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Hearts Are Like Balloons
May Falkner’s past two years have been a craptastic road. When her father suddenly passes away, May needs to find a job to help out her mom and possibly find some laughter along the way. Working at the bookstore helps with that problem. It also leads her to cross paths with Nico Evitts, who begins as just a co-worker, but becomes so much more.
When life finally seems like it's almost normal, reality steps in and pitches another curveball May's way, causing things to crack a bit. What May has to learn is, eventually, you just have to rip the bandage off.
Hearts are like balloons. Sometimes they inflate… Sometimes they deflate…
**Contains mature themes, yet quirky and cute! Perfect for fans of Jenn Bennett!
When life finally seems like it's almost normal, reality steps in and pitches another curveball May's way, causing things to crack a bit. What May has to learn is, eventually, you just have to rip the bandage off.
Hearts are like balloons. Sometimes they inflate… Sometimes they deflate…
**Contains mature themes, yet quirky and cute! Perfect for fans of Jenn Bennett!
234 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2017
21 people are currently reading
822 people want to read
About the author
Candace Robinson
61 books1,112 followersI spend my days consumed by words and hoping to one day find my own DeLorean time machine. My life consists of avoiding migraines, admiring Bonsai trees, watching classic movies, and living with my husband and daughter in Texas—where it can be forty degrees one day and eighty the next!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
July 2, 2017
Wow, this book really pulled on my heart strings. I love it so much better than her other book. It was just perfect.
May's father has died. He had cancer and then something even more horrible happens. May and her mom are trying to get through it. May's mom finally goes back to work as an accountant and May gets a job with her best friend, Jessie, at a used bookstore. This is where we meet the wonderful Violet that runs that place for her family. I love her, she's an artist and she has purple hair! I want purple hair!
Violet's brother Nico also works at the bookstore. May and Nico find a bond together and they get along so good.
Every one in this book is wonderful. I love May so much, she's so funny and I feel for her with all she had to go through. This book made me cry, laugh and then cry some more. Poor May, Nico, her friends and family had to go through so much. I don't want to give anything away but this is a tough book. But don't let that stop you because it's so wonderful too. Not everything has to be the end of the world and things are fun and quirky and loving. I love more than anything when I find a book that I fall right in love with when I least expect it. ♥
Hearts really are like balloons. . . . .
Review on my blog has Q & A w/ Candace. Linked below
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
May's father has died. He had cancer and then something even more horrible happens. May and her mom are trying to get through it. May's mom finally goes back to work as an accountant and May gets a job with her best friend, Jessie, at a used bookstore. This is where we meet the wonderful Violet that runs that place for her family. I love her, she's an artist and she has purple hair! I want purple hair!
Violet's brother Nico also works at the bookstore. May and Nico find a bond together and they get along so good.
Every one in this book is wonderful. I love May so much, she's so funny and I feel for her with all she had to go through. This book made me cry, laugh and then cry some more. Poor May, Nico, her friends and family had to go through so much. I don't want to give anything away but this is a tough book. But don't let that stop you because it's so wonderful too. Not everything has to be the end of the world and things are fun and quirky and loving. I love more than anything when I find a book that I fall right in love with when I least expect it. ♥
Hearts really are like balloons. . . . .
Review on my blog has Q & A w/ Candace. Linked below
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
June 30, 2017
To see my Q&A with author Candace Robinson and to see my full reviews for her current two books, please visit www.readrantrockandroll.com
Hearts Are Like Balloons by Candace Robinson is a story about a teenage girl named May who has just lost her father to lung cancer and is trying to move on with life. Her dad was important to her and she has no choice but to let him go. The loss is difficult for her, but she must find a way to move on and to remain strong for her mother.
As May moves on to finding a job at a bookstore, she meets new people that help her along the way, including a hip new boss named Violet, and a new relationship with a boy she really likes named Nico. Violet hits it off with May right away as they have similar interests. Nico happens to be Violets sister and works there as well. May and Nico develop a great relationship as Nico is warm, understanding, and very much into her. It’s just what May needs to help heal her from the loss of her father. An unexpected event will change everything with their relationship which brings more challenge and heartache for May to overcome.
I have to say that I loved this book. I loved the story as it felt real and was written well. It was emotional and I found myself crying a few times. I appreciated the relationships in the book and enjoyed all the characters. May has a really good support system in place and is loved by all that know her. I enjoyed Violet’s personality the most out of all the secondary characters. Despite the emotion in the book, it’s a feel good read and I was happy with the conclusion.
I think I just found myself a new favorite author!
Five *****
Hearts Are Like Balloons by Candace Robinson is a story about a teenage girl named May who has just lost her father to lung cancer and is trying to move on with life. Her dad was important to her and she has no choice but to let him go. The loss is difficult for her, but she must find a way to move on and to remain strong for her mother.
As May moves on to finding a job at a bookstore, she meets new people that help her along the way, including a hip new boss named Violet, and a new relationship with a boy she really likes named Nico. Violet hits it off with May right away as they have similar interests. Nico happens to be Violets sister and works there as well. May and Nico develop a great relationship as Nico is warm, understanding, and very much into her. It’s just what May needs to help heal her from the loss of her father. An unexpected event will change everything with their relationship which brings more challenge and heartache for May to overcome.
I have to say that I loved this book. I loved the story as it felt real and was written well. It was emotional and I found myself crying a few times. I appreciated the relationships in the book and enjoyed all the characters. May has a really good support system in place and is loved by all that know her. I enjoyed Violet’s personality the most out of all the secondary characters. Despite the emotion in the book, it’s a feel good read and I was happy with the conclusion.
I think I just found myself a new favorite author!
Five *****
December 23, 2020
Just being biased again! Yes, to serious issues and yes, to quirky side characters! Humor makes life a little easier especially when real life issues are a tough road.
January 25, 2025
Aww... one of the first short stories I read by this author. I love her writing style and how the themes and characters pull at your heartstrings but leave you with tons to think about.
June 13, 2017
This full review can be viewed on my blog along with others: She's Going Book Crazy
Release date June 30, 2017!
May is a teenager in her last few years of high school. She grew up alongside her father, loving to learn his techniques with art. When he is diagnosed with cancer, his deterioration is devastating to witness. Just when her father is released from the hospital to come home, May thought things couldn't get worse---but they do.
As she grapples with loss, with change, and with challenges, she is forced to make hard decisions that force her to grow up faster than she had expected.
---------------------------------------------
This is the first contemporary book I've picked up, so I wasn't sure what to expect going into it. Needless to say, I cried, laughed, mourned, thrilled, and contemplated much while reading the story following May's life.
This story touches on some major topics that change, and have the potential to wreak havoc in a person's life. They are brutal each in their own way. The beauty of this story is that it and its characters are able to bring life from the ashes. While hurt may never fully leave, and scars may never completely heal, finding beauty in the dust is a starting point to move on, and to grow.
This is exactly what May was able to do. May didn't always make the best decisions, but she learned from them. She realized the weight that a choice truly carries. Even though she hit some very low points, she was able to turn those experiences, and choices, around for the better.
Even though the topics are melancholy, this was a nice read to break up my normal genres. It's not "light and fluffy," as many term contemporary to be. But it was a well-written read that made me think.
Sexual content: There are two intimate scenes, but they don't go into much detail.
Violence: Minimal, but it centers around the topic of suicide.
Vulgarity: Quite a bit.
4 stars.
Thank you Candace for an ARC of this book.
Release date June 30, 2017!
My heart is a harness of nothing, a deflated balloon, and a place of loss.
May is a teenager in her last few years of high school. She grew up alongside her father, loving to learn his techniques with art. When he is diagnosed with cancer, his deterioration is devastating to witness. Just when her father is released from the hospital to come home, May thought things couldn't get worse---but they do.
As she grapples with loss, with change, and with challenges, she is forced to make hard decisions that force her to grow up faster than she had expected.
---------------------------------------------
This is the first contemporary book I've picked up, so I wasn't sure what to expect going into it. Needless to say, I cried, laughed, mourned, thrilled, and contemplated much while reading the story following May's life.
This story touches on some major topics that change, and have the potential to wreak havoc in a person's life. They are brutal each in their own way. The beauty of this story is that it and its characters are able to bring life from the ashes. While hurt may never fully leave, and scars may never completely heal, finding beauty in the dust is a starting point to move on, and to grow.
This is exactly what May was able to do. May didn't always make the best decisions, but she learned from them. She realized the weight that a choice truly carries. Even though she hit some very low points, she was able to turn those experiences, and choices, around for the better.
Even though the topics are melancholy, this was a nice read to break up my normal genres. It's not "light and fluffy," as many term contemporary to be. But it was a well-written read that made me think.
You can blow into a balloon and watch it inflate, and then release it and see it deflate. You can take that same balloon and blow into it again, and observe it inflating. That's what my heart is doing in this moment, inflating and holding the air.
Sexual content: There are two intimate scenes, but they don't go into much detail.
Violence: Minimal, but it centers around the topic of suicide.
Vulgarity: Quite a bit.
4 stars.
Thank you Candace for an ARC of this book.
August 10, 2017
Awww, I loved this! May's father passes away, and her life changes forever. While her mother falls into depression, May finds a job to help out financially. There, she meets Nico, a handsome young man who shows her (more than once!) that it's okay to live and love after tragedy.
I choked up a few times reading this. Like May, my dad passed away way too early, and a series of other tragedies followed. What I really appreciated about this book was May's resilience. She sought help when she needed it, and then got back on her feet and started moving forward again.
And her romance with Nico was so sweet! It's so refreshing to see a nice, supportive romantic lead in a YA. Nice can be sexy too!
I highly recommend this if you like YA contemporaries that deal with real-life issues.
*Thanks to the author for a copy of this book!*
I choked up a few times reading this. Like May, my dad passed away way too early, and a series of other tragedies followed. What I really appreciated about this book was May's resilience. She sought help when she needed it, and then got back on her feet and started moving forward again.
And her romance with Nico was so sweet! It's so refreshing to see a nice, supportive romantic lead in a YA. Nice can be sexy too!
I highly recommend this if you like YA contemporaries that deal with real-life issues.
*Thanks to the author for a copy of this book!*
June 29, 2017
You can Pre-order this book right now for only .99 on Amazon!!!
July 25, 2017
HEARTS ARE LIKE BALLOONS by Candace Robinson is an excellent tale of personal struggle set against a backdrop of every day small town life and art and big dreams and how reality has a way of telling its own tale if you hold on to that which is most important. Hopeful and still so tragic, so very realistic you would think you're reading about real people that could be your neighbors or your friends or someone you see in the grocery store, HEARTS ARE LIKE BALLOONS carries important messages with a skillful touch and though Candace Robinson has stated it's the last contemporary she'll ever write it most definitely should not be. Thank you, Candace, for sending me this story to read and thank you for bravely sharing it with the world.
May 29, 2017
It’s true, hearts ARE like balloons, they begin as we do in life, blank, smooth, deflated, but then they fill with what life gives us. In those times we experience pain, loss or disappointments, hopefully they only deflate a little, but when life gets almost unbearable with the weight it presses down on us, the heart deflates so much that what is left is stretched out and misshapen. There is only one way to fix that and it is to find that missing love and happiness and hang on tight!
Candace Robinson’s HEARTS ARE LIKE BALLOONS is one girl’s story of how her balloon deflated and almost didn’t get inflated again. Get ready to feel the intense emotions of a tale that could happen to anyone because life isn’t perfect and it is how you take on those bumps and smooth patches that keep your balloon afloat.
This is May’s story of love, loss, grief, mistakes and starting over, sadder, wiser, but ready to take on the world as she comes into her own, grows comfortable in her own skin, her own mind and matures with grace and dignity. Follow and FEEL May’s life unfold with some bold strokes of reality from author Candace Robinson. There is no over-the-top-angst, but there is realistic and raw emotions, struggles and the light at the end of a long and dark tunnel for one young woman I could only wish the very best for!
Find characters that feel and act real, witness true human responses to grief, disappointment, pain and joy. Candace Robinson has created a remarkable tale that knows no age boundaries, but has some great insights into the “what ifs” that can happen in an otherwise “normal” life. A wonderful hidden gem of a read!
I received an ARC edition from Candace Robinson in exchange for my honest review. Add it to your TBR pile, it is that good!
Publication Date: June 30, 2017
Publisher: Candace Robinson
Genre: YA Social Issues
Print Length: 158 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Candace Robinson’s HEARTS ARE LIKE BALLOONS is one girl’s story of how her balloon deflated and almost didn’t get inflated again. Get ready to feel the intense emotions of a tale that could happen to anyone because life isn’t perfect and it is how you take on those bumps and smooth patches that keep your balloon afloat.
This is May’s story of love, loss, grief, mistakes and starting over, sadder, wiser, but ready to take on the world as she comes into her own, grows comfortable in her own skin, her own mind and matures with grace and dignity. Follow and FEEL May’s life unfold with some bold strokes of reality from author Candace Robinson. There is no over-the-top-angst, but there is realistic and raw emotions, struggles and the light at the end of a long and dark tunnel for one young woman I could only wish the very best for!
Find characters that feel and act real, witness true human responses to grief, disappointment, pain and joy. Candace Robinson has created a remarkable tale that knows no age boundaries, but has some great insights into the “what ifs” that can happen in an otherwise “normal” life. A wonderful hidden gem of a read!
I received an ARC edition from Candace Robinson in exchange for my honest review. Add it to your TBR pile, it is that good!
Publication Date: June 30, 2017
Publisher: Candace Robinson
Genre: YA Social Issues
Print Length: 158 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
June 16, 2017
May Falkner is just turning seventeen when her family gets horrible news after a trip to the hospital, May's father has terminal cancer. After returning home to go under hospice care with the family reeling from the news May's father commits suicide sending their world spinning once again.
After her father's passing May vows to make things easier on her mother while she's coping with her loss by trying to find a part time job. A friend gets May an interview at a small bookstore where May meets Nico Evitts who becomes more to May than she ever could have imagined.
Hearts are Like Balloons by Candace Robinson is a young adult contemporary read that spans over several years time within the book. There's a lot of emotion built into the story with love and loss really oozing from each turn of a page. For me I felt I could connect with a lot of the story even being past my young adult years myself so I did find the story quite touching at times.
The one thing I could say I would have liked to see with this book to make it a bit more of a five star read for myself would have been a bit more depth in places during the story. The author did cover a ton of ground spanning the book over a few years time and covering a lot of big events in the characters lives but a few times I felt as I got invested the story moved on a bit too quickly. Otherwise this one was a really good emotion filled read.
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
After her father's passing May vows to make things easier on her mother while she's coping with her loss by trying to find a part time job. A friend gets May an interview at a small bookstore where May meets Nico Evitts who becomes more to May than she ever could have imagined.
Hearts are Like Balloons by Candace Robinson is a young adult contemporary read that spans over several years time within the book. There's a lot of emotion built into the story with love and loss really oozing from each turn of a page. For me I felt I could connect with a lot of the story even being past my young adult years myself so I did find the story quite touching at times.
The one thing I could say I would have liked to see with this book to make it a bit more of a five star read for myself would have been a bit more depth in places during the story. The author did cover a ton of ground spanning the book over a few years time and covering a lot of big events in the characters lives but a few times I felt as I got invested the story moved on a bit too quickly. Otherwise this one was a really good emotion filled read.
I received a free copy of this book from the author.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
May 17, 2019
Your heart has to go out to the teen girl protagonist; she really has been through a lot of difficulties for one so young! The author takes a different approach to this story than is usual in Y.A fiction. She has the characters age all the way to adulthood, and I liked that.
Some Red Flags:
Underage drinking, teens with a distinct lack of parental supervision, and other mature situations; adult guidance might be a good idea with this book.
Some Red Flags:
Underage drinking, teens with a distinct lack of parental supervision, and other mature situations; adult guidance might be a good idea with this book.
July 3, 2017
*** Voluntary Requested a ARC for an honest review ***
This was an awesome book to read.. YA Contemporary Romance and oh so well written..
Loved all the characters, story line and the youngsters dealing with so much heartache, love, life and much more.
May is a enigmatic and great young woman with a talent with great love of art that she inherited from her father, who at that point in the book battles with cancer.. They spend as much time as possible with each other up until her dad decided to take his own life. ( Sad ) ( For anyone that have been through it with someone / or them self knows that cancer is an illness so destructive not just for the cancer patient / survivor but for everyone involved.. No one should go through this.. I feel for May and her mother and my heart broke for them and dealing with the grief of losing a loved one is never easy and May's father was her all..
After her father died May decided to go for a job interview at her best friends Jessie's work, to help her mum having to have extra burdens in paying for studies etc. Here is were she meets Nico and his sister the very Awesome Violet.. and yes the name is great but her appearance even more so, she is obsessed with the color purple. ( My kinda friend *Wink *Wink)... Um mm i'm getting of track now. Lol
May and Nico starts hanging out, studying etc, and you guessed it, they fall in love... They have such a great sweet relationship and believe it or not, not without heartache, loss, anger and rejection.. *Sad face*... This part was very hard to get through.. But will May & Nico get their HEA?
Thank you to Candace for gifting this amazing book, and for a first time writer this book is exceptionally well written, and it kept me glued to the pages, made me smile, cry and even got mad with May, but i can understand what she went through... Must Read Book.. Remember to leave a review, even if it's two sentences....
Happy Reading..
Juls
This was an awesome book to read.. YA Contemporary Romance and oh so well written..
Loved all the characters, story line and the youngsters dealing with so much heartache, love, life and much more.
May is a enigmatic and great young woman with a talent with great love of art that she inherited from her father, who at that point in the book battles with cancer.. They spend as much time as possible with each other up until her dad decided to take his own life. ( Sad ) ( For anyone that have been through it with someone / or them self knows that cancer is an illness so destructive not just for the cancer patient / survivor but for everyone involved.. No one should go through this.. I feel for May and her mother and my heart broke for them and dealing with the grief of losing a loved one is never easy and May's father was her all..
After her father died May decided to go for a job interview at her best friends Jessie's work, to help her mum having to have extra burdens in paying for studies etc. Here is were she meets Nico and his sister the very Awesome Violet.. and yes the name is great but her appearance even more so, she is obsessed with the color purple. ( My kinda friend *Wink *Wink)... Um mm i'm getting of track now. Lol
May and Nico starts hanging out, studying etc, and you guessed it, they fall in love... They have such a great sweet relationship and believe it or not, not without heartache, loss, anger and rejection.. *Sad face*... This part was very hard to get through.. But will May & Nico get their HEA?
Thank you to Candace for gifting this amazing book, and for a first time writer this book is exceptionally well written, and it kept me glued to the pages, made me smile, cry and even got mad with May, but i can understand what she went through... Must Read Book.. Remember to leave a review, even if it's two sentences....
Happy Reading..
Juls
May 13, 2017
A beautifully written story, Hearts Are Like Balloons had me hooked from the start. I couldn't put this book down! It begins with a crushing life altering event with some equally emotional happenings in between (grab the Kleenex!) and finishes off with a sweet reconnection. Fall in love with 'Hearts' and fall in love with Nico and May!
July 31, 2017
I received an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.
5 out of 5 stars.
HEARTS ARE LIKE BALLONS made my blood pumping organ inflate, deflate, shrink, and whatnot. It's a feel the feels kinda novel, and, yeah, I agree with the author, hearts are that crazy. I love that the extremely likable main character, May, goes through life, sorting out obstacles. Unlike other stories, where the MC is all about "Poor me" and "Oh, no," May is a very strong character who fights and prevails life's adversities.
If you love contemporary fiction, HEARTS ARE LIKE BALLONS will make your, er, heart, feel like a gigantic colorful balloon. ;)
5 out of 5 stars.
HEARTS ARE LIKE BALLONS made my blood pumping organ inflate, deflate, shrink, and whatnot. It's a feel the feels kinda novel, and, yeah, I agree with the author, hearts are that crazy. I love that the extremely likable main character, May, goes through life, sorting out obstacles. Unlike other stories, where the MC is all about "Poor me" and "Oh, no," May is a very strong character who fights and prevails life's adversities.
If you love contemporary fiction, HEARTS ARE LIKE BALLONS will make your, er, heart, feel like a gigantic colorful balloon. ;)
September 14, 2017
I really loved this YA contemporary read, mostly because of how true to life it felt. Robinson is able to portray life's lows and highs with such emotion. We are hooked in the beginning by May's strong connection to her father, and that's why we feel her loss so deeply. However, May doesn't give up on life, even though we can all be tempted to do that sometimes. She finds friendship and hope, and often herself, in her new relationships at the bookstore. Her sweet romance with Nico is just the right medicine to help her heal. Unfortunately, May hasn't seen the end of life's heartache, but the real world keeps throwing us into situations to make us feel, think, and grow. And, that's exactly what May manages to do. She becomes an example for all young people not to give up when times are tough. Robinson is able to demonstrate that through spanning several years of May's life. We get to see how far she's come and what she's learned. I recommend this book, but especially for young people so they can know that everyone experiences challenging times. It's what you make of them that counts. So, take this journey with May--laugh, cry, be inspired.
July 3, 2017
Talk about all the feelings. This story is about a girl named May and how she deals with traumatic and joyous events in her young life. I immediately felt like I've known May for years and connected with her. As a lover of all things bookish, I love that a bookstore is where May meets Nico and more importantly (in Violet's opinion) Violet. May discovers that each situation affects everyone differently and that there are several kinds of grief.
Death, sickness, grief, depression, and life in general are tough topics to write about while keeping a light feeling to the overall story, but Candace does an amazing job of taking the reader on a roller coaster ride of emotions. She balances the sad and happy, dark and light extremely well. Her use of balloon metaphors is subtle but poignant. Overall, this book was amazingly well written and needs to be read with some tissues. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
Death, sickness, grief, depression, and life in general are tough topics to write about while keeping a light feeling to the overall story, but Candace does an amazing job of taking the reader on a roller coaster ride of emotions. She balances the sad and happy, dark and light extremely well. Her use of balloon metaphors is subtle but poignant. Overall, this book was amazingly well written and needs to be read with some tissues. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
June 18, 2017
This was a 4.5 out of 5 stars read for me!
Have you ever loved someone so much that their absence leaves a gaping hole in your heart?
Where the tears silently leak from your eyes whether you mean for them to or not?
Where the pain as your heart tears is physical...
And the despair you feel is guttural...
The pain feels like it will never end...
For May, watching her dad slowly succumb to the devastating effects of cancer is almost unbearable. He was always her coach, her mentor, her savior, her friend, and the most important person in her life. To see such a strong and forcible man reduced to a frail and helpless figure desecrates May in ways she never thought possible. To watch him die, unbearable. For her, it was unthinkable for the world to exist without her father in it.
Candace Robinson paints a compelling portrait of what it means to be rescued, both literally and figuratively, by hope, ingenuity, and love in her beautifully written second novel Hearts Are Like Balloons.
I found myself crying, laughing, thinking, and grateful to Robinson for creating such a sublimely crafted tale. This novel spoke to my heart. The loss of my father and all the feelings I have surrounding it seemed to be written on the pages of this delightful contemporary.
May does not always get things right, (but seriously, isn't making mistakes how we learn?) but she hangs in there despite the twisted hand of fate she is dealt.
Robinson has created a treasure that she has graciously shared with the world. Hearts Are Like Balloons will lift spirits and break hearts. I did not want it to end!
Brilliant, clever, riveting - pick your adjective; they all apply. But do pick up Hearts Are Like Balloons. Just be careful when you pick it up because you won't be able to put it down.
I received an ARC from the amazing author, Candace Robinson, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you, Candace, for allowing me to experience May's journey (and thus allowing me to relive and re-feel those powerful emotions with the loss of my dad) in Hearts Are Like Balloons.
You can find my review here: https://oceanviewsandbookreviews.com/...
You can also get this amazing book for $0.99 on Amazon here : https://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Like-Ba...
Have you ever loved someone so much that their absence leaves a gaping hole in your heart?
Where the tears silently leak from your eyes whether you mean for them to or not?
Where the pain as your heart tears is physical...
And the despair you feel is guttural...
The pain feels like it will never end...
For May, watching her dad slowly succumb to the devastating effects of cancer is almost unbearable. He was always her coach, her mentor, her savior, her friend, and the most important person in her life. To see such a strong and forcible man reduced to a frail and helpless figure desecrates May in ways she never thought possible. To watch him die, unbearable. For her, it was unthinkable for the world to exist without her father in it.
Candace Robinson paints a compelling portrait of what it means to be rescued, both literally and figuratively, by hope, ingenuity, and love in her beautifully written second novel Hearts Are Like Balloons.
I found myself crying, laughing, thinking, and grateful to Robinson for creating such a sublimely crafted tale. This novel spoke to my heart. The loss of my father and all the feelings I have surrounding it seemed to be written on the pages of this delightful contemporary.
May does not always get things right, (but seriously, isn't making mistakes how we learn?) but she hangs in there despite the twisted hand of fate she is dealt.
Robinson has created a treasure that she has graciously shared with the world. Hearts Are Like Balloons will lift spirits and break hearts. I did not want it to end!
Brilliant, clever, riveting - pick your adjective; they all apply. But do pick up Hearts Are Like Balloons. Just be careful when you pick it up because you won't be able to put it down.
I received an ARC from the amazing author, Candace Robinson, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you, Candace, for allowing me to experience May's journey (and thus allowing me to relive and re-feel those powerful emotions with the loss of my dad) in Hearts Are Like Balloons.
You can find my review here: https://oceanviewsandbookreviews.com/...
You can also get this amazing book for $0.99 on Amazon here : https://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Like-Ba...
June 23, 2017
(Note: I received a review copy of this book from the author, in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to author. I’m glad I got a chance to read this book.)
That last line of blurb perfectly goes with the story. This book is about May’s feelings, love, relationship, and ups and downs in her life.
Characters– I loved Violet. Now-a-days, I like side characters more than the main characters. Am I only one like that?! It’s not that main characters were unlikable but smartness and easy going nature of Violet just brightened this book more. I was giggling at first description of her in the book. I loved her even more at the scene when May and Nico were at Nico’s place to meet his parents. Both main characters Nico and May were little naive. Few times I felt them too innocent to be considered stupid and sometimes few of the things about them just touched my heart. So, overall I liked them.
What I liked? ‘Hearts Are Like Balloons’ is very sweet and smooth. My love for contemporary romance is increasing these days. They feel so emotional with all sort of feeling and yet relaxing, refreshing, and realistic at the end. And so was this book. My heart inflated and deflated along with story and character. May’s feeling, grief and coming out of the loss was nicely described which was a heart of the book. Her passion for art was touching I loved it how she described it. It was little related to my passion for reading. Mother- daughter relationship was so adorable in this book. I could picture my mother at some points. Graveyard scene in the book was the best, I liked her idea of cleaning and painting the headstone. Clean romance, not too much details, it was cute in fact.
There comes a time in the life when loss leave a hole in the heart and drown you in depression. You need that one person who grab you out of that condition and make your life breathable again. That is what happen to character here and it felt so relatable. I love this book for giving that connection. Yeeyyy! and this time Candace wrote past events in Italics. ❤
End- It was perfect. I felt so younger after reading this book. That I am! I mean back to that feeling of 18 😉 It left a big smile on my face.
This book was fast paced and a real change for me that I required from my usual read- YA, Fantasy-fictions.
You can also read review here
That last line of blurb perfectly goes with the story. This book is about May’s feelings, love, relationship, and ups and downs in her life.
Characters– I loved Violet. Now-a-days, I like side characters more than the main characters. Am I only one like that?! It’s not that main characters were unlikable but smartness and easy going nature of Violet just brightened this book more. I was giggling at first description of her in the book. I loved her even more at the scene when May and Nico were at Nico’s place to meet his parents. Both main characters Nico and May were little naive. Few times I felt them too innocent to be considered stupid and sometimes few of the things about them just touched my heart. So, overall I liked them.
What I liked? ‘Hearts Are Like Balloons’ is very sweet and smooth. My love for contemporary romance is increasing these days. They feel so emotional with all sort of feeling and yet relaxing, refreshing, and realistic at the end. And so was this book. My heart inflated and deflated along with story and character. May’s feeling, grief and coming out of the loss was nicely described which was a heart of the book. Her passion for art was touching I loved it how she described it. It was little related to my passion for reading. Mother- daughter relationship was so adorable in this book. I could picture my mother at some points. Graveyard scene in the book was the best, I liked her idea of cleaning and painting the headstone. Clean romance, not too much details, it was cute in fact.
There comes a time in the life when loss leave a hole in the heart and drown you in depression. You need that one person who grab you out of that condition and make your life breathable again. That is what happen to character here and it felt so relatable. I love this book for giving that connection. Yeeyyy! and this time Candace wrote past events in Italics. ❤
End- It was perfect. I felt so younger after reading this book. That I am! I mean back to that feeling of 18 😉 It left a big smile on my face.
This book was fast paced and a real change for me that I required from my usual read- YA, Fantasy-fictions.
You can also read review here
August 4, 2017
If you're looking for a heartfelt YA story that may have you crying and smiling at the same time, HEARTS ARE LIKE BALLOONS is the read for you. May suffers through tragic loss, but manages to navigate through it all with the help of her mother, her friends, and Nico, her swoon-worthy co-worker at the bookstore. May and Nico deal with issues that teenagers shouldn't have to, and stumble through like you'd expect. There's no perfection in these two--they handled things exactly the way I'd expect real life upper-aged teenagers to--and at times I wanted to yell at them and guide them, as if they were my own children.
HEARTS ARE LIKE BALLOONS is hard to put down. You'll find yourself immersed in May's world, and you'll need to get to the end to find out how she turns out. (I won't tell you what happens!) It's a wonderful read for those who like books that give you all the feels (who doesn't?) and for those who enjoy a story about hope and love.
HEARTS ARE LIKE BALLOONS is hard to put down. You'll find yourself immersed in May's world, and you'll need to get to the end to find out how she turns out. (I won't tell you what happens!) It's a wonderful read for those who like books that give you all the feels (who doesn't?) and for those who enjoy a story about hope and love.
April 20, 2023
Although it's been a couple of weeks since I read this book, I haven't been able to shake it. Hearts are Like Balloons is the kind of book that, after you read it, it stays with you. It gets under your skin and doesn't let you go. I say this in a good way. In the way where you want to pick the book back up and read it all over again. It follows you around, bringing up scenes in your head and you find yourself feeling emotions all over again. A couple weeks out and this is still happening to me. I was deeply affected by the beginning when May lost her father. I felt as though I was going through it with her, along side of her. I felt the same as things in her life shifted, when she met Violet and Niko. Candace Robinson knows how to write characters in such a way that they really come to life off the pages. I am a very character driven reader, so this is very important to me for me to really enjoy a book.
Speaking of the characters, May was a very strong young girl who experienced a lot at a young age. I liked May a lot. I liked her wit, her strength, her passion and she really had a wonderful heart. Niko...sweet Niko...the perfect boyfriend for May. There really isn't anything negative I could say about Niko...he's just about perfect. Just about. Jessie, May's best friend. The bestest of best friends. Jessie was great. Violet, Niko's purple loving sister. Violet is a bit of a crazy artist, but also a good sister and a good friend to May. Jana, May's mother. May and her mom have been through a lot, but remained close through it all. Jana was a really good mom.
I loved this book!! This book touches the heart. It will make you cry, laugh, smile, cry again, laugh some more....you get the picture. ALL THE FEELS!!!! This deserves more than 5 stars for me and one I won't soon forget!!
Speaking of the characters, May was a very strong young girl who experienced a lot at a young age. I liked May a lot. I liked her wit, her strength, her passion and she really had a wonderful heart. Niko...sweet Niko...the perfect boyfriend for May. There really isn't anything negative I could say about Niko...he's just about perfect. Just about. Jessie, May's best friend. The bestest of best friends. Jessie was great. Violet, Niko's purple loving sister. Violet is a bit of a crazy artist, but also a good sister and a good friend to May. Jana, May's mother. May and her mom have been through a lot, but remained close through it all. Jana was a really good mom.
I loved this book!! This book touches the heart. It will make you cry, laugh, smile, cry again, laugh some more....you get the picture. ALL THE FEELS!!!! This deserves more than 5 stars for me and one I won't soon forget!!
March 27, 2022
Now that was a story! Right from the beginning you are sucked into the life of May and are not able to stop until you finish the last page! I finished the whole book in a day, I just had to keep going to know what happened next.
This was such a sweet story with such loveable characters. There wasn't a single one that I didn't like and I have to say that I think that is a first for me. May was such a sweet girl doing all she can to not let life get her down. Violet and her personality is just as vibrant as her purple hair. Jessie is a total sweetheart and the best friend anyone could ever wish for. And Nico...swoon! How can you not love him. Guys should read this book to see how they should be! Nico was in the easiest words to say, perfection.
While this book was full of sweet romances and lots of smiling moments, it also had just as many times of heart ache and pain. The author does a perfect balance to make you turning each page until the very end. Someone who knows the pain of losing those you love so suddenly was really able to relate but even someone who hasnt will still be able to understand the experience written in the pages and still have the desire to keep going.
The messages in this story are wonderful. The biggest one I took with me was never give up. No matter what happens in life, there is always a way. Don't be afraid to get help either.
I think anyone out there should get a copy of this book. Young, old, male, female, doesn't matter. The message is so spectacular that everyone needs to read it and take it with you through the rest of your life.
This was such a sweet story with such loveable characters. There wasn't a single one that I didn't like and I have to say that I think that is a first for me. May was such a sweet girl doing all she can to not let life get her down. Violet and her personality is just as vibrant as her purple hair. Jessie is a total sweetheart and the best friend anyone could ever wish for. And Nico...swoon! How can you not love him. Guys should read this book to see how they should be! Nico was in the easiest words to say, perfection.
While this book was full of sweet romances and lots of smiling moments, it also had just as many times of heart ache and pain. The author does a perfect balance to make you turning each page until the very end. Someone who knows the pain of losing those you love so suddenly was really able to relate but even someone who hasnt will still be able to understand the experience written in the pages and still have the desire to keep going.
The messages in this story are wonderful. The biggest one I took with me was never give up. No matter what happens in life, there is always a way. Don't be afraid to get help either.
I think anyone out there should get a copy of this book. Young, old, male, female, doesn't matter. The message is so spectacular that everyone needs to read it and take it with you through the rest of your life.
September 7, 2017
This book made me cry, laugh and have happy feelings throughout. Candace really touched on some hard topics but it was written so beautifully that you were able to have all the different thoughts and feelings that made you fall in love with the characters.
The book starts with a sad and heart wrenching moment between May the main character and her family. It literally brought tears to my eyes. You see how May grows throughout the book and you can't help but feel for her and all the tragedy she has gone through.
In comes Nico and you cheer that finally May is going to be happy but alas, it's not meant to be and she goes through even more heartbreak.
They are brought back together through chance and I can honestly say I was cheering for them all the way through the book.
Love the style of writing by Candace and would highly recommend this book!
The book starts with a sad and heart wrenching moment between May the main character and her family. It literally brought tears to my eyes. You see how May grows throughout the book and you can't help but feel for her and all the tragedy she has gone through.
In comes Nico and you cheer that finally May is going to be happy but alas, it's not meant to be and she goes through even more heartbreak.
They are brought back together through chance and I can honestly say I was cheering for them all the way through the book.
Love the style of writing by Candace and would highly recommend this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2017
A slice of life contemporary isn't something I'd normally grab, but this one deals with the everyday deep tragedies our society doesn't even seem to talk about. And it's all told from a young person's perspective, so it captures that moment we all remember when we realized death and life don't always make any sense and we have to become resilient to weather our journey. This is an important story about grief and life after.
I'd definitely recommend this to any contemporary and romances fans: it's a nice, quick read and packed with a lot of emotion.
I'd definitely recommend this to any contemporary and romances fans: it's a nice, quick read and packed with a lot of emotion.
Read
September 6, 2017DNF
Mini review:
I heard about this book through GR. I was so excited it sounded cute and sad. And obviously had a large focus on family. Unfortunately it wasn't for me.
My only problem with it was the writing style. It was dramatic and almost bratty (whenever the main character spoke or her thoughts). I couldn't bring myself to finish it.
Still recommend.
Mini review:
I heard about this book through GR. I was so excited it sounded cute and sad. And obviously had a large focus on family. Unfortunately it wasn't for me.
My only problem with it was the writing style. It was dramatic and almost bratty (whenever the main character spoke or her thoughts). I couldn't bring myself to finish it.
Still recommend.
September 10, 2017
A powerful and moving story of love and death. May Falkner is a young teenager who is hit with a devastating blow. As she pulls herself together she encounters more adversity along with lots of love in her life. Candace Robinson spins her story in superb detail.
July 10, 2017
I voluntarily read this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Mays' dad is sick. We learn quickly that its been going on for 2 years now. Even though he is sick, he unexpectedly passes away leaving a large hole in the lives of May and her mom. Mays mom goes back to work as an accountant, while May decides she wants to help out too and gets a job at a used bookstore along side her friend Jessie. This is where to story gets good! We meet Violet and Nico, The brother sister duo, who you can't help but absolutely love! May and Nico start off as friends. I loved how easy their relationship was from the very beginning. May has quite the sense of humor. Together their feelings evolve into something greater. One of my favorite things about reading a love story is the beginning of the relationship. I love the dialogue when they are getting to know each over and Candace did a great job with making me love these characters. I love Nicos devotion to May. He truly wanted to stand by her no matter what.
But.... then the book took an unexpected turn that I'm not sure I was prepared for. Without giving away any spoilers it was raw, emotional, and relatable for me having gone through a similar experience. At first I didn't like where it was going. After finishing it, I see now why it was needed. May was a young girl who didn't quite know who she was, and was dealing with how to handle her dad's death and the way that he died. what started out as a light hearted young first love soon developed into something so much greater. These kids go through some hard things! And yet they emerged, not unscathed, but grown up and with much more depth that you can't help but feel these trials were made for them to become who they needed to become. I loved this book. It had it all, life, death, love, loss and second chances. Thanks May and Nico (and Candace) for letting me come along for the ride.
Mays' dad is sick. We learn quickly that its been going on for 2 years now. Even though he is sick, he unexpectedly passes away leaving a large hole in the lives of May and her mom. Mays mom goes back to work as an accountant, while May decides she wants to help out too and gets a job at a used bookstore along side her friend Jessie. This is where to story gets good! We meet Violet and Nico, The brother sister duo, who you can't help but absolutely love! May and Nico start off as friends. I loved how easy their relationship was from the very beginning. May has quite the sense of humor. Together their feelings evolve into something greater. One of my favorite things about reading a love story is the beginning of the relationship. I love the dialogue when they are getting to know each over and Candace did a great job with making me love these characters. I love Nicos devotion to May. He truly wanted to stand by her no matter what.
But.... then the book took an unexpected turn that I'm not sure I was prepared for. Without giving away any spoilers it was raw, emotional, and relatable for me having gone through a similar experience. At first I didn't like where it was going. After finishing it, I see now why it was needed. May was a young girl who didn't quite know who she was, and was dealing with how to handle her dad's death and the way that he died. what started out as a light hearted young first love soon developed into something so much greater. These kids go through some hard things! And yet they emerged, not unscathed, but grown up and with much more depth that you can't help but feel these trials were made for them to become who they needed to become. I loved this book. It had it all, life, death, love, loss and second chances. Thanks May and Nico (and Candace) for letting me come along for the ride.
June 5, 2017
Thank you Candace for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review! Hearts are like Balloons truly captures the beauty and heartache in life, and as the reader you are right there with May from page one. How can I express how I feel right now!? This novel is beautifully written and will have you crying, laughing, aching with nostalgia and rooting on the sidelines! Do yourself a favour and read this book, May's story is one that won't fade from my memory anytime soon, and Candace does a seamless job portraying every moment of this book!
September 10, 2017
You know how sometimes you just want to curl up with a book that will leave you feeling like life doesn’t suck as much as you feel like it does? Maybe your stress live is just a tad on the high side and you find yourself filling your wine glass so often it hasn’t had a chance to make it into the dishwasher in a few days for a break. Or maybe you are just looking for a book to help pass a quiet afternoon, take on vacation or get your through a breakup.
Well dear reader let me introduce you to Candace Robinson who is about to become your new best friend with her assortment of novels that can ease anything and everything in your life
“Hearts are like balloons. Sometimes they inflate… Sometimes they deflate…”
Talk about a truth bomb right from the start. We’ve all been there feeling like our hearts are so full they could burst from our chests then something happens and now all that room we made for it has become this gaping hole. Robinson takes that concept and turns the heartache into a chance to learn and heal but without the predictable tropes that would have you throwing this against the wall.
May, the main character, and her mom are trying to heal and go through the stages of grief as best as they can. Robinson allows them to do this in a realistic fashion so that is so warming at times I found myself crying then laughing and finally just being grateful to have experienced their journey with them. There is just enough humor to take the edge off when you feel like maybe it’s getting too much and you need to pull back but don’t.
This book hits so many SAD, GUT WRENCHING moments you would think this is not the type of book you’d want to pass a beautiful, sunny afternoon but you’d be wrong. By the time I was finished I felt like I had experienced this cathartic moment that got rid of the bad stuff and left me looking at the world differently.
I remember this episode from a television show called Everybody Loves Raymond where the main character Ray discovers his wife Debra crying one day. Like a man, he predictably freaks out and she has to explain to him that sometimes she just needs a good cry, not about anything specific just to rid herself of pent up emotions. This book is that good cry.
Well dear reader let me introduce you to Candace Robinson who is about to become your new best friend with her assortment of novels that can ease anything and everything in your life
“Hearts are like balloons. Sometimes they inflate… Sometimes they deflate…”
Talk about a truth bomb right from the start. We’ve all been there feeling like our hearts are so full they could burst from our chests then something happens and now all that room we made for it has become this gaping hole. Robinson takes that concept and turns the heartache into a chance to learn and heal but without the predictable tropes that would have you throwing this against the wall.
May, the main character, and her mom are trying to heal and go through the stages of grief as best as they can. Robinson allows them to do this in a realistic fashion so that is so warming at times I found myself crying then laughing and finally just being grateful to have experienced their journey with them. There is just enough humor to take the edge off when you feel like maybe it’s getting too much and you need to pull back but don’t.
This book hits so many SAD, GUT WRENCHING moments you would think this is not the type of book you’d want to pass a beautiful, sunny afternoon but you’d be wrong. By the time I was finished I felt like I had experienced this cathartic moment that got rid of the bad stuff and left me looking at the world differently.
I remember this episode from a television show called Everybody Loves Raymond where the main character Ray discovers his wife Debra crying one day. Like a man, he predictably freaks out and she has to explain to him that sometimes she just needs a good cry, not about anything specific just to rid herself of pent up emotions. This book is that good cry.
July 19, 2017
Life comes at May and her family full force when she learns her dad has cancer...death comes even faster when her father can't stand the thought of wasting away from his terminal Illness, choosing to end his own life instead. This book is about May dealing with the death of her father and healing along with her mother and her life after. She applies for a job at a bookstore to help take the burden of paying for college off of her now widowed mother. Here she meets Nico, the cute boy who also works at the bookstore. As her heart heals from the death of her father it makes room for something to blossom between May and Nico and just as she is starting to think everything is great again life knocks May right back down again to deal with tragedy once again...
At times I found it very difficult to read this book, don't get me wrong this book is very good and well written and the characters are likable, it is just a very sad book. I cried or got misty eyed often throughout it. Which in my opinion means the writing was great and moving enough and real enough to produce strong emotions. It was a book about the tragedies and joys of life, love and loss, the ups and downs and how no one knows which will come when just that they will come and you will keep living your life whatever may come. I rarely like books of this type but I really enjoyed this one.
At times I found it very difficult to read this book, don't get me wrong this book is very good and well written and the characters are likable, it is just a very sad book. I cried or got misty eyed often throughout it. Which in my opinion means the writing was great and moving enough and real enough to produce strong emotions. It was a book about the tragedies and joys of life, love and loss, the ups and downs and how no one knows which will come when just that they will come and you will keep living your life whatever may come. I rarely like books of this type but I really enjoyed this one.
April 20, 2023
Hearts are like balloons! “You can blow into a balloon and watch it inflate, and then release it and see it deflate. You can take that same balloon and blow into it again, and observe it inflating.”
I loved this book so much! It touched my heart deeply and I was so affected by the beginning of the book when May lost her father. It makes me cry thinking of my dad who passed away early this year. Beside some heartbreaking moments, the story is also filled with sweet, funny cute moments and I love all the characters in the story especially May and Nico.
I loved this book so much! It touched my heart deeply and I was so affected by the beginning of the book when May lost her father. It makes me cry thinking of my dad who passed away early this year. Beside some heartbreaking moments, the story is also filled with sweet, funny cute moments and I love all the characters in the story especially May and Nico.
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