Mia's Heart (The Paradise Diaries, #2)

Dec 22, 2012 Eunice rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, contemporary, damn-gorgeous-males, death-tragedy-suicide, out-2012, realistic-fiction, ya-romance, young-adult

Mia's Heart was a fun, quick and lovely read. Although it has two of the things I wouldn't want together in a book - amnesia and love triangle - I was surprised to find myself not at all really bothered by it and I actually sped through this! However, I had some slight issues with it that prevents me from really liking it. Still, I enjoyed most parts of it.

Mia Giannis was a character I wasn't really sure about when I first read her. I liked the fierceness and the bad ass vibe about her but I'm...more Mia's Heart was a fun, quick and lovely read. Although it has two of the things I wouldn't want together in a book - amnesia and love triangle - I was surprised to find myself not at all really bothered by it and I actually sped through this! However, I had some slight issues with it that prevents me from really liking it. Still, I enjoyed most parts of it.

Mia Giannis was a character I wasn't really sure about when I first read her. I liked the fierceness and the bad ass vibe about her but I'm not quite fond of her initial image before the amnesia. So when she lost her memories that had me pretty interested. I wanna see how this new Mia will turn out, I was fascinated by how she rediscovered her memories and found her true self.

Quinn MacKeyen and Gavin Ariastasis were the two love interest in this story. Now, love triangle isn't something I'm very fond of. As much as possible I avoid and steer clear of them however when I started this I didn't know this has one. Fortunately, the love triangle here wasn't the kind that is headache inducing. I admit that I'm a little sad because I was cheering the wrong team still I wasn't really devastated by it. Or maybe I was a little uncaring by it?

Now with the boys, Gavin Ariastasis was a fun fun character! I liked him instantly. He was Mia's best friend. He's a character that is laid back, easy going and yes, cocky. Yet, there's something in him that tells he's a pretty deep character. Quinn MacKeyen, well, like Mia said he's "deliciously American". Despite his good looks he was a really humble character. He could be every girl's dream of a boyfriend. However, he was described too perfectly and well, that's just boring. I was looking for flaws, even tiny bits, but nothing, he was too good to be true. So in the end, I guess, I just grew pretty indifferent about him.

I liked the story, but not like really like. Some parts I found quite shallow and the writing was a little more on telling than showing. Some things were handled lightly though I think they should be told with more depth. Nonetheless, despite the issues I had, I did enjoy most parts of this book. Almost all the characters were likable and I liked most was how the friendship between all of them grew. If you're looking for a light, fun and sweet read, you might want to check this out.

Thanks to Courtney Cole and Kismet Book Touring for providing a review copy of this book.

This review is also posted at Book Overdose
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Dec 20, 2012 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-must-reads, dec-2012, kismet-blog-tours

I want to give a huge thank you to Kismet tours for allowing me to be on this tour. I have to say that Courtney Cole has captured my heart with her writing. She captures you right from the beginning and Mia's Heart is another story that had me on the edge of my seat. Her first book to the series Dante's Girl had me swooning like crazy so when Mia's Heart came out I just devoured it in one night and I could not put it down. This is one of those series where you can't get enough of the places and...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Ellen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, blog-tours

I just loved the first book in this series, Dante's Girl, so I was so excited to be able to read Mia's Heart. The setting of the book is again the beautiful island of Caberra, which is located not far from Greece. We met Mia in Dante's Girl. He father is the Ministry of Defense for Caberra, and she, Dante, and Gavin are best friends. When Reece, Dante's girlfriend from Kansas entered the picture, they soon became BFF's also. The other character in this story, we heard a lot about in book one and...more I just loved the first book in this series, Dante's Girl, so I was so excited to be able to read Mia's Heart. The setting of the book is again the beautiful island of Caberra, which is located not far from Greece. We met Mia in Dante's Girl. He father is the Ministry of Defense for Caberra, and she, Dante, and Gavin are best friends. When Reece, Dante's girlfriend from Kansas entered the picture, they soon became BFF's also. The other character in this story, we heard a lot about in book one and got to meet him briefly, is Quinn, who is also from Kansas and now is an exchange student living with Dante's Giliberti's family. Dante's father is the Prime Minister of Caberra. Mia has always been rebellious, dying her hair black with streaks of vibrant color, she is outspoken, and a bit of a badass, according to her friends. She has a rather "difficult" relationship with her mother and the two always seem to be at odds with one another. Mia's mom expects her to act and dress a certain way because of her father's position, and Mia doesn't think she ought to have to be forced to be someone she isn't, and sort of takes it to the extreme in the other direction. She is taken aback when she meets Quinn for the first time, especially when he causes her heart to flutter, because she hasn't met a guy who can do this to her before.

Mia and Gavin are best friends and both love to scuba dive and snorkel. On this particular day, Gavin has also invited Quinn to join them. Despite the somewhat rough seas, they head out in Gavin's boat. When Mia and Gavin jump in the water they notice something isn't quite right, they feel a rumble, see a cloud of sediment, and immediately realize what is happening. They get back in the boat as fast as they can and fly back to shore. What they find is devastating. Everything is in shambles, rubble is everywhere, power lines are down, all the after effects of the earthquake they just experienced. Mia insists that they stop by her house to check on her mom, which they do, and they find her house is also in shambles. Determined to make sure her mom is okay, she enters anyway, followed by Quinn and Gavin. Something falls, and the next thing she knows, she is waking up in the hospital unable to remember who she is or anything about her life or the people in it. As Mia recovers, she begins to see Gavin in a whole new light, and then the hot American cowboy Quinn, also does all kinds of fluttery things to her insides. As she struggles to regain her memory and her friends begin to fill her in on who she was and what she was like, she begins to question everything in her life, the way she was, the way she is, who she really is, and what she wants from life, and somewhere along the journey, she finds out what her heart really wants.

I really enjoyed this book. Mia's story was great, and I just loved getting to know her, as she discovered who she really is and what her heart really wants. Gavin and Quinn.....what hotties.......and how's a girl to choose. Gavin is the sexy, dark, tanned, island god whose smile could melt hearts and he seems to know so much about Mia. Then there is Quinn, the cowboy with the lopsided grin who radiates self-confidence, is 6 feet 6 inches of hottness, and even though he has only known Quinn a short time, he seems to see past her facade and read her like book. Needless to say, there are some really interesting things that take place in this story. We also get to see Dante and Reece again, and it was so much fun finding out what was going on with them. I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Mia and her family, especially her mom, change as she recovers from this injury. There is a love triangle in this book, but it is really well done, and I have to say Courtney Cole did an excellent job with that, and the whole story. Mia's Heart is fun, entertaining, heart warming, and also has some great romantic moments in it. This was a great second book in this wonderful series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are a YA contemporary romance fan, this is something you should check out. (less)

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Dec 12, 2012 Barbara ~*Lindt Ninja*~ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ya, arc, gave-me-sweet-fluffy-kitten-kisses, i-think-im-a-cougar, thank-you-sir-ill-have-a-sequel

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 ha...more 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 los 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.

Review copy courtesy of Kismet Book Tours(less)

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Dec 11, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, romance, ya

GENRE: YA Contemporary
THEME: Romance
RECEIVED: Book Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
I was really excited to read the next installment to The Paradise Diaries by Courtney Cole. The first book pulled me into the romance of two young adults and continues with Mia’s Heart, once again in the beautiful Caberra Valese. Lately I've been really addicted to the contemporary romances and even though a girl getting amnesia and tries to follow her heart has been done before, I adored this bo...more GENRE: YA Contemporary
THEME: Romance
RECEIVED: Book Tour
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/

REVIEW:
I was really excited to read the next installment to The Paradise Diaries by Courtney Cole. The first book pulled me into the romance of two young adults and continues with Mia’s Heart, once again in the beautiful Caberra Valese. Lately I've been really addicted to the contemporary romances and even though a girl getting amnesia and tries to follow her heart has been done before, I adored this book and its characters.

Mia’s heart follows Mia who just lost her memory and is trying to figure out who she is and the girl she’s “suppose” to be. While trying to put the pieces together she is sucked into a love triangle with Gavin her best friend and an American boy Quinn who makes her heart beat a little bit faster. All in all Mia just wants to know who she is and where her heart belongs.

Mia was a thrill, she has a tough girl attitude and is very independent. I enjoyed that she could hold her own as a lead character and the readers could connect with her right away. Mia really struggles trying to remember her life but I love how the readers see the change in her character from the first book to now. She really goes after what she wants and we also get some great moments with her mother. I’m really picky when it comes to character development and I think Cole did a fantastic job with Mia.

Now comes the love triangle, as probably many feel the same, I’m not a fan of them. Ever since Twilight I guess you can say I feel they are over done. But for this story it didn’t bother me as much, I think it has to do with the fact I liked both guys. Quinn and Gavin are very different but I loved them both and seriously didn’t know which one I wanted Mia with. I thought it was interesting the Cole decided to make Quinn Reece’s crush from the first book as a love interest. She feels that connection with Quinn but Gavin has known her longest, it’s a tough decision. Heck I wouldn’t be able to choose but in the end I was happy with how it all went.

Overall I loved this book; I like when an author connects their series and still brings in the characters from the previous stories. Reece and Dante’s story was finished but we still get to see how their relationship is going. As in the first book there were some repetitive moments but for this type of novel I felt it didn’t matter, the romance was sweet and there were cute moments that just made me smile. Once again I would totally want to visit Caberra and I can’t wait to read the next installment to this series. Cole’s writing really pulled me into the romance and the characters as always are memorable.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel with romance and mystery, fans of Stephanie Perkins Anna and the Fench Kiss and Jennifer Echols Such a Rush will love Dante’s Girl by Courtney Cole.
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Nov 16, 2012 Courtney Lockhart DeLollis rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Paradisa Diaries are always a breath of fresh air for me! Courtney does a great job of just taking you away and dropping off in paradise!

Mia's Heart is a follow up to Dante's Girl where we met Reece, Mia, Dante, Gavin. This book is obviously all about Mia and I love it. Mia is the little rebelious one and bit of spit-fire! In Mia's heart she feels all alone because Dante and Reece are back in Kansas and spending their senior year there while Mia is stuck by herself with Gavin. And then comes...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Tishia (Paranormal Opinion) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mia's Heart is the second book in The Paradise Diaries series by Courtney Cole. It's a wonderful young adult novel about a girl named Mia who loses her memory. Despite everyone trying to remind her of everything, she struggles to remember anything. Most of all, she struggles with not knowing who she really is. Her love life is a mess. She finds herself being attracted to Gavin, her best friend that she has known for years. But there is also Quinn, the guy from America that she met shortly before...more

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May 01, 2013 Alboiu rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: really-like

I never felt, really felt that she made the right choice.

The relationship with the cowboy dude lacked everything, from sparks, to emotions, to butterflies, to details ... I mean, the first kiss with Gavin left me breathless and filled with ghoose bumps. Not to mention the skinny-dip swimming part. It was exceptional.

Also irrational and pathetic was to even imagine that more memories of a gorgeous, sexy guy would make him less loveable and perfect. It should have cemented the bond they had. Gavin...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Melanie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rating: 4.5 Stars (But I can't bring myself to only give it four, and Goodreads doesn't have half-stars, so.)

I adore Courtney Cole. Seriously. Her writing style, at least in this series, is light and fun and witty and I just cannot get enough of it. I ADORED "Dante's Girl", the first book of The Paradise Diaries, and as soon as "Mia's Heart" came out I downloaded it immediately and without hesitation.

I did not regret it.

Yes, I'll admit, this book was corny and cheesy and predictable and even sil...more

Rating: 4.5 Stars (But I can't bring myself to only give it four, and Goodreads doesn't have half-stars, so.)

I adore Courtney Cole. Seriously. Her writing style, at least in this series, is light and fun and witty and I just cannot get enough of it. I ADORED "Dante's Girl", the first book of The Paradise Diaries, and as soon as "Mia's Heart" came out I downloaded it immediately and without hesitation.

I did not regret it.

Yes, I'll admit, this book was corny and cheesy and predictable and even silly in parts. It was as big a cliché as you can get, and cynical (or even just stubbornly realistic) readers will absolutely despise it. But that's okay, because for every cynic there is a hopeless romantic like me, absolutely in love with these books and the beautiful stories they contain.

In all honesty, it was a challenge for me to like "Mia's Heart", and I was not quite as enthralled with it as I was with "Dante's Girl". This is because "Mia's Heart" contains not one, but TWO, of my least favorite plot conventions of all time: a love triangle and amnesia. That said, I gave this book 4.5 stars, so it goes without saying that something made the usage of these plot conventions forgivable. Let me explain.

Firstly, as much as I hate love triangles (that would be A LOT, in case you were wondering. I hate them A LOT.) this one was done masterfully. I was honestly uncertain about who would end up together in the end, and it took me quite a while to even decide who I WANTED to end up together, an even bigger surprise for me, because I always have a preference in such matters. In fact, if it hadn't been for something I read about this book before it came out, I would have been totally stumped for a really long time. Additionally, this particular love triangle makes sense in the context of the novel, and goes far beyond a confused girl with one too many sexy guys to choose from. The motivation and explanation behind the feelings is genuine and justifiable. To me, a love triangle this good, this understandable, and this REAL lets me forgive Cole for using the biggest and most despised YA romance plot cliché of all time.

Secondly, the amnesia, while a little "convenient" as far as creating a plethora of plot directions to move in, actually works. The way it comes about makes sense, and the problems it creates seem legitimate. It allows for character development and, in some miraculous way, manages to be the center of the plot without being constantly harped upon.

Finally, those of you who read my review of "Dante's Girl" know that I was devastated to find out this book would revolve around Mia, and not Reece and Dante's continuing relationship. That said, Mia made a FANTASTIC lead character. She went from being a person I enjoyed as a supporting character to a person I wish I could be friends with in real life. Despite everything that happens to her, she doesn't whine. She's strong, smart, independent, and, to use her term: "bad-ass". Additionally, I wasn't sold on the idea of either Gavin or Quinn as a leading man, but they both put my doubts to rest pretty quickly. When Cole brought in Dante and Reece in an unexpected way, I wanted to hug her, but I was happy with the new focus on other characters, and even though I wasn't sure it would work, I am sold on the idea now. I can't wait to read the next book in this series and get better acquainted with even more characters in this fantastic cast Cole has created.

All in all, I can't say enough good things about this book and this series. If you haven't read them yet, you should really go fix that. And Ms. Cole: please get that third book out as soon as possible. I'm already looking forward to it.(less)

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Dec 23, 2012 Ana rated it 4 of 5 stars

I met Mia in the first book in this series, Dante’s Girl, and I loved her from the start. She was spunky and sassy and moody…all the things that make a character fun to read about! I was happy to hear that she was being given the opportunity to tell us her own story and I definitely enjoyed reading it! This book is about overcoming obstacles, it’s about friendship and it’s about love. What more can you ask for?

In this story, Mia goes through a life-changing event…an accident that takes away her...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Ashley Williams rated it 4 of 5 stars

Adorable!
Okay, so both this book and it's predecessor were super cute! Both were easy reads. The characters were extremely likable and the setting couldn't be any better in my opinion. Cole's writing is down to earth and funny. I liked this book a bit more, because I liked Mia's snark and how could you go wrong with a super sexy cowboy with two tickets to the gun show (hehe, that wasn't in the book but I could totally see Quinn saying something like that!) I think the books were a little young f...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Shari rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-reading-challenge-2012, ebook-challenge-2012, read-for-tour, read-in-2012, reviewed, ya-contemporary-challenge-2012, ya-reading-challenge-2012

I have been anxiously awaiting the return of Mia, Gavin, Quinn, Reece and Dante. Dante's Girl was such a sweet, fun read and I couldn't wait to find out if Mia was going to get her happily ever after as well.

Poor Mia! Really, I can't imagine waking up and not knowing anyone, not even yourself. How terrifying not to know anything about who you are, how you feel about someone, what you like or hate! If that's not enough, now she has the added stress of falling for a gorgeous guy. Wait...make that...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Christina Madison rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, 2011-2012, young-adult-fiction, contemporary-fiction

Full review here: http://zodiacbookreviews.blogspot.com...

Mia Giannis is always fighting with her mother about her clothes, her actions, her friends, just about everything and how it could reflect on her father. Being the daughter of the Secretary of Defense of Caberra has a lot of expectations, when Mia just wants to be herself, not who her parents want her to be.

When a devastating earthquake rocks Caberra, Mia rushes home looking for her mother and finds her house reduced to rubble. Determined...more Full review here: http://zodiacbookreviews.blogspot.com...

Mia Giannis is always fighting with her mother about her clothes, her actions, her friends, just about everything and how it could reflect on her father. Being the daughter of the Secretary of Defense of Caberra has a lot of expectations, when Mia just wants to be herself, not who her parents want her to be.

When a devastating earthquake rocks Caberra, Mia rushes home looking for her mother and finds her house reduced to rubble. Determined to find her mother within the wreckage, Mia along with Gavin and Quinn, search what's left of the house. While in the remains of her bedroom, another aftershock rocks the house and a piece of debris hits Mia on the head, resulting in her having amnesia.

Now Mia must navigate truths and deceptions to know what is real. This is a time for Mia to find who she really is and who her heart truly wants.

Mia's relationship with her mother is NOT very good in the beginning of the book. The earthquake and Mia's amnesia are what change their relationship for the better, with her father too. What I didn't like was how her parents used her amnesia to make her into the daughter they want her to be. Going so far as to dye her hair back to its natural color and removing her nose ring while she's unconscious in the hospital. I mean, who does that? It's just so wrong.

The two love interests are Mia's childhood friend, Gavin Ariastasis and Reece's childhood friends from Kansas, Quinn McKeyen. Mia loves them both, but for different reasons. But she has trouble figuring out what her heart wants, when she doesn't even really know herself yet.

I noticed that the pool at the Old Palace is a popular place to cry ones heart out. First it was Reece when she saw Elena and Dante together, then Mia after she talks to Gavin when he walked out of the ballroom after seeing Mia and Quinn dancing and the look she was giving him. It's like a Pool of Sorrow or something.

I loved reading Mia's story and it was great seeing Reece and Dante again. I can't wait for the next book!(less)

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Jan 01, 2013 AICCA rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-best

This book is a good read. I wonder how that would feel though. Being in your own body, but not knowing who you are or who you were. The amnesia sure did a good thing to Mia though. She realizes that she was just overreacting and she decided to change that. Torn between two hot, sexy guys -her bestfriend Gavin, and the cowboy guy, Quinn. She is very confused since she feels very fluttery when she's with either one of them. She even feels guilty everytime she hangs out with the other one. She ende...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Courtney Cole has quickly become one of my fave authors. Creating wonderful story lines along with amazing characters, I know that once I immerse myself in her story, there's no looking back.

What I loved most about this book is the plot line. The reader is introduce to Mia who has lived a life so calculated Everything must be presentable. Everything must be in order. And Mia, like every other teen has rebelled. So when she loose her memory, I was anxious to see if she would change or come back j...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Alexia561 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, ebook, review-copy, young-adult

Mia is the daughter of a very important man, on a small island nation, so there is intense pressure on her to be a good girl and conform. Mia does not want to conform, but just wants to be left alone and allowed to do her own thing. To tell the truth, Mia seems like a bit like a spoiled brat at first. Having grown up as a politician's daughter, she really should know better at her age. Then she loses her memory.

Liked that we met Mia before her head injury, as most of the amnesia stories I've rea...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Farrah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful! As good as the first. Courtney Cole is officially one of my favorite authors.

I loved Mia's character from the first book, so I was totally excited when I found out that she would be the heroine in book 2. I Mia didn't disappoint.

I thought it might bother me that Mia loses her memory, but it was well done. She retained what was best about her, but the memory loss allowed her character to evolve. Mia remains our feisty girl, but she loosens up and grows throughout her trial. And I real...more Wonderful! As good as the first. Courtney Cole is officially one of my favorite authors.

I loved Mia's character from the first book, so I was totally excited when I found out that she would be the heroine in book 2. I Mia didn't disappoint.

I thought it might bother me that Mia loses her memory, but it was well done. She retained what was best about her, but the memory loss allowed her character to evolve. Mia remains our feisty girl, but she loosens up and grows throughout her trial. And I really liked seeing that.

Another part that I was pleasantly surprised about was the love triangle. I thought it would annoy me, but it made sense for Mia to be torn between who she's attracted to (Quinn) and the who feels familiar and comfortable (Gavin). I'm sure you know that she ends up with Quinn, if you see the cover, so there was never any doubt how the issue would be resolved but the love triangle was done in a way that it added another element to the book.

I adored both boys. Both were so sweet, and lovable, and, of course, amazingly good-looking.

Quinn was the boy-next-door kind of love interest. He was so endearing and had both me and Mia wrapped around his thumb. I thought that he and Mia were a delightful couple and I was so happy for them when they got their happy ending.

Gavin, as in book 1, was so charming. He was the more sophisticating, debonair, suave, charmer. He was sweet, as well, and I felt so sad when he ended up the one who was hurt in the conclusion of the love triangle. I'm hoping that the next book is about him because I really want him to end up happy.

For those who are wondering, Reece and Dante do make an appearance in this book. It was nice seeing them again and seeing how much their love had grown. It was so sweet. I just love that couple. It was interesting to see them from the perspective of another person. In book 1, of course, we see their relationship through the eyes of uncertainty and insecurity. But, in this book, we see how everyone else sees them: a gorgeous, perfect couple-"like Barbie and Ken" in Mia's words.

The plot of this book, like the last, was well paced. The story picks up immediately and doesn't slow down. The ending was just as perfect as book 1's.

For those who loved Dante's Girl, Mia's Heart is just as excellent!

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Nov 21, 2012 Megsly rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved Mia's character in Dante's Girl, she's so fun and refreshing, so of course I knew I'd love her in this book. However, i didn't anticipate loving Quinn more than Mia. He was truly a charmer.

Overall, I loved Mia's Heart. It was fun, quirky, and yet, it had a layer of depth to it that Dante's Girl didnt have, mainly because Mia, deep down inside was not the light hearted, carefree girl she pretends to be. I loved getting to know the real Mia, seeing her relationships blossom all over again...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Reading, Eating & Dreaming rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-stars, 4-stars

CLICK HERE TO READ MY FULL REVIEW AT READING, EATING AND DREAMING I WAS BLAIR WALDORF

Mia's Heart by Courtney Cole was a great addition to The Paradise Diaries. The Paradise Diaries is a fun, adventurous series that is perfect for young adults. The Paradise Diaries isn't a paranormal series, but there is a magical, other worldly vibe to this companion series. Some of the storyline in Dante's Girls and Mia's Heart is a little farfetched, but everything that happens in this series could potentially...more CLICK HERE TO READ MY FULL REVIEW AT READING, EATING AND DREAMING I WAS BLAIR WALDORF

Mia's Heart by Courtney Cole was a great addition to The Paradise Diaries. The Paradise Diaries is a fun, adventurous series that is perfect for young adults. The Paradise Diaries isn't a paranormal series, but there is a magical, other worldly vibe to this companion series. Some of the storyline in Dante's Girls and Mia's Heart is a little farfetched, but everything that happens in this series could potentially happen. Reading this series is like stepping into another world, and in my opinion, that's what makes this series so great. One of the biggest things that makes this series seem other worldly is the setting. This series takes place in Valese, Caberra, which is ruled by a different political hierarchy than the United Staes. Each of the main charcters in this companion series are children of wealthy, influential politicians. While the fame, wealth, and elite social standing sound like the most amazing things in the world, they also come with a heavy price. The main characters in this series must balance what they want with what is expected of them, and trust me, those two things are not always the same thing.

Mia, the main character in Mia's Heart, has always rebelled against what is expected of her. She wears a lot of black clothing and she accessories her hair with colorful streaks. It's safe to say that she likes to get a reaction from people, especially her parents. She's tough, ornery, and a little bit of a bad ass.

After a tragedy hits Caberra, Mia wakes up without her memory. She no longer recognizes herself or the girl she used to be. To make matters worse, she is extremely attracted to two equally sexy guys and she doesn't know how to pick between them without her memory.

I loved the romance in this novel. I also really like how Courtney Cole illustrated Mia's identity crisis. She did a great job explaining how some of her rebelliousness was done for a reaction. I enjoyed watching Mia discover who she was. I also really enjoyed watching her relationship with her mother evolve. I think a lot of teens and young adults will be able to relate to Mia's relationship with her mother.

I gave Mia's Heart (Paradise Diaries #2) by Courtney Cole 4 STARS (3.5 STARS). I recommend this cute, sweet romance novel to young adults who are looking for a light, fun read.

-XOXO

READING, EATING AND DREAMING (less)

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Nov 24, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: cover-love

Okay hate it when you take time to wright a review and it doesn't save!!

This was a really fun light chic lit. read, it was perfect for the mood I was in. This book is all about Mia, but the cool thing is that we do get lots of Reese and Dante as well. It was nice to watch their relationship continue to evolve. Mia has a life altering experience which allows her to start a new. Which is kind of a good thing for Mia. Mia has this tough exterior shell that is so tough I am not sure she even enjoyed...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Karla Mae rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, e-books, le-handsome-guys, published-2012, series, young-adult

Dante's Girl really caught my heart when I've read it and finding that there would be a companion novel to it, I can't help but feel enthusiastically happy and excited about it.

But there's a big but in here, Mia's Heart didn’t quite work that well for me. The story was interesting at first but there's this sense of shallowness on it. It was told in a way that things didn’t quite gets deeper than Mia's desire to be herself and her love life complication add up her missing memories. Even the char...more Dante's Girl really caught my heart when I've read it and finding that there would be a companion novel to it, I can't help but feel enthusiastically happy and excited about it.

But there's a big but in here, Mia's Heart didn’t quite work that well for me. The story was interesting at first but there's this sense of shallowness on it. It was told in a way that things didn’t quite gets deeper than Mia's desire to be herself and her love life complication add up her missing memories. Even the characters aren’t quite explored here. We've seen Mia's problems with her parents but I didn’t quite see the new character, Quinn Mckeyan's real identity, I know he's an exchange student and so? What are other things about him? And Gavin, why the sudden fondness and uber flirtiness with memory lacking Mia?

Maybe I’m just comparing it to Dante’s Girl but I don’t know, maybe this story was just a bit shorter and it seems like there’s some dragging moments.

The love triangle was pretty hard here because most of the time on stories with love triangles I get to easily pick who I want the girl to end up with but here it was one tough job. Gavin was sweet and funny and he knows the real Mia while Quinn is the understanding new boy who gets to see what lies beneath the Mia. Good thing, a hint was given along the way and it leads me to the right guy. ;)

The amnesia thing happened in a snap of a finger, one time they’re out there having fun then the next moment she doesn’t have any memory left. The way it happened really makes sense to me and this is where the plot of the story mainly revolved in Mia's discovery of who she really is.

Dante and Reece also make another appearance here! Yipee! I miss those two and seeing them here having a closer and stronger relationship makes me want to read another book about them.

In all, I can't say that I love love love this but Mia's heart was an okay read. Maybe it could be longer and other details could be added up but anyhow this series is still definitely worth reading and seeing that Gavin will have his story next, I can’t wait to read it.(less)

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Nov 30, 2012 Carla Hommel Krissinger rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Better than the first. Mia, Dante and Reese's quirky, gothic styled, bitter best friend, finds herself torn between two guys. Gavin, her closest friend in Caberra (more now, since Dante and Reese were in Kansas) has always been there for her and knows her best. Quinn, Reese's cowboy friend from Kansas, makes her swoon and wants to know her better than any other guy does. Mia doesn't know herself, let alone what she wants for herself. Waking with amnesia, she finds herself looking at both guys in...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-young-adult

I adored book one in The Paradise Diaries, Dante's Girl, when I read it over the summer. Dante and Reese were adorable and I fell in love with both of them, as well as their friend, Mia. When I learned that not only there was another book, but that it was Mia's, I was thrilled.

Mia's Heart was a fun, thoughtful, yet light story. When the story begins, Mia is an unhappy girl. I loved her fun, rebellious personality in Dante's Girl, but never realized how miserable she was. As the daughter of a gov...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Autumn Review rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, blog-tours, review

I remember telling the author that I really liked Mia after I had read Dante's Girl. When she told me that Mia would have her own book I was thrilled! Mia's Heart was everything I expected it to be; fun, flirty, and well-written.

Mia's always been a bit of a rebel. She has a tough time following the rules her parents have set in place. She has piercings, dyes her hair with bright colors, and tends to live a bit dangerously. After the earthquake, she's changed. I mean...obviously since she can't...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5/5

“I sigh and stare out the window.
And ponder my life.
Because I live in a bubble.
A fragile, beautiful, misleading bubble.” (Mia’s Heart ARC Pg. 3)

Mia’s heart is one of loneliness, confusion and love.

From the second I read the first sentence of this book I knew I liked Mia. I connect to the line above because I constantly feel like I am living in a bubble of idealism that leaves me with being confused of what I want out of my life. My connection with Mia lasted the whole book as she changed...more 3.5/5

“I sigh and stare out the window.
And ponder my life.
Because I live in a bubble.
A fragile, beautiful, misleading bubble.” (Mia’s Heart ARC Pg. 3)

Mia’s heart is one of loneliness, confusion and love.

From the second I read the first sentence of this book I knew I liked Mia. I connect to the line above because I constantly feel like I am living in a bubble of idealism that leaves me with being confused of what I want out of my life. My connection with Mia lasted the whole book as she changed throughout dealing with amnesia. I never experienced amnesia myself, but I believe Mia’s lost memory was portrayed in a realistic manner. I like how Cole illustrated Mia musky memories.

“I am still for a moment. My memory is a strange thing. As I think, I can remember bits and pieces of things. I see a car. A red convertible. I think it’s mine, but it ;ight not be.” (Mia’s Heart ARC pg. 34)

Mia’s heart is one of spunk, inner courage and amity.

Mia is a brave character who deals with her problem, not with ease, but with natural determination. So is her best friend Gavin. Gavin is a vivacious boy I adore, a caring friend and witty. Quinn is the new boy in this book’s setting of an island, Caberra. He is a charming guy. I applaud how Mia tried to be friends with her pre-memory lost enemy Elena now that she does not remember the cause of their animosity. Elena is the one-dimensional mean girl of the story that has room to grow. I am hoping for a book between Gavin and Elena in the future.

The plot of the book was the only unsatisfactory part in my reading experience. I enjoy romantic stories, and felt the beginning of the story was strong, especially the hilarious scene where Mia met Quinn and the crab. Sadly, the remainder of the story was a flux of Mia having feelings for Gavin and then for Quinn, and hanging out with Reese and her other friends. The plot was too repetitive for my taste and my attention drifted away from the story towards the middle of the book.

Mia’s Heart was a light, fun book with a spectacular main character. You should check it out. Meeting Mia, Gavin and Quinn is worth the read!

Originally posted at Unforgettable Books (less)

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Dec 17, 2012 The BookWhisperer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: series

Mia's Heart picks up immediately following the conclusion of Dante's Girl. After the attempted assassination of the Prime Minister of Valese; Reece was whisked away to return hometown in Kansas. Dante's creative and heart warming ending was perfect for the transition into this second story, and jealousy resulting in the exchange of Quinn McKeney was hiliarious. Little did I know that this switch would set the stage for a romance in book two. After completing this second installment I am having a...more Mia's Heart picks up immediately following the conclusion of Dante's Girl. After the attempted assassination of the Prime Minister of Valese; Reece was whisked away to return hometown in Kansas. Dante's creative and heart warming ending was perfect for the transition into this second story, and jealousy resulting in the exchange of Quinn McKeney was hiliarious. Little did I know that this switch would set the stage for a romance in book two. After completing this second installment I am having a very difficult time comparing, because even after the devoted love I felt toward book one I think Mia's Heart might have turned out even better. From the start I completely fell in love with Dante and Reece, but it was surprising how much more I found with Mia and Quinn. Quinn is an American Cowboy in the middle of paradise. Really!!! What is not to love? Secondly, Mia's character is just kick a**. I loved her in book one, and as her own story unfolds I found even more to her than I would have imagined. As I spent the majority of this book rooting for the two of them it was a long and tedious ride. It seems it took longer to get around to the romance in this story than that of Dante and Reece's story, but it was well worth the wait. While I love Gavin there was something all along that just made me want to lash out irrationally when they come together for their brief stint. I don't know what it is in particular about him, but Quinn just seems so much more REAL... He is not afraid to tell it like it is, or what he thinks even if it throws him out of his comfort zone. Gavin just seems to be more a yes man; he will accomplish whatever it takes to please you. I don't want a pleaser; give me a man that will tell you when you wrong and stand up for you when your right... AKA Quinn!!!! All of the Paradise Diaries are clean young adult romances that will make your heart skip a beat. I am anxious to she what Cole will do with Gavin in book three. Will he continue to be the person we have know, or like Mia will this twist his character. More importantly, will a special someone make him into a even better man.
~BookWhisperer Reviewer JO~(less)

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Dec 03, 2012 Radiant rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved Dante's girl..so when i saw there will be a series and we get to read Mia's story..i was more than happy.

Mia has always rebelled..being the daughter of politician comes with both good and bad perks she has to face.

Her only friends are Gavin,Dante and Reece..with Dante and Reece in America..she is left with Gavin.

So when Quinn..Reecee's crush comes as exchange student..Mia is attracted to him.

But Caberra has suffered from a earthquake and Mia is stuck in accident where she loses her memor...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Vivian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-arcs, 4-stars, reviewed, blog-tours

After reading Dante’s Girl I couldn’t wait to go back to Caberra, a true land of paradise, and fall in love all over again. I have to say that I’m becoming a serious fan of companion novels, the perfect way to revisit the characters you love, without it being overkill. Courtney’s writing is still just as hilarious and fun as the first.

In Mia’s Heart, we get to see everything through the eyes of Dante’s friend Mia, who is an outgoing, wild-child kind of girl with a good heart. After she gets amne...more After reading Dante’s Girl I couldn’t wait to go back to Caberra, a true land of paradise, and fall in love all over again. I have to say that I’m becoming a serious fan of companion novels, the perfect way to revisit the characters you love, without it being overkill. Courtney’s writing is still just as hilarious and fun as the first.

In Mia’s Heart, we get to see everything through the eyes of Dante’s friend Mia, who is an outgoing, wild-child kind of girl with a good heart. After she gets amnesia, she struggles with rediscovering herself, saving her relationship with her parents, and finding love. Mia is definitely an individual, with her love of colored stripes in her hair and a personality to go right along with it. Probably the only thing that really got to me about this book was how repetitive it got with Mia’s amnesia. Her inner monologue about not remembering anything and things along that line was a bit too much for me, but I still breezed right through it. Oh, and I loved that Dante and Reece make a pleasantly surprising appearance in this book. I knew that their “presence” would be noted here and there, but I honestly didn’t expect to see so much of them.

Gavin and Quinn are both amazing. They’re both hot, sweet, and wickedly charming. I honestly didn’t know who I liked more, although I did have a soft spot for Gavin (I’m such a sucker for those cocky, playful guys). I loved how Courtney took the thought of a guy/girl best friend situation and gave it a different light, since Mia lost her memory. I saw how much Gavin and Mia care for each other, and they have some awesome chemistry. And Quinn is such a genuinely good guy, who ends up doing quite a few wonderful things for Mia that any girl would fall head over heels for. Who does she choose?! How can she choose?!

Mia’s Heart pulled me right back into this wonderful world of beauty and love, I devoured every word. Although it didn’t have as many smexy, swoony times as Dante’s Girl, I still enjoyed and loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to read the next one!(less)

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Dec 16, 2012 Live Read and Breathe Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

For this review and more Live Read and Breathe

So I am big fan of Courtney Cole and her books. I loved Dante's Girl so I was looking forward to this book and I was NOT disappointed with it.

You fall for Mia in the first book and you want her to find love because she is so desperate for attention. In this book Mia loses her memory but by doing this she finds out who she actually is instead of who she is trying to be for everyone else.

This book has a bit of love triangle and at times you can be e...more

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Dec 18, 2012 The Bumble Girl {Margie} rated it 4 of 5 stars

What an excellent sequel to The Paradise Diaries Series!

Mia is Dante's old friend, they've known each other since they started grade school and she's also Reece's new best friend. But after everything that happened in Dante's Girl, Reece and Dante couldn't bare to be apart and Dante decided to finish high school with Reece back in America, leaving Mia alone and bitter for being left behind. Her only friend being her other grade school chum, Gavin - the class clown and adventurer that knows exact...more

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Mia's Heart (The Paradise Diaries #2)

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