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

BookCrushin is thrilled to be a part of today’s stop on the YA Bound Blog Tour for Sabrina Elkins first novel Stir Me Up. You will find all the book information, my book rating, my spoiler-free review as well as a tour-wide giveaway!

Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins

Category: Young Adult (Upper), Contemporary, Romance
Publication: October 1, 2013
Purchase: Amazon, B&N, Itunes, KOBO

[book rating=4.5/5.0]

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….

Review

So I am flying back to California from the East Coast after what can only be described as a gut wrenchingly emotional trip. I hate to fly as it is and I was surrounded by a screaming toddler and a man watching a super uncomfortable (re, tons of nudity) movie on his smart tablet. I chose this book randomly over the six I had queued up for review. And boy am I glad I did!  Not only did this sizzling book entertain the crap out of me but for 5 hours it literally transported me away from all the hell of air travel. So for that I say thank you Sabrina Elkins.

This is a debut novel and yet you would never know it from the wonderful effortless style that comes across the pages. From the flow, character development, family dynamic and chemistry of the two main characters everything just works in this book.

Speaking of chemistry Cami and Julian literally have it in spades. It doesn’t happen too often but every now and again I will read a book and there will be a few scenes that give me full blown butterflies. I mean like I am in high school and getting scoped by my crush butterflies. I got that feeling like 10x in this book. There is a slow burn to this relationship, it’s the tension, the fireworks, the fighting, and eventually the passion that really just has you sitting back going wow.

However, this is not a traditional love story folks. This deals with some heavy issues. Julian is an injured soldier that comes to live with Cami’s family while recovering. He’s dealing with intense emotional and physical issues but luckily Cami has enough pluck to deal with all of Julian’s attitude and blustering. From the moment Cami chucks a muffin at Julian’s head I was stuck on these two. Their chemistry and relationship is not one you will soon forget. I really did not want this story to end. I found that when I read the last page, coincidentally as my flight was descending, I was grinning from ear to ear like an idiot. This was a seriously fresh and entertaining story, I can’t wait for others to get stirred up just like I did.

And PS: I defy anyone to read this and not leave with a grumbling tummy, man all that talk of food made me ravenous!

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:

Blog, 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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