Review: Nailed by Jennifer Laurens

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Nailed
Author: Jennifer Laurens
Genre: Young Adult

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

One girl. Two guys. Who says three’s a crowd? When Mandy takes an unusual summer job-in construction-she has to prove she’s just one of the guys. But she gets more than she bargains for being the only girl on the job. The mixture of hot guys, sunscreen, raw wood and testosterone proves to be an elixir she can’t protect her heart from. Brooding Boston and flirty AJ find themselves looking at Mandy as more than just a girl who holds a hammer. Mandy soon finds herself not only lost in a whirlwind of a male-dominated world, but also the center of an inadvertently “constructed” love triangle. Mandy must choose between two guys who want her heart. But what’s a girl to do when she wants them both?

MY THOUGHTS

Usually I am a big fan of author Jennifer Laurens.  I had been wanting to read this one for a while now and never really got around to it.  When it was offered up free on Amazon for the Kindle, I snatched it up and it got shuffled in my list.  Finally, I was sorting through them and came across it and decided to dive in.

I am a sucker for a love triangle.  I guess this would be considered New Adult in the genre realm now as Mandy is 19, just out of high school and working with her brother.  All of the main characters are around the same age except for A.J. who happens to be 27.  Mandy finds herself falling for A.J. and Charlie, AKA Boston, while having to work on a house building project headed by her brother Marc.

First, that cover I think is the reason I forgot about it.  It just doesn’t scream ‘read me’, although I did notice on Amazon that the print version has a different cover.  Second, A.J reminded me of a creepy guy who preys on young girls.  He calls Mandy ‘baby doll’ almost every time he addresses her and is constantly giving her a full teeth smile.  Then we have Larry, the fourth guy in the crew, who is basically a man slut. He is a player to the extreme level.  Marc, Mandy’s brother, should never be in charge of anything because he can’t even keep his mind out of the gutter while his sister is standing right there.  Then we have Charlie, who Mandy nicknames Boston. I never could really grow to like him.  He came across stuck up and standoffish.  Lastly we have Mandy.  She was just as boring and dull as Boston so I could see the appeal of the author using them together as part of the triangle.  She was indecisive, snobby, and has no clue whatsoever. After all those characters we have a best friend for Mandy who is basically just there to buy his romance books in the bookstore and to fill page time.

Definitely not one of the authors better books and one I would not read again.

MY RATING

       
I did not like this book at all!

A SEASON OF EDEN by J.M. Warwick

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A SEASON OF EDEN

Author: J.M. Warwick (AKA Jennifer Laurens)
* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*
  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Paperback: 244 pages
  • Publisher: Grove Creek Publishing (October 20, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1933963905
  • ISBN-13: 978-1933963907
SYNOPSIS:

He’s my teacher. I shouldn’t be alone with him. But I can’t help that he’s irresistible.
I let the door silently close at my back. He stared at me, and a taut quiet stretched between us.
“I like hearing you play,” I said, moving toward him.
He turned, in sync with my slow approach. He looked up at me but didn’t say anything. I rested my clammy hand on the cold, slick body of the baby grand. “May I?”
The muscles in his throat shifted, then he swallowed. “Eden.”
My legs weakened, like a soft tickling kiss had just been blown against the backs of them. “Is it okay?” I asked.
His gaze held mine like two hands joined. He understood what I was really asking.
“Let me stay,” I said. “Please.”
“You’re going to get me in trouble.”
MY THOUGHTS:
After finishing this book, I am still wondering how to write up a review on this book.  It was amazing! That sums up my whole experience with this book.
Eden decides to enroll in Choir for her elective her senior year.  To her, it is just an easy A and to pass the last semester before graduating.  She is surprised and in awe when the new choir teacher appears and is instantly attracted to Mr. Christian. 
Now some people, myself included, feel that a teacher/student relationship is wrong. YES, it is. Yet, as your read this book, you will realize that this story is different and you will find yourself hoping the teacher/student relationship will happen.  Eden is actually 18. She is considered an adult even though she is in her senior year of high school.  Mr. Christian is only 22 and he finished his teaching credentials early and loves music. James, tries to not fall for Eden, but she is hard to resist.  The romance is actually sweet and believable. You feel the struggle that they both go through trying not to give into the feelings because of the situation. 
The writing was amazing.  You could actually feel the emotions and the struggle with every paragraph you read. It flowed beautifully and I could not put this book down. The only disappointment I had was the ending. It not only left you questioning the relationship, but it left you hungry for more of Eden and James. I didn’t want the book to end. (yes, even emailed the author and told her this! LOL) Well done and a true masterpiece for young adults and adults as well.  
MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading!

HEAVENLY by Jennifer Laurens

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HEAVENLY
Source: Contest Win from author
  • Paperback: 294 pages
  • Publisher: Grove Creek Publishing (August 15, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1933963840
  • ISBN-13: 978-1933963846
SYNOPSIS:
I met someone who changed everything. Matthias. My autistic sister’s guardian angel. Honest. Inspiring. Funny. Hot. And immortal. That was the problem. What could I do? I did what any other girl would do-I fell in love with him.

Zoë’s sister darts in front of cars. Her brother’s a pothead. Her parents are so overwhelmed; they don’t see Zoë lost in her broken life. Zoë escapes the only way she knows how: partying. Matthias, a guardian sent from Heaven, watches over Zoë’s autistic sister. After Zoë is convinced he’s legit, angel and lost girl come together in a love that changes destiny.

But Heaven on Earth can’t last forever. 
MY THOUGHTS:
I was so excited to win this book in a contest offered by the author!  It sounded wonderful, especially since I have a daughter who has a form of autism along with hearing loss.  I can tell you that the author did a fantastic job of writing what a family goes through with an autistic child in the home.  Everyone struggles with the disability and each in their own way. 

In the book, Zoe deals with it by partying, her brother deals with it by drugs, and the parents are just overwhelmed with it all.  Then Zoe meets her sisters gaurdian angel Matthias.  He explains things to her and they fall in love with eachother.  He basically rescues Zoe as well as her sister.  

The ending will leave you with tears of happiness and sadness,  but a lesson will be learned as well.  The author has done an amazing job with her story telling and flow of writing.  There is going to be a sequel to the book and I can’t wait to read it as well!  The author did a Heavenly job with this book!

MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading!