{Mini} Reviews: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill and See Me by Wendy Higgins

Title: Being Sloane Jacobs
Author: Lauren Morrill
Narrator: Shelby Lewis, Devon Sorvari
Series: n/a
Publisher: Listening Library
Publication Date: January 7th, 2014
Source: purchased audio
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

Being Sloane Jacobs was just okay for me. I knew what it was about going in. I knew it wasn’t going to be all that deep. That it was a cross between Parent Trap and The Cutting Edge…. I knew all that. Did it stop me? Nope. I thought that was the kind of read I was in the mood for.

I think maybe part of me hoped it would be more original, less predictable. My biggest issue I think was the Narrators. I loved the Narrator for Sloane Devon. The Narrator for Sloane Emily though annoyed me. By the end of the book she didn’t quite sound like nails on a chalk board at least. If not for Sloane Devon, I probably would have DNF’d.

In a nutshell, you have two Sloane Jacob’s who want to run away from their lives. They meet at a hotel before summer camp and decide to switch places. One goes to Hockey, the other goes to Figure Skating. While I found some of their adventures entertaining, I didn’t particularly find them believable. I rolled my eyes a little, but I did laugh. There were some funny moments.

One thing I detested was the talk of Sloane Devon’s smelly hockey gear. Guys, this bothered me. They mentioned how it smelled like dead fish on more than one occasion, and I was so grossed out. They switched clothes, right, so they switched skates and stuff. So Sloane Emily was wearing Sloane Devon’s nasty smelly gear and I just wanted to gag. In fact, I think I did at one point. At least they thought to keep their own undies because that would just be crossing the line.

Overall, it wasn’t bad, just not that great. I loved Meant to Be, so maybe I was expecting more. I do think this will appeal to some readers though, maybe a younger crowd.

Throw these bitches on skates and presto!! you have a book

About the author:


Lauren Elizabeth Morrill is many things, including, but not limited to, a writer, an educator, a badass roller derby skater, a former band nerd, an aggressive driver, and a die-hard Mac person. She also watches a lot of TV, eats a lot of junk food, and drinks a lot of Coke. It's a wonder her brain and teeth haven't rotted out of her head.

Her first novel, Meant to Be, sold in a two-book deal to Wendy Loggia at Delacorte for Paper Lantern Lit.

Find Lauren:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Title: See Me
Author: Wendy Higgins
Series: n/a
Publisher: Self Pub
Publication Date: March 17th, 2014
Source: Purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

While most seventeen-year-old American girls would refuse to let their parents marry them off to a stranger, Robyn Mason dreams of the mysterious McKale in Ireland, wondering how he’ll look and imagining his cute Irish accent. Prearranged bindings are common for magical families like her own, however when she travels to the whimsical Emerald Isle she discovers there’s more to her betrothal and McKale’s clan than she was led to believe.

What starts as an obligatory pairing between Robyn and McKale morphs over time into something they both need. But one giant obstacle stands in the way of their budding romance: a seductive and deadly Fae princess accustomed to getting what she wants—and what she wants is McKale as her plaything. Love, desire, and jealousies collide as Robyn’s family and McKale’s clan must work together to outsmart the powerful Faeries and preserve the only hope left for their people.

See Me is my first experience reading Wendy Higgins. It was my friend Jess’s pick that week and it looked cute so we dove right in. I liked it, it was adorable, but it wasn’t great.

Robyn has been betrothed since she was a baby, to son from another magical family. So it starts off with them getting ready to head out to Ireland so she can finally meet him before they get hitched. Ahh the mysterious McHale, there is more too his family than Robyn knows, and when she finds out it’s pretty darn funny.

The Fae play a big part in this story, especially the Fae Princess who wants McHale all to herself. I enjoyed watching Robyn and McHale get to know each other but I felt like the Fae presence wasn’t written as strongly as it could be. That’s to be expected though. I believe this was something Higgin’s wrote ages ago before she published anything.

Also the ending was kinda lame, both Jess and I were left saying to each other… “That’s it?” It was a fun quick read though, and I’d be willing to try other works by this author.

What kind of ending was that? 

About the author:

After earning a bachelors in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, Wendy taught high school English until becoming a mommy. Writing Young Adult (YA) stories gives her the opportunity to delve into the ambiguities of those pivotal, daunting, and exciting years before adulthood.

She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, daughter, and son. Sweet Evil is her debut novel.

Find Wendy:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Facebook | Tumblr

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Labels: being sloane jacobs, contemporary, faeries, lauren morrill, paranormal, parent trap, reviews, see me, wendy higgins

Review: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Title: Being Sloane Jacobs
Author: Lauren Morrill
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Source: received from publisher via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

If you'll remember, I just about squee'd my pants with excitement over Lauren Morrill's debut, Meant to Be. That story was completely adorable and had me giggling like a school girl over the zany antics of Jason and Julia.  The antics perpetrated by The Sloanes were no less zany and no less adorable, and I ended up loving Lauren's sophomore novel almost as much as her debut, which I've featured here on the blog prominently, as it's one of my favorite new contemporaries.

Both Sloanes are experiencing issues on and off the ice, and both are willing to do just about anything to escape those problems.  So, when a chance encounter leaves them with the opportunity to do just that, there's nothing and no one standing in their way, and they switch lives for a summer of new experiences, new obstacles, and new love.  Little do they know that running away never solves anything, and their problems have only just begun.

True, this novel requires the suspension of disbelief from the reader, as there are quite a few plot holes to be overlooked and the general plausibility of such a situation is called into question many times.  But if you can bring yourself to overlook that and focus on the novel in a purely entertaining fashion, I think you'll be pleased with the end result.  It is not a perfect book, but it is definitely a fun book.  Think The Parent Trap meets The Cutting Edge and you'd have a fairly apt comparison.

This story is told from both Sloane's perspectives, and unlike a lot of books that attempt the dual POV,  Being Sloane Jacobs actually does it effectively.  The author manages to make each girls' voice unique, which is apparently difficult to do for characters of the opposite sex for some authors, so I'm doubly impressed that Morrill was able to accomplish this task so brilliantly.  Each Sloane had similar reasons for agreeing to switch lives for several weeks, but even so, they were very different girls with very different lives, and that was portrayed well in this narrative.

Being Sloane Jacobs fares on the lighter side of YA, but I think it's too-cute role reversal plot can be enjoyed by all ages. Especially since the story focuses on the girls, their bond, and their ability to overcome life's little obstacles, rather than on the summer romances they each start up.  Those were cute, but they weren't the focal point of The Sloanes' summers, much to my delight.

I knew what to expect from this story going into it, and it delivered.  Which is to say, the book oversimplifies things a bit and comes in an entirely neat and tidy package, but it still manages to be highly entertaining in the process.  It was a jaunty little read that left me content and smiling, and sometimes, as with this book, that's all I'm looking for.  Yes, it was a fluffy read, but it was a well-written one from a great new voice in YA contemporary literature.  It's a little bit cheesy and a lotta bit fun, and if you're looking for a cute read to help pass the time until Isla is finally, finally in your hands, I think this just might be the book for you.

GIF it to me straight:

Adorable AND full of girl power.

(I'm seriously going to teach my daughter to do this in her Jeep. :P)

About the author:

LAUREN MORRILL grew up in Maryville, Tennessee, where she was a short-term Girl Scout, a (not so) proud member of the marching band, and a trouble-making editor for the school newspaper. She graduated from Indiana University with a major in history and a minor in rock & roll, and now lives in Macon, GA with her husband and their dog, Lucy. When she's not writing, she spends a lot of hours getting knocked around on the track playing roller derby.

Find Lauren:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Labels: being sloane jacobs, contemporary, lauren morrill, paper lantern lit, random house, reviews

Teaser Tuesday #86: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's what I'm teasing this week:

Title: Being Sloane Jacobs
Author: Lauren Morrill
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: January 7, 2014
Source: received from publisher via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

My teaser:

"Let me at least help you to the door."  He gives me the single most genuine smile I've ever seen.  My chest aches.  I don't want to say good night to him.  It's like saying goodbye to home all over again.

- Loc 1797, 50% of galley

Aw.  My chest aches for her.  But I can't help but think that these two girls brought this "parent-trap" type dilemma on themselves. :-/  I loved Lauren's debut and I'm loving her sophomore novel just as much.

What are you teasing this week?  Share it in the comments or leave a link so I can visit!

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Labels: all the swoons, beautiful covers, being sloane jacobs, contemporary, favorites, lauren morrill, must-read, random house

Waiting on Wednesday: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

Title: Being Sloane Jacobs
Author: Lauren Morrill
Series: n/a
Publisher: Delacorte
Publication Date: January 7, 2014

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure-skater from Washington, D.C., who choked during junior nationals and isn’t sure she’s ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she’d give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life.

Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player from Philly who’s been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she’s playing the worst she’s ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance in Montreal and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she’s the lucky one: no strangers to judge or laugh at Sloane Emily, no scouts expecting Sloane Devon to be a hero. But it didn’t occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It’s not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you’re someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

I just loved Lauren Morrill's debut, Meant to Be, to pieces, and I'm expecting this sophomore novel to be just as adorable.  And from the sounds of it, I won't be disappointed.  :)  Also, I love this cover.  It's so colorful and cute, just like the one for MtB.  I'm sensing a pattern here...lol.


(My daughter was sitting with me when I was working on this post, and we're taking her to see Despicable Me 2 tomorrow, so she pretty much told me I  had to post this GIF since we are also waiting on this movie.  :D)

Now that you know what I'm dying to read, what are you waiting on this week?  Feel free to share it in the comments or leave a link so I can stop by!

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Labels: beautiful covers, being sloane jacobs, contemporary, iwantsit-iwantsitnow, lauren morrill, paper lantern lit, waiting on wednesday (wow)