Review: Going Long by Ginger Scott

Title: Going Long
Author: Ginger Scott
Publisher: Indie
Published: September 25, 2013
Reviewer: Courtney
Summary:
     They fell in love in high school and found their way back to one another despite the odds. But can first loves really be forever? For Reed Johnson, the dream was always football. But then Nolan Lennox took over his heart. Is he willing to give up his first love just to keep his true love? Or will he be too late? 

*Romantic Sigh* Ginger Scott has did it again, my bookish friends.  She stole my heart the first time, and well, she did it again with one of my favorite couples in YA/NA romance. Nolan and Reed.   Don't get me wrong there are a heck of a lot of problems in this book as there was the first one: Not going to the same college, slipping up a few times, a tattooed lanky dude named Gavin.  

I was kinda confused by the mentioned above character, Gavin. It was kinda hard not to fall for him, even though we had Reed. It really was. Then we were shown that he was a total jerkface.  Seriously, trying to do that to Nolan and Reed was screwed up. Then again, he comforted Nolan when there was no one else there for her.  When she suffered through that hard time, he was her rock even though it did draw her away from Reed. 

It was nice though to see there relationship mature in this book away from the high school love story, and I praise Ginger Scott to the highest for not putting any inappropriate sex scences that seem to come with every YA/NA there is out there. Thank you for skipping over the parts we really didn't need to see go into details. 

Overall, I love this book just as much as I loved the first maybe a little bit more. If you haven't already picked up The Waiting on the Sidelines series, I suggest you get to the nearest e-reader and purchase both. You have no idea what you are missing if you don't. 

The Beginning of the Book

Summary of review through pictures:

The middle of the book

The End of the Book

Title: Waiting on the Sidelines
Author: Ginger Scott
Rating: 5/5
Published: April 14, 2013

Summary: Nolan Lennox had things figured out. Named after a baseball legend, she enjoyed being the Tomboy, her closet filled with her brother’s hand-me-downs, cut-off jeans and soccer shorts. But when her first trip to high school results in a broken heart from the first boy to ever make her heart flutter and cruel words from an older girl she once thought a family friend, Nolan starts to question the very person she thought she was and wonders if her humble upbringing can compete with the afforded luxuries of her privileged peers. 

Throughout the next four years, Nolan struggles to maintain herself throughout her path of discovery, learning just how cruel teenagers can be through the pressures of underage drinking, sexuality and class. And despite how life seems to continue to work against her, she still manages to listen to her heart, falling deeper and deeper for the guy the entire town adores, even if he only sees her as a friend. Can Nolan strike a compromise between her own integrity and the boy she loves? And can she make him notice her before it’s too late?

 Reed Johnson came to Coolidge High School with a lot of fanfare. The son of a hometown football legend and the brother of a local football hero, Reed wore all the pressures of carrying a town without hope into the spotlight. Thankfully, he had the talent to back it up. But when he meets a girl who makes him think twice about exactly what being a hero means, he starts to wonder if following in his brother’s footsteps might be all wrong. Nolan Lennox was everything that was opposite of expected. She didn’t flirt, she didn’t drink and she didn’t sleep around. Nothing about her was easy, but something about her made Reed want to try harder. Though she didn’t look the part, she seemed to be spending a lot of time in Reed’s thoughts, and he wondered if she could be the one who made it all worthwhile. But could Reed handle letting her down? And would breaking her heart break him beyond repair?

    Where to start with this book?  Can I just say that it was hands down one of my favorite books of the summer?  Pssh, who am I kidding, this is my book blog I can say whatever I want!  I LOVE Ryan Gossling!!!! (Sorry for the random outbust.) Ginger Scott did a gorgeous job getting in the inside of a teenage girl's mind & catching the truth of high school.  An excellent writing job nonetheless, and from a debut author it was an outstanding piece. This books, teenagers and adults both will have you laughing, smiling, crying, and getting to know Nolan as your best friend.  

My Reaction when I read the ending because of the sweetness.

My reaction as soon as I finished Waiting on the Sidelines:

If you can't tell already by the images, and rating that is listed by the summary I honestly loved the book.  I can sorta kinda relate to the character- ergo I'm not tall, nor athletic, but I am also not the most popular girl at school - far from it- and I'm a little different from everyone else.  I used to think that the bullying in books was exaggerated-and in some cases they are-, but I know that girls are mean and caddy in high school.  They say mean things to each other, and about each other to other people.  It's the truth and Ginger did an amazing job capturing teenage girls.

    And the romance between Nolan and Reed?  *sighs* So. Friggin'. Sweet.  They were honestly one of my all time favorite book couples, even though they were only together for the last half of the book while both of them were figuring who they were.  Battling through relationships that wouldn't work all through high school. But I'm not going to spoil the end- but it is for you to figure out if they stay together past high school or were they just high school sweethearts and that is it.

  Another thing the author caught properly was how Nolan felt about Reed was when he came to her house and she was so embarrassed because of how she lived in a trailer and Reed practically lived in a mansion.  She didn't want him to for he may think she was trailer trash, but Nolan was as far from that as possible. Smart, funny, and beautiful she was a gorgeous character. 

  

Cover Reveal Portion!!!!! 

                       
          

Cover reveal for the the sequel for Waiting on the Sidelines!

Can first loves really be forever?

Nolan Lennox was strong, a survivor. She’d stood up to those who tore her down and found her purpose in life when she was at her lowest, her heart broken. And she was rewarded with the fairytale ending she’d always dreamed of. She spent four years loving Reed Johnson, the popular quarterback at her small town high school, earning his friendship first and, eventually, his heart. But fairytales are fiction, and life…well, real life is messy. Can Reed and Nolan’s love survive the growing pains that come along with truly growing up?

Reed and Nolan’s story continues in Going Long, the sequel to Waiting on the Sidelines. It will will be available for download on Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, Sony and Barnes & Noble in October 2013.                 

Everyone of you need to go buy Waiting on the Sidelines for a high school romance that is REAL, and go ahead and be ready to by the sequal, Going Long in a couple of months!
Find it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Waiting-on-the-Sidelines-ebook/dp/B00CD69PT6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376742646&sr=1-1
Find it on B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/waiting-on-the-sidelines-ginger-scott/1116335809?ean=2940045189729
Find Ginger at : http://littlemisswrite.com/

80's Teen Thursdays: At Your Service (Heartbreak Cafe #3) by Janet Quin-Harkin

Title: At Your Service
Series: Heart Break Cafe (#3)
Author: Janet Quin-Harkin
Summary: (Bare with me because I'm writing the summary because it isn't on Goodreads, and I misplaced the book.) Debbie Lesley is the only waitress at the Heartbreak Cafe and she wouldn't have it any other way.  But everywhere around her is crumbling.  Her mother and dad are divorced, and her Mother is talking to some creep.  Joe Garbarini's, the co owner of the cafe, girlfriend is turning into a total snob and taking the only other help she has away from the business.  So when things kick up in the kitchen and Debbie drops a hint that she needs some help it all turns to chaos as Joe hires his girlfriend Wendy to help.


So, that was my attempt at trying to write a summary. Let's be honest, I'm never going to get a job as a summary writer because I want to jam pack things that aren't even main ideas into the summary and leave out all the important information.  But enough of me talking about my lacking talent in the summary writing business, on with the review.

     So, I ended up picking this book up at a thrift store with the deal of 10 books for a $1.  So  I picked this one, some Laurlene Mcdaniel, and some other 80-90's books.  And I have heard good things about The Heartbreak Cafe series, so I was super excited when I saw this one so I snatched it up quickly!  Boy was I glad I did, this one was another one of the not so amazing writing but it was still cute kinda books. 

  So, the third in the series At Your Service dropped us into a little cafe in a little beach town. With Debbie as the only waitress, and cook for the matter at the cafe to do everything.  She had recently broke up with her boyfriend, Grant, and was glad to be free of him.  He was the shy, quiet type and that just wasn't what she  was looking for. 
    So, Debbie, I liked her as a character although sometimes (as usual) I got a little annoyed with her acting so immature.  Like when her Mom brought a date home she acted like my 4 year old sister would have, and would have g otten her tale whipped. 

And her best friend Pam, I really enjoyed. She was a real  life like character.   She ended up being peer pressured into the wrong crowd. She did some things she was not proud of.   I know the pressure of being great.  Getting the good grades, but I never, ever hang out with the wrong crowd. But she isn't so lucky, even though Debbie is telling her not to go down that path. 

   So Pam finally comes to the light, and thankfully in time before she does something stupid that she will regret in the future.

  And then there was Wendy, the mean, stuckup, jerkface girlfriend.  May I punch her in the face?  Please?  She is the a-typical b-word girlfriend that you read about in books.  She kinda reminds me of the mean girl in Taylor Swift's You Belong with Me.  

  Another clique book to add to my 80's collection, but maybe that is why I love them so much.  They are so cute, innocent, and light-hearted.  I think all of us need that kind of romance every now and then.  Don't you agree? 

I missed you guys + Cover Love!

Hello Bookish Loves,
    It has been two months since I last 'promised' to write constantly.  Have y'all ever just fell out of love with something?   Courtney's Book Nook used to be my passion- and then for a few months I was trying to inspire something that just wasn't there.  So, I just took a break.  No more promising lies about constantly posting.  I was lying to myself, and even more importantly, y'all.  So I took a break- got an amazing boyfriend, and finally, I feel myself fall back into my love.  I think I was pressuring myself too much to hurry up and just put stuff out that I didn't give it the time it deserved.
   Now, I have fallen head over heels in love with my beautiful  blog.  And I think it is time it gets the time it deserves to blossom and hopefully reach 200 followers.  It's going to happen mark my words.  So I guess you guys may want to see pictures about my daily life lately, so here it is!

Did I mention I'm married? ;) 

Did I mention I got married to this cutie down below?  Yep, my boyfriend gets a little jealous but then again it is HUNTER HAYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah, that's my awesome boyfriend!  Bookish Loves meet Gavin!  We've been dating for a month and a half.  And did I mention how sweet he is?  Seriously, I couldn't ask for a better boyfriend.

And then of course, spending time with my awesome friends while making the weirdest faces possible that I will probably regret later on in my life. And I'll probably regret the no makeupness.

Then of course, we took a vacation up north to Arkansas.  Seriously, Petite Jean State Park is gorgeous- if you can't tell from the pictures.  Oh, and one thing I saw there I couldn't leave without taking a picture of. Open white van equals  Courtney avoiding it at all costs.  I don't care if it was the housekeeping's van- avoid white open vans.  :)

   

  And then of course, don't forget the most important thing- being me! Being eccentric, odd, outspoken, sarcastic me.  And it felt nice, but you guys don't know how much I miss y'all and this blog.  This feels more like home and comfort.  It feels like I am finally coming home after a long vacation.  I'm glad to be back, but at the same time happy I took the time off.

Now for the bookish part of this post, and another one that has to do with visuals.  I present to you peeps this weeks cover loves!!  Here are the eye candy for me out there in the market that I just like to look at for hours, and just let drool fall over...  So, here we go, and girls please have yours tissues ready to catch the drool. ;) 

Well depressingly enough this book doesn't have a synopsis.  All we have is the AMAZING cover!  I don't know about ya'll even though I can't see faces I think we have some man candiness on the cover.  And sometimes I think it is better is we CAN'T see the guys faces in covers because most of the time that is NOTHING like I imagine the guy to look like.  I guess that is the amazing thing about books is that they can look like you want them to.  With movies, your getting the full visual and your brain just doesn't conjure up a picture of the guy that you would like.

Crush by Nicole Williams.  Oh. My. Snickerdoodle.                                                     Football glory. A giant diamond. A wandering eye.

Jude and Lucy are happily engaged . . . but that doesn't mean life's a bed of roses.

Once again, Jude and Lucy are torn apart by football training and a summer job that creates new tensions. This time Jude's the one with trust issues. Will Lucy's life-changing news bring them back together or end their relationship for good? Can love triumph forever?

 

    More Jude and Lucy?  Heck to the yes!  I <3 abbi="" admit="" all="" almost="" amazing.="" amazing="" an="" are="" as="" being="" besides="" color="" combo="" cover.="" covers.="" covers="" die="" far="" for.="" glines="" good="" gorgeous="" grey="" her="" hey="" honest.="" honestly="" hose="" idol="" if="" is="" muted="" nbsp="" nd="" of="" pink.="" rom="" series.="" span="" specially="" that="" the="" think="" this="" too="" we="" who="" with="">

Kiss It Better by Linda Kage 

When his sister is raped, memories of his miserable childhood haunt Reed Walker and interfere with his perfectly structured life. To add to the chaos, just when dating becomes the last thing on Reed’s mind, Sophia Eschell, the very woman he’s been dreaming about for the past three years, barrels into his life.

AND A WOMAN TO HEAL HIM...

After hooking up with too many troubled men, Sophia is determined to find a normal, average guy sans baggage. She turns her attention to Reed, only to discover he has more issues than anyone. But if he can learn to open up to her, can she honestly reject him or will she kiss it all better?

Is this my genre?  Nope, not by a long shot.  Is the cover the best that Linda has came out with?  Heck to the yes!  I <3 about="" all.="" amazing="" an="" and="" book="" br="" but="" can="" candy.="" cover.="" cover="" die="" e="" eah="" eriously="" excel="" fonts="" for="" from="" get="" has="" hat="" he="" him="" his="" hotness.="" i="" is="" isn="" it="" like="" looks="" love="" man="" me="" model="" my="" nbsp="" new="" nothing="" o="" over="" seriously="" so="" t="" that="" the="" this="" though="" to="" too.="" used="" ven="" wanting="" what="" whatever.="">

Free Book Today Only!!

Right now you can get this free New Adult Contemporary Novel, Forever My Lady by Jeff Rivera.  Today only!

Dio Rodriguez grew up on the streets and knew all too well the hard, cool feeling of the barrel of a gun tucked down the back of his jeans. But his hard exterior softened when he met Jennifer. Jennifer understands Dio like no one else and makes him want to be a better man. Suddenly a drive-by shooting lands Dio in a prison boot camp and sends Jennifer to the hospital. When Dio learns that Jennifer is pregnant, he realizes that he must find a way to turn his life around and return to his lady. But can trainee Rodriguez get his act together among the hardcases in prison? And will Jennifer be waiting for him if and when he does?

http://www.amazon.com/Forever-My-Lady-Jeff-Rivera/dp/0446698814/ref=la_B001IZT9ZS_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365107610&sr=1-1

I'm sorry.

This video tells it all.....

Review: My Stupid Girl by Aurora Smith

Title: My Stupid Girl
Author: Aurora Smith
Published: December 19, 2012
Publisher: Indie
Length: 411 Pages
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewer: Courtney

All seventeen-year-old David really wants is to fly under life's radar. In a typical cold winter day in Montana he does something extraordinary: rescues smart, funny, gorgeous good-girl Lucy Peterson from drowning in a freezing lake. As their friendship grows, David realizes that risking his life was the easy part. His friendship with a girl who is different from him in every imaginable way forces David to challenge himself and those around him. He must face the abuse of his past and the uncertainty of his future as he struggles to keep Lucy by his side.

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     I haven't done a cover thoughts in forever, but I just know that now is the appropriate time for me to express in words how much I am in love with the NEW cover.  When I looked into the book, it had the original cover out and on the edition when I purchased it.  So, I thought to myself, Eh, I'm not in love mode over the cover, but the summary sounds interesting enough.... 
     So, I purchased it.  And boy am, I ever glad I purchased it.  I'm not going to lie, the old cover was what drew me in.  I thought it was going to be about some mentally retarded child, since the girl on the cover looked really young.
     The author said the first one had more sentimental value, than the second.   And I think the first showed more about the book in a nutshell than the second one with the typical pretty girl on the cover.  Even though I must admit, the second one is some candy for the eyes.  It is just the normal everyday. pretty girl cover.  Overall look wise, I love the second cover (the one with the girl laying in the grass), but if I had to choose over all symbolicness, I love the first cover (the one with the pencil on it.)   All in all the author did well in choosing both covers, even though I will admit the second one will draw more readers in because in all honesty we look for gorgeous covers before reading the sypnosis.  All in all, I like the second one better.

  
           I never ever look at recommendations on Goodreads from my friends.  I'll admit it.  But when this one popped up,  I have no idea why I was as intriguied as I was.  And as I stated before, it was the cover AND the title.  My Stupid Girl?  My mind was thinking something along the lines of: My Stupid Girl?  Mhmmm, I wonder what its about?  Fine, just click on the recommendation and find out.  Wait, why are you talking to yourself with yourself? You are cray-cray.
     So I bought, read, and loved.  I have always had trouble with books that are told by male characters instead of female.  I don't know why.  I just found them boring beyond compare.  Let us just put it this way, David is going to be my future husband.  Forget Lucy, even though they are an adorable couple, he's just got be mine.  If I can get David and Isaiah in a package sent to me for my basement, I'd be a thrilled Courtney.
     Thank you Aurora for creating a clean romantic book.  It is so, so hard to find a clean young adult book that is appropriate for the younger book bloggers that was still very, very enjoyable.  And there were a few grammatical mistakes, I can't help but see them, but they didn't take away from enjoying the plot and the writing.  
    There were a few things that can just draw a girl in while writing. For one, this book is different as the usual YA/NA characters were preppy, or at the least drooled over by every female in their student body.  It wasn't that case with David. He was a cutie pie to me, or at least an emo cutie pie.  Another big part, was that this guy didn't care what others thought of him.  You go David, I wish some of the best YA males didn't care what their rude butt friends think.  One last thing that really drew me into this book, is that is was practically unknown.  I like a book that not everyone has read.  It gives me this weird rush that I am going off into the unknown with this.  I think I am the only person in America that gets an adrenaline rush from buying unknown books.

    And the reason this book didn't get the full 5 stars from me.  I just felt like toward the end, when Lucy was in the hospital he was pushy. And I didn't expect Lucy to just submit to him telling her what to do.  I know I would have grabbed him by the snake bites and punched him in the face, and then I probably would have attacked him with kisses.  I think that was just one character flaw that I was a little upset about.  Maybe it is because  I am a little bit of a snappy person and have a pet peeve with people telling me what to do. 

   All in all, I enjoyed it immensely and I really, really hope Aurora comes out with an Isaiah and Evelyn story because I think I would wait in line 7 years just to read what happens with that relationship. Which I think I may just like more than Lucy and David's.  4 1/2 nooks is what I am going with.  But unlike most bloggers, I round up.  So it comes up to a 5 nooks.