Synopsis Adorkable (ah-dor-kuh-bul): Descriptive term meaning to be equal parts dorky and adorable. For reference, see Sally Spitz.
Seventeen-year-old Sally Spitz is done with dating. Or at least, she’s done with the horrible blind dates/hookups/sneak attacks her matchmaking bestie, Hooker, sets her up on. There’s only so much one geek girl and Gryffindor supporter can take.
Her solution: she needs a fake boyfriend. And fast.
Enter Becks, soccer phenom, all-around-hottie, and Sally’s best friend practically since birth. When Sally asks Becks to be her F.B.F. (fake boyfriend), Becks is only too happy to be used. He’d do anything for Sal–even if that means giving her PDA lessons in his bedroom, saying she’s “more than pretty,” and expertly kissing her at parties.
The problem: Sally’s been in love with Becks all her life–and he’s completely clueless.
This book features two best friends, one special edition Yoda snuggie, countless beneath-the-ear kisses and begs the question: Who wants a real boyfriend when faking it is so much more fun?.
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My Review I absolutely adored this book! It’s basically a friends-to-more story, and there’s nothing particularly unique about that aspect, but what sets this one apart is the writing and the characters. The author’s voice is fresh, and the characters are completely loveable. Sally Spitz is a nerd in the first order. She loves Star Wars and Harry Potter, and Tombstone is her favorite movie. If she was also a Whovian, she’d be my daughter, so of course I pulled for Sally the whole way. She’s secretly been in love with her best friend, Becks, since forever, but her friendship with him trumps her romantic feelings so she won’t do anything to jeopardize that. Becks is a soccer phenom and one the most popular guy in school. But when Sally’s other best friend, Lillian, conspires with Sally’s mom on one blind date after another, Sally’s had enough and asks Becks to be her fake boyfriend (fbf) to get them to back off. The only problem is, no one believes they’re a real couple, so the two set out to convince everyone they are. The only problem is, Sally’s having a hard time separating her true feelings from the fake romance.
Plot
The plot isn’t ground-breaking, but it’s a heck of a lot of fun. The chemistry between Becks and Sally is obvious from the beginning and led to me reading way past my bedtime to find out how their story ends. It’s been awhile since a teen romance had me turning pages late at night. Having married my best friend, I could totally relate to the change from friendship to something more. And Lillian is right, when you’ve been friends for a long time, you already know so much about each other, but she was wrong that there’s nothing left to discover.
Characters All of the characters are delightful. Sally is a strong female lead with a healthy dose of self-doubt and angst. Becks is adorable as the confident soccer player with a streak of vulnerability when it comes to Sally. These two are among my favorite young adult couples. The rest of the characters have just the right amount of development to make them real and more than background noise.
Top Five Things I Loved About Adorkable 1. Sally. Her beautiful nerdiness and strength mixed with awkwardness makes her a heroine to root for.
2. Becks. He’s hot, talented, caring, and loyal. Do they make a better book boyfriend than that?
3. Friendship. I love how Sally and Beck’s friendship is first for both of them. They put that above just about everything else.
4. Romance. The amount of heat author Cookie O’Gorman was able to generate in a very PG-rated novel was an amazing feat!
5. The ending. It was perfect!
Bottom Line Adorkable is a fun page-turning teen romance with amazing characters, plenty of angst, and just the right combination of sweet vs. heat.
Disclaimer I was provided with a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
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About the Book Title: Adorkable Author: Cookie O’Gorman Pages: 214 Category: Young Adult Contemporary Romance Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars Links: Goodreads | Amazon
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Author Cookie O’Gorman
About the Author Cookie O’Gorman writes YA romance to give readers a taste of happily-ever-after. Small towns, quirky characters, and the awkward yet beautiful moments in life make up her books. Cookie also has a soft spot for nerds and ninjas. Her debut novel ADORKABLE will be released in 2016.
Welcome to Spring, 2016 YA Scavenger Hunt! This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors…and a chance to win some awesome prizes!
Author T.H. Hernandez
My name is T.H. Hernandez, and I’m your host for this leg of the hunt. How does the hunt work? I’m glad you asked! Follow the authors from blog to blog, gaining access to exclusive content from each author, and collecting the clues. Add up the clues, and enter for our prize — one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt per team!But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 5 days!
If you landed here first, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to get all the details about the hunt. There are NINE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one of them or all of them! I am a part of the GREEN TEAM — but there are also teams for BLUE,GOLD,ORANGE,PINK,PURPLE, RED,SILVER,andTEAL, each with a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!
If you’d like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.
Looking for my exclusive bonus content? You’ll have to keep searching. Somewhere on a GREEN TEAM blog is chapter 1 from The Invasion, the fourth book in The Union Series. It picks up right after where The Uprising ends, so if you want a little something to tide you over until The Invasion releases later this year, start hunting.
Before you go, be sure to check out the amazing author I’m hosting, the supremely talented Michelle Madow.
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Scavenger Hunt Puzzle
Directions: Below, you’ll notice that I’ve listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the GREEN TEAM, and then add them up (don’t worry, you can use a calculator).
Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by April 3, at noon PDT. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.
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MIchelle Madow
Author Michelle Madow
Today, I am hosting Michelle Madow. Michelle writes fast-paced YA (young adult) fiction that will leave you turning the pages wanting more!
Michelle grew up in Baltimore, and now lives in Boca Raton, Florida, where she writes books for young adults. Some of her favorite things are: reading, pizza, traveling, shopping, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Michelle has toured across America to promote her books and to encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship.
The Prophecy of Shadows (Elementals Series #1) by Michelle Madow
About the Book Title: The Prophecy of Shadows Series: Elementals #1 Author: Michelle Madow Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing Release Date: January 26, 2016 Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository
Synopsis “Harry Potter meets Percy Jackson with an added twist of teenage angst, hormones and uncertainty… I am officially HOOKED!” -Kim T. Goodreads Reviewer, ★★★★★
When Nicole Cassidy moves from sunny Georgia to gloomy New England, the last thing she expects is to learn that her homeroom is a cover for a secret coven of witches. Even more surprisingly… she’s apparently a witch herself. Despite doubts about her newfound abilities, Nicole is welcomed into this ancient circle of witches and is bedazzled by their powers — and, to her dismay, by Blake — the school’s notorious bad-boy.
Girls who get close to Blake wind up hurt. His girlfriend Danielle will do anything to keep them away, even if she must resort to using dark magic. But the chemistry between Blake and Nicole is undeniable, and despite wanting to protect Nicole from Danielle’s wrath, he finds it impossible to keep his distance.
When the Olympian Comet shoots through the sky for the first time in three thousand years, Nicole, Blake, Danielle, and two others in their homeroom are gifted with mysterious elemental powers. But the comet has another effect — it opens the portal to the prison world that has contained the Titans for centuries. After an ancient monster escapes and attacks Nicole and Blake, it’s up to them and the others to follow the clues from a cryptic prophecy so that they can save their town… and possibly the world.
USA TODAY calls Elementals a “must read!”
“Elementals is full of wonderful magic and myths!” -5 Girls Book Reviews, ★★★★★
“They weren’t joking around when they said ‘Fans of Percy Jackson will love this!’ It’s like I stepped back into Rick Riordan’s Universe but saw a completely different side of it at the same time.” -Mel Goethals Reviews, ★★★★★
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Exclusive Content In the Elementals series, the witches use their magic by channeling different colors of energy from the Universe around them. I’ve included a short excerpt from the book where the magic system is explained to give you a better idea about how their abilities work. Then, you can see the full list of the different energy colors and what they can do—this list has never been seen before!
Short Excerpt: “There’s energy everywhere.” Chris moved his hands in a giant arc above his head to demonstrate. “Humans know that energy exists—they’ve harnessed it for electronics. The difference between us and humans is that we have the power to tap into energy and use it ourselves, and humans don’t.” He smiled at me, as if I was supposed to understand what he meant. “Make sense?”
“Not really,” I said. “Sorry.”
“It’s easier if you relate it to something familiar,” he said, speaking faster. “What happens to the handle of a metal spoon when you leave it in boiling water?”
“It gets hot?” I said it as a question. This was stuff people learned in fifth grade science—not high school homeroom.
“And what happens when it’s plastic?”
“It doesn’t get hot,” I said slowly. “It stays room temperature.”
“Exactly.” He grinned at me like I’d just solved an astrophysics mathematical equation. “Humans are like plastic. Even if they’re immersed in energy, they can’t conduct it. Witches are like metal. We have the ability to absorb energy and control it as we want.”
“So, how do we take in this energy?” I asked, since I might as well humor him.
“Through our hands.” Chris turned his palms up, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He looked like a meditating Buddha. Students snickered, and Chris re-opened his eyes, pushed his sleeves up, and sat back in his chair.
“O-o-kay.” I elongated the word, smiling and laughing along with everyone else.
Darius cleared his throat, and everyone calmed down. “We can conduct energy from the Universe into our bodies,” he said, his voice full of authority. Chills passed through me, and even though I still didn’t believe any of this, I sat back to listen. “Once we’ve harnessed it, we can use it as we like. Think of energy like light. It contains different colors, each relating to an aspect of life. I’ve written them on the board. The most basic exercise we learn in this class is to sense this energy and absorb it. Just open your mind, envision the color you’re focusing on, and picture it entering your body through your palms.”
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Exclusive content – the list of energy colors and their meanings
Red—confidence, courage and love
Increased confidence
Increased attraction/desire
Orange—adventure, trouble
Increased strength
Increased enthusiasm
Yellow—happiness, intellectual
Increased focus
Increased memory
Increased happiness
Green—growth, success, luck
Opens your mind
Helps you be more aware of your options
Increased luck
Blue—calming, truth, peace
Increased calmness
Can make others more willing to tell the truth
Can help you see the truth/open flow of communication
Violet—imagination, creativity, balance
Helps generate ideas
Increased imagination
Increased acceptance
Deepens mood
White—a combination of all the colors. It’s the hardest to use/control because it involves gathering all the colors.
Clears the mind
Renews the spirit
Removes a spell on an object
Gray—murky, muddled
Brings about confusion/disorientation
Makes someone sad/depressed
Brings about negativity
Powerful witches can use it to compel others
Black—illegal to use
Makes the victim feel like they’re being put through extreme physical torture
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Bonus Giveaway from Michelle Madow Michelle is giving away the e-version of her entire Transcend Time Saga for FREE to everyone who wants it! To claim your free books, CLICK HERE, fill out the form, and they’ll be sent straight to your inbox.
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Don’t forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books, includes a signed copy of The Union by me, Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows by Michelle Madow, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 5. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the GREEN TEAM and you’ll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!
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Continue the Hunt
To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author, Kimberly G. Giarratano!
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is 23. Here’s a line from page 23 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Cyrus’s POV.
The girl from the bar pushes her door closed and presses me against it. She kisses me hard, desperate, hot, wrong. She feels and tastes like a mistake.
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Playing Defense (Corrigan Falls Raiders #2) by Cate Cameron
Synopsis Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains adult language, swoon-worthy kisses, and sexy hockey players. It may cause you to watch a hockey game…or ten.
Sixteen-year-old Claudia Waring has never kissed a boy. Never been popular. Never been to a hockey game. All that’s about to change. Assigned to tutor Chris Winslow, a prank-loving, gorgeous hockey player, Claudia’s perfectly planned life immediately veers off course. And she kind of likes it. But as fun as Chris is, she knows she’ll never fit in his world.
After his latest prank lands him in hot water, Chris has to get serious about school or lose hockey. Not an easy thing for someone as carefree as the defenseman. The biggest problem, though, is how much he wants to help his cute, buttoned-up tutor loosen up a little. But while confidence has never been a problem for him, around Claudia, Chris is all nerves. Why would a girl as smart as her ever fall for a jock like him?
Corrigan Falls Raiders Book 1: Center Ice (Can be read out of order)
Corrigan Falls Raiders Book 2: Playing Defense (Can be read out of order)
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My Review Claudia is shy, reserved, and doesn’t have time for rowdy hockey teams and their obnoxious groupies. Loud prankster, Chris, doesn’t have time for school. It only gets in the way of hockey, and in this small Canadian town, everyone knows hockey is Chris’s future. Or is it? With his grades struggling, he doesn’t really have a plan B and doesn’t give his all to the game the way he knows he should. He flounders until his counselor suggests tutoring, something Chris sees as a waste of his time, but feels he owes it to his mother to at least try.
Chris and his new tutor, Claudia, embark on a fragile friendship that soon blossoms into something more. When Claudia’s poetry teachers suggests that poems are more than just words on a page, Claudia and a few friends take that suggestion to heart and create a secret sisterhood of awesomeness where each member encourages the others to do random acts of awesome. For Claudia, it’s attending her first ever hockey game and attempting to enjoy herself. For Chris, it’s studying for himself rather than for others. But when tragedy strikes, Claudia and Chris will have to find a way forward in the manner that means the most to them.
Plot
This is essentially a teenage romance, but I love the awesome challenges that are woven through it, making it feel like something a little bit more than just a standard romance. The push-and-pull of the two romantic leads’ very different backgrounds provides the conflict necessary to drive the love story, but it’s the secret club that brings them and other unlikely characters together, giving them a purpose bigger than themselves.
Characters I found both Chris and Claudia to be likeable and I rooted for them, but the rest of the characters fell flat for me, with the exception of the teacher. Both Claudia’s and Chris’s friends, other students, even parents were mostly props, Claudia’s mom was a bit stereotypical, but she served a purpose to drive conflict, which she did quite well.
Top Five Things I Enjoyed About Playing Defense 1. The hockey. I thoroughly enjoy sports romances and the hockey was a nice change from the football and baseball I’ve been reading lately.
2. The characters. Claudia and Chris came across as real, flawed, and easy to relate to.
3. The sisterhood. I loved the idea the kids (both boys and girls) came up with to challenge and support one another.
4. The romance. It was refreshing to read a sweet romance with an alpha male.
5. The lessons. It might not be cool to say it, but hard work pays off!
Bottom Line A fun teen romance wrapped in hockey, with complex contemporary characters.
Disclaimer
I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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About the Book Title: Playing Defense Series: Corrigan Falls Raiders #2 Author: Cate Cameron Publisher: Entangled Crush Pages: 178 Category: Young Adult Contemporary/Sports Romance Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Entangled
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About the Author Cate Cameron grew up in the city but moved to the country in her mid-twenties and isn’t looking back. Most of her writing deals with people living and loving in small towns or right out in the sticks—when there aren’t entertainment options on every corner, other people get a lot more interesting!
She likes to write stories about real people struggling with real issues. YA, NA, or contemporary romance, her books are connected by their emphasis on subtle humor and characters who are trying to do the right thing, even when it would be a lot easier to do something wrong.
Today’s theme for 1 Line Wednesday, sponsored by RWA’s Kiss of Death Chapter is Now. Here’s a line from chapter 4 of The Invasion, book 4 in The Union Series, from Cyrus’s POV.
“It…it reminds me of…” Of what? What I gave up to be here? The girl I love who’s now screwing someone else?
You can see previous week’s themes and lines here.
Synopsis Sixteen-year-old Jules Verity knows exactly what’s in store at her new job at castle-turned-dinner-theater Tudor Times. Some extra cash, wearing a fancy-pants dress, and plenty of time to secretly drool over the ever-so-tasty–and completely unavailable–Grayson Chandler. Except that it’s not quite what she imagined.
For one, the costume Jules has to wear is awful. Then there’s the dead body she finds that just kind of…well, disappears. Oh, and there’s the small issue of Jules and her episodes of what her best friend calls “Psychic Tourette’s Syndrome”–spontaneous and uncontrollable outbursts of seemingly absurd prophecies.
The only bright side? This whole dead body thing seems to have gotten Grayson’s attention. Except that the more Jules investigates, the more she discovers that Grayson’s interest might not be as courtly as she thought. In fact, it’s starting to look suspicious…
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My Review Reading Holding Court was an absolute blast. The characters are quirky and adorable, the story is hysterical, and the mystery is just good plain fun. Jules has a strange gift that her best friend calls psychic Tourette’s syndrome or PTS. She blurts out things that seem to not make any sense, labeling her the weird kid at school. But her ability makes her perfect to play the Mad Maid of Kent in the Tudor Times dinner theater where she pretends to be a psychic and her blurting disorder is just right for the part.
Her long-term crush and his perfect-in-every-way girlfriend also work there, forcing her to spend more time than she’d like with the happy couple. And she can’t even hate the girlfriend because she’s one of the few people at school who hasn’t ostracised Jules for her PTS. But when bodies begin to pile up in the castle, Jules doesn’t know who to trust and the race is on to find out who’s offing the staff.
Plot
The plot centers around the mysterious disappearing body in the castle, but there is a romantic subplot involving Jules pining for Grayson who has a flawless girlfriend, Bree. The mystery definitely takes center stage, but the romance is cute and sweet and definitely adds to the story.
Characters The characters are easily the best part of the book. They’re so entertaining. Jules is particularly likeable as the insecure blurting psychic with the crush on the unattainable boy. Her whole family is just as unusual and adorable, as is her best friend, Cami, the only person outside her family who seems to really get her. The colorful characters at Tudor Times rounds out the cast in delightful fashion, making it nearly impossible to figure out whodunit, because they’re all a bit wacky.
Writing The writing is a blast. Debut novelist, K.C. Held, has a way of storytelling that is engaging and hysterical. Her main character is witty and charming, whether she’s blurting or trying to process the latest calamity to befall her.
Ending There were a few surprising twists, one that I never saw coming!
What I Loved About Holding Court 1. The humor. There were many laugh out loud moments.
2. The characters. They were all unique and amusing, even the seedy ones.
3. The mystery. The disappearing body added a fun twist to this teen murder mystery.
4. The romance. While subtle, it was threaded throughout the story and kept me wanting to know what would happen.
5. Gran. She was a breath of fresh air as Jules’ temporary guardian while Jules’ mother is overseas on business.
Bottom Line A delightful teen murder/mystery, filled with zany characters and laced with a sweet romance.
Disclaimer I was provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
About the Author K.C. HELD was born and raised in California with stopovers in Honduras, Mexico, and France. Married to her high school sweetheart, and mom to two avid bookworms, she holds an MFA in costume design and is an accomplished seamstress with a background in opera, theater, film, and television. Although she once spent a summer working in a castle, there were no dead bodies involved.
Synopsis Only one house has separated McKenzie Baker and twins, Luke and Olivia Harris, since birth. After seventeen years of wearing a path across the neighbor’s yard, Luke and McKenzie realize their friendship evolved and deepened even before they had fully learned what romantic feelings meant.
Both have flashbacks often, revisiting the tender, emotional moments that strengthened their bond since the age of five. However, Luke’s twin, Olivia, doesn’t share in their happiness, worrying the new relationship will change the ones she has with her best friend and brother. This disapproval quickly tests Luke and McKenzie’s intense love for one another.
Luke’s life has been mapped out for him since birth, with a sports scholarship hanging in the balance. He and McKenzie think their future together is finally on track, when they are struck with a much more serious dilemma.
During difficult times and a devastating accident, a bond between a brother and sister shines through, and Luke and McKenzie’s profound connection is undeniable.
This story takes you on a journey of heartache and joy, leaving the belief that extraordinary love exists, and some hearts are destined to attach.
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My Review This seemed like it was going to be a typical teen romance where the popular guy suddenly realizes the girl next door is the one he’s meant to be with. And in some ways it is, but the romance is resolved within the first third of the book, leaving the rest of the story to deal with new obstacles to their romance, their lives, and even their friendships. It almost felt like two different stories to me. Because Kenzie and Luke share such a history, their romance was a natural progression and there were very few bumps on the road to love. It’s what happens after where things get sticky. There are quite a few flashbacks that show us how Kenzie and Luke came to be. I’m not normally a fan of flashbacks, but if done right, I like them. In this case, there were just too many. A few from each of their points of view would have been enough. Beyond that, it was just too much. I didn’t see the later ones as adding anything to characterization, plot, or even establishing anything we didn’t already know. Instead I felt jerked of the story for a half dozen pages each time.
Plot
The plot almost feels like two separate stories. The first half surrounds the romance between Luke and Kenzie — the whole “will they or won’t they” part of a the romance. But because of their history, this is resolved within the first third of the book. The rest of the plot deals with objections to their relationships and the consequences of their own actions. To me, this is probably the real story, but I never felt as if I was being pulled apart. I wanted to more angst as they wrestled with their choices.
Characters Kenzie and Luke are well-developed with interesting backstories, but I didn’t get the same sense of development from the rest of the cast. In some ways, Kenzie and Luke were almost too perfect and would have been more interesting if they had a few more flaws. But they were likeable and I found myself rooting for them.
Ending The author didn’t take the easy way out and for that I applaud her, but I felt as if it took longer than necessary to wind up.
What Didn’t Work For Me 1. The flashbacks. There were just too many of them. A few from each point of view to establish their history would have been great, the rest didn’t seem to add much. 2. The effortlessness of their relationship. They fell into it too easily. There were hints at problems they might encounter, but none of those issues were ever really fleshed out. I felt like the first third of the book was just establishing them as the perfect couple, which could have been done in a chapter. 3. Lack of angst. I like my teen romances angsty and there just wasn’t enough of this element for me.
What I Liked About Hearts Attached 1. Kenzie’s and Luke’s devotion to one another. This came across as authentic and very sweet.
2. Kenzie’s mom. She has a good head on her shoulders and represents among the best in young adult fiction parenting.
3. Natural consequences. I like that the author dealt with the consequences of adult behavior in an honest, straightforward, non-judgmental way.
Bottom Line There’s very little angst, but instead deals with real-life teen problems wrapped up in a super sweet romance.
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About the Book Title: Hearts Attached Author: Scarlet Wolfe Pages: 273 Category: Young Adult Contemporary Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars Links: Goodreads | Amazon
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Author Scarlet Wolfe
About the Author Scarlet Wolfe began writing in January of 2013 as a way to distract and heal from some of the grief she was dealing with after the death of her teenage son.
She instantly fell in love with bringing characters to life. Releasing contemporary romance throughout 2013, she branched out in 2014, adding erotica and teen. In 2015, her first romantic mystery/suspense, The Cassano Series, came to fruition.
When not writing, Scarlet enjoys her time with family and friends and has an addiction to Pinterest. She loves bacon, coffee, stories about possessive, hot alpha males, and other flavors of ice cream besides vanilla. 😉
She hopes her writing will encourage readers to explore their sexuality.
My Senior Year of Awesome (School Dayz #1) by Jennifer DiGiovanni
Synopsis A girl desperately tries to avoid the boy she was voted most likely to marry by her senior classmates. To prove senior superlative votes are meaningless, she and her best friend create their own list of awesome high school achievements to be completed by graduation.
It’s the final semester of senior year, and everyone at Harmony High can’t wait to find out the results of the Senior Superlative votes! But the balloon bursts in Sadie’s face when she discovers she’s been voted “Most Likely to Get Married” to Andy – a boy she’s never dated or ever thought of as a potential boyfriend. Completely and utter mortification sets in.
To prove high school means something more than a Senior Superlative award, Sadie and her best friend Jana decide to create their own list of awesome non-academic achievements to be completed before graduation.
Yet, the harder Sadie works to show everyone she’s not the least bit attracted to Andy, the more appealing he becomes. Typical for the girl who can’t seem to achieve anything important, even the completion of one lousy college application.
When senioritis kicks in and the school year dwindles down to mere weeks, Sadie decides to risk her good girl reputation to prove that an Awesome Achievement means much more than any Senior Superlative vote. By the time Sadie realizes her epic screw-up, she just might have lost her chance at the prom date of her dreams.
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My Review This is such an entertaining story, with charming characters, witty dialogue and fresh plot. Sadie and Jana want to end their high school years with a bang, and realize rather late into their senior year, they haven’t really done much to leave their mark on Harmony High. Two self-described list-a-holics set out to complete the ultimate list of accomplishments before graduation.
Their attempts to letter in a sport, star in the school play, and break a school rule land them in amusing situations. And on top of all of it is the dreaded Senior Superlatives where Sadie, much to her horror, has been voted most likely to marry uber-geek, Andrew Kosolowski. As Sadie tries to prove the voters wrong, that she and Andy are definitely not couple material, she discovers a side of Andy she never noticed before. However, her drive to check off another item on her list could end up ruining the one accomplishment she wants the most.
Plot
Jennifer DiGiovanni has written solid plot that is humorous, sometimes wacky, and just plain fun. I love how Sadie’s top ten lists are sprinkled throughout the book — everything from how annoying Andy is, to how to kill time in detention. The story is peppered with laugh-out-loud moments as Sadie and Jana work their way through their list, revising, refining, and failing, but never giving up.
Characters All of the characters are wildly original and somehow manage to deliver their lines with both grace and snark. Sadie is loveably antagonistic, Jana is hopeful and spirited. And Andy is adorkably sweet, but that doesn’t mean he’s a pushover. The rest of the characters are distinct, each with their own voice and quirks.
Top Ten things I LOVED About My Senior Year of Awesome 1. A hot guy with an even hotter sports car
2. Swoon-worthy kissing scenes
3. Sadie’s unique view on life and the world around her
4. The Super K’s
5. A dancing man-eating plant
6. Hilarious driving lessons
7. Pig dissections (‘nuf said)
8. The Kosolowski metamorphosis
9. Sadie and Jana’s female bromance (girlmance?)
10. Top Ten lists
Bottom Line A refreshing high school love story with charm, humor, and oh, those lists.
Disclaimer
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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About the Book Title: My Senior Year of Awesome Series: School Dayz #1 Author: Jennifer DiGiovanni Publisher: Swoon Romance Pages: 304 Category: Young Adult Contemporary Romance Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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Author Jennifer DiGiovanni
About the Author Jennifer is a freelance writer and YA author.
When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, working on home design projects, or trying to meet the daily goals on her Fitbit.
If you landed here first, go to the 
