Review- P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

Publisher: Point

Published: July 26, 2016

Genre: YA Contemporary

Source: Finished copy from pub

Rating: 5

GOODREADS- http://bit.ly/2aLJWzb

BLURB-

Signed, sealed, delivered…

While spacing out in chemistry class, Lily scribbles some of her favorite song lyrics onto her desk. The next day, she finds that someone has continued the lyrics on the desk and added a message to her. Intrigue!

Soon, Lily and her anonymous pen pal are exchanging full-on letters—sharing secrets, recommending bands, and opening up to each other. Lily realizes she’s kind of falling for this letter writer. Only, who is he? As Lily attempts to unravel the mystery and juggle school, friends, crushes, and her crazy family, she discovers that matters of the heart can’t always be spelled out… 

REVIEW-

Just when I think Kasie West can't possibly live up to the last book I read, she goes and does it again. Every. Single. Time. I've learned not to go into doubt when picking up a West book. You'll be sure to get a great story filled with an equally great cast of characters, slow burn romance, and a wonderful life lesson learned. This time around I felt like the message was that a lot of people put on a mask: you never truly know what's someone is going though. Until you walk in their shoes, never judge or assume. 

That being said, I think I found my favorite book yet of 2016. What I loved most about PSILY, was the fact that we had such an awesome heroine. She was quirky, smart, beautiful, and at times a tab bit neurotic. But it made me love her even more. The book follows Lily, the girl who doesn't quite "fit" in. Even though based off her personality alone, she freaking awesome. One day while in chemistry, she's bored and writes on her desk. The next time she comes back, there's a note. 

Not just any note. A hand written letter that starts a beautiful pen pal friendship. A secret friend that Lily has no idea who it can be. She starts talking music with this mystery person and telling them personal things about herself. Everything is going great, until she realizes that her pen pal is not at all who she expected it to be. 

And if that person found it who she was, they wouldn't be so keen on her either. You can pretty much tell from the beginning who our mystery pen pal is. And I'm so happy with will it was! The story is without a doubt one of the cutest you'll read this year. All of Kasie's books are amazing too. So if you haven't yet, make sure you check them out. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Buy the Book!

Amazon- http://amzn.to/2aynaru

Amazon UK- http://amzn.to/2ayns1f 

About the Author:

I write YA. I eat Junior Mints. Sometimes I go crazy and do both at the same time. My novels are: PIVOT POINT and its sequel SPLIT SECOND. And my contemporary novels: THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US, ON THE FENCE, THE FILL-IN BOYFRIEND, PS I LIKE YOU, and BY YOUR SIDE. My agent is the talented and funny Michelle Wolfson.

Review- ALL FIXED UP (Ciel Hannigan,#4) by Linda Grimes

Publisher: TOR Books

Published: May 24,2016

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Source: Finished copy from publisher

Rating: 4.5 Stars

GOODREADS- http://bit.ly/2aHzJVK

BLURB-

The hilarious adventures of human chameleon Ciel Halligan continue in the fourth installment of this original urban fantasy series from Linda Grimes, All Fixed Up.

Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor extraordinaire, has a lot of experience filling in for her clients--as them. A rare genetic quirk gives her the ability to absorb human energy and project it back out in a flawless imitation. She's hard at work, posing as a well-known and celebrated astronaut, about to make a stunning announcement on behalf of the space program...when the photographer documenting the job sees right through her aura. Worse, it soon becomes apparent that he not only knows Ciel’s not who she's supposed to be, but means her harm.

When Ciel's elderly Aunt Helen—also an aura adaptor—is murdered in Central Park, and the same photographer shows up at the funeral, Ciel starts to feel even more exposed. Then more adaptors are killed in the same way, and she becomes terrified her friends and family are being systematically exterminated ... and it's starting to look like she's the ultimate target. She turns to Billy Doyle, her best-friend-turned-boyfriend, for help, but when an unexpected crisis causes him to take off without a word, she's left to rely on her not-so-former crush, CIA agent Mark Fielding.

Staying alive, keeping control of her romantic life, and unraveling the mystery of why adaptors are being pursued becomes a harder balancing act than ever in this new Ciel Halligan adventure from Linda Grimes.

Review-

The fourth installment of the 'Ciel Halligan' series was adorably written and entertaining from the first page, until the very last. Would I call it a favorite of all the books? Eh, probably not. We'll get more onto that later. If you're reading this review, I suggest starting from the very beginning with IN A FIX(http://bit.ly/1Xux82g). It gives you time to know and eventually fall in love with the characters. 

I believe the dialogue and the character chemistry is what truly makes these books so amazing. We have Ciel, our heroine, who is as funny as they come. Everyone always feels the need to take care of her even when she doesn't need it. Of course, she does get herself into some awkward situations; so it's easy to see why everyone treats her like a damsel in distress. 

Ciel is what you would call a chameleon - an adaptor. She's able to change her appearance of anybody in the world she comes in contact with. It's a pretty cool power to have, in my opinion. So in 'All Fixed Up' Ciel has taken over the appearance of a well respected astronaut in announcing spectacular news for the space program. 

Sounds awesome, right? It is but one tiny little problem... Someone "knows" what Ciel is or isn't. Which understandably is suspicious and scary. Nobody outside of family and the chosen few, know what Ciel is. You can imagine her surprise when she realizes that a certain man may know more than what's he's supposed to. 

Then adaptors are being murdered and Ciel is the main target. 

Billy Doyle, Ciel's best friend turned boyfriend is a favorite of mine. But I lost a bit of respect for him in this book. In fact, I think I also lost some respect for Ciel as well. I won't give anything away but everything that happened in this book involving these two, along with Mark, disappointed me greatly. And then there's no consequences whatsoever. 

If you have to ask, yes there's a love triangle. Kind of. Ciel has loved Mark since forever but he never showed any interest in her until she started dating Billy. All I know is that I'm just as confused with Ciel as I am with the situation. There doesn't need to be a damn love triangle! It causes unnecessary drama. 

Yes, I'm #TeamDoyle all the way. Have been since he was introduced. I like Mark but I don't think he's a good choice for Ciel. Just my opinion. 

Aside from that, I loved the book and can't wait for the next one in the series!!

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

~BUY THE BOOK~

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2aHAzBX

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2aHAG0k

ABOUT THE AUTHOR-

Linda grew up in Texas, where she rode horses, embarrassed herself onstage a lot, and taught teenagers they’d have to learn the rules of English before they could get away with breaking them for creativity’s sake. She currently resides in Virginia with her husband, whom she snagged after he saw her in a musical number at the now defunct Melodrama Theater in San Antonio. (There’s nothing like a rousing chorus of “If You Wanna Catch a Fish You Gotta Wiggle Your Bait” to hook a man for a lifetime.)

Like IN A FIX's globetrotting main character, aura adaptor Ciel Halligan, Linda has spent her fair share of time overseas, though fortunately under less stressful circumstances. Kidnapping and daring rescues are all well and good in fiction, but she prefers sanity in her real life. 

Review- A WEEK OF MONDAYS by Jessica Brody

PUBLISHER: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux (BYR)

PUBLISHED: August 2, 2016

GENRE: YA Contemporary 

SOURCE: Print ARC from publisher

RATING: 5 Stars

GOODREADS: http://bit.ly/2aFwQDT

BLURB-

When I made the wish, I just wanted a do-over. Another chance to make things right. I never, in a million years, thought it might actually come true... 

Sixteen-year-old Ellison Sparks is having a serious case of the Mondays. She gets a ticket for running a red light, she manages to take the world’s worst school picture, she bombs softball try-outs and her class election speech (note to self: never trust a cheerleader when she swears there are no nuts in her bake-sale banana bread), and to top it all off, Tristan, her gorgeous rocker boyfriend suddenly dumps her. For no good reason!

As far as Mondays go, it doesn’t get much worse than this. And Ellie is positive that if she could just do it all over again, she would get it right. So when she wakes up the next morning to find she’s reliving the exact same day, she knows what she has to do: stop her boyfriend from breaking up with her. But it seems no matter how many do-overs she gets or how hard Ellie tries to repair her relationship, Tristan always seems bent set on ending it. Will Ellie ever figure out how to fix this broken day? Or will she be stuck in this nightmare of a Monday forever?

From the author 52 Reasons to Hate My Father and The Unremembered trilogy comes a hilarious and heartwarming story about second (and third and fourth and fifth) chances. Because sometimes it takes a whole week of Mondays to figure out what you really want.

REVIEW-

At first glance, this is just your typical YA contemporary romance. Don't get me wrong, it's still all that but there's so much more the book has to offer. There're messages in there that teach us to always be ourselves and to never change for anyone. It's so simple yet can be so hard. It's the underline story of a girl who changes pretty much everything about herself to fit into a mold for her boyfriend. It happens ALL the time. Girls lose themselves in a relationship and it can be hard to get yourself back. 

Ellison Sparks is dating the "It Boy" at school. Life is perfect, he's perfect...only problem is, he doesn't want Ellison anymore. Cue sad music. The day from hell just gets worse...well it started off horrible to begin with. Nothing went right and everything that could go wrong, did. It was just icing on the cake when Tristan broke Ellison's heart. 

But when Ellison goes to sleep, she never imagines that she would be living the same day over and over again. The only person she's able to convince of what's going on is her best friend, Owen; who, I might add, is damn awesome. The chemistry between Ellie and Owen is sweet at best and takes a surprising but satisfying end. I loved seeing Ellie try and makes everything "right". She's a notable heroine and I enjoyed each and everyone of her antics. 

Would I recommend this book? Isn't it obvious!? I ADORED the ever loving crap outta the story. So much so, I want to forget everything I read and start all over. Overall, I think the book is perfect for fans looking for a funny and romantic book about and equally funny and romantic girl. She makes things better. 

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

~BUY THE BOOK~

Amazon- http://amzn.to/2aseeUv

Amazon UK- http://amzn.to/2aFx264

ABOUT THE AUTHOR-

Jessica Brody knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started self "publishing" her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples and electrical tape.

After graduating from Smith College in 2001 where she double majored in Economics and French and minored in Japanese, Jessica later went on to work for MGM Studios as a Manager of Acquisitions and Business Development. In May of 2005, Jessica quit her job to follow her dream of becoming a published author.

In four short years, Jessica has sold nine novels (two adult novels to St. Martin's Press and seven young adult novels to Farrar, Straus, Giroux.) THE FIDELITY FILES, her debut, released in stores (in real binding) in June of 2008 and the the follow-up, LOVE UNDER COVER in November 2009. THE KARMA CLUB, Jessica's debut young adult novel released in April of 2010 and her second YA release, MY LIFE UNDECIDED just recently hit bookstores in June 2011.

52 REASONS TO HATE MY FATHER (which was recently optioned for film) will be out in Summer 2012 and UNREMEMBERED, (also optioned for film), the first book in a new teen sci-fi series, will be released in early 2013.

Jessica's books are published and translated in over twelve foreign countries including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Russia, Brazil, China, Portugal, Israel, Indonesia and Taiwan.

Jessica now works full time as a writer and producer. She currently splits her time between Los Angeles and Colorado.

15 Random (and often embarrassing) Facts about Jessica: 

1. She loves bananas but hates anything banana flavored.

2. She's squemish about bones and belly buttons.

3. She's always secretly wanted to be a member of the Spice Girls.

4. She doesn't like it when vegetables try to pass themselves off as dessert. ("Carrot Cake? Seriously? You're not fooling anyone!")

5. The first book she learned to read was Go Dog Go at age 2, although technically she probably just memorized it.

6. She can't whistle. (And no, it's not as simple as just putting your lips together and blowing).

7. She's allergic to avocado (a fact that she hates because she loves guacamole!)

8. Her favorite movie to quote is the movie, Arthur starring Dudley Moore. ("Bitterman, drive through the park. You know how I love the park.")

9. She's always had a strange obsession with the scanners at supermarket registers and now never misses an opportunity to use the self check-out lanes so she can scan her own food.

10. She loves speaking in a British accent, much to the annoyance of everyone around her.

11. She's always hating doing anything athletic and used to hide behind the handball courts in elementary school during P.E.

12. She is a major tech-y and has to own every gadget that comes out. Regardless of whether or not she has any intention of using it.

13. She can't stand the word "pocketbook" or "panties."

14. Her all-time favorite foods are pixy sticks, sushi and afternoon tea sandwiches and she insists on having all three at her birthday parties.

15. Her very first novel was called The Puppy and the Kitty and was complete with illustrations. She wrote it when she was 7. 

Website http://www.JessicaBrody.com

LUCKY 13

Publisher- Anchor Group Publishing

Pub. Date- June 7, 2016

Genre- YA Contemporary

Rating- 3.5

Source- E-book from author 

Goodreads- http://bit.ly/29bY6sM

Blurb:

Most people have a fear of the number thirteen. Be it superstition or otherwise, they believe it to be unlucky. For Madison and Grant, a chance encounter, and the number thirteen, sets in motion a series of events that forever changes their paths.

Madison Thompson: I’m a military brat. I’ve lived in more cities and on more bases than I can count. Friends? I’ve had plenty over the years. But those have come and gone as often has I have. I’m about to be a senior in high school… my fifth high school in the last four years. This time, it’s going to be different. My father says were here to stay. The question is… for how long?

Grant Fisher: One more year. Then, I can leave this town and move on to bigger and better things. Small town life isn't for me. I want to travel the world and live in a city big enough that not everyone knows my name. There are plenty of reasons that I want to leave but only one that makes me want to stay. 

Review:

I'm very up on the fence about this one. On one hand I liked the premise of the story and the characters that came along with it. But on the other hand, things were at times slow, predictable, and unsatisfying. This is supposed to be a sweet book about children who fall in love one summer and then find each other again years later. Then an accident happened that caused Madison to lose weeks of the summer she had spent with Grant. 

Sounds wonderful. It was but there were still a few issues I had. Such as the storyline involving Madison's father. I felt that both parties needed to give in, in some way. I get her father is trying to be good and protect his daughter but we see how well that did. I'm not saying what Madison did was okay, but I think her father needed to lighten the hell up. Literally. 

The love between Madison and Grant was sweet at best and at times I really felt the chemistry. But I just find it so hard to believe a boy would wait that long and never have a girlfriend because he was waiting for be girl he already met. It's just not realistic to me. Could it happen? I'm sure it has. But I still couldn't get on board with the fact that Grant had never even kissed a girl before Madison. 

That's the part that I felt really unsatisfied about. And before you bring out the pitch forks, I get reading isn't always about being realistic. Hell, I read and love paranormal romance! But when it blatantly involves a teenage boy who doesn't act upon certain urges, it's hard for me to believe. 

The story is still very engaging aside from some of the minor issues I had. Would I recommend this? Absolutely! It's
a cute story and I think the majority of readers will like it. I'm just a picky person ha-ha. Overall, if you're looking for something to love or to find a new book boyfriend, I don't think you'll be disappointed. 

*Thank you to the author or providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Buy the Book!

Amazon- http://amzn.to/29bXNhH

Amazon UK- http://amzn.to/293Iunq

Know the author!

Rachael Brownell was born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where she currently resides with her boyfriend and son. She is a graduate of Grand Valley State University where she studied Advertising and Public Relations.

When she’s not working, building Lego’s or writing her next book, Rachael enjoys scrapbooking, photography, is learning to golf and is an avid reader.

To be the first to know about where Rachael will be signing, read passages from her upcoming releases and sign up to read ARC copies, make sure you subscribe to her newsletter.

Website

http://authorrachaelbrownell.com/

Twitter

HoldingOn2013

SUMMER DREAMING GIVEAWAY

Summer Dreaming

$250 Cash Giveaway

June 21st to July 15th

An awesome group of bloggers and authors have joined with me to bring you one fabulous prize!

  One lucky winner will receive… $250 Amazon.com Gift Code or $250 in Paypal Cash   Thanks to these fabulous Sponsors!!

  I Am A Reader Suzi Love Kimber Leigh Wheaton Glistering Bs Blog Lori's Reading Corner Bonnie Blythe Faith Based Romance Bella Street Time Travel Romance Laurie Here - Cont Fiction and More KellysLuckyYou Deb Atwood Author Kindle and Me Melanie McFarlane, YA Author Heather Gray, Author Everly Frost, YA Author Author Pauline Creeden Subtitled Books The Page Unbound LeahSay's Views Joshua David Bellin Crystal Marcos The Candid Cover LOVE. WITHOUT YOU Here We Go Again...Ready? Helen Smith Jennifer Faye ~ Romance Author B. Kristin McMichael Cool Cat Mysteries The Lovely Books Author Elisa Dane Simple Wyrdings D.E. Haggerty, author Why Not? Because I Said So! (Sheila Staley) Diana's Book Reviews Stones of Gilgal Novels AuggieTalk Author Dorothy Dreyer  

  Giveaway Details $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card Ends 7/15/16 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review Tour- THE GIRL FROM THE SAVOY by Hazel Gaynor

About the Book

Presenting a dazzling new historical novel … The Girl From The Savoy is as sparkling as champagne and as thrilling as the era itself.

‘Sometimes life gives you cotton stockings. Sometimes it gives you a Chanel gown …’

Dolly Lane is a dreamer; a downtrodden maid who longs to dance on the London stage, but her life has been fractured by the Great War. Memories of the soldier she loved, of secret shame and profound loss, by turns pull her back and spur her on to make a better life.

When she finds employment as a chambermaid at London’s grandest hotel, The Savoy, Dolly takes a step closer to the glittering lives of the Bright Young Things who thrive on champagne, jazz and rebellion. Right now, she must exist on the fringes of power, wealth and glamor—she must remain invisible and unimportant.

But her fortunes take an unexpected turn when she responds to a struggling songwriter’s advertisement for a ‘muse’ and finds herself thrust into London’s exhilarating theatre scene and into the lives of celebrated actress, Loretta May, and her brother, Perry. Loretta and Perry may have the life Dolly aspires to, but they too are searching for something.

Now, at the precipice of the life she has and the one she longs for, the girl from The Savoy must make difficult choices: between two men; between two classes, between everything she knows and everything she dreams of. A brighter future is tantalizingly close—but can a girl like Dolly ever truly leave her past behind?

Review- 

In the last year or so, I've gotten into historical fiction like nobody's business. So it was no surprise when I jumped at the chance to read 'The Girl from The Savoy'. A richly written novel about two girls who couldn't be anymore the same as they are different. Dolly wants to make it in the bright lights as a singer, while Loretta has already made it. Both are searching for something the other one has. 

While enjoyed reading about an era that I desperately wished came back, there were times when I felt the story fell just a bit flat. There were times when I just wanted to put the book down because I was bored to tears. But I trudged on...and I'm glad I did. By the end, I ended up enjoying the characters much more than I initially thought. Especially Dolly. 

I liked her story the best because I like the 'rags to riches' storyline and I feel it never gets old. Dolly starts off the book by tragically saying goodbye to her boyfriend as he goes off to war. Meanwhile, she goes to find work as a chambermaid at The Savoy Hotel. By doing this, it brings her that much closer to fulfilling her dreams. 

Overall, I think that the story was one that had heart and soul. Sure, there were some minor hiccups but for the most part it truly was able to catch the charm of the 20s. I look forward to reading more from the author seeing as how she truly has a gift of bringing characters to life.

*Thank you the publisher for providing a finished copy for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Purchase Here:

THE GIRL FROM THE SAVOY –https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062403483/the-girl-from-the-savoy

About the Author:

Hazel Gaynor is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of A MEMORY OF VIOLETS and THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME, for which she received the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. She was selected by US Library Journal as one of ‘Ten Big Breakout Authors’ for 2015 and her work has been translated into several languages. Hazel is a contributing author to WWI anthology FALL OF POPPIES: Stories of Love and the Great War. As features writer for national Irish writing website writing.ie Hazel has interviewed Philippa Gregory, Sebastian Faulks, Kate Mosse, Jojo Moyes and Cheryl Strayed, among others.

Connect with Sandra Hill

Website - http://www.hazelgaynor.com/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/HazelGaynor

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/hazelgaynorbooks

Goodreads –http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5774172.Hazel_Gaynor

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/hazelgaynor/

Cover Reveal feat Giveaway:Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas!!!

Title: Punk 57 Genre: New Adult Author: Penelope Douglas Release Date: September 20, 2016

Synopsis:

"We were perfect together. Until we met."

Misha

I can’t help but smile at the words in her letter. She misses me.

In fifth grade, my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student, Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed.

It didn’t take long for us to figure out the mistake. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. The best take-out pizza. Android vs. iPhone. Whether or not Eminem is the greatest rapper ever…

And that was the start. For the next seven years, it was us.

Her letters are always on black paper with silver writing. Sometimes there’s one a week or three in a day, but I need them. She’s the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am.

We only had three rules. No social media, no phone numbers, no pictures. We had a good thing going. Why ruin it?

Until I run across a photo of a girl online. Name’s Ryen, loves Gallo’s pizza, and worships her iPhone. What are the chances?

F*ck it. I need to meet her.

I just don’t expect to hate what I find.

Ryen

He hasn’t written in three months. Something’s wrong. Did he die? Get arrested? Knowing Misha, neither would be a stretch.

Without him around, I’m going crazy. I need to know someone is listening. It’s my own fault. I should've gotten his number or picture or something.

He could be gone forever.

Or right under my nose, and I wouldn’t even know it.

About The Author:

Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. She dresses for autumn year round, loves anything lemon flavored, and shops at Target almost daily.

Her books include the Fall Away Series (Bully, Until You, Rival, Falling Away, and Aflame), as well as, Corrupt and Misconduct. Please look for Punk 57, coming September 2016 and Next to Never (A Fall Away Novella), coming January 2017.

She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and their daughter.

Follow Her Here: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram, Pinterest

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