Sarah's Review of Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella has done it yet again. She has written a witty, romantic comedy, full of whimsy. Wedding Night takes you on a roller coaster of emotions while keeping an upbeat demeanor. This book introduces you to an over the top romantic, star gazing type of girl named Lottie. She has this theatrical way of viewing her life and how things are going to happen. And Lottie is so certain that her boyfriend Richard is going to propose to her over lunch one day in a fancy London restaurant that she begins telling people before it has even happened. But when the "big" question isn't a proposal, but a trip to another country, Lottie is devastated and embarrassed. All that Lottie wants at this point in her life is to be married and start a family, so when she believes that Richard wants nothing of that, she leaves. Then, out of nowhere, her first love, Ben, calls her and while reminiscing he reminds her of their marriage pact if they both found themselves single at age 30. Being married is all that Lottie has on her mind, and Ben is just as attractive as when they were teenagers, so with that lust coursing through her she gladly accepts. But instead of having a big ceremony like she had always dreamed of, they opt for a quick walk down the aisle with a honeymoon on Ikonos, which is where they first met.
Lottie's older sister, and best friend, Fliss, is shocked. Lottie has done outrageous things in the past after a breakup, but never anything of this caliber. And Lorcan, Ben's workmate and friend, worries that Ben is rushing into this marriage way too quickly and sees it as a disaster for the business he just recently inherited. So Fliss decides to take matters into her own hands. After going through a brutal divorce herself involving child custody, the last thing she wants for her sister is for her to get pregnant only to regret the whole marriage later on and go through everything she is going through. So Fliss comes up with a crazy game plan to ruin their wedding night and honeymoon. Fliss and Lorcan are headed to Ikonos while Lottie and Ben are experiencing a honeymoon that they will soon not forget.

I have not yet read a book by Sophie Kinsella that I did not enjoy. She has this way of writing that just pulls you in and grips you. The plot line of Wedding Night is hilarious and things keep moving at just the right pace. Kinsella is great at throwing out unpredictable events so when you think you might know what's going to happen, you're thrown off, but in a good way. This particular story is such a comical romance. Lottie's idea of romance is very much rooted in fantasy, but as the story progresses we gain a better understanding of her character and are just hoping that everything is going to work out for her, whether it be with Ben or somebody else. All of the characters are well rounded, unique, individuals that are relatable. I love the twists and turns the story takes and the game plan that Fliss comes up with is priceless.

Wedding Night is a great combination of romance, comedy and drama. Kinsella's in depth descriptions allow you to put yourself right there in their shoes, and it's easy to find yourself empathizing with all of the characters. What an extravagant piece of writing! Another great novel from Sophie Kinsella.

Sarah's Review of Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Don't Look Back is by far the best book I have read in a long time! Jennifer L. Armentrout's writing captivates you right from the first page and keeps you hooked until the very unpredictable, very shocking conclusion.
Don't Look Back is about a teenage girl, Samantha, who wakes up not knowing anything. She is quite literally a stranger in her own life. She has amnesia and absolutely no recollection of who she was, where she's from, who her friends and family are, etc. She quickly learns that she had been missing for quite a few days, along with her best friend Cassie, who has yet to be found. Sam learns that she had it all, she was popular, her family had a lot of money, and her boyfriend was one who all the other girls wanted, every girls dream. On the surface it seemed like the perfect life. Sam wants to remember, not only her life but also what happened to her and Cassie. As she is trying to piece everything together and begins to learn about her so called friends, she quickly realizes that she wants nothing to do with her old life. The old Sam was disrespectful and a mean girl, and her friendship with Cassie wasn't what it appeared. Apparently they were more like frenemies (best friends who were enemies with each other). Even though she wants to remember so she can help the police figure out what happened to Cassie, she feels as though losing her memory was the best thing to happen to her because she now has a second chance to be a better person all around and finds herself drawn to a boy who's not her boyfriend. Carson Ortiz has always been there for Sam, even when she would treat him terribly. She found herself falling for him hard.
What is even scarier than not remembering anything, is that while she is trying hard to remember, she finds that someone else, someone she can't remember, also knows what happened the night the two girls disappeared and that person may stop at nothing to keep Sam from remembering. Sam starts to wonder if not remembering is the only thing that is keeping her alive.
Armentrout explores the role of the subconscious is this book and how tragic events can trigger memory loss along with many other things. I love that the author tapped into the subconscious and such an intriguing aspect such as amnesia. The flashbacks and memories that Sam begins to have help unravel the story perfectly in just the right time frame. This book deals with what it truly means to be good, to have a good heart, what true friendship means, and how sometimes you just have to follow your heart. This book is also a good example of how people can change and why second chances are good and sometimes life changing.
Armentrout delivers it all within this book with shocking discoveries and twists you don't see coming. I am so glad I picked up this book. It has quickly become a favourite.