Book Spotlight: "Where the Road Leads Us" by Robin Reul

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog! Today I am so incredibly excited to be doing a book spotlight for Where the Road Leads Us by Robin Reul, an upcoming YA contemporary focused around a road trip! This book releases April 6 from Sourcebooks Fire so there's still time to preorder a copy. Until then, here's everything to know about Where the Road Leads Us...

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Sometimes the best path is the unexpected one.

Jack is on the verge of leaving for college, but before he does, he wants to track down his estranged brother, Alex and find some closure in the wake of their father's death. Meanwhile, Hallie has just found out some upsetting news about a friend in Oregon, and she has a small window to go see him before it's too late.

Jack and Hallie are practically strangers. They shared a class together years ago and haven't seen each other since, though they have more in common than they'd ever imagine. And when fate puts them into the same rideshare to the bus terminal, it kicks off an unconventional and hysterical adventure that may lead them to their own true selves…and maybe to each other.

GOODREADS

Genre: YA Contemporary

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: April 6, 2021

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AMAZON     |     BARNES & NOBLE     |     BOOKSHOP     |     INDIEBOUND

BOOK DEPOSITORY     |     VROMAN'S BOOKSTORE

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Robin Reul has been writing since she was in early elementary school, when she used to make her own book club flyers for her classmates and then pen them original stories. At thirteen, she had her first meeting with a major publisher, and the dream of someday being a published author firmly took hold.

As the daughter of a film producer, she spent her childhood on location, growing up on movie sets, and developing a fine appreciation for strong black coffee. She graduated from Boston University with a degree in Broadcasting and Film, and worked for many years in the film and television industry, both as an actress and in motion picture development. One of her favorite jobs was working as an Outreach Assistant for the Disney/PBS show “Bill Nye The Science Guy.” Ultimately, Robin decided to return her focus to writing young adult novels full-time. She likes to write the same sort of stories that helped get her through her teenage years: funny, honest stories filled with quirky, memorable characters that at the end of the read, make you feel like you’ve just had a visit with a good friend.

When she’s not writing, Robin can be found singlehandedly driving up the profit margin of her local Starbucks and indulging her love of baked goods, particularly those in the key of pumpkin.  She lives in Los Angeles suburbia. Her first novel, MY KIND OF CRAZY, debuted in April 2016 followed by WHERE THE ROAD LEADS US in April 2021.

Author Photo & Biography from www.robinreul.com

GOODREADS     |     FACEBOOK     |     INSTAGRAM

TWITTER     |     WEBSITE

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Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Let's Talk: "Seafire" by Natalie C. Parker

Title: Seafire

Author: Natalie C. Parker

Series: "Seafire" #1

Genre: YA Nautical Fantasy

Page Length: 384 pages

Publication Date: August 28, 2018

Date Started: August 1, 2018
Date Finished: August 2, 2018

Rating: 4.5/5 stars 

Goodreads

*I was sent a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and spoiler-free. *

Wow. That's all I can really say at the end of this book. It wow'ed me. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I mean, I expected to like it, but I didn't think that I would love it like I did. It was a very fun and excellent ride.

I started reading this at about 10 at night, just intending to get a few pages in before I went to bed. I ended up reading about a fourth of it and absolutely loving it. Then, between my breaks at work and the time I had when I got home, I finished it off the next day. It was binge-worthy and kept my attention the entire book.

I loved these characters, this story, and the world. I thought that everything was well-planned out and all the strings were connected, yet it wasn't too complex and overwhelming. I never knew for sure what was going to happen and while it terrified me, I also loved that aspect of the book.

The thing about this book is that the characters really make it a game changer. This book is primarily about a group of female characters, with only a handful of men in the entire story. I loved that. It was awesome to see an all-girl crew that knew how to fight and be strong without men. In fact, one of the rules on the ship is that no males are allowed. I just loved how feminist and badass they all were.

Not only were these female characters badass, but they were all diverse and had their own way of bringing something new to the table. We had amazing representation in this book with POC characters, deaf/disabled characters, LGBTQ+ characters, characters who struggled with addiction, and more. I think that was just awesome because not only does it let people who fall into those categories have a character or two that they can identify with, but it also shows that just because someone isn't the textbook definition of strong doesn't mean they can't be a badass in their own way.

There were a lot of character arcs in this book but the one that really stands out is Caledonia, the main character. As we're viewing this story from her POV, it's easier to see her character development than others, but if you were to look at one character at the beginning of the novel and the same character at the end, you'll see the difference.

I personally loved Caledonia's perspective and just her as a character. She's not perfect and I think that's what was awesome. So often in YA novels we're told that a female character is a badass who can do no wrong and they end up always saving the day and making the right decisions and everything goes perfectly as planned. For Cala, that was not the case. She made mistakes, she has doubts and guilt, and nothing seemed to go as planned for her. Yet she always found a way to continue on and figure something out for her and her crew. She's strong, yes, but she's also vulnerable. And seeing her journey from the beginning of the book to the end was awesome.

The world building was just enough for me to not be confused by what was going on but the author didn't overwhelm me with unneeded details. We got what we needed for the plot at the time, and I can only imagine that the world will build even bigger in the next installment. I'm so excited to learn more about the world and different cultures and, more importantly, how the antagonist got to where he is.

I've been dying to read a pirate book for so freaking long. I have a few nautical fantasies on my shelf right now that I'm itching to read too, but it's just a pure stroke of luck that I ended up being sent a review copy of this one. I loved the nautical aspects of this book and I thought that they were really well researched and well-done. I can't wait for more pirates and ships and sea-battles in the next book. This brings me to another thing: I loved the technology. Usually in a lot of fantasies, there's not as much modern technology, but this book had solar energy and batteries and electrical weapons and so much more. Of course, they were named other things, but I loved seeing the technology woven in with everything else.

The plot was excellent. I thought that everything was paced well and there were plenty of high-action scenes mixed in with the more calm ones. Still, everything kept me turning the page and reading as fast as I could because I needed to know what happened. I'm both happy and sad at how this book ended. Some things I wanted to happen, happened. But others didn't happen, or happened in a way I wasn't expecting, or ended in a freaking cliffhanger! *cue me crying because I just want more*

My heart is full, yet also breaking. I can't wait for the sequel and can only hope that I'll get my hands on an arc when they are printed. I'm so grateful that I was given a chance to review it early and I'm so happy that I loved it this much. Seafire has definitely found a home in my favorites.

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Thanks for reading!
xoxo
Lauren

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Blog Tour Review: "Dive Smack" by Demetra Brodsky

First off, I want to wish a very happy release to this amazing book! I am thrilled to be a part of the blog tour for this book and can't wait to share it with you all! It was a fun, binge-worthy read that was perfect for reading at the pool during my breaks at work and late at night when I'm sitting alone in my dark house!

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SYNOPSIS

Theo Mackey only remembers one thing for certain about the fire that destroyed his home: he lit the match.

Sure, it was an accident. But the blaze killed his mom and set his dad on a path to self-destruction. Everything else about that fateful night is full of gaping holes in Theo’s mind, for good reason. Maybe it’s better that way. As captain of the Ellis Hollow Diving Team, with straight A's and solid friends, he's only one semester away from securing a scholarship, and leaving his past behind.

But when a family history project gets assigned at school, new memories come rushing to the surface, memories that make him question what he really knows about his family, the night of the fire, and if he can trust anyone—including himself.

A 2018 JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION

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PRAISE + REVIEWS

"A tense psychological drama with a voice that pulls you in and a twist you won't see coming, Dive Smack is an instant Hitchcockian classic!" —Gretchen McNeil, author of Ten

"A twisty, witty thriller readers will love puzzling through to the very end. A visceral, delightful debut." —Carrie Mesrobian, author of William C. Morris award finalist Sex & Violence

"This riveting debut will plunge readers into an accelerating coil of twists and turns as if in free fall, plummeting them from a precipice as they cling to the dwindling hope of safe entry into the mysterious darkness below." —S.A. Bodeen, author of The Compound

"Brodsky’s debut combines an engaging school story, filled with best friend shenanigans, first love, and a fascinating look at competitive diving, with a tense psychological mystery." —Booklist

"In an impressive debut, Brodsky injects her teen drama with ambiguity, and a subtle hint of paranormal phenomena, leaving readers to guess at what’s really going on. Strong characters and a compelling mystery make this a real page-turner." —Publishers Weekly

"A taut thriller with a twist ending that will blow your mind." —Kim Liggett, Bram Stoker Award-Winning Author of The Last Harvest

"Complex, thrilling, and with a pitch-perfect narrative voice, Dive Smack will leave you on the edge of your seat and unable to put this one down." —C. Desir, author of Bleed Like Me

"Heartbreaking, human and heroic, Dive Smack is a Perfect 10!" —Karen LaFace, 1992 USA Olympic Springboard Diver

“A taut roller coaster of a thriller chock full of dark family secrets, twisty lies, and finally, the redeeming power of truth.” —Michelle Zink, author of This Wicked Game

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Demetra Brodsky

Demetra Brodsky is an award-winning graphic designer & art director turned writer. She has a B.F.A. from The Massachusetts College of Art and Design and lives in Southern California with her family of four and two lovable rescue dogs where she is always trying to make more time for the beach. Dive Smack is dedicated to Pumpkin, the monarch butterfly she once saved from the brink of death. Once you read the book, you'll understand why. 

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CONNECT + WHERE TO ORDER

You can find ALL of Demetra's social media and connection links here as well as links for where to preorder her book from any retailer! There are also links to other goodies such as a Spotify playlist, the Pinterest inspiration board for this book, podcasts, excerpts, and more! Her Twitter is located here. 

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MY REVIEW

And now we're on to my personal thoughts on the book! I will be posting a super in depth review later on in the week, but for now here are my main, spoiler-free thoughts! 

As I said before, I thought that this book was fun and binge-worthy. I went into this book knowing that the author had called it "Riverdale meets Mara Dyer" and "Teen Wolf meets E. Lockhart," which, if you know me at all, you know that Teen Wolf is my absolute favorite show. I went in with high expectations and I did not get disappointed.

The writing style was so easy to follow and I never felt a disconnect because of the writing. I thought the characters were fun and multi-dimensional. I really connected with Theo because we do have some shared personal experiences and I liked seeing those portrayed. From the start of the book, I was in love with all of the puns that were used, especially between Chip and Theo. I loved their relationship in this book especially. 

Being a part of the swimming and diving community for over 8 years, I was both excited and skeptical about the competitive diving aspects of this book. I was pleased with how it was handled. Obviously, there were small things that just came down to wording that didn't match up with my experiences, but the overall portrayal of diving and swimming was very well done. 

This is definitely a book that pulls you in. I was very happy with it and I enjoyed how it went from an average high-school novel into a twisting psychological thriller. I can honestly say that this is one of the best thrillers I've read in a long time. 

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GIVEAWAY

Hardcover copy of DIVE SMACK by Demetra Brodsky & Prize pack of necklace, bracelet, signed bookmark, & signed book plate! US only, ends 6/26.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this blog tour stop! If you would like to continue following this tour, you can find the schedule here!
xoxo
Lauren

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