Review: The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt

Title: The Chapel Wars
Author: Lindsey Leavitt
Series: n/a
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Publication Date: May 6, 2014
Source: from publisher via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Acclaimed author Lindsey Leavitt brings her trademark heart, humor, and romance to her hometown--Vegas.

Sixteen-year-old Holly wants to remember her Grandpa forever, but she’d rather forget what he left her in his will: his wedding chapel on the Las Vegas strip. Whatever happened to gold watches, savings bonds, or some normal inheritance?

And then there's Grandpa's letter. Not only is she running the business with her recently divorced parents, but she needs to make some serious money--fast. Grandpa also insists Holly reach out to Dax, the grandson of her family's mortal enemy and owner of the cheesy chapel next door. No matter how cute Dax is, Holly needs to stay focused: on her group of guy friends, her disjointed family, work, school and... Dax. No wait, not Dax.

Holly’s chapel represents everything she’s ever loved in her past. Dax might be everything she could ever love in the future. But as for right now, there's a wedding chapel to save.

The Chapel Wars was everything I expected it to be: sweet, funny, and clever. Basically, everything I thought about Going Vintage. Except, where Going Vintage was on the fluffier side, I enjoyed that The Chapel Wars took a slightly more serious approach in its exploration of grief and loss and expectations. But only slightly.

This book takes the dueling family aspect to another level. Forget the Montagues and Capulets. Move over Hatfields and McCoys. This story features two rival families, the Nolans and the Cranstons, with competing wedding chapels in Las Vegas that share a parking lot. And as crazy as that sounds, things get even crazier when Grandpa Jim passes away and leaves the family chapel to Holly, his like-minded granddaughter.

I loved how Vegas kind of became its own character in this story. I've personally never been to Vegas, never had any desire to do so, but the wacky and detailed way it's portrayed in this story, the history of the city as it's described, makes me feel like maybe I'm missing out. Like maybe I judged the town too harshly before I knew what it was all about, sort of like Dax.

The wedding chapel business sort of takes on a life of its own, too. And I was really impressed with the family dynamic in this story, as well. Some YA novels fail to deliver a realistic family that's actually in the picture, that actually makes a difference in the main character's life, but The Chapel Wars is not one of those. Holly's family is by no means perfect. The parents are no longer together. They all fight and bicker. But they're there for each other when it counts.

I also appreciated that Holly "Numbers Girl" Nolan isn't your typical protagonist. She's so Type A it's endearing. Holly takes running the Rose of Sharon chapel very seriously, and she'll do everything in her power to keep it from failing. But I also like that she doesn't take everything at face-value, that along the way, she begins to question her own goals and dreams, whether she really wants to run the chapel after she graduates or if that was just because it's all she's ever known.

And Dax helps her to discover what she really wants. Namely him, even if it was hard for her to admit that, but I liked how that relationship progressed, how she also made him feel at home in a place he didn't want to be. Both Dax and Holly were a little messed up, both affected by grief and the feud that had fueled their grandfathers' hate-fire for years. But it was nice to see them overcome their losses together and to move past their families' prejudices and do so in normal teenager ways. I shipped them as soon as I read that summary and with good reason.

I adored that cover the moment I saw it, and the story is just as cute. It definitely had its moments, alternating between funny and heartbreaking, and it has solidified me as a fan of Lindsey Leavitt. I definitely recommend The Chapel Wars for fans of YA contemporary who are looking for something that falls in between fluffy and gritty. It's like baby bear's porridge...

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Lindsey Leavitt is a former elementary school teacher and present-day writer/mom to three (mostly) adorable girls. She is married to her high-school lab partner and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is the author of the PRINCESS FOR HIRE series, SEAN GRISWOLD’S HEAD, & GOING VINTAGE.

She also feels weird writing about herself in third person.

Find Lindsey:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

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Labels: all the feels, all the swoons, beautiful covers, bloomsbury, contemporary, lindsey leavitt, reviews, the chapel wars

{Audiobook} Review: Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

Title: Going Vintage
Author: Lindsey Leavitt
Narrator:  Ali Ahn
Series: stand-alone
Length:  8 hrs 3 mins
Publisher: Audible, Inc.
Publication Date: November 21, 2013
Source: purchased, galley received for review via Netgalley
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

When Mallory’s boyfriend, Jeremy, cheats on her with an online girlfriend, Mallory decides the best way to de-Jeremy her life is to de-modernize things too. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory swears off technology and returns to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn’t cheat with computer avatars). The List:

1. Run for pep club secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for Homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous

But simple proves to be crazy-complicated, and the details of the past begin to change Mallory’s present. Add in a too-busy grandmother, a sassy sister, and the cute pep-club president–who just happens to be her ex’s cousin–and soon Mallory begins to wonder if going vintage is going too far.

I really wish I hadn't given up so easily on this book when I tried to read my galley earlier this year.  But I've become quite the mood reader these days, and at the time, this book was just too cute for me.  I was probably going through a zombie phase or something then.  Regardless, when I saw the audio for Going Vintage pop up on Audible, I was finally ready to give this adorable book the chance it deserved.

Going Vintage is exactly what I've come to expect when I'm looking for a fun contemporary young adult novel. The protagonist is quirky and cute and on a mission:  she needs to revamp her life and cut out all technology, since that's what indirectly led to her break-up.  Yeah, it's overkill but it sets Mallory on a path of self-discovery and self-actualization, and although she's still a bit juvenile as she undertakes this journey, I ultimately liked the end result:  a girl who realized she had been settling and wanted more for herself.

I would definitely say that this story is on the light and fluffy side of YA.  It's geared toward the younger set, with no hidden depths or vulgarity, and though the rating is ages 12-17, I'd say the lower end of that age bracket will appreciate the story more.  It's about a girl coping with her first real break-up, but it doesn't get dark or gritty.  If you're looking for a more realistic approach to this topic, I'd look elsewhere because this book is all about the cute and the fun and making it through with an optimistic outlook.

Not that that's a bad thing...I happened to be in the right frame of mind for this book, and so the little amount of time I spent with it was enjoyable, comforting even.  I think my favorite aspect of the story was the bond between the sisters. Ginnie is snarky and makes the perfect sidekick for Operation: Going Vintage.  Ginnie helps Mallory execute her plans to separate herself from technology and complete the tasks on their grandmother's 1962 to-do list.  And I love what they discovered about their family along the way, though some of it, I think, was rather downplayed for simplicity's sake.

The romance was also adorable, and I appreciated that the new love interest on the scene respected Mallory's boundaries and didn't push her.  Oliver was simply a friend to Mallory when she needed it, and I could appreciate the discussion they had over how weird it was that they were hanging out, considering Oliver's cousin is Mallory's ex.  And I loved that no matter how much Jeremy tried to insert himself back into Mallory's life, she wasn't having it.  Other protagonists could take a page from her book, and Jeremy didn't even cheat in the physical sense.  (Before you bite my head off, I agree that sometimes emotional relationships can be just as damning.)

Loved the narration.  Ali Ahn perfectly portrayed adolescent Mallory, melodrama and fast-talking included. And she didn't do that thing that some narrators do, in which they try to lower their voice an octave or two in order to sound more masculine.  This is much appreciated, as that method never works out well.  Narrators like Ahn are the perfect choice for this type of story because her voice actually sounds the part.  I also liked her portrayal of The Best Night of Your (Pathetic) Life when I listened to it last year, in case you were wondering what else she's recorded.

Anyway, definitely a fluffy book but a cute read all the same.  It's a book I wouldn't mind my daughter reading, either. In fact, I hope she reads books like this because it showcases the kind of girl I hope she grows up to be: independent, goal-oriented, and sassy.  With a heaping dose of fun thrown in for good measure.


GIF it to me straight*:

Loaded with the feel-goods.

About the author:

Lindsey Leavitt is a former elementary school teacher and present-day writer/mom to three (mostly) adorable girls. She is married to her high-school lab partner and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is the author of the PRINCESS FOR HIRE series, SEAN GRISWOLD’S HEAD, & GOING VINTAGE.

She also feels weird writing about herself in third person.

Find Lindsey:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest

Read More

Labels: audiobooks, beautiful covers, bloomsbury, contemporary, going vintage, lindsey leavitt, reviews