Merch Girl (ARC) by Rebecca Lewis

I got the honor of reading this YA (ARC) novel by the talented Rebecca Lewis

Here is the background on this book:

Merch Girl

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Lacey Kind doesn’t have the guts to talk to cute boys, isn’t a size two, and would rather stay home and listen to music than go to a party. But in the summer before her first year of college, she ends up thousands of miles away from home, in the back of a tour bus, underneath the half-naked body of the hottest teen rock star in the country.

When Lacey and her best friend Trina sneak into a Boston nightclub to see their favorite band, they not only get to watch their rock gods perform for the first time, but score a chance to meet the band too. Lacey’s heart races as she comes face-to-face with her idol, nineteen-year-old lead singer, Logan Shire.

The girls charm their way into being hired to sell merchandise on Lansdowne’s first summer tour. As “merch girls” Lacey and Trina quickly find themselves transported from their ordinary, suburban life to an exhilarating few months on the road. But they soon realize that life on the road isn’t always a smooth ride...

My Thoughts

Really LOVE the cover I think it compliments the book very nicely.

This book had everything to make it YA-successful. 

The characters were well-rounded, there was a little drama, a mean girl, and a cute little love story.

Lacey is a shy, smart, sweet teenager with a best friend Trina who is her total opposite. Together they make quite the duo. 

They both end up going on tour with one of their favorite bands and have the best time of their lives. 

 They get to interact with fans, hang out with the band, and go to exclusive VIP parties... what 17 year old girl would not love that?  While they are on tour they sell the band's merchandise, which is where the term Merch girl comes from. 

Heck I am 25 and I would love to travel around the USA with one of my favorite singers, that would totally make my life.

While on tour Lacey gets quite cozy with one band member in particular and Trina gets just as cozy with another member as well. 

You are now seeing how Lacey handles not only having a boyfriend for the first time ever, but having a famous boyfriend who attracts more than enough female attention.
You watch Lacey grow from a shy girl to a girl who can stand up for herself even to her best friend and boyfriend.

BUT what happens after the tour ends? Do they stay together or go their separate ways?

This book is definitely aimed more at the pre-teen/teen age group and it is an easy/appropriate read for them.

I enjoyed reading this book BUT I thought it needed more excitement. It was too happily ever after, rainbows, and sunshine for my taste. 

If you want to check this book out for yourself it will go LIVE on May 4th... 

Author Information:

Rebecca Lewis is the author of the Young Adult novel, Merch Girl, and a lover of all things music! She's been writing stories since middle school and penned her first fanfic about a semi-popular boyband in 1997.

Her passion for music and writing brought her to Boston University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Communication, focusing on Public Relations. During her college career, she interned for various record labels in Boston and New York City, sold merch for local bands, worked at record stores, and did a whole lot of grassroots marketing.She currently resides in Florida with her husband and crazy Bahamian Potcake puppy.

Author Links:

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/RebeccaLewis

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Rebecca_Writes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rebecca-Lewis-Author/408824785861600

Blog: http://rebeccajlewis.wordpress.com

A Brand New Ending (ARC)

"We are never so defenseless against suffering as when we love."

I was given an ARC of this book by the author for an honest review..

Thank-You for giving me this opportunity and here is what I thought of

A Brand New Ending by S.A. Rolls...

Description from Amazon:

Phoenix Harper never imagined her life would come to this: A life not worth living anymore.

After a failed suicide attempt, Phoenix is sent to be observed at a local psychiatric hospital. There she meets Braeden Harris, a hospital aide with his own haunting past.Not long after their first encounter, they feel an unexplainable pull towards one another. Will fate bring them together, or will outside forces tear them apart?

                                                 My thoughts:

I really liked this book.. I ALMOST loved it buuutt the writing was a little off for me BUT that didn't deter from it being a really good book.

It was different from the normal books I have read lately and that is what I did LOVE about it. I was hooked from the very beginning, then a couple chapters in I was still hooked, it started to drag a little bit, and then the ending completely threw a curve-ball to my face!! I was like WHOA did that really happen???.. WTF...Am I reading the same book???, I was not expecting that ending and then I started to understand a lot of the magical elements that seemed to happen in the book and it all started to make sense.. While reading the book I was like OMG that is not even plausible, how can that happen, this book isn't real life but alas at the end I finallly got it and I was pleasantly surprised. I love books that can surprise me and this one definitely did!

(You have to read the book to know what I am talking about)

Phoenix tries to commit suicide but with the failed attempt, it lands her in a psychiatric hospital where she meets the lovely Braeden. They have an instant connection, it wasn't love at first sight or anything but it was different, like there was a pull towards one another but they couldn't explain why it was happening. 

After they try fighting the connection towards one another they finally give in and are together. There are a lot of twists, turns, drama, swoon-worthy, and panty dropping moments after they officially become a couple and you are rooting for them to stay together to the very end of the book. You know that Braeden is not only Phoenix's first love but he is the one person in her life that makes her feel safe and that is something she has never felt before in her life. Braeden never let anyone in after the tragedies happened in his past but Phoenix wormed her way into his heart and soul and his new mission was to always keep her there and to keep her safe. 

I loved the other characters in the book as well. Rain and Donovan were my next two favorite characters besides the main ones. The only character I did not get was Braeden's dad. He confused me because he could be so compassionate and sweet towards Phoenix's but with his son he seemed very distant and cold. 

If you want to read a good book with quirky characters, swoon-worthy moments, drama, and a twist at the end then I suggest you pick this book up now, you will not regret reading it!!! 

Snippets from the book:

"It's too late for me, Braeden. I am broken beyond repair," I say, my throat tight. "You deserve better. You deserve someone you can touch. Who has the capability to…feel."

 (Kindle Locations 2077-2078)

Love is hard. Love is rough. It will viciously rip open your chest, leaving your heart vulnerable. At times things will be perfect, and at others they will be worse than you can even imagine. But, in the end, even the bad turns into the good."

 (Kindle Locations 3153-3155)

"Death captures the dying, but sorrow steals from those left behind,"

 (Kindle Location 3493) 

I have a hard time regretting the decision that brought me here. He was my fate. He is my destiny.

 (Kindle Locations 4625-4626)

I give this book a 4/5

If you want to own it yourself on your Kindle here is the link:

SwOOoOn WorTHy Thursday..

I haven't done a swoon-worthy in a LOOOOONNNGGG time.. 

So I am going to do THREE swoon-worthy moments from the last three books I have read...

Swoon-Worthy Directions

• Grab your current/just read book 
• Turn to a swoon worthy moment
• Post it and make sure to provide details of where 
• Make sure to let everyone know what books it is from so they can enjoy it as WELL

Swoon-Worthy Moments:

Number One from 

Renee Carlino's Sweet Thing:

Share your words 

Share your music 

Share your love, your passion, your fears

Your hopes, and your dreams 

Share your precious heart 

Share your wild mind 

Share your special soul with me 

and I promise to 

give you all of mine.

 (Kindle Locations 3514-3516)

This was one of my favorite parts of the book.. It had me tearing up

Number Two from 

S.A. Rolls A Brand New Ending:

"I would have found you anyways, Seraph," 

I say into her ear. 

"We were meant for each other. You belong to me and you always will."

 (Kindle Locations 3605-3606)

Totally swooning my pants off 

Number Three from 

Beauty from Pain by Georgia Cates

I brush my fingers down her cheek. “You’re such a special person. You should always be treated like somebody.”

(Kindle Locations 2970-2971)

I CAN'T WAIT for the second book in this series.. I need more Jack Henry in my LIFE

True Love Story by Willow Aster

I really liked this book and here is why:

Description from Amazon:

Sparrow Fisher is transforming. No longer dressed up in antiquated clothes and ideals, she is finally trying on her freedom.

Before she moves to New York City, she meets Ian Sterling, a musician Sparrow has dreamed about since she first saw him. The attraction is instant, but their relationship isn't so simple.

Over a five year span, Sparrow and Ian run into each other in unusual places. Each time, Sparrow has to decide if she can trust him, if he feels the same for her, and finally, if love is really enough.

My Thoughts

This book takes place through 5 years and you are in present tense and then the author takes you back to memories of the love between the two characters before coming back to the present again at the end. 

In the beginning Sparrow and Ian are on a plane and you can tell while you are reading that they both still care about each other. You are wondering what happened to them and why are they not together anymore. 
This is when the author goes back to the past and this starts the love story of 
Sparrow and Ian

Sparrow is a preacher's daughter who has always lived by the rules and what other people wanted her to do. Her only saving grace was her best friend Tessa who would pull Sparrow out of her bubble and persuade her to enjoy life. 
Tessa and Sparrow end up going to college together in New York, which is the furthest place away from everything they know and are used too. 
This is where Sparrow tries to find herself, her style, and what she wants out of life now that she is not living under her strict parent's rules. 
Before leaving for college Sparrow meets a musician named Ian who turns her whole world and beliefs upside down. 
Ian is so hot and cold when it comes to Sparrow that she has a hard time thinking straight about whether or not he is actually into her.
After meeting Ian in California and not hearing from him the whole time she has been living in NY, they end up being in the same place while she is on vacation with her family. Yet again Sparrow is left wondering what Ian really thinks of her and her mind is left spinning, not knowing which way is up.
After a bunch of back and forth, they finally become a couple and it is a heart warming relationship, full of love, happiness, love-making, and passion... 
BUT things go horribly wrong and Sparrow is left heart broken. 
Ian tries to win her love back by writing her a letter almost every day, pouring his heart out to her in the letters and also in his music. You are left feeling so sorry for both of the characters and you are not sure whether to root for the relationship or feel they would be better apart. 

This book is so heart-breakingly honest. 
It shows what can happen between two people when they fall madly, truly, deeply, in love and then lies and betrayals take all of that love and throw it away, leaving behind a shattered heart and empty soul. 

If you have ever been in love and have had your heart broken you will understand this story.
It is a great read and I feel I can recommend it to everyone and feel as if you will like it as much or even more than I did. 

Here are some Snippets from the book:

"Your kisses didn't feel like friendship" "I'm sorry for that. Turns out I'm a bit of a kiss whore".
Page 132

"I've only wanted you, and you keep leaving me on the roller coaster by myself"
Page 149

"I can't... I can't be with you. I don't know how I'm gonna live without you. But I don't think I can live with you either. You have broken me.", my voice gives out. "I don't see how I can ever trust you again."
Page 324

"Tell me you don't still love me, Sparrow, and I won't touch you. Tell me you don't still need me, that your body doesn't still ache for mine. Tell me"
Page 368

I give this book a 4/5 



If you want to get it from Amazon go here:

TeAsEr TuEsDaY

I am a little late posting the Teaser for today because I was catching up on laundry from being in my reading cave this past weekend... So I am going to make the Teaser a little longer ;)...

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. 

Here is how this works:

• Grab your current read. 
• Open to a random page. 
• Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page, post the page number or location.
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so you do not ruin the book for others. 
• Make sure to add the title of the book and the author so others can enjoy the book as welll...
• Remember it is meant to TEASE not 

This teaser is from a new novel called

A Brand New Ending

By

S.A. Rolls

"Fairy tales are bullshit. There was no prince to rescue me. There was no spell to make the big bad wolf disappear. This was real life"

Location 2018

If you want to check this book out yourself here is the link from Amazon:

Sweet Thing (ARC)

I got the honor of reading this book for a review

and I thought this book was FABULOUS

Description of Sweet Thing:

Mia Kelly is a twenty-five-year-old walking Gap ad who thinks she has life figured out when her father’s sudden death uproots her from slow-paced Ann Arbor to New York City’s bustling East Village. There she discovers her father’s spirit for life and the legacy he left behind with the help of an old café, a few eccentric friends, and one charming musician.

Will Ryan is good-looking, poetic, spontaneous, and on the brink of fame when he meets Mia, his new landlord, muse, and personal heartbreaker.

A story of self-discovery and friendship, Sweet Thing shines light on the power of loving and letting go.

My Thoughts

As I sit here with my ear buds and music blasting in my ears, I think about how this author combined my two passions into one story; music and reading. 

This book is a story about a 25 year old named Mia who like everyone else that is going through life, is trying to decide how to live, and what she wants out of life.

In other words, she has no idea what she wants to be when she grows up.

She has a business degree but her passion lies in music. 

When her father has a heart attack her life is suddenly turned upside down 

She decides she is going  to continue her father's legacy and remain in charge of his cafe. 

While on the way to New York, she runs into a musician named Will and they end up hitting it off right away because of their shared love of music. 

The secondary characters that are in Mia's life were just as amazing and eclectic as she is and it added more character to the book, which kept me laughing and crying.

After a while Will ends up becoming Mia's roommate and she does everything she can to keep her heart and soul guarded but somehow Will kept breaking down those barriers.

This is where the frustration with the main character came into play and you are screaming at her for being so stupid and close minded. 

I really wanted to scream at her and I wanted to throw a five-year-old fit but I remained calm and kept reading.

I came out on the other side of this book happy, sad, emotional, and unsatisfied..I wanted NEEDED MORE!! 

 I felt after all that drama I needed the ending to be more complete OR I need a second book ;). 

Other than that, this book was awesome!! 

I have a feeling it is going to have great success because it is that amazing and the writing will speak for itself!!

If you want to read a cautionary tale about finding yourself, grieving, true love, best friends and the love of family then I suggest you read this book! 

You will laugh, cry, become frustrated, and be left wanting more!! 

Snippets from the book:

“Pops, will I have a metamorphosis?” 

“Of course, luv. We are ever changing, always learning, always evolving.”

                                                    (Kindle Locations 284-285)

"Tears had poured from her eyes without any change in her facial expression. It’s pure pain and pure surrender when your soul cries without any fight from your body and that’s how I knew she was deeply affected."

 (Kindle Locations 300-301)

“You have to teach your heart and mind how to sing together… then you’ll hear the sound of your soul.”

(Kindle Location 1233)

Kudos Renee Carlino for your debut novel, it was amazing and I was so glad I got to read it.

I give this book a 4.5/5 and I hope to read more from this author..

Buy it on April 16th when it is released!!! 

About the Author:

(Isn't she GORGEOUS?? So jealous)

Renee’s first friends were the imaginary kind and even though her characters haven’t gone away, thankfully the delusions have. She admits she’s a wildly hopeless romantic and she blames 80’s movies staring Molly Ringwald for that. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons, and their sweet dog June. When she’s not at the beach with her boys or working on the next book, she likes to spend her time reading, going to concerts, and eating dark chocolate.

Follow her on social media:

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Website

TeAsER TuESDaY...

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. 

Here is how this works:

• Grab your current read. 
• Open to a random page. 
• Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page, post the page number or location.
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so you do not ruin the book for others. 
• Make sure to add the title of the book and the author so others can enjoy the book as welll...
• Remember it is meant to TEASE not PLEASE 

This teaser is from Mystery Man by Kristen Ashley 

“Sweet Pea, the way you eat means you got tits and ass. This is good because I like tits and ass. This is bad because Tack and Lawson like ‘em just as much as me.”

Mystery Man (Dream Man) (Kindle Locations 1034-1035)

Nets and Lies by Katie Ashley

Net and Lies was one of those books that stayed with me long after I read it.

Description from Amazon: 

Always awkward in her 5’10 frame, Melanie Reeves finds her saving grace through basketball. Not only is she the varsity team captain, she’s the pride of Coach Thompson, who holds the keys to a college scholarship. Melanie has also found 'courtly' love with Will, Coach T's handsome, ball-playing son. When Melanie is on the court, everything is perfect....until she is forced to face an opponent who doesn't play by the rules.

Jordan Solano's power lies in her beauty and sex appeal. Never afraid of breaking the rules, she engages in a scandalous flirtation with the school's married basketball coach. But the flirtation quickly turns into accusation, and Coach T's job and reputation are placed in jeopardy after Jordan charges him with rape. Jordan's own reputation has the school administration unwilling to believe her. That is, until she makes a startling claim - she's not the only victim.

Suddenly, all eyes are on Melanie, and it isn't for her amazing free-throws. A man's job, a girl's reputation, and her boyfriend's entire world now rest in Melanie's hands. She has to decide: keep her secrets and protect her future, or put an end to the lies...and lose everything.

My Thoughts

The only two words that I can use to describe this book is:

Emotionally Heartfelt

Melanie is a typical high school student who is a star player on her basketball team along with her boyfriend Will. Mel's life was going great until something happens that ruins everything. She becomes stuck between doing the right thing and possibly ruining everything or keeping quiet and destroying her soul.

Her only saving grace is her boyfriend and she doesn't want to ruin their relationship but will he actually leave her after he finds out the truth about what Melanie is hiding?

Jordan is one of those promiscuous females that everyone likes to slander because of the way she acts and dresses. She is also having an affair with the coach of the girls basketball team but when he ends the relationship she decides to come up with a plan to destroy his career by claiming she was raped. Of course everyone calls her a liar because of the way she acts in general but what everyone doesn't know is that she told half truths.

Both girls have secrets, they both must decide on what to do with those secrets. They are both strong, likable characters that the readers can relate to and I like how the author gave us two separate POV's because it added strength to the story.

This story is full of inappropriate relationships, lies, cover-ups, redemption, forgiveness, truth, pain, love, and every other emotion you can imagine.

The only thing about this book that I did not like was that it could have been longer and some more details could have been added to make the story better but it was still a great story in general. 

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good tear-jerker and good story...

I give this book a 4/5 **** and here is the link to purchase on the Kindle: 

Wallbanger

I never knew a title of a book could be so literal.
I really enjoyed this book, it kept me entertained, and made me swoon

Description from Amazon: 

Caroline Reynolds has a fantastic new apartment in San Francisco, a Kitchen Aid mixer to die for, and no O (and we’re not talking Oprah here, folks). She has a flourishing design career, an office overlooking the bay, a killer zucchini bread recipe, and no O. She has Clive (the best cat ever), great friends, a great rack, and no O. Adding insult to O-less, she also has an oversexed neighbor with the loudest late-night wallbanging she’s ever heard. Every moan, spank, and—was that a meow?—punctuates the fact that not only is she losing sleep, she still has—yep, you guessed it—no O. Enter Simon Parker. When the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. Their late-night hallway encounter has…well…mixed results. Because with walls this thin, the tension’s gonna be thick. A delicious mix of silly and steamy, this is an irresistible tale of exasperation at first sight.

My Thoughts

Sexy, sweet, sassy, ahhhmazing.

This book was great and worth every minute I spent reading it. 

Caroline was a fun, sarcastic, horny interior designer who had a zest for life and a very promiscuous neighbor who kept her up late at night-Ahemm- banging on their shared wall. 

Which never helped her constant state of horniness because Caroline was on a long hiatus from having a magical thing called an orgasm 

(and not from lack of trying either). 

That is a lot for a woman to take!!

Simon (the infamous Wallbanger) was sexy, charming, sweet, sarcastic and a perfect match for Caroline. I loved their easy back and forth banter, even as friends they were hilarious towards one another. 

Their friendship/relationship between Simon and Caroline wasn't rushed, it was built up and I think that made it that much more sweeter. I hate rushed relationships and this was not one of them. 

The sexual tension was also built up between them and OH MY GOSH was it ever hot when they finally got down to business.. I thought the happy ending was a little much but hey I have never been on a O hiatus so maybe I would see stars and almost pass out as well ;)

The sex scenes were sexy but not erotic and it was a perfect combination of hot, sexy, and classy. 

Caroline's friends and boss were just as entertaining when they were around one another and they had me cracking up throughout the book, as well. 

I think if you want to read a book that is a combination of humor and sexy then this is the book for you. 

You will enjoy every minute of it!

Snippets from the book:

"I noticed the pictures in your apartment. When my pussy was chasing your Russian? Ring any bells?”

 Wallbanger (Kindle Location 1327)

He smiled that smile, and I sighed. I allowed myself a moment to indulge in a fantasy where I was then quickly flipped and ravaged to within an inch of my life, but I wisely got control of my inner whore.

 Wallbanger (Kindle Locations 2316-2318)

Simon does commando. God bless America.

Wallbanger (Kindle Location 3987).  

About the Author:

Novelist Alice Clayton makes her home in St. Louis where she enjoys gardening but not weeding, baking but not cleaning up after, and is trying desperately to get her long-time boyfriend to make her an honest woman--and please buy her a Bernese Mountain dog.

After working for years in the cosmetics industry as a makeup artist, esthetician, and educator, Alice picked up a pen (read laptop) for the first time at 33 to begin a new career: author. Having never written anything longer than a grocery list, she soon found writing to be the creative outlet she'd been missing since walking away from the theater 10 years before.

She has a great time combining her love of storytelling with a sense of silly, and she was shocked and awed to be nominated for a Goodreads Author award in 2010 for her debut novels, the first two installments of The Redhead Series--The Unidentified Redhead and The Redhead Revealed. Her latest novel Wallbanger is a return to her trademark comedic erotica, or funny smut, that Alice has become known for.

Additionally, Alice loves spending time with her besties on Not Your Mother's Podcast (check them out on iTunes) and has recently partnered with actor Greg Grunberg, blogger Brittany Gibbons, and actress Keili Lefkovitz on a new travel show that will begin filming in January.

Alice enjoys pickles, Bloody Marys, eight hours of sleep and a good pounding.

Follow Alice on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alice_clayton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAliceClayton?fref=ts

Website: http://aliceclayton.com/

I give this book 4.5/5 stars and if you want to get it for your Kindle go here:

Happy Travis Maddox day..a quick giveaway

If any of you have not bought and read Walking Disaster yet then you might want to pay attention.. 

I am giving away an ebook copy of Walking Disaster... 

You have just 2 days to enter!!  

Good Luck and the winner will be notified by e-mail.. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway