Review: Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié

Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié
Publisher: Simon Pulse (September 7th, 2010)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 470 pages
Source: Publisher
Series: Crusade #1
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain’s Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.
Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated — and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose.
Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself — and her heart.

Review: Crusade is a fabulous start to this series involving so many kick-butt paranormal beings. I would describe it as "an adult book, in a YA package", which means that it is set up like an adult series (with lots of action, characters, details) but made for YA readers. 

Crusade doesn't just follow one character. We get to look at each one as we go throughout the story. It jumps from Jenn, to Antonio, to the others in their group. Jenn is the main focus in the book and she is such a strong character! Jenn has been in training to fight The Cursed Ones, vampires who are beginning to take over the world. Many people believed they were harmless but now things are changing and hunters are needed to kill the vampires. Jenn has been in Spain but after a family loss, she returns to San Francisco to see her family. 

San Francisco isn't what Jenn remembers and she is faced with several obstacles along the way. She is alone to fight her own battles and, although she doesn't see herself as a strong member of her group, she proves exactly what she can do. 

Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié have created a frightening, dangerous world where vampires rule and humans are too scared to fight. The new group of hunters may be young but their diversity and skills make them a powerful force. 

Jenn does have someone in the group she cares deeply about, Antonio. But their relationship comes with it's very own obstacles and dangers. This was an exciting twist for the story and it was interesting to see how Jenn felt about Antonio, and how he felt about her. Crusade is full of action-packed adventures and heart-pounding moments! There was never a dull moment. The range of characters we meet in this book constantly amazed me. Each person had their own past that brought them on their journey to Spain and their only common element seemed to be a hatred for The Cursed Ones. 

Crusade takes readers on a treacherous journey through locations where vampires hold the power and hunters are the only things keeping them at bay. Full of detailed settings and scary paranormals, Crusade will have readers at the edge of their seats!

Find out more about Nancy Holder

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Purchase Crusade

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Tour: Tens List: Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Jennifer Echols is here today to talk about her brand new book Love Story. 

If you haven't read it, or any other of Jennifer's books yet, do it! They are wonderful!

 

Can you tell us 10 of your guilty pleasures? 

 

Oreos

Fritos

American Idol

Cake icing

Stupid, funny movies (Hot Tub Time Machine)

Phineas and Ferb

Krispy Kreme doughnuts

Cadbury Creme eggs

COPS

Reno 911!

  Name 10 places you'd love to visit. 

 

New York

Las Vegas

Key West

Hawaii

La Jolla, California

Destin, Florida

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Miami

Lake Martin, Alabama (where I grew up--swimming in the lake would be nice today!)

Thailand (where my husband was born)

 

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Publisher: MTV Books (July 19th, 2011)

Reading Level: Young Adult

Paperback: 256 pages

She's writing about him. he's writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines..

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter . . . except this story could come true.

 

Find Jennifer Echols

Website    |    Blog    |     Goodreads     |     Twitter     |   Facebook

Purchase Love Story
Amazon    |     Barnes & Noble    |     The Book Depository

This tour is hosted by The {Teen} Book Scene. Tour details can be found here.

Review: We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (April 26th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 288 pages
Source: Publisher
Series: Summer #3
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

Review:  
May Contain Spoilers!

Woah! This book really takes readers for a ride! We'll Always Have Summer is the final book in the summer trilogy by Jenny Han, and I felt it was written to perfection! I can't even tell you how many times I had tears in my eyes during this book. 

This book takes place 2 years after book 2, It's Not Summer Without You. Belly and Jeremiah are together, and at college, living the typical "college life" and being happy together. Belly, of course, still thinks about Conrad all the time. Then, Belly's world turns upside down when she learns a devastating secret about Jeremiah. But, she still tries to believe in them and their relationship and things take a very surprising turn! 

During We'll Always Have Summer, we see Belly question who she truly loves. She can't forget about Conrad and she soon finds out that maybe he feels the same. They find themselves all at Cousins Beach again but it's just not the same. Conrad tries to be more distant and deal with the situation as best he can but it's hard to forget about what he has been through with Belly. 

Heartbreaking!! I was so shocked during this book and I still wasn't sure who I wanted Belly to be with. It was easy to see how much she had grown up and how, many times, she was on her own with her thoughts. She knew no one would really understand what was going on in her mind. 

I won't go into too much detail on this one because it is a very surprising ending for this series, but I will say that if you haven't read this series, do it! I already miss these characters and Cousins Beach. I want to see what happens next! I was so satisfied with how everything was wrapped up. I liked the little "glimpse" into the future we get at the end.

We'll Always Have Summer was a picture-perfect ending to this captivating series! Jenny Han writes in a way that allows readers to really connect with characters on a deeper level. Even though parts are skipped, we still look back at the missing experiences of the characters and that helps connect the dots in the story. Absolutely flawless!

Find Jenny Han

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Review: It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (April 27th, 2010)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 288 pages
Source: Publisher
Series: Summer #2
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.
But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach.

Review:
May contain spoilers!


This really turned into a fantastic series! I reviewed book 1, The Summer I Turned Pretty, and it was a great book but I wasn't sure when I would get to read the rest of the series. Recently, I was in a "summer book" mood and read It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer in 1 day! I was completely mesmerized by the beautiful setting, characters, and plot.

It's Not Summer Without You takes place a year after book 1. It's summer again and Belly is dealing with the aftermath of a horrible loss. Summer isn't going to be the same, but even with her friends back home trying to make her have a fun summer, she can't stop thinking about Cousins Beach. 

Jeremiah calls Belly and says that no one knows where Conrad is. She immediately leaves with him so they can hopefully track him down and convince him to come home. It seems obvious where he is but it surprises her to find out exactly why he ran away. 

While at Cousins, lots of memories come back from the year before. We get a chance to discover how Belly and Conrad's relationship had developed and changed over a short amount of time. I loved that the story brought up these details. Readers can follow their current situation while seeing what exactly brought them to that place. 

This is one of those series where, even though we have a love triangle, I never exactly could pick a side. Jeremiah and Conrad were amazing, and frustrating, in their own ways. Jeremiah was the more sweet, loving personality, while Conrad was more mature (sometimes!) and heartwarming character. He always seemed to be having an internal battle with himself but when he let his true feelings show, wow, watch out! It will make you fall in l-o-v-e! 

It's easy to see how these characters grew and matured over the course of a difficult year. Jenny Han has created characters that you feel you actually know once you finish the book. They are so realistic, imperfect, and passionate that it's impossible to not feel something as you go through their story.

It's Not Summer Without You is a heartwarming tale of loss, love, and friendship like no other I have read. It's the perfect summer read!

Find Jenny Han

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Purchase It's Not Summer Without You

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Review: Sleight by Jennifer Sommersby

Sleight by Jennifer Sommersby
Publisher: Accendo Press (March 23rd, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 328 pages
Source: Author (Thank You!)
Series: AVRA-K #1
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Her mom is dead.
Ghosts follow her around.
Her best friend is an elephant.
And she’s about to meet the biggest game changer of all: a boy. With a secret.

When circus-dwelling Gemma Flannery learns she will be attending public school for the first time in her seventeen years, little does she know that fitting in with her 12th-grade classmates will be the least of her concerns. A pro at hiding her knack for seeing the dead (“shades”), Gemma is grieving the recent suicide of her mentally ill mother, a process eased by the introduction of her first real love interest, the charming and painfully handsome Henry Dmitri, who is harboring his own collection of dangerous secrets. Together, they will be presented with a frightening challenge: to assume their roles as heirs to a 3000-year-old magical text, the AVRAKEDAVRA, a book the über-rich, sleight-of-being master Lucian Dmitri would do anything to get his hands on. As each terrifying layer in her new reality melts away, Gemma unearths truths that her quiet, nomadic life with the Cinzio Traveling Players is not at all what she’d always cherished. Gemma and Henry must rely on each other to stop Lucian’s diabolical plotting that will bring the world to its tired, scab-riddled knees, and are sent on the flight of their young lives, to save themselves, their families, and the world from the darkest kind of destruction.

Let the chase begin.

Review: Sleight was a wonderful, unique tale and I can't wait to see where it goes with the next book. It is about Gemma, a young girl who knows no life beyond what she has while traveling around with circus. They have become her family and that is more important than ever since her mother just passed away. But things are more complicated for Gemma because she can see ghosts. 

Soon Gemma learns that the circus will be settling somewhere for a while, which means Gemma has to go to school. Fitting in isn't easy when people know you are with a traveling circus. I have to say that this setting was wonderful because I've never read a book about a circus. I was fascinated with how Gemma lived and what experiences she had while working there. Perfect setting for this story!

Henry is the son of the man investing in the circus and he is immediately interested in Gemma. But the gorgeous Henry isn't exactly the "player" people may think he is. He typically avoids everyone and that makes many of the high school girls angry. People know his father Lucian pretty much owns the town and although he is super hot, no one grabs his attention..until Gemma comes around. 

But as they get closer, more secrets are revealed. I was shocked by many of the new developments that occurred throughout this story. Gemma and Henry were easy to love. Their chemistry was strong from the beginning and it was great to see where their relationship went. The other side characters, like Ash, Janie, Ted, and Marlene, were just as wonderful! It could be assumed that people in the circus may be eccentric but they all fit together perfectly and made a great family unit. I couldn't imagine a more non-traditional family, or one that seemed to have as much love for one another.

The secrets and adventures in this book never stopped! I was truly on the edge of my seat. Sleight is action-packed, full of imagination, and highly suspenseful! Jennifer Sommersby created a story unlike any other I've read and I will be anxiously awaiting the next book!


Find Jennifer Sommersby
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Purchase Sleight
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Review: Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt

Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt
Publisher: Simon Pulse (July 12th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 320 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

On the last day of her junior year, Hannah's boyfriend Sebastian dumped her. Facing a summer of loneliness, Hannah turns to her best friend Ava for comfort. Ava does what BFFs do: she stays by Hannah's side...until it's time for Ava to head up to Maine for the summer. Also left behind is Ava's boyfriend, Noah, who's such a great guy he gets Hannah a job at the diner he waits tables at. Slowly, Hannah comes out of her funk thanks to Noah's good conversation and their fun times at the diner. But things get complicated when their friendship turns into attraction--and one night, into a passionate kiss.

The novel opens on the first day of senior year; the day Hannah is going to see Ava, Sebastian, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, everyone is paired up once again, but not the way you might think...

Review: This book is exactly what I was looking for! Sometimes I "crave" different types of books and this past week it was summer books! This was the story that put me on that path. Sometimes It Happens was a fast read that was packed with sensational characters and full of witty dialogue. 

Hannah does not have a great start to her summer. She finds her boyfriend Sabastian cheating on her and finds out that her best friend Ava is leaving for the summer. She just knows that she will be spending most of her time sitting in her room eating junk food during her vacation. Then, her best friend Ava's boyfriend Noah saves the day. He gets Hannah a job at the diner where he works and tries every way possible to help Hannah get out of her slump. 

First, I have to talk about these characters. I loved how real and multi-dimensional they felt. No, they were not perfect but that is part of being a teenager and making mistakes. Hannah was hilarious and in many ways, acted exactly how teens do when they suffer a break-up. Noah was the "good guy" who just wanted Hannah to see that she deserved better than a crappy, cheating boyfriend. But along the way he gets more than he expected. 

Then we have the quirky Lacey, a new character we meet when Hannah starts her job at the diner. I loved her! She was exactly what was needed for this story. She was a loyal new friend for Hannah, and had a sometimes crazy, unique personality that helped bring the story together. Ava, on the other hand, was not my favorite character at all. She was snotty, bossy, and not a great friend for Hannah. But, I loved how Hannah was able to find new friends and open herself up to new possibilities once Ava was out of town. I think that is something many teens can relate to. 

Sometimes It Happens is told in a very interesting way. The chapters go back and forth between the last day of junior year, to the first day of senior year. At first I was worried I would hate this format, but it worked perfectly! We could see how drastically things had changed in a short amount of time, and as we saw the drama of Hannah's first day of senior year, we could go back to see what created all the worry and tension.

Along with Hannah's new-found freedom and summer job, her and Noah get closer. This was not a "love at first sight" tale, which made it much more interesting to follow. I could easily see these 2 characters falling in love and simply enjoying eachother's company. Their relationship really made sense, even if it happened at the wrong time. 

Sometimes It Happens made me a fan of Lauren Barnholdt's. After I read this book I immediately looked to see if I had another title written by her (which I did, and that review is coming soon). If you are a fan of summer-themed, hilarious reads that help bring back memories of high school (or current drama from high school), pick up this book!

Find Lauren Barnholdt
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Purchase Sometimes It Happens
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Winners and News

Today I have the winners for Stand Up Against Abuse. Thank you all so much for joining me in this feature and for helping spread the word about the topic. I plan to do this again next year! I also have the winner of BlogFest 2011! Sorry for the delay in picking winners. The reason for that is listed below. :)

• 1st place
• SIGNED copy of Bitter End
• Stay
• But I Love Him
• The Six Rules of Maybe

and the winner is...... Kat from A Journey in Reading

•  2nd place
• Bitter End
• Stay
• But I Love Him
• The Six Rules of Maybe 

and the winner is..... Patricia from Patricia's Particularity

• 3rd place
• Bitter End
• But I Love Him

and the winner is...... nymfaux

And the BlogFest winner is...

Abigail R (abbyra@...)

She picked a copy of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

News

Big news! I'm MOVING!! We bought a house and will be moving next weekend, EEK! Pretty much the only things I have packed so far are my books. Once we are settled in, I do plan to do a big giveaway to get rid of some of my extra books. I will still be posting reviews/interviews/and other giveaways while I'm moving because those will, hopefully, be set up by next week. 

Guess what?!? I will be kicking off the DAMNED book tour on August 1st! You can see the full list of bloggers and other tour details on Nancy Holder's blog.


You can win a copy of DAMNED on goodreads.


And there's more!

From Nancy's blog:

We will also be hosting contests online to give away special signed copies of the limited edition “rock concert style” poster for the Damned Book Tour to several lucky winners during the months of August and September. Stay tuned for details on how to win your signed copy of the poster! One hint on how to win is to visit the blogger tour stops on the dates listed.

You never know when a book or poster will be up for grabs.
To really kick off Damned‘s release, we’re also giving away free copies of “Passing,” the short story that inspired the Crusade series, to anyone who pre-orders a copy of Damned.

All you have to do to receive your electronic copy of “Passing” is to 1) pre-order Damned from any physical or online store; 2) send an email to mailfornancyholder@gmail.com; 3) include the word “Passing” in the Subject Line; and 4) tell us in the message of the email where you pre-ordered your copy of Damned.

Emails must be received by August 29th to be valid.

There is a fine line between love and sacrifice….

Read the first chapter of Damned here

And, as many of you know, it is almost time for the release of CHAIN REACTION by Simone Elkeles. I am a huge fan of this series and the book trailer was just released! I also love these book trailers! I think it's so cool that they are set up like a movie and they bring in all of the characters. CUTE!

Be on the lookout for more about this new release coming up on the blog. I may have a very cool video to share with you all soon!


Chain Reaction will be released August 16th.

Review: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
Publisher: Simon Pulse (June 28th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult (14+)
Hardcover: 464 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.

Review: Forbidden is a difficult book to review. I think that each person will take something different from this story. As seen from the summary, it is about a brother and sister falling in love. That may turn off some readers but please don't let it! Forbidden is much more than what it seems.

Maya and Lochan have been more like mother and father to their siblings than anything else. That may have originally been what brought them closer together. Their mother is never there and her alcoholic tendencies seemed to get in the way of any real parenting while she was in the home. The younger siblings depend on Maya and Lochan to feed them, get them ready for school, and deal with their day to day fights with each other. They give up everything in order to make sure their family is taken care of.

Their attraction seems to begin just from the love and respect they have for each other. They realize that when looking for a partner, they want many of the same qualities seen in each other. But it's rare to find teenagers who are dealing with so much responsibility. They are both wise beyond their years and they know that no matter who they are with, no one will understand them.

Lochan has a lot of anxiety issues. He tends to avoid people at all costs. This means he puts even more focus on Maya because she is really all he has; the only person he feels comfortable with. It's not easy to read about their attractions but I found myself understanding where it came from. Although some of the anxiety issues got a little repetitive, it was a critical part of the story. It helps readers truly get a sense of what Lochan's life had been like previously to create such social anxieties.


Tabitha tackled a very taboo subject with beauty and clarity. I couldn't imagine it being represented in a better way. Forbidden is not a light read and I think that most readers will feel emotionally invested in the story at the end. This is a book that I couldn't stop thinking about long after I read it.



Find Tabitha Suzuma 
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Purchase Forbidden
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Review: Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Love Story by Jennifer Echols
Publisher: Pocket (July 19th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 256 pages
Source: Author (Thank You!)
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Erin Blackwell is headed to college in New York City to study creative writing and earn a living as a romance novelist. Her grandmother has other plans: she approves of the college, but she wants Erin to major in business and then come back home to Kentucky to run the family’s famous racehorse farm. There is no way Erin will agree. Studying in New York and writing her way into a career is her escape from the farm and the family tragedy that happened there. So Erin’s grandmother decides Erin really will live life as a starving artist. She takes Erin’s future job running the farm, her inheritance, even her college tuition, and gives them all to Hunter Allen.

Hunter has lived on the farm for years. He’s Erin’s age, he’s the stable boy, and he’s the romantic dream of every girl in her high school. But he was involved in the family tragedy. Erin has always given him a wide berth. And he’s a slick opportunist. She’s furious that he fooled her grandmother into giving him Erin’s birthright and sending him to Erin’s college.

At least she’s free of him in her creative writing class. So she pens a story that has haunted her lately, in which the horse farm heiress at the very first Kentucky Derby starts a forbidden affair with the lowly stable boy. Unfortunately for her, the day she’s sharing this story with her New York classmates, Hunter walks in. He’s switching to her class. And after reading about himself in Erin’s story, he writes his own sexy assignments that lure Erin into dangerous fantasies about what could have been between them, and what might be.

Review: If there is anything I've learned about Jennifer Echols, it's that she has some of the most unique book ideas ever! Jennifer also knows how to tap into the minds of teenagers. Love Story involves Erin and Hunter. Erin is a a farm girl from Kentucky and Hunter was her stable boy. Against her grandmothers wishes, she is going to New York to study English and writing instead of business so she could take over the farm. Erin's grandmother then decides to show her the difficulty of living without the money from the farm so she takes it all away. Erin is then left on her own to make money and somehow do well in college. 

To make things worse for Erin, her grandmother sends Hunter to the same college to study in business and get prepped to take over the farm in Erin's place. While in her creative writing class, Erin writes a story that involves a young girl and her stable boy. The story seems to have some strong similarities to real life for her and Hunter. But Erin knows that no one in the class knows about her true-life. Then Hunter surprises her by joining the class and there is no way to stop him from reading Erin's historical romance. 

Love Story jumps from current time into the stories Erin and Hunter create while in class. We have a chance to read their writings and see what underlying feelings may be there between the characters. It was a great way to explore their relationship. The downside was that the jumping back and forth created some confusion for me. Sometimes I wanted more time with the characters and not so much of their writings. 

No matter how much Erin fought her feelings for Hunter, or how much she tried to avoid him, he was always right there. Erin was so determined to succeed and follow her dreams. It was refreshing to see that in a YA character. And, of course, Jennifer Echols is a pro at creating swoon-worthy male characters so Hunter was nothing short of amazing! 

Although I have enjoyed Jennifer's other books a little more than this one, Love Story is so unique and captivating that you can't put it down! My fan-girlness for her continues and always will!

Find Jennifer Echols

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Purchase Love Story
Amazon    |     Barnes & Noble    |     The Book Depository

Going Into the Wild: Exploring New YA (July 14th-31st)

 Once Every Never (Once Every Never #1) by Lesley Livingston (Penguin Canada 7/14/2011)

Love Story by Jennifer Echols (MTV Books 7/19/2011)

Pearl by Jo Knowles (Henry Holt and Co.  7/19/2011)

The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt (Wendy Lamb Books 7/19/2011)

Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker (Bloomsbury 7/19/2011)

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard (Razorbill/Penguin 7/21/2011)

 Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy #1) by Jennifer Estep (Kensington Publishing Corp. 7/26/2011)

Supernaturally (Paranormalcy #2) by Kiersten White (HarperTeen 7/26/2011)

Everblue (Mer Tales #1) by Brenda Pandos (Obsidian Mountain Publishing 7/31/2011)

 Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2) by Andrea Cremer (Philomel 7/26/2011)

Wildefire (Wildefire #1) by Karsten Knight (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 7/26/2011)

If you know of any other new releases for July 14th- 31st feel free to add them in the comments so others will know about them!

Review: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press (July 13th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 360 pages
Source: Publisher
Series: The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other.  Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack.  And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.
At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

Review: I was such a huge fan of Shiver. I was amazed by each detail Maggie placed inside the story. It was beautiful! Much of that continued with Linger, but I will say that I didn't love it as much. Sam and Grace go through a lot in Linger. Grace fights against her parents in order to stay with Sam. It seemed to be typical teenage drama but much more goes along with their love story. Something is happening with Grace and they don't know how to deal with it. 

I'm not a big fan of multiple points-of-view and this book seemed to have too many. It often switched from Sam to Grace, to Isabelle and then Cole. I felt that even a majority of the book was focused on Isabelle and Cole..but honestly, that was fine with me because I preferred their story this time around. Sam and Grace were sooo depressed. I understood why but it just made the book harder to read. I felt myself dreading Sam and Grace's POV, and wanting to read more about Cole and Isabelle. 

Isabelle is a great character. She is tough, stubborn, and sarcastic. That made the perfect match for Cole. He played the role of the tough guy but there ended up being so much more to him than first expected. Cole has a lot of demons from his past and he soon discovers that no matter what, he can't run from his past life. Isabelle is still going through pain of her own and together they seemed to bring some hope to each other's lives. 

Sam and Grace are still strong characters and their level of love for each other cannot be denied. It goes beyond puppy love and each character goes through a lot to be together. They had several scenes that were completely adorable and I do really want to see what happens with them next. 

Even though Linger didn't grab me as much as Shiver did, it still built upon a fascinating story. It has many dramatic moments, twists, and surprises. I'm looking forward to reading Forever and seeing what's in store for these characters!


Find Maggie Stiefvater
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BlogFest 2011

It's BlogFest time! This is hosted by A Journey of Books and it gives bloggers a chance to share their love of BOOKS! If you'd like to see the other blogs hosting a giveaway just click here.

Now, for this giveaway I wanted to offer up some of the most highly anticipated releases of the fall. Please note that this will be pre-ordered for you so the arrival of the book will depend on the release date of the book you choose.

One lucky winner will receive one of these books from The Book Depository. Please check the LIST to make sure they ship to you.

Rules: Must be at least 13 to enter.

          Name and email must be provided.

          Winner will have 48 hours to send me their address.
          Enter by filling out the form below. 

 This is open INTERNATIONALLY and the giveaway ends Sunday night.
I'll announce the winner on Monday. 

Next stops for the BlogFest giveaways..

39 Curling Up By The Fire

40 Cuzinlogic

41 Dasef's Book Central

42 Delaney Diamond - Sweet & Sensual Romance

43 Desperado Penguin

Review: Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (May 3rd, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 224 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.
While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

Review:  Moonglass is a great summer read but the story goes much deeper than you may expect. Anna is forced to leave her home after her father gets a job offer. She is not happy with the fact she has to leave her friends behind right before her junior year. But this new location holds many secrets. It's the same beach where her father and mother met years ago.

While Anna tries to get used to her new surroundings, she finds out more about her mother and father's relationship than she thought she would. Her mother died when she was young so Anna is fascinated with the bits of information she is able to get from this new place. But these memories are painful and Anna and her father are trying to deal with the pain in their own ways.

The setting for Moonglass is stunning. The vivid descriptions made me truly feel as if I was there on the beach with Anna. Jessi Kirby really knows how to bring a setting to life! Anna was a terrific character and it was easy to see the similarities between her and her father. She was strong, determined, and adventurous. It seems that her past has shaped her into a person that appreciates what she has. She seems more wise than others her age.

While at Crystal Cove she meets a lifeguard, Tyler. Their relationship starts very slowly because of her father's strict nature when it comes to Anna dating a lifeguard. But it was nice to see each character unfold and embrace each other in a more natural way. There are so many terrific characters in this story. Anna's father, James, Jillian, Ashley..all brought very interesting details to this book. 

If you are looking for a great summer read that holds a lot of mystery, Moonglass is a great pick!

Find Jessi Kirby
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