#ReviewBook – Cindy's Love Of Books

Off the Ice (Juniper Falls #1) by Julie Cross

Publication Date: February 27, 2017

Publisher: Entangled Teen

The NY Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of Whatever Life Throws at You kicks off a brand-new series perfect for fans of Miranda Kennealy and Abbi Glines.

All is fair in love and hockey…

Claire O’Connor is back in Juniper Falls, but that doesn’t mean she wants to be. One semester off, that’s what she promised herself. Just long enough to take care of her father and keep the family business—a hockey bar beside the ice rink—afloat. After that, she’s getting the hell out. Again.

Enter Tate Tanley. What happened between them the night before she left town resurfaces the second they lay eyes on each other. But the guy she remembers has been replaced by a total hottie. When Tate is unexpectedly called in to take over for the hockey team’s star goalie, suddenly he’s in the spotlight and on his way to becoming just another egotistical varsity hockey player. And Claire’s sworn off Juniper Falls hockey players for good.

It’s the absolute worst time to fall in love.

For Tate and Claire, hockey isn’t just a game. And they both might not survive a body check to the heart.

I have to admit that I have heard of Julie Cross before but I have never read any of her books until now and I have to say that I want to run out to the bookstore and pick them up since reading this.

I think Off The Ice is the perfect start to reading her books. If you follow me on social media you will know that I am a hockey mom/manager to my 13 year old son’s team. We have been in the minor hockey world for 5 years now.

Off The Ice takes place in a little town called Juniper Falls in Minnesota where life is centered around hockey. Everyone in Juniper Falls is obsessed with hockey.

The main characters are Tate and Claire. Claire is Tate’s older sisters best friend. Off The Line is told in alternating points of views from both of them. The book begins with Tate’s and its a year before the story line starts. We find out that Claire is leaving Juniper Falls for to attend college to pursue her music/drama career. Her friends have thrown her a going away party. Its within this chapter you are offered hints that Tate has always had a crush on Claire but he knows she has never felt that same way and just always looked at him like a little brother.

For Tate he is not your typical teenager. He is a teenager with the weight of the world on his shoulders to say the least. His life is hard and complicated, it shouldn’t have to be for a boy his age but with family issues, (this is where I have to say that I really disliked the dad), hockey obligations (and I know being in minor hockey that sometimes its too much and this is one of the reason’s my son didn’t want to do hockey in high school because of the demand and pressure), pressure from the town and team because of who is father is. Tate’s dad played hockey and he brought his team to the championships and won it so there is pressure to do the same thing.

For Claire, she is the kind of girl that wants to get out of her small town to pursue her dreams of being on Broadway because she has the talents that will take her far and a scholarship to help pursue that dream. I could relate to her because I was the same way growing up. I needed to get out of my small town where everyone knew each other and knew everyone’s business. Sadly Claire only got to experience a year away before being called home to help take care of her ill father and his business.

I loved reading the interaction between Tate and Claire when they saw each other a year later. You can tell the feelings were genuine and sincere and I loved how that built into something and it seemed real and not rushed. I was getting butterflies from reading it.

Living in a hockey city (Montreal) where everyone lives and breathes hockey I can completely understand the intensity a community can have for the game and sport they love. Reading this you know everyone has secrets good and bad and how would a community feel if the dirty little secrets were revealed? Especially if it involved a beloved hero to the community?

This is the first book in a new series that I have to say I am excited to read. I hope this storyline will be expanded.

Wayfarer (Passenger, #2) by Alexandra Bracken
Format: Hardcover
Published by Disney-Hyperion on January 3rd 2017
Pages: 532
Goodreads

All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history. After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed. When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master’s heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta’s past could put them both at risk.
Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail. They cross paths with a mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia. But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives.
As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable… and might just run out on both of them.

Wayfarer is the sequel to Passenger by Alexandra Bracken and its just be released this past week so its available to purchase in bookstores and online.

I have to admit I was a little scared going into Wayfarer just because I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy it like I did Passenger and I have to say I loved it. It actually felt like I was just reading a continuous storyline and perhaps it helped having Wayfarer on hand after finishing up Passenger. I literally had just finished reading Passenger and grabbed some lunch and jumped right into Wayfarer.

Wayfarer picks up right from the ending of Passenger. Right from the get go it was action packed and I had a hard time putting the book down at times. This one was a much faster read then the previous book and that was probably because Alexandra had to build up the story line with details and such and I think that was why I appreciated the story line much more.

So as we know Etta and Nicholas get separated from each other and we find out that perhaps Etta and Julian (Nicholas’s brother) might not actually be dead like Nicholas thinks they are but just stick in time somewhere. They are struggle to get back together before all hell breaks loose so to speak.

I loved how new characters were introduced that made the story line much more and seemed to tie it all in together. Of course they are still traveling through various eras and places much more then in Passenger.

Wayfarer is told in Etta and Nicholas’s points of views which make the story so enjoyable in my opinion. As I was reading it all I kept asking myself is will Etta and Nicholas be able to meet up again before its too late? Both Etta and Nicholas don’t have an easy journey to find each other because along the way there is so many obstacles in their way.

I have to say that I truly do enjoy duologies more then a series and wish there was more of them out there.

I can actually say after reading this book that Alexandra wrapped up all the loose ends and gave the characters the ending that they truly deserved. She wrapped up this duology really nicely. I walked away knowing that there wouldn’t be another book and for me that is a great feeling knowing an author did that without you wondering could there be another book?

I highly recommend this book to any young adult who is looking for a fun and exciting read. Its nice that I took a dip into time traveling and fantasy but there is also a little romance and mystery thrown in which I think just add to the book.

I can’t wait to read more of Alexandra Bracken’s books.

Thank you Autumn for sending me this book to read and review.

Review/ Off The Ice

Review/ Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken