(ARC) Review + Giveaway: NOT IN THE SCRIPT by Amy Finnegan

 

NOT IN THE SCRIPT
BY AMY FINNEGAN
Series: If Only. . . #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published October 7th 2014 by Bloomsbury Children's
Format Acquired: e-ARC
Source: Publisher (Thanks, Griffin, Jean, and Amy!)

Millions of people witnessed Emma Taylor’s first kiss—a kiss that needed twelve takes and four camera angles to get right. After spending nearly all of her teen years performing on cue, Emma wonders if any part of her life is real anymore . . . particularly her relationships.

Jake Elliott’s face is on magazine ads around the world, but his lucrative modeling deals were a poor substitute for what he had to leave behind. Now acting is offering Jake everything he wants: close proximity to home; an opportunity to finally start school; and plenty of time with the smart and irresistible Emma Taylor . . . if she would just give him a chance.

When Jake takes Emma behind the scenes of his real life, she begins to see how genuine he is, but on-set relationships always end badly. Don’t they? Toss in Hollywood’s most notorious heartthrob and a resident diva who may or may not be as evil as she seems, and the production of Coyote Hills heats up in unexpected—and romantic—ways.

This novel in the deliciously fun If Only romance line proves that the best kinds of love stories don’t follow a script.

MY REVIEW

This book is probably one of the cutest romance novel I've read! I had so much fun reading and the characters were funny as well. This is such a great read because this is not your typical insta-love and insta-sex books. I was smiling the whole time reading!

"You never know. You can't help who you fall for."

Emma, our main character, is a famous actress that's known for her lovelife issues: she was always dumped by guys and she never seemed to learn from them. On the other hand, she's not like the other TV stars -- she's not a spoiled brat, and she's not a bitch. In fact, she's a friendly, and sweet woman to her co-starts and everyone around her. While Jake (Hot guy alert!) here is a model gone to being an actor who doesn't really want to be in the industry if it weren't for the money that his family needs. There is also Emma's bestfriend, Rachelle, drooling all over her dream man and what she (they) call "The Bod". Who is he? Secret! :P Then there's Brett, a famous actor known for his good looks and charm for girls AND Emma's long time crush. But when they finally worked together, Emma realized she's no longer attracted to him, although she's still uncomfortable being around him. And, uh, Kimmy. Yeah. The bitchy actress. But you'll have to read the book to know why I don't hate her even though she's a bitch! /winks/

"No one knows their future. That's what makes life so fun."

I love how all the characters in this book are... flirty. Yeah, flirty in a cute and funny way. This book talked about family, friendship and romance all at once, without the kinky parts that you can usually read in other romance books. You will also learn a lot of things especially when it comes to the media and actors, how everything you can read about these artists are not always true, how they feel about them, and most importantly, how they deal with them (paparazzi).

"Tell [her] I couldn't help falling for you, no matter how hard you tried to push me away. That I can't imagine being with anyone else, ever again. . .and that you turn me inside out every time I even think about you."

From strangers to workmates to friends to lovers, the relationship between Emma and Jake is nothing but swoony!Watching (reading) them from each other's perspective, you'll get to know them very well (as if you're actual friends!), and will enjoy every page of this book!If you want a light, romantic and funny read, Not In The Script is the chick lit that will definitely make you love it from the beginning until the end!

MY RATING

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amy Finnegan

Amy Finnegan writes her own stories because she enjoys falling in love over and over again, and thinks everyone deserves a happy ending. She likes to travel the world—usually to locations where her favorite books take place—and owes her unquenchable thirst for reading to Jane Austen and J.K. Rowling. Her debut novel, NOT IN THE SCRIPT (Bloomsbury, Oct 2014), came about after hearing several years of behind-the-scenes stories from her industry veteran brother. She’s also been lucky enough to visit dozens of film sets and sit in on major productions such as Parks and Recreation, and Parenthood.

You can follow Amy on Twitter @ajfinnegan or Facebook (Amy Finnegan, Author). She is represented by Erin Murphy of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

1 Winner will receive a $50.00 Amazon Gift Card

3 Winners will receive a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card

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{Book Blast + Giveaway} VORTEX by S.J. Kincaid

Vortex
by S. J. Kincaid
Series: Insignia #2
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Published July 2nd 2013 by Katherine Tegen Books
Purchase Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

The impossible was just the beginning. Now in their second year as superhuman government weapons-in-training at the Pentagonal Spire, Tom Raines and his friends are mid-level cadets in the elite combat corps known as the Intrasolar Forces. But as training intensifies and a moment arrives that could make or break his entire career, Tom’s loyalties are again put to the test.

Encouraged to betray his ideals and friendships for the sake of his country, Tom is convinced there must be another way. And the more aware he becomes of the corruption surrounding him, the more determined he becomes to fight it, even if he sabotages his own future in the process.

Drawn into a power struggle more dramatic than he has ever faced before, Tom stays a hyperintelligent step ahead of everyone, like the exceptional gamer he is—or so he believes. But when he learns that he and his friends have unwittingly made the most grievous error imaginable, Tom must find a way to outwit an enemy so nefarious that victory seems hopeless. Will his idealism and bravado cost him everything—and everyone that matters to him?

Filled with action and intelligence, camaraderie and humor, the second book in S.J. Kincaid’s futuristic World War III Insignia trilogy continues to explore fascinating and timely questions about power, politics, technology, loyalty, and friendship.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

S.J. Kincaid

S.J. Kincaid was born in Alabama, grew up in California, and attended high school in New Hampshire, but it was while living beside a haunted graveyard in Scotland, that she realized that she wanted to be a writer. Her debut, Insignia, came out in July of 2012. The second book in the series, Vortex came out in July of 2013. The final book in the INSIGNIA trilogy will come out in Fall of 2014.

TWITTER: @SJKincaidBooks
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SJKincaidBooks

WEBSITE: http://sjkincaid.com/

GIVEAWAY (INT)

Giveaway is open Internationally | Must be 13+ to Enter

1 Winner will receive an Copy of VORTEX by S.J. Kincaid

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{Book Blast + Giveaway} PRIMORDIAL DUST by Sarah Daltry

Primordial Dust
by Sarah Daltry
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Purchase Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iTunes / Kobo / Smashwords / All Romance

A princess, trained to behave. An assassin, betrothed to her. A thief, whose eyes she dreams of at night. A kingdom at war, torn apart by the suppression of magic and truth, as well as family secrets that threaten to destroy decades of peace.

Questions of loyalty, of morality, and of free will culminate in a fantasy novel about forging one’s own path and choosing one’s own destiny.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Daltry

Sarah Daltry writes about the regular people who populate our lives. She’s written works in various genres – romance, erotica, fantasy, horror. Genre isn’t as important as telling a story about people and how their lives unfold. Sarah tends to focus on YA/NA characters but she’s been known to shake it up. Most of her stories are about relationships – romantic, familial, friendly – because love and empathy are the foundation of life. It doesn’t matter if the story is set in contemporary NY, historical Britain, or a fantasy world in the future – human beings are most interesting in the ways they interact with others. This is the principle behind all of Sarah’s stories.

Sarah has spent most of her life in school, from her BA and MA in English and writing to teaching both at the high school and college level. She also loves studying art history and really anything because learning is fun.

When Sarah isn’t writing, she tends to waste a lot of time checking Facebook for pictures of cats, shooting virtual zombies, and simply staring out the window.

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway is open Internationally | Must be 13+ to Enter

3 Winners will receive an E-Copy of Primordial Dust by Sarah Daltry

1 Winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card and Swag pack by Sarah Daltry

1 Winner will receive a Swag Pack by Sarah Daltry

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{Book Blast + Giveaway} MISTRESS OF FORTUNE by Holly Wesy

Mistress of Fortune

by Holly West

Series: Mistress of Fortune #1

Genre: Young Adult Mystery

Published February 3rd 2014 by Carina Press

London, 1678

Isabel, Lady Wilde, a mistress to King Charles II, has a secret: she makes her living disguised as Mistress Ruby, a fortune-teller who caters to London's elite. It's a dangerous life among the charlatans, rogues and swindlers who lurk in the city's dark corners, but to Isabel, the risk is worth the reward.

Until magistrate Sir Edmund Godfrey seeks Mistress Ruby's counsel and reveals his unwitting involvement in a plot to kill the king. When Isabel's diary containing dangerous details of his confession is stolen, she knows she must find it before anyone connects her to Mistress Ruby. Especially after Sir Edmund's corpse is discovered a few days later...

Isabel is sure that whoever stole her diary is Sir Edmund's killer--and could be part of a conspiracy that leads all the way to the throne. But as she delves deeper into the mystery, not even the king himself may be able to save her.

  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Holly West

Holly West writes the Mistress of Fortune series, featuring amateur sleuth Isabel Wilde, a mistress to King Charles II who secretly makes her living as a fortuneteller. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Mick, and dog, Stella. More info at hollywest.com.

Author Links:
Website
  

GIVEAWAY

3 Winners will receive an E-Copy of Mistress of Fortune by Holly West

1 Winner will receive a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card

Must be 13+ to Enter

International Giveaway

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{Book Blast + Giveaway} BLACKNESS TAKES OVER by Norma Jeanne Karlsson

Blackness Takes Over
by Norma Jeanne Karlsson
Genre: New Adult Romance
Published January 2014

Shannon Kelly’s life has been anything but typical. 

Her life has been altered viciously at the hands of others twice. 

However horrible they have been, it’s these changes that have given her a family and career…now possibly love. 

The last thirteen years she has been supported and loved by her protector, her entertainer, and her comforter, but never a lover.

When Dylan Kellerman enters Shannon’s life he changes its course in more ways than one. 

He gives her hope and promise of a future she was convinced wasn’t attainable. 

Just as she begins to believe she has finally turned her life into something she can build a future on…blackness takes over.

  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Norma Jeanne Karlsson

Blackness Takes Over is Norma Jeanne’s debut novel. What began as an homage to the home town of a homesick Midwestern girl, unfolded a story of love, danger, humor, and trust. She’s currently working on her untitled sophomore effort. We can’t wait to see what thrilling saga she leads us through next!

Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Norma Jeanne recently found herself relocating to the United Kingdom. Now living in Belfast, she took hold of the opportunity to kick the 9-5 job for a chance to become an author. The best part: working from her home office, she gets to spend more time with her cast of crazy characters (written and real).

In her free time Norma Jeanne is a voracious reader and consumes books as readily as meals. She is a people watcher by nature and uses her experiences in life, observed or otherwise, to build the worlds and characters that thrive in her books. A believer in the strength of the human spirit, Norma Jeanne writes the stories of people that persevere when all appears to be lost.

Author Links:

Website

  

GIVEAWAY

3 Winners will receive an e-copy of Blackness Takes Over

1 winner of a 20 Amazon Gift Card

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{Cover Reveal + Giveaway} GET EVEN by GRETCHEN MCNEIL

Get Even

by Gretchen McNeil

Series: Don't Get Mad #1

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Expected Publication September 16th by Balzer + Bray

Follows the secretive exploits of four high school juniors - Kitty, Olivia, Margot and Bree - at an exclusive Catholic prep school.

To all outward appearances, the girls barely know each other. At best, they don't move in the same social circles; at worst, they're overtly hostile.

Margot Mejia – academically ranked number two in her class, Margot is a focused overachiever bound for the Ivy League.

Kitty Li – captain of the California state and national champion varsity girls' volleyball team, she's been recruited by a dozen colleges and has dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal.

Olivia Hayes – popular star of the drama program, she's been voted "most eligible bachelorette" two years running in the high school yearbook and has an almost lethal combination of beauty and charm.

Bree Deringer – outcast, misfit and the kind of girl you don't want to meet in a dark alley, the stop sign red-haired punk is a constant thorn in the side of teachers and school administrators alike.

Different goals, different friends, different lives, but the girls share a secret no one would ever guess. They are members of Don't Get Mad, a society specializing in seeking revenge for fellow students who have been silently victimized by their peers. Each girl has her own reason for joining the group, her own set of demons to assuage by evening the score for someone else. And though school administration is desperate to find out who is behind the DGM "events", the girls have managed to keep their secret well hidden.

That is until one of their targets – a douchebag senior who took advantage of a drunk underclassman during a house party, videotaped it on his phone, and posted it on YouTube – turns up dead, and DGM is implicated in the murder.

Now the girls don't know who to trust, and as their tenuous alliance begins to crumble, the secrets they've hidden for so long might be their ultimate undoing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gretchen McNeil

Gretchen is a former coloratura soprano, the voice of Mary on G4's Code Monkeys and she currently sings with the LA-based circus troupe Cirque Berzerk. She is a founding member of vlog group the YARebels where she can be seen as "Monday," and she is an active member of both The Enchanted Inkpot, a group blog of YA and middle grade fantasy writers, and The Apocalypsies, a group blog of 2012 children's debut authors.

You can find Gretchen on Twitter, Facebook, and on her blog.

GIVEAWAY

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{Book Blast + Giveaway} THREE MINUTES TO HAPPINESS by Sally Clements

Three Minutes to Happiness
by Sally Clements
Series: The Logan Series #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published January 19th 2014 by Sally Clements
Purchase: Amazon / Kobo / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

Photographer Valentine Jones doesn’t believe in love, but when her romantic friend Maggie drags her along to a speed dating event, she finds herself reluctantly attracted to architect Finn Logan. Against her better instincts, she ticks yes on her scorecard to seeing him again. He never calls.

Finn shouldn’t have flirted with Val at the speed dating event. He was there to chaperone his wayward niece, not find another girlfriend – he has two already. When he meets Val again at his cousin’s wedding, he tries to explain, and ends up kissing her instead.

Finn’s company need a photographer to nail an important contract, and Val needs the job. Before long, Finn has dissolved his harem, and persuaded Val into his bed. She’s all for a quick fling, but nothing more – a ruined marriage has taught her that love is an illusion. But Finn’s ruthless pursuit is making her change her mind, until the party at his parents’ house that changes everything…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sally Clements

Sally Clements writes fun, sexy and real contemporary romance, partnering hot heros with heroines that know what they want, and go for it! She’s a voracious reader, and considers writing for a living the perfect job—the only downside is saying goodbye to her characters at book’s end!

Author Links:
Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

1 Winner will get a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card + an eBook of RUNAWAY GROOM (The Logan Series #1)

4 Winners will each get an eBook of RUNAWAY GROOM (The Logan Series #1)

Must be 13 + to enter | Open Internationally 

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