Review: DRUMMER GIRL by Ginger Scott

DRUMMER GIRL

by Ginger Scott

Publication Date: July 30, 2019

Genre: Mature YA/New Adult Contemporary Romance

Source: Wordsmith Publicity

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Synopsis

A mature YA/New Adult contemporary rock star romance by Ginger Scott

Arizona Wakefield was a beat without a melody. Living a half-breathing life in a half-finished neighborhood with parents who always wore half-hearted smiles, the high school senior only had one thing that let her color outside her family’s perfectly drawn lines—her drums.

Jesse Barringer was a song without a chorus. The son of a washed-up rock star who’s also one hell of a deadbeat dad, he was given two things from his father—musical genius and a genetic link to the bipolar disorder that drives him mad.

One night in a garage at the end of a cul-de-sac in the middle of a bankrupt California neighborhood, Jesse’s melody found Arizona’s rhythm. An angry boy with storm-colored eyes found a blonde angel in Doc Martens with missing lines in her own story. Where her rhythm stopped, his words took over, and together, they wrote one hell of a story.

** Drummer Girl is a mature YA/New Adult romance that touches on mental health, drug abuse and includes mature sexual situations.

My Thoughts

He was the words.
She was the rhythm.
Together, the wrote one hell of a story.

Now that is one hell of a hook. Those words and THAT COVER were all that I needed to know that I had to read DRUMMER GIRL.

I'm drawn to books about musicians, young love, and beating the odds and DRUMMER GIRL gave me all of that. DRUMMER GIRL brought out all of the feelings with Jesse and Arizona's relationship. 

I loved getting to know Jesse and Arizona and they quickly become characters who I cared about and rooted for. 

One of my favorite scenes is when Arizona and her best friend, Sam, "welcome" Jesse to the neighborhood. It was just so easy to envision how the situation went down and the perfect opener to the book. 

What I appreciate the most is how the author brings mental health to the forefront of the story. It's not discussed in hush-hush tones and isn't portrayed as shameful. And it shouldn't be. I want to read more books like this.

DRUMMER GIRL brought out so many emotions and really drew me in to everything the characters were going through. It is a book that I definitely look forward to reading again. 
  
I loved it!

Disclaimer:  I received this e-ARC from Wordsmith Publicity for review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Available Now: DRUMMER GIRL by Ginger Scott

We're celebrating the release of DRUMMER GIRL by Ginger Scott! One-click your copy on all platforms today!

Drummer Girl by Ginger Scott

Mature YA/New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release day: July 30, 2019

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2KBZLLn

Purchase Links

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Arizona Wakefield was a beat without a melody. Living a half-breathing life in a half-finished neighborhood with parents who always wore half-hearted smiles, the high school senior only had one thing that let her color outside her family’s perfectly drawn lines—her drums.

Jesse Barringer was a song without a chorus. The son of a washed-up rock star who’s also one hell of a deadbeat dad, he was given two things from his father—musical genius and a genetic link to the bipolar disorder that drives him mad.

One night in a garage at the end of a cul-de-sac in the middle of a bankrupt California neighborhood, Jesse’s melody found Arizona’s rhythm. An angry boy with storm-colored eyes found a blonde angel in Doc Martens with missing lines in her own story. Where her rhythm stopped, his words took over, and together, they wrote one hell of a story.

** Drummer Girl is a mature YA/New Adult romance that touches on mental health, drug abuse and includes mature sexual situations.

EXCERPT:

Drummer Girl, Copyright Ginger Scott 2019

“That’s the first time I’ve played that song. I like it. We should add it to our set,” he says, pulling the strap from around his neck before setting his guitar at the foot of his bed. “What do you think?”

He twists so our knees are touching and our shoulders are squared.

“I think you’re a showoff, one. And two…I totally think we should close with that at our gig. People love retro shit like that at shows.” I don’t really know what people like at shows because the only kinds I’ve ever been to have been for high school marching nerds or jazz geeks. I probably don’t even deserve to utter the word gig yet. I’m a gig virgin. I do know movies, though, and if this life was a movie, our band would close with that.

Jesse’s eyes linger on my face, making me warm.

“Okay then,” he says, finally. “And I’m not a showoff.”

His lips pucker with his smirk and mine follow suit until a laugh seeps through.

“You so are!” I shove at him playfully, and his hands wrap around my wrists and shove back gently but don’t let go.

“No, I’m a great example. That’s a totally different thing,” he says, pulling me toward his chest until my fingertips meet the hard surface of his pecs under a well-worn white T-shirt.

“I’m pretty sure it’s just a synonym for showoff how you’re using it. In fact, now you’re just being arrogant!” I gripe back through laughter, a wry smile playing at one side of my mouth. Jesse remains quiet, though. His head leaned a tick to the right. My lips vibrate with this sudden change in atmosphere, and without even helping myself, I bite my bottom lip. There is just enough light in the room to see these small things we’re doing, these…signs. At least, I’m giving a sign. I hope I’m not imagining Jesse’s.

At least three full breaths pass between us without words. I count mine, and I guess how many he takes because really, I can’t see much beyond the dark centers of his eyes and the top curl of his lip. I wait for him. Even though I’m dizzy and happy and excited, I don’t want to be eager and desperate. I wait for him to move closer…to do something.

I wish for him.

“Would it be okay if I kissed you now?”

About the Author:

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless, In Your Dreams, The Hard Count, Hold My Breath, and A Boy Like You.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

Social Media Links:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GingerScottAuthor

Twitter: @TheGingerScott

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/thegingerscott/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GingerScottAuthor

Google: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+GingerScottAuthor/posts

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/GingerScott

Website: http://www.littlemisswrite.com

New Release Review: HEARTACHE AND HOPE by Jay McLean

Heartache and Hope, the first book in Jay McLean’s Heartache Duet is available now!

HEARTACHE AND HOPE

by Jay McLean

Publication Date: June 28, 2019

Pages: 324

Source: Author | Purchased

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About the book:

Ava Diaz needs saving.

She just doesn’t know it yet.

Just like she doesn’t know a thing about the boy she sits next to on the first day of senior year.

He thinks she’s a brat.

She thinks he’s entitled.

Maybe first impressions don’t always last…

Because Connor Ledger’s about to save her.

He just doesn’t know why.

My Thoughts

In her new novel HEARTACHE AND HOPE, Jay McLean makes it incredibly easy to get caught up in Connor and Ava's love story. They are complicated characters, each with their own history and struggles, who you only want good things to happen for them. They had my heart right away.

Just as the title suggests, there's a lot of heartache that both Ava and Connor experience in their daily lives. It's so ingrained in them that they can't ever really escape from it. We see glimpses of a reprieve, but it's always there looming. And they both feel the demands of their responsibilities which keeps them from sharing their love for each other completely.

The characters in HEARTACHE AND HOPE really make this book an unputdownable read. I freaking love Ava! She has this unimaginable strength after everything that she's been through. There's a vulnerability to her too. And the moments when she starting to open up to Connor - you get her lightness and you feel happy that she gets to be happy. The supporting characters: Rhys, Trevor, Corey, and Karen are interesting and complicated that I want to know their stories too. I just love the moments with Rhys and Connor and their smack talk, but their real talk too.

One of my favorite lines:

"It would be nice if I could help turn someone’s bad day into just a bad moment." - Ava

And this touched my heart:
“If you need proof that magic exists, I’m right here.” - Connor

And this moment CRACKED me up:
“Trevor!” I screech. “Shut. Up!” Trevor laughs, his head thrown back as he opens the door of his truck. “Go easy on her,” he tells Connor. “She’s on her period. Apparently, it’s a heavy flow."

I die. Right there. On my driveway. Dead.

I died right along with Ava, LOL!

Since H&H is just the first part of a duet, I knew that I'd finish with many unanswered questions and the desire to know more. I don't mind stories that are unresolved or end with a cliff-hanger. I actually enjoy having the chance to speculate about what could be and imagine what's happening with the characters. Having said that, I'm extremely happy to know that we'll get more of Connor and Ava in part two of the duet, FIRST AND FOREVER. And soon too!

I loved this book for the characters, for their struggles, for their realities, and for all their hope. I definitely recommended HEARTACHE AND HOPE if you like contemporary romances and sports romances. An incredible read.

Download your copy today or Read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2NhQ5Yr

$100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway
http://bit.ly/2Ypj25K

Read an Excerpt:

They look like fireflies. The way the water falls from the sky, illuminated only by the streetlamps. I stand in the middle of the road, barefoot and barely breathing, my arms out, face to the sky. 

I don’t know how I got here. 

When I climbed out of my window, the sun was just setting and now… now I’m surrounded by dark skies and false hope. 

[…]

I know I should go home. 

That I should face my fears and tackle them head-on. 

My mind travels the right roads at the right time to get me there, but my heart…

My heart takes me to Connor. 

Outside his bedroom window, mud seeps between my toes, and the frigid air creates goosebumps along my skin. I raise my fist and tap, tap, tap on the glass. 

A moment later, a light turns on. And then nothing. I tap again, my heart racing. The blind lifts and Connor appears, his eyes squinting. It’s clear he’d been asleep, or close to it. Hair a mess, he’s shirtless, the obvious beginnings of bruises mar parts of his torso, and I look down, shame filling every part of me. I bite down on my lip as he slides the window up. “Jesus Christ, Ava. What the hell are you doing?”

His warm palms meet my soaking wet elbows, and then his entire body is cocooning mine, lifting me off my feet and into his bedroom. My feet land on his soft carpet, and I look down at the mess I’ve made. “I’m dirty,” I tell him. 

Inside and out. 

Dirty, dazed and damaged. 

About Jay McLean

Jay McLean is an international best-selling author and full-time reader, writer of New Adult and Young Adult romance, and skilled procrastinator. When she’s not doing any of those things, she can be found running after her three little boys, investing way too much time on True Crime Documentaries and binge-watching reality TV.

She writes what she loves to read, which are books that can make her laugh, make her hurt and make her feel.

Jay lives in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, in her dream home where music is loud and laughter is louder.

For publishing rights (Foreign & Domestic) Film or television, please contact her agent Erica Spellman-Silverman, at Trident Media Group.

Connect with Jay:
Newsletter:  www.jaymcleanauthor.com

Email: Jay@jaymcleanauthor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jaymcleanauthor

Facebook Reader Group: www.facebook.com/groups/moreserieslovers/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jaymcleanauthor

Twitter: www.twitter.com/jaymcleanauthor

NORMAL by Danielle Pearl is FREE!! (May 23 - 29)

Don't miss this bestselling new adult romance, a raw, angst-filled story of trust and abuse, heartbreak and salvation, and if they're lucky . . . love. 

*This is not a flowery romance--not for the faint of heart.*

About NORMAL

It's the kind of situation most people would dread. Starting at a new high school, in the middle of my senior year, in a new town, in a new state. I know no one. No one knows me. That's what I'm counting on . . .

LINKS TO GET YOUR COPY OF NORMAL FOR FREE!!!

#Amazon ➡️ http://bit.ly/Normalc

#Nook ➡️ http://bit.ly/NormalBNc

#iBooks ➡️ http://bit.ly/Normalch

#Kobo ➡️ http://bit.ly/2etJsxm

From my review of NORMAL

"Oh, how I fell in love with Sam and Rory and how they grew together as a couple. He wasn't always perfect, but he came pretty close. And Rory, I wanted her to find the healing that she needed. She went through traumatic experiences that no one should ever have to experience and my heart hurt for her over and over again.

I liked how the story focused on the various ideas of what is NORMAL. And ultimately the realization that there isn't such a thing as NORMAL. There is just BEING. LIVING."

You can read my full review HERE.

What other readers are saying about NORMAL

"Normal is a riveting and magnetic story of abuse, love, and hope. One of the most thought-provoking stories I've ever read." - @bibliobelles 

"Gritty, a little dark, beautifully heart-touching with a steamy #hotromance . I recommend Normal as a must, must read!" -I Heart YA Books

"Normal opens your heart and stomps all over it, only to put it back together again, better than before. It's #feels overload!" - Young Adult Book Madness

Check out daniellepearl.com for more info!

Follow Danielle at:

facebook.com/daniellepearlauthor

Instagram.com/daniellepearlauthor Twitter.com/danipearlauthor

On Amazon at amzn.to/1WJQUqk 

And #Goodreads at bit.ly/1Ykm1bI

SOMETHING MORE Review Tour: NORMAL by Danielle Pearl

I am thrilled to share my review of NORMAL, Book 1 of the Something More box set by Danielle Pearl! This box set is FREE on Kindle Unlimited and contains three amazing new adult books that you need to read NOW!

MY THOUGHTS about NORMAL

I first met Rory and Sam as secondary characters in Danielle Pearl's new adult spin-off novel, IN RUINS. After reading IN RUINS, I had to read the originating story and find out how it all started. 

I'm glad to have had some background about Rory and Sam and that I read the blurb disclaimer "This is not a flowery romance - not for the faint of heart" because this book will legit wreck you if you're not prepared. It is brutal and parts were difficult to read, but they are so necessary to the story and understanding Rory and the challenges she faces as she starts her new life.

Oh, how I fell in love with Sam and Rory and how they grew together as a couple. He wasn't always perfect, but he came pretty close. And Rory, I wanted her to find the healing that she needed. She went through traumatic experiences that no one should ever have to experience and my heart hurt for her over and over again.

I liked how the story focused on the various ideas of what is NORMAL. And ultimately the realization that there isn't such a thing as NORMAL. There is just BEING. LIVING.

Favorite Quotes:

" . . Relax," he insists, and with his words, I do, I relax, clinging to the sound of Sam's voice calling me beautiful, and the burst of the emotion that feels an awful lot like hope."

" . . his mouth capturing mine in a kiss that promises love and passion, a future glimpse for the first time with earnest hope."

I love that in these moments Rory is able to recognize hope when in the past there didn't appear to be any. 

Even with all of the difficult moments, I really loved this book. I'm excited to know that there are more books in this series AND it's available in a complete set. 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Blurbs:

NORMAL (Book 1)

It's the kind of situation most people would dread. Starting at a new high school, in the middle of my senior year, in a new town, in a new state. I know no one. No one knows me. That's what I'm counting on. 

A year ago, Aurora "Rory" Pine was just a normal teenage girl - just as sweet and naive as the fairy tale princess she was named after. 

But this isn't a year ago. 

Rory is broken, and suffering from a new debilitating anxiety disorder, wrought with precarious triggers, she moves across the country to escape the source of her troubles. Her plan is anonymity, but that's easier said than achieved for the new girl having a panic episode outside of calculus. The worst part? There's a witness - and a gorgeous one at that. 

Sam is a walking trigger for Rory. Incredibly handsome, built like the star athlete he obviously is, and undoubtedly popular, Sam outwardly represents everything Rory despises about high school. But as the fates keep throwing them together, a connection sparks that neither ever expected, and certainly can’t ignore. 

But Sam has issues too, and Rory's past won't just stay in the damned past. When friendship evolves into something deeper, can a girl utterly destroyed by the worst kind of betrayal and a boy battling demons of his own ever have a normal relationship? Is that even what they want? Find out in NORMAL, a gritty story of trust and abuse, heartbreak and salvation, and if they're lucky - love. This is not a flowery romance - not for the faint of heart. 

 

 ReCAP (Book 1.5) 

Rory and Sam fell in love in NORMAL, and we all fell in love right along with them. Now see it all unfold through Sam's eyes, and learn just how the new girl with anxiety issues stole the heart of the gorgeous heartthrob, and turned his world upside down. 

You already heard the story. The one of how Rory and I fell in love, supposedly, even if she couldn't handle it in the end. You know how it all went. 

Or you think you do. 

You only know her side. But I have my own point of view, and even Rory couldn't know my thoughts in those few months it took for her to go from being a stranger to my whole entire world. 

Every moment is permanently ingrained in my memory. In my goddamned soul. From the moment I stumbled upon the girl panicking outside of calculus - the one with the tight little body, the angelic face, and the fierce attitude - to the night she abandoned me in Miami. It was the sum of those moments that changed me irrevocably. 

Our story isn't over. I won't let it be. But this, this is what happened so far, the way I saw it. 

I'm Cap. Or Sam, to Rory. And this is my story.

   

OKAY (Book 2)

After the horrors she’s survived over the past year, Rory never expected to find the one thing she certainly wasn’t looking for – love. But after the painful realization that her past has left her a dangerous liability to the person she cares for the most, she finally understands that for her and Sam, love means letting go.

Can two people hopelessly in love with one another ever revert back into just friends? Neither Rory nor Sam know for sure. But the one thing they do know – it’s the only choice they have. 

As Rory recovers from a devastating assault, Sam will do anything to make sure it never happens again. But how far will he go to keep her safe? Their choices will change everything, and they will either bring them back together, or destroy them irrevocably.

About the Author:

Danielle Pearl is the Amazon and iBooks best-selling author of the Something More series. She lives in New Jersey with her three delicious children and ever-supportive husband, who--luckily--doesn't mind sharing her with an array of fictional men. She did a brief stint at Boston University and worked in marketing before publishing her debut novel, Normal. She writes mature Young Adult and New Adult Contemporary Romance. Danielle enjoys coffee, wine, and cupcakes, and not in moderation.

Follow Danielle:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Instagram

Cover Reveal: an Endless Summer by C.J. Duggan

Cover Reveal!!

 

An Endless Summer is book 2 of the Summer Series by C.J. Duggan. The first book, The Boys of Summer, was published back in December. I'm not going to lie, I haven't read it yet because it is way too cold to think about reading a book about summer right now (as I watch the snow flurries whip in the wind outside my window). I'm not one of those people who like to read summer books during the winter. They don't warm me up. They just make me curse this cold weather. But I'm ready to pick up my gorgeous paperback copy as soon as the weather finally warms up. Until then, I'll just look at this cover and daydream about sunshine, lounging by the pool, and sipping on a cool glass of lemonade.

 

 

An Endless Summer by C.J. Duggan
Series: Summer, #2
Publication date:  July 17th 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance 

 Add Endless Summer on Goodreads

Synopsis:

 

Sean looked out over the lake, squinting against the sunlight. He turned to me, his expression sobering as his eyes flicked over my face in a silent study.

“Come on Amy, I saved you once, I’ll save you again.”

I met his stare unflinchingly. “I don’t need saving.”

A wicked grin formed slowly. “Don’t you?”

After a rebellious summer night that almost claimed her life, Amy Henderson – the Onslow publican’s only daughter – is sent away to suffer a fate far worse than any other punishment:

Boarding School.

Three years on, a now nineteen-year-old Amy returns to Onslow for the summer. What once was a cauldron of activity with live bands, hot meals and cold beers, the Onslow Hotel now lies dark, deserted and depressing. All fond childhood memories of loitering on the hotel stairs and eavesdropping on customers’ colourful conversations are in the distant past.

How had her dad let it come to this?

With the new threat of putting the Onslow up for sale, Amy reluctantly turns to a local tradesman for help: Sean Murphy, the very same Onslow boy who saved her life all those years ago. With his help and that of some old friends, the task is clear: spend the summer building the hotel back up to its former glory or lose it for good.

In an endless summer, Amy soon realises that sometimes in order to save your future, you have to face your past, even if it’s in the form of a smug, gorgeous Onslow boy.

----

AUTHOR BIO

 

C.J. Duggan

C.J Duggan is an Australian author who lives with her husband in a rural border town of New South Wales, Australia.
The Boys of Summer is Book One in her Mature Young Adult Romance Series.
For more on C.J and ‘The Summer Series’, visit www.cjdugganbooks.com

Author Links:

Website: http://www.cjdugganbooks.com/

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