Blog Tour - Review & Giveaway: In Too Deep by Michelle Kemper Brownlow

In Too Deep by Michelle Kemper Brownlow

Series: Standalone

Genre: NA Contemporary
Publication Date: June 6, 2013
Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing
Format: Kindle
Pages: 338
Source: Received for review for blog tour

Gracie has just finished her freshman year of college in Memphis when she takes a job at a local pizza joint in her home town of McKenzie, Tennessee. She is the epitome of innocence when she meets Noah. Noah is unabashedly handsome, intriguingly reckless and just cocky enough to be sexy. Gracie’s instincts tell her to stay far away from him and based on the stories she hears from her co-workers he leaves broken hearts in his wake. But still, she can’t explain her fascination with him.

Noah puts aside his bad boy ways when what he thought was a summer crush has him unexpectedly falling in love. But soon after Gracie transfers to UT Knoxville to be with Noah, their unexpected love becomes riddled with anger, deceit and humiliation.

Jake, Noah’s former roommate and Gracie’s best friend, can no longer be a bystander. Gracie’s world falls out from beneath her and when she breaks she turns to Jake for strength. As Jake talks her through a decision she’s not yet strong enough to make, together they uncover a truth so ugly neither of them is prepared for its fallout. Will Jake pull her to the surface or is Gracie Jordan finally In Too Deep? (Summary from Goodreads)

Let me preface this entire review by first pointing out that this book has a large focus on psychological abuse within relationships. I understand that this is a very horrible issue that can often have dire effects. That being said, I'd also like to make it clear that any negative feelings I display toward this book are not a result of me failing to understand the magnitude or seriousness of psychological abuse. All of my feelings reflect my attitude toward the actual composition of the book. 

And, as much as I hate to say it, I do have negative feelings toward this book. Quite a bit of them. Like the painful repetition of events. The plot is basically one-dimensional. No layers or overarching story lines. The same thing goes on and on for a good portion of the book: Noah would be a total ass basket, Gracie would convince herself she was finished with all his ass basketry and go crying (literally) to Jake or one of her other friends, Noah would claim he's going to try harder, and Gracie would tentatively accept his apology with the acknowledgement that things will probably never be the same. I kid you not, this exact scenario plays out at least 3 times, I think. Granted, each time this happens, Gracie grows a little bolder and moves closer to truly standing up for herself. I understand that this yo-yo romance is common for those who face psychological abuse. Still, while reading I was more interested in the possibilities of what could happen rather than what was actually going on. Is she finally going to dump him? Will she realize that she totally wants her best friend? Is someone going to give her a kick in the badonk and tell her to stop feeling sorry for herself? 

Speaking of one-dimensional: Jake. He's pretty much a cardboard cut-out--endlessly selfless, unfailingly kind, loves Gracie unconditionally, and a heck of a lover. Legit no flaws. Gracie, on the other hand, is consumed by her own self-pity. I have a pretty long list of complaints about Gracie, actually. She is always running to others to whine about her love life and there are very few instances of her being there for others. She cries at least every other page, no joke. It became distracting. If I was one of her friends, I would have smacked her and told her to get her cheese nips together, but then again I'm kind of a jerk, so whatever. Also, she has hypocritical tendencies. Goes on and on about how she can't trust Noah, which is completely true, but then she continuously mentions how gorgeous Jake is and how he is just oh so pleasant to look at. No big deal, though, because they're just friends. Yeah, okay. 

Despite all these frustrations, though, I actually became pretty engrossed in this story. I mean, I read it in only a few hours, so that says something, right? I became invested enough in the story line and characters that I couldn't wait for everything to be resolved. I enjoyed Jake and Gracie's relationship--I was rooting for them throughout the entire book--and I was pleased with how much Gracie had grown by the end. My heart also broke for Noah in a way I didn't expect and I sincerely hope he will one day change his ways and find his happily ever after. 

Perhaps my problem is that I've never personally experienced psychological abuse so I couldn't become as emotionally involved as this book calls for. So, if you have strong feelings for psychological abuse, I'd definitely give this a shot. I honestly think that, though there were a lot of things I wasn't super fond of , nobody would actually regret reading In Too Deep. And many will probably end up connecting to it better than I did. It wouldn't be a bad idea for everyone to read this. 

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Top Ten Tuesday: Summer TBR

1) Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

2) Wither by Lauren DeStefano

3) The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

4) Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

5) Icons by Margaret Stohl

6) The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

7) Tempest by Julie Cross

8) A Really Awesome Mess by Trish Cook & Brendan Halpin

9) The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

10) Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

1) Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

2) The Killables by Gemma Malley

3) Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

4) Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

5) Splintered by A.G. Howard

6) Delirium by Lauren Oliver

7) After edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling

8) The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel

9) Asunder by Jodi Meadows

10) The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Character Interview: Noah Hutchins from Pushing the Limits

If you had never ended up in the foster system, what do you think your life would be like? 

Possibly like Echo’s. I would have grown up in a good home on the right side of town. Honestly, I’d probably be like that ape Luke that Echo used to date. Hopefully, I wouldn’t have turned out to be such an ass as him though.

What is your favorite memory (or just one of your favorite) you have with your brothers? 

Watching them wake up Christmas morning after Dad and I had stayed up all night to put together their toys. They were wide eye and all smiles. So were Mom and Dad.

Aside from any people, what are some things you are most grateful for? 

A roof over my head. Food to eat. Honestly, the people surrounding me are the things I’m most grateful for. Losing my parents taught me what’s important in life.

What is one thing that was never important to you before meeting Echo that you now think about a lot? 

Art. More Echo’s art than anyone else’s. I never thought much about paintings or drawings before I met her. It’s amazing to watch her work. She becomes hypnotized and she’s damn sexy when she does it.

Echo’s taught me that art is more than lines on a page. She’s letting the world see a part of her soul. If you think about it, that’s courageous. 

What are three things you never leave the house without? 

My car keys, wallet, and when it’s not a hundred degrees outside, my black leather jacket.

If you could visit any place on Earth, where would you visit and why? 

Echo wants to see snow capped mountains in Colorado and I want to take her there. Seeing her smile and her eyes light up creates a peace inside of me I never thought possible since my parents’ died. 

How do you feel about so many random people reading your story and wanting to rip your clothes off? 

((Noah smiles and laughs)) I think it’s brought out a very jealous and protective side of Echo. She’s damn cute when she’s mad. 

And finally, what is your most embarrassing memory? (And don't be shy, we won't judge you! As I said, we want to rip your clothes off.)  

I don’t embarrass easy, but Echo does. A few weeks ago Isaiah stumbled downstairs to find me and Echo in a very compromising position and she was so embarrassed that my cheeks turned red for her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone, please just take a moment to appreciate how sweet/sexy/wonderful his answers are. Appreciate them! 

And now that's done so I'll share with you some Noah-licious acrostic poems that have come from Noah lovers everywhere. 

Here is my poem: 

Nom nom is how I would describe the 

Outstanding guy before my eyes.

A character that practically crawls off the page.

He certainly holds a place in my heart. 

Here is a poem from Jess, a member of the Noah Hutchins street team:

Naturally blessed with a impressive physique, he is

Overconfident and wild but 

Actually quite soft and chivalrous, the boy is

Heartbreakingly beautiful in every single way 

Another street teamer named Katherine wrote this one: 

Never did he

Open up to

All the worlds’ beauty,

Hence the destroyed soul but,

Help from Echo cured his

Unbelievably broken heart and

Turned him into a

Caring, Loving,

Handsomely considerate guy

Indeed, with

Nothing that could

Stop him from pursuing his dreams

And yet another Street, Melly, wrote this poem: 

Wow! I'm so lucky to have some fantastic, creative minds on Noah's street team AKA The Street Team of Complete and Utter Win. 

Feel free to write your own acrostic poem and either comment with the link to the post or write it in the comments. But most importantly, vote for Noah Hutchins on June 21, 2013 in the YA CRUSH TOURNEY!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Read:
The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen - Gabbi
In Too Deep by Michelle Kemper Brownlow - Gabbi
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows - Charlotte

Currently:
Saving Ben by Ashley Farley - Gabbi
Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes - Charlotte

Next:
Fall From Love by Heather London - Gabbi

Wha'chu be reading? 

Book Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Series: Newsoul #1

Genre: YA Sci-Fi Fantasy
Publication Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 374
Source: Bought

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life. (Summary from Goodreads)

 I did truly adore this novel. The cover is stunning and so is the story inside.

The world which Meadows created was beautiful and so far from the truth of reality yet it seemed so very real. I felt as though dragons, sylph and reincarnation actually existed as I read my way from cover to cover; I was so absorbed in this world.

Ana (our protagonist) was a character I adored from the first sentence and she continued to grow on me throughout the duration of the novel. She was as new to herself as she was to us; we knew everything she did and the best part was that we learnt it all with her - who she was, what she liked, why she existed and more importantly, who to trust. Meadows showed us all of this, she didn't tell us - this I liked.

Another character who I (and you will) love is Sam. He is so perfect, yet so flawed. He seemed so real throughout the book, so human. He was a lovable character and a great asset to the story.

The only issue I had with characters was that I think Meadows introduced us to too many members of the 'council' in one go so that I forgot who was who for a while. Only a few members were relevant characters yet all these names were thrown at us. This was ONLY a tiny issue, do not let this put you off the novel! You will not get confused about who is who with any main characters, I promise!

The relationships in this novel were more realistic than in a lot of YA reads these days as friendships were tested and emotions were used as weapons as well as comfort. The relationship between Ana and sam developed well throughout the story - they were each other's lifelines but also each was the other's greatest weakness.

I love the plot, the characters, the writing (the cover!) and everything else about this novel. It was well thought-out and beautifully written. I loved it so much that I've picked out a few of my favourite quotes! (I couldn't include all as they wouldn't have made sense out of context.)

1) "Honestly? I think people aren't sure it's worth getting to know you. It would be like you deciding if it was worth befriending a butterfly, even though it wouldn't be there in the morning."

2) I was the brushstroke that ruined the painting.

3) I was trapped, a butterfly under glass.

I loved this story as much as I'd hoped I would. I definitely recommend it and will certainly be picking myself up a copy of the sequel.

A Pushing the Limits Fan Art "Contest"

Hi everyone. Just a quick post to say that Nova and I (Gabbi) are having a fan art contest-type-thing for Katie McGarry's Pushing the Limits in an effort to encourage people to vote for Noah Hutchins in the YA Crush Tourney, hosted by The YA Sisterhood.

Anyway, this is just a call for everyone to submit any fan art they have for Pushing the Limits. It can be drawings, cover re-designs, photoshopped pictures--anything, really! We're going to collect all the fan art and put it in a public online gallery of sorts. We'll pick a few of our favorites (maybe with Mrs. McGarry's opinion as well) and send PtL ribbons to those people. Unfortunately, the ribbons are only for U.S.ers, but everyone is welcome to submit their work.

To submit your art, email me at gabbicalabrese@hotmail.com
Also, feel free to email or tweet me (@BookBreather) with any questions.

Please make sure that all art submitted is your own work, though. You will be receiving credit for your art, and I would like to give credit where it is actually due.

Calling All Katie McGarry Fans

Alright, so Katie McGarry kind of came out of nowhere. One minute, no one had really heard of her, the next minute everybody and their moms' dogs needed to get their grubby paws on a copy of her debut, Pushing the Limits.

Haven't heard of it? Check out all its magnificence on Goodreads.

Basically, that book is the BOMB DOT COM! One of my favorite books in 2012 and, ya know, my life. A ginormicus contributing factor: Noah "Nom Nom" Hutchins.

Much to my delight, I was the lucky lucky lucky lucky blogger who got selected to advocate for Noah Hutchins in the YA Crush Tournament, hosted by the awesomesauce YA Sisterhood.

Never heard of it? Check out this post. And this page.

Anyway, if you're reading this post, I'm going to assume you are a fan of the aforementioned writing magician that is Katie McGarry. And if my previous assumption is correct, I'm also going to assume you are a fan of Mr. Noah Nom Nom Hutchins Yum. If you're not, I politely ask you to remove this post from your computer screen. (Except not really, because I think we can separate our differences.)

So, assuming that you are a fan of Noah Hutchins, this is me extending an invitation to you:

JOIN THE NOAH HUTCHINS STREET TEAM

He deserves so much love. More love than I am solely capable of giving him. (Nova is helping, too. But still. He needs more!) Basically, the purpose of this street team would be to promote Noah's supreme awesomeness, to support him in the YA Crush Tourney, and lead him to VICTORY! This street team does not require too much work. I will be sending out little daily "assignments" for you to partake in, each one revolving around Noah and his delicious Noah-ness.

The only requirements for joining the team are as followed: 1) You love Noah Hutchins. 2) You have a social media platform to spread the love, such as facebook, twitter, pinterest, etc. I don't care how many friends or followers you have. 3) No bashing other characters, books, or authors. AT ALL. I'm 17 and I like to pretend the internet is a friendly environment. Don't show me otherwise!

You do not have to participate in every single assignment or spend a lot of time on any assignments you do choose to take on.

In order to join the Street Team of Complete and Utter Win, just fill out this form reaaaaaaal quick. (Note: if we've already talked on twitter about this, you do not need to fill out the form.) There might just be prizes involved but I make no guarantees as of right now.

If you have questions, feel free to email me at gabbicalabrese@hotmail.com or tweet me @BookBreather. I have no life, really, so it's not like you'd be bothering me. In the mean time, spread the word about #TeamHutchins and the #YACrushTourney