Blog Tour: Crave (Crave #1) by Tracy Wolff

Crave
Crave #1

By: 
Tracy Wolff

Publisher:
Entangled Teen

Published:
April 7, 2020

Source:
ARC from the publisher via FFBC 

Add to:
Goodreads

Book Synopsis:

My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait. 

  

My Thoughts:

Crave was a book that immediately pulled me in.  In a challenging time where reading, watching tv, or focusing on any other enjoyable activity feels impossible, this story was the escape that I desperately needed.  

Grace has been forced to leave San Diego, after her parents were killed in a car accident.  Now she's moved to Alaska to attend Katmere Academy, where her Uncle Finn is the headmaster.  Things don't go so well when Grace arrives.  While she's impressed by the architecture of her boarding school, which resembles  an elaborate gothic castle, she gets severely ill with altitude sickness, isn't received well by most of the other students, and finds her life in danger too many times to count!

Her cousin Macy, also her new roommate, goes out of her way to try to make Grace feel welcome, but the rude, brooding, and gorgeous Jaxon Vega, comes off as cold, as he warns her that she needs to leave, because she isn't safe at Katmere. Then there's Flint, who is Jackson's opposite in every way, from his warmth, to his flirty and teasing manner.  He makes Macy comfortable, but doesn't make her heart beat or her stomach flutter the way Jackson does.  One thing is for certain, the students at Katmere Academy are very different from Grace...

Fans of the Twilight franchise, as well as the Lux franchise, are going to love this story.  We have Grace and Jaxon, two characters full of combustible chemistry, that will leave you giddy and spellbound at their every interaction. Crave is told exclusively through Grace's eyes, and I enjoyed her viewpoint.  We see Jaxon start off as a bit cold, but he still goes out of his way to protect Grace right from the very beginning of this story, and it was an Edward and Bella type of Twilight dynamic.

Ms. Wolff did a great job of entertaining me throughout the entire story.  The pacing was perfect!  For being a 592 page book, this story flew by!  The characters were fascinating, and I enjoyed the air of mystery that surrounded them all, as well as trying to guess at what kind of paranormal being they were. There was such a fun and eclectic variety too; with vampires, witches, and dragon and wolf shifters!  

Crave was such a high energy read!  Bookworms are going to love the book and movie quote references, the romance, magic, danger, and lure of a book full of exciting magical paranormal creatures. If you are looking for light, entertaining, and exciting, then look no further for the perfect reading escape!

Book Quotes:

Purchase At:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Google | Kobo

About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Tracy Wolff wrote her first short story—something with a rainbow and a prince—in second grade, around the same time she forayed into the wonderful world of girls lit with her first Judy Blume novel. By ten she’d read everything in the young adult and classics sections of her local bookstore, so in desperation her mom started her on romance novels. And from the first page of the first book, Tracy knew she’d found her life-long love. A one-time English professor with over fifty novels to her name, she now devotes most of her time to writing romance and dreaming up heroes. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her family.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Giveaway:

Prize: Win a copy of CRAVE by Tracy Wolff (US Only)

Starts: 7th April 2020

Ends: 21st April 2020

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Blog Tour Hosted By:

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Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop

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Blog Tour: Frozen Beauty by Lexa Hillyer

Frozen Beauty
By:
Lexa Hillyer

Publisher:
HarperTeen

Release Date:
March 17, 2020

Add to:
Goodreads

Source:
eARC from the publisher in exchange for a honest review

Book Synopsis:

Everyone in Devil’s Lake knows the three golden Malloy sisters—but one of them is keeping a secret that will turn their little world inside out….

No one knows exactly what happened to Kit in the woods that night—all they have are a constellation of facts: icy blue lips and fingers cold to the touch, a lacy bra, an abandoned pick-up truck with keys still in the ignition. Still, Tessa, even in her fog of grief, is certain that her sister’s killer wasn’t Boyd, the boy next door whom they’ve all loved in their own way. There are too many details that don’t add up, too many secrets still tucked away.

But no matter how fiercely she searches for answers, at the core of that complicated night is a truth that’s heartbreakingly simple.

Told in lush, haunting prose, Frozen Beauty is a story of the intoxicating power of first love, the deep bonds of sisterhood, and a shocking death that will forever change the living.

 

My Thoughts:

I was drawn to this story by the attractive book cover, and knew I needed to read it after I read the synopsis.  I enjoy stories that have sibling relationships, and thought it would be neat to read about sisters, with one of them having a big secret, turning up dead, and one of the remaining sisters investigating, to try to find out what happened.

Ms. Hillyer writes beautiful prose that are poetic and lyrical.  Her words effortlessly painted this story in my mind.  Frozen Beauty takes place in the small town of Devil's Lake, and is the story of the Malloy sisters.  

We learn about the eldest, senior in high school, Kit, who is the "perfect" sister.  She gets excellent grades, and volunteers her time.  Middle sister, Tessa, often gets overlooked, and doesn't have many friends.  The youngest sister, Lilly, a sophomore in high school, is a bit immature, likes being the center of attention, and often times feels left out, because the two oldest sisters are closer.  Right smack dab in the middle of the sisters is their friendship with next door neighbor Boyd, who is a junior in high school alongside, Tessa, and they are best friends.  Each of the sisters have feelings for Boyd, but keep their feelings about him a secret from one another.  As for Boyd's feelings, he gives mixed signals to the sisters.


One night, when Lilly is spending the night at her best friend Mel's house, she wakes up to find her missing.  When she goes to look for Mel, she is shocked to see Kit and Boyd together in his truck arguing, and then kissing.  The next day Kit turns up dead, and Boyd is locked up.  Boyd claims his innocence, but based on what Lilly saw, and the fact that Kit's DNA is all over his truck, the police believe they have a solid case against Boyd.  Tessa believes in Boyd's innocence, and is determined to prove that he isn't the one that killed her sister...

Frozen Beauty is told in chapters alternating between what happened before Kit's death, and what happened after her death.  We get a prologue by Boyd, as well as the majority of the story narrated by Tessa and Lilly.  The story casts a suspicious light over a few characters, and has the wheels in the reader's mind turning to try to piece together the puzzle of who murdered Kit.

I enjoyed the author's writing style, and learning about the Malloy Sisters.  The plot unraveled rather slowly.  This was a mystery that I was excited to solve, and along the way various serious topics were addressed. We learn a lot about Lilly's best friends Mel, the pushy leader of the group, and Dar, who has an eating disorder and struggling with coming to terms with her sexuality.  We learn about Patrick Donavan, Lilly's eventual love interest, who is the resident bad boy.  We get little poems sprinkled throughout the story written by Kit, and one thing quickly becomes clear; she was keeping a lot of secrets from her sisters.  

This story deals with the grief of losing a loved one; as Tessa, Lilly, and their mother struggle to move forward with their lives. If you are looking for a murder mystery with seamless beautiful writing, interesting characters, and a quick, effortless read, check out Frozen Beauty.   

Purchase At:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Google | TBD

About the Author:

Lexa Hillyer is the Founder and President of Publishing at Glasstown Entertainment, an all-womxn creative development and production company located in New York and Los Angeles. She is also the author of Frozen Beauty, Spindle Fire, Winter Glass, and Proof of Forever, all young adult novels published by HarperCollins, as well as the poetry collection Acquainted with the Cold from Bona Fide Books. Acquainted with the Cold was the 2012 gold prize winner of the Foreword Book of the Year Award for Poetry and received the Melissa Lanitis Gregory Poetry Prize. Her work has been featured in a variety of journals and collections including Best New Poets 2012, and she has received several honors for poetry. Lexa earned her BA in English from Vassar College and her MFA in Poetry from Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine. She worked as an editor at both HarperCollins and Penguin, before founding Glasstown Entertainment along with New York Times Bestselling author Lauren Oliver. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter and their very skinny orange tree.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Giveaway:

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Tour Schedule Here

Blog Tour Hosted By:

https://fantasticflyingbookclub.blogspot.com

Blog Tour: Sparrow by Mary Cecilia Jackson

Sparrow
By: 
Mary Cecilia Jackson

Publisher:
Tor Teen

Published:
March 17, 2020

Add to:
Goodreads

Source:
eARC from Tor Teen via FFBC in exchange for a honest review

Book Synopsis:

In the tradition of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak, a devastating but hopeful YA debut about a ballerina who finds the courage to confront the abuse that haunts her past and threatens her future. 

There are two kinds of people on the planet. Hunters and prey.  I thought I would be safe after my mother died. I thought I could stop searching for new places to hide. But you can’t escape what you are, what you’ve always been. My name is Savannah Darcy Rose. And I am still prey. 

Though Savannah Rose―Sparrow to her friends and family―is a gifted ballerina, her real talent is keeping secrets. Schooled in silence by her long-dead mother, Sparrow has always believed that her lifelong creed―“I’m not the kind of girl who tells”―will make her just like everyone else: Normal. Happy. Safe. But in the aftermath of a brutal assault by her seemingly perfect boyfriend Tristan, Sparrow must finally find the courage to confront the ghosts of her past, or lose herself forever….

My Thoughts:

Sparrow was a riveting read, that I found myself fully immersed in.  What an emotional reading experience!  This story hurt my heart, made me cry, and had me rooting for Sparrow.  I loved her character, and desperately wanted her to find her strength, and courage; as well as the road to healing.

Savannah "Sparrow" Rose endured abuse at the hands of her mother as a young girl, and nightmares continue to plague her.  As a talented and aspiring professional ballerina, she has the life of a typical teenager.  Her good friends Lucas and Delaney, as well as her father and doting aunt offer her an abundance of love, caring, nurturing, and support.

Sparrow is swept away by Tristan, a charming, rich, good looking, and popular athlete at her school.  When he starts abusing her, she makes excuses for him, because she loves him, and thinks he loves her.  However, what happens when you stay in an abusive relationship?  Could it eventually be a matter of life and death?

What an intense and profound story!  With Sparrow, we learn about the cycle of abuse, and how it effects everyone, not just the person being abused.  In this story we get two points of view; Sparrow, and her best friend Lucas.  Serious topics are addressed, such as abuse, death of a loved one, and how to heal; along with all of the emotions that come with these experiences.

I loved how much this story sucked me in, and how it consumed my emotions.  It had a spectacular cast of characters that were real and relatable.  Sparrow was a vulnerable, sweet, caring, and loving character. I loved reading about her dancing, and could picture her in the studio with Lucas.  These two were very passionate about ballet, and as a reader, I was front and center as they performed. 

Lucas was the type of friend that would give you the shirt off his back.  He was loyal, kind, and always there for Sparrow.  He was going through his own pain, but always made time for Sparrow and his family.  I appreciated his persistence and perseverance in trying to make Sparrow realize that she deserved better, and needed to get out of her relationship.  He was in love with his best friend, and I wanted her to see what was right in front of her face.  His Grandma Deidre was a favorite character of mine.  I loved spending time with her.  She was wise, funny, and so caring.  

If you are looking to get swept away in a story, check out Sparrow!  This book delivered so many emotions, strong and loving friendships and familial relationships, as well as messages about life, hope and healing.

 

Purchase At:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks 
Google Books | Kobo | The Book Depository

About the Author:

Mary Cecilia Jackson has worked as a middle school teacher, an adjunct instructor of college freshmen, a technical writer and editor, a speechwriter, a museum docent, and a development officer for central Virginia's PBS and NPR stations. Her first novel, Sparrow, was an honor recipient of the SCBWI Sue Alexander Award and a young-adult finalist in the Writers' League of Texas manuscript contest. She lives with her architect husband, William, in Western North Carolina and Hawaii, where they have a farm and five ridiculously adorable goats. 

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

Giveaway:

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Tour Schedule Here

Blog Tour Hosted By:

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Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop

Welcome to A Bookish Escape's stop of the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop!  We are giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky winner!  Happy Reading and may the luck of the Irish be with you!

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Blog Tour: What I Want You to See by Catherine Linka

What I Want You to See

By: 
Catherine Linka

Publisher:
Freeform

Published:
February 4, 2020

Add to:
Goodreads

Pages:
384

Format:
Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Source: 
ARC from the publisher in exchange for a honest review

Book Summary:

Winning a scholarship to California’s most prestigious art school seems like a fairy tale ending to Sabine Reye’s awful senior year. After losing both her mother and her home, Sabine longs for a place where she belongs.

But the cutthroat world of visual arts is nothing like what Sabine had imagined. Colin Krell, the renowned faculty member whom she had hoped would mentor her, seems to take merciless delight in tearing down her best work—and warns her that she’ll lose the merit-based award if she doesn’t improve.

Desperate and humiliated, Sabine doesn’t know where to turn. Then she meets Adam, a grad student who understands better than anyone the pressures of art school. He even helps Sabine get insight on Krell by showing her the modern master’s work in progress, a portrait that’s sold for a million dollars sight unseen.

Sabine is enthralled by the portrait; within those swirling, colorful layers of paint is the key to winning her inscrutable teacher’s approval. Krell did advise her to improve her craft by copying a painting she connects with . . . but what would he think of Sabine secretly painting her own version of his masterpiece? And what should she do when she accidentally becomes party to a crime so well -plotted that no one knows about it but her?

Complex and utterly original, What I Want You to See is a gripping tale of deception, attraction, and moral ambiguity.

"Linka delivers intrigue, betrayal, and a feast for art lovers."―Mary McCoy, author of Printz Honor Book I, Claudia

*"Clear-sighted and heartbreakingly true, this is a genuine portrait of a girl in quiet crisis learning to see things as they are."―Booklist (starred review) 

"Tense, smart, and engaging . . . What I Want You to See is a stunning portrait of deception, artfully peeling back layers of secrets to reveal a meticulously crafted crime."
―Elle Cosimano, award-winning author of Nearly Gone

"A messy, heartbreaking and very real journey of learning to let others see who you truly are."―Carrie Arcos, author of the National Book Award Finalist Out of Reach 

"A stunning page-turner that will tear your heart and paste it back together."
―Kim Purcell, author of This is Not A Love Letter and Trafficked

 

My Thoughts:

I love the beautiful and artistic cover on What I Want You to See. Once I read the synopsis, I was intrigued, and knew this was a book I wanted to read.  What I Want You to See was a super fast read.  The chapters are short, and the writing flows effortlessly.  I love how the author gave just enough description of the setting, characters, and plot, that I could easily visualize everything, without being bored or making the narrative drag.

The story is told from college art student Sabine Reyes' point of view.  She is in her first year of college and attending the California Institute for the Visual Arts, after being awarded the prestigious Zoich Scholarship. We get the present, as well as flashback's in to Sabine's past, through memories, and her reflection on sketches that she previously created.  We learn of her painful, sad, and heartbreaking past.

Sabine has high hopes of becoming a famous painter one day, and learning from the renowned Professor Collin Krell, who also happens to be the department head.  However, Sabine quickly realizes that she will not get what she had hoped for from her professor.  During group critique he constantly humiliates Sabine and puts down her paintings.  Then Sabine meets Adam, Master's candidate and work study grunt.  He offers her a solution to her struggle with Krell. Is this the answer to her problem?  Can she trust Adam, or is he not who he appears to be?

What I Want You to See had a very important theme in it about not just looking at the surface of things, but delving much deeper, and looking past anger, hurt, and fear. We see it when Professor Krell is trying to teach Sabine about art, as well as when it comes to looking at the people you meet.  Many times our perceptions are blurred when we just take things and people at face value. 

Art has always been a passion of mine, and I took three years of it in high school. So I was completely enraptured as Sabine learned about light, reflective surfaces, color, texture, negative space, etc.  I could easily visualize her pencil and pastel drawings, as well as her paintings. 

I enjoyed getting to know the secondary cast, and Sabine's friends, Taysha and Kevin were wonderful characters, but my favorite was Mrs. Mednimov, Sabine's sweet, generous, and nurturing landlady. These three made up a surrogate family/support system for Sabine, and I enjoyed her interactions with all of them.  There was a light romance in the story, but the focus was the art, the mystery behind Adam and what takes place in the plot, and the overall message. 

There were some serious topics addressed in the story, such as death of a loved one, homelessness and poverty, as well as depression and suicide.  If you are an art lover, enjoy a suspenseful little mystery, light romance, and a fast-paced story that will keep you eagerly turning pages, I suggest you check out, What I Want You to See by Catherine Linka.

Purchase At:

 Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

About the Author:

Catherine Linka has been immersed in books her whole life, most recently as a writer and bookseller. She’s the author of the young adult novel WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE as well as the dystopian duology A GIRL CALLED FEARLESS and A GIRL UNDONE. Catherine lives in Southern California and watches hawks and hummingbirds when she should be writing. 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads 

Giveaway:

3 winners will win a signed finished copy of WHAT I WANT YOU TO SEE, US Only.

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

2/3/2020	Texan Girl Reviews
2/4/2020	What A Nerd Girl Says
2/5/2020	Kait Plus Books
2/6/2020	Savings in Seconds
2/7/2020	Lifestyle of Me

Week Two:

2/10/2020	Do You Dog-ear?
2/11/2020	BookHounds YA
2/12/2020	fictitious.fox
2/13/2020	momfluenster
2/14/2020	Hurn Publications

Week Three:

2/17/2020	PopTheButterfly Reads
2/18/2020	A Bookish Escape
2/19/2020	notinjersey
2/20/2020	Nerdophiles
2/21/2020	Comfort Books

Week Four:

2/24/2020	She Just Loves Books
2/25/2020	One in a Million
2/26/2020	Fyrekatz
2/27/2020	Two Points of Interest
2/28/2020	ChristenKrumm

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