Review: Trust In Me by J. Lynn

Title: Trust In Me

Author: J. Lynn

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date: 10.22.2013

Pages: Unknown – ebook only

Genre: New Adult, Contemporary

Series: Wait for You 1.5

Source: eARC from publisher

Rating: A+

Summary (from Goodreads):

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?

Review:

I’m sorry, a book told entirely from Cam Hamilton’s POV? Line forms behind me, guys!

Thank you, thank you J. Lynn (also known as the author that doesn’t sleep, Jennifer L. Armentrout) for this amazing novella (which is kind of a lie as it’s nearly as long as the book that inspired it) that brought me right into the inner workings of one of my favorite characters ever. Seriously. Did you miss how I raved about Cam before? Check it out HERE.

The new adult genre is still fresh and being formed, but already is seems saturated with male characters that are just, for lack of a better word, douches. They treat women like crap, exhibit tendencies that would get you a one way ticket to a jail cell in real life, and yet we’re expected to swoon hard and fast and forgive all their transgressions.

Cam is not that guy. He has a natural charisma that immediately draws you in, but it’s his heart and loyalty that keep you coming back for more. It was so refreshing to read a male character that not only treated the woman he loved with respect, but treated his friends and family with the same amount of respect and love.

Have I mentioned that J. Lynn can write the male POV with scary accuracy? A female writing a male perspective either is amazing or falls apart faster than a snowman in the desert. J. Lynn seems to have mastered the male voice which makes this story all the more enjoyable.

Fans of Wait for You cannot miss this installment. And for those of you who haven’t read the book … What are you waiting for?

Buy: Amazon

PubCrawl 2013 Recap

We're back! We survived! First off, before I begin, I have to give a huge thank you shout-out to the amazing people who let us come and crash their office, hang out, and teach us more about the publishing biz. The would not have been possible without them!

Jen and I started our trip at the butt crack of dawn with me picking her up a little before 6. Yes, a.m., people. After a 3 and a half hour bus ride north into NYC (after which I was pretty sure my butt would never regain feeling from), we arrived in the city and quickly disembarked and hailed our first taxi to head to our first pub.

Pub Stop #1: Macmillan

We arrived at the historic Flatiron Building and immediately got to work snapping pictures like a couple of goofy tourists. As we were taking picture I noticed Ksenia Winnicki (publicist extraordinaire  heading our way. After some awesome hugs and introductions, she led us over to Argo where we ordered drinks and sat down to chat.

Just hanging out and talking with her was so amazing. She's one of those people I just want to be around - she has a great energy and you can tell she loves her job and books. So many books.

She then took us up to see where she works at Macmillan. The Flatiron is a very cool, but oddly shaped, which makes for an interesting office set up. She showed us her office area and the massive bookshelves she has. We even got a sneak peak at some upcoming Spring 2014 titles and they look AWESOME. From there she took us to Jon Sargent's office. Jon is the CEO of Macmillan and he wasn't in, but we were able to use his office and the balcony on it to take some fabulous shots of NYC. 

Shortly after we had to leave to go to our next stop.

Macmillan!

Some of the ARC bookshelves Ksenia has

Me with Ksenia

Me, Ksenia, and Jen

Pub Stop #2: Bloomsbury

Well, it should have been Bloomsbury. Jen and I got into a taxi and I rattled off the next address and when we arrived, I walked to the front desk to announce ourselves, only to get blank stares. After some digging we figured out that while I was making the schedule (because I need a schedule in all I do), I mixed up the addresses. We were at Disney, not Bloomsbury.

*SIGH*

Thankfully Jen didn't kill me. She laughed it off and we walked the six blocks back to where we were supposed to be. Finally arriving at Bloomsbury, we went inside and waited for Lizzy Mason to come out.

I had previously met Lizzy this past year when she still worked at Disney-Hyperion while at BEA. Unfortunately she had been sick and had to leave early then, so I was very excited to get to see her this time around. Lizzy was also super-helpful in telling me where publishers were located and planning a lunch with herself and a coworker for Jen and I.

Lizzy took us around Bloomsbury, introducing us to her coworkers, who were so nice and welcoming. Then we went into a conference room (which cracked me up because their conference rooms are all named for cities - instead of numbers, you have Sydney, London, Dubai, etc.) where we met with Lizzy and three other members of the Bloomsbury publicity/digital media family: Erica, Emily, and Bridget. We got to snap a picture with Murray (he totally glittered on me, guys!) and chat about books and some upcoming things for Bloomsbury. After this Lizzy and Erica joined us for lunch along with another blogger and good friend of mine, Nicole (Paperback Princess).

We had an amazing lunch at the LT Burger - seriously, best fries I've ever had in my life. It was so good and so much fun, but soon after we ate, Jen and I had to return to Disney for our next stop.

Conference room

Some of their amazing bookshelves

Nicole and I

Jen, Erica, Me, Nicole, and Lizzy at lunch

Pub Stop #3: Disney

We arrived at Disney, with the guard giving us a grin like, "Back again, huh?" We checked in, got some nifty passes and were instructed to take the elevator to the thirty-fourth

floor. We used our swanky passes to get through the turnstiles and entered the elevator bank and .... blanked. We started at the key pad, a little lost. Why were they numbered? What happened to up and down arrows?

Finally a set of doors opened and we got in with another guy, the doors slid closed and when we turned to punch in our floor number, there was only an emergency stop and a key hole.

What the...?

The elevator starts going up on it's own and I'm pretty sure at this point Percy Jackson is going to join us on this magical elevator ride to Olympus, because nothing is making sense. I'm turning my pass over, wondering if that paper with a barcode somehow told the elevator where we needed to go. Finally I look at the other guy in the elevator and say, "Not to sound stupid-" -which, let's face it, I probably did seem at this point because it's an elevator, not brain surgery - "-but how do we get to the 34th floor?"

He gives me an odd look and says, "You punch in your number when you get on."

Lightbulb! So that's why the keypad by the elevator was numbered and not just up and down arrows.

We get off at the 24th floor and the guy with us gets out, so Jen and I jump out to. Thank goodness there was another man who worked there to help us because our elevator friend booked it away from us. The nice man trying to help us is all, "Go down to the 25th floor and take the stairs to the 26th floor so you can grab the other elevators that go to the other floors."

And I'm all, "Honey, please just tell me how to get to the lobby so I can start all over."

He gets us on and we get back to the lobby, feeling like fools. We get off the car and as we're rounding the corner, Jen starts laughing and points to the wall where this set of elevators is clearly labeled for floors 1-25. Yeah. Go, us.

We walk around the corner to another set of elevators, this time punching in the correct floor like a champ, and it lets us off at Disney where we meet Cassie McGinty. Cassie is amazing. She walked us through a typical day in her life and then took the time to set up quick meetings for us with the marketing, media, and art departments. We got to see how covers were taken from concept to finish product, different marketing tools that were employed, and how much work goes into planning an author tour. 

Me, Cassie, and Jen

Pub Stop #4: Harlequin

I had heard only amazing things about visiting the Harlequin offices. I heard they were gorgeous, and I was so glad people weren't exaggerating. The only problem was actually getting there.

We took taxis everywhere to save time, which was awesome, but this particular taxi driver dropped us off at a corner and said the building we wanted was twenty feet up on the left. Only seeing the good in people, Jen and I climbed out and started walking. After a block or two, we realized not only had he lied to us and dropped us several blocks away from where we needed to be, he also told us to start walking in the wrong direction.

Thanks, awesome taxi driver. Thanks.

Finally getting our bearings, we huffed it to where we were supposed to be and arrived at Harlequin where we were greeted by Natashya Wilson, an amazing editor I met while at BEA and heard nothing but incredible things about. She showed us around and then let us hang out in her office and chat. She showed us a new cover that would be revealed later this month, but then she had to run leave, but her co-worker and other editor, Margo Lipshultz let us hang out with her.

I had met Margo (along with Katie McGarry - one of her authors) at BEA this past year, so I was so glad I got to spend more time with her. It was more chatting about books and covers and the launch of Harlequin's new Digital First books. 

Margo and I

Pub Stop #5: Hachette

Our final stop of the day, which was kind of sad even if we were dragging at this point. We arrived at this building and were greeted with the prettiest interior - all glass and steel and polish. Very nice.

Once we got up to the Hachette floor, we met with Faye Bi who I've known for years. Faye is a total sweetie and I adore working with her. She showed us around the office. The have a conference room where the table breaks down into a pool table where they have company pool tournaments annually, shelves where people will drop off books they're done with and others can grab at will to read, a closet full of upcoming galleys (which I got to touch!), and a ton of cubicles ad offices.


From there we left with Faye and all went to dinner (Nicole joined us again). It was appropriate we ended our night in an Irish Pub having dinner and just hanging out an chatting. But sadly it was over all-too-soon and Jen and I had to leave to catch our bus back home.

But not before our taxi driver took us on the ride of our lives, nearly taking out a crosswalk full of pedestrians. Seriously. These people did that whole, butt-tuck and run thing to skeedaddle outta his way. It was rather intense.

Pool, anyone?

Faye with the awesome glass doors

Galley closet!

Hachette has a hall where they display their current catalog titles in finished glory

And on the other side is a bunch of posters that changes each season with current titles

What Every Blogger Should Know

A big part of why we went was learning what would help establish better blogger-publisher relations. Here are some interesting facts I think every blogger could use to help them when dealing with publicists, publishers, and everyone else:

1. Know that what you do matters: Every person I talked to was grateful for the work bloggers put into the publishing industry with reviews, blog tours, promotions ... It doesn't go unnoticed.

2. ARCs: A lot of people want to know how to get an advanced copy for review. When sending an email, keep it succinct and to the point. These publicists get up to 400 emails a day with review requests alone, which is also why you're email may not always be answered that day or that week. Just know that they read every request, every email. If you don't hear back in a month or two, then send a follow up email - but be polite. No one is entitled to an ARC just because they're a blogger.

3. Content Counts: For every ARC request, every publicist confirmed they go to your blog and check it out. They look at your followers, the type of content you have (is it 70-90% memes with an occasional review? 30 posts a year with 20 of them being giveaways?). They look for the serious bloggers. Blogging is a hobby for most of us, but this is a job to them. A career. A way they pay the bills to support themselves and their family. These review copies need to be in the hands of people who will help promote the books. And the reviews needed to have some thought behind them: Not just a line saying, "I LOVED IT!" and then a paragraph summarizing the synopsis. Be detailed. Show enthusiasm.

4. Honesty counts: When requesting anything, above all else be honest. As I said above, these publicists check you out before adding you to their blogger email list, contact list, review copy list, etc. Don't think you can pad yours stats in an email or on Netgalley and they won't find out - they check to see if you really have those 2,000+ twitter followers or 7,000 Facebook likes. 

That being said, also provide updated stats for publicists you work with and on Netgalley and Edelweiss. I don't have the same follower count, unique page views (an important number to know), and page loads as when I first started. It expands almost every month. Know your numbers.

5. Negative vs. Snark vs. Cruel: Everyone laughs at the funny, GIF-filled reviews full of snark. But bear in mind there is a fine line between snark and cruel, and publishers aren't so OK with cruel. Negative reviews are fine - publishers and publicists get that no book will be loved by 100% of the readers, and reviews that critique books are a good thing. But you need to back up what you say. If something doesn't work for you, explain why. Don't just say, "This is a sucky books with sucky characters and a sucky plot." It's OK to not like something, but don't get mean and don't fight dirty.

6. Netgalley/Edelweiss: If you're a newer blogger, these two places can be the best way to gain access to upcoming titles. But know that every request you make, there is a real, live person on the other side, checking you out, checking out your blog, twitter, and other social media accounts listed. Netgalley also provides them with a rating of you (how many books you've reviewed versus how many you've requested and downloaded). All of this comes into play and they have to check everyone out. Cassie shared that All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill got over 2,000 review requests and she had to go through them all.

7. Social Media: Most publicists and publishers are using social media more and more. In fact, a lot of publishers have positions now solely to track social media accounts. Don't think they don't see you on Twitter or Pinterest or Goodreads - they do! One publicist said she had found several bloggers she now loves to work with because she said other bloggers she followed interacting with their blogger friends and she started following and tracking those friends. Don't use your twitter account just to enter contests or post about your own blog - engage with other bloggers and even publicists (most have their own twitter account outside of their publisher).

8. Myth of ebooks and eARCs: One of the most beneficial things I learned on this trip is that ebooks don't come cheap and are easily as expensive as a physical book. I also griped and groaned over the fact that ebooks are frequently only $1 or so less than a physical copy, but I never took into account the team of people needed to format a book for each individual type (Kindle, Nook, iBooks, PDFs) and upload it, make sure everything is pretty and presentable ... A lot goes into an ebook.

Interview w/Jen from Jenuine Cupcakes

1. Best part of PubCrawl 2013: Having a chance to put faces with names.

2. Worst part of PubCrawl 2013: Cab driver who dropped us off four blocks away from where we needed to be them told us to walk in the wrong direction.

3. Unexpected part of the day: The incredible generosity of all of the publicists!

4. Interesting tidbit: Some of the elevators don't have number panels on the inside nor do they go to all of the floors.

5. I wish we had more time for... I wish we'd had more time, period.

Thank you again to everyone who made PubCrawl 2013 a huge success! Jen and I had a blast meeting you all and hanging out, and thanks to everyone who followed along with us on Twitter!

Pub Crawl 2013 - The Blogger Side of Things

If you've been following me or Jen from Jenuine Cupcakes (@cupcakegirly) on Twitter, you might have seen this hashtag lately: #PubCrawl2013

(No, this isn't Jen and I building up to going on a drinking binge.)

Back in July, Jen and I were having dinner and she mentioned how for her birthday she would like to go visit one of her favorite publishing houses in NYC for a day. I readily threw myself on that idea because that sounded freaking fantastic. Then we kept talking and decided why stop at one publishing house when NYC is full of them?

And thus, Pub Crawl 2013 was conceived.

This Thursday, Oct. 17, Jen and I will be taking the Megabus up from where we live in Maryland and into NYC where we're going to visit some of our favorite publishers and publicists. They're agreed to sit down and talk to us about publishing, marketing, publicity, and even give us a tour around their offices!

I'm sure we'll be posting all over Twitter and Instagram as we go as well as recapping what we learn and see on our blogs afterwards. We're doing this in two parts: Jen will be covering topics from the perspective of an author trying to break into the publishing world (what to expect, tricks to know, and how a book makes it from someone's head to on the shelves). I'm covering the blogger end of things - what do publishers expect from bloggers? How can a blogger get you to take notice of their blog? What are some dos and don'ts?

That being said, if there's any questions you'd like us to ask these awesome publicists about blogging (or anything else), feel free to shout them out here and we'll see what we can do!

If you're an aspiring author with questions about how books are published, head over to Jenuine Cupcakes!

Follow Pub Crawl 2013 on:

Twitter

@irish_banana | @cupcakegirly | #PubCrawl2013

Instagram

Irish_Banana | Cupcakegirly

CHECK OUT THE RECAP!

Review: Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Title: Where the Stars Still Shine

Author: Trish Doller

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: 9.24.2013

Pages: 308

Genre: Contemporary

Series: No

Source: eARC from publisher

Rating: A+

Summary (from Goodreads):

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She's never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love--even with someone who seems an improbable choice--is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.

Review:

I have to admit first off that I never heard of this book before Jen (JenuineCupcakes) and I were in a car together talking about our favorite books—as we’re prone to doing when together. She started raving about it and Trish Doller and the way she was so enthusiastic made me want to read it. So I did what any good blogger does … Went home, found it on Netgalley and clicked that pretty REQUEST button.

This is one of those time that Jen can shout “I TOLD YOU SO” until cupcakes fly because OMG was she right. Trish Doller just earned her way onto my short-list of authors I will forever love because of this one book.

Callie is one of those characters that is just so real, so visceral, that it hurts. You ache for this girl, you cheer for this girl … you bang your head against a wall and want to climb inside the pages of the book so you can stop her from making a mistake. It brought tears to my eyes watching as Callie struggled to reconcile her past with her mom to the future her dad was offering her. Watching as she struggled and stumbled and ultimately found a way to keep going was equally heart-wrenching and encouraging.

And did I mention it has just one of the best romances ever? Yes, guys, ever. The best romances are the ones where no one is trying to change anyone. Alex was exactly what Callie needed—he never made her feel like less of a person because of her past and what she went through.

While I might be all swoony over the romance (seriously, it’s like a punch in the feels, guys!), the over-all theme here is family. Doller created a vibrant, brilliant characters that filled these voids in Callie’s life she didn’t even know were there with a quiet grace.

Where the Stars Still Shine is a beautiful tapestry of words. It’s moving, poignant, and a book that lingers long after the last page is turned. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Buy: Amazon

Review: The 100 by Kass Morgan

Title: The 100

Author: Kass Morgan

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: 9.3.2013

Pages: 277

Genre: SciFi

Series: The 100 #1

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: A+

Summary (from Goodreads):

In the future, humans live in city-like spaceships orbiting far above Earth's toxic atmosphere. No one knows when, or even if, the long-abandoned planet will be habitable again. But faced with dwindling resources and a growing populace, government leaders know they must reclaim their homeland... before it's too late.

Now, one hundred juvenile delinquents are being sent on a high-stakes mission to recolonize Earth. After a brutal crash landing, the teens arrive on a savagely beautiful planet they've only seen from space. Confronting the dangers of this rugged new world, they struggle to form a tentative community. But they're haunted by their past and uncertain about the future. To survive, they must learn to trust - and even love - again.

Review:

Can you guys just give me a moment to cuddle this book and revel in the awesome Kass Morgan created? Seriously. Gimme a sec.

OK. Now that that’s out of the way, let me tell you why I absolutely adored The 100.

There’s been a bit of rumbling and grumbling about the fact that there are a lot of POVs in this book. Four, actually. And this book takes place on Earth and in space. I honestly found these to be huge strengths. I loved hearing about what was happening from Clarke and Wells and Bellamy and Glass—it gave me an all-encompassing feel of what was happening. I didn’t feel like I was scrambling around in the dark.

Clarke was definitely my favorite. She has this strength, but also this vulnerability that makes her completely reliable and loveable as a narrator. She has a very complex relationship with Wells that we learn about via flashbacks. I am seriously rooting for these two long-term in the series.

We also have Bellamy down on Earth who was never part of the 100 originally slated to go to Earth—he jumped on the ship to protect his little sister who was being exiled. Yeah. Feel free to start swooning, ladies.

Glass meanwhile is back on the ship, which gives us a much-needed insight into what is happening to those not fighting for survival on Earth. I have a feeling her role is going to be crucial later on in this series.

It’s not hard to guess why The CW snapped this show up so fast (it will air next  Spring). If the TV show is half as good as the book, I will be an insanely happy girl. I cannot wait for more of Morgan’s series. It moves fast and is a quick read, not bogged down in a ton of jargon and terminology that usually makes me head hurt in SciFi. Definitely one everyone needs to read!

Buy: Amazon

Review: Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Title: Wild Cards

Author: Simone Elkeles

Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: 9.24.2013

Pages: 352

Genre: Contemporary, Sports

Series: Wild Cards #1

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: C+

Summary (from Goodreads):

After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

Review:

You might have seen the way I was raving about needing this book at BEA this past year. I was all over the place, freaking out and making a general fool of myself because I was so excited. I am a huge fan of Simone Elkeles’ Perfect Chemistry series. When I saw she was doing a football series I about lost my mind.

But then I got a copy. And then I read it. And then I was really kind of disappointed.

It’s hard to get into a romance when you strongly dislike half of the couple. Derek I liked. I liked his snark, his wit, and the way he simply is. It was Ashtyn I had a harder time getting into. She seemed too girly and, at times, weak to be the leader of a football team.  She also could never seem to make up her mind which left me endlessly frustrated. Their romance felt so rushed because for a large chunk of the book, Ashytn was in love with another guy.

It might sound like I hated this book, but I see the potential for future books in this series. I think Elkeles laid the ground work for the future books, introducing a bunch of characters in Wild Cards that I’m sure will get their own tale. Despite my issues with Ashtyn and her relationship with Derek, I truly feel like this is just the beginning and this series will only get better.

Buy: Amazon

Review: How to Love by Katie Cotugno

Title: How to Love

Author: Katie Cotugno

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: 10.1.2013

Pages: 389

Genre: Contemporary

Series: No

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: A

Summary (from Goodreads):

Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time. But he’s never seemed to notice that Reena even exists…until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated—and pregnant—Reena behind.

After: Almost three years have passed, and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena’s gotten used to being without Sawyer, and she’s finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn’t want anything to do with him, though she’d be lying if she said Sawyer’s being back wasn’t stirring something in her. After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?

Review:

Katie Cotugno, where have you been all my life?

That’s how I felt about mid-way through How to Love. This absolutely stunning, vibrant debut from Cotungo was definitely a highlight of my reading year. It’s an emotional ride that people simply cannot miss.

The story is told in alternating chapters by Reena. We flip back and forth from past to present to see what led up to Sawyer leaving Reena, seemingly alone and pregnant, to his return, and how they both deal and move on.

I loved that Cotugno didn’t victimize Reena. I feel like I’ve read a handful of books lately where the heroine simply reacts to what happens to her, but doesn’t try to do anything about it. Reena isn’t that girl: She’s one of the most visceral, utterly human characters I’ve read in a long time. She isn’t perfect. She’s made mistakes, but she’s a good mom and she has a strong support network.

The relationship with Reena and Sawyer was just magic, both past and present. I love that Sawyer didn’t burst back onto the scene with a, “Hi, honey, I’m home. We’re together again, right?” It wasn’t that simple. Sawyer had to work to earn back Reena’s trust, and that made their relationship all the more plausible and relatable.

All in all, this is a fabulous start to a promising new writing career. I cannot wait to see what Cotugno comes up with next!

Buy: Amazon

Cover Reveal: Autumn Rose by Abigail Gibbs

 In book two of her breathtakingly magical series, Abigail Gibbs draws us even further into the dangerous and romantic world of the Dark Heroines.

Autumn Rose lives in a sleepy seaside town in the southwest of England, but buried deep under the surface of her quiet life are dark secrets. Her grandmother is dead, murdered eighteen months before, and the whirling social scene of London in which she was brought up is a world away. Even worse, at her new school she is shunned and condemned-all because of the swirling marks on her skin that prevent her from blending in the crowd.

But the appearance of a handsome young man at her school-who has the same curious markings as Autumn Rose-sends her world into turmoil. Suddenly the marks are cool and Autumn is thrust into the limelight, but her sudden popularity brings danger as her secrets threaten to come to light. Plus, there is the fact that Autumn keeps dreaming of a human girl who is about to be seduced by a very dark Prince… and Autumn must figure out how to save her before it is too late.

Amazon
| Barnes & Noble
| IndieBound
| Books-A-Million
| iBookstore
| Image Map

Abigail Gibbs was born and raised in deepest, darkest Devon, England. She is studying for a B.A. in English at the University of Oxford and considers herself a professional student, as the real world has yet to catch up with her. Her greatest fear is blood and she is a great advocate of vegetarianism, which logically led to the writing of her first novel, Dinner with a Vampire. She splits her time between her studies, stories, and family, and uses coffee to survive all three.

Review: Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young

Title: Just Like Fate

Author: Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: 8.27.2013

Pages: 304

Genre: Multi-verse

Series: No

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: A+

Summary (from Goodreads):

Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline's been at Gram's bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape--both her family and the reality of Gram's failing health. So when Caroline's best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram's side, or go to the party and live her life.

The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline's fate into two separate paths--and she's about to live them both.

Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she's ever wanted.

Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending...

Review:

Here's the thing: I had a chance a few months ago to hang out with Nicole from Paperback Princess. We both adored this book so we decided to do a joint review vlog. Check it out!

 Buy: Amazon