"The Worst Kind of Love" by Jonah Evarts

EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

The Worst Kind of Love

by Jonah Evarts

The Worst Kind of Love by Jonah Evarts is currently on tour with Silver Dagger Book Tours. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well. And make sure you grab your copy for only $0.99!

Description

This is a love story. Just not the kind you're thinking of.

Jaden is dealing with some major heart aches as he enters his first semester of college. All he wants is to forget about his ex, find a new girlfriend, and get semi-decent grades. But life has much more complicated plans for him. During his first day of class, he meets Cole, probably the most attractive male human being on the planet. Jaden is immediately overshadowed, throwing a wrench in his plans to find a girlfriend. It doesn't help that the single girl he is interested in wants absolutely nothing to do with him.

That soon becomes the least of his problems, as old enemies of his mental health, family, and way of thinking begin to overtake his life. Jaden tells a story of friendship, learning, and love as he uncovers truths about himself and life. A journey of endurance and self-growth awaits him as he skates through the roller-coaster that is life with many movie nights and plenty of good food to help him get by.

He isn't trying to have a love story, but he's getting one anyway. With himself.

Excerpt

We reached the parking garage, and I led him through a labyrinth of Prii (the plural of Prius), until we reached my Corvette. Now, I know what you’re thinking. I seem to be complaining a lot about life, but I drive a freaking Corvette. But what you don’t know is that we got the money from life-insurance when my dad died. Now how do you feel? Be ashamed, ye judgmental heathen.

“Woah,” Cole said. “This is yours?”

I nodded, throwing my backpack in the back seat and unlocking the doors. Cole sat down carefully, so as not to ruin the already stained leather and cracked passenger side rearview mirror.

I never said I was a good driver, or a good holder of drinks.

“Where do you wanna go for lunch?” I asked.

Cole wrinkled his brow and rubbed at a non-existent beard. “McDonald’s?”

“Are you kidding me?”

He looked taken aback. “What do you mean? McDonald’s is never a bad choice.”

I opened my mouth to say something then shook my head and just started the car. Inside, I was shaking. You mean to tell me that underneath that rippling muscle and clear skin was a McChicken? I think not.

God, you gave all the good things to one person. Please stop.

We arrived a McDonald’s six minutes later, our backs drenched in sweat, and sunglasses plastered to our faces. We walked into the heavenly coolness of irresistible French fry smells, and I sat down as Cole ordered some food. He joined me in a booth just a couple minutes later.

“So,” he started, fanning his shirt. “Tell me some more about yourself. What kind of stuff do you like to do?”

I wasn’t sure if I should hate that he wanted to get to know me or be genuinely pleased that someone cared.

“I watch movies a lot. I sometimes play basketball. And I listen to tons of music.”

Cole sat up straight at the mention of music. “You make music?”

“What? No, that’s not what I said. Dear God, I’d be arrested for attempted murder if I sang in public.”

“Oh. Well, I make music sometimes. I play guitar and sing.”

Of course.

“Really?”

“Really. I’ll show you some of my stuff in the car.”

A number was called from the counter, and Cole went to get his food. I kicked at his seat when he left.

How? How on my first day, in my first class, had I met a guy so perfect that he would overshadow me in every way everywhere we went? I just wanted a girlfriend, man. God.

Cole came back with a tray full of food, multiple fries and chicken nugget boxes clustered together.

“Jesus, man. What are you eating, Ronald McDonald himself?” I asked.

“Well, no. Half is for you,” he stated matter-of-factly. He proceeded to rip open a box of nuggets and indulge.

“You got me food?”

He didn’t even look up at me. “Of course.”

I almost didn’t want to take any. I felt bad, taking food from a guy I’d just met. But then again, it’s not like he was suffering at the moment. I indulged in the mounds of nuggets with him.

At some point, I checked my phone. You know, millennial stuff. I scrolled through social media and lightly chuckled at something that wasn’t really that funny. I switched apps, and immediately, a picture of Maddie with her best friend popped up. I almost dropped my phone, which I guess wouldn’t have been so bad. I wouldn’t have had to look at her face for another half a second before I was able to close out of the app.

I choked on my food and had to force myself to swallow, then I put my head in my hand and held my breath. It stung. A lot. Seeing her face was hard for me. I shouldn’t have opened the stupid app.

Cole, true to his perfect persona, saw my moment of heartbreak and looked up at me concernedly.

“Hey man, you good?”

I closed my eyes, picturing her face again. “Yeah. I’m fine. Food just got stuck in my throat.”

If I was close with him then, I would have told him the truth. The truth about how my gut had just fallen out of my stomach, and how an aching need to be with her filled my body. I just missed her was all. It was like when I lost my dad.

“You sure?” He asked. I nodded, then opened my eyes and realized we had already decimated all the food he’d bought.

“Yeah. We should get going. I have another class in thirty minutes.”

[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]

  

About the Author

Jonah Evarts is only 18 years old and began writing his debut novel when he was just 15. He lives in Manhattan, Kansas, with two old people who gave birth to him, a twenty-something dude that lives in the basement, and two adorable canines. Growing up as a military child, Jonah lived in Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and Korea (yes, really), before coming to Kansas. He says that Kansas is boring. He may be correct. Jonah loves movies, music, and the occasional writing of a book. He hopes to combine these three activities in the future and make a career out of it. Support this poor man-child in his attempt to do something with his life.

Giveaway

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Featured in this post:

"How to Unbreakup" by Rebekah L. Purdy

REVIEW and GIVEAWAY

How to Unbreakup

by Rebekah L. Purdy

How to Unbreakup is currently on tour with YA Bound Book Tours. The tour stops here today for my review, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

For more books by this author, check out my blog post on The Romeo Club and my blog post on The Winter People.

Description

First rule of breakups: There’s no going back.

For three years, seventeen-year-old Grace Evers has regretted breaking up with Sage Castle.

That day, she lost her boyfriend and best friend. And let's be honest, it's impossible to just be friends with the one person who gets you, faults and all, and loved you anyway. It's impossible not to think about how it felt to be held by him, or the way he looked right before he was about to kiss you with the most perfectly yummy kiss goodnight.

And now that things are over between them, they've become strangers to one another. Sage won’t even look at Grace, let alone talk to her!

Breakup life sucks and Grace is utterly miserable, doing whatever she can to ease the pain of losing Sage. She's spent the better part of high school pretending to be something she’s not and hanging out with people who probably wouldn't notice if she wasn't there. Crappy dates, backstabbing friends, and Sage's cold shoulder have taken their toll.

So when her parents propose going away to their house on Lake Michigan for the summer, Grace is thrilled. No more massively bad dates with horrible kissers or lunch with frienemies. Just three months of swimming,

hiking, and relaxing before senior year starts.

But when Grace learns Sage and his family will be joining them, she readies herself for a totally awkward family vacation of disastrous proportions. How can it be anything but awful if Sage won't even acknowledge she exists?

This is it, Grace's last chance to get Sage back and unbreakup.

Excerpt

“Let’s check out the deck.” Mom looped her arm through mine as we made our way around the furniture to the glass doors. As soon as we pushed them open, the scent of the lake and beach hit me. The sound of gulls echoed in the air. Beach chairs lined the deck, the view breathtaking. From here, I saw there was already a fire pit dug out on the beach.

The doorbell rang from inside and Mom squealed. “Come on,” she said.

My parents rushed to the front door, us kids on their heels.

“Time for our other surprise.” Dad glanced at us as he whipped open the door.

There, standing on the porch, was the Castle family.

No. Flipping. Way. Sage’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. He met my gaze then looked away, obviously his parents hadn’t let him in on the surprise either.

I squeezed my eyes tight then opened them again, trying to ignore the sick pit in my stomach. Okay. Just keep calm. It isn’t the end of the world. Not yet anyway.

“Welcome Castle family,” Dad said, hugging Mr. and Mrs. Castle.

“The Evers and Castles together again.” Mr. Castle chuckled. “Now how’s this for a surprise?”

“I gave up soccer camp for this?” Sage asked, his eyes narrowed.

“Yep, and you’re going to enjoy it. End of discussion.” Mr. Castle gave him a warning look.

Sage pushed inside, carrying his stuff, not even bothering another glance in my direction.

Crap. This wasn’t happening. It might be the end of discussion for Mr. Castle, but I had a feeling this was far from over. If things kept going like they were, it’d be a long, miserable summer for all of us.

Allie smiled as she came inside. “This is freaking sweet. We’ll be able to hang out all summer. Just like old times.”

“Yeah. Just like old times.” I gave her a quick hug. Minus the part where Sage actually talked to me. Things in my life were about to get a whole lot more complicated.

Praise for the Book

"We all make some mistakes when we were young, and we face the consequences. When it's a life-altering change, it would take some time before we get back to the 'normal' in our lives. She was young, she made a mistake, and she acknowledged it. She wanted to change it - but it wasn't easy. I admire her determination, and her persistence (especially his sister's - their biggest supporter). Fate was throwing a lot on their way, including summer flings, but nothing gets in the way of true love. There are hurdles, some jealousy and failed cookings - the way to finding your true love or earning it again is not an easy task, but it is all worth it. For readers who want a characters who are easy to love, clean, light-hearted, second-chance romance read - this one is for you." ~ Book Freak

"I loved this book. [...] I loved the list that Grace made to try to win back Sage, and the ensuing comedic mishaps. I found myself snickering out loud at some of her biggest failures, which just made her even more endearing. [...] I also loved the message of being true to yourself and not merely following the crowd. It takes time and maturity to figure that out for yourself. Many high school students are incapable of getting past that shallow stage until adulthood, but a few of us accomplished it by our senior year. I am seeing this theme again and again in YA lit, and love it. I also enjoyed the setting, as I grew up in Ohio, just south of the Michigan line, and have fond memories of visiting some of these places. The whole book gave me a sense of nostalgia, and I was glued to the Kindle for the entire read." ~ Andrea Coventry

"This book is nerdy, funny, and incredibly sweet. It's a very innocent book telling of first love. If it doesn't make u smile or remind you of your first love, then ur heart is probably made of ice. Go get this book! It had me laughing in public and smiling like an idiot. It was a great read." ~ ManicMommy

My Review

By Lynda Dickson

Grace Evers and Sage Castle have been best friends since they were two and started dating on Grace's thirteenth birthday. Eleven months later, everyone thinks they spend too much time together, to the point where they are collectively referred to as "Grage". So, Grace decides to break up with Sage. It's now three years later, and Sage still hasn't spoken to her. Grace's dad plans a family holiday to Lake Michigan for the summer, only he doesn't tell her he's invited another family, too - the Castles. Grace wants to get back with Sage and gains an unexpected ally in Sage's sister Allie. They plan to find a way for Grace and Sage to "unbreakup". But things get complicated when neighbors Lila and Logan take an interest in Sage and Grace. Will Grace finally get her guy?

This book features some of the same characters as the author's previous book, The Romeo Club, and once again my only complaint is the author's choice of annoying names (Lyncee, Delyla, Rori, Rochelle, Kenadi for the girls; Sage, Benji, Caleb, Lor, Trey, Logan, Ty for the boys). This is a quick, easy read, with likable characters - even a crazy cat! It is full of humor, with mishap after hilarious mishap getting in the way of Grace's plan to win back Sage. It also has an extremely well-planned and well-executed storyline, and the ending wraps everything up very neatly. Loved it!

About the Author

Rebekah Purdy grew up in Michigan, where she spent many late nights armed with a good book and a flashlight. When not hiding at her computer and getting lost in her stories, she enjoys reading, singing, soccer, swimming, football, camping, playing video games and hanging out with her kids. She loves the unexplainable like Bigfoot, the Dogman, and the Loch Ness Monster (lots of good story material)! She admits to still having all the books she bought throughout her childhood and teen years, and she may or may not have an obsession with anything chocolate …

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win some great prizes.

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"Beneath the Scars" by Melanie Moreland

EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY

Beneath the Scars

by Melanie Moreland

Beneath the Scars is currently on tour with MaE Book Tours and Promo Stars Services. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit of the other tour stops as well.

For another book by this author, please check out my blog post on Into the Storm.

Description

The sound of the ocean, the crash of the waves as they kick up against the sand and rocks - these are the only sounds Megan Greene wants to hear. She wants to leave the rest of the world behind, and find some peace. The offer of a private house on the beach, set in a small town in Maine, is perfect. Time to think - to be by herself. It’s all she wants. It’s the escape she needs. Until she stumbles across the painting that seems to echo her own chaotic mindset. Until she meets the unfriendly artist behind the stormy painting and discovers his secrets.

All Zachary Adams wants is to be left alone. His canvases, and the unending scope of the ocean and sand, are his life. They direct him - fill his hours. Bring him focus. Until she enters his life. She dredges up memories of the past - the haunting images he has hidden for years; the fears he has never shared. A story he keeps buried below the surface.

Can she make him see what he is missing? Can he trust her enough to believe?

Together they embark on a journey where their pasts collide and threaten to tear them apart. Will their fragile bond hold or wash away with the ebbing tide?

Excerpt

As I descended the few stairs to the beach, I was surprised to see the large golden retriever as well as the mysterious Zachary. I stood for a minute, observing him in private. He was standing, barefoot in the surf, staring out over the water as his dog frolicked close by. Zachary was a tall, dark silhouette against the sand and stormy, strange-colored sky of the late afternoon. Wearing dark jeans and the same overcoat that showed off his broad shoulders, a beanie once again pulled low on his head, he stood with his hands in his pockets, motionless, as the water swept across his bare feet. The rolled-up edges of his pants were dark with the ocean spray clinging to the material. I shivered just watching him. The water had to be freezing.

Seeing her new friend, Dixie let out a happy, little yelp, which had the retriever bounding over to her, once again licking her head and huffing as he greeted her. The two of them took off, heading right toward Zachary. He leaned down, greeting Dixie, allowing her a sniff, then patted her head and straightened up. He didn’t turn around or acknowledge my presence. With a roll of my eyes, I walked forward, stopping when I was close enough to be heard, but not have my feet in the frigid water. I waited, but he said nothing, ignoring me completely.

Unfriendly indeed.

“That’s Dixie—my dog.”

His chin dipped with a brief nod. “Elliott.”

I couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of my voice. “You or the dog?”

His lips quirked at the edges. “My dog.”

“I’m staying at the Harpers’ house.”

He nodded.

“I’m not Karen—I’m a friend of hers.”

His sarcasm was thick. “I realize. I have met her—more than once. There is a slight resemblance, perhaps, but I can see you aren’t her. Your hair rather gives that away.”

“I’m sure it was a thrill for her,” I murmured, surprised to hear the trace of a British accent in his voice. I chose to ignore the remark about my hair.

Nothing.

“They’re letting me stay here for a while.”

“How kind.”

I shook my head. Was he for real?

“I’m Megan. Megan Greene.”

Silence.

I searched my brain for something to say. “Looks like a storm’s coming in.”

“Observant.”

I frowned at him—definitely rude. His voice, however, despite its unwelcoming tone, was low and rich sounding, his subtle accent curling around the words when he spoke. I wanted to hear more than a few monosyllables from him, and to hear him say my name.

“Aren’t your feet cold, Zachary?”

He glanced down and shrugged, still facing the water, not even acknowledging the fact I knew his name. “Not really. I’m used to the cold.”

I decided to try a different subject—maybe one that would open him up a little. “I saw your work at the gallery in town; you’re very gifted.”

Again, he nodded.

“Your Tempest painting is”—I searched for the right word—“exceptional.”

“It’s not for sale.”

Disappointed at his words, I studied his partially hidden profile. Again his jaw was covered in stubble, and all I could really see was his nose and the downturned set of his full mouth. Some wayward hair sticking out from his beanie was blowing in the wind; its color not easy to make out. I was sure it was dark, but I couldn’t see enough to determine if I was correct. I wanted to step forward, force him to look at me, but there was something about his tense stance that screamed “back off.” He was obviously uncomfortable with me being this close, so I remained where I was, even though I felt some bizarre sort of need to get closer. I had to struggle not to move beside him, slip my hand into his, and offer him some sort of comfort; to loosen the tense set of those broad shoulders. I shook my head at the strange urge.

“Would you perhaps reconsider?”

“No. Jonathon already inquired on your behalf. I have it on loan to the gallery as a personal favor. It’s not for sale—at any price.”

I smiled, attempting to tease him. “Everything has its price, Zachary.”

I wasn’t prepared for the venom in his voice when he spoke.

“I’m fucking aware that’s the way most of the world works. I don’t conduct my life that way.”

Then he turned and walked away, his long strides eating up the distance, his unbuttoned coat billowing out behind him. He whistled for Elliott, who dropped the stick from his mouth and chased after his master.

Both Dixie and I stood staring at the retreating figures. Not once did Zachary pause or look back, while Elliott raced ahead of him. I waited until he had climbed the stairs and disappeared from sight, never taking my eyes off him.

I blinked and looked over the water.

Now I could say I had met my neighbor.

That went well.

Featured Review

By jennifer schultheison

Beneath The Scars is absolutely amazing. It does take time to get into the story, but once the story line picks up, it's emotionally gripping. So my advice to readers ... is to keep reading, you won't regret it. My only bone to pick with the author, is that she made me cry and cry some more. Both the hero (Zachary) and the heroine (Megan) are going through bad times, one more the other. Megan is an absolute saint to be able to tolerate Zachary in the beginning. Zachary is a recluse and wants to stay that way, but Megan doesn't take the hint, and patiently breaks down some of his walls. She doesn't give up because she's instantly drawn to him, bad faults and all.

As this story develops and the reasons why the hero acts a certain way comes out, you can't help but fall in love with him. Megan and Zachary encounter many obstacles while falling in love, but love isn't supposed to be easy. Beneath the Scars, continually surprised me and kept me on my toes. Melanie Moreland is a fantastic storyteller and I can't wait to check out her future books. I will definitely be re-reading this book!

About the Author

Melanie Moreland lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her husband and fur children. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.

Known as the quiet one with the big laugh, Melanie works at a local university and for its football team. Her (box) office job, while demanding, is rewarding as she cheers on her team to victory.

While seriously addicted to coffee, and somewhat challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties and socialize, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.

Melanie delights in a good romance story with some bumps along the way, but is a true believer in happily ever after. When her head isn’t buried in a book, it is bent over a keyboard, furiously typing away as her characters dictate their creative storylines, to let her share them with her readers.

Giveaway

Enter the tour-wide giveaway for your chance to win a copy of Beneath the Scars by Melanie Moreland.

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