Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Genre: Young Adult - Fantasy
Published: May 22nd 2012 by Feiwel & Friends
Source: Gifted

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom...

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

“It's easy to remember, because dating rhymes with mating, and they're almost the same [...] So your mom thinks we're ma— Uh, dating?” 

THE NUB AND GIST: 4 STARS

How To Love
by Katie Cotugno
Genre: Young Adult - Contemporary
Published: October 3rd 2013 by Quercus
Source: Publisher

This is a love story. But it’s not what you think. This is not a first kiss, or a first date. This is not love at first sight. This is a boy and a girl falling in messy, unpredictable, thrilling love. This is the complicated route to happiness that follows.

This is real. This is life. This is how to love.

BEFORE:

Reena has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember. But he’s never noticed her, until one day… he does. They fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town, leaving a devastated – and pregnant – Reena behind.

AFTER:

Three years later and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter Hannah. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again.

After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer again?

“I think of how it felt to lose him, slow and painful and confusing, and how it felt to wonder if I'd ever really had him at all.” 

“The hideous thing is this: I want to forgive him. Even after everything, I do. A baby before my 17th birthday and a future as lonely as the surface of the moon and still the sight of him feels like a homecoming, like a song I used to know but somehow forgot.” 

“I like him so stupidly much.”

THE NUB AND GIST: 4 STARS

The Guys Are Props Club by Ingrid Seymour
Genre: New Adult
Published: May 13th 2013 by Pen Dreams
Source: Gifted by the author (Thanks, Ingrid!)

During her senior year in high school, Maddie Burch promised herself not to ever fall for a cute guy – or any guy – again. Cute guys are players and not to be trusted, a fact she learned the hard way when her first boyfriend ran her heart through a paper shredder. Two years later, her promise is still intact, and she’s determined to make it through college without falling victim to another creep. She has her job, school and The Guys Are Props Club to keep her mind and hormones in check.

The club was founded by Jessica, Maddie’s best friend. It is a sisterhood of girls who have fallen prey to heartless jerks and who have vowed to turn the tables. Once a semester, Jessica requires members to “do onto others as they’ve done unto you.” Setting the example, Jessica’s next play is Sebastian Capello, a theater major with heartthrob looks and a flair for Latin dance, whose heart she plans to break the way hers was once broken.

What the friends don’t know is that Sebastian is different. Despite his perfect looks and popularity, he’s not a jerk. He doesn’t play games to get his way. Instead, he keeps it real and goes after what he wants with honest intentions. And what he wants is not a bombshell like Jessica, but a down-to-earth girl like Maddie – even if it causes a riff in the girl’s friendship. Even if it means getting Maddie to break her personal vow.

*** Due to language and sexual situations this book is recommended for ages 17 and older.

THE NUB AND GIST: 5 STARS

1. Publishers target another or a wider market. Aside from spreading the love for reading, publishers need to make money in order to continue doing the former. It’s a marketing strategy to reach out to more readers.
2. Book collectors (or simply book lovers) would often want their books to match. Others tend to get irritated by these cover changes. It might also affect their outlook of a book/series.

1. I like that publishers would want to reach out to more readers. It’s definitely a thumbs-up for me as I totally want the interest for reading to spread to more individuals.
   Also, I appreciate the interpretation of another artist on a certain story. I value creativity a lot, and I love seeing what others have to say about a book (through art).
2. Admittedly, my view of a story changes the tiniest bit when the book covers are altered. I know “Don’t judge a book by its cover” but it plays a huge part when I purchase books. Of course it’s the first thing that entices me to see the book’s synopsis.
   And it’s just really fulfilling and lovely to see your books on a shelf matching. Even if I don’t overreact that much when this happens (I am bothered, but I’m not the type to rebuy copies just to have them the same), I still prefer seeing the similar cover art for my series books.  

1.  Anna and the French Kiss – Don’t argue with me. These redesigned covers that focus on the typography and setting are beyond GORGEOUS. 
2. Curse Workers – It’s probably just me, but there’s and old-ish feel to the original covers—with that leather jacket complete with the gloves, as well as the typography. Like it could have been published before I was born. I prefer the redesigned ones with the cool face art. It’s more… YA. 
3. Blood of Eden –I really just don’t like a full close-up of a face on my book’s cover. The new covers feel more symbolic and would definitely reach a larger target market.

1. Across The Universe – I like the attempt on the cover change. Actually, I really like that the new ones say a lot about what happens in each book, but I just ADORED the space-y and starry and lovely original covers. Why did they not release all the original covers until Shades of Earth?! 
2. Starters – Apparently, they had to change the covers into close-up faces that have no significance to those who haven’t read them yet. Also, the cover of the 2^nd book matching the original one will only be released in another language. Talk about torture. 
3. Dust Lands – I don’t know why they had to change the one with a more creative illustration and typography into an overly simple one with silhouetted figures. Well, I like the color choices, at least. 
4. Shatter Me – Now don’t hate me. I like the art of the new ones with the eyes, but the silvery one is just striking and shouting FIERCE, and more dystopian (even if it’s a girl-in-a-ball-gown cover).