Excerpt Reveal: All Lined Up by Cora Carmack

 Ah! You guys know how much I love Cora Carmack, yes? Well, I do and I'm so excited to share an amazing excerpt from her new book, coming in May. Which, did I mention, centers around college football? Yes, please. Check out the excerpt and let me know what you think! 

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About the Book

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cora Carmack follows up her trio of hits—Losing It, Faking It, and Finding It—with this thrilling first novel in an explosive series bursting with the Texas flavor, edge, and steamy romance of Friday Night Lights.

In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.

Dallas Cole loathes football. That's what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.

But life doesn't always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.

Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It's obliterated.

Dallas doesn't know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn't know that Dallas is his new coach's daughter.

And neither of them know how to walk away from the attraction they feel.

Pre-order Links: Amazon :: Barnes and Noble

Add to Goodreads

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Excerpt

Excerpt Reveal: All Lined Up by Cora Carmack by WilliamMorrowBooks

Or you can find it here.

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About the Author

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Find Cora Online: Website :: Twitter :: Facebook :: Goodreads

Blog Tour: Playing Pretend by Juliana Haygert

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Playing Pretend by Juliana Haygert, organized by YA Bound Blog Tours. Check out my review, enter the giveaway and then check out the other stops on the tour here! 

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Review

The best part about this book is that it's exactly like watching a rom-com, except you're reading so you get so much more. I've always been a sucker for the First Daughter and Catching Liberty kind of movies and this reminded me a lot of that. It's just a fun story about growing up and finding your own voice. Plus, there's not only an awesome romance, but a great friendship as well.

The book just dove right into the developing relationship between Charlotte and Mason, which was a little different. I like that it immediately threw off what I've come to expect from NA novels. It wasn't a meet-cute kind of situation and it wasn't suppressed feelings because of a dark past kind of thing. It was two people who liked each other just going all out. Until Charlotte goes home after Spring Break and back to real life. The way Charlotte and Mason meet up again is a little too coincidental, but for what this book is, it's easy to roll with.

I think Charlotte's relationship with her mother is really well done. It's a smothering and demanding relationship, but it isn't too crazy. I mostly love that it sets up Charlotte to have this kind of awesome secret life, which includes a fantastic friend and then, of course, Mason. It was fun to watch Charlotte's secret life. And Mason is definitely swoon-worthy. For what he goes through to be with Charlotte, he has to be the most patient and understanding dude ever. But that's why it's easy to love him.

Playing Pretend is a quick read, but it has the smart rom-com thing going for it. Basically I love Juliana Haygert, and she's proven herself with urban fantasy in her Everlast Trilogy, with darker contemporary in Breaking the Reins, and now with the sweeter side of contemporary in Playing Pretend. I'd definitely recommend her for anything you're craving in the new adult field. 

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About Playing Pretend

Playing Pretend

by Juliana Haygert

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance

Word Count: 65,000Release date: March 2014

Cover: Berto Designs

As the Governor’s daughter, Charlotte McClain is an expert in playing pretend. High society, the men her mother shoves in her direction and a Pre-Law major are all a part of her perfect pretense. But when she pretends to be a nobody during Spring Break, she meets someone who rocks her world.

Mason Rowell knows heartbreak and Spring Break don’t mesh well, so he allows the mysterious Charlotte to seduce him. What should have been a fling, results in something deeper. After Spring Break has long since passed, he moves to Washington to pursue his graduate degree, but what he never expected to find living among the rich and pompous, was the girl who gave him the strength to change and the desire to start anew.

When the guy Charlotte can’t forget goes from a sensual memory to temptation in the flesh, her facade is put to the test. If she surrenders to his charms, she risks ruining her mother’s perfect career and master plan. Playing pretend is what Charlotte does best, but how long can she pretend she doesn't love the man who made her proud of her true self?

**A light, sexy NA Contemporary Romance**

Book Links: Amazon :: B&N :: Kobo :: iBooks :: Createspace :: Goodreads

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About the Author

New Adult author and contributor at NA Alley blog.

While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Author Links: Website :: Blog :: Twitter :: Facebook :: Goodreads :: Pinterest

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Giveaway 

 RULES AND RESTRICTIONS: 

Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 13 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond  or another winner’s name will be selected. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.

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Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Release Day Launch: Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine

I'm extremely excited to participate in spreading the word about Chelsea Fine's BEST KIND OF BROKEN! BEST KIND OF BROKEN is a New Adult contemporary romance and is the first book in the Finding Fate Series. It's available TODAY so after reading these hot teasers and entering the giveaway be sure to go out and grab your copy!!

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About the Book

SOMETIMES MOVING ON MEANS MOVING IN 

Pixie Marshall wishes every day she could turn back time and fix the past. But she can't. And the damage is done. She's hoping that a summer of free room and board working with her aunt at the Willow Inn will help her forget. Except there's a problem: the resident handyman is none other than Levi Andrews. The handsome quarterback was once her friend-and maybe more--until everything changed in a life-shattering instant. She was hoping to avoid him, possibly forever. Now he's right down the hall and stirring up feelings Pixie thought she'd long buried . . . 

Levi can't believe he's living with the one person who holds all his painful memories. More than anything he wants to make things right, but a simple "sorry" won't suffice--not when the tragedy that scarred them was his fault. Levi knows Pixie's better off without him, but every part of him screams to touch her, protect her, wrap her in his arms, and kiss away the pain. Yet even though she's so close, Pixie's heart seems more unreachable than ever. Seeing those stunning green eyes again has made one thing perfectly clear--he can't live without her.  

"By turns humorous and heartbreaking, Best Kind Of Broken has become one of my favorites!" --- CORA CARMACK, New York Times bestselling author of Losing It.  

"You'll fall for Pixie and Levi, just like I did!" --- JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT (J. Lynn), #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wait For You 

"Tangled with friendship, history and heartbreak--not to mention a huge dose of humor--Chelsea Fine's New Adult novel is not to be missed! Beyond an incredibly HOT read, Pixie and Levi's longing for each other will have you rooting for them till the very end." --- JAY CROWNOVER, New York Times bestselling author of Rule 

"This book destroyed me. Tore me into little tiny pieces. But somehow with lots of laughs and some very steamy times, Chelsea put me back together again! Chelsea Fine's style is witty, visceral and fresh. All I wanted to do was crawl inside this book and live with the characters. And now all I want is MORE." --- CHELSEA M. CAMERON, New York Times bestselling author of My Favorite Mistake 

"Sandwiched between laugh out loud moments and some serious heat, Best Kind of Broken is an unforgettable story of loss and forgiveness that will leave your heart aching." --- LISA DESROCHERS, USA Today bestselling author of A Little Too Far 

  Book Links: Amazon :: Barnes and Noble :: Goodreads  

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Excerpt 

Levi is so distracting. His arms are all raised, and his shoulders are all broad, and he’s fixing crap, and it’s just…it’s just…annoying.

With a huff and a puff and some choice words in my head, I grab my sliced bell peppers and force my feet to the stove. I throw the vegetables into a frying pan, grab a wooden spoon, and ignore Levi’s close proximity.

My body hums.

I ignore that too.

I steal a glance in his direction and watch as the corded muscles in his forearm flex as he unscrews something on the fire alarm box. Why does he have so many muscles in his forearm? That can’t be healthy.

I drop my eyes to the frying pan and focus on bell peppers, because bell peppers are interesting and they don’t have backs the size of Alaska or copious amounts of forearm muscles.

The forearm muscles that I’m not thinking about lightly brush my shoulder and the humming inside my body knots together and zips around like a bumblebee on crack.

I casually turn down the heat on the stove, like that’s the reason I’m suddenly a human vibrator, and go back to stirring. Levi goes back to screwing.

Bell peppers.

I’m thinking about bell peppers.

He brushes against me again, except this time his forearm grazes my breast and my body immediately goes wild like I’m some love-starved teenager and the humming dives low in my belly and the stove gets hotter and my breaths get shallow and suddenly bell peppers are the sexiest vegetable on earth.

From the corner of my eye, I catch his Adam’s apple bobbing with a nervous swallow, which can only mean one thing. The boob brush was an accident.

Well crap.

If he had been trying to cop a feel with his Hulkish forearm, I could have responded with some kind of snarky “you’re a pervert” comment. But it wasn’t on purpose and somehow that makes it sexier and now the cracked-out bumblebee is buzzing in my nether regions and my hands are starting to tingle and why the HELL is this stove so hot?

I turn the burner down another notch and take a slow, deep breath. I have a boyfriend. A great boyfriend. So this sexual frustration I feel around Levi is nothing to get my bee-loving panties in a bunch about. I just need to calm down.

Levi lowers his arm for a moment, his eyes still on the alarm, and stretches his neck.

Ah, the neck stretch. The universal sign of stress. Well at least I’m not alone in my frustration. My hot, distracting, pants-are-so-inconvenient frustration.

Wait, what?

Who said anything about pants? I am NOT thinking about pants—or lack thereof. Damn you, bell peppers!

I toss the wooden spoon to the side and move back to the counter where the threat of being turned on by a handyman or, you know, a sautéed vegetable is much less severe.

I bite back a groan. What was I thinking, living under the same roof as Levi? There’s no way I’ll survive the summer.

Hell, I can barely survive breakfast.

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About Chelsea Fine

  Chelsea lives in Phoenix, Arizona where she spends most of her time writing stories, painting murals, and avoiding housework at all costs. She’s ridiculously bad at doing dishes and claims to be allergic to laundry. Her obsessions include: superheroes, coffee, sleeping-in, and crazy socks. She lives with her husband and two children, who graciously tolerate her inability to resist teenage drama on TV and her complete lack of skill in the kitchen. 

Find Chelsea Online: Website :: Facebook :: Twitter :: YouTube :: Instagram :: Goodreads 

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Giveaway

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The Fine Line - Alicia Kobishop

Synopsis: High school senior Liv Evans has one rule: No attachments. She’s lost enough in her life and has vowed to do whatever it takes to make sure she never again feels the emptiness of losing someone she loves. Boys are a fun distraction, but a serious relationship is something she’d rather live without. Her determination for a future free of pain and heartbreak is put to the test when she meets–and quickly forms an unexpected bond–with Logan Tanner.

Logan has always been a free spirit, but ever since a life-changing event took place, which left him doubting the integrity of those who are closest to him, he’s taken that term to a whole new dangerous level. Learning the hard way that life is too short for worries or work–and that women can’t be trusted–Logan has exchanged steady work for street racing. When Liv walks into his world, everything he thought he knew about life and women is challenged.

In The Fine Line, Liv and Logan will discover if it’s possible for true love to have a future, or if history is destined to repeat itself.

For some reason, the beacon of street racing just called out to me from this book. I didn't know this was a thing I liked to read about until Katie McGarry came along, but apparently street racing is an awesome angle. It was the racing that brought me in, but it was the crazy relationship that made me stay.

I've decided that the romances I love are weirdly the ones where I get so frustrated that I feel the need to step into the book and talk some sense into the characters. Which is exactly what Liv and Logan did to me. Liv was just so stubbornly set in her ways that I just wanted to shake her. The point where she kind of starts fighting herself, I just got so wrapped up in Logan's efforts to win her over and get her to go with her feelings. The thing is, I'm very much with Liv - in terms of pessimism about love - but there's a point where you have to give in when it comes along and she took a lot longer to figure that out than most do. So I found myself wrapped up in Logan's pursuit and I just couldn't wait to see what it took for them to finally find their way to one another.

I really wish the street racing had been a larger part of the story. It makes an appearance at the beginning, very briefly in the middle and then the end. It kind of gets dropped while the focus goes to developing Liv and Logan's relationship and then it's picked back up once their personal drama stops. I just wanted more. There's a lot that goes down near the end that would have so much more impact if it had been developed throughout the entire book.

I really enjoyed this new adult. It was a quick read and it was definitely easy to get wrapped up in. Logan was a hero worth loving, even if Liv drove me crazy. If you're into character driven books that get you all tangled in their emotions, this is a great one for you.

Taking Something Tour: Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the tour for Taking Something by Elizabeth Lee! 

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Review

I just have to give major props to Elizabeth Lee for taking a character I so thoroughly loathed in Give Me Something and turning him into someone I cared about and rooted for. It's pretty impressive. Nick is still up to his conning ways and he doesn't exactly shine as a changed man in the beginning. I was nervous about the whole pop star angle, but she even managed to twist that plot line around. Everyone seems to be manipulating each other for one reason or another and maybe seeing someone else do worse than Nick made him more likable.

But of course, as he actually finds someone who sees through him and makes him vulnerable, I actually started to like him. I was totally caught up in this book trying to figure out how he was going to get himself out of his own messes and make it all okay. He makes a lot of decisions and does some things that are questionable, but I realized how much he'd wormed his way into my good graces when I started making excuses for his behavior. I wanted him to come out on the good side of things and I'm officially a fan of Nick's.

Gia was harder for me to understand. I love that she had her own storyline that we only get to see little by little, but I wanted to connect with her more. It was a bold move for Elizabeth to tell the whole story through Nick's perspective and it paid off in a lot of ways. But the girl in me wanted to know more about the girl in the story. Sadie was a treat though (I meant that sarcastically). I don't even know where to start with that hot mess of a girl.

With this departure from Elizabeth Lee's usual country setting and good country boys, I think she's branched out into a good place. She's been an automatic read for me since I read Shattered and I just continue to enjoy everything she writes. So if you haven't given her books a shot, just know that she's one of my most highly recommended new adult authors.

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About the Book

I know what you're thinking. “You were such a jerk, Nick!”  Believe me, I know I screwed up the best thing I had going in my life, but that was kind of my thing. I’d learned how to run cons before I could even form complete sentences, and I'd always been selfish.  But I changed.  Lila forgave me, my brother and I were getting along, and I was trying to make a name for myself in the music world.

At least that was what I was trying to do when I negotiated my way into the recording studio with pop superstar Sadie Sinclair. I thought it would be a piece of cake—charm my way into her heart and into her record label's good graces.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I got mixed up in a web of lies, manipulation, and deception. A web that had me questioning my motives and desires altogether.

Was the fame and fortune really worth the price? 

Add to Goodreads

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About the Author

When I'm not writing or playing the part of wife and mother, you can find me dancing back-up for Beyonce, singing back-up for Miranda, or sunning myself on the beach with a drink in hand.  Here's the thing about being born and raised in a small town—you have a very vivid imagination!  Now, I channel it all to create stories where the girl always ends up with the right guy, first kisses are magical, and a happy ending is just that!

Find Elizabeth Online: Facebook :: Twitter :: Website :: Goodreads

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Giveaway

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Tour Schedule

February 17

Movies, Shows & Books – Author Interview

In The Best Worlds – Review Only

The Phantom Paragrapher – Review Only

The Indie Express – Review Only

February 18

Read This~Hear That – Playlist

Blimey! I Fancy Reading – Review Only

Roxy’s Reviews – Review Only

Stormy Day Reading Books – Review Only

Pretty Lil Page Turner’s – Review Only

Paperbook Princess – Review Only

February 19

Comfort Books – Guest post

2 Bookaholics – Excerpt

Halos and Horns Book Blog – Review Only

Cocktails & Books – Review Only

In My Room Reading  – Review Only

Into the Hall of Books – Review Only

February 20

Reader Girls – Excerpt

Scandalous Book Blog – Character Interview

Mrs Leif’s Two Fangs About It – Excerpt

Rumpled Sheets Blog – Review Only

Ramblings From This Chick – Review Only

February 21

Living in a Bookworld – Excerpt

Lovin’ Los Libros – Review Only

Sleepless Nights Filled with Endless Books – Review Only

Smart & Savvy with Stephanie – Review Only

Deal Sharing Aunt – Review Only

February 22

Kassie’s Book Thoughts – Author Interview

Sofia Loves Books – Review Only

Biblio Belles – Review Only

Mean Girls Luv Books – Review Only

Not Everyone’s Mama – Review Only

February 23

Read-Love-Blog – Guest Post

My Favorite Things – Review Only

Book Freaks – Review Only

Books Unhinged Book Blog – Review Only

The Boyfriend Bookmarks – Review Only

February 24

Stuck in YA Books – Guest Post

Books I Think You Should Read – Review Only

Above Average Below Special – Review Only

Group Therapy Book Club – Review Only

February 25

Southern Belle Book Blog – Excerpt

StarAngel’s Reviews – Review Only

Lustful Literature – Review Only

True Story Book Blog – Character Interview

Romance Addict Book Blog – Dream cast

February 26

Fabulously Girly Book Blog – Review Only

Once Upon a Twilight – Review Only

Girl With Books – Review Only

Seeking Book Boyfriends – Review Only

Book Addict Mumma – Review Only

Fiddle Fadle – Guest Post

Persefone Series Blog Tour: Guest Post + Review

Welcome to my stop on the tour for the PERSEFoNE Series by Michelle Gagnon! I have a guest post from Michelle as well as my own review of Don't Look Now, and then there's an amazing giveaway at the bottom of this post. You can also check out the other stops on this tour here. 

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Guest Post: Michelle's Dream Cast

NOA: 

There’s an AMAZING Australian film called, “Tomorrow, When the War Began,” (if you haven’t seen it yet, put it on your to-be-watched list immediately!) The lead actress in it was incredible; the whole time I was watching the movie, all I could think was that if you chopped her hair short and dyed it black, she’d be a perfect Noa. Her name is Caitlin Stasey, and I’d be shocked if we didn’t end up seeing a lot more of her in the future.

PETER:

I really love Dylan Minnette, the actor who played the son in the (sadly) short-lived series AWAKE. He didn’t have much of a chance to display humor in that role, but he’s such a talented actor that I believe he’d be a perfect Peter.

AMANDA: 

AnnaSophia Robb. She’s got the right look, and I think she might manage to make Amanda more sympathetic. I get A LOT of emails from Amanda-haters; she’s a tricky character, in that she’s moralizing and judgmental; but a lot of that is a cover for her insecurity and vulnerability. So a really likeable actress like AnnaSophia could help humanize her.

ZEKE:

Zeke really needs to be a heartthrob: dark, moody, brooding. Tyler Posey definitely fits that bill, and I love him in Teen Wolf.

I add a bunch of new folks to the cast in DON’T LOOK NOW, most notably Teo and Daisy. They’re a bit younger than the others, and rougher around the edges.

TEO: 

For Teo, I’d love to see Jake Austin (my kid is a huge Wizards of Waverly Place fan!)

DAISY: 

The actress who plays Daisy really needs to capture that punk-rock look, while still appearing fragile and doll-like (which isn’t easy!) I think Joey King would totally nail it, especially with blue hair. 
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Review of Don't Look Now

When I picked up Don't Turn Around, I was surprised by how much I found myself wrapped up in the characters and their unique abilities. This series isn't the kind I usually pick up, but with emotions and stakes I can really get involved in, this is just a great series that keeps getting better.

I didn't get a chance to re-read Don't Turn Around before I picked up the second book, but the story does a great job at effortlessly blending in a recap while still moving on with the story. There were a few characters that were slow to jog my memory, but not enough to pull my mind out of the book. This book was quite different from the first book, but the stakes were higher. There was a lot more action this time around and less hacking. And I actually missed the hacking excitement a bit in this book. It was a big reason I was drawn to the series in the first place.

Still, these characters are just incredible. Noa is just so smart and it's easy to see why people follow her. It's great, though, that she's vulnerable and strong at the same time. I didn't really like Amanda in the first book, but I came to feel for her in this one. Peter confused me a bit, but I have to admire him for the way he always rises to the challenges ahead of him.

I think what I love so much is how much this story seems to fluctuate. It's tough and soft, one minute it's a million miles an hour and everyone is relying on timing, the next minute it's quietness with a computer while they're all relying on knowledge. This is just a smart series and I'm anxious to see what happens next. 

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About the Series

DON'T TURN AROUND (PERSEFoNE #1)

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her hacking skills to stay anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in a warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side.

Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa’s talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation threatens his life in no uncertain terms. But what Noa and Peter don’t realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who’d stop at nothing to silence her for good.

Don’t Turn Around: Goodreads :: Amazon :: Barnes & Noble :: IndieBound :: iTunes

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DON’T LOOK NOW (PERSEFoNE #2)

Noa Torsen is on the run. Having outsmarted the sinister corporation Pike & Dolan, Noa and her friend Zeke now move stealthily across the country, protecting runaways before they become test subjects for P&D's horrific experiments. Noa knows all too well what that feels like: Whatever they did to her has left her exhausted and scared.

Back in Boston, Peter anxiously follows Noa's movements from his computer, using his hacker skills to feed her the information she needs to stay alive. But he's desperate to do something more, especially when he learns what P&D has done to his ex-girlfriend Amanda.

Then, in an explosive confrontation, Noa and her team are trapped in the one place they thought was safe. It will take everything Noa and Peter have to bring down the corporation before it gets them first. And with no one to trust and enemies hiding at every turn, they may be the only people alive who can.

This stunning second book in the critically acclaimed Don't Turn Around trilogy raises the stakes to their absolute limit and will leave readers begging for the exciting conclusion, Don't Let Go.

Don't Look Now: Goodreads :: Amazon :: Barnes & Noble :: IndieBound :: iTunes

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About the Author

Michelle Gagnon is the international bestselling author of thrillers for teens and adults. Described as “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for teens,” her YA technothriller DON’T TURN AROUND was recently nominated for a Thriller Award by the International Thriller Writer’s Association, and was selected as one of the best teen books of the year by Entertainment Weekly Magazine, Kirkus, Voya, and the Young Adult Library Services Association. Book 2 in the PERSEFONE trilogy, DON’T LOOK NOW, is on sale now. She splits her time between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Author Links: Website :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Tumblr :: Pinterest :: Goodreads

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Giveaway

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