The Art of Keeping Faith (The Uni Files #2) by Anna Bloom ~ Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!

Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the Art of Letting Go and Keeping Faith Blog Tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. Click here to follow along with the full tour schedule. Yesterday I reviewed Book One (click here to read my review of the first book), and today I have a review of Book Two for you! 

The Art of Keeping Faith

Uni Files #2

by Anna Bloom

Publication date: April 9th 2014

Genre: New Adult, Romance

Add: Goodreads 

Synopsis

Lilah and Ben. They are meant to be a thing. 

Well they were. The best thing ever. That was until Lilah decided to teach herself a lesson, and let go of Ben as she learnt The Art of Letting Go. 

Now it's a new academic year, and Lilah has it all to play for and it all too lose as she battles scary lecturers, evil PR girls and her own inability to make the right decision at the right time.

Life has moved on for Lilah and her friends, and life off campus is more complicated than any of them would have guessed. As the reality of being second year students sets in and the study starts to build up, cracks begin to appear in the very fabric of their friendships. There is a chance that none of them are going to complete Year Two in one piece. 

Facing down her worst enemy: herself. Lilah has to try and change her own past mistakes when she realises that the only way she is going to get the future she wants is if she manages to learn The Art of Keeping Faith in herself.

The Art of Keeping Faith is the second year in The Uni File Series and continues Lilah McCannon's diary as she searches for love, tries to find and earn trust, and ultimately discovers who she is really meant to be. 

Sometimes the only way to meet your future is to face your past.

I was so excited to begin The Art of Keeping Faith and spend more quality time with Lilah, Ben, and their friends. In her second year at the university now, Lilah is now living off campus, sharing an apartment with her twin, Tristan, and her best friend, Meredith. She's coping with Ben's absence as best she can while studying and working.

I don't know how Bloom does it - she can express an entire range of emotions in one moment that will have me laughing with happiness while wiping away tears of sadness. I felt every emotion of Lilah's so clearly it was like I was there with her. Lilah has been through so much, and I was proud of the growth of her character in the first book and even more so in this one. 

As much as I wanted Lilah and Ben to be together (and in the same place!), I understood Ben needed the freedom to pursue his dream with his band. Like the saying that begins with "if you truly love something, set it free," Lilah has given Ben her trust and understanding, setting him free. The awesome thing is, he wants to be with her. He loves her as much as she loves him. 

The ups and downs of their relationship felt so realistic to me. There were moments that Lilah had that I understood so perfectly. The Art of Keeping Faith ripped at my heart at times while filling it up at others. I must say, this series is a new favorite of mine. I truly feel changed for the better now that I know Lilah and Ben.  

     

My Rating:

Book One 

Click here to read my review 

of the first book! 

The Art of Letting Go

Uni Files #1

by Anna Bloom

Publication date: September 25th 2013

Genre: New Adult, Romance

Source: Review copy

Add: Goodreads | BookLikes

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis

For Lilah McCannon, life has taken a bit of a wrong turn. Engaged to a guy she is not in love with and stuck in a job with her tyrannical father as her boss, life has definitely not turned out the way she expected. 

At twenty-five years old, Lilah knows that she has a simple choice: live the life she has created or change it. 

Enrolling on a course at the local University, Lilah sets out with some clear rules to ensure her success at being a grown-up. No alcohol, no cigarettes, no boys, and no going home. But the last thing she anticipates is meeting Ben Chambers, the lead singer of a local band. With Ben, it's instant, it's hot, and it's deep, but when Ben is offered the opportunity of a lifetime and it looks like his future lies on a different path to hers, Lilah has some heart-rending decisions to make.

With the academic year slipping by too quickly, Lilah faces a barrage of new challenges. Will she ever make it up the library stairs without having a heart attack? Can she handle a day on campus without drinking vodka? Will she ever manage to read a history book without falling asleep? Most of all, will she be able to make the ultimate sacrifice and learn The Art of Letting Go?

 About the Author

Anna Bloom is a contemporary romance writer who writes about life as it happens. Combining a busy schedule of looking after two small children whilst working in a local school and completing The Uni Files series. 

Anna's main aim in life is to create the perfect book which makes a reader laugh and cry at the same time, hopefully causing a convulsive (impossible to ignore) donkey noise. It's a work in progress! Anna also spends a lot of time imagining kissing hot guys - all in the name of her art. 

Author Links

Website | Goodreads | Twitter  

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Blog Tour organized by:

The Art of Letting Go (The Uni Files #1) by Anna Bloom ~ Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway!

Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the Art of Letting Go and Keeping Faith Blog Tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. Click here to follow along with the full tour schedule. Today I have a review of Book One for you, and tomorrow I'll have my review of Book Two for you! 

The Art of Letting Go

Uni Files #1

by Anna Bloom

Publication date: September 25th 2013

Genre: New Adult, Romance

Source: Review copy

Add: Goodreads | BookLikes

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis

For Lilah McCannon, life has taken a bit of a wrong turn. Engaged to a guy she is not in love with and stuck in a job with her tyrannical father as her boss, life has definitely not turned out the way she expected. 

At twenty-five years old, Lilah knows that she has a simple choice: live the life she has created or change it. 

Enrolling on a course at the local University, Lilah sets out with some clear rules to ensure her success at being a grown-up. No alcohol, no cigarettes, no boys, and no going home. But the last thing she anticipates is meeting Ben Chambers, the lead singer of a local band. With Ben, it's instant, it's hot, and it's deep, but when Ben is offered the opportunity of a lifetime and it looks like his future lies on a different path to hers, Lilah has some heart-rending decisions to make.

With the academic year slipping by too quickly, Lilah faces a barrage of new challenges. Will she ever make it up the library stairs without having a heart attack? Can she handle a day on campus without drinking vodka? Will she ever manage to read a history book without falling asleep? Most of all, will she be able to make the ultimate sacrifice and learn The Art of Letting Go? 

There's something about Lilah! She's hilarious, full of life, and also adorably clueless as hell. In The Art of Letting Go, Lilah finds herself heading towards thirty years old stuck in a job she hates, engaged to a man she doesn't want to marry, and living under her father's thumb. And then along comes Ben. 

Lilah has made drastic changes by the time she meets Ben - she's walked away from her job, is enrolled in college as a history major, and is living in a tiny dorm room. Meeting him changes everything, especially when he's revealed to be her roommate. She's swept off her feet, and I was, too! Ben is charming, authentic, musically talented, and a great cook. Tall dark and handsome is exactly how I like them.

They face several obstacles they must overcome in order to be together, and one of the biggest is when Ben's band is given the opportunity to go to the U.S. to record an album, Lilah finds out he won't be coming back to the university next year. The question she wrestles with is if she should continue seeing Ben and be happy in the moment while knowing their paths are heading in different directions or does she try to protect herself and end things now? 

I loved how the characters reacted in surprising and unexpected ways. This made the book all the more special to me. The title, The Art of Letting Go, could not be more perfect for the story being told. I felt Lilah's emotions so strongly that I laughed and cried along with her. I wanted nothing more than to have a drink with her and give her a hug on her bad days and celebrate with her on her good days. 

My only issue with the book, which is a completely minor one, is that many times contractions weren't used. It disrupted the flow of the dialogue for me at times but didn't disrupt the story itself. I just felt it's more realistic for a character to say "it's" rather than "it is" for example. 

The Art of Letting Go is the first book in a series that you'd be crazy to miss! I have a strong feeling you're going to love Lilah and Ben as much as I do, not to mention their friends.  

My Fave Quotes 

"There are three words to describe me: Frumpy, dumpy, and old. The Student Union should give me a special badge: 'Old Person. Approach with Caution.'" ~Lilah

"She laughs and makes herself at home squeezing into a tiny gap between boxes on the bed. There is no chance I could have maneuvered one butt cheek in a space that small." ~Lilah

My Rating:

Book Two

The Art of Keeping Faith

Uni Files #2

by Anna Bloom

Publication date: April 9th 2014

Genre: New Adult, Romance

Add: Goodreads 

Synopsis

Lilah and Ben. They are meant to be a thing. 

Well they were. The best thing ever. That was until Lilah decided to teach herself a lesson, and let go of Ben as she learnt The Art of Letting Go. 

Now it's a new academic year, and Lilah has it all to play for and it all too lose as she battles scary lecturers, evil PR girls and her own inability to make the right decision at the right time.

Life has moved on for Lilah and her friends, and life off campus is more complicated than any of them would have guessed. As the reality of being second year students sets in and the study starts to build up, cracks begin to appear in the very fabric of their friendships. There is a chance that none of them are going to complete Year Two in one piece. 

Facing down her worst enemy: herself. Lilah has to try and change her own past mistakes when she realises that the only way she is going to get the future she wants is if she manages to learn The Art of Keeping Faith in herself.

The Art of Keeping Faith is the second year in The Uni File Series and continues Lilah McCannon's diary as she searches for love, tries to find and earn trust, and ultimately discovers who she is really meant to be. 

Sometimes the only way to meet your future is to face your past.

About the Author

Anna Bloom is a contemporary romance writer who writes about life as it happens. Combining a busy schedule of looking after two small children whilst working in a local school and completing The Uni Files series. 

Anna's main aim in life is to create the perfect book which makes a reader laugh and cry at the same time, hopefully causing a convulsive (impossible to ignore) donkey noise. It's a work in progress! Anna also spends a lot of time imagining kissing hot guys - all in the name of her art. 

Author Links

Website | Goodreads | Twitter  

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Blog Tour organized by:

Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway ~ I Found You by Jane Lark

Hey guys! Welcome to my stop on the I Found You Blog Tour hosted by Fiction Addiction Book Tours.  The full blog tour schedule can be found at the bottom of this post. :D 

Title: I Found You

Author: Jane Lark

Publisher: Harper Impulse

Release date: December 5th 2013

Genre: New Adult Romance

Source: Review copy

Goodreads | BookLikes

~ Synopsis ~

Tomorrow is for regrets. Tonight is for being together. 

On a cold winter night, Rachel and Jason's lives collide on Manhattan Bridge. She's running from life, he's running toward it. But compassion urges him to help her. 

His offer of a place to stay leads to friendship and trouble. There's his fiancee back home in Oregon and a family who just don't trust this girl from the wrong side of the tracks.

But when the connection between them is so electric, so right...everyone else must be wrong. And as the snow begins to settle on the Hudson, there's nothing but the possibility of what could be - of this, right here, right now. Them.

~ My Thoughts ~ 

I FOUND YOU was an absolute blast to read! I flew through Rachel and Jason's story, finishing it in one sitting. The way they met, described in the synopsis as Jason running toward life while Rachel is running away from life, is what really drew me to this book and is far from the typical way characters meet in a romance novel. 

The chemistry between Rachel and Jason was undeniable. They're hot together!! As awful as it felt for Jason and Lindy to have such a messy breakup, I couldn't help but love Rachel and Jason. Not only were they super hot together, but they also proved to be good for each other - Jason gets Rachel into exercise and dealing with emotions and problems in a healthier way, and she teaches him to let go and live a little.  

The tension and pressure from Jason's family about choosing Rachel over Lindy was realistic and a little anxiety provoking. I know back in high school I was in a relationship my family didn't approve of although in this story, it's a different situation with similar fallout. Rachel and Jason fell hard for each other and fast, and I knew that was where much of the disapproval came from, not to mention the fact that his parents and Lindy had never wanted him to move away from Oregon in the first place.

Surprises were in store for me as the plot of I FOUND YOU went beyond what the synopsis hinted at, and Jason and Rachel were faced with gigantic hurdles to overcome for their happily ever after. I stayed glued to my Kindle, needing to know what came next. I'm looking forward to more books by Jane Lark!     

My Rating: 4 / 5  

~ Purchase Links ~

Amazon | B&N | Kobo

~ About the Author: Jane Lark ~

Jane is a writer of authentic, passionate and emotional Historical and New Adult Romances. 

She began her first novel at sixteen, but a life full of difficult derailed her as she lives with the restrictions of Ankylosing Spondylitis.

When she finally completed a novel it was because she was determined to be able to say I'm a writer. 

Now Jane is thrilled to be giving her characters life in others' imaginations at last. 

Jane is also a Chartered member of the Institute of Personnel and Development, and uses her knowledge of psychology to bring her characters to life.

'Basically I'm a sucker for a love story. I love the feeling of falling in love and it's wonderful to be able to do it time and time again in fiction, plus my understanding of people helps me write the really intense relationships I enjoy creating.' 

~ Author Links ~     

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

~ Tour Schedule ~

Date	Tour information
25th December	Tracy Riva Books and Reviews
26th December	BestChickLit
27th December	MissBookworm Reviews
30th December	Nerd Alert Book Love
31st December	Deal Sharing Aunt
3rd January	kimberlyfaye reads
6th January	Fairy Tale Ending Book Reviews
7th January	JGRWriter
9th January	Bleach House Library
10th January	Donnie Darko Girl
13th January	Brook Cottage Books
15th January	Chicklit vs Fantasy
16th January	A Daydreamer's Thoughts
17th January	Chicklit Club Connect
20th January	My Reading Room
21st January	Everything Books and Authors

 ~ Giveaway ~ 

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Blog Tour organized by:

The Upside of Being Let Down by London Casey ~ Promo Blitz

The Upside of Being Let Down - PROMO Blitz

by London Casey

Date Published: 1/7/2014

New Adult Romance

The fact that AJ's sister is a stripper has been the bane of AJ's existence for as long as she can remember. Every guy that has showed interest only wanted to get closer to her sister. After being kicked out of college, and subsequently out of her apartment, AJ heads to the strip club for some sisterly advice. Instead, she lands in the apartment of a cute stranger who seems way too eager to help.

Bryan is a regular guy looking for the simplicity in life. A strip club is definitely not his idea of simplicity, but he is pleasantly surprised at who he finds not prancing around on stage.  In the middle of a strip club his eyes are glued to a woman that is fully dressed and thus begins a rollercoaster romance that he never saw coming.

When a risky dare is set in motion, an earth shattering truth is unraveled and AJ no longer knows who she can trust.  Can Bryan prove that he loves AJ and help save her bond with her sister before it's too late? 

Author Links

Website | Facebook | Mailing list


I'm definitely snagging a copy of this asap! I love the title, the cover, the synopsis - I think the strip club setting will prove to be interesting to say the least, lol!   

This Promo Blitz is brought to you by Reading Addiction Book Tours

Cover Reveal ~ Unwrapped

COVER REVEAL

A New Adult Romance

Six different novellas

by the NAturals

Laurelin Paige, Gennifer Albin, Melanie Harlow, Sierra Simone, Kayti McGee Downey, and Tamara Mataya

Release: December 23, 2013

Cover designed by Tom Barnes Design

Six romance authors present six very different novellas in this anthology of new stories: Ménage a tango lessons. A bride DYING to say, 'I don't.' A horny college boy at a purity rally. Time-traveling graduate students meet Victorian playboys. A rugby player who's as dirty off the field as on. And kissing under the mistletoe with a Scottish exchange student. Something for everyone, the NAturals present sweet, funny, and erotic tales of new adults meant to be Unwrapped all year long and not just at Christmas.

    

  About the Authors Laurelin Paige, Gennifer Albin, Melanie Harlow, Sierra Simone, Kayti McGee Downey, and Tamara Mataya are the six authors who blog for TheNaturalAuthors.blogspot.com. They each write romance and adore pushing the boundaries of the genre. Above all, they love reading smut, looking at pictures of hot men, and making up names for the band they’re always talking about forming. 

  Blog | Facebook | Twitter  

  

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Event ~ Hopeless for You by Hayden Hill

HOPELESS FOR YOU by Hayden Hill is now out!! 

 

Title: Hopeless for You
Author: Hayden Hill
Genre: New Adult Romance
Release date: September 23rd 2013

 

Synopsis:

Ash Jensen, a squeaky-clean sophomore at the University of Tennessee, has a trail of baggage a mile long — she buried her fiancé only a year and a half ago. She swore she'd never love again but when she finds herself interned to a yummy Canadian conservation officer that promise is tested big-time. Kade Gyllenhahl sports wild tattoos, a rebellious attitude and a fohawk to die for. He's definitely the wrong man for her and she knows it. 

Kade doesn't have time for a girl like her. She's a pretentious, unreadable princess who lives her life by her parents' rules. Kade knows nothing about her past and he'd prefer to keep it that way. Besides, he'll lose his job if he sleeps with Ash. Now if only he could get his mind off her. When the two of them end up alone and isolated on a routine field trip into the woods, things get a little complicated... One man afraid of commitment. One woman afraid to love again. Two lives. Two hearts. One life-changing journey. 

 Excerpt:

"You like vodka?" Kade said. 

"What?" I glanced at him uncertainly. "That's kind of an odd question. From way out in left field." 

"You're half Russian." He was staring at me intensely. "You must like vodka." 

"Oh, no." I returned his gaze with equal intensity. Had he felt that tingle when our hands touched, too? Our conversation was all innocent on the outside but I could sense the sexual tension seething on the inside. Neither of us broke eye contact. He wasn't sitting all that far from me. It wouldn't take much to close the gap and wrap my lips around his. "I had vodka once when I was in tenth grade. Almost threw up. Scotch is more my thing." 

"Scotch? That's a man's drink." 

I shrugged, but didn't break eye contact. "Not really." 

"Any preferred brands?" His voice sounded deeper, more sexual. I was starting to lose myself in those eyes. 

"I don't know." My voice sounded strange, too. A little breathy. "All kinds of brands. I don't like Jack Daniels, though." 

"That's not even scotch. That's whiskey." 

"Same thing." Kade stood up now and edged a little closer. His eyes never left mine. "How can you not like Jack Daniels? That's, like, a Tennessee institution. They make it there, don't they?" 

"They do." My heart was beating fast. "But Collier and McKeel is more my thing."  
"How do you know so much about all these drinks, anyway?" he said in that deep, slow voice. "The legal age is twenty-one in Tennessee." 

I knew my eyes were broadcasting sheer want. He felt it. I'm sure he did, because his eyes fed that want right back at me. "I'm a delinquent." 

"You are." He took another step closer. I could hear his breathing now. Deeper. Faster. "Collier and McKeel... remind me to let you try Seagram's 83 sometime. Canadians make the best whiskey. Perfect for a delinquent like you." 

"I'm actually more of a wine person. At least I used to be." We were so close now, barely a hand-span away. Those green eyes never left mine, and consumed me. 

"Wine? I can see that. I'd peg you as a fan of white. You speak Sauvignon Blanc?" The way he said those French words sounded so sexy. 

"I speak champagne," I said huskily. "Dom Perignon makes the most amazing Cristal. White Gold is--" I choked off the words, feeling suddenly like I was drowning, and I turned away from Kade. I couldn't hold back the sudden tears. 

After all this time, something so simple as the name of a drink still affected me. I almost hoped Kade would wrap his arms around me and carry me away from the horrors of the past and save me from the guilt, but when I looked at him I saw he'd retreated to the shade again. He was sitting on the log with his arms crossed, facing away from me, staring at the river. 

 ABOUT HAYDEN HILL: 

 Hayden Hill is the author of HOPELESS FOR YOU. When not writing, publishing, and blogging, Hayden is busy cycling and taking pictures in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A romantic at heart, Hayden is always looking to take that one picture or write that one story that will move the world. Maybe someday. If you live in Edmonton or will be visiting, feel free to drop Hayden an email and say hello--Hayden is always looking for an excuse to eat White Chocolate Cheesecake with readers :) 

~ Social Links ~ 
Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Website