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Blog Tour: Groupie by Susan Daugherty | Review

May 5, 2017

Groupie (Groupie #1) by Susan Daugherty

Pages: 257
Publish date: December 2nd, 2016
Publisher: Sanctuary Publishing
ASIN: B01N1OB1GF
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Moving to a new city isn’t the magic fix Lexie Travis hoped it would be. Sure, she put some mileage between herself and her feuding parents, her miserable dating history, and the memories of a life-altering injury. However, she still feels like a former shadow of herself, hiding behind her diminished confidence and her thorough disbelief in true love.
Everything changes when Lexie’s best (and only) friend drags her to a country music concert. Lexie loves country music, but she loathes the top-selling heartthrob who sold out the arena. Jack Morgan became a sensation with a string of degrading, shallow songs that she can’t stand.
After suffering through an evening surrounded by the playboy celebrity’s endless sea of admirers, a startling trauma lands Jack in the hospital, and Lexie is the physical therapist assigned to the VIP treatment of the very man she despises.
Jack is drawn to the one woman who appears resistant to his charms and who loves to check his ego every chance she gets, yet gives him the honesty he needs. She’s the opposite of his usual groupies. He can only continue his tour if he receives rehab on the road, and Lexie is the lone person Jack trusts for the job.
Reluctantly, she agrees to take the journey on his luxury coach, joining the wild cast of characters on his crew. Yes, she was given many incentives to take the assignment, but the reason she wants to ignore is the dangerous one. Jackson Morgan is growing on her. He’s shown her facets of his personality she never fathomed, and maybe she isn’t immune to his handsome charm after all.
At every turn, another challenge pushes her away from him. A woman returns from his past, along with new temptations at every concert. Jack’s manager clings to control over his artist and doesn’t like Lexie, or her growing influence. Media attention makes her want to run the other way, but she can’t escape it.
Stepping onto the tour bus is the domino that starts a chain reaction in their lives and challenges them both to change. Could they learn to believe in love and happily ever after?

Groupie:

I received an e-copy of Groupie by Susan Daugherty from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book. There is a giveaway at the end so stay tuned.

I don’t know what I was expecting when I picked Groupie up. I thought it was going to be okay, classic NA read. But, I was pleasantly surprised. Groupie explores the notion of family that isn’t by blood, friendship, life on the road. But, it also explores disability which you know that I love reading about.

Groupie is book 1 in a two-part series and follows protagonist Lexie Travis who thought that moving to a new city would wash away all her troubles. With her overbearing parents, no existent love life and a life-altering injury she thought that getting away would solve all her problems. But everything is still pretty much the same. When her new best friend drags her to a country concert all she wanted to do is get out and no listen to the heartthrob. However, when a horrible accident leaves Jack Morgan in her care – things just might change.

I enjoyed Lexie has a protagonist overall. At times I wasn’t her biggest fan, but for the most part, I really enjoyed following her journey. After moving away from her family and friends, Lexie wanted a fresh start and as a physical therapist, she got that. Lexie is good at her job and loves what she can do. Her roommate may be her only friend, but I thought was she was pretty good one. At times I felt that Lexie was a too judgemental of those around her and let her thoughts take over, without knowing the full story.

But the one thing that I loved about Lexie that she didn’t let her injury get the better of her. Throughout the novel we know that something is bothering her, we know that something has happened. And it’s not like she is hiding it, but because she doesn’t like to talk about it. Not because she hates herself for it, but because it changes her life so much and brought out some things in people that she thought loved her.

Jack Morgan – he is the typical, asshole musician. He has lots of groupies and hooks up with a lot of them. Or so we thought. As Lexie, because his physical therapist she starts to understand him a little more and when they hit the read sparks fly. Jack was a sweetheart when he wanted to be, but for most of the book, I wasn’t his massive fan. I liked how passionate he was about his music and what he wanted to do.

The romance like Jack as a touch and go for me. At times I really enjoy their connection and how they could just let everything out with one another. But, then it was like they were two different people. Both has personality changes that affected how their relationship worked.

Overall reading Groupie wasn’t a horrible experience. Although I felt that at times everything was a little rushed, I still enjoyed reading it. And yes there are some very cliché moments throughout the book. Lexie was an intriguing protagonist who stood up for what she believed in. Groupie explores the notion of family, friends and letting yourself live. It’s about believing in yourself and that looking back isn’t always the answer.

Have you read Groupie? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading it? Let’s Chat.

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About the Author

Susan Daugherty is a freelance writer, and by some happy coincidence, also a licensed Physical Therapist and an APTA Board Certified Orthopedic Specialist. She is the author of the 2016 novel Groupie as well as its sequel, Muse. Her essay The Cycle of Inspiration was published in PT InMotion in April 2013. She is a member of Romance Writers of America. Raised in Kentucky, she now resides in Knoxville, Tennessee where she lives with her husband and two children.

Find Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

#TheInfernalReadAlong: Clockwork Angel with Tea and Titles

Apr 30, 2017

Last month I announced along with Ely from Tea and Titles, we will be holding a 3-month read-a-long of The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. You can check out the post here for more info. We have decided to read 1 book a month as it doesn’t leave too much pressure on us as we are both currently in university.

And, April was all about Clockwork Angel. Check out part 1 of this discussion on Tea and Titles.

I read this series for the first time nearly 4 years ago and I feel in love with them. But, coming back here, now. I loved it even more. We spoke about how we feel after re-read this series again on Tea and Titles, but quickly Ely what was it like re-reading Clockwork Angel?

To put it simply, I loved getting to reread this. I am so so excited to reread the rest of the series now!

You and me both. On Tea and Titles, we spoke about Tessa being brought into this shadowhunter world for the first time and for some people it’s their first time as well. But what I love about Clockwork Angel is that we find out so much more about this world than we did in the first 3 Mortal Instrument books. It’s funny because this book is set so many years before City of Bones. But they are so advanced. One of my favourite things about re-reading it was how female dominated the shadowhunter world is and could be. They are living in a time where females do shit and yet we have Charlotte fighting and running an Institute. What do you think about this?

I hadn’t really thought about it before you mentioned it, but we definitely do learn more about the Shadowhunter world in this short period of time than we do in the first three. Tessa learns through reading as much as experiencing it and I like that. I guess I like that aspect so much because we are also learning by reading.

As for the feminism, that’s another thing I totally missed when I first read it. In the first part, we talked about missing the diversity, and I guess that’s in the same strain for me—I didn’t know anything about feminism and female empowerment when I first read the series. Now that it’s something I’m passionate about, I absolutely loved it. Charlotte is a total badass, and so is Sophie. I think Sophie is such an interesting character as a whole. She’s a maid, and yet she doesn’t let herself get stamped on by anyone. I think we should just start a Sophie fanclub, you in?

Let’s start it! I love Sophie so much. Like you said she is a maid and for most maids in that time, they do what they are told. But, I love that Sophie doesn’t stand for that. I love that she keeps Will on his toes and doesn’t take shit from him. It’s fun to watch their interactions, as well as see Tessa’s reaction to all this. She is, for the most part, a girl of her time and seeing Sophie and even Charlotte act the totally opposite is so much fun.

Talking about diversity, one thing that didn’t hit me until I started reading again was Jem and his illness. If you don’t know already I suffer from chronic pain and seeing Jem in somewhat equivalent pain was a surprise. And I really enjoy it. Clockwork Angel didn’t delve into it a whole love, but I do know the other books do explore Jem and his illness. I connected with Jem in a way that I hadn’t before. What did you think of the representation of disability in Clockwork Angel?

I never picked up on it either. Or rather, I never thought of it that way. Jem’s illness was just that to me, but on rereading it I’ve definitely picked up more. Even though I don’t have chronic pain, I could definitely relate to Jem in that way. There were moments that reminded me of my diabetes and mobility issues, so I definitely appreciated that. My memory is kind of foggy as to how his illness is dealt with in the other two books, but for now, I’m really happy it’s in there. What do you think about Sophie and the representation of scarring? This is something pretty close to my heart, and yet I never thought about it before now.

My memory is foggy of how it’s dealt with in the next two books as well, but I am excited to see how it all pans out. So far I think that Sophie’s scarring is being dealt with quite well for the most part. We see that it doesn’t stop her from living her life at the moment, but we also see Jessamine show a dislike to it. But, I do think that is needed sometimes – to show that it’s not alright to say some of those things. I know her scarring comes up more in the next couple of novels and from what I can remember it’s dealt with well. What do you think of it?

There are definitely a few moments where the other characters shy away from it. Tessa is shocked when she first sees Sophie’s scars, but I think beyond that it’s dealt with pretty well. It’s never suggested that Sophie is anything less because of the scars, and I don’t think they’re used as a plot point at any time. I really appreciate that. Also, this has made my think of one of my classmates’ thesis, in which he’s writing about how scars are often connotated to evilness. With that in mind, it’s really nice to see a character who goes beyond that.

That is a really interesting point and something I can totally agree with. In Clockwork Angel betrayal is a huge theme and it’s heartbreaking at times to see a character that you love so much go through it. But, I also think that it makes them strong and it adds to their arc. Tessa is betrayed throughout the novel, but I can see her take it on and show that she can be strong. What do you think of this?

Obviously, I knew the big betrayal was coming, but it didn’t stop me from getting overly emotional for Tessa. She deals with the whole thing rather well. I know I’ve felt betrayed in my life, not to the life-threatening extent like Tessa, but it hurt a lot. I think Tessa is incredible for dealing as well as she does. What do you think of it?

I definitely agree. There is a major difference between the Tessa that started the novel to the one that we see in the end. She stands up straight and tries to take it all on her back. And I think it’s one of the main reasons why I love Cassandra Clare, she just writes beautifully written female characters that shine.

That brings our talk on Clockwork Angel to an end. Thank you so much, Ely, for chatting with me and don’t forget to check out part 1 on Tea and Titles.

What do you think about what we highlighted? Do you think re-reading helps you pick up on more? What do you think of Cassandra’s female characters? Let’s Chat.

Mini Reviews: Changing Yourself and Striving for Gold

Apr 23, 2017

Mini reviews are a great way to give some of my thoughts on a book that I didn’t love but still wanted to talk about. These two books are totally different, ones about changing who you are and it going horribly wrong, while the other is about believing in yourself. Let’s get into it.
Charisma by Jeanne Ryan

Pages: 386
Publish date: December 1st, 2017
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1471163938
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU – Dymocks

A chance at the ultimate makeover means deadly consequences… Aislyn suffers from crippling shyness – that is, until she’s offered a dose of Charisma, an underground gene therapy drug guaranteed to make her shine. The effects are instant. She’s charming, vivacious, and popular. But strangely, so are some other kids she knows. The media goes into a frenzy when the disease turns contagious, and then deadly, and the doctor who gave it to them disappears. Aislyn must find a way to stop it, before it’s too late.

Charisma:

I received a copy of Charisma by Jeanne Ryan from Simon and Shuster in exchanged for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I didn’t know what to expect when picking Charisma up. I haven’t read Nerve or even watched the movie, but I was intrigued by the storyline and wanted to see. Sadly, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would – and my expectations weren’t high, to begin with.

Charisma follows protagonist Aislyn who suffers from crippling shyness. It’s so bad that sometimes she can’t even make if through the day. So when she is given the opportunity to change that, she takes it up. But, when other teens start falling into comas and some even dying – things are turned on their head.

I am not sure how I feel about Aislyn as a protagonist. I enjoyed aspects of her character and I liked where she came from. But, then at times, she sounded whiny, per say. I loved that she cared so much for her brother – it was beautiful actually. And even though her life was not going well, she wanted what was best for her brother.

The romance was nice. I enjoyed how it moved and even thought it was slightly instalovey at times, it was cute. They both cared for one another and tried to help each other through the hard times.

Another aspect of the book that I didn’t like was the use of shyness. I didn’t see what Aislyn had as shyness but as anxiety. Especially social anxiety. And I didn’t like the fact that it was ‘fixed’ like it was a bad thing. The way that people treated her – it’s my worst nightmare. And the fact that she was magically better – yer no thank you.

Overall, I didn’t really enjoy Charisma. There were parts that I did like and wanted to know more about. But, on the whole, it wasn’t just for me.

Gold Rush by Jennifer Comeaux

Pages: 388
Publish date: January 9th, 2017
Publisher: –
ASIN: B01MSV3XON
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Will love wait for gold?

Liza Petrov’s entire life has been about skating and winning her sport’s top prize – Olympic gold. She’s stayed sheltered inside her bubble, not daring to stray from her destined path.

Until she meets Braden Patrick.

He makes her heart flutter with possibility, and for the first time, she gets a taste of a normal teenage life. She longs to have both the boy and the gold, but stepping outside her bubble comes with a price. As Liza begins to question both her future and her past, can she stay focused on the present and realise her ultimate dream?

Gold Rush:

I received an e-copy of Gold Rush by Jennifer Comeaux via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.

I’ve read a couple of books by Jennifer Comeaux in her world of figure skating before picking this one up. So I had an idea of how the world worked and had a little insight into some of the characters.

Gold Rush follows protagonist Liza Petrov as she trains for gold. Her whole life she has always wanted one thing – to win gold at the Olympics and it’s getting close. But, because of her training, she missed out of some ‘normal’ teen adventures – like falling in love. However, with everything one the line, will she let herself fall in love?

On the most part, I enjoyed Liza as a protagonist. She was determined and stood strong. She has trained her whole life for this moment and when she starts to fall it hurts her. I liked that she wasn’t this person who could do no wrong.

At first, the romance wasn’t hitting the right spots for me, but as the novel went on I slowly started loving Liza and Braden together. Braden was adorable and I loved that he would do quite a bit for Liza. The reader is able to see how much he cares for her.

Family is a big theme in Gold Rush and while times they were adorable with one another. Their overprotectiveness caused Liza a lot of problems. I felt that at times her family just took over everything and Liza was left helpless.

Overall, Gold Rush was a fun read. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline, but there was something missing that kept me from loving this one. Gold Rush explores the notion of family and finding love. It explores finding yourself and believing in yourself. I need to get onto reading the other books in this world.

I hope youy enjoyed these mini reviews and want to see more in the future. Have you read Charisma or Gold Rush? What did you think of them? Are you planning on reading them? Have you read anything else by these authors? Let’s Chat!