Blog Tour Review—The Beauty that Remains by Ashley Woodfolk

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Published: March 6, 2018

Genre: Young Adult/LGBT Contemporary 

Source: Print ARC

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Goodreads

Review:

Music brought Autumn, Shay, and Logan together. Death wants to tear them apart.

Autumn always knew exactly who she was—a talented artist and a loyal friend. Shay was defined by two things: her bond with her twin sister, Sasha, and her love of music. And Logan always turned to writing love songs when his love life was a little less than perfect.

But when tragedy strikes each of them, somehow music is no longer enough. Now Logan can’t stop watching vlogs of his dead ex-boyfriend. Shay is a music blogger struggling to keep it together. And Autumn sends messages that she knows can never be answered.

Each of them wonders: How different would my life be if this hadn’t happened? And now that it has . . . what’s next?

Review:

“Then we just sit there, silent and lonely for you together, because hellos are nice and neat and so much easier than goodbyes.”

The Beauty that Remains is the type of book that will be staying with me long after I’ve finished. Even now, I’m at loss for words. My review, my thoughts, my personal views; nothing will measure up to how beautiful and profound Ashley Woodfork made her debut into the book community. I knew as soon as I saw the blurb, that the story would be powerful—and I was right. We follow Autumn, Shay, and Logan as they struggle to get past the death of a loved one. 

“Music is the only reason I can ever ignore the feelings that always have me on edge; that almost never leave me alone.”

The book is told on three separate POVs; with each telling us their stories of coping—or trying to—without the loved one. Autumn has lost her best friend, Logan lost his ex-boyfriend—the one and only boy he ever loved—and Shay lost her twin sister. All three are on a journey of self-discovery, music, and eventually learning to move on. Moving on doesn’t mean forgetting. Music plays a tremendously huge part in the book, by bringing these sad and lonely souls together. Music heals, inspires, and says the words you don’t know how to say. 

I’ve been touched by the words the message the author has given us. The main theme if you haven’t already figured it out is grief. Everyone handles it differently and there’s no right or wrong way to do it. It’s so melodramatic for me to say but after I finished reading my heart wept. I think this is going to be a huge success—something I think it absolutely deserves. This is for readers who have lost and learned to love again, and for ones looking for something deep and meaningful. 

My heart’s beating. 

My chest’s heaving. 

I’m not breathing. 

And you’re gone.

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

Buy the Book:

Amazon

Amazon UK

About the Author:

Ashley Woodfolk graduated from Rutgers University with a BA in English and her life-long love of books led her straight to the publishing industry. She's a member of the CBC Diversity Committee and markets books for children and teens. In her abundance of "spare" time, she writes contemporary YA. Indie movies, beer, books, and burgers are a few of her favorite things. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and pit bull puppy, Winnie. THE BEAUTY THAT REMAINS is her debut novel.

Hero at the Fall Blog Tour

 REBEL AT THE SANDS SCHEDULE

Arabian Nights meets Mockingjay in a world unlike any you've ever seen before!
Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and remote areas, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still perform their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from. When the gunslinging girl meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she sees him as the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving Dustwalk, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's part of the secret rebel movement plotting to overthrow the Sultan. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him . . . or that he'd help her unlock the truth about who--and what--she is. Debut author Alwyn Hamilton weaves this spellbinding story of treason, passion, and magic.

TRAITOR TO THE THRONE SCHEDULE

A sizzling, unputdownable sequel to Rebel of the Sands that will make you question everything you thought you knew about the land of Miraji!
The gunslinger Amani al'Hiza never wanted to be a hero or a revolutionary, but now she's become a key member of the rapidly growing rebellion against the Sultan of Miraji. After Amani is captured by the Sultan's army and imprisoned in his palace, she realizes she's there not to be questioned as a rebel but used as a Demdji. As Amani tries to spy on the enemy and plots her escape, Jin and the rebels are brewing a rescue plan. But the longer Amani stays in the palace, the more she questions if the Sultan is the tyrant she's believed or just a ruler fighting foreigners for his country. As the rebellion swiftly spirals into war, Amani wonders whether she's on the right side.

Review:

Phew! Traitor to the Throne is one extremely loooooong book. Be prepared. I love big books but this one felt very long winded at times. Amani and gang are back and better than ever. If you haven’t yet started this series, you HAVE to. The main character is a sassy badass, it’s romantic(although it’s taken a back-burner in this book), and the action was perfection—as per usual. 

Our blue-eyed bandit is so amazing, not just because she’s badass, but because she’s realistic. She makes mistakes, she’s impulsive, but her heart is always in the right place. Another great thing about the second book in the Rebel of the Sands books is the fact that the plot and world building are astronomical. Beautiful, even. Hamilton has a way of bringing you in and making you part of the story. I love when authors are able to do that. 

Let me just fangirl for a minute... Jin and Amani are everything. Seriously, they are my favorite part of the whole thing. The chemistry, the banter, the freakin’ love, it’s all just so much! I can’t even begin to tell you how hard I ship them. Overall, if you’re looking for a book where you can obviously ship a badass couple, get lost in a book that sucks you in, and are able to keep up with all the shenanigans that Amani puts you through, then this is for you! 

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

HERO AT THE FALL SCHEDULE

The breathless finale to the New York Times bestselling Rebel of the Sands series will have you on the edge of your seat until the dust from the final battle clears!
When gunslinging Amani Al'Hiza escaped her dead-end town, she never imagined she'd join a revolution, let alone lead one. But after the bloodthirsty Sultan of Miraji imprisoned the Rebel Prince Ahmed in the mythical city of Eremot, she doesn't have a choice. Armed with only her revolver, her wits, and her untameable Demdji powers, Amani must rally her skeleton crew of rebels for a rescue mission through the unforgiving desert to a place that, according to maps, doesn't exist. As she watches those she loves most lay their lives on the line against ghouls and enemy soldiers, Amani questions whether she can be the leader they need or if she is leading them all to their deaths.


AUTHOR BIO:
 Alwyn Hamilton was born in Toronto and lived between Canada, France, and Italy until the was three, when her family settled in the small French town of Beaune. She studied History of Art at King's College, Cambridge, graduated in 2009, and lives in London.

REBEL AT THE SANDS SCHEDULE

WEEK ONE

1/30 – Spinatale Reviews – Review

1/31 – Library Ladies – Review

2/1 – I Fangirl about books – Review

2/2 – Aimee, Always – Quote Wallpaper 

WEEK TWO

2/5 – Opalsbookjems – Review

2/6 – Mundie Moms – Review

2/7 – As Told By Michelle – Review

TRAITOR TO THE THRONE SCHEDULE

WEEK THREE

2/12 – YA and Wine – Review

2/13 – Adventures of a Book Junkie – “5 Reasons to Read the Series”

2/14 – ReadingAnyone – Review

2/15 – The Clockwork Bibliophile – Booklook + Photo Feature

WEEK FOUR

2/20 – The Lovely Books – Review

2/21 – Never Too Many To Read – Creative

2/22 – Sisters Who Read – Creative Post

HERO AT THE FALL SCHEDULE

WEEK FIVE

2/26 – Writing is Hard – Review + Social Media Promo

2/27 – Mike the Fanboy – Fun Recap of Series

2/28 – My Friends are Fiction – Review 

3/1 – The Young Folks – Review

3/2 – Lisa’s Lost in Lit – Creative

WEEK SIX

3/5 – The Reader Bee – Review + Bookstagram Post

3/6 – Seeing Double in Neverland – Review + Creative Insta Post

3/7 – A  Book and A Cup of Coffee – Playlist

3/8 – Fiction Fare – Moodboard

WEEK SEVEN

3/12 – The Eater of Books – Moodboard

3/13 – Love Is Not a Triangle – Review + Bookstagram Picture 

3/14 – Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Creative Content

3/15 – Forever Young Adult – Review

Review—Restoring Us by Fabiola Francisco

Restoring Us - Book One by Fabiola Francisco
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Honestly, I don’t know what to feel but anger. I love books with angst, cheating, manwhores with a heart of gold... but this book rubbed me the wrong way. Ava has cancer and the love of her life leaves her. Then two years later, after beating cancer and going to Europe, she’s back. And being in Ethan’s head as he tries to justify leaving Ava made me hella uncomfortable.

This is a direct quote from Ethan’s friend
“Yeah, but you were also twenty-two and scared. You need to stop obsessing over the fact that you abandoned her. Shit happens. You can’t change what you did. Let’s go have drinks when you finish ‘analyzing your reports,’”

Shit happens?! Excuse my language but fuck that.

This is a direct quote from the heroine’s own brother
“Don’t act all naïve. You know Ethan is in love with you. The guy’s been a mess ever since you left for Europe. He regrets what he did.”

And another one
“It may not be clear to you, but I’m telling you what I know. I’m not defending him. You’re my sister. Trust me, I kicked his ass when I ran into him the first time I saw him after he broke you. I’m just saying that you’ve got a second chance.”

Again...fuck that. It’s never bothered me when a H is a manwhore and the h remains celibate. It enraged me in this book though. Her “soulmate” wasn’t thinking of her as he fucked as many women as he could to “forget” her. Ha. How convenient.

I will not continue the rest of the series.

View all my reviews

Release Blitz—The Runner’s Daughter by Jessica McCrory

The Runner's Daughter

by Jessica McCrory

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Blurb: FBI agent Caid King has fought long and hard to end the corruption within his organization. After the fall of Clayton Matthews, he returns to New York with his head held high and his eye on the next target. He never could have imagined that the dangerous man he’s set his sights on would have ties to the beautiful blonde he found himself instantly drawn to. Jemma Saige thought she had it all figured out. Her rules for survival were simple. Keep your head down, your bags packed, your running shoes on. But when she meets a man at her local gym, their attraction threatens to break the last and most important of those rules: don’t get tied down. Now with Jemma’s secrets out in the open and both her and Caid’s lives on the line, can they find a way to work together? Or will Caid turn his back on the runner’s daughter?

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Now Live

Amazon→ http://amzn.to/2DtoR7U

iBooks→ https://apple.co/2rwRHCP

Nook→ http://bit.ly/2n0ZC5U

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Enter Now!

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" I have always had a love of stories and the different worlds you are able to explore when you crack open the cover to a good book."

I was born in California and moved to Texas with my family when I was a teenager. I have always been an avid reader and have been writing stories since I was a kid! It has always been a dream of mine to have my stories published and it is beyond exciting to see that dream coming true!

I have a caffeine addiction, I am a wine (red!!) lover (my favorite being Crush by Dreaming Tree!) and I love T-shirts (the kind with the hilarious sayings on them). I am OBSESSED with the TV show Scrubs and I watch it constantly. I have an amazing husband who is more supportive than I could have ever hoped for, two sweet kiddos (who keep my life wonderfully eventful), three dogs, a rabbit, and most recently Hefty Smurf the beta fish.

Growing up, reading was my way to escape reality whether it was good or bad at the time and I want my stories to offer readers the same kind of adventure I have sought out in between the covers of a book.

Stalker Link:

• E-mail: authorjessicamccrory@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjessicamccrory
• Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jessmccauthor
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessicaAshleyMcCrory/
• Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15156272.Jessica_McCrory

Blog Tour Review—She Regrets Nothing by Andrea Dunlop

ABOUT SHE REGRETS NOTHING

In the tradition of The Emperor’s Children and The House of Mirth, the forgotten granddaughter of one of New York’s wealthiest men is reunited with her family just as she comes of age—and once she’s had a glimpse of their glittering world, she refuses to let it go without a fight.

When Laila Lawrence becomes an orphan at twenty-three, the sudden loss unexpectedly introduces her to three glamorous cousins from New York who show up unannounced at her mother’s funeral. The three siblings are scions of the wealthy family from which Laila’s father had been estranged long before his own untimely demise ten years before.

Two years later, Laila has left behind her quiet life in Grosse Point, Michigan to move to New York City, landing her smack in the middle of her cousins’ decadent world. As the truth about why Laila’s parents became estranged from the family patriarch becomes clear, Laila grows ever more resolved to claim what’s rightfully hers. Caught between longing for the love of her family and her relentless pursuit of the lifestyle she feels she was unfairly denied, Laila finds herself reawakening a long dead family scandal—not to mention setting off several new ones—as she becomes further enmeshed in the lives and love affairs of her cousins. But will Laila ever, truly, belong in their world? Sly and sexy, SHE REGRETS NOTHING is a sharply observed and utterly seductive tale about family, fortune, and fate—and the dark side of wealth.

Review:

When I was first contacted to read She Regrets Nothing, all I saw in the subject line was “Blair Waldorf would certainly approve”. That was it for me—I didn’t even need to read the rest of the blurb. Gossip Girl is my guilty pleasure—I started watching the show in high school and to this day, I still watch it. Sue me. If someone says Blair freaking Waldorf approves of something, you bet your ass I’m reading it! Drama? Yes! Scandalous? Hell yes! Betrayal, secrets, and lies, oh my! I loved this book from start to finish. 

The book starts off with Laila putting her mother to rest—and meeting cousins she never knew existed. Liberty, Nora, and Leo are three fabulously wealthy socialites from New York. They live the life that Laila deems rightfully hers. Her father, Gregory, became estranged to the Lawrence family when they had a falling out of some kind. Resulting in all the cousins not knowing the other existed. That is, until Liberty heard her parents talking about Laila. That’s when they decided to go and meet her.  

Once Laila makes it to New York, we start seeing her true colors, so to speak. I’ll admit, Laila’s character made me very uncomfortable. While she is well-written, her manipulations and greediness made me want to shake her. I don’t like how fake she is. If you want to be a bitch, own it; don’t hide behind a shy and naive demeanor. Other than that, every time her name came up, I was unable to stop reading or look away. There’s something about Laila that just pulls you towards her. Even if her character is a shady bitch. 

 What is it about the young, wealthy, and beautiful that makes them so intriguing? The drama is deliciously juicy and at times sexy. So many times I got lost in the glamorous parties and nights at ritzy nightclubs. The writing makes it so easy to believe that you’re right there along with the characters. There were times when I was giddy and other times where I actually got angry and almost threw my kindle across the room. I don’t know about you, but that’s always a good sign to me. 

I have really high hopes for New York when I go to visit one day. It’s obviously a city with character—so many movies and books are based there. Overall, loved the book, it kept me reading well into the night. But that ending... You’ll just have to see for yourself. 

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrea Dunlop is the author of Losing the Light and Broken Bay, a novella. She lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, where she works as a social media consultant.

SHE REGRETS NOTHING by Andrea Dunlop

Washington Square Press/Atria Books | On Sale: February 6, 2018 | ISBN: 9781501155987 | 400 pages | $16.00

FIND ANDREA ONLINE:

Website: http://www.andreadunlop.net/

Twitter: @Andrea_Dunlop

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndreaDunlopauthor/

Instagram: @andreadunlop

Tumblr: http://andreasdunlop.tumblr.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5437088.Andrea_Dunlop

ORDER:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-a-Million

IndieBound

Cover Reveal—Kiss Collector by Wendy Higgins

KISS COLLECTOR 

from HarperTeen and Wendy Higgins

YA Contemporary Romance

Coming December 18, 2018

Blurb: 

When seventeen-year-old Zae Monroe gets cheated on by the only guy she’s ever loved, then watches her parents' marriage crumble, she decides to forget about relationships and turn the tables on the boys of the world. It’s time to take what she wants, and what she wants are kisses. Athletes, musicians, poets, and bad boys—their lips are all on her agenda, and it's time to collect. 

Zae proposes a contest with her friends to see who can kiss the most boys during spring break. But what starts as a harmless competition leads to a downward spiral she can’t seem to break free of. As family, academic, friend, and guy drama come to a head, Zae is forced to face the reasons behind her boy angst, and starts to wonder if she was wrong about the male race...or at least some of them.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18457118-kiss-collector

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Blog Tour Review—The Penthouse Pact by Cathryn Fox

Meet the Author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Cathryn is a wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie) pizza and red wine. She has two teenagers who keep her busy with their never ending activities, and a husband who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. Cathryn can never find balance in her life, is always trying to find time to go to the gym, can never keep up with emails, Facebook or Twitter and tries to write page-turning books that her readers will love.

Connect: Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

About the Book:

Billionaire software developer Parker Braxton knows everyone wants something from him. That's why he made a multi-million-dollar bachelor pact with his friends to never marry. But he never counted on running into, literally, the quiet but sensual Layla Fallon.

Layla isn't afraid of hard work. Still, there is no light at the end of her student-loan tunnel. When Stuck-Up Suit—Parker Braxton—accidentally runs her over, it's the last things she needs. She refuses his help, but he's persistent. He’s also handsome, kinder than she ever expected, and she’s doing her best to ignore her attraction. Which is harder than it sounds when she’s recuperating at his penthouse.

Sparks fly. Hearts flutter. But falling for Layla could cost Parker more than just several million dollars.

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

Add to Goodreads

Review:

The Penthouse Pact is sexy, sweet, and the perfect read for the one day a year dedicated to love. Our boy Parker Braxton made a million dollar bet—and I mean millions—with his friends to never marry. The stakes are obviously high and Parker has no problem following it until he meets Layla. Layla is a college student that works at the coffee shop that Parker frequents. Layla doesn’t think that Parker even knows who she is; since he’s such a stuck-up jerk. 

Then he goes and runs over Layla with his car. Parker then takes Layla to his apartment where he struggles with having his true feelings come to light. He wants. And he wants her bad! I liked that Layla didn’t put up with his crap and the tension between the two was sizzling and fun. 

What’s even more cool is that the more they spend time together, the more they learn about the other one. Layla and Parker have so much more to them that they’re able to explore. And to think it may not have happened under different circumstances. I recommend this book to those that like light and easy banter, great chemistry, and a wonderful setup to a series that’ll be both sexy and fun. 

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

Giveaway:

• $15 Amazon Gift Card

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