Review: The Key to Everything by Paula Stokes

The Key to Everything
by Paula Stokes

January 2, 2018

328 pages

Goodreads     Amazon

Goodreads Summary:

College senior Oakland Fuller has always believed in signs and soulmates, so when both a therapist and a fortuneteller say that her repeated relationship failures are due to unresolved feelings for her high school boyfriend, Seth, Oakland tries desperately to get back in touch with him. Problem: Seth isn’t responding to her online messages.

To rescue Oakland from a pathetic Christmas break of sitting in front of the computer, her best friend Morgan books the two of them on a guided excursion of Thailand. When the girls meet a pair of American soldiers in Bangkok, Oakland takes Morgan’s advice and engages in a little harmless holiday hooking up. Sergeant Tyson Banks is the perfect mix of sexy and fun. Two weeks with him might just turn out to be the best relationship Oakland has ever had.

Until the day she spots someone familiar across a crowded temple complex—it’s Seth! Somehow the boy she’s been trying to reconnect with is in Bangkok too. If that’s not a sign, then what is?

Filed with friendship, romance, and gorgeous faraway settings, The Key to Everything is a book for anyone who's ever dreamed of finding love when (or where) they least expected it.
 

Book Blast with Giveaway: This is How it Happened by Paula Stokes

Hi everyone! Today I'm here to share some fun stuff for author Paula Stokes's newest contemporary novel, THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENED! It's a story that Kirkus Reviews called “a sobering exploration of absolution.” More about the book, including a sneak peek and a giveaway, below!

This is How it Happened

by Paula Stokes

July 11, 2017

384 pages

Goodreads   Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

Somehow I’ve become a liar. A coward. Here’s how it happened. When Genevieve Grace wakes up from a coma, she can’t remember the car crash that injured her and killed her boyfriend Dallas, a YouTube star who had just released his first album. Genevieve knows she was there, and that there was another driver, a man named Brad Freeman, who everyone assumes is guilty. But as she slowly pieces together the night of the accident, Genevieve is hit with a sickening sense of dread—that maybe she had something to do with what happened.

As the internet rages against Brad Freeman, condemning him in a brutal trial by social media, Genevieve escapes to her father’s house, where she can hide from reporters and spend the summer volunteering in beautiful Zion National Park. But she quickly realizes that she can’t run away from the accident, or the terrible aftermath of it all.

Incredibly thought-provoking and beautifully told, Paula Stokes’s story will compel readers to examine the consequences of making mistakes in a world where the internet is always watching…and judging.

Blog Tour - Character Facts & Review: Vicarious (Vicarious #1) by Paula Stokes

 

 

 

Hi guys! Welcome to my stop on the Vicarious Blog Tour! Today, I'll be sharing five facts about Winter along with my review!

 

 

Vicarious
(Vicarious #1)

by Paula Stokes

August 16, 2016
336 pages

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together, the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States.

 

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities at the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you, for a price.

 

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the neural recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her life in the process.

 

Paula Stokes weaves together a series of mysteries and the story of an unbreakable bond between sisters in this unforgettable high-tech thrill ride.

Stacking the Shelves #100

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that lets us share what we've added to our shelves.

 

 

I won a scavenger hunt hosted by author Paula Stokes and she had a copy of Vicarious so I jumped on it! The pretty is mine! I mean ours~~ XD

 

I won Everland from a Twitter giveaway hosted by the lovely IndigoTeen team. Thank you!

Thank you SMP for granting my request for The Secret Ingredient of Wishes! Ripple's dreaming of devouring that pie ;)

 

 

What did you add to your shelves this week?

Review: Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

 

Girl Against the Universe

by Paula Stokes

May 17, 2016

400 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

 

Goodreads Summary:

Maguire is bad luck.

No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the rollercoaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.

It’s safest for Maguire to hide out in her room, where she can cause less damage and avoid meeting new people who she could hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star. Jordy is confident, talented, and lucky, and he’s convinced he can help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away. But it turns out staying away is harder than she thought.

From author Paula Stokes comes a funny and poignant novel about accepting the past, embracing the future, and learning to make your own luck.

 

Book Blast with Giveaway: Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

 

Hello guys~ Paula Stokes, author of the upcoming Girl Against the Universe and Vicarious, is on the blog today sharing some fun things! Please welcome her!!

 

Paula: Girl Against the Universe will release on May 16, 2016. I am so excited to share this book with the world, and particularly with people who are struggling with PTSD, survivor’s guilt, anxiety, shyness, or people who just feel like the odds are stacked against them. Maguire’s story is full of struggles and triumphs, new friends and family bonds. Even if your life is totally peachy at the moment, there’s a good chance you’ll find Girl Against the Universe funny and inspiring. I hope you give it a try.

Here’s what some amazing authors had to say about the book:

 

“Filled with equal amounts of empathy, humor, and heart, Girl Against the Universe is an empowering story about finding the courage to piece your life back together, even when it feels irreparably broken.”
--Tamara Ireland Stone, NYT bestselling author of Every Last Word

“I loved this sweet, slow-burn romance. Sports fiction at its best!”
--Miranda Kenneally, bestselling author of Catching Jordan

“Romantic, honest, and deep, Girl Against the Universe is one of those books where I couldn’t believe that the characters were only a figment of the author’s imagination—they simply jumped off the pages with their beautiful flaws and hard-earned wisdom.”
--Sarvenaz Tash, author of The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love

"Absolute perfection. Completely magical. Girl Against the Universe is a poignant, beautiful story."

--Ann Aguirre, NYT bestselling author of The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things

 

 

Girl Against the Universe

by Paula Stokes

May 17, 2016

400 pages

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

Maguire is bad luck.

No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the rollercoaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.

It’s safest for Maguire to hide out in her room, where she can cause less damage and avoid meeting new people who she could hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star. Jordy is confident, talented, and lucky, and he’s convinced he can help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away. But it turns out staying away is harder than she thought.

From author Paula Stokes comes a funny and poignant novel about accepting the past, embracing the future, and learning to make your own luck.

 

WoW #94: Vicarious (Vicarious #1) by Paula Stokes

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted every week by Breaking the Spine which lets us showcase an upcoming release we are excited about! 

Vicarious
(Vicarious #1)

by Paula Stokes

August 16, 2016
336 pages

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

Winter Kim and her sister, Rose, have always been inseparable. Together, the two of them survived growing up in a Korean orphanage and being trafficked into the United States.

Now they work as digital stunt girls for Rose’s ex-boyfriend, Gideon, engaging in dangerous and enticing activities while recording their neural impulses for his Vicarious Sensory Experiences, or ViSEs. Whether it’s bungee jumping, shark diving, or grinding up against celebrities at the city’s hottest dance clubs, Gideon can make it happen for you, for a price.

When Rose disappears and a ViSE recording of her murder is delivered to Gideon, Winter won’t rest until she finds her sister’s killer. But when the clues she uncovers conflict with the neural recordings her sister made, Winter isn’t sure what to believe. To find out what happened to Rose, she’ll have to untangle what’s real from what only seems real, risking her life in the process.
 

That synopsis is everything! August hurry up be here please!

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Stacking the Shelves #87

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that lets us share what we've added to our shelves.

 

 

Thank you Amanda @ Brains, Books, and Brawn for this signed copy! I'm not saying Ripple's the cover model but hey if it fits...... ;)

So I pre-ordered this one in early January and it released February 11th. I just got it a few days ago. I'm not impressed TBD, not impressed at all. But hurray I can finally read it because omg I need it!!

HCCFrenzy sent us The Crown's Game and Girl Against the Universe for review, yay! Thank you!!

 

What did you add to your shelves this week?

WoW #84: Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted every week by Breaking the Spine which lets us showcase an upcoming release we are excited about! 

Girl Against the Universe

by Paula Stokes

May 17, 2016

400 pages

Goodreads  Indigo
 

Goodreads Summary:

Maguire is bad luck.

No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the rollercoaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.

It’s safest for Maguire to hide out in her room, where she can cause less damage and avoid meeting new people who she could hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star. Jordy is confident, talented, and lucky, and he’s convinced he can help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away. But it turns out staying away is harder than she thought.

From author Paula Stokes comes a funny and poignant novel about accepting the past, embracing the future, and learning to make your own luck.

 

A story about bad luck sounds very neat! I'm really looking forward to it!

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Liars, Inc. Black Friday Sale Blitz!

 

Hi everyone! Today I have Paula Stokes, YA author with upcoming 2016 titles Vicarious and Girl Against the Universe, here to share an exciting Black Friday deal with you! Let's welcome her!

 

Paula: I was super-thrilled to see that HarperTeen put the Liars, Inc. ebook back on sale for Black Friday, this time across multiple digital platforms. You can score an e-copy all week for the low price of $1.99 from Amazon, Amazon Canada, B&N and iTunes!

A little information about Liars, Inc.
 

Liars, Inc.
by Paula Stokes
March 24, 2015
368 pages

 

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

“This is one exciting ride.” –ALA Booklist

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money. So with the help of his friend Preston and his girlfriend, Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something, and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn't think twice about it. But then Preston never comes home. And the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead to Preston's body.

 

Terrifying clues that point to Max as the killer….

 

Paula: I'm a girl who will buy almost anything if it feels like a mega-deal, but I realize that some people are a little more discriminating when they buy books. Therefore, I've designed a handy decision-making tree to help you determine if Liars, Inc. is right for you! (Click on the image to enlarge!)
 

 

If you started to cry while reading the above chart, it's possible that you, like me, are a person who struggles to make decisions. It's okay. Some of us need additional information. Click here to read the first chapter of Liars, Inc. It's a great example of what you might be getting yourself into :)

 

JUST FOR FUN:  Check out the top ten things I would bring with me if I had to go on the run from the feds. Includes essentials like Chapstick, chocolate, and flash bangs. If you leave a comment, tell me the top 3 things you'd pack if you went on the lam.

Thanks so much for sharing all this with us Paula! Don't forget to enter the amazing giveaway she has put together!
 

Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TTT #41: Authors I REALLY Want to Meet

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish where people share their top ten things according to the topic of that week.

This is basically the same list as my top favourite authors! I really really would love to meet them some day :) Pictured below are their newest released book or soon-to-be released!!

 

 

Kasie West                 Paula Stokes

 

  

                         CJ Duggan                Alyssa Rose Ivy          Sarah J. Maas

 

  

                  Danielle L. Jensen      Cassandra Clare        Robin LaFevers

 

 

      V.E. Schwab        Samantha Shannon

                                  aka Victoria Schwab

 

Which authors do you really want to meet?

TTT #39: ALL TIME Favourite Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish where people share their top ten things according to the topic of that week.

This was nearly impossible to narrow down but I finally managed to do it. Basically I'll read anything and everything written by these authors~ I have included the covers to their most recently published or soon-to-be published work. They're in no particular order :)

Kasie West

Always cute and fluffy!

Paula Stokes

Super awesome

and super friendly!

Alyssa Rose Ivy

Really good and

steamy NA books ;)

CJ Duggan

Summer is always fun!

Sarah J. Maas

Gorgeous writing and

unique worlds!

Danielle L. Jensen

Beautiful story, beautiful trolls ;)

Cassandra Clare

Complex world with

hilariously witty characters.

Robin LaFevers

 

Myths and romance

flawlessly weaved together~

V.E. Schwab

aka Victoria Schwab

 

Pure magical!!

Samantha Shannon

Out-of-this-world amazing!

  

Who are some of your all time favourite authors?

Announcing #MysteryTwitterTheater!!

Hi everyone! Guess what I just heard? Last night, YA blogger Ensconced in Lit was murdered! Yep, now she's Ensconced in Death. Her body was discovered on Twitter, and the word on the street is that if someone can figure out who killed her ASAP, she can be brought back to life just in time to assist with the #LiarsIncBook Twitter party, on Tuesday 3/24 at 6pm Pacific time. Paula misses her and totally needs her help, so why not try to #SaveEnsconced? Click here to read what the Ghost of Ensconced has to say about the crime.

The motive for the crime seems pretty clear: a super-epic LIARS, INC. prize pack was stolen off her person sometime between the hours of 6pm and 11:59pm on Thursday, March 19th. What's LIARS, INC.? Oh, it's a murder mystery novel written by Paula Stokes and published by HarperTeen.

Unlike what you see on TV, the detectives working the case won't let Paula snoop around the crime scene or handle all the evidence, so she’s been gathering clues on her own. But she’s sharing her clues under the #MysteryTwitterTheater hashtag so you can help her find the killer.

In addition to the murderer, you'll also need to figure out where the actual crime was committed, and what the murder weapon was. So basically, this is somewhat like an online game of Clue/Cluedo. The first person to correctly deduce all three pieces of information will win the super-epic LIARS, INC. prize pack, plus awesome mystery gifts.

Head on over to Paula’s blog for all the official details about the game! But be careful. You never know who might turn out to be a killer... *runs away*

Nerd Blast & Giveaway: Liars, Inc. by Paula Stokes

Liars, Inc.

by Paula Stokes

March 24, 2015

368 pages

Goodreads  Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

For fans of Gone Girl, I Hunt Killers, and TV's How to Get Away with Murder.

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn’t think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston’s body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.

Can Max find the real killer before he goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters.

 

About the Author

Paula Stokes writes stories about flawed characters with good hearts who sometimes make bad decisions. She’s the author of several YA novels, most recently Liars, Inc. and The Art of Lainey. Her writing has been translated into nine foreign languages. Paula loves kayaking, hiking, reading, and seeking out new adventures in faraway lands She also loves interacting with readers.

Website  Authors Goodreads

Giveaway

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