"kisses on a paper airplane" by sarah vance-tompkins

Kisses on a Paper Airplane
by Sarah Vance-Tompkins
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 14th, 2016
Inkspell Publishing 

I'm usually hesitant to pick up a YA novel from an unknown author. So many times, YA is peppered with sex, foul language, and paranormal topics I'm not comfortable with. But when I read the description for Sarah Vance-Tompkins' Kisses on a Paper Airplane, I couldn't resist giving the book a shot. It just sounded adorable!

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Drama student Hannah Evans isn't kissing any frogs on her path to find Prince Charming. She's determined to share the perfect first kiss -- with the perfect boy --in the perfect place -- or she's not kissing anyone at all. When Hannah meets a cute ginger-haired boy in first class lounge in the London airport, she knows he's 'The One.' 

Pop star Theo Callahan is on the road to get as far away as possible from his back-stabbing best friend, and his supermodel girlfriend who broke his heart. Until one shy smile from Hannah has him rethinking all of his travel plans. Theo is smitten, but he's worried she's just a groupie in search of the ultimate selfie. 

Can Theo learn to trust Hannah in time to share one perfect first kiss, or will Hannah be forced to kiss a frog?

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What teenage girl hasn't dreamed about meeting a famous boy and having him fall for her? (Really, it can't be just me!) Those dreams come true for Hannah—with a twist—in Kisses on a Paper Airplane.

Though it's incredibly short (I read it in under an hour), Kisses on a Paper Airplane is simply adorable. Most of the action takes place in airports, as Hannah and "T" (as Theo introduces himself to the girl who clearly has no idea of his identity) travel from London to Chicago. Their "meet cute" is really cute, and I enjoyed watching them get to know each other.

While it would have benefitted from a bit more length—I would have loved to get to know Hannah's family a bit better, and a few details were left out here and there—the content that is there is really cute. 3 stars.

Content note: A few mild curses are in the novel. There's also one kissing scene that gets pretty passionate. It's mild compared to many things, but I'd still be uncomfortable giving this book to a young teen.

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Sarah Vance-Tompkins was born in a small town in northern Michigan. She spent every summer exploring the sugar sand beaches near Sleeping Bear National Park. She left her heart behind when she moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California. She received an MFA in Film Production and went on to work in feature film development in Hollywood. She has worked as a reporter for a weekly entertainment trade publication, and been paid to write obituaries, press releases, the directions for use on personal lubricant bottles, and breathless descriptions of engagement rings for an online jewelry store. She lives in a small town north of Los Angeles with her husband and three cats.

Author Links:
Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook│Instagram│Pinterest│Google+│Tumblr│Amazon

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free for review via YA Bound Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"crossing the ice" by jennifer comeaux

Crossing the Ice (Ice #1)
by Jennifer Comeaux
Release Date: 08/03/14
Narrated by: Emily Stokes
Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins

As someone who used to be completely obsessed with figure skating (just ask any of my family members!), I couldn't pass up the chance to review Crossing the Ice, which takes place in the amateur skating world.

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Falling hard never felt so good.

Pair skaters Courtney and Mark have one shot left at their Olympic dream. They vow not to let anything get in their way, especially not Josh and Stephanie, the wealthy and talented brother and sister team.

The heart doesn’t always listen to reason, though...

The more time Courtney spends with sweet, shy Josh, the harder she falls for him. But they are on opposite sides of the competition, and their futures are headed in opposite directions. Will their friendship blossom into more or are their paths too different to cross?
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Overall, I enjoyed Crossing the Ice. At its core, it's a star-crossed lovers kind of plot, but it's made more interesting (at least to the 15-year-old figure skating fanatic that's buried inside of me) by being set in the figure skating world. I especially enjoyed the look at the inner workings of a pairs team. The novel was predictable in an unpredictable and satisfying way. (Does that make sense? Basically, I went into the novel fairly certain about how it would turn out, and it did ultimately end in the way I'd anticipated, but some of the events along the way completely surprised me in the best way.)

Rather than reading the novel, I listened to it on audiobook, and that definitely changed the way I consumed it. It certainly takes much longer to listen to an audiobook than it does to read the book (for me, anyway). At one point, I had five hours of listening left, and I kept thinking, "I could read the rest of this book in two hours. Tops."

The audiobook also had a few problems—repeated phrases, long pauses, etc. Obviously, this is not the author's problem, but I think you should be aware in case you decide to purchase the audiobook. 3-1/2 stars for the novel; 2-1/2 stars for the audiobook version.

Content note: Some mild curse words are sprinkled throughout the novel. While the novel does not contain any sex, the main character thinks about it a lot. There is quite a bit of passionate kissing which, had I read it on the page, probably wouldn't have phased me. But hearing the main character talk about it (the novel is written in first person) just felt a little ... icky and voyeuristic.

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Jennifer Comeaux is a tax accountant by day, writer by night. There aren’t any ice rinks near her home in south Louisiana, but she’s a diehard figure skating fan and loves to write stories of romance set in the world of competitive skating. One of her favorite pastimes is travelling to competitions, where she can experience all the glitz and drama that inspire her writing. Jennifer loves to hear from readers! Visit jennifercomeaux.blogspot.com for contact information and to learn more about her books.

Author Links:
Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook│Pinterest

Book Tour Organized by:
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this audiobook free for review via YA Bound Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"finding mr. darcy: high school edition" by erin butler

Finding Mr. Darcy: High School Edition

by Erin Butler

Release Date: 09/16/14

Swoon Romance

Jane Austen reboots are a dime a dozen ... and I'm a sucker for all of them! Some are definitely better than others, and I feared Finding Mr. Darcy was headed for mediocre territory. Fortunately, this novel is a twist on Pride & Prejudice that I didn't see coming.

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Sixteen-year-old Liza Johnson takes fangirl to a whole new level of crazy when she decides to take dating advice from her literary hero: Jane Austen.

With the help of her best friends, Liza sheds her ancient-speak and complete Austen wardrobe for something a bit more modern in an attempt at finding her very own Mr. Darcy.

Enter Will, the new kid and Liza's Darcy incarnate. Add her BFF's ex to mix and the sexy Brit who kisses with an accent, and Liza is in trouble.

So, what's a girl to do? Without her mom to go to relationship advice, Liza turns to the only person she can truly trust with matters of the heart via her mother's copy of COMPLETED WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN.

It's too bad Austen's heroines have never played Spin the Bottle or Seven Minutes in Heaven. Liza's determined to find her true Austen-esque happy ending, but if she can't trust herself instead of books, she just might end up in her own tragic love story.

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Finding Mr. Darcy: High School Edition is not without its flaws, but it has such a fun, winning spirit about it that you end the novel with a smile on your face ... and you have trouble remembering what exactly you didn't like in the first place.

Never fear, though: I do remember one thing I took issue with. Most of the time, I give the author a lot of leeway when it comes to realism. But the instant the principal sent Liza and Will to New York City together—with Will driving and no adult supervision—in the middle of the school day and without parental permission, I wanted to chuck the book against the wall. (Or in this case, my Kindle ... which is why I refrained.) I work at a school. A high school principal would never do that. Talk about liability issues! If something like that happened at my school, heads would roll.

Aside from that one glaring annoyance, I did enjoy the novel. As I said before, it's a twist on Pride & Prejudice that I didn't expect. I think the author is actually quite clever here, as she assigns names to the characters that cause you to assume one thing (provided you know P & P), but you find, as Liza does, that you really can't put characters in a box. (In that way, Finding Mr. Darcy reminds me of the fabulous BBC miniseries Lost in Austen, which you can watch the first episode of free.)

Finding Mr. Darcy won't change the world, but it is an enjoyable way to pass an afternoon. Sometimes, that's all you need. 3 stars.

Content note: There are a few mild wear words sprinkled throughout the novel, and some makeout sessions get a little hot and heavy. If this were a movie, it would be a mild PG-13.

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Erin Butler is lucky enough to have two jobs she truly loves. As a librarian, she gets to work with books all day long, and as an author, Erin uses her active imagination to write the kinds of books she enjoys reading. Young Adult and New Adult books are her favorites, but she especially loves the ones with kissing scenes.

Erin lives in Central New York with her very understanding husband, a stepson, and doggie BFF, Maxie. She prefers to spend her time indoors reading and writing, but will venture out for chocolate and sunshine. She is the author of BLOOD HEX, a YA paranormal, HOW WE LIVED, a contemporary New Adult novel, and FINDING MR. DARCY: HIGH SCHOOL EDITION, a contemporary YA.

Author Links:
http://www.erinbutlerbooks.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3273590.Erin_Butler
https://twitter.com/ErinButler
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Erin-Butler/222797011068049

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free for review via YA Bound Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"revolutionary" by krista mcgee

Revolutionary (Anomaly #3)

by Krista McGee

Release Date: 07/15/14

Thomas Nelson Publishers

About the book (from Goodreads): All her life Thalli thought she was an anomaly. Now she must use her gifts to fulfill the role she was called to play: Revolutionary.

Back in the underground State against her will, Thalli is no longer the anomaly she was before. She has proven herself to be a powerful leader aboveground and returns with information that Dr. Loudin needs to complete his plan of uniting the world under one leader: himself. But he, too, has information. A secret he has kept from Thalli her entire life. A secret that, once revealed, changes everything about the person Thalli thought she was.

Hoping to help Thalli rise up against the Scientists, both Berk and Alex join her underground, but their presence only brings more trouble for her. Now Dr. Loudin knows just the leverage to use on his captive, and she is forced to choose between the two of them. Is her first love her true love? Or does Alex ultimately claim her heart?

Unsure of everything around her, including her own identity, Thalli doesn’t know where to turn. She knows she needs the Designer, but he seems further away than ever. What she does know, though, is that if she doesn’t do something to stop Loudin, the fragile world aboveground will be lost once and for all.

My take: Revolutionary is an incredibly satisfying conclusion to McGee's Anomaly series. It's hard to really talk about it without spoilers because So. Much. Happens. So let me just say that the way everything wraps up is brilliant. The truth about Thalli and why she is the way she is makes so much sense, though I didn't ever guess it (I'm thinking I should have, but I was convinced McGee was going in a different direction). The ending is fitting and bittersweet—as would be expected from a series in this genre, several characters give their lives in the pursuit of freedom.

Once again, one of my favorite aspects is how the Designer fits into the story. In previous books, Thalli was learning about Him and relying on Him, but in Revolutionary she really comes to a crisis of faith, as she feels the Designer isn't hearing her. What Christian hasn't gone through that? I felt like Thalli's journey of faith was very realistic and something teens could easily identify with.

In a world of dystopian teen novels like The Hunger Games, Matched, and Divergent (which I enjoy, don't get me wrong!), it's refreshing to read a series that is equally entertaining but comes from a Christian perspective. I highly recommend this series to teens and anyone else who enjoys YA fiction.

My rating: 5 stars (for both the book and the series)

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Learn about Anomaly and Luminary.
Read my reviews of McGee's Anomaly, Luminary, and Starring Me.

About the author: Krista McGee writes for teens, teaches teens, and more often than not, acts like a teen. She and her family have lived and ministered in Texas, Costa Rica, and Spain. She currently lives in Florida.

Connect with Krista at her website, Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook.

About the giveaway:
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Blog Tour Organized by YA Bound Book Tours.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free for review via YA Bound Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"mindwar" by andrew klavan: guest post & giveaway

IS GOD ALLOWED IN STORIES?
by Andrew Klavan

Here’s something funny I’ve noticed. If you mention God in a story, or if you have a character who believes in God and prays to him, people notice it. Sometimes they accuse you of being “preachy,” or writing “propaganda.” There’s one reviewer (I won’t mention his name) who mentions my religion every time he reviews one of my books. It’s not that he’s unfair or unkind. Sometimes his reviews are good, sometimes they’re bad, but he always mentions that I’m a Christian. He never mentions that other writers aren’t Christians. Other writers are just writers. But my religion is always identified whenever he writes about me.

In England, a big bookstore chain said they would cut the orders of my Homelanders books if I wouldn’t edit mentions of God out of the story. When the lead character Charlie West talked about something he had read in the Bible, they wanted me to rewrite it to leave the Bible part out. When I refused, they actually did cut the orders of the books too!

So let’s think about that for just a minute. Most people here in America believe in God and, in fact, most Americans would identify themselves as Christian. Most people pray when they’re in trouble and a lot of us pray when we’re not in trouble too and a lot of us go to church and so on. So if I’m writing realistic American characters, the very high odds are that they’re going to believe in God and they’re probably going to be Christians. If they don’t pray, if they don’t believe, that would make them extraordinary. That would make them noticeable.

So shouldn’t reviewers point out when writers don’t include God in their stories? Shouldn’t the reviewers say, “In the latest book by this non-Christian writer, the hero never prays, even when he’s in trouble! That’s not very realistic, but still it was a good story...” They should, but weirdly, they never do.

Interestingly, MindWar is about a guy who’s so angry about the things that have happened in his life, he’s lost his faith in God and stopped praying.  But of course, that doesn’t take God out of the story, any more than it would in real life.

About the book (from Goodreads): Rick Dial has the potential to be a hero. He just doesn't know it yet.

Rick's high school football team couldn't be stopped when he was leading them as their quarterback. He was going to Syracuse on a scholarship. But then his dad abandoned them and a terrible accident left him crippled.

Certain his old life is completely lost, Rick spends months hiding away in his room playing video games. He achieves the highest scores on so many games that he's approached by a government agency who claims to be trying to thwart a cyber attack on America that would destroy the technological infrastructure of the entire country. The agents say that the quick-thinking of a quarterback coupled with Nick's gaming experience make him perfect for this assignment. The problem is that there are no extra lives and this isn't just a game . . . but Rick doesn't have many other options at the moment.

Entering "The Realm" gives Rick the one thing he thought he'd never have again: a body that's as fast and as strong as he ever was before the accident. But the more time he spends in The Realm, the more questions he has. What secrets are these agents keeping from him? What really happened to his father? How many others have gone into The Realm already . . . and failed? And perhaps most important, is he the hero they think he is?

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About the author: Andrew Klavan is a best-selling, award-winning thriller novelist whose books have been made into major motion pictures. He broke into the YA scene with the bestselling Homelanders series, starting with The Last Thing I Remember. He is also a screenwriter and scripted the innovative movie-in-an-app Haunting Melissa.

Connect with the author on his website, Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook.

About the giveaway:
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Blog tour organized by YA Bound Book Tours.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free from the publisher via YA Bound Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"run for the roses" by rachel schieffelbein

About the book (from Goodreads): Abigail Conrad has spent her whole life training for one goal: to win the roses at the Arabian Youth Nationals. She’s given up friends, a social life, and doesn’t have time to even think about guys—much less date!

Now that she’s headed off to college in the fall, it’s her last chance to be a Youth National Champion, and she won’t let anything distract her from that dream. Except maybe Chase, the older brother of Abigail's biggest rival. He’s charming, funny, and possibly Abigail's biggest problem. How can she focus on riding when her mind keeps wandering to Chase’s green eyes and confident smile?

With her dream on the line, Abigail had better learn to fight her growing attraction to Chase, or she might end up losing the roses and the guy.

My take: Run for the Roses is a sweet, romantic novella. It can be read in about an hour. Though it's short, the characters are well developed, and the plot is enjoyable. The one thing that keeps me from heartily recommending it is the language. The main character swears quite frequently, and while I know this won't be an issue for much of the target audience, I found the profanity to be needless and distracting.

My rating: 3 stars

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About the author: Rachel grew up in a tiny town in Minnesota. She still lives there, with her husband and their four kids. She coaches high school speech and theater, rides Arabian horses, reads as much as she can, and writes stories.

Connect with Rachel on her website, Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook.

About the giveaway: 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free via YA Bound Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"nightmare city" by andrew klavan

About the book (from Goodreads): Tom Harding only wants the truth. But the truth is becoming more dangerous with every passing minute.

As a reporter for his high school newspaper, Tom Harding was tracking the best story of his life when, suddenly, his life turned very, very weird. He woke up one morning to find his house empty . . . his street empty . . . his whole town empty . . . empty except for an eerie, creeping fog and whatever creatures were slowly moving toward him through the fog.

Now Tom's once-ordinary world has become something out of a horror movie. How did it happen? Is it real? Is he dreaming? Has there been a zombie apocalypse? Has he died and gone to hell?

Tom is a good reporter. He knows how to look for answers, but no one has ever covered a story like this before. With the fog closing in and the hungry creatures of the fog surrounding him, he has only a few hours to find out how he lost the world he knew. In this bizarre universe, nothing is what it seems, and everything—including Tom's life—hangs in the balance.

My take: From beginning to end, Nightmare City had me captivated. I flew through the pages, eager, like Tom, to learn the truth. I loved the way the story unfolded, using flashbacks to fill in the gaps. And the suspense is palpable. While I didn't doubt the final outcome of the story, Klavan provided many tense moments leading up to the resolution!

Nightmare City is a thrill ride from start to finish, yet it also incorporates Biblical truth, making it a book I can wholeheartedly recommend to teens and other fans of YA fiction.

My rating: 5 stars

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Read my review of Klavan's Crazy Dangerous.

About the author: Andrew Klavan is a best-selling, award-winning thriller novelist whose books have been made into major motion pictures. He broke into the YA scene with the bestselling Homelanders series, starting with The Last Thing I Remember. He is also a screenwriter and scripted the innovative movie-in-an-app Haunting Melissa.

Author links:
Website
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook

About the giveaway: 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free from the publisher via YA Bound Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"deceived" by julie anne lindsey

About the book (from Goodreads): Ever since she could remember, Elle has had to hop from town to town to keep up with her dad's demanding career as a corporate insurance agent. Each time, a reoccurring nightmare followed her wherever she went—until the day that the frightening figures haunting her at night became all too real. When news of a serial killer spreads throughout her new school, Elle worries that the Reaper has been leaving her his calling card in the form of cigarette butts on her doormat and an unusual ribbon in her locker. With the help of Brian, a boy she meets at a flea market, she discovers that this isn't her first encounter with the murderer and that her father has been concealing her true identity for the past twelve years. But despite her father's desperate attempts to protect her, Elle still comes face to face with the darkness she has been running from her whole life. Trapped in the woods and with help hundreds of miles away, will Elle be able to confront the Reaper and reclaim the life she lost?

My take: Deceived is a taut thriller—one of those books that would make a fabulous suspense movie. It's also a romance, and the romance aspect is definitely dominant for the first two-thirds of the book, with the pace moving fairly slowly. But once the action takes off, hold onto your hat! The story careens at breakneck speed toward the (very satisfying) conclusion.

I did peg the Reaper pretty quickly, and I thought that Elle should have discovered that she was his target much sooner than she did. But overall, the suspense level is just right, and I would love to see this book as a film.

Deceived is not a Christian novel, yet there is one scene that points to God in a way that I found to be truly lovely. It's Thanksgiving, and Elle's father prays a prayer of thanksgiving to God that is so sincere and humble ... it struck me as a more honest reflection of faith than much of what I read in Christian novels.

I greatly enjoyed Deceived (with the caveats mentioned below), and I will certainly be keeping an eye out for Lindsey's other novels.

Content note: For a number of reasons, I would not recommend this book to anyone under 18. While there is mild swearing throughout, the f-word also makes an appearance in a scene near the end of the book. Its inclusion is understandable given the situation, but I still found it jarring and unnecessary. Also, the violence depicted is incredibly graphic as the story reaches its climax—to the point where I started skimming to avoid planting any more pictures in my head. There is lots of passionate kissing, but no sex; however, I'm pretty sure the only thing that kept the two leads from sleeping together is the fact that Elle is under 18.

My rating: 3-1/2 stars

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Watch the book trailer.

About the author: Julie Anne Lindsey is a multi-genre author who writes the stories that keep her up at night. In 2013, Julie welcomes five new releases in three genres including her newest title, DECEIVED, a YA suspense from Merit Press, and her first cozy mystery, MURDER BY THE SEASIDE, book one in the Patience Price, Counselor at Large series from Carina Press (a digital imprint of Harlequin).

Julie is a self-proclaimed word nerd who would rather read than almost anything else. She started writing to make people smile. Someday she plans to change the world. Most days you'll find her online, amped up on caffeine and wielding a book.

Julie is a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW), Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), Sisters in Crime (SinC) and the Canton Writer’s Guild.

Find her online:

Tweeting her crazy @JulieALindsey

Soothing her book obsession on GoodReads

Pinning the pretty on Pinterest

Tumbling lamely on Tumblr

Blogging about books and writing at Musings from the Slush Pile

Facebook

About the giveaway:

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free from the publisher via YA Bound Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"waiting for dusk" by nancy pennick

Welcome to my stop on the Waiting For Dusk blog tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours. Click HERE to see the full blog tour schedule!

About the book (from Goodreads): 

Read a book.
Fall asleep.
Meet a boy.
Is it real or just a dream?

Katie’s everyday life suddenly turns exciting when she travels back in time and meets the boy of her dreams. Thinking of nothing else, willing to leave the real world behind, she’s determined to find out if it’s all a dream or not. Returning again and again, Katie almost has her answers until one day her precious book goes missing.

My take: Anyone who knows me well knows that I'm a sucker for everything time related—time travel, time loops, etc. So the idea of a book centered around a girl who travels back and forth between the present and the 1920's was incredibly appealing.

While I loved the concept of this book, in execution it wasn't as fantastic. Katie's time in the past was fascinating, and I loved figuring out how the people in the past were connected to those in the present. But Katie in the present? She was kind of annoying. I understood her desire to get back to the past, but that didn't mean she needed to be so self-centered in the present. Plus, the whole stalker subplot didn't seem to fit—and it didn't really get resolved at all. Seriously, the kid should have been in jail ... but in the end, he was still in school with Katie.

As I said before, the concept is something that is completely in my wheelhouse. However, the writing style isn't one that I connected with. The author often over explained simple things (we were told multiple times that Katie was glad her dad had her take riding lessons as a child) but didn't give enough details at other times to allow the reader to form mental picture. Also, while we were told that Katie and Drew loved one another, I didn't really feel it. There were also some jarring tense changes (Katie would be thinking, so there would be first person pronouns, but in the next sentence, third person pronouns would be used), and sometimes the dialogue didn't really ring true.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, and it was a clean read (no profanity or sex), but I doubt I'll be coming back for the sequel.

My rating: 3 stars

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About the author: Born and raised in Northeast Ohio, Nancy currently resides in Mentor, Ohio with her husband and their college-age son, plus a delightfully entertaining lovebird. She secretly wrote short stories as a child, typed them up and put them in a drawer. She’d give anything to see those stories one more time. Her writing is influenced by all the years of working with young people as a teacher and raising her own son. When not writing, Nancy loves to travel with her husband and enjoys a good cup of tea.

Author Links:

Website

Twitter

Goodreads

Facebook

About the giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free for review via YA Bound Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"dark halo" by shannon dittemore

About the book (from Goodreads): One halo brought sight to Brielle. Another offers sweet relief from what she sees.

Brielle can’t help but see the Celestial realm. Even without the halo, it’s everywhere she looks. And with the heavens above Stratus ravaged by war, Brielle wishes for another gift, any gift. Because Jake is gone. The only boy she’s ever loved has been taken by the demon, Damien—and she knows if she ever wants to see him again, she must fight.

But fighting is so hard when everything you see makes you afraid.

When she receives instructions from the Throne Room leading her to Jake, she unknowingly walks into a diabolical and heartbreaking trap. Then the Prince of Darkness himself offers Brielle a halo of his own making. With the dark halo, she won’t have to see the fear and brokenness that surround her. She’ll be free of that unbearable burden. And it comes with a promise: the guarantee of a life with Jake.

When confusing details about Jake’s past emerge, and the battle above reaches a fever pitch, Brielle is forced to make a choice. Will she choose the dark halo and the ignorance that comes with it, or will she choose to live with her eyes wide open and trust the Creator’s design—even if it means a future without Jake?

My take: Wow. Dark Halo is everything I hoped it would be and more. Shannon Dittemore has crafted a brilliant conclusion to her Angel Eyes trilogy—a conclusion that had me gasping in surprise, crying out in despair, and cheering for joy.

The story picks up right where Broken Wings left off, and it often refers back to events in both Angel Eyes and Broken Wings, so I would highly recommend reading both of those books before picking up Dark Halo. But please do pick it up. This is a wonderful trilogy that entertains while also making you think.

I don't want to spoil anything, so it's hard to say much about the book except that the big questions from the first two books are answered and wrapped up in an extremely satisfying manner. Also, my wish after reading Broken Wings came true: that book looks so much better in light of the complete story. And now that all three books are available, you can read them straight through from start to finish—that would be a great way to spend a weekend!

Read this trilogy. You won't regret it.

My rating: 5 stars, as well as 5 stars for the series as a whole.

See what other bloggers are saying.
Read my reviews of books one and two: Angel Eyes and Broken Wings.

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About the author: Shannon Dittemore is the author of the Angel Eyes Trilogy. She has an overactive imagination and a passion for truth. Her lifelong journey to combine the two is responsible for a stint at Portland Bible College, performances with local theater companies, and a focus on youth and young adult ministry. When she isn’t writing, she spends her days with her husband, Matt, imagining things unseen and chasing their two children around their home in Northern California.

ANGEL EYES was Shannon’s debut novel and the launch of a young adult supernatural trilogy. It was published in the summer of 2012 by Thomas Nelson. The sequel BROKEN WINGS hit shelves in February, 2013 and the final novel in the trilogy, DARK HALO, released August 20, 2013.

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About the giveaway: Shannon Dittemore is having a Live Twitter Chat August 27^th at 6pm (Pacific) where she will be giving away a Kindle Fire HD and other prizes!  Enter here:
http://shannondittemore.com/win-a-kindle-fire/

5-sets of the Angel Eyes Trilogy including Angel Eyes, Broken Wings and Dark Halo. US only. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook free from the publisher via YA Bound Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."