KayCee K. : February 2018

Fade To Us is a story about found families, the bond of sisterhood, and the agony and awe of first love.

Brooke’s summer is going to be EPIC--having fun with her friends and a job that lets her buy a car. Then her new stepfather announces his daughter is moving in. Brooke has always longed for a sibling, so she’s excited about spending more time with her stepsister. But she worries, too. Natalie has Asperger’s--and Brooke’s not sure how to be the big sister that Natalie needs.

After Natalie joins a musical theater program, Brooke sacrifices her job to volunteer for the backstage crew. She’s mostly there for Natalie, but Brooke soon discovers how much she enjoys being part of the show. Especially sweet is the chance to work closely with charming and fascinating Micah--the production’s stage manager. If only he wasn’t Natalie’s mentor…

When summer comes to an end, will Brooke finally have the family she so desperately wants–and the love she’s only dreamed about?

- Goodreads - Amazon -

Fade to Us is swoony, family base, fast read that deals with mental health and sisterhood. Brooke had her summer planned out, but when her stepsister Natalie who has Asperger, it tuners her summer upside down. For me, I enjoy this story and characters. Books that deal with theater also are a joy to me because I love the backstage stuff and drama. My favorite part of this book it the relationship between Brooke and her stepsister Natalie. I don't want to give anything away from this book, so I won't go into details. So here are a few things I wanted to say that would spoil the book so much.

-The mix of theater and baseball. (I'm not a huge baseball person but I did find it neat that balance of arty and sporty parts of the story.)
-But there is a relationship that I felt was rushed but it was still over the top adorable.
-I felt that it dealt with Asperger wells, it was forced onto the reader and wasn't overplayed.
-I like Julia writing, there's a flow to it.

I've been seeing more family in YA books and it makes me happy. And not just simple families. Complexe, mixed families with real problems, real fights, and real feeling. If you're looking for a cute but family-based story than give Fade to Us a read!

I received a NetGalley ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't in any way influence my opinion on it. So, this is a 100% honest review by me.

Being kidnapped by the leader of the fae really puts a dent in your senior year. Aurora Marshall is sharp, witty, and always has a plan. Ready to finish her business degree and graduate, her life is going smoothly—until the night she meets Tristan Westbrook. Tristan, the overbearing, gorgeous fae leader, and an admired businessman in the human world, is all kinds of dangerous. While he finds Aurora intriguing, her refusal to bend to his will keeps them locked in a constant power struggle. Entering into a deal is the only way to escape Tristan’s clutches, which only plunges Aurora deeper into the fae world. With her future at stake, she is forced to handle his arrogance and extraordinary fae abilities as she fights to stay grounded in her mundane life. Not to mention her struggle to ignore the growing attraction she knows she shouldn’t feel for the man who kidnapped her. When people said college would be the most exciting time of her life, Aurora never thought this is what they meant.

Review

First, I have to say that Jessi Elliott has such a sassy writing style and it's a joy to read! Her pacing is amazing, it's not slow or rushed. My favorite part of this book was how she mixed the fae world with the real world together; she's fitted these worlds together without overpowering themselves. It's a compelling storyline.

Aurora is full of witty and is someone who knows what she wants. When she meets Tristan you know that it's going to be a fun read. Tristan and Aurora have this push, pull relationship that flows throughout this story; the banter is so good! I also like how Tristan and Aurora have grown & changed as characters throughout the story.

But my favorite character is Max. I wish there are more of him!! He was always a blast to read in this book.

I do have to say there was a part of this book that made me cry. I don't wait to spoil it so I'm not going to say why but man, the feelings!

The ending! That twist! I don't know where to start with the ending. It's just not what I saw coming and I LOVED THAT! I can't wait to read the next book and see what Jessi has in store for Aurora, Tristan, and the others.

So, get a hot cup of tea or coffee, and enjoy this is a wild ride that brought me both smiles and tears. Pick up this book, you'll won't be sorry because it's a witty yet swoony read.

I was given this book by the author to read this is my honest thoughts.

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

- Goodreads -

The Belles was a book that I've had my eye on since like the end of the 2017 summer. I did only hear great things so I went in with medium hope for this book and came out on the bright side. I did really enjoy this book even those it does have the theme of a 'group of people competing against each other' but that was just a part of this book for me.

I did have a few problems with this book but not every book is perfect and there is always things people aren't going to agree with. But at the end of the day just because you liked and enjoyed a book, doesn't mean you agree with everything that had happened in that book.
Camellia is the lead character, who's smart, caring and a bit sassy at times; and a bit of a poor sense of judgment. Who at times can be a perfectionist, which doesn't bother me, I am the kind of people who like things one way and always try my hardest and get's worked up when it doesn't go the way I feel it should. (So, I understand that.)

The romance was a push and pull for me and I'm not sure how I feel about. That's all I'm going to say about it.

I did have a fear about how this book would go about the theme of beauty and how it matters in this world but the author did a great job of balancing it. It went about covering how it doesn't matter without leaving the story behind. I enjoyed the different types of beauty. From skin, shape, hair texture, gender and how it doesn't matter that a person can go from dark skin to light skin, with no problems, that people won't look down on them for their skin, hair or body types.
There were quite a lot more mysteries min-plots that what I thought there was going to be. For me, this felt list a story of min-plots twisted into one main plot.

Overall, I know that this book does have it's problems but at the end of the day, this was a book that I read in one day because of drama, writing style, and the Belles history and what they can do may for an interesting read.

I received a NetGalley ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't in any way influence my opinion on it. So, this is a 100% honest review by me.

A poignant and empowering teen novel of grief, unrequited love, and finding comfort in one's own skin.

Aden isn't looking for love in her senior year. She's much more focused on things like getting a solo gig at Ike's and keeping her brother from illegal herbal recreation. But when Tate walks into Calculus class wearing a yarmulke and a grin, Aden's heart is gone in an instant.

The two are swept up in a tantalizingly warm friendship, complete with long drives with epic soundtracks and deep talks about life, love, and spirituality. With Tate, Aden feels closer to her mom—and her mom's faith—than she has since her mother died years ago. Everyone else—even Aden's brother and her best friend—can see their connection, but does Tate?

Navigating uncertain romance and the crises of those she loves, Aden must decide how she chooses to see herself and how to honor her mom’s memory.

- Goodreads -

4 Stars

The Calculus of Change by Jessie Hilb was refreshing. Yes, it's a YA Contemporary and yes it does have teen drama, but it's more than that. The lead character is Aden who's dealing with a lot. This book covers a lot of topics like grief, body image issue, religion. romantic dynamics, family & friendships and religion; abusive & inappropriate relationships, drug use, sexual assault. This book sounds like it should be heavy but the writer covers it all while never leaving the story.

With Aden having body image issue I was on the edge of how that would play out, but the author wrote it in a way where it felt real. That yes, not everyone loves their bodies every single moment of the day, I enjoy how even though she is on the heavy side she still found herself pretty. Also, like how in the end she started a swimming class, not because she wanted to lose weight but she wanted to swim, she felt the need to be in the water and have a way to feel free.

This story kinda broke my heart because I love Aden and Tate playful relationship. The only problem I had with this story is that we don't really get to know more about Tate side and why things played out the way they did.

Family is a huge part of this book, and it seems that there are more and more YA Contemporary books that are having families. This family came with its own problems, it's nice seeing a family that is both broken yet still together. It's not either or. The sister and brother role in this book it great. I'm close with both my brothers, so I liked the sibling parts and related to the older sister wanting to help her younger broth moments.

Friendship was also a big part of this book. Aden's brother's girlfriend is one I enjoyed reading because she seems nice when she could easily be mean. There was one bit that I didn't like and that was the student-teacher relationship with Aden's best friend Marissa.

Overall, this was a strong read for me that brought both smiles and saddened too. Yes, it was filled with characters making bad choices but everyone makes bad choices, small or big and they all have an effect. The title of this book could be any better.

I received a NetGalley ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't in any way influence my opinion on it. So, this is a 100% honest review by me.

Title: PINNACLE (The Core Series Book #1)
Author: Lynn Veevers
Pub. Date: February 6, 2018
Publisher: Clean Reads
Pages: 298
Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N

Identifying her parents was the hardest thing ever, until Kaya learned she was the killer’s next target. Moving had thrown the ancient predator off her trail temporarily but with magical abilities manifesting, Kaya’s scent grows stronger and the attempts on her life become constant. Narrowly surviving each encounter, Kaya is desperate to stop her potential assassin, but it’s hard to kill a creature that changes its appearance and disappears without a trace. Kaya finds the support she needs to succeed in her small group of friends and her boyfriend Kenneth. Like so many things, they’re more than what they seem and with the killer having unsettling similarities to Kenneth and his family…Kaya can’t help but wonder if there’s a connection.

Review Coming Soon!

About Lynn:

Lynn Veevers is originally from Washington State. With her mother being from Christchurch, New Zealand and her father being a well-traveled retired Navy Chief, Lynn has always had a fascination with different cultures around the world. An avid reader, she prefers books that take her to a place she's never been and teach her something new at the same time. The Young Adult Genre is her absolute favorite to read, so it comes as no surprise that it is also her favorite to write. Lynn, on average, pens two to three novels a year with the sequel to Pinnacle in the publishing process now!

Today Lynn lives with her husband and kids in Southeast Oklahoma. Her young adult and adolescent children are supportive and avid beta readers of her work and give her a straightforward and honest point of view about how authentic her characters voices and personalities are for their age group. What better reference than someone close to the same age as the main character. Her kids always have and always will be her greatest inspiration.

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Giveaway Details: International

1 winner will receive a $25 Gift Card to the book retailer of their choice, International.

Ends on February 13th at Midnight EST!

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

1/29/2018- Books at Dawn- Deleted Scene

1/29/2018- Confessions of a YA Reader- Spotlight

1/30/2018- BookHounds YA- Interview

1/30/2018- Am Kinda Busy Reading- Review