Literati Book Reviews: June 2015

Monday, June 29, 2015

Cover Reveal: Love, Defined by Leila Tualla

Today is the cover reveal for Love, Defined by Leila Tualla. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours.

Love, Defined

by Leila Tualla

Genre: Romance

Age category: Young Adult

Release Date: August 4, 2015

Blurb:

In their final summer before graduating college, three childhood friends expect an uncomplicated transition to adulthood…but learn they all still have some growing up to do.

Alex Makapulo is facing a crisis of faith.

Raised a Catholic, Alex is considering becoming a member of her best friend Jack Page’s church—against her family’s wishes—but she can’t quite take the final step of baptism. Jack loves Alex and doesn’t understand her hesitation, and Alex wonders if Jack’s love is a blessing or a distraction to test her religious conviction.

Lori Hanson embarks on the trip of a lifetime.

For her twenty-second birthday, Lori’s grandfather presents her with a summer vacation in England. While preparing for her adventure, she meets British musician Colin Watson online and quickly falls for him. They plan to hook up when she lands in London, but her grandfather forbids it. Due to complicated family dynamics, Lori must regretfully comply with his wishes, though she vows never to forgive him.

Andy Taylor is looking for love in all the wrong places.

When Andy runs into an old crush, she decides she wants a more meaningful relationship with sexy Miles Webber. But when she confides in Alex, her friend warns her Miles only wants her for sex. Andy becomes angry and devises a reckless plan to distract Alex’s attention from her relationship. Things don’t go quite as she expected, though, and Andy is left facing a crushing moral dilemma.

As the summer unfolds, three young women learn love and faith go hand in hand, not everything is black and white, and sometimes in a fast-paced world you have to slow down, breathe a little, and find your own definition of love.

About the Author:

Leila Tualla is a Christian blogger and writer. She blogs at www.tuallaleila.blogspot.com and writes about her misadventures in faith, in motherhood, and whatever else inspires her. She holds a membership to the American Christian Fiction Writer. Her current project is a YA Christian Romance.

You can find and contact Leila here:

- Website

- Facebook

- Twitter

- Instagram

Friday, June 26, 2015

Feature & Follow Friday #6

Feature & Follow Friday is a fun event hosted by Alison Can Read & Parajunkee. The purpose is to gain more followers and make new friends throughout the book blogging community. Keep in mind, though, the point is to follow other blogs also. I follow you, you follow me. :)

This week's question: Is there a book that you were required to read in school that you actually loved?

I don't remember a lot of books I read in school because at the time I was probably pissed that I was required to read something. A lot of the books we read seemed so ridiculous to me and I never really understood the need to read them until I got older. Many of them actually had some pretty good underlying messages to them. I do, however, remember reading To Kill a Mockingbird and absolutely adoring it. It was a tough read but has such a great message that it is trying to portray. Reading that book helped me to develop the mindset that everyone should be treated equal no matter their race, ethnicity, or cultural background. Honestly this book really changed my outlook on life, which is definitely something I needed at that time in my life.

To participate in this blog hop, visit Alison Can Read & Parajunkee. Follow their blogs, follow the featured blog, and then follow other bloggers! Simplicity for the win!

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Book Blitz: Not Every Girl by Jane McGarry

Hello friends and followers! To kick off the weekend I'd like to introduce you all to a new author I recently came into contact with. While perusing the world of Facebook I was lucky enough to find her and now I get to promote her new book (yay!). You can find her here on Goodreads and on her website here.

Taken from Goodreads:

Olivia Davenport’s plan is destined to fail.

She is going through with it anyway, of course. After all, it is the chance of a lifetime. The unreasonable rules of others should not stand in her way.

In her small kingdom of Stewartsland, Olivia trains with the squires and harbors a secret dream. She longs to become a knight under the command of the Master-of–Arms, who just happens to be her father. He has indulged her passion so far, but they both know a simple fact – girls may not attain knighthood. Dismayed by the constant discouragement of her ambitions, she makes an impetuous decision to disguise herself as a boy in order to sneak on a mission. The consequences are not at all what she anticipated.

When her deception is revealed, she is sent home in disgrace; however, an unexpected turn of events puts her at the center of a dangerous plot against the King. The ensuing adventure finds her grappling with mercenaries and outlaws, yet these pale in comparison to her newly awakened emotions. She finds not only her life at risk, but also her heart, when the aloof Prince Liam begins to affect her in ways she never thought possible. In the end, it is her courage and unique spirit which must guide her through the challenges she encounters both physical and emotional.

Can you say YES? Does Mulan ring a bell? This is like Disney's Mulan on a whole 'nother level, and I seriously cannot WAIT to review it! Review to come, folks, don't fret.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

"I came to offer the young lady one of my guards as an escort home."

What?

That is not part of my plan! And besides, my father could not seriously consider sending me off into the woods with a strange man, royal guard or not. It takes every ounce of my restraint to not jump up and protest.

"That is gracious of you, Your Majesty," my father answers. "However, I am concerned about the propriety of that arrangement. Not," he adds hastily, "that I would expect anything less than the highest scruples from one of your men."

Good. So Father has a grasp on the situation. Sending me back with any strange man and no female chaperone is entirely inappropriate. And there are no other women on the trip. Too bad Puck isn't here; my father would trust him with me. Now, they will all have to work out the only viable option—that I continue on the trip. I merely sit quietly and wait for them to come to this inevitable conclusion.

"Well, I certainly understand your feelings. Especially since the young lady in question is your daughter," King William agrees. "I am sure if I had a daughter of my own, I would feel much the same way."

They discuss me as if I am not sitting right here, as if I have no capacity for thought—or hearing. I am actually quite capable of taking care of myself and could get home without help from any man, thank you anyway. Not that I will suggest this as an option, of course.

Time drags into a prolonged silence. Birds chatter in the trees, the river bubbles happily by, the men are all packed and ready to go. They stand in a huddled mass waiting for instructions from their superiors. Come on guys, surely one of you can figure out the answer. My father must be aware of the only solution, so why isn't he saying anything? Perhaps he is waiting for the King to suggest it, so it appears he thought of the idea and can take credit for it.

"If I may make a suggestion, Sir Jack…" Prince Liam begins.

I am so happy someone is finally going to state the obvious, I don't even care that it is coming from his egotistical mouth. But then, he decides to become the next person to throw a wrench in my plans.

"Why don't I accompany the young lady home along with one of the guards. I give my word that everything will be handled with the utmost discretion."