Cover Reavel: Swell by Julie Rieman Duck

Swell by Julie Rieman Duck

YA contemporary

Expected publication: Spetmeber 2012

For 15-year-old Beck Ionesco, discovering love with the most popular guy in school is a surprise. So are the bottles and cans he hides in his room and under the car seat. Through Christian, Beck enters a world where you can never be too cool or drunk, and finds herself falling for him, the bottle… and Christian’s dangerous friend Hillman falling for her.

Thank God for that bottle, though, because it’s all Beck has left when Christian abandons her, Hillman begins stalking her, and she finds herself on the wrong end of popularity in the back seat of his car. She’s left to fend for herself and her heart until she finds friendship – and possibly more - with fellow student Jesse.

But Christian wants another chance with Beck, and collides with a drunken fate that becomes his last call. It’s now up to Beck to clean up and reclaim her life, and discover sober love with the one whose life secretly parallels her own.

Racquel's thoughts:

I'm a big fan of this cover!! It's so cute and pretty and well done. The summary of the book sounds pretty serious but with this lighthearted, I'm thinking the story will also be sweet! Swell has been on my TBR for a looong time now so I'm so happy to share this cover reveal with you. Julie Rieman Duck is a swell author ;D

More from Julie Rieman Duck:

A Place in This Life

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For Natalie Miller, it’s just another family vacation. For someone else, it’s the opportunity he’s been waiting for.

With only a single peck from a guy named Frank, Natalie’s anything but experienced with boys. But when Todd pops out of the water, says hi, and tells Natalie he has leukemia, all of that changes.

She’s never had attention like this from a boy, let alone one who’s a real charmer with sex on the brain and the experience to match. Drawn to Todd like a magnet, Natalie gives him her friendship, her love, and her body. Even when she’s tempted by gorgeous, healthy schoolmate Alex, Natalie’s desire to love and care for Todd pushes her to see how far love can go in spite of the potential for death of the relationship — and death of the one she loves.

Buy the book: Amazon | B&N
Find the author: Website | Twitter | Blog

I LOVED this book no matter how much it broke my heart. It's one of the most realistic YA books I ever read and I think you should DEFINITELY give it a try!!

So, what do you think of this cover? yay or nay? it's a definite yay for me!

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The Wild Ones by M. Leighton Promo & Giveaway

Title: The Wild Ones
Author: M. Leighton
Published: August 1st 2012
Genre: New adult contemporary romance
Goodreads summary:

Passion as hot as midnight in the South and love as wild as the horses they tame.

Camille “Cami” Hines is the darling daughter of the South’s champion thoroughbred breeder, Jack Hines. She has a pedigree that rivals some of her father’s best horses. Other than feeling a little suffocated at times, Cami thought she was pretty happy with her boyfriend, her life and her future.

But that was before she met Patrick Henley.

“Trick” blurs the lines between what Cami wants and what is expected of her. He’s considered the “help,” which is forbidden fruit as far as her father is concerned, not to mention that Trick would be fired if he ever laid a hand on her. And Trick needs his job. Desperately. His family depends on him.

The heart wants what the heart wants, though, and Trick and Cami are drawn to each other despite the obstacles. At least the ones they know of.

When Trick stumbles upon a note from his father, it triggers a series of revelations that could ruin what he and Cami have worked so hard to overcome. It turns out there’s more to Trick’s presence at the ranch than either of them knew, secrets that could tear them apart.

Racquel's thoughts:

I don't know about you, but I'm very super excited to read The Wild Ones. A) because it's new adult and if you know anything about me, you know I LOVE new adult. Also, it's obvious the book is pretty hot. So of coooourse I want to read this!! Check out the fun except and giveaway :D

Excerpt:

“Do you like it? I mean working with the horses here?”

“I love working with horses. It’s what I was going to specialize in after school. As for working here,” I pause, just to see what she does. After a few seconds, she glances at me from beneath her lashes.

She just can’t help but be sexy.

“I’m discovering it has its definite…benefits.”

She grins. “Is that right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I say in my best Southern drawl.

“And what would those be?”

Good God, she’s teasing me!

“The view around here is very nice for one thing. Rounded hills, lush valleys, gently-curving roads, tight, firm…turns.” I look over at her from the corner of my eye and grin. “And sometimes there’s a hint of strawberry in the air. Makes my mouth water.”

“Wow, it, uh, it sounds pretty spectacular when you put it like that. But I’m sure it’s just a plain ole place, much like any other.”

“See now that’s where you’re wrong. This place is special. I knew it from the start. This is the kind of…place that gets under your skin and won’t let you have a moment’s peace until you give into it.”
“But you don’t want to give into it.”

“I didn’t say that. I said I couldn’t give into it. There’s a big difference.”
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Find the author: Blog | Twitter | Facebook
Buy the book: Amazon | B&N 
Now onto the giveaway, ONE lucky person will win an e-copy of The Wild Ones. Good luck!!

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Indie Mania: [Review] Reminiscence by C. Marie Mosley

Title: Reminiscence
Author: C. Marie Mosley
Published: May 30th 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance.
Rating: ★★★
Goodreads summary:

Can someone’s entire life – the only one they have ever known – be a complete lie? The truth is out ... and Coralie Collier is about the find just what lies within that truth - the truth about herself, the truth about her heritage, and the truth about her purpose...

In Reminiscence, lies a story of a natural born heroine, Coralie Collier --- she just doesn’t know it yet. Coralie lives a simple, almost boring life, that is, until things in her life start to get interesting. Outlandish dreams, bizarre and dangerous encounters, and missing pieces to her memory, are all incredibly important fragmented clues that could help Coralie in finding out her true identity. Along with these clues, and the help of an old family friend, maybe there is a chance for Coralie to find out what is going on around her before it’s too late … and her true purpose has been compromised. All of the characters’ lives within the story swirl around her – and they all know the truth - the truth about the lives they were all born to live... Could there be more to her life than she ever knew? Could there really be more to her surroundings than meets the eye?
Get drawn into Coralie’s world and explorations as she attempts to discover what secrets are hidden in her past and what journeys are in store for her future.

*Thanks to the author for supplying me a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review*

Emma's thoughts:

Reminiscence is a beautiful novel about a girl named Coralie Collier who has no idea about the true nature of her existence. Her whole life, her parents have been protecting her, lying to her, kept her completely in the dark, and the consequences of their actions are finally catching up to them. 

That being said, they seem to control everything in Coralie's life. She's a sweet, lovely girl, but she really has absolutely no idea what's going on around her. She can't even walk to the library without her mother worrying about her. But, somehow, she loves her parents. They seem like nice people, sure, but they take overprotective and overbearing to a whole new level. Yes, there's a reason for it, but sigh, I think Coralie could've done with a longer leash. 

Court, the new, mysterious boy who just popped out of nowhere is charming and irresistible. Heart-warming and delightful, but the connection between the two was a little insta-love. He just can't seem to get enough of Coralie and she can't get enough of him... after knowing him like two days. There's Alex too, who literally came out from nowhere and also is a whole new definition of 'stalker'.

Coralie has no friends. This really bothered me. Why does she have no friends? Did she not have a life before Court came along? That's the thing with most novels. The back story of the protagonist is either unrealistic or non-existent. Coralie being all pretty and sweet, you'd think someone would've liked her and wanted to be her friend before Court came along. I just... I don't get it.

Reminiscence does have a bit of action in it. Too bad Coralie can't remember it. It's a curious aspect in the novel that she can do all these things but not know about them and not remember them later. Frustrating, slightly? Yes. The dialogue was also a little frustrating to read. There was just too much use of ... and more ... and ... where periods should be ... or even commas ...

I feel like the book ended too soon. I finished it in under two hours and was left feeling a bit deflated. Reminiscence feels more like a prologue than anything. There were too many questions as opposed to answers. Coralie was just on the verge of something big... and it just ended! I really just wish there was more, sigh.

Overall rating: 3 stars~A short compelling read.

First:

The wind blew a warm breeze across his body. Summer was coming. The Watcher could feel it in the air.

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Indie Mania: [Review] Inside Evil by Geoffrey Wakeling

Title: Inside Evil (Inside Evil #1)
Author: Geoffrey Wakeling
Published: March 12th 2012
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal.
Rating: ★★★★
Goodreads summary:

Roberta Arlington lives in Ridgewood, a small and sleepy town on the Scottish border, where she is completely content with her life. That is, until she stumbles upon a corpse at the local boarding school and finds that her world starts to unravel into chaos.

As questions begin to emerge as to just how the victim died, Roberta discovers herself caught in a world which she never knew existed. Like a shadow hanging behind Roberta’s own life, another world hovers in the background, waiting silently until trying to break through. Roberta soon discovers that she’ll have to find all the strength she has to survive the path laid before her.

*Thanks to the author for supplying me a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review*

Emma's thoughts:

Inside Evil is one of craziest, creepiest, freakiest book I've ever read. I know that's not saying much as I mostly read YA romance fiction, not... this! I mean this all in the nicest and best way possible of course. Inside Evil is one of those book you just cannot put down. Literally. I was scared to stop reading simply because the need to know what the hell was going on is just too strong. And plus, without answers, I was scared to simply walk out my bedroom door! I mean, who knows, a cloaked figure could be waiting outside there for me, ready to tell me: 'Your time's up.' 

The thing is, nothing literally scary happens in the book. There were no gory deaths or attacks of the like. It was simply the pretense of something darker going on than what the author was allowing us to see and I think this is brilliantly done by Wakeling. He has such a powerful way of writing, it just grabs a hold of you and demands your attention.

The story is set in a small faraway town where nobody really visits and nobody really leaves. It's sounds like a comforting little place, the random deaths besides. Roberta's a schoolteacher who finds a student dead at school and has the sudden urge to hurt Susan. Susan's the mother of a dead daughter who'd completely changed personalities months back. Martha's a widow who's husband disappeared mysteriously ten years ago. Sam's just awesome and Karl is a detective off duty who can't seem to let go of the suspicious deaths.

The journey these five go on is eerily terrifying. And it's lovely to see that even though, the blurb only talks about Roberta, the story is told from all five points of view, and even with an additional one near the end. By this, you can see how their lives are interwoven, as if they're part of something much, much greater.

It's really, honestly devastating that book ended where it did. And just like any good cliffhanger, it left me dying in anticipation for the next book. There are so many questions left unanswered, and I just really need to know what happens next.

There's no doubt that this is a book that will stay with me a long while. (That being said, I did have a dream the following night of reading it about walking through a mirror portal. IT WAS FREAKY.. and rather awesome.) I highly commend Geoffrey Wakeling for writing such a fascinating and thrilling novel.

Overall rating: 4 stars~ Utterly chilling to the bone...

First:

Roberta stared vacantly out of the classroom window. The students had long left, leaving her alone with her thoughts and only the dropping sun to gaze at.

Favourite:

"Cats have an uncanny way of living on the cracks of both worlds."

I love cats(: 

Teaser:

...she was such a small nobody living out her life in this huge expanse of the universe. There seemed little need for her worries of the late. Compared to the massive world around her, the incidents of the weeks gone by were simply trivial.

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[Review] Losing Janice by Kathleen Lee Dodds

Title: Losing Janice
Author: Kathleen Lee Dodds
Published: June 17, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Family Life, Drama, Mystery, Suspense.
Rating: ★★★☆
Amazon summary:

Helen an impetuous teenager and High school outcast is on summer holiday. She lives in a seemingly idyllic rural town. Her friends include Rhonda, a waitress who lives with her dope dealing brother and Dennis the dyslexic son of an accountant who has just started his own landscaping business. They are all friends of Janice who has disappeared.
It seems to Helen that she is the only one who feels that her friend is in trouble. The more she seeks the truth the more secrets Helen reveals. About her friends and about the hidden relationships that bind the town together.

*Thanks to the author for supplying me a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review*

Emma's thoughts:

Helen Firling has a sixth sense. She knows things that nobody else does. And that makes her different. 

Her family is constantly telling to behave 'normally', not draw attention to herself, and to simply, keep her mouth shut. Honestly, I thought parents were supposed to encourage children to strive for uniqueness, but I suppose making wild accusations from person to person isn't the greatest way to stand out. 

Helen and her friends, Rhonda and Dennis are hell-bent determined to find out what happened to their missing friend, Janice. Thing is, Janice disappears all the time and always eventually comes back in one piece, so of course, no one dares to think she might actually not come back this time. Except Helen and Rhonda. Dennis is just there as the codebreaker and muscle. 

The journey Helen, Rhonda, and Dennis is an immensely frustrating one. There's nothing I hate more than inconsiderate, insensitive and close-minded adults who just don't, and won't ever understand anything. Those adults that believe they know best for everyone without consulting first. Who see the world perfectly through their eyes but can't step out of their shoes into others and try to empathize. I just really, really despise people like that. 

Quotes like these just made me want to shoot them: 

"People around here, in order to get ahead, they want you to fit in. As far as knowing things that you really shouldn't, people will always think of you as wacky. That's not how you want other people to see you."

...and the further down the page (Heather, Helen's sister to Helen)

"At school, you're already a square peg in a round hole, don't make it that way in life." 

YOU'RE HER FAMILY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO ACCEPT HER AS WHO SHE IS! 

*takes a deep breath.* You see a lot of those people in Losing Janice. Helen's mother, father, grandma, 'God', and pretty much every other adult in the novel. The only possible exception might be Dennis's mother. Maybe.

That being said, Helen and Rhonda are wonderfully, enlightening characters. They're unique and refreshing to read about. Rhonda's 'lingo' is easy enough to catch on with and rather entertaining to read. I wish I could say the same about Dennis though. He's your typical boy. He reminds me of my ex actually. Looks absolutely charming and funny, but once you get to know him... 

I'm damn proud of Helen. Despite everyone telling her she should shut up and stay behind the scenes, she was brave enough to stand up for herself and do exactly what she believed what she thought was right. And really, that's the moral of the story. Do what you think is right. Don't let anybody else define and shape your life. Stay true to you.

Overall rating: 3.5 stars~ A compelling and captivating mystery!

First:

She could see nothing wherever she looked. It was black. 

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Indie Mania Introduction

Thanks to Amelia for the awesome button!

What:

A feature that highlights indie published books. We do everything from reviews, promos, author interviews to guest posts, cover reveals, giveaways (and maybe even book blog tours!). We love Indie books and want to support them and bring more attention to them!

Who: 

Indie books and authors and ANYONE. Me, Emma, you and everybody!! If you love indie books then visit us when we have an Indie Mania post, support your favorite indie authors and don't forget to blog about them if you're a blogger!

Where:

Here at The Book Barbies! But also, at any other indie friendly blog!! The Book Barbies are not the only indie book lovers :D

When:

This was original going to be a Monday meme on the blog but that's just limiting! Any day and anytime on the blog is Indie Mania time!

Why:

Because indie books are JUST as good as published books!

Emma and I are very excited for this!! We always participate in blog tours for indie books and read and review indie books but we want to take this to the next level! So look for more indie reviews, author interviews and just EVERYTHING! 

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Indie Mania: Free Ebook- The Joy and Torture of Joshua James‏

On The Book Barbies, Emma & I are whipping up a Indie Mania feature that will start on the blog ASAP, it's basically and indie spotlight feature with reviews, interviews, guest posts & the likes. So when I saw that an indie author I adore is releasing a new book (actually, a novella) that's going to be FREE for 3 days, I decided what better way to give you a glimpse of the new feature that shares the love of indie books?! More Indie Mania to come!

Title: The Joy and Torture of Joshua James‏
Author: Julie Rieman Duck
Genre: YA contemporary
This is a novella (shorter than a full novel would be)
Smashwords summary:

Girls are difficult for 16-year-old Joshua James - especially the ones living right next door. This pair of sisters is more than he could have ever hoped for, and when both take an interest in Josh it’s all he can do to keep things straight.

Blonde Jordan is an angel, with a perfect body and adoring personality. Goth girl Jessa is the devil and much more than that… or so Joshua thinks. But when things start disappearing from his house, and the sisters wage a war of finger-pointing over Joshua, he must decide which one is crazier before he also disappears. 

Today, April 17th through April 19th, The Joy and Torture of Joshua James‏ by Julie Rieman Duck is going to be FREE on Smashwords! I read Julie Rieman Duck debut novel and it is absolutely heart breaking, moving and inspiring though Duck said that The Joy and Torture of Joshua James‏ is

"a lighter, more humorous read with a touch of macabre and wackiness."

How awesome does it sound?!

Get your copy today for free before the offer ends! If the writing in The Joy and Torture of Joshua James is in anything like the writing in Duck's debut, A Place in This Life, it's going to rock! 

Here is the link. 

Author's website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

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