Review : Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins

Summary (from Goodreads)
Title : Stir Me Up
Author : Sabrina Elkins
Publication Date : October 1st 2013
Publisher : Harlequin Teen
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Cami Broussard has her future all figured out. She'll finish her senior year of high school, then go to work full-time as an apprentice chef in her father's French restaurant, alongside her boyfriend, Luke. But then twenty-year-old ex-Marine Julian Wyatt comes to live with Cami's family while recovering from serious injuries. And suddenly Cami finds herself questioning everything she thought she wanted.

Julian's all attitude, challenges and intense green-brown eyes. But beneath that abrasive exterior is a man who just might be as lost as Cami's starting to feel. And Cami can't stop thinking about him. Talking to him. Wanting to kiss him. He's got her seriously stirred up. Her senior year has just gotten a lot more complicated….

Personal Thoughts

Sabrina Elkins' Stir Me Up caught my eye when I read the blurb. It not only had an aspiring chef, but also an ex-Marine as main characters. I always love a good romance book with a man in uniform, so I was excited to read the book once the review opportunity came up.

Cami, our main character, was very likeable. She had this effervescent personality that made her completely loveable. What I really enjoyed about her character though, was how flawed she was. She was like every other teenager with fears, insecurities and dreams for the future. I loved how passionate she was about cooking and I think I connected with her a lot more than I expected because of this passion (I adore cooking although I suck at it!). Cami was also a character who grew throughout the book, learning from her mistakes, and maturing  into a confident young woman who was ready to fight for her goals. Julian, on the other hand, wasn't easy to warm up to at first. He was the kind of character who slowly crept into my heart and settled there. I pretty much hated him at first because of what a jerk he was, but part of me also loved him because he had gone through so much. I think the author captured the voice and personality of a ex-Marine in a realistic, raw and gritty way. You see, Julian had just gotten back from Afghanistan after having a leg. He took out his frustrations on Cami and while he could be callous at times, I understood where he was coming from and sympathized with him because he was going through an ordeal that was internally wrecking him. Julian too was a beautiful character who grew throughout the book, learning to accept his disability and letting others love him.

What I really enjoyed about Stir Me Up was the strong presence of a solid family in Cami's life. Cami's father and her step-mother played important roles in their daughter's lives and I liked how the author portrayed their relationship in a genuine fashion. Sure, her relationship with her father wasn't all rosy and happy all the time, but when is a relationship completely perfect? Another aspect I enjoyed in Stir Me Up was the cooking. Goodness, did this book make me hungry whenever I would be reading it. I love stories about teenagers who are actually passionate about something other than boys and gossip and Cami sure did love cooking. The romance too was well-written. It developed at a nice slow pace, allowing the two characters to get to know each other and slowly understand each other. Their relationship did face some obstacles, mostly because of Julian being insecure about his disability, but there was no unnecessary drama of any kind, which I appreciated. At one point, I actually thought we would have a messy love triangle because Cami was seeing someone before Julian came, but I liked how honest she was. I also liked Sabrina Elkins' approach to sex in a YA book. She captured Cami's insecurities about getting physical which I thought was so normal. All in all, Sabrina Elkins is an author to watch for because she's clearly highly talented.

Do you enjoy intense romances with well-written characters? Then, this is the book for you. It was not only beautifully written, but it also had a great cast of characters with a passionate romance that will give you the butterflies. Stir Me Up is a must read!

Rating

Cover : 3/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5


Thank you to Harlequin Teen and Bewitched Bookworms for the e-ARC of Stir Me Up.

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