OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu

Expected Publication: July 23, 2013

Publisher: Simon Pulse

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Synopsis: When Bea meets Beck, she knows instantly that he’s her kind of crazy. Sweet, strong, kinda-messed-up Beck understands her like no one else can. He makes her feel almost normal. He makes her feel like she could fall in love again. But despite her feelings for Beck, Bea can’t stop thinking about someone else: a guy who is gorgeous and magnetic... and has no idea Bea even exists. But Bea knows a lot about him. She spends a lot of time watching him. She has a journal full of notes. Some might even say she’s obsessed. Bea tells herself she’s got it all under control. But this isn’t a choice, it’s a compulsion. The truth is, she’s breaking down...and she might end up breaking her own heart.

When I first started reading OCD Love Story, I thought I had the plot of the story pretty much set up in my mind already. I pictured Bea as a typical teenage girl who meets a boy at her school and she then becomes obsessed with him to the point where it’s either scary, unhealthy, or both.

In some ways, I was correct, but there was a lot more to the story that I was not expecting. It surprised me. In a good way though.

Bea has OCD. But it’s not in the everything has to be in the right spot and clean as a whistle type of OCD that you may think of at first.

She is obsessed with the safety and well-being of others. So much so that on some occasions it borders on stalking. Bea has a lot of anxiety and fears. And sometimes it makes it hard to separate her fears from what is real.  Because of her OCD tendencies, she is in therapy and that is how she happens to meet the love interest in the story, Beck. Beck has is own issues with OCD…he is obsessed with exercising.

Bea and Beck had a really good connection. Even though I was rooting for Bea and Beck to make a success of their relationship, I couldn’t help but wonder with their helping each other or just enabling each other.

OCD Love Story was a unique story that I’m glad I had the opportunity to read. This was the first time that I have read a YA or any story for that matter that dealt with this subject matter. I liked it and thought that Bea was a great main character.

If realistic fiction and social issues are your thing then I would recommend this book to you.

RATING: 3½ out of 5.

**I received this book on behalf of the publisher in exchange for nothing, but my honest opinion, Thank you.**

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Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

Publication: July 16, 2013

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Paradise quickly gets gruesome in this thrilling page-turner with a plot that’s ripped from the headlines and a twist that defies the imagination. It’s Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations. As Anna sets out to find her friend’s killer, she discovers harsh revelations about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love. Awaiting the judge’s decree, it becomes clear to Anna that everyone around her thinks she is not only guilty, but also dangerous. And when the whole story comes out, reality is more shocking than anyone ever imagined...

“I was going to get a new car for graduation.

I was going to make him proud.

I was going to start all over again.

I was going to be brave, and good, and bold.

I was going to love him forever.

I was going to hold her hand till the very end.”

When I first read the synopsis of this book, it reminded me of the Amanda Knox case and immediately I knew I had to read it.

I was not disappointed. The story starts off with a 911 transcript that the friends of Elise, the murder victim made. From there it is mostly taken from Anna’s point of view. What made this book more fascinating for me to read was the inclusion of text messages, TV, news, and trial transcripts that really added more to an already interesting storyline.  

Elise was such a charismatic young lady that people liked to be around. She and Anna had a very close and special friendship, or so it appeared.

Soon after Elise is murdered it doesn’t take long before the police to start digging into Anna’s friendship with Elise and for Anna to become the prime suspect.

I felt sympathetic to Anna and her struggles. Having every little photo or text message twisted and manipulated to make her look bad. She struggled with the realization that people…ever her friends really thought she was guilty. She was in prison alone in a foreign country awaiting the murder trial of her best friend. Talk about intense and scary.

There are a good number of secrets uncovered and twists to the story that kept me glued to the page. I did not want to stop reading until I reached the end. And that ending had me going WHHHHAAAATTTT????

Dangerous Girls is a story that I will not forget anytime soon. That is what this story will do to you. Stay with you long after you finish it.

I would definitely recommend Dangerous Girls to anyone who enjoys a good YA mystery thriller that will mess with your head.

Rating 4½ out of 5

**I received this book on behalf of Simon Pulse for nothing but my honest opinion. Thank you.**

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How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Synopsis:

First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she’s on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel’s packed with drama and romance!

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

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How My Summer Went Up in Flames, tells the story of Rosie. A girl who got obsessed, and crazy, yes crazy when her scum-bag of an ex-boyfriend, Joey cheated on her. He claimed it was just a kiss and only once, but she just couldn’t be 100% sure, that was true, so she broke things off with him. When Rosie spotted him with his arm around the girl who he cheated on her with and something inside her seemed to snap.

Later she ended up in Joey’s driveway burning a box of memories, and somehow his car was set on fire. But that part was an accident.

Enter the TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) that she is sent shortly after and things begin to go steadily downhill for Rosie.

Her best friend Matty, whom she has practically grown up with, suggests that she comes on a trip to Arizona with him and his two friends.

With her parents blessing,(hoping it would keep her out of trouble and away from Joey) Rosie takes out on a road trip to Arizona with her best bud Matty, and his two friends Logan, and Spencer for nine days.

Even though Rosie is a bit crazy and does not really think about the consequences of her actions, I liked her. She is a great sense of humor, has a tendency to over think things at times, loves dogs, and knows exactly what colors and patterns go perfectly together.

How My Summer Went Up in Flames is a light and fun beach/weekend read filled with drama and a bit of romance that fans of YA Contemporaries and road trips would like. There were so many times while reading that I laughed out loud at some of Rosie’s inner monologues and conversations. I had previously read murder mystery that wasn’t so light, so this was just what I needed to read afterwards.

Rating: 3½ out of 5.

**I received this book from Simon Pulse / Simon and Schuster in exchange for nothing, but my honest opinion.** 

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The Murmurings by Carly Anne West

Synopsis:

Everyone thinks Sophie’s sister, Nell, went crazy. After all, she heard strange voices that drove her to commit suicide. But Sophie doesn't believe that Nell would take her own life, and she’s convinced that Nell’s doctor knows more than he’s letting on.

As Sophie starts to piece together Nell’s last days, every lead ends in a web of lies. And the deeper Sophie digs, the more danger she’s in—because now she’s hearing the same haunting whispers. Sophie’s starting to think she’s going crazy too. Or worse, that maybe she’s not….

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Sophie’s sister Nell was committed to a mental institution because she kept hearing voices in her head.  She later escaped and was found dead. Now Sophie is determined to find out what the voices were saying to Nell and why she ended up dead.  If of course the voices do not get to Sophie first and drive her crazy.

What I did not like:

I was not completely into the romance in the book. It felt kind of so-so to me. Like there could have been more to it or left out of the story completely.   

My Thoughts:

I have to admit that by solely looking at the cover, I thought I was in for a creepy story that would keep me up at night.

The story got off to a good start, but the further I ventured into the story the more I began to realize that it was not as scary as I had hoped that it would be.

But, it was a good story and there were some definite creepy moments that had me glued to my seat. The writer did a good job of making the reader guess what was going on while adding a bit of spookiness to the story.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

**I received this book from Simon and Schuster / Simon Pulse in exchange for nothing, but my honest review. Thank you!** 

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The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

From Goodreads: 

There was something wicked about Beau that drew me to him. What was wrong with me? Why did I want to sin so badly

Ashton is getting tired of being good, of impressing her parents and playing ideal girlfriend to Sawyer Vincent. Sawyer is perfect, a regular Prince Charming, but when he leaves town for the summer, it’s his cousin Beau who catches Ashton’s eye. Beau is the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, and even though he’s dangerous, Ashton is drawn to him.

Beau loves his cousin like a brother, so the last thing he wants to do is make a move on Sawyer’s girl. Ashton is off-limits, absolutely. That’s why he does his best to keep his distance, even though he’s been in love with her forever. When Ashton wants to rekindle their childhood friendship in Sawyer’s absence, Beau knows he should say no.

Ashton and Beau don’t want to hurt Sawyer. But the more they try to stay away from each other, the more intense their urges become. It’s getting way too hard to resist....

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I have been hearing so many good things about this book that I finally had to give it a try for myself. And I am so glad that I did.

Ashton is close childhood friends cousins Beau and Sawyer Vincent.

Ashton is a preacher’s daughter. She is always trying to be there for everyone in her life. And she constantly feels the pressure to be the good daughter for her parents and do what they want. Because of this, it made sense that she would want to later on rebel and have some fun in her life. She questions if she should do what people expect her to do, or follow her heart instead.

Sawyer is the all-round nice guy.  He goes to church every Sunday with Ashton, and he comes from a good respectable family. He cares what people think of him. He enjoys having the perfect family and the perfect girlfriend.

I love bad boys in romance stories, and Beau is just that. He had his jerk moments, but he turned out to be sweet and protective of Ash, and I liked that.  Beau is more of his own person. He doesn’t care what other people say about him or think of him.

As they become older Beau and Sawyer start taking notice of Ashton and Sawyer decides to ask her out first, which Ashton accepts. They continue to have a happy relationship for the next three years. But when Sawyer goes away during the summer, Ashton and Beau begin to spend more and more time together. And that is when everything between these three changes.

“If I’d ever taken the time to wonder about my soul being as black as this town seemed to believe, I knew the moment Ashton stepped out of her little white Jetta looking like an angel from Heaven that my soul was damned to Hell.” – Abbi Glines, Beau from The Vincent Boys

The story interchanges between Ashton and Beau’s point of view, which gives the reader a better looking into their lives to understand them better.  

The Vincent Boys felt like a little bit of an emotional rollercoaster. It’s an intense story made me sad, frustrated, and happy. The characters felt real and the story was one I easily got into once I started reading. I did not want this story to end. I cannot wait to read Sawyer’s story in The Vincent Brothers. Oh and for those who like the feel of a physical book in your hands, The Vincent Boys will be released in hardcover and paperback tomorrow October 30, 2012!

Rating: 3½ out of 5.

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