Novella Review: Flirting With Maybe

Title: Flirting With Maybe
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publication Date: March 05, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Add to: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

He was fifteen and she was seventeen.

When sophomore Ryan "The Kid" McPhearson makes the Varsity baseball team, he finds himself submersed into the life of upperclassmen, and falling in love with senior Brooke Bennet. To Ryan she's his dream girl, perfect. Maybe to the outside world a two-year age difference doesn't matter, but this is high school. Everything matters.

Ryan soon realizes Brooke's life is not so perfect. He becomes her closest friend, her safe place to fall when she needs to escape. Ryan seems to be benched in the friend zone with no chance to bat.

Time is both a curse and a blessing. It ushers Brooke away to college, and Ryan into the arms of his first girlfriend. It alters Ryan from a kid to a high school graduate, ready to venture to college himself. But when Ryan sees Brooke again he realizes there are some things even time can't touch.

Though much has changed, one question still remains. Will the things that mattered in high school always stand between them?

My Thoughts

Short, sweet, and love that's filled with hope and a promise. I was excited to start this because it's by Wendy Higgins and I've been in love with her Sweet Trilogy work so I was ecstatic to know that she's got a contemporary novel. Although, my excitement somehow got washed down when I read that it's a novella. Still, it was really good and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Ryan and Brooke have a two-year age gap that made Ryan think that having a relationship with her is far too gone to be a reality. The age gap in this story is something rare to me as a reader with the fact that the girl is the one who's older than the guy. I haven't read much stories with 'older girl' and 'younger boy' as the theme or if I had, then it probably wasn't much a matter in the books because I can't remember one but this. Two years wasn't all that bad but I get what Ryan's feeling. It's not that simple and easy. I loved reading it from his POV (in third person) and how he's just so serious about her that it's not something you'll label as having a crush anymore. It's something deeper than that.

It was so short that I thought this could have been a great if it was longer: from novella to a full-length contemporary book. There's so much more I wanted to know about Brooke's past and how she's going to deal with her parents (mom, stepfather and her dad) because I felt like there's just something hidden in their family that I want to know. How college went out for her and I did wish that she and Ryan talked more after the party. As for Ryan, I was eager to know where life would take him and if things with him and Brooke are going to be great. I still had yet to read the epilogue that the author posted in her site, though I know I'm going to be happy with it. I can already tell. I'm happy with the novella but still, a tiny bit of feeling that's pulling me back because this could've been a greater story if it was longer.

Bottom line, this was a quick read but it's the kind of quick read that really makes you happy especially if you're one hopeless romantic like myself.

My Rating:

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Book Reviews: Sweet Evil & Sweet Peril

Titles: Sweet Evil, #1; Sweet Peril, #2
Series: The Sweet Trilogy
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publication Dates: May 01, 2012; April 30, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Add to: Goodreads / Amazon / Book Depository

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.
Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

My Thoughts

Reading at night is just not a right thing for me to do but I got hooked with Sweet Evil and I just had to finish it before going to sleep. Then woke up early in order to read Sweet Peril has gotten my mind in a foggy state. Nonetheless, it was worth it. I enjoyed these two books.

Sweet Evil was good and though I want to give it three stars, I just had to add one star for Anna's daddy and their father-daughter relationship that I didn't see coming. I like the relationship Anna has with her father and with her adoptive mother. It's a wonderful thing to read honestly because I like it when the hero/heroine's not burdened by his/her family. It's not like those typical family relationships (mostly in the YA community) where the narrator isn't in good terms with either parent or both and it just makes the story a lot more complicated. Having the lead character deal with problems in society or with him/herself, then add the parents in the picture. This one's pretty good.

I don't have much say for the characters in the first book. Anna was okay but there were times where I want her to be strong for herself and just forget her emotions for Kaidan for a while because she's hurting and she's got bigger things waiting for her: good and bad. Kaidan was, at first, complicated. I had to read thoroughly (despite how my eyes are getting knocked down) to understand his intentions and from where he's coming from. But then he grew on me, Anna too. As for their 'friends', they weren't what I expected them to be and I'm relieved at some point. They're interesting to read, even one of the twins.

Things got better in Sweet Peril and I like Anna here more. I like her good heart. But my pained feeling for her just kept on getting bigger by chapter, considering how she's still in love with Kai and she's trying to  do better at her job. The book explained more things and some that were mentioned in the first book got clearer. There were moments I was waiting for one character in their circle of friendship (if that's what you call it) that would become a traitor or something but it never came up. They actually make a good team work.

I love the ending. And moments with Kai and Anna baking was adorable. In the end, I'm happy of how this book ended but I'm also anticipating for the last book because I felt like there will be a ton of action scenes and more revelations in the third book. Pretty excited. And see more character development and some twists and turns!

Overall, I loved it and I happily recommend The Sweet Trilogy. 
My Rating (for both):

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