You Were Made For Me

You Were Made For Me
Written by Jenna Guillaume
Contemporary, Friendship, Romance
Publishing August 11th 2020
336 Pages
Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley
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★★★★★
The day I created a boy started out like any other.

Katie didn't mean to create a boy. A boy like a long lost Hemsworth brother. Six foot tall with floppy hair and eyes like the sky on a clear summer's day, whose lips taste like cookie dough and whose skin smells like springtime.

A boy who is completely devoted to Katie.

He was meant to be perfect.

But he was never meant to exist.
Let's summarise. Single Katie wants a dreamboat boyfriend for her very first kiss. So what happens when you wake up in the middle of the night with six feet of solid, yet alluringly strange boy hunk in your bed? Freak the hell out.

A dash of handsomeness, a pinch of blonde dreamy locks, a sprinkle of smoking hot body and generous amounts of kindness and you too can create your very own Guy. Of course there's more to the recipe and lots of sciencey goodness but now Katie has a very real and very much naked Guy in her room, staring at her adoringly and content to live under her bed until she knows what to do with him.

Girl, have at it.

Thankfully Katie can rely on her always dependable friend and next door neighbour Theo to have her back. If it weren't for Guy's weird and wide eyed wonder, no one would believe this tall, handsome hunk of a boy was only hours old. Kate is a natural storyteller and with input from best friend Libby when she starts rambling or using the word tongue far too often than necessary, Katie shares her story about creating the perfect boy.

Katie, Libby and Theo aren't part of the popular clique, in fact she and best friend Libby have been the target of the downright nasty and pretentious Mikayla. Even her maybe, sometimes boyfriend Declan Bell Jones is perfect, if only Katie could steal him from Mikayla's taloned clutches. Katie's had the hots for him as long as she can remember and all of Libby's eye rolling still isn't enough to douse those burning loins. Declan is no Guy and while he may seem nice, he's just another wanker with the need to feel adored. I believe he's also still looking for his spine.

You Were Made For Me is a feel great, laugh out loud romantic comedy, like a nineties teen film that'll have you swooning and peeing a little, regular toilet breaks are highly recommend. It's utterly delightful, a little bit batshit and hilariously funny. We could all use a hefty dose of fun and fluff and this is perfection.

We first meet Katie as she's pining away over the unobtainable boy, you know the type, he's usually popular, his girlfriend is a horrible bitch and he's typically a bit of a dimwit. On a girl's night in, Kate and bestie Libby are pretending to create the ideal guy, Libby ensuring she added a penis because no one deserves plastic genitals. Feeling better about her lack of boyfriend and kissing, Katie tucks her makeshift tiny boyfriend into bed. Sciencey and magical stuffs occur, which I believe is the technical term and that is how you end up with a hunk in your bed. Probably best not to try this at home kids, results may vary.

What ensues is a journey of learning, hard lessons and realising that there's no such thing as perfection, although Guy comes pretty close. A story of friendship, awesome friends, shitty friends and that guy you thought was hot? He's a massive wanker. You Were Made For Me also touches on grief, Theo having lost his mother to cancer. Infidelity, someone can't seem to keep their own tongue in their mouth and body shaming. Theo is often teased by his family and peers for his weight. 

I loved the diversity of characters. There is a discussion surrounding sexuality when a character identifies as asexual and aromantic and it was brilliant to see that spoken about on the page so positively. Libby is Filipina Australian, she's intelligent, witty and an incredibly loyal friend. She also experiences taunting and racism at the hands of Mikayla and her minions.

Jenna Guillaume has cemented herself as Australia's young adult romantic comedy author and my love her her knows no bounds. This was absolutely delightful, fun, fluffy and super cute. Also, a handy guide when faced with a large, ridiculously good looking man doll come to life in your bed while you're asleep.

The Map from Here to There

The Map from here to There
The Start of Me and You Book Two
Written by Emery Lord
Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Published March 31st 2020
400 Pages
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia
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★★★☆
It's senior year, and Paige Hancock is finally living her best life. She has a fun summer job, great friends, and a super charming boyfriend who totally gets her. But senior year also means big decisions.

Feeling the weight of the rest of her life Paige starts to panic. Everything is exactly how she always wanted it to be, how can she leave it all behind next year? In her head, she knows there is so much more to life after high school. But in her heart, is it so terrible to want everything to stay the same forever?

Emery Lord's signature storytelling shines with lovable characters and heartfelt exploration of life's most important questions. There will be break ups, make ups, a road trip, and even a wedding. Through it all, can Paige figure out what happens in the after part of happily ever after?
Paige Hancock's world fell apart after her boyfriend Aaron drowned in a tragic accident, her steadfast friends were there to support her through the trauma and anxiety, including Max, Paige's friend and now boyfriend. Paige and Max have just spent the last few months apart, Paige exploring New York City and her dream of one day becoming a screen writer, while Max has been holidaying in Italy. Reuniting before embarking on their final year of school and together with their group of friends, their final year before scattering across the country for collage.

Paige is a planner, she likes to know where she's going before she begins her journey, to schedule her time and organise her life in an orderly manner, so collage applications are especially stressful, the fear of the unknown. Beneath Paige's anxiety is a brave and fiercely determined young woman wanting to pursue her dreams of becoming a screenwriter, although lately she isn't so sure. The eldest daughter of her journalist father and mother, her parents understand the pressure Paige places upon herself and remind her of the importance of caring for herself, even if Paige herself doesn't quite realise how debilitating her anxiety is becoming. Her parents are in a precarious situation, separated but continue to date one another, her mother placing stability and the emotional welfare of Paige and her younger sister before her own needs. Their family unit might be a little unconventional but it works, the Hancock girls giving their blessing for their parents to remarry again.

In her final year, Paige is determined to shake things up, on the cusp of adulthood, deciding on colleges, careers and finding her feet as Paige, not as Max and Paige. Throwing away her planner to become carefree and spontaneous, creating a final year bucket list of all the cheesy and typical teen experiences before college. Paige is a wonderful character as an individual but she seemingly lost her sense of identity within her relationship with Max. Although Max is supportive, Paige needed to be challenged and trusted, Max all but accusing Paige of being unfaithful for spending time with the delightful Hunter Chan, workmate and friend. A double standard considering how often Max speaks to Tessa, Paige's best friend. I didn't dislike Max, I just didn't like who Paige was in her relationship with him.

Although I enjoyed The Map from Here to There, it wasn't nearly as enchanting as The Start of Me and You which was fun, lighthearted and a feel great read. Paige and Max seemed entirely too serious for two teens on the cusp of adulthood. I appreciated that Paige wanted to spread her wings and shake up her routine, Many young adults will relate to the pressure she places upon herself and the daily struggle of balancing her education, life, family, friendships and also working part time.

There's something just so incredibly lovely and gentle about an Emery Lord novel and although I didn't love it as much as The Start of Me and You, still a wonderful, feel great read.

The Highland Falcon Thief

The Highland Falcon Thief
Adventures on Trains Book One
Written by M. G. Leonard and Sam Sedgman
Illustrated by Elisa Paganelli
Middle Grade, Adventure, Friendship, Mystery
Published January 31st 2020
256 Pages
Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia
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★★★★
Harrison Beck is reluctantly joining his travel writer Uncle Nate for the last journey of the royal train, The Highland Falcon. But as the train makes its way to Scotland, a priceless brooch goes missing, and things are suddenly a lot more interesting. As suspicions and accusations run high among the passengers, Harrison begins to investigate and uncovers a few surprises along the way. Can he solve the mystery of the jewel thief and catch the culprit before they reach the end of the line?

Hear whispers in the dining car, find notes in the library, and unknown passengers among the luggage as you help Harrison to solve the mystery aboard one of the world's grandest trains. Fast paced and packed with illustrations and clues, Adventures on Trains is a stop you won't want to miss!
Eleven year old Harrison Beck is spending four days with his eccentric uncle and author Nathaniel Bradshaw, journeying across the British countryside upon The Highland Falcon, his mother heavily pregnant with her second child. bringing a new sibling for Harrison into the world. Harrison reluctantly boards The Highland Falcon, a steam powered locomotive on her final journey before decommissioned into retirement. Harrison isn't a train enthusiast like his uncle, documenting her final journey but adventure awaits onboard the locomotive for the wealthy and infamous passengers, a stowaway and the British Prince and Princess as a jewel thief journeys among them.

Harrison is a lovely young man, courteous and reluctantly boards The Highland Falcon, the only child on the journey from Crewe to Scotland until Harrison discovers a young stowaway. Marlene Singh is a railroad enthusiast and befriends Harrison as they begin their adventure across Britain.

The jewel heist has begun. Someone had been thieving from wealthy socialites and society members and when a brooch, earrings and and absurdly, the Atlas Diamond necklace as worn under security by the royal Princess herself disappears onboard, Harrison and Marlene are determined to unravel the mystery and find the culprit.

The Highland Falcon Thief is unequivocally delightful. A mystery adventure on the railway, surprising and wonderfully engaging. Throughout the narrative, learning about the romance of the railways was lovely, the almost obsolete steam powered locomotives and the journey onboard, an adventure itself. As Harrison sketches various scenes of interest, the illustrations are recreated throughout, enchanting and delighting middle grade readers. Simply brilliant.
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