The Fixer by Jenny Holiday #BookReivew #Giveaway

Title: The Fixer

Series: New Wave Newsroom #1

Author: Jenny Holiday

Genre: New Adult Romance

Release Date: September 13, 2016

Length: 35k words

Format: Digital/Paperback

Digital ISBN: 978-0-9950927-1-6

Paperback ISBN: 978-0-9950927-0-9

Jenny Fields is a crusader. The editor of her college newspaper, she never met a cause she couldn’t get behind. So when the administration announces it’s tearing down the historic art building, she’s on the case All she needs to do is get Matthew Townsend, the art department’s boy wonder, on board. They say he his talent is unbounded. It turns out so is his ego.

Matthew Townsend cares about art. And that’s pretty much it. If he has a reputation for being moody and aloof, that suits him just fine. He doesn’t have a family worth speaking of, and as a scholarship student, he can’t afford to goof off like the preppy rich kids at his school. He certainly doesn’t care about the art building. Or about the relentlessly perky Jenny, who looks like she was barfed up by Rainbow Brite. What will it take to the preternaturally cheerful girl with the massive savior complex to leave him alone?

Available at: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

The Fixer is such a fun and fast paced read. I loved the setting of an 80’s era college campus. Jenny Holiday creates such fun and witty characters.

Jenny Fields is a spunky go-getter who has her sights on saving the Art building. As the editor of the college paper and aspiration to become an investigative reporter. She’s ready to have the Save the Art Building mission be the crown jewel of her grad school application. As the title suggest though, Jenny has another need and that’s to fix things. She can’t fix certain things in her own life and so she focuses on things she can.

Mathew is your typical brooding artist. He doesn’t want friends, girlfriends or otherwise. He comes from a bad situation and is deemed an art prodigy. Mentored by a famous alumni, which of course leads Jenny to him. In hopes that she can acquire his aid.

The romance is pretty adorable as Jenny follows Mathew around and he half heartedly tries to get rid of her. They form an instant tentative bond and then get to really know one another. It’s very cute to read.

I loved the clever way 867-5309 is worked into the story!

This is a such a fun read. If you are looking for something light, fun and still romantic this is the perfect read.

Jenny Holiday started writing at age nine when her awesome fourth grade teacher gave her a notebook and told her to start writing some stories. That first batch featured mass murderers on the loose, alien invasions, and hauntings. (Looking back, she’s amazed no one sent her to a kid-shrink.) She’s been writing ever since. After a brief detour to get a PhD in geography, she worked as a professional writer, producing everything from speeches to magazine articles. More recently, her tastes having evolved from alien invasions to happily-ever-afters, she tried her hand at romance. A lifelong city-lover, she lives in Toronto, Canada, with her family. She is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Greenburger Associates.

You can visit her online at the following places: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

There’s no such thing as a lost cause.

Out Sept 13th – the first book in the New Adult College Romance series: New Wave Newsroom

Follow the tour and enter to #win a $20.00 Amazon GC and 1980’s themed adult coloring book!

Make sure to watch for books two and three coming this fall! Entries from all tours will be eligible for an additional grand prize!

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Sept 12^th
Dandelionn Wine Book Blog - Review
Library of a Book Witch - Review
More Books Than Livros - Review
Bookworm Dee Reads - Spotlight
Lipstick 'N Lashes Chronicles - Review
Books,Dreams,Life - Spotlight

Sept 13^th

OMGReads – Review
Mary Gramlich (The Reading Reviewer) - Spotlight
KeyReadThat - Review
EskieMama Reads - Spotlight
RhiReading - Spotlight
What Is That Book About - Spotlight

Sept 14^th
WTF Are You Reading? - Review
A Page to Turn Reviews - Spotlight
Never Too Many To Read – Guest Post

Those Crazy Book Chicks - Spotlight

Sept 15^th
Ellesea Loves Reading - Review
Evermore Books – Guest Post
Reese's Reviews - Review
Tangle Hearts Book Reviews – Spotlight

Sept 16^th
Fiona Reads and FoodSpots - Review
Miss Riki - Review
underneath the covers - Spotlight

Tour and Giveaway: Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman

To see the full schedule CLICK HERE

Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman

Series: Forever First #1

Publication date: June 2013

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Synopsis:

Maddie Martin's first weekend at college is nothing like she's used to. It's wild, like the wilderness on which the University of Bellam Springs sits. Roped into going to a frat party, she literally runs into Kyle Hadley. The boy she's loved since she was nine. The boy she promised all of her firsts to. But that was before his father killed her parents.

Determined to stay away from him, she throws herself into her music. Practicing piano eases her heavy heart, calms the sadness, and pushes away images of Kyle's face.

Until it doesn't.

Her music professor asks her to play a duet for their annual Graduation Gala. Doing so means she'll be assured another full ride scholarship. It's an opportunity she can't pass up.

But Kyle is the other half of the duet. And that means hours and hours of practicing.

Days and months of seclusion - just the two of them. And it's more than just music. It's passion like Maddie never believed was possible.

The inevitable happens. She falls in love with him all over again.

But, will loving him be enough to erase all the hate in her heart for his father? Can she look at him, and not see the evil in his family tree?

And maybe it's all a set up. Maybe Kyle is only pretending to care so he can finish what his father started, and kill her too.

My Review:

Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman is a story about love, healing and letting go.

I liked that Maddie gets tattoos to help with her pain. It’s a lot better than her doing drugs and or something else that could be worse. She only does it on the anniversary of her parent’s death because that is the particular day that is hardest for her to handle. It’s like she is wearing her battle scars on the outside and by doing so also letting them go. She is one tough kid; you can see some of her actions are based on the fact of the traumatic event she had to experience and from her sheltered life after the event. I like that she also has a therapist that is there to help her through some of her sticky moments. It makes her a little different than a lot of characters that are struggling with issues. Rather than it being like oh look she’s okay now she has love in her life, no it’s showing that her healing process is ongoing and can be for a long period of time.

Kyle is kind of interesting because there are many things that are alluded to about him but I’m not sure if he really confirms or denies them. He is a guy who remembers his first love, who misses her but did move on. He tried even though her ghost still haunts him. He has also had a tragedy and we get some insight of his home life growing up in flashbacks of his and Maddie’s relationship. I like Kyle and his not so perfectness.

Music is a coping mechanism for both Maddie and Kyle; it’s also what brings them together. They have to perform a duet for the Winter Gala. Maddie has no choice but to perform it, even with Kyle being her partner because it could insure her another full ride scholarship for the next year.

Evan....I don’t even want to talk about that guy.

I was a little bothered by Gina, Maddie’s roommate, there was potential with her character but at times she seemed to lack. I did like how midway through the book she seems to be there for Maddie more and I actually think she would almost be a fun roommate. I remember someone similar to her in College. There is an issue of rape that is very lightly addresses, along with the drug use. It’s one of those if you knew this happened to someone what would you do. Gina tells Maddie about some of it and then Maddie chooses to keep her secret rather than tell anyone. I think in reality it’s confusing to both girls about what to do in the situation. I wish it was expanded on a little more.

There were some things that come out in the end that I actually did not expect. We have to wade through the web of the reason her parents were murdered. It’s really an interesting plot. It’s what intrigued me about the book in the first place and I found myself needing to know why they were killed. So it does a good job of keeping your curiosity peaked. I wasn’t as much interested in how Maddie deals with college, which to me was a side thing but more about how the heck do you deal with why her and Kyle are apart. I keep wondering in my head what I would do.

AUTHOR BIO

RaShelle Workman is the bestselling author of the Dead Roses series ("Sleeping Roses" is being translated into Turkish, and will be available in print wherever Turkish books are sold in 2014), the Immortal Essence series, and the Blood and Snow series. She's sold over two hundred thousand copies of her novels worldwide in the past year, including Japan, Canada, and Europe. You can find RaShelle all over the web, but the best place to start is on her blog: www.rashelleworkman.com.

Author links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Giveaway:

Grand Prize Giveaway

75$ Amazon GC (INTL)

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu

I'm really happy to be a part of the Catching Liam Blog Tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. If you would like to see the full schedule. Go Here

Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu

Publication date: July 8 2013

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Synopsis:

Twenty-one year-old Jillian Nichols only has one rule when it comes to boys: catch and release. Boy-catching isn't just a game for Jillian and her friends, it's a lifestyle. After all, boys might be good for a dance or a drink and certainly a little under-cover action of the scandalous variety, but expect much else and you're bound for heart ache.

So when her best friends and fellow boy catchers start dropping like flies junior year, Jillian is determined to keep boys in her bedroom and out of her heart. Until she meets Liam McAvoy, the kind of guy that sticks around to make waffles and who can't—or perhaps won't—take a hint.

Study abroad student Liam doesn't want to be another notch on Jillian's bedpost. Actually he has much more interesting ideas for Jillian and her bedposts, but his student visa's set expiration date means he can't promise her forever. That doesn't mean he's going to walk away from the challenge of discovering why Jillian is hell-bent at keeping people at a distance.

Before long, neither is sure who is catching who—or if they're playing for keeps. Jillian knows one thing though: falling in love will not only break the only rule of boy-catching, it could also break her heart.

My Review:

I was really attracted to the synopsis of Catching Liam book. A girl that catches and releases boys for whatever reason. I thought hey this is cool the girl has the upper hand I liked the plot and I thought that it moved along at a great pace. Plus there was more to the story then just if Jillian and Liam get together. There are things that Jillian has to deal with and I felt like it was really done well at the end.

Okay so let’s think about Liam here for a minute....He’s Scottish, he has washboard abs and he can cook. Can this guy get any more swoon worthy? I admit though as much as I loved Liam, I was also kind of leery of him. Why is this hottie McHottster having one night stands and then making waffles? Liam turns out to be an okay guy. He is kind and sweet but also very stubborn, especially when it comes to Jillian.

I liked Jillian and I kind of connected her a bit. She reminded me a little bit of how I was in college, not so much catch and release. I wasn’t exactly doing that but she battles with a health issue that even though it’s there. We learn about what it is exactly as the book progresses. Even though there were times I was so frustrated with Jillian’s actions, I could also understand them. I was actually diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis when I was a sophomore in college. It’s not life threatening but it can be frustrating to control an illness. Plus at that stage in life it’s really hard for people to grasp. So for Jillian she is trying to juggle enjoying college and dealing with her health. It’s difficult at the stage for someone to deal with any kind of relationship with someone who is ill. So she holds everyone at arm’s length in order to avoid what she considers an evitable parting of ways. She really only confides in her two best friends.

I loved that Jillian has two awesome besties, Julie and Cassie. I liked how they had rituals that they did every week and that Julie and Jillian have their own apartment. It was so true college and it reminded me of my college roommate, who I’m still close friends with. I loved the normalcy of it. Despite Jillian has some issues, and I think for good reasons. She still is typical college student too. It was realistic. Although I have to say I wanted to know what was up with Trevor. I was way too curious and at the end I wanted to know what happened with some things. There is something that Cassie does that I want to know how it went over. So I manage to invest myself in the side characters as much as a the main character and I really.

I couldn’t wrap my head around Tara. Wow, I think some of it was meant to come from a good place and she is probably freaked out. Jillian seemed to reference that was the way she has always been. So it made me kind of wonder about her. I don’t think I could ever take her side over Jillian’s. She’s just a little out there.

The romance between Liam and Jillian is cute and sometimes very sweet. They have this chemistry that makes then attract to eachother like to magnets.

I really like the story and I think that the plot had a definite uniqueness. The book felt really realistic to me and being that I had some similar experiences I felt like I could totally relate. This made it a fun read. If you like New Adult, I think you will definitely enjoy the book.

AUTHOR BIO
 
Sophia Bleu is a secret identity where I can write about fantasies and falling in love and all the smexiness in between. In real life, I'm likely catching a plane, chasing kids, or making out with the love of my life—all 6 ft 3 inches of hotness that he is. Life is pretty good.

Author links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter

Giveaway:

Grand prize giveaway a Kilt Checker tote bag filled with Catching Liam swag and a $25 amazon gift card.

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Blog Tour: Taste the Heat by Rachel Harris

I'm really excited to be a part of the Taste the Heat blog tour and be able to present to you Rachel's Playlist for the book. I can tell you I've already listened to it quite a few times. :)

Taste the Heat

Rachel Harris

Pub Date: July 8, 2013

Publisher: Entangled

Genre: Adult Romance Contemporary

Synopsis:

One sexy fire captain. One Cajun chef. One combustible kitchen…

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she can’t afford to taste. Colby can’t wait to leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas.

Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. Disillusioned by his past, he knows he should be focusing on finding the perfect mother for his daughter. But when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason can’t say no.

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?

Taste the Heat Playlist

• Jenny Says by Cowboy Mouth. This is quintessential New Orleans for you. I listened to these guys at every Jazz Fest I went to and I HAD to have this on my playlist to bring me back to my hometown. It always made me smile Youtube


• The House That Built Me by Miranda Lambert. My heroine, Colby Robicheaux, leaves New Orleans at the age of eighteen and only comes home again for the rare visit until the story opens. This song plays a HUGE part in this story at a certain part, too. Youtube


• Daughters by John Mayer. Such a HUGE song for Colby. Also fits Jason in a few ways. Youtube

• To Make You Feel My Love by Garth Brooks. Enough said  (Love this song and it makes me think of Hope Floats, which ALWAYS makes me cry. Always.) Youtube

• Ready to Run by the Dixie Chicks. Yeah, my girl isn’t looking for forever…at least not at first (*wink*)
Youtube

• Back Where I Come From by Kenny Chesney. This always makes me think of home and puts me in the right mood to write about the uniqueness of being a Southerner
Youtube

• Just Might (Make Me Believe) by Sugarland. This just captures Colby’s inner-battle really well.
Youtube

• I Hate Myself For Losing You by Kelly Clarkson. Without being too spoilerific, we know all books have dark moments, right?? (*grin*) Well, this works really well for that. Youtube

• Who Says You Can’t Go Home by Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles. Pretty self-explanatory. Plus, it’s just so darn catchy ;) Youtube

My Review:

What I loved most about this story was that there was not just a past as an obstacle but also things in the future. The fact that Jason has a kid is realistic and something that has to be considered. Also the fact that Colby has a life, and a good one, somewhere else also helps put a wrench in things. Of course they both have their own skeletons that also help to cause some emotional havoc but everything in this book was very relatable to a large amount of people. Struggles that a lot of single moms/dads have to think about. How things in our parents relationships can influence our own relationships.

Loved Colby. Great female character, she might have some battle scars but she is a strong and intelligent woman. I also like how the guys are kind of drooling over her when she is a celebrity judge. I was thinking my head, yay you show them. Hot girl with brains and talent!

Jason, oh Jason. Can this guy be any more swoon worthy? Where do I sign up for the fire department in that town? :). I also really liked that Jason has a single father’s perspective who is trying to raise an almost teenage daughter. It left it open for some really cute scenes like at the grocery store. Emma often seemed liked the more mature one of the group though, of course. I think sometimes kids have hidden wisdom to look at things with less complication.

The romance is perfect. We get some great tension/chemistry between Colby and Jason. Also I liked how some things were not overly graphic, I can read a romance and not need to know every aspect of what goes down physically.

I love the family atmosphere that is created in the book. Not just from Colby’s immediate family but as a town. I liked how close knit so many of them were and even Colby mentions how in Vegas she can walk in a store and not recognize anyone but not in her hometown. The families are not perfect and have their dysfunctions but that doesn’t keep them from being close. I loved how protective Cane is of Colby and cannot wait for his book either. I also love some words of wisdom that Colby’s mom leaves behind.

This book was full of great supporting characters and I love the strength that gives the book and its plot. That’s why there is a supporting actor/actress awards because they definitely have their own importance and Rachel does an awesome job incorporating them. It made me want to know more about them and look forward to continuing the series

I loved the setting of being New Orleans, I have never been and I can say now I really want to go. I loved the incorporation of the sights, the food and the people. I was thinking how I need to write down the name of some of the places. I also loved the description of the food as well. I love to eat and watch cooking shows so the whole thing was right up my alley. Toss in a hot firemen and I’m sold.

I really loved the book and highly recommend it.


Rachel Harris Bio:

Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, where she watched soap operas with her grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading her mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up way too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, she homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches reality television with her amazing husband. Taste The Heat is her adult romance debut. She’s the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES. She loves hearing from readers! Find her at www.RachelHarrisWrites.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Addicted to You by

@NereydaG1003 @Becca_Ritchie @Nawanda_Files #YABoundBookTours

Thank you for stopping by my post for the Addicted To You Blog Tour hosted by the wonderful YA Bound Book Tours. You can see the full tour schedule HERE

Addicted To You 

by Krista & Becca Ritchie

Release Date: 07/01/2013

Summary:

No one would suspect shy Lily Calloway’s biggest secret. While everyone is dancing at college bars, Lily stays in the bathroom. To get laid. Her compulsion leads her to one-night stands, steamy hookups and events she shamefully regrets. The only person who knows her secret happens to have one of his own.

Loren Hale’s best friend is his bottle of bourbon. Lily comes at a close second. For three years, they’ve pretended to be in a real relationship, hiding their addictions from their families. They’ve mastered the art of concealing flasks and random guys that filter in and out of their apartment.

But when they go on a family boat trip, surrounded by open seas and limited male bodies in sight, Lily’s confronted with a big fear. Only one guy onboard can fill her addiction, and she’s sworn off going there with Loren Hale ever again.

Now the only person who can truly help her can barely help himself.

**This is a New Adult book recommended for readers 18 and up**

My Review:

When I first started reading Addicted to You, I thought wow this is intense and raw. The issues that these two main characters have are both major and probably more common than anyone thinks. While I was reading I kept telling everyone who would listen about the book because to me it was just one of those wow things.

Lo deals with alcoholism and although it can be assumed he drinks because of the pressures of his dad wanting him to take over the family business it’s not really concrete and clear. There is more behind Lo that he seems to hide. I loved his affection for Lily. Although it may have come across in a strange way sometimes. I think you could tell how he really cares for her. Addiction is a devil though and at the beginning I wasn’t sure if he would pick her over his next drink.

Lily is a sex addict and it’s something that I’ve never come across. I’ve known my share of alcoholics but this was territory I have only heard about. I was thinking about how I’m not even sure how people get help for it. It is interesting to see a book really tackle this issue and in someone so young. Her addiction started at I think 13 it said and now she is 20. Just think about that, she has to fill her need every day. When I started reading the book I don’t think I even really got what that means. To have that need she has to fill constantly.

When you look past the major issues that these two characters have there is such a sweet relationship between them underneath. There are cute moments and l love some of the memories they share from their childhood. It’s crazy to think that two people who seem to sincerely be in love, can also be so toxic for one another. They are enabling the other, not wanting to push too hard because along with their addiction they need each other. How can one to tell the other to stop without stopping themselves. I think they are also fearful that they won’t be enough to fill the addictions void if they do.

Great side characters. I liked all of Lily’s sisters for various reasons but my favorite is of course Rose. She really cares about Lily and for some reason Lily doesn’t always sees that. Since she is so ashamed of her addiction she thinks Rose would be disgusted with her. It’s easy to tell that would not be the case for Rose. Ryke is also interesting because he is more in Lo’s corner. The reasoning doesn’t come to light until much later but I think Lo’s addiction is definitely more visible. So Ryke is able to see it right away. These two are the ones that are really fighting for Lily and Lo when they should be fighting for each other. It’s just fascinating in way. I also adore Connor. He is so funny, blunt and never hides his motives. Even though he can be a jerk (by being honest) he is kind of a guy that I would want to hang out with. He makes me laugh and just is what he is.

I really liked this book, the whole tone of the book. The characters made you hate what they were doing and how they were hurting themselves and their families but at the same time you felt sorry for them. Like you want to reach in the book and save them. I also thought it was unique that the characters are not really completely saving each other. It’s more complicated then hey I met this awesome girl and decided to change for her and life is not that easy. I was in a relationship with someone who had an addiction and he tried to change for me and it didn’t stick. You need to want to change for yourself too and I think this book really gets that across. Addicted to You just has so much in it. So many intricate things woven together. I really enjoyed it.

There is a novella, Ricochet, that is supposed to be published August 1st and I admit I really want to read it. The books ending is solid but there is a part of me that definitely wants more and needs to know more. I will continue on with the series.

About the Authors

Becca Ritchie is a carnivore of pop culture, television, film and of course YA and NA books. While in college, she worked at The CW television network and put her vampiric knowledge to good use, blogging about hit series and swooning over actors’ abs. When she’s not blogging, she writes novels and has teamed up with her twin sister for their New Adult novel ADDICTED TO YOU. Available July of 2013.

Krista Ritchie is the mind behind popular trading website YA Book Exchange and created Nawanda Files, a book blog that also features books into movies news. When not pouring over entertainment news and the newest releases, she spends her time conducting research in a genetics lab. She’s happy to join forces with her sister, harnessing their twin powers to produce the first in a New Adult series.

Author Website│Nawanda Files│YA Book Exchange

Becca’s Links:
Goodreads│Twitter

Krista’s Links:
Goodreads│Twitter

***GIVEAWAY***

$25 Amazon Gift Card and Signed Paperback of Addicted to You. Open Internationally!

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Arrow of the Mist

Arrow of the Mist by Christina Mercer

Publication date: March 21st 2013

Genre: YA Fantasy

Synopsis:

Terror strikes the Celtic inspired kingdom of Nemetona when barbed roots breach the veil of a forbidden land and poison woodsmen, including 15-year-old Lia’s beloved father. Lia and three others embark on a quest to the forbidden land of Brume to gather ingredients for the cure. But after her elder kinsman is attacked and poisoned, she and her cousin, Wynn, are forced to finish the quest on their own.

Lia relies on her powerful herbal wisdom and the memorized pages of her late grandmother’s Grimoire for guidance through a land of soul-hungry shades, trickster creatures, and uncovered truths about the origin of Brume and her family’s unexpected ties to it. The deeper they trek into the land, the stronger Lia’s untapped gift as a tree mage unfolds. When she discovers the enchanted root’smaker, it forces her to question everything about who she is and what is her destiny. Ultimately she must make a terrible choice: keep fighting to save her father and the people of the lands or join with the power behind the deadly roots to help nature start anew.

Book Trailer:

My Review:

Christina’s Mercier’s book Arrow of the Mist is a book filled to the brim with adventure and world building. Creating a fantastical place called Brume, the land beyond the fog. That you feel like you experience firsthand.

I love the world of Brume. Many different lore’s were incorporated into the book but my favorite would be that of the trees. The tree lore was intriguing and sometimes slightly confusing. Only because I was trying to remember which tree was which, but it was always explained when Lia was talking about them. There was a lot of detail as to the different parts of Brume and how the sections interacted or didn’t interact with one another. Both good and bad creatures reside inside the fog and I loved learning about them.

There is a bit of mystery as we unravel the tale of grandma as Lia searches for the ingredients for the cure and many many riddles. I kept trying to wrap my head around them. Our true enemy and their intentions are not revealed until further into the book. There are many puzzle pieces that have to fit together first.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book, the romance was pretty light and barely existed. Honestly, I kind of liked it better that way. Although Lia is in love, it didn’t take over the whole story. I was glad that the adventure she went on was with her cousin Wynn. They have a sister/brotherly relationship and it was nice to not have a romance distract from everything else going on. Which not to say I don’t love a good romance but having only the small amount worked well for this book. They are on this epic mission and being that it is kind of a family legacy, it seemed appropriate that the two of them take up the fight.

This is one of those books that absorbs you in a way that you get lost in the world the author creates. So there are so many fascinating and interesting things to explore, to think about and learn about. I thought this was a good fantasy novel, light on the romance and left you with a cliffhanger to wonder what is going to happen next.

AUTHOR BIO

Christina Mercer writes fiction in addition to mothering two young adults, a pack of large dogs, and about 100,000 honeybees. Her varied interests prompted her to study creative writing, earn her official degree in Accounting, become a CPA, acquire a certificate in Herbal Studies, and keep honeybees. She took Writer’s Best in Show at the 2012 SCBWI CA North/Central Regional Conference and was a semi-finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakout Novel Award Contest. You can find her at www.christinamercer.com or working as the Reviews Director at www.indie-visible.com

Author Links:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Stripped by Brooklyn Skye

Stripped

by Brooklyn Skye

Released: May 14th 2013

Purchase:

Synopsis:

“I like you.” His voice is low and soft, which I don’t deserve. I look away, down the rutted parking lot.
“Don’t... waste those words on me.”
He touches my cheek. “You just need someone to show you.”
“No.” I ease back again. “I don’t. So please, Torrin, stop trying to swoop in and save me. I don’t need saving.”

College freshman Quinn Montgomery will do anything to avoid the mistake her sister made—killing herself over a boy. But when she is forced into nude modeling at a local college to support her family after a bankruptcy, she begins to crack, just enough to let Torrin, the university’s top varsity oarsman, see that the real Quinn is not as feisty and unapproachable as she wants everyone to think. But letting someone in comes at a steep cost and, it turns out, Torrin is connected to Quinn’s family in more ways than she could ever imagine.

Review:

I really enjoyed Stripped by Brooklyn Skye and thought it was a good solid NA read.

I really liked Quinn. I felt like it was weird but there was something about her attitude. She just seemed so interesting to me with the way she acted like she didn’t care. Sometimes her sister complex really got to me though, for a little bit I thought maybe they were twins or something since she was hung up on the incidents surrounding her. All the flashbacks she has kind of makes it seem like her sister wasn’t that nice. There are times when I think Quinn herself realizes how weird she is being but she can not help it. Quinn grows as the book goes on and as she discovers more things. As much as I didn’t agree with her reasoning for being with her boyfriend, she just seemed like people I knew in college who did things like that. Maybe I liked her because she felt real to me not being perfect and not always being completely likable.

Torrin was easy to like, the mystery guy that deals with Quinn’s bad attitude. I liked how their relationship started, it was pretty cute. I just loved his personality too, he was so endearing to me for some reason. I wish I had run into him. I was definitely wondering what the mystery was behind him and kind of had an idea about some of it. Not exactly but I was close and I liked the way things came to light about him too. He would be up front with some information and then kind of stand offish about other things. I think it was a, if you don’t say anything it’s not lying, kind of thing.

What I liked about the plot is that we know what happened to Quinn’s dad and we know what happened with her sister. Quinn narrates that part pretty early. Rather than her eluding to what happened and the reader having to guess. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t more to the story then what we know but at least we are on the same page as Quinn. Whether you agree with the way she is acting or not at least we know why she acts that way and we discover any secrets along with her instead of her holding all of the cards that we can’t see. The other thing I like is that her best friend knows her story too. I would get that sigh of relief like oh good at least she has an ally in all this. It seems like too often so many main characters and are completely alone and can only rely on new mystery guy.

Overall it was a good read, I enjoyed it enough that I read it quickly and wanted to know how things developed between Torrin and Quinn. I also liked how things were revealed as we went along, although I couldn’t believe her parents. I felt like I was mad at them at points, especially towards the end. I like how Quinn goes from a hardened person to someone who comes into her own skin rather than remaining in her sisters shadow.

About the Author

Brooklyn Skye grew up in a small town where she quickly realized writing was an escape from small town life. Really, she’s just your average awkward girl who’s obsessed with words. Her Best Selling New Adult debut, STRIPPED, is out NOW! Represented by Bree Ogden of D4EO Literary Agency.

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Blog Tour: Shutdown by Heather Anastasiu (Review and My Playlist)

@itchingforbooks @h_anastasiu

 

Release Date: July 2nd 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Purchase:

Summary via Goodreads:

The battle is all but over, and hope seems to be lost. Zoe and her fellow Resistance fighters are on the run, having lost their home, their protection, and their leader. They are outnumbered and outmatched by the powerful corporation that controls the world, and the cruel Chancellor is inches away from completing a scheme that would kill most of humanity. Zoe's only remaining option is to chase the impossible dream of upending the Link system, freeing the world from the hardware that controls their thoughts and emotions, and hope it will trigger a revolution.

The plot requires a nearly impossible mission to infiltrate the dangerous Community, and it is a task that Zoe must unfortunately complete alone. With challenges and surprises at every turn, nothing goes according to plan. Adrien's visions of the future now show two possible outcomes: one in which they succeed, and one in which humanity falls. It all lies in Zoe's hands.

Full of romance, high-adrenaline action and shocking twists, Shutdown is a heart-pounding conclusion to an exciting sci-fi adventure trilogy for young adults.

The thrilling conclusion to an action-packed sci-fi trilogy.

Read the Series

Review:

I was really excited to read Shutdown the final installment in the Glitch series by Heather Anastasiu. Override left us with such an unbelievable cliff hanger! I’m glad to say that I was really happy with this book.

Zoe has really changed as the story has progressed through the series but I think this book really shows that. She starts off book three being not just angry but at times consumed by rage. We have seen a girl that has had to learn to deal with emotions in the last year instead of the last 16 like she was supposed to. Plus she has had to deal with so much tragedy and conflict that would make anyone have that feeling of I give up. I think she has those moments where she thinks life would be easier to just sleep forever. She has lost the person she loves; well they will never be the same at least. She feels like she is constantly failing the people who look to her to lead them. This girl is definitely depleted. She is one of those people who you would say is already dead but she just refuses to lie down. There is a drive in Zoe that seems to override all her other instincts, even though she’s been pushed and shoved she just can’t accept giving up. Adrien says that Zoe doesn’t know how to survive but she does. She also knows that she cannot really live if she doesn’t save the people she cares about too.

For some reason I was not the biggest fan of Adrien in the previous books. I think book two I liked him better but he always seemed overly driven by his visions. Obviously Adrien had something horrible happen to him in book two that completely changed him. Although the basic components of Adrien are still there, he has become a different Adrien. I kept expecting him to change his name to something new. This new Adrien made me laugh at times; he acted a little on the Vulcan side. I was like; alright he’s definitely channeling some Spock here. He has become more fueled by logic than he is by emotions being that he has had them ripped away. I was wondering if it is mean of me to think that he is better this way.

Talk about a role switch with Zoe and Adrien. I was thinking back to the first book and how Adrien kind of had to teach Zoe how to feel, how to understand that there is more to the world then just what you see. Now it’s almost like Zoe has to do the same with him and she spends a lot of time yearning for the Adrien that was. I like when she finally accepts who he is.

We still have a lot of the same side characters, although their roles vary and they are not as prominent as they were in book 2. Max is still there and trying to gain Zoe’s forgiveness. His actions are so crazy and it makes sense for him. I feel sorry for him almost but at the same time I don’t.

So there is lead up to a battle and I was happy with how it played out. Sometimes you get these build ups and then you think in your head..is that it? That was not the case with this book. The action is definitely solid. I don’t want to give too much away about it but I really liked how it ended. How the series ended, it explains things and what is going to happen next. It was a good way of tying it up at the end.

I actually kind of felt like this might be my favorite book of the series. It’s hard to beat a first book, but I think because of the way Zoe and Adrien characters evolved. It sold it for me.


My Playlist:





Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson /  Reminds me of Zoe. Especially in the opening scene of book 3

Figure Us Out ~ Chelsea Lee / One of the songs that reminds me of Zoe and Adrien. There love story is very angsty in this book so there was a lot of songs that kind of reminded me of them.

Second Chance ~ Tristan Prettyman / This is my Max and Zoe song. You have to remember that in the first book Max sort of had a thing.

I Will Follow You into the Dark ~ Death Cab for Cutie / Another Zoe and Adrien song

End of all Days ~ Thirty Seconds to Mars / It's kind of that moment when Zoe is trying to decide what to do

Angel with a Shotgun ~ The Cab ~ Okay so this my choice for Shutdown theme song. It's just certain lyrics in the song that really make me think of the book "I want to live, not just survive"

About the Author

Heather Anastasiu grew up in Texas and recently moved to Minneapolis with her family. When she's not busy getting lost exploring the new city, she spends most days writing at a café or daydreaming about getting a new tattoo.

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