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Blitz: Knowing Jack

Sunday, January 19, 2014


Knowing Jack by Rachel Curtis 
Publication date: January 17th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
I am not a slut, although I’ve been called one often enough. Yeah, I spent three months screwing one of my college professors, but I was crazy about the guy. Then he broke up with me.

I am not a bitch, although people like to say I am. I kept our relationship secret. I’m not responsible for telling the university administrators about it, but a lot of students still blame me for getting their favorite professor fired.

I am not a drama queen, although everyone thinks I am now. When I got a few nasty messages, I just deleted them. When I got the threat, I assumed it was someone being stupid. I still think that’s all it was. My parents worry, though, so they hired me a bodyguard. Now Jack follows me around, intimidating everyone who approaches me and looking obnoxiously hot.

This is what I am. I’m Chloe. I’m a twenty-year-old art history major. Kind of shy, although I pretend not to be. Stubborn enough to stay here for my senior year, even though everyone hates me. 

And I’m stuck with Jack.

He calls me “Princess,” but I’m not a princess either.

Knowing Jack is a New Adult contemporary romance and includes adult content and language. The plot of the book is fully resolved at the end, but the last page includes a hanging teaser for the next book in the series.



Purchase: 
Will be found here come release day:

Excerpt

“Now would you please get out of here?” I say, raising my voice to make sure it carries

appropriate authority. “In case you haven’t noticed, I still have to get dressed, and I’m already 

running late.”

Let’s not forget that I’m still wearing nothing but my favorite bra and panty set—which I put on 

a few minutes earlier to give me courage to face the day.

“Yeah, I did notice that.”

There is no reason for such harmless words to make me flush so hotly. They do, though. I have 

fair skin, so I blush a lot. It can be very annoying.

Jack is big—tall with amazing broad shoulders, flat abs, and lean hips. He suddenly seems to fill 

up all the space in my bedroom. My whole body reacts to his presence. I can’t seem to think of 

anything else. Just him and his body and his hot blue eyes.

“Be careful of the broken glass,” he says, some sort of rough texture in his voice that makes me 

want to shiver. “You’ve got bare feet.”

“I know I have bare feet. Now get out.”

“All right. But first tell me this.”

“What?”

“Why do you have naked babies on your underwear?”

“They’re not naked babies! They’re cherubs. And if you weren’t such a hulking Neanderthal 

you’d recognize Michelangelo when you saw it.”

I was absolutely thrilled earlier in the year when I found in a New York boutique this bra and 

panty set with details from the Sistine Chapel ceiling on them. They were absurdly expensive, as 

you might imagine, but I couldn’t resist buying them anyway.

Jack stares down at my bra. “Michelangelo?” He sounds rather dazed.

“Yeah. From the Sistine Chapel. Look, here’s where God’s hand meets Adam’s. Everyone 

recognizes that much at least.”

He clears his throat. “Uh, princess, you might think you’re showing me a famous work of art, but 

what I’m seeing is…”

“What?”

“The most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”


AUTHOR BIO:

Rachel is a writer, a teacher, a romance reader, and a dog-mom. She loves animals and art and hot men with soft hearts under a tough exterior. She tries to write love stories that feel real, even in unlikely circumstances.

Author Links:

Blitz+Excerpt: The Art of Letting Go

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

The Art of Letting Go by Anna Bloom 
(Uni Files #1) 
Publication date: September 25th 2013
Genres: New Adult, Romance


One year. One woman. One Diary. One question: can you ever stop history from repeating itself and if you could what would you do to stop it?

When Lilah McCannon realises at the age of twenty-five that history is going to repeat itself and she is going to become her mother—bored, drunk and wearing a twinset—there is only one thing to do: take drastic action.

Turning her back on her old life, Lilah’s plan is to enrol at university, get a degree and prove she is a grown-up.

As plans go, it is a good one. There are rules to follow: no alcohol, no cigarettes, no boys and no going home. But when Lilah meets the lead singer of a local band and finds herself unexpectedly falling in love, she realises her rules are not going to be the only things hard to keep.

With the academic year slipping by too quickly, Lilah faces a barrage of new challenges: will she ever make it up the Library stairs without having a heart attack? Can she handle a day on campus without drinking vodka? Will she ever manage to read a history book without falling asleep? And most importantly, can she become the grown-up that she desperately wants to be.

With her head and her heart pulling her in different directions can Lilah learn the hardest lesson that her first year of university has to teach her: The Art of Letting Go?

Excerpt

The Fresher’s Ball

 7.00 a.m. 

 OH, FUCK! Oh no, no, no, no, no.

 I can’t believe it! I have woken up and can now remember the Fresher’s Ball, in all its 

high-definition 3D glory. 

 This is all I can remember of how I broke every single one of my Uni rules. I am 

going to write it down and then I am going to forget about it until the day I die, which may 

very well be later today. 

 The Fresher’s Ball completely rocks, but this may be because I break the ‘No 

Drinking’ rule by consuming:

 Half a bottle of champagne 

 Three tequila shots

 Three bottles of beer

 Three glasses of water (to keep a balance)

 Two glasses of wine

 Note to self: This amount of alcohol causes significant pain and memory 

misplacement.

 Halfway through the evening, the room is spinning in an alarming fashion and I am 

using the wall as a support. I would like to move away from it and dance with my 

roommates, but I am scared that: A. My legs will fall off, or B. I will be sick. So instead I just 

stand and lean, sipping some more water.

 The live band is great, though unfortunately I have to look at them through one eye. If 

I open both eyes, everything gets a bit blurry. 

 The lead singer is damn hot: tall and slim with a shock of dark hair and flashing blue 

eyes that I can see all the way over from my safety spot against the wall. 

 Ha ha! If I open both eyes there are two of him!

 One eye, one singer. Two eyes, two singers. One eye, one singer. Two eyes, two 

singers.

 I think he may be glancing in my direction, but cannot be sure. Maybe he is just 

working out if he needs to get someone to call an ambulance for me. 

 Oh no! I probably look like I am winking at him. I am such an idiot!

 I decide to head back to the bar and get another bottle of water. Without a backwards 

glance at the stage—let’s be honest I am in no condition to be glancing anywhere—I make 

my way to the bar. Froebel college is an old mansion house made up of a rabbit warren of 

rooms that I stumble my way through until I find where they have hidden the bar. Once there, 

I attempt to communicate with the barman for a bottle of overpriced water. 

 Sipping my drink, I turn from the bar, but someone is blocking my path back to the 

exit. I look up and see a pair of blue eyes twinkling down at me.

 Ah, pretty, blue sparkly eyes like the sky at midday. I appear to be completely at a 

loss for words. Again. 

 A dark head lowers to examine me closer. 

 “Ben,” he introduces, holding his hand out to me, his blue eyes crinkling. 

 On closer inspection, I see they are surrounded by the cutest freckles I have ever seen.

 “Lilah,” I respond, taking his hand. I don’t shake it, I just hold it. 

 That is so not cool.

 I hope I am not still looking through just one eye. “You’re the singer guy, right?” At 

least my tongue still works.

 He flashes me a wicked smirk. “Singer guy, I am,” he replies, his hand still holding 

 I have no urge to move away.

 “You’re the girl in the knock out white dress,” he adds. 

 I have nothing to say to this, but he laughs all the same. 

 “Would you like to go outside for some fresh air?” he asks, leaning forward slightly 

and talking right into my ear. His warm breath sends shivers down my arm and various other 

 “I should find my friends,” I say. I don’t want to. I want to follow the blues outside, 

but there is a teeny tiny part of my inebriated brain that knows this may be a bad idea.

 “Come on, Lilah.” He tugs at my hand, and my willpower crumbles like a sandcastle 

in the tide and I follow him without a second thought.

I Will Not Talk to Boys . . . Much

 Hold on a minute. It gets worse.

 Outside, he takes a crumpled packet of cigarettes out of his jeans pocket. I cannot 

help but focus on his hand sliding into the tight space of his dark blue jeans. 

 I am a dirty pervert.

 He offers me one, and I automatically accept. 

 Well, that is a pile of Crap!

 I have broken all four of my cardinal rules within twenty-four hours of starting Uni. 

 Well done, Delilah! I offer myself an imaginary clap on the back.

 “I wasn’t winking at you, by the way.” I assure him.

 “What?”

 “Um, nothing.”

 “So you here as a guest or a student?” he asks, leaning in and lighting my ciggie for 

 “Student,” I reply, attempting not to slur. 

 He lifts an eyebrow at this. 

 “Yes, I know I am old!” I retort. I should just walk away but my legs are not 

responding to any command my brain makes. Apart from the one that instructs me to stand 

there like a dick.

 “Hardly.” The blues hold mine.

 “Twenty-five is pretty old compared to all the spring chickens in there.” I motion my 

head to the hall behind me full of dancing teenagers. 

 Motioning of head is not such a great idea. My vision is about 5 seconds behind.

 “I’m twenty-five,” blue-eyed Ben informs me.

 “Oh.”

 “So what are you studying?” 

 He is standing really close, very close indeed. I seem to be staring at his lips as he 

speaks, they are all I can focus on. Everything else is blurred or doubled. 

 I take a long drag of my cigarette.

 “History,” I tell him, waiting for the laugh. None comes. “So, have you been with the 

band long?”

 “Ten years.”

 “Wow! That’s a long time.” It really is. 

 “Yeah, I guess.” He throws his cigarette away and I follow suit. He still does not 

move away from me. This guy obviously does not follow the rules of etiquette regarding 

personal space. 

 “You don’t recognise me, do you?” 

 Of all the questions I am expecting, this one is not it. “No. Should I?”

 “I played at a Christmas party last year. You were there.” 

 I stare at the blues as he speaks; they are a little mesmerising. Let’s just hope I have 

my mouth closed.

 I remember the band now, and I vaguely remember him. Well, not him exactly, but 

something about the colour blue. John had been a complete arsehole that evening, not leaving 

me alone for a minute. It had been suffocating and in the end we had left early. The evening 

was so bad I have forced myself to never think about it again.

 “Sorry,” I offer. I kind of am.

 “I think I prefer the white dress to the red.” 

 What?! He can remember the dress I was wearing nine months ago! I am about to say 

something . . . anything . . . 

 Then he is kissing me: his mouth warm and firm on mine. 

 WHAT ON EARTH AM I DOING? 

 It should be strange, but it is not as strange as you’d think. I automatically lean in and 

slide my hands into his black hair, pulling him down closer. His hand grazes down my back 

and over my left butt cheek. I am not complaining though. Nope, no complaints here. None at 

 Just like that my knees start to go. His arms slide around me holding me up and I 

think he may be chuckling, but I am not sure. It is hard to hear anything above the roaring in 

my ears. 

 This is the point I realise I am going to be sick all over a complete stranger I have 

just snogged.

 “I think I should help you home,” he says into my ear.

 “What? No way! If you think I am going to let you take me home so I will have sex 

with you, you’re sorely mistaken! I am not some gir—” My words are cut off by his lips. I try 

to protest but soon give up. It is not the most convincing protest I have ever made. I have 

protested more over cold toast.

 “I am not taking you home so I can take advantage of you,” he says after finally 

pulling away so I can gasp a breath. 

 “You are really rather drunk and I think you should let me help you home,” he 

continues, a smile playing on his lips. He is probably right. 

 I can barely stand up, though I am not sure if that is through lack of oxygen whilst 

kissing or from too much booze.

 “Besides,” he says with a twinkle of blues, “when I do have sex with you, I would 

rather you were a little more sober.” 

 I start to protest again but his arms lift me up and throw me over his shoulder in a 

very unflattering fireman lift.

 “Where do you live, Lilah?” he asks. 

 He is never going to know, so I tell him, just so he has to admit he does not have a 

 To my immense surprise he just starts striding off across campus. 

 I try to think of ways to get down, but in the end just give up and stare at his rather 

tidy arse as my eyesight starts to go black.

 This is all I remember.

 So kill me now.

 I can’t believe that I got drunk enough to snog a stranger, even a hot one. What a 

complete bloody idiot. I may never, ever leave this room again. Ever.

 I am going back to sleep. Hopefully when I wake up I will realise that this has all 

been a hideous nightmare.

Author Links

Review+Excerpt+Giveaway: Chasing Forever Down

Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Follow the tour here! :D

Title: Chasing Forever Down (Drenaline Surf #1)

Author: Nikki Godwin
Date of Publication: March 14, 2013
Genre: contemporary YA romance with sports


After seventeen-year-old Haley Sullivan meets a mysterious stranger who plays by his own rules, she's more than determined to learn every trick of the trade from the master himself. But her dream-chasing mentor disappears after that night, and according to the local newspapers, he's been dead for years. Knowing he's very much alive, Haley enlists best friend Linzi to join her on a scavenger-hunt-style road trip that ultimately lands them in the surf town of Crescent Cove, California. Mystery guy is no mystery here, though – he's Colby Taylor, the west coast's biggest professional surfer. 

If Haley wants to talk to the wave rider again, she'll have to get past his four intimidating bodyguards who are highly skilled in the business of sending starstruck fangirls back to where they belong. Haley is up for the challenge if it means chasing her dreams and escaping the perfectly corporate future that's been planned for her. But dealing with these bodyguards isn't exactly what Haley imagined it'd be. Sure, being thrown off a jet ski sucks, but falling in love with one of them might just be worse.

Review

ALAVEEEET! It’s the first time I read something related to surfing, but ohmygoooosh. La-la-love.  Reading this book has made me think of what it’s like to chase forever down.  Haley and Linzi went off to a journey to find the mysterious guy that shows up in their town.  This journey is about finding friendship and finding oneself.  Reading this book made me realize that really, not all things appear to what they seem to be.  One should not be quick enough to judge others, rather, one should come to know others better, understand them.  Judging someone does not bring out any good, after all.

I really just got hooked up right at the very start.  I’d kept on telling myself, just one last chapter. One last chapter, then I’ll hafta go to sleep, but I just can’t bring the book down! Pulling up an all-nighter to finish this was definitely worth it.  This book is an amazing, awesome, fantastic read! I can’t wait for the sequel! AAAAHHH.

Rating


Excerpt

“This is my fault,” Reed says. “I’m the one who lied and sent you out with A.J. today. It’s just…you’ve gotta understand. No one has ever ridden with A.J. Most girls don’t come back around after they meet him, and if I’d thought for a second that you’d really get on there with him, I wouldn’t have sent you out there.”
“I’m not most girls,” I say. I push him out of my path with my shoulder, but he spins around and stops me again. 
“I know that. Most girls don’t care about paper stars. I know there’s more to it with you, but I can’t do anything about it,” he says. 
This time I don’t try to leave. I don’t know what he knows about North Carolina or paper stars or Colby Taylor’s trip back home to interrupt my boring little world, but he knows I’m here to find surfer boy. 
“You’re just doing your job, right? Keeping the naïve teenage tourists away from your guy? Well, you can tell Colby Taylor he needs to think about that before he drags a random girl off to watch cover bands and talk about chasing forever and then leaves paper stars behind because he’s too damn scared to show up the next day like he said he would,” I say. 
The summer sun blazes through my veins again. Warmth burns my cheeks, and I bet I look like Medusa on fire with my snaky hair sprouting from its clip and my black swamp creature eyes pouring down my face. I’d turn and run toward the parking lot if I weren’t afraid of tripping over my own feet and making a bigger fool of myself. 
“Haley, I’m done,” Reed says. His eyes go sad, like how I’d imagined Dexter’s if someone stole that hot pink Frisbee. “You don’t have to fight me anymore. If you can get through Alston and A.J. and – Get through the other guys then Taylor’s yours. I’m not standing in your way.”
If Reed is surrendering, I’m another guy down. Alston is so preoccupied with Linzi that I doubt he even cares about fighting me off. He’s totally in this “just for the chicks.” I think I’ve proven I can handle A.J. more than anyone thought I could. 
“Who is the fourth guy?” That’s the real question. 
Reed inhales and looks past me. “You can meet him tonight. I owe you anyway. There’s this really awesome diner on the edge of town. I’m paying. Meet us here at seven?”
“It’s a date.”

About the Author

Nikki Godwin is a Young Adult/New Adult author from the southern USA. She is a city girl who can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, Hawthorne Heights, and candles from Bath & Body Works. When not writing, she's not-so-secretly internet-stalking her favorite bands. She may or may not completely love One Direction.



Giveaway


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Review+Giveaway: Stir Me Up

Monday, January 13, 2014

Stir Me Up
by Sabrina Elkins
Release Date: 10/01/13
Harlequin Teen

Goodreads || Amazon || B&N || Kobo || Bam || iTunes || Zola

Cami Broussard has her future all figured out. She'll finish her senior year of high school, then go to work full-time as an apprentice chef in her father's French restaurant, alongside her boyfriend, Luke. But then twenty-year-old ex-Marine Julian Wyatt comes to live with Cami's family while recovering from serious injuries. And suddenly Cami finds herself questioning everything she thought she wanted.

Julian's all attitude, challenges and intense green-brown eyes. But beneath that abrasive exterior is a man who just might be as lost as Cami's starting to feel. And Cami can't stop thinking about him. Talking to him. Wanting to kiss him. He's got her seriously stirred up. Her senior year has just gotten a lot more complicated….

Praises for Stir Me Up

"Fun, steamy, and leaves you hungry for more. Sabrina Elkins nails the vulnerability of becoming an adult and the choices that come with growing up." —Katie McGarry, author of Dare You To

"Cami's slow burn for a wounded hero will rivet readers. I seriously loved this book." —Jennifer Echols, author of Dirty Little Secret


"This book is one of my favorite young adult contemporaries. Not only does it feature a hot romance, it's also very meaningful and well, you just have to read it and see." —#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout


Review

CHARACTERS

Cami was probably one of the main reasons why I felt so connected to this book, because like her, I am at a point in my life when I have to make all these decisions regarding my future. I loved how passionate she was, especially towards cooking, and how she was able to see past Julian's shortcomings. Their relationship was pretty solid, and they were quite mature when it came to each other's decisions.

PLOT

This book absolutely took my breath away. I started off thinking it was going to be just another sappy romance, but it was so much more than that. It dealt with real problems - facing losses and hardships, and being courageous enough to decide things on our own. It showed the struggles that we undoubtedly have to face sooner or later, and how we have to stay determined in working through these things. The romantic aspect of the novel began flirtatious and such, but as the characters of Cami and Julian grew, so did the strength of their relationship. Overall, the story was very nicely written and well-paced.

CONCLUSION

This one is fun, sweetness, and romance all rolled into one! It focuses on self-discovery, but with an added touch of cuisine (even the food descriptions were mouthwatering!) and French culture. I totally recommend reading it!

Rating


About the Author


I am a former journalist who worked for the Los Angeles Daily News and other newspapers in the greater Los Angeles area. Prior to this I worked in advertising, writing ad copy for corporate travel accounts and major motion pictures. My first job out of college was as an administrative assistant to an executive chef and a food & beverage director at a Four Seasons hotel. I also spent some time working as a prep cook for Spago in Beverly Hills.


I received my Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California. While in graduate school, I had the privilege of studying fiction writing under renowned author Hubert Selby, Jr., and comedy writing under famed comedian Shelley Berman. I am a past participant of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Summer Writing Workshop.

Raised in the woods of Vermont, I now live in the greater Los Angeles area with my husband and three children. STIR ME UP is my first novel.


***GIVEAWAY***


WIN 1 OF 3 STIR ME UP FUN FOODIE GIFT PACKS! COOKBOOKS-CHOCOLATES-MAGNETS
  
Cami’s Cookbook Pack 
Le Petit Paris: French Finger Food by Nathalie Benezet
500 Soups by Susannah Blake
Godiva chocolate bar
Stir Me Up magnet  

Julian’s Late-Night Pack 
George Noory’s Late-Night Snacks by George Noory
Dinner and a Movie by Katherine Bebo
Godiva chocolate bar
Stir Me Up magnet  

Sweet Desserts Pack 
Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor
Cutie Pies by Dani Cone
Godiva chocolate bar
Stir Me Up magnet

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS: 

Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 18 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond  or another winner’s name will be selected. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.


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Stacking the Shelves

Saturday, January 11, 2014

These are the books I've got since December!  The whole December was really hectic for me, so I was able to get this opportunity to post again right now. :D

These are the books I received for blog tours (Thanks YA Bound Book Tours for Stir Me Up and Fighting for the Edge, and Oops! I Read a Book Again for Merch Girl and Chasing Forever Down!)
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These are the books I got in Netgalley (Thanks Netgalley and to all publishing houses for accepting my requests! :D)
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18516961179814001833433913142568

These are the books I got as review opportunities! (Thank you for accepting me! Yay :D)

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These are the books I got for this week's Bout-of-books readathon!

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Blitz+Excerpt+Giveaway: Where Life Takes You

Friday, January 10, 2014

Where Life Takes You by Claudia Y. Burgoa 
Publication Date: July 31st 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult


Synopsis:
Becca Trent lived her childhood next to a cruel woman—her mom—who lived to torment and neglect her. During her high school years, her mother married; bringing home not only a new husband, but a step sister her same age. The latter took over her Mom’s role—making Becca’s life miserable. Including stealing Ian—Becca’s best friend and boyfriend—Lisa treated her worse than her mother had for the previous fifteen years. A couple of years later, things ended up in tragedy.

Becca buried that part of her life in the deep corners of her psyche, but that only work during the days when the nightmares didn’t come back to haunt her. Her best friend, Dan gives her that family love she always lacked. Everything was close to perfect, until everything and everyone from her past came back. Now, she’s trying to figure out how to survive and keep that bond which seems now to be held together by a thread.

Note: This is the first part of a two book novel.


Excerpt

“I’m home, baby. You’re not alone. Go to sleep and rest, crazy, persistent little thing.” he 

sprinkled kisses all over my face and hair. “My princess, I’m sorry for leaving you. I missed you 

more than you can imagine. I’m going to be outside with our friends for a while, but I’ll come back 

to you soon.”

*

The pantry was dark. Mom had taken the light bulb out because I’d cried when she told me about her date.

“Shut up, fucking ungrateful brat.” She banged the door. I whimpered quietly, afraid she’d smack me again. 

“The neighbors next door might hear you, and then what would they think about me?”

I hugged my stuffed puppy, and shut my eyes to avoid the darkness.

 Morning would come soon, and she’d let me out. Grandma used to take care of me when Mom went out, but 

since she’d died, the pantry had become my second room.

The door opened and closed. She’d come back early. I stood up, waiting for her to let me out so I could go to 

my room. But when she finally let me out, she dragged me by the hair to the living room.

“Look at me.” She sat me on the couch and squeezed my cheeks very hard after slapping me a few times. My 

face stung.

“You’re hurting me,” I mumbled, tears dripping slowly down my face.

“You ruined my life,” she screamed into my face, her hot stinky breath burning my eyes. “After I got 

pregnant, your father left me. I should’ve aborted, but my mother guilted me into having you. She promised to help me, 

but where is she?”

“Grandma loved me.” I squeezed my stuffed puppy tighter.

Mom slapped me harder. My head snapped back, and the room spun. She snatched my puppy and walked to 

her purse. She pulled out her lighter and held it under the puppy.

“Not Pup! Grandma gave me Pup,” I screamed, running after her.

She dropped her into the sink. I cried harder while the flames consumed my stuffed puppy. “Please, give me 


Pup back.”

About the Author

Claudia lives in Colorado with her family and three dogs. Two beagles who believe they are human, and a bichon who thinks she’s a beagle. While managing life, she works as a CFO at a small IT Company. She’s a dreamer who enjoys music, laughter and a good story.










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Review+Excerpt: Merch Girl

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Title: Merch Girl
Author: Rebecca Lewis
Date of Publication: May 1, 2013
Genre: contemporary YA romance; music

Goodreads || Amazon | B&N | Smashwords | Kobo | iBooks

Seventeen-year-old Lacey Kind doesn’t have the guts to talk to cute boys, isn’t a size two, and would rather stay home and listen to music than go to a party. But in the summer before her first year of college, she ends up thousands of miles away from home, in the back of a tour bus, underneath the half-naked body of the hottest teen rock star in the country.

When Lacey and her best friend Trina sneak into a Boston nightclub to see their favorite band, they not only get to watch their rock gods perform for the first time, but score a chance to meet the band too. Lacey’s heart races as she comes face-to-face with her idol, nineteen-year-old lead singer, Logan Shire.

The girls charm their way into being hired to sell merchandise on Lansdowne’s first summer tour. As “merch girls” Lacey and Trina quickly find themselves transported from their ordinary, suburban life to an exhilarating few months on the road. But they soon realize that life on the road isn’t always a smooth ride...

Review


CHARACTERS

At the beginning of the novel, I found myself getting bored of Lacey, because she usually just went with the flow of things, and that really didn't help me like her. She came off as weak and insecure, which is why I initially preferred Tina, who had so much more self-confidence. However, in the middle of the tour, my opinion changed completely. While Trina started to appear irritatingly bratty and possessive, I couldn't help but fall in love with Lacey, whose character development was just so beautifully written.


PLOT

I have to admit, I was a bit envious of the girls. I mean, getting to go on tour with my favorite boy band? Count me in! But anyways, the plot was pretty good. I especially liked how the development of the band was shown as the story went on. And then there was the romance between Lacey and Logan, which was just so adorable! Ahhh! (Sorry, excuse my fangirl-isms!)


CONCLUSION

If you like contemporary YA books, you're into music, and you're looking for something short, light and fun to read, then this book's for you! 

Rating


Excerpt

I rested my head on his shoulder and he caressed my hair. It felt so nice that I didn’t want to fall back asleep. I tried to keep my eyes open, but it was useless. I snuggled up close to him, and breathed in the mix of sweat and cologne on his body. He sang something quietly and I let his voice drift me back to sleep. 

About the Author

Rebecca Lewis is the author of the Young Adult novel, Merch Girl, and a lover of all things music! She's been writing stories since middle school and penned her first fanfic about a semi-popular boyband in 1997. Her passion for music and writing brought her to Boston University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Communication. During her college career, she interned for various record labels in Boston and New York City, sold merch for local bands, worked at record stores, and did a whole lot of grassroots marketing. She currently resides in Florida with her husband and puppy.

Blitz+Excerpt+Giveaway: Lost Without You

Monday, January 6, 2014

Lost Without You (Haven #1)
by Liz Hannah 
Release Date: 12/30/13

Summary from Goodreads:

Grace Young thought she was a survivor - until the day her twin brother died, leaving her parents heartbroken and their relationship with Grace fractured beyond repair. Now all Grace wants is a chance to experience something of a normal life, before it's all too late.

Going to college hundreds of miles from home seems like the right way to embrace her new found freedom, especially after years of homeschooling, but while Grace takes to her classes naturally, it's the other side of college that she's unprepared for.

The parties. The friendships. The boys. Especially one Dean Michaels, the Haven University's star soccer player. Fate throws the pair together, and their friendship starts to turn into something more. But can Grace keep the secrets of her past hidden without hurting those she's come to count on the most?

Excerpt

It’s dark when I wake, except for the glow of the television. There’s no sound, but the movie we started watching earlier is playing; again, I presume, because I’m pretty sure that I’ve seen this part before. I can’t remember what it was about, aside from that it was a nineties adaption of Jane Austen’s Emma, the Californian accents all too uncomfortably familiar.
I blink a couple of times, stretching out. My arm collides with something solid, and I freeze, realizing that I’m not alone on the couch. Glancing upwards, I find myself looking into emerald eyes that seem to be illuminated in the soft light.
Oh, that’s right.
I quickly scramble to sit up, only to pause again the next second, my balance wavering. I’m half on Dean’s lap, and his hands shoot out to my waist to steady me before I fall off. A small wave of dizziness flows through me, and though I’m acutely aware of Dean’s fingers pressing into my side, a sweater the only thing between our skin, I’m glad that he has hold of me.
“Hey.” I take a deep breath in before exhaling. The hand I’ve placed on his shoulder burns like fire, and there’s an intensity building that scares me to death, but I can’t quite bring myself to pull away. In fact, instead of moving away from Dean like I should, I’m acutely aware that we’re so close, his breath tickling the loose strands of hair around my face.
“Hi.” His voice is thick from sleep. He tucks one behind my ear, his fingers hovering over the side of my face for a fraction of a second before pulling away. I want to lean in to his touch.
I shift my gaze away from his. This is not me. I’m not the kind of girl who melts when a guy looks at her. Especially one I still don’t know that well.
Lies, a voice hisses inside my head. You do know this boy, better than you think. Better than you want to know.
“You looked so peaceful; I didn’t want to wake you.” I could feel his words rumble in his chest. My lips turn up in a small smile. He was watching me sleep?
A quick look down at his watch told me it was well after midnight. I don’t even want to know how many texts Rosie’s sent to find out where I am. The thought alone sends a blush across my face.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep. It’s been a long week.”
Dean nodded. “Midterms are an ass.”
I shift slightly, moving my weight into the dip between his legs, alleviating the pressure on his own, but he didn’t seem to mind. Instinctively, as if he thought I was about to run off, his fingers bunched the edges of my sweater together, holding on to me tighter.
I’m not going anywhere.
“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?”
I look down, at his chest. It rises slowly with his heartbeat, calm and even. How can he be so relaxed? I can feel the tension knotting its way through my own body. The v neck of his sweater dips low, small swirls of hair escaping up. I wonder what it would feel like to run my hand across his chest.
I blink. Question. He’d asked a question.
“Uh, nothing, as of yet. Study? Maybe. What about you?”
My voice sounds as if I just swallowed helium. His he as affected by me as I am of him?
I wouldn’t know. I can’t look him directly in the eye, so I concentrate on a spot on the wall, just below his ear. Brown locks curl around the nape of his neck, and it takes all of my self-control to not stretch out and play with them. What was it about the darkness that made us so bold?
“Come home with me. Have Thanksgiving with my family.”
I straighten up. Hands tighten around my waist, preparing for me to bolt. I don’t give in to my instinct to run. With all the heat that was passing between us, what did going home with him mean?
And why was my brain screaming at me to say yes?

About the Author
Liz Hannah is a New Adult author that calls both Scotland and Australia home. Currently studying at university, when she’s not busy reading or writing, Liz can be found procrastinating from her studies pinning everything on Pinterest or collecting GIFs from Tumblr. 
Author Links:
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***GIVEAWAY***

International giveaway – one winner will win a New Adult prize pack, consisting of Lost Without You swag, two New Adult titles and a dandelion necklace, as featured in Lost Without You.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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