{Blog Tour} Review: Don't Fall by Rachel Schieffelbein

Title: Don't Fall

Author: Rachel Schieffelbein

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon

In this contemporary retelling of Rapunzel, seventeen-year-old Anya leads a secluded life in a house on the edge of town with her adopted mother. She doesn't go to public school, doesn't even have a best friend. But Anya doesn't seem to mind. She has her books, her photography, and her daydreams and would do anything to please her mom.
Until one day at the library, the only place Anya is allowed to go alone, she takes a picture of a beautiful boy. Before long she's lying to her mom, and sneaking out to meet Zander. But Zander wants more than a secret romance. If Anya wants to be with the boy of her dreams, she's going to have to risk her relationship with the only other person she's ever cared about.

A contemporary retelling of Rapunzel? Like, you guys should have already known I would be all over that. This was a very cute, romantic story that I enjoyed. I will say, that had I not been told it was Rapunzel, I'm not entirely sure I would have caught on (but then again, sometimes I'm just slow about these things). But since we do know that, I could definitely see the Rapunzel-esque elements that made up this story.

Anya lives with her adopted mother out on the edge of town. She isn't allowed to go anywhere, even having a tutor instead of going to school, except for the library. It's here that she meets Zander. Since her mother refuses to let her date (or have any kind of life), Anya can only see him on her library days, and they begin to date in secret. 

Anya did seem a bit childish at first, but I tried to remember that she has pretty much had no social interaction, her main goal being to try and please her mother. How her mother thought she could get away with hiding her away, especially after she became an adult, I'm not entirely sure. As Anya continues to meet Zander, she becomes more daring, acting out against her mother. She definitely could have made some more mature decisions, but when you've been literally locked away, I guess you can't help it. 

Zander was cute. He wasn't super swoon-worthy like I was hoping, but he was still plenty cute. He was willing to wait for Anya, and deal with her mother issues and baggage. It was a bit insta-lovey, but it was definitely cute and so sweet.  

I liked the dual perspective between Anya and Zander. Sometimes it doesn't work, but this time it did. It was nice to see things from both perspectives, especially with the whole crazy mother thing. The writing at times seemed a bit simple and didn't seem to flow well, but otherwise this was an easy read. 

I did enjoy the reimagining of this story. Even without telling me that it was a contemporary Rapunzel, this was a cute story. It was a light, fluffy read, perfect for a summer day. 

This review can also be found on   

Rachel Schieffelbein:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Rachel grew up in a tiny town in Minnesota. She still lives there, with her husband and their four kids. She coaches high school speech and theater, rides Arabian horses, reads as much as she can, and writes stories.

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{Blog Tour} Review: The Romeo Club by Rebekah L. Purdy

Title: The Romeo Club

Author: Rebekah L. Purdy

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

What happens when you agree to help your brother “de-nerdify” so he can catch the attention of the popular Chloe Anders, and to everyone's surprise, he actually lands her?
And what if his equally geeky friends come running with girl wish lists of their own, offering money for your services?
Well, if you’re sixteen-year-old, Delyla Denson, then you start The Romeo Club. A secret club where she’ll teach these guys how talk, act, and be cool around girls. It’s a win-win situation.
She’ll get enough money for the awesome prom dress she’s had her eye on, and the guys, well, they’ll get dates and maybe learn how to do something other than beat the next level on their video games.
There are only two problems with this plan. One, her quarterback/track star boyfriend is getting jealous of how much time she’s spending away from him and decides to try and figure out what’s going on. And two, Delyla is kind of falling for her brother’s BFF, Trey who she’s been hanging out with a lot more. And who thanks to her help, has caught the attention of the beautiful, perfect, and popular, Portia Rickard. With Portia and Trey heating up, Delyla realizes that maybe the person she’s meant to be with has been in front of her all this time.
But falling for Trey means she’ll have to take drastic measures including sabotage, with a capital S.

Guys. I just...I just loved this book. Seriously. It was so cute and fun and...I just loved it. 

Delyla is trying to figure out how to afford the prom dress of her dreams, when her brother asks for her help in giving him a makeover, so he can get the girl he likes to finally notice him. When his friends see that it actually worked, they enlist Delyla's expertise to help them as well. It's a perfect solution: the guys will finally get the girls they like to notice them, and Delyla earns money to get her prom dress. Until, you know, she realizes that's she's crushing on his best friend Trey. Hard. 

Not going to lie, the thing that probably won me over the most was the fact that her brothers and his friends were called (by Delyla,  at least) The Nerd Herd. Ummm how cool is that?? (Hello, blog title anyone) Someone else has a Nerd Herd too my friends aren't the only crazy ones whaaat. (I say my friends, I was the one who dubbed us that, never imagining it would stick. Um, it did.)

I loved the characters. Y'all already know that I love nerd characters. Delyla was most of a secret nerd, but she still was a nerd. (And I totally understand the AP class struggle, girl.) She was really realistic, and I felt like I could connect to her, relate to her. The Nerd Herd was adorable. Maybe because they reminded me of some of my guy friends from high school (sorry guys, but true), but they were so nerdy cute. In fact, I loved all the guys, just as much as Trey. (Okay, why didn't I have a guy friend like him in high school??)

Even more so than the romance though, one of my favorite parts about this book were the friendships. The banter, the teasing, the beating each other at video games. It was so realistic, and just fun. I mentioned while reading that this book just made me actually laugh out loud so many times. (Actually, at one point, I forgot I was in the living room and started cracking up at something and my mom was giving me weird looks but it's okay I'm used to it.) And again, maybe because it reminded me of my friends, but I think that just helped it be more realistic (as in yes, things like this actually happen). (Uh, the friendship aspect, not the romance aspect.)

The romance was super cute too (and I never say that). It was slightly frustrating in the sense that you just wanted to shake Delyla and Trey and say "why are you dating other people just date each other already". But, this also played out in a fun way. Delyla's attempts to sabotage Trey and Portia (with the help of her best friend Kenadi) were hilarious. (And the way the friends tricked them into finally talking to each other was just the BEST: 

"So how did they lure you in?" 

"[fantasy] Con tickets" 

"Nerd" 

"...And what did they tell you?" 

"Con tickets" 

"Bigger nerd." 

--taken from page 245/98% of eARC)

So, if you haven't guessed yet, this was a SUPER cute book, and I just loved it. And you should read it. Just do it. Do it for the Nerd Herd guys, if for no other reason.

This review can also be found on   

Rebekah L. Purdy

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Rebekah Purdy grew up in Michigan, where she spent many late nights armed with a good book and a flashlight. When not hiding at her computer and getting lost in her stories, she enjoys reading, singing, soccer, swimming, football, camping, playing video games and hanging out with her kids. She loves the unexplainable like Bigfoot, the Dogman, and the Loch Ness Monster (lots of good story material)! She admits to still having all the books she bought throughout her childhood and teen years, and she may or may not have an obsession with anything chocolate…

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{Blog Tour} Review: Twelve Steps by Veronica Bartles

Title: Twelve Steps

Author: Veronica Bartles

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Sixteen-year-old Andi is tired of being a second-class sibling to perfect sister Laina. The only thing Andi’s sure she has going for her is her awesome hair. And even that is eclipsed by Laina's perfect everything else.
When Andi’s crush asks her to fix him up with Laina, Andi decides enough is enough, and devises a twelve-step program to wrangle the spotlight away from Laina and get the guy. 
Step 1: Admit she’s powerless to change her perfect sister, and accept that her life really, really sucks. 
Step 4: Make a list of her good qualities. She MUST have more than just great hair, right?
Step 7: Demand attention for more than just the way she screws things up. 
When a stolen kiss from her crush ends in disaster, Andi realizes that her twelve-step program isn't working. Her prince isn't as charming as she'd hoped, and the spotlight she’s been trying to steal isn't the one she wants.
As Laina’s flawless facade begins to crumble, the sisters work together to find a spotlight big enough for both to shine.

This book was definitely a cute, fun read. I was intrigued by the synopsis, and it definitely didn't disappoint. I also was able to read it pretty fast, a bonus for me, because it means that it caught my attention and managed to entertain me.

Andi is the younger sister to absolutely perfect Laina. Nothing she does could ever measure up, so why bother? She has quickly adopted the airy, doesn't-have-a-care-in-the-world attitude, so that no one realizes how she really feels. Until the day Jarod, her long time crush, asks for her help in asking out Laina and Andi decides that it's about time she stepped out from her sister's shadow. 

I will say, I didn't quite get it. Andi complains all the time about how every guy fawns over Laina, she's always second best, Laina's gorgeous and smart, etc. Except, that's what all Andi's friends say about Andi too. And she's so busy acting like everything's perfect, that she fails to see that Laina is just acting too. Of course, this always happens with siblings (the grass is always greener), but there were some parts when it just got annoying because I couldn't figure out exactly what Andi was complaining about.

Other than that, though, I loved it. Andi was hilarious (when she wasn't whining). Actually, we have the same kind of humor, so I felt more connected with her (even though I'm the older sister, and she's the younger). Jarod was okay, although I didn't find him that swoony. I didn't really have any issues with Laina, other than to think Andi was being unfair, but I think I understood her more because she's the older sister too. And Dave... *swoons*. I just really liked him. 

I know, love triangles are the devil. And this book has TWO. But, they were actually bearable (surprising, I know). I think it helps that Dave knew Andi was in love with Jarod, and was just willing to be there for her until she figured it out. And Andi's sabotage plans definitely kept everything more interesting, with Laina's love triangle.

The only issue I had with the ending, is that I don't think Andi and Laina really came to understand each other as much as they could have/should have. I mean, yes, Andi finds out things about Laina, but I think it should have had more impact on the sisterly relationship. It all kind of just...happened, and then ended.

But other than that, I definitely loved this book. (The only unrealistic part was how well she brought up her failing biology grade. Impossible. Then again, apparently I just needed a Dave to make it better :P) It was definitely a fun, light read, and super cute.

This review can also be found on   

Veronica Bartles:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

As the second of eight children and the mother of four, Veronica Bartles is no stranger to the ups and downs of sibling relationships. (She was sandwiched between the gorgeous-and-insanely-popular older sister and the too-adorable-for-words younger sister.) She uses this insight to write stories about siblings who mostly love each other, even while they’re driving one another crazy. When she isn’t writing or getting lost in the pages of her newest favorite book, Veronica enjoys knitting fabulous bags and jewelry out of recycled plastic bags and old VHS tapes, sky diving (though she hasn’t actually tried that yet), and inventing the world’s most delectable cookie recipes. TWELVE STEPS is her first novel.

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{Cover Reveal} Don't Fall by Rachel Shieffelbein

Hey guys! Today, I'm here to help reveal the cover for Don't Fall by Rachel Schieffellbein! This story is pitched as a contemoporary retelling of Rapunzel, so I knew I had to share about it. But, this cover reveal is a little different. That is, there are MULTIPLE covers. And YOU get to help choose which one they pick. So, check out the covers below and vote for your favorite!

Title: Don't Fall

Author: Rachel Schieffelbein

Publisher: Swoon Romance

Release Date: 2014

Add to Goodreads

In which a teenage girl endures the over-protective love of her adoptive mother until she falls for a boy who has her wanting to spread her wings, pitched as a contemporary retelling of RAPUNZEL.
Seventeen-year-old Anya leads a very secluded life in a house on the edge of town with her adopted mother. She doesn't go to school, but instead has a private tutor. Her over-protective mom keeps her so sheltered that she doesn't even have a best friend. 
But Anya doesn't seem to mind. She has her books, her photography, and her daydreams, and would do anything to please her mom. Until one day at the library, the only place she's allowed to go, she takes a picture of a beautiful boy.
Before long she's lying to her mom, and sneaking out late at night to meet Zander. But Zander wants more than a secret romance. If Anya wants to be with the boy of her dreams, she will have to risk her relationship with the only other person she's ever cared about.

Swoon Romance wants YOU to help them decide the cover for Don’t Fall!  They have three lovely cover options for you to choose from.  Please vote below on your favorite cover!

Which cover do you like better?

Option #1

Option #2

Option #3

Poll Maker

Option #1: Designed by Taylor.ink, photograph by Beth Mitchell

Option #2: Photographed and designed by Laura Lanning

Option #3: Designed by Anna Zaffke, photo from Shutterstock.by  Aleshyn_Andrei

   
Rachel grew up in a tiny town in Minnesota. She still lives there, with her husband and their four kids. She coaches high school speech and theater, rides Arabian horses, reads as much as she can, and writes stories.

{Blog Tour} Review: Clan by Realm Lovejoy

Hey guys! Today, I am excited to be part of the blog tour for Clan by Realm Lovejoy. I'll be sharing my review of this book, so keep reading!

Title: Clan

Author: Realm Lovejoy

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon 

No variation. No deviation.
On Clades, to be a Clan is to be an exact copy. A perfect society cloning themselves to survive, even as the zombielike Frags threaten to overrun them on an unforgiving planet. 
Clan 1672 (privately known as Twain) was never supposed to survive the Incubation Tank. But he did. Illegally. He is different from the other Clans. 
A secret that could destroy him.

Wow. What an interesting book. I was pleasantly blown away by it. I am always wary of futuristic novels, because it has to be well done. Well, I am pleased to announce that this one was very well done.

Twain is a Clan. Except, not really. He is hidden away, never allowed out of the house, to see another Clan, or to even look out the window. The only person he has is his sponsor ("father"), Twigg, and the computer. All Twain wants is to be out there, with the other Clans, doing what other Clans do. Except he can't, because he isn't even supposed to be alive. When he is discovered by the leader of the Clans, he is allowed to live, and finally be like other Clans, like he's always wanted. Except, he soon finds out that not everything on Clades is like he has been taught.

Even though everyone is a clone of the same person, the author did a really good job with characterization. Each of the main characters are different, distinctive. Twain is a bit different character. Since he's been hidden away for all of his life, he is very naive, like a child instead of the teenager (I think) he is. I also loved the other characters. Each one has the difficult issue of trying to separate themselves, be an individual. It was a hard task, but one Lovejoy pulled off quite well.

I did not know what to expect going into this, but it surprised me at every turn. Just when I thought I had it figured out...I didn't. There were definite plot twists, and Lovejoy kept it interesting the whole time. And that end? I thought I knew how it would end. But it didn't end that way. What. 

Oh, and Twain's real secret? The one that even he didn't know about? Without spoiling anything...

I would definitely recommend this book. It was such a refreshing, interesting take on sci-fi and I loved it. It will definitely keep you guessing and entertained. Not to mention, Lovejoy touches on some really tough, deep issues that are more prevalent in our society than we would think. And I hear the paperback even has illustrations. You can't beat that.

I received an ecopy in exchange for my honest opinion for this blog tour. This does not affect my opinions in any way, except that maybe I need a physical copy to see these illustrations.

Trailer:

About the Author:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | tumblr | Goodreads

Realm Lovejoy is a writer and an artist. She was raised in Washington State and the alps of Nagano, Japan. Her father is a Japanese ex-monk and her mother an English teacher from Rhode Island. Her art is influenced by both the East and the West.

Realm aspires to tell stories through her writing and art.
She is agented by Jessica Regel.

1 Signed Paperback + CLAN Button + Signed Illustration from Paperback (US only)

6 Paperbacks (US only)

10 eBooks (INT)

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