Review and New Release: Approximately Yours by Julie Hammerle

Title: Approximately Yours

Author: Julie Hammerle

Series: North Pole, Minnesota

Genre: YA Contemporary

Publisher: Entangled Teen Crush

Release Date: October 3, 2017

Author Bio:

Julie Hammerle is the author of THE SOUND OF US (Entangled TEEN, 2016). Before settling down to write "for real," she studied opera, taught Latin, and held her real estate license for one hot minute. Currently, she writes about TV on her blog Hammervision, ropes people into conversations about Game of Thrones, and makes excuses to avoid the gym. Her favorite YA-centric TV shows include 90210 (original spice), Felicity, and Freaks and Geeks. Her music playlist reads like a 1997 Lilith Fair set list.

She lives in Chicago with her husband, two kids, and a dog. They named the dog Indiana.

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My Review:

This was my second trip to North Pole, Minnesota, and I have to say, this one was even more fun than the last! I really liked Holly. She felt real to me. She's strong and outspoken and knows what to say to guys, but she keeps a protective wall around her at all times and assumes that people are going to hurt her. But, hidden behind Elda's cell phone, she's able to finally connect with a guy...Danny, the guy she's been crushing on since they were little. Only, it ends up getting her into big trouble. I had a lot of fun reading all their texts and gifs back and forth. The GOT references were SO great in this book. I was laughing my head off and kept thinking, "These are my kind of people." So clearly, Julie is also my kind of people. Julie? Why aren't we friends? After reading your non-acknowledgments/Airing of Grievances page I really felt like our friendship should be a thing, especially the parts about George R. R. Martian and avocados being so delicious and so expensive. I feel your pain.

I digress... Back to my review.

Elda was hilarious with her gorgeous body and awkward conversation. Her obsession with gross stuff felt so random and was fun. I feel like I missed out on her relationship with Dinesh though. I kind of wanted them to have their own book because they both seem like such cool characters.

And Craig. I LOVED that guy. Making his gingerbread people the entire Stark family made me giddy.  I want to see more of him. He needs his own quirky Throner chick. I'm just sayin'.

There were so many good parts to this book. I just want to read it over again because it went too fast, and I savored every moment of it. Thanks, Julie and Entangled for another yummy, fun read.

**Five Stars**

Review: Just One of the Boys by Leah and Kate Rooper

Blurb:

Alice Bell has one goal: to play for the elite junior hockey team the Chicago Falcons.But when she’s passed over at tryouts for being a girl, she’ll do anything to make her dream a reality...even disguising herself as her twin brother. With her amazing skills on the ice, Alice is sure she’ll fit in easily. That is, until she starts falling for one of her teammates...

Hayden Tremblay, star of the Falcons, can’t keep himself out of the penalty box. Constantly living in the shadow of his older brother, Hayden’s losing his passion for hockey. But when he gets shown up on the ice by the Falcons’ new rookie, Hayden’s determined to teach the kid a thing or two. Little does he guess that “Al’s” surprises on the ice are just the beginning...

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush title proves that wonderful things can happen when you’re brave enough to go after your dream. Dream hockey player, that is! Warning--a few locker room scenes are included.

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Author Bio:

Leah and Kate Rooper are sisters from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Growing up beside the Pacific Ocean and inside a temperate rainforest fed their sense of adventure as children, and nourished a curiosity for strange and distant lands. They fed this curiosity with books - lots and lots of books. After experiencing the magic of Middle-earth, they began creating their own worlds. When they're not writing, Leah and Kate spend their time blogging and vlogging about their travel adventures and their writing journey.



My Review:

This book was so fun! I got through it quickly. I'm a sucker for twin stories. I'm not a big hockey fan, but this book sucked me in and I felt as though I was Alice, getting my head into the game right with her.

It was fun to see how long it took for him to figure out she was actually a girl. I felt like that was a good move on the authors' part. Having her show up periodically as a smoking hot figure skater was a nice touch. I loved watching her teammates fawn over her. Hilarious! 

I enjoyed watching Hayden's growth as he and Alice grew into best friends. I think my favorite part was the Christmas scene where she goes outside to sit and talk with him about his parents' death. I enjoyed watching the growth of the characters and they changed throughout this book. They had both been through so much pain and had both been burying it. For me, that was the heart of this book. I love it that I can read a book that's silly and fun and leaves me giggling but also deals with characters who have real issues they need to overcome. Every Entangled book I get my hands on seems to have this element of growth with their characters and that along with the fast pacing and fun storylines is what keeps me coming back to Entangled Crush.

**Five Stars**

New Release and Review: Breaking the Rules of Revenge by Samantha Bohrman

Swapping Twins and Camp? Yes, Please!

Title: Breaking the Rules of Revenge

Author: Samantha Bohrman

Genre: YA Contemporary

Publisher: Entangled Teen Crush

Rease Date: September 18, 2017

Blurb:

Mallory Jones is tired of being the girl who stays home and practices French horn while her identical twin, Blake, is crowned homecoming queen. So when she has the opportunity to pretend to be Blake, she takes it. At Camp Pine Ridge, she will spread her wings and emerge a butterfly. Or at least someone who finally gets kissed by a cute guy. That is, until bad boy Ben Iron Cloud shows up, ready to get revenge on Blake—aka Mallory.

If it weren’t for that infuriating girl, Ben wouldn’t even be at camp. Luckily, he now has six weeks to soak up some rays and get even with his nemesis. But the more time he spends with Blake, the more he realizes she’s nothing like the girl he thought she was—she’s kind and innocent and suddenly way too tempting. And soon enough, revenge is the last thing on his mind. Unfortunately, the girl he’s falling for is keeping a major secret...

Disclaimer: This book contains a super-hot bad boy out for revenge, all sorts of camp hijinks, and a girl who realized she’s been a butterfly all along.

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Author Bio:

Shortly after graduating from law school, Samantha had three children and began writing books. She never looked back, but she suspects her husband has. You can often find her in the aisles of Target looking at scarves and forgetting to buy broccoli and eggs. If it’s a good day she’ll be holding a latte. If it’s not, try not to stare. Ruby’s Misadventures with Reality is her first book, though hopefully not her last. You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, or at www.sambohrman.com.

My Review:

I grew up on the Sweet Valley Twins books and loved them so much. This book had all the fun of the Wakefield twins, but a bit edgier. Mallory was such a relatable character. She's just your normal awkward bookworm teen, only she has to deal with Blake, her uber-popular identical twin sister, who seems to have the air of a celebrity about her at all times. The kind of celebrity who's always in the tabloids for doing something else to embarrass themself.

I sympathized with Mallory immediately. I think all of us know what it feels like to be left in someone else's shadow, especially when you're just trying to be a good person. And it was tough for me to get guys to notice me in high school just like Mallory because I was always reading or focusing on Choir.

This book got very interesting very quickly. First of all, the settings were gorgeous. Huge old Southern plantation mansion. Summer Camp. Two of my favorite settings for books. And of course the Blue Ridge Mountains. As an eastern Tennessee girl, I'm a sucker for the mountains, woods, and trees, and I want to read about romances there.

I loved and hated watching Mallory take the revenge Blake deserved. It was like a trainwreck I couldn't look away from. It was fun to watch Mallory struggle to become more assertive as she tried to become more like Blake.

The best part of this story for me was Ben, and his slow change from hating "Blake" to falling for Mallory. I enjoyed every second of it.

While there's no sex, there were a few F-bombs and some suggestive content, so I would recommend this book for adults who love YA or mature teens.

*Four Stars*

New Release and Review: Boomerang Boyfriend by Chris Cannon

It's release day for Boomerang Boyfriend. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book! I highly recommend it!

Title: Boomerang Boyfriend

Author: Chris Cannon

Series: The Boyfriend Chronicles #3

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Entangled Teen Crush

Blurb:

Working with her best friend’s brother at Betty’s Burgers, free-spirited Delia starts to see Jack in a new light. Not only has Jack-the-Jerk turned into a hottie, he’s even acting like a nice guy, who rescues dogs and knows how she likes her coffee. But if Jack is into her, then why is he keeping her a secret? Of course, if her best friend doesn’t approve, Delia could lose the only family she’s ever known.

Seeing Delia in her retro waitress uniform throws Jack’s world out of whack. She’s always been just another pain in the butt little sister...not a datable female. But she’s rockin’ the Pie Princess tiara, and even her hot-pink striped hair is sexy. What’s that about? He needs to get his head on straight because artsy, funky Delia and her nonconformist ways don’t fit in his safe and ordered world.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains kisses that make the world fall away and snarky humor that may cause you to LOL in public places.

Each book in the Boyfriend Chronicles series is a standalone, full-length story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1 - Blackmail Boyfriend
Book #2 - The Boyfriend Bet
Book #3 - Boomerang Boyfriend

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About the Author: 

Chris Cannon is the award-winning author of the Going Down In Flames series and the Boyfriend Chronicles. She lives in Southern Illinois with her husband and various furry beasts. She believes coffee is the Elixir of Life. Most evenings after work, you can find her sucking down caffeine and writing fire-breathing paranormal adventures or snarky romantic comedies.

My Review: 

Gah! I loved this book so much. It is exactly the kind of book I like to read. I loved watching Jack and Delia struggle with the feelings they start feeling toward each other. I loved watching Delia slowly begin to realize that maybe Jack wasn't such a jerk after all. Chris Cannon did an excellent job showing Jack's flaws and inner struggles with the death of his father and grandfather. His reaction felt realistic and broke my heart a little bit. I just wanted so badly for him to let Delia into his life to help cheer him up a little.

Also, the dogs in this book were SO FUN. They were the best comic relief. I loved the themes of family, togetherness, and healing. Boomerang Boyfriend left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling that lasted for days after reading.

*Five Stars*

Blog Tour and Review: Artificial Sweethearts by Julie Hammerle

Title: Artificial Sweethearts

Author: Julie Hammerle 

Release Date: 7/10/17 

Publisher: Entangled Teen 

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Blurb: 

It’s not chemistry between Tinka Foster and Sam Anderson that made them agree to fake date. With her parents trying to set her up with an annoying student golf coach, and intentionally single Sam’s family pressuring him to bring a date to his brother’s wedding, they could both use a drama-free summer.

So it’s not his muscular arms and quick wit that makes Tinka suggest they tell everyone they’re both taken. Definitely not. And it’s not butterflies that makes a kiss for appearances during the lake party go on way too long—so long that Sam wishes it were real.

But Tinka keeps people at arm’s length—she’s always been second best, even to her parents. And her relationship-for-show could crush everything when she realizes she’s done with fake, pretend, and second-best.


Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book contains bikinis at the lake, a lot of making out in dark theaters, and a meet-cute you’ll read twice.

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072V24Q1J
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/artificial-sweethearts-julie-hammerle/1126605031?ean=9781640631403
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/artificial-sweethearts/id1250024031
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/artificial-sweethearts


Entangled: https://entangledpublishing.com/artificial-sweethearts.html


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34389398-artificial-sweethearts

About the Author:

Julie Hammerle is the author of The Sound of Us (Entangled TEEN, 2016) and the North Pole, Minnesota young adult romance series (Entangled Crush, 2017). She writes about TV and pop culture for the ChicagoNow blog, Hammervision, and lives in Chicago with her family. She enjoys reading, cooking, and watching all the television.

Connect:

Website: www.juliehammerle.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulieHammerle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HammerleJulie/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juleswritesstuff/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14661470.Julie_Hammerle
Newsletter: http://juliehammerle.us13.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=83bea3773ce2e6025ac4114c7&id=21c06afa78

Excerpt:

The sliding glass door whooshed open behind them. Their opportunity for escape was lost. Tinka spun around as the guy headed toward them. He was carrying three bottles of water and had put on a T-shirt, a faded movie tee, over his mesh shorts. Jaws. A story about a terrifying shark that kills people.

The guy handed a bottle to Tinka. “Take a seat.”

Ready to flee at any moment, she perched next to Jane on the bench, where the hot, sticky varnish stuck to her legs immediately. Tinka unscrewed the cap, which gave off the familiar rip-pop sound that proved the bottle had not been tampered with. Tinka tilted it back; and as the cold water coated her parched throat, she forgot for a moment she was about to be murdered.

“This is a gorgeous house,” Jane said. The guy knocked back his water, then screwed the cap back on.

“Thanks. I like it.” Tinka decided to play civil. “Do you do all the landscaping yourself or do you have a crew that helps you?”

He smirked at Tinka, like she was the most curious thing he had seen in a while. “We have a crew, but I noticed a few spots on the bushes that needed trimming.”

She nodded. “If you need to get back to work, don’t let us stop you. We wouldn’t want you to get in trouble with your boss.”

“My boss?” He was still grinning at Tinka with those dimples as he kneaded the plastic on his water bottle. “You mean my father?”

“Your father owns the landscaping business?”

“My father owns the house. I’m Sam. Anderson,” he added for good measure. “I live here.” He gestured toward the back door.

Jane dropped her face into her hands. “Oh my God, Tinka.”

Tinka spun toward her, pointing. “Oh my God nothing, Jane. You didn’t know he lived here, either.”

“I did so.”

“How?”

Jane waved her hand to indicate Sam and the flirty smile reappeared on her face. “He has a way about him.”

“He has no way about anything. No offense.” Tinka nodded to Sam.

“None taken.” Knitting his brow, Sam lifted his hat and ran his fingers through his curly brown hair. He had hazel eyes with friendly crinkles on the corners that didn’t disappear even when he frowned.

My Review:

Heads up! This review contains spoilers.

This was a quick read for me. I loved Sam and Tinka and their denial of the chemistry they kept feeling throughout the story. I'm a huge sucker for fake romance books! Artificial Sweethearts didn't disappoint! It was a nice change to read about a female character who was the pretty girl who knew she could hook up with any guy she wanted but had already realized it didn't appeal to her anymore. The dynamic with her parents intrigued me from the start.

The romance was cute, but for me, the meat of this book was Tinka coming to terms with her role in her family. It was fascinating to see the different ways each member of the Foster family dealt with the death of her older brother, Jake, who died when he was four and she was one. I really enjoyed watching their growth as a family and individually as they came to terms with the very private feelings of mourning over the death of such a young child.

I felt like Tinka's growth could have been expanded a bit more. I would have liked to have a bit more explanation of why she pushed everyone away. I'm guessing it had to do with her parents and the way they pushed her away. I feel like the author needed to bridge that gap just a little better. But it was addressed enough that I was able to fill in the blanks. My guess is that her parents emotionally distancing themselves from her because of their inability to deal with their grief and that was what influenced her reaction to do the same to her friends.

It was beautiful to see her finally talk openly with her parents about their feelings over Jake's death, and consequently her issue with constantly pushing her closest friends, and Sam, away.

Overall, this book was a good read with lots of cute moments and swoonworthy scenes. The chemistry building between Sam and Tinka felt realistic and they were fully-fleshed out characters with real issues, hopes, and dreams coming to terms with issues they needed to overcome. I highly recommend it!

***Five Stars*** 

Giveaway:

Signed copy of Any Boy But You (US Only) 

  a Rafflecopter giveaway