BLOG TOUR: Little Miss Somebody - Christy Lynn Abrams + Review + Giveaway!!

***DISCLAIMER: I received this book via Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Any thoughts and opinions are my own.***

Book & Author Details:

Little Miss Somebody by Christy Lynn Abram 

Publication date: July 1st 2015

Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Based on a true story

Fourteen-year-old Nikki is forced to leave her whole world behind when her mother makes an impulsive move to Missouri. Once in the heart of Saint Louis, her mother begins a vicious cycle of abuse and abandonment, leaving Nikki to fend for herself at her grandmother’s house, amidst her mother’s drug addicted siblings.

Humiliated, lacking resources, and feeling more than ever like a burden, Nikki decides to take matters into her own hands—when she embarks on a journey to find her father, a missing piece to the puzzle of her life. Along the way she unravels more pain and layers of family abuse, causing her to want to give up.

But she won’t give up. Not yet. Not Nikki. Not until she finds what she’s looking for. But, will Nikki find the love she desperately needs?

Review: 

Little Miss Somebody is a very emotional book. Go ahead and set your box of tissues next to you before you even start reading. You will need them! 

Nikki's story is not unlike a lot of stories I've heard before. And I've experienced some of the same things she went through in my own life. What makes this book so poignant and special is how it is written. It's not as if you're reading a second-hand account or a rigid story about the tragedies of life. Nikki's life is poured out over these pages so fluidly that you start to feel the heavy-heartedness she feels. 

Her journey is amazing and heartbreaking. As a mother, I wanted to reach into the pages and pull her out just so I could wrap my arms around her. I cannot fathom how a mother could ever show anything but love for her child. And I cannot even begin to imagine how it feels to go through life knowing that my own mother didn't love me. 

Child abuse happens more than people like to or care to admit. Reading Nikki's story broke my heart but her strength and her character kept me motivated to keep reading. The ending of the book sets us up for another book, and for once I'm okay with that. Amazing story. Amazing writing by Christy Lynn Abram!

Goodreads

Purchase:

Amazon

AUTHOR BIO:

After enduring years of trauma and struggling with depression and PTSD, Christy Lynn Abram embarked on a journey to self-healing using holistic wellness as her guide. Now, as an Expressive Writing Coach and author, she teaches others how to love themselves healthy.

Christy is trained in eight healing modalities, including: a Reiki master, EFT practitioner, reflexologist, massage therapist, and a crystal healer, all of which aided in her discovery of how to heal herself naturally. These life-changing skills also served as the foundation to enhancing her gift as an intuitive healer. She has been recognized for her knowledge of the chakra system (by best-selling author of the Chakra Bible, Patricia Mercier), gemstone healing, and energy medicine. She also contributes to several online publications on the subject of holistic healing and offers individual coaching, e-courses, and workshops all designed to assist and encourage others on their journey toward a better, fuller life. Christy also loves to use her gift of writing to help others.

In her book Chakra Wellness: 7 Ways to Renew the Total she dives into the seven chakra centers from a mind-body-soul perspective. Readers learn how to discern key issues, heal imbalances, and maintain energetic barriers to eliminate stress and increase their overall well-being.

In her emotional novel, Little Miss Somebody, Christy wears her heart on her sleeve and delivers a poignant tale of love and sacrifice. Based on a true story, Little Miss Somebody will be released in July 2015.

Author links:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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BLOG TOUR: No More Confessions - Louise Rozett + Review + Giveaway!

**I received this book via YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Any thoughts and opinions are of my own.**

***

No More Confessions (Confessions #3)

by Louise Rozett 

Release Date: 01/25/15

For Rose Zarelli, freshman year was about controlling her rage. Sophomore year was about finding her voice. With all that behind her, junior year should be a breeze, right? Nope. When a horrific video surfaces, Rose needs the one person she wants to be done with, the person who has broken her heart twice—Jamie Forta. But as the intensity between them heats up, Rose realizes she isn’t the only one who needs help. The thing is, Jamie doesn’t see it that way—and that could cost them both everything.

***

ROSE ZARELLI is done confessing because ​confessions are for people who have done something wrong. ​And I haven't done anything wrong. Here, I'll prove it to you.

1) After my mother got that call, I “borrowed” her car. (Because you can’t steal your mother’s car, can you?) I don’t really remember driving downtown, but I do remember...

2) …getting past the bouncer at Dizzy’s (I mean, it’s his job to spot a fake ID, so that’s on him)…

​3) …and then later, telling my mother the truth about the bar but lying about how I got in. (A truth totally cancels out a lie, right?)

After all, what’s a little duplicity when finding Jamie Forta is the only thing that’s going to keep you from losing what’s left of your mind?

See? Junior year is off to a great start.

Add to Goodreads

Review: 

No More Confessions is not your ordinary YA novel. It's very raw and heartbreaking but you just can't put it down. 

Rose is a great character. She's got just enough grit to make a believable character. The situation that sends her looking for Jamie is a sad one and Jamie makes me want to punch him in the face. One minute I want him and Rose to be together and then the next I just want her to dropkick him and leave him on the sidewalk somewhere. 

It's hard for me not to give away stuff in the book. The story line is great and the writing is done so well that it doesn't feel like you're reading a story out of a book. The characters are diverse and have a depth to them that makes them leap off the page. 

What comes out in this book, it's something that hurts quite a few people. And it just left me upset and disgusted. It was something that no one should have ever seen. But I also understand why it happens and the book wouldn't have been as good without this happening. 

The ending of this book really got me. I don't want to give anything away but I will say that I loved the ending because it's more like real life than any happily ever after. It was heartbreaking and I may have shed a tear or two but I think that it was a perfect ending. 

Read the whole series or you will be a little confused as to what is going on in this book. It is hard to put down though so make sure you have plenty of time to read before you get started! 

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble

Links to Book One:

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble

Links to Book Two:

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Louise Rozett is an author, a playwright, and a recovering performer. She made her YA debut with Confessions of an Angry Girl, followed by Confessions of an Almost-Girlfriend, both published by HarlequinTEEN. The next book in the series, No More Confessions, is due out January 2015. She lives with her 120-pound Bernese Mountain dog Lester (named after Lester Freamon from THE WIRE, of course) in sunny Los Angeles, and pines for New York City. Visit www.Louiserozett.com for more info.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

Book Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

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REVIEW: You Could Be Home By Now - Tracy Manaster + GIVEAWAY!

***Disclaimer: I received this book via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Any thoughts and opinions are my own.***

An hour and a half outside Tucson, Arizona, The Commons is a luxury retirement community where no full-time resident under the age of fifty-five is permitted. Young professionals Seth and Alison Collier accept jobs there as a means of dealing (badly) with a recent loss. When a struggling resident, underwater on her mortgage and unable to relocate due to the nation s ongoing housing crisis, is discovered to be raising her grandson in secret, the story--with the help of a well-meaning teenaged beauty blogger and a retiree with reasons of his own to seek the spotlight--goes viral. "You Could Be Home By Now" explores the fallout for all involved, taking on the themes of grief and memory, aspiration and social class, self-deception, and the drive in all of us to find a place to belong."

Get it on Amazon Add to Goodreads

Review: 
You Could Be Home By Now is one of those books that when you takes you through an incredible emotional journey and when you finish it you just kind of sit there and stare at the book for a few minutes. It takes you a few minutes to process all of the thoughts and feelings you have had about all of the characters and circumstances in the book. But you absolutely loved all of the characters and you have a slight book hangover because of how good the book was. It's one of those kind of books. 

The beginning of this book immediately throws you into the emotional, heart-wrenching miscarriage of Alison and Seth's baby. As a way to deal with losing the baby Alison and Seth decide to quit their jobs and move across the country to work and live in a retirement community near Tucson, Arizona. What they both think will bring them closer is actually what almost destroys their marriage. 

Meanwhile, The Commons is home to a few other characters who are dealing with their own tragedies in peculiar, and sometimes quite humorous, ways. Mona, unable to sell her home, is hiding her young grandson from the community (he's not allowed to be there) and is getting away with it until one unfortunate accident with a hot tub and the well-meaning teenage girl next door. Sadie is learning how to live life after losing her husband the year before and spends her summer trying to entertain her granddaughter who recently got in trouble in school for alleged online bullying. Ben escaped his life and his wife up North in order to try and move on from his daughter's disappearance. 

At the beginning I thought this story was only going to follow Alison and Seth but once I realized that I was going to get to peak into the lives of other residents from The Commons, the book became that much more interesting. I really liked this book because it wasn't a "pretty" version of how people deal with tragedy. It was a realistic, and sometimes even pretty ugly, portrayal of how people deal with tragedy and the effort they put in trying to move on. 

This was a very well-written book and I was amazed to find out that this was a debut novel. Most authors have to put out several books before they reach something so poignant and personal. Even if you have't experience the type of loss that these characters have, you can still recognize the grief and emotions that they're going through. It speaks directly to your heart and soul on a level that makes you feel as broken-hearted as these characters. 

I think Lily, the lesbian teenage granddaughter of Sadie, really stole the show. She's a spitfire who wants to be a little defiant but all at the same time doesn't want to be a disappointment. She wants to be outspoken, but not at the expense of really hurting anyone's feelings. And she cares deeply for her grandmother. I loved the relationship between her and Sadie. It reminded me somewhat of the relationship I had with my Nanny, especially right after my sweet PawPaw died. 

This book isn't all tragedy. There are some pretty hilarious moments sprinkled throughout. My favorite is probably when Ben Thales makes the nightly news. You'll have to read the story to find out what he does. I won't ruin it for you. Just know that I literally choked on my drink while reading. (Thank goodness for my life-saving hubs!) I also loved the act of vandalism that happens towards the end of the book. I may or may not have taken part in something similar in my younger years.  I highly recommend this book and if you do read it, please, please, please, let me know what you thought of it! 

Thank you to FW Media and Bethany Carland-Adams for the opportunity to review! 

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BLOG TOUR: House Divided - Jennifer Peel + Excerpt + Review + GIVEAWAY!!

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House Divided 

 There is a law irrevocably decreed in the state of Alabama that you must choose a team. You're either an Auburn fan or an Alabama Fan. There is no fence sitting or waffling. It’s one or the other. However, it doesn't mean that you can’t fall in love with someone from the opposing side. They even have a name for it ... House Divided. Ellie Eaton and Brady Jackson were just such a couple, but unfortunately they were separated by more than just their loyalty to a university. Against the odds and against the rules, Ellie and Brady dove right into the forbidden current of friendship and then love. Their sweet, innocent romance was one for the storybooks, but old rules and family prejudices ultimately tore them apart, just as they were each ready to depart to their beloved universities, Ellie to Auburn and Brady to Alabama. But years later, when near tragedy strikes, they're brought together again and given a second chance at love, this time with help from some very unlikely sources. House Divided is a sweet romance filled with southern charm, a dash of humor and, for good measure, a pinch of lies and intrigue.

AMAZON

Praise for the Book

"House Divided was one of those books that made me want to ignore my children, my to-do list, my need for food, and pretty much anything else that would keep me from reading. Jennifer Peel has a real gift for depicting first love, heartbreak, and hope." "A tender, soft, story that truly is a gem to read." "Ms. Peel has created a story that stands as a tribute to true southern gentility, it's foibles and strengths. Truly a beautiful read that gives heart and meaning to true devotion. She truly knows how to weave a story that has beauty and true southern charm."  

     

Excerpt: 

"Wait, Ellie."

"What, Brady?"

"Can we please talk?"

"I don’t think there’s anything else left to say, Brady."

"Ok, Ellie, but if you think I’m going to let you walk out of my life again without a fight, then you have another thing coming, so saddle up, Ella Lu Eaton."

"Brady!"

"Goodnight, Ellie." And just like that he hung up.

He was on my ever living last nerve tonight. Well, you have another thing coming, Brady Jackson. "And by the way, I didn’t walk out of your life in the first place. You pushed me!" I don’t know why I said that out loud, it wasn’t like he could hear me.

I stomped up the stairs and took a long, hot bath. As I lay there soaking, I tried not to think of that fool. Who did he think he was, telling me to saddle up? Well, cowboy, you better hold on to your hat because I have no intention of losing this rodeo.

Review: 

This book automatically appealed to me as soon as I saw the title and synopsis. As a born-and-raised Alabama woman who lives less than an hour away from the University of Alabama's campus, I understand the term "House Divided" very well! 

Alabama and Auburn's football rivalry is as much a part of Alabama history as Hank Williams and Helen Keller. People have been fighting over which team is better for as long as anyone can remember. This rivalry has truly divided houses just as the title suggests. 

Ellie and Brady Jackson's story has an all too familiar feel for me. I know several couples whose weddings had to have seating charts that set all of the Alabama folks on one side and all the Auburn folks at the other in order to keep the peace. I felt like I was really a part of this book because my Tiny Tyrant was born at St. Vincent's and I've done my own Christmas shopping at the Summit as well! 

This book isn't just for Alabama natives, though. I think anyone who has ever felt obligated to do things to make their family happy or to keep the peace can relate to this book and Ellie and Brady's story. You can tell these two people love each other so much but they also love their families and are fiercely loyal to them; almost to the point that they are willing to be miserable in order to make their families happy. 

The characters in this book are so wonderful and felt so REAL. Ellie's Aunt Lu was my favorite character. She reminded me of a lot of older southern women that I know, including my own "Aunt Lu". Her love and devotion to Ellie really warmed my heart and I just LOVED seeing her give Brady a hard time. Brady Jackson is the perfect southern gentleman and it is easy to see why Ellie fell so hard for him. Brady's determination to once and for all have Ellie in his life forever flows so well in this story, especially when he has help sending her his way from a very unexpected source. 

I give this book five stars for such a clean, endearing story. (They even wait to have sex! Shocker, right? Because who does that anymore, hmm?) I highly recommend this book and PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, let me know if you read it!!! 

Oh yeah, and just in case you're wondering.... 

Author Jennifer Peel 

 I'm a Colorado native who currently calls Alabama home. I'm the mother of three amazing children who have grown up way too fast. I enjoy the mountains, vacations at the beach, date night with my husband, late night talks with my kiddos, touring model homes, and pink bubblegum ice cream. I grew up on the Western Slope in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. I learned to love the beauty of the outdoors, but not camping--unless staying overnight at the Marriott counts. I met my husband while living in Denver and then several years later we traded the beauty and majesty of the Colorado Rocky Mountains for the art and culture of Chicago, Illinois. My family and I enjoyed living near this world class city, despite the crazy cold winters, but new adventures awaited in Northern Alabama--just six hours away from Orange Beach, Alabama. These three magical places (the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Chicago, and Orange Beach) are the inspired locations used in several of my books.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

 

 

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash 

 Ends 4/12/15 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

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Book Review: Remember Me Like This - Bret Anthony Johnston

 A gripping novel with the pace of a thriller but the nuanced characterization and deep empathy of some of the literary canon’s most beloved novels, Remember Me Like This introduces Bret Anthony Johnston as one of the most gifted storytellers writing today. With his sophisticated and emotionally taut plot and his shimmering prose, Johnston reveals that only in caring for one another can we save ourselves.

Four years have passed since Justin Campbell’s disappearance, a tragedy that rocked the small town of Southport, Texas. Did he run away? Was he kidnapped? Did he drown in the bay? As the Campbells search for answers, they struggle to hold what’s left of their family together.

Then, one afternoon, the impossible happens. The police call to report that Justin has been found only miles away, in the neighboring town, and, most important, he appears to be fine. Though the reunion is a miracle, Justin’s homecoming exposes the deep rifts that have diminished his family, the wounds they all carry that may never fully heal. Trying to return to normal, his parents do their best to ease Justin back into his old life. But as thick summer heat takes hold, violent storms churn in the Gulf and in the Campbells’ hearts. When a reversal of fortune lays bare the family’s greatest fears—and offers perhaps the only hope for recovery—each of them must fight to keep the ties that bind them from permanently tearing apart.

Goodreads

Buy: 

Amazon | B & N | Kobo

I won this book from Goodreads. I'm very picky about books that I pick out for "pleasure reading" and I don't think that this would have been a first pick for me. However, after two days of staring at it's cover from where it sat in the floor next to my couch, I picked it up and thought I'd casually read a chapter while waiting on dinner to cook. Thanks to Bret Anthony Johnston, dinner almost burned. I was hooked from the very beginning. 

As a writer, one of the first things I notice when reading a book is the writing style. Johnston's style reminded me of a mix between Gillian Flynn and maybe John Grisham? It's honestly hard to put Johnston in a box with other authors that I've read. I really liked how well he painted the Texas shore town of Corpus Christi and how he developed the characters. 

I will say that if you read the reviews on Goodreads like I did after I read the book, you might see some disappointed readers. I *HATE* to be one of those people that says, "Well, you just didn't get it," but in this case, I really can't help it. If you think that this book is going to give you gory details about the abuse and relationship this missing child had with his captor, keep moving. Don't even waste your time flipping through the pages of this book. Remember Me Like This is not a story of abuse and torture ripped from the headlines. It will leave you with several questions about Justin and what happened to him. And if you just HAVE to have a gory detail, well, Johnston does a good job of alluding to what happened towards the end of the book. 

The point of this book is not about Justin, the missing boy. It's not about his time away from his family for four years. It's not about what happened to him during those four years. It's not even about HIM when he comes home. It's about the lives around him that were affected by his disappearance. It's about how his parents' marriage fell apart after he disappeared. It's about how his little brother spent four years lying to the police and his parents and blaming himself for his brother being gone. It's about his father losing himself in an affair in order to get his mind off of his missing child. It's about a grandfather who feels like he's failed his family. 

Until I read this book I've honestly never thought about what the families of kidnapped children go through. Like most people, I focus on what the media puts out about the kidnap suspects and the details of what happened to the child. And of course, I feel happy and excited when a child is actually returned home. But I have never once thought about how those families carry on their day-to-day lives all while wondering where their missing child is. I've never once thought about how difficult it might be to adjust to having that child back home. Until reading Remember Me Like This, I always thought that the happy ending was just that; happy. I never thought that maybe it wasn't that simple. 

A lot of the reviews I've read about this book really ripped it apart because even though Johnston gives you the point of view of all of the other family members in Justin's life, you never get to see his point of view. That reason is one of the biggest reasons why I loved this book. By focusing on Justin and the events surrounding him, you lose the point of the story; the family. They're too scared to ask why he came home with a limp or how he overcame his fear of snakes. They don't want to think about what terrible things he might have gone through while he was gone for four years. They are scared if they ask him too many questions he might disappear again. And that, in my opinion, is what Johnston wants you to feel with this story. He wants you to feel like you're walking on eggshells when Justin is in the scene. He wants you to feel the tension between him and the rest of  family. He wants you to feel their uneasiness and guilt. 

I highly recommend Remember Me Like This if you are interested in reading a story about the effects having a child kidnapped can leave on parents and their other child and grandparents. Johnston's writing evokes several emotions all at once that give you that same mixed up feeling that Justin's family has while trying to adjust to having someone they missed for four years entering back into their lives. His writing gives you that same sick, nervousness that his parents walk around with because they once thought that their son might have actually been dead. Just keep in mind that sometimes a happy ending isn't always happy....