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Review+ Giveaway: Everything Under the Sun by Jessica Redmerski



Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Everything Under the Sun! Reading the synopsis (and seeing that cover) I knew this was a story I wanted to read. But this wasn't just another read - it was an experience. Jessica Redmerski created a world that was scarily realistic - and all too believable - and took me on a journey that I won't soon forget. It's a rare book that gets 5 stars from me but this one did just that. So check out my thoughts, enter the giveaway, and use the links below to get your own copy today.
Everything Under The Sun 
Jessica Redmerski
Publication date: August 28th 2017
Genres: Adult, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance, Suspense
Thais Fenwick was eleven-years-old when civilization fell, devastated by a virus that killed off the majority of the world’s population. For seven years, Thais and her family lived in a community of survivors deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. But when her town is attacked by raiders, she and her blind sister are taken away to the East-Central Territory where she is destined to live the cruel and unjust kind of life her late mother warned her about.
Atticus Hunt is a troubled soldier in Lexington City who has spent the past seven years trying to conform to the vicious nature of men in a post-apocalyptic society. He knows that in order to survive, he must abandon his morals and his conscience and become like those he is surrounded by. But when he meets Thais, morals and conscience win out over conformity, and he risks his rank and his life to help her. They escape the city and set out together on a long and perilous journey to find safety in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Struggling to survive in a world without electricity, food, shelter, and clean water, Atticus and Thais shed their fear of growing too close, and they fall hopelessly in love. But can love survive in such dark times, or is it fated to die with them?

 This book…
Oh my goodness, this book!
I would say I’ve been left speechless but that’s not really true. It’s more like I have So Many Feelings that I just don’t know where to start. It’s been a long time since I’ve read anything so completely engrossing, so heart wrenching, so dark and yet so hopeful. Everything Under the Sun is a post-apocalyptic dystopian tale but it’s also so much more. It’s an epic story of good vs evil. It’s a story of survival. It’s an action-adventure. And it’s a love story. It’s all that and more.

When you die, you won’t need the soil to hold you, Thais, because I’ll be right there next to you holding you myself.

Everything Under the Sun starts off with a bang. Redmerski throws us into a world of utter lawlessness, filled with violence and danger. Years after the world’s population has been devastated by a virus, society is stripped not only of life’s luxuries but of basic human needs like food, shelter and clean water. Living quietly and remotely with her father and sister, Thais’s circumstances change in an instant and so begins a journey that will see her through enormous loss, terrifying challenges, and seemingly insurmountable odds as she struggles to find safety and freedom. Her meeting with Atticus is under the direst of circumstances and is the catalyst that changes the course of her life yet again.

Everything under the sun… it’s all going to be yours someday. It will, Thais, because you’re so good and pure. And you can change the world.

I adored these characters. Thais was kind and sweet and vulnerable but also strong and fierce as hell. She rose to challenges instead of being defeated by them and she clung to her belief in the goodness of people and her hope for a better future. And then there was Atticus. Carrying a mantle of self-recrimination and guilt, Atticus was a like an onion whose layers were peeled back one at a time. I appreciated the complexities of his character and the changes in him over the course of the story were subtle yet powerful.

I knew I could never leave her here, or anywhere, without me. She was my charge. She was my last chance at redemption.

Told in dual POV’s (sometimes within the same chapter which took some getting used but I ended up loving it), Everything Under the Sun is filled with ups and downs that made it almost uputdownable from start to finish. Redmerski deftly added a subtle undercurrent of faith and belief in something greater than what can be seen. I usually find elements of religion or spirituality in novels to be heavy-handed (and, frankly, a turn-off), but it is so seamlessly woven into the story that it feels like a natural balance to the themes of good vs evil and lightness overcoming the dark.

I want to teach people not to be afraid. I want them to understand that the world needs goodness now more than ever. That's all I want: for people to understand, and not be afraid of doing what is right.

With main characters that captured my heart, a cast of secondary characters that I rooted for and railed against, world building that was so immersive I could practically smell the fires burning and hear the chants and jeers of the crowds, Everything Under the Sun was everything I wanted and didn’t even know it. The ending was equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful and has me desperate for the continuation of this incredible story. Yes, I may have had a few quibbles with the pacing of the plot and the pacing of Atticus and Thais’s relationship, but those issues are so minor compared to my love for the overall story. Redmerski has created a beautiful love story set in a brutal world – a story that warmed my heart, hurt my heart, made me cringe, and made me think. This is one that will stay with me for a very long time.

5/5 STARS

Note: Everything Under the Sun contains scenes that are sensitive in nature and may be troubling to some readers: violence, allusion to rape/sexual assault (off the page), and suicide.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. This does not my opinion of the book or the content of this review. I received no compensation and my review is voluntary.



Jessica Redmerski is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and award winner who juggles several genres of fiction.She also writes as J.A. Redmerski.







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Review + Giveaway! The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman



I'm so excited to be part of the blog tour for The Impossibility of Us and help spread the love for this special book. Katy Upperman's second novel handles timely themes with honesty and respect while still providing her signature swoony romance. Check out my thoughts on this contemporary young adult novel, order your copy of The Impossibility of Us, and be sure to enter the giveaway below!

The Impossibility of Us
Katy Upperman
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: July 31st 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
The last thing Elise wants is to start her senior year in a new town. But after her brother’s death in Afghanistan, she and her mother move from San Francisco to a sleepy coastal village.
When Elise meets Mati, they quickly discover how much they have in common. Mati is new to town too, visiting the U.S. with his family. Over the course of the summer, their relationship begins to blossom, and what starts out as a friendship becomes so much more.
But as Elise and Mati grow closer, her family becomes more and more uncomfortable with their relationship, and their concerns all center on one fact—Mati is Afghan.
Beautifully written, utterly compelling, and ultimately hopeful, THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF US asks—how brave can you be when your relationship is questioned by everyone you love?

Katy Upperman has done it again. As much as I loved her debut novel, Kissing Max Holden, The Impossibility of Us has more depth, packs more of an emotional punch, and made a visceral impact that had me wiping away tears.

Newly arrived in a small coastal California town in order to be closer to her niece and her brother’s widow, Elise meets Mati at the beach. Their tenuous friendship is threatened when Elise learns Mati is from Afghanistan but her hesitancy turns to acceptance when she remembers her brother’s compassion and the way he rejected intolerance and ignorance. But others are not so accepting and Elise finds herself at odds with both her mother and sister-in-law.

I should accept his invitation. It's rude, stringing him along, but I need to sort through the abundance of questions in my head: what his invitation suggest, who I am to him, who he's becoming to me, and how I'll deal with the impossibility of us.

There were so many aspects of this story that I loved – and each was executed so well. Elise was down to earth and completely likable. She was navigating her grief largely on her own since her mother had virtually checked out and immersed herself in her writing career. And at a time when she was still figuring out who she was and what she believed, Elise showed real maturity when questioning her own convictions and then holding firm to them in the face of opposition. She was a good friend, a loving aunt, and was willing to speak her mind when she felt wronged. And then there was Mati. It was impossible not to fall for this sweet, gentle soul. A young man with his own beliefs and convictions, who had seen and experienced much, and whose family had expectations that up until now he dared not question. Now in a country where he is faced with open hostility and suspicion, Mati finds solace in his friendship with Elise even while trying to reconcile his feelings for her within the confines of his religion. As an aside, Upperman even made me love Mati’s chapters written in verse, a format I typically don’t enjoy.

She looks out over the water, face flushed. I have flattered her, and I will never be sorry. She is fragile, and she is valorous, and for me, she is fleeting.

Upperman managed to engage my mind and my heart in this beautiful tale of friendship and first love, tolerance and acceptance. She has deftly created a story that is timely and relevant and equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful. The Impossibility of Us is one that is not to be missed.

4.5/5 STARS


Katy Upperman is a graduate of Washington State University, a former elementary school teacher, and an insatiable reader. When not writing for young adults, Katy can be found whipping up batches of chocolate chip cookies or exploring the country with her husband and daughter. KISSING MAX HOLDEN is her debut novel; her sophomore novel, THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF US, will be available summer, 2018.







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Review + Giveaway! Love Scene, Take Two by Alex Evansley



Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Love Scene, Take Two!
I am so excited to help share this gem of a story! Teddy and Bennett are such down to earth, likable characters and it's impossible not to fall in love with them. It's even more impossible not to cheer them on and totally pull for them to get past the roadblocks and misunderstandings and uncertainty that stands in their way. Filled with lots of laughs, lots of swoony moments, and a whole lot of heart, Love Scene, Take Two is one that I wholeheartedly recommend! 

Love Scene, Take Two
Alex Evansley
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: June 12th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Debut author Alex Evansley delivers a sweet summer romance in this inventive novel about a young heartthrob and teen author falling in love.
Teddy Sharpe is kind of famous. He might actually be on his way to being really famous, especially if he’d nailed an audition for the lead role in the movie adaption of the newest bestselling young adult book series. There’s just one problem: He totally blew the audition. And he’s stuck in a tiny North Carolina airport. And his maybe-ex-girlfriend kind of just broke up with him.
The weekend isn’t exactly looking good until Bennett Caldwell, author of the very book series he just auditioned for, takes pity on him and invites him to her family’s lake house. Away from the glitz and glam of Hollywood for a few days, Teddy starts to relax . . . and somehow he and Bennett just click. But dating is hard enough when you aren’t the subject of several dozen fanblogs, and the Internet is full of juicy gossip about Teddy and Bennett . . . gossip that Bennett might not be prepared to handle.
Chosen by readers like you for Macmillan’s young adult imprint Swoon Reads, Alex Evansley’s debut novel, written from both Bennett and Teddy’s perspectives, will have teens laughing, swooning, and falling in love along with these fantastically relatable characters.

Get ready to swoon! Love Scene, Take Two is so adorably sweet and swoony, funny and romantic, that you’ll want to read it in one sitting.

After a meet cute on a flight from L.A. to North Carolina, poised-for-acting-stardom Teddy and teen-author-turn-screenwriter Bennett spend a weekend together and make a real connection. Unfortunately bad timing, bad circumstances, and a misunderstanding end things before they can really begin. Months later, they’re thrown together on a movie set and the sparks are still there. But Teddy can’t get Bennett to take another chance on him, and Bennett’s not sure what’s real and what’s just for publicity.

Told from both Teddy’s and Bennett’s perspectives, Love Scene, Take Two follows these two utterly likable characters as they deal with ex-girlfriends, family issues, friendships, paparazzi, and social media, all while navigating a new relationship. Teddy is positively dreamy and Bennett, while sometimes frustrating with the way she runs hot and cold with Teddy, has insecurities that make her relatable to every girl.

Love Scene, Take Two is published by Swoon Reads, a YA publisher, and is marketed as a young adult romance, but I will say that the character’s ages threw me at first. Bennett turns 18 during the course of the story and Teddy is 20 - older than typical YA leads. This makes Love Scene, Take Two perfect for a slightly more mature YA audience. With flirty banter, great humor, and some first-love angst, this is the epitome of swoony rom-com done right.

Final thoughts: Love Scene, Take Two is an absolute delight!

Full blog tour schedule and participants can be found here:


Author Bio:
Alex Evansley is a twenty-something-year-old writer from North Carolina. Her specialized talents include putting on workout clothes and not working out, sleeping during the day, losing socks, and procrastinating stories she’d like to write. Love Scene, Take Two is her debut novel.


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Review + Excerpt + Giveaway: Love on a Battlefield by Posy Roberts


Love on a Battlefield
Posy Roberts
Publication date: February 20th 2018
Genres: Adult, LGBTQ+, Romance
Not every compass points north.
Andrew Summers is forced to spend his vacations reliving Civil War battles with his father. He hates every minute, until a blue-eyed, red-haired boy behind enemy lines catches his eye.
Shep Wells would much rather travel the world than play at boring war reenactments. He never dreamed a Texan boy would capture his heart.
Real life and years separate them; Andrew is forced onto real battlefields, but for Shep the world is a playground. They’re opposites, but writing letters closes the distance, uncovering their hopes and dreams. When Shep visits Andrew, they get to see if the tug they’ve felt for years is the compass pointing the way home.
—

REVIEW:

The meeting of Andrew and Shep at a civil war battle reenactment becomes a transformative event for them both. While Shep goes on to pursue his dreams of world travel and the study of art history, Andrew is faced with a now uncertain future and questions about his own sexuality. His life takes an unexpected turn and the letters he continues to exchange with Shep become a necessary lifeline. When Life deals another harsh blow, Andrew must decide whether to continue tiptoeing through life or go after what he really wants.

Love on a Battlefield is a novella about second chances and making life count. Told from Andrew’s point of view, we meet him at the age of eighteen. He chafes under his father’s control but bides his time until college. He is drawn to Shep who, at the same age, is confident, willing to take risks and views life as a great adventure. After a weekend together their contact is limited to the letters they exchange and Andrew struggles with his identity while Shep seems to revel in his own. When they are finally reunited and Andrew sees a possible future with Shep in his life, he has to decide if he is willing to take the leap.

Andrew and Shep are both truly likable characters but I found myself wishing there had been more time to develop their relationship, both in the past and the present. With fewer than 130 pages, things often felt rushed without sufficient time to develop naturally which also meant there was a lot more telling rather than showing. Overall, Love on a Battlefield was a hopeful look at second chances and overcoming obstacles to find true happiness.



EXCERPT:

My father started taking me to Civil War reenactments long before I understood the politics of the war and its moral implications. I was introduced to the tradition before I knew what any war was truly about.

It wasn’t until I was sixteen that I was allowed to carry a weapon and shoot it myself. The physicality of battle was exciting. Hand-to-hand combat when munitions were spent was better than football any day.

But there were strict rules my dad implemented that I didn’t enjoy. “If we’re going to do this,” Dad always said, “we’ll be as authentic as possible. We’ll do it right, unlike those people who think this is Summer Stock.”

I wasn’t allowed to socialize with the Yankees at all, so I hung out with the Confederate kids or sat around campfires listening to the adults shoot the shit. If school was in session, I’d bury myself in homework and often ended up helping some of the younger kids with their lessons. The guys my own age . . . Well, we had little in common. Some were intense, a few down-right scary with their racism so proudly displayed.

What I’d learned after hanging out with them for years was that they hated everyone who wasn’t like them.

I wasn’t like them, but I wasn’t about to let them know for fear they’d turn their hate on me.

For the last two years, I’d watched a Union kid who only came to a few of these events, not like most of the reenactors, who made this a way of life. When he showed up, he was the center of attention. Maybe because he was novel, but when he was there, he always drew my eye. It was obvious the other kids looked up to him, fawned all over him, really. I never got close enough to talk to him, to find out what made him so fascinating.

But I saw it from afar. He was strong yet graceful, with a mess of hair in a color I’d never seen outside of jewelry or pipe fittings. His smile was easily earned, and he seemed so . . . carefree. So unlike the overly serious and angry kids who surrounded me.

I’d watch the Union kids in their shorts and T-shirts laughing and having fun. I wanted to be a deserter. I wanted to go see what life was like on their side. It sure as hell looked like a lot more fun than what ended up feeling like a weekend prison sentence in a hot, scratchy suit.

I couldn’t stop myself from turning to him, staring at him. I’d watch him leap into the air to catch a wayward Frisbee or wrestle boys to the ground, then help them up, all with a bright smile on his face.

Last summer, he’d worn a wreath of daisies in his hair, walking around as if it was the most normal thing in the world. My ‘friends’ laughed at him and speculated about his sexuality. I joined the adults then, unwilling to spend any more time with the assholes. It brought me closer to the redhead too, so I made myself blend in with my surroundings and looked to my heart’s content.

I didn’t know his name. I never got the chance to find out, but if he was here this time, I was determined to discover it.

As we arrived Friday afternoon, I scanned the area for his hair but didn’t see him. After setting up camp, I followed my father out of our tent and joined the other men as they scoured maps and walked the battlefield to get a lay of the land. I turned down an invitation to hang out with the Rebel kids and instead listened to an expert on this particular battle drone on and on. Sitting there, sweating in my wool uniform under the scorching heat for hours, I had to get out from under the sun.

“I’m going to go fill up my canteen,” I whispered to my father.

“Stay hydrated.”

I gave him a quick nod, made my way past the tent filled with women and young girls quilting or spinning yarn, and found the metal water pump. I pushed down on the handle, trying to draw up the water, with little luck.

That’s when I saw him. He was in full Union dress, the buttons of his coat making the gold and red highlights in his hair appear metallic. He was unlike anyone else I’d ever seen.

He walked toward me with a wide smile. Sure of himself, but not cocky. More . . . careless. Utterly free.

“Want some help?” he asked. “I heard it’s hard to get this one started.”

I met his blue eyes, brilliant and wild like the sea. I was stunned into silence. He was even hotter up close, and suddenly I was unable to form words. I nodded my assent instead.

He wrapped his fingers around the metal handle and pushed down. It made a grating squeak that echoed, but the lever moved. He helped me push it down several times, hands sliding closer and closer with each pump until our fingers intertwined.

He laughed as water poured from the spout, and he bent down to taste the stream. The smell of iron surrounded us as I filled my canteen.

I watched him wet his hair, making it darker, which made his skin look extra pale. He was gorgeous, and the way the sun hit him right then, he looked like something out of a dream.

Stop being cheesy, I chided. So he’s hot. Don’t turn him into a fricking poem.

 I replaced the cork, slung my bottle over my shoulder by the leather thong, smiled at him, and rejoined my father.

As we lined up on the battlefield the next day, I saw that shock of auburn hair straight across from me. Before I could make eye contact, the battle had begun, horses moving, gunfire blasting, and a few men already collapsing to the ground, probably playing out some real-life soldier’s tragic end.
I took out several Union soldiers with my fake munitions before I tripped over a rock. As I regained my footing and stood up, he was right in front of me.

I don’t recall if we gave each other a visual cue or if he said something, but we both decided to take a hit, bodies falling to the ground. We landed face-to-face, limbs sprawled out in opposite directions. My father was near, so I slammed my eyes shut, authenticating my death until I heard his voice move away with the continuing battle building.

When I dared open my eyes again, the Yankee soldier was staring at me, smiling and licking his lips. His jaw was strong, defined, dusted with stubble from who-knew-how-many-days growth, and it drew my attention to his chin and full lips. We lay there studying each other for several minutes, shamelessly staring, before he scooted closer.





Author Bio:
Posy Roberts started reading romance when she was young, sneaking peeks at adult books long before she should’ve. Textbooks eventually replaced the novels, and for years she existed without reading for fun. When she finally picked up a romance two decades later, it was like slipping on a soft hoodie . . . that didn’t quite fit like it used to. She wanted something more.
She wanted to read about men falling in love with each other. She wanted to explore beyond the happily ever after and see characters navigate the unpredictability of life. So Posy sat down at her keyboard to write the books she wanted to read.
Her stories have been USA Today’s Happily Ever After Must-Reads and Rainbow Award finalists. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her family and friends and doing anything possible to get out of grocery shopping and cooking.

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Review + Giveaway: Kissing Max Holden by Katy Upperman



I am so excited to be part of the blog tour for Kissing Max Holden! I have followed Katy's blog for several years, being witness to her journey to publication. And now Kissing Max Holden is here! I'm thrilled to say that this is an amazing YA contemporary novel - filled with heart, humor and emotion. I hope you'll grab a copy and experience Kissing Max Holden for yourself!

Kissing Max Holden
Katy Upperman
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: August 1st 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Kissing Max Holden was a terrible idea…  
After his father has a life-altering stroke, Max Holden isn’t himself. As his long-time friend, Jillian Eldridge only wants to help him, but she doesn’t know how. When Max climbs through her window one night, Jill knows that she shouldn’t let him kiss her. But she can’t resist, and when they’re caught in the act by her dad, Jill swears it’ll never happen again. Because kissing Max Holden is a terrible idea.   
With a new baby sibling on the way, her parents fighting all the time, and her dream of culinary school up in the air, Jill starts spending more and more time with Max. And even though her father disapproves and Max still has a girlfriend, not kissing Max is easier said than done. Will Jill follow her heart and allow their friendship to blossom into something more, or will she listen to her head and stop kissing Max Holden once and for all?

Let me cut to the chase and say right up front: Kissing Max Holden is an amazing debut novel that checks all the boxes for what I want when it comes to contemporary YA. Realistic characters, dialogue that rings true, complex family relationships... and plenty of swoony moments with cute boys. Kissing Max Holden delivers all that and more.

Jill was a character I liked from the start. Things at home are tense, her father's and step-mother's arguments are escalating, going to New York for culinary school is suddenly in jeopardy, and when the boy next door climbed in her window it ends in an unexpected (but thrilling) make out session. With all this going on, Jill didn't collapse into dramatics or wallow in angst. Nope, not this girl's style. When faced with disappointment or trouble, Jill showed real maturity for her age, picked herself up, adjusted, and got on with it. When she was dealt a pretty tough blow that nixed her plan for the future, she didn't act like a sulky, petulant child (which, let's be honest, is likely how I would have reacted at seventeen). Instead, she started working out how else to make her dream happen. I admired her strength and tenacity. And when it came to Max, she was no pushover. She knew when to draw the line and say enough.(I totally want to be Jill when I grow up!)

What right does he have to be nonchalant? He was the one who came to my window. He was the one who initiated the kissing. He was the one who cheated on his girlfriend. Why am I stressing out?

Confession time: I wasn't sure how to feel about Max at first. Was he a jerk that I was supposed to like? Because honestly, those first few interactions left me on the fence about the swoony boy next door (well, technically he's the boy across the street but whatever). But I quickly warmed to Max and despite his behavior, despite his bad decisions... it was obvious he wasn't a bad guy. This was not a case of the bad boy with the heart of gold. He was not that guy. Max was a good guy who was struggling with changes in his own family - and having a really hard time accepting and adjusting. Upperman struck the perfect balance with Max: a troubled boy who was acting out but never so far gone that you questioned Jill's judgment or her feelings for him. I was completely charmed by Max, especially when he showed the side of him that was sweet and flirty and genuinely caring. 

He looks at me with wide eyes, like he's been lost, wandering for ages and just stumbled upon the compass he didn't know he was missing.

I loved the evolution of Max and Jill's relationship. It wasn't easy. It was messy, filled with uncertainty and hurt feelings and missteps - and it felt completely real. Goodness knows there were obstacles: Max had a girlfriend, Jill's father ordered her to stay away from Max, Max continued to make poor choices at times. The push and pull of their relationship felt so genuine and I was completely invested as they sorted through it all and made their way to one another. And through the good times and the bad I loved every glimpse of Max's innate sweetness: the way he called Jill Jilly, the times he bought her giant-sized Cokes because he knew she loved fountain drinks best, the way he interacted with his nephew. I mean, come on, what girl wouldn't want to be Kissing Max Holden?

Max Holden is kissing me like it means something. Like he wants to keep kissing me, forever. 

The family relationships and situations were another aspect that was done so well. Upperman's exploration of Jill's relationship with her father and her step-mother was thoughtful and emotional and always rang true. The relationships evolved, sometimes in surprising ways, over the course of the story What I appreciated most? That not every problem and every issue was tied up with a neat little bow at the end. It lent even more authenticity.

Upperman's writing pulled me in from the start and there were so many times that I had to stop and read a particular line or passage several times, and just smile at its simplicity and perfection ("Things were easy back then; we goofed around to a soundtrack of endless laughter.") The dialogue was spot on, the humor so effortless and the culinary turns of phrase as a nod to Jill's love of baking all worked seamlessly together to create a delectable concoction. All I can say is, I can't wait to see what Katy Upperman serves up next!


Author Bio:
Katy Upperman is a graduate of Washington State University, a former elementary school teacher, and an insatiable reader. When not writing for young adults, Katy can be found whipping up batches of chocolate chip cookies, or exploring the country with her husband and daughter. Kissing Max Holden is her debut novel.


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Just Friends by Tiffany Pitcock: Excerpt + Giveaway!



I'm happy to share the release of Just Friends by Tiffany Pitcock! This contemporary YA novel comes out tomorrow (August 1, 2017) and you can get a sneak peek here with the excerpt below. And don't forget to enter the giveaway for a print copy of Just Friends!

Just Friends
Tiffany Pitcock
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: August 1st 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
A new spin on the classic smart-girl-and-bad-boy setup, this witty contemporary romance shows how easily a friendship – even one built on an elaborate lie – can become so much more. Jenny meets Chance for the very first time when she is assigned as his partner in their Junior Oral Communications class. But after they rescue a doomed assignment with one clever lie, the whole school is suddenly convinced that Little-Miss-Really-Likes-Having-A’s and the most scandalous heartbreaker in school have been best friends forever. It’s amazing how quickly a lie can grow―especially when you really, really want it to be the truth. With Jenny, Chance can live the normal life he’s always kind of wanted. And with Chance, Jenny can have the exciting teen experiences that TV shows and movies have always promised. Through it all, they hold on to the fact that they are “just friends.” But that might be the biggest lie of all. Debut author Tiffany Pitcock delivers a spot-on depiction of first love and the high school rumor mill in Just Friends, chosen by readers like you for Macmillan’s young adult imprint Swoon Reads.

EXCERPT

Chance’s Charger was still parked by the library, where he’d left it that morning. The black paint shone in the afternoon sun. Unfortunately, so did all the dirt clinging to it. I should really get that washed.

“I guess you’ve never been in my car before, huh?” Chance said as Jenny eyed it skeptically. He was wary of people judging his baby.

She circled it, scrutinizing it as she did so. “Of course I have,” she said after she reached the passenger’s side again. “I helped you pick it out.”

Now it was her turn to make up a story. Chance unlocked the door, slipping into the driver’s seat. “You did?” he asked after she climbed in.

“Mhm,” she nodded. “You were unsure about it, you see, because it’s so run down with its ripped seats and messy floor boards. I was the one who convinced you it had character.” She reached into her front pocket, producing a small tube of lip gloss. She flipped down the front visor so she could use the mirror. Chance watched as she applied the gloss – some cherry red flavor, by the strong smell of it. She pursed her lips once before leaning up and pressing her lips to the mirror. She pulled back, revealing a single perfect kiss mark. “I marked my territory, see?”

Damn, Jenny definitely knew how to play the game.

Chance’s eyes lingered on the kiss mark, “As my oldest friend you always get shotgun.”

She nodded, slipping the lip gloss back into her pocket. “Now everybody knows that.”

He had to admit, the sight of her kissing that mirror made his heart hammer. He wasn’t even sure why. For one, he had done a lot more than kiss other girls in that car and yet none of them had got his heart going like Jenny and that mirror had.

Maybe it was because, in the back of his mind, he knew that this was the start of something bigger than those things before. That kiss mark wasn’t a hasty hook up in the backseat of a car, it was precise – it was planned. It was, well, kinda permanent. Many people would pass in and out of that car, but that lip print would stay.

Jenny would stay.


Author Bio:
23. Writer. Reader. Sarcastic.
I was born and raised in Arkansas, which isn’t terribly exciting. I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I used to sit in class and write stories in my notebooks, thinking that everyone did. It turns out, everyone didn’t. I love writing because it means I’m putting my thoughts, feelings, and soul out there for someone else to read – for someone else to feel. The fact that someone can read my words, and empathize with my characters – characters that wouldn’t exist with out me, that I created from my mind – is such a wonderful concept to me. I could happily write for the rest of my life as long as there was one person out there who was affected by my words.



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