Book Review: Public Relations by Katie Heaney & Arianna Rebolini

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Public Relations
Authors: Katie Heaney & Arianna Rebolini
Reading Level: New Adult
Genres: Contemporary Romance | Coming of Age
Release Date: May 9th 2017
Review Source: LEO PR

A new novel from Katie Heaney and Arianna Rebolini that peeks behind the curtain of modern celebrity culture and reveals the public relations know-how that plays a role in every superstar’s image.

Young PR star Rose Reed is thrown into the big leagues when her boss leaves town the day of the firm's meeting with Archie Fox, a hot, internationally famous British singer-songwriter. He's totally over fame and has withdrawn from the spotlight, but now, his audience is losing interest too. While meeting with Archie and his desperate manager, the PR team throws out terrible idea after terrible idea until Rose speaks up and suggests a staged with up-and-coming, young indie star Raya. He agrees – but only if Rose becomes his publicist.

As the faux-mance begins to rehabilitate Archie's faltering career, Rose finds herself having unexpected, inconvenient (and definitely unprofessional) feelings for the crooner. But do late night texts and impromptu burrito binges mean he feels the same? In the end, Rose will have to decide whether to let her fantasy crush go, or to risk her reputation to be with the charming, handsome, scoundrel-y but sweet pop star she's grown to love.

Like The Devil Wears Prada and The Royal We, PUBLIC RELATIONS offers readers a fictional peek into a larger-than-life world, filled with strategized dinner dates, carefully curated wardrobe selections, purposeful calls to paparazzi, and unexpected romantic entanglements.

This is what I consider a great read for the summer. It's hilarious, heartwarming and sexy all within one book. The authors really did a fabulous job capturing our interest with what happens behind the scenes of celebrities and music industry.

Just take my word, that you will enjoy every single page you read of Public Relations and then share it with the world. The characters are great and have wonderful chemistry, which we know is super important in a book. The laugh out loud moments are probably my favorite, with the swoon-worthy love elements close behind. The book has a great balance and nothing weighs it down.

I recommend this to everyone, your gonna love it. It's what a rom-com always should be.

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About the Authors:

Katie Heaney is the author of NEVER HAVE I EVER and DEAR EMMA. Her work has appeared in Cosmopolitan, New York magazine online, The Hairpin, The Awl, and Pacific Standard, among others. She lives in Brooklyn. Visit her website at www.katieheaney.com or on Twitter at @KTHeaney.

Arianna Rebolini is a writer and editor whose work can be seen at The Guardian, BuzzFeed, Racked, The Fader, The Hairpin, and elsewhere. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner and two perfect rescue cats. Find her at www.ariannarebolini.com.

Book News: Stephenie Meyer Publishing Second Adult Novel

THE CHEMIST

About the book:
In this gripping page-turner, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life.

She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn’t even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning.

Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They’ve killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.

When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it’s her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous.

Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of.

And make sure to stop by Stephenie Meyer's new website

Blog Tour: Save Me by Eliza Freed Book Review

Welcome to our stop on the Save Me tour for Eliza Freed. This tour is hosted by Good Choice Reading.

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Save Me
Lost Souls #3
Author: Eliza Freed
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Romance
Released: March 3 2015
Review Source: Forever Yours

"You need to be careful with perfection. It's brilliant at hiding its flaws."
Having lost everything she holds dear—and then some—Charlotte O'Brien had almost given up hope. Until an unepexted love opened her heart to the possibility of second chances. But now, will Charlotte be brave enough to take the risk that love be enough to save her wounded soul?

The stunning conclusion to Eliza Freed's provocative Lost Souls series.

We pick up where we left off, Charlotte and Nick - will they, or won't they, make it? When Nick finally gets Charlotte to marry him you almost believe that Jason is going to be out of her mind for good. Nick is who she married and who she will spend forever with. As Jason's dad's health becomes imperative they start to spend more time together. Did she make the right decision? Is Nick truly her happy ever after?

Oh my gosh.....I don't even know where to begin. I loved this book-just as I have loved this series. I have grown to love these characters even with their flaws, so I am sad to see it come to an end; I am also sad to see certain things play out. I'm all for no spoilers, so I'll try my hardest to express my feelings without giving away too much. Charlotte....what..are..you...doing. There's one thing that she does that just....irritates me to no end! I cannot believe her sometimes, and I totally wanted to have faith in her but I should've known. Ugh. Nick-or Noble, whichever you prefer-he is too good. I'm not sure how he can take everything that happens, but I wouldn't love him as much as I do if he didn't handle everything as well as he does. That's just Noble for you. And Jason-I don't know whether to be mad or to love him.

There are so many twists and turns within this story-I swear the first big thing happens about a quarter of the way through the book, then something happens halfway. I was so stressed about what was going on because I didn't want the book to end with something big happening, especially since it's the last in the series. But everything wraps up nicely-my one big twist that I am not completely okay with, I'm not sure if I'm angry that it happened or if I'm okay with it. Charlotte grows as a character, she has her moments-that's for sure. But who doesn't? She becomes someone that I hoped she would be in the second book, it just takes something huge to happen to her for that change to occur. I'm sad that this series is done, but I am happy with how it ended. 

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Eliza Freed graduated from Rutgers University and returned to her hometown in rural South Jersey. Her mother encouraged her to take some time and find herself. After three months of searching, she began to bounce checks and her neighbors began to talk; her mother told her to find a job.

She settled into Corporate America, learning systems and practices and the bureaucracy that slows them. Eliza quickly discovered her creativity and gift for story telling as a corporate trainer and spent years perfecting her presentation skills and studying diversity. It’s during this time she became an avid observer of the characters we meet and the heartaches we endure. Her years of study have taught her laughter is the key to survival, even when it’s completely inappropriate.

She currently lives in New Jersey with her family and a misbehaving beagle named Odin. An avid swimmer, if Eliza is not with her family and friends, she’d rather be underwater. While she enjoys many genres, she has always been a sucker for a love story...the more screwed up the better.

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Book Review: Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle

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Famous in Love
Famous in Love #1
Author: Rebecca Serle
Reading Level: Young adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: October 21st 2014
Review Source: Poppy

The romantic story of a girl who gets plucked from obscurity to star in the next major feature film franchise based on a book and the ensuing love triangles she gets entangled in on—-and off screen.

Meet Paige Townsen, Rainer Devon, and Jordan Wilder…

When Paige Townsen, a young unknown, gets cast in the movie adaptation of a blockbuster book series, her life changes practically overnight. Within a month, Paige has traded the quiet streets of her hometown for a crowded movie set on the shores of Maui, and is spending quality time with her co-star Rainer Devon, one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive. But when troubled star Jordan Wilder lands the role of the other point in the movie’s famous love triangle, Paige’s crazy new life gets even crazier.

In this coming-of-age romance inspired by the kind of celeb hookups that get clever nicknames and a million page views, Paige must figure out who she is – and who she wants – while the whole world watches.

This book was really good from the beginning to the very end. I have never read a book by this author ever and I would read another book by her in the future. Hopefully it will be the sequel to this book.

This book reminded me of the Twilight Series minus the vampires and werewolves. This book is about a series called Locked that is going to turn into a movie. You will meet the main character Paige Townsen. She is just a normal teenager going to school and working at a part time job. If she isn't working or at school she is hanging out with her best friends Cassandra and Jake. Well Paige wants to be an actress so she tries out for the leading lady in the movie Locked. Well she ends up getting the part and is flown to Hawaii where they will be filming it. She meets the hot leading man Rainer. She has seen him in magazines and movies. She thinks he is so hot and can't concentrate on the movie set. Then in walks the other leading man of the movie Jordan. She is attracted to both of the men that are filming the movie with her and she can't decide who she wants to be because they both have feelings for her.

I really would love to keep rambling on about this really great book by this author. I really hope there is a sequel to this book. When your reading this book and you get to the part where she has both men loving her. It will remind you of Bella, Jacob, and Edwards love triangle. That's probably why I loved it so much.

Blog Tour: Unmarked | Kami Garcia | Review | Q&A Video | Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on Unmarked tour for Kami Garcia. This tour is hosted by Fangirlish Tours.

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Unmarked
The Legion #2
Author: Kami Garcia
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy | Paranormal
Released: September 30th 2014
Review Source: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

The heart-pounding sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller, Unbreakable, by New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures co-author Kami Garcia.

He is here... and he could be anyone.

Kennedy Waters lives in a world where vengeance spirits kill, ghosts keep secrets, and a demon walks among us–a demon she accidentally set free.

Now Kennedy and the other Legion members–Alara, Priest, Lukas, and Jared–have to hunt him down. As they learn more about the history of the Legion and the Illuminati, Kennedy realizes that the greatest mystery of all does not belong to any secret order, but to her own family. With the clock ticking and the life of someone she loves hanging in the balance, Kennedy has to ask the question she fears most: what is it about her past that has left her Unmarked?

Kennedy and the rest of the Legion are up against Andras, the demon wanting to open up the gates of hell. It's up to the Legion to bring them down, but with Kennedy still unmarked she's having doubts if she's even suppose to be a part of their group and is doubting that her friends will still be her friends if she really isn't the fifth member they've been looking for.

The follow up book to Unbreakable brings so much light to new parts of the story and it helps to shed some more light on the characters that you already love. Kennedy is growing in what she hopes to be her path with the Legion, and watching her go on that journey is amazing. Kami Garcia brings it to life so well with her words, she makes you fall in love with all the characters almost immediately, and within this second book she just helps your love deepen for the Legion members: Jared, Lukas, Priest and Alara. I really enjoyed this book mainly because the focus wasn't completely on "ghost hunting", but because it brought in new evils that they had to deal with, and that they weren't completely familiar with-so instead of seeing Jared, Lukas, Priest and Alara doing what they do best you get to follow them as they learn new things. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book-if there isn't one thing I love more than following beloved characters on a trip it's seeing them on a trip that they aren't familiar with.

I recommend this book completely, and if you haven't read Unbreakable read that first and then read Unmarked.

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Kami Garcia is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal & international bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures Novels (Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos & Beautiful Redemption). Beautiful Creatures has been published in 50 countries and translated in 39 languages. The Beautiful Creatures movie released in theaters on February 14, 2013.

Kami is also the author of Unbreakable, the first book her paranormal solo series, THE LEGION (coming October 1, 2013.

Kami grew up outside of Washington DC, wore lots of black, and spent hours writing poetry in spiral notebooks. As a girl with Southern roots, she has always been fascinated by the paranormal and believes in lots of things “normal” people don’t. She’s very superstitious and would never sleep in a room with the number “13″ on the door. When she is not writing, Kami can usually be found watching disaster movies, listening to Soundgarden, or drinking Diet Coke.

Kami has an MA in education, and taught in the Washington DC area until she moved to Los Angeles, where she was a teacher & Reading Specialist for 14 years. In addition to teaching, Kami was a professional artist and led fantasy book groups for children and teens. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, daughter, and their dogs Spike and Oz (named after characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

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Book Review: Vampires of Manhattan by Melissa de la Cruz

Vampires of Manhattan
The New Blue Bloods Coven #1
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Reading Level: New Adult | Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Released: September 9th 2014
Review Source: Hyperion Books | Goldberg McDuffie

The Vampires of Manhattan is "hipster horror"--the memorable characters from her Blue Bloods series are older and cooler than before, trying to build "Millennial" lives in the bustle of Manhattan while battling forces of evil and, of course, each other.

Hero of this sexy, paranormal action tale is Oliver Hazard-Perry, former human conduit, and Manhattan's only human-turned-vampire, now the head of the Blue Bloods Coven. When his all-too-human lover is found murdered on the eve of the coven's annual Four Hundred Ball--a celebration meant to usher in a new era in vampire society, and to mark the re-unification of the Coven after decades of unrest and decay--Oliver is devastated.

Now, not only is he trying to create a new world order for the immortal elite, he's the prime suspect and is stalked by the newly installed head of the vampire secret police. Because according to the new rules, vampires who take human life can now be executed. Burned.

How can an immortal sentenced to die fight back? He has to find the killer--and the answers lie deep in vampire lore.

It was strange starting Vampires of Manhattan. Reading Blue Bloods where all main characters were teenagers to now where they’re all grown up sophisticated urban elite in Vampires of Manhattan. Usually once the series ends that’s it, it’s finished and you don’t get re-visits. So that was a nice change to get a new series of them 10 years down the line. Though if you plan on reading the Blue Blood’s series I wouldn’t recommend reading this book first. It will spoil a lot of things (unless you don’t mind that), but saying that, I think this book will be liked by both sides. I think those who enjoyed Blue Bloods will enjoy reading this series but also those who didn’t. I think enough information was included that new readers can enjoy this book without getting horribly lost in the plot. The plot wasn’t complex but easy to follow.

After ten years of peace, something went wrong. Strange things are happening, a body is found and pentagrams are appearing mysteriously. An artist is missing, the young girl is dead and a sinister drug is popping up. Something is clearly wrong with all these odd things happening.

The thing I loved about this book: some of the things which were briefly mentioned in Blue Bloods—and never got a real explanation to—were fleshed out in Vampires of Manhattan. I’d say this book is more of de la Cruz’s “adult” work (think Witches of East End) and you can tell this was intended to be more grown up, like her writing grew with the characters. Though this book was a good edition to the Blue Bloods world, you don’t have to read it. If you’d rather leave Schuyler (and company) where Gates of Paradise ended, it’s all good!

Book Blast: Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine

We're sharing an excerpt from Chelsea Fine's BEST KIND OF BROKEN! BEST KIND OF BROKEN is a New Adult contemporary romance and the first book in her new Finding Fate Series, published by Grand Central Publishing (an imprint of Hachette). It is being released on March 4^th, 2014 and something you need to add to your TBR pile ASAP!

Pixie and Levi haven't spoken in nearly a year when they find themselves working―and living―at the same inn in the middle of nowhere. Once upon a time, they were childhood friends. But that was before everything went to hell. And now things are... awkward.

All they want to do is avoid each other, and their past, for as long as possible. But now that they're forced to share a bathroom, and therefore a shower, keeping their distance from one another becomes less difficult than keeping their hands off each other. Welcome to the hallway of awkward tension and sexual frustration, folks. Get comfy. It’s going to be a long summer.

Book Review: When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney

When You Were Here
Author: Daisy Whitney
Reading Level: Young Adult | New Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction | Contemporary
Released: June 4th 2013
Review Source: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Filled with humor, raw emotion, a strong voice, and a brilliant dog named Sandy Koufax, When You Were Here explores the two most powerful forces known to man-death and love. Daisy Whitney brings her characters to life with a deft touch and resonating authenticity.

Danny's mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation-the one day that she was hanging on to see.

Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn't know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore.

When he gets a letter from his mom's property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with his mother's memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harajuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.

Danny is left parentless when his mother loses her battle with cancer after five years. He is all alone with his ex-girlfriend and his mother’s best-friend next door. His girlfriend broke up with him the summer before out of the blue with little of an explanation and with him taking care of his mother all alone, he was left with the depressing thought that he was going to be left alone. He has flashbacks all throughout the book about all the good times that they had together and how happy he made him, how alive that he felt. She was his main point of happiness and for her to break up with him with no explanation made no sense to him. Then the worst thing that could happen, happens.

His mom dies. His mom was his world for the last 5 years fighting this cancer. He didn’t prepare to lose her at all and for sure not as fast as she left this world. Now he has to live his life without her. He keeps thinking about all the things that she is going to miss. That she wanted to see. His graduation his wedding, his first kid. Everything she wanted to do. He didn’t prepare at all. Not even the big things. All the little things that he did with him mom – that everyone does with their mom- that he took for granted and now they always come to his mind and makes him suffer every-day.

He was sure that cancer was going to lose and, his mom was going to win this battle because of the doctor they went to in Tokyo. The doctor was making his mother so happy and better. He was sure that his mom had already won this battle but then it seemed that she was just gone. He had been lost until he got a letter from a caretaker of their apartment in Tokyo about unopened pill bottles. He thought maybe if he went to where his mom was last that he could see why she left so fast. He thought maybe something fishy happened that’s why she thought she was better.

This book has such strong emotion through the entire thing. Every time he has these thoughts like, maybe if I did something else to help… or everyone around me either dies or leaves. He truly believes that he is the problem. And, the strong feelings of love that he still has for his ex- girlfriend. It is moving and depressing at the same time. I love how it’s from a man’s point of view it shows how vulnerable that he is how much emotion that goes through every day he is stressed out he is lost and he admits that.

The way that this book was written is so moving because it is raw. It keeps no secret he is so honest that it hurts to hear, you will have to read it again to make sure you didn’t misread it. He is such a true and good person that a bunch of horrible things happened to him. And, he doesn’t understand what he is supposed to do. He is lost not only did he just graduate high-school… but, his mother just died. And, to him he has no one to help guide him or tell him no. but, In the worst possible way that freedom could come to you.

He is a new adult who is one of the most lost people in this new big world. When he goes to Tokyo he seems to be better. Not completely but he seems at rest a bit more. He isn’t trapped in a house full of memories that now only remind him that he can never make more. He has these little moments where he just says she’s gone… she is really gone, forever. He can’t wrap his head around the fact that his mother – the one who gave him life is gone and never coming back. The way that he expresses his feelings are brilliant and breathtaking. I couldn’t put this book down and it will be in my favorites always.

Book Review: Game On by Melanie Spring

Game On
Varsity #1
Author: Melanie Spring
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: September 3rd 2013
Review Source: Poppy

Welcome to the world of high school cheerleading.

At the start of their freshman year, Chloe Davis, Kate MacDonald, and Emily Arellano have just one thing on their minds -- cheerleading. The girls are excited to join the Northside High JV squad, and Chloe is a lock for captain. Or so she thinks...

When newcomer Devin Isle arrives on the scene, she unwittingly shakes up the girls' tight friendship and rattles Chloe's confidence. But with regional competitions right around the corner, this is no time for the squad to fall apart. Building a human pyramid takes teamwork, after all!

"Welcome to the world of high school cheer leading." Freshman year has just started for Chloe, Kate, Emily and all the other girls on the Northside High Junior-Varsity cheer leading squad. Then newcomer Devin arrives and that causes a massive shake in their, already familiar, group dynamic. Regionals are close by and friendships, confidence, and teamwork will be tested.

Game On is a fun and light read for teenagers. Even though through out the entire book I was confused by technical cheer terms it was still enjoyable to follow along with the story of the Northside High JV squad. I love how we got to follow several of the girls story lines and not just the main character. Although I do wish we could have followed Kate's story a bit more being that there was a love interest and he was quite adorable. Everything was kept super PG though and it's probably why we don't venture into that romance more.

The story was predictable though. Nothing new stood out to me. Like I said, super light read. Light enough I'd let my ten year old sister read it. She's a cheerleader and might get more out of it than I did. There was a lesson in this story- teamwork is important, as are friendships.