Am I the only one who thinks the hottie on the cover looks exactly like Jim Sturgess-as-Dexter in the movie One Day...? Fab book by the way. But that's not the book in question and I'm digressing. Apologies.

Let's get back to Waking Olivia. The story of a girl that has to confront her past in order to build her future. Once a star track runner, Olivia was destined to go to great heights, but when her past catches up with her and haunts her in nightmares she can't escape, she finds herself fighting to keep a scholarship that is quickly slipping through her fingers. Having transferred to a new school, she is determined to take her second chance by keeping her past at bay, at least until she secures her academic future. But when she comes face-to-face with her new coach, Will Langstrom, she realises that she has her work cut out for her. Cocky and demanding, with patience that wears as thin as a thread, Will's animosity towards Olivia is ill-concealed. Struggling to pay off his father's debt, working two jobs to make ends meet, and upholding a failing girls' track team, he has enough on his plate as it is. Add Olivia to the mix, a girl whose reputation precedes her but the only girl who may just save his career, and it's a recipe for a disaster. She's a lot more than Will bargained for but when her secrets come tumbling out, he is drawn to her like a moth to the flame. It's not long before their spark ignites, but the demons of their past and the forbidden nature of their attraction destines them to crash-and-burn...

This book, like all books, has its flaws. There were plot holes I couldn't ignore and the "climax" that should have shocked, didn't shock at all, and was over pretty much as soon as it had begun. It was as though the author created drama for the sole purpose of drama (not that this book needed any more drama than there was), and then suddenly decided against it, so brushed it all under the carpet. That being said, Waking Olivia is a solid read; it's fast-paced and the dual narrative is compelling, and in a story like this one, needed. Without Will's perspective, I think I would have really hated him. Not only does it open up Will's world to reveal his conflicted nature and emotional turmoil, but it allows us to watch Olivia's struggles through his eyes to evoke a sense of sympathy for her that the book would have otherwise lacked. I can't fault their characterisation; Olivia is one of the strongest heroines I've read in a long while and the mystery surrounding her nightmares and the secrets that burden her was intriguing, almost bordering on thriller. The abusive nature of her past was grossly fascinating - and this is where the author derailed slightly because it becomes secondary to the plot, to the point where it's almost disregarded entirely. Then again, the psychological aftermath of Olivia's traumatic past and the impact it has on her ambitions made for a gripping read. Will is troubled in his own way and it was just as interesting to see how his own burdens torture him and fuel his pent-up frustration that generates a heated friction between the two. Then he takes on Olivia's shit and makes it his own and oh God I fell in love with how much he nurtured her vulnerability and put her safety above all else. Their chemistry is undeniable. And can I just say that Will's family is simply perfection. They added a dimension to this book that made it all the more enjoyable and with its originality, addicting plot, and the slow-burn romance, I couldn't put it down.

April's been a bit of a slow reading month for me; although uni started back up again, we had less teaching time so I haven't been using the train as much (which is where I get the bulk of my reading done) and when I've been home, I've been up to my ears with revision (exam season is the worst for book nerds) so I haven't had as much time as I would like to read. Having said that, here are my thoughts and feelings on the few that I did get round to reading - enjoy, and if any tickle your fancy, go ahead and pick 'em up!

I feel so conflicted writing this review dammit. I've rated it four stars, but I feel like its more honest rating hovers somewhere at 3.75 (and giving it 3 stars felt kinda harsh). I first read The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul three years ago and at the time, it was one that I really liked and it made a pretty addition to my bookshelf (seriously, what a cute cover though!). And it just so happened that I stumbled upon a tweet about a month ago that advertised its sequel release in March and it took me by surprise because TLCSoK had always read as a stand alone with a potential sequel not even crossing my mind, and also because of the large time gap between the two releases. Naturally, I was curious. So I had it on pre-order and when it arrived - with its equally adorable cover mind you -  I couldn't jump straight into it because I'd read the first one so long ago.

I've been itching to get into it though so I ploughed through TLCSoK again, and don't get me wrong, I liked it, but not as much as I did the first time. I don't necessarily think it's because it was a re-read. I had such little recollection of this book that it felt like I was reading it for the first time anyway, but I just didn't find myself totally engrossed in it.

The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul follows five women in Kabul, Afghanistan: Sunny, who owns a quaint little coffee shop on a dusty road that welcomes foreigners and Afghans alike to distract them from the dangers that lie on the Middle Eastern streets; Yazmina, who is sold to a drug lord but when he drops her from the car to the street in the middle nowhere, fate leads her to Sunny who graciously grants Yazmina - bearing secrets that could threaten her life - refuge in the coffee shop; Halajan, a rebellious old woman with a young heart who rebels against the changing Afghanistan and harbours a secret love affair that betrays all tradition; Isabel, a British journalist who has travelled thousands of miles to expose one of Kabul's most coveted operations; and Candace, a wealthy American who has left her life in the States to follow her heart and embark on a life with the charming Wakil who has dark secrets of his own. As these women from different walks of life inevitably cross paths, they forge an unlikely friendship that ties their fates - and the fates of so many others - irrevocably to one another's. And when secrets are spilled and truths are uncovered, culture, religion and societal norms clash in the fight to do what is right, and not what is expected...

Deborah Rodriguez has done a fantastic job of bringing Kabul to life. Her depiction of Sunny's coffee shop is colourful and vivid, and I felt like I was sitting there at a table in the corner just watching what was going on in the pages in front of me. Beyond that, she paints a wonderful picture of Afghanistan, rich in its culture and bursting with energy, whilst simultaneously contrasting it with the war zone that hangs over Kabul like a black cloud as the Taliban use their ruthless methods to reclaim control over the city. That's the beauty of this book; the political turmoil that enshrouds this war-torn country takes a back seat, and through a little coffee shop that is tucked away in its corner, Rodriguez breathes life into a city that is a ticking time bomb. She seamlessly weaves together the stories of her dynamic, vibrant characters to tell a story of Kabul that is so much more than its bloodshed and violence. It is a tale of friendship, strength and hope, and she has created a cast of empowering women - and men that transcend the archetype of Western and Afghan values - to tackle issues such as the harsh struggles of women in Afghanistan, the internal battle between culture and religion, and the unfair stereotypes and prejudices that are still prevalent in today's society. Her portrayal of the worth of human life is deeply thought-provoking and while it doesn't scream out from the pages, it subtly seeps through their lines to evoke a warm appreciation for a country steeped in history.

It may not have been as gritty or as haunting as I would have liked, and I might have felt a level of disconnect from the characters, and I did find the story quite slow in some parts, but I can't take away the characterisation, the writing style and imagery, and the poignant messages that Deborah Rodriguez has incorporated in her light-hearted, almost-chick-lit historical fiction. Suffice to say that I'm excited to read its sequel. It promises to be a captivating follow-up of the stories that I left behind in The Coffee Shop and I can't wait to dive right back in.

Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul

- by Deborah Rodriguez

4.0/5.0 stars

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It irks me when a book is ridiculously hyped and has nothing but rave reviews which leaves me dying to read it, and when I finally do read it, it's nothing but one big resounding disappointment. The Darkest Minds was, sadly, one such book.

When Ruby's classmate, Grace, drops dead while they're eating lunch in the school cafeteria, her eight year old self thinks that it's a tragic accident. But Grace had the mysterious disease Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegenration (IAAN) and she wasn't the first victim. Nor was she the last. As kids around America rapidly begin to lose their lives after being inflicted by the disease, Ruby's life expectancy hangs in the balance though unbeknown to her, she is a survivor of IAAN and instead of battling a life-threatening illness, she possesses powers that the Government are struggling to contain. So when she accidentally loses control on her tenth birthday to create a domino effect with devastating consequences, she is chained and handcuffed, and carted off to Thurmond, a rehabilitation camp for other dangerous survivors of IAAN like herself.

Five years on, Ruby finds herself on the run after escaping Thurmond and together with escapees of another camp, is desperately trying to find a place called East River where a mysterious leader who calls himself the Slip Kid promises refuge and a place to call home. But while she is on the hunt for a safe haven, she is being hunted by an organisation who want to use her as a weapon against the Government, and also by the camp from which she ran. While Ruby struggles to not endanger the lives of those she cares about, her own life is endangered and she has to quickly make a choice; either accept the help of the only person in the world who shares her powers to learn how to control them, or hand them over to a dangerous force to take down the Government that has destroyed her life.

|   "He's so busy looking inside people to find the good, that he misses the knife they're holding in their hand"

The promise of this book though. It could have been dark, haunting, adrenaline-rush-exciting, but it just wasn't any of that. I've given it two stars for a bloody brilliant beginning. I actually messaged my friend (when I was stranded at the train station due to a power failure and counting my lucky stars that I had a good book to keep me company) saying "Ohmygod I've started The Darkest Minds and I'm only 10% in and it's flippin' amazing so far!" I thought it was going to be one epic read. Oh how wrong I was. The first 10-15% was unbelievably addicting. It was fast-paced and intriguing and I wanted to devour the book to satisfy my hunger of knowing more about this crazy world that Ruby is a part of. Then she goes on the run and oh man how quickly did the book fall from its heights. It was so boring. Nothing happened until the final two or three chapters and by that time, I'd already lost all interest. The plot simply did not deliver. Its plot holes and lack of depth was so frustrating, the characterisation was poor, and the ending was anti-climactic and a horrible cop-out. I'm legitimately so confused at what has earned this book the pedestal on which it is on. I'm not going to be picking up the sequel and boy am I glad that I didn't splash out on this trilogy because that would have been an honest day's work down the drain. Underwhelming, forgettable, and a total disappointment.

Lady Renegades

- by Rachel Hawkins

3.0/5.0 stars

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Forgetting August is another one of those second-chance-love-stories that are simultaneously frustrating and thrilling, full of angst, painful memories, and the constant push-and-pull between two people that were once in love. But its premise had me intrigued, and as much as I liked it, I'm not sure I would go as far as recommending it.

August Kincaid has been in a coma for two years and yet Everly is still haunted by his memories and the life they once shared. Despite being engaged to Ryan who is sweet, kind and protective - everything that August wasn't - she remains scarred from the wounds that August once inflicted upon her, and although she has spent the last two years picking up the pieces and salvaging her happiness, there are moments when it threatens to fall apart all over again. And then she gets the call that August is awake. Confused, disoriented, and having no recollection of his former life, August is desperate to piece together the life that he has lost, and he needs the help of the girl whose photo is in his wallet. Everly. Everly, with whom he feels an undeniable connection and who wants nothing to do with him. But she is the key to unearthing lost memories, their history together, and the man that he is. Only that the man she reveals him to be is cruel, controlling and manipulative, and he struggles with the knowledge that he was a monster who hurt the woman he is falling in love with for the second time. As he tries to prove to her that he is worthy of her love, Everly finds herself falling head over heels for the new August who reminds her of why she fell for him in the first place. Can she forgive and forget? Can she trust the man who ruined her life? And is he ready for the truth when the shocking indiscretion that Everly has kept from him comes out?

As far as second-chance-love-stories go, Forgetting August was pretty well fleshed out. I liked the originality of one party having no memory of the past and getting a do-over not just of a relationship, but of life. Beyond the love story which is the central focus, J L Berg explores the complex psychology that lies behind one's character. Are we defined by the people we surround ourselves with? Are we impacted by our environment, the activities we endorse ourselves in, the hobbies that spark our interest? Or are we moulded by an innate instinct that would shape us in a specific manner regardless of the above? I think the consensus is that it's a combination of these things that make us each a unique little snowflake. If we were to erase who we are today, if we were to suddenly take away those worldly influences, and allow our inborn instinct take over, we could probably see ourselves take a different path to the person we were once becoming - but then if we were to re-insert certain people, events, choices, would we go back to being that person, or would we become someone else entirely? It's an interesting question, and one that begs attention in this book that at face value, is simply a love story. The confusing layers of human nature are touched on throughout the pages of August and Everly's story and J L Berg does a pretty great job at stripping them away through their dual perspectives.

In my opinion though, August's story was the most compelling, the most intriguing and exciting. His journey to re-discovering himself was equal parts heartbreaking and fun to read, and the complexity of his character saved this book from being a total disaster. Multi-dimensional, quick-witted, and on the road to redemption, it was hard to not love him. Everly on the other hand, irked me. I understood her conflicting emotions when it came to August, especially as snippets of their past were revealed, but I very easily grew frustrated with her ironclad grip on the past, and her inability to decide how she wanted to move forward with the new August. The angst was torture, bordering on overkill towards the end. That being said, I liked the relationship between these two. Coupled with old memories, it was easy to root for their second chance. And then the ending ruined it for me. The plot twist and the cliffhanger is enough to make me pick up the second book, but I felt like there was unnecessary drama preceding it that was thrown in to hold up a plot. Total cop-out. Ah, the dilemma of reading a book that you love to hate.