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Review: Last Summer by Rebecca A. Rogers Blog Tour

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Title: Last Summer
Author: Rebecca A. Rogers
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Realistic
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: 18 July 2012
Pages:  152 (eARC)


Synopsis
All Chloe Sullivan wants to do is get through the summer. Her life has been in disarray for more than six months, and she knows the only reason her parents made one final trip to Sandy Shores is because of her. They are, after all, two seconds away from filing for divorce. When Chloe stumbles upon a boy in one of her childhood hangouts, she’s in for more than just a relaxing summer vacation. 
Logan Andrews is exhausted, famished and, quite frankly, kaput. His parents kicked him out when he refused to attend a rehabilitation program for his drug addiction. Now, he wishes he would’ve listened; he’d be receiving appropriate medical care rather than living in a dingy, godforsaken shack, holing up from money-hungry drug dealers. 
Logan’s godsend arrives in the form of Chloe, who can’t hold her tongue when it comes to matters of the heart. They’re both in for a rude awakening when Logan’s past catches up to them, though. Can they escape the drug dealers showing up at every twist and turn, or will things end much worse than they ever imagined?

WARNING: contains strong language, drug use, and sexual situations, including an explicit sex scene and a near-rape scene. Mature audiences only. 17+

My Rating

* * * *
The Review

There are certain books that take from you as much as they give you. They drain you emotionally, drawing out your mentally weakened form and transforming your thoughts into fire, igniting a passion in you like no other. The passion to live life to its fullest. These are the books that make me think and think hard about what life has to offer to us. The possibilities are endless. Last Summer is such a book.
Last Summer began with a glum feel to it, a resentment boiling inside Chloe for the way her life is turning out to be with no control over the outcome. So Chloe does what she can, she pretends but she knows she cannot hold out for long. With parents who can go without saying two words to each other for a week, who could?
Short of hanging out at their summer home in Sandy Shores, Chloe figures wandering around the lake and the forest will be good enough. Then she finds Logan in the abandoned cottage and it’s like she’s been introduced to a new challenge. Now Chloe has someone to look forward to during the persistently dull summer and to do something more than just daydream about the childhood summer days spent carelessly with Jessica, a long lost friend. And finally, to say goodbye to isolation.
However, for Logan, what started as an undeniably euphoric moments might be the very moments which will make him regret ever taking up the habit in the first place. Withdrawal seems like the only plausible solution but of course he isn’t strong enough to do it himself. So when help willingly arrives in the form of Chloe, Logan is hesitant and suspicious. He sees Chloe as a poignant reminder of all things home and a craving stirs in him. But Chloe is strong and she believes that she can help Logan out of his addiction.
Spending time together makes them realize that it could easily turn into something more. And it does, by developing into something deep. With both their souls bared to each other, what will they do? Will they last or will it be their first and last summer together? The book is told in alternating point of views and I really liked reading what was going on in their minds.
Last Summer turned out to be a book about surviving the worst and relishing the best. I appreciate what Rogers has done with the issue of drug use and she definitely have a very fluid way with words.

Best Quotes:
‘There’s just something that’s fascinating about a person who looks at their reflection. What are they contemplating? Is he reminiscing about how he got to this point, about everything that’s led him to the right here, right now?’
‘In moments such as these, it’s the minor seconds that count. Seconds that can make or break you. Seconds that can save your life.’

P.S. For a chance to win one of five eBook copies of Last Summer go over to Rebecca’s blog to enter!

About the Author

Growing up, I pretended to be characters from books, movies, and TV shows (especially Xena). Now, though I don’t run around my backyard and freak out the neighbors with Xena calls and invisible weapons, I still live inside my imagination, and it’s better than reality.

I’d insert something here along the lines of living in Massachusetts or Europe (dream places to live) with my wonderful husband (who I haven’t met) and our dogs, but these things haven’t happened yet. Instead, I’ll tell you I’m an avid gamer, chocoholic, coffee addict, animal lover, and own way too many books and shoes.

Rebecca A. Rogers can be found at 

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Thanks to Rebecca A. Rogers for providing me a copy of Last Summer for review.

Review: My Paper Heart by Magan Vernon Blog Tour + Giveaway + Interview

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Title: My Paper Heart
Author: Magan Vernon
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Calta Press
Release Date: 1 August 2012
Pages:  130 (eARC)


Synopsis
There are worse things in life than failing out of college- such as having your parents receive the letter that you’ve been kicked out.
Now to appease her parents self-proclaimed sorority princess Libby Gentry is packing up her Prada bag and heading to work for her great aunt’s antique store in tiny Elsbury, Louisiana. She’s pretty sure she can tackle the swamp and deal with her great aunt and tom boy of a little cousin, but what she doesn’t know is if she can handle the local town playboy, Blaine Crabtree. 
As Libby’s feelings for Blaine grow, so does her need for acceptance and all of the insecurities she has kept inside are coming out. She may have survived the Louisiana swamp, but she may not survive Blaine’s reluctance to say the ‘L’ word. When Blaine finally commits to the three words Libby’s been waiting for, she only hopes they haven’t come too late.

My Rating

* * * *
The Review

A piece of a dead tree makes it way to Libby’s home and her immediate future is decided. In a matter of few hours, Libby goes from being a sorority princess at the Illinois State University to working at her great aunt’s antiques shop in Louisiana. Talk about a major demotion! Well, it is what it is, so Libby begrudgingly packs her bags to leave her home for who knows how long.
It’s not like Libby can say much to defend her party-hard-and-get-drunk-harder image because no one really wants to know her. They form opinion on what they see and why her parents should be any different? 
However, when it comes to adjusting, Libby is a pro. She is also a pro when it comes to pretending but I will save that for later. Libby is pretty sure she can mend her paper heart along with her insecurities with Aunt Dee’s heavenly cooking while trying to give a makeover to her tomboyish fifteen-year-old cousin, Brittany.
But Libby is like a moth to a flame in the town of Elsbury when it comes to attracting the attention of the town people. In particular, Blaine Crabtree. What is with the guy with his annoying habit of commenting on her slutty ways. He’s the one to talk, after going at it with half the town! 
Like Libby though, Blaine has a story of his own and as he realizes and apologizes for his inappropriate behavior towards Libby, things take a turn for the better. Now Blaine and Libby cannot get enough of each other’s company. However, Brittany have a crush on Blaine (which Libby is aware of and is sorry for) so she makes Libby insecure with all the boyfriend talk. Things that makes Libby question everything over and over again for Libby has a bad experience with Beau, her ex.
Now, each small progress in their relationship seems like a burden to Libby and she keeps thinking if she is not good enough. Libby is a product of bullying and being made fun of for years haven’t settled well with her. Even though she has hidden all of that in layers of great fashion sense and what-not; it never really went away.
Blaine is a very humble character who has turned to wrong ways trying to make himself feel better about himself. So when Libby barges in speaking her thoughts out loud and daring him to feel again, Blaine realizes the error of his ways. But he needs little more than a push to move forward. Libby, on the other hand, is a very upbeat character and finds the fun part in any aspect of her life. But just as quickly, her spirits also gets diffused so it is intense to see her grow.
So while Blaine is helping Libby overcome her fear of bad relationships, so is Libby helping Blaine with his relationship issues. Nothing like something that makes you want to step out of your comfort zone to embrace the better. After all, it is darkest before the dawn and I always find such books beautiful.
My Paper Heart is a great contemporary debut by Magan Vernon which should not be missed at all. I hope she writes more contemporary books. It makes you think about all the possibilities in life and how each moment in life builds up to the moment of realization. Of need. And of what it takes to finally grow up.

Best Quotes:
“Mom held the piece of paper in her hands. It was as if she was holding my heart. Thin and frail. My paper heart to be torn to shreds.”
About the Author
Self-proclaimed geek-to-glam poster child who channels her inner geek by writing science fiction for teens. Even though she slept with a night light until she was in middle school for fear of alien attacks.

She now lives with her husband, daughter, and dog in central Illinois where she still sleeps with a night light…just in case.

Magan Vernon can be found at 

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The Interview
Hello, Magan. I am so glad to have you on my blog today! I really enjoyed My Paper Heart and so let’s get started with the interview to know more about it.

I read in your bio that you’re “self-proclaimed geek-to-glam poster child.” What’s the story behind it?
Well, my husband says I’m still a geek, but I digress. I was always the geeky girl growing up that preferred to read a book (mainly comic books) instead of going out. Then I went to college, put down the comic books, joined a sorority and all of a sudden the girl who others looked at as being the geek in the back of the room turned into the girl who made sure not to let her heels slip in the drool that had pooled on the floor from people staring.
Okay, maybe a little bit over the top, but you get the picture 🙂 
The title of your book is very intriguing and describes Libby very aptly, how did you come up with it?
The title of the book was originally ‘My Own Summer,’ but then I found out that was a song by The Deftones that definitely gave off the wrong message. One of my critique partners helped me come up with the concept because it had a lot to do with the paper that Libby received that said she had been kicked out of college and following her heart. 
What was your favorite part about writing My Paper Heart?
Blaine, most definitely. I’m a sucker for a southern gentleman, but he was really complicated. He was gruff yet sensitive and for a long time I didn’t know what his deal was. He was a mystery even to me! 
The hardest?
Libby’s sorority life. I am a sorority girl and there were some parts of the whole process that I loved and there were other parts that tore me to shreds. Some of the stuff Libby goes through were made up (not from my own experiences, but some I’ve heard that other sororities did), but some of the stuff took me to my darkest times living in the house. 
What is the one book that has most influenced your life and why?
No laughing, but Twilight.
I was in my senior year of college and my roomie was OBSESSED with the books. I never had time to read for pleasure (I was working a job, an internship, and going to school full-time), but she let me borrow them anyways. I ended up being hooked. I found myself sneaking the books under the table during class just to finish them. This drew me to the young adult genre and it was how I got started writing My Paper Heart…eventually. It took me another year before that was actually started. 
Are there any occupational hazards to being a writer?
People can be mean. There are some reviews that rip me to my core, one review even said they wanted to ‘effing slap me.’ I try and be the better person, but sometimes it feels like people forget the author is human. I respect reviewer’s opinions and I value them, but I think there is a difference between attacking the words the author puts down and attacking the story itself. 
What genre did you relate to more when writing: paranormal or contemporary?
Ohhh tough one!
There are parts to both that I related to. Of course, I’m not dating an alien, but there are real struggles that Alex deals with in My Alien Romance series that I deal with on a personal level. With that said, contemp is harder in some ways because then I have to be rooted in reality and make sure that I’m not throwing things around that don’t make sense. Sometimes I wish my life was a little more paranormal and I could explain where the helter all my missing socks go! 
What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview and how would you answer that question?
Is your husband really an alien?
My answer? Yes. He won’t admit it, but I watched enough Roswell to know that a guy who eats that much hot sauce cannot be human. 
What book are you currently reading?
I’m critiquing a friend’s manuscript right now, which is hard to read while I’m critiquing, but I’m still hooked to CK Bryant’s BOUND (which is free on Amazon). 
You never leave your home without?
Cell phone 
Favorite time of the day?
The morning. If I sleep in too late then I feel like my whole day is gone. 
Everyone should know that you are – ?
A working mother and author. People do always ask ‘when is the next book coming out?’ or wonder where I am during the day. I work a normal day job in auto claims, come home to my daughter at night, and write when I can. If I don’t get stuff out as fast as others, it’s because I’m saving the world one auto accident at a time 🙂
Thanks again for having me!
The Giveaway
Magan has generously provided an eBook copy to giveaway. Rules are in the rafflecopter widget.

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Thanks to Magan Vernon for providing me a copy of My Paper Heart for review.

Review: Want by Stephanie Lawton Blog Tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Want

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: InkSpell Publishing
Release Date: 7 June 2012
Pages: 283 (eARC)
Julianne counts the days until she can pack her bags and leave her old-money, tradition-bound Southern town where appearance is everything and secrecy is a way of life. A piano virtuoso, she dreams of attending a prestigious music school in Boston. Failure is not an option, so she enlists the help of New England Conservatory graduate Isaac Laroche to help her.
She can’t understand why he suddenly gave up Boston’s music scene to return to the South. He doesn’t know her life depends on escaping it. Julianne must face down madness from without, just as it threatens from within. Isaac must resist an inappropriate attraction, but an indiscretion at a Mardi Gras ball—the pinnacle event for Mobile’s elite—forces their present wants and needs to collide with sins of the past.
THE RATING
* * *
THE REVIEW
“The thing that makes us great is the same thing that drags us down.” This quote completely and utterly defines what I was looking for in Want. Artists are troubled human beings; they are unstable and moody at their best and at their worst. They are made out of stuff normal human beings cannot comprehend or are unable to. 
Julianne is on a path to self-destruction despite having a seemingly normal family life. But underneath all that normal are double-standards and secrecy which Julianne has had enough of. Her piano skills are the only way of getting her a one-way ticket out of the hellhole of a town. But when things go bad, they are bound to become worse for Julianne.
As Julianne’s piano teacher falls ill, she is forced to practice under a new teacher by the name of Isaac Laroche. Isaac is bad news for Julianne from the start, he has a ton of emotional baggage and a dark side surrounding him for a mile. But it is inevitable for Julianne to fall for him. Reading Want, I never gave a second thought to how bad Isaac really is for Julianne. Also, the other major issue in Julianne’s life regarding her mother kind of just sucked me in.
Want is a very emotional read because you can see that Julianne is going to spontaneously combust one of these days and is on the verge of a nervous breakdown with all the beating she has to take and the way Isaac keeps shutting her out more than he lets her in. Julianne is really unable to see that Isaac is just a shell of a man he was once. Moreover, she holds back when it comes to composing pieces. It is Dave who finally make her break free of her hesitation.
Dave is Isaac’s best friend and his complete opposite. Where Isaac is dark and broody, Dave is light and fun to be with. I was surprised at the role he played in Julianne’s life when her father is always too busy, her brother is away at college and a mother who is good for nothing. It is no surprise that for Julianne, playing piano is only the form of escapism she has and craves.
The way things ended in Want was pretty unpredictable for me and now that I think about it, I think I like the ending. The cover is absolutely gorgeous and I am glad I get to read a book where a musical instrument is the main focus. I look forward to reading more by Stephanie Lawton.

THE QUOTES

Isaac heaves a sigh and motions for me to scoot over. “Okay, listen. I’m going to tell you something. About a theory I have.”
“About me? Oh, sorry. There I go again with the selfish crap. It’s not all about me.”
“This kind of is. Both of us. It’s artistic burden, the theory that all creative people like being weird and moody and need some…unbalance or crisis. The thing that makes us great is the same thing that drags us down. Writers and painters suffer, too.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

After collecting a couple English degrees in the Midwest, Stephanie Lawton suddenly awoke in the deepest reaches of the Deep South. Culture shock inspired her to write about Mobile, Alabama, her adopted city, and all the ways Southern culture, history and attitudes seduce the unsuspecting.
A lover of all things gothic, she can often be spotted photographing old cemeteries, historic buildings and, ironically, the beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast. She also has a tendency to psychoanalyze people, which comes in handy when creating character profiles.
Stephanie Lawton can be found at 
Buy Want
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Thanks to Stephanie Lawton and EBT for providing me a copy of Want for review.