A woman with a big heart and troubled teens... House Without Lies by Rachel Branton (Review)

House Without Lies

(Lily's House #1)
by Rachel Branton

Adult Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 266 Pages

January 12th 2016 by White Star Press

Summary

Her Dream Didn’t Include Falling in Love

Lily has a dream, a dream of a big house without lies, a place of refuge for runaway girls. She knows what it’s like to grow up feeling unloved, and she now fills every space in her tiny apartment with endangered teens. They don’t have everything they need, but together they have enough.

Or so she thinks—until she meets Jameson and glimpses the mysterious something between them that just might mean real love.

Jameson, who works as a teen counselor, believes the only way Lily can really help the girls is by certifying as a foster parent and going through the system. But becoming legitimate may mean losing some of the girls to the families who threw them away, and Lily hasn’t worked hard to save the teens only to abandon them now.

It seems Jameson will be one more entry on the very long list of things Lily has given up for the girls. What other choice is there when she is all they have?

When two of the teens’ fathers come looking for them, and another one’s mother plans to put her daughter in danger, Lily’s life spins out of control. They need a new home—and fast. A safe place. A house without lies.

Editorial note: House Without Lies is a clean, contemporary romance with a satisfying ending (no cliffhanger). There are currently two sequels that tell the stories of other characters connected with Lily’s House: Tell Me No Lies and Your Eyes Don’t Lie. Another novel and several novellas are in the works.

   

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Enter to win a YA book of choice for the Children's Book Week Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to my giveaway for the Children's Book Week Giveaway Hop,

hosted by yours truly. :) You can still join by May 2nd here as the giveaway doesn't officially start until then (so most giveaways in the linky below are not live yet). You can also enter my other Children's Book Week giveaway for a choice of a May release here.

About Children's Book Week

Children’s Book Week is the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading.

Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. Every year, commemorative events are held nationwide at schools, libraries, bookstores, homes – wherever young readers and books connect!

For more information visit: http://www.bookweekonline.com.

One lucky winner will get to choose a YA book of his/her choice (up to $15 USD). If you need some help choosing, here are a few possibilities:

   

   

Must be eligible for free shipping via the Book Depository (if outside the continental US). You must be at least 13 years old to enter and have parental permission if under 18. Please ensure that you correctly enter your email (and check your junk mail folder if I'm not on your contact list) so that I have a way to contact you. You can read my giveaway policy on my policies page. Void where prohibited by law. Enter via the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out all the giveaways here:

Good luck!

Celebrate Children's Book Week Giveaway Hop

Welcome to my giveaway for Children's Book Week (the first of two - see my other giveaway for a YA book of choice here), hosted by BookHounds! For this one I'm letting the winner pick a MG or YA May release. Here are some suggestions:

Must be eligible for free shipping through Book Depository or Amazon. Must be at least 13 years old to enter and have parental permission if under 18. Please ensure that you correctly enter your email (and check your junk mail folder if I'm not on your contact list) so that I have a way to contact you. You can read my giveaway policy on my policies page. Void where prohibited by law. Enter via the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget to check out the other stops:


Good luck!

The Little Mermaid by Jenni James (Blog Tour Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway)

I reviewed Jack and the Beanstalk last week for this tour (see my review here) and this week I'm reviewing The Little Mermaid. Check out what I thought, an excerpt, the rest of the series, and enter the giveaway below...

The Little Mermaid

(Faerie Tale Collection #11)
by Jenni James

YA Fantasy, Fairy Tale

Paperback & ebook, 154 Pages

August 1st 2014 by StoneHouse Ink

Summary

Is grass truly greener than ocean blue? 

Pearl has always dreamed of visiting the land of humans, to walk with them, eat with them, and learn everything she can from them. But no one in the North Seas agrees with her. In fact, they are all convinced that the landfolk are a dangerous, scary group of people who would harm the mermaid if they could. 

Keel, the great merprince of the North Seas, has never loved anyone as much as he loves Pearl. He knows of her fascination with mankind and realizes she will never be truly settled until she has walked among the humans. So he finally relents, giving her a potion to grow legs of her own so she can experience the world above the water. He vows to come on land and protect her, as he doesn’t trust humans and never will. 

Join us in this unique twist of a tale about a princess determined to find a world and life better than her own, and the prince who is willing to risk it all to guarantee that she finds her own happiness.

  

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Enter the giveaway and check out the cover for Scepter of Fire by Vicki L. Weavil (Month9Books Friday Reveal) #FridayReveals #Month9Squad #Month9Books

Today Vicki L. Weavil and Month9Books are revealing the cover for

Scepter of Fire

Coming October 18th 2016 from Month9Books.

Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to be one of the first readers to receive an eGalley!!

Note from the Author...

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Ugly Duckling” and “The Steadfast Tin Soldier,” SCEPTER OF FIRE is a companion book to CROWN OF ICE, my retelling of “The Snow Queen.” It takes place a few years later, in the midst of an invasion by a power-mad foreign emperor, and includes most of the characters from CROWN OF ICE.

However the protagonist in SCEPTER OF FIRE is someone new—17yo Varna Lund, an ugly duckling among swans, who’s certain her destiny lies in taking on the mantle of village healer after the death of her aged mentor. But when a young soldier enlists her aid to care for his injured friend, Varna and her sister, Gerda, are catapulted into the war that has engulfed their country.

Forced to flee enemy troops with her sister and the two soldiers, Varna must also evade her mentor, Sten Rask—revealed to be a powerful mage seeking the enchanted mirror hidden by a former Snow Queen.

To protect the mirror, and their country, Varna, Gerda, and the soldiers join forces with a sorceress, an enchanted reindeer, a brilliant scholar, and a young woman traveling with a wolf. But Varna faces a terrible temptation. Promised beauty and power by the devilishly handsome Rask, she must choose—achieve her own desires, or protect a society that has never embraced her.

The Cover:

I love how this cover matches the cover of CROWN OF ICE, and yet is different enough to set the books apart. Both feature striking young women, but whereas CROWN is glazed with icy blue tones, SCEPTER is saturated with reds, golds and other fiery hues. If you look closely, you can even see flames reflected in the girl’s eyes—very appropriate for a book that deals with sorcerers who wield fire. Although the cover model is not an “ugly duckling,” she does accurately reflect the protagonist during one portion of the book, which I will not reveal at this point due to “spoilers”!

—Vicki

A YA contemporary you should read... I'll Be Yours by Jenny B. Jones (Review)

I love Jenny B. Jones. Love her! She is one of my all-time favorite authors, so, I jumped at the chance to get to read her newest, a general YA contemporary. She normally writes inspirational fiction, but she's a fantastic writer and I knew no matter the genre that I would love it. Check out my thoughts below...

I'll Be Yours

by Jenny B. Jones

YA Contemporary

Paperback & ebook, 314 Pages

March 22nd 2016 by Sweet Pea Productions

Summary

She's the coach's brilliant daughter, clueless about love. He's the dethroned football star, ready to teach Romance 101. When dark secrets and sparks collide, there's no playbook for what happens next.

If life were a nerd parade, sixteen-year-old Harper O'Malley would be its grand marshal. This trumpet player's got a laundry list of accomplishments to her credit, but none of them include snagging a boyfriend. When a new guy finally catches Harper's eye, she'll stop at nothing to win his heart, even if it means asking for assistance from an unlikely source.

High school senior Ridley Estes's future depends on playing football for the University of Southern Kentucky. When his past catches up with him, Ridley will need more than just a scholarship to get his ticket to college. He needs the kind of help only a brainiac like Harper can provide.

Harper knows she's insane to agree to tutor Ridley in exchange for love lessons, but these are desperate times. Just when she sees promise with her crush, a national scandal rocks the SEC, and no one is safe from the fallout. Harper's family implodes from the aftershocks, dredging up devastating memories she'd rather keep buried.

Harper suddenly has everything to lose--her family, friends, and even her heart. Who can she trust? When the dust of the scandal settles, nothing will be the same. Including the girl who asked the most popular jock to teach her about love.

Award-winning author Jenny B. Jones returns to YA with a sweet, funny novel about first love and the power of letting go.

  

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Check out this spooky, but fun cover... McGrave's Hotel by Steve Bryant (Cover Reveal & Giveaway) @chapterxchapter @month9books @SteveBryant52

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

McGrave's Hotel by Steve Bryant

Coming October 4th 2016 from Month9Books.

An emotionally charged read... Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake (Blog Tour Review & Giveaway)

This was such a bittersweet read! Check out my full review and enter the giveaway below...

Suffer Love

by Ashley Herring Blake

YA Contemporary

Hardcover & ebook, 352 Pages

May 3rd 2016 by HMH Books for Young Readers

Summary

Hadley St. Clair's life changed the day she came home to a front door covered in slips of paper, each of them revealing the ugly truth about her father. Now as her family falls apart in the wake of his year-long affair, Hadley wants everyone-her dad most of all-to leave her alone.

Then she meets Sam Bennett, a cute new boy who inexplicably "feels like home" to Hadley. Hadley and Sam's connection is undeniable, but Sam has a secret about his family that could ruin everything.

Funny and passionate, Suffer Love is a story about first love, family dysfunction, and the fickle hand of fate.

 

  

(Affiliate links included.)

Happy release to... The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver (Blitz & Giveaway)

Happy release for The Secrets We Keep! Check it and the giveaway out below...

The Secrets We Keep

by Trisha Leaver

YA Contemporary

Hardcover & ebook, 304 Pages

April 28th 2015 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Summary

Twin sisters. A fatal accident. A devastating lie. Which girl survived?

"A girl takes over her twin sister's identity in this emotionally charged page-turner about the complicated bond between sisters."

Ella and Maddy Lawton are identical twins. Ella has spent her high school years living in popular Maddy's shadows, but she has never been envious of Maddy. In fact, she's chosen the quiet, safe confines of her sketchbook over the constant battle for attention that has defined Maddy's world.

When--after a heated argument--Maddy and Ella get into a tragic accident that leaves Maddy dead, Ella wakes up in the hospital surrounded by loved ones who believe she is Maddy. Feeling responsible for Maddy's death and everyone's grief, Ella makes a split-second decision to pretend to be Maddy. And everyone believes her. Caught in a web of lies, Ella is faced with two options--confess her deception and risk devastating those who loved Maddy, or give up her own dreams and live her sister's life.

  

  

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Praise for the Book

"Leaver's brilliant novel is the high school version of What Happened to Janie? The compelling premise will attract readers and the strong characterization will keep them enthralled." -VOYA, STARRED REVIEW

“Leaver's story is certainly entertaining and intriguing. VERDICT This should be a primary purchase for any library with patrons who love melodramatic mysteries and romance.” SLJ, STARRED AUDIO REVIEW

"Trisha Leaver crafts a powerful and haunting novel that will keep you up long after you read the last page. Full of twists and turns and FEELS, this book questions how far a person will go for her family . . . even if it means losing herself." - Lynne Matson, author of NIL