Super Six Sunday: Summery Book Covers

Inspired by Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke and The Bookish, Super Six Sunday, a new feature from the fabulous ladies at Bewitched Bookworms, has different book-related topics each week and asks participants to address each topic in the form of a list of six. Obviously.

This week, the focus is on summery book covers, but since I tend to gravitate toward darker, grittier books, I decided to split up my six covers into two categories: covers that are bright and colorful and have a summertime feel even if they didn't release during summer and aren't necessarily the quintessential beach vacation read, and then covers that are a bit heavier and feel more appropriate for the wind and chill of fall or winter. Way to not at all adhere to the prompt Jenny! *takes a bow* Hope you enjoy the covers anyway:

• • • WARMTH AND COLOR • • •

NANTUCKET BLUE

Leila Howland

From Goodreads:

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.

When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

INVISIBILITY

Andrea Cremer and David Levithan

 From Amazon:

Stephen is used to invisibility. He was born that way. Invisible. Cursed.

Elizabeth sometimes wishes for invisibility. When you’re invisible, no one can hurt you. So when her mother decides to move the family to New York City, Elizabeth is thrilled. It’s easy to blend in there.

Then Stephen and Elizabeth meet. To Stephen’s amazement, she can see him. And to Elizabeth’s amazement, she wants him to be able to see her—all of her. But as the two become closer, an invisible world gets in their way—a world of grudges and misfortunes, spells and curses. And once they’re thrust into this world, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how deep they’re going to go—because the answer could mean the difference between love and death.

MEANT TO BE

Lauren Morrill

From Goodreads:

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

* I will say I'm not in love with the grass in the foreground, it looks out of place to me, but I adore the handwritten font and the background. If I could, I would crop this image right above their ankles and call this one a winner!

• • • DRAMA AND INTENSITY • • •

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA

April Genevieve Tucholke

From Goodreads:

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.

Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.

CRASH INTO YOU

Katie McGarry

From Goodreads:

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.

THE TOO CLEVER FOX

Leigh Bardugo

From Goodreads:

In Ravka, just because you avoid one trap, it doesn't mean you'll escape the next. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo’s upcoming novel, Siege and Storm, the second book in the Grisha Trilogy.

If you hadn't noticed, I'm a big fan of covers that feature type prominently, making it bold and important and as much a focus as the image that accompanies it (with the exception of The Too Clever Fox, that cover is all about the stunning illustration). What do you guys think of the covers?

Fangirling: A Discussion and Update on ICED/BURNED by Karen Marie Moning

I've been thinking a lot lately about the blog and what kinds of posts I can integrate into my standard reviews and interviews to keep things interesting and fun, and when participating in Super Six Sunday last week an idea came to me. It was a prompt about authors we'd like to meet, and given Karen Marie Moning is at the top of my list I rambled on a bit about how much I love her (there are also pictures of a strikingly beautiful and half-naked Stuart Reardon, aka Ryodan), which in turn sparked a renewed interest in Iced.

I thought of more things I'd like to say about Iced that didn't make it into my review. Things about Dani. And Ryodan. And Dani and Ryodan together. The desire to talk about, question, theorize and otherwise fangirl all over this book led me to this post (and maybe feature, we'll see how it goes). We all have a book or a series we're madly in love with, right? One that when we see it on someone's to-be-read pile or catch wind of a Twitter conversation wherein people are considering starting it we respond with encouragement that includes an excessive use of all caps and exclamation points (and likely animated hand gestures and squealing as well). One we try and force on friends and family even if they're completely uninterested in reading it because it's quite frankly irrelevant whether or not they WANT to, they simply MUST read it. They're all "I'm not sure this is the book for me" and we're all "IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU SAY RIGHT NOW, STOP WASTING TIME DENYING THE INEVITABLE AND READ." We suddenly turn into a stern parent to their irritated youth, replying with only "because I said so" when they ask why they're being forced asked to read this book.

The Fever series in general is one of those series for me, but Iced in particular is a standout in the middle of a spectacular series. What I like most about it is the fact that it inspires conversation. This is not a book you read and then can't think of anything to say about it afterwards. Oh no. When you reach the end you only have nothing to say because there's so much to say you don't even know where to start. You may have good things to say. You may not. But you'll want to to talk to someone about this book, and that's, for me, what makes it so fun.

So, this post is going to be me highlighting for you what I loved so much about Iced, and what worked so well for me when parts of this story didn't work at all for many a reader, and my hope is at the end of it you'll leave a comment agreeing or disagreeing with my take or, if you haven't read it, adding it to your list just because I've made you curious.

• • • • • • • • • •

TEAM RYODAN

I think perhaps the most controversial aspect and the main cause of the love/hate divide between readers of this book is the young age of its protagonist. Dani is 14, but this is in no way, shape or form a young adult novel. Below are the reasons Dani's young age and the presence of two very sexual, very alpha men and one soon-to-be alpha man in her life wasn't as uncomfortable for me as it was for some.

1. Dani's world is not our world. Sure, Iced is contemporary in terms of time, set in the here and now rather than being historical or futuristic, but this world is not governed by the rules and regulations of our reality and even if it was, the supernatural inhabitants of Dublin would disregard them, bend them, break them, and otherwise do as they please. Ryodan and company exist outside the confines of laws and morality as we know them today, therefore trying to make them fit into what our current society deems as acceptable or appropriate is going to end in nothing but frustration.

2. Dani both is and is not 14. Technically she's been alive for 14 years, but hers was not a protected, comfortable childhood where she was granted the time to simply be happy and healthy and young. She's been fighting monsters, human and otherwise, her entire life, seeing and experiencing the type of darkness that irrevocably changes and alters, ultimately forcing her to shed the skin of a child and adopt the armor of an adult. There's still an unquestionable innocence about her though, making her a rather beautiful blend of youth and experience.

3. This is not a romance. Yes, there are three men that feature very prominently in Dani's life, but aside from a bit of innuendo here and there from some of Ryodan's men, there is absolutely nothing, in my opinion, inappropriate about Ryodan or Dancer's behavior with regard to Dani. Christian is a bit of another story, but he's, and I say this with complete and utter fondness, batshit crazy. He's absolutely hilarious, appalling, and terrifying at the same time, so he gets a bit of a pass for his stray thought or two because he's going through a rather spectacular transition from human to death-by-sex fae. (KMM addresses this issue particularly well on her Facebook page)

4. Ryodan. Team Ryodan for the win. Now many of you are going to read this and go "Um, Jenny? How can you be ANY team when the girl is 14? That's beyond inappropriate." Yes, wanting Ryodan for Dani as she is in Iced is inappropriate, but I want Ryodan for Dani down the line. For me, he's her endgame just as Barrons was for Mac, but as I said before, there's absolutely nothing romantic between them in this first (or 6th depending on how you look at it) book. Ryodan does claim Dani as his own from the beginning, not in a sexual way though, but rather as a tool; something he needs to achieve the goals he's set for himself and he's absolutely nothing if not ambitious and opportunistic. She's valuable–a petite source of strength in a world where strength is the only remaining form of currency–and Ryodan keeps valuable things close to him.

5. Ryodan is not pining for Dani. He would never pine. Pine isn't even in his vocabulary. He's not patiently embracing celibacy and waiting for her to mature so he can seduce her as soon as she comes of age. That would be creepy. Instead, it's made very clear to us just how much Ryodan is NOT waiting for Dani in any romantic way, but what does exist between them is the promise of what could be in the future. We can see in Dani the type of woman she will become, and we already know the type of man Ryodan is, so the appeal for me in a Ryodan/Dani pairing is not rooted in the present with Iced, but in what Karen has in store for us in Burned and Flayed.

So, what do you guys think? Agree/disagree? Rooting for Dancer instead of Ryodan? Simply can't get past Dani's age? I'd love to know what you think in the comments! And if you haven't read Iced, I'd love to know what book or series you feel as though you can never say too much about.

• • • • • • • • • •

There have been some recent changes with regard to the next book in the series, Burned, so I wanted to end this post with some of the information I've found whilst trolling the internet for any crumbs to help tide me over until it's finally in my hands. I discovered a post on KMM's Facebook page a few days ago with some delicious tidbits, and then yesterday–thanks to Mandi at Smexy Books– I found a link to fantastic recap of a recent KMM Q+A courtesy of A Bitch, A Blog and A Bookshelf, which you can read in its entirety here. I've listed highlights from both Q+A finds below.

• The release date for Burned has been moved back from January 2014 to April 2014. When asked why, Karen had this to say:

"I won’t put a book out until I’m satisfied I’ve written it the best way possible.  I’m currently exploring two different ways of continuing the series. Previously I told you there would be three books (ICED, BURNED and FLAYED) in the Dani series followed by two Mac & Barrons books. I may be combining the next four books (BURNED, FLAYED and the untitled M&B books) into two."

• One of the most pressing questions for readers (myself included) is if Dani is going to be older in the next book. The answers in both Q+A sessions allude to Dani being 17 in Burned, though not right away.

•  There's been a lot of speculation and suggestion that Ryodan might be Dani's father given the similarities in their abilities. Personally, this squicks me out since I'm rooting for Ryodan in a romantic capacity and discovering he's her father would likely scar me for life. Luckily, Karen's response to the "is Ryodan Dani's father" question was an emphatic no. A no so emphatic in fact it was repeated two additional times.

• • • SPOILER • • •

• Jo and Ryodan's relationship is another hot-button topic for readers (mostly those readers like me who are hoping for a Dani/Ryodan romance in the future to rival that of Mac and Barrons). When asked about it, Karen said this:

"Can I please not be nailed to stand-alone romance novel clichés from the 90’s?  (Which I love to read by the way.) Really, is Ryodan the kind of…whatever he is….that would in any way be governed by them?  And Jo—who among you wouldn’t walk up those stairs if you got his nod?  She’s completely frank about knowing that she’s never going to keep him. She’s making a memory.

Transformation is what I find fascinating and emotionally stirring about life.  It’s what we become, how we become it, what happens when we think we’ve got nothing left inside us then stumble across some inner beast we didn’t even know was crouching in there that can rise to any occasion. No, Jo isn’t in Ryodan’s league and maybe Ryodan is currently being a jackass.  Those are starting points. Just like Darkfever was a starting point.  I haven’t forgotten that many people demanded I stop writing that new “horrible” series immediately, because they hated Mac and thought JZB was old and unattractive.

I’m glad I didn’t listen.  I hope you are, too."

Review: Darker Days

DARKER DAYS
The Darker Agency #1
Jus Accardo
Paranormal Young Adult
332 pages
Entangled Teen
Available August 26th
Source: e-ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Jessie Darker goes to high school during the day, but at night she helps with the family investigation business. Cheating husbands and stolen inheritances? They’re your girls—but their specialty is a bit darker. Zombie in your garage? Pesky Poltergeist living in your pool? They’ll have the problem solved in a magical minute. For a nominal fee, of course...

When gorgeous new client, Lukas Scott, saunters into the office requesting their help to find a stolen box, it sounds like a simple case—until the truth comes out. The box is full of Sin.

Seven deadly ones, in fact.

They’ve got five days to recapture the Sins before they're recalled by the box, taking seven hijacked human bodies with them. Easy peasy—except for one thing...

There’s a spell that will allow the Sins to remain free, causing chaos forever. When the key ingredient threatens the life of someone she knows, Jessie must make the ultimate choice between love and family—or lose everything.

MY THOUGHTS
Darker Days is a laugh-out-loud, thrilling start to a new series, gifting us with a protagonist whose sarcasm charms and whose acknowledgement of her own flaws has us falling more and more in love with her with each page. In addition to a standout young heroine, we are also treated to a well-executed mystery and romance, ensuring any of our small nitpicks along the way are vastly outnumbered by marks in the story’s favor. Though this is the first installment in a series, we get a complete plot arc wherein events are nicely wrapped up for us, but there’s also numerous legs for this series to stand on, a veritable centipede of young adult fiction ready to move forward and usher us along for the non-stop ride.

As mentioned previously, Jessie is full to brimming with snark, and while many times an abundance of something as tricky as dry wit and sarcasm can grate on our nerves if not handled with care, Jessie remains firmly on the amusing side of the line. She wields her snark with consummate skill, intending it to sting those who dare I say deserve it, while at other times using it to defuse tense situations, infusing her words with warmth and humor and bringing a smile to our faces every time. She does have a tendency to repeat a few phrases such as “hell in a hailstorm” with more frequency than we might like, reminding us she’s a teenager despite the very adult battles she fights side by side with her mom, but that minor quibble doesn’t detract from the success of her character as a whole.

Another highlight of this story is the presence of family in Jessie’s life. Her mother is neither an absentee parent nor someone who’s completely oblivious to what’s happening in her daughter’s life, instead she’s involved at every turn without being smothering or controlling. She and Jessie have an extraordinarily healthy relationship, one that’s certainly not perfect as both make mistakes, but one that’s full of respect and genuine heartfelt affection, leaving us excited to see how the two of them are going to continue taking on the world in the next installment.

Overall, Darker Days is a very strong start to Ms. Accardo’s new series, the romance daring to leave all instant declarations of love at the door, and progressing instead at a nice pace wherein they neither develop feelings too quickly nor fall into a vicious cycle of push and pull that leaves us a seething mass of frustrated reader. The concluding events leave us extremely excited to see how things are going to progress for the Darker women and the men in their lives, and book two simply cannot release soon enough.

Rating: 4/5

Find Jus:

Website • Blog • Facebook • Twitter • Amazon • Goodreads

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: Truly, Madly, Deadly

TRULY, MADLY, DEADLY
Hannah Jayne
Contemporary Young Adult/Mystery
272 pages
Sourcebooks Fire
Available now
Source: eARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Amazon)
They Said It Was An Accident...

Sawyer Dodd is a star athlete, a straight-A student, and the envy of every other girl who wants to date Kevin Anderson. When Kevin dies in a tragic car crash, Sawyer is stunned. Then she opens her locker to find a note:

You're welcome.

Someone saw what he did to her. Someone knows that Sawyer and Kevin weren't the perfect couple they seemed to be. And that someone—a killer—is now shadowing Sawyer's every move...

MY THOUGHTS
Truly, Madly, Deadly draws us in with the dark promise of a thrilling mystery, one that’s sure to raise the fine hair on the back of our necks and force us to check over our shoulders just to make sure no one is there. Unfortunately, the promise of the synopsis is never quite fulfilled by the story itself, the cast of characters as a whole lacking the depth that would turn this quick read into a thoroughly grueling and intensely emotional read. The mystery element does keep the pages turning with some speed, but so many intriguing and potentially poignant facets to the characters and their various relationships go unexplored, much to the detriment of our overall reading experience.

Sawyer is a young woman we genuinely want to know, the hints we get here and there of what she’s gone through with both an abusive boyfriend and the dissolution of her parents' marriage more than enough to make us want to dig deeper into her life. Frustratingly, however, one of the largest issues in the story–the abuse she suffered at the hands of her now-deceased boyfriend–is almost entirely glossed over, the ramifications of Sawyer’s being hit by someone who claims to have loved her tucked neatly away in favor of her stalker’s murderous attention.

Additionally, the terror she experienced in her relationship with Kevin could have been a key component to building a foundation for us with Sawyer herself, yanking us into her story with painful force and keeping us riveted as she deals with the maelstrom of emotions stemming from both his life and death. Instead though, we see Kevin repeatedly in rather pleasant flashbacks, our only moments with him some of her more affectionate memories that seem incongruous with the knowledge that he raised his hand to her. Thus, instead of being emotionally connected to Sawyer–witnesses to her pain and her healing–we remain detached, confused by the conflicting views of Kevin and surprised by how minor a role the abuse plays when it’s seemingly the catalyst for all that follows.

Overall, Truly, Madly, Deadly is a fast, read-all-in-one-sitting type of story, it just superficially acknowledges the elements that intrigue us most while exploring in more detail the ones that hold our interest least, leaving us wishing things had unfolded in a slightly different way. That being said however, Ms. Jayne does know how to keep readers flipping the pages and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

Rating: 3/5

Find Hannah:

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Demanding Ransom Blog Tour: Cover Photoshoot + Giveaway

Today I'm pleased to welcome author Megan Squires to the blog as part of the promotional tour for her new adult release, Demanding Ransom. Megan is giving us a behind the scenes look at not only how the photoshoot for the cover came together, but she's also sharing some of the stills she didn't end up using as well, so I hope you guys enjoy. Be sure and check out the bottom of the post too as Megan and the amazing ladies at Kismet Book Touring have put together a fantastic giveaway!

THE MAKINGS OF A PHOTOSHOOT

While I love writing, photography is another creative outlet of mine. I own a studio in my town, and have been a photographer here for over five years. So it makes sense to marry my love of pictures, with my love of words. For each book that I’ve written, I’ve done a photoshoot to accompany it. I knew as I was writing Demanding Ransom that there was so much I wanted to capture about this story with my camera.

First came the models. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect Maggie and Ran. On their own Greta and Cameron were fantastic, but together… it was just magic. Both have acting backgrounds, which made actually believing them as Maggie and Ran that much easier.

Then came the wardrobe. This was one of my favorite parts—bringing Maggie and Ran to life through their clothing and style. Maggie isn’t extravagant; she’s a kind of jeans and t-shirt kind of gal. And Ran is this unassuming, gorgeous, reformed bad boy. We needed grays and dark colors and tattoos and messy hair. Our makeup artist did a great job with their look and my assistant and I got the hair just perfect.

We shot at two locations: the headshots at my studio, and the motorcycle, outdoor shots at a nearby field. While I had backlit dreams and gorgeous sunsets in mind, Mother Nature had a different idea. But I actually love the moody skies she gave us. I think it definitely reflects the tone of the book.

I love so much about these images and how you can really feel the connection between Maggie and Ran. For just meeting a few hours earlier, Greta and Cameron rocked it in the chemistry department and completely brought the story to life. I loved every minute of this shoot and hope to do another for Ransom’s Note (available early 2014).

And the winning shot:

• • • • • • • • • • 

DEMANDING RANSOM

Sometimes life takes things away from you. In nineteen-year-old Maggie Carson’s case, it’s taken more than its fair share.

Determined to move forward, Maggie embarks on her first year of college, hoping to finally put her past behind her, exactly where it belongs.

But that’s hard to do when the present is just as difficult. And even harder when someone like Ran, the gorgeous paramedic that keeps crossing Maggie’s path, challenges her to face things head on, rather than bury them like she always does.

Ran hasn’t had a perfect life either. But there’s something different about him, and something different about the way he makes Maggie feel. Maybe meeting Ran is life’s little gift for Maggie—a sort of consolation prize for enduring everything she's had to go through.

But things don’t come easy for Maggie. Why should love be the exception? And just when everything starts to settle, it’s all turned on its head once again.

If there is one thing Ran has taught Maggie, it’s that you can’t sit on the sidelines of your own existence. When life takes something that’s yours, you have every right to demand it back.

Only for Maggie, that is easier said than done.

Note: Demanding Ransom is a New Adult Romance with non-explicit sexual content.

Goodreads • Amazon

• • • • • • • • • • 

MEGAN SQUIRES

Megan Squires lives with her husband and two children just outside of Sacramento, California. A graduate from the University of California, Davis, Megan is now a full-time mother, wife, and dreamer – though her characters don’t often give her much opportunity to sleep.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • •

BLOG TOUR + GIVEAWAY

Megan is offering up 5 eCopies of Demanding Ransom as a tour-wide giveaway! This giveaway is open internationally as long as you can receive gifts via amazon.com, just enter via the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check out all the other participating blogs for more Demanding Ransom fun!

Monday, June 24th - Just Reading For Fun
Tuesday, June 25th - Nose Graze
Wednesday, June 26th - The Irish Banana
Thursday, June 27th - Proserpine Graving Books
Friday, June 28th - The Bookswarm

Monday, July 1st - Bewitched Bookworms
Tuesday, July 2nd Supernatural Snark  
Wednesday, July 3rd - Krista's Dusk Jacket
Thursday, July 4th - Basia's Book Shelf
Friday, July 5th - Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Monday, July 8th - Rose's Book Corner
Tuesday, July 9th - Confessions From Romaholics
Wednesday, July 10th - Xpresso Reads
Thursday, July 11th - The Book Cellar
Friday, July 12th - Selkie Reads Stories

Cover Reveal: Finding It by Cora Carmack

I'm hugely excited today to share with you the cover for Finding It, the third book in the Losing It series by Cora Carmack. I think everyone knows by now that I'm a rabid cool, calm, and collected fan of Cora's, so I'm of course counting down the days until October 1st when I can finally get my hands on Finding It. Luckily for me though, the follow up novella to Bliss and Garrick's story, Keeping Her, is releasing on August 13th so I'll have something to tide me over. You can get a sneak peek of this story as well as several scenes from Garrick's POV here if you missed that post a little while ago, but first, let me know what you think of Finding It!

From Goodreads:

Most girls would kill to spend months traveling around Europe after college graduation with no responsibility, no parents, and no-limit credit cards. Kelsey Summers is no exception. She's having the time of her life...or that's what she keeps telling herself.

It's a lonely business trying to find out who you are, especially when you're afraid you won't like what you discover. No amount of drinking or dancing can chase away Kelsey's loneliness, but maybe Jackson Hunt can. After a few chance meetings, he convinces her to take a journey of adventure instead of alcohol. With each new city and experience, Kelsey's mind becomes a little clearer and her heart a little less hers. Jackson helps her unravel her own dreams and desires. But the more she learns about herself, the more Kelsey realizes how little she knows about Jackson.

Goodreads • Amazon

  

• • • • • • • • • • 

CORA CARMACK

 (photo by Matt Tolbert)

I'm Cora Carmack,  a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. I've done a multitude of things in my life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). I enjoy placing my characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too.  My first book, LOSING IT, was a New York Times and USA Today Bestseller.

Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Amazon