Today is my stop on the blog tour for Crista McHugh's young adult novel, Confessions of a Queen B*. It was a great read. Check out the excerpt and my review before you get your copy!
Crista McHugh CONFESSIONS OF A QUEEN B*
Releasing: July 28th, 2015
Blurb:
Alexis Wyndham is the other type of Queen B—the Queen Bitch.
After years of being the subject of ridicule, she revels in her ability to make the in-crowd cower via the exposés on her blog, The Eastline Spy. Now that she's carved out her place in the high school hierarchy, she uses her position to help the unpopular kids walking the hallways.
Saving a freshman from bullies? Check.
Swapping insults with the head cheerleader? Check.
Falling for the star quarterback? So not a part of her plan.
But when Brett offers to help her solve the mystery of who’s posting X-rated videos from the girls’ locker room, she’ll have to swallow her pride and learn to see past the high school stereotypes she’s never questioned—until now.
Excerpt
“By the way, I brought something from home that you might find helpful.” He pulled a black contraption from his backpack. “This is an infant carrier—very useful when you want to keep your hands free while carrying the baby.”
I tried to make sense of all the straps and fasteners, but after a few seconds, I was completely lost. I gritted my teeth. I would have to ask Brett for help. “How does it work?”
“Here, I’ll show you.” He looped two of the straps around my shoulders and snapped them into place. “The X goes in the back, and the pouch goes in the front like so. Then, you put the baby here and lock into place.”
Five seconds later, the doll was pressed against my chest, and Brett was conveniently helping it rest its head comfortably on my boobs. And much to my horror, I kind of liked him standing this close to me, touching that part of my body. It was far from actual groping, but every little brush of his fingers sent a little shiver through me. I was running dangerously close to giving into my hormones and letting him continue.
I slapped his hands away before it was too late. “Hands off!”
He backed away, hands up in front of him. “What? You have a nice rack.” His gaze lingered on that part of my anatomy. “In fact, I’m a little envious of Junior there.”
“I can’t believe you just said that.” I turned around and tried adjusting the doll so it wasn’t being smothered in my cleavage. The reprieve also gave me a moment to pull myself together. My cheeks were still burning from the realization that I was suffering from a bad case of Brett-itis. “Actually, I can. You’re a bonehead jock who’s too busy thinking with his dick.”
“God gave men both a brain and a penis and only enough blood to use one at a time,” he replied matter-of-factly.
“Well, start thinking with your other head before I take the lower one out of commission.”
“And we’re back to the ball-busting.” The amused glint in his dark brown eyes told me he’d witnessed my moment of weakness, that he saw the flush that still lingered in my face (and other parts of my body I refused to acknowledge). “So, back to getting your phone number…”
I closed my eyes to clear my head. “Just for exchanges, right?”
“Sure, if that’s what you want.”
“Yes.” So far, every conversation I’d had with Brett ended with me alternating between wanting to punch him in the face or jump his bones.
“No worries.” When I opened my eyes, he was focused on his phone. “Anytime now.”
I gave him my number, which he entered into his contacts. Part of me wanted to snicker. How pissed off would Summer be once she discovered my number in his phone?
“Do you want my number?” he asked when he was done.
“Kind of hard to get to my phone with this doll strapped to my chest.”
His eyes flickered to my chest again. This time, I managed to limit my response to pure annoyance and snapped my fingers in front of his face. “Eyes up here, bucko.”
“Fine, let me write it down for you.” He tore a scrap of paper off something in his backpack and scribbled his number on it. He pressed it into my palm, reviving that irritating shiver I got every time he touched me. “I’m sure you’re just dying to conveniently misplace this, but please wait until after the project is done.”
The slip of paper reminded me of the one I found yesterday, but the bell rang before I could confront him about that. He was gone, and I was left with an eight-pound computerized doll and a growing sense of confusion when it came to Brett Pederson.
Review
★★★★★ stars
You know how you pick up a book because it has themes you enjoy reading? I'm a sucker for a lot of themes but one of my absolute favorites is opposites, especially a "jock" with a "nerd". There's just something about two people realizing there is more to them than what the other sees on the outside. Such is the case with Brett and Alexis.
I really liked both of them. They're both smart and determined to have things their way. Brett might be able to do no wrong at school, but he's so much more than a smart, talented quarterback. I loved how he was with Alexis and with his family. He really challenged Alexis, or Lexi, as he liked to call her. The only thing worrying was his connection to Alexis's nemesis and former best friend. Brett is surprisingly responsible and mature. He's capable of seeing the big picture.
Alexis is a total conundrum. On the outside she's this hard, slightly terrifying girl, with a nose for finding wrongs and exposing them. She doesn't take or accept things that shouldn't be happening. Now she's also forthright most of the time, caring, and has a hidden sweet side. I liked seeing her interact with Brett. He really shook her up. I also liked seeing her snipe with her enemy and even interact with her family whom she doesn't feel like she has much in common with her. I loved her talk with her dad, even if it made me cringe to think of having the same conversation with my own father.
This was also one of those books that flies by as you read. I read it pretty quickly in one sitting. I should've been sleeping but I knew once I started readingthere was no way I was going to put the book down without finding out who was responsible for making videos of the girls' locker room and what was really going on between Alexis and Brett. Did he really like her or was this all part of some plot to hurt her? I liked meeting Alexis's friends. I like how they challenged Alexis to step out of her comfort zone and to take action even when it wasn't always the best recourse to take.
If you can't tell, I really enjoyed reading this book. I'm astonished by the fact this is my first book by Crista McHugh and she's written more than 50 books. That's right, I said 50. I loved the style she used to write the story. It was really easy to fall into the story and into the lives of the characters. The story didn't end all neatly wrapped, but nor did it end on a cliffhanger. I'm really hoping there will be more books featuring Alexis, Brett, their friends and families. I think this is a fabulous start to a new series and I am eager for more!
Purchase links:
About Crista McHugh:
Crista McHugh is an award-winning author of fantasy and romance who writes heroines who are smart, sexy and anything but ordinary. She currently lives in the Audi-filled suburbs of Seattle with her husband and two children, maintaining her alter ego of mild-mannered physician by day while she continues to pursue writing on nights and weekends.
She is an active member of the Romance Writers of America (including the Greater Seattle Chapter and the Seattle EastsideChapters), and Romance Divas.
Just for laughs, here are some of the jobs she’s had in the past to pay the bills: barista, bartender, sommelier, stagehand, actress, morgue attendant, and autopsy assistant.
And she’s also a recovering LARPer. (She blames it on her crazy college days)
Find Crista Online:
*Thank you to the publicist for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them in any manner.*
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