Blog Tours – Page 56 – Sincerely Karen Jo

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Hello fellow swoonaholics! Welcome to my Blog Tour Stop for Surviving Adam Meade by Shannon Klare hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. I cannot wait for you to laugh, swoon and root for Adam and Claire in this charmingly sweet, hilarious, and wonderfully written debut novel. I laughed out loud a few times and had such a lovely time reading this book. I hope after you read my review, you’ll add this on your TBR or grab yourself a copy.

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abouthebook2

Surviving Adam Meade
Shannon Klare
(Surviving Adam Meade, #1)
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: August 14th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

Seventeen-year-old Claire Collins has a plan: get into college and leave North Carolina behind. What she doesn’t have is an idea for how to get rid of the local football star and womanizer extraordinaire—Adam Meade, who she can’t even avoid (despite many efforts), because Claire’s dad is the high school football coach.

Seventeen-year-old Adam Meade never fails. He always gets what he wants… until he meets Claire, the new girl who leaves him unnerved, pissed off, and confused. But there’s something about her that he just can’t resist…

With the bite of lemon meringue pie and the sugar of sweet tea, Surviving Adam Meade is a sexy and compelling young adult novel about two strong-willed people who think they know what they want but have no idea what they need.

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Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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mythoughts

Charmingly Sweet, Hilarious, and a Delightful Read From Start to Finish

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OH-EMMMM-GUSHHHH! This book was super adorbs to the max! Surviving Adam Meade by Shannon Klare gave me the butterflies, the swoons, the laughs, and even some tears. I enjoyed every moment and cannot stop gushing about Adam and Claire!

Adam Meade, the local quarterback star, is popular, dangerously handsome, and never fails to get what he wants. He’s also a ladies’ man and dodges serious relationships in order to focus on having a successful football career. He’s arrogant, frustratingly rude, and everything Claire knows she should avoid. And she does try…

Claire Collins, daughter of the football coach, is beautiful, smart, and incredibly driven to fulfill her goals. She’s also trying to heal her broken heart and focus on getting into the college of her dreams. She has no problem standing up for herself and challenging Adam – even if she gets on his nerves and annoys him like crazy. Adam should want nothing to do with Claire, but he just can’t seem to resist her. But he does try…

This book was definitely a page-turner and such a wonderful read. I really enjoy love/hate and enemies to lovers books. The angst, the drama, the constant bantering, and the undeniably swoony chemistry are just so much fun and never fail to make me smile. I was sure this novel wouldn’t let me down… and it most certainly did not! Surviving Adam Meade wholeheartedly had me swooning and smiling like a dork. The bantering between Adam and Claire was so entertaining and had me completely hooked. They were both so sarcastic and stubborn that when they finally decided to kiss and make-up, it was the sweetest thing ever! Definitely gave me one of the best warm fuzzies and FEELS. Oh and the ending… SWOOOOON! Totally melted my heart!

I honestly didn’t have a difficult time falling for Adam… I mean some part of me wanted to smack him sometimes –probably just as Claire wanted to do – and I should have been annoyed with his cocky personality, but he was giving off that more than meets the eye kind of vibe that I knew there were so much more to him than his “jerkish” persona. I wasn’t surprised when he finally started to show his softer side. Without his arrogance, Adam’s actually really sweet, caring, funny, and a genuinely good guy.

Claire’s totally my girl. I loved her from the very beginning and felt so much for her. Changing schools, specially on your last year in high school, and dealing with heartbreak is never easy. Claire certainly had her bad days, but she handled the challenges she faced really well. I thought she was a strong heroine and I loved how motivated she was throughout the story. She may be stubborn and snarky, but I honestly really loved that about her. She also had spunk, fire, charm, and a great sense of humor. No wonder Adam couldn’t resist her.

I absolutely enjoyed the romance in this book. While I personally wanted more swoons, there were more than enough spine-tingling, heart-melting, and adorable moments that gave me the FEELS. The spark between Adam and Claire was instant and palpable that you just knew they were going to fall for each other. Their deliciously playful bantering, flirty dialogues, and intense tension was so entertaining and fun. Cannot tell you how much I ship these two! Adam and Claire were perfectly witty and so darn cute together.

You already know how much I adore Adam and Claire, but if you ask me, I thought the characters in this book were fantastically likable, quirky and just so delightfully amusing. Claire’s parents were amazing and I loved how they would playfully tease her. They had some really humorous moments that had me chuckling a few times. I also liked Claire’s brother, Case. He can be an annoying little brother, but he did want what was best for his sister and had an adoringly protective side. Claire’s family was just so awesome and had this wonderful bond that makes you AWW. I also really loved Adam and his grandmother, Wanda. Their relationship was endearing, so sweet, and made me want to hug them both so much. Tara and Riley were awesome too and I liked their parts in the story.

Another thing I really liked about this book was how the lighthearted bantering wasn’t just limited between Adam and Claire. Sure they had plenty of them, but there were also many between them and the other characters. Seriously, you need this book ASAP… it’s just so cute, and funny, and the perfect summer read that will make you laugh, smile, and swoon.

Surviving Adam Meade is a fantastic story about friendship, family, self-discovery, taking risks, and falling in love. It’s charmingly sweet, nostalgic, and a delightful read from start to finish. The writing was engaging, the pacing was great, the characters were lovable, and the romance was a hit! Looooveeeed this book so much and cannot wait to read more from Shannon Klare. Maybe a Tate and Riley story… or give Case a HEA story of his own.

If you enjoy YA contemporary and romance books, then I highly suggest you grab a copy of this book and lock yourself in a room without any distractions. You’re going to want to finish it in one sitting. I sure did (except for the locking part since I read it on and off during and after work) and had the most swoontastic time!

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher and Xpresso Book Tours. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book so all thought and opinions are my own.

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abouttheauthor

Shannon Klare is a southern housewife, born and raised in Texas. When she isn’t writing or daydreaming new plots, Shannon is a reality TV fanatic and movie connoisseur. Surviving Adam Meade is her debut novel.

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Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Rafflecopter Giveaway

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Thanks for stopping by and reading. Don’t forget to join the giveaway and pick up a copy of this book! I really don’t think you’d want to miss out on some fun and playfully swoony bantering.

Have any of you read this book? What did you think? What are some of your favorite YA contemporary books? Leave your comments down below.

Have a great weekend lovelies!

sincerelykjologo

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog tour stop for THE GATHERING by Bernadette Giacomazzo hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. Today, I’ll be sharing my review and a giveaway at the end.

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The Gathering
Bernadette Giacomazzo
(The Uprising, #1)
Publication date: March 31st 2018
Genres: Adult, Dystopian

The Uprising Series tells the story of three freedom fighters and their friends in high — and low — places that come together to overthrow a vainglorious Emperor and his militaristic Cabal to restore the city, and the way of life, they once knew and loved.

In The Gathering, Jamie Ryan has defected from the Cabal and has joined his former brothers-in-arms — Basile Perrinault and Kanoa Shinomura — to form a collective known as The Uprising. When an explosion leads to him crossing paths with Evanora Cunningham — a product of Jamie’s past — he discovers that The Uprising is bigger, and more important, than he thought.

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Amazon

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3halfhearts

Dark and Terrifyingly Enthralling Dystopian Tale

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I don’t know where to begin with this review. The Gathering by Bernadette Giacomazzo was a fantastic read, but I went through a love/hate feeling with the story. There were some hit on the spot moments that I enjoyed and I think the overall message is important, but I just felt so distressed.

The beginning was kind of a mess and I didn’t really know what was going on. I actually had to go back and read the synopsis and then reread the first two chapters… but it does progressively get better. The vulgar language, sex, and violence also made me feel incredibly uncomfortable, but at the same time, I was so intrigued by the world building and storyline that I kept turning the pages. The plot was satisfyingly well paced and there was never a single dull moment. So many things happened in every single chapter that at times it was extremely difficult to digest. The characters were complex and very fascinating, but it took some time for me to like them. I wouldn’t immediately say that they’re my kind of heroes, but bit by bit, they earned their way into my heart. The story ended with plenty of unanswered questions, but with a promising set up for the rest of the series.

Romance wise… I’m not so sure. I think I’m still undecided on that part of the book. Although it’s always much more interesting for me to read books with romance, I honestly don’t know how it’ll be with this series. There was a past love story and that was quite interesting to read, but I think there’s going to be another one later on. There was this one weirdly unnerving scene that was sort of hinting at a possible romance between two of the MCs. I really can’t say too much without spoilers, but it just didn’t feel right. I don’t know how that relationship will develop in the later book(s), but yeah, that was a big nope for me. It was a little distasteful and well… just creepy.

I thought this book was powerful and captivating, but I do not think I will be picking up the next book. I liked that Giacomazzo weaved a dark, unique, thrilling, and terrifyingly enthralling story that reflects what’s currently happening in the real world and makes it even more bleak. It’s a wonderful conversation starter and it really makes you think about how scary the world is at the moment. But, that’s precisely why I’m personally going to hold off reading the other books. I read for fun and this made me feel so uneasy. I don’t regret requesting for this book though. It was very intriguing and I was very much into the story. It’s just that after going through the whole book, I just don’t want to feel so angry, disheartened and just down…There’s nothing fun about that. I do still want to see how the story ends, so maybe when all the books are out and I’m in the mood, I’ll binge the series.

With uncomfortable scenes, abuse, graphic language, and violence, this book is not for everyone. Lots of triggers for sure, but if you love dark gritty dystopian and science fiction stories, and don’t mind everything I just mentioned, then this book might just be perfect for you. It is a very compelling read.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher and Xpresso Book Tours. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book so all thought and opinions are my own.

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With an impressive list of credentials earned over the course of two decades, Bernadette R. Giacomazzo is a multi-hyphenate in the truest sense of the word: an editor, writer, photographer, publicist, and digital marketing specialist who has demonstrated an uncanny ability to thrive in each industry with equal aplomb. Her work has been featured in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and many, many more. She served as the news editor of Go! NYC Magazine for nearly a decade, the executive editor of LatinTRENDS Magazine for five years, the eye candy editor of XXL Magazine for two years, and the editor-at-large at iOne/Zona de Sabor for two years. As a publicist, she has worked with the likes of Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and his G-Unit record label, rapper Kool G. Rap, and various photographers, artists, and models. As a digital marketing specialist, Bernadette is Google Adwords certified, has an advanced knowledge of SEO, PPC, link-building, and other digital marketing techniques, and has worked for a variety of clients in the legal, medical, and real estate industries.

Based in New York City, Bernadette is the co-author of Swimming with Sharks: A Real World, How-To Guide to Success (and Failure) in the Business of Music (for the 21st Century), and the author of the forthcoming dystopian fiction series, The Uprising. She also contributed a story to the upcoming Beyonce Knowles tribute anthology, The King Bey Bible, which will be available in bookstores nationwide in the summer of 2018.

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