Hello, everyone! Today I have a quick book spotlight for you all for a really interesting mystery novel for all you mystery and thriller lovers! Special thanks to Lifestyle and Literature for contacting me about these books! Down below are all the details on the book, it's soon-to-be-released sequel and the links to where you can buy your copy of the first book as well as all the author links. Enjoy!
Martin Russell is a good man living in a bad world.
Once a successful businessman, he is at rock bottom when, with barely enough motivation to face the future, he spends his last coin on a bus ride out of the city. Then a chance incident near his home triggers a sequence of positive opportunities, and an old friend, Hannah, elbows her way back into his life and gives him back his self-belief.
His life, unexpectedly, could not be better as he rebuilds his world. Old friends rally around him and his future is full of positivity. That is until the phone call informing him that Hannah has disappeared and people's lives change forever. He needs friends more than ever; non-more so than John Staples, known as Pin-up, the billionaire businessman with a network of connections, who enlists disgraced ex-policeman Bobby Tanner to help find Hannah.
They are all thrust into a world of half-truths where the roots of evil run deeper than can be imagined; where all roads lead to the door of The Chemist’s underworld empire of corruption. Bobby Tanner and Pin-up must uncover the truth, and fast.
It was a strange and twisting road that led to the publishing of my second novel.
Born and raised in Bristol, England. I spent my adult life in business, the majority of that time marketing cars. I eventually owned the largest Saab specialist in the world, before a divorce put an end to that part of my life.
This led me to leave Bristol to live halfway up a mountain in the Welsh valleys, start a part time six year English Literature course at Bristol University, and attend creative writing classes in Cardiff.
My interest in English literature flourished and I have won several prizes for my short stories. My first book, "Twenty Short Stories – Settling a score,” reached No 6 in the Short Stories Best Sellers and is still available. My second novel, a romantic thriller entitled Hand Over Fist was released earlier this year.
Chasing What’s Already Gone evolved from a short story Carpe Diem in my second anthology Twenty One Short Stories. I could not get the two main characters out of my head and I had to find out what happened to them after the end of the short story.
I now live very happily halfway up that mountain in the Welsh Valleys with my wonderful partner, Mari, and our rescue dog, Wolfie.
"Bought this book after reading his 20 short stories and really glad I did! Really interesting read which kept me interested throughout - I would highly recommend”
"Beautifully constructed crime novel - lots of threads, rounded characters I could engage with; fast paced with twists and turns. I'll be looking for this writer in the future."
"I found the pace of my reading speeding up to find if and how the threads would converge, and if so how. A good read." “So glad I chose this book. Not my usual read, but it held me from beginning to end. I enjoyed the way the characters were introduced and their stories cleverly interwoven. Great story, well told. I will look out for this author in the future.”
“Great first book by Michael Ross. read it in one day and could not put it down. The characters come to life, you can really relate to them. A very good read, recommend to all.”
“I love reading and reviewing people’s books and...most of the books I have reviewed have been very good, and this was no exception. I really liked the title, it suggested an interesting and mysterious read and I was not disappointed.”
“The story had me gripped right from the first page, and the gritty, action-packed pace was brilliantly plotted. I loved all of the characters, even the bad ones. (don’t ask!)”
Hello all my fellow readers! Today, I thought that since November is right around the corner, some of you guys out there might be preparing for a little something called NaNoWriMo. I've been lucky enough to have participated in the past three NaNoWriMo sessions since 2014 and even decided to join in on Camp NaNo this summer, both sessions in April and July, and I had SO MUCH fun and plan on doing Camp NaNo again next summer! Anyhoo, even though NaNoWriMo is a ton of fun for writers wanting to get those stories in their head onto paper. it can be a little bit stressful for newbies and 'experienced' NaNoWriMo participants. I should know, I feel like I'm LOSING MY MIND just preparing for November.
Whether you're a pantser like me or a plotter, we all really want to write the stories that we feel need to be written down even if we keep them only for ourselves or hope to go through the publishing process. Whatever your goals, it's always nice to prepare yourself for a long month of writing and try something new to keep the creativity flowing throughout the month.
I myself will be trying out a more outlined approach to my writing but I'll also be winging it half the time. I think by outlining the basics, I'll be able to keep my story in check while also having some freedom to be creative while hitting on the points I want to cover in my story. Because of this new approach, I've been doing quite a lot of research when it comes to how to outline effectively and found quite a number of tips, tricks, and resources that I would love to share with you all that I think might help whenever you get into a bit of a writing rut. So, if you're ready to tackle all of the writing things this coming November, venture onto the tips like the WRITING WARRIOR you are!
(I've had a lot of coffee this morning. I apologize.)
I think one of the most important things to do in November or in preparation for the writing month, is to PLAN. Whether you're making notes in your planners, agendas, calendars or only planning out time for your writing every day, it's so important to at least have a plan set in place so that it grounds you and keeps you from procrastinating because we're all guilty of putting things off for any reason at all. My excuse is Netflix.
Down below I've added in some videos that will help you to plan out your novel, your time, or just your life in general. Whether you have a busy month ahead of you because of school, work, or other hobbies you want to continue to do, hopefully these videos will be able to help you manage your time in order to get all your work done!
Whether you already are a huge fan of outlining your novel before you write anything at all or you're new to the whole novel outlining thing like me, these videos are for you to help you figure out how to outline more effectively while still giving you some room to be creative and wing it sometimes while you're planning. Because who says that you HAVE to stick to your outline? As long as your staying on track with how you want your story to play out, then you're golden!
Like I said, I will be doing some outlining for my novel while not getting too detailed to ease my way into it but there are so many ways to outline for you to play around with so try out all the options no matter how weird or untraditional they may be!
Probably one of the most common problems among writers is that dreaded moment that will sometimes pop up when you're writing your story that you were once SO EXCITED to write and you had a plan, you loved your characters, you were really feeling everything and then one day you sit down to write . . . and you realize you hate your novel. This has happened to me SO MANY TIMES and I am here to tell you that it is completely normal for you to feel that way. What's the solution to overcoming your hate for your own novel? Should you give up and start a new story? Should you just push through and hope for the best? What if your heart just isn't in the story anymore? Ask yourself this one question: Is it the story I hate or the writing process?
There are other simple solutions to look through if you still really want to write your story but just don't know why you find it hard to continue writing. Maybe the reason why you hate your novel is simply because you've lost sight of why you wanted to write it in the first place. I've found that most of the time when I just can't stand how my novel is going is because 1) the storyline I chose just doesn't interest me, 2) I don't have a good enough idea on who the characters are or what their goals are, and 3) I'm not entirely in love with it yet. How do you fix these issues?
One word: RESEARCH! Take a step back from your novel and look to see where your problem areas are. Are there one or multiple characters you're having problems with when it comes to developing them? Are you having issues with writing certain scenes such as action or romantic scenes for example? Are you simply just not interested in the path you're taking with your story and need to consider going in a different direction?
To help you to start researching why you're just not liking your novel, here are a couple of sites to help you diagnose the problem and hopefully help you to fall back in love with your story by fleshing it out and nailing down the details. One site is Better Novel Project which takes examples from your favorite books like The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson to give examples on how to write certain scenes, develop characters, figure out their goals and who they are as well as how to use them effectively to write your own novel. I really love all the resources this site has and I think it's one you should refer to quite often if you ever get stuck.
Another site that I really love is She's Novel which really dives into the process of writing great characters, a nice pace, giving tips on what to do if you feel your story is dragging, how to write relatable characters, create a believable villain, work out an awesome climax, plot-twists, and so much more! Not only does it offer a ton of amazing blog posts on all things writing, it also has a great selection of other resources to continue to grow as a writer and find even more help should you run into any more writing issues. Another site you might want to bookmark!
Now that we have a good idea of the outlining process and the right resources to help us figure out our novel and our characters, you're going to need your fuel to keep you going during those writing sessions you'll be tackling. We all have different drinks and foods we like turning to but there are a few snacks that are actually proven by scientists (SCIENCE PEOPLE!) to help improve your creative thought process.
One of the most common go-to drinks that I myself am addicted to is coffee. Coffee is known for reducing fatigue, enhance perception, and also boost your metabolism to give you energy. But it also prevents your focus from becoming too diffuse, honing your attention and creativity onto one task and preventing your creative mind from jumping around from one subject to another.
Another common drink is that of tea. I'm not a huge tea drinker but occasionally I will make myself a cup. Green tea, as well as a few other types of tea, are also really great for the writing process. Tea is a great substitute for snacking which could be handy when you need to hunker down and get that writing done without any distractions.
Caffeine is known to prohibit a healthy night of sleep and even though caffeine is found in tea, Passionflower tea and Lavender are great choices for getting a more restful night of sleep and to fall asleep faster since it relaxes your body. Your body will naturally fall into a state of preparing for sleep which you need to help and not interfere with. A restful night of sleep helps the creative thinking process, problem-solving, and motor skills once you wake up and get to writing.
My personal favorite option for a great writing snack is chocolate. I might be just a tad bit of a chocolate addict but I swear this is a really great option! Dark chocolate is the best type of chocolate to go with since the anti-oxidants help your blood flow to the brain more smoothly which improves your concentration.
Nuts are also an amazing way to keep creative as well. Almonds, Brazilian nuts, and walnuts contain high amounts of Vitamin E which prevents poor memory and also helps the concentration process. Eaten together with the chocolate boosts your energy and is full of that much needed protein while also being a great mood booster!
There are plenty of other tips and tricks out there to help you with keeping creative and continuing to write your novel. A few methods are to keep a notebook with you at all times in case you think of an idea, piece of dialog that you think is so amazing, or think of character traits, names, or themes and need to write them down.
You can also use Netflix as a means of help. Yes, you read that right, YOU CAN WATCH NETFLIX. But, only do so in a practical way. I find that watching movies or TV shows that fall into the same categories as my novel really help me get into the mood for writing my story and also helps to give me ideas on what I want to happen in my novel. It could be based off a character in a movie, something the character said, a place they visit, even the title or plot of the movie that gives me one simple idea to add into my own novel. Now, don't go and copy every single little thing from those TV shows and movies! Simply use them as inspiration to help you gain ideas for your novel. Use different elements from the things you watch like themes, hobbies, the pacing, the culture, and anything else depending on your novel.
It also might be a great option to compile a list of writing prompts either by looking online to see what you can find or by creating a board on Pinterest for all your writing prompts whether it relates to plot, dialogue, theme, opening up your novel, or helping to come up with another event to play out in your story. You can print them out and stick them in a notebook, hang them up on a cork-board or stick them on your wall, or create a collage on your computer or device to have your prompts all in one place.
One last thing before I get going to continue outlining, I'll leave you all with a little tune to help you keep up the writing in November should you get discouraged!
So I hope you enjoyed this post about my resources for all your NaNoWriMo needs! If you have any other tips and tricks for writing, please leave them in the comments! Read on, bookworms! See you in the next chapter!
Hello, everyone! Today is my stop on the blog tour for Useless Bay by M.J. Beaufrand hosted by Rockstar Book Tours so a huge thanks to them for letting me be a part of the tour!
I was sent an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Down below is my review of the book as well as all the links to where you can purchase your very own copy, the author links to see what's up, and last but not least the GIVEAWAY! I hope you guys enjoy this review and be sure to enter the giveaway if you so choose to do so. Enjoy!
A gritty, psychological thriller about a mythic set of sixteen-year-old quintuplets searching for a young boy.
On Whidbey Island, the Gray quintuplets are the stuff of legend. Pixie and her brothers have always been bigger and blonder than their neighbors, as if they were birthed from the island itself. Together, they serve as an unofficial search-and-rescue team for the island, saving tourists and locals alike from the forces of wind and sea. But, when a young boy goes missing, the mysteries start to pile up. While searching for him, they find his mother’s dead body instead—and realize that something sinister is in their midst. Edgar-nominated author M. J. Beaufrand has crafted another atmospheric thriller with a touch of magical realism that fans of mystery and true crime will devour.
Rating:
PROS:
1. Can we just talk about that cover? It was pretty much the first thing that had me interested in the book and the synopsis only sealed the deal for me. I love a good mystery or psychological thriller so when I read what the book was about, I just had to sign up and hope I got the chance to review it for you guys. Needless to say, I read it, formed my thoughts, and have a few things to tell you about this book. Here's the review:
2. This book starts out in a very mysterious way, first establishing the characters then heading on into the disappearance of the boy and his mother. My first impressions on going into this book was how unique the characters were. The Gray quintuplets were described as kids who were practically a part of the island, they were birthed from the island itself, they belonged to the island and no one else. I was really interesting to hear how the townspeople thought of them and how they came off as being more magical than anything else. It had me hooked on wanting to know more about these teens as they went about searching for the missing boy, intrigued on the air of mystery they had about them.
3. The backdrop was absolutely stunning, that's the only word I can think of to describe it. The whimsical feel of Useless Bay is both enchanting and scary at the same time. The island is known for its uniqueness but also known as the island where everything dead eventually washes up on its shores. The writing only helped to really make the island something that you think only exists in your imagination even though the area is a real place in the real world. You can almost feel the mystery radiating off the book the entire time you're reading it which I seriously LOVED.
The reason why I didn't give this book a five-star rating is because even though I was addicted to the events playing out in this book, the fast pace, the themes, the mystery surrounding literally everything in this book, I did sometimes find the magic in this book and the twists to be a little confusing or unexplained. I had a few questions as to how the magic that connected the quintuplets worked and, well, I didn't really get answers at the end of the book. The twists were fun, though a little random at times, so I would've liked a little more explanations to really make me love this book
Overall, I think this mystery is just a lot of fun, magical, enchanting, and reminded me a little bit of The Vanishing Season meets Spiderwick. If you want a fun, interesting, quick read, then check this one out because it might just surprise you.
Mary Jane grew up in Gresham, Oregon. She’s a graduate of Wellesley College and has an MFA from the Bennington Writing Program. Currently she lives in Seattle with her husband, two children, and dogs. In the eighties she had a bad perm.
Family can be complicated. Especially when skeletons from the past pop up unexpectedly. For American Evie Gray, finding out her deceased mother had a secret identity, and not one of the caped crusader variety, was quite the surprise. Evie’s mom had a secret life before she was even born, one that involved tiaras.
In this modern day fairytale, Evie is on a path to figure out who her mom really was, while discovering for herself what the future will hold. Charged with her late mother’s letters, Evie embarks on a quest into her past. The first item on the list is to attend Oxford, her mom’s alma mater. There, Evie stumbles upon a real life prince charming, Edmund Stuart the second Prince of England, who is all too happy to be the counterpart to her damsel in distress.
Evie can’t resist her growing attraction to Edmund as they spend more time together trying to unravel the clues her mother left behind. But, when doubts arise as to whether or not Edmund could ever be with an untitled American, what really ends up unraveling is Evie’s heart. When Evie uncovers all the facts about her mom’s former life, she realizes her mom’s past can open doors she never dreamed possible, doors that can help her be with Edmund. But, with everything now unveiled, Evie starts to crack under the pressure of new family responsibilities and the realization that her perfect prince may want her for all the wrong reasons.
1. First off, a huge thank you to the author and Fantastic Flying Book Club for the review copy of the book! I thought this book honestly sounded like it could be really cute which is why I first wanted to review it. I'm currently in a very contemporary mood and I find myself flipping back and forth between that genre and mystery. I thought this book sounded right up my alley since it's kind of a little bit of a mystery mixed into the romance. So, before I can ramble on too much, let's get onto the review!
2. I really liked the cast of characters in this book. I thought Evie was a relatable character and she was very independent in her own right. While sometimes being a little too insecure, she was smart and devoted to finding out whatever her mother was leading her to in her letters which is why Evie decides to go to London in the first place. She was also a little bit stubborn but I honestly didn't mind that much. I also liked Edmund and thought he was a little bit of a geek which is a nice trait for a prince if you ask me. He was sweet and funny and I liked the chemistry between him and Evie. I also loved their friends and thought they were a ton of fun. I love a good group of friends in a book and I adored those little weirdos!
3. The book was very amusing and had a really nice pace. Even though it was a short book, I didn't really feel like the story was being rushed. It flowed nicely and didn't feel awkward at any point. I thought it was a fun read and perfect for fans of the classic girl-falls-for-secret-prince storyline. The book reminded me a lot of The Princess Diaries, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, and a little hint of Anna and The French Kiss. I think fans of any of those books would really like this book. It's cute, fluffy, romantic, funny, and a perfect summer or spring read, maybe even fall.
CONS:
1. While I liked this book, I was disappointed that the whole mystery surrounding Evie's mom was pretty easy to predict very early on in the book. The cover pretty much gave the secret away and I was hoping for some other surprise to pop up to make up for the spoiled secret but that didn't happen. I felt like I was just waiting for Evie to finally figure out what I had already put together and I didn't really like that.
2. I also had a little bit of an issue with the lack of research this book seemed to have when it came to how college in the UK worked. I had a couple of specific issues with it, one being that at one point Evie was having trouble with her Algebra homework when she was majoring in Art History. That was a detail I couldn't really get past since it felt out of place and inaccurate. I also felt the romance was just a tad bit rushed and I think it could've slowed down just a tad to really sell it.
Overall, I think this book is fun and it has me interested in the sequel since I ended up liking this first book more than I thought I would. The review for the sequel will be up in the next couple of weeks so be on the lookout for that! I think this book is cute and if you love a fluffy read set in a different part of the world, I would totally recommend this one!
Emily Albright's debut novel,THE HEIR AND THE SPARE, is available now from Merit Press. The sequel, EVERYDAY MAGIC, releases this November.
She's a writer, a major bookworm, a lover of romantic movies, a wife, a mother, an owner of one adorable (yet slightly insane) cockapoo, and uses way too many :).
Synopsis: For once, Maggie McKendrick just wants to control her own life. Her overbearing Hollywood director father has it all planned out for her: UCLA, law school, then working as an entertainment lawyer, preferably for him. But Maggie has other, more creative-spirit friendly, plans. Namely, Thrippletons School of Fashion and Design in England, and then onto becoming a designer, preferably a wildly successful one. The big snag in her plan? Getting it past her dad.
A movie shoot takes the family to the Scottish Highlands for the summer, and closer to Maggie’s dream school. While there, she runs into the charming Preston Browne. Maggie is intrigued and decides to bend her no guys rule—instituted after her ex used her to get close to her dad. Forced to keep secrets from Preston in order to protect the future plans she’s made, Maggie finds herself falling for the tall Brit. And for once in her life she knows that he’s interested in her, not her Hollywood connections. When Maggie's father blackmails her into dating his lead actor, she isn’t left with a choice. The biggest problem isn’t having to date hunky, mega-hottie, Ben Chambers. No, it’s praying she doesn’t lose Preston in the process.
Excelling at her dream school, Maggie’s personal life is a tangled mess. She needs to decide if living a lie is worth losing Preston or chance going against her father and facing his wrath. When the tabloids expose the truth of her fake relationship with Ben, Maggie's world is thrown into a tailspin. Ultimately, Maggie must find the courage to take risks and forge ahead on her own path.
Nithya, a vivacious, intelligent and driven college senior has always known what she has wanted: a successful career in medicine and the love of her family. She's even come to terms with the idea of an arranged marriage, a tradition her conservative Indian family has held up for thousands of years.
When a night of partying puts her on a collision course with danger, Nithya's entire life changes.
Enter James St. Clair, the smart, challenging and heartbreakingly handsome American.
As Nithya and James fall in love, she questions the future she and her parents have always planned. Now, Nithya has a choice to make: become a doctor and a good Indian bride, or step away from her family and centuries of culture to forge her own path.
The decision she comes to takes her on a journey that transforms how she sees her future, her relationships with loved ones, and how she learns to put herself back together when even her best-laid plans fall apart.
Rating:
PROS:
1. There's nothing I love more than reading YA novels that are about different cultures, especially ones that I don't know much about myself. I've always thought different cultures and countries were so cool to learn more about so when the opportunity came up to potentially review this book, I needed to jump on it! I just want to give a HUGE thanks to the author for the review copy as well as The Review Chain and all the awesome people involved! Here's my review:
2. I seriously LOVED the characters so much! I thought Nithya was such a smart and determined character who always wanted to make her family proud and treasured them and all they've done for her. She's always dreamed of becoming a doctor since she believes it's been programmed into her from birth and she's very driven and doesn't allow herself to get distracted from her goals and her school work. I also thought James was a very nice character since he was equally smart, driven, but also believed that someone's life should be decided for themselves and not what others expect from you. I thought Nithya and James had very good chemistry and both came from good families, had plans and goals for their lives and were logical in their choices. Basically, I loved them like a cute little bunny rabbit. I also loved their families, especially James' brothers who had me laughing out loud with their interactions. Just such a great cast of characters here!
3. I really loved getting insight on Nithya's culture since I don't know much about Indian customs or traditions. I've always been interested in their culture and I think this book is a nice introduction to a new culture without feeling like it's too much information at once. I found myself looking things up online that the book mentioned such as the food, the items, articles of clothing, just to get a better idea and learn more about Nithya's culture and it was really interesting. I appreciated that Nithya's family instilled in her to never forget who she was or where she came from. I think readers who like learning about new cultures from around the world will want to pick this book up.
4. I just loved the writing and the beautiful backdrop this book had set up. The descriptions of things were very beautiful and did a great job describing that the Indian culture is made up of so many colors, Nithya's even saying so herself at one point in the book. I thought the pace was nice as well and it was so easy, fun, and fast to read. I was pretty much hooked from the very beginning of the book, wanting to know what happened next to the characters and ultimately how everything wrapped up. It's been a little while since I've fallen in love with a book and this one had my heart a flutter. Annika has answered the call for diverse romance and I applaud her for doing so!
The reason I didn't give this book a five-star rating is because I would have liked to see a little more of the second love interest. Nithya isn't in a love triangle exactly but there is another boy her family has their eyes on for her. I thought there wasn't enough of Nishanth and felt he kind of just popped up whenever Nithya was with her family and then went back into being non-existant when Nithya went about her life back in her apartment. I would have loved to get to know more about him and his family. Overall, I just adored this book from the very first page and highly recommend it!
Annika Sharma was born in New Delhi and brought up in the United States, where she moved with her parents as a baby. A proud alum, she graduated from Penn State University with dual degrees in Biobehavioral Health and Neuro-Psychology, and minors in Biology and Human Development and Family Studies. She received her Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education before pursuing her dreams of becoming a writer, landing her agent Stacey Donaghy of Donaghy Literary Group while daylighting as a preschool teacher. The Rearranged Life, her first novel, was written in the month before graduate school.
Annika, a Gryffindor and Scorpio, spends much of her time dreaming of adventure, working on her next book, going on Starbucks runs with family and friends, shopping online and watching superhero movies.
Hello, everyone! Today is a very awesome day because it is my stop on the blog tour for Kiss Cam by Kiara London hosted by Xpresso Book Tours so a huge thanks to them! I myself am a Wattpad writer and I also love to read books that have been or are being published by publishers since I think it's so awesome to support your fellow writers in any you can. Needless to say, I was excited to read this one.
I was sent an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as part of this blog tour.
Down below is my review of the book, the links to where you can pre-order your copy now as well as the author's links and last but not least, the GIVEAWAY! If the cover isn't enough to make you want to read it, then please continue reading my review to see if this is a book you might want to pick up for yourself. Enjoy!
In Kiss Cam, teen author Kiara London asks, what's a little harmless kissing between friends?
Juniper, Jasper, and Lenny have been friends forever and co-own a vlog channel called WereVloggingHere. Their fans are huge "shippers" who believe that Juniper and Jasper are perfect for each other, and, despite warnings from friends and family, a simple Truth-or-Dare inspired kiss soon spirals out of control into a whole new world of making out and surprise kisses.
Juniper and Jasper's relationship begins to shift. But as fan requests for different "Kiss Cam" segments keep pouring in, Juniper puts her worries aside and convinces herself that it doesn't mean anything. After all, it's just kissing… right?
Review:
PROS:
1. I had this book in my library on Wattpad for at least two years before it was announced that it was going to be published. I know, I know, I'm more than late to the party with reading this book. When the opportunity came about to review this book, I pretty much jumped at the chance to review it since I'd been meaning to read it forever and now that it's being published, I figured now would be the perfect time before I'm any later than I already am. Here's the review:
2. I really liked the plot and pace of this book since it was pretty straightforward with the whole Kiss Cam thing from the very beginning. It was a very quick read because of the uncomplicated storyline but was also fluffy which I think makes it a nice romantic read without dealing with a ton of drama. It's light and yes, swoon-worthy with the whole will-they-won't-they storyline between June and Jasper.
3. I also liked the characters because they were a really great group of friends. I thought June was risk-taking and a bit of a tough-cookie at times. Allison was a realist and kept things in check for June whenever she started going a bit haywire and it kept the book from being too unrealistic. I thought Jasper was a fun character as well since he's very much a goofy and sarcastic person who can't take most things seriously. I have to say that Lenny was my personal favorite since he could sometimes be a little dramatic, snarky, and very much a goofball who can't hold in a laugh or giggle to save his life. Basically, I think this group of friends is goals.
CONS:
1. Despite the fact that I liked that this book was a fluffy read, I would have loved a little something like a small plot twist of any kind to add that extra punch that I felt this book really needed to go out with a bang. Sadly, even as the climax came, played out, and ended, I wasn't satisfied and was a bit disappointed that there wasn't anything to balance out the fluff.
2. This book was also a bit too predictable for my taste because it was simple enough to see where the story was headed. I think if I had gotten just a little bit of spice to shake things up a bit in the story, it would have helped me to enjoy the book a little more and question if things were going to head the way I thought they were.
Overall, I think that if you're a fan of vlogs or YouTube, I think this a great, light hearted read to pick up. It was a little bit questionable for me to believe that what June and Jasper had was real since it felt a little artificial and like they were playing with fire when it came to randomly kissing each other for a segment on their vlogs, it was still a fun read and I think it could easily be someone's new favorite book. It was also funny and had me laughing out loud many times so that's another plus.
Kiara London is the internet savvy, hopelessly romantic alter ego of Bethany Novak-Tveten, who in real life is part of the US Air Force. She started writing on the online writing site Booksie when she was thirteen and then transferred to Wattpad where her debut novel Kiss Cam was originally posted. She spends most of her time scrolling down Tumblr, attempting to read everything she can get her hands on, and drooling over fictional men.
It’s the end of summer. Just before I start senior year with my two best friends in the whole world. Dustin and Emily are everything to me. We’ve been inseparable since middle school, and when we’re together, nothing can go wrong.
But things aren’t always what they seem. Em’s turned into a drunken mess who parties too much. Dustin and I have hooked up a few times—and now he’s ready to take our relationship to the next level. Yet I’m not sure I want things to change. I’m scared if I take it any further with Dustin, our friendship will be ruined forever. Then there’s Ryan. The new guy. He’s hot. He flirts way too much. And Em has totally set her sights on him.
So when my best friend betrays me in the worst possible way, guess who’s there to help me pick up the pieces of my broken heart? Ryan. But he’s so confusing. Annoying. Sweet. Sexy. I want to trust him, yet he makes it so hard. What I really want is for everything to go back to the way it was before.
Before I found out that best friends make the worst kind of enemies.
Review:
PROS:
1. I was sent an e-copy of this book by YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. I was first interested in this book when I saw the beautiful and almost sad looking cover. The colors really roped me in and when I read the synopsis, I thought it might actually be worth reading since it sounded like it would have some good ole teenage drama. However, it was much more than just that. And not necessarily in a good way. Here's the review:
2. I'll start off with saying that it totally contains a lot of angst and isn't an easy book to predict. There were so many twists and turns in this book that it had my mouth dropping pretty much every other chapter. I was just waiting to see what the next crazy thing was that would happen to the characters and what secrets and lies would come up to the surface. Needless to say, I had no idea where this book was headed and it kept me on the edge of my seat for the most part. As a side note, this read is definitely for readers 18 and older.
CONS:
1. Oh boy, where do I even start? I guess the characters is what I'll be reviewing next. I did NOT like a single one of them except for one being Amanda. She was the only character that I found a very loyal and trusting friend who was so sweet and her romance with Jordan made my heart flutter. I'm quite interested in the next book in this series since the story will be following them instead of the main characters in this first novel. I couldn't stand any other characters besides the previous two mentioned. Just no. Olivia made the worst decisions, she was too much of a brat, and she flipped too easily back and forth between Dustin and Ryan who were both HUGE jerks. Dustin made Olivia feel guilty for things when they were his fault, Ryan came onto Olivia WAY too hard, his mouth needing a serious washing out with soap and disinfectant, and Em was probably the worst friend in existence. Everyone except Amanda and Jordan had no character development and were all backstabbers, liars, and let their emotions control them, not to mention they were bratty and full of themselves.
2. The other thing I didn't like was how rushed this book was without even having much of a plot. The whole love-triangle was the main focus and it just got way too unrealistic way too fast to add anything great to the story. Especially since the book ends in a cliffhanger and leaves things still very unclear which makes me question how this story will be wrapped up in the sequel since it will be Amanda's story instead.
Overall, this book wasn't for me in any way but if you're looking for a book that will have you tearing your hair out but still addicted to teenage drama, then go for this one. I think this book is more so for fans of 90210 or even Pretty Little Liars, neither of which I've watched in the past but I've gathered enough info to know they hold D.R.A.M.A. Some people love this book, some not to so much so it's really a toss-up depending on your personal taste in books. For me, it just wasn't a winner.
Synopsis: There's a party over at Jordan Tuttle's house tonight and everyone is there. Including...
Olivia: Who's leaving for her dad's house in Oregon tomorrow. So she plans on having the time of her life tonight with her best friends.
Dustin: Who wishes Livvy could see just how much she means to him.
Emily: Who's trying her to best to get with someone. Anyone.
Cannon: Who has an encounter with Em he won't be able to forget.
Amanda: Who's finally ready to go all the way with her boyfriend.
Tuttle: Who discovers the girl he's always secretly liked just might like him back.
Meet the cast of characters from my upcoming book JUST FRIENDS (coming September 13th!) in ONE NIGHT, my FREE short story. Hope you enjoy!
