Review: DAISY AND THE FRONT MAN by Rebekah L. Purdy

Daisy and the Front Man 

Backstage Pass #3

by Rebekah L. Purdy

Publication Date: June 16, 2015

Published by Entangled Crush

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

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(from Goodreads)

Hell hath no fury like a fangirl scorned…

When Daisy Morris finds out she’s spending the summer with her dad, bodyguard for Seconds to Juliet—the hottest boy band around—she knows it couldn't be more perfect. But not because she’s a fan. Oh, no. Because ever since front man Trevin Jacobs completely humiliated her by standing her up for homecoming, Daisy is out for a little revenge. Yup, Trevin Jacobs is goin' down...

When one of his bandmates bets Trevin he can't make Daisy—the gorgeous but surprisingly ice-cold daughter of their bodyguard—fall in love with him, it’s a bet he can’t resist. Sure, Daisy won’t give him the time of day for reasons he can't understand, and her dad’s hell-bent against his little girl spending time with a superstar. But the terms are set, and Trevin is determined to make Daisy fall…hard.

But every front man should know never to trust a girl with a pretty face…

My Thoughts

Daisy and the Front Man is the third novel of the Backstage Pass series and it is the first book by Rebekah L. Purdy that I’ve read. I’m always looking to read books by new-to-me authors and this book being part of a series that I adore is a bonus! I’ve fallen for this fun boy band series and was excited to read this book with the tag line “Hell hath no fury like a fangirl scorned…” I just knew it had to be good.

Like Daisy, I was stood up by a guy for a high school dance (so I could totally relate to her situation), but unlike Daisy, I didn’t seek revenge. So I wanted to know the lengths that she would go to to make Trevin pay. But there is a problem. Trevin is a nice guy and, with all of the things he does for Daisy, he makes it very easy for the reader to like him. And Daisy realizes this about him too and she starts to fall for him. But then there’s the bet . . .

I must admit the storyline of the bet didn’t really work for me. It never seemed that Trevin was taking action because of the bet. Daisy had her own reasons for not liking Trevin. The effort he put in to making Daisy like him was because he really wanted her to like him (because he liked her) - not because of some stupid bet with Ryder. This is the one thing that I didn’t like about the storyline because it just seems unnecessary.

I don’t want to stress on that too much because there are MANY things that I do like about Daisy and the Front Man like:

• The funny pranks Daisy pulls to get back at Trevin
• The moments that Daisy and Trevin were getting along - there’s this one courtyard scene that is all about the swoon!
• Bodyguard Beau
• Daisy rebuilding her relationship with her dad
• The interactions between the band members. There seemed to be more in this book than in the others.
• Oh and I love the cover too!

Daisy and the Front Man is a great continuation of this fun series. I love getting to meet the guys of Seconds to Juliet and the girls in their lives. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that they are a made up band and not a real band filling the pages of teeny-bopper magazines and “clogging” the airwaves with their bubblegum pop songs. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jesse's Girl by Miranda Kenneally - Pre-Order Promotion

 In celebration of Miranda Kenneally’s new book, Sourcebooks Fire has put together a pre-order promotion for Jesse’s Girl, which goes on-sale July 7!

Jesse's Girl

Hundred Oaks Series #6

by Miranda Kenneally

304 Pages

DESCRIPTION:

Practice makes perfect.

Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow the Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.

But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?

JESSE’S GIRL PRE-ORDER PROMOTION:

Everyone who emails teenfire@sourcebooks.com will automatically receive an email of the EXCLUSIVE Jesse’s Girl Playlist, and will be invited to attend a LIVE online author event on July 6, the day before Jesse’s Girl goes on-sale!

In addition, if you pre-order the book and send your proof of purchase (and mailing address) to teenfire@sourcebooks.com, you’ll not only get the exclusive playlist and event invite, but you’ll also receive a signed/personalized bookplate, a super-cute custom guitar pick, and entered to win a $300 gift card to TicketMaster so you can go to a concert or musical or some other fun event.   

Here are links to order a copy of Jesse’s Girl:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

Indiebound

Indigo

iTunes

Want to read an Excerpt from Jesse's Girl? Here you go!

 

Jesse's Girl Excerpt

As much as I love music, I am generally not a fan of country. I don’t like banjos. I don’t like sappy lyrics about trucks and hauling hay. Dolly Parton is my mortal enemy—my mom plays “Jolene” over and over and over and over, and it makes me want to chop my ears off like van Gogh. Yeah, yeah, I’m from Tennessee, where it’s a crime if you don’t love country, but I like deep, rumbling beats and singing loud and fast and hard. I do not like closing my eyes and crooning to a cow in the pasture. Yet here I am at a Jesse Scott concert, getting ready to meet him and to see if he’ll let me shadow him next Friday.

My school requires every senior to “shadow” a professional for a day. It’s their way of helping us figure out what kind of career we want. Like, if you want to be president when you grow up, you might get to shadow the mayor. Want to be a chef? Have fun kneading dough at the Donut Palace. When I said “I want to be a musician,” I figured they’d send me to work in the electronics section at Walmart.

I certainly never expected to shadow the king of country music.

It turns out that Jesse Scott is my principal’s nephew. Jesse won TV’s Wannabe Rocker when he was ten and has gone on to become very successful. In sixth grade, every girl in class—myself included—took the Teen Beat quiz: “Would Jesse Scott Like Your Kissing Style?” (Obviously the answer was yes.) In middle school, I had a Jesse Scott poster on my ceiling. It’s hard to believe he’s only eighteen, because he’s already won three Grammys. When he was younger, his songs were about family, fishing, and playing baseball, but lately they’re about love and making love and all things sexy.

I wouldn’t say I’m a fan anymore, but I would never give up an opportunity to learn from a professional with such a gorgeous, pure voice. I want to learn what it’s like to perform day in and day out. Despite what everyone and their mom says—that I’ll struggle as a musician—all I want is to play guitar in front of a crowd and hear people cheer for me.

I can’t believe I’m backstage at the Grand Ole Opry! I bounce on my toes. Jesus, is that an archtop Super 4, the model Elvis played? I’ve never seen one in real life. It probably cost more than my house. I’m ogling the guitar when Jesse Scott comes out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel. He pads across the room to the couch, wearing nothing but a pair of rugged jeans with more holes than Swiss cheese. The lighting is dim, and he doesn’t seem to notice I’m here, which is good, because I’ve moved from ogling the guitar to ogling him.

Who wouldn’t? He was one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People,” and it is a truth universally acknowledged that you should stare at people who’ve made that list. The guy’s gorgeous. Like in the boy-next-door way. His wet, wavy, brown hair curls around his ears and nearly hits his shoulders, and while he doesn’t have a six-pack or anything, his body is fit. I wish he’d look my way so I can see his famous brown eyes. They always remind me of those caramel chews Poppy gives me when I visit. Jesse has some sort of Gaelic symbol tattooed on his left shoulder blade. I want to reach out and trace the design.

God, get ahold of yourself, Maya. Don’t be a horndog. Besides, he’s so not my type. I don’t do pretty boys.

And to top it all off, there is a giveaway for Miranda's Breathe, Annie, Breathe. I read and reviewed this one last summer and it is my FAVORITE Hundred Oaks book (so far). There is a link to my review below. Read it and then enter for a chance to win 1 of 5 copies of Breathe, Annie, Breathe.

MY REVIEW

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Blog Tour Review: OUT OF CONTROL by Sarah Alderson

OUT OF CONTROL

by Sarah Alderson

Publication Date: May 12, 2015

Published by Simon Pulse

Pages: 320

Source: Xpresso Book Tours

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from Goodreads

A girl looking to escape her past in New York City ends up on the run from a dangerous conspiracy in this sizzling, high-stakes novel.

When seventeen-year-old Liva came to New York City, all she wanted was to escape the painful memories of her past and finally find a fresh start. Her hopes for a new future were dashed the moment she became the sole witness to a brutal murder. When she's taken into police custody - supposedly for her own protection - she realizes something isn't right, but it's too late. Soon, bullets start flying, and Liva realizes that she is not just a witness, but the target - and she needs to escape before it's too late.

With the help of a sexy car thief that she met at the station, Liva manages to get away from the massacre unharmed, but now the two of them are alone in New York, trying to outrun and outwit the two killers who will stop at nothing to find them. Liva and Jay are living on the edge, but when you're on the edge, there's a long way to fall.

My Thoughts

Out of Control is the second book I've read by Sarah Alderson. Last year, I read The Sound for two book clubs. Her writing and storytelling impressed me so much that I knew that I had to read more books by Alderson. Out of Control had my attention and had me playing detective from the very first pages. It's part mystery, part action-thriller, and all adrenaline rush. I could totally see Out of Control being made into a movie. It reads like a summer block-buster with high stakes danger, car chases, set in the streets of New York. Bring on the popcorn! I'd go see it.

Liva and Jay are put in some of the most extreme, life-threatening situations and I was nervous for them throughout the entire book. I was tense and caught myself holding my breath during scenes when I thought something terrible was going to happen. I kept wondering how bad is it going to get and were they ever going to survive this terrifying ordeal? 

I really enjoyed getting to know these characters. This is one of the things that I really liked about Out of Control, while the book is action packed, high-octane intense, it's also about this human connection between these two people who are thrown together in the most unlikely of circumstances. 

I got to learn that there is so much more to Jay than just the "sexy car thief" as he's described in the synopsis above. There's intelligence and compassion and wit. Liva doesn't have to go searching for it, it's just there. And Liva, she's pretty incredible. She is smart, observant,  and she works on instinct and experience. Plus she's a bit of a dare-devil. I loved knowing her thought processes when she made decisions, and knowing why she did what she did. 

Out of Control is a fantastic book. I can't wait to share it with my friends and I hope that they'll decide to read it too so we can discuss all of the 'Can you believe that happened?' and 'What would you have done?' moments. 

Disclaimer:  I received this e-ARC from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

About Sarah Alderson

Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and princess-obsessed daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home. After several months in India, Singapore, Australia and the US, they settled in Bali where Sarah now spends her days writing by the pool and trying to machete open coconuts without severing a limb.

She finished her first novel, Hunting Lila (winner of the Kingston Book Award), just before they left the UK, wrote the sequel on the beach in India and had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster by the time they had reached Bali.

A third book, Fated, about a teenage demon slayer, was published in January 2012.

The Sound, a thriller romance set in Nantucket, was published in August 2013 and this was followed by the critically acclaimed Outof Control in May 2014.

She also writes New Adult romance for Pan Macmillan (UK) / Simon & Schuster (US) under the pen name Mila Gray.

You can find Sarah on facebook and at www.sarahalderson.com or follow her blog at www.canwelivhere.com

Author links:

http://sarahalderson.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4573983.Sarah_Alderson

https://www.facebook.com/sarahjalderson

https://twitter.com/sarahalderson

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Review: 12 DAYS OF FOREVER by Heidi McLaughlin

12 Days of Forever
The Beaumont Series 4.5

by Heidi McLaughlin

Publication Date: February 1, 2014

Pages: 157

Source: Purchased

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from Goodreads

Even though she’s living her life-long dream and dancing on Broadway, the city is a lonely place for Yvie James. The holidays are both her favorite time of the year and the worst. A last minute decision puts Yvie in Beaumont to spend time with her family.

Alexander Knight is new to Beaumont, but he’s making the best of it. His dream of running a successful business is within his grasp, and Xander has a dedicated client base most trainers vie for. On the surface, Xander is happy, but he works long hours for nothing more than to avoid going home to an empty house.

Thrown together for Christmas shopping, holiday gatherings with friends and family, and a special anniversary party, Yvie and Xander find themselves seeking solace in each other for an unforgettable, romantic winter.

My Thoughts

There are few books that I read the same day that I acquire them, but I always read the Beaumont Series on publication day. I love the characters of this series and getting to read more about them is like visiting with old friends. I first read Yvie and Xander’s story, when it was part of a holiday anthology ALL I WANT and l was excited to know there was more to their story in 12 Days of Forever.

12 Days of Forever is a novella, just over 150 pages, but enough to satisfy my Beaumont fix until the next novel comes out. I got to see/read glimpses of what’s going on with the other characters which could become major plot points in future novels. I got to spend some time at Ralph’s and at the Westbury house with my favorite couples.

In previous novels in the series, I enjoyed parts that included Yvie and loved reading how she interacted with Harrison and the rest of the guys from 4225 West. She always fit right in and was always more that just the kid sister. Xander is the new guy in town, who is immediately immersed into the community by his working relationship with the band. Both are completely focused on their careers, but as their paths cross during the holidays, they begin to question is that enough? Do they want more and are they willing to take the chance to discover it they can find it in each other?

Over the Christmas holiday, Xander and Yvie see the love that surrounds them, and their attraction and need draws them together.  I liked reading the intimate moments and they were super steamy! Their time together is electric! Hot! Sizzling! Heidi McLaughlin knows how to write the sexytimes! Will there be more to them than just this physical connection? Only time, Heidi, and more Beaumont books will tell!

I really enjoyed this novella and I look forward to reading more about the people of Beaumont. I just love this series!

Disclaimer:  I purchased a copy of this title for my personal library and am providing my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way for providing this review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Thoughts: LEFT DROWNING by Jessica Park

LEFT DROWNING
by Jessica Park
Published by Skyscape 
Publication Date July 16, 2013
Source: Purchased
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(from Goodreads)
What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?

Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.

This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content.


My Thoughts

Left Drowning is:

• My favorite book by Jessica Park.
• One of my favorite books EVER.
• The book I reread 3 times last year.
• The book that has makes me a complete emotional mess EVERY TIME I read it.

It's the book that I was scared to read and let it sit on my shelf for far too many months (I recommended it to a friend and she read it before I did); and it is the book that I always want to read "right now" but I have to hold off because of the emotional toll it takes on me.

It's a book that I won't fully share what it means to me because it has affected me so deeply and the why is something that I want to keep to myself.

It's the book that I can't "review" but I want to tell people about it.

In April of 2013, I named Left Drowning my "Waiting on Wednesday" title because of my adoration of her books that I'd read previously:

"I have fallen in love with Jessica Park's humor and writing style with her novel Flat-Out Love and her novella Flat-Out Matt.  Now I want to read everything she writes . . . I am even more excited about her upcoming Left Drowning. It is just the kind of book that I like to read and if she puts as much care in developing her characters and their story as she did with Julie and Matt in Flat-Out Love then it is sure to be a hit."

Left Drowning is not Flat-Out Love. Blythe is not like Julie. Chris is not like Matt. If readers are looking for a story with the same quirk and humor like Flat-Out Love, they aren't going to find it in Left Drowning. The humor is there. The heart is there. The humanity is there. But it's different. It's more. That's the only way I can think to describe it, just More.

Left Drowning is a book that I will hold close to my heart. Forever.

 

Disclaimer:  I purchased a copy of this title for my personal library and am providing my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way for providing this review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's Release Day!! IF EVER I FALL by Sonya Loveday

 

This is not the way love is supposed to start… is it?  

When arriving in Scotland, Aiden Jacobson is ready to take on the task of setting up Cole Enterprise’s newest underground headquarters. But when their most-wanted criminal, Robert de Fleur, goes into hiding, Aiden is placed undercover at a local coffee shop. His mission—gather intel from Brenda Anderson, sister of Robert de Fleur, while posing as a barista at The Grounded Bean.  

Coffee shop owner Brenda Anderson needs all the help she can get when it comes to keeping the Bean up and running. Unaware of his ulterior motives, Brenda brings the mysterious and handsome Aiden in with only one thing on her mind… Airen. Maybe her gypsy-souled niece wouldn’t wander quite so far if she had someone like Aiden to keep her grounded. 

Thrown together by circumstance, Airen becomes part of Aiden’s mission when Robert de Fleur emerges from hiding, demanding something none of them can give. Knowing Robert won’t stop until he gets what he wants, Aiden is ordered to stick as close as possible to keep an eye on them.  

Staying at Brenda’s seems to be the simplest solution… until he wakes up in Airen’s bed.

  

Making a valiant attempt to shove his growing feelings aside, Aiden forces himself to walk away and protect Airen from afar. Unfortunately, his plan backfires, and Robert de Fleur uses that weakness to make his move. 

Kicking himself for allowing his feelings to get in the way of the mission, Aiden sets out to do what he should have done all along… take out Robert de Fleur once and for all. Can Aiden stick to the mission, or will Airen tear down every defense he puts in place and gain complete entrance to his heart?

 

Sonya Loveday, first and foremost is a reader, an avid one. It is of that love that brought her to purchasing her first laptop in 2009, and publishing her first novel, Casted, in 2013.

In early 2014, Sonya expanded Casted and then went on to publish Spelled, the sequel to Casted in March, wrapping up the series, and her stint with Paranormal Romance. For now.

Not long after the completion to the Casted Series, Sonya tried her hand at New Adult/Coming of Age, a sub-genre of Contemporary Romance. Thusly, the Six were born with The Summer I Fell, which released at the end of July 2014. The demand from readers was instantaneously, which brought about End Note, the second book of the series in December 2014.

To date, Sonya lives in Central Florida with her husband, and two kids, and is currently working on the fourth book of the Six Series and a super secret project with fellow author Candace Knoebel. Be sure to keep an eye out for upcoming news on Sonya's website!

You can find Sonya here:

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The Six Series

I Love Sarah Dessen Blog Tour

My First Sarah Dessen Book

Like many Sarah Dessen fans, I will always remember the first Sarah Dessen book that I ever read. It was Someone Like You and it was during the Summer of 2003. I’d just finished graduate school, I was looking for a full-time “grown-up” job, and wanted an entertaining book to take my mind off of the worries of that stress. There was a bookstore near the restaurant where I worked part-time and I grabbed up the book just about as soon as I saw it. It was the How to Deal movie bind-up which included Someone Like You and That Summer. I willingly admit that it was the upcoming movie and my love for Mandy Moore that pushed me to read it. :-)

I took the book in to work with me with the hopes of getting to read a few chapters throughout the night. I was a cashier at the restaurant and on slow nights, like that night, I could spend my time reading. Thank goodness we didn't have many customers, because once I started reading, I didn't want to stop. I loved Halley and Scarlett and their story. It touched my heart.

What I love most about Sarah’s books is that they are about so much more than romance. Sometimes it is an element of her stories, but it isn’t what motivates the characters. I love reading of the character growth as they navigate their way in the world. There is a lot of depth to her characters and their relationships and friendships.

While the movie was my initial motivation to read Someone Like You, I didn’t see How to Deal until it came out on DVD. I thought it was unusual to combine the elements of both books to make one movie. I've yet to read That Summer (hey, I can still be a Sarah fan with a few unread books on my shelves), but I want to so I can see how each book was made into the movie that I adore so much. How to Deal does have mixed reviews, but any Sarah Dessen fan (and Mandy Moore fan) needs to see it!

Sarah signing my copy of How to Deal!!

With Sarah Dessen at YALLFest 2014

Readers, Do you remember the first book by Sarah Dessen that you read? Tell me about it (in the comments below) and then enter for a chance to win another one of her books for your shelf.

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