Happy holiday hump day everyone! We’re sort of mid-way through the month and mid-way through the week and depending on where you are in the country, having some strange weather (of course assuming you live in the US and assuming you celebrate the holidays – otherwise ignore my chattering). It seems like a perfect time for an upbeat romantic book and a nice giveaway, right? As part of Kismet’s blog tour for Mia’s Heart, I had the chance to read it and after my review, there’s a form to enter a tour-long giveaway to win a signed copy of the book.
Mia’s Heart (Paradise Diaries #2)
By Courtney ColePublisher: Lakehouse Press
Publication Date: November 13, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Source: Kismet Book ToursMy name is Mia Giannis.
I am seventeen years old.
I live in Valese, Caberra.This has become my mantra and my lifeline, having recently lost my memory due to a scary natural disaster.
Yeah. I have amnesia. Messed up, right?You don’t know the half of it.
Not remembering anything has turned my world upside down. My parents try their hardest to “remind” me of who I was, but it doesn’t feel right. Or, if what they’re saying is true and that really was me, I’m not sure I like that person very much.
And then there’s my love life. Apparently, Gavin Ariastasis is my oldest and best friend in the world. Also, apparently, we’ve never dated. But now, noticing him for what feels like the first time, he’s making my heart do somersaults. He knows me inside and out—the real me. Plus, he’s sexy and charming as hell. Sounds perfect, right?
But then… there’s the new guy. Quinn McKeyen – tall, gorgeous and deliciously American. His mischievous grin and slow Midwestern drawl turn my insides to mush in two seconds flat making me question who I really am and what I really want.
Seriously. What am I supposed to do with all that?! I feel torn between them, but I barely even know who I am, let alone what I want.
I just hope my indecisive heart will clue me in. And sooner rather than later…before I lose what little of my mind that I have left.
Goodreads Summary
Is it a good or bad thing that when you sit down to write a review, all you initially can think of is, “that was so cute and fun!” And after that…”that was just the sweetest, most fun and adorable thing,” is all that comes to you? Panic time. Even my thesaurus isn’t going to help with this one. Courtney Cole, you’ve done the nearly unforgiveable – made me have to think really, really hard for hours (the pain) to write a review. 
As the daughter of a powerful government official in Caberra, Mia has always been expected to conform to a certain ideal and she’s always rebelled, driving her mother crazy. Mia wears black, dyes her hair and is the quintessential wild child, leading to a lot of screaming and stomping around the house. Her latest stunt has her avoiding her mother completely, going so far as to sneak out of the house to go diving with her best friend and the new foreign exchange student. Being away ends up saving her life when an earthquake hits, but as she’s searching later, she’s hurt and ends up losing her memory.
When she wakes up as Blank Slate Mia (that’s my nickname for her!), she doesn’t know who that rebel was or who this mousy girl sitting in her body right now is. Different people tell her different things about who she was and some of it doesn’t feel very good. She quickly comes to trust Gavin, the guy who said he’s been her best friend since they were young. He seems to know everything about her and he’s also gorgeous, funny, sweet, gorgeous, gorgeous and funny.
There’s also Quinn though. He’s the foreign exchange student that she and Gavin were with the day of the earthquake and the sexy American cowboy had Mia drooling before she lost her memory and from the moment she saw him afterwards as well. So is it trashy to want two guys or is it just that she’s confused about who she should be with because she doesn’t remember who she is? There’s also the chance that she wasn’t really who she was before the accident and she would have picked a different guy. Following along?
I adored Mia so much, but I had to pretend that Caberra was a US territory because this girl spoke in flawless American slang. She cracked me up so hard with some of the things she though in her head, including the way she kept checking out her guys’ butts (and more) and her frustration at not being able to remember things. I liked reading along as she kept uncovering both the good and not so good things about Old Mia and figured out why she had done the things she did. Her relationships with the guys were sizzling, for being pretty PG. Those two were masters at the art of innuendo.
I was all over the place with my feelings about Gavin. He was of course, hot, but sometimes a little smarmy. He was genuine in his love of Mia but I didn’t always believe he wanted more from her the way she deserved. He needs a different kind of girl, someone less interested in political games. I loved that he was so sweet with Mia when she was in the hospital and that he’s one of the few people who doesn’t lie to her at all.
Quinn, oh, Quinn. I kept trying to picture him as a dusty, sort of grimy stereotypical American cowboy and it wasn’t working – he still was sexy and charming. I don’t know how or why, but it just melted me that he called Mia, “tater tot.” I know, a silly thing to get all mushy about, but I mentally fan-gurl sighed every time he did it. He was like her personal Yoda, dispensing all sorts of cryptic advice that eventually lit a light bulb, only he had the body of Chris Hemsworth as Thor (yum, yum).
There were all sorts of running stories related to Mia’s sense of identity that were deeper than just whether it was personally rebellious to wear all black and dye her hair, but teamed with the romance and solid sense of humor, it’s still very easy to read. Fun, cute and quirky, it was a breeze to read and left a smile on my face.
My Rating: A
About Courtney Cole
Courtney Cole is a novelist who would eat mythology for breakfast if she could. She has a degree in Business, but has since discovered that corporate America is not nearly as fun to live in as fictional worlds.
Every Last Kiss is her debut novel and she followed it with the rest of The Bloodstone Saga (Every Last Kiss, Fated, With My Last Breath and My Tattered Bonds).
Courtney lives in quiet suburbia, close to Lake Michigan, with her real-life Prince Charming, her ornery kids (there is a small chance that they get their orneriness from their mother) and a small domestic zoo.
Learn more about Courtney and her books at courtneycolewrites.com
You can also find Courtney:
The Giveaway: Courtney is giving away one signed copy of Mia’s Heart tour-wide (US/Can. only). Follow zee Rafflecopter!
Oh, I hate when I come up with nothing after reading a book – sometimes there are just some books that make you happy and enough said. They succeeded in their purpose!!!
This one sounds like a fun read but with a twist – you don’t know if she’s going to get her memory back and if she even wants it back. Very cool!! Thanks for the great review (yes, you came up with something!!!!)
It’s the worst! I hate to admit it, but reviews for books I don’t like are easy and ones for books that made me perfectly happy for no reason other than they were just fun are horrible to review! I usually end up writing them all out of order, from the middle paragraphs to the end to the beginning or whatever. Who needs order?
Aw, thanks. It really did take me a while.
even though she’s young, getting a second chance to do things a little different … sounds like a fun read. will definitely be putting you on my TBR list. thank you for sharing!
It’s a terrific book – so cute to read and not something stressful or angsty. It’s just something that you smile through.
Awww! Love your review, Barbara!
Reading it makes me want to go read this book right away! I still haven’t read the first book, but after reading your review, I’m definitely going to.
I love that this book made you think for hours before you could write a proper review! Love the sound of Quinn!! <3 And tater-tots? That is just too adorable!
How are you doing Barbara?
I miss talking to you!
NICK! Aw, I forgot that you’re on break.
I’m a horrible person, I’ve been in such a funk, I haven’t commented on more than the same few blogs and I’m in a hidey hole most of the time. Having health issues that keep sucking my time, not helping.
Emails are definitely called for!!
That’s alright, Barbara!
You’re sick? Oh no! I hope you’re doing better now!
Take care of yourself. Health comes before anything!
Shoot me an email when you’re recovered.
I really enjoyed the sister book: Dante’s Girl and I am glad to see that Quinn is a key player in this one. I wish I had time to do this tour but sadly am too booked. A sweet fun light read is just what I need for winter!
I know what you mean about booked – I finally cut myself off for a little while, which was painful because so much good stuff was going through my inbox. This was sooo sweet and fun – definitely pick it up when it’s released then. I know you’d love it if you loved Dante’s Girl. And Dante and Reece are in this for a little bit and are swoony.
I have both books on my wishlist. They DO sound sweet and cute!
Sometimes fun and cute are just the read you need, especially between heavier subjected books, glad you like the characters and enjoyed this so much.
I can’t wait to read Mia’s Heart. I have it on my Kindle carosel to read, like I have a million others, but really want to read it. I loved Mia in Dante’s Girl! She was one of my favorite & with everything with Quinn… I’m happy he gets the girl! He deserves it.