Kirsten Hubbard

I loved the whole idea of a young woman discovering her unique gifts and
strengths.
Bria Sandoval has embarked on an after-graduation trip to get away from her
ex-boyfriend and her constantly arguing parents. She originally signed up to
be a Global Vagabond but decides to break from the group and follow some
backpackers closer to her age.
Bria, whose artistic talents have become dormant since breaking up with her
artist boyfriend, ends up in some wonderful places and sees things she
never would have had she stayed with her tour group.
I found Hubbard’s descriptions of the locations and her illustrations to be
wonderful.… (mehr)

First sentence: Dear stray,
Some kittens are born with extra claws, like you.
My mom doesn't understand why,
with so much fluff and fuzz and floof to choose from,
I picked sticky, scratchy, spiky you.

Premise/plot: A little girl bonds with her new kitten. The book shows page by page how these two are similar. Both are a little 'wild' and 'prickly' and hard-to-get-to-know.

My thoughts: I really LOVED the illustrations. The illustrations are so expressive. I enjoyed the story as well. I liked seeing the slow progress of the relationship. I think this is realistic.… (mehr)

A great alternative if you’re feeling a bit burnt out by beach house and lake house novels yet still crave summer vibes in your reading.

Setting plays a fantastic role in this one, from marketplaces to beaches and vistas, stops for food and accommodations, the author very much takes you there.

Really the only part of this I didn’t enjoy as much as the rest was Lobsterfest. I guess attending some big blowout party didn’t really fit with my idea of who Bria and Rowan were by that point in the story, and their behavior that night/early morning, it’s the only time when something in this novel felt kind of forced. I liked the aftermath of it, the direction it sent Bria in, how it tests her, I guess I just felt like maybe there could have been another way to get her to that test that seemed a little truer to their characters.

Aside from the feeling of vicarious travel, what I most loved here was that the romance wasn’t at the forefront. I liked them together, the chemistry is evident from the beginning, I enjoyed their shared scenes but I appreciated that Bria does most of her growing apart from Rowan, in particular where her character and this book truly hooked me was in Bria’s journey to reclaim her art, that was almost entirely explored on her own, in private, and as someone interested in creative pursuits and processes and who very much identified with Bria’s fragility surrounding her art, those moments had me invested and eager to turn the pages, to see if she’d get that important side of herself back on track. I really do like it when the girl has bigger things at stake than just getting the boy.… (mehr)

Let's ditch problems by travelling abroad! Backpacking.
*pause*That sounds kind of good. Inspirational?

So. GOOD. Almost a marathon read. Couldn't put it down!

It's a journey to find yourself, discover your strength, push your limits. Reaching for the horizon, stretching your wings, learning to fly.

Wonderfully written, carefully drawn out. I loved the illustrations! A nice touch that adds to experience.

It also rekindled my desire to sketch and draw. Can't believe I've found excuses to give it up! (Although I'm not that good to begin with, to be fair)

HEA = 3 - unexpectedly balanced

FINAL VERDICT: HARDCORE, READ, KEEP, SPREAD THE WORD!… (mehr)