Save Me Blog Tour- Review + Giveaway

Welcome to the next stop in the SAVE ME Blog Tour. I liked this book, so let me just go ahead and jump into the review. Woohoo!

Title: Save Me
Author: Jenny Elliott
Published: January 6th 2015 by Swoon Reads
Source: ARC courtesy of the publisher for an honest review
Goodreads

"Debut-novelist Jenny Elliott’s thrilling romance, chosen by readers, writers, and publishers for the first list in the new Swoon Reads imprint, pours on the tension and danger in an addictive combination that will keep you turning pages!

Something strange is going on in the tiny coastal town of Liberty, Oregon. Cara has never seen a whale swim close enough for her to touch it—let alone knock her into the freezing water. Fortunately, cute newcomer David is there to save her, and the rescue leads to a bond deeper than Cara ever imagined.

But then she learns something about David that changes everything, and Cara is devastated. She turns to her best friend for support, but Rachel has changed. She’s suddenly into witchcraft, and is becoming dangerously obsessed with her new boyfriend….

Cara has lost her best friend, discovered that her soul mate is off limits, and has attracted the attention of a stalker. But she’s not completely alone. Her mysterious, gorgeous new friend Garren is there to support her. But is Garren possibly too perfect?"

First line: "Cara Markwell pulled into the lot above the dock at Liberty Charters and glimpsed the grille of a red sedan barreling toward her."

Thoughts: To be fair, I'm always on the fence when a book is part contemporary, part romance, and part (here's the kicker) paranormal. Being as this is by a debut author, I went into the book blind not knowing what to expect. What I found was a beautifully written novel that kept me intrigued from the beginning until the end.

First off, Cara is a very likable character. She's the type of young lady I hope most girls at least try to be. Smart, kind, and loyal, it's no wonder why her friends and two, yes two, boys care for her so fiercely. I loved that she played Scrabble. If she were real, I'd challenge her to a Words With Friends match. Most of all, I adored that she believed in the people she cared about, even if the odds were stacked against them. Speaking of odds being stacked against them, let's talk a bit about David.

Oh, David. Swoon reads indeed. Now, I'm not trying to come off as some weirdo here, but I have this strange infatuation for forbidden romances. In this case, it's more of a semi-teacher (do interns REALLY count as teacher-teachers?) and student relationship. Just to be clear, I find this subject enticing in books, but not in real life. Anyway, Cara meets David while on a cruise ship together prior to school starting. Their first date was so incredibly romantic that it actually gave me butterflies. Wind blowing in her hair, him brushing his lips against hers? *dies* From the beginning, I cheered for the two and practically fist bumped the air when something actually worked out. It's a great relationship, and I think other readers, including younger readers, will enjoy it.

Now, downside. I will say that there were times where I did think the story dragged a bit. The writing was great, but sometimes there were a lot of words and not a lot of action. To me, the pacing kind of read like adult fiction as oppose to YA. It wasn't as fast paced as I'm accustomed to. I would've also have liked to see the supernatural aspect of the novel pushed up a notch. I know it's primary contemporary, but I guess it's about my personal preference.

Overall, if you're a Pretty Little Liars fan (the show since it seems to be completely different from the book series now) and enjoy the complicated relationship between Aria and Ezra, as well the secrecy and the drama, I would recommend this book to you.


Rating:

3 Stars

Jenny Elliott is a lifelong resident of Washington State and lives in Spokane with her husband and four kids. Writing fiction is her favorite method for avoiding insanity. Other avoidance techniques include reading, playing Scrabble, and browsing social media sites. Save Me is her first novel. Follow her on Twitter at @jennykelliott.

Swoon Reads is the crowd-sourced teen romance imprint founded by Jean Feiwel and published under Feiwel and Friends, a division of Macmillan. Swoon Reads is a community where members are included in every step of the publishing process, from acquiring manuscripts to choosing cover directions. To find out more and discover the best in swoon-worthy novels visit SwoonReads.com or follow us on Twitter at @SwoonReads.


Giveaway:

Thanks to the fabulous people at Swoon Reads, I am giving away one copy of SAVE ME. This giveaway is for US participants only and ends January 30th. Be sure to stop by the rest of the blog tour for more chances to win!

1/3: Gusher Books
1/5: The Book Bratz
1/6: My Corner of the Library
1/7: Dana Square
1/8: YA Interrobang
1/9: Curling Up with a Good Book
1/14: Tripping Over Books
1/15: Addicted 2 Novels (That's me, duh! ;))
1/16: Bumbles and Fairytales
1/19: Mac Teen Books
1/20: Green Bean Teen Queen
1/21: Books and Makeup
1/22: Two Chicks on Books
1/23: Alice Marvels
1/26: Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf
1/27: A Reading Nurse

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