Hi hello and welcome to the release day blitz for Seung: A Kpop Rockstar Romance by Marilyn Jeulin! I'd like to think I'm a fairly big kpop fan so whenever I find a book about kpop stars or even a romance book, I always get so excited to talk about it. Seung is book 4 of 6 in the 2Hot2Handle shared world series, which means that there are six amazing books to add to your TBR! This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon gift card courtesy of Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, check out the giveaway info at the end of this post. Let's get started!

“Welcome back, Lucien,” I mutter under my breath, making my way to the glass door and knocking before looking inside. When there is no response, I grab my phone and dial my father’s number, waiting in the cold, looking up and down the road, until I hear the keys jingling.

“Ah, Lucien!” My father’s face beams while he ushers me quickly inside the restaurant.

“I thought I should come over rather than go home and wake everyone up.”

“Good. Did you have a good flight?” he asks, taking my suitcase, then locking the door. “Your mother stayed up late watching all the comments from the international fans. I think she said your group has gone viral.”

“Really?” My voice sounds harsh while my father walks around the island in the kitchen.

“Are you still thinking about quitting?”

“I don’t know.” My hand runs through my long hair, remembering I must get the pink out of it and dye it back to black before the photoshoot.

“You seemed sure the last time we spoke, Luc.” His voice distracts me as he points at the tray beside his. I walk to the sink, thinking about it before washing my hands.

“Yes, but if the group’s popularity shoots up again, it’ll probably be harder to leave.” The words fall from my lips while my eyes fix on my soapy hands.

“No one can make you stay.” Of course, my father replies. All his life, he has been a free spirit. Even when it came to cooking. That wildness helped him earn two Michelin stars. “Lucien,” his voice brings me back to reality as I pick up the knife and glance at him. “If you want to come back home, all you must do is say the words. I’ll pay the penalties if there are any. I know how hard things have been for you and the team. The dreams you had, the reality of everything. The door is always open. You just need to tell Maman or me.”

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About Marilyn Jeulin:

Born in the Wild West and raised in a tropical paradise, Marilyn has always thirsted for a good story and adventure. She’s a massive fan of Anne Rice, Stephen King, and GRR Martin. And when she’s not reading, she’s an avid gamer. She currently lives in Central Florida with the Frenchman and their two children in a house that looks relatively normal until things go bump in the night.

She also writes Young Adult Paranormal stories under the name, Marilyn Almodovar.

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

 

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon GC, International. Ends July 25th, midnight EST.

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From Goodreads: "After: Jess is alone. Her cabin has burned to the ground. She knows if she doesn’t act fast, the cold will kill her before she has time to worry about food. But she is still alive—for now.
Before: Jess hadn’t seen her survivalist, off-the-grid dad in over a decade. But after a car crash killed her mother and left her injured, she was forced to move to his cabin in the remote Canadian wilderness. Just as Jess was beginning to get to know him, a secret from his past paid them a visit, leaving her father dead and Jess stranded.
After: With only her father’s dog for company, Jess must forage and hunt for food, build shelter, and keep herself warm. Some days it feels like the wild is out to destroy her, but she’s stronger than she ever imagined. Jess will survive. She has to. She knows who killed her father… and she wants revenge."

Moodboard 

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And that's my blogger challenge for day two! The Lara Jean trilogy is one of my absolute favorites and I love getting to talk about it whenever I get the chance. What are some books that you love to read during the Summer season? Let me know down in the comments because I'm always looking for a new book to add to my ever-growing TBR! Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in the next chapter!

Claire is a sixteen-year-old fangirl obsessed with the show Demon Heart. Forest is an actor on Demon Heart who dreams of bigger roles. When the two meet at a local Comic-Con panel, it's a dream come true for Claire. Until the Q&A, that is, when Forest laughs off Claire's assertion that his character is gay. Claire is devastated. After all, every last word of her super-popular fanfic revolves around the romance between Forest's character and his male frenemy. She can't believe her hero turned out to be a closed-minded jerk. Forest is mostly confused that anyone would think his character is gay. Because he's not. Definitely not. Unfortunately for Demon Heart, when the video of the disastrous Q&A goes viral, the producers have a PR nightmare on their hands. In order to help bolster their image within the LGBTQ+ community-as well as with their fans-they hire Claire to join the cast for the rest of their publicity tour. What ensues is a series of colourful Comic-Con clashes between the fans and the show that lead Forest to question his assumptions about sexuality and help Claire come out of her shell. But how far will Claire go to make her ship canon? To what lengths will Forest go to stop her and protect his career? And will Claire ever get the guts to make a move on Tess, the very cute, extremely cool fanartist she keeps running into?

A teen drummer navigates old family struggles, paparazzi, and coming out as bisexual after she’s branded Hollywood’s latest train wreck.

Savannah is dreading being home alone with her overbearing mother after her sister goes off to college. But if she can just get through senior year, she'll be able to escape to college, too. What she doesn't count on is that her mother's obsession with weight has only grown deeper since her appearance on an extreme weight-loss show, and now Savvy's mom is pressuring her even harder to be constantly mindful of what she eats. Between her mom's diet-helicoptering, missing her sister, and worrying about her collegiate future, Savvy has enough to worry about. And then she meets George, the cute new kid at school who has insecurities of his own. As Savvy and George grow closer, they help each other discover how to live in the moment and enjoy the here and now before it disappears.

Aspiring filmmaker and wallflower Twinkle Mehra has stories she wants to tell and universes she wants to explore, if only the world would listen. So when fellow film geek Sahil Roy approaches her to direct a movie for the upcoming Summer Festival, Twinkle is all over it. The chance to publicly showcase her voice as a director? Dream come true. The fact that it gets her closer to her longtime crush, Neil Roy—a.k.a. Sahil’s twin brother? Dream come true x 2. When mystery man “N” begins emailing her, Twinkle is sure it’s Neil, finally ready to begin their happily-ever-after. The only slightly inconvenient problem is that, in the course of movie-making, she’s fallen madly in love with the irresistibly adorkable Sahil. Twinkle soon realizes that resistance is futile: The romance she’s got is not the one she’s scripted. But will it be enough?

Clara Shin lives for pranks and disruption. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck, the KoBra, alongside her uptight classmate Rose Carver. Not the carefree summer Clara had imagined. But maybe Rose isn’t so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet (yes, Hamlet) crushing on her is pretty cute. Maybe Clara actually feels invested in her dad’s business. What if taking this summer seriously means that Clara has to leave her old self behind?

Winnie Mehta was never really convinced that Raj was her soulmate, but their love was written in the stars. Literally, a pandit predicted Winnie would find the love of her life before her 18th birthday, and Raj meets all of the qualifications. Which is why Winnie is shocked to return from her summer at film camp to find her boyfriend of three years hooking up with Jenny Dickens. Worse, Raj is crowned chair of the student film festival, a spot Winnie was counting on for her film school applications. As a self-proclaimed Bollywood expert, Winnie knows this is not how her perfect ending is scripted. Then there’s Dev, a fellow film geek, and one of the few people Winnie can count on to help her reclaim control of her story. Dev is smart charming, and challenges Winnie to look beyond her horoscope to find someone she’d pick for herself. But does falling for Dev mean giving up on her prophecy, and her chance to live happily ever after? To get her Bollywood-like life on track, Winnie will need a little bit of help from fate, family, and of course, a Bollywood movie star. 

Seventeen-year-old Lizzie Borden has never been kissed. Polite but painfully shy, Lizzie prefers to stay in the kitchen, where she can dream of becoming a chef and escape her reality. With tyrannical parents who force her to work at the family’s B&B and her blackout episodes—a medical condition that has plagued her since her first menstrual cycle—Lizzie longs for a life of freedom, the time and space to just figure out who she is and what she wants. Enter the effervescent, unpredictable Bridget Sullivan. Bridget has joined the B&B’s staff as the new maid, and Lizzie is instantly drawn to her artistic style and free spirit—even her Star Wars obsession is kind of cute. The two of them forge bonds that quickly turn into something that’s maybe more than friendship. But when her parents try to restrain Lizzie from living the life she wants, it sparks something in her that she can’t quite figure out. Her blackout episodes start getting worse, her instincts less and less reliable. Lizzie is angry, certainly, but she also feels like she’s going mad…

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 I hope you've enjoyed checking out seven of my most anticipated contemporary books for 2018! Stay tuned for the final post in this series featuring some Adult Fiction releases. Let me know some of your most anticipated contemporary books for 2018! Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in the next chapter!

CAIN: A stone giant on the brink of exploding.

MADAM KARINA: A woman who demands obedience.

WILSON: The one who will destroy them all.

When Madam Karina discovers Domino in an alleyway, she offers her a position inside her home for entertainers in secluded West Texas. Left with few alternatives and an agenda of her own, Domino accepts. It isn’t long before she is fighting her way up the ranks to gain the madam’s approval. But after suffering weeks of bullying and unearthing the madam’s secrets, Domino decides to leave. It’ll be harder than she thinks, though, because the madam doesn’t like to lose inventory. But then, Madam Karina doesn’t know about the person living inside Domino’s mind. Madam Karina doesn’t know about Wilson."

Thank you to Entangled Teen and Victoria Scott for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review! All opinions are my own.

I remember reading the synopsis for this book months ago and being instantly drawn to it. When the cover was released, I knew I had to read this book. Violet Grenade is a slow burning and deliciously dark read that sneaks up on you and takes you by complete and utter surprise.

Plot:
Domino lives in an abandoned house with her friend Dizzy. In order to escape her past, she covers up with wigs and makeup, trying to hide the real person underneath. When Dizzy is caught by the police, Domino tries to come up with bail money to get him out of jail, but finds that the price is higher than she thought. That's when Madam Karina steps in and changes Domino's life, sweeping her away to Texas and to Madam Karina's Home for Burgeoning Entertainers. Now Domino has the chance to earn the bail money and save herself and Dizzy from living on the streets. But nothing is what it seems, and the girls at Madam Karina's don't take kindly to newcomers. After weeks of bullying and discovering secret after secret, Domino decides it's time to leave. It's harder than she thinks, however, because Madam Karina doesn't like losing her inventory. But Madam Karina doesn't know Domino's deepest secret. She doesn't know about Wilson.

This book was an absolute thrill ride from start to finish. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I loved every second of it. Domino was such a fascinating character to follow and the more I read about her and the more I learned about her past, the more intrigued I was, and the more I loved Domino. Violet Grenade was unlike anything I've ever read before. It was dark and twisted, so much more than I could have imagined. There were parts of the story where I found myself wide-eyed and furiously turning the pages for more because I just couldn't get enough of the story that was unfolding. There were so many twists and turns that just warped the plot into something that I didn't expect, but it was so incredibly beautiful at the same time. I never found myself bored or like things were moving too slow or too fast at any point while reading. Everything, from beginning to end, flowed so smoothly and read like a dream.

Violet Grenade begins at the bottom of a ski lift, with you standing there buzzing from excitement but still fairly calm, nervous about what you'll find at the top of the hill...and the bottom. While you read about Domino making her way to Texas and working with Madam Karina, finding out secrets and getting bullied along the way, you're climbing the hill at a moderate pace, still building anticipation for what lies ahead. You would think that reaching the top of the snowy hill is the finale, the end, the big reveal and the closing of the story. No, friends, the top of this hill is where it all begins to unravel, the rising action if you will. Where you realize just what Domino is, what she's experienced, what she's done. As you take a breath and push yourself over that edge, finally gliding towards the bottom, that's where it all explodes. You're going down the mountain, faster and faster, feeling out of control but not wanting to stop because you feel the wind blowing through your hair and like you're really, truly alive for the first time. This is where things begin to spiral into the craziest final 10% of a book you'll ever read. It's destructive and insane but still mesmerizing all at once and you can't look away from it until it's over. The bottom of the hill has been reached, the book is over, and you're left breathless. That is what it's like to read this book.

Characters:
Domino was absolutely fascinating to read about. She was so complex but at the same time, so easy to follow. I really enjoyed how the author approached explaining Domnio's past to the reader. You don't get it all dumped on you all at once. Instead, it's given in small flashbacks and comments that she makes throughout the book, slowly building up to the truth. Domino is strong, fierce, protective, destructive, and beautiful all at the same time. She's the kind of character that you didn't know you wanted to read about until you're reading about her. She's damaged, but never lets that hold her back from what she wants. I was so blown away by how different Domino was from any other YA character I've read about recently and I could read about her over and over again. Domino is a character that you can relate to, but also fear, and I've never loved feeling so confused like that about a character before.

Wilson. Wilson. Wilson. I can't say much, but I will say he's fantastic. That's all you really need to know about him.

Cain was a great character for Domino to interact with. He's almost like the male equivalent of her, so the dynamic between the two is so much fun to follow. They both have their demons that they're trying to run from, and they're both so strong in their own way. I like to think that the two of them going out in public would be rather difficult, as Cain would likely have to spend a large majority of his time holding Domino back after she tries to fight someone for one reason or another. They just have such good chemistry and I liked that she had someone to go to or talk to when things got to be too much for her.

The rest of the characters, such as Madam Karina and the girls, were all so well written. I loved the unsettling vibe that Madam Karina gave off every time she was on the page. You could really tell that there was more to her and to the house than she would admit and I enjoyed slowly finding that out as I read through the book. The girls, while absolutely mean and vicious, were also very unique and I could definitely tell a difference between them. Every character, even the ones that were more side characters, were given their own voices and identities, making them easily distinguishable from all of the others. The cast of characters was large, but you really find yourself focusing on Domino as you read. With such a fiery personality, it's hard not to!

Writing:
Explosive. Vicious. Wicked. Victoria Scott has a way of manipulating words and weaving them into something you want to get lost in, no matter how dark it may be. This is the first book I've ever read by this author but I am sold for any future books she writes. It was so easy to dive into Domino's world and I found myself caring for this girl almost immediately because of how well she was written. This is a contemporary book but I honestly felt like it read like a fantasy because of how ethereal the writing was. I've never encountered a contemporary book like this before but it was one that I could read multiple times and get something new out of it with every read. It reads like a calm stream that eventually runs into a violently flowing river that ends in a waterfall that is definitely taller than you thought it was. Every word was beautifully written and it made the reading experience so much more magical than I ever thought reading a contemporary book could be. Victoria Scott's writing is an absolute treat and I am so excited to read everything she puts out in the future!

Violet Grenade is one of those books that you hear everyone talking about and feel like you should probably pick up "just to see what the hype is all about." But when you finally read it, you understand why everyone talks about it. It's dark, gritty, twisty, and unlike any book you will ever read, no matter what genre it is.