Blog Tour | Not According To Plan by A. M. Madden

Not According To Plan

by A. M. Madden

Published by Entangled Publishing, LLC (Amara) on March 23rd, 2020

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Format: eARC

Source: Kindly provided by the publisher and Rockstar Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Summary from Goodreads: 

For one night of my life, I dared to do something reckless.

My birthday. A bar. Karaoke. And a man so hot he could melt the sun.

Sparks flew. Lust took over. 



For one night of my life, I felt alive.



Then I was back to my “boring” life. Career-driven. Goal-oriented. Always planning ahead.



But nothing could have prepared me for the positive pregnancy test. We weren’t that reckless.



There goes my “boring” life. And what happens when I tell the father?

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Indigo

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Review

Not According To Plan is a story with a unique take on unexpected pregnancy.

Not According To Plan is centred upon Jade Easton, a career focused junior partner at her law firm in New York, and Max Navarro, who is opening a gym in Miami and dealing with other complicated situations. Both aren't looking for anything romantic but life has other plans for them both. Shenanigans occurs when Jade and Max meet unexpectedly at a Kismet Karaoke, as the host of the event pairs them up together, and that's when fun and adventure shared on the stage transforms quickly to the bedroom. However, what was supposed to be a one-night stand changes both of their lives all thanks to one faulty condom.

Despite the situation each characters are put into, they both seem to handle the news well and proceeded to try to do the right thing. Jade is a strong heroine, she knows what she wants and even when the unexpected occurs, she continues to perserver for her dreams and doesn't let anything derail her from them. She has a good perspective on what she wants and adapts quickly to changes. Max finds himself in a predicament he never expected to be in. Though he never faltered and remained, generally, calm and determined as well as committed, I found myself disliking him. I think the predicament he is even left me feeling a little let down on the overall romantic aspect. Nonetheless, the chemistry between Jade and Max is apparent right from the start and showed the potential the two had as a couple.

I adored reading about the side characters, Amy and Brad were hilarious, and how they brought out different sides of the protagonists. I thought the concept of the story was unique but the way it was carried out could have been improved as the transitions often felt rushed. There is also the fact that Max's circumstances before Jade was shocking and left me a little irked. 



Overall, Not According To Plan is not typically a book I would pick up but it was a fast and light read.

Rating

★★★

About the Author

USA Today BESTSELLING ROMANCE AUTHOR



A.M. Madden's romance debut is The Back-Up Series, consisting of Back-Up, Front & Center, and Encore.



A.M. Madden is a wife, a mother, an avid reader of romance novels and now an author. In Back-up she aspired to create a fun, sexy, realistic romantic story. She wanted to create characters that the reader could relate to and feel as if they knew personally. 



A self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, she loves getting lost in a good book. She uses every free moment of her time writing, while raising teenage boys.

Author Links:

Website│Twitter│Instagram│Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday {42}

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, Hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating. 

Title:

Where Dreams Descend

Author:

Janella Angeles

Publication Date:

June 2nd, 2020

Publisher:

                                       Wednesday Books

Summary from Goodreads:

In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes.



As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next.



The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost



The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told



The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide



Where Dreams Descend is the startling and romantic first book in Janella Angeles’ debut Kingdom of Cards fantasy duology where magic is both celebrated and feared, and no heart is left unscathed.

                                                     

Waiting on Wednesday {41}

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, Hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating. 

Title:

The Bethrothed

Author:

Kiera Cass

Publication Date:

May 5th, 2020

Publisher:

                               HaprerCollins Children's Books

Summary from Goodreads:

When King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, Hollis is shocked—and thrilled. After all, she’s grown up at Keresken Castle, vying for the king’s attention alongside other daughters of the nobility. Capturing his heart is a dream come true.

But Hollis soon realizes that falling in love with a king and being crowned queen may not be the happily ever after she thought it would be. And when she meets a commoner with the mysterious power to see right into her heart, she finds that the future she really wants is one that she never thought to imagine. 

                                                     

Review | Anna K: A Love Story by Jenny Lee

Anna K: A Love Story

by Jenny Lee

Published by Flatiron Books on March 3rd, 2020

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary Retelling, Romance

Format: ARC

Source: Kindly provided by the Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Summary from Goodreads: 

Every happy teenage girl is the same, while every unhappy teenage girl is miserable in her own special way.



Meet Anna K. At seventeen, she is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and Newfoundland dogs); she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend, Alexander W.; and she has always made her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). Meanwhile, Anna's brother, Steven, and his girlfriend, Lolly, are trying to weather an sexting scandal; Lolly’s little sister, Kimmie, is struggling to recalibrate to normal life after an injury derails her ice dancing career; and Steven’s best friend, Dustin, is madly (and one-sidedly) in love with Kimmie.



As her friends struggle with the pitfalls of ordinary teenage life, Anna always seems to be able to sail gracefully above it all. That is…until the night she meets Alexia “Count” Vronsky at Grand Central. A notorious playboy who has bounced around boarding schools and who lives for his own pleasure, Alexia is everything Anna is not. But he has never been in love until he meets Anna, and maybe she hasn’t, either. As Alexia and Anna are pulled irresistibly together, she has to decide how much of her life she is willing to let go for the chance to be with him. And when a shocking revelation threatens to shatter their relationship, she is forced to question if she has ever known herself at all.



Dazzlingly opulent and emotionally riveting, Anna K.: A Love Storyis a brilliant reimagining of Leo Tolstoy's timeless love story, Anna Karenina―but above all, it is a novel about the dizzying, glorious, heart-stopping experience of first love and first heartbreak.

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Indigo

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Review 

Anna K.: A Love Story has quickly become one of my overall favourite books of 2020. 

Anna K.: A Love Story is a modern-day YA retelling of Anna Karenina that centres upon Anna K., a Korean-American "it girl" who seems to have it all - the perfect boyfriend, high society parents, loving brother, status, and friends, all wrapped up in a drama-free life with her two Newfoundland dogs. She thought she had it all, that is until Vronsky appears in front of her and ignites something in her that she has never felt before. However, the universe requires balance, and a bunch of wealthy Manhattan teens are about to quickly learn that lesson.

This is a book I didn't know I wanted until I heard it was coming out. Though this retelling of the classic work takes on a modern-day approach, it still stays true to the overall theme and plot of its inspiration. It was fun to see the ways in which Lee stayed true to the original work, through the three couples featured as well as the themes of family and love, while taking a more modernized view by highlighting tough topics such as classicism, racism, sexism, privilege, mental health, pressure of tradition, and alcohol and drug addictions. The incorporation of these topics makes this classical story feel both current and fresh as well as leaves readers feeling for the characters and thinking of these situations regardless of their own personal opinions of the book itself.

Though Anna's story is central to the entire plot, there is a large and diverse cast of characters that contribute with significant side stories. I particularly enjoyed reading the character development in this book, as it was throughly impressive how some characters changed from someone I would have typically disliked to being one of my favourite characters in the book as they grew and changed. However, I absolutely adored the relationships and romance within this story. Anna and Vronsky's romance was the central focus of the entire book, their relationship and the passion they had for one another was one that quickly grabbed my attention since their very first meeting. I also enjoyed reading Steven and Anna's relationship as siblings, they may not have agreed on all things but they always looked out for each other.

Anna K.: A Love Story sort of has a feel similar to that of Gossip Girl and The Hills, a bunch of rich kids getting into all kinds of mischievous activities and acting questionably. With alcohol, cheating, drugs, sex, and jet setting, this book reads like a soapy drama with its portrayal of the over the top lifestyles and relationships. One can read how easily a person can get swept up in the opulence of the characters' lavish lifestyles, wild parties, and romance but can just as easily see how effortless it is to gain access to alcohol and drugs as well as face life-changing decisions at such a young age. Lee thoughtfully and realistically addressed the ways that infidelity is treated differently based on one's gender as well as discussed how alcohol and drugs may be appealing to some teens, whether it is for fun or to help them in some aspect of their life, but can also go wrong through the portrayal of an acid trip and the consequences of being a heroine addict.

I thought I knew how the story would end but was surprised by the circumstances and choices made. Though the ending was softened, it was still a tragic love story that is hard to forget. I felt that the emotions were captured quite well and made everything that much more powerful to read. Overall, Anna K.: A Love Story is a book that I highly recommend picking up and checking out right away. It's a story that I believe will resonate with a lot of people, especially in today's day and age, and will leave readers wanting to know more.

With that being said, there are some content/trigger warnings to be made aware of, see below for a partial list, before picking up this book. A list of trigger warnings will be provided at the end of this review. If you are looking for more in depth trigger warnings, there are a ton of reviews out that may be able to fully address concerns you may have. Please be mindful of your mental health before picking up any book with content/trigger warnings in order to ensure that you don't push yourself. 

TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic scenes, alcohol and drug use, sex shaming, discussion of sex, revenge porn, infidelity, depression, suicidal ideation, mention of self-harm, mention of abortion.

Rating

★★★★★

About the Author 

Jenny Lee is a television writer and producer who has worked on BET's Boomerang, IFC's Brockmire, Freeform's Young & Hungry, and the Disney Channel's number-one-rated kids' show, Shake It Up. Jenny has previously published humorous essay collections and middle-grade novels, and Anna K. is her debut YA novel. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and 135-pound Newfoundland, Gemma (and yes, it's a toss-up on who's walking who every day).

Author Links:

Instagram│Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday {40}

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, Hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating. 

Title:

The Honey-Don't List

Author:

Christina Lauren

Publication Date:

March 24th, 2020

Publisher:

                                             Gallery Books

Summary from Goodreads:

Carey Douglas has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.



James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.



Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripps up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses’ secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along—and start playing for keeps—they may have the chance to build something beautiful together…



From the “hilariously zany and heartfelt” (Booklist) Christina Lauren comes a romantic comedy that proves if it’s broke, you might as well fix it.



From the New York Times bestselling author behind the “joyful, warm, touching” (Jasmine Guillory, New York Times bestselling author) The Unhoneymooners comes a delightfully charming love story about what happens when two assistants tasked with keeping a rocky relationship from explosion start to feel sparks of their own.