Blog Tour & ARC Review: Forever Julia by Jodi Carmichael

I'm so glad that I get to be a part of the blog tour for Forever Julia by Jodi Carmichael! 

Title: Forever Julia

Author: Jodi Carmichael

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Paperback, 260 Pages

Expected Publication Date: May 1st, 2015

Add it on Goodreads!

Summary: Six months ago, Julia's life was perfect. Then her dad died. Now she lives with her grieving mother and sick grandmother in a puny apartment above their bookstore. After a dark bout of depression, Julia is fragile, and mourns both her father and her old life. But she has one thing to be happy about: Jeremy, the most popular boy at school, has chosen her. Jeremy's love for Julia is passionate, even obsessive. As she grows closer to Jeremy, Julia pushes her disapproving friends and family away. But Jeremy only becomes more controlling and Julia has to decide what lines cannot be crossed. 

This book was seriously important because it covers two topics that teens tend to get lectured about and pretend to understand but still misread the signals when the event presents itself in real life: mental, emotional and physical abuse. 

Julia is a sixteen year old girl, and Jeremy is her first boyfriend. She recently lost her dad, so not only is she going through that struggle, but money became tight and they had to move into a cramped apartment. Having her first boyfriend, Julia knows nothing about what to expect from Jeremy, her gorgeous, funny, rich, awesome boyfriend.

She doesn't realize (at first, at least) that Jeremy is abusive. As a teenager myself, I feel that we immediately associate abuse with physical abuse. (And a few scenes in this book do cover that.) But the primary focus of Forever Julia is emotional and mental abuse. 

For example, when Julia kissed Jeremy before class after taking a bite of a chocolate bar, he makes a comment about he doesn't want "a whale for a girlfriend." He takes the clothes that Julia adores and tosses them in the trash (no matter how important they may seem to her), and then insists on taking her out to buy more trendy things. He despises Julia's best friend, Annika, because she's far-fetched and wild and doesn't conform to society's social norms as easily as Jeremy's group wants her to. Julia tutors to make money on the side for her and her mom and her grandmother, and he doesn't hesitate to get jealous, even when Julia admits that the boy she's tutoring is Jeremy's own BEST FRIEND with an interest in another girl.

Throughout the whole book, Jeremy repeatedly does things like that. And on top of it all, he's pressuring Julia for sex. And she isn't ready - nor does she want to be, yet. And if Jeremy loved Julia as much as he claimed to, he would accept the waiting, right? Wrong.

If Julia so much as shys away from his touch, he drops her cold. Kicks her out of the hotel they're staying at. Pushes her or ignores her or tells her to get over herself. Excuse me, but that is not loving boyfriend behavior.

So, long story short, Julia endures his abuse for the longest time not because she wants to, but she doesn't realize it actually is considered abuse. And when she does, she realizes she has to do something about it. But what is she supposed to do?

This was a good book, and it definitely carried a very important message about how to handle and recognize the initial signs of emotional and mental abuse. It's something that definitely everyone should pick up. It's an important story because it's told the way that it really happens in real life - not everyone immediately recognizes abuse for what it is, and it tends to go on for extend periods of time before it's stopped. Julia being new to being in a relationship adds a whole new element to it, because she has absolutely no idea what to expect, which is maybe why it takes her so long to realize that Jeremy is in the wrong.

The only thing that severely irritated me about this book was the grammar. Commas were used too much or too little. Where they were needed, they were absent. Where they weren't needed, they were present. I understand that this is an ARC copy, but a lot of editing punctuation-wise really needs to be done before this book hits the shelves.

All in all, Forever Julia was an important story about sticking up for yourself and breaking off abusive relationships while staying true to your morals. I liked this book and would definitely recommend it to anybody looking for a serious, more eye-opening read. Although there are bouts of humor and typical teenager-dom to relieve the reader of the solemn topic at hand, this book still speaks volumes and Jodi Carmichael did a good job of showing how teenagers may pretend to know everything about how the world works, but when faced with a situation in reality, they flounder. This is definitely an important read that you should pick up, because even though I only gave this book three stars, it still holds an important message.

Rating: 

DISCLAIMER: I received an ARC copy of Forever Julia from its publisher and Chapter by Chapter in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own and neither author Jodi Carmichael, Forever Julia's publishing press nor the ladies over at Chapter by Chapter saw this review before it was published live to The Book Bratz on the 5th of May, 2015.

ARC Review: Anything Could Happen by Will Walton

Title: Anything Could Happen 
Author: Will Walton
Genre: Contemporary 
Source: ARC sent by Publisher 
Publisher: Push
Publication Date: May 26th 2015
Add it on Goodreads / Pre-order it on Amazon

Summary:

When you’re in love with the wrong person for the right reasons, anything could happen. Tretch lives in a very small town where everybody's in everybody else's business. Which makes it hard for him to be in love with his straight best friend. For his part, Matt is completely oblivious to the way Tretch feels – and Tretch can’t tell whether that makes it better or worse. The problem with living a lie is that the lie can slowly become your life. For Tretch, the problem isn’t just with Matt. His family has no idea who he really is and what he’s really thinking. The girl at the local bookstore has no clue how off-base her crush on him is. And the guy at school who’s a thorn in Tretch’s side doesn’t realize how close to the truth he’s hitting. Tretch has spent a lot of time dancing alone in his room, but now he’s got to step outside his comfort zone and into the wider world. Because like love, a true self can rarely be contained.

Review: 

Anything Can Happen is both warmly written and heart swelling. I found it to be something refreshing in in Young Adult, and will surely be a book I will be pushing at people. 

Tretch knew he way gay the moment Matt grabbed his hand at church. But he lives in the south, where being gay isn't something that is easily understood. Ironically Matt has two dads, and constantly reminds other people as well as himself that he isn't gay. During winter break Tretch learns the meaning of friendship and family. He watches Matt's budding relationship with a coffee shop server, comes out to his brother, and understands that the girl at the local bookshop may think of him as more then a friend.

Tretch was easily a likable character. He is young and enthusiastic about the things in life, but he is also hiding a secret that makes him who he is. Tretch tends to ramble when  he is describing stuff, which whether or not done on purpose, made him more real to me. He was a kind of guy that went along with the flow of things and didn't do anything particularly cool to stand out in his small town. 

The stories of unrequited love always hitt me hard in the gut, I wanted that fairy tale ending for Tretch, the one where Matt is also in love with him, but that wouldn't have been realistic at all. Will left Tretch's story off on a positive note, leaving me content to know that when everything is said and done he will still have his family and friends. I'm typically not a fan of fluffy stories, I usually prefer something that is going to make me thing and feel along with the main character. Though this is fluffy, I felt right along with Tretch, there are a few times that I teared up too. 

Overall I really enjoyed Anything Can Happen. It was beautiful, heart warming, and coming of age. I will be looking out for more of Will Walton's writing in the future. 

Rating:

ARC Review: The Good Girls by Sara Shepard

Title: The Good Girls (The Perfectionists #2) 
Author: Sara Shepard 
Genre: Mystery 
Source: ARC sent by Publisher 
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: June 2nd 2015
Add it to Goodreads / Pre-order it on Amazon  / Read Jessica's Review

Summary: 

Mackenzie, Ava, Caitlin, Julie, and Parker have done some not-so-perfect things. Even though they all talked about killing rich bully Nolan Hotchkiss, they didn't actually go through with it. It's just a coincidence that Nolan died in exactly the way they planned . . . right? Except Nolan wasn't the only one they fantasized about killing. When someone else they named dies, the girls wonder if they're being framed. Or are they about to become the killer's next targets?

Review:  

"Sara's writing is great, she sucks her readers in with no problem. The story flows and it keeps your attention. That isn't the problem. I have already said it but this is so similar to Pretty Little Liars. Sara Shepard is a commonly known author now, since both of her books (Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game) had become TV shows, but she always sticks with the same murder mysteries, with rich girls who break the law and try to get out of it. It is boring now. I'm over it."

That is what I said in my review of The Perfectionists. The plots too her stories are all similar, but are intriguing and entertaining and even after reading all the books she has read, I have never found boring. (despite what I have said) The Good Girls ripped the rug out from beneath the readers feet as they read, tossing everything they thought they knew up into the air and into a new direction.

The Good Girls picks up right after The Perfectionists ended. Granger is dead and all five girls are suspects. After hours of questioning the are released and are to continue on living their lives. But not everyone is who they appear to be. Sara's books are always hard to talk about, because every little detail can be a spoiler. What I will say is: I didn't see as many similarities to Pretty Little Liars as I did in the last book. The Good Girls had a much different spin on it as Sara's other works, making it easily one of my favorites. 

Each girl has their own thing going on, Mac is struggling with loosing Blake, Julie hiding the biggest secret of her life, Caitlin's torn between both brothers, and Ava is learning to forgive her boyfriend for turning them on and her abusive stepmother. I enjoyed the smaller conflicts because they gave you a deeper look into each of the girls life. At certain times I was more interested in how everything was going to turn out for the girls then who the actual killer was. Sara still had an amazing mix of suspense, mystery and thrills packed into each chapter of The Good Girls. 

Honestly I am disappointed in how it ended. Sara said that The Perfectionists would only be two books, but I am really hoping for one more now. The ending to The Good Girls is left off open, not giving me (and a few other bloggers I talked to) enough information to leave us content. I still have about five hundred questions. But you do find out who committed the murders and set the girls up, but after you find out even more questions arise. 

Rating:

Review: Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements, #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Jessica's Review)

Title: Stone Cold Touch (The Dark Elements, #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Paperback, 464 Pages
Published October 2014
Add it on Goodreads!
Read Amber's GIF Review!
Read my review of White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements, #1)!

Summary: Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could. But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay…

Okay. Okaaaay. I finished this book earlier today and I'm still sort of in shock, so forgive me if a lot of rambling and What the heck's go on here, okay?

I'll start off by saying that I was never a huge Jen Armentrout fan. I didn't dislike her, but I hadn't read any of her books. None of them seemed that interesting to me. Especially since the Covenant series was eerily similar to Vampire Academy. I just wasn't in the mood for more vampires. My co-blogger, however, has always adored Jen's books. Jennifer Armentrout is one of Amber's favorite authors, hands-down. Amber's read every single one of her books, and Jennifer Armentrout is probably the only author Amber's read that she can say that about. She seriously loves her. Kind of the same way I adore John Green.

So, needless to say, Amber's been relentlessly pushing Armentrout's books on me since we started this whole blogging thing. And I never got around to it until this year, when she forced to me to pick up White Hot Kiss. Then I fell in love with Roth (hardcore), and I couldn't wait for the next book. I realized that maybe Amber was onto something with this Jennifer Armentrout craze, after all. (May I also add, we both met her at BookCon 2014 and she was a total sweetheart!) 

So, this book. At first, I wanted to give Roth a nice punch to the face from returning from Hell and being such a jerk to Layla. She spent all those weeks mourning his loss and being completely torn up over him, and then he comes back and tells her that the relationship between the two of them was only done to pass time because he was bored, and nothing more.

Yeah, ouch. That would kind of sting a lot.

But the thing that definitely got me about this book was the ending. *Some spoilers ahead, so skip the rest of this paragraph if you haven't read the book yet.* Right when Layla is about to go to sleep and Roth isn't sure if he's ever going to see her again, his confession stabbed me right in the feels. About how he always loved her. I read that part while I was in school today and I put the book down and giggled like an idiot and then sighed because it was just so darn romantic. I loved every second of it. And it shattered my heart into a million tiny pieces - I wanted to simultaneously burst into tears and hug the book to my chest. I was that affected by it. But the part that screwed with my head the most was the ending. HOLY MOTHER OF PLOT TWISTS. I knew deep down that Layla wasn't the Lilin causing all of the trouble - it just didn't add up. I just never expected it to be who it really turned out to be. Seriously. That was the last person I would have suspected to be capable of all of that evil. It made me want to throw up. And then Jennifer Armentrout just leaves us hanging like that!!

Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hate plot twists and cliff hangers. Especially those in rapid succession. 

The one thing that really annoyed me in this book was Zayne. Maybe it's because I'm definitely Team Roth, but I don't know. *A few more spoilers in this paragraph!* The fact that he spent his entire life with Layla ignoring her as anything romantic and all of a sudden a switch turns on in his head and he's like Oh, hey, she's kinda pretty, LET ME TRY TO KISS THE DEMONIC GIRL WHO MIGHT TAKE MY SOUL, and then he's getting naked and being all flirty and teasing and frisky...I don't know. It's attractive with Roth. But not with Zayne because a) He's like Layla's brother and b) You can't just randomly decide to be like that, buddy and c) How did nobody else in the clan notice the change in relationship between Zayne and Layla and the fact that he was sleeping in her room? It just didn't make any sense and it annoyed me a lot. It felt like insta-love.

All in all, Stone Cold Touch was a super romantic, steamy, dramatic, breathtaking read that I really liked. Zayne got on my nerves as usual, Roth was absolutely gorgeous and I wish he was real, and sometimes Layla was so oblivious that it hurt to read. But that's what made this book hysterical and steamy and dramatic and it was great! This is definitely a series that everyone should at least attempt, whether or not they're really paranormal fans. You definitely wouldn't be disappointed!

Rating: 

May Debut Author Spotlight: Temple West! {Interview, Excerpt & Giveaway}

This month for our May Debut Author Spotlight, we're spotlighting debut author Temple West and her upcoming novel, Velvet, that will be released later this month. (We both read Velvet and really enjoyed it - you can check out Jessica's review here!) Temple also allowed us to conduct a brief interview and reveal an excerpt of the story...plus, we have an awesome giveaway!

About Temple West

Temple West, debut author of the YA paranormal romance Velvet, is as nerdy in real life as she is on the Twitter. Armed with a very shiny English degree, she spent four months in Oxford holed up at the Radcliffe Camera amongst the hush of ancient books and the rich musk of academia. Returning to Los Angeles, she acquired a concurrent degree in film, mostly as an excuse to write essays about The Princess Bride and Hook. She can sew (poorly), drive stick (please fasten your seatbelt), and mostly lift her feet off the ground while stuttering into first gear on a very small motorcycle. She currently lives in Seattle and is the proud mother to a one-year-old laptop and a vintage Remington typewriter.

Keep in contact with Temple Through Her:

Goodreads / Twitter / Website / Instagram / Tumblr

Now, our interview with Temple!

First of all, what is Velvet about?
On its surface it's obviously about vampires and first love and all that good stuff, but more importantly it's about that transition you start making at the end of high school from "the world owes me something because I'm a kid" to "I'm taking control of my life because I'm an adult."  This first book especially has Caitlin really struggling with who she wants to be: a victim, or a hero.

Why do you think readers will enjoy Velvet? What makes it special?
I think -- and a lot of the reviews of the book so far support this -- that the mythology is unique.  Yes, there are vampires, yes it's set in high school, but beyond that the world sort of spins off into new territory, and I think that will be refreshing. Also (and I'm obviously biased here) it's got some pretty darn good banter.

How does it feel to be a new author? What's scary about it? What's great?
How about everything?  Ha!  I never had prom at my school, but I think it would be similar to suddenly finding out you're Prom Queen.  Like, it's awesome, it's an honor, but you have to get up in front of everybody and you know that they're going to be judging your dress and your make up and your manicure and your shoes to see if you really deserve to be Prom Queen.  Basically a hot mess of exhilaration and terror.

What do you think about the relationship between the blogging community and authors?
Dude, bloggers are the lifeblood of modern publishing.  You can market your book all you want, but if there aren't bloggers on the street (so to speak) reviewing your work, it's dead in the water.  Bloggers are an essential part of an author's career, and I've been incredibly blessed to start to get to know the book blogging community, which I honestly didn't know existed before I became an author.

What's been your best experience as a new author so far?
By far, my favorite part of being an author is seeing people respond to the story.  l love it when people Tweet to me or e-mail me quoting their favorite lines or talking about their favorite moments or relationships, or how they can't wait for book two.  It's like Christmas morning every time!

What's been your worst experience?
Well, I mean the really negative reviews are pretty hard to read.  And it's not because I think my writing's perfect -- I know I have a lot to learn and I absolutely want to improve as a writer.  It's more when the reviews are unnecessarily mean-spirited or harsh.  The good thing is, though, that most of the reviews have been incredibly positive and when there is criticism, it's delivered respectfully. There have been one or two outliers that I've decided I'm not going to read again, though, for my own well-being.

What's your advice to fellow debut authors?
I don't know that I have any writing advice for fellow debut authors -- obviously they're on the right track if they're being published!  I think the one piece of advice I can offer is that a debut author especially should be proactive about their own marketing.  Of course your publisher is going to be doing most of the heavy lifting, but it's really important for an author to have an online and social media presence: an author website or book website, Twitter, Tumblr, etc. Getting your book published is only half the battle.

Lastly, will Velvet have a sequel? If not, do you plan on writing anything else in the future?
Absolutely!  It's actually going to be a trilogy!  I'm also working on a couple of screenplays right now, but there will definitely be two more books in the Velvet series.  I'm so excited to continue working with Caitlin and Adrian!

About Velvet:

Publisher: Swoon Reads

Page Count: 416 Pages

EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE: May 12th, 2015

Summary: First rule of dealing with hot vampire bodyguards? Don't fall in love. After losing both her parents before age seventeen, aspiring designer Caitlin Holte feels like her whole world has been turned upside down, and that was before the terrifying encounter with a supernatural force. Then, she learns that her hot bad-boy neighbor, Adrian—who might have just saved her life—is actually a half-demon vampire. Suddenly Caitlin is stuck with a vampire bodyguard who feels that the best way to protect her is to become her pretend boyfriend. Trouble is, Caitlin is starting to fall in love for real, while Adrian can never love a human. Caitlin trusts Adrian to keep her safe from his demon father, but will he be able to protect her heart?

Velvet  Special Excerpt: 

My head cleared instantly. I could blink, I could breathe. The pain was gone, but with it went my entire sense of self. On some deep, subconscious level I knew I was still real -- I knew I had a name and a family and a purpose in life, aimless as it was -- but surface-level me believed that I'd winked out of existence. I didn't think I was dead, exactly. I simply believed that I had never been.

Hunched over me, the stranger flinched, once, and shivered, but I didn't think it was from the cold. In fact, the pouring rain was steaming off his skin like he was burning hot. Above us, the night-black clouds pushed closer, crowding out the sky. Looking around, as if expecting once again for someone else -- or something else -- to be waiting in the shadows, he scooped me up effortlessly and sprinted off into the darkness. I tried to grab hold of his shoulder, but none of my limbs were working. I was weak, pure dead weight, but he had no problem hauling me at a full rub through the impossibly dark trees.

It could only have been a few minutes later that my aunt and uncle's ranch appeared out of the darkness. At the end of the trial that led into the backyard, the stranger stopped for a moment and looked down at me, eyes flickering like a lightbulb from gray to molten silver. I tried to look away, but it was too late. I was caught in the light.

It could only have been a moment, but when I opened my eyes, I had no idea who was holding me, or why I was in the rain, or why I was outside at all. All I knew was that I wanted to be warm, and I wanted very much to fall asleep. The man kicked urgently at the front door of my aunt and uncle's house until it opened.

I remember my aunt yelling, "Caitlin!"

And then I passed out, and didn't remember a thing.

You can find Velvet on:

Goodreads / Amazon

 ***GIVEAWAY***

To help celebrate Velvet's release on May 12th (and also to help celebrate debut author Temple West herself!), we're giving away a SIGNED copy of Velvet, courtesy of the author herself! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We'd like to thank author Temple West for accepting our offer to be our May Debut Author Spotlight, as well as another huge thank-you for taking part in our interview and giveaway! <3 <3 <3

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