Review Tour + Giveaway: The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Posted in 4 hearts, Blog Tours, Giveaways, Reviews by Lacey

Welcome to today’s stop on the review tour for The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout!

The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: May 17th 2016

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes a riveting new story about friendship, survival, and finding your voice.

For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory must make a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

Buy Links:
Amazon Ebook • Amazon Hardcover • Audible • B&N • iTunes • Kobo • IndieBound

Register your preorder of THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER by May 20^th to receive a FREE fan pack! Includes inspirational wall art, a colorful poster, and flag-as-you-read stickers. You will also get immediate access to an extended excerpt from the book.

FILL OUT THE FORM HERE: http://bit.ly/24awVFw

JLA is just one of those authors whose books you can’t help but enjoy. The Problem with Forever is the first of her contemporary YAs that I’ve read (I usually read her NA or fantasy books), but it was just as fantastic as I expected, if a little different from what I usually read from her. Besides the gorgeous cover, what really attracted me to this was the intriguing blurb – the fact that the main characters are long-lost friends who bonded over tragic circumstances. Mallory and Rider’s story turned out to be gripping and intense – from the very first page, I couldn’t put it down!

As a foster child, Mallory Dodge grew up in an abusive home, but the one person who was always there for her, who promised to protect her forever, was Rider Stark, a foster kid who grew up alongside her. While Mallory was able to get out and get adopted by good people, she never knew what happen to her dear friend – until now. The last person she expects to run into during her first day of her senior year of high school is her long-lost friend, who she’s never been able to forget. And it seems like he’s never been able to forget her either.

Mallory suffers from some pretty intense anxiety, including public speaking, due to PTSD from her childhood. As a defense mechanism, she’s quiet, awkward, and struggles to speak out. I could feel how much she hated this aspect of herself, but felt so helpless to change anything about it. Her growth and development is slow and gradual, though not without struggles, but it really felt so honest and real. JLA did a wonderful job with Mallory’s character, with making her relatable and genuine. She’s the kind of heroine I easily found myself cheering for.

Life was like doing this speech. It wasn’t necessarily about the end result, but more about trying.
I could… I could get behind that.

Rider is your typical cocky, bad boy senior… except he’s not. He’s actually so much more than that. He’s loyal, headstrong, and incredibly protective of Mallory – he always was since they were younger. He’s also so supportive of her, helping her try to overcome her public speaking issues. He once again becomes Mallory’s savior… but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need saving himself. Much as Rider would like to think their traumatic past only affected Mallory, he’s so messed up inside from it that he doesn’t even realize it. My heart broke even more so for Rider than Mallory, because as Mallory grows and heals, Rider only comes to believe that he has no self worth.

Forever was something we all took for granted, but the problem with forever was that it really didn’t exist.

This book… it’s painful and heartbreaking to read, but the changes Mallory and Rider make are nothing short of awe-inspiring. The inner strength within these two is a powerful thing to witness, made all the more sweeter after the tragedy and struggles they’ve overcome. I also loved all the secondary characters and how important and influential they are in Mallory and Rider’s lives, from Mallory’s adoptive parents to her best friend, from their speech teacher to Rider’s adoptive brothers. They all have an impact on the story and the main characters, which made this book feel all the more real to me.

The Problem with Forever is a raw and powerful read, and it’s one everyone should give a try. If you love JLA, get ready for an intense, highly emotional read – it’s a fantastic YA contemp you won’t regret reading!

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

#1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.

She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

A Messenger Bag filled with a Kindle Fire, Signed THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER, Signed Copies from Jennifer L. Armentrout and Katie McGarry, and Book Goodies and Swag for 1 Winner

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review Tour Schedule

May 9
Mundie Moms
Mary Had a Little Book Blog
K-Books
Reads and Thoughts
Booklovers For Life (us!)

May 10
Milky Way of Books
Deity Island
Less Reality More Books
Lovin’ Los Libros
Once Upon a Twilight
The Book Bratz

May 11
Stuck in YA Books
The Book Swarm
The Book Hookup
Take Me Away To A Great Read
Love Between The Sheets

May 12
City of Books
Krista’s Dust Jacket
PBC
The Reading Geek
Readers Live A Thousand Lives

May 13
kimberlyfaye reads
True Story Book Blog
StuckInBooks
Bows & Bullets Reviews
MEReadALOT
A Bookish Escape

May 14
My YA NA Book Obsession
DanaSquare
The Cover Contessa
My Random Book Thoughts

May 15
Owl Always Be Reading
No BS Book Reviews
Nose Stuck in a Book
MrsLeifs Two Fangs About It Book Reviews
Jenuine Cupcakes

May 16
A Glass Of Wine
Star-Crossed Book Blog
Hypable.com

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29Mar2016

Release Day Review: Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry

Posted in 3 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Walk the Edge by Katie McGarry
Series: Thunder Road #2 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: March 29th 2016
Links: Ebook • Hardcover • Audible • Goodr eads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

One moment of recklessness will change their worlds.

Smart. Responsible. That’s seventeen-year-old Breanna’s role in her large family, and heaven forbid she put a toe out of line. Until one night of shockingly un-Breanna-like behavior puts her into a vicious cyber-bully’s line of fire—and brings fellow senior Thomas “Razor” Turner into her life.

Razor lives for the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, and good girls like Breanna just don’t belong. But when he learns she’s being blackmailed over a compromising picture of the two of them—a picture that turns one unexpected and beautiful moment into ugliness—he knows it’s time to step outside the rules.

And so they make a pact: he’ll help her track down her blackmailer, and in return she’ll help him seek answers to the mystery that’s haunted him—one that not even his club brothers have been willing to discuss. But the more time they spend together, the more their feelings grow. And suddenly they’re both walking the edge of discovering who they really are, what they want, and where they’re going from here.

The boy everyone sees but nobody knows is with the girl who everybody knows but nobody sees.

I absolutely love Katie McGarry, have ever since I first read Pushing the Limits, so it pains me to say that I didn’t particularly love Walk the Edge. Overall, it was just an okay read – I really wanted more out of it. I didn’t connect with the main characters all that well, and I got frustrated with the secondary characters. It’s well-written and definitely more on the mature side of YA, but that wasn’t enough to make me love this book. That being said, if you’ve read the previous Thunder Road book and loved it, hopefully you’ll enjoy Walk the Edge more than I did. I was sucked into the MC life just as much as I was in Nowhere But Here, but it was the characters I had problems with.

Breanna is sibling number 5 out of 9, and she’s always been the smart, responsible one that her family takes advantage of and never appreciates. She has a talent that she sees as a curse – she’s able to retain a lot of information in her brain, but she’s been seen as a freak because of it her whole life. It’s only when she starts talking to Thomas Turner, aka Razor of the Reign of Terror Motorcycle Club, that she begins to feel as brilliant as she really is. Breanna is sweet and an incredible girl, but I hated how she let her family walk all over her. I really felt for her character, in between her siblings nearly hating her and bullies at school, but it’s hard for her to stand up for herself, and all the antagonism against her got on my nerves.

Razor has never been the same since his mother’s death when he was a child, but ever since talking to an investigator, he suspects his mother never committed suicide and instead was murdered. Razor doesn’t trust easily, and when his club doesn’t offer the answers he knows they have, he begins to trust even less. But when he’s with Breanna, he can just be a regular boy, and not someone who has heaps of problems in his life.

She’s my girl now and I’ll do anything for her at any time. I’m in love with her.

Even though I didn’t connect very well with Razor or Breanna, I adored the way their romance developed. It’s the perfect bad boy/good girl story – so if you enjoy that trope, I would definitely recommend giving Walk the Edge a try. Hopefully you won’t be as annoyed as I was with all the secondary characters who cause problems in Razor and Breanna’s life. Even though I didn’t love Walk the Edge, I’m super excited for the sequel, Chevy and Violet’s book – I’ve been looking forward to them ever since meeting them in the first book of the series!

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Thunder Road series

#1 ~ Nowhere But Here: My Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Walk the Edge: Ebook • Hardcover • Audible • Goodr eads

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26May2015

Release Day Review: Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

Posted in 4 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry
Series: Thunder Road #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: May 26th 2015
Links: Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible.

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she’s curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn’t mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns into an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both.

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They’re the good guys. They protect people. They’re…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club’s most respected member—is in town, he’s gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it’s his shot at his dream. What he doesn’t count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down.

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

I absolutely LOVE Katie McGarry and her Pushing the Limits series – she writes YA contemporary romance like no other (plus, her bad boys are oh so wonderful), so of course I had to get my hands on Nowhere But Here, the first book in her new series! And can I just tell you how much I squealed when I heard the new series would be about MCs!? I’m a big fan of MCs and I was definitely looking forward to Katie McGarry’s take on them. While I may not have loved Nowhere But Here as much as her Pushing the Limits series, it’s definitely an absorbing, fast-paced, intriguing read. It’s darker and edgier than her previous books, which I liked. I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I wanted to, but I was hooked onto the storyline.

Emily is a seventeen-year-old girl who likes her life as it is – simple and uncomplicated. She lives a good life with her mom and adopted father, but an email from her biological father turns her world upside down. She now has to confront her biological father’s motorcycle club and discover the secrets of her parents’ past, which may not be true to what she was told.

The club is a brotherhood, a family. It means belonging to something bigger than yourself.

Eli, Emily’s father, is one of the leaders of the Reign of Terror MC. Emily has always had a negative view of the Reign of Terror based on what her mother’s told her, but while spending time with the MC, she discovers that it’s not as thug-like and dangerous as she thought. At its heart, the Reign of Terror is a family, and Oz, one of the MC’s prospects, goes a long way in teaching her that. However, even though the club isn’t doing anything bad or illegal, other MCs do, and the Reign of Terror will do whatever it takes to protect their own, which includes Emily.

Oz is tasked by Eli to protect Emily, and they have less-than-stellar first impressions of one another. They don’t think highly of each other, but circumstances bring them together and they slowly chip away at each other’s defenses and get to know one another better. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t connect with either Oz or Emily – I liked them well enough, but I didn’t grow to love their characters. That being said, I really enjoyed the way their romance developed. It’s the slow and steady kind of love, and I liked that it grew genuinely.

“I like how you smile and how you laugh. I like how you love and defend your family and I like how you’re trying to love mine. I fucking love how you trust. But mostly, Emily, I like how I feel when I’m around you.”

I could tell how much effort and thought Katie McGarry put in writing this novel. It’s fast-paced, and yet there are so many intricate parts to the plot that it could have been confusing at times, but impressively wasn’t. My favorite part of the book was Emily and Oz’s character development and how they were able to open their hearts and minds to each other. And I really enjoyed how much the Reign of Terror grew to care for Emily and vice versa.

Who knew that I could fall in love with so many people in such a short period of time?

Nowhere But Here is a promising start to the Thunder Road series. It’s told in both Emily and Oz’s POVs, and I liked getting to know them and their story. I didn’t quite love it as much I wanted to, but that certainly doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoyed it – it was still an addicting read that had me finishing in one sitting. I’m very much looking forward to the next book, Razor’s story!

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.

Reading Order: Thunder Road series

#1 ~ Nowhere But Here: Ebook • Hardcover • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Walk the Edge: My Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Audible • Goodr eads

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9Dec2014

Joint Review: Breaking the Rules by Katie McGarry

Posted in 5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

Breaking the Rules Katie McGarry
Series: Pushing the Limits #1.5 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: December 8th 2014
Purchase: Ebook

A summer road trip changes everything in this unforgettable new tale from acclaimed author Katie McGarry.

For new high school graduate Echo Emerson, a summer road trip out west with her boyfriend means getting away and forgetting what makes her so… different. It means seeing cool sights while selling her art at galleries along the way. And most of all, it means almost three months alone with Noah Hutchins, the hot, smart, soul-battered guy who’s never judged her. Echo and Noah share everything — except the one thing Echo’s just not ready for.

But when the source of Echo’s constant nightmares comes back into her life, she has to make some tough decisions about what she really wants — even as foster kid Noah’s search for his last remaining relatives forces them both to confront some serious truths about life, love, and themselves.

Now, with one week left before college orientation, jobs and real life, Echo must decide if Noah’s more than the bad-boy fling everyone warned her he’d be. And the last leg of an amazing road trip will turn… seriously epic.

Oh god, OH GOD!! Katie McGarry, I truly believe there isn’t a book you could write that I wouldn’t love. I would read every single book you publish. But the fact THIS book is about Noah and Echo? I couldn’t be happier! I fell SO. HARD. for Noah and Echo when I first read Pushing the Limits. PTL is still one of my all-time FAVORITE books ever. It was the first book to make me ugly cry, and that’s saying something, because I’m the type of reader who NEVER cries. So getting another book about Noah and Echo was like a dream come true!

Breaking the Rules begins near the end of the road trip Echo and Noah took at the end of Pushing the Limits. They’ve graduated high school, Echo is selling her paintings, Noah is making money at his job, so things are different and… better. Right? Well, as much as I wished Echo and Noah a happy ever after at the end of Pushing the Limits, these two characters still have a way to go.

Noah and I are heading back home, and the nightmares I thought I was running from lurk behind every corner and coffee shop in America. In less than a month, Noah and I will start college, and I’ll have a roommate in the dorms and new classes, and a ball of dread knots in my stomach. This summer was supposed to change me, and nothing has changed.

There are new challenges that Echo and Noah need to face: Echo has been having a hard time selling her art, she still has nightmares, and Noah is afraid that he can’t be the man he wants to be to support Echo. And when the past rears its head for the both of them, their relationship gets rocky. Though there are doubts about the future, there’s no doubt that Echo and Noah love each other with everything they have. Theirs is a romance that is meant to defy anything and anyone standing in its way.

I love her. More than I thought I was capable of, and I would sacrifice my life for her happiness.

I fell in love all over again with Noah and Echo’s heartwarming romance while reading Breaking the Rules. Who knew it was even possible to love Noah even more than I already did!? Seriously, I love this boy – no, this man – to death. Noah truly becomes the man he’s meant in Breaking the Rules, and I loved that Katie McGarry got to share this with her readers.

I couldn’t get enough of Noah and Echo. I honestly could read about them forever! My heart just overflows with love for these two characters who are so near and dear to my heart.

“I’m going to spend my whole life making you happy.”
“You better.”

If you’re a fan of Pushing the Limits, then you absolutely MUST read Breaking the Rules. It was an incredible experience reading about Noah and Echo again.

Oh my goodness Katie McGarry you have done it again. This series tore me to pieces each time and I’m also officially in love with all of the male characters in the stories. Noah definitely ranks in the top of my list and after reading the one that started it all, I had no idea that McGarry would come back and make me fall in love with him all over again.

Breaking the Rules still captures the unease that Echo and Noah have between each other but also how strong their love is, despite it being fresh and new. Their unease isn’t necessarily between themselves (ALTHOUGH IT ALSO IS), but it’s more that they’re still holding onto their past and letting it affect them.

I love that Isaiah and Beth made an appearance into the book because I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. They’re so real and it provides that little secret nudge to the readers who read the rest of the series. BY THE WAY, if you guys haven’t read their stories yet…what the heck are you waiting for???!!!

And with that, I leave you the recommendation that you READ. THIS. SERIES.

Reading Order: Pushing the Limits series

#1 ~ Pushing the Limits: Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#1.1 ~ Crossing the Line: Ebook • Goodreads
#1.5 ~ Breaking the Rules: Ebook • Goodreads
#2 ~ Dare You To: Lacey’s Review • Shirley’s Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#3 ~ Crash into You: Lacey’s Review • Ebook • Hardcover • Paperback • Goodreads
#4 ~ Take Me On: Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads

15Apr2014

Release Day Review: The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

Posted in 4.5 hearts, Reviews by Lacey

The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa
Series: Blood of Eden #3 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 15th 2014
Purchase: Ebook • Hardcover
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher (Harlequin Teen) in exchange for an honest review

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

MONSTER

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

I had no doubts that Julie Kagawa would give me an unforgettable last book of this trilogy–and what a fantastic ending it was. Everything in this book is touched upon, leaving nothing open. It was an altogether incredibly satisfying end to this series and these characters that I’ve grown so fond of.

Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a rocky start at the beginning. Allie is mourning Zeke’s death and is spiraling downward into madness. She is pitiful and very nearly loses herself to the darkness of her vampire, and has to internally battle her way back to humanity. Thankfully, she’s not alone in her battle–she has her sire Kanin and her vampire brother Jackal alongside her. I have to admit, I liked this part the least in The Forever Song, but I trusted Julie Kagawa to take me in a direction I wouldn’t be disappointed with.

Note to self: Never doubt the amazing Julie Kagawa!

The three of them are on the search for Sarren, and there’s no shortage of blood and guts and gore. The action is riveting–I’m always in awe of how detailed and gripping Julie Kagawa writes these action scenes. I love them! They’re never just the same fight, kill, die thing over and over. Julie Kagawa manages to keep you on your toes, and nothing is ever expected.

The best part of this book is the amount of depth Kanin and Jackal have. These two have been on the journey with Allie for a long time, and their relationships only manage to get stronger. Kanin is my absolute favorite character of this series–he is the father figure to Allie, providing her with his own wisdom and advice, but as the series progresses, they become near equals. Kanin is such a fascinating character. Despite how long he’s been a vampire, he manages to retain his humanity, and he teaches and guides Allie to do the same.

Jackal, on the other hand, is as self-centered and rude as usual, but there’s no doubt that there’s a fondness between him and Allie. These two have been through tons together, so it’s only a matter of time before they truly become like brother and sister. And every word out of this vampire’s mouth is freaking hilarious! He lightens up so many tense scenes, but there’s also a seriousness to him that we never truly see until now.

The Forever Song is everything I expected from Julie Kagawa. It had a strong, satisfying conclusion, and yet I knew I’d miss all the characters when it was over. This series is seriously one of the best vampire books, one of the best post-apocalyptic books, I’ve ever read. It’s well written, well developed, and you come to care for the characters more and more as the series progresses. I’m sad this series is over, but I have to admit that it concluded perfectly!

Series Order: Blood of Eden series

#1 ~ The Immortal Rules: Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Eternity Cure: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Hardcover • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Forever Song: Ebook • Hardcover • Goodreads

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