Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Next Door Boys Giveaway!

I'm really excited for this giveaway. I have been cyberfriends with Jolene Perry for over a year now, and all I can say is she is REALLY COOL! (And not just because she lives in Alaska.) She has a great sense of humor, a bizarre (to me) way of writing her books (she writes all the scenes she sees in her head, out of order, however they come, and puts the concoction together in some witchy writer's brew), and a personality that is palpable via the internet.

Her first book, "The Next Door Boys" (Cedar Fort, Oct. 2011) is our offering for today. And it's coming, signed, all the way from Alaska. They can actually do that these days.

So on to my review...

I read this book over the holidays as we were doing a mad week long dash as a family through Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California, visiting MORE family. I stuck it on my iPod and read and read and read while my hubby drove. And drove. And drove. 

Frankly, I couldn't put it down. This is a contemporary,  clean romance with location very familiar to me: BYU. I've been there, lived that life she describes so effortlessly. I really liked Leigh Tressman, her main character. She is a well rounded, flawed, living, breathing person. She's someone I would have wanted to room with.

Here's the "elevator pitch": With her body still recovering from last year's cancer treatments, Leigh Tressman is determined to be independent. Despite the interference from her overprotective brother, the ever-expanding line of young men ready to fall in love with her--not to mention the physical frustrations and spiritual dilemmas Leigh discovers what it actually means to stand on her own and learns that love can be found in unexpected but comfortable places.

And Leigh isn't the only character so real you think you've met them at church already. Her brother, Jaron, is the best older brother. His "newly returned missionary" zeal  has him hovering over her as Leigh struggles to learn how to grow up after her traumatic diagnosis and treatment, but he grows as well in a natural progression. As does her relationship with Brian, Jaron's roommate, and part of the "Next Door Boys". It's a relationship that grows slowly, respectfully, and deepens into something Leigh never expects when she left for school, determined to make it on her own.

I think the think I loved best about this book were these characters that seemed so real I felt like a voyeur, peeking in through the windows. All their behavior was a natural outgrowth of who they were. There were no obvious contrivances. I fell completely into the story from beginning to end.

Don't take my word for it, though. Here are a couple of other endorsements of  Jolene's book:

This book is filled with heart. I loved Jolene's easy going pace, her characters, the romance, and the beautiful message she imparted. Definitely recommend this book!
- author Rachael Ranee Anderson

I loved this book! Touching and heartfelt, Next Door Boys introduces Leigh, a young woman who is struggling to find independence and normalcy after a year of dealing with cancer. This is an engaging story that stayed with me long after I read it.
- author Kaylee Baldwin




Enter today to get a chance to win this fabulous book. And if you don't, go buy it. You won't be disappointed!

Entry Rules:


ALL ENTRIES MUST BE MADE BY 11:59 PM MST tonight, January 225, 2012. Winners will be posted tomorrow morning in our Winner's Circle (tab at the top of the blog home page).

As usual, there are multiple ways to earn entries into this drawing, make sure you take advantage of ALL of them.

1. Leave a comment on this post.

2. Become a follower of this blog or tell us you already are (you must clearly state in your comment on this post that you are a follower to receive credit for this).

3. Follow MMW on Facebook (again, you must clearly state in your comment on this post that you have done this to receive credit).

4. Advertise this spectacular month of give-aways on your blog or Facebook page. (clearly state!)

5. Follow Jolene at one of the below sites and let us know by clearly commenting below.
Places to read and follow Jolene:
 
Places to buy "The Next Door Boys"

15 comments:

  1. Jolene rocks! She's an amazing friend and author. I follow u on Facebook, I follow Jolene's blog and twitter. Thanks! holtmin at yahoo dot com.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I totally want this! I follow you guys here and on facebook ,and I follow Jolene as well. I'll go talk about it to the FB world now :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who writes that way! My stories are definitely patchwork quilts. I write all the fun stuff then just figure out how it all goes together. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've been following Jolene's blog forever. I've been looking for a copy of her book. I also follow the MMW blog. And I'm commenting. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am so excited to read this book! I follow MMW on facebook, I am a follower of this blog, I posted your blog on my facebook, and I am a follower on Jolene's blog.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am a follower of this blog.
    I posted this on my FB page to help advertise.
    I am now following Jolene on Twitter and her blog.
    I follow MMW on FB
    and of course I'm leaving a comment here that I'd love to win this. It sounds like a fun book.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I would love to win this book! I have been wanting to read this book for so long!!
    I am a follower of this blog.
    I am a follower on MMW's Facebook.
    I posted this blog on my Facebook page.
    I am following Jolene's blog.
    I am following Jolene on Twitter.
    Thanks!! I am so excited!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I want Jolene's book!

    I'm a follower on her blog and here at MMW already.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Would love to read this book!
    I'm a follower of this blog, MMW's Facebook page, Jolene's blog, and here's my comment. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I would love to read THE NEXT DOOR BOYS thank you.

    I follow MMW & on FB & Jolene's blogs

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jolene, you're so welcome! I was so glad to be given an excuse to read this book that's been on my list for so long.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I follow Jolene om twitter! Thanka!

    ReplyDelete
  14. We offer a tailored solution to today's garment manufacturing. Being a family-run business,we take care of every aspect of garment production and sales.Each garment is designed to be long-lasting, durable and competitively priced for wholesale and retail environments boys school uniforms.

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails