Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway Hop

It's time for another giveaway hop!  I'm keeping it nice and easy.  For me and you.  I appreciate you stopping by.  :)


I'm giving away a book, $12.00 or less from Amazon (US) or the Book Depository (INT).  Just fill out the form below.


I've got a couple other giveaways going on right now if you want to check them out.  The links are on the right sidebar.

Clockwise: Review and Giveaway!

From Goodreads:  A teenage time traveler accidentally takes her secret crush back in time. Awkward.
Boy watching with her best friend would be enough excitement for fifteen year old Casey Donovan. She doesn't even mind life at the bottom of the Cambridge High social ladder, if only she didn’t have this other much bigger problem. Unscheduled trips to the nineteenth century!

When Casey gets talked into going to the Fall Dance, the unthinkable happens--she accidentally takes Nate Mackenzie, the cutest boy in the school, back in time.

Protocol pressures her to tell their 1860 hosts that he is her brother and when Casey finds she has a handsome, wealthy (and unwanted) suitor, something changes in Nate. Are those romantic sparks or is it just ‘brotherly’ protectiveness?

When they return to the present things go back to the way they were before: Casey at the bottom of the social totem pole and Nate perched on the very the top. Except this time her heart is broken. Plus, her best friend is mad, her parents are split up, and her little brother gets escorted home by the police. The only thing that could make life worse is if, by some strange twist of fate, she took Nate back to the past again.

Which of course, she does.

I'm just going to start off by admitting something.  Pretend it's therapy or confession or something.  My name is Aimee and I totally judged this book by it's cover.  There.  I said it.  I'm forever and always telling my kids not to do that and then I'm guilty of the same thing.  Shame on me.  


The cover for this book is not at all appealing to me.  It just doesn't scream, "read me!".  I guess it sort of gives me the wrong idea of what to expect when I open it up.  I'm so glad that Elle Strauss asked me to review her book though.  I really, really enjoyed it.


I will say first that this book that while reading this book I felt more like it was closer to a middle grade novel than a YA novel.  Perhaps it's just on the younger end of the YA spectrum (15 years) than the upper end (25 years).  I do think it's a book anyone can read and enjoy though.


Here are some things I loved about this book.  The time travel took me to places that were interesting and gave me a sort of mini history lesson.  I could imagine and even feel some of the tensions of those era's.  Elle does a great job of making a scene come alive.


The main character, Casey, was so likable and so easy to relate to.  Her young ideas of love and boys really took me back to the time I was that age.  Watching those swoon worthy boys from a distance and dreaming.... desires to fit in and be accepted....


The characters found in all the places in time deal with real life issues.  Life is a struggle and it always has been.  The very real issues of slavery, women's rights, racial segregation, unwed mothers, split families, and underage smoking and drug use are all part of this book.  It's dealt with in a respectful and tasteful way.


I'm going to pass this book over to my 14 year old.  I think she will really like it.  I know I did.


Elle has generously offered an ebook copy of her book for a giveaway.  To enter, just leave a comment along with your email address.  Thank you Elle!


You can find out more about Clockwise and read the first chapter by clicking HERE.  
Find out more about Elle Strauss by clicking HERE.

Follow Friday!

Parajunkee's View & Alison Can Read

It's always fun to connect with others in this hop.  There are so many great bloggers out there.  Today's question:

Q: What would your prefer: reading your favorite book over and over again until you got sick of it OR reading 100s of mediocre books? And why?

I would rather read my favorite book over and over.  But, here's the thing, and I'm sure you have found this too.  Everyone is different.  A mediocre book to me may just be a great treasure to someone else.  Because we come from different places in life and we think and feel differently, books touch us in different ways.  Who am I to say the book you love is mediocre?  It may not be MY favorite, but if it's yours then good on you.  Plus, sometimes you pick up a book someone has labeled "mediocre" and find a great treasure yourself.  Having said that, most people can recognize a fabulously written book.  It becomes a favorite among the masses.  There are many books I could read over and over and be completely happy.  :)  A great question this week!  What are your thoughts?

Review: The Lifeguard by Deborah Blumenthal

It's an unsettled summer for Sirena. Back in Texas, her family's splitting apart, but here in Rhode Island, at the cottage of her free-spirited aunt, it's a different world. There are long days at the beach and intriguing encounters with him. Pilot. He's the lifeguard with shamanic skills. He both saves her and makes her feel lost at sea. Sirena explores her obsession with Pilot and discovers his mysterious--almost magical--gifts.    

Can you remember how if feels to be sixteen?  I'm pretty sure this book will help you remember.  For me, it's been awhile.  But reading about Sirena's obsession with Pilot and her desire to get his attention really reminded me of being that age.

I actually really loved the growing relationship Sirena had with the older man at the beach.  That was my favorite part of the book.  He listens and guides Sirena through feelings and confusion with a gentle hand.  I felt like that was the relationship that was real and allowed Sirena to understand people and connections better.

I sometimes felt as though the story got a bit wordy.  I found myself wanting to skim through until I got to the next point of talking or action.  On the flip side, from a girl who loves the beach, I could really envision the beach and hear the waves.  The descriptions were good.  I wanted to be there.

Overall, I liked the story.  This wasn't a writing style that I really connected to but it was a good read.  Not my favorite, but good.  :)  I'm pretty sure that the cover alone will sell very well in the YA crowd.  

Last Day for How to Date An Alien Giveaway!

Hey everyone!  Just letting you know this is the last day to get in on the giveaway for this book...
And check out the other giveaway going on right now for My Last Blind Date.
Happy Thursday!

My Last Blind Date Giveaway!

I'm calling this a Happy Valentines Day giveaway.  Susan Hatler is so awesome.  She saw my mini review and said she wanted to give an  e-copy of her novella, My Last Blind Date away to one lucky reader here.  See, I told you she is awesome!  To enter, click HERE to be taken to my review and leave a comment there with your email address.  It totally wouldn't hurt to mention Susan's awesomeness in your comments.  :)  This giveaway ends 2/13/2012 so we can get you the perfect snippet of romance in time for the day of LOVE.  

Persuasion: A Latter-Day Tale by Rebecca H. Jamison

When Anne broke off her engagement seven years ago, she thought she’d never see Neil Wentworth again. But when Neil’s brother buys the house she grew up in, it seems fate has other plans in store. Anne is unprepared for the roller coaster of emotions that come when Neil returns and starts dating her younger friend.

Convinced that Neil could no longer have strong feelings for her, Anne pushes away all thoughts of the past. But when the handsome man she’s been dating decides he can’t live without her, Anne must come to terms with her past.

Fans of Jane Austen’s Persuasion will enjoy this modern version of her most romantic story.

I will totally admit to being a Jane Austen fan.  Persuasion is one of my favorite books and movies.  I'm a girl who doesn't mind a retelling.  I don't pick things apart and I don't really compare.  I just read it for what it is and try to enjoy.  :)


This is an LDS based novel but there was nothing preachy in it.  Basically this amounted to a romance free of bad language and sexual content.


Persuasion was a great read.  It had all the elements in it that I look for in a romance.  I loved the setting back east in the Washington DC area and anytime that there is a beach setting in a book, my heart does a little sigh.  I love the beach.


I breezed right through this book.  It was light, easy and happy.  The characters were engaging and fun.  Quirky family members, a bit of suspense and some definite misunderstandings kept me interested the whole way through.  My thanks to Cedar Fort for allowing me to participate in this blog tour for Persuasion.


Check out this YouTube for Persuasion!

About the author:

Rebecca Jamison enjoys running, dancing, making jewelry, reading, and watching chick flicks. Rebecca grew up in Vienna, Virginia. She attended Brigham Young University, earning a BA and MA in English. In between college and grad school, she served a mission to Portugal and the Cape Verde islands. Rebecca now lives with her husband and children in Utah. You can learn more about her at www.rebeccahjamison.com