Review: Announcing Trouble by Amy Fellner Dominy

Announcing Trouble

Author: Amy Fellner Dominy

Series: -

Pages: 306

Publisher: Entangled Teen Crush

Source: Netgalley

Release date: 5^th August 2019

Amazon

Synopsis:  I may know everything there is to know about baseball, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Or like him. Garrett Reeves: sidelined player and the embodiment of everything I’ve learned to hate about baseball. He’s gorgeous, he’s cocky, he’s laser-focused on getting back in the game, no matter the cost.

When he convinces me to call games alongside him, our chemistry heats up the booth. We’re good together, whether I want to admit it or not. I’m finding that I like baseball again, but even worse, I’m liking Garrett. A lot.

But when he has to decide between our future and a new shot at his dreams, I know baseball will win out every time.

Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book has tons of hilarious banter, lots of sexual tension, and a hero who will throw a wild pitch right at your heart.

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

This book was a light and easy read; it was sweet and had me hooked from the very first page.

Josie and Garrett were written beautifully! Josie has no interest in baseball at all after her father left her for the game, Injured Garrett lives for baseball and dreams of pursuing it as a career; when an opportunity arises for Josie to call games alongside Garrett she is hesitant but she soon finds herself enjoying it and also spending time with him.

Josie was quick-witted, stubborn, determined and a hard worker; I absolutely adored Garrett and how persistent he was, he was cocky and also quick-witted, the banter between them was fantastic. I adored them booth and couldn't help for a HEA for them. They stole my heart.

The baseball aspect was written well, I am clueless so was a little lost initially but it was all done very well and you can tell that the author knew alot about baseball.

The side characters were brilliant! Mai especially was the perfect best friend and I would love to read a book from her perspective. Josie's mother was a little frustrating, I felt that she was holding Josie back from happiness because of her own personal experience. All of the characters felt genuine.

I love the message behind the story, follow your heart and take risks. It was written beautifully and I will definitely be picking up more books by this author.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Announcing Trouble.

Review: Lies that Bind (Anastasia Phoenix #2) by Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Lies that Bind

Author: Diana Rodriguez Wallach

Series: Anastasia Phoenix #2

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Pages: 300

Release date: 6^th March 2018

Genre: Young adult Contemporary
Amazon

My review of Proof of Lies

Synopsis (Goodreads): The Italian Job meets Bourne Identity meets Spy Kids in this sequel to Proof of Lies.

What if saving yourself meant destroying everyone you love?

Still reeling from everything she learned while searching for her sister in Italy, Anastasia Phoenix is ready to call it quits with spies. Then she and her friends learn that Marcus’s—her kinda boyfriend—brother, Antonio, has also gone missing. Luckily, they track down Antonio in a fiery festival in England, only to learn he has been working for the enemy, Department D, the whole time. But Antonio wants out. And so does Anastasia.

But before any of them can leave espionage and their parents’ crimes behind them, a close friend turns up dead. No one is safe, not while Department D still exists. So Anastasia and her friends embark on a dangerous plan to bring down an entire criminal empire, using every Dresden Kid they can find.

As their world becomes surrounded by spies, and the children of spies, Anastasia starts to question who she can really trust. Including her best friends…

Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Contains possible spoilers from the first book

Lies that Bind is the second book in the Anastasia Phoenix series, I thoroughly enjoyed the excitement of the first book Proof of Lies so I was most eager to start on this.

This is a series that really should be read in order to fully understand the events that have already taken place, enough of a recap is given but it may still be quite confusing.

After trekking all over the place in the first book in search of Anastasia’s sister Keira and having a danger-filled and thrilling adventure; Anastasia is now staying in London with friends when they find out Marcus’s brother Antonio has gone missing. Now determined to take down Department D and locate other Dresden kids, they set out to collect enough evidence to shut them down once and for all.

I was impressed by the world-building and the intense plot is fast paced and full of non-stop action although it did very much mimic the first book; as with Proof of Lies I couldn’t quite guess who could and couldn’t be trusted! It really was a search for the truth throughout the whole book and many secrets were exposed.

Lies that Bind was an exciting sequel! It was mysterious, filled with wonderful characters that progressed throughout the book and the ending that leaves you satisfied but also wanting more. This book seemed to have more angst and drama than the first book which made me quite edgy.

What frustrated me in the first book was the hot and cold relationship between Marcus and Anastasia so I am pleased to see some progression. They worked well together and I thoroughly enjoyed their interactions.

I found Diana Rodriguez Wallach’s writing to be engaging and the storyline was exciting; I am definitely eager to read more books by this author.

Thank you to Entangled Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Lies that Bind.

About the author: Diana Rodriguez Wallach is the author of the Anastasia Phoenix series, three YA spy thrillers set to debut beginning in March 2017 (Entangled Publishing). She is also the author of three award-winning young adult novels: Amor and Summer Secrets, Amigas and School Scandals, and Adios to All The Drama (Kensington Books); as well as a YA short-story collection based on the Narcissus myth, entitled Mirror, Mirror (Buzz Books, 2013).

In 2011, she published a highly regarded essay in Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperCollins). It was the only essay chosen from the anthology by Scholastic to be used in its classroom materials. Diana is featured in the anthology, Latina Authors and Their Muses (Twilight Times Books, 2015), and she is currently on staff as a featured blogger for Quirk Books.

In 2010 Diana was named one of the Top Ten New Latino Authors to Watch by LatinoStories.com, and she placed second in the International Latino Book Awards. She is an advisory board member for the Philly Spells Writing Center, and is an active advocate for inner-city public schools. She holds a B.S. in Journalism from Boston University, and currently lives in Philadelphia.

Visit Diana's website to learn all about her: dianarodriguezwallach.com

Diana is represented by Taylor Martindale Kean of Full Circle Literary.

 

Review: Breaking the Ice (Juniper Falls #2) by Julie Cross

Breaking the Ice

Author: Julie Cross

Series: Juniper Falls

Pages: 300

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release date: 26^th December 2017

Links

Pre-order Breaking the Ice

Add Breaking the Ice to your Goodreads TBR

Synopsis:

Haley Stevenson seems like she's got it all together: cheer captain, "Princess" of Juniper Falls, and voted Most Likely to Get Things Done. But below the surface, she's struggling with a less-than-stellar GPA and still reeling from the loss of her first love. Repeating her Civics class during summer school is her chance to Get Things Done, not angst over boys. In fact, she's sworn them off completely until college.

Fletcher Scott is happy to keep a low profile around Juniper Falls. He's always been the invisible guy, warming the bench on the hockey team and moonlighting at a job that would make his grandma blush. Suddenly, though, he's finding he wants more: more time on the ice, and more time with his infuriatingly perfect summer-school study partner.

But leave it to a girl who requires perfection to shake up a boy who's ready to break all the rules.

Each book in the Juniper Falls series is STANDALONE:
* Off the Ice
* Breaking the Ice

Review: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Breaking the Ice is a light-hearted read by Julie Cross and is a part of the Juniper Falls series.

Our MC’s are Haley Stevenson and Fletcher Scott, both great characters but they couldn’t be any more different.

Haley is the Princess of Juniper Falls and is involved in everything, she is a sweetheart but also quite a sticky beak. Fletcher has quite a few secrets, he’s reserved, nerdy and doesn’t like anyone to know his business; they complimented each other well but their interactions at times did drive me completely crazy!

The plot is quite predictable; Haley is struggling academically so she takes her civics class during summer school, this is where she learns more about Fletcher and inserts herself into his life to improve her GPA. Fletcher loves hockey and yearns for less bench time and more time on the ice but with his health issues it hasn’t been a possibility. This book was entertaining and was without all the unnecessary YA angst.

The romance was done well but there was a lot of push and pull and no clearly defined relationship between them but Haley knew upfront that Fletcher wasn't a committed sort of guy; they complimented each other well and communicated in a way which didn't leave room for miscommunication which I liked but I would have liked a few more mushy, romantic scenes between them, I felt like the ending was very rushed for them.

All of the side characters were wonderful! I do hope we see more of them in the next books, especially Jamie.

Julie Cross’s writing is great and there quite a few laugh out loud moments but I did also find that there were parts of the book where I found myself skimming. Breaking the Ice is also the second book in the series but it can most definitely be read as a stand-alone, I never at all felt lost.

Thank you to Entangled Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Breaking the Ice.

About the author: Julie Cross is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, including the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, Timestorm (St. Martin's Press). She's also the author of Letters to Nowhere series, Whatever Life Throws at You, Third Degree, Halfway Perfect, and many more to come!

Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She's a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach and former Gymnastics Program Director with the YMCA. Shes a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres.

Outside of her reading and writing credibility's, Julie Cross is a committed--but not talented--long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict.

Review: Summoner by S.D. Grimm

Summoner

Author: S.D. Grimm

Publisher / Source: Entangled Teen

Release date: 4^th September 2017

Genre: Young Adult

Synopsis: When Allie’s best friend dares their group to play a game in a cemetery—something she calls “witching”—Allie never expects what it might mean for her. When she plays, she doesn’t just find bodies, she summons their souls. But one soul wants more than Allie is willing to give.

And the boy next door could be the key to saving her.

Cody Burkhart. Straight from Montana, cowboy hat wearing, and smoking hot, he’s just the thing to help Allie become “normal” again after the death of her mother. And as her newly appointed Guardian, he’s also just the thing to help Allie ward off the vengeful spirit who’s after her soul. Except Cody has his own demons to slay that keep him closed off. But as the full moon approaches, so does their only chance to break the curse, and Cody will have to make the biggest sacrifice of all.

Review: 3 ½ out of 5 stars

Our MC is Allie Billings who has avoided her closest friends since the death of her mother, trying to reconnect she joins them on a dare to the local cemetery for a night of witching. Allie doesn’t believe in witching but after this night her opinion changes when she becomes bonded to a evil spirit by summoning her soul.

The plot was engaging as we see Allie do everything she possibly can to learn more about what is happening but she soon finds out her only hope could be from her new neighbour Cody Burkhart, her guardian who is also needing to work out his role between Allie and the spirit, Katerina that has bonded to her. They both end up working against a full moon deadline which could mean a sacrifice by the end of it.

I really liked Allie and Cody as characters, they have both felt loss and were able to bond over this and their slow building romance didn’t feel forced but came naturally which I enjoyed; it also wasn’t at the forefront of the story. The side characters were each written well, the freaky souls included.

I don’t tend to read ghost books, I’ve never enjoyed them but I liked S.D Grimm’s writing style and her entertaining and at time freaky storyline. It was a fast paced read with a few twists that kept things enjoyable.

Overall, Summoner kept me riveted from the beginning and I couldn’t wait to see what would happen; the characters were written well and the plot was intriguing. I will definitely read more books by this author.

Thank you to Entangled Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Summoner.

About the author: S. D. Grimm’s first love in writing is young adult fantasy and science fiction, which is to be expected from someone who looks up to heroes like Captain America and Wonder Woman, has been sorted into Gryffindor, identifies as rebel scum, and loves elevensies as much as afternoon tea. Her patronus is a red Voltron lion, her spirit animal is Toothless, and she totally has a superpower. She is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency, her office is anywhere she can curl up with her laptop and at least one large-sized dog, and you can learn more about her upcoming novels at www.sdgrimm.com

Review: The Perfectly Imperfect Match by Kendra C. Highley

The Perfectly Imperfect Match

Author: Kendra C. Highley

Publisher: Entangled Publishing

Release Date: 10^th July 2017

Pages:

Description: Pitcher Dylan Dennings has his future all mapped out: make the minors straight out of high school, work his way up the farm system, and get called up to the majors by the time he’s twenty-three. The Plan has been his sole focus for years, and if making his dreams come true means instituting a strict “ no girls” policy, so be it.

Lucy Foster, needlepoint ninja, big sister to an aspiring pitcher, and chicken advocate, likes a little mayhem. So what if she gets lost taking her brother to baseball camp...at her own high school? The pitching coach, some hotshot high school player, obviously thinks she’s a hot mess. Too bad he’s cute, because he’s so not her type. 

Problem is, they keep running into each other, and every interaction sparks hotter than the last. But with Dylan’s future on the line, he has to decide whether some rules are made to be broken...

Disclaimer: This book contains a crazy night of moonlit skinny-dipping, a combustible crush, and kisses swoony enough to unwind even the most Type A athlete.

Each book in the Suttonville Sentinels series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.
Series Order:
Book #1: The Bad Boy Bargain
Book #2: Swinging at Love
Book #3: Kendra C. Highley

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

The Perfectly Imperfect Match is the first book that I have read in this series, it was cute, fluffy and light-hearted without the unnecessary angst which was a welcomed relief for me to read at this time.

Our MC’s are Lucy Foster who has dreams of pursuing a career in fashion and needlepoint and Dylan Dennings who dreams of making it to the minor league straight out of high school; two complete opposites who met when Lucy’s younger brother was being coached in baseball by Dylan.

Lucy was an interesting character, full of fun and full of life; she was quirky, disorganised, a bit of a rebel and loyal to a tee. I didn’t completely fall for pitcher Dylan instantly, he was way too structured and too rigid; I loved that he had dedication and was focused on his goal but he seemed to be putting everything including life on hold with his strict rules; he did eventually loosen up but it took a while. I enjoyed the interactions between these characters and their chemistry despite the many hot/cold and indecisive moments, their relationship wasn’t without a small amount of drama but nothing was dragged on. Both are struggling with responsibility, particularly with family and I felt the author dealt with this in a realistic way.

Little Otis was a great side character and I did enjoy the banter between him and Lucy in particular, I also liked Tristan, Alyssa and Serena; the friendships were written well.

I enjoyed Kendra’s writing style and the baseball/needlepoint details, it was all engaging, humorous at times and entertaining – her characters were interesting. I would have loved a little more depth in the plot but otherwise this was a light and enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled for giving me the chance to read this book.

About the author: 

Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to four self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most important job. She believes in everyday magic, extraordinary love stories, and the restorative powers of dark chocolate

Review: Shadow of a Girl by Shannon Greenland

Shadow of a Girl

Author: Shannon Greenland

Series: -

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release date: 19^th September 2016

Pages: 238

Synopsis (Goodreads)

Use cash and keep moving.

After I ran away from home, these were the two rules that dictated my life. Scoring a job as a roadie fit perfectly for what I needed. Traveling, cash, and life out of the spotlight. But when my path collides with West, the lead singer of Bus Stop, I can’t seem to stay out of his spotlight—especially since we’ll be touring together for an entire year.

West is determined to break down my walls. He won’t give up. And little by little they come crumbling. But if he knew what lurked behind them, he wouldn’t be so eager to get rid of them.

The more time we spend together, the more the lines of our friendship become blurred. He makes me dream of things I never thought possible. But while our friendship has been evolving into a romance, my secrets have been closing in. And just when I’ve decided to reveal my past to West, I’m confronted by it. The cost of my freedom could ruin the life of the guy I love...

Review: 4 out of 5 stars

It’s going to be difficult to review this book without revealing too much.

Our MC, Eve has lived an interesting, yet abusive life and as the book progresses we find out just how hard things have been on her. With the help of her best friend, Eve runs away from her home and gets a job as a roadie for a band known as Bus Stop.

West is the lead singer of Bus Stop and an absolute delight of a character! I adored his patience, his kindness and the strength he showed with Eve; things weren’t always easy but the way he treated her melted my heart.

With books like this comes secrets and deceit, not always intentional but needed and along with it there is drama; I felt so sorry for Eve, my heart broke for her but her determination and courage was wonderful but we also saw her fear and her distress; as the book progresses you really see a positive change in her character, she went from strength to strength and this was thanks to her best friend and West.

We see slow development of romance between Eve and West, their lives couldn’t be more different but they interacted well and had a sweet friendship and eventual relationship that was filled with many mushy moments, you couldn’t help but hope for a happy ever after for them both.

Shannon Greenland’s writing is crisp and engaging, I was hooked on this wonderful book from the very first page, I wanted to know what was going on with Eve, who the mysterious person was that she was hiding from and why and of course what the outcome would be.

This book tugs at the heart strings, there is mention of abuse but there is also a lot of hope, it was an empowering read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to Entangled Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Shadow of a Girl.

About the author: 

Shannon Greenland is the award winning author of several novels including the teen spy series, THE SPECIALISTS, and the YA romance, THE SUMMER MY LIFE BEGAN. Her latest teen novel, SHADOW OF A GIRL, is due out 9.19.16. She also writes thrillers under S. E. Green and lives off the coast of Florida with her very grouchy dog. Find her at www.shannongreenland.com

Review: The Girlfriend Request by Jodie Andrefski

The Girlfriend Request

Author: Jodie Andrefski

Series: -

Pages: 216

Publisher/Source: Entangled Crush / Netgalley

Release date: 11^th January 2016

Synopsis: (Goodreads): Updating best friend to girlfriend is more than a change of status...

Emma has been best friends with Eli since she moved to his neighborhood ten years ago. Tired of being cast in the role of the girl next door, Emma creates a fake Facebook profile in the hopes of starting an online friendship with Eli, which would hopefully lead to more. Like...way more. From friend request to In a Relationship--it all seemed so completely logical when she'd planned it.

Eli can't figure out what Emma is up to. He’s pretty sure she's the one behind the Facebook profile, but then again, why would she do something so drastic instead of just admitting she wants to be more than friends? And who the heck is this new guy he saw her with? Eli starts to think that just maybe...he missed his chance with the girl next door.

Two best friends, one outlandish ruse. Their status is about to become way more than It’s Complicated...
This Entangled Teen Crush book contains one fake Facebook profile, two best friends who secretly crave each other, and a dreaded sex talk with parents...boy crush in the room included. Pushing a relationship beyond the friend zone has never been so crazy...

Review: 2 out of 5 stars

Not a good start to the year with my first disappointing read being The Girlfriend Request; a YA contemporary romance by Jodie Andrefski. I love a good friends to more story but this definitely fell flat for me.

Emma and Eli are the best of friends but Emma wanted to be more but she is extremely reluctant to admit her feelings so she starts up a new Facebook profile to friend Eli, get him to fall for her and then reveal it was her all along.

This book would be perfectly suited to the younger reader, I think this is where it faltered for me because I couldn’t understand the characters reasoning and actions; I was stumped about why Emma felt the need to complete a fake Facebook profile in the hopes that they would become more than friends, you can see right from the onset that there would be drama caused from the lies and deception so I wasn’t sold on the storyline although I’m sure the teen reader may be able to relate.

What I thought would be a fun and cute book ended up being full of drama, there were unnecessary fights and jealousy, Eli went from having Emma in the friend zone one moment to ‘noticing’ her the next; this trope annoys me. I understood why Emma would be shy to tell her best friend that she felt more for him but the way she went about it was really juvenile.

As you can tell, I didn’t completely love the characters in this book, they are both relatable teen characters but there were numerous moments where I was just infuriated with them both and their actions. We also get to meet a few side characters and I found them each interesting; I liked Jake and Sarah. 

Overall, I felt this story was written well but it didn’t wow me at all. I liked how the book ended despite it being rushed and cliché but up until that point there was a high level of uncertainty.

*Thank you Entangled Teen via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review The Girlfriend Request.

About the author: I've been passionate about reading since I was a little girl, which lead to a love of writing. I write YA--especially if it involves at least some kissing.

I have my B.S. in Secondary Education-English from Penn State University, and am also pursuing my M.S. in Mental Health Counseling.

I live in a small town in Pennsylvania with my teenage daughter.