#BlogTour: SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS by Alisha Sevigny // #Review + #Giveaway

Hello and welcome to my blog tour post for

SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS by Alisha Sevigny!

Today I have a review of the book today (which I loved!) and a giveaway for one of THREE copies of the book if you live in the United States! Be sure to enter below, but first let's learn about the book...

SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS

Author: Alisha Sevigny
Series: N/A
Source: ARC via Publisher
Publisher: Kids Can Press
Publication Date: May 1, 2018
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary:
Julia Ducharme is ready for a fresh start. Her little brother has finally recovered from a serious illness, and now she just wants to enjoy peak season at the campground her family owns. Maybe this will be the year her annual summer fling with Dan Schaeffer becomes something more?

But her summer dreams are quickly shattered. First, Dan arrives for vacation with a new girlfriend in tow, and then Julia discovers this may be her last summer in the only home she's ever known.

Crushing medical bills have brought her single mom to the brink of bankruptcy, and a wealthy developer is sniffing around the campground. He sees what Julia sees: lush woods, a pristine lake, miles of trails for adventure. Unlike Julia, he thinks this is the perfect spot for a casino resort.

Heartbroken and afraid, Julia looks to the stars for some perspective. Taking her telescope down to the dock one night, she has a chance encounter with a guitar-playing boy who offers some helpful advice. Too bad this handsome stranger is the developer's son, Nick Constantine.

As plans for a resort move forward, Julia is desperate to find a solution that doesn't mean leaving the lake. Nick, in turn, is desperate to separate himself from his father's aggressive business tactics. He promises that, together, they can thwart the sale.

But can Julia trust him to conspire against his own father? And could she ever she trust him with her heart?

SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS is a story of lost summers, hidden treasure and love written in the stars. It is also a thoughtful reflection on what it means to love --- and leave --- one's childhood home.

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

When I was younger, my family and I went to Muskoka for a week to spend some time by the lake and with nature. Reading SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS took me back to this time and added another dimension that I didn't know I was missing. I am now in my group chats trying to convince my friends we should go spend a week or two in the "wilderness" this summer. SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS has everything you need to be satisfied with a summer, contemporary, romance novel so I do hope you pick it up.

ARC #Review: OVER RAGING TIDES by Jennifer Ellison

OVER RAGING TIDES

Author: Jennifer Ellison
Series: Lady Pirates #1
Source: eARC via Author
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: March 20, 2018
Rating: 3/5

Summary:
The pirate crew of the Lady Luck lives by many rules, but chief among them is this: they do not allow men on board. 

That’s a rule that quartermaster Grace Porter is willing to break when a shipwrecked young nobleman offers her information of an omniscient map, stolen from his warship by an enemy vessel. Until now, the map was only the stuff of legend… but with its help, Grace may finally be able to hunt down the Mordgris, the sea monsters who stole her mother away from her.

Unfortunately, some members of her crew have other plans...

To find the map and face the Mordgris, Grace will have to confront her past, put the Luck between warring nations, and uncover treachery aboard the ship. And ultimately, her revenge and the destruction of the Mordgris will come at a hefty price: the betrayal of her crew.

Grace promised them they wouldn’t regret this.

She just isn’t sure that she won’t.

Purchase:

Amazon | TBD

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

So. This was good and I was really getting into it at the end. But it was way too short. Nothing truly happened. This felt like the first half of a book, not the first book in a series. I think if it was pitched as a novella, I would have been happier.

#Discussion: Book Perspectives + Recommendations!

I like reading books that are written in different ways because reading the same type of perspective over and over is nothing but boring. I try to vary my readings to include first and third person perspectives (and sometimes even a second person here or there) depending on the type of book I'm reading and my mood. 

There are pros and cons to each type of writing style and sometimes it is hard to get into a book because of this so it is important to know the different types of perspectives, advantages and disadvantages of them, and what you can expect from these books as well. So let's take a look at the options below and see the pros and cons (and list some of the best books that fit that category as well!)

First Person

What is it?

First person POV refers to the I, we, me, my, mine, us narrator, often the voice of the heroic character or a constant companion of the heroic character. This can be in the past or the present tense but usually focuses on just one of the main characters (although I have read some books where one character has first person present narration and there are other types in there as well and it took me SO LONG to get used to it that I didn't even enjoy the book and I probably couldn't tell you the name of it now)

ADVANTAGES OF THIS POV: 
•    It feels natural to most writers because we live in an I world.
•    You have to deal with only one mind: the narrator’s.
•    You can create a distinctive internal voice.
•    You can add an element of craft by creating a narrator who is not entirely reliable.

DISADVANTAGES OF THIS POV:
•    You are limited to writing about what the narrator can see or sense.
•    The narrator must constantly be on stage or observing the stage.
•    You can’t go into the minds of other characters.

Books You Should Read:

- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

#CoverReveal: RUTHLESS MAGIC by Megan Crewe

Today Megan Crewe and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover and an exclusive content for RUTHLESS MAGIC, her new YA Fantasy which releases May 30, 2018! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!

On to the reveal! 

Title: RUTHLESS MAGIC

Author: Megan Crewe

Pub. Date: May 30, 2018

Publisher: Megan Crewe

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: ?

Find it: Goodreads, Pre-Order  

In the contest to keep their magic, the only options may be die... or kill.

Each year, the North American Confederation of Mages assesses every sixteen-year-old novice. Some will be chosen. The rest must undergo a procedure to destroy their magical ability unless they prove themselves in the mysterious and brutal Mages' Exam.

Disadvantaged by her parents' low standing, Rocío Lopez has dedicated herself to expanding her considerable talent to earn a place in the Confederation. Their rejection leaves her reeling—and determined to fight to keep her magic.

Long ashamed of his mediocre abilities, Finn Lockwood knows the Confederation accepted him only because of his prominent family. Declaring for the Exam instead means a chance to confirm his true worth.

Thrown into the testing with little preparation, Rocío and Finn find themselves becoming unlikely allies—and possibly more. But the Exam holds secrets more horrifying than either could have imagined. What are the examiners really testing them for? And as the trials become increasingly vicious, how much are they willing to sacrifice to win?

The start of a new series by USA Today bestselling author Megan Crewe, Ruthless Magic combines the magic of Harry Potter with the ferocity of The Hunger Games alongside a poignant romance. Fans of Cassandra Clare and Holly Black, look no further for your next urban fantasy fix!