3 Year Blogversary Celebration - Triple Review Extravaganza!

The Secret to Letting Go by Katherine Fleet

Published: February 1st 2016 by Entangled Publishing

Number of Pages: 334 Pages (Paperback)

Series: No

   Haunted with guilt after his girlfriend's death, Daniel Hudson has no interest in committing to anyone. At the end of the summer, he'll be leaving Florida for a new start in college. If only he could avoid the mysterious new girl in town, who seems every bit as naive and eccentric as she looks. Trouble is, she's hard to ignore, with her beautiful piercing eyes, pitiful-looking dog, and unsettling tendency of finding trouble. 

   Clover Scott lived her whole life off the grid and arrives on the Gulf coast in search of her grandparents. She never expected to nearly drown, or get caught in a hurricane, or fall in love with the boy who rescues her. Now, she has a chance to rewrite her life's story, to finally fit in somewhere, but Daniel wants answers about her past. When the police start asking questions about the disappearance of her parents, she must make a choice: go to jail or confess her secrets-even if they might destroy her chance at a happily-ever-after. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you to Entangled Teen for proving me with an 

eARC in exchange for my honest review *

   The Secret to Letting Go was quite an interesting read with lots of secrets and emotions. I enjoyed it a lot, even though it took me forever to finish it, but that's due to my overwhelming reading slump.

   This story follows Daniel and Clover, two very interesting and three dimensional characters. The both of them have secrets and both went through bad things in their past so reading about them meeting and slowly developing into something more was awesome.

   I really enjoyed Katherine Fleet's writing style and the pace of this book. She managed to create two different voices for Daniel and Clover, which is something I love to see, and it totally helped with making me get attached to this characters and wanting to know what they are hiding and what exactly happened.

   All in all The Secret of Letting Go didn't disappoint me and had a lot to offer, even though it did struggle with keeping my interest in a few tiny places. So, if you're looking for a read with lots of secrets and heartbreak then this might be for you.

I give The Secret to Letting Go by Katherine Fleet 4 out of 5 Stars.

* * *

Wake the Hollow by Gaby Triana

Published: August 2nd 2016 by Entangled: Teen

Number of Pages: 306 Pages (Paperback)

Series: No

   Forget the ghosts, Mica. It’s real, live people you should fear.

   Tragedy has brought Micaela Burgos back to her hometown of Sleepy Hollow. It’s been six years since she chose to live with her father in Miami instead of her eccentric mother. And now her mother is dead.

   This town will suck you in and not let go.

   Sleepy Hollow may be famous for its fabled headless horseman, but the town is real. So are its prejudices and hatred, targeting Mica’s family as outsiders. But ghostly voices carry on the wind, whispering that her mother’s death was based on hate…not an accident at all. With the help of two very different guys—who pull at her heart in very different ways—Micaela must awaken the hidden secret of Sleepy Hollow…before she meets her mother’s fate.

   Find the answers.

   Unless, of course, the answers find you first. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you to Entangled Teen for proving me with an 

eARC in exchange for my honest review *

   When I read the synopsis of Wake the Hollow I immediately knew I wanted to read it but unfortunately I didn't quite get what I was hoping to get from it. The biggest issue I had while reading Wake the Hollow was the definitely the fact that the story struggled to keep my attention so I found myself zoning out of not really caring about what was happening in various places, which really is a shame.

   I liked Mica and the other characters, wanted to see where the story would take them, and felt majorly sorry for Mica because she lost her mother, but that's where my sympathy ends. I wanted to really get invested in everyone and root for them, but I never really did. Some of the relationships between characters felt a bit underdeveloped though and something about Dane really irked me from the start.

   The mystery element of this story surrounding Mica's mother's death and the manuscript she wasn't even sure really existed was interesting enough and well written, but just not intriguing enough more often then not. Gaby Triana's writing style is good and I can see that she's a good writer, but the story unfortunately simply wasn't quite it for me.

 I give Wake the Hollow by Gaby Triana 3 out of 5 stars.

* * *

True Born by L.E. Sterling

Published: May 3rd 2016 by Entangled: Teen

Number of Pages: 304 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: Yes, #1 in the True Born Trilogy

   Welcome to Dominion City.

   After the great Plague descended, the world population was decimated…and their genetics damaged beyond repair.

   The Lasters wait hopelessly for their genes to self-destruct. The Splicers pay for expensive treatments that might prolong their life. The plague-resistant True Borns are as mysterious as they are feared…

   And then there’s Lucy Fox and her identical twin sister, Margot. After endless tests, no one wants to reveal what they are.

   When Margot disappears, a desperate Lucy has no choice but to put her faith in the True Borns, led by the charismatic Nolan Storm and the beautiful but deadly Jared Price. As Lucy and the True Borns set out to rescue her sister, they stumble upon a vast conspiracy stretching from Dominion’s street preachers to shady Russian tycoons. But why target the Fox sisters?

   As they say in Dominion, it’s in the blood. (goodreads.com)

* Thank you to Entangled Teen for proving me with an 

eARC in exchange for my honest review *

   The initial reason why I wanted to read this book was, honestly, the amazing, eye-catching cover. The second was the description. I must admit though that I went into this story worrying that it might disappoint me, turn out to be just another generic dystopian but luckily, it wasn't the case.

   True Born is a dystopian showing us a point of view we usually don't get, that of two girls from a wealthy and powerful family. But it also shows the reader that even that wealth and power doesn't necessarily help Lucy to uncover secrets about herself and her twin sister. I really liked her voice and narration, following her through the story, navigating this plague-ridden world.

  Besides Lucy I also really liked Jared who was a fascinating character and I absolutely loved his relation to Lucy, his personality, even though he caused a lot of aggravating moments and the fact that we didn't know, for a long time, where him and Lucy stand basically drove me crazy.

   The world building was amazing, the whole plague aspect intriguing and unique, and I really cannot wait how the story will continue. L.E. Sterling has a really good writing style that I enjoyed a lot and she managed to create characters with layers and different personalities along with an amazing world. Sterling added so many interesting and complex ideas into what could've become only yet another dystopian setting, but thanks to Splicers, True Borns and Lasters, it had a unique twist that I enjoyed and appreciate so much.

I give True Born by L.E. Sterling 5 out of 5 stars.

Ask the Author: Katherine Fleet (The Secret to Letting Go)

   Welcome everyone!

   Thanks so much to Alice for hosting me on her site today! I’m Katherine Fleet, the debut author of The Secret to Letting Go. It’s a YA contemporary set in a fictional town on the Gulf Coast of Florida during that magical summer after high school graduation when the whole world is out there waiting for you. It’s the story of two teens – Clover, a mysterious girl who shows up in town lost in her secrets and fears, and Daniel, a boy who’s drawn into her troubled world despite his better judgment. Life keeps throwing them together, but their secrets keep them apart. Ultimately, it’s a story about living through tragedy and learning to forgive your self.

The Secret to Letting Go

Published: February 1st 2016 by Entangled: digiTeen

Number of Pages: 334 Pages (Kindle)

Series: No

   One summer can change everything...

   Haunted with guilt after his girlfriend’s death, Daniel Hudson has no interest in committing to anyone. At the end of the summer, he’ll be leaving Florida for a new start in college. If only he could avoid the mysterious new girl in town, who seems every bit as naive and eccentric as she looks. Trouble is, she’s hard to ignore, with her beautiful piercing eyes, pitiful-looking dog, and unsettling tendency of finding trouble.

   Clover Scott lived her whole life off the grid and arrives on the Gulf coast in search of her grandparents. She never expected to nearly drown, or get caught in a hurricane, or fall in love with the boy who rescues her. Now, she has a chance to rewrite her life’s story, to finally fit in somewhere, but Daniel wants answers about her past. When the police start asking questions about the disappearance of her parents, she must make a choice: go to jail or confess her secrets—even if they might destroy her chance at a happily-ever-after. (goodreads.com)

Interview with Katherine Fleet

   1 - Describe The Secret to Letting Go with a haiku or twitter pitch.

   Since I was always terrible at our annual holiday haiku contest at the office, I’ll stick with a twitter pitch!

   Homeless and running from her past, Clover needs saving. Daniel’s not good at being anyone’s hero, but he can’t walk away.

   2 - What was the first initial thought or thing that sparked the idea of The Secret to Letting Go?

   This will probably sound cliché, but I had a dream, which was basically the first scene of the book. When I woke up, I just lay there, letting the characters take shape. I didn’t know what Clover had been through, but I knew it was something bad. From there, I started writing.

   3 - What do you like most and least about your protagonists Clover and Daniel?

   I love that after everything they’ve been through, neither one of them has given up on life, hope or love. What do I like least? That’s a hard one. It’s probably that they had so many self-doubts. I wanted them to be confident in their own goodness and worthiness, but I knew that it would take a while for them to accept it.

   4 - What was the most challenging thing about writing The Secret to Letting Go and which scene was the most fun to write?

   The most challenging part was portraying Clover’s character to the reader in the same way I saw her. To me, Clover is a girl with quiet strength. She requires saving on several occasions and she has her phobias, but she’s survived so much and still has the ability to see good in the world and feel compassion toward others. I believe it takes great personal strength to emerge from trauma and tragedy, without losing hope and optimism. So, I was surprised when feedback on early drafts mentioned that she seemed weak and needy. That’s when I realized that a writer’s vision of a character may not always come across clearly. So I revised and tweaked until readers could see Clover the same way I see her.

   I love writing emotional scenes. So the parts I had the most “fun” writing are actually the ones where I was on the verge of tears as I was typing. There are a lot of emotional scenes in this book, but the cemetery scene in the middle of the storm was probably my fav.

   5 - How long did it take you from first thought until publishing deal? Out of curiosity, how many queries did you have to send until you found 'the one'?

   This book had an unusually long timeframe. Unfortunately, I’d just started writing when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It took over six months before I was able to return to the story and eighteen months in total before it was finished. The publishing deal took many, many queries and another three years of waiting and perseverance!

   6 - How did you feel when you first realized that this story you had written would soon be read by hundreds of people and how do you feel now, a couple of weeks after the publication?

   I was nervous, because a part of me was afraid no one would read it or like it. When the initial reviews started to come in, I realized that readers were forming their own thoughts and relationships with the characters I’d created. It’s an amazing and surreal feeling, because the story takes on a life of its own, independent from me. The amazingness of this still hasn’t worn off.

   7 - Why do you think the readers out there should pick up The Secret to Letting Go? What makes the story stand out and, in a way, important?

   There are so many great YA stories available right now, so it can be difficult for readers to choose. I like to think that my book is a unique emotional journey. At points, it’s deep and raw, but always hopeful. The romance is sweet, but the secrets are dark. It’s a small-town book, with a rich cast of characters, some surprise twist and turns, and an eccentric heroine that readers are falling in love with.

   8 - While writing the story did you ever imagine how a cover might look like and what do you think about the absolutely gorgeous final version?

   I had some basic ideas for the cover, which I shared with Entangled, but what they created looked very different from what I’d envisioned. So when I first saw it, I was a little disoriented, but it didn’t take long for it to grow on me. Now, I love it and can’t imagine anything else!

   9 - Did you listen to any particular songs or artists while writing The Secret the Letting Go? If so, could you give us an example?

   I love writing to music and have different playlists for different activities. Certain songs put me in the right mood to write emotional scenes, and other songs I listen to when editing. Most of The Secret to Letting Go was written while listening to Mumford & Sons.

   10 – What advice could you give aspiring authors?

   Writing is a craft and a skill, and like any other skill, it gets better with practice. Your first book may not get published, but if you keep writing, you will succeed. Oh, and if you are serious about being a writer, tell people you are a writer. Saying these words out loud to family, friends and even strangers makes it real, and it makes you accountable. It will help you hang in there, even when you feel discouraged. Also, find the people who will support and encourage your writing goals. It may be your family, friends, a critique partner or an online writing community. You may need to put yourself out there to find them, but the reward will be worth it!

   11 – If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
   My selfish answer is that I’d love to be able to fly! It probably wouldn’t be very helpful for crime-fighting and helping people, but it would be so cool☺

About the Author

   Originally from Newfoundland, Canada, Katherine Fleet moved with her family to the Caribbean island of Curaçao in 2007. The slower pace of island life gave her time to pursue a long-time goal - becoming an author. When she’s not writing, she spends her time baking, chauffeuring her three amazing, talented kids around, and having sun-filled adventures with her wonderful friends. She is a member of RWA™ and several of its chapters. She also loves NaNoWriMo and is an active supporter of the associated Young Writers Program. She is represented by super-agent Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Agency. The Secret to Letting Go is her debut novel.

Website / Twitter: @KatherineFleet / Instagram: @katherine_fleet