Review: Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Slammed (Slammed, #1) by Colleen Hoover

Book: Slammed (Slammed, #1) by Colleen Hoover

Published: January 5th 2012 by Colleen Hoover

My rating: 5 (big bright shiny stars)/5 Stars

Genre: New Adult 

Goodreads Summary:

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart."

My thoughts:

This is the second Bout of Books read-a-thon book I have completed :)

When I first heard of this book, it was in a booktube review. I cannot remember who it was, or what they said exactly but I remember thinking I had to read this book. Since then, about a month ago, this book has been on my TBR list. Every time I went to pick out a new book, and I read the goodreads synopsis on this one. Every time I thought, "Eh, I'll read it next week."

I'm not really sure what it is about this synopsis, but I just assumed it would be another insta-love gone wrong book. I was trying to think of all kind of "shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt." I think I had probably come up with a million scary different things that all ended in this being a silly overrated book. I will be the fist to admit it guys, I WAS WRONG. So terribly, incredibly wrong. 

This book is amazing. There is nothing silly or overrated about it. This book tells the story of a love, that even though it seemed like insta-love at first really is not.(Even if it was insta-love, the reader would know exactly what they were getting themselves into with the synopsis. It clearly states "Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection" You have been warned). Will and Layken go out on a date and have a wonderful time, they come home and they are both so happy. Then shortly after, they are forced to end their relationship. Just in this short section of the book, you will laugh, cry, and everything in between. This book brought out emotions I have not felt in a long time due to reading. It was incredibly refreshing.

Things I enjoyed about this book:

- It was a genuinely good book. Not the cheesy, cute but fluffy book that we all enjoy or the super intense type of book that we all love, but a real honest book that reminds us that life happens. It does not stop for us, it keeps moving every day, and to appreciate what we have. If you have read this book, you should recognize these themes, they are clearly stated in the book. It was such a nice change to read a book that was not some crazy paranormal or unrealistic book. It just showed an honest relationship. And not just a romantic relationship  it show a relationship between mother and daughter, siblings, friendship, and so much more. 

-In this book, the character's went to poetry slams. This exposed me to something new that I have not done but would really like to. It was also something I have not read about before. It was cool to read this book and feel like I was experiencing something completely new.

-I didn't see any of this happening. There is so much more to this book, than just a relationship  And I could never have predicted any of it. Everything that happened was unexpected, but not in a "The author did that to trick me" kind of way, but more in a "life happens" kind of way. 

Things I didn't like about this book:

-That I didn't read it sooner. Seriously guys, thats the only bad thing I've got and its my fault, no one elses. It was that good pure genius. 

Overall: Colleen Hoover did a wonderful job with this book, it is a new all time favorite. If anyone ever asks me to recommend a book, this will be it. Hands down, no questions asked. I love this book. If you have not read it yet, drop what your doing, put you other books aside, and read this. NOW. Kay, thanks :)

Review: Wait for You by J. Lynn

Wait for You (Wait for You, #1) by J. Lynn AKA Jennifer L. Armentrout

Book: Wait for You (Wait for You, #1) by J. Lynn

Published: February 26th 2013 by J. Lynn

My rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: New Adult 

*this book does contain mature, adult content

Goodreads Summary:

"Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…"

This is the first book I have read in the Bout of Books Read-A-Thon :)

I LOVED this book! (I'm pretty sure I say that exact phrase in just about every review I do haha, sorry guys). But for real, this book was great. It's possibly one of my new favorites. This is the first JLA book I have read, and if all of her books are this good (and I have heard they are) it will most certainly not be the last! 

After reading Fallen Too Far (Here's my review) and Never Too Far (I have not done a review for this one yet, but I'll get around to it soon hopefully!) by Abbi Glines I was in a serious funk. I'm not really sure why but I took about a week off from reading. I don't know if it was the books or just the fact that I have been reading constantly for a month straight after not reading consistently for about a year, but I needed a break. I think I started reading 3 or 4 different books and just couldn't decide what to read. Finally, I picked this book up and told myself I wasn't allowed to stop. And I didn't. Two nights in a row I was up until 4:30 AM reading. Not smart considering its my finals week, but that's beside the point. This book brought me out of my funk, just in time for the Bout of Books Read-A-Thon! Thank goodness :)

Reasons I enjoyed this book:

-This book had everything, literally guys.. ALL THE FEELS. I would be laughing one moment, crying the next, and then in love 5 seconds later. This book discussed some rough topics, but it had some light and funny moments too. I really felt like I could get into it and desperately wanted to know what would happen next!

-College. I really loved that the characters in this book were in college. I felt like I could relate to them better than I have to some books in the past. This just all felt like a realistic relationship to me, not something that was created overnight but a good relationship that was built over time. 

-Real issues. I know I mentioned this already, but it is a big reason why I enjoyed this book so much. These characters have been through some serious crap, and they are struggling to form a relationship and work through their issues together. In many books, the characters are stupid and make their own problems, but Cam and Avery are working through their past and learning to not let it consume who they are all while trying to form a relationship. 

Things I did not enjoy about this book:

-The end, really felt like the end. I find that a lot of authors tend really paint a picture of the story making you feel like you are a part of the book, until the end. Once you get to the last few chapters, it is often more of the author telling you how the story ends, rather than feeling like you are living in it. The time chunks that are skipped get larger and soon enough you find that you missed out on a good 3 months of the story. I get that it may not be an important 3 months, but when this happens I feel like I have been pushed out of the book and really am just reading about what happens. I dont know if that makes any since to you guys, but in my head thats how it works. That is how I felt toward the end of this book. It may have been just me, but weather it was my subconscious preparing me for the end of the book, or something everyone else feels too, I was a little disappointed when I was done. 

Overall: EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK. I loved it :) I would give this book a good 5 stars! I can't wait for the second book!

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

*UPDATED* Bout of Books 7.0 Read-A-Thon

Hey guys! I am participating in the Bout of Books Read-A-Thon :) I could not be more excited!! I won't be able to read the whole time, I have to work and finish up my finals. But I am planning on using this to destress after my last final on Tuesday.

For those of you who do not know bout the Bout of Books readathon, It is a week long read a thon that is about to start! (literally in 3 minuets). It is a week long and starts at midnight May 13! You can clink HERE for more information!

I do not have any goals yet, because I want to get this posted quick!! I will update this post soon with my official goals :)

Happy reading :)

*UPDATED GOALS LIST*
Time I plan to devote to reading: Since I will be working and finishing up my finals, it will vary each day.  Overall, I want to read a minimum of 3 or 4 hours a day.

My goals: 
-Read at least 4 books. I usually knock out 2 a week. I am a bit of a slow reader and tend to get distracted easily. On top of that I will be working somet this week also, so I can't get too in over my head!
-Comment on 5 blogs participating each day
-Read at least 3 hours each day
-Update daily on sidebar
-Post a review for each book I finish
-Update twitter as often as I want :) (At least a few times a day)

Just in case you aren't following me on twitter and want to!
Follow @NalasBookCorner

Books I plan to Choose from: 
-Wait for You by J. Lynn (finish)
-Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 
-The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot
-Crash by Nicole Williams 
-Slammed by Colleen Hoover
-On the Island by Tracey Gravis-Graves
-Captive in the Dark by CJ Roberts 
-Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
-Swoon by Nina Malkin

I know I will not finish all of these books, but there is no way I can determine what I will read when the time comes to pick a new book. It really just depends on my mood at the time. So this is the list I will (try my hardest) to choose my books from! I will update daily and keep you guys posted on how my read-a-thon is going :) 

Please feel free to comment and update me on your read-a-thon as well :)