Waiting On Wednesday (241) Diplomatic Immunity by Brodi Ashton

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Wednesday has become my favorite day of the week because I get to share the books that I am super excited about and can't wait to read.

Diplomatic Immunity by Brodi Ashton

Expected publication: September 6th 2016 by Balzer + Bray

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Aspiring reporter Piper Baird decides to write a scathing exposé on the overprivileged students at an elite Washington, DC, school, only for her life to change when she begins to fall for the story's main subject, in this new realistic contemporary romance from Brodi Ashton, the author of the Everneath trilogy.

Raucous parties, privileged attitudes, underage drinking, and diplomatic immunity...it’s all part of student life on Embassy Row.

Piper Baird has always dreamed of becoming a journalist. So when she scores a scholarship to exclusive Chiswick Academy in Washington, DC, she knows it’s her big opportunity. Chiswick offers the country’s most competitive prize for teen journalists—the Bennington scholarship—and winning will ensure her acceptance to one of the best schools in the country.

Piper isn’t at Chiswick for two days before she witnesses the intense competition in the journalism program—and the extreme privilege of the young and wealthy elite who attend her school. And Piper knows access to these untouchable students just might give her the edge she’ll need to blow the lid off life at the school in a scathing and unforgettable exposé worthy of the Bennington.

The key to the whole story lies with Rafael Amador, the son of the Spanish ambassador—and the boy at the center of the most explosive secrets and scandals on Embassy Row. Rafael is big trouble—and when he drops into her bedroom window one night, asking for help, it’s Piper’s chance to get the full scoop. But as they spend time together, Piper discovers that despite his dark streak, Rafael is smart, kind, funny, and gorgeous—and she might have real feelings for him. How can she break the story of a lifetime if it could destroy the boy she just might love?

I only read the first book in the Everneath trilogy by this author. I'm more than willing to give this book a go because it's a contemporary. And it sounds really good!

What are you waiting on this week?

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway: 100 Hours by Rachel Vincent

I am so excited to share the awesome cover for 100 HOURS, the first book in a new trilogy by
New York Times best-selling author Rachel Vincent, which releases on March 28, 2017
from Katherine Tegen Books, along with a note from the author about her upcoming novel and
an amazing giveaway.

Scroll down to take check out the gorgeous cover, read what Rachel Vincent has to say about
100 HOURS, and enter for a chance to win. And be sure to share your thoughts about the cover
in the comments!

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Title: 100 HOURS

Author: Rachel Vincent

Release date: March 28, 2017

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Pages: 368

Find it: AMAZON| GOODREADS

Description:

Maddie is beyond done with her cousin Genesis’s entitled and shallow entourage. Genesis is so over Miami’s predictable social scene with its velvet ropes, petty power plays, and backstabbing boyfriends.

While Maddie craves family time for spring break, Genesis seeks novelty—like a last-minute getaway to an untouched beach in Colombia. And when Genesis wants something, it happens.

But paradise has its price. Dragged from their tents under the cover of dark, Genesis, Maddie, and their friends are kidnapped and held for ransom deep inside the jungle—with no diva left behind. It all feels so random to everyone except Genesis. She knows they were targeted for a reason. And that reason is her.

Now, as the hours count down, only one thing’s for certain: If the Miami hostages can’t set aside their personal problems, no one will make it out alive.

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A Note from Rachel Vincent

In my upcoming YA suspense 100 HOURS, Genesis and her cousin Maddie come from opposite ends of the privilege spectrum, but when they wind up kidnapped for ransom during spring break in Colombia and have no one else to count on, they discover they have more in common than either of them thought.

If you’ve read any of my previous releases, 100 HOURS probably seems like a departure for a Rachel Vincent book. And that’s what I thought, back when it was just me and an idea. But as I wrote the story and got to know the characters, I realized that even though this book is set in the Colombian jungle and these characters have no supernatural abilities, 100 HOURS is very much a book about the themes that draw me in over and over. Survival. Family friction and loyalty. High-stakes pulse-racing action. Twists, turns, secrets, and revelations. Girls who can fend for themselves—and for anyone else who needs help.

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About Rachel Vincent

Photo credit: Kim Haynes Photography

Rachel Vincent is a former English teacher and an eager champion of the Oxford comma. She shares her home in Oklahoma with two cats, two teenagers, and her husband, who’s been her # 1 fan from the start. Rachel is older than she looks and younger than she feels, and she remains convinced that writing about the things that scare her is the cheapest form of therapy—but social media is a close second.

WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER
| TUMBLR | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

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The Giveaway

Courtesy of the author, there is a blitz-wide giveaway for…

• ONE (1) winner will receive a SIGNED SET of a paperback copy of THE STARS NEVER RISE + an ARC of THE FLAME NEVER DIES

Giveaway is US only. Must be 13 or older to enter. Giveaway ends on July 11th at 11:59 PM Pacific.


Enter in the Rafflecopter below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Review: The Season of You & Me by Robin Constantine

The Season of You & Me by Robin Constantine

Publication Date: May 10, 2016
Page Count: 352
Published by: Balzer + Bray
Source: eArc from Publisher for review

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Cassidy Emmerich is reeling from a sudden, humiliating breakup. The last thing she wants to do is stick around and be reminded of her ex everywhere she goes. On impulse, she decides to spend the summer with her father and his family at their Jersey Shore bed-and-breakfast. A different scene and a new job working as a camp counselor seem like the perfect recipe for forgetting Gavin as quickly as possible—not to mention for avoiding him until he leaves for college.

Bryan Lakewood is sick of nevers. You’ll never walk. You’ll never surf. You’ll never slow dance with a girl and have her put her head on your shoulder. Last year he made one false move—now he’s paralyzed and needs to use a wheelchair. But this summer, he’s back at his camp job and is determined to reclaim his independence—and his confidence.

Cass is expecting two months of healing her broken heart.

Bryan is expecting a summer of tough adjustments.

Neither is expecting to fall in love.

The Season of You and Me is the perfect book for summer reading. The story is mostly sweet, yet it did have a very serious side with Bryan being in a wheelchair. I enjoyed the dual POV and alternating chapters because I like getting both sides of a story.

The characters felt real and were easy to relate to. In the beginning, Cassidy was bitter and desperate to get away from her cheating ex, so she impulsively makes the decision to go away and spend the summer with her Dad. By the end of the book Cassidy figures out what - and who - is good for her, and is ready to give love another chance. I really loved Bryan, and I enjoyed reading his chapters the most. He was learning to accept his disability and not let his wheelchair limit his enjoyment of life. I also really liked all of the teens at the camp where Cassidy and Bryan worked. They were such a fun and refreshing group!

I enjoy reading YA books that portray families accurately. In this story, both sets of parents are involved in their children's lives, but in a good and supportive way. Cassidy has an adorable 5 year old half brother that worships her. And Bryan has a younger brother that he tries to stay close to.

There was just the right amount of romance between Cassidy and Bryan. They started out as friends, so things were light and easy between them. They got closer as they spent more time together, and the romance kicked up a notch.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Season of You and Me. I think it would make a perfect beach read! If you're looking for something fun to read this summer, be sure to check this book out.

My rating: 4 stars

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Waiting On Wednesday (240) For This Life Only by Stacey Kade

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Wednesday has become my favorite day of the week because I get to share the books that I am super excited about and can't wait to read.

For This Life Only by Stacey Kade

Expected publication: August 30th 2016 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A young man struggles to move forward after the death of his twin brother in this gripping, coming-of-age tale about loss, redemption, love, and the moment you begin to see the world differently.

Three minutes.

Jacob Palmer died for three life-changing minutes.

And when he woke up, nothing was the same. Elijah, his twin brother, is dead, and his family is broken. Jace’s planned future is crushed, along with his pitching arm. Everyone keeps telling him that Eli’s in a better place, but Jace isn’t so sure. Because in those three minutes, there was nothing.

Overwhelmed by guilt and doubt, Jace struggles to adjust to this new version of the world, one without his brother, one without the certainties he once relied on. And then Thera comes into his life.

She’s the last girl he should be turning to for help.

But she’s also the first person to truly see him.

Another contemporary from Stacey Kade. I enjoyed reading The Ghost and the Goth series and Project Paper Dolls series by this author. Her most recent release, 738 Days, came out on June 7, and I'll be reading it soon.

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Waiting On Wednesday (239) Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Wednesday has become my favorite day of the week because I get to share the books that I am super excited about and can't wait to read.

Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia

Expected publication: August 2nd 2016 by Disney-Hyperion

Synopsis from Goodreads:

I’m your protagonist—Reshma Kapoor—and if you have the free time to read this book, then you’re probably nothing like me.

Reshma is a college counselor’s dream. She’s the top-ranked senior at her ultra-competitive Silicon Valley high school, with a spotless academic record and a long roster of extracurriculars. But there are plenty of perfect students in the country, and if Reshma wants to get into Stanford, and into med school after that, she needs the hook to beat them all.

What's a habitual over-achiever to do? Land herself a literary agent, of course. Which is exactly what Reshma does after agent Linda Montrose spots an article she wrote for Huffington Post. Linda wants to represent Reshma, and, with her new agent's help scoring a book deal, Reshma knows she’ll finally have the key to Stanford.

But she’s convinced no one would want to read a novel about a study machine like her. To make herself a more relatable protagonist, she must start doing all the regular American girl stuff she normally ignores. For starters, she has to make a friend, then get a boyfriend. And she's already planned the perfect ending: after struggling for three hundred pages with her own perfectionism, Reshma will learn that meaningful relationships can be more important than success—a character arc librarians and critics alike will enjoy.

Of course, even with a mastermind like Reshma in charge, things can’t always go as planned. And when the valedictorian spot begins to slip from her grasp, she’ll have to decide just how far she’ll go for that satisfying ending. (Note: It’s pretty far.)

This sounds really different. And I'm trying to think if I've read any YA written by a man. Nothing immediately comes to mind.

What are you waiting on this week?

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Waiting On Wednesday (238) A Week of Mondays: A Novel by Jessica Brody

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Wednesday has become my favorite day of the week because I get to share the books that I am super excited about and can't wait to read.

A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

Expected publication: August 2nd 2016 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When I made the wish, I just wanted a do-over. Another chance to make things right. I never, in a million years, thought it might actually come true...

Sixteen-year-old Ellison Sparks is having a serious case of the Mondays. She gets a ticket for running a red light, she manages to take the world’s worst school picture, she bombs softball try-outs and her class election speech (note to self: never trust a cheerleader when she swears there are no nuts in her bake-sale banana bread), and to top it all off, Tristan, her gorgeous rocker boyfriend suddenly dumps her. For no good reason!

As far as Mondays go, it doesn’t get much worse than this. And Ellie is positive that if she could just do it all over again, she would get it right. So when she wakes up the next morning to find she’s reliving the exact same day, she knows what she has to do: stop her boyfriend from breaking up with her. But it seems no matter how many do-overs she gets or how hard Ellie tries to repair her relationship, Tristan always seems bent set on ending it. Will Ellie ever figure out how to fix this broken day? Or will she be stuck in this nightmare of a Monday forever?

From the author 52 Reasons to Hate My Father and The Unremembered trilogy comes a hilarious and heartwarming story about second (and third and fourth and fifth) chances. Because sometimes it takes a whole week of Mondays to figure out what you really want.

I don't know why I've never read anything by this author before. But this book - cute contemporary with time travel? Yes, please.

What are you waiting on this week?

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Review: Lost in Love (City Love, #2) by Susane Colasanti

Lost in Love (City Love, #2) by Susane Colasanti

Publication Date: May 3, 2016
Page Count:352
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: eArc from Publisher

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In this second book of the City Love trilogy by bestselling author Susane Colasanti, three girls share a Manhattan apartment the summer before college begins. Lost in Love captures the essence of summer love, self-discovery, and sisterhood, a perfect fit for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Jennifer E. Smith.

Sadie was convinced that Austin was her soul mate, but after discovering his secret she wonders if she even knows him at all. Darcy was all about fun boy adventures with no strings attached . . . until her ex moves to New York City to win her back. Things are getting serious with Rosanna and her boyfriend, but will she be able to break free of her past and let him in? With no parents, no rules, and an entire city to explore, this is the summer that will change their lives forever.

Told from alternating points of view, Lost in Love weaves a story of first love, first heartbreak, and everything in between.

Lost In Love is the second book in this series, and I thought is was just okay. I think I may have liked the first book more. Again, this book is told from 3 POVs, which is fine, but sometimes I couldn't remember which girl was which. I also had a hard time keeping up with their boyfriend dramas. All 3 girls are super boy crazy, and they are trying to have a summer of fun before college. But I thought there was too much drinking and hanging out at bars for how young they actually are. (Yes, the legal drinking age is still 21, so how they are admitted but not carded at bars is beyond me.)

I feel bad saying anything negative about this book and series because the author is just so darn easy to like. Obviously, I'm not her target market, but I read YA all the time and the 'young' aspect doesn't usually bother me. It seems these books are geared towards a young YA audience, so maybe they are too simple for me to really enjoy. There's nothing wrong with that for certain stories, but these girls are entering college, and they have too much innocence and teenage angst for me.

By the end of this book, all 3 girls are at a crossroads in their relationships. Personally, I think all of the boys should be dumped so the girls can figure out who they are and what they want to be. The boys are a complete mess and all they do is bring the girls down. I'm hoping the 3rd book will focus more on the girls trying to be strong and be their own person, and less on the boyfriend drama. While this was an okay read, I'm sure I'll read the final book just to find out what happens.

My rating: 3 stars

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Waiting On Wednesday (237) A World Without You by Beth Revis

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Wednesday has become my favorite day of the week because I get to share the books that I am super excited about and can't wait to read.

A World Without You by Beth Revis

Expected publication: July 19th 2016 by Razorbill

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Bo has always had delusions that he can travel through time. When he was ten, Bo claimed to have witnessed the Titanic hit an iceberg, and at fifteen, he found himself on a Civil War battlefield, horrified by the bodies surrounding him. So when his concerned parents send him to a school for troubled youth, Bo assumes he knows the truth: that he’s actually attending Berkshire Academy, a school for kids who, like Bo, have "superpowers."

At Berkshire, Bo falls in love with Sofia, a quiet girl with a tragic past and the superpower of invisibility. Sofia helps Bo open up in a way he never has before. In turn, Bo provides comfort to Sofia, who lost her mother and two sisters at a very young age.

But even the strength of their love isn’t enough to help Sofia escape her deep depression. After she commits suicide, Bo is convinced that she's not actually dead. He believes that she's stuck somewhere in time — that he somehow left her in the past, and now it's his job to save her.

I've never read anything by this author before, but this book sounds really interesting, so I added it to my tbr.

What are you waiting on this week?

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