YA Romance

daynight? Mind = Blown (A Review)

I had the great pleasure to get a copy of the YA dystopian anthology WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING. It’s a 11 full-length novels for a tidy little price. One of my fave authors, Susan Kaye Quinn, has a book in there–OPEN MINDS–which is a super fantastic read as I have noted.

One of the first novels I devoured when I cracked the “spine” on WTMB was daynight. This dystopian YA romance caught my eye for the sheer fact of its handling of sex. In daynight, the kids are supposed to get ‘cleaved’ or married by their 18th b-day. This is a non-revokable marriage and occurs on an alternate Earth called Thera. My mom-o-meter was piqued, so I took the plunge.

Daynight (Daynight, #1)About the book:

2012 Book of the Year Award Finalist-Young Adult Fiction, ForeWord Reviews

Meet The Second Chance Institute (SCI): Earth’s benevolent non-profit by day, Thera’s totalitarian regime by night. Their motto: Because Everyone Deserves a Second Chance™. Reality: the SCI subjects Second Chancers to strict controls and politically motivated science experiments like Cleaving—forced lifetime union between two people who have sex. Punishment for disobeying SCI edicts? Immediate Exile or death.

Meet Kira Donovan. Fiercely loyal, overly optimistic, and ensnared by the promise of a full-ride college scholarship, Kira signs the SCI Recruit contract to escape memories of a tragedy that left her boyfriend and friends dead.

Meet Blake Sundry. Bitter about being raised in Exile and his mother’s death, Blake’s been trained to infiltrate and destroy the SCI. Current barrier to success? His Recruit partner—Miss Goody Two Shoes Kira Donovan.

Meet Ethan Darcton. Born with a defective heart and resulting inferiority complex, Ethan’s forced to do his SCI elite family’s bidding. Cleave-worthy Kira Donovan catches his eye, but the presiding powers give defect-free Blake Sundry first dibs.

Full of competing agendas, romantic entanglements, humor, twists and turns, daynight is Megan Thomason’s debut young adult dystopian novel and first in the daynight series.

My Review:
Kira has had a whole lotta change in a short period of time. Her parents were unwilling to pay her college tuition, so Kira tested into the Second Chance Institute program–it works like this: Kira spends her senior year of high school working for them, then they pay her college tuition. She’s nervous about the ‘SCI year’ coming between herself and her friends, including her boyfriend, Tristan, but that fear dissolves when all her pals are blown up in a huge explosion at an unsupervised house party.

True, Kira had just broken things off with Tristan for being a cheater, but she’s still shell-shocked. Plagued by nightmares of the explosion she barely survived, and dreams of a stranger she had only just met–Ethan–Kira suffers depression that she hopes will fade with distance–she enters SCI. Turns out, her new locale is an alternate Earth, called Thera.

Thera is hot. 95 degrees, at night–upwards of 150 in the blazing sun. Thera is a mirror-image of Earth, with all land masses and water bodies swapped, so all the parts of Earth that are water–oceans, lakes, streams–are land, and water only exists where the land was on Earth. This makes water an even more precious commodity on Thera.

Also, the majority of the population on Thera are Second Chancers–people who died on Earth and are “reincarnated” on Thera. They are only young, able-bodied folks–capable of carrying the lab-created embryos to term, because Second Chancers are otherwise infertile. Kira’s job is to help assimilate the Second Chancers, because they come through the transition from Earth to Thera via death their bodies are intact and their memories are clean slate–so they sometimes struggle–this is what Kira is TOLD, anyway. Imagine her horror when the Second Chancers she’s to monitor and assimilate happen to be the kids whose deaths she just mourned for MONTHS–including Tristan.

In this effort, Kira is partnered with Blake, an attractive, secretive fellow student from Earth. It soon becomes clear that the SCI isn’t actually planning to let Kira, or Blake, leave when their year is up. Part of the rules on Thera dictate that all Therans must ‘cleave’ (marry) by age 18. This is a lifetime binding, and dissolution or straying from one’s cleave will result in severe punishment–exile or death. And exile is almost certain death.

Blake knows this well–he’s a Theran mole who grew up in exile and escaped to Earth years ago. His father is part of the Exiler Resistance, and expects Blake to assist with a huge operation to take down the Theran government. Oh, and Blake and Kira share a house. The Therans are determined to maneuver Kira and Blake into a cleaved pair–trapping them on Thera forever. See, Kira and Blake have opposing genetic backgrounds–Kira is a Pure Light, while Blake is a Pure Dark; the union of these genes in their children would create half-breeds who could easily traverse the span between Earth and Thera. Such people are known as daynighters and they are highly prized on Thera as communicators.

I guess they hadn’t banked on Kira’s ability to deflect the advances of boys. She never even gave it up to Tristan, and they dated for a year….

Also, Ethan is waiting. He hadn’t perished in the explosion as Kira believed. No, he’s a Theran. And also a Pure Dark. He’d be the perfect genetic match to father Kira’s children–with one glaring exception: he had been born with a heart defect. The Therans are afraid to risk his progeny being likewise impaired. But Etahn’s the son of two very powerful leaders on Thera–and they have BIG plans for Ethan, plans that include him having a lot of influence on Earth politics. These plans don’t interest Ethan, however; having met Kira, he pines for the opportunity to cleave her.

As the story unwinds we learn that the explosion on Earth wasn’t accidental, that the Therans are taking no chances that Kira’s babies won’t be born (even if she won’t cleave) and the autocratic powers that be on Thera have absolutely zero problems with killing any and every person who stands in their way.

The three viewpoints: Kira, Blake and Ethan, tell a tale of Thera that is very different, and totally engrossing. Plus, the sexual tension is as high as the day temps on Thera. I adored the creativity that built this world. The transition to a nocturnal society was fascinating. And, the pureness of purpose these three have is truly remarkable. Blake knows he’s under scrutiny, and has the chance to cleave Kira in order to protect himself, but he can’t divert from his mission, or else the people who raised him will continue to suffer in Exile. Ethan knows he’s a pawn to his family’s ambition, but he seeks to find his own happiness within his circumscribed world. And Kira, she recognizes the danger in rebellion and submits to Theran rule in order to protect the few she can–for now. There’s a lot of maturity, and selflessness to be had throughout. It’s rather fun to have three heroes to cheer on.

The love triangle, as manufactured as it is by the Therans, is really quite fascinating. It’s not simply attraction, there’s dire consequences on either side of the choice to cleave–and some of the Second Chancers play a big role in keeping the sexual tension high. While it’s clear that Kira would be a good match for either Ethan or Blake, the reader will be hoping that Kira doesn’t cleave ANYONE, which is a unique twist on a romance theme. For all the talk of sex and cleaving, the book is pretty innocent. Appropriate to YA readers and above.

Interested? You can find daynight on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. daynight has a sequel, arbitrate, and a freebie companion story. Expect reviews of these since they kept me up too late last week….

What Tomorrow May BringIt is also one of the 11 books in the WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING collection. It’s actually the same price as daynight, on it’s own. So for $2.99 you’d get this book and ten others. That’s an amazing buy. Click here for the link to pick up WTMB. I’m getting ready to dive into some more stories from that, so I’ll be reporting back if any others amaze.

Megan Portrait (640px)About the Author:

Bestselling, award-winning author Megan Thomason lives in paradise aka San Diego, CA with her husband and five children. A former software manager, Megan vastly prefers writing twisted tales to business, product, and marketing plans. When she isn’t typing away on her laptop, she’s reading books on her phone–over 600 in the last year–or attending to the needs of her family. Megan’s fluent in sarcasm, could potentially benefit from a 12-step program for road rage, struggles with a Hot Tamales addiction, loves world travel & fast cars and hates paperwork & being an insomniac.

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

Happy Book Birthday to HOW TO SEDUCE A BAND GEEK–Blitz and Giveaway

Happy Book Birthday!

How to Seduce a Band Geek (How To #2)
Release Date: 05/06/14
Swoon Romance
Summary from Goodreads:
Sierra Livingston’s got it bad for her sister’s best friend, Levi Mason—the boy who carries his drumsticks in his pocket, marches with the school’s band, and taps his feet to whatever beat runs through his head. Sierra racks her brain for ways to impress the sexy drummer, but the short skirts and bursting cleavage don’t seem to cut it.
 
When Sierra gets paired with Levi’s sister, Brea, for a mentorship program, they strike a deal. In exchange for Sierra keeping her mouth shut about Brea ditching the program, Brea lets Sierra dig for more info on Levi to help get the guy of her dreams.

But when Sierra discovers Levi no longer plays the drums, his family has moved into a trailer, and he’s traded in his Range Rover for a baby blue moped, Sierra’s not sure if she can go through with violating his privacy. She’ll have to find the courage to ask him straight out—if he’s willing to let her in—and explore other ways to seduce the school’s band geek.

How’s about a little taste?
“Will you come here?” Levi asks, taking my wrist and guiding me—omigosh—on his lap. He slides back to make room for me, but now I’m like, straddling him. Legs over legs, one of his arms holding me steady, the other coming up and cupping my neck. I rest my hands on his waist, not sure where to put them because, holy crap, what is going on? I like it, whatever it is, but he still looks like someone’s twisting a knife in his gut.

“Levi, you’re kind of scaring me.”

He gives me this weird smile thingy, only half his mouth twitching up at the corner. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to scare you.”

“Then what’s wrong? Is everything okay?”

He shakes his head, keeping his eyes locked on mine. My lips part slightly as I wait for him to spill. But he doesn’t. He drops his gaze to my mouth, and my breathing picks up.

“I need to kiss you.”

Ooh! I like the sound of this one!


Available from:
Amazon * Kobo

how to date a nerd
The first book in this series looks just as fun…
How to Date a Nerd (How To #1)
Zoe has a great pair of legs, perky boobs, and wears exactly what she needs to show it all off. She works hard for the easy sleazy ‘you only wish you were me’ reputation, burying who she really is—an all-out nerd.

The only time Zoe gets to be herself is when she hides under her comforter to read X-Men comics, sending jealousy stabs at everyone who attends Comic-Con. Keeping up her popular rep is too important, and she’s so damn insecure to care about the consequences. But when Zoe’s sister takes her car for a ‘crash and burn into a tree’ joyride, her parents get her a replacement. A manual. Something she doesn’t know how to operate, but her next door neighbor Zak sure as heck does.

Zak’s a geek to the core, shunned by everyone in school for playing Dungeons and Dragons at lunch and wearing “Use the Force” t-shirts. And Zoe’s got it bad for the boy. Only Zak doesn’t want Popular Zoe. He wants Geek Zoe.

She has to shove her insecurities and the fear of dropping a few rungs on the social ladder aside to prove to Zak who she really is and who she wants to be… if she can figure it out herself.

Available from:
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo
About the Author:
Amazon multi-category and international bestselling author of HOW TO DATE A NERD, HOW TO SEDUCE A BAND GEEK and HOW TO HOOK A BOOKWORM
Cassie Mae is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. Her angel children and perfect husband fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.
Cassie Mae is an Amazon.com bestselling author of the teen contemporary romance novel REASONS I FELL FOR THE FUNNY FAT FRIEND, which she self-published. In addition to publishing with Swoon Romance, she is published by Random House Flirt.
Author Links:
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***GIVEAWAY***

1 ebook of How to Seduce a Band Geek & $10 Amazon gift
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Book Blitz Organized by:

Ready For CAMP PAYBACK? Reviews and KINDLE Giveaway

Camp Payback Tour Banner copyHi 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!

Camp Payback coverAbout 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.

Camp Boyfriend coverThis 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.

 

PictureAbout 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.

camp-payback-blog-tour-grand-prize copy***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!

 

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YA Drama Over A CAMP BOYFRIEND–A Review

Hi there! Today is the BOOK BIRTHDAY for CAMP PAYBACK, the second book by JK Rock, a sister-in-law writing team. Because Camp Payback references a lot from the first book, CAMP BOYFRIEND, I thought I’d share my impressions of the first book. Both books are solidly YA, and quality contemporary reads. Tomorrow I’ll review CAMP PAYBACK, but first:

Camp Boyfriend (Camp Boyfriend, #1)About the book:

The summer of Lauren’s dreams is about to get a reality check.

They said it couldn’t be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school halfway across the country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing on Lauren’s nerves and she can’t wait to return to summer camp where she’s valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth. This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status once she’s broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn’t even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.

But Matt isn’t giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together, Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with forever isn’t really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she’s more adrift than ever. Everything feels different and soon Lauren’s friends are turning on her and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions escalate, Lauren wonders if she’s changed more than she thought. Will her first big discovery be herself?

My review:

Lauren Carlson has had a tough year. Her family moved from New York to Texas, and suddenly all the expectations/patterns changed. Her dad’s too busy working to hang out, and her mom has instituted a plan to girl-ify this would-be astronomer. It works, but as her junior year draws to a close, Lauren isn’t sure she likes her role as a cheerleader with a football boyfriend. In fact, she can’t wait to dump Matt and return to Seth, the boy at camp she’s dated the past two summers.

Only, Matt has a big surprise. His parents are getting divorced and he needs some space. So, he’s going to the same camp as Lauren. Yay!

Lauren is crushed, but wants to be a good friend to Matt–who is clearly dealing with some bad stuff. So, she never bothers to break up with him. Or, tell him about her long-standing connection to Seth. Imagine both boys’ frustration: Seth’s been looking forward to reuniting for nine months and “his girl” shows up with a boyfriend, meanwhile all the campers know about Lauren and Seth–and aren’t shy about enlightening Matt.

Add to this angsty-issue the pressure Lauren gets from her cabinmates. These girls have spent summers together for years, but the NEW Lauren just blows away her more homely buddies. They are suspicious, and ticked off that she could hurt Seth. Any overture toward friendship with any of the high-gloss chic Diva campers lands Lauren in heat, as well.

This romp of a story comes with a heaping helping of “caught at the worst possible moment” coincidences. I think Lauren was the most timing-challenged would-be glam queen in all of summer camp. Any time she was in even the most innocent of compromising positions, she was witnessed–by friends, enemies, or one of her suitors.

Matt wants to really work on their relationship, and Lauren decides that’s for the best–in the process learning far more about the championship athlete in two weeks than she had in their nine months together. For his part, Matt is totally comfortable with the dressed-down version of his glamour girl, while Seth sometimes has trouble reconciling the chic Lauren with his memories.

There’s a lot of camp drama and shenanigans pitting Lauren between her girls and the Divas, and in the end there’s a rousing musical number, or two, that help to smooth over the heartaches of camp. At the end of the eight weeks, Lauren returns home for her sister’s wedding having given an invite to one of the two boys.

At the very last second we learn who captured Lauren’s heart. It’s a satisfying read. Lots of mean girl vibes overlap with Lauren’s (sometimes oblivious) efforts to bring both halves of her self into order.i really liked how Lauren decided to take a break from both boys just so she could figure out herself. I kinda felt like this got rushed at the end trying to skim 8 weeks into the book, which made the talent show escapade a little forced, but I loved how open Lauren was, and how she continued to build bridges, despite them all getting washed out.

Also, I really liked the candid conversations these teens had, regarding boys, relationships, and sexual activity. It felt very real. I admired Lauren’s moral compass–she was continually be faced with rivals, and while she seethed internally, she remained neutral allowing Matt and Seth to choose other girls if they so desired. Both boys were hot commodities, and had a flock of girls vying for interest, and yet they never flaunted this at Lauren which I also liked. With both boys being so up-standing and kind, it was clear Lauren would have a real catch no matter what her decision was regarding a boyfriend. The end was what I had expected, and it met my expectations, so I wasn’t disappointed. I think teens will like this book.

Interested? You can find CAMP BOYFRIEND on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

J.K. RockAbout these authors:

J. K. Rock is the pseudonym for YA writing partners – and sisters-in-law – Joanne & Karen Rock. After years of comparing notes on their favorites books and films, often dreaming up new endings to suit them, they decided to write their own stories. Their first Young Adult book, CAMP BOYFRIEND, is part of a three-book series. CAMP PAYBACK will be an April 2014 release, and CAMP FORGET-ME-NOT arrives in Fall 2014. Visit the Camp Boyfriend website at http://campboyfriend.net to learn more about the free novellas they are offering readers prior to each full length book. Individually, Joanne Rock is an award winning Harlequin author published in 26 countries and translated into 20 languages. Karen Rock writes critically acclaimed stories for Harlequin Heartwarming including her latest, HIS HOMETOWN GIRL.

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

WANTED: DEAD OR IN LOVE–A Review and Giveaway

Hi there! Today it’s my great pleasure to review a book for a good friend and fellow critique partner: Kym Brunner. I’ve known Kym for four years–so I had some sneak peeks into her debut novel, WANTED:  DEAD OR IN LOVE, as it was being conceived.

Wanted: Dead Or In LoveAbout the book:

Impulsive high school senior Monroe Baker is on probation for a recent crime, but strives to stay out of trouble by working as a flapper at her father’s Roaring 20’s dinner show theater. When she cuts herself on one of the spent bullets from her father’s gangster memorabilia collection, she unwittingly awakens Bonnie Parker’s spirit, who begins speaking to Monroe from inside her head.

Later that evening, Monroe shows the slugs to Jack, a boy she meets at a party. He unknowingly becomes infected by Clyde, who soon commits a crime using Jack’s body. The teens learn that they have less than twenty-four hours to ditch the criminals or they’ll share their bodies with the deadly outlaws indefinitely.

My Review:
This contemporary YA romance is tension-packed. Monroe is a troubled high school senior. Her mother died just over a year ago and she’s having issues with impulsive behavior. She’s got two strikes–one for shoplifting and one for vandalism–any more run-in’s and she’ll break probation and go to jail. Oh, and she can kiss her scholarship to NYU Buh-Bye.

Though she knows better, Monroe can’t resist touching the newest piece of memorabilia her father has collected for his Gangster Gallery–spent slugs that were used to gun down notorious killers and lovers Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. Who could have guessed doing so would rouse these two spirits from the Great Beyond. Unable to return the slugs immediately, Monroe takes them along to a party intending to return them the next morning when her dad isn’t watching.

Meeting Jack Hale at the party sets the plot into motion. Monroe doesn’t feel a connection to the cute boy, but he’s so attentive she can’t help chat with him about the slugs. Touching them allows Clyde’s spirit access to Jack, while Bonnie’s spirit inhabits Monroe.

Neither Jack nor Monroe really understands what has happened, at first. Monroe starts hearing a voice in her head, and any time she touches the slugs or other personal effects of Bonnie Parker she goes into a trance–seeing Bonnie’s memories as if they were her own. Yeah, Monroe’s losing it.

‘Course Jack isn’t having a great time either–any time he gets scared Clyde’s dominant and charismatic personality erupts. And Clyde’s not a reformed man. He knows one surefire way to make some quick cash–and it involves the words: Smash and Grab. Pretty soon Jack’s wanted by the police…

Aided by the Half-Dead Society, Monroe and Jack learn that their only hope to ridding their bodies of Bonnie and Clyde’s spirits is to complete their final wish and lay them to rest–together this time–on the anniversary of their deaths.

Big problem? That anniversary is twenty hours away.

Bigger problem? Their eternal resting place is in Gibsland, Louisiana, and Monroe and Jack are in Chicago–a 16 hour drive.

Biggest problem? The cops are on their heels and they just impounded Jack’s car.

Monroe is all for rushing off on the trip south, but Jack’s sure Monroe’s plan is cracked. He wants to turn himself in–perhaps get off easy for it being “his” first offense. This is something neither Monroe nor Clyde will accept–Monroe can’t become a three-time offender and Clyde had, and will, kill to stay away from ‘the laws’.

The story unfolds in alternating point-of-view–with Monroe and Clyde telling their parts. Clyde’s a bit swept away by the feisty Monroe, and as they drive toward the deadline he attempts to determine which woman he’d want to spend his ‘new’ life with: Bonnie, or Monroe. Still, it’s only a hunch that the spirits can be laid to rest, and Clyde’s itching to take Jack’s body over–for good. Nonetheless, Monroe and Clyde can’t avoid chatting on the trip, and Monroe finally feels a connection to someone–shame it’s a long-dead killer.

Throughout the journey, Jack and Clyde alternate possession of Jack’s body–and Bonnie’s jealousy and hurt over Clyde’s infatuation with Monroe leads her to cause Monroe some grave discomfort.

I adored the realistic setting, even in the face of the potent magical elements. More than just laying Bonnie to rest, Monroe wants to stop running from all her troubles. She recognizes her troubles result from her own impulsive behavior and wants to do the right thing.  Part of that is rescuing Jack, even if it means sacrificing Clyde. Like any getaway road trip, there are almost more obstacles than they can overcome. The pace is fast and the stakes are high: only two spirits might remain past the deadline, and Clyde’s desperate to be one of them.

When the resolution comes the ending is satisfying, while leaving the door open for another tale.

Interested? The ebook for WANTED: DEAD OR IN LOVE goes on sale in late May, but the hardcover can be pre-ordered through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the author:

Kym Brunner’s a lifelong Chicagoan. She teaches middle school reading and has been writing for more than ten years. She’s a member of SCBWI and a mentor to many writers in both in-person and online writer’s critique groups.

She’s addicted to reality TV, and reads books across all genres. You can find Kym on her blog, twitter and Facebook.

Wanted: Dead or in Love is her first novel, but she has a second (unrelated) book, ONE SMART COOKIE, coming out this July.

***GIVEAWAY***

Kym is giving away two paperback copies of WANTED:  DEAD OR IN LOVE via Goodreads.

Click here to enter.

Good luck and keep reading my friends! 🙂

Are they BETTER OFF FRIENDS? A Review

Hi there! I’m anxious to share a contemporary YA romance a la When Harry Met Sally. I was enraptured by the movie–the tiny vignettes from the couples, the excitement of changed feelings–and pangs of obliviousness. So, naturally, I jumped into this book: BETTER OFF FRIENDS, newly released by Elizabeth Eulberg.

Better off FriendsAbout the book:

For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?

My Review:
Macallan Dietz and Levi Rodgers are best friends. It’s not strange that Macallan’s a girl–and Levi’s a boy–because boys and girls CAN be friends. Right?

OMG. From the start I was sucked into the “When Harry Met Sally” back-and-forth of the prose. Brief, reflective vignettes preface each chapter, with the witty banter of Levi and Macallan harkening back to times of their greatest comradarie, and conflict.

Told in alternating point-of-view, we meet long-haired surfer Levi as a new student in a small Milwaukee junior high. Macallan’s a pretty, but withdrawn, girl–still bottling the grief of her mother’s death–called to serve as Levi’s guide. He’s so forlorn, sitting alone at lunch, that the reserved Macallan invites him to join her and her friends. See, both of them are a bit adrift, and they recognize that kindred sense of ‘not-fitting’ in each other.

Of course, the source of their not fitting is different; Macallan self-isolates seeking to be free of the pitying stares, while Levi craves to find his way in to the larger society. Despite these differences, they become friends. Macallan really craves family as she has no siblings and her house is so silent without her mother. Her dad tries hard, but he works a lot and her uncle is a minimal support, by virtue of his developmental delay. Levi relies on Macallan as a friend throughout seventh grade, but in eighth grade we get our first divergence: Emily, Macallan’s childhood BFF begins to find Levi attractive. And thus, the wedge is driven.

Sure, Levi and Macallan are still friendly, but there’s no balm to soothe ‘Third Wheel Syndrome”. Nor, is there a guide that helps these young teens deal with manipulating friends and cheaters…

Throughout all this, Levi and Macallan weather the conflict. In fact, it seems clear that they are ‘an item’ though they never date. Not in eighth grade, nor freshman year, or sophomore year either. They just have one of those friendships that is so solid they have all the inside jokes. And, they can finish each other’s sentences. So it’s natural that, when yet another of Levi’s romantic entanglements implodes, Macallan is right there to pick up the pieces. Only, this time, there’s something physical between them. A spark that Levi won’t deny, but Macallan never acknowledges.

And this eats Levi alive. So much so that he needs space to mend his bruised ego, and heart.

Of course, by the time he gets around to telling Macallan the truth of his feelings, she’s moving on. To Ireland. (For the summer…) It’s a long eight weeks of soul-searching for Macallan and she’s almost ready to open her heart to Levi, only, well…he got himself another girl.

Yeah. (I was crushed too, Macallan baby!)

Ugh. I wanted to just toss my iPad. Really.

Thankfully the Arctic Monkeys were there…

After absorbing the sage words of these lovely musicians, was able to forgive Levi and Macallan’s skittishness. I trudged forth and stayed the course, trusting that my heart, er, I mean Macallan’s heart, would recover. And, it sorta did. Not without a whole lotta clueless meandering–and at times downright nastiness–on Levi’s part. Still, when the call came that Levi needed her, Macallan was right there–to let the call slip to voicemail.

What? You didn’t think she’d just pine away for a jerk-face forever, did you?

Oh. But, she WAS the friend he needed, right when he needed her. And the end, as they say, was HEA.

Just. Loved. Swooned. The angst was churning in my gut from the get-go. It took me a tiny minute to figure out the two voices–mainly on those vignettes–but the characters were so lush. So vibrant. Macallan’s grief killed me. Levi’s overwhelming desire to fit in–it took me right back to high school. Recommend to all lovers of YA. It’s wholly innocent, so okay for those youngsters reading up. Not sure they’ll catch onto the WHMS theme, but it think the story will still resonate.

I requested this book for review via NetGalley. But you can find it on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Elizabeth EulbergAbout the author:
Elizabeth Eulberg was born and raised in Wisconsin before heading off to college at Syracuse University and making a career in the New York City book biz. Now a full-time writer, she is the author of The Lonely Hearts Club, Prom & Prejudice, Take a Bow, Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality, and Better Off Friends. She lives outside of Manhattan with her three guitars, two keyboards, and one drumstick.

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

Thanks for stopping by and keep reading my friends! 🙂

They Scored With THE ROMEO CLUB–Review and Giveaway

The Romeo Club banner copyHi there, and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for THE ROMEO CLUB. For other stops on the tour, click here. Today, I’m featuring a spunky YA contemporary romance by Rebekah L. Purdy that will charm. Literally.

The Romeo Club 1600x2400About the book:

What happens when you agree to help your brother “de-nerdify” so he can catch the attention of the popular Chloe Anders, and to everyone’s surprise, he actually lands her?
And what if his equally geeky friends come running with girl wish lists of their own, offering money for your services?

Well, if you’re sixteen-year-old, Delyla Denson, then you start The Romeo Club. A secret club where she’ll teach these guys how talk, act, and be cool around girls. It’s a win-win situation.

She’ll get enough money for the awesome prom dress she’s had her eye on, and the guys, well, they’ll get dates and maybe learn how to do something other than beat the next level on their video games.

There are only two problems with this plan. One, her quarterback/track star boyfriend is getting jealous of how much time she’s spending away from him and decides to try and figure out what’s going on. And two, Delyla is kind of falling for her brother’s BFF, Trey who she’s been hanging out with a lot more. And who thanks to her help, has caught the attention of the beautiful, perfect, and popular, Portia Rickard. With Portia and Trey heating up, Delyla realizes that maybe the person she’s meant to be with has been in front of her all this time.

But falling for Trey means she’ll have to take drastic measures including sabotage, with a capital S.

 My Review:
Delyla is a soccer jock and closet nerd. She loves playing video games and is in National Honors Society, and she’s got a hot, rich boyfriend, Rex. She’s popular and seems to have everything going for her, except cash. She needs more of it if she wants to buy the prom dress of her dreams.

So, when her geeky brother Logan’s buddies see the results of his makeover–essentially having a girlfriend for the first time–they offer to pay her for advice on landing their own girls. It’s a no-brainer. At first.

See, these boys need a bunch of help. From shopping sprees to hair salons, Delyla jumps in and saves the ‘Nerd Herd’ from themselves. And, there are some promising results. Each of the three boys breaks out of his shell, bit by bit. Delyla gets the dirt on each of the boys’ targeted honey, and gives role-plays to help them practice talking to a girl. All that time spent with other dudes? Makes ol’ Rex a mite frustrated.

Of course, she and Logan’s BFF Trey have been friends for years. But, now that Trey’s landed the pretty girl he wanted, Portia, Delyla’s missing his companionship. And, it kinda hurts seeing him with someone else. Especially when he wants bonus lessons–in kissing.

Eep! Delyla’s got big, BIG, probs. She’s hot for a Trey, and realizes her relationship with Rex is lacking in the “connection” department. He’s great arm candy, but he’s no real companion. Desperate to get Trey’s attention, without revealing her feelings she breaks things off with Rex and begins to sabotage Trey’s forward motion with Portia. As expected, Backfire Central.

Delyla does do the right thing–eventually–not before ‘outing’ the Romeo Club to Trey’s squeeze, first, however. Now, Delyla has her pretty dress, and no prom date. Rex is furious, and Trey won’t speak to her. Popularity? POOF!

But the hard lessons are learned, and it’s a fun, flirty, innocent story. Lots of accessory characters and side plots keep the pace jumping forward. A solid contemporary YA romance read with characters that are well-drawn and make real–albeit silly at times–decisions. If I had one hang-up in this breezy book, it was character names. Cannot tell you how many times the oddly spelled names yanked me from the flow of the story. But, I’m a traditionalist in that regard and teens who’ve grown up hearing celebs curse their kids with appellations like Apple and North may have no qualms…

Interested? You can pre-order THE ROMEO CLUB at Amazon. It releases April 8th.

rebecca purdyAbout the Author

Rebekah Purdy grew up in Michigan, where she spent many late nights armed with a good book and a flashlight. When not hiding at her computer and getting lost in her stories, she enjoys reading, singing, soccer, swimming, football, camping, playing video games and hanging out with her kids. She loves the unexplainable like Bigfoot, the Dogman, and the Loch Ness Monster (lots of good story material)! She admits to still having all the books she bought throughout her childhood and teen years, and she may or may not have an obsession with anything chocolate…

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

***GIVEAWAY***
Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win
one eBook copy of THE ROMEO CLUB and a $10 Amazon gift card (Int’l)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and keep reading my friends…

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Thrilled by EASTLAND–Review and Giveaway

Eastland bannerHi there! And welcome to my stop on the EASTLAND Blog Tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. For other stops on the tour, click here. Today’s book is a Historical YA Romance, a fantastic read from my good friend, and fellow SCBWI critique partner, Marian Cheatam.

eastlandBook Summary:
WOULD YOU RISK YOUR LIFE FOR JUST ONE DAY OF FREEDOM?

For hardworking teen, Dee Pageau, the annual employee picnic will let her escape the drudgery of work and possibly find love with her best friend Mae’s older brother, Karel. But in 1915 Chicago, girls don’t go on picnics without their mother’s approval. 

Unfortunately for Dee, Mama has had a premonition of disaster and forbids Dee from going. Forced to watch as Mae and Karel leave without her, Dee defies Mama and rushes off to join her friends.

But Dee’s joy soon turns to terror when the ship ferrying them to the picnic capsizes. Rescued not once but twice-by Karel and a mysterious sailor-Dee finds herself tested in unimaginable ways. What happens next turns out to be worse … and better … than anything Dee ever expected.

My Review:
The SS Eastland capsized in the Chicago River at 7:30am on July 24, 1915 killing 844 passengers. This novel follows the horror of the event and its gruesome aftermath through the eyes of Dee Pageau, a seventeen year-old employee of the Western Electric Company who had hired the steamer to transport workers and their families to Michigan City, Indiana for the company’s annual picnic.

While many stories take the reader to new and exotic worlds, this captivating historical novel recounts the tragedy of the SS Eastland in a way that transports the reader to a world before house phones, a time when ice boxes, streetcars, and milk delivery was the norm.

Dee is aboard the Hurricane (top) Deck of the Eastland, chatting with her best friend Mae’s brother, Karel, when the ship lists, and then capsizes. Mae was trapped belowdecks, and Karel—after ensuring Dee is safely settled on the ship’s hull–dives into the putrid water to find his younger sister.

Hours later, having witnessed more dead bodies than survivors recovered, shock has set in for Dee. Desperate without her childhood friend, she nearly topples into the murky depths, but is rescued (again) by a crewman—Lars.

Dee is whisked off the boat and driven back to the grief-ravaged streets of suburban Cicero—home to Western Electric’s headquarters and many of its employees. Anxious families descend on Dee and her overwrought mother, fearing the worst. Throughout the day the bleak news pours in, household by household. When Karel returns alone, the long hunt begins to track down the missing Mae.

This meticulously researched work provides a rare glimpse into a tragedy that consumed Chicago. Dee and Karol search hospital after hospital only to be ushered ever closer to the makeshift morgue. Days of mourning and wakes, enormous funeral masses presided over by the Bishop soon follow. Through this melancholy, Dee realizes that she must remain strong. Stronger than she ever had to be, before. At times, she is bolstered by Karol and Lars—both men who survived the harrowing ordeal and recognize the need for moving on with life.

In the week following the tragedy, Dee returns to work—finding that only one other woman in her 30-person division had survived. The loss of so many workers propels Dee into a managerial position—but she struggles to get over the loss of so many of her friends.

The development of not one, but two, potential romantic entanglements allows Dee to grow further out of her meek shell. Being a survivor will do that, too.

Dee learns, like Karol and Lars, to appreciate the best things in life. Despite the gruesome event and realistic setting, the hopeful ending and clear promise of love will resonate for young and old alike. I loved this book and recommend it to all fans of romance, historical fiction and YA romance. It gave me chills, and I gasped aloud so many times I lost count. Throughout the read I was simply captivated.

Interested? You can find EASTLAND on Goodreads, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

b59e6About the Author:
Marian Cheatham lives in a suburb of Chicago with her family and their menagerie of pets. A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Marian taught Special Education for many years before becoming a full-time writer.

You can find her on her webpage, Goodreads, and Facebook.

On a personal note I have known Marian for four years–she’s a fellow member of my SCBWI Illinois chapter, a good friend, and a writing critique partner. I just love her historical YA. EASTLAND is a fantastic novelization of Chicago’s biggest loss-of-life tragedies.

****GIVEAWAY****
Click the Raffecopter link below for your chance to win

one of 5 eBook copies of EASTLAND

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and keep reading my friends!

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Living in THE HERE AND NOW Isn’t Easy–A Review

If you could change the future, would you?

The Here and NowThat’s the premise behind Best-Selling Ann Brashare’s up-coming contemporary YA release: THE HERE AND NOW.

Prenna James is a high school student in New York in 2014, but she was born in 2078. In her time, the Earth has suffered extreme shifts in climate due to global warming and melted polar ice. There are shortages of food and raw materials, and a mosquito-borne blood plague has devastated the world population. Prenna has traveled back in time with her mother and nearly 1000 other futurists in the hope of altering some aspects of the present to fix the future.

At least those were the initial goals. Now, Prenna is sure that the powers above aren’t doing anything but controlling the time travelers and murdering any of the group who don’t conform. See, all the travelers must adhere to a set of twelve rules to ensure that they do not alter time too much, or infect the ‘time natives’ with strange and foreign microbes that could trigger plagues in this time.

Ethan Jarvis is a math/physics whiz in Prenna’s classes. He’s also a time native, and with whom Prenna is forbidden to have any ‘physical or emotional intimacy’–according to the rules. She, and all her fellow travelers, are under surveillance by concealed devices, and when she steps out of line, Prenna is reprimanded by her ‘counselors’.

Prenna tries to adhere to the rules, but she desires Ethan. And, he is quite the dashing rescuer. Especially when Prenna is taken away for speaking to a homeless man who turns out to be a fellow traveler, an undocumented one, who has learned when the fork in time was created that brought about her dire future. Ethan saves Prenna from captivity and they follow the clues from the homeless man to discover the root cause of her future was the murder of a promising green energy scientist.

Now, Ethan and Prenna must stop the scientist from being killed–while also fighting the attraction between them. But, when Prenna finds evidence that Ethan is going to die in the process of saving the scientist she needs to choose between telling him his fate, and risking the fate of perhaps…the world.

No, it’s not as dire as all that, silly! But it is rather harrowing.

I enjoyed the writing. I enjoyed the story. I liked Ethan, (perhaps too much)…but Prenna makes some dumb choices that irked me. In the end, she makes the right choice, and as much as it broke my heart, I’m glad she did the right thing.

Note:  heart only broken because I wanted to see Ethan happy, and he wasn’t. But I expect he’ll get over it.

It’s an innocent tale suitable for YA readers. If nothing else, I hope it helps young readers to envision a hot climate future we can do more now to avoid…but I’m not gonna get all preachy ’bout it. There are some plot issues, but in all, it’s an enjoyable read. I think fans of YA romance will enjoy this one. It has an engaging plot and the pacing is pretty good. I received an advanced review copy via NetGalley.

Interested? THE HERE AND NOW releases April 8, but you can pre-order it on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Ann BrasharesABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ann Brashares grew up in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with three brothers and attended a Quaker school in the D.C. area called Sidwell Friends. She studied Philosophy at Barnard College, part of Columbia University in New York City. Expecting to continue studying philosophy in graduate school, Ann took a year off after college to work as an editor, hoping to save money for school. Loving her job, she never went to graduate school, and instead, remained in New York City and worked as an editor for many years. Ann made the transition from editor to full-time writer with her first novel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Ann and her husband live with their three children in New York.
Thanks for popping in and keep reading my friends!

Happy Release Day to MY LIFE FROM HELL–A Review

BannerSophie has seven days to live. Unfortunately she spends most of them in Hell…

Hi there! I jumped at the chance for a sneak peek at the final installment of Tellulah Darling’s Blooming Goddess trilogy–MY LIFE FROM HELL. This imaginative, innocent, urban fantasy is a solid end to one of the funniest YA series’ I have read.

My Life From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy #3)

Sophie Bloom is a survivor. She has to be, she’s the reincarnation of Persephone, the Greek goddess of spring. She and her boyfriend Kyrillos—Hades’ son—had a big plan to defeat both Zeus and Hades and claim Olympus for themselves—oh and for Demeter, Persephone’s mother. But Persephone truly planned to double-cross them all and claim Olympus for herself. That’s why Demeter stabbed her.

Fast forward seventeen years.

The titan Prometheus has sacrificed his powers to transfer Persephone’s memories and goddess essence into a child, Sophie Bloom, who is celebrating her seventeenth birthday. She knows all about Persephone’s schemes and is struggling to connect to Kai—Kyrillos—being her boyfriend. Even more so since he knows Persephone planned to kill him all those years ago. But, in order to stop the destruction of humanity by Zeus and Hades, Sophie and Kai need to perform a ritual on the first day of spring that requires their complete love for each other in order to work.

Too bad the Equinox is seven days away.

Sophie has trained hard to master her goddess powers, but she can’t escape the disturbing visions she’s having of a world filled with destruction—and herself being the center of the maelstrom. Then she goes and mouths off to Demeter again. Same old, same old—even if it’s Sophie, not Persephone, butting heads. Demeter has her BFF Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, curse Sophie right back into Hades.

Yeah. But this time it’s Sophie trapped in Persephone’s form in the days just prior to her inglorious demise.

Now Sophie must get Kyrillos to see through the magic to fall in love with herself, not Persephone. Oh, and to win over Prometheus as an ally. Oh, and to convince Hephaestus to help them all escape Hades before Demeter gets stabby.

It’s a tough challenge, but meet it Sophie will—or else humanity is doomed. If only Sophie could find the strength within herself to accept her fate, and love herself. Because, really, what greater power than love could a goddess have?

Like the first two books in the series, this one rockets forward into the action. There are many characters that play an important role, but Sophie is the heroine front-and-center. She saves herself, Persephone, humanity and her BFF’s in the process. Her sharp wit keeps the tone engaging.

At times, I wanted to pull a Cher in “Moonstruck”


just to get her to see that LOVE was the answer she couldn’t seem to find. In all, the series is fun, innocent and creative. If nothing else, reading these books will get you ready for Greek Mythology category on JEOPARDY…but that’s only one small reason to read them.

I received an advanced reviewer’s copy of this book via NetGalley.

Because this is the third book–make sure to check out the first two in the series:

my ex from hellMyDateFromHellCoverMY EX FROM HELL and MY DATE FROM HELL. There’s even a cute little 2.5 novelette about Theo and Festos’ second date that’s an entertaining read and FREE on Kobo.

Interested? You can find MY LIFE FROM HELL on Goodreads, and Amazon.

TD photoAbout the author:  Tellulah Darling (noun)
1. YA romantic comedy author because her first kiss sucked and she’s compensating.
2. Alter ego of former screenwriter.
3. Sassy minx.

Writes about: where love meets comedy. Awkwardness ensues.
Sassy girls. Swoony boys. What could go wrong?

Tellulah Darling is a firm believer that some of the best stories happen when love meets comedy. Which is why she has so much fun writing young adult romantic comedy novels. Her tales span contemporary, teen fantasy romance, and YA Greek mythology, and range from stand alone books to series. For Tellulah, teen romance is the most passionate, intense, and awkward there is – a comedy goldmine. Plus smart, mouthy, teen girls rock.

Website |  Twitter  |  GoodReads

Thanks for stopping by, and keep reading my friends!