BOOK BLITZ: Romeo & What's Her Name

ROMEO AND WHAT'S HER NAME

by Shani Petroff

Published by: Swoon Reads

Publication date: February 7th 2017

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Summary 

Understudies never get to perform

. . . which is why being Juliet’s understudy in the school’s yearly “Evening with Shakespeare” is the perfect role for Emily. She can earn some much-needed extra credit while pursuing her main goal of spending time with Wes, aka Romeo, aka the hottest, nicest guy in school (in her completely unbiased opinion). And she meant to learn her lines, really, it’s just:

a) Shakespeare is HARD,

b) Amanda, aka the “real” Juliet, makes her run errands instead of lines, and

c) there’s no point because Amanda would never miss the chance to be the star of the show.

Then, Amanda ends up in the hospital and Emily, as the (completely unprepared!) understudy, has to star opposite the guy of her dreams. Oops?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooks

EXCERPT

I stood there like a lump, waiting for my line. Finally, I turned toward Kayla and repeated, “I said, LOUDER-ETH.”
She fed me the line again. Supercrazy loud this time. “I would not for the world.”
It was so loud, the crowd heard it and started to laugh. Not the snickers from before, but those evil, full belly laughs people get when watching home videos of someone getting kicked in the groin. Wes was going to hate me for putting him through this. This torture needed to end.
“Methinks,” I said, “I could use-eth a book-eth.” Come on, Kayla. Take the hint. “You know-eth. A BOOK-ETH where-est I can recite-eth beauteous words to thee . . . thou . . . whatever. I NEED THE BOOK-ETH.”
As I was shouting that last book-eth, I got my wish. The script came sailing from off stage left and hit me in the back of the head. “Ow,” I unintentionally yelled, to the delight of the crowd. It weighed a ton.
“Sorry,” Kayla whispered. “My bad.”
I didn’t care. I’d get over the pain faster than the embarrassment I was suffering. I was just happy to have the script. At least I was until I realized Kayla hadn’t bookmarked the page I needed. It was the complete works of Shakespeare. There was no way I would find the right page. Not to mention that since the book was with me, Kayla couldn’t even feed me lines anymore. R&J wasn’t a tragedy. My life was.
I was so flunking English.
“Would thou like some help, my sweet Juliet?”
Did Wes just call me sweet? I swung around to face him, but I wasn’t paying attention to where I was stepping and my foot went right off the balcony. Wes lunged forward to catch me, but why would anything go right for me? So instead of Wes stopping me from hitting the floor, I took him down with me.
I was lying on top of Wes Rosenthal. Only, this was not like any of my daydreams. This was mortifying. I rolled off him and jumped up. “Are you okay?” I was visibly shaking.
Wes stood up, too. “Don’t worry-eth, Juliet,” he said without any anger in his voice. He even smiled at me. For a second I thought that meant he didn’t hate me for the craziness I was causing. But then I remembered he was acting. He actually took what he was doing seriously, and right now his part called for him to be in love with Juliet.
Wes said some line I assumed was to get us back on track. But I had no response. I couldn’t take it anymore. The laughter of the audience. The panic coursing through my body. The thought of making Wes suffer more. It needed to end.
So I did the only thing I could think of—something super Elizabethan. I put the back of my and to my forehead, pretended to swoon, and let my whole body fall back to the ground with a loud thump.
“I am so sorry-eth, Romeo.”
“It’s okay.” He sat down on the ground next to me and took my hand. I felt little sparks fly through me.
I shook my head. I couldn’t let him go through this anymore. “No, I know how-eth this play end-eth. I think I shall stab-eth myself now to save-eth us both.”
“Finally,” someone in the audience yelled out.
I picked up an imaginary dagger and began to plunge it into my heart.
“No,” Wes said, stopping me before I committed imaginary suicide. “Our story is not over yet. So let’s just say, ‘Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night ‘til it be morrow.’”
I was pretty sure that was supposed to be my line. But I decided I probably shouldn’t point that out. Then he stood up and walked off the stage.
After a moment, someone finally took mercy on me and brought the stage lights down.
The scene was over. But I knew all too well that my embarrassment was just beginning.

Author Bio

 

Shani Petroff is a writer living in New York City. She's the author of the “Bedeviled” series, which includes Daddy’s Little Angel, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Dress, Careful What You Wish For, and Love Struck, and is the co-author of the "Destined" series which includes Ash and Ultraviolet. She also writes for television news programs and several other venues. When she’s not locked in her apartment typing away, she spends a whole lot of time on books, boys, TV, daydreaming, and shopping online.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLOG TOUR: The Daemoniac

Today I am taking part in the Xpresso Blog Tour for The Daemoniac by Kat Ross. It is also it's book birthday making it doubly special! Happy Birthday Daemoniac, I hope you enjoy the review!!

THE DAEMONIAC

by Kat Ross

Pages: 334 paperback

Publisher: Acorn

Publication Date: October 12th 2016

ISBN: 0997236248
Received From:  Xpresso Book Tours

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

Summary 

It's August of 1888, just three weeks before Jack the Ripper will begin his grisly spree in the London slum of Whitechapel, and another serial murderer is stalking the gas-lit streets of New York. With taunting messages in backwards Latin left at the crime scenes and even more inexplicable clues like the fingerprints that appear to have been burned into one victim's throat, his handiwork bears all the hallmarks of a demonic possession.
But consulting detective Harrison Fearing Pell is convinced her quarry is a man of flesh and blood. Encouraged by her uncle, Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry hopes to make her reputation by solving the bizarre case before the man the press has dubbed Mr. Hyde strikes again.
From the squalor of the Five Points to the high-class gambling dens of the Tenderloin and the glittering mansions of Fifth Avenue, Harry and her best friend, John Weston, follow the trail of a remorseless killer, uncovering a few embarrassing secrets of New York's richest High Society families along the way. Are the murders a case of black magic—or simple blackmail? And will the trail lead them closer to home than they ever imagined?

Review

The Daemoniac was not what I was expecting but that isn't a bad thing. I was hopeful but worried it would fall a little flat of what it was offering. I was wrong. It is an interesting and compelling read that will have you asking questions from start to end.

The story follow Harry Pell as she decides to take on a mysterious case as a private detective. However, her clients believe they are hiring the well known Myrtle Pell, a renown investigator of the unexplainable cases. Although when Mr. Brady and his wife turn up at her door looking for her sister Harry decides its her turn to shine and takes the case on herself. The book follows Harry and her best friend John as they investigate the unusually timed disappearance of Mr. Brady's childhood friend... but the case turns out to be much darker and more complicated than Harry could have imagined. As the body count rises will she and her friends be able to discover what is really going on or will she have to admit defeat and call on her big sister for help? Well you'll just have to read it to find out!

The Daemoniac is one of those books where you don't know if it is supernatural or simply a psychopath on a rampage. Everything points to it being a tale of demons and black magic but logically minded Harry refuses to admit that it is more than human. You don't find out until the end if she is right or not and it is one of those stories where it could be open to interpretation. Which I personally love! I like the fact it isn't black and white as it keeps you on your toes and leaves it open for a second book... which is happening by the way!

Our protagonist is Harrison, also known as Harry and I have to admit I really liked her! She's smart and brave and at times reckless, which in YA terms always leads to an interesting adventure. She's determined to be more than Myrtle's little sister and that leads to her doing everything she can to carve out a name for herself with this case. She gets more than she bargained for but that doesn't mean it's beyond her. Harry will fight to prove she has worth of her own and throughout the course of the book you can't help but back her.

This was a book of two halves for me. The first half was okay but it was a slow starter which made it difficult to get into at the beginning. However, the second half of the book put me through the ringer! It is one of those stories where you can't see where its going to end up and leaves you with a thousand and one questions while you're reading it. Is it supernatural? It is not? Is it demonic or is it simply a psychopath? I didn't know what was coming next and the ending was a surprising one, but I am so glad I stuck with it because it turned out to be a good read. I still have one line in particular on repeat in my head sending shivers down my spine even now...

"Billy was... delicious"

 

**I received this book as an ARC from Xpresso Book Tours to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

Author Bio

Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She lives in Westchester with her kid and a few sleepy cats. Kat is also the author of the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day (Skyscape, 2014), about a world where the sea levels have risen sixty meters. She loves magic, monsters and doomsday scenarios. Preferably with mutants.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

BOOK BLITZ: DOTS

Dots
by Angie M. Brashears

Publication date: October 1st 2016

Genres: Adult, Contemporary

This is a story about two strangers with nothing but grief in common.
Mason is great at connecting dots in other people’s life’s, but not so much in his own. His website, The F#ck it List, is all about connecting sexual requests. Matching never have I ever’s like a pair of socks. Efficiently. All in an effort to raise money for charity. That’s all he wants, to give. Why is that so hard?
Chloe’s in denial, but that’s not going to make the cancer go away. When her doctor gives her an expiration date, she can’t deny it any longer. It’s time to break the news to family and her best friend. She thought she’d have more time. There’s things she needs to say. She needs to be heard, but not by her loved ones. They’ve got enough on their plates with the diagnosis.
Two Months? Not long enough to do anything except…dig the hole.
It’s time.
This is Chloe’s story and how she copes with the end.
Just as there is a song for every occasion, Chloe has a friend for every occasion.
A pity party friend.
A truth friend.
A fixer friend.
And an end friend. Mason.
Mason and Chloe have nothing in common but grief. Two dots, floating in a sea of sorrow.
He’s lost his mother. She’s losing the fight.
When the end is near, is it too late for a new friend?
One woman’s end journey. Even when it’s time to get your affairs in order, it’s never too late for an “end” friend. Someone that will listen? Share your burden, so the family doesn’t have to. Help with the mess she’s created by keeping secrets. Be there for her best friend, a shoulder to cry on when the time comes.
It’s one thing to donate money to a cause.
What about your time, heart and soul? How much should you be expected to give?
If a stranger asked, could you be an end friend?

Goodreads / Amazon / Angie M. Brashears Pre-Order Form

Until October 1, 2016  50% or 5.00 from each print book goes to Avon Walk for Breast Cancer!

EXCERPT

All your weight, it falls on me. It brings me down.Truer words have never been spoken. My family and their feelings, that’s the weight of my world on my shoulders right now. How am I supposed to tell my overprotective mother, who freaks out over a sniffle…that, I’m…dying? My brother, Ronny, out doing his job, protecting us, battling on the front lines. Is it fair to distract him from his task at hand? Maybe he gets killed, or maybe his buddy takes a bullet? Why, so I can feel better? What about dad? Thoughts of the man that stuffs a pink can of mace and rape whistle in my stocking every year, and my burden just got heavier. And last but not least, my best friend, Lola. We’ve been the odd couple since the tampon video in fourth grade. Neat as pin, she never has loose ends, never commits to anything, no tangles no mess. That’s where I come in. I’m a friggin mess. Everything I touch gets smudged. Or at least, I’ve been told that, since as far back as I can even remember leaving a mess. Possibly, Lola’s bored with her muted tones life, maybe that’s why she steps into my sunshine and rainbows. Cluttered with dust motes, dancing on sun rays, like spritely fairies. Could be. So, what happens when I tell her I’m taking the sun with me? Some days, I can’t get off this sagging futon. Between the pain, the isolation, the guilt, the secret… I just can’t. I look at the website again. The F#ck It List. A place to put your Never have I ever… and you’ll be matched with the right person for you. I’m not interested in the sexual stuff. I’m so over that, and besides, my boyfriend, well, not boyfriend, stops by twice a week and we’re compatible enough as it is. And he’s another one. I broke up with him, so I wouldn’t have to paste a smile on twice a week and pretend like my world’s not falling apart. I love him, but man, does he need a lot of coddling. I haven’t brought myself to click past the privacy screen. That’s not what I’m interested in. The thing my nurse keeps talking to me about. My chemo nurse, Courtney, whispered to me. “You need someone to talk to, get things off your chest. I know you don’t want to burden your family, Chloe, but who takes your burden?” I shrugged, not really caring one way or the other. “I’ll be dead soon, so who cares? They can bury it with me.” She smacked my hand, the one without the IV. She was the one who had to poke around for an hour to find it, so she was protecting it like gold. But her words were kind. “Just like that. Who do you get to say those things too? You’re too worried about acting normal for your chemo buddy over there.” Em’s on her phone. She hates needles. I do too. “You need someone to hear you and not your cancer, you got me?” Her eyes look so compassionate, so loving I nod. She rests her hand on top of mine. I didn’t realize I was crying. “It’s my first time, I’m still a rookie.” I blubber out. She produces a tissue box from thin air and rubs my hand. “I have a friend; grandson has a website.” She lowers her voice. “It’s like a sex something or other,” then she’s back to full volume, “but that’s just to raise money for charity. I know she said he’s always looking for people with illnesses to help. “I guess my face must look funny, because she feels the need to add, “not like murder or anything like that.” I laugh. “Honestly, I was just wondering when this nausea would start to go away.” She nods, and squeezes my hand. “It doesn’t.” Later, when I’m pumped full of poison, she presents me with a gift bag. It’s got Band-Aids and syringes all over it. “Wow, Courtney how’d you know it was my birthday?” She laughs, “Well it kind of is. It’s your Chemo-day. You’re very first. Congratulations, kiddo, you made it through. Enjoy. Inside is the softest, most luxurious cashmere blanket. Pink, with raised dots. “Very chic, Courtney. I love it!” She hugs me and wraps it around my shoulders. “For the chills,” she whispers in my ear and I nod. She reaches in the bag and takes out a box of masks. “Remember your nadir.” There’s hard candies to suck on, for when my mouths dry. And an oral bag! With a rainbow toothbrush. “Thanks so much, I would’ve never thought of any of this. On the very bottom, a free month membership to Netflix. “For when you can’t make it out, but still want to watch something.” “I’m touched, really.” I use my new blanket, to wipe away a tear. “But I’ll have to read up on the rules, I don’t know a thing about Netflix.” As I leave, in search of my chemo buddy, who I haven’t seen in the last thirty minutes, Courtney calls out to me. “Chloe, did you want me to check on that thing, Mason’s website?” I think about it. I’ve got nothing better to do. “Sure.” That was four months ago. I’ll never see her again, chemo’s done dude. I’ll miss her. But not in the add another brick to the pile way. No, I’ll miss having someone who listens with their whole self. Two dots, connected by Courtney.

Author Bio

Angie M Brashears is a lover of everything books. When not writing, she's reading anything she can get her hands on. She grew up in Southern California, and loves the mountains, hiking with her dogs, the beach, and of course, Disneyland! She loves music, and loves singing along to the radio, loud and off-key, performing for anyone unlucky enough to be in the passenger seat.
Angie loves dark and twisted, which she refers to as Dark Ever After books, but is known to read an occasional HEA story as well. When she's not writing, she working, saving lives. A busy Trauma ER nurse for over twenty years, she gets enough reality in her life, and is always looking for a story to take her away from the harsh reality of Emergency Nursing.
If there's football on, she sure to have a huge party going on to cheer her team on...Go Patriots!
As a new author, she'd love to hear from you!

Amazon / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Post: Gypsy

Today I'm taking part in the Xpresso Book Tour Gypsy blog tour. This book is so good and here's everything you need to know about it, as well as my review and a little giveaway thanks to Xpresso. 

Enjoy! x

GYPSY

by Trisha Leigh

Publication date: May 13th 2014

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult

BUY: Amazon, B&N

Summary

Inconsequential: not important or significant.Synonyms: insignificant, unimportant, nonessential, irrelevant
In the world of genetic mutation, Gypsy’s talent of knowing a person’s age of death is considered a failure. Her peers, the other Cavies, have powers that range from curdling a blood still in the vein to being able to overhear a conversation taking place three miles away, but when they’re taken from the sanctuary where they grew up and forced into the real world, Gypsy, with her all-but-invisible gift, is the one with the advantage.
The only one who’s safe, if the world finds out what they can do.
When the Cavies are attacked and inoculated with an unidentified virus, that illusion is shattered. Whatever was attached to the virus causes their abilities to change. Grow. In some cases, to escape their control.
Gypsy dreamed of normal high school, normal friends, a normal life, for years. Instead, the Cavies are sucked under a sea of government intrigue, weaponized genetic mutation, and crushing secrets that will reframe everything they’ve ever been told about how their "talents" came to be in the first place.
When they find out one of their own has been appropriated by the government, mistreated and forced to run dangerous missions, their desire for information becomes a pressing need. With only a series of guesses about their origins, the path to the truth becomes quickly littered with friends, enemies, and in the end, the Cavies ability to trust anyone at all.

Review

I don't know what I was expecting going into Gypsy. I haven't read anything by this author before and even though I had seen some pretty great reviews I wasn't really sure what was going to happen. Although I'm thrilled that I gave this book a shot because I loved it. The plot was exciting and full of twists and turns. The characters were all unique and well thought through with their own strengths and weaknesses making them come alive on the page. In general it was just a really fun and intriguing read with some rather dashing book boyfriends to boot!

The book itself follows a group of teens as they are taken from the only home they have ever known and the people they consider their family. These kids, Cavies as they like to call themselves, are no ordinary kids. They all have superhuman powers that at times can be a danger to not just themselves but also the rest of the world. Now away from the plantation this group of kids have to learn to live a normal life with their biological families (if they have them). However, the normalcy doesn't last long and for Gypsy and her friends to find out the truth about who they are and why they were really forced to live on the plantation their whole lives they will have to risk everything. 

This book started off with a really strong x-men feel to it, I was actually kind of waiting for Professor X to come rolling out in his wheelchair at one point. However, this quickly changed as the group of misfit mutants were taken away from their home. 

Gypsy is out main protagonist and out of this bunch of mutants she is the least fatal. She has the power to see when people are going to die. One touch and Gypsy will see the age in which you'll finally kick the bucket, which, even though awkward and challenging isn't likely to kill anyone. Unlike Mole who is a walking detonator! However, when Gypsy starts her new life she accidentally bumps into a boy name Jude seeing his number clear as day in her mind. 18. But here's the question, can she find a way to save him? 

There was one aspect of the story that I really liked and that was the whole 'clubhouse' idea as it constantly connected us as the reader to the idea that these teens are mutants, not that you ever really forget, but I liked that fact that the group were connected in some way even after they got taken away from the only place they've ever called home. 

Overall I really liked this book. It never stopped moving and it constantly gave us as the reader new pieces of the puzzle to digest as the plot thickened. There was never a lull in the story, never a moment wasted with frivolous information. It's action packed and the characters are captivating and easy to get lost in. Well worth the read. 

**I received this book as an ARC from Xpresso Book Tours to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

About Trisha

Trisha Leigh is a product of the Midwest, which means it’s pop, not soda, garage sales, not tag sales, and you guys as opposed to y’all. Most of the time. She’s been writing seriously for five years now, and has published 4 young adult novels and 4 new adult novels (under her pen name Lyla Payne). Her favorite things, in no particular order, include: reading, Game of Thrones, Hershey’s kisses, reading, her dogs (Yoda and Jilly), summer, movies,  reading, Jude Law, coffee, and rewatching WB series from the 90’s-00’s.

Her family is made up of farmers and/or almost rock stars from Iowa, people who numerous, loud, full of love, and the kind of people that make the world better. Trisha tries her best to honor them, and the lessons they’ve taught, through characters and stories—made up, of course, but true enough in their way.

Trisha is the author of The Last Year series and the Whitman University books. She’s represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

    

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Post: Not Quite Dead

Today I'm taking part in the Xpresso Blog Book Tour for Not Quite Dead by Lyla Payne. Here's everything you need to know about the book and why you might want to add it to you TBR pile.

NOT QUITE DEAD

by Lyla Payne

Publication Date: April 1st 2014

Publisher: Createspace

Genres: Mystery, New Adult, Paranormal

Summary

A broken engagement sends Graciela Harper crawling back to Heron Creek with her tail between her legs, but finds the sleepy little town too changed to set her life right. Not even her budding drinking problem can obscure her Gramps’s failing health, or erase the mental picture of her first love happily married to her childhood best friend. To top it all off, she’s having a heck of time convincing the town’s dashing young mayor of her unfit-for-dating status.
When the ghost of 18th century lady pirate Anne Bonny starts insisting on a near daily audience, Graciela has to confront something else she never expected—being certifiably nuts at twenty-five years old.
Her brand new "I don't give a crap" attitude makes it easy to dismiss the mysterious threats that seem to be tied to her search for more information on the long dead pirate, but when her family becomes a target, Gracie knows she needs to find out why the ghost insists on being a constant, reeking companion. 
If Graciela can put aside her prejudice against people without a pulse, she may discover that Anne Bonny’s problems are intricately linked with her own. The past harbors answers could help the cantankerous spirit find closure, but she is, after all, already dead. If Graciela doesn’t move fast, she might find herself doing the haunting, instead of the other way around.

Buy Links

AMAZON || B&N

Review

An exciting and touching story that will have you flipping through its 257 pages in no time, as well as reaching for the tissues, laughing like a crazy person and feeling just about every emotion in between. It has a ghost to dye for - pun totally intended - and a protagonist you can't help but get behind. If you're looking for something a little bit different, then this is the book for you. 

This is a book about friendship and learning how to trust again. 

Okay so it had its cliché moments, I mean do cheating partners always have to get caught that way? But that doesn't take away from the story. I mean every book has the odd over used moment these days so it's hard to left it affect the overall book.

I think the main thing that needs to be said about this book is that it's more than your average ghost story. The ghost, Anne, is a rich and three-dimensional character that is just as enticing as the main character Graciela. 

Speaking of Graciela… okay so maybe she was a little hard to connect with in the beginning but throughout the story she develops and her growth as a character is moving. She has to be able to let go of her prejudice and accept a lot of new truths but she becomes a woman that you can't help but root for.

Overall a great addition to the paranormal genre and if that wasn't enough there’s a sequel on its way! 

**I received this book as an ARC from Xpresso Book Tours to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**

About Lyla

Lyla Payne has been publishing New Adult romance novels for a little over a year, starting with Broken at Love and continuing with the rest of the Whitman University series. She loves telling stories, discovering the little reasons people fall in love, and uncovering hidden truths in the world around us - past and present. In her spare time she cuddles her two dogs, pretends to enjoy exercising so that she can eat as much Chipotle as she wants, and harbors a deep and abiding hope that Zac Efron likes older women. She loves reading, of course, along with movies, traveling, and Irish whiskey. Lyla's hard at work, ALWAYS, and hopes to bring you more Whitman University antics and at least one more Lowcountry ghost tale before the end of the year.

Lyla Payne is represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

If you want to know more, please visit her website! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway