Hi there! Welcome to my stop on the CAMP PAYBACK blog tour organized by AToMR Book tours. For other stops on the tour, click here. Today’s book is a contemporary YA romance that’s sure to get readers ready for summer!

About the book:

Alex has big plans for camp this year, starting with making it the best summer ever. Having fun and breaking some rules will get her the payback she wants against her parents and her ex-boyfriend. Because of his disgusting texts, she’s headed to a super strict all-girls school in the fall. Then she meets Javier and revenge doesn’t seem nearly as important as getting to know the troubled loner determined to keep a low profile at camp.

But Alex’s trouble-magnet personality and Javier’s need to stay in the background don’t mix nearly as well as their irresistible chemistry. With her home life eroding under her feet and her last year of summer camp speeding to a close, Alex wants to make her mark on the world and squeeze every bit of fun out of her time with Javier. Too bad her old plans for revenge turn back on her just in time to ruin everything. Will she lose Javier too?

My (Recap) Review:

I did a full review on this book last week when it came out, so I’m going to recap what really struck me about this book:  AWARENESS. Alex is a sheltered girl always on the cusp of “breaking out” against her parents’ rules, against any constraint, in truth. She could be-dazzle: It’s All About Alex on her homespun t-shirts. Really. So the thought of going to camp to “live it up” while outside of Momma’s sheltering skirts isn’t a very noble one, even if it’s fully relate-able. No, I started loving Alex when–through some gentle guidance, and a budding affection for Javier–she recognized that taking a step out of the spotlight actually allowed her to shine brighter.

I loved how self-aware Alex became, and how she used her talents and her connection to make camp, and life, better for others–even at the cost of her own perceived happiness. I think this is what endears her to Javier–because he’s all about self-sacrifice.

Javier can’t wait to get his mom home, even if it means working hard to support HER through college. Javi doesn’t have big dreams for himself–and it’s all the sweeter when he gets rewarded for his honest efforts. Javier is not comfortable in the spotlight, but he’s drawn to Alex’s glow. For that he gets a bit of heartache, and a lot of good karma. Eventually…

It’s a sweet, clean read with only references to (potentially) hooking up and a few heart-pounding kisses. Safe for upper MG/all YA readers. For adults, it’s gonna bring you back to  summer camp. And, that’s a good thing.

Interested? You can find CAMP PAYBACK at Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

This is the second book in the CAMP BOYFRIEND series. We first meet Alex and the Munchies in CAMP BOYFRIEND as accessory characters. You can find my full review here. While they share some characters, the books stand alone. (I’m a series sucker, so I read both and I liked it that way…)

In CAMP BOYFRIEND, newly transformed cheerleader Lauren must decide which boy she wants to date at camp: her usual boy, Ethan, who knows her as the geeky space-camp-gal or her current beau Matt, the jock who knows her as a glam girl. It seems like a simple choice, at first, but Lauren has a whole lot of issues to contend with: peer pressure, boy pressure, attraction, familiarity, friendship…  Finally, she takes a total “boy break” and finds the comfort within her own skin before she decides.

It’s a fun tour through camp politics, mean girls, and friendship forging. I enjoyed it mucho. You can find CAMP BOYFRIEND at Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author(s)

J. K. Rock is the pseudonym for YA writing partners – and sisters-in-law – Joanne & Karen Rock. Although they started out sharing an annual shopping trip, they ended up discussing their favorite films and books, joining the same book club and talking about writing… a lot. Their debut novel, Camp Boyfriend, is the first in a three-book series plotted during family pool parties. Their creative partnership is unique in that they enjoy passing a book back and forth, each adding a chapter and fine-tuning the chapter before. Years of friendship has yielded a shared voice and vision for their work that makes writing a pleasure. Learn more about Karen and Joanne at http://jkrock.net. And connect with them at their Author Website, Goodreads, Tumblr, Pinterest, Google +, You Tube or Facebook.

***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win this AMAZING grand prize:
(1) Kindle
(1) $50 USD Amazon Gift Card
(1) Print copy of CAMP BOYFRIEND and CAMP PAYBACK
(1) I ‘heart’ Camp Boyfriend T-shirt
(This contest is open internationally)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best of luck and, as always, keep reading my friends!