Fates Divided Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Welcome to my stop on the Fates Divided Blog Tour by Bound Book Tours.  I hope you enjoy my review of this Paranormal New Adult book by Jules Barnard.  

ENJOY!

Fates Divided by Jules Barnard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads:

Elena Rosales has busted her ass to get into a good college. She’s the only one in her family ever to attend, and expectations are high. No pressure. But Elena’s got this one in the bag, because she’s as dependable as the molecules she studies, as reliable as the chemical reactions that comfort her in their predictability. Until they don’t.

Elena has always wondered why her mother abandoned her on her first birthday. It’s not until she turns eighteen and her chemistry experiments go berserk that she learns the truth: Her mother wasn’t human, and the Fae are willing to harm those Elena loves if she doesn’t use her power over the elements to cure them of a deadly disease.

Derek, Elena’s brooding neighbor, isn’t the friendliest guy, but he has access to an off-hours lab and is willing to help Elena create the antivirus. He has his own secrets to keep, and this business Elena is mixed up in could blow his cover. But when Elena and Derek get together, more than chemicals spark fire—and they soon discover just how complicated attraction can get when they find themselves on the other side of the portal, fighting for survival. Lives collide, and allegiance and love are tested, in Fates Divided.

My Review: 

First off, just let me say this: I am not a Fae fan. I do not like the usual pointy-eared, crazy colored hair, prankster type of Fae stories. I do not like the Fae world that is full of creepy trees, weird animals that talk and well... you get the idea. While I do enjoy a good fantasy book, there is just something about the Fae stories I have read that just don't grab me. So if you do like those kinds of books, this book is NOTHING like that! This.... this is what I would image my kind of Fae to be... Big, tall, gorgeous, and as arrogant as hell.. NOTHING like the "elf-like" image typically given the Fae.

So... that being said, I really fell in love with all the main characters, and secondary characters. Derek and Elena are half Fae and half human, (a.k.a Halven) and the sparks fly from their first meeting. They both don't really know what they are so when their lives turn upside down from each other and their powers developing, it gets crazy quickly! Keen and Reese are such great background characters. Keen is always around, bossy, arrogant and yet still lovable all at once where Reese is that one roommate we all know and love.

The best thing about this book is that there is not only magic, but SCIENTIFIC magic! That concept intrigued me to no end! Of course it is no hocus pocus, but having to deal with cells, chemistry and the changing of elements that got me fired up. Who knew I was this nerdy? Of course there is the romance type of Chemistry... yup lots of this stuff! The tension was huge from day one and grew to something significant as the story went on. This is a New Adult so there were some sexual situations but not graphic. So be aware!

All in all, this book was exciting and did not disappoint me at all! It kept me up late at night and hindered my real life activities because I couldn't put it down!

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│iBooks│Kobo│Google Play

About the Author

*Click HERE to sign up for Jules's New Release Newsletter. You'll be the first to learn of new releases and gain access to subscriber freebies, including FREE extra scenes.**

A RITA-nominated author, Jules Barnard began her publishing career in 2014 with Deep Blue, the first book in the contemporary Blue Series, hitting bestseller lists on Amazon, iBooks, and All Romance. In 2015, she launched Fates Divided, the first of a romantic fantasy series Library Journal calls “…an exciting new fantasy adventure.” Whether she’s writing about beautiful Lake Tahoe, or a Fae world embedded in a college campus, Jules spins suspenseful stories filled with realistic characters who have heart and humor.

When Jules isn’t in her sweatpants writing and rewarding herself with chocolate, she spends her time with her husband and two children in their small hometown on the California coast. She credits herself with the ability to read while running on the treadmill or burning dinner.

Join Jules's Facebook Fan Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/66563...


Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

GIVEAWAY:

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Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Cover Reveal of Unknown by Wendy Higgins

I am so excited to be a part of this big 

Cover Reveal 

for 

Wendy Higgins

Author of one of my favorite series, Sweet Evil. 

UNKNOWN

by Wendy Higgins

Apocalyptic Sci-Fi NA Romance

Coming August 16, 2016

Blurb:
Amber Tate believes the worst thing she’ll suffer in life is dealing with the unrequited love she feels for her brother’s best friend, Rylen Fite. She also believes war is something unfortunate that happens places far, far away from her rural Nevada town. She’s wrong on both counts.

When an unknown organization meticulously bombs major cities in the United States and across the globe, a trickle-down effect spreads to remaining towns at an alarming speed—everything from food and water sources to technological communications are compromised. Without leadership, the nation is split between paralysis and panic, but Amber isn’t one to hide or watch helplessly. She’s determined to put her nursing skills to use, despite the danger, even if it means working alongside the man she can never have.

In this first installment of NY Times bestselling author, Wendy Higgins’s debut New Adult series, a frighteningly realistic apocalyptic America is brought to life, entwined with searing romantic tension that will leave you eager for more.

Another exciting detail is Wendy Higgins just uploaded TODAY, unedited chapters of UNKNOWN on her Wattpad account for people to preview! Here is the link to her Wattpad account: https://www.wattpad.com/user/WendyHigginsWrites

ALSO....

Learn about the origins of the story in this blog post: http://www.wendyhigginswrites.com/2016/02/diving-into-new-adult-world.html

Author Bio:

Wendy Higgins is the USA Today and NYT bestselling author of the Sweet Evil series from HarperTeen, the high fantasy duology The Great Hunt, and her independently published Irish fantasy, See Me. She is a former high school English teacher who now writes full time, and lives on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with her veterinarian husband, daughter, son, and doggie Rue. 

Wendy earned a bachelor's in Creative Writing from George Mason University and a master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Radford University.

Keep up with Wendy Higgins here:

Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28821675-unknown

Wendy's website: http://www.wendyhigginswrites.com

Wendy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wendy_Higgins

Wendy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WendyHigginsWrites/

Wendy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wendyhigginswrites/

If We Were a Movie by Kelly Oram Release Day GIVEAWAY!!

I am currently reading this and loving it! I will have a full review later this month! I am really becoming a big fan of Kelly Oram. Her writing is so fresh and fun... and clean! I am beginning to draw more and more toward the New Adult genre (college) as long as it is clean. Enter the giveaway and check out her new fun book that releases today!  

  If We Were a Movie by Kelly Oram (Power of the Matchmaker #3) Music meets Movies in this sweet college romance from the bestselling author of Cinder & Ella. NYU freshman Nate Anderson is a triplet who is desperate to escape his wild and crazy brothers. After they screw things up for him one too many times, Nate flees his housing situation and takes the first available room for rent as far from his brothers as he can get. Enter his new roommate Jordan--a quirky LA girl who believes that everything in life has already been done in the movies. In this heartfelt tale of love, friendship and family, Nate learns how to deal with his new adult life using Hollywood films as a guide.

 

TEASER: “So this is what a Pearl-approved guy looks like.” She shook her head once and cracked a smile. “She’s got good taste, I’ll give her that. You’re an odd mix of sexy and adorable. Don’t see that often.”

I was a little taken aback by the compliment, if that’s even what it was. She may have just been stating what she considered to be fact. She laughed at my surprise and held out her hand to me. “Nice to meet you. I’m Jordan Kramer.”

I’d been afraid of that. “You’re a girl.”

Jordan laughed. “That’s what it says on my birth certificate, but I’m really glad you were able to figure it out without needing to read it.”

Nope. I definitely didn’t need that.

  

 

Author Kelly Oram

Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.

 

   

Don't miss the latest news from Kelly Oram! Sign up for her newsletter to receive e-mail notifications for all of her new releases, events, sales, & giveaways. This is a monthly newsletter often with exclusive giveaways and freebies from some of her favorite authors.

Guest Post: The music and movies behind the story (Kelly's If We Were a Movie playlist)!

As I’ve said many times before, I’m one of those authors who needs peace and quiet to write. I’m a music junkie at heart, and if there is music playing, I will sing (and most likely dance) along. Fun times, but as you can imagine, not the most productive writing environment. So while I’m working, I turn the music off. But I still always have a playlist for each book. It’s usually a group of songs that remind me of a scene, or a certain character, or just have the tone that I’m going for. And while I’m working on the book, I will wear the playlist out. (Just not during writing hours.)   If We Were a Movie, despite its title, is almost more about music than it is about movies. My main character, Nate, is a talented musician on scholarship at NYU. Music is an intrical part of the plot, and hits home for me personally as I was a music major in college too. (For a while anyway…) The playlist I have for this book is closer to an actual movie soundtrack than just a random list of songs this time. (Very fitting.) Most of these songs are referenced in the book as well as that they simply remind me of the story. As you read, feel free to listen along.   The book also has a movie playlist and you can watch along as well. As much as Nate is a music junkie like me, his love interest, Jordan, is a movie fanatic. (Like my Hollywood screenwriter/editor/motion graphics artist husband!) The book is all about comparing life to the movies, and is a play on all the classic romantic comedy tropes that we all love so much. There are dozens of movie references throughout the book. In fact, each chapter is titled after a different movie that has something to do with that chapter. I guarantee after the first couple of chapters you will be trying to guess what’s going to happen next based on the chapter headings! I’m not going to give you that list of movies right now, because it may spoil some of the surprises, but I promise it’s a fun list.   So, are you ready to listen to If We Were a Movie? Here it is in my personal playlist order: (Warning, this is my most eclectic playlist yet!)  

1. Fortune Days (The Glitch Mob)
2. Take a Chance On Me (ABBA)
3. Tears In Heaven (Eric Clapton)
4. Jolene (Dolly Parton)
5. Tompkin’s Square Park (Mumford & Sons)
6. Lego House (Ed Sheeran)
7. Hands All Over (Maroon 5)
8. How To Save a Life (The Fray)
9. Inconsolable (Backstreet Boys)
10. Cherry Pie (Warrant)
11. Under Pressure (Queen & Davie Bowie)
12. Zidler’s Rap (Various artists from the Moulin Rouge! Soundtrack)
13. Spontaneous Me (Lindsey Sterling)
14. Superman (Five for Fighting)
15. Clarity (Zedd ft. Foxes)
16. You Belong With Me (Taylor Swift)
17. Marry Me (Train)
18. If We Were a Movie (Hannah Montana)

         

Release Day Giveaway

Signed copies of V is for Virgin & A is for Abstinence (1 winner, 2 books)

Open Internationally

Ends 3/15/16

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

*New Adult* Holding On by Meg Jolie

Holding On by Meg Jolie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Summary:  

Quinn Johnson has known the McGrath boys for as long as she can remember.


Luke has been her best friend for most of her life. He’s always been there for her, catching fireflies with her, maneuvering the hazards of high school with her, attending college parties with her, and protecting her. He was the boy that she could always trust, the boy that stole her first kiss.

His older brother, Jake, was the one who teased them mercilessly while they were growing up. Yet, he was the one who would ultimately steal Quinn’s heart.

A surprise pregnancy and an unexpected tragedy are about to change everything.

Forever.

Friendship and family will be tested.

Quinn will find out that sometimes the only way to get through life is to hold on with everything you have. And other times…the only thing you can do is let go.

This book was a freebie I found on Kindle. I sometimes enjoy a good New Adult book if it's pretty clean. This one was cleaner than most and the story line was pretty good.

Most of the book felt like it was just character building. Don't get me wrong, I love diving into characters thoughts and getting to know them, but I just felt it was all the book was doing. In the middle of the book, I said.. Oh great, I know exactly where this is going.. so I kept waiting for something to happen, waiting for the big BAM of SOMETHING! When it did finally happen I was actually SHOCKED! Even though I felt like it was a long time coming, I didn't have a clue what it was going to be. It wasn't what I thought would happen!

I couldn't decide if I liked it to 4 stars or not, or maybe a 3.5. I think I didn't give it a 4 because it didn't give me much to latch on to until the end. I'm not sure if I will continue with the series, but my curiosity has grabbed me now.

View all my reviews