Blog Tour: 99 Days by Katie Cotugno | Trailer | Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on the 99 Days blog tour for author Katie Cotugno. 

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99 Days
by Katie Cotugno
384 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: April 21st 2015
Read an excerpt
 

Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that’s how I know everyone still remembers everything—how I destroyed my relationship with Patrick the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe. How I wrecked their whole family. Now I’m serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college, and be done.

Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn’t finished. I’m expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it’s just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me. “For what it’s worth, Molly Barlow,” he says, “I’m really glad you’re back.”

Day 12: Gabe got me to come to this party, and I’m actually having fun. I think he’s about to kiss me—and that’s when I see Patrick. My Patrick, who’s supposed to be clear across the country. My Patrick, who’s never going to forgive me.

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Katie Cotugno went to Catholic school for thirteen years which makes her, as an adult, both extremely superstitious and prone to crushes on boys wearing blazers. She routinely finds herself talking about the romantic endeavors of characters on TV shows as if they actually exist in the world.

Katie is a Pushcart Prize nominee whose work has appeared in The Broadkill Review, The Apalachee Review, and Argestes, as well as on Nerve.com. Her first novel, HOW TO LOVE, is due out from Balzer + Bray on October 1st, 2013.

The great loves of Katie's life include child's pose, her little sister, and mozzarella and honey sandwiches. She lives in Boston (and in sin) with her boyfriend, Tom.

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Book Review: 99 Days by Katie Cotugno

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99 Days
Author: Katie Cotugno
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary | Romance
Released: April 21st 2015
Review Source: Balzer + Bray

Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that’s how I know everyone still remembers everything—how I destroyed my relationship with Patrick the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe. How I wrecked their whole family. Now I’m serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college, and be done.

Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn’t finished. I’m expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it’s just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me. “For what it’s worth, Molly Barlow,” he says, “I’m really glad you’re back.”

Day 12: Gabe got me to come to this party, and I’m actually having fun. I think he’s about to kiss me—and that’s when I see Patrick. My Patrick, who’s supposed to be clear across the country. My Patrick, who’s never going to forgive me.

Man oh man, 99 Days was one big mess of a love triangle, and strangely enough I loved every minute of it. Molly Barlow has 99 days left of summer to survive a town and the people in it that seem to absolutely loathe her for what she had done a year prior.

Molly got herself in major pickle when she cheated on her boyfriend with his brother, whose family she was basically a part of, you know until she got herself in this pickle. But you may ask yourself, how does the entire town know about this little indiscretion? Well her mother wrote a bestseller, marketing off the idea of her daughter’s messy love life, and when an article came out revealing the truth behind the new book, everyone find out, and everyone was pissed.

So naturally I’m not a fan of cheating and love triangles and this book had a ton of both, BUT everything throughout this story had me enthralled from the very beginning. I needed to know how this girl was going to work out her mess out, I needed to know who she would end up (if anyone), and I just wanted her happy. But the best part of this book was the people defending her, when people were slut shaming her; you had people saying “well it doesn’t take two to tango.” The awareness of slut shaming and the double standards played a big part in this, and that was something you don’t see often, so with some of the messy stuff you had people questioning why the guy was getting off scotch free yet the girl was getting the extreme brut of all the bullying.

So if you don’t like love triangles, and are turned off from cheating, this one won’t be for you, but I believe it deserves a chance. I was invested in this girl’s messy life, and rooted for her to put her big girl pants on and figure out what she truly wants.

Book Review: How to Love by Katie Cotugno

How To Love
Author: Katie Cotugno
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: October 1st 2013
Review Source: Balzer + Bray

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

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

How To Love and I have been trying to get acquainted for quite some time. It’s literally been seating on my night stand since I got it. When I finally did get some down it was the first thing I read. I could slap myself for waiting so long!

Reena has gone through so much in the pass three years. In that time Sawyer LeGrande has all but disappeared. Count her surprise when she walks into a shop and see's him getting a Slurpee. She was not expecting him to ever come back much less standing there like he never left. Tensions are high and feelings are coming out left and right. A lot has gone on, but will Reena ever truly be okay with the return of Sawyer?

Where do I even begin with this story? It holds such a special place in my heart. I think I have to start off with the writing. I haven’t read a book in so long that just flowed effortlessly. I kept getting lost with every page I turned. You felt everything Reena went through, is going through and her determination towards the end brought me so much joy.

The format that Cotugno decided to write How To Love works perfectly for this story. It engraves everything that I needed to get a sense of what happened and where the characters are at now. I don’t even know how to express my love for Reena and Sawyer. Just thinking about them brings a smile to my face. Reena is a character that will definitely be sticking with me for awhile. Everything she went through is heart breaking, yet brought her the one thing she treasures most. I was a blubbering mess by the time I got to the end of their story. How To Love is beautifully executed and left me wanting more. I can’t recommend this book enough!

Book Review: How to Love by Katie Cotugno

How to Love
Author: Katie Cotugno
Reading Level: YA
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Release Date: October 1st 2013
Review Source: HarperTeen

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

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

In this breathtaking debut, Katie Cotugno weaves together the story of one couple falling in love—twice.

At first glance How To Love has a very simple cover, simple title, but emotional story line. I expected a cute little novel where girl meets boy, develops a crush, girl and boy become a couple and the rest is history. Not even close. Katie Cotugno creates a deep emotional storyline filled with heartache, love, and second chances. How To Love is written with before and after features, giving the reader an extreme amount of back story woven in with the present day.

Reena and Sawyer are the main characters, connected in life by a business that is shared by both their fathers. Practically growing up together, Reena developed a crush for Sawyer that she never voiced or brought to light. As the years went by Reena's crush for Sawyer only grew deeper. Unfortunately, her best friend was first in line for capturing Sawyer's attention. Unexpected events finally bring Reena and Sawyer together for life. Can this new connection be enough to keep them together?

Cotugno's realistic development of characters and realistic settings create a stage that readers are able to make real life connections to life experiences. This novel almost feels as if it has a new adult genre of words. As you read you watch the main characters grow throughout the entire novel. At times, it was so packed with details and back story, that I almost found myself putting the novel down for a quick break. But Reena's story would continue to call my name until I reached the last page.