Saying Goodbye

Title: Saying Goodbye

Author: Abigail DrakeGenres: New Adult, Romance
Publication Date: September 10, 2016
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Review: Unblemished

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Title: Unblemished
Author: Sara Ella
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publication Date: October 11, 2016
Publisher: Thomas Nelson / Harper Collins
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Review+Excerpt+Giveaway: A Fabrication of the Truth

 

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Title: A Fabrication of the Truth
Author: Katie Kaleski
Genres: YA Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: September 20, 2016
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Review: Extraordinary October

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Title: Extraordinary October
Author: Diana Wagman
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Publication Date: October 11, 2016
Publisher: IG Publishing
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Blog Tour: Autofocus

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Title: Autofocus

Author: Lauren Gibalsi

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Adoption, Coming of Age, Family

Publication Date: June 14, 2016

Publisher: Harper Teen

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{Blog Tour} Review+Giveaway: The One That I Want

Title: The One That I Want (Mirabelle Harbor, #2)

Author: Marilyn Brant 

Publication date: July 2015

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

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Synopsis:

The summer after her beloved husband died in a car accident, Julia Meriwether Crane is still picking up the pieces of her life in Mirabelle Harbor and trying to help her ten-year-old daughter adjust to this difficult new reality.

After her best friend Sharlene—one of the well-known Michaelsen siblings—talks her into finally going out on the town again, Julia finds herself stunned to be the object of interest of several different men: The boy who’d broken her heart back in high school. The college ex she’d left behind. And most surprising of all, the movie actor she’d always fantasized about but had never met in person until now. Can one woman have more than one “great love” in the same lifetime? And, if so, how can she be sure which man that’ll be?

Sometimes the person you think will be best for you…isn’t the one you really want. THE ONE THAT I WANT, a Mirabelle Harbor story.

{Blog Tour} Review+Giveaway: Wish For Me

Title: Wish for Me (The Djinn Order #1)

Author: A. Star  

Publication date: April 27th 2015

Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Steampunk

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Synopsis:

Three wishes. Two lovers. One destiny.

When the snarky Glory St. Pierre discovers the gold mechanical vase in her deceased grandmother’s basement, she has no idea that she has uncovered a priceless treasure: a genie lamp. With a real genie inside. A very sexy genie with a not-so-sexy grudge against the entire human race.

Irving Amir hates being called a genie. He’s a Djinn, and he is none too happy to be in the service of Glory, who is as intolerable, and beautiful, as humans come. Now he owes her his gratitude for freeing him and three wishes. Damn his luck.

But an arrow through the shoulder alerts Irving to the fact that he is being hunted, and after a truce dinner with Glory ends with them both almost being killed, hating each other goes right out the window. As feelings change and love starts to develop, they must dig through the secrets and lies to find the truth…a truth neither of them will ever see coming.

WARNING: Not suitable for ages 18 and under. A significant source of bad language, sexy times, and dirty jokes. If you suffer from a lack of a sense of humor, take with plenty of wine. If the symptom persists, see a doctor.

My Thoughts

Wish For Me caught my interest with the genie in a lamp thing, which made me think that it would be like a fairy tale retelling of Aladdin. But it totally wasn't.

Both characters, Irving and Glory had great personalities, and it was fun to read their interactions. Their banters and conversations were humorous, and they reeled me into continue reading. Before I knew it, I was almost done reading it! I love how Glory is independent, confident and straight-forward. Although, I just couldn't find myself entirely being able to connect with her. Maybe it's just because that she's someone who is the opposite of me. Just maybe.

The pacing was perfect also! There was a great balance between the action, character development, romance, and all those kind of stuff! It's just that, there were some parts that while they were fun to read, I just didn't get the point of it. And everything just came tumbling down by the end. I really enjoyed reading this one, I really did. But, MYGALLY!!! That ending! I really hate cliffhangers, I really do. But there are cliffhangers that I can come to accept, and there are some that I can't. Sad to say, this is one of them. I just totally did not expect the ending to be coming that soon, and I felt dumbfounded when I saw that I was already at the last page.

Nevertheless, I still think that I'll be picking up the next installment once it comes out. If you don't mind cliffhangers, go read this now! If you mind, well, maybe put this one off until the next one comes out. Either way, Wish For Me is a great read.

My Rating

About the Author

Website || Goodreads || Facebook || Twitter

A. Star is a fan of dirty passion. She loves to read it, and she damn sure loves to write it. She is the author of the Mythos: Gods & Lovers series, the Djinn Order series, and the Knights of the Joust series. She is a night-owl and a coffee junkie, and the only sneaker she would be caught dead wearing are Converses.

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{Blog Tour} Review+Excerpt+Giveaway: All I've Never Wanted

Title: All I've Never Wanted

Author: Ana Huang

Publication Date: June 15, 2015

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Summary from Goodreads:

The Scions were the four richest, most powerful guys at Valesca Academy, and they ruled the school with iron fists. Everyone wanted to date them or be them...everyone, that is, except Maya Lindberg, who just wanted to avoid them until she could graduate.

She almost succeeded, until an ill-advised outburst on her part put her right in the Scions' path. Just like that, one became her fake boyfriend, one her unwanted matchmaker, one her guardian angel, and the one she couldn't stand the most? Yeah, he's her new housemate.

A Young Adult romantic comedy that explores what happens when a girl gets everything she never asked for, including a puppy, a new wardrobe, and, possibly, even true love.

Excerpt

“Why you get ride from strange boys?” My grandmother glared at my mom. “This how you raise daughter?”

My  mom  just  looked bewildered. She obviously  had  no  idea what was going on. Actually, neither did I.

“No, he’s not a strange boy!” I was desperate to make this stop. “He’s—uh...“ Suddenly, I had a lightbulb moment. “He’s my boyfriend!”

My mom, grandmother, and Parker all whipped their heads around to stare at me in shock. They spoke at the same time.

“He is?”

“You are?”

“I am?”

I smiled sweetly and reached out to grab Parker’s hand, squeezing it tighter than normal. “Yes. This is Parker. He was the boyfriend I told you about.”

My Thoughts

I got engrossed with this one pretty quick - I was even scolded by my mom because apparently she had been calling me for dinner three times already (and I didn't hear her.) YES. It wasn't intense, but it was definitely attention-catching. I just love the humor! Especially the parts where Maya's grandmother is involved - gotta love the grandma! <3

Actually, when I was reading the first few chapters of this, I thought that the story seemed very familiar. And whoa! I just read somewhere that it was inspired by Hana Yori Dango (I totally did not know about this one.) At first, my urge to continue reading lessened. It may be funny, but I didn't want to reread the entire Hana Yori Dango story again. I'm glad I finished this one, though.

While there may be similarities, there were also things that kept All I've Never Wanted different from Hana Yori Dango. It was refreshing, and a great break from the academic stress I am right now in. I just couldn't stop smiling! :D

I can't say that I exactly felt a connection between the characters and me (I didn't experience the same things as them), but it wasn't hard to find myself liking them, as each of them had their own personalities. I especially love their interactions with each other as friends. Although, I couldn't say the same for the romance. There were some, especially for Carlo's case, that I hoped was developed more. At times, it made me feel like they were able to find their love just so that everyone could have their own HEA, and it didn't really suit me that well.

Also, I just didn't like how the POV kept on shifting without any cue. It was confusing at most times, especially when I didn't really know who's POV it was. And while it was humorous and spirit-lifting (at least for me), towards the latter part of the story, I felt that it started becoming a little bit draggy.

Nevertheless, All I've Never Wanted is a great read, even though the story isn't really entirely new. While the romance may seem a little bit too perfect, it was still cute and fun to read, nonetheless.

My Rating

About the Author

Ana Huang, better known as ACRL37 on Wattpad, primarily writes Young Adult and Romance. She started writing her first novel, All I've Never Wanted, when she was sixteen; it was originally inspired by the Asian manga Hana Yori Dango (also known as Meteor Garden and Boys Over Flowers). Her second novel, If We Ever Meet Again, was loosely based on her own study abroad experiences in college. Her stories currently have a combined view of over 20 million on Wattpad. 

Besides reading and writing, she also enjoys politics, brunch, and traveling.

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{Blog Tour} Review+Giveaway: Love and Other Theories

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Title: Love and Other Theories

Author: Alexis Bass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: December 31st 2014

Purchase from: Amazon || B&N || Book Depository || iTunes || Kobo

Synopsis from Goodreads:

If you want more, you have to give less.

That’s the secret to dating in high school. By giving as little as they expect to get in return, seventeen-year-old Aubrey Housing and her three best friends have made it to the second semester of their senior year heartbreak-free. And it’s all thanks to a few simple rules: don’t commit, don’t be needy, and don’t give away your heart.

So when smoking-hot Nathan Diggs transfers to Lincoln High, it shouldn’t be a big deal. At least that’s what Aubrey tells herself. But Nathan’s new-boy charm, his kindness, and his disarming honesty throw Aubrey off her game and put her in danger of breaking the most important rule of all: Don’t fall in love.

Advance Praise

“Careful, subtle and aching. ” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Warning: Bass’s debut novel will ignite ALL your feelings!” - Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy

“I loved LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES. Alexis Bass writes a compelling critique of the ways society expects girls to behave in their relationships, the lies girls tell each other–and themselves–to keep from getting hurt, and, when all is said and done, how only the heart knows the truth.” – Kristin Halbrook, author of Nobody But Us and co-founder of YA Highway

“Alexis Bass masterfully captures all the complexities of high school relationships. A lovely debut.” – Amanda Maciel, author of Tease

“A bold debut that authentically captures the frenzy of love, lust, and senior year of high school!” - Julie Murphy, author of Side Effects May Vary

“Love and Other Theories challenged my assumptions, dared me to think differently and burrowed into my heart. A heart-achingly beautiful story about whether it is better to protect your heart or to take the biggest risk of all.” - Daisy Whitney, author of The Mockingbirds

“In her debut novel, Bass provides honest, incisive, and sometimes uncomfortable insights into the complicated intersections of friendship and romance, the ways sex can be wielded as a weapon, and the measures some teens take to protect themselves from pain.” — Publishers Weekly

“Bass’s debut is an entertaining perspective on the battlefield of the teen dating world.” —Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

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My Thoughts

I am torn between loving and hating this one.

I love how Love and Other Theories captures the feeling of what a typical teenager would experience. I love how it depicts the reality of what is happening in high school. I love how it was a romance story, but it wasn’t the fairy tale kind of thing. I love how the characters ended up kind of realistic. I love how the plot developed in a way that I can’t bring myself to stop reading. I love how the writing was so amazing that it could make me laugh and cry all in a matter of a few minutes. I love how honest and real and strong the emotions were. I love how I love a lot of things, and I can go on forever.

But there are also a lot of things that I didn’t like. It was okay for me to have characters that are mean, but I think that this was over the top. It was disappointing to see how almost everyone was being mean, and nothing was being done. And the few people that are good, well, they’re being bullied or what-not. It was so sad. Also, there were too much negativity that made me want to just stop at some point in the book. I also didn’t like how the girls (Aubrey, and her best friends - Shelby, Danica and Melissa) were just influencing others with their own opinions and stuff, and it was as if that you have to follow them or else. I didn’t like how the book primarily used the foundation of drinking and sleeping around. I didn’t like how it managed to question my principles and opinions. I didn’t like how it portrayed the girls as players. I didn’t like how it showed the selfish side of friendship.

(mild spoiler alert) The ending wasn’t a happy ending one, but it was the best one. It was realistic, and I love it that way. It didn’t give any false hope or any fairy tale what-so-ever aspect. It was just that. It was the high school life. By the end, Love and Other Theories just strengthened the principles I have. Sure, it made me doubt myself, but it made me even more sure of the things that I stand for. This was a heck of a roller coaster ride for me, but I wouldn’t have it like any other else. Absolutely stunning, completely amazing, totally heart-wrecking with all the feels and emotions. I definitely recommend reading this one!

My Rating

Real Rating: 4.5

About the Author

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Alexis Bass grew up in Washington, went to college in Arizona, and spent her early twenties in Seattle. She currently lives in Northern California with Dylan McKay, her gorgeous and rambunctious golden retriever. She loves good fashion and good TV as much as a good book, and is a huge advocate of the three C’s: coffee, chocolate, and cheese. LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES is her first novel.

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