10 Infinite Weeks: Infinite Limits Review

PLEASE DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT READING THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE BOOK BECAUSE THERE WILL BE A SHIT LOAD OF SPOILERS. 

First of all, HOLY CRAP. I COULDNT FUNCTION AT ALL AND I DIDNT WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL BECAUSE FEELS BUT I JUST UGH. Told you there'd be caps locks, Megan. 

When I started reading, I became overwhelmed with a sense of nostalgia because man oh man, did I miss these characters. Reading Infinite Limits was a nice break from Stephen King, although Doctor Sleep is definitely giving me feels. Buuuut Infinite Limits definitely topped the charts. Why? Read on, if you dare. 

First off, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. HOLY CRAP, CONGRATS TO YOU GUYS BECAUSE YALL HAVE BLOSSOMED INTO BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES. A quote taken from one of my Who Is Charleigh McAfee post. I love it how Audrina and Jade learn to let go and move on. It just goes to show how much people can change, no matter how long it takes. And it sure did take a long time, lemme tell ya. 

Let me focus on Audrina specifically. She kept going back to Pax and then she finally let him go because she realized that he didn't need her like she thought he did. I thought that that was especially hard to do because you're letting go of someone who means so much to you. Good job, girl. I mean, I don't love you, but I commend you for that. 

AND JADE. MY BABY. I WANT TO HUG YOU. also great development. I love how she chose to move away from all of her troubles because with people, they sometimes don't chose to do that. They let their problems follow them. But Jade didn't. She tried to fix them... Or at least get away from them. That's literally my situation right now. 

Silas and Larson. Stop being cute and supportive of each other. I love how Silas was just supportive and ready to lend Larson a hand or shoulder or whatever the phrase is. I'm super tired, so I honestly don't care. And then Larson finally gets the courage to tell Silas everything. DEVELOPMENT. UGH. 

okay, pax. Who I never call Paxton. The whole "Pax committing suicide thing." I liked it in the sense of "wow, thanks for acknowledging that this is an actual thing." But I hated it because wow, Pax could actually die. No. Just Pax in general was great. He wanted to fix things and he did. Granted it wasn't easy, but he did it anyway. Just goes to show that if you really want something, you can get it if you try hard enough. 

CHARLEIGH AND LOGAN WERE SO CUTE. UGH. That's all

All in all, the book was fantastic. With its ups and downs, it left you on the edge of your seat. It left you in tears or laughter or tears of laughter. Whatever you prefer. The book was just amazing. Okay? Okay. Go read it. Now. Please. So I'll be happy and can get sleep at night. Ha. Just remember that it's okay to be happy. :)

DFTBA,

Lauren. 

10 Infinite Limits: What Does Small Circles mean to Me

Books have the tendency to stay with us long after we finish reading them. That's an understatement. They don't have the tendency, they just do. That's basically my relationship with Small Circles. 

Books also have the tendency to pull on your heartstrings and make you cry like a baby, good and bad. Or maybe a mix of both. Small Circles is one of those cases because it's like Megan just reached into my head and pulled out all of my problems and feelings and put them into different scenarios. And for that, I say thank you, Megan. It's like you just get it and it's really refreshing. 

Small Circles speaks about things that some people are scared to talk about. But that doesn't solve the problem. That just leaves it there with the possibility of getting worse. The only way we are going to solve things is taking the first step and acknowledging that things are wrong. I really appreciate that throughout the book, problems weren't made light of and that they're treated with the air of seriousness it deserves. Four for you, Megan. You go, Megan. Ah, Mean Girls. 

I feel like you could say that Small Circles is one of those things where you could say a lot but you can't get it out because of the fact that the thing means so much to you that you can't possibly get out everything you want to say. Or maybe I'm just tired. Probably both. 

If anything, thanks to Megan for creating characters that I love and a story that will stay in my heart forever. 

DFTBA, 

Lauren. 

10 Infinite Weeks: An Interview with Megan Duke

Have you accepted Megan Duke as your Lord and Savior? Because she writes awesome books that make you cry. Kidding, Jesus all the way! (Not trying to offend anyone's religion, by the way.) I got to ask Megan some questions concerning Charleigh and the Small Circles series.

1) What inspired you to start writing Small Circles?
The first thing that motivated me was the passion I had for writing a coming of age story. I knew I wanted to write a contemporary/realistic novel, so once the ideas started coming it was quite easy to get going with it. One of the biggest things that inspired me was equality and the need for diversity in YA. I wanted to have a gay teen male be the main character, versus just a side character. Also, the “it’s ok to be happy” mantra had a huge influence in the inspiration.

2) Is there anyone out there who helped or inspired you throughout the writing process?
Other authors are the most influential people to me. I look up to John Green and Maggie Steifvater, as well as authors like Jandy Nelson and David Levithan. I want to write stories that are truthful and still fun. These authors did that.

3) how was the writing process with all three books? Surely there were ups and downs.
Each book took a different level of dedication. Three Sixty was the easiest for me, partially because it’s so short. But also because I knew the storyline from the very beginning. I had no question of what was going to happen. All I had to do was sit down and right. Small Circles and Ninety Degrees were a bit more intricate. I had to create the characters and build the story from the beginning. And there was still room for them to grow and expand. What I’d originally planned for Ninety Degrees was not how the final book ended up.

4) Small Circles has definitely helped me, and countless others, through tough times. Did you have any trouble writing the hard parts of the story?
I didn’t have a hard time writing the touchy parts, but I had a hard time releasing them into the wild. I was terrified of what the public’s opinion was going to be. Especially because I live in Nashville - a major part of the Christian bible belt. Because a huge chunk of my story revolved around a gay couple, as well as drugs and sex and profanity, I had no clue how readers were going to take it. But I had to remind myself that writing is a freedom of speech. It’s a form of expression. And I’m not here to please the people that don’t agree with me. I’m here to inspire the readers whose lives I can make a difference in.

 5) Getting on the topic of my character for 10 Infinite Weeks, where did the inspiration for Charleigh come from?
Charleigh McAfee started with a name. “Charleigh" was all I had when it came to Silas’ best friend. I had no clue what she was going to look like or what her personality was going to be. But then it came to me pretty easily. About 50% of Charleigh’s character is based off one of my best friends. This includes the different hair colors, and the clothing style. As well as her view of the world. Her “we’re just lines and angles” attitude came from my friend. Charleigh’s physical appearance was inspired by a reader. I knew a girl that was not confident in her looks, thinking she was big boned and not skinny like other girls. I wanted to write a character that she could relate to, so I targeted Charleigh towards her and other girls like her.

6) Charleigh has had some ups and downs with the two boys in her life. What would you do in her situation?

If I were Charleigh, I would have done the exact same thing. However, I would have wanted Logan to be my boyfriend from the very beginning. I’ve been in similar situations before. Not as extreme, but I was tied between choice like her. I had to make my own choice. For Charleigh, the choice was made for her by Tucker stepping away.
7) Sometimes, authors tend to put a little bit of themselves into their characters. Are there any qualities or little details from Charleigh that you see in yourself or the people around you?

Definitely her style. Her clothing is completely mine. I write on all my shoes just like she does. And I had all guy friends in high school, just like her.

8) Where did you get the idea to name her Charleigh McAfee, which—not gonna lie—reminds me of coffee.

I actually created the name Charleigh when I was writing my first attempt at a novel. It was called “Never Let Go”, but this was in like eighth grade, so it wasn’t good. I’d always loved the name, but I wanted to spell it differently. As for the last name, I just looked in my baby book of names. That’s how I come up with a lot of them. Except for Paxton, Larson and Audrina. Those names were the first character I came up with, and they came to me naturally.

9) Are there any hints you can give us concerning as to what happens to her in the story?

As for Charleigh, I can promise that she is happy. We pretty much know her fate at the end of Ninety Degrees. It doesn’t change that much, except for a few life mile marks.

10) I've always wondered about past characters coming across new characters being introduced after another's passing. How do you think Charleigh and Owen would've interacted around each other, or would that be entirely up to us as readers?

I’ve never thought of Owen interacting with any of the new characters from Ninety Degrees. It seems weird. If Owen was still alive, Silas would have never been introduced into Larson’s life. This means Charleigh would have never crossed paths with Larson’s friends.  At the same time, they all knew of one another because they attended schools in the same town. At the beginning of ND we see that Silas and his friends were actually had the same restaurant as Larson and his friends. Maybe, if things had turned out differently, they would have still met. For Owen specifically, I think he would have been amused by Charleigh at first. Maybe even envied her. I have no doubt they would have been good friends, though.

DFTBA,
Lauren

10 Infinte Limits: Who is Charleigh McAfee

Charleigh McAfee is a character introduced in Ninety Degrees, the second book in the Small Circles series. She's that kind of person who doesn't appreciate herself as much as she should. She's used to getting things her way and doing things herself, two things I wish I had under my belt. She's always been able to understand her best friend, Silas, but things change when a new student transfers to Chattanooga Prep. As she shows interest in the new guy, feelings for another guy resurface, feelings she thought never had a chance. Her newly found obsession with finding love inevitably leads to heartbreak--who would've thought! Not me. Through all of this, she finds out that what she does matters.

Charleigh's got this free spirit vibe goin' on, and I really like it. With her dyed hair and written-on sneakers, you can probably find her look-a-like on tumblr. Her personality is different, so to say. She's got spunk that you don't see in characters these days. Even the way her name's spelled is different; you don't see that many Charleighs walking around with their names spelt like that. Or I just don't know many Charleighs.

Her relationship with Silas, her best friend, is honestly one of my favorites. Their relationship is genuine, and you can tell because Silas trusts Charleigh enough to tell her that he's gay. I really appreciate friendships like that because in some stories, the characters have crappy friends. It's nice to see a friendship that means a lot.

Charleigh and Logan. What can I say about them? A lot. Their relationship is slightly complicated so to say. Well for starters, Charleigh had feelings for Logan and didn't think he'd ever recuperate them... Surprise! And then of course Logan inches away because he's not good for her or he's a bad influence. Something like that, I don't  remember. And honestly, this was different because usually, the guy uses the fact that he's a bad influence as an asset. Another thing I appreciated.

Let's move on, shall we? Hey, look, there's another boy?? What a shocker. The thing is, I actually liked Tucker. He genuinely liked Charleigh and wasn't that much of a douche. Although I have to say, stealing the pills for his brother wasn't the best idea. I like how their relationship started in art class and Charleigh wouldn't include him in their art project and how it "blossomed like beautiful, horny butterflies." That quote was brought to you by my friend, Bailey.

All in all, Charleigh McAfee is a unique character with an interesting story. If you want more info on her, I suggest reading Ninety Degrees I remember remotely nothing from that book. Stay tuned for the next post which is going to be up today because, wow, all f my posts are overdue. Help. :)

DFTBA,
Lauren

What is 10 Infinite Weeks + Predictions for Infinite Limits

!0 Infinite Weeks is a blog tour that lasts for 10 weeks leading up to Megan Duke's Infinite Limits, the last book in her series, Small Circles. Each week is dedicated to a  specific character, including  exclusive cosplay photos, video releases, interviews, and reviews. The first three weeks are hosted by Megan on her blog, so go check it out. The next seven weeks are lead by seven other bloggers, writing and sharing posts about our favorite characters that we know and love. 10 Infinite Weeks kicked off with Audrina Ashby, Logan Brown, and Carter Walbridge, brought to you by Megan, and week #4 is my week with Charleigh McAfee.

Here's the schedule for the rest of the blog tour:
Week 5: Sillas Mcfuller by Lainey at The Belle Beauty Blog
Week 6: Tucker Watson by Bryce at Novels to Song
Week 7: Jade Walbridge by Jennifer at The Book Fighters
Week 8: Owen Spencer by Catheryn at The Book Lioness
Week 9: Paxton Graham by Jaclyn at Living in a World Full of Book Quotes
Week 10: Larson Ashby by Ana at Ana Loves

Predictions for Infinite Limits:
I'm going to be completely honest when I say that I forgot what happened in all three books. I've been meaning to reread them, but I just don't have time. So let's see how this turns out.

If you were present for Megan's live chat,u know that she read an excerpt from Infinite Limits concerning Paxton getting a certain phone call about his dad... I think.

My guess is that he owns the company his dad left when he committed suicide. I'm not sure how accurate that is because I don't know how any of that works, but i's just a hunch.

I don't want to say this, but I honestly think that someone's going to commit suicide as well. I mean, it's the last book, someone's going to die. Sad but true. I think, if someone were to do it, it'd be Paxton because after everything with his dad and the whole thing with Jade, Carter (who is a complete asshole), and Audrina, that leaves you a little unhinged.

As for the rest of them, I'm not really sure, but I really hope that everyone finds out the whole thing with Audrina and Carter wasn't really Audrina's fault.

That's all for now, 'til the next post, DFTA
-Lauren

Book Review: Tortured Souls by Kimberly Wheaton

Before I start this review, I'd like to say a few words: Oh. My. Gosh. I can't even, I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW, PLEASE. Ah, now that I have that out of the way, I can finally start my review without fangirling too hard.

Kimberly has created a fantastic story, with amazing characters, a compelling plot, and so much more. The plot was just right, and things didn't feel rushed or too slow. A thing that really annoys me is when the pacing in a story doesn't feel right and is choppy. Kimberly, you're doing it right. Another thing is that there are some parts that feel unnecessary, but fear not! Everything that happened was interesting and important, the circle itself, the investigations, everything. It's a win-win really, so basically, the plot was on point. 

The characters were phenomenal; they really made the story come alive. Kacie is a fantastic main character. She's very determined and knows what she wants to do and gets stuff done. Her backstory just made me cry and look up to her as a character. Throughout parts of the novel, she lets herself cry, because God forbid main characters from having emtotions, but she doesn't over do it. Logan is a wonderful character, he's supportive, nice, and let's not forget a complete gentleman. It's a nice break from your usual brooding, dark male lead. Let me get this out: We need more people like him! Guys are just really stupid, that's all I'm saying. I just really appreciated his character. Rebecca, Carl, and all of the other members of the circle helped the story come to life. They're funny, sarcastic, and honestly remind me of people I know in real life. I especially loved Daniel's nickname for Kacie, it's little things like that that really make the book special and entertaining. The relationship between Kacie and her family made my heart melt, which is something I rarely say. The protectiveness they show throughout the course of the novel was very heartwarming. I really liked the development between Kacie and her father. Even though he doesn't believe her at first, but slowly learns to accept her for who she is, along with her abilities. To me, this is something that should be touched upon more. Being in the same situation, but obviously not possessing supernatural abilities, I know how it feels like to be put down for the things I have, while my parents don't believe me, just because it's something they don't have cold, hard facts on. So thank you, Kimberly. 

I could say so much more about this book, but we'd be here all day. Plus, I think if consist mostly of fan girdling in all-caps. All in all, this book was very fun to read, making me cry, laugh, and squeal. Thank you, Kimberly for giving me an opportunity to read and review this book. Guys, please check it out, because it's totally worth reading. 

DFTBA, 

Lauren

***im so sorry this is up so late, because school has been so busy, and I haven't had time to sit down and write my review. But better late than never.***

Interview with Kimber Leigh Wheaton, author of Tourtured Souls

Since I'm a part of the promotional tour for Tortured Souls, I got a chance to do an interview with the author, Kimberly Wheaton, and here it is!

Describe Tortured Souls in a few sentences.

Tortured Souls is the first book in The Orion Circle series which featured a group of teenage paranormal hunters. Think Scooby Doo meets Supernatural. Tortured Souls is about Kacie, the newest member of the Circle. She is a physical medium who is being stalked by the ghost of a serial killer.

Tell us about the main character in Tortured Souls.

Why did you decide to write in the paranormal genre?

I've had an interest in the paranormal since I was a child. I love all sorts of mythology and folktales. My bookshelves are filled with books on the paranormal that I've collected through the years. In The Orion Circle series I plan to really explore the supernatural world: ghosts, cryptozoology, werewolves, vampires—you name it. I just find the whole supernatural world fascinating.

What was the first paranormal book you remember reading?

I had several nonfiction books about ghosts that I absolutely loved. They’re long gone now, and I can’t remember the titles. They were both paperbacks, and I read them until they fell apart. The first book I read in the adult category was Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. I was in fourth grade at the time, and yes, I did lose sleep because of that book. There are still scenes that stick out in my mind even after all these years. I became a huge Stephen King fan after that. I also found Dean Koontz and discovered I liked his work even more!

Are any of your characters inspired by people in your life, past or present?

No. All of these characters came straight from my imagination. I always tell my husband that he is the inspiration for all of my heroes and villains. But in Tortured Souls that simply isn’t the case. Fortunately my husband is nothing like the Foxblood Demon!

When can we expect the next book in The Orion Circle series?

I’m working on both books 2 and 3 right now. I started book 2 several weeks ago and realized about one-third of the way through that I had two distinct plot lines. These need to be explored in separate books, so I had to split them. I’m also working on book 1.5 which will be a collection of short stories. I hope to have one out around November 4^th.

I hope you enjoyed this interview and are interested in picking up Kimberly's awesome book, and be sure to stay tuned for my review of Tortured Souls, which will be up soon.

-DFTBA, Lauren
 

Interview with Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki

I had the awesome chance to interview Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki, the authors of Branded. I know this is two months late, but better late than never, right?

What inspired you two to write Branded, and how long did it take? This is probably the most popular question people ask us. We have always talked about & shared books we enjoyed. We’ve also been close friends since 1999, so our friendship has already weathered a lot of changes. We used to meet to talk about books we were reading when we considered writing one of our own. Then one day, Abi came up with the concept of branding people with their sins & we took it from there. It was never really a choice to co-author… it was just something we did because it worked. We wrote our first draft in just three months!

Are there any meanings or specific reasons behind the names you chose for your characters? Honestly? They were just names we liked & thought fit our characters. Except for Zeus. His name was taken from Abi’s Rottweiler that had passed away a year or two before we wrote the book. As you can tell from the story, we’re both dog lovers!

Is there anyone who inspired or helped you two to write the book or had any affect on your writing? I think we inspire each other a lot, especially when one of us gets in a rut. The other person that really helped us along was our editor, Amy Eye. She pushed us to write better, to be consistent with our characters, and to dig deeper even when we were tired during the whole editing process.

Are any of the relationships between characters based off of any relationships you two have in real life? I think all of our characters could reflect people we’ve met along the way in life. Hopefully, that’s what makes them relatable. For me (Missy), Alyssa was a reflection of a girl I used to babysit, who passed away from cancer when she was only 10. She was full of hope & faith until the end.

And there’s Zeus, who is a reflection of our dogs. Abi & I both have two dogs each, and we love them. They’re so forgiving, trusting, and lovable.

How did you guys get the premise of the story, and was it hard to write about? Abi came up with the concept, and from there we built an entire society. Sadly, it wasn’t too hard to write because there are places in our world today where governments are unjust, people are murdered or displaced and left to fend for themselves.

How did the two of you meet and decide to write a novel together? We met at college orientation in 1999 and have stayed in touch since, regardless of the stage of life we were in. While I’ve always been a bookworm, Abi was inspired after reading Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. After that, we started meeting & discussing books we were reading. It was just natural to write one together. J

Lastly, what advice would you give aspiring authors about writing or publishing a novel? Advice to up and coming author- Stick with it. Believe in it. Find a good editor. Find reputable bloggers that will give you an honest opinion & believe in your book! Ask other authors for advice when you need it. The indie community is very supportive if you just ASK. It won’t be easy, and it’s definitely a long process, but it’s worth the effort when you can say you wrote a book!!!

 

Book Review: Small Circles by Megan Duke (#1)

I got a free copy in exchange for a review, preferably an honest one. My laptop kept crashing, which prevented me from posting this at six a.m, so I started typing on my Ipad. Needless to say, Safari wiped away my review when I went to switch a song. Why am I telling you this? Because it's my sheer love for this book that keeps me forward to continue writing this review. I mean, I could just type a paragraph on how I love this book, and everyone should read it, ect, but... It's more than that. I...more I got a free copy in exchange for a review, preferably an honest one. My laptop kept crashing, which prevented me from posting this at six a.m, so I started typing on my Ipad. Needless to say, Safari wiped away my review when I went to switch a song. Why am I telling you this? Because it's my sheer love for this book that keeps me forward to continue writing this review. I mean, I could just type a paragraph on how I love this book, and everyone should read it, ect, but... It's more than that. I want people to read my honest opinion and as to why I love this book and why people should read it. Besides, I'm not one to break promises. Small Circles is one of those books where you stay up 'till God-knows-when or wake up at the crack of dawn to finish, because you can't stand not knowing what happens next. For me, that's when I know that I love a book. First off, I'd like to thank Megan for sending me a copy, it's an honor. The plot was fantastic, it drew me in on a roller-coaster full of laughs, emotions, and heartbreak. Nothing felt unimportant or out-of-place, everything fit perfectly. The book was well-paced, and it felt as if everything was actually happening in real life, to the point where I had to remind myself that it wasn't. I liked how there were so many trials they had to go through, because that's how life is. It throws curveball after curveball, hitting you in the face repeatedly, knocking you down. The characters are phenomenal, I really came to care for all of them. They're three-dimensional, some days, they're having a good time, enjoying life, but their lives also happen to be messy and just catastrophic. They're not near to perfect, heck, Paxton even had a screw just a little unhinged. I loved how their relationships between each other grew. (view spoiler)[Owen and Larson came to love each other as more than friends, and Owen learned to accept it and try to find himself in the process. Jade became Paxton's crutch throughout the aftermath of his father's suicide, when he couldn't tell the other two. Because Pax is right: Sometimes, you just need someone to be there. I loved how it slowly blossomed into a relationship, and I also loved how Jade and Larson became friends—really friends—during their freshman year of college. (hide spoiler)] These relationships didn't just happen all of a sudden, it took time. The themes throughout the novel were just.... wow. My thoughts are stars I can't fathom into constellations, right now. It's one of those things where you have to read the book to know where I'm coming from, I guess, because I just can't adequately describe it. I'd just like to say thank you, once again, to Megan, because she helped me realize that it really is okay to be happy. All in all, Small Circles is a fantastic book, one you'll cherish for a lifetime. DFTBA, Lauren

Book Review: Branded by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki

So about a month ago, I got asked whether or not I'd like to take part of the Branded blog tour for the novel Branded by Abi and Missy, obviously I couldn't resist, so I said yes. When I read the blurb on goodreads, I thought to myself, Finally, some originality. I have to hand it to them, Abi and Missy created an awesome premise, something I've never read about before. Overall, I liked the book, but some things prevented me from loving it, like everyone else. 

At the beginning, like, literally, the beginning, you see our protagonist Lexi about to hang herself. Well that's something you definitely don't read everyday, especially not at the start. I also caught myself empathize for her as soon as the action started, and Lexi said, "Help me, Daddy, I need your strength now." I just wanted to give her a giant hug. And then there's the branding of her tattoo—blue for lust, and being taken to the Hole. Throughout the whole process, Lexi stayed strong and put on her game face, who doesn't love a strong character, right? Although I gave to point something out, while her actions were admirable, as soon as she got to her room-of-cell, she started cringing, cowering, and screaming at everything. But, hey, we all have our limits, right? 

Enter Cole, the strong guard who's assigned to our lovely protagonist. At first he's all, "These are the rules, and if you break 'em, you're dead." But then he starts actually getting to know Lexi, and that's when we get to know the guy under the mask. I have to say, that guy's pretty funny, even though his singing is... unique. What happens next, you ask? Well, they fall in love, that's a no-brained. I thought it was nice, although it felt slightly rushed, and, to me, it felt like we don't really know Cole all that well. Unless that's saved for the next book. 

Every male lead needs a faithful companion, enter Zues the "guard dog." From what I've heard, he's everyone's favorite, mine included. He's that ice-breaker kind of character. He actually reminds me of a dog I used to have. But that's not all. Who can forget Alyssa and Stutton? I love Alyssa. I love how she's such a great presence in such a bleak and horrible place. I love how she brought out the best and brightest in everyone. I thought it was so cute how she went on a "date" with Cole. Ah, memories. I've gotta admit, I was pretty sad when she died. I mean, we all knew it was coming, but I didn't like it. But, to quote Charles Xavier, we all have to die sometime. And Stutton, one of the few decent people in the Hole. I love how blunt he is with Lexi, threatening to cut her hand, or at least I think it was her hand, off. There was a moment, that's unforgettable, when Cole was gone on a mission, and Lexi was sulking and couldn't think about anything else. Stutton sets it straight and knocks some well-deserved sense knocked into her. Yay, applause! This is another thing that bothered me. Lexi switches her personality left and right constantly. It was hard to understand, well, her at some times. Especially the part with Cole gone. She tells Stutton that she's got it all under control and then proceeds to mope around, not taking into consent the repercussions of her actions, like how she can get everyone killed. Like, c'mon, Lexi, you dint need a man. 

Lexi's background. I felt so sorry for her. I mean, if I got stuck with a douche of a step-dad like she did, I'd probably lose it and punch him in the face. When she wrote that letter to Cole, it felt like someone stabbed my heart. 

KEAGAN. three words: I wasn't expecting that. Okay, four words, I can't count. 

Once again, I liked the book. I did, and have I mentioned that I adore the cover? It was just those things that threw me off. That's not to say I won't pick up the next book, of course I will. Although I hope to see some character development and getting to know Cole better. I'd like to thank Abi and Missy for having me a part of this blog tour, even though my post is two days late. (I apologize.) every time I'd see a post on Instagram or Twitter, I'd start crying, no kidding. Congratulations once again, you two, I couldn't be more proud. 

Stay tuned for an interview with Abi and Missy about Branded, which will be in a seperate post, and happy reading. 

-Lauren

Book Review: Ninety Degrees by Megan Duke (#3)

Okay, so here's my real review of Ninety Degrees. I finished it on Friday, when I should've started studying for exams, oh well, no harm done, right? Once again, Megan has done it again, with new characters, new settings, and new things to be uncovered, she wrote yet another book that I absolutely loved.

Whenever there are new characters added into a story, I'm always scared that I'll end up despising them or something, but with Ninety Degrees, there's nothing to fear. I was really excited to see--or shall I say read--Silas' side of the story. I mean, he is dating Larson after all, even though that's at the end of the book. Enter Charleigh, the girl with the pink in her hair and lyrics on her sneakers, the free spirit. It didn't take me long at all to fall in love with her, probably because I want to be her. Okay, not necessarily be her, so to say, but have her personality and free spirit; that's one of the things I love about her. And of course there's Logan, the best friend to the other two, aren't they lucky? Of course they are. I absolutely adore these three, so much that I wish I could pluck them from the pages and call them my own. I love how they're so diverse from each other, and their friendship isn't all rainbows and dauntless cake. What else do you expect from a Megan Duke book?

There were so many conflicts throughout the novel that just tore me apart, I loved it. I loved how there were inner-character conflicts as well as character-to-character conflicts. It felt as this was happening and as if I'm the bystander. Say, for instance, Tucker stealing the drugs from Logan for Maddox. That just broke my heart into a thousand pieces, right there, folks. It's like Megan just took any ole person walking down the street and decided, hey, I like you and threw them into the story, and I loved that.

The plot was just mind-blowing, truly fantastic. I still can't wrap my mind around it, it left me pretty speechless. No, really, I don't know what to say, well, type. So I'll make this brief: I loved it.

I'm sorry that this review is shorter than the other two, personally, I blame exams for frying my thought process, but I feel like I can't express the awesomeness of these books--and Megan herself--enough. If you haven't read Ninety Degrees, or Small Circles, well what are you waiting for? Go, go, go, and pick up your copy now.

P.S. Thanks again, Megan, for the copy and poster.

Book Review: Three Sixty by Megan Duke (#2)

NOTE: Please don't read this review if you haven't finished Three Sixty, this review contains spoilers, only because I'm too lazy to actually put the "spoilers" thing on Goodreads.

I finished Three Sixty in the middle of the week, and to say that I was rendered speechless would be an understatement. I honestly wing it with reviews and type as thoughts fill my brain, but I just can't, right now. Thinking back on the novel, it was just a crazy ride of ups and down, as to be expected, but wow, it was quite intense, and I applaud Megan for that. Okay, enough rambling, let's get in with the review.

I really loved how we got an insight of who Audrina really is; in Small Circles, we only really see her as Larson's little--by a year--sister who did it with Paxton. Authors have the opportunity of taking a great secondary character with potential and screwing them up, but fear not! You really get a grasp of who Audrina is, what her motives are, her relationship with Paxton, life before Jade came into the picture, and even her "status" at Foster and Allan. I loved how all of this tied into her said motives and her actions.

The plot is absolutely fantastic, it exceeded all of my expectations. So much has happened in 120 pages, it's unreal, but not that it's unrealistic, if you know what I'm sayin'. Things happened for a reason, they didn't just happen. It's like, they didn't just go to a party, things led to other things, and that affected not only Audrina as a character, but also Carter. And not just those two--eve33ryone else was impacted in some way throughout the novel, and I loved it. It just feels like this could happen to very real people, and that's what I liked best about it.

Speaking of characters, they were phenomenal. I love the relationships they have with each other, how Larson and Audrina are so close, her friendship with Paxton, just all of them. Starting with Larson and Audrina, you clearly see how their relationship as siblings are, what their lives were like before when they were kids, and it's like you get to know them better, because in Small Circles, Audrina was really just a secondary character. With her relationship with Paxton, it was more than just a thing, it's more than just her coming to him when she needed to forget. She really does care for him and vice-versa, and it just broke my heart when she told him that he doesn't need her, anymore. And it's not your typical "oh, you have her now," and for good reasons. she's genuinely scared that he doesn't need her around and for good reasons.

And then there's Carter, Yeah, I don't like him, but I have to say, he's a great character. You can see his motives and why he does what he does, but for his actual actions? No, I'm not feelin' it. I liked how we got to see some of his background and how he was as a kid. I especially liked how we fond out the reason as to how and why he came to be the person he is now. It makes him seem as if he's doing everything for a purpose, which he is, rather than doing it just to screw with everyone. I just hated what he did to Audrina, someone needs to punch him, oh, wait, Paxton already took care of that. Overall, I hate him, but he's such a great, rounded character.

And last, but not least, Silas. As much as I miss Owen, I really do want Larson to find someone else, because it's okay to be happy. Although I do agree that I don't want Owen to become just another guy, I feel  like that'll never happen. I like Silas, I like his hipster glass, I loved how Audrina "interrogated" him, but most of all, I love how he makes Larson happy.

The letter. Oh, the letter. Larson, please, stop, you're pulling on my heart strings. I love how he came to peace with everything, and by everything, I mean Owen. I'm sorry, I just can't say anything else other than that I loved it and the fact that they named their son Spencer.

The pregnancy, aagghh.That's all.

I just wanted to thank Megan for sending me a PDF and giving me a chance to review this incredible companion novel.

-Lauren.