Time To Share The Love! || The False Reflections Trilogy Review by Laura L. Smith

Hello Readers!

So lately I’ve been plugging away at a bunch of novels I’ve bought or been given and I am finally making a dent in my TBR pile…Until I add like ten more books per every one I complete…Anyways. I have FINALLY read the whole novella series of Laura L. Smith’s, The False Reflections Trilogy. So today you are getting three mini reviews of the novellas! Now, it’s time to meet the three main characters (who are best friends) and learn about their stories. (Aka. Lets get this review started! 😀 )

 

Skinny: She was starving to fit in… (The False Reflections Book 1)

Teenager Melissa Rollins seems to have it all, and now she’s got the eye of the cute new guy in school, Beau Pointreaux. The one thing Melissa doesn’t have is a perfect body. There are ways to fix that, though. Strict dieting and throwing up can’t be all bad, can they? Melissa soon finds the consequences are devestating, but turning back isn’t so easy. Will she hear God’s voice before it’s too late?

This book really touched me. It was very beautiful and so well done. Knowing a couple people with anorexia and struggling with eating and such has really made this book hit home for me. This book was really well done and shone a light on eating disorders and a struggle in many teenagers these days. *cue sadness*

Anyways. This book was absolutely fantastic and a well written, thought provoking, novella. Once again, Laura Smith’s writing is amazing and really draws me in instantly!

Melissa was such a sweet, adorable character who struggled with her weight. She constantly compared herself to her friends and those around her and that didn’t help with her insecurities. As Melissa went through everything and started (eventually) on her road to recovery my heart just went out to her. At points it just screamed reminders of someone I know who was going through the same thing and at points I was afraid to admit that my line of thought and such were the same as the characters. Laura did a fantastic job of really making the characters relatable (Whether or not you struggle with an eating disorder or anything like that) This book was beautifully done and a great read that I finished very quickly indeed.

My Rating for this novella is:

 

Hot: She was tempted to give in… (The False Reflections Book 2)

Lindsey is gorgeous and dresses like a model, but inside she feels alone. She feels as though no one truly understands her — until she meets Noah. Noah possesses a calm self-confidence that Lindsey craves. But what price will she pay to escape to the comfort of Noah’s soft words and strong arms? Drawn into a world where fashion, boys, and popularity rule, will Lindsey discover what truly matters before it’s too late?

 

Once again, another amazingly thought provoking novella about the struggles of many these days.( This book deals with sexual purity.)

Lindsey’s family is far from perfect or even amazing. Most her parents time is spent on her older sister who is on a path of self destruction. That takes up so much of her parents time that Lindsey feels very alone, really only having her friends in replacement of her family. Seeing this relationship with her friends and seeing the damaged relationship with her family made me feel for Lindsey. Not having a family who cares is just so saddening indeed. I really felt for this character as she struggled to make many decisions that may or may not have taken her down a road she never originally wanted.

My rating of this novella is 4.5 stars. Why? Just because it wasn’t my favorite…BUT it was still fantastic and I did really like it! (I feel terrible for rating a book I liked 4.5 when comparing it to the other book! *gasp* )

4.5 Stars!!!

 

Angry: She was screaming to be hear… (The False Reflections Book 3)

Who do you blame when your world is crashing down? Watching her parents go through a divorce is devestating for Emma and has turned her life into a tailspin. She’s angry at everyone around her. She’s angry at her siblings who she always has to babysit, her parents who are ruining her life, and herself for not measuring up to anyone’s standards. Will she turn her torment over to God and put her trust in Him before it’s too late?

 

Emma, Emma, Emma… such a sad girl just screaming to be heard (see what I did there? 😉 ) I just wanted to hug her so tightly and fix all her problems….but I couldn’t cause she’s fictional 😦 *sniff sniff* (The struggles of a reader, I tell you.) Angry is the third book in the series and a great, though heart shattering, end to the trilogy.

Emma’s family is falling apart and she’s left to clean up the damage and try to put her life back together. Amidst the struggle, she just wants everything to be normal even though that couldn’t happen. (this book made me cry!) When bad things happen all one wants is for things to be normal right? Yeah, been there. Bad stuff happens and if everything could just fix itself that would be great! My point? totally relatable. Once again, amazing writing and a great read! 😀

My rating:

Once again, with all her works, Laura Smith ceases to amaze with her beautiful writing just overflowing with God’s love and how we are all his creation.

Amazing author, amazing writing, amazing trilogy. Go read now!

 

 

Until Next Time,

Adriana Gabrielle

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Interview- Laura L. Smith

Hello Readers!

Today I am interviewing yet another author and I am pleased to get this opportunity to talk to Laura L. Smith, Author of novels ‘Hot’,’Skinny’, ‘Angry’ and the ‘Status Update Series’

Hi Laura, So great to have you here! Could you tell us a bit about your novel?
It’s Addicting is the third book in the Status Updates series. It revolves around four college roommates and the struggles and triumphs they encounter as they navigate the demands and freedoms of college life.
What inspired you to write ‘insert title’?

I live in a college town and am surrounded by vibrant college women. They are so full of potential, energy and life, yet plagued with so many pressures to perform, to fit in, to juggle school, social and family life. These women inspired me to write this series tackling some of the things they have to deal with like relationships and homesickness, grades and finances, sharing a small living space with new friends and knowing how far is too far. Specifically, It’s Addicting deals with the little things in life we enjoy or use to comfort us or build ourselves up. What happens when those small pleasures become vices? When we rely to heavily on a habit or a relationship or a mindset? When do they cross the line to become addictions that dominate our decision making? And how do we deal with that? It’s Addicting follows Claire, Hannah, Palmer and Kat in their sophomore year of college. It explores the various coping mechanisms and pleasures they seek ranging from exercise to boys and how that changes them. It is a faith-based novel, so it really explores how worldly things can come in conflict with our faith and how challenging it can be to balance living in this world, but not being of this world.

Did you write an outline before writing the novel?
No. I’m not an outline kind of girl. But I always have an idea, a sketch of what the book is going to be about. It’s Addicting had characters, and each of them had a specific “addiction” she was going to deal with long before I started writing it. Since it was the third book in the Status Updates series, several of the ideas evolved as I wrote the first two books, thoughts like, “at some point Claire is going to have to face this,” or “Kat’s going to have to watch how hard she trains. It’s awesome, but it seems to control her sometimes.” I took those ideas and nuances of the characters and started brewing their sophomore year. I had some ideas for a spring break trip, because it’s an integral part of college, and an international travel program to Germany, because all of these books have an international element, but the details come as part of the writing process.

What was the hardest part of writing It’s Addicting? 
I always find the editing process to be the hardest part. It’s difficult to cut scenes or dialogue that I worked so hard to craft. It’s also challenging to add to scenes that I’d hoped were completed. But editing is also so rewarding! It’s like taking a rough, rocky gem from a stream and polishing it until it’s smooth and glossy. Editing truly improves writing. In fact, it is an integral part of the writing process.
Editing is definitely a struggle for me but once I do it it feels great to have finished 🙂 So,I absolutely love the characters in this series meaning I have to ask, what is one way you relate to your main character(s)?
Wow! There are a million ways I relate to all of my characters, and yet, they are also so different than me. There are slices and shreds of me in all of them. I was a ballerina, like Claire. I am a writer, like Palmer. I have a close relationship with my older brother, who is my only sibling, like Kat. Hannah is kind of the “mom” of their group, getting people tea, writing notes on their white board. I actually am a mom, so I do those kinds of things for my family all of the time. I love to travel, and all of the places the characters have ventured are places I’ve visited; Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, the beach. I love chocolate and coffee houses and going for runs and music, and the girls all find themselves doing these things, because these are experiences I want them to have.

That is great! I love how as the writer you are also a little bit of all your characters. 🙂 So,  is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
My hope with this novel, with all of my books really, is to remind readers that they are beautiful creations in Christ, that their identity doesn’t have to be wrapped in the world’s expectations, but can be wrapped in Christ, that they are wonderfully and fearfully made by their Creator, and that we need to keep our eyes fixed on that, because when we do, all of our struggles are easier, there is more peace and strength and joy in our lives.
What is one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members?
God. He is the author of the universe. All of my ideas come from Him. Literally. I’ll be sitting and writing and entire scenes and characters spring forth where there was nothing. He gives me divine inspiration. I write for Him.

Do you have any advice for other writers out there who are looking into publishing or just writing a story in general?
Write. Write. Write. And then write some more. The more you write, the better you get. The more you comment on blogs, write your own blogs, write letters, enter short story contests, write poetry, etc., the more you’ll exercise your writing muscles.

Where can we as readers stalk you on social media? (Pinterest, Goodreads, FB, Blog etc etc.)
Just about every where 🙂
My website and blog are http://www.laurasmithauthor.com
FB https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laura-L-Smith/41514076249
Twitter @LauraLynnSmith
Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/laurasmithbooks/
Instagram http://instagram.com/laurasmithauthor
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5577597.Laura_L_Smith

 

 

 

 

LAURA L. SMITH, author of New Adult/Young Adult Fiction

Laura L. Smith loves God, her husband, her four children, writing and speaking. She writes real stories for real girls. Her previous books include Skinny, Hot, and Angry. She is a featured columnist at Choose Now Ministries and speaks at schools, churches and campuses around the country. Smith lives in the college town of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

It’s Addicting Book Review

Hello Readers!

I am finally back! I am so sorry for neglecting my blogging duties but school only seems to be taking up more and more of my time (joys of growing up, right?)

Anyways. I could go on and on coming up with all sorts of excuses, but I won’t so it’s time for a book review.

Today I am going to be reviewing Laura Smith’s ‘It’s Addicting’, the third book in the “Status Update Series’

Obsessing over status, grades, exercise or a boyfriend could never become an addiction…could it?

This third installment of the Status Updates series finds four college sophomore roommates finally getting comfy with the routines of dorm life. But Kat, Claire, Palmer, and Hannah soon begin to feel the nagging ache of innocent little addictions pulling them away from their true selves. Hang out with these four roomies to see if they can—or even want to—ditch these sneaky little hang-ups before they take over their lives.

It’s Addicting. Such a great book, along with the series… I guess we could say it’s… Addicting? (See what I did there? 😉 )

I am absolutely in LOVE with with this series and I am dying of impatience for the next book. (Which also marks the end of the series so I guess I can wait a little longer.)

Once again, I loved the characters. I loved the individuality of the girls but yet how even though they are all so different they are such great friends and how Christ really brings these friends together. (I think my last review was me basically discussing how much I love how their friendship was so realistic and what not.)

I love how Christ is written in every page in this novel. In this story the characters struggle with different kinds of addictions.

I also love how the book shows that what we might not think to be addictions can easily become that if we aren’t careful. It kinda gets you thinking.

Are there any addictions that’s are holding you down or maybe even pulling you away from God?

So today’s review is kinda short. But yet it’s sweet.

Short but sweet 🙂

Overall I give this book a 5 out of 5 star rating. I absolutely loved it and I am so excited for the next book! (Well kinda… I don’t want this series to end!!)

Until Next Time,

Adriana Gabrielle

Book Review|| It’s Complicated

Hello Fellow Readers!

So, as you can see, I’m posting a TON lately….That’s because school is over for the summer (for me) and I feel this new sense of freedom and I have more time to bog…and get back to my writing which I had to abandon for these next couple weeks.

Over these next couple week and over the summer here is a list of reviews you can look forward to:

It’s Complicated by Laura L. Smith

It’s Over Laura L. Smith

It’s Addicting by Laura L. Smith (once it’s released)

Angry by Laura L. Smith

The Merchants Son by C.F Barrows

The Follower by C.F Barrows

Descending by Holly Kelly

Between These Lines by Jennifer Murgia

Swimming Through Clouds by Rajdeep Paulus

Glass Girl by Laura Anderson Kurk

Perfect Glass by Laura Anderson Kurk

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

and MUCH MORE!

 

Now its time for my book review for the day!

Today I’m going to review It’s Complicated by Laura L. Smith 🙂 So, let’s get started.

 

 

There’s a reason Facebook has the relationship status, “It’s Complicated.” Follow four college roommates, Claire, Palmer, Hannah and Kat as they maneuver crushes, confusion, and the crisis when pushy boys go too far. Complicated as it is, these four friends will pull through, guided by the strength of their friendship and the power of God’s love.

 

Just pointing out here quickly that this cover is simply amazing! I love it. Once again more simple (as far as covers go) but still pretty! (I love the covers for these books (as well as the books themselves) by Laura L. Smith 🙂 Just so you all know.)

 

Plot: I loved the plot of the story. I was pulled into it instantly. The story is from the point of view of four college roommates with their own lives and struggles, but find strength to get through in both God and each other.

This book (and the next two) are awesome for one of the reasons that these girls have a friendship I wished I had… Gawsh, I’m rambling…Anyways.

Loved the plot. I was really dragged into the story.

I was laughing, crying, and angry or upset along with the characters. Thats how real they felt and how much I was pulled into the story. The emotions felt real to me because the plot felt real to me.

 

Genre: The genre for this series is Christian YA Fiction.

The world needs more YA Fiction like this book/series. (and like Glass Girl, Swimming Through Clouds and the other Playlist Fiction books) It was an amazing story, really good YA Fiction and yeah… I never know what to say when it comes to this section of my reviews…Moving on.

 

Characters: So, as I said before It’s Complicated is from the POV of four college roommates. SO now I’m gonna tell you more about them. 🙂

Palmer: Palmer is that one friend thats the ‘Totally Loyal Fashionista’ type friend. You know what I mean, right? She’s just that kind of gal. She’s a complete fashionista but a really loyal friend 🙂 I’m trying to figure out what to say here without spoiling stuff…. GAH! This is hard.

*think think think*

*in Gollum’s voice* Must not give out spoilers, precious…Okay…I’ll focus now…My apologies.

Umm yeah. Palmer is, not only a fashionista, but like I said before a loyal friend. Herself and Claire develop a very strong relationship as best friends and Palmer is very supportive of Claire when hard times hit her. So, yeah, Palmer is an awesome friend.

Kat: I really really really liked Kat’s characters (along with Palmers and the other two) she was one of my favourites. She’s a super friend and loves soccer. (or any kind of sport for that matter). Kat is also very outgoing and friendly and I liked that about her. 🙂

Claire: Claire is a very shy, sweet ballerina who has been through a lot. (Can’t say what exactly due to spoilers.) After something happens to her she closes up completely and even pushes away her roomies. Throughout the story though, Claire, out of the four roomies, seemed to be the peacemaker and the one that the other three loved as a sister. (though they all had that kind of friendship).

Hannah: Okay…Hannah. I think out of all four of the girls…I’m most like her…Except I’m not always on the hunt for a boyfriend and have a LOT more siblings than she does 😛

Anyways. I loved Hannah. If I remember correctly, it was Hannah’s idea to be roomies with the other girls, and she was the one who brought them together. Hannah is a fairly average girl with a fairly average family. Two parents and two younger siblings…As I mentioned before, Hannah is always on the hunt for a boyfriend…but things just don’t seem to work out in her favour…Hannah is super super friendly and super outgoing…She’s also a bit of a neat-freak (in a good way!) Yeah. I really liked her character a lot.

I liked all of the girls for different reasons but most of all. I LOVED their friendship so much! (As I’ve mentioned probably a million times) it was just so amazing and one of the best literary friendships I have ever read.

 

Setting: The setting kinda went all over the place as the girls traveled and everywhere it went felt real and like I was there. It was really well done and I loved it! I could picture the places and setting so clearly its like I was there. (It’s a lot cheaper to read about someone in Paris than going, right? So if the setting feels real I’m sold.)

 

Overall: Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It was absolutely magnificent and an amazing start to the series. 🙂

 

 

It’s Complicated is now available for purchase on Amazon for both Kindle or in Paperback.

So head on over to amazon and buy it now! 😀 *is wondering if I should hint subtly that you need to go buy it next time rather than demanding it.*

Well, Until Next Time! (Which might be tomorrow. Who knows. It’s summer break so I’m around…)

Adriana Gabrielle

Cover Reveal!

Hello Fellow Readers!

Today I am posting on behalf of Playlist Fiction to give you a cover reveal!

*crowd cheers*

Today I will be showing you the cover for ‘It’s Addicting‘ by Laura L. Smith. (The book releases July 14th)

It’s Addicting is book 3 in the Status Update Series by Laura L.Smith.

So, with out further ado… It’s time to reveal the cover!

Drum roll, please.

*drum roll*

*fanfare as I pull away the imaginary curtain covering this beautiful cover*

Ta-da! Isn’t it beautiful? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this cover! It’s so simple, yet so cute!

I cannot wait until the 14th of July to share a full review of the book with you guys! It’s hard to not say anything here cause this is just a teaser….if I’m excited I can’t even begin to understand how excited the author is about this book 🙂

Also, since I haven’t reviewed the first two books in the Status Update Series I will be doing that in these next few weeks! So keep an eye out for that!

Until then we can just stare at this cover :p

Until Next Time!

Adriana Gabrielle