{Blog Tour} Review+Excerpt+Giveaway: Somewhere Only We Know

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Title: Somewhere Only We Know

Author: Cheyanne Young

Publisher: 336Love

Date of Publication: June 15, 2014

Genres: Young Adult, Romance

Purchase from Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Sadie Bradford’s life is one anxiety attack after another. All she wants is to escape life's realities for the summer and hang out with her best friend Aaron. But her grandmother has other plans: Sadie will get a job. Sadie will do volunteer work. Sadie will make new friends - friends without brain injuries that make them forget everything...friends that aren’t Aaron.

While Sadie struggles to survive her anxiety with all these new changes, she finds an escape when she dreams herself into the beautiful world of Isola Fiona. It’s a place that cures memory loss and anxiety. It’s a place where she and Aaron can fall in love. 

But after dragging Aaron along with her to her dream world, things take a turn. Every time they return home, Sadie’s anxiety is a little better but Aaron’s memory is still gone. And Isola Fiona may not be much of a dream after all. As Sadie realizes that Isola Fiona is as real as her anxiety, she rushes to change the course of fate and make things right, but she may be too late...

Book Trailer

Excerpt

Three sets of judgmental eyes watching you walk toward them are enough to send a normal person into a panic. I can’t even describe what it does to me. My fingertips and toes go numb and the tip of my nose gets tingly. My heart races—wait, no it doesn’t beat at all. My heart has stopped. I tilt forward and grab my chest. Oh god, it stopped. I’m dying. 

I suck in a huge breath and Aaron’s hand touches my lower back, pushing me gently forward. I take one small step, surprised that my legs can still move when my heart has so obviously stopped. As I lift another foot to take yet another step that will shorten this vast distance of concrete and pool, I feel my heart beating. A steady drum in my chest, as if it had been there all along, fills my ribcage with the warmth of relief. 

“Come on girl, don’t take all day,” Grandma says.

“I’m coming.” The words come out of my mouth, in my voice and all, but I’m not entirely sure I said them. The anxiety is in control now, not me. Aaron’s hand pushes me harder and I take two more steps toward the patio where my Grandma waits. In reality, it has probably been around twenty seconds, but it feels like an eternity.

Aaron keeps pushing on my back with more urgency. He knows I that need to walk to them, but if he knows why is beyond me. Aaron has great instincts, even if he doesn’t always know the reasoning behind them. I turn back to give him a grateful smile, but at the same time he lifts his hands to push my shoulders. I sidestep to avoid being accidentally smacked in the face but my foot lands on a decorative rock at the pool’s edge.

“Shit,” I yell just before pain soars through my ankle as it twists into itself. My knees give out. My arms flail and my eyes squeeze shut. I’m going to fall in the stupid pool with all of my clothes on in front of everyone. If I’m lucky it’ll lessen the pain in my ankle. But this is still the most humiliating thing ever.

I don’t fall in the pool. I fall into the rocks—head first.

And then I guess I fall into the pool.

My Thoughts

This is the first time I read a book with a story like this, and I love the whole concept. It was like 50 First Dates, well, on the part of Aaron's. It must have sucked so much on how he couldn't remember things so regularly. I may not be able to relate with what is happening to Aaron, but I pretty much could understand on why he did some things. Although, I think that if I was the one involved in the story, I probably wouldn't have understood it that way. It was great to see things in a different perspective.

On the part of Sadie, whenever she has anxiety attacks, her anxiety gets transferred to me. I could feel her anxiousness and all her emotions which was amazing. It also got me to see what it was like to be anxious all the time, and I really couldn't imagine what it must be like. Even now that I get anxious so rarely annoyed me so much. What more on Sadie's part? Aside from this, though, I didn't like Sadie that much because she started to forget what her past life and who stuck with her amidst all her struggles. She was also clingy to Aaron, and I really really really tried to understand that it was because Aaron was her only friend, but it still irritated me.

Both characters' story were spectacular and unique. It made me delve into the pages because I want to know how things will end for them. However, I didn't really feel very invested in this book. Rather, I felt somehow detached and indifferent. Before I knew it, I was already finished reading the book. Looking back, there were some parts that would have probably made me teary-eyed, but didn't. I don't know why. Maybe I'm just weird this time around.

Somewhere Only We Know is a beautiful and unique story about two teenagers trying to live a normal life despite having anxiety and memory loss. It was about finding love in the places they thought they'd never be able to. Young adult, romance readers should give this book a try, and they might like this more than I do.

My Rating

About the Author

Cheyanne is a native Texan with a fear of cold weather and a coffee addiction that probably needs an intervention. She loves books, sarcasm, nail polish and paid holidays. She lives near the beach with her family, one spoiled rotten puppy and a cat who is most likely plotting to take over the world.

She also writes under the pen name Amy Sparling.

Author Links

Website: www.CheyanneYoung.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/NormalChey

Instagram: http://instagram.com/NormalChey

Newsletter: https://tinyletter.com/CheyanneYoung

Giveaway

Open internationally.

SIGNED paperback of SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW

a pink glitter ring featured in the novel

$20 Amazon GC

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Blitz+Excerpt: Channel 20Something

Title: Channel 20Something (20Something #1)

Author: Amy Patrick 

Publication date: August 12, 2014 

Genres: New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Amazon || B&N || Kobo || All Romance

Synopsis from Goodreads:

From award-winning author and two-time GOLDEN HEART® finalist Amy Patrick comes a New Adult contemporary series about twenty-somethings entering the world of TV broadcasting, where what happens behind the scenes is the real news. 

22-year-old Heidi Haynes is almost one year into her “real life”. She has her first reporting job, her first apartment, and a comfortable relationship with her college sweetheart. But for some reason she’s not as eager to talk about walking down the aisle as he is.

Heidi secretly longs for big cities, big-market breaking news, and real independence from her way-too-close-by helicopter parents. Problem is, the last time she left the security of home for new places and new people, things didn’t go so well. Disastrously, in fact, and she came running back to a local college and a “safe” boyfriend.

Aric Serrano is definitely not safe. 

He’s six-feet-four-inches of missing-Hemsworth-brother-hotness and plans to stay in small-market-Southern-Hell just long enough to grab a cup of coffee and put together a kick-ass “escape tape”. He’ll serve his one-year contract, then he’s taking off for a higher rung on the TV sports ladder—alone—the way he likes it. Then he meets his new co-anchor.

Heidi would be so much more comfortable if she could simply ignore Aric. He’s just her type—the type she’s so careful to avoid these days. But that becomes impossible when she's forced to work closely with him on the weekend newscast. Now the attraction between them is growing even faster than the ratings, and what happens behind the scenes is the real news.

Excerpt

I opened the door to the parking lot and was relieved at first to see the rain had slowed to a drizzle. Then I saw my car and groaned.

My Mini was sitting in a huge puddle that had definitely not been there when I’d arrived for work today. I would have to wade through it to get in. At least I was still wearing my rain boots. I crunched across the gravel lot, sinking into the ground with each soggy step.

When I reached my car, the full scope of my dilemma became clear. The newly-formed lake surrounding it was so deep, if I opened the driver’s side door, the water was going to flood inside. I walked around to the passenger side to see if perhaps the level was lower there. Nope. Even worse.

What was I going to do? Daddy could’ve easily towed my car out with his pickup truck, but he’d been asleep for a couple hours by now. “Well, shoot,” I muttered.

“Language, language, please.”

The teasing voice behind me drew shivers from my rain-damp skin. I turned to see Aric’s large form approaching, framed by the security light behind him. Was the warmth suffusing my body relief, or something else? I swiveled my head to scan the parking lot. His Tahoe was there. I’d been so focused on the sight of my poor drowning car I hadn’t noticed his still parked across the lot.

When he reached me, he pulled off his rain jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders, drawing the hood up over my hair. It was so warm. The scent I’d noticed the first night we met surrounded me, threatening to make me light-headed.

“Thanks,” I breathed, looking up into his face. His cheeks were becoming coated in a light mist. My fingers, warm inside his jacket, twitched with the urge to reach up and brush the moisture away from his smooth skin. “I didn’t know you were still here.”

Aric pulled the sides of the jacket closed around me. “I waited for you. I wanted to make sure you got back okay.” His smile set my insides to a low simmer. “So, it looks like what we have here,” he said, “is the little engine that couldn’t.”

I glanced over at my water-logged car. “Poor Minnie Mae. Do you think the water’s getting inside?”

“Minnie Mae? You gave your car a grandma name.” He chuckled. “I think as long as the doors stay closed, the seal will keep it out of there. But—you won’t be taking… uh… Minnie Mae home tonight.”

Standing with his hands on his hips, Aric surveyed the situation, then glanced back at my face. Raindrops decorated the crown of his head, illuminated with the reflected shine of the building’s exterior lights. His eyes narrowed, and his lips twisted in a calculating expression.

“You know, I’d like to offer you a ride, but I did promise not to extend any more unwanted invitations.” His voice trailed off in a questioning note as he studied my face. 

I gave him a rueful grin, putting on an overly-polite voice. “Would you mind giving me a ride home? I would really appreciate it.”

He furrowed his brow, shaking his head dubiously. “Well… if you’re sure you want it, and it’s entirely your idea… I’d hate to pressure you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Aric… will you, pretty please with Cool Whip and rainbow sprinkles on top, give me a ride home? You will have my undying gratitude.”

Aric put a hand to his chin, as if he was giving the matter deep consideration. “I like Cool Whip.” He grinned at me. “And undying gratitude. Let’s go.”

About the Author

Amy is a two-time Golden Heart finalist (2013 and 2014) who writes Young Adult fiction as Amy DeLuca and New Adult romance as Amy Patrick.  She lives in Rhode Island with her husband and two sons and actually craves the heat and humidity of Mississippi, where she grew up. She's been a professional singer and news anchor and currently narrates audio books as well as working as a station host for a Boston TV station.

Author links: 

http://www.amypatrickbooks.com/

https://twitter.com/amypatrickbooks

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3247178.Amy_Patrick

Blitz+Excerpt+Giveaway: Falling From the Sky

Title: Falling From the Sky

Author: Nikki Godwin

Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary Romance

Date Published: February 21, 2014

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords

All stability in sixteen-year-old Ridge McCoy’s life crashed and burned in the plane crash that killed his dad. This summer-long basketball camp is his chance to improve his skills and escape his problems back home. But his summer plans take a turn in an unexpected direction when he meets Micah Youngblood, the guy who runs the carousel at the local mall and has a reputation for devouring straight boys’ heterosexuality for breakfast, alongside his chocolate chip pancakes.

Ridge needs a way to avoid the guys at camp, whose only quest for the summer is to drown in beer and hook up with girls. So when Micah offers to explain how the ten unique horses on the carousel are significant to his tribe, Ridge takes him up on it. Still, Ridge can't decide if this is a bad thing or not. All he knows is that he hasn’t felt this alive since his dad fell from the sky, and as the horse adventures come to an end, Ridge finds himself falling as well – for Micah.

Excerpt

Once we’re at the candy stand, Terrence places his order while I scope out the scenery. I keep a low profile until I see Micah. He leans against the edge of the carousel booth and motions someone over to him. It’s a guy. He’s shorter than me, about Micah’s height. Brunette. Thin but somewhat athletic. Then Micah hugs him.

“Uh oh,” Terrence says, following my gaze. “You better go squash that now or someone else will be playing your Xbox games.”

“Shut up,” I mumble. But he’s right. Micah is all too friendly with this guy.

It physically stings. What the fuck is wrong with me? There’s no way I’m jealous. I mean, yeah, if this dude showed up at his house and crashed an Xbox session, I’d be pissed. But Micah is free to talk to whomever he damn well pleases.

Except this guy.

I tell Terrence that I’ll be back and make a beeline for the carousel. I slow down once I’m a bit closer, shake my hair like an emo kid to look a little more natural, and stand tall – because you know, male dominance and all that. Whatever that other guy says is in one ear and out the other the moment Micah sees me.

“What are you doing here?” he asks. He smiles, though, so obviously this isn’t an awkward moment…unless he’s expecting an orgy.

“Terrence had to bring something to his cousin, so I just tagged along,” I say as nonchalantly as I can. “Busy night?”

Micah shakes his head. “Nah, dead actually,” he says. “Oh, this is Tyler, Emilia’s boyfriend. You remember my cousin Emilia, right? Pax’s sister?”

I swear, something inside of me literally crumbles like a broken statue. I don’t know if it’s my lungs or my heart or maybe my entire ribcage. I should have the words ‘fucking idiot’ permanently inked into my forehead, branded like a goddamn cow.

Tyler reaches out to shake my hand, mumbles something about Emilia wasting too much time looking at nail polish, and how he better get back and find her. I finally catch a bubble of oxygen about the time he walks away.

“So, Fourth of July? You coming?” Micah asks, completely oblivious to my male dominance and green glow of envy.

Terrence’s shadow closes in on us just as the question leaves Micah’s mouth.

“What’s happening on the Fourth?” he asks, looking at me instead of Micah. Terrence is damn good at playing dumb as shit.

“We’re having a cookout on the res, pretty huge,” Micah says. “And then we go down to our side of the river for the fireworks show. It’s epic. You should come too.”

“Hell yeah,” Terrence says, nodding along like this is such a freaking brilliant idea. “McCoy here can give me directions. I’ll definitely swing by.”

And then, as quickly as he popped over here to seal the deal for my weekend, Terrence makes some lame excuse about going to look for some Adidas shorts and that he’ll wait for me at the sports store but “no rush.”

When I finally break away from Micah fifteen minutes later, I take the walk of shame down the mall to find Terrence. I dread having to look him in the eye when I know, without a doubt, that he was right.

I want Micah to want me.

About the Author

Website || Facebook || Twitter || Blog || Goodreads

Nikki Godwin is a YA/NA/LGBT author. She can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, and music by Hawthorne Heights. When not writing, she internet-stalks her favorite bands and keeps tabs on surf competitions. One day soon, she'll live near the beach. Her favorite pro surfers are Jeremy Flores, Gabriel Medina, and John John Florence.

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{Blog Tour} Review+Giveaway: Upside Down

Title: Upside Down (Off the Map #1)
Author: Lia Riley
Genres: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: August 5th, 2014
Publisher: Grand Central

Amazon || B&N || iBooks || Kobo

If You Never Get Lost, You’ll Never Be Found

Twenty-one-year-old Natalia Stolfi is saying good-bye to the past-and turning her life upside down with a trip to the land down under. For the next six months, she'll act like a carefree exchange student, not a girl sinking under the weight of painful memories. Everything is going according to plan until she meets a brooding surfer with hypnotic green eyes and the troubling ability to see straight through her act.

Bran Lockhart is having the worst year on record. After the girl of his dreams turned into a nightmare, he moved back home to Melbourne to piece his life together. Yet no amount of disappointment could blind him to the pretty California girl who gets past all his defenses. He's never wanted anyone the way he wants Talia. But when Bran gets a stark reminder of why he stopped believing in love, he and Talia must decide if what they have is once in a lifetime... or if they were meant to live a world apart.

My Thoughts

The cover is what caught my attention first, even though it had people in the cover. I normally don't like the couple-y like covers, but the mix of colors in this one was just vibrantly beautiful. I also love how the explorer map (is that an explorer map?) blends well with the whole thing and doesn't look out of place.

I underestimated the synopsis, actually. Right from the start, the intensity of Talia's grief and loneliness hit me, hard. It was so sad to see her speak to Seymour, a pet monkey stuffed toy. She has a lot of painful memories, but no one is actually helping her situation. Her family, who was supposed to be the one always there, wasn't even there for her. Her mom sucks so much, and she acts like the daughter instead of Talia.

I admire Talia for a lot of reasons. Her ability to stay strong, even though everything seems to be falling apart is truly amazing. She carries so much weight of the world on herself, and it's not only the weight of her world, but also Pippa, her sister's world.

"I pinky-swore my beautiful, brain-dead sister that I'd live enough life for two."

It's so sad because she wanted to do something as a memory for her sister, but she has forgotten how to be herself anymore in the process. She tries to be something she's not, and she's damaged. She also suffers obsessive compulsive disorder, and even though I have no experience in relation to this, it kind of fits the image of what I'd think a person who has OCD. It was worse than what I imagined, though.

The development between Talia and Bran was faster than I thought, and since it's been a whole since I read a New Adult book, it took a little while before I got used to it again. Bran is a bastard. That's all I can say about him. I thought he was like a bastard, but hearing his thoughts just strengthened my impression of him. He is a bastard, but he is a sweet and understanding bastard, and that's worse. He has this ability to make me swoon and ache for him. (I CRY.) The both of them are imperfect, damaged and jaded, but that's what makes the two of them perfect for each other. Each helps the other stand up and grow as a person. They help each other conquer their pasts, and learn how to face the future.

"Bran's not perfect. Neither am I. And maybe that's fine. Maybe that's better than fine. We're perfect only for the other."

I could continue on and on and on here, but all I can say is that, this is. So. Damn. Beautiful. It wasn't just some random boy and girl that met off the street and fell in love right away. It was a love that was healing, a love that was imperfectly perfect. I definitely recommend reading this to all new adult, contemporary romance readers. (YAY! :D)

My Rating

About the Author

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Lia Riley writes offbeat New Adult Romance. After studying at the University of Montana-Missoula, she scoured the world armed only with a backpack, overconfidence and a terrible sense of direction. She counts shooting vodka with a Ukranian mechanic in Antarctica, sipping yerba mate with gauchos in Chile and swilling XXXX with stationhands in Outback Australia among her accomplishments. When not torturing heroes (because c'mon, who doesn't love a good tortured hero?), Lia herds unruly chickens, camps, beach combs, daydreams about as-of-yet unwritten books, wades through a mile-high TBR pile and schemes yet another trip. She and her family live in Northern California.

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