{Book Review} If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Forman

If I Stay (If I Stay #1)

by Gayle Forman

Published April 2nd 2009 by Dutton Books for Young Readers

Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.
I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.
Stay, he says.

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it's the only one that matters.

If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make.

This was a really quick read for me, as I'd heard it would be. If I Stay was beautifully written. 

Normally I'd have gotten bored with a book that spent most of it's time in one location, only giving me random bits about Mia's life before. But not with this one. 

My only "complaint" is I would have liked more scenes with Mia and her family. But otherwise, absolutely stunning. The character development was lovely. I felt as if I was seeing everything through Mia's eyes and that kept me entranced. I laughed, I swooned, I cried (a lot). Great read!

{Book Review} Cupcakes and Ink (Clipped Wings 0.5) by Helena Hunting

Cupcakes and Ink (Clipped Wings 0.5)
by Helena Hunting
Published February 3rd 2014 by Pocket Star

Tenley Page is looking for a new start: a new city, a new apartment, a new life. Her plan is to keep to herself and stay focused. But leaving her past behind and starting over isn’t as easy as she thought. And neither is maintaining her solitude. As Tenley settles into her new surroundings, she finds herself drawn to Inked Armor, the tattoo studio across the street. But it’s the gorgeous, dark-haired tattoo artist who captures her interest. There’s something about his severe beauty that captivates her—and not just in her waking hours.
Covered in the ink he inscribes on other people’s skin, Hayden Stryker has made a career out of being a tattooist. He’s got his own business and a tight circle of friends. As far as he’s concerned, that’s all he needs. At least until his aunt, who owns the antiques and used book store across from his tattoo studio, hires a new employee. At first his intrigue is based on physical appeal; hot chick equals something nice to look at. But as he begins to catch glimpses of the fiery personality under the fragile, feminine exterior, his fascination with Tenley grows. Annoyed by his inability to control his fixation, Hayden decides the best way to cure him of the new obsession is to get to know the girl under her skittish façade.
But like the ink he wears as armor, Tenley has the ability to get under his skin and stay there.

Contemporary, Romance, Angst
Series

I'd been anticipating this series for a while! I read it as Twilight fanfiction many many books and stories ago and it has remained a favorite for me.

Cupcakes and Ink is a bit of a prequel novella type thing to whet the whistle until Clipped Wings release. It's a peek into what Hayden and Tinley's lives were like before meeting.

I don't necessarily think it has to be read before starting book 1 of the series but it doesn't hurt. Cupcakes and Ink is beautifully written and tugs at the heart strings -- two things I love when reading a good book.