Sugar Cube Reviews: Beautiful Disaster | Cross My Heart | Return to Paradise

Sugar Cube Reviews are a feature on Novel Days where I offer short and sweet reviews on a group of novels. The idea was inspired by Juju of Tales of Whimsy!

Beautiful Disaster by Jaime Mcguire was a very entertaining novel that I enjoyed reading. It was a bit of a guilty pleasure to watch Abby and Travis fall in love, and engage in angsty moments that I'll admit I couldn't stop reading. I will say that at points the relationship seems strained by Travis' behavior, as he became a bit too clingy for my own taste. As I read, I wondered if it would become a story about abuse. Nevertheless, It was an entertaining read, well-written and believable. (Contains: Sensuality, Profanity, Violence)
I give Beautiful Disaster by Jaime Mcguire 4 out of 5 cups of Earl Grey!



Cross My Heart by Katie Klein was such a great read. Klein's portrayal of the good girl/bad boy theme was very well done! I loved watching Jaden and Parkers relationship progress, they, especially Parker, were very intriguing to observe! I also loved watching as Jaden discovers that she no longer needs to live by her 'perfect' persona. Surprise ending, guys! Never saw it coming! (Contains: Profanity, Violence).
I give Cross My Heart by Katie Klein 4 and a 1/2 out of 5 cups of Earl Grey!



Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles returns to find Caleb protecting a secret that has the power to set him free, and Maggie doing her best to move on. However, once they're forced on a Summer trip, they have no choice but to face everything that both tried to get over. Elkeles paints a wonderful story of redemption, and rekindled love. She gives us the tension needed to keep our eyes glued to every page. I loved the myriad of characters introduced by way of the Summer trip, and Caleb's own friends from the detention center. I will say that I loved Leaving Paradise a bit more, but it's by no means a reason to pass up on this. (Contains: Profanity, Slight Violence, Sensuality)
I give Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles 4 and a 1/2 out of 5 cups of Ear Grey!

My Top Seven Books Read in 2011

Hey, fellow bibliophiles! 2011 has been a great book reading year for me, here are some of my top favorites. Unfortunately, I couldn't come up with a full Top-Ten List, but here goes:

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry) by Simone Elkeles

The Hidden by Jessica Verday

Stay With Me by Paul Griffin

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

The Subterraneans by Jack Kerouac 

Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan

What were your favorite books in 2011?

I also want to apologize for being so MIA lately! But I promise more bookish goodness, interviews, informative features, and hopefully my very first giveaway (God Willing) in 2012!

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles Book Review

Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled.

After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.

Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.

-Barnes & Noble

I loved Leaving Paradise! Once again, Simone Elkeles has composed a great novel involving the good girl/bad boy theme. This theme often poses the challenge of not becoming overly cliche, but as usual, Elkeles creates two characters that I love to watch as they embark on a journey towards healing.

It can be very heartbreaking to watch Maggie try and pick up the pieces of her life after the accident that paralyzes her.  I went in believing I might dislike Caleb, but I loved his portrayal. As much as he has been hardened after doing time in the detention center, he is equally vulnerable and genuine. This novel seemed a realistic account of how friends/family can become split once tragedy strikes, and even more ironic, that the victim herself can sometimes be blamed for what's happened.  Caleb and Maggie are placed on two opposite ends of the spectrum, Victim and Murderer, and therefore having a hard time fitting into a place that was once their home.

Overall, I loved watching Maggie and Caleb become closer as the novel progressed, and the ending was most surprising and bittersweet of all. It was both thrilling and angering, but all in all, a wonderful portrayal of sacrifice.

I give Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles 5 out of 5 cups of Earl Grey!

Book Haul #1

Hey Guys! I've finally finished my dissertation (I'm literally doing the running man across my kitchen floor right now), so that means more book frenzies in the future, God Willing!

During my dissertation period, I spent more time reading YA than what I should've been, and I thought, why not do my first Novel Day's book haul.

• The Outsiders by S.E Hinton: I must have passed this novel on every bookshop run since I was born, and it's only this year that I've become a bit taken with it. I haven't started it yet, but I'm ready to learn the source of the saying, 'Stay Gold.'
• Stay With Me by Paul Griffin: I've recently turned my sights to YA realistic fiction. I'm loving the hardships, the grit, and all that beautiful love at the end of the day. Stay With Me captured my attention on Good Reads, immediately, and it doesn't hurt that it has mostly good reviews.
• Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel: I found this little novel whilst pilfering through stacks at the Housing Works Thrift store in New York for my birthday, and it's managed to become quite a serendipitous find. It's told in magical recipe's, love stories, and old fashioned telenovela drama. It reminds me a bit of Don Quixote by Cervantes. I also used it for part of my dissertation, so I found it right on time!  
• Gothic Lolita by Dakota Lane: I found this on one of my Strand runs. No matter what, I'll always come home with an obscure, indie novel when I shop there. This novel caught my attention because I adore subcultures, and the fashion of Gothic Lolita's has long sense fascinated me. Throw in the fashion, a bit of angst, two bloggers, and a mystery surrounding what's happened to one of them...and you've got my attention. Dakota Lane's photography scattered throughout the book is hauntingly beautiful as well. I have hopes to employ this concept on my own novel.
• The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle: I was drawn in immediately by it's beautiful cover. It's simplistically gorgeous with it's light flares! The story-line of a girl falling for the guy who's father killed her parents and brother makes it entirely intriguing!
• The Hidden by Jessica Verday: I've already harped about my love for the Hollow series in my last post, but I felt I had mention it again. It's FABULOUS! I'm currently planning my Hollow Week blog event, so stay tuned. Check it out, and stick it through to the second novel, and I promise you won't be dissapointed!
• Leaving Paradise and Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles: I admit that since my crash dive into the Fuentes Brother's (Perfect Chemistry Series) I haven't been able to get Simone Elkeles out of my mind! I thought I'd move on to her other novels, and so far it's been an awesome journey! Elkekes has a talent in creating bad boy/good girl scenarios that are so believable that I find I'll always love them!

I forgot to include this book in the graphic above, but had to include it, nonetheless. I found, Amy Inspired, during one of the Border's Going-Out-Of-Business sales (moment of silence), and at first I was mainly drawn to it's cover, which I find lovely. But with a synopsis involving a woman who's in need of inspiration after having taken on undergraduate/graduate degrees in Creative Writing with no success, I felt the Lord was speaking directly to me! Amy Inspired is a Christian Inspirational novel that will hopefully move me to press through my writing issues and enjoy an awesome story!

Reviews to come for all of these novels in the next month or so! I hope you all are having an awesome week so far!

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles Book Review

Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn’t live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he’s never known, and just when he thinks he’s got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

Continuing all the steamy romance of the first two books, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Simone Elkeles gives fans one more satisfying taste of the irresistible Fuentes boys. -Amazon

I've just finished reading Chain Reaction, the last novel in the Perfect Chemistry series by Simone Elkeles, and I am so chuffed! This novel was the sugary icing atop the buttery cupcake. There really isn't an aspect of this novel that I didn't like. 

Elkeles uses this third and final novel to shine the spotlight on Luis, the youngest Fuentes brother. He's, seemingly, the antithesis of Alex and Carlos: ambitious, a high achiever, and trying as hard as he can to stay out of trouble. But of course,  he's a Fuentes, and that means that there's only a matter of time before trouble curls its finger come hither in his direction. I adored him. He's fresh, fearless, and willing to show his vulnerable sides if it means he'll capture the attention of Nikki Cruz. Luis undergoes a full-circled, metamorphosis in this novel: from wide-eyed thrill seeking kid, to this dangerous man capable of moving to the darkside. However, in the midst of this you can see through to his heart, and realize his confusion as he fights within himself not to succumb to the person that the Latino Bloods want him to be.

Nikki Cruz is one of those characters that I think anyone who's experienced heartbreak can relate to. There's a method to her embittered madness and I sympathized. Experiencing the trauma that she undergoes at 15 is enough to understand why she's so callous to Luis at times. However, there were moments when I wanted to slap her and scream: "CAN'T YOU SEE HE LOVES YOU!" Nevertheless, I felt this characterization worked very well in the novel! 

Chain Reaction is chock full of wonderfully adorable moments, from Luis and Nikki's first meeting, to Nikki's first moments with the Fuentes family. I love that in each novel, Elkeles makes sure we get our fill of each brother, watching how they all grow in each individual relationship. Carlos is still spastically hilarious, and Alex is still fun-loving, but on top of his responsibilities!

One of Elkeles' strengths are action scenes. She can weave a love scene with passion, and she can compose a gunfight that will make you gasp and glue your eyes to the page. Full on entertainment! I felt the threat that Latino Blood King, Chuy, posed to the Fuentes Family, and a driving need to see him taken down! Her prose flows, and she uses the mixture of Spanish and English very well in both dialogue and narration. She believably gets into the minds of Luis and Nikki without any blending of the two, and this I can appreciate as I, myself, struggle with this in my own novel!

Chain Reaction was a wonderful read, and I find I'm saddened by the fact that this is the last time I'll experience the Fuentes family...unless Elkeles has a few secrets waiting to unfold!

I give Chain Reaction 5 out of 5 cups of Earl Grey, plus a tray of cucumber sandwiches, and scones with sweet cream and jam.

Let us have a moment of silence for these utterly adorable, knee weakening Fuentes men. And hope that somehow there will be a film, and that these actors will be the signed on!

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles Book Review

At Fairfield High School, on the outskirts of Chicago, everyone knows that south siders and north siders aren’t exactly compatible elements. So when head cheerleader Brittany Ellis and gang member Alex Fuentes are forced to be lab partners in chemistry class, the results are bound to be explosive.Neither teen is prepared for the most surprising chemical reaction of all — love. Can they break through the stereotypes and misconceptions that threaten to keep them apart? Travel to both sides of the tracks in a passionate love story about looking beneath the surface.

What can I say, Perfect Chemistry, is pretty perfect in my book! After reading Rules of Attraction, as well as the Perfect Chemistry synopsis, I expected it to be a bit more of the same. But it was wonderful!

A common theme in Simone Elkeles' novel's seems to be the blending of the north sides ('good') and south sides ('bad'), and the challenge that this exhibits. This was a very well crafted theme throughout the novel. 

Alex is overwhelmed with responsibility to his family, and also to the gang he's only joined to protect his family. From the first page I believed in his complex nature, his ability to become the gang-banger that everyone expected him to be, as well as the smart, loving, responsible teenager trying to make a way for his brothers. 

Brittany's character was met with a bit of chagrin before I started, as I expected her to fulfill her role as the blond cheerleader to a tee. And then I started reading, and from the very beginning, I felt the tension between the self she portrays in public, and the self she is at home, more specifically, for her sister, Shelley. She seems quite at her wit's end with pretending to be perfect. 

With Alex and Brittany coming together, you get their social/economic/cultural challenges. They were believably put off by the stereotypes that permeated in the misconceptions of each culture, and yet, were equally intrigued by each other's  differences. After a while, they desired to know what it took to walk in the others shoes, and this I found extremely intriguing! They could see beneath the facades that each felt an obligation to in public. Elkeles introduces well-rounded characters that you want to dig further into.

The problem of gang-relation comes to a head in this novel. It's very believable in Alex's tension with his Latino Blood affiliation. He showed loyalty, all the while showing a vulnerable fear of what certain higher ups could do to his family/friends. 

Elkeles writes in such a flowing, relatable way. For the most part, every character seemed fully developed from dialogue to mannerisms. The tone of the novel also took on a more mature nature than Rules of Attraction did, in my opinion. I appreciated this! She knows how to build wonderful tension, and craft such scenes in a wonderful way!

I fell in love with Alex, and at this point I now understand the allure of the Fuentes name! This love story was gutsy, hilarious, heart wrenching, and pretty spicy! As Alex and Brittany warmed up to each other, they showed such genuine vulnerability. I loved these facets of the novel! I finished it in one day! I finally get it, and will happily move forward with Chain Reaction!

I give Perfect Chemistry 5 out of 5 cups of Earl Grey! A pot, really!

Rules Of Attraction by Simone Elkeles Book Review

When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for the past year, he doesn't want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him in Colorado. When he meets Kiara Westford, a good girl totally unlike any of the girls he's usually drawn to, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she's too good for him. But will he put his pride aside when he realizes that being with Kiara might finally allow him to be his true self?

-Barnes & Noble

This week has been Perfect Chemistry week with the release of the third and final novel of the series, Chain Reaction. Unfortunately, up until hearing of Chain Reaction, I had no idea about the series. This novel made me intrigued and I thought I should read the others before moving forward. I picked up Rules of Attraction with pretty moderate expectations, and I wasn't necessarily disappointed.  I wasn't very moved by it either. However, it hasn't stopped me from wanting to check out the other novels.

Simone Elkeles has done an awesome job of making the Fuentes name pretty much legendary in the YA Genre! Just the thought of them makes me a bit dreamy.  I loved her infusion of the Mexican culture within the novel, as well as the reality of being affiliated with a gang. It's very few and far between that I read realistic YA fiction, and so this was pretty refreshing. Elkeles painted the relationship between bad boy, Carlos Fuentes, and sincere tomboy Kiara Westford pretty believably. She paints their awkward first moments and gradually develops their more serious moments in an interesting way, and I wanted to follow their journey. Elkeles has a great sense of flow and voice, creating a novel experience that is fast paced and easily understood.

However, I was partially turned off with the tone of the novel giving me the feel of an after-school special about the dangers of gang violence/drug abuse. There were moments in the novel when Carlos' 'bad boy' nature seemed a bit forced and unconvincing, but Elkeles makes up for this when he shows his more vulnerable sides to Kiara. Also their roles as bad boy/good girl sometimes fell into cliched models.

That being said, it does not stop me from wanting to read the other novels. Why? Because there were classic high school romantic moments in here that reminded me of the glory of first love. One thing I was surprised about was the intimate scenes. I had no idea that they would go as far as they did. I thought to myself, 'Wow, Ms. Elkeles, you sure this is marketed for YA readers?' However, none of these types of scenes are written in a trashy way. 

The cover is completely beautiful and compliments a scene in the novel. How I would love to have a similar scene occur in real time! Stay tuned for my next Perfect Chemistry novel review!

I give Rules of Attraction 3 cups of Earl Gray and a tablespoon of sugar (half). 

Book Birthday Shout Out No. 2: Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Book Birthday Shout Out is a weekly meme hosted by Bewitched Bookworms created to celebrate authors and the release of their latest novels. For more information, click here.

Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he's never known, and just when he thinks he's got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

Continuing all the steamy romance of the first two books, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Simone Elkeles gives fans one more satisfying taste of the irresistible Fuentes boys.
-Barnes & Noble


This is my first time hearing of the 'Perfect Chemistry' novels, and it figures that it would have to be the third one. Where have I been? Nevertheless, the novels' synopsis seems intricately layered, with balances of pain and happiness experienced throughout life. It pulled me in, immediately, and the more I read what it's about, the more I'm intrigued with how Luis will overcome the shadows that seem to overtake his life.

I love reading novels that celebrate various ethnic cultures, and it's lovely to see novels like these showcased amidst YA Romance. After reading a few reviews of Elkeles' other novels Perfect Chemistry, and Rules of Attraction, I can't wait to trek backwards and read those as well!

Get a load of this cover...quite steamy!

Happy Book Birthday, Simone Elkeles, and thank you very much for writing this wonderful novel!

Have any of you read the "Perfect Chemistry" novels? What are your thoughts?