Blog Tour: Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins (Review & Giveaway)

 

Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins 

Release Date: October 1, 2013

Format: eARC, 268 pages

Publisher: HarlequinTEEN

Source: NetGalley

Buy It: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | BAM | iTunes | Zola 

Description from Goodreads:

Cami Broussard has her future all figured out. She'll finish her senior year of high school, then go to work full-time as an apprentice chef in her father's French restaurant, alongside her boyfriend, Luke. But then twenty-year-old ex-Marine Julian Wyatt comes to live with Cami's family while recovering from serious injuries. And suddenly Cami finds herself questioning everything she thought she wanted.

Julian's all attitude, challenges and intense green-brown eyes. But beneath that abrasive exterior is a man who just might be as lost as Cami's starting to feel. And Cami can't stop thinking about him. Talking to him. Wanting to kiss him. He's got her seriously stirred up. Her senior year has just gotten a lot more complicated….

There are heaps of things I adore about this book. It's borderline New Adult, sweetly romantic, and has a fabulous story to hold its own behind and within the romance. I kid you not, I read this whole book straight through the same day I downloaded it, and I know for a fact it's something I'm going to read more than once. BECAUSE I HEART THIS BOOK. (Plus, I've already re-read it once and loved it all over again. It was beautiful.)

So the first awesome thing about this book is the characters. The story is told by Cami, who is trying to figure out what the eff she's going to do with her life after high school. I identified so much with that, and really enjoyed Cami's whole process throughout this book as she works through that. She's such a relatable character, and she has defining qualities that I really liked--like her love for cooking and food (I can't actually cook to save my life, but I understand loving something as much as she does), and her attitude, which I approve of, always. 

Julian, the wonderful love interest, makes me feel all happy inside. I loved watching his character evolve as well, starting out in such a terrible place just after returning wounded and then gradually showing how great of a person he really is. I love when the love interests are soldiers, which I KNOW is something I've said before. It's 100% true. I love bad boys and all that, but soldiers? I just LOVE reading about them, and Julian is added to my lovely list of those lovely guys. Actually, he's sitting darn well near the top. Close to Avi from Simone Elkeles How to Ruin books, which is a BIG DEAL. 

Another awesome thing about this book was the romance. I am such a fan of both of these characters, so then they finally got together and it was freaking great. Their relationship started with them not very much getting along, and then grew into something sweet and beautiful. I loved watching their romance grow as they each evolved themselves. And they just make me feel all warm and happy inside. I love their story.

What I love just as much as the romance is the actual STORY. This isn't just a romance, but it's a whole story of Cami and Julian and how they need to choose what to do next in their lives. They're both at a point where what they were doing before is over and they need to decide what to do now, and it was nice to see them go through that. The situation is something I find easy to identify with, which in turn pulled me into the story and these characters even more than I already was. And then we made it to the end and see what their plans are and I LOVE how that goes. They're their own people, but still...together. And that's all I'll say on the ending. I loved it. Just know that.

Overall, Stir Me Up is a beautiful story about love and big life decisions that felt very real and captured my attention from beginning to end. I adore these characters and their journey to choosing just what they want to do next while developing a relationship and love for each other. Sabrina Elkins has written a fabulous novel, and I am definitely looking forward to seeing what comes next from her! 

 About the Author 

 

I am a former journalist who worked for the Los Angeles Daily Newsand other newspapers in the greater Los Angeles area. Prior to this I worked in advertising, writing ad copy for corporate travel accounts and major motion pictures. My first job out of college was as an administrative assistant to an executive chef and a food & beverage director at a Four Seasons hotel. I also spent some time working as a prep cook for Spago in Beverly Hills.

I received my Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California. While in graduate school, I had the privilege of studying fiction writing under renowned author Hubert Selby, Jr., and comedy writing under famed comedian Shelley Berman. I am a past participant of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Summer Writing Workshop.

Raised in the woods of Vermont, I now live in the greater Los Angeles area with my husband and three children. STIR ME UP is my first novel.  

Author Links: 

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook 

Giveaway 

WIN 1 OF 3 STIR ME UP FUN FOODIE GIFT PACKS! COOKBOOKS-CHOCOLATES-MAGNETS

  

Cami’s Cookbook Pack 

Le Petit Paris: French Finger Food by Nathalie Benezet

500 Soups by Susannah Blake

Godiva chocolate bar

Stir Me Up magnet  

Julian’s Late-Night Pack 

George Noory’s Late-Night Snacks by George Noory

Dinner and a Movie by Katherine Bebo

Godiva chocolate bar

Stir Me Up magnet  

Sweet Desserts Pack 

Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor

Cutie Pies by Dani Cone

Godiva chocolate bar

Stir Me Up magnet

 RULES AND RESTRICTIONS: 

Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 18 or else have parent or guardian’s permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner’s name will be selected. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.  

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Blog Tour Hosted by:

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