Review: Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu

Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

[Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound]

Montana and her sister, Arizona, are named after the mountainous states their mother left them for. But Montana is a New York City girl through and through, and as the city heats up, she’s stepping into the most intense summer of her life.

With Arizona wrapped up in her college world and their father distracted by yet another divorce, Montana’s been immersing herself in an intoxicating new friendship with a girl from her acting class. Karissa is bold, imperfectly beautiful, and unafraid of being vulnerable. She’s everything Montana would like to become. But the friendship with Karissa is driving a wedge between Montana and her sister, and the more of her own secrets Karissa reveals, the more Montana has to wonder if Karissa’s someone she can really trust.

In the midst of her uncertainty, Montana finds a heady distraction in Bernardo. He’s serious and spontaneous, and he looks at Montana in the way she wants to be seen. For the first time, Montana understands how you can become both lost and found in somebody else. But when that love becomes everything, where does it leave the rest of her imperfect life?

   Oh my gosh. Corey Ann Haydu had me sold from page two. It's hard to find a book about a motherless girl. Sure, there are plenty of missing in action parents in YA. But a truly motherless girl is hard to find. I instantly identified with Montana. And the soft spot I had for her only grew as I read Making Pretty.

These characters, y'all. The author did such an amazing job at writing all of the characters in this book. They were real, raw, and flawed. Even though my favorite was Montana without a doubt, I still enjoyed every other character in this book. Well, except for Montana and Arizona's dad. The damage he did to his daughters because his obsession with plastic surgery perfection was unforgivable to me. I've never read a book with a parent that obsessed with outward appearance. While I enjoyed the change, it was hard to realize how damaging that was to these girls.

  Montana and Bernardo's relationship made me smile like a fool. Their relationship was definitely flawed, but so real. The infusion of NYC into their story was such a treat. Haydu gave such an authentic account of first teenage love and New York City. It was such a treat to read.

  Making Pretty is an amazing real and enjoyable journey through the lives of these characters. If you love heartbreaking and realistic YA contemps, look no further than Haydu's latest. This book has easily elevated her on my authors to auto-buy list. Don't miss it!

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.

Review: The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

(The Girl at Midnight #1)

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

[Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound]

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen,
an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and
magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

  Oh my gosh. There are 378462756232 reasons why I LOVE The Girl at Midnight. Seriously everything about this book was perfect and amazing and mind blowing. There's never a dull moment in this beautiful story blending the real world with a mysterious underworld comprised of feathered creatures and scaled beasts. I was wholly transported into Melissa Grey's world and I was so sad to be pried from the pages whenever The Girl at Midnight came to an end.

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  I don't think I've met a main character this year that I've loved as much as I love Echo. Her Tolkien references had me squealing out loud constantly. Her character growth was astounding. I was proud of her. I can only imagine how she'll evolve in the other books in this series, and I cannot wait to find out! So much is thrown at her and she is so fluid in her reactions. I love her wit, her ability to adapt, and her spirit. Gosh. I need more Echo in my life. AND SHE LIVES IN A LIBRARY, YOU GUYS. Need I say more?

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  The relationships in The Girl at Midnight are amazing and so well thought out. The budding relationships that begin to bloom over the course of this book made me smile so much. (And laugh!) There are a lot of complex dynamics between the characters, especially those between the Avicen and the Drakharin. Instead of snowballing into a world of crazy, the author really listened to the characters. I'm so appreciative of it. Everything felt so organic and natural.

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  The Girl at Midnight is beautiful. Besides the amazing characters, there's an amazing world to discover. I already want to get lost in it again. Melissa Grey writes so vividly that you feel like you're at Echo's side. It's an incredible experience. There are so many layers to this book and with each that you peel back, you'll just find one more reason to fall in love with The Girl at Midnight.

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  This book was written for YA fantasy fans. It cleverly reminded me of how much I love this genre. But it isn't just for fantasy fans. It isn't heavy handed. It finds the perfect balance to satisfy fantasy lovers while being balanced enough for any reader. The Girl at Midnight is one of my favorite books of 2015. You do NOT want to miss this!

**I received this book for free via NetGalley for an honest review with no compensation.

Review: Invaded by @melissa_landers

Invaded by Melissa Landers

(Alienated #2)

Genres: Young Adult, SciFi

[Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound]

The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them.

Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.

Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.

The Way clearly needs humans’ help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?

  I was so happy to dive into Invaded and be reunited with Cara and Aelyx. They're one of my favorite YA couples, y'all! L'eihr was sort of shrouded in mystery in Alienated, and I was so glad to be able to experience it first hand through Cara's stay there.

  For a big majority of the book, Cara and Aelyx were separated. That did kill a bit of the romance, but I think that the communication between them kept that spark alive and kept me interested. This book focused less on them meeting, getting over their differences, and falling in love and more on the world as a whole and their future together. Some of the decisions Cara made did make me scratch my head, but she's on a planet entirely unlike her own. The only tether she has to her home and herself is her brother, who leaves halfway through the book. Cara went through some intense changes, and I was happy with the way she handled them. She had a lot thrown at her in this book, and I felt like she responded strongly and true to herself. I still want to be besties with her!

  Cara wasn't the only one dealing with a lot. Aelyx had his fair share of issues, too. Again, sometimes I wanted to shake him because I couldn't understand some of his decisions. But when you think about the immense pressure on his shoulders, the entire fate of the human race y'all, I realized that I would crumble under that. I think Invaded shows a lot more of who both characters are, and I like where Melissa Landers is taking them.

  Some things that are hinted at in Alienated are brought more into focus in Invaded. The Jaxon storyline surprised me, but I liked it. I thoroughly disliked him and I'm curious to see if he'll pop up again. There is a lot of development for all of the characters, not just Aelyx and Cara. I hope to see more of that in the future!

  All in all, Invaded was such an amazing follow-up to Alienated. It answered a lot of questions, but also left some of its own. I cannot how much love I have for this series. SciFi fans and skeptics of SciFi both need to read these books. They're perfect in every way, and my fingers are crossed for another book about Aelyx and Cara! I desperately need it!

Check out my review of Alienated here and my review of Until Midnight, the Alienated novella, here!

Review: Until Midnight by @melissa_landers

Until Midnight by Melissa Landers

(Alienated #1.5)

Genres: Young Adult, SciFi

**FREE**

[Goodreads | Amazon]

Don't miss the *free* romantic holiday story that connects ALIENATED and INVADED!

Cara and Aelyx only have one day to spend together before he returns to earth and she travels to Aelyx's home planet, L'eihr. Homesick and worried about the upcoming year apart, Cara is desperate to make these final hours count. Worst of all, Cara is missing Christmas, stuck on board an alien spaceship. When Aelyx learns that Cara is forgoing her favorite holiday, he tries to recreate Christmas in space by researching traditional earth customs…but a few things get lost in translation.

  Christmas is my most favorite, so whenever I heard that there was a Christmas-y novella starring Cara and Aelyx, I was like why, I do believe I will! I just cannot get over how amazing Melissa Landers' writing is. This is the first time we get a really good look at life on L'eihr. It really made me excited to read Invaded, which is mostly set on L'eihr instead of Earth.

  I loved how Cara and Aelyx interacted in this book. It was so warm and fuzzy. I was so sad whenever it was over, but luckily I had Invaded on hand to keep reading after I finished this one. Fans of Alienated HAVE to read this! It's the perfect addition to this series. It made me love Cara and Aelyx even more!

Read my review of Alienated here and come back tomorrow for my review of Invaded!

Review: Alienated by @melissa_landers

Alienated by Melissa Landers

(Alienated #1)

Genres: Young Adult, SciFi

[Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound]

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

   Melissa Landers is the answer to my needy SciFi prayers! I was raised on Star Trek. I would live in a planetarium if I could. Space fascinates me. But I struggle with science fiction books. They usually seem too stuffy or drawn out for me. And there aren't many SciFi novels to be found in YA anyways. But I just knew I'd love Alienated when I first saw it. The cover absolutely sold me, and oh my gosh. It kept that promise. Alienated is the YA SciFi book I've been waiting for all my life!

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  Cara is such a good character. She's your typical overachiever with an extra dose of fiesty. But the arrival of Aelyx in her home as an alien exchange student turns her world upside down. Landers does such a fabulous job at showing how Cara grows over the course of this book. I was so impressed with her when I finished this book. I totally want to be her new best friend!

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  Aelyx and his culture were so intriguing to me. The author was able to introduce a whole new world to me without making it an info dump. That's a feat! I was giving Aelyx a lot of side eye in the beginning, but he quickly grew on me. I think I may even like him more than Cara at this point! I'm a total L'annabe!

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  Everything about this book is seriously great, y'all. The world building, the climatic ending, the characters, the science fiction elements, the romance; it's all so amazing! There was absolutely nothing that I did not like about this book. Seriously! Go pick up Alienated right now! You will NOT be disappointed!

Check back tomorrow for my review of Until Midnight, an Alienated novella, and on Tuesday for my review of Invaded, book number two in this series!

Tour + Review: The Core by @autr_katethomas @lastarkey

Title: The Core
Series: Equilibrium Series I
Author: Kate Thomas
Release Date: February 12th
Publisher: Patchwork Press

There’s something strange about David, something
that goes beyond the way he makes Ellie feel. He’s
wealthy, poised, and a complete enigma. With nothing to lose but her heart, Ellie goes in search of the truth — a search that leads her down an eye-opening path that reveals secrets about the world she thought she knew.The world’s order is held in careful balance, the essence of good and evil tilting the scale. When the fabric of reality is stripped away, Ellie is forced to make a decision to follow the path David’s constructed before her or simply walk away. The Core is missing and someone must step up and stand between the light and darkness, holding each back and maintaining equilibrium.

Goodreads | Amazon 

  First things first, I promise you've never read anything like The Core. As I started reading this book, I thought I had it figured out. But the author throws so many twists and turns that I was on the edge of my seat until the very last page! It was inventive and refreshing to read The Core.

  Ellie and David have a very unusual relationship. It's definitely a slow burn, and I enjoyed it. The ending came too soon, though. Just as I was cheering the two on, the story came to an end. I'm patiently waiting for the next book! I really like Ellie as a character. She was admirable and relatable, both of which are always good things! I do wish she would have asked questions more quickly, though. Curiosity was killing me!

 As I mentioned, I'm already chomping at the bit for the next book in this series! Just after reading The Core, I'm hooked! Readers will love the suspense of Ellie and David's unfolding story just as I have, I'm sure!

 

 

“You do realize that there is absolutely no chance of us actually getting away with this, right?” Ellie whispered loudly in the small confines of the car. 
“There’s no need to whisper. We’re in a car by ourselves, Elle.” Jacob kept his eyes on the car in front of them, the large figure of his sister’s boss moving languidly from the Lincoln to cross the busy street. “Besides, it’s the holidays, and it’s far too busy in this neighborhood for Mr. Kelley to notice us.”
A soft sigh resounded beside him, and sounds of fidgeting filled the air. Ellie was rarely the type to be nervous or overcome with emotion of any sort. If anyone was capable of a stakeout operation, it was most certainly his twin sister. She was only a few minutes older than him, but years ahead in maturity and intellectual curiosities, to be sure. He smiled as he felt the overwhelming heat of her stare. Paying her no attention would be more fun than giving in to her well-founded fits of worry. 
“I know you know I’m looking at you, Jacob.” Her punch was much too light to be anything but playful. 
He glanced her way only briefly, a smirk on his mouth his only response. He was used to responding non-verbally.
“It’s not me you should be watching, but your illustrious boss. I didn’t come out in the freezing cold to spend my night in a car, hanging out with my bratty older sister. I came to see if I could help you get a few answers. Pay attention!” He turned the heater up, and the previously fogged window cleared, showing a row of beautifully decorated mansions.
Christmas was in full effect on Ebert Street, and the wealthy citizens of the neighborhood spent loads outdoing their friends and family. Their study for the evening was a Mr. David Kelley, Ellie’s boss for the last two years. He was an investor of other people’s money, a financial advisor by some standards and a bookie by others. 
“I am paying attention, but I don’t know what you expect to find by sitting outside of a luxurious home in the middle of winter. It’s the holidays, so yes, David goes to parties and wines and dines the rich and famous. What did you think we would find tonight?” She added softly, “I didn’t even ask you to come.”
Jacob turned to face his sister. “You most certainly did ask me to come. You’ve been bitching for the last two years about your boss’s oddities, and it was you that wanted to start looking into his personal life.”
“Not his personal life, but I wanted to see what it is that he does with his time.” She turned to face him as well, a defiant look spreading across her features. “How does someone make more money than God and never really DO anything? Besides, you’ve been wanting a reason to see the Christmas lights in Westchester for years.”
“Christmas lights, pff …” He rolled his eyes. “I want to hear it or I’m leaving.”
“Hear what?” Confusion spread across her features. 
“I want to hear that you asked me to come, and that this is your operation.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Jacob.”
He turned to face the windshield and moved to put the car in reverse before her hand clamped down on his shoulder. “Fine. Fine. You’re such a child, but if I need to say it, I will. I wanted you to help me figure out who my boss really is and what he’s up to. There, I said it.”
Jacob put his hands in his lap and looked back at his sister. “Why?”
“Why what?”
He sighed before continuing. “Why did you want me to help you? You’ve been with Mr. Kelley for the last two years. Why now?”
Ellie began fidgeting again, her eyes moving from his face to focus somewhere in her lap as her fingers brushed by one another. She didn’t speak for a minute, and he didn’t give her comfort or afford her any alternative besides answering him. He’d been pulled into this unfounded operation, and he deserved a reason for the sudden change in her behavior. She glanced at him and then exhaled loudly, as if realizing that she was, in fact, going to have to share some information that she must’ve wanted to keep to herself. 
“Fine. I wanted to know what he was doing because he’s so mysterious, and I’ve yet to figure out what it is that he does. Not to mention that every time I see him I’m reminded of how unbelievably attractive he is. Maybe my only motive is that I just wanted to sit here and stare at him.”
“Liar. Sell that crap to someone else. Tell me the truth or my car and I are outta here.”
“What? He’s hot!” She paused and received a look from her brother that pushed her to continue. “God, you’re so difficult at times. I would totally do this with you if you asked, and I wouldn’t give a rat’s ass why you wanted me to.”
“That’s a lie too. You’d never do this in a million years with me, and you’d most likely call me creepy for wanting to do it. Enough … why are we here? What did you see? Or did you hear something?”
“Both. A few days ago I came in an hour early, and the smell of Clorox hit me in the face like nothing you’ve ever smelled. I dropped my things quietly and walked down to Mr. Kelley’s office, peeking in to see if everything was alright.” She paused and looked at Jacob and then back toward her hands, her large chestnut gaze filled with foreign emotion. “He was only in his slacks, and parts of his chest and back were covered in what looked like blood. There was blood on his floor and a bit on the walls.”
“Good God, Elle. Did you call the police? Was he hurt, or did someone get hurt?”
“That’s the weird part. I never saw anything but the blood and, being a bit overwhelmed by it, I simply left and called in sick that day. I wasn’t sure what to do about it. I can’t imagine him hurting someone, since he’s such a pillar of the community and such. Besides, what if it wasn’t blood, or what if he’d cut his finger or something?”
“Cut his finger? Don’t you think the amount of blood or whatever would be slightly less than what you’re describing from a papercut? Just because he gives to the people around him doesn’t mean he’s not a monster underneath all that Daddy Warbucks stuff.”
She nodded and sunk down in her seat as the large figure jogged back from the house toward his car. The man stopped before getting into the back seat of the Lincoln and focusing for a minute on Jacob’s car, the tilt of his head and bend of his neck telling Jacob one thing—he wasn’t looking at Jacob, but at Ellie. 
“We need to go,” she whispered and covered her face with her small hands. 

L.A. Starkey is the author of the upcoming Soul Keeper Series, a supernatural young adult series, and The Liarus Detective Series, a supernatural middle grade series. 

She is a CPA by trade, a church planter and entrepreneur at heart; however, writing and reading are passions she just can't help but indulge in. With more ideas than one person should be allowed, she is blessed to have a muse that doesn't seem to take a vacation and more energy that one might consider healthy.
She writes under the following pen names: L.A Starkey - YA/MG Paranormal
Kate Thomas - NA/Adult Paranormal
Isabella James - Sci-fi/Fantasy
Lauren Elizabeth - Adult Contemporary Romance

Author Links: 

Goodreads | Twitter  | Website

This tour was organized by Good Tales Book Tours. 

Blitz + 2 #Giveaways: Impervious by @HLetto2

Impervious by Heather Letto

(Ascension #1)

Publication date: April 29th 2014

Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

The residents of Impervious are the remnant, the
survivors of the war of Annihilation. And though the
city is chockfull of pleasures to tantalize and entertain, a beast lurks in the corners, haunting the residents with its presence. The Beast, a mysterious and terminal illness killed off most of Generations One, Two, and Three. And as Gen-Four prepares to take the stage, a provocative, yet questionable, new method to avoid an untimely death incites a cultural rage. But Fran lives counter-culture, off the grid in true rebel fashion. With a life far from opulent, she scurries through dark tunnels, searching for hot meals with Pete while ditching the holographic security team. To her, it's a healthy trade-off. Unaccountability means The Council can't steal her sliver of hope, a belief that she'll see The Epoch arrive before The Beast can pull her into its Fetid embrace.

[Add Impervious to Goodreads]
Purchase:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Hey there! Thank you, so much, for including me on your blog today and getting the word out about the re-release of Impervious. (Book 1 of The Ascension Series.)

You said re-release? Tell us about the Impervious journey.
Impervious first launched last year (almost to the day… wow!), by Bookfish Books. (Waving to friends at Bookfish!) They were a great team, and I’m so grateful for the springboard they lent me last year. However, we did part company in the fall of 2014 when we realized we were heading in different directions with The Ascension Series. So, after kicking around the idea for a bit, I decided… “What the heck..let’s go indie!”

Indie, huh? What do you think of independent publishing.
Although Indie publishing wasn’t originally on my bucket list, I can now say I’m happy to have gone down this path. The experience wasn’t as technically challenging as I feared it might be, and to be honest, learning to manage the ‘guts’ of the biz has given me extra nugget of satisfaction in my book.
One thing, I must admit, however… Sailing the immense Literature Ocean in a tiny self-made boat is a bit daunting (and lonely?) Therefore my advice to anyone seeking this path would be surround yourself with professionals and pick their brains… a lot!

Be honest… is there any Heather Letto in your main character?
Sighhhhh. Yes. Fran is snark. And being that I’m all grown up, I probably should have surpassed this particular quirk. However, I must admit, snarkdom is in my bones. I want to be nice, really I do…
But in all seriousness, Fran’s journey of discovery from Impervious to the Open Air was very similar to my own Christian journey. Whether you call Impervious an allegory (Like Narnia) or perhaps my testimony, both Fran and I have walked (or crawled?) a similar path.

What’s next?
Well, God-willing, the sequel to Impervious (Implanted—Book 2 in The Ascension Series) will be on the shelves June 1st! (Just in time for that poolside read). I’m hoping to have the final book in the series available for a spring 2016 release.

Last but not least, we need some dirt on you… Give us something weird!
Okay, weird or not, I’ll let you decide, but here’s a secret: My husband and I have run away from home! Seriously. Last year, we packed up our house (well, more like gave away half our belongings and stored the other half), and became full time RV’ers! Therefore, we live in a constant state of flux (and we love it!!) We call ourselves Gypsy Nerds. (He programs software, I write books… total nerds!). (If you care to follow along in our travels, feel free at www.lettotravels.wordpress.com)
So there you have it!

 

I’m a book-writing, selfie-taking, latte-drinking, social media gal. I’m living a good life on the road as a full-fledged Bedouin (Well, except, my tent is actually a fully-equipped RV.) Me and my partner-in-crime (Benj) tend to hunker down wherever the skies are clear and the temps stay in the 70’s. We call ourselves Gypsy Nerds because we aimlessly wander the U.S. with glasses perched upon our noses and faces jammed into computer screens (for the first half the day... The second half of the day is typically devoted to playing because we’re also somewhat immature.)

Like most authors, the characters I create are my extended family. And like most readers, when the story ends, I get a little sad. In real life, I have two handsome, hardworking, grown-up boys who know how to make their Mama proud! *Waves to Joey and Mike!*

The Ascension Series is my debut into the world of YA fiction.

I’m living what I love and loving what I live!

[Website | Twitter]

There are two giveaways for this blitz.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Impervious by Heather Letto

Today is rerelease day for Impervious by Heather Letto! I absolutely adore this book. Fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent will fall in love with Fran! 

Happy book birthday, Impervious!

Impervious by Heather Letto

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian

[Goodreads | Amazon]

The residents of Impervious are the remnant —
survivors of the War of Annihilation. And though the
city is chockfull of pleasures to tantalize and entertain, a beast lurks in its corners haunting the residents with its presence. The Beast—a mysterious and terminal illness―has killed off most of Generations One, Two and Three. And as Gen-Four prepares to take the stage a provocative, yet questionable, new method to avoid an untimely death becomes a cultural rage.
But Fran is counter-cultural. And living off the grid in true rebel fashion, her life is far from opulent. Scurrying through dark tunnels, searching for hot meals and ditching the holographic security team encompass most of her day. However, she views it as a healthy trade-off. Unaccountability means The Council can’t steal her sliver of hope―a belief that she’ll see The Epoch arrive before the beast can pull her into its fetid embrace.

After losing her mother and then her Rebel mentor, however, she grasps painfully onto the splintered sliver, until a new hope is born. First through Pete. And then through a miraculous discovery.

But the question still haunts her…

Can she outrun The Beast?

  It's no secret that I love a good dystopian. The Hunger Games ranks pretty high on my list of favorite fandoms, and I'm a bit of a fangirl for JLaw. Whenever I signed on to read and review Impervious, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew I'd probably like it based solely on it being dystopian. I never realized how much I would love this book, though.

  The world building, y'all. I honestly felt like I was right there in Impervious with Fran. Heather Letto is prolific at building a world up around the reader that completely enthralls them and tosses them into the midst of the story. After I finished reading Impervious, I felt like I had been on a (scary!) vacation to her world. It is definitely unique and stands out on its own. Impervious is absolutely frightening, and I would never want to live in a world like that.

  Fran was my type of heroine. I loved her from the very first page. She had that quality. You know the one I'm talking about. She was strong willed, kick ass, a fighter, a survivor. She's exactly what I like in my dystopians. Pete quickly got onto my good side, and I loved him! I love the dynamic between Fran and Pete. There's no instalove! None!

  It's obvious I'm just fangirling now. I really did enjoy this book. It brought me back to my dystopian roots, and I'm so happy about that! Heather Letto is a flawless writer, and I'm so happy to have read this. Fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent will simply adore Impervious. It's a gritty dystopian with a heroine that you can't help but cheer for!

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.

Lucky is Reading Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Lucky is Reading Giveaway Hop hosted by StuckInBooks!

I'm lucky to have discovered author Nina LaCour! She writes amazing contemporaries that have stuck with me for months after reading them!

Check out her titles below (covers linked to Goodreads) and then enter to win a hardcover of one of her books (your choice) and a second book of your choice from The Book Depository as long as they ship free to your country!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Keep Hopping for more great prizes!

Review: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

The Geography of You and Me

by Jennifer E. Smith

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

[Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo]

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth
and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment
building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.

   I have a lot of love for Jennifer E. Smith. Her writing is flawless, and I always fall in love with her books. So whenever I got my hands on The Geography of You and Me, I knew I'd love it. I just didn't realize how much!

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  Lucy and Owen were meant to be from the very first page. I loved the way they interacted. It seemed so natural and realistic. With the few exceptions, I've never gotten this emotional over a bookish couple. But they just seemed real, y'all. With every twist and turn, my fingers were crossed for them to make it. Team Lowen forever.

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  The Geography of You and Me is the best of young adult contemporary romance. It has everything that makes a good one and so much more. It's been such a long time since I've felt this much of a connection to a story, and I'm in love with this feeling.

The Geography of You and Me in a gif.
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