Giveaway : Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

Synopsis:

When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother's coffee shop, she leaves him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over, never expecting this random act of kindness to turn her life upside down. The adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is actually a guardian angel on a break between missions, and now he won't leave until he can reward Katrina's selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Fame and fortune seem like the obvious requests, but after two botched wishes, Malcolm knows Katrina is hiding something from him. But how can she tell him the truth, when her heart's desire has become Malcolm himself?

*****Giveaway*****
{Open to US residents only}

Suzanne Selfors has decided to giveaway a signed hardcover copy of Coffeehouse Angel to a lucky reader of mine! To enter, you just have to leave a comment with your e-mail address.

Extra entries:
+1 Tweet this giveaway (link)
+2 Be a follower of this blog
+2 Comment on my review
+3 Link to your blog sidebar
+4 Make a blog post (link)

Sample tweet (You may copy and paste this):
Win a SIGNED Hardcover Copy of Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors on Friends & Family! {US only} Ends 1/28 http://bit.ly/7Uvt09

A great THANK YOU to dear Suzanne for sponsoring this giveaway!

Giveaway ends on 28th January, 2010 @ 8 pm Malaysian time. Open to US residents only. International readers may enter if you have a friend in US to receive the book on your behalf.

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Book Review : Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

I love this cover ~ It's so pretty!

Book Details:

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (July 21, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0802798128
• ISBN-13: 978-0802798121

Synopsis:

When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother's coffee shop, she leaves him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over, never expecting this random act of kindness to turn her life upside down. The adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is actually a guardian angel on a break between missions, and now he won't leave until he can reward Katrina's selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Fame and fortune seem like the obvious requests, but after two botched wishes, Malcolm knows Katrina is hiding something from him. But how can she tell him the truth, when her heart's desire has become Malcolm himself?

Review:

I absolutely adored this book! It holds my attention until the last page! Coffeehouse Angel is narrated by Katrina, the shy and self-conscious girl who lives with her grandmother, Anna, who owns an old-fashioned coffeehouse. Katrina thinks herself as plain and ordinary, being not aware of her talents. When her grandmother falls sick and her business is threatened by their next-door-neighbor, Java Heaven, Katrina's worries starts to double.

Although Malcolm is an angel, his appearance is quite quirky - he wears kilt. This has aroused some small talks among Katrina's friends and family. Suzanne instilled a flash of humor in some of the pages, which makes me laugh. Malcolm wants to grant Katrina's biggest wish/deepest desire. But the problem is, Katrina doesn't even know what is her deepest desire.

Suzanne's writing is really good! I love all the characters, and the flow of the story is excellent! Although the words used are simple, the meaning behind them is huge. Forgiveness is one of the main themes of this story. Katrina learns to forgive the nefarious owner of Java Heaven, Mr. Darling after a conversation with her grandmother in the hospital.

Always remember that to forgive is to set someone free. (pg 217)

I love the ending of the story and wouldn't prefer it another way! If you want to know what happened, please be sure to get yourself a copy of Coffeehouse Angel. Cute, romantic and heart-warming, Coffeehouse Angel is guaranteed to be delicious and entertaining to the last drop!

Rating: 10/10

A great THANK YOU to Suzanne Selfors for sending me a (signed) hardcover copy of Coffeehouse Angel! ♥

Lovely Links:
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Also by Suzanne Selfors:
Saving Juliet

Book Review : Sing Me To Sleep by Angela Morrison

I love this cover! Pretty, isn't it?

Book Details:

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (March 18, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 1595142754
• ISBN-13: 978-1595142757

Synopsis:

THE TRANSFORMATION

Beth has always been “The Beast”—that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.

THE LOVE AFFAIR

When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty.

THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE

When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?

THE HEARTBREAK

The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything.

*I received a SIGNED ARC of Sing Me To Sleep from Angela Morrison. The book will be released on March 4, 2010.

Review:

I must say that Sing Me To Sleep is one of the best books I’ve read these few years. Angela cleverly weaves a touching, absorbing story about friendship, family, love and life. Sing Me To Sleep makes me see the harsh realities of life, the unyielding power of friendship, and shows us that true love transcends all.

Beth was once an ugly girl who was bullied some mean boys in school. After she received sessions of beauty treatment in order to be presentable as the Bliss’s soloist during the Choral Olympics, she becomes a beauty. Even though we always say that inner beauty is more important, this novel suggests otherwise. Just take Beth as an example, why did she receive such unfair treatments in school? I’m sure you know the answer well.

Beth follows her choir to Switzerland to participate in the competition. There, she meets a mysterious, handsome boy from the Amabile Young Men’s Ensemble, Derek, and falls head over heels for him. Her love for Derek grows stronger and stronger each passing day, just as Derek's love for her.

Ah, Derek! He is gorgeous, talented and confident. Just the type of guy that any girl would fall for. Behind his glorious façade, he hides a terrible secret, and Beth doesn’t know what is it. Angela keeps me interested by making him play ‘hide and seek’ – he accompanies Beth for a day or two, then he disappears for days and weeks. I’m not sure if he is just fooling around with Beth or that he really loves her. He seems…elusive. This makes me want to know about his secret even more.

Another thing I love about this novel is the support and love shown by the Amabile guys. They are like a huge, loving family, always supportive and caring.

Angela Morrison succeeded in delivering an original, touching story through Beth's voice with her wonderful writing. She makes me realize that true love is not about appearance, status and ability, but rather the deep feeling of love, care, affection and willingness to sacrifice for the person you love, because of who he/she originally is.

Towards the end of the story, I cried. Yes, you heard me. I cried. And I used a lot of tissues. The story is heart-wrenching... and everything is so real. Two different feelings mingle into one in my heart. I was heartbroken, but I also felt a tinge of happiness at the same time. Beautiful, poignant, touching and thought-provoking, Sing Me To Sleep is a book not to be missed.

Rating : 10/10

Many thanks to dear Angela for sending me a copy of Sing Me To Sleep. I really love this book. Thank you!

Visit Angela Morrison's Website
Read more about Sing Me To Sleep

*Teens, if you'd like to get yourself a review copy of Sing Me To Sleep, please click HERE.

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Book Review : Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison

Sometimes only love can save you...

Book Details:

• Genre: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (March 5, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 159514238X
• ISBN-13: 978-1595142382

Synopsis:

Leesie Hunt has many rules: No kissing. No sex. No dating outside the Mormon faith.

When Michael Walden—a deep-sea diver who lost his parents in a violent hurricane—arrives in town, Leesie sees someone who needs her. They fall for one another, even though his dreams are tied to the depths of the ocean and hers to salvation above.

Will their intense chemistry be too strong to resist?

Leesie and Michael must make the hardest choice of their lives: whether to follow their beliefs or their hearts.

My review:

Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison is a story about the romance that blossoms between a pious Mormon, Leesie Hunt and Michael Walden, a young man who lost both his parents in a storm. It is romantic, moving and thoughtful. The author uses first person narrative for both the main characters to tell the story from different perspectives. This is done through Leesie’s poems, online chatting and Michael’s Dive Log.

Leesie is a devout Mormon and she thinks it is important to follow the rules. She wants to live her parents’ expectations and is hoping to receive her tertiary education at the Brigham Young University. Then, everything changes when Michael Walden arrives. She feels that it is her responsibility to soothe Michael’s grieving soul and to help him as a friend. However, Michael likes her and he wants something more than friendship. It doesn’t take a long time before Leesie realizes that she is falling in love with Michael, just as he is with her.

Their relationship grows from attraction to passion and love. Leesie is a Mormon and she has her own rules to abide, but Michael keeps on pushing her to step beyond the boundary. Lessie thinks love and sex are two different things but Michael thinks they are the same.

Religion plays a minor part in this novel. This novel conveys some more important messages: Respect others while staying true to our own beliefs, help those who are depressed by loss and grief, hold on to the basic moral values (self-restriction), and learn to cherish what you have at the moment. If you're a teenager who enjoys romantic novels, do pick up this one. Who knows you might get swept by the storm?

Rating : 8/10

My deepest gratitude to Angela Morrison for sending me a signed hardcover copy of Taken by Storm.

Thank you, Angela!

Visit Angela Morrison's Website
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