Review: Instructions for a Broken Heart - Kim Culbertson

Genre: Contemporary YA
Pages: 320
Published: May 1st 2011 Sourcebooks Fire

Three days before her drama club's trip to Italy, Jessa Gardner discovers her boyfriend in the costume barn with another girl. Jessa is left with a care package from her best friend titled "Top Twenty Reasons He's a Slimy Jerk Bastard," instructing her to do one un-Jessa-like thing each day of the trip. At turns hilarious and heartwrenching, Instructions for a Broken Heart paints a magical Italy in which Jessa learns she must figure out life-and romance-for herself.

My thoughts:

This was another lovely book by Culbertson, and with this one she has become one of my favourite authors of YA books. She has a way of putting that extra into a tale.

Jessa Gardner is a young girl with a lot on her plate, all different clubs and projects. She knows what she wants, but she is also an artist, something she forgets at times. I liked her, and how she found herself again. Because just before leaving for Rome she gets her heart broken by a cheating boyfriend. This is all about her journey, finding who she is, what happened, and what has been going on. She travels through Rome with her drama group, tensions run high, and she follows the instructions from her best friend. And this leads to funny situations and sad ones too.

This is how contemporary YA should be. Warm, funny, thoughtful and it just leaves you happy, because there is always a rainbow after the rain, and sunshine. It leaves you whole. 

The writing is good too, it's easy, it flows, and when built around a good story there is nothing to complain about. To be honest the only negative thing I could think of is that Jessa reads The Portrait of the artist as a young man and thinks the book rocks (while I think the book is the most boring book ever written), so there you go, nothing bad to say about it.

Conclusion:

Like I said, this is how contemporary YA should be according to me. No one too bitchy, not too much drama or angst, but it's still there just not in abundance. It's just real. I could close this book with a smile on my face and wish Jessa all the best. It's a book I would recommend to all, and I will read more by this author.

Rating:

Very good.

Cover:

Lovely

Source: From the Publisher

I almost forgot my news:

Sourcebooks will be offering a FREE e-book of Kim’s previous novel, Songs of a Teenage Nomad, from May 3 – May 9. All you need to do is click here: http://bit.ly/mBn85f 

So remember that tomorrow because that book was just as lovely. 

Review: There's only been You - Donna Marie Rogers

There's only been You - Donna Marie Rogers

Genre: Contemporary romance with a hint of suspense
Pages: 264
Published: 2008

Sara Jamison has no clue where Mike Andrews' been all these years, but she knows where she's been - busy raising their son. Two weeks after he accused her of cheating and disappeared from her life, Sara discovered she was something she never expected to be - an unwed pregnant teenager. But with the love and support of her annoyingly alpha-male family, she's managed to make a good life for herself and her young son. She even owns her own business, Sara's Bakery, which she's built into a thriving success. Sure, she works too hard and her social life is nonexistent, but for the most part, she's content.

Until the day Detective Mike Andrews walks into her bakery and back into her life...


This is the first book, before I read book 2, Meant to Be, but they are stand alone novels so they don't have to be read in the right order. Of course the last one sure had me curious about a couple of things. And there will be more, I got very happy when told that a certain person from book 2 will get a book, and so will Sara's other brother.

I did enjoy this book, but I fell so head over heals for her other book that I loved that one more. I do wonder how I would have felt about all if I had read this one first. Garrett, Sara's brother was so alpha and annoying at times. I fell hard for her brother Nicky here, and I really came to like Sara (of course since she is the main character). But in the other book I had only eyes for Garrett, because he was so alpha hehe. And here I got to know Mike, what a sweet guy. But ok I must stop thinking how I would have started liking persons more and more now.

This book is about Sara and Mike. They were in love as teenagers but then something happened and he left town and she found out she was pregnant. They both blame the other and have their own versions of what happened, and here the reader learns what really did happen. Sara has devoted her time to her son Ethan, and her brothers and uncle. They all live in the same house, and she spends her time there and at her bakery. Not much time for having a social life. But then Mike's dad dies and he comes back into town, and back into her life. But can they overcome those lies in the past?

First I must say that I do love the cover, it looks so sweet and now I know what the title means, sweet. It fits the book.

Sara is sweet main character, you can't dislike her. Mike on the other hand does have some anger issues, but he is all alpha and I do like him. And I sure like him and Garrett tearing at each other, that is two alphas that want to be number one. They both have reason to disliking each other.

Sara and Mike have some bumps in the road before them, but I want them to be together and for Ethan to get a real dad. A nice love story.

There is also the other side of the story, a rotten cop who is a drug dealer and Mike is sent to investigate this in his old town, without anyone knowing. It's a bad guy, a real creep, and there will be some action and bloodshed before the story can get a happy ending. I like that this is mixed up with the romance, it wakens you up and worries you a bit.

A sweet little read, and I do know that I would like to read more.

a gift from the author, no obligations to review

Review: Meant to Be by Donna Marie Rogers

Meant to Be by Donna Marie Rogers

Genre: Romance
Published: July 17th 2009
Where: Amazon, B&N, the Wild Rose press; print/e-book
Pages: 220

OFFICER GARRETT JAMISON is at the lowest point of his life. He believes a cop’s greatest asset is his instinct and feels he lost his the night he got shot and his precious nephew kidnapped right out of his own bed. So he takes a leave from the force while he considers whether he wants to remain a police officer, or start looking into another career. If only his infuriating—and gorgeous—neighbor would keep her pesky cat from howling outside his window at all hours of the night...

JESSICA MCGOVERN struggles back from the brink of depression after the death of her young son. She packs up her old pickup truck, her mammoth gray-and-white tabby, Mr Louie, and moves halfway across the country for a fresh start in Wisconsin where she’s rented her uncle’s house. As it turns out, Midwesterners are just as friendly as she’s always heard they were. Too bad her cranky new neighbor is the exception to the rule...

Aww, yes that is how it made me feel. It was great from the start and then it just got better and better. At one time I had to stop reading, because sleep is important. But yes I sure wished I had an e-reader so I could have read during my lunch break.

There's only been You is the "first" book, but it' no series so you can read this book first. Sure you learn some things in it, but even without having read book 1 I could still see the big picture, and it's even mentioned in the blurb. The little details she doesn't mention. I will still be surprised to see what goes on in that book. Garrett's sister had the lead in that one. And this is a stand alone novel about Garret and Jessica. But I am glad I have book 1 because I want to read more of her, but will wait a while and perhaps some things and names will slip my mind.

Garret is unsure about his police career after being shot and his nephew being kidnapped. Jessica is running from a tragedy in her past and dark memories. When they first meet sparks fly, but not in a good way. They dislike each other, but still there is something that pushes them together.

For all you alpha male loving gals out there, here they are. That must sure be a good looking family. Garrett, his brother Nick (who I would love to learn more about), and his uncle Luke. Who gets his own little side story of love in this book and that is so sweet.

I fell for both at once, Garrett, who even if he says the wrong things still is so lovable and it just oozes out of him, it makes me go awww. Jessica is a bit broken, and I only wish the best for her. A bug strong guy who can pick her up and man it better. Make her learn to trust again and fall in love.

I know it was a romance, but I didn't see the suspense coming. It picks up and I will not mention cos of what, but it gets dangerous. That had me sitting at the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen. It just got bigger and bigger and the suspense was killing me. Not to mention the romance part, they were stupid both at times, but then again aren't we all.

The romance part was great, and since I loved them from the start I was rooting for a big old HEA. Then some dark clouds from both their pasts showed up. And that sure picked up an already good story.

Negative parts, I can't really think of anything. Other than I would sure have loved it even more if it had been a real book I could hold, lol, then I could have read the whole thing at once ;). But it's out in print too so no worries. So really nothing to complain about when it comes to this book. It was sweet, romantic, hot, sexy alpha males, suspense, and a great story. It made me jump at the other book at once, and it left me in a happy satisfied mood.


received a copy for a review