{Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway} Savor by Kate Evangelista

 {Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway} Savor by Kate Evangelista

Mature and explicit content. Not recommended for readers below 18-years-old. Yup, you've got to be that old to read my story. Consider yourself warned.

I’m Dakota Collins, a tough talking, eye patch wearing, workaholic photography student. Why am I important? Well, maybe because I get to spend an entire month with Vicious, only the sickest indie rock band out there.

You see, I needed a subject for my Spring Showcase introspective in order to graduate. During a chance encounter at a club I’d been sent to cover for the Daily Gossip, our ironically named college paper, the features writer I usually teamed up with introduced me to the band—by accident, I might add. It involved a run in with a scary, bald bodyguard. Anyway, long story short, I signed a contract to take pictures of Vicious.

I should have known their handsome yet way too serious for his own good bassist, Luka Visraya, wouldn't be able to keep his hands to himself. He’s gorgeous and all, but the way he smiles spelled trouble with a capital L. I’m in for a long month with him around.

Crazy shit happens and then some. So, if you want the skinny on Vicious and the events revolving around my stay at Lunar Manor, read my story.

Again, refer to the warning above. (Blurb via Goodreads)

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she lives in the Philippines and writes full time.

 

Website: www.kateevangelista.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kate-Evangelista/165693410143202

Twitter: @KateEvangelista

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kate-Evangelista/e/B007Z723R4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

You Yube link: http://www.youtube.com/user/kateva11?feature=guide

  

{Details} Published 2013 by Crescent Moon Press

 

{Rating} 4/5 -- I really liked it!

 

{Review}

"I stepped out of the cab, camera in hand, and faced Sacrifice." (page 1, line 1)

I adored Taste, Evangelista's novel about zombies and the human girl who found her way into their world. Well, Savor brings back some of those characters - only now they're in a rock band, topping the charts, but still keeping secrets. That being said, it isn't necessary to read Taste to enjoy Savor.

Savor is told from the perspective of the eye patch wearing, tell it like she sees it, passionate Dakota. We follow her as she falls down the rabbit hole, falls into the strange, crazy, addictive world that is Vicious. I thought she was a very original character, I mean, she's got an eye patch, but she's so interesting and admirable. I also thought it was fabulous the way Evangelista used photography, not only for what it means to Dakota, but for a way to show the readers the world and how through Dakota's camera we see who the characters really are deep inside.

I loved seeing all the characters from Taste, Dray, the mad scientist, fabulous Phoenix, t-shirt repellant Demetri, fashion crazed Yana and moody Luka. I had a soft spot in my heart for Luka and was excited to see more of him. He's a complicated guy and in some ways I feel like I understand him even less now. Through Dakota's eyes we get to see his many facets - especially the sexy side as Dakota and Luka share hungry looks and covert touches.

There was a lot to keep me turning the pages, dying to know what happens next. Along with the drama and romance, there's a bit of mystery, what's up with Dakota's dreams? Exactly what happened to her? and an element of the paranormal.

And the ending? Huh? What just happened? Phoenix and ? What in the world is going on? And when is book two, Relish, releasing?

Disclosure: ebook provided in exchange for an honest review

{Giveaway}

Prize: 5 - E-copies of TASTE by Kate Evangelista (International Giveaway) 
Running from Jan 1 till Feb 7, 2014
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Link to the giveaway:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MDkzN2QxMWJiODZmYmYxMGRlMmY4M2JhNGFjM2NiOjEyNw==/

 

Tour hosted by:

Teaser Tuesday (38) The Wicked Wallflower + Savor

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read(s)
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) -- or less or more -- “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

“Dammit, woman, I am falling for you. This is my attempt at bloody wooing you."

location 2928, The Wicked Wallflower by Maya Rodale

 "When the line 'I run away to find who I am' reached my ears I had to stop and stare. That lyric resonated with me. I knew that if I travelled the world I would find who I was."

location 1269, Savor by Kate Evangelista

Taste by Kate Evangelista -- YA Review

Taste by Kate Evangelista -- YA Review

At Barinkoff Academy, there's only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans. When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn't realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

Details: Crescent Moon Press, Released April 30, 2012, Trade Paperback, 259 pages
Genre: YA
Source: Giveaway Win
Links: Goodreads

Stars? 5/5

In one sentence? A new and interesting take on the zombie genre.

Review:

One mistake can change everything. Phoenix isn't supposed to be at school after hours but when she falls asleep at school and wakes up amidst the night students. Students that want a 'taste'.

Phoenix is a likable character. She's brave but dumb. She's got the best of intentions but she ends up leaping without even attempting to look. She turns into the damsel in distress several times but there were reasons for it, it wasn't just an opportunity to have one of the boys rescue her. I wanted to knock her upside the head, to root for her, to sympathize with her and to give her a hug.

I adored the boys, Dimitri, the tall, dark, handsome, brooding, dutiful prince and Luka, the playful, kind, teasing, haunted prince. I thought they were both good matches for Phoenix and I appreciated the way Evanglista handled the love triangle, but not a love triangle, triangle. I'm not a big fan of triangles but this one was well done, both the guys were good to her and good for her.

I liked Evangelista's writing style. The story never seemed to lag and I thought she did a good job of portraying the world she created and describing the people in it. She made me care about the characters, I was emotionally invested in them and their journey. Evangelista is also excellent at crafting chemistry between her characters and conveying that to the reader.