The 2015 Catch Up - Part Two!

Last week I blogged about some of the books I'd read in 2015 and not yet reviewed.  Today I'm back for more of the same!  It's certainly taught me a lesson about keeping on top of reviews, that's for sure...

Backlash - Sarah Darer Littman

 

 

I read this book in one sitting on a plane journey and was immediately thrown into the worlds of the two pairs of siblings who told the story.  Lara and Syd and their neighbours Liam and Bree have  friends for most of their lives.  Even their parents are friends.  But when Lara starts messaging Christian, a gorgeous boy from a school a few towns away, everything spirals out of control.  At first she's flattered by the attention, but when Christian suddenly turns on her, telling her the world would be a better place without Lara in it, everything changes. This story explores how the behaviour of one family member can impact on others, the power of peer pressure and reminds the reader of the importance of being vigilant online.

This book had an immersive writing style which had me hooked from the off, and although I bought this on a whim, I'm so glad I did.  The four voices gave an insight into the story as a whole which took Backlash to another level, making me as a reader feel almost voyeuristic. 

A gripping YA read.

Favourite character - Liam

Goodbye Stranger - Rebecca Stead

 

 

 

Goodbye Stranger wasn't a book I'd heard of until YA author Keris Stainton posted a photo of its cover in her favourite books of 2015 photo on instagram.

 

I bought this book blindly, on that recommendation alone, and in doing so stumbled on a book which is difficult to categorise.  It's contemporary, set in New York and has multiple narrators - Bridge, who's life has been impacted by an accident, Sherm who's experiencing feelings of love for the first time and a mysterious high school student struggling with Valentine's Day.  Beyond that it's a lot about feeling and emotion, finding yourself and being who you were born to be.

 

Whilst I did enjoy Goodbye Stranger and thought it tackled relevant subjects such as sexting, divorce and identity, I'm unsure who the target readership is.  In fact, I noticed it was shelved in both MG and YA when I was in America (personally, I think some of the themes are too mature for many MG readers). 

 

It's a well written book, but it lacked something for me - I think I'd have preferred the story to have been told through the voices of Bridge and her immediate friendship group rather than the chosen narrators. 

 

Favourite character - Bridge



 

I'm going to have to do at least one more of these posts before I get back to normal reviews and start on my 2016 books - this is definitely the down side of going on holiday!!!

Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin

The Blurb

San Francisco, 1976. A naïve young secretary, fresh out of Cleveland, tumbles headlong into a brave new world of laundromat Lotharios, pot-growing landladies, cut throat debutantes, and Jockey Shorts dance contests. The saga that ensues is manic, romantic, tawdry, touching, and outrageous - unmistakably the handiwork of Armistead Maupin.

The Review

A few months ago I put out a request for books set in San Francisco, and one book (or series of books) got mentioned over and over again.  Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City had somehow passed me by - I'm really not sure how.  But as soon as I started reading this first instalment, I knew I was going to be hooked.

The 'tales' belong to a wide and diverse cast.  Mary Ann is new to San Francisco, moving into lodgings at 28 Barbary Lane.  She's quiet and uncontroversial, very different to the other tennants living in the house.  Mona seems unsure of what she wants from life and relies on sedatives to get through the day, Michael is gay, skint and looking for a good man (I loved him, especially in the scene with the jockey shorts in the bar), Brian sleeps with any woman he can find and landlady Anna Madrigal grows marijuana in the garden... plus there's an array of supporting characters each with their own secrets.  Their lives are carefully and cleverly interwoven to create one world from what is essentially a series of short stories.

I liked how the scenes were snappy - most just a few pages long - and there was a lot of dialogue which added to the already fast pace.  The dry humour and cutting remarks reminded me of a soap opera and have retained relevance 37 years after they were first written.  Maupin lived in the San Francisco he was writing about and it shows, there's a realism in even the most outlandish of situations and that made me care about the characters and their plight.

This book is older than I am, and I imagine it was shocking when originally published (and probably still would be now to some readers!)  Race, sexuality, drugs and infidelity are key to the plot and talked about openly, nothing is off limits.  It was refreshing to read a book where every character is going through their own problems yet isn't overwhelmingly depressing.  Somehow there's an uplifting air to Tales of the City despite the unfulfilled lives of the majority of the cast and to me that's conveyed through the genuinely touching where the characters reach out to each other.

The only negatives for me were that it took a while to get my head around so many different stories and I had to google some of the seventies American references to fully understand the story.  But despite that I found myself so drawn to this wonderful world that I went straight onto the next book in the series.  I need to know what happens next! 

I've not read anything quite like this before.  And I loved it.

Tales of the City is out now, published by Transworld.

Della says OMG! - Keris Stainton

The Blurb

Della's over the moon when she kisses her long-standing crush at a party - but then she discovers her diary has disappeared...

When scans of embarrassing pages are sent to her mobile and appear on Facebook, Della's distraught - how can she enjoy her first proper romance when someone, somewhere, knows all her deepest, darkest secrets?

The Review

I'm a bit late to the Keris Stainton love-in, but I'm making up for a slow start by binge-reading all her books now! 

Della says OMG! was Keris' debut novel and was first released in 2010, and that does show in some of the pop culture references (although as a McFly fan, I don't know how ANYONE could think having It's All About You as a ringtone would be embarrassing!).  I loved the plot - as a diarist during my teen years I'd have been mortified at the thought of someone taking my diary - and with the continual rise in the use of (and bullying over) social media, the themes are powerful and believable. 

Della's relationship with her friend Maddy and love-interest Dan were the highlights of this book for me, and Stainton conveys the intense emotions of teen relationships perfectly and the sexual energy as Della and Dan's relationship progresses was both highly charged and realistic for the target audience. 

I devoured this book and although I preferred Keris Stainton's latest YA release Counting Stars, Della says OMG! is a young adult novel with plenty of oomph.  It's got romance, mystery and a wonderful cast of characters (Della's parents - fabulous!) and I can see why this book is still gaining new readers almost six years after first hitting the shelves.

I'd love to know what happened next for these characters, especially the likeable Della!

Della says OMG! is out now, published by Orchard Books.

Remix - Non Pratt

The Blurb

From the author of Trouble comes a new novel about boys, bands and best mates.

Kaz is still reeling from being dumped by the love of her life... Ruby is bored of hearing about it. Time to change the record.

Three days. Two best mates. One music festival. Zero chance of everything working out.

The Review

I haven't read Non Pratt's Trouble (yet!) so Remix is my first experience of her writing.  And I have to say I was really impressed. 

Best friends Ruby and Kaz are dual narrators (with short alternating viewpoints throughout the book) and this was the perfect way to tell the story of their weekend at Remix music festival where they're desperate to see favourite band Gold'ntone play live.  This book wouldn't have worked as well in any other format, because the strongest aspect of the story is how relatable the main characters are.  That's not to say I always liked Kaz and Ruby, and there were moments I wanted to scream at them for the choices they were making, but seeing how and why they behaved as they did really made me empathise with both of them. 

However Lauren, the new girlfriend of Kaz's ex Tom - she creeped me out!  I'm not sure if that was the author's aim, but I found it very cringey and uncomfortable how both Tom and Lauren seemed to think it was perfectly normal to force her into Kaz's friendship group.  Not cool.

I admit to finding the first forty or fifty pages of this one fairly slow going, but once the action started this book was like a runaway train and I was waiting for explosive crash.  Non Pratt touches on so many topics that are relevant to young adults (and adults) - friendship, relationships, being part of a family, sex, drugs, hero worship...and in many ways this is a coming of age story set over a weekend. 

The festival setting gave a lively and vibrant backdrop to the action and made a plausible and surprisingly rarely-used setting for a YA book (I think I read a Melvin Burgess set at a festival a few years back, but no others spring to mind). It certainly allows the characters to break free from the constraints of everyday life, which is exactly what happens to both Kaz and Ruby. 

Overall, I enjoyed Remix and have already bought Trouble - I can see why Non Pratt is being so widely praised for both her writing and her content.  Above all it's a story of friendship and trust, and those themes will never go out of fashion.

Remix is out now, published by Walker.

Lorraine Wilson talking about her new novel 'The Art of Seduction' - plus giveaway!

Welcome back, Lorraine Wilson!  Lorraine's new release The Art of Seduction is out today and she's popped in to talk about how her own experiences influenced the story...

 

 

 

Recently I was lucky enough to meet Marian Keyes at the Cheltenham Literary Festival after attending her talk. She's always been one of my favourite authors so I was thrilled to discover how lovely she is in person. She was charming, funny and inspiring. She made everyone feel she'd love nothing more than to sit down and have a cup of tea and a chat with them. One of the things she said that struck me was how lucky she'd been to have so many disasters and suffer depression because it gave her lots to bring to her stories! 

 

That made me think about what I've brought to The Art of Seduction, my latest novel.  Despite the title (a play on words because the hero is an artist) it's not so much a story about sex as about connection. Both Laura and Jack had an expat childhood but reacted to it in different ways. Jack refuses to become too attached to anything or anyone because he knows how transient life can be. Laura on the other hand longs to settle down, to have a proper home and to belong somewhere.

What they both really need is to be brave enough to forge a connection and let go of beliefs that are holding them back. For them, sex is a doorway to experiencing a connection worth changing for. For Laura, sex with Jack is especially empowering.

I had an expat childhood myself so writing about home, identity and belonging was especially poignant. Also, somewhat ironically, I was once approached in the National Gallery by an artist who wanted to paint me. I declined as I was in a relationship and suspected he wanted to do more than just paint me but I was very flattered. 

Some of the story comes entirely from imagination though. I'll leave you to decide which bits those are ;-)

The Art of Seduction (publication date 15th October, 2015) available here: hyperurl.co/artofseduction

Laura Baker has a plan. She's going to make Jack McClaren, bad boy of the art world, face up to his responsibilities. Jack has a plan, to track down his elusive creative spark. When Laura ambushes him he's found it. Now to light the fuse, sit back and enjoy the fireworks...

"If you love a sexy, sizzling book that packs an emotional punch, you've just found your perfect next read. Five sparkly stars from me." Kitty French, USA Today Bestselling Author.

LAURA:

'I live in London and work in a florists, though I do a bit of waitressing in the evenings as well, to make some extra money. With the mess my sister Sophie has got into we're going to need every penny and it's not like I can rely on Mum or Dad to help out.

It was through the waitressing temp job I finally found a way to turn things around, to make things right for my little sister. Going through the proper channels got me nowhere so I had to get...creative. The laws of right and wrong apply to everyone, or at least they should do. I admit Jack McClaren is super hot, after all I'm not blind, but he stands for all the things I despise - he's feckless and irresponsible and it's time someone made him pay. That someone is going to be me.'

JACK:

'I should be in a great place right now, commissions have made me rich and critics have named me as one of the greatest portrait painters of the twenty first century. Apparently I'm the 'bad boy of the art-world', or so my publicist would have you believe. But I've got a problem, my creative spark is ominously absent, it's been AWOL for a while. I'm busy procrastinating when Laura rockets into my life, bringing the elusive spark of inspiration with her. Sounds good, yes? Right up to the point when she opens her mouth and what she says...well, let's just say her accusation leaves me reeling. It's not long though before I realise I can turn the situation to my advantage. Seduction is an art and I've been told I'm a skilled artist in more ways than one. I'm all for taking opportunities to perfect my art. With Laura my plan is simple - light the fuse and then sit back and enjoy the fireworks.'

'The Art of Seduction' is a new novel to set your pulse racing from Lorraine Wilson, author of the bestselling Chalet Girl stories. It's the perfect next read if you love Christina Lauren's 'Beautiful' series or Alice Clayton's 'Cocktail' series. 

And what's more- Lorraine's got a little something extra for you!

To celebrate publication of The Art of Seduction there's a mega-giveaway:

First prize: a Lorraine Wilson Design La Boutique shoulder bag worth £34.99, a set of Chalet Girl paperbacks, a tote bag, two brand new Clinique lipsticks, Clinique Take off the day make-up remover, Clinique samples, a Lorraine Wilson Design felt heart hanging decoration and an ebook copy of The Art of Seduction.

 

Two runner up prizes of: a paperback copy of Confessions of a Chalet Girl, a book bag, a Lorraine Wilson Design felt heart hanging decoration and an ebook copy of The Art of Seduction.

 

You can enter here: 

http://bit.ly/1PaKvQV

Good luck :-)

The Guestbook - Holly Martin

 

The Blurb
Welcome to Willow Cottage – throw open the shutters, let in the sea breeze and make yourself completely at home. Oh, and please do leave a comment in the Guestbook!

As landlady of Willow Cottage, the young widow Annie Butterworth is always on hand with tea, sympathy or strong Norfolk cider - whatever her colourful array of guests require. A flick through the messages in the leather-bound cottage guestbook gives a tantalizing glimpse into the lives of everyone who passes through her doors.

This includes Annie herself - especially now celebrity crime writer Oliver Black, is back in town. He might grace the covers of gossip magazines with a different glamorous supermodel draped on his arm every week, but to Annie, he’s always just been Olly, the man who Annie shared her first kiss with.

Through the pages of the Guestbook Annie and Olly, along with all the guests that arrive at the seaside retreat, struggle with love, loss, mystery, joy, happiness, guilt…and the odd spot of naked rambling!

Forget sending postcards saying wish you were here - one visit to Willow Cottage and you’ll wish you could stay forever.

The Review

I love it when an author looks for a new, unique way to tell a story and in The Guestbook Holly Martin has done just that.  I imagine it was a challenge to develop a plot in the way Holly has here (through a series of entries in the guest book for Annie Butterworth's holiday cottage) but it works incredibly well, giving the reader the opportunity to see the story from multiple viewpoints. Each character has an entertaining voice and the humour I've come to expect from this author is generously sprinkled throughout the book.

However, although there are moments I laughed out loud, it's not all plain sailing for protagonist Annie.  Since her husband Nick died she's thrown herself into running Willow Cottage as a holiday retreat.  She's given her heart and soul yet for some people that will never be enough.  There's also the added complication of the return of Olly, Annie's old flame...

Through the pages of the guest book, which is more like a diary of notes between Annie, Olly, Sophia (who cleans the cottage) and the guests, we are introduced to an array of colourful characters and are able to watch the relationship between Annie and Olly develop.  The plot naturally shifts with each change in characters, but that kept me interested - the mini subplots kept my interest up, and that along with the chatty writing style made this a very readable book.

The only problem for me was the cliffhanger ending - you can't leave it like that, especially when there's no follow up/sequel!  I'm hoping the author will share what happened next because I'm desperate to know!

This was a fun, fresh read which might appeal to fans of humorous women's fiction.

The Guestbook is out now, published by Carina.

With thanks to the publisher who provided me with a galley copy of this book in return for my honest review.

Counting Stars- Keris Stainton HOT KEY BOOKS WEEK

The Blurb

A new life in a new city - would could possibly go wrong . . . ?

When eighteen-year-old Anna leaves school and moves to Liverpool, she feels like her life is finally beginning. She's landed her dream job at a theatre, and she's moving into an exciting (if not slightly run-down) houseshare on a buzzing street lined with shops, bars, and buskers. Best of all, her new flatmates are kind, welcoming and a lot of fun - what more could she ask for?

But her new life is also a little overwhelming. Anna's job quickly falls through, and then she realises that although her new friends are great, they're also a little mixed-up... and it's not long before Anna starts using her blog to talk about her experiences, from the hilarious to the ridiculous to the little-bit-scary. But when Anna spills a bigger secret than she can handle, suddenly the consequences are all too real. She'll have to prove she has the mettle to make it in the big city, or risk losing everything she thinks she wants.

The Review

I can't get enough of books about tight-knit friendship groups at the moment and newfound friendship is the basis for Counting Stars.  Anna excitedly leaves home to start afresh in Liverpool, and quickly settles into life in a shared house in the city centre.  Her housemates are her new best friends and she's open and honest with them about so many things- the fact the job she moved to Liverpool for has fallen through, that she's not used to drinking, that she's a virgin... but she doesn't mention her online alterego as vlogger Anna Sparks. As time goes on it seems harder to share this secret, but Anna can't stop vlogging, it's s deeply ingrained in her life. 

I thought the characters in this one were brilliant; all likable and believable for their age group.  Sean, who's hung up on a boy called Charlie who doesn't know he exists. Alfie, the sensible and sensitive one who knows he doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps as a moneygrabbing businessman.  Molly, who's unreliable and flighty and lives in the moment without fear for the consequences. And finally Nina, who's dropped out of performing arts college and is chambermaiding at a hotel, although her and bootycall Jack find themselves on the job rather than doing their job pretty regularly.  Each bring something different to the book and they all have their own storylines and subplots, which I felt added depth to the book. 

There was always something happening which ensured there was never a dull moment, and as soon as one situation was resolved another challenge was laid down for the characters to overcome.  This did mean some parts felt a little bit hurried and I'd have gladly found out even more about the characters and their life and had a book double the length!  I was talking to my friend Laura at Blabbering About Books who said she'd have loved this to be a series, and I can understand what she means as it's so moreish and there's so much contained in the plot and subplots.  Ultimately, I think we both just longed for more!

This book took me back to the heady days soon after leaving home where freedom is both liberating and downright scary.  It's a challenging time and Counting Stars portrays that perfectly.  I can't say how much I loved it and I'm so glad I got my copy signed at YALC (you can read about that, and my meeting Keris here) as it's a definite 'keeper' for me.

Keris Stainton has come up trumps again!

Counting Stars is out today, published by Hot Key Books.

One Night in Edinburgh- Charlotte Howard

The Blurb

Chloe Shard has travelled to Edinburgh to meet up with a potential client, and has just twenty-four hours to convince them to sign her contract. But when she meets the delicious Ethan, he proves to be so much more than an enticing distraction. It’s not long before Chloe has some life changing decisions to make, and less than a day to make them.

The Review

It's been quite a while since I've read an erotic/hot romance, and when I heard about the City Nights series through author Lisa Fox (whose One Night in New York is out this month) I was keen to find out more.

I decided to start with the places I've visited or hope to visit, and I liked the sound of the Edinburgh story so thought it would be a good way to test out the series. 

It begins with business woman Chloe heading to Edinburgh to try and strike a lucrative deal, but when she meets Ethan she finds she's not focussing on her job, she's focussing on him.  But when she realises she's lost her box of sample products, she thinks she's blown her chance of the pitch anyway...

I enjoyed the story in this one, although the ending was very much in the realms of fiction rather than reality.  But then that's one of the reasons I read, to escape everyday life, so it didn't bother me too much.  I did wish there had been more made of Edinburgh itself though, the location didn't play that big part in the story and it could have been based anywhere.

There's sex in this one pretty much from the off, but then I expected that because of the novella length and the intention of the series.  That taxi scene- it's pretty hot stuff!  I've read my fair share of hot romance/erotic fiction over the years, and this was well written compared to much of what's on the market. 

If you like this genre, give it a whirl.  It's encouraged me to read some of the other titles in the series- next stop, San Francisco!

One Night in Edinburgh is out now, published by Tirgearr.

Crazy, Undercover, Love- Nikki Moore

The Blurb

*Shortlisted for the Joan Hessayon Award for New Writers 2015*

Uber-feisty career girl Charley Caswell-Wright travels to Barcelona for a weekend assignment as PA to the gorgeous Alex Demetrio, CEO of Demetrio International.

But she's there under entirely false pretenses: to get her life back on track. Having lost the job she worked so hard to earn, she’s determined not to give it up so easily, especially when she didn’t deserve to lose it in the first place.

Mr Dreamy CEO is her only chance of clawing back her career – and her reputation. So she has to keep things strictly professional… boy, is she in trouble!

The Review

I've had this book on my kindle for the best part of eighteen months, but for some reason I hadn't got around to reading it.  However, having read the five novellas in Nikki Moore's Love London series and waiting for the release of the final full-length instalment Picnics in Hyde Park (which came out yesterday- yay!) I decided it was time to read Crazy, Undercover, Love.

Charley, who has lost everything following her dismissal from the job she loved, is determined to clear her name. She's worked too hard for too long to allow her reputation to be tarnished by false allegations.  In an attempt to prove her innocence, Charley blags her way into a temporary PA role for CEO Alex Demetrio.  However, she didn't bargain on there being a magnetic attraction...

What I really loved about this book was Charley's strong-willed, feminist attitude- more heroines like this please!  It totally challenged the myth that women in romance novels are all reliant on men (that stereotype comes from outside the romance reading/writing community, but it's very definitely still there) and I found her commitment and drive inspirational. 

Alex was the alpha male- successful, handsome, on a bit of a power trip.  That doesn't always work for me, but I actually found myself drawn to him.  He was a bit of an enigma, and I liked that.  By the time I reached the end of the book it was easier to understand why he behaved the way he did, and although I'd correctly predicted the conclusion pretty early on I still felt satisfied by the ending of Charley and Alex's story.  It had a strong, unique plot which had me glued to my kindle and just the right amount of romance/sex alongside the more serious storyline of Charley's dismissal.

I liked how the story had flashbacks to the situation that left Charley in her predicament and felt that for a debut novelist Nikki Moore handled these exceptionally well.  The writing style was highly readable and I was surprised by how soon I seemed to reach the end of the book!

Crazy, Undercover, Love is a meaty romance with a strong plot, which may appeal to fans of Christina Lauren.

Crazy, Undercover, Love is out now, published by Harper Impulse.

With thanks to the publisher who provided me with a copy of this book in return for an honest, unbiased review.

I read this book as part of the #HIReadathon 2015.

Stable Mates- Zara Stoneley

The Blurb

'A great treat for readers who love their books jam-packed with sexy men and horses.' Bestselling author Fiona Walker

Welcome to tranquil Tippermere, an idyllic village nestled deep in the Cheshire countryside. Home to lords and ladies, horsemen and farmers, and plenty of secrets and scandals…

Leaving a scumbag ex behind her, Lottie Brinkley has hotfooted it out of Spain and back home to the country in serious need of some flirtatious fun to soothe her aching heart.

Luckily for her she’s spoilt for choice with not one but three eligible bachelors offering a steamy romp in the hay! But faced with the attentions of roguish eventer Rory Steel, the smiling Irish eyes of hunky farrier Mick O’Neal, and mysterious newcomer Tom Strachan, how can she possibly choose?

When billionaire landowner Marcus James drops dead unexpectedly, his WAGish wife Amanda threatens to sell the heart of the village and sets her sights on Tom! It seems things are heating up for little Tippermere… both in and out of the saddle.

‘Fans of Fiona Walker will love this book’ – ThatThingSheReads

The Review

When I first started reading this I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it.  That's nothing to do with Zara Stoneley's writing, which was entertaining from the off.  It's more that I'm not in the least bit interested in horses.  I can appreciate their beauty, but I've never been a rider.  When the other girls at school were begging for ponies, I begged for books. And I was slightly concerned that Stable Mates would have too strong a focus on riding for me to be able to enjoy it.

However, I needn't have worried. Although there are plenty of horsey scenes, you don't need equestrian knowledge to follow the plot, which focuses around life in the fictional village of Tippermere.  The large cast of characters are caricatures of country life- the old-money landowners, the wannabe WAGs, the 'outsider' who everyone has their suspicions about...and they're all a bit randy.  It's like Emmerdale, but with more money.

For the first half of the book I was a bit confused about everyone's role.  Reading it on kindle didn't help, because there was a character list at the front which I could have flicked back to if I had it in paperback format.  Plus everyone seemed to have a nickname as well as their given name, which took a bit of remembering!  However, once I stopped being hung up on who everyone was and just let myself become immersed in the mayhem, I enjoyed it much more.

I also felt the plot really developed as the book went on.  At first it seemed to be out and out sex, but then there's the rumours about why model Tom has suddenly appeared in the village and it had me wanting to know more.  There was also more romance as the story wore on which always wins me over.  The final scenes of the book were my favourite, there were revelations, celebrations and titillation!  I'd love to see this as a TV series, there's plenty of humour and drama that would lend itself to being adapted for television.

I can absolutely see why this has drawn comparisons to Jilly Cooper and Fiona Walker. Stable Mates is a fun romp for anyone who enjoys their fiction with a side order of quickies in the haybales!

Stable Mates is out now, published by Harper Impulse.

I read this book as part of the #HIReadathon 2015.  To find out more, follow the hashtag.

One Kiss- Lisa Fox

The Blurb

Sometimes one kiss can change everything.

New Year's Eve is supposed to be a night for celebration and new beginnings. For best friends Kat and Dean, it is a nightmare filled with disastrous dates and enraged ex-girlfriends!

Lucky for them, they've got each other to help laugh off the embarrassing, and downright inappropriate, moments. But then midnight rolls around and neither of them have anyone to kiss…

There's no doubt this is a night they will always remember.

The real question is whether it will be a night they want to forget…

The Review

I'm loving novellas at the moment.  I'm not sure if it's because my son's off school for the summer and we're out and about on trips/visiting friends etc and it's hard to find time to read for extended periods, but they're definitely suiting my lifestyle.  I've always preferred to lose myself completely in a book and read it in as few sittings as possible, so when time is limited these shorter reads still hit the spot.

One Kiss is the classic story of two friends taking the step towards coupledom.  Kat, the sassy heroine, is reluctant to get involved- she doesn't want to get hurt again so romance is the last thing on her mind- and Dean is fresh out of a relationship with a glamorous French model.  It probably isn't a good idea, but as New Year's Eve becomes New Years Day Kat and Dean don't want to be the only people on the planet with no one to kiss, their friendship takes a turn into something more serious. 

I tend to like stories of friendship blossoming into something more- it's cute when a couple have history!  Plus Dean was such a sweet character- if he was my friend, I wouldn't be standing by letting other women get with him!  Both his actions and words had my heart skipping a beat.

However, as well as being a sweet romantic will they/won't they, there were some hot scenes in there!  I remember liking the balance between sweet and sexy in Lisa Fox's A Kiss in the Dark and this was in a very similar vein- although if anything, I enjoyed this one more.

One Kiss had me hooked- a perfect way to spend a couple of hours.  This sharp, pacey novella was a joy to read.  

One Kiss is out now, published by Harper Impulse.

With thanks to the publisher who provided me with a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

I read this book as part of the #HIReadathon- follow the hashtag to get involved!

Meet Me at the Honeymoon Suite- Charlotte Phillips

The Blurb

Happy ever after…?

Fascinated by weddings since her mother was jilted at the altar when she was seven years old, Amy Woods is a brilliantly efficient wedding organizer, thanks to her ability to see past all the emotion and magic of ‘the big day’. Now, after years of being the assistant, she’s landed her dream job as Wedding and Events Manager at exclusive boutique hotel The Lavington. All she needs to do is pull off her first wedding weekend without a hitch…

Unfortunately the groom turns out to be her own marriage-phobic ex-boyfriend, proving yet again that Amy is good enough to be the warm up act but never the real deal. Then she breaks all her own rules and sleeps with the delicious but definitely off limits best man! To pull off the perfect weekend now, she will need to be her most clear-headed and emotionless. But as she gets to know best man Owen outside the bedroom, keeping herself focussed on the task isn’t so easy anymore.

The Review

When you've loved a series it's always hard to say goodbye, and that's just how I feel about the Do Not Disturb series.  I've read all five novellas (and reviewed all except the first book here on Books with Bunny), and feel like I know the staff and guests of The Lavington boutique hotel inside out!

Meet Me at the Honeymoon Suite introduces Amy, the Wedding and Events Manager (who's new to the role and on probation, but ssshhhhh- let the clients believe she's experienced).  Determined to prove her worth and get confirmed in post, she needs everything to be perfect at this wedding.  The only problem is, the groom is her ex-boyfriend Luke Pemberton...

However, it turns out Amy should be more worried about Luke's charming, attractive best man Owen than her ex.  It's just a shame that both Owen and Amy are such workaholics, because despite the undeniable fireworks sparking between them and the pair ending up in bed together, it seems there's no chance of a future for the couple.

In keeping with the rest of the series, this finale is a great contemporary romance.  I enjoyed the wedding setting (I want the brides flowers- they sound absolutely divine- as do the champagne cocktails!) and the tension between the couple radiated off the page.  It sizzles!  I absolutely believed in Amy and Owen's relationship and the potential problems their 'all work and no play' attitude could have on it- but I crossed my fingers and toes for it to work out between them in the end.  This is romantic fiction, after all...

I'd highly recommend the whole series and I'm hoping there's more to come from Charlotte Phillips, and soon.  After saving these last two books to read for weeks, I read them both in a few hours- oops!  I really do need to learn to pace myself...but it's hard when you're enjoying something so much.

I'm going to miss the hotel itself too.  My trips to The Lavington are as luxurious as I'm getting at the moment and it's nice to be surrounded by opulence, celebrity and beautiful surroundings- even if it is only through fiction!

These books are perfect holiday reading- give them a whirl and let them whisk you away on a wave of humour, romance and most of all fun.

Meet Me at the Honeymoon Suite is out now, published by Harper Impulse.

With thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my unbiased opinion.

I read this book as part of #HIReadathon- follow the hashtag on twitter or search for it on facebook to find out more about how you can get involved.

Forever- Judy Blume

The cover I remember from my youth

 

When YA author Keris Stainton mentioned a Judy Blume readalong, I knew I'd be jumping onto that bandwagon.  I've been a fan of Judy's for over twenty five years, and it's been a while since I've reread her books.  I recently pledged to reread it when I was interviewed for Jaffa Reads Too.  You could say it was perfect timing!

Forever is one of those books people talk about.  It's a book about sex for starters, and that always gets tongues wagging.  And a YA book about sex, that was first published in 1975?  That's pretty groundbreaking by anyone's standards.

The plot is simple.  Girl (Katherine) meets boy (Michael).  They fall in love.  They have sex.  They promise each other forever.  Life changes.  Suddenly forever seems a very long time...

I remembered so much of the book as I reread it- Jamie embroidering mushrooms onto jeans, the fondue party, Sharon and Ike smoking weed, Katherine's grandma sending her 'the package'... and of course, Ralph.  It was all so clear in my mind. I could even remember certain phrases word for word.  I don't think I could do that with some of the books I read in the last few weeks, but Forever, which I read over and over as a teen- it's somehow engrained in my mind.

The first time I read it I was thirteen, and an inexperienced thirteen at that.  I hadn't been kissed, let alone anything else, although I did know people in my year at school and the year above who were having sex.  I don't remember being shocked by the content though, even then- especially as Katherine and Michael are seventeen.  There was definitely an element of titillation though, and a wonder as to whether the sex scenes were accurate.  Reading this book as an adult is completely different to reading it as a teenager.

Things that struck me as I reread Forever-



The cover of the copy I now own

-I don't like Michael. I never did as a teen particularly, either.  I always felt he pressured Katherine and guilt tripped her when she didn't want to be intimate.  I still felt like that reading it now, but it made me more cross as an adult than it ever did in my teen years that as her boyfriend he felt he had the right to pressure her in that way.

-The sentences are generally short and simple, and the reading age is a lot younger than the content.  It's accessible, and can be read very quickly.  There's a lot of dialogue, but never much conversation.

-The fringe characters are really interesting, in many ways far more appealing than the protagonists.  They deserve their own books, Sybil and Artie in particular. I'd love to know what happened in their lives.

-It's about so much more than sex.  There's drugs, and teen pregnancy, and bereavement, and mental health issues.  For a book that's 178 pages, that's a lot to cover. 

-Judy Blume is so straightforward and to the point!  She's honest.  She also manages to educate through aspects of her plot (e.g. birth control) without coming across as preachy.

Do I think Forever would appeal to young people today as much as it did ten, twenty, thirty or forty years ago?  Possibly not.  The YA spectrum is so much more diverse now than it ever was then, and when you compare Blume's simplistic writing style to that of some of today's best-sellers such as John Green- it's world's apart. 

But there's still a place for Judy Blume, both on YA bookshelves and in my heart, because she tells stories that leave an impact and stay with you long after closing the book. 

And that will never, ever go out of style.

With thanks to Pan Macmillan, who sent me a new copy of Forever when I was appealing for anyone who may have my original copy to come forward.  If you happen to have the Pan Horizons issue shown above, with 'Kate loves Howard' written in the front, I would love to swap it for a new edition!


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You're not too late to join in the Judy Blume readathon!  Find out more by visiting Keris Stainton's blog or following the hashtag #readalongralph.  The next book we're reading is Are You There God?  It's me, Margaret.

Judy Blume week is coming to Books with Bunny starting July 20th.

All I Know Now- Carrie Hope Fletcher

The Blurb

We all know that growing up is hard to do, and sometimes the only thing that makes it better are the reassuring words of someone who has walked that bumpy road just a few steps ahead of you and somehow ended up as a fully-functioning adult. Carrie Hope Fletcher is that person. Thanks to her phenomenally popular YouTube videos, Carrie has become an 'honorary big sister' to hundreds of thousands of young people who turn to her for advice, friendship and, most of all, the knowledge that things will get better.

Carrie has created a safe and positive space for young people to connect and share their hopes and concerns online, and now she will share her most personal thoughts and experiences in her first book, ALL I KNOW NOW. It includes Carrie's thoughts on some of the topics she's asked about most regularly: bullying, body image, relationships and perhaps the scariest question of all: what does the future hold for me? With warmth, wit and a sprinkling of hard-won wisdom, Carrie will provide the essential tools for growing up gracefully . . . most of the time.

The Review

I'm really not the target audience for this book.  I know I say that a lot, especially when it comes to YA fiction, but this is different.  This book is non-fiction, aimed almost exclusively at the teen market. 

I'm a married woman. 

I'm a mum. 

I have worked in the same field for seventeen years. 

Surely I should have figured life out a bit by now?!  That I purchased All I Know Now for myself proves that's not the case... 

I know I'm not alone in being an older reader of this book.  Yes, a lot of Carrie's fans (or 'Hopefuls') fall into the teen age bracket, but she's also won a host of older fans for her honest, open approach, her good nature and humour, and her positivity.  She's a vlogger with a difference- she doesn't talk exclusively about fashion, or make up, or books.  Instead, she uses her vlog, tumblr and twitter to connect with fans and answer their questions, sharing her own experiences and reinforcing that you need never think you have no one who cares.  I suppose in some ways she's an agony aunt or a wise older sister, someone who's got your back and has a waiting ear to listen to your problems.

All I Know Now is just like her vlog, but in book form.  It's chatty, and easy to read, and it's mostly a very positive and upbeat collection of stories that remind you you're stronger than you think.  Each chapter is a life lesson, something to mull over whilst candidly sharing Carrie's personal stories. 

This book is a perfect way for Carrie to impart what she's learnt.  She shares her own experiences of notable milestones and those difficult adolescent moments- bullying, peer pressure, sex, relationships, self confidence- and because it's written in Carrie's typically chatty style, it makes you feel like you're listening to a friend, giving you advice over a pot of tea and a slice of Victoria sponge, not just flicking pages in a book. 

I read this book when I had a lot on my mind, and Carrie's words were genuinely comforting to me.  They were a big, warm blanket which made me feel safe. Thank you for that, Ms Fletcher.

So, to wrap up this review, I want to say that whatever your age, whatever your outlook, whatever your dreams...you can learn from this book.  It encourages introspection and self awareness, and is a perfect way to help you reassess what is important to you.  Not to anyone else, YOU. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. 

Empower yourself.  Buy it.

All I Know Now is out now in ebook and paperback, published by Sphere.

Hero- Samantha Young BLOG TOUR

I am delighted that Books with Bunny is one of today's stops on the blog tour for Samantha Young's stunning new release Hero!

 

 

 

The Blurb

 

Author Samantha Young

Alexa Holland's father was her hero-until her shocking discovery. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets. But when she meets a man who's as damaged by her father's mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.

 

Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa's efforts at redemption, but it's not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and all-consuming affair.

Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for, and when they're on the precipice of danger, he finds he'll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again . . .

 

The Review

I started to hear a lot about Samantha Young last year when bloggers were raving about her on twitter, and as a result of that I vowed to get my hands on her Dublin Street books.  However, as it happened I was invited to be part of the Hero blog tour before I got chance to read them so this is my very first time reading a Samantha Young book!

 

And it had me from the off. 

 

As soon as Alexa and Caine's paths cross there is a sizzle in the air and tension fizzing off the pages-this is hot stuff!  I absolutely loved their stubborn natures and how every interaction was a battle of wills, and that their relationship had to be kept a secret made it all the more attractive.  And there's a reason why businessmen are so often at the heart of erotic romances- suits are undeniably sexy!!!

 

Alexa has a feisty personality but it is apparent that deep down she longs for approval and affection. As the story develops and more is revealed about her family history, the reader will discover why it's no wonder she wants stability and honesty.  Her relationship with her Grandfather was quite the emotional read.

 

And Caine.  Caine, Caine, Caine.  There were times when I really warmed to him, especially when there were hints towards his soft and generous nature, but there's enough jealousy and power in there for those of you who love a bad boy too- he really is the hero who's got the lot!  Anyone who's best friend's with the Grandma-figure who lives in the same block has to be a sweetheart deep down and that was where Caine won me over.

 

There's family drama, long kept secrets and explicit sex scenes throughout the book and I rampaged through this romp in two sittings, putty in Ms Young's authorly (which isn't a word, but so should be) hands.

 

If you enjoyed Sylvia Day's Crossfire series or Christina Lauren's Beautiful books then Hero could be right up your street.

 

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

 

Hero by Samantha Young is published by Piatkus in paperback and eBook. You can find of all Samantha Young’s titles on the Kobo website here .

 

And the tour continues.  Drop by these blogs to see what THEY thought of Hero...

 

 

 

 

Tied Up With Love- Amelia Thorne BLOG TOUR

It's the Tied Up With Love blog tour!!!!

 

The Blurb

‘We’re from KMW. Do exactly as you’re told and you won’t get hurt...'

 

Being grabbed off the street, blind folded, tied up and thrown into a van was not what Izzy expected to happen when she stepped out the door that morning. But when an accidental kidnapping at the hands of the sexy Ethan Chase and his 'Kidnap My Wife' sexual fantasy business leads to just that, Izzy seizes the chance to turn her misfortune into a brilliant new job opportunity… Since then, life has been one big tangle of new client meetings, fake kidnapping pick-ups, and handling the temperamental, but drop dead gorgeous 'bad boy' Mr Chase. But, as liberating as being tied up in Ethan's life is, Izzy knows the time is fast approaching when she must make some decisions and take charge of her future. The only question is: will Ethan allow himself to be a part of it?

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The Review

 

I didn't know what to expect from this book when agreeing to review it as part of the blog tour-I said yes because I've been interacting with Amelia on twitter for a while now and was keen to help spread the word about her latest release (you can find her  on twitter by searching @Amelia_Writes).  But it's fair to say I wasn't expecting what I got.  The 'tied up' clue in the title completely passed me by(obviously because I'm such an innocent) and I'd never have predicted the madcap world I was launched into from the pretty cover.

Readers are immediately thrown into a scenario where Izzy is whisked away by the Kidnap My Wife heavies, but it doesn't take long for it to become apparent that this isn't a book built around titillation or smut.  There are some raunchy scenes and there's plenty of sexual tension...my kindle was smoking with the sparks flying between Izzy and Ethan!  But I wasn't expecting a 'kidnap-my-wife-to-spice-up-our-sex-life' company to then become a book which is about so much more than sex.  I had preconceived ideas about what the plot would be and I was totally wrong. 

I'd expected bondage and experimental sex, when in reality Tied Up With Love falls firmly within the boundaries of humorous romance rather than erotica.  It focuses on community life.  Friendship.  Family.  And it has a serious moral at the heart of it, one simple lesson that's tied up in every plot and subplot- not to judge others. 

This makes it sound more heavy going than it is.  It's actually really witty and sharp, a feisty ball-of-fire of a book.  Tied Up With Love is full of one liners and Izzy is a strong protagonist (both in her ability to use her fists and her determined character)- she's a memorable heroine.  And Ethan...not the kind of man I'd usually go for but there's something in him which I fell for.  He comes across as rough and ready but there's a soft centre in there, a vulnerability hidden inside.  I wanted him and Izzy to stop fighting the feelings and just admit they needed each other!  But with two headstrong characters it's always going to be a battle of pride and willpower...

This was a book which seemed to speed along, there's no opportunity to get bored or skim-read because it hurtles along at pace.  It's also fresh and modern, totally different to anything else out there at the moment.  Fantastically fun!

Tip Top Teen Reads- Ten Things we Shouldn't Have Done and Geek Girl

 

Ten Things We Shouldn't Have Done- Sarah Mlynowski

The Blurb
I was about to live a sixteen-year-old's dream.
House on the beach.
No parents.
Parties whenever we wanted.
Boys wherever we wanted.

April and her best friend, Vi, are living by themselves. Of course, April's parents don't know that. They think she's living with Vi and Vi's mum. But it's not April's fault that her dad decided to move away in the middle of high school. So who could blame her for a little white lie? Or the other nine things that April (probably) shouldn't have done that year...

The Review
I saw this book in Waterstone's and was immediately drawn in by the eye catching cover- simple, yet bold.  And when I read the blurb, I knew this would be a book I'd enjoy.

There is typical teen melodrama when April realises her family doesn't revolve just around her, and after a few well-told untruths she moves in with her best friend Vi.  They end up in a lot of scrapes- a hot tub, the obligatory teen parties, gaining a kitten being just some- and April realises that life as a grown up is not always all it's cracked up to be.  Throw in some boys just to make things that bit more messy and voila!  You'vre got Ten Things we Shouldn't Have Done.

This is a fun book with some serious messages, and reading it has definitely made me keen to seek out more by this author.  It's a YA book with enough bite for the haters who say 'but they're for teenagers!' when I tell them I'm reading this genre, and it is chock full of action and drama.  I read it over two days and loved every second of it.

The perfect read to drag me out of my reading slump- thanks Ms Mlynowski!



Geek Girl-Holly Smale

The Blurb
“My name is Harriet Manners, and I am a geek.”

Harriet Manners knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a “jiffy” lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. She knows that bats always turn left when exiting a cave and that peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.

But she doesn’t know why nobody at school seems to like her.

So when Harriet is spotted by a top model agent, she grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her best friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of impossibly handsome model Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

Veering from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, Harriet begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did.

As her old life starts to fall apart, will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

The Review
Oh, I loved it.  I loved it, I loved it, I loved it.  Harriet as the most unlikely model, Nat as the disgruntled but ever supportive best friend, Toby as the out and out weirdo and of course Nick, the ultimate in hot boy... This was a perfect teen read.

I'd actually bought Geek Girl a while ago and put it to one side, now I am wondering why on earth I did that as I am desperate to move straight on to the second book in the series!  It is just so much FUN.  I loved the scene where Harriet is 'discovered' and her first photoshoot had me laughing out loud (I wouldn't be able to stand in ridiculously high heels, I can tell you that now.  And with snow in the mix too, I'd be on my way to A and E).

It's a bit like a Louise Rennison book in style, which is only a good thing if you're a teen book, right? And you certainly don't have to be a cool kid to relate to the characters, because they are just typical teenagers wandering around with insults graffitied on their bags, trying to fit in (or at least, not stand out).

If these books had been around when I was younger I'd have read them back to back over and over again.  Actually, who am I kidding?  I'll probably still do that now.  After all, books are for enjoying, and whilst I'm not the target market, I can honestly say I'm a fan of Holly Smale's after reading Geek Girl.

Erotic Autumn part 2

So, I'm here again with a further instalment of Autumn sauce!  Today I'm reviewing the final book in Pippa Croft's Oxford Blue trilogy (you can find reviews of the first two books by scrolling down the page here ) and the first book in Sylvia Day's successful Crossfire series.  Gorgeous male leads and sexy scenes aplenty...

Third Time Lucky- Pippa Croft

 

 

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have followed the Oxford Blue series from the very beginning, but of course there is one problem with being the first on the scene when it comes to trilogies/serials...the waiting!  I felt like I was waiting forever to get a copy of Third Time Lucky! But I can say it was well worth the wait.

Alexander and Lauren are a great fictional couple.  A far cry from perfect, especially when they keep secrets from each other, but they have a spark.  Although the Oxford Blue series is erotic and as such there are lots of sex scenes, their relationship is built on more than that.  Lauren is the feisty American full of spirit and confidence and Alexander is the aristocratic Brit, sometimes moody and bullish but strong and determined. 

Book 2 ended with a real cliffhanger (I don't want to give too much away here!) and now Lauren and Alexander face new challenges.  I loved how the impact of this gave Lauren more power- it was sexy and exciting and proved that Alexander needed her just as much as she needed him, in every sense.

There were also some highly entertaining scenes involving scheming bitch-face Valentina getting her comeuppance (finally!  Honestly one of my least favourite fictional characters-which proves she is well crafted) and the world's slimiest professor getting, shall we say, a cold shower of sorts.  I do love it when the baddies get their just desserts.

I wasn't particularly keen on the ending, that was the one part which didn't quite ring true for me, but appreciate that if this was to be the final instalment there needed to be a level of 'closure'.  However, I want more!  Please Pippa?! 

And I am desperate for someone to come along and make a TV series of this.  It would go down a storm on E4.  Beautiful Oxford, country retreats, a man in uniform, the American girl, the glamorous Italian cowbag and of course oodles of racy scenes...it has it all. 

If you are a fan of the New Adult genre and you haven't yet read the Oxford Blue series, you really must.  You'll be left clamouring for more.

With thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.  All three books in Pippa Croft's Oxford Blue series are out now.

Bared to You- Sylvia Day

 

Yes, I'm probably the very last person in the world to read Bared to You. I'd heard so much about Sylvia Day and the Crossfire series, but one thing put me off.  'It's just like Fifty Shades...'

I'm not snooty about reading erotica/smut/whatever you want to call books with some explicit sex scenes AT ALL, but I do value a well-told story with strong characters and good structure.  That was what Fifty Shades lacked for me, and was why I didn't finish it.  But Bared to You was so much better!

Part of that was that Gideon Cross, the wealthy, stylish businessman male lead.  I developed a bit of a book crush, I'll admit it.  He was powerful and strong and deliciously handsome.  He did have signs of the one thing that really bugs me about men in erotic fiction though- hints at a troubled past.  Why does this seem to be such a common denominator in these books?  Most men I know are really into sex, and that isn't because of a troubled past, or an abusive relationship or anything else, it's because THEY LIKE SEX.

I also really liked Eva.  She'd been figuratively suffocated by an overprotective mother and so of course, she's ready to go off the rails a bit when she escapes to the decadence of New York.  And when she meets the undeniably attractive Gideon Cross, there are naturally going to be fireworks. 

I personally thought it was a very well written book- the characters grew as the story built, the plot was decent and the sex scenes were among the best I've come across in erotic fiction.  It is decadent, engaging and whipped me right into their world.  I'm not generally one of these women who lust over businessmen.  I love a man in a suit as much as the next girl, but I'm not that turned on by power.  But honestly, that guy... with his money and success, I could be drawn in, turning into a helpless little kitten like Eva, unable to resist him.

I've not yet read the rest of the series, but I definitely will be. 

Sylvia Day, I am at your mercy.  Or at least, that of Gideon Cross.

Bared To You is out now, as are books 2 and 3.  Book 4 in the Crossfire series, Captivated by You is out on November 18th.

Kids Gone Wild- Joel Best and Kathleen A Bogle

 

The Blurb

 

To hear mainstream media sources tell it, the sex lives of modern teenagers outpace even the smuttiest of cable television shows. Teen girls “sext” explicit photos to boys they like; they wear “sex bracelets” that signify what sexual activities they have done, or will do; they team up with other girls at “rainbow parties” to perform sex acts on groups of willing teen boys; they form “pregnancy pacts” with their best girlfriends to all become teen mothers at the same time. From The Today Show, to CNN, to the New York Times, stories of these events have been featured widely in the media. But are most teenage—or younger—children really going to sex parties and having multiple sexual encounters in an orgy-like fashion?

Researchers say no—teen sex is actually not rampant and teen pregnancy is at low levels. But why do stories like these find such media traffic, exploiting parents’ worst fears? How do these rumors get started, and how do they travel around the country and even across the globe?

In Kids Gone Wild, best-selling authors Joel Best and Kathleen A. Bogle use these stories about the fears of the growing sexualization of childhood to explore what we know about contemporary legends and how both traditional media and the internet perpetuate these rumors while, at times, debating their authenticity. Best and Bogle describe the process by which such stories spread, trace how and to where they have moved, and track how they can morph as they travel from one medium to another. Ultimately, they find that our society’s view of kids raging out of control has drastic and unforeseen consequences, fueling the debate on sex education and affecting policy decisions on everything from the availability of the morning after pill to who is included on sex offender registries.

A surprising look at the truth behind the sensationalism in our culture, Kids Gone Wild is a much-needed wake-up call for a society determined to believe the worst about its young people.

Joel Best is Professor of Sociology & Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware. He has published more than twenty books on social problems and deviance, most notably Damned Lies and Statistics.

 

The Review

 



What can I say? I found this book repetitive, based largely around disproven urban myths and generally exploiting sensationalised headlines to grab attention. 

I'm sure there is a market for books aimed at parents around what is the 'normal' sexual activity for a teen (although why any parent would want to scare themselves half to death is beyond me) but Kids Gone Wild discussing sex bracelets and rainbow parties...I'm sorry, but these are not what you as Mums and Dads need to be worried about.  If as a parent you teach them about safe sex and self respect, you are doing it right.  This book refers to media bringing activities like sexting to the fore, yet that is exactly what this is doing under the guise of '(s)experts educating parents'.

Personally, I cannot think of anyone I would recommend this to, unless they were writing a thesis on the subject of teens sexual activity.