Review: Diamonds are a Teen's Best Friend by Allison Rushby

Diamonds are a Teen's Best Friend

(Living Blond # 1)

By: Allison Rushby

Pub. Date: November 1, 2013

Publisher: Self

Pages: 138

Source: Netgalley

Nessa Joanne Mulholland, aka Marilyn Monroe's No. 1 teenage fan, is used to moving house. This time, however, she's relocating in movie-star style—crossing the Atlantic on board the Majestic, headed for Paris from New York City. And it really would be in movie-star style if it wasn't for the fact that she's bringing her cringe-fest professor dad along for the ride (Dad's specialization: human mating rituals—need Nessa say more?). Oh yeah, and sharing a cabin that's five decks below sea level and next to the engine room. Still, at least Holly Isles is on board. Yes, really, that Holly Isles—star of stage and screen. Suddenly, things are looking up. Looking a little Marilyn, in fact, because events are strangely mirroring Nessa's favorite movie of all time, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.

Diamonds are a Teen's Best Friend is a sweet, cute, middle grade read about a 13 year old girl named Nessa. Nessa is completely obsessed with Marilyn Monroe, and her father even made her go see a therapist because of her obsession! On a cruise to France, Nessa starts to notice certain parallels to her favorite Marilyn movie, Gentleman Prefer Blonds. I loved the Marilyn Monroe references! I still have yet to see one of her movies, but she is definitely an icon and I can see why young girls would become obsessed with her.

Nessa's life is about to change when she meets famous actress Holly Isles. Holly keeps having bad luck with men, so Nessa makes it her life mission to bring out her inner Marilyn and help Holly meet the man of her dreams. While some of the things that Nessa choose to do might not have been the smartest, you have to remember she is only 13, something I kept forgetting throughout the story because she said she was 16 and kept acting like a 16 year old.

Marc, the love interest fell a little flat to me. For one, he was a jerk. One minute he would be sweet and romantic and the next he was angry and acting dramatic. I lost all respect for him after he yelled at his aunt (Holly) for acting silly and having a good time. What 17 year old feels he has the right to yell at the person taking care of him? I also didn't like that he kissed Nessa. He might not have known she was 13 , but I did, and the adult/teacher in me definitely felt sickened at that part.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. At only 138 pages, it a very quick read, and I think young girls would enjoy it very much!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Cover Reveal: Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae

May 6, 2014 from Bloomsbury

Pippa always wanted to go to Italy, but not by herself. And not to sit in a classroom the summer before senior year learning about paintings by dead guys. Tempted by the romance of Rome and the chance to photograph ancient ruins, Pippa ditches the program and sets her own list of goals—get my picture taken at the Colosseum; get a makeover; fall in love with an Italian.
 
She befriends a local girl whose gorgeous cousin may be just the Italian Pippa’s looking for, but the road to amore gets detoured when she keeps running into a cute American student. And she can’t forget that her summer abroad is only temporary. As she explores the famous cities of Rome and Pompeii, Pippa must sort out her feelings before her parents figure out where she really is.

They say it helps to write what you know, so I gave Pippa the same love of photography that I have. When I traveled to Italy in 2009, I took pictures of even the most obscure details, knowing I’d want to set a story there one day. I’m thankful I was so thorough because once this story idea came to me in April 2011, my memory of the trip wasn’t as fresh. I was able to sift through my photos and build Pippa’s summer with them, tossing in some of my own experiences. I’m actually jealous that Pippa spent so much more time in Italy than I did. She got to take so many more pictures!

It’s a dream come true for Pippa to photograph ancient ruins and historic monuments like the Colosseum, but quite a lot of the story takes place in a coastal region called Cinque Terre (“five lands” – pronounced CHING-kway TAY-ray). The views have to be seen to be believed, the food is the best I’ve ever eaten (it’s the birthplace of pesto!), and it’s ROMANTIC! You can even walk on a path between all five villages along the coast, shopping and sampling food in each. I think about going back there EVERY DAY.

Gelato plays a big part in Pippa’s story, but I won’t give anything away! There’s really nothing quite like authentic Italian gelato. It was actually hard for me to eat ice cream once we came back home after our trip to Italy. I think it’s the texture and unique flavors that sets it apart. My favorites were mint and stracciatella, though, like Pippa does, I had to at least TASTE the pistachio! I don’t know how they get a nut to taste good as ice cream, but they do!

Pippa’s from Chicago, so she’s had her fair share of deep-dish pizzas! But she’s quickly won over by the simplicity of Italian pizzas and the papery thin crusts. She makes it one of her summer goals to eat entire pizza by herself. If I get a chance to visit Italy again one day, I think this will be a goal of mine too! DELIZIOSO!

About the Author:

Kristin Rae was born and raised in Texas though her accent would suggest otherwise. She’s addicted to books, music, movies, crafty things, and chocolate. A former figure skating coach, LEGO merchandiser, and photographer, she’s now happy to create stories while pretending to ignore the carton of gelato in the freezer. Kristin lives in Houston with her husband and their two boxers. 

Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Indiebound | Book Depository | Amazon | 

Barnes & Noble | Member of theClass of 2k14

Praise:

“With Italy's brilliant landscapes, a main character you'll love from the first line and a new dreamy book boyfriend (he's mine!), WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN is a charming and addictive read. Devour this delicious treat like a double scoop of gelato.” —Lindsey Leavitt, author of Going Vintage and Sean Griswold’s Head.

Giveaway: K.A. Tucker's Four Seconds to Lose

FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE by K.A. Tucker is right around the corner so we thought we should celebrate with a giveaway of some fantastic, mind-blowing prizes! We have the FIRST print of a FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE Dooodles by Christina (which won't be available for purchase until late December), as well as signed copies of TEN TINY BREATHS and ONE TINY LIE, and swag bags filled with FOUR SECONDS TO LOSE posters and goodies from K.A. Tucker and Atria! There will be 5 winners of signed copies and swag bags, and one Grand Prize winner for the Dooodles by Christina, signed copies and a swag bag. You don’t want to miss this! So, go ahead… Enter to win! Help us celebrate Cain and Charlie’s release into the world! Entering will just take a matter of…Seconds!

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Review: Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron

Man Made Boy

By: Jon Skovron

Pub. Date: October 3, 2013

Publisher: Viking Publishing

Pages: 368

Source: Netgalley

I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine a group of monsters who pose as a Circ de Soleil style Broadway show, passing their magical abilities off as special effects. Vampires, werewolves, fairies, sirens, medusas, minotaurs…the works. Who might be a good bouncer for such a dangerous menagerie? Well, Frankenstein’s Monster of course. Then, what if the Monster and the Bride got together and created a child of their own named…well, Boy, of course, because that’s what he is. And what if Boy grew up to be a bright, sensitive, and rebellious teenage hacker who was tired of living his whole life inside the confines of a Broadway theater? How far will he go to prove to them all, including the lead dancer girl he’s always pined for, that he’s going to be somebody important and not just the Son of Frankenstein’s Monster?

When you are the son of Frankenstein and his Bride, it's hard to get close to anyone. So he doesn't. He lives under Times Square in a world hidden from the rest of us. He never leaves, and he never gets to meet anybody. But he wants too. So, so badly. Boy is bright and sensitive, and tired of living a lonely life with just his computer as his companion. Boy is a computer genius. He is able to hack into everything and hide who he really is. While this worked for a while, it isn't going to work anymore, so Boy decides to leave the security of his hidden world and see what the real world has to offer.

Boy may be me a monster, but he is as human as the rest of us. He wants to meet people, he wants to form attachments. He even wants to be in a relationship. But like every other shy, awkward teenage boy at there, he never knows the right thing to say to a girl. I found this adorable! It's definitely something that middle grade boys and girls can understand.

While I loved the characters, and found them to be very realistic, especially for being monsters, I had some issues with the plot and pacing. Some things went so quick for me, while other scenes dragged on. I would have liked more of a balance.

I really enjoyed this coming of age story and watching Boy go through this life changing event. It's a perfect story for middle graders and high school students alike.

Review: Playing Dirty by Jennifer Echols

Playing Dirty

(Stargazer # 2)

By: Jennifer Echols

Pub. Date: October 29, 2013

Publisher: Pocket Books

Pages: 448

Source: Edelweiss

A public relations expert tries to prevent the breakup of a raucous country band and corral their wild—and very sexy—lead singer in book 2 of the Stargazer Series.

As an expert in public relations crisis management—that is, babysitter to the stars—Sarah Seville just spent nine months in Rio trying to keep rock singer Nine Lives out of jail long enough to record his new album…and barely succeeded. Now she needs a triumphant success so she can keep the Manhattan-based job she loves. Trouble is, her new assignment is to travel to Alabama to prevent the breakup of the raucous country band The Cheatin’ Hearts, headed by sexy Quentin Cox. As she edges closer to Quentin, she discovers layers of secrets. It seems Quentin is taking the spin doctor for a spin.

The Cheatin’ Hearts have stayed on top of the charts two years following three rules. Rule One, no drugs. Rule Two, no sex with other band members. Rule Three, no sex with record company spies. Quentin figures he’d better follow the rules, because he made them. And because if you break a rule, you’re out of the band. But he can’t resist the record company’s beautiful PR agent, and inevitably he breaks Rule Three with hot Sarah Seville. As he falls for her, he finds out that she has plenty of secrets of her own, and one of them comes knocking on her door: what really happened to her in Rio.

I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.

Lately I haven't been reading as much as I used to. It takes me a week to read a book, instead of a day or two liked it used too. But then I read Playing Dirty and I read it in a night. I couldn't put it down! I was so intrigued with Sarah and Quentin and their story!

Sarah's PR job takes her down to Alabama and into the lives of country band superstars The Cheatin' Hearts. The band comes off as slutty, stupid, drug addicts. But in reality, they are smart, sweet and caring. Sarah was pretty upfront with why she was there and what her plan was. But I hated all of the secrets that The Cheatin' Hearts were keeping! It definitely got to be too much as certain points.

I loved Sarah! She was smart and could definitely hold her own! You knew something happened to her while she was on her last job, but you don't know what it is. Being the only thing she was keeping hidden, I think Echols did a wonderful job keeping it from the reader, but also providing hints. The secret never felt rushed or forced out. Then there is Quentin. He definitely moved to the top of my favorite lists! The lead singer, Quentin acts as though as is the dumbest one in the group and that all he cares about is drinking, girls and his cocaine. But in reality he got into medical school and his dream is to cure asthma and allergies, which is two things he suffers deeply from, not a cocaine addiction. He was so cute and sweet!

The connection between Sarah and Quentin can be felt right away and it is hot! When these two were together, there scenes just jumped from the page. I absolutely loved these two together!

I really enjoyed Playing Dirty and while it is the second book in the series, it can read as a stand alone. I have not read the first book, Star Crossed but I was never lost or confused. This is a story that is definitely not to be missed!

Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Crash Into You

(Pushing the Limits # 3)

By: Katie McGarry

Pub. Date: November 26, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 474

Source: Netgalley

I received this galley in exchange for an honest review.

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Katie McGarry is one of my favorite authors. The way she can take these sad and broken characters, who definitely aren’t perfect, and make the reader care so much about them truly shows how talented she is! Crash into You is no different and has easily become my favorite in the series.

Crash into You follows Isaiah Walker, a 17 year old foster kid and Noah’s best friend from Pushing the Limits and Dare You To. He loves his friends and will be loyal to them no matter what. His other love is cars. We also get introduced to Rachel Young, a rich girl who would much rather be drag racing and fixing cars then putting on a dress and going to the country club. These two are not as opposite as one might think! 

After I met Noah in Pushing the Limits, I didn’t think it was possible for me to love a McGarry character more, but then I met Isaiah! People stay away from him because he is a poor, foster kid with tattoos. But those people are missing out on an extraordinary young man. He’s loyal, sweet and caring. He’s also extremely vulnerable, which is a side that no one ever gets to see.

Rachel was a very interesting character. She is the youngest and only girl in her family. She has three older brothers who protect her maybe a little too much. Her mother always compares her to her dead older sister, someone that Rachel will never be. The pressure is too much sometimes and she can only be herself when she is racing. It is there where she meets Isaiah, a guy she knows she should stay away from, but just can’t.

I always have the same issue when I read a McGarry book. I want to read it slow to savor every word, but I also want to read it fast to find out what is going to happen to the characters. Her writing is unbelievable and I never can get enough of it! I am so excited to read Take Me On, the next story in the Pushing the Limits series!

Sale: Escaping Me by Elizabeth Lee

In July, I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Escaping Me by Elizabeth Lee. For a limited time, Escaping Me is on sale for .99 cents! Go pick up your copy before the price goes back up. You won't regret it!