Showing posts with label Melissa de la Cruz Studio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Melissa de la Cruz Studio. Show all posts

Friday, November 13, 2026

Review: The Introvert's Guide to Kissing in Europe

 

Emily did everything she was supposed to do in high school - except for have fun. She's not sure what she wants to do with her life. She decided to take a gap year before starting college. Her grandmother was going to send her sister and Emily on a European summer vacation to celebrate both their graduations. Only Emily's sister died.

Instead, Emily is going alone and for a whole year. She's also going to follow the tour her grandmother took when she was part of a singing group with her own sister. They made several stops in Europe. On her first night, she runs into a travel influencer she follows.

Emily strikes up a conversation and before she knows it, she's found a group of friends to travel with. Together they make lists of all the places to visit. When Emily tells them about her travel plans, they agree to follow in her grandmother's footsteps with her. In Europe, she experiences life in a way she never imagined - all while kissing a few guys.

My Thoughts: I loved how it was a dual timeline and dual POV with Emily and her grandmother. I wanted to travel along with them. I loved the friendships that Emily created along the way - even those that caused her pain. I was impressed by her plan of traveling by herself and I'm glad that didn't happen. I loved the grandmother's story; I would have read more of her summer. I felt for both sisters and how the world made their romances impossible. I really loved this book; I didn't want it to end.

Tip: You might want to read this with your phone in order to look up all the cool places they mention! 

Cover Thoughts: Charming
Source: My Library
Library Recommendation: A great travel romance for your public library teen collection

Friday, January 20, 2023

Blog Tour: Live Your Best Lie

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the LIVE YOUR BEST LIE by Jessie Weaver Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

 

About The Book:

Title: LIVE YOUR BEST LIE (Volume 1) (Like Me Block You)

Author: Jessie Weaver

Pub. Date: January 24, 2023

Publisher: Melissa de la Cruz Studio

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 368

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/LIVE-YOUR-BEST-LIE 

Sometimes the prettiest Instagram feeds mask the darkest, and bloodiest, secrets.

Social media influencer Summer Cartwright leads a very charmed life: millions of followers, the hottest designer and vintage clothes at her fingertips, a newly minted book deal, the coolest friends, and, until recently, the hottest boyfriend at her über-elite prep school. Every moment of her life has been carefully planned and cultivated to complement her “imperfectly perfect” social media persona. She is truly #LivingHerBestLife.

But when Summer goes missing during her annual Halloween party and then an unscheduled post appears on her feed stating that she’ll be dead within the next five minutes, those closest to Summer know something isn’t quite right―or on-brand. Grace, Summer’s camera-shy best friend; Adam, Summer’s gamer ex-boyfriend; Laney, Summer’s moody camp roommate; and Cora, an influencer wannabe, all decide to investigate. And when they come upon Summer’s lifeless body, they soon realize that no filter is strong enough to mask the lies we tell ourselves.


Told in multiple POVs interspersed with social media posts and flashbacks, Live Your Best Lie has twists and turns that will keep readers turning the page and no one will be able to guess the ending.

 My Thoughts: I enjoy a good thriller - and this one is good. I like the multiple POVs. I like the social media posts. I like the flashbacks. I'm only halfway through it but I can't stop reading it. I need to know what happened. From the #toxic influencer's famous party to her famous death, secrets about to be spilled. Four people are named as suspects for the murder - and it looks like they all have motive. Plus, there's all dealing with their grief - each in a different way. I like that they team up to solve the murder - or at least has much as you can. There's no trust here. No real friendship. But there are some great one liners. This one reads like a movie - in the very best way. Head over to my Insta account to see my post there. 

I'm both excited to see what this debut author writes next AND to see where Melissa de la Cruz's publishing line goes. 

About Jessie Weaver:

Before writing about flawed, funny teens with big hearts, Jessie Weaver spent ten years teaching them English. She completed the Stanford University online novel writing program in 2019. Though she’s an East Coast girl at heart, originally from Baltimore, MD, she currently lives just outside Denver, Colorado with her husband and two daughters. Live Your Best Lie is her first novel.

Website |  Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of LIVE YOUR BEST LIE, US Only.

Ends February 14th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour:

1/16/2023

YA Books Central

Excerpt/IG Post

1/17/2023

Kait Plus Books

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1/18/2023

bookmama85

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1/19/2023

pluvioreads

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1/20/2023

YA Book Nerd

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1/21/2023

Silkybookloverfun

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