Valentine's Tea Party Giveaway: Paperback Copy of Easy by Tammara Webber!

I hope you guys are enjoying the Valentine's Tea Party and that you've had fun reading the interviews we've lined up!  Today we have something a little different for you: a giveaway!  For a lovely, paperback copy of Easy by Tammara Webber!  I'm afraid this is UK only, sorry

Easy is a New York Times Bestseller - a must-read for everyone who loves Slammed by Colleen Hoover and the New Adult genre. Deeply romantic and utterly gripping, this is not to be missed.
Jacqueline seems to have a knack for making the wrong choices. She followed her boyfriend to his choice of university, disregarding her preference. Then he dumped her. She chose a minor she thought she could combine with her music studies, but she's falling behind. And then, leaving a party alone one night, she is attacked. If it wasn't for the timely intervention of a stranger, she would have been raped. Now she must make a choice - give up and give in, or toughen up and fight on. Only the support of the man who is tutoring her and the allure of the guy who saved her from the attack convince her that it's worth fighting on. Will Jacqueline now have to make a choice between them too? And can she make the right decision? It's not easy . . .

[summary taken from Goodreads]

This New Adult book took the blogosphere by a storm last year and I'm sure it will continue to grow a fan base  especially now that it's been picked up by a publisher!  I'm currently reading it (stupid exams are stopping me from finishing it!) and it's really good so far so I'd urge you to enter the giveaway!

 Terms & Conditions:

- Fill in the Rafflecopter below - please don't leave personal details in the comments section (for your own safety)
- The giveaway is UK only
- You must be 13 or older to enter
- Neither the publisher or I are responsible for books damaged/lost in the post
- The only mandatory requirement is that you are a follower via Google Friend Connect (GFC)
- Other entries are optional but completing them could give you a better chance of winning :)
- Giveaway ends on March 15th 2013
- I will email the winner who must reply within 48 hours, otherwise the prize will go to someone else.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Happy reading and swooning,
Beverley xxx

REVIEW: A Song For Julia by Charles Sheehan-Miles

Name: A Song For Julia

Author: Charles Sheehan-Miles

Publisher: Cincinnatus Press (US)

Release Date: December 4, 2012

Pages: 320, Hardcover

Source: For review from author/AToMR Tours

Rating: 4 Teacups

Everyone should have something to rebel against.
Crank Wilson left his South Boston home at sixteen to start a punk band and burn out his rage at the world. Six years later, he’s still at odds with his father, a Boston cop, and doesn’t ever speak to his mother. The only relationship that really matters is with his younger brother, but watching out for Sean can be a full-time job. The one thing Crank wants in life is to be left the hell alone to write his music and drive his band to success.
Julia Thompson left a secret behind in Beijing that exploded into scandal in Washington, DC, threatening her father's career and dominating her family's life. Now, in her senior year at Harvard, she's haunted by a voice from her past and refuses to ever lose control of her emotions again, especially when it comes to a guy. 
When Julia and Crank meet at an anti-war protest in Washington in the fall of 2002, the connection between them is so powerful it threatens to tear everything apart.

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Jen's Review

A Song For Julia was a truly beautiful read. Dealing with situations like rape, mentally disabled characters, war, and a complicated romance, this story is packed with heartfelt emotions. The emotionally distressed tension in this story is surreal; the reader is in for an emotional ride.

One of the favorable qualities I loved about A Song for Julia was its characterization. We start off with a very broken, closed in character, Julia. As the story progresses and she meets people like Crank, the love interest, she slowly opens up and becomes a strong, brave woman that is highly admirable. Crank is also a prominent character who grows immensely. Starting out as a shallow one-night-stander, he changes and realizes the importance of love after spending time with Julia. Their romance starts off a bit as lust, but Sheehan-Miles definitely takes his time developing the real, genuine romance. The reader isn't able to help but empathize with their feelings and emotions. 

The plot was intricate and a bit slow paced, if not a little complicated. However, it is never confusing or frustrating. Sheehan-Miles is able to weave all of the plot lines together and it's truly wonderful to see it all come together. The beginning takes a little while to get into, but not long after, it picks up and never slows back down.

Even if the characters in A Song for Julia are in their late college years, it will still appeal to YA or NA fans alike. A moving and evocative story with well-developed characters and a complex plot, it will surely tear your heart out by the last page.

4 teacups for A Song For Julia!

*Much thanks to AToMR Tours and the author for providing me with a review copy!*

REVIEW: Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Name: Nobody But Us

Author: Kristin Halbrook

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: January 29th 2013

Pages: 304, e-ARC

Source: For review (for blog tour)

Rating: 2 stars

Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this addictively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.

They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.

Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....

When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.

Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr.

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Beverley's Review

I saw this book on other blogs.  I fell in love with the synopsis.  I decided I NEEDED this book.  I jumped at the chance to read it.  I began the book, expectations at a high for this promising contemporary romance.  Few chapters in, my hopes fell flat.

I'm going to be honest: I was really disappointed by Kristin Halbrook's debut.  Considering I was eagerly anticipating it, it just didn't deliver on so many aspects.  The only thing I can gladly say for sure was that the dual POVs were handled brilliantly.  Halbrook created two very distinct voices and you could always differentiate between Zoe and Will.

Before I go on to comment on the characters, I must mention the whole 'romance' that's going on.  Zoe and Will claim to be 'in love' with each other and practically every page was dripping with how much they adore the other etc. etc.  Let's just say, there reached a point where it just got annoying.  I was constantly told how much they loved each other, but was shown nothing to see how they did.  Their relationship didn't even seem solid at all - I mean, they'd only been dating for two months, for goodness' sake, before deciding to run away together.  Does two months give you enough time to really get to know the other person?  Can you decide if you want to spend the rest of your life with someone you've only been with for two months?  To me, it wasn't a proper romance - which conflicts with the idea that this is a 'love story'.  Tell me something's a love story and I expect something strong and beautiful, the romance in Nobody But Us was flimsy and just wrong.

Because of this supposed romance, which to me wasn't really a romance, I couldn't connect with the characters.  Zoe was too weak and naive, maybe due to her age of fifteen.  Oh yes... I forgot to mention: Zoe is 15 and Will is 18.  At eighteen years of age, Will is a responsible adult.  He should be using his common sense and realise that running away with a girl three years his junior is not going to end well.  I could forgive Zoe for being innocent and wanting to be loved after such a traumatic childhood but I couldn't STAND Will's impulsiveness and anger.  That guy really needed to control his temper and stop putting his girlfriend in danger.  If he truly loved her, he wouldn't have dragged her further and further until there was no way of going back.  True love is when you genuinely care for the other person and want the best for them.  This wasn't the case in Nobody But Us.

The story had so much potential to be something with emotional depth but it was put aside in favour of the 'romance.'  Zoe's mother died when she was young and for years, she has had to put up with an abusive father while Will was abandoned by his young mother and put in care.  Both of their pasts could have been reached into to give these characters real depth but it was only touched upon at times and I could never really realise the full extent of their terrible pasts, making it more of an inevitably hopeless love story to roll your eyes over than a story about two people mending each others' broken heart.

The ending, I must admit, came as a shock.  It took me a few seconds to get a grasp on things, but when I put the book down, I realised it was a reasonable way to conclude despite the surprise factor.  It was out of the blue and I did not expect it at all but to be really honest, I didn't care about what happened to our 'lovestruck' pair because I had stopped caring long before.

Overall, Nobody But Us was a somewhat disappointing read with a lacklustre romance.  Despite being let down by the relationship between the two lead characters, the book was actually strangely addictive and I wanted to hurry up and get to the end to see what the outcome was for the couple (either that, or I just wanted to finish the book and get away from it all!).  Even though I didn't enjoy it as much as I would've liked, I suggest you pick it up if you're interested in it because it may be the book for you!

2 Teacups for Nobody But Us

Tea Party Blogger Interview: Aneeqah from My Not So Real Life

Welcome to another blogger interview! Today I'm going to be chatting with Aneeqah from My Not So Real Life! I love this girl, so I was extremely excited to ask her questions about romance and couples. :)

1. Who is your favorite geeky, adorable boy?

Étienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss hands down! That boy is seriously swoon worthy, being oh so adorable. While I don’t know if he would classify as the geekiest kid out there, he is totally adorable and just... hot. Seriously, I wish there was a real life St. Clair. *sighs*

2. Who is your favorite hot, badass guy?

This one is a competition between Kaidan from Sweet Evil and Perry from Under the Never Sky. Honestly, both are totally swoon worthy, and can kick some serious butt, which I always appreciate. And yet, both have a soft side as well, making them that much more lovable. 

3. Which type of boy do YOU usually swoon for?

I will pretty much swoon for all boys that have a sweet side, no matter if they’re geeky, or totally badass. It doesn’t matter. There’s just something about a vulnerable side that never fails to make me completely swoon.

4. Have you ever "switched sides" of a love triangle in a series?

So I’m pretty decisive when it comes to love triangles- once I choose a side, I will always stay on that side. However, as a series progresses, I’ve definitely come to see the other side of the love triangle; why people like the other person in the love triangle. Although I don’t change my opinion, I learn to respect other’s and why they think that way.

5. Favorite couple of all time?

Ugh, what type of question is this?! I could never choose just one. But my Top 4 have got to be Tris and Four from Divergent, Noah and Echo from Pushing the Limits, Anna and Etienne from Anna and the French Kiss, and Duval and Ismae from Grave Mercy. 

*squeals* Thanks for your lovely answers, Aneeqah! I'm fangirling with you right now, Étienne St. Clair is definitely my favorite geeky boy as well. I still need to meet this Perry! I'm all for a vulnerable sweet side as well. AND OMG, TRIS AND FOURRRRR. <3 Thanks again for joining me in this lovely tea party. :D

Make sure you all go visit Aneeqah's blog!

Do YOU agree with Aneeqah? What do you think?

Happy reading (and swooning),

Jen xxx

Tea Party Blogger Interview: Eileen from Singing and Reading in the Rain

Designed by Jen!

My first guest joining me for a lavish tea party is Eileen from Singing and Reading the Rain!  She's one of my absolute favourite US bloggers and if I could invite her to a real British tea party, I would, but a virtual one in which we gush over fictional guys and romance will have to do for now!  Read on to find out what Eileen loves and hates...

EILEEN!!!!! *tackle-hugs* A huge welcome to A Reading Daydreamer!!!

*tackle hugs back* IT'S AWESOME TO BE HERE! :D *dramatic waves*

You’re a regular Twitter user (Twitterer? Tweeter? Twit?) and we’ve chatted several times about books but I don’t think we’ve talked about fictional guys.  So, tell us which type of fictional guys do you usually swoon over?

Regular Twitter user?!?! It's more like I'm attached at the hip to Twitter. That's not why you asked the question, so let me log off Twitter and then I shall answer your question!

*thirty minutes later*

WAIT NO TWITTER *clings* Five more minutes?

Okay now to the actual question!

The kind of fictional guy that I absolutely love and want to steal for myself is a guy who can be really sweet and vulnerable when he needs to be, but has a little bit of that dark and dangerous vibe underneath. And smartness! Every Asian needs their intelligence ;) And if we're also talking physical traits, I REALLY love piercing eyes. Like, a LOT.

Yes, yes, yes! AGREED!  I love a guy who can be 

What do you think of insta-love?  Love it? Hate it?  What other romance pet peeves do you have?

I really despise insta-love. To me, it's like the author took a lazier way out instead of developing two characters' relationship. I get there being an initial attraction, but if the author elaborates on that attraction later on, THEN I get it. But if it's like "I like you" and then the second time you go on a date, "I love you." Then I'm like, "Yeah...no."

I do recall you like guys with British accents, are there any particular fictional ones you loved?

CAN ANYONE SAY ETIENNE ST. CLAIR?!?!?! I LOVE THAT BOY TO DEATH! Seriously, he's just SO sweet! Sososososososososososo sweet and romantic and OMG I need to reread Anna and the French Kiss now! *melts into a gooey puddle*

If you could invite any fictional guys to a tea party, who would you choose and why?

This is totally easy. Ash from the Iron Fey! Number one, the Iron Fey is my favorite series EVER and Ash is a total sweetheart, even though he's an Ice Prince. COME HITHER ASH. *fangirls*

Do you have any favourite couples?  Ones where you loved the guy but felt bad because the girl was awesome too and they were perfect for each other?

*points above* Ash and Meghan are pretty much the best couple I have ever seen. The best. They're both so stubborn and, if you've read the books, you know how epically perfect they are for each other! AND Anna and Etienne. Like, I'm not kidding, those two are so sweet. And Driggs and Lex from Croak by Gina Damico are so hilarious! Their relationship is half awkward, half sweet, and all parts hilarious! :D

What are your favourite romance/contemporary reads?  And which ones are you anticipating in the next few months?

Anna and the French Kiss! Lol I knew you were anticipating that one! I also loved Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (who didn't?), Speechless by Hannah Harrington, and Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer (can anybody say ermagawd Gigi and Mike are the BEST?)

Finally, can you share with us some covers that are really sweet or romantic for us to coo over?

Hmm...*searches on Goodreads* I actually don't know! Pushing the Limits has a super romantic cover though! Seriously. It's such an awesome book. And usually I think of romantic books to be books where the guy and the girl are like in a serious liplock or something, which probably isn't the best book for me to read with my parents available to see the cover. *cough*

BUT, OMG, I love Lola and the Boy Next Door! That is so sweet and Cricket looks like he's so achingly in love with Lola! RIGHT? AM I RIGHT? And I still need to read Anna and the French Kiss again! Or buy myself a copy. Or just fangirl in general over it.

Thank you so much for joining me today, Eileen!  It’s wonderful to have you here!  *Sends cookies and marshmallows to the US*
Ooh cookies!! *gobbles*

***

Hehe, I just love Eileen and her enthusiasm - she's a lovely girlie!  Be sure to check out her blog which is brimming with Eileen-craziness-and bubbliness!

What are YOUR responses to my questions?

Happy reading,
Beverley xxx

Tea Party: Blogger Interview with Keertana from Ivy Book Bindings

Image from We Heart It//Edited by Jen

Today I am happy to present to you guys the first Tea Party Blogger Interview! I'm going to be chatting with Keertana from Ivy Book Bindings about her opinions on romance and favorite couples. Without further ado, let's begin!

1. Who is your favorite geeky, adorable boy?

I'd have to say Rowan from Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard. I guess he isn't so much geeky as he is smart or adorable as he is drop-dead gorgeous, but I love that he reads obsessively and quotes books constantly. It's just so attractive. The same goes for Lucian Kiggs from Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. It may seem odd to some, but Kiggs's love for philosophy and discussion is simply so alluring! ;) I feel as if there's a shortage of truly geeky and adorable guys in literature, but another one I think fits the bill is Sean from The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna. Seriously, he completely stole my heart and I can't forget Fisher from And All the Stars by Andrea K. Host. Adorable!<3

2. What's your opinion on love triangles?

I'm one of those people who simply outright hates love triangles. I quite literally cannot stand them. For me, this is usually because love triangles are never written in a manner that I find believable. I either wind up instantly preferring one guy over the other, making the struggle between the two male characters seem very dull, and more often than not, I wind up hating the main character by the end of it since I can never understand why both guys are so enamored with her and I lose all respect for her since she oscillates between the two so frequently. It's a disaster in the making for me. However, that's not to say I don't appreciate them at times. Eona by Alison Goodman contains a slight love triangle that only adds to the plot line and I thoroughly enjoyed it, as well as the love triangle in The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare. I also don't mind love triangles where the protagonist clearly favors one guy over the other and the other guy is there to further the plot line, like in Juliet Marillier's Daughter of the Forest or Ilona Andrew's On the Edge. For the most part, however, I try to avoid love triangles as much as I can. (Confession: I also usually wind up picking the losing side, so this might just be another reason I chose to stay away from them all together!)

3. Do you prefer Young Adult romances or New Adult romances?

 I think that's a tough one for me to answer, simply because I've read more Young Adult romances. I haven't enjoyed the New Adult romances that other readers seem to have enjoyed, such as Tammara Webber's Easy. I do, however, prefer my romances with older couples, like Fire and Brigan from Kristin Cashore's Fire, Sean and Puck from Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races, or Red and Sorcha from Juliet Marillier's Daughter of the Forest. I also think New Adult romance has a tendency to be more bittersweet, like Laura Buzo's Holier Than Thou which I really enjoyed, so I guess I do prefer New Adult romance a tad bit more after all. 

4. Are there any romance pet peeves you have?

Plenty! I've already discussed love triangles, but insta-love is another pet peeve I can't get past. It also thoroughly irritates me when there is drama thrown into a romance just for the sake of prolonging the love story or when misunderstandings simply continue to escalate on an unrealistic level. For me to enjoy a romance, so much has to be just right or perfect, from the timing to the depth of the individuality of the characters to the extent that each changes one another. I tend to become easily annoyed with romances that move too quickly or simply fail to convince me and draw me into the couple, so lack of connection is another huge pet peeve of mine when reading a romance. 

5. Have you ever liked an insta-love couple? If so, which one?

 I'm sure we've all loved an insta-love couple at some point, but I truly can't remember one at all, so I guess I'd have to say no, I haven't. I tend to prefer slow-burn romances the best of all, so insta-love doesn't go too well with me. 

Great responses, Keertana! I loved Rowan from Wanderlove, too! I definitely admire the fact that he is a book nerd as well! ;) I'm so glad to hear that you are able to find some love triangles that are like-able. Also, I totally agree with you about insta-love, as I think this is also many other people's pet peeve! Thanks so much for the lovely answers, Keertana!

Make sure you all go check out Keertana's blog!

 

What are YOUR responses to these questions?

Happy reading,

Jen xx

Valentine's Tea Party Kick Off and Voting Form!

Image from We Heart It//Edited by Jen

Today we're kicking off our Valentine's Tea Party (something which was mysteriously dubbed as the YA Romance Event in earlier months!)  During February, we will be inviting our favourite bloggers on to the blog to a 'tea party' to answer questions about romance in YA fiction, book boyfriends and perfect dates!  Of course, we'd love to hear your opinions too so please do feel free to leave your own answers in the Comments section. We'll also have a few romance/contemporary reviews here and there and don't forget to keep an eye out for the giveaway!

I won't be getting whisked off on a romantic date on Valentine's Day so if like me, you're not getting loved up this month, why not join in the fun at our Tea Party and gush about fictional crushes instead? This is the place to be if you're looking for somewhere to channel your swooning and gushing!

If you're a close reader, you'll probably recall the YA romance form we asked you to fill in a few months ago...  All the nominations for the different categories have been counted and we've drawn up the TOP FIVE (give or take) in each category for everyone to vote!  Thank you if you filled in the form last time and apologies if your nominations didn't make it through but please place your final votes to ensure your favourites are 'crowned'!

The results will be announced on the last day of February when we wrap up the tea party!  Get voting!!!


Thank you for reading and we hope you'll enjoy the interviews and reviews we have lined up for you!  It should be an interesting month and we look forward to gushing and swooning and sighing with you!

Beverley and Jen xxx