Blog Tour: Check Me Out by Becca Wilhite

Check Me Out

by Becca Wilhite

Published by Shadow Mountain on February 3rd 2018

Genres: Adult, Clean Romance, Contemporary

Pages: 368

Greta loves her job as assistant librarian. She loves her best friend, Will, the high school civics teacher and debate coach. She even loves her mother despite her obvious disappointment that Greta is still single.

Then she meets Mac in the poetry section of the library, and she is smitten. Mac is heart-stoppingly gorgeous and showers her with affection, poetic text messages, and free hot chocolate at the local café where he works. The only problem is that he seems to be a different person in his texts than in his face-to-face conversation.

When the Franklin Library is threatened with closure, Greta leaps into action. She arranges for a "battle of the bands" book jam, hosts a book signing by a famous author, and finally, stages a protest that raises more than a few eyebrows.

Through it all, she slowly realizes that it is Will, not Mac, who she turns to for support and encouragement. Mac has the looks; Will has the heart. How can she choose between them?

Check Me Out is a contemporary romance--with just a hint of Cyrano de Bergerac--that reminds us that it is what's on the inside that matters most.

My Review

Isn't that cover super cute? I love it! I also was excited to see a contemporary romance in the Shadow Mountain Proper Romance line. They have some great historicals and I'm glad they're included contemporaries now as well.

I've always enjoyed the Cyrano de Bergerac storyline, especially the old Steve Martin movie Roxanne, so I was very curious how this story would play out.  Greta, Will and Mac have an interesting dynamic. Greta and Will have been friends for a long time. Will is in love with Greta, but she is not attracted to him and therefore not interested in dating him. Good writing, fun banter and an interesting story that will make you think.

My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions by Becca Wilhite (Author Interview)

Genre: Fiction

Publication Date: March 3, 2010

One Word Review: Good

Bookworm Rating: 3

Author Website: www.beccawilhite.com

First Line: “Mom pulls her new toy, a talking GPS directions-thingie up close to her eyes.”

Synopsis: Sarah Howard's first year at the university is everything and nothing she expected especially when a very cute boy named Ben starts to show interest in her. Sarah feels like she's an average, normal, everyday girl. So, when Ben begins to take interest in her, Sarah is in denial. For one thing, last year she was deeply crushed and humiliated by Jesse James a guy who she thought liked her. She's determined not to get burned again. But in her heart of hearts, what she really wants is a Jane Austen kind of romance. Ridiculous, right? That kind of romance doesn’t exist anymore . . . or does it? Sarah is smart and fun to be around and even pretty, despite her Medusa-like red curls. She even plays the guitar. (So does Ben!) Yes, Sarah is everything Ben has wanted. He's crazy for her, but Sarah is just not getting it. She's playing hard to get, and if she s not careful, she s going to lose a real hot gentleman -- her 21st-century Mr. Darcy--GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: This was a fun Valentine read about how Sarah and Ben fell in love. I thought it was a cute story and had some funny moments, awkward moments, tender moments and just an overall enjoyable read. I liked Ben’s character, he was a sweet guy and you could tell he was crazy about Sarah from the start. Sarah was a bit insecure throughout the book, never really thinking she was good enough for Ben. They have some misunderstandings along the way but it all ends up how it’s supposed to.

Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing for sending me the book.

Author Interview

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
What's a better way to get to know about someone that to know what they love? So here are some things I love: Tulips. White bread. My kids. Reading funny books. Buttered popcorn. Birds (natural ones, outside -- no pets). Reading serious books. My husband. Sweaters. Cinnamon bears. Scarves. Memoirs. Getting mail. Good hair days. Toenail polish. Successful writing days (a thousand words, none of them stupid -- that's the goal).

What made you want to write a YA novel, and what inspired My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions?
I love YA. I love taking the "first" journeys with the characters. And maybe I can relate to teens better than some adults I know... When I started working this story, I wrote a scene that appears in the middle of this book. Sarah's character was so clear to me, her needs and her neuroses and the funny voices in her head, that I just had to get her on paper.

What is the hardest part in writing a book? And what did you learn from writing My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions?
I have to remind myself every day that it's the writing that matters. Some days the writing is good (clever, funny, witty) and some days it's just an exercise in self-control: sit. type. stay sitting. keep typing. And although those days are no fun, it's still good for the writing muscles.

What do you think of the cover? Did you play a role in choosing the cover?
Covers are amazing, aren't they? My cover designer, Sheryl Dickert Smith, does a gorgeous job, and they found the most adorable girl for the cover. I love it tremendously. (But to tell you the truth, the photo surprised me, because in my head Sarah looks, shall we say, VERY different.) The publisher sends me a mock-up, and I say (honestly) "It's lovely." Because, guess what. I'm the word person. Someone else gets to be the cover person, and that works for me.

What three words would you use to describe My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions?
Funny, quick, (and whatever that word is that means it makes you squirm in sympathy - do you know that word?)

Do you have a particular place to write? Do you like peace & quite, or prefer to have music playing?
I have 4 very adorable kids, and this year they are all in school (!) so I get a quiet hour early in the morning before everyone wakes up (either to write or exercise) and then the Kindergarten half of the school day. That time is ALL MINE. I have a really great Mac in the office that will play any music I ask for, but I get so distracted by it that I find myself singing along or writing plots that match the songs. So I turn off the music and refuse to answer the phone (unless I really need a distraction) until I've made my writing goal for the day.

Who are your favorite authors? Favorite books?
It's sort of like asking me to choose my favorite child, you know? Except harder, because I only have 4 kids! But really, I love so many kinds of books. In YA, I bow before Sharon Creech and Kate DiCamillo. Picture books? Mo Willems. Classics? I love Jane Austen with my whole soul. In general, the best book I've read in the last 5 years is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Bright Blue Miracle by Becca Wilhite

Genre: YA Fiction

One Word Review: Quick

Synopsis: “Seventeen- year- old Leigh Mason is not sure she s ready to share her mom, her bedroom, and her little sisters with her new stepsister, Betsy. And she s definitely not ready to share her best friend, who happens to be a boy! Coping with a blended family is not easy for either Leigh or Betsy, especially during their senior year in high school. Each step brings them nearer to a crisis that will either send them running in different directions or bind them firmly together (which, let s face it, would take a miracle). Bright Blue Miracle is a new young adult novel that has everything a girl wants: a hero (more specifically, a really cute boy), a villain (who happens to be a stepsister), comedy, despair, pedicures, ice cream, love, hate, tennis, revenge, and, of course, a couple of surprises that might send you for some tissues” -GoodReads

Kathy’s Review: I was drawn to this one by the cover, although I kind of hate feet, I love the color blue and for some reason it just called to me. I was a little disappointed in the story and characters. Everything just moved along or was resolved so quickly. Leigh’s mother announces that she is getting re-married, and Leigh throws a small tantrum and then being the mature 17 year-old gets over it and tries to be understanding. When her new step-sister moves in and begins crushing on Leigh’s best friend Jeremy she once again has a problem with it but gets over it a little too quickly. Maybe it was the fact that I was sick when I was reading, but I just couldn’t get into the story or feel any attachment to the characters. I skimmed over the second half of the book and was again disappointed that everything gets resolved easily and somewhat unrealistically. It has its cute parts so I wouldn’t not read it, but it’s not one I would read again.