Blog Tour: Only a Kiss by Ines Bautista-Yao [Review + GIVEAWAY!!!]

2014 books

Title: Only A Kiss
Author: Ines Bautista-Yao
Publishing Date: November 29th, 2014
Publisher: Chamber Shell Publishing
Format: Kindle
Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary:

When she was nine-years-old, Katie knew she wanted Chris to give her her first kiss. It wasn’t because she was in love with him (no way, he was her best friend! Besides, she was in love with his fourteen-year-old big brother), it was because she could make him do anything she wanted. 
Besides, it didn't really mean anything. It was only a kiss after all. 
But then things started to change. They grew up. They parted ways and went to different high schools. And other girls and boys—well, just one particular boy—came into the picture, throwing their lives upside down. 
Told from the alternating points of view of Katie and Chris, this love story between two best friends will tug at your heartstrings and leave you thinking how the simplest things can mean so much.

Purchase links: Amazon | Buqo.ph 
The book is on sale for ONLY $0.99 until February 14. 

About Ines Bautista-Yao
Ines Bautista-Yao is the author of One Crazy Summer, What’s in your Heart, and Only a Kiss. She has also written two short stories, “Flashbacks and Echoes,” which is part of a compilation called All This Wanting and “A Captured Dream,” one of the four short stories in Sola Musica: Love Notes from a Festival.

She is the former editor-in-chief of Candy and K-Zone magazines and a former high school and college English and Literature teacher.  She is also a wife and mom and blogs about the many challenges and joys of motherhood at theeverydayprojectblog.com. She has recently launched The Author Project, a section in her current blog devoted to the stories in her head: http://theeverydayprojectblog.com/inesbyao-author-project/

Blog Tour: The Boyfriend Backtrack by Dawn Lanuza [Review, Excerpt + GIVEAWAY!]

2014 books

Hi guys! Welcome to my stop of The Boyfriend Backtrack book tour hosted by Oops! I Read Again Book Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK


Title: The Boyfriend Backtrack
Author: Dawn Lanuza
Date of Publication: October 3, 2014
Genre: contemporary romance

Blurb:

If they say that life flashes right before your eyes when you die, do you also get a flashback of your exes when your perfect boyfriend is proposing to you? At least that's the case for Regina Cortez. There's her dramatic high school boyfriend, her first college crush, the irresistible heart breaker, and the ever elusive one. By backtracking to her past, will Regina make it to 'I Do'? Or will she just keep running away?


Purchase link: Amazon

MY REVIEW


I'm always supportive of the local publishing industry and would grab at any chance to review or participate in a book tour for a book written by a local author. There's just something completely refreshing about reading a book that hits so close to home - it's just a wonderful, wonderful feeling. The Boyfriend Backtrack surely made me feel that, and I sincerely enjoyed reading it. Towards the end, I came to know the characters of the story as not just people part of a book, but actual, real, live people who could be my friends or someone I know, maybe because of how much I found myself connecting to the book.

Though I wasn't a fan of all the copy-editing issues or some of the cliche scenes and lines, I am indeed a sucker for happy endings and best friend romances so I managed to overlook those tiny faults. I can't really say who Regina ends up with in the end (read the book to find out!) but I was shipping them so hard right from the moment the guy makes an appearance (and man, does he make an appearance). I loved how Regina grows up throughout the book and how she finally faces her fear of confrontation, by finally tying up all those loose ends from so long ago. I did admire her with her decision to find herself towards the end of the book, and that is something I would like for myself as well. The ending of the book is one of the cheesiest, but sweetest endings I've ever read, and honestly, an ending I would want to happen to myself (yes I love cheese too).

To wrap things up, The Boyfriend Backtrack is one of the nicest and sweetest books I've ever read, and is perfect to read with a cup of coffee on a rainy day, and the perfect playlist with throwback love songs from college. This one effortlessly put a smile on my face after reading it and I highly recommend it for people who love love and reading about love. 

Rating: 4/5 stars

EXCERPT

My head is in a scurry and I could feel my heart thumping loudly. I cross my hands over my chest to hold myself together.
And then, with a quick glance, I see him strolling casually out of the arrival doors, pushing a trolley filled with worn-out bags and boxes. He is tan and fit, and his wild wavy hair is tamed by a red cap. He looks like a typical backpacker: cargo shorts, sneakers, and plain shirt. He looks quite rested and relaxed.
I suck in my breath, feet still cemented on the ground. The tall guy in front of me moves, giving me the full view. I watch him as he pushed the trolley forward. Then, he pauses, waiting for the woman walking behind him.I feel my face burning. There she is. Long, luscious hair hangs on her back. She’s wearing a white sundress. She steps right next to him and he takes her hand.
I watch them closely. He’s now looking at her and I know then that this isn’t just some girl. Chase likes this girl. I’ve seen him look at Laura before, and he’s looking at her the same way: a good mix of amusement and adoration.I feel the need to leave. What am I even doing here? Did I really think I could just show up and he would be happy to see me after years of not speaking to him? This is such a bad idea. I’m not even sure that he still considers me as his friend. I didn’t even know what he’s been doing until last week. What kind of a friend is that?They were heading my way. I stand there, horrified. Shit. I made my way out of the crowd. Shit, why are they walking so fast? Shit, shit, shit.Chase can’t see me. More importantly, I can’t see him now. Not like this. Not when I’m feeling like the biggest idiot in the world.
He pushes the trolley while her hands lovingly wrap around his arm. My stomach turns. I can feel a lump in my throat. I walk quickly behind a pillar. Shit. My heart is sinking. Shit, shit, shit.Good job, Regina. What the hell are you even thinking? I slowly peek back and saw them pass the crowd. When they turn their backs, she places her right hand on his shoulder.
I look away. I take a deep, long breath. It comes out staggering when I exhale. I run to the public toilets and lock myself in one of the cubicles. Thomas said, take deep and slow breaths. I allow myself to let out one sob. Then I’m not able to stop.

ABOUT DAWN LANUZA

Dawn Lanuza has been imagining and writing love stories since she was a kid. She works for the music industry by day, and writes about meet cutes and snappy comebacks by night. She writes short stories, chick lit and young-adult fiction. She has a degree in Development Communication from the University of the Philippines.



GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway 
Here's the link to it: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/dc42906e255/