Revive (RedZone #1)
    by: Tracey Martin

Publication Date: May 19, 2015
Publisher: Samhain
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Age Group: New Adult
Source: e-ARC provided via the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 282 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3 stars

What the mind forgets, the heart remembers.

Alone in a train station bathroom, Sophia Hernandez has no memory of who she is or how she got there. All she’s certain of are three things: her college ID is a lie, bad people are coming for her, and no one can be trusted.

The only clue to her past is the fellow student who finds her. Although Sophia’s gut tells her Kyle is lying when he claims he can’t help her, his touch makes her heart race. Is it because of a red-hot natural attraction, or a missing memory of something far more dangerous?

As two mysterious, menacing men chase them from the station, Sophia’s memories return in frustrating fragments. So do deadly skills she didn’t know she had. In the next forty-eight hours, a loved one’s life will be on the line as she sifts through a mounting tangle of secrets and lies.

Including the most heart-wrenching secret of all. Not only isn’t she a normal college student, she isn’t even a normal human.

Warning: Contains one girl who is more than she seems, one boy who knows more than he’s telling, and enough twists to give you whiplash. Expect explosions of all kinds.

 

 

I am always up for a science fiction read! I am a huge sci-fi fan, so when Tracey asked me if I'd like to read and review this one, I couldn't say no! Revive definitely had an intriguing premise and I loved the idea of this girl who can't remember anything about her life, but knows she's in some serious danger.

 

It was a bit of a battle to really get into this book for me. I liked that we are experiencing everything as Sophia does, but it was also hard to get a grasp on what was happening. She was confused and I was definitely confused... it made it hard for me to really get invested. The story takes place in multiple periods of time for Sophia. We would see her in the present on the run and then she would get flashbacks of her life at college, in which we learn she has a mission to find a VIP, but she has very little information to go on, and then we would see her flashback to another time before she engaged in the mission at school. It was all a bit jarring and it would switch so abruptly it was hard to keep track.

 

Once we get to Parts Two and Three, however, I felt the book really picked up for me. We are starting to see the pieces come together and understand exactly who Sophia is and what she has to do. By this point, the flashbacks weren't as difficult to keep up with.  

 

I do wish we would have seen more of the romance develop in this one though. I like that it wasn't romance heavy, but I do wish there had been a bit more to sell me on it. Especially since there's not just one, but TWO boys that have feelings for Sophia. I wouldn't call it a love triangle though, because it seems Sophia's made her choice based on her feelings and actions.

 

There is not a whole lot more I can say about this one, because I definitely don't want to spoil anything. While I struggled for the first half of the book, I really found myself enjoying the second half and was glad when all the pieces starting coming together. Once that happened, the book really picked up speed for me and I loved the action, adventure, and the unveiling of who was responsible for everything Sophia was going through.

Another Little Piece of My Heart
   by: Tracey Martin

Publication Date: Dec. 1, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: Contemporary
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 304 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4/5 stars

What if your devastating break-up became this summer’s hit single? In this rock-and-roll retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, music can either bring you together or tear you apart.

At her dying mother’s request, Claire dumps Jared, the only boy she’s ever loved. Left with a broken family and a broken heart, Claire is furious when she discovers that her biggest regret became Jared’s big break. While Jared is catapulted into rock-star status, another piece of Claire’s heart crumbles every time his song plays on the radio.

The summer after her senior year, it’s been months since the big break-up, and Claire is just trying to keep her head down and make it through a tense trip to the beach with her family. But when Jared shows up, and old feelings reignite, can Claire and Jared let go of the past? Or will they be stuck singing the same old refrain?

 

My Review:

 

"But that's okay because some nights are like a perfect song. The energy in the air lifts your spirits, and the chill drives you forward. The sound of a thousand buzzing insects fills in the gaps, and the touch of a hand makes you dance with joy."

 

I was so excited to receive the invite for this tour/scavenger hunt from Harlequin! Not only do I have a passion for reading, but I am such a music lover! I really love books that revolve around and incorporate music into their storylines. Martin has done a remarkable job of capturing teenage voice and I love that this was a story I actually found to be realistic and could see happening.

 

This story primarily revolves around Claire and her relationship with her ex-boyfriend-turned famous singer-songwriter, Jared. However, we also see a girl who is dealing with a lot of changes in her life as she graduates high school and looks ahead to the future. The plan was always simple: make music with the person she cared about the most- her boyfriend. However, Claire's plan didn't quite mesh with the plan her parents had for her. They want their daughter to follow in her father's footsteps and attend an ivy league school. They saw Jared as a boy with no ambition and therefore do not feel that he is good enough for their daughter. Her parents didn't care about the fact that Jared makes her happy. They are more concerned about their daughter making a good life for herself and finding a boy who will be successful and able to take care of her. Of course, forbidding their daughter to go out with Jared only leads to rebellion. However, after her mom becomes sick with cancer, Claire finds that she doesn't want her mother to be unhappy and needlessly stressed. An argument between Jared and Claire leads to a breakup of epic proportions and Jared walking out of Claire's life.

 

Flash forward to present day. Jared is that successful musician he always wanted to be and he has used his heartbreak over losing Claire to his advantage. What does a musician do when they have their heart broken? Write breakup songs, of course! Now, Jared is famous and is singing nasty songs about Claire at her expense. Claire definitely didn't deserve that from Jared, but he was hurting and let his emotions take over. Claire spends most of the book convincing herself that she is over Jared and what he does doesn't matter to her. However, running into him over the summer she is staying in New Hampshire makes her realize how untrue that really is.

 

I was pretty indifferent to Jared most of the book. His interactions with Claire are pretty limited until later on. He is uncomfortable around her and these two definitely have unspoken business to take care of. Claire is hurting over the fact that Jared would exploit her like he did in his music and in typical teenage fashion, she can't help but want to make him jealous and sling barbed insults his way. However, Jared is hurting too and he retaliates. Both handle their situation immaturely, but that's what teenagers do. They speak before they think and Claire and Jared both end up hurting the other. The two keep getting thrown into each other's paths throughout the book, which ultimately forces them to acknowledge the other. Lisa, Claire's older cousin, is good friends with Mike, Jared's good friend from high school who he is staying with for the summer. After a party at Mike's, Hannah, Claire's other cousin, becomes interested in Jared, even though she is not privy to Claire and Jared's past. Claire tries not to let this bother her, but it's evident it does. She tries to divert her attentions to Mike's other roommate, Zach, but there really is no connection between the two. Both are complete opposites, but Claire wants to give him a fair shot, thinking maybe they could have something between them. At least then, she could rest assured that Jared doesn't completely still own her heart.

 

As I said earlier, while the book focuses on Claire and Jared's story, it also really sheds light on the fact that life is ever changing and not everything always goes according to plan. Claire's after high school plan is once again turned upside down and she is handling that the best she can. She doesn't intentionally try to butt heads with her father, but she isn't a child anymore either. She may seem egocentric, but some of her decisions that conflict with her father's are actually the right ones. She sticks to her ideals and I really respected her for that. She is also learning to be more confident in her music. She has played in her band for a while now and the thought of performing by herself scares her. She has her insecurities, but the reality is, she's very talented. Seeing her struggle to find the words for a song that won't leave her alone and then watch inspiration hit was very cool from an outsider's view. I like that Martin didn't stray from the musical aspect of this story.

 

Overall, this was a cute, fun read and I flew through it. Contemporaries are my thing as of late, and this one did NOT disappoint.

Scavenger hunt directions: 

 

In my post, you’ll notice that I’ve linked to one song from the Another Little Piece of My Heart Claire’s Summer Survival Playlist. There are 12 songs on the playlist in total, and therefore 12 stops on the scavenger hunt (posting from November 29 – December 1). Find them all, and discover 12 chances to win great Harlequin TEEN books and Another Little Piece of My Heart swag.

But there’s more! One grand-prize winner will be randomly drawn to receive a $25 iTunes gift card in addition to books and swag! To enter for the grand prize, send the complete, 12-song playlist, along with your contact information (including the address where you’d like to receive your prize) to the author by using this contact form: http://tracey-martin.com/contact/. The winner will be notified by email after the contest ends on December 5^th.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the playlist using the contact form above by December 5^th at noon Eastern Time. Entries sent without the correct playlist or without contact information will not be considered.

 

 

Song #4: Claire's Summer Playlist:

Indigo Girls- Least Complicated

 

Listen on iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/least-complicated/id192798180?i=192798244&uo=4

 

 

 

Giveaway:
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway