Sam & Ilsa's Last Hurrah by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Sam and Ilsa’s Last Hurrah by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Published: April 10, 2018

Publisher: Knopf BYR

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Rating: 2/5

Synopsis

Siblings Sam and Ilsa Kehlmann have spent most of their high school years throwing parties for their friends--and now they've prepared their final blowout, just before graduation.

The rules are simple: each twin gets to invite three guests, and the other twin doesn't know who's coming until the partiers show up at the door. With Sam and Ilsa, the sibling revelry is always tempered with a large dose of sibling rivalry, and tonight is no exception.

One night. One apartment. Eight people. What could possibly go wrong? Oh, we all know the answer is plenty. But plenty also goes right, as well...in rather surprising ways.

My Thoughts

Let me start off by saying I’m a fan of Rachel and David’s previous novels so when I heard they were coming out with new read I couldn’t wait to read it but sadly this isn’t one of my favorites from them. In this read, we have twins Sam and Ilsa whose lives are at a crossroads. They are about to graduate and Sam is the apple of his grandmother's eye and Ilsa isn’t sure what she wants. They are known to throw dinner parties at their grandmother's lavish apartment but this one will be their last. They soon will move on and their grandmother is giving up her apartment and moving so they want this one to be best.

Needless to say, nothing goes as planned. Each one invites three guests and when everyone arrives its all a mess, no one gets along and the food is awful which is crazy since Sam is a great cook. Soon there are arguments and Sam and Ilsa must confront each other and say whats really bothering them not only to each other but also to themselves. I was really looking forward to this one but the story just fell flat to me. I thought this was just an unbelievable story not to mention I just saw these characters as pretentious and whiny rich kids. There wasn’t any real story for me to connect to and I just found myself rolling my eyes and waiting for this short read to be over. This was one read I couldn’t wait to be done with.

Day 9 of 12 Days of Christmas: The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily [Dash & Lily #2] BY Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Published: October 18, 2016

Publisher: Knopf BYR

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Dash and Lily have had a tough year since readers watched the couple fall in love in Dash & Lily's Book of Dares. Lily's beloved grandfather suffered a heart attack, and his difficult road to recovery has taken a major toll on her typically sunny disposition. Lily's spark has dimmed so much that Langston, her brother, has put aside his grudge against Dash to team up and remind Lily what there is to love about life.

With only twelve days left until Christmas--Lily's favorite time of the year--Dash, Langston, and their friends take Manhattan by storm to help Lily recapture the holiday spirit of New York City in December, a time and place unlike anywhere else in the world. Told in alternating chapters, The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily is bound to be a Christmas favorite for seasons to come.

My Thoughts

Oh, Dash & Lily how I have missed you! I instantly fell in love with these two a few years back in the first book in the series and was finally excited that I finally got to read the follow-up. We catch up with Dash & Lily a year later but this time it’s Dash who has set out to bring Christmas cheer to Lily’s life. She has had a hard year with dealing with her grandfather’s heart attack, her brother who has moved out and now her parents who want to move out of state for their jobs, how could a girl not feel a bit blue?

Both are wondering if they can get over this hump or are they just not connecting anymore as a couple like they use to? Dash tries his hardest to get Lily back in the Christmas spirit and to show her how much he loves her. All the while Lily wonders if Dash even still wants to be together, talk about miscommunication! I’ve always loved the alternating chapters because I feel we see both sides of the story as each one sees it. Of course, I will always root for these two they had me from the very start with their red moleskine notebook! So it shouldn’t be a surprise that I, of course, enjoyed this read just as a much. If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Dash & Lily what are you waiting for? Go get both reads and snuggle in for some delightful Christmas reading time.

Waiting On [164]: The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Waiting on Wednesday [Wow] is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Expected Publication: October 18, 2016

Publisher: Knopf BYR

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling authors Rachel Cohn and David Levithan are back with a life-affirming Christmas romance starring Dash and Lily.

Dash and Lily have had a tough year since readers first watched the couple fall in love. Lily’s beloved grandfather suffered a heart attack, and his difficult road to recovery has taken a major toll on her typically sunny disposition.

With only twelve days left until Christmas—Lily’s favorite time of the year—Dash, Lily’s brother Langston, and their closest friends take Manhattan by storm to help Lily recapture the holiday magic of New York City in December.

Told in alternating chapters, The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily reunites two beloved characters and is bound to be a Christmas favorite, season after season.

Why I Can’t Wait

Yesssss! I really can’t wait to read this one because I love Dash and Lily! I can’t wait to see what they have been up to and see where these two are couple wise. This is definitely one that will make the top of my winter time list.