Roasted Garlic Soup

Stay with me on this…. This recipe sounds terrifying. I was scared to attempt it when I first found it, but it’s delicious.  And heart healthy! (except for the whipping cream part!)

My disclaimer for this soup: Make sure your husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/wife also eats this so you can both be slightly stinky.  And you may have garlic coming out of your pores for a few days.  But…makes this and eat it.  It’s amazing.

 

Roasted Garlic Soup

***************************

26 garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 cups sliced onions

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

18 garlic cloves, peeled

3 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese

4 lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the 26 unpeeled cloves of garlic in a small baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Cover tightly with foil and bake until garlic is golden brown and tender- about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic to release cloves into a small bowl.

Melt butter in a heavy, large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and thyme, cook until onions are translucent. Add roasted garlic and raw garlic, cook about 3 minutes.

Add chicken stock/broth; cover and simmer until garlic is very tender, about 20 minutes. Puree’ soup in a blender (work in batches) or use an immersion blender. Return soup to sauce pan; add cream and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes about 4 servings- add grated cheese to each bowl and squeeze a little lemon into each bowl.

**Can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

***I’ve used half and half, whole milk, and heavy whipping cream…I don’t think it really matters which one you use because it’s all delicious.

Let me know what you think!

Where have I been?

I’ve neglected this little space and I regret it.  However, there hasn’t been much reading or cooking happening the last few months. Let me explain…

I’m sitting here, at 4am, 8.5 months pregnant on a modified bed rest that I suspect will be turning into a true bed rest any day now.  I’ve wanted to blog about my journey, after infertility/miscarriage, so badly but I haven’t been able to do the task publicly.  Why? Let’s call it paralyzing fear. While I’ve gone through the motions of having baby showers, registering for super cute little items (and the bigger items, too), and putting together a nursery with the help of Dan, I hadn’t fully accepted this whole thing.  I’ve been waiting for the shoe to drop so to speak.

The first 3 months, I hid the pregnancy from everyone except Dan.  I didn’t even tell my Mom…which was the hardest thing ever.  Once we told our parents, things only became somewhat real.  I would attend appointments with the doctor or go to an ultrasound and essentially look the other way as they checked on the baby.  I couldn’t bare to fall in love with something that I didn’t believe would stick around. Because of my age and history, I’m considered high risk… So I got to take advantage of DNA testing.  I had the NT testing done-baby passed with flying colors.  The DNA testing further revealed that my baby is 100% healthy.  (No, this still didn’t help me believe it was actually happening)  We also learned, very early on, that we would be having a little girl. Gotta love that DNA testing!

I was actually pretty sick.  When they tell you about morning sickness, they forget to tell you that it’s actually ALL DAY SICKNESS.  And can last much longer than just the first trimester.  It was only around week 32 that I stopped feeling constantly sick.  We finally told family, but kept it from friends for a bit longer.  We did finally make it ‘facebook official’ and received so much love and support.

We’ve had a few scares that have landed me in Labor and Delivery.  Everything always checks out perfectly, including Baby Girl.

I constantly tired and because of my issues and history, the doctor put me on a modified version of bed rest.  I’m allowed to cook and do laundry…but I’m only supposed to do a limited amount of driving and walking.  I landed in the doctors office on Feb. 8 due to a constant headache and light headed feeling.  They did a non-stress test and while everything sounded and looked good with Baby Girl, my BP had gone a little higher than we liked and I have a trace amount of protein in my urine.  I was sent for labs and then sent home with orders to take my BP twice a day and do a 24hr urine.  The glamorous parts of being pregnant….

At almost 35 weeks pregnant and feeling this little lady have a dance party in my belly, I finally think this is going to happen.  We have a name picked out and while I’m terrified, I’m really excited.  We are due on St. Patrick’s Day….but I really don’t think it’s going to be much longer.

So what does this have to do with reading and cooking? Somehow, I lost my ability to concentrate on reading.  I’m slowly getting back into the swing of things, but it’s been quite some time since I’ve been able to read an entire book.  Mostly, I start them and lose interest.  Quickly.  And my cooking…well, chicken, in any form, has been making me sick. The smell of meat cooking is not a good time…. So, I haven’t been trying many new recipes.  Dan’s been a saint and helping A LOT.

Another thing of note- I’m now a momma of only two dogs.  We lost our sweet female boxer, Buckeye to cancer in the early fall.  It actually happened so quickly that we didn’t even really have time to think about it.  She had pancreatic cancer that was presenting as a different disease. So we treated that disease until it was obvious that it wasn’t working.  I miss my sweet girl like crazy but am totally convinced that God did this for a reason.   I had my sweet cuddly girl to get me through all the losses and pain.  And while I think she would have made an amazing big sister, I don’t think she could have dealt with having another princess around.  She was meant to be the only princess. (Don’t think I didn’t contemplate using Buckeye as a middle name…we aren’t. But it’s something I would do.)

 

So that’s what has been going on around here.  I’ll be blogging more, hopefully.  I have quite a few books gathered from my favorite authors and I actually can’t wait to get into them.  And over the last few weeks, I’ve been cooking more so I have recipes to share! Stay tuned!

 

Bookshots…

My newest obsession in the reading world…bookshots.  They are books that are under 150 pages. Under $5.00.  And really hard to put down.  I have several downloaded on my nook and am loving them.  From what I understand James Patterson wanted something that everyone could afford to get more people reading.  Well…I had mad respect for Mr. Patterson before, but now I’m his biggest fan.

The first one that I read was Zoo 2.  I had read the original, Zoo, several years ago while on a vacation with my in-laws.  I couldn’t put that down so when I saw that there was a “sequel” of sorts, I was ready.  Downloaded that and set off to the bike at the gym.  For a reader like myself, a bookshot doesn’t take long to digest but I was incredibly impressed with how detailed the book was.

Zoo, the original book, is about animals taking over the planet.  They’ve turned rogue and are killing humans. Rations come from soldiers.  People are afraid to leave their houses.  Zoo 2 picks up right where Zoo left off.  Only this time, humans are starting to turn rogue.

The main character, Jackson Oz, is completely believable and lovable.  He’s hidden away in the Arctic tundra with his wife and young son.  They are then transported to France so that Oz can drop off his family to safety before embarking on an adventure to essentially save the world.  He’s then let in on the fact that there have been reports of humans turning.

This is such a fast paced book and I loved it.  It’s everything you’ve come to love and expect from James Patterson….except that it’s about 300 pages too short! I’m really hoping for a 3rd book in this series…this time a full length novel.

******************************

I’ve been having such a hard time concentrating on reading lately.  I have about 3 different books started but can’t seem to finish any of them. One of the books I am reading is the new Harry Potter..  I’m not loving it.  I’m incredibly disappointed by it and I can’t believe that J.K Rowling actually attached her name to it. I’ve had an in-depth discussion on my facebook page with other Potter-heads and we are all agreeing that it’s terrible.

 

I’m hoping over the next few weeks I will get my concentration back and I can pick up with my favorite hobby.

It’s Not Okay… (Really..)

I have to dust my blog off a bit… Sorry! I got totally distracted by all things Cleveland.  We won a championship! This is huge…. The Indians are on fire! No one on the Brown’s has failed a drug test in a few weeks…Months maybe..

I haven’t been cooking too much because of how hot (GROSS) it is outside.  I hate turning on the oven.  We’ve been doing a lot of grilling and takeout.  Or making easy things like salads and sandwiches.  (I’ve been blessed with a very not picky husband!)

I’ve been reading though…. And I’ve been loving it.  Although, the book I am reviewing today is probably the worst I’ve read in a long time.  I gave it 1 star over on goodreads…but I’d like to give it 0 starts.

 

I’m a late-comer to Bachelor Nation, but I’m hooked and you could probably say I’m a little obsessed. I record all the episodes and rehash them with a (future) cousin of mine, as well as many friends. I’ve been known to yell at the television when someone is doing something stupid.
I was kind of a fan of Andi’s during Juan Pablo’s season…. and was even a little excited that she was the bachelorette. I hated her final two men…and yelled, loudly, at the television. Neither man was there for the right reason. I pretty much thought of her and her season as a failure. I wasn’t surprised when they announced that their engagement was called off…I called that on the night they got engaged. But whatever….
I was pretty excited when I learned that she was writing a “tell-all”…. I couldn’t wait to read about the juicy little secrets that we didn’t get to see and all the dirt from her short engagement. Instead, we got a bitter,scorned woman saying the same thing OVER AND OVER again. Literally, every chapter is the same damn thing just told slightly differently.
Why is this woman giving dating/love advice? We watched her make bad decision after bad decision and we are supposed to take advice from her? What?!
For someone who preaches girl power, Andi Dorfman certain plays the victim better than most people. Everyone, who isn’t in her specific squad of ladies, is out to get her. Her entire perspective of life and of these failed relationships is quite juvenile. She, obviously, isn’t to blame for anything. Sweetie…if the same things keep happening in each relationship, the only common thread is you.
We also learn that Andi is a bit of a lush. She hasn’t met an alcoholic beverage she didn’t like. One of the quotes from her book “Stay away from the self help, but don’t stay away from the red wine.”
I finished this book, barely…it was a struggle. I ended up with far less respect for Andi.
The only reason this gets 1 star instead of zero…. If you are able to write and finish a book, you deserve at least 1 star.

Here’s the thing…Andi was a high-powered attorney from Atlanta. I say was because she has since quit that gig and moved to NYC. (I think she has an obsession with Carrie Bradshaw)  I get that as an attorney you might not have time to date…and the Bachelor is definitely getting out of your comfort zone for most people.  I can even be all “you go girl” when she stuck up for herself on Juan Pablo’s season (he’s hot, but should never speak…) when she found herself in the final 3 and was basically told that she’s a good bed buddy and that’s about it… But I expected so much more from an attorney… Her writing sucks.  I also get that she’s “heartbroken”…but grow a pair lady! It happens to all of us and I don’t see a million books out there about getting your heart broken on national television.

I guess Andi is one that doesn’t believe that the best revenge is living well in a pure and authentic way.  Instead, she chose to attack and that’s just not attractive.  I would imagine if any man were interested in Andi, after reading this book they would think twice about dating her.

Isla and the Happily Ever After…

Isla Martin has had a crush on Josh Wasserstein forever. Shy as she is, Isla has never done anything about her crush until kismet happens, literally.

A chance meeting at a café while at home in Manhattan brings Isla and Josh closer as they start their senior year in the School of America in Paris, the boarding school in France they both attend. Josh does happen to believe that Isla is in love with Kurt…but that’s definitely not the situation. As they get to know each other more, they begin to fall in love.

I’m equal parts happy that I finally finished these three books and sad that I don’t have another in the series to read.
While I really liked Anna and the French Kiss, I think Isla is my favorite. I just really liked Isla and Josh…together and separate. I just love the fluffy story lines this author gives us. Anna has this “I’m totally crushing on this hot guy” thing going on…and anyone that has ever been a teenage girl will totally understand and put themselves right back into that age.
Each of the protagonists are battling with their own insecurity. And given that they are in high school (which I was often able to forget) I think insecurity is great. Who the hell is secure in high school? I’ll tell you…NO ONE. Neither Josh or Isla were probably ready for a relationship…but I think this is honestly what makes them work. I think this vulnerability is what makes this my favorite.
From reading reviews from others, I see that they think this book is too fluffy. Too out there. And that’s fine…I actually thought Lola’s story was way more unrealistic. Most readers only like the ending where we get to see all of our favorite leads together again, if only for a brief moment. And that part of this book was amazing. And it was perfectly written. But I enjoyed everything else. I enjoyed learning about Isla. I enjoyed seeing Josh has equal parts bad boy and Senator’s son. (I think Senator…I can’t honestly remember)
An aspect of the book that I didn’t enjoy was Kurt, Isla’s best friend. I get that he is on the autistic spectrum, but I think he was poorly written. If he was such a big part of Isla’s life, and let’s face it he is/was her only friend, he should have had something more… A little more meat to his character. Instead, I feel like he was just a bookmark to hold us over until something better came along. Isla kept saying that “despite his autism, he’s just a normal kid”…so treat him as such!
Is this school for Americans in Paris a real thing? I feel like I would have gone there instead of my dumb high school. Did I have this option and just not know about it? Can I have a do-over? (But still stay married with the 3 cutest dogs ever?!)
The romance (ie: sex scenes) in this book is just boring. Poorly written…but what two high school students have a good sex life? Sure, they are having sex but I can promise, it’s not as good as they think it is!
This book differed from the other two because Josh and Isla fell in love at the very beginning so we got to see their romance blossom. I think that this is why I liked this book so much. It felt like you got to see what you wanted to see. With the other books, just when things got started, the book ended.
Will Stephanie Perkins be writing more in this series? I feel like we might see a book about Isla’s little sister. I really want more of Josh and Isla. And of Anna and Etienne. I guess I need to head over to the authors blog and stalk it for information!

So now I’ve read and reviewed all three books that are in this cute little series (as of now..) and I would totally recommend them to anyone. I do think you should read them in order (Anna, Lola, and Isla) since the characters show up in all 3 books, but they wouldn’t be horrible as stand alone books. I can’t wait to pick these up again in a few years and get lost in them all over again.

I’m currently well into the second book of the Kate Burkholder series. Just like the first book, the second hooks you from the very first chapter! What are you reading?

Sworn to Silence…

From Goodreads:

When a serial killer strikes bucolic Painters Mill, Ohio, the killer’s signature -—Roman numerals ritualistically carved into each victim’s abdomen- —matches the MO of four unsolved murders from 16 years earlier. Police chief Kate Burkholder, who’s reluctant to dredge up the past, must keep secret that she knows why the old murders stopped. Not satisfied with the case’s progress, local politicos set up a multijurisdictional task force to assist, including a law-enforcement agent battling his own demons. The added scrutiny and the rising body count threaten to push the chief over the edge. Adept at creating characters with depth and nuance, Castillo smoothly integrates their backstories into a well-paced plot that illuminates the divide between the Amish and English worlds.

 

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t too excited to start this book. Intrigued, yes… Excited, no. In fact, I can’t even tell you where I heard about this author or this series.But, I’m happy to report that Linda Castillo completely surprised me and I already have book 2 in the series on hold at the library.
I’ve struggled with finding a good mystery/suspense/thriller book that not only keeps me interested, but can be read with a good pace. This one kept me interested from the first chapter and didn’t disappoint. In fact, I found the book very difficult to put down and (finally!) I really liked the main character, Kate Burkholder.
Kate is ex-Amish and is now the Chief of Police in a small Ohio town. I enjoyed learning a little about the Amish culture and hope that the rest of the series will teach us more. There’s a touch of romance at the end and I didn’t mind it. Normally, I don’t really enjoy when two genre’s (specifically thriller/mystery and romance) cross, but this was enjoyable.
The crime scenes in this book, and there were quite a few, were quite graphic but still tasteful. (Does that even make sense?)
A body is found that has similar details of murders that happened many years ago in the same town. Kate is nervous, because she believes that the original killer is dead. So if this person has come back, she is wrong.
After a few bodies are found, Kate is fired from her position…with the note that she could be reinstated. Other districts send cops for support.
The mystery is eventually solved and, for me at least, was a curve ball I didn’t really see coming. Once the murderer is revealed, it totally makes sense. Up until that point though, you don’t suspect anyone.
The characters in this novel were all well developed and for the first time in a long time I didn’t hate any of them. I believe this series has 8 books in it and I plan on reading them all this year between all my others. (Life of a book nerd…my TBR just keeps getting longer and longer).

This novel, and I’m guessing the rest of the series, is perfect for light reading days.  Which is exactly what I want during the summer months.

Something that bothers me is some of the reviews over on goodreads.  People are surprised that a woman author can come up with a good thriller… Or that a woman can think this “dark”.  I’m no feminist, like at all, but to have people (women included) think that women can’t write thrillers as well as men is really ignorant.  It reminds me of when Harry Potter first came out- everyone was CONVINCED that J.K. Rowling MUST be a man.  (I’m rolling my eyes so hard here that they hurt…)

Apparently, the book has been made into a Lifetime movie.  It’s under the name, An Amish Murder.  Neve Campbell plays Kate Burkholder…that’s just a no for me, but you better believe I will be on the lookout for this movie on Lifetime! Maybe it’s on netflix?!  (Speaking of netflix…Orange is the New Black comes back in 2 weeks!  I’m so ready!)

ChexMix…

I 100% admit that if you give me a bag of ChexMix, I will eat the entire bag.  It’s super addicting.  Now that I’m trying to eat a little healthier, I took a look at the package and realized I wasn’t doing myself any favors even if I controlled myself and only ate half the bag.  (Come on, I can’t be alone…Other people must lack self control!) So, I took to pinterest to find myself a recipe for homemade crack..I mean chexmix so that I could, at least, control the ingredients going in. 

I give you my “healthy” chexmix.  (It would probably be a lot better without the goldfish..but even those are too bad!) This is before you put the flavor mixture on there.

ChexMix

• 3 cups corn Chex cereal
• 3 cups rice Chex cereal
• 2 cups goldfish crackers or Cheez-Its
• 1 cup Cheerios cereal
• 1 cup pretzels
• 1.5 cups lightly-salted dry roasted peanuts
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp seasoned salt
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F
2. In a large flat-bottomed pan, mix together the nuts, pretzels, goldfish crackers, and cereals.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the spices with Worcestershire sauce and melted butter.
4. Pour evenly over the mixture and then use your hands to gently toss it all together until all of the pieces are coated with the butter mixture.
5. Bake for one hour, turning every 15 minutes. Let cool completely and then store in airtight container.

 

I think this has the perfect amount of flavoring.  It’s much less offensive than your store version.  And this makes SO MUCH! I gave a big bowl full to my Mom and my husband has been snacking on it every night.  This is so easy to make and so delicious.  I also like how you can switch up ingredients to make it more your taste.

This is the little snack amount I allowed myself. It was the perfect amount. I also love the trick photography going on here…It looks like I’m just holding a handful, but it’s in a glass bowl.

This recipe makes about 12 cups and can be stored in an airtight container for at least a week. I promise it won’t make it that long though!

************

Anyone else anticipating the cicada invasion? I’m literally losing sleep over this.  Every morning, I wake up with a sense of dread when I go to let the dogs out.  I’ve heard that the area that I live in gets them pretty badly.  NOT looking forward to this. I will not be leaving the house much until they are gone.  The thought of them makes me sick.   I hope my little neighborhood gets passed by this year! I read that they like to emerge after a nice warm rain…Guess what it’s supposed to do today!? Ugh….

 

Second Glance…

I fully admit that this book took me longer than normal to read. I also admit that I did not have it done in time for book club this past monday.  Whenever I read a Picoult book, I like to truly immerse myself into the world she creates. This means reading a bit slower than normal.  I have picked this book up several times over the years and have never been able to get into it. It came up as a book club pick so it was the perfect time to finally push myself through.

The only reason this book isn’t getting a full 5 stars (on goodreads)  from is because I had such a hard time keeping track of all the characters. I should have done what my Aunt did and write them down and who they “belonged” to…I feel this would have been beneficial.
Jodi Picoult is a BEAUTIFUL story teller. She has an amazing gift for telling intricate plots with interesting characters. I fully admit to having a hard time getting into this book, but once I made it past the first 2 chapters, I found myself fully invested in the characters, the plot, and the mystery.
If I were to even try to review this book, I don’t think I could do it the justice that it deserves. It’s beautiful. I can see where some people will dislike the science behind it.. For someone who isn’t into science, this book could be rough. I also think that people that don’t believe in the paranormal will find this book tedious. I, however, very much enjoy science and am a believer in ghosts.
This is a fabulous book for book clubs. So many different subjects to discuss: ghosts, genetics, family dynamics, etc. We had many different opinions going on while discussing this book.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads: Do we love across time? Or in spite of it?A developer has slated an ancient Abenaki Indian burial ground for a strip mall, and now strange happenings have the inhabitants of tiny Comtosook, Vermont, talking of supernatural forces at work. Ross Wakeman is a ghost hunter who’s never seen a ghost — all he’s searching for is something to end the pain of losing his fiancee, Aimee, in a car accident. He tried suicide — any number of times. Now Ross lives only for a way to connect with Aimee from beyond. Searching the site for signs of the paranormal, Ross meets the mysterious Lia, who sparks him to life for the first time in years. But the discoveries that await Ross are beyond anything he could dream of in this world — or the next.

While I was fully into the book, it wasn’t my favorite.  But there is some really amazing stuff within the pages.  I love that by reading this, and her other books, I learn something new.  She puts such a huge amount of research into her books that while you are reading a work of fiction, you are also getting some sort of lesson.  She’s also really good at writing scandal, and this book is rich with that.  (Maybe she should team up with Shonda Rhimes and write a few episodes for her!)

I’m hoping to be back to blogging on a regular basis. I’ve been busy, and this is the area of life that needed to be let go.  I did find that I miss it and will be trying my best to get back here frequently!

What have  I missed? What are all of you reading? Any delicious recipes you want to share?

November 9…

I downloaded this on my nook to read while at the gym. (Time flies on the bike/treadmill while you’re reading…) It ended up with me staying up until 4:30am to finish the book. I love Colleen Hoover. I want her to put out a new book every month just to keep me happy. I realize this isn’t possible…and I’m slowly getting over that.
What an interesting concept for a book. The story essentially happens only on November 9 of each year. Fallon (that name is totally growing on me…) was a child actress that was in a house when it was set on fire. She’s badly burned and loses her role on the television show. Two years after the fire, she’s ready (finally!) to move on with her life. She’s planning on moving to New York. She meets Ben in a diner the day of her big cross-country move. Ben is an aspiring writer. He pretends to be her boyfriend while she’s having an uncomfortable lunch with her father. Ben and Fallon totally hit it off and spend the rest of the day together. (Did I mention that it happens to be November 9th?) It’s at that point they decide that every year on this exact date they will meet in this exact restaurant.
Here’s the little blurb the book uses to hook you:
Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist…
Hook me it did! And that ultimate plot twist? It’s good. Most of the time, these little blurbs are extremely over-exaggerated. However, this time, it’s spot on. I didn’t see this twist coming. I kind of held my breath a little bit when it was revealed…and I couldn’t put the book down until I saw how it all ended.
This book is extremely fast-paced. There’s no stopping and no slowing down. I was so excited to see their reunions year after year. I felt all the feels with them. (How does Colleen Hoover keep doing this book after book?) I cried. I laughed. I wanted to throw my Nook across the room. I was completely devastated and completely happy. I told you I felt all the feels.
This is one book that I would love to see a movie made…but it would have to be cast PERFECTLY. I’m not even sure who I would want to play Fallon and Ben.
I want more Fallon and Ben. I need a sequel. Please Colleen Hoover….PLEASE!!!

Seriously..just stop what you are doing, go get this book and read it.

Love Letters to the Dead…

Usually I’m pretty annoyed when I get a book from the library and end up loving it. I then have to run to the book store to get my own copy. This time around, I’m SO HAPPY that I borrowed this from the library.
I liked the idea of this book. I liked the dead people she picked to write to. And that’s about it. I find it really hard to believe that the protagonist of this book is supposed to be a freshman in high school. I feel that she was more of a tween, or younger. (I also need to mention that I loathe the word tween. It’s horrible.) The main character, Laurel, has lost her sister to suicide. The author is very careful to never come right out and say it was suicide, but it was. And while Laurel is supposedly grieving, you can never tell. She’s too busy whining about everything.
She is given an assignment to write a letter to a dead person. She picks Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Heath Ledger, Janis Joplin, etc. You get an entire 300+ page book of letters to dead people and she never turned in the original assignment until the very last day of school. This alone really irritated me. (I was a nerd and always handed in assignments…on time or early.)
This book also played around with same sex relationships….but in a really odd way. We are in 2016…love is love. Yet, this author made it seem like same sex relationships are bad and need
to be hidden.
I saw Laurel compared to Bella Swan in a few reviews. At first, I wasn’t so sure…but now, I’m completely convinced. She doesn’t do anything unless she is forced to by the guy she likes/loves, her friends she is trying to impress, she’s incredibly naive, etc.
The “romance” between Laurel and Sky (Can we talk about what a horrible name that is…) is not even close to being there. Having finished the book, I’m positive that the only reason the author put these together is because he had known Laurel’s sister, May, and had a crush on her. He actually had to change schools because of something he did that involved May. The quickness in which Laurel fell in love was insane.
I never felt the sadness of May’s death through Laurel. But then, I didn’t feel much of anything from Laurel because she was written more as a child than a high school student.
The overall rating of this book made me excited to read it, but it fell very flat. I should have trusted the negative reviews on here. I’m just excited that I didn’t purchase the book. I wouldn’t even recommend this to my younger cousins.
I’d love to ask the people that reviewed this with 4+ stars…where did they get any feeling from this book? It wasn’t sad…. It was ridiculous.
I don’t even know how to continue with a review of this book because I disliked it so much.

Another thing that I actually liked about this book….It’s cover.  This would totally be a book that I would see in the store and buy.  It’s cover is very pleasing to the eye.  Unfortunately, that’s where it also ends.