Showing posts with label Crista McHugh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crista McHugh. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Book Review, Giveaway: The Queen B* And the Homecoming King by Crista McHugh


The Queen B* And the Homecoming King 

by Crista McHugh

Date of Publication: December 1, 2015



The Queen B*, Alexis Wyndham, has only three rules when it comes to dating that star quarterback, Brett Pederson:
  1. No obligations to spend every waking moment with each other.
  2. No public displays of affection while at Eastline High.
  3. And absolutely, under no circumstances, will she ever go to the Homecoming dance.
But as her life is completely upended time and time again, she begins to wonder if some rules are meant to be broken.
Excerpt:
I'd never greeted a Monday morning with dozens of giddy butterflies in my stomach. Usually, I reserved my most dramatic sighs and biting comments for Mondays because—let's face it—they suck. But this Monday morning was different.
I, Alexis Wyndham, was officially Brett Pederson's girlfriend.
But I still wasn't ready to announce that to the world.
As we floated in a canoe among the water lilies in Lake Washington yesterday, I lay down a few ground rules to help me ease into this unprecedented (and unimaginable) situation. After all, it's not every day the Queen B* and the Quarterback become a couple. Dropping that bomb on our classmates could cause a rift in the space-time continuum.
Or at least cause my nemesis, Summer Hoyt, to have one very public and dramatic meltdown.
Rule number one: I refused to be one of those disgustingly cute couples that were joined at the hip between classes. We were dating, not merging our lives and identities into a single life-form. Brett had his group of friends and I had mine, and until recently, they never intertwined because I despised most of the in-crowd. If I hadn't gotten to know the real Brett during a class project, I would've continued to write him off as a dumb jock.
Lesson learned, but still…
Rule number two: no public displays of affection at school. Not that I had any problem with PDAs with Brett. I liked kissing him. But I also had been known to lose control when I was with him…and lose articles of clothing. And after having that awkward run-in with my mom and her boyfriend's PDA on our living room couch last week, I'd rather not make a spectacle of myself in front of everyone. It opened up the doors to ridicule.
Rule number three: I wouldn't go to Homecoming with Brett. I'd made it this far through high school without plunging into that cheesy sea of balloons and crepe paper while wearing a silly sequin-laden dress, and I wasn't going to cross that line during my senior year.

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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 Eastside Chapters), 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 McHugh Online

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Friday, October 2, 2015

Book Review, Giveaway: The Queen B* Strikes Back by Crista McHugh






The Queen B* Strikes Back by Crista McHugh

Date of Publication: September 29, 2015

Available From

Blurb

Alexis Wyndham isn't quite sure what to think about her "friendship" with star quarterback, Brett Pederson. Sure, he has more brains than the entire football team combined. Not to mention that fact he's a great kisser. When he asks her to help him with his college admission essay, she isn't sure if he's doing it to spend more time with her or if he's just using her for her intelligence. But after her nemesis, Summer Hoyt, makes it clear she's not finished chasing after Brett, the war is on, and the head cheerleader will find out that hell hath no fury like a Queen B*.


My Rating:


Favorite Quotes:


“Brett was like sweet wine or chocolate.  Too much could be a bad thing, but a little indulgence here and there was near heaven.”

“It was one of those Disneyesque moments when the bored prince at the ball finally sees his Cinderella, and the rest of the world fades away.  The noise, the chaos, the crowds – they all vanished.  He only seemed to have eyes for me.”

“Taylor backed away as though she might catch old-people-in-love cooties from them, but I couldn’t move.”


My Review:


I am adoring this series and already curious for the next installment.  I enjoyed it so much I absorbed it rather quickly as I could not seem to put it down.   Ms. McHugh does an excellent job of capturing the anxiety, thrill, uncertainty, and disappointment of new relationships, the fear of revealing one’s true self, and the special horrors of high school involving teenage cliques and power struggles.  She has brought a fresh face to the vulnerabilities of that age and dressed her up as an intelligent mean girl, and despite my typical avoidance of anything YA... I am totally hooked.  I want more - and quickly!

Empress DJ


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 Eastside Chapters), 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 McHugh Online



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Thursday, July 30, 2015

Book Review, Giveaway: Confessions of a Queen B* by Crista McHugh





Confessions of a Queen B* by Crista McHugh 

(Queen B*, #1) 
Publication date: July 28th 2015 
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Synopsis:

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.

My Rating:


Favorite Quotes:


“I snapped a picture off the scene with my phone.  Then I moved behind the hulking mass of muscle and fat and tapped one of them on the shoulder.  ‘Hey, I know steroids can cause your penis to shrink, but is that really a reason to take it out on a stranger?’”

“Numbskulls like them feed off fear, and until you grow a set of balls or find wedgie-proof underwear, I’d suggest you find a group of fellow freshmen and travel in packs.”

“God gave men both a brain and a penis and only enough blood to use one at a time,”


My Review:


This is YA at it’s best.  Alexis is a too smart, non-conformist, rebellious, cranky, above-it-all contrarian.  In the process of bringing down the elite of her high school through exposing them on her blog, she has become a feared mean-girl Queen B herself.  I truly enjoyed this well-written, snarky, clever, and insightful tale, even though I typically avoid YA.  It was a quick and entertaining read. 

Empress DJ




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AUTHOR BIO:
Growing up in small town Alabama, Crista relied on story-telling as a natural way for her to pass the time and keep her two younger sisters entertained.

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.

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)

For the latest updates, deleted scenes, and answers to any burning questions you have, please check out her webpage, www.CristaMcHugh.com.

Author links:

Giveaway: Tour-wide giveaway (INTL) Signed copy of Confessions of a Queen B* + a $25 Gift Card to the vendor of the winner’s choice

 ends August 6th: