite author. Thus, I'm not surprised I enjoyed reading this so much. The novel is narrated by a girl name Comet Caldwell (1st person POV), who is a very shy and socially awkward. A girl who prefer to be stuck in books rather than socializing with people around her. The 2nd main character is Tobias King, the new mysterious boy in town who go to the same school as Comet.

The thing I loved the most about this novel is the character development especially on Comet's. It was so well built. At the end of the day, it's about finding your true-self, accepting all the flaws & quirks, and to see the good things layer by layer, not only on the outside. Comet learnt that sometimes we can't change the situation, but we can only accept and see the good things in it.

The relationship between Comet & Tobias is freaking sweet - they started as a best friend before they become lovers, which I really like as I have a thing for best friend to lover romance. Best friend to lover is everything, urgh.

If you read most of Samantha Young novel, you know she will give that unexpected plot twist. This was what I'm looking for while reading The Fragile Ordinary, and wow that twist is so unexpected I cried. I cried for Tobias, I cried for Comet. I'm so sad by it as I really thought that there is still hope, but nope. It just crushed my heart.

Minus one star for the weird slang / spelling from Stevie and his crew. It's hard for me get into and I feel that it's unnecessary.

Thank you to Harlequin Teen, InkSlinger PR & Samantha Young for providing a copy for an honest review.