Review + Giveaway! Unrequited | Girl Meets Boy Band by Emma Gray

 Full tour schedule here.

Hi, there! I haven't been very active this week, but I promise I'll reply to all your comments and visit your blogs.

I have a blog tour scheduled for today. Read my review below and enter the giveaway!

Unrequited

by Emma Grey
My Rating: ★★★★☆ (more like 3.5)
Genres: YA, Contemporary, Music, Romance
Release Date:  May 26th 2014
Format Read: Ebook, YA Bound Books BT

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books

Description from Goodreads

Give her 5 Seconds of Summer. Now.

Or maybe the seriously-hot med student who rescued her on a train—and who could be Douglas Booth's twin! Perfect formal partner, much?

But when Kat comes face to face with Angus Marsden himself, things start to get complicated. Very. Throw in a deranged female popstar, final exams, a part in the musical and a mum who just doesn't get it—and where is her best friend?

When did life get so crazy? Kat's just an ordinary schoolgirl.

Isn't she?

My Thoughts:

I had so much fun reading this book! I've read novels about celebrities and actors, but I haven't read any book about a boy band before! Needless to say that I enjoyed this book very much. It does have its negative points, but we'll get to that later.

First let's talk about how cool this book is! OMG. The coincidences that occur in Unrequited are so improbable to happen in real life; there are stuff that would happen only in some crazy fangirls' dreams, and that's why I think this book is so fun to read. (Warning: Don't expect the story to be realistic, because you'll only be disappointed.) I can't help but compare Unrequited to a shoujo manga, because it's full of those cliches that are very common in shoujo. And I believe that this book would be an AMAZING shoujo manga, if it were ever made into one.

While I was reading this book, I spent most of the time fangirling. I enjoyed reading it also because I kept my sister updated with what was happening with Kat, Angus, Joel and Sarah. And obviously we both fangirled together. (Yep. That's what sisters are for. =D)

Although it seems like I overly enjoyed reading this novel, there are things I want to complain about. Firstly I think that the book started off really, really well, but towards the end it lost its spark. At first it was very addicting with lots of moments that made me grin like an idiot, but then the story became predictable, and I knew exactly how it would end which was a little bit boring. Also, the lyrics of the songs in this book aren't that good, and I didn't like any of them except for Somehow. Nevertheless, I still had so much fun reading this book. However, I believe I would have enjoyed Unrequited a lot more, if the author managed to keep the spark till the very end.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves 1D or any other boy band, especially to those who love to fangirl!

Read the first three chapters at: www.unrequited.com.au

About the Author
Emma Grey has two teenage girls, a three-year-old boy, a couple of businesses and another teen novel in the pipeline. Her first book, 'Wits' End Before Breakfast! Confessions of a Working Mum' was published in 2005.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

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Blog Tour Organized by YA Bound Book Tours

Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway! The League ~ Sulan by Camille Picott

Hello, there! I'm so excited to share this book with you guys. Check out my review below!

Full tour schedule here.

Episode One: The League ~ Sulan

by Camille Picott

My Rating: ★★★★☆

Genres: YA, Dystopian, Cyberpunk

Published June 2012 by Pixiu Press

Format Read: Ebook via CBB Book Promotions

Purchase: Amazon,  Audible, The Book Depository, Kobo

Description from Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Sulan Hom can’t remember life before the Default—the day the United States government declared bankruptcy. As a math prodigy, she leads a protected life, kept safe from the hunger and crime plaguing the streets of America. She attends the corporate-sponsored Virtual High School, an academy in Vex (Virtual Experience) for gifted children. 

Beyond the security of Sulan’s high-tech world, the Anti-American League wages a guerrilla war against the United States. Their leader, Imugi, is dedicated to undermining the nation’s reconstruction attempts. He attacks anything considered a national resource, including corporations, food storage facilities—and schools. When Sulan witnesses the public execution of a teenage student and the bombing of a college dorm, she panics. 

Her mother, a retired mercenary, refuses to teach her how to defend herself. Sulan takes matters into her own hands. With the help of her hacker best friend, Hank, Sulan acquires Touch—an illegal Vex technology that allows her to share the physical experience of her avatar. With Touch, Sulan defies her mother and trains herself to fight. 

When Imugi unleashes a new attack on the United States, Sulan finds herself caught in his net. Will her Vex training be enough to help her survive and escape?

My Review:

I haven't read anything like this book, and I think it's amazing!

This Dystopian/Cyberpunk novel takes place during a crisis that hit the US, and the main character is Sulan, a 16-year-old math prodigy. No kidding you guys. This girl can solve any complex equation without using a calculator, and she does it in less than 10 seconds. Cool, isn't she? Her skills are very impressive and that is why she's not safe. Apparently, Imugi (the antagonist) is determined to kill all the brilliant minds of America to prevent the nation's reconstruction. So, Sulan knows that she's in danger and finds a way to learn how to protect herself.

Avatars and Virtual School.

I'm not familiar with the Cyberpunk genre, so I found this book very, very captivating. Sulan goes to a virtual school, and it's not like those boring online courses. It's so much more! Students are able to use Vex (Virtual Experience); they have their own avatars which they can control with their minds, and they get to interact with each other like they're actually attending school. Yep, technology is incredible! I think the world building is amazing, and I just love how the virtual system works. However, I feel like this book is a bit short because I want to explore the world more and there are many things that I'm curious about!

Nerd and Badass Fighter.

Sulan is an amazing heroine. I like that she's strong-willed, and that she's  determined to learn how to fight, even though her mom doesn't want her to. She knows that she won't stand chance against Imugi if she doesn't know the basics of self defense, so she undergoes a not-so-safe training. Although she lacks physical strength, I like that her brilliant mind makes her a deadly opponent.

There is a little bit of romance, but it doesn't focus on it. This novel mainly centres around Sulan's training and the battle against Imugi. And there are some great action scenes; I especially love the one at the end.

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a fast paced and action filled book!

I received this book from CBB Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review. 

About the Author

Camille Picott is a fifth-generation Chinese American. She writes science fiction and fantasy books with Asian characters and/or Asian settings. Camille grew up reading speculative fiction stories largely devoid of Asian characters and culture. This, coupled with a passion for her heritage, is the reason she strives to bring some aspect of Eastern myth, legend, culture, and ethnicity to all of her writings. To visit Camille, go to www.camillepicott.com.

Find Camille Picott online: Website | Facebook |Goodreads

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Blog Tour Organized by CBB Book Promotions

Blog Tour (Review & Giveaway): Not Quite Dead by Lyla Payne

Hey there! I'm so excited to share this book with you guys. Check out my review below!

Full tour schedule here.

Not Quite Dead

by Lyla Payne

My Rating: ★★★★★

Genres: NA, Mystery, Paranormal

Published April 1st 2014 by Createspace

Format Read: Ebook, CLP BT

Purchase: Amazon, B&N, Kobo

Description from Goodreads

A broken engagement sends Graciela Harper crawling back to Heron Creek with her tail between her legs, but finds the sleepy little town too changed to set her life right. Not even her budding drinking problem can obscure her Gramps’s failing health, or erase the mental picture of her first love happily married to her childhood best friend. To top it all off, she’s having a heck of time convincing the town’s dashing young mayor of her unfit-for-dating status.

When the ghost of 18th century lady pirate Anne Bonny starts insisting on a near daily audience, Graciela has to confront something else she never expected—being certifiably nuts at twenty-five years old.

Her brand new "I don't give a crap" attitude makes it easy to dismiss the mysterious threats that seem to be tied to her search for more information on the long dead pirate, but when her family becomes a target, Gracie knows she needs to find out why the ghost insists on being a constant, reeking companion. 

If Graciela can put aside her prejudice against people without a pulse, she may discover that Anne Bonny’s problems are intricately linked with her own. The past harbors answers could help the cantankerous spirit find closure, but she is, after all, already dead. If Graciela doesn’t move fast, she might find herself doing the haunting, instead of the other way around.

My Review:

I'm not a big fan of ghosts stories, and have to admit that the only reason why I signed up to this blog tour is because the blurb of this book kinda reminded me of The Master's Sun (a Korean drama that I really loved). And although there aren't much similarities between this book and TMS, I didn't regret joining this tour because this book is AMAZING!

Not Quite Dead follows Gracie, a 25-year-old, who moves back to Heron Creek, her childhood hometown, after she breaks off her engagement. She's a total mess. She doesn't know what to do with her life, and taking care of her grandfather sounds like a good excuse to hide from the world and her failures. But in Heron Creek things aren't as easy as she thinks; there are bittersweet memories, old wounds and broken friendships to deal with. And to add to all the confusion her life has become, she starts seeing a ghost who doesn't want to leave her alone.

This book focused a lot on the characters. The relationships between them were so interesting which is why I enjoyed this book a lot. I loved Gracie as the narrator; even though she was lost and confused, I liked that she didn't wallow in self-pity. I loved her relationship with Gramps! It was so sweet and made me shed a few tears. It was also great to see Gracie healing from her wounds of the past, and how she managed to begin a better relationship with her former best friends. There is also a slow-building romance going on which I immensely enjoyed reading.

The mystery aspect of this book was amazing. I was completely engrossed in this book and could barely put it down. Seriously, I devoured this whole thing in just two days because it was so good! I liked how everything unravels, and I loved that it kept me guessing what will happen next. As for the paranormal stuff, I have to admit that I was a bit scared, but as I kept reading, the whole "ghost thing" didn't frighten me as much as it did at first.

To sum up, Not Quite Dead has a gripping story with fantastic characters. The romance is magical, and the ending just made me laugh. There are a lot of intriguing things going on in this book and they are beautifully bound together. And it also has a pirate ghost which is awesome!

If you like paranormal then I highly recommend Not Quite Dead to you, but even if you don't like paranormal I think you'll enjoy this book.

I received this book from CLP Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. 

About the Autor

Lyla Payne has been publishing New Adult romance novels for a little over a year, starting with Broken at Love and continuing with the rest of the Whitman University series. She loves telling stories, discovering the little reasons people fall in love, and uncovering hidden truths in the world around us - past and present. In her spare time she cuddles her two dogs, pretends to enjoy exercising so that she can eat as much Chipotle as she wants, and harbors a deep and abiding hope that Zac Efron likes older women. She loves reading, of course, along with movies, traveling, and Irish whiskey. Lyla's hard at work, ALWAYS, and hopes to bring you more Whitman University antics and at least one more Lowcountry ghost tale before the end of the year.

Lyla Payne is represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

If you want to know more, please visit her at http://lylapayne.com

If you're a fan of Young Adult fiction--science fiction or otherwise--please check out her work that's published under the name Trisha Leigh. http://trishaleigh.com 

Website - Twitter - Goodreads - Facebook

INT GIVEAWAY!

**Everyone who leaves a comment on the tour page will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card! Anyone who purchases a copy of Not Quite Dead by August 18 and sends their receipt to Samantha (at) ChickLitPlus.com will receive 10 bonus entries!**

Blog Tour (Excerpt & Giveaway): Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda by Tara Lee Reed

Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda
Author: Tara Lee Reed
Purchase: Amazon

Description from Goodreads
“The End” is Only the Beginning. 

Elle Masters is over dating. It used to be fun: the drama, the angst, the exhilarating beginnings, the bittersweet middles, the blowout endings. Then the tears, hangovers, rebounds, and another addition to the shoebox of memories in her closet. Now Elle can’t remember the last time a guy made his way into her box. 

When her friends Rachel and Valerie insist she snap out of her post-breakup funk with a girls’ night out/rebound hunt at a San Francisco bar, Elle isn’t expecting tall, dark, and hummuna-hummuna, Nick Wright. This is no rebound guy. He’s definitely, maybe, The One. 

In Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda, the interactive romantic comedy where you direct the plot, you play Elle as she and her pals put the “antics” in “romantics.” Get ready to question everything you thought you knew about love, over-analyzing and second-guessing your way through hundreds of modern dating dilemmas and passionate predicaments. Will you accept a last minute date? Freak out if Nick wants space? Be the first to use the ‘L’ word? Live in sin? Or hold out for a ring? Wait, do you even want a ring? 

With 60 good, bad and inexplicable endings, you’ll always have another second chance at love with Mr. Wright.

Full tour schedule here.

EXCERPT

“Call him yet?” Rachel asks the moment you answer the phone. She’s never beat around a bush in her entire existence.
You tuck the phone between your chin and shoulder. “Call who?” Thanks to the nervous energy you’re directing into dusting, your voice sounds remarkably casual. Especially given it’s Monday night, which means you can officially call Nick without looking desperate.

“Oh, I don’t know… Nick? The reason you annoyed the fuck out of me all weekend with questions like, ‘What if he met someone else?’ and, ‘What if I call him on Monday and he’s away on a month-long business trip?’ and, ‘What if he eloped over the weekend?’”

“I never said that!”

“Not out loud.”

Maybe.

You sigh. “No. I haven’t called.”

“After all that, what are you waiting for?”

“I’m in the middle of something.” Yeah. In the middle of waiting until 7:12 p.m., which you’ve decided is the perfect, seemingly random, after work, after dinner, before whatever bachelors do at night, time to call. Calculated torture.

“6:57 or 7:08?”

“Shut up.”

“I’m going with after seven.”

“7:12.” You rapidly rub at the tip of your itchy nose and fight the urge to sneeze.

“So lame. Fuck you, buddy!”

“Aw, that’s sweet. You know, you’re my best friend, too.”

“Not you. Just some old broad who probably shouldn’t have a licence.”

“I’ve always loved that you never exclude the elderly from your road ragings. It’s very progressive.”

“I’d be mayor if it weren’t for my misspent youth.”

“And adulthood. Where are you headed anyway?”

“Weekly stop at my dealer’s. Just pulling up.”

“Your grandmother’s glaucoma is the greatest thing that ever happened to you.”

“I know it. Call me later?”

“Sure. Kiss Roma for me.”

You hang up and check the time. It’s 7:02.

Screw it. Good enough.

You find Nick’s name in your contact list, deciding you like how it looks there - like it belongs. You take a moment and loosely script some small talk before hitting send.

It’s ringing.
Still ringing.
Damn. Voicemail.

You weren’t expecting that. Recorded messages are not your forte.

To leave a message after the beep, turn to section 38.
To hang up and try again later, turn to section 21.

About the Author

Tara Lee Reed is the accidental writer from Toronto, Canada, not that chick from Sharknado. When her career in public relations was forced into hiatus by a jerky plot twist, she wrote the first in a series of interactive novels. When she received offers of single and multi-book deals from top houses, she turned them down to publish independently. Because she’s crazy.

She was voted Most Sarcastic Female at her high school prom, which she went to alone. (Not that she thinks about it.) She can fit her whole fist in her mouth (which makes the prom thing surprising), and she can sing with her mouth closed, but she can’t do both at the same time.

Her tweets on The Bachelor have been aired in a live broadcast and picked up by national media. She once appeared on the cover of a romance novel with her longtime partner, who has done 79 more – with other women. She thinks that’s qualification enough to write this book.

Website - Facebook - Twitter

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Blog Tour (Excerpt & Giveaway): French Toast by Glynis Astie

French Toast 
Author: Glynis Astie
Series: French Twist #2
Purchase: Amazon, Google Play, iTunes

Description from Goodreads

Sydney Bennett is back! And her pursuit of perfection is alive and well. Naïve to the core, Sydney believed that when she finally married the man of her dreams, the hard part was over. Following a civil ceremony as a means to keep Louis from being deported, Sydney continues to plan the fairytale wedding that she had dreamed of since the age of five. Much to her chagrin, she discovers that her mother-in-law is planning what seems to be a rival wedding in France that SHE has been dreaming about for her only child since before he was born. How will poor Sydney be able to ensure two perfect weddings in the midst of Louis’ fruitless job search? Especially when her mother-in-law’s idea of perfection appears to be having Sydney embarrass herself in front of hundreds of French people that she has never met? 

As if she didn’t have enough on her mind already, Sydney finds herself faced with the trials and tribulations of being a wife. Sydney had always heard that marriage was hard, but she thought that this was just a ruse that married couples portrayed in a bid to make single girls feel less desperate. But as the bills pile up and emotions run high, she realizes that there may just be some truth to this statement. And as she watches Louis’ perfection fade away before her very eyes, she begins to wonder if she made a rash decision in marrying a man that she had known for a mere six months. 

With all of the obstacles that Sydney and Louis will encounter, will they be raising their glasses in celebration or watching their impulsive marriage crash and burn? One thing is for certain, Sydney and Louis Durand are headed for one hell of a toast…

Full tour schedule here.

Meet Sydney Durand

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.  She couldn’t possibly be serious.  Could she?  I opened my eyes, looked over at Louis and tried to smile.  I can only imagine the look that registered on my face, but I highly doubt it was anything remotely positive.  Louis had just finished telling me about his mother’s latest plans for our wedding.  I took another deep breath and reminded myself, yet again, that I had agreed to let her plan the wedding in its entirety (with the exception of choosing my wedding dress.)  Why would I agree to something so completely insane?  It might have had something to do with the fact that this would be our third wedding. 

That’s right, I said THIRD wedding and no, I do not have an Elizabeth Taylor complex.  And I can prove it!  Allow me to give you the short version.  After a disastrous romantic history dating back to college, I, Sydney Bennett, was swept off of my feet by the incredible Frenchman, Louis Durand.  Louis was in California on business, but following our first week together, he accepted a transfer from his company’s Paris office to the San Jose office.  To the great shock of our families and friends, we became engaged a few weeks later.  We began planning a beautiful wedding in Monterey for the following September, only to be thwarted by Louis’ unexpected job loss in January.  In order to avoid his deportation, we were married shortly thereafter in my home town of Haverstraw, New York.  So that my dreams of a beautiful wedding would not be crushed, we elected to have the originally planned event in Monterey as well.  Everyone needs gorgeous wedding photos!  The first wedding was definitely more practical than gorgeous.

One would think that two weddings would be more than enough for one couple in love, but due to Louis’ status as an only child with an extremely large extended family and his mother’s dream of a wedding that his whole town (population four hundred) would attend, we simply had to have one more wedding.  Besides, a wedding in the beautiful French countryside sounded amazing, right?   This way my family and I would have the opportunity to experience the wedding customs of Louis’ country as he and his family would experience the customs of ours at the wedding in Monterey.  (The first wedding was kind of light on customs as it was predominantly a vehicle to keep Louis in the country.)  My mother and siblings were thrilled at the prospect of a trip to France, while my father bemoaned the fact that he would have to set foot in traitorous territory.  He is German and likes to complain.  Although I was absolutely sure that he was practically drooling at the prospect of the gastronomic experiences in his future.

While three weddings did afford a certain amount of stress, in the end, I think that it helped me.  My mother had planned the first wedding (in the span of one week), I was planning the second wedding (in the span of one year) and Louis’ mother was planning the third (in the span of Louis’ lifetime.)  This allowed for all parties to end up with a wedding they were happy with.  I must admit that the idea having three different wedding dresses is kind of fun.  Hey, now!  There is no need to judge!  The three events are very different levels of formality.  The first was an informal town hall wedding, the second would be a formal evening wedding and the third would be an afternoon wedding in the French countryside.  If you really think about it, you will realize that having three wedding dresses is an absolute necessity.

    Now that my seemingly ludicrous statement of three weddings has been explained, we can return to the problem at hand.  Louis has just informed me that his mother, Simone, has purchased an ensemble for me to wear to the rehearsal dinner.  (Honestly, this is becoming comical.  This will be our THIRD rehearsal dinner.)  Let me remind you that Louis’ mother has a very...particular fashion sense.  All of the garments she wears are short, tight, brightly colored and/or bedazzled.  Given the fact that she is sixty years old, my hat goes off to her.  I hope that I have the guts to wear miniskirts into my sixties.  She is my hero!  Having said that, I have never been one to dress that....um...how do I put this?  Let’s just say that my taste is slightly more conservative.

    Louis was practically in tears from laughing so hard as he described the dress to me.  Simone had chosen a gold sequined halter mini dress with red satin roses on the straps and red satin ruffles along the bottom of the skirt.  She also saw fit to purchase red satin stilettos with matching red satin roses on the toes.  I resisted the urge to strangle my husband and began to pace the room.  Clearly I made a serious error in judgment when I allowed Simone to make all decisions for the wedding except for my wedding dress.  In my defense, I really didn’t think that her purview extended to my wardrobe choices for pre wedding events.  It was becoming quite obvious that I had a lot to learn about her…

About the Author

Glynis never expected in her wildest dreams to be a writer. After thirteen years in the Human Resources Industry, she decided to stay at home with her two amazing sons. Ever in search of a project, she was inspired to write the story of how she met and married her wonderfully romantic French husband, Sebastien, in six short months. The end result became her first novel, French Twist.

As this novel is only the beginning the story, Glynis has just released the sequel, French Toast and has begun writing the final chapter in the trilogy, French Fry. When she is not writing, she is trying to keep the peace amongst the three men and two cats in her life, finding missing body parts (Lego pieces are small!), supervising a myriad of homework assignments and keeping a tenuous hold on her sanity by consuming whatever chocolate is in the vicinity.

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads
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Blog Tour (Review & Giveaway): Understudy by Cheyanne Young

Full tour schedule here.

Hi guys! So, today I have yet another blog tour to share with you! I'm so excited to talk about this YA book because I've never read anything about performing arts. When I found out that Understudy was going on tour, I just knew I had to sign up and read it. Check out my review below!

Understudy by Cheyanne Young

My Rating: ★ ★ ★☆☆

Genres: YA, Contemporary

Published February 14th 2014 by 336 Love

Format Read: Ebook, Oops! I read a book again BT

Purchase: Amazon, B&N

Description from Goodreads

The high school play is in two months and senior Wren Barlow just became director. Wren still isn't over the fact that she got stiffed as a stagehand instead of the lead role that she totally deserved. Now she is in charge of rehearsals, costumes, navigating around cast member hookups and managing the real life drama at home.

The principal counts on her to succeed because tickets have been sold and the money has been spent. But when he drops a gorgeous bad boy on her and wants him to help the play for extra credit, she falls hard for someone she knows she can't date. With everything spinning out of control, the mysterious and secretive detention king named Derek has a few tricks up his sleeve and wants to help—too bad Wren is scared to give him a chance to prove himself.

My Review:

Dislikes

Wren's aunt. I didn't like Wren's aunt because I couldn't understand her motive for leaving the play. How could she expect a bunch of kids to organize a school play by themselves? They would use the rehearsal time to do whatever they wanted, and that was exactly what happened. Total chaos! Anyhow, I believe that she should have a valid reason for leaving the play, but it seemed like she just didn't care.

It's short. The book is barely 150 pages which is relatively short compared to other YA books. I felt that some things were rushed, and I would have preferred the book to be longer so that things could have been developed in depth.

5 Reasons why you should read it!

The Play. I really like how this book focuses on acting and theatre because, as I've said earlier, I've never read books about school plays. I also love how it reminds me a little of the High School Musical movies! I love watching those movies, and if you're like me then you will definitely enjoy reading Understudy.

Understudy. Whenever I think about theatre themed books, I always expect the main character to be the lead role in the play, but after reading this book I realized that being an understudy can be fun too! Well, Wren didn't think the same when she landed the role of understudy.

Teenage Crush. If you haven't guessed it already, this book is full of romance! Wren instantly crushes on Derek, but then she discovers that he has a bad reputation. Everyone says to stay away from him, but her instinct says the opposite.

Cliché. I enjoy reading books like Understudy from time to time. There's no pressure. No stress. Just pure, simple fun! It's the sweet and light hearted kind of book that will keep you entertained, and make you smile.

Fairy tale vibe. The best thing about this book is that it has a fairy tale vibe to it, and we all know how much I love fairy tales!

Final thoughts:

Although I had some disagreements with this book, I enjoyed reading it. It's a quick and sweet story, and if you're looking for a light hearted book with a fairy tale vibe to it then Understudy is for you!

I received this book from Oops! I read a book again Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review.

About the Author

Cheyanne is a native Texan with a fear of cold weather and a coffee addiction that probably needs an intervention. She loves books, sarcasm, nail polish and paid holidays. She lives near the beach with her family, one spoiled rotten puppy and a cat who is most likely plotting to take over the world.

She also writes under the pen name Amy Sparling.

Website - Twitter

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Blog Tour (Review & Giveaway): The Right Design by Isabella Louise Anderson

The Right Design is Isabella's debut novel. Check out my review below!

Full tour schedule here.

The Right Design

by Isabella Louise Anderson

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Genres: Women's fiction, Chick Lit

Published March 8th 2014 by Chick Lit Goddess

Format Read: Ebook, CLP BT

Purchase: Amazon - UK, CAN, B&N, Kobo

Description from Goodreads

Interior designer Carrie Newman could not have envisioned a more perfect life for herself. She had a great job doing what she loved, wonderful friends, and a close relationship with her sister and brother-in-law. Add in an amazing man who she’d hoped would soon become her husband, and her life was perfect. Until one devastating decision ruins her relationship and changes the course of her life.

Determined to make a new start, Carrie leaves Texas and heads to Palm Beach to pick up the pieces of her shattered and broken life. The last thing she expects is to find herself attracted to her first client at her new job—Brad Larson, who has proven himself time and time again to be cad.

But there’s something beneath the surface of Brad’s arrogant exterior that keeps her craving more of him—something almost sweet that Carrie can’t seem to resist.

Is Carrie ready to take another chance on romance? And will this new design of her life prove to be the right one…?

My Review:

I was in really a bad mood when I decided to read this book, and all I wanted to do was dive into a new story, get invested with new characters, and just forget myself. So, I clicked with Carrie almost immediately, and was entirely absorbed in everything that was happening in her life.

Carrie had been dating Rodger for 6 years, he was everything to her, and she knew that he was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She was hoping that he would finally propose to her, so that they could live a happy married life. But as expected, that didn't happen because on their 6th anniversary, Carrie found him cheating on her with another woman, and that obviously lead to the end of their relationship. After her break up with Rodger, Carrie moved to Florida to start over, and find what to do with her newly single life. I think moving to Florida was a great thing to do, she needed to run away from home to forget all the lies. I like how she didn't look back and didn't forgive Rodger for what he'd done. She figured that he didn't deserve her, so she moved on with her life.

Carrie is truly passionate about home decor, she loves her job as an interior designer and she's really good at it. She takes her job seriously and doesn't play around with her clients, but moving to Florida changes a lot of things. Everything was different from what she's used to; huge projects, amazing people and lots of new experiences awaited her.

The romance played a huge part in this book, and although I believe that Carrie fell in love with Brad a little too soon, I think they were cute together. The fact that he was her client should have urged her to slow things down between them, but as I said earlier a lot of things changed when she moved to Florida. There is also a lot of focus on family, which is another reason why I thought it was a great read. I really like Carrie's relationship with her sister, the two are best friends and don't hide anything from each other. They are so alike, both are confused and all, and it was nice to read how they overcome their fears.

The Right Design has the perfect mix of family drama and heartbreaks! I think it's a great summer book to read on the beach. I highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys reading chick lit!

I received this book from CLP Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review. 

About the Autor

Isabella grew up with a book in her hand, and to this day nothing has changed. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and has been featured on several blogs. While Isabella doesn't blog a lot, she focuses her time on featuring other writers, along with writing and editing. Isabella Louise Anderson created Chick Lit Goddess to share the love of the following genres: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, Romance, and Romantic Comedies! She loves featuring authors and their books. She lives in Dallas with her husband and cat. She enjoys spicy Mexican food and drinking margaritas, and can be found spending time with family and friends, cheering on the Texas Rangers, and reading. Isabella's short story, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, was featured in Simon & Fig's Christmas anthology, Merry & Bright, in November 2013. The Right Design is her first novel.

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Blog Tour & Review: The Accidental Socialite by Stephanie Wahlstrom

Title: The Accidental Socialite

Author: Stephanie Wahlstrom

Rating: ★ ★ ★★ ☆

Genres: NA, Contemporary Romance

Format Read: eARC, YA Bound Book Tour

Description from Goodreads
Quirky and clumsy twenty-two-year-old Paige Crawford arrives in London on a cold Saturday in January. Just when Paige starts to think that moving thousands of miles away from home with no real plan was a bad idea, Jason Frost appears. Confident and classy, Jason is the complete opposite of Paige and just what she needs in her life, or so she thinks. 

But before their romance has time to blossom, Paige trips and falls into the arms of a mysterious man on a drunken night out. She’s snapped by paparazzi, and newspaper headlines the next day suggest that she’s having an affair with a married footballer. 

Paige finds herself instantly elevated to tabloid celebrity status which isn’t exactly a picnic, particularly when trying to juggle her new job at Fashionista magazine, a catalog of dating disasters and a nagging doubt that she maybe she can’t conquer London after all. When a trip back to Canada for Christmas reminds Paige why she left her old life behind, she returns to London with renewed vigor realizing that while jobs, flats and men may come and go, friends in London are forever.

My Review:

Paige Craftword has just graduated from university, but she has already decided to leave her hometown to move to London. She's had enough of her friends and family who think she's just a bland and ordinary person, so she impulsively packs her stuff, determined to leave the past behind her.

The book starts off with Paige on her way to London, the city where she intends to make a fresh start and create a new identity. But unfortunately, all her plans get ruined when she accidentally catches the tabloids' attention due to an incident with a famous British footballer.

Paige is a clumsy and weird person who continuosly gets into awkward situations. The media follow her every move, so she doesn't have much of a private life anymore. In fact she often makes front page news because of some compromising and embarassing situations she gets herself into. I would have prefered dying if I were her, but Piage didn't give up and I liked that about her. 
I really enjoyed reading how she adjusts to the differences between American and British English, the misunderstandings were so hilarious that I couldn't keep myself from grinning. 

There isn't really any love interest in this book because Paige has truly bad taste in guys, and I think it's funny how she can easily relate to Taylor Swift's songs. I also find it very interesting that Paige doesn't really want to commit to any type of serious relationship; I think it's quite understandable because she's still young and she just wants to have fun.

Although I found Paige pretty enjoyable to read, there were times when she could be really fussy, and I got frustrated for some of the choices she made. Furthermore, I felt like there were lots of clubbing and drinking in this book, but if you can overlook those issues you'll definitely enjoy reading The Accidental Socialite.

If you're looking for a fun and light read with lots of funny and embarassing moments, then you should read this book.

I received this book from YA Bound Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. 

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About Stephanie Wahlstrom

Growing up in Edmonton, Canada, a significant amount of Stephanie’s time was spent making up and acting out stories. She was studying to be an actress when she realized there weren’t any parts for women being written. So, Stephanie wrote herself a short screenplay just to be in it, and quickly realized that writing was her true passion. She graduated from the University of Alberta with an English and Sociology degree and she also has a Bachelor of Motion Picture Arts from Red Deer College. After a fateful trip to Mexico in 2006, Stephanie decided to move to New York City to work in film development. A year later she went back home to write My Green House, a factual TV series. Stephanie moved to London in 2008 and aside from being obsessed with eggs benedict, fruit roll- ups and travelling, she also works in children’s television. The Accidental Socialite is her first novel.

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