BOOK REVIEW: Things I Can't Forget (Hundred Oaks #3) by Miranda Kenneally

The third Hundred Oaks novel, Things I Can't Forget is probably my least favorite in the series. I have yet to replace Catching Jordan in my top Hundred Oaks novel and to be honest I'm a bit disappointed with this book. I think it lacked the charm that the first two novels had. 

Personally, I couldn't really relate to the heroine Kate. I had problems with her attitude and she somehow irked me. It actually took me a while to finish this .I think the heroine was overly dramatic and too annoying for my taste. It did have an awesome  story line and I did love the fact that Will, Parker, Jordan and Sam made cameos. I also liked the love interest. He was sweet and awesome and he actually made the book more lovable.

Overall, it was still a decent read. Probably not as awesome as the first two but still a decent read.

RATING: 3/5

BOOK REVIEW: Stealing Parker (Hundred Oaks #2) by Miranda Kenneally

I honestly can't believe that I waited for Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally for three weeks just to end up reading it in a couple of hours. Seriously, I couldn't even make it last a day or two. That's not necessarily a bad thing though. What I'm trying to say is I just couldn't put this book down. Anyway, this is a companion novel to Catching Jordan and the events in this novel takes place after the events from the previous book. Some familiar characters pop up every now and then but this is a whole different story from the former. The novel is told in Parker's POV.

To start with, Parker is really different from Jordan. Jordan is one of the boys. Parker is not and she has a very different reputation as well. I think the only common denominator between the two is that both are from Hundred Oaks, both are athletes, Parker used to be a softball player while Jordan is the quarterback of the men's football team, and both are pretty girls with a slightly problematic home life. I honestly like them both even if they're very different but I think Jordan still wins this round. For some reason, Parker  annoyed me a quite a bit. She has this tendency to just keep to herself even if there are times when it's actually easier to come clean or something. And she did have this self-destructive way of handling her problems. Well, to each her own as some people might say. I guess that's the point of this entire novel anyway. For her to realize that sometimes she just needs to suck it up and go on with her life. I did like the fact that she's not a dumb chick. She is the class valedictorian after all. But other than that I actually liked Parker and for some reason I could actually feel for her. Not that I was once the school slut or anything. 

Then there's Brian, the new assistant coach, who happens to be very young and hot. I think hormones got the best of Parker at this point. To be honest, I actually rooted for him at some point but then he ends up becoming controlling and the fact that I felt like he only lead Parker on, so yeah, bye bye. He did have some redeeming qualities. He did what he had to do to save his and Parker's butt when everything fell apart.

And lastly, we have Will a.k.a. Corndog. I know right? Captain of the baseball team, class salutatorian, hot guy blah blah and you end up being called Corndog. I laugh every time they call him Corndog. No one even bothers to call him Will in the entire book. I think only his parents did. Honestly, the very first thought that came to mind when Corndog opened his mouth was that he's going to be one of these adorable douchebags in the novel but as the story goes I just can't help but fall in love with him. I was like how can Parker be so blind? Choose him! He's obviously better for you. He was sweet, charming and funny and everything that you could possibly ask for in a boyfriend. Obviously, I was smitten.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this as much as Catching Jordan even if Parker managed to annoy me from time to time. But that aside, I really enjoyed the dynamics between the characters. Their interactions either left me happy, sad, stunned and other emotions that I didn't even know I was capable of feeling. I liked Parker's best friend, Drew as well. He had some issues going on but he still managed to keep up appearances. I also like the fact that our favorite characters from its predecessor made cameos. Sam, who is now a member of the baseball team for some reason, Jordan, Marie, Carrie, JJ, Carter, Ty even Kristen. I like that we actually know what's going on with the characters that we learned to love and hate. And that their worlds are actually parallel to one another. I loved the ending BTW. Anyway, I liked the fact that everything was kept simple, fun and easy to read even if there were some risque scenes in the book itself. I also like the fact that Miranda Keneally always has more complex issues behind the sappy love stories that she writes. Like for instance this book tackles issues like inappropriate relationships, identity crisis and being yourself. For me, it tells us that it's okay to be yourself and to be happy and that sometimes what other people think is not necessarily important. I'd probably recommend this to more mature audiences. I really love the Hundred Oaks Series and I would definitely continue reading this. I actually pre-ordered Things I Can't Forget already from TBD. Yes, I am that excited. 

Rating: 5/5 stars

BOOK REVIEW: Catching Jordan (Hundred Oaks #1) by Miranda Kenneally

So, I finally got around to reading Catching Jordan by Miranda Keneally. I've been meaning to read this since last year because of all the hype on Goodreads I just couldn't find the time to do so and I always got sidetracked from ordering it on TBD but I finally did it. And yes, it deserved all the hype that it got from last year. The novel is told in Jordan Woods' POV who also happens to be the Quarterback of the boys football team. What can I say? She's just that awesome.

To start with, Jordan is definitely one of the boys. I can probably relate to that on some level and yes, her best friend also happens to be a boy which I can also relate to. She's pretty, she's tall and her dad is the great Donovan Woods who happens to be a pro-football player so yeah, she is somehow pressured to do her best when it comes to football even if her dad doesn't really support her or something. He has his reasons though. Trust me on that one. Anyway, she's probably the girl of every boys dreams but then again she's oblivious when it comes to girly girl things and all that stuff since she's always been used to being one of the boys. What I like about Jordan is that she's feisty and she has the respect of all the boys in her team. She did earn her position, so yeah, it's a much deserved respect.

Then enters Tyler "Ty" Green, Chace Crawford's twin, according to Jordan. So yeah, he's definitely hot. He also happens to be a quarterback btw. Anyway, for some reason they click. And yeah, the rest is history. Their relationship bordered on insta-love or rather lust which is definitely fine by me since let's face it a lot of relationships start with that. Call me a cynic but I don't really believe in love at first sight. I believe in lust at first sight though since I don't really believe in the fact that you can fall in love with someone you don't even know. Anyway, I did like Ty since he seemed to be Mr. Perfect and all but he can be a bit controlling.

Lastly, there's Jordan's best friend, Sam Henry. They've been friends since they were kids and they still have sleepovers but that's beside the point. Sam Henry or just plain Henry is also a part of Hundred Oaks Football team and thus making him a part of Jordan's team. I like him because he looks out for Jordan all the time and I can definitely relate to this one since he reminds me so much of my best friend. Ugh! I'm going around in circles I don't really know how to write anything here without giving away spoilers! Let's just say that he's a key character in the novel as well.

Overall, I think this deserved all the hype that it got last year. This is an awesome read and I managed to finish this in one day. I liked all of the characters from this book. Carter and JJ who also happens to be Jordan's friends and part of the football team. Vanessa, Ty's sister. Mike, Jordan's older brother and his friend Jake who always tries to hit on Jordan but fails miserably. Seriously, their scenes are just hilarious. Jordan's mom and dad. Even Carrie and Marie who are both linked to Sam. But I refuse to tell  you why their linked. Just read the book. Everyone is just awesome. I also love the fact that the boys from the football team are willing to beat up anyone who tries to mess with Jordan. It's very touching to be totally honest. I also love the fact that its plot didn't nearly revolve around the issue of plain old teenage love. It had deeper issues like respect for the opposite sex and gender equality which is just awesome. I love the fact that the author was able to incorporate these  serious issues while making it fun and easy to read. It's the type of book that would make you feel good. It's probably something you'd enjoy reading if you just want to kick back and relax. Anyway, I'm currently reading it's companion novel Stealing Parker. 

Rating: 5/5 stars