The Ghost of You and Me by Kelly Oram + $25 Giveaway and an Excerpt!

    

How do you tell someone who hates you and blames you for the death of his best friend that you miss him?
From the bestselling teen and young adult author of Cinder & Ella comes a new heart-wrenching romance sure to bring all the feels.

The tragic death of Spencer Schott unravels the lives of the two people he loved most—his girlfriend, Bailey, and his best friend, Wes. Secrets and guilt from that fateful night keep both Bailey and Wes from overcoming Spencer’s loss and moving on with their lives.

Now, nearly a year later, both Bailey and Wes are still so broken over what happened that Spencer can’t find peace in the afterlife. In order to put his soul to rest, he’s given one chance to come back and set things right...even if that means setting up his girlfriend with his best friend.

With the emotional resonance of Jellicoe Road and the magical realism of The Lovely Bones, The Ghost of You and Me is a story about overcoming grief, finding redemption for past mistakes, and the healing power of friendship and love. Fans of John Green, Sarah Dessen, and Nicholas Sparks are sure to love this haunting new tale from Kelly Oram.

This is a clean young adult romance stand alone novel that reads like contemporary drama romance and has just a touch of magical realism.

 

To begin with, I have to say that while I think Kelly Oram is an amazingly gifted writer, after her last book I had about given up on reading her books.  I'm a girl that prefers her books clean- free from swearing and sexual content and Kelly really pushes that boundary for me.  (yes, I realize that this is a personal preference and one not shared by everyone)  Then I saw the blurb for this book and it says "clean" and I debated because I really wanted to read this book and I really wanted to love it but I was unsure based on all my previous experiences with her books.  I decided to give it one more shot because, hello?  It's Kelly Oram and did I mention that I think she is an amazing writer?  She has a gift for making characters seem so real and vibrant in stories that completely suck you in.  

This story is a bit unlike any of Kelly's others.  I loved the grittier, messier, more complicated feelings and emotions from both Bailey and Wes.  Feelings of loss, guilt, anger and misunderstanding were swirling around with love, trust, forgiveness and overcoming.  As the story unfolds, bit by bit, I was completely taken with Bailey, Wes and yes, even Spencer the ghost.  I thought there was an excellent balance between the heavier issues and the lighter side of friendship, high school and young love.  This book definitely kept me engaged- my interest, and my feelings.  I love when that happens in a book!

I'm so glad I read this book!  It was one of the better ones I've read this month which is saying something because June has been an awesome review month.  :)  

Content:  references to teenage party with drinking, mild innuendo

- I received a copy of this book in conjunction with this review tour.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Enjoy the following excerpt:

“What is he doing here?” Liz whispers from somewhere behind me. The sound is distant, barely registering in my mind.

“What do you mean? Who is he?” Charlotte asks again.

Wes Delaney is here. I can’t believe what I’m seeing. It’s been almost a year. He dropped out of school a couple of weeks after Spencer’s accident and disappeared from Columbia High’s social radar. My heart pounds at the sight of him.

Wes pays the lunch lady for his food, and when he turns around, his eyes immediately land on me as if he already knew which direction to look. My mouth goes dry when our eyes meet. I didn’t know how much I’ve missed him until this exact moment. My entire body yearns to reconnect with him. And yet…I have no business feeling that way. I squash those feelings and let my old friend, guilt, swamp me. Guilt is all I deserve where Wes is concerned. Still, I can’t look away from him.

He seems different—older and hardened. His head is shaved nearly bald. Only a dark layer of fuzz remains that is no longer than the five o’clock shadow ghosting his face. It’s a surprisingly good look for him. While Spencer eventually outgrew his awkward tween stage (mostly), Wes never experienced one. He was always hot. Now, he’s just plain sexy.

With his hair so short, his dark eyes and long lashes stand out more than normal. And he’s so built that even from my seat across the cafeteria I can tell his body is rock hard beneath his tight plain white T-shirt and low-hung jeans. He looks tough. Jaded.

“What’s he doing here, Bailey?”

I ignore Trisha’s question. I couldn’t speak right now, even if I knew the answer—which I most definitely do not. I can’t breathe. Can’t think. I’m locked in his stare, and I can’t decipher the look on his face.

Where has he been for the last year? What is he doing here now? What is he thinking? Why can’t he take his eyes off me? Is he going to tell everyone what really happened that night?

Feeling sick, I jump up from my seat and run from the cafeteria as if my life depends on it. Right now, it feels like it does.

When I was put on medication after Spencer’s death, numbness replaced the devastating pain and heartache I suffered. I haven’t felt anything for months. But as I burst into the first-floor girls’ bathroom, it feels as if all the emotions I should have been experiencing all this time hit me at once. It’s crippling.

I look in the mirror, hoping for a clue as to what I’m feeling right now. I only see panic. I’m going to lose it. Leaning back against one of the cold tile walls, I slide to the ground. My knees come up to my chest, and I bury my face in them, wrapping my arms tightly around my legs while I force air in and out of my lungs.

“Breathe,” I whisper to myself. “Breathe, Bailey. It’s okay.”

Author Kelly Oram Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.

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$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway Ends 7/26/17 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway

If We Were a Movie (Power of the Matchmaker) by Kelly Oram + Book Giveaway

 

If We Were a Movie by Kelly Oram (Power of the Matchmaker #3)
Music meets Movies in this sweet college romance from the bestselling author of Cinder & Ella. NYU freshman Nate Anderson is a triplet who is desperate to escape his wild and crazy brothers. After they screw things up for him one too many times, Nate flees his housing situation and takes the first available room for rent as far from his brothers as he can get. Enter his new roommate Jordan--a quirky LA girl who believes that everything in life has already been done in the movies. In this heartfelt tale of love, friendship and family, Nate learns how to deal with his new adult life using Hollywood films as a guide.
 

What readers just like you are saying about If We Were a Movie:

"WOW! This book is great! The concept is so inventive, and the writing is brilliant."

"I thought Cinder & Ella jerked with my emotions too much but this one might have it beat."

"I finished reading If We Were a Movie yesterday. I loved it! I fell hard for Nate. Jordan was amazing! And Pearl's timing was perfect! "

"Amazing concept with movies as chapters, and fantastic storyline." "I loved this story and was humming along to the songs from the book whilst reading. I can see this book becoming the movie it was written to be." "If We Were a Movie made me want to binge watch movies, listen to old playlists and re-read it all at once."

I love this Power of the Matchmaker series.  It's got some fluidity with Pearl as the common character, bringing couples together, but each book is really it's own entity.  Different authors have different writing styles and every book feels new and fresh.  You can read these books in any order and it doesn't matter because they are not at all dependent on each other.  My only recommendation would be that you read the prequel novella first.  It is there that you meet Pearl and get to know her story.  It makes every other encounter with her more meaningful.

Kelly Oram has a very distinct voice in the writing world.  She is known for the young and edgy kind of writing.  Her book definitely stands out as having a bit of a different feel than others in this collection so far.  The one thing that kinda bugged me the most was that Pearl didn't feel like Pearl to me.  Her motives were in line with the character I got to know previously, but the very few and brief encounters with her in the book just didn't feel true to what I felt from Pearl in the prequel novella and how she felt in previous books.

Aside from that, I really loved the concept of this book.  All the movie and song references were so fun.  I loved that every chapter was a movie title and it directly related to what was happening for the characters.  

The characters are larger than life, full of energy and potential. Not just Nate and Jordan, but every secondary character as well. It was so easy to fall into this book and become invested in the characters.  I often had to slow myself down because I was speed reading.  That's what happens when I get so into a book- I start reading faster and faster because I just have to know what's going to happen next!  I had to slow myself down, take a deep breath and enjoy the ride.

Content:  Underage drinking and party situations, implied unmarried sexual relations  (nothing described in detail), kissing, some innuendo, mild swearing

TEASER: “So this is what a Pearl-approved guy looks like.” She shook her head once and cracked a smile. “She’s got good taste, I’ll give her that. You’re an odd mix of sexy and adorable. Don’t see that often.”

I was a little taken aback by the compliment, if that’s even what it was. She may have just been stating what she considered to be fact. She laughed at my surprise and held out her hand to me. “Nice to meet you. I’m Jordan Kramer.”

I’d been afraid of that. “You’re a girl.”

Jordan laughed. “That’s what it says on my birth certificate, but I’m really glad you were able to figure it out without needing to read it.”

Nope. I definitely didn’t need that.

 

Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.

 

   

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Giveaway

Signed copies of V is for Virgin & A is for Abstinence (1 winner, 2 books)

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Ends 3/18/16

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Joni, Underway by Kelly Oran and Jonathan Harrow

Nineteen year old Joni Monday is loving life as an adult—living on her own, dealing with grown-up things like jobs, hook-ups, and doing her own laundry. Best of all: after finishing her first year at ASU, she will never again be called a freshman.

But when her brother is suddenly killed in a car accident, Joni’s adult life is turned upside down. Struggling to cope with loss, guilt, and anger—not to mention the meddling of friends and family trying to “fix” her—Joni is relieved to be presented with an escape in the form of a sailing trip her brother had been planning for months before he died.

With her first step onto the sailing vessel Lady Marguerite, Joni plunges into an adventure that will mark the beginning of her real adult life—a journey across the ominous dark blue of the Atlantic Ocean with a small, eccentric crew, and the young Captain Reid, whose gorgeous looks are only outmatched by his talent for care and kindness. Unfolding through the ups and downs of life at sea is an unforgettable story reminding us that love will always be a work-in-progress and coming of age never gets old.

 * Goodreads * Amazon *

Kelly Oram is an author who knows how to write such vivid and real characters.  Her books are always witty and full of life.  In this book, she co-authors with Jonathan Harrow, her husband.  So, something new from her this go round.

This book takes on a more serious note, I think.  The vibe isn't gloom and doom but it's definitely not as light and fun as most of Kelly's other books.  The characters are still stand out though- with quirks, histories and stories of their own to tell.  I loved this sailboat full of such diverse people, each on their own journey.

The way the whole story unfolds from Joni's perspective is good.  It made me feel like I was really on the journey right along with Joni.  I became personally invested in the characters and the story.  Captain Reid is a truly a hero.  His heart is gold.  And the ending bit?  Ugh, rip my heart out!

My only hesitation with this book is the swearing and the sexual innuendo.  That's a personal thing for me though.  There are sexual situations although nothing described in detail outside of kissing.  

Cover Reveal for Joni, Underway by Kelly Oram and Jonathan Harrow

Nineteen year old Joni is loving life as an adult—living on her own, dealing with grown-up things like jobs, hook-ups, and doing her own laundry. Best of all: after finishing her first year at ASU, she will never again be called a freshman.

But when her brother is suddenly killed in a car accident, Joni’s adult life is turned upside down. Struggling to cope with loss, guilt, and anger—not to mention the meddling of friends and family trying to “fix” her—Joni is relieved to be presented with an escape in the form of a sailing trip her brother had been planning for months before he died.

With her first step onto the sailing vessel Lady Marguerite, Joni plunges into an adventure that will mark the beginning of her real adult life—a journey across the ominous dark blue of the Atlantic Ocean with a small, eccentric crew, and the young Captain Reid, whose gorgeous looks are only outmatched by his talent for care and kindness. Unfolding through the ups and downs of life at sea is an unforgettable story reminding us that love will always be a work-in-progress and coming of age never gets old.

Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram + Awesome Book Giveaway!

It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new step family, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder.
…
Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.

I feel like I have so much to say!  I'm going to have to think of clever ways to condense what I want to say so I don't type a novel here.  I will admit that I read this book the minute I got it.  MONTHS before my review was scheduled.  And then I didn't write my review right away so I just HAD to go back and read it again.  haha.  Poor me.

I think Kelly Oram is an exceptional writer.  She has a knack for writing.  Her books always suck me in from the very beginning and keep me there.  I have no desire to stray to another book when I have one of hers in my hand.  (That is like the ultimate praise from a book reviewer because I am usually reading 3-4 books at one time.)

One of the things I think Kelly does so masterfully is write characters.  Her characters are always living, breathing, and full of life.  I can hear them and see them in my head.  The dialogue flows so well and fits the characters perfectly.  Kelly really nails these characters.

Poor Ella.  Seriously, how much can one girl endure?  Her life is so sad- a nightmare, really, but her determination to take baby steps toward getting better brings out the cheerleader in me.  She lost her mother in an accident that leaves her so broken and weak.  Her physical issues lead to mental and emotional issues.  After a ridiculous amount of time in the hospital having surgeries, Ella is sent home with her estranged father to a family she doesn't even know.  Her step sisters are abusive and mean.  She suffers ill treatment from strangers, peers and even her family.  She is bullied.  It's crazy.  And for all those crazy issues going on (and that's only with Ella!), I am amazed to say that this book never felt overwhelming to me as a reader.  That takes talent.

The relationships in this book evolve.  Understanding and compromise come through effort.  That is why things don't feel overwhelming.  Because hope is thrown in there and as a reader, I could see improvement.  It was so well done.

Cinder is a much better person when he is focused on Ella and not himself.  I love how the relationship between Cinder and Ella started (obsession over a book series), how it developed (by email, phone and then meeting at Comic Con) and even how it ended.  The road gets a little bumpy at times but I got the ending I needed for Ella and it made me happy.

My only negative about this book was the swearing (lots of it) and the sexual innuendo.  If I could take out the swearing and sexual stuff, I would be so happy because then I could recommend this book to EVERYONE.  As it is, I have to add caution.  I think a sentence from the book might sum up the way I feel about a lot of this book.  "Cheesy porno talk".  Not always cheesy but a lot of porno talk, and I really don't love that.  The book would be just as good without it.  (Well, better to me.)

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Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen—a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat named Mr. Darcy.

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