Royally Lost by Angie Stanton

Royally Lost by Angie Stanton

 Release Date: May 6, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Edelweiss
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website
Dragged on a family trip to Europe’s ancient cities, Becca wants nothing more than to go home. Trapped with her emotionally distant father, over-eager stepmother, and a brother who only wants to hook up with European hotties, Becca is miserable. That is until she meets Nikolai, a guy as mysterious as he is handsome. And she unknowingly finds herself with a runaway prince.

Nikolai has everything a guy could ask for-he's crown prince, heir to the throne, and girls adore him. But the one thing he doesn't have...is freedom. Staging a coup, he flees his kingdom and goes undercover on his own European tour.

 When Nikolai and Becca meet, it’s their differences that draw them together. Sparks fly as they share a whirlwind of adventures, all the while dodging his royal guard. But Becca's family vacation ends in a matter of days. Will Nikolai and Becca be forced to say goodbye forever, will his destiny catch up to him, or will they change history forever?

After reading the blurb I decided to give Royally Lost a go because it reminded me so much of Roman Holiday, a movie I ADORE. I’m also a sucker for fluffy contemporaries, and since I haven’t read one in ages I decided this would be healthy for me... you know, to have a good ol’ dose of romance and swoonosity. Traveling through Europe is also something I hope to do with my friends one day. We’ve made numerous plans to go sometime next year, because a couple of them are going to study in the UK, and so this made me all the more excited. When it came to reading Stanton’s book however, there were parts that were absolutely great– and then there were parts that flopped.

 What I really enjoyed about this one was it looked like the author really did her research. I learned so much about the historical landmarks, and since this was a part of Europe that I haven’t been to (yet) I was really interested in learning more about it. The author really lay down some amazing descriptions and facts about the places that the characters visit, and this added a cultural richness that I’ve seen absent in several YA books about Europe. Nikolai is from a country called Mondovia, and even though it’s a made-up one, I’m glad it didn’t bother me. Because, I mean, hello? GENOVIA, anyone? Anyway, I think it could be based off of Moldova, or somewhere else in Europe, because there’s quite a few places with similar names!
What I also liked about this novel was that there was definitely enough plot to keep me interested. I wasn’t thrown into the romance completely, and glad to see that there were complications involved... not like a sugary-sweet fairy tale that only has good things going for it’s principal characters.

 However, what I didn’t particularly like about the book had more to do with it’s main character, Becca. Her constant whining near drove me up a wall, it was too much at times. I mean, you’re in EUROPE. While people from Europe could possibly claim that it can be boring, not too many people get the chance to travel to the historically-rich country. I’m extremely lucky that my family and I get the chance to travel around a lot, and even I don’t complain that much about being dragged from landmark to landmark, given that I love to laze around at home doing nothing. Nikolai wasn’t perfect either, but I still think he was a much better character than she was.
Another thing that set me on edge was the insta-love. OH YES. It was only after reading the book when I realised that I’d previously DNF-ed another one of the author’s books – Rock and a Hard Place – 20-25 pages in because I couldn’t STAND the insta-love. I powered through the romance in this one. Getting together is one thing, but saying “I love you” to each other a couple days after you’ve met? CHEE-SY.

 Going into this one, I knew I’d be faced with a lot of cliché’s from the contemporary genre. I mean: the cover, the blurb, and the frickin' title scream “clichéd cuteness headed your way”. How fate plays into how they constantly meet and bump into each other in Europe, which I’m sure should have a lot more people to prevent this, and how they simply can’t live without each other, how Becca immediately stands out from the group of American tourists (seriously, what does he even see in her?!) and of course, the royal-born wanting more from life than being photographed and pushed around by his parents, who desperately longs for a life of normalcy. I mean, I’m pretty good at handling clichés but when there’s just a bit too much, it makes me a little bit squeamish with the predictability of the story.

 Yeah, the advice I would give when it comes to reading Royally Lost is this: definitely read this book if you’re a fan of CUTE... and I mean a heavy dollop of CUTE with every serving. If the main character’s personality doesn’t bother you, even if she is the most annoying person ever, I would say go ahead and read this for the amazing setting. I fell in love reading this book, and it wasn’t for the romance. The amazing landmarks, the gorgeous setting– heck, if Angie Stanton wrote a whole book about Europe without the irritatingly-quick love blooming and the clichés destroyed, it would be possibly one of the best-written books I’ve ever read. Okay, slight exaggeration, but you get my point. READ IT FOR THE SETTING!

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Played Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway


Played by Liz Fichera

 Release Date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: Hooked, Book 2
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository ● Kindle ● B&N ● Kobo ● iTunes
Goodreads ● Website
Read my review of Hooked HERE
This Game Is Getting All Too Real

 He said: I like to keep under the radar and mostly hang out with my friends from the rez. But when I saved Riley Berenger from falling off a mountain, that rich suburban princess decided to try to save me. 
She said: If I can help Sam Tracy win the heart of the girl he can't get over, I'll pay him back for helping me. I promised him I would, no matter what it takes.

I squealed with delight after reading Hooked, as I found out that there would be another book that looks at Riley and Sam’s relationship. I loved Hooked but I’d read it a while ago, so it was great to know that I wouldn’t need to remember a lot of what happened in the previous book going into this one. I liked Played a lot better than Hooked. Hooked was amazing, but this was so much better! I loved coming back to a familiar world and looking at it with new eyes. Liz Fichera definitely has the gift of dealing with multiple perspectives her books.

 Is it a surprise that I have a major crush on Sam? I loved seeing the conflict when it comes to his feelings for Riley and Fred, but I also love how there’s so many different small tiny things to him that make him a richer character. I liked that we got to see the relationship with his dad, and what he wants to do later in the future, because it gave a whole-rounded perspective.
Riley was really likeable too! While I didn’t enjoy her during her “dark” phase, I do see the problems she has with being the good child. Sometimes you just gotta let loose right? But unfortunately she learns the hard way that it’s clearly not the way to go. Like Sam she faces conflict with her feelings for two boys – Sam and Jay – but of course, things can happen, and leads to a final choice...

 I like how we got to see characters from the previous book in this one, and unlike many other spin-off books where the characters only play a minor role, Fred and Ryan, along with others, actually had a large role to play. Obviously, they weren’t main characters or anything, but their involvement was crucial for the plot.

 Played was a fantastic follow-up to Hooked and has easily wormed it’s way into my heart. Liz Fichera brings a compelling novel to the world of YA, and has captured the essence of diversity in YA, needling together two worlds. Can’t wait for more!

If you like this try...


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LIZ FICHERA

I'm an American author living in the American Southwest by way of Chicago.  

Born and raised in Park Ridge, Illinois, I moved to Phoenix, Arizona, after college, never expecting to live more than one year among cactus and people who’d never seen snow. I was wrong. It certainly didn't hurt that I met my future husband in Phoenix too. 

Most of my stories are set in the American Southwest because I think the desert is a cool place. Living in Phoenix, I'm surrounded by Native American culture and influences, not to mention intriguing Hohokam petroglyphs and centuries-old canals. There are over 20 tribes in Arizona and I'm lucky to be neighbors to the Gila River and the Salt River Indian Communities. 


When I'm not busy writing my next novel, I like to travel, visit museums, support local theater productions, hike, and pretend that I'm training for a triathlon. I post a lot of photos from my desert and mountain hikes on my Facebook and Twitter pages. In no particular order, I've been chased by javalinas, rattlesnakes, coyotes, and even one curious black bear.

 Website ● Goodreads ● Blog ● Twitter ● Facebook ● Tumblr ● YouTube
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Giveaway time!

Enter to win...

One (1) signed copy of Played by Liz Fichera!

Open Internationally
Enter via the Rafflecopter below


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 Check out the rest of the stops on the tour! Click on the tour banner at the top of the post or on the button below.

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Thank you so much to FFBC tours for having me along!
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The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle

The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle

 Release Date: March 28, 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Edelweiss
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website
Growing up in privileged, Manhattan social circles, Caggie’s life should be perfect, and it almost was until the day that her younger sister drowned when Caggie was supposed to be watching her. Stricken by grief, Caggie pulls away from her friends and family, only to have everyone misinterpret a crucial moment when she supposedly saves a fellow classmate from suicide. Now she’s famous for something she didn’t do and everyone lauds her as a hero. But inside she still blames herself for the death of her sister and continues to pull away from everything in her life, best friend and perfect boyfriend included. Then Caggie meets Astor, the new boy at school, about whom rumours are swirling and known facts are few. In Astor she finds someone who just might understand her pain, because he has an inner pain of his own. But the more Caggie pulls away from her former life to be with Astor, the more she realises that his pain might be darker, and deeper, than anything she’s ever felt. His pain might be enough to end his life…and Caggie’s as well.

I fell in love with Rebecca Serle’s When You Were Mine, so, without a doubt, I was determined to get my hands on The Edge of Falling, her latest book. Luckily I got the chance to read this early, and while I still think her debut novel was better, The Edge of Falling was a close follow-up. It was a gorgeous read, one I would call a “darker” contemporary, because it does deal with teen issues and isn’t exactly a light and fluffy read. There is a slight twist, which I kind of guessed right off the bat, but it’s still a bit of a shock once you read through the novel.
When I started this book, I’ll admit: I was a little lost and confused. It jumps straight in, and while it does give a description of everyone and everything that’s been going on, I was still a little perplexed by what exactly was happening. I mean, everything does slowly comes together, but GAH I kinda fell into this one blindly.

 I liked Caggie because I liked the way she thought. It’s interesting to see the world through her character’s point of view because she addresses things that wouldn’t usually be noticed normally. However, I didn’t like the fact that she keeps to her self. I mean, yes, you went through a traumatic experience that was absolutely tragic, but that doesn’t mean that you cut out everyone in your life and when some guy comes along you drop everything and instead do everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) with him. Speaking of... I didn’t really have a preference for which guy she’d end up with for the first half of the book. Both had their meh-moments and I wasn’t really feeling the swoon-factor all too much. But then, there’s a slight twist and a definite outcome of who she should be with.
While the first parts of the book were really slow, the end definitely picked up. The action becomes more intense and as secrets come out, there’s no saying what could happen. Caggie’s then forced to look to the past and face what had happened on both accounts and I thought that the emotions evoked at this point were really believable and you could easily empathise with her character.

 The Edge of Falling was a touching novel: melancholic and dark, yet promising. The narrative sweeps you away into a world of grief and anguish, and Serle has captured me in her words' grasp once again. I’m excited to see what else she’ll write next!

If you like this, try...

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Waiting on Wednesday – Week 112

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It’s to spotlight upcoming reads that I’m DYING to get my hands on!
First off– I’m back! Did you miss me? I just finished my final exam (French), so that means my high school life is pretty much done. I have my graduation this weekend as well. I’m a little freaked out to be honest! Excited, but still scared. Anyway...
This week’s WoW is:
The Dolls by Kiki Sullivan
Eveny Cheval just moved back to Louisiana after spending her childhood in New York with her aunt Bea. Eveny hasn’t seen her hometown since her mother’s suicide fourteen years ago, and her memories couldn’t have prepared her for what she encounters. Because pristine, perfectly manicured Carrefour has a dark side full of intrigue, betrayal, and lies—and Eveny quickly finds herself at the center of it all.

 Enter Peregrine Marceau, Chloe St. Pierre, and their group of rich, sexy friends known as the Dolls. From sipping champagne at lunch to hooking up with the hottest boys, Peregrine and Chloe have everything—including an explanation for what’s going on in Carrefour. And Eveny doesn’t trust them one bit.

 But after murder strikes and Eveny discovers that everything she believes about herself, her family, and her life is a lie, she must turn to the Dolls for answers. Something’s wrong in paradise, and it’s up to Eveny, Chloe, and Peregrine to save Carrefour and make it right.
September 2, 2014 ● Goodreads

Firstly, isn’t that cover GORGEOUS?!? That’s what totally caught my eye. This one’s available on Edelweiss, so for sure I’ll be getting my claws paws hands on it soon. Sounds really eerie and thrilling as well. Can’t wait to find out what happens!

What are you waiting on?
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