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Review: Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

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Title: Through to You

Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: 2 October 2012
Pages: 194 (eARC)

Synopsis

Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. Viv was the last good thing in his life: helping him rebuild his identity after a career-ending football injury, picking up the pieces when his home life shattered, and healing his pain long after the meds wore off. And now, he’d give anything for one more glimpse of her. But when Cam makes a visit to the site of Viv’s deadly car accident, he sees some kind of apparition. And it isn’t Viv.
The apparition’s name is Nina, and she’s not a ghost. She’s a girl from a parallel world, and in this world, Viv is still alive. Cam can’t believe his wildest dreams have come true. All he can focus on is getting his girlfriend back, no matter the cost. But things are different in this other world: Viv and Cam have both made very different choices, things between them have changed in unexpected ways, and Viv isn’t the same girl he remembers. Nina is keeping some dangerous secrets, too, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with who this Viv has become and the part Nina played in his parallel story, he’s forced to choose—stay with Viv or let her go—before the window closes between them once and for all.

My Rating
* * *
The Review
Grieving, moving on, trying to get through every day when everything becomes a chore, a mechanical movement of limbs; it’s all for everything and nothing. Life would have been a lot easier if there was a chance to see how it could all go beforehand. How it would all be if you didn’t lose that one person who was holding it all together for you. There are countless ways in which your life can turn out, unlimited scenarios out there and only two words that can get you there in your mind: what if. The term that can manage to throw logic out the window. Only it does. In Cam’s case.
Camden Pike had everything in Vivian Hayward even if he wasn’t in with the popular crowd or the star quarterback anymore. It simply didn’t matter. It mattered even less when Viv died and Cam life got way out of his comfort zone and into a series of uncomfortable interactions with a psychiatrist and unnecessary notes in the fruit bowl from her workaholic mother. 
There is only one place in all of Fayetville where Cam feels closest to Viv and that is at the exact spot she died. Where they put up a memorial two months ago. Mike doesn’t get it, willing him to join the team, which is not very plausible given the condition of Cam’s leg after the injury and how they both quit football together; him as the quarterback and her as the cheerleader. But then everything changes when Nina stumbles upon the parallel universe and sees Cam. Only she seems to know him and Cam has never seen her before.
The window between the two parallel worlds is there for a reason which Cam sees as the best thing that ever happened to him when he discovers that Viv is alive there. But Nina seems to be dousing his happiness and warning him to not cross the window over and over. It’s clear to see where Nina is coming from and I was definitely intrigued about the part she plays in the book. She’s obviously the sensible one yet she has an aura of sadness around her. As if she is trying hard to live less life.
Cam is very dignified when it comes to honoring Viv and it’s clear that he’s having a hard time letting her go. But Cam is in a downward spiral, he needs to have the sense to be realistic but it’s easier to do the opposite. To close eyes and see Viv smile instead. It’s interesting to see him trying to get past the crossroad trying to decide between his desperation for wanting to be with Viv and trying to get away from everyone.
But he knows that Viv is all he wants and the feeling is mutual. But even if it seems like she’s the same Viv, it isn’t. Cam see glimpses of a person who feels like a stranger to him and given the situation, it isn’t surprising seeing she’s from a parallel world. Yet the mind cannot stop but wonder what would make him not stay if Cam found the person he thought he’d lost forever? Even if that person was not exactly like the person Cam lost. It seems as if there is an obvious solution to the question but once a layer is removed with such a thought, it becomes complicated.
I admired the way Emily Hainsworth took hold of the concept and wrapped it around Cam’s story. It was gripping to read the book and towards the end, I had no idea how it was all going to play out. Being a character-driven story, I found Through to You to be a bittersweet read. The subtle way in which differences in Cam’s Viv and the other Viv starts showing up is done brilliantly. The descriptions of the different-yet-same parallel worlds is unnerving enough to bring weird thoughts in your mind and make it seem almost real.

Best Quote:

“It doesn’t matter why I want to leave. You’re the reason I want to stay.”

“I’m in that place between waking and sleep. The one where everything’s still black and peaceful until it gets invaded by my thoughts.”
Thanks to Balzer + Bray and Edelweiss for providing me an eARC of Through to You for review.

Review: Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs Blog Tour + Interview + Giveaway

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Title: Greta and the Goblin King (The Mylena Chronicles, #1)

Author: Chloe Jacobs
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Release Date: 13 November 2012
Pages: 298 (eARC)

Synopsis
While trying to save her brother from a witch’s fire four years ago, Greta was thrown in herself, falling through a portal to Mylena, a dangerous world where humans are the enemy and every ogre, ghoul, and goblin has a dark side that comes out with the eclipse. 
To survive, Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young goblin king, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her will to escape. 
But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. An ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal, and with the next eclipse mere days away, every bloodthirsty creature in the realm is after her—including Isaac. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back…
My Rating
* * * *
The Review
Greta and the Goblin King sucked me in from the start. I had been pretty intrigued by the cover and the synopsis but to actually read the book, it was all I could ask for. The action sequences, the electric chemistry, Mylena creatures out for blood and a bounty hunter as the protagonist. Just wow. Greta is something else entirely and on top of it, Isaac is a very intriguing character. 
Greta and the Goblin King is set in the world of Mylena where the humans are considered evil and where every kind of creature from faeries to goblins to gnomes, demons and ghouls thrive. But Agramon wreaked havoc on Mylena and the Great Mother had to put a curse of ice and snow and the two moons on the people of Mylena. The world-building is flawless and being as taken with the icy cold weather as I am, I found myself wanting to feel the cold penetrate deep in my bones more than once.
Add up all that with a human stuck in their world unwillingly as a result of a sacrifice to save her brother’s life. Suffice it to say that it hasn’t been an easy four years in Mylena for Greta. But Luke miraculously didn’t kill her on sight, instead took her in and taught her all the trades of surviving. Everything was as peachy as it could be for Greta when the goblin king decided to pay her a visit during her job as a bounty hunter. The same goblin who just a fortnight ago was trying to get her to say his name and unknowingly giving him the power to come inside her mind whenever she dreams. All because Greta intrigued him. Now isn’t that charming. 
What do you do become when you have nothing? Fearless is only a glimpse into Greta’s personality and she is pretty self-reliant. But for a human to survive right along with paranormal creatures as a bounty hunter and trying to disguise her humaneness. Not an easy one. But somehow Greta manages until all hell in the shape and name of Agramon threatens to take her last bit of her sanity. 
And then there is Isaac, the infuriatingly intense and hot as hell Goblin King of Mylena. Only not as much by choice but as a stroke of fate. It is so engaging to see Isaac hot on her trail, haunting her in her dreams, making her want him and trying to get her to see the real him. But Greta haven’t earned the title of the best bounty hunter for nothing. She is an expert when it comes to guarding her emotions. Only lately, along with Isaac, she is somehow also letting others affect her judgement and making her care. 
Wyatt, Sloane, Jacob and especially Ray made me fall in love with their stories and it was admirable to see them trying to protect each other through thick and thin. All of them played a role in trying Greta to see the other side of the story and to light the fire in her again that willed her to live and survive in the cold, cursed land of Mylena.
I found myself absolutely engrossed in the story of Greta and the Goblin King, willing the words to fly by as quickly as they can so I would know what was going to happen next and how it would all play out. I always find such books to be great reads. I loved how Isaac remained true to his own self even in the most turbulent of times; that’s devotion. I can only imagine what kind of action would be in store for Greta in Books 2. Three cheers for Chloe Jacobs!
Best Quotes:

““You have such a peculiar way of speaking,” he said. “I rarely have any notion what you’re talking about, but I could listen to your voice all day long.”“

“There was no mistaking his frustration and anger, even his pain. It came off him like a fever, engulfing her with a blast of terrible heat, but she still felt safe, protected. It may only last for as long as he held her, but for now that was enough.”

About the Author

Chloe Jacobs is a native of nowhere and everywhere, having jumped around to practically every Province of Canada before finally settling in Ontario where she has now been living for a respectable number of years. Her husband and son are the two best people in the entire world, but they also make her wish she’d at least gotten a female cat. No such luck. And although the day job keeps her busy, she carves out as much time as possible to write. Bringing new characters to life and finding out what makes them tick and how badly she can make them suffer is one of her greatest pleasures, almost better than chocolate and fuzzy pink bunny slippers.
Chloe Jacobs can be found at 
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Publisher | 
Buy Greta and the Goblin King (The Mylena Chronicles, #1)


The Interview
Now it’s time for a fun interview with Chloe Jacobs getting to know more about Chloe, the characters and their story. I hope you all find it as much fun as I did!

So do you really own ‘fuzzy pink bunny slippers’ as it says in your bio?
Yes! I love them! My son found them in a store once and he said he had to buy them for me. He was four at the time, so I’m pretty sure my husband paid for them (which he probably regrets because he trips on them all the time—I have a bad habit of leaving them on his side of the bed *evil grin*).
What is the one thing writing Greta and the Goblin King has taught you?
Writing this story taught me the value of a fantastic editor. Without Heather’s help this book would never have been as good as it ended up.
What five words would you use to define your debut book?
Dark. Fantasy. Character-driven. Emotional.
Despite being a very strong character, Greta has a hard time figuring out who she really is. What made you write about such a character?
I was really intrigued about the idea of a character who is stripped of EVERYTHING. How would I survive if I were in her place? If I couldn’t call my family, or email them, or Facebook them? If I couldn’t see them again, and I had no friends. If, in fact, everyone wanted me dead?? It just seemed like the perfect character to set on this particular journey.
A Goblin King as the hero. How did you come up with the idea?
It started as a twist on the Hansel and Gretel story, and when I was thinking about the world Greta finds herself in, I knew there would be goblins and ghouls and all kinds of fairy tale creatures, so the Goblin King sounded like a much better choice than King of the Ogres. The trick was trying to make Goblin = sexy 🙂
How difficult it was for you to tackle the world-building in Mylena?
I LOVE world building. I can’t get enough of it. In fact, there was probably a lot more of the world building in the original draft, but for the sake of keeping up the pace of the book, we had to trim it down a little bit. In book 2 I’ll be expanding the world and hopefully helping readers see Mylena a little better.
What do you want readers to take away from Greta and the Goblin King?
I want them to see how much Greta grows, to see her strength and realize that it’s even more precious because it doesn’t come easy for her. As strong as she is, she struggles not to give into her loneliness and sorrow every day. I would also want readers to know that there’s much more to Isaac than we’ll see in this book, but not to worry. I’m going to put him through his paces in book 2.
What was the hardest part of writing Greta and the Goblin King?
The hardest part was trying to find a proper balance between the story and the backstory. Since the book starts after Greta and Isaac’s first meeting, I had to filter in their history at appropriate times in the book, trying not to halt the action and pacing of the current plot line.
And the best?
OMG the best part was the back and forth between Greta and Isaac. They had fantastic chemistry on the page and I LOVED writing the scenes when they were facing off against one another!
Everyone should know that you are – ?
Crazy.
Lastly, what question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview and how would you answer that question?
If I were a superhero, I’d be the kind that could read people’s minds. I always want to know what people are thinking. It must be the writer in me that’s always looking at someone and needing to know what’s going on in their head. I want to know their deepest darkest secrets, and I want to see their every desire.
…That would probably get me in a lot of trouble though. LOL
Thanks so much for letting me come visit you! I had a BLAST!
The Giveaway
Chloe Jacobs is giving away fabulous prizes to US/Can residents. International entries can win an eBook copy of Greta and the Goblin King. Rules are it the widget.

Enter away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to Entangled Publishing for providing me a copy of Greta and the Goblin King for review.

Review: The Dirt by Lori Culwell Blog Tour

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Click the banner for the tour schedule.

Title: The Dirt
Author: Lori Culwell
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Booktrope
Release Date: 22 November 2011
Pages: 205 (eBook)


Synopsis
Lucy Whitley cannot wait to get out of Palm Desert. It’s not a place for a frizzy-haired science nerd, particularly when her fashion-obsessed older sister Sloane is the head of a clique of pretty girls who rule the school—and practically the whole town.Fortunately, life is about to change forever. Lucy’s dad is getting re-married, and then she can transfer to a boarding school in Connecticut, escaping all the mean girls and the endless whispers about the Whitley family scandal. Everything is going to be perfect—as long as the wedding goes smoothly.
My Rating
* * *
The Review
What do you do when your whole life has been defined by a single act that occurred years ago? When your family has money but that doesn’t do anything to better your image? When your older sister is in a super exclusive club AKA PG consisting of women who controls everything in your town from who gets to be the prom queen to who needs to be dumped. That’s the catch: you virtually cannot do anything. And it doesn’t help that you don’t have the courage to stand up to all the unfairness but fume as silently as possible. Welcome to Lucy Whitley’s life in Palm Desert. 
Only things are looking up now that her father is finally getting remarried after years of waiting for her mother dearest to return. The mother who one day took her middle sister, Megan, and ran off to never be heard from again. But now the stepmother-to-be has struck a deal which allows Lucy to graduate in a boarding school as far away from home as possible. In the meantime, thank God for friends like Dylan and Finch who just get you like no one else can.
It’s not that Lucy isn’t smart, she definitely is. But she doesn’t have what it takes to speak for herself. Even Frankie, the youngest sister isn’t afraid of Sloane and her PG-ness. Lucy is all about the environment, her favorite book being The Origin of the Species. However, it is not possible for her to not get insulted by Sloane even for once and even though, in her head she’s had enough. It just keeps on happening ’cause she is the responsible one who doesn’t want any more trouble in her life as is.
But the wedding never happens and that little detail manages to overthrow Lucy’s current life as well, as undesirable as it already. Her father is in a family vacation mode and instead of a familymoon in France, they instead get to spend the Christmas break on a Lake Arrowhead. Why does that happen is something I am not giving away but it’s an aspect that manages to change Lucy’s whole life.
Suddenly, the PG sister Sloane, is whisking her away to the life of a PG from makeovers to parties to dresses and fashion advice you wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to ever experience. Lucy sees it as a way of going undercover but is soon charmed by all the attention. The friendly side of Sloane alarms her at first but not for long. Of course, being overshadowed all her life, Lucy definitely needs a boost to her self-esteem. This comes at the cost of her friendship with Finch and Dylan but then it seems to late to set it straight.
I had a little problem with Lucy claiming to be a vegan only to eat the pepperoni pizza once ’cause Dylan ordered it and it would go to waste. Despite this, there is a huge food fight that occurs and well, a ton of food goes to waste. This annoyed me a little and also because I am big on not wasting food.
Moving on, the New Year party of the year happens and everything seems to be perfect for once but it’s just a prelude of worse things to come yet again and Lucy is down on her luck. Now with no prospect of running away to boarding school, Lucy really just wants to commit social suicide. But revenge is sweet and it seems someone has the power to set the record with Sloane straight once and for all. Who is this someone? And does Lucy finally get a life away from Palm Desert? Well, you need to read to find out for yourself! 
Best Quotes:

“Moments like this, I really can’t help but feel like every decision is a bad one, like every road is going to lead to a place I don’t like. I am trapped, frozen like a stump to this spot, and now everything’s going in slow motion.”

“Am I having one of those crazy “nightmare within a nightmare” experiences, where you sort of wake up, then something else that’s weird happens and you realize you’re still dreaming?”

About the Author

Lori Culwell is the author of five books, including Hollywood Car Wash, a novel that was originally self-published, then was acquired by Simon & Schuster and re-released. She is the owner of Get Creative, Inc, a consulting company specializing in search-engine friendly content, and of BookPromotion.com, dedicated to providing authors with user-friendly websites, social media education, and book blogger outreach.

Find her on Twitter @loriculwell or at www.LoriCulwell.com
Lori Culwell can be found at 
Thanks to Lori Culwell and ATOMR for providing me a copy of The Dirt for review.

Review: ReAwakened by Ada Adams Blog Tour + Interview

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Click the image for tour schedule.

ABOUT THE BOOK

young adult paranormal self-published on 27 November 2012

second book in the Angel Creek series

Becoming a vampire guardian was Dawn Fairchild’s ticket out of the Scarlet House. Fresh off a successful mission, life in Angel Creek should have been great. But when her sort-of-maybe-boyfriend, Sebastian, disappears on a quest to help a beautiful vampire from his past, Dawn finds herself amidst a web of danger, lies, and deceit.
Joining forces with Razor, an enigmatic rebel lacking both a verbal and a physical filter, and her band of Misfits—Brooke, Sophie, Hunter, and Seth—Dawn is thrust into a race against the clock to solve the mystery surrounding brutal Born kidnappings and come to terms with the sudden discovery of her own unique powers. With time ticking away and Born vampires’ lives in jeopardy, it quickly becomes evident that someone—or something—desperately wants Dawn and is willing to shed any amount of blood to get her.
Dawn has only one chance to face her demons and overcome all obstacles standing in her way as she embarks on the biggest mission of her life—one that threatens a deadly outcome for all involved.

THE RATING

THE REVIEW

What do you call a book that has a bit of everything? I call it a book by Ada Adams. If someone knows how to write a better book than ReVamped, it’s her. Not that ReVamped didn’t rock, it totally did. But ReAwakened is something else entirely. We get to see more of the Misfits, the mysterious Razor and discover more things about Dawn’s past. Not to forget the hot Dawn and Sebastian kissing scenes which were somewhat frustrating because it wasn’t really like they were a couple. Or are they? Ha ha.
First off, I really like the growth in Dawn’s character. At the beginning of the book, she’s sorting out her feelings and grieving the recent tragic events of ReVamped. But the town of Angel Creek has a habit of attracting trouble and Dawn always has the urge to fight it. I love how her mind works. She is not a damsel in distress in need of a savior. Dawn is big on self-reliance and it is so good to see her in action. Two books in and I haven’t found a single bad thing about her. She shines through the darkest of times, is easily annoyed which is adorable and has the best of comebacks ever.
It’s not easy being the vampire who harbors such a deep attraction towards Sebastian when there are sinister forces at work trying to mess with Dawn’s head. But ever the brave, Dawn is not ready to succumb to the power trying to take over. Unable to confide in anyone, Dawn tries to get back to a normal life. That turns out to be hard when her feelings are all jumbled up and pain seems to be seeping through the dark corners of her mind. 
Sebastian has his own past to deal with and with a sudden danger looming, he disappears leaving no trace behind. Dawn is left with no choice but to engage the Misfits in training harder than ever before. The Misfits have also gone through a change especially Hunter. There are vivid action sequences in ReAwakened which really brings out the fighter in each of the Misfits. Brooke tries to change her perspective on life while Seth is finally accepting himself as a vampire. Sophie goes through a big change due to a revelation which totally shocked me. We also get to see a different side of Hunter and his story which was absolutely engrossing. Ethan has his hands full with looking after his mother but we do get to see him and his jovial nature.
ReAwakened has characters who stir something inside of you and their different ways of dealing with pain gets to you. I can’t even begin to describe all the laughs I had reading scenes that had Razor in them. Razor is truly a world apart and a great addition to the series. There are also characters that return, villains that are more evil and a lot of suspense that will engage the reader entirely.
Every chapter seemed to be building up to something big and boy, did that deliver! I like my books to be unpredictable and there were things that had me jumping up and down and others that left my mouth hanging. The ending of ReAwakened really opened up a whole new range of possibilities. It’s not exactly a fairy tale ending but I would just say that it fits perfectly well with the theme of the book. I don’t like the waiting part for books in series but with ReAwakened I got to say, it was totally worth the wait.

THE QUOTES

‘Trouble in paradise? Want me to talk to him for you?’ he offered. ‘I’m sure I can convince him to come crawling back. Even literally, if you’re into that kind of kinky stuff.’

‘I reached for her through the darkness, but she was gone. Like dominoes folding over, the rest of the mirrors collapsed down on top of me. The impact caused the world around me to vanish.’

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

‘Many people sing in the shower. I, on the other hand, write scenes in my head and act them out.’

At age five, Ada read her first chapter book – Pippi Longstocking. Ever since that moment, she developed an intense passion for the stories and characters found within the pages of literature.
In her career as an actress and a writer, Ada currently spends most of her days immersed in imaginary worlds. Much like the characters she enjoys playing and writing about, Ada is a martial artist with a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate. She is also a big proponent of lifelong learning, and has attained Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (it aids in creating characters with unique quirks!) as well as a Master’s of Science in Education.
Ada strives to bring a fresh voice and perspective to fiction. She has been writing creatively for many years. “ReVamped” is her debut novel.
She lives in Toronto, Canada, and enjoys adventurous nature hikes with her adorable puppies Cara and Oreo.
Ada Adams can be found at 
| Website  | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Publisher | 
Buy ReVamped (Angel Creek, #1)
| Amazon | Amazon (Kindle) | B&N |

THE INTERVIEW

I really had a great time reading ReAwakened and thinking up questions to ask Ada. Thank you so much for the interview. I finally got the word I was looking for to describe Dawn: multi-layered. Also, I gotta go see that vlog now! Now onto the questions:

I read in your bio that you are a “a martial artist with a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate.” How did that happen?
I did a vlog about this recently and ended up crediting “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” for my interest in Karate. My parents enrolled me in a class when I was around ten or so, because they thought it would be a fun way to learn some self defense. This was around the same time that I started watching “Buffy” and since I looked up to her skills, I was all for it! Once I began Karate, I loved it. We did a lot of Judo as well, and being one of the only girls in class, I really enjoyed kicking guys’ butts.
Dawn is a character unlike any other character I’ve ever read about. What gave you the idea to write about such a character?
It was important for me to write about a strong female character. At the same time, I wanted her to have many layers to her personality. I didn’t want to write about someone perfect who could handle anything and everything thrown at her in a blink of an eye. When I’m writing, I love to write about characters who demonstrate growth as the book and the series progresses, so I always knew that, despite her physical strength and skill, Dawn would have a lot to learn. In “ReAwakened”, she showed immense growth and maturity from the beginning of the novel to the end. I’m very proud of her for that. 🙂
What made you write about vampires, such as the Misfits, in a completely new dimension seeing as they’re generally portrayed as creatures-who-can-do-nothing-wrong?
I wanted to put a bit of an unusual twist on the genre. We’re lucky to have so many wonderful novels about “perfect” vampires available to us, but I never really read anything about the less glamorous side of being undead. I love seeing the Misfits learn and grow as the series progresses.
What was the hardest part of writing ReAwakened?
I don’t want to give out any spoilers, but for those who have read “ReAwakened”, I think they know my answer and share my pain. It was extremely hard to write “that scene”, but there are many reasons why things had to occur the way they did. Plus, it’s a great set-up for the next book. The stakes are high and we’re going into Book III with a whole new Dawn. I’m very excited.
Everyone should know that you are – ?
An animal-lover chocoholic obsessed with sparkles and “My Little Pony” stuff. I suppose that also makes me a five-year-old at heart.
What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview and how would you answer that question?
I’ve always wanted Ellen DeGeneres to ask me to dance with her, haha! Or, better yet, to play a game. I’m a sucker for games. “Five-year-old”, what did I tell you?
Lastly, is Angel Creek series supposed to be a trilogy or are we going to get more doses of the awesomeness?
Currently, it’s set up as a trilogy (with a possible fourth book). However, I love writing about these characters and their journey, so I’m not sure if the next book really will be the end of it all. I think that the length of the series will greatly depend on the fans. I’ve already had requests for Hunter and Razor novellas that I am definitely entertaining (and an entire full-length novel of “just Sebastian kissing scenes”). 😉
Thanks for having me on your lovely blog!
Thanks to Ada Adams and Jessirae for providing me a copy of ReAwakened for review.

Review: Shallow by Georgia Cates Blog Tour

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Click the banner for the tour schedule.

Title: Shallow (Going Under, #2)
Author: Georgia Cates
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Georgia Cates
Release Date: 21 September 2012
Pages: 164 (eBook)


Synopsis
Payton Archer’s best friend, Claire, strives to be perfect in every way. Payton doesn’t and this is her story.
Nick Hawke likes his car fast and his girls even faster. He blows through females quicker than his muscle car races down the “The Strip” in Collinsville and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Determined to avoid the devastation he has watched his father endure in the aftermath of his mother leaving, he believes there is no room in his life or his heart for a relationship lasting more than one night. He seeks happiness in things that won’t let him down…fast cars, adrenaline and one night stands. To his absolute dismay, all of that changes when he unexpectedly runs into an old friend and is introduced to Payton Archer, the first girl he ever wanted for more than one night. There’s only one catch…she is completely immune to him and his smooth talking ways. 
Payton Archer is looking for what Claire has with Jessie, but she has given up on finding it…at least until she leaves for college in the Fall because she is certain that is where she will find the perfect guy to fit into her perfect world. She plans on Summer being nothing but three uneventful months of fun, but it turns out to be anything but ordinary when Payton is introduced to Nick Hawke, one of Jessie’s old Collinsville friends. She is shocked by her immediate and intense attraction for “Hawke” because nothing about him is what Payton is looking for. Sure, he’s hot and sexy but he comes from Collinsville and that is definitely not on her list of prerequisites. Everything about him makes Payton’s heart speed because he is exciting and dangerous, but his fast car and the dangerous chances he takes aren’t what scares Payton the most…it’s the way Nick Hawke makes her feel every time he looks at her. Can Payton find that moment of total fearlessness and make the decision to leave the safe, shallow end of love to risk going under completely?
My Rating
* * *
The Review
Shallow introduced me to two great main characters and while, I am glad I got a chance to read it, it falls short slightly. Payton wants her ever after but she doesn’t want to get hurt after the whole Cooper fiasco. So until someone better comes along, she’s stuck between Mom and Dad aka Claire and Jessie.
However, Payton does not take anyone’s bullshit and she knows how to put people in their places. In short, she’s simply badass. So when Nick aka Hawke takes a fancy to her and uses every trick in the book to impress her, all she feels is bored.
Nicks work has just begin though, he tries out other routes to get to her because she has the power to unnerve him and make him nervous. Something no other girl has ever done before. So it’s natural for Nick to have a need to get close to her. 
It’s surprising because even Jessie was not this much of a man-whore but it all really fits together because Payton is exactly the kind of girl Nick would fall for. And fall he does. But things are not as simple and story goes deeper than just their relationship affecting them in serious ways. 
So while it’s true that one wouldn’t peg a womanizer of the first degree to have a journal; it’s also unbelievable and slightly ridiculous. I warmed up to the idea but the content stumped me. And this was where the story went into a strange way for me. 
In all, I just really think that Shallow started out as a great read, a book I might have liked more than Going Under. But as the story progressed, it eventually went downhill for me and I was kind of ready for it to end when that happened. I’m not saying to not read Shallow, definitely do. I’m just saying it could have had a follow-up to the ending.
Best Quotes:

“My heart suddenly felt cold and the center began to crack and shatter like a sheet of ice when it can no longer withstand the pressure being pushed against it.”

“Can’t you see I would do anything to be your everything?“

About the Author
I reside in rural Mississippi with my wonderful husband, Jeff, and our two beautiful daughters. 
I spent thirteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before I decided to pursue my dream of becoming an author.

Blood of Anteros, Book One in The Vampire Agápe Series, was my first novel and it was released in September 2011.

I decided to step away from the paranormal genre to try my hand at a young adult romance and I loved it. It was so much fun, I plan to do it again in the near future.
Georgia Cates can be found at 
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Buy Shallow (Going Under, #2)
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