Sidekick by Natalie Whipple

Sidekick is out today!!

Title: Sidekick

Author: Natalie Whipple

Publisher: Whipple House

Date of Publication: November 10, 2015

Blurb:

Russ is a high school football player who feels like he always comes in second to his best friend, Garret. In sports. In school. With girls. Well, he's tired of it, and he gets the rather foolish idea that if he can win the heart of the new girl in town before Garret he can prove he's not just sloppy seconds.

His plan? Use his anime-obsessed sister's group, who has befriended the new girl, to get closer to her. He'd never tell the team, but he's been going to Anime Night for years and might even enjoy it. That would ruin his reputation, just like his secret love for cooking and James Taylor.

But pretending to be something you aren't catches up to you eventually, and Russ can only get away with living two lives for so long. As more than one person reveals they have something to hide, Russ must figure out what and who he really wants in his life. And more than that, he needs the courage to make it happen.

I love everything Natalie Whipple! So go buy it at one of these great retailers:

Amazon
 Barns and Noble
The Book Depository
 If you want a signed Copy

Also you can enter to win a kindle edition here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And here's and excerpt from the book: 

The bell on the door rings. I look up, and I’m surprised by what I see. It’s a girl. Parker’s is not known for attracting females with is bacon-fat-in-all-things policy, especially girls like this. She wears a tight, worn T-shirt and baggy pajama bottoms. Her blond hair’s piled on her head in a messy bun. She’s thin and tall, like a volleyball player, but with a killer rack. I look down when she glances my way, embarrassed that I’m already fantasizing about her in a bikini.

I sip at my drink and pretend I’m not watching her look over the menu. She’s got to be new around here. Even people a few towns over know Parker’s menu by heart. Buck stare at her, and not in a nice way. Dirty old man.

Not like I’m any better.

“I’ll have a bacon burger and a water.” Her voice is lower than I expect, sultry.

When Buck hands over the tray, she turns and, to my surprise, looks right at me, a mischievous grin on her lips. I glance over my shoulder to see if Garret somehow teleported behind me. Not that I’m butt ugly or anything, but girls don’t look at me like they do at him. I’m mostly average, with plain green eyes and dark hair. If I didn’t play football or have Garret, I’d be invisible.

She takes the booth across from mine, facing me. I try to focus on my good, but with the place practically empty it’s weird that she’d sit so close. Why not the table in the corner where I can’t see her eat?

She takes a big bite of her burger and moans. “Holy crap, do they put crack in these?”

I let out a shaky laugh. “If you consider bacon crack, which I do.”

About Natalie Whipple

Natalie Whipple grew up in the Bay Area and relocated to Utah for high school, which was quite the culture shock for her anime-loving teen self. But the Rocky Mountains eventually won her over, and she stuck around to earn her degree in English linguistics at BYU, with a minor in editing. Natalie still lives in Utah with her husband and three kids, and keeps the local Asian market in business with all her attempts to cook.

She is the author of the TRANSPARENT series, HOUSE OF IVY & SORROW, the I'M A NINJA series, FISH OUT OF WATER, and MY LITTLE BRONY (under K.M. Hayes). In addition to that, she is on the writing team for the cRPG Torment: Tides of Numenera that should be out sometime in 2015.

Blog: http://betweenfactandfiction.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/nataliewhipple

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Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/ZkX6f

IGNITE by Sara B. Larson

Ignite 

By Sara B Larson

Published by Scholastic

289 pages

Book 2 of Defy series

WHAT ITS ABOUT(from goodreads): 

Murder, abductions, and forbidden romance abound in this thrilling sequel to Sara B. Larson's acclaimed YA debut, DEFY.

Alexa remains by the newly crowned King Damian’s side as his guard, ever committed to helping him rebuild Antion and reclaim the hope of Antion's people, despite continuing to harbor a secret love for him. However, when another threat to Damian and his kingdom emerges, and blame is cast on their newly forged allies from Blevon, Alexa knows things are not what they seem. With the fate of her nation hanging in the balance once again, will Alexa be able to protect her king and uncover the true enemy—before it's too late?

WHAT I THOUGHT:

I read this book when I was sleep deprived from new baby and going through a rough time in my life. So the first time I read it I LOVED it but I knew I'd need to re read it to really get it to sink in. And I finally have. With ENDURE coming out in December I wanted to refresh so I read this and DEFY again. I loved it even more this time! Alexa is one of my favorite characters. She's been fun to watch grow. I love the emotions in these books. Just from the build up of the characters you know exactly what the feelings in the room are without having to be told. There's several times I was crying for the characters and their extreme success or heartbreak. They really feel like living breathing people. 

Also I didn't read the Acknowledgements the first time, I always do but I'm blaming new mommy hormones, and you guys I'm in there! I love this book and Sara so much but I never dreamed I'd see my name in her book! Thanks Sara!! 

Yes I have it on my nook and in book form all of my favorites are! ;)

ENDURE comes out December 29th. If you live in Utah come to the release party! I'd love to meet some of my fellow book lovers!