COVER REVEAL: Don't Look Back

I am so, so excited to help unveil the amazing, exciting, and totally creepy cover of Jennifer L. Armentrout's newest book, DON'T LOOK BACK. Without further ado...

Don't Look Back, by Jennifer L. Armentrout
To Be Published April 15, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Genre: YA thriller, contemporary romance

(Synopsis) Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it’s one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took “mean girl” to a whole new level, and it’s clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She’s getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she’s falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.
 
But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn’t just buried deep inside of Sam’s memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

So, what do you think? Do you love it? Are you going to have bad dreams tonight? 

I don't know about you all, but I'm totally excited about Don't Look Back. I've read just about everything Jennifer L. Armentrout has written, and this sounds completely and totally different. So, please add Don't Look Back to your TBR and start watching the calendar with me. April is a loooooong way off.  

BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Found In You (Fixed #2)

I read Fixed On You by Laurelin Paige a few months ago and was so sucked in by Hudon's and Alayna's story, I was waiting not-so-patiently for Found In You to be released. And, now it's here, and I'm so excited to be a part of the blog tour, hosted by AToMR Tours. Check out my review, then jump down and enter the giveaway for a $100 Amazon gift card and copies of Fixed On You and Found In You. And, don't forget to check out the other stops on this tour for inside info into this awesome series!

Found In You (Fixed #2), by Laurelin Paige
Published September 30, 2013
Publisher: Mandevilla Press
Format: e-book, obtained from the author and AToMR Tours in exchange for an honest review
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon

My Review for Fixed On You (Fixed #1)

Rating:  4 STARS

(From Goodreads) Alayna Withers has only had one kind of relationship: the kind that makes her obsessive and stalker-crazy. Now that Hudson Pierce has let her into his heart, she’s determined to break down the remaining walls between them so they can build a foundation that’s based on more than just amazing sex. Except Hudson’s not the only one with secrets.

With their pasts pulling them into a web of unfounded mistrust, Alayna turns to the one person who knows Hudson the best—Celia, the woman he almost married. Hoping for insight from someone who understands all sides of the story, Alayna forms a bond with Celia that goes too far—revealing things about Hudson that could end their love for good.

This is the first relationship where Alayna hasn’t spiraled out of control. And she might lose Hudson anyway…

WOW, was Found In You a frustrating book. As in, I really like these two and want them to be together and get their crap straight but they are making STOO-PID decisions and are making me completely nuts. As fellow book fiends, I'm sure you're as familiar with this feeling as I am. So, you also know that, frustrating doesn't mean bad - on the contrary. Found In You was engaging and captivating and swoony and crazy (pun intended - read the book. You'll get it.). 

So, Lannie and Hunter seem to be in a good place, but what kind of a book would this be if things stayed that way? They make promises to each other that they find hard to keep. Both their pasts come back to haunt them. And trust seems to be a four-letter word. Despite all that, these two seem to have something special, and thankfully, neither one of them are likely to get it go without a fight. 

So, why was I so frustrated? Most of it had to do with Alayna's actions. Now, in Fixed On You, I really loved her. I loved how strong she was and how much she tried to overcome her past problems. In Found In You, she made so many wrong decisions. Alayna is supposed to be a smart girl. She has an MBA and a creative mind. How could she not see all the things that we readers saw? Celia was working some kinda evil mojo and we knew it and other characters knew it, but Alayna was clueless. 

Hudson is my favorite kind of hero. He's wonderful and romantic and sweet. And, at times a total jackass and completely controlling. He's the best kind of flawed. I hate those guys that are too damn perfect. And, Hudson is anything but perfect. 

All the missteps and secrets were bound to cause things to go to crap. And, as horrible as it sounds, that was what kept me absolutely glued to this story. I just knew that the other shoe would drop eventually and when it did, I was wondering how they would make it out. IF they would make it out. And, the journey there was not without some twists and turns and surprises along the way. 

I really like Laurelin Paige's writing style. She knows how to create compelling characters and keep the reader interested in what happens to them. Sophie is evil, Mira is sweet, Jack is charming, David is meek. All these characters have totally different personalities and mannerisms, and they're all totally believable. 

Found In You is told entirely from Alayna's POV, just as the first book was too. I really, really wish there were some bonus Hudson scenes out there somewhere or something because, Laurelin Paige has done such a great job of keeping so much of Hudson hidden (from both Lannie and from the reader) that it's really driving me insane not knowing what's going on in his gorgeous head. So, Laurelin, if you could do something about that, that would be awesome. :)

This series has completely captivated me; I cannot wait to find out how it all ends for these two. While there's no cliffhanger at the end of Found In You, there are some definite loose ends still hanging out there that are bound to continue creating challenges and roadblocks on the road to happiness. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

GREAT NEWS! Until October 6, Fixed On You (Fixed #1) will be on sale in digital formats for only $0.99. If you haven't read it yet, this is the perfect opportunity to get started on this awesome series!

About the Author

Laurelin Paige is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Mad Men and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine. She is represented by Bob Diforio of D4EO Literary Agency.

Learn more about Laurelin Page --> Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Giveaway
  
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This is one meme I can get on board with - I LOVE lists! I'll show you mine if you show me yours!

Top Ten Book Turn-Offs

1. Series with TONS of books in them - Sometimes I think a book sounds interesting. Like, oh, One For The Money (Stephanie Plum #1) by Janet Evanovich. And then I see that there are NINETEEN books in the series. And that desire is squelched pretty quickly. Because I just don't think I can invest that kind of time in a new series. Sorry Janet.

2. Books that are super long - Sometimes I think a book sounds interesting (where have we heard this before?). Like, oh, A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) by George R. R. Martin. And then I notice that the mass market paperback is 835 pages. 'Aint nobody got time for that (name that YouTube vid).

3. Cheating - I love my romance books. I LOVE my new adult genre. But, if I get even the faintest wiff of cheating from the description, I will pass on it. Cheating in books makes me feel bad and sad and mad. I read for fun. Cheating in books is counterproductive to my fun quotient. A sub-set of this one is books with love triangles. I hate those as well, because many times they involve cheating, and they always involve tons of over-the-top angst. And reading about angst makes me angsty.

4. Horror books - I've never been a horror movie fan. Not even as a good excuse to end up in the lap of my date when I was a teenager (The original Evil Dead series is the exception to the rule. Bruce Campbell is THE MAN). Horror books are no different. I'm not a gore fan. Or a deranged psycho killer fan.  

5. Death/cancer, especially in kids - Sorry, John Green. I'm sure The Fault In Our Stars is a great book. It's gotten rave reviews from everyone I know that has read it. It's been critically acclaimed. I also know it's about a teenager with terminal cancer. I can tell you that I will never read this book, for the same reason I can't listen to those songs like The Christmas Shoes. I would spend half the book bawling my eyes out and then a week in a post-book depression.

6. Unattractive covers - I'm a total cover whore. I have bought books soley because the cover was beautiful. Conversely, I have avoided books soley because the cover was boring/unattractive. If I know nothing about the book, I most certainly will judge it by its cover. As an aside, it irritates me when books that I KNOW are good have bad covers, because I'm sure there are a lot of others out there like me who will be missing out on a good book because the cover doesn't speak to them. It's hypocritical of me, I know.

7. Fiction books written by actors/singers/dancers, etc. - I'm always irritated to hear that a famous actor or singer has now written a fiction book. It just seems like they're trying to prolong their 15 minutes of fame. And, I always have a sneaking suspicion that it's been ghost written anyway. If you're an actor, then act. If you're a singer, then sing. But, leave the writing to the professionals. I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule - there always are. Who are they? Enlighten me and help me expand my horizons.

8. Books labeled "women's lit" - Yeah, yeah. I know. I'M A WOMAN. So, books with a genre label of "women's lit" shouldn't be a problem for me. Thing is, most of those books just aren't what I'm looking for. They feature women who are much older than me doing things that I would never do. They go to knitting club and on road trips to vineyards with their BFFs. They wax nostalgic about the days gone by and have neighborhood block parties. Blech. 

9. Books with non-endings - Authors, take note. I want you to tell me how it ends. I don't want to use my brain to make an ending up that pleases me. I don't want to be scratching my head, saying, "What just happened here?" I don't need flowery words that allude to a happy ending but don't really spell it out. Just tell me - did the guy get the girl? Are they happy? Did the bad guy bite it? Tie up the loose ends and resolve the issues. And, give me every disgusting detail along the way.

10. No HEA - When I was a little girl, I had two favorite parts to the stories I was read - "Once upon a time..." and "...and they lived happily ever after." It seems that some things never change, because that happily ever after business is still my favorite part of every book. I love closing the book, and taking that sigh - you know the sigh I mean. The "what-a-great-book-I'm-so-happy-and-fulfilled-right-now" sigh. If I am to consider a book "good," I need to feel satisfied at the end, and I will never feel that way without a HEA.