It's that time of year. The weather is getting cooler and I can't stop myself from diving into the holiday reads. This time, I took a bit of a departure and switched things up with a YA read. When I came across Approximately Yours, I couldn't help but fall in love with the synopsis of the story and just knew I'd have to dive in.

Approximately Yours was an absolutely cute read and while I do think this book could be enjoyed by any age group, I do think that leans more to the younger side of YA. With festive names and holiday details around each corner, there is no denying that this is one festive book. Danny is one of the sweetest guys ever and is getting over a broken heart. When he asks Elda out, he has no idea that Holly is the one really texting him. Holly and Danny's banter is entertaining and you can feel the chemistry between the two of them. I loved watching the two of them get to know one another and couldn't wait to see what would happen when Danny realizes he hasn't been talking to Elda this whole time....It is the perfect YA set-up.

If you're looking for a book that is sweet, light, festive and totally YA, look no further.

I tried to like this book but had a really hard time with the authors writing style. I just couldn't connect to the characters no matter how much I tried. Sorry.

This North Pole Minnesota book was good, but not as good as the others in this series sadly. Danny Garland is the star basketball player with everything going his way. Until, he breaks his leg and things seem to go downhill from there for him. Holly’s family is visiting one last time before they sell her grandma’s house.

Holly has had a crush on Danny since she was younger, but feels she could never have a chance with him. When her cousin, Elda, shows interest in Danny, Holly agrees to help her get Danny’s attention. Holly is an interesting character. I liked so much about her, but she often felt sorry for herself and too often hid behind her cousin or anger. She often didn't give people a chance to get to know her. That was frustrating and it was good when she finally learned to open up. Danny was so sweet and I was glad that he started realizing there was more to life than just basketball. Elda was a nice addition to the story. I was glad that she was so likable. Her awkwardness was very endearing. Overall, while I enjoyed the book, it was not as good as I hoped it would be.

Honestly I would not have finished this book if I had not been given a copy in exchange for a review. I am not the target demographic for this book but I do read and enjoy and lot of YA. This book seems targeted for the younger YA reader and perhaps they can benefit from the constant reminders that of the importance of self confidence and benefits of being unique that I think you are supposed to get out this story. For me, being more A than Y, it just read like the never-ending whines of uninteresting characters.

Cute and romantic, this story finds the reader back in North Pole, Minnesota. Another sweet romance with a focus on family and friends. This "series" of stand-alone books is great for a fun holiday read any time of the year!

For those of you who don't know me,here's a little snippet about me- I am a Christmas junkie! I love everything about Christmas so when I read the Synopsis about this book-I jumped right into it! I mean come on, the place is called North Pole! Didn't you ever write Santa Claus letters every Christmas and address it as "To, Santa Claus, Santa Claus Factory,North Pole"? Anyone?! Well I did and I'm not ashamed about it..at all! OK.. maybe a teensy bit embarrassed.
I was a little bit disappointed with this book, it's nothing out of the 'box'. It was sweet and very festive! With a boutique called Mrs. Claus's Closet or the gas station named Reindeer Fueling station or the coffee house aptly named Santabucks- You can't help but feel nostalgic yet happy!
Holly and Danny's chemistry is sweet and they have a lot in common.. they just don't realize it until the end. I think Holly and Danny both have a chip on their shoulder- Holly may act like a cool girl with a 'don't-care' attitude but once you crack through the barrier, she's a softy. Danny on the other hand, 'use to be' a nerd but then he became a star athlete. I liked that Danny wasn't obnoxious- he's kinda nerdy, gentle and sweet.

Christmas is just around the corner..well...fine...a few more months.. but if you love Christmas.... Approximately yours will definitely pt you into he spirit of Christmas.

Happy Reading!

Note: I Received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review from NetGally

The reasons I like this book are so the reasons I didn't give it 5 stars. It is exactly what you'd expect from a teen romantic fiction, but that's why I liked it. The novel never pretended to be anything it isn't; the author didn't try to foo, you with deep and meaningful moral ,estates or twists in the tale and there was just the right amount of romance. I like the fact that you can enjoy the romance of a novel without having to read all the details. However, at the same time, it was nothing more than a sweet, romantic read to fill a couple of hours. The characters were generally likeable, though I didn't always believe in their choices which at times were a bit silly and annoying, but that's what I e come to expect from a novel like this, and why I think people read them. A good bit of harmless escapism.

And this lovely series is back with another couple getting together the unique town of North Pole, Minnesota. Of course, you can also read it as a standalone. I'd say this is a 3+ stars, just not enough to be rounded up to four.

After her grandmother's death, Holly goes back to the small town where her family needs to put the house in order and sell it. Not only the bittersweet memories of her grandma come back, but also of the boy who had won the gingerbread contests and her heart. However, as they hadn't seen each other for so many years, Danny doesn't even remember her and is unable to take his eyes off her attracting cousin Elda. Thus, Holly decides to give up on her childhood crush and help Elda texting Danny on her behalf.

This was cute, I loved both characters. I did think Danny was a bit stupid for choosing Elda over and again when he knew he wasn't into her. But we knew why he wouldn't go for Holly (we or rather, I just never got why the heck wouldn't he want to just be alone after a six-year-long relationship!).

Hammerle's writing is very easy to read and the way she brings North Pole to life always makes me think of shows like Gilmore Girls. On top of that, it's like she knows all my favorite tropes!

The way she handled the whole love triangle was also smooth. Of course, a lot could have gone wrong. As I mentioned, I did find Danny's insistence on Elda a little forced but not enough to annoy me.

Perhaps, this was the only book in which the family wasn't a problem—unless you consider the cousins in a triangle—, and I even wish we had had more scenes featuring the crazy scheme of so many people living under the same ceiling. This time, it deals with grief and appreciating people while they are around. Holly's grandma seems to have been a great woman and even I wish I had known her. She made for a heartwarming part of the book.

Also, you can rest assured the conclusion is good.

I was a little disappointed with the second book of the series Artificial Sweethearts, since not only the plot but everything was too more of the same. While Approximately Yours still doesn't hold a candle to the first book, it's much better. I'd say the magic is finally back.

One thing I noticed was that the second book barely had any reference to the first. Had it not been in the same town, people would hardly connect one to the other—although Sam was a character in both and all. Approximately Yours has a more take one the idea of a series and we get to see a lot of Sam and Tinka mentioned here and there—they're not important enough, don't worry if you haven't read their story. Elena and Oliver are very present though, their story is just mentioned as a curiosity among many in the town.

I can see Hammerle's progress now we've got to the third and want to keep following her.

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

I gave this book 3.5 stars. It was cute and fun, but not really anything I hadn’t already read before. I still liked it, but it was nothing new, you know?

In the midst of my contemporary craze, I read this book fairly quickly. While it wasn’t eh best contemporary romance I had ever read in my entire life, it was still a book where I enjoyed the storyline and the characters.

Holly, is a complex. Aside from the puppy tattoo which I think is more cutesy than punk rock, Holly can seem a bit hard core. I mean, Danny was convinced she hated him despite reality being the exact opposite. Holly has really bad self esteem issues caused by constant rejection and I can’t help but relate to that. Holly was a character that I had no problem seeing her point. She pushed people away and was a bit mean to them at times because she was afraid of rejection.

Danny is a sweet guy. His ex girlfriend has definitely caused some damage. Especially considered his breakup happened right after he almost ruins his career by breaking his leg in a basketball related accident. I found it so cute that whenever him and his friends were talking about the Page girls, they would always talk about the hot one, now to everyone else the hot one was Elda, but Danny always thought they were talking about Holly. It was absolutely adorable his quiet crush on her. He was never the obnoxious athlete that is common in YA and teen movies. He was the gentle nerd/athlete who just wanted to be good at everything, I can appreciate that.

The two characters together was pure chemistry. They had so much in common and could talk about anything. Although, I have to dock points because they talked shit about Game of Thrones, and I’m obsessed with that show. Besides that obvious blunder, they were in fact, a very cute book couple.

I would recommend this book to anyone currently going through a contemporary craze. It’s nothing that absolutely blew my mind, but it definitely helps with the craving.