Double Review: Wesley James Ruined My Life

Hey guys! So a while ago we hosted a Blog Tour for Wesley James Ruined My Life and also included a review by the marvelous Mari. I just recently read it as well and would love to share my thoughts with you! Below is Mari's previously posted review, along with the my new one.

Wesley James Ruined My Life by Jennifer Honeybourn

Mari's Perspective

Review:

This book was the quintessential beach read. Honestly it was the kind of light book that you sometimes NEED during vacation, and it didn't disappoint. While it had a predictable and somewhat cliche plot, the backstory more then made up for it. Q is a likeable girl who (like me) loves England, and needs to make cash in order to go. Her relationships with her parents are complex (what with her gambler of a dad) and in many ways she is a fully developed character. Then in comes Wesley who "ruined" her life a while ago, who is stirring some new feelings in her. In my opinion it was stupid that she blamed him for the divorce of her parents. Like really Q? You really thought that he was the one to reveal to your mom that your dad lost his job? How dumb and naive can you be? But whatever. Wes is SUPER hot, and his reporte with Q is extremely cute, something that really drives the book forward. Their love/hate relationship is super fun and cute to watch, and it was perfect to lazily read on a summer day, outdoors with a lemonade in hand!

Rating: 7.5/10

Lauren's Perspective

Review:

    Wesley James Ruined My Life is very short and to the point. It's an easy read and hard to put down, but there were a few flaws within the writing.

    The author's writing, or Quinn's thoughts, were very repetitive. Quinn kept saying over and over again, 'this and this only happened because of Wesley James'. She blamed him for everything even though clearly none of the problems were his fault. She was very immature which does not portray her age very accurately (she's in her senior year). Although, this repetitive thinking could also show how deep Quinn is stuck in the past, and how she really never got over her parents divorce. It was better to blame Wes for everything going wrong in her life instead of face the truth of what actually happened.

    There was also another factor that didn't really add up: Quinn's coworker Amy. I don't want to spoil anything, but something goes down with Amy that really comes from out of the blue. It was plausible of course, but it just seemed like the author wanted a plot twist and a way for Quinn to look good, so she threw that in there. There wasn't even support throughout the novel, so it felt random.

    Overall, I would recommend Wesley James Ruined MY Life, but more for a discussion topic than for its content. 

Rating: 6/10

Recommended if you are looking for: a fast paced, short and easy read.

Well, there you have it guys! Thanks so much for reading and sorry we haven't really posted in a while!

Your friends at the Autumn Bookshelf

Blog Tour: Royal Crush

                                                                                                                


Hey friends! It's Mari here, reviewing for one of my FAVOURITE AUTHORS OF ALL TIME!!!!!! Thanks to Rockstar Book Tours, we are bringing you a blog tour for Royal Crush by Meg Cabot! 

Title: ROYAL CRUSH
Author: Meg Cabot
Pub. Date: August 1, 2017
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 192
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Find it: Amazon, Barnes&Noble, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

Being the newest princess of Genovia is WAY more complicated than she expected, but Olivia Grace Clarisse Mignonette Harrison is getting used to it. She gets to live in an actual palace with two fabulous poodles, a pet iguana, her very own pony, and, best of all, a loving family to help her figure things out!

And right now Olivia, having finally admitted that she likes Prince Khalil as more than just a friend, could REALLY use some advice. What is a princess supposed to do once she's found a prince she likes? With her half-sister Mia busy enjoying her honeymoon, Olivia turns to Grandmere for help.

The third book in the middle-grade Princess Diaries spin-off series, written and illustrated by New York Times-bestselling author Meg Cabot.


About Meg: 

The kween herself

Meg Cabot is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for both adults and tweens/teens. There have been over 25 million copies of Meg’s nearly 80 published books sold in 38 countries. Her last name rhymes with habit, as in “her books can be habit forming.” She currently lives in Key West, Florida with her husband and various cats.

Website | Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram 


Review:

Let me make something very clear. I do not, ever, read middle grade fiction. EVER. It's not my thing, nor was it when I was the age that it's targeted for.

But I will always, ALWAYS make an exception for Meg Cabot. She is a kween among women, and I will always give her books a try, especially when it comes to the Princess Diaries.

I'm so glad I made that rule.

I was expecting the whole Princess Olivia series to be a watered-down version of the original parent series. But it wasn't. It hit all the notes that the original did, but in a fresh way, geared toward a new generation of readers. Olivia is much like her half-sister Mia, in that she is neurotic and obsessive over the things that she loves, and her relationships with her friends and family are very similar to Mia's. She is a plucky and relatable heroine, and her personality is so freaking charming! But while that may seem like Cabot is simply trying to recreate something that she had with her other series, it really doesn't read that way. Trust me. 

The things that made me fall in love with the Princess Diaries in the first place, (that it was about a girl who came from a "common" life, and now lives with her rather trying royal Grandmere and family) are present in this series as well. What is new however, is that Olivia lives (and goes to middle school) in Genovia. It brings a new level to the story having her be surrounded by young royals, unlike her sister. It's hilarious seeing Olivia trying to navigate her new royal life. Plus her crush on a certain Prince is super cute to read. 

What also made me hesitant about reading this, was that it felt like I was cheating on Mia, what with reading about her sister and all. But never fear. Mia has a prominent role in the book (what with her pregnancy and all!) and even her friends are mentioned. Also, her mother and Rocky are still around, and reading about their happy life in Genovia is wonderful. It really makes you feel better about read-cheating on the original series.

All in all, this book hit all the right notes, and Olivia is a new princess for a new generation of readers. And (dare I say it?) even old ones like myself!

Recommended for people who enjoy: The Princess Diaries, contemporary fiction, middle grade




Rating: 9/10 Stars

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of ROYAL CRUSH, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to check out the rest of the tour!

Week One:
7/24/2017- YA Book Nerd- Review
7/25/2017- Bibliobakes- Review
7/26/2017- Margie's Must Reads- Review
7/27/2017- Never Too Many To Read- Review

Week Two:
7/31/2017- Little Miss Drama Queen- Review
8/1/2017- The Book Nut- Review
8/2/2017- Becky on Books- Review
8/3/2017- Pervy Ladies Books- Review

8/4/2017- YA Books Central- Spotlight

Well that's it from me! Let me know what you think of the Princess Olivia books, and if you missed my review of the first Princess Diaries book, click here to check it out!

Happy Reading,
Mari