Book & Author details:
BOOK ONE:
Barbie Girl by Heidi Acosta (Baby Doll #1)
Publication date: November 1st 2012
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:
The only thing that 17 year old Barbie Starr wants to do is graduate high school so she and her little brother, Everett, can get out of Alabama. She doesn’t care about the rumors that are spread around about her like wild fire. Rumors are nothing new to her. Sure, maybe she could change her reputation, but why bother. She is leaving Alabama as soon as she can. That is, if she can pass algebra and graduate.
The only thing Dylan Knight would like to do is go through high school unnoticed; he has had enough of the drama that is high school. He took the whole of last summer to bulk-up: finally he is not being called names or being shoved into lockers. He wants to remain on the outside of the circle of constant rumors that surround the so-called popular kids who get all the attention. He would not, however, mind if his long time crush Katie took notice of him.
But it is Barbie who notices Dylan and she offers him a deal he can’t pass up: if he helps her pass algebra, she’ll help him get the girl of his dreams. Dylan agrees, but, as it turns out, nothing is simple when it comes to Barbie. Somehow, she can’t help but draw attention to herself — and to him. Soon Dylan finds himself tossed into the whirlwind of rumors that seem to follow Barbie everywhere. Can he save his reputation and still get the girl of his dreams? Or will Barbie be the one to break through his carefully-built facade?
Purchase:
--Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/barbie-girl-heidi-acosta/1113843355
--Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/251464
Book Trailer:
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BOOK TWO:
Barbie World by Heidi Acosta
Series: Barbie Girl, #2
Publication date: Summer 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:
“One Night is all it took to change everything between Barbie and me. One night to potentially lose the girl of my dreams forever. How do I prove to her that she can trust me? That all I want to do is protect her carefully guarded heart. I need to prove to her that I want to be a part of her world. But How? ”
Dylan lost Barbie once before, now he is determined more than ever to win her heart and trust back. Easier said than done, especially with the new hot guy in town who is in a rock band and is the complete opposite of Dylan.
Barbie has been hurt beyond repair or so she thinks. It would be easier for heart to decide if she didn’t have to protect her little brother. And if Dylan would just put on a shirt! Dylan is not making this easy on her. It helps to have the distraction of the new guy in town cute bad boy Kai. But even though her heart is damaged it still knows what it wants.
When Barbie learns she has a family and with the help of Roxie and Kai, oh and Third and Dylan. They embark on a journey to help bring Barbie closer to a past she never knew existed.
Heidi Acosta brings you the heart felt story of friendship, love and heartbreak in the second book in of the Baby doll series Barbie World.
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AUTHOR BIO
Heidi Acosta was born on Long Island, New York. Moving around a lot when she was younger, she has lived in New York, Arizona, New York (again), Washington, Georgia, and Florida, in that order. Each place offered her something special, but she will always consider New York her home.
Heidi started writing as soon as she could spell. When she was three, Heidi’s mother gave her a copy of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods; thus beginning her lifelong love affair with literature.
Writing soon also became a form of therapy for Heidi, when she realized that no matter what was happening in her life, she could find emotional escape while writing. Some of her earliest stories featured her as a princess who explored new worlds with her horse Buttercup. If it sounds romantic, it wasn’t, there was no prince charming in those fairy lands (boys where yucky).
Heidi now resides in Florida with her husband, very active daughter, one hyper Chihuahua, two sweet cats, and one very fat moody cat.
Author Links:
-Website: http://authorheidiacosta.blogspot.ca/
-Twitter: https://twitter.com/Barbiegirlnovel
-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Authorheidiacosta
My Review:
Heidi Acosta has certainly created probably one of my favorite characters with Barbie. Although the sequel to Barbie Girl had its ups and downs, the novel was certainly driven by the damaged and intense Barbie. She is not a character easily forgotten.
The sequel centers less on Dylan and Barbie’s relationship and more on Barbie trying to delve into her past and make sense over the horrible things her mother put her and her brother through. Her journey felt real and there is no easy happily ever after for Barbie.
Dylan drove me crazy! Sometimes I liked him and other times I wanted to strangle him! I think he eventually grew on me, but it took a long time. Third and Roxie were awesome secondary characters and provided plenty of comic relief, especially during the heavier moments.
The pacing was a little slow to start, but picked up mid-point. The beginning seemed to focus too much on Barbie and Dylan wallowing in self-pity, but there was definitely character growth in the second half. Kai was an interesting new addition to the book and added drama as a potential love interest for Barbie.
The ending was a little perplexing. I’m not sure if the author decided to conclude the series early with this book because I read it was a four-part series. The ending was bittersweet and then the epilogue doesn’t line up with how things were left and the reader is left unsure of how the characters got to that point.
All in all, I would highly recommend this series. They are angsty books that can be read quickly, perfect books for the beach.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
I received a copy of the book from Xpresso Book Tours as part of the Barbie World tour!
Glad to hear you really liked Barbie's character, and Dylan sounds like he would drive me crazy as well.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, Heather! I remember hearing a lot about Barbie from the first tour and she sounds like a really great character. I'm also curious about this ending, now! >.< Glad you enjoyed the sequel, too! :)
ReplyDeleteThese books sound like a good summer read! Thank you for the giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteBonnie Hilligoss - bonhill@speakeasy.net
Hmmmmmm maybe I should read it. I'm torn. I also have a copy of Sparklicious that I need to get into. So many books, so little time :) Fantastic review, Heather! I like the way you don't bother repeating the storyline. If I wanted that, I'd read it in the text above. Never could figure out why reviewers do that. WRITE ON!
ReplyDelete