Book Review: Holding Up The Universe by Jennifer Niven (ARC)

Author: Jennifer Niven
Series: N/A
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: October 6th 2016
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

From the author of the New York Times bestseller All the Bright Places comes a heart-wrenching story about what it means to see someone - and love someone - for who they truly are.

Everyone thinks they know Libby Strout, the girl once dubbed 'America's Fattest Teen'. But no one's taken the time to look past her weight to get to see who she really is. Since her mum's death, she's been picking up the pieces in the privacy of her home, dealing with her heartbroken father and her own grief. Now, Libby's ready: for high school, for new friends, for love, and for EVERY POSSIBILITY LIFE HAS TO OFFER. I know the part I want to play here at MVB High. I want to be the girl who can do anything.

Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin too. Yes, he's got swagger, but he's also mastered the art of fitting in. What no one knows is that Jack has a secret: he can't recognize faces. Even his own brothers are strangers to him. He's the guy who can re-engineer and rebuild anything, but he can't understand what's going on with the inner workings of his own brain. So he tells himself to play it cool: Be charming. Be hilarious. Don't get too close to anyone.

Until he meets Libby. When the two get tangled up in a cruel high school game which lands them in group counseling, Libby and Jack are both angry, and then surprised. Because the more time they spend together, the less alone they feel. Because sometimes when you meet someone, it changes the world - theirs and yours.

Jennifer Niven delivers another poignant, exhilarating love story about finding that person who sees you for who you are - and seeing them right back.

Praise for All the Bright Places:

'If you're looking for the next The Fault in Our Stars - this is it' Guardian

'[A] heartbreaking love story about two funny, fragile, and wildly damaged high school kids' Entertainment Weekly

'A do-not-miss for fans of Eleanor & Park and The Fault in Our Stars, and basically anyone who can breathe' Justine Magazine

'At the heart - a big one - of All the Bright Places lies a charming love story about this unlikely and endearing pair of broken teenagers' The New York Times Book Review

*Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Penguin in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my opinion or my rating of this book in any way.

Do you ever find yourself surrounded by one book and one book only? Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, even other blogs and booktubers at one point or another featured this book, so I got so curious I had to try it out.

The book is about Libby and Jack and their road to acceptance. Of themselves, of each other, of other people. It's also about standing up to bullies, which is a theme I don't get to read about that much.

Libby was an interesting heroine. She talks about her struggles with being overweight, her fear for her health for something that happened when she was a kid, and she's also talking about fitting in, in a society that equals thinness with being cool, smart, and "the way to be". It was interesting to read about her struggles, but what I loved most was reading about how she dealt with bullying. I also liked that she tries to understand the people around her, even with people that don't honestly deserve it.

Jack suffers from prosopagnosia, which means he can't recognize faces. I was actually more excited to read about his POV. This is because while I studied this disorder, back in university, I never got to learn what people that suffer from this disorder actually go through, how they deal with it, how it affects their everyday life. So it was a unique experience for me, and also a way to learn more about this disorder. I liked reading about his journey especially towards accepting what he's suffering from.

The book is pretty fast-paced, and I liked the way the focus shifted from Libby to Jack. I also liked the way the book ended, because it gave me the feeling that everything was possible for Libby and Jack moving on. I didn't get the feeling of Libby getting "better" and finding herself because of Jack, but I definitely got that feeling with Jack, that he got to accept himself because of Libby. It didn't bother me as much as I thought, because in the story it makes sense, and also because sometimes you just need another person to wake you up. My only issue with the book, and really the only reason why my rating isn't the highest possible, was with most of the adults in the book. I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't talk about it, but let's just say that some of the adult figures in this book let me down. Not all, some were actually pretty cool.

All in all, a really good book, and I'll definitely be checking the author's books out in the future.

Release Blitz: Reaper's Fire by Joanna Wylde

Are you ready for Gage and Tinker’s story? 

Reaper’s Fire NOW AVAILABLE! 

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Blurb

New York Times bestselling author Joanna Wylde returns to the “wild and raw”* world of the Reapers MC with the story of Gage and Tinker…

The club comes first. 

I’ve lived by those words my whole life—assumed I’d die by them, too, and I never had a problem with that. My Reaper brothers took my back and I took theirs and it was enough. Then I met her. Tinker Garrett. She’s beautiful, she’s loyal, and she works so damned hard it scares me sometimes . . . She deserves a good man—one better than me. I can’t take her yet because the club still needs me. There’s another woman, another job, another fight just ahead. 

Now she’ll learn I’ve been lying to her all along. None of it’s real. Not my name, not my job, not even the clothes I wear. She thinks I’m nice. She pretends we’re just friends, that I’ve still got a soul . . . Mine’s been dead for years. Now I’m on fire for this woman, and a man can only burn for so long before he destroys everything around him.

I’m coming for you, Tinker. 

Soon.

Have you heard? 

Reaper’s Property by Joanna Wylde has a NEW COVER!

Meet Horse & Marie for ONLY $3.99 (normally $7.99)

Author’s Note: This book was originally released through a small publisher in 2013. This independent edition has been lightly edited, and contains a bonus short, “Sticky Sweet” (originally published on the author’s website) and a Q&A with the author.

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About the Author

Joanna Wylde is a New York Times bestselling author and creator of the Reapers Motorcycle Club series. She currently lives in Idaho.

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Release Day Launch: Kayden/Simon by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright

 

KAYDEN/SIMON by Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright, novellas in their Bayou Heat Series brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights, is here! Be sure you check out the trailer and excerpt below, and grab your copy today!

        Excerpt:

Xavier, the leader of the Geeks, winced at the noise assaulting his sensitive ears.
The center of the Wildlands was usually bustling with activity. It was the heart of the pack. The area where the Pantera gathered to enjoy meals and watch the cubs play in the dappled sunlight.
Over the past few weeks, however, it’d been crowded with the temporary shelters used by the various factions—Diplomats, Geeks, and Hunters—while the main headquarters was being rebuilt.
Standing at the edge of the clearing, the two males studied the roof being nailed down on the large, colonial-styled structure. The new headquarters would look a lot like the old one, although it would be larger, with the latest technology built in.
Xavier had just received an update from the electrician who was preparing to install the solar panels. He was a tall male with mocha-toned skin and brilliant blue eyes. He had powerful shoulders, a broad chest, and sharp features that were emphasized by thebuzzed cut of his dark hair.
Beside him was Raphael, the head of the Diplomats. He was equally tall, although his frame was lean rather than heavily muscled, and his blond hair was long enough to brush his shoulders. His eyes werejade, until his inner puma was aroused. Then they smoldered a pure gold.
The two alphas had been working closely together to not only repair the damage from the recent attack, but to reassure their people they were doing everything in their power to keep them safe.
Xavier was just filling in Raphael on the status of the electronic surveillance they were installing on the border of the Wildlands when he caught sight of the male Pantera strolling toward him with a grim determination.
Kayden.
The younger male was a fellow Geek with short dark hair that always looked messy to Xavier, but his mate told him was mussed in a sexy way. Just as she claimed that Kayden’s neatly trimmed goatee was sexy.
Whatever. Women were the strangest creatures.  
   

 

ENEMY TO LOVER

Kayden is obsessed with revenge after his parents disappeared when he was just a cub. Now the gorgeous Hunter has discovered the man responsible for betraying them – Joshua Ford – and it’s time for payback. Beginning with the kidnapping of Joshua’s daughter, Bianca. But last thing he expects is to be confronted with the horrifying realization that Bianca is his mate. Will he put revenge before his chance for eternal happiness?

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Sexy male model, Simon refuses to give up his exciting life in New York City to return to the slow heat of the Wildlands. For a decade, many pantera have tried to capture the rogue Diplomat and bring him home, but all have failed. Now it’s Tryst’s turn. The hard, brilliant, and gorgeous, Hunter is the ultimate tracker. But can the admitted beast-girl of the Wildlands capture her prey without losing her heart in the process?

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    Alexandra Ivy is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From Alexandra: “I’m not exactly sure when I fell in love with books. Probably on my mother’s knee listening to her read Dr. Seuss to me. I do remember that I was barely old enough to cross the street by myself when I discovered the delights of the local library. Could anything be more wonderful than spending summer days surrounded by stacks of Nancy Drew mysteries? Over the years I fell in love with Victoria Holt, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie, and J.R.R. Tolkien just to name a few. I read poetry, essays, biographies, and plays. In fact, I read anything I could get my hands on. Years later (no, I’m not admitting how many) I’m still an avid reader, and my tastes are still as varied as they were in my youth, which I suppose helps to explain why I enjoy writing regency historicals under the name of Deborah Raleigh, as well as my contemporary paranormals as Alexandra Ivy. For now that is enough to keep me busy, but who knows what the future might hold! I do have a few other loves in my life besides reading and writing, the most important being my unbelievably patient husband, David, and my two sons, Chance and Alexander. Without their constant support and belief in me, I never could have been able to follow my dreams. They are truly my heroes.

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  Laura Wright is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. From Laura: “Unlike many of my peers in the writing world, I wasn’t a writer or a reader until I left high school. During my youth I was into theater, song and dance, commercials and boys. I loved romance surely, but I had never read a romance novel until my late teens. With that said, I remember the day I did like it was a moment ago – my aunt gave me the Jude Deveraux novel, Knight in Shining Armor and I couldn’t put it down until the very last word. Then I went straight to the library and got another – then another until I’d read everything she’d ever written. After that, it was McNaught, Howard, Schone, Kleypas, and the Silhouette line, Desire. I instantly loved those emotional, sexy reads, so much so that I began to carve out ideas for my own stories, themes that were unique to me and moved me. In 1997 I enrolled in UCLA extension writing classes, met my mentor and critique partners and since have never stopped writing. I was committed then and I still am now; the need to tell my own romantic stories a full on obsession. My first manuscript was rejected, and though the second one was as well the editor who’d rejected it wanted to see something else from me. I had something (note to authors; always keep working, even after you’ve sent in a proposal) and sent it right away. The day I got the call telling me Desire wanted to buy Cinderella and the Playboy was the best day of my life. That is until I married my husband, and had my two beautiful children. But I must say, writing is much like motherhood – tough, grueling, surprising, delicious and for me, a dream come true.”  

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Top Ten Tuesday #8: Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.

Hello everyone and happy Tuesday! Today's topic of the Top Ten Tuesday is a little different. The challenge is called "Rewind", and you get to pick a topic to revisit, either one that you already did, or one that you missed out on. I decided to pick out an oldie, but very good theme:

Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again for the First Time

1. Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling - It was kind of obvious that this would be here. I remember being in my last year of middle school. It was winter, and I remember reading The Goblet Of Fire under the blankets, with a flashlight (it sounds cool, but it isn't, because THAT'S HOW I RUINED MY EYES!). And I remember trying to be sneaky and not move or make a sound (the door to my room was actually made mostly of glass, so if anyone wanted to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, they'd know I was awake at a really late hour), and being so happy with being in the Wizarding World for a few hours at night. Full disclosure: my Mom did catch me eventually, because one night I fell asleep on my book, it was so late. Got in trouble for that, because "you're supposed to sleep more than a few hours, you're too young to stay up that late", which I agree with, but it was still fun. I want that feeling back, and so I'd love to read Harry Potter for the first time again.
2. And I Darken - Kiersten White - This is one book that scared me a little bit, to be honest. Reading a book about one of your country's national heroes is not an easy thing to do, mostly because you expect things to be... let's say seen from a different perspective than what your history books say about him/her. And when you're talking about the guy most people call Dracula and think he was a vampire, it makes the reading experience a hell of a lot more scary. Having read it now, I'd love to read it again for the first time, without having that fear, that somehow the book would show Vlad in a bad or wrong light. Sure, Vlad is a girl in this book, but it's still a great representation of the historical figure, even if with a few changes. The important thing here, I think, is that it can serve as a conversation starter, and it's one of the things I absolutely love about the book. And it also can spark a need for knowledge of World History, which is always great.
3. Vampire Academy- Richelle Mead - This is probably one of my Top 5 favorite series of all times, so of course I'd love to read it again for the first time. 
4. The Dead House - Dawn Kurtagich - One of the most mind-bending books I've ever read, I'd love to go back and read it again for the first time. 
5. The Hunchback - Paul Feval - One of the oldest books I've read, and also my very first book boyfriend. I've loved this book ever since I first read it, back in middle school, before Harry Potter came along. 
6. Chieftain - Arnette Lamb - Oh man, this is one of my favorite historical romances that I've ever read, and I've read a few. Not many, but enough to be confident to say this. There are four books in this series, if I'm not mistaken. I've only read the last two, and I loved them both. I hope they still sell the other two books in the series. But yes, I'd definitely love to read this book again for the first time.
7. Lord Of The Rings/Hobbit/Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkien - Another favorite of mine. Back in the day, I read it in Romanian, which was good, but I'd love to erase that and read it all again in English. Chances are, even if I do read it now in English, it might seem like a different book, just because there are tons of stuff lost in translation, no matter how good that translation is.
8. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen - The first book I ever read in English. I think I was about 12. Would love to read it again for the first time.
9. Southern Vampires Mysteries - Charlaine Harris - My first Urban Fantasy/Paranormal book, I'd love to read it again for the first time.
10. Robin Hood - In case you don't know this, there are tons of books with and about the famous outlaw. I've read only two of them, one by Alexandre Dumas, and another book that I can't remember much about, not the title and definitely not the author. I do remember though that it wasn't so much about Robin Hood himself, but about one of the men that follow him. Not Little John though, although that would be awesome! Anyway, I'd love to read the original version of the story, without having all of the information from different books, movies and TV shows floating around in my head, to sort of influence the reading experience, if it makes sense.

That's it guys, ten books I'd wish I could read again for the first time. What about you? Are there any books you want to read again for the first time?

Cover Reveal: Submission Is Not Enough by Lexi Blake

 

We are so excited to bring you the cover for Submission Is Not Enough by Lexi Blake. The highly anticipated novel in the Masters & Mercenaries Series will release on October 25, 2016.

       

A fallen hero reborn 

Theo Taggart lost everything the night he died. His family, his beautiful Erin, and worst of all, he lost himself. A twisted doctor brought him back from the brink of death, but reprogrammed his identity to serve her will. Rescued by his brothers, he must fight to reclaim the man he was and the life, and love, that were stolen from him. 

A love worth fighting for 

Erin Argent thought she'd lost Theo forever. When he walked back into her life, it was nothing short of a miracle. Months of torture and conditioning at the hands of Dr. Hope McDonald have done damage to Theo that may never be mended. He has no memory of her or the life they shared. Breaking through to him, and helping him rediscover all he lost, will be the toughest mission she's ever faced. Luckily for Theo, Erin loves a good fight. 

Their reunion under siege 

Unfortunately, Hope is far from done with Theo Taggart. Obsessed with her prize experiment, she will do anything to get him back. If the only way to finally break him of his past life is to kill Erin and his son, then she's only too happy to oblige…

Now available for pre-order!

Amazon | iTunes | Barnes & Noble | Google Play

Kobo, All Romance eBooks, and Smashwords coming soon!

     

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog int eh world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

FACEBOOK / TWITTER / WEBSITE / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Release Blitz: Three Little Words by Lauren Hawkeye

Lauren Hawkeye's THREE LITTLE WORDS: The Complete Series is available now for preorder! Grab it for just .99c at a special price, and get her Safe Haven boxset for free before August 7th! See more about the boxset below.

About THREE LITTLE WORDS: The Complete Series

“Hey girl, feel my sweater. Know what it’s made of? Boyfriend material." That’s right. My name is Dorian, and I’m in an Aussie band that’s kinda famous in America. That and a little know-how in between the sheets gets me all the sheilas I can handle… too bad I have my eye on one broken roller derby princess. And too bad she’s already hooked up with my roomie. -Dorian
 “There are plenty of fish in the sea. But this fish is my fish. Do not touch my fish."
The girl of my dreams is within reach again, and this time I’m determined to make her say yes—in her condo, at my apartment, in the middle of the law library during study hour (that last one was maybe not such a good idea). But Adele has changed in the years since we parted. I want her to be all mine… but the only way to make her whole again might be to… share?
-Malachi

“Skate fast. Hit hard. Get low."
That’s roller derby—and that’s easy. The rest of my life? Not so much. One life in pieces, one Aussie rocker, and one sexy ex. How do I know what to choose? And… do I really have to?”
-Adele

 The entire bestselling series now available in one complete set! 

 SPECIAL RELEASE DEAL! Send your receipt to ThreeLittleWordsSeries@gmail.com and receive a download code for the Safe Haven boxed set… that’s right! AUGUST 2- AUGUST 7 ONLY!

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About Lauren Hawkeye

Lauren Hawkeye/ Lauren Jameson never imagined that she’d wind up telling stories for a living… though when she looks back, it’s easy to see that she’s the only one who is surprised. Always “the kid who read all the time”, Lauren made up stories about her favorite characters once she’d finished a book… and once spent an entire year narrating her own life internally. No, really. But where she was just plain odd before publication, now she can at least claim to have an artistic temperament.

Lauren lives in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada with her husband, toddler, pit bull and idiot cat, though they do not live in an igloo, nor do they drive a dogsled. In her nonexistent spare time Lauren can be found knitting (her husband claims that her snobby yarn collection is exorbitant), reading anything she can get her hands on, or sweating her way through spin class. She loves to hear from her readers!

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