romance – Page 112 – Down the Rabbit Hole

Review: Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry

December 15, 2014June 4, 2015 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Pushing the Limits #1.1

Katie McGarry captivated readers with her “riveting, emotional”* Young Adult debut, Pushing the Limits. In this gripping novella, she tells the story of Lila and Lincoln, who discover that sometimes it’s worth crossing the line for love…

Lila McCormick, Echo’s best friend from Pushing the Limits, first met Lincoln Turner when tragedy struck both their lives. But she never expected their surprise encounter would lead to two years of exchanging letters—or that she’d fall for the boy she’s only seen once. Their relationship is a secret, but Lila feels closer to Lincoln than anyone else. Until she finds out that he lied to her about the one thing she depended on him for the most.

Hurting Lila is the last thing Lincoln wanted. For two years, her letters have been the only thing getting him through the day. Admitting his feelings would cross a line he’s never dared breach before. But Lincoln will do whatever it takes to fix his mistakes, earn Lila’s forgiveness—and finally win a chance to be with the girl he loves.

4 Drink Me Potions

Crossing the Line was a beautiful novella. I liked Lila even as a secondary character in Pushing the Limits. She has a heart of gold. I loved how she and her best friend, Echo, were a package deal. That’s the kind of friendship that should exist.

In Crossing the Line, we get to see a short story of Lila and her secret guy she’s been writing to in letters. First of all, that’s just so sweet. I love a story where our protagonists fall for each other through letter writing. It has this old-time traditional feeling to it that means so much more than just sending a quick email. Anyway, Lincoln was a guy she met for only a moment, but their connection clearly impacted each other greatly. There were many cute moments that did happen in this book so it’s still satisfying. Plus, Lincoln greatly outmatches that idiot Stephen she was dating previously.

My only regret with this book was that it was only a novella. I seriously thought that their story could’ve gone through a little more, but it was still amazing for what was there. I also wished their moment together from when they first met could’ve been written out too. Ah well, I understand a novella can’t quite be that long. Either way, this is a must-read for any fans of Lila from Pushing the Limits.

Overall Recommendation:
Fans of Pushing the Limits will not be disappointed with Lila’s own short story. Lovers of cute moments and of course, hot guys like Lincoln, would most definitely drool over Crossing the Line. Katie McGarry never disappoints in this novella and her character building. A definite MUST-READ for the series!

Review: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

September 2, 2014June 5, 2015 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they’re rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen’s relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and — finally — a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith’s new novel shows that the center of the world isn’t necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.

4 Drink Me Potions

It took me a long time to get into the story. However, my suggestion is to stick it out for say, the first third to half of the book, because The Geography of You and Me most definitely won me over by the end of it.

The beginning was slower than I had thought it would be. Sure, the boy-meets-girl moment happens almost immediately but I wasn’t feeling much for it. AT FIRST. But wait! As the story took its course, there were moments where I had to sit back and just pause to smile at the pages before me.

Owen and Lucy are rather normal characters, as main protagonists go. I wouldn’t say they’re unlikeable, ’cause for sure they are likeable enough for me to continue reading their respective stories, but they’re not excitingly memorable/unique. Each have something to deal with at the beginning. For Owen, it was dealing with the move to NY and over losing his mom. For Lucy, it was being left alone a lot, with her brothers away for school and parents always travelling around the world. I loved that over the span of the book, they both changed and grew from these experiences.

The romance was cute. It was also slow coming, but eventually I felt that irresistible pull they had on each other just as they were discovering it for themselves too. Long distance relationships are hard, and it requires a lot of commitment to one another. I loved that it explored the ups and the downs in any relationship like that.

Maybe my 4 stars are a bit generous, but how could I not be? The Geography of You and Me has some of my very favourite things in it. A beautiful starlit sky where our protagonists first felt the magic; travelling/exploring beautiful cities around the world; and a romance that conquers the distance between them. Sighhh, it’s just too cute for words.

By the way, I absolutely am grateful that Jennifer E Smith kept the ending realistic. It didn’t take away any of the magic of the relationship, maybe even added to it. The writing still melts my heart as I think back on it.

Overall Recommendation:
What started off slow and almost too boring to continue, The Geography of You and Me holds more promise to it than that if you just dig deeper. With sweeping descriptions of gorgeous cities in Europe and America, any traveller who’s been there (like I have!) or wishes to will enjoy the imagery. Just imagine yourself there along with them! And how could anyone resist a relationship that knows no bounds? Distance may just soften the heart.
I recommend this sweet story to anyone who loves travelling and cute relationships!

Review: Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

August 3, 2014August 20, 2015 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY . . . for teens, from romantic comedy star Elizabeth Eulberg.

For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?

4.5 Drink Me Potions

I have been waiting for a long time to get my hands on Better Off Friends. For me, that made me nervous that I would expect too much from it. However, it delivered in more ways than one. I gobbled it up in one sitting.

This beautiful story is written in alternating perspectives between our besties, Macallan and Levi. They both have such unique personalities that you can almost picture them talking to you. In between chapters, short conversations between the two occur as they reminisce about their relationship. The whole book is written in a way that implies the two are telling us their story, from the beginning when they first met and became friends, with them commenting on the events of the previous chapter like “What? You actually thought that at that time?“.

I found it a little long at first, expecting most of the story to revolve around them in high school and what not. But it begins when they’re in grade 7, and it goes through the years with them until junior year. I totally understand it was necessary to see how their friendship grows, and the character development of both as they grew older. Guess my over-inflated expectations prevented a five-star rating.

However, I loved most everything else. Their quick-witted banter and fun really reflects what a close friendship should look like. Does it matter that they’re of opposite gender? No. It was very enjoyable, seeing the fun they had, and what they would do when things got complicated.

This brings me to my main point. The question this story revolves around is Can girls and guys be best friends without something more?. I found that Elizabeth Eulberg really considered all the complications that could arise if one or both of them felt something more for the other. What would happen if the other started dating? How would double dates be like? Would jealousy and other crazy stuff come in the way of the friendship? Can it survive all the misunderstandings and what not? Ms. Eulberg, I am a fan for that.

This is an almost 5-star. I would suggest you read this, even more so if you’re like me and wonder about the age-old question above as well.

Overall Recommendation:
A realistic book that resonates deeply with me, I highly recommend it to anyone who ever had a bestie of the opposite gender, or even for those who would like to see what may come out of one when complicated feelings arise. Two loveable protagonists, individually and together, this will be a fun (and occasionally swoon-worthy) read for the summer!

P.S. I kinda wish the ending was longer…