The Registry
   by: Shannon Stoker

Publication Date: June 11, 2013
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Dystopia
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC received from Edelweiss and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review
Page Count: 297 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3/5 stars

The Registry saved the country from collapse. But stability has come at a price. In this patriotic new America, girls are raised to be brides, sold at auction to the highest bidder. Boys are raised to be soldiers, trained by the state to fight to their death.

Nearly eighteen, beautiful Mia Morrissey excitedly awaits the beginning of her auction year. But a warning from her married older sister raises dangerous thoughts. Now, instead of going up on the block, Mia is going to escape to Mexico—and the promise of freedom.

All Mia wants is to control her own destiny—a brave and daring choice that will transform her into an enemy of the state, pursued by powerful government agents, ruthless bounty hunters, and a cunning man determined to own her . . . a man who will stop at nothing to get her back.

                                                               -goodreads.com description
      
When I first read the idea of this and then saw it was available on Edelweiss, I knew I had to give it a try. This one has been getting a lot of mixed reviews, but I actually enjoyed it. I don't think I would re-read it, but if there is a sequel, I think I'd look into it. I loved the idea behind the Registry even if it did remind me of a mix of other dystopian books, "Matched, Delirium, Hunger Games..."

However, I felt the pacing went quite well. I flew through the book to find out if Mia would get her freedom, if romance was in the cards, and what the repercussions of her escape would be.

Again, I liked the plot well enough, but I felt like there were a lot of things lacking for me. I don't feel like I got enough characterization. I liked Mia, the main character, well enough but I wasn't overly attached to her. Sure, I wanted her to be able to live her life free of oppression and I definitely didn't want to see her get caught by her horrible, psychotic 'husband'. Stoker explains to us that Mia used to dream of finding a husband in the Registry and she couldn't wait to be entered- she was one of those frivolous girls. But after an incident with her sister, Mia comes to the realization that maybe the Registry is not all it seems. Now, the girl that used to dream of her wedding, can't stomach the thought of one and wants to run away. However, her father has already found a suitor for her, by the name of Grant Marsden. (I love Grants, so I hate this one was a bad one!) He is a billionaire, but is cocky, self-assured, and an arrogant ass. Your hatred for him really grows throughout the book, as you see the lengths he will go to to find Mia and bring her back. It's all a game to him, he is thrilled by the chase of finding Mia. Which is crazy, because he doesn't want anything to do with her. He simply does not want to be shamed and he wants her just because he can.

Which brings us to Andrew. He is a worker for Mia's family, who has a few months before he can enter the service. He gets swept up in Mia's escape plan, and together, they and her best friend Whitney, who has no marriageable prospects, attempt to flee to Mexico. I can't really say I liked Andrew. He was irritable, cold, distant and made it very clear on multiple occasions he didn't want to be helping them. Yet, after several opportunities to abandon them, he doesn't. He intends to see it through and while he is slightly attracted to Mia, he will not allow himself to get close to her. I don't know how to really explain this, but the romance just felt so forced between them. It didn't flow naturally. I've read a lot of stories about cold, distant guys who refuse to acknowledge feelings to the female lead. But slowly over time, their tough exterior chips away and they find themselves falling. I didn't really get that with Andrew. It was like "I don't like you, I can't stand you" to "Ok, I love you. Let me tell you now that you're having other feelings and get all pissed off over it."

Yes, I said other feelings, as in another guy. Sigh. I only like love triangles when they're done right. This was just thrown in for added measure. Towards the end of their journey, they meet Rod and his son, Carter. They are the last leg of the escape, if you will, and hides them in their house until it is time to cross the border. Carter is the complete opposite of Andrew. He is open, flirty, and makes no attempt to hide his interest in Mia. There is kissing involved between the two, but really Mia wants Andrew. To the point where she'll kiss Carter and pretend it's him. Yeah.

Then, there's Whitney, Mia's best friend. Mia begs her to run away with her and although she has some reservations, she agrees. She knows she doesn't have any marriage prospects in America, so why not see what's available for her in Mexico? I don't really know how I feel about Whitney's character. She was a good friend to Mia, but at times, she really got on my nerves. I thought she would be the tough one, but after an unavoidable incident occurring Andrew, she gets worked up and distrustful.

As I said, I felt the pacing went well, but I still felt like there were some events that happened for shock value, but it was really to add some action into the story. I'm more of a fan of buildup, but a lot of events were kind of rapid-fire. And then the ending, just kind of ends. It's not a cliff-hanger, but it does leave us going, 'Well, now what?' 

Overall, I certainly didn't mind reading this book and it did hold my attention, but it just didn't have the wow factor I was hoping for.

Stealing Harper (Taking Chances #2)
   by: Molly McAdams

Publication Date: May 21, 2013
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC received from Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review
Page Count: 400 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Chase Grayson has never been interested in having a relationship that lasts longer than it takes for him and his date to get dressed again. But then he stumbles into a gray-eyed girl whose innocence pours off her, and everything changes. From the minute Harper opens her mouth to let him know just how much he disgusts her, he's hooked.

But a princess deserves a Prince Charming who can make her dreams come true. Not a guy who can turn her life into a nightmare.

All good intentions go out the window when Harper starts to fall for the guy Chase has come to view as a brother. He wanted to protect her by keeping her away, but he can’t stand to see her with anyone else, and he’ll do anything to make her his. But when it comes down to Harper choosing between the two, will Chase have the strength to step back from the girl who has become his whole world if it means she’ll be happy?

Lines will be crossed. Friendships will be put to the test. And hearts will be shattered.

                                                                           -goodreads.com description
 

I guess I'd better preface this with the fact that I did not actually read Taking Chances. I saw this on Edelweiss and thought it was a stand-alone book discussing a new set of characters and not that it was the same exact book but from Chase's POV. So- minus one for me.

My biggest problem with this book was that I could not bring myself to like the characters. Chase is your ultimate, womanizing bad boy and Harper is your sweet, wholesome, innocent girl. When she first meets Chase, she is repulsed by him. And why wouldn't she be? She's seen him hanging around and ogling at least 3 girls at his party. She has him pegged from the get-go. Chase can't figure out why he's drawn to this girl, but he's always up for a challenge. But her gray eyes haunt him and soon he is starting to question himself and his feelings for her.

This drove me crazy. Chase's good friend Brandon, on multiple occasions, asked Chase if it was ok if he pursued Harper. Every time Chase was all nonchalant, saying she was just another girl, she didn't matter to him, when in his head he was claiming his territory. And then to top it all off, once Chase saw that Brandon and Harper could have something, he acted like a complete douche, saying he needed to be the one to 'protect' her. The back and forth in Chase's head before he actually admitted to himself that he did have feelings for her drove me batty.

I know I'm not a guy and so I don't understand the guy code, but to watch Chase treat his best friend, someone he calls his brother, like complete and utter shit, really bothered me. Brandon had asked multiple times if Chase was ok with him going after Harper and Chase never stated otherwise. But as soon as they are together, Chase becomes vulgar, constantly saying things about him and Harper, just to get a rise out of Brandon.

I'm not Harper's biggest fan either. Again, I haven't read Taking Chances to see what her thought process was during all of this, but she was a girl who wanted it both ways in my opinion. She claimed she liked Brandon and wanted to be friends with Chase, but she sure had a funny way of showing her friendship. She really didn't put up much of a fight when Chase was putting the moves on her. Chase is constantly pulling some dick move and hurting her feelings. I know we can't choose who we love, but to choose a person who continually hurts you? I personally don't get it.

Don't get me wrong, Chase has some really sweet moments, where he really is thinking of her well-being and what's best for her. He pays attention to subtle things about her and what she likes and then surprises her by showing he knows what those things are. When she finally admits she's in love with him too, he is patient, kind, and genuinely loving. There's also a point where Chase finds out some big news in regards to Harper and he handles the information like a champ, where I would be mad as a hatter. (So, those moments are why I kicked my rating up a half of a star)

Oh, I also kicked it up a bit, because I loved Marissa. She made a very small appearance, as Brian's- a fellow friend and co-worker of Chase's- wife. She was sassy and wasn't afraid to tell Chase that he was being a complete moron for letting Harper walk away from him.

So why Ms. McAdams, did you have to take the storyline the way you did? I felt the "plot twist" as you may call it, was thrown in and completely unnecessary. I like drama and angst in my books, but only when they serve a purpose. We already saw the transformation in Chase's character. I found it completely unnecessary to have what happen, happen. (Sorry folks- no spoilers from me!)

And then... the ending. What? I mean, really? It ends like that? Are you kidding me? I know I haven't read the first book, but I needed some plot resolution here. That was a cop-out if you ask me.

Overall, this was one love triangle I could not stand. As I read in another review, "Harper loved Brandon. And wanted Chase." Yes, Akanksha, I must agree with you there.  If you liked Taking Chances, then hey. You might like this book, since you already know what's going to happen. Too much unnecessary drama and angst that didn't serve a purpose for me.

Faking It (Losing It #2)
  by: Cora Carmack

Publication Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by Edelweiss & publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 304 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 5/5 stars

Mackenzie “Max” Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice, wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.

                                                                   -goodreads.com description

Well, folks. Cora Carmack has done it again! And if I'm honest- even better than before! Don't get me wrong- I really enjoyed Losing It. I loved Bliss and Garrick's story- it was light, fun, and cute. But when I heard she was going to write Cade's story- I couldn't wait! Who doesn't remember the sweet best friend who got his heart broken?!

And... we have dual POV's! We get to see both Max and Cade's thoughts and feelings, and for those of you who follow my reviews- you know how much I love that!

I think one of the reasons I liked this book a tiny bit more was because of the depth attached to it. Cade is hurting over the rejection of his best friend and is trying to move on. (Something that's hard to do, when your best friend and the love of her life live in the same city as you do.) He has a habit of letting people go and doesn't fight for what he wants. Which brings us to Max. Max carries significantly more baggage than Cade does. She is dealing with a lot when it comes to her family. Her parents basically expect perfection from her, when she is anything but. Max has a feisty personality and a lot of spunk. She likes her hair dyed bright colors, her plethora of tattoos and piercings, and her sexy outfits. She is a rocker chick in every sense of the word. Music is the one thing that makes sense to Max. And that's the one thing her parents don't take seriously. She is also still dealing with the loss of someone important to her from the past and doesn't really confront it until the end of the book.

However, her parents don't know about the crazy clothes, the dyed hair, or the tattoos and piercings. Which leaves Max in quite a bind when her parents randomly show up to see her, wanting to meet her boyfriend. Max knows she could never introduce her parents to the real guy she's been seeing so, in a spur of the moment decision, she finds a nice looking guy at the coffee shop she's at.

Watching Cade and Max interact is so much fun. I loved watching them banter back and forth and watching Cade play the part of Max's boyfriend with her parents is hilarious. Max's parents adore Cade and end up inviting him to Thanksgiving, thus prolonging the charade.

"I'd never dated a girl like her, and she'd probably never dated a guy like me. But sometimes you don't know what you're looking for until it's already knocked you flat on your back. And what was the point in living if I was only going to travel the same roads again and again?"

For having just met, these two certainly do hit it off. They aggravate the hell out of each other at times, but both are intrigued by the other. Not to mention- the attraction! Max doesn't get what someone like Cade could possibly see in her- in fact, her nickname for him is Golden Boy, because he's your quintessential golden boy. He walks the straight and narrow, has a plan for his life, and is an all around good guy. Thus, she spends the majority of her time trying to push him away because she's so afraid that he can see right through her 'Angry Girl' façade  and see what lies beneath: a hurt, broken girl who is too afraid to show her true colors to her family and expose her heart to a good guy who might break it. She also spends a lot of her time pushing him away for fear of hurting him. She's never done well with relationships and is afraid she will get tired of him and end up making a mess of things.

The moments Max does let her guard down with Cade are so precious. Underneath the hard, tough exterior lies a vulnerability so great it really makes you empathize with Max's character and all of the things she's had to go through. Cade is willing to be there for her, but won't let himself be pushed around by her. He wants her to want him as much as he does her. And if that means stepping aside until she comes to her senses, then so be it.

There is a constant push and pull between Max and Cade and I will say this: Cora Carmack knows how to write steamy scenes with enough sexual tension to drive us readers CRAZY!

You do not need to read the first book Losing It before jumping into this one, though it always helps to have a little backstory first so you can truly appreciate the angst that Cade has over his best friend Bliss. This was a fun book about letting go of your past and becoming the person you want to be for the future and I definitely recommend you get it on release day!