Leigh Talbert MooreRezensionen

Sweet story but unfortunately for me a tad young for me. Unlike many books out there, these junior year high school students really were as clueless as real-life, which is refreshing because no one has great wisdom in HS but also didn't stimulate me enough to become invested in the characters. Probably a great book for a young reader.

Sometimes all you need is a nice and easy YA book with an interesting protagonist and a thrilling storyline and that was exactly what I hoped for when I picked up Dragonfly. I’m not going as far as saying I was disappointed, but I wasn’t as impressed as I thought I would be. (There is a lot of I’s in that sentence!).

Anna is not my favorite protagonist ever. I found her incredible stupid and I was so embarrassed for her when she chased after Jack - seriously girl, have some self-respect. There are times where she was a normal, sensitive teen, but they were few and far between. I did however love the fact that her parents and her grandmother was an active part of the story and actually helped her in the story. Way to often the parents have gone missing from YA books.

I adored Julian, even though he obviously isn’t flawless. I didn’t get his patience about Anna, but he’s so sweet, talented and amazing. He demanded nothing from her, but gave her everything. Jack, on the other hand, was an ass. He toys with Anna’s emotions - treats her like a woman one minute, then turns around and treats her like a child. I drove me insane! He’s also a very fast mover and takes it too far on his and Anna’s first evening together. Throughout the story he seems interested only in his own feelings and Anna’s body. I really can’t stand him!


I had some pretty big issues with the story and the following may contained small spoilers:

Anna and her friends decide to go drag racing and obviously that calls for alcohol (wait, what?!). Two of the guys crashed and has to go to the hospital and Jack asks Anna to drive one of the girls home because the two of them can’t be there when the police arrives because they had too much to drink. At NO POINT in the story has Anna any remorse about drunk driving! It’s just so wrong and so far off from the Anna I’ve gotten to know.

At some point Anna is at a party at the twins place and she finds Jack all over another girl. They aren’t together at this point, but obviously she gets upset and leaves the part. The next day (or a couple of days later - I don’t remember) he finds her at the beach and explains to her, that he didn’t know she was going to be at the party. That’s all the explanation she gets and apparently it’s enough because moments later she’s all over him. Gawd!!

And my last problem: At some point Anna gets, as Christmas gift from Lucy, a picture of Anna and Jack, despite the fact that Lucy knows Anna isn’t seeing him anymore and the picture really hurts her. What kind of friends does that? So inappropriate!

No more mini spoilers

The mystery part of the story is too easy to figure out, but it really doesn’t matter. It kind of gives the story a TV-show-feel that I really liked. The writing is very enjoyable and it’s easily read - no questions asked; Leigh. T. Moore knows how to write. Dragonfly is an okay read for the beach and I plan on continuing the series, mostly to figure out which of the guys Anna ends up with.

When I was first approached by Leigh T. Moore to review The Truth about Faking, I have to admit that I fell in love with the premise. What could be more fun than reading about a group of high school kids who just want to figure out love? It sounded sweet, and funny! So I jumped in head first. It took me a little while to fall into step with Harley and her friends, but once I did I was enjoyed myself.

Let's start with what I loved. Jason definitely makes this list! Here is a character that is just impossible not to fall in love with. Adorable, witty, and just all together nice. It was a breath of fresh air to see a guy character who wasn't trying to constantly be a bad-boy type. I also really loved Harley's mom and dad. Her mom especially! A hippie at heart, and an herbalist by profession, she was one of those moms that shines off the page. She cared about Harley, and it showed. I so enjoy families who actually care about one another!

Harley herself took me a bit longer appreciate. I'm not going to deny that I wanted to shake some sense into her more than a few times. She's a sweet girl. Misguided sure, but definitely not evil-minded. All Harley really wants is Trent, and she's willing to do a lot to get what she wants. I did appreciate how Moore gave Harley a conscience though. We've all acted on instinct, and Harley is no exception. However the difference is that Harley actually learns from her mistakes. Refreshing!

Overall my biggest issue with this book was how long it took for me to become invested. I loved Jason, and because of that I wanted to shake Harley for the way she was treating him. I didn't really care for Trent. Or Shelly, who is supposed to be Harley's best friend and yet treats her pretty badly. The pacing in the beginning also felt a little rushed, and it wasn't until midway that I finally began to understand the characters. Trust me though, it's worth reading on! I loved the ending, and no I won't spoil it.

Ultimately The Truth About Faking ended up being a book that I enjoyed, and that I definitely recommend. If you are a reader who loves a good contemporary romance, then this is one for you.

I must say that I am wholly impressed by Leigh T. Moore's newest book! Rouge is one heck of a read. I came for the story, and fell deeply in love with everything about it. By the end my mouth was gaping open, my eyes were a little teary, and all I wanted was more book. Indie fans rejoice! This is a gem, and I know you're going to want to snag a copy for yourself.

Our narrator, Hale, is portrayed vividly and is easy to fall in step with. Growing up in the back wings of a cabaret, Hale has quickly learned that the only way to survive is to play the game. Her plan is to shine as the star of the show, snag a rich man, and have him take her away forever from her old life. Everything is going perfectly, until Beau comes into the picture. A sweet stagehand with nothing to offer but his love, he throws a gorgeous wrench into Hale's story and it brings everything to life. Truth be told, all of the characters in Rouge are wonderfully rendered. There isn't a single one that I didn't enjoy and think sped the story along.

Reader be warned, this is marked Upper YA and Adult for a reason. There are some steamy scenes and some colorful language. Then again, keep in mind that this is a story about a 1890's cabaret. In my honest opinion there wasn't anything that didn't belong there. Each aspect that Moore writes into Hale's world brings the cabaret to life. The costumes, the crowd, even the seedy goings on backstage, all conspire to draw you in, and keep you hooked until the inevitable end. And what an end it is!

If I'm being honest, there is really nothing that I didn't love about Moore's story! The characters are well written, the setting portrayed with sumptuous perfection, and the plot is compulsively readable. It's the type of read that flies by, and then leaves you wanting so much more. I can promise that is you enjoy historical fiction that is on the lighter side, this is for you! Rouge comes at you highly recommended from this bookworm.

http://shesgotbooksonhermind.blogspot.com/

Harley (exceptionally cool name for a girl) is a typical teenager who has fallen for the popular boy, Trent. Trent is actually a very nice guy so I am proud of Harley for choosing someone like him to crush on. I don't know about you but I usually get over my crushes after a couple of months or a school year. Some show that they are not really great people or I don't think I would be able to talk with them. That might be why she was so persistent to get the guy. He was a decent guy. But then she meets Jason who hello! Obviously likes her. He was incredibly nice to her and all the time was so happy that he was "fake" dating her because he really liked her. She could easily talk with him, he had a great personality, and he was good looking too... This is where you wonder what the main character's problem is. Why can't you see what's right in front of you? If the dream guy was actually the dream guy he would have asked you out a long time ago especially since you did well and made an effort to get noticed by him. If he liked you he would say wow! She's beautiful and seems like a really nice person I can talk to. Let me ask her out. But no. That doesn't happen and you have another guy willing which you decide isn't good enough... Sigh.

Her friend! Oh how I did not like her so very much. Her parents got divorced and apparently that's a good reason to go from guy to guy. Not only that but to prey on the main guys that her best friend clearly has feelings for? She is not your friend. I couldn't be friends with someone like her. She didn't even redeem herself in my eyes. She just kept on being that perky popular girl that everyone gossips about behind her back. And she wants that! She wants the attention! Stop. Giving. It. To. Her. She frustrated me to no end. I'm glad she wasn't a major character in the story and I didn't have to deal with her that much.

There was a second aspect of this story that creates some mystery for me. I kind of had a feeling to what was happening later on with them and another character which sounds bad but I was very happy that it was put into this story. It was perfect. Anyways her mom is a massage therapist which has gotten her some enemies in the church. Her father is the main reverend and he beat out one of the woman's husband so she now makes it her mission to make rude comments to her mother any time she sees her. So the potential gossip Harley feels might come out of the weird relationship that her mother and her mother's assistant, Ricky, have makes her super anxious. She bothered me with how she was feeling with this and the things she was doing to Jason. Jason deserved better treatment. It's not like I totally don't like her. I actually really liked the story even if she was the type that took a while to realize how silly she's been acting. The story kept me engaged with romance and gossip. I really wanted someone to bring down that woman a peg who kept on being nothing but rude to her mother. I couldn't wait till Harley admitted how wrong she was. It was like the author promised - a sweet romance that I couldn't help devouring right away.

This is a pretty good YA book for those middle schoolers who love the YA books. The main character, Harley, is the daughter of a minister, and while some of her friends cuss and party too hard, she doesn't agree with those things and has no problem telling her friends not to swear. Their family is careful about how Harley talks, how she dresses, they keep tabs on where she is, and they have high expectations for her behavior. Her parents are in a very loving and strong relationship. All of those things can be all too rare in a YA book. I also really appreciated how the author dealt with the topics of religion and homosexuality and was very respectful and kind about both. The story itself is cute and the characters are very likeable - with one exception for me, and that was the character of the best friend. She went off the deep end after her parents divorced and went from boy to boy to boy, and didn't seem to be a very good friend to Harley. At the end it wrapped up her story all too neatly and I didn't buy it at all. Other than that, I quite liked this book and think my older middle schoolers will enjoy it.

Areas of concern:
*The *s* word and a few others were used a little too frequently, but the main character never said them and she disapproved.
*The best friend wants to make out with every guy she meets.
*There is suspected adultery.
*There is kissing and tongues are mentioned.
*Homosexuality is discussed.
*Religion is discussed.

http://read-me-maybe.blogspot.com

WOW!!! What a great series!! I originally read Dragonfly because it was free and I ended up really liking it. I then had to get Undertow to read and liked it. It was great to get the history on the characters and their families in Undertow. I had to then get the last two books, Watercolor and Mosaic to see what would happen and I loved them both!!! I could not get enough of the love story that surrounded Julian and Anna in these last 2 books. I hated the heartbreaking parts but that is part of what makes it all better. If you are looking for a good love story I highly recommend this one. While it does seemed to be geared towards a little younger audience then I am I still loved it. This series must be read in order! Happy reading!½

Stopped at 18%. DNF'ed.

This YA sampler of historical fiction introduced me to several new authors. The samples were long enough that I could tell which books I would want to read in the future. I've already purchased the one by Lee Strauss, Jars of Clay. This is a great way to check out multiple authors without having to invest in books that don't turn out to be as well written as you had hoped they were.

NOTE: I received this book through Netgalley. Thanks!

Well, let me begin by saying that I devoured this book. It flowed so well, I couldn't wait to reach the ending. But I can't say I was satisfied with the contents. In fact, I was a bit disappointed. Here's why.

The Truth About Letting Go deals with a girl, Ashley, who's father died of cancer. He'd been this consumed by healthy choices man, but the horrible disease still got to him. Which is why Ashley decided that God was mean, or just didn't exist - you know, because He let this amazing man die. I'd say 'man up and grow some balls' but you know, that's just fiction.

Anyway, so instead of going through the process of mourning her dad, what Ashley did was get angry and reckless.

You see, that's something I can't ever understand. I mean, she'd believed in God all her life (or at least that's what she said, and also she prayed and fasted hoping her dad would get better) and then one hardship comes her way and poof! All her faith is gone. Granted, it isn't easy to lose a parent, or a loved one in general, but a believer should know better. No matter that she's just a teenager - King David wasn't much older when he defeated Goliath, was he?

Throughout this novel all Ashley did was try to be someone she was not. And the only progress was that she figured she (partially) isn't that person and went back to normal. However, she didn't let God back in. That's sad, honestly. So truth be told, I don't know how to feel about her. One minute it felt like there was hope for her, then the next one she screws everything up. She was running hot and cold all the time and that just didn't make me love her.

Then there's Jordan. He had always had a crush on Ashley, but he was a good guy, who had intentions to be a pastor one day. So when Ashley sort of rushed him with open arms, there were two possibilities for him. I'm so proud of the way he handled it. And not only that scene but all of it. He didn't judge and was super supportive all the way through. What I don't understand is why he has feelings for Ashley. I mean, he fell in love with her because of what exactly? She just played him most of the time.

Enter bad boy Colt. Or wait. No. He isn't really a bad boy, though that's what we're told throughout the book. He's more like a joker, a prankster. Nothing more. Besides, his pranks were borderline stupid. I mean, what kind of a teenage bad boy would think that stuffing toilet paper in the school bathrooms would be fun? Anyway. This screams anything but bad boy to me. It screams weird, to be honest.

So in conclusion, I can't say this was a bad book, but it wasn't in no way perfect either. I did enjoy it though.

This is a very cute story! I love the feel of thinking its all a game when it’s not.

Plot: This plot is about a girl who has a pretend boyfriend and in the mist of things, she falls in love with him. I absolutely love this story. It’s a very cute read with tons of great characters and plot. The plot also goes in to detail with her family as well as her friends. One thing about this plot is that it feels very real and you can connect with the characters.

Love: This love is super fun to read. It does reach a climax of choices but I like that it takes her a while to see what she needs to do. Over the course of their friendship and love, both Jason and Harley start to question what they are doing. There relationship also has some strained with family problems as well as friend drama. It’s good to see this relationship build slowly to a wonderful friendship and love.

Ending: I love this ending. It is a HEA and I’m okay with that. Being with all the characters have gone through, they deserve some peace.

This is a very cute and fun read. Super easy to get into and love, The Truth About Faking captures a fantastic teenage voice that is brought to life with a great satisfying plot. A fun romantic drama that is touching, The Truth About Faking is great.

What an very interesting story! I don’t think I’ve read anything like this in a while.

Plot: This story is based back in the late 1800′s in a cabaret. In case you don’t know what that is, cabaret a form of entertainment featuring music and drama, mostly performed by women. Another words, Burlesque dancers. During this time period, young women, in their teens performed in this place to make money. Having this story based on this is not only intriguing but totally captivating. Reading this story, makes this era feel…alive.

Love: This area I felt was done right, cause back then this is why women would marry. Most didn’t marry for love. They married for convenience…money. They needed to meet a wealthy man so they can get off the streets or rather out of the cabaret. I like that this love developed slowly throughout the book, giving the reader time to invest in the characters.

Darkside: These ladies may have some fantastic moments on stage but off stage is another secret. They are force to do things, like entertaining ugly, mean, old men. The horrors of what these girls go through, it breaks my heart.

Ending: AHHHHHH! That’s all I’m saying!!

Stepping back into the time period and reading such a emotional filled book is great. This story has so much to offer with the music, lights and action! Rouge is a fantastic start to a series I look forward to reading. Beautifully written, Rouge is great.

The Truth About Letting Go is a wonderful book on the subject of grief and moving on after loss. LTM does a great job pulling you into Ashley's world of pain and anger. It's so much easier to loose yourself then deal with the anguish. I can't say that I've personally felt the loss of a close loved one, but I can tell you that I'd probably feel the same as Ashley.

Cover and Writing
I really like the cover, its contemporary (my favorite) and kind of whimsical. You wouldn't think that there were some sad issues just by looking at the cover. The writing style is also great. It is in the first person from Ashley's POV. The style is easy to read and relate to.

Main Character
Ashley was a daddy's girl, and the sudden loss of her father has completely devastated her. I can relate to her grief, however sometimes she seems a bit childish.. which is understandable. I also don't like the fact that it takes her until the end of the book to decided that Jordan's secret is not the end of the world. I mean really!

Swoonworthy Points: 7.5
The first kiss shared between Ash and Jordan was enough to get your heart pumping! Sweet Baby Jesus!! There were other swoonworthy scenes in this book too. I think though, that this book was more centered on moving on and dealing with grief than romance.

Final Thoughts
I think TTALG is a great read, it takes you through a range of emotions from sad to steamy. It was a pretty quick read that leaves you wanting to know what happens next.

review on blog: http://tumblinginbooks.blogspot.com/2013/07/the-truth-about-letting-go-by-leigh-...

While I LOVED the first book, The Truth About Faking, The Truth About Letting Go just didn’t blew me away, unfortunately. I feel kind of mixed about this book.

So Ashley’s dad died and she had a hard time keeping up with life. I mean, who wouldn’t right? So she went all good girl gone bad and depended on the adrenaline rush that she gets from it. Or as I call it, self-destruct. It was pretty cliché of course, but I never have trouble with cliché, in fact I love it. But for this one… I think the pace of it went a little too fast.

For the characters… I think the others are okay except for Colt. Colt and I need a one to one time and talk. Is his character supposed to be hot in the book? If yes, I’m so sorry to say this but Leigh Talbert just didn’t nailed it. I’m all for the hot bad guys in books but Colt is just an outright jerk for me. It just feels like he doesn’t have enough characters.

Despite all my complains, The Truth About Letting Go was still worth the read and enjoyable. It took on the topic of people trying to move on with life after their love one’s death and I guess she kind of made her point there.

Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.

I was really disappointed by The Truth About Faking. I was expecting a fun, sweet, romantic comedy type book, but what I got wasn't that. It tried at being it, but in my mind it completely failed. The romance happened way too fast to be believed, and their chemistry just really wasn't all that. With either boy. :/

Jason was way too annoying, and Trent was from the very beginning just not the right guy. There's a big twist involving Trent, but sadly it was very unsurprising and way before it came out it was totally obvious, which...you know, sometimes I like a little mystery.

Harley herself wasn't all that great of a character. She was flat and uninteresting from the beginning, and she managed to fall in love with a boy that she was "fake-dating" pretty dang quickly. It was pretty close to insta-love. They didn't actually spend much time kissing (as opposed to the description, maybe once or twice when they were "in love"), and most of the time that they spent together was focused on her dating Trent, which was just strange.

All in all, The Truth About Faking was a huge disappointment for me, but if it sounds like something you'll like you should give it a shot.

Undertow by Leigh T. Moore
Series: Dragonfly Book 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: ?? see below
Release Date: July 18th 2013
Print Length: 337 pages
Format: Nook
Source: Purchased
Review Date: July 19th 2013
Cover Rating: 5 Stars
Steam Rating: Hot
Overall Rating: 5 Stars!

Review:
Let me start by saying what this book was not. It is not a standalone, does not resolve much, and is not for people who think in black and white. It is for people who know that we, as people, have faults, and live in the “gray area” most of the time. Love is not something we have control over, it has control over us.

So why did I give it 5 stars? For many reasons. It NEVER let me go from the second I picked it up. I was completely taken over by this story, and the characters—I felt everything viscerally. And although I already knew how it ended (from the first book), it didn’t stop me from being on the edge of my seat the entire time.

I thought it would be interesting, with the journal entries, but I didn’t realize that I would find the parents story more interesting than their children’s. So if you liked Dragonfly, you will LOVE Undertow. It is the intense, tragic, and heartbreaking love triangle story of Jack and Juilian’s parents told via their diaries. Anna was given them at the end of Dragonfly.

Another great thing about this book is that it fits into no category. Although Dragonfly was more of a Young Adult book, with the characters in high school; Undertow was all over the place, Young Adult thru New Adult to Mature Adult. It had steam that Dragonfly lacked—and therefore cannot qualify as YA.

Overall, I highly recommend reading Undertow—and this series. It is sort of like a soap opera (and I’m not of fan of them) with so many different story lines, but better. I will definitely continue to read installments of this series. The next one Watercolor comes out in October 2013.
~StacyHgg
Books Unhinged Book Blog

Shallow. Selfish.

Those are the only adjectives I can use to describe every part of this book.

Ashley. She was so fucking confusing and I really don’t understand her thought process. I understand that everyone grieves a different way but her thinking was just strange. She used people to no end and I was fed up by the time she barely started to give a shit about someone else.

Charlotte. Uh. Okay. She was weird and I still don’t understand her obsession with Ashley’s dad. She was a bitch. End of story.

Ashley’s friend, who I can’t even bother to remember her name, was probably the worst of the worst. She didn’t give a shit about anyone else’s feelings and I would’ve had to knock a bitch out if someone were ever so inconsiderate to me.

Colt. For a moment there, towards the end, he redeemed himself and we can sort of understand what he is trying to run away from. Still, he was giving off that rapist vibe for a good percent of the book and I won’t get over that car scene. (Nothing sexy about it. Nothing.)

Jordan. Poor Jordan. Stuck in a town with all of these crazy ass, self-absorbed people. He is the best part of this book.

Now, despite all that, there was one thing that really got me. I don’t take death easily, there are some of us that have been hit by it greatly, and these past few years of my life have taken some really awesome people from me.

And this fucking book made me cry. And I woke up thinking about it and I cried some more.

So yeah. 1.5 stars. Really fucked up, bitchy, overwhelmingly egotistical characters who made me cry.

Love triangle time!

Anna Sanders has started off with a bang! New friend Lucy and Lucy's smokin hot (and mysterious) twin brother Jack. Even though Anna tries to avoid it, she is drawn to Jack as much as he is to her. When she get mixed signals from Jack, she looks to her equally hot friend Julian for friendship and a distraction. But secrets begin to surface...

Great read! Who doesn't love a good love triangle with a dash of mystery! Heck - I couldn't even decide who to pick between Jack (popular guy) & Julian (more bad boy favor)! Ready for book two!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review for Netgalley.

Gotta love Hale... In love with Beau and juggling her backup plan Freddie, she tries her best to escape the cabaret/brothel with Teeny unharmed while the brothers who own it do nothing to protect them all.

This was a pretty good story! The plot to keep Hale & Teeny safe kept me on edge. All of the other characters were very interesting as well. Slightly disappointed with parts of Beau & Hale's love story (felt like the build-up was great but the follow thru was lacking), I still enjoyed it. And the ending - of course! - leaves you wanting more!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review for Netgalley.½

As someone who enjoyed Leigh's first book, The Truth About Faking, I was looking forward to reading its companion, The Truth About Letting Go. This book is set in the same town, but focuses on new characters, so while the names of the previous book's characters are mentioned, it's not necessary to read it first. And while I liked The Truth About Faking, I can honestly say that this book is even better, not only in terms of the plot and characters, but also in the strength of the writing. I really liked this one a lot.

The Truth About Letting Go is a book that focuses on a lot of issues. Ashley, our main character, has just lost her dad, and is dealing with her immense sadness over that, as well as the fact that her mom has basically disappeared into her work. Add to that a crisis of faith - Ashley decides there must not be a God, because she prayed to him for the six months her dad was ill to no avail -and she's very unsure of who she is, or who she wants to be. This story is very much focused on Ashley's personal journey, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading every single second of it.

As well as Ashley, who I couldn't help but love even though she was making some very poor choices, there is a rather fascinating cast of characters that surround her. From her older brother, to the two love interests, to her best friend Mandy, I found each of them to be engaging and unique. Each of the characters (except perhaps Mandy) has their own backstory that's fleshed out and makes them feel real, which really added to the whole overall feel of the book.

There is a sort of love triangle, but not in the traditional sense, because it’s pretty clear who Ashley has actual feelings for. Normally love triangles turn me right off, but this one is realistic and done in a way that really portrays Ashley’s state of mind, particularly her anger and sadness over what's happened. I couldn’t help but be drawn to both boys, even though I obviously had an opinion on which one was better for Ashley (and she knows it, too).

As a heads-up, there is quite a bit of religious talk in this book, as well as some pretty hot and heavy makeout scenes that are quite steamily written. Because I know that both of those subjects are red flag issues for some, I wanted to make sure I mention it. Everything is handled very tastefully, though, and nothing is shoved in your face, at least in my opinion, but obviously your mileage may vary.

All in all, this was a really well done book. It covers a lot of topics, but it’s mostly about a girl who’s trying to rediscover who she is and what she wants. Ashley doesn't always use the best judgement as she tries to figure herself out, but everything is handled in a realistic and touching way that really draws the reader into her story. If you're looking for a satisfying contemporary read, do pick up The Truth About Letting Go! You won't be disappointed.

A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

BookNook — Young Adult book reviews

What initially turned me onto Rouge is how much it sounded like the movie Moulin Rouge. If you're not a fan of strong similarities, then I probably wouldn't recommend this book, just because they are so similar. But I personally really like sticking to things I enjoy. I love Moulin Rouge so I was really eager to try out this book!

Ultimately, I enjoyed Rouge. I think the one real bummer is that I wasn't crazy about the romance, and that's the main reason I'm not giving this book a higher rating. Just from reading the blurb, I expected the romance to be the center of the book, and I expected to fall head over heels with the emotional torture of having to choose between a passionate love, and a more convenient/"safe" lifestyle. While Hale does struggle with that, I didn't struggle with it as a reader because I didn't fall in love with her "supposed-to-be-passionate" relationship. So for me, there was no question as to who she should choose (and the other option—rich Freddie—was so sweet!).

The romance between Hale and Beau is extremely insta-love-y. I wonder if the time period had something to do with it. I'm not a historian, but I feel like in the 1890s people often did meet, feel attraction, and claimed they love each other. Was insta-love more common back then in real life? I don't know. But either way, I wasn't crazy about it in the book. Hale and Beau basically meet, feel lust, go on one date, and then proclaim their undying love for each other. There was clearly a physical attraction there, but that's all I ever saw—physical attraction. For the most part, they only really spoke pleasantries to each other ("Hello", "Thank you for assisting me", "How are you?"). They maybe had one intense conversation, but at the end of the day, they barely knew each other. But they were sharing dreams, professing love, and talking about marriage and running away together. I really wished I could have loved the romance because if I had, I would have been so much more connected to this book.

My other annoyance was with Teeny. I feel like I should give her some slack because she was twelve years old, but I just could not figure her out! She was so moody, and so hot and cold. One minute she was talking about how amazing love is and pointing out all these hot guys to Hale.. and the next, she was pissed at Hale for flirting with "her" man... as if Teeny actually had a chance when she flirted with men twice her age! When I was 12, I wasn't looking at like 20-40 year old guys and batting my eyelashes at them. Again, maybe this was a time period thing? Either way, she was just so immature and all over the place—that made it tough for me to like her and tough for me to encourage Hale to protect her.

Okay, now onto the good stuff!

I really enjoyed the scene in Rouge. Leigh really gave us a scary, creepy atmosphere. The women who are "employed" at the cabaret have to pray to god that they can sing or dance, or else they will end up working at the brothel that it turns into at night. That's what Hale is afraid of for Teeny. It was pretty intense to always be around that fear, and always wondering who was forced to become the next whore (that sounds mean but I don't know what other word to use). And then when Hale has a scare of her own, things get even more intense!

I think Roland was by far my favourite character. He was just so... likable! He's Hale's best friend, first love, and also happens to be gay. He makes it his first priority to watch out for Hale and ensure that she lives a safe life in this scary underground brothel. Roland's character was so sweet, funny, charming, and loyal. He proved time and time again that he is an amazing best friend and will always have Hale's back. I almost wish Roland was the love interest instead of Beau, since I never really liked Beau but I loved Rolan! And speaking of love interests...

I'm totally Team Freddie. Normally I'm all about the forbidden, secret love.. but Freddie was just so goddamn sweet. I never connected with Beau's character and never really fell for him. But Freddie was so charming, kind of dorky, cute, and insanely thoughtful and generous. I was kind of sad because the whole time I was reading the book, I figured Hale would probably end up with Beau, since the forbidden love always wins in the end—right? So I always felt so sorry for Freddie because he really genuinely cared about Hale and wanted to be with her. He wasn't just a stupid, stuck up rich guy. He was actually really sweet and doting. That's why I actually LOVED the ending, since she decided to go with Freddie after all! I know it's sad she doesn't really love him, and this is a series so she probably won't end up staying with him, but for now I'll live in my zone of happy, blissful ignorance and pretend that she and Freddie live happily ever after!

If only I fell for the romance, this book would get a higher rating from me! At least 4 stars, but maybe 4.5. But since the romance played such a central role in the book and I wasn't crazy about it, I have to stick with 3.5. But nonetheless, Rouge was an interesting read and I loved the struggles and hurdles that Hale faced.½

3.5/5 stars.

As someone who enjoyed Leigh Moore's first book,The Truth About Faking, I was really happy to be able to be a part of the Blog Tour for Rouge. True, this book sounded very different from her first, but I have a love of historicals, and the promise of a book set in a cabaret theatre in 1890s New Orleans was too much to pass up. Plus I kept seeing all these comparisons to Moulin Rouge, which I absolutely adored. Anyway, all of this is to simply say that I definitely wanted to read Rouge, and basically dove in head-first.

Mrs. Moore has a true gift for creating atmosphere. Some of my favorite parts of this book were her descriptions of Hale's life at the theatre; the musty, velvet curtains, the small rooms and tiny hallways, and the backstage descriptions of the show. Likewise, when Hale ventured outside of the theatre - particularly her nighttime stroll with Beau - her way of crafting Hale's surroundings made me feel as if I were right there with her. You could feel the humidity, smell the (not-so-great) smells, and experience the music and nighttime life of the city. As someone who likes her historicals to have an authentic flair, this was definitely right up my alley!

There is also a fabulous cast of characters in this book. You not only have our main character, Hale, but a whole host of supporting characters who live with her in her cabaret home and surround her day after day. My favorite of this bunch was definitely Roland, who I felt was one of the strongest aspects of the book. I loved his friendship with Hale, and really felt the connection between the two of them. You could tell just how much he cared for her, and she for him, and I loved their interactions and conversations. I also enjoyed watching Hale's love for Teeny, and her willingness to do whatever was required to keep her safe and cared for. This connection to Teeny drives much of this book, and becomes the reasoning behind Hale's decision-making, and I really felt like it was explored wonderfully and done in a way that really pulled the reader in.

My one complaint about this book is that I felt like there was a bit of insta-love going on between Hale and Beau. Hale has her entire life planned out, right down to how she's going to get Freddie to propose and take her and Teeny away with him, and I just felt like her connection to Beau occurred too fast. I understand the concept of love at first sight, but I just felt like Hale went from "he's attractive and I want him" to "I love him" a bit too quickly. It just seemed like she was attracted to his good looks rather than anything of substance, which was just totally at odds with how she'd lived and planned her life up to that point.

That being said, once Hale and Beau started spending more time with each other, I couldn't help but pull for their love to survive and overcome. Of course, nothing is that simple, and happily-ever-afters typically take a bit of work, and this wouldn't have been half the story if everything had come together clean and easy. The second half of the book was probably the strongest, because Hale was having to deal with things she never thought she'd have to do, and what she'd been working toward was completely turned on its head. She definitely became a stronger character, and I couldn't help but love her all the more for it.

Rouge is an extremely atmospheric read, full of love, danger and intrigue that keeps the reader fully invested in its pages. It's amazing cast of characters will make you fall in love with them, and want them all to have their own happy endings, whatever they may be. Hale is a strong, independent woman trying to do her best for those she loves, and not always succeeding. Be forewarned, though, that the ending is rather ouchy, although expected considering this is the first in a series. One thing's for sure, though: I'm definitely looking forward to the next book!

A copy of this book was provided via YA Bound Blog Tours for review purposes.½

Okay, first some truth. I love, LOVE, anything with the premise of fake dating. Books, TV shows, movies, or fan fiction. Whatever it is, if somebody in it fake dates to make someone else jealous, I am on board. So when I got the opportunity to review The Truth About Faking, I was so psyched. The reason I love this plotline so much, is because it sets up a whole framework for excellent drama. Inevitably real feelings evolve, inevitably someone is super oblivious and it causes drama, inevitably it's got plenty of amusement for the reader. But enough rambling about why I love this plot device, and let's get to why I really enjoyed this book. Leigh T. Moore has done an excellent job with this storyline and she's even thrown in some extra twists.

Initially, I didn't really care for Harley and her borderline stalkerish obsession with Trent. Girl needed to take a few steps back. Not to mention, she had a pretty big me, me, me attitude when it came to the help that Jason was going to give her. Of course, as the pages kept turn, I found myself warming up to her more and more. I really liked that the author also had a storyline regarding Harley's family, I think it's so nice when you get to see more into a characters life. I also thought it was really clever how she tied what was going on with Harley's family, into what was going with Harley. I love when you can see generational parallels.

This was definitely a cute, fun read, but there was also a little bit of serious thrown in and I think it gave it a nice bit of depth. I'm all for fluff, but I don't mind going a little deeper sometimes, too. I think there is a good message nestled in between these pages, not to mention a fun love story, and even some unexpected friendship. Definitely one worth giving a go and a huge thanks to Leigh T. Moore, for giving the me the opportunity to read this one :0)

When I accepted this book for review, I was hoping it would be a fun, cute contemporary read. And that's exactly what it ended up being. Even though it took me a ridiculously long time to finish The Truth About Faking, it wasn't really the book's fault at all; I just had SO many real life things to take care of that reading became secondary. Even when I was annoyed with the main character for her choices and decisions, each time I set it down it was generally with a smile on my face. I enjoyed watching the main character's growth as she realized that she'd been wrong, and I also enjoyed the fact that the book wasn't really all about her, but also included some issues with her parents, her church, and some other issues that are definitely affecting teens today. All in all it was a really well-written book that I enjoyed quite a lot.

I had a bit of trouble adjusting to the main character's name - Harley - at first, because I had a student by that name a few years ago and my Harley was very definitely a boy. So every time I read her name at the start, it threw me a bit. But aside from that, the book was instantly engrossing and fun. I loved watching how Jason - who wound up being my favorite character in the book - slowly turned Harley's carefully planned life completely upside down. I loved how she couldn't help herself from having fun with him on their "fake dates", even when she didn't want to. I liked watching her evolution, from someone who has an ideal "Mr. Right" to someone who realizes that sometimes what you have planned out for yourself is impossible, and actually not at all what you want.

What annoyed me with this book, though, was watching Harley jerk Jason around; she likes him almost from the get-go, but refuses to acknowledge it. She treats him terribly at times, and I actually sort of cheered when he finally stood up to her behavior. No guy should allow a girl to go back and forth like she was doing, and even though it's obvious how much he cares for her, she really needed to get herself figured out. I also could see some of the revelations coming from a mile away; that sort of bothers me, particularly when the main character is always so shocked at the developments. But again, Harley's inability to figure out what she wants made for a more detailed, better developed "growing up" process, and allowed the reader to really see her character growth.

If you're looking for a light, fun, contemporary book to read, give this one a try. I definitely enjoyed it from beginning to end, and any book that leaves me with a smile on my face and warm fuzzies in my heart is definitely a good thing.

A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.½

Review to come...