BLOG TOUR: Stir Me Up by Sabrina Elkins

Welcome to Jenuine Cupcakes!
This is my stop on the STIR ME UP Blog Tour which is being hosted by YA Bound Blog Tours.

About the Book

Author: Sabrina Elkins

Publication: October 1, 2013

By: HarlequinTEEN

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Cami Broussard has her future all figured out. She'll finish her senior year of high school, then go to work full-time as an apprentice chef in her father's French restaurant, alongside her boyfriend, Luke. But then twenty-year-old ex-Marine Julian Wyatt comes to live with Cami's family while recovering from serious injuries. And suddenly Cami finds herself questioning everything she thought she wanted.

Julian's all attitude, challenges and intense green-brown eyes. But beneath that abrasive exterior is a man who just might be as lost as Cami's starting to feel. And Cami can't stop thinking about him. Talking to him. Wanting to kiss him. He's got her seriously stirred up. Her senior year has just gotten a lot more complicated….

What I Liked: Julian. Really, that's all you need to know. Just kidding! (maybe). STIR ME UP is well written, with endearing characters and a storyline that will break your heart in the best way possible. It will also make you extremely hungry, so I don't advise reading on an empty stomach. 

Cami has spent her life in the kitchen of her father's french restaurant and wants more than anything to be a chef herself, although not necessarily one who focuses solely on french cuisine. Dad wants what's best for her which, in his opinion, is to go to college.

There's also Luke, whose not only Cami's boyfriend, but also her co-worker. He wants what's best for her too, which he thinks is hitting a home run and planning a life with him. Cami isn't sure what she wants, not really. She just knows she's getting pressure from all sides and if she could just have some time to think, to breathe, she might be able to figure it all out.

And then Julian enters the picture, upending her house and her life. He's obnoxious, rude, insulting, and more than a little nice to look which just makes everything worse. He pushes Cami too and she pushes him right back. (She even throws food at him. *high fives Cami*) But as mad as Julian makes her, he also makes Cami think - about her future, her relationships and what she wants most out of life.

With Julian's help, Cami might actually be able to envision a future full of flavor and promise.  And with Cami's help, Julian might be able to start putting his past behind him. 

Sabrina Elkins did a great job of capturing the "realness" of relationships. Teens and parents don't always see eye to eye and it's never easy to end a relationship with someone. Figuring out how to balance and navigate feelings and hormones is awkward sometimes too. 

I REALLY liked that Julian pushed Cami to pursue her own dreams despite what that could mean for their future. So often, people can get caught up in the feeling of not being able to live without the other person that they set aside what they really want.

What Left Me Wanting More: Can we really have enough Julian? Yeah, I didn't think so. ;) There were times when Cami's words and actions seemed to contradict each other and I had to remind myself that she was a teenager. 

Final Verdict: Witty, romantic and heartrending debut!

Praise for Stir Me Up

"Fun, steamy, and leaves you hungry for more. Sabrina Elkins nails the vulnerability of becoming an adult and the choices that come with growing up." —Katie McGarry, author of Dare You To

"Cami's slow burn for a wounded hero will rivet readers. I seriously loved this book." —Jennifer Echols, author of Dirty Little Secret

"This book is one of my favorite young adult contemporaries. Not only does it feature a hot romance, it's also very meaningful and well, you just have to read it and see." —#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

About the Author

I am a former journalist who worked for the Los Angeles Daily Newsand other newspapers in the greater Los Angeles area. Prior to this I worked in advertising, writing ad copy for corporate travel accounts and major motion pictures. My first job out of college was as an administrative assistant to an executive chef and a food & beverage director at a Four Seasons hotel. I also spent some time working as a prep cook for Spago in Beverly Hills.

I received my Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California. While in graduate school, I had the privilege of studying fiction writing under renowned author Hubert Selby, Jr., and comedy writing under famed comedian Shelley Berman. I am a past participant of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Summer Writing Workshop.

Raised in the woods of Vermont, I now live in the greater Los Angeles area with my husband and three children. STIR ME UP is my first novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY
WIN 1 OF 3 STIR ME UP FUN FOODIE GIFT PACKS! COOKBOOKS-CHOCOLATES-
MAGNETS 

RULES AND RESTRICTIONS:
Contest is void where prohibited. Entrants must be 18 or else have parent or guardian’s
permission to enter. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond or another winner’s name will be selected. Winning entries will be verified for authenticity.

Cami’s Cookbook Pack
Le Petit Paris: French Finger Food by Nathalie Benezet
500 Soups by Susannah Blake
Godiva chocolate bar
Stir Me Up magnet

Julian’s Late-Night Pack
George Noory’s Late-Night Snacks by George Noory
Dinner and a Movie by Katherine Bebo
Godiva chocolate bar
Stir Me Up magnet

Sweet Desserts Pack
Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor
Cutie Pies by Dani Cone
Godiva chocolate bar
Stir Me Up magnet

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