BLOG TOUR --- Deadfall by Stephen Wallenfels [Review + Giveaway]

Title: Deadfall

Authors(s): Stephen Wallenfels
Publication Date: December 11, 2018
Edition: Hardcover, ebook; 384 pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Buy: Amazon - Barnes & 
Noble - The Book Depository

Tour Schedule

Week One:

12/3/2018- Simply Daniel Radcliffe- Review

12/4/2018- My Books-My World- Excerpt

12/5/2018- BookHounds YA- Excerpt

12/6/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

12/7/2018- Confessions of a YA Reader- Excerpt

Week Two:

12/10/2018- Book Bite Reviews- Review

12/11/2018- FUONLYKNEW- Spotlight

12/12/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Review

12/13/2018- The Pages In-Between- Review

12/14/2018- Sincerely Karen Jo Blog- Excerpt

Week Three:

12/17/2018- Rhythmicbooktrovert- Review

12/18/2018- Savings in Seconds- Review

12/19/2018- Lifestyle of Me- Review

12/20/2018- Eli to the nth- Review (ME!)

12/21/2018- Literary Meanderings- Excerpt

Week Four:

12/24/2018- Falling For YA- Excerpt

12/25/2018- Books,Dreams,Life- Spotlight

12/26/2018- Good Choice Reading- Excerpt

12/27/2018- Wishful Endings- Excerpt

12/28/2018- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

Week Five:
12/31/2018- All the Ups and Downs- Excerpt

The Summary

Twin brothers Ty and Cory Bic are on the run. When they encounter a dying deer in the middle of a remote mountain road with fresh tire tracks swerving down into a ravine, they know they have to help. But when they reach the wrecked car the vehicle appears empty, with signs that the driver escaped.

Until they hear a sound coming from the trunk.

Ty and Cory are escaping demons of their own. But what they discover in the trunk puts them in the crosshairs of something darker and more sinister than their wildest nightmares.

Told through a gripping, lightning-fast narrative that alternates between present and past, this unputdownable survival thriller unravels the tangled circumstances that led Ty and Cory to the deer in the road and set them on a perilous course through the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.

(Goodreads)

My Review

I'm not typically a big mystery/thriller fan; I prefer my books a little bit more fantastical.  But there sometimes comes a book that peaks my interest, and I pick it up.  Deadfall by Stephen Wallenfels was one such book, and is going on my small thriller shelf after reading this tense survivalist rollercoaster.

At the heart of this story you find two brothers trying to survive and overcome obstacle after obstacle, who grew up within very abusive household, and now are on the cusp of possibly following in their father's footsteps.  Within this you also get a survival journey, as Cory and Ty, on the run from their own problems, stumble upon a kidnapping.  It's not as simple as saving the girl, as the murderer is now on their path.  The reader experiences the present danger which is intertwined with flashbacks on what Cory and Ty have endured, ultimately resulting in both situations having to do with each other.

Overall, the plot will make you continue reading the book, as you'll need to see the what/where/when of Cory and Ty's situation.  But without softer, empathetic Cory as the protagonist, and Ty, his volatile and protective brother, as the catalyst, the story wouldn't be as engrossing.  The plot and the characters really work well in this survivalist thriller, and this is one book I can definitely say I enjoyed!  Already out in the wild, pick up your own copy of Deadfall by Stephen Wallenfals today!

Final Rating

About the Author

Stephen Wallenfels lives in Washington state with his wife.  He wrote freelance for the Health and Fitness industry for fifteen years before turning writing novels.  His passions are family, hiking, cooking, reading, movies, climate change, and especially writing.

Website | Twitter  | Facebook | Goodreads 

Giveaway

3 Winners will receive a finished copy of Deadfall, US Only.

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BLOG TOUR --- My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life by Rachel Cohn [Review + Giveaway]

Title: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life

Authors(s): Rachel Cohn
Publication Date: December 18, 2018
Edition: Hardcover, ebook; 384 pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Buy: Amazon - Barnes & 
Noble - iBooks - The Book Depository

Tour Schedule

Week One:

12/3/2018- Novel Novice- Excerpt

12/4/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

12/5/2018- A Court of Coffee and Books- Excerpt

12/6/2018- BookHounds YA- Review

12/7/2018- A Gingerly Review- Review

Week Two:

12/10/2018- Rhythmicbooktrovert- Review

12/11/2018- Do You Dog-ear?- Review

12/12/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Excerpt

12/13/2018- Daily Waffle- Excerpt

12/14/2018- The Reading Corner for All- Review

Week Three:

12/17/2018- Lisa Loves Literature- Review

12/18/2018- Eli to the nth- Review (ME!)

12/19/2018- Dani Reviews Things- Review

12/20/2018- The Pages In-Between- Review

12/21/2018- Sincerely Karen Jo Blog- Review

Week Four:

12/24/2018- Falling For YA- Interview

12/25/2018- Smada's Book Smack- Review

12/26/2018- All the Ups and Downs- Excerpt

12/27/2018- Confessions of a YA Reader- Review

12/28/2018- Wishful Endings- Excerpt

Week Five:
12/31/2018- Under the Book Cover- Excerpt

The Summary

"I'm here to take you to live with your father. In Tokyo, Japan! Happy birthday!"

In the Land of the Rising Sun, where high culture meets high kitsch, and fashion and technology are at the forefront of the First World's future, the foreign-born teen elite attend ICS-the International Collegiate School of Tokyo. Their accents are fluid. Their homes are ridiculously posh. Their sports games often involve a (private) plane trip to another country. They miss school because of jet lag and visa issues. When they get in trouble, they seek diplomatic immunity.

Enter foster-kid-out-of-water Elle Zoellner, who, on her sixteenth birthday discovers that her long-lost father, Kenji Takahari, is actually a Japanese hotel mogul and wants her to come live with him. Um, yes, please! Elle jets off first class from Washington D.C. to Tokyo, which seems like a dream come true. Until she meets her enigmatic father, her way-too-fab aunt, and her hyper-critical grandmother, who seems to wish Elle didn't exist. In an effort to please her new family, Elle falls in with the Ex-Brats, a troupe of uber-cool international kids who spend money like it's air. But when she starts to crush on a boy named Ryuu, who's frozen out by the Brats and despised by her new family, her already tenuous living situation just might implode.

My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life is about learning what it is to be a family, and finding the inner strength to be yourself, even in the most extreme circumstances.

(Goodreads)

My Review

I have been a Rachel Cohn fan for quite a while, so I was thrilled when I got to be a part of the blog tour for her latest book, My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life.  It contains so many things I love: private school, Japanese culture, and a sassy main character.  But above all, this is a story about family and finding out where you belong; something everyone can relate to in some way.

This book examines a lot of tough subjects: alcoholism, substance abuse, absentee parents, and cultural acclimation.  But what Cohn does so well, is weave those tough subjects with funny or sweet moments, much like real life.  So you get a good balance of intense subject matter with a light contemporary, so when you're reading, you feel for the characters, but you're never weighted down.  I think there is a time and place for those hard hitting contemporaries, but I must admit I prefer my drama with some humor and romance.

Elle is a great main character: she's funny, smart, and adaptable. You click with her right away, and get invested in what happens to her.  Elle was the main reason I blasted through this book so fast (while that's the hope for a main character, honestly sometimes it's the supporting cast that makes a book sing).  I will say that Elle was the most developed, but as this is her story I didn't find that to be an issue.  So while the supporting characters contain some layers, they are there to help Elle along in her journey.  Of course, Elle isn't perfect.  She makes some dicey decisions friend group-wise when she gets to Japan, but in her situation I find that totally believable.  I think the best way to describe Elle is as a girl you'd want to be friends with.

The school Elle attends is like something out of your wildest private school dreams.  I know when I was growing up, I wanted to go some place magical and exclusive, and the International Collegiate School of Tokyo delivered.  Competitive and exclusive, Elle has to really hustle to keep up with her classmates, but she succeeds on catching up.  Of course, she shines on the swim team, putting some balance into her life.  Here Cohn highlights the hierarchy of such a school, with the "Ex-Brats" running the show, and Elle trying to fit in.  While the setting isn't somewhere typical teens go, the social dynamics will definitely resonate.

Finally, one of my favorite parts of the book was the setting.  Taking place in Japan, specifically Tokyo, you get to see the city through Elle's eyes: the busy parts and the quiet parts.  The difference between American and Japanese culture are highlighted, showing both the good and the bad.  Elle's fraternal relatives see her as not part of the family, and remind her that she is both hafu (“half Japanese, half something else”) and gaijin (a foreigner).  But while they don't accept her, the "ex-Brats" and other students at Elle's school show her the welcoming parts of Tokyo.  If you don't want to visit Tokyo and Japan after this book, I don't know what will convince you.

The only issue I had with the book was the pacing.  Over half of the book is just setting Elle up in Japan, and then it all kind of fast-forwards, with the resolution coming together much to quickly to feel as genuine as it could.  Luckily, as this is more a character-driven story, the plot being rushed doesn't negate the enjoyment of the story.

A great mix of sweet and dramatic, My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life delivers a good read.  Out today, go pick up a copy!

Final Rating

About the Author

Rachel grew up in the D.C. area and graduated from Barnard College with a B.A. in Political Science. She has written many YA novels, including three that she cowrote with her friend and colleague David Levithan. She lives and writes (when she's not reading other people's books, organizing her music library or looking for the best cappuccino) in New York City.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook 

Giveaway

3 Winners will receive a finished copy of My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life, US Only.

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BLOG TOUR --- Love à la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm [Review + Giveaway]

Title: Love à la Mode

Authors(s): Stephanie Kate Strohm
Publication Date: November 27, 2018
Edition: Hardcover, ebook, audiobook; 304 pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Buy: Amazon - Barnes & 
Noble - iBooks - The Book Depository - Audible

Tour Schedule

Week One:

11/26/2018- Mary Had a Little Book Blog- Review

11/27/2018- Oh Hey! Books.- Excerpt

11/28/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review

11/29/2018- A Gingerly Review- Review

11/30/2018- Adventures Thru Wonderland- Review

Week Two:

12/3/2018- Novel Novice- Review

12/4/2018- Do You Dog-ear?- Review

12/5/2018- The Hermit Librarian- Review

12/6/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Excerpt

12/7/2018- YA Book Nerd- Review

Week Three:

12/10/2018- Eli to the nth- Review

12/11/2018- BookHounds YA- Review

12/12/2018- Savings in Seconds- Review

12/13/2018- Clarissa Reads It All- Review

12/14/2018- Kait Plus Books- Review

Week Four:

12/17/2018- Book Dragon Lair- Review

12/18/2018- EatingbetweenthelinesINC- Review

12/19/2018- Smada's Book Smack- Review

12/20/2018- Lifestyle of Me- Review
12/21/2018- The Heart of a Book Blogger- Review

The Summary

Take two American teen chefs, add one heaping cup of Paris, toss in a pinch of romance, and stir...

Rosie Radeke firmly believes that happiness can be found at the bottom of a mixing bowl. But she never expected that she, a random nobody from East Liberty, Ohio, would be accepted to celebrity chef Denis Laurent's school in Paris, the most prestigious cooking program for teens in the entire world. Life in Paris, however, isn't all cream puffs and crepes. Faced with a challenging curriculum and a nightmare professor, Rosie begins to doubt her dishes.

Henry Yi grew up in his dad's restaurant in Chicago, and his lifelong love affair with food landed him a coveted spot in Chef Laurent's school. He quickly connects with Rosie, but academic pressure from home and his jealousy over Rosie's growing friendship with gorgeous bad-boy baker Bodie Tal makes Henry lash out and push his dream girl away.

Desperate to prove themselves, Rosie and Henry cook like never before while sparks fly between them. But as they reach their breaking points, they wonder whether they have what it takes to become real chefs.

Perfect for lovers of Chopped Teen Tournament and Kids Baking Championship, as well as anyone who dreams of a romantic trip to France, Love à la Mode follows Rosie and Henry as they fall in love with food, with Paris, and ultimately, with each other.

(Goodreads)

Review

As sweet as dessert, Love à la Mode is the perfectly delicious rom-com that fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson will devour!

I am a sucker for A) meet-cutes, B) boarding schools, and C) food!  Guess what has all of these elements?!  Henry and Rosie are adorbs, and are such a sweet couple to fall in love with.  I really enjoyed the characterization of the main characters.  I felt like their responses were real, which is such an important aspect of contemporaries.  If I don't think the teens are reacting realistically, I tend to be turned off.  But Stephanie Strohm nails the voices of these two.  

I especially adore Henry; from a Korean-American household, you see those expectations that are often stereotyped: his parents want success for him.  But the interesting part, is that his parents don't necessarily agree on what that success looks like.  While his father is a chef, and supports his dream to become one as well, his mother is pretty vocally against it.  That pressure from his mother plays a toll in his relationship with Rosie, but don't worry about the angst: it all ends in fluff.

The group of teens at Ecole Denis Laurent are great, and real friends to Rosie and Henry.  I am not just a sucker for a good romance, but a good friend story, as well.  Friendship is sometimes more important than romance; who better to help you get over a guy or get with a guy, then your best friends?  And with this group, while they all come from different backgrounds, that just makes them come together even stronger.

Finally, the foooooooooood!  The food descriptions are out of this world. They make me wish for some sort of "Wonka-Vision", where I can just reach into the book pages and snap up whatever mouthwatering concoction being featured.  Definitely don't read this book hungry!

Love à la Mode by Stephanie Kate Strohm is the perfect amuse-bouche: you will eat it up in one sitting!  Out in stores now, this would be a lovely addition to someone's presents this holiday season!

Final Rating

About the Author

Photo credit: Melissa Lynn

Stephanie Kate Strohm is the author of It's Not Me, It's You; The Taming of the Drew; Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink; Confederates Don't Wear Couture, The Date to Save and Prince in Disguise. 

She grew up on the Connecticut coast, where a steady diet of Little House on the Prairie turned her into a history nerd at an early age. After graduating with a joint major in theater and history from Middlebury College, she acted her way around the country, performing in more than 25 states.

Although she was born in New York, she currently lives in Chicago, and doesn't discriminate against any type of pizza. When she's not writing, she loves baking, walking her dog Lorelei, taking dance cardio classes too seriously, and playing board games with her husband. 

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook  | Pinterest 

Giveaway

3 Winners will receive a finished copy of Love à la Mode, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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