12 Days of Great Summer Reads -- Love, Lucas by Chantele Sedgwick

Check out my review here!

"When Oakley Nelson loses her brother, Lucas, to cancer, she thinks she’ll never recover. Between her parents’ arguing and the battle she’s fighting with depression, she feels nothing inside but a hollow emptiness. When Mom suggests they spend the summer in California with Aunt Jo, Oakley isn’t sure that a change of scenery will alter anything, but she’s willing to give it a try.  In California, Oakley discovers a sort of safety and freedom in Aunt Jo’s beach house. Once they’re settled, Mom hands her a notebook full of letters addressed to her—from Lucas. As Oakley reads one each day, she realizes how much he loved her, and each letter challenges her to be better and to continue to enjoy her life. He wants her to move on.  If only it were that easy.  But then a surfer named Carson comes into her life, and Oakley is blindsided. He makes her feel again. As she lets him in, she is surprised by how much she cares for him, and things get complicated. How can she fall in love and be happy when Lucas never got the chance to do those very same things?  With her brother’s dying words as guidance, Oakley must learn to listen to and trust herself again. She soon realizes that second chances are ways to learn from the past, and you don’t always have to leave the past behind to find happiness in the future. "

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Lucas-Chantele-Sedgwick/dp/1632204177/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-lucas-chantele-sedgwick/1120316250?ean=9781632204172

http://www.kingsenglish.com/book/9781632204172

Chantele Sedgwick is a young adult author, harpist, and major book nerd. She loves happy endings, Kit Kats, and (judging by her bookshelves) buying way too many books. She is the author of Not Your Average Fairy Tale and Not Your Average Happy Ending. She resides in Roy, Utah, with her husband and four children and is represented by Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency.

Blog: http://chantelesedgwick.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChanteleSedgwick
Twitter: @chantelesedg

Ten things about me.

1. I love spending time with my four kids and cute hubby.
2. I'm obsessed with hardcover books and am known to stare at my bookshelves a lot.
3. My two sisters are my best friends in the entire world.
4. The hubby and I are kind of obsessed with movies. Top few I love are: Lord of the RIngs, Jurassic Park, Avengers, etc.
5. I'm a HUGE fan of Foo Fighters, The Goo Goo Dolls, Coldplay and Imagine Dragons.
6. I'm also a Broadway musical fan. I even have season tickets to a theater near my home!
7. Kit Kats are the best candy bar ever.
8. I've played the harp for 23 years. 
9. I have a notebook buying problem. Along with a book buying problem.
10. I hate the grass. Seriously. If my bare skin (including feet) touches it, I freak out. *shivers*

Excerpt

*The cold seeps through my wetsuit and caresses my skin. I shiver. The water's dark and murky and the waves look extra big. Dangerous. I'm doing something dangerous. Which makes me smile. I think of Lucas then, knowing exactly what he'd say if he were with me.

Don't be stupid, Oakley.

I'm not being stupid. I'm trying something new and taking risks.

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Love, Lucas by Chantele Sedgwick

Love, Lucas

Author: Chantele Sedgwick

Publisher: Sky Pony Press

Published: May 5th, 2015

ISBN13: 9781632204172

Hardcover: 288 pages

FTC FYI: I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Summary

When Oakley Nelson loses her older brother, Lucas, to cancer, she thinks she’ll never recover. Between her parents’ arguing and the battle she’s fighting with depression, she feels nothing inside but a hollow emptiness. When Mom suggests they spend a few months in California with Aunt Jo, Oakley isn’t sure a change of scenery will alter anything, but she’s willing to give it a try.

In California, Oakley discovers a sort of safety and freedom in Aunt Jo’s beach house. Once they’re settled, Mom hands her a notebook full of letters addressed to her—from Lucas. As Oakley reads one each day, she realizes how much he loved her, and each letter challenges her to be better and to continue to enjoy her life. He wants her to move on.

If only it were that easy.

But then a surfer named Carson comes into her life, and Oakley is blindsided. He makes her feel again. As she lets him in, she is surprised by how much she cares for him, and that’s when things get complicated. How can she fall in love and be happy when Lucas never got the chance to do those very same things?

With her brother’s dying words as guidance, Oakley knows she must learn to listen and trust again. But will she have to leave the past behind to find happiness in the future?

My Review

Love, Lucas is sweet story about Oakley, trying to move on with her life after a tragedy and life changing events.  After the death of her brother, Lucas, Oakley and her mom move to California for the spring to try to distance themselves from the pain of losing him.  Oakley's mom gives her a notebook of letters written by Lucas that he wrote before he died, in hopes of helping her move on.  I absolutely loved this book.  I've told Chantele that I think she and I are kindred spirits, and I felt this way even more so reading this book.  The story flows nicely, and I enjoyed Oakley's journey of growth.  Carson was a ray of sunshine.  He lit up the pages.  Once Oakley got over her fears of self doubt and she let him in, it was fun to see their relationship progress.  When a tragedy strikes him, it was interesting to see how she would handle it.  My favorite thing about the book were the letters from Lucas.  They were sweet, funny, and a perfect way for Oakley to heal.  Be brave and try new things, what a perfect motto for us all.

4 out of 5 stars.  A clean book with great characters and enjoyable story.  I will read anything from this author.

Author Links

Goodreads / Website / Twitter / Facebook

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Not Your Average Happy Ending by Chantele Sedgwick

Not Your Average Happy Ending

Author: Chantele Sedgwick

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

Published: March 3rd, 2014

Paperback: 257 pages

ASIN: B00IQAERR8

FTC FYI: I received an ePub copy from the author in exchange of an honest review.

Goodreads Summary

When Ash Summerland left the Academy of Magical Beings, he was sure he’d put his troubles behind him. But when his girlfriend, Kendall, is almost killed by an old enemy over something he knows little about, Ash is forced to confront the demons of his past.

With his fairy magic fading and his darker djinn magic more powerful than ever, Ash isn’t sure he can stop the evil from closing in around him. Although Kendall is the only thing keeping him from going over the edge, if he can’t learn to balance out his magic and find a way to defeat his enemies once and for all, both his world, and the girl he loves will be lost forever.

My Review

I LOVED Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele.  Everything about it was magical.  If you are new to this series, I would read Fairy Tale first.  That being said, I was thrilled with the release of Happy Ending, as I knew it would be just as enjoyable as the first.  I was right.  Like the first book, both Ash and Kendall are telling the story from their point of view, rotating chapters.  We find out at the beginning, from Ash, that three months has passed.  Ash has been living in the human world in an apartment near Kendall, while she is in school.  While Ash is getting used to the whole "half djinn/half fairy" thing, Kendall is nearly killed by Dax, Ash's half brother.  He wants something from Kendall that confuses Ash as to the reasoning behind it.  This starts a chain of events that lead to many battles, healing, dragons, banshees, and many more exciting adventures that lead to more questions for Ash and being lead to those who have been lost.

4 out of 5 stars.  I really enjoyed Happy Ending.  Just like the first book, Chantele did an amazing job with character development and plot.  I was drawn immediately back to Kendall and Ash's world and what I loved about their relationship in Fairy Tale, was just as fabulous in Happy Ending.  Chantele is not only an amazing author, she is a great friend of mine.  I love her books and can't wait for more titles from her.

Author Links

Goodreads / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Publisher

Not Your Average Happy Ending by Chantele Sedgwick -- Cover Reveal

My darling friend Chantele Sedgwick's new book is coming out soon!

I am thrilled be one of the blogs that reveals her new cover.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE HAPPY ENDING

YA Contemporary Fantasy

Release Date: March 3, 2014

Crescent Moon Press

When Ash Summerland left the Academy of Magical Beings, he was sure he’d put his troubles behind him. But when his girlfriend, Kendall, is almost killed by an old enemy over something he knows little about, Ash is forced to confront the demons of his past if he wants to save his and Kendall’s future.

With his fairy magic fading and his djinn magic more powerful than ever, Ash isn’t sure he can stop the evil from closing in around him. Although Kendall is the only thing keeping him from going over the edge, if he can’t learn to balance out his magic and find a way to defeat his enemies once and for all, both his world, and the girl he loves will be lost forever.

Here it is!

Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick -- Blog Tour GIVEAWAY!

Not Your Average Fairytale

Author: Chantele Sedgwick

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

Published: August 1st, 2012

ISBN13: 9781937254667

Genre: YA Fantasy

FTC FYI: Received a free ebook in exchange for an honest review

Goodreads Summary: Armed with wings and a blue wand, being a fairy godmother should be easy ... unless your name is Ash, and you're a dude.

Ash Summerland has it all–good looks, popularity, and the best grades at The Academy of Magical Beings. Ready to complete his last assignment in order to graduate, Ash is confident he will get the apprenticeship he wants. When he opens the letter from the Council, he is shocked to discover he has been assigned to apprentice Lady Shenelle, Keeper of Happy Endings. A.K.A. the head fairy godmother. Ash is forced to grant three wishes to a troubled human girl named Kendall, and ultimately give her a "happy ever after". But Kendall turns out to be more than he bargained for. Still grieving over her father's death, Kendall doesn't want anything to do with him. And worst of all, she doesn't believe in happy endings.

My Review

I knew by just reading the first page that I was going to love his book.  I loved Ash and Kendall instantly.  Everything about this book made me smile.  I thought Kendall and Ash worked well together.  I also really enjoyed the twists and turns of the story.  I loved the change in point of views for the telling of the story.  I really liked being in Ash and Kendall's heads, and seeing things through their eyes.  Especially about each other.  They are both hurting for different reasons, and realize how much they need someone else.  I LOVED the ending.  All the characters are well written and fun.  I adored Kendall's sister Ellie.  I love it when authors really invest in their 

secondary characters, Chantele did this very well.

5 out of 5 stars.  This is Chantele's first book.  It was amazing, and I can't wait for Book 2.  Find Chantele on her Blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE

As part of the Blog Tour for Not Your Average Fairy Tale, Chantele is giving away a Kindle and some ebooks.  Fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Enjoy!

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