Release Week Blitz: WALK THE EDGE by Katie McGarry - Review and Giveaway

   

One moment...That’s all it takes to change your life.

What happens when your entire future is on the line because of one reckless moment? This is what Breanna Miller and Thomas “Razor” Turner have to face in Katie McGarry’s WALK THE EDGE. Blackmail, family secrets, future plans on the verge of collapsing, two people who aren’t supposed to be together fall in love, and the power of social media in defining who you are when you’re not even sure who that person is yet…Join the Club and and immerse yourself in the world of the Reign of Terror. Pick up WALK THE EDGE today!

   

One moment of recklessness will change their worlds

Smart. Responsible. That's seventeen-year-old Breanna's role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyberbully's line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas "Razor" Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don't belong. But when he learns she's being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it's time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he'll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she'll help him seek answers to the mystery that's haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they're both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they're going from here.

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MY THOUGHTS

I'm in complete awe with how Katie McGarry continues to write stories that touch my heart. Her books are some of my favorites, and I don't think you can have too many favorite books and I'm happy to add Walk The Edge to that ever-growing list. 

What I liked about Walk the Edge:

• Defining the meaning of family - sometimes you have to seek out your family and sometimes they find you
•  The importance of relying on other people, depending on other people. You can't solve your problems all on you own and it's ok to take a chance and trust that there are others who are on your side. There is strength in that.
• The love and openness between Razor and Breanna - all of their feelings were new and overwhelming and exciting and they didn't shy away from it. It was a joy to experience them falling in love with eachother
• How McGarry explores a complicated relationship Breanna has with her sister, Clara. It is more that just sibling rivalry. 

Memorable Quotes:

"I'll tell you what," he continues. "If you want wild -- if you want a kiss that breaks the rules, I'll give you one, but not here, not now." - Razor is smooth. And oh, the promise of what's to come!

"No, I'm saying that I'm not okay with hurting people even if they've hurt me." - Breanna knows pain and knows that inflicting it on others isn't going to make her feel better. This is just one of the many reason to love her.

"The pressure of her delicate fingers us heavier than most weights I've lifted. It's like holding on to a promise and it causes me to be nervous." - Razor's connection to Breanna and here you can tell that she's someone who is important to him.

As easy it is to fall for Razor and Oz with their heart-stopping, swoon-worthiness, it's just as easy to fall for and admire the girls. They are fierce and filled with strength and courage and compassion. And passion. I've loved getting to know Breanna and am so glad that Emily from Nowhere But Here made a reappearance. And Violet - I'm just itching to get to know her story. 

I loved Walk the Edge. I'm invested in the characters and their stories and want more. Always more. 

And don’t miss the first book in the Thunder Road Series,

NOWHERE BUT HERE!

    

"There's something about McGarry's writing that's totally enthralling. Her characters are vivid, flawed and riveting, making this is a truly amazing read!"
~ RT Book Reviews 

"Katie McGarry is a master of her craft! Raw emotion, pure grit, I hang on every word. Her characters are real people with real problems and I cheer them every step of the way. Ready for a new addiction? Look no further than Katie McGarry's books."
~ Gena Showalter, Bestselling author of Firstlife 

"I finished WALK THE EDGE by the amazing Katie McGarry. It was SO good that now I feel bereft. I already miss Razor & Bre - I need to know more! She is by far my #1 favorite author. She paints a picture with the words, puts you IN the story... LOVE."
~ Lori Foster, New York Times Bestselling Author

 

DON’T MISS THIS AWESOME INCENTIVE OFFER FOR AN EXCLUSIVE ECHO AND NOAH SHORT STORY!

Order WALK THE EDGE, Register your Order by April 1st and receive an exclusive Echo and Noah short story and a chance to be in the next Thunder Road novel! Register at https://offerpop.com/campaign/796530.

About Katie McGarry: Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

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Waiting on Wednesday: GEORGIA PEACHES AND OTHER FORBIDDEN FRUIT by Jaye Robin Brown

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

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

GEORGIA PEACHES AND OTHER FORBIDDEN FRUIT

by Jaye Robin Brown

Publication Date August 30, 2016
Published by HarperTeen

 432 pages

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Joanna meets the perfect girl for her and must decide whether to break a promise that could change everything for her and her family or lose out on love in this charming young adult romance that’s perfect for fans of Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’ and Becky Albertalli’s Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.

Joanna Gordon has been out and proud for years, but when her popular radio evangelist father remarries and decides to move all three of them from Atlanta to the more conservative Rome, Georgia, he asks Jo to do the impossible: to lie low for the rest of her senior year. And Jo reluctantly agrees.

Although it is (mostly) much easier for Jo to fit in as a straight girl, things get complicated when she meets Mary Carlson, the oh-so-tempting sister of her new friend at school. But Jo couldn’t possibly think of breaking her promise to her dad. Even if she’s starting to fall for the girl. Even if there’s a chance Mary Carlson might be interested in her, too. Right?

Why I'm Waiting

Last year at her signing for No Place to Fall Jaye Robin Brown shared a little bit about this book and it immediately caught my attention and I knew I would want to read it. It doesn't come out until August, but it definitely sounds like it is worth waiting for.

Mini Reviews: VANISHING GIRLS, NOWHERE BUT HERE, and NUTS

A collection of mini-reviews, quick thoughts, and books worth mentioning. Check them out!

VANISHING GIRLS by Lauren Oliver

Publication Date: March 10, 2015

Pages: 357

Source: Purchased

Rating: 5 of 5
Synopsis

My Thoughts

An extremely well crafted story. I enjoyed the mystery and complexity of it. I had to pay close attention the the chapter headings to know the timeline and character perspective, but this kept me on my toes.

NOWHERE BUT HERE by Katie McGarry

Publication Date: May 26, 2015

Pages: 496

Source: Purchased

Rating: 5 of 5

Synopsis

My Thoughts:
A wonderful series starter that was so full of secrets that I couldn't stop reading until they were revealed. I loved Emily and Oz and their story. Nowhere But Here is sexy and satisfying and has one of my favorite endings. I can't wait to get to know the rest of the characters in the Thunder Road series. Loved IT!!!!

NUTS by Alice Clayton

Publication Date: October 20, 2015

Pages: 308

Source: Purchased

Rating: 5 of 5
Synopsis

My Thoughts
This book kept me in stitches. It is hilarious! Nuts was a book-club selection (my choice). Wallbanger was such a big hit (pun intended) that we wanted to read another book by Alice Clayton. It was fun to read-along with my friends and giggle and swoon and wish we had some of the yummy cakes from Roxie's diner. Roxie's inner dialogue and conversations with her friends cracked us up! We're already looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 

Review: BEST FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS by Candy Sloane

BEST FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

Most Likely To #1

by Candy Sloane

Publication Date: March 14, 2016

Published by Entangled: Brazen

Pages: 196
Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

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from Goodreads

Valerie Barkin and Alec Rogers survived bullies, awful parents, and seriously shitty social standing the only way best friends can—together. But with the unexpected sexual tension suddenly flaring between them, surviving their ten-year high school reunion might be a different story…

Val hasn’t changed. She still feels like the stringy-haired band geek the popular kids teased, but Alec has definitely changed. He’s now the front man for the Grammy-winning rock band Chronic Disharmony, with the sexual reputation to match. And he’s more than willing to help Val rock the reunion. 

And then it happens—a drunken game of Seven Minutes in Heaven—and their fourteen-years-long foreplay comes crashing to the forefront…changing everything.

Seven minutes turns into a weekend of mind-blowing, no-strings-attached sex. But these best friends won't be able to leave their hearts out of it forever, not when the most meaningful benefit could change their relationship for good....

My Thoughts

What I've said to my friends after reading Best Friends with Benefits:

"You need to read this book - hot sexy times! You need it, you'll love it. And then you'll thank me."

"I've read the book and loved it, totally stand behind it, die laughing from it, want the guy on the cover - not really him, but the character he is supposed to portray."

"I loved it! I need more Candy Sloane books! Seriously, loved it. It was sweet and sexy and adorable and just right. I've already recommend it to my BFF!"

As evidenced above, I have only good things to say about Best Friends with Benefits. I loved how it made me laugh over and over again like I knew that I would. Candy Sloane has a knack for perfectly balancing humor, heat, and heart. 

If you like the friends to more than friends trope, you'll want to add Best Friends with Benefits by Candy Sloane to your TBR list! It's definitely another one for the 18 and over crowd! That means me!

Disclaimer:  I received this e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. I've also purchased a finished copy for my personal library. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

THE DARKEST LIE by PinTip Dunn - Excerpt and Giveaway

 

 I'm thrilled to take part in the Excerpt Blitz for Pintip Dunn's upcoming YA thriller, THE DARKEST LIE! Check out the book below, along with the teaser excerpt, and be sure to enter the giveaway!

THE DARKEST LIE 

by Pintip Dunn 

Publisher: Kensington 

Publishing Release Date: June 28, 2016

“The mother I knew would never do those things.
  But maybe I never knew her after all.”

 Clothes, jokes, coded messages…Cecilia Brooks and her mom shared everything. At least, CeCe thought they did. Six months ago, her mom killed herself after accusations of having sex with a student, and CeCe’s been the subject of whispers and taunts ever since. Now, at the start of her high school senior year, between dealing with her grieving, distracted father, and the social nightmare that has become her life, CeCe just wants to fly under the radar. Instead, she’s volunteering at the school’s crisis hotline—the same place her mother worked.

As she counsels troubled strangers, CeCe’s lingering suspicions about her mom’s death surface. With the help of Sam, a new student and newspaper intern, she starts to piece together fragmented clues that point to a twisted secret at the heart of her community. Soon, finding the truth isn’t just a matter of restoring her mother’s reputation, it’s about saving lives—including CeCe’s own…

  Goodreads | Pre-order from Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

“This one will tug your heart and leave you breathless!” --Natalie D. Richards, author of Six Months Later

Excerpt from THE DARKEST LIE

It’s time to view the body. Family first.

Well, technically, me first. There was always only three of us in the nuclear unit, and 

Dad’s been locked in the den for the past seventy-two hours. I’ve only seen him once, when he 

shuffled upstairs like a pajama-clad zombie and asked me if I’d eaten.

That was it: Did you eat?

Not: I prefer the cherry wood casket. Or: Let me make your grandma’s travel 

arrangements. Or even: I know this was Mom’s favorite dress, but isn’t the neckline a 

little...low?

Did I eat?

Yes, Dad. I had soup from the can and microwaved pizza rolls and a bowl of cereal. The 

food sloshes in my stomach now as I walk down the runner to the casket I picked out because of 

its mauve tint.

Calla lilies pile in urns around the viewing room, and the air-conditioning wars with the 

sweat along my hairline. My mom smiles at me from a portrait erected behind the casket. Her 

eyes are hesitant and a little wary, as if she knew, somehow, some way, she would wind up here. 

Lifeless. Pumped full of formaldehyde. About to be gawked at by a town full of gossips.

This was only going to end one of two ways—with Tabitha Brooks dead or in jail. I never 

thought I’d say this, but I’d give anything to see my mother behind bars.

I wade through the dense, chilly air and stop a few feet from the body. Behind me, my 

grandmother and aunt sit, a box of tissues between them, blowing their noses like it’s a sport. 

“Look at our Cecilia,” Gram sniffs. “So brave. Not a single tear shed.”

If she only knew. I’m not brave. Fifteen minutes ago, I was retching into the toilet bowl. 

Five minutes from now, when the doors open for the visitation, I’ll be long gone, leaving Gram 

to shake people’s hands and deal with the bit lips, the knowing eyebrows, that inevitable 

speaking-in-a-funeral-parlor whisper. I can hear the titters: “Is it true? Tabitha’s heart stopped 

while she was boffing the high school quarterback? Why, she must’ve been twenty years his 

senior!”

Twenty-three years, to be exact, and a high school English teacher to boot. But she didn’t 

actually die during sex. Instead, a few days after Tommy Farrow came forward with their affair, 

my mother took her own life.

What could be a clearer admission of guilt? She might as well have been caught in the 

act. The investigation was shut down before it even began.

I take a shuddering breath. Two more minutes. A hundred and twenty seconds and then I 

can leave. I steel my shoulders and walk the final steps to my mother’s body.

Oh god. It’s even worse than I thought.

The room whirls around me, and nausea sprints up my throat. My hands shoot out to grab 

the casket, stopping short of actually touching the corpse.

This . . . this thing . . . can’t be my mother. She never smiled like that, all serene and 

peaceful-like. She never wore this much makeup; her red hair was never chopped so closely to 

her head. My mother was chaos and passion, devastation and joy. Dad used to say you could 

reach deep into her eyes and pull out a song.

Well, her eyes are closed now, and I’m not sure there’ll be any music in my life, ever 

again.

About the Author

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Pintip Dunn graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School, where she was an editor of the YALE LAW JOURNAL. She also published an article in the YALE LAW JOURNAL, entitled, “How Judges Overrule: Speech Act Theory and the Doctrine of Stare Decisis,” Pintip is represented by literary agent Beth Miller of Writers House. She is a 2012 RWA Golden Heart® finalist and a 2014 double-finalist. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Washington Romance Writers, YARWA, and The Golden Network. She lives with her husband and children in Maryland. You can learn more about Pintip and her books at www.pintipdunn.com.

Giveaways (2!)

 

 One winner will receive a prize pack including the following 5 books: Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn; Six Months Later by Natalie Richards; Find Me by Romily Bernard; and From Where I Watch You by Shannon Grogan; Lies I Told by Michelle Zink 

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The Darkest Lie

by Pintip Dunn

Giveaway ends March 28, 2016. See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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Waiting on Wednesday: ALL IN PIECES by Suzanne Young

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

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

ALL IN PIECES

by Suzanne Young

Publication Date November 8, 2016
Published by Simon Pulse

272 pages

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From New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Young comes a heartrending new novel about a girl struggling to deal with anger issues while taking care of her younger brother with special needs.

“Anger-management issues.”

That’s how they classified Savannah Sutton after she stuck a pencil in her ex-boyfriend’s hand because he mocked her little brother, Evan, for being disabled. That’s why they sent her to Brooks Academy—an alternative high school that’s used as a temporary detention center.

The days at Brooks are miserable, but at home, life is far more bleak. Savvy’s struggling to take care of her brother since her mom left years ago, and her alcoholic dad can’t be bothered. Life with Evan is a constant challenge, but he’s also the most important person in the world to Savvy.

Then there’s Cameron, a new student at Brooks with issues of his own; a guy from a perfect family that Savvy thought only existed on TV. Cameron seems determined to break through every one of the walls Savvy’s built around herself, except if she lets herself trust him, it could make everything she’s worked so hard for fall apart in an instant.

And with her aunt seeking custody of her brother and her ex-boyfriend seeking revenge, Savvy’s fighting to hold all the pieces together. But she’s not sure how much tighter she can be pulled before she breaks completely.

Why I'm Waiting

I'm fairly new to Suzanne's books. The only one I've read is Poet Anderson  . . . of Nightmares. I really enjoyed it and want to read more of Suzanne's books. I'm a huge contemporary fan, so this one sounds just right for me. It won't be published until November, but I don't mind waiting.

Have you read any of Suzanne's books? Which ones are your favorites?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Spring TBR

Image credit: The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists. I am too so that is why I am participating this week.

Top 10 Books on My Spring TBR

1. Walk The Edge by Katie McGarry

2. Ask Me How I Got Here by Christine Heppermann

3. Will's Story: A No Place to Fall Novella by Jaye Robin Brown

4. Flirting with Fame by Samantha Joyce

5. The New Guy (and Other Senior Year Distractions) by Amy Spalding

6. Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige

7. The V-Word by Amber J. Keyser

8. My Kind of Crazy by Robin Reul

9. November 9 by Colleen Hoover

10. Nuts by Alice Clayton

Blog Tour: THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE by Kathy Parks - Q&A and Giveaway

I'm pleased to host Kathy Parks today as part of THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE Blog Tour. I'm currently reading THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE and it is just as good as I imagined it would be and am looking forward to sharing my thoughts. After reading my Q&A with Kathy, you'll have a chance to enter to win a copy of your own. 

THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE
by Kathy Parks
Published by Katherine Tegan Books
Publication Date: March 1, 2016
Pages 336
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ABOUT THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE:

Some people might say that Denver had a death wish. Why else would she have dared to sneak into a Malibu beach party where she’d be surrounded by enemies, namely including her ex-BFF Abigail?

Oh yeah. Croix. Denver never thought in a million years he’d ask her out, but who was she to question this miracle of fate? Well, that wasn’t the only surprise fate had in store.

During the party a tsunami hit the coast of California, wiping out everything in its path. Denver and a handful of others escaped death by holding onto the roof of the house and were swept out to sea. Of course, one of her fellow castaways was none other than Abigail, who could barely stand the sight of her.

Now that she’s floating in the ocean, stuck on a small boat with the most popular kids in school and waiting to be rescued, Denver wonders what might kill her first-dehydration, sunstroke, or the girl she used to think of as a sister?

A hilariously dark and twisted story that sparkles with a remarkably fresh voice, The Lifeboat Clique is Kathy Park’s irreverent yet insightful novel about how to survive in the most unthinkable circumstances.

Welcome Kathy!!

Have you always been a writer? Did you keep a journal or write stories or poetry when you were younger?
I used to write poems when I was a child. They were usually dark. I remember I coined the term “pebbles of dismay” when I was about eight years old. A career as a depressing writer loomed before me. Later I got funnier…probably a good thing.

How long do you think about a story or characters until you finally decide what you want to write about it/them?

It depends. Sometimes I happen upon a story, write a whole book about it, and the book doesn’t sell. Sometimes the story is right and the characters are wrong, or vice versa. Sometimes it just needs a little tweak. The Lifeboat Clique happened when I heard about a house getting swept away in the Japanese tsunami. As I remember, the story followed fairly quickly.

What is your favorite writing environment?

I like to write in a room with very few distractions. I recently tried writing on the beach. The wind was bad, and sand flew in my keyboard and shorted out my cooling fan. I am dumb.

What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received? 

There are many but I do like the one that says: May your life be quiet and orderly so that your work may be violent and original. Although I disagree with the quiet part. And maybe the orderly part. Another piece of advice I got on life in general from a book really applies to writing: Don’t let your metaphors imprison you. For example, “Writer’s block” is a very dangerous metaphor. Make the “block” easier to get through, like “writer’s jello.” Set up escape routes for your mind and it will make the writing easier.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers? 

Don’t worry so much about the first draft being perfect. It will only slow you down. Think about it like the base coat of paint. Although I do totally believe in outlining.

What are some of the books that made you fall in love with reading? 

Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Pat Conroy’s Prince of Tides, Gabriel Garcia Marquez Love in the Time of Cholera.

What are you currently reading? 

I’m reading a book on thinking.

Please share 3 random things about yourself.

Blue is my favorite color.

When I was a child, I had a pet bullfrog named Fritso.

I distrust pepper’s ability to really make a difference in the taste of food.

Thank you!

ABOUT KATHY PARKS:

Hi, I’m Kathy Parks, author of The Lifeboat Clique. (Katherine Tegen Books, March 1 2016)
It’s about Denver Reynolds, an outcast at her high school, who ends up in a lifeboat with the popular kids who hate her.
It’s Mean Girls meets Life of Pi!
I live near the beach in Carpinteria, California with my husband and two cats.
I love questions and meeting other authors.
Hope you’ll check out The Lifeboat Clique!

LINKS: Twitter | Tumblr

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

2/29: The Irish Banana Review - Review

3/1: That Artsy Reader Girl - Guest Post

3/2: Bookiemoji - Review

3/3: Andi's ABCs - ABC Post

3/4: Novel Ink - Review

Week 2:

3/7: A Book & A Latte - How I Write

3/8: Reads All the Books - Review

3/9: Actin' Up With Books - Q&A

3/10: Paperback Princess - Review

3/11: Life According to a Bibliophile - Guest Post

Giveaway:

3 Finished Copies of THE LIFEBOAT CLIQUE (US Only)

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