Current Giveaways:

None right now.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Book Review + Giveaway: Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors

Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors
Reading Level: Young Adult
Release Date: Available Now
Pages: 336
Source: Received from publicist for honest review

Summary: When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother-and she needs one fast. That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth-that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real.

My Review: Cupid. We all know him as the cherubic, bow and arrow love maker. Suzanne on the other hand, introduced Errol. A dark, and sexified version I wouldn't mind seeing plastered on Valentine's Day. The infamous story of Cupid's existence was tweaked with a more realistic and emotionally moving approach. Instead of keeping the original version, Suzanne exemplified the heartache that sometimes comes along with falling in love. Alice, daughter of the queen of romance, was a spunky teen whose relatibility factor directly connected with me. Her strength to strive as her mother's right hand during her time of absence was incredibly brave. I could never imagine dealing with the worrisome feelings behind her mother's mental illness and the non-stop fear of not being able to afford living expenses. Another trait that Alice contributed was her sense of fluidity through rough patches with grace and patience.

As for the two boys vying for her attention, Errol and Tony were amazingly significant characters. Errol's main goal was to have his true relationship with Psyche brought to light. He unexpectedly met Alice, who turned into the only person who could help him write his story. I was really glad to see the blossoming bond between the two as the novel went on. The second male role, was Tony, the cute skateboarder Alice was crushing on. He was a sweetheart and might I add I loved that he was Asian. I rarely see Asian males in YA, so that was definitely a breath of fresh air. Both of them added a supportive backbone in Alice's time of need. Also, the secondary personalities found within her neighbors were well thought out and equally entertaining. By the conclusion, I was so touched that I actually teared. That never happens! I was so invested, I couldn't help having my heart strings pulled. From beginning to end, the 'a' in Mad Love truly stood for adorable! I love Suzanne's writing and hope to read more works by her.

My Rating:

Thanks to Bloomsbury, one follower will get the chance to win a copy of Mad Love and Suzanne's previous release, Coffeehouse Angel!



::Contest Details::

-One person will win both books stated above.
-This contest is for U.S. residents only (No P.O. Boxes please.)
-Deadline will be on March 3, 2011.

CONTEST IS CLOSED.

Book Trailer:


Author's Info:

Suzanne Selfors is the author of Coffeehouse Angel and Saving Juliet. She held a number of jobs before becoming a writer, including children's photographer, video producer, organic flower grower, and marketing director. She lives in Washington.



For more info on Suzanne, visit her sites:


18 comments:

Jillian said...

What a cute cover! Sounds interesting too.

Christina T said...

I haven't read Coffee House Angel but I did read and enjoy Saving Juliet and Mad Love. What I liked most about the book was Alice and her crazy "family", Mrs. Bobot, Archibald, and even Realm :) I didn't like Errol as much as I liked Tony although I did feel sorry for him. Tony is fantastic although I somehow missed that he is Asian. I'm glad to find out about that! I guess I was just reading too quickly so I could write my review on time. I will have to reread it sometime.

Nice review!

Kelsey said...

Great review, I really enjoyed Mad Love and am anxious to read Coffeehouse Angel :)

Jessy said...

Mad Love sounds so good! Thanks for the giveaway :)

flanpnhfpnanfnFN said...

Haven't read Cofeehouse Angel but after reading mad love i think I'm a fan of Selfors writing. I'll have to read more from her. Glad you liked Mad Love too Ni! :)

http://blackfingernailedreviews.blogspot.com/

Lisa Schensted said...

oh man, TOTALLY got sucked into your review of Mad Love. i want it! and if i dont win it, i shall still have it. :c:

thanks for the contest!

lulilut said...

Mad Love sounds good - I love the cover art and the 'I don't believe in Cupid' - someone is desperate.
Coffeehouse Angel - I love the heart in the coffee cup.
Thanks for the giveaway.
d.septer at insightbb.com

Jill Buck said...

It sounds interesting, I think I read another favorable review the other day. Thanks for the review!

A'lina said...

These sound like really cute reads. Thanks for the chance to win!

Unknown said...

Yay!! Thanks chick!

YA Book Queen said...

Amazing review, Eleni! This book sounds wonderful :)

Mandy said...

Great review! Glad you liked it. I've been seeing reviews on this the last couple of days. In the whole valentine spirit. :) All of them have been making me want to get my hands on a copy of this book all the more.

I really like the cover, and I JUST noticed that it has writing all around the heart! That added to my love. :)

Casey (The Bookish Type) said...

I'm so excited to read this book! It sounds so cute and fun =D Great review!

aurora M. said...

Thanks for a chance at a great giveaway!

Ren @ All By Myshelf said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ren @ All By Myshelf said...

Thanks for the giveaway! This sounds like an interesting read.
Great review! ^_^

Vidisha said...

Great giveaway!!!

Anonymous said...

amazing giveaways your awesome:)

Post a Comment

Thank you for leaving a comment, sending you kisses and hugs!! Oops, I am sorry if I slobbered on you. ;)

 
Blog Templates by Delicious Design Studio