Sharing the love of YA

         Ok, so we've hit our 5 month mark on the blog. I just wanted to give a big shout out to all of our fans, and fellow bloggers! We love you. Truly. Kait and I have been going through some book droughts. (Ugh I know, right!) Both our lives have been pretty hectic lately, and with the holiday season getting closer and closer we will try our very best to maintain [or make better] the YA Vixens blog. We would really appreciate it if you could spread the word and tell your friends to follow!! We should be doing some more giveaways now that we're "up and running".

         Another thing we love... is Authors. Seriously, you all are great. Scratch that, you're AMAZING! Keep up your hard work, cause we want more books! :) Being part of a YA blog, I'd like to say thanks to all the YA Authors out there doing their thing for us! I know we all have our favorite authors, but i'm not gonna name names [the list would be way too long!]. As bloggers, we appreciate your words and your imaginations. As readers, you never fail to let us make our own decisions on the adaptation of your characters.

        The biggest thing we love [dun dun dun] Young Adult... Honestly I believe its a relative term. I may no longer be a "Young Adult" but let me tell you... I will never stop reading YA! Nothing compares to YA. I've read adult fiction, and sometimes I just get so bored... or so annoyed with the wordiness that I just can't get into the book. Not only that... but I'll tell you, i'm a super paranormal fan.

        Anyways, I just wanted to take a minute and share the love of YA. Regardless of what genre the reader likes, I think the most important thing is to just read.  I've been reading for a while now [ let's not date myself] but i'm SO happy with all the younger people starting to read now a days. Back when I was in high school... the list we had for our mandatory reading was obnoxious. I'm ecstatic about how schools have adapted to their students. I think if I had the TBR books that they have now... I would have done so much better! I probably would of cared more. We have had some great classics though, which should still be read as well.

      While you're showing your appreciation for YA books, stop by Beth Revis' blog and enter to win a crazy amount (50) of YA novels that are SIGNED. 
Enter here: Beth Revis blog / giveaway

How much do you love YA?  When did you first get into reading it? What's your favorite book or author? We would love to hear your response!!! 

I'm just gonna give you few of my favorites [these are not in order- just naming off the top of my head]
Tiger's Curse series, by Colleen Houck   |  The Lux series, by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Providence series, by Jamie Mcguire      |   Infinite Days, by Rebecca Maizel                      
The Hollow series, by Jessica Verday      |  Unearthly series, by Cynthia Hand

Thank you for reading, and thank you for following. I look forward to your comments!!!! 
~ beth [vixen2]

Just For Now by Abbi Glines

Title: Just For Now[Sea Breeze #4]
Author: Abbi Glines
Pages: 304
Rating: 4 out of 5
From Goodreads:
The day Preston Drake figured out that wealthy women paid well for a set of tight abs and a pretty face his life turned around.

The run down rat-infested trailer he had shared with his alcoholic mother and three younger siblings was now only a place he visited to pay the bills and stock the pantry with food.

He no longer worried about his family starving or living without electricity. The money he made entertaining rich older women more than covered his family’s needs and his own. He had it all figured out. Except…

There was this girl.

She was as innocent as he was tainted.

Amanda Hardy wished her knees didn’t get weak when Preston walked into a room. She hated the fact her heart raced when he flashed his smile in her direction. He had a different girl in his bed every night. He was the kind of boy a smart girl ran from. So, why was she coming up with ways to get close to him? Even when it was obvious he wanted to keep her at a distance.

Maybe her heart knew something the world didn’t. Maybe Preston Drake was more than just a pretty face.

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Oh , Preston, you deliciously dirty boy. How could anyone resist you? Another amazing Sea Breeze story from Abbi Glines.

Wowza. This book opens with a bang, literally, and it really got my heart racing. I was a little shocked by some of the descriptions. Let's just say that this book earned the "mature" title. I thought that While it Lasts was steamy, but it has nothing on JFN. With that being said, I definitely liked the storyline and characters better in WiL.

Preston is great. He's a bad boy with a true heart of gold. I loved him, but I didn't love him as much as Cage. See, here I go comparing... There was just something missing with him. Maybe it was the fact that WiL was about a womanizing bad boy[Cage] and I thought the storyline should've been a little different.

I love Amanda. She's always been just Marcus' little sister, but she has really grown up. I like her better than all the other Sea Breeze girls, except Willow. She was likeable and easy to understand. You couldn't help but to feel for her when she was hurting.

The love story was great. It wasn't insta-love because we've met both characters before and Amanda has had her eyes on Preston for quite some time. I enjoyed seeing Preston fall for Amanda and try to do what he has to to take care of his siblings[so cute!].

I think the only thing that kept this book from the extra star was the familiarity and the lack of a twist. I guess that Preston's job is a little bit of a twist, but it wasn't enough after Because of Low and While it Lasts. Overall, it was a great read and I can't wait to see who else fall in love in Sea Breeze. My money is on Jess or Jason. Or possibly Jess & Jason? Whatever the case, I will be reading it!

Check out the Sea Breeze series:
Breathe[Sea Breeze #1]
Because of Low[Sea Breeze #2]
While it Lasts[Sea Breeze #3]
Just for Now[Sea Breeze #4]

Have you read any of the Sea Breeze books or another Abbi Glines book?

Tempest - Julie Cross

 Tempest - Julie Cross

♥♥♥♥

"Reminder for days even more difficult than this one... because the truth is even though I have no idea what comes next.... at least for today.. I have no regrets."

         I debated on the rating for a little while, seeing as how I thought this book might be different from what it was. I've noticed that with this novel, you either love it or you hate it. I however, am that oddball that's pretty much smack dab in the middle. When I first started reading Tempest, I realized that this book is different. I love the idea of the time jumping. Julie Cross invites you into her own world.

         Tempest is a romance story with a twist.I immediately fell in love with the characters. The mix between pomp-ass and genuine makes Jackson simply adorable. Holly, Jackson's girlfriend is the perfect mix of sass and sweetheart. Oh don't let me forget about Adam. Adam is adorKable! He's that super smart techy guy that we all love, but don't always admit. Jackson fights with everything he has, to save Holly. Jumping from timeline to timeline his only interest is save her. Almost everywhere Jackson goes, he thinks he sees his sister, who passed away. Which tortures him every time he sees a red headed little girl.

          I think that Julie Cross had a beautiful debut novel. I do think that the characters at times were lacking. I really enjoyed this novel. The timelines transitioned well together so that I was never confused in what "time" Jackson was in. Julie poured her heart out into this novel and it shows. Tempest is extremely well written, and I honestly anticipate the second novel, in 2013. 

-Beth [Vixen 2]

Jennifer L. Armentrout SIGNED Swag giveaway

In honor of our recent meeting with Miss Jennifer L. Armentrout, we have decided to do a giveaway each week for TWO weeks!!! We have two AWESOME swag packs up for grabs. We are so lucky to meet Jennifer, and let's just say... She popped our book signing cherry! Not to mention that she's incredible, down to earth, and gave Kait some amazing tips for her NaNo. We are proud to have welcomed her to our little state (Rhode Island) at Barrington Books! Thanks so much for a great evening and some great tips! Also, I'd like to give a shout out to Spencer Hill Press for the amazing opportunity. Big thanks to Kate Kaynak for some great advice and helpful tips as well!

 Bethany, Jennifer, Kaitlin

@ Barrington Books

Barrington, RI

Nov. 8th, 2012

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday #12

"Waiting on" Wednesday is  a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases in which we are eagerly awaiting.

This week we're going to do a joint pick because we're both very excited for this release.

Title: Clockwork Princess
Author: Cassandra Clare
Expected Publication: March 19th, 2013

From Goodreads:Danger intensifies for the Shadowhunters as the New York Times bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy comes to a close.

If the only way to save the world was to destroy what you loved most, would you do it?

The clock is ticking. Everyone must choose.

Passion. Power. Secrets. Enchantment.

Danger closes in around the Shadowhunters in the final installment of the bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy.
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We love Cassandra Clare. We love The Mortal Instruments[even if I was a little frustrated with book four] and we both loved Clockwork Angel. Neither of us have read Clockwork Prince yet, but Beth has it on her shelf waiting to be read. I plan on rereading CA & reading CP before this release. We're just hoping Cassandra sticks to the trilogy and ties it up nicely in the third book.


What do you think of this series? What's your WoW? Leave us your link and we will stop by!

-Kait

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Title: The Sea of Tranquility
Author: Katja Millay
Pages: 380
Rating: 5 out of 5
From Goodreads:
I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone discovering her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay.

All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone, and everyone allows it because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. The more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-building, character-driven romance about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

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There are some stories that make you laugh, some that make you cry, some that make you flinch, shudder, and scream. The Sea of Tranquility made me do all these things and then some. Some stories stay with us for a day or two until we replace them with another, but some wind their way into your mind and heart and bury themselves deep within, refusing to budge. This is definitely the latter.

The Sea of Tranquility is, at it's bare bones, a story about a girl and a boy who are broken and the ways they try to fix themselves and each other. Usually when I read a book that doesn't reveal everything immediately I spend most of the book trying to figure out what happened and can't fully enjoy it. The Sea of Tranquility hardly reveals anything in the beginning of the book, but I never tried to figure it out. I was so in love with the story that I put complete faith in the author and enjoyed the moment.

"It's not that I wanted to be dead, I just felt like I should be. Which is why it's hard when everyone expects you to be grateful simply because you're not."

Nastya was a mystery through pretty much the entire book, yet I still felt like I knew her. Her strength blew me away. I don't think anyone can go through what she did without breaking a little. She doesn't speak, she runs in the middle of the night, and she dresses to intimidate. All the keep the truths that only she knows a secret.

Josh... I could spend all day writing about the reasons why I loved him. He's so much more than your usual YA guy. The losses he has suffered in his life have made him very independent, but somewhat lonely[even if he won't admit it to himself].

Drew is Josh's best friend that's sometimes douchey, usually inappropriate, and always funny. At first I thought he was going to be an asshat, but he's always has the comic relief that this heavy book needs. I loved him too.

This is a book that will suck you in and won't let you go. It's been three days since I finished reading and I still haven't been able to start a new book because I'm stuck in this world, thinking about the characters. If you want to read a book that will stay with you forever, this is the one for you.

On Amazon:
The Sea of Tranquility

On Barnes & Noble:
The Sea of Tranquility

NaNoWriMo

I wanted to post a little something different today. I've decided to participate in National Novel Writing Month[NaNoWriMo] this year for the first time. I'm really excited to really get my novel up and running. I've always been one to have a million ideas in my head, but I can never seem to get far into one before another comes along and takes it's place. I've isolated one story that I've been working on for a while now and I plan on breaking the idea down to it's bare bones and starting again.

I'm hoping I can find some good writing buddies to help me through the month and keep me motivated.

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo or have you in the past? I would love to hear about any of the things that worked, or didn't work, for you. And don't worry, I'll still be reading and reviewing.

If you want to join or learn more about NaNoWriMo follow the link here.

If you want to become my writing buddy, you can add me here.
-Kait