Home No More - Blog Tour

Synopsis:
My name is Kendall Carrington—or so I thought…

When 17-year-old Kendall gets pulled over during an impromptu joy ride, she not only discovers she is not the girl she thought she was, but neither is anyone else. Kidnapped when she was young, she is thrust back into a life she doesn’t remember. One where her name is Danielle Tucker and betrayal seems to be lurking around every corner. No longer able to decipher the truth from the lies, she enliststhe help of blue-eyed hottie Lincoln Hunt on her quest for truth.

Will she come to terms with her new life? Or will she go running back to the only home she’s ever known?

Review:
Leddy Parker doesn't shy away from the controversial in her novel, Home No More. This novel takes on a lot, dealing with abuse, kidnapping, the definition of family, nature vs. nurture, love, control, and inner strength. Kendall, also known as Danielle, is the main character of this chaotic crisis and readers will find themselves drowning in the drama, jaw dropped open.

Kendall/Danielle is a seventeen year old girl who grew up as the daughter of a man named John. She knew he wasn't her real father and she knew that Billy wasn't her real brother, but she never questioned why she wasn't allowed to leave the property or where her mother was. Though she claims to have had a good childhood, Kendall is a very violent person, verbally and physically. Though she has experienced a traumatic event, it will be difficult for readers to connect with Kendall. I didn't like her as a character for the first 75% of the book. I thought she was mean, selfish, rude, abusive, irresponsible and untrustworthy. She does get better as the novel goes on, but first impressions matter. I couldn't get over how awful Kendall was to better connect with her. I had sympathy for her situation and difficult choices, but it didn't go any further than that.

The plot of Home No More seems simple at first but becomes more complicated as lies mix with truths. Kendall was kidnapped out of the back of her parent's car after an accident. When she is pulled over without a license, she is taken to the police station and it's discovered that she's actually the missing Danielle Tucker. She's having trouble adjusting to this new life and plans on going back to Billy, her angry and abusive boyfriend, as soon as she turns 18. But then, she finds out that she's pregnant and everything changes. Controversy galore. Readers will undoubtedly have various opinions about each of the topics explored in this novel. Some will connect with Kendall better than others. Some will enjoy the drama filled pages while others will think it's too much. The story is entertaining, without a doubt. However, other than empathy and sympathy, Kendall doesn't seem like a relatable girl or a girl I'd even like to be friends with. She'd definitely yell at me all the time. The girl that Kendall becomes in the end, now she seems stable, friendly, loving, thoughtful. And I like that version of her character much better. The journey helped her become that stronger person.

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

Meet the Author:
Leddy Harper had to use her imagination often as a child. She grew up the only girl in a house full of boys. At the age of fourteen, she decided to use thatimagination and wrote her first book, and never stopped. She often calls writing her therapy, using it as a way to deal with issues through the eyes of her characters.She is now a mother of three girls, leaving her husband as the only man in a house full of females. The decision to publish her first book was made as a way of showing her children to go after whatever it is they want to. Love what you do and do it well. Most importantly Leddy wanted to teach them what it means to overcome their fears.

Connect with Leddy at www.leddyharper.com 

This Is Sarah

When Colin Leventhal leaned out his bedroom window on the night of May 12th and said goodbye to his girlfriend, he never expected it would be forever. But when Sarah Evans goes missing that night, Colin's world unravels as he transforms from the boyfriend next door to the main police suspect. Then one year later, at her memorial service, Colin makes a phone call that changes everything. Is it possible that Sarah is still alive? And if so how can he bring her back?

As Colin struggles with this possibility, across the street, Sarah’s little sister, Claire learns how to navigate the strange new landscape of life without her sister. While her parents fall apart, Claire remains determined to keep going even if it kills her.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Ally Malinenko explores what happens to those left behind when someone goes missing in her novel, This Is Sarah. On May 12th, Sarah Evans went to meet her friend for a party and was never seen again. Some of her things were found: shoes, torn shirt, car. And other things weren't: her phone, her body. She left behind a high school of friends, a sister, her parents, and a boyfriend. Now, without Sarah, the world moves on. 

Colin and Claire share the title of main character in this book. Colin is Sarah's boyfriend while Claire is Sarah's younger sister. Both of the characters are easy to connect to because of the situation they're living through. Readers have experienced grief, loss, and anger allowing them to understand the feelings of these two main characters. 

Colin is seventeen, loves to run, and is head over heels for Sarah. When she disappears, Colin begins to lose it. He doesn't understand why Sarah would runaway and he believes that she's trying to return. And because of that, he'll never give up hope. He acts a bit unhinged at times: calling Sarah's phone repeatedly, reading her blog over and over, and making lists about her. But everyone becomes unhinged during grief. Those things are ways that Colin help himself keep going. Readers will see the nitty-gritty disillusioned side of grief and guilt with Colin's perspective, and the honesty portrayed will solidify their connection to Colin. 

Claire is sixteen, just a year or so younger than her sister Sarah. Claire is a band geek, she works hard and enjoys playing the clarinet. Sarah was Claire's role model. She loved and admired her sister. When Sarah disappears, her family starts to crack under the pressure of finding Sarah. After search parties and hotlines, Claire's mother can only mentally survive with medicine and Claire's father is trying to accept things and move on. Readers will connect with Claire through her loss of a loved one. That bond will only grow stronger as Claire decides to live enough for both herself and her sister. She keeps her head up, she takes it one day at a time, and she succeeds. Even with all of the pain and sadness. 

The novel spans over a year, beginning the night of Sarah's disappearance, with a few flashbacks to before, and ending after Colin graduates from high school. The plot follows both Colin and Claire as they struggle to live their lives without Sarah. Though the police are searching for her, Colin thinks they're missing something. He thinks Sarah is still alive. Then after a year of nothing, Sarah's phone suddenly has a voice mail option and when Colin leaves a message for her, the message comes to life. Then there's the letter... But Colin's afraid to tell anyone, what if it isn't real and he has completely lost it? But what if it is and Sarah's trying to get back home? The reality of this novel will certainly enthrall and embrace readers. The writing style is open and honest. Malinenko does an incredible job at bringing readers into the realm of understanding what it's like to go on living after a disappearance. 

Rating: 4.5/5 Cups

To the Depths of the Disaster

Emma is two weeks away from the biggest day of her life. Her wedding. Happy with no pre-wedding jitters. Until an unexpected call from her brother forces her home to search for her missing fiance.

The apartment is empty.

Except for her fiance's unconscious brother laying on the bathroom floor covered in blood.

At the hospital, with no word from her fiance, Emma's mind starts to wonder. What could have happened to Dan? Is he missing or did he leave her? Who did this to his brother? Why isn't Dan picking up his cell phone? Emma struggles to find the answers while the questions keep piling up and the police department doesn't want to wait for an explanation - they want to find Dan and arrest him for attempted murder.

Readers find themselves along side Emma, wondering, doubting, creating theories, and hoping against hope that everything really will be all right in the end. Whether warning her or cheering her on, Pilkington pulls the reader in from the get go, never letting off the gas, dragging them down to the depths of Emma's disaster. The One You Love is a mystery novel so well threaded together that when the back cover is closed, the reader feels (more than) accomplished at helping Emma solve it.

The One You Love on Amazon

rating: 4/5 cups