Blog Tour: Love and Other Theories by Alexis Bass + Giveaway

Today on our blog, we have Love and Other Theories by Alexis Bass, her debut novel, on tour. Check out the sample excerpt below and follow the rest of the tour for reviews and guest posts. Don't forget to join on the giveaways! Happy Holidays everyone! ;)

Love and Other Theories

by Alexis Bass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: December 31st 2014

Blurb:

If you want more, you have to give less.

That’s the secret to dating in high school. By giving as little as they expect to get in return, seventeen-year-old Aubrey Housing and her three best friends have made it to the second semester of their senior year heartbreak-free. And it’s all thanks to a few simple rules: don’t commit, don’t be needy, and don’t give away your heart.

So when smoking-hot Nathan Diggs transfers to Lincoln High, it shouldn’t be a big deal. At least that’s what Aubrey tells herself. But Nathan’s new-boy charm, his kindness, and his disarming honesty throw Aubrey off her game and put her in danger of breaking the most important rule of all: Don’t fall in love.

Also available as an AUDIOBOOK. Listen to a sample HERE.

EXCERPT 

Buy Love and Other Theories on this following retailers:

“Careful, subtle and aching. ” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Warning: Bass’s debut novel will ignite ALL your feelings!” - Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy

“I loved LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES. Alexis Bass writes a compelling critique of the ways society expects girls to behave in their relationships, the lies girls tell each other–and themselves–to keep from getting hurt, and, when all is said and done, how only the heart knows the truth.” – Kristin Halbrook, author of Nobody But Us and co-founder of YA Highway

“Alexis Bass masterfully captures all the complexities of high school relationships. A lovely debut.” – Amanda Maciel, author of Tease

“A bold debut that authentically captures the frenzy of love, lust, and senior year of high school!” - Julie Murphy, author of Side Effects May Vary

“Love and Other Theories challenged my assumptions, dared me to think differently and burrowed into my heart. A heart-achingly beautiful story about whether it is better to protect your heart or to take the biggest risk of all.” - Daisy Whitney, author of The Mockingbirds

“In her debut novel, Bass provides honest, incisive, and sometimes uncomfortable insights into the complicated intersections of friendship and romance, the ways sex can be wielded as a weapon, and the measures some teens take to protect themselves from pain.” — Publishers Weekly

“Bass’s debut is an entertaining perspective on the battlefield of the teen dating world.” —Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

Follow the tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

About the Author 

Alexis Bass grew up in Washington, went to college in Arizona, and spent her early twenties in Seattle. She currently lives in Northern California with Dylan McKay, her gorgeous and rambunctious golden retriever. She loves good fashion and good TV as much as a good book, and is a huge advocate of the three C’s: coffee, chocolate, and cheese. LOVE AND OTHER THEORIES is her first novel.

Follow her on these sites

Details: Win (1) book of your choice written by Wendy Higgins OR Kristin Halbrook OR Amanda Maciel OR Julie Murphy OR Daisy Whitney (US Only)

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Win a $30 Barnes & Noble gift card (It will be an e-gift card that they’ll receive via email)

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Review + Giveaway: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

The Jewel (The Lone City #1)
by Amy Ewing
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: September 2nd 2014
Rate: 3 "I-need-to-have-the-2nd-book" quils

Blurb:

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

The Jewel was actually an okay book.

I fell in love the first time I saw its book cover and the summary on GR looks interesting so it’s not very hard for me to decide that I really need to read this book ASAP. I was fascinated with how Amy Ewing created the world in Jewel. If any of you have watched Attack on Titans the setting that I envisioned in Jewel is like this where there is a division of city in a circle. I love how it was thoroughly explained in the whole book that you’ll feel like you’re in there.

Violet, born and raised in Marsh has been trained to be a surrogate for the royalty. As she was purchased in a surrogacy auction with the other girls, all of which were ranked in numbers and their abilities and Violet as #197 was chosen by Duchess of the Lake. Violet relationship with the Duchess was something that would be like an animal in a leash. She needs to do this and that, but what I love about her is despite of this she’ll try to contradict the Duchess in some way. Other characters that I liked in this book is also Raven, she was such a strong girl that drives Violet to not give up and Lucien who helps Violet in his best way.

The other thing that made me want to read this book was the forbidden romance said in the summary and I was waiting for it and waiting and waiting until it was already 60% of the book that I want to give up. Then Ash came (finally)! And..and..and I don’t know what happened but it went all downhill from there. A few meetings there and Violet was already in love and then she did what she shouldn't be doing especially that she knows the consequences but because Violet loved Ash she did it! Grrr -_- girl(I know I’m talking cryptic here because I don’t want to spill anything but ugh).  

I liked this book although I had a few issues with some things like I said before the underdeveloped chemistry between Ash and Violet. The second one would be the ending. Yes it was really a cliffhanger which after reading I stopped for a few seconds because I didn't expect it.  But I think it was also rushed and raised more questions than it did answers. I understand that it’s the first book in the series, but I felt like there should have been more. 

To sum it up, I enjoyed reading Jewel and would wait for the second book.

Follow the FFBC The Jewel Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

  

Amy Ewing is the young adult author of THE JEWEL, the first in a trilogy from HarperTeen, coming out September 2014.

She grew up in a small town outside Boston, where her librarian mother instilled a deep love of reading at a young age. Amy moved to New York City in 2000 to study theater at New York University. Unfortunately, her acting career didn’t quite pan out. She worked in restaurants, as an administrative assistant, a nanny, and a sales representative for a wine distributor before the lack of creativity in her life drove her to begin writing.

Amy received her MFA in Creative Writing for Children from The New School, where she was lucky enough to meet a fabulous community of YA writers who keep her sane on a daily basis. She lives in Harlem, where she spends her days writing, eating cheese, and occasionally binge watching The Vampire Diaries.

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Win (1) of (3) copies of The Jewel (Us Only)

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Review: The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

The Truth About Alice

by Jennifer Mathieu

Publisher: Roaring Book Press

Release Date: June 3rd 2014
Purchase: The Book Depository | B&N | Amazon 

Blurb:

Everyone has a lot to say about Alice Franklin, and it’s stopped mattering whether it’s true. The rumors started at a party when Alice supposedly had sex with two guys in one night. When school starts everyone almost forgets about Alice until one of those guys, super-popular Brandon, dies in a car wreck that was allegedly all Alice’s fault. Now the only friend she has is a boy who may be the only other person who knows the truth, but is too afraid to admit it. Told from the perspectives of popular girl Elaine, football star Josh, former outcast Kelsie, and shy genius Kurt, we see how everyone has a motive to bring – and keep – Alice down.

There are rumors circulating the small town of Healy, Texas involving Alice Franklin: she slept with two guys in one night at the party of the most popular girl in town, and Healy's Golden Boy, Brandon Fitzsimmons, died in a car accident because of her. Everyone knows it. The grandmother of the most uncool guy in Healy High has heard of it. And who will ever doubt it's true when even Alice's best friend, Kelsie, has already been swept along by rumor mill and abandoned her? 

The Truth About Alice reminds me why I'm hesitant to dive into books with sensitive issues and why I end up reading them anyway. I can be a touchy person and reading about bullying has this ability to transform my feelings into a deep emotional state. I never experienced the kind of bullying the characters I read about go through nor was I ever a subject of derision and rumors and hate or intense blame, but I'm not impervious to the problem's full extent. This book reminds me how powerful and damaging lies words can be, and how important that everyone remembers that fact.

What sets this apart is Jennifer Mathieu's refreshing route to tell the story. It's told in point-of-views of four persons who each has his/her own motives which involves Alice. I won't go much into a further explanation of who they are, but when we interviewed Jennifer Mathieu back in June, I asked her to describe the characters in a single word and she thoughtfully provided them. She answered that Alice is a survivor, Brandon is entitled, Josh is repressed, Elaine is a queen, Kelsie is damaged, and Kurt is compassionate. These words perfectly typify each character.

While I did like this book, entertain/adore/enjoy are not the right words it inspired while I was reading it (I know that was intended effect). Absorbed is more of an appropriate word because I was riveted by every emotion each character's perspective incite in me; I can't find it in my bone to like Elaine or Josh, my hate for Kelsie grew tenfold with each bad decision, and Kurt's endearing perspective is about the only one I was looking forward to.

I value this story for what it is and I understand the point it aspires to make but there are also issues that I couldn't overlook. For one, I didn't get confused with the switching of POV's but the indistinct perspectives bothered me at the beginning. I did get used to it and they became more discernible with time, but I wish each voice is more different and unique from each other. Aside from that, I was a little disappointed with Alice's character. I was hoping to get a glimpse of the confident and self-assured Alice that she was in the past but sadly, that part of her appeared to be already stripped away.

That said, I appreciate that the story isn't wrapped up neatly in a pretty little bow because it aims to represent reality the best way it can. I believe Jennifer Mathieu has written a kind of tale that readers (and not just this generation) can identify with.

  

About the Author 

I'm an English teacher, writer, wife, and mom who writes books for and about young adults. My debut novel, THE TRUTH ABOUT ALICE, will be out in the spring of 2014.

My favorite things include chocolate, pepperoni pizza, and this super hilarious 1980s sitcom about four retired women called The Golden Girls. I can basically quote every episode.

I live with my husband, son, one rescue dog, one fat cat, and another cat that is even fatter than the fat cat.

When it comes to what I read, I love realistic young adult fiction (duh), creative nonfiction, super scandalous tell-all memoirs and unauthorized biographies, and basically anything that hooks me on the first page.

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