Blog Tour: Of Fire and Stars

Title: Of Fire and Stars
Author: Audrey Coulthurst
Expected publication: November 22nd 2016 by Balzer + Bray
Source: eArc via Netgalley courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review

"Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile lands. But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire—a dangerous gift for the future queen of a kingdom where magic is forbidden.

Now, Denna must learn the ways of her new home while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria’s formidable warhorses before her coronation—and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine (called Mare), sister of her betrothed.

When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit. As the two work together, each discovers there’s more to the other than she thought. Mare is surprised by Denna’s intelligence and bravery, while Denna is drawn to Mare’s independent streak. Soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more.

But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms—and each other. "

Thoughts: A standalone fantasy novel? Really? Okay, I'm in. The cover brought my attention to the novel, the synopsis got me invested, and the overall promise of something amazing is why I decided to pick this one up. While it's a cute story and I liked it, I can't say full heartedly that I loved it.

What I loved about the novel: Denna and Mare. I absolutely adored these two. If you're a fan of strong heroines with a lot to offer, this is the book for you. They're very much opposites in a sense, but they also fit well together. Denna is training to be queen of Mynarian, and as most leaders or anyone how has ever tried to work in a group project knows, there will always be people who clash, argue, or simply don't appreciate your opinion. Enter Mare. Mare is Denna's fiancé's sister and her riding instructor. They just click, and I loved reading their love story unfold. It was super cute and definitely put a smile on my face. That's not to say it doesn't come with its own set of complications (like every relationship on the planet), but the times where things were great is what got me through this book

Things I didn't love about the novel: Denna and Mare's relationship was pretty much the only pro for me. The rest of the novel just felt rather bland and very slow-moving. I guess I just expected more. I wanted more action, world building, character building, something, anything!

I felt like the secondary characters were just there to be there, and was it just me or did the horses play more of a complex role than anyone other than the two main gals?

Pacing in fantasy novels usually takes a backseat in favor of world and character building. In this case, the story just goes for it without much of either, and I found myself struggling to get through. To be honest, it probably took me a lot longer than it should've to finish this novel, but I did blow through the scenes that involved Denna and Mare (the pro!).

All in all, while OF FIRE AND STARS had a lot of promise, it just fell a bit too flat for my taste. Honestly, I think I'm in the minority in this case, because I've seen a lot of people online who love, rave, and cherish this novel. This is just my opinion, so don't take my word for it. While it's not the book for me, maybe it's the book for you!


Rating:

2 Stars

LINKS: Amazon | B&N;

ABOUT AUDREY COULHURST:
Audrey Coulthurst writes YA books that tend to involve magic, horses, and kissing the wrong people. Her debut novel, Of Fire and Stars, will be published on November 22, 2016 by Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins. When she’s not dreaming up new stories, she can usually be found painting, singing, or on the back of a horse.

Audrey has a Master’s in Writing from Portland State University, is a member of SCBWI, and studied with Malinda Lo as a 2013 Lambda Literary Foundation Fellow. She lives in Santa Monica, California.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram



Giveaway:
3 Finished Copies of OF FIRE AND STARS (US Only)


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Be sure to check out the rest of the tour!


Tour Schedule:

Week 1:
11/14: What Sarah Read - Review
11/15: A Backwards Story - Mood Board
11/16: Addicted 2 Novels - Review (Welcome, Y'all!)
11/17: Caught Read Handed - Guest Post
11/18: Lisa Loves Literature - Review

Week 2:
11/21: The Irish Banana Review - Fast 5
11/22: IN WONDERLAND - Review
11/23: No BS Book Reviews - Q&A;
11/24: Don't Fold the Page - Review
11/25: Arctic Books - Top 5

Blog Tour: This Is Our Story

Welcome to the next stop in the This Is Our Story Blog Tour! Today, I'll be reviewing this novel as well as posting a giveaway. Enough small talk. Let's have at it, shall we?

Title: This Is Our Story
Author: Ashley Elston
Published: November 15th 2016 by Disney-Hyperion
Source: eGalley courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review

"No one knows what happened that morning at River Point. Five boys went hunting. Four came back. The boys won’t say who fired the shot that killed their friend; the evidence shows it could have been any one of them.

Kate Marino’s senior year internship at the District Attorney’s Office isn’t exactly glamorous—more like an excuse to leave school early that looks good on college applications. Then the DA hands her boss, Mr. Stone, the biggest case her small town of Belle Terre has ever seen. The River Point Boys are all anyone can talk about. Despite their damning toxicology reports the morning of the accident, the DA wants the boys’ case swept under the rug. He owes his political office to their powerful families.

Kate won’t let that happen. Digging up secrets without revealing her own is a dangerous line to walk; Kate has her own reasons for seeking justice for Grant. As she and Stone investigate—the ageing prosecutor relying on Kate to see and hear what he cannot—she realizes that nothing about the case—or the boys—is what it seems. Grant wasn’t who she thought he was, and neither is Stone’s prime suspect. As Kate gets dangerously close to the truth, it becomes clear that the early morning accident might not have been an accident at all—and if Kate doesn’t uncover the true killer, more than one life could be on the line…including her own."

Review: Is it cliche to call this book addicting considering my blog's name is Addicted 2 Novels? Well, I don't know how better way to describe it other than that. The mystery, the romance, the twist and the turns, THIS IS OUR STORY will offer you plenty of reasons to stay up late until you reach the very last page.

What originally drew me to this novel, as superficial as it sounds, was the cover. It doesn't give much of anything anyway yet was interesting enough for me to pick it up and read the synopsis. Once I did, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

The novel is told through our main character Kate's POV and sometimes switches to the murderer's POV. Kate is one of those likable characters you root for from the very beginning. Her mom is works for the local DA, which actually lands her an internship with them. Naturally, once the murder case lands on the DA's desk, Kate is instantly drawn to the mystery. She wants to know who killed Grant and find justice. I don't want to go into further details without giving too much away, but I do want to point out that Kate would definitely give the girls (especially Spencer) from Pretty Little Liars a run for their money.

Oddly enough, even though THIS IS OUR STORY is more of a mystery-thriller novel, there is a bit of romance in it. Swoony boys are definitely a plus, but again, I don't want to name names without giving too much away. Just know that if this is something you have to have in all of your novels (*raises hand*), it's there.

All in all, if you're looking for a book that will keep you up in the wee hours of the morning, THIS IS OUR STORY is the book for you. I loved the setting, the complexity of all of the characters, and the overall flow of the story. Piece by piece, my curiosity grew, and though the ending didn't take me completely by surprised, I loved going on the journey to get there.

Really, there's something for everyone in this novel.


Rating:

5 Stars

LINKS: Amazon | B&N;

ABOUT ASHLEY ELSTON:
Ashley Elston lives is North Louisiana with her husband and three sons. She worked as a wedding and portrait photographer for ten years until she decided to pursue writing full time. Ashley is also a certified landscape horticulturist and loves digging in the dirt. Her debut novel, THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING, was published by Disney Hyperion in 2013 and the sequel, THE RULES FOR BREAKING, in 2014. Her latest novel, THIS IS OUR STORY, will be published on November 15, 2016.

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook


Giveaway:
3 Finished Copies of THIS IS OUR STORY (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Be sure to check out the rest of the tour!


11/7: Bookiemoji - Review
11/8: The Book Addict's Guide - Book Scents
11/9: Fiction Fare - Review
11/10: Adventures of a Book Junkie - Q&A;
11/11: Caught Read Handed - Review

11/14: The Irish Banana Review - Fast 5
11/15: Addicted 2 Novels - Review (You're here!)
11/16: In Wonderland - Guest Post
11/17: Ex Libris - Review
11/18: The Fake Steph - Top 10

If I Fix You Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

When sixteen-year-old Jill Whitaker’s mom walks out—with a sticky note as a goodbye—only Jill knows the real reason she’s gone. But how can she tell her father? Jill can hardly believe the truth herself.

Suddenly, the girl who likes to fix things—cars, relationships, romances, people—is all broken up. Used to be, her best friend, tall, blond and hot flirt Sean Addison, could make her smile in seconds. But not anymore. They don’t even talk.

With nothing making sense, Jill tries to pick up the pieces of her life. But when a new guy moves in next door, intense, seriously cute, but with scars—on the inside and out—that he thinks don’t show, Jill finds herself trying to make things better for Daniel. But over one long, hot Arizona summer, she realizes she can’t fix anyone’s life until she fixes her own. And she knows just where to start . . .

LINKS: Amazon | B&N;


Review: When someone compares a novel to greats like Morgan Matson, Cammie McGovern, and Sarah Dessen, an reader expectation naturally develops. From the summary, it sounded like a deeper YA novel with different types of relationships (romantic, family, and whatnot) at it's core, which is completely up my alley. I must say, IF I FIX YOU did not disappoint.

Jill, the main character, is very relatable in multiple aspects. Though I've never gone through what she did, I can understand the hurt and confusion that can follow with it. The main relationship in the story is that between her and her father. She works at his car shop, and they share a very close relationship with no another. After seeing what she saw, her best friend and the role he played in her mom leaving, I was glad that she had her father around and be the parental figure (even though her father is dealing with his own pain). The love he has for her is undeniable, and though I enjoyed reading about Jill and her journey, her father was by far my favorite character in this novel.

Enter Daniel. Jill has been sleeping on the roof to escape and find some sort of solace. She actually overhears a fight between Daniel's parents and begins to form a connection with him. They seem to just fit together, but you can also tell that Daniel likes to keep a certain distance from Jill. He's obviously hiding something, the question is what.

All in all, while there is heartache in this story, I will say that it's not unbearable by any means. IF I FIX YOU is about healing, finding yourself, family, friendship, and everything in-between.

Rating:

4 Stars

ABOUT ABIGAIL JOHNSON:
Abigail was born in Pennsylvania. When she was twelve, her family traded in snow storms for year round summers, and moved to Arizona. Abigail chronicled the entire cross-country road trip (in a purple spiral bound notebook that she still has) and has been writing ever since. She became a tetraplegic after breaking her neck in a car accident when she was seventeen, but hasn’t let that stop her from bodysurfing in Mexico, writing and directing a high school production of Cinderella, and publishing her first novel.
LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram


Tour Schedule:
Week 1:
10/17: Addicted 2 Novels - Review
10/18: The Irish Banana Review - Fast 5
10/19: PaperTrailYA - Review
10/20: A Book and a Latte - How I Write
10/21: Ex Libris - Review

Week 2:
10/24: Lost In Lit - Guest Post
10/25: Tina the Bookworm - Review
10/26: Fiction Fare - Q&A;
10/27: The Petite Book Blogger - Review & Moodboard
10/28: Stuck In Books - Review

Giveaway:
3 Finished Copies of IF I FIX YOU (US Only)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gemina (Illuminae Files #2) Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Title: Gemina (Illuminae Files #2)
Authors: Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff, Marie Lu (Illustrator)
Expected publication: October 18th 2016 by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Source: ARC courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IndieBound / Book Depository

"The highly anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller that critics are calling “out-of-this-world awesome.”

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.
The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illuminae continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.
Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair are struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy's most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.
When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station's wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.
But relax. They've totally got this. They hope.
Once again told through a compelling dossier of emails, IMs, classified files, transcripts, and schematics, Gemina raises the stakes of the Illuminae Files, hurling readers into an enthralling new story that will leave them breathless."

Review: I've been sitting here for longer than I'd like to admit wondering how to tell you fabulous folks how much I practically worshiped and devoured GEMINA without giving too much away. Should I tell you about the...well, no. Or how...no, not that either. Ugh! What I will say is it's a fantastic novel that, even though it's a sequel, can also be read as a standalone (But it's truly best to read ILLUMINAE first). From the beginning to the end, flipping through the amazing story, I never once felt bored nor did I ever want to put it down. It's a fall must read!

GEMINA starts off right where ILLUMINAE ends. We have a new set of main characters. For those wondering, the previous main characters from ILLUMINAE do make appearances, but just be read for a new cast and crew. Hanna is an easy character to fall in love with, and you'll also easily swoon for Nik. I will say the sci-fi element is definitely stronger in this one versus the romance, however, I found this to make the story much more thrilling than the previous novel.

There's so much I want to say and just as much as I can't, but just know that this book will leave the rushing and rushing until the shocking end. To be honest, I very much enjoyed GEMINA more than ILLUMINAE. I know, how is that even possible? This writing duo just keeps getting better and better.

Sadly, my ARC did not have any illustrations in it, but never fear- I've preordered my copy and will be able to see the gorgeous illustrations come October 18th. Put it on your must-read list ASAP.

Rating:

5 Stars

Giveaway: Thanks to the fabulous people at Knopf Books, I am giving away one copy of Gemina to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment below,. This giveaway is only open to US participants and ends October 31st.

Blog Tour: Die Young With Me (With Giveaway!)

Welcome to Day #9 of the Die Young With Me Blog Tour!

To celebrate the release of Die Young With Me by Rob Rufus (9/20/16), blogs across the web are featuring exclusive content from Rob and 10 chances to win a copy of Die Young With Me, as well as two chances to win a Punk Rock Prize Pack in the Grand Prize Giveaway!

5 Musicians I'd Love to Meet
Living or Dead
by Rob Rufus

Over the years I’ve met tons of musicians.  Some of them you would have never heard of, and some of them are all over TV and magazine covers – either way; I’ve been pretty lucky.  But there is also a downside to meeting musicians you idolize – sometimes, they’re assholes.  Sometimes your musical heroes are drugged up, or creepy, or just plain boring as hell.  Sometimes they’ll even try to sleep with your girlfriend (and that’s a bummer, take it from me).
So when compiling this list, I tried to keep my past experiences in mind.  All of the musicians below are ones that I’d not only love to meet, but they are musicians I believe are wholly represented by their art.  Because when you’re meeting your heroes, my stance is – the less surprises, the better.

BILLY BRAGG
Billy Bragg is one of my favorite songwriters.  He’s like the British Woody Guthrie, but with a better sense of humor.  We once played a festival together in Florida called Harvest of Hope, the proceeds of which were going to migrant farm workers.  Because it was for charity, Billy Bragg flew over from England and played on his own dime.  He didn’t want to take any money away from the cause.  He was the only headliner who played for free.
Unfortunately, the cost of putting on the concert bankrupted the organization.  Brutal, right?  But I was taken by how selfless Billy Bragg was – he practices what he preaches, and he knows how to insult people with grace, a trick I’d really love to learn.

DEAN MARTIN
I would’ve loved to hang out with Dean Martin for the exact opposite reasons that I’d love to meet Billy Bragg.  I mean, can you imagine?  Movie stars, Playboy bunnies, starched collars of thick wool suits, and enough hair products to make your eyes bleed.   The booze would be flowing like, well, booze!  Come on Dino, sign me up!

ELVIS
Hail to the king, baby – who wouldn’t kill to hang out with Elvis?  But in the end he stuck close to his moron redneck friends, leeches that were sucking him dry and making a mockery of his legacy.  If just one of those Memphis Mafia guys had been real with Elvis, maybe he’d be alive today.  Let me join the Memphis Mafia, Elvis, come on!  I’ll shoot straight with you dude, I swear.

TIM ARMSTRONG
In my opinion, Tim Armstrong is one of the best songwriters around, period.  The front man for one of my favorite bands, Rancid, we’ve played the same festivals many times but I’ve never met him.  He’s a painter, writer, producer, DJ, actor, and everything else under the sun – the man is a serious artist.  I just wanna vibe with this motherfucker till I get on his level…or close. 

LUCINDA WILLIAMS
I’ve never had a crush on a woman’s talent the way I do on Lucinda Williams.  She is just unreal to me on every level, and writes songs that will rip your heart out of your chest, fuck it up, stomp on it, brush it off, and then carefully re-insert it.  She’s one of the bravest female artists I can think of, and I would really love to get a chance to tell her how much I appreciate it, and how much I’ve learned from her songwriting.
If you have artists that you’d like to meet, it isn’t as hard as you’d think.  Just hang long enough and they’ll appear, bedazzled and sparkling and…human.  Don’t forget that part.  They’re just people – and, like a lot of people, they sometimes let you down.  Sometimes it is better to know them through their art, it’s often more reliable and very rarely has bad breath.

*****

Stop by Once Upon A Twilight tomorrow for the last stop on the tour!

Blog Tour Schedule:

September 19th - Mundie Moms

September 20th – BookHounds

September 21st – PageTurners

September 22nd – The Ravenous Reader

September 23rd – A Dream Within a Dream

September 26th – Positively Book Crazy

September 27th – Crossroad Reviews

September 28th – Book Briefs

September 29th – Addicted 2 Novels

September 30th – Once Upon A Twilight

Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

Add on Goodreads

Follow Rob: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

In the tradition of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl comes the incredibly moving true story of a teenager diagnosed with cancer and how music was the one thing that helped him get through his darkest days.

Punk’s not dead in rural West Virginia. In fact, it blares constantly from the basement of Rob and Nat Rufus—identical twin brothers with spiked hair, black leather jackets, and the most kick-ass record collection in Appalachia. To them, school (and pretty much everything else) sucks. But what can you expect when you’re the only punks in town?

When the brothers start their own band, their lives begin to change: they meet friends, they attract girls, and they finally get invited to join a national tour and get out of their rat box little town.

But their plans are cut short when Rob is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that has already progressed to Stage Four. Not only are his dreams of punk rock stardom completely shredded, there is a very real threat that this is one battle that can’t be won.

While Rob suffers through nightmarish treatments and debilitating surgery, Nat continues on their band’s road to success alone. But as Rob’s life diverges from his brother’s, he learns to find strength within himself and through his music. Die Young With Me is a raw, honest account of a brave teen’s fight with cancer and the many ways music helped him cope through his recovery.

About the Author: Rob Rufus is a musician and writer living in Nashville. His band, Blacklist Royals, has released two full-length albums and played in sixteen countries over the past five years. Rob has written articles for Modern Drummer, Amp Magazine, Digital Tour Bus, and many music sites. Rob also works closely with the cancer community, including the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Stupid Cancer Podcast (the largest advocacy/support organization worldwide for teens with cancer), and Make-A-Wish Foundation. You can find him online at robrufus.net, on Twitter @rob_rufus, and Instagram @dieyoungwithme_official.

GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY

• Two (2) winners will receive a Punk Rock Prize Pack featuring a finished copy of Die Young With Me, an exclusive poster, a mix tape (ft. an excerpt of the book), Die Young With Me switchback comb (not pictured), and Rob Rufus punk rock vinyls
• Enter via the rafflecopter below
• US Only
• Ends 10/2 at midnight ET

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The One Real Thing Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway + Excerpt

Title: The One Real Thing (Hart's Boardwalk #1)
Author: Samantha Young
Published: September 6th 2016 by Berkley
Source: Finished copy courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IndieBound / Book Depository

Welcome to Hartwell, a quiet seaside escape where uncovering old secrets could lead one woman to discover the meaning of a love that lasts…

While Doctor Jessica Huntington engages with the inmates at the women’s correctional facility where she works, she’s always careful to avoid emotional attachments in her personal life. Loss and betrayal taught her that lesson long ago. But when she comes across a set of old love letters in the prison’s library and visits the picturesque town of Hartwell to deliver them to their intended recipient, she finds herself unable to resist the town’s charm—and her attraction to the sexy owner of a local bar proves equally hard to deny.

Since his divorce from his unfaithful ex-wife, Cooper Lawson has focused on what really matters: his family and the boardwalk pub they’ve owned for generations. But the first time Jessica steps into his bar, Cooper is beyond tempted to risk his heart on her. Yet as their attraction grows hotter and Jessica remains stubbornly closed off, he begins to realize it will take more than just passion to convince her there’s only one real thing in life worth fighting for….

Review: There is absolutely nothing better than curling up with the latest book by one of your favorite authors. Samantha Young just has this incredible talent for sucking you into a story from the very page...Heck, first line! THE ONE REAL THING is not an exception to this. It's quirky, fun, sexy, and just downright good!

The two main characters are easy to love. Both find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place. You have Jessica, a doctor at the Wilmington prison who stumbles across some letters that ultimately lead her to a life changing journey. If you've ever read THE LUCKY ONE by Nicholas Sparks, it kind of reminded me of Logan's journey sans angst. Then you have Cooper, a man whose ex-wife cheated on him, running his family bar (with angst!). When these two collide, as cliche as it sounds, sparks flew. Their chemistry is electric. You could feel the sexual tension and oh, when they finally got together...Wowsas! I loved them together more than I did when they were apart. I loved that the author chose to have them build that sexual tension rather than rush into an insta-love relationship. This made me devour the book even faster.

The novel is told through both Jessica's and Cooper's point of views. One thing I found odd was that Jessica's POV was written in first person and Cooper's in third. I wonder if the author did this so readers would relate more to Jessica than Cooper? Either way, it was a little odd to me, but it didn't necessarily take anything away from the overall story.

From the quaint beach town to the sizzling romance, I highly recommend everyone check out THE ONE REAL THING. If you live in an area where the weather still permits, take it to the beach or pool with you, drink a couple cocktails, lay back and enjoy. It really is the best way to savor this fabulous novel.

Rating:

4.5 Stars




Excerpt: Why did it feel like having sex had complicated things so much? Usually sex was complication-free for me.

But before that night I’d been completely sure that Cooper was interested in exploring something more with me, and now I was freaking out that his interest would wane now that he’d had me.

I shook my head slowly. “No. It was good.”

He scowled, his arms tightening around me so much there wasn’t an inch of space between us. “It was better than fucking good, Jessica.”

I scowled back and pushed at his chest for some breathing space. “Well, I’m sure you’d know all about that.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“You use the word ‘fuck’ a lot.”

“It’s a good fucking word.”

I was tempted to laugh at how disgruntled he sounded and he seemed to catch my amusement because his hold on me eased.

“What’s going on in your head, Jess?”

I thought about evading this conversation. I’d never had to have an adult, open conversation with a man about sex. However, I realized, somewhat reluctantly, if I wanted something more with Cooper Lawson I was going to have to give him more than I was used to giving.

I couldn’t change his past, but I could figure out what it was he wanted in the future by just being honest and asking the question.

“You still want something with me, right? This”—I gestured behind me to the table—“it wasn’t just about sex.”

“No,” he said. “It’s not just about sex.”

As I heaved a sigh of relief, he let go of my waist to cup my face in his hands, dipping his head down to mine so our noses almost touched. He stared deep into my eyes and I shivered. I felt like he was trying to see right into my soul.

“I’m in this for the long haul, Doc. I was before you walked into my bar tonight, but now, after the best fucking sex of my life, after how wild that was, there’s no way I’m letting you walk out of here without me.”
And there he went doing it again.

His words resonated deep within me along with giving me that deep, sexual belly flip of arousal.

My fingers curled into the top of his biceps. “Best sex of my life, too,” I murmured. “It stunned me a little. Confused me . . . I thought maybe . . . you . . . this was old hat for you . . .”

He gave me a crooked grin. “You think I make a habit of fucking women in my bar.”

“You could,” I said. “You are definitely a man who could pull that off.”

Cooper threw his head back in laughter and I pressed my body deeper into his to feel his joy.

And then he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me.

Just as I’d suspected, he was a really good hugger.

When he pulled back he was smiling gently at me. “You’re the only woman I’ve had in my bar.” He let me go only to take my hand in his. “No one sits at that table anymore.” He gestured to the scene of the best sex we’d both ever had. “It’s now a shrine.”

“You can’t do that!” I was mortified at the possibility of people finding out why there was a table in Cooper Lawson’s bar that no one was allowed to sit at.

“I can. It’s my bar. I think I’ll even carve ‘Coop and Doc were here’ on it.”

Finally getting that he was joking, I made a face. “Funny.”

“You’re slow on the uptake tonight,” he teased.

“My brain was just frazzled by the orgasm to beat all orgasms.”

He squeezed my hand. “You up for more brain frazzling?”

I shivered at the thought. “Definitely.”

His eyes darkened. “Let’s go back to my place.”

Exhilarated by the prospect, I followed him, and it wasn’t until we’d stepped outside the bar into the cool night air that I said, “I don’t suppose you know where my panties are?”

“I do, actually.” He led me to the back of his bar to the parking lot. A dark-colored GMC was the only truck there.

“Um . . . could I have them, please?”

He stopped me at the passenger side of the truck, pressing me up against the car. “Why?” he whispered against my lips before he kissed me deeply. He came up for air a few seconds later. “You’re not going to need them where we’re going.”

The nagging pressure between my legs increased. “You are so very, very good at stringing the exact right words together.”

He kissed me again.

“You’re just good with your mouth in general,” I murmured.

Cooper grinned and brushed his lips over mine. “In the truck, Doc.”


Giveaway: Thanks to the fabulous people at Berkley, you can enter to win 1 of 5 copies of THE ONE REAL THING. Did I mention it's open to international participants as well? Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below!

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Never Missing, Never Found Blog Tour: Giveaway

"A juicy thriller about a girl who returned from the missing. . . . Hand to fans of We Were Liars, Bone Gap, and Vanishing Girls.

Some choices change everything. Scarlett chose to run. And the consequences will be deadly.

Stolen from her family as a young girl, Scarlett was lucky enough to eventually escape her captor. Now a teen, she's starting a summer job at an amusement park. There are cute boys, new friends, and the chance to finally have a normal life.

Her first day on the job, Scarlett is shocked to discover that a girl from the park has gone missing. Old memories come rushing back. And now as she meets her new coworkers, one of the girls seems strangely familiar. When Scarlett chose to run all those years ago, what did she set into motion? And when push comes to shove, how far will she go to uncover the truth . . . before it's too late? "

Published: June 28th 2016 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Book Depository / IndieBound


Giveaway: Thanks to the fabulous people at Penguin Random House, I am giving away TWO finished copies to two lucky winners. This giveaway is only open to US/CA participants and ends July 24th. The winners will be notified via email, so be sure to check it and get back to me!

Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

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Blog Tour: 738 Days Review + Giveaway

"At fifteen, Amanda Grace was abducted on her way home from school. 738 days later, she escaped. Her 20/20 interview is what everyone remembers—Amanda describing the room where she was kept, the torn poster of TV heartthrob Chase Henry on the wall. It reminded her of home and gave her the strength to keep fighting.

Now, years later, Amanda is struggling to live normally. Her friends have gone on to college, while she battles PTSD. She’s not getting any better, and she fears that if something doesn’t change soon she never will.

Six years ago, Chase Henry defied astronomical odds, won a coveted role on a new TV show, and was elevated to super-stardom. With it, came drugs, alcohol, arrests, and crazy spending sprees. Now he's sober and a Hollywood pariah, washed up at twenty-four.

To revamp his image, Chase’s publicist comes up with a plan: surprise Amanda Grace with the chance to meet her hero, followed by a visit to the set of Chase’s new movie. The meeting is a disaster, but out of mutual desperation, Amanda and Chase strike a deal. What starts as a simple arrangement, though, rapidly becomes more complicated when they realize they need each other in more ways than one. But when the past resurfaces in a new threat, will they stand together or fall apart? "

LINKS: Amazon | B&N; | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository



Thoughts: This book gutted me, slowly sewed me back together, but still left scars on my soul. I know that sounds like a terrible thing, but I promise you it's not. Though at times difficult to read, I must say I enjoyed every minute of it. From the raw emotions to the growth of each of our main characters and everything in-between, 738 DAYS is a novel I would recommend over and over again.

First off, Amanda is every bit a survivor trying to adjust back into her world. The book starts off with what I can only describe as before. It was before she was found and gives you a glimpse as to what she went through with her kidnapper. What I found so heartbreaking and scary about all of this is Amanda, though a fictional character, could be anyone. She could be you or me, your best friend, your sister, your brother, anyone! I was only ten pages deep before I started tearing up. Granted, I'm dealing with pregnancy hormones, but you'd have to really try exceptionally hard to separate yourself from the book in order not to feel something. What's the point of reading if you're going to do that?

I was disgusted, peeved, angry, devastated, all of the above!

Yet, the thing that broke my heart the most was reading about Amanda's PTSD and how it affected herself and everyone around her.

Enter Chase.

Chase has all sorts of other issues that, while completely different than Amanda's, are still tragic in itself. Sadly, he fits the typical young Hollywood star gone downhill. After a couple of years, he decides it's time to try and save his reputation, and what better way than a bit of good publicity? Chase is someone Amanda feels saved her during her captivity, so his publicist decides it's time for him to meet her. Good PR and all that jazz. What neither of them saw coming was how truly connected they really are.

Things weren't always great between the two. Heck, I started kind of hating Chase there for a minute, but when the both decide it's best to at least "pretend" this scheme was real and working, that's when I started loving him. He was able to bring down Amanda's walls and vice versa. The two of them had me smiling ear to ear and rooting for the happily ever after they both deserved.

Now, it is a New Adult book, and like most NA novels, there is a bit of sex in it. Don't worry, it's not too much nor is it raunchy in any way. Honestly, I found it very sensual, and it fit Amanda and Chase's relationship well.

If you haven't picked this up yet, you're totally missing out. This is probably the best contemporary book I've read so far this year, and that's saying a lot. Go get you some!


Rating:

5 Stars

ABOUT STACEY KADE:
As an award-winning corporate copywriter, Stacey Kade has written about everything from backhoe loaders to breast pumps. But she prefers to make things up instead.

She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Greg, and two retired racing greyhounds, SheWearsThePants (Pansy) and Shutter. When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll likely find her parked in front of the television catching up on her favorite shows (Scandal, The Vampire Diaries, Almost Human, The Walking Dead, and Sherlock, among others.)

Stacey is the author of the The Ghost and the Goth trilogy (THE GHOST AND THE GOTH, QUEEN OF THE DEAD, and BODY & SOUL) and The Project Paper Doll Series (THE RULES and THE HUNT). You can find her (far too often) on Facebook and Twitter as well as http://www.staceykade.com
LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr

Giveaway:
3 Finished Copies of 738 DAYS (US Only)

Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for my chances to win!

Week 1:
6/20: Lost In Lit - Review
6/21: No BS Book Reviews - Q&A;
6/22: Addicted 2 Novels - Review
6/23: What Sarah Read - Guest Post
6/24: Polished Page Turners - Review

Week 2:
6/27: Andi's ABCs - Q&A;
6/28: The Irish Banana Review - Review
6/29: That Artsy Reader Girl - Teen Heartthrobs
6/30: Jenuine Cupcakes - Review
7/1: Bookiemoji - Top 10

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Guest Post + Giveaway with Invisible Fault Lines Author Kristen-Paige Madonia

Today, I had the privileged of hosting author Kristen-Paige Madonia, author of FINGERPRINTS OF YOU and newly released INVISIBLE FAULT LINES. She definitely has a way with words, and today she'll be talking about books and babies. You'll see what I mean.

“The Facts and Falsehoods Behind a Simile: A Book is Just Like a Baby”

Authors often compare publishing a book to having and raising a child -- the small but magical beginnings, the months imagining, nourishing and waiting, the birth and sending out, hoping the world will see what you see: an original, beautiful and important addition to society. As a hopeful young author, I believed that I understood the simile and felt protective and proud of my debut novel, Fingerprints of You, in the same way I imagined a parent feels about dropping their child off at school for the first time. But then, in the gap of time between publishing my first book and selling my second, I became a parent –- the actual guardian to an actual baby, the mother of a child that began as a handful of cells in my belly and now walks, talks, laughs, dances and sings Bob Marley songs. And during the process, I confronted both the accuracy and the ridiculousness of the comparison between publishing a novel and being a parent.

I’ve written four novels and can tell you the precise moment at which they were conceived: my first, standing at the stove while in graduate school making a grilled cheese sandwich (my “in-the-drawer” manuscript); the second, in a coffee shop in San Francisco (Fingerprints of You); the third, in a bar in Portland during Wordstock Book Festival after hearing David Levithan speak (Invisible Fault Lines); and the fourth, in the middle of the night as I woke from a dream, scrambling for a pen on my nightstand to jot down the early inklings of what has become my current work-in-progress. I remember the sounds and smells and moods of the rooms where the ideas first landed, the way the slanted light ping-ponged off the rain-streaked windows while my husband and I shared a beer and talked out the concept for Invisible Fault Lines. But there was no such defining moment when we decided to become parents, no one conversation that solidified my confidence that I was ready, that the time was right to begin something new, something that would become all consuming and self-defining as having a child does. My husband and I were confident in our commitment and our love for one another but fearful over our finances. We were certain in our ability to care for a child but were terrified conception might be difficult, as it had been for some of our friends. We knew we liked the idea of a family, but we were also one hundred percent satisfied with our lives just the way they were. We craved to engage with the world in a new and significant way but also hesitated to adjust our lifestyle.

I discovered I was pregnant three months after I began jotting notes in Portland for the project that would become Invisible Fault Lines. My son grew just as a novel does: slowly, day by day, one step at a time. Just as we feel during the drafting phase, my pregnancy was inundated with doubt and fears, elated moments of confidence followed by weeks of anxiety. Was I strong enough and smart enough, patient enough and brave enough to be a good mother? To write a beautiful and important book? As my belly swelled, so did my conviction in the manuscript, the pages multiplying, the words coming together, the characters blooming into life. Like most authors, I’m a reader and researcher at heart, and because the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Firestorms play a key role in my character’s journey in the novel, I alternated between historical research and baby books and websites. I’d spend afternoons scrolling photos and reading articles from the on-line Bancroft Berkeley Library, reading biographies of those that survived the earthquake and watching silent-movie clips from the aftermath in 1906. Then I’d spend my evenings curled on the couch researching the best foods to eat when you’re pregnant and a vegetarian (dark green leafy vegetables), the best exercise programs for pregnancy (yoga), bottles to buy (glass), and mattress to use in the crib (the ridiculously expensive organic one).

I emailed my manuscript to my agent the day before I was induced.

Just like writing a book, there’s no one way to birth and care for a child. Like the decisions you make when writing, the decisions you make as a parent are based on your personality, your experiences, your belief system, your wants and goals and hopes. But as writers we write alone; for me, being a parent is a messy, wonderful good-intentioned but often-confusing collaboration with my husband that requires compromise, patience and the willingness to admit when you’re wrong. As a writer and a parent there are many days when I am certain that I have no idea what I’m doing, when I can’t find the light to guide me through the tunnel. I also have equally just as many days when there’s no doubt in my mind that there’s nothing else in the world I’m meant to do, no better way to spend my time, no more worthwhile place to invest my heart. I’ve learned that both require an immense amount of patience. And willingness to make mistakes. To be vulnerable. To get dirty and venture outside of your comfort zone. We need a keen ability to multitask but also to be present, to be focused.

But most of all, as authors and as parents, we give up so much control. We leap into the unknown. Each day, at my writing desk and with my son, I reevaluate my priorities, my goals in terms of what I want to share with the world and what kind of role model I hope to be. Each role is all consuming, unbelievably rewarding, and full of unpredictable challenges.

I was warned about reading your own reviews, about giving readings with no one in attendance but your relatives, about the emotional ups and downs of watching your book become part of a larger conversation. But no one warned me of the severity of love and protection I would feel for my son. Reading a luke-warm review pales in comparison to the sound of him crying when he’s sick. There is nothing like the joy of receiving an email from a teacher who has decided to teach my book in her class and then, only moments later, watching my son pull a picture book into his lap and create a story to go with the images. There are certainly similarities between creating and publishing a book and having a child, and most are rooted in emotion and the intimacy of sharing something you care about with the world, but unlike publishing a novel -- whose words are stitched in ink, permanent once pressed on the page -- a child is ever evolving and always growing, the state of constant change. And while I’m unbelievably proud of the books I’ve published, I’m even more proud as I watch my toddler grow into a caring, thoughtful artistic child. Like any literary device, the simile has its flaws and risks, but regardless, I’m so grateful I have the chance to participate in the comparison firsthand.




Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful journey with us, Kristen. I love that your son sings Bob Marley songs. "'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."

"'My father disappeared on a Tuesday that should’ve been like any Tuesday, but eventually became the Tuesday my father disappeared.'

Tired of living in limbo, Callie finally decides to investigate her father’s disappearance for herself. Maybe there was an accident at the construction site that he oversaw? Maybe he doesn’t remember who he is and is lost wandering somewhere? But after seeing a familiar face in a photo from the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, she wonders if the answer is something else entirely.

Hailed by Judy Blume as a "remarkable young novelist," Kristen-Paige Madonia, author of Fingerprints of You, explores how to rebuild a life after everything seems lost."

Published: May 3rd 2016 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
LINKS: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IndieBound / Book Depository / Goodreads


Now, time for the giveaway. The lovely Kristen is giving away a copy of her latest novel INVISIBLE FAULT LINES. To enter, all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is only open to US participants and ends May 28th.

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The Way Back To You Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

"In this witty, heart-tugging novel, two teens take a spontaneous road trip across the Southwest to meet three strangers who received the life-saving organs of their late best friend—charting a journey of loss, hope, and love along the way.

Six months ago, Ashlyn Montiel died in a bike accident.

Her best friend Cloudy is keeping it together, at least on the outside. Cloudy’s insides are a different story: tangled, confused, heartbroken.

Kyle is falling apart, and everyone can tell. Ashlyn was his girlfriend, and when she died, a part of him went with her. Maybe the only part he cares about anymore.

As the two people who loved Ashlyn best, Cloudy and Kyle should be able to lean on each other. But after a terrible mistake last year, they're barely speaking. So when Cloudy discovers that Ashlyn’s organs were donated after her death and the Montiel family has been in touch with three of the recipients, she does something a little bit crazy and a lot of out character: she steals the letters and convinces Kyle to go on a winter break road trip with her, from Oregon to California to Arizona to Nevada. Maybe if they see the recipients—the people whose lives were saved by Ashlyn’s death—the world will open up again. Or maybe it will be a huge mistake.

With hundreds of miles in front of them, a stowaway kitten, and a list of people who are alive because of Ashlyn, Cloudy and Kyle just may find their way to back to her...and to each other."

Thoughts: You guys, I absolutely adored this novel. It's heartbreaking yet beautiful, at times funny and sweet, and is an all-around good read. It's so easy to connect with the characters, and oh, did I mention there's an adorable kitty name Arm? What's not to love?

As you can see, the story is about two people connected to Ashlyn, both in different yet similar ways, who grieve for this person they've lost. When Cloud, Ashlyn's best friend, discovers her friend's mother donated Ashlyn's organs, she decides to steal the names of the recipients and go on an epic journey to find and meet this people. Kyle, Ashlyn's boyfriend, also tags along.

One thing I'm a sucker for is a good road trip book. It's even better when the adventure has purpose behind it. Now, with any long road trip, if you decide to go with someone that you got along with but were only connected to through another person, the beginning tends to be a bit awkward. These two actually have a deeper history, and these memories start to unfold as their expedition continues. You find out why there's tension between the two, and though it can be uncomfortable at times, I promise you it's worth the read.

I really don't want to give more away, because I'd hate to ruin this book for anyone. Just know that it's an extraordinary read, and please be sure to have a box of tissues nearby. It's not a light and fluffy read, but it is a great one, one you don't want to miss. If you're a fan of Morgan Matson's AMY AND ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR, this is definitely the book for you.

Rating:

5 Stars

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N; | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Michelle Andreani is the co-author of THE WAY BACK TO YOU (my debut novel!) with Mindi Scott, forthcoming from Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins. Also an occasional scatterbrain, milkshake devotee, and liker of love stories.

Mindi Scott lives near Seattle, Washington, USA with her drummer husband in a house with a non-sound-proof basement. Freefall, her first novel, was published by Simon Pulse in 2010. Her second novel, Live Through This, was published (also by Simon Pulse) in 2012. She contributed a chapter to Violent Ends, a collaborative novel written by 17 young adult authors (out in 2015), and co-wrote, along with Michelle Andreani, the 2016 novel The Way Back to You. She is represented by Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich.
Michelle LINKS: Website | Twitter | Instagram
Mindi LINKS: Website | Twitter | Instagram

Be sure to check out the rest of the tour!


Week 1:
5/2: Addicted 2 Novels - Review
5/3: Swoony Boys Podcast - Q&A;
5/4: Mostly YA Lit - Review
5/5: The Irish Banana Review - Playlist
5/6: The Bookkeeper's Secrets - Review

Week 2:
5/9: Fangirl Confessions - Top 10
5/10: Literary Lover - Review
5/11: Reading Teen - Guest Post
5/12: In Wonderland - Review
5/13: A Book & A Latte - How We Write

Giveaway:
3 Finished Copies of THE WAY BACK TO YOU (US Only)

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The Way I Used To Be Blog Tour

Hello all! Today, Amber Smith, the author of THE WAY I USED TO BE, will be discussing her novel and why she decided to split it into four parts. This book, I cannot tell you the amount of feels this book made me feel. For those who haven't heard of this powerful, fantastic novel, here's some background information.

"Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes.

What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved—who she once loved—she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be.

Told in four parts—freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year."

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N; | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository

Now, here's Amber!

*What drew me to the novel (other than the cover and summary) is the fact that it's told in four parts, each grade we experience in high school.  Why four parts?


I wanted to use the element of time to show just how deep and lasting the wounds of violence

can be. By following the main character, Eden across all four years of high school, we can see

the person she was before she was raped and understand how and why she evolves into the

person she becomes by the end of the book. In reality, recovery from trauma and violation is a

long and complicated journey, though I feel like we often see more condensed timeframes

represented in stories that deal with this issue. I think many people—those who have

experienced rape and abuse, as well as those who haven’t—often have an unrealistic

understanding, even expectations, about what it means to be a survivor. Namely, that trauma is

something that one can “get over” rather than something that, more often than not, takes a lot

of time and work to heal. By dividing the book into four years, I wanted to show what this

process can sometimes look like when, as we see in Eden’s case, the person does not have (or

know how to ask for) the support they need.


The other main reason I structured the story in this way was to show how, with the passage of

time, silence itself can become a force of violence, one that often begins with a slow burn, but

can quietly build up to disastrous proportions, not only for Eden herself, but for everyone

connected to her. For me, it’s not so much the assault that keeps Eden in a state of trauma, it’s

her silence. By telling the story across four years I wanted to show how difficult it can be to

stand up to abuse, why speaking out is not always as simple or easy as some might assume. But,

most importantly, what I hoped to reveal along the way is the reason behind her silence: She

doesn’t tell anyone what happened because she doesn’t feel like she’ll be heard. Each year that

passes, we see Eden trying to gain power over her life, as she struggles to find the strength to

become a survivor, in her own way and on her own terms. I’m also drawn to the idea of four

parts because, to me, four parts, just like four seasons, make up a complete cycle. And in those

four years, we see Eden come full circle, finding her way back to her truth and back to finding

her voice.

ABOUT AMBER SMITH:
Amber Smith grew up in Buffalo, NY and now lives in Charlotte, NC with her two dogs. After graduating from art school with a BFA in Painting, she earned her MA in Art History. When she’s not writing, she is working as a curator and art consultant. She has also written on the topics of art history and modern and contemporary art. The Way I Used to Be is her first novel.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Giveaway:
3 Finished Copies of THE WAY I USED TO BE (US Only). You guys, the photo for this book does not do it justice. The cover is gorgeous and beautifully done. You want this book in your life!

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Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more chances to win!

Week 1:
3/21: Once Upon A Twilight - Review
3/22: Addicted 2 Novels - Guest Post
3/23: Pretty Deadly Reviews - Review
3/24: The Irish Banana Review - Q&A;
3/25: A Leisure Moment - Review

Week 2:
3/28: The Hardcover Lover - Top 10
3/29: I Turn the Pages - Review
3/30: Such A Novel Idea - Q&A;
3/31: Take Me Away to a Great Read - Review
4/1: Arctic Books - Playlist

Blog Tour: In Real Life- Playlist, Excerpt, and Giveaway

Welcome to the next stop in the IN REAL LIFE Blog Tour. Today I'll be sharing with you an excerpt, playlist, a few of my personal thoughts on this novel, and finally, a chance for you to win a copy of your very own. First, let's start with a bit of background information, shall we?

Title: In Real Life
Author: Jessica Love
Published: March 1st 2016 by St. Martin's Press

"Hannah Cho and Nick Cooper have been best friends since 8th grade. They talk for hours on the phone, regularly shower each other with presents, and know everything there is to know about one another.

There's just one problem: Hannah and Nick have never actually met.

Hannah has spent her entire life doing what she's supposed to, but when her senior year spring break plans get ruined by a rule-breaker, she decides to break a rule or two herself. She impulsively decides to road trip to Las Vegas, her older sister and BFF in tow, to surprise Nick and finally declare her more-than-friend feelings for him.

Hannah's surprise romantic gesture backfires when she gets to Vegas and finds out that Nick has been keeping some major secrets. Hannah knows the real Nick can't be that different from the online Nick she knows and loves, but now she only has night in Sin City to figure out what her feelings for Nick really are, all while discovering how life can change when you break the rules every now and then. "

Sounds amazing, right? Now it's time for an excerpt!

CREDIT: In Real Life by Jessica Love; Courtesy of Thomas Dunne Books


My best friend and I have never met.

We talk every day, on the phone or online, and he knows more about me than anyone. Like, deep into my soul. But we’ve never actually seen each other in real life.
Sometimes, when I’m talking to Nick, I wonder how we man- aged to get ourselves into such a bizarre, complicated friendship. At �?rst glance, our relationship probably doesn’t seem all that odd. Like right now, it’s the Friday afternoon that kicks off the spring break of my senior year. I’m lying out next to my pool with my feet dangling in the chilly water, my back flat on concrete, and I’m talking to him on the phone. This is how I spend pretty much every Friday from 3:30 to 4:25-ish, before he goes off to band practice and I have one of my various school or family obligations. Sounds pretty normal.

But the thing is, Nick lives in a different state, 274 miles away. Yes, I looked it up.

“Ghost,” he says, because he never calls me Hannah, “you know I will do anything for my best friend, and this is no exception. I’ll have this girl killed for you without a second thought. Just give me twenty-four hours.”
I laugh as I swish my feet back and forth in the pool. “There’s no need to resort to murder. It’s just a stupid student government trip. I’ll be over it by the end of the week.”

As tempting as it is to plot Aditi Singh’s violent end, the only reason she applied to go to the national leadership conference when it should have been a given that the senior class president (aka me) was going was because I got into UCLA and she didn’t, so a big ol’ middle �?nger to her. But she can’t see my middle �?nger, because she’s in Washington, D.C., for spring break and I’m at home with no plans like a big loser.

“Well, if you change your mind,” Nick says, “just let me know. That’s how much our friendship means to me. The code word is ‘Platypus.’ Just say it, and—poof!—I’ll make her disappear.”

I sit up and pull my feet from the pool, crossing them in front of me. “And how can you do that?”

“Hey, I live in Vegas. I have connections to the mob. Everyone here does.”

“You’re a senior in high school, and you live in a tract home in Henderson. You’re not exactly Al Pacino.”

“You don’t know. Everything I’ve told you for the past four years could be a front. I need to have a cover. No one suspects the quiet, nondescript white boy.”

“You’re right. There is a lot I don’t know about you. I mean, there are any number of huge secrets you could be keeping from me.” I say it just because I’m playing along, but it’s not true at all. I’m pretty sure I know
everything there is to know about Nick Cooper.

I know when my sister met his brother at a concert four years ago and they told us we should start talking online, he thought I was one of his brother’s friends playing a joke on him until I e-mailed him a picture. I know in the middle of junior year, he shaved his head when his favorite English teacher started chemo. I know the gravelly scratch of his voice when he wakes up in the middle of the night to answer one of my random “I’m bored, talk to me” phone calls. I know the hole in the sleeve seam of the lucky Rage Against the Machine T-shirt he inherited from his brother, Alex, since I’ve seen so many pictures of it. I know his middle name (Anthony), the date and time he was born (September 24 at 3:58 A.M.), and his favorite color (gray). And he knows more about me than absolutely anyone else, even the über-embarrassing stuff. We’ve IM’d, texted, sent a million pictures, mailed each other packages, video-chatted, and talked on the phone.

We’ve just never been in the same place at the same time.

I don’t think it’s strange to be so close to someone I’ve never met. Yeah, he’s in Nevada and I’m in Southern California, but I talk to him more than to people I’ve been in classes with since kindergarten. I do wish we could go to the movies together or something normal like that, but we watch the same movies at the same time and mock them over video chat, which is pretty much the same thing.
On the other end of the phone, his laugh stops abruptly and his voice changes. “Secrets? What kind of secrets could I have?”

“Who knows!” I try to sound shocked and serious, but I can’t keep a laugh from creeping in. “For all I know, you do have a secret mob life. Do you have some sort of gangster name I’m supposed to call you?”

His voice lightens again when he realizes I’m joking. “Oh yeah. Knuckles Nick. Or, no. Wait. Nick the Click.”

“What does that even mean?”
“I don’t know. It rhymed. Don’t those names always rhyme?”

“I know nothing about mob names, Nick the Click. But rhyming names do make mobsters seem a bit less murder-y.”

There’s a shuffle, a thump, and a squeak on his end of the phone, and I imagine him collapsing backwards onto his twin bed. “I just hate that you’re still bummed over missing out on the trip.”

“It’s not that I’m bummed, it’s just . . . I followed all the rules, Nick. I did exactly what I was supposed to do. Serving four years as class president means I go on that trip, not Aditi Singh. Onetime vice-presidents don’t get to go! It’s supposed to be my year. She broke the rules, but she got picked. How do you break all the rules and get what you want like that? It isn’t fair.”

“Well, you know what they say. . . .” “Life’s not fair?”

“Well, that, too. But I was thinking rules are made to be broken.”


Playlist
Ah, don't you love it? With the cover and the way the story goes, you definitely want to be able to listen to the playlist, which can be found HERE on Spotify. Songs include ones like What If We Could by Blue October, Edge of Desire by John Mayer, Dizzy by Jimmy Eat World (LOVE this one!), and Anyone's Ghost by The National. There's Lorde, Cold War Kids, Weezer, and just a ton of different, great songs you'll definitely want to listen to when you're reading this book.

Mini Review: I personally loved this novel. I loved the fact that our heroine is Korean (diversity is always a plus), I loved the fact that Hannah's sister and Nick's brother hit it off at a concert and thought their siblings would hit it off as well, and I adored how sweet these two are. Did you know Nick's a Game of Thrones fan? Winter is Coming. I mean, how can you not fall for a guy like him? There's a road trip and Vegas, lovable awkward but wonderful characters, and a great build up to when Hannah and Nick finally meet. Seriously, it's an uber cute book, and I had a blast reading it. I rate this book 4 Stars.

Giveaway: Thanks to the amazing people at St Martin's Press, I am giving away a copy of IN REAL LIFE. All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is only open to US participants and ends March 30th.

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