The Space Between tells the love story of two young people with different backgrounds in terms of money, social status, ethnicity. They are forced to overcome the disapproval of the others and their own insecurities and doubts in order to achieve their happily ever after. 

The story is told from a dual point of view and it works really well. The story is told in convicing and amusing manner, yet at times I struggled with writing style. It was too elaborate and sounded artificial and imposed on the characters. There are also quite a few repetitions throughout the novel.

Out of the two main characters, Lacey and Drake, I liked Drake more. His voice came out are more unique and belivable. As whole I find his character not without flaws or inconsistencies. At one moment he acts mature and in the next he is really childish. Still, I enjoyed him a lot. 

Lacey on the other hand, was not a favourite of mine, expecially in the beginning of the story. She was really judgemental and came too quickly to the wrong conclusions. I find some inconsistencies in her character, as well. In the course of the novel with the development of her realtionship with Drake and her position in his home (especially her behaviour towards his sister), she gained more of my sympathy. 

I enjoyed the whole racial mix in the novel - Drake is Korean, adopted by white parents, Lacey is half African-Amrican, half white. I love how their different ethnic background actually brought them closer together. 

I find the find the secondary characters in the novel well developed and fitting to the story. I liked Drake's little sister and their relationship. I liked Cooper as well, and I feel bad for the way Drake and Lacey tried to use him. Ashley, on the other hand, was a strong and conving charatcer in the beginning - the spoiled rich girl who is after Drake. Her sudden transformation into a nice, modest even, girl when she starts college is quite unrealistic and out of place. 

As regards the plot, there are some weak moments (Drake thinking that Derrick will kill him, Lacey calling the cops on Drake, the whole double date episode, Drake severing his relationship with his family, yet taking his little sister with him to Paris). I particularly disliked the sex-in-the-public-restroom scene. In my opinion it did not fit with nature of Drake and Lacey's relationship. The same goes for Lacey's nipple piercings - she comes from the ghetoo, yet she is presented as someone with natural class and high moral and ethical standards and somehow they don't fit her.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It has its flaws but the story sucks you in and the characters grow on you gradually. The happy end in Paris did leave me with a smile on my face. 

Title: The Only Exception

Author: Magan Vernon

Date of publication: 9 April 2013

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

More reviews: Goodreads

My rating: 3 stars

The ARC of the book was provided by the author for exchange of an honest review.

This is not your typical college love story. It is a nice reversal of the good girl and bad boy coming together. Here we have the more experienced, liberal Monica (scarred by a physical and emotional trauma) starting a relationship with the picture-perfect conservative governor's son, Trey. 

The story started somewhat slow for me. There was too much politics involved at the beginning and the characters were presented solely through their political views. Gradually, though, they became much more real and likeable. I really liked the middle section of the novel with their romantic courtship, and there was real romance there (roses, dinners, morning coffees, etc.). The witty banter between Miss Remy and Mr. Chapman was particularly enjoyable and put a happy smile on my face.

The novel got somewhat heavier towards the end. The serious issues of rape and contraception were dealt with in a realistic and convincing manner. They were presented in a graphic manner, yet their impact on everybody involved was presented quite successfully. 

The ending showed the growth of the characters and the blend of the personal and the political without losing your personal values and beliefs. 

There were also some things in the novel that I did not like very much, hence the 3-star rating. The political messages were too strong and they seemed to overtake the story at times. There were also too many repetitions (politician-in-making, political smile, my only exception, etc.) . I understand they serve to make a point but I find they were overused and became boring. At times the characters acted too good to be true and they did not sound very convincing. 

Yet, overall I liked the book. It is a sweet story of true love, overcoming trauma and learning that there are always exceptions to the rules :)

P. S. To compensate for the this slow week in terms on new books being release, next week four new books for which I am very excited will be available to read. Check with me next Monday to see which they are :) 

This will be a joint review of the first two books of J. Lynn's Gamble Brothers series - Tempting the Best Man and Tempting the Player. I decided to go for a joint review since the stories in the books are closely connected and it so happened that I read the books one right after the other.

I have to admit that I have a soft spot for romantic series about close relatives and brothers in particular. I really loved Jill Shalvis Wilder Adventures (stories about the three Wilder brothers) and the Kowalski Family series (brothers and cousins) by Shannon Stacey.

This said, I was excited when I came across the Tempting the Best Man and realised its the first book in a series about three brothers. I am glad to say that the books did not disappoint me.

Title: Tempting the Best Man (Gamble Brothers 1)
Author: J. Lynn, Jennifer L. Armentrout
Date of publication: 23 April 2012
Genre: Contemporary Romance
More reviews: Goodreads

My rating: 4 stars


The book tells the story of Madison and Chase, her brother's best friend and childhood crush. It is the four-day celebration of her brother's wedding that finally forces them to act on their attraction to one another. The romance is rather straightforward and predictable without any twists and turns, yet there is enough witty banter and realistic interactions among the characters, coupled with a few misunderstandings and you have a light, fun read which reminds me of a cute romantic comedy. The characters are nothing deep or overly complicated, yet J. Lynn manages to create heart-warming story, peppered with some hot scenes and true laughs.All in all, it is a simple romance which I enjoyed a lot.

Title: Tempting the Player (Gamble Brothers 2)
Author: J. Lynn, Jennifer L. Armentrout
Date of publication: 23 October 2012
Genre: Contemporary Romance
More reviews: Goodreads


My rating: 4 Stars

The second book in the series follows pretty much the same pattern as the first one. It tells the story of Chad, a pro baseball player and Bridget, who is Madison's assistant, so naturally Madison and Chase are present here. The third Gamble brother, Chandler, as well, Madison's family also make an appearance. J. Lynn follows the style writing from the first book, but here she adds more background to the characters, making them richer and ultimately more complex and thus more likeable, especially Bridget. She tries to take them away from the cliché roles of sports star and slightly overweight lonely assistant/secretary.

The chemistry between Bridget and Chase is quite strong and the sex scenes in this book are steamier than in the first one. There is a moment in the story where things almost go into dom/sub territory, which is definitely not my thing, but fortunately for me, this line is not followed through. 

In short, I can honestly say that I loved both Gamble brothers so far and I can wait for Chandler to make his appearance. I am sure that he will not be a disappointment, either. His story is to be released in June 2013. 

Here is some more movie news. After my last post on the Delirium TV series, here is the latest update on process of making a big screen movie out of Gayle Forman's If I Stay. 

The author herself shared with her fans on Facebook that the movie already has a producer selected - R. J. Cutler. his name can be added to that of Chloe Moretz who has been cast as the main heroine, Mia. Now what is left is to find the best actor for Adam. 

While I can see Chloe as Mia, things are different with Adam. Considering he is a particular favourite of mine (especially in the second book, Where She Went), casting someone to match perfectly my vision of him will be quite a challenge. 

Follow me on Facebook or check my blog regularly for more updates on my favourite books being made into movies.