Covert Kissing {by Laura Pauling}

Title: Covert Kissing

Author: Laura Pauling

Series: Prom Impossible, #3

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Received from author

Prom is over, graduation is nearing, and Cassidy decides her summer will be all about kissing and flirting with Zeke. Even with her new truth-telling vow firmly in place, that doesn't stop the heap of trouble heading her way as Jasper and Michael compete for her affections. 

Right when she - hopefully - has dealt with that problem, other arise. Zeke's past comes back to haunt him, and Jasper's cold indifference puts a chill on her summer loving. When all of this threatens her blossoming relationship with Zeke, Cassidy picks up the figurative sword once again and fights back.

My review of Prom Impossible here and Prompossible Plans here

When I first started this series, I didn't know that it was one, I thought Prom Impossible was a standalone. But I'm so glad we got a conclusion to Cassidy and Zeke's story. Because Cassidy seems to find her share of trouble no matter where she goes, and it's always hilarious.

This story spans the graduation and then the summer after, before they all go to college. Which can be a hard summer, as I'm sure most of us know. But of course, being Cassidy, hers is a little... crazier. She gets a job at the same country club as Jules and Ava, but the girl in charge is determined to make her life miserable. Then Zeke's mom comes to visit, making him distant, and Jasper is being unnecessarily cruel. And Michael is still pursuing her as if they have a chance.

Cassidy does a lot of growing in this one, and turns into a young woman. She's dealing with a lot, from mixed signals from Zeke to trying to figure out what she wants to do in college. But she decides to take charge of her own summer and ends up growing into a really great person.

I will say, Jasper's complete attitude change kind of surprised me, especially when there was no reason for it. I am glad that he finally explained what was going on with him and got his crap together, but sad that he was such a jerk. Zeke and his mixed signals also made me sad, as I just wanted them to be together already. But we do get to see more to Zeke and that was nice as well.

All in all, I loved this as an ending for the story. I thought it ended well, and I loved where it went for all the characters (mostly). This is definitely a cute, fun story and I enjoyed it very much.

 

This review can also be found on   

Laura Pauling:

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Prompossible Plans {by Laura Pauling}

Title: Prompossible Plans

Author: Laura Pauling

Series: Prom Impossible, #2

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Received from author

Follow Cassidy’s senior year from the perspective of Zeke, Jasper, and Michael as they fight their own battles, make mistakes, and fall in love with the same girl.

My review of Prom Impossible here and Covert Kissing here.
 

A book from the guys' perspective? Count me in! If you read my review of Prom Impossible, then you know I thought it was SO cute. I loved Cassidy's antics, but I know we were all thinking…what, exactly, were the guys thinking through all of this?? Well, now we get to know! This story spans the same amount of time as Prom Impossible, ending on the same scene (albeit from a different perspective). Zeke takes the first part, Jasper has the middle part of the story, and Michael finishes us off. I actually started this, and then went back to reread Prom Impossible so that all of the events would be fresh in my mind. 

Zeke: This was cute. We know from the reformed bad-boy persona that Cassidy sees that there is way more to this boy than meets the eye. Here, we get to see Zeke's initial thoughts about Cassidy as well as their time together in the Adventure Program. It was an interesting perspective. We truly get to see all sides of Zeke and what he's going through, as well as his backstory. 

Jasper: This one was my favorite. Jasper has so many sides to him, and let's face it, they weren't all positive. I enjoyed getting to see his perspective, on why he agreed to the fake dating with Cassidy etc. We also get to see him interact with his family and little siblings which was adorable. I really liked getting to see Jasper from his own perspective. I just wish we got a few more events from his POV, like when he was being a complete jerk. AND we finally get the story behind the moccasins ;)

Michael: Although Michael was Cassidy's fixed obsession in book 1, we didn't really get to know much about him. Well, he really is a super-geek. I didn't feel that connected to him. I do appreciate getting to know him more and what he was thinking, but I don't know, I couldn't really muster up any sympathy for him. 

All in all, this was a cute and perfect companion to Prom Impossible. I enjoyed getting to see the story through their eyes. Although there were a few events I would have rather seen from a different perspective, it flowed well and I enjoyed it. 

 

This review can also be found on   

Laura Pauling:

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Prom Impossible {by Laura Pauling}

 

Title: Prom Impossible

Author: Laura Pauling
Series: Prom Impossible #1

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

1 girl + 1 prom + 3 guys = Prom Impossible!

Cassidy decides her senior year, including prom, will be about Michael Greenwood, the boy destined to be her soul mate. One problem. He hasn’t figured that out yet.But certain events meant as innocent pranks—that weren’t completely her fault—introduce her to Zeke, the reformed bad boy. And cutting deals in the boys’ bathroom with Jasper, the hottest guy in school, lands her in a complicated web of half-truths that spirals out of control.At the end of the year, she’s dateless the day before the big night but risks a lot more than her pride if she can’t find a way to fix her mistakes.PROM IMPOSSIBLE is a modern-day Shakespearean romantic comedy in the world of teens, true love, and life.

I went into this book hoping for a light, cute, fluffy read. And I'm pleased to announce that I did, in fact, get that. This is a fun little read that will definitely have you reminiscing your high school years and prom (if you went, which I did not) or imaginging your years to come if you're not there yet. 

Cassidy has her plan: get Michael to realize that he's her soulmate, and go with him to the senior prom, and make senior year the best year ever. Only issue? Michael doesn't really notice her as more than a friend. She was not counting on the complication that was Zeke, who she meets when she pulls one prank too many and gets sent to a program for "troubled" youth. 

Cassidy is…well, a hot mess. She makes everything way more complicated than it needs to be, to the point where there were sometimes when I just didn't get it. But, for the most part, this made the story hilarious to read about. She definitely has a knack for getting into every mess she could possible manage to get into, although reading about her getting out of them (or, usually, making a bigger mess) made this book a lot of fun. 

The only other thing I didn't really get was her fascination with Michael, and why she thought he was her soulmate. I suppose there were years of background between the two, but in the actual story he doesn't really…do anything. This one-track mindset left her blind to everything that was going on around her…including Zeke. 

Zeke was definitely a redeeming part of this story. He was cute and definitely swoon-worthy. I already mentioned that I couldn't really feel anything for Michael. Jasper was just bad news from the start, which leads us to…

Cassidy made a lot of bad decisions, ones that had me shaking my head (but none that would actually turn you off from reading it). Like I said, her one-track mind left her blind to consider other people and how they are also affected by her decisions. But she also matures and grows throughout the story, and I think she came to some very mature and responsible decisions by the end of the book. 

I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a fun, light read. Something to help relive those memorable prom and high school experiences ;) It will have you shaking your head and laughing out loud at the same time. 

I received an eARC from the author in exchange for my honest review. This does not affect my opinion in any way. 

This review can also be found on   

Laura Pauling:

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads

{Guest Post by Laura Pauling} Life Lessons from Prom Night

Hey guys! Today, I am excited to bring you a guest post from the author of Prom Impossible, Laura Pauling. She'll be talking about some of her prom experiences that she used to shape Cassidy's story. So without further ado, let's give Laura a warm welcome! 

Life lessons from Prom Night

Gosh, prom can be so complicated yet so simple at the same time.

Some girls start thinking about prom months before. They might see that guy they’ve been crushing on for weeks or maybe months, and their hearts can’t help but pitter patter at the thought of being asked by him.
Or maybe, they’re falling hard for their best friend, wondering if he’ll ask, and if he does, how will they survive the night? Should they let the guy know how they feel?

I dated this one guy on and off over the course of my senior year. His eyes were those startling blue kind of eyes that a girl fell headlong into, and boy, did I ever.

I really, really wanted to go to prom with him.

There were several factors that played into prom that last year of high school. By our senior year a lot of the “groups” started melding together. Friendships spread and it became extremely hard to have a small group of people over because that would turn out to be about fifty people. Everyone was friends with everyone else. Maybe not super close but close enough.

It was a neat experience and one I haven’t experienced since.

So you’re probably asking what this has to do with prom? By the spring of our senior year this melding of groups left prom wide open. This guy with startling blue eyes? We danced on edge of dating seriously but going to prom together was in no way a given or assumed.

And one of his close friends asked me.

Looking back now, I barely remember senior prom, but there’s one picture in my yearbook that says it all. It’s a picture of me and blue eyes dancing together.

Even if you don’t get asked by the guy you’re crushing on, sometimes things have a way of working out.
For me as I wrote Prom Impossible, all my experiences from prom nights influenced the story. The more I wrote, the more I realized that as important as one night may seem, often, it’s not who we go with or whether we have the best dress that matters. Not even the memories, because those will fade.

Instead, it’s realizing that when things don’t work out the way we want them too, we need to move forward. Eventually, in hindsight, we’ll see how that one night fit with the rest of our life. How, at times, life has a way of working together for good.

the book:

Title: Prom Impossible

Author: Laura Pauling

Release Date: May 1, 2014
Publisher: Redpoint Press
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

1 girl + 
1 prom +
3 guys = Prom Impossible

Cassidy decides her senior year, including prom, will be about Michael, the boy destined to be her soul mate. One problem. He hasn’t figured that out yet.
But certain events meant as innocent pranks—that weren’t completely her fault—introduce her to Zeke, the reformed bad boy. And cutting deals in the boys’ bathroom with Jasper, the hottest guy in school, lands her in a complicated web of half-truths.
At the end of the year, she’s dateless the day before the big night but risks a lot more than her pride if she can’t fix her mistakes.

Prom Impossible is a modern-day Shakespearean romantic comedy in the world of teens, true love, and life.

the author:

Laura Pauling:

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads

Laura Pauling is the author of the exciting young adult Circle of Spies Series and the time travel mystery, Heist. She writes to entertain and experience a great story…and be able to work in her pajamas and slippers. Prom Impossible is her newest YA romantic comedy, published as of May of 2014. To keep up on her new releases sign up for her newsletter so you don’t miss out!

Thanks for sharing that experience with us, Laura! I never went to prom (junior or senior), so I have nothing to share. Please, share some of YOUR prom experiences with us! We'd love to hear all about them :)