The Trouble With Flirting

 

“Dreams are easy, Franny, but you can’t live on them.”

 

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Author: Claire LaZebnik

Rating: 4.3/5

Started on: June 28, 2016

Finished on: July 01, 2016

Edition: Paperback

Published by: HarperTeen

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction, Chick lit, Retelling

 

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Synopsis:

Franny’s supposed to be working this summer, not flirting. But you can’t blame her when guys like Alex and Harry are around. . . .

Franny Pearson never dreamed she’d be attending the prestigious Mansfield Summer Theater Program. And she’s not, exactly. She’s working for her aunt, the resident costume designer. But sewing her fingers to the bone does give her an opportunity to spend time with her crush, Alex Braverman. If only he were as taken with the girl hemming his trousers as he is with his new leading lady.

When Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt, shows more than a friendly interest in Franny, she figures it can’t hurt to have a little fun. But as their breezy romance grows more complicated, can Franny keep pretending that Harry is just a carefree fling? And why is Alex suddenly giving her those deep, meaningful looks? In this charming tale of mixed messages and romantic near-misses, one thing is clear: Flirting might be more trouble than Franny ever expected.

 

 

The Trouble With Flirting is definitely the perfect “next book” after reading an intense, melodramatic novel (I’m looking at you, Me Before You)! No drama that’ll make you tear up, no action that’ll give you a heart attack, no plot twist that’ll break your heart. Just some scenes that’ll make you light-headed, laugh your heart out, smile from ear to ear, feel all the butterflies in your stomach, and will definitely make you want your own Alex, Julia, Vanessa, Lawrence, Isabella, and Harry Cartwright. I absolutely enjoyed every moment with this novel! It just makes me feel so alive, and happy, puts me in a good mood, and gives me so much hope for my future love life 😂

Anyway, let’s start talking about the novel.

 

 

“There’s the way people look on the outside and the way they really are, and with me you never even saw the difference.”

Franny Pearson isn’t like her classmates that would have the best summer job, and the most interesting essays once school resumes. She’d be in a summer theatre program, helping her Aunt Amelia sew costumes for people involved in something she always loved. She already prepared herself for (possibly) the worst summer in history, but all of her expectations changed when Alex Braverman showed up in the dining hall on every student’s first day.

While working for her aunt, Franny managed to make friends with Julia, her friend back in middle school and, not to mention, Alex’s sister, Vannessa, Lawrence, Alex, Isabella, Alex’s apple of the eye, Marie, and Harry Cartwright, the flirtatious  guy who seems to “flirt with everything that’s moving”.

Everything seemed so perfect for Franny, until Isabella and Alex starts hanging out more often and her dear Braverman only talks to her when Isabella’s smoking with her best friend, Harry and Vanessa; until Harry starts to be more than just flirt with her; until her heart starts to become confused.

Soon she realizes how destiny’s playing with her and, with a certain twist of events, would learn that not every man with a “good guy” image should be trusted and not every stereotype, bad looking guy doesn’t know how to love someone deeply and will take the one he loves seriously.

 

 

Even though this novella is a fun read, it wasn’t very exciting. I also didn’t like the fact that almost all of the proceeding scenes are undeniably predictable. But hey, at least everybody ended up with who I wanted them to end up with.

 

Me Before You

“You only get one life. It’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible.”

 

Author: Jojo Moyes

Rating: 5/5

Started on: May 27, 2016

Finished on: June 19, 2016

Edition: UK Edition

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Chick-lit, Adult fiction, Realistic fiction, Drama

Synopsis:

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.
What Lou doesn’t know is she’s about to lose her job or that knowing what’s coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he’s going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn’t know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they’re going to change the other for all time.

Me Before You. Published on the 5th of January 2012 and hit the big screen on the 16th of June 2016. I have already watched the movie last Saturday, June 18, 2016, and I have to say, I am quite proud of the director for putting justice on the book. Although, there were some important scenes on the book that were not present, or was rushed, in the movie. But hey! Both ripped my heart and made me cry a puddle because of one reason so I guess that can make up to all the missing/rushed scenes. Also, Will Traynor was freaking hot in the movie, similar to his description in the novel 😍 so…yeah. Justice prevailed!

“All I can say is that you make me… you make me into someone I couldn’t even imagine. You make me happy, even when you’re awful. I would rather be with you – even the you that you seem to think is diminished – than with anyone else in the world.”

 

Louisa Clark thought everything was going well with her life. She has the best job at the cafe, a very loving and supportive, long term boyfriend, a caring family, a unique sense of fashion, and enough knowledge to get her through life. What she wasn’t aware of was that her dull, boring life was about to ride the roller coaster that was hidden from her life for twenty six years, with the help of Will Traynor.

 

William Traynor lived his life the best he could until a motorcycle accident destroyed every dream and happiness he has in his life, which caused him great depression and thoughts of ending everything. What he doesn’t know is that the most cheerful and colorful woman in UK is about to enter his life and will make the best out of her contract.

 

Love is the least thing they’d expect to emerge in their patient-carer relationship, but it’s the best thing that had happened in their entire life.

 

They found the comfort and happiness that’s been missing their entire life, and began to fill the notch that’s been living in their hearts for a long, long time. Lou began to release her adventurous side while Will started to show emotional and mental improvement. It was a love story to die for.

 

But we all know happily ever afters only occur in fairy tales.

Overall, I am highly recommending everyone to read, and watch, Me Before You! I know this review isn’t as great as the novella but hey I’m no Jojo Moyes. 😋

 

And because I can never get enough of Will, here’s one of my favorite line from him.

 

 

Book Mail!!!!

Last March 16, 2016, around 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, I was scrolling through my social media accounts while waiting for our exam in Differential Calculus. When I opened my instagram, I was shocked of how many comment notifications I got. It was more than usual! So being the curious and impatient puppy that I am, I opened it immediately. And this was what the blabbering was about:

geekgirlreads is my bookstagram username 🙂

 

The moment I saw this post, I literally screamed and squealed and jumped for joy! … in our university cafeteria… with all the students and faculty looking at me. But who freaking cares?! I JUST WON A GIVEAWAY ❤️‍

 

I immediately contacted them and settled with two books – Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and Everything I Never Told You. But since I am a girl and I just LOVE every book I see in book depository, I changed it to a more mainstream book, and one book for my sister (check her bookstagram @bookishmuggle to see what she recieved!)

It was May 5 (or so) when I sent my order at bookdepository.com. Few days after, it was finally dispatched from UK! Now all that’s left to do is wait…

 

And wait…

 

And wait…

 

And freaking wait

 

 

 

(this is the only bad thing when it comes to book mail. it takes FOREVER before you have it 😭 luckily, forever doesn’t exist. HAH! in your face, lovebirds)

 

After waiting for a long time, it finally arrived! I received a message earlier from my sister saying that the book mails are finally in her hands! 😍

 

I screamed my heart out (again, in our cafeteria) and went home as fast as the jeepneys and tricycle could handle. And thanks to adrenaline, my legs didn’t feel weak despite of how fast I was walking.

 

AND HERE IT IS!

I unwrapped it as fast as my hands could handle and…and… I was completely speechless.

 

It’s so beautiful! 😍 There are some defects but whatever! The book looks so gorgeous and it’s mine and I can finally meet Lou Clark and Will Traynor ❤️‍

 

I haven’t posted anything on my bookstagram but I have posted one photo on my personal account (@nichikolaa)

 

Also my gallery is currently filled with photos of this book so expect geekgirlreads to have posts filled with this gem ❤️‍

 

I’ll be reading Me Before You this weekend and if ever I finish it by then, I’ll make sure I’ll post a review as soon as possible!

 

For now, I’ll be in my paradise, sniffing my brand new baby 💖

 

 

Broken

You spoke sweet words,

Which my heart couldn’t easily handle.

 

You made solemn promises,

And made me believe they were true.

 

You said every compliment,

My ears wishes to hear every day from everyone.

 

I felt like the queen,

Of such a brave and noble knight.

 

But you left me in the darkest room,

Filled with promises you never consumed.

I wept and hoped you’d come back for me,

But i guess you were just a part of a dream.

 

You once made me happy –

Made me feel whole. I responded to all your plea,

Never realized i was just your tool.

 

Now, my heart is wrecked,

Pained and abandoned.

 

I guess loving is too much,

For my little heart to handle.

F*ck Love

 

Contrast is important in life. We understand what light is because we can compare it with what we know is dark. Sweet is made sweeter after we eat something bitter. It’s the very same with sadness. And it’s important to experience sadness, to embrace it in order to truly know happiness. I was just a flat line until he came along. And maybe now I’m hurting. But isn’t that what love is supposed to do? Make you feel, make you brave, make you look at yourself noticing. Rich and sad.

Author: Tarryn Fisher

Rating: 4.9/5

Started on: January 18, 2016

Finished on: January 21, 2016

Edition: Kindle Edition

Genre: Romance, Contemporary

Synopsis:

Helena Conway has fallen in love.
Unwillingly. Unwittingly.
But not unprovoked.
Kit Isley is everything she’s not—unstructured, untethered,
and not even a little bit careful.
It could all be so beautiful … if he wasn’t dating her best friend.
Helena must defy her heart, do the right thing, and think of others.
Until she doesn’t.

 

“The best kind of love is the love that isn’t supposed to happened.” – Greer

 

F*ck Love is my very first book by Tarryn Fisher. I have NEVER read any of her books, nor knew her before getting this book. I had the urge to read it immediately because I was really hyped to start reading the ‘Never Never’ trilogy by her and Colleen Hoover [I’ll be posting a review for the trilogy too! Stay tuned *winks*]. Unlike other first time books from an unknown author, I grew love for Tarryn Fisher, making me want to read all of her books. She’s brilliant just like that!

 

 

 

The story started with Kit telling something to Helena, something he shouldn’t say to her especially that Kit is her best friend’s boyfriend. Their awkward conversation headed to them holding up a blue crayon, to them being in a house with their kids, Thomas and Brandi, until they ended up making love on a table. It was something Helena knew she wasn’t supposed to do, but felt so good…and so right.

 

Then she woke up – in a car parked outside the restaurant where she’s supposed to meet his boyfriend, Neil, her best friend Della, and her best friend’s boyfriend, Kit Isley.

 

And that dream changed her life forever.

 

She started doing things she never did, thought the way she shouldn’t think, and fell in love with a person she’s not allowed to fall in love with. Helena was indeed living in a nightmare. A complete hell of a nightmare. Until her impulsive decisions made sense, until her heart started to fill with glee, until she and her dearest had a forbidden love against her best friend ever since.

 

Is this another dream of Helena? Is their love story really the focus or just a part of Della and Kit’s?

 

 

As what I’ve said (or typed) earlier, I really loved this novel, and Tarryn Fisher. However, if you had noticed, it lacked 0.1 star for it to be a 5 star. And no I am not a hard-to-please kind of book nerd. I loved this novel, but there were still some flaws for me.

It was a love triangle gone terribly wrong. I admit I hated various wrong timing scenes, especially when other people, like Muslim, came in the picture. Nevertheless, the epilogue made me feel a lot better. A lot better. Like if I have to make a graph to show what I loved about this novel, it would look like this:

Well anyway, my reasons for loving and not liking the book aren’t important. What’s important is F*ck Love is a brilliant novel and I’m hoping every bookworms could read this! I know a physical copy of this book is hard to find, but as what Kit Isley said,

“Nothing worth finding is actually easy to find.”