Review of the Diamond Girls series by Elisa Dane

Ex Factor
by Elisa Dane
Release Date: 04/22/14

Summary from Goodreads:

Nevaeh Evan’s life is uprooted after her father’s death, when she moves in with her aunt and cousin, Livvie. Her plan to lay low at her new high school isn’t working. Her friend’s jerky boyfriend keeps asking her out, the guy she likes treats her like garbage, and the thought of tumbling again makes her want to hurl.

So when her aunt pushes her into joining the elite X-FACTOR cheer leading squad, Navaeh goes along with it.

But Nev feels she doesn’t deserve to be happy. Not after what happened the night her father died.

Bodie Scott knows about grief all too well. Critically injured in an alcohol related accident the year before, Bodie struggles with the fact that he’ll never play football again, and he’s so far behind in credits he can’t see straight. That is, until he meets Nev. Haunted by their bloody pasts and wary of a shared future, Nev and Bodie turn to one another for comfort and support, and realize they’re not so alone after all. And when the party scene at school threatens the life of a loved one, the two stop at nothing to keep the past from repeating itself.

**My thoughts**

This book was a blend of Bring It On, Stick It, an ABC After-School Special, and my own life. The Bring It On part of course is the cheerleading competition aspect of the book. I thought of Stick It with Nev's attitude as she adjusts to her new life. The After School Special part stems from the consequences of the alcohol-related accident. As for my own life, I could very easily relate to losing your mother to Alzheimer's and having your father die. Granted, I am twice as old as these characters, but the pain is the same, regardless. I can't imagine going through all of it at such a young age.

Nev understandably has a chip on her shoulder and feels guilty for trying to be happy again when she has endured so much loss. She also feels a tremendous amount of guilt for some secrets that are later revealed in the story. She has to do a lot of growing up through this book and has a great support team to help her. 

I felt like a lot of the different high school personalities were well captured in this book. I enjoyed reading the story and getting to know the characters. I had a hard time with her mother's illness, though, because it just felt like Nev was way too young to have a parent going through it, even if it was early-onset. Perhaps that is just my own prejudice based on my family's afflictions happening at older ages. 

I did really like this book, though, probably even better than the second one in the series. It's a fun read for a summer afternoon, with a little life lesson thrown in.

Buy links

Amazon \ Barnes & Noble

Unbreakable
by Elisa Dane

Release Date: 06/10/14

Summary from Goodreads:

Perception is everything to sixteen-year-old Olivia Brown. With her freakishly hot boyfriend, volunteer work at the local animal shelter, successful beauty channel on YouTube, and well-earned spot on X Factor Cheer's elite level five Diamond Girl team, Livvie's the girl every other girl wants to be. At least, that's the illusion she's aiming for.

But Livvie's seemingly perfect life is anything but. Lying about the bruises her boyfriend gives her, and cowering beneath his raging temper becomes a regular way of life until she unwittingly witnesses her drunken neighbor beating his step-son, the town bad boy, Reid Tate.

For Reid, vulnerability is the enemy. Opening up, and letting people in gives them the power to disappoint. Growing up with a co-dependent mother and an abusive alcoholic father, Reid has endured all the disappointment he can stomach.

But when his pretty, do-good neighbor witnesses his step-dad beat him to within an inch of his life, and not only call the cops, but keeps quiet at school about what she saw, Reid wonders if maybe, just maybe, he's found someone he can finally trust.

**My thoughts**

This was a side of Livvie that I didn't expect to see after reading the first book. J.P. is also quite different than I had originally thought he would be after reading the first book. Then again, we didn't get to know him as much. And those who have a raging temper like he does can often hide it for a long time before it manifests. This book takes place during the following school year, so there has been plenty of time for it to grow.

Reid was also a slightly surprising character, as he doesn't appear in the first book (to my recollection). Then again, there was no reason for him to be there. I do like him, though. He is vulnerable and damaged, yet has managed to hold onto the sweetness inside, despite everything he has gone through.

Livvie is typical, in that she doesn't want to provoke J.P. by seeking help. Of course, this causes her problems down the road. I just wanted to smack her for doing that, but can see how easily it happens. She is also amazingly strong, which is beneficial to her.

This story serves as a second After School Special in a way, serving to let teens know that they can get help when in an abusive situation. There are lessons to be learned, and one would hope that they can all end up with a happy ending. 

I enjoyed having some follow-up with Nev and Brodie, as well.

Another fun summer afternoon read, even though I think I preferred the first one. I do look forward to reading more in this series some day!

Buy links

Amazon \ Barnes & Noble

About the Author

I'm a lover of books (YA & Adult romance), chocolate, reality television, and am a proud mother to three All Star cheerleaders. Woot!

I write Contemporary YA romance with cheerleaders. Yep. I write what I know, and it's my hope that my stories will not only take you on a romantic journey that will warm your heart, but that you'll find a new respect and interest in the sport of Cheerleading you may not have had before.

Author Links:

http://www.elisadane.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7450641.Elisa_Dane

https://twitter.com/#!/ElisaDane

https://www.facebook.com/ElisaDane


PUBLISHER LINKS

www.myswoonromance.com

@swoonromance

Facebook.com/SwoonRomance

***GIVEAWAY***

1 ebook of Ex-Factor & $10 Amazon gift card (INT)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of 'Destine (The Watcher's Trilogy Book 1)' by Katherine Polillo

Book blurb from Amazon:

Michelle Cross is an average, seventeen year old girl growing up in a small town in New Jersey. Up until her senior year, her life has consisted of a rather unglamorous existence. Her closet friend Cami has been by her side since kindergarten, she has a loving if somewhat absente father, and a mother who is unique to say the least. Michelle’s mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was twelve years old, and ever since then she has had delusions of angels and demons battling over her only child. Michelle accepts her mother’s delusions as schizophrenic ramblings, until a handsome new boy finds her at school. Little by little Michelle’s world is turned upside down. The new boy claims to be the Archangel Gabriel cast from heaven, her best friend falls for the Antichrist, and come to find out Michelle’s mother has seen it coming all along. So instead of being consumed with prom and graduation, Michelle finds herself battling the evils of Hell in her small town. The four horsemen of the apocalypses have descended on her high school and with the help of Gabriel, her very own angel; she must stop the events leading to the apocalypse. What surprises Michelle even more than her role in saving humanity is the love that develops between Gabriel and herself. Can their love bridge the world between heaven and earth? Can Michelle stop the powers of Hell in time? Michelle and Gabriel find themselves the pawns in a very dangerous game between an ancient power with a mysterious message and Satan himself.

**My thoughts**

I have been reading rave reviews about this book since it came out last summer. I am often wary of so many rave reviews and find such books to be lacking something by the time I get to them. Not so much with this story. It was awesome.

In a world of paranormal saturation comes a different story idea. It's the Apocalypse, redone. Okay, it was written during the year that the Mayans had predicted the apocalypse, but I hadn't yet read any YA books about it. This was like a breath of fresh air in the genre for me.

Michelle has a lot to overcome. Her mother is schizophrenic. Her best friend decides to abandon her. And suddenly, she is in charge of saving the entire human race. You can see her strength build from the beginning to the end of the book, as she accepts her destiny in life and battles evil incarnate. With Gabriel by her side, anything seems possible, even in the face of supreme tragedy. But their story isn't over with just this first book. This one spans an entire trilogy, so there is more to come.

I felt like the book as a whole got stronger as the story continued. In the beginning, there was a lot of focus on what everyone was wearing, and other mundane details. Of course, these details help to illustrate how boring and "normal" Michelle's life was before Gabriel came into her life to reveal her destiny. As the action picks up, so did the writing. The plot developed with twists and turns that you didn't always see coming. Michelle's focus shifts to finding and stamping out the evil, before it ruins her and her loved ones. She doesn't care as much about those trivial topics that preoccupy so many high schoolers.

My only problem, really, was a bunch of typos sprinkled throughout the book. I encourage potential readers to try to overlook those, because the story is really a good one that is worth reading. I now understand the persistent buzz about it and greatly look forward to continuing it in the sequels!

Buy links: Amazon \ Barnes & Noble \ Smashwords

'[sic]' Virtual Book Review Tour

 

[sic]

By Scott Kelly

BLURB:

 One rule: If another player taps you on the shoulder, you have to completely change your life within the next fifteen minutes. In front of everyone. Your car, your virginity, your grades, your identity – nothing is safe. When five high school students from the wrong part of town devote their lives to playing the game David invented, they walk a line between insanity and enlightenment. 

Read an excerpt:

“I disagree. It was easy to start playing,” I explain, “It was easy to want to change things when everything was bad. But, in the end it’s about loyalty to a higher ideal. Maybe the highest ideal. You get one turn at life, and you’re more or less assigned a role from the start. For some people, it’s a nice one. For us, it was a bad one. But, it should be true for anyone. If this is your one opportunity at life, isn’t the ultimate homage you can pay to its creator—to God, or even to yourself—to systematically explore every possible dimension of human existence? Isn’t that a nobler ideal than raising a family? There are plenty of families. Maybe if you live in a time or a place where life means something, where you’re fighting in a war or rebuilding after one, or something with some narrative…but here in America, here and now, life has no point for us. The only causes available to join are corrupt ones. So why not do the best thing possible and explore every dimension of life?

"Isn’t that what everyone worked so hard for? Isn't that the big dream, to spend life experiencing it? Well, we're here. We accomplished the dream, life in America is easy. It's time to live a little, because nothing is coming next. And if there is a God, and a Heaven, you should ask yourself: what have you done with this life that's so great you deserve another one? Would you spend your time there counseling angels? Do accountants dream of crunching numbers on clouds?

“Could everyone play Eureka? No, society wouldn’t function. But should everyone who can play Eureka? I don’t know. I don’t know. But me and mine, much as I can hate them, I know: we are the result of all this quality of life that has taken the place of the actual quality of your life. But, I also think it requires you to be a sociopath. So, maybe I am a sociopath, or a narcissist, or whatever you said David was.”

**My thoughts**

This book is one of those that catches you off-guard and latches on to your inner soul as you battle your own personal moral value system, trying to decide how you really feel about the characters and what they are doing. The idea behind Eureka is brilliant, yet terrifying. There is a part of you that wants to join in the fun, while the other part wants to run in the opposite direction. It can so easily get out of hand and destroy lives, instead of fixing them as intended.

I started to get a little anxious and antsy toward the ending of the book as I tried to sort through everything that had happened. The ending has a twist that is a bit of shocker, though at the same time I expected it. A part of me wants to go back and reread the book, knowing what I know now, to see how the story fits. You could learn a lot from it and it could inspire a lot of conversation.

Buy links: http://amzn.to/XIwxw2 

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

When Scott was eleven, he was so upset by the ending of the classic story Robin Hood  that he wrote his own and stuck it into the book. When he was fourteen he finished his first novel. By the time he was nineteen, he’d written four–the latest, JIMWAMBA, was published by an independent press in the United Kingdom. Dissatisfied with the experience, he took to stealing paper from his University and selling staple-bound copies of his manuscript at local festivals and gatherings, earning him a cult following that only grew as his eBook FRIGHTENED BOY reached its thirty-thousandth reader. He is a presence in the burgeoning social writing scene as a contest judge for the website BookRix, winner of WeBook’s “Page to Fame” contest, and chart-topper/featured author on the website WattPad. Over fifty-thousand people have read one of Scott’s novels online.

Scott’s constant need to improve his writing took him through a college education in Literature. He became determined to bring what he loved about classic literature to the modern reader, in a manner they’d appreciate as something new, but with its dues paid.

Scott Kelly is the ‘fresh new voice.’ He writes daring literature that asks difficult questions about the nature of humanity, but layers it in so many delicious coatings of action, thrills, and intrigue that readers often forget they are reading novels that address delicate questions about identity, perception and death. He delights in taking complex philosophical and metaphysical themes, but breaking them down using entertaining, familiar story setups – that he then mangles in attractive ways.

Now twenty-eight, he performs intellectual property duty for a lab where experimental drugs and chemicals are concocted. But while the chemists are busy filling beakers, Scott is trying to save compelling, thought-provoking literature for a new wave of readers.

LINKS:

Website: www.ScottKellyWritesBooks.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/sic-ebook/dp/B008ZFYVIE/ref=reg_hu-rd_add_1_dp

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ScottKellyWrites

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15847364-sic

Scott will be awarding a $50 Amazon card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

'Careful' by Isobella Jade Book Tour - Review and Giveaway

Welcome to the book blog tour for 'Careful' by Isobella Jade. This heartwrenching young adult novel is one that shouldn't be missed! Keep on reading to find out more about this book, which is the first in a new trilogy! At the end of the post, enter the Rafflecopter to win your own copy.

"I couldn’t feel my arms or legs. My neck, my hair, my stomach—they weren’t mine anymore."

If you lived in Willow Ridge, a town based on Jade’s hometown near Syracuse, New York, you’d know of Estella Montclair. Estella is one of the top high school sprinters around and she’s in the newspaper all the time.

After Estella is killed in a texting and driving crash, what remains of her face and body is devastating. But not all of her has died.

During the first month after her death, Estella’s spirit travels among her living friends and family. Her best friends Zara, Eva and Jett show her how pain and sorrow can break apart or strengthen a bond. She also sees for the first time that loss can spark revenge and destructive behavior, catastrophe can come without warning, and we all have secrets, but she discovers that even the darkest days can become hopeful, peaceful and purposeful and inspire acts of compassion.

She wonders if her chance for love with Phoenix has passed her by, and if out of sight truly means out of  mind.

And maybe one day the girl who caused her death will admit her mistake.

While adjusting to a new state of being, Estella struggles to face the limitations that come with death, but blossoms by recognizing she can still touch the lives of the people she once knew so well.

GAMINE PRESS, ISBN: 978-0-9850-9750-9; eBook ISBN: 978-0-9850-9753-0; On Sale: July 26, 2012;

**My thoughts**

I made the mistake of starting this book while eating a quiet dinner in one of my favorite restaurants. Luckily, the staff there knows that I am often reading a book to review, and they will ignore my emotional state as I am engrossed. This book not only had me engrossed, but I was in tears from the first chapter on.

Death is never easy to take, particularly the death of a young one. When I was about the same age in high school, two of my classmates were killed in two separate car accidents, about six months apart. Back then, we didn't have cell phones to distract us. Chatting with or following friends was distraction enough to cause strange things to happen. Each case was just as horrific, though, and just as painful for all who were involved. I completely related to the emptiness felt by Estella's friends and the eerie quiet and whispers floating along the hallways. I understood their apprehension to die. When my first friend died, it was the night before I was supposed to get behind the wheel for my first official Driver's Ed drive with an instructor. I was terrified to do it and told him why. His daughter had also known her and he forced me behind the wheel to help me move on, just as Estella's friends must also do.

I also felt Estella's pain as she watched her loved ones move on with their lives. Isobella Jade's descriptions of Estella's emotions as she holds on to her former life on Earth are exactly how I would imagine it would be to be on the other side. I felt my eyes well up with tears on numerous occasions as I read through the story.

I found it interesting that Isobella Jade's father had recently died, thus prompting her to create this series. I lost my own father around the same time she lost hers. I think I can truly relate to her need to have created this series and wish I could do the same to complete my own story ideas. I can imagine it would be very therapeutic. Estella goes around trying to help her friends and family. I like to thing that my father is still here at times helping me.

The chapters in this book are each titled with cliches that are very true. The warnings given throughout the book are ones that readers of any age should heed. I only hope that the numerous messages throughout this book are not wasted on "deaf ears" by my fellow readers. Pay attention to the messages. Be grateful for your life and what you have. Hug your loved ones a little bit closer.

I look forward to reading more of this series as it becomes available.

While I did receive an eARC of this book in exchange for my review during this book blog tour, all opinions contained within this review are my own. I did not receive any form of compensation for this post.

View the book trailer for Careful: http://www.isobelladreams.com/TheCarefulQuietInvisibleSeries.html


Listen to a podcast reading: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/isobellajade

About the author:

Isobella Jade, known as the petite model who wrote her first book Almost 5’4" at the Apple store in New York City and the author of Short Stuff: on the job with an x-small model and a graphic novel Model Life, lost her father in 2011 from a tragic propane fire. She puts her immense grief into a new young adult novel series called Careful, Quiet, Invisible and through the spirit of sixteen year old Estella Montclair this sentimental series represents that love and friendship can live on.

Contact: Isobellajade03@yahoo.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of 'Something Like Normal'

Travis comes home for a month on break from the Marines. He has just lost his best friend Charlie in Afghanistan. His girlfriend Paige is now dating his brother, yet still wants to screw him. His father is a retired professional football player who is pissed at him for not following in his footsteps. He has been gone for a year and feels lost and disassociated from his former world. And he keeps seeing his dead friend everywhere.

It's yet another case of PTSD and not a topic often found in YA literature. It's a heart-wrenching story that makes you feel sad as you're reading it. Travis tells his story in his own words and shares a lot of his feelings, but has a hard time being completely forthcoming with it all. He has to come to terms with a lot of emotions and decisions made in the heat of the moment, both in country and abroad. As he explores these, he reveals more and more. We're just along for the ride.

His silver lining comes in the form of Harper. She is the girl he kissed during a game of Seven Minutes in Heaven during middle school. Stupidly telling the other guys that he had gotten a little boob action while making out with her, Travis accidentally starts a rumor that quickly spirals out of control and ruins Harper's reputation for good in school. When they first meet up with each other, she gives him a deserved punch in the face, but then softens toward him. It's a plausible type of relationship.

Something Like Normal is a desire that many of us have in life, especially those who are thrust into situations that change their lives. It isn't going to leave with a sunny, happy feeling about life, but will make you think about your choices in life and those about whom you really care.

The publisher recommends this book for ages 14 and above. Sexual scenes are present and alluded to, but not detailed.

I received a complimentary set of galleys in exchange for my honest review.

'The Unsacred Gift' Book Tour - Review

The Unsacred Gift

Have you ever had a dream that came to life? How about losing the one you love and not being able to save them? What about a gift that you were cursed with? Well image having all three like Sicily “Sissy” Monroe.

“Some might say what I have is a gift. I say, I want to return it.” Sissy declares.

Sicily “Sissy” Monroe has all the qualities of a perfect young lady. She is almost where she wants to be in life. But lying deep in the pupil of her eyes hold something that she cannot get rid of which interferes with her plans. She fights everyday with no one but herself. After having her first vision at age six of her sister’s (Misty) disappearance and the dreams of failing to save her, Sissy wants no part in another person’s fate. For years Sissy tried hard to avoid contact with people because she feared foreseeing their death. In keeping with this, she tries to stay away from her family. Little did Sissy know she could not run from her past, or her gift. She hopes someone will put her out of her misery, but she will soon discover that her visions and dreams were just a mere image of herself.

My Thoughts

I couldn't put this book down. From the opening scene where Sissy has her first vision and is helplessly watching her sister drown, you are drawn into her painful story. Fifteen years later, it is still haunting her in the middle of the night, in her dreams, and almost ruining her life. If someone touches her, she can see their future death. Those deaths often occur shortly after their encounter. Each one rips a new hole inside of Sissy. She doesn't feel that she can talk to anyone about her "gift," because no one will believe her. In fact, no one ever even talks about Misty anymore, nor are her pictures anywhere to be found. This just tears her up even more and hurts you almost as much.

She leaves home for college and doesn't return. She gives in to her mother when her mother begs her to come home for her grandmother's birthday weekend. Four years of staying away means a lot of changes are taking place back home. Everyone is getting older and making new life decisions. She is filled with even more conflict and confusion. She dwells on mundane details, such as how much food her mother is making for her or how many clothes she has bought at the mall. She is so sad that it is hard for her to focus so intently on the bigger picture.

One of the best things for her is reconnecting with her old crush, even though that part felt quite rushed for the length of time in which this story takes place. She hasn't seen him in over four years. She is only home for the weekend at that point. They didn't speak much in high school. At the same time, you  are cheering for her to find some kind of happiness in the middle of her turmoil.

Sissy's journey toward self-discovery is quite painful and strikes a chord in you. It is much darker than traditional teen angst, making it even more heart-wrenching. The ending may surprise you. It is quite abrupt, but leaves a wallop of an impact on you. Though I had an inkling, I still yelled out loud and made my furry kids jump. You may also be compelled to immediately return to the start and re-read, so that you can find all of the clues that you have missed the first time around. It's an excellent read and a great first attempt by this author.

Purchase this book on Kindle or in paperback.



Follow the Tour

July 9 – Review Mommy Reads too Much
July 10- Review My Crafty Life
July 11 – Review – ReadingDiva’s Blog
July 12 Excerpt – Taking Time for Mommy
Review – Couponing with Boys
July 13 Interview – Ereading on the Cheap
July 16 Review – The Shopping Duck
July 17- Review Inspirations by Simone
July 18- review The Deals and More
July 19-Review Niki’s book Corner
July 20- Guest Post- Insights by April
Review  Andi’s Young Adult

Review of Loving Emily

Ryan Mills is only focused on one thing. He has a huge crush on Emily Wintraub. In fact, he thinks he is actually in love with her, even though they have never spoken. But he is going to her Sweet Sixteen party with his best friend Michael and hopes to find the courage to speak to her. Maybe she will like him and even go out with him.

Ryan manages to pry Emily's attention away from Derek Masters, the dreamy captain of the basketball team, with whom most of the girls are in love. They really seem to hit it off, but then his jackass best friend Michael gets completely wasted and manages to ruin the party. Ryan tries to make amends and drags Michael out of the country club. He leaves him standing by the stairwell and tells him to not move. He has to just tell Emily something, hoping to salvage whatever kind of a connection they had started prior to the disruption. Michael looks at him and says, "Soldier Rock!" and mentions he has something important to tell him, as Ryan walks away.

When Ryan returns to the stairwell, Michael is gone. Somehow he has managed to get his keys and to take off in the car. The next morning, Ryan finds out that his best friend crashed his car and is dead.

He blames himself for the accident, having left Michael alone while he went after Emily. Had he just taken him home at that moment, Michael would probably still be alive. Never mind his past history of substance abuse.

Despite the ruined party, Emily finds herself falling hard for Ryan. The two of them enter into a hot and heavy relationship. They begin to have difficulty, though, as Ryan finally figures out Michael's secret and vows to take care of Michael's unfinished business. Ryan feels torn between the love of his life and loyalty to his dead best friend. Because he feels responsible for Michael's death, it feels wrong that he is carrying on. Had he not been pursuing Emily, this would not have happened. (At least not at this point in time.) At the same time, he tries to salvage his damaged relationship with his own family.


I loved this book. It was honest and heartwrenching and refreshing to have such a story being told from a male character for once. The emotions being shared by the characters seemed valid and true, even if their situations are not going to be as familiar to most readers. After all, how many teenagers live in the lap of luxury with an Oscar-winning director for a father and parties at country clubs? But teens ruining their lives with drugs and having intense relationships are surely familiar topics. Being torn between love and responsibility is something that we can struggle with all of the way through adulthood. And everyone battles their parents, especially during the teenage years.

Ryan's devotion to his friend, to Emily, and to Michael's secret are admirable. He has to make a lot of difficult decisions along his journey. Sometimes they probably weren't always the right ones, but he learns a lot as he goes through them. He has to learn how to forgive himself and his best friend. I think he could be a good role model. While many will not find themselves in this exact situation, his journey can be thought-provoking. It's a love story that will be enjoyed by both adults and young adults. I had a hard time putting it down and want to read it again.



I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookRooster in exchange for my honest review.