Snapshot by Angie Stanton - Review

Snapshot by Angie Stanton

The Jamieson Collection #2
First published June 2012

Published by Vanguard Management Inc.

Marti Hunter hates rockers and anything remotely related to the rock-and-roll lifestyle. She thought she’d left that all behind, along with her drug-addicted mother and absent-minded, rock legend father. Now she lives with her grandmother, and Marti’s life is finally normal. Just the way she likes it.

For Adam Jamieson, normal is not possible. He is the genius guitar player of the band Jamieson. He’s ecstatic to finally get a two-week break from his micromanaged life and a chance to hang with regular teens. Adam’s shaving off his trademark curls and going undercover.

But when Marti, the reluctant rock princess, and Adam, the undercover guitar wizard, meet, sparks fly in more ways than one. They spend their time alternating between making out and driving each other crazy. But their summer adventures of skinny dipping, storm watching, and stolen kisses are brought to a halt when tragedy strikes.

Suddenly, they’re on opposite sides of the country, just when they need each other the most. Can Marti survive life with her dad and his vicious girlfriend? Will Adam get so fed up with his over-managed life and controlling parents that he quits the band?

Snapshot. A moment in time that changes two people forever.

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Darian’s Review:

I read the first book in this series, Rock and a Hard Place, a few months back. I’ll admit I’m typically not much of a YA fan and was hesitant about reading it. But Stanton’s writing style, ability to tell a story, and talent for plot pace quickly washed those worries away. I’m happy to report that her sequel, Snapshot, also holds the things I loved about reading Stanton’s work the first time around.

True to Stanton’s style, the book starts off with lively characters that you can’t wait to get to know. Marti has many characteristics of your average teen. Throw in a bit of spunk, a dash of Stanton’s amazing ability at fleshed out emotions, and poof! She’s a girl any teen (or woman) can relate to and love.

Stanton has this way (which I have to say I’m a tad jealous of) of drawing you so deeply into the story that you completely forget the world around you. The story flows effortlessly, and again she paints beautiful scenes throughout the book, highlighting different aspects at just the right moment. Being a writer myself, I can’t help thinking about the author while reading a book. It just happens. Did they slave over it? How many drafts did they do? How many times did they write this scene to get it just right? But I didn’t think about Stanton once. Her story took me by the hand on the first page, and led me through it until the last page.

Stanton is one of the best I’ve seen at plot pace. She lifts you up so high that you’re smiling while reading, only to make you gasp at the precise moment, of course then urging you to hurry up and get to the next chapter. She’s really quite fantastic at creating the perfect timing for the story.

I felt the emotions of every character so raw that it seemed as if I knew them, that I was living the story with them. The challenges they faced in coming together and being torn apart made my heart race, and stop. I had to keep reading, and again, finished the book in one sitting.

Overall this was another great read by Stanton. She has a fantastic ability in creating real characters, real emotion, and real drama – with flare. There are about four authors that I will blindly buy their books, because I know it will be a good read. Stanton has now made that list. She’s just a very talented writer who clearly has what it takes to bring solid writing and stories time and again.

About the author:

Angie Stanton never planned on writing books, she wanted to be a Rockette. However, growing up in a rural setting with her brothers' 4-H pigs as pets, dance didn't work out. Instead she became an avid daydreamer. After years of perfecting stories in her head she began to write them down and the rest is history.

She loves dipping french fries in chocolate shakes, all natural disaster movies and Broadway Musicals. Angie is a proud double finalist of the 2011 National Readers Choice Awards for Love 'em or Leave 'em, as well as a finalist for the Golden Quill Award.

When not writing, Angie is concocting ways to make more dreams come true, whether it be tickets to a Broadway show or convincing her family they should rent an RV and travel the country.
 

Find out more on her website, Twitter, and Facebook.

Rock and a Hard Place by Angie Stanton - Review & Giveaway

Rock and a Hard Place
by Angie Stanton
The Jamison Collection #1
First published: April 2011
Published by Vanguard Management

One day while watching the Interstate exit for her dad’s long awaited return, Libby’s life is rocked when Peter Jamieson steps off his tour bus and into her life. After a couple chance meetings with Peter, Libby breaks away from her rule abiding behavior and her life changes course.

Peter longs for normalcy away from the screaming fans who know nothing about the real him. He is amazed to discover Libby has never heard of him or his band. Soon their friendship turns to love. While Peter battles his family's growing interference so he can spend time with Libby, she struggles with her eccentric aunt who turns more bizarre each day.

Their lives are torn apart when Peter's family intrudes and Libby disappears. Peter’s desperate search for her comes up empty. Can they find their way back to each other while the world plots against them?

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Darian's Review:

The premise of this book sounded interesting, but I’ll admit that I wasn’t expecting to get really into this book.  Boy was I wrong. 

From the start, we’re shown what a lonely life Libby leads, and I just wanted to hug the poor girl.  But when she meets Peter, one of three brothers in a hit boy band, she gets her first taste at what it’s like to feel alive again.  From their initial meeting there is a strong connection between them that neither can understand.  Peter finds himself doing something he never thought he would, ditching his band obligations, just to squeeze in time to see Libby.  I loved the connection between Libby and Peter; it brought me right back to the first time you fall in love.  The author did a fantastic job of pulling you back to those emotions; how strong and yet simple they are.

Aside from the difficulty with Peter’s hectic schedule, there stands another obstacle between their being together; Libby’s lunatic aunt.  I really, really, hated this woman.  Not because she was a poorly created character, but because she was a wonderfully created, evil woman.  This woman keeps Libby cooped up in the dilapidating farm house, hurling insults at the poor girl for her own amusement.  I hoped this woman had a terrible fate, she surely deserved it.  But being with Peter helps Libby come alive again and find her strength, and she’s finally ready to stand up for herself.  Then someone else tries to tear Libby and Peter apart.  And he does.  Libby’s life spirals out of her control.

I have to say, I really felt for Libby.  Just when her world finally has a spark of life in it, with a blink, it’s gone, and she’s faced with one horrible situation after another.  I got so wrapped up in the story, I was fully prepared to be mad at the author if Libby never got a break.  I was very (pleasantly) surprised by the suspense in the last half of the book.  Just as you thought Libby and Peter would find each other again, bang, they didn’t.  I had full intentions of reading this book over a few days, when I could squeeze it in, but I ended up so hooked I stayed up late and finished it in one night.

The author had a wonderful mix of description, setting, and dialogue.  She pulled the elements together flawlessly, like a true pro at the craft.  Anyone can learn to write, it can be grammatically correct, follow all the ‘rules’ of writing – but it takes a writer's heart to make a book feel real.  This author, no doubt, has a writer’s heart, and the talent to match.  I would recommend this book to anyone who is a YA or romance fan.

About the Author:
Angie Stanton never planned on writing books, she wanted to be a Rockette. However, growing up in a rural setting with her brothers' 4-H pigs as pets, dance didn't work out. Instead she became an avid daydreamer. After years of perfecting stories in her head she began to write them down and the rest is history.  She loves dipping french fries in chocolate shakes, all natural disaster movies and Broadway Musicals. Angie is a proud double finalist of the 2011 National Readers Choice Awards for Love 'em or Leave 'em, as well as a finalist for the Golden Quill Award.  When not writing, Angie is concocting ways to make more dreams come true, whether it be tickets to a Broadway show or convincing her family they should rent an RV and travel the country.
 

Snapshot, The Jamison Collection #2, was recently released in June 2012.

You can connect with Angie on her blog, Twitter, and Facebook. 

Giveaway:
1 winner will receive an e-book copy of Rock and a Hard Place.

How to enter:
Just fill out the form below!

Additional optional entries:
+1 Follow Angie Stanton. (Her social media links are included above.)
+1 Leave a blog post comment.   

Giveaway Details:
This giveaway is open internationally. Giveaway will close at midnight on August 4th. Must be 13 or older to enter. Winner will be chosen using random.org. Winner will be emailed, and this blog post will be updated to include the winner. Winner has three days to reply, or a new winner will be selected.

Sorry! This giveaway is over.

Winner: Franchie15