Month: June 2020

Review: Influence

Title: Influence
Author: Sara Shepard and Lilia Buckingham
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Get ready to delve into the world of teen influencers like you’ve never done before–from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of PRETTY LITTLE LIARS Sara Shepard and sixteen-year-old actress and social media personality Lilia Buckingham comes a twisty mystery that takes place in the fiercely competitive world of Internet stars.

After a video she makes goes viral, everyone knows Delilah Rollins. And now that she’s in LA, Delilah’s standing on the edge of something incredible. Everything is going to change. She has no idea how much.

Jasmine Walters-Diaz grew up in the spotlight. A child star turned media darling, the posts of her in her classic Lulu C. rainbow skirt practically break the Internet. But if the world knew who Jasmine really was, her perfect life? Canceled.

Fiona Jacobs is so funny–the kind of girl for whom a crowd parts–no wonder she’s always smiling! But on the inside? The girl’s a hot mess. And when someone comes out of the shadows with a secret from her past, it’s one that won’t just embarrass Fiona: it will ruin her.

Who wouldn’t want to be Scarlet Leigh? Just look at her Instagram. Scarlet isn’t just styled to perfection: she is perfection. Scarlet has a gorgeous, famous boyfriend named Jack and there’s a whole fanbase about their ship. To everyone watching online, their lives seem perfect . . . but are they really? The sun is hot in California . . . and someone’s going to get burned. 

Review:

Sixteen-year-old Delilah enters the new world of being an influencer when she moves to L.A. with her family. She instantly joins parties with other top influencers and actresses Jasmine, Fiona, and Scarlet. When Delilah is caught flirting with Scarlet’s boyfriend Jack, Delilah learns just how mean the world of social media can be. Everything escalates until someone is murdered, and everyone is a suspect.

This book shows the dark side of social media. When a celebrity posts something, fans can take it to the extreme either loving or hating them. It’s easy to judge someone when you view their “perfect” life on social media, but what is posted isn’t the whole story. This story shows what can happen when online bullying is taken to the extreme.

This book reminded me of Pretty Little Liars. It had a lot of the same twists that that series had. I liked the suspenseful twists. I was surprised at who the murderer was at the end. I kept guessing who it was, but I was wrong every time. I love it when a book surprises me in the end.

This was a great, fast paced thriller.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars #1) by Sara Shepard

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #1) by Holly Jackson

Have you read Influence? What did you think of it?

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Top Ten Tuesday – Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2020

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and it is now hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2020. Here’s my list:

1. The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

2. Majesty (American Royals #2) by Katharine McGee

3. The Heir Affair (Royal We #2) by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

4. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

5. Admission by Julie Buxbaum

6. One by One by Ruth Ware

7. Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell

8. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

9. Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer

10. The Wrong Mr. Darcy by Evelyn Lozada with Holly Lörincz

(All photos taken from Goodreads)

What’s your list of books on your Top Ten Tuesday?

Blog Tour Review: She’s Faking It

Title: She’s Faking It
Author: Kristin Rockaway
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Graydon House
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: June 30, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

You can’t put a filter on reality.

Bree Bozeman isn’t exactly pursuing the life of her dreams. Then again, she isn’t too sure what those dreams are. After dropping out of college, she’s living a pretty chill life in the surf community of Pacific Beach, San Diego…if “chill” means delivering food as a GrubGetter, and if it means “uneventful”.

But when Bree starts a new Instagram account — @breebythesea — one of her posts gets a signal boost from none other than wildly popular self-help guru Demi DiPalma, owner of a lifestyle brand empire. Suddenly, Bree just might be a rising star in the world of Instagram influencing. Is this the direction her life has been lacking? It’s not a career choice she’d ever seriously considered, but maybe it’s a sign from the universe. After all, Demi’s the real deal… right?

Everything is lining up for Bree: life goals, career, and even a blossoming romance with the chiseled guy next door, surf star Trey Cantu. But things are about to go sideways fast, and even the perfect filter’s not gonna fix it. Instagram might be free, but when your life looks flawless on camera, what’s the cost? 

Review:

Bree doesn’t know what she wants to do in life. She dropped out of college and works for a food delivery app, but she loses that job when her car breaks down. Then, her sister gives her a book by a lifestyle guru, which will help her achieve her ambitions. The problem is that Bree doesn’t know what her ambitions are. She makes an Instagram account, where she reposts images for her vision board. Things get more complicated when she starts a romance with a pro surfer, who has had his own social media scandal. Bree has to learn that things on social media aren’t always what they seem.

Social media is such an important part of life, yet it can also be fake. Things that are posted have been edited to look perfect, rather than reflect real life. In this story, Bree becomes a minor influencer. She gets offers to promote products, even though she doesn’t know or like the products. It’s so easy to get caught up in getting free products or promotions on social media. It’s important to stay true to yourself and your brand, rather than just gaining followers.

I liked how realistic Bree’s struggles were in this story. Bree was given opportunities in her young life, yet she didn’t know how to use them. She didn’t know what she wanted to study in college, which led to her dropping out. She struggled with debt and unemployment. This wasn’t a Cinderella story where she suddenly reversed her fortune at the end, but I liked how it reflected real life.

I really enjoyed this story.

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

How to Hack a Heartbreak by Kristin Rockaway

Love at First Like by Hannah Orenstein

About the author:

Kristin Rockaway is a native New Yorker with an insatiable case of wanderlust. After working in the IT industry for far too many years, she traded the city for the surf and chased her dreams out to Southern California, where she spends her days happily writing stories instead of software. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son, and planning her next big vacation.

Where to buy:

Harlequin

Amazon

Apple Books

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

Google Play

IndieBound

Kobo

Have you read She’s Faking It? What did you think of it?

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? – June 29

This blog meme is hosted by Book Date. It is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I just finished:

This weekend I finished She’s Faking It by Kristin Rockaway.

What I’m currently reading:

I’m currently reading Influence by Sara Shepard and Lilia Buckingham.

What I’m reading next:

Next I will be reading In the Role of Brie Hutchens… by Nicole Melleby.

What are you guys reading this week? Have you read any of these books?

Jill’s Weekly Wrap-Up – June 28

Here are my reviews for the week with my ratings:

I did 9 weekly blogging memes:

How was your week? What did you guys read?

Sundays in Bed With… She’s Faking It

The meme that dares to ask what book has been in your bed this morning? Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today! This meme is hosted by Midnight Book Girl.

This Sunday I’m reading She’s Faking It by Kristin Rockaway.

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Goodreads Synopsis:

You can’t put a filter on reality.

Bree Bozeman isn’t exactly pursuing the life of her dreams. Then again, she isn’t too sure what those dreams are. After dropping out of college, she’s living a pretty chill life in the surf community of Pacific Beach, San Diego…if “chill” means delivering food as a GrubGetter, and if it means “uneventful”.

But when Bree starts a new Instagram account — @breebythesea — one of her posts gets a signal boost from none other than wildly popular self-help guru Demi DiPalma, owner of a lifestyle brand empire. Suddenly, Bree just might be a rising star in the world of Instagram influencing. Is this the direction her life has been lacking? It’s not a career choice she’d ever seriously considered, but maybe it’s a sign from the universe. After all, Demi’s the real deal… right?

Everything is lining up for Bree: life goals, career, and even a blossoming romance with the chiseled guy next door, surf star Trey Cantu. But things are about to go sideways fast, and even the perfect filter’s not gonna fix it. Instagram might be free, but when your life looks flawless on camera, what’s the cost?

What book are you in bed with today?

Six for Sunday – LGBT Books on My TBR

This meme is hosted by Steph at A little but a lot. The weekly prompts for 2019 can be found here.

This week’s prompt is Your Dream LGBT Ships, but I decided to do LGBT Books on My TBR. Here’s my list:

1. The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

2. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

3. The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar

4. Verona Comics by Jennifer Dugan

5. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

6. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

(All book cover images from Goodreads)

Did you make a Six for Sunday list?

Review: Shades of Magic, Vol. 1: The Steel Prince

Title: Shades of Magic, Vol. 1: The Steel Prince
Author: V.E. Schwab, Andrea Olimpieri
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: Titan Comics
Source: Publisher
Format: Ebook
Release Date: March 6, 2019
Rating: ★★★★★

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Written by #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab and torn from the universe of the Shades of Magic sequence, this all-original comic book prequel to A Darker Shade of Magic is perfect for fans of bloody, swashbuckling adventure and gritty fantasy!

Delve into the thrilling, epic tale of the young and arrogant prince Maxim Maresh, long before he became the king of Red London and adoptive father to Kell, the lead of A Darker Shade of Magic!

The youthful Maresh is sent to a violent and unmanageable port city on the Blood Coast of Verose, on strict orders from his father, King Nokil Maresh, to cut his military teeth in this lawless landscape.

There, he encounters an unruly band of soldiers, a lawless landscape, and the intoxicatingly deadly presence of the newly returned pirate queen, Arisa…

Collects Shades of Magic: The Steel Prince #1-4.

Review:

Before the events in A Darker Shade of Magic, Maxim Maresh was an arrogant prince. His father, the King, sends him to the port city Verose. There, Maxim meets a captain in the army, named Isra. She shows him the ways of the city, but they are taken by surprise when the pirate queen, Asira, arrives in town. Isra has a personal vendetta against Asira, because she is the niece of the pirate queen. Maxim has to find his place among the army, while keeping an eye on the pirate queen.

I loved A Darker Shade of Magic, but I hadn’t finished the series, so I was holding off on reading this graphic novel until I was caught up. Fortunately, I found out recently that it isn’t necessary to read the original trilogy of novels before reading the graphic novels.

This is an amazing fantasy world. I was hooked on the story right from the start. The images are detailed, giving small hints about the plot that could be missed if it’s read quickly. I loved seeing the setting of the Darker Shade of Magic novels in the illustrations.

The story was fast paced. It took place over a short period of time, so I felt like it ended too soon. I’m so glad the next volumes are out, so I can read them right away!

Thank you Titan Comics for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Shades of Magic, Vol. 2: Night of Knives by V.E. Schwab, Andrea Olimpieri

A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab

Other books in the series:

  • Night of Knives
  • The Rebel Army

Have you read Shades of Magic, Vol. 1: The Steel Prince? What did you think of it?

Top 5 Saturday – Books With Morally Grey Characters

This is a weekly meme hosted Devouring Books. This week’s prompt is Books With Morally Grey Characters. Here’s my list:

1. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

2. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

3. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

4. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

5. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

(All book covers from Goodreads)

If you’d like to do this list too, consider yourself tagged!

Did you make a Top 5 Saturday list?