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.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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:

http://xpressobooktours.com/2018/03/27/tour-sign-up-love-scene-take-two-by-alex-evansley/

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

The Sunday Post #110

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's a chance to share news - a post to recap the past week on your blog, 

showcase books and things we have received, and share news about what is

coming up on your blog in the week ahead. You can find the info here:

Sunday Post Meme

• You may have noticed fewer posts here lately. Without going into details, my father's health is not good. Unfortunately, over the last several weeks there have been additional challenges that have included surgery, a rehab facility, and more hospitalization. My focus has definitely been on family so if there are fewer posts or if I'm not visiting blogs and commenting as often, this is why.

• Partly because of this, the sale of our home and the house-hunting has been put on the back burner. It'll happen eventually but right now there are more important issues at hand and, because there are only so many hours in the day, the house stuff is temporarily on hold. In some ways it's a relief. Between getting our house ready for sale, and searching for a new home, it was feeling like I had two full time jobs!

• Just as they always have been, books are an amazing escape. Whether it's escaping into another world, injecting some much needed humor, or getting wrapped up in a swoony romance, isn't it wonderful to be able to turn to books when you need a break? :)

  

Monday, June 4
Review: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things

Wednesday, June 6
WWW Wednesday #8

Friday, June 8
Best In Books | May 2018

WHAT I FINISHED IN THE LAST WEEK:

    

Pure (Covenant #2) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

One Small Thing - Erin Watt

WHAT I'M CURRENTLY READING: 

 The Fragile Ordinary - Samantha Young

    

KINDLE BOOKS:

    

      

Crown of Lies (Truth and Lies Duet #1) - Pepper Winters

Show Me the Way - A.L. Jackson

How was your week? Any new books? Any news to share? 

I'd love to hear about it!

Best In Books | May 2018

Best in Books is a monthly feature created by BookTuber Hope Ortego. 

A playlist of her Best In Books videos can be found HERE.

_________________________________________________

Best in Books was created by my friend Hope and she was kind enough to let me join in on her feature (because she's awesome that way). Her BookTube channel is linked above and I hope you'll check her out. Now on to all the best bookishness in May...

Sage from The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things
Sage was a character that I admired. This was a girl who fought hard to overcome her past. She wanted so much to be a better person and often subscribed to the "fake it until you make it" mentality. She didn't giver herself enough credit, though, because she was already strong and kind and loyal. As Shane said to her: "You really have no idea do you? How incredible you are?"

Mal from Play

For sheer enjoyment, this one has to go to Mal. This overgrown man-child drummer for Stage Dive was a force of nature. I adored Mal for both his humor and his heart. He went on these hilarious tangents, said outrageous things, drove Anne crazy, and yet at the same time he was sweet and lovable and had a huge heart. My favorite guy from the Stage Dive series and my favorite male character for May.

Love Scene, Take Two by Alex Evansley
A book this adorable needs a cover to match and looking at this one I'd say mission accomplished! From the gorgeous color, to the fun font, to the director's chairs (a nod to the movie set setting), this cover is a big hit.

Before and Again by Barbara Delinksky


“People don't cry because they're weak. They cry because they've been strong for too long."

Jimmy: Lead by Kylie Scott

I'll admit that I was torn over lead singer Jimmy for much of the book. To be honest, he was a total ass to Lena much of the time. But despite the hard-partying reputation, the sometimes nasty attitude, and his general moodiness, there was something about Jimmy that got to me. He was giving his all to being clean and sober, he was grieving the loss of an important person in his life, and dealing with the fall-out that his previous actions had on the band. And despite what he said, it was obvious he cared for Lena and he showed it in so many ways - big and small. 

Here So Far Away by Hadley Dyer

Admittedly, Here So Far Away was my least favorite book of the month, but it did manage to throw in a plot twist that I didn't see coming. I had a couple guesses about a particular character but when what really happened was revealed... yeah, didn't see that coming. 

it rode in on

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

Sadly there were no 5 star reads in the month of May. And there wasn't a 4.5 star book, either. But I did have two 4 star reads: Love Scene, Take Two and The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things. While LSTT was ridiculously adorable, it was The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things that had the emotional impact. There was much to love. Both Sage and Shane were strong, well-developed characters who worked hard to overcome difficult pasts. Their connection felt genuine, starting with a friendship that grew into more. Sage's aunt, who she lived with, was an amazingly supportive force in Sage's life. This book covered so many topics seamlessly - grief, friendship, first love, family dynamics, bullying and more - and it all came together for a truly emotional journey.

 ______________________________________________________

Now it's your turn: 
What is the best book you read in May? 

WWW Wednesday #9 | June 6, 2018

WWW Wednesdays is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

Just answer three questions and share what you're reading.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

    

Well, technically I haven't started this one yet but, assuming I find a few minutes to read today, The Fragile Ordinary is what I'll be picking up. An angsty YA contemporary set in Edinburgh, Scotland? Bring it on!

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

 I just finished One Small Thing last night and I seriously loved it. While it wrapped up a little too abruptly for me, I practically inhaled this one and I could keep reading about Chase Donnelly until the end of time.♥

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'LL READ NEXT?

     

It's a toss-up. I might be on YA overload by the time I finish The Fragile Ordinary. That will make 4 YA books in a row. I might be positively desperate for an adult novel. If that's the case, I'll likely pick up The Boy & His Ribbon. If I still have another YA read in me, I'll continue with the Covenant series by starting book three, Deity.

What are you currently reading?
I wanna know! :)

Review: The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Ann Aguirre

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

Release Date: April 7, 2015

Format: Hardcover

Source: Library Loan

Find it here: GoodReads

Sage Czinski is trying really hard to be perfect. If she manages it, people won’t peer beyond the surface, or ask hard questions about her past. She’s learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it’s working just fine… until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He’s a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.

Shane Cavendish just wants to be left alone to play guitar and work on his music. He’s got heartbreak and loneliness in his rearview mirror, and this new school represents his last chance. He doesn’t expect to be happy; he only wants to graduate and move on. He never counted on a girl like Sage.

But love doesn’t mend all broken things, and sometimes life has to fall apart before it can be put back together again. 

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things delivered so much more than I expected. To be honest, when this was released a few years ago it didn’t make much of a blip on my radar. It wasn’t until I saw a review by a trusted blogger friend (see Nicole's review at Feed Your Fiction Addiction) that it truly caught my attention and convinced me I had to read this one. And thank goodness I did because I was gifted with a warm, funny, heartfelt, and genuinely emotional story of a girl doing her very best to overcome a devastating past and become the best version of herself.

I'm so not enough. I can't be. I smile, and I act happy, and I pretend. I'm the queen of bright and shiny things, eternally looking for the positive and seeking a silver lining in the dark... the real me is horrible, and I wanted to leave her behind, along with the group home and the court-mandated therapy sessions. I want so bad to be normal, but I never can be. 

Sage came to live with her aunt three years ago and has spent that time cultivating an image of herself that she wishes were true. The carefree girl, the do-gooder girl, the girl that leaves encouraging notes on her classmates lockers. Internally, Sage struggles with guilt and an almost overwhelming anger that she must always keep contained. When a new guy arrives at school, Sage is instantly drawn to him. Shane is dealing with his own grief and guilt and seems determined to stay on the fringes and not engage.  As these two slowly form a friendship, and more, they find in each other a way to truly be themselves – and just maybe make peace with the past.

“I want to be the person who never lets you down.”

I fell in love with both Sage and Shane. These two people had already been through so much at such a young age and were dealing with it in the best way they could – although not always successfully. Sage’s evolution felt completely realistic and watching her slowly change and open herself up to wide variety of friends made me want to cheer her on. And her loyalty to those friends and her desire to help others made me wish she was my friend. Shane quickly won me over as well. This was a kid who was virtually on his own at the age of seventeen and, instead of feeling sorry for himself, he was simply doing what it took to get by. He truly didn’t know what to make of Sage and her eagerness to help at first and I loved how her persistence slowly chipped away at his aloofness. Neither of them seemed to know exactly how to navigate their budding relationship and it made for such a sweet and believable connection.

“I don't know how to be a boyfriend," he warns me.

I cock a brow at him, smiling. "That's too bad...since I have a PhD in girlfriendology from the University of So Many Feelings.”

As more of Sage’s background was revealed, and as Shane’s circumstances took a drastic change, the book took on a slightly darker tone and this was where my emotions were really put through the wringer. I definitely shed some tears for Sage and Shane. This is also where the relationships they had formed with others began to pay off and Sage’s aunt in particular was a shining example of love and support.

“God,” he whispers. “What am I supposed to do with you? Why do you care when nobody else does?”

Sage fought hard – both for herself and for Shane. I loved her determination and the lengths she was willing to go to for herself and for those she loved. Aguirre did an amazing job of developing both characters (as well as the cast of secondary characters) and had me totally invested. My heart may have broken a few times along the way, but it was totally worth the experience.

4.25/5 STARS