Boldly Bookish Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Welcome to the Boldly Bookish Tour! Today, I'll be sharing with you the responses of four wonderful ladies, as well as information about their books, and a chance to win a great prize! Check it out below!

What is something bold that one of your characters does in your book that you couldn't see yourself doing?

Tiffany Schmidt:

I have an overactive sense of ‘stranger danger.’

I blame my mom—but also hold her completely blameless. When I was little, I was the type of kid who didn’t hesitate to try and climb in the mail truck and leave with the mailman—so that I could finish telling him the story about the inchworm I found on my porch. Or, I’d wander out of my yard and into the neighbor’s kitchen to show her a picture I painted. Clearly my mom had to do something. And that something was to borrow EVERY safety video our local library had and make me watch them on repeat until I had every ‘Don’t talk to strangers’ song memorized and internalized. To this day, my first reaction to strangers is to think please don’t abduct me and start mentally humming ‘Stranger Danger,’ which naturally makes me the world’s smoothest small talker.

In Hold Me Like a Breath, Penny Landlow’s mother doesn’t need to do any brainwashing by PSA—because Penny’s not allowed to leave her family estate. When Events Transpire in the book and Penny ends up alone in New York City, she talks to everyone.  EVERYONE. Just the thought of this many stranger interactions gives me the panics.  I definitely need to learn to channel some of Penny’s boldness when it comes to meeting new people.

Emery Lord:

My main character in The Start of Me and You, Paige, is pretty reserved. But her best friend Tessa often attends concerts alone—because she’s just there for her own, personal experience with the band. I never would have been secure enough in high school to go to a show solo!! It may not be swashbuckling or skydiving, but I think doing things entirely for yourself, by yourself, can be not only bold but empowering.

Trish Doller:

Any one thing I would pick would be a spoiler, so I think everything Cadie does in THE DEVIL YOU KNOW is something I would not have been bold enough to do at her age. But that's kind of why I wrote her. In some ways, she's the girl I wish I had been when I was eighteen.

A.C. Gaughen:

Well, there’s the whole climbing around trees thing—Scarlet seems to do that a lot and the last time I tried to, like, roller skate, I ended up doing this thing where I stuck my butt out and put my hands out in front of me and then couldn’t figure out how to move forward without falling, so…yeah I’m not the most athletically coordinated. 

That and having crazy fighting skills.  I would REALLY like to have crazy fighting skills, but I’m more of the “use my words” type. 

About the Authors:

TIFFANY SCHMIDT is the author of Send Me a Sign and Bright Before Sunrise. She lives in Pennsylvania with her saintly husband, impish twin boys, and a pair of mischievous puggles. Visit Tiffany online at www.TiffanySchmidt.com and on Twitter @TiffanySchmidt.

EMERY LORD is the author of Open Road Summer. She lives in a pink row house in Cincinnati, with a husband, two rescue dogs, and a closet full of impractical shoes. Open Road Summer is her first novel. Visit her online at www.emerylord.com and on Twitter @emerylord.

TRISH DOLLER is the author of Something Like Normal and Where the Stars Still Shine. She's a former newspaper reporter and radio personality who now works as a bookseller at the Ft Myers B&N. She lives in Fort Myers, Florida, with her two mostly grown children, two dogs, and a pirate. (For real.) Visit her online at www.trishdoller.com and on Twitter at @TrishDoller.

A. C. GAUGHEN is the author of Scarlet and Lady Thief. She serves as the Director of Girls’ Leadership for the non-profit Boston GLOW, creating opportunities to encourage and engage teen girls in the Greater Boston area. She has a Masters in Creative Writing from St. Andrews University in Scotland and a Masters in Education from Harvard University. Visit A. C. online at www.acgaughen.com and on Twitter at @acgaughen.

About the Books:

Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold—including body parts. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants.

Penelope’s surrounded by all the suffocating privilege and protection her family can provide, but they can't protect her from the autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise so easily.

And in her family's line of work no one can be safe forever.

All Penelope has ever wanted is freedom and independence. But when she’s caught in the crossfire as rival families scramble for prominence, she learns that her wishes come with casualties, that betrayal hurts worse than bruises, that love is a risk worth taking . . . and maybe she’s not as fragile as everyone thinks.

Following her pitch-perfect debut Open Road Summer, Emery Lord pens another gorgeous story of best friends, new love, & second chances.

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.

It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

Eighteen-year-old Arcadia wants adventure. Living in a tiny Florida town with her dad and four-year-old brother, Cadie spends most of her time working, going to school, and taking care of her family. So when she meets two handsome cousins at a campfire party, she finally has a chance for fun. They invite her and friend to join them on a road trip, and it's just the risk she's been craving-the opportunity to escape. But what starts out as a fun, sexy journey quickly becomes dangerous when she discovers that one of them is not at all who he claims to be. One of them has deadly intentions. 

A road trip fling turns terrifying in this contemporary story that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

The eagerly-awaited conclusion to the Scarlet trilogy delivers another action-packed and romance-filled adventure.

Scarlet has captured the hearts of readers as well as the heart of Robin Hood, and after ceaseless obstacles and countless threats, readers will finally find out the fate of the Lady Thief.

Imprisoned by Prince John for months, Scarlet finds herself a long way from Nottinghamshire. After a daring escape from the Prince's clutches, she learns that King Richard’s life is in jeopardy, and Eleanor of Aquitaine demands a service Scarlet can’t refuse: spy for her and help bring Richard home safe. But fate—and her heart—won’t allow her to stay away from Nottinghamshire for long, and together, Scarlet and Rob must stop Prince John from going through with his dark plans for England. They can not rest until he’s stopped, but will their love be enough to save them once and for all?

The Giveaway:

This giveaway is for the winner’s choice of any of the four books featured on this tour: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord, The Devil You Know by Trish Doller, Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen, and Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt. This is a US only giveaway and entrants must be 13 years or older to enter.

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Follow the Tour!

May 19th -- The Eater of Books!

May 20th -- Mary Had A Little Book Blog

May 21st -- Jessabella Reads

May 22nd -- Blue Sky Shelf

May 25th -- Ageless Pages Reviews

May 26th -- Mundie Moms

May 27th -- Reading Teen

May 28th -- On Starships and Dragonwings

May 29th -- The Quiet Concert

Review: Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen

Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen

Book Three of the Scarlet trilogy

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publication Date: May 19, 2015

Rating: 3 stars

Source: ARC sent by the publisher

Summary (from Goodreads):

The eagerly-awaited conclusion to the Scarlet trilogy delivers another action-packed and romance-filled adventure.

Scarlet has captured the hearts of readers as well as the heart of Robin Hood, and after ceaseless obstacles and countless threats, readers will finally find out the fate of the Lady Thief.

Imprisoned by Prince John for months, Scarlet finds herself a long way from Nottinghamshire. After a daring escape from the Prince's clutches, she learns that King Richard’s life is in jeopardy, and Eleanor of Aquitaine demands a service Scarlet can’t refuse: spy for her and help bring Richard home safe. But fate—and her heart—won’t allow her to stay away from Nottinghamshire for long, and together, Scarlet and Rob must stop Prince John from going through with his dark plans for England. They can not rest until he’s stopped, but will their love be enough to save them once and for all?

What I Liked:

Eh. I'm feeling kind of meh about this one. On the one hand, I can see why people are loving this one. It was good! But for me, it wasn't great, and the entire series has been okay at best for me. I thought Scarlet was pretty good (the romance is weird though. If I remember correctly, there was a love triangle in book one, but not in book two). I didn't like Lady Thief very much at all - I gave it two stars. But this one was okay. It was a good trilogy conclusion novel. 

This novel starts with Scarlet in Prince John's dungeons. She's been held captive for three months. With the help from a strange source, she escapes, and tries to figure out her best plan of action. He grandmother, the lady Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, wants her to go to Ireland safely. But Scarlet can't stay away from Nottinghamshire, especially since Rob thinks she's dead. But the fight to keep Richard alive and bring him back safely is bigger than any one person, and stopping John is the most important thing. Scarlet will have to make difficult decisions, with or without Rob.

One thing that I really liked about this book is how easy it is to slip back into the world of Marian (Scarlet) and Prince John's schemes and the poor. I barely remember anything from Lady Thief (to be honest, I remember nothing at all). I remember a little from Scarlet. But it was nice that I didn't feel lost in this book, though the beginning took me by surprise (I forgot that Scarlet was taken by Prince John?). 

The romance is better in this book, or maybe I simply can't remember how "bad" it was in Lady Thief. Either way, I wasn't nearly as bothered with the romance as I was in Lady Thief. Actually, the romance was probably my favorite aspect of the book, and I really enjoyed seeing Scarlet and Rob take things up a notch. Or ten. The romance definitely worked in this book, and quite frankly, I kept reading the book for the romance. But over one hundred pages into the book is when Rob makes his first appearance. Just a warning.

Read on for things that didn't work! There aren't many, but this one still ends up with a three-star rating.

What I Did Not Like:

I just wasn't interested in this book. I'd been pushing off reading it for a while now, but I told myself, I need to read it now. I picked it up and wasn't totally sucked in. It wasn't until Rob finally appeared in the book that I perked up a little bit. But then I settled back into the story and was a little bored again. I feel like a lot focused on the romance (which is fine), a subplot romance (between two characters other than Rob and Scarlet), and not enough attention was focused on the bigger picture.

At the same time, the bigger picture definitely was addressed. Scarlet and Robin have to raise enough money to pay the taxes for Nottinghamshire, in order to help pay the ransom for Richard. I guess I wanted more from the historical side of things. Richard isn't in this book at all, and the parts relating to Prince John just aren't that interesting.

Prince John felt like a cartoon villain character, especially in the last scene of the book. His dialogue is so cliche and cartoon-like! His character in general is very one-dimensional. I think I remember thinking that Robin is a bit one-dimensional in Lady Thief. I think Robin is less one-dimensional, but Prince John is definitely a flat and underdeveloped character. Not to mention he speaks like he came out of a really bad cartoon for tiny children.

The ending wasn't fulfilling for me, as you can probably tell. The ending is literally the climax, and there is not epilogue, or at least an ending scene that ISN'T part of the action of the climax. I don't really like it when books that are conclusion novels to a series don't end with some sort of epilogue ending, in which all loose ends are definitively tied. 

Overall, I think my big problem with this book is a personal one - I just wasn't interested in this book. I really wanted to finish the series, but this one did not capture my attention, nor did it hold my attention while I was reading. It was an enjoyable read, but not a series I'll be reading again.

Would I Recommend It:

Again, I enjoyed this book, but the series overall gets a 2.5-3-star-rating. That being said, I probably wouldn't recommend the series. If you've come this far and have read books one and two, then you should definitely read this one! But don't start the series if you haven't already. Don't read books two or three if you've only read book one. Just move on!

Rating:

3 stars. This one was okay! Just not that great. At least for me. I've seen a ton of positive reviews on Goodreads for this book. But this series never really clicked with me, so I had little expectations to love this one. If you've been liking the series, then this one will probably be good!

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Review: Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Book Two of the Scarlet series

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Publication Date: February 11, 2014

Rating: 2 stars

Source: eARC from NetGalley

Summary (from Goodeads):

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again.

What I Liked:

I read Scarlet almost two years ago. It ended pretty well, and honestly, I didn't really think there would be a sequel or more books to the series. I mean, there was definitely room for more, but I was content with what I read. So, when I saw that there would be two more books, I was ECSTATIC! I couldn't believe it! More historical fiction novels with pretty covers - win!

This book picks up where Scarlet left off, sort of. Rob is having awful nightmares from the awful physical and mental torture that occurred in book one. Scarlet is doing her best to avoid Gisbourne - which is no longer possible, because he offers her a deal: come live with him in the royal court when Prince John arrives, and when Prince John leaves, Gisbourne will annul the marriage between him and Scarlet.

Nothing is easy for Scarlet or Rob in this book. Gaughen gives these two no breathing room, cuts them no slack, catches them no break. Or whatever. You get what I'm saying. It seems like Gaughen is torturing Scarlet sometimes. Scarlet goes back to Gisbourne, hoping for the annulment, but sometimes it seems like she won't survive. She gets badly injured by several members of the court, which is so not fair. I suppose it's good to show the injustice of the court and whatnot, but it was too much.

I like how the romance in this book was clear-cut and separated. In Scarlet, there was a very obvious love triangle, and that was probably the only thing I didn't like about the book. In this book, roles and relationships are clear: Rob and Scarlet, John and Bess, prince and princess, Gisbourne and no one. Good.

I'd say I enjoyed the ride, but that wasn't always the case. See below for more about this book, the things that I did not enjoy. Many things that I would usually feature in this section are among them.

What I Did Not Like:

The plot. The pacing. The romance. The characters. The ending. There were many things about this book with which I was not pleased. Maybe I expected too much from this book. Maybe it had been so long since I read Scarlet, and because of this, I might not have liked Scarlet as much as I thought I had. Who knows. My point is, the bad basically outweighed the good, for me.

The plot was practically nonexistent. I mean, there was a plot, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. Road to the annulment? Road to choosing a sheriff? I feel like the plot was all over the place, and therefore, it made the book lack a plot. And it dragged ON and ON. Most of it was Scarlet getting injured or purposely hurt by others. Sorry, but I don't really care to read that. Where is all the kickbutt action from book one? 

So, the pacing was sort of just BAD. This book moved at a snail's pace. And it's a very short book, so it felt like not much happened, especially since the pacing was so slow. I feel like NOTHING happened (aside from Scarlet getting beat up by everyone). Things don't really start happening until the last 30%, and by then, I was like, REALLY. What happened to the other 70%?!

The romance was significant in that I feel like every time Rob and Scarlet were together, they were kissing. And touching. And kissing some more. It felt SO FAKE. And OVERDONE. Like, I did NOT want to read about them kissing all the time, despite how much I love chemistry (and romance). Every time they had a conversation, it led to, we'll be together, and I love you, and, don't give up, and, insert mushy gushy blubbering here. NO. It did NOT work in Gaughen's favor, in this case.

And the characters, ohhh, the characters. Rob feels so one-dimensional in this book. he doesn't seem to have any depth to him at all. Give him nightmares? Make him hurt people and feel guilty about it? Those things did NOT make him seem human, or like a real human. He was flat and unchanging and his only role seemed to be Scarlet's doormat. Like, let me bend over backwards and chop off all my limbs for you. Usually, I'd be like awww, that's true love right there, but in this case, if felt distant and fake. Rob seems like a robot, not a love interest. And shouldn't he be more than a love interest?! He's ROBIN HOOD. Who cares about Scarlet when history remembers Robin Hood? Ugh.

And Scarlet herself pissed me off. She seems weak and insecure and did I mention weak? I know that physically, she is weakened. Not sure why Gaughen did that - I really don't see the purpose. Scarlet is already at a disadvantage at court - why inhibit her physically? I don't get it, but anyway. Scarlet seems so weak mentally. She lets everyone else fight her battles, and in the end, the annulment isn't won by HER. She's so stupid too - why would you trust Gisbourne to give you an annulment in the first place?! Why would he want that, when the marriage between him and Scarlet benefits him? Why not just live with Rob - in sin, if you please. If that's what you want, then do it.

The ending was SUCH BULLS***. Pardon my language, except don't. What's the easiest way to get your characters out of trouble? Invent something about their birth! Better yet - magically make them have a high rank in society/the court! I won't say which character (or characters) experiences this fate, but Gaughen seriously took the easy way out. I could not help but roll my eyes and grit my teeth when I read about Eleanor and Scarlet. What. The. Heck. SUCH bulls***, if you ask me. Gaughen couldn't think of another way to patch that hole?! Unbelievable.

I'm not sorry that I read this book. I was thrilled to be given the chance to review the sequel of a book that I loved. And I will read the third book. But this one was such a disappointment. Sequel slump ran rampant in this book.

Would I Recommend It:

Ehh. I'm not going to say no, because fans of Scarlet (like me) will want to read this one no matter what. To new readers: Scarlet was so amazing - it blew me away and reinforced my love of Robin Hood retellings. HOWEVER. Lady Thief, in my opinion, did not live up to the standards of Scarlet, fell short of my expectations, and was not nearly as good as I had expected.

Rating:

1.5 stars -> rounded up to 2 stars. I didn't absolutely hate this book, but I certainly didn't love it. I am interested in reading the final novel in this series, for whatever reason. I need closure.

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Waiting on Wednesday (#41): Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, I'm featuring:

Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Book Two of the Scarlet series

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Publication Date: Fenruary 11, 2014

Summary (from Goodreads):

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again.

Author Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Yes, I love the cover... but I also love the synopsis! I absolutely adored Scarlet, especially since it is historical fiction, so naturally, I cannot wait to read this companion novel :D