#Review #Giveaway of Em and Em by Linda Budzinski #swoonromance via #BEA16

    The last thing sixteen-year-old Emily Slovkowski wants is to move away from her home at the Jersey shore, gorgeous surfer boyfriend Zach, and her entire identity. But that’s kind of how Witness Protection works, and Em must prepare herself for an epic do-over as she starts a new life in the Midwest. 

Even as she pines for sandy beaches and the night life of the shore, the newly-named Ember O’Malley finds herself making new friends, taking photos for the high school newspaper, and thinking an awful lot about the paper's editor, an oddly cute cowboy named Charles. 

When Em stumbles upon a shady beneath-the-bleachers exchange between one of the school’s football coaches and a student, she refuses to get involved. The last thing she needs is to be witness to another crime or call attention to herself. Besides, she finally has some real friends - well, real except for the fact that they don’t know a single thing about her - and she prefers to keep it that way until the trial.

But as her day in court approaches, Em begins piecing together what she saw that day beneath the bleachers. And, as her own past secrets start to catch up with her, Em needs to figure out who she really is - Em or Em.

I am author of two young adult novels, both published by Swoon Romance YA -- EM & EM (2015) and THE FUNERAL SINGER (2013). My upcoming book, THE BOYFRIEND WHISPERER, is scheduled for release by Swoon in the fall of 2016 and is the winner of the Romance Writers of America Young Adult Chapter's 2015 Rosemary Award and Virginia Chapter's 2015 Fool for Love Award.

I live in Northern Virginia with my husband, Joe, and our feisty chihuahua, Demitria. I'm a sucker for romance and reality TV and have been known to turn off my phone's ringer when watching "The Bachelor." My favorite flower is the daisy, my favorite food is chocolate, and my favorite song is "Amazing Grace."

I am represented by Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger Inc.

So this one was a pretty fast read.  I read it in about three hours or so.  This is a murder mystery that is disguised as a romance.  You start out knowing that Ember aka Emily is in Witness Protection.  You don't know what she is so important other than knowing she is one of the lead witnesses in some case where some girl died.  The story was pretty good a little slow in parts.  But for the most part it was ok.  I really wish that there would have been more suspense and that the characters would have been in more danger than what they were.  That part kinda fell flat for me.  The ending was really good it all tied up nicely with a  goodish ending.  I really wish that there would have been info in the back of the book about finding help if you think you were drugged/raped etc.  Which in this there was none.  

This deals with some heavy issues so this one is def. for the higher teen crowd. 

As for the characters I really didn't like Ember/Emily.  I understand pressure being a teen etc.  And after the video of her strip tease was released on how the boys treated her.  But I mean that doesn't mean that you should go out with all the jack asses (sorry for the swearing) and let them feel you up etc.  Its not right.  I wished that Ember/Emily would have grown a pair and fought back.  Because she was pretty much a push over in this story and well that doesn't make her a very good role model.  

Book in a Pinch

Thriller disguised as a Romance 

If you have been abused, raped, drugged, etc.  Don't wait for a knight in shinning armor to save you!  Do it yourself.  Talk to someone you trust or go to the nearest hospital and tell them what happened.  Call 911!  

"All opinions are 100% honest and my own." 

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Posted in: 3 Stars, Giveaway, Jessica P., Review, Swoon Romance, Young Adult