Spotlight + Giveaway: The Light at the Bottom of the World (Light the Abyss #1) by London Shah

The Light at the Bottom of the World (Light the Abyss #1)

by London Shah
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: October 29th 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction


Synopsis:

Hope had abandoned them to the wrath of all the waters.

At the end of the twenty-first century, the world has changed dramatically, but life continues one thousand feet below the ocean's surface. In Great Britain, sea creatures swim among the ruins of Big Ben and the Tower of London, and citizens waver between fear and hope; fear of what lurks in the abyss, and hope that humanity will soon discover a way to reclaim the Earth.

Meanwhile, sixteen-year-old Leyla McQueen has her own problems to deal with. Her father's been arrested, accused of taking advantage of victims of the Seasickness-a debilitating malaise that consumes people,often claiming their lives. But Leyla knows he's innocent, and all she's interested in is getting him back so that their lives can return to normal.

When she's picked to race in the action-packed London Submersible Marathon, Leyla gets the chance to secure his freedom; the Prime Minister promises the champion whatever their heart desires. The race takes an unexpected turn, though, and presents her with an opportunity she never wanted: Leyla must venture outside of London for the first time in her life, to find and rescue her father herself.

Now, she'll have to brave the unfathomable waters and defy a corrupt government determined to keep its secrets, all the while dealing with a secretive, hotheaded companion she never asked for in the first place. If she fails, or falls prey to her own fears, she risks capture-and her father might be lost forever.

Author London Shah is a British-born Muslim of Pashtun ethnicity. She has lived in Britain's capital city for most of her life via England's beautiful North. When she's not busy re-imagining the past, plotting an alternate present or dreaming up a surreal future, then she's most likely drinking copious amounts of tea, eating all the sweets and cakes, strolling through Richmond Park or along the Thames, getting lost on an evening in the city's older, darker alleyways—preferably just after it's rained—listening to punk rock, or losing herself in a fab SFF book or film. If she could have only one super power, it would be to breathe underwater. THE LIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD is her debut novel.

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Review: Aimee and the Heartthrob (Backstage Pass #1) by Ophelia London

Aimee and the Heartthrob (Backstage Pass #1)
by Ophelia London
Publisher: Entangled: Crush
Release Date: April 14th, 2015

Rate: OK (2 stars)

Synopsis:

He never noticed her before, but now she’s all he can see…

Miles Carlisle is every teen girl’s fantasy. His rugged good looks and exotic British accent have helped catapult his boy band, Seconds to Juliet, to super-stardom. But after two disastrous and very public breakups, Miles isn’t interested in dating just any girl; he wants The One. And the only girl he’s interested in is not only his best friend’s little sister―and off-limits―but won’t even give him the time of day…

As a kid, Aimee Bingham had a huge thing for Miles…until he made fun of her for always tagging along. Now that she’s outgrown both him and her pigtails. the prospect of spending two weeks on tour with the childhood crush who broke her heart isn’t exactly enticing. Except now Miles seems interested. Very interested. And no matter how hard Aimee tries to resist him, her crush is definitely making a comeback.

But everyone knows that falling for a heartthrob is a backstage pass to heartbreak…

What I liked about this book is the main idea the author had: two friends encountering each other again in a rock band tour, one now famous and one of them had a terribly crush on the other. Sounds a pretty great story, right?

I also liked that we have the chance to read the story from Aimee and Miles point of view so this gives you a more insight into the story. 

My favorite character from the story was Aimee. She was what you would call a true teenager: insecure, trying to fight a crush on Miles and complaining about having to change her summer plans. She felt real and I just love it when characters make sense.

What I didn't like about the story, though, was that at some point I felt like some characters contradicted themselves. Specially Miles. I had a hard time believing they were teenagers from time to time and at other parts of the story it was pretty clear that you were dealing with teenagers. That was a bit confusing for me. Moreover, Miles was a tough character for me. At the beginning of the story is presented as the typical bad boy who's famous and into music, but then turns out to be a total sweetheart who didn't even recognize Aimee at all and who have never had a crush on her, but all of a sudden he cannot live without her? I didn't find their interactions "inspirational" enough to make Miles write good music.

Another thing was the drama. You know there's has to be some drama at some point, but what happened felt a bit forced to me and kind of ridiculous. I think that the author had a great idea for this story, but when it all came up to the climax where everything goes wrong didn't exactly find the right topic or the right situation. Since they were professing a strong feeling, not sure I'm able to say love here, between the two main characters, it felt kind of immature what happened between them and torn them apart.

I'm not sure if I'm used to rockers who have enough age to drink alcohol or what, but I found it way too sweet. Don't get me wrong, I started this book expecting something like that a good, sweet story between teenagers, but since I didn't develop a special attachment to the characters and wasn't truly invested in the story I found all way too sweet for my taste.

This was definitely not a story for me, but if you think the synopsis attracts you I always encourage you to read it and create your own opinion.

USA Today bestselling author Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas and she’s lived in Dallas ever since. A cupcake and treadmill aficionado (obviously those things are connected), she spends her time watching arthouse movies and impossibly trashy TV, while living vicariously through the characters in the books she writes. Ophelia is the author of SOMEDAY MAYBE; DEFINITELY, MAYBE IN LOVE; ABBY ROAD and CROSSING ABBY ROAD; the Perfect Kisses series including: FALLING FOR HER SOLDIER, PLAYING AT LOVE, SPEAKING OF LOVE, and MAKING WAVES; the upcoming AIMEE AND THE HEARTTHROB for Entangled’s Teen Crush line, and the upcoming Sugar City series for Entangled’s Bliss line. Visit her at ophelialondon.com. But don’t call when The Vampire Diaries (or Dawson’s Creek) is on.

Blog Tour: Aimee and the Heartthrob (Backstage Pass #1) by Ophelia London

Aimee and the Heartthrob (Backstage Pass #1)
by Ophelia London
Publisher: Entangled: Crush
Release Date: April 14th, 2015

Synopsis:

He never noticed her before, but now she’s all he can see…

Miles Carlisle is every teen girl’s fantasy. His rugged good looks and exotic British accent have helped catapult his boy band, Seconds to Juliet, to super-stardom. But after two disastrous and very public breakups, Miles isn’t interested in dating just any girl; he wants The One. And the only girl he’s interested in is not only his best friend’s little sister―and off-limits―but won’t even give him the time of day…

As a kid, Aimee Bingham had a huge thing for Miles…until he made fun of her for always tagging along. Now that she’s outgrown both him and her pigtails. the prospect of spending two weeks on tour with the childhood crush who broke her heart isn’t exactly enticing. Except now Miles seems interested. Very interested. And no matter how hard Aimee tries to resist him, her crush is definitely making a comeback.

But everyone knows that falling for a heartthrob is a backstage pass to heartbreak…

By the time Aimee had followed the water trail to the back door, of course The One was already gone, carrying the five boys away. Bummer. With slower, heavier steps, she walked to her bus and climbed the stairs, ready to crash out in her bunk before anyone else arrived.

“Hey.”

Was she hallucinating? Had the image of Miles in a damp T-shirt stuck to his body like second skin been so vivid that she’d actually conjured it up? He lifted a hand and waved. No. It was him. On her bus, by the back row of seats. 

So much for avoidance. “Hi,” she said, unfreezing and walking down the aisle to him. “Aren’t you on the wrong bus?”

“These are all my buses.”

“I mean, aren’t you supposed to be on The One?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t really matter which one I’m on, as long as nobody knows. These windows are tinted, so no one can see in.”

“But you’re leaving a puddle.” She pointed at the floor. “I think someone might notice that.”

He dropped his gaze to the floor and stepped back, holding up the bottom of his drenched T-shirt. Aimee caught a sliver of his bare stomach, also drenched. In fact, he was head-to-toe sopping wet.

“Where are your dry clothes?”

“On The One. I didn’t plan this ahead of time. As we were running to the bus, I told Trevin I was coming here. So, no one’ll miss me.”

“Miles, you can’t stay like this. You’ll freeze to death.”

He shrugged. “It was spur-of-the-moment.”

“Well, stay there.” She ran to one of the bunks, a tech guy’s who was close to the same size as Miles, and grabbed clothes at random. “The bathroom’s right there and there’re towels,” she said, holding out the clothes. “But, um, you’d better take those off first.”

Miles looked up and met her eyes, water drops clinging to his lashes. She immediately dropped the clothes onto a seat, backed up, and turned around, facing the other way.

“Thanks,” he said.

Keeping her back to him, she heard clothes being removed and a zipper fly unzipping. Her skin burned under her hair as she fought to keep her gaze forward, and not creep to the side to see if she could catch his reflection in the window glass. Miles…stripping naked right behind her. Dafuq was she supposed to do with that?

Finally, the bathroom door closed. She exhaled and slowly turned around. Yeah, there

was a pile of wet clothes on the floor. Everything he’d been wearing. Was off.

And Aimee died right there. Like, dead.

She held her breath, then blew it out. To keep herself conscious, she scooted his clothes into a corner with her foot, trying not to look at them closely enough to distinguish if he wore boxers or briefs. Definitely boxers.

Follow the Aimee and the Heartthrob blog tour and don't miss a thing!

USA Today bestselling author Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas and she’s lived in Dallas ever since. A cupcake and treadmill aficionado (obviously those things are connected), she spends her time watching arthouse movies and impossibly trashy TV, while living vicariously through the characters in the books she writes. Ophelia is the author of SOMEDAY MAYBE; DEFINITELY, MAYBE IN LOVE; ABBY ROAD and CROSSING ABBY ROAD; the Perfect Kisses series including: FALLING FOR HER SOLDIER, PLAYING AT LOVE, SPEAKING OF LOVE, and MAKING WAVES; the upcoming AIMEE AND THE HEARTTHROB for Entangled’s Teen Crush line, and the upcoming Sugar City series for Entangled’s Bliss line. Visit her at ophelialondon.com. But don’t call when The Vampire Diaries (or Dawson’s Creek) is on.

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Blog Tour: London Falling (I See London #2) by Chanel Cleeton

London Falling (I See London #2)
by Chanel Cleeton
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Release Date: July 7th 2014
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

We weren't a relationship, we were a ticking time bomb... 

Maggie Carpenter walked away from the hottest encounter of her life when she left the seductive glitz of England for summer break in her South Carolina hometown. Now that she’s returned to the International School in London—and sexy, privileged Samir Khouri is once again close enough to touch—she can’t help but remember the attraction, the drama … the heartbreak.

She can’t help but want him even more.

Samir can’t afford to fall for someone so far removed from his world, not when his time in London is running out. It's his senior year—his last chance at freedom before he returns home to Lebanon. There, he’ll be expected to follow in his father’s footsteps—not follow his heart to Maggie. But when a scorching secret hookup becomes a temptation neither can resist, they’ll both have to fight to survive the consequences … and find a future together.

Don’t miss this explosive sequel to I See London, and the riveting conclusion to Maggie and Samir’s story. This is a New Adult romance recommended for readers 17 and up.

LONDON FALLING

by Chanel Cleeton

"I didn't see much of you this week." I didn't add the rest of it—I missed you.

For a moment, she looked embarrassed. Then she shrugged. Did she know how often she did that now? My lips twitched. Somehow she seemed to have picked up my shrug.

"I was kind of avoiding you."

"Avoiding me?"

She nodded.

"I thought we were doing the friends thing."

She met my gaze and held it for a moment. "I don't know how to be your friend."

"We were friends before..." I thought of all the times we'd kissed, from that first night at Babel to our trip to Italy. I thought about our "kissing lessons" and playing strip rummy in Paris. Of all the times I’d wanted her, all the times I’d been desperate to have her. Okay, so we'd been friends who kissed. I might have wanted her in my bed from the beginning, but still, I hadn't acted on it. That had to count for something. "Sort of," I finished up lamely.

Her lips quirked. "Sort of."

Those two words perfectly summed up the ambiguity of our relationship...or whatever it was.

"I want to be your friend." Besides Fleur—and she didn't totally count, since she was family—I didn't exactly have female friends. But I wanted to be friends with Maggie. It wasn't nearly enough, but it was better than the alternative. "Can we start over?"

She sighed. "What is this, like our fourth fresh start?"

"Maybe."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I have no clue."

"Me, either. But it doesn't seem like it should be this hard."

I knew what she meant. "Fine. Let's not let it be hard then. Let's act like everything is normal between us. Like things are the way they used to be."

Let's pretend.

"How are your classes?" I asked her.

"Good. Yours?"

"Boring." I flashed her a grin, unable to resist. "You look beautiful tonight."

She blushed, and my heartbeat sped up. "I don't think friends are supposed to say things like that."

"You mean Fleur didn’t tell you that you looked good tonight?"

Maggie considered this. "Actually, Fleur told me I looked fucking hot."

"Well, she’s right, but beautiful seemed friendlier." I winked at her. "See? Trying."

"I thought you didn’t do that."

"Do what?"

"Try."

"If you think that, then you haven’t been paying attention."

She shook her head. "What are we doing here?"

"Not fucking?"

That startled a laugh out of her. I’d missed hearing her laugh. "Has anyone told you you're kind of impossible?"

"Yes. You. All the time." 

"That's because you drive me nuts."

"I know. But you like it. A lot. You can't resist my charm." I was determined to tease whatever awkwardness lingered between us out of her. Even if the teasing bordered on flirting.

"You're not nearly as charming as you think."

"Maybe not, but you like it."

"Maybe I do." She shook her head, resignation filling her eyes. "This is so fucked up."

It was, but it was also us. I'd take it any way I could get it. I'd take her any way I could get her. 

Originally a Florida girl, at seventeen Chanel moved to London to attend an international university. In the four years that followed, she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, learned how to dance, travelled through Europe, and made lifelong friendships. Chanel fell in love with London and planned to stay there forever. But fate intervened on a Caribbean cruise, when an American fighter pilot with smooth dance moves, swept her off her feet. 

Now, a happily ever after later, Chanel is living her next adventure in South Korea. An avid reader and hopeless romantic, she is happiest curled up with a book. She has a weakness for handbags, puppy cuddles, and her fighter pilot husband. Chanel writes New Adult contemporary romances and Young Adult thrillers. Her New Adult debut, I SEE LONDON, will be released by Harlequin (HQN) on February 3, 2014, followed by a sequel, LONDON FALLING, later in the year.

Win a London Falling coffee mug, Tea, (4) signed London Falling bookmarks, (4) signed I See London bookmarks, (4) pens, a London case, and a $25 Amazon GC


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