Pre-Release Blitz Review with Giveaway: Keystone by Katie Delahanty

Today we have the excerpt blitz for Katie Delahanty’s KEYSTONE! Check out the excerpt and be sure to pre-order your copy of it today!!

Book info:

Title:  Keystone
Author:   Katie Delahanty
Genre:  YA science fiction
Release Date:  January 7th, 2020
Publisher:  Entangled Teen
Source:  ARC received from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating:  4.5 stars


Synopsis:
When Ella Karman debuts on the Social Stock Exchange, she finds out life as a high profile “Influencer” isn’t what she expected. Everyone around her is consumed by their rankings, in creating the smoke and mirrors that make them the envy of the world.

But then Ella’s best friend betrays her, her rankings tank, and she loses—everything.

Leaving her old life behind, she joins Keystone, a secret school for thieves, where students are trained to seal everything analog and original because something—or someone—is changing history to suit their needs.

Partnered with the annoyingly hot—and utterly impossible—Garrett Alexander, who has plenty of his own secrets, Ella is forced to return to the Influencer world, while unraveling a conspiracy that began decades ago.

One wrong move and she could lose everything—again. 
 

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Excerpt:

Crawling out of the lake, I sprawl on the beach, sucking in precious air for as long as I dare. Still breathless, I limp into the woods. My temples throb and I long to return to the house and climb into bed, to huddle under the blankets until the shivering stops. Last chance to keep my old life. I could come out of this a survivor. My parents would be so proud… Once the story hit the Networks, my Influencer status would be reinstated—especially now that everyone who knew my family’s secret is…dead.

Isn’t that convenient?

I don’t dwell on who’s behind the explosion. Maybe part of me already knows the truth, but I’m not ready for it. Instead, the final fleeting glimpse I had of my best friend, Deena, her blond hair whipping across her face right before the blast, assaults me.

Doubling over, I swallow the sickness rising my throat, shutting my eyes against her. We weren’t speaking, but she didn’t deserve this. None of them did. Tears bubble down my cheeks. Dropping to my knees, I stare up at the starry sky, an irrevocable ache seeping through me. How can I be in this world without them? Wherever they are, can they see me? The universe is endless, and the stars shine down without even a wink.

A voice arrives on the breeze from the lake, its nearness sobering me. For the plan to work, the world needs to believe I’m dead. But if I stick to the plan I can never go back. That truth should terrify me, but I’m already overwhelmed. Besides, there’s nothing left to go back to. Not without Adam. He was the only one who made me feel like I mattered. Breathing deep, I heave myself to my feet and drag myself deeper into the woods. I have no home. I have to keep going.

The old me would have ordered a car to drive me from Lake Tahoe to the Sequoia National Forest, but the Disconnects offered me refuge on the condition I wouldn’t be tracked. Starting now, I’m invisible. They were supposed to send a guide, but he never showed up, and it’s pure luck I stumble upon the bikes, sneakers, and hooded sweatshirt hidden behind a tree. Taking it as a sign I’ve made the right decision, I yelp. Choking back the cry, I tug the sweatshirt over my dress with shaking hands. In the pocket I find a tube of glittery, gold paint and draw a haphazard zigzag over half my face to disguise my identity from facial-recognition cameras. The mark of a Disconnect.

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My Review: 

This one really intrigued me from the idea being similar to the only episode of Black Mirror that I have watched.  Because that's what I was relating it to as I started the book, at first I was a bit disappointed that the story didn't start out with us spending time with Ella in this world of being an Influencer.  However, as we got further along, the way those days were brought in with her journaling to try to get past what she was feeling guilty about, it definitely hit hard how things had been and just how far she had gone, or what she had let trying to stay relevant keep her from doing even when she knew what was right and what was wrong.  It was hard to wonder though, if the boy from her past, Adam, was really someone as bad as she thought at one point, or if he was someone she should have trusted. And in the end, we learn something else new about him, something I had kind of had a tiny bit of wondering about earlier on.  Now, while this isn't listed as part of a series, I sure hope that there is a sequel!  It was definitely left off at the end in a way that there is so much more we could do, and I want to know it.  I want all the other heists that they could go on, and even though they may have stopped the whole Smart Brain takeover as they tried, it sounds like there is still more that could be done and more to save.  

 I really enjoyed this book, and it kept me turning pages late into the night, so I was very glad it was during my holiday break from school when I got to read it.  I'll be putting this one in my school library for my students to read for sure!

 

About the Author:

Katie lives in Los Angeles with her husband, twin daughters, and son. Growing up in Pittsburgh, she loved old movies and playing dress up, but never considered telling stories of her own until she was asked to start a blog for the sleepwear company she worked for. Unsure what to say about lingerie, she wrote a fictional serial about a girl chasing her costume design dreams who fell in love with a rock star along the way. And that’s when Katie fell in love with storytelling. That blog became The Brightside Series and she’s been waking before dawn to write ever since.

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Enter the Giveaway:

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Pre-Release Blitz: So That Got Weird by Amelia Kingston

Amelia Kingston is joining us today with an excerpt for her upcoming SO THAT GOT WEIRD! Check it out and be sure to pre-order your copy today!

Title: So That Got Weird

Author: Amelia Kingston

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: December 24^th!

About So That Got Weird:

A painfully awkward love story.

Incomprehensibly awkward Elizabeth Wilde is desperate for love. Connection. Intimacy. After a lifetime of romantic failures, the twenty-one-year-old gamer realizes she needs help. Professional help. She needs…

A sex tutor.

The devastatingly hot jock Austin Jacobs is just the man for the job. As the reigning campus sex god, he has the playboy act down pat. But underneath those six-pack abs beats a broken heart. He doesn’t trust people and he sure as hell doesn’t believe in love.

The odd couple strike a deal. Four weeks of ‘tutoring’ for five thousand dollars.

When Austin coaxes Elizabeth out from behind her computer screen, the attraction they feel is undeniable. They’re both a little broken, but somehow their jagged edges fit. And when their world comes tumbling down on top of them, they each have to decide if this weird thing called love is worth fighting for.  

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Exclusive Excerpt:

“Well, Mav.” I’m trying to annoy him, but secretly I like the idea that it’s something only I call him. Maverick. It suits him. “I made us a schedule, actually.” My voice has more uncertainty in it than I was hoping. I hand him the carefully thought-out schedule I crafted over the past few months.

“Of course you made a schedule,” he quips with a smirk. His smile only grows as he reads. “You made us a sex syllabus, a sex-abus.”

I groan. He continues undaunted.

“Four weeks, four topics. Looks like we round a base a week. This week’s kissing. Next week is touching, groping, fondling. Then, oral. Giving and receiving. Last week we hit a few home runs,” he offers.  

Sex with Austin.

I get lost in my thoughts of what these next four weeks are going to be like. My body flushes and I cross my legs, fighting the building warmth between my thighs. It’s not like I haven’t pictured all this before, but now I’m starting to realize it’s actually going to happen.  

You are going to lose your virginity to Austin Jacobs!

“You seriously think we need a whole week dedicated to kissing?” he challenges.

“It’s important to build foundational knowledge in a new subject before advancing to more challenging material.”  

Oh my God, you’re such a nerd.

“Come here.” He saunters around the kitchen island and I stand up to meet him. He steps right into my body. I start to lean back, but he grabs my hands and puts them around his neck. The gesture highlights our height difference. I can barely reach without him having to bend down.

His fingers slide over the delicate skin of my forearms and down my sides, causing an effervescent tingle across my whole body. He wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me into him firmly. I’m so small in his embrace. It makes me feel dainty and weirdly feminine.

“Kiss me,” he demands.

“Now?” I swallow roughly.

“Now would be good.”

I don’t do anything.

I just stand there.  

Kiss him!  

Just do it!  

He’s right here and he is asking you to do it!

My heart races, my stomach flutters. My throat gets tight. My mouth goes dry. I spiral into panic. Those beautiful blue eyes are bearing down on me expectantly, burning into me. I close my eyes, count to three in my head, and do it. I push forward on my tiptoes and quickly peck him on the lips. Peck is a generous term for the limp-lipped travesty that is my first attempt at a kiss.

“There,” I declare in placid triumph.

“Damn, I must be a horrible teacher. Is that what I showed you last night?” he says in mock disappointment.

I look down at his chest and shake my head, feeling like a kid who got caught sneaking candy before dinner.

“How did I kiss you last night?” It isn’t a rhetorical question. He wants me to answer.

“Deep,” I say without thinking. “A-And long,” I add with a shaky breath and a blush. That’s the only way to describe his kiss. Other than being simply amazing.

“Hey.” He lifts my chin up so our eyes meet again. “I know you’re nervous, but you shouldn’t be. This isn’t a big deal. I know you can do this.” Great, now Austin’s giving me a pep talk. Hello, Self-esteem. I’d like you to meet All Time Low. This is a whole new level of embarrassing.

Closing my eyes, I try to think back to his kiss last night. I take a deep breath and this time I pull him down to me. He leans down easily. I run through the checklist I made last night. I brush my lips gently across his as I tilt my head to the side. I place my lips on his, teasing his bottom lip with my tongue lightly.

“Open your lips,” I whisper against him.

“Yes, boss,” he quips. I stifle an annoyed sigh and slide my tongue into his mouth. He lets out a soft moan as his hands slide down to my butt.  

Holy shit! You just made Austin Jacobs moan!

 

About Amelia Kingston:

Amelia Kingston is many things, the most interesting of which are probably California girl, writer, traveler, and dog mom. She survives on chocolate, coffee, wine, and sarcasm. Not necessarily in that order.

She’s been blessed with a patient husband who’s embraced her nomad ways and traveled with her to over 30 countries across 5 continents (I’m coming for you next, Antarctica!). She’s also been cursed with an impatient (although admittedly adorable) terrier who pouts when her dinner is 5 minutes late.

She writes about strong, stubborn, flawed women and the men who can't help but love them. Her irreverent books aim to be silly and fun with the occasional storm cloud to remind us to appreciate the sunny days. As a hopeless romantic, her favorite stories are the ones that remind us all that while love is rarely perfect, it’s always worth chasing.

Connect with Amelia:

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