{Review & Giveaway} The Parts I Remember by AK Mills

The Parts I Remember 
by AK Mills
Source: Purchased
Available as of March 1, 2013
Amazon 

Act first. Think never. Remember nothing.

Welcome to Kelly Rockport’s existence at Haysville University, where responsibility is just an elective. After all, fake IDs, alter egos, and one-night stands are all part of the college experience, right? So what if she blacks out from time to time? Memory is overrated.

When freshman year lasts about as long as a one-night stand and is quickly followed by the Year of the Blackout, Kelly projects junior year to be nothing shy of amazing. But as shots, beer, cocaine and men mesh together in an intoxicating haze, Kelly’s reckless ways get her into serious trouble. The only problem is, she can't remember what happened.

As she hovers along the edge of consciousness, Kelly forces herself to think past her pain to piece together the shards of her life. This is her story, told in her words: The Parts I Remember.

Throughout my time in college I met a lot of people like Kelly. I'm friends with a few and I've always wondered how exactly their life got to where they are now. AK Mills tells one intense story of how drinking isn't always fun and games.

This isn't your typical college story. This is the story of a girl who went to college and thought she was invincible because she got away with it so many times before. The girl who only cared about herself and having the time of her life. The girl who enjoyed trying to piece together her night the next morning. This is the story of a girl who lost everything one drunken night. The girl who doesn't remember.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed reading Kelly's story. She is this self-centered brat who is enabled by her sister, her friends, and the "randoms" in her life. Every time she gets away with one night of drunken debauchery she categorizes it as a win and it reinforces her belief that she doesn't have a problem.

In The Parts I Remember Kelly takes you through her life from high school to New Years Eve of her Junior year of college while flashing to the present, to the accident that lands her in the hospital. As always, I enjoyed the flashes because they worked really well to build the intensity. I wanted to know what happened, what caused the accident and, in a way, everything she's done, including things in high school, brought her to where she is now. We get to see how she has changed over time, how she became more self-centered and drank more. While I don't hate Kelly or think poorly of her because of her choices, I can't pity or feel bad for what life throws at her. I love that at some point a lesson had to be learned and it came in one fell swoop and took everything from her.

Overall, The Parts I Remember was an insightful read that had me wanting more. While this story had more adult themes, the content was more PG-13 and acceptable for a younger audience.

{Cover Reveal} The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard

I'm super excited to be sharing the cover of The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard with you today, but before I get to the cover lets read what it's about.

Allison O'Malley just graduated from college. Her life's plan is to get a job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She doesn't have room for friends or even Ethan, who clearly wants more.

When Allison's long-lost father shows up, he claims he can bring her mother back from the dark place her mind has sent her. He reveals legends of a race of people long forgotten, the Tuatha de Danaan, along with the truth about why he abandoned her mother.

And now for the cover....

Cover Designer: Stephanie Mooney

The Forgotten Ones is a 
New Adult Paranormal Fantasy Romance 
set to release on May 15, 2013.

Laura Howard is an author, a mother of 4 and a voracious reader.

Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Her mom took her to the library nearly everyday so she could get my fix!

Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child at the age of 21. It may seem young, but she always knew she wanted to be a stay-at-home mom –– She's kinda got this hardwired need to take care of people. It wasn’t until the release of a little saga called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction.

After co-authoring some fanfiction (just for fun), something unexpected happened: two fictional characters began inhabiting her thoughts. Soon after, more characters began to make themselves known. There was only one thing to do: Write the story that was in her heart.

Three years, hundreds of hours + several cups of coffee later, and she love the world she's created! She developed her website as a way to curate the wealth of information she's learned on her journey toward publication and to empower other women to write the books within their hearts.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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{Review} The Perfect Game by J. Sterling

The Perfect Game 
by J. Sterling
Series: The Perfect Game (#1)
Pages:  386
Source:  Purchased Kindle/Won Paperback
Available as of October 12, 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

He's a game she never intended to play.
And she's the game changer he never knew he needed.

The Perfect Game tells the story of college juniors, Cassie Andrews & Jack Carter. When Cassie meets rising baseball hopeful Jack, she is determined to steer clear of him and his typical cocky attitude. But Jack has other things on his mind... like getting Cassie to give him the time of day.

Breathtaking. Heart-wrenching. Masterfully written. All words I would use to describe The Perfect Game. J. Sterling crafted a book that hooked me from page one and wouldn't let me go until the was word was read. Even then I couldn't tear myself from the story.

Cassie Andrews doesn't trust guys. She's sealed herself from them. Well, until Jack Carter walked in. Her father never followed through on his promises so learning to trust Jack is going to be a challenge. Can he follow all her rules? Or will everything they've worked for disintegrate until there's no going back?

O.M.G!!! Not only was this book intense, but the characters are to die for. Cassie is a sweet girl who doesn't trust easily, but is willing to take a chance. Jack is the star pitcher for their schools baseball team. He had a rough life growing up and, because of it, has become a player, afraid to get too close to anyone.

So what did I love? I love that this was an emotional roller coaster. I went from elated one moment to dread and disgust in the blink of an eye. I balled my eyes out and laughed with no regard for those around me. I got angry, beyond pissed, and wanted to stop reading, but I knew I had quite a bit to go. I loved that it made me question how I would act or feel in the situations Cassie went through. Nothing I could say about this book would ever be bad. It tore my heart out, made me want to punch a wall (no worries, they are still intact!), and somehow I ended up at a happy place again. 

Overall, The Perfect Game was a devastatingly wonderful read that made me believe in true love. If I ever question whether it exists again, all I have to do is read the words of J. Sterling and believe. 

{Review} The Edge of Never by JA Redmerski

The Edge of Never 
by JA Redmerski
Pages:  426
Source:  Won
Available as of November 13, 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Book Depository | Books-A-Million

Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.

But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?

No words can describe the intensity of the unadulterated love that formed between two complete strangers over a relatively short period of time in The Edge of Never. J.A. Redmerski wrote an astonishing story that will always be in my heart.

Camryn has had a rough love life. Her high school boyfriend died in a car accident. The next guy cheated on her. After all that who wouldn't give up on the possibility of love. Finally breaking, Cam decided to leave home and get on a bus with no final destination in mind. You could call it fate or coincidence, but the bus takes her to right where she belongs.

O.M.G. I laughed hysterically, balled like a baby, and wanted to punch a wall, but mostly I just wish I had a guy like Andrew in my life. Cam has promised herself to never love again, but with that she stopped living. Andrew has had an interesting hand dealt to him, but no one would ever be the wiser. He helps her let go and find herself even when she doesn't want to. I LOVED him.

I loved everything about this story. Both Camryn and Andrew found something in each other. Cam learned to live, let loose, and be herself. Andrew found a girl who challenged him. I love that they took their time. It wasn't one of those instant "OMG I Love You!" moments when they met. I love that we got some perspective from Andrew. From his point of view we learned that he was genuine, which considering they were on a bus for hours on end, helped me trust his intentions with Cam.

If you know me well then you know that I never read a summary before starting a book. At some point I do read it, but not immediately before starting. I had no idea what would happen. I knew that the story was too perfect, but I never expected the bomb that dropped. When it did, the waterworks began.

Overall, The Edge of Never warmed my heart, broke it, and put it back together. I became attached to both Cam and Andrew. Their story is one that should be read by all. If you are looking for something spicier than contemporary YA novels, look nor further!

{Review} The Secret of Ella & Micha by Jessica Sorensen

The Secret of Ella & Micha 
by Jessica Sorensen
Series: The Secret (#1)
Pages: 317
Source: e-copy provided by author via SupaGurl Tours
Available as of October 2, 2012
Amazon

Ella and Micha have been best friends since they were kids. But one tragic night shatters their friendship and their lives forever.

Ella used to be a rule-breaker with fiery attitude who wore her heart on her sleeve. But she left everything behind when she went to college and transformed into someone that follows the rules, keeps everything together, and hides all her problems. But now it's summer break and she has nowhere else to go but home.

Ella fears everything she worked so hard to bury might resurface, especially with Micha living right next door. If Micha tries to tempt the old her back, she knows that it will be hard to resist.

Micha is sexy, smart, confident, and can get under Ella’s skin like no one else can. He knows everything about her, including her darkest secrets. And he’s determined to bring his best friend, and the girl he loves back, no matter what it takes.

The quickest way to describe this book is to say it was heart-pounding and addictive. Jessica Sorensen had me captivated from page one and fully focused until the very last word.

Ella and Micha have been best friends for as long as they can remember. Until one night when the lines of friendship blur and Ella runs. Eight months later, Micha is still looking for her, but he doesn't have to look much longer because she's headed home for the summer. Can Ella's resolve to be the new her hold or will he bring out the old, loud, and rambunctious friend he once new and want to be with?

OMG was this book amazing. Ella and Micha both had rough backgrounds and were well developed characters. They both had demons they needed to face and obstacles to overcome. I love that we get to read this story from both of their points of view. If we didn't, this book would be lacking the hott, breathtaking, and heart-racing qualities I love to find in New Adult titles. I was on the edge of my seat reading until I finished reading the last page.

Overall, if you're looking for a good New Adult title to fall into, you've found it. The Secret of Ella & Micha is a beautiful and exciting book that will forever be in my heart.

I live in Wyoming with my husband and three kids, where I spend most of my time writing, reading, and hanging out with my family. I’m the author of the Fallen Star Series, the Darkness Falls Series, and the Death Collectors. I also just branched out to the New Adult Contemporary genre with my book, The Secret of Ella and Micha.

You can find Jessica...

Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

FTC Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.  

{Release Day} Make it Last by Bethany Lopez

Make it Last
by Bethany Lopez
Series: Friends & Lovers (#1)
Available as of November 12, 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

In a small town, it's hard to recover from being dumped by your high school sweetheart. That's just what Briana has to do after Colin leaves her to follow his dreams. She focuses her energy into her friendships and the pursuit of her own goal of becoming a chef. Just when she finally feels like she's on the right path, he comes back to town.

Colin knew breaking up with Briana before leaving for college was the right thing to do. He was determined to leave small-town life behind forever, and that included his high school girlfriend. But when a sports injury puts him on the sidelines, he's forced to return home. Seeing Briana again brings back a lot of memories, and Colin wonders if he made the right decision. It doesn't take long for him to realize he wants her back, and this time, he wants to make it last.

About the Author
Bethany Lopez was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Michigan and San Antonio, Texas. She went to High School at Dearborn High, in Dearborn, Michigan, which is where she has set her Young Adult novel. She is married and has a blended family with five children. She is currently serving in the United States Air Force as a Recruiter in Los Angeles, California. She has always loved to read and write and has seen her dream realized by independently publishing her contemporary Young Adult series, Stories About Melissa. Ta Ta for Now!, xoxoxo, and Ciao are available now. Bethany is currently working on a Contemporary Fantasy YA and a Contemporary New Adult Trilogy.

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