Guest Post and Giveaway with Anne Greenwood Brown

Anne Greenwood Brown

Anne Greenwood Brown lives in Minnesota with her husband and three children. She has worked as a lawyer, a teacher, a bartender, a ski instructor, and a chicken farmer. More than anything, she loves to tell stories. Deep Betrayal is the sequel to Lies Beneath.

Books

Lies Beneath (2012)
◆ Goodreads ● Amazon ● The Book Depository ◆

Deep Betrayal (2013)
◆ Goodreads ● Amazon ● The Book Depository ◆

Find Anne

Website ● Twitter ● Facebook ● Goodreads

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A DUMMY'S GUIDE TO MERMAIDS

by Anne Greenwood Brown

When Rabiah asked me to do a post on a DUMMY’S GUIDE TO MERMAIDS, I couldn’t resist. The fact is, we’re all dummies when it comes to mermaids. They’re not like vampires, where there is a public consensus that they drink blood, avoid sunlight, and drive Volvos. When it comes to mermaids, there are so many different “takes” on the breed that they keep us guessing. Maybe that’s the one consistency among them: mermaids are very hard to catch.

Still, I have come to know a few things over the last couple years since LIES BENEATH, and now DEEP BETRAYAL, have been released. Here is what I’ve learned from talking to marine biologists, studying cave paintings, and watching Animal Planet:

1. Real mermaids do not have gills and do not wear bikinis.

2. Nearly every country/ every culture has a tradition of mermaid sightings and legends.

3. There is no scientific evidence that mermaids can walk on land, but there are quite a few literary examples of that being so.

4. Human free divers have been clocked at holding their breath for over 19 minutes--giving credence to the theory that humans and mermaids share a common ancestor.

5. In China, mermaids are said to smell like happiness.

6. Alexander the Great’s sister was reincarnated as a mermaid.

7. Victorian poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson was intrigued by mermaids, wrote poems about them, and took one on a seaside picnic that ended badly.

8. Mermaids reproduce by mating with human men. While there have been cases of mermen reproducing with human women, the offspring of those unions are not well documented and require further study.

9. Mermaids are not as well known for their singing as Sirens, but they have been known to participate in local karaoke nights, with statistics showing that they are most drawn to Queen’s Greatest Hits and the occasional Bruno Mars ballad.

10. Mermaid winter migrations have been caught on Sonar by Massachusetts fishing fleets, and and the annual event is currently being pitched to NBC as a reality t.v. show (working title, School of Legends).*

* NBC executives could not be reached for comment prior to this posting.

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Thank you so much to Anne for the hilarious guide for our Books That Glow 2013 event! I really love her books, and you should TOTALLY check out Deep Betrayal. Here's a little bit about it (WARNING! Contain spoilers if you haven't read Lies Beneath):

It's been thirty days, two hours, and seventeen minutes since Calder left Lily standing on the shores of Lake Superior. Not that she's counting. And when Calder does return, it's not quite the reunion Lily hoped for. Especially after she lets her father in on a huge secret: he, like Calder, is a merman. Obsessed with his new identity, Lily's dad monopolizes Calder's time as the two of them spend every day in the water, leaving Lily behind.

Then dead bodies start washing ashore. Calder blames his mermaid sisters, but Lily fears her father has embraced the merman's natural need to kill. As the body count grows, everyone is pointing fingers. Lily doesn't know what to believe—only that whoever's responsible is sure to strike again. . . . 

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Thanks to the amazing Anne Greenwood Brown, you all have the chance to win:

A SIGNED COPY OF DEEP BETRAYAL

+

A bookmark!

The Rules:

• Open Internationally!
• This giveaway ends on the 25th of April, 2013.
• The winner has 48 hours to respond to the email, or another winner shall be chosen.
• We and the author are not responsible for any lost/damaged packages.

Enter in the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina

Release Date: March 26, 2013
Publisher: Candlewick
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Piddy Sanchez is shocked to learnt that a girl named Yaqui Delgado wants to kick her ass – mostly because she doesn't have a clue who Yaqui Delgado is. All Piddy knows about Yaqui is that apparently Yaqui hates her.

At first Piddy's more concerned with trying to find out more about the father she's never met and how to balance honors courses with her weekend job at the neighborhood hair salon. But as the harassment escalates, it completely takes over Piddy's life as she tries to avoid Yaqui and, eventually, to avoid school altogether. Is running away her only chance for a new start?

A poignant and all-too-realistic story about a girl who is forced to decide who she is versus who others are trying to make her become and ultimately discovers a rhythm that is all her own.

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. I've (surprisingly) only read a couple books where the main focus is on bullying, and a Latina girl at that too, and so this was really an eye-opener for me, and a fabulous novel with absolutely gorgeous writing that had me hooked.
This book brings up so many different thoughts, perspectives, emotions, which makes it such a deep and moving novel. From reading previous YA books about Latino teenagers, I found it really interesting once again to see the world, like school and such, from their point of view. Coming from a more international background and having attended (and still attending) international schools in many different countries, it's quite a shock to me to read about teenagers in school being treated this way, because I go to a school which is secular and so diverse – there's a mix of races, religions and culture – and it's very normal for me to be amongst so many backgrounds. It makes me sad to see that obviously, not all places are like this.

There were times when I loved and hated Piddy, to be honest. I really loved the emotional roller coaster that she's forced to go through, and completely empathize with her character, especially when she's being harassed by the mean girls, but when she was so rude and blatantly ignoring people who were trying to help– that's when I got a little bit ticked off with her. Like when she yells at her mom (I mean, we all get mad at our parents, but the way she does really makes me cringe), or when she tries to be tough, or when she refuses to talk to anyone. I know I may not understand some of the things she'd gone through, but some situations made me want to slap my forehead.
I however, do respect the fact that the author went through something similar like this (which you can read about later in her interview). It must have been an incredibly hard time for her, and I really feel sad that she did have to go through this. The world is truly a harsh place to live in, methinks.

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass brings up a lot of issues with cliques, racial groups, being an outsider, wanting to fit in, bullying, and more. I really empathized with Piddy through the torture she goes through in high school– truly no one deserves teenage years like that. Meg Medina is brilliant, and I'm looking forward to reading more from her in the future.

▪ ▪ ▪ Thank you so much to Meg Medina and Candlewick for sending a copy of Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass for review and BTG2013! ▪ ▪ ▪

If you like this, try...

• What Can(t) Wait by Ashley Hope Pérez ● Goodreads
• This Girl Is Different by J.J. Johnson ● Goodreads

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Guest Post and Giveaway with Liz Coley

Liz Coley

Liz Coley's short fiction has appeared in Cosmos magazine and speculative fiction anthologies. This is her first novel for teens. With a background in science, Liz follows her interest in understanding "the way we work" down many interesting roads.

Liz lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, her teenaged daughter, a snoring dog, and a limping old cat. When she's not involved in writing-related activities, she can be found sewing, baking, shooting photos, playing tennis, and singing.

Books

Pretty Girl-13 (2013)

◆ Goodreads ● Amazon ● The Book Depository ◆

Find Liz

Website ● Twitter ● Facebook ● Goodreads

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Scenes from a Life – Breaking Curfew

by Liz Coley

I'll begin by admitting that aside from never picking up my room, doing my own laundry, making my own bed, or helping with yard work, I was basically a good kid. I babysat my younger siblings for ten cents an hour. I got good grades. I didn't test my parent's patience very often. By the time I got to high school, I had never been grounded or had a privilege taken away. There was nothing to rebel against.

In tenth grade, a mixed bunch of us ranging from ninth to eleventh grade created a motley social group that started meeting on weekend nights down at the beach. There were a few unrequited crushes going around, but no one in the group was dating anyone else. No one was sneaking off for sex. No one was drinking, at least not in this gathering. It was an amazingly innocent group of kids who gathered around a fire ring and hung out to talk. Afterwards, we'd go back to one person's house within walking distance and, if we were in a mischievous mood, make prank phone calls involving no obscenities. Remarkably innocent.

I had no official curfew, but on the other hand, I had no driver's license. I usually had to call my parents for pick-up. On one particular evening, we'd lost track of time. It was about midnight when the doorbell rang. "It's for you, Liz," the host boy called out. My blood ran cold when I realized the time. At the front door stood my mom in her blue bathrobe and slippers.

Everyone saw.

"Time to come home," she said patiently. She didn't scold me. She didn't ground me. She didn't need to. Message received. And there was still nothing to rebel against. A brilliant tactic.

Epilogue: Thirty five years later (this past weekend, to be exact), I was at a high school reunion and EVERYONE in the group remembered my mom showing up in her pajamas as vividly as I.

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⚡ LIGHTNING ROUND! ⚡

Your book in five words: "Even her secrets have secrets."

Last book read: Between Silk and Cyanide by Leo Marks.

Three closest things to you: My fireplace, my laptop, my husband.

Favorite chocolate/candy: Rolos (YUM!)

Movie that you think everyone should see: Groundhog Day (definitely one that I have to watch!)

Your dream job when you were younger: Astronaut

Team _____: Peeta (woot!)

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Oh my gosh, yikes! That does sound PRETTY embarrassing :/ Oh well, I've done some pretty embarrassing things myself which I still cringe just thinking about. 
Thank you so much to Liz Coley for the fabulous story for Books That Glow 2013, and for answering the short lightning round questions! You should totally check out her book, Pretty Girl-13. AH-MAH-ZING. Here's a little bit about it:

Reminiscent of the Elizabeth Smart case, Pretty Girl-13 is a disturbing and powerful psychological mystery about a girl who must piece together the story of her kidnapping and captivity.

Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods alone on a Girl Scouts camping trip. Now she's returned home…only to find that it's three years later and she's sixteen-or at least that's what everyone tells her.

What happened to the past three years of her life?

Angie doesn't know.

But there are people who do — people who could tell Angie every detail of her forgotten time, if only they weren't locked inside her mind. With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her personality, otherwise known as her "alters." As she unearths more and more about her past, she discovers a terrifying secret and must decide: When you remember things you wish you could forget, do you destroy the parts of yourself that are responsible?

Liz Coley's alarming and fascinating psychological mystery is a disturbing - and ultimately empowering page-turner about accepting our whole selves, and the healing power of courage, hope, and love.

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Thanks to Liz Coley, you guys can win the ARC that we used to review Pretty Girl-13! And did I mention it's SIGNED?!?!

The Rules:

• Open internationally!
• This giveaway ends on the 19th of April, 2013.
• The winner must reply within 48 hours or another winner shall be picked.
• We are not responsible for any lost/damaged packages.

Enter in the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Othermoon by Nina Berry

Othermoon by Nina Berry

Release Date: January 29, 2013
Publisher: K-Teen
Series: Otherkin, Book 1
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Author
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Read my review of Otherkin HERE

Everyone has secrets. When Dez rescued a boy, Caleb, from a cage, she discovered secrets she never knew she possessed, Now she's sure she's found the place where she belongs. With the otherkin - and with Caleb. But as the barriers between the mortal world and Othersphere fall, a wall rises between Dez and Caleb, leaving her fiercest enemy her only friend ...and maybe something more. Now Dez must make a devastating choice: keep the love of her life, or save the otherkin from annihilation...

After reading Otherkin by Nina Berry, I was DEFINITELY stoked to read the sequel. I really enjoyed the paranormal, and so luckily, Nina Berry is apart of our Books That Glow 2013 event, so I had the chance to be invited to read this original series.
While I did enjoy Othermoon, I felt that this one wasn't as good as the first book. That's why I took this one a little slower when reading, because there were some dry parts, but I must say the action and new love triangle *wink* kept me enthralled in the story.

What love triangle you ask? Well, you'll just have to read and see. All I'm going to say is that I found myself leaning towards the other guy (not Caleb in other words... I know. Shocking!) in this book. Oh and just a little hint– it's someone from Otherkin! He's just absolutely yummy. Scrumptious, in fact, in this book.
I found myself feeling the same way about the characters from the first book. Caleb, just went a little "down" in my opinion, but I still loved Dez and the rest of the shape-shifters. It was good to be back with the gang, with the same high-packed action that never fails to surprise me.

I still, however, get a little confused with the "history" and the "science" behind their shape-shifting. With the rival groups, with the type of groups, etc. I've never been good with understanding the concept and historical story of paranormal shape-shifters among various other things, so maybe that's just me.

I would definitely recommend you check out this series! Othermoon was an enthralling follow up to creative first book. I really do hope there's a sequel, because even though things were tied up more or less, and there was no cliffhanger, I really want to find out what happens next. Nina Berry: book 3? PLEASE?

▪ Thank you so much to Nina Berry for sending a copy of Othermoon for review and for BTG2013! ▪

If you like this, try...

• Maximum Ride by James Patterson ● Goodreads
• Firelight by Sophie Jordan ● Goodreads

17 & Gone Blog Tour: Guest Post by Nova Ren Suma

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GUEST POST BY NOVA REN SUMA

Last year, when I was deep into writing 17 & Gone, I discovered an exciting new distraction and way to collect images that fascinated me: Pinterest. What started off as maybe one more thing to keep me from writing turned into a great source of inspiration, and my 17 & Gone inspiration board was born. I’d often write with the images up on my screen, staring at them in pauses between paragraphs. On each stop on this blog tour I’m highlighting one of the photos that spoke to me and helped me find my way through the darkness of writing this book.

This photograph by Brett Freestone left me feeling very unsettled. I felt like this scene is something my narrator, Lauren, would have caught in a flash, from out the corner of her eye. Then when she’d turn to be sure, the figure of the girl or girls she thought she saw would flicker and be gone.

Abby Sinclair. There at the intersection. I’m not saying she was there in the flesh with her thumb out and her hair wild in the wind and her bare knees purpled from cold—it didn’t start out that way. The first time I saw Abby, it was only a picture: the class photograph reproduced on her Missing poster.

—from 17 & Gone, page 8

In 17 & Gone, Abby Sinclair is the first missing girl my narrator, Lauren, discovers. She’s drawn in by her story and by an unspoken connection to this girl she’s never met, a connection she just can’t shake. My very first images of Abby looked a lot like this: dark and blurred around the edges, and needing to be flooded face-on with light. She’s the reason I started writing the book in the first place, to find out what happened to her.

For spotlights on more images from my 17 & Gone inspiration board on Pinterest, keep following this blog tour!

Blog tour schedule:

Monday, 3/18: Mundie Moms
Tuesday, 3/19: Confessions of a Readaholic
Wednesday, 3/20: The Compulsive Reader
Thursday, 3/21: The Mod Podge Bookshelf
Friday, 3/22: Anna Reads

Monday, 3/25: The Story Siren
Tuesday, 3/26: A Good Addiction
Wednesday, 3/27: Radiant Reads
Thursday, 3/28: Presenting Lenore
Friday, 3/29: Book Chic

• • • • •

Seventeen-year-old Lauren is having visions of girls who have gone missing. And all these girls have just one thing in common—they are 17 and gone without a trace. As Lauren struggles to shake these waking nightmares, impossible questions demand urgent answers: Why are the girls speaking to Lauren? How can she help them? And . . . is she next? As Lauren searches for clues, everything begins to unravel, and when a brush with death lands her in the hospital, a shocking truth emerges, changing everything.

Interview and Giveaway with Claire LaZebnik

Claire LaZebnik

Claire LaZebnik lives in Los Angeles with her TV-writer husband and four children. She has co-authored two books about autism with Dr. Lynn Kern Koegel (Overcoming Autism and Growing Up on the Spectrum). Her previous novels include Knitting Under the Influence, The Smart One and the Pretty One, Families and Other Nonreturnable Gifts, and Epic Fail.

Books (YA Novels)

Epic Fail (2011)
◆ Goodreads ● Amazon ● The Book Depository ◆

The Trouble With Flirting (2013)
◆ Goodreads ● Amazon ● The Book Depository ◆

Reviews

City of Books ● Confessions of a Readaholic

Find Claire

Website ● Twitter ● Facebook ● Goodreads

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Hi Claire! Thank you so much for stopping by Books That Glow to answer some questions about yourself and your latest book, The Trouble With Flirting!

What gave you the idea for The Trouble With Flirting?

When I'm first mapping out a novel, I always like to combine at least two different ideas or inspirations to end up with something unexpected. In this case, I knew I wanted to update and adapt Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, but then I also decided it would be fun to borrow elements from my teenage son's like– he'd spent a recent summer at two different acting programs and came back full of stories. We visited him at both of them, so I saw firsthand how exciting and busy and emotional these summer programs can get. Since Mansfield Park has a whole theatre subplot (they start to put on a play but never get around to performing it), it felt like it could work to put its story into this theatrical setting, and I'm happy with how it turned out.

Well, that definitely makes the both us! I'm a sucker for books with theater :D
Your novel is inspired by Jane Austen's Mansfield Park (as you've mentioned above)– what elements did you take from the original and incorporate into your book?

In the original, meek and gentle Fanny Price is sent to live with her much wealthier relatives. Most of them create her like a glorified servant, but her cousin Edmund is very kind, so of course she falls in love with him, even though he's oblivious. A dazzlingly sophisticated brother-and-sister combo arrive at their village and pretty soon, Edmund is in love with the Sister and Edmund's sisters are in love with the Brother, and–long story short–the Brother falls in love with Fanny, but she's faithful to Edmund, who continues to be obsessed with the Sister. Because Austen is incredibly funny and her characters are realistic, this is all much more fascinating that you'd think. I borrowed the bare bones of the plot (except most of my characters are NOT related to each other): my protagonist is still an outsider (she's sewing costumes at the summer program, not acting like the other kids) and the guy she adores still falls in love with someone else. But MY heroine is a lot less long-suffering: she stands up for herself much more than the Fanny, whose freedom to speak her mind is constricted by her status and the era she lives in.

Woah... Now I've totally GOT to go read Jane Austen's book. Sounds absolutely fascinating and after reading The Trouble With Flirting, I can definitely see the similarities.

PICK THIS OR THAT:

Sequels or Standalones?

Standalones. Not that I don't' read plenty of sequels–if I love a book, I'll definitely keep going with the sequel. But my absolute favorite books are all standalones and I think there's a reason for that. I think there's something almost perfect about a book that contains everything you need within it and takes you a journey that has a satisfying arc and conclusion. Also? I think sequels are rarely as good as the original book, especially if the author didn't originally plan to write on.

Newspapers or Magazines?

Magazines. But I'm ashamed to admit it. Newspapers feel much more intellectual and responsible, don't they? But I'm not either of those things, so maybe that's why I prefer magazines!
(I do have to agree with you on this– magazines are more my thing than newspapers!!)

A Happy Ending or Suspenseful Cliffhanger?

Happy ending. No contest.

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate. Also no contest. I don't get vanilla. Why bother?
(AGREED)

Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Team Peeta. (Best. Answer.)

If you were stuck on a deserted island, and could pick ANY three people to be there with you, who would you pick?

Three is soooo hard– I have four kids so you're asking me to do a Sophie's Choice kind of thing. Plus there's my husband... I guess five people would be out of the question?

I have one friend who knows show to spear fish and build fires and sail a boat, so now that I think about it, all I really need is HIM on the island with me and I know he'd figure out how to get us safely back to civilization so I could be reunited with my family!

Ouch– that was mean of me :/
What's the craziest thing you've done?

This interview. :)

Hehe, guilty :P
If readers enjoyed The Trouble With Flirting, what other books should they try?

My first YA novel Epic Fail! It has a similar vibe. Also Mansfield Park– then you can see where my inspiration comes from.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers out there?

Just keep putting words on the screen. Seriously. The more you write, the better at it you get. You develop a style all your own and feel for how a sentence should read. And speaking of reading– keep doing that too. Read the best authors you can find, and by "best", I don't mean the most old-fashioned stuffiest. I mean the ones that keep you enthralled from the first page to the last– those are the best teachers there are.

What's you favorite movie candy?

Popcorn.
I seem really contrary today, don't I? I'm not really. It's just that lately all my cravings seem to be of the salty and not sweet variety. Maybe it's a phase.
But if I HAD to pick a candy, it would probably be those nonpareil things. They're my husband's favorite and you know how they say couples grow to be more like each other? They're much favorite now too. That's kind of scary, now that I think about it.

What can we eagerly anticipate from you next?

I have another YA novel coming out summer of 2014. Its working title is EASILY PERSUADED, but that could change before then. My editor's reading the rough draft now. Lots of work still ahead, but I think it will be a fun one.

Methinks it's a Persuasion retelling ;D

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Thank you so much to Claire for giving some absolutely amazing answers to our questions :) I LOVE LOVE LOVE The Trouble With Flirting–definitely one of my faces from year so far. Here's a little bit about it:

In this fun romance inspired by Jane Austen'sMansfield Park, Franny Pearson learns about the troubles that flirting can cause– and enjoys (almost) every second of it.

Franny Pearson never dreamed she'd be attending the prestigious Mansfield Summer Theater Program. And she's not, exactly. She's working for her aunt, the drama department's costume designer. But sewing her fingers to the bone does give her an opportunity to spend time with her crush, Alex Braverman. If only he were as taken with the girl hemming his trousers as he is with his new leading lady. When Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt, shows more than a friendly interest in Franny, she figures it can't hurt to have a little fun. But why is Alex suddenly giving her those deep, meaningful looks? 
In this charming tale of mixed messages and romantic near-misses, one thing is clear: flirting might be more trouble than Franny ever expected.

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Thanks to Claire and HarperTeen, one lucky winner can win:

a copy of The Trouble With Flirting!

Rules:

• Open to US ONLY
• This giveaway ends on the 31st of March, 2013
• The winner has 48 hours to reply to the email or another winner shall be chosen
• We are not responsible for any lost/damaged packages.

Enter in the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Trouble with Flirting by Claire LaZebnik

The Trouble with Flirting by Claire LaZebnik

Release Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rated: YA 14+
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

In this fun romance inspired by Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, Franny Pearson learns about the troubles that flirting can cause– and enjoys (almost) every second of it.

Franny Pearson never dreamed she'd be attending the prestigious Mansfield Summer Theater Program. And she's not, exactly. She's working for her aunt, the drama department's costume designer. But sewing her fingers to the bone does give her an opportunity to spend time with her crush, Alex Braverman. If only he were as taken with the girl hemming his trousers as he is with his new leading lady. When Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt, shows more than a friendly interest in Franny, she figures it can't hurt to have a little fun. But why is Alex suddenly giving her those deep, meaningful looks?
In this charming tale of mixed messages and romantic near-misses, one thing is clear: flirting might be more trouble than Franny ever expected.

Theatre!
Flirting and boys!
A Jane Austen retelling!

This book seriously combined some of my favorite thing together to create the perfect contemporary. I mean seriously, I LOVE theater, and Shakespeare even more (cause it combines English and Theater together). Putting this together with hot fictional boys (who can act– seriously, I'm swooning right now just typing this all out) you get a hilarious and cute story.
I haven't actually ever read Mansfield Park, but just by reading the blurb, I could tell this story gains a LOT of it's inspiration from Austen's book. It really makes me want to read it even more now, because even though Pride and Prejudice is the only Austen book I've ever read– and it doesn't really even count because I actually never made it to the end! – but I do enjoy the movies and TV series that have come from them, I'm really being pushed forward into this love for Jane Austen without even having read her books.

Ah, there was so much flirting between the characters! I seriously ate it all up– I am that much a lover of the art of flirting. I found myself smiling throughout the novel, caught up in Franny's thoughts on Alex and Harry, and finding myself wondering which of the two was better. Of course, as you'll soon see, I do have a huge preference for several reasons.
Franny's character– I swear I could really relate to her. She has this sense of humor which I feel like I actually get (and I'm pretty funny myself in my own opinion :P), and she loves the flirt... which I seem to do on a regular basis apparently. So there you have it. Other than those two things I have in common with her, I think she's just a character who has these emotions which teens can relate to, and she's a character that readers will be easily able to connect to.
HARRYYYYYYYYYYYY. Seriously still fan-girling about him, and I read the book like a week ago. Hilarious, funny, good-looking– the total contemporary male role package. Everything that you could possibly ask for in a guy. Not to mention his cockiness!
Alex was an okay character, I mean I could definitely see the appeal from Franny's eyes, but with him and Harry, I thought there was no competition: HARRY ALL THE WAY.

Claire LaZebnik truly does have the makings of a Queen of Teen Fiction, and I'm excited to see what she comes up with in the future to come. The Trouble with Flirting is definitely one of my favorite contemporaries so far in 2013, and it will have you smiling from start to finish. Definitely check this one out!

▪ ▪ ▪ Thank you so much to Claire LaZebnik and HarperCollins for sending a copy of The Trouble with Flirting for review and BTG2013! ▪ ▪ ▪

If you like this, try...

• Teen Idol by Meg Cabot ● Goodreads
• Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott ● Goodreads