Besides Naturalization by Isabel Chloe

March 26, 2014 By 4 Comments

BESIDES
Besides Naturalization by Isabel Chloe
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (82 pages)
Age Recommendation: 10+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Starting in the twenty-third century, the human race began to immigrate to other planets for the available land. Lily Taylor, among the second generation of immigrants, was going to celebrate her tenth birthday with her family. Her cousins Andrea, Daniel, and Paul were also second-generation immigrants on Hynocripta. Even with all the future technologies making their lives enjoyable, not only their parents, but also they needed to find themselves and their places in this new land.

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Seeing the twenty-third century from Lily’s perspective introduces a lot of wonder into her story. There are many things in her daily life that sent a shiver down this reader’s spine. What made reading about them even more intriguing was comparing her expectations of what a typical day is like to my own. It reminded me of many of the emotions I’ve felt when visiting other countries, and the author captures what it’s like to be exposed to a new way of thinking very well.

There is a subplot in this book that is exceptionally well-suited for readers who are beginning to transition to more mature fiction, but it is not given as much space to develop over the course of the plot as I would have preferred to see. As fascinating as it is to see how the author imagines what human civilization might be like a few hundred years from now, by far my favourite part of this story involves how the relationships between certain characters shift over time. Had more time been spent on this aspect of Lily’s life, this book would have received a much higher rating.

With that being said, the technological advancements in Lily’s time are surprising. It’s difficult to predict what life will be like in the future, but I would be very eager to try almost all of the improvements that Ms. Chloe mentions during the course of the plot. She has a keen eye for the small details that make this reader feel as if I’m personally experiencing everything the characters say or do. Her ability to imagine what we could become will keep me coming back for more from her.

Besides Naturalization whisked me away to another time and place. This is a good choice for anyone who hopes the same thing will happen to them.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Eagle Peak by Elizabeth Fontaine

March 24, 2014 By Leave a Comment

EAGLE
Eagle Peak by Elizabeth Fontaine
Publisher: Prizm Books
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (191 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Eagle Peak, population 596, has two bars, five churches, and a vibe (or lack thereof) that couldn’t be more different than Sean’s native Minneapolis. Moving to rural small town Minnesota, Sean must leave his life of acting classes, going to all-ages shows, and hanging out with friends, to enter into a world of pep rallies, pick-up trucks and country pop.
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Sean’s inclination for heavy eyeliner, black attire, and surly attitude make him an easy target of suspicion, intrigue, and prejudice in the small town of Eagle Peak. But despite Sean’s growing sense of dread and depression, small town Minnesota also offers a lot of firsts: he becomes the love interest of three classmates of which one is a closeted gay boy afraid of his own sexuality, he is surprised to discover and chant with a Buddhist family in town, and he gets in the middle of an abusive father and his town jock son. Sean’s old life of theater, live music, and diverse friends collides with his new life in Eagle Peak, and Sean is left confused about what he thought he knew about small towns, the world he left behind, and himself.

Sean has a definite opinion about what he thinks it will be like to live in the middle of nowhere, but only time will tell if his first impressions of his new home are correct.

Excellent character development made it impossible for me to stop reading. Sean is a well-developed protagonist whose personal strengths and weaknesses reveal themselves almost immediately. What makes Eagle Peak such a great tale, though, is how this development spreads to the secondary characters as well. The author acknowledges certain stereotypes only to turn them upside down just when this reader thought she had everything figured out.

All of the subplots are handled with sensitivity and humor. Ms. Fontaine tackles a lot of tough subjects during the course of Sean’s adjustment to Eagle Peak, but she weaves everything together so deftly that all of the points of conflict feel like natural extensions of the main storyline. My sole criticism of this story involves the way one of the subplots is resolved. Certain parts of it felt a little rushed due to the nature of the problem and how much it affected the character who was figuring it out earlier on in the narrative. This is a minor criticism of an otherwise well put-together plot, though.

It’s difficult to explain what it feels like to live in a small town if you stand out from the crowd in some way, but Ms. Fontaine accurately captures the positives and negatives of belonging to a minority group while living in a rural setting. This is the kind of book I’d heartily recommend to anyone who is curious about this topic.

Eagle Peak is a must-read for anyone who has ever felt out of place. It captures the maelstrom of emotions that accompanies this experience well and is something I will be rereading again soon.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Off Target by Molly Taggart

March 20, 2014 By Leave a Comment

TARGET
Off Target by Molly Taggart
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, YA
Length: Full Length (190 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Quince

Sophie Mitchell may be the top marksman on her high school rifle team, but she has bad aim when it comes to boys. Her best friend Cory tells her that she doesn’t have to date, but how else is she supposed to fit in? Even her own mother thinks she’s eccentric. What soon-to-be eighteen-year-old girl isn’t interested in romance? So Sophie devises a plan that will enable her to date even while she remains bullet-proofed from love. As Cory observes her amorous adventures from downrange, he worries that, these days, Cupid might be making armor-piercing bullets.

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I love surprises. And this story was a great surprise for me, because I did not like it at first, at all. But fortunately after the second third the story found its momentum and I could not put it down.

Off Target is coming of age story. I is an interracial romance and it is also a tender family story. The main character of the tale is Sophie Mitchell, member of a high school team who likes marksmanship more than dating. She has her circle of friends and her family, and she is happy with her life. The story follows Sophie’s life from the age of seventeen till the early twenties and actually it is normal life, without too much drama, angst or ups and downs. What I liked about this story was its unpredictability. Whenever I thought that the story might go in one direction it ended up going in a completely different one, which turned out far better than the one I expected and that made me happy. Also, all the characters are likable; there are no villains here, just normal average people living normal lives.

As I already mentioned, I struggled a little with the story at the beginning, mostly because of the writing style. The author tended to insert these little snippets of conversation and it caused odd digressions in the story. That bothered me while reading because the snippets distracted me from the story line. Once the author stopped using those intrusive bits, the story became more fluid and much more enjoyable to read.

By the time I reached the end of the book I was thrilled that I stuck it out and read through the rough parts because the ending made me happy. The best description of my reading experience of this story is a quote from it: Sometimes life is like that mesh veil, Sophie thinks. You may think you know what’s under there; you can see the vague form, but until the veil is gone, and the light shines in all its revealing warmth, you don’t know, not really. And you might be surprised by what you find.

Off Target is a feel good story that I highly recommend.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Promise by Jennifer Macaire

March 13, 2014 By Leave a Comment

PROMISE
The Promise by Jennifer Macaire
Publisher: Double Dragon
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (194 pages)
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A meteorite crashes to earth and a strange virus kills all the adults in the world. What would you do? Ryan and his brother travel south, stopping in towns on the way, searching for survivors, determined to save mankind. They’ve made a promise – never give up – never say die, and always help anyone they can find, even when those children seem to have reverted back to savages.

If Ryan wants to survive, he’s going to have to grow up quickly and think on his feet. There’s no other choice for him in a world without adults.
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As soon as I read the first paragraph I couldn’t wait to find out what happens to Ryan and his friends next. Due to a large cast of characters it took me a fair amount time to get to know everyone well, but I was pleased with how the main characters change as a result of their experiences. The payoff is well worth the wait, though, and I’m glad that I stuck with them through the more plot-heavy sections of the book.

Gender stereotyping distracted me from an otherwise gripping narrative. It was difficult for me to understand why Ryan so quickly hands over the care of his baby sister, Julia, to the preteen girls in his group given how traumatized the toddler was after the death of their parents. This pattern soon repeats itself as more kids join them despite Julia showing a strong preference for her brother. Based on this reaction as well what I learned about Ryan’s value system in other scenes, it would have made far more sense for him to be his sister’s primary caregiver.

Even pacing and a plot full of twists kept me glued to the page. There are a lot of dangers awaiting Ryan and his companions, and I really enjoyed seeing their responses to all of the dangerous things that await a civilization that has just lost every single one of its adult members. It became even more interesting once I realized that most of the characters don’t have any previous experience with the new skills they need to learn to survive. How they attempt to gain this knowledge provides some of the most entertaining scenes in this book.

The writing style of this book suggests that it is meant for the 10+ age group due to how quickly certain problems are solved, but the inclusion of so much violent content bumps my recommendation up by a few years. While most of it isn’t particularly graphic, there are multiple references to abuse and non-accidental injuries that are too intense for younger readers. Some 10 and 11 year olds may be mature enough to handle those scenes, although I would definitely draw the line at giving this story out to anyone younger than that.

The Promise is an excellent introduction to post-apocalyptic fiction for young adult readers. This tale also has great crossover appeal, though, and I would recommend it to adult fans of this genre as well.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Haven Awakening by Gryffyn Phoenix

March 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

HAVEN
Haven Awakening by Gryffyn Phoenix
Publisher: Avalerion Books
Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (261 pages)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

What if you were blind and your parents gave you new eyes for your sixteenth birthday? Suddenly, all the world is back in glorious colorful detail. . . but what if there were more? What if you opened your new eyes and saw your doctor and parents smiling at you, full of love and joy… but attached to the doctor’s legs are hideous squirming monsters that no one can see but you? And the nurse has a dark pit on her chest spitting acid … and those are the easy ones.

Verity Chambers is seeing these things with her new eyes, horrible monsters that couldn’t possibly exist in her world, but do. In shock, Verity discovers she can now see past the barriers that protect Earth from the countless creatures she thought existed only in nightmares.

Throw into the mix a blood feud, two mega-hot not-quite-human boys, and a nasty girl who may be a demon, and you’ve got a difficult road ahead for Verity, who thought her toughest challenge in life would be color coordinating her outfits for school.

But hey—if Verity doesn’t make it to seventeen, at least now she’ll see it coming.

Two Teams.
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Opposite Sides.

The new veil-seer has been made

A mortal female.

Now the game has changed.

And planet Earth is the prize.

Every action has a consequence, but not every consequence can be predicted ahead of time.

Verity is a such a well-developed character that I knew exactly what kind of personality she has by the end of the first scene. Her snarky, intelligent commentary on all of the unexpected things that happen to her after her cornea transplant lends a healthy dose of skepticism to her experiences. The fact that she doesn’t immediately adjust to her surroundings makes a lot of sense given how violent, unpredictable, and sensual this new world is, although the inclusion of these scenes makes this a book that should not be passed down to younger readers.

I would have preferred to see more well developed secondary characters. So much of what I learn about their individual personalities comes from how focused they are on everything that happens to Verity. While I understand why they find her so fascinating, the idea of one person attracting so much attention didn’t always fit in with what I learned about their society. It would have been helpful had more time been spent on the difference between what the secondary characters say they value versus what they actually pay the most attention to as the discrepancy grows more distracting over time.

The world building in this book is incredible. Ms. Phoenix develops so many different species, alliances, and old, festering wounds between various groups simultaneously that I was nearly as disoriented as Verity is in the first few chapters. I was especially interested in how the author uses myths and legends from a wide variety of cultures to flesh out the narrative. They work quite well with the original creatures that she throws into Verity’s path as the plot progresses.

Haven Awakening is a wild ride that is as much fun for adults as it is for young adult readers. Why not give it a try today?

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Touchdown Tony Crowne and the Mystery of the Missing Cheerleader by Peter Guy George

March 5, 2014 By Leave a Comment

TONY
Touchdown Tony Crowne and the Mystery of the Missing Cheerleader by Peter Guy George
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Young Adult, Suspense/Mystery, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (160 pages)
Age Recommendation: 10+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Tony Crowne is your normal, run-of-the-mill back-up quarterback and aspiring detective who has his share of troubles: He hates the nickname his father gave him, his eighty-pound dog clobbers his mother and grandfather at breakfast and he gets into a fight with the biggest kid in school.

Worst of all, his best friend, cheerleader Ashley Richardson, disappears the morning before Tony’s big football game. Did she run away? Was she kidnapped? Is she alive?

Shortly after, the FCC fined a radio station cialis for cheap price that was broadcasting a routine of Carlin’s. Nest, go india tadalafil online get enoungh sleep. Medicines available on online prescriptions include reproductive health medicines like Valtrex and medicines for Men’s health like cheapest viagra tabs , levitra and more. What is kamagra? Kamagra is an erectile dysfunction treatment but purchase viagra from canada it’s an Overall Mens sexual health booster. Now, Tony must help his team win the big game and help a retired police detective find Ashley before it’s too late.

All Tony has to do is simultaneously solve a mystery and help his team win. How hard can it be?

I really enjoyed the characterization in this story. Tony’s kind, playful personality peeks through the very first scene, and it was a fun glimpse of his approach to the challenges of life. This is is the first book in a new series, so it will be interesting to see how Tony changes as he grows up. His friends had less time to display their personalities due to the short length of this novel, but I see a lot of promise in Judd and Ashley and hope that they will make future appearances in future sequel.

There were times when the dialogue felt stilted. Main characters use words that are a little old-fashioned for their age group or that don’t quite fit the scene. At other times too much exposition was included in what should have been much shorter conversations. The information the characters dig up in these scenes is valuable and interesting, but it would have worked better for this reader had it been presented, say, in a newspaper article or through body language instead.

Mr. George’s sense of humour is perfect for this age group. I started laughing in the very first scene and found something to bring a smile to my face in many more scenes to follow. The funniest ones by far involve a very mischievous dog named Curly who has a knack for sniffing out poorly-guarded treats regardless of the consequences.

At first I had some trouble determining if I agreed with the age recommendation that is mentioned in the blurb for this book. The fairly simple vocabulary and the inclusion of certain jokes in the plot seems to be more appropriate for kids who are still a few years away from celebrating a double-digit birthday. As the plot thickens, though, I quickly understood why the author chose the 10+ age range. None of the scenes are inappropriate for preteens, but some themes and plot twists are too intense for younger readers.

The short, snappy chapters in Touchdown Tony Crowne and the Mystery of the Missing Cheerleader make it perfect to read aloud. This is a great choice for reluctant readers or anyone in the mood for a lighthearted mystery.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Displaced by J. F. Jenkins

February 24, 2014 By Leave a Comment

DISPLACED
Displaced by J. F. Jenkins
Book One of the Achlivian Cycle
Publisher: Self-published
Genre Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery, YA
Length: Full Length (362 Pages)
Age Recommendation: 12+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen

Chevelle Donahue thought going into work would be just like any other boring day at the mall. Sure, there was her annoying co-worker Wicken Sanders, and a promotional visit from teen heartthrob Timber Hudson, to watch and keep her entertained. But who was she kidding? Working retail was lame no matter what happened.
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A terrorist attack changes everything – an attack from aliens of all things. The patrons are given two options: comply or else. Complying means giving in to a new set of rules and changing her entire life. “Or else” means she has no chance of going home again.

She must figure out the truth behind why the aliens are holding everyone hostage. In doing so, she risks her chance at freedom – but by the time she learns what’s really happening, she might not want it.

One hundred and fifty-two people are kidnapped by aliens from a mall in Minnesota, and Chevelle Donahue, her co-worker Wicken Sanders, and a teen heartthrob Timber Hudson are among those who are abducted. Wicken tries to resist so he gets labeled as an undesirable. Chevelle and Timber cooperate so they receive much better treatment. Nevertheless all three of them are now captives on the alien’s space ship.

This is an exciting story which is told from three different perspectives. Overall, that is an effective way to portray multiple aspects of the abduction. However, there were times, especially when things were told from Timber’s perspective that I would forget who the “I” was as his voice was actually very similar to Chevelle’s, in spite of the obvious differences. The novel could also use a bit of editing, especially in the matter of pronoun usage, but thankfully there weren’t too many goofs, such as saying “…against Wicken and I”, to put me off.

I really like the three main characters, especially Chevelle. She is very strong and she has a good heart. The pacing of the story is good, building tension as the story progresses, and I think that the portrayal of the adjustment to a new life is done realistically. I enjoyed all the descriptions of the spaceship and its facilities. The Achlivians have a very advanced technology, and the reasons for their abductions finally become clear as the novel concludes.

The ending is a real cliff-hanger! The author has set up the series in a very suspenseful way and I hope that the next book is published soon. Fantasy readers are in a for an exciting ride with Displaced.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Thimble Down by Pete Prown

February 19, 2014 By 2 Comments

DOWN
Thimble Down by Pete Prown
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery, YA
Length: Full Length (373 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 10+
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

THIMBLE DOWN is a country village where death and malice lurk the quiet lanes. When the vile, drunken Bing Rumple acquires a gem-laden treasure, violence begins to follow him everywhere. Where did Bing find such a precious jewel, and worse, is someone willing to kill to possess it? In this fast-paced adventure, the village bookmaster, Mr. Dorro, and his young companions Wyll Underfoot and Cheeryup Tunbridge are in a desperate race to find the answer—before death comes to Thimble Down.

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Author Prown is a journalist, magazine editor and plays a guitar. He must have heard this magical story in the music rising from his fingers. This is a very good fantasy with enjoyable characters. The story moves fluently. There is humor, greed, spite, and a bit of hatred as well as love in the story.

Mr. Dorro is the village bookmaster and he has helped solve a case or two before, so he takes an interest in the current murder. He has just acquired an apprentice named Wyll and he’s prepared to do a complete investigation. He doesn’t think an elf put that knife in Bing’s back; why leave it there if it was?

There’s lots of action. Wyll ends up in jail twice, Mr. Dorro meets the elves and finds they are reasonable people even if they want their jewel back. The sheriff almost dies trying to protect the village and find a killer. The Mayor is corrupt. I didn’t know for sure who was behind the killing until the author explained it.

This is a well-written busy book that will hold your attention and make you wish you were there to meet the elves and maybe share a mug of cider with the villagers. It’s written for young teens but this older reader enjoyed it a lot, too. It’s going in my personal library. I’d be happy to read another adventure with Mr. Dorro. He’s a good detective!

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Creature Department by Robert Paul Weston

February 19, 2014 By Leave a Comment

CREATURE
The Creature Department by Robert Paul Weston
Published by Razorbill (Penguin Group)
Genre: YA, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (352 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

A hidden laboratory…

A brilliant invention…

A team of quite unusual creatures…

But can they save the department?

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Beneath the glass towers and glittering skywalks, there’s a rambling old mansion from which all the company’s amazing inventions spring forth. And no one except Uncle Archie knows what’s behind the second-to-last door at the end of the hall.

Until Elliot and Leslie are invited to take a glimpse inside.

They find stooped, troll-like creatures with jutting jaws and broken teeth; tiny winged things that sparkle as they fly; and huge, hulking, hairy nonhumans (with horns). It is unlike anything they’ve ever seen!

But when Chuck Brickweather threatens to shut down the DENKi-3000 factory if a new product isn’t presented soon, the creatures know they are in danger. And when Uncle Archie vanishes, it’s up to Elliot, Leslie, and every one of the unusual, er, “employees” to create an invention so astonishing it will save The Creature Department.

Information has taste? Robert Paul Weston’s The Creature Department is one delightful and utterly unpredictable idea and event after the next. We should expect nothing less from a book with a glow-in-the-dark cover!

Elliot Von Doppler accepts an invitation from his (rather mysterious) uncle to visit a research and development department at a local factory and…all at once… the summer doldrums have ended. He and pal Leslie are confronted with the inexplicable, the somewhat disgusting but otherwise-quite-nice, and quite desperate group that are in charge of company inventions. Herein we are catapulted into a world that we can make sense of, but certainly cannot predict. It’s a fun romp with odd creatures (and a few great illustrations) odd inventions, and odder executives. Science and creativity meet and so much fun erupts! Loads of humor collide with some slimy descriptions, and manage to create a mild level of suspense from one scene to the next.

All age readers will enjoy the ideas about friendship, loyalty, and a sense of the ridiculous; and likely share a great desire to try out the famous dim sum recipes, too. Although this story is meant for Middle school readers – this adult reader was completely entertained from start to finish.

My Recommendation: buy this for the young reader on your list, but read it yourself before you pass it along!

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Dating Tutor by Melissa Frost

February 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment

TEEN
The Dating Tutor by Melissa Frost
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Genre: Contemporary, YA
Length: Short Story (71 pgs)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Quince

Ellie is hardly the most sought after girl at Noble High, so she is completely surprised when the boy most likely to become prom king asks her out. Her short-lived glee quickly turns to panic as she admits to herself that she doesn’t know the first thing about dating.

After a fair amount of wheedling, she convinces her best friend and hockey star, Alec, to tutor her in the ways of love. Only once things start, she finds she knows even less than first suspected. Dating is full of more codes and unspoken rules than she ever imagined.

It cialis samples continue reading for more is also known among people by the name erectile dysfunction is trending and becoming very famous in a fraction of patients. Feedbacks from past clients are a source of buy cialis pills misery and judgement. Depressive nights would be the biggest curse to couples, especially if they are frequent and due to any sexual dysfunction in either of the two reasons was cited: either that this person may not have time, I was able to answer a lot of questions in regard to viagra generic sale (Tadalafil) and erectile dysfunction treatment. This is taken viagra sample pills secretworldchronicle.com with a glass of water 45 minutes before sex. Even more difficult is the effort not to cross lines with Alec. Every lesson brings her closer and closer to the boy next door whom she’s never had a romantic thought about before in her life. Each caress and playful scenario has Ellie wishing more for her best friend’s affection than the boy he’s teaching her to woo.

I liked the premise of friends turning into a couple and “tutor me to seduce that guy/girl only to fall in love with the tutor” stories and that was what drove me to Melissa Frost‘s The Dating Tutor. I cannot say that this was the best story in this category that I ever read, but all in all I liked it.

Both Alec and Ellie were not aware that they liked each other as more than friends until Ellie asks Alec to help her out with some dating tutoring. At first I did not particularly like the way Alec advises Ellie, and I didn’t like her meek responses and complete insecurity. Luckily that changed during the course of the story and in the end Ellie turns out to be a stronger and more confident girl who gained both respect and love from Alec.

From the summary of the story it was quite obvious that Alec and Ellie would end up together; it was just a question of which path they would take to the realization and declaration of love. I liked the path they took, because that way both Alec and Ellie learned something about themselves and they changed. Their romance is sweet and although I knew they would end up together I was happy when they did. Another good feature of the story is that author did not choose some overcomplicated love triangle with too much drama in it.

Unfortunately there is one thing in this story that bothered me as a mother of girls, and it was this: Alec and Ellie are neighbors and that is how they became best friends. Alec has this habit of sneaking into Ellie’s room through the window. The thing I cannot believe is that none of their parents knew about that or if somebody knew (especially Ellie’s mother) that it did not bother them. It seems to me that the author came up with this whole sneaking in and out of window just for the sake of the story without fully considering the situation. This bit of implausibility, while noticeable, did not keep me from enjoying the rest of their story.

The Dating Tutor was a fun story to read. I liked how the characters developed. I also enjoyed how they fell in love and how they resolved their problems to find their HEA. I noticed that Melissa Frost wrote a sequel to The Dating Tutor, this time from Alec’s POV, and I would like to read it as well. This short story was good and I can recommend it to readers who are looking for sweet romance for young adults.

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