Wednesday, June 19, 2013

CuddlesByVal (WOW) ~ 6/19/13



This is my version of Waiting on Wednesday but with more cuddles, books I can't wait to cuddle for various reasons.

What am I waiting on this week?  THIS!



New York Times bestselling author CJ Lyons makes her YA debut with a fast-paced thriller sure to keep readers guessing to the very last page

The only thing fifteen-year-old Scarlet Killian has ever wanted is a chance at a normal life. Diagnosed with a rare and untreatable heart condition, she has never taken the school bus. Or giggled with friends during lunch. Or spied on a crush out of the corner of her eye. So when her parents offer her three days to prove she can survive high school, Scarlet knows her time is now... or never. Scarlet can feel her heart beating out of control with every slammed locker and every sideways glance in the hallway. But this high school is far from normal. And finding out the truth might just kill Scarlet before her heart does.




This one is due out in November from Sourcebooks Fire.  I found out about this book at BEA and can't wait to read it.  I love the idea of trying to survive high school along with some mystery going on.  

What about you?  Sound interesting?   What you waiting on?  Leave me a comment.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

One by Leigh Ann Kopans ~ Tour Stop & Giveaway



Source:  Received ARC paperback from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Book Description:

When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.

It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover.

If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.

Merrin's mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub's internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it's more important to fly solo, or to save everything - and everyone - she loves.



My Thoughts:



3 stars - A sweet story with an aww at the end.

This is a sweet story.  Gonna start with the ending.  I saw it coming but I still felt the aww as I read the last page.  I like aww moments in books.

This book reminds me of the Maximum Ride series.  Mutations and lots of science filling the pages.  It also has a similar feel to it.  The best way I can describe it is to think about a teaching method.  It takes a few times to get something down and teachers get that.  They find ways to tell you, explain it, show you and then tell you again.  By the third or fourth time, you finally get it.  This book has that feel.  I don't mean this in a bad way.  I actually think it's a great style for a younger young adult reader.  The Maximum Ride series did the same thing.  Which makes this a very good book for the younger YA reader.

I liked Merrin.  I get her struggle with accepting who she is and being happy with herself.  It's a very real issue that young girls face daily.  She wants to be part of the "super" crowd but she only has one power making her less than a normal even.  If only she could be smart enough or work hard enough she could find a fix.  The lessons of growing up for most teens is to accept yourself for who you are.  I may have struggled a little with Merrin's personality, though.  I didn't like the less than truthfulness thing she had going yet she was so judgmental of Elias' similar issue.  In the end, I was very happy with the growth that Merrin made and enjoyed that awww that came out of my mouth on the last page.

I like Elias more.  He's not being 100% honest either but his feels more protective than Merrin's does.  Their relationship has the instant-love thing going but I didn't mind it so much.  Later in the story, there is information that comes out that kinda makes it make sense for me.  What I really liked about Elias was how he was with Merrin.  He loved his sisters and he worried about them but he treasured Merrin.  I liked that.

The story reads fast, especially the second half.   I read it in a couple of days and enjoyed.  Definitely a book my students would like.




About the author:

Raised on comic books and classic novels, Leigh Ann developed an early love of science fiction and literature. As an adult, she rediscovered her love for not only reading, but also writing the types of fiction that enchanted her as a teen. Her debut novel, ONE, is about a girl with only half a superpower, the boy who makes her fly, and her struggle to make herself whole.

Leigh Ann, her husband, and four children live in Columbus, Ohio. When she’s not immersed in the world of fiction, you can find her obsessing over the latest superhero movie or using her kids as an excuse to go out for ice cream (again.)



Amazon | B&N | iTunes

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Cover Reveal ~ Painted Boots by Mechelle Morrison

Expected release June 28th - July 5th

Painted Boots
Mechelle Morrison
Mature Young Adult
Contemporary romance

Book Description:

When her father drags her to a new life in Wyoming, Aspen Brand doesn’t expect to fall for a cowboy named Kyle Thacker—but she does.  At seventeen, Aspen and Kyle share unexpected ground: guitar, running, physics.  And guilt.  Aspen blames herself for her mother’s car accident, while Kyle can’t find a way past his brother’s suicide.

On their first date they open up to each other, forging an unbreakable bond between them.  But Kyle has spent two years living with a vicious secret—one his ex-girlfriend will do anything to protect—and sharing his truth with Aspen makes her a target.  Now if Kyle is to be her love story, Aspen must first win the fight of her life.



About the Author:

Mechelle Morrison loves language--she's always wished she could speak and write them all.  She lives for chocolate, lazy summer days, spontaneously funny things . . . and family.  She's sort of scared of dogs.

When she's not reading or writing or wandering the world, she can be found in her backyard in Utah with her husband, their daughter and the bevy of quail that live behind their garage.

If she didn't write she'd make stop-motion animation shorts.  So she does that anyway.


Teaser Tuesday ~ 6/18/13

This is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.


To participate you:
* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!






Crossing the Line (Pushing The Limits, #1.5) by Katie McGarry

With a click, she shuts the front door and, for the first time in my life I'm completely alone in a room with the girl I've fallen in love with.  What the hell do I do now?  (Kindle Location 438)

What ya think?  I loved Lincoln.  He's adorable. 



Have a teaser for me?  Leave me a comment.

Special Teaser ~ This Love by Nazarea Andrews

She wants a summer job and a ride to a wedding.
He wants an assistant and a distraction from the mess his life had become.
They didn't know they needed each other.

Avery Emili needs two grand. Two grand and a plane ticket--her sister is counting on her to get to Jamaica for her wedding. But the semester is over, and tutoring college freshman and high school students has dried up until the fall.
Atticus Grimes needs help--the messy split with his wife left the twenty-eight year old professor scrambling to keep things together as the semester winds down. Now he's got a research grant he has to actually do research for and all he wants to do is drown himself in a tall bottle of bourbon.
When Avery sees his ad for an assistant, all she's thinking is a summer job. But as they spend time together, in the office and out, both of them begin to realize something is there. Something that can't happen--he's a professor and she's a student. And both of them have histories, pasts that won’t let go. Can two broken people pulled apart by expectations find a way to be whole?


One week from today, This Love by Nazarea Andrews will be available!

Here's the last special teaser for it!


I stare at her as she slides into my booth. Her cheeks are flushed, her lips still wet from tequila; her eyes sparkle with amusement and fire.

“I’m here. What do you want, Professor?”

Irritation swamps me—she knows I don’t like it when she calls me that. “You made a friend over there.” I nod at the guy, who is still staring at her.

“Jealous? You didn’t step in.”

“You took care of yourself. I won’t get involved if you can take care of yourself. But—” I lean toward her, my lips brushing her ear. “—If you can’t, don’t think for an instant I’d hesitate.”

She shudders, and I want to push her back against the booth and kiss her, want to shove her skirt up and slide into her—

I sit back, giving her—and me—room to breathe.

"What do you want, Atticus?" she asks, looking away.

That is the question. "I don't know."

She twists and glares at me. "That's a cop out, and we both know it," she snaps.
Avery starts to scoot out of the booth and I let her. I haven't seen this side of her, not directed at me. She's furious, all the soft sweetness gone. She's halfway across the bar when the redneck from before intercepts her. Avery's motions are sharp, her smile forced, and she tries to edge around him. His hand closes over her wrist, and I move without thinking.

I'm across the bar in a few strides. Redneck is still holding her, his eyes laughing as he teases and tries to get her on the dance floor. She's stiff when I slide my arms around her waist, pulling her against me. Its a thousand kinds of crazy. But I do it anyway, nuzzle her hair. "Dance with me."

The redneck frowns, and I want him to push. I want the excuse to fight him. But he's a good kid—he steps back and nods.

"I was fine," she says, and I love the tremble in her voice as my hand slips under the silk top, finding skin even softer.

"I wasn't," I say honestly.

She doesn't resist as I tug her gently onto the dance floor. It's a fast song, but I'm not in the mood for that. I pull her against me, back to my front, and we sway to the music. Her hands come up over mine, her hair falling to the side as she tilts her neck and leans into my shoulder. It's a quiet surrender that makes my pulse spike. I lean down, kissing her neck, and her grip on my hands tightens.


****GIVEAWAY*****

The author has a giveaway going that includes this book.


Also by this author and currently ON SALE for $.99!


Monday, June 17, 2013

Faking It by Cora Carmack ~ Tour Stop


Mackenzie “Max” Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice, wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel.



You know I loved this one! Here's my review again.


 My Thoughts:




5 stars - So real for each other, they can't fake it! 

Yep, I fell for Cade.  I hadn't given him much thought in Losing It so I wasn't sure how I'd like his story.  But let me tell you, this boy is golden.  Hehe. That's what Max calls him, Golden Boy.  He calls her Angry Girl.  Loved that about this book.  Cade really isn't perfect or golden, instead he is heart broken.  He loved Bliss, or he thought he did and she chose Garrett.  He let her go.  That's what he does - he lets people go.  He doesn't fight for things and he's miserable.  He can't get over her and he really doesn't want to be around once Garrett announces he's proposing. Enter the very messed up Max.  She's fighting for her music career and seems fearless.  So not what she is.  She's afraid of losing her parents support.  She's afraid of her emotions she keeps carefully behind her armor.  She's afraid of being who she is.  Cade challenges her on it.  He sees who she is and demands she be that person.  And in return, Max steals his heart.

Both of these characters were so real for me.  I could totally see the tough Max hiding from the pain in her past and desperate to hold on to the one thing that makes her sane - her music.  I could totally see the perfect (not) Cade who was just trying to distract himself from the pain in his heart.  Together, I loved them.  I screamed at them.  I wanted to shake them.  I cheered for them.

I started this book on the plane to BEA.  It was only the need to out of that plane that had me putting it down - was that a four hour flight? Really?  I read at every opportunity, sneaking in a few pages whenever I could.  I still finished it in a couple of days even if I was at BEA.  It's a one sitting kinda book, really.  

Can I just say that the anit-Christ, Bethany sister-in-law to Max is...well she's the anti-Christ.  Truly she is.  What a fabulous secondary character.  I totally wanted to kill her just like Max.  Oh, and there was this one point where Max has the best holiday memory EVVERRR and I wanted to cheer.  My boy Cade did the BEST job of putting that anti-Christ in her place.  You are my hero, Cade.

Did I say that I LOVED reading from the alternating POVs? So good.  I love getting both sides of the story and will always love being inside the guys head.  Cade is a little different in that he doesn't go after what he wants.  I loved knowing what he was thinking and what changed that process for him.

I loved the "there's more to this story than you see" aspect of this book.  Yeah, you can totally see that Max is broken and she is only with Mace (seriously - that's his name) for the hot drummer thing but she hides some deep stuff that no one sees.  What's perfect is that it's Cade that breaks down those walls and sees who she is.  He sees it in her music.  Interesting that others haven't noticed what she's hide in plain sight.  Fabulous character development.

If you read and loved Losing It, then this is a must read.  If you haven't read Losing It yet, where have you been? Get on that and then this one! Seriously, Cora is that bright new star and I love her writing and her books.  She is kicking the NA scene all kinds of ways.  You will love this book - hard.  Get it.


****Giveaway still going on****

SIGNED Paperback copy of Faking It
US/Canada/UK/Mexico

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Loved Losing it (Losing it, #1) by Cora Carmack!  Check out my review for it here.






Check out all four bonus scenes from Losing it!

Bonus Scene 1: The One Where They Met by WilliamMorrowBooks




 
 
Pre-order Keeping Her (Losing It, #1.5) by Cora Carmack for $.99


 

Book Blitz ~ Romancing the R.A. by Ashelyn Drake ~ Excerpt & Giveaway


Romancing the R.A. (Campus Romance #1)
Release Date: 05/28/13

Summary from Goodreads:
Noelle Buckman is looking forward to making a fresh start in college, one that doesn’t involve immature high school boys. The second she steps on campus for freshman orientation, she can sense the possibilities. Especially when she spots Andy, a resident advisor who’s not just hot but also thoughtful enough to open doors for a girl. 

And Andy has his eye on Noelle. Even when her nerves take control and she thinks she comes off as a hillbilly with no direction, Andy can see what she’s really like and he’s more than a little interested.

But orientation is less than two full days and there’s an entire summer between Noelle and Andy. Will her attempt to romance the R.A. be as short-lived as college orientation?

 photo addtogoodreadssmall_zpsa2a6cf28.png  photo B6096376-6C81-4465-8935-CE890C777EB9-1855-000001A1E900B890_zps5affbed6.jpg
(only $.99!)

***Excerpt***
He’s stunned at first and doesn’t move. I start to pull away, thinking I’ve made a huge mistake, but then I feel Andy’s hand on my lower back, pulling me closer. His lips part, and he deepens the kiss.

Every inch of me is on fire. Andy’s an incredible kisser, but the position we’re in is awkward. I reach my hands up and bury my fingers in his hair, which prompts him to lift me onto his lap. Much better. Our bodies are pressed so close I can feel every inch of him. My lungs are screaming for air, but I’m not willing to give in to them. I’ve been dying to kiss Andy ever since he first smiled at me, and I’ll be damned if I’m backing away that quickly.

His hands move up my back to my hair, and he pulls my head back gently exposing my neck. His lips trail down my jaw and to the nape of my neck. I bite my lip to stifle a moan, but it manages to slip out anyway. Andy slowly eases off, opening his eyes to see my reaction. I debate pulling his lips back to mine, but for the moment I drape my arms around his shoulders and just stare into his baby blue eyes.

“Wow.”

He can say that again. “Yeah.”

“I can honestly say that’s the first time I didn’t have to make the first move.”

“And it’s the first time I ever made the first move.”
           

He smiles. “Then I’m honored.” He leans forward and places a single kiss on my neck. His hips rise under me, and I know exactly where he’s hoping this is going to lead. My body is screaming for his touch, but I don’t want to be that girl. The one who goes off to college and sleeps with the first guy she meets. As much as I want Andy, I can’t do this right now.

About the Author
Ashelyn Drake is a New Adult and Young Adult romance author represented by Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. Look for her debut New Adult romance, Romancing the R.A., from S.B. Addison Books!

*Author Links*
WebsiteTwitterGoodreadsFacebook

***GIVEAWAY***

Signed Romancing the R.A. postcard and $10 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble (INT)
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