A Field Guide For Heartbreakers

A Field Guide for Heartbreakers

Kristen Tracy

Hyperion

$16.99

June 2010

FTC: I received this from the publisher with the understanding that I would provide an honest review for no compensation.

Characters 15/20

Plot 15/20

Setting 20/20

Cover 20/20

Ending 15/20

Total grade: 85% B

Total rating: 14+

Summary:

Best friends Dessy and Veronica arrive in Europe with wildly different plans. Dessy hopes to heal her newly broken heart by diving into the creative writing workshop that brought the girls to Prague. Veronica's plan, meanwhile, is to conquer as many hot-dudes as possible in one month--and help Dessy recycle her heart in the process. Her method:

- Dress like you are the party.

- Explore the terrain. (Moderate stalking is totally allowed.)

- Be adventurous. And that means being prepared to hide in your suitcase.

- Ask questions that make your hot-dude feel smart.

- Gloss early, gloss often, and bring bum. Because a kiss can happen when you least expect it!

At first, Veronica's plan is working so well that Dessy thinks she might be a love genius. But soon it's clear that Operation Maneater has a few holes. Like its failure to anticipate crazy mixed signals--and worse, its mysterious tendency to plague a friendship with secrets and lies.

Well, no one ever said breaking hearts was a simple craft....

My Thoughts:

I adore the cover of this book. It is super cute and fun. Upon beginning to read this book I was surprised with the slow start. It was not what I was hoping or expecting to find. It took too long to really pick up, which messed up the plot for me. I felt kind of off and on about the characters. Sometimes I really liked them and others they were kind of blah. The romance in this book was super fun though. When things got moving it was much better. I recommend that all my chick-lit readers pick up a copy and head to the beach, or pool, or even the backyard.

Playlist:

1. Teardrops on my Guitar (Taylor Swift)
2. Solo (IYAZ)
3. Forever & Always (Taylor Swift)
4. Summer Boy (Lady Gaga)
5. Picture to Burn (Taylor Swift)

Something, Maybe

Title: Something, Maybe
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Price: $16.99 USD
Release: March 24th 2009
FTC: This is my own purchased book. I did not receive it from the publisher or author.

Characters 20/20
Plot 20/20
Setting 20/20
Cover 15/20
Ending 20/20
Total grade: 95% A

Sexual content: 10/20
Violence: 0/20
Drugs: 0/20
Underage drinking: 5/20
Swearing: 5/20
Total rating: 13+

Summary: (Amazon)
In this often astute, occasionally awkward take on family and unwanted fame, Hannah Jackson James tries not to live in her parents' dubious shadow. Her father is an aging reality TV star with a Hugh Hefner-esque castle full of girlfriends. Her mother, a minor actress and former girlfriend of Jackson's, now makes her money hosting a webcam show in skimpy underwear. When Hannah moved with her mom to a small town at age 12, she tried her hardest to blend in. Five years later, her concerns include staying unnoticed at school, making sure her mom can pay the bills, and deciding how to approach the object of her affection, a fellow student named Josh who works next to Hannah at the drive-through call center for a fast-food chain. Then her father calls for the first time in five years to invite her to visit him in New York. Hannah is torn between her desire for his love and her suspicion that the gesture is nothing more than a cynical ratings ploy. Scott's portrayal of Hannah's family situation is subtle and convincing. Readers will understand without being told that Hannah and her mother love one another, but that Hannah is as much a parent as a child. Her relationships with her peers are less believable. Her interest in Josh never quite seems genuine, and readers realize long before she does that Finn, a kind but irreverent goofball, is a better match.

My Thoughts:
This book was awesome! I have never once not been impressed with Elizabeth Scott. I saw the obvious play on Hugh of Playboy fame as hilarious. I was cracking up every time he was in the picture.

Hannah was a sweetie and I really liked her. I felt that I was really able to have a connection with her, which is always nice. She was the typical teen girl, liking what isn’t good for her.

Finn was adorable. I wanted him to be my boyfriend. Josh was exactly what I saw him to be from the start. This is defiantly a worthwhile read.