Blog Tour: The Liberator

Title: The Libertaor        

Author: Victoria Scott

Publisher:  Entangled Teen

Publication Date: 8.27.2013

Pages: 350

Genre: Paranormal, Romance

Series: Dante Walker  #2

Source: eARC from publisher

Rating: A-

Summary (from Goodreads):

Bad boy, meet bad girl.

Dante has a shiny new cuff wrapped around his ankle, and he doesn't like that mess one bit. His new accessory comes straight from Big Guy himself and marks the former demon as a liberator. Despite his gritty past and bad boy ways, Dante Walker has been granted a second chance.

When Dante is given his first mission as a liberator to save the soul of seventeen-year-old Aspen, he knows he’s got this. But Aspen reminds him of the rebellious life he used to live and is making it difficult to resist sinful temptations. Though Dante is committed to living clean for his girlfriend Charlie, this dude’s been a playboy for far too long…and old demons die hard. 

With Charlie becoming the girl she was never able to be pre-makeover and Aspen showing him how delicious it feels to embrace his inner beast, Dante will have to go somewhere he never thought he’d return to in order to accomplish the impossible: save the girl he’s been assigned to, and keep the girl he loves.

Review:

A few months ago Victoria Scott blew me away with her debut, The Collector. Now D-Wubs (ahem, that’s Dante Walker for those of you not in the know) is back in The Liberator.

The Liberator picks up shortly where we left off from book 1. Dante is now a liberator for Heaven and while he may have a sparkly new title, he’s still the arrogantly loveable bad boy that made our pulses race.  This book was really Dante-scentric and really about him finding himself. There was a lot of inner struggles and turmoil, but it never felt dragging. It was natural; a fluid character progression.

I had my doubts about Aspen. I immediately get irritated and defensive when someone threatens my core couple. Anything that could possibly be perceived as a threat to my love of Dante and Charlie (and their love for each other) annoys me. Surprisingly, Aspen grew on me. Again, it’s probably just my own personal shipper issues, but I went in expecting to hate Aspen and found myself liking her by the end.

Not liking her with Dante, but as her own character.

I cannot recommend enough that people get into this series ASAP. It’s thrilling, romantic and Scott’s ability to throw curveballs while entertaining me never ceases to amaze me.

Where to find The Liberator:

   

About Victoria Scott

I’m a teen fiction writer with a die-hard affection for dark and humorous books. My work is represented by Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger literary agency. I have a master’s degree in marketing, and currently live in Dallas with my husband, Ryan.

My first series started with THE COLLECTOR, and was published by Entangled Teen in April 2013. The second book in the trilogy, THE LIBERATOR, will release August 2013. My next series kicks off with FIRE & FLOOD and is being published by Scholastic, February 2014.

*Author Links*

     

***GIVEAWAY***
1 signed copy of THE LIBERATOR and a signed copy of TWILIGHT, international.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Trust In You

To say I had crazy amounts of love for Wait For You is an understatement. A novella in Cam's POV? I cannot wait. And I love that this cover matches the rest!

Summary:

It’s Wait for You as you’ve never seen it. Trust in Me lets you in on Cam’s side of the #1 New York Times Bestselling story.

Cameron Hamilton is used to getting what he wants, especially when it comes to women. But when Avery Morgansten comes crashing into his life – literally – he finally meets the one person who can resist his soulful baby blues. But Cam’s not ready to give up. He can’t get the feisty and intriguing girl out of his head.

Avery has secrets, secrets that keep her from admitting the feelings Cam knows she has for him. Will persistence (and some delicious homemade cookies) help him break down her barriers and gain her trust? Or will he be shut out of Avery's life, losing his first real shot at the kind of love that lasts forever?

Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy It:

Review: Down London Road by Samantha Young

Title: Down London Road

Author: Samantha Young

Publisher: NAL

Publication Date: 5.7.2013

Pages: 375

Genre: New Adult

Series: On Dublin Street #2

Source: Purchased ebook

Rating: B

Summary (from Goodreads):

Johanna Walker is used to taking charge. But she’s about to meet someone who will make her lose control....

It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.

But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.

Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets …even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece.

Review:

Samantha Young is back again with more hot accents, hot scenes, and hot covers. Seriously—did you guys see that thing? Young’s On Dublin Street series is fast becoming a favorite new adult guilty pleasure of mine. In Down London Road, we get a chance to get inside Jo’s head—Jo, the flighty, sometimes ridiculous girl we were introduced to in book one. Jo needed her own book—there’s so much going on under the surface of this character, it astounded me.

I think the hardest part for me to click with in this book was Jo. While I understood a lot of why she was doing what she was doing (vague enough for you? Read the book!), I personally couldn’t understand those choices. But seeing the way she acted with Cole and her mother and then with Cam … She’s a character I was slow to love, but I truly did love her by the end. She’s a great heroine to root for.

And Cam … Cam wowed me from the start. Things got a little rocky about 2/3 of the way into the book and he does some pretty idiotic things I wanted to slap him for, but for the most part, he’s a solid, good guy. He especially steps up at the end when Jo needs him most.

Young’s series is not literary brilliance, but it has a certain element of fun. It’s fiction that lets me escape my own reality and fall into another world for a few hours with entertaining characters.

Buy: Amazon

Author Interview: Levi Stack

1) As detailed as this first book is, how much forethought went into it? (Like research or actually creating the cards)

I planned out the entire plot of The Card Game series before I ever wrote the first book. It took a year to plot the four books in the series as well as research the dark characters of the Russian Empire (be it Gypsies, nobles, or members of the Russian Mafia). But I'm not crazy... I just want my mysteries to pay off for readers!

2) What do you have planned for Romulus and Viktor in the next book? With spoiling of course.

Dangers - and lots of them! The town of Aryk becomes increasingly dangerous in the second book, The Magic Trick. Strange messages begin showing up in the streets, a bizarre circus comes to town, and assassins are hot on the boys' trail. And atop all that, Viktor and his friends are chosen for a deathly apprenticeship...

3) What helps you get through a day of writing? Do have a certain place you like to write, drinks, food, music?

So. Much. Espresso. I'll also listen to music during breaks (usually The Shins), but besides that, I just need my sturdy wood desk.

4) Are you currently writing anything? Do you have any other books planned?

I hereby sweareth not to write anything but The Card Game series until the fourth book is finished. As a reader, I was always impatient for authors to put out the next book in a series. Now it's my turn to crank the words out!

5) What are you most excited about this year or into the beginning of 2014?

I can't wait to connect with new readers. I've always loved stories, and if I can give back a fraction of the excitement that books have given me, I'll be content.

About The Silent Deal:

When Viktor and Romulus, two peasant boys, dig too deep into their town’s strange past, they awaken the wrath of a mysterious overlord. As the blood brothers struggle to survive, their search for answers takes them through gambling parlors, bare-knuckle boxing matches, and dark forests full of wild animals and men alike. But even with the help of their friends, can they escape the deathly experiments their foe is creating in Staryi Castle?

Enter the bold lands of the Russian Empire where the colorful characters of The Card Game dwell, from the fortune-tellers and fire-jugglers of the Romani Gypsies, to the dangerous criminals that make up the Thieves World, the predecessor of the Russian Mafia.

An explosive mixture of adventure and mystery, The Silent Deal is a young adult novel that will rip readers through the pages. A perilous journey awaits…

*The Silent Deal is available for free in ebook format today!*

Review: Keeping Her by Cora Carmack

Title: Keeping Her          

Author: Cora Carmack

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date: 8.13.13

Pages: 100

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Novella

Series: Losing It #1.5

Source: eARC from publisher

Rating: B+

Summary (from Goodreads):

Garrick Taylor and Bliss Edwards managed to find their happily-ever-after despite a rather . . . ahem . . . complicated start. By comparison, meeting the parents should be an absolute breeze, right?

But from the moment the pair lands in London, new snags just keep cropping up: a disapproving mother-in-law-to-be, more than one (mostly) minor mishap, and the realization that perhaps they aren't quite as ready for their future as they thought.

As it turns out, the only thing harder than finding love is keeping it.

Review:

I fell in love with Garrick and Bliss back in Losing It, the stunning debut by Cora Carmack that helped launch my awareness of this awesome new New Adult genre. When I had the chance to go back and visit with two of my favorite characters, I jumped at the chance.

Keeping Her is a quick, sweet story that picks up with Garrick and Bliss’ engagement where they are heading overseas (to London) to meet Garrick’s friends and family for the first time. Watching Bliss panic and freak as she is apt to do was adorable, because who wouldn’t be nervous jumping the pond to meet a bunch of people who you were sure would be judging you?

Garrick is wonderfully supportive (as per usual), and I loved watching him interact with Bliss. Their relationship is truly a partnership and you see that working here.

I think my only issue was the literary whiplash I suffered at the end. It almost felt like Carmack put in enough plots and subplots for a full length novel, but then realize it was supposed to be a novella at the last second and everything wrapped up in 3 pages. BAM! and then The End. Maybe it’s just me being a little selfish for wanting to hang out with Bliss and Garrick a little longer (and really, who wouldn’t?), but I wanted more of a resolution, more of an explanation.

Regardless, fans of Carmack’s series will jump at the chance to catch up with these two fan faves a few months down the road, and I think they’ll be happy at this glimpse into the world of Bliss and Garrick. I know I was.

Review: Real by Katy Evans

Title: Real

Author: Katy Evans

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: 4.8.2013

Pages: 266

Genre: New Adult

Series: Real #1

Source: Purchased ebook

Rating: B

Summary (from Goodreads):

A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

Review:

I first found out about this book (OK, about Remy) from the NA Crush Tourney. I was stunned to see someone had beaten Cam—my Cam!—and my curiosity was piqued. Who was this Katy Evans with the hot guy that came out of nowhere to beat someone I was a sure shoe-in to win. One Barnes & Noble download and five hours later and I totally got it.

I have to admit that when I initially started this, I was sure I had Remy and Brooke figured out from the beginning. I hate to say, but Real comes across like a lot of other New Adult titles saturating the market—seemingly obscure girl somehow attracts the attentions of the hot guy who is nursing some serious anger issues. It sounds like every other new adult book I’ve read recently—and not in a good way.

But Evans takes that to the next level.

Brooke, our narrator, was unfortunately my least favorite of the bunch, but what makes up for her sometimes grating and judgmental ways is Remy. Yes, Remy has some issues, but the moment I knew he was different than all those other book boys that have burned me was when he actually backed down from a fight. I literally sat up and took notice. There may have been some eyebrow raising, too. And this was just the beginning.

Evans continually surprised me throughout the story. She takes so many stereotypes I’ve unfortunately developed with new adult books and slams through them with dizzying force. I can’t wait to read her next book.

Buy: Barnes & Noble

My Life As a Blogger (the GIF version)

I've had a few friends (who aren't bloggers) and a couple newbie bloggers ask me about the life of a blogger, so I decided to tell you guys a story. Well, the story. About my beginnings as a blogger until now.

This all began in January of 2011, when I was starting to rediscover the YA genre and read a lot. A fellow friend from livejournal (Ashley) started talking to me about book blogging. The more we chatted, the more I wanted to start my own.

That February, I decided to go all in and I created The Irish Banana Review - you know, the blog you're currently reading. And it was a glorious day. But I was also a little scared.

It was in this moment I knew I would quickly own the blogosphere with my awesome ability to be ... awesome. Yeah.

But then suddenly (and by suddenly I mean 3 months later) it wasn't so glamorous. Where were the hoards of people that were supposed to adore my every written word? Where were these magical, mystical creations called "ARCs" that were supposed to arrive at my door?

And where were the other bloggers that were going to embrace me with open arms and welcome me into their fold?

So, my friends, this newbie blogger found herself at a crossroads. She could walk away from the blog (and really, who of the 56 followers she had amassed would notice? Surely not the robots that outsmarted the captcha to get here.) or she could dig in and keep going.

Spoiler Alert: I kept going! 

Even in the face of dire straits like no comments, minimal page views, and a low GFC number (because back in my day, kids, that was the only number that mattered), I decide to press onward.

I worked hard. I reviewed often, participated in enough memes/giveaways to bring in new followers, but not so many that I was one of "those bloggers" that I heard whispers and rumors about. And then, this one glorious day, a package arrived in my mailbox.

It was my first ARC. A shiny, advanced copy of Half-Blood by then-unknown author Jennifer L. Armentrout. It. Was. EPIC.

Not too long after this, the online world exploded in a flurry and fury of twitter fights, plagiarism scandals, and rampant cases of authors behaving badly. 

I took one simplistic approach that I try to maintain in my life: If it doesn't involve me, I generally stay out of it. 

Then, this one day, I saw this strange little word on Twitter: BEA.

After some careful research, I discovered that this was a place, really a mecca, for book lovers. And as a book lover, I would make my pilgrimage there the following year. So I kept working hard at my blog and decided to go to my first BEA. 

That week in NYC went something like this:

I met a lot of cool people and started making friends with other bloggers. Like, I started texting them, and tweeting them, and facebooking them, and stalking them. But we were friends now and that that made it OK.

But seriously, I came back from BEA and took a small break from blogging because of weddings and jobs and vacations ... But then I was refreshed and ready to go. And go I did; doubling and sometimes tripling the number of page views/visitors per month compared to what I had been averaging before.

Life was good ... but it was also getting overwhelming. I was getting burnt out, and was suffocating under a pile of unread books I had committed to reviewing.

Enter my partner-in-crime, Gabrielle. It's always a plus having a cousin you adore who is also a book lover. So Gabrielle became my co-blogger and helped shoulder a lot of the reviewing duties.

So with Gabrielle came a lot of freedom. I was able to read books for pleasure - not just like a mindless reviewing robot. And because things were going so well, Gabrielle accompanied me to BEA in 2013.

And of course by this time those people I had actually become real-life friends with were there. It was like an awesome reunion. With books! And there were even parties that I got to go to! It went like this:

That pretty much brings us up to now. Now, where I am a happy blogger who gets to do cool things, hang out with pretty awesome people and get the inside scoop in fantastical books.

Until next time, guys!

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming...

Hey guys!

I know updates have been sort of sporadic lately, and there's a good reason for that. I took off a lot of July to focus on my writing. Specifically I signed up for Camp NaNoWriMo. And while I didn't finish the 50K word-goal I had set in mind, it was the kick in the butt I needed to start writing again.

That being said, I know this blog suffered. Both Gabrielle and I have been busy reading ... but not so much busy writing the reviews. That's all about to change. We have a bunch of reviews, giveaways, blog tours, and other fun things coming up shortly.

Thanks for sticking around!

 &

Blog Tour: A Tale of Two Centuries

Top 5 Moments In History

Writing time-travel stories are so much fun because it gives me an excuse to unleash my inner history nerd. When I wrote My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, I researched everything I could get my hands on relating to the sixteenth century, Florence, art, and clothing. It was a blast. For A Tale of Two Centuries, where a sixteenth century chica time-travels to modern day Beverly Hills, the research didn’t let up as much as I would’ve thought. For every new experience Alessandra had, it required research into the past for comparison.

Now that I’ve fully immersed myself in that time, the question that keeps popping in my brain is: Where can I travel via research next?   

History is FULL of interesting events. Moments we read about in books and dream about seeing live. So if I had Reyna, the cool as heck gypsy with the power to send me hurdling through time, which moments would I want to see?  

Rachel’s Top Five Moments in History She’d BEG Reyna to See:

1.       The First Olympics – When I toured Greece a few years ago, I went to Olympia and the site of the original games. Walking around, breathing it in…it was just so freaking cool. Ancient Greece is a fascination of mine anyway so it would be a win-win—I’d see a cool time in our world’s history, and I’d experience the beginning of a worldwide tradition that, after a very lengthy break, continues to this day. Pretty awesome.

2.       Globe Theatre – I heart me some Shakespeare. It was my fascination with Romeo and Juliet that sparked my love of all things Italy and the Renaissance. How cool would it be to travel to London circa 1602 and watch one of the Bard’s plays in person, the way he intended? I’ll tell you how cool—VERY!

3.       Woodstock – I admit, I’m more of a 50’s girl in general (see below), BUT I couldn’t pass up seeing this moment in person. 400,000 people, thirty-two different acts, free love…Over forty years later and this moment in history still has sparkly, dreamlike edges.

4.       The 1950s – Yes, total cop out, I realize. I really did try to narrow it down to ONE event during this time, but I just couldn’t do it. Televisions in homes for the first time? Marilyn Monroe and James Dean (the original bad boy) on the big screen? Elvis the Pelvis Presley on Ed Sullivan? Cool cars and fun clothes… The beginning of mainstream rock and roll… Sigh. I think I was born in the wrong time.

5.       Regency London – Yep. Another cop out and another reason to think I was born in the wrong time. I LOVE reading Regency novels. I love all things London. I love the balls, the dresses, and sexy, bad boy rakes. But if I had to narrow it down, I’d swing by around 1813 and snatch me a first edition of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Darcy makes me swoon, y’all.

There you have it, my top 5 moments in history I’d Beg Reyna to let me experience. Where would YOU go??   

The Book

Blurb:

Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble/The Book Depository

The Author

As a teen, Rachel Harris threw raging parties that shook her parents’ walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels. As an adult, she reads and writes obsessively,

rehashes said embarrassing fodder, and dreams up characters who become her own grown up version of imaginary friends.

She grew up in New Orleans, watching soap operas with her grandmother and staying up late sneak reading her mam's favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life's problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

She homeschools her two beautiful girls and loves watching reality television with her amazing husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult Fun, Flirty Escapes, and LOVES talking with readers!  

Website/Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Giveaway

Tarot cards

"Keep Calm and Call On Reyna" T-shirt

a signed poster of the cover

swag pack including magnets, bookmarks, and "Austin makes me blush" pin

Pastel "Crazy" color hair chalk so they can be like Less

Drama Queen sign

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Tour

7/29/2013- Coffee, Books and Me                            Guest Post

7/30/2013- K-Books                                                Interview

7/31/2013- The Book Belles                                     Review

8/1/2013- The Irish Banana Review                          Guest Post

8/2/2013- Jenna Does Books                                    Interview

8/5/2013- Seeing Night Reviews                              Review

8/6/20130- Parajunkee                                            Review

8/7/2013- Hobbitsies                                               Interview

8/8/2013- Tsk Tsk What to Read                               Review

8/9/2013- Book briefs                                              Guest Post