Flat-Out Celeste (Flat-Out #2) by Jessica Park

From Amazon

Whether you were charmed by Celeste in Flat-Out Love or are meeting her for the first time, this book is a joyous celebration of differences, about battling private wars that rage in our heads and in our hearts, and—very much so— this is a story about first love.

For high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery. And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice but to retreat into isolation.

But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling senior year, then maybe. If she can just find that one person to throw her a lifeline, then maybe, just maybe.

Justin Milano, a college sophomore with his own set of quirks, could be that person to pull her from a world of solitude. To rescue her—that is, if she’ll let him.

Together, they may work. Together, they may save each other. And together they may also save another couple—two people Celeste knows are absolutely, positively flat-out in love

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***ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.***

**SPOILER Warning** While I try my hardest not to include spoilers in my reviews, this is a follow-up story to Flat-Out Love it would be hard to discuss this book without referencing events from the first book. If you haven't yet read Flat-Out Love, then you might not want to read further.

In Flat-Out Love, we met Celeste Watkins as a delightfully clever young girl. It was obvious from the start that something was not quite "normal" about her.  She was awkward in her dress & the way she talked, and most of all, she carried around a life-sized cardboard boy with her everywhere she went. Throughout the story, we got to watch her grow & even though she was a supporting character, I found myself wanting more of her every time she left the page.  I found her awkwardness & formal speech patterns to be charming & my heart broke for her as she struggled to fit in & even more when it became apparent why Flatt Finn became part of her life.  As some of those scenes were expanded on in Flat-Out Matt, she dug her way even deeper into my heart.  

With Flat-Out Celeste, we get to see her as a young woman facing the challenges and joys of high school & first love.  It didn't take any time at all to be drawn back into this world.  Everything that I love about FOL is back.  Matt & Celeste together are fantastic.  And Justin. . .nobody creates sweet boys like Jessica Park. Forget the Alpha Male craze, this is my kind of book boyfriend!  I could gush, use the word love about 14 more times, or even go so far as to use the bad cliche of saying that I Flat-Out Loved this story, but when I closed the book, the only word that came to mind was. . .perfect.  Just perfect.

I haven't laughed so hard while reading a book in a long time, and it has been even longer since a book came this close to making me cry.  I kept finding myself putting my kindle down & walking away from it.  Not because I wanted to stop reading, but because I didn't want it to end.  I wanted to stall the moment when I would have to say goodbye to these characters. I wish someone could have given this story to me when I was an awkward 18 year old girl struggling to find myself in a world where I just didn't seem to fit.  As it is, I am glad I had the chance to experience it now, as an often awkward 34 year old woman who still struggles more than I like to admit.

Thank you Jessica!  Even though you could have stopped with Flat-Out Love & we would have loved you. You knew we wanted Flat-Out Matt and needed Flat-Out Celeste. I look forward to meeting whoever you create next!

Aspen by Rebekah Crane

From GoodReads

One quiet night in Boulder, Colorado, Aspen Yellow-Sunrise Taylor made a mistake.

In the next instant, her life changed forever.

Aspen doesn't want to remember the devastating car accident that killed Katelyn Ryan, a sleek-haired popular soccer player. But forgetting is hard-- because Katelyn may have died -- but she didn't leave. Her ghost is following Aspen around, and heading into senior year, it's kind of a problem. Especially when Katelyn's gorgeous former boyfriend Ben appears to be the only person at school with a clue as to how Aspen feels.

Popularity, college, Homecoming Court, hot guys - none of these things ever mattered to Aspen. She's been busy trying to rein in her giant mass of blonde curls, keep her stoner mother Ninny away from Toaster, her mom's awful bongo drumming boyfriend, and prevent her best friends Kim and Cass from killing - or kissing - one another. But with Ben sitting next to her in Physics looking all too gorgeous, Katelyn's spirit dogging her steps, and her obsessive snow-globe collecting therapist begging her to remember all the things she wants to forget, Aspen is thrust into a vivid, challenging world she can't control … and doesn't want to.

A darkly funny, emotionally gripping story of opening up, letting go, and moving on, ASPEN is about the best-worst accident of your life ... and what comes next.

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***ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

As someone who always has a book with me no matter where I go, I am forever on the lookout for new authors to add to my "To Read" list.  Whenever one of my favorite authors highly recommends another author, they often get to move to the top of the list.  So, when Jessica Park started talking about Rebekah Crane & provided a NetGalley link for Aspen, I didn't hesitate in requesting & downloading it.  Without knowing anything about the book, I started reading & found a surprisingly humorous story of a girl dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic event.

Aspen Yellow-Sunrise Taylor was born under an Aspen tree to a teenage mother who thought she was suffering from a bad case of gas.  She has spent most of her life hiding in the background, capturing the world on paper with her charcoal pencil.  Her day to day life is filled with her mom Ninny & her friends Kim & Cass. Other than that, she is happy being relatively invisible to her other classmates.  All of that changes when she wakes up one day in the hospital broken & bruised, but alive.  Katelyn Ryan was not so lucky.

Katelyn was the complete opposite of Aspen.  She was beautiful, popular and, if everyone in school is to be believed, perfect.  Aspen didn't know Katelyn in life, but in death, she can't seem to shake her. Not only is Aspen being haunted by Katelyn, but suddenly, she is no longer invisible & everyone in school seems to want to get to know her. . .most surprisingly Ben Tyler, Katelyn's boyfriend.

Ninny isn't like any mother I have ever met or read before.  As a girl, she was a free-loving, pot smoking, wild child who can only guess at the father of her daughter.  As a woman, she's. . .not much different! Though, through all of her faults, there is no question about how much she loves her daughter.  Her interactions with Aspen (and especially Ben!) are hilarious.  She is honest & open to a fault with little to no filter even when her intentions are good.  She reminded me a bit of an extreme version of Lorelai Gilmore. Where I wouldn't want her as my own mother, I loved every minute of reading her story.

I think Rebekah Crane did a fantastic job in creating a compelling, humorous story out of a difficult situation. The complete cast of characters were well drawn & interesting.  I did wish that we had gotten a better idea of who Katelyn was, but as her death occurs prior to the story beginning, it is understandable that the only picture we get of her is through the eyes of those who knew her, loved her & would never betray her by telling her secrets.  The pacing of the story is perfect.  I never felt like I was being rushed through the story, but was also drawn in completely enough that I only put it down once in order to get a few hours of sleep.

I hadn't heard of Rebekah Crane prior to Jessica Park's recommendation, but I was thrilled to find out that she had already released another book, Playing Nice, which is currently only $0.99 on Kindle.  I purchased it right away & can't wait to see if it is as enjoyable of a read as Aspen is.

Aspen will be available for purchase & download on June 5th

Cover Reveal! Flat-Out Celeste by Jessica Park

We were introduced to Celeste in Flat-Out Love and readers wanted more! Well, more they shall have! Look at this amazing cover and take a peek inside FLAT-OUT CELESTE!

COMING SOON!

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Whether you were charmed by Celeste in Flat-Out Love or are meeting her for the first time, this book is a joyous celebration of differences, about battling private wars that rage in our heads and in our hearts, and—very much so— this is a story about first love.. 

For high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery. And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice but to retreat into isolation. 

But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling senior year, then maybe. If she can just find that one person to throw her a lifeline, then maybe, just maybe.
Justin Milano, a college sophomore with his own set of quirks, could be that person to pull her from a world of solitude. To rescue her—that is, if she’ll let him. 

Together, they may work. Together, they may save each other. And together they may also save another couple—two people Celeste knows are absolutely, positively flat-out in love.

Excerpt

There was a knock at the door and Matt leaned in, swinging a brown paper bag in her direction. “I heard Mom made stuffed peppers tonight. Last time she made those, I nearly died from flatulence. I assume she stuffed them with her usual repulsive ground chicken, quinoa, Brussels sprouts, and pomegranate seed mix?”

Just the sound of Matt’s voice made Celeste relax. She smiled at him. “Based on the smell, I believe you’re right.”

“So you didn’t eat then? I was right!” Matt flopped onto her bed and lay down, his long body scrunching up the neat white comforter that she spent ten minutes arranging before she’d gone to school this morning. “I thought I’d take a break from studying and bring you something edible.”

“It smells like a burger from Mr. Bartley’s,” she said as she got up and took a seat next to Matt. “Hand it over, thoughtful brother.”

He tightened a hand around the top of the bag. “You have to guess which kind I brought you first.”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Close your eyes.”

She did as instructed and felt him move the bag under her nose. Sweet, spicy... a bit garlicky. “Aha! Boursin cheese and bacon! The Mark Zuckerberg burger!”

“And sweet potato fries and a bottle of iced tea, but you win. A burger named after ‘the richest geek in America,’ as the restaurant calls him.”

“You will be the richest geek in America after you finish your Ph.D. Program,” Celeste said through a mouthful of fries.

“If M.I.T. doesn’t land me in a psych unit first.”

“You only have this year left to endure. And you will hardly find yourself in need of psychiatric care, Matthew. You are doing stupendously.”

“I’m scraping by.” Matt reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of fries and opened her iced tea.

“You are not ‘scraping by.’ You are assistant teaching classes, excelling in your own, and in all ways performing to standards that exceed even the high ones our mother set for you.” She frowned as he chewed on the fries. “Did you not eat?”

“I did. A Big Papi burger and a Fiscal Cliff. But you can never have enough sweet potato fries.”

“I have a finite amount of my own from which you are stealing. But I shall not complain because this was very kind of you.”

Matt chewed and studied her. “Are you okay?”

“Why do you ask?”

“No contractions. When you’re stressed out, they disappear.”

“I know. But most days I do not care to use them. If it is an effort, then I do not push.”

“Okay. I get it.” He chewed for a minute. “I heard your presentation went well. Did your friends like it?”

“It went marvelously. My friend Dallas took me aside to share quite the flow of compliments.”

“That’s great, Celeste.” He was downing half her iced tea.

“And then I bitch slapped her.”

Matt choked on the drink and desperately tried to clear his airway. “I’m sorry. You did what?”

She cocked her head. “I bitch slapped her.”

“That... that can’t be right,” he sputtered. “I mean, I hope it’s not.”

“I slapped my hand against her hand. Up in the air.” She looked at Matt blankly. “Is that not the right term?”

“Thank God, no, it’s not. I think you mean a high-five.”

“If you say so. Well, either way, it happened. You know I have trouble with colloquialisms, so I resent your shocked reaction.”

“I do know that about you, and I apologize.”

“Since we are on the subject, there is something else I would like for you to clarify.”

“Shoot.”

“What is meant by ‘nut bag’? Is that a testicular reference or merely the identification of a satchel of cashews or pecans?”

Matt groaned. “This conversation has gotten really weird. Could we just talk about— Wait a minute. Why are you asking me this? Did someone say that to you?” He looked angry.

Celeste picked at her fry. “No. Certainly not. I heard the term and had a natural curiosity.”

“Okay then...” Her brother crumpled up the paper bag and then smoothed it out in his hands. Then crumpled it again. “It’s the same as ‘nuts.’ You know, crazy.”

“Thank you for the definition.” She took the last bite of her burger and wiped her hands on one of the paper napkins. It shouldn’t matter what her classmates thought of her. Celeste would just be strong about this. She would move on.

PURCHASE--> FLAT-OUT LOVE and FLAT-OUT MATT on Amazon. FLAT-OUT LOVE at B&N.

About the Author:

Jessica is the author of LEFT DROWNING, the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (and the companion piece FLAT-OUT MATT), and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.

Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicapark and Twitter @JessicaPark24

Special Announcement! Every Time I Think Of You by Tracey Garvis-Graves

We are thrilled to announce that best selling author Tracey Garvis-Graves will be releasing an Adult Romantic Suspense novel this year! Please be sure to watch the gorgeous trailer for EVERY TIME I THINK OF YOU, read the excerpt, and don't forget to add it to your reading list!

Title: Every Time I Think of You

Author: Tracey Garvis-Graves

Release date: TBA 2014

Goodreads

Book Description:

Thirty-year-old Daisy DiStefano has two people she holds dear: the grandmother who raised her, and her three-year-old son, Elliott. But when Daisy’s grandmother is killed in a seemingly random act of violence, Daisy must take steps to protect herself and her child.

Despite a thriving career in San Francisco, thirty-six-year-old Brooks McClain has returned home to spend what little time his mother has left before she succumbs to the deadly disease that is ravaging her. The seasoned investigative reporter has taken a position with the local newspaper and been on the job less than twenty-four hours when he’s summoned to cover the death of Pauline Thorpe.

Brooks is all business, but the more time he spends with Daisy DiStefano, the more invested he becomes; there’s something about a single mother, a defenseless child, and an unsolved crime that has stirred Brooks’s protective instincts like nothing ever has before.

And when the unthinkable happens, Brooks will do whatever it takes to clear the name of the woman he’s fallen for and the child he’ll protect at any cost.

Romantic and suspenseful, Every Time I Think of You shows how far two people will go to fight for the ones they love, and the life they’ve always imagined.

TRAILER

http://youtu.be/hi0p1cLEo_s

EXCERPT

My watch said 11:00 p.m. Way too late to show up unannounced, but I knocked on Daisy’s door anyway, picturing her tip-toeing quietly to look through the peephole. It took a full minute because I’d undoubtedly roused her from a sound sleep. But then she opened the door far enough for me to cross the threshold and locked it again behind me.

The apartment was dark, save for a small beam of light that spilled into the hallway from her bedroom. As my eyes adjusted I noticed her hair. I’d never seen it down before. It fell way past her shoulders and was slightly messy, like she’d been tossing and turning in her sleep before I arrived. She wore a pair of pajama pants and a tank top with narrow straps, one of which had fallen off her shoulder.

“What is it?” she asked. “Are you okay?”

“My mom died,” I said. It felt strange to say the words out loud. My voice sounded flat, unemotional.

“I’m so sorry, Brooks,” she said, but she didn’t say anything else.

I wanted something that would take away the empty, restless feeling inside of me. Something solid and real. She was standing close enough that one step was all I needed to close the gap between us. She must have taken a shower right before she went to bed because when I plunged my hands into all that hair, grabbing fistfuls and pulling her up against me, I felt the dampness and smelled the faint traces of her shampoo.

I moved my hands to the sides of her face and cupped it. She didn’t miss a beat when I pressed my lips to hers. She was probably wondering how I could possibly kiss her at a time like this, but it didn’t stop her from putting her arms around me and kissing me back like it was exactly what she needed, too.

Like the steady turn of a release valve, everything that had been bottled up inside of me escaped slowly through that kiss. I hadn’t realized how rigidly I’d been holding my body until it slackened against hers. How tightly I’d been clenching my jaw until I relaxed it to kiss her. All the tension I’d been feeling disappeared when she opened her mouth and let me in.

It was a long slow kiss, the kind that wasn’t meant to lead to anything else and was all the more powerful because of it. When I’d finally had enough I said, “I don’t know why I came. It’s late. I woke you up.”

“It’s okay,” she said softly. “I don’t mind.”

“Go back to bed,” I whispered.

She nodded and I opened the door. “Lock this behind me,” I said, and I waited in the hallway until I heard the tumble of the lock clicking into place.


About the Author:


Tracey Garvis-Graves is the author of On the Island and Covet. She lives in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa with her husband, two children, and hyper dog Chloe. She blogs at www.traceygarvisgraves.com using colorful language and a snarky sense of humor to write about pop culture, silly television shows, and her suburban neighborhood. You can e-mail her at traceygarvisgraves@yahoo.com. She’d love to hear from you.

Twitter | Facebook

Breakable (Contours of the Heart #2) by Tammara Webber

From Amazon.com

He was lost and alone. Then he found her.
And the future seemed more fragile than ever.

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise -- until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy...

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.

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**ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

**SPOILER Warning** While I try my hardest not to include spoilers in my reviews, this is the a follow-up book to Easy & it would be hard to discuss this book without referencing events from the first book.  Where this is technically a prequel/companion story & could be read as a stand-alone, I would recommend that you read Easy first to get the full experience of both stories. 

Typically, I’m not a fan of books that are a retelling of a previous book through the male point of view. It often feels to me as if the author was somewhat coerced into writing a story their heart wasn’t completely in because they felt that their fan-base demanded it. So, when I first heard of Breakable, I wasn’t sure what to think or expect. I am such a fan of Tammara’s previous work that not reading it wasn’t an option.  However, I’ll admit, when I first received my ARC, I was giddy…but also a little nervous. I quickly realized that wasn’t necessary. Tammara once again wrote a book that completely engaged me, captured my heart, broke it & mended it again.

In Easy, we met Jacqueline as her world was shattered, and we met the two boys that made her believe that she could possibly trust & love again. First, there was the mysterious Lucas, the guy that always seemed to be there when she least expected. Edgy & brooding on the surface, he was different than any guy she had been attracted to before, but she couldn’t deny how drawn she was to him. Then, there was her sweet, smart tutor Landon, whom she had never met face to face, yet seeing his name in her inbox became a highlight of her day. Trust was then questioned as the two became one…Landon Lucas Maxfield.

Breakable begins as 13 year old Landon Maxfield experiences an unspeakable tragedy. In his mind, he had a life that was pretty perfect. That is all taken away in one night that leaves him scarred both inside & out. What unfolds is a heartbreaking story of a boy trying to find his way & a life affirming story of a man accepting that there is hope in opening up to those who love him.

For anyone who fears that this is just a simple retelling of Easy…don’t. Where there are parts of the story that are familiar, they are told in a way that makes them feel new & fresh. Even better, the majority of it is completely new. Told in alternating points of view between Landon & Lucas, we get a more complete picture of who this complicated & mysterious guy really is…and I couldn’t help falling in love with both the boy & the man.

Tammara Webber has been one of my favorite authors for a while now, but this book affirmed for me that I should not doubt her. I will trust that if she has a story to tell, it is one that needs to be read.

The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier

From Amazon.com

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Juliet comes a mesmerizing novel about a young scholar who risks her reputation—and her life—on a thrilling journey to prove that the legendary warrior women known as the Amazons actually existed.

Oxford lecturer Diana Morgan is an expert on Greek mythology. Her obsession with the Amazons started in childhood when her eccentric grandmother claimed to be one herself—before vanishing without a trace. Diana’s colleagues shake their heads at her Amazon fixation. But then a mysterious, well-financed foundation makes Diana an offer she cannot refuse.

Traveling to North Africa, Diana teams up with Nick Barran, an enigmatic Middle Eastern guide, and begins deciphering an unusual inscription on the wall of a recently unearthed temple. There she discovers the name of the first Amazon queen, Myrina, who crossed the Mediterranean in a heroic attempt to liberate her kidnapped sisters from Greek pirates, only to become embroiled in the most famous conflict of the ancient world—the Trojan War. Taking their cue from the inscription, Diana and Nick set out to find the fabled treasure that Myrina and her Amazon sisters salvaged from the embattled city of Troy so long ago. Diana doesn’t know the nature of the treasure, but she does know that someone is shadowing her, and that Nick has a sinister agenda of his own. With danger lurking at every turn, and unsure of whom to trust, Diana finds herself on a daring and dangerous quest for truth that will forever change her world.

Sweeping from England to North Africa to Greece and the ruins of ancient Troy, and navigating between present and past, The Lost Sisterhood is a breathtaking, passionate adventure of two women on parallel journeys, separated by time, who must fight to keep the lives and legacy of the Amazons from being lost forever.

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***ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***

I haven't read Anne Fortier's previous work Juliet, but a friend of mine said that it was one of her all time favorite books. I requested a copy of The Lost Sisterhood based on that recommendation of the author.  I didn't read the description or anything else about it before I started reading.  So, I had no idea what to expect & it kept me guessing all the way to the end.  

The Lost Sisterhood is quite a bit different than the books that I usually read.  It is essentially two parallel stories.  In the frame story, we meet Diana Morgan, a philologist who is guest lecturing at Oxford University. Her focus is on the legend of the Amazon women.  Even though she has been mocked throughout her career for believing that there is truth to the legend, she can't fight the feeling she has had since childhood that there is more to the story than anyone knows.  When approached by a mysterious man who offers her a large sum of money in exchange for boarding a plane no questions asked & accompanying him to see "proof" that the Amazon Women existed, she throws caution and all warnings to the side & goes on what could be a journey of a lifetime, or could be the most dangerous, reckless decision she has ever made.

In the companion story, we go back in time to a small village in Northern Africa & meet Myrina as she returns to home from a hunt to find her mother dying. When the villagers accuse her mother of witchcraft, Myrina & her little sister Lilli are forced to escape into the jungle to protect themselves. We follow their journey as Myrina goes from being a lost orphan to a high priestess not only charged with keeping Lilli alive, but also protecting the sisterhood that has taken her in.  

The stories are woven to create a beautiful picture of the past & present coming together.  The mysteries unfold like artifacts an archaeological dig.  As parts are revealed, their meaning isn't always clear until all of the pieces came together in the end.  At over 600 pages, this isn't a quick read, but as the story builds, it is complex & intriguing enough that I didn't want to put it down.  I don't know much about the legend of the Amazons or the other historical moments referenced in the book.  So, I'm not sure how much is truly historical or how much is the author's fantasy, but I liked how the two come together.  

The Lost Sisterhood wasn't the best book I have read this year, but I definitely enjoyed it.  It was a refreshing change of pace from the books I am typically drawn to.  Now, based on my friend's recommendation, as well as my enjoyment of this book, I'll definitely need to check out Juliet!

Event! -- Left Drowning by Jessica Park

Title: Left Drowning

Author: Jessica Park

Print Length: 399 pages

ISBN: 1477817158

ASIN: B00BJQR23C

Publisher: Skyscape (July 16, 2013)

Retailers: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | B&N

Goodreads

Jessica Park is one of my current favorite authors.  Her book Flat-Out Love (and follow-up Flat-Out Matt) quickly skyrocketed up my favorite books list & has hung out there with a select few other authors & fantastic books.  Left Drowning is quite a different story, but wonderful in its own way (see my full review here!).  Somehow despite all of the fanfare surrounding Flat-Out Love, Left Drowning snuck in without much notice & definitely without the attention it deserves.  If you managed to miss out on this book last summer, it's worth checking out now!  And for the Flat-Out Love fans, keep an eye out on Jessica's facebook page for information on her next book Flat-Out Celeste (to be released spring 2014)!

 

Synopsis:

What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?

Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.

*This book is intended for mature audiences due to strong language and sexual content.

Note: due to mature content recommended for Ages 17+

Official Book Trailer

http://youtu.be/HJAqIbBMGxA

Jessica's Left Drowning Playlist

 

BUY LINKS:
Amazon Digital Services, Inc. | B&N

CHAPTER ONE

Baseline

I catch my foot on the first step outside of my dorm and fall unceremoniously onto the concrete. I stay where I am for a moment, thinking that the set of keys digging into my hand should probably hurt more. Not to mention my knees, since they just endured a direct blow. “Awesome,” I mumble as I push to a wobbly stand and careen toward the door. I giggle slightly while struggling to fit the key into the lock. The good news here is that if I banged the shit out of myself like I think I just did, I might just feel something tomorrow. It has to be better than feeling nothing, right? How’s that for a goddamn silver lining? I brace myself against the giant door, steadying myself. Wait, what’s less than silver? Iron? Zinc? Could there be a zinc lining? 

It takes a few failed attempts at working the lock for me to realize that the key to the house I grew up in near Boston will not, understandably, unlock a dorm in Wisconsin. I finally shove the proper key in the hole and turn the lock. “I’ve opened the door!” I whisper triumphantly to no one. The thick metal door is unbearably heavy and resists opening fully, so I slam my shoulder hard against the door frame as I try to slither through the narrow opening. Yet another victory! I think hazily. The hangover I’m sure to have tomorrow, plus the injuries from smashing into objects, is definitely going to hurt. So continues my endless search for physical feeling, sensation. Anything. Still, even in my decidedly inebriated state, I know that the bruises from a drunken night can hardly be equated with any sort of positive emotional step forward. At least it will be something, though. Something other than numbness. It will be a distraction, and distractions are always welcome. 

The stairwell is flooded with hideous fluorescent light. It’s empty, although at this time of night, I realize one of my drunken peers might stagger past me with a one-night stand in tow at any minute. I really don’t understand how people ever get laid on campus. Anyone who looks even vaguely attractive in a normal setting becomes drastically less appealing on the way back to a dorm room. Beer goggles are no match for atrocious lighting. I lean against the wall on the second-story landing and yank my phone from my pocket. My reflection in the small black screen confirms my suspicion. My already messy curls have popped out of my ponytail so there’s a frizzy halo around my head, and even on my dark phone I can see the puffiness under my eyes. I look bananas. 

“I look bananas!” I holler, noting the echo of my slurred words. Maybe I always look like this? Not that I care. I don’t spend a lot of time in front of the mirror or concerning myself with my appearance in any way, really. I look however I look, and that is that. In the scheme of things, it just doesn’t matter. And no one is paying attention. However, I do indeed look bananas.

When I get to my room, I practically fall through the unlocked door. Luckily, I don’t have a roommate who might complain about my noisy entrance. She moved out a few days before—presumably to go live with someone less catatonic—so the double is now all mine. I don’t blame the poor girl. If you’re going to be trapped on a relatively small campus outside of Madison, Wisconsin, it’s best to surround yourself with cheerful people. 

I walk through the dark room, stub my toe on what I’m pretty sure is an anthropology textbook, and collapse onto the futon. Oh, the irony of my having replaced the dorm-provided single bed with a full-size futon. Anyone seeing it might imagine I was the type to bring home boys. 

But I am a failure in that area. Add it to the fucking list, I tell myself. I’ve lost track of the guys on campus that I’ve drunkenly led on and then pushed away before anything could happen. The thought of anyone else’s hands on my body makes me want to retch. This is not normal; I understand that. Which is why I always have that moment when I’m drunk and the idea of fun, no-strings sex seems like a bright idea. For God’s sake, if I could ever go through with it, I’d be in good company. Plenty of other twenty-one-year-olds were making walks of shame home in the wee hours of the morning. I’ve heard those supposedly shameful nights retold with plenty of laughs and sordid details. 

I can lure a guy in when I want to. Alcohol gives me that. And boys respond, although I have no idea why. It’s natural to want to connect with other people, I guess. Except I don’t want to. Not really. Which must be why I don’t have any real friends. But I drink and play the role, holding out hope that self-fulfilling prophecies exist, and that I might make a connection and feel whole again if I pretend long enough. The act is fun for me initially, yet it leaves me even worse off by the end of the night, when reality hits and my intolerable loneliness engulfs me.

            I know it’s not especially smart to lead guys on and then bolt the minute they try to touch me. But I have my strategies. I often mumble something about being a virgin, a revelation that effectively puts a damper on most guys’ interest. Discovering this did sort of amuse me. I’d have thought guys would like the idea of being a girl’s first. No pressure to perform acrobatic-style maneuvers and whatnot since I wouldn’t know any better. But it seems that the generally smart, decent guys at this small liberal college in the middle of Wisconsin’s snow tundra don’t want the responsibility of deflowering a drunken coed. Go figure. Either way, I make sure nothing physical ever happens, despite my fervent desire to find an escape, however temporary. God knows it wouldn’t be fun for me anyway, considering I have the arousal level of a rock. 

So I add frigid to the list. To that stupid mental inventory I try so hard not to keep. An increasingly large list of all of my flaws. My inadequacies. My failures. 

There has to be a list of my successes, too, doesn’t there? Or at least my. . . adequacies? I try to focus. All the fucking liquor makes it hard, but I try. This is important.

I’m a not-terrible student. 

I shower regularly. 

I know a lot about tides. 

I will eat nearly anything, except for raisins. 

Christ. I refocus. I may be drunk, but I can do better. 

I have mastered the art of melancholy. 

I have my doubts about whether this can even vaguely be considered a “success.” I think again, determined to find something I’ve done that is worth recognition. 

I lived. 

The laugh that escapes my lips is awful. The bitter sound echoes throughout my sparse room. “I’m a regular fucking Harry Potter!” I shriek. “Fuck!”

I sit up and kick off my shoes. My phone is still in my hand, and I look dizzily at it.

I never give up on my brother. That at least should go on the “success” list. Without thinking about or planning what to say, I grab my phone and call him. 

“Jesus Christ, Blythe. What do you want?” James grumbles. 

“Sorry. I woke you, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you woke me up. It’s three in the morning.”

“Is it that late? Well, you’re in college, too. Thought you’d just be getting home.” I wait, but he says nothing. “How’s school? How’s the leg? I bet you’re getting stronger every day still.”

“School is fine, and knock it off with the leg questions, all right? You bring it up every time I talk to you. Enough. It’s as good as it’s going to get, which is shitty. Stop asking.” My brother yawns. “Seriously, just go to bed.” The clear irritation, the disgust, in his voice sears through me.

“James, please. I’m sorry.” Damn it. I can’t disguise the drunken edge to my voice. “We never talk. I wanted to hear your voice. See if you’re okay.”

He sighs. “Yes. I’m as fine as I can be. You sound like a disaster, though.”

“Gee, that’s nice.”

“Well, you do.” James pauses. “Mom and Dad wouldn’t like this crap. You know that. Can you just… Can we do this another time?”

“I’m so sorry for everything. I need you to know that. To really know that. Things can be better for you. I want—”

“Don’t. Not now. Not again. We’re not having this fucking conversation again.”

“Okay.” I stare out the window into the dark. It’s late September in the wee hours, and I know what is coming. Nothing good. The same as it is every year. “Sure thing, James.” The ridiculous attempt at conveying a cheerful, nonchalant tone makes my voice crack. “We’ll talk soon. Take care, James.”

So that went well. Not that I should have expected better. Inebriated middle-of-the-night calls are sort of destined to fail. I know because I’ve made them before. What’s tragic is that after each dumb call to my brother, I resolve that the next one will go more smoothly. What sucks is that sober calls during the day aren’t any better; they always result in exchanges that are stilted and uncomfortable. 

I sigh heavily, then turn on the flashlight app on my phone. I love that not only does it make normal white light, but it lets me select whatever damn color I want. I set the phone down on my bed, and it illuminates part of the room with haunting blue electronic light. 

As I stand and shuffle to the small sink, my body feels drained of all its alcohol-fueled energy. It takes a few tries, but I eventually shove my long, messy hair into a knot on the top of my head. A few curls fall from the tie and hang by my face. I can’t look at myself because I cannot stomach looking at a girl who has so little hope left, who is inexcusably weak. I am humiliated by my own inability to do better. I vow to spend at least the next twenty-four hours booze-free.

The water that comes from the tap is ice cold. Minute after minute goes by as I collect handfuls of water and toss them over my face. I don’t stop until there are no more hot tears to wash away. 

About the Author:

Jessica is the author of LEFT DROWNING, the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (and the companion piece FLAT-OUT MATT), and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.

Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicapark and Twitter @JessicaPark24

Searching For Perfect (Searching #2) by Jennifer Probst

From Amazon.com

The highly anticipated second novel in the new Searching For series from Jennifer Probst, "one of the most exciting breakout novelists" (USA TODAY)—a spin-off of the bestselling Marriage to a Billionaire series—featuring a sexy matchmaker, and the rocket scientist who becomes her special project…

The up-and-coming matchmaking agency Kinnections is the hottest thing to hit Verily, New York—just like Kennedy Ashe, social director for the service she owns with her two best girlfriends. A coach, consultant, and cheerleader rolled into one super-sizzling package, Kennedy creates dream dates, encourages singles to shine, and never refuses a challenge—not even Nate Ellison Raymond Dunkle, rocket scientist, nerd extraordinaire, and Kennedy’s newest client.

Kennedy vows to work her magic and transform this hot mess in a lab coat with a disastrous relationship track record into the most wanted man on the Verily dating scene. If only she could turn the wand on herself…though she radiates confidence and sex appeal, Kennedy harbors deep-seated insecurities from a tormented past and lifelong struggle with weight issues. When she realizes she and Nate are cut from the same cloth and might be perfect together, can Kennedy learn to let her heart lead the way? Or will her fears sentence her to the sidelines as Nate finds love—with someone else?

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***ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***

In Searching for Someday, we met the women behind Kinnections, an upscale matchmaking company in the small town of Verily on the outskirts of NYC.  Kate, Kennedy & Arilyn have helped lead the majority of their clients to true love & the happiness that comes with it.  However, until Slade walked in & changed Kate's life, none of them had managed to find love for themselves.  Now, happy & headed for marriage, Kate wants the same for her two best friends.  

With Searching for Perfect, we get to know Kennedy.  She has worked all of her life to feel beautiful & worth love, but has accepted that it is her calling to help others rather than herself.  She faces her biggest challenge when she meets Nathan Ellison Raymond Dunkle...a.k.a. Ned the Nerd.  Ned is a mess. He is an aerospace engineer (not a rocket scientist!) who can almost always be found wearing too large pants & a lab coat with the lunch of the day smeared somewhere on it. He spends more time with books & computers than real people, and his ideas of women come from his jaded brother, Connor, who was scarred first by their mother walking out & then again by a cheating girlfriend.  When Ned insults one of Kennedy's clients, she decides to take him under her wing as her own personal Eliza Doolittle.  

I found Searching for Perfect to be as cute & charming as Searching for Someday.  I really enjoyed the interaction between Kennedy, Kate & Arilyn as well as the budding romance between Kennedy & Nate. This story was quite a bit steamier than the first book (as it turns out...nerds do have their advantages!), but also maintained the heart & humor.  Where the "Love Spells" subtitle seems to have been dropped since Searching for Someday's release, the book of spells still makes an appearance & there is still a spark of magic to the story.  All of these elements come together to make a fun read.  If you are a fan of traditional romance stories, you should definitely check out this series!

Even though this is the second in the series, it can be read as a stand alone without feeling like you have missed something.  Now, the wait begins for Arilyn's story...

*This book will be released in e-book & paperback on April 29th*

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To pass the time while waiting for Searching for Perfect to be released, join in the fun on 

Jennifer's blog!

This Side of Salvation by Jeri Smith Ready

Book Summary From The Author

Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure:  The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier, more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties in to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined… 

What Others Are Saying:

“THIS SIDE OF SALVATION is impossible to pigeonhole. It’s a mystery, a love story, a tale of friendship, of prejudice, and of a family overcoming tragedy…Jeri Smith-Ready has her finger on the pulse of American youth.” — Printz Honor winner and NYT Bestseller Elizabeth Wein

“This is a frighteningly realistic story that delicately handles the issues of religion and family—an emotional mystery sure to be popular and perfect for discussion.” — VOYA, **Highlighted (Starred) Review**

“[A] smart, well-rounded, and unpredictable tale...bringing to light issues of belief versus free will, spirit versus body, and family versus self—while never being heavy-handed.” Booklist, **Starred Review**

“This book has some of the best written, strongest, and most satisfying character dynamics that I have read in a long time...There are no extreme moral rights and wrongs in this book. These people just are, and they work, and they make this story beautiful.” — Bibliopunkk

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What I Thought:

I first came across Jeri Smith-Ready in early 2012 when I checked out audiobook copy of Shade from the library.  I was immediately sucked into Aura's world.  I requested the audio for Shift before I even finished Shade & then pre-ordered a signed copy of Shine from Jeri's local bookstore.  I signed up right away for "Team Shade/Team Kilt" & have been following Jeri ever since.  Somehow, despite all of my Shade love, I hadn't read any of Jeri's other books.  So, I wasn't sure what to expect out of This Side of Salvation (her first contemporary novel). It turned out to be a unique, thoughtful look at grief, family & forgiveness.

This is, above all else, David's story.  David is a fairly normal 16 year old boy.  His world revolves around pitching a winning baseball game, hanging out with his best friend Kane & gaining the attention of Bailey, the new girl in town.  His life seemed to be coming together perfectly until one day changed everything...the day that his older brother John died.

When John joined the military & left to go overseas, his absence was expected, but the knowledge that he will never return has altered life completely for the Cooper family.  We see the story through David's eyes.  We feel his anger & pain as he scrawls "Why God Why?" on the side of a local church, and we feel his longing & hope as he joins the same church in an effort to find answers to his questions.  While he is searching, his parents think they have found their answers in a radical religious group who believe that God will return to collect his followers on May 11 at 3 a.m. in an event they call "The Rush".  When they ask David to give up everything he knows & loves to prepare for The Rush, he has to choose between his family & his hope for a future.  On the night of The Rush, David & his sister Mara sneak out to go to a party.  Running late, they return home at 3:30 to find their parents gone & clothes lying in the bed as if it had recently been occupied.  Did they miss The Rush?! Did it really happen?!

The chapters alternate timelines between Now, where we follow David & Mara as they work towards unraveling the mystery of their parent's disappearance, and  The Time Leading up to The Rush, where we get a more in-depth look at David along with his family & friends. I felt that this structure allowed us to get to know the characters in a way we never could have in a more traditional narrative.  This story is part coming of age & part mystery with a hint of romance.  The pace is slow & steady, but never boring. Jeri's writing was just as detailed and gripping as I remembered, and she handled the subject of religion & faith with a great deal of respect.  Where I didn't fall head over heels in love with the characters like I did Aura, Zachary & Logan, I did care about David & Mara on every step of their journey searching for answers (both before & after their parents' disappearance).

This Side of Salvation is the type of book that will make you think.  It delves into a subject often overlooked, avoided, or mocked & handles it in a way that appreciates both sides & encourages one to know what they believe & to stand up for it.  While this isn't a light-hearted, easy read, it was definitely one that I enjoyed & would recommend.

***ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.***

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Giveaways Galore!

Jeri has two ongoing giveaways to celebrate the release of This Side of Salvation.

Join the Rush swag fest: free EXCLUSIVE swag for everyone who orders TSOS on or before Monday, April 7.

Superfan contest (March 31 – April 9): share the TSOS characters’ “trading cards”  on your social networks to earn points. Biggest Superfan wins the grand prize, but there’s a chance to win a book and a gift card every day you play!

Here's the final day's card, featuring the dream/theme quote from Mr. Ralph:

Cat blogging meets book birthday!

Meet Misha and Twinkle, the real-life inspiration for the cats of This Side of Salvation, on PulseIt, the official site of Jeri's publisher, Simon Pulse.

Order the hardcover:

• Indie Bound
• Amazon
• Barnes and Noble

Order the ebook:

• Kindle  
• Nook 
• Kobo

Find Jeri

Visit Jeri's website, or follow her on one of these sites:

• Twitter
• Tumblr
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Goodreads

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

From Amazon.com

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance.

At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter's cheating on her--and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by Ridge, her mysterious neighbor. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there's something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore, either. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one...

Includes an original soundtrack created by musician Griffin Peterson.

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I always have high hopes & expectations when picking up a book by Colleen Hoover.  I finished Slammed in one sitting and from that moment on, I have bought every book she has released without even reading the description.  I just know that if she wrote it, I need to read it.  I keep thinking that there is no way she can sustain this...but she keeps surprising!  

When I first heard that Maybe Someday was being released, I was excited (Yea!  Another book!).  When Colleen announced that she was doing a signing just 3 hours from my house, I pre-ordered the paperback & cleared my calendar for a road trip.  As it neared midnight of release day & Amazon hadn't even shipped my order yet (Grrrr....), for half a second I considered waiting for it... then downloaded the kindle copy & started reading (yes...at midnight!).  At 3 a.m., I told myself that I HAD to go to bed & that the book would still be waiting for me in the morning.  Somewhere near 4...I actually turned off my kindle because my eyes stopped cooperating.  While the last couple of books I have read have been good, I haven't really been in the mood to read lately (I know...something must be wrong with me!).  That all changed with Maybe Someday.  I couldn't stop!

All of that said, Maybe Someday is a hard book to review.  I picked it up knowing only a few things. 1.  It was written by Colleen Hoover  2.  It was about a couple writing music  3.  There was an accompanying soundtrack performed by Griffin Peterson (which I downloaded & listened to before the book came out).  I'm glad I didn't know more because everything that unfolded in the book was a surprise. Even the songs, which I had heard before, took on a new life when placed in the context of the story. Because of that, I want to be able to preserve that feeling for anyone who might read my review prior to reading the book.

What I can tell you is that the book is beautifully written.  The story will make you laugh, think, feel & quite possibly cry.  The added element of actually getting to experience the music being created in the book is something that I have often wished for when reading a book with lyrics. My brain has trouble putting rhythm with words so it just sounds ridiculous when I try to sing them in my head.  To be able to read the lyrics along with Griffin's voice was a huge improvement!

Basically, if you are reading reviews of this book to determine if you should read it, then yes...you should!  If you just stumbled across my blog & are looking for recommendations...then read this one!!  If you have never read Colleen Hoover's work before...then read this one...and you'll be happy to know that there are 6 other books to read after!