CRUSH CONTROL Review and Giveaway!!

Title: Crush Control 
Author: Jennifer Jabaley
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: ARC

Reading, Writing and Waiting is excited to be part of Jennifer Jabaley's CRUSH CONTROL blog tour! 

I read through CRUSH CONTROL at lightning speed because I couldn't stop myself!  I remember reading about this sale in Publisher's Marketplace and thinking how awesome it sounded, and it didn't disappoint.  I loved it!

Here's the blurb:

Willow has spent most of her life as her mother's sidekick in a popular Las Vegas hypnotism show. So when she and her mom move back to their sleepy southern hometown to start over, she thinks she's in for a life of quiet normalcy. Except that her new life turns out to be anything but, when she kinda sorta hypnotizes Quinton, the hottest guy on the football team, to fall madly, deeply, head over heels in love with her. But what started out as an innocent way to make her best friend, Max, jealous soon gets way out of hand, and Willow begins to wonder if the mind - and more importantly, the heart - is something you can really control.

From the first chapter, I was a fan of Willow.  She's quirky and funny and 100% relatable.  When her dog starts humping hot guy, Quinton's leg at the park when they first meet, I was as humiliated for Willow as she was for herself. 

Willow's BFF, Max, once chubby nice guy turned hottie, is swoon-worthy, but not above letting Willow know when he's disappointed in her for considering using hypnosis herself.  But once the popularity takes hold and Willow can honestly say her hypnosis is helping others, it's hard to turn back...until it all goes very, very wrong.

Threaded through the story is a secondary plot about Willow's mom and grandma and what it takes to accept your child for who they are.  It's equally well done and heart-warming. 

This is a five star book that I plan to read again and again. 

Do you want to own the Crush Control ARC?

All you need to do is leave a comment with your email address.  Extra points for tweeting the contest - just make sure to @JamieMBlair me, so I know you tweeted!  Winner will be picked at random on FRIDAY, July 22!

The House of Six Doors Blog Tour

Welcome to the March 7th blog tour stop on The House of Six Doors tour.

Title: The House of Six Doors
Author: Patricia Selbert
Paperback, 330 pages
Published February 1st 2011 by Publishing by the Seas
Speical Note: Novel provided by Book Sparks PR

Plot:

Mama takes thirteen-year-old Serena and her sister to the US in search of fortune, leaving behind their multicultural family, stability, and the colors of the Caribbean. After driving from Miami to Hollywood, their money and luck run out and a 1963 Ford Galaxie becomes their first American home. Guided by the memory of her native Curacao and the words of her wise grandmother, Serena confronts unimagined challenges and grows up quickly. What gifts will this new country bring, and at what price?

About the Author:

Author Patricia Selbert is an experienced lecturer and multicultural novelist who in her recent novel, The House of Six Doors, shares an inspiring young adult journey of immigration from the Caribbean Islands to California. It’s a compelling story of teen struggles, family relationships and Curaçaoan culture, in a work of fiction richly spiced with images from her own life and experiences.


“I was born to Dutch parents in the jungles of Venezuela. I grew up in Curaçao, a Dutch island in the Caribbean. I moved to the United States in the seventies. I currently live in Santa Barbara, a picturesque town on the Central Coast of California cradled between the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Santa Ynez Mountains to the north.” Patricia’s Caribbean heritage has infused her with a passion for bright colors, delicious flavors, and the sea.

“My husband came galloping into my life on a horse, over 30 years ago. Ever since, he’s been my knight in shining armor. We have two sons; they keep me laughing and crying, searching and guessing, but most of all they keep me loving. I thought as a mother I was going to be the one doing all the teaching, but it turns out that they’re the ones teaching me. Don’t tell them, though! Two Great Danes, Panda and Lola, and a Chihuahua named Mighty Mouse complete our family.”

Patricia has trained and showed horses for 27 years, competing in show jumping and three-day-eventing at the national level and in dressage at the international level. She represented the Netherlands Antilles in the Pan American Games and in the World Equestrian Games. “Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved horses.”

With a BA in communications Patricia speaks Dutch, Spanish, Papiamentu and English. “I find writing a pleasure. This novel was inspired by the early years of my life, and I’ve been published previously in local magazines and newspapers. I also write short stories; they’re scattered across my computer like children playing in the yard.”

“Home is where my heart is. My favorite thing is enjoying home-cooked meals with family and friends.”

For more information, visit http://www.patriciaselbert.com/.

 
My Thoughts:
 
This isn't the typical kind of book I read, but I was pulled in by the story. The plot unfolded slowly and you really got to know the characters well. The character and setting details were suburb. I felt like I was really in their world and I appriciate the exotic setting is where the author is from. It really shines through in the details.
 
I also really enjoyed the main character's, Serena, struggle to deal with the relationships in her life. That was what kept me hooked in and kept me wanting more.
 
I would suggest this for older YA fans!