Trusting You & Other Lies
Genre: YA Romance
By Nicole Williams
Buy: Amazon / B & N / ITunes / Kobo
Synopsis:
USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Nicole Williams delivers a seductive summer romance worth swooning over. Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Stephanie Perkins.
Phoenix can’t imagine anything worse than being shipped off to family summer camp. Her parents have been fighting for the past two years—do they seriously think being crammed in a cabin with Phoenix and her little brother, Harry, will make things better?
On top of that, Phoenix is stuck training with Callum—the head counselor who is seriously cute but a complete know-it-all. His hot-cold attitude means he’s impossible to figure out—and even harder to rely on. But despite her better judgment, Phoenix is attracted to Callum. And he’s promising Phoenix a summer she’ll never forget. Can she trust him? Or is this just another lie?
“What elevates this novel…is the witty and realistic dialogue and excellent character development.”
–SLJ
_______________________________________
Michel’s Review
Nicole Williams is known for her contemporary romance and new adult novels. Her latest release, Trusting You & Other Lies is a Young Adult romance novel targeting the high school audience. This charming book is more than a first love romance, it’s a story of change, acceptance, self discovery, and individual growth. Something all teenagers are dealing with on a daily basis. They are evolving from dependent children to independent adults while still heavy influenced by their family and friends. They are also paving the path for their future. The pressures of their academic endeavors could make or break their future. The peer pressure and social media also heavily influence their lives. Add family expectations and issues, it makes their lives all the more difficult. Nicole Williams captured all of this in Trusting You & Other Lies.
Readers are first introduced to Phoenix, an angry teenager being forced to spend her summer with her family at a remote camp rather than hanging out with her friends at the beach. She hates her parents because they have been keeping secrets that could destroy her life as she knows it. They seem to be indifferent to her and her younger brother. She cannot imagine why they would want to spend a whole summer together when they can’t even sit down together for a family dinner. To top it off this camp is in a remote area where internet and cell service are sketchy. She’s going to be cut off from her friends completely. The only reason why she’s cooperating a little bit is her younger brother and the job as a camp counselor. Harry is excited about the camp, the activities, and the possibilities of making friends. For her brother she will suck it up. The job as a counselor will earn her enough money to buy a car when she returns back to school.
They say summer camp is an unforgettable experience that will change a person for the better. The first few weeks are a complete disaster. Her family is still not connecting, she’s hopeless at her new job, and her little brother has made friends and no longer needs her as much. Something changes when she gets to know her boss, Callum,the head counselor at the camp. Even though this boy is the same age as her, he’s completely different from anyone she knows. Callum doesn’t take his responsibilities lightly, he holds her to a higher standard and pushes her too much. When she thinks they are becoming friends he pushes her away. Callum seems like he’s got it all together but beneath the surface he has insecurities just like her. He has his own problems and is not immune to the growing pains of becoming an adult.
By the end of the summer Phoenix and Callum walk away from camp different people than they were in the beginning. Phoenix’s family dynamics also change for the better. Life looks a lot different when you open yourself up to new possibilities and accept what life has to offer.
As a parent of teenagers I was impressed how Nicole Williams captured the realities of everyday teenage life. She captured their inner turmoil as well as their exuberant spirit for life. She also captured the modern day family dynamics rather than duplicating the old fashion family dynamics of the past.
I think most teenagers will be able to relate to this novel and appreciate the story.
__________________________________________________
Nicole Williams is the New York Times and USATODAY bestselling author of contemporary and young adult romance, including the Crash and Lost & Found series. Her books have been published by HarperTeen and Simon & Schuster in both domestic and foreign markets, while she continues to self-publish additional titles. She is working on a new YA series with Crown Books (a division of Random House) as well. She loves romance, from the sweet to the steamy, and writes stories about characters in search of their happily even after. She grew up surrounded by books and plans on writing until the day she dies, even if it’s just for her own personal enjoyment. She still buys paperbacks because she’s all nostalgic like that, but her kindle never goes neglected for too long. When not writing, she spends her time with her husband and daughter, and whatever time’s left over she’s forced to fit too many hobbies into too little time.
Nicole is represented by Jane Dystel, of Dystel and Goderich Literary Agency.
Shay Savage is an independent author from Cincinnati, Ohio, where she lives with her family and a variety of household pets. She is an accomplished public speaker and holds the rank of Distinguished Toastmaster from Toastmasters International. Her hobbies include off-roading in her big, yellow Jeep, science fiction in all forms, and soccer. Savage holds a degree in psychology, and she brings a lot of that knowledge into the characters within her stories.
About Jill Shalvis:
Jennifer Lyon is the pseudonym for USA Today Bestselling Author Jennifer Apodaca. Jen lives in Southern California where she continually plots ways to convince her husband that they should get a dog. After all, they met at the dog pound, fell in love, married and had three wonderful sons. So far, however, she has failed in her doggy endeavor. She consoles herself by pouring her passion into writing books. To date, Jen has published more than fifteen books and novellas, including a fun and sexy mystery series and a variety of contemporary romances under the name Jennifer Apodaca. As Jennifer Lyon she created a dark, sizzling paranormal series, and The Plus Once Chronicles, an emotionally sensual adult contemporary series. Jen’s won numerous.
Emma Scott is a writer, marathon runner, and caffeine addict, who lives and writes in the California Bay Area. She has two smart, feisty little girls, a super-supportive husband, and is a demonstrated fan of the Oxford comma. She is also an unabashed Star Wars geek and comic book enthusiast who fell into romance novels when a writing contest prompt turned a 1000-word romantic story into a full-blown novel. She also writes epic fantasy that suffers an epic word count.
Saucy Southern Readers 