ARC Review of "Things We Know By Heart"

Things We Know By Heart 

By Jessi Kirby 

Stars: 5 

Source: Edwelweiss 

Release Date: April 21st 2015 

When Quinn Sullivan's boyfriend, Trent, suddenly passes away his tragic end gives five others new beginnings. 

Quinn is so heartbroken by his sudden death that she can't cope, can't move on, can't let go. 

Even months later she still feels the pain of Trent's absence. 

Hoping to find closure and peace Quinn decides to write letters to the recipients of Trent's organs. She writes five letters but only four are answered. 

The recipient of Trent's heart seemingly wants nothing to do with her or Trent's family so Quinn decides to find whoever received the heart and hopefully with them find closure. 

What she doesn't expect is Colton Thomas. 

Suddenly she finds herself falling for Colton and she's afraid that the truth, the reason why she met him in the first place, will break the heart she so carefully sought after. 

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I cannot describe the feelings that this book made me feel. It was an emotional roller coaster that left me begging for more, because while the lows were very low the highs were magnificent. 

There is such grief and such pain in this book. It is written so well that it makes you feel everything that Quinn is feeling and with an intensity that is almost painful. But the hopefulness and the pure love and gratitude and joy that is side by side the hurt and pain makes it all worth it. 

I don't even know where to start, I loved everything about this book! I guess I'll just list off a couple of my favorite things and go from there. 

1. Her family. I've noticed that a lot of the newer YA books have a strong focus on family ties, it's no longer just the main character with the absentee parents and the gang of friends. Quinn's family was amazing, I adored her Grandmother, envied her sister and loved her parents. I don't think I would have liked this story as much as I did without Quinn's family. 

2. Ryan. I feel like Ryan deserves her own little mention. She was definitely one of my favorite characters. I would LOVE a companion book about Ryan and her Italian adventures. 

3. The writing. This is my first book by Kirby and holy cow her writing is spectacular! I read this book insanely fast! I couldn't wait to see how it ended, but some sentences demanded to be read over and over again or they would refuse to let you move on. This story captures you and you find yourself fully immersed in someone else's life completely unaware of the passing hours.  

I HIGHLY recommend this book and anything else written by Jessi! 

Until next time, 

Ginger 

In compliance with FTC guidelines I am disclosing that this book was given to me for free to review. 

My review is my honest opinion.

Review of "On The Fence"

On The Fence By Kasie West 

Stars: 5 

Source: Purchased 

Charlotte Reynolds, AKA Charlie, was raised by her Father and three older brothers. Since her Mother died when she was only six she never truly had a female role model. Which is why after getting a speeding ticket and being forced to get a job Charlie finds herself completely lost working at a small clothing boutique in town. 

She doesn't know the first thing about style, or hair, or makeup or nails. But suddenly she's thrust into this world and surprisingly, instead of drowning finds herself able to at least keep her head above the water. 

However not knowing how to put together an outfit is the least of Charlies worries. Since she started working she hasn't had time to run which means she isn't tired enough when she gets home to sleep straight through the night without the nightmares creeping into her dreams and haunting her subconscious.

The only thing that seems to help her through the tough times are her late night talks with her next door neighbor and honorary brother, Braden. 

It doesn't take long for Charlie to realize she's falling for Braden but the fence isn't the only thing that separates them and if there is even the smallest chance of Charlie losing him then she can't risk telling him how she feels.

On The Fence is a heartwarming love story that fans of Sarah Dessen and Stephanie Perkins will find themselves swooning over.

Amazon - Barnes and Noble  - Book Depository 

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I don't even know where to start. First off I'm warning you, do not start this book unless you intend on finishing it in one sitting. It's impossible to put down. 

It didn't take more than a couple of sentences for me to fall head over heels in love with Kasie's writing style, her story and most importantly, her characters. 

Every character jumped off of the page, demanding to be seen and heard and understood. 

I loved Charlie and Braden, their dynamic relationship had me pulling for them before I finished the first chapter but I also fell in love with her older brothers and how protective they were towards her. 

The fact that Charlie was a tomboy who watches sports instead of reality tv shows and would rather play around in the mud with the boys than go to the mall was a giant cherry on top. Having a female protagonist who doesn't look and act like a 90210 extra was such a breath of fresh air. 

I loved how even though it was a cute, romantic read it had deeper issues and storylines that you don't usually find in rom-coms. It had a depth to it that made the story feel much more real and made you care about it just a little bit more. 

I can't wait to read more from Kasie and if you haven't yet picked up this book I urge you to do so as soon as possible, you won't regret it! 

Until next time, 

Ginger