Release Day Blitz: London Falling by Chanel Cleeton (International School #2)

Summary:

We weren’t a relationship, we were a ticking time bomb…

Maggie Carpenter walked away from the hottest encounter of her life when she left the seductive glitz of England for summer break in her South Carolina hometown. Now that she’s returned to the International School in London—and sexy, privileged Samir Khouri is once again close enough to touch—she can’t help but remember the attraction, the drama … the heartbreak.

She can’t help but want him even more.

Samir can’t afford to fall for someone so far removed from his world, not when his time in London is running out. It’s his senior year—his last chance at freedom before he returns home to Lebanon. There, he’ll be expected to follow in his father’s footsteps—not follow his heart to Maggie. But when a scorching secret hookup becomes a temptation neither can resist, they’ll both have to fight to survive the consequences … and find a future together.

Don’t miss this explosive sequel to I See London, and the riveting conclusion to Maggie and Samir’s story. This is a New Adult romance recommended for readers 17 and up.

About Chanel Cleeton:

Originally a Florida girl, CHANEL CLEETON moved to London where she received a bachelor’s degree from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Chanel fell in love with London and planned to stay there forever, until fate intervened on a Caribbean cruise, and an American fighter pilot with smooth dance moves swept her off her feet. Now, a happily ever after later, Chanel is living her next adventure in South Korea.

Law school made Chanel realize she’d rather spend her days writing sexy stories than in a courtroom, and she hasn’t looked back since. An avid reader and hopeless romantic, she’s happiest curled up with a book. She has a weakness for handbags, her three pups, and her fighter pilot husband. Chanel writes New Adult contemporary romances and thrillers.

She is the author of I SEE LONDON and LONDON FALLING, published by Harlequin HQN, and FLIRTING WITH SCANDAL, the first book in a new NA series to be released by Berkley in 2015.

Buy Links
Amazon – Barnes & Nobles – iTunes – Harlequin

Author Links
Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads

Giveaway!

Win a London Falling coffee mug, Tea, (4) signed London Falling bookmarks, (4) signed I See London bookmarks, (4) pens, a London case, and a $25 Amazon GC. Enter the rafflecopter here!

Launch Party!

Join us for a party celebrating London Falling’s release! A group of amazing authors will be stopping by to host the party and there will be giveaways, teasers, games, and much more! Join here!

Book Thoughts: Pawn by Aimee Carter

(** I received this book through Harlequin Teen Panel.)

Summary:

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister’s niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There’s only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that’s not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she’s only beginning to understand.

My Thoughts:

Although Pawn is an interesting book with a strong female protagonist, I am still not 100% sure where my thoughts about this story lie.

Let me start off with Kitty – she’s cool. She’s strong willed and holds her own in almost every situation. Right from the beginning, Kitty is planning a way out of the miserable future she has just been given. Her mind constantly wavers between the task she’s been ordered to do and her plan to get out of doing that task. Even though Kitty is the pawn of this entire story, she’s good at playing and faking her role.

In addition to Kitty’s character, all of the other characters are well-built. The history written into each character heightened my empathy for each of them, since I was able to see things through his or her point of view. At one point, I even found myself agreeing with the antagonist through her back story.

On the other hand, although most of the characters are well-developed, the relationships between them were not. Before Pawn takes place, Kitty has been dating Benjy, a boy she’s been good friends with her whole life. Actually, most of Kitty’s actions and decisions revolve around her concern and love for Benjy – which I did not understand at all. Right from the beginning, I had no feeling for their relationship. To me, it didn’t feel like they were dating. There was no passion or tension; nothing for an outsider to feel or understand their emotion. Even though there is enough supposed romance in the book between different characters, I wish it had shown through.

To continue, I didn’t love Pawn. It didn’t capture me in the beginning. Towards the middle, I became more intrigued and wanted to keep reading. The ending surprised me a little, and it was nice to have a twist.

On the other hand, Pawn is a decent read. It’s interesting and filled with enough family drama people can relate to. If you’re looking for a simple dystopian read, I suggest you check this one out.

 

Book Thoughts: Pills and Starships by Lydia Millet

(**I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Summary:

In this richly imagined dystopic future brought by global warming, seventeen-year-old Nat and her hacker brother Sam have come by ship to the Big Island of Hawaii for their parents’ Final Week. The few Americans who still live well also live long—so long that older adults bow out not by natural means but by buying death contracts from the corporates who now run the disintegrating society by keeping the people happy through a constant diet of “pharma.” Nat’s family is spending their pharma-guided last week at a luxury resort complex called the Twilight Island Acropolis.

Deeply conflicted about her parents’ decision, Nat spends her time keeping a record of everything her family does in the company-supplied diary that came in the hotel’s care package. While Nat attempts to come to terms with her impending parentless future, Sam begins to discover cracks in the corporates’ agenda and eventually rebels against the company his parents have hired to handle their last days. Nat has to choose a side. Does she let her parents go gently into that good night, or does she turn against the system and try to break them out?

But the deck is stacked against Nat and Sam: in this oppressive environment, water and food are scarce, mass human migrations are constant, and new babies are illegal. As the week nears its end, Nat rushes to protect herself and her younger brother from the corporates while also forging a path toward a future that offers the hope of redemption for humanity. This page-turning first YA novel by critically acclaimed author Lydia Millet is stylish and dark and yet deeply hopeful, bringing Millet’s characteristic humor and style to a new generation of young readers.

My Thoughts:

Pills and Starships is a fascinating read that constantly keeps you thinking about the world we live in and the future we are headed towards.

Right from the beginning, I was intrigued with Nat’s story. The book begins with Nat’s family starting their final vacation together – the vacation that her parents have chosen to enjoy in Hawaii for their last week of life. Nat is given a journal to use as an outlet; as a result, her whole experience is jotted down for you and I, which I found pretty cool. Throughout the book, Nat acknowledges that she has (or will have) an audience. I’ve read a handful of books that also recognize the reader; here, the author does it in a way that aids the story. Nat tells her story, without always doing the actual telling (if that makes sense).

As a person, I think Nat was alright. She’s nice and caring, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think she has much of a backbone. Even though Nat is sixteen, she is Sam’s older sister. Throughout the book, Sam is the independent character; he is the one who holds his own weight and discovers things for his own. I liked Sam, even though he comes off as obnoxious sometimes. I like Nat also, but she follows Sam too quickly instead of really thinking things out for her own sake.

To continue, the plot of Pills and Starships is very intriguing. Can you imagine a future in which people chose their death dates? It’s depressing and cool at the same time. At first, I thought all of the different pills used in the story would be over done; it’s not. It’s scary to imagine people under the influence of something all of the time instead of experiencing the world through their own senses. I think Millet does a great job at creating a futuristic dystopia that differs from other fiction books out there.

Another thing I liked about this book is that there is little romance. There’s enough that most readers can empathize with Nat, but nowhere enough to drive the plot.

In the end, I enjoyed Pills and Starships. I’m not going to lie, it’s not my favorite book; it is a decent read though, for anyone who enjoys dystopias. Not only that, but it’s a good dystopia published by a lesser known company, Akashic books. I suggest you check it out!

Blog Tour: Branded by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki [Book Thoughts]

 

Summary:

Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best.

Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home.Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain.

Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win.

The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me.

I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter.
My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.

My Thoughts:

It’s always hard writing a review about a book you love because all you want to do is praise it – Branded is a seductively thrilling read that takes the seven deadly sins to a whole new level.

I’m going to begin by telling you that I started and finished this book within forty-eight hours. Lexi’s story starts in media res, like many other novels do. Unlike many other novels though, I was immediately hooked. Even though I’m familiar with the seven deadly sins, I have never read a story completely based off of them. Because of that, I found the plot to be extremely exciting and very original.

Even so, the book does have its fair share of clichés. The protagonist Lexi is not the girl everyone thinks she is. Cole is your stoic warrior. Two people, who aren’t supposed to become friends, break the rules and become more than friends. To be truthful, their relationship was obvious to me the second Cole was introduced to the story. With all this said, I didn’t mind the clichés one bit. Why? Because everything came together to make Branded a wonderful read.

Although I love a lot of things about Branded, my favorite would have to be the relationship between Lexi and Cole. Ketner and Kalicicki are able to artfully construct a true developing relationship; they added enough confusion, unspoken words and sexual tension to make any reader want to punch a wall with all the emotion running through the pages. It is not only beautifully written, but also evenly developed throughout the story.

This book is filled with terror and bloodshed. Never once, did anything Lexi experienced get tiring. Even though bullets were fired or another person was after Lexi, it was written in enough detail in such a thrilling way that similar experiences kept me reading instead of sounded redundant.

Overall, Branded is fast paced read that had my heart racing from beginning to end. It is the best self-published book I’ve read and I know I’ll be looking out for the authors’ other works! Check this book out!

My Very Late Announcement About Joining YA Interrobang?!

This is going to be a very late announcement (I’ve been swamped with college essays and exams), but I am very happy to have joined the YA Interrobang?! Team! Ever since its beginning a little less than a year ago, I have been an avid reader. As you can see, I am very happy to actually be a part of YA Interrobang!

Now, what is YA Interrobang? YA Interrobang is an online magazine that “[celebrates] YA literature.” Every other Sunday, YA Interrobang releases a new issue (issue = updates with a bunch of new articles) that revolve around anything and everything that is happening within the YA book community. Essentially, it is a roundup of all current YA news. What YA Interrobang doesn’t do though, is review books. It presents news and opinions on other topics, hence why it is called a magazine.

I have joined the Team as a columnist. My column is called “Once Upon a Tweet” and in it, I round up the best of YA author tweets in the past two weeks. This last Sunday, my third post came out (hence why this is a really late announcement).

If you’re an avid YA follower, or you just want to know what’s going on, I suggest checking out YA Interrobang?! While you’re there, you might as well browse through my column too (;

YA Interrobang
(some awesome links you should click on)
Home –  Team – Once Upon a Tweet – DragonRage – Plays With Words – Author News & More!

Cover Reveal: Blue Crush (Blue Series, Book #2)

Title: Blue Crush (Blue Series, Book #2) by Jules Barnard
Release Date: June 3, 2014

 

Summary:

On the cusp of a humiliating breakup from the safe, conservative boyfriend, who ended up betraying her, Genevieve Tierney moves to Lake Tahoe with her best friend after college to lick her romantic wounds. Earning cash at one of Lake Tahoe’s lucrative casinos before grad school in the fall and keeping a safe distance from cheating jerks seems like a good plan, until she meets the one guy tempting enough to drag her back down.

 

Lewis Sallee is six and a half feet of perfectly sculpted mountain man, who captures Gen’s attention from the moment he walks in the door. Her play-it-safe approach to relationships flies out the window as Lewis’s presence awakens a sex drive she never knew she had. Lewis is in a complicated relationship with one of the most beautiful women Gen has ever seen, and despite all logical reasons to stay away—and she’s a logic devotee—Gen can’t seem to control her body’s attraction to him.

Feeling like a magnet for the worst sort of guys, Gen’s desperate to win the battle for self-control around Lewis and put the sleazy casino men pestering her in their place. To boost her confidence, Gen steps out of her comfort zone and signs up for the Alpine Mudder, a gritty endurance race. But as she prepares for one of the biggest physical challenges of her life, her emotional strength is pushed to its limits when she needs Lewis’s help to train. He tests her willpower and has her fighting her body’s attraction—with her mind and heart not far behind.

 

About Jules Barnard:

Jules Barnard is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. She attended UC Davis, whose college landscape often finds its way into her New Adult novels. She has a Master’s degree and spent many an hour running statistical analysis, until she realized her favorite part of the job was writing reports. She decided to cut out the math and add in some hot guys, and so began her career as a novelist.

Jules is a Northern California native living on the coast with her husband and two children. She has no impulse control around cupcakes and credits herself with the ability to read while running on the treadmill or burning dinner.

Deep Blue (Book 1) Links! Amazon – Barnes & Nobles – Kobo

Author Links: Website – Twitter – Facebook

Blog Tour: Fae by CJ Abedi [Book Thoughts]

Summary:

Caroline Ellis’ sixteenth birthday sets into motion a series of events that have been fated for centuries. A descendant of Virginia Dare, the first child born in the lost colony of Roanoke, and unaware of her birthright as the heir to the throne of the Light Fae, it isn’t until Caroline begins a tumultuous relationship with Devilyn Reilly that the truth of her heritage is revealed.

Devilyn is the only Fae who is both of the Light and of the Dark, and struggles to maintain that precarious balance to avoid succumbing to the power of the Dark within him. He is the only one who can save Caroline from those who would destroy her and destroy all hope for unity among the Fae. He promises Caroline that he will protect her at all costs, even when it means protecting her from himself.

Told from the alternating perspectives of Caroline and Devilyn, FAE draws on mysteries, myths and legends to create a world, and a romance, dangerously poised between Light and Dark.

My Thoughts:

I’m going to admit that my favorite types of fantasy novels are the ones that involve fae or fairies; I’m glad to say that Fae didn’t let me down!

Although I originally found the writing to be elementary, the details and plot ultimately engrossed me. I connected with Caroline, sometimes laughing aloud at her thoughts and nodding in agreement because I realized I had thought the same when I was her age. On the other hand, it took me some time to warm up to Devilyn. Even though he had good intentions, he played the asshole role well and my mind was going crazy imagining a girl having to deal with a guy like him.

Furthermore, the authors writes the high school scene decently. Although the story is a little cliché at times, it also does not follow some clichés most YA books have. At times, the characters hinted at certain clichés and I honestly thought they were going to happen. [I won’t name any because I don’t want to include spoilers.] It makes me really happy to see authors stray away from the overused clichés!

I am also going to admit that I got caught up in the romance of the story. Caroline and Devilyn are made for each other; Devilyn knows it, and the reader knows it, but Caroline does not. Every time I read the interactions between Caroline and Devilyn, I had feels. Their relationship built upon each of their previous encounters, which created a suspense that kept me hooked.

Still, there is a part of the book that bothered me. Throughout the book, Devilyn is referred to as a ‘man.’ Caroline has just turned 16 and is never once referred to as a woman, and yet the person she is in love with is a man. Not only that, but to me, Devilyn’s point of view is more mature and adult-like, setting his thoughts apart from Caroline’s. Maybe the story is supposed to be more ‘old-fashioned’ but since I’m being honest, it weirded me out picturing this man with someone who essentially is still a girl.

Overall, Fae is a fast paced read, with a really frustrating ending. I enjoyed this book, and if you love a fae/fairy stories like I do, I’m sure you will too!

About the Authors:

Colet Abedi ran development for ITV Studios and is currently Executive Producer on three shows that run in syndication called Unsealed: Conspiracy Files, Unsealed: Alien Files and Now Eat This with Rocco DiSpirito. She was also an Executive Producer on Posh Tots on HGTV. Prior to that, she was a Head Writer for 20th Television, a division of Fox, for two telenovelas, American Heiress starring Annalyn McCord and Robert Buckley and Fashion House, starring Bo Derek and Taylor Kinney.

Jasmine Abedi is an entertainment attorney, and has worked with entertainment powerhouses such as Fox, NBCUniversal, ABC, MTV and E! for the past 14 years. She has also worn many different hats in the entertainment industry, with Executive Producer credits for the television programs Posh Tots and the pilots Club Bounce (TruTV), Divas (VH-1), and Life With The Clarks (CMT). In addition to writing, she has also partnered with a law school friend to create the natural cosmetic company Generation Klean, Inc. Their products can be found online at www.generationklean.com and at major retailers (Whole Foods, Fred Segal etc.) nationwide.

Book Links: Amazon – Barnes & Nobles

Other Links: Twitter – Facebook – Authors’ Goodreads – FAE Goodreads

Giveaway! Don’t forget to enter to win 1 of 4 ebooks of FAE! Enter the Rafflecopter here!

Blog Tour: Deep Blue by Jules Barnard [Interview]

Summary:

When Cali Morgan kicks off her perfect post-college summer in Lake Tahoe, she has everything she ever wanted: acceptance into a top law program, a gorgeous boyfriend, and an incredible summer planned with her best friend.

Confident about her place in the world, Cali makes it her mission to be her friend’s wingwoman and help her meet guys. What Cali doesn’t count on is running into Jaeger Lang, one of her older brother’s high school friends, or the sparks that fly when she’s around him.

Jaeger has changed, and it’s not just the added height and muscle. There’s something about him that’s deep and a little scarred. In spite of the changes, Jaeger becomes a top pick for her friend—if Cali can keep her hands off him.

But when Cali’s boyfriend dumps her and her carefully laid plans begin to unravel, she finds herself questioning what it is she truly desires. In the midst of doubts about her future, one thing is very clear: she wants Jaeger for her own. The question is, has her friend already fallen for him?

On my stop of the tour, I was lucky to have an interview stop and feature Jules Barnard!

1. How would you explain your novel in six words?

Fun, friendship, heat, drama, tents, naughty-fishing-scene.

2. Where did you get the inspiration for Deep Blue?

I worked in Lake Tahoe as a cocktail waitress one summer during college. Though the characters in Deep Blue are more interesting than I was, and okay—not at all like me—I used nuggets from that summer in Tahoe to build Cali and Jaeger’s story. Deep Blue is a New Adult romance about Cali and Jaeger’s journey together, but Cali’s job at Blue Casino is like a secondary character. A loving, brooding, pain-in-the-ass secondary character that walks along with Cali as she falls for her first true love and makes daring choices that pull her life in new directions.

3. Do you write to music? Are any parts of your novel inspired by songs?

Yes! I write the drafts of each novel to a playlist that I listen to over and over. I create the playlist before I begin writing and choose songs that make me feel strong emotion to get me in the mood for the story I have in my head. When I edit the manuscript, I have to turn off the music, because editing is much harder for me than drafting. I need every neuron focused during editing!

No specific section in Deep Blue is inspired by a song, but there are a couple of songs in my Deep Blue playlist that really got the creative juices flowing. For some reason, Don’t You Worry Child (Radio Edit) [feat. John Martin] by Swedish House Mafia was one of them.

4. If Deep Blue was turned into a movie, who would you cast?

Oooh, wouldn’t that be awesome! I would cast Jennifer Lawrence as Cali, because Jennifer has a fun, outspoken personality like my heroine, but she’s also down-to-earth and funny. Of course, she’s also a phenomenal actress, so there’s that as well. My hero, Jaeger, is tall and muscular, but he’s also intelligent, modest, and artistic. I think Channing Tatum would be a great Jaeger. For Gen, Cali’s best friend, I’d have to go with Emma Watson. Check out my Pinterest Deep Blue Dreamcast board. I’m totally technology challenged when it comes to Pinterest, so I don’t have a fancy link, but this should get you there: http://www.pinterest.com/barnard1231/.

Thank you so much for having me on Believing in Books! Please visit my website www.julesbarnard.com to learn more about Deep Blue and the second book in the Blue Series, Blue Crush, out May 27^th, 2014.

About Jules Barnard:

Jules Barnard is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. She attended UC Davis, whose college landscape often finds its way into her New Adult novels. She has a Master’s degree and spent many an hour running statistical analysis, until she realized her favorite part of the job was writing reports. She decided to cut out the math and add in some hot guys, and so began her career as a novelist.

Jules is a Northern California native living on the coast with her husband and two children. She has no impulse control around cupcakes and credits herself with the ability to read while running on the treadmill or burning dinner.

Deep Blue Links! Amazon – Barnes & Nobles – Kobo

Author Links: Website – Twitter – Facebook

Also, enter in the DEEP BLUE giveaway over on Jules’s website! Don’t forget to check out all of the other stops on the tour!

Book Thoughts: London Falling by T.A. Foster

Summary:

It’s London’s senior year and she only needs one class to graduate. She just didn’t expect her final assignment: fall in love.

Communication 224 has a reputation for giving out the most unique projects of the semester. When London James and Beau Anderson signed up for the class they had no idea they would be paired up together, much less spend an entire semester working on their final grade.

Professor Garcia tasks them to produce a study on the hit reality show, Love Match, a show about strangers falling in love on over the top dates. London and Beau decide to debunk the popular show’s fantasy portrayal of romance. Determined they can date the entire semester and not fall for each other, the classmates share blogs about their dates and start a website where everyone can follow their dating experiment.

Is staying out of love as easy as it seems? Headstrong and success-driven London discovers there might be more important things in life than an A.

My Thoughts:

London Falling is an adorable story about two students who fall in love as a result of a quirky Communications assignment.

The protagonist, London, is your hard-working student that will do anything to get an A. In the story, she is paired up with Beau, an average undergraduate that cares more about experiencing life than spending all his time working towards his future. Of course, these two are forced to get to know each other through this assignment. Right from the beginning, I wanted them to happen. Professor Garcia’s project is a perfect instant solution to pairing up students that I secretly want one of my Professors to do something like this.

London Falling has a very unique plot; and that was the reason I actually decided to read the book. I was curious about the different date ideas and how the two made the dates plausible for college students. Their outings were cute and romantic, right out of the dreams of most teenage girls. Not only that, but I think the plot is realistic – working on a project allows people to get to know each other, which sometime leads to friendships or romantic relationships.

Still, I actually didn’t enjoy the novel as much as I hoped I would. The plot moved way too quickly for me; one page they were on the date and the next page showed what was happening a week later. With a plot like this, I was hoping for some intense details in their research and emotions. Instead, the whole novel just skimmed the surface.

In the end, I did get caught up in the book at some parts and rooted for London and Beau the whole time. If you’re looking for a quick, fluffy read, I suggest you check this book out!

Cover Reveal: Feral by Holly Schindler

Today I am happy to reveal the cover and summary of Holly Schindler’s new YA novel, FERAL! Holly Schindler is the author of two other YA books: Playing Hurt and A Blue So Dark. FERAL is Holly’s third YA novel, which will be release this summer by HarperCollins!

Title: Feral by Holly Schindler

Release Date: August 26, 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins

Summary:

It’s too late for you. You’re dead.

Those words float through Claire Cain’s head as she lies broken and barely alive after a brutal beating. And the words continue to haunt her months later, in the relentless, terrifying nightmares that plague her sleep. So when her father is offered a teaching sabbatical in another state, Claire is hopeful that getting out of Chicago, away from the things that remind her of what she went through, will offer a way to start anew.

But when she arrives in Peculiar, Missouri, Claire quickly realizes something is wrong—the town is brimming with hidden dangers and overrun by feral cats. And her fears are confirmed when a popular high school girl, Serena Sims, is suddenly found dead in the icy woods behind the school. While everyone is quick to say Serena died in an accident, Claire knows there’s more to it—for she was the one who found Serena, battered and most certainly dead, surrounded by the town’s feral cats.

Now Claire vows to learn the truth about what happened, but the closer she gets to uncovering the mystery, the closer she also gets to discovering a frightening reality about herself and the damage she truly sustained in that Chicago alley. . . .

With an eerie setting and heart-stopping twists and turns, Holly Schindler weaves a gripping story that will make you question everything you think you know.

Books Links:

You can pre-order the book on Amazon and Barnes & Nobles.

You can also add Feral on Goodreads.

Last but not least, keep up with Holly and the rest of her books on her website.