Review: WINDFALL by Jennifer E. Smith (YA)

WINDFALL

by Jennifer E. Smith

Release date: May 2nd, 2017

Published by Delacorte Press (Random House)

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Format: Hardcover, eBook, UK Paperback

Format read: ARC acquired by another book blogger
My rating: 2 1/2 stars

SUMMARY

Alice doesn't believe in luck - at least, not the good kind. But she does believe in love, and for some time now, she's been pining for her best friend, Teddy. On his eighteenth birthday - just when it seems they migh be on the brink of something - she buys him a lottery ticket on a lark. To their astonishment, he wins $140 million, and in an instant, everything changes. 

At first, it seems like a dream come true, especially since the two of them are no strangers to misfortune. As a kid, Alice won the worst kind of lottery possible when her parents died just over a year apart from each other. And Teddy's father abandoned his family not long after that, leaving them go grapple with his gambling debts. Through it all, Teddy and Alice have leaned on each other. But now, as they negotiate the ripple effects of Teddy's newfound wealth, a gulf opens between them. And soon, the money starts to feel like more of a curse than a windfall.

As they try to find their way back to each other, Alice learns more about herself than she ever could imagined... and about the unexpected ways in which luck and love sometimes intersect. 

MY REIVEW

I had such excitement going into this story... as this is one of my favorite authors, the whole concept and summary of this book sounded exactly what she would write and it would be dreamy and amazing! Unfortunately, that's not how it went for me... 

Alice is a very intelligent teen who works hard at everything - after the loss of her parents and having to move in with her uncle and his family, she has done nothing but to continue to try to make her parents proud of her by doing the things that she thinks that they would have liked her to do - excelling in school, volunteering, tutoring... Her best friend Teddy lives with his single mom in a modest one-bedroom apartment and is seemingly happy and content with what he has. When Alice gifts Teddy a lottery ticket for his birthday, and he wins, you can just imagine the excitement that ensues! Everyone wants to know Teddy and be his friend, even his father, who abandoned him, shows up on his doorstep... it takes Teddy a little too long to realize what everyone really wants from him and the truth comes out. Meanwhile, Alice sits on the sidelines waiting for Teddy to get a clue... 
In the end, the one person, besides his mother, that Teddy wants to share his winnings with doesn't want it... confusion, miscommunication, and drama arise from there... 

Parts of the story and the characters were too predictable. Alice is a goody-goody who has had a very sad and traumatizing past and is crushing on her best friend; Teddy is your typical popular/cute boy who gets by on personality and sports who then turns into an attention seeking and self-centered brat (as if he didn't already have enough attention by being popular, etc.); and Leo, the gay artist best friend who understands everything, is supportive and always says the right thing.

Overall, the main characters felt flat to me. Alice was just too good to be true. Even though things are explained, it still didn't seem right; and with Teddy, I just can't put it into words. He just didn't sit well with me. I wanted more from both. The "romance" connection wasn't there... I know that they could have been so much more, especially with their histories - their emotions just didn't reach me... the topics that arose could have been so much deeper and meaningful and it wasn't. I always expect so much when it comes to this author (she's one of my favorites!). Perhaps my expectations were too high... 

Tthe overall moral of the story is thoughtfulness and kindness - and everyone magically delivers in the end. A perfect happy ending... again, predictable.

The one good thing out of this story is Leo. I would LOVE to have a WHOLE book on Leo, please! Leo is quite the teaser - he was mysterious, aloof and gave as much as was needed for Alice and Teddy's story, but kept his own story to himself. His relationship, how he truly felt about everything that was happening around him, his past... I really felt drawn to Leo and feel that his story would definitely be worth knowing about and reading! I hope that this is something that the author is thinking of writing considering that she has only ever published standalone books and not companions or series.

I would recommend this book to all who truly love contemporary's with quick happy endings! Those who need a smile and are looking to just get lost in a story for genuine fun!

*I acquired an ARC from another book blogger through #booksfortrade via twitter.

All thoughts are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Jennifer E. Smith

Jennifer E. Smith is the author of eight books for young adults, including WINDFALL and THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.

She earned her master's degree in writing in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and her writing has been translated into 33 languages.

LINKS: Goodreads / Website / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Tumblr

Blog Tour (Review): NO GOOD DEED by Kara Connolly (YA)

NO GOOD DEED

by Kara Connolly

Release date: July 18th, 2017

Published by: Delacorte Press (Random House)

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary w/magical realism (12yo+)

Format available: Hardcover, eBook

Format read: ARC from the publisher

SUMMARY

Fans of Dorothy Must Die will love this reimagining of the legend of Robin Hood.

Girl power rules supreme when a modern girl finds herself in the middle of a medieval mess with only her smart mouth and her Olympic-archer aim to get her home. 

Ellie Hudson is the front-runner on the road to gold for the U.S. Olympic archery team. All she has to do is qualify at the trials in jolly old England. When Ellie makes some kind of crazy wrong turn in the caverns under Nottingham Castle - yes, that Nottingham - she ends up in medieval England.

Ellie doesn't care how she got to the Middle Ages; she just wants to go home before she gets the plague. But people are suffering in Nottingham, and Ellie has the skills to make it better. What's an ace archer to do while she's stuck in Sherwood Forest but make like Robin Hood?

Pulled into a past life as an outlaw, Ellie feels her present fading away next to daring do-gooding and a devilishly handsome knight. Only, Ellie is on the brink of rewriting history, and when she picks up her bow and arrow, her next shot could save her past - or doom civilization's future.

MY REVIEW

There's never a dull moment in NO GOOD DEED - an adventure behind every tree in Nottingham's forest...

If you know Robin Hood's story, then you can already guess what Ellie's story is... 
Ellie is in is just one trial away from being on the U.S. Olympic archery team, but the stress of her missing brother is starting to wear on her and she doesn't know what to do about it.
After her last round of competition, with only one more to go, she goes on a walk and decides to take a quick tour of Nottingham Castle... lost in the castle's underground caverns, she emerges to find that things are not the same and things get interesting really quick.

The story unfolds and follows very closely to Robin Hood's - it's quite obvious that Ellie takes on Robin Hood's role and that she is making history with every move she makes and every person she meets. Her 'Maid Marion' is a handsome knight turned 'Friar Tuck'. We also get to meet 'Alan Dale', 'Will Scarlet' and 'Little John'; and let's not forget the 'Sherriff of Nottingham'! All played their roles expectantly... the Sherriff was a bit darker than I thought he would be, with a twist, and it was wonderful!

For me, the 'time travel' element to the story was almost forgotten and only remembered when Ellie would remind herself that she had to be careful not to do anything too rash so she wouldn't change history too much. Considering that everything had happened already, the only 'tricky part' to her story was making sure she made the right decisions to stay true to the Robin Hood story which didn't seem too far fetched to accomplish. Although the fear of being executed at any given moment did feel real - one must remember that Robin Hood is folklore, and it supposedly took place in the 15th or 16th century! 

What really made this book amazing - two things...
First, it's the first time that I read a retelling where the character is more than aware that she is living through a story that has already been told and tries her best to stick to the history of it.
The next best thing, it's ending!!!
The ending was so unexpected and wonderfully original! I am always skeptical with retelling stories, especially those that have to carry on with the time travel element - and this ending tied up everything perfectly!

Definitely recommend this book for anyone that loves a quick, predictable read with a happily ever after!

*I received this book as part of the blog tour from the publisher for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Kara Connolly

LINK - Goodreads 

Blog Tour (Review and GIVEAWAY): LITTLE WHITE LIES by Katie Dale (YA)

LITTLE WHITE LIES

by Katie Dale

Release date: December 9th, 2014

Published by: Delacorte Press (Random House)

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Suspense/Drama

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Format read: Hardcover book from the publisher.

SUMMARY

Fans of Pretty Little Liars will be ensnared in this tale of deceit. 

The first time Lou meets mysterious Christian, she knows he is The One. 

But Christian is hiding a terrible secret. 

Why does he clam up every time Lou asks about his past? Why doesn’t he have any family photos, and why does he dye his blond hair black?

When Christian’s house goes up in flames, his tires are slashed, and he flees for his life, Lou insists on going with him. But as Christian’s secret is unveiled in front of the whole world, it seems everything he’s ever told Lou is a lie. 

Can what the media are saying about him really be true? Should Lou trust him? Or is she in grave danger? 

And what if their accidental meeting wasn’t an accident at all...?

MY REVIEW

Full of deception and intense emotions, LITTLE WHITE LIES doesn't hold back once the truth starts unfolding - it will knock you down, over and over again. Once you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it down... murder, love, lies, and complicated relationships...

Our dear sweet Lou has moved to start at a new school, with a new alias, to escape a tragedy that happened the year before. She doesn't want anyone to know who she is, not even her roommate. It seems that Lou is determined to start over - new haircolor, new town, new friends. Perhaps even a new crush?
Our aloof and dapper Christian is in no hurry to get to know Lou. Overly cautious, Christian keeps his distance and continues to make excuses, and pushes Lou away. But the girl is adamant. Where another girl would have given in to rejection, Lou is determined to figure out what Christian's story is, and how to help him. She needs to get to know him. And more importantly, she needs to know what his secrets are...
Little do we know that Lou is more than what she seems. Christian's life starts to unravel right before our eyes. And Lou is anxious to help him. But at what cost? And what are Lou's secrets? Is she running away from something? Or hiding? And what do they have to do with Christian?

LITTLE WHITE LIES is more than just its title - it is a huge web of lies! And everyone that discovers even the smallest bit of truth is thrust into the web and stuck in for good, until the very end!  The suspense and thrill of every fact was believable and eventful! I was second guessing every character on every page... all the characters are engaging and amazing too! It's hard to choose a favorite, they all fit in so well!

There aren't enough words to describe how well Lou and Christian's story unravels... 

Katie Dale's writing is captivating, intriguing and spellbinding! There is no way to predict the outcome of this story - everything just happens! If you're like me, too eager to know where the story is going, you will miss tiny little hints here and there. By the time I started to make any sort of prediction about any of the characters, things were unfurling right before me and taking a twist and turn for the worst... This is definitely a book for PRETTY LITTLE LIAR fans! A good mystery, drama and outcome! Read it now!!!

*A hardcover copy was sent to me from the publisher for the blog tour for an honest review.

All thoughts are my own.

GIVEAWAY

TWO winners will win a copy of LITTLE WHITE LIES from the publisher!
Giveaway ends 12/30/2014.
(U.S. only!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Katie Dale

I love nothing more than creating characters - both on page and on-stage! 

I studied English Literature at Sheffield University, spent a year at UNC-Chapel Hill, followed by a crazy year at Mountview drama school, a national Shakespeare tour, and back-packing through South-East Asia. 

I love all genres, and am busily working on a variety of projects from novels to picture-books - whilst playing the odd princess/assassin/zombie in-between! 

Website/Blog - Goodreads - Twitter

Waiting On Wednesday #95: PRINCESS OF THORNS by Stacey Jay (YA)

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by  Breaking the Spine. 

This is were we get to 'spotlight' books that we are anxiously waiting to be released! The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night and, quite possibly, to make our shelves look all pretty too :)

What I'm waiting for...

PRINCESS OF THORNS 

by Stacey Jay

Expected release date: December 9th, 2014

Published by: Delacorte Press (Random House)

Genre: Young Adult Fairytale/Fantasy

Format: Hardcover, eBook

SUMMARY

Game of Thrones meets the Grimm's fairy tales in this twisted, fast-paced romantic fantasy-adventure about Sleeping Beauty's daughter, a warrior princess who must fight to reclaim her throne.

Though she looks like a mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength, bravery, and mercy yet cursed to destroy the free will of any male who kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and free her brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora's throne ten years ago.

Will Aurora triumph over evil and reach her brother before it's too late? 

Can Aurora and Niklaas break the curses that will otherwise forever keep them from finding their one true love?

Why I'm waiting for PRINCESS OF THORNS...

Let me say these two things first... 

1) I am not a Game of Thrones fan, sorry! I have never read the books nor have I watched it and I kind of don't really know what it's about, lol! 

2) And I am definitely NOT a fan of this bookcover! Why do they always insist on putting a girl on all of these fantasy covers? SO much potential with this story, could have gone really creative on so many fairytale levels and this is what they do.... sigh... 

BUT!!! As a fairytale-lover, I am SO in love with the premise of the story! Especially since the main character is Sleeping Beauty's daughter and her kisses are cursed! Disney has always made "the kiss" the thing that saves them all, (especially for Sleeping Beauty - the prince's kiss is what wakes her up), how funny to go against that concept! 

And, I'm such a huge fan of Juliet Immortal! I just received Of Beast and Beauty and cannot wait to dive into this one too! I'm happy to see this author take on more fairytale-ish stories...

I cannot wait to get my hands on this! Ugly cover and all, lol!

SO, what are you waiting for this week???

Book Blast and Giveaway: HEXED (Witch Hunter Series #1) by Michelle Krys (YA)

HEXED Book Blast

HEXED

The Witch Hunter Series, #1

by Michelle Krys

Expected release date: June 10th, 2014

Published by: Delacorte Press (Random House)

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Format: Hardback, eBook

Format read: eARC

SUMMARY

If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn't want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / IndieBound

My 4-bee review can be seen right here!!!

GIVEAWAY

- One Winner will get a signed hardcover of HEXED (US Only).
- 4 Winners will get a Hexed bookmark and Signed custom Hexed Bookplat (Intl).

Go HERE to enter giveaway!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Michelle Krys

Goodreads / Website / Facebook / Twitter / Tumblr

Blog Tour (Review): HEXED (The Witch Hunter #1) by Michelle Krys (YA)

HEXED

The Witch Hunter Series, #1

by Michelle Krys

Expected release date: June 10th, 2014

Published by: Delacorte Press (Random House)

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Format: Hardback, eBook

Format read: eARC received via Netgalley/publisher for an honest review.

SUMMARY

If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?

Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.

Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid.

 MY REVIEW

Michelle Krys' remarkable writing has me wrapped around her little finger - she brilliantly has created a one-of-a-kind 'witch' story with witty humor, loss and an intriguing plot.

Indigo is at the top of her game - most popular girl, dating the most popular hot guy, cheerleader, top grades, living the high school dream. She's quite into herself, and the funny thing about her is that she knows it too. She is so wrapped up in what her peers will think, it has completely taken over her life. She knows its wrong, but what's a girl to do when you've worked so hard to get to the top.

... and then Bishop comes crashing into her life!

Yes, he really does crash into her life, unknowingly at first. And this is when the fun, the magic, the moment that Indie starts to question everything in her life, slowly begins.
And then, tragedy happens. And Indie must reach out to an old friend for help. Paige has always been there for her even though she's too 'nerdy' to be Indie's friend now. But Paige won't turn her back on Indie, no matter what Indie's done to her in the past - she gives her a bit of grief and subtly reminds her that she doesn't have to help Indie. Indie slowly comes to realize that things need to change, have changed and she is going to learn to accept these things.

There are witches and sorcerers. Lots of magic flying about.
Who are the good guys? The bad guys? Are the good guys really good?
The mystery!!! The plot thickens and gets better and better deeper into the book...

The characters are so unique -
Indigo is shallow, but not typical. Like I mentioned above, she has a reputation she wants to uphold within her peers, but she doesn't care how she looks or what car she drives.  But her attitude really got under my skin, and because of this, in the beginning, it was kind of hard for me to like her and continue on... what can I say, she grew on me.
Paige is an amazing and supportive friend. She's known Indigo since they were little and has always tried to be her friend. What I love most about her is that she's not a pushover and knows how to hold her own and give it right back. So when Paige needs her, she doesn't give in so easy.
Bishop is outstanding, quite the ball-breaker and comedian. He really knows how to emotionally handle each situation. And is quite the mystery-man. We need more Bishop in our lives!
Everyone clicks well together - which is so important. I really do love how the author was able to create such unique relationships. I am really looking forward to seeing all of these characters, and some of the secondary characters as well, grow and move forward in their lives and situations. Hoping to learn Bishop's past and getting more details to the war between the witches and sorcerers.

Cliffhanger ending! BUT, it was done SO well! Things wrap up quite nicely until the author reminds us, hey we're not done! And then you're left wondering when the next book is going to be released; because there will be a next book... right???

I truly enjoyed the new spin to witches and sorcerers. I have always thought that they were the same - I have definitely been proven wrong. I look forward to reading more books from Michelle Krys soon!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Michelle Krys

Goodreads / Website / Facebook / Twitter / Tumblr