Category: blogging

Book Info:
Before Takeoff by Adi Alsaid
Genre: Young Adult Literary Romance
Publishing Date: June 7, 2022

Synopsis:
The Sun Is Also a Star meets Jumanji when two teens meet and fall in love during a layover-gone-wrong at the Atlanta airport in this thrilling new novel from the author of Let’s Get Lost!

James and Michelle find themselves in the Atlanta airport on a layover. They couldn’t be more different, but seemingly interminable delays draw them both to a mysterious flashing green light–and each other.

Where James is passive, Michelle is anything but. And she quickly discovers that the flashing green light is actually… a button. Which she presses. Which may or may not unwittingly break the rules of the universe–at least as those rules apply to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta.

Before they can figure up from down, strange, impossible things start happening: snowstorms form inside the B terminal; jungles sprout up in the C terminal, and earthquakes split the ground apart in between. And no matter how hard they try, it seems no one can find a way in or out of the airport. James and Michelle team up to find their families and either escape the airport or put an end to its chaos–before it’s too late.

Before I begin my review I quickly have to thank TBR and Beyond Tours for allowing me to be a part of this book tour and for graciously providing me with an eGalley of the book to read for my review stop today.

I was beyond excited when I was emailed to say that I was going to be on this tour. I have read I think all of Adi’s books and loved them all. I knew this would be another one that I loved and I was correct. I was first introduced to Ali when he attended the very first MTL Ya Fest back in 2018. Hearing him speak about his books I knew then that I wanted to read them all. I definitely think I need to do a reread of them.

I pretty much read this in one sitting because I was instantly hooked and had to see what was going to happen next. This is definitely not like Ali’s previous books.

I have never been to Atlanta but after reading this I definitely want to fly down just to see this airport. I did google for the images and wow is all I can say.

The main characters are James (16 years old) and Michelle (18 years old) and they are both stuck in the Atlanta airport on layovers. They are like night and day but still get along. It didn’t solely focus on them just meeting but also about their lives outside of the airport. This is definitely not a meet-cute kind of book. Although I have to admit I wasn’t sure what to expect and to be honest that is a good thing.

With that being said they spot this mysterious flashing green light, you know right away that this won’t be a good thing. Nothing good can come of a mysterious flashing light. They discover that it’s actually a button. I was thinking NO don’t push it but at the same time, I was like push it. You know they will push it because if they don’t there will be no story.

Well, they did push it and before they can figure up from down strange and weird things begin to happen in the airport. It’s like all hell breaks loose. Each terminal is experiencing a different thing. One terminal is experiencing a snowstorm, another is getting torrential rain and inside is no better because an earthquake happens and a jungle appears. This, of course, freaks people out and they panic trying to get out of the airport and no one can find exits. What would you do if this happened to you during a layover?

I definitely play on picking up a finished copy the next time I order books. I more than likely will do a reread of the book.

Book Links:
GoodReads
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository
Chapters Indigo
Indie Bound

About the Author:
Born and raised in Mexico City, Adi Alsaid is the author of several young adult novels including Let’s Get Lost, We Didn’t Ask For This, and North of Happy, a Kirkus Best Book nominee. He’s also the editor of Come On In: 15 stories of immigration and finding a home. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and two cats, where he occasionally spills hot sauce on things (and cats).

Author Links:
Website: https://www.adialsaid.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdiAlsaid
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uhhdee/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4505164.Adi_Alsaid
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adialsaidauthor

Tour Schedule:
https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2022/03/02/tour-schedule-before-takeoff-by-adi-alsaid/

Title: It’s A Widow Thing (Book 3 in the Never Too Late Series)
Author: Karen Booth
Pub Date: May 23rd, 2022
Publisher: Independently published
Pages: 218

About The Book:
He’s on the fast track to serious, and she’s hitting the brakes.

When cosmetics entrepreneur Sabrina Kelly waited until she was thirty-eight to marry, she never thought she’d be widowed by forty. Now, two years later, she’s ready for a dip in the dating pool. And Michael, the merciless flirt who lives down the hall, seems like a fun way to get wet. He has “player” written all over him, but Sabrina’s not looking for a love connection. Her heart can’t take more than a fling.

Wall Street mogul Michael Wright has ignored his mom’s pressure to marry for years. But it’s not until he has a health scare that he finally takes stock of his life. If he’s going to settle down, only one woman comes to mind… his gorgeous, whip-smart neighbor, Sabrina. Their chemistry is off the charts. The banter? So. Hot. But while he’s working overtime to woo her, she’s holding back. Can two people running at different speeds get to happily-ever-after together?

This past year I stumbled upon Rachel’s Random Resources book tours and I am so happy I did because I have been discovering some really good new to me authors and some really good books. Thank you, Rachel.

As I mentioned earlier this week, I am on a blog tour for the Never Too Late book and today is my stop on the tour.  The books in this trilogy are: Gray Hair Don’t Care, Brooklyn Monroe Wants it All, and It’s a Wdow Thing.

I was graciously provided with an eArc of the book for my review today.

Even though this is the third and final book in the Never Too Late series, you can read these as stand-alone. Each book involves different characters and storylines. Previous characters do make an appearance in the books.

This is a slow burn, a second chance at love which I am all for. I definitely loved the slow burn because it suited the situation and those involved.

I am going to try and keep my review brief since this is a short story.

The main character is Sabrina a 40-year-old widow who lost her husband unexpectedly just two years into their marriage. Still grieving the loss she struggles to push herself forward to the next part of her life. Sabrina has thrown herself into her thriving makeup company.

Enter good-looking neighbor Michael. He recently had an accident that has him thinking he needs to rethink his life from a player to a more serious thing. He wants to settle down and start a family. He is ready for this next stage in his life. He knows life is too short.

Sabrina and Michael live on the same floor and most mornings they both ride the elevator together. You can tell they both enjoy those mornings. They are enjoying the time getting to know each other and flirting a little bit. You can almost feel the chemistry between them. Then out of the blue Michael kisses her and asks her out. This excites Sabrina and she agrees and then gets into her head thinking that it’s all wrong, it’s too soon. She feels bad because she thinks she is disrespecting her late husband, although I am sure he would want her to move on with her life. Will Sabrina go on this date?

I love how patient and caring Michael was with Sabrina. He knows not to push her.

Will Sabrina take a leap of faith or will she lose her chance at a happily ever after?

I can actually say that I fall into the demographic for this book. I am around the same age as the main character in the book. I really enjoy reading books where I know I can relate to the main characters. Even though this is fiction it’s really relatable.

This was a pretty quick read (less than 220 pages) that I managed to read pretty much in one sitting. Once I started I didn’t want to stop. I love the cover and I love that it takes place in one of my favorite cities, New York.

I definitely want to read future books by Karen and I definitely want to read her backlist titles.

Purchase Links
Amazon US
Amazon UK

Author Bio

Karen Booth is a midwestern girl transplanted in the South, raised on ’80s music and repeated readings of “Forever” by Judy Blume. Karen writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction, almost always about the dreamy guy you never thought you’d get. Her stories are full of breathless kisses, tearjerker moments, family dynamics, and more than a few things she’s glad her grandmother never read.

Social Media Links
Author website: https://karenbooth.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karenboothauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenbbooth
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karenbbooth/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5781524.Karen_Booth

Title: Places We’ve Never Been
Author: Kasie West
Publication Date: May 31, 2022
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 336

About the book:
A sweet and swoony contemporary Young Adult novel about a cross-country family road trip that puts one girl and her childhood best friend on an unexpected road to romance!

Norah hasn’t seen her childhood best friend, Skyler, in years. When he first moved away, they’d talk all the time, but lately their relationship has been reduced to liking each other’s Instagram posts. That’s why Norah can’t wait for the joint RV road trip their families have planned for the summer.

But when Skyler finally arrives, he seems…like he’d rather be anywhere else. Hurt and confused, Norah reacts in kind. Suddenly, her oldest friendship is on the rocks.

An unexpected summer spent driving across the country leads both Norah and Skyler down new roads and to new discoveries. Before long, they are, once again, seeing each other in a different light. Can their friendship-turned-rivalry turn into something more?

Before I begin my review I quickly have to thank TBR and Beyond Tours for allowing me to be a part of this book tour and for graciously providing me with an eGalley of the book to read for my review stop today.

Have you ever picked up a book by an author you have never read and wondered why you never read this author before? Well, that’s me. I have been blogging for almost 14 years now and I have never read anything by Kassie before today. Why have I not read any of Kassie’s previous books? Going back and reading all the synopsis of her books they are definitely up my alley. I know moving forward I have to start picking them up to read.

I was quite surprised at how fast I read the eArc. I never check my status when reading ebooks so I was quite surprised when I finished it a few hours after starting it. It definitely made me long for a road trip, one that I haven’t taken since 2019.

Growing up Norah and Skyler were best friends. Then eighth grade happened and Sklyer moved from California to Ohio. They tried to remain in contact but as time passed they lost contact unless you count stalking each other’s Instagram accounts. It’s now four years later when both their moms (who were college friends) have decided to do a three-week road trip with the kids (Norah, Ezra, Austin, Skyler, and Paisley) in RVs. You know with this many people and two RVs things are bound to happen and secrets revealed.

At first, Norah is excited to see Sklyer and to reconnect. She has envisioned this trip but sadly it doesn’t go off as played. Skyler has made it pretty clear that there are other places he would rather be than on this road trip. Norah knows this isn’t going to be the trip she thought it would be but at least she has Paisley who is more than willing to hang out with her. Will this be an enemies-to-lovers story?

The book is told from Norah’s point of view so you don’t fully get to understand Skyler if that makes sense. I would have loved to have had it done from a dual perspective. Although it was fun to read his reactions. I enjoyed watching this relationship grow again. Yes, it was awkward at times but I think that just added to the storyline.

I don’t want to give too much away because I want you to pick it up and read it.

As I was reading I couldn’t help but hope that this might be a second chance at love (which I have been reading a lot of lately). Will this road trip end up being everything Norah had hoped for? Or will all the secrets ruin it even more?

I think that this is the perfect book to read this summer especially if you have a road trip planned. I love books that have road trips in them especially if they talk about the stops they make. I love looking them up on a map. Hopefully one day I will make it south of the border again.

Book Links:

GoodReads

Barnes and Noble

Book Depository

Chapters Indigo

Indie Bound

About the author:

Kasie West is the author of many YA novels, includingThe Fill-in Boyfriend, P.S. I Like You, Lucky in Love, and Listen to Your Heart. Her books have been named ALA-YALSA Quick Picks, JLG selections, and ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults. When she’s not writing, she’s binge-watching television, devouring books, or burying her toes in the sand of the central coast. Kasie lives in Fresno, California, with her family.

Author Links:
Website: http://www.kasiewest.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kasiewest
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kasiewest/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5027236.Kasie_West
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057934607048

Tour Schedule: https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2022/04/22/tour-schedule-places-weve-never-been-by-kasie-west/

Serenade
Morgan Shamy
(The Dark Nocturne, #1)
Publication date: May 31st 2022
Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Young Adult
St. Paul’s Academy of the Arts isn’t your usual boarding school…

When November Huntington is sent away to live with her long-lost family, she’s forced to attend a music school for the gifted—which wouldn’t be a problem if November were musical. She’s an athlete through and through and hates being different.

The kids at the school don’t welcome her, they’re wary of her presence, especially Vincent, a brooding teenage boy involved with dark spirits, who can make time stop when he plays his piano. In fact, all her classmates are all obsessed with playing their instruments. And odd things happen when they do.

But something is off about the school. Deaths have occurred through the years, students showing up dead the same way November’s parents were killed—with their throats ripped out.

A killer is on the loose… November must figure out a way to stop whoever it is, balance her feelings for Vincent, and solve her parents’ past before she, too, is numbered among the dead.

The first in a Paranormal Fantasy Saga by debut author Morgan Shamy.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

She started forward once more, silently cursing, when a soft melody drifted from the woods. The sound jarred her to a stop, and her heart suddenly spiked. She wasn’t alone. Someone was out here. The music drew closer, heightening. It was slow and haunting, tinkling, like a music box. It didn’t sound like music from a radio or phone. It moved through the trees, wrapping around the bushes, spreading out toward her. She could feel it all around her, soaking into her.

“Hello?” she asked, backing up a step. She squinted into the trees. “Hello?”

No one answered.

The music continued, and she wrapped her arms around herself, backing up further.

“Hello?”

Deep into the forest, a bright light appeared, small at first until it burst outward. The light seared her eyes, large and white, and she ripped her gaze away. A voice in the back of her mind screamed at her to run. The music continued to play on the air, soaring toward her. It was getting closer, becoming thicker, heavier.

This couldn’t be happening. She was having hallucinations. She needed to get out of here. She needed to find stability. Ground herself.

She pushed herself faster, her feet pounding on the forest floor. But the music slithered after her, brushing along her back, carrying with her as she ran.

“Stop!” she yelled. “Stop!” She continued to race until she dropped to her knees. She covered her hands over her ears, squeezing her eyes shut. “Stop!”

In a blink, the music halted, and the light dissipated, but the music still echoed inside her head, hanging in the air. She stretched her eyes wide, her gaze darting side to side. She stayed frozen, her knees on the dusty ground. Her heartbeat loud as the breeze picked up and tickled the hair off her face. Birds chirped, and the forest came alive again. She slowly lowered her hands.

Everything was normal. Everything was fine. She had been hallucinating.

She huffed out a frustrated breath and headed back down the trail, shaking out her arms. She was stupid to think someone had been after her or to think she’d heard music or seen such a bright light, but the sweet melodic sound wouldn’t leave her alone. The melody lingered inside her head, weaving through her memory. Maybe someone had been there, and maybe she had been its target.

Author Bio:

Morgan Shamy is an ex-ballerina turned YA writer. She has been immersed in the arts since the young age of 4, where she performed various roles alongside a professional ballet company for over seven years, and has danced on prestigious stages like soloing at Carnegie Hall in New York City. She has taught hundreds of girls in her fifteen years of teaching, where some of her students have received full-ride scholarships to schools like School of American Ballet, the Harid Conservatory, Kirov Academy of Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet, to name a few.

Morgan discovered writing when her three-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. It was through that experience that instilled the need to share art and magic with children through words on the page.

Morgan is also an accomplished concert pianist. She was the first girl in Utah to receive 75 pt. Gold Cup in the Utah Federation of Music in piano solo/concerto competition. Morgan currently lives with her X-Games gold-medalist husband and four children in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

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