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Kiss Cam by Kiara London

Thursday, March 28, 2019


In Kiss Cam, teen author Kiara London asks, what's a little harmless kissing between friends?

Juniper, Jasper, and Lenny have been friends forever and co-own a vlog channel called WereVloggingHere. Their fans are huge "shippers" who believe that Juniper and Jasper are perfect for each other, and, despite warnings from friends and family, a simple Truth-or-Dare inspired kiss soon spirals out of control into a whole new world of making out and surprise kisses.

Juniper and Jasper's relationship begins to shift. But as fan requests for different "Kiss Cam" segments keep pouring in, Juniper puts her worries aside and convinces herself that it doesn't mean anything. After all, it's just kissing… right?

Goodreads Summary

Whenever you try to convince yourself that kissing doesn't mean anything...well, it might work for some people (not for me) and I already knew where this story was going. Juniper, Jasper, and Lenny are vloggers; having a life in front of the camera means that people start to think that they can have many opinions. One of the opinions centralized around Juniper and Jasper. According to fans, they are meant to be. Indulging their fans means kissing each other and pretending that it doesn't mean anything in person, but will feelings get in the way?

Jasper is not the easiest person to resist. He is handsome, charismatic, and built (for many teens, this sounds like the jackpot). Juniper is a little hesitant. She doesn't want to take the chance of wrecking a very good friendship. Their friends Lenny and Allison offer good advice to them and they all provide comedic relief. I liked Juniper's character the most. The ending did not surprise me. It was a sweet young adult/teen read.

3 1/2 Stars


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This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

Beast by Brie Spangler

Sunday, March 17, 2019



Tall, meaty, muscle-bound, and hairier than most throw rugs, Dylan doesn’t look like your average fifteen-year-old, so, naturally, high school has not been kind to him. To make matters worse, on the day his school bans hats (his preferred camouflage), Dylan goes up on his roof only to fall and wake up in the hospital with a broken leg—and a mandate to attend group therapy for self-harmers.

Dylan vows to say nothing and zones out at therapy—until he meets Jamie. She’s funny, smart, and so stunning, even his womanizing best friend, JP, would be jealous. She’s also the first person to ever call Dylan out on his self-pitying and superficiality. As Jamie’s humanity and wisdom begin to rub off on Dylan, they become more than just friends. But there is something Dylan doesn’t know about Jamie, something she shared with the group the day he wasn’t listening. Something that shouldn’t change a thing. She is who she’s always been—an amazing photographer and devoted friend, who also happens to be transgender. But will Dylan see it that way?

Goodreads Summary

I still don't know what to think of this book. I don't think it had a lot of Beauty and the Beast in the plot which was sad for me because that was a huge selling point. The author toed the line in several circumstances of transforming our fun, spunky trans character into a character whose most defining characteristic is her gender. I would have liked Jamie's character with or without the trans addition. She was a foil for Dylan, who needed her down-to-earth rationality and good sense of humor to get through high school. Dylan's character experienced gender dysphoria. His appearance, tenor of his voice, muscular frame, etc...all make people view him a certain way and he isn't comfortable with how they view him. He isn't sure if he fits the mold of what people expect.

I liked Dylan's character generally, but I was happy that his plot-line didn't take over or cast a shadow on Jamie's. The book followed a fairly predictable plot and ending. I wouldn't have minded more of the premise the book promises in the summary actually in the book. I generally liked the author's tone and way of writing. This book would be ideal for young adult/adult readers.

4 Stars

This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ

The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston

Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Owen Foster has never wanted for anything. Then his mother shows up at his elite New Orleans boarding school cradling a bombshell: his privileged life has been funded by stolen money. After using the family business, the single largest employer in his small Louisiana town, to embezzle millions and drain the employees' retirement accounts, Owen's father vanished without a trace, leaving Owen and his mother to deal with the fallout.

Owen returns to Lake Cane to finish his senior year, where people he can barely remember despise him for his father's crimes. It's bad enough dealing with muttered insults and glares, but when Owen and his mother receive increasingly frightening threats from someone out for revenge, he knows he must get to the bottom of what really happened at Louisiana Frac--and the cryptic note his father sent him at his boarding school days before disappearing.

Owen's only refuge is the sprawling, isolated pecan orchard he works at after school, owned by a man named Gus who has his own secrets--and in some ways seems to know Owen better than he knows himself. As Owen uncovers a terrible injustice that looms over the same Preacher Woods he's claimed as his own, he must face a shocking truth about his own past--and write a better future.

Goodreads Summary


I can't imagine what it would be like to find out that my parents' lives were a lie. It's made worse for the main character, Owen, who lives in a small town with many whispers.  His mom and he have to deal with his father's web of lies and a completely new lifestyle. The author captures the palpable tension and undercurrent of wariness perfectly. Owen is a well-written character who will instantly capture the readers' sympathies. I wish I knew an Owen in real life. He reminded me of the prototypical gentleman. His love for his mother and even for his father (despite his betrayal) was endearing. I liked his commitment to candor and dedication to family/friends. The other characters in the novel were intriguing, but I didn't find any as memorable as Owen. There haven't been many books in young adult fiction that focused on a young man's relationship with his mother and portrayed it so healthfully. 

I like a good mystery and the author was very good at creating one. The novel's title truly fit the plot of the book. Although it may sound trite and like the character Dr. House from a sitcom, everybody lies. I liked the cadence of the writing style and the quick pace of the plot. The author is very descriptive with the setting and characters to the point where I could picture many scenes from the book. I think the ending will stick with me for a while.

4 Stars


This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews. COPYRIGHT © 2014 LIVE TO READ