Welcome to my stop for the Summer  of the Oak Moon blog tour.  Below you will find my review and a giveaway!!!! So check it out and have fun.

ABOUT SUMMER OF THE OAK MOON:

 

Title: Summer of the Oak Moon

Publication date: May 5, 2015

Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.

Author: Laura Templeton

Rejected by the exclusive women’s college she has her heart set on, Tess Seibert dreads the hot, aimless summer ahead. But when a chance encounter with a snake introduces her to Jacob Lane, a black college student home on his summer break, a relationship blooms that challenges the prejudices of her small, north Florida town.

When Jacob confesses that Tess’s uncle is trying to steal his family’s land, Tess comes face to face with the hatred that simmers just below the surface of the bay and marshes she’s loved since birth. With the help of her mentor Lulu, an herbal healer, Tess pieces together clues to the mysterious disappearance of Jacob’s father twenty-two years earlier and uncovers family secrets that shatter her connection to the land she loves.

Tess and Jacob’s bond puts them both in peril, and discontent eventually erupts into violence. Tess is forced to make a decision. Can she right old wrongs and salvage their love? Or will prejudice and hatred kill any chance she and Jacob might have had?

ABOUT LAURA TEMPLETON:

Laura Templeton lives near Athens, Georgia, with her husband, son, and a menagerie of animals. When she’s not writing, she enjoys gardening, learning to figure skate, and taking long walks on the quiet country roads near her home. Something Yellow is her debut novel, and her creative nonfiction has appeared in various publications.

Author Links:  Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

REVIEW

When I first started reading this book I was captivated by the scene. This beautifull marsh filled and backwoods southern charm is amazing.  I love the lore of the herbal healing and the warm feeling that I got when I read this book.  The characters are rich and full of life and a rebel spirit that will have anyone cheering for their love to succeede.
Tess is a teenager that is stuck at a traditional crossroad in her life.  Go to college or not go to college.  Tess gets denied admission to her mothers college and feels like she is not good enough or smart enough to go to college.  So Tess decides to take the summer to figure a few things out.  But what Tess finds is not necessairly what she was looking for.
Jacob is a college student that is connected to Tess in more ways than one.  They meet in the most amazing way, and a love starts to blossom.  Neither one of them are aware of all the ways they are truly connected and reading them figure these ways out and work through them will keep you turning pages into the morning hours.

The social and moral issues of race and religion presented in this book are beautifully written and will have any reader's heart pounding through the duration of the story.   This is an amazing book that I will reccomend to everyperson I know.  Being a Social Worker this book hits on many issues are that are still present today, not as "in your face" but still present.  This book is deffenitly and amazing read.  I suggest everyone of you go buy this RIGHT NOW!!!!!!

5 out of 5 baubles!!!!

Link to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23344372-summer-of-the-oak-moon

Purchase Links:

Chapters Indigo | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | TBD

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway Information:  Winner will be drawn June 1, 2015

·        Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of Summer of the Oak Moon by Laura Templeton (INT)

Direct Link: 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c08c9e8e338/?  

Rain by Amanda Sun

Title: Rain

Author: Amanda Sun

Release Date: 6/24/14

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Purchase:  Barnes and Noble / Amazon

When she first moved to Japan, American Katie Green had no idea she would get caught in a battle between the Japanese mafia and the supernatural forces that have governed Japan for most of its history.  Despite the danger, Katie is determined to stay put.  She's started to build a life in the city of Shizuoka, and she can't imagine leaving behind her friends, her aunt and especially Tomohiro, the guy she's fallen in love with. 
But the decision to stay is not as simple as she thought.  She's flunking out of Japanese school and committing cultural faux pas wherever she goes.  Tomohiro is also struggling- as a Kami, his connection to the ancient gods of Japan and his power to bring drawings to life have begun to spiral out of control.
When Tomo decides to stop drawing, the ink finds other ways to seep into his life- blackouts, threatening messages and the appearance of unexplained sketches.  Unsure how to help Tomo, Katie turns to an unexpected source for help- Jun, her former friend and a Kami with an agenda of his own.  But is Jun really the ally he claims to be? In order to save themselves, Katie and Tomohiro must unravel the truth about Tomo's dark ancestry, as well as Katie's, and confront one of the darkest gods in Japanese legend. 

My Thoughts:

The legend behind the Kami is tragic and beautiful, just as the love between Katie and Tomohiro is dangerous and electric. 

I could not wait for this book to come out so I could get my hands on it, and I was not disappointed.  Amanda Sun does an amazing job of pulling the reader into the book and dropping them off in the middle of Shizuoka, Japan.  I could not put this book down!  I felt as if I was traveling with Katie through all her struggles and discoveries.  I felt her pain and her joy as I read this book.
This book answers questions about who Katie, Tomohiro, and Jun really are.  This book leaves readers wanting more, more, more.
Katie and Tomohiro's relationship heats up and cools down.  When you throw a dash of Jun into the mix the temperature turns up and the tensions rise.  You'll get alot of mystery, romance, and an amazing story in this second edition.   I cant wait for the third!!!

5 out of 5 Stars!!!