It’s Not Summer Without You by. Jenny Han | Book Review | Re-Read

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: It’s Not Summer Without You (#2)

Author: Jenny Han

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 275

Publication Date: 4/26/10

Publisher: Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Romance, Teen, Young Adult, Coming of Age, Contemporary

Belly finds out what comes after falling in love in this follow-up to The Summer I Turned Pretty from the New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (soon to be a major motion picture!), Jenny Han.

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.

But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started—at Cousins Beach.

Content Warning: death of parent, underage drinking

I read this series long ago but decided to do a re-read because it’s now on screen! It’s been interesting re-reading this series as an older person for sure. Here’s what I thought:

+ {spoiler} The boy’s mom was ill in book one and passes but they have no scenes of the actual moment it happens. This sequel is told in memories, whether it’s about Belly and Conrad memories, or one that included Susannah. We see everyone handling their grief in very different ways but for sure they are broken and trying to hang on to one another.

+ No matter the romance drama between Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah – I do love that they have the bond because of how close their families are and the memories they made at the beach house.

+ Belly’s mom is awesome and is handling so much – but Belly being a teenager, doesn’t know how much she is handling. But she really is awesome and loves these kids, hers and Susannah’s.

~ Even though I know this book is about a love triangle, I just cannot believe how Belly goes back and forth between the brothers. I’m just sad they all have to go through this drama while grieving Susannah. It’s messy and it’s the worst kind of love triangle because it’s between brothers.

~ This is all teen drama so Belly comes off as a brat at times.

Tropes: love triangle

Spice Level: 🌶 (there is kissing)

Why you should read it:

You love the first book and want to know what happens next.
you like stories about first loves, first crushes, a love triangle

Why you might not want to read it:

you’re not into teenage romance love triangles
Belly can get annoying

My Thoughts:

The books in this series are really quick reads! It’s mainly about Belly and the two brothers she loves in different ways but it’s definitely not a book for someone who hates love triangles. I don’t mind love triangles but I hate when it’s between two brothers. It’s messy and even more so because it’s young love with so many feelings involved, feelings that hurt easy, intertwined with grief. In my opinion, Belly should lay off dating these guys until she’s older and has a clear head haha…but that’s just me! It’s just full on romance, back and forth drama.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Summer I Turned Pretty by. Jenny Han | Book Review | Re-read ⭐️⭐️⭐️

How do you regret one of the best nights of your entire life? You don’t. You remember every word, every look. Even when it hurts, you still remember.
Jenny Han, It’s Not Summer Without You

Love & Gelato on Netflix

Another book I read so long ago! But that’s okay if I hardly remember it, I am loving all these adaptations on all the streaming services I have.

I loved all the scenes in Italy – it made me reminisce about my honeymoon 11 years ago. I also love the food aspects of the movie. It made me crave pasta and gelato of course!

I thought it was a cute movie – my favorite parts were when Lina’s best-friend Addie was in the scenes, she made it fun. There is the love triangle between Lina trying to choose between Alessandro (hot, rich guy who’s going to Harvard) and Lorenzo who actually has a girlfriend but he’s the sweet, charming guy training to be a chef. There is some kissing, but all pretty innocent. I thought it’s a great summer movie option about traveling overseas instead of the typical beachy summer movie.

I haven’t read any of the other books in the series – should I? Let me know in the comments below if you read this series and if you will be watching this movie on Netflix!

Here’s the trailer:

The Summer I Turned Pretty on Amazon Prime Video

I read this series when it first published back in 2009 and I’m not surprised Amazon picked it up after the success of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix. I love that the books I read years ago are now becoming tv shows!

I just binged this series on Monday and it was done so well. I love how they added all the diversity that was missing in the original books. Jeremiah is bi in this show, which is awesome and I think reflect the times perfectly and can we just admire his gorgeous eyes?! And then there is Conrad and honestly the actor who played him was perfect – he’s brooding, tortured and of course Belly’s first love/crush. Who can blame her? I was always team Conrad since I love the bad boys but I was never into Belly choosing between two brothers. I know it happens in real life but I always felt so awful about the drama between all of them. 🥺

I love Jeremiah’s energy in this series – he’s so carefree and fun. Conrad is the one in pain and ugh I just feel for him. The actor who plays him, Christopher Briney is so good! And the girl who plays Belly, Lola Tung was perfect, as the 15 year old turning 16 and crushing on Conrad and just trying to be more grown. I honestly forgot about their mom being sick, I only remember the boys going through some hard things and Belly being there in the middle of it all. I did read that the debutant ball was added in to the show and true…I was wondering if I just didn’t remember the books all that well. But yeah…maybe I should re-read the books? They are quick reads so I just might if I can get my hands on them. It doesn’t matter though since now days I try to separate books from shows/movies as much as I can because so much changes get made. I loved all the changes though!

The friendship between the moms remind me of the movie Beaches so I’m scared Season 2 will make me cry! 😢

And can I say that the soundtrack for this whole series is AMAZING. If you are a Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish fan, you will love this series. The music just fits so well! And of course I went crazy when I heard “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus lol…talk about bringing back MEMORIES, ughhhh so good! That song came out in 2000, and I was 21 years old at the time – just good times! 🥰 I found the show’s playlist on apple music so you know what’s going to be on repeat for awhile,

Are you planning on watching The Summer I Turned Pretty? If anything, even if you never read the books, it’s such a summer type of show – it’s full on SUMMER vibes!! Beach, sand, fireworks, cute boys, pretty girls, crushes, broken hearts, love drama, love triangle, family drama, good music – it’s fun and yet emotional too. Check it out if you can!🌊❤️

Postcards From Summer by. Cynthia Platt | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Postcards From Summer

Author: Cynthia Platt

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 5/31/22

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Romance, Coming of Age

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Seventeen-year-old Lexi has always wanted to know more about the mother who passed away when she was only a child. But her dad will barely talk about her. He says he’d rather live in the present with Lexi, her stepmom, and her half-brother. Lexi loves her family, too, but is it so wrong to want to learn about the mom she never got to know?

When Lexi’s grandma dies and secretly leaves her a worn blue chest that belonged to Lexi’s mother, Lexi is ecstatic to find a treasure trove of keepsakes. Her mom held onto letters, pamphlets, flyers, and news articles all from the same beautiful summertime getaway: Mackinac Island—plus a cryptic postcard that hints at a forbidden romance. If Lexi wants answers, this island is where she needs to go.

Without telling her dad, Lexi goes to the gorgeous Mackinac Island in Lake Superior, reachable only by ferry. Cars are forbidden and bikes are the number one mode of transportation along the quaint cobblestone streets, and the bright white hotel that looms like a high castle over charming cafés and bookshops. While following her mother’s footsteps, Lexi befriends an elderly former Broadway star and a charming young hotel worker while quickly falling in love with her surroundings.

But though the island may be beautiful, it’s hiding unfortunate secrets—some with her mother at the center. Could some questions be best left buried beneath the blue waters?

Content Warning: Death of Parent

I really love the cover of this book and that’s the main reason I requested it.

Lexi doesn’t know much about her mom but when her estranged grandmother dies and leaves her a box of her mom’s things she wants to find out more. With encouragement from her step-sister Chloe, they concoct a plan for her to find out more about her mom and visiting Mackinac Island in Michigan. It requires lying to her dad and step-mom, but Lexi feels like she has no choice.

The story starts off fine and we have two timelines going on – Emma (Lexi’s mom), is telling her story in the past, and Lexi continues in the present. Emma is a sunshine girl, who’s life has been easy so far. Her parents own a lovely hotel resort on Mackinac Island. She’s friendly with the employees, especially one guy named JR who she’s known from when they were little kids. But this summer is different – Emma has befriended brother and sisters, Linda and Ryan. They become a foursome all summer long until things start to change.

Emma is a sweet girl who loves art, she’s always late to things, she loves her summer dresses and being carefree. Her parents want her to learn more responsibility though because they hope she will take over the hotel business but Emma doesn’t want the hotel to be her future. She’s not sure what she wants. Even when it comes to guys. JR is her best friend, and he’s known her forever but Ryan has an amazing smile and a charming personality like her.

I was invested in finding out Emma’s history for Lexi’s sake. Lexi just needs to know more about her mom, and I sympathized with her. But I had a few issues with the story. Lexi’s character wasn’t someone I could connect to. I felt like a lot of the characters weren’t very developed outside of Emma, JR, Ryan and Linda. Lexi is a very indecisive character and needs encouragement from her step-sister Chloe who we only get to know over the phone. Chloe is there in the beginning of the story but barely there, anywhere else in the story. For someone who is investigating her mother’s history, Lexi was strangely reluctant to follow the plan she has, even ignoring advice from people on the island – which was so strange to me. Instead she tries to force some random worker to help her and clearly he doesn’t want to. It was bizarre.

I was drawn to Emma’s upbringing in the beginning, mostly because the setting of Mackinac Island sounded wonderful, but she is as indecisive as Lexi. She gets herself into a love triangle and it’s super frustrating. I usually don’t mind love triangles but Emma comes off as innocent yet has two guys in love with her and she can’t seem to choose which one she wants to be with. It ruins the friendship between all of them, including Linda. It was just sad. Everything revolved around Emma even beyond her death.

Another thing that wasn’t vibing with me was the whole mystery of Emma’s life and Lexi’s investigation of it. It was slow, add the love triangle to it and I felt unsatisfied with the story. I guess I thought from the cover this would be a more light-hearted story.

Why you should read it:

Mackinac Island setting
summer of friendship

Why you might not want to read it:

love triangle with a girl who couldn’t really make a choice and stick with it (until it had ruined relationships)
slow developing story, Lexi’s investigation went nowhere at times
indecisive characters: Emma and Lexi

My Thoughts:

I love the cover and the concept of the story. The setting was wonderful and I even had to Google it to see if it was real! It is. The setting was my favorite part. The execution of the story fell short for me. I didn’t connect to Emma or Lexi, they were both way too indecisive for me. The story moved a bit too slowly and I didn’t enjoy the love triangle. Unfortunately this story wasn’t for me.

📚 ~ Yolanda

The Hawthorne Legacy by. Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2)

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Format: eBook (own)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 9/7/21

Publisher: Penguin

Categories: Young Adult, Inheritance, Puzzles, Riddles, Mystery, Romance, Contemporary

Intrigue, riches, and romance abound in this thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Inheritance Games perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson.

The Inheritance Games ended with a bombshell, and now heiress Avery Grambs has to pick up the pieces and find the man who might hold the answers to all of her questions – including why Tobias Hawthorne left his entire fortune to Avery, a virtual stranger, rather than to his own daughters or grandsons.

Thanks to a DNA test, Avery knows that she’s not a Hawthorne by blood, but clues pile up hinting at a deeper connection to the family than she had ever imagined. As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture – by any means necessary.

With nonstop action, aspirational jet-setting, family intrigue, swoonworthy romance, and billions of dollars hanging in the balance, The Hawthorne Legacy will thrill Jennifer Lynn Barnes fans and new readers alike.

Well, well, well…the twists keep on keeping in this series, doesn’t it? Avery, the Hawthornes and friends are on the move to break the case of Toby Hawthorne and how Avery fits into the inheritance Tobias Hawthorne left her. So did they figure it out?

I love the puzzles and riddles of course and it’s what made me love the series in the first place. We get more of it here, but more like a scavenger hunt because they have to travel places to find things. This book is fast pace – by the end of it, I was like wait…is it over? Book three can’t come soon enough.

I love Max! Max is Avery’s best friend and honestly I’m so glad she was here for book two. I love her humor and penchant for substituting her curse words. Speaking of friends – Libby who is Avery’s sister doesn’t have a huge role here but I still love that she is Avery’s only family really.

We do get to know more about Toby’s past which is great! There is a whole backstory there and this is the sequel to tell it.

My team Grayson standing did not go well for me in this book! 😔 But that’s okay – I felt like Avery was busy finding clues than concentrating on romance which is understandable. Jameson is fine, but yeah I was over the love triangle between Avery and the brothers in this one. I don’t mind love triangles but when there is two brothers involved? It sucks! Also I didn’t feel like Avery had much a connection to either them, almost like either them will do – until the end, of course.

There was too much going on. I felt like there were too many characters to keep up with and plot points! I think in book one, we were being introduced to them so I could keep it straight but add Toby’s back story and I need a white board and pen to make some diagrams on who is connected to who! There were so many twists ad turns, I got a bit dizzy.

How many times are they going to talk about invisible ink? Haha…that was super repetitive.

Why you should read it:

if you read the first book, read this one to learn more about Toby Hawthorne
To find out who will win Avery’s heart
To get more time with Max because she’s fun

Why you might not want to read it:

love triangle with brothers
too much filler, too much going on

My Thoughts:

Even though I had my little issues with the book, it’s a second book in the series and I’ll let it slide because I was still entertained. I still flew through the book quickly and I’m looking forward to book three!

📚~ Yolanda