The Way to Game the Walk of Shame

The Way to Game the Walk of Shame

by Jenn P. Nguyen

Taylor Simmons has always stuck to the straight and narrow. Her bio dad is a jerk, but her mom was saved from him by Taylor's current stepdad. Said stepdad helped Taylor find order in chaos and a purpose in life. She's going to go to Columbia to be a lawyer, just like her stepdad.

But when a wait-list letter arrives from her dream university, Taylor goes into a spiral of despair so bad that she lets her BFF take her to a party where she gets more than a little drunk.

The next morning... she wakes up in the bed of Evan, the biggest player on campus who's had more one-night stands than can be counted... and everyone at school seems to know.

She suddenly becomes the center of the gossip world and it feels like there is nothing she can do to stop it. Then inspirations strikes! If Taylor can convince Evan to fake-date her, then the gossip will turn from her being a slut to her taming the bad boy.

Now she just has to convince him, and everyone else, that this faux relationship can work.

Final thoughts: All cotton candy all the way through. There's enough formula to make it fairly predictable, but a decent voice to keep it from becoming dull. It also has the typical misunderstandings and miscommunications, but the author kept them to a minimum and they didn't pull down the story. I wasn't a fan of the massive slut-shaming done, esp. since 1) she didn't actually sleep with him and 2) it was the first time she'd been associated with anyone. However, having worked in high school, I know it exists for everyone, even those who never do anything wrong, so I can't really fault the author for that. Overall, it's a decent story and quick read.

Rating: 3/5

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Being Jamie Baker

Being Jamie Baker

by Kelly Oram

After a horrific accident that should have killed her, Jamie Baker has acquired freakish strength, hearing that the NSA would kill to have, and the ability to harness electricity. Too bad she wants none of it.

She and her parents realize very quickly that if word of her powers were to leak out, she'd be taken and used for experiments to see what, exactly, she could do and how it could all be replicated. 

Unfortunately for her, she can't stay anonymous in her home town, especially since the same accident that made her ended up killing her boyfriend. So she and her family have moved to a new town where she has become "The Ice Queen" and keeps herself separated from as many people as possible. She keeps her head down, doesn't make friends, and hides what she can do.

That all ends when Ryan Miller is dared to kiss her and she lets him. Suddenly, he can't get her off his mind and he's determined to find out more about her. 

There's also someone from her past who threatens to share her secret with everyone.

Can she finally learn to control her powers and become who she may have been meant to be all along, or will everything she cares for be destroyed?

Final thoughts: So much whining! So much indecision! 80% of the book was Jamie going back and forth between wanting to be with Ryan and wanting to be as far away as possible. The reasons may change, but the angst is constant. I like the idea, but I really don't like the follow-thru. 

Rating: 2/5