The Third Kiss (Love's Mortal Coil #1) by Kat Colmer

The Third Kiss

By Kat Colmer

382 Pages

Published by Entangled Teen

Plot: Love curses don’t exist. At least that’s what Jonas, master of the meaningless hookup, tells himself when a letter warns him he’s an Eros Guardian cursed to endure a test of true love or forever be alone. His levelheaded longtime friend Cora figures it’s a revenge prank by an ex. The way Jonas stamps each girlfriend with a weeklong use-by date, it serves him right.

But when an impulsive kiss between the two friends reveals potential for more, Cora becomes the target of the Groth Maar: demons sent to wipe out the Eros Guardian line. And suddenly the curse becomes dangerously real.

Breaking the curse means Jonas’s biggest challenge yet. Failure guarantees Cora’s death. But success may cost him his own life...and the loss of his carefully guarded heart to the one girl far too sensible to fall for him.  (2018, Amazon.com)

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Review:  Great start to a new series! The Third Kiss does have an interesting plot line in regards to the curse, but there are a lot of details and rules that it got a little confusing at times.  But, it still keeps you interested in finding out more.   I'm not sure about the Eros Guardian plot twist.  It seemed a little too convenient in regards to the healing factor.  I do love how Colmer gave us the POV of both Jonas and Cora.  I enjoy books more when that happens.  This really helps to get into the character's head and care more about them as the story progresses.  I also liked the struggle that Cora and Jonas had in regards to their relationship. They did not not want to be together just because of the curse.  So, I'm glad Colmer stretched out the friendship/love relationship between them.  I am definitely looking forward to book 2.  Recommended for ages 14 and up!

*I received a DRC for an honest review.

Rating:  4 Hearts! 

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My New Crush Gave To Me by Shani Petroff

My New Crush Gave To Me

by Shani Petroff

279 Pages

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Plot:  Charlotte “Charlie” Donovan knows exactly what she wants for Christmas: Teo Ortiz. He’s a star athlete, a National Honor Society member, and the most popular guy in school. Plus he contributes to the school paper, where Charlie is a co-editor. Basically, he's exactly the type of guy Charlie’s looking for. The only problem is—he barely knows she exists.

But Charlie has a plan: rig the paper’s Secret Santa and win his heart with the perfect gift. The catch? She has no idea what to get him. Enter J.D. Ortiz–Teo’s cousin, and possibly the most annoying person on the planet. He’s easy going, laid back, disorganized, and spontaneous—the exact opposite of Charlie (and Teo). But he knows what Teo wants, so she’s stuck with him.

Yet, the more time Charlie spends with J.D., the more she starts to wonder: Does she really know what, or rather who, she wants for Christmas?  (2018, Amazon.com)

Review:  This was a fun Christmas read, even if it was a little predictable.  I must say that Charlie was a little annoying at first.  She was always mad at J.D. for something.  But, she does become more likable as the story progresses.  Petroff does a good job in putting us in Charlie's head.  She is very much a teenage girl with a serious crush!  It's almost to the point of obsession, but in a funny way.  The story was completely in Charlie's POV, which made sense for this story because the plot twists would not have worked if we got in J.D.'s head.  Overall, it was a cute, clean, Christmas-themed story.  I would recommend for ages 13 and up!

*I received a DRC for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 Hearts!

Elephant Dreams by Martha Deeringer Blog Tour Info and Giveaway!

ELEPHANT DREAMS

by

MARTHA DEERINGER

  Genre: Young Adult / Historical Fiction / Sweet Romance

Publisher: Melange Books

Date of Publication: September 2, 2017

Number of Pages: 224

Scroll down for the giveaway!

Desperate to escape her squalid life on the streets of New York City, sixteen-year-old Fiona Finn seeks help at the magnificent Church of the Ascension where Charles Loring Brace, a social reformer horrified by the plight of New York City’s street children, arranges for her to go west aboard an Orphan Train.

Fiona’s homeless, alcoholic father has other plans, however.  He wants Fiona to “work” the streets to support his drinking and pursues her across the midwest until she is forced to abandon the train in Houston to avoid a sheriff bent on returning her to her father.

Alone in the dark on the Texas prairie, Fiona’s terrifying experience with a circus elephant, Bolivar, sets the stage for a future she could never have imagined.

PRAISE FOR ELEPHANT DREAMS:

Elephant Dreams will be featured in the January, 2018 issue of the Historical Novel Society magazine. “What a story! With scenes to be likened to any Charles Dickens novel, the author, Martha Deeringer, carries the reader on a breathtaking journey through despair and hope that changes as often as the wind changes direction. Great characters, a believable story, an insight into another world, and an empathy for a character that a reader would have to have a heart of stone not to sympathise with. Although billed as a young adult story, this will readily appeal to an adult reader. Very visual writing and the makings of a classic.” -- Jane Finch for Readers’ Favorite “I absolutely adored this novel; I couldn't find a single thing to dislike about it, other than of course the characters we are meant to dislike. The secondary characters were just as well rounded as the primary characters, leaving the reader with a feeling of contentment at the end of the novel. Each character brought his or her own three-dimensional personality to the novel, giving me a reason to either love or hate them passionately.” -- Acwoolet for Online Book Club

“I thoroughly enjoyed Elephant Dreams. It is a captivating story with a spunky heroine who is determined to turn her life around. I loved the unique settings that covered New York City slums, an orphan train and a Texas Circus. I would recommend it for teens through adults.” – 5 Stars, Kindle Edition | Verified Purchase

CLICK TO PURCHASE:

Amazon  ◾   Barnes& Noble  ◾   Lulu 

Martha Deeringer lives with her husband and their large, extended family on a central Texas cattle ranch. She writes magazine articles, often about history, for children and adults and is a frequent contributor to regional and national magazines. 

Martha also writes Young Adult fiction, occasionally inspired by her teaching experiences or the antics of her children and grandchildren. She loves ranch life and sometimes abandons her writing to cope with assorted issues involving kids, dogs, cats, horses, orphan calves, and occasionally armadillos, coyotes and rattlesnakes. 

 ║ Website ║ Facebook ║  ║ Amazon Author Page ║ Goodreads ║

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THREE SIGNED COPIES! JANUARY 15-24, 2018

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

1/15/18	Excerpt	Tangled in Text
1/15/18	Bonus Promo!	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
1/16/18	Review	Books in the Garden
1/17/18	Guest Post	Texas Book Lover
1/18/18	Author Interview	A Page Before Bedtime
1/19/18	Review	The Page Unbound
1/20/18	Promo	Texan Girl Reads
1/21/18	Excerpt	Books and Broomsticks
1/22/18	Review	Hall Ways Blog
1/23/18	Scrapbook Page	The Clueless Gent
1/24/18	Review	Syd Savvy

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Missing Isaac by Valerie Fraser Luesse - Blog Tour Author Playlist and Giveaway!

MISSING ISAAC

by

VALERIE FRASER LUESSE

  Genre: Southern Fiction / Christian / Coming of Age

Publisher: Revell

Date of Publication: January 2, 2018

Number of Pages: 352

Scroll down for the giveaway!

Isaac believed in luck. But from Pete’s point of view, Isaac’s luck had all run out. When Pete McLean loses his father in the summer of 1962, his friend Isaac is one of the few people he can lean on. Though their worlds are as different as black and white, friendship knows no color. So when Isaac suddenly goes missing, Pete is determined to find out what happened—no matter what it costs him. His quest will lead him into parts of town that he knows only through rumors and introduce him to a girl who will change his life. What they discover together will change the small Southern town of Glory, Alabama—forever. With vivid descriptions, palpable atmosphere, and unforgettable characters, debut novelist Valerie Fraser Luesse breathes life into the rural South of the 1960s—a place where ordinary people struggle to find their footing in a social landscape that is shifting beneath their feet.

PRAISE FOR MISSING ISAAC:  “Valerie Fraser Luesse’s beautiful story reveals the human heart that always beats beneath the headlines. In the process, she movingly illuminates not only the spirit of a special region but the soul of every human being who ever dared to care. Missing Isaac will break—and then heal—your heart.”  —J. I. Baker, journalist and author of The Empty Glass 

“Welcome debut novelist Valerie Fraser Luesse to the legions of gifted Southern writers before her. Missing Isaac is the first of what we hope will be many more tales from this talented writer.”—Nancy Dorman-Hickson, coauthor of Diplomacy and Diamonds and a former editor for Progressive Farmer and Southern Living magazines

“Valerie Luesse has an ear for dialogue, an eye for detail, and a profound gift for storytelling. She breathes life into these colorful Southern characters and this quirky Alabama town from the first page.” 

—Sid Evans, editor-in-chief of Southern Living magazine

CLICK TO PURCHASE  Baker Book House  ║  Amazon Barnes & Noble  ║  Christianbook.com  ║  iBooks Kobo   ║  Lifeway  ║  Books-A-Million

Click to log in to Spotify and listen for free to author Valerie Fraser Luesse's playlist to Missing Isaac.

Valerie Fraser Luesse is an award-winning writer and a senior travel editor for Southern Living. Specializing in stories about unique pockets of Southern culture, Luesse has published major pieces on the Gulf Coast, the Mississippi Delta, Louisiana’s Acadian Prairie, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She lives in Alabama.

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Grand Prize: Print Copy of Missing Isaac, Print Copy of Southern Living Annual Recipes 2017, Handmade Leather Journal (9"x5"); 2ND PRIZE: Copy of Missing Isaac + $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card; 3RD PRIZE: Copy of Missing Isaac + $10 Starbucks Gift Card January 2-January 11, 2018

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

1/2/18 Author Interview Texas Book Lover 1/3/18 Review StoreyBook Reviews 1/4/18 Top 15 List Tangled in Text 1/5/18 Excerpt Texan Girl Reads 1/6/18 Review A Page Before Bedtime 1/7/18 Guest Post Books and Broomsticks 1/8/18 Review Reading by Moonlight 1/9/18 Scrapbook Page The Page Unbound 1/10/18 Playlist Story Schmoozing Book Reviews 1/11/18 Review The Clueless Gent    blog tour services provided by