Solving For Ex Blog Tour: Dream Cast and Tour Giveaway! #DreamCast #Giveaway

What better day to host the lovely Leigh Ann Kopans, author of Solving For Ex, on my blog than Valentine's Day, right?! 

Today, Leigh Ann is sharing her awesome dream cast for the book with us, and I'm sure you're eager to see it, so here it is:

Hi Ambur! Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog today to celebrate the release of Solving for Ex! I’m so happy you asked me to do a Dream Cast post, because I LOVE to write using pictures as inspiration. 

So here we go!

I’ll introduce you to my main character first: Ashley. She’s one of those girls that has never thought she’s anything special to look at because she wasn’t popular, she was a math geek, and she has freckles. But in this book, the hottest boy at school is after her. Can you see why?

 (Meaghan Martin as Ashley)

Next up! The boy-next-door, best friend crush. Brendan is one of those guys who has a particular type of hotness that some girls see and some girls might not be able to. What do you think???

 (David Henrie as Brendan)

So that brings us to the hot new girl who tries to steal Brendan away. (Incidentally, I’m working on a followup book that’s all about her, that necessitates me writing about her without makeup. BIG difference.)

 (Victoria Justice as Sofia)

And last but not least, Sofia’s twin brother, Vincent – the cutest boy at school, who wants nothing more than a date – and more – with Ashley. Every girl on two legs thinks he’s dreamy, and half the guys to boot. What do you think?

 

 (Lucas Till as Vincent)

Cover by Hafsah Laziaf of Icey Designs

Summary of Solving for Ex  

 

1 crush on your best friend +
1 gorgeous, scheming new girl +
1 Mathletics competition =
1 big mess

SIMPLIFY.

Ashley Price doesn’t have much in life after being bullied so hard she had to leave her old school to live with her aunt and uncle in Pittsburgh. But the camera she borrowed from her best friend and secret crush Brendan, and her off the charts math abilities, make things a lot more bearable. Plus, since Brendan is the captain, making the school Mathletes team should be easy.

But when gorgeous new girl Sofia rolls in and steals Brendan, Ashley's place on the team, and her fragile foothold on the Mansfield Park Prep social totem pole, it’s on. Sofia is everything Ashley left her old school to escape. The only thing Ashley didn’t count on is Sofia’s sexy twin brother Vincent.

Vincent is not only the hottest boy in school, he’s charming, sweet, and he’s got his eye on Ashley. He’s also not taking no for an answer. There's no real reason Ashley shouldn't like Vincent, but with the battle lines being drawn between her and Sofia, Ashley’s not sure which side he’s on. Or which side she wants him to be on.

She does know Sofia is trouble with a capital T, and she’s determined to make Brendan see it.

SOLVING FOR EX is a YA contemporary romance that remixes Mansfield Park as Clueless meets Mean Girls in a crazy mix of high school society, mathletic competition, and teenage romance.

Solving for Ex on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18207105-solving-for-ex

Leigh Ann Kopan's Biography

Raised on comic books and classic novels, Leigh Ann developed an early love of science fiction and literature.  As an adult, she rediscovered her love for not only reading, but also writing the types of fiction that enchanted her as a teen.  Solving for Ex was born of her love for Jane Austen’s classics, and how they taught her that love stories could be funny and wickedly smart.

Leigh Ann, her husband, and four children live in Columbus, Ohio. When she’s not immersed in the world of fiction, you can find her obsessing over the latest superhero movie or using her kids as an excuse to go out for ice cream (again.)

Contact Links
Twitter: @LeighAnnKopans

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeighAnnKopansbooks

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6439443.LeighAnn_Kopans

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/leighannkopans/

Email: LeighAnnKopans@gmail.com

 Here are some awesome teasers for you (you can click to make them bigger :D):

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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TO ENTER FILL OUT THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW: 

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Ahhh, so I totally love Leigh Ann's picks!!! :D The girls are absolutely perfect!!! In fact, they're definitely all great matches for the characters...and I have to admit, I've had a total soft spot for Lucas Till ever since I saw him in X-Men: First Class. ;) And David Henrie is definitely geeky cute...although he's not quite as young as he is in that picture anymore. haha

What do you think?
Do you like Leigh Ann's Dream Cast?
And are you excited for Solving For Ex?

Review: Solving For Ex by Leigh Ann Kopans

Source: Received an ARC from the author for an honest review.
Release Date: Already released.
Number of Pages: 300 (Paperback)


Description from Goodreads:

1 crush on your best friend +
1 gorgeous, scheming new girl +
1 Mathletics competition =
1 big mess

SIMPLIFY.

Ashley Price doesn’t have much in life after being bullied so hard she had to leave her old school to live with her aunt and uncle in Pittsburgh. But the camera she borrowed from her best friend and secret crush Brendan, and her off the charts math abilities, make things a lot more bearable. Plus, since Brendan is the captain, making the school Mathletes team should be easy.

But when gorgeous new girl Sofia rolls in and steals Brendan, Ashley's place on the team, and her fragile foothold on the Mansfield Park Prep social totem pole, it’s on. Sofia is everything Ashley left her old school to escape. The only thing Ashley didn’t count on is Sofia’s sexy twin brother Vincent.

Vincent is not only the hottest boy in school, he’s charming, sweet, and he’s got his eye on Ashley. He’s also not taking no for an answer. There's no real reason Ashley shouldn't like Vincent, but with the battle lines being drawn between her and Sofia, Ashley’s not sure which side he’s on. Or which side she wants him to be on.

She does know Sofia is trouble with a capital T, and she’s determined to make Brendan see it.

SOLVING FOR EX is a YA contemporary romance that remixes Mansfield Park as Clueless meets Mean Girls in a crazy mix of high school society, mathletic competition, and teenage romance.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Leigh Ann Kopans's Biography

Raised on comic books and classic novels, Leigh Ann developed an early love of science fiction and literature.  As an adult, she rediscovered her love for not only reading, but also writing the types of fiction that enchanted her as a teen.  Solving for Ex was born of her love for Jane Austen’s classics, and how they taught her that love stories could be funny and wickedly smart.

Leigh Ann, her husband, and four children live in Columbus, Ohio. When she’s not immersed in the world of fiction, you can find her obsessing over the latest superhero movie or using her kids as an excuse to go out for ice cream (again.)

Contact Links
Twitter: @LeighAnnKopans

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeighAnnKopansbooks

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6439443.LeighAnn_Kopans

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/leighannkopans/

Email: LeighAnnKopans@gmail.com

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REVIEW

As soon as I heard about Solving for Ex, I couldn't wait to read it! I loved Leigh Ann Kopans's book One, so I was definitely eager to see her tackle contemporary...and she did it soooo well! :D Solving for Ex was an adorable contemporary that definitely reminds you just how dramatic high school can be. :)

I think my favourite part of Solving for Ex was the fact that the characters are totally geeky. Ashley and Brendan are both major math geeks, and I loved that! I don't really do any sort of math at all anymore, but I used to love it so much! I remember honestly having fun doing equations, so I can totally relate to Brendan and Ashley...and they actually made me miss math! haha

Along with the awesome geekiness in the story, I loved Ashley and Brendan's friendship...at least at the beginning of the book. Once Sofia and Vincent came along, everything kind of got a lot less awesome between Ashley and Brendan. I definitely loved all of the moments where we saw them fit back into the groove of their relationship though, and I totally loved Ashley. While I wished she stood up for herself more, I also understood why she didn't.

Before she came to Mansfield Park Prep, Ashley had a seriously rough time, and anyone would be feeling just as insecure as she was in the same situation. In that respect, I thought that Leigh Ann Kopans did an amazing job with the whole bullying side of the story. We don't see Ashley being bullied much anymore, but we do see just how seriously being bullied can affect someone, and I thought it was fantastic to see that in YA. It was a subtle way to increase awareness, and I really appreciated it...I wish more books that mention bullying handled it that way because it's not something that should just be brushed over. Bullying may not be the central part of Solving for Ex, but I definitely feel like its purpose in the story was very effective and handled well. Ashley definitely continues to be affected by her past, but she also moves past it, and it was amazing to see her grow, and finally learn to stand up for herself.

I loved Solving for Ex...and my only frustration was with the characters when they were just being dense. :P Like most teenagers, Ashley and Brendan were just totally blind to what was right in from of them. If they'd just spoken up sooner, they could've solved so many problems. I loved when they finally started to communicate better, and I just have to say that the ending of this one...it's a good one! It left me so super duper happy! I wish we'd gotten even more at the end, but at the same time, it was perfect! :D

Overall, I loved Solving for Ex. I thought it was a funny, sweet, and truly wonderful story. I'd recommend it to contemporary fans, especially if you like your main characters a little geeky, and if you enjoy when main characters learn to stand up for themselves. ;)

What do you think?
Does Solving for Ex sound like a story you'd like to read?
And if you've read it already, what did you think?

One Blog Tour: Leigh Ann Kopans' Dream Cast! (Tourwide Giveaway, too!)

Leigh Ann Kopans' Dream Cast for ONE!

Hi there! Thank you so much for having me over to the blog today! This is the first-ever dream cast post I’ve done, and I’m so excited. I’ve put the characters’ pictures, a little explanation of who I picked, and then the excerpt from ONE where their description appears.

Elias looks like Cameron Mitchell from the Glee Project.  And I LOVE those smoldering eyes!

“He is 100 percent generic looking. He could be anyone. Except for those eyes. I see his irises right through the thick lenses of his glasses — light brown sparked with streaks of green and flecks of blue. I have never seen so many colors in someone’s eyes before…

His jeans don’t have a single rip or fray, but they’re not pristine, either. His gray t-shirt hugs his waist, letting me see how thin he is. Even though he’s two heads taller than me at least, he probably doesn’t break 160 pounds.”

Merrin looks kind of like Alexis Bledel from the Gilmore Girls, except that her eyes are darker and grayer.

“All my features are slight, like my stature: a pixie nose, near-translucent skin with not even a freckle to decorate my cheeks, sparse eyebrows.

But my hair is the worst. The longer I let it grow, the more it tapers from thick brunette into dull, baby-fine ends, so I keep it short, at my shoulders. At least it waves instead of lying stick-straight. It’s as wispy as the clouds on a clear day.”

I have no idea who this girl is, but I think she’s ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. Just like Leni.

“She’s tall, with strawberry-blonde hair so brassy-bright it almost glows. Her skin is touched with gold and dotted with a thousand freckles.

She looks like the freaking sun itself blew kisses at her. She is the kind of girl that guys like Elias want to be with, always are with.”

That’s Avan Jogia. Daniel’s skin is a bit darker, but he’s looks just like Daniel otherwise. He’s done a couple TV shows, and he pops up here and there. J

“His hair is jet black, and his skin is the color of cinnamon mixed with coffee. His eyes are black, too, but they flash fiercely when they look at me.”

 Thanks so much, again, for having me! This has been so much fun. :)

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ONE Synopsis:

When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.

It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover.

If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.

Merrin's mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub's internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it's more important to fly solo, or to save everything - and everyone - she loves.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Leigh Ann Kopans:

Raised on comic books and classic novels, Leigh Ann developed an early love of science fiction and literature. As an adult, she rediscovered her love for not only reading, but also writing the types of fiction that enchanted her as a teen. Her debut novel, ONE, is about a girl with only half a superpower, the boy who makes her fly, and her struggle to make herself whole.
Leigh Ann, her husband, and four children live in Columbus, Ohio. When she’s not immersed in the world of fiction, you can find her obsessing over the latest superhero movie or using her kids as an excuse to go out for ice cream (again.)

Links:  Blog | Website | Author Facebook | Twitter
Novel Goodreads  | Author Goodreads

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TOURWIDE GIVEAWAY

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I'm not very good with making dream casts myself, but I definitely LOVE these choices, especially Elias! He's completely perfect, and the other three are amazing choices, too...I can totally picture them as the characters from ONE!

If you've read One already, does this Dream Cast fit how you see the characters?

And if you haven't read One, doesn't this Dream Cast make you want to read it? ;) haha