Review: If I Can't Have You by Lauren Hammond

One is lonely. Three is a crowd.

Robin Mason has never been the same since Drake Robertson, a hot lifeguard at her family's yearly vacation spot saves her from drowning. Ever since that day she's never let another guy hold a candle to him. She's idolized him and has been waiting for the day where they can go from Facebook friends to more. Much, much more.

Flash-forward three years and Robin isn't the same tween Drake rescued from the deep blue sea. She's collage bound, curvy, and finally ready to take what she wants most - Drake.

But not i Drake's brother Elliot has anything to say about it.

Robin is torn between what's right and what's wrong, her head and her heart, and two brothers that are simply irresistible. But who will she choose? Safe, sweet Elliot? Or the hot, smoldering Drake?

Two brothers. One girl. One choice. So which will it be?

Review
Genre: YA Romance
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

The sexy cover and the intriguing blurb are what captured my attention, but once I started to read, great writing style, intriguing concept, but sadly, lacking characters.

I was expecting better character development. Robin was too whiny, an attribute that really grates me in female protagonists. For the age that the characters were suppose to be, they seemed too immature. I was left feeling like the surface was scratched, never being led deeper. For me, the proper emotions were missing or in the wrong place.

If I Can't Have You is about an obsession masked as love vs. missing what is right in front of your face. From the beginning the reader will know who Robin will end up with, but I felt like there was a lot of unnecessary things that got in the way of that. Everything that happens with Drake is understandable and expected, but then you add Elliot to the mix and the things that happen between him and Robin are too instantaneous, never going deeper. The love was too easily acquired but then it was also too easily thrown away making the reunion rushed. I just felt that the situations were too far-fetched.

I enjoyed the concept of the story, but I was left frustrated, wanting a deeper connection to the characters. I lacked the emotional pull to make me invested in them. They were too see-through, not meaty enough and the story was too much of a surface story. I will try other works by Lauren Hammond, I have faith in her writing style, I just hope the characters will elicit more from me.

Reader Warning: This book contains a lot of cussing and sexual content. I would only recommend this to older YA readers.

If I Can't Have You is currently available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Review: The Lifeguard by Deborah Blumenthal

I received this book, The Lifeguard, from the publisher through NetGalley

Pub Date

March 1st

March 6th(ebook)

Publisher

 Albert Whitman & Co

It's an unsettled summer for Sirena. Back in Texas, her family's splitting apart, but here in Rhode Island, at the cottage of her Aunt, it's a different world. There are long days at the beach and intriguing encounters with Pilot, the lifeguard with shamanic skills. Sirena explores her obsession with Pilot and discovers his mysterious--almost magical--gifts.

Review

Genre:YA Paranormal Romance

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

The recommended age for The Lifeguard is thirteen and up, I must agree that this is a perfect book for that age group. It was really cute, super sweet, but ultimately a little too young for me. 

Sirena is a sixteen year old girl, and boy, does Deborah Blumenthal channel a sixteen year old with her writing! Sirena's thought process, her slight obsession, her anger with her parents. . . it all reminded me of being sixteen. Pilot is a complete mystery, he's elusive and serious. Never giving a hint to his emotions. For me, the secondary characters were what made this story. Antonio, the eighty year old painter, Mark, the restaurant owner, and Aunt Ellie, who writes science fiction books. They rounded out the feel, making the story whole. 

There are hints that allude to a paranormal, kind of magical, element that helps keep the mystery alive, the curiosity stoked as the story unfolds on it's own. I found the main plot of The Lifeguard to be about Sirena struggling to understand the world around her, coming to terms with changing tides and letting go of the hurt and anger. It was a nice change to have a books sub-plot be the paranormal aspect instead of being the main focus. The letters between Sirena and her best friend, Marissa, were a very nice touch, showing qualities of Sirena that were lost from being in a state where she didn't know anyone her own age. I loved how all of the secondary characters helped Sirena make the changes necessary to let the past go, it made each of them endearing in their own way. The ending will have your heart pitter-pattering! One of THE sweetest endings ever, I absolutely loved it!

Altogether, this was a fun, cute, sweet, somewhat whimsical read that was easy to get swept away in. I wouldn't miss out on this one!

The Lifeguard is currently available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble