Blog Tour Stop & Review for Kissing Games by Tara Eglington

The Bookish Island's Blog Tour Stop for:
Kissing Games by Tara Eglington
With Review

Are there spoilers?

There aren't. 

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Thank you so much to Wednesday Books for letting me be a part of this blog tour.

Title: Kissing Games

Author: Tara Eglington

Series: Aurora Skye #2

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Pages: 342

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Published: 20l8

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

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Source: NetGalley

Date Read: May 12, 2018

Rating: ★★★★☆

For a girl who shares her name with a princess (aka Sleeping Beauty), Aurora Skye’s romantic life seems fathoms away from a fairy tale. Sure, she’s landed her prince charming, Hayden Paris. And she got her wish—one first kiss with all the knee-trembling, butterfly-inducing gloriousness she’d hoped for. But instead of happily ever after, their second kiss landed Hayden in the emergency room. If that’s not mortifying enough, the whole school is now referring to her as "Lethal Lips."

When Aurora's best friend decides to run for class president and offers up Aurora's matchmaking service as one of her campaign initiatives, the kissing games begin. Aurora has to convince everyone that her program works—but that might be hard to do when it seems like her own love life might be falling apart.

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And this is the Australian Edition of Kissing Games and the original.

Title: How to Convince a Boy to Kiss You

Author: Tara Eglington

Series: Aurora Skye #2

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Pages: 446

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia

Published: 2013

Goodreads  //  Book Depository

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About the Author:

Tara Eglington

TARA EGLINGTON grew up in Byron Bay, Australia. Her hobbies when she’s not writing include watching endless cat videos on YouTube, planning pretend holidays to the Maldives, and day-dreaming about who would play Hayden Paris in a film adaptation of How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You, her first novel. She lives in Australia.

Goodreads  //  Twitter  //  Facebook  //  Instagram

The Rating:

My Review:

I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. But I got the opportunity to participate in this blog tour. Which made me happy because I loved reading this book and the first.
How To Keep a Boy From Kissing You


Kissing Games picks up where How To Keep a Boy From Kissing You ends. With a continuation of our main character's new relationship with her prince. And her friends, and the Find a Prince/Princess Program.
In KG (as I will be referring to it from now on) we see how Aurora has grown up and matured. With her new boyfriend, her matchmaking program, and the abandonment issues she developed with her mother leaving her and divorcing her father. We also get to go along with her as she dives into the uncharted waters of kissing and dating Hayden. Hurting him and embarrassing herself in front of her father and his new friends along the way. But also how she struggles to believe just how much Hayden cares about her.

They re too cute in the first book, but in KG their relationship grows and flourishes. There are some definitely swoon-worthy scenes. Abd we see Hayden as a sweet and caring boyfriend. Winning a place on my book boyfriend list.

Get it here using my Book Depository affiliate link.

Book Depository

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Stacking the Shelves #11

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!



Update:

I got sick pretty sick this week and a half and am just now feeling better. But I haven't been reading since I was getting headaches. And I didn't want to force myself to read something and end up hating it so I thought it would be better to just rest up.

I am however planning on finishing Kissing Games and maybe Love and Other Words too. These two books at either a quarter, if not half, way finished so it wont take me long. I hope.

        Kissing Games by Tara Eglington  |  Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren




Book Mail:

This week I received a lovely order I made on Bookoutlet in the mail. And I have just finished up the video on the book haul. But I will be doing a separate post on that. So keep an eye out on that.
😊

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April TBR | 2018

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April TBR

I'm 10 days late to post my to-be read list for the month of April, but I'm still going to do this.

For the month I want to read more books than I did last month. So more than 3 books. I think I could do that.

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These two books I have to read. One. Because I signed up to participate in the blog tour for Kissing Games. Plus, I really liked the first book in the series, How To Keep A Boy From Kissing You.

Two. I was going to do an assignment based of Hamlet. So I have an obligation to read that book.

      Kissing Games by Tara Eglington                Hamlet by William Shakespeare       

 

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The Museum of Heartbreak is one of the books I have been carrying with me in my backpack. Since its short I think I can finish it one go but haven't gotten a moment to do so. Hopefully I can start and finish it soon.

Love and Other Words is a book I won on a Goodreads giveaway. I was glad I got it because I've been seeing it everywhere on my Instagram feed. And they've been saying good things about it so I want to find out for myself if its any good.

The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder       Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

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The Strangers on The Train sounded so good to me when I got it from Book Outlet months ago. But I still haven't even read a single page from it. Last year I read most of the Thriller / Mystery books I had on my tbr. Because of that I bought a few to keep reading in the genre. So far I've only read one. Killer Instinct.

The Scavengers is a middle grade book that I got just because it had a different sounding premise.

"When the world started to fall apart, the government gave everyone two choices: move into the Bubble Cities…or take their chances outside. Maggie's family chose to live in the world that was left behind. Deciding it's time to grow up and grow tough, Maggie rechristens herself "Ford Falcon"—a name inspired by the beat-up car she finds at a nearby junkyard."

That alone caught my attention. Now I just have to sit down and actually read it.

The Stranger on the Train by Abbie Taylor      The Scavengers by Michael Perry        

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Because Hardy Boys.

Hardy Boys #1 The Tower Treasure by Franklin W. Dixon

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Stacking the Shelves #10

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!



Update:

I haven't done that much reading this wee since My grandmother fell and hurt herself pretty bad. So where taking turns to take care of her which means I have no time to read. But I have been keeping close by some books just in case.
Kissing Games because I won it on a good reads giveaway a few months back. And I had read the first book in the series, How To Keep A Boy From Kissing You. Plus I'm participating in the blog tour for the book.

And Hamlet because I was going to do an assignment on it. So you already know I'm procrastinating and haven't read much from it.

Kissing Games by Tara Eglington        Hamlet by William Shakespeare     




Book Mail:

This week I received a book I won on a goodreads giveaway. It had been a long time since I had won anything so I was very exited to get this.  Plus, I've been hearing a lot of good things about this book. Seeing it all over Instagram. And lets not forget the beautiful shade of orange the cover has which my shelves needed.

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

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Young Adult Contemporary Romance | Valentine's Day 2018

Happy Valentine's Day!

A long time ago I did something like this where I mentioned books that I hadn't read and it didn't make that much sense. So I'm trying this again. This time with some books I've read. I'm also going to divide them by different categories.

Young Adult Contemporary Romance

Adult Contemporary Romance

No Romance But Cute Stories

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The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson

I'd like to say that If you like Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell then you'll love this book too. Its a lot nerdier and a lot more adorable.

It's also an adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing.

I loved this book so much. With references to Saga, Doctor Who, and DC and Marvel comics. And I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

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To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

One day Lara Jean Song finds out that all of her in-sent love letters have been sent without her permission and now all her crushes know how she felt about them.

I read this book a while back but still keep the same thought. That I loved every chapter I read. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

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Love & Gelato  by Jenna Evans Welch

Lina is sent to live with a man who may or may not be her father and she had just learned this fact.

With things like gelato, Italy, pastries and cute boys, what's not to like. I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars.

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No Love Allowed by Kate Evangelista

They must not fall in love. That's rule number one for Caleb and Didi. Because Caleb needs a fake girlfriend and Didi just got fired The day they both met.

This book got 4 out of 5 stars from me.

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Love Fortunes and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius

In a town where love is real will the unfortunate in love Fallon figure out how to change her fortune. Yes she will.

I loved this book so much that I really want to continue the series and read the second book, Love Charms and Other Catastrophes. Wait! I did that.

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How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You by Tara Eglington

Aurora has a secret, she's never been kissed and doesn't want to be unless the right guy comes into her life. But until then she enjoys matchmaking her friends with guys she thinks they would match up with perfectly.

After reading the entire book in one day (minus the first 36 pages which I had read months ago) I can honestly say that this is an awesome book with awesome characters and a great plot. I actually cried reading the last 100 pages. That's how good it is. Totally recommend and gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

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A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

Ellison has just gotten dumped by her boyfriend along with having the worst Monday ever.  Now she has to relieve the same Monday again and again trying to fix whatever she did wrong.

5/5 stars!!!

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How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You by Tara Eglington | Book Review

Book Review:
How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You by Tara Eglington

Spoilers?

Maybe.

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Title - How to Keep a Boy from Kissing You
By - Tara Eglington
Publication - October 25th, 2016 by St. Martin's Griffin
Format - Hardcover, 320 pages 
Genre - Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Sweet sixteen and never been kissed . . .

That’s Aurora Skye’s big secret. And the way she wants it to stay. She’s not going to give away her first kiss to just anyone. Busy dodging suitors and matchmaking for her best friends, Aurora (not so) patiently awaits her prince.

But everything changes when Aurora is coerced into a lead role in the school production of Much Ado about Nothing. Which means she’ll have to lock lips with her co-star Hayden Paris—the smart and funny boy next door who also happens to be the bane of her existence, always around to see her at her worst.

Now Aurora is more determined than ever to have her first kiss with the one who’s truly worthy of it. But first she’ll have to figure out just who that person is.

The Rating :

My Review:

My review in a gif. Which equals 5 stars.

via GIPHY

I want to say that this was sent to me for review from publisher and that, as all my reviews, this one is full of my honest opinions.

The Cover:

Although they say never judge a book by it's cover I believe the cover should represent what the book is going to be like or at least some aspect of it.

I loe the shade of blueand I love the font , but the first thing I noticed when I got this book from the mail was the cutouts of what is supposed to be the main character and the boy who wants to kiss her. Except that I did not like that part at all. If it was a better cut-out or something else alltogether.



The Story:
The story is based on the main character, Aurora Skye, and how she wants to meet her prince and give him her first kiss. Something she has been saving up just for him.But she doesn't have the best of luck when it comes to guys. None of them seem to fit her ideal prince. Even her next door neighbor and classmate, Hayden Paris who always seems to be there to witness her field dates.
Aurora decides to participate in the schools play─ Much Ado About Nothing─  along with her friends. And as it turns our she is the main character along with her “enemy” Hayden.


Relationships:

There were more than one couples, and relationships in this book but I will only talk about one of them.

Aurora x Hayden
Although they have a strange relationship. Her being all defencive, thinking he's out to get her and he's just constantly trying to get her attention I thought they were cute. 
Think “the guy who is constantly bothering the girl to get her to see him” plus “the girl whose mission it is to find her prince and give him her first kiss” all while they have to worry about school, friends, their family and the school play.


Family Dynamics:
As for Aurora’s family.
While her dad did try and be there for her after her mother left it wasn't a solid family dynamic. Her mother wasn’t Miss Perfect either. She was a bit of a b*tch to be honest.


Settings:
As for my favorite settings in this story:
I think the scene where they were on the set were cool. I liked how it waseasy to picture them in their costumes and the backgrond. Apart from that thre wernt that many settings that stood out to me.


Overall:
I managed to finish this book a few days ago in a single day (minus the first 36 pages which I had read months ago). The internet wasnt working so I just grabbed it from the shelves and it was like diving into water. I passed trough those pages like if I didnt finish this book I would miss something. 
While the story of Aurora and Hayde was very cute I didn’t like her friends stories with their respectable partners. I just thought it was forced. And it kind of was forced by Aurora. She was a bit too pushy with her friends and it ended up bittig her in the ass near the end. Almost.
I think that if her friends stories were better it would have been a brilliant book, but I get it, sometimes it's hard to give the side characters greater stories because they could outshine the main characters.

When they tarted the play and the rehersals all I was thinking about was Catherine Tate and David Tenant’s play of Much Ado About Nothing. It was brilliant and so funny and defintly cute. Hence the gif above.


I actually cried reading the last 100 pages. That's how good it is. Totally recommend!

Get a copy at:
Barnes&Noble  |  Amazon US

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Book Depository

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