Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry - Blog Tour GIVEAWAY & REVIEW

Hi, and welcome to the blog tour to celebrate the release of Adulting 101 by Lisa Henry. I’m visiting some of my favourite blogs around the place to talk about writing Adulting 101, some of my influences and inspiration, and even sharing an excerpt or two! Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to win a prize!

About the Book

The struggle is real.

Nick Stahlnecker is eighteen and not ready to grow up yet. He has a summer job, a case of existential panic, and a hopeless crush on the unattainable Jai Hazenbrook. Except how do you know that your coworker’s unattainable unless you ask to blow him in the porta-potty?

That’s probably not what Dad meant when he said Nick should act more like an adult.

Twenty-five-year-old Jai is back in his hometown of Franklin, Ohio, just long enough to earn the money to get the hell out again. His long-term goal of seeing more of the world is worth the short-term pain of living in his mother’s basement, but only barely.

Meeting Nick doesn’t fit in with Jai’s plans at all, but, as Jai soon learns, you don’t have to travel halfway around the world to have the adventure of a lifetime.

This is not a summer romance. This is a summer friendship-with-benefits. It’s got pizza with disgusting toppings, Netflix and chill, and accidental exhibitionism. That’s all. There are no feelings here. None. Shut up.

You can find out more about Adulting 101 at Riptide.

About the Author 

Lisa Henry - Author

Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn't know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she's too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with too many cats, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

Email    Website    Twitter    GoodReads    Facebook

!!!Giveaway!!!

Each comment on this blog tour enters you for a chance to win a $20 Riptide credit and an ebook of your choice from my back catalogue. You’ll also win a super secret cute little gift that’s very close to my (and Nick’s) heart! Entries close August 20, and contest is not restricted to US residents. Remember to leave your email address in the comments so I can contact you if you win!

Review

* * * *

The description to this had me clicking the Request button so fast your head would spin. 

“There are no feelings here. None. Shut up.”

How can a line like that NOT draw me in?  I couldn’t deny the temptation. 

The humor in this blurb completely and absolutely fulfills its promise.  I found myself laughing out loud so many times that my husband was beginning to give me dirty looks.  And I texted enough hilarious quotes that my friends probably blocked my number.  Actually, that’s not true.  I’m pretty sure I convinced a few people to read this based on the quotes alone.  And one of them has never read romance! 

The writing style in Adulting 101 is unique.  Lisa Henry manages to tell Nick and Jai’s story in the third person all the while making it feel like you are living their stream of consciousness.   And that’s what makes Nick’s character so hilarious.  Reading his scatterbrained thoughts, his immature actions  as well as the hopes and fears that he holds inside make him one of the most three dimensional characters I have read in a very long time.   

Being inside Jai’s head is a little bit different.  Mainly because Jai is older.  Particularly in life experience.  Although he lives a nomadic life he is also grounded and provides the perfect contrast to Nick.  His calm demeanor and focus are the calm to Nick’s internal chaos.

The romance between Jai and Nick is realistically awkward and perfectly paced.  Amidst the hilarity there are moments of serious contemplation and acceptance as Nick learns to adult.   It isn’t easy for him and there are plenty of pitfalls along the way.  Some that will make you cringe and many that will make you laugh.

As you can probably guess, I can’t recommend this book enough.  Adulting 101 is a perfect realistic feel-good romance that will make you laugh hysterically and smile uncontrollably. 

Nat

What Remains by Garrett Leigh - Blog Tour Spotlight, REVIEW and GIVEAWAY

About What Remains

Web designer Jodi Peters is a solitary creature. Lunch twice a week with his ex-girlfriend-turned-BFF and the occasional messy venture to a dodgy gay bar is all the company he needs, right?

Then one night he stumbles across newly divorced firefighter Rupert O’Neil. Rupert is lost and lonely, but just about the sweetest bloke Jodi has ever known. Add in the heady current between them, and Jodi can’t help falling hard in love. He offers Rupert a home within the walls of his cosy Tottenham flat—a sanctuary to nurture their own brand of family—and for four blissful years, life is never sweeter.

Until a cruel twist of fate snatches it all away. A moment of distraction leaves Jodi fighting for a life he can’t remember and shatters Rupert’s heart. Jodi doesn’t know him—or want to. With little left of the man he adores, Rupert must cling to what remains of his shaky faith and pray that Jodi can learn to love him again.

Review:

Source: This book was received from Riptide Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ever read a book that just left you emotionally exhausted but was worth every little bit it sucked out of you.  Yeah, this is one of those stories.  Not sure what exactly drew me to this one.  The amnesia trope isn’t one that has ever pulled me in but something about this description (and let’s admit it – the hotter than sin cover) screamed, “read me!”  And I listened. 

The prologue immediately draws the reader in and establishes the happy and steady life that Jodi Peters and Rupert O’Neil are already living together.   It’s written in a way that kind of makes you yearn for what they have.  Even if you already have it.  And that yearning makes the reader feel an acute loss when Jodi and Rupert lose everything they have together.

As you can guess, Jodi IS in an accident and, yes, he does lose his memory.  But there is more to his injury than that and I hesitate to mention anything else as I don’t want to spoil it.  Obviously, his road to recovery is difficult.  Especially when he’s a naturally caustic person (yes, Jodi can be a bit of a dick) dealing with the fall out of a traumatic brain injury as well as living with a total stranger.  To paraphrase: A strange flat mate that stares at him too much.  Not only is recovery seemingly impossible at times, he will never the same way he was before his injury.

The story alternates between Jodi and Rupert’s POV but not evenly.  This isn’t an alternating chapter kind of story.  Depending on where they are in Jodi’s recovery very obviously dictates who is telling their story.  A technique that doesn’t always work but in this instance reads seamlessly.

One of the most painful (and of course my favorite – I’m such a masochist) things about this story is that Rupert’s unwavering love and support is never portrayed as easy.  It doesn’t matter which character has taken charge of the narrative or how stoic Rupert remains on the outside.  Because his loss is also the readers loss.  We saw what they had built together and we saw it taken away…all the best parts removed from his life as if it never existed.   Rupert doesn’t have the pain of forgetting.  On top of watching the love of his life suffer, he also experiences the pain of remembering.

I’m really selling the angst, aren’t I?  Here’s the crazy part.  It’s not the kind of angst that requires five boxes of tissues.  Not to say you won’t shed some tears.  But Rupert’s natural kindness will make you smile and Jodi’s sharp sense of humor will have you laughing your ass off.  I sent Bel and Shel a couple Jodi quotes that had them laughing out loud too.  So yeah.  There is angst but it’s perfectly tempered by other qualities and emotions that make these two main characters amazingly three dimensional.  

If you are looking for a miracle or a tidy HEA all neatly packaged and wrapped in a bow, this might not be the book for you.  But if you’re like me and enjoy reading about realistic couples navigating real life situations, even the tragic ones, then you need to pick this one up immediately.  It’s an excellent addition to m/m contemporary romance that will make your heart hurt and celebrate all in one sitting.

 Nat

http://www.garrettleigh.com/about.html

About Garrett Leigh

Garrett Leigh is a British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Black Jazz Press. Her protagonists will always always be tortured, crippled, broken, and deeply flawed. Throw in a tale of enduring true love, some stubbly facial hair, and a bunch of tattoos, and you’ve got yourself a Garrett special.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible. That, and dreaming up new ways to torture her characters. Garrett believes in happy endings; she just likes to make her boys work for it.

Garrett also works as a freelance cover artist for various publishing houses and independent authors under the pseudonym G.D. Leigh. For cover art info, please visit blackjazzpress.com.

Website    Twitter    Facebook    Cover Art Enquiries

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of What Remains, Garrett is giving away $25 in Riptide Publishing credit. Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on July 9, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

****

From Penguin:

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you..."

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail.  (Everybody in the newsroom knows.  It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously.  They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.  

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now - reading other people's e-mail.  When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers - not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.  

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in.  But he can't help being entertained - and captivated - by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.  

What would he say...?

Dear god, the first three pages of Attachments had me laughing hysterically in the most inappropriate place...  This was my first experience with Rainbow Rowell (Bel LOVES Eleanor & Park and Fangirl), so I was really looking forward to the book.  It did not disappoint.  After the inappropriate laughing incident, I saved the book until after work and ended up staying up all night to finish.  

As pleasantly surprised as I was by the humor, I was even more surprised and pleased that Rowell was able to combine the comedy with a truly heartfelt story about love, heartbreak and the twists and turns life throws at us.  

Lincoln is broken, a zombie existing, but not really living since his heart was torn apart by his ex.  Beth is in a dysfunctional relationship trying to figure out what she is willing to give up for the man she loves, while Jennifer is the only one in a healthy relationship, but is trying to decide what she is willing to do for the man she loves.  The growth of the characters and the story were natural and well-written.  

The best part was that I found these women completely relatable and could see Bel, Nat and I exchanging many of these emails!  

I completely understand why Bel loves Rainbow Rowell so much.  I am definitely a fan now and cannot wait to pick up Eleanor & Park!

~Shel