BLOG TOUR + EXCERPT: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 Welcome to Jenuine Cupcakes, 

this is my stop on the Don't Look Back Blog Tour, 

which is being hosted by Mundie Moms!

About The Book
By: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published by: Disney Hyperion
To Be Released on: April 15th, 2014
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to Goodreads

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it’s one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took “mean girl” to a whole new level, and it’s clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She’s getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she’s falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn’t just buried deep inside of Sam’s memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Excerpt

“Miss?” He started around the cruiser, taking tentative steps. He looked young for a
deputy. Barely out of high school and able to carry a gun seemed wrong somehow. Was I in high
school? I didn’t know. “We’ve received some calls into dispatch concerning you,” he said
gently. “Are you okay?”
I tried to respond, but only a hoarse squeak came out. Clearing my throat, I winced as the
motion scratched and pulled. “I…I don’t know.”
“Okay.” The deputy held up his hands as he approached me, as if I were a skittish deer
about to bolt. “My name is Deputy Rhode. I’m here to help you. Do you know what you’re doing
out here?”
“No.” Knots formed in my belly. I didn’t even know where here was.
His smile strained. “What’s your name?”
My name? Everyone knew their name, but as I stared at the deputy, I couldn’t answer his
question. The knots started twisting more. “I don’t…I don’t know what my name is.”
He blinked, and the smile was completely gone. “You don’t remember anything?”
I tried again, concentrating on the empty space between my ears. That was how it felt.
And I knew that wasn’t good. My eyes started to tear up.
“Miss, it’s okay. We’ll get you taken care of.” He reached out, lightly taking hold of my
arm. “We’ll get this sorted.”
Deputy Rhode led me around the back of his cruiser. I didn’t want to sit behind the
Plexiglas, because I knew that wasn’t good. Only bad people sat behind the glass in police
cruisers. I wanted to object, but before I could say anything, he settled me into the seat and
wrapped a coarse blanket around my shoulders.
Before he locked me in the bad part of the car, he knelt and smiled reassuringly.
“Everything’s going to be okay.”
But I knew he was lying, trying to make me feel better. It didn’t work. How could
everything be okay when I didn’t know my own name? 

My Thoughts  

5 STARS!

Don't Look Back is a skillfully crafted psychological thriller that will leave you guessing right up until the very end. (This book stressed the crap out of me, but in a good way.) Infused with strong characters, Armentrout's signature wit and romantic tension, it is unlike any of her previous works, but fans need not worry. (BECAUSE CARSON! Not really. Okay, maybe a little.)

Everyone makes mistakes and there isn't one person who hasn't said, "Can I get a do-over, please?" at least once in their life. Sam is no different, except she didn't exactly ask for her "do-over", especially since it involves blood, cryptic notes and one creepyars music box. 

Sam does the best she can to piece together what few details she remembers about that night, all the while making amends with the people in her life she wasn't very nice to. People like her twin brother Scott, and Julie and Carson. Even her mother who is not the easiest of people to like. But most of all, Carson.

Carson and Sam used to be close, like, no shirt, no shoes required, close. (Okay, so they were little kids, but still.) And then things changed. Sam changed when she started hanging out with Cassie and Del. By the time "that night" happens, Carson has been relegated to the son of the help. Silly, silly, Sam.

But as she starts to remember more and more about what happened and the kind of person she was, Sam discovers things aren't all rainbows and sunshine. It's more like, well, I can't really say without ruining the story, but let's go with, dangerous, shocking, and heartbreaking.

One of my favorite things about this book, other than Carson, because we've already established that, is how the people around Sam, the ones she's hurt the most in recent years are willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. 

You really should read Don't Look Back for yourself, but you might wanna stay away from music boxes because they're just creepy. 

About The Author

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Follow Jennifer via:  Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook 


The Tour
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About the Giveaway

 Thank you to Disney Hyperion, each site has 1 copy of Don't Look Back to giveaway. To enter today's giveaway, please fill out the form below. U.S. Only.
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