What I've read lately

(All titles link to Goodreads synopsis)

I read A TON of books again this month (FIFTEEN!!)!  I've been on a roll lately, I guess.  I have been doing one mini book review post a month for quite a while now but I'm wondering if I should start splitting them up and do two a month so it's not sooo many at once....  What do you guys think?  Would you rather me just keep things the same and list all the books I read that month in one post, or is it a bit too much information for you?  Let me know what you think!!

Paper Towns by John Green
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
This was my first ever John Green read, and I still have mixed feelings about it. I really love Quentin and his group of friends, and even the interactions with his classmates because they seemed very real and like people I would have known in school. But I really didn't like Margo at all. At first she didn't seem bad but then as the story went I liked her less and less. Without giving anything away, I would like to say that I'm glad Quentin made the decision he made at the end.

Caught Up in You by Kim Boykin
My rating: 3 out of 3 stars
This one was a really quick romance read (104 pages) so I finished it in one sitting. I enjoyed it, but I also felt as if it could have used more story in some places. I think it would have been more complete with just a few more details.
(c/o NetGalley)

There Goes the Bride by Catherine Mann
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
This was another really quick romance read. I think the author did an amazing job with the chemistry between the two main characters. It really sizzled. I wish it was just a teeny bit longer. I didn't feel as if I got a good feel for the characters.
(c/o NetGalley)

Down the Aisle With Bridezilla by Carli Palmer
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I've always loved books that involve weddings and Bridezillas so I was really excited about this one. I thought there was going to be a little more humor in the book than there was. It was just another demanding bride after another and Megan (the main character/wedding coordinator) always seemed completely miserable. I didn't feel any real "sparks" between Megan and her love interest at all either. It was a fun read with lots of quirky and crazy brides though.
(c/o NetGalley)

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
First I would like to say that if you are not a fan stories involving things like: graphic violence, rape, adultery, eating disorders, etc then this is definitely not the book for you. I felt as if the story started a bit slow and then got really good towards the middle and then fell flat for me at the end. I wanted a bigger punch at the end! I was waiting and hoping for something big to happen but it never did. Almost every character in this book is VERY unlikable, including the main character. But I think that intrigued me even more.
(c/o NetGalley)

Love in a Time of Monsters by Teresa Yea
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
I ended up loving this one! It was my first fantasy read in quite a while.  I loved how flawed and damaged the main character, Cat, is even though she is supposed to be the monster slaying "hero". This book is a lot grittier than I expected it to be. There were so many times that I couldn't put this one down because I needed to know what was going to happen!
(c/o NetGalley)

If You're Not the One by Jemma Forte
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I thought the concept for this book was really interesting: a woman who is unhappy with how things are currently in her life is involved in an accident that sends her into a coma where is is able to see how her life would have turned out had she chosen a different paths. It ended up dragging on a bit for me, especially when she kept going back through her and Tim's story. I couldn't stand his character at all so I had to force myself through those storylines. The story kind of ends open-ended and leaves you to sort of make up your own ending about what you think she decides to do. It ended up falling a bit short for me.

(c/o NetGalley)

The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest by Melanie Dickerson

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This story was designed to be a mix between Swan Lake and Robin Hood, so I knew I would really like it.  It is a Christian novel (which I actually had no idea before starting it) so there were a lot of mentions of God, and praying, and things like that.  I don't normally read too many Christian novels but the religious undertones didn't really bother me at all.  It ended up being a pretty nice love story.

(c/o NetGalley)

Spelled by Betsy Schow
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
The really cheesy play on words got old really fast. "pix you" "oh for Grimm's sake". Once I blocked out all of those I was able to enjoy the story a bit more. The princess starts out very self centered and I hated her at first so it was nice to see her go through a bit of transformation, and grow up a bit as the story goes on.  I really liked Kato's character a lot.  I like how the ending set it up for another book.  I also enjoyed all of the references to other fairy tale characters.
(c/o NetGalley)

The Lie by C.L. Taylor
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
This one definitely kept me turning the pages.  I wasn't sure what to expect out of this one and it had my heart beating like crazy during some of the "5 years ago" chapters.  You had no idea who to trust or what was really going on some of the time.  I wasn't overly surprised by the ending, however.  Once they said Leanne was alive and out of an institution I kind of figured she would be up to something.  I really liked Al's character a lot
(c/o NetGalley)

Wish You Were Here by Phillipa Ashley

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars

It started out with so much potential but there was just something missing for me. they focus on her job in the company more than the relationship between the main two characters and then when something happens you expect for some kind of romance but it's came off more as lust. I would have liked to have seen them talk about everything that happened more until leaving it for one short talk at the very end. I didn't dislike it...it was just kind of "okay"

(c/o NetGalley)

Forward Pass by Desiree Holt
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I wasn't quite prepared for the heat factor in this one. It was much more of an erotica romance than I am used to reading but I ended up really loving it. I love stories where they have known each other all their lives. I love their witty and sarcastic banter back and forth too. The only criticism I would have is that the ending felt a little bit rushed
(c/o NetGalley)

Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey
My rating: 2 out of 5 stars
I just couldn't get into this one at all.  It sounded like such a great story: A woman from New York inherits property in Paris from a woman she doesn't even know. She tries to uncover the truth about why she inherited it instead of the family.  It started really slow and never really picked up for me, and the love story felt like it came out of no where.
(c/o NetGalley)

Faking Perfect by Rebecca Phillips
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I really liked this one. I only wish there was a little bit more about Tyler in the book. we don't know too much about him other than him having a secret hook-up relationship with the main character. he was probably my favorite character though. I enjoyed "watching" the main character grow as the book went on. going from someone that was extremely desperate to fit in into someone who realized that it's okay to be yourself.
(c/o NetGalley)

Shroud of Roses by Gloria Ferris
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I really like Bliss' stubborn and witty sarcasm but I actually wasn't found of her "boyfriend" at all. Most of the time he acted as if he didn't care about her at all or treated pretty crappy. I understand that he had issues in his past, as did she, but I wouldn't have put up with it. Other then there relationship, the mystery itself has me pretty curious but I wasn't very surprised by the ending either. I enjoyed reading it but it just fell short for me in a few areas.
(c/o NetGalley)

What have you been reading lately?  If you are on Goodreads, we should be friends!