Coming this June, from Amberjack Publishing, award-winning author Kathryn Berla's BEAU & BETT. They are calling it a modern retelling of the classic Beauty and The Beast. OUaT will be posting a review closer to publication time. Here are more details on Berla's latest novel.
Beau & Bett
Author: Kathryn Berla
Release Date: June 25th 2019
Publisher: Amberjack Publishing
Level: Young Adult
After Beau LeFrancois's mother wrecks Bett Diaz’s luxury SUV, his family faces an impossibly large bill—with no car insurance to help pay it. To pay off the debt, Beau spends his weekends working at the Diaz Ranch.
Beau’s prepared to work, but he’s definitely not prepared for the infamous temper of Bett Diaz, also known as "The Beast" at school. As Beau learns the secrets behind Bett’s tough exterior, he finds himself falling for her . . . until he catches Bett in a lie.
A contemporary twist on a classic fairy tale, Beau and Bett is a timely story of family, friendship, and the power of speaking out and standing up for yourself.
Release Day: June 19th 2015
CAST: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoe Kravitz, A$AP Rocky, Chanel Iman, Quincy Brown
DIRECTOR/WRITER: Rick Famuyiwa
PRODUCERS: Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Pharrell Williams, Michael Y. Chow, Rick Famuyiwa, David Lonner
CO-PRODUCERS: Mimi Valdés, Caron Veazey
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Sean Combs
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, drug material, language and some thematic elements)
A critical hit and audience favorite out of the Sundance Film Festival, in DOPE, Malcolm (Shameik Moore) is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the SAT. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself.
Dope is the new coming of age film about a group of friends trying to survive their adolescence in a rough neighborhood at the same time that they are planning the rest of their lives. You may have heard this film referred to as Pharrell Williams' movie. Williams is the executive producer. Forest Whitaker is also associated with this film. He's the producer. Other than the two producers, the film is mostly made-up of a fresh cast of unknowns.
Dope stars Shameik Moore as Malcolm, a young man obsessed with the 1990's hip-hop culture who is determined to get out of his neighborhood, "The Bottoms." Through a series of outlandish events, Malcolm finds himself in a predicament that puts him at risk and threatens to ruin his future. I haven't seen Moore in any film before. I don't know if he's ever had a starring role, but he does a great job on Dope. He has a very likable personality. I appreciate how well he played the the hip-hop geek role. He's too young to know anything about the 1990s, but he played the role and quoted lyrics without flaw. The cast overall had good chemistry, making the film entertaining.
I liked the message of the movie. It's not an original message, but I liked the context. Don't judge a book by its cover. I had flashbacks of The Breakfast Club; we are all a princess, a basket case, a criminal, a jock, and a brain, except here we are in a crime-infested situation where one can get killed for no reason in particular. The setting ups the ante. Malcolm takes serious risks because those risks are his only chance of getting out of his situation. I always like underdog stories. Anyone whose ever found themselves in an impossible situation will be able to relate.
And while the message is real and, at times, serious, it isn't preachy. I hate when a film tries to shove its message down my throat. Dope does a the delicate dance of weaving the message into the movies' nuances, and wonderfully makes its point.
All in all, it's an enjoyable film, one that is worthy of being sought-out. It doesn't have the giant fanfare that some of the giant studios, but it's good to encourage smaller, more original films. I especially enjoyed all of the Nineties references. Go see Dope in theaters now.
We are excited to share the cover reveal for JLA's next book!
Scorched
Frigid #2
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: June 16th 2015
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Sometimes life leaves a mark.
Most days, Andrea doesn't know whether she wants to kiss Tanner or punch him in the gut. He is seriously hot, with legit bedroom eyes and that firefighter body of his, but he's a major player, and he never cuts her any slack.
But when her life spirals out of control, he's there for her. The only problem is, no one else can save her... only she can save herself.
# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
Vivian Divine is Dead
Author: Lauren Sabel
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: June 3rd 2014
Review Source: Katherine Tegen Books
Filled with surprising twists and poignant moments, Lauren Sabel brings a fresh new voice to contemporary fiction with Vivian Divine Is Dead. Creepy, clever, funny, and romantic.
When a death threat arrives with teen celebrity Vivian Divine's fan mail, Vivian has no choice but to go on the run to Mexico. She soon discovers, though, that her Oscar-nominated performance killing villains on-screen did nothing to prepare her for escaping a madman in real life. Some people say he's a hero, others tremble in his presence, but one thing is clear: he won't stop until Vivian is in his grasp. Why didn't she pay more attention during those judo lessons for her role in Zombie Killer?
Vivian finds an ally in the mysterious and charming Nick. He is everything Hollywood boys are not-genuine, kind, and determined to see Vivian for who she really is. But even he seems like he can't be trusted-what could he be hiding?
Beat up, hungry, and more confused than ever about who she's running from, Vivian is living in a real-life blockbuster horror flick. But there's no option to yell "cut" like there is on set....
Lauren Sabel's Vivian Divine Is Dead is a creepy, witty, fast-paced adventure about family, fame, and having the courage to save yourself.
I like to pride myself in being able to work through a book, to follow its twists and turns in order to figure out what comes next. This was not the case with Vivian Divine Is Dead, a debut novel by author Lauren Sabel.
Vivian’s story starts out strong. A poor little rich girl, a spoiled Hollywood starlet. Vivian lives with her dad who has basically checked out of life following the tragic death of her mother. She gets through her days with little to no supervision other than what comes from her bodyguard Mary, who has become like a second mom to her.
In a strange turn of events, Vivian receives a video that plays out how and when she will die. This is where I just knew things were going to get good!
Oddly enough, just the opposite happened. Vivian’s story took a turn I didn’t see coming. To save her from imminent danger Mary decides to send her to Mexico to meet up with someone that can help protect her until they can figure out who is doing this to her. Send her to Mexico..on a bus..alone.
The story follows Vivian’s trek to Mexico. She meets Nick who agrees to help her get to her destination and they encounter a few mishaps along the way.
In the middle of her travels the story became a little inconsistent for me. I got a glimpse of several different characters but I never got enough about them to make any connection to them.
In the end, I was surprised at how it all came together. I feel like it did fall into place but took a long time getting there. Overall this was a good story it just lacked a little depth for me. I like to really get a feel for my characters and I just wasn’t able to connect.
This is a debut novel for the author Lauren Sabel.
Better When He's Bad Welcome to the Point #1
Author: Jay Crownover
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Thriller
Release Date: June 17th 2014
Review Source: Purchased
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jay Crownover returns with a heart-stopping new series… Welcome to the Point.
There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad . . . meet Shane Baxter.
Sexy, dark, and dangerous, Bax isn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the wrong side of the tracks. A criminal, a thug, and a brawler, he’s the master of bad choices, until one such choice landed him in prison for five years. Now Bax is out and looking for answers, and he doesn’t care what he has to do or who he has to hurt to get them. But there’s a new player in the game, and she’s much too innocent, much too soft…and standing directly in his way.
Dovie Pryce knows all about living a hard life and the tough choices that come with it. She’s always tried to be good, tried to help others, and tried not to let the darkness pull her down. But the streets are fighting back, things have gone from bad to worse, and the only person who can help her is the scariest, sexiest, most complicated ex-con The Point has ever produced.
Bax terrifies her, awakening feelings she never thought she’d have for a guy like him. But it doesn’t take Dovie long to realize . . . some boys are just better when they’re bad.
Not going to lie, I'd skimmed over this summary before but decided I wasn't interested. It was only when I seen a review on here that I thought “Oh, that sounds awesome.” (thank you, Yara!) so I bought it straight away and dove right in.
When Jay Crownover quotes Bax as a bad boy, she means BAD BOY.
“There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad . . . meet Shane Baxter.”
He is a bad boy in every sense of the word. No stranger with the law and violence, he could knock you out with just a hard stare of his eyes. It’s true that some of the best book boyfriends are the badasses and because Bax is one of the best bad boys I’ve read, he’s definitely crush worthy.
After just being released from 5 years behind bars, Bax is on the search for his best friend who turns out to be missing. Nobody has heard a word from Race, like he dropped off the side of the Earth, and has Bax assuming the worst. It’s in search for Race that Bax breaks into Dovie's house, someone who happens to be close to Race, and from then on Dovie finds herself intertwined with Bax and Race’s problems.
Dovie certainly didn’t need Bax, Mr Not-so-nice-guy taking care of her, she can do that all on her own, but when her life is threatened and the game changes, that isn't the case no more.
Throughout Better When he’s Bad, the plot doesn’t cease to thicken. There is action and plenty of twists to keep you going. I loved how we got to see both sides of Bax. The hard, tough guy who breaks the rules VS the sweet, sacrificing side. Can't wait for Race's book!
Summer of Yesterday
Author: Gaby Triana
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Science Fiction | Time Travel
Released: June 17th 2014
Review Source: Purchased
Back to the Future meets Fast Times at Ridgemont High when Haley’s summer vacation takes a turn for the retro in this totally rad romantic fantasy.
Summer officially sucks. Thanks to a stupid seizure she had a few months earlier, Haley’s stuck going on vacation with her dad and his new family to Disney’s Fort Wilderness instead of enjoying the last session of summer camp back home with her friends. Fort Wilderness holds lots of childhood memories for her father, but surely nothing for Haley. But then a new seizure triggers something she’s never before experienced—time travel—and she ends up in River Country, the campground’s long-abandoned water park, during its heyday.
The year? 1982.
And there—with its amusing fashion, “oldies” music, and primitive technology—she runs into familiar faces: teenage Dad and Mom before they’d even met. Somehow, Haley must find her way back to the twenty-first century before her present-day parents anguish over her disappearance, a difficult feat now that she’s met Jason, one of the park’s summer residents and employees, who takes the strangely dressed stowaway under his wing.
Seizures aside, Haley’s used to controlling her life, and she has no idea how to deal with this dilemma. How can she be falling for a boy whose future she can’t share?
I really and truly loved most of this book. I wish it would’ve ended on a better note, which I was crushed with the ending.
Haley is a sarcastic normal teen aged girl and I enjoyed reading through her point of view. I found myself unable to put the book down. It was well written and the time traveling isn't a common story-line, so I loved that it was different than a lot of books I've read. Jason and Haley had great chemistry, and with all the running around, hiding, and stolen kisses, the more I was expecting to be blown away. And BAM, the ending kind of killed it for me.
I know every story can’t have a happily ever after, but this was pretty awful. Not sure why she would end it like that. I guess I was expecting some creativity to make it all work. I can’t get past the ending to recommend this book, but if not for that it would have been perfect.
Wicked Games
Author: Sean Olin
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary | Thriller | Horror
Released: June 10th 2014
Review Source: Katherine Tegen Books
Tainted love. Sexy secrets. A chilling revenge plot. It's all here in Wicked Games by Sean Olin, the first in a psychologically charged, suspenseful series set in a picturesque coastal Florida town called Dream Point, where dangerous mind games are played with abandon.
Lilah has spent the last four years by her boyfriend Carter's side, and everyone thinks their relationship is rock solid. But behind closed doors, things are beginning to crumble. Just as Lilah's intensifying mood swings are making Carter think about distancing himself from her, another girl enters the picture. Jules is beautiful, funny, smart, and artistic. Carter can't help but fall under her spell. But one stolen night of passion has consequences they could never imagine.
Fans of books packed with drama and doomed romance, like The Lying Game and Perfect Chemistry, will immediately be hooked by Wicked Games.
Wicked Games has all you need to know in the title. The characters in this story are pretty evil and wicked. To be completely honest this book turned into something dark and unfortunate pretty fast and I was not practically a fan of it.
Wicked Games is about a couple Lilah and Carter who have been going strong for four years now, but until one night everything changes, and changes for the worst. So when we get a tiny glimpse into the beginning of their relationship you think everything is going to be fine and dandy and happy. Then we get to the first chapter, a few years later, it turns out Lilah is definitely unstable, but in complete love with Carter. And then Carter is tired of having to deal with all of Lilah’s problems, insecurities, and downright craziness. Lilah goes crazy at the party that she and Carter are at after she got completely drunk and tried to walk on the roof and after she leaves everything changes for Carter. Carter meets Jules, a girl who he never noticed was completely beautiful, and a theater girl. Once the night continues Carter and Jules end up sleeping with each other and so begins the rest of the intense events that ensue in this novel.
For me Wicked Games played on the bipolar manic side and cheating too much that it made me uncomfortable. I’m not a fan of reading about unfaithful characters, let alone listen to the cheater try and rationalize why he did it and why he can’t stop being with the significant other. Even for the girl who was the other woman I couldn’t feel any compassion towards her until close to the end of the book. The couple were going out their entire high school career, everyone knew they were together, they were the “it couple”. So when Jules came into the picture I couldn’t feel bad for how things were playing out for her, until we got closer to the end. Though this story may not have been for me the writing was easy to follow and I read through it pretty quickly. So if you’re a fan of the movie 'Swimfan', this book is definitely right up your alley.
Better When He's Bad Welcome to the Point #1
Author: Jay Crownover
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Romance | Thriller
Release Date: June 17th 2014
Review Source: William Morrow
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jay Crownover returns with a heart-stopping new series… Welcome to the Point.
There’s a difference between a bad boy and a boy who’s bad . . . meet Shane Baxter.
Sexy, dark, and dangerous, Bax isn’t just from the wrong side of the tracks, he is the wrong side of the tracks. A criminal, a thug, and a brawler, he’s the master of bad choices, until one such choice landed him in prison for five years. Now Bax is out and looking for answers, and he doesn’t care what he has to do or who he has to hurt to get them. But there’s a new player in the game, and she’s much too innocent, much too soft…and standing directly in his way.
Dovie Pryce knows all about living a hard life and the tough choices that come with it. She’s always tried to be good, tried to help others, and tried not to let the darkness pull her down. But the streets are fighting back, things have gone from bad to worse, and the only person who can help her is the scariest, sexiest, most complicated ex-con The Point has ever produced.
Bax terrifies her, awakening feelings she never thought she’d have for a guy like him. But it doesn’t take Dovie long to realize . . . some boys are just better when they’re bad.
Jay Crownover is not new to this site but she was definitely a new author to me personally. Being a reviewer it's hard to read everything that comes your way, so you have a team and spread the books within your team. Well Crownover was Deitre's author, so anything Marked Men would go to her. I know from reading and seeing Deitre's delight when ever she would get the next book meant Crownover was an author to follow. So when Better When He's Bad arrived and saw it was part of a new series, I decided I wanted to see for myself if I would enjoy reading a book by Crownover as much as Deitre did. Guess what? HECK YEA I DID!!!
Girlfriend can write a bad-boy alright. And when I say bad-boy I mean a real one, not just because of his looks but everything that makes him who he is. There was no sugar coating involved, he was a bad-boy that has been in trouble with the law. It's the 21st century, so screw Prince Charming, bring on Shane "BAX" Baxter.
"I don't know how love works, Dovie. I don't know how to be anything other than this, but I know the only thing that gives me hope is the idea of you and me." - BAX
What I really enjoyed about this book besides the given (BAX) is the real life issues. Everything is believable or relatable to everyday life. It's not that kind of fiction you read sometimes that you say to yourself "Yeah right, like that would really happen". And also Crownover shows us that even though these people have been dealt a bad hand in life, they still (some) have good in them. They just need the right person to come along to break through that tough skin to get to the good side underneath. Crownover delivers all that and so much more with Better When He's Bad.
"Some boys...they are just better when they're bad. Bax is one of them and I'm starting to think my brother might be one of them, too. I just have to be good enough for all of us to balance it out." - Dovie
You see what I'm talking about! Tell me that tiny excerpt doesn't grab your attention. Dovie is that awesome. I love her character and how she deals with all the hard times around her but still keeps her head high and positive even after some horrible circumstances that you will read about. Plus she has some major cojones, just saying!!!
Be ready to sit and devour Better When He's Bad in one sitting, I dare you not too. Crownover has won me over and I am excited to read the next Welcome to The Point book that will follow Dovie's brother Race. If your a Crownover fan, I don't have to tell you to buy this book. It's a given that you will. If your new to Crownover like I was, I HIGHLY recommend that you get acquainted with Jay Crownover ASAP!
Pre-Order Better When He's Bad by Jay Crownover and get an exclusive excerpt from Rowdy, the next Marked Man book.
Better When He's Bad will be available June 17th!!!
Title: Unstoppable Author: S. R. Johannes Series: The Nature of Grace #3 Genre: Young Adult Publication: June 3, 2014
After everything that has happened, Grace moves to the Everglades to live with her grandmother, Birdee, and hang out with old man Rex, Birdee's "friend with benefits". Grace quickly befriends Dylan, Rex's nephew, and Dylan's girlfriend, Sadie, who is a die-hard teen activist. Sadie spends her time leading protests against the roadside zoos that run rampant in Florida with a total disregard for animals or the flimsy law.
One day while out in the marshes of the Everglades, Grace and her friends rescue an abused—and endangered—Florida panther. She and Birdee spend time rehabilitating the animal. But when the panther runs off, Grace follows it toUncle Bob's, a large roadside zoo they all have been protesting. One that is illegally filled with a variety of endangered and exotic animals. Before she can rescue the panther, she and her friends are kidnapped by the ruthless owner and dragged deep into the Everglades for a hunting challenge.
Only this time, Grace is the prey.
During a sick game of cat and mouse, Grace and her friends are offered one chance at survival, but only if they reach civilization before being caught. With a small head start and very little supplies, only time and skill stand between the hunter and the hunted. But out in the Everglades, there may be more dangers than Grace realizes.
Against all odds, Grace must make it out alive and win, or everything she holds dear could be lost.
S.R. Johannes is the award-winning author of the Amazon bestselling thriller series, the Nature of Grace (Untraceable and Uncontrollable). Unstoppable (book 3) is scheduled for May/June 2014. S.R. Johannes is currently repped by Lara Perkins at ABLA. For foreign rights on the Nature of Grace series, contact Jennifer Custer at AM Heath (London).
S.R. Johannes is the YA advisor of ALLi and a winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards (Young Adult category) as well as a Silver medalist (2nd place) in the IPPY awards for YA Fiction. She was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (Young Adult category), a Finalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Young Adult of 2012, and a YA Finalist in the US Book News Best Book of 2012.
After earning an MBA and working in corporate America doing marketing for over 15 years (Spanx and Good hair Products were my fav because of the perks :), S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, English-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world.
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