Blog Tour & Giveaway: Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief by Rosie Somers

Title: Diary of a Teenage Jewel Thief

Author: Rosie Somers

Genre: YA, Contemporary

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Summary:

Most sixteen-year-olds shouldn’t know where museums keep their rarest jewels (the basement) and they really shouldn’t know that vans make the worst getaway cars. But for Marisol Flores, a life of jewel thievery is a birthright handed down from generation to generation, even if she didn’t ask for it. So when a rival thief targets Mari and her mother, Mari’s more than happy to flee to the anonymity of bustling New York City.

Blending in is a dream come true for Mari, but keeping her former thieving ways a secret gets way more complicated when handsome Will Campbell sets his sights on her. She can’t help but like his terrible puns and charming grin…but when her past catches up with her, it’s not only her life—and her anonymity—that’s at stake.

Will could be the next target.

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Badass teens with secret life is one of my soft spots when it comes to books. It doesn’t matter if it’s as a secret spy, thief, assassin— I love them all. Which is why I immediately jumped onto the wagon when I saw this book.

I have to admit that my focus was divided when I started reading. But once I had my head on straight, nothing could make me put this book down aside from the time I did my chores.

While I’m not in love with the characters, but I do love their interactions with each other. And gosh, the puns. I love bad puns, it always made me laugh. Another thing I like is how Marisol’s mom is not just a prop like some other books.

I wished there’s more action side of the story though. It always give me a second hand adrenaline rush. But the pace of the story as it is is great too.

I think readers who enjoyed reading Also Known As by Robin Benway, and Pretty Fierce by Kieran Scott would enjoy this book.

I rate this book 4 over 5 stars.

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About the Author:

Rosie Somers is a beach-going book addict who’s been crafting stories since before she learned her ABCs. When she’s not busy trying to bring the characters in her head to life on paper, she can be found volunteering with local animal rescues, crocheting funky hats for her friends, or eating herself into the poorhouse at Chipotle. Her fondest dream is to one day own a goat.

Author Blog: rosiesomers.blogspot.com

Author Twitter: @prosyrosie

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProsyRosie/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8281027.Rosie_Somers

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Teasers:

Paragraph Teaser Excerpts from DIARY OF A TEENAGE JEWEL THIEF by Rosie Somers

1.

When his tongue darts out to wet his lips, I unconsciously

mirror the action, and he sucks in a deep breath in response.

A little thrill shoots through me at the realization that he’s

reacting to me that way because he wants to kiss me. And

if I’m honest with myself, I want to kiss him. I can almost

feel his lips pressing against mine. Every fiber of my being is

caught in his gravitational pull, aching to be near him.

2.

Heat surges through me. I lean into Will, memorizing

the feel of his body leveled against mine. The life of a thief

is a solitary one; I’ve never been this close to a guy before,

and the situation is made all the more complicated by the

strength of my attraction to him.

3.

My phone rings. The tinny chime splits the silence and

cuts through the romance of the moment, but I don’t move

to answer it. Maybe if I stay just like I am, he’ll still kiss me.

“You gonna answer that?” Will’s voice is a breathy

almost-whisper against my lips.

“No.”

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Giveaway

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Funeral Flower by Michelle Jester

Title: The Funeral Flower
Author: Michelle Jester
Publication date: June 20th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult

Rating: 4 / 5 stars

Summary:

Devastated by the death of her grandfather, six-year-old Kelly Rodgers barely manages to cope with the profound loss. Already facing issues at school, she finds herself spiraling deeper into despair, when a fateful interaction through the fence in her backyard gives her hope. In the years following, Kelly realizes that life’s tragedies can be dealt with through acceptance; until another series of agonizing events leaves her heart in pieces.

Finding herself thrown into new surroundings, Kelly embraces her life and resolves to never fall in love. That decision is easy to keep until her junior year when she is drawn by an unavoidable attraction to the new guy, tormented James Delaney. The moment he looks up at her and smiles, her body betrays her. And he notices. She is determined to avoid him, but soon Kelly is forced to face the inevitable truth: She doesn’t want to avoid James… and he won’t let her.

Even though tragedy always follows love.

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This book is intended for mature audiences due to critical subject matter.

Note: Due to mature content recommended for Ages 17+

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God, I love this book so much.

The Funeral Flower has all the tropes that I love in one book. It has the dysfunctional family, the sibling bond, the friendship that spans over years… basically what I always search for in books. That is also probably why I couldn’t stop reading once I started. I read everything in one sitting.

It was so hard write this review without giving too much away or give people spoilers.

In the beginning, I thought something magical was going to happen in this book. Well, something magical did happen, but not the way I thought it would be. This book gave me so much heartache, melancholic and angst-y feelings, but it also made smile and laugh. Some people might not like the book or thinks it progresses slowly, because it is the kind of book that covers pretty much Kelly’s life from when she’s 6 years old until she’s 20 years old.

I would recommend this to people who loves YA as well as NA. I think YA readers would enjoy this too because the majority of the book was when Kelly was in her teenage years. I know I used this book as a reference a lot lately—oh well—but this book really give me the same vibe I get when reading Summer Sisters by Judy Blume.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. (I took away 1 star because the people I shipped didn’t end up together) but I still love how it ended though. I love the true love concept.

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Author Bio:

I am a hopeless romantic (I think this is the most important thing to know about me). In addition, I live in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana with my husband and high school sweetheart. Together we have a son and daughter.

Throughout my life writing and photography have been my main creative outlets. Especially when I am stressed, I know I can go to either of those things and pour out that anxiety into something good and productive.

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Book Review: NemeSIS by Susan Marshall

Title: NemeSIS
Author: Susan Marshall
Published date: 4th April 2017
Published by: Blue Moon Publishers
Genre: YA, Middle Grade, Contemporary
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3 / 5 stars
Summary:

Dad has moved out and Mom has checked out, leaving the door wide open for the beautiful, erratic Rachel to torment her “loser, loner” younger sister, Nadine. With her family in full meltdown mode, Nadine is alone, trying to cope with Rachel’s increasingly unpredictable moods. Friendless, but determined to turn her life around, Nadine meets Anne, who introduces her to field hockey and to her hot twin brothers, Matt and Cameron.

As Nadine’s star begins to rise, however, Rachel plots to bring her back down, and the tension ratchets up when Rachel starts dating Matt just as Nadine is getting to know Cameron better. When Matt’s interest starts to fade, Rachel goes into overdrive. Is Nadine ready to risk it all in a final showdown with her sister?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Someone Else’s Summer by Rachel Bateman Book Review

Title: Someone Else’s Summer
Author: Rachel Bateman
Published date: 9th May 2017
Published by: Running Press Kids
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 4 / 5 stars
Summary:

Anna’s always idolized her older sister, Storm. So when Storm dies in a tragic car accident on the night of her high school graduation, Anna is completely lost and her family is torn apart. That is, until she finds Storm’s summer bucket list and decides to honor her sister by having the best summer ever—which includes taking an epic road trip to the coast from her sleepy Iowa town. Setting out to do everything on Storm’s list along with her sisters best friend Cameron—the boy next door—who knew that Storm’s dream summer would eventually lead to Anna’s own self-discovery?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Blog Tour & Giveaway: The History of Hilary Hambrushina by Marnie Lamb

Title: The History of Hilary Hambrushina
Author: Marnie Lamb
Publication date: May 31st 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Summary:

Hilary has one goal for her first year in junior high: to become popular. But her plans are turned upside down when her best friend leaves for the summer and a quirky girl named Kallie moves in next door. Kallie paints constellations on her ceiling, sleeps in a hammock, and enacts fantastical plays in front of cute boys on the beach. Yet despite Kallie’s lack of interest in being -cool, – Hilary and Kallie find themselves becoming friends. That summer friendship, however, is put to the test when school begins, reigniting Hilary’s obsession with climbing the social ladder. As Hilary discovers the dark side to popularity, she must decide who she wants to be before she loses everything.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Year of Four (Phoebe Pope #1) and The Blood of Kings (Phoebe Pope #2)

Title: The Year of Four (Phoebe Pope, #1)
Author: Nya Jade
Publication date: October 28th 2012
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Summary:

The students of Green Lane Academy roam their halls unaware that below their manicured campus exists a prestigious school of an entirely different kind . . .

Sixteen-year-old Phoebe Pope has enrolled at the Campus Below: a spy academy for shape-shifters hidden deep beneath the grounds of a boarding school whose humans unknowingly protect it. There, thanks to a carefully planned schedule, she leads a double life: spy trainee Below and normal teenager Above.

As if two course loads, concealing a secret power she alone wields, and coping with her father’s recent death weren’t enough, Phoebe finds herself developing major feelings for actor and teen heartthrob Colten Chase, who attends the Campus Above and appears to be majoring in winning Phoebe’s heart. But when officials learn that Phoebe may be at the center of a startling prophecy, she becomes the target of shape-shifting assassins who will stop at nothing to suppress the truth.

Now Phoebe’s lessons about Shaper’s enemies and spycraft take on great importance as a menace stalks the campus, with Phoebe as its target. Meanwhile, what began as an unlikely relationship with Colten, quickly morphs into heartache when she suspects that something sinister lurks beneath this movie star’s glitter and fame. Suddenly, Phoebe’s caught in a mesh of lies, betrayals, and danger where she doesn’t know who to trust, and needs to rely on herself—and her secret power—to get to the truth and to stay alive.

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The Blood of Kings
Nya Jade
(Phoebe Pope, #2)
Publication date: April 2017
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

According to the press, Phoebe Pope and teen movie star Colten Chase are no longer an item—which is just how the happy new couple like it. And yet there’s trouble in paradise . . .

Phoebe is haunted by dreams that show her things she can’t possibly know about—including a pact between Colten and a wanted assassin. In the daylight, she struggles to keep a newly emerging power hidden, even as her hands itch to wield it.

Meanwhile, in the wake of their escape from a Vigo crèche, Phoebe and her fellow Hyphas study under lock and key at the Campus Below. As the foursome wait to see who among them will fulfill the prophecy, someone dear to Phoebe is kidnapped by a powerful Vigo determined to use her to spy on the Shaper royalty. When the Hyphas are called to the Royal Court, Phoebe refuses to heed warnings of imminent danger for she will do whatever it takes to rescue her loved one.

But once at court, nothing is as it first appears. A sinister force controls some royals, while others whisper behind closed doors about forbidden alliances. And as Phoebe draws on her courage to complete the task set by her enemy, she makes a startling discovery—one that upends her father’s memory.

With dangerous conspiracies surfacing, Phoebe must uncover what the Royal Shapers really want from her, and decide whether there’s room for Colten in her unraveling life.

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Excerpt:

THE YEAR OF FOUR (Phoebe Pope #1)
by NYA JADE
The students moved their right hands to their lips in unison, and then crossed both arms in an X over their chests—one fist placed over each heart.

“Welcome back, Cadets.” Professor Yori gestured for them to be seated. “And a special welcome to our newest Hastati class. Your decision to train for the Shaper Intelligence Service is an admirable one, and a decision that I know was not made without long and careful thought. It is why we mark the beginning of the year with a grand Conversion Ceremony in the tradition of the Old Country. It reminds us of what we serve to protect. And now, as is our custom, the Principes class will swear in the new Hastati class.”

Phoebe stood with her classmates as everyone in the middle row of tables rose and turned to face them. Together the second-years said, “We, the Principes class, candidates for advancement to Triarii class, bid you welcome.”

“We are happy to be welcomed,” Phoebe replied with her class, reciting the response they’d been given in their trainee handbook.

The Principes continued: “Please give your enrollment statement.”

“We are here to gain physical toughness. Develop strength of character. And sharpen our mental acumen.”

“Why do you fight?”

“Loyalty to each other. Service to the Royal Court. And in honor of Pompeii.”

“And when called to the task?”

Phoebe’s stomach lurched. Her palms suddenly felt clammy. With a shallow breath she answered timidly, “We will kill Vigos, no questions asked.”

Then Phoebe shook hands with the Principes boy in front of her, who looked at her with concern. Embarrassed, she composed her face into a picture of calm. She pulled her hand from his grasp and sat slowly, caught up in the meaning of the oath. Doubt, sharp and unwanted, coiled in her stomach. What if she couldn’t make her father’s career her own?

“The start of a new moonester,” Professor Yori said, “brings with it a few quick announcements. First, and of most importance, recent reports indicate a spike in Vigo activity in the area—” Gasps and murmurs broke out as every student turned to address his or her neighbor.

Professor Yori’s whistle cut through the noise. The dome fell silent. Maintaining his composure, the headmaster looked out at the sea of students. “In the one hundred years of the Campus Below, Vigos have never once found the school. We remain perfectly cloaked by the presence of humans.”

Phoebe knew that Professor Yori was right. Her father had once explained that because of the warm physical energy that radiated from Shapers, a gathering as large as a school would be a beacon for Vigos to track. Luckily, the presence of a greater mass of cold energy humans, like the Green Lane Academy population, could shield them. This truth failed to stop the shiver that swept through Phoebe.

Books in the Phoebe Pope Series:

The Year of Four (Book 1)

The Blood of Kings (Book 2)

Web: http://www.PhoebePope.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PhoebePopeBooks

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Author bio:

Nya Jade has enjoyed a fun career as a singer-songwriter. Her music videos have aired on the Vh1, BET and MTV networks and she’s opened for some of the biggest names in music. Nya’s music has also received recognition in major publications, including USA Today and the LA Times. She took a break from writing and performing music to write The Year of Four, her first YA novel. When she isn’t writing, Nya can be found hanging out with family and friends, reading or bargain hunting for her next pair of funky shoes. Nya lives with her family in California.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Internet Famous by Danika Stone

Title: Internet Famous
Author: Danika Stone
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: June 6th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Source: Xpresso Book Tour & Netgalley
Rating: 4 / 5 stars
Summary:

Can an online romance survive in real life?

Internet sensation Madison Nakama has it all! Her pop-culture rewatch site has a massive following, and fans across the world wait on her every post and tweet. Even Madi’s dismal romantic life seems ready to take off as Laurent, a fellow geek (and unfairly HOT French exchange student!) starts flirting with her in the comments section of her blog. But Laurent’s not the only one watching for Madi’s replies.

Internet fame has a price, and their online romance sparks the unwanted attention of a troll. When Madi’s “real life” hits a rough patch, she feels her whole world crumbling. With Laurent’s support, can Madi rally her friends across the globe to beat the troll, or will he succeed in driving her away from everything―and everyone―she loves?

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