(Blog Tour) Attempting Elizabeth, by Jessica Gray

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Kelsey Edmundson is a geek and proud of it. She makes no secret of her love for TV, movies, and--most especially--books. After a bad breakup, she retreats into her favorite novel, Pride and Prejudice, wishing she had some of the wit and spirit of Elizabeth Bennett.

One night at a party, Kelsey meets handsome Australian bartender Mark Barnes. From then on, she always seems to run into him when she least expects it. No matter how Kelsey tries, she always seems to say the wrong thing.

After a particularly gaffe-filled evening around Mark, Kelsey is in desperate need of inspiration from Jane Austen. She falls asleep reading Darcy’s letter to Lizzy and awakens to find herself in an unfamiliar place that looks and sounds suspiciously like her favorite book. Has she somehow been transported into Pride and Prejudice, or is it just a dream?

As Kelsey tries to discover what’s happening to her, she must also discover her own heart. Is Mark Barnes destined to be her Mr. Darcy? In the end, she must decide whether attempting to become Elizabeth is worth the risk or if being Kelsey Edmundson is enough.




Welcome to my stop on the Attempting Elizabeth blog tour!

Confession #1: I have never read Pride and Prejudice.  I've started it a half-dozen times, but I've never really understood the hype. 

Confession #2: I love--LOVE--Australian accents.

Confession #3: I'm a sucker for time travel/historical fiction romance.

Jessica Gray's Attempting Elizabeth is a quick, fun read that meets two of my guilty pleasures; I didn't care that it referenced a book that I hadn't read.

Kelsey is a girl after my own heart: she is a total nerd who prefers to stay home and read a good book than to hit the bars until all hours of the night.  She's endearingly awkward around Mark, and I couldn't get enough of their accidental run-ins; I would have loved to read more of these conversations.

I've often wondered what it would be like to enter the world of one my favorite books.  I would totally be friends with Eleanor & Park.  I know I'd end up a tribute in The Hunger Games.  And be placed in Hufflepuff at Hogwarts.  

So I loved reading about Kelsey's experience within Pride and Prejudice, her own favorite book.

How cool would it be to wake up with your favorite characters?  (So cool!)  How crazy would you think yourself?  (So crazy!)  Is it surprising that Kelsey thinks that she's gone insane? (So not surprising!)

The transitions between the real world and the book world were done well; even though the audience didn't have all of the information about how it was happening, it made sense within the story itself.

If you're looking to snuggle up with a book, give this one a shot.


About the Author

Jessica Grey is an author, fairytale believer, baseball lover, and recovering Star Wars fangirl. A life-long Californian, she now lives in Montana with her husband and two children, where she spends her time writing, perfecting the fine art of preschooler-wrangling, and drinking way too much caffeine.

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Just One Year (Just One Day #2), by Gayle Forman

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Equal parts romance, coming-of-age-tale, mystery and travel romp (with settings that span from England’s Stratford upon Avon to Paris to Amsterdam to India’s Bollywood) Just One Day and Just One Year show how in looking for someone else, you just might wind up finding yourself. 

After spending an amazing day and night together in Paris, Just One Year is Willem's story, picking up where Just One Day ended. His story of their year of quiet longing and near-misses is a perfect counterpoint to Allyson's own as Willem undergoes a transformative journey, questioning his path, finding love, and ultimately, redefining himself.





I have been waiting for Just One Year from the moment that I finished Just One Day.  The latter completely blew me away and I couldn't wait for Willem's POV of their time apart and their reconnection.

So imagine my surprise at the disillusionment I felt throughout the novel.  Do you see the description above?  Where it says "picking up where Just One Day ended"?  Guess what I was expecting.  FOR THIS BOOK TO PICK UP WHERE THE PREVIOUS ONE LEFT OFF.

Guess what I got?  NOT THAT.

Allyson's story in JOD was empowering and full of self-discovery.  Willem's story in JOY was all wallowing in self-pity and shacking up with other girls while he was oh-so-in-love with "Lulu."  And I just didn't buy it.

Maybe I would have felt differently if there had been more interaction between the two protagonists.  But I kept anticipating their reunion (picking up where the last one left off!!!) and felt nothing but anxiety and disappointment with each chapter.

WTF, Gayle Forman?  Your previous works have left me bleary-eyed from too much crying, but were always worth the heartfail.  This?  Bleary-eyed from near-boredom.  Had I known that I wouldn't get a whole book--or at least part of a book--with Willem and Allyson together, I'm not sure I would have read it.  And I'm really glad that I borrowed this from the library instead of purchasing it; I would have rated it lower if I had spent any money on this sequel.  As it is, three stars is being generous.

(Blog Tour & Giveaway) Play With Me, by Piper Shelly

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Ryan Hunter's parties are legend. And tonight she's going to be there.

Liza Matthews anticipates the return of her best friend and only love since kindergarten from soccer camp. But when Tony finally shows up, his mind is more focused on another girl. And worse, she's a soccer player. Fighting for the attention Liza craves, she's just a hairbreadth away from making a very stupid decision. But when extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, she's prepared to play ball to get her man.

The tryouts are hell, the first match ends bloody, and the morning after the selection party she wakes up in the worst place possible—in the arms of the captain of the soccer team. The hottest guy in school. Ryan Hunter.




Welcome to my stop on the Play With Me blog tour, hosted by Xpresso Book Tours.  Click here to check out other participating blogs. 

Coming in at just under 200 pages, this was a quick, light read; I finished the book in just a couple of hours.  I wish it had been longer!  Piper Shelly could have added another hundred pages to really flesh out the characters and give them more background.  Everything seemed to happen at warp speed and there was lack of motivation in a few spots.  I would have given Play With Me four stars had it delved deeper into the various relationships and provided more than a glimpse into the characters' lives.

I have not read the sequel, so maybe it's addressed later on.

I am concerned about the slut-shaming and fat-shaming that occurs throughout the book.  The last thing that young women need is to read about female characters who are disparaging members of their own sex.  It's already so pervasive in the media that it reinforces negative stereotypes when it's part of a YA novel.

To women everywhere: it is unfair to label another woman a "bimbo" simply because she is attractive and likes the same guy that you do.

That being said, this was a quick, fun way to spend an evening.


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Tumble & Fall, by Alexandra Coutts

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A novel about the end of days full of surprising beginnings

The world is living in the shadow of oncoming disaster. An asteroid is set to strike the earth in just one week’s time; catastrophe is unavoidable. The question isn’t how to save the world—the question is, what to do with the time that's left? Against this stark backdrop, three island teens wrestle with intertwining stories of love, friendship and family—all with the ultimate stakes at hand.

Alexandra Coutts's Tumble & Fall is a powerful story of courage, love, and hope at the end of the world.




Let's just look at the cover for a moment, shall we?  It's gorgeous!  I love the font, the cover models, and the bokeh lights.

Sadly, that's the best part of the book.  Awesome premise.  Poor execution.  What kind of father hires a prostitute for his son?  Disgusting.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Fangirl, by Rainbow Rowell

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In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister Wren ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from the fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fanfiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t I stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?




I couldn't do it.  I couldn't rush through this book, even though I wanted to devour it the moment I received it (many, many, MANY thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press).  Eleanor & Park is one of my favorite books, and I knew that I was going to love Fangirl just as much.

And I was right.

Rainbow Rowell writes the most amazing characters!  They are so real and perfectly flawed.  Cath isn't the prettiest freshman and Levi isn't the hottest guy on campus, but they are beautiful together.

I am going to purchase both the ebook and hardback copies for my shelves.  And probably the audiobook version.  Okay, definitely the audiobook version. 

Maybe I'll start my own little shrine to Rainbow Rowell in my home library.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

(Blog Tour Teasers): Jenny's Blue Velvet, by Angela Carlie

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Jenny's stuck.

She's tried just about every occupation she can think of and will be digging out of student debt for a very long time, but has nothing to show for it. Her everyday routine feels like a prison. And her marriage? Well, let's just say it's been a little one-sided lately and the money she threw down on the toys from Lover's Erotic Store was well worth it and then some.

Jenny decides her next big step is to become a romance writer. Romance books are flying off the virtual shelves, after all. This will be her big break, her escape from the prison, and a way to freedom. Self-publishing is all the rage these days. She'll be a best seller in no time.

When Jenny makes friends with a woman named Cassandra from the gym, she instantly decides that her new friend will make a perfect main character in her upcoming book. After the first chapter, real life begins to resemble the fiction she's writing. Her friendship blossoms, sex with her husband turns into a daily feast, and her job gets more interesting with each chapter written.

Out of the blue, a person who is a close friend with her husband and who is dating Cassandra disappears. As the mystery behind the missing person unfolds, Jenny wonders if she might be responsible for his possible death. And if she is, what will be the consequence? What has this writing business gotten her into?

Jenny's Blue Velvet is a dark, humorous, romantic thriller for adults only.




Welcome to my stop on the Jenny's Blue Velvet blog tour, hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. 

Ready for some fun Teasers?

I’m going to write a romance novel. I’ve never really read one, but they seem to be selling like bonbons to housewives on a hot summer day. My romance novel is going to be a bestseller. Once I figure out what it’s going to be about.

It does seem like everyone is writing a romance novel these days, doesn't it?

Leo brushed blond strands from her face. His breathing felt warm on her cheek. She could lose herself in those soft blue eyes for an eternity. They held this moment for several heartbeats, just them, alone, staring at each other as though they only now discovered how wonderful it felt to be so close. If they were to move, the world would melt around them.

*sigh*

My life should be filled with blooming flowers, singing birds, and the music of the crashing waves on the shore. I’m meant to be in a place surrounded by these things. Hawaii, to be precise. Not in a vacuum that’s sucking my soul away.

Agreed! Let's hop on a plane and go.

There’s something to say for people who have patience. What that may be, I don’t know because I don’t have it.

Oh, shit. Is she talking about me?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I’ve lived in the state of Washington my entire life. Sure, it rains a lot, but that’s what makes it so beautiful here. I’d like to say it’s the most beautiful place on the planet, but I have yet to travel the world. Someday I’ll know for sure.

I write fiction involving young people. Mainstream publishing would label my writing as YA or middle grade. Since I’m an indie author, I can skip over the labels and tell you that each one of my stories is unique, can be read and enjoyed by all ages, and almost always has a young person as the protagonist. Authors write what they know and I don’t know old yet. I may someday write about older people, but that’s so far in the future that I can’t see it yet.

Waiting on Wednesday #17: Breathless: An American Girl in Paris, by Nancy K. Miller

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that highlights soon-to-be-published books.  This week's selection is...

Breathless: An American Girl in Paris, by Nancy K. Miller
Publication date: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Seal Press
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In the early 1960s, most middle-class American women in their twenties were preparing for marriage, children, and life in the suburbs.
Breathless is the story of a girl who represents those who rebelled against conventional expectations. Paris was a magnet for those eager to resist domesticity, and Nancy K. Miller was enamored of everything French. After graduating from Barnard College in 1961, Miller set out for a year in Paris, with a plan to take classes at the Sorbonne and live out a great romantic life inspired by the movies.

After a string of sexual misadventures, she gave up her short-lived freedom and married an American expatriate who promised her a lifetime of three-star meals and five-star hotels. But her husband turned out to be a con man whose promises were lies, and she had to leave Paris behind. In an era of Vietnam anti-war protests, student unrest, and sexual liberation, Miller returned to New York to become a new woman: autonomous and creative at a time when women were only expected to look pretty and smile.

This stunning memoir chronicles a young woman’s coming-of-age tale, and offers a glimpse into the intimate lives of girls before feminism.



I want!  I want!  I want! 

I love everything that this book represents: Paris; the French; la Sorbonne; and a strong woman defying social conventions.

What are you waiting on?