Fast & Furious Friday

Welcome to another Fast & Furious Friday!

Rapid-fire reviews of books that are worth checking out. 

And yes, I do read like this sometimes.

Backwards too.

Nantucket Red (Nantucket #2) 

Author: Leila Howard

Publication: May 13, 2014

By: Disney-Hyperion

Amazon | Goodreads 

 

Cricket Thompson's lifetime of overachieving has paid off: she's headed to Brown University in the fall, with a spot on the lacrosse team and a scholarship that covers almost everything. Who knew living in the dorm cost money? An Ivy League education seems to mean living at home for the next four years.

When Cricket is offered the chance to earn enough cash to afford a real college experience, she heads back to Nantucket for the summer. But the faraway island challenges Cricket in ways she hadn't anticipated. It's hard to focus on earning money for next year, when she finds her world opening up in entirely new ways-to art, to travel, and, most unexpectedly, to a future completely different from the one she has been working toward her whole life. A friendship blossoms with Ben, the gorgeous surfer and bartender who encourages Cricket to be free, even as she smarts at the pain of seeing Zack, her first love, falling for her worst enemy.

But one night, when Cricket finally lets herself break all her own rules, she realizes she may have ruined her carefully constructed future with one impulsive decision. Cricket must dig deep to fight for her future, discovering that success isn't just about reaching goals, but also about listening to what she's been trying to ignore-her own heart.

This is a fast-paced, coming of age story about love, loss, figuring out who you are and what you really want. There's also romance, kissing and a heart-breaking betrayal, but fans of Zacket need not worry (too much), because things have a way of working out even if it's not how Cricket or Zack expected it too.

Wish You Were Italian

Author: Kristin Rae

Publication: May 6, 2014

By: Bloomsbury Children USA

Amazon | Goodreads 

The summer before senior year of high school. It’s supposed to be one of the biggest summers of her life, but Pippa is headed to an art program she has no interest in. The one saving grace is it’s in Italy. And when the opportunity strikes, she decides to ditch the program and travel Italy accomplishing her own list of goals. Things like swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, eating a whole pizza in one sitting…and falling in love with an Italian boy!

As she explores the famous cities of Rome and Pompeii, Pippa finds herself falling for two boys: a local guy she knows is nothing but trouble and a cute American archaeology student who keeps disappearing and reappearing at the strangest moments. Will Pippa find her true love before her parents find out the truth about her summer program?

 

Fast, fun and peppered with light-hearted romance, Wish You Were Italian will have you packing your bags for Italy faster than you can say, Ciao! The romance aspect does have a bit of a triangular feel to it, but it's all in good fun. (And you might want to make dinner reservations at your favorite Italian restaurant before reading too.) 

 

Fool Me Twice
Author: Mandy Hubbard
Publication: May 6, 2014
By: Bloomsbury Children USA
Amazon | Goodreads  

Mackenzie and Landon were the perfect couple . . . until he dumped her and broke her heart. Fast-forward a year and they're back where they first met—Serenity Ranch and Spa, where they are once again working together for the summer. Talk about awkward.

Then, Landon takes a nasty fall and gets amnesia. Suddenly, he’s stuck in the past—literally. His most recent memory is of last summer, when he and Mack were still together, so now he’s calling her pet names and hanging all over her. It's the perfect chance for revenge. The plan is simple: keep Landon at arm’s length, manipulate him so he’s the one falling love, and then BAM, dump him. There’s just one problem: Mack can’t fall for Landon all over again.

The If Only romance line is all about wanting what you can't have, and Mandy Hubbard's hilarious break-up/love story is sure to captivate anyone who has ever wished for a second shot at love.

A fresh take on a "second chance at love" that includes laughter, romance, kissing and horses. Forgiveness plays a key role too and I was surprised to discover that this is one of those stories that manages to distract you with it's light-heartedness while it kicks you in the feels. I may not have made the same choices Mack did, but kudos to her for being brave enough to do what she thought was right.