Book Blitz: This is What Goodbye Looks Like

This is What Goodbye Looks Like by Olivia Rivers
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release date: June 17, 2016
Buy Link: Amazon
Summary:

Lea Holder watched a boy die in the same DUI accident that ruined Lea’s legs and threw her little sister into a coma. As the only eye-witness to the accident, if she tells the truth in court, the drunk driver will go to prison and the dead boy’s family will have justice. 

But Lea lies. 

If she had told the truth, Lea would have put her own mom in prison for causing the accident. With the trial over and her mom set free, Lea attempts to rebuild her shattered life as she waits for her little sister to wake from her coma. 

When Lea transfers schools, she finds herself in the same senior class as Seth Ashbury, the brother of the boy her mom killed. As Lea gets to know the person buried underneath Seth’s grief, she quickly falls for his quick wit and passionate soul. But Seth remains completely oblivious that Lea is the same girl who robbed his family of justice. 

As their relationship deepens, Lea finally gets a taste of the love that’s been missing from her life since the accident. But soon she’s faced with a choice: she can continue her lies and accept the comfort it gives them both. Or she can tell Seth the truth about everything, and risk destroying both her family and her newfound love.

♥ ♥ ♥

EXCERPT:

Every reasonable thought in my head disappears at the sound of his voice. It’s slightly different now—deep and strong, instead of choked with grief and dread. But the smooth tone is mostly the same as I remember it, and my gut twists painfully as a new set of footsteps approaches.

A sharp noise breaks through the sudden quiet, and I flinch, thinking for a split second that it’s the sound of tearing metal. But then I realize it’s the bark of a dog, and I squeeze my eyes shut.

I can’t do this. I have to do this, but I can’t do this.

“Seth!” Brie calls out. “Dude, you’re totally late. Again.”

He makes a low, disbelieving noise, something between a scoff and a chuckle. Now he sounds even closer. I take a deep breath and clench my hand tighter around my cane. If I don’t turn around and greet him, it’ll be obvious that I have an issue with him, but I can’t get my body to move.

“I’m fashionably late,” Seth tells Brie. “There’s a difference.”

Book Blitz: Burning Bright

Burning Bright by Chanda Stafford
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 25, 2016
Buy Link: Amazon Summary:

Three years ago, Samantha Gray killed her parents.

Haunted by their deaths, she hides her scars behind sarcasm and vintage t-shirts, counting the days until she can escape her foster home in Alegria, Arizona. 

Then she meets Ben, a California boy whose filmmaker parents constructed a big cat sanctuary outside of town. She's hesitant to get close, terrified he'll learn her secret.

When Ben introduces Sam to Solomon, a Bengal tiger on borrowed time whose gruesome history eerily mirrors her own, she must decide whether she’s strong enough to overcome her past and save not only Solomon’s life, but her own. And to do that, she'll need to tell Ben the truth.

♥ ♥ ♥

Except:

“I didn’t think you’d come.” A low voice murmurs over my shoulder, and I spin around. Ben leans against the wall, dressed in all black, from his button up shirt to his dress slacks. He’s slicked his hair back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck and a shiny black Batman mask fails at obscuring his identity. 

He appraises my dress silently, his eyes darkening with some emotion I imagine is reflected in my own. Gently, he reaches out and runs his fingers along the shawl’s feathery edges.

Book Blitz: Ella's Twisted Senior Year

Ella's Twisted Senior Year By Amy Sparling
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 31, 2016
Purchase Link: Amazon
Summary:

Having spent most of her senior year flying under the radar, the last thing Ella Lockhart expected was to have a tornado rip straight through her house, leaving her homeless. It’s bad enough that the whole school now pities her, but did her parents have to let the neighbors take them in?

Now she's sharing a house with Ethan Poe, her former best friend-turned-enemy. All those feelings she used to have for him are starting to rain down on her again. Too bad he's a jerk and his new girlfriend has territorial issues. Thanks to Mother Nature, Ella's house and her entire life have been turned upside down.

Ethan isn’t quite sure why Ella hates him so much, but he does know she wants nothing to do with him. He’s never quite gotten over the crush he had on her as a kid, and now that she’s living across the hall, it’s hard to stay away. His girlfriend isn’t helping the situation and when she shows her true colors, he doesn’t want to date her anymore. He wants to date someone like Ella. Too bad she hates him.

♥ ♥ ♥

EXCERPT:

I look up and find the source of the stench came from the boy’s locker room. Ugh. I try to hold my breath as they file past, mostly ignoring the coach’s demands to pick a spot on the wall and sit down. 

People shuffle in and around, talking and sharing images of the tornado that have already hit social media. 

I bring my knees up and rest my hands on them, blowing out air to get my hair out of my face. I don’t exactly have a ton of friends at West Canyon High School and the ones I do have aren’t here. 

A black and red Nike shoe steps on my purple chucks. 

“Hey, sorry,” some guy says from way above me. 

I look up and my sarcastic reply lodges in my throat. Ethan Poe stares back at me, his expression probably a mirror of my own. I mean how else do you look at someone who was you best friend until eighth grade and then became your sudden and absolute enemy? 

Of course, I had the stupid crush on him, so maybe he’s not looking the same way that I am. Maybe his surprise is just that, not ten kinds of other emotions all rolled into one. 

Like, we used to be best friends.

And, damn he got hot.

So hot.

Book Blitz: Under My Skin

Under My Skin by Laura Diamond
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 12, 2016
Purchase Link: Amazon  ♥ B& N
Summary:

Bookish Brit Adam Gibson is one wonky heartbeat away from a fatal arrhythmia. He's torn between wanting to live and knowing that someone else must die in order for him to do so. He needs a new heart.

Adam stops talking to his friends, refuses to meet kids at his new school, and shuts his parents out entirely. His days are spent wondering if can cope with having a dead man's heart beating inside his chest, or if he should surrender to the thoughts of suicide swirling around in his head.

And then a donor is found.

Outspoken artist Darby Fox rarely lets anything stand in her way of achieving her goals. She also happens to be the twin sister to a perfect brother with good looks, good grades, manners, and the approval of their parents - something Darby has never had.

Darby's always had bad timing. She picks the worst time to argue with her brother Daniel. In a car with bald tires, on an icy road in the freezing cold, the unthinkable happens. In a split-second, everything changes forever.

When life forces Adam and Darby together, undeniable sparks fly, and a deep connection is made. But the secret inside of Adam may be the thing that pushes them apart forever.

♥ ♥ ♥

Excerpts:

ADAM:

I clutch my well-worn paperback of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein close to my heart. The doctor robbed graves, stealing body parts to create his monster. I suppress a shiver. In a way, the transplant surgeon does the same thing by harvesting a donor’s organs when they’re on the brink of death. If I get prioritized on the list, I’ll be waiting for that poor victim to arrive. Then I’ll steal his or her heart and with it, their life.

Then I’ll be the monster.

DARBY:

Book Blitz: Because I Love You

Because I Love You by Tori Rigby
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Eight weeks after sixteen-year-old Andie Hamilton gives her virginity to her best friend, “the stick” says she’s pregnant.

Her friends treat her like she’s carrying the plague, her classmates torture and ridicule her, and the boy she thought loved her doesn’t even care. Afraid to experience the next seven months alone, she turns to her ex-boyfriend, Neil Donaghue, a dark-haired, blue-eyed player. 

With him, she finds comfort and the support she desperately needs to make the hardest decision of her life: whether or not to keep the baby.

Then a tragic accident leads Andie to discover Neil’s keeping a secret that could dramatically alter their lives, and she’s forced to make a choice. But after hearing her son’s heartbeat for the first time, she doesn’t know how she’ll ever be able to let go.


♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

“I’ll ask Jill to come pick me up.”

“No,” he replied, his voice breaking. He cleared his throat. “Don’t put yourself out. I’ll stay with Owen.”

“It’s okay. I like being there.”

Neil nodded then shook his head. “No, this is ridiculous.” He moved so fast, I had no idea what was happening until my face was in his hands, and his lips were on mine.

Book Blitz: Tone Deaf

Tone Deaf by Olivia Rivers
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

His world is music. Her world is silent.

Ali Collins was a child prodigy destined to become one of the greatest musicians of the twenty-first century—until she was diagnosed with a life-changing brain tumor. 

Now, at seventeen, Ali lives in a soundless world where she gets by with American Sign Language and lip-reading. She’s a constant disappointment to her father, a retired cop fighting his own demons, and the bruises are getting harder to hide.

When Ali accidentally wins a backstage tour with the chart-topping band Tone Deaf, she’s swept back into the world of music. Jace Beckett, the nineteen-year-old lead singer of the band, has a reputation. He’s a jerk and a player, and Ali wants nothing to do with him. 

But there’s more to Jace than the tabloids let on. When Jace notices Ali’s bruises and offers to help her escape to New York, Ali can’t turn down the chance at freedom and a fresh start. Soon she’s traveling cross-country, hidden away in Jace’s RV as the band finishes their nationwide tour. With the help of Jace, Ali sets out to reboot her life and rediscover the music she once loved.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, just for a moment, just long enough to regain my composure. When I open them, I’ll be calm. I’ll forget about Jace’s insults and the memories he stirred up. I’ll take the check and run far, far away.

Something lightly touches my shoulder, making me yelp in surprise. I snap my eyes open and find Jace in front of me. He has his hands nervously stuffed in the pockets of his jeans, and he’s wearing a long-sleeved shirt now.

Why did he change into that, of all things? It’s still like eighty degrees outside, and his forehead is already covered in sweat. Maybe the dude is some sort of masochist; he hurts everything and everyone, including himself.

Book Blitz: Life in the Lucky Zone (The Zone #2)

Life in the Lucky Zone (The Zone #2) by Patricia B. Tighe
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Seventeen-year-old Lindsey Taylor has been living a charmed life—always the lead in school plays, possessor of a healthy entourage and a hot boyfriend. But halfway through her junior year, the unthinkable happens. Her boyfriend dumps her. 

She screws up her audition for the spring play. And to top it all off, her theater teacher wants her to run lines with Trey Berger, a gamer guy who irritates her practically every time he opens his mouth. Lindsey needs to find some better luck and quick.

Trey Berger can barely tolerate Lindsey Taylor. It’s bad enough that their best friends are dating and he has to see Lindsey at group hangouts. Now they have to rehearse together. Berger would rather do just about anything else, even chill with his grandmother, whose dementia has forced her to move in with his family.

But as the semester continues, Berger discovers there’s more to Lindsey than the drama queen

persona she puts on for everyone else’s benefit. And the person behind the mask might be someone he cares about. A lot. So what exactly is he going to do about it?

And while Lindsey desperately tries to change her luck and heal from the breakup, she slowly realizes Berger has become her best friend. This video-game-playing boy makes her laugh. And holds her when she cries. Could he possibly become something more?

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

People filled the baggage claim area, grabbing their items from the carousel, their conversations muffled by all the noise. I stepped out of the way of a man heading for the exit and scanned people’s faces. Where was Adam? Were his parents already here to take him home? That might make things awkward.

I edged through the crowd and finally saw him. Relief ran through me, but immediately drained away at the sight of the people with him. Dressed in a T-shirt and hoodie, Adam was placing a huge duffle bag on the floor beside an elderly couple and a teenage girl.

A gorgeous teenage girl with dark hair. I didn’t know who she was, but I hated everything about her. From her long, curling hair to the tight shirt that showed off all her curves. Even the tiny belly curve.

Book Blitz: My Senior Year of Awesome

My Senior Year of Awesome by Jennifer DiGiovanni
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 1, 2016
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

A girl desperately tries to avoid the boy she was voted most likely to marry by her senior classmates. 

To prove senior superlative votes are meaningless, she and her best friend create their own list of awesome high school achievements to be completed by graduation.










♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

“What did you win?” I whisper to Jana. “I don’t see your picture.”

Jana bites on her lower lip and points to the very top of the board. “Um, Sadie, I didn’t win. You did.”

Smack in the center of the top row of Senior Superlatives, I spy my junior year photo, blown up to 8 x 10 size, set inside of a glittery heart. Also inside the heart is an 8 x 10 photo of Andy Kosolowski. The caption above the heart reads, “Most Likely to Get Married.”

I want to die. No, I want to puke. I want to puke and then die. Andy, the biggest nerd in all of seniordom? The boy who wore the same Darth Vader T-shirt every day of eighth grade? The guy who passed out at middle school graduation and was trampled on by the rest of our class?

Cover Reveal: Competing with the Star

Competing with the Star by Krysten Lindsay Hager
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 22, 2016
Book Description:

The perfect guy, the perfect location. What could go wrong?

Hadley Daniels’s life seems perfect…

Before the beginning of sophomore year of high school, Hadley and her family move to a beautiful beach town, where she makes amazing new friends and lands the boyfriend of her dreams—Nick Jenkins. He’s the kind of guy every girl swoons over, and it isn’t long until Hadley discovers some are still swooning.

A famous ex-girlfriend makes matters more complicated…

Book Blitz: Abandoned

Abandoned by Elisa Dane
Age Group:Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: February 15, 2016
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

My name is Tierra Owens, and I like to kiss. A lot. It numbs the hollow ache in my chest and—for a few minutes—makes me forget how truly alone I am. My mother is an alcoholic. 

She hates me and insists I’m the reason she’s not married to my father, whom I have never met. My best friend, Kaylee, is the only person who knows the real me. Everyone else sees what I want them to: a happy, confident, popular girl who has the world at her feet.

I am a fraud.

Relationships are forbidden. I avoid them at all costs. Sex? Emotions? Those things make a person vulnerable, and vulnerability always leads to heartbreak. When my childhood crush, Mattie shows up at school my world tumbles off its axis. 

The shell I surround myself with feels more like a pathetic crutch than a protective barrier, and I find myself wanting things. Daydreaming about what it would be like to have a boyfriend, a relationship—love.

The sad fact is: I’ll never have any of those things. I am unworthy—trash. Which is why my mom abandoned me.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

Weekend parties were pretty much a staple in my life, due in large part to the group of people Kaylee and I hung out with. Despite my hopping social life, I wasn’t a huge drinker. I witnessed my mother make an ass of herself while she drank on a regular basis; I had no desire to follow in her footsteps. Drinking resulted in loss of control, which more often than not made the drinker appear weak and stupid—two qualities I worked hard never to display.

Tonight, though, despite my strong feelings about public drunkenness, I was making an exception. After the day I’d had, I wanted nothing more than to escape, to forget everything and lose myself in an alcohol-induced stupor. Tonight, I needed to check out for a little bit. My desire to save face was probably misplaced, anyway. I’d bet money the majority of the people inside were already too blitzed or high to notice any bad behavior other than their own.

Book Blitz: Burning Bright

Burning Bright by Chanda Stafford
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 25, 2016
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Three years ago, Samantha Gray killed her parents.

Haunted by their deaths, she hides her scars behind sarcasm and vintage t-shirts, counting the days until she can escape her foster home in Alegria, Arizona. 

Then she meets Ben, a California boy whose filmmaker parents constructed a big cat sanctuary outside of town. She's hesitant to get close, terrified he'll learn her secret.

When Ben introduces Sam to Solomon, a Bengal tiger on borrowed time whose gruesome history eerily mirrors her own, she must decide whether she’s strong enough to overcome her past and save not only Solomon’s life, but her own. And to do that, she'll need to tell Ben the truth.


♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

“I didn’t think you’d come.” A low voice murmurs over my shoulder, and I spin around. Ben leans against the wall, dressed in all black, from his button up shirt to his dress slacks. He’s slicked his hair back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck and a shiny black Batman mask fails at obscuring his identity.

He appraises my dress silently, his eyes darkening with some emotion I imagine is reflected in my own. Gently, he reaches out and runs his fingers along the shawl’s feathery edges.

“Some disguise, huh?”

Book Blitz: From Shattered Pieces

From Shattered Pieces by Traci Jo Stotts
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 11, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon

Book Description:

Ian had no intention of running away. She lived with her abusive parents for sixteen years, so surely she could endure two more. But something changed the night she fought back.

Leaving home was one thing but being on the streets of Reno brings scary to a whole new level. A chance run-in with Jubal proves to be both a blessing and a curse.

Now, Ian must come to terms with who she is and what she must do to survive.




♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

Four o’clock will be here way too soon. I crawl into bed and drift off, succumbing easily. My mom walks into my room. She sits on my bed and pets my hair. She is whispering something but I can’t understand her. I turn the small lamp on so I can see her.

Book Blitz: 29

29 by Nancy Pennick
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 3, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Allie Sanders thinks life in a small town can’t get any more dull and boring. She plans to escape after graduation. After a bad break-up, she wants to sail through junior year without distraction. 

Then the mysterious loner sits down in front of her in AP English. He’s the guy she noticed last year desperately trying to stay invisible. She wants to know his secrets. Suddenly her much older military brother, Doug, makes a rare appearance. 

He takes a special interest in her life. Suspicious of his motives Allie holds back, never really trusting him. Doug wants what she wants—the boy she has come to love. No way would she let that happen. She’d go against family and friends to protect him—and his secrets—even if it ends up breaking her heart.


♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:
Our hands touched briefly and a tingle traveled up my arm and back down my spine. He quickly pulled away, handed me the folder and continued to pick up the rest of the mess. I didn’t know if I should say sorry or thank you because I couldn’t take my eyes off his gorgeous face.

As he placed the pile on my desk he looked directly at me, straight through to my soul. “You’re welcome.” His dark hair hung over his eyes and those chocolate orbs burned right through me. A slight smile crossed his face. Then it was over, and he turned back in his seat, pouring over that important book.

I brought my hand to my chest, the one he touched. It still tingled. Funny, I never felt that way with Josh. I never experienced anything when we held hands. Josh may have been a teenage crush but this felt like something more—more like danger and romance could be right around the corner.

Book Blitz: Between the Notes

Between the Notes by Sharon Huss Roat
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 16, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

When Ivy Emerson’s family loses their house—complete with her beloved piano—the fear of what’s to come seizes her like a bad case of stage fright. Only this isn’t one of her single, terrifying performances. It’s her life.

And it isn’t pretty.

Ivy is forced to move with her family out of their affluent neighborhood to Lakeside, also known as “the wrong side of the tracks.” Hiding the truth from her friends—and the cute new guy in school, who may have secrets of his own—seems like a good idea at first. But when a bad boy next door threatens to ruin everything, Ivy’s carefully crafted lies begin to unravel . . . and there is no way to stop them.

As things get to the breaking point, Ivy turns to her music, some unlikely new friends, and the trusting heart of her disabled little brother. She may be surprised that not everyone is who she thought they were . . . including herself.

Debut author Sharon Huss Roat crafts a charming and timely story of what happens when life as you know it flips completely upside down.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:
When I woke an hour later, the music had stopped and the wind was howling in a way I’d never heard before, like wolves in the distance. I scrambled to the head of my bed, reaching for the corner post, but it wasn’t there. This wasn’t my room… this wasn’t my bed.

I fumbled for my lamp in the darkness but my knuckles knocked up against a wall. Not my wall.

Then it all came flooding back to me.

Book Blitz: The Secrets We Kept

The Secrets We Kept by Lily Velez
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 8, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

One year. That’s how long it’s been since childhood sweethearts Sully Graham and Cadence Gilbertson broke up, since one adoption and one out-of-state move turned their worlds upside down.

Suddenly, Cadence is back in New York City, but something’s different about her. The light in her eyes, the music in her laughter, the warmth in her smile—all of those things have entirely vanished. In their place stand the makings of a girl Sully can’t even begin to recognize, much less understand.

Still, despite the collective history of heartbreak between them, he’s convinced he can win her trust again, and he’s committed to proving the invincibility of their love no matter what it takes.

But Cadence is quietly harboring secrets of her own. Dark secrets. Ugly secrets. Secrets that could break a person. And though broken herself and unbearably lonely, she’s determined to protect Sully from her terrible, biting truths. Even if it means locking him out of her life forever.

The only problem is it seems her heart hasn’t quite received the memo. One glimpse of him is all it takes for her to trip into familiar (and, she’ll admit, addictive) feelings that threaten to all but consume her. Now her biggest fear is that her secrets will begin to slowly unravel one by one…long before Sully’s resolve ever does.

The Secrets We Kept is a moving story about first love, friendship, and forgiveness, and the enduring bonds that forever connect us and give us our strength.

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

The rooftop memory revisited her. Sully had first brought her there on their six-month anniversary, where they celebrated their romance with an afternoon picnic of peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and barbecue-flavored potato chips. Dessert was a melting sundae pie from Burger King.

She remembered the way the sun felt on her skin, like it was painting her with fire. She remembered the way the light reflected off the metal steamers, making them glow like pillars of white. She remembered the look in Sully’s eyes.

Book Blitz: Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru (Creative HeArts #1)

Ten Things Sloane Hates About Tru (Creative HeArts #1) by Tera Lynn Childs
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 14, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

When life gives you a blank canvas, make art.

Sloane Whitaker hates everything about moving to Texas. She hates leaving behind her friends and half her family in New York, starting over senior year at Austin’s NextGen Academy, and having to say she lives in Texas. Most of all, she hates that it’s all her fault. If she wants to earn her way back to the Big Apple, she has to prove she can still be the perfect daughter.

Which means no vandalism art, no trouble at school, and absolutely no Tru Dorsey, her serial screw-up neighbor, who loves nothing more than pushing her buttons.

But from the moment he vaults onto the roof outside her bedroom, there is something about him that makes her want to break every rule. Suddenly it’ s not the ten things she hates about Tru that are at the top of her list. It’s the ten reasons she doesn’t want to be without him.


♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

The sky is an unfamiliar shade of midnight, the kind of dark blue you see in pictures and paintings but almost never in Manhattan. My city always has a kind of glow. Easter-egg colored, like a protective bubble of light. This darkness is too vast, too unending.

But at least out here I can breathe.

Inside, with the house too full of boxes and too empty of people, with Mom at the kitchen table, finishing the paperwork to enroll me at Austin NextGen Academy in the morning, telling me how much I am going to love this new place, I was suffocating. My heart rate sped up, and I started to see spots at the edges of my vision.

Book Blitz: Finding Perfect

Finding Perfect by Kendra C. Highley
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 14, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

For “Perfect Paige” Westfeld, today is “D” Day. As in, she just got one on her calculus test. With her dreams of Stanford, her reputation, and her parents’ expectations at stake, Paige needs to find a way to save face before everything she’s worked for goes up in flames.

Ben Franklin (yes, he’s related) is from the wrong side of town, with the wrong clothes and the wrong kind of life. He also knows an opportunity when he sees one, and he’ll be happy to tutor Paige—if she makes him into the kind of guy her best friend, the hottest girl in school, will date.

It’s the perfect arrangement. And Paige is determined not even the inconvenient—and utterly imperfect—attraction simmering between her and Ben will ruin it…


♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

Ben rocked from foot to foot, then said, “Want to come in? I mean, it’s not much, but—”

“I’d love to!” she answered in a rush, before he could change his mind. He raised an eyebrow and Paige almost laughed—he and Zoey could play Eyebrow Battle Royale when they went out. A wave of cold washed over her. She had to stop thinking about how this would all end, otherwise she’d make herself sick. “Well, are we going in or not?”

Looking nervous, he let her in a side door near the carport. The first thing she noticed was the house smelled like… “Brownies? You have brownies? For real? Where are they? Can I have some?”

He hung his keys on a hook by the door and turned to her, smiling. “My mom usually cooks stuff before she goes to work. We can go look.” They went through a tiny utility room—more like a hallway—into a small, clean kitchen. The rest of the room, because it was all one room, had a little dining table and a living area with a sofa and a TV. Paige took all that in with one quick glance, then zeroed in on the baking pan on the range. Speechless, she merely pointed and gave Ben a single, pleading look.

Book Blitz: Push Me, Pull Me

Push Me, Pull Me by Vanessa Garden
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 25, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

Since Ruby Milton’s mother committed suicide, she’s forgotten what it’s like to be seventeen.

Saddled with taking care of her toddler brother and alcoholic father, Ruby has no time for fun. She also can’t shake the growing resentment she feels for her mother’s decision, which left her unable to grieve without anger and regret.

Then she meets blue-eyed musician Byron Black, who challenges everything she believes.

Byron refuses to let anyone control his life—or his death. When he left the city behind, he was in search of somewhere where nobody knew his secret. What he didn’t expect was to meet a beautiful redhead whose views conflict so completely with his own. But as their romance deepens, he begins to doubt his choices and decides to return to the city…for one last chance. When Byron disappears, Ruby will stop at nothing to track him down.

Upon finding Byron, Ruby discovers his devastating secret, and a battle of wills begins. Byron doesn’t want her to know this part of him. He has to deal with it by himself, even though the idea of losing her tears him apart.

Will they be able to see each other through the darkness?

Or should they save their hearts and just let go?

♥ ♥ ♥
Excerpt:

“Are you in a lot of pain?” It was a stupid question. My eyes travelled to the front of his shirt.

He pulled back a little, as if to protect his wound from my intrusive gaze.

“I’m fine, Ruby,” he said, but kept his eyes trained on the ceiling, his expression unreadable.

“How long have you had this one for?” I reached out and gently traced my trembling finger along the thin silvery line on his face and neck, moving from his jaw down to his collarbone.

Byron closed his eyes and exhaled raggedly. “A long time. Don’t look at it,” he rasped. “It’s ugly.”

I swallowed thickly and gazed at the fine structure of his face, at the thick lashes resting against his cheekbones and the sensual swell of his lips. “Nothing about you could ever be ugly.”

Book vs. Movie: The DUFF

The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend by Kody Keplinger
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Romance
Release Date: September 10, 2010
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ Barnes and Noble

Book Description:

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. 

Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him. Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

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The DUFF
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: February 15, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon

Movie Description:

A high school senior instigates a social pecking order revolution after finding out that she has been labeled the DUFF - Designated Ugly Fat Friend - by her prettier, more popular counterparts.











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There's always a bit of anxiety whenever a book is adapted into a movie. Will the characters be the same ones you fell in love with, will the movie cut out your favorite scenes, will the actors deliver the lines the way the author intended (see Michael Gambon as Dumbledore asking Harry if he put his name in the Goblet of Fire for a failure on this one)? This, however, is not the case when it comes to the movie adaptation of Kody Keplinger's The DUFF. Not because the movie is an exact copy from the book, but the complete opposite in fact. The movie is a different story than the book, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

I admit that I actually broke my "Read the book before watching the movie" rule for this one. My sister and I went to see it when it was still in theatres, and loved it to the point where I just had to read the book. The movie was this great mix of Mean Girls, Easy A, and even a little bit of Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me" music video. In other words, it's a cute and light hearted high school comedy designed to make you laugh and entertain you for the length of the movie. Both my sister and I came out of the theatre with big smiles on our faces because it was so enjoyable, and I turned to her and said, "Let's watch it again!"

Book Blitz: They Call Me Alexandra Gastone

They Call Me Alexandra Gastone by T.A. Maclagan
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 20, 2015
Buy Links:

Amazon ♥ B & N

Book Description:

When your life is a lie, how do you know what’s real?

Alexandra Gastone has a simple plan: graduate high school, get into Princeton, work for the CIA, and serve her great nation.

She was told the plan back when her name was Milena Rokva, back before the real Alexandra and her family were killed in a car crash.

Milena was trained to be a sleeper agent by Perun, a clandestine organization from her true homeland of Olissa. There, Milena learned everything she needed to infiltrate the life of CIA analyst Albert Gastone, Alexandra’s grandfather, and the ranks of America’s top intelligence agency.

For seven years, “Alexandra” has been on standby and life’s been good. Grandpa Albert loves her, and her strategically chosen boyfriend, Grant, is amazing.

But things are about to change. Perun no longer needs her at the CIA in five years’ time. They need her active now.

Between her cover as a high school girl—juggling a homecoming dance, history reports, and an increasingly suspicious boyfriend—and her mission in this high-stakes spy game, the boundaries of her two lives are beginning to blur.

Will she stay true to the country she barely remembers, or has her loyalty shattered along with her identity?

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Praise:
"An intricate, debut spy thriller...readers will keep turning pages, and the surprise ending will have them anxiously awaiting a sequel." —Booklist