Blog Tour - Review: Impossible (With Me #1) by Komal Lewis

 

 Source: Received a copy to participate in a blog tour for the book and give an honest review.

Release Date: Already Released.
Number of Pages: 254 (paperback)

(Goodreads Link.)

Buy Links: Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle) | Smashwords

Blurb from Goodreads:

Ashton Summers is on her way to becoming the most popular girl in school and nothing—or no one—is going to stand in her way. Especially not Luca Byron, her freak neighbor, with his tattoos, loud music, and distracting green eyes.

Luca Byron has three goals in life: get through high school with a low profile, make sure his garage band becomes something more than a hobby, and try to forget about his insufferable ex-best friend, Ashton, who he can’t get out of his mind.

The last thing Ashton and Luca want to do is rekindle their friendship, but when Ashton takes a tumble down the social ladder, Luca—with his new makeover—is the only one who can help her rise up again by pretending to be her boyfriend. At first, being together is unbearable and annoying, but things start to change as Ashton and Luca discover the real reasons they drifted apart seven years ago.

Now, keeping their hands off each other seems impossible.

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Impossible was a quick read for me, and I enjoyed it. :)

While I did enjoy Impossible, there were a couple of things that I think could've been done differently. First, I would have preferred that this book had been written in third person rather than first. I felt that first person made both Luca and Ashton seem very shallow, and it made it harder to like them...especially Ashton. Second, I wish that the topic of bullying had been handled better. Ashton was a horrible bully at the beginning of this book, and she never really realized how wrong it was. Her change from mean girl to nice girl was so sudden that you didn't even get to see her realize the mistakes she'd made. I wish that the author had paid more attention to that, and made Ashton's realization that things were wrong more noticeable because it was really glossed over.

The thing I enjoyed about this book was the rekindled friendship between Luca and Ashton. I loved getting to see them become friends again and to see them heal the wounds that they had from their past when their friendship first ended. I do wish that we'd gotten more focus on emotions rather than their sexual attraction for one another though....the focus on their attraction just kind of made their relationship seem a bit shallow. I did really enjoy their relationships with their families though. Both of their mothers were kind of absorbed in their own problems, but I really liked that Ashton and Luca were both close to their moms, and I loved Ash's relationship with her little brother, Blake. :D

Ashton was a horrible character at the beginning, and I didn't really like that at all...I'm not a fan of bullies, and I find it hard to sympathize with them. I did like Ash by the end of the story though, but I wish that she'd had some actual substance in her thoughts from the beginning. That would have made her transition into someone nice much more believable, but I did still enjoy her near the end. :) Luca was definitely the more enjoyable character out of the two. He was funny, and was so passionate about his music. :) He was definitely a flawed character, too, and I wasn't too happy with him at the end, but Ash took one for the team and was the mature one in their relationship at the end. :P

Overall, it was a short, quick read, and I did like it. I liked seeing the main characters' change and getting to see them bond with one another. As I mentioned, there were a few things I think could've been improved, but it was a good story when you just want something quick to read. The bigger issues aren't really dwelt on, so it works as a light read, too. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes characters that are very different, but fall for each other anyway...and if you're a fan of romances coming out of rekindled friendships you'll probably enjoy this one.

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To follow the rest of the Romantic Maidens Blog Tour for Impossible see the tour page HERE.

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Enter the tourwide giveaway for Impossible with the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Has anyone else read this one? Thoughts??
As I mentioned, I wish this one had been in third person rather than first person, so do you have a preferred perspective while reading?

Impossible Blog Tour: Top 10 List & Giveaway!

Komal Kant: I’m going to hand these Top 5 Lists over to my characters, Luca and Ashton because they are so much more capable of coming up with the lists than I am. I warned them to keep things PG-rated so I hope they listened to me for once.

‘Ways to Climb the Social Ladder in High School’ by Ashton Summers

Ashton: I’m not much of a social climber these days, but in the past the following tips have worked for me somewhat. I only say “somewhat” because if you’ve read Impossible, you’ll know all about my disastrous plummet to the bottom of the high school food chain. So, maybe I’m not the best person to be taking advice from…

1. Make sure you are dating the hottest guy in school A.K.A. Oliver Carson from the football team.

2. Ensure that you are dressed in the latest clothes. If you can’t afford them, cheap rip-offs will do. Or you could always raid your Mom’s wardrobe and call your outfit “vintage”.

3. Have a lot of popular friends. There’s nothing that says “social climber” like mingling with the popular kids.

4. Practice your smile. Everyone knows there’s nothing more attractive than a nice smile. Make sure your smile isn’t creepy or evil-looking. Don’t use too much teeth either!

5. Double check for spinach or lettuce in your teeth before you flash your crush the smile you’ve been practicing for hours. Remember, social climber, not social suicide!

‘Ways to Keep a Low Profile in High School’ by Luca Byron

Luca: I’m not the greatest at keeping a low profile in high school. Actually, I think the problem was that I stood out a bit TOO much. Still, if I wanted to keep a low profile, these are the things I’d try. Obviously, girls can’t try number 3, so we’ll have to figure out the female equivalent to it. Fake beard, maybe?

1. Buy a baseball cap. Wear it low. Use it to cover your face.

2. Grow your hair long. Wear it down. Use it to cover your face.

3. Grow a beard. Use it to cover your face. P.S. Remember to trim your beard.

4. Invest in an iPod and earphones. Put in your earphones, turn up the music (preferably Black Sabbath or Nirvana) and drown out the sounds around you.

5. Practice how to blend into the surroundings so you don’t stand out. Wearing a camouflage outfit can also help.

Warning: Make sure you don’t go all out with your outfit. You don’t want females thinking you are a “man in uniform” because then you WILL get attention.

If you'd like to get your own copy of Impossible, you can use these links:

Buy Links: Amazon (Paperback) | Amazon (Kindle) | Smashwords

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To enter the tourwide giveaway of Impossible fill out the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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I hope you've enjoyed this Top 10 list as much as I did. :D

Leave your thoughts in a comment below, and good luck if you've entered the giveaway! :D

Review: Georgetown Academy - Book 1 by Alyssa Embree Schwartz and Jessica Koosed Etting

 

 Source: Received a review copy from the publisher for an honest review.

Publisher: Coliloquy, LLC

Release Date: Already Released.
For more information visit: Coliloquy - Georgetown Academy.
Purchase Links: Amazon | Nook | Google Play Store

(Goodreads Link.)

Blurb from Goodreads:

It’s the beginning of a new political administration. That might not mean much at most high schools, but at Georgetown Academy, Washington D.C.’s most elite prep school, January 20th means new alliances, new flings, and new places to party.

While freshmen—nicknamed “interns” for their willingness to jump into bed with anyone higher on the D.C. totem pole—navigate the not-so-friendly halls of GA searching for Algebra and Bio classes, the school’s lifers have other things on their minds.

For self-proclaimed D.C. royalty Brinley Madison (of those Madisons), the first day of school is all about establishing the social hierarchy and playing the part of perfect political wife to her boyfriend, the outgoing Vice President’s son. Too bad he has a wandering eye that puts Bill Clinton’s to shame. Can she keep him, and her own secret vice, in check?

Ellie Walker, Brinley’s best friend, floats through the halls on the arm of golden boy Hunter McKnight (the JFK of GA). But when her ex-boyfriend, Gabe, returns to town and her Senator mother’s political nemesis is reelected, Ellie’s life starts to snowball out of control.

Shy, quiet Evan Hartnett is more into books than beer, and her closet is full of t-shirts and jeans instead of Jason Wu and Jimmy Choo. No one’s ever really noticed her—but she’s been noticing them. When her star rises as an intern at D.C.’s most-watched political news show, she soon finds the two worlds colliding in ways that make her question what’s secret and what’s fair game.

New girl Taryn Reyes is all laid-back, California cool; with a father who’s in line to be the first Hispanic president, she’s ready to dive into the D.C. scene with an open mind. But when her fellow students turn out to be more interested in spreading rumors than making friends, she realizes that forging a drama-free path might be a lot harder than she thinks.

With so many new friends and former flames in the mix, things are bound to get a little heated. And while diplomatic immunity might keep the cops away, there’s not much it can do about the press.
In a town where one teenage misstep can turn into a national scandal, the students at Georgetown Academy will have to be on their best behavior—or, at least, they’ll have to make the world believe that they are.

Because there’s only one rule: whatever you do, don’t get caught.

What’s Cool from Coliloquy:
As the party scene at Georgetown Academy gets under way, authors Alyssa and Jessica let readers decide which of the main girls to follow. You’ll see scandalous behavior, unexpected liaisons, and secret betrayals…all giving you a different perspective as events unfold.

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This is the second series that I have started reading from Coliloquy and I really enjoyed it! :D I loved that you get to choose which character you follow, too....especially since in the case of the four main characters there were a few I really didn't want to follow as much. :P

I loved that each main character has their own introduction of sorts, and then the story broke off into a narrative where you could choose who you wanted to follow. Personally, I preferred Ellie and Taryn's parts. I just liked the characters more. I wasn't a huge fan of Evan or Brinley...but I did read them all, and I will admit that I liked that I got to see all of their sides to the story. It made it really interesting when you compared all of their versions and could see how everything fit together! :D

Along with the characters, I enjoyed the story itself. Since the US just had their election, I thought that it was a nice fit for the time, and it made me more interested in following politics. Although for me, I'd be focusing more on Canadian politics. ;)

One of the biggest things I enjoyed in Georgetown Academy was the parallel between High School and the political world in this book. You see how scandals get blown out of proportion just like gossip in High School, and how the politicians and their scandals gets talked about in the media, just like it would be talked about by students in school. It's contrasted even more when you think about the fact that the students at Georgetown Academy happen to be the children of politicians (for the most part anyway) themselves, so it's like they have this kind of media and peer pressure coming at them from all sides. It put things in a really interesting perspective for me and I really enjoyed that. :)

I had a blast reading this book, and I'd recommend Georgetown Academy to fans of contemporary YA who are looking for something a little different. Not only is the interactive aspect of the story interesting, but so is the subject matter. I don't know about you all, but this was the first book that I've read where it combined High School drama with actual politics, and I thought that was pretty neat. :D

Stay tuned for an awesome promo post for Georgetown Academy where you get to know a few of the characters better, that I have coming up soon! :D

Twitter: Coliloquy

What do you think of Coliloquy's interactive stories?
Have you read any yet? If you haven't, do you want to?
What do you think about Georgetown Academy? Does it sound like a series you'd like to try?
Any other thoughts?

Cover Reveal: Rise of the Magi (A Lila Gray Novel #3) by Jocelyn Adams

Rise of the Magi 

A Lila Gray Novel #3

by Jocelyn Adams

Release Date: June 4, 2013

Target Reader: Adult

Keywords: Fantasy, Fairy

Back of the Book

In a battle of wills, who is strongest? The one who hates or the one who loves? 

In a test of faith, who will fight the hardest? The one who has everything to lose or the one who believes only in herself? 

For Lila Gray, the answer is both. 

For the Magi, the questions are pointless since they can’t lose, and they’ve been waiting since before Lila’s birth for this one moment. 

 Lila only needs to find them to understand her entire purpose in life. 

This time, though, instead of protecting her people, Lila may be leading them all, including her unborn child and the man she loves, to their deaths — and not by accident. 

In the ultimate trial of heart and soul, and the conclusion to the Lila Gray series, Lila will learn that the greatest weapon of war is herself, with one ultimate unknown. 

For which side will she fight?

URL: http://www.jtaylorpublishing.com/books/28

Other Books in this series include:

The Glass Man (#1)

Into the Unknown Anthology - Tempted (#1.5)

Shadowborn (#2)

Goodreads Links:

The Glass Man (#1)
Into the Unknown Anthology - Tempted (#1.5)
 Shadowborn (#2)
 Rise of the Magi (#3)

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I just read the last book before this one last month, and I really enjoyed it! I can't wait to read this one. :)

I'm not really sure how I feel about this cover though. It kind of reminds me of the creepy little seaweed type creatures that the mermaids and such became in The Little Mermaid after they didn't succeed in their bargains. It does seem to represent the story though...but I won't tell you how because I don't want to spoil you. :) It definitely has the dark feel that fits with the other books, especially Shadowborn.

What do you think??

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (87)

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, is a bookish meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. So hop on over to Journey and join in...and leave a comment here so I can check out what you are reading.

So...I meant to post this earlier after I finished my tutoring sessions for the day, but I got distracted by homework (fun *not*), and the episodes of The Neighbors that I had on my DVR (hilarious btw!), but I've got it finished now, so here's my Monday post!

Books I Read Last Week:

• Finale (Hush, Hush #4) by Becca Fitzpatrick

After Rola and Leanne from the Edmonton Book Bloggers both didn't like this one...and it finally came in my mailbox, I just had to rush and finish it. And I actually really enjoyed it! I didn't love it as much as Silence, which was definitely my favourite in the series, but I did really like it. :) I liked seeing Nora taking control and getting to prove to Patch that he didn't need to always protect her. And while I definitely could've used more Patch and Nora, Patch's last words in the book definitely sated me a bit...plus, he series had some sweet lines in this book, and he made me go all "Awwwww" and *swoon* repeatedly. ;) All in all, I was definitely satisfied with how this series ended, and I plan to reread the saga in its entirely when I get the chance...although with my TBR pile I have no clue when that will be. ;) haha

• Crewel (Crewel World #1) by Gennifer Albin

I was going to read this one with my buddy Zoe from In the Next Room, but November's a busy time for her (she's doing NaNoWriMo), so she had to bail on me! But, we're going to chat about it once she gets the chance to read it, so I'm satisfied. :) Plus, I totally devoured this book, and loved it! :D I'm telling you all right now if you can get your hands on this book...do so! It's amazing!!! :D Hopefully I'll get a review up sometime soon, but I have a few on the back burner, so those must go up first. ;)

Reading Now:

• We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

So, I started We last week, and I'm liking it so far. :) I kind of got a bit distracted with Hallowe'en and put it down for a bit, but hopefully I'll have it done by next Monday. :)

Books I Want to Read This Week:

• Georgetown Academy: Book One by Alyssa Embree Schwartz, and Jessica Koosed Etting

Another one from Coliloquy, and I'm excited for this one. It sounds really interesting, and like it'll be a fitting book to read with all of the US Election stuff surrounding me...although being Canadian, I have to admit, I'm not really following it. I do find it interesting to see how the US political system runs compared to ours though. :D

And what are you reading???

Check out One Person's Journey Through a World of Books to see what other people are reading. :)

Stacking the Shelves (15)

Stacking the Shelves is Tynga's Reviews' version of In My Mailbox (from The Story Siren and inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie).

Stacking the Shelves is a way to share the books that you're adding to your physical and virtual bookshelves. It's easy to participate. You just make your own post, and link it to the main post over at Tynga's Reviews. Also, in case you're curious, Tynga's post for it goes up on Saturdays, but you can post it any day that you like. :) You can find out more about participating by reading the Stacking the Shelves Launch post.

So, here's what I got this week!

For Review:

The Bronte Sisters: The Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne by Catherine Reef (Thomas Allen and Sons)
Will Sparrow's Road by Karen Cushman (Thomas Allen and Sons)
Perry's Killer Playlist (Perry and Gobi #1) by Job Schreiber (Thomas Allen and Sons)
Blind Spot by Laura Ellen (Thomas Allen and Sons, and Aylee at Recovering Potter Addict --- 2 copies)
Impossible (With Me Series #1) by Komal Lewis (Romantic Maidens Book Tours)
The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater (Scholastic Canada)

I'm really excited for Impossible! :D And I still can't wait to read The Raven Boys. I'm also hoping that I'll like Blind Spot...especially since now I have 2 copies. :P

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Bought:

Finale (Hush Hush #4) by Becca Fitzpatrick
Dark Star by Bethany Frenette
Caught on Camera by Kim Law
Every Breath She Takes by Norah Wilson
Beauty and the Werewolf (Five Hundred Kingdoms #6) by Mercedes Lackey

Finale finally came in! :D Hopefully I like it since 2 of my fellow Edmonton Book Bloggers hated it. :P I'm also really excited that my pre-order of Dark Star showed up!!! :D And yay for some Kindle Deals!!! :D

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So, those are the books I got this week? What did you get?
Feel free to leave a link to your Mailbox, STS, or other post in the comments. :)