Isa & the Mystery

The Sunnyvale Mysteries #2

by Jessica Sorensen

My name is Isabella Anders, and my life is complicated. I just found out Lynn might not be my real mother, but no one will tell me who she is. That’s okay, though. I’m going to solve the mystery myself. Well, and with the help of Kai, my ex-enemy turned friend.

I’m not sure why he wants to help me, but I guess there’s no harm in letting him.

But what we end up discovering is worse than I ever could’ve imagined.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, New Adult, High School, Abuse, Fiction

111 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 6, 2016

About the author

Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.


http://www.jessicasorensen.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica...

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 #TeamKai stars!



The Year of Falling in Love is the second book of Isabella Anders. I read the first book a few weeks ago, and I was so excited to dig into this one. Honestly, I don’t know how I’m going to wait for book 3! I am so curious to what is going to happen with Isa’s situation.

There is a lot going on in Isabella Anders life. After her Dad and Lynn threaten to send her to a reform school, she is able to move in with her Grandma Stephy and cousin Indigo. She’s still trying to find out about her past, her life, and most importantly, her mother. She’s got her long time crush Kyler in the picture, and her best friend (who she’s also got some feelings for), Kyler’s brother, Kai. Oh yes. I love it. Kai is trying to help Isa the best he can. They may be ‘just friends’ but Kai is the guy she feels safe with, the one she feels butterflies with.



Did I mention that Kai is my favorite? I adore him! Jessica Sorensen writes some of my favorite YA/NA’s. I love that she mixes romance, a tad bit of mystery, some self discovery and also a bit of the feels in this series. I enjoyed it lots, and I really hope the next installment comes out soon! I need to know who is up to what Hannah? Lynn? Dare I say Kyler?, who’s in that blue car etc.

[✦❋Arianna✦❋ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars!!

[Janina · Rating 3 out of 5]

UPDATE AFTER I READ THE YEAR OF FALLING IN LOVE #TeamKaiEVENMORENOW

#TeamKai

[Kayla (kaylareads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to a big old cliffhanger I had to read book two. Not that book one was bad, I was just geared up to read something new.
One page in and I’m thinking, oh god this is becoming ridiculously far fetched. Her real mother is In jail for murdering her stepmothers son? Really? It makes it easier to see why the family dynamics are so tense and over the top agressive though.
Then we still have the mystery of the unknown caller keeping things chugging along nicely. And of course her feelings for Kai, I loved seeing the development with that though.
I think I liked this one more than the first book, there was a lot more intrigue and even some edge of your seat moments. Finally it’s revealed who is behind everything, whilst it’s not a shocker it’s still a bit of a thrill ride until the end.
One little thing though.If I have to hear isa go on about unicorns and rainbows any longer though, I’m binning my entire kindle. Enough. Stop it.

4 stars 🌟 it’s nowhere near the best series I’ve read but for some reason I can’t get enough of it. There’s a few parts that make me inwardly cringe but other than that, the drama, relationship developments and little bit of mystery really carry the book. I’ve already got the next instalment downloaded.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been a hot minute since I read a Jessica Sorensen novel but she has always been my favorite when it comes to the New Adult genre, so I really didn’t mind returning to this world.

Isabella Anders and Kyler follow the same mold of Sorensen’s other characters. They’re a sweet couple, but they do have their slew of personal, and in this case, family trouble. They happen to seek solace in one another and it’s really an inspiring story to read. I loved how simple the writing is. It makes the more difficult scenes easier to write because the emotions feel that more raw and potent.

While this series isn’t my favorite of Sorensen’s, I do think her writing is worth checking out, especially if you like to see how trouble family dynamics. She always comes up with complex and inventive conflicts so there’s really something for everyone to enjoy in this series.

[♥ Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

WHY IS SORENSEN DRAGGING THIS OUT?!

This book was FREE via my KINDLE UNLIMITED, so, despite the mediocre experience I had reading the first book, I gave this one a shot. After all, I did wanna read more about Kai.

Unfortunately, although I did get a LOT more of Kai in this book, Isa drove me nuts. She was very wishy-washy, and that insecure girl she once was continued to resurface throughout this book. Also, her family issues suddenly got really extreme - moreso than I expected. There was a sudden jump from the first book to this, and it just felt off to me. I can't say I appreciated it.

Kyler makes more of an appearance in this book too, and I didn't really like that... It just started feeling like a tug of war b/w the two brothers, and just this whole long, drawn out process of Isa ping ponging back and forth. Waste of time. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the occasional love triangle, but like I've always emphasized... it's gotta be worth it. I hate it when authors create love triangles just for the sake of doing it, or drawing out the inevitable. There's NO question that Kyler's not the one for Isa.... it's just a matter of her SEEING what's right in front of her. SIGH.

Overall, the plot was more dry than the first book. I thought the whole story could've been wrapped up in this book, but Sorensen's dragging this out for another. I do like Kai still, but not sure if I'll be interested in picking up the third book by the time it's released. Again, Kai and Isa's interactions were noteworthy, but nothing else really stood out.

If you really liked the first book, then MAYBE give this a try, but otherwise -- NO. Skip it & move on! There are books with actual plots and with no cliffhingers that you can read instead.

[Amy English · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I was very excited to get the second book in this series. The first one ended at such a pinnacle point in the story I was desperate to get more. I had so many questions that I needed answers to.

Book two picked up right were book one left off and was written well, with highs and lows in all the right places. However in the grand scheme of things it fell flat for me. None of the big issues got resolved and Isa was really wishy-washy about everything.

We get to know Kai a little better with this book being duel perspectives. But most of what we learn is in regards to his feelings for Isa. I felt like he needed more depth to his story.

Isa is seventeen in the book and it shows. She is just a jumble of nerves, fears, and indecision. While this holds true for most teen girls by the end of the book I found myself liking her less and less.

I do love the love, support, and kick in the butt that Isa's Grandma and cousin give. They truly care about her and can get vicious when fighting to protect her.

Overall a good story but, I wish I could have gotten more out of it.

Reviewed for FMR Book Grind

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

As soon as I finished Book #1, I just had to continue with Book #2 The Year of Falling in Love as the series was getting good with its twists and turns. I have to admit that I didn't enjoy this book as much as Book #1 though as I hate when the characters play with feelings and games as Isabella is getting more confident and is almost dating both brothers Kai and Kyler. Though I think she should end up with Kai as Kyler is your usual jock playboy and only likes her now that she is at pretty status whereas Kai has always been in the background and been her friend. At the end of Book #1, it's we learned Isabella's name and in Book #2 Kai's friend Big Doug does some research and learns that her mother has been in prison for murder and that murder is connected to Lynn - the woman who raised her. In Book #2 Isabella is still receiving threatening messages and has been banned seeing her grandmother which of course isn't going to stop her as she feels like she can't turn to anyone else but her grandmother Stephy. Also, mother's there is someone following Isabella in a blue car? Who is the mysterious person and why don't they want Isabella to find out about her mother? We didn't find out the identity of the person in Book #2 so hoping when I move onto Book #3 more answers will be revealed as this series is getting good and I have my fingers crossed that hopefully Isabella will be reunited with her mother eventually and the real truth revealed

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this free on Goodreads, and it was worth every penny. Apparently it's the second book in a series of three, so no worries about spoilers because it doesn't even HAVE an ending in this volume. It starts out with a girl named Isabel who is living with a father and stepmother that she evidently hates, and the feeling is reciprocal. Isa (as she's known) is pushing 18 with a ton of worries and being continually stressed out. She likes her next-door neighbor Kai, but has had a crush on his older brother, Notkai, or something similar to Kai, for years. Isa was taunted and laughed at all through school until she went to Europe and got a complete makeover, which evidently included a facelift or a new face and a personality transplant. Now she's a hot babe. Notkai is already in college at UW (Washington? Wisconsin? West Virginia? Wyoming?), but she and Kai have been friends since childhood. She's never been kissed, but when Kai licks her neck, and she licks his back, she can at least say she's been licked.

Isa doesn't know who or where her biological mother is, or evidently how long she's been in this hateful family that includes her half-sister Hannah, a raucous, nasty person who calls her Isasmell. As the book begins, she had pushed her wicked stepmother and she and her husband decide to send Isa off to a mean school in Montana (U-M?). Instead, she runs away to her cool, hipster grandma Stephy (although she's referred to once as Grandpa Stephy, so she might be gender-questioning).

During the course of the book, she meets characters like Big Doug, whose last name she never knows and who is "sketchy" because he lives in a poolhouse surrounded by computers and might be a hacker, because he has many sketchy friends and does secret missions. A guy named T (no first name or last name) smashed Kai's ribs once after Kai, in his ingenuous trustingness, guarantees a five grand loan to a known junky friend, and T is after the money. Five grand! What was he thinking? Of course, the loan to his friend, which was supposed to keep his family from debtor's prison, instead goes up the friend's nose or into his veins, and Kai is stuck with the debt.

Isa can't decide whether she likes Kai or Notkai, because the latter kisses her on the corner of her mouth, whereas Kai has only licked her neck. The two brothers are jealous of each other, because Notkai is a player who wants to claim Isa as his next conquest, whereas Kai wants to be her "friend" (wink wink, tingle tingle).

A person named Indigo, who, we find out 40 percent of the way through the book, is her cousin. She lives with Grandma or Grandpa Stephy and smokes cigarettes all the damned time. Evidently, relations between Indigo and her own parents are also less than ideal because her father keeps going on trips with his secretary, to whom he is not married, while his wife impotently fumes along.

Kai tries to pay his debt back by working for Big Doug, delivering a mystery envelope to an even sketchier figure in an entirely sketchy town, but he stops for five seconds at a gas station, and another guy who is built like a sumo wrestler breaks Kai's car window and grabs the secret envelope. Kai tries to get feisty with him, because what the heck, the guy's only wearing a ski mask and carrying a crowbar and is sumo-built. But naïve Kai rushes to fight him and is hit a few times with the crowbar until he has a concussion and is out cold. Also, the guy wrecks Kai's car even more and tells him Big Doug is going down.

Meanwhile, Isa, who gets tingly and like melted chocolate (or once like melted caramel) (which might explain why guys like to lick her neck) whenever Kai stands two inches from her, is in a continuous dither because she has a ton of problems and hasn't grown the "lady balls" to solve them. She is, like, stressed to the max because of her mean father and stepmother, but she's also, like, having her heart pound in her chest whenever Kai comes close to her. She eats ice cream with cotton candy and chocolate, and worries about a blue car that follows her and once takes her picture while she's playing HORSE with NotKai. Notkai thought they were playing PONY, because he wants to quit early. He takes her to a pickup football game, although Isa HATES football, but amazingly scores the winning touchdown in front of all the mean girls wearing high heels (to a football game?)

Then Isa finds out that her biological mother, whose name she doesn't know, is in prison for murder. What's going to happen? We don't know; we apparently have to pay full price for book three. Although book two made my heart beat like a cracked hummingbird, I was, like totally bummed, TOTALLY, because we didn't find out what happened. Times that by ten and that's how totally bummed I was. "It got super complicated to breathe...and I ended up with my jaw hanging open like an idiotic."

By the time this frantic book comes to a close, I felt like an idiotic myself. I've never heard the terms "tons of" and "super" used so much. It was, like, super, super frustrating. When Kai bit Isa's earlobe, I could tell heavy panting was about to erupt, and perhaps he would be more than a friend. There.Are.A.Lot.of.Sentences.Like.This. These apparently help out slow readers who are just learning the value of periods.

[Lustful Literature · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debbie's Review

4 Mind Boggling Stars!!!!


After the way the first book in this series left off I could not wait to get my hands on this book and see what was going to happen. Just like the last book when I got to the end Author Jessica Sorensen left me with so many questions unanswered yet again.


The story flowed really well and I could not help but fall head over heels for Kai. He is just so sweet and really cares for Isa. Isa just like the last book is a strong main character that has been hurt so many times but just will not let that stop her from living. All the characters in this book kept the story interesting and had me second-guessing some of their motives. You could really feel the chemistry between Kia and Isa. I kept waiting for them to act of their feelings and admit they wanted to be more than just friends.


This book sort of has a love triangle and I am a huge fan of that. There is just something about Kyler that has me questioning his real motives. He is Kia’s older brother and both of them have feelings for Isa. I don’t really trust Kyler though and the way the book ended I might be on to something.


I absolutely loved Grandma Stephy in this book. I love how nothing gets by her and she is very blunt and direct with what is on her mind. This book has so many twists and turns and left me needing to know what the hell is going on. My only issue is that a few parts felt a little dragged out and I was hoping to get some answers. I know that the author loves to keep you hanging so I am looking forward to the next book and hopefully will get my answers.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gah....this is killing me. More and more secrets and twists!

Review:

This series is torturing me and it’s only book 2!!!!! I love it yet it’s driving me nuts. LOL

Once again, I finished this book in less than a day. Jessica just sucks me right in and makes me forget about everything else going on around me. I love that I can’ stop thinking about what is going, what could possibly happen and then freaking out all over again. LOL It’s a dirty cycle and I love it!!

Just when I think we are going to get answers, which we do, we have even more questions!! It’s not just the drama with Isa and her damn “family” but it’s the twist and turns surrounding her. The craziness of all the outside nuisances adding more and more tension. And the shit going on between T and Kai. I NEED MORE!!!

Jessica does a fabulous job weaving a dramatic and very interwoven story. We are given some more interesting facts and that just adds more to the already intense plot. And Isa is just trying to wrap her brain around everything while trying to finish high school. This girl has some pretty damn strong shoulders and a very level head – cause as an adult, I would be freaking out if I was her.

If you have not started this series yet, YOU MUST START NOW!! Yes, it’s YA but it’s so damn good. Don’t let the genre fool you. Jessica writes damn good stories and this one is phenomenal and she’s just getting started!!!

I need the next book, like yesterday! Fantastic job Jessica!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

En este libro, Isa y Kai se centran en conseguir respuestas a todas las preguntas que hay, ¿por qué la mamá de Isa está en la cárcel realmente? ¿Quién es el verdadero culpable? y una muy importante ¿A quién le pertenece el corazón de Isa, a Kyler o a Kai?

Reseña completa en http://the-old-bookstore.blogspot.com...

[✨ bloop ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

**an ARC was provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased review**

The Year of Falling in Love was the second book in the Isabella Anders series. While it didn't quite live up to its predecessor, it held its own ground. Picking up where The Year I Became Isabella Anders left off, this book wastes no time to go into further exploration of Kai (and his secrets) along with the budding romance between Isabella and Kai.

This book introduced a couple of new characters (who might or might not play an important role in later books to come), and I'm fascinated to see how these characters will impact the storyline.

I'm hoping that Isabella's grandma Stephy and her cousin Indigo will have more scenes in the later books, as they were two of the supporting characters that I actually adored. I'm also hoping that Kai will have more scenes as well (especially from his perspective), because his PoV scenes shed light on some scenarios of his home life.

I'm excited for the third book. The ending of this book (and all of the reveals) did not disappoint at all. I didn't expect half of the things that were revealed as the novel progressed, and was very surprised (yet pleased) at how suspenseful this book ended up becoming.

4.25 / 5 stars

[herdys · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series, like many others, should've been two books instead of three. I like the short format, but this one felt so short and instead of giving us answers it, it just gaves us even MORE questions. At least Isa is starting to see who cares about her (OH KAI!) and wants her to be happy. Especially now that the shit has hit the fan, big time. I do like the mystery aspect, which is something that the other Sorensen's series I read didn't. Plus though we have a sweet romance, Isa's journey of selfdiscovery is the important part. Really appreciate that! ^^

Now if only we had a release date for book 3 :((

[Nancy The book junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming soon!

[Nancy The book junkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Siobhan Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kai is awesome, and Kyler is a twat. Still waiting for Isa to wake up to that truth. Really enjoying this series.

[diana marcela Ballestas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Podría decir que no me gustan las trilogías, o los libros que al final te dejan en un jodido suspenso, pero la verdad es que suelo leer todo lo que cae en mis manos. Esta saga es así, son tres libros y cada que termino uno, termino en un estado de ansiedad y comiéndome las uñas en espera de poner mis manos en el siguiente, jajajajajaja.

Comencemos por un pequeño resumen introductorio, Isabella Anders descubrió recientemente que su 'madre' no es realmente su madre sino su madrastra, lo cual no es del todo malo, ya que la mujer es una completa perra que se ha dedicado a arruinar su vida y su autoestima. Ademas en un viaje de autoconocimiento y gracias a su prima y su abuela descubre que puede ser una chica hermosa.

Este libro comienza al final de este viaje, es bueno tambien aclarar que Isa vive justo al lado de 2 chicos calientes, Kyler y Kai, ella ha tenido un enamoramiento platonico por Kyler desde que tiene uso de memoria, y tuvo una especie de amistad con Kai que se rompió durante algún tiempo y retomó recientemente.

Ahora bien, Lynn, la madrastra de Isa domina a su padre como a un cachorro, y no se mueve una hoja si ella no lo determina así, y decidió decirle a Isa que su madre esta muerta, lo cual ocasiona una reacción devastadora en ella, y además decide enviarla a un internado en otro estado.

Isa siente que el piso bajo sus pies desaparece, y en medio de este caos es Kai quien le tiende una soga y la mantiene atada a la cordura, Kai ha estado secretamente enamorado de Isa y hará todo cuanto esté a su alcance para darle paz mental y fortalecer su espíritu, él descubre que su madre no solo esta viva, sino que está acusada de asesinato, aunque se deja entrever que al parecer fue inculpada.

Esta historia gira en torno a los ires y venires de una chica a la que su mundo se le ha puesto de cabeza, la madre que no es su madre, la búsqueda de la verdad sobre su verdadera madre, su enamoramiento de toda la vida por un tipo que no le daba ni la hora y de repente se interesa en ella y los sentimientos encontrados por el que siempre considero su amigo pero se está convirtiendo rápidamente en algo más, sentimientos que la sobrepasan por completo. Adicionalmente si a todo este enredo le sumamos los problemas que Kai enfrenta y de los que Isa apenas conoce tangencialmente pero que en cierta manera la afectan hacen de esta historia una lectura rica en matices y hacen que consumas cada página con avidez, siempre a la espera de lo que vendrá, el final como era de esperarse deja la puerta abierta al tercer y último libro, en el que esperó ansiosamente resolver los misterios que aun se me ocultan y apenas he logrado vislumbrar.

[Lorie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay read..cliffhanger..a filler book for sure.

Nothing really happened on this book except she found out her mom was alive and in jail. Just boring storyline. No resolution. Just when it got some sort of answer as who done it, the book ended. I hate reading a storyline where the main characters just kept getting bad things hap p to them. Both Isa and Ma I got kicked out of their homes. Kai gets bitten up. An unknown car follows Isa around like at 60% of the book. Kyler only showed up maybe at 4 pages of the book. This book was too many angst against the main characters where it becomes tiring. I ended up flipping the pages. Wasted money and reading time. I won't be following this series. Book one was better. Don't waste your time on this on.

[Tangerine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

Loved it! I adore this series. I, absolutely, love Isa and Kai. And where can I find myself a Grandma Stephy?!?! She's the best! I thought this one was better than the first. I guess because it didn't have all of the characters that I hated in the first in this one much. Questions were answered and more questions were asked. It ends in typical Jessica Sorensen fashion and I can't wait for the next book! I don't think there's long to wait, I need answers!

This is a Young Adult series so if you like YA, have a young adult, or know one then this series is perfect.


ARC given in exchange for an HONEST review

[Ciana · Rating 3 out of 5]

well written and enjoyable but nothing useful really happened. we didnt make much progress from the last book and now we have to wait again to see what happens. feeling a bit disappointed by that.

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating - 3.5

[Dove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading a lot of different genres of books lately but I'm so glad this was the first book to bring me back to my contemporary obsession! SO MANY SECRETS, SO MANY OSCAR-WORTHY LOVE QUOTES, SUCH CUTE SCENES. GAHHH. i just can't even. It filled my heart, and it made me just love the book. I'm hands down #TeamKai. Like there's no doubt. The fact that she's so much more open with Kai shows that she trusts him more. And trust is the foundation to any good relationship. Plus they are both so crazy protective and jealous of each other, it's clear that they are madly in love. I just wish they would date already. Plus, i think Kai deserves it. He's done so much for Isa and he's always there for her, and his life has been hard enough. Whereas Kyler just wants Isa because he wants to prove to his brother that he's better. He's just a player. IDK. But definitely Team KAi. I'm hoping they will start dating in the next book. I didn't even know this was part of a series I kind of wish they just wrapped it up in one book because I always forget to read the next book and by the time I do, I already forgot most of it. Now, looking at the actual plot. It was intense. Twisted families, dark secrets, and lots of plot twists. It was like the typical mean step mom but then you realize that there's reasons for her to be mean and then you wonder why she accepted Isa in the first place and the dad is so confusing Like he kinda loves Isa but he's also snake IDK. Everyone needs a Grandma Stephy though. She's so cute, just plain adorable. She goes beyond what is expected and I just love her. She's hilarious. I also wonder what happened to Indigo. The fact that she didn't reply to the message is kind of sketchy. So many secrets yet to unfold!!! The plot is a good balance of intense but also sooo cute! I definitely enjoyed this book and there's many aspects to it../ Love, mystery, action. The lines were super cheesy though, which made me love it more!

[Under the Covers Book Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been a hot minute since I read a Jessica Sorensen novel but she has always been my favorite when it comes to the New Adult genre, so I really didn’t mind returning to this world.

Isabella Anders and Kyler follow the same mold of Sorensen’s other characters. They’re a sweet couple, but they do have their slew of personal, and in this case, family trouble. They happen to seek solace in one another and it’s really an inspiring story to read. I loved how simple the writing is. It makes the more difficult scenes easier to write because the emotions feel that more raw and potent.

While this series isn’t my favorite of Sorensen’s, I do think her writing is worth checking out, especially if you like to see how trouble family dynamics. She always comes up with complex and inventive conflicts so there’s really something for everyone to enjoy in this series.

*Reviewed by Annie❤ ♡ Don't want to miss any of our posts? Subscribe to our blog by email! ♡ ❤

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tenía entendido que eran tres libros, hasta ciertas series que he leído prefiero que esten publicados todos los libros. Hasta ahora tengo series asi 4 ya con esta serían 5 incompletas y que estoy leyendo. Pero luego empiezan como otras autoras a hacer libros donde ya abarcan hasta 15 a 20 libros donde ya no sabe uno donde empezó y donde terminó... y de pasada se olvida uno de los principales personajes ejemplo es de la Familia Ferro, ya no supe ni como ni cuando ni donde y mejor los dejé de leer. Espero que no pase asi con esta serie. Ni como la serie de Abbi Glines ... ya ni recuerdo cual y esta largíííísimaaaaa...

[Yasamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much freaking unanswered questions!!! I have a gazillion questions and if I had to wait for the next book I would bang my head against the wall.

BYE YALL, IM OFF TO READING BOOK 3!!

[Shelby (Grace with Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wonderful second installment! Loved reading the continuation of Isabella's story

[Monse C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es una historia muy entretenida. Si te gusta una historia con algunos clichés de novelas juveniles es la ideal

[Michel Reinhard (Saucy Southern Readers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's interesting how different people can read the same book and walk away with different perceptions. While my blog mate, Robin , felt this book was not as strong as the first book in the Sunnyvale Series, I walked away with a different opinion.

First of all a reader must understand that Jessica Sorensen has a unique way of delivering a story. She slowly builds the story with mystery, intrigue,and adds subplots that tie into the main plot. She introduces the readers to the main characters and their issues that drive the story. She then slowly begins to unfold the story creating sexual tension, revealing passages, and creates intrigue. The romance is a slow build that becomes stronger throughout the story. There are dark moments and beautiful light hearted moments throughout the story that make her characters become more compelling. It doesn't happen in one or two novels, it takes time to build the perfect story. Jessica Sorensen is a genius at building this kind of story that keeps the reader invested in the story.

I saw this novel as part of an intricate puzzle that was being revealed piece by piece. The first novel, The Year I Became Isabella Anders, gave this puzzle a center. The second book, The Year Of Falling In Love, built the borders around this puzzle and added a few pieces to the overall picture. The next installments will fill in all the gaps,add more color to the picture, reveal secrets hidden deeply among all the pieces, and will complete the compelling story into a beautiful portrait of two people finding themselves and falling in love.

Some readers may feel like The Year Of Falling In Love was too busy. My impression was that it was building a solid plot in a dynamic, compelling story. It moved the series along and built the intrigue.

In the first novel of the Sunnyvale Series, The Year I Became Isabella Anders the readers were introduced to the main characters, Isabella Anders, Kai Meyers, and Kyler Meyers. The readers got a glimpse of who the characters were and how their family life was a driving factor in their story. It added a mystery of Isabella's past, gave the readers an insight of the abusive nature of Isabella's family, and introduced problematic factors behind the closed doors of the Meyers family. A love triangle began to develop between Isabella and the Meyer brothers. The readers were left with mixed impressions of both of the Meyer brothers. While one brother seemed sincere in his interest and genuine friendship, the other brother seemed a superficial with his sudden interest in Isabella.

The second novel of the Sunnyvale Series, The Year Of Falling In Love, began to showcase the mystery and intrigue that is driving this series. The tension with Isabella's family, her newly found strength to rebel against her family, and the beginning of revealing secrets about her mother, keep Isabella's head spinning. Add the tension of a love triangle with a boy she has crushed on all her life and a boy that has always been her friend and this book becomes more than a mystery, it becomes a complicated romance.

In the first book the reader gets a good insight of who Isabella is as an individual. In the second book the reader begins to see her grow and become a stronger young woman. The first book introduces the Meyer brothers and the reader begins to see the differences between them. The second book gives a stronger impression of who Kai and Kyler Meyers are. Kai seems to have the same issues with his family as Isabella has with hers. He has always had Isabella's best interest at heart. Kyle, the perfect Meyers brother, is still a bit of a mystery. While it seems that he is interested in Isabella, it also seems like he has his own agenda. He has no compassion for his younger brother. There's a bit of a mystery as to where he fits in the overall puzzle. My creep radar was going off where he was concerned.

Although there was minimal romance in this book, Jessica gave the readers enough romance to keep the readers satisfied. Isabella had romantic encounters with both of the Meyer brothers. Each of those encounters left a solid impression. I think the readers will begin to choose which Meyers brother they want to win Isabella's heart.

Jessica Sorensen did an excellent job creating the love triangle tension between these three characters. She also did an excellent job adding more layers to the mystery and intrigue of Isabella's past. She created enough mystique and tension to keep the readers wanting more of the Sunnyvale series.

Jessica Sorensen has once again created a dynamic series and delivered a captivating installment to the story.

I can't wait for the next book in the Sunnyvale Series. I want the rest of the story!

[Katy Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

In the second book on this series the drama and suspense and romance all spark and simmer under the surface! I can't wait to bread the next book!