YA Romance

He Learned to Love Between THE BEFORE NOW AND AFTER THEN–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a contemporary YA gay romance newly released by debut novelist Peter Monn. THE BEFORE NOW AND AFTER THEN relates the tale of Danny, a high school boy growing up gay in Indiana and learning to love following the loss of his twin brother, Sam.

The Before Now and After ThenAbout the book:

Danny Goldstein has always lived in the shadow of his identical, twin brother Sam. But when a hurricane of events forces him into the spotlight, he starts to realize that the only thing he’s truly afraid of is himself. With the help of his costume changing friend Cher, a famous gay uncle with a mysterious past of his own, two aging punk rocker parents, and Rusty, the boy who will become his something to live for, Danny begins to realize that the music of the heart is truly the soundtrack for living.

My Review:

Danny Goldstein’s family dissolves the day he “comes out”–though the issues don’t surround his confession. No, it is also the same day his mother learns of his father’s infidelity and his twin brother, Sam, dies in a car wreck.

See, Danny was the shadow twin. Sam was bigger-than-life with all the friendships, girlfriends and sports prowess. In the wake of the family trauma, Danny and his mom move across town and he attends a new school for senior year. He is tentative, but actually makes a friend his first day. Cher, who is a spirited-outsider-girl, anxious to have a gay BFF. Danny hasn’t even confessed his sexuality, but all the kids he meets simply assume he IS gay, so I guess that worked out.

He also meets Rusty, a Venezuelan boy with bright eyes and a kind smile who may-or-may-not be gay (spoiler: he is) and an over-the-top-ass-riding-bully Pat Jones (who may or may not be gay…). Danny clings to his friendship with Cher, and makes a few other friends through her, though they don’t go to his school. Meanwhile he and Rusty become close.

Danny has never had a boyfriend, and Rusty becomes that–but Rusty has issues: his young sister is very ill. His family has moved around the country seeking specialized care for her for years. She is currently being treated in a teaching hospital in Indianapolis, but this may change at any time. As such, Rusty doesn’t want to get too serious because he doesn’t want to be hurt if/when his family up and moves, as they always do. Rusty stands up for Danny, against Pat’s bullying, which leads to some low level stalking and a big showdown that calls into question Pat’s sexuality.

During the six months the books spans, Danny learns a lot about himself. His “Uncle” Alex, BFF of his mother from high school, provides some insight–Alex is gay and had a rough time as a teen, and Danny has a good sense of his story growing up. For Danny, life isn’t much like that–his punk-rocker-grown-up parents accept his sexuality–almost eerily so. They shower him with acceptance and love, in a way that feels stifling, as if they are afraid he’ll get too depressed and kill himself and they’ll be left with no children; it’s almost its own burden.

There are some other, larger, societal issues–teen pregnancy, grief, the “out of control” aspect of teen life, homophobia, and bullying–touched on. Danny, after many months of not speaking about/dealing with his emotions regarding Sam’s death, his parent’s divorce, his own homosexuality, and his love-and-loss regarding Rusty, finally opens up to his therapist and gains some closure as well as the strength to grow into his own person–outside of the shadow of Sam and his parents’ expectations.

The ends wraps up tightly, with a rather solid happy. This is an excellent book for gay and questioning teens with lovely language and believable characters. For all that I have described here, I haven’t even done the novel’s plot justice. It moves so fast, and with such grace, I read it in a day.

Interested? You can find THE BEFORE NOW AND AFTER THEN on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I received an advanced review copy via NetGalley.

Peter MonnAbout the Author:

Peter Monn is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana where he lives with his dashing husband Alex and their brood of dogs named after their favorite literary muses. He is known for being one half of the infamous celebrity interview team, http://raannt.com, as well as being a Huffington Post Gay Voices guest blogger. Besides being a life coach, a dreamer, a romantic, a moon-child and a lover of carnivals, night swimming and driving around late at night, he is also a writer. His first book, The Before Now and After Then, is now available.

You can find Peter on his website, Goodreads, Facebook and twitter.

Thanks for popping by and keep reading my friends!

She Learned HOW TO FALL (Just in Time!)–A Review

Hi all! Today’s book is a contemporary YA mystery, with a hint of romance. HOW TO FALL by Jane Casey is a page turning whodunit…if there was a “dun” done, that is.

How to FallAbout the book:

Sixteen-year-old Jess Tennant has never met any of her relatives, until her mom suddenly drags her out of London to spend the summer in the tiny English town where her family’s from. Her mom’s decision is surprising, but even more surprising is the town’s reaction to Jess. Everywhere she goes, people look at her like they’ve seen a ghost. In a way, they have—she looks just like her cousin Freya, who died shortly before Jess came to town.

Jess immediately feels a strange connection to Freya, whom she never got to meet alive. But the more Jess learns about the secrets Freya was keeping while she was alive, the more suspicious Freya’s death starts to look. One thing is for sure: this will be anything but the safe, boring summer in the country Jess was expecting.

My Review:
You may recollect that l have, perhaps, on occasion shared my love of Nancy Drew? It was these novels, about a smart, tenacious teen girl taking on criminal masterminds that enthralled me to the point of being grounded…for reading. Yes, my father lamented that. Not that I gave him any choice; I was obsessed to the point of skipping my school work to devour one for the first (or tenth) time.

So, anywho, I’m a lifelong sucker for teen sleuths, which is why I loved this book. Also: Anglophile = ME!! Thus, a story of a London girl on holiday to visit her mother’s sister and home town for the first time in her 16 years is pure catnip for me.

Here’s the thing, the book didn’t start out like a mystery. It started off like a girl helping her overwrought mother get over her divorce. Jess isn’t bitter over her dad being a philanderer–she’ bitter that he’s moved on entirely, and she hopes that this extended visit to the small coastal town where her mother grew up will turn the tide of her mom’s depression. Also, Jess is anxious to meet her cousins. She has no siblings and longs for a bigger family.

What she didn’t anticipate was becoming her dead cousin Freya’s doppleganger. On the drive Jess learns her resemblance to Freya is so strong, her mother opted to stay away from her niece’s funeral, afraid having Jess there would be too shocking.

From the outset the reader knows something bad happened to Freya. (She fell off a cliff on page 5.) But, was she haunted, hunted or–maybe–pushed? The authorities, namely Jess’ mum’s high school sweetheart Dan Henderson, has ruled Freya’s death an accident. (One reason I love British books…the actual classification was “death by misadventure,” which sounds a whole lot more romantic…) Yes, Inspector Henderson is quite the enigma. He’s creepily over-friendly to Jess and her mum, despite being married, and he’s unduly harsh on his son, Will. Will is a town pariah for confessing some nasty business to his dad years ago; he’s also Freya’s closest friend. Does Will know what happened that night?

Through the weeks of visiting and working in the idyllic locale, Jess is befriended by Darcy, Freya’s best girlfriend, and hated by the town bully–Natasha. Nats has a good deal of obsessive affection for pretty-boy Ryan, and Ryan likes Jess just the same as he admired Freya. After a few altercations, Jess is concerned that her cousin was being harassed. Did Natasha bully her into suicide?

Few people will talk openly about Freya, thinking that each may have played a role. Will feels guilty for not being a better friend. Ryan’s miserable that Freya wasn’t into him, but that she paid the price of Natasha’s bullying. Darcy knows she let Freya down right as she needed her most. But, still the question remains–what sort of misadventure took place on that cliff? Natasha seems a likely target for blame, and yet Inspector Henderson’s admonitions to “drop it already, or else…” seem far too sinister for comfort.

While the love triangle wasn’t necessary, it was certainly handy to the plot. Jess is attracted to Will, whose tap runs lukewarm most of the time. Ryan’s attracted to Jess, much to Natasha’s psychotic dismay. In the midst we get some interesting interplays of characters. I liked Jess. She was sharp, and determined. She saw the suffering of her cousin’s family and her entire thought-process was to bring them closure. The big showdown revealed the killer–who happened to make my shortlist but wasn’t top three. I loved that I was fooled, a bit.

Pacing wise, the book cracks along. We don’t get too bogged in Jess’ head. We also don’t spend too much time in Love Central. Jess knows she doesn’t care much beyond friendship with Ryan, Natasha’s antics notwithstanding. But, Jess is sharp enough to recognize that making allies where she can will get her the info she needs to lay Freya’s ghost to rest. I really enjoyed and would recommend to any lovers of YA mystery. Just a touch of romance, but not enough to turn off the younger readers.

Interested? You can find HOW TO FALL on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I obtained a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Jane CaseyAbout the Author:
Born and brought up in Dublin, Jane Casey has been twice shortlisted for the Irish Crime Novel of the Year Award. She is the author of The Missing and two previous Maeve Kerrigan novels The Burning and The Reckoning.

Married to a criminal barrister, Jane lives in south-west London.  You can find Jane on her Goodreads page, her website and twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends. 🙂

Not Comfortable IN HER SKIN–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a YA book from Trina Sotira, an author a met a few weeks ago at a book signing. IN HER SKIN introduces us to Tirzah/Troy a male-identifying transgender teen, who desperately wants to find love with his best friend, Heidi.

Now, please, I am no expert on transgender issues. If anything, I am sympathetic and wish to understand more. I admit naivete to transgender persons in my childhood, but watched BOYS DON’T CRY in my twenties. The poignancy of the pain of discrimination, the brutality, and the lack of connection chilled me.

Over the years, because I embrace human equality as a concept, I found myself without qualms whenever faced with transgender issues in the media and my own life. Earlier this year I watched the moving Youtube presentation of Ryland Whittington and began to realize that transitioning children seem to know very early on that they are in the WRONG body, and swift parents can be a real help to their kids–perhaps save their lives.

Last year one of the contestants for Miss Universe was a TG woman, and there is a rise in androgenous and TG fashion models, most recently Andreja Pejic came out as a TG woman. So, slowly, TG persons are finding a place in society–I hope that mainstream acceptance will become the new normal soon, before more lives are lost.

In Her Skin
About the book:
Tirzah would do anything to cover up her girl body: duct taping her chest, dressing like a guy at the skate park, even changing her name. But two things are holding her back from transitioning into an all-male body: her best friend Heidi and a full-ride soccer scholarship. And when Heidi’s family disapproves of Tirzah’s transition into Troy, Heidi disappears.

College instructor and former television journalist Trina Sotira challenges religious, gender, and social boundaries in this fast-paced adventure filled with love, friendship, and self-discovery.

My Review:
Tirzah/Troy is a male-identifying TG teen in his senior year of high school. (It is my understanding that TG persons wish to be addressed by gendered pronouns to which they identify, so I will use the male, throughout.) He is a star soccer goalie with dreams of college, these dreams shared by his involved father. His mother doesn’t understand Troy’s dress–he’s not into the frilly pink designer stuff she wishes to lavish on her “daughter” but Tirzah/Troy rarely visits his mother, who happens to be a TV news anchor in Chicago.

Tirzah/Troy has a deep love for his best friend, Heidi, who is a Bengali girl in a deeply traditional Muslim family in the suburbs of Chicago. Heidi has more than a passing affection for Tirzah/Troy, but prefers to date wild American boys–including the party boy JC–against her parent’s expressed wishes. In fact, Heidi uses Tirzah/Troy as a shield–her parents see that Tirzah/Troy is a girl, even if “she” dresses oddly, so Heidi is allowed to spend time with “her”…at first.

Soon, Heidi’s escapades with JC cause big problems, not just with her parents. Tirzah/Troy desperately wishes to be a romantic part of Heidi’s life. There are hints that this happens, but Tirzah/Troy also knows that it will only occur in private–as Heidi and all his friends still see him as a girl. JC even threatens to “out” Troy as a girl to some skateboarding friends they share, in order to ensure Tirzah/Troy’s cooperation in dating Heidi on the down-low.

Tirzah/Troy is not alone, however. His baffled father is supportive, to some degree. Girls on his soccer team are also cool with his transition–one is REALLY cool with it. Tirzah/Troy invests more of himself into transitioning, but his “maleness” begins to worry Heidi’s parents, and that–coupled with Heidi’s lies about JC–leads to some serious problems in their friendship.

Despite bullying, and complete separation from his mother, Tirzah/Troy aims to move forward in his transition, meeting other TG persons and allies along the way. He even tries to see if his college scholarship will apply if he plays for the men’s soccer team.

This is a deeply emotional story, with well-researched characters and moments of extreme anguish to which any teen (regardless of gender/sexuality issues) can relate. In the end, all people wish to find love and acceptance in their lives–and Tirzah/Troy is no different. His love for Heidi drives him to deny himself for a long time, and he is still an amazing friend to her. Heidi is, herself, very conflicted with her love for Tirzah/Troy and her culture-clash as a “traditional” Muslim girl in “modern” American society.

It’s a positive story that I think TG kids will really enjoy. It suffered a little from being, perhaps, too rushed at the end. I really wondered what happened to Heidi, and if Tirzah/Troy should have gone to see her that one last time, but it ends with a boatload of hope and acceptance for Tirzah/Troy’s transition, for which I think readers will be happy. There are some instances of drug use, self-mutilation, and sexual experimentation, but it’s done well, and should be no issue for older teen readers.

Interested? You can find IN HER SKIN on Goodreads and Amazon.

About the Author:
A former television news producer and long-time member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators, Trina Sotira has spent over a decade writing for large audiences. Her academic work and Creative Writing studies have been featured at the Illinois Reading Council, Association for the Study of African American Life and History, SCBWI-Illinois, and ABC-7’s “Chicagoing.” She teaches Fiction Writing, Creative Writing, and Composition as a faculty instructor at College of DuPage under her dinosaur name: Trina Sotirakopulos.

You can find Trina on her website and twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends! 🙂

Cover Reveal–HER DESTINY by Monica Murphy

Ta-da!!!

HD Cover

A contemporary YA romance coming soon

from best-selling author Monica Murphy.

Add HER DESTINY on Goodreads

About HER DESTINY:
I knew from the moment I first saw him he was the one. The only boy I could ever want.
The only boy I could ever love.

They say he’s bad for me.

But I know he’s not.

Until the day he rejects me.

And breaks my heart.

Everything changes in the blink of an eye. My entire life as I’ve known it is…gone. Secrets are revealed. Promises once made are irrevocably broken. There’s no way my family can get back to what we once were.

So when Nicholas Fairfield walks back into my life like he never left it, I’m furious. Thrilled. Irritated. Excited.

Despite my confusion, I want to be with him. I love him. But danger lurks where we least expect it. Someone will do whatever it takes to tear us apart. All I know is: I won’t let them.

 

Don’t forget to read HIS REVERIE while you wait…

His ReverieAbout HIS REVERIE:

I knew from the moment I first saw her she was the one. The only girl I could ever want.

The only girl I could ever love.

She is light.

I am darkness.

She is innocent.

I’ve done too much.

She is good.

I am bad.

She is my every dream.

I should be her every nightmare.

We come from different worlds. She’s…perfect. And I’m…

Not.

Somehow she wants me anyway. So we’ll grasp at what we can. We’re going to make this summer count. She’s my secret. And I’m hers.

The problem with secrets is they never last for long. And when others discover we’re together, they’ll do whatever it takes to keep us apart. All I know is: I won’t let them.

Because Reverie Hale? She’s mine.

Interested? You can find HIS REVERIE on iBooks, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon

MonicaMurphypic-250x373About Monica Murphy:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite. A wife and mother of three, she writes New Adult and contemporary romance for Bantam and Avon. She is the author of One Week Girlfriend and Second Chance Boyfriend.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Author Goodreads | Amazon author page

Inkslinger

She Turned Out to be ONE SMART COOKIE–Review and Giveaway!

Hi all and welcome to my stop on the ONE SMART COOKIE blog tour hosted by AToMR Book Promotions. For other stops on the tour click here. Today’s book is a YA romance from newly published author, Kym Brunner.

In the interest of “keeping it real,” Kym and I met in a writer’s critique group years ago and have been friends ever since. I recently reviewed her debut novel WANTED: DEAD OR IN LOVE, where the spirits of Bonnie and Clyde come back. In THIS book, Kym went back ‘to her roots’ and wrote a contemporary romance about a first-generation Polish immigrant girl finding love and making peace in her family. I’m so excited to share this with all of you!

One Smart CookieAbout the book:
Sixteen year old Sophie Dumbrowski, is an adorably inept teen living above her family-owned Polish bakery with her man-hungry mother and her spirit-conjuring grandmother, who together, are determined to find Sophie the perfect boyfriend.

But when Sophie meets two hot guys on the same day, she wonders if  this a blessing or a curse. And is Sophie’s inability to choose part of the reason the bakery business is failing miserably? The three generations of women need to use their heads, along with their hearts, to figure things out…before it’s too late.

My Review:
Sophie Dumbrowski is a typical teenage girl. She wants to have a fun summer, meet a cool guy, and avoid working in her family bakery as much as possible. Her grandma, Busia, offers to help Sophie find a good boy–with a small “spell”. Not really, more of a bargain with Dola, a Polish spirit. Sophie thinks it’s just Busia’s usual eccentricity–her grams is always praying for something, and agrees to the charm, against her mother’s orders. See, Sophie’s mom things her mother’s Polish charms are a whole lot of hoo-ha.

Of course, in order to ask Dola to help Sophie, Sophie must agree to not fight with her mom. Which, if you are a teenaged girl, is next to impossible. Besides, her mom is total slave-driver! Almost immediately after the charm is cast, Sophie and her mom argue, to Busia’s (and Dola’s?) dismay. In fact, Sophie gets FIRED! How does a girl get fired from her own bakery?! Her mom doesn’t budge and Sophie’s on her way out to cool down/find a new job when she meets not one, but TWO! attractive boys. Giovanni is a landscaper working on a newly opened business down the block from her home, and Nick is a sales boy at the pet shop where Sophie gets hired.

What Would Dola Do? you may ask? Well, whatever Dola thinks, Sophie decides to try both guys on–to see which is the best fit for her. See, she’s only ever had three dates, and the prospect of two suitors is pretty enticing. Not that she wants to ruin a good thing, either. It’s kinda too soon to decide which guy would be better. One is kind, steadfast and fun, and the other is flashy and exciting–but not in a legal way.

One the other hand, Sophie’s new job is not working out, and her mom is spending money they don’t have to get new customers into the shop. A new International supermarket is stealing away their business, and Eliza, the girl she hired to replace Sophie, thinks transforming their Polish bakery into an organic eatery will bring in a whole new clientele. Still, the bakery is failing and, with all that drama and juggling two boys, it seems Sophie’s in big trouble.

Busia is sure Dola is to blame. Sophie breaking her word and arguing with her mother has caused a rift they need to repair–and having two boyfriends is also bad luck, according to Busia. It takes some hard work, and some serious apologizing, but Sophie manages to repair her relationships–and build better stronger ones moving forward.

I adored this book! The Polish immigrant backdrop is so lovely, and works beautifully with the Chicago environment. The war between American assimilation and cultural identity is so lovingly detailed. Sophie is a funny narrator–she has a potty mouth at times, but she sounds like “Anygirl,” to me. The mess she gets entangled with–between Gio and Nick–is realistic and well-considered. There are instances of teen experimentation–including alcohol and drug use–that also ring true, as well as frank discussions about sex, and sexual activity. I really liked how Sophie got her priorities together and made the best choices. In the end, I was so rooting for her, the bakery, and of course, Busia. Who doesn’t love a mystic-charming granny who bakes all day long?

So fun! Plenty of humorous moments–Sophie is a classic klutz with the bruises to prove it, and the brunt of more than a few cracks on her last name. I could so imagine her, out there in the north side of Chicago hawking kolatchkies, I almost lamented not getting a recipe. 😉

Interested? You can find ONE SMART COOKIE at Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Kym BrunnerAbout the Author
As the saying goes, I’m pretty much an open book. What do you want to know?

HOMELAND: I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois (Woo-hoo! Best city in the world!), but currently live in a northwest suburb that’s still close enough to get to the city in 40 minutes. Almost all of my stories take place in and around Chicago since it’s the only region where I’ve lived. I wish I could write a story that takes place in Greece, but I’d need to go there first. (Hint, hint, Husband)

SPARE TIME: I love to read and write obviously, but I also LOVE movies and reality TV. There, I said it. Point fingers all you want, laugh at me, but my brain wants what it wants and I’ve never been a good disciplinarian. Just ask my students or my lovely daughters, who laughed all the way out of the house after they did a few loads of laundry as “punishment.” 

FAMILY: I’ve been blessed with three beautiful daughters, a very tall, intelligent, and debonair husband (who might read this so I have to be really nice so I can get that trip to Greece), and two adorable dogs. Life’s pretty damn good, for which I am super thankful. 

WORK:Starting at the tender age of 14, I’ve been employed. First, as a hot dog wrangler (Sammie’s in the Portage Park area of Chicago), then an old-fashioned sign maker and cashier for PG Berland’s Paints, then in high school as an A-Accurate Answering Service operator (loved the job – hated the perverts who used to call and breathe heavy) and finally, for most of my life. . . a teacher. I’m teach 7th grade reading and writing all day long! And they pay me! What could be better than that?

Connect with Kym on her blog, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook.

***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
one of 3 ebooks of ONE SMART COOKIE
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

AToMRTours_mdm

THE RED SHEET To The Rescue!–Review and Giveaway

mia Red Sheet award ImageThe Red Sheet by Mia Kerick
About the book:
One October morning, high school junior Bryan Dennison wakes up a different person—helpful, generous, and chivalrous—a person whose new admirable qualities he doesn’t recognize. Stranger still is the urge to tie a red sheet around his neck like a cape.

Bryan soon realizes this compulsion to wear a red cape is accompanied by more unusual behavior. He can’t hold back from retrieving kittens from tall trees, helping little old ladies cross busy streets, and defending innocence anywhere he finds it.

Shockingly, at school, he realizes he used to be a bully. He’s attracted to the former victim of his bullying, Scott Beckett, though he has no memory of Scott from before “the change.” Where he’d been lazy in academics, overly aggressive in sports, and socially insecure, he’s a new person. And although he can recall behaving egotistically, he cannot remember his motivations.

Everyone, from his mother to his teachers to his “superjock” former pals, is shocked by his dramatic transformation. However, Scott Beckett is not impressed by Bryan’s newfound virtue. And convincing Scott he’s genuinely changed and improved, hopefully gaining Scott’s trust and maybe even his love, becomes Bryan’s obsession.

My Review:
This book brings to light so many issues gay teens face, out or not. Bryan is a victim of homophobia, as well as a victimizer. At the beginning he “awakes” with an overpowering urge to be a hero–to save any and all brings who need help.

This new attitude is more than exceptional. His mother is startled as much as Bryan. See, he’d been both a Superjock, and a Superjerk. His story will talk to you. Really. As Bryan endeavors to figure out what provoked his complete mental flip-out, he’s constantly addressing the audience in “Plain Teen Speak” which–my teen son tells me–is ‘foul-mouthed and direct’. So, expect cursing. Also, expect to move past it quickly. Bryan’s an engaging narrator–for all that he doesn’t know WTF is happening in his brain.

And that becomes readily apparent when he encounters Scott at school. Scott is strangely enticing. Is Bryan gay? He doesn’t know–and that’s troubling to him. Especially as pretty girls tend to swoon over him. Why don’t they excite him like Scott does? And why does Scott hate him?

Bryan’s confusion over his sexuality, his attraction to Scott, and their hostile relationship are all well-described. Bryan isn’t only messed up over Scott. He’s seriously torqued-off with his dad, who abandoned him and his mother for a very much younger woman, with whom he has another child. Bryan wants to hate his dad–and he’s been pretty steadfast at it for years–but the new, “kinder gentler” Bryan responds to his mom’s urging to build a relationship, even if it’s not perfect.

Bryan is convinced that the key to his mental issues lay with Scott–and he hounds his schoolmate until he learns bits and pieces of the truth. He and Scott had been dating on the “down low” until Bryan did the unforgivable. He caved to some serious pressure from his Superjock/Jerk pals and humiliated Scott in order to hide his own attraction. And Scott’s not likely to forget it.

There was this part, where Bryan realizes all his teammates already knew about himself and Scott–and wonders what it was he was hiding for…

RS 5 Promoand he recognizes the futility of all his bullying shenanigans. In the end, coming out is just what he has to do, even if Scott will never accept him as a boyfriend. In fact, Bryan’s willing to take any friendship that Scott will offer in order to be close to him.

This causes more issues, and prompts Bryan to move his alliance from the Superjocks to Scott–and build all new friendships in the process. The level of intolerance spans from simple taunting to all-out battery, something the new Bryan won’t tolerate. I was glad to watch Bryan “get it”. I was also glad to see Scott really consider all that Bryan does to prove his loyalty and friendship. It was refreshing that Scott wasn’t a dishrag–he has a spine, complete with heavy armored plating–Bryan really has to work to gain forgiveness for all his wrongs, and he does it all with a sense of style–even joining a flash mob for a teacher to hang with Scott.

By the end I was so rooting for Scott to accept Bryan–the New Bryan–that I was reading as fast as I possibly could to get to the end–and was relieved to find the resolution excellent. 

How about a little taste:
“Hey, you guys!” Marley plunked her ass down on the chair across the table from me. As usual, Kathy followed closely behind and hovered by her shoulder when Marley sat down. “I’ve got big news!”

We all turned to her at once. Josh even put down his walnut-grape-granola-goat-cheese-chicken-salad sandwich on focaccia to give her his full attention. “What’s up?” he asked between enthusiastic chews.

“I just heard some teachers talking in the hall. And they said that Friday is Miss
Libby’s thirtieth birthday.”

Kathy pursed her green lips. “We can’t let it pass without doing something for her. She’s the coolest teacher at Appleton.”

“You know what would be so funny?” It was Josh again. “It would be such a riot if we set up a flash mob for her.”

We all laughed, just imagining it in our heads.

“No, seriously,” Josh said. “We should set up a flash mob for her. Doesn’t she have lunch duty on most Fridays?”

Is this the Josh I know?

But, then, what did I have to lose? “I’m in.” It was the least I could do for Miss Libby, who’d given me a chance to redeem myself with Scotty.

“You’d do that?” Scott appeared absolutely scandalized. “What about those guys?” He again nodded toward the Superjocks. “They’ll never let you live it down.”

“Ask me if I care?”

Scott just sat there, his full spoon frozen just beneath his lips.

When Scott didn’t voice the question, David did. “D-do y-you c-care?”

I looked squarely at David. “Not even slightly. Plus, you should see me dance. It
is something to behold.”

Josh rolled his eyes, because he’d seen it a time or two, but everyone else seated
at the Social Justice League Table nodded and grinned.

“I’ll get together as many kids as I can and I’ll find some music. We can practice at the community center right after school on Thursday. I’ll reserve it.” Marley was always on top of those kinds of things.

That posed a problem for me, though: basketball practice. But I had new priorities. I would work it out. “I’ll be there. How about all of you?”

Everybody nodded again. Scott had turned an enticing shade of pink.

I looked right at him and said, “Then Thursday after school is a date.”

Interested? You can find THE RED SHEET on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Dreamspinner Press.

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Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win:
one of (2) ecopies of THE RED SHEET
and (2) THE RED SHEET Swag Bag
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five non-pedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled men and their relationships, and she believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.

Mia is proud of her involvement with the Human Rights Campaign and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Themes Mia always writes about: Sweetness. Unconventional love, tortured/damaged heroes – only love can save them. You can find Mia on her website, Amazon, Facebook, and Goodreads.
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Postcards From the Edge of Love–THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME–A Review

Hi there! Today’s book is a YA romance by Jennifer E Smith. I adored THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, so I couldn’t resist a second effort. THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME is another quiet romance about two lonely kids who connect in a New York black out–and then spend very little time together.

So much for romance! you say? Don’t worry, HEA…

The Geography of You and MeAbout the book:

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they’re rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen’s relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and — finally — a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith’s new novel shows that the center of the world isn’t necessarily a place. It can be a person, too

My review:
Okay, so, this review needs some theme music. And, as I’m a hip reviewer, I’m up on all the crazy beats these kids bang these days. (Tongue-in-cheek humor aside, I’m a fan of the Arctic Monkeys). The book, at it’s core, is about trepidation. Fear that the one person you *think* you might like won’t “Like Like” you back. It’s about: Do I Wanna Know?


(Well, to me, anyhow…)

Now, in light of that auditory experience, we can fully appreciate the kind of emotional tension that exists between Lucy–a rich gal with absent parents–and Owen–a poor boy who just lost his mother and home and has to support his grieving, broken dad.

Lucy has had the privilege of a good life, a private school education, and a bunch of nannies. She’s 16 and hardly been anywhere her jet set parents have visited. They’re in Paris when Manhattan goes dark and Lucy’s caught in an elevator with the new super’s teenaged son, Owen. Lucy is an optimistic introvert. She longs for life to begin, but isn’t sure how it should start. Not trapped in the dark with a boy, most likely….

Owen’s 17 and angry. His mother died just over a month ago in a car wreck. His father is a train wreck of grief and unemployment. They moved from a house in Small Town Pennsylvania to a basement apartment to take the building super job. In the posh building, Owen knows he’s second class, and he detests how the city sounds overwhelm and the lights consume the starlight. This is a serious problem for Owen–his passion is astronomy. When the power goes down Owen knows two things: he hates New York, and his dad is in big trouble. His ” field trip” to leave flowers at Coney Island to memorialize their anniversary, has left him miles away from a building in crisis. Still, Owen’s distracted from his grief and fear by the girl whose cheerful nature and love of her city is effusive.

After they are rescued from the elevator they have no one to report to, and no way of reporting–the whole eastern seaboard has no power–so they hang out together all night on the roof of the building. It’s a warm, clear night and the stars are brilliant. Chatting, they give away pieces of theirselves they have never given away before. It’s a little bit serendipity, little bit longing, and wholly innocent. Lucy reveals her deep desire to travel, and her inner hurt that her parents never include her. Is she so unimportant? Owen talks about his mother, and his desire to go to college, but his fear of leaving his dad completely alone in the world. Can he?

In the days that follow, Lucy’s flown to London to join her parents, who are heartsick that she was alone so long in such dire straights. Owen’s father loses his job, and their apartment, and he and Owen decide to go the vagabond route exploring America together.

Their paths separate, but they connect via postcards, and emails. For a bit. See, Lucy’s dad relocates them to Scotland where she’s suddenly more than the bookish lonely girl–she makes friends and snags a delectable beau, but somehow he doesn’t quite “get” her as Owen had. Owen, plagued with a dad who is rootless, settles infrequently and for little time. When they take up in Lake Tahoe he finds a job and meets a girl he likes, but the feelings are superficial and temporary. Meanwhile, he wonders about Lucy and her new life…

A christmastime reconnection with Owen and Lucy is a disaster, and the communication ceases.

For a bit…I’m not telling more, but this is a romance, and there is an HEA. So, there.

I really enjoyed the lyrical language of this book. The kids are human without being stereotypical. The parents are subject to whimsy, which I hadn’t expected, and yet the kids are relatively stable, learning that geography means very little when your heart gets involved. And that’s why Christmas was a bust. They had developed feelings in absencia using the other as a barometer for each new connection.

Their reticence to commit to those feelings, or even divulge them, (see: Do I wanna Know? Above) is classic teen behavior, even if it’s a distance of 7000 miles, instead of a cafeteria, that separates them. I truly enjoyed this introspective, teen read. Again, it’s innocent–the barest of kisses occur–and yet, it somehow felt very intimate. Both Lucy and Owen tell the story, and I thought both characters were well-described, likable and interesting. The build of anticipation is palpable even if the characters wander, muddle, and ponder a lot, so I didn’t trouble over the pace, which seemed almost ethereal.

Like contemporary YA romance? This book is for you.

Interested? You can find at Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Or, try your library. This is a shoe-in for the teen section. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

Jennifer E. SmithAbout the author:

Jennifer E. Smith is the author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, The Storm Makers, You Are Here, and The Comeback Season. She earned her master’s degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and currently works as an editor in New York City. Her writing has been translated into 28 languages.

You can find her on Goodreads and twitter.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Mystery and Revelation–TRISTANT AND ELIJAH–A Review

Hi there! Today I want to share a book that I think could make a difference for gay youth. There is no doubt that LGBTQ persons have trouble sharing their “secret”, whether they struggle because they are afraid to lose their family, their friends, or their lives. There are many who believe sexuality is a lifestyle “choice” but I am not among them. I hope that continued gains will be made in both tolerance and legal status for these individuals–and this MY personal preference, mostly because I am a woman who craves equality for ALL, not some.

As a girl, I was empowered by reading Nancy Drew mystery stories because those books showed a girl with brains and mettle. One who did the right thing, even when it meant danger for herself and little-to-no reward, because it was the right thing to do. They provided the positive message I needed to bloom as a bookish young gal with an overdeveloped sense of fairness: That I was OKAY, and to Follow My Own Path–even when those around me thought a girl was meant to be married and pregnant instead of going to college and becoming a professional.

I like “Coming Out” stories for this same reason. They are so fraught with emotional twists. I wish to find those that have some heft to them and provide the same sense of “YOU ARE OKAY” comfort to share with kids that are in need.

TRISTANT AND ELIJAH, by Jennifer Lavoie, provides both a “mystery” and a “coming out” tale, so it thrilled me! It is my fave YA coming out tale of 2014, so far.

Tristant and ElijahAbout the book:
Tristant Whitfield has had a secret crush on straight Elijah Cambridge since the start of high school. He’s okay keeping his distance, but when Elijah starts visiting him at work and bringing his favorite coffee, Tristant begins to wonder if there’s something more there.

Then Elijah uncovers a scandalous old letter from Tristant’s great uncle tucked away in a book, and the two boys begin a journey through journals and letters to discover the real Uncle Glenn and the secrets he hid from his family. And Tristant realizes that Elijah has been hiding something as well.

A secret that just might change everything.

My Review:
Tristant and Elijah are two high school seniors in a small New England town. Tristant is out–has been since junior high, but has never had a boyfriend. He’s a self-described book-nerd with few close friends. Elijah is a good-looking popular boy who Tristant has fantasized about since freshman year when they were partners on a school project. They are acquaintances who strike up a stronger friendship over winter break.

One day while Tristant is working, Elijah pops into the antique shop–seemingly to chat. In fact, that’s all they do. Elijah brings him a coffee; it’s all very exciting to Tristant. This happens again the next day, only the two of them also pore over an old book that had belonged to Tristant’s great-great uncle Glenn. A scandalous letter from a Miss Rebecca falls out of the book–and Tristant is curious about the nature of his ancestor’s relationship with the woman.

Tristant digs deeper into GG-Uncle Glenn’s effects and finds a diary recounting Glenn’s time at college and his friendship, of sorts, with a man named Jesse. Tristant and Elijah read the diary to uncover the mystery of Miss Rebecca and instead learn that Glenn had a whole lot of secrets–secrets that Tristant and Elijah can understand and respect. Especially as Elijah shares the same secret.

I’m not going to say more–it’s easy to see where the book is going at this point–and I truly loved the supportive role that Tristant played for Elijah in his journey. Elijah’s anguish, and Tristant’s empathy and kindness are palpable. These two are really tender boys–and I’m glad that they found each other. The book is almost wholly innocent. There are a few kissing scenes that go no further.

Interested? You can find TRISTANT AND ELIJAH on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Jennifer LavoieAbout the Author:

Jennifer Lavoie lives in Connecticut in the same city she grew up in. While growing up, she always wanted to be a writer or a teacher and briefly debated a career in marine biology. The only problem with that was she’s deathly afraid of deep water. Starting during a holiday season as temporary help, she worked in a bookstore for six years and made it all the way up to assistant manager before she left to take a job teaching. Jennifer has her bachelor’s degree in secondary English education and found a job in her town teaching middle school students. Along with another teacher and a handful of students, Jennifer started the first Gay-Straight Alliance at the school. She is also active in other student clubs and enjoys pairing students with books that make them love to read.

You can find her on her website, Goodreads, and twitter.

Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Happy Book Birthday to SECOND DAUGHTER–A Review

Hi all! Hope you had a great weekend! Mine included fantastic ribs, time with the kids, two busted computers, and few great reads. Today I want to share a YA steampunk/adventure/romance from Susan Kaye Quinn–my dear friend and writing buddy. I reviewed THIRD DAUGHTER a few months back, and I’m hooked on the series.

SECOND DAUGHTER is the second book in this series–it is advisable to read these books in order.

Second Daughter (The Dharian Affairs #2)About the book:

Assassins, skyships, and royal intrigue…

With plans for a second skyship exposed, Third Daughter Aniri fears her sister, Seledri, will be caught in a war between the three Queendoms. Seledri is the Second Daughter of Dharia, which means she had no choice in her arranged marriage to the First Son of Samir—a country with whom they may soon be at war. As Aniri fights to free her sister from a husband and a country she does not love, she questions her own rushed betrothal to Prince Malik, the noble barbarian who controls the skyship—and whether a love pledged in the heat of adventure can survive the looming threat of war.

My Review:
When last we saw Aniri, she was due to marry Ash, Prince of Jungali, in a week. Her mother and eldest sister have arrived in Bhatki, Jungali’s capital city, for the wedding and Aniri had iceberg feet. She’s barely 18, and unsure that she could make a good Queen–let alone a good wife. Plus, she fears that her affection for Ash was the product of their adventure together. She knows he’s a good man–Aniri feels a bit…unworthy.

Then, on the eve of their wedding, Aniri’s pregnant sister, Seledri survives an assassination attempt and Aniri takes Ash’s skyship to Samir (with Ash’s permission yet against his reservations) to “visit” Seledri; even Aniri’s maid Priya and her personal guard Janak know Aniri’s planning to remove Seledri. Why not? There are serious rumors that Samir is planning to invade Aniri’s homeland Dharia–which would put Seledri at greater risk.

Arriving in Samir, Aniri finds the situation more dire than she expected–her sister’s husband is in a battle for the throne with his younger brother and Seledri is a pawn in the struggle. Aniri gets unexpected help from her former “lover” Devesh and and a person she hasn’t seen in eight long years, both of whom have questionable loyalty.

Still, they are able to rescue Seledri–not without casualties–and the return to Jungali should be triumphant. It is not. Aniri made some key mistakes in the mission, and Ash is ready to send her back to Dharia unwed. Her intelligence gained–that Samir likely has an armada of skyships–hastens Ash’s defensive plans, and his efforts to get Aniri far from danger. And out of his country. Of course, Aniri’s fickle heart had finally decided that Ash was The One….had been ready to pledge herself wholeheartedly, until he didn’t want her.

But, the best things in life are worth fighting for, and Aniri’s a spirited girl. She makes amends the best she can, proclaiming Ash’s worth to his people and rousing the Jungalis for the looming battle. Will it be enough to win him back?

Maybe. I’ll tell you now, the book ends with a heavy cliffhanger, but not regarding Aniri and Ash–their feelings are made plain before the book ends. Unfortunately, their romance is still on hold as Bhakti faces the first wave of Samirian aggression and Aniri has an even bigger battle on her hands…

Oh! I just CANNOT wait for the conclusion of this series! The tension has been great. Aniri’s mix of undecidedness over marriage and resolution to save her loved ones is a great back-and-forth. She is young and headstrong and courageous and foolish. Her imperfections remind us of those parts we see in ourselves, undoubtedly. She has only known Ash two weeks–that’s kinda short for a commitment like marriage, and her natural reluctance is refreshing. She isn’t a gal prone to instalove, but wants a lasting connection to her partner. All respectable ideals.

And Ash is very compelling. Far more so than Devesh, though that guy has come out better in this tale than the first one. Either way, Aniri’s got a lot to do next book to reunite with her love, and save Dharia and Jungali from war.

Interested? You can find SECOND DAUGHTER at Goodreads, Kindle, Nook, Kobo, AllRomance.

2978c-susankayequinnwebAbout Susan Kaye Quinn:
Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, which is young adult science fiction. The Dharian Affairs trilogy is her excuse to dress up in corsets and fight with swords. She also has a dark-and-gritty SF serial called The Debt Collector and a middle grade fantasy called Faery Swap. It’s possible she’s easily distracted. She always has more speculative fiction fun in the works. You can find out what she’s up to by subscribing to her newsletter (hint: new subscribers get a free short story!).

She is also NOMINATED for the Illinois Librarian’s “Soon to be Famous Author Project” wherein librarians hope to discover local authors whose “work will jump off the page for readers.”

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Goodreads

 Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Cephalopod Coffeehouse June 2014–THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

0ed81-coffeehouseHi there! Welcome one and all to the Cephalopod Coffeehouse, a cozy gathering of book lovers, meeting to discuss their thoughts regarding the tomes they enjoyed most over the previous month.  Pull up a chair, order your cappuccino and join in the fun.

This month I chose a YA Romance–because, basically, I had THE WORST book hangover after reading it. THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT by Jennifer E Stein carved my heart into mincemeat, no joke.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First SightAbout the Book:

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan’s life. Having missed her flight, she’s stuck at JFK airport and late to her father’s second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley’s never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport’s cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he’s British, and he’s sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver’s story will make you believe that true love finds you when you’re least expecting it.

My Review:

To get right down to it: Hadley’s family was unexpectedly torn apart by love. That’s right. Her dad went on a four-month sabbatical to London and he didn’t return. He’s alive, and well, and currently completely divorced from Hadley’s mother. In fact, he’s marrying the woman who stole her father away. And Hadley’s a bridesmaid. She’s never met his bride, and she hasn’t seen her dad in more than a year. In fact, Hadley wouldn’t be staring at her plane pushing back from the jetway right now if her mother hadn’t pushed her into accepting the wedding invitation.

So, Hadley’s not keen on love. She thought her parents had it–everyone seemed so happy–but love pretty much sucks if it rips your dad away to a new country and life. At least, it does in Hadley’s opinion. She gets rescheduled to the next flight, and encounters Oliver in the terminal. He’s a quiet, unassuming young English man–he’s nearly 19 and a college student returning home for a family event. They strike up a conversation that spans the flight. It’s a purge. All the misery Hadley had bottled up in the past year and half since her dad took his trip to London is spent out.

Oliver is an excellent sounding board–and distraction. Especially when he kisses her and the seeds of attraction blossomed into a budding love.

Then he’s gone–and Hadley’s still got to face her father and the wedding she wishes wasn’t occurring. It is a twisted experience, to see one’s parent so happy–knowing the misery this happiness created for one’s self and one’s loved ones. Having rid herself of her anger, Hadley is able to experience her father’s abounding joy in a way she hadn’t predicted. And, she’s able to give the one thing she never fathomed:  forgiveness.

That isn’t the end of the story however, and Hadley learns that Oliver had kept a pretty large secret to himself aboard that long flight. Can they find the common ground they had in transit or is the L-word a statistical impossibility?

Normally, I’m no huge fan of instalove, but this book–while the time frame is two days–unfolds so seamlessly it feels genuine. I was wrung out in Hadley’s point of view. What an overwhelming experience she’s had with the devastation of her parent’s marriage. Often kids know there are problems–but in this case, there hadn’t been any warning signs. Her parents were happy. Fun. Planned big vacations touring the US. Hadley and her mother were going to visit London at the end of the sabbatical. And then everything changed.

Hadley’s abandonment is a palpable presence in her life. She develops panic attacks, and spends months caretaking for her shell-shocked mother. She never has a chance to breathe, to grieve the loss of her previous life before it’s all gone. Wracked by anger, Hadley plans to cut her dad out of her new life–and had been rather successful at it–until the wedding. Understandably, Hadley wants nothing to do with the woman who caused so much heartache–who, by the by is not a step-monster. Still, after over a year’s separation seeing her dad is a knife wound to the chest. She has missed him terribly. And she comes to realize that having a relationship with him means accepting terms she couldn’t have previously considered.

See, there is no cliche here. There is pain. There is love. There is loss. There is gain. There is human life unfolding in a way that voids all plans and cancels all debts. I seriously ached for Hadley–over and over again. Her mom has moved on–met a man who adores her, yet the child in Hadley holds a serious grudge. I would have, too. Watching her let go of that pain, however, was excruciating. My heart had to stop feeling in order to not be overwhelmed. Oliver was a spectacular love interest. And the promise that these two might find love, together, was the jump start I needed to get past the strong emotions I’d suffered in the course of reading. (Disclaimer: I didn’t even hate Hadley’s dad when all was said and done–which is saying quite a lot about how well this story was told.)

Interested? You can find TSPoLaFS at Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and likely in your neighborhood library. I picked up a reviewer’s copy from NetGalley.

Jennifer E. SmithAbout the author:

Jennifer E. Smith is the author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, The Storm Makers, You Are Here, and The Comeback Season. She earned her master’s degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and currently works as an editor in New York City. Her writing has been translated into 28 languages.

You can find her on Goodreads and twitter.

Thanks for popping by my friends. Don’t forget to hit the rest of the blogs on the Coffeehouse. I know I find some great suggestions this way! 🙂

1. The Armchair Squid 2. mainewords
3. I Think; Therefore, I Yam 4. Words Incorporated
5. StrangePegs — Up So Down 6. The Writing Sisterhood
7. BOOK NOOK 8. Hungry Enough To Eat Six
9. StrangePegs — Lost and Found 10. Cherdo on the Flipside
11. My Creatively Random Life 12. StrangePegs — The Faerie Guardian
13. StrangePegs — The Ghost Brigades 14. Adornments looks at books
15. V’sReads