Blog Tour Review / 10 Reasons You Should Read: What I Like About You (Marisa Kanter)

Welcome to my stop on the What I Like About You Blog Tour! Below you will find my review of this fun and flirty YA Contemporary Romance, which includes 10 reasons you should get your hands on a copy immediately - enjoy! 😊

Title: What I Like About You
Series: standalone
Author: Marisa Kanter
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BYR
Release Date: April 7, 2020
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Content Rating: Teen (kissing and making out, some language, grief, anxiety attacks)
Format Read: ARC
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase: B&N | BookDepo | Indiebound | Azon
Summary:

Can a love triangle have only two people in it? Online, it can…but in the real world, it's more complicated. In this debut novel that’s perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson, Marisa Kanter hilariously and poignantly explores what happens when internet friends turn into IRL crushes.

Is it still a love triangle if there are only two people in it?

There are a million things that Halle Levitt likes about her online best friend, Nash.

He’s an incredibly talented graphic novelist. He loves books almost as much as she does. And she never has to deal with the awkwardness of seeing him in real life. They can talk about anything…

Except who she really is.

Because online, Halle isn’t Halle—she’s Kels, the enigmatically cool creator of One True Pastry, a YA book blog that pairs epic custom cupcakes with covers and reviews. Kels has everything Halle doesn’t: friends, a growing platform, tons of confidence, and Nash.

That is, until Halle arrives to spend senior year in Gramps’s small town and finds herself face-to-face with real, human, not-behind-a-screen Nash. Nash, who is somehow everywhere she goes—in her classes, at the bakery, even at synagogue.

Nash who has no idea she’s actually Kels.

If Halle tells him who she is, it will ruin the non-awkward magic of their digital friendship. Not telling him though, means it can never be anything more. Because while she starts to fall for Nash as Halle…he’s in love with Kels.

Goodreads | B&N | BookDepo | Indiebound | Azon

*          *          *

Review copy provided by publisher for honest review. Thank you, Simon & Schuster!

When I first heard of this YA contemporary romance about a teen blogger who becomes entangled in a two-person love triangle, I knew it would be just my kind of read - and I was not disappointed! What I Like About You is a funtastic story made of books and cupcakes and a sweet if awkward romance that you can't help but ship despite All the Bad Decisions. It does occasionally get serious about grief, identity, and consequences, but for the most part it's a lighthearted read with a focus on love - of people, places, and baked and bookish things. If you need further convincing to acquire a copy ASAP, here are...

10 Reasons You Should Read What I Like About You:

1. The two-person love triangle. Halle is in love with Nash. Nash is in love with Kels. But Kels is Halle?? Halle considers her online alter-ego Kels a separate person and is initially determined not to steal Nash away...from herself. But one can only resist love for so long.

2. Awesome sibling relationship. Thanks to their nomad-esque childhood as the offspring of documentary-making parents, Halle's smart and awesome 15 year-old brother Ollie is her best friend IRL. They share pretty much everything with each other, take an active interest in each other's favorite things, keep each other's secrets, call each other on their crap, and support each other mentally. Sibling love for the win!

3. YA book blogger MC. Main character Halle/Kels is a teen book blogger on the rise, and although I am tiny in comparison (in comparison to most bloggers, really), I related to her bookish situations and struggles and enjoyed all the familiar terms and blog talk.

4. Friendship goals. Halle has and makes some seriously amazing friends both online and IRL. I wish I'd had just one of her friends at that age, let alone two crews of them. (For a great quote on friendship from the book, check out my Teaser Tuesday post!)

5. All the Teen Feels. This story covers a lot of the sweet and stressful highlights of teenage life: First loves. First real jobs. HS senior year college drama (practice tests, applications, response emails). School/work/life/online balance. IRL friends vs. online friends. Dead phones with MIA chargers. And the blogger's worst nightmare: a home without Wi-Fi. 😱

6. Authentic teen voices. While I am now far from being considered a "young" adult, I felt the teen voices in this book were fresh and realistic - especially since I didn't always fully understand the lingo, emojis, or acronyms lol.

7. Lots of representation. Halle and her family, as well as Nash and some of Le Crew and their families, are all refreshingly Jewish! Through the book Halle and Ollie attend Shabbat services and participate in holiday traditions with their grandfather and new friends, while halfway across the world their parents are off documenting a year-long kibbutz. Anxiety issues are also featured as Halle suffers from occasional panic attacks (luckily her sweet brother is usually there to help her through them, have I mentioned how awesome their sibling relationship is?), and therapy is promoted for both anxiety and grief. There is also some queer rep among family and friends. And those are just the reps that jumped out at me.

8. Authors behaving badly. Let's be honest, like observing a literary train wreck we in the book community cannot help but watch when an author misbehaves. And boy, does one in this story.

9. BookCon. If you haven't had the pleasure to attend (like me), this book offers a brief but exciting peek into the Javits Center madness - no ticket required!

10. Two words: BOOKISH. CUPCAKES. Enough said. 🧁

Conclusion: If you enjoy reading about imperfect yet sweet romances, YA books, endearing awkwardness, positive sibling relationships, realistic teen characters, enviable friendships, and cover-themed cupcakes, then you do not want to miss the deliciously fun and flirty What I Like About You!

Scribble Rating: 

4.5 of 5 Scribbles

AUTHOR BIO

Marisa Kanter has worked in publicity for major publishers and covered YA books for MTV. Currently, she works in sales, on the distribution side of the publishing industry. She can often be found searching for the best iced chai in NYC, or reading on the 3 train. What I Like About You is her first novel.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

TOUR SCHEDULE:

Week 1

3/30: Novel Novice - Giveaway
3/31: Book Bratz - Review
4/1: The Novel Knight - Author Guest Post
4/2: Book Princess Reviews - Review
4/3: eleven thirteen pm - Author Q&A

Week 2

4/6: Vicky Again - Creative Post 
4/7: Pub Day (Marisa) - Creative Post
4/8: Kayla Reads and Reviews - Author Q&A

4/9: The Heart of a Book Blogger - Author Q&A
4/10: Mary Had a Little Book Blog - Giveaway

Week 3
4/13: Jen Ryland Reviews - Review
4/14: Love in Panels - Giveaway
4/15: Forever and Everly - Review
4/16: I'm All Booked Up - Review
4/17: Awkwordly Emma - Author Q&A

Week 4
4/20: Rants & Raves of a Bibliophile - Giveaway
4/21: Read By Tiffany - Author Q&A
4/22: A Court of Coffee and Books - Review
4/23: From the Library of Alexis - Review
4/24: Bookishly Jules - Giveaway

Week 5

4/27: Lost in a Book - Review
4/28: Pages and Pugs - Review
4/29: Skye's Scribblings - Review
4/30: Kait Plus Books - Giveaway
5/1: We Live and Breathe Books - Review

Teaser Tuesday: WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU (Marisa Kanter)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme now hosted by The Purple Booker, wherein you open your current read to a random page and share two teaser sentences from it.


I've decided to start posting teasers again!! To kick things off I'm spotlighting a book I actually re-read last week (apologies to the meme rules), so today's pick is What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter, a fun and flirty YA contemporary romance about books, blogging, and baking. For more info be sure to check out my blog tour review tomorrow, which will include 10 reasons you should read this book ASAP (if the quote below doesn't convince you ;).

To further break the meme rules, instead of the requisite two sentences I present a section on friendship that was just too good not to share. Enjoy! :)

"Friendship--real friendship--isn't easy. It's destroying Barbie dream houses and screaming in movie theater parking lots and screwing up, sometimes badly. It's a mess of lines drawn in the sand and questioning loyalties and answering difficult DMs. It's making comparisons and exposing insecurities. 

But it's also bowling by our own rules. Laughing until our stomachs cramp and tears stream down our cheeks. It's knowing that I have people, real people, from all over the country in my pocket, always a text or tweet or lunch table away when I need them. It's knowing the world might be a trash fire, but it's less trash when there are people to help navigate the darkness. 

Friendship is messy. Hard. Infuriating. Awesome. Fragile. Durable. Impossible. Worth it. 

Always worth it." (Pages 383-384)

ADD TO GOODREADS

So what are you reading this week?

The #FridayReads Review (4/24/20)

Welcome to The #FridayReads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week, and what I'm planning to read next! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own #FridayReads Review and leave the link in the Comments below, or just Comment with what you've been reading!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter (HBK)

Almost done with my hardcover re-read of this fun and flirty YA contemporary romance! Be on the lookout for my blog tour review post April 29th, which will offer ten reasons to get your hands on it ASAP.

One Fine Day vol. 2 by Sirial (PBK)

This three-volume series is a slice-of-life contemporary fantasy that follows the everyday adventures of an unconventional (most of them are animals) and magical (animals that sometimes look like human children) found family. It is the sweetest, fluffiest, most adorable manga I've ever had the pleasure of reading, and just what I needed this week.

>> JUST FINISHED <<

Horimiya vol. 13 by Hero X Daisuke Hagiwara (PBK)

4.5 Stars. I needed a comfort read, so I re-read all the released volumes of this sweet and highly amusing series. If you enjoy slice-of-life teen romances with lots of humor and just the right amount of reality then you cannot go wrong with Horimiya.

>> [POSSIBLY] READING NEXT <<

(subject to change with my ever-shifting reading whims)

Takane & Hana vol. 13 by Yuki Shiwasu (PBK)

One of my libraries just opened for curbside service so I can finally pick up this next volume! Now if I can only remember what happened in the last volume...

So what are you reading this week?

The #FridayReads Review (4/17/20)

Welcome to The #FridayReads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week, and what I'm planning to read next! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own #FridayReads Review and leave the link in the Comments below, or just Comment with what you've been reading!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter (HBK)

Re-reading the hardcover of this fun and flirty YA contemporary romance to finalize my blog tour review. Be on the lookout for my post April 29th!

>> ON HOLD <<

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (PBK)

I really want to re-read this for review but just wasn't feeling it at the moment. I've set it aside for a few other books and will hopefully return to it soon.

>> JUST FINISHED <<

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston (ARC)

4 Stars. A thrilling teen sci-fi of violence and romance that moved way too fast for me to truly connect with the characters or feel much of an emotional impact but definitely entertained. I look forward to finishing the duology with Soul of Stars when the paperback releases later this year. Review to come.

>> [POSSIBLY] READING NEXT <<

(subject to change with my ever-shifting reading whims)

Angel and Bavar by Amy Wilson (ARC)

I loved this book so much but was unable to write a coherent review. Desperate to sing it's praises, a re-read for review is naturally in order!

So what are you reading this week?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Twelve Books I Enjoyed but Don't Talk Enough About

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme formerly hosted by The Broke and the Bookish,
now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

Top Twelve Books I Enjoyed 
but Don't Talk Enough About

1. Murder, Magic, & What We Wore (Kelly Jones) (review)
2. Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist (review)
3. Daughter of the Pirate King (Tricia Levenseller) (review)
4. The Accidental Highwayman (Ben Tripp) (review)
5. Arclight (Josin A. McQuein) (review)
6. Undertow (Michael Buckley) (review)
7. Avalon (Mindee Arnett) (review)
8. Rebel Mechanics (Shanna Swendson) (review)
9. The Leveller (Julia Durango) (review)
10. Indelible (Dawn Metcalf) (review)
11. Hold Me Like a Breath (Tiffany Schmidt) (review)
12. Relax, I'm a Ninja (Natalie Whipple) (review)

What favorite books do you rarely talk about?

Release Spotlight: What I Like About You (Marisa Kanter)

Today I am excited to spotlight the deliciously fun and flirty read that is What I Like About You by Marisa Kanter! I had the pleasure of devouring an early copy and am happy to report that it's a funtastic story made of books and cupcakes and a sweet awkward romance that you do not want to miss. You can check out my full review later this month on my stop of the official blog tour (list of all participating blogs at the end of this post), but in the meantime read on for more about this delightful book and links to get your copy today!

Title: What I Like About You

Author: Marisa Kanter
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BYR
Release Date: April 7, 2020

Can a love triangle have only two people in it? Online, it can... but in the real world, it's more complicated. In this debut novel Marisa Kanter explores what happens when internet friends turn into IRL crushes.

There are a million things that Halle Levitt likes about her online best friend, Nash.

He’s an incredibly talented graphic novelist. He loves books almost as much as she does. And she never has to deal with the awkwardness of seeing him in real life. They can talk about anything…

Except who she really is.

Because online, Halle isn’t Halle—she’s Kels, the enigmatically cool creator of One True Pastry, a YA book blog that pairs epic custom cupcakes with covers and reviews. Kels has everything Halle doesn’t: friends, a growing platform, tons of confidence, and Nash.

That is, until Halle arrives to spend senior year in Gramps’s small town and finds herself face-to-face with real, human, not-behind-a-screen Nash. Nash, who is somehow everywhere she goes—in her classes, at the bakery, even at synagogue.

Nash who has no idea she’s actually Kels.

If Halle tells him who she is, it will ruin the non-awkward magic of their digital friendship. Not telling him though, means it can never be anything more. Because while she starts to fall for Nash as Halle…he’s in love with Kels. 

Add to Goodreads

PURCHASE:
Indiebound | Barnes & Noble 
Book Depository | Amazon


And be sure to check out the blog tour happening all this month!

Review: The Hotel Between (Sean Easley)

Title: The Hotel Between
Series: The Hotel Between, Book 1
Author: Sean Easley
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BYR
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary Fantasy
Content Rating: Middle Grade (violence and scary situations)
Format Read: Paperback
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase:
Azon | B&N | BookDepo | Indiebound
Summary:

A magical hotel, a mysterious tree, and a cryptic story about their missing father leads twins Cam and Cass on a worldly adventure in this enchanting debut novel that’s perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Wildwood.

Twins Cam and Cass have never known their parents. They’ve been told their mother died, and Cass is certain their father abandoned them. Cam isn’t so sure. He wants to prove her wrong; he must.

Cam’s wish is soon granted in the form of a glistening, golden sign with elaborate flourishes that reads: The Hotel Between. With doors that open to countries all over the world, magical trollies, charmed corridors that can be altered on a whim, stone elephants that come to life, sweets made from rocks; everything is possible in the Hotel. Cam has a hunch his father is somehow connected to this magical place, and may even be lost within its hidden halls.

Every journey has its risks, and The Hotel Between is full of dangerous secrets. If Cam’s not careful, his stay may be over before his vacation has even started.

*          *          *

Series: This is the first book in The Hotel Between series. As of December 2019 there are two books in the series.

I haven't been much for Juvenile/Middle Grade as of late, but when I discovered this book while browsing at my local independent bookstore I was so intrigued by the colorful cover and magical summary that I impulse-purchased it for an immediate read. And I wasn't disappointed.

Determined that finding their missing father will somehow fix his struggling family, Cam stumbles across and infiltrates the mysterious and magical Hotel Between to locate its misplaced heart. Along the way he obtains interesting friends and sinister enemies, journeys to exotic places, and makes many, many mistakes, but he ultimately takes charge of the consequences and does what is right. Packed with enchanting action and relatable characters, it was an engaging adventure that both children and adults will enjoy.

Cam was perilously pigheaded and always afraid (he referred to his "Worst Ways To Die" list constantly), but he deeply cared about protecting his family, especially his sister Cass, and improving their situation. Although his actions were rarely prudent, in the end he mustered the courage to face his fears and root out the dark secrets of his past to help others. The rest of the cast was, thanks to Easley's distinctive descriptions, a unique and diverse bunch of children and adults in all manner of roles, and their presence added a deeper level of intrigue and color to the story. Nico was an especially complicated but playful character that you couldn't help but love while still being frustrated with him, and I look forward to seeing what he gets up to in the next book even more than Cam. The Hotel itself was highly imaginative and I loved exploring its many nooks, crannies, and doors. It felt like we really only scratched its surface in this story though, so I'm excited to delve even further into its secrets and wonders in the sequel.

Conclusion: A magical read with a fantastical setting, engaging action, and relatable characters. Highly recommend for reading aloud to younger people - adults will enjoy it just as much as children do. Will definitely be picking up the sequel, The Key of Lost Things.

Scribble Rating: 

4 of 5 Scribbles

Other Reviews That Might Interest: 

The Fog Diver by Joel Ross
Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson
School for Sidekicks by Kelly McCullough

Waiting on Wednesday: What I Like About You (Marisa Kanter)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: What I Like About You

Author: Marisa Kanter

Release Date: April 7, 2020
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BYR

Summary:

Can a love triangle have only two people in it? Online, it can…but in the real world, it's more complicated. In this debut novel that’s perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Morgan Matson, Marisa Kanter hilariously and poignantly explores what happens when internet friends turn into IRL crushes.

Is it still a love triangle if there are only two people in it?

There are a million things that Halle Levitt likes about her online best friend, Nash.

He’s an incredibly talented graphic novelist. He loves books almost as much as she does. And she never has to deal with the awkwardness of seeing him in real life. They can talk about anything…

Except who she really is.

Because online, Halle isn’t Halle—she’s Kels, the enigmatically cool creator of One True Pastry, a YA book blog that pairs epic custom cupcakes with covers and reviews. Kels has everything Halle doesn’t: friends, a growing platform, tons of confidence, and Nash.

That is, until Halle arrives to spend senior year in Gramps’s small town and finds herself face-to-face with real, human, not-behind-a-screen Nash. Nash, who is somehow everywhere she goes—in her classes, at the bakery, even at synagogue.

Nash who has no idea she’s actually Kels.

If Halle tells him who she is, it will ruin the non-awkward magic of their digital friendship. Not telling him though, means it can never be anything more. Because while she starts to fall for Nash as Halle…he’s in love with Kels.

Add to Goodreads

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: (1) A love triangle with only two people, (2) a main character who is a fellow book blogger, and (3) a bakery? That's what I call a love triangle of a story!

So what book are you waiting on?

Review: Zero Repeat Forever (G.S. Prendergast)

Title: Zero Repeat Forever
Series: The Nahx Invasions, Book 1
Author: G.S. Prendergast
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BYR
Release Date: August 29, 2017
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Science Fiction
Content Rating: Older Teen (strong language, strong violence, some torture, teen drug use and drinking, strong crude talk/innuendo, sensuality)
Format Read: ARC
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase: Azon | B&N | BookDepo | Indiebound
Summary:

He has no voice, or name, only a rank, Eighth. He doesn’t know the details of the mission, only the directives that hum in his mind.

Dart the humans. Leave them where they fall.

His job is to protect his Offside. Let her do the shooting.

Until a human kills her…

Sixteen year-old Raven is at summer camp when the terrifying armored Nahx invade, annihilating entire cities, taking control of the Earth. Isolated in the wilderness, Raven and her friends have only a fragment of instruction from the human resistance.

Shelter in place.

Which seems like good advice at first. Stay put. Await rescue. Raven doesn’t like feeling helpless but what choice does she have?

Then a Nahx kills her boyfriend.

Thrown together in a violent, unfamiliar world, Eighth and Raven should feel only hate and fear. But when Raven is injured, and Eighth deserts his unit, their survival depends on trusting each other…

*          *          *

Series: This is the first book in The Nahx Invasions duology.

Although Zero Repeat Forever is technically broken into four seasonal parts, for me there were really only two: before Raven and Eighth are forced together, and after.

Before: Before was a struggle for me, a long survival story of constant quiet tension that wore uncomfortably on my nerves punctuated by bursts of violent action that did little to animate the plodding and introspective travel saga. The writing style was choppy, occasionally confusing, and told the story crudely with a lot of language and sexual references that made it impossible for me to connect with or even bring myself to like Raven and her companions. It took all my willpower not to skip over her chapters for Eighth's as he and his mental struggles were the only bright spot in the first half, although even he had the occasional crude streak that made me just as uncomfortable as it did him. At about 35% I finally had to set the book aside for a breather and debated for a few weeks if I would pick it back up, but ultimately the mystery of the aliens intrigued me enough to continue my struggles.

After: And then, blessedly, halfway through, came the After. Once Raven and Eighth are finally forced together, despite all the brooding and screaming, I was thoroughly engrossed. Even repulsed by each other, Raven and Eighth (now Autumn) were amazing together, and their volatile loathe/love relationship kept me enthralled. They brought out a lot of darkness in each other but also a little light; were horrible to and for each other but also comfort and warmth. I finally came to care about them, and their journey together and apart sucked me in. After the first half took me over a week to read, and several weeks off to reassess my interest, for the second half I was reluctant to put the book down and devoured Part 3 in a day and the final Part 4 in a few hours (together almost 250 pages).

The End: While the alien mystery reveal was no surprise, the end twist was and with its somewhat cliffhanger finish I must admit I was left a little curious about the sequel. But skimming the reviews and weighing my struggles with this book, despite its second-half good points, I'm not sure I could take a 570-page crude continuation with, according to reviews, no saving grace Autumn until the second half. Still, perhaps one day.

Conclusion: Although not typically my kind of read with its crude characters, lengthy travel, and constant quiet tension, the mystery of the aliens held my interest just enough through the first half to reach the much more engrossing second half with its volatile relationship and surprising end. Would definitely recommend for those who love alien invasion survival stories with grisly violence and a crude streak.

For Fans Of: The 5th Wave and similar reads

Scribble Rating: 

3.5 of 5 Scribbles

The #FridayReads Review (9/20/19)

Welcome to The #FridayReads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week, and what I'm planning to read next! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own #FridayReads Review and leave the link in the Comments below, or just Comment with what you've been reading!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

The Mediator: Reunion by Meg Cabot (PBK)

Was feeling nostalgic so I decided to re-re-read the first of this teenhood favorite and haven't been able to stop devouring the series yet. Currently on Book 3 with serious plans to binge the entire six-book set and review. Despite violent ghosts it's a fun and breezy read with an authentic teen voice (at least for my teen years). Highly recommend for Buffy and Veronica fans. 

>> JUST FINISHED <<

Zero Repeat Forever by G.S. Prendergast (ARC)

3.5 Stars. The first half was a serious struggle of quiet tension and crude characters, but the second half was intense and engrossing and I'm definitely glad I pushed myself to finish. Review to come.

>> [POSSIBLY] READING NEXT <<

(subject to change with my ever-shifting reading whims)

The Mediator: Darkest Hour by Meg Cabot (PBK)

The mediating continues...

So what are you reading this week?