Krysten Lindsay HagerRecensioni

Teen-ager Hadley Daniels is upset when her best friend moves away and jumps at the opportunity to spend the summer with her grandparents in another town. This plan becomes even more appealing when she learns that the popular teen actress, Simone Hendrickson, lives next door. But what are the chances that Simone will want anything to do with her?

The author tells a wonderful story that brings everyday teen angst to the forefront. Friends are fickle, often switching best friends every time they have a disagreement with their current one and then dropping the new bestie and going back to the first one. We see them dancing around the who likes which boy issue and being disappointed in that boy does not like them back. Concern over how to dress and about wearing make-up all appear in this story. One thing that I particularly like is that even though Simone is famous, we see her as an everyday teen who wants to fit in and be popular.

Teen readers will recognize problems that they currently face. Older readers will look back and recognize many of the same issues that they had when they were in school.

Thank you to Krysten Lindsay Hager for providing me with a copy of this book with no promise requested or made of a positive review. I enjoyed my visit with Hadley and her friends.

In this second book of the Cecily Taylor series, readers find that Cecily is fighting to handle mixing her life as a normal high school student and the secret of being the girlfriend of popular singer Andrew Holiday. Added to the struggle is the opportunity to possibly jump start a modeling career in New York City.

Finding that her friends are suddenly unavailable and that Andrew’s work often keeps him out of town, Cecily starts to feel very alone. She discovers a picture on social media that makes her wonder if Andrew is serious about an exclusive relationship. Comments about her appearance are not kind and she takes them personally and she questions if she should continue to pursue work as a model.

Once again Ms. Hager sets the stage for her readers of any age to recognize the growing pains of their teen years. Friendships, studying, and dating are issues that most teens face. As an adult reader, I was reminded of my life at that age. Her characters come to life and we experience their hurt, jealousy, and anxiety.

I received a free copy from the author since I had read and enjoyed the first book in this series. I enjoyed this one so much that I read it in one day. No promise was made of a positive review and any opinion expressed here is my own.

Krysten Lindsay Hager transports her readers to their high school days. Teens reading this story may very well be experiencing some of the same emotional trauma as those in the book: school, relationships with their friends, and new boyfriend/girlfriend relationships with dreams of romance. She brings us into the story instead of leaving us on the outside and looking in.

At the center of this young adult story is Cecily, a high school student with good friends, a boyfriend, and a huge crush on singing sensation Andrew Holiday. When word gets out that he will be in town to film a video, Cecily and some of her friends cannot pass up the opportunity to audition. Much to her surprise, Cecily is cast in the video and finds herself acting alongside her heartthrob. How will her friends, particularly her boyfriend, react? Will the growing attraction between Cecily and Andrew grow into something more?

This is a sweet story. Even if you are a more mature reader, or one who did not fill your high school days dreaming of a favorite singer or actor, it is likely that you will look back and smile as you recognize some of the other growing pains of your own youth.

Ms. Hager brings her characters to life by letting us know their personalities and their emotions. Settings are well described so that we know their surroundings. She provides us with a good story….one that certainly kept my attention.

Many thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this delightful book with no promise requested or made of a positive review. I am, however, happy to say that I very much enjoyed Can Dreams Come True and can easily recommend it to other readers.

This is the first book in The Cecily Taylor, Cecily has a crush on the singer Andrew Holiday who is just a year older than her and is from her town. She is quite the diehard fan, every interview, article, song, love interest she will know about. She has the opportunity to tag along at her friends audition for his next music video she has to go and hopefully get a glimpse of him.
Next minute she has asked to feature in the video to by ANDREW HOLIDAY himself!

There is so much more to this book than what I have written above. It was great in so many ways, I like Cecily, she was a great character and relatable, in fact the whole story was relatable.
I didn’t think much of Zach his jealousy and betrayal really annoyed me and some of her “friends” were also very much out for themselves and would drop her like a hot potato at times.

The storyline flowed at a nice even pace, it was well written and I really enjoyed it. I had not heard of Krysten Lindsay Hager beforehand but now I want to read all her books!

This is the second book in the Cecily Taylor Series; it can be read as a standalone. So, Cecily is now Andrew Holiday’s girlfriend. It isn’t public knowledge. When she does see him it’s all very romantic, when she doesn’t see or hear from her due to his work her mind does go on overdrive, especially when she sees photos posted online of him with other girls. One photo, in particular, sends her over the edge, the trust issues come up again, is their relationship over?

This instalment was just as good as the first; I have got to say Cecily’s Gran was brilliant, I think we all yearn for a Gran like her.
Cecily again was very relatable, I think at her age I would have jumped to the same conclusions as her. It must have been so difficult to have this secret relationship that she had to hide even from her best friends too. Yes, she could talk about talking to him but not that she was actually with him. We also follow her as she starts to kick off her modelling/acting career.

Another well-written book with a semi relatable topic, okay so we are not all going to get with our pop star crush but the relationship dilemmas are relatable.

I hope there is another book in the series.

I found this to be an interesting story of teen angst with a touch of mean girls. Cecily is just trying to achieve her dream. Right from the start, she's dealing with drama. I found the story to be fairly relatable. You could feel her anxiety and trust issues. I found the characters to be well-written. You could feel the emotion, their personalities. I felt like it could have been happening right there around me. The plot was well-thought out. This is a good YA novel and a quick read.

Emme and Brendon...a combination I didn’t see coming, nor apparently did Emme, but sometimes the love that is unexpected is just that much sweeter.

Emme is all spirit guides and numbering the stars. Brendon is the son of a political figure who runs in those auspicious circles some can only dream of ever reaching. Black and white facts, their paths never should have crossed...but if we dig a little deeper, we see that there is more than meets the eye. He has dreams for a future outside of his family’s pre mapped plans. She is looking for something a little more solid to hold on to in her times of questioning and need. In each other, they find a chance at a new beginning, a person they can be their whole selves with, and a place that while not built on tried and true cornerstones, is likelier to remain standing than most other starts at their age. They have good times and bad times, both in their relationship and outside. They deal with losses and gains, struggles and triumphs, happiness and misery...but for the most part, they do it together, and the strength they glean from each other, even when apart, helps them get through.

By book’s end, I had accepted the pairing, though it still felt like they weren’t quite a part of each other’s worlds. I suppose that’s all the more reason for them to create one of their own and invite only those in willing to be a part of something new and unexpected...which honestly, doesn’t sound half bad to me. Recommended for the YA lit crowd of all ages as it’s a clean read, so no cautions to be issued.


**ebook received for review; opinions are my own

Next Door to a Star is the perfect example of why teenage friendships can seem so hard. Hadley doesn’t mean to be a loner, but making friends is not always easy for her, or so she thinks. She is easily intimidated by the “popular” girls and doesn’t always let her own attributes shine through. As is typical with most teens she just wants to fit in. Also, as is typical with most teens, she doesn’t realize that the “grass is always greener”. Just because the popular crowd seems to have it all doesn’t mean that life is any easier for them. This was a well written depiction of the drama and sorrow of the A- crowd.

I spent the first part of this book frustrated with Hadley. It just seemed like she wanted too badly to be included with a crowd of ‘friends’ that she had very little in common with. As the story progressed though, it became obvious that most of the characters were doing the same thing. I was very pleased with the friendship dynamic that eventually evolved, because it clear from the start that that is how it was supposed to be. I do see a future for this group of girls.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hadley has gotten in with the “In” crowd at her new high school. She had good friends and a great boyfriend and life was good, even if she had to deal with a few ‘mean girls’ along the way. While I was never friends with a tv star, I have to say that this book brought me back to high school romance with all its unknowns and insecurities. I imagine most teen girls would see themselves in this book somewhere.

I read the first book in this series, ‘Next Door To A Star’ and I admit that I was a little bit frustrated at hard all the girls tried to seem like something more than they were, though there too I was reminded of the seething pit of social rules governing high school relationships.This book is a fabulous sequel and shows tremendous growth for the group. I love that Hadley has a close group of friends and Nick was and is a favorite character for me.

There are some great lessons about friends ship and trust through out the story.

It isn’t necessary to read book 1 in the series to enjoy this story, but it would helpful with tracking the hierarchy of the kids’ relationships, plus it offers some great back ground on Hadley and her family.

5 stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic book. I found it completely entailed the teen relationship cycle. Angst over dating from previous relationships and how they affect your next ones to dealing with issues in your current relationships. Emme is struggling with the aftermath from her previous relationship with John, when she starts dating Brendon, the popular boy. Emme has many insecurities and you can see these come out throughout the stories. You may even feel them with a familiarity from your youth I did. The story is so well-done that you just continue watching Emme grow through the story as she matures through the insecurities and into the relationship. Brendon is a pretty amazing fellow. He's down to Earth. He doesn't see the girls falling over him. It is a really good story for Young Adults. I think it's a wonderful story for all. Emme learned to appreciate what she had in front of her.

Hadley tackles dating drama and backstabbing female drama in this latest installment of the star series. Watching Hadley grow from the dilemma is the treat of the book. You'll be transported back in time to your teen years as you read about the adventures of group dates, exes, dates to the nursing home and other adventures. Refreshing to see the same characters and a continuation of the series that doesn't leave you confused. Really a good book for your young adults to enjoy. Clean and refreshing.

A book to add up there with classic YA books. Hadley is a young teen dealing with issues many of us are familiar with: loss of childhood friends; loyalty of friends; moving schools; having relationships and finding your confidence. This was a wonderful book. Hadley’s makes friends with Simone, a tv star, who lives next door to her grandparents. Hadley learns that even stars like Simone are human and dealing with problems too. Hadley deals with a lot of issues like gossip and backstabbing by girls such as Morgan, Pilar and Reagan with class and dignity. Even with all the drama, Hadley struggles but tries to make good choices and owns up if she doesn’t. I do have to say that I did identify with her grandma. I’m grandma to two sweet baby girls and I will probably be the same way. The characters were well written. You could feel Nick’s apology for believing Morgan and Reagan. I rooted for Hadley to forgive him. The plot took me back to my teen days, that is how well that was done. Whether the 1950’s or 2021, the issues just don’t change. Very realistic.

Ah, drama drama, drama... LOL Popularity always = drama!
In this cute little tale Hadley's world is about to change all in one summer. After her best friend moves away to Texas she decides to go and stay the summer with her grandparents in the Lake Michigan town of Grand Haven. And next door is lurking none other than Simone Hendrickson a teen Idol and TV star. Hadley and Simone become friends and the drama begins! Boys lies and backstabbing are the name of the game in this entertaining novel.
This was a great little read. This is the second novel that I've read by this author and I have to say that I really enjoy her work. She writes in a way that is very easy to follow and easy to comprehend. Her stories are riveting and her characters are adorable to say the least. Her stories almost seemed to speak from personal experience which I think is what I like the most about them. They bring me back to the days when I was the age of the characters in the novels and having the same High School drama and issues that they're going through. It is very comforting in that way knowing that others have gone through what I have.
Very real and down-to-earth I have to say that I am looking forward to reading more from Krysten Hager and would definitely recommend her books to others ❤️👍🏻💕

Love is fickle isn't it? Especially when you're in high school. Even more especially when you're dating the guy that all the girls have crushes on. That's how it is for Emme. She's dating Brendon, a congressman's son and the hottest guy in school. With having been hurt badly from a previous relationship is it possible for her relationship with Brendon to work even though it seems they come from different worlds? Or is the relationship doomed to crash upon the rocks? Perhaps their destiny is written in the stars.
This book was more than well written. It was captivating and showed great ingenuity. The storyline was exceedingly simple which may have been one of the best things about the book. The author is creative and shows a biting wit that even the most shallow person would crack a smirk about. This book was very entertaining all the way to the end. I found myself remembering how it was to be their age. Life was crazy and I found myself relating a lot to the main character.
This was definitely a work well done. Bravo! I will be recommending this book.

I was given this ebook in exchange for an honest review on ebooksforreview.com.
Emme is just your average high school girl. Brendon is the Senator’s son. For the guys, you want to be best friends with him. For the girls, you want to date/marry him. Although Emme feels she is way out of her league-she was elated when Brendon asked her out. He’s a wonderful guy, but she’s so plain and not polished like his family and friends-not to mention his ex, Lauren, who constantly hangs on his every word and his arm. Emme has had a horrible dating past-leaving her untrusting and insecure. This often leads her to jumping to conclusions or judging situations without really finding out the facts first-causing a huge wedge between her and Brendon.
Emme has always used candles, cards and astrology for guidance-a trait of all the women in her family. With her insecurites mounting, she needs to figure it all out quickly. Brendon is an amazing guy, but there’s no way he will stay around if she keeps acting illogically. She needs to lay her suspicions aside and listen to her heart.
I thought this story was okay. It was very clean and I very much appreciated that. Parts of it just felt shallow-like I kept wanting more. I really wanted Brendon to shake Emme a few times. I swear? This was a nice light read, if you’re looking for one-look no further.

Next Door to a Star is the perfect example of why teenage friendships can seem so hard. Hadley doesn’t mean to be a loner, but making friends is not always easy for her, or so she thinks. She is easily intimidated by the “popular” girls and doesn’t always let her own attributes shine through. As is typical with most teens she just wants to fit in. Also, as is typical with most teens, she doesn’t realize that the “grass is always greener”. Just because the popular crowd seems to have it all doesn’t mean that life is any easier for them. This was a well written depiction of the drama and sorrow of the A- crowd.

I spent the first part of this book frustrated with Hadley. It just seemed like she wanted too badly to be included with a crowd of ‘friends’ that she had very little in common with. As the story progressed though, it became obvious that most of the characters were doing the same thing. I was very pleased with the friendship dynamic that eventually evolved, because it clear from the start that that is how it was supposed to be. I do see a future for this group of girls.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Story:

Landry is just your typical teen, ready to grow up and be heard. She'd give anything to be popular, have great hair and have a few adventures worth talking about. But, that's just not Landry. She is the one people don't see, the boring one who people forget to invite to their party. That may be all about to change.

Landry and her two best mates decide to enter into a modelling contest. Though she is determined that she doesn't stand a chance at winning or even getting noticed, she relishes the idea of the possibility of her and her girls getting the spotlight and having a few stories to tell at school.

Life has more in store for Landry though! She gets chosen to move on to the next stage of the contest, leaving her friends behind, as they don't succeed. Soon she finds herself in a whirlwind of adventure. She's popular, getting noticed (even by some really cute boys), she looks great and finally has something to talk about! However, her friends don't want to talk, at all, since she did better than them. Landry is forced to move forward, finding new friends and soon starts to wonder if the popular life is more than she bargained for.

My Thoughts:

This book is great for teens and tweens. I found that it really touched on all the problems we go through at that age. We always get so caught up in our lives, the drama, the action and what to wear that we feel as though the world is spinning out of control. We worry about friends, boyfriends, clothes, rumours and what's happening that weekend; not stopping for a moment to worry about the future, only living for the moment.

I love that Landry is a typical teenage girl, and the drama that unfolds in her life is written in such a way that Tweens and Teens will relate to it, feeling as though it is their life on the pages, and adults will find themselves giggling because they remember the day when they had these 'problems' and what it was like to live for the moment.

The writing style of this book is excellent. It is written in a way that it reaches out to the correct age group, while still being accessible to older readers. It also takes into account the world around is and what is popular or not, which will make it appeal to teens even more.

The pace of the book is good. I found it moved well enough to stay very entertaining, but sometimes thought it stuck on a point for a tiny bit too long. However, on looking back at this, after finishing the book, I think it is probably perfect, as teens do tend to stick with their problem until it has been run into the ground and defeated!

OVERALL: A fab book, especially for the younger readers. It also is a fun read for adults to look back and remember their youth. I would say that this is the perfect book to get a child, especially a teen girl, for Christmas or upcoming birthdays. I am very excited to see what else comes from author Krysten Hager!