Book Blitz: Queen & Commander by Janine Southard

Queen and Commander

by Janine Southard

Synopsis:
On a world where high school test scores determine your future career, six students rebel. A pair of star-crossed lovers plot to stay together, rather than be separated by the system's college plans. A former off-worlder instigates: there's a ship in orbit, he says. We could take it and run away. But to take the ship, the three conspirators need more friends. Enter Rhiannon, the girl who set herself up for the ultimate success on this planet. She made sure her test would give the desired result: Queen. But her best friend begs her to take control of this plan to run away. So she drafts a would-be doctor who believes in following his Queen with all his heart. She finds a genius who can't seem to make the system work for him. And then she gets them qualified for the ship in orbit. The ship to freedom. Now what will they do with it? And was freedom what they really wanted?

Check out the UK cover!

Excerpt:

Winning a ship means surpassing the competition. The three competing Queens swiveled their heads, hare-quick, to home in on new prey. They’d ignored her until she’d made that noise. Now they had the scent of fresh insecurity and would peck away until they laid her meager confidence bare for the massacre. “What a sweet little girl,” gushed the one in red. “Where’s your mother?” Dead, actually. Well, if this Queen planned to come after her for her age, she’d show her appreciation in the way only a younger person could. She raised her eye­brows and furrowed them down the middle, then pulled her head back onto her neck as though repulsed or doing a proper sit-up. From the way the older woman cringed back, Rhiannon knew she’d succeeded in making the derisive Did you seriously just say that to me? face that she’d seen on her more critical peers. A teenager can out bitch-face you any time, Queenie. Don’t try that tactic with me. The eldest cocked her head, more curious than cruel. Perhaps she found it as difficult to gauge Rhian­non’s age as the other way around. As far as Rhiannon knew, this woman had been one of Dyfed’s first Queens, self-made and just as untrained as herself. “Why do you think you deserve Ceridwen’s Cauldron?”

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About the Author

 

Janine A. Southard writes speculative fiction and videogame dialogue from her home in Seattle, WA. She sings with a Celtic band and is working on the next book in the Hive Queen universe. She’s also been known to read aloud to her cat. The cat appreciates all of these things. Maybe. Website Twitter Goodreads

Review & Giveaway: Reflection by Jessica Roberts

Reflection

(Reflection #1)

by Jessica Roberts

YA/Romance

Kindle Edition - 289 Pages

Published Feb 17, 2012 by S/P

E-book copy received as part of a blog tour in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Excerpt:

Bright, spunky Heather Robbins has escaped her small hometown and is anxiously beginning her freshman year of college. Rising above her rocky childhood, she’s found a place where good things are finally starting to happen: her own private apartment, refreshing college classes, and an intense attachment to a mysterious and rugged classmate, Nick Richards.

But when her dreamy college life turns out to be nothing more than a wonderful dream while resting in a coma, questions threaten.

Now, Heather must press forward to unlock the real past, and find the answers buried deep in her mind. What she unlocks instead is a roller coaster ride through flashbacks, embellished memories, and a whirlwind romance.

And when it’s all over and she comes face to face with the truth, will she lose everything she’s fallen in love with?



Get your copy of Reflection: 
Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Smashwords 




 About the Author:

Jessica Roberts grew up in the San Francisco, California Bay Area where she spent most of her time playing sports alongside her six siblings. She was crowned Miss Teen California her senior year of high school, and went on to Brigham Young University where she graduated in Human Development. Her love of family, church, writing, athletics, and singing and dancing keeps her life busy and fulfilled. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and three children. 

  




Connect With Jessica Roberts:

Goodreads
Author's Blog
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My Review:

First of all, I LOVED the idea of this book - the book synopsis really brought me in and made me want to read this book... You know, you don't think about what individuals in a coma really "dream" or hear... So I was intrigued... To be completely honest, I was bored out of my mind the first 5-6 chapters... I ALMOST put this book down and didn't push through it. It was just slow... and sooooo detailed... Imagine the person in your life (probably a woman) who describes every single minute detail while telling a story - from the color of their toes, to the weather, to who was there, to how they felt, to why they felt that way, then back around to what they were actually getting to....That's what I felt like I was reading the first several chapters and it was exhausting... BUT it was so beautifully written that you would've thought it was made for poetry. So I kept reading...

I'm really glad I did. I don't want to have to mark this review as containing spoilers so I'll try not to throw anything out there that you'll want to learn yourself as you read this book... 

With Heather being a small town girl, I can relate to her character but not to the point of having barn parties. Just the feeling of wanting "out" and wanting to experience more in life makes you relate to Heather. You grow to care about her character just while reading the first 2 chapters of the book - you learn about her life... her mom passing away... her crappy step-dad... and her best friend who seems like the sweetest guy on the planet. 

As the reader who knows she has been in a coma, it's interesting to pick up on the little things that point out that these "memories" Heather is describing to her doctor aren't really what happened but are events that Heather dreamed up while in her coma. For example - the "beep, beep, beep" of her heart monitoring intertwines itself into her "memories" of the past... as well as voices and conversations... It's intriguing to read because you start to wonder if this is what really happens to coma patients... 

Once you get past Heather recalling her memories, the story just explodes into something you can't put down... The best part of this book to me was AFTER she finished recalling what she "remembered." With that said, I think I'd like book 2 more than I have book 1....

I'm really glad I finished this read but pushing myself to get through those first several chapters put a damper on my review... My review isn't "bad" but it's one where I'm jumping up & down saying "you have to read this book now!!!" either.

I would encourage you to read this book - and who knows, maybe you won't get muddled down like I did during the first few chapters. You may enjoy knowing every little detail and being able to paint in your mind an intricate picture of the story. I enjoy details but I enjoy being able to dream up details even more.



My Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

Cover Rating:  4 Stars

Main Characters: 3 Stars <- Heather bored me alittle but I LOVE Nick "The Hat" Richards.

Plot:  4 Stars

Climax: 3 Stars

Ending:  3 Stars <-- This was definitely not the ending I was expecting BUT I will say it makes me want book two NOW - maybe that was the author's idea... hmm...



Okay - I'm a sucker for playlists that the author uses to accompany their writing!

Reflection Playlist

Let That Be Enough by Switchfoot (Creed . . .)

Whole Wide World by Mindy Gledhill (Heather leaving home for college)

On My Mind by Kalai (The song Nick sings and plays on guitar in class)

Fallin for You by Colbie Caillat (Heather’s perfect summer semester)

True by Ryan Cabrera (Heather and Nick’s growing relationship)

I’m Yours by Jason Mraz (The California trip - not spot on, but the lighthearted sincerity of the song evokes similar emotions. And besides, I love Jason Mraz.)

Closer by Joshua Radin (The night of the phone call, moments before the accident)

September by Daughtry (Waking from the coma) 




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