Blog Tour: Between Friends by Andrea Cowen.

The only way to have a friend is to be one..... especially between the sheets...

When neurotically challenged and unlucky in love Megan Daniels, is propositioned by her life-long friend Ben Romano with a coin toss (heads, they sleep together, tails they don’t) the night before they are about to attend a destination wedding, she drunkenly accepts his challenge. But when Megan wakes up the next morning with a bad hang-over and Ben in her bed, she is more than mortified. It isn’t until the tropical heat begins to ignite emotions Megan never ever believed she could possibly have, that she starts to question if risking their friendship is the answer to finding true love.

This book sound so light and fun that I knew it would make a good summer read!

What I Loved:
Megan- I really liked Megan as a character. She was such a realistic girl, not as wild as two of the girls, loyal to her best friend and unaware of the phenomenal chemistry between her and Ben!
Friendship- I loved that the whole group had stayed so close through school and college into the 'real world'. I liked how different they were. I loved Michelle and Matthew together despite the fact they needed to sort themselves out. Jessica was a bit over the top with the wedding and with Megan, she seemed to get more childish as the book went on! Stephanie was the only one I didn't really like because frankly she was just mean! I liked Eric, he was the most perceptive and I loved that he went against Jessica to reassure Megan about Ben.
Setting- I loved that Jessica's destination wedding meant they were all out of their comfort zone and forced together in the same small environment. I think it made Megan and Ben to spend more time together after sleeping together as otherwise Megan would have probably just avoided Ben!

What I Didn't Love As Much:
Steven- I liked him as a character but I didn't see the point of him. I think he could of been taken out and the book would have better, much less drama with Jessica and less guilt for Megan!

A good solid read! I loved the setting and it was so easy to read!

 

 

Much Love!

Lettie



Xxx

Blog Tour: A Sliver of Hope by Karla J. Nellenbach

My twin sister was the only person in the world I thought I’d known inside and out. Apparently, I was wrong.
Twin sisters share a unique bond, one that can't be broken by miles, time, or even death. Hannah and Hope Morton are no exception. When Hope takes her own life, Hannah loses a sister and a best friend, a catastrophe she isn't sure she'll survive herself.
With her family in ruins, Hannah is slowly disappearing, drowning in a sea of misery. Even her wild, energetic best friend can't pull her out of her grief. Desperate to help Hannah, her brother comes home from college, bringing his best friend Julian along, the first boy to break Hannah’s heart. None of their efforts are enough to pull Hannah off her self destructive path, though. Julian is the only one who can get through to her, working his way into her frozen soul with cocky remarks and genuine love that warms her from the inside out.
As Hannah works to find answers, she continues to uncover new secrets and people that reveal a side of Hope she had never shared with her twin. Alone now, Hannah must make a decision of her own: move on and start a new life with the people she has left, or let the weight of her grief drag her down with her sister.


What I Loved:
Hannah- Hannah was quintessentially the quiet girl of her family,  content to live in the shadow of her bolder louder twin sister Hope. It was heart breaking to read her reaction to the loss of Hope but it was a very realistic portrayal. I liked how she slowly learnt to deal with Hope's death and recognise that she wasn't responsible directly or indirectly for Hope's actions. I really connected with Hannah's character, she came across as sympathetic and strong.
Support Cast- The side cast were far more of a support cast for Hannah. Glory, her best friend was so vibrant, I loved how she knew when and how far to push Hannah. She was brilliantly supportive at all times even when she was unsure of how to deal with Hannah. Julian, I loved how he didn't treat Hannah too different and how he tried to take his cues from her. I  adored their beach days and how he gave glimpses of Hannah before Hope's death, I really loved them together! Doug, seemed like such a good brother and protective even when his best friend was involved. I liked the mysterious Billy, I really felt for him and how out of the loop he must of felt. 
Journal- I adored the writing style. The journal layout was perfect, it gave a real insight to how Hannah was coping and gave Hope a personality and character. I liked how it explored Hannah's memories and thoughts as well as relaying what was actually happening in the present.

What I didn't love as much:
Hope- I know suicide never has answers but I definitely wanted more! There was so much unknown about her life!

Final Thoughts!
I really enjoyed going through Hannah's journey of grief from the discovery of Hope's body to the resolution. I loved the honesty and raw emotions. I adored the side cast and seeing them through Hannah's eyes.

Check out the rest of the blog tour!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you read any similar books you'd recommend?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Cover Reveal: A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers.

 

 

Have you ever gone just a little too far?

Lexie Banks has.

Yep. She just had mind-blowing sex with her stepbrother. In her defence, she was on the rebound, and it’s more of a my-dad-happened-to-marry-a-woman-with-a-super-hot-son situation. But still, he’s been her best friend and confidant for better part of the last few years…and is so off limits. It’s a good thing she’s leaving in two days for a year abroad in Rome. But even thousands of miles away, Lexie can’t seem to escape trouble. Raised Catholic, she goes to Confession in hopes of alleviating some of her guilt…and maybe not burning in hell. Instead, she stumbles out of the confessional right into Alessandro Moretti, a young and very easy on the eyes deacon…only eight months away from becoming a priest. As Lexie and Alessandro grow closer, and when Alessandro’s signals start changing despite his vow of celibacy, she doesn’t know what to think. She’s torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn’t want and the man she can’t have. And she isn’t sure how she can live with herself either way.

How good does this book sound? Stepsiblings is such an interesting angle!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Are you a fan of Lisa Desrochers?

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxxx

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

 

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....
Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.
But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

I jumped at the chance to request this one on NetGalley because I loved Pushing The Limits!
What I Loved:
Beth- Beth wasn't my favourite character in Pushing The Limits but I really liked her in Dare You To. I found her to be such a layered and confused character. I admired her loyalty to her mother however displaced it was and I completely understood her reception to Scott. Beth was heart-breaking to read with her tough attitude and hidden sadness. 
Ryan- Ryan surprised me. He seemed like a ordinary jock but he was much more than that, very talented and determines. I loved how much of a gentleman he was and how he treated Beth so well.
Dual Viewpoints- I loved the dual viewpoints in Pushing the Limits and I loved them even more in Dare You To. It added to the depth of the characters and especially helped to see the truth in Beth and Ryan's lives and relationships.
Side Cast- I liked Isaiah in Pushing the Limits but in Dare You To, he completely broke my heart! I understood that to Beth Isaiah was just her very best friend and nothing more, but the poor guy didn't!  I cannot wait for his story now! I loved that Lacey remembered Beth and instantly restarted their friendship, she reminded me of Lila, a true best friend. Scott was such a layered character like Beth, his past had affected his life and you could sense the guilt he felt over Beth. I loved how hard he tried to bond with Beth, he made a concrete effort when met with Beth's tough shell.

What I Didn't Love as Much:
Alison-  I really disliked Alison she was so reluctant to give Beth a chance. She didn't seem to give a thought to how important Scott was to Beth or vice versa.
Echo- I completely forgot that Beth didn't get on so well with Echo so I was expecting more of Noah and Echo- there's always the next one!

I loved how different Beth and Ryan were to Noah and Echo, the side cast and Katie's writing was as easy to read and addictive as ever.

The sneak peek of Isaiah's story will make desperate to read it!
Did you love Beth's story?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

One Year Blogiversary!

 
It is exactly a year to the day that Above Average Below Special became a Book Blog!
 

One Year in Numbers

Books Read= 99.

Reviews Posted= 55.

Total Posts= 169.

5 Heart Reviews= 8.

 
I honestly didn't know whether I'd make it to a year when I post my first post last year!
I'd tried blogging before but what with work, university and life I ended up abandoning it. However after exams I came back and made Above Average Below Special solely a book blog! It's been a great year and I've thoroughly enjoyed it!
 
Things I learnt/ gained from Blogging!
New Genres~ Dystopia and New Adult.
The Art of Reviewing.
How publishing really works.
The value of EBooks.
The Blogging Community.
Social Media.
How to make headers.

Favourites!

• My Favourite Posts!- Discussion of Series Vs Standalones and Teaser: The Edge of Always by J.A. Redmerski
• My Favourite Reviews!- If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi and Speechless by Hannah Harrington.
• Most Popular Reviews!- Mini Reviews! Steph Campbell Edition! and Matched by Ally Condie
• Post I want to do more of! Friday Five~ Dystopia Characters and  Lettie Loves Films!
• Favourite series~ Under The Never Sky and  The Selection  

 

Giveaway!

Jen Frederick who wrote one of my favourite reads from May very generously agreed to do a giveaway to celebrate!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

I will be doing a couple more Blogiversary posts expanding on things I've learnt this year and what I've loved throughout the month!

I just want to thank everyone who follows this blog, my twitter, comments on my posts or contacts me! That's what makes me make time for blogging and reviewing- I hope you stick with me for the next year!

 

Thank you!

Much Love!

Lettie

XXxx

May~ A Review!

Monthly Feature- rounds up all the books I've read, progress on challenges and reviews my blogging!

It is kind of an expansion (?) of my favourite memes hosted by the lovely Shelia over at Book Journey!

 

May is my favourite month! It's my birthday month and in the UK we get two bank holidays and half term!

May in Numbers!

Total posts= 16

Books read= 16

Reviews Posted= 10 

What I read in May!

Wow! I think half-term really upped my reading time! 

 

What I reviewed!
Mini Reviews~ Jolene Perry and Nyrae Dawn. 3 Reviews! 3-3* Hearts.

Emancipating Andie by Priscilla Glenn 3* Hearts.
Off Limits by Sawyer Bennett.  4 Hearts.

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland 4 Hearts.

Lost and Found by Nicole Williams. 4 Hearts.

Nissa by Bethany Lopez 3* Hearts.

Stripped by Brooklyn Skye. 3* Hearts.

Way more than reviews April!

What I posted!

Stacking the Shelves: May. See what I added to my sheleves in May!

Book News! New realeases and book deals I'm looking forward to!

Blog Tour: The Last Hour by Charles Sheehan-Mi​les... Extract from Charles Sheehan-Miles' newest book!

Cover Reveal: Off The Record by Sawyer Bennett Beautiful cover to end a lovely series!

Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop! Second giveaway.

Blog Tour: Friends and Lovers Trilogy by Bethany L... Series Review of Friends and Lovers!

April~ A Review A review of April.

 

Challenge Progress

Genre Variety Challenge- 4/12

New Adult Challenge- 20/20!

YA Contemporary Challenge- 3/10

First Reads- 17/20

TBR Pile- 5/11-20

Dystopia- 4/15

Good progress- So close to completing the First Reads Challenge!

Just need to get started on the British Books Challenge!

Did I achieve my goals?

Posts!- I want to post at least 12 posts in May!

Yes! I posted 14 posts! Back up to my usual average :) I also managed to post 10 reviews which I think is a personal best of 2013. I however didn't really get as much post diversity as I planned!

Comments!

The giveaway threw me off my target but I'm going to spend Wednesday evening going back over May's posts and replying to comments!

Amazon- Curb my Amazon spending!

I brought more books but I also read a bigger percentage of them so it's a sort of victory....

 

What I hope to achieve in June!

•  Post Diversity.- I definitely think May was overwhelmed with blog tours so I want to make sure each blog tour gets a non tour post 'companion' post posted within a couple days!
• Maintain an average of 14 posts. - I want to keep on top of my average posts!
• TBR. This is building on my goal of curbing Amazon spending. I want to make sure I go back and start reading all the books I've brought instead of just buying more!
• Spring Clean! It's my Blogiversary! So I want to make sure my blog is looking tidy and up to date! So updating the pages, review page maybe a bit of a shake up!

How was your May?
What do you hope for in June?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxxx

Stacking the Shelves: May.

What is Stacking The Shelves all about?

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

 

Welcome to my monthly round up!

May is my absolute favourite month as it's my birthday month! However this year's presents didn't feature any books except a couple of history related ones.

 

Borrowed Shelf!

Reckless by S.C. Stephens.~ My library reservation finally came through!
So excited to finish this series off with a hard copy :)
 

Virtual Shelf!

 

Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry~ This one popped up free so I snapped it up!

Second Chance Boyfriend by Monica Murphy~ I needed more Drew and Fable!
Indulgent Pleasures by Karen Erickson~ I love Monica Murphy so I thought I'd try her other books.

Unbroken by Melody Grace~ This one kept getting highly recommended and it was 77p!

Don't Hate the Player... Hate the Game by Katie Ashley~ This one just caught my eye!
Four Summers by Nyrae Dawn~ I love Nyrae Dawn  so I had to pick up her latest book!  
Untouched by Melody Grace~ I got this after speeding through Unbroken!

The Hazards of Skinny Dipping by Alyssa Rose Ivy~ This one sounds like a perfect summer read!
 

Review Shelf!

NetGalley
True by Erin McCarthy.
Dragonfly by Leigh T. Moore.
The Bell Between Worlds by Ian Johnstone.

Blog Tours
The Trouble with Goodbye by Sarra Cannon.
Between Friends by Andrea Cowen.

A Sliver of Hope by Karla J. Nellenbach.

Play with Me and Ryan Hunter by Piper Shelley.

Touching Melody by RaShelle Workman.
 

Other

Undeclared by Jen Frederick.
Faster We Burn by Chelsea M. Cameron.

I didn't realise quite how good of a month it had been!
What have you added to your shelves in May?
Much Love!
Lettie.
Xxx