Member Reviews
This book was such a fun and cute read! I read it all in one sitting.
Unfortunately this book wasn’t my favourite, I didn’t have much attachment to the characters and I felt like there was almost too much going on. Too many scenarios and tropes, I think the book would have benefitted from just choosing a couple to be the focal point of the book and exploring them more rather than having loads but only at a surface level.
I did however love that we got the Then and Now and also multiple points of view! I always love hearing from both characters in the book. I also love the premise of a road trip too! That’s always such a fun theme in a book, I enjoyed following Mariah and Mason on their journey.
Thanks to netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for a review.
This was a beautiful novel where we follow Mariah come home from college for the Christmas holidays and her life is changed. With truth’s revealed, Mariah flees - aiming for her dad’s, when she bumps in Mason, her former best friend. With one broken down Honda, Mariah accepts the offer of a ride and embarks on the journey across America.
I loved watching their friendship redevelop, with the chapters of flashback giving the reader and an understanding of what happened between them.
There were points in the story I was smiling and laughing and then there were points I was upset.
The reason I gave 3* is that the story got really dark in the middle and we just kind of gloss over it. It changes them as characters but given what happens, it just felt like the author needed to through a catalyst in but didn’t finish the plot. The ending as well. I mean if you read this you might be like why are you disappointed, but I don’t know. I think the story could have easily ended another way and it would have been a beautiful book.
I received an advanced copy of this ebook from the publisher for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I liked Mason, Mariah and Naomi's characters. The friendships in this book is well written. This book mentions Houston Texas and California. I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend reading this book to anyone and everyone. This ebook is in stores for $3.99 (USD).
This was such a great story! I found this to be so interesting and unique! I will for sure be recommending this book to my friends.
Wow, I LOVED Mariah and Mason! I was feeling allllll the feels while reading this story. It was an emotional rollercoaster and I really loved the flashback scenes. Also can we talk about this cover? Because it is stunning! It was a quick read but such a fun experience!
Thank you NetGalley and the author for an eARC of this book, in exchange of a honest review.
This was a sweet friends to lovers second chance romance between two new adults with sons very heavy issues to navigate. On winter break from college, Mariah learns some upsetting information and sets off on a road trip to her father’s house in Houston. Mason, apparently on his own mysterious cross country road trip, find her in the midst of car trouble. It had been months since they had seen or spoken to each other after a rift in their friendship but they agreed to embark on this adventure together. Their friendship & love were so pure and fragile as they each held themselves away as long as possible. At each stop new secrets were revealed a d their bond only grew.
I appreciated that the author gave them each such distinct voices and let them make mistakes on the journey to their happy ever after.
I loved this so much. This author is one of my new favs. I loved how the story unfolded. The characters were all very relatable.
Actual rating: 3.75/5
North Star Angel is a short novel about Mariah, a uni student in 1997 going back to her hometown for the break but she learnt some secrets about her mom and decide to join her father in Texas. On her way, she encountered her ex-best-friend, Mason on a mysterious journey.
First, I liked the background stories of both characters because it was deep and quite serious. However, I didn't really get the flashback of their childhood. As well as that, they were a bit too much information and different stories lines.
Secondly, the themes that were approached were powerful and thoughtful even though not developed enough.
Last not least, I would say this book had a great idea but it was a bit like a draft...
I really enjoyed North Star Angel. It's a fun coming of age, new adult story woven through a road trip. Who among us didn't dream of taking off with your best friend across the country? It's the adventure and friendship of road trip stories that I love, and North Star Angel did not disappoint.
4/5 Stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was an okay book. I liked the gist but it felt a bit random. I feel like there could have been better explanation and less iffyness.
Firstly, I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for sending a copy of this my way in exchange of an honest review.
North Star Angel is a very short, road trip, ex-best-friends-to-lovers romance. It was quick, sweet, endearing and fun. Despite the size of the book, the characters were well developed and there was enough happening in it to keep my interest the whole way through. I enjoyed my time reading this one, and whilst I am not the intended audience, it was easily ingestible and it took me back to my younger years.
Christmas 1997 and Mariah Rowland’s freshman year of college couldn’t be more of a disaster. Her high school boyfriend dumped her, her course load is stressing her out, and the college parties aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.
I liked this book but there was definitely potential for me to love it.
I liked the relationship between Mason and Mariah, they become best friends once Mason's family moves in next door. The book goes between the past and the present which isn't my favorite but it did work for this book, I just wish I believed their friendship more, a few stolen moments and intimate encounters still didn't help me to believe their love story.
Mid book during their road trip, (which I looove road trips in books) there's an incident that felt kind of forced and just made the whole thing seem meh.
The big reveal was a bit lack luster as well and I feel like it was a bit rushed. Since this book was set in the 90s I was hoping for more references besides the occasional usage of a pay phone, I feel like there were a lot of missed opportunities.
All in all I'm glad I read North Star Angel but I don't think it will be a book that will stay with me beyond this review.
This was a sweet tale of seeing past errors, understanding peoples characters, and discovering yourself
Mariah is a bit of a brat, I understand her anger but her behavior is a little unreasonable for me. Mason seems like a genuinely sweet boy with more life experience and a better handle on the situation.
There were a lot of conflicts that arose and typically I would say to many but for some reason, it worked for this storyline
I enjoyed the journey and discovery
Thank you for the chance to read, NetGalley!
This was for sure a sweet story. I actually think though, it would have greatly benefited from being longer!
I think having more scenes from Mariah and Mason’s past would have helped build their chemistry in the present day scenes quite a lot. I didn’t have quite enough to go on to get super invested in the characters.
All in all, it was a good read, just not necessarily one I want to pounce on again, which is mostly how my rating system works.
North Star Angel by Mila Nicks
Rating: 4 stars
SOoooo, I just finished this book like 10 minutes ago and it was a very strong book. Obviously, since I didn't rate it 5 stars, it wasn't my FAVORITE book, but it was still really good.
The plot was really good. I reminded me kind of like Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. The plot twist thingy was also really good. It was unexpected and I liked it.
The characters weren't all the best. Half of them I loved and half of them not so much. I feel like the only two characters we knew the most about were Mariah and Mason. It would also have been cool to see more of their past. HOWEVER, I really enjoyed how the povs switch from then and now. oooo so this was in 1997 but it felt kind of a lot more modern.
One last thing, there were a couple of scenes that were unnecessary and I skipped over.
But overall, I really enjoyed reading this and it was a pretty fast paced and quick read :)
Recommend if you liked Amy and Roger's Epic Detour, and by the name, I'm guessing The Geography of Lost Things as well.
Bai!!
This is more than a cute story about two 18-year-olds on a cross-country trip. Mason is hiding a secret about what waits for him in California, and that secret will change everything.
I wasn't crazy about the alternating timelines. I didn't feel like the "Then" sections added much. I would have preferred the back story to be woven in with the front story, rather than interrupting the forward motion. Also, there were things that could have been explored in the front story that were sort of glossed over (especially regarding Mariah's parents).
There wasn't much sexual tension, which I guess is normal for a YA book. But the result was, the change in their relationship, from friends to more, seemed abrupt. The ending was also abrupt and didn't take full advantage of the emotion inherent in the situation.
Still, if you like YA road trip books, this one might be a good choice for you.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received.
3/5 stars
** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**
I have some mixed feelings about this book. While I did like the romance I felt like it was missing something. The characters were just ok. They were college-age so this is technically a new adult book however, it just didn't feel that way. The writing was just okay, it didn't feel like anything special. Overall it was just an okay read, it's very short and easy to read in one sitting.
3.5 stars
This was a lovely short story of reconnecting and being there for the ones you loved. Even though the book went back and forth with the past and present, I never felt confused or bored and it tied it all together very well and was lovely to see the relationship form over this period of time.
It’s also great to see a POC main character, the illness rep (won’t spoilt it) and some LGBTQ+ representation, if the story was longer it would have been amazing to see this delved into even more.
Ultimately I did enjoy this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book was just TOO MUCH. It begins as promising when two friends, Mariah and Mason, reunite after a short hiatus in their friendship. They leave for an unexpected road trip and are confronted with beautiful landscapes, fun tunes, and even a few close calls. Cute, right? Things quickly take a turn. A marriage is revealed as a sham due to one party’s coming out as gay. A character is hiding from close friends that he is sick. Our main character doesn’t know if she can forgive these people and blah blah blah. Why couldn’t it have been a nice road trip? Why’d we have to throw in all these unbelievable scenarios? In one minute, Mariah is telling Mason she’s not sure if she loves him as a friend or something more. The next minute, they’re naked. Wtf? I don’t know about you, but I don’t sleep with my best friends. I actually enjoyed the writing a lot, so it’s too bad the concepts fell short.