It Started With Goodbye by Christina June (Blog Tour Tens List, Review & #Giveaway)


Welcome to my tour stop! You can find the rest of the participating stops hereCheck out a fun tens list from the author (with lots of pun intended - love it!), my review, and a giveaway below...

It Started With Goodbye
by Christina June
YA Contemporary
Paperback & ebook, 304 Pages
May 9th 2017 by Blink/HarperCollins

Summary

Sixteen-year-old Tatum Elsea is bracing for the worst summer of her life. After being falsely accused of a crime, she’s stuck under stepmother-imposed house arrest and her BFF’s gone ghost. Tatum fills her newfound free time with community service by day and working at her covert graphic design business at night (which includes trading emails with a cute cello-playing client). When Tatum discovers she’s not the only one in the house keeping secrets, she finds she has the chance to make amends with her family and friends. Equipped with a new perspective, and assisted by her feisty step-abuela-slash-fairy-godmother, Tatum is ready to start fresh and maybe even get her happy ending along the way.

(Affiliate links included, meaning I receive a small kickback when you make a purchase using my links.)

Praise for the Book
"You won't be able to put this book down. This heartfelt read totally sucked me in. A (Prince) Charming read." -- Miranda Kenneally, author of Catching Jordan

"Honest, fun,and entirely compelling, this is a story about how being in the wrong place at the wrong time can lead to a whole lot of right. Tatum is a character you'll relate to, cheer for, and want to befriend." -- Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of Firsts

"Tatum's complex and realistic relationships with her friends, family and the potential love interest will have you savoring every chapter while heavily anticipating the next. It Started With Goodbye is an adorable and clever contemporary that will enthrall you with its fairytale-esque charm." -- Ami Allen-Vath, author of Liars and Losers Like Us

"I loved this fun, contemporary take on the Cinderella tale that explores what it takes to be yourself while finding your place in life, love,and your family. June's characters are vividly drawn, complex people that you'll want to root for, and Tatum's story will strike a chord for anyone who's felt like they were misunderstood." -- Lisa Maxwell, author of Unhooked, Sweet Unrest and Gathering Deep

"A sweet and satisfying portrait of family, friendship, and discovering your own path. Tatum's journey from fear and disappointment to honesty and freedom to be herself is one that will resonate with many readers." -- Ashley Herring Blake, author of Suffer Love

"A fresh, charming debut, brimming with friendship, family, and love." -- Marci Lyn Curtis, author of The One Thing

10 Reasons to Date a Cello Player

1. They hit all the right notes.

2. They’re good with their fingers.

3. They can write songs for you.

4. They’re always ready with musical entertainment.

5. They’re passionate.

6. You can say “I’m with the band.”

7. Free tickets to all the classical concerts you want.

8. They have great timing.

9. They’ve got rhythm.

10. They won’t string you along.

My Review

IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE is a story of old and new friendships, navigating family relationships, self discovery, and finding new love. Written with a voice that is easy to fall into, a story that lightly plays off the Cinderella trope, and a lovable heroine to cheer on make for an enjoyable story that is sweetly perfect. Highly recommended to contemporary young adult readers!

This story is such a delight to read, although everything isn't easy or happy per se. There are some rough patches the heroine, Tatum, has to go through to find her happily-ever-after. Thank goodness she is a heroine that is so easy to connect with and cheer on, especially as she's pretty much an underdog through most of the story. I loved the other characters as well, especially her step-abuela, Abby (her new friend), and a boy named SK. The family dynamic added quite a bit to this story and I liked how perspectives change when Tatum learns some things. I also like that her family relationships are works-in-progress.

The plot feels a little Cinderella-like with just a few similarities. I loved the story, even when I had issues with Tatum's stepmom. I loved that they both have some figuring out to do and that no one is portrayed as perfect. There are some realistic challenges from having remarried parents and a very rocky beginning when Tatum is pulled into a crime. I absolutely adored the romance! It doesn't take over the story as there is so much more going on. It develops slowly and sweetly and even though I figured out who SK was from the start, I loved how it all plays out and how they so effortlessly fall together. And that ending... Loved it!

In the end, was it what I wished for? Yes! This is a sweet and charming story with some great characters about a girl who is figuring out who she is and how she fits with friends, family, and in love that I enjoyed from beginning to end!

Content: Clean

Source: I received a complimentary copy from Blink/HarperCollins through Jean Book Nerd Tours, which did not require a review nor affect it in any way.

About the Author


Christina June writes young adult contemporary fiction when she’s not writing college recommendation letters during her day job as a school counselor. She loves the little moments in life that help someone discover who they’re meant to become – whether it’s her students or her characters.

Christina is a voracious reader, loves to travel, eats too many cupcakes, and hopes to one day be bicoastal – the east coast of the US and the east coast of Scotland. She lives just outside Washington DC with her husband and daughter.

Her debut novel, IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE, will be published by Blink/HarperCollins on May 9, 2017.


Tour-Wide Giveaway


- 5 Winners will receive a Copy of IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE by Christina June
- Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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