REVIEW: Love and Candy by Elizabeth Famous

Source: Free copy from Author

Publish Date: June 21st 2013

Publisher: The Miri Group

ASIN/ISBN: 9780989379106

Format: ebook

Genre: New Adult, Romance

Pages: 238

Date Read: December 19, 2013

Description
Samantha Montclare is not who she thought she was. Straitlaced and academically minded, she's knocked to her knees by an unexpected infatuation with the star of her local soccer team just as she discovers that her biological father is not the loving dad who raised her but a forbidding Italian aristocrat.

Within the social hierarchy of a wealthy suburban high school, Delaney Troy is so superior to naive Samantha that she can't speak to him without provoking obscene taunts from his friends. Delaney is gorgeous, but much of Samantha's fascination stems from his brazen honesty and bristling wit. His air of confidence inspires so powerful an interest he draws her in without even looking at her.

But how could she possibly date a guy like Delaney who insists he only wants to hook up -- and doesn't believe in love?
Will the scandalous truth about the circumstances of her conception threaten her happy home life?
Must she find a place in her life for an alarming new "father" just as she’s becoming an independent young woman?

---

Review
I have to admit that at the beginning I was worried about continuing this book. I was going to give it up because I didn't enjoy the last 3/4 review copies I read. Something made me continue and I'm glad I did.

I enjoyed this book. It's different from the usual boy meet girl, instant attraction, some drama, a lot of [un-steamy, overly-detailed] sex, a little more drama, more sex and they live happily ever after.
There was no insta-love and the book is very realistic. (Except for the whole openness with the parents thing.)

There's a happily ever after in this book (I hope) but it didn't follow the rest of the pattern.

Delaney & Samantha's "romance" (if you could call it that) is not the usual. There's a lot of uncertainty, feelings, arguments and so forth.

The author touches on and makes you think about bisexuality, open relationships, teenage romance, [statutory] rape and "unusuall" emotions/feelings that teenagers experience.
I like Delaney. He's a player but he's truthful. He's smart. He's a nice guy underneath his "hardcore" exterior.
He was always truthful with Samantha about their relationship and how he felt.

Samantha is difficult to like. She's a very complex character. She's mature in the sense that she doesn't allow herself to be bullied and she always speaks her mind. She's immature sometimes especially when it comes to her "relationship" with Delaney.

All in all, a good and enjoyable read. I expected fluff but this is good stuff.

---

Book Links

Amazon || BN.com || Book Depository || Goodreads || Kobo || Smashwords || Sony Bookstore

Author Links

Facebook || Pinterest || Website || Twitter (@ElizabethFamous)

Rating
4 stars

Recommended
I'd recommend this to anyone who likes realistic NA/YA.

REVIEW: Home Again by Lisa Fisher

Source: Free copy courtesy of author
Publish Date: October 18, 2013
Publisher:
ASIN/ISBN: 9781492191445
Format: ebook
Genre: New Adult, Romance
Pages: 133
Date Read: October 22, 2013


Description
For superstar Aisley Carter, performing for a stadium full of people is easy. Being a singer-songwriter is all she’s ever dreamed of, but when the pressures of Hollywood become too much, Aisley’s forced to go home and work out her issues. That—or lose the life she’s worked hard for.

When she left home two years earlier, she never planned on coming back. To her, the small town of Burden, Washington is nothing but a dead end. Now that she’s back, she has to face everything she left behind—including the only boy she’s ever loved. Easton Everson.

East is the boy she grew up with, her best friend, her first kiss, her first love. He was her everything until the day she left. People say “home is where the heart is” and Aisley is about to find out just how easy it is to go home again.

---

Review
Characters
Aisley, Easton & Becks are the major characters. There's also Aisley's manager, her bodyguard and her parents.

I did not like Aisley and Easton. They were too childish. Reading the book, you'd think they were 12 year olds. In fact, I know 10 year olds that are more mature than they are.

Becks, Aisley's other best friend, was very entertaining and funny. There are only two positive things about this book and she's one.

“What are you thinking about, Carter?”“Just about how weird it is, calling you my boyfriend.”He laughed. “It sounds good to me, beautiful.”My face flushed, the butterflies took flight. “I—” Whatever I was about say was cut off by Easton’s perfect lips on mine, kissing the words right out of my mouth.“You make me really happy, Ais.”“You took the words right out of my mouth, green eyes.” If only he knew how true that was.If he was love, I would never let him go.

Story
Like I said, there are only 2 good things about this book. The other is that it had a very promising and exciting premise.
Sadly, the execution was terrible. It had a lot of potential and could have done with a better thought out plot and better writing.

There was a lack of consistency with the plot and the characters.
A lot of unnecessary events were added just to create drama, or to put in a "touchy-feely", mushy scene that didn't fit into the storyline.

There was so much melodrama in a relationship involving two adults. Unnecessary shouting, crying, emotional blackmail, "angst". Their emotions were all over the place.
They'd be laughing one minute, and the next, they're shouting and screaming at each other.
There was too much drama packed into a 100+ paged book and it did not work.

Their pet names were ridiculous. He'd call her Carter, babe, girl, woman and she'd call him green eyes.

All in all, this book was terribly disappointing

I won't recommend this book to anyone really.

If you want to read my commentary on the book, click here

---

Find The Book
Amazon || Goodreads || Kobo

Find The Author
Facebook || Goodreads || Twitter || Website

REVIEW: Once Upon A Road Trip by Angela N Blount

Source: Free copy from Author
Publish Date: November 01, 2013
Publisher: Artifice Press
ASIN/ISBN: 978-0-9895809-7-7
Format: ebook
Genre: Young Adult, Memoir
Pages: 370
Date Read: November 19, 2013


“Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere; and sometimes, in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.”

Description
Eighteen-year-old Angeli doesn’t "fit in." She’s never been on a single date, and she lives vicariously through an online world of storytelling. With the pressures of choosing a practical future path bearing down, she needs a drastic change. Too old to run away from home, she opts instead to embark on a solo 2- month road trip.
But her freedom is tempered by loneliness — and anxiety tests her resolve as she comes face-to-face with her quirky internet friends.

Aside from contracting mono and repeatedly getting herself lost, Angeli's adventure is mired by more unoreseen glitches — like being detained by Canadian authorities, and a near-death experience at the hands of an overzealous amateur wrestler.
Her odyssey is complicated further when she unwittingly earns the affections of two young men. One a privileged martial artist; the other a talented techie with a colorful past. Bewildered by the emotions they stir, Angeli spurns the idea of a doomed long-distance relationship. But she is unprepared for the determination of her hopeful suitors. In the wake of her refusal, one man will betray her, and the other will prove himself worthy of a place in her future.

Angeli sets off in search of a better understanding of herself, the world, and her place in it. What she finds is an impractical love, with the potential to restore her faith in happy endings.

A true story with an unapologetically honest outlook on life, love, faith, and adventure -- Once Upon A Road Trip is a coming-of-age memoir

---

Review
Characters
There are a number of characters.
Angeli is the main character. She was well-meaning but was a bit overbearing and a know-it-all. I didn't really like her at the beginning but she turned out good at the end. It was truly a story of personal growth for her

I know, I know…there’s something cliché about that. The heroine initially wanting to clobber a protagonist male, but later realizing that he’s grown on her and she actually really likes him. Technically, I’m not supposed to find that appealing. But maybe real life is a lot more cliché than anyone wants to admit. Or maybe there’s just a fine, subjective line between the cliché and the poetic.

Don was a jerk. Zak started out being a jerk too, but he happened to be a nice guy. And I loved his sister. One of my favourite characters in the book.

Scott seemed to be okay. Not nice. Not a jerk but he ended up being a creep and a jerk.

Vince was "offish" and weird at first but I really liked him. And I felt for him. He was really sweet and protective. Sometimes a little overboard but generally a sweetheart. He explained later on in the story why he was acting weird and rude when he first met Angeli.

“I know you can take care of yourself,” he said, with absolute conviction. His vivid eyes probed hers. With the same underlying resolve, he lifted a hand and brushed her cheek with his fingertips. “I just think...you shouldn’t -have- to.”

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the style of writing. It reads like a novel and that made it enjoyable.

We follow Angeli on her trip across the US and even into Canada. Where she stays with people from her online writing community.

There's a lot of drama on the way. The story got really really interesting in the third part. The romance between Angeli and Vince was interesting. It wasn't first sight, I-just-met-you-but-I'd-climb-a-thousand-mountains-to-make-you-happy type of love. It built up as the story went on.

“There’s so much I don’t know, I think it’s been distracting me from what I do know. I know you have a good heart, an amazing mind, and the potential to do great things. I know I respect so many things about you. And...I like who I am when I’m around you.” She felt a smile forming on her face as she gathered her courage. “I guess what I’m trying to say is—if you’re still sure about this—then I suppose we can give it a try.”

---

Find Book
Amazon || BN.com || Goodreads || Kobo || Smashwords

Find Author

Facebook || Goodreads || Twitter || Website

Rating
4 stars

Recommendation
I really enjoyed this book and although it's targeted at young adults, I'd recommend this to everyone.

Author Interview: Juliana Haygert, Author of "Breaking The Reins"

Today, I'm posting an interview with NA author and blogger Juliana Haygert.

Tell us a little about yourself
Hi! I’m Juliana, NA author and all around nice girl. I laugh easily, but I’m also very irritable – you don’t want to be on my pissed off side ;)
I’m a lover of books, video games (World of Warcraft ftw!), chocolate, coffee, wine, jeans, high heels, family and friends – not necessarily in this order.

You write in multiple NA genres. Which is your favorite write? Why?
Why do you focus on NA. I started writing NA way before it had a name – eight years ago or so.
It was quite hard because agents and editors didn’t want NA.
My fave genre? I guess it depends on my mood.
When I’m deep into contemporary, I’m craving fantasy, when I’m deep into fantasy, I want to write contemporary.

Tell us something about yourself that's not in your author bio.
I met my husband when I was 17 (he was 22) – we started dating right away and we got married when I was 20. And I became a mommy at 24.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
Toughest criticism = that I had to work on my narrator inner dialogue.
Best compliment = “Your voice is so rich, and your worldbuilding absolutely lush. I enjoyed the tension and the stakes in play here”
– it came from a known traditional author and it was about the short story I have on Wattpad.

If you could have dinner with anyone- fictional or real, past or present, dead or alive- who would you pick? Why?
This is a hard one.
Fictional, Zuko from The Last Airbender. Or Korra from Legend of Korra – love these two TV shows.

You will be stranded on a deserted island and bring 3 items.
Another hard one, jeez!
My toothbrush + tooth paste (that’s combo so it counts as one), my kindle, which would be loaded with great books (and it’s charger), and a warm blanket.

Have you always aspired to publish a novel? Which writers inspire/influence you?
Not really. I’ve been writing since I was 13, but I only thought about trying to get published when I was 26-27. I love Richelle Mead – her prose is simple and yet, it involves you. She creates rich worlds and fun characters. I like to think her writing influences mine ;)

Which actors/actresses would you like to see playing Hannah, Eric & Leo in Breaking The Reins?
Bah, I don’t know. I try not to think about it much.
One reviewer posted pics for Hannah and Leo on goodreads and I love it – she chose Krystal Reed as Hannah, but I don’t know who the guy is. Want to help me find out? Click here.
But honestly, Leo and his family would have to be Brazilian – maybe Marlon Teixeira or Pedro Arnon as Leo ;)

If you could be on one reality TV show, what would it be?
This is (was?) sort of a secret: my biggest dream is to be one of the celebs on Dancing with the Stars. But first I need to become a celebrity right? lol

Tell us about NA Alley
In the end of 2011, I met Victoria, Jaycee and Carrie online – they wrote NA, like I did, so we bonded over it immediately. Then around Jan/Feb 2012, I was thinking about contacting them and pop a question like what do you guys think of creating a group blog dedicated to NA?
However, Victoria beat me to it. She had already talked to Jaycee and they sent out the email inviting the rest of us.
NA Alley is a fun place where we try to inform and promote New Adult as a category.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully I’ll have moved back to the Carolinas, I’ll have published a dozen novels, and I’ll be making a good living out of it.
My hubs will still like the challenge of his line of work, and my daughter will be too big for me to even imagine.
I don’t envision getting filthy rich or hitting the NYT Bestseller list or things like that. As long as my books find a couple of readers and they like what they read, I’m happy!

The craziest/wildest thing you ever did.
Moved out of my parents’ house in a small town when I was 16 to live alone in a city of 1.5 million people? In Brazil, education is very different than here. The good schools are in the big cities and, to be accepted into college, you have to get a good education, so I moved out to finish high school in a better school.
Or, spent two months on Rio de Janeiro alone when I was 12 – I participated of a ballet workshop with the best dance company of the country.

Which of your characters do you relate to the most? Are any of them based on people you know?
Mirella from Gypsy Heart. I need to rewrite that manuscript and publish it because I love that story, but I wrote it back in 2010 (or 2009?). My writing improved so much since then, and I had a couple of ideas to make it better …
Mirella has a lot of me on her. I try not basing my characters on any people I know, though I’m sure some relate to the people in my life.

Are you going to write a continuation for Breaking The Reins? I'd like to see what happens to the rest of the gang.
It is a possibility – I’ve been getting lots of requests. I know Bia’s story and I have an idea for Hilary’s, but I know readers want to see Ri, Pedro and Gui too, so I’ll have to think (aka plot) for them too.

What is one talent that you’re hopeless at, but you wish you were good at?
Singing. I would love, love, love to sing.

Do events in your life influence your book/Are your life experiences included in your books?
No, not so far. I do have a notebook with major events and past experiences written down, so I can look over them and try to plot a story around them, but so far it didn’t happen.

What is the best book you’ve read recently?
I was working on a UF the last 2 months, so I’ve been reading a lot of UF and PNR. The ones I liked the most are The Archers of Avalon series by Chelsea Fine, and the Crescent Chronicles by Alyssa Rose Ivy.

What is the best advice you have been given?
Do not give up! Simple like that ;)

What’s next for you? Any works in the making that you want us to know about?
I’m working on edits of Soul Oath and Cup of Life (both UF), and soon will finish writing Playing Pretend, a contemporary romance

.

Random
Vanilla or chocolate - chocolate
Fave Season of the year - fall
Fave Dessert – hmm, Cookie Cookie Sundae from ColdStone
Fave Name – Isadora (my daughter’s)
Fave Book you wrote – Breaking the Reins
Favorite word - LOVE
Weirdest food combo – none.
Random Fact – I went to Architecture School

The Author
Juliana Haygert is a New Adult author and contributor at NA Alley blog.
While Juliana dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author.
Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.
Amazon || Facebook || Goodreads || Pintrest || Twitter || Website

Read my review of "Breaking The Reins" here
Enter giveaway here