Piper Shelly

When Piper Shelly told me this book is looooong, after I complained that [b:Play With Me|16299153|Play With Me (A 30,000 words novella)|Piper Shelly|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355041582s/16299153.jpg|22427513] was just too short, I didn't quite believe it was that long.

Well, it is looooong, but I promise that you will enjoy every second of it.

I'm very picky with my paranormal so I fully expected not to like it (even if I was hooked with the sample), but I absolutely loved it. Piper Shelly show more wrote an amazing book, unlike any I've read.

I loved Jona, btw. She's a broken girl, her inability to hold on to people, to trust that they would stay in her life was completely believable.
I completely understood her resentment towards her mother, I'd probably be the same.
And she doesn't lose a sense of who she is once throughout the book. She's actually pretty soft with a tough act, which you can see in the way she interacts with Quinn, her aunt and uncle, Valentine. I loved her platonic friendship with Quinn, it's so rare in romance novels that there's a friend who *gasp* isn't in love with the heroine.

Julian was just wonderful. I can't really think of much to say about him, without risking spoiling anything. Let's just say that I fell in love with him, and you will, too.

If I weren't out of my mind at this second, I would've sworn he nuzzled my temple.

There is no insta-love, nor is Jona drawn to Julian because of what he is. She just fell in love, and that's what I liked the most about it. There was no ohmigod-he's-special. Piper Shelly does a very good job of telling you what's going on, without Jona realizing it. More than once...more than a hundred times throughout the book I just couldn't think of a way for things to work out and I was dreading the ending. I put all my trust in the author not to let me down.

Now, it was wonderfully written. Perfect, beautiful prose. I caught a couple of typos but that's okay, there weren't that many and besides, the story is so captivating you wouldn't notice them if you weren't looking for them. The chemistry between Julian and Jona is actually palpable, seeping from the pages. These two form a very easy, comfortable friendship that turns out to be so much more.
And there's the catch...it's edgy-without-sex, in words of my friend here on Goodreads. There are no sex scenes in this, people.
And for something so looooong, the pace was absolutely perfect. I found myself reading it faster than I did some shorter books I've read. This seems to be this author's forte, I think. Well, apart from awesome storytelling. Both her books have perfect pace.

And you get this looooong book for only $2.99. Not only is it worth the money, it is absolutely worth it. I'd recommend it a million times over. And I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next. Me = definitely a fan!

Things I don't agree with: the cover and the title. Everything else about this book was perfect. show less

Intoxicating...it gave me a whole new--and much appreciated and enjoyed--view of Neverland. I like this version and this story better than Disney's take. So many more intricacies and levels to work with, that if it had been longer and more developed it would have knocked my socks off completely, but as is, I was still completely drawn into the tender moments and (yes, rapid, but still earnest) character development.

I highly recommend this if you like fairytales, and especially if you would show more like to see a role reversal with Peter Pan and Captain James Hook. It might just make the movie and original story never the same again! I'm eagerly looking forward to reading the sequel after that teaser... show less

“I can feel you staring at me,” he said in the softest wake-up voice I’d ever heard. “I only hope you’re a girl and not one of the drunken guys.”

Alright. So I had recently stated that I found myself in a rut with reading, I couldn't find a book that kept me interested enough and I have a couple of books on hold, which barely ever happens to me. Play With Me was exactly what I needed. It was short, cute, and kept me interested enough to finish it in one sitting.

Play With Me is show more the story of Liza Matthews, a teenage girl who has been hopelessly in love with her best friend Tony for years. Tony leaves for a 5-week long summer camp, and returns not only with improved soccer skills, but a girl who has him wrapped around her little finger. In order to regain Tony's attention, Liza does the unthinkable... At least in her eyes. She tries out for the soccer team.

It gets even weirder. Despite her lack of skill and knowledge for the sport, she makes the team. Not only that, but she scores an invite to one of Ryan Hunter's parties, which are said to be legendary. As she wakes up the morning after the party, beside one Ryan Hunter and completely hungover, she finds herself losing Tony more and more. As Ryan proves to be opposite of what she expected, Liza finds her once-sure feelings for her best friend faltering. Just as Liza and Ryan enter uncharted territory, a secret not only sets them back, but changes everything...

“I kind of took you for granted. Your love for me was permanent. Why should I have worried about losing you?”

I loved this. That's really all I can say. I adored Liza, who was snarky and such a typical teenage girl that I related to her with no problem. I loved Ryan, who trickled his way into my heart just as he did Liza's. I admired Tony, although his momentary lack of judgement had resulted in a domino effect of negative consequences. Although the story was cliche and has been touched by so many authors, Piper Shelly still provided with a really solid read. I enjoyed it immensely.

For anyone looking for a quick read to distract you for a while, I'd definitely recommend this book. Sometimes we need a break from the paranormal and the drama and the angst, and Play With Me definitely provided me with that escape.

“For the time being—”He emphasized each word. “I’ll be the only one climbing through your window.”

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Aw, this was too sweet! And, for something so short, a lot happened at wonderful pace, and I enjoyed the witty prose.

I absolutely loved Liza - she's in love with her best friend, Tony, but of course he doesn't reciprocate, though I had a feeling she was already starting to get over that whole thing when things started with Ryan Hunter (I just feel like writing his full name because it's cool). He's awesome, but ruthless from what we saw of their training, lol. And not at all what he seems at show more first, a cocky arrogant jerk.

I'm a huge football (yes, football) fan, so I enjoyed this even more! I really wish it was a full length novel. I'm gonna read Shelly Piper's other book ASAP. show less