The Longest Ride Giveaway

To celebrate the release of the movie version of The Longest Ride, 20th Century Fox are giving away a movie tie-in edition of the book, tickets to go see it in theaters, and a tote bag! Here's the prize pack:

You can win this book and tote bag in addition to a $25 Visa gift card to go see The Longest Ride in theaters.

Here's what The Longest Ride is all about:

Ira Levinson is in trouble. At ninety-one years old, in poor health and alone in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash. Suffering multiple injuries, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes and comes into focus beside him: his beloved wife Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by recounting the stories of their lifetime together – how they met, the precious paintings they collected together, the dark days of WWII and its effect on them and their families. Ira knows that Ruth can’t possibly be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and everyday joys that defined their marriage.
A few miles away, at a local rodeo, a Wake Forest College senior’s life is about to change. Recovering from a recent break-up, Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke, who bears little resemblance to the privileged frat boys she has encountered at school. Through Luke, Sophia is introduced to a world in which the stakes of survival and success, ruin and reward -- even life and death – loom large in everyday life. As she and Luke fall in love, Sophia finds herself imagining a future far removed from her plans -- a future that Luke has the power to rewrite . . . if the secret he’s keeping doesn’t destroy it first.
Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples who have little in common, and who are separated by years and experience. Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart.

Like The Longest Ride on Facebook, visit the Official Website, and make sure to check out the trailer:

Giveaway rules:
- Must be 13 or older to enter.

- Open to US only.

- Open for one week; giveaway ends April 6th at midnight. The winner will be contacted by e-mail. They will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen.
- I am not responsible for items lost or damaged in the mail.

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Best of Me Giveaway

To celebrate the release of the movie version of The Best of Me, Relativity Media is giving away two copies of the movie tie-in edition of the book!

This is what The Best of Me is all about:

Based on the bestselling novel by acclaimed author Nicholas Sparks, The Best of Me tells the story of Dawson and Amanda, two former high school sweethearts who find themselves reunited after 20 years apart, when they return to their small town for the funeral of a beloved friend. Their bittersweet reunion reignites the love they've never forgotten, but soon they discover the forces that drove them apart twenty years ago live on, posing even more serious threats today. Spanning decades, this epic love story captures the enduring power of our first true love, and the wrenching choices we face when confronted with elusive second chances.
The Best of Me stars James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan, Luke Bracey and Liana Liberato. In theaters October 17.

And make sure to check out the trailer:



You can like the movie's Facebook page here.

Giveaway rules:
- Must be 13 or older to enter.

- Open to US only.

- Open for one week; giveaway ends October 13th at midnight. The winner will be contacted by e-mail. They will have 48 hours to respond, or a new winner will be chosen.
- I am not responsible for items lost or damaged in the mail.

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Title: Safe Haven
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Sphere
Release date: September 2nd 2010
Pages: 352
Genre: Romance
Source: Bought
FInd out more: Goodreads | Amazon


Goodreads description:

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family. But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

First sentence:

As Katie wound her way among the tables, a breeze from the Atlantic rippled through her hair.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars


I love Nicholas Sparks. Yes, the stories are cheesy and unrealistic, but... well, there is no real but, I just love them - the romance, the heartbreak, everything. Every once in a while, I need to read a cheesy love story, and Nicholas Sparks' books are perfect for that. And Safe Haven is no exception.


The characters in Safe Haven are great. Characters in adult books are generally harder for me to relate to than YA characters, just because YA is a lot closer to my own life. But even though Katie and Alex are twice as old as me, I had no trouble connecting to them. Alex is such a good guy, and I felt his grief. The way he takes care of his kids is so sweet, and the family's loss made me cry several times. Katie's a great character, too - I don't want to say too much about her in order not to spoil her secret, but she's been through a lot. Her fears are understandable, and you can't help but feel for her.


I don't know what to say about the relationship between Katie and Alex. Technically, it's too insta-love-y (there should be an actual word for that, by the way) - the attraction in the beginning is too obvious and unrealistic, and they develop too extreme emotions too quickly. But really, I didn't care - they're so cute together! It's like that in almost all of Nicholas Sparks' novels - the MCs develop unrealistically deep emotions for one another in too short a time - but I never seem to mind. The relationships are cheesy, but really, that's just the way his books are. You always know you're in for a good but cheesy romance when you open a Nicholas Sparks book. 


One thing I always love about Nicholas Sparks' books is the small-town life. The books almost always take place in some small town on the coast of North Carolina, and the atmospheres are always so peaceful. His books always make me want to move to a small town near the beach.


The suspense in Safe Haven is really well-done. I don't want to say too much about Katie's "secret that still haunts and terrifies her" in order not to spoil it for anyone, but it really is terrifying at times. The suspense and danger of that storyline keep you flipping the pages, and the romance and suspense blend together really well. Still, I would have liked a stronger message concerning Katie's issue - I think, because of Alex's background, he could have easily given the reader some more information on how to handle something like that.


Safe Haven is a classic Nicholas Sparks book - a good but clichéd love story with some suspense thrown in there. No, they're not the most intellectually challenging books out there, but what girl doesn't want to read a cheesy love story every once in a while? Safe Haven isn't my favorite Nicholas Sparks book, but it's an enjoyable read.