Blog Tour: Review - Keepers of the Zodiac by Sharon Wood

Keepers of the Zodiac by Sharon Wood 
Release Date: September 28, 2012
Publisher: Sharon Wood
Source: Gifted by author for Blog Tour stop
Links: Amazon / Goodreads

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: The stars have shifted and the Earth is rapidly moving into the throes of chaos. 
Four god-like beings known  as the Zodiac High Council, send their winged herald, Syrie, out with twelve sealed envelopes. His mission? To bring a chosen group of thirteen future Zodiac Keepers, including a set of mesmerizing twins, to the Isle of Oriba for training.
Syrie never would have imagined that he would fall in love along the way - ultimately forcing him to choose between betrayal and death.
Keepers of the Zodiac is an enthralling tale of obligatory fate, temporary hope, and impossible love.

         What attracted me to this book was its synopsis. I haven't really read anything like it before and then I was give a chance to read it for a blog tour. It was an easy and fast read and I really enjoyed the mythical feel to it. I feel like I should mention that while I really enjoyed the book, I had a hard time connecting with a lot of the characters. There are some really bratty teenagers in this book, yo. Maybe if we were given more time to get to know them and seen some character growth, I would feel differently towards them.

Syrie and Simone's romance happened a little too fast to be believable for me. It sort of came out of nowhere. I was really enjoying the book and on page 58, right after their second date, Syrie is telling the Zodiac Council that's he in love and he plans to marry Simone. Uh no. You don't each know her. And it might help if he tells Simone how he feels before making plans that include her without her consent and knowledge. But that's just me.

What I did see coming was that little plot twist at the end with Syrie and Raquel. Maybe not the same thing but I knew something was up. I did wish we were given more time with the Council and seen how everything comes together. But the cliffhanger at the end is very very interesting. I'm looking forward to reading the next book and I hope we get some answers.


About the Author: 
Sharon Wood is a married, mother of two boys. She was born and raised in Northern California, and attended college at San Jose State University, where she studied Marketing. A self-proclaimed Disney fanatic, Sharon enjoys collecting Vinylmations and talking about Disney related things to anyone that will listen. Besides writing, she enjoys playing and coaching volleyball, dancing, and reading. Keepers of the Zodiac is her first novel, and she is currently hard at work on he sequel.

Contact: Blog / Goodreads / Website

Book Blitz and Giveaway - All the Right Moves by Ever Leigh

 

All the Right Moves by Ever Leigh
Release Date: January 2013
Publisher: Ever Leigh
Links: Goodreads / Twitter / Website

Book Summary: Life for Lilah had become too predictable. Convinced she needs a bit of a challenge and change of pace in her life, she moves away for college and embarks on a new journey of self-discovery.

A college town, new friends, a new romance with a mysterious older guy that may prove to be an even bigger challenge then she bargained for!

Note: Not suitable for younger readers. Contains mature content including sexual situations.

Giveaway time!!

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Quotes (#15)

I do this a lot more than I care to admit.

Morning Lovelies,

I hope all of my American friends had a nice Thanksgiving and everyone had a good weekend.

"After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relations." - Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance

"Words were not given to man in order to conceal his thoughts." - Jose Saramago

"What a blessing it is to love books as I love them;- to be able to converse with the dead, and to live amidst the unreal!" - Thomas Babinston Macaulay, The Selected Letters of Thomas Babington Macaulay

"I don't want to repeat my innocence. I want the pleasure of losing it again." - F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise

"Books are uniquely portable magic." - Stephen King, On Writing

Have a great week, Swooners!

Waiting on Wednesday (#14)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Morning swooners!

This week pre-publication "can't wait to read" selection is:

Flowers in the Sky by Lynn Joseph

Expected Release Date: March 5, 2013

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

Synopsis: Fifteen-year-old Nina Perez is faced with a future she never expected. She must leave her Garden of Eden, her lush home in the Dominican Republic, when she's sent by her mother to seek out a better life with her brother in New York. As Nina searches for some glimpse of familiarity amid the jarring world of Washington Heights, she must uncover her own strength. She learns to uncover roots within foreign soil and finds a way to grown, just like the orchids that blossom on her fire escape. And when she is confronted by ugly secrets about her brother's business, she comes to understand the realities of life in this new place. But then she meets him - that green-eyed boy - who she can't erase from her thoughts, the one who just might help her learn to see beauty in spite of tragedy.

From the acclaimed author of The Color of My Words comes a powerful story about a young girl who must make her way in a new world and find her place within it.

Book Blitz and Giveaway - Breathe Suzanne Cox

Breathe (Atlantis #1) by Suzanne Cox 

Published: October 22, 2012

Publisher: Suzanne Cox

Links: Amazon / Goodreads

Synopsis: 17 year old science prodigy, Laney Brookes, is looking for two things: a cure for the flu virus that's ravaging the world and the truth about what happened to her father. Using clues from her father's secret journals, she and her two friends Kate and Carter follow what she think is the path to the answers.

It's a path that lands them in the lost world of Atlantis, a world struggling to survive. Laney finds more than just answers in Atlantis. She finds love. TO get her friends and herself home, Laney will have to travel into enemy territory, led my Andrew a young Atlantean determined to return his people to power. In the process, she'll even unravel the mystery of her missing father. But first, she'll have to figure out who the real enemy is.

Giveaway time!

US only

• (1) Copy of Breathe & (1) Marked.
• Sparkly nail polish that coordinates with the book cover.
• A stoneware necklace with concentric circle design from Breathe by Kaatee art.
• Metal bookmark.

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Author's Bio: I remember writing my first story when I was about nine or ten years old. I've been writing ever since. In 2002 I decided to seriously try and get some of my word published. On February 14th, 2005 I sold my first book, A Different Kind of Man, to Harlequin Superromance. While trying to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up, besides a writer, I went to college (a lot) and worked a variety of jobs. I have a bachelor of arts in English with a minor in secondary education, a bachelor of science in nursing, a master of science in career and technical education with an emphasis in adult education and most recently, a master of science in nursing as a family nurse practitioner. I was also a National Board Certified Teacher in career and technical education. Along the way, I've worked as a high school English teacher and an elementary teacher. I've worked as a registered nurse on a cardiac unit, brain injury rehab unit, and several different medical-surgical units. I've also done stints as a home health nurse and a community health educator at a hospital, and many years as a allied health instructor at a high school career and technology center. Presently, I'm working full time as a family nurse practitioner at an inpatient psychiatric facility.

If I'm not writing I like to spend time reading. My husband and I share our home with our four legged children. Our boy and girl in puppy dog clothes, Toby and Sassy, who masquerade as Miniature Pinshers. We are also owned by three cats, Chase, Jackson, and Spots. We are all terrorized by Gray Kitty, a stray who decided to stay and take over.

Contact: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Quotes (#14)

(source)

Morning Swooners! So pretty, isn't he? Show of hands, who have seen Breaking Dawn Part 2? *raises hand* I loved it. I may or may not have liked it a lot more than the book. And, this may not win me any friends but, I wished it would have ended the way it "did." Sorry! *ducks*

Let's get on with the show.

"I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally." - W.C. Fields

"Everybody has a secret world inside of them. I mean everybody. All of the people in the whole world, I mean everybody - no matter how dull and boring they are on the outside. Inside them they've got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds... Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands, maybe." - Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Vol.5: A Game of You

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." - Saint Augustine of Hippo

"Write what you know. That should leave you with a lot of free time." - Howard Nemerov

"Of course motivation is not permanent. But then, neither is bathing; but it is something you should do on a regular basis." - Zig Ziglar, Raising Positive Kids in a Negative World

"The starting point of all achievement is DESIRE. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as small fire makes a small amount of heat." - Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich

"Whatever you're meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible." - Doris Lessing

Mini Review: Roar and Liv by Veronica Rossi

Roar and Liv (Under the Never Sky # 0.5) by Veronica Rossi
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Personal Copy
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads / Harper Collins

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:  Before Perry and Aria, there was Roar and Liv.

After a childhood spent wandering the borderlands, Roar finally feels like he has a home with the Tides. His best friend Perry is like a brother to him, and Perry's sister, Liv, is the love of his life. But Perry and Liv's unpredictable older brother, Vale, is the Blood Lord of the Tides, and he has never looked kindly on Roar and Liv's union. Normally, Roar couldn't care less about Vale's opinion. But with food running low and conditions worsening every day, Vale's leadership is more vital - and more brutal - than ever. Desperate to protect his tribe, Vale makes a decision that will shatter the life Roar knew and change the fate of the Tides forever.

Set in the harsh but often beautiful world of Veronica Rossi's "unforgettable" Under the Never Sky (Examiner.com), this captivating prequel novella stands on its own for new readers and offers series fan a fascinating look into the character of Roar. Poignant and powerful, Roar and Liv is a love story that will "capture your imagination and your heart." (Justine on Under the Never Sky).

         I'm not exactly sure what I expected from this novella but I was so surprised by this one. Roar is unbelievable swoony and I about died as he talks about how much Liv means to him. I never would have pictured Roar to be this lovey, sensitive, sweetheart of a guy. Here are some of my favorites scenes:

With Liv, there is always something unexpected, but not the way she makes me feel. That never changes. One kiss and I'm hungry - starved for of her...

~B&S~

"Do you think it's about us?" she asks after a moment.

"Yes"

"You do?"

I shrug. "You're part of me, Olivia. Anything that involves you is always about us."

~B&S~

My ambitions aren't grand. All I have ever wanted is to be there for the two people who mean everything to me. Maybe that's a small goal to others, but it's always felt like enough.

~B&S~

I step toward her and find her hand. "I understand the risks, Liv." I glance toward camp, thinking of the friend I might lose. "And I'm willing to take them. For you. For us. I choose you. Above everything else, I choose you."

Sigh. Love it. Reading this novella definitely give us more background information on Under the Never Sky. It made me even more excited for when Through the Ever Night comes out in January. Less than two months!

Book Blitz and Excerpt - Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorkman

Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorkman 

Release Date: November 13, 2012

Publisher Henry Holt and Co.
Links: Amazon / Goodreads

Summary: Meet Erin. Smart student, great daughter, better friend. Secretly the mastermind behind the popular advice blog Miss Fortune Cookie. Totally unaware that her carefully constructed life is about to get crazy.

It all begins when her ex-best friend sends her a letter to her blog - and then acts on her advice. Erin's efforts to undo the mess will plunge her into adventure, minor felonies, and possibly her very first romance. 

What's a likely fortune for someone no longer completely in control of her fate? Hopefully nothing like: You will become a crispy noodle in the salad of life.

Book Excerpt:

Video Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2) by Michelle Hodkin
Release Date: October 23, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Source: Personal Copy
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

My Rating: 4.5 stars (Goodreads Rating: 5 out of 5 stars)

Book Synopsis: Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can't.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.

They aren't.

She couldn't  imagine that after everything she's been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.

She's wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

So, I had a bit of a problem. I wasn't supposed to read this book until later on this month but it been beckoning for me to read, so one I picked it up, I read this in two days. Now, the only problem was that I had no idea how to write this review. I had no way to putting words together that would make sense and so I decided to have my friends join me in reviewing the book. And so, we recorded ourselves talking and flailing and swooning over The Evolution of Mara Dyer.

Beware: There will be lots of swooning and fangirling and giggling.

Part 1- The One Where We Fangirl all over the book

Part 2- The One Where We Discuss Mara and Noah

I hope you guys enjoyed our little discussion. I know we had a lot of fun. I do want to thanks Nahomi and Daisel for putting up with me and my last minute ideas and whims. Love you guys!

Swoon Thursday

A weekly meme from YA Bound.

From the book you're currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What  got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog. The awesome girls over YA Bound and I want to know!

Hi lovelies, I decided to try this meme today and if I like it enough, I'll continue doing this weekly. Here's what I'm swooning over this week:

The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2) by Michelle Hodkin.

"Fuck seventeen." His eyes and voice were defiant. "If I were to live a thousand years, I would belong to you for all of them. If I were to live a thousand lives, I would want to make you mine in each one."

I mean, seriously? If that doesn't make you run to your nearest book store and pick up a copy of The Evolution, then I don't know what I did wrong. But do stop by tomorrow to see my review of The Evolution of Mara Dyer. It definitely something you haven't seen yet.

What has you swooning?

Mini Review: Thin Ice by Brighton Walsh

Thin Ice (Corporate Affairs Anthology) by Brighton Walsh
Release Date: October 1, 2012
Publisher: Xcite Books
Source: Personal Copy
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: After having been a sports reporter for more than a decade, Alex has worked with nearly every cocky, drop-dead gorgeous athlete, and is immune to their advances. Or so she thought. When Gavin walks in for his interview and quickly sweeps her off her feet, she's taken off guard, caught up in his charm and charisma. But even after a night of undeniable passion, Alex is left with a sinking feeling in her gut and a guilty conscience. Can she come to grips with mixing business and pleasure before Gavin's out of her life for good?

Hot hockey player + sweet charmer + dirty talker = one hot hero named Gavin. This novella was everything I was looking for in my smutty read.

A fun, fluffly read with a heroine who is strong and sassy and a hero who's hot, masculine and just plain UNFy. My only problem with this story is that it's not a full length novel. I would have loved to learn more about these two and see where their story would take them.

Sigh. I loved this novella.

Blog Tour Stop: Review + Giveaway: Defy the Stars by Stephanie Parent

Defy the Stars by Stephanie Parent 

Release Date: July 30, 2012
Publisher: Stephanie Parent
Source: Gifted by author
Links: Amazon / Goodreads

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Synopsis: Julia Cape: A dedicated classical piano student just trying to get through her last semester of high school while waiting to hear from music conservatories.

Reed MacAllister: A slacker more likely to be found by the stoners' tree than in class...

Julia and Reed might have graduated high school without ever speaking to each other...until, during a class discussion of Romeo and Juliet, Julia scoffs at the play's theme of love of first sight, and Reed responds by arguing that feelings don't always have to make sense. Julia tries to shake off Reed's comment and forget about this boy who hangs with the stoner crowd - and who happens to have breathtaking blue eyes - but fate seems to bring the two together again and again. After they share an impulsive, passionate kiss, neither one can deny the chemistry between them. Yet as Julia gets closer to Reed, she also finds herself drawn into his dark world of drugs and violence. Then a horrific tragedy forces Julia's and Reed's families even further apart...and Julia must decide whether she's willing to give up everything for love.

Defy the Star is written in an edgy free-verse style that will appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins and Lisa Schroeder; however, the writing is accessible enough to speak to non-verse fans as well. The novel's combination of steamy romance and raw emotion will appeal to fans of Gayle Forman, Simone Elkeles, Jennifer Echols, and Tammara Webber. With a story, language and forma that both pay homage to and subvert Shakespeare's play, Defy the Stars is much more than just another Romeo and Juliet story.

As I first started reading, I found myself clicking with the protagonist, Julia. Julia is the good girl who always seems to do what she's told and doesn't question her parent's choices for her. The only thing she's passionate about is the piano and she spends the majority of her time either playing it or inside her own head. I felt some sort of a camaraderie with her and I was things to go right for her and I became her biggest cheerleader. When she meets Reed, I was so excited. Good girl meets bad boy and they fall in love is such a cliche story line, but I love it. Reed is a dark, broody and mysterious guy but he and Julia seems to have this spark that just pull them together.

Now I don't want to spoil what happens but after one night between Julian and Reed, my views of them started to change. I became really disappointed in them and while I tried to keep and open mind, I just expected more from Julia. She transform to this completely different person, she became a whiny, rebellious, crazy mood swings person after always being a smart, rational girl. I also expected a lot from Reed as well, he should have told Julia the first time and for what happens in the end? I was as angry as Julia was. He should have fought for himself and like Julia said "...but you should have tried anyways."

As these changes happened and I tried to put my grown-up wisdom aside, I realize what it was that the author was trying to do. Julia was this adult-like teenager that when she fell in love and started doing things out her norm, she changed. Julia had to trip, fall, and make mistakes so that she would learn for herself and come out stronger. The author created characters where you can see the changes they went through and that it was necessary for them to grow. So I have to give Ms. Parent her credit for creating such a wonderful tragic love story.

Link to tour schedule: http://yabound.blogspot.com/2012/09/blog-tour-schedule-defy-stars-by.html

Giveaway Info:

1st prize: $30 gift card from Amazon and an e-book copy of Defy the Stars.

2nd place: 4 e-book copies of Defy the Stars.

Additional Prize: A query letter critique by Stephanie Parent.

All giveaways are open internationally!

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About the Author:
Stephanie Parent is a YA author repped by Brenda Bowen of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. She is a graduate of the Master of Professional Writing Program at USC and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts as a piano major.
Contact: Website

Review: Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse

Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse
Release Date: November 1, 2012
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Scholastic through NetGalley
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Book Synopsis:  She's got it bad, and he ain't good - he's in her garage?
"I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me..."
Gonna have to face it: Jody's addicted to Jackson Gatlin, frontman of The Regulators, and after her best bud Mac score tickets, she's front and center at his sold-out concert. But when she gets mashed in the moshpit and bodysurfs backstage, she's got more than a mild concussion to deal with. By the next morning, the strung-out rock star is coming down in her garage. Jody - oops - kind of kidnapped him. By accident. With a Curly Wurly candy bar. And now he doesn't want to leave.It's a rock-star abduction worthy of an MTV reality series...but who got punk'd?!

         Now, I'm a fangirl at heart so I was very excited about starting this book. Accidentally kidnapping your celebrity crush + the funnies it bound to ensues = excitement in starting this book! However right from the beginning, Jody, the main character, was a bit too much for me to handle. I understood her devotion to Jackson Gatlin and The Regulators but what she continues to do with and for Jackson, and how she treats Mac (the best friend) really bothered me.

I will admit that Jody starts off as a really immature, irritating and weak girl but she grows into this strong, mature person. She gets her act together by the end of the book but by then it was just too late for me. I just couldn't muster up any sympathy for her. She made Mac believe she was leaving with Jackson until she knew how Mac really felt. She continue acting really petty and was lying until the last possible moment and it became the last straw for me with Jody. I had hoped she would have redeemed herself earlier in the story but it just didn't happen.

Jackson Gatlin, what can I say about Jackson Gatlin? Well, he certainly left a lot to be desired. He was just one big hot mess of a human being and who need a lot more help. I think even some therapy would do him some good.

My favorite character of the whole book is Mac's little sister, Cree. She is super cute and adorable. I totally loved it when Jody would call Mac "Mackenzie" and Cree would be like "No, my Kenzie." So territorial over her big brother, she was so endearing.

I found the book to be a little unrealistic with Jackson's detox, it happened way too fast for me to consider it realistic. And the problem with the reporter, Sally Dinkley, and her causing trouble for Jody and Jackson feels like extra conflict just for the sake of word count.

I thought the book was enjoyable, a little far-fetched at times, but the concept was really fun but since I couldn't click Jody, I can't give this book a higher rating.

Review: Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster

Human.4 (Point 4 #1) by Mike A. Lancaster
Release Date: March 8, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Source: Library Hardcover
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

My Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars (2 stars on Goodreads)

Synopsis: Kyle Straker volunteered to be hypnotized at the annual community talent show, expecting the same old lame amateur acts. But when he wakes up, his world will never be the same. Televisions and computers no longer work, but a strange language streams across their screens. Everyone's behaving oddly. It's as if Kyle doesn't exist.

Is this nightmare a result of the hypnosis? Will Kyle wake up with a snap of fingers to roars of laughter? Or is this something much more sinister?

Narrated on a set of found cassette tapes at an unspecified point in the future, Human.4 is an absolutely chilling look at technology gone too far.

         I'm not sure how I feel about this book, I know I wanted to like it but I just couldn't find it in me to care. Its concept is very unique and intriguing but there was something about it that I just didn't love. I found myself reading and just not connecting with the main character and not caring what might happen to him.

I also had a bit of trouble with the writing. The author kept using the same phrase and way of explaining things. Like "her voice dripped of sarcasm." "...she said, her voice sounding patronizing." I didn't like being told the same things over and over again. After a while you start picking up on the way characters speak and say things and the way the author wrote it kept pulling me out of the story.

The second of the series is set to be release in November but I have to admit that I'm not in a that crazy zone that I-HAVE-TO-WHAT-HAPPENS-NEXT. I-NEED-THAT-BOOK-NOW. You know? Like there are some series that I'm counting down the days for its next book, but this one? Not so much.

Cover Reveal - Rouge by Leigh Talbert Moore

Morning lovelies, today I have the cover for Rouge by Leigh Talbert Moore. Awesome cover, right? This is Moore's second novel and it is slated to be release in late November. Her first novel, The Truth About Faking was release in September. Be sure to check out my review, which is right underneath this post.
Link:  Goodreads

Book Synopsis:Trapped in the underground theater world of 1890s New Orleans, Hale Ferrer has only one goal: escape. But not without Teeny, the orphan-girl she rescued from the streets and promised to protect.

Freddie Lovel, Hale's wealthy Parisian suitor, seems to be the easy solution. If only his touch could arouse her interest like Beau's, the penniless stagehand who captures her heart.

Denying her fears, Hale is posed to choose love until an evil lurking in their cabaret-home launches a chain of events that could cost her everything.
(Mature YA/light historical/theater romance)

About the author: Wife and mom by day, writer by day, editor by day, reader when time permits, chocoholic, lover of contemporary romance, lover of YA, lover of great books, beach bum, occasionally I sleep.

THE TRUTH ABOUT FAKING is my debut young adult romance. It's just a light, happy book with a hot and little message tucked inside.
ROUGE, my next mature-YA/New Adult romance, will be out mid-Nov 2012. It's neither light nor happy, but it does have a hot guy. And a cabaret...
Contact: Website / Twitter

Review: The Truth About Faking by Leigh Talbert Moore

The Truth About Faking by Leigh Talbert Moore
Release Date: September 1, 2012
Publisher: Self-Published
Source: Gifted by Author
Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Goodreads

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:Jason just wants a date with Harley.
Harley just wants a date with Trent.
Trent's still getting over Stephanie.

When Harley and Jason decide to fake date, they uncover a school of deceptions. Trent's got a secret, but so does Jason. And the more time Harley spends secretly kissing her fake boyfriend, the further she gets from her dreams with Trent.

Worst of all, Harley's mom is getting cozy with her hot massage therapy student, and even Harley's Reverend Dad can't fake not being bothered by it. But when the masks finally come off, can everyone handle the truth?

         This book is the epitome of Young Adult with some teenage love, angst, and some drama thrown in for good measure. It was a really nice and fluffy read. Harley is a girly-girl who is really innocent and naive but sometimes her naivete really exasperated me. From the synopsis, we know that Harley and Jason, the new guy in town, start fake dating and after awhile the way Harley treated Jason really bothered me. She would let him him kiss her and then turn around and tell him it didn't mean anything. She wouldn't care that she was sending him mixed messages.

There were also so many times when I wanted Harley to stand up for herself. To stand her ground against Shelly (the best friend), Trent, and her mom. She should have told Shelly how she felt about her dating Trent and Jason right from the beginning. She should have made Trent listen to her and she should have spoken to her mother early on about how she was feeling.

I found Jason to be a cute, fun, flirty, and typical teenage boy. I thought he was a good influence for Harley. He made her realize what she actually wanted and needed. He goes after what he wants and he did it in a really good, convincing way. I was totally rooting for Jason the whole time. I actually like him more than I did with Harley.

What I love about this story is that Harley's parents are involve, active parents. They may be caught up in their own lives' and drama but they're not absentee parents that is normally typical of Young Adults book.

For it being Ms. Moore's debut novel, I found this to be an entertaining read and I'm really looking forward to reading more of her work.

Book Spotlight - The Chupacabra by Stephen Randel

Chupacabra: A Borderline Crazy Tale of Coyotes, Cash & Cartels by Stephen Randel

Release Date: August 19, 2012

Publisher: Knuckleball Press

Genre: Dark Comedy

Pages: 233

Link: Amazon / Goodreads

Synopsis: He is called El Baquero. He makes his trades along the border, smuggling guns and killing without remorse. As he faces his one last mission, his perfect plan is unwittingly foiled by Avery, a paranoid loner obsessed with global conspiracy theories who spends most of his time crafting absurd and threatening letters to anyone who offends him. That means pretty much everyone.

What unfolds is a laugh out loud dark comedy of madcap adventure strecting from Austin to the West Texas border featuring a lunatic band of civilian border militia, a group of bingo-crazed elderly ladies (one packing a pistol nearly as long as her arm), a murderous and double-crossing cartel boss, a burned-out hippy, a crotchety retired doctor and his pugnacious French bulldog. Read it to believe it.

About the author: Stephen Randel, CFA, was born in Houston, Texas. He is a graduate of Texas Christian University. Steve now lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife and their two rescue dogs.