Welcome to my stop on the Camp Boyfriend by J.K. Rock Blog Tour!!! I'm providing a review of Camp Boyfriend, which I adored, and hosting a giveaway. You can find the giveaway below my review.
Camp Boyfriend
by J.K. Rock
Published by Spencer Hill Contemporary
Publication Date: July 2, 2013
Pages: 324
Source: ARC provided by publisher
The summer of her dreams is about to get a reality check.
They
said it couldn't be done, but geeky sophomore Lauren Carlson
transformed herself into a popular girl after moving to a new school
halfway across the country. Amazing what losing her braces and going out
for cheerleading will do. Only trouble is, the popular crowd is wearing
on Lauren's nerves and she can't wait to return to summer camp where
she's valued for her brain instead of her handsprings. She misses her
old friends and most of all, her long time camp-only boyfriend, Seth.
This year she intends to upgrade their relationship to year-round status
once she's broken up with her new, jock boyfriend, Matt. He doesn't
even begin to know the real her, a girl fascinated by the night sky who
dreams of discovering new planets and galaxies.
But Matt isn't
giving her up without a fight. As he makes his case to stay together,
Lauren begins to realize his feelings run deeper than she ever would
have guessed. What if the guy she thought she was meant to be with
forever isn't really The One? Returning to Camp Juniper Point was
supposed to ground her uprooted life, but she's more adrift than ever.
Everything feels different and soon Lauren's friends are turning on her
and both guys question what she really wants. As summer tensions
escalate, Lauren wonders if she's changed more than she thought. Will
her first big discovery be herself?
My Thoughts
Camp Boyfriend is fun and entertaining and a great book to kick-off my "summer-themed" reading. It is full of humor and drama (a lot of drama) as Lauren spends the summer deciding who she wants to date and tries to discover who she is and figure out who she wants to be.
One thing that I really like about this story is that there is a love-triangle that really is one at all. Lauren does have feelings for both boys - one, a lifelong friend who in recent summers became her summer boyfriend and the other, a boy who she's dated for the past eight months but is just now beginning to really know. As she tries to understand her feelings, she doesn't pit the boys against each other or run from one guy to the other when things start become even more confusing for her. She considers their feelings and tries to be honest as possible. It does take her a while to get to this point but she does. I probably would have been irritated Lauren went back and forth between the boys giving both of them false hope.
In the midst of all of this "camp boyfriend" drama, Lauren experiences a heavy dose of drama from her friends and bunk mates of Munchies Manor (all the cabins have names). They have a hard time dealing with the new parts of Lauren's popular girl persona that she brought with her to camp and they start to shun her for it because she is not the girl that they remember from years past. What is so heartbreaking about this is that she really didn't change as much they only perceive a huge change in her because she looks a little different. She's always on the ins and outs with her friends and her fun summer at camp isn't anything like she expected it to be.
As if all of the drama at camp isn't enough, she has troubles back home too. She's become her sister's wedding planning minion, her mom's makeover project, and her dad (the one person who knows her the best) is overworked and doesn't have time for her anymore. All of this just adds to the new stress of camp and makes Lauren even more overwhelmed and confused.
The title Camp Boyfriend suggests that this book is only a summer love story. Yes, that is in there, but it also a story of self-love and understanding and acceptance. It's also a story about friendships and growth and independence. I never went to a summer sleep-away camp, but Camp Boyfriend makes me wish that I had. I adored this book and recommend that it be added to all summer readings lists!
Fans of The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller are sure to love this one too.
Disclaimer:
I received this book from Spencer Hill Contemporary in exchange for my honest review.
I was not compensated in any way other than the book provided. Thoughts
and opinions are my own.
Now the Giveaway!!
There will be two types of prizes for this tour.
Enter via the Rafflecopter link below.
Daily Prize:
Camp journal, pen, bookmark, friendship bracelet and I <3 camp="" font="" tattoos="">colors and style may vary (see picture).
Grand Prize (tour wide):
Endless Summer
by Jennifer Echols, Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles,The Summer I
Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt,
That Summer by Sarah Dessen, Always You by Kirsty Moseley, an
autographed Arc of Wait For You by Jennifer Armentrout as J.Lynn and
autographed copies of Camp Boyfriend and Camp Kiss along with 'I <3 a="" boyfriend="" camp="" tattoos="" temporary="">' t-shirt, a Camp
Boyfriend bookmark and friendship bracelets- puppy not included :)
Enter Here:
Camp Boyfriend Links
About the Authors
J.K. Rock
Joanne and Karen Rock- writing sisters-in-law- formed a partnership to pen YA novels as J.K. Rock. Their debut book, Camp Boyfriend, is available July 2, 2013 from Spencer Hill Contemporary.
Prior to joining creative forces, Joanne Rock began her career as an author of adult romance for various Harlequin series. Published in twenty languages and twenty-seven countries, Joanne writes both contemporary romance and medieval historicals in addition to the occasional romantic suspense. She is a three-time RITA nominee and Bookseller’s Best finalist.
Karen Rock sold her first adult romance to Harlequin’s new Heartwarming line. The Forever Wish (September 2013) is an uplifting tale of love against the odds during the hero’s battle with cancer. In addition to writing, Karen is an eighth grade English teacher who has written and published screenplays for production by school theater departments. She is a regular blogger at Cynthia Leitich Smith’s popular “Cynsations” blog.
Together, Joanne and Karen write Young Adult stories that don’t back down from real issues. Whether their characters are falling in love at summer camp or facing the consequences of tough life choices, the authors enjoy helping them navigate those challenges. Their “Camp Boyfriend” books are romantic dramas with a strong emphasis on teen friendships and self discovery. Fun, warm-hearted and emotional, the series includes Camp Boyfriend (July 2013), Camp Payback (April 2014) and Camp Forget-Me-Not (August 2014).
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