Love in the Friend Zone by Molly E. Lee….Review Tour Stop

 

LOVE IN THE FRIEND ZONE by Molly E. Lee

Release Date 8/14

Published by Entangled Teen

Genre: YA Contemporary

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-in-the-friend-zone-molly-e-lee/1126839721?type=eBook

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Friend-Zone-Molly-Lee/dp/1973885522/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502666737&sr=8-1&keywords=love+in+the+friend+zone

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35683226-love-in-the-friend-zone?ac=1&from_search=true

 

The only thing worse than not being able to tell your best friend you’re head over heels in love with him? Having to smile and nod when he enlists your help to ensnare the girl of his dreams.

Braylen didn’t even want to go to Lennon Pryor’s epic graduation-night party, but when Fynn begs her to be his “wingwoman,” she can’t deny him. Talking up her BFF—how he’s magic behind a camera, with a killer sense of humor and eyelashes that frame the most gorgeous blue eyes in the history of forever—is easy. Supporting his efforts to woo someone so completely wrong for him? Not so much.

Fynn knows that grad night is his last shot before leaving for college to find true love. And thanks to Bray, he gets his chance with the beautiful Katy Evans. But over the course of the coolest party of their high school careers, he starts to see that perhaps what he really wants has been in front of him all along. Bray’s been his best friend since kindergarten, though, and he’d rather have her in his life as a friend than not at all.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains one epic party, complete with every high-schoolers-gone-bad shenanigan, and two best friends whose sexual chemistry is off the charts…if only they’d succumb to it.

 

My Review:

Love in the Friend Zone is the newest work from Molly E. Lee, an author I just adore! I am consistently wowed by her books and this was just another shining example of her versatility as a writer.  I loved this story!

I think one of the aspects I loved most was the nostalgia it brought back for me.  All those high school/college aged years when you have a crush on the unattainable guy, whether it be your best fried or the guy you crush on from afar.  That guy.  All those feelings came rushing back for me as I read Braylen and Fynn’s story.  The feelings, the want, the emotions, I loved it all.  The thing that really made it for me, though, was Ms. Lee’s ability to write two characters that I loved reading. Characters I became utterly glued to each page of their story.  Braylen is a gal I think a lot of us can relate to and Fynn is a guy we can all remember wanting.  That relatability really rounded out this story beautifully for me.

If you’re looking for a fun and well-written read to spend some time with, this is a book for you.  Thank you, Ms. Lee, for yet another fab read!  I look forward to what you have in store for us next!

Four-and-a-Half Loves

About the Author:

Molly E. Lee is an author best known for her debut novel EDGE OF CHAOS, and as a fourth year mentor at Pitch Wars – a program which connects promising writers to established authors in the community. Molly writes New Adult and Young Adult Contemporary featuring strong female heroines who are unafraid to challenge their male counterparts, yet still vulnerable enough to have love sneak up on them. In addition to being a military spouse and mother of two + one stubborn English Bulldog, Molly loves watching storms from her back porch at her Midwest home, and digging for treasures in antique stores.

Website:http://www.mollyelee.com

Twitter: @MollyELee

August 14th

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folded corners & smudged screens – Review

YaReads – Top Ten Post

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August 15th

Book Magic – Under a spell with every page – Review

RoloPoloBookBlog – Spotlight Post

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Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – Spotlight Post

Up ‘Til Dawn Book Blog – Spotlight Post

Sleeps on Tables – Spotlight Post

August 16th

Childishly Passionate – Review

Bookblogarama – Author Interview

Book Flame – Author Interview

Queen of All She Reads – Spotlight Post

The Book Beacon – Spotlight Post

Dana’s YA Book Pile – Spotlight Post

August 17th

Ramblings From this Chick – Guest Post

Read-love-Blog – Review

Rockin’ Book Reviews – Guest Post

Mythical Books – Spotlight Post

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Roxy’s Book Reviews – Spotlight Post

August 18th

Tangents and Tissues – Review

A Dream Within A Dream – Spotlight Post

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OMGReads – Spotlight Post

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Cover Reveal…Complicated Hearts by Ashley Jade

 

Title: Complicated Hearts Duet : Book 2
Author: Ashley Jade
Genre: Young Adult
Cover Design: Book Babe
Release Date: August 17th, 2017

 

Blurb
Breslin
I was in love with Asher Holden the moment I saw him…and I knew nothing would ever be the same. Then he hurt me. He wrecked me. He ruined me. I spent three years putting myself together—fixing what he broke. I never thought I’d see him again after that day. I was counting on it. Little did I know—life had other plans…and things were going to become a lot more complicated.
Asher
I finally know who I am. I own it, I embrace it…I’m no longer afraid. I live my life with no regrets now, because I’ve learned my lesson—the hard way. I thought I had it all figured out. But then my past collides with my present…and things become complicated. Turns out I don’t really know myself after all.
Landon
My life was all mapped out. I knew exactly what direction I was heading in—I didn’t have time for any roadblocks or obstacles. Then I meet her. And him. Now, my heart is split right down the middle. She controls the rhythm. He controls the melody. Complicated doesn’t even begin to cover it…and there’s only one way this can end.
Warning: This story is for mature readers only, due to language and sexual themes. This duet contains explicit content featuring m/f, m/m, m/f/m. Reader discretion is advised.
Trigger Warning: This story is strange and unconventional. It’s everything you hate. That’s the only warning I can offer you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Bio

Ashley Jade is a lover of contemporary romance, erotica, new adult, dark romance, oxford commas, the em dash, peanut butter on her cookies, coffee, and anything thought provoking…except for math.
She’s always read books growing up and after having a strange dream one night; she decided to just go for it and publish her first series.
Little did she know— she would end up falling head over heels in love with writing.
If she’s not paying off student loan debt, working, or writing a novel—you can usually find her listening to music, hanging out with her readers online, and pondering the meaning of life.
Check out her amazon page and Facebook page for future novels. She recently became hip and joined Twitter, so you can find her there, too.
She loves connecting with her readers—they make her world go round’.

~Happy Reading~
Feel free to email her with any questions/comments:
ashleyjadeauthor@gmail.com

Author Links

The Impossible Vastness of Us by Samantha Young….Review & Excerpt Tour

 

 

From New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young comes a story of friendship, identity, and acceptance that will break your heart—and make it whole again. Order your copy of THE IMPOSSIBLE VASTNESS OF US today!

 

 

About THE IMPOSSIBLE VASTNESS OF US:

“I know how to watch my back. I’m the only one that ever has.”

India Maxwell hasn’t just moved across the country—she’s plummeted to the bottom rung of the social ladder. It’s taken years to cover the mess of her home life with a veneer of popularity. Now she’s living in one of Boston’s wealthiest neighborhoods with her mom’s fiancé and his daughter, Eloise. Thanks to her soon-to-be stepsister’s clique of friends, including Eloise’s gorgeous, arrogant boyfriend Finn, India feels like the one thing she hoped never to be seen as again: trash.

But India’s not alone in struggling to control the secrets of her past. Eloise and Finn, the school’s golden couple, aren’t all they seem to be. In fact, everyone’s life is infinitely more complex than it first appears. And as India grows closer to Finn and befriends Eloise, threatening the facades that hold them together, what’s left are truths that are brutal, beautiful, and big enough to change them forever…

 

 

Amazon US Hardcover | Amazon US eBook | Barnes & Noble | iBooks US

Amazon UK | Kobo UK | GooglePlay | iBooks UK | Kobo US

 

Add to your Goodreads

 

 

I have found myself reading more and more YA books in the past year or two. Samantha Young decided to take a step out of her norm and write a YA read and she really kicked ass on this. I think people who don’t normally read YA will enjoy this one and yet it’s still relevant and a great read for the YA age group. Samantha definitely has a hit on her hands.

India shows the world a side of herself that she wants them to see. But they don’t really see her, know her. Her life hasn’t been easy and then her mom complicates it more and decides she met the man of her dreams and moves them both across the country to live with him. India is now forced into a new life style and making new friends. And it’s not easy in her new posh life and trying to attain the high status quo on the popularity scale.

The Impossible Vastness of Us is a journey for India; it’s all about learning who she really is, finding trust in others and allowing herself to be her, not what she thinks the world needs to see. Many young adults will relate to this book and deals with issues we see in today’s world.

Samantha wrote some intriguing characters. While there are some I wanted to slap upside the head, there others that made me smile. Samantha writes a touching story that I think everyone can relate to or understand.

The ending has me wanting so much more. It’s not a bad ending, it just leaves you wanting more. And I really hope we do get more from these characters in the future. This is a book I doubt that I will be forgetting any time soon.

 

 

 

 

 

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EXCERPT

When Hayley arrived I got into the car without a word and we drove home to the apartment in silence. Once inside, Hayley finally spoke.
“I thought we could do takeout tonight.”
We couldn’t afford to do take-out nights all the time. Take-out nights were reserved for birthdays and the last night of school summer vacation. Sometimes even Thanksgiving.
Something was up. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a flight somewhere right about now?”
She shrugged, avoiding my gaze as she wandered into the kitchen.
I followed her, watching as she pulled take-out menus out of our kitchen drawer.
“What do you want? Chinese, Indian, Thai, Lebanese?”
“I want to get this ‘talk’ over with.”
Hayley regarded me, taking in my tension and the hard look in my eyes. Finally she sighed. “This is good news, India. Truly it is.”
“Just say it.”
“Theo proposed. I said yes. And we don’t want to wait. We’re getting married this December.”
My mouth dropped open. “I haven’t even met him.”
She pinched the bridge of her nose at my shout. “And that would be a concern if you were younger. But you’re starting junior year. You’re sixteen. Before we know it, you’ll be going off to college.” She stepped toward me and grabbed my hand. I let her squeeze it. “And, sweetheart, you can go to any college you want now.”
“How?”
“Theo is…well, he’s wealthy. And he’s already made it perfectly clear that he wants the very best for me, and that means the very best for you.”
“Are you trying to buy my acceptance of this whole ridiculous thing? You are aware that this isn’t normal, right?”
Hayley dropped my hand. “Don’t be melodramatic. I just want you to know that yes, or course it will be difficult to leave behind school and your friends here and move to Massachusetts, but the upside is that we’ll never have another financial worry in our lives. Ever.”
Jesus, how wealthy was this guy?
As if she read the question on my face, Hayley smiled dreamily. “He’s an incredibly well-respected attorney from a wealthy family. Boston’s elite.”
“And he’s marrying you?”
“Nice,” she snapped. “Very nice.”
“I didn’t mean it like that.” I shrugged. “I just…I thought those people stuck to their own.”
“Usually. But Theo doesn’t care about that stuff. He just wants to marry the woman he loves.” She waved away my negativity with a shake of her hair over her shoulders. “He married a well-to-do woman, and they had a daughter, Eloise, before she died of cancer a few years ago. He hasn’t been serious about another woman since, until me.”
“Oh my God.” I shook my head in disgust. “You think you’re living in a fairy tale.”
“Don’t talk to me like that.”
“You’re hauling me across the country to move in with some guy I’ve never met!” I heard the hysteria creep into my voice, but couldn’t seem to stop it. “Let’s remember the last guy you chose that I had to live with. Or have you already forgotten?”
Understanding dawned on Hayley’s face. It was shocking that I even had to say it out loud. A good mother would have known exactly why I was taking this so hard. “Oh, sweetheart.” She moved toward me but stopped when I flinched back. “Theo is not like him. Not anything like him. I’m not a stupid kid anymore. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.”
I stared at the floor, trying to will my heart rate to slow. I could barely hear anything over the whooshing of blood in my ears.
I started at Hayley’s touch and looked up. She’d decided to ignore my body language and cross the room to take hold of my arms. She ducked her face to stare into my eyes.
“No one,” she whispered fiercely, “no one will hurt you. I promise.”
Liar.
LIAR.
LIAR!
The scream rang out inside of me but somehow I swallowed it.
This was happening.

 

Samantha Young’s THE IMPOSSIBLE VASTNESS OF US – Review & Excerpt Tour

June 19th

BookWorm221 – Review & Excerpt

Clare’s Mad About Books – Review & Excerpt

Joyful Shimmy – Review & Excerpt

Little Red’s Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Naturally Nerdy Books – Review & Excerpt

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book Boyfriends – Review & Excerpt

June 20th

Beware Of The Reader – Review & Excerpt

Books For The Living – Review

Kindle and Me – Review & Excerpt

Melissa’s Book Obsession – Review

Read more sleep less – Review

To Be Reviewed Books – Review & Excerpt

June 21st

A Fortress of Books – Excerpt

Becky on Books – Excerpt

Enjoying life a day at a time – Review

Mustreadbooksordie – Review & Excerpt

MrsLeif’s Two Fangs AboutItBook Reviews – Review & Excerpt

SJ’s Book Blog – Excerpt

June 22nd

Actin’ Up with Books – Review

Books,Dreams,Life – Excerpt

Fiction Fare – Review & Excerpt

Movies, Shows, & Books – Excerpt

Take Me Away To A Great Read – Review & Excerpt

What Is That Book About – Excerpt

June 23rd

A Literary Perusal – Review & Excerpt

Adventures in Writing – Excerpt

BJ’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Ficwishes – Review

Kimberly’s Hot Reads – Review & Excerpt

Read, Write, Design – Review & Excerpt

June 24th

Ali’s Reviews and More – Review & Excerpt

Crazii Bitches Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

Lacey’s Love Of Literature – Review & Excerpt

Nose Stuck in a Book – Review & Excerpt

Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt

Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Review & Excerpt

June 25th

All Romance Reviews – Review & Excerpt

Book Lovers Hangout – Review & Excerpt

PBC – Excerpt

Ramblings From This Chick – Excerpt

TSK TSK What to Read – Review & Excerpt

With Love for Books – Review

June 26th

Angie and Jessica’s Dreamy Reads – Review & Excerpt

Book Reader Chronicles – Review & Excerpt

Calling All Bookaholics – Review & Excerpt

Liezel – Review & Excerpt

Reads & Reviews – Review

The Readdicts – Review & Excerpt

June 27th

4 the Love of Reading – Review & Excerpt

ADDICTED TO BOOKS – Review & Excerpt

Lisa Loves Literature – Review

Miss Riki – Review & Excerpt

Peace Love Books – Review

The Inked In Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

June 28th

Bookalicious Babes Blog – Review & Excerpt

Greyland Reviews – Excerpt

Literary lust – Review

My Girlfriends Couch – Review & Excerpt

Read Love Blog – Review & Excerpt

The Life of a BooknerdAddict – Review & Excerpt

June 29th

Author Groupies – Review

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June 30th

I Read Indie – Excerpt

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July 1st

Book Babes Unite – Review & Excerpt

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About Samantha Young:

Samantha Young is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of adult contemporary romances, including the On Dublin Street series and Hero, as well as the New Adult duology Into the Deep and Out of the Shallows. Every Little Thing, the second book in her new Hart’s Boardwalk series, will be published by Berkley in March 2017. Before turning to contemporary fiction, she wrote several young adult paranormal and fantasy series, including the amazon bestselling Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy. Samantha’s debut YA contemporary novel The Impossible Vastness of Us will be published by Harlequin TEEN in ebook& hardback June 2017

Samantha has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for On Dublin Street, Best Romance 2014 for Before Jamaica Lane, and Best Romance 2015 for Hero. On Dublin Street, a #1 bestseller in Germany, was the Bronze Award Winner in the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2013, Before Jamaica Lane the Gold Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2014 and Echoes of Scotland Street the Bronze Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2015.

Samantha is currently published in 30 countries and is a #1 international bestselling author.

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

 

 

The Impossible Vastness of Us by Samantha Young…Release Day Blitz

 

 

From New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young comes a story of friendship, identity, and acceptance that will break your heart—and make it whole again. Grab your copy of THE IMPOSSIBLE VASTNESS OF US today!

 

 

About THE IMPOSSIBLE VASTNESS OF US:

“I know how to watch my back. I’m the only one that ever has.”

India Maxwell hasn’t just moved across the country—she’s plummeted to the bottom rung of the social ladder. It’s taken years to cover the mess of her home life with a veneer of popularity. Now she’s living in one of Boston’s wealthiest neighborhoods with her mom’s fiancé and his daughter, Eloise. Thanks to her soon-to-be stepsister’s clique of friends, including Eloise’s gorgeous, arrogant boyfriend Finn, India feels like the one thing she hoped never to be seen as again: trash.

But India’s not alone in struggling to control the secrets of her past. Eloise and Finn, the school’s golden couple, aren’t all they seem to be. In fact, everyone’s life is infinitely more complex than it first appears. And as India grows closer to Finn and befriends Eloise, threatening the facades that hold them together, what’s left are truths that are brutal, beautiful, and big enough to change them forever…

 

 

 

Amazon US Hardcover | Amazon US eBook | Barnes & Noble | iBooks US

Amazon UK | Kobo UK | GooglePlay | iBooks UK | Kobo US

 

 

Add to your Goodreads

 

 

 

 

EXCERPT:

“India, I’m not using her. I mean, I am, but it’s not like that. Eloise is getting what she wants out of this relationship, as well.”

“Like what?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“You are using her.”

“I’m not.” His chair screeched as he pulled it closer so our knees touched. His dark eyes moved over my face and I sucked in my breath at the open appreciation I saw there. “I’m not using her…but we are in a relationship together. I guess it just never occurred to me that I might actually meet someone in high school. Someone I…”

That feeling in my chest, that thick, hot feeling, threatened to overwhelm me at all the things he wasn’t saying. “Finn, Eloise is going to be my family.”

He looked so forlorn it took everything within me not to reach for him.

“What is it you’re hiding?”

“I can’t tell you. Please, just trust me.”

Hurt and frustration swept through me in equal measure but I tamped it down. It wasn’t my place to demand his secrets.

My frustration was suddenly mirrored in his eyes as he looked up at me. “I wish things were different.”

But they weren’t different. And yet they were the same, history repeating itself. I cared about someone and they didn’t care enough about me back to be honest about what was really going on.

I didn’t know if I was angry at Finn or just angry that nothing ever seemed to be easy for me. Everything was always a fight.

It felt like I lived in a constant clusterfuck.

I gave a huff of laughter. “Story of my life.” I shook my head, grabbed up my bag and, unable to look at him, said, “Thank you for your help tonight.”

“You’re not leaving without me.”

His protectiveness confused and pissed me off even more. “I’m not? Funny, it looks like that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

His familiar scowl was back in place at my sarcasm. “You’re also not going home alone after what happened here. I’ll give you a ride.”

“Finn.” I slumped, suddenly feeling exhausted. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Sadness flittered through his eyes before he managed a carefully blank expression. “I think I can handle driving you home.”

Still a trembling mess after everything that had happened, I gave in and followed Finn out to his car.

The tension that we’d shared before was nothing compared to how it was now. Now that Finn had in a roundabout way admitted he liked me and I’d realized that what I was feeling for him was attraction, the tension could not be mistaken for anything else but sexual.

I’d never felt anything like it before—it was the most frustrating, scary and exhilarating feeling in the world.

When we eventually pulled up outside the house, the guilt washed over me. I shouldn’t be feeling this way about Eloise’s boyfriend and he certainly shouldn’t be feeling this way about me.

I felt like we were to blame for the whole thing but I didn’t know why.

I hadn’t asked the universe to make Finn like me.

And I had definitely not intended to like him in return.

“India,” he said just as I moved to get out of his car. “I’ve never really cared what anybody thought of me before…but I really don’t want you to think I’m a bad person.”

I stared into his beautiful eyes. “I can’t imagine ever thinking you’re a bad person. I meant it earlier…thank you for coming for me tonight. I’ll never forget it.”

“This feels weirdly like a goodbye,” he said with a bitter twist to his gorgeous lips.

“Maybe it is. I guess we’re both just a complication the other doesn’t need.”

Slowly, so slowly my heart had time to increase in hard, steady thumps, Finn slid his hand over the center console between us and stroked his thumb along the side of my hand. I felt that simple touch in every nerve, my body reacting to it in a way it never had to the touches and deep kisses that had come before it.

I stared at our hands for a moment, wondering how different my life could be if Finn wasn’t Eloise’s boyfriend, if we’d just met as strangers at school, felt the inexplicable bond between us and were free to do something about it.

Suddenly very aware of how long I’d been sitting outside the house in his car, I fumbled for the door handle. “See you around, Finn.”

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/9172c1a0375/?

 

 

 

 

 

About Samantha Young:

Samantha Young is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of adult contemporary romances, including the On Dublin Street series and Hero, as well as the New Adult duology Into the Deep and Out of the Shallows. Every Little Thing, the second book in her new Hart’s Boardwalk series, will be published by Berkley in March 2017. Before turning to contemporary fiction, she wrote several young adult paranormal and fantasy series, including the amazon bestselling Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy. Samantha’s debut YA contemporary novel The Impossible Vastness of Us will be published by Harlequin TEEN in ebook& hardback June 2017

Samantha has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for On Dublin Street, Best Romance 2014 for Before Jamaica Lane, and Best Romance 2015 for Hero. On Dublin Street, a #1 bestseller in Germany, was the Bronze Award Winner in the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2013, Before Jamaica Lane the Gold Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2014 and Echoes of Scotland Street the Bronze Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2015.

Samantha is currently published in 30 countries and is a #1 international bestselling author.

 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

 

 

 

 

Trusting You and Other Lies by Nicole Williams…Blog Tour & Review

 

AP new - synopsis.jpg
USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Nicole Williams delivers a seductive summer romance worth swooning over. Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Stephanie Perkins.

Phoenix can’t imagine anything worse than being shipped off to family summer camp. Her parents have been fighting for the past two years–do they seriously think being crammed in a cabin with Phoenix and her little brother, Harry, will make things better?
On top of that, Phoenix is stuck training with Callum–the head counselor who is seriously cute but a complete know-it-all. His hot-cold attitude means he’s impossible to figure out–and even harder to rely on. But despite her better judgment, Phoenix is attracted to Callum. And he’s promising Phoenix a summer she’ll never forget. Can she trust him? Or is this just another lie?
It felt like hardly any time had passed at all before the bike slowed when we made it into Flagstaff. Callum took a sudden turn that led away from the main part of the city, and we weren’t on that road long before it opened up into a parking lot.
My arms tightened around him when I scanned the parking lot. Other than the bike’s headlight, I couldn’t make out any-thing else.
“Okay, we’re stopped now. Think you could ease up your death grip on me before you crush my liver?” He parked the bike and turned off the engine.
It was so quiet out here. Scary quiet. “Where are we?” I loosened my grip, but I didn’t let go.
He glanced at me over his shoulder. “Don’t you like a surprise?”
“Not when I’m in the middle of some dark parking lot late at night.”
Callum fought a smile. “It’s barely eight. Not quite the witching hour.”
An owl hooted from somewhere in the woods. I jumped. “Where the hell are we?”
He stopped fighting his smile. “The Lowell Observatory. Perfectly safe and nonthreatening, I swear.”
“What are we observing?”
Callum waited for my arms to drop at my sides before sliding off the bike. “Pretty much anything you want to up there.” He tipped his head and looked up at the sky.
My head followed. “The stars? That’s what we’re going to be looking at?”
“Stars, moons, planets. Take your pick.” He helped me undo the helmet’s chin strap after I fought with it on my own for a few seconds. “This is one of my favorite places.”
“In Arizona?”
“Anywhere,” he answered, pulling a small flashlight from his pocket and turning it on. He pointed it in the direction of a sidewalk and started toward it, making sure I was close beside him.
“How many times have you been here?” I asked.
“I come a few times every summer, more when I was coming here with my family.”
I kept my focus on the light in front of us. With that bright beam, the black didn’t seem so thick around us.
“So are you into astronomy?” I asked.
“You could say that.” When another owl hooted, I didn’t leap out of my boots. This time I barely flinched. Callum’s presence calmed me. “But I didn’t know it the first time I came. I only started getting into astronomy a few years ago.”
“Why did you first start coming here?” We were getting closer to what I guessed was the observatory, but nothing about it screamed tourist attraction.
“It was Ben’s idea, I guess. He knew about the trouble my brother was getting into at home and that I was following in his footsteps. He has this freaky way of looking at a person and knowing what they’re feeling or what they’re thinking. Those first couple of summers at camp he used to be able to take one look at me and know when I was about to do something I’d probably regret.” He paused and shook his head. “I really hated Ben at first.”
“And now you love him.” I nudged him as we approached a doorway.
“And now I respect him. I appreciate what he’s doing and why he does it.” He turned off the flashlight and held open the door for me.
“So your mom would bring you here to look up at the sky and your problems were solved?”
He chuckled softly. “That’s what Ben tried to sell. He said there was nothing like looking up at the universe to make my problems shrivel into nonexistence.”
“Is that doubt I’m detecting in your voice?”
“That’s I- know- better- from- experience in my voice.” Callum
waved at a lady sitting behind a counter at the front and led me inside. It was dark in here, too, which made me shift a bit closer to Callum. “Ben tried really hard to sell me on the perspective thing, but, I don’t know, looking up at the stars or thinking about the size of the universe didn’t make my issues seem any smaller or less significant. They were still the exact same size when I walked out of this place.”
“Then why did you keep coming back?” I asked as he stopped behind the biggest telescope I’d seen in real life.
“Because it got me out of my head, you know?” he answered immediately. “It got me to focus on something else for a while, and even though I’d leave here with the same problems I walked in with, they felt more manageable. More like I could handle them.”
I hadn’t expected him to open up like that. That was becoming a trend when it came to Callum. One minute he came off as the most closed- off person I’d ever met, and the next he could spill his guts. “And then you fell in love with the stars,” I said, watching him as he looked through the telescope, making a few adjustments on the dials.
“And then I did.” He made one last adjustment before motioning me to look. Even though it was dark, his eyes were glowing. I’d seen him in his element this summer, but never like this. If this wasn’t passion, I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen it.
“So you’re saying this place has played a totally insignifi-cant role in your life?” I smiled at him as I moved up to the telescope.
“Completely insignificant.” He stepped aside to give me room to look.
I wound my hair around one shoulder, closed one eye, and leaned over so I could peek through the eyepiece. I could have been looking at a star just as easily as I could have been looking at a planet or a moon. I didn’t feel my problems drifting away from me by the masses, disappearing into the Milky Way, but just like Callum had said, somehow they felt less overwhelming. Less powerful.
The longer I stared up there, the stronger I felt down here. “I get it,” I whispered after another minute, feeling like the entire universe was staring back at me as I gazed into it.
He took a step closer. “I knew you would.”
 
Nicole never fails to deliver on a YA romance novel. And this one I enjoyed a little more because it wasn’t just solely focused on the romance side of things; it also focused on Phoenix and her family and how they fumble through some rough patches thrown their way.

Phoenix is heading into her senior of high school. She’s been used to going to same school her whole life, living a fairly privileged life and has set her sites on an elite college. She’s your typical sassy teenager who’s not so eager to be spending her whole summer with her family at Camp Kisme. She’s got the mindset that this will be the summer from hell and she won’t enjoy a minute of it. Especially since her parents haven’t been getting along and she knows that they are keeping secrets from her and her brother, Harry. She feels as though her life is slowing going to hell – typical teenager when things are going their way.

What Phoenix doesn’t expect is Callum. Or to actually enjoy being a counselor at Camp Kismet. Or to watch her brother become this kid whose come into his own. Or find trust in her parents again. What she doesn’t expect is anything that actually happens.

Nicole wrote a brilliant story. Phoenix and her family struggle through some difficult things. Phoenix learns a lot about herself and grows more mature. While the beginning was a tad slow for me, the last 60% made up for it. While I knew how things were going to end, I still really enjoyed this book.

If you enjoy YA books, you definitely don’t want to pass this one up. It’s a cute coming of age story.

AP new -about the author.jpg
Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.
Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.
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Trusting You and Other Lies by Nicole Williams…Release Day Blitz & Review

 

AP new - synopsis.jpg
USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Nicole Williams delivers a seductive summer romance worth swooning over. Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Stephanie Perkins.

Phoenix can’t imagine anything worse than being shipped off to family summer camp. Her parents have been fighting for the past two years–do they seriously think being crammed in a cabin with Phoenix and her little brother, Harry, will make things better?
On top of that, Phoenix is stuck training with Callum–the head counselor who is seriously cute but a complete know-it-all. His hot-cold attitude means he’s impossible to figure out–and even harder to rely on. But despite her better judgment, Phoenix is attracted to Callum. And he’s promising Phoenix a summer she’ll never forget. Can she trust him? Or is this just another lie?
 
Nicole never fails to deliver on a YA romance novel. And this one I enjoyed a little more because it wasn’t just solely focused on the romance side of things; it also focused on Phoenix and her family and how they fumble through some rough patches thrown their way.

Phoenix is heading into her senior of high school. She’s been used to going to same school her whole life, living a fairly privileged life and has set her sites on an elite college. She’s your typical sassy teenager who’s not so eager to be spending her whole summer with her family at Camp Kisme. She’s got the mindset that this will be the summer from hell and she won’t enjoy a minute of it. Especially since her parents haven’t been getting along and she knows that they are keeping secrets from her and her brother, Harry. She feels as though her life is slowing going to hell – typical teenager when things are going their way.

What Phoenix doesn’t expect is Callum. Or to actually enjoy being a counselor at Camp Kismet. Or to watch her brother become this kid whose come into his own. Or find trust in her parents again. What she doesn’t expect is anything that actually happens.

Nicole wrote a brilliant story. Phoenix and her family struggle through some difficult things. Phoenix learns a lot about herself and grows more mature. While the beginning was a tad slow for me, the last 60% made up for it. While I knew how things were going to end, I still really enjoyed this book.

If you enjoy YA books, you definitely don’t want to pass this one up. It’s a cute coming of age story.

AP new -about the author.jpg
Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.
Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.
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Excerpt Reveal….The Impossible Vastness of Us by Samantha Young

 

 

From New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young comes a story of friendship, identity, and acceptance that will break your heart—and make it whole again. Don’t miss THE IMPOSSIBLE VASTNESS OF US releasing June 27, 2017, and get a sneak peek of the book below!

 

 

About THE IMPOSSIBLE VASTNESS OF US:

“I know how to watch my back. I’m the only one that ever has.”

India Maxwell hasn’t just moved across the country—she’s plummeted to the bottom rung of the social ladder. It’s taken years to cover the mess of her home life with a veneer of popularity. Now she’s living in one of Boston’s wealthiest neighborhoods with her mom’s fiancé and his daughter, Eloise. Thanks to her soon-to-be stepsister’s clique of friends, including Eloise’s gorgeous, arrogant boyfriend Finn, India feels like the one thing she hoped never to be seen as again: trash.

But India’s not alone in struggling to control the secrets of her past. Eloise and Finn, the school’s golden couple, aren’t all they seem to be. In fact, everyone’s life is infinitely more complex than it first appears. And as India grows closer to Finn and befriends Eloise, threatening the facades that hold them together, what’s left are truths that are brutal, beautiful, and big enough to change them forever…

 

 

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Add to your Goodreads

 

 

 

 

EXCERPT:

 

When Hayley arrived I got into the car without a word and we drove home to the apartment in silence. Once inside, Hayley finally spoke.

“I thought we could do takeout tonight.”

We couldn’t afford to do take-out nights all the time. Take-out nights were reserved for birthdays and the last night of school summer vacation. Sometimes even Thanksgiving.

Something was up. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a flight somewhere right about now?”

She shrugged, avoiding my gaze as she wandered into the kitchen.

I followed her, watching as she pulled take-out menus out of our kitchen drawer.

“What do you want? Chinese, Indian, Thai, Lebanese?”

“I want to get this ‘talk’ over with.”

Hayley regarded me, taking in my tension and the hard look in my eyes. Finally she sighed. “This is good news, India. Truly it is.”

“Just say it.”

“Theo proposed. I said yes. And we don’t want to wait. We’re getting married this December.”

My mouth dropped open. “I haven’t even met him.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose at my shout. “And that would be a concern if you were younger. But you’re starting junior year. You’re sixteen. Before we know it, you’ll be going off to college.” She stepped toward me and grabbed my hand. I let her squeeze it. “And, sweetheart, you can go to any college you want now.”

“How?”

“Theo is…well, he’s wealthy. And he’s already made it perfectly clear that he wants the very best for me, and that means the very best for you.”

“Are you trying to buy my acceptance of this whole ridiculous thing? You are aware that this isn’t normal, right?”

Hayley dropped my hand. “Don’t be melodramatic. I just want you to know that yes, or course it will be difficult to leave behind school and your friends here and move to Massachusetts, but the upside is that we’ll never have another financial worry in our lives. Ever.”

Jesus, how wealthy was this guy?

As if she read the question on my face, Hayley smiled dreamily. “He’s an incredibly well-respected attorney from a wealthy family. Boston’s elite.”

“And he’s marrying you?”

“Nice,” she snapped. “Very nice.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” I shrugged. “I just…I thought those people stuck to their own.”

“Usually. But Theo doesn’t care about that stuff. He just wants to marry the woman he loves.” She waved away my negativity with a shake of her hair over her shoulders. “He married a well-to-do woman, and they had a daughter, Eloise, before she died of cancer a few years ago. He hasn’t been serious about another woman since, until me.”

“Oh my God.” I shook my head in disgust. “You think you’re living in a fairy tale.”

“Don’t talk to me like that.”

“You’re hauling me across the country to move in with some guy I’ve never met!” I heard the hysteria creep into my voice, but couldn’t seem to stop it. “Let’s remember the last guy you chose that I had to live with. Or have you already forgotten?”

Understanding dawned on Hayley’s face. It was shocking that I even had to say it out loud. A good mother would have known exactly why I was taking this so hard. “Oh, sweetheart.” She moved toward me but stopped when I flinched back. “Theo is not like him. Not anything like him. I’m not a stupid kid anymore. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.”

I stared at the floor, trying to will my heart rate to slow. I could barely hear anything over the whooshing of blood in my ears.

I started at Hayley’s touch and looked up. She’d decided to ignore my body language and cross the room to take hold of my arms. She ducked her face to stare into my eyes.

“No one,” she whispered fiercely, “no one will hurt you. I promise.”

Liar.

LIAR.

LIAR!

The scream rang out inside of me but somehow I swallowed it.

This was happening.

 

 

 

About Samantha Young:

Samantha Young is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of adult contemporary romances, including the On Dublin Street series and Hero, as well as the New Adult duology Into the Deep and Out of the Shallows. Every Little Thing, the second book in her new Hart’s Boardwalk series, will be published by Berkley in March 2017. Before turning to contemporary fiction, she wrote several young adult paranormal and fantasy series, including the amazon bestselling Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy. Samantha’s debut YA contemporary novel The Impossible Vastness of Us will be published by Harlequin TEEN in ebook & hardback June 2017

Samantha has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for On Dublin Street, Best Romance 2014 for Before Jamaica Lane, and Best Romance 2015 for Hero. On Dublin Street, a #1 bestseller in Germany, was the Bronze Award Winner in the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2013, Before Jamaica Lane the Gold Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2014 and Echoes of Scotland Street the Bronze Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2015.

Samantha is currently published in 30 countries and is a #1 international bestselling author.

 

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Burn Before Reading by Sara Wolf…Review Tour




And a wolf meets his match.



A girl meets a wolf.




Beatrix Cruz – Bee for short – has exactly one goal; kick her dad’s severe depression in the ass. She’s got a foolproof plan;


1. Get into the elite high school Lakecrest Preparatory on a scholarship


2. Study like crazy


3. Graduate into NYU and become a shrink


Nothing can stand in her way – not even Lakecrest’s rich, hot, and notorious Blackthorn brothers. Not Fitz Blackthorn, with his flirting and his elite computer hacking, not Burn Blackthorn, with his intimidating height and emotionless face, and certainly not sinfully handsome Wolf Blackthorn, who hands out ‘red cards’ to students who displease him, and expels the ones who keep doing it.


But when Bee stands up for a student, she pisses off Wolf, and he’s suddenly itching to pull her scholarship from underneath her. To keep it, Bee strikes a deal with the devil – father Blackthorn himself; spy on Mr. Blackthorn’s sons, become friends with them, and learn their secrets in exchange for staying at Lakecrest.


Betraying the Blackthorn brothers’ trust is supposed to be easy.


Becoming friends with the Blackthorn boys makes it hard.


And falling in love with Wolf makes it impossible.

 

 

You know me, paper-and-pen. You know I absolutely despise people who have it easy. And the Blackthorns had it so easy. They were rich. They were gorgeous. And everyone liked them. They lived charmed lives.
Or so I thought at the time.
Anyway, it wasn’t the fact everyone stared at them constantly and would stare at them for the rest of eternity until they left the room that pissed me off. It was the fact they never seemed to care about the attention.
There was Bernard, or Burn, for short. Taller than his brothers by at least a head, he was the oldest of three – a senior. His green eyes were always heavy-lidded, like he was perpetually on the verge of falling asleep, though he had the same dark, thick lashes as his brothers and high cheekbones. I knew he was on the Varsity basketball team, and was the whole reason Lakecrest went to states for four years. He didn’t talk much, but he didn’t need to. With his height and width, he was more than a little intimidating. Some people called him ‘the bear’, half-jokingly, half-terrified. Now that I think about it, he was definitely most of the reason people gave the Blackthorn brothers such a wide berth, physically speaking. 
The second brother was Fitzwilliam – Fitz, to everyone outside his family. Aside from the fact their mother was clearly on a big Victorian England trip when she named her sons, he was the most likable. And by ‘likable’ I mean he deigned to acknowledge people. Sometimes. If they were pretty enough for his tastes. He grinned more than the other two brothers. Once, he even winked at a girl, and the poor thing dropped her textbooks on her foot and she limped for a whole week straight with a dumbstruck smile on her face. The teachers and staff at Lakecrest were just as susceptible to his charms – he had a way with a smile and a compliment that got even Mr. Nomsky, the grizzled old English teacher, to soften up. Fitz was part of the computer science club, though I’d heard from the other members he never attended a single after-school meeting.
Fitz had wavy hair like golden lace, neatly slicked-back, and the same green eyes as Burn, but with a friendlier edge to them. He was the only one with freckles on his nose, and he wore his uniform like it was a casual toga – his tie-half loose and his jacket slung over his shoulders. He was the baby of the three, and it showed in the way he never took anything seriously. I had three classes with him, since he was a sophomore, too, and not once did I see him pick up his pencil or try to read the textbook. And strangely enough, the teachers never harped on him to do it, either. I chalked it up to the general unfairness of wealth until I saw his test results; nothing lower than 98% on every single test. And here I was, busting my ass from the time I got home from school till midnight just to make an 80% in one of the most strict, college-oriented curriculums in the country. Needless to say, I hated him. Still do, actually, but back then I hated him without knowing him.
And finally, we came to the grand emperor of all evil – Wolfgang himself. He didn’t always walk in-between the other two, but he seemed to like to, as if they were his personal gargoyles instead of his brothers. Taller than Fitz, but a hair’s shorter than Burn, Wolfgang – or Wolf for short, because of course there’s always a ‘for short’ with them – walked like a sidewinder moves in sand; utter silence and perfect poise. I think that’s what intimidated most people – that he looked like he could never be ruffled, or upset, or tilted off-balance, not even by a passing tornado. There was something unshakeable about the way he held his head, his broad shoulders. It scared people. Well, maybe it was also the fact it looked like he hated everything. Where his brothers’ eyes were green, Wolf’s were brown-green, hazel if you really wanna get all gushy and poetic with something like Satan’s eye color. Regardless, Wolf’s eyes burned. They burned with a deep poison I can only describe as utter contempt. His gaze was always sharp, and started to hurt a bit if you maintained eye contact with him for too long. It was a small mercy his hair was as dark a black and shaggy as it was – it got in his eyes a lot, and put a buffer between the world and his acid-fire. Unlike Fitz, he wore his uniform perfectly pressed, though he always kept several silver rings on different fingers, and it was no secret he played with them, turning them around his skin in idle moments, or even when he walked. The middle brother, Wolf was a junior, and the rumors were already swirling he was poised to go to an Ivy League. He was on the Varsity swimming team, and nothing else.
Burn was the quiet one, Fitz was the flirty one, and Wolf was the nasty one. Everyone knew that.
And as they approached Eric and I, I realized from Eric’s stare and the way he started trembling harder that they were the ones who sent him the post-it. I grabbed it from his fingers and waved it as the Blackthorn brothers came close.
“So you’re the ones who gave Eric this weird, ineffective paper stop-sign, huh?” I asked. Wolf spun a ring on his finger and pointed his volcanic glare at me.
“This doesn’t involve you, scholarshipper. I suggest you keep your nose out of this.” He snarled.
Burn, obviously used to Wolf’s usual venom, closed his eyes and leaned on the lockers like he was taking a casual nap. Fitz turned to the hallway railing and watched the clouds go by, as if he was bored by it all. Scholarshipper. Of course he’d use the fact I’m the only one on scholarship to this school against me. Everyone else had mommies and daddies who could pay for such a prestigious place. I took a deep breath.
“And I suggest you go back to Hot Topic and give them their entire juvenile angst section you’ve clearly gobbled up and repurposed as a personality.”
Burn cracked an eye open. Fitz turned his head over his shoulder, one eyebrow raised. Wolf narrowed his long-lashed eyes to slits. Eric probably peed himself.
“Who do you think you are?” Wolf asked. The way he said it, dark and low and serrated like a knife, made me realize for a split-second why Eric might’ve pissed his pants. Beneath all that rich-boy angst, Wolf had an anger in him, a genuine, awful fire. Burn might’ve been the brawn behind the Blackthorns, and Fitz the affability, but Wolf was the fear.
“I’m just a scholarshipper,” I said brightly to counter his darkness. “Minding her own business.”
“You clearly aren’t,” Fitz chimed in with sweet smile, voice like cool honey compared to Wolf’s ragged one. “This is none of your business.”
“You’re right. One sec.” I held up the post-it and ripped it in half, letting the paper flutter to the floor. I’ve always been one for dramatics. And for a fair fight. Eric versus all three of the Blackthorns wasn’t fair by any definition in the solar system. I smiled at Fitz. “Now it’s my business.”

 

 

Sara Wolf is a twenty-something author who adores baking, screaming at her cats, and screaming at herself while she types hilarious things. When she was a kid, she was too busy eating dirt to write her first terrible book. Twenty years later, she picked up a keyboard and started mashing her fists on it and created the monster known as the Lovely Vicious series. She lives in San Diego with two cats, a crippling-yet-refreshing sense of self-doubt, and not enough fruit tarts ever.

Roar by Cora Carmack….Excerpt Reveal

 

 

From New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack comes her debut young adult fantasy, ROAR! Releasing June 13, 2017, ROAR takes readers on an adventure filled with charismatic characters in an enthralling world sure to keep them turning the pages. Don’t miss the amazing excerpt below!

 

 

About ROAR (Stormheart #1):

New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack’s young adult debut: Roar.

In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.

To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.

Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.
She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.

Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.

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Add to your Goodreads

 

 

EXCERPT:

There was a hole in her chest, an awful, gaping hole that screamed like she wanted to. Like a cyclone, it seemed to suck up everything in its path until her knees were curled into her chest and her body hunched, and she just kept collapsing in and in and in. Suddenly unable to breathe, she clawed at the beaded fastenings that connected her headdress and necklace. One of her fingernails bent and splintered as she scrabbled for the hooks; when she could not find them, she took hold of the beaded cord and pulled until it broke, beads scattering across the stone floor around her.

The headdress tipped sideways, tugging painfully on her hair. Again and again, she pulled at the ties until her palms felt raw and beads littered the floor around her. The headdress began to sag, and she was nearly done, nearly free when someone stepped through the archway, and she froze.

Novaya.

Thank the skies. The dark-haired servant held an urn full of steaming water in her hands, and she stared in horror as if she had stumbled upon a monster rather than a crying girl. Nova had been Rora’s closest friend before she cut herself off from everyone at her mother’s command. Girls with secrets the size of Rora’s could not have friends. Nova took a step forward, paused, then knelt down, her large brown eyes carefully blank.

“Should I call for your guards? The queen?” Nova asked.

“No!” Softer, Aurora said, “No. Please don’t tell anyone.”

Once upon a time, Nova had kept all her secrets. Now the two rarely even looked at each other in the eye when their paths crossed, and it was all Aurora’s fault.

“Your Highness? What happened?”

Rora shook her head and returned to tugging at the headdress still tangled in her hair. She couldn’t say the words aloud, couldn’t let anyone see how much of a fool she was. Aurora had become accustomed to her shortcomings as a Stormling, as an heir. But she’d thought she had her mother’s strength, tenacity, and intelligence. But maybe that was wishful thinking. Maybe she was altogether…inadequate.

“Stop, Princess. You’re hurting yourself.” Nova put the water aside, crawled forward, and grabbed Rora’s wrists. “Aurora, stop.”

All the years spent missing their friendship came rushing back, and she froze at the sound of her name. Not Princess. Not Your Highness. Aurora. But the moment she stopped moving, it all came crashing down on her. Her naïve plan to kiss him, to experience something real. She should have known that her future would hold only more lies. As if she knew anything about real life, real anything. She lived in this palace, protected and pampered and put away like a doll on a shelf, too fragile for anything but appearances. And it seemed that’s all she would ever be.

Cassius wanted control of the city for himself. He thought he’d have to fool her to do it, but the moment the world found out that Rora had no magic, he’d become the ruler in truth, and she’d be the puppet at his side. He wouldn’t have to feign interest in her then. He wouldn’t need her at all.

She wound her arms about her legs and rested her forehead on her knees. Nova moved closer, and Rora sat still and silent as the girl worked to remove the headdress. Her old friend had grown into a beautiful young woman—flawless bronze skin, shiny black hair, stunning features. She’d recently begun assisting the royal seamstress in addition to her position as a maid. She probably had more friends than she could count. Aurora could not help imagining how different her life would be now fi she had never become heir.

The headdress finally gave way, and Nova slipped it off and laid it on the stone floor beside them.

“Tell me what happened.”

Rora leaned back against the wall. It was cool against her abused scalp, and she muttered, “Nothing happened.”

At least she had that much. She hadn’t kissed that beast. But what she had done felt worse. She had hoped. And hope broke more hearts than any man ever could.

“Should I get someone? A friend?”

Rora let out a bleak, cold laugh. As if she had any of those. Softer, she said, “I don’t want to see anyone. I just need this dress off. The makeup too. I need to breathe, and I can’t do it through all this mess.”

“I can do that. I came to help remove the headdress and gown. Stand up and we’ll go to your room. Everything will be fine, Your Highness.”

She didn’t tell her old friend how wrong she was, not as she peeled the dress off her and unlaced the corset. Not as she wiped away the powder that was smudged and striped on Rora’s face, thanks to falling tears. Another maid came in with more steaming water for a bath and Rora let them clean her up, wishing it was as easy to wipe away the last few hours.

She sat in the bath until the water grew cold and her skin shriveled like dying fruit. She had to face the facts. The Rage season was coming, as was this sham of a wedding. And she didn’t know how to fight it any more than she knew how to stop a storm.

But she would not give Cassius any more opportunities to see her vulnerable. Nor was she giving up. If there were no other way, she would marry Cassius.

But she had six days. Wars had been won, empires toppled, and cities leveled in less time. If there was a way out of this, Rora would find it.

 

About Cora Carmack:

Cora Carmack is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Since she was a teenager, her favorite genre to read has been fantasy, and now she’s thrilled to bring her usual compelling characters and swoon-worthy romance into worlds of magic and intrigue with her debut YA fantasy, Roar. Her previous adult romance titles include the Losing It, Rusk University, and Muse series. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages around the world. Cora splits her time between Austin, TX and New York City, and on any given day you might find her typing away at her computer, flying to various cities around the world, or just watching Netflix with her kitty Katniss. But she can always be found on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and her website www.coracarmack.com.

 

 

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Cover Reveal….Things Are Going to Get Complicated by Ashley Jade

 

Title: Complicated Hearts: Book 1
Author: Ashley Jade
Genre: Young Adult
Cover Design: Book Babe
Release Date: June 8, 2017

 

Blurb

Breslin
I was in love with Asher Holden the moment I saw him…and I knew nothing would ever be the same.
Then he hurt me. He wrecked me. He ruined me.
I spent three years putting myself together and fixing what he broke.
I never thought I’d see him again after that day.
I was counting on it.
Little did I know, life had other plans…and things were going to become a lot more complicated.
 

 


Asher
I finally know who I am. I own it, I embrace it…I’m no longer afraid.
I live my life with no regrets now, because I’ve learned my lesson the hard way.
I thought I had it all figured out.
But then my past collides with my present…and things become complicated.
Turns out I don’t really know myself after all.
 

 


Landon
My life was all mapped out.
I knew exactly what direction I was heading in – I didn’t have time for any roadblocks or obstacles.
Then I meet her.
And him.
Now, my heart is split right down the middle.
She controls the rhythm. He controls the melody.
Complicated doesn’t even begin to cover it…and there’s only one way this can end.
 

 


Warning: This story is for mature readers only, due to language and sexual themes. This duet contains explicit content featuring m/f, m/m, m/f/m. Reader discretion is advised.
 

 


Trigger Warning:
This story is strange and unconventional. It’s everything you hate. That’s the only warning I can offer you.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Bio

Ashley Jade is a lover of contemporary romance, erotica, new adult, dark romance, oxford commas, the em dash, peanut butter on her cookies, coffee, and anything thought provoking…except for math.
She’s always read books growing up and after having a strange dream one night; she decided to just go for it and publish her first series.

Little did she know, she would end up falling head over heels in love with writing.

If she’s not paying off student loan debt, working, or writing a novel, you can usually find her listening to music, hanging out with her readers online, and pondering the meaning of life.

Check out her amazon page and Facebook page for future novels.
She recently became hip and joined Twitter, so you can find her there, too.

She loves connecting with her readers – they make her world go round’.

~Happy Reading~

Feel free to email her with any questions/comments:
ashleyjadeauthor@gmail.com

Author Links

Remember Me Forever by Sara Wolf….Release Day Blitz & Review

Release Week Blitz: Remember Me Forever (Lovely Vicious #3) by Sara Wolf,
presented by Entangled Teen

 

Hello Readers! Welcome to the Release Week Blitz for

Remember Me Forever (Lovely Vicious #3)
by Sara Wolf!

If you haven’t checked out this series yet,
what are you waiting for? Grab your copy today!

Be sure to enter the giveaway below for an
Ultimate College Survival Kit!

Congratulations Sara!

 

 

“What a rush! Brilliantly crafted, sharply written, and completely unpredictable–the perfect ending to an all-time favorite series! Sara Wolf is a fresh voice in YA, and her characters never fail to make me laugh and think. If you’re in the mood for an edgy, witty, one-of-a-kind romance, this is definitely for you!” —Rachel Harris, NYT bestselling author

AUTHOR TAKEOVER

 

 

 

 

Isis Blake hasn’t fallen in love in three years, forty-three weeks, and two days. Or so she thinks.

The boy she maybe-sort-of-definitely loved and sort-of-maybe-definitely hated has dropped off the face of the planet in the face of tragedy, leaving a Jack Hunter–shaped hole. Determined to be happy, Isis fills it in with lies and puts on a brave smile for her new life at Ohio State University.

But the smile lasts only until he shows up. The menace from her past—her darkest secret, Nameless—is attending OSU right alongside her. And he’s whispering that he has something Isis wants—something she needs to see to move forward. To move on.

Isis has always been able to pretend everything is okay. But not anymore.

Isis Blake might be good at putting herself back together.

But Jack Hunter is better.

Remember Me Forever (Lovely Vicious #3)
by Sara Wolf
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Teen

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EXCERPT

 

Jack Hunter turns to face me.
It feels like years, but it’s only been months. A few months.
He looks so much older—lines around his eyes that didn’t used to be there. His face matured somehow, the sharp angles of pubescence rounded off in a handsome, hawkish way. His eyes are the same frigid, clear blue, brows drawn tight.
“Isis, I—”
I pull my fist back and punch him.

Well I have to say that I enjoyed this whole series more than I anticipated. Sara is a new author to me. I was asked by Entangled to read this book in exchange for an honest review, but it was the third and final book of her series. The synopsis for this book intrigued me enough that I read the first two and truly fell in love with Jack and Isis. I didn’t think expect to enjoy this series as much as I did, for various reasons. I truly did not want it to end.

So about this series – it’s a YA romance that had me laughing a lot. Some people may find the ramblings of Isis to be a bit annoying, but I personally truly enjoyed her. She was unique and herself and didn’t apologize for it. Jack – we have all have a Jack in our high school days. He’s a popular one but is nice to everyone too. I love the bantering and the interactions of Jack and Isis. They annoy one another while at the same time, they keep one another on their toes. And then add in their friends, Kayla, Wren, Avery and Sophia plus a few new ones from this book, these characters really round out the whole story.

This book was probably my favorite of the three. Isis really grows in this book. Oh, she still has her quirky mannerisms and off-the-wall sayings, but she matures a lot. She gains personal strength and learns to stand up for herself, and just not fighting for others. Isis has always been one to help others fight their battles, but never face hers – it was her defense. If she was busy helping her others, her problems could hide in the shadows and never be seen. Until she realizes she has to face them in order for her to get what she wants.

Sara’s writing is a little different from what I am used, but it didn’t hurt the story telling. It just took some adapting on my part. I enjoyed how each book she dealt with issues that all teens go through in life. They may not deal with it directly, but they are affected by it through either their friends, family or acquaintances through school. Sara told a beautiful story overall – we are all different and loved the same. I also enjoyed the small bit of secrecy and espionage stuff that Jack dabbled in – it added a different element to the story.

Overall, if you are a YA lover like me, you really enjoy this series. Sara does a great job of building these characters and the plot lines. The writing is perfectly paced and everything pans out really well. I look forward to reading more from Sara in the future.

 

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

 

Amazon | B&N |iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.ca | Entangled Publishing

I was not sure what to expect when I started reading this. I was asked to review the third book in this series, so I had to read the first two in order to read the third properly and well, I was pleasantly surprised. However, I will mention that if you can’t handle extreme immaturity of teens, don’t read this. There is a lot and it will drive you batty. For me, I found it funny most of the time and added some humor to this YA book.

“A boy broke my heart. No, more than that. He broke m soul, my heart, and who I used to be.”

Isis moves away to help her mom heal. She is getting her fresh start too. She was broken by Nameless and has sworn off love altogether. Isis meets Jack at a party when he makes the only friend she had made, cry. She makes her mission to take him down. Jack is known as Ice Prince and the whole school seems to avoid him for reasons unknown to Isis. But reasons she’s determined to find out.

This was a cute story to read. There were times where I felt certain scenes didn’t make sense and had me scratching my head. But the overall story line had me too interested to really care. LOL Sara’s writing style is a little different from what I am use to, so that took some time for me to get a handle on, but it didn’t hurt the flow or anything. The ending has me scratching my head a bit but I shall wait and see how Sara unfolds this in the next book before I judge too harshly on this one.

I have to admit I am quite interested to see how this plays out in the end. For a YA story, it’s definitely different than what I have read in the past, but unique and entertaining enough that I can’t not see where this all goes.

 

 

Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 

 

Forget Me Always is the second book in this series and starts off where Love Me Never ended. Jack saved Isis and her mom from Leo but not until after Leo had already inflicted enough abuse of them and leaving Isis with memory loss – she remembers almost everything, but nothing about Jack.

As I stated in my review of Love Me Never, this is a YA with some eye-rolling antics and commentary, but it’s expected of teenagers. Isis is slowly gaining her memory back bit by bit, but has to piece it all together. All the while, she is learning more about Sophia, Avery, Wren and Jack as her memory comes back. And in typical Isis fashion, she inserts herself whether she is wanted or not; not thinking of the consequences and how that will affect everyone involved.

There are some things that are revealed that did surprise me and did add to the animosity amongst these once upon a time best friends. The characters don’t so much as grow in this book, but they try to become a better person than what they’ve been. Isis and Jack did give me some whiplash with their back and forth with one another and uncertainty of what they want from each other. But it’s expected too with these two because they both know how to push the other. They force each other to deal with things they’ve chosen to run away from before, even if they do it in a juvenile way.

“And Naomi! My, what big hands you have. The better to grab me with, am I right? Ack, gently, woman! I’m damaged goods!”

He’s Jack Hunter, the greatest douche who’s ever douched. Or not douched, because he’s a guy. Ugh, I really do gross myself out sometimes.

I have to say that Isis grew on me in this book. Her off the wall comments had me laughing and shaking my head at the same time. You can definitely tell humor is her go to coping mechanism but she’s never annoying with it. If I am seeing a theme here, Sara is trying to handle a different problem that teenagers face in their years and how each person deals with it in each book. I did see the ending coming in this book but that did not change my rating or thoughts on this book in any way.

I am much more curious to see where Sara takes this series in her final book. The one person tying them all together in ways they never expected is no longer alive – where do they all go from here???

 

Sara Wolf is a twenty-something author who adores baking, screaming at her cats, and screaming at herself while she types hilarious things. When she was a kid, she was too busy eating dirt to write her first terrible book. Twenty years later, she picked up a keyboard and started mashing her fists on it and created the monster known as the Lovely Vicious series. She lives in San Diego with two cats, a crippling-yet-refreshing sense of self-doubt, and not enough fruit tarts ever.

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