THE HARD COUNT by Ginger Scott - REVIEW

 

Welcome to THE HARD COUNT review tour with Ginger Scott, hosted by Wordsmith Publicity. Be sure to check out all the participating blogs, reviews and enter the tour giveaway!

 

 

THE HARD COUNT

Mature YA Contemporary Romance-Stand Alone

Release Date: July 15, 2016

Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/1O7xc52

Amazon: https://amzn.com/B01HSM221W

iBooks: http://apple.co/1WMNjb8

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1tuu6yY
Kobo: http://bit.ly/260udA4

Google Play: http://bit.ly/29Bc3j4

Nico Medina’s world is eleven miles away from mine. During the day, it’s a place where doors are open—where homes are lived in, and neighbors love. But when the sun sets, it becomes a place where young boys are afraid, where eyes watch from idling cars that hide in the shadows and wicked smoke flows from pipes.

West End is the kind of place that people survive. It buries them—one at a time, one way or another. And when Nico was a little boy, his mom always told him to run.

I’m Reagan Prescott—coach’s daughter, sister to the prodigal son, daughter in the perfect family.

Life on top.

Lies.

My world is the ugly one. Private school politics and one of the best high school football programs in the country can break even the toughest souls. Our darkness plays out in whispers and rumors, and money and status trump all. I would know—I’ve watched it kill my family slowly, strangling us for years.

In our twisted world, a boy from West End is the only shining light.

Quarterback.

Hero.

Heart.

Good.

I hated him before I needed him.

I fell for him fast.

I loved him when it was almost too late.

When two ugly worlds collide, even the strongest fall. But my world…it hasn’t met the boy from West End.

REVIEW:

There is so much I liked about this book. 

• I love Nico and Sasha's friendship and how they were able to start connected even after Sasha moved away.
• I love how Reagan's father (the football coach) took her opinions about Nico seriously when she approached him about Nico playing for the team.
• I love how Nico and Reagan's relationship grew and changed over the course of the story. It was a relief to read a story that didn't have insta-love between the main characters.
• I appreciate how Ginger Scott showed how petty and fickle adults act. 
• I love how much Nico loved his niece.
• I love how Nico avoided the trouble in his neighborhood and didn't allow himself to get dragged down by drugs and violence.
• I love how we saw Nico's brother break down and turn his life around when he was left to care for his daughter alone.
• I love how Reagan's family rallied around Nico and supported him in his shot at a future in football.
• I love how we saw Reagan's mom get a backbone and stop worrying so much about what the community thinks about her.
• I love the future Ginger Scott gave Nico and Reagan. There is nothing but good things coming for those two. They are smart. They are devoted. They are strong. Together, they'll accomplish their goals.

I will point out that Ginger Scott mentions that this is a Mature YA. BUT, in my opinion, there isn't much in here that pushes it too far to the mature side. A little language; a little heat, but nothing over-the-top. This is a book that would be totally appropriate in a high school library. 

THE HARD COUNT is a one-sitting read. Be prepared when you start. You won't want to stop. 

SIDENOTE: I didn't know what a hard count was until I read the book. Very cool. Here is a website that explains it. http://www.sportingcharts.com/dictionary/nfl/hard-count.aspx

It's so clever. Basically, it tricks the other team into going offside (I think) be delaying the snap just a little bit. Here is a YouTube video that shows it.

  

GIVEAWAY

1 signed copy of In Your Dreams, $10 Amazon gift card

Open International

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About Ginger Scott

Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling and Goodreads Choice Award-nominated author of several young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After, The Girl I Was Before, Wild Reckless, Wicked Restless and In Your Dreams.

A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she

often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns. For more on her and her work, visit her website at http://www.littlemisswrite.com.

When she's not writing, the odds are high that she's somewhere near a baseball diamond, either watching her son field pop flies like Bryce Harper or cheering on her favorite baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ginger lives in Arizona and is married to her college sweetheart whom she met at ASU (fork 'em, Devils).

Connect with Ginger

Website:  http://bit.ly/1M8g5bi
Facebook:  http://on.fb.me/1U7lDvQ
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1TBkPPT
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/YHKtlF
YouTube:  http://bit.ly/1RcfgqZ
Google:  http://bit.ly/1Rcfjmt
Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/1QKNuyr

BEAUTIFUL BOY by Leddy Harper - REVIEW

About BEAUTIFUL BOY

One introverted girl. One extroverted guy. One assignment. One afternoon. Then everything changed…

“You destroyed me.” Novah wanted nothing more than to walk away, never see him again. She was determined to pick up the pieces of her tarnished reputation and move on. Her torture became her muse, earning her well-deserved notoriety for capturing beauty with her lens. She had come full circle. She had it all…until he returned.

Nolan found himself surrounded by the grim facets of life, no longer the prominent boy from an affluent family who’d caught Novah’s eye. The years had been unkind and left him in the dark, painful trenches of life. He needed her help.

Fifteen years can equate to a lifetime of change, neither one the same person they once were. Despite the humiliation, the latent wounds, the missing years…they’re destined to heal one another in unexpected ways.

“You saved me.” 

REVIEW:

This is the story of the super, popular Senior and the shy, invisible Freshman as they connect one sunny afternoon during a photography assignment. This is the story of a bitter business man and a gun shy photographer as they come together again fifteen years after both of their worlds were shattered.

Novah never expected Nolan to get in touch with her fifteen years after he destroyed her life. In fact, she hoped she'd never see him again - EVER. When Nolan uses Novah's career against her and challenges her to find beauty in the most unlikely of places, she accepts (her best friend actually gets her into this by pretending to be her in a heated email exchanged).

Soon, Novah discovers the reasons for Nolan's anger. She never knew what happened to him after the incident in high school. She never believed his story that he didn't do the things that ruined her life. She never knew that he had true feelings for her then. Never knew that hurting her killed him inside. That he blamed her for everything he has gone through - all the pain, the loss, the anger.

Nolan never knew how the incident followed Novah through all four years of high school. How guys never asked her out on real dates. They only teased her for what happened with Nolan in her freshman year. Expected her to put out like the slut everyone thought she was. He never knew that she turned her heart to stone in order to prevent being shattered again.

With a lot of patience, Novah begins the process of showing beauty to Nolan again. Slowly he learns to let her inside his world. He confronts his demons and learns about other issues that prevent him from living a fulfilling life.

Together, the heal. Together, they have peace. Together, they have love.

To get an idea of the kind of issues you'll be dealing with in this book, take a look at Michael Stokes' photography. Particularly his work with wounded soldiers. The beauty in these photos is amazing. The bravery we can see is awesome. Nolan is just as brave. He is determined to fight to become the man that Novah deserves. Novah is just as brave in her perseverance. She never gives up on Nolan, but she also doesn't let him use her as a crutch. She gives him space when he needs it - even though he doesn't want it. She is strong for the both of them in order to give Nolan the time he needs to understand his troubles.

BEAUTIFUL BOY is a beautiful love story. You don't want to miss it.

Check out Michael's work at:
http://michaelstokes.net/
http://michaelstokes.tumblr.com/
https://www.instagram.com/stokes_photo/
Great article about his wounded soldiers work.

Anne Geddes photographed children that suffered ill effects from meningitis. She wanted to show the beauty of survival.

Add it to your Goodreads list here!

Get your hands on BEAUTIFUL BOY - read for free with KU:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA

Watch the trailer for BEAUTIFUL BOY now!

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Get your hands on BEAUTIFUL BOY - read for free with KU:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA

About Leddy Harper

Leddy Harper had to use her imagination often as a child. She grew up the only girl in a house full of boys. At the age of fourteen, she decided to use that imagination and wrote her first book, and never stopped. She often calls writing her therapy, using it as a way to deal with issues through the eyes of her characters. She is now a mother of three girls, leaving her husband as the only man in a house full of females. The decision to publish her first book was made as a way of showing her children to go after whatever it is they want to. Love what you do and do it well. Most importantly Leddy wanted to teach them what it means to overcome their fears.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

THE BAD ONES by Stylo Fantome - REVIEW

Book Synopsis:

Love isn't always bright and shiny. 

Sometimes, it's dirty and wrong, buried six feet deep in a secret place where only wild things dare to go. Hidden behind a big black curtain that covers things no one should ever see. 

Sometimes it happens between two people who should never be allowed to come together. One who is a match, and the other who just happens to be gasoline.
One strike is all it takes to burn the whole world down, and that's exactly what they plan on doing. 

Even if it kills them.

Con(stantine) is the charismatic son of the town's mayor. Popular, handsome, and secretly psychopathic. No one sees his true self. Except Dulcie.

Dulcie is a quiet girl that's never really fit in. She has her art and that's about it - until Con. Until they share an intense moment and she is forever changed. She can't stop thinking about Con and the monster she sees lurking behind the face he shows everyone.  Con feels the connection, too, but it frightens him. He's not used to people seeing the real him.

Dulcie is confused every time she comes into contact with Con. The connection is always there, but after they interact he'll go sometimes years before seeing her again. Eventually, Dulcie gives up on a relationship with him and attempts to have a normal life. She even makes a friend and starts dating, but then Con comes back for an extended period of time. Is it finally their time? And if it is, what will happen when Con's monster comes out?

This is an unconventional love story. It's twisted. Dulcie and Con are beautifully calculating. Diabolically intense. Totally in love. Stylo Fantome is known for her dark romances and this one is probably her darkest.

THE BAD ONES broke my heart several times, but was totally hot all the way through.

 
Stylo's other series:

DARK NOTES by Pam Godwin - REVIEW

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If you've ever read a book by Pam Godwin you might expect this to be a dark and sexy read and you'd be right. This is dark, but it is also so sweet and hopeful.

Ivory has a terrible home life. Her mother is a druggie that stays away from home more often than not. Her older brother is a deadbeat druggie that physically abuses her at the drop of a hat and her brother's army friend that abuses her in terrible and cruel ways. The only thing that gets her through is the love for her cat and her dreams of attending a prestigious music university so she can study with the best of the best. She has spent the last four years of her life attending an exclusive music school thanks to her late fathers sacrifice. A sacrifice that has made her mother and brother very bitter.

Ivory hasn't had it easy at school because she doesn't have money like the other students. Like seriously! No money. Her tuition was paid in advance thanks to her father, but she is still responsible for everyday bills and her own needs like clothes and school supplies. She has had to device a plan to survive no matter how much she hates what she has to do. In addition to the abuse she is subjected to at home, she suffers at the hands of many of the boys at school. She's come to expect it since men take, take, and take.

Her life changes on the first day of her senior year. It's the day the new piano teacher starts at her school. Emeric Marceaux is a virtuoso and has a passion for teaching and when he finds out that he is going to be Ivory's teacher every afternoon for the entire school year he doesn't know if he'll be able to control himself. Emeric has a need to control. A need to claim Ivory and take care of her. When he finds out the kind of life Ivory endures he decides he'll do whatever it takes to make her safe and loved. Even though it risks his career and her education.

DARK NOTES is amazingly beautiful. You can feel the love between the two throughout the length of the novel. Even though there are obstacles (sometimes really BIG obstacles) Emeric and Ivory keep communication open and remain honesty with each other. They love each other in spite of their flaws and together they build a life. Ivory just has to decide what that life will be like. Does she really want the symphony or does she want something more?

THE BAD ONES by Stylo Fantome - TEASER TUESDAY

Falling for Con…how bad is bad?

04.12.16

Enter the giveaway for an ARC on Stylo's Facebook page.