Book Blitz: Royal Attraction

Royal Attraction
Tiffany Truitt
Published by: Entangled Embrace
Publication date: September 18th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Alexandra Ryans's life has been anything but normal. Some might even call it a fairy tale. As the daughter of the former U.S. ambassador to England, she grew up within the palace walls, best friends with the three young princes. Adored by the press and the British people. What more could a girl want?
If only the press knew the real story behind her relationships with the Dudley boys. Then, they'd really sell some papers.
Oliver Dudley, youngest son and third in line for the throne, loves everything about his life. The fame. The parties. The women. The utter lack of expectations and responsibilities that come with being last in the line of succession. But while the world thinks he has everything he wants, there's one thing he was never able to call his own-the beautiful and spunky American Aly Ryans. But how can he convince her when she hates everything about his life? And what is he willing to give up to get her?

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EXCERPT:

"I'll only be here a little while longer, Ollie," I manage in between breaths. "Then everything can go back to the way it was. Like I never returned."
The lines in his forehead deepen. "You think that's what I want? To go back? Tell me your life has been better since you left," he challenges, raising an eyebrow.
I place my hand against his chest and attempt to push him out of my way, but he doesn't budge. Not even an inch. Instead, he places a hand against my cheek. I inhale sharply, caught off guard by the sudden gentleness of the action. "You tell me right now that since leaving here your life has been better, that you're happy, and I'll walk out of this greenhouse. I'll pretend that seeing you here doesn't drive me wild. I'll ignore all the things my body wants to do to yours. I'll forget the fact that you leaving without a goodbye wrecked me."
I open my mouth to argue, but he cuts me off. "You wrecked me, Ryans," he reiterates, his voice desperate.
I prepare to tell him that I'm happier. That life has been easier without being caught between him and Aiden. That I enjoy not having to worry the press is lurking around every corner. That I prefer being a normal girl. That the day we shared together was just that-a day. It didn't mean anything. It didn't define me.
But the words refuse to come out of my mouth. Instead, a small gasp breaks free, and I know that if I don't bolt soon, my resolve will shatter. Ollie's hand slowly trails down my cheek and across the length of my neck, stopping on the delicate skin above my collarbone. My breathing picks up.
Tell him to stop, Alexandra.
He tugs at the collar of my jersey, bringing my face dangerously close to his. I bite down hard on my bottom lip. Ollie's eyes travel down to my lips. My body gravitates toward his till it's nearly pressing against the length of him.
When did it become this? This need? Because need is coursing through me like wildfire.
"You said it, Ryans. You won," he reminds me, his voice all throaty and hoarse and incredibly sexy. "You want me to spend the rest of your time here ignoring all that's left unanswered between us? Say it. If you desire to go back to that emptiness, that life that you seem so anxious to return to, I won't stop you. Just say it's what you want. 'Cause I can't stand the indecision anymore, the what-ifs. I've lived three years of that. Wondering what could have happened if things had been different. "

Author Bio:
Tiffany Truitt was born in Peoria, Illinois. A self-proclaimed Navy brat, Tiffany spent most of her childhood living in Virginia, but don't call her a Southerner. She also spent a few years living in Cuba. Since her time on the island of one McDonalds and Banana Rats (don't ask), she has been obsessed with traveling. Tiffany recently added China to her list of travels (hello inspiration for a new book).
Besides traveling, Tiffany has always been an avid reader. The earliest books she remembers reading belong to The Little House on the Prairie Series. First book she read in one day? Little Woman (5th grade). First author she fell in love with? Jane Austen in middle school. Tiffany spent most of her high school and college career as a literary snob. She refused to read anything considered "low brow" or outside the "classics."
Tiffany began teaching middle school in 2006. Her students introduced her to the wide, wonderful world of Young Adult literature. Today, Tiffany embraces popular Young Adult literature and uses it in her classroom.

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Review: Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Title: Nobody But Us (ARC)

Release Date: January 29^th, 2013

Author: Kristin Halbrook

Publisher: HarperTeen

Page Count: 272

My Rating: 2.5 TURTLES: An okay read. It had its ups and downs, more downs though. Probably don't recommend.

Author’s Website

Description:

Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this addictively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.

They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.

Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....

When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.

Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr

Review:

Nobody But Us was one of those books that I had no idea how I felt about it after I finished it. Towards the beginning I was thinking about giving it a fairly high rating, but as I kept reading, my rating kept going down. It’s sad because there were many elements in the story that I liked and even applauded. But in the end, the way it was written made me feel I couldn’t give it a very high rating.

I really appreciated the gritty, blunt way that Kristin Halbrook shows us the characters’ backstories. We learn about the horrors they have faced growing up and gives us context for things like Will’s violence. While of course this doesn’t justify his actions, it inspires a pity towards him that would not have been there otherwise. She created two very complex characters, and because of the alternating narratives, we get to see the inner workings of their minds.

For what I did not like about this book, let me first say that I don’t know who wrote the synopsis, but there was almost nothing in common with this book and If I Stay. The only similarity I see is that there is a girl who has a lot of trauma and is trying to come to terms with it. The circumstances are completely different though, so really in that respect it could be compared to a million different books. If you are looking at this book just because of that comparison – I know that was one reason why I was excited to read it – let me tell you now, Nobody But Us is nothing like If I Stay. The Bonnie and Clyde part is pretty accurate though.

If the author had meant this book to be more of a tough portrait of two troubled people who are fighting against a world that never gave them a fair chance, I think I would have enjoyed it much more. As it was it felt like a romanticized unhealthy relationship, which was my biggest problem with the book. I know it is unlikely the characters had enough insight themselves to realize how dysfunctional, unhealthy, and even illegal their relationship was, but if emphasizing that had been an important part of the book, the point would have gotten across.

This book either intentionally or inadvertently poses some interesting questions like what happens to foster kids when they turn eighteen and are ‘kicked off the state’? Or what is the price of staying silent versus speaking out? I admired this because I think they are important topics, but they are breezed over with the plot of two haunted individuals trying to fix each other while leaving a trail of crimes behind them on their train-wreck of a road to freedom.

But Nobody But Us on Amazon