GUEST POST and GIVEAWAY
The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0
by Linda Budzinski
The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0 by Linda Budzinski is currently on tour with Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours. Also available: The Boyfriend Whisperer.
The tour stops here today for a guest post by the author, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Alicea Springer was Boyfriend Whisperer Enterprises’ top success story. That is, until her dream date, Ty Walker, dumped her a week before prom. Now it’s senior year, and Alicea has taken over the business and given it an upgrade using an automated matchmaking program designed to help her classmates find their perfect match.
Alicea has no interest in using the program herself. She already knows who her perfect match is … Ty. She doesn’t need an app to tell her that (or worse, match her up with someone else). In a moment of weakness, Alicea allows her friends to convince her to give the program a try. To her horror, it matches her with the last boy on earth she'd ever want to date — Darius Groves, the class deadbeat.
When she and Darius are paired up for a class project, Alicea learns there's more to him than his bad reputation. But the more she spends time with Darius, the more she questions their match. They have so little in common. Why did her program match them?
Can Alicea defy the odds and make a match of her own heart’s desire? Or will the matchmaker remained unmatched?
Excerpt
“Want to know my favorite thing about snowflakes?” I ask.
“What’s that?”
“They’re perfect every time.”
Darius laughs. “Right. Of course.” His expression turns mischievous. “Unless … ” He pulls out an ice-blue sheet, holds it up, and slowly and very deliberately creates an uneven fold. “You do this.”
“What! You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I would.” He lowers his voice. “I am.”
I reach out to grab the sheet from him, but he pulls it away.
“What kind of monster are you?”
“I’m your worst nightmare.”
I purse my lips and glare. “Fine. Go ahead and make your imperfect flake. But don’t expect me to hang it on the tree with all the perfect ones.”
“We’ll see about that.” He picks up a pair of scissors and chops away, cutting bits and pieces off the sides, the corners, and the offending sticking-out part. His grin mocks me with each snip, snip, snip. Finally, with a great flourish, he opens it up.
It is perhaps the most hideous snowflake I’ve ever seen.
“Um. Wow.”
He holds the flake out to me. “Go ahead. Hang it. I dare you.”
“You dare me? Really? Isn’t that just a pitiful attempt to get me to hang something you know doesn’t deserve to be hung?”
Darius laughs. “Maybe.” He holds the snowflake up to my face. “I double dare you.”
“Oh, okay. Now you’ve got me.” I snatch it from him and eye the tree. “I know exactly where this belongs.” I walk around to the far side, by the wall, where the plug for the lights is buried.
“Oh no you don’t. You’re not hiding my masterpiece back there.” Darius chases after me. He grabs for the flake, but I hold it away. He reaches around me, his arm circling my waist.
I know his little sister is a few feet from us and my father is across the room, but I can’t help myself. We’re hidden by the tree, and so I kiss him—a quick, teasing peck. Only the brief sensation of his lips on mine makes me want more, so I lean into him. “What are you willing to do for this flake?”
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“Get ready to be swept away in a fun, funny, fun-filled story of young romance. The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0 by Linda Budzinski is a great example of clean YA fiction for all ages.” ~ Lisa McCombs, Readers' Favorite
“Another clean, romantic young adult read ... that brings fresh characters to the world of the Boyfriend Whisperer, 5 stars!” ~ The Thought Spot
“If you're looking for a sweet, quick YA contemporary, give this one a try!” ~ Arielle, Star Crossed Book Blog
“If you are looking for a book with a happy ending, and you like sweet romance books, I definitely recommend this one.” ~ Deanna Reads Books Blog
Guest Post by the Author
The World of Whispering
The Boyfriend Whisperer series is loosely set in my real-life hometown of Sterling, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC. Some of the sites in the book do exist, though I have changed up the names and details. For example, Claude Moore Park is called Claymore Park in the book, and it’s relocated to where Briar Patch Park is in real life. The local high school, Park View, is renamed Grand View … though they are the Patriots, and the fight song chanted at the pep rally is for real!
In all honesty, I didn’t have to do much world building for the series, because the majority of it takes place in the high school. And while I had to update some of my own high school experiences with today’s technologies, let’s face it: High school is still high school, with all the fun parts and the hard parts and the made-for-YA-romance drama!
In all of my novels, I try to do just enough world building to give the characters room to play and grow and to give the reader room to use her imagination.
About the Author
Linda Budzinski is the author of four young adult novels, all published by Swoon Romance YA: The Boyfriend Whisperer, The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0, Em & Em, and The Funeral Singer. When she’s not writing, she works in nonprofit communications and outreach. She lives in Northern Virginia with my husband, Joe, and is active with her church’s youth group. She’s a sucker for romance and reality TV and has been known to turn off her phone’s ringer when watching The Bachelor. Her favorite flower is the daisy, her favorite food is chocolate, and her favorite song is “Amazing Grace.”
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a Starbucks gift card (US only).
Links
Amazon (Kindle Unlimited)
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