Showing posts with label Ebooks for Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ebooks for Review. Show all posts

Sunday, February 14, 2016

"The Pages Between Us" by Lindsey Leavitt and Robin Mellom

REVIEW and GIVEAWAY
The Pages Between Us
by Lindsey Leavitt and Robin Mellom


This book blast and giveaway for The Pages Between Us is brought to you by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer. Review copy provided by Ebooks for Review.



Description
Told in letters, posters, blog posts, homework assignments, and more, The Pages Between Us is a totally fun, totally earnest snapshot of middle grade friendship - and what it truly means to be there for someone during the ups, downs, and everything in between.
Piper and Olivia have been best friends since … well, forever. But they’re distressed to find that their new middle school schedules aren’t giving them enough together-time. Luckily, an idea sparks when Piper finds a cute, sparkly notebook to disguise as her "French Class" homework. It’s genius - now the two BFFs can stick together all the time. And document their adventures - you know, for anthropology’s sake.
But as the two navigate the tricky new world of sixth grade, they realize that they may need to branch out more than they originally thought. Their notebook, once a life raft, begins to feel like a big responsibility. Can they grow up, without growing apart?


Excerpt
Here's a sneak peek at the interior of the book.


Praise for the Book
"Leavitt and Mellom’s humorous and perceptive tale deftly explores the quandary of how to sustain a cherished friendship while nurturing individual growth." ~ Kirkus Reviews
"A cousin to Rachel RenĂ©e Russell’s Dork Diaries … this is a gentler version of middle school, as the girls support each other through familiar trials … will be enjoyed by strong readers eager to devour realistic fiction with a multimedia slant." ~ School Library Journal

My Review


By Lynda Dickson
Having just recently started middle school, best friends Piper and Olivia now find that they only have one class together. They don't even get to share lunch! The sparkly blue notebook becomes their lifeline - practically the only way they can communicate with each other. Unfortunately, the notebook ends up documenting the bittersweet breakdown of their best-friendship; we can literally see it imploding before our very eyes. It started out as something that would bring them closer together, but will the notebook end up tearing them apart?
This is an interesting concept for a book, with Lindsey Leavitt writing as Piper and Robin Mellom writing as Olivia. The authors channel their inner 11-year-olds and manage to give each girl a distinctive character and voice. Full of humor, cute notes, photos, school newsletters, blog entries, flyers, drawings, and even pelican poop, this book is absolutely charming.
A must-read for all middle school BFFs.

About the Authors
Lindsey Leavitt is a former elementary school teacher and present-day writer/mom/party animal (not to be confused with her spirit animal, which is a lion). She lives with her family in the Utah mountains.

Robin Mellom has taught grades 5 through 8 and has a master’s degree in education. She lives with her husband and son on the Central Coast of California.
The Pages Between Us started with Robin saying to Lindsey, "So I have this book idea. It’s a notebook. Between best friends." Robin and Lindsey - two real-life friends - started writing emails to each other in the voices of their characters and within a few months they’d written an actual novel-size amount of emails. They have other emails about those emails, but those are TOP SECRET. Nowadays you can find them clicking away on their laptops, writing more letters to each other. Lindsey is probably eating a snickerdoodle. Robin is probably cleaning the cat litter.

Giveaway
Enter the blast-wide giveaway for a chance to a $50 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash.

Book Links

Monday, January 4, 2016

"Broken Things to Mend" by Karey White

NEW RELEASE and GIVEAWAY
Broken Things to Mend
(Power of the Matchmaker Book 1)
by Karey White


Broken Things to Mend is the first book in the Power of the Matchmaker series which features one recurring character – the match maker. The series will consist of twelve standalone novels by twelve bestselling authors, which will be released once a month throughout 2016. Currently available: the prequel novella Power of the Matchmaker (read my blog post).


This book blast and giveaway is brought to you by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. You can also follow the blog tour commencing 6 January.


More books by this author: The Husband Maker (read my blog post) and The Match Maker (read my blog post), and The Wife Maker (read my blog post).

Description
Celia is in desperate need of a change–a change of scenery, a change of pace, and a complete redo of all relationships. Not knowing what else to do, she opens a map, closes her eyes, and lets fate decide her future. Then she packs her meager belongings and buys a one-way ticket to a little town on the fringes of Oregon’s Deschutes National Forest called Sisters. She’s wanted a family for years. Will she find one in Sisters?
What Celia doesn’t plan to find is a strange Chinese woman whose meddling ways keep throwing her in the path of a handsome, but reserved, forest ranger. But no matter how kind or dependable Silas seems to be, there are some things in Celia’s past that neither of them can escape, and this time, the damage might be too much to mend.

Praise for the Book
"Loved the characters and the story-line! This is a clean romance with some depth to it. Thoroughly enjoyed this one!!" ~ Kathy Habel
"Well-written, snuggly, sweet romance abounds in this novel. It's a very gentle love story, and very clean." ~ SallyBWT
"I liked the story a lot. It's not an average love story but one between two people who have lived through a lot of pain and disappointment. They are indeed broken." ~ Cindy
"I have always been in awe of the kind of unselfish love it takes to relinquish a child so that it can have a better life than you are able to provide. Karen did an excellent job of conveying just how difficult and heart-wrenching it is. I LOVED this book. Will recommend it to friends." ~ BSIVAD
"I really enjoyed Broken Things to Mend. Karey's writing is beautiful and I absolutely loved the two main characters. They were strong though they had some flaws and I felt their romance unfolded so naturally. I loved the setting, too. The book portrayed the charm of a small town well, and made me want to go on a road trip to visit Sisters, Oregon. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the matchmaker series!" ~ Joshua James

About the Author
Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist.
She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.



Giveaway
Enter the blast-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash.

You can also enter the tour-wide giveaway for another chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash.


Links

Sunday, January 3, 2016

"Power of the Matchmaker" by Karey White

NEW RELEASE and REVIEW
Power of the Matchmaker
(Prequel Novella)
by Karey White, Rachael Anderson, Kelly Oram, Heather B. Moore, Julie Wright, Heidi Ashworth, Taylor Dean, Michele Paige Holmes, Janette Rallison, Regina Sirois, Sheralyn Pratt, Jaima Fixsen


Power of the Matchmaker is a prequel novella to the series of the same name. The series will feature twelve standalone novels by twelve bestselling authors, which will be released once a month throughout 2016.


This review opportunity is brought to you by Ebooks for Review.


Description
A prequel novella to the Power of the Matchmaker series.
Mystical ... Beautiful ... Romantic ...
Read the matchmaker’s story to find out where it all starts ...
Mae Li has been in love with Chen Zhu for years, and he with her. But when the matchmaker arrives at the Zhu family home, she recommends another village girl for Chen.
Heartbroken, Mae Li watches as Chen does his duty by marrying another. Mae flees her village with the clothes on her back and her only possession - a pearl embedded comb, given to her as a goodbye gift from Chen Zhu.
Upon Mae’s arrival in Shanghai, she quickly learns that she’ll starve within days unless she sells her prized comb or joins a courtesan house. She goes to the Huangpu River and promises the River God that she’ll always be selfless if he will save her from becoming a prostitute ... Her wish is granted when Ms. Tan, the matchmaker of Shanghai, finds Mae. But Mae must completely change her future and her name if she is to become the next matchmaker.

Praise for the Book
"This novella is a must read before you begin reading the first of the 12 books that will be coming out in 2016 about the Power of the Matchmaker. Personally, I can't wait to read each and every one." ~ S Staley
"I loved it! It is sweet and short and kind of predictable, but also warm, full, and strengthening." ~ Happy Valley Book Reviews
"I loved this prequel. [...] I can’t wait to see what the authors who are contributing to this series write about this! I highly recommend this novella if you like love stories." ~ Christy M.
"This prequel left me wanting more. A lot more. I'm really looking forward to reading the first official book in this series. Ahh, I wish I could read them all now! :)" ~ Aimee Brown
"Beautiful story. Wonderfully written, a perfect introduced to who Mae is. [...] I'm excited for the rest of the books in the Matchmaker series for Mae's quest for good matches." ~ M. Holt

My Review


By Lynda Dickson
When Mae Li turns eighteen, Song Ren the matchmaker decides her fate. Mae Li and Chen Zhu have been in love for a year, but the matchmaker pairs them both with other people. While Chen accepts the matchmaker's decision as final, Mae decides to run away to Shanghai rather than marry. She takes with her Chen's parting gift of a pearl hair comb. Struggling to find employment, Mae is near death and prays for a miracle. Her prayers are answered when she is rescued by Mrs Tan, the matchmaker of Shanghai. Mrs Tan wants Mae to be her apprentice and take over from her when she dies. At first reluctant, Mae changes her mind when she sees Mrs Tan's approach to matchmaking. Under her tutelage, Mae - now known as Pearl -  learns the true power of the matchmaker.
Set in a time when the matchmaker's decision cannot be challenged, this story is full of rich details of Chinese traditions and beliefs. A bittersweet tale of love and loss, this is an intriguing start to a new series.

Links

Thursday, April 23, 2015

"Just Like Elizabeth Taylor" by Lu Ann Brobst Staheli

REVIEW
Just Like Elizabeth Taylor
by Lu Ann Brobst Staheli




Description
"I was named after a movie star. Elizabeth Taylor. Mom didn’t have any idea that my life - and hers - would turn out to be filled with those same unglamorous experiences her idol had faced. Life wasn’t all movie stars and parties."
Twelve-year-old Liz Taylor has known for a long time that she would escape - escape the abuse against herself - escape her mother’s boyfriend Mark. Liz just doesn’t know how or when.
Then the perfect opportunity comes - money left of the table by Mark - and Liz is on the run. But a girl her age doesn’t have many options when it comes to hideouts, making a K.O.A. Kampground and a nearby middle school her perfect choices...
Winner of the Utah Arts Council Original Writing Competition, Juvenile Division. Winner of the League of Utah Writer’s Juvenile Novel & Diamond Quill Award.
Note: This is a YA coming of age novel. There is some abuse before she escapes her house, but nothing graphic.

Praise for the Book
"The things I liked most about this story are the characterization and voice. There’s an outward feel of innocence and simplicity at first glance, but there’s so much more lying right beneath the surface, and that’s what made it beautiful, funny, and heartbreaking all at once. If I could ask for more, it would be for, well, more – I’d love to have been able to spend a little more time with Elizabeth… " ~ Author Annette Lyon
"Very well written. My heart broke for these characters. Elizabeth was amazing. Wonderful story of triumph in difficult situations." ~ Mindy

My Review


By Lynda Dickson
Twelve-year-old Elizabeth Taylor was so named because her mother was - and still is - obsessed with the actress of the same name. Unfortunately, just like the actress, Elizabeth is going through a hard time. He mother is being physically abused by her boyfriend, and Elizabeth herself is being sexually abused by his son Ryan. Elizabeth makes a plan to run away and waits for the perfect moment - when Mark leaves his money on the kitchen bench while he's passed out drunk in the living room. She rides her bike to the next town and finds an empty shed in an abandoned campground, where she proceeds to hide in plain sight by enrolling in the local middle school and changing her name to Beth Burton. She makes a friend, Ida Mae, and she comes to the rescue of the lunch lady, Ms Meyers. But then her old life intrudes on her new life, making it impossible to keep up the charade. Elizabeth discovers that running away can cause more problems than it can solve.
This is a heartbreaking and eye-opening story of what a young girl has to endure when she has no support. From an adult's point-of-view, I found the story to be a bit contrived and predictable. There are too many coincidences, and things seem to work out a bit too easily. I'm also disappointed that Ms. Meyers' situation is never explained. Nevertheless, it is well-suited to the target young adult audience, with no explicit language or sexual content.

About the Author
Friends of Lu Ann Brobst Staheli (1954-2015) are compiling her unfinished collections and putting her published e-books into paperback. All royalties go directly to her husband and five sons.
Lu Ann got her start as a celebrity paparazzi-stalker-chick, which led to her award-winning career as a ghostwriter for celebrity memoirs. A masochist at heart, she taught junior high school English for 33 years and then moved to the school library. She once spent two weeks summer vacation backpacking through Europe with 15 of her students. Lu Ann won three Best of State Medals - two for writing and one for teaching.

Links