Blog Tour: Just Ella

Just Ella Tour



Just Ella
Just Ella
by Annette K. Larsen
YA Romance
August 14th 2013 by Hidden Falls Publishing

Summary

A proper, clean Romance

Ariella was only looking for a distraction, something to break up the monotony of palace life. What she found was a young man willing to overlook her title and show her a new and vibrant way of life. But when her growing feelings for Gavin spiral out of control and clash with the expectations of her station, she will discover that the consequences of her curiosity are far more severe than she'd imagined.

"I watched in helpless horror as two guards hauled Gavin to his feet and dragged him from the room. My voice was frozen, unable to protest as another guard took hold of my arm, leading me upstairs. From the confines of my room, I stared into the darkness beyond my window, hoping to catch one more glimpse of Gavin. He was gone, and I wondered if he would have been better off if he had never met me."

I write clean romance. Why? Because that’s what I love to read, but over the years I’ve discovered it’s quite a challenge to find good clean romance. I believe it’s a genre that many people are looking for and too few authors are writing. My first novel, Just Ella, took me many years to write because I wanted it to be more than just a cutesy love story. I wanted it to have depth, to feel genuine. Hopefully I succeeded, but you’ll have to be the judge.
 



Praise for Just Ella

 "I fell in love with this book. Treat yourself to something wonderful. You can't go wrong with Just Ella!"
~Inspired Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer 

"By far one of the best romance novels I've ever read. Pulls you in with great, likable characters and keeps you going with a sweet and exciting love story--plus a good plot to give it even more substance. Full of those tender moments you want to go back and read again, plus exciting moments, clever humor, and some suspense as well."
~Jana Miller 

"Annette Larsen writes a love story that takes time, is complicated, and yet still sweeps you up in the romance (without the cheese, thank you). It's compelling and emotional and sweet and you will love every page."
~Kimi
    

Book Blast/Blog Tour Special
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Grab your copy of Just Ella for just $3.99!




My Review

I really enjoy reading sweet romances and fairy tales and Just Ella is both of those. It is a story about a girl and a boy who are somewhat held prisoners by their stations, but who find friendship. They become comfortable in their friendship, somewhat foolishly thinking that there will be no consequences for it. It is definitely a story of star-crossed lovers, but I also enjoyed the setting, Ella's discussions with her father and Gavin about the kingdom, and the traditions of the different groups of people (i.e. commoner, royalty, etc.).

I loved how the author let readers get to know Ella as she is trying to find her place among her family and in her kingdom. She has come of age and has had to leave her childhood behind as she prepares for her future. However, that future is so uncertain. She is not interested in any of those who she normally has interactions with at court. They all have selfish purposes and can't be taken as sincere. She doesn't really have any close friends and yearns for something so normal. She finds it in Gavin.

Gavin is a gardener that has a great love for the maze he cares for and for his profession. He is only two years older than Ella, but his background is vastly different, for obvious reasons. Yet, he is honest with Ella at their first meeting and their friendship is able to develop because of that. I loved the humor that he is always expressing in his eyes or in a slight upturn of his mouth. He is a great character and someone that loosens up Ella and allows her to feel like she can just be herself.

Ella and Gavin's friendship is definitely challenged. Anything further is basically impossible, but they can't seem to stay away from each other. I enjoyed the journey in getting to know these characters and seeing where their friendship took them. This is definitely a book that I would recommend to those who enjoy fairy tales, clean romances, and just sweet and enjoyable stories overall.

Content: Clean

Source: Tour host, which did not affect my review in any way.



About Author Annette K. Larsen

annetteI was born in Utah, but grew up in Flagstaff Arizona and St. Louis Missouri, the fifth of seven children. I attended college at Southern Virginia University and Brigham Young University where I studied English and Theater. I now live in Idaho with my husband and four children. I have Charlotte Bronte to thank for the courage to write novels. After being bombarded with assigned reading about women who justified abandoning either their families or their principles in the name of love, I had the great fortune of reading Jane Eyre. And that was it: finally a heroine who understood that being moral and making the right choice was hard, and sometimes it hurt, but it was still worth it. After rereading it several years later, I realized that if I wanted more books to exist with the kinds of heroines I admired, then I might as well write a few myself. My books are about women who face hard choices, who face pain and rejection and often have to sacrifice what they want for what is right. The consequences are often difficult or unpleasant, but it the end, doing what’s right will always be worth it. I believe there is no substitute for good writing or good chocolate. Fortunately, one often leads to the other.



Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 11/5/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW

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