Thursday 9 August 2018

❤ AS DUST DANCES ❤ Samantha Young ❤ #PlayOn2 #CompleteStandalone ❤ #BlogTour

© Bianca Janeane
    




• 7 August 2018
• book #2 in the Play On series
• complete standalone!
(But! Book #2.5 will be about the sister from As Dust Dances!)
★★★★★
5 Stars
The New York Times Bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series and PLAY ON returns to the world of the arts in this intense and emotional standalone romance about love, sacrifice, and surviving both.

Once upon a time Skylar Finch was the lead singer of a hugely successful American pop-rock band. But fame made her miserable. When years of living a lie suddenly ended in tragedy, Skylar fell off the map.

Eighteen months later she’s sleeping in a tent in a cemetery in Glasgow, making just enough money to eat by busking on the streets. She manages to avoid recognition, but not the attention of one of Glasgow’s ambitious A&R executives.

Killian O’Dea works at Skyscraper Records, Scotland’s most successful record label. Raised by his uncle and owner of the label, Killian’s upbringing would have been devoid of affection entirely if it wasn’t for his loving sister. Killian is unflinchingly determined to bring the label more success than ever, and the young homeless woman who busks on Buchanan Street is going to help him do that. Her music speaks to him in a way he refuses to over-analyze. All he knows is that if it can touch his dark soul, it’ll set everyone else’s alight.

Skylar makes it clear that she doesn’t want to sign with him. But when she experiences the dangerous reality of a woman sleeping rough, Skylar has no one else but Killian to turn to. An undeniable connection forms between them. But Skylar doesn’t want the career Killian is trying to forge for her, and when her past comes back to haunt her Killian will be faced with a decision that could ruin him. He must either free Skylar from his selfish machinations and destroy everything he’s ever worked for, or lose a woman who has come to mean more to him than he ever thought possible




Skylar used to be a teeny-rock-band-super-star in America. Now she's sleeping in a tent in the back corner of a cemetery in Glasgow.
After 'fleeing' from home she spent a year backpacking through Europe and ended up in Scotland, singing and playing her beloved guitar on the streets to make enough money to eat, use the laundromat and maybe shower once a week in the swimming center.



Killian sees her singing one day and he wants her. For his uncle's record company. He needs her. He needs to prove to his idiot of an uncle that he's got what it takes to be the best in the business. But Skylar doesn't want to be famous anymore. But she also doesn't want to waste away or worse on the streets ...

What will happen with Skylar in Scotland??
Will she find her Happily Ever After??
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
 






Eeeep ... book #2 in this amazing new Sam Young series! (all standalones with no connected characters. Even though Killian's adorable sister Autumn will get her own story in book 2.5!)

I loved AS DUST DANCES!
(LoL - from the cover and title, I kinda somehow assumed this was a ballet romance! It's not!☺)

I already mega-adored the first book PLAY ON, and this one was just as amazing.
So heartbreaking and sad and ugh! The whole first part of the book had this sad-and-wet-Glasgow-autumn-day mood to it.
You just want Skylar to accept whatever it is that Killian is offering. She has to get off the streets. It's too dangerous. And she's so effing talented. She needs to be heard.
But of course she has her reasons for escaping home and for living the way she is living at the moment....
Killian has quite a bit of work to do until he can convince her of signing with him. And to not hate him anymore.

Killian is a very ... strange person in the beginning. We only have Skyar's POV, so we don't have any idea what the what with him. He's somewhat fascinating, but also so very unfeeling and cold and secretive-ish. He doesn't talk much. But of course we also know that we'll fall for him along the way.

What can I say - I just loved this book!
Perfect romance! With allllllll the feels!!! ♥
So many beautiful moments. Sad moments. Heartbreaking moments. Scary moments. Music moments. I loved it.
I wouldn't mind if Netflix or Hollywood came along to make something out of it!!!

AS DUST DANCES was a heartbreakingly beautiful  & emotional music love story. About a girl who is finally ready to face the past and to fight for a very happy future ... Run to your nearest amazon to see if she finds her happily ever after with Killian - but get your own hottie Scottie - this one is MINE! ☺

If I had to name some things I didn't love-love ... I would've loved to get Killian's POV. We just don't get much from him. He's not a talker and we don't get to know him enough to be an amazing book hero. I needed a bit more from him. His POV would've been perfect, but also maybe some more talking or ... no idea. We don't hear anything from him and suddenly he's in love with Skylar? It was a bit weird because we just don't understand what he was thinking all along. Yes, we saw his looks and a bit of his feelings, but I needed more.
And then the Britishness of the book. Skylar is from America and the expression living or sleeping rough is used a million times. That's not really American. It might be used by Americans too, but I wanted a change of expression at least a few times. Just use Sleeping on the streets or anything other than sleeping rough. It didn't make the book bad, it just got on my nerves after the 3rd time :(





ARC received for an honest review

I would pick up the phone book if Samantha Young wrote it, and even though I am not a big fan of YA (I am an old fart, they often feel wwaaaaaayy too young for me), I completely adored As Dust Dances.

I didn't read the blurb of this story before I read it, because sometimes I just love diving in completely blind.  And it was worth doing this here.

As Dust Dances did not feel YA or even NA to me.  Our leading lady Skylar has been through so much in her life that she feels a lot older than her early 20's.  I can't count how many times I sobbed, how many times I had to put the book aside because I needed a minute.

I adored Killian - even when I wanted to punch him!  However, he is such a non-verbal kind of guy, that I found myself wanting to know more - more about him, more of his thoughts and feelings.  Like Skylar, I was left wondering at times where his head was at.  Yes, I could feel the connection between Killian and Skylar, but at times was unsure of what he really wanted.


Heartbreaking and hauntingly beautiful, Skylar Finch's story is one that will have you crying, will have you hoping, it will have you thinking.

And now I am thinking "I Want More!"

I can't wait to see what Ms Young brings us next.





• GIVEAWAY •

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• EXCERPT •

My wrist protested as I pulled my sweater over my head. I was just reaching for Killian’s tee when his office door opened. “Are you read—”
We both froze.
Me in my bra and jeans.
His lips parted, not even hiding that he was taking in every inch of me. I flushed all over.
Killian cursed under his breath and then slammed his office door shut so no one would see me from the hall while finally turning his back to me. He sounded hoarse when he spoke. “Sorry. I thought you’d be dressed by now.”
“My wrist was hurting,” I lied. “I needed a minute.”
That was all it took to make him move. Suddenly he was in front of me, grabbing the tee out of my hands. “What are you doing?” I tried to cover myself.
Killian gave me an impatient look. “It’s not anything I haven’t seen before. Lift your arms.”
“I can put the tee on myself.”
“The longer you argue, the longer I see you half-naked. I’m a man who appreciates the female form, so I don’t mind. I can do this all day.”
Grunting, I lifted my arms, my annoyance with him lessening as he carefully pulled it down over my head and then gently placed my arms through the short sleeves. He shrugged it down slowly, as if savoring those moments of naked skin.
My breath caught as his fingers brushed the sides of my breasts and my eyes flew to his as he pulled the T-shirt down excruciatingly slowly, caressing my skin with it. Those dark eyes smoldered.
Then somehow, we were standing closer, our bodies almost touching. Excitement tingled between my legs and I felt my nipples peak against the fabric of my bra.
A flush crested Killian’s cheeks and his chest rose and fell in shallow breaths.
I forgot everything.
Where I was.
Who I was.
Who he was.
All I could think about was the way my skin prickled to electrified life under his touch. I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted him to push me up against his desk, rip my jeans off, and thrust into me.
My breath shuddered at the thought and Killian’s eyes blazed even hotter, as if he’d been able to read my mind.
“Sir, Mr. Byrne would like to speak with you!” Eve’s voice called through the door and shattered the moment.
Killian stumbled back. His hands dropped from my waist, allowing the T-shirt to fall.
I tried to catch my breath as he whirled away from me. “Just … Just a second,” he called back.
“Killian …”
He glanced over his shoulder at me, his expression unreadable. “I’m Killian again?”
Confused, I blinked. “What?”
Exhaling heavily, he shook his head. “Nothing.” Then his nostrils flared as he stared at me. I glanced down at myself. His T-shirt drowned me. It also smelled of him, which was very bad because I really needed to stop thinking of Killian and sex in the same sentence, and wearing his scent was not helping. “I look ridiculous.” But I didn’t think Killian thought I looked ridiculous at all.

 LINKS TO THE BOOK & AUTHOR 
  
  



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Samantha Young is the New York Times,  USA Today  and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of adult contemporary romances, including the On Dublin Street series and Hero, as well as the New Adult duology Into the Deep and Out of the Shallows.  Every Little Thing, the second book in her new Hart’s Boardwalk series, will be published by Berkley in March 2017. Before turning to contemporary fiction, she wrote several young adult paranormal and fantasy series, including the amazon bestselling Tale of Lunarmorte trilogy. Samantha’s debut YA contemporary novel The Impossible Vastness of Us will be published by Harlequin TEEN in ebook& hardback June 2017
Samantha has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award 2012 for Best Author and Best Romance for On Dublin Street, Best Romance 2014 for Before Jamaica Lane, and Best Romance 2015 for HeroOn Dublin Street, a #1 bestseller in Germany, was the Bronze Award Winner in the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2013, Before Jamaica Lane the Gold Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2014 and Echoes of Scotland Street the Bronze Medal Winner for the LeserPreis German Readers Choice Awards for Best Romance 2015.
Samantha is currently published in 30 countries and is a #1 international bestselling author.