Blog Tour: A Review for New Girl by Paige Harbison + Author Interview

Posted by Jess

Release Date: May 4th, 2012

Finished Date: May 14th, 2012

Publishers: MIRA Ink 

Source: For Review

Format: Paperback

Pages: 320
Buy : Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

A contemporary young-adult retelling inspired by the classic 1938 romantic suspense bestseller Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. 
They call me 'New Girl'... 
Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her. 
Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend…but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. 
Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be. And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

The Review: "Before I could talk myself out of it, his lips were on mine. My mind went blank. My body went numb. I faded into him, letting my bag fall to the floor. I didn't care if someone walked in. I didn't care if anyone saw." -New Girl
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I'm not even sure on where to start with this review. This book was incredible. Although I haven't read the original Rebecca, I am familiar with the story having watched the movie a few years ago, so I'm not sure if I can make an comparisons. What I can say is that Paige Harbison has managed to create a fantastically spooky story, full of mystery. Having watched the movie (I know it's not the same as the reading) I can say that Paige has done an excellent job at a retelling this story. 
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We meet 'New Girl' (We don't find out her name until the end of the book) who's parents have managed to get her into the prestigious Manderley Academy, it's been a dream of hers from the age of 8, but she grew out of it and didn't have the heart to tell her parents. So she went anyway, and that's when it all began. She is treated as an outsider, people are mean to her thinking she is there to replace Becca, the girl who went missing a year ago. The only people who treat her with any kind of friendship are Johnny, Blake and sometimes Max who happened to be Becca's ex-boyfriend. The last thing she needed to do was fall for Max. 
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New Girl is told between alternate points of view. One from New Girl and the other from Becca. This is done extremely well and helps to see how different the school year was for both girls. Becca was popular, top of the student body food chain. She was also mean, manipulative, a liar, and a cheat. She scratched her way to the top by using the people around her to get her way and get what she wanted. Towards the end of the book when she eventually had her break down, I had little, to no sympathy for her. In fact I hated her and I felt myself getting angry with Becca through out the entire book. New Girl, was different. Although she was treated badly, she stood strong, she hung in there. I would have run away back home, but she didn't she stuck it out and showed that she wasn't just going to be intimidated by Becca's memory or her friends. New Girl is probably one of the strongest female protagonists that I've read about in a long long time, and I loved her from the start. I was able to connect with her on an emotional level. Even though Paige kept New Girl's name a secret until the very last page, it didn't deter me away from the book and it didn't feel like Paige was purposefully withholding the name. In fact when her name was revlealed in the end, I was excited to finally read it! It's a pretty name too ;)
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The book itself is paced well, there aren't any dull moments (in my opinion). It's always full of intrigue and mystery. It's an extremely emotional book, which had me on a rollercoaster all the way through. I picked up so many feelings when reading this book. Anger, love, sadness, pathetic-ness. It's all there on every page. It was just simply brilliant.
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Overall the ending was satisfying. Things seemed to wrap up nicely, but I felt it could have been a little more to it. It felt a little rushed but that didn't make me give it any less than 5 stars.
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This was the first book that I've read of Paige Harbisons and I intend to read a lot more. She's wonderful story teller and brilliant writer being able to bring all of these characters to life. Being able to keep you in suspense right to the end. I will be reading from Paige Harbison most definitely, And if you haven't picked up New Girl yet, then I suggest you do so. It's absolutely thrilling and I wish there was more! 
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Note: This book is for mature adults due to use of coarse language, drugs, underage drinking, and teenage sex. I recommend this for 16+ ages. Thank you to MIRA Ink for letting me review this.

Paige Harbison

Author of Here Lies Bridget & New Girl 

Check out her Goodreads Page: HERE

Check out her Website: HERE

1) Why did you decide to write New Girl?

                New Girl is basically the story of a girl being overshadowed by the presence of a missing girl. I love the spooky mood of Rebecca, and wanted to retell it in a modern setting. In high school especially, tragedies become more than just that. They become obsessions. People want to figure out the mystery behind it; they want to understand it. Put that together when high schoolers’ ability to believe the It girl has it all? High school is a world where feelings and emotions run high and rampant at all times. I wanted to take Rebecca, a truly haunting story, and put it in the minds and hands of teenagers.

2) How long did it take to write?

                From proposal to final draft, about a year.

3) What's your favourite quote from the book?

                Oh man. I have no idea. Haha um, let me look… Okay, actually someone pointed this one out on goodreads.com and I also liked it: “You realize that everything you think and feel now will be encompassed in the hyphen between two years.” 

4) Who's your favourite character?

                I know I shouldn’t, but I like Becca. She’s just so misled and messed up that she makes every mistake imaginable. I just want to know her and say, “Hey! That’s stupid!”

5) We will be featuring New Girl in our weekly US vs UK cover battle next week. Which cover do you prefer?

It’s hard to say. I think they both play up a different aspect of the story. I think the US version does a good job of setting the mood, but I think the UK does a good job of luring you in by posing as a much lighter story than it actually is. Ultimately I like the moodiness of the US but I like the slutty factor of the UK. ;)

 

A Review for Unlovable (Port Fare #1) by Sherry Gammon

Posted by Jess

Release Date: January 19th, 2011

Finished Date: April 30th, 2012

Publishers: Word Painting Unlimited 

Source: Bought

Format: Kindle

Pages: 307
Purchase: Amazon UK / Amazon US

Exciting news! Unlovable is under contract to be made into a movie!

Port Fare, New York, has fallen into the clutches of true evil. The Dreser brothers have arrived with a scheme to increase drug sales in the area by whatever means possible. Seth Prescott is part of MET (Mobile Enforcement Teams) a branch of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration). He's been assigned to work undercover at Port Fare High, and things aren't going very well, until senior Maggie Brown enters the equation. He's harbored a secret crush on her from day one, and now that she is in the center of the case, he's trying to stay clear and objective while walking the line between business and unrequited love.

Maggie is truly the poster child for Heroin Chic, complete with jutting bones and dark-ringed eyes, but is she an addict, or is there another reason for her appearance? She struggles with her feelings for Seth, fearing he is just another person who will eventually let her down, as everyone in her life has done thus far.

Maggie has spent her life caring for her alcoholic mother. A task that has left her heavily burdened and alone. Before long, her mother's health takes a turn for the worst, sending Maggie's life into a tale-spin.

While Seth works relentlessly to inject fear into the dealers and flush them out into the open, Maggie fights to stay alive as the hunt turns deadly.

Seth and Maggie's romantic journey is one of humor, heartbreak, and self-discovery

The Review: Awe what a completely amazing story. I remember Donna having read this last year, and telling me how incredible it was. I finally got around to reading it last month and I completely enjoyed it.
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I loved every minute of this book. The characters were easily likeable (except Maggie's mother) and I enjoyed seeing all the characters develop as the story went on. The relationship between Seth and Maggie was wonderful. It kept me on the edge and made me want so much for them to have a happy ending. They were full of passion and anger, and both delved into the unknown when it came to growing closer together. Maggie is extremely strong but quite timid and closed off in the beginning which is to be expected considering all the crap that she goes through in this book with regards to her mother. I loved seeing her develop into a much more confident person once Seth entered her life on a full time basis. Seth is wonderful too. He's the older guy, and he's been in love with Maggie for a long time, and I admired him so much in the book when he was willing to take on everything just for a chance to spend time with Maggie, at first as a friend and then as a lover.
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This story is incredibly emotional, you will end up feeling pretty drained afterwards, but it's so worth the read. With multiple points of view throughout the book we get to see different reactions to the happenings around Port Fare itself. We even get inside the minds of both the Dreser brothers who are the baddies. Although it's a little creepy and the story would have worked just as well without it, it was good to read about their thoughts. All the secondary characters like Booker and Cole were fantastic, they brought a nice dynamic to the story and I look forward to reading more on them.
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Overall this was a wonderful story, and I felt so many different emotions whilst reading this. Love, passion, anger, sadness. Every kind of emotion just shines through in here. And Sherry Gammon is quite the story teller. I look forward to books two and three that involve Cole and Booker from their POV's, And I especially look forward to the movie that was announced a while a go! 
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Absolutely fantastic, and any fans who enjoy a gritty story where love conquers all then this is definitely a book you need to check out; and soon!

Blog Tour: A Review for Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2) by Aimee Carter + Giveaway (UK/IRE/EU only)

Posted by Donna 
Published Date: April 6th, 2012
Finished Date: March 29th, 2012
Publishers: Mira Ink 
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback
Pages: 296
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The Blurb from Goodreads: Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it. Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. Henry’s first wife, Persephone.
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The Review: "If I were a better man, I would be able to show you the love and affection you deserve. As I am not, I can only offer you what I'm capable of giving. But I assure you, just because I do not show it, doesn't mean I do not feel it.”

Last year Aimee Carter left me astounded when I read her debut novel The Goddess Test and now Goddess Interrupted is here and she has done it yet again. Goddess Interrupted is a captivating, intriguing and magical read – one that I managed to devour in 24 hours and I’m dying for more.

Kate Winters has spent the last six months on summer vacation, away from Henry as per their arrangement. But now it’s time to go back and be crowned as Queen of the Underworld and be forever tied to Henry. There is nothing more in the world that Kate wants than to be with Henry but when Henry starts acting secretive and distant with her, she starts questioning everything she was once lead to believe.  Soon she finds out that Cronus – The King of the Titans, is trying to escape his prison and he is hell bent on killing the one’s Kate cares about most.  When Henry is kidnapped by Cronus, it’s down to Kate to try and rescue him but she needs help from the one person she never wanted to meet…..Persephone’s…..Henry’s ex wife. Can Kate and Henry overcome the obstacles of their relationship and can Kate keep all her loved ones safe?

Goddess Interrupted is absolutely beautiful read and I loved every minute of it. I started reading it and I honestly couldn’t put it down but I have to admit, I was a little disappointed at the start of it. After the ending in The Goddess Test, I was expecting Kate and Henry’s relationship to be completely different because they are in love with each other now. So admittedly, the first few chapters threw me because everything wasn’t all hearts and flowers between them but, what I got was something so much more. It was so raw, emotional and real – that it was so heartbreakingly good and it bought me to tears a few times. Kate and Henry’s relationship is really put through the tests during this book and I felt for both of their situations but I’m just glad they became a stronger couple for it. Their moments together at the end of the book really were a joy to read, I loved every minute of it and I think Aimee Carter did a fantastic job creating a couple that do have faults but are perfect for each other in every way.

This time around we get to know our favourite Gods all the more and I thought they all bought a level of mystery with them. Each and every one of them has two personalities; their human side and their Immortal side, and trying to unravel them was really fascinating. I especially loved getting to know Ava better and of course, Henry was the best to get to know more.

What I enjoyed about this book so much was how unpredictable it is. I honestly didn’t know what was going to come next and let me say, I am so shocked with the results….but in such a good way that I need the final book now. Honestly, the ending of the book is going to blow you’re mind and leave you speechless – yeah it’s that good!

Overall, Goddess Interrupted is just as good as The Goddess Test if not, even better! And I cannot wait to see what is next installed for us.

A huge thank you to Mira Ink for giving me the opportunity to review this book. 

UK/EU/IRE Giveaway.

We're offering one lucky winner our paperback copy of Goddess Interrupted. (It has been read but it's in fantastic condition) 

So want to enter? All you need to do is enter by filling out the Rafflecopter form. 

Extra entries are not required but will increase your chances of winning. 

April 30th, 2012. 

Good Luck!