My (Super Sweet) Sixteenth Birthday Giveaway!

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*Squeals* I'm super, super excited to be writing this post!  It's my sixteenth birthday in a few days and since blogging has become such a big part of my life now and I've made so many blogging friends along the way, I thought, 'Why not celebrate on the blog too?'  I can't believe I'm finally turning sixteen and I'm awfully excited about it so it felt right to host a giveaway to spread the love and happiness!

Rachel Harris, who is an AMAZING author, is kindly sponsoring the giveaway with an e-book copy of her debut YA novel, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century and some awesome swag!  A copy is already winging its way to me and it promises to be a fun, flirty read.  The giveaway is also INTERNATIONAL so what are you waiting for?  Get your flirt on and enter the giveaway!  But first, Rachel has also written a special post for me to share with you (isn't she just lovely?)  Read on to find out about her own sixteenth...

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEVERLEY!!!

~ tosses purple confetti ~

I’m so stinking excited to be here today to celebrate Beverley’s Sweet Sixteen. She’s one of my awesome Flirt Squad girls, and all around made of awesome. It rocks that she happens to share a birthday month with my debut, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, which is all about my main character Cat Crawford’s Sweet 16.

I had a Sweet 16 party when I was growing up, but sadly, it wasn’t televised. And I didn’t involve any time travel. Or trips to Italy. But it did rock all the same. We all wore fancy dresses, paraded out before the crowd as a DJ announced our names, and had our moment in the spotlight for our father-daughter dance. The whole thing cost a ridiculous amount of money at the time, but the memories I made are priceless. And I hope Beverley’s Sweet 16 is just as memorable as mine was…and just magical as Cat's adventure in the book.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any hocus pocus of my own to magically transport Beverley to the era and country of her dreams, but I DO come baring gifts….and, because my girl’s made of awesome, she’s decided to transfer those gifts to two of YOU!

This contest is international (woot!), and one lucky winner will receive an e-book copy of My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, and the runner up will receive a Super Sweet Swag pack, filled with bookmarks, tattoos, bracelets, and your own pocket sized trading cards featuring Cat and Renaissance hottie Lorenzo.

***

Now for the giveaway...

Here are the Terms & Conditions:

- Fill in the Rafflecopter below - please don't leave personal details in the comments section.
- The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL (woop, woop! See, I didn't forget all you international folks!)
- You must be 13 or older to enter. If you are under 13, please ask your parent/guardian for permission first.
- Rachel is not responsible for items lost in the post (only applicable for swag)
- 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 21/10/12 0:00 EST

Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Many thanks again to the super Rachel Harris for being so lovely and A-MAZING!

Beverley x

Waiting on Wednesday #8

Waiting on Wednesday is a fabulous meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine!  It's a wonderful chance to share the books we're eagerly anticipating and to find out what our fellow bloggers are looking forward to reading!

Jen's eagerly anticipating...

First came the storms.Then came the Fever.And the Wall.
After a string of devastating hurricanes and a severe outbreak of Delta Fever, the Gulf Coast has been quarantined. Years later, residents of the Outer States are under the assumption that life in the Delta is all but extinct… but in reality, a new primitive society has been born.
Fen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. Left with her tribe leader’s newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby to a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans. In the end, they are each other’s last hope for survival.
Sherri L. Smith delivers an expertly crafted story about a fierce heroine whose powerful voice and firm determination will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

Y'all. I don't even think I can handle how awesome this one sounds. YAY FOR MORE SCI-FI/DYSTOPIANS. And that cover. Goodness I'm EXCITED. :))

Bev's eagerly anticipating...

Bonnie and Clyde meets Simone Elkeles 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.

I'm a sucker for heartbreaking contemporaries so I'm just desperate to get my hands on this! I don't think I can wait until 2013 :'( And look at that cover, it's so sweet it makes me a little teary :')

What are you waiting on this week?  Link us up!

Bev and Jen x

Join Rachel Harris's Flirt Squad!

So you've probably felt the buzz around the blogsophere about Rachel Harris's book, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, which is released now!  It sounds like such a fun, quirky read and guess what? YOU can help promote AND win great prizes along the way!

There are loads of different, easy ways to gain points and to join in with the fun!  Tweet about it, change your Twitter avatar to the MSSSC cover: there's a whole range of ways to get those crucial points to reach a new level.

So here are the prizes (taken from Rachel Harris's website):

• First level (25 points): A Super Sweet bookmark and tattoo
•  Second level (75 points): All prizes above PLUS a set of trading cards (your very own pocket-sized Lorenzo and Cat!), and a Super Sweet bracelet
•  Third level (150 points): All prizes above PLUS your name in the acknowledgements of book 2 in the Super Sweet series, A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES
•  Fourth level (250 points): All prizes above PLUS a special note from me inviting you to the sequel to My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES, including a special sneak peek!
•  ALL Participants who Reach Fifth Level (500 points): All prizes above PLUS an entry into a drawing to make a special appearance as a character in a future book.

There's still time to join so what are you waiting for? Get your flirt on!

And if you do decide to join (which I hope you do!), I would really appreciate it if you could mention me so I can gain extra points! I'll give you a virtual cupcake? ;)

Happy flirting,
Beverley

REVIEW: Burn For Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Name: Burn For Burn

Author: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release Date: September 18, 2012 (US)

Pages: 368, Hardcover

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Rating: 4 Teacups

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...THEY GET EVEN.
Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.
Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.
Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.
Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Jen's Review

Don't kill me guys, but I haven't ever read anything by Jenny OR Siobhan. However, I still jumped at the chance to read their co-written novel, since they are like the queens of contemporary. Now, I had no idea what their writing style was like, so I wasn't really hesitant about anything; meaning, I went into this book not expecting anything at all. I just dove in and read. Fortunately, Burn For Burn turned out to be an awesome contemporary novel with a slight supernatural twist, and very few flaws.

Burn For Burn is unlike any contemporary I have ever read. Most of the time, you get the story of a girl who is having problems with boys, high school, family, etc. But in Burn For Burn, we get three girls with all three of those problems. What's more, this story is all about revenge. Getting back at boys who hurt them, and even an ex-best friend. The plot is very fun, entertaining, and on-the-edge-of-your-seat exciting! The plot is quite intricate: we get flashbacks of the girls' histories, as well as current day happenings. Since the story is told from three different girls' prespectives, the story itself is more intriguing to read about.

Besides the plot, the characters were also something I highly adored. Their personalities were all so different and it was great being able to get a peek at each girls' thoughts and feelings every other chapter. We have Lillia, an Asian girl (ASIAN GIRLS, FTW) who is rich and cares deeply of her younger sister, Nadia. Next we have Kat, a bad-ass punky girl who isn't afraid of a lot of things. Lastly we have Mary, a self-conscious girl who recently moved back to Jar Island. Their growing friendship was sweet and I couldn't have asked for better.

There were a couple things that were off for me, though. First, it was confusing at times as to when the chapter started off, and you weren't sure who's point of view it is from. There is no 'Lillian' or 'Kat' at the top of each chapter (or at least in the ARC format there isn't), and you kind of had to figure it out. Usually it's obvious, but there are just a myriad of characters and it took me a couple of pages to wrap my head around it. Another flaw I considered was the supernatural twist. Now, I'm definitely not sure if it will be brought up again in the following installments, but I think it was totally unnecessary.

But other than that, Burn For Burn is an entertaining read that fans of Jenny or Siobhan won't want to miss out on. The ending KIND OF leaves the reader on a cliffhanger, and I definitely want to know what happens next to the three girls of Jar Island. 

4 Teacups for Burn For Burn!

*Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with an eARC to review!*

Chasing McCree by J.C. Isabella Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway

Today, I'm delighted to introduce you to J.C. Isabella and her YA contemporary novel, Chasing McCree. It sounds like a really great contemp that I'd enjoy so hopefully I'll be able to read it soon! Below, is an excerpt from the book itself and don't forget to enter the giveaway as well! Enjoy!

 

Briar Thompson had it all. The right clothes, the right friends, the right car. Being popular was all that mattered. Her parents were rich and treated like royalty throughout the community. She thought her senior year of high school was going perfectly, until the night her drink was spiked at a party by one of her so called friends.
That was the night she met Chase McCree.
Chase wanted to go back to Montana. To the ranch and the wild, wide blue sky that went on forever. He wanted nothing to do with flashy cars or spoiled rich kids. But he found himself head over boots for the quirky cheerleader who turned her back on her social status. She befriended him when no one else would.
Shunned and hurt by the people who were once her friends, Briar flees with Chase to his family ranch in Montana. There she discovers another world, and apart of herself she never knew.
The cowboy wasn’t like anyone she’d ever met. The cheerleader wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met. Apart their lives didn’t seem to make sense, but together, they were chasing forever.

Excerpt

Chapter 4 - Chase

 “Tuesday nights I fix a mean pot roast.” Grandma said, her frail, boney arms clutching me in a tight hug. I was surprised by her strength, for such a small older woman. “Look at you, not an ounce of fat.”

“Uh, thanks.” My face went red, and Briar pulled her off of me.

But Grandma wasn’t finished. “My hubby was that fit once. A prized fighter. What a doll. A really awesome boxer. He could knock em’ out. One two! Down on the mat they go, stars in their eyes, teeth missing outta their heads.”

“Wow, really?” I asked, trying to hold in my laughter as she held her fists up and punched the air.

“Yup,” Grandma clicked her tongue. “Unfortunately, he took one to many hits to the noggin, if you catch my drift. Never was the same after the bar brawl of eighty-two.”

“Your grandfather was in a bar fight?” I glanced at Briar.

She smiled. “I hear he was pretty wild.”

Grandma purred. “An animal. Next time I see you, I can tell you some stories about our trip to Africa. I almost got married off to a tribal chief when Grandpa lost a poker game to a witch doctor and a monkey who played the harmonica.”

Briar laughed. “Grandma, I’m going to say goodbye to Chase, why don’t you go check on your sangria?”

“Oh, I see how it is. You kids want to smooch while the old bird isn’t looking.” Grandma turned for the house, socks jingling as she opened the front door. “I wasn’t born yesterday, you know. I got these gray hairs and wrinkles from a hotheaded husband and a son who couldn’t keep his pecker in his pants. Don’t know how he’s managed to stay married to your mother for so long. She must have a magical vagina.”

The door shut. I looked at Briar. She went pink with embarrassment, and I was about to tell her I loved her grandmother, but the front door reopened. Grandma poked her head back out. She narrowed her wrinkly eyes and pursed her lips together, studying me closely, then Briar. “I know times are different now, and you kids do things that would turn my hair white. Do yourselves a favor and use protection. No glove, no love.”

The door snapped shut behind her, and I couldn’t make eye contact with Briar as we walked back for the truck. Her grandmother didn’t mince words.

Author Spotlight 

I'm J.C. Isabella, and I love to write. I've been writing for about ten years now. Mostly it was just for fun, for me. But my friends liked my work, so I decided to self publish. I hope you enjoy the rest of my site, and the books I have written. The reason I chose to write romance, is because I love a happy ending. In YA there are so many lessons to be learned, so many firsts to be had. Why not write about first kisses, first crushes, or trying to explain to your father you were bitten by your boyfriend, who happens to be a werewolf? One thing I will always promise in my books is a happy ending. I've always hated getting to the end of a really great novel, and feeling let down because it didn't end the way I thought it should. So about ten years ago, I decided to write a book. I remember it was about these kids who hijack a boat to find buried treasure in Mexico.... Needless to say, my writing has come a long way since my teen years, and I know I have room to improve, but I feel guilty having these books sitting in my computer, with no one to read them. So I'm putting them out for the world to see! I try not to take myself too seriously. I'm not an editor, nor am I a total wiz when it comes to grammar or language. I try my darndest though, and I hope to give people an enjoyable read that is nice a break from reality. I put a lot of work into what I do, and I appreciate people reading my work. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Hehe, I giggled so much at that! I absolutely ADORE feisty grandparents in books so I can't wait to meet Briar's grandma!  Let me know what you thought of it in the comments!

And now for the giveaway.  Up for grabs are 5 e-book copies of Chasing McCree and another 5 e-book copies of McCree's Star Spangled 4th which is a short story.  Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy reading,
Beverley xx

REVIEW: Beneath the Glitter by Elle & Blair Fowler

Name: Beneath the Glitter

Author: Elle & Blair Fowler

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: September 4, 2012 (US)

Pages: 288, Hardcover

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Rating: 3 Teacups

From internet stars Elle and Blair Fowler comes a scintillating new novel that takes readers Beneath the Glitter of the glitzy L.A. social scene.
Welcome to a place where dreams are made.  And where nothing—and no one—is ever what it seems.
After their make-up and fashion videos went viral on YouTube, sisters Sophia and Ava London are thrust into the exclusive life of the Los Angeles elite.  Here fabulous parties, air kisses, paparazzi and hot guys all come with the scene. Sophia finds herself torn between a gorgeous bartender and a millionaire playboy, and Ava starts dating an A-list actor.  But as they’re about to discover, the life they’ve always dreamed of comes with a cost.
Beneath the glitter of the Hollywood social scene lies a world of ruthless ambition, vicious gossip…and betrayal.  Someone close to them, someone they trust, is working in the shadows to bring the London sisters falling down. And once the betrayal is complete, Sophia and Ava find themselves knee-deep in a scandal that could take away everything they care about, including the one thing that matters most—each other.

[summary taken from Goodreads]

Jen's Review 

Having watched Elle & Blair's beauty videos on Youtube for more than a year now, I am a huge fan of both of their videos, and so I didn't hesitate at the chance to read their debut novel. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect--it's not like I should judge before I've even read the book (that's just RUDE!). I went into it expecting a light, fun, drama-filled read, perfect for lounging by the pool. That's exactly what I got, but I was pleasantly surprised with the depth of some of the situations. BENEATH THE GLITTER had its ups and downs for me, nonetheless it all balanced out to be a pretty good novel.

The Good Stuff:

• The characters. I think that the characters were all super fun and enjoyable.  They could have been developed more (there's always room for improvement!), but what I got was good enough to be likeable. I found it extremely amusing with the fact that Sophia & Ava are pretty much Elle & Blair themselves. I genuinely saw themselves in the characters in the story.
• Lots of description! I loved the description and detail for the story. Though sometimes it was unnecessary, it created a very vivid world of LA for me.
• Cute chapter titles. Though this doesn't matter much, I found the chapter titles to be entertaining, and it just added to the cute and funny factor for this story.
• The sister-bondage. The relationship between Sophia & Ava was very precious and I adored their growth in working together as business partners, and as sisters. It's heartwarming.

The… Not So Good Stuff:

• The plot. Sure, the plot was drama-filled, but it wasn't really working out for me. Being just short of 300 pages, BENEATH THE GLITTER took me much too long to read. It was really slow from beginning to end (okay, there was ONE scene that was intense),  and I kind of felt myself pushing through the novel. It's a bit repetitive, even.
• The amount of STUFF going on. I just said the plot was kind of boring, and it kind of was. But there was also  too much stuff going on. I would have liked it if the story stuck to one main problem. We've got boy problems, London Calling, photography, sister problems, love triangle (ish), the pet shelter, etc. It kept jumping back and forth, and honestly, I think the story would have been more organized if it was toned down a little.
• The AMOUNT of characters in the story. At one point, it got a little overwhelming. There are SO many characters, from the main, to the love interests, to the side characters. GAH.
• THE ENDING. My goodness, the ending is frustrating me right now as I type. It's so confusing, there HAS to be a companion/sequel to it. I'm not saying it's exactly a cliffhanger, but it's discombobulating and there were quite a few questions left unanswered. It's frustrating!

So, there you have it. My thoughts. The plot really derailed my overall enjoyment of the story for me. However, I'm pretty happy with the way the story turned out, and I am still looking forward to whatever Elle & Blair have in store for their readers. If you liked Lauren Conrad's L.A. CANDY series, you are sure to enjoy this one as well. A cute, Gossip-Girl-esque novel that is entertaining and light-hearted.

3 teacups for Beneath the Glitter!

                   *Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for providing me eARC to review*

Showcase Sunday #5

Showcase Sunday is hosted by the lovely Vicky over at Books, Biscuits, and Tea! It's a great way to share what you have received the past week and to also gush over the wonderful books other bloggers have added to their bookshelves!

Beverley and I will be doing Showcase Sunday every two weeks from now on. Enjoy the two week haul from BOTH of us! :)

Jen's New Books: 

For Review:

Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz 

Broken by A.E. Rought 

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris 

Origin by Jessica Khoury

The Lost Prince 

Doomed by Tracy Deebs 

Splintered by A.G. Howard 

Possession by Elana Johnson

*MUCH thanks to Edelweiss, Netgalley, S&S, Broken Robot, Entangled, Penguin, HarlequinTeen, Bloomsbury, ABRAMS, and Elana Johnson. :)

Bought:

Prince of Wolves by Quinn Loftis

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Partials by Dan Wells

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Library:

The Fame Game by Lauren Conrad

Every Day by David Levithan (audiobook)

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley
Everneath by Brodi Ashton (audiobook)

Beverley's New Books: 

*runs away* Yeah... Look at all those wonderful books Jen's got ^ I don't know about you but I am really jealous of her right now ;) But of course, I'm obviously looking forward to her reviews!

Anyways. I haven't received any new books in the past two weeks, mainly because I'm back to school and have to cut down on requests.  But I did get one book which I forgot to show you guys last time:

For Review:

The Wolf Princess by Cathryn Constable:  I ADORE Chicken House!  They sent this to me as another surprise and it was beautifully packaged.  It came in a silver envelope, wrapped in purple tissue paper and sprinkled with a handful of pretty gems.  It's targeted towards a younger age group but I think I'll enjoy it.  It seems so magical and enchanting and it's set in RUSSIA!

Won:

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris swag:  I joined Rachel Harris's Flirt Squad where you have to complete different tasks to earn points.  I managed to get past the second stage so the lovely Rachel sent me some cute swag!

What did you guys get this week?  Link us up!

Happy reading,
Beverley and Jen x