Blog Tour: The Big F Tour by Maggie Ann Martin | Excerpt | Giveaway

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The Big F Tour
Author:Maggie Ann Martin 
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genres: Contemporary
Released: August 29th 2017
Publisher: Swoon Reads

Danielle effed up. Big time.

Danielle's plans for the future were pretty easy to figure out... until she failed senior English and her single college application was denied. Suddenly she's in hot water with very few options, because honestly who applies to a safety school when their mom is a semi-famous "college psychic"?!

Determined to get her life back on track, Danielle enrolls in her hometown community college with a plan: pass her English class and get back into Ohio State and her mother's good graces. Romance isn't on her radar... until she reconnects with her childhood crush and golden-boy-next-door, Luke.

Between family drama, first love and finding her own way, Danielle can't help but feel a little overwhelmed. Thankfully she has her friendship with the snarky and frustratingly attractive Porter, her coworker at the campus bookstore, to push her to experience new things and help keep her afloat.

One thing's for sure: This time, failure's not an option.

EXCERPT

I closed my bedroom door behind me and sank against the door. The lie of my rejection was bubbling inside me, and I felt like the truth would explode out of me. It could quite possibly kill my mom. Sure, she’d probably have an emergency plan in place, but it seemed pretty hopeless. My room was already stacked to the brim with Ohio State–embellished dorm room merchandise, including a rather comfortable toilet seat cover. I flopped onto my bed, my hand reaching to that space in between the bedframe and the mattress where my shame hid. I opened it up one more time, thinking that the words from the dean of admissions would magically change by positive thinking.

Dear Ms. Danielle Cavanaugh,

It is with great regret that I inform you that we will not be accepting your application to Ohio State University this fall. After a thorough review of your final transcript by our admissions board, your final grades did not match the stipulated grades for our competitive New Media and Communication Technology program.

If you wish to retake the classes in which the competency levels were not reached, you may apply again for admission in the spring. More than 10 percent of our students join classes in the spring semester and are still able to complete their degree within the four-year time span.

Thank you for your interest in Ohio State University, and we hope to see your amended application in the spring.

Dr. Caroline Bates

Dean of Admissions

Ohio State University

Over the past month, I’d come up with elaborate schemes to get rid of the letter. I could burn it, feed it to the neighbor’s dog, turn it into confetti in the paper shredder—but nothing seemed to resonate. One of my favorite units in elementary school was this “Crafts Around the World” program, where we worked on a project that was inspired by a different country each week. The best week was Japan, when our class made paper crane strings that wound around the ceiling of our classroom for the rest of the year. The colors always stayed in my mind, and even now I sometimes make paper cranes when I feel stressed out or in need of focus. I tore off the bottom of the letter, leaving the paper in the perfect square shape to start creating the crane. Memory wasn’t normally my strong suit, but the folding technique of the crane came back to me instantly.

When I finished, it seemed much smaller than I thought it would be. I couldn’t read the words that haunted me anymore. They jumbled together into nonsense that looked sort of beautiful. I held it close to my face and could make out one string of letters on the wing. My name. Danielle.

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Maggie Ann Martin hails from Des Moines, Iowa but moonlights as a New Yorker. She has a shiny new BA in English and Journalism from the University of Iowa, the most welcoming literary community in the world. When she is not writing, you can find her binge watching TV shows or passionately fangirling over fictional characters on the Internet. The Big F is her debut novel.

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Book Review: Kiss Cam by Kiara London

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Kiss Cam
Author: Kiara London
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: October 18th 2016
Review Source: Swoon Reads

In Kiss Cam, teen author Kiara London asks, what's a little harmless kissing between friends?

Juniper, Jasper, and Lenny have been friends forever and co-own a vlog channel called WereVloggingHere. Their fans are huge "shippers" who believe that Juniper and Jasper are perfect for each other, and, despite warnings from friends and family, a simple Truth-or-Dare inspired kiss soon spirals out of control into a whole new world of making out and surprise kisses.

Juniper and Jasper's relationship begins to shift. But as fan requests for different "Kiss Cam" segments keep pouring in, Juniper puts her worries aside and convinces herself that it doesn't mean anything. After all, it's just kissing… right?

Kiss Cam was just so much fun! I read this on my last flight to Chicago and it’s just what I want in a contemporary YA, cute, fun, swoony and angsty moments. Perfect for Swoon Reads, perfect.

Juniper, Jasper, and Lenny, three best friends, that make up the vloggers, WereVloggingHere. They vlog their daily life, they do pranks, answer questions, play truth or dare, basically if it’s legal they may be down to do it. Three teenagers, being teenagers and recording it. Well their channel is pretty popular and you know what us fangirls are all about, ships. Each one is paired off at least with the other but the biggest ship in their fanbase is Juniper and Jasper, Jasiper. So one dare day, a dare came by their page, the top comment, a dare for Jas and June to kiss, and of course they do it, make the shippers happy. June is a little hesitant but what’s a kiss between friends? Nothing right? HA we know better, and there’s always fun and drama caused by kisses. So this dare kiss became the idea of Kiss Cam, they would surprise kiss each other, because there’s definitely no harm in that and their fans were totally loving it.

You know what I love in a good YA swoony contemporary book? Kissing. And while they were totally doing it as a dare and then totally were doing it to get more viewers, it was totally a blast to read and totally a lot of kissing. Kiss Cam had me giggling and smiling and shaking my head when that nasty bump in the road was coming and it was just fun to read. It also made me want to start vlogging so I wouldn’t look so weird talking to myself in public, but I would probably look still look weird just with a camera attached at my hand.

Book Review: How To Keep Rolling After a Fall by Karole Cozzo

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How To Keep Rolling After a Fall
Author: Karole Cozzo
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: August 2 2016
Review Source: Swoon Reads

After a cyber bullying incident turns her life upside down, a handsome wheelchair rugby player shows a former mean girl that everyone deserves a second chance.

The party was at her house. The photos were posted to her Facebook account. That's all the evidence anyone needed to condemn Nikki Baylor for a cyberbullying incident that humiliated a classmate and nearly resulted in the girl's suicide. Now Nikki's been expelled from her old school, her friends have abandoned her, and even her own parents can't look her in the eye. With her plans for the future all but destroyed, Nikki resigns herself to being the girl everyone hates - almost as much as she hates herself. But then Nikki meets Pax, a spirited wheelchair rugby player who knows what it's like when one mistake completely shatters your life. Refusing to judge her because of her past, he shows her that everyone deserves a second chance... and everyone deserves to be loved.

Nikki was the top of the food chain in High School. She had a group of close friends who she had thought always had her back. Until one day she let them go too far under her name. Trying to maneuver through life's challenges while not having anyone to turn to, Nikki finds herself isolated. Then Pax shows up and decides that he wants to be the one to give this girl a second chance, if she'll give him a first.

This book shows the trials and tribulations of high school. The wanting and almost need to be popular, and the repercussions when she allows her friends to do something completely horrible. Nikki then becomes a shell of herself, unsure how to get back to who she once was. Without her group of friends standing by her side she learns that High School friendships aren't always what they seem.

Pax then comes rolling into her life. He's the kind of friend we have all wanted, and were lucky to have if we got it. He's charming and caring. The best kind of friend anyone could want. Especially someone who has gone through some hardships. Nikki and Pax become close and their romance blooms. It's an adorable romance that made me feel as though I was reading The Fault In Our Stars. Which scared me because I didn't want either of them to get cancer.

But this book shows Nikki's growth and how we all can grow and change. And that it's okay to do so.

Book Review: No Love Allowed by Kate Evangelista

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No Love Allowed
Author: Kate Evangelista
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: April 19th 2016
Review Source: Swoon Reads

It's all fun and parties until someone falls in love in this modern fairy tale from author Kate Evangelista.

Caleb desperately needs a fake girlfriend. Either he attends a series of parties for his father’s law firm with a pretty girl on his arm, or he gets shipped off to Yale to start a future he’s not ready for and isn’t sure he wants. And sadly, the last unattached girl in his social circle has just made the grievous mistake of falling in love with him. Fortunately, Didi, recently fired waitress and aspiring painter, is open to new experiences. As the summer ticks by in a whirl of lavish parties, there’s only one rule: They must not fall in love!

Love is just a word one can use often to express a feeling toward something or someone. Real love is explainable. It may hit you when you least expected. Love has no boundary, no rules. No Love Allowed is a cute story of two high school students looking to have fun. Didi and Caleb just want to get through an arrangement and enjoy their summer. Caleb but an rule but something unexpected happens... they fall for each other. Even if this is their number one rule: no love allowed.

No Love Allowed opens with Didi losing her job. With nothing to do, she takes the offer Caleb presents her. This is to be his companion to his father's events. Didi would've been the last girl he ever set his eyes on but with his reputation, he's out of luck. Surprisingly, Didi takes the offer and he makes sure she's aware there is no love allowed. Doesn't he have a big head? As we follow they're summer adventures, we see them falling for one another. But these two are very stubborn. And they will go through unnecessary drama just to finally end up together.

Okay, so I really enjoy this type of story and I did like this one. But the end was rushed and yet it took a while too long. Let me explained, as I mentioned, this book has that high school drama. Unnecessary I tell you but at that age, this is common. Then once we get there, we are find out more about Didi's condition and everything is rushed from there. You pretty much get all the details in a page. This is my only issue with this book.

Overall, I enjoyed Didi and Caleb. They're adorable, stubborn and just cute. I really like Didi. I love her personality. She speaks her mind yet at the same time she is clue-less with garden party dresses. Seriously, a very cute story. A cute, cheesy story that puts a smile in your face. So if you're looking for a fast, cute story, then look no further. No Love Allowed is the one.

Book Review: Signs Point To Yes by Sandy Hall

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Signs Point To Yes
Author: Sandy Hall
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: October 20 2015
Review Source: Swoon Reads

The author of A Little Something Different brings you the most adorkable romance ever.

Jane, a superstitious fangirl, takes an anonymous babysitting job to avoid an unpaid internship with her college-obsessed mom. The only problem? She’s babysitting the siblings of her childhood friend and new crush, Teo.

Teo doesn’t dislike Jane, but his best friend Ravi hates her, and is determined to keep them apart. So Teo’s pretty sure his plans for a peaceful summer are shot. His only hope is that his intermittent search for his birth father will finally pan out and he’ll find a new, less awkward home. Meanwhile, at Jane’s house, her sister Margo wants to come out as bisexual, but she’s terrified of how her parents will react.

In a summer filled with secrets and questions, even Jane’s Magic 8 ball can’t give them clear answers, but Signs Point to Yes.

Jane is trying to make her mother see that she is capable of taking control of her life. So when her mother gets her an unpaid internship she decides to find herself a job so she can start saving up money. That job happens to be a babysitter for Teo's younger half-sisters. Having known each other for their whole life it's a wonder why Teo and Jane aren't closer - till Teo realizes his best friend's hatred for Jane. For the summer they have to work around Ravi's hatred and see if they could get back to being friends.

This book was absolutely adorable! Jane and Teo's relationship is one that would make any girl swoon. You root for them, you cheer for them, you are happy with the decisions they make. Because while it takes them a while to realize their feelings for each other, they also realize that there are certain parameters they'd like their relationship to be set-up under. Teo wants Jane to know that he likes her for her and not because she's helping him through his problems. And Jane wants Teo to know she isn't expecting payback for the help she's given.

I started this book and finished it only 5 or 6 hours later. It was such a quick and easy read, as well as enjoyable. I found that there were some plot points that were predictable, but it didn't bother me too much. The characters, themselves, were unique enough to make it a different experience although the story might've been shaped the same. I loved Jane. Honestly, she was a fangirl of everything I loved. She kept writing fanfic of the Eleventh Doctor. That's my Doctor, I will always and forever love him. So I loved all of her random musings on Eleven. There were many little nerd mentions throughout the book - whether it be Star Wars, Doctor Who, Veronica Mars or Harry Potter, and each one made me smile just as much as the last.

Blog Tour: How to Say I Love You Out Loud by Karole Cozzo + Giveaway

Welcome to our stop on How to Say I Love You Out Loud tour for Karole Cozzo and Swoon Reads/Macmillan. This tour is hosted by Me, My Shelf and I. Learn more about HOW TO SAY I LOVE YOU OUT LOUD on Swoon Reads!

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How to Say I Love You Out Loud
Author: Karole Cozzo
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Released: August 4th 2015
Publisher: Swoon Reads

  

Words are strong. Love is stronger.

When Jordyn Michaelson’s autistic brother joins her at her elite school, she’s determined not to let anyone know they're related. Even if that means closing herself off to all her closest friends, including charming football stud Alex Colby. But despite her best intentions, she just can't shake the memory of kissing Alex last summer, and the desire to do it again.

Can Jordyn find the courage to tell Alex how she really feels—and the truth about her family—before he slips away forever?

Click picture for more!

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Karole lives outside of Philadephia, PA with her loving husband, eternally exuberant little girl, and perpetually pleasant little boy.  Hobbies include nursing a persistent Starbucks addition, eating way too much candy, emptying her wallet at Target, spending time with her family, decorating her home, and completing any other crafty project she can think of.  Karole has degrees in School Psychology, women's studies, and biology but has never taken a formal creative writing course, although she'd really like to one day.

One winner will get a finished copy!

(Ships in US Only | Must be 13+ To Enter)

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Book Review: Dark & Twisted Games by Heidi Acosta

Dark & Twisted Games
Hearts of Faeylon #1
Author: Heidi Acosta
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Review Source: Swoon Reads

Sixteen-year-old Eden Day, also known as freak, is stuck caring for her alien obsessed aunt after the death of her parents. When she’s not helping her prepare for the next alien invasion, Eden spends her time trying to escape her self-appointed tormentors, listening to her perfect best friend complain about her perfect life, and struggling to write her overdue sports article for her school newspaper … not that she knows anything about sports.

Then two brother’s move into town, turning her boring life completely upside down. Golden boy Cardelain is the talk of town and seems to have set his sights on Eden. But, it’s the dark and elusive Jaxson who has caught her attention. Bound and determined to figure out what secret he is hiding, Eden begins to dig for the truth, but the deeper she digs, the more her life seems to be in danger. Then one night a man with glowing eyes attacks her, everyone thinks she imagined it and is as crazy as her aunt. But, Eden knows she is not crazy and that Jaxson had something to do with the attack. Soon she finds herself involved in a dark game with Jaxson, immersed in a strange and twisted world that nightmares are made of.

Dive into the new Young Adult Parnormal series that will have your heart pounding and keep you guessing until the very end. From the author who brought you the Baby Doll Series comes the first book in the Hearts of Faeylon Series, Dark and Twisted Games.

I've been contemplating on whether I liked this read or not. I did enjoy it, but I'm aware that it lacked something. Depth? Character depth? I can't put my finger on it. The characters didn't do much for me. They were the normal cast we're used to in books. Eden the outcast, Liv her popular best friend, Cardelain the good guy, Jackson the bad boy, and there's a mean girl and a bully etc... You get the point. I didn't connect well with either character because they are hard to relate to.

I will say, with all the twists and turns, you will be kept on edge with Dark and Twisted Games. It's a roller coaster ride that keeps you guessing until the end. It is a paranormal read, and I haven't had that in a while, so I was quite entertained.

There are more things that push me to like it though: great plot, Heidi Acosta's perfectly detailed writing, and the fact that I couldn't predict what would happen- all win me over. So if you're a fan of those things, and paranormal, I'd say pick up a copy of the first installment of the Hearts of Faeylon, Dark and Twisted Games.