Waiting on Wednesday, #52

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

Here's my selection for this week...

Nantucket Red (Nantucket #2) by Leila Howland

Expected Publication Date: May 13, 2014

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Cricket Thompson's lifetime of overachieving has paid off: she's headed to Brown University in the fall, with a spot on the lacrosse team and a scholarship that covers almost everything. Who knew living in the dorm cost money? An Ivy League education seems to mean living at home for the next four years.

When Cricket is offered the chance to earn enough cash to afford a real college experience, she heads back to Nantucket for the summer. But the faraway island challenges Cricket in ways she hadn't anticipated. It's hard to focus on earning money for next year, when she finds her world opening up in entirely new ways-to art, to travel, and, most unexpectedly, to a future completely different from the one she has been working toward her whole life. A friendship blossoms with Ben, the gorgeous surfer and bartender who encourages Cricket to be free, even as she smarts at the pain of seeing Zack, her first love, falling for her worst enemy.

But one night, when Cricket finally lets herself break all her own rules, she realizes she may have ruined her carefully constructed future with one impulsive decision. Cricket must dig deep to fight for her future, discovering that success isn't just about reaching goals, but also about listening to what she's been trying to ignore-her own heart.

I read the first book in this series called Nantucket Blue and I absotutely adored the characters and the story they had to share. Have met the author and getting a glimpse of where she was taking this next story, I have so admit I am extremely excited to head back to Nantucket and visit with Cricket and her friends once again. Looking forward to this next book!

Sooo, what book are you waiting on???

Author Event & Giveaway: Leila Howland of Nantucket Blue

Leila Howland of Nantucket Blue
Huntington Beach Barnes & Noble on Thursday, May 30, 2013

I had the pleasure of driving to my favorite Barnes & Noble in Huntington Beach, CA to attend an author event for Leila Howland.  I was lucky enough to be a part of the Nantucket Blue blog tour for this amazing novel, which I enjoyed immensely. You can see my review here.

Nantucket Blue is the perfect YA Contemporary Romance, and if you’re still working on stock piling your summer reads, you have to add this novel to your selection. It's the perfect beach/pool-side read! And to help you out, be sure to check out the giveaway below where you can enter to win a signed copy of Nantucket Blue.

Well, back to this fun event… As with most of my book adventures lately, I was able to once again enjoy this author signing with my reading companion Rachel from The Readers Den. As always, she’s the organized one that seems to time her excursions to these events properly, so I must thank her for saving me a seat as I barely got there in time for the reading.

I truly enjoyed the excerpt that Leila Howland decided to share with us. The Cricket and Zack Fourth of July scene was one of my favorite in the entire novel, so I was definitely sitting at the edge of my seat as I heard Ms. Howland read this part of the novel. It’s always fun to hear how authors recreate their story through their vocal narration. The emotion and enthusiasm they infuse into their storytelling sheds a whole new light on how they felt during that moment they translated their story to paper. Excuse my nerd moment, but I just love the reading portion of these events. :P

When she was done with the scene, Ms. Howland opened it up for questions to the intimate gathering of book enthusiasts. She talked about YA literature being fun and vibrant and how she enjoys writing in this genre because it allows authors to be literal, deep and creative. She’s written in other genres, but YA seems to be her favorite.

When she started talking about the book, she was able to shed more light on one of the characters I had a tough time connecting with, so I appreciated Ms. Howland’s additional insight into Jules’s pain and anger that she experienced. Because this crowd was a bit more intimate, I gathered my nerve to ask about Cricket’s mom, and for those of you that have read Nantucket Blue… all I have to say are journal entries. I loved those!! Apparently, Ms. Howland enjoyed writing them as well. It allowed her to share a more humorous side to her style and most of all, it helped with the development of this character that was hard to write. I enjoyed it much.

Finally, for the exciting news!! Leila Howland announced that there will be a sequel to this novel and will be titled Nantucket Red. This second book will be about Cricket and Jules about one year after the first installment and will also take place in Nantucket.  I can’t wait!! This novel was shear bliss and I'm excited to continue Cricket’s story.

Now for the fun part!! Be sure to enter for a chance to win a SIGNED copy of Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland. Simply fill out the rafflecopter and share a thoughtful comment about the post or anything book related. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour & Review: Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

Today, we are joining Itching for Books for the Nantucket Blue Blog Tour. For our stop, we have a review and book excerpt of this debut novel by Leila Howland. Enjoy!

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

Publication Date: May 7, 2013

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Purchase Links: Amazon  | Barnes & Noble

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.
When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

My Thoughts

Leila Howland’s debut novel Nantucket Blue is a perfect summer read that will likely be a hit for YA contemporary readers and fans of such author as Sarah Dessen and Stephanie Perkins. I enjoyed this light and full-of-heart story that was filled with lifelong experiences and lasting friendships. Having read it from cover to cover in two short days, it was clearly a book that resonated with my taste because of the relatable characters and solid writing.

Cricket Thompson is a star athlete on the lacrosse team for Rosewood School for Girls. She’s done a great job of staying in the safe zone of the social ladder by working hard, making conservative moves, and not calling negative attention to herself. Everyone knows the perils of high school where one mistake can be your demise. So when school lets out and the opportunity to spend the summer in Nantucket slips through her fingers after tragedy strikes her best friend’s family, she take matters into her owns hands and lands a job cleaning rooms in a Nantucket Hotel as a means for making her way to this perfect summer hot spot. While in Nantucket, Cricket makes a few mistakes that jeopardize some of her friendships and threatens to taint her reputation. Realizing that the perfect Nantucket summer is not quite her reality, she must face her mistakes and make the most of her experience.

Overall I have to say that I really came to like Cricket. I admired her tenacity of taking matters into her own hands and not letting opportunities pass her by. She made some harsh mistakes, but overall, I admired how she handled herself throughout the book. There were some unresolved issues where her father was concerned and a small part of me wanted to see some closure or resolution there. However, I feel Howland handled this part of the story perfectly because it showed that you can’t resolve everything in a few short summer months.

I also enjoyed the Emily Dickenson journal entries that Cricket’s mom wrote in the book. Those were hilarious!! It really shared a whole other side of Cricket’s mom, which I loved. I just can’t imagine reading about my mom’s crushes and firsts. I would absolutely crawl into my own skin, so to experience that vicariously through Cricket was both funny as hell and cringe-worthy in the best way possible.

As far as the romance of the book, I enjoyed it because it was steady and believable. What made it heartfelt was whom Cricket ended up falling for, which was the highly unlikely choice but in the end proved to be a perfect match for her. Zack complimented Cricket’s character in the best way possible. I loved his character a ton. I appreciated how he handled his “forbidden” relationship with Cricket being the younger brother of her best friend. I rooted them on from the beginning and I applauded the way they handled their relationship. Zack was extremely mature for his age, and it clearly showed with how he handled the tragedy that occurred in his family. I wanted their relationship to work out because there was a strong sense of friendship holding it together. Well done!

Cricket’s best friend Jules really surprised me. I wanted to excuse her awful behavior toward Cricket based on the fact that the girl lost her mom, but no. In the end, I concluded that Jules was just downright mean and vicious. It got to a point where I wanted Cricket to accept the fact that she needed to move on where her bestie was concerned. Jules did not deserve the friendship that Cricket so badly wanted to offer. Walking away was the best option and I wanted Cricket to come to terms with that.

Overall, this is a book about friendship, family and hard life lessons. It shares insight into growing up and learning to cope with your mistakes all the while trying to handle them with grace. With a wonderful Nantucket backdrop, Howland’s debut novel is a perfect summer read.

4 Snowflakes

Book Excerpt
Jay thought I'd led him on. Parker thought I was desperate for going out with a sophomore. Jules thought I was a bad friend. And worst of all, Zack thought I betrayed him. I could already hear the names: Tease. Bitch. Slut. All the words designed to make girls feel bad and small. All the words I'd worked so hard to avoid could now be stuck to me like a name tag. I would have to bear them with quiet dignity...

About the Author

LEILA HOWLAND loves to read, explore L.A., and engage in funny and meaningful conversations with her friends and family, especially her brother who calls from Washington D.C. whenever he’s waiting for the bus. A lot gets discussed in those phone calls, but they tend to end abruptly when the bus shows up. She can really cut the rug, but wishes she could sing without people covering their ears. A graduate of Georgetown University, Leila spent five years acting in New York where she was a company member of the award-winning Flea Theater in Tribeca. It was a lot of fun and she often talks about “getting back into it.” The closest she has come was a stint as an extra on The Young and the Restless in 2010. Leila now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two dogs. She teaches high school English and blogs for HelloGiggles. NANTUCKET BLUE is her first novel.

leilahowland.tumblr.com | twitter.com/leilahowland

Waiting on Wednesday, #31

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

Here's my selection for this week... 

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland
Expected Publication: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.

Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t.


When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.

But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.

A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

I think it's the cold weather that had me reaching for this beachy type book that promises warm sunshine and lots more. I love stories that challenge the narrator, and I always hope for growth and discovery for them at the end of their journey. This book feels sandy, warm and full of potential. Count me in!

Sooo, what book are you waiting on?