P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han

Title: P.S. I Still Love You

Author: Jenny Han

Page count: 337 pages

Publishing date: May 2015

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers  

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars!

Blurb:

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.
She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.
When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I've Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of what makes it so amazing.

The contract is over. No more games between Lara Jean and Peter. If they want to be a couple, they're going to have to be real this time. The thing is: can their relationship survive without the contract? Are their feelings actually real when the contract is void? 

I'm totally being honest when I say that Peter is SUCH an awesome character. This book would be nothing without Peter Kavinsky. He makes P.S. I Love You and P.S. I Still Love You as good as it is. I wouldn't love this book as much as I do if Peter wasn't in it. But Peter is and, alas, I'm madly in love with him. 

In P.S. I Still Love You, Lara Jean and Peter make up after the events of book one and they become a couple. The romantic lovey-dovey sweetness is short-lived, however, because Peter remains friends with his ex-girlfriend, Gen. Lara Jean can't seem to get over this and turns green with jealousy (not literally but wouldn't that be a helluva plot twist, huh?). And, of course, during this rocky period in their relationship Lara Jean becomes friends with one of the guys who received a love letter from her in the first book, John. 

It's pretty obvious that Peter is waaaay better for Lara Jean, though. Even with all of the trust issues that come with their relationship, Lara Jean and Peter just connect in a way that is so natural and simple. I love it when they're together, and I think that the arguments that they have only make them stronger. 

I have to admit that I don't blame Lara Jean's jealousy when it came to Peter's friendship with Gen. They hung out on the regular and he would often lie about where he was when he was with Gen. That's fishy even when Peter explains that there are tough times going on in Gen's life. I knew that there was nothing going on between Peter and Gen and that Peter was remaining loyal, but I can't help but admit that Gen is a total skeez and I wouldn't put it past her to make a move on him. I'd like to say that I would take the high road if I was Lara Jean and just let it go but, honestly, I would probably grow horns and breathe fire. 

This is because Peter is wonderfully amazing. He's just as charming in this book as he was in the first. He's sarcastic, rude, and a definite jerk sometimes but he doesn't claim to be someone he's not. And he has a side to him that only a few see. He's caring, sweet, and loyal to his close friends and family, and I know that he would do anything for them if he was able. Don't be fooled with his bad-boy attitude. He's a softy. Just a sexy softy. Now, saying all of this, he's not perfect. He's imperfect and that's what makes him beautiful. He's difficult, impulsive, and has a helluva temper but that's the best part. Jenny Han doesn't make him out to be this knight in shining armor that never does anything wrong. Peter is the perfect male lead because he DOES make mistakes. 

Lara Jean makes her mistakes, too. I think the last book had to do a lot with her trying to grow up and make something of herself. I think this book was about her finding herself. She's grown up a lot since the first book and she still had some learning to do in this one, but I believe that she spent much of this book trying to find what makes her happy and how to accept her feelings. She's not perfect by any means. She spends a large portion of this book jealous and unable to trust. I think this portrays half of the teenage girl population at some point. Most every girl feels insecure and unable to trust at some time in their life and I think this was just a way for Jenny Han to be honest about that. As the reader, we have to remember that Lara Jean is just a teenage girl. Hell, I made a lot of mistakes when I was a teenager in high school, and I sure don't expect Lara Jean to be perfect. I wanted her to make mistakes and bad judgments. Because that's real.  I don't want to read a book about a girl who makes no mistakes and is perfect 99.9% of the time. 

I really like the quote above because, for one, it gives insight to the way Lara Jean has matured throughout this book and, for two, it shows how honest she's being with herself. She realizes she's made mistakes. If she can make those mistakes right is another question but just owning up to her mistakes is something all in its own. 

As for Lara Jean and Peter's relationship, I really love them together. There is a chemistry between the two that is light-hearted and fun but can also become sexy and dangerous at the same time. They work well together, and I think that's because of their past together. They know each other's limitations on what works well for their relationship and what doesn't. There's never a boring moment when the two are together. Even when they're fighting it's explosive and powerful and heart-breakingly beautiful. John didn't stand a chance. I wouldn't even say that this book has a love triangle because Peter holds Lara Jean's heart and there's no competition that can change that. Peter is the love of Lara Jean's life and John can't step in between that no matter if he wants to or not. Hit the road, John, because you don't stand a chance (I am most definitely saying this in my southern twang).

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the character growth that Lara Jean and Peter experience and I love learning more about their relationship. They're absolutely great together, and I love the ending. *swoons* I don't think that there is going to be another book in this series (which kind of makes me sad) but if another is made I will not stand for another love interest for Lara Jean! Peter and Lara Jean are wonderful for each other and I will sob like a baby if Jenny Han changes that. 

Final thoughts: PETER K, I LOVE YOU.

Until next time, 

                

The Heir by Kiera Cass

Title: The Heir

Author: Kiera Cass

Page count: 346 pages

Publishing date: May 2015

Publisher: HarperTeen

My rating: 2.5/5 stars!

Blurb: 

Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon’s heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn’t expect her Selection to be anything like her parents’ fairy-tale love story. But as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she always thought.

Everyone who knows me can tell you that I love the Selection series by Kiera Cass with all my heart. I fell in love with Prince Maxon, America, Marlee, and so many others years ago when I first picked up The Selection off of a bookshelf. Since then, this series has made it onto my top-favorite-series list. That's definitely saying something because at times I can be super picky. 

When I heard the news that Kiera Cass was going to be creating two more books in the series through the perspective of a new character, I died. I think I went to heaven for a brief moment. Having met Kiera Cass several times and previously talked with her about the series, I just knew that she wasn't ready for this series to be over. I was right. 

I was so excited for this book to come out. I snatched myself up a copy on its release date and had Kiera Cass sign it. My signed copy is below:

PLOT TWIST: Prince Maxon is really in love with me. ;)

Anyways, I immediately started reading The Heir, excited to see the series continue through the perspective and Maxon and America's daughter, Eadlyn. I felt that it would bring something fresh to the series. It was clear that Maxon and America's story was over but that didn't mean that the world of Illea couldn't continue on. 

So I read. And read. And read. Since opening it up and reading the first page, I probably hadn't put the book down for more than an hour. I initially came into this with my expectations so high that I just had to devour this book. When I finished, however, I was left slightly disappointed.

Eadlyn is, respectively, very different than America but also very similar. Eadlyn reminds me so much of a young America in the earlier books, and while I loved the fierceness and impulsiveness about her, I didn't as much care for it with Eadlyn. I wanted something different from her. In all honesty, I felt like this was a re-telling of America's story just with different characters. I expected Eadlyn to be unique. Instead I got a re-made version of her mother. 

In The Heir, Eadlyn must go through her own Selection in hopes that it will help resolve unrest in Illea. Confident that she doesn't want romance, Eadlyn has no desire to take her Selection seriously. Throughout the book, her thoughts are centered around how she can help settle Illea but also keep her feelings and emotions out of the Selection while making it seem like she's taking it seriously. 

There are many young suitors that Eadlyn will come to know. Some have hidden agendas. Some just want to find love. Some may even have old history with Eadlyn. Eadlyn must decide who is worth keeping and who is worth letting go; who she can trust and who she cannot. Like America did during the Selection, Eadlyn will make mistakes. And, boy, she makes quite a few. 

It's clear at the beginning of this book that Eadlyn despises the thought of her own Selection and so she spends most of her time sabotaging all chances of finding love. Eadlyn practically rages on most of the Selection contestants, sending many men away with only a flick of her wrist. She doesn't give them any chances to get to know her -  she makes no effort at getting to know them herself. She just gets rid of them. As if they don't have feelings and emotions. She's not the only person who can have their heart broken.

Eadlyn was so hell-bent on ruining the Selection that I don't think she really saw how amazing some of the contestants were. She treated most of the guys like dirt and yet they still wanted her attention and wanted to impress her. Does she care? Not really. She's too focused on herself that she can't see what's right in front of her face. 

The truth is that Eadlyn is a spoiled brat. She's a big reason why I couldn't give this a higher rating. She's SO difficult to read about. She thinks that just because she's heir to the throne that she can do whatever she wants and it has no consequences... but it does. She's still human. She still has to pay for her mistakes like everyone else. She expects everything to be handed to her on a silver platter but that's not how the world works. She can't just sit there and wait for what she wants to come to her. She has to work for it. Otherwise she's going to be waiting for the rest of her life. 

In short: I don't like Eadlyn. 

I personally feel like Eadlyn is either going to figure a way out of the Selection and help save Illea or marry Kile (or Erik). I like these three options and would be okay with any of them. 

If you've read The Heir, who is your favorite Selection contestant? And what are your thoughts on Eadlyn?

Cass should have stopped at The One and went on to write other things. The story should have stopped with the events of The One and that would have been the end of it. Dragging on the series clearly wasn't what should have happened. It made the series weaker. 

Eh, maybe it's just because I couldn't stand Eadlyn that I can't give this book more credit. I'll read the last book to see what happens and how Cass wraps everything up. While I'm waiting for the book to be released, I'll patiently wait here and hope that Cass gives Eadlyn a major character growth. 

Until next time,