Teaser Tuesday (9) The Assassin Game by Kristy McKay

       Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading.

       Anyone can participate in Teaser Tuesdays. Just do the following:
• Grab your read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your 
teasers!

       This week, I have teasers from the book The Assassin Game by Kristy McKay. The book is about something that started at a prestigious, but relatively harmless game developing into something far more sinister. The book isn't officially published until July 2nd, but I was granted access to it via Netgalley.

       My teasers:

"What if the Killer is out there? What will I see? The sunshine and the background noise of kids screaming in the quad give me the courage, I pull back the curtains."

"Hi!" I wave lamely from above. "Just thought you might be the Killer."

Page 94

       I took a break from this book for a while, because I wanted to read Splintered by A.G Howard before it was due back at the library, but now I'm going to have time to read this book again. I'm about halfway finished, so it should be done and reviewed soon!

       

Teaser Tuesday (8): Splintered by A. G. Howard

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should be Reading.
Anyone can participate in Teaser Tuesdays. Just do the following:
• Grab your read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your 
teasers!

        This week my teasers are coming from the book Splintered by A. G. Howard. I've been wanting to read this book since it's release in January of 2013. I just signed it out of the library a few days ago, and I'm already hooked! My teasers today are:

       "I shut my door without answering. My hands shook and my blood felt jittery in my veins."

and...

"I knew deep down I was lying to myself, and the last place I wanted to visit was an asylum."

(Page 4.)

       I'm about halfway through this book right now, and I am so excited to finish it!

Hello, I Am Alive

       Well everybody, it's been half a year.
       Here's what happened.
       I just didn't feel like reading, or doing anything with books. It's probably the worst reading slump I've gotten into in the past three years. Actually, I know it is, because I've been blogging for that long and have never had this amount of time pass between each post. Truthfully, I hadn't been feeling like reading for a long time before this break, but I kept pressuring myself to do so. I tried everything to get out of the slump. Re-reading old favourites, being adventurous with the books I attempted to read, and trying to get to books that have long since been recommended to me, but nothing was working, so I just stopped, since it was the only thing I hadn't done in the past three years of my life.
      It took six months, but I'm back, finally feeling like I want to read again. Actually, I'm feeling like I want to read all the time again, which is a feeling I'd forgotten about completely. So anyway, this is me officially declaring my return to this blog, and my Twitter (@sibella_asher) ;) and I couldn't be happier to be back.
       As a final thought, I follow a lot of blogs so posts of bloggers feeling unmotivated to post come up on my dashboard a lot, and I read almost every single one of them, and a lot of them mention feeling bad they aren't posting as much as they used to/usually do. I've even gotten a few emails over the years about bloggers asking for advice on how to stay motivated, so I'm just going to make my simple advice known for anybody who may be going through a phase of something much like I just got over: Take breaks if you need to, and don't feel guilty! These blogs are yours, you shouldn't feel guilty about not posting as often as you would like to if you aren't feeling it, and if you log back on after a long time of being away and notice that you have lost followers, don't worry about it! It's not about followers (although followers are fun) and I have no doubts that you'll gain your followers back eventually, remember it's all about you!

Anyway, if anybody is wondering, a Teaser Tuesday will be up in just a few minutes, and I'll have my first review in six months up
in about a week!

1095 Days of Blogging! +Giveaway!

       That's right everybody, today marks the 1095th day of blogging on Reviews of YA Books. In other words, it's my 3 year blogoversary! I can't believe it's already been three years, not in the totally cliche way either, but the time has flown by fast.
       I didn't make a post for last years blogoversary, but for my 1 year, I posted stats and stuff. Mostly for myself, because I like looking back on how far I've come, so I'm going to do it again.

Chat With Me Thursdays

4

(I'm disappointed, but doing interviews can sometimes be very time consuming)

GFC followers

63

Bloglovin followers

28

Total comments

188

Page-views

15750

       Now for the part that I've been planning since August 2015, the giveaway!
       Wendi Wilson was kind enough to offer her 2 books Shadowed Strength and Shadowed Instincts to giveaway for this very occasion. I had the pleasure of reading Shadowed Strength and it is a great paranormal novel, so I very big thanks to Wendi for making this possible

Synopsis of Shadowed Strength

At 16, Melanie Johnson is a typical teenage girl. She has a BFF she adores, a mad crush on her good friend Jeremy, and an evil Barbie doll that destroys her self-esteem on a regular basis. One fateful night, after being humiliated at a party, Melanie is attacked and nearly raped as she walks home. A mysterious dog appears out of nowhere, just in the nick of time, saves her and then disappears just as quickly. No one saw him but her. And the man who tried to rape her. 
In the wake of the attack, Melanie tries to pull her life back together with the help of her friends. Just as things start to go her way, she starts to receive creepy notes from her attacker, promising to finish what he started. And to make things more complicated, Jeremy has a dark secret that Melanie's not sure she can accept. 
Can Melanie and Jeremy reveal the identity of her stalker before he attacks again? Will Jeremy's secret drive a wedge between them? And will the mysterious dog save her in the end, like he did in the beginning?

Synopsis of Shadowed Instincts

Melanie Johnson's world just got turned upside down. Things are changing for her, fast, and all she can do is hold on for the ride. 

After meeting her father and learning his family secret- one that her affects her directly- Melanie is whisked to the forests of Kentucky to meet his people to learn what she can from them. With her boyfriend Jeremy by her side, she is introduced to a whole new way of life- a glimpse into the life she could have had if circumstance hadn't gotten in the way. 

Before long, a threat emerges that could take away one of the most important things in her life- Jeremy. Someone wants him dead. Now they must work together to expose this threat and ensure his safety. 

Will Melanie and Jeremy discover the identity of his assailant before it's too late? And will Melanie be able to save Jeremy, like he's done for her so many times before? 

***This young adult paranormal romance is suggested for readers 16+ for language and mild sexual situations.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway


       I am so happy that I've continued blogging for 3 years, I hope I continue for a long time! Again, I would like to thank Wendi for supplying the books to giveaway, it was a pleasure working with you!

Did I Mention I Love You? Spotlight Post

I absolutely loved Did I Mention I Love You? by Estelle Maskame, so I thought I would post a spotlight on it to get all of you guys excited about it too! You can check out my review of DIMILY here

Did I Mention I Love You?

By Estelle Maskame

December 1, 2015; ISBN 9781492632153

Book Info:

Title: Did I Mention I Love You?

Author: Estelle Maskame

Release Date: December 1, 2015

Publishers: Sourcebooks Fire

Praise for Did I Mention I Love You?

“Readers will root for them, like they would with Edward and Bella—the mutual attraction and need for one another is palpable. It rings of passion, excitement, and first love.” –VOYA Magazine

“An edgy young adult romance with dark layers” –The Examiner

“A believable coming-of-age story and an unconventional romance, set against a present-day California summer... . The fallout of divorce, the insidiousness of substance abuse and family secrets, and especially the pangs of first love drive this emotionally resonant tale.” – Publishers Weekly

“Written in first person, Maskame’s trilogy opener is an excellent portrayal of a teenage girl’s life in the 21st century. Eden has to adjust to her blended family, try to feel pretty, be body conscious, and make friends, all while falling in love for the first time. She is someone all young people can relate to...Romance fans will be captivated by Eden and her journey to finding herself and true love.” –School Library Journal

Summary:

Love is everything but expected.

Eden Munro came to California for a summer of sun, sand, and celebrities- what better way to forget about the drama back home? Until she meets her new family of strangers; a dad she hasn’t seen in three years, a stepmonster, and three stepbrothers.

Eden gets her own room in her dad’s fancy house in Santa Monica. A room right next door to her oldest stepbrother. Tyler Bruce. Whom she cannot stand. He has angry blue eyes and an ego bigger than a Beverly Hills mansion. She’s never felt such intense dislike for someone. But the two are constantly thrown together as his group of friends pulls her into their world of rule-breaking, partying, and pier-hanging

And the more she tries to understand what makes Tyler burn hotter than the California sun, the more Eden finds herself falling for the one person she shouldn’t…

Did I Mention I Love You? is the addictive first book in Wattpad sensation Estelle Maskame’s DIMIY trilogy: three unforgettable summers of secrets, heartbreak, and forbidden romance.

Goodreads Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25883610-did-i-mention-i-love-you

Buy Links:

Amazon- http://ow.ly/SAmvg

Apple- http://ow.ly/SAvv7

Barnes&Noble- http://ow.ly/SAmJH 

BooksAMillion- http://ow.ly/SAmR5  

!ndigo- http://ow.ly/SAnIE

Indiebound- http://ow.ly/SAnRt

About the Author:

Estelle Maskame started writing at the age of thirteen and completed the Did I Mention I Love You?  trilogy when she was sixteen. She has built an extensive fan-base for her writing by serializing her work on Wattpad. Fitting book writing between work, Estelle has amassed followers from all over the world. She lives in Scotland. For more visitestellemaskame.com

Social Media Links:

http://books.sourcebooks.com/dimily/

https://twitter.com/EstelleMaskame

Did I Mention I Love You? Excerpt

I can almost see the road through the gaps in the fence by the side of the house, and I squint through. There’s music playing. More like blaring. I can hear it over the crappy music that’s already bouncing around the back yard, and as a sleek white car speeds up to the edge of the sidewalk and skids against the curb, I grimace in disgust. The music cuts off the second the engine is killed.

“What are you looking at?” Rachael asks, but I’m too busy staring to even attempt to answer.

The car door swings open roughly, and I’m surprised it doesn’t fall straight off its hinges. It’s difficult to see clearly through the fence, but a tall guy gets out and slams the door shut just as aggressively as he opened it. He hesitates for a moment, stares at the house, and then runs a hand through his hair. Whoever he is, he looks su-per depressed. Like he’s just lost all his life savings or his dog just died. And then he heads straight for the gate.

“Who the hell is this jackass?” I mutter to Rachael as the figure nears us.

But before either of us can say anything more, Jackass decides to hit the gate open with a fist, drawing the at-tention of everyone around us. It’s like he wants everyone to hate him. I figure he’s probably that one neighbor that everyone despises, and he’s only here in a fit of rage because he wasn’t invited to the lamest barbecue get-together that’s ever been hosted.

“Sorry I’m late,” Jackass comments sarcastically. And loudly too, with a smirk on his lips. His eyes flash green as emeralds. “Did I miss anything besides the slaughtering of animals?” He throws up the infamous mid-dle finger to, from what I can see, the barbecue. “I hope you guys enjoyed the cow you just ate.” And then he laughs. He laughs as though everyone’s expressions of disgust are the most entertaining thing he’s seen all year.

“More beer?” I hear my dad call out to the silent crowd, and as they chuckle and return to their conversations, Jackass heads through the patio doors. He slams them shut so hard I can almost see the glass tremble.

I’m stunned. I have no idea what just happened or who that was or why he’s just entered the house. When I realize I’m slightly slack-jawed, I close my mouth and turn to Rachael.

She bites her lip and pushes her sunglasses down over her eyes. “I’m guessing you haven’t met your step-brother yet.”

Enter to Win a Copy of DIMILY & an advance copy of DIMINY. This giveaway is active December 1st-December 31^st. Open to US & Canadian residents only:

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Coming Soon!

Did I Mention I Need You (March 2016) & Did I Mention I Miss You (June 2016)

 Book Info:

Title: Did I Mention I Need You?

Author: Estelle Maskame

Release Date: March 1, 2016

Publishers: Sourcebooks Fire

Eden and Tyler have desperately tried to ignore their love for each other for the sake of their family. But they can’t seem to stay apart for long, especially once Tyler invites Eden to spend the summer with him in New York.

Away from their life in California and caught up in the excitement of the city, their summer fling turns into something much more serious. Unable to deny their feelings, Tyler and Eden must face reality. But how will their family react when they confess their romance? And is their relationship strong enough to survive the fallout?

Pre-Order Links:

Amazon- http://ow.ly/VkkwY

Apple- http://ow.ly/VkkSO

Barnes&Noble-  http://ow.ly/Vkldc

BooksAMillion- http://ow.ly/Vklph

!ndigo- http://ow.ly/VklIC 

Indiebound- http://ow.ly/VklTu

 Book Info:

Title: Did I Mention I Miss You?

Author: Estelle Maskame

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Publishers: Sourcebooks Fire

Eden’s on her way back to Santa Monica for the summer, and she hasn’t seen Tyler since the devastating fallout of their forbidden relationship. Eden claims to have moved on—but Tyler wants to rekindle the flame.

He convinces Eden to visit his new home in Portland, Oregon, where he has set up a center for troubled teens. Eden’s proud of what he’s built, but the last time they were together, it nearly destroyed Eden and their family. Then a tragedy draws them together, and Eden must search her heart and decide if Tyler is worth the risk once and for all.

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn Mini Review

Introduction
       
       Mercedes "Mercy" Ayres helps virgins. Meaning, she lets them get their awkward clumsy first times over with so they can give their significant other something she never had: A good first time. Mercy works with a system that impeccably makes so that she is always in control; and it stays that way. At least for a little while.

Thoughts

       Saying I wasn't interested in Firsts would be an understatement. I considered just not finishing it, which I hardly ever do. The plot line was predictable, as almost nobody is naive enough to believe that when Mercy's system starts to fail, everybody is going to end up okay and nobody's feelings would be hurt. Frankly, I was very surprised at Mercy in general, especially because of the fact that she actually thought she was helping people. She spent a lot of time believing that what she was doing was for the greater good, and I can kind of understand why, seeing as she had a horrible first time, but still. So all in all, I did not enjoy Firsts. I would recommended this book mostly to teen girls who are looking for something quick to read, there's always a chance that other people will enjoy the book more than I did!

       

Did I Mention I Love you? by Estelle Maskame

Introduction

       Eden isn't the happiest person regarding the fact that she has to spend the summer with her father, the same one that walked out on her and her mom three years ago. For the record, she doesn't plan on spending too much time with her father, she plans on working on her tan in the LA sun and doing all the tourist like things the Golden State has to offer. What she doesn't plan on, is having 3 new step brothers. Jamie, Chase and the oldest brother, Tyler. Another thing she really doesn't plan on is making friends and breaking rules, but the last thing I think she ever thought would happen was that she would end up falling for Tyler, the one person she knows she can never go for.

Cover

       The cover is cute, standard for a contemporary romance.

Eden

       Eden wasn't really anything super specatacular. She wasn't a bad character and I didn't dislike her, she just doesn't have anything about her that stands out to me.

Tyler

       Tyler was a cool character. I kind of expected the bomb that dropped near the end when it is revealed as to why he has his guard up all the time and hides behind his infamous distractions, but I did enjoy reading about the roller coaster that is his life.

Love story

       I'm not going to say anything about the love that Tyler and Eden have for each other because I don't really think it would mean anything. The point of the story is basically that the love they have is forbidden regardless of the fact that they aren't related. All that aside, I think it was a well written love story.

Ending

       I do, however, have a problem with the ending. I find the author kind of copped out of really dealing with everything that should have been dealt with, but from what I understand, Did I Mention I Love you is part of a trilogy so Maskame has plenty of time to make up for it.

Conclusion

       This book was pretty good. I think once I really sat down, I read it in about 2 days. It's a good book if you're looking for a more serious contemporary romance, and I am interested enough in the characters and plot to read the second book when I can.