Blog Tour for Working Girl by A.E. Woodward

Working Girl by A. E. Woodward Publication Date: September 22, 2014 Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance    

Synopsis

Life As I Know It: Booze Drugs Gambling Easy Women Such was my life in fabulous Las Vegas. But what do you expect when you’re the daughter of a prostitute. This is not the life I want for myself, and I have a plan. Life As I Want It: Go to college. Get my degree. Get as far from Vegas as possible. But life has other plans. Plans that include him. Life isn’t always sunshine and roses and even the best laid plans change. This is my story. The story of a girl who thought she had it all figured out until life threw her a curve ball. My name is Presley and I refuse to be just another Working Girl.

Excerpt The telltale crackle of the old vinyl record fills the air as Elvis’s deep smooth  and sensual voice dances in my brain. The song is contagious and I find myself humming along as I walk down the hallway to her room to find her already perched at the seat in front of her vanity. I stand there, unbeknownst to her, watching as she readies herself. She’s wearing her silk dressing gown and for a moment I pretend that she’s not a prostitute. She looks like an average middle-aged woman; her brown eyes and hair a mirror image of mine. But then her robe falls open, revealing her lacy bra and bringing me back to reality. That bra will attract more than one Joe tonight. Countless hours of my life have been spent watching her. Hell, there was even a time where I adored her. I love my Momma, I do, but I can’t understand how she could have allowed me to grow up with all this surrounding my innocence. It doesn’t seem fair, and I can’t help but hate her a little bit for it.There is no handbook to guide the daughter of a hooker, but it didn’t keep me from trying to figure out my messed up mind. In desperation, I had even Googled “How to cope with your mother being a prostitute” before. It ended up being a bunch of psychobabble bullshit, leaving me with nothing but my own thoughts.  As I continue to watch her I feel sadness. There’s so much I’m missing out on. I’m no fool and I know that. I’ve read enough books to know that children aren’t supposed to worry about their moms like I do. Day after day I worry if it’s going to be her last; if this will be the day that she attracts the wrong Joe and he takes her from me; that this might be the day she actually drinks herself to death. All things a girl my age shouldn’t have to think about when it comes to their momma.After a few quiet minutes her familiar eyes meet mine in the mirror and I force a smile, trying to hide my sadness. “Presley, baby girl,” she coos. “Come help me.” Moving on just like nothing happened, but I know she knows. She’s no idiot. She’d ended her night blacked out drunk, even so she knows she didn’t just miraculously wake up in her bed, perfectly cleaned and tucked in.I go to her, and she hands me her favorite pearl necklace. She lifts her long brown hair off the back of her neck before turning and smiling at me. “Did I ever tell you about that necklace?”I nod, but she ignores the fact that I’ve heard the story a million times and starts telling it anyways while I fasten it around her neck, her fingertips running along the smooth pearls. “This necklace was your great-great grandmother’s—” “Who came over to America from Spain.” With a roll of my eyes, I finish the sentence for her. I know the story. At this point, I could probably tell it better than her. The story is one I've heard a million times over. The rich Spanish monarch who cast out his daughter for daring to fall in love with the wrong man. The story of how the two of them fled in the dead of night and snuck aboard a merchant ship headed for American shores to ensure they remained together, for better or worse, was one that would have been romantic . . . had it not ended in him dying of scurvy while they made their journey. Even if some semblance of sweetness could be recovered from the fact that she found herself pregnant with his child, thus enabling her to carry a piece of her one true love throughout her life, it would be dashed by the fact that her great-granddaughter chose to recount the story time and time again, all the while wearing her prized pearls, stolen as a means of currency but something she could never bear to part with, and readying herself for a night of selling herself to the highest bidder. Great-great Grandmother  would be so proud.  Right. Reviewed by Lynn ****4.5 Stars****
This book is one you definitely want to add to you TBR list...
Working Girl is a sort of modern day "coming of age" story to be - with family dynamics, friendships, relationships, and enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat! Working Girl brings out a host of emotions...you'll find yourself laughing at times and other times your heart will be torn into shreds. That is the epitome of a good book for me - one that can make me feel a whole range of emotions and keep me wanting and yearning for more. Working Girl was just that book for me. 
Presley Adams grew up the daughter of a prostitute. She always told herself she would make something of herself and not follow into her mother’s footsteps. Presley enrolled in college and always stuck to herself until that one day when she met Emerson Williams. She wasn’t looking for a new friend or boyfriend. Emerson had this feeling in his gut that Presley needed him. As much as she pushed him away he never left her side. She was scared to let him in.
Emerson Williams, he had the looks, friends and money. He could have any girl he wanted but he chose Presley. She wasn’t the friendliest person to be around but that didn’t stop Emerson. He slowly chiseled away at her wall until there was a crack in it that slowly began to crumble and gave way.  He too was holding onto his past. He had to deal with a father who was mentally unstable and an event that happened to him when he was a teenager. However, he had the support and love of his mother. 
With this book, you will experience such a tender, fragile love. As Emerson slowly breaks down Presely’s walls, its amazing to see her finally embrace love and start to feel worthy. You will have moments you want to scream at her for being so stupid, and moments you will cry for her and all she has endured. And then...just when things all start to come together - it happens. The biggest twist, the biggest shock, the biggest holy fuck moment that will shatter your world. The questions is - will it shatter Presley and Emerson’s?
I'm going to stop there and leave you with those thoughts...want to know more...I guess you will have to read the book then...I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 

About A. E. Woodward

A.E. lives in Vacationland with her husband and two children. Between her real job and writing she finds little time to enjoy life's finer things. However in the free time she does manage to steal, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, and reading. A.E. is the author of Kismet and A Series of Imperfections: Imperfectly Perfect, Imperfectly Real, and Imperfectly Bad. Working Girl is her fifth book.

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Blog Tour: Imperfectly Bad by A.E. Woodward

Synopsis: I’m Rob Ziviani. Oh, you’ve heard of me? Wait, did we? Oh yeah, I remember.

No, that’s a lie, I don’t remember. I’ve had most of New York City and I don’t really remember any of them. There’s only ever been one. . .

This is my story. Read it, don’t read it. I really don’t give a damn. It’s not going to change my life, so why the hell should I care?

Because I don’t care about anything.

Not since her.

*Available May 26th*

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Three days, that was my average. Three days before my skin started crawling and I needed another hit. By hit I mean another girl. Girls were my drugs. They had been for a while now. At least they were safe, well, as long as I made sure to wrap it.

The fact of the matter was that I had slept with a lot of girls. It wasn’t something I was particularly proud of, but there were worse things to be addicted to.

Tonight I’d chosen the grocery store as my hunting ground. The raven-haired firecracker from the other night had left me feeling dirty, so I was in the mood for something sweet. It was just a guess, but I figured women who spent their Friday evening grocery shopping were probably more innocent.

And I was totally in the mood for innocence.

Wandering the aisles I did some of my normal shopping, placing a few things I needed in one of those hand basket things then I took my spot by the cereals. Yes, the cereal aisle. You want to talk about innocence—it doesn’t get any more wholesome than cereal.

I picked up my box of Fruity Pebbles and stood there, pretending to study the nutritional information. Luckily I didn’t have to wait long before someone joined me. Someone up there must have been smiling down on me because the first girl to walk down the aisle was a solid “eight.”

With auburn hair and her nose and cheeks covered in freckles, she was definitely what I would call “cute.” The clothes she wore put her at college-aged, or certainly fresh out, and her hand basket was empty. She was definitely here to pick up her dinner.

And the best student dinner?

Cereal.

Told you—I was a genius.

She was likely homesick too. Missing out on a good home-cooked meal. Poor thing. But never mind, her night was about to get a whole lot better.

She stopped next to me and grabbed some healthy bullshit. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at her and my lips tipped upward in a smile. When I spoke, I kept my eyes fixed on the shelves, but I knew she’d know I was talking to her. They always did.

“I’m trying to convince myself that Fruity Pebbles are healthy.”

She giggled. “Yeah, sorry to inform you but they’re not.”

She blushed, her face a shade comparable to her hair.

“Dinner?” I asked, turning to face her and gesturing to the lack of food in her basket.

“Am I that transparent?”

“No, I’m just a good guesser.” I stuck my hand out for her. “Rob,” I said as we shook hands.

“And just in case you were wondering, I’m a fabulous cook.”

4.5 Stars!

Review: Rob, Rob, Rob...I don't even know where to start with this guy. The books in this series reminded very much of a modern day St. Elmo's Fire, and this was basically the Rob Lowe character that we all know and love...and love to hate. Rob is so broken from something in his past, and we slowly get small glimpses as to what that something was - or who.

Rob is the slightly alcoholic, always up for a good time, one night stand loving fourth in the foursome of Emma, Shane, Tyler and himself. He brings home a different girl every few nights, and, to be honest, I did not like his character very much, at all. There was one girl that he brought home from a grocery story that I just felt bad for - mainly because he knew from the beginning that he was taking advantage of her innocence, her "daddy issues", and her overwhelming desire to have connection with someone. You know that guy...the guy we all hate when he breaks our, or our friends', hearts...but we date him, anyway!

Rob's world turns upside down, however, when he runs into someone from his past - the someone...Jenny. It's the girl from the tattoo! He spends the rest of the book trying to figure out his love for her, and yet, he is also lucky enough to find someone right under his nose that also cares for him! I just watched from that point on as he went back and forth - couldn't make up his mind - and continued chasing after the poison from his past. Then, life happens and Rob must figure out who truly has his heart, or who truly deserves his heart.

I really liked this third book. I felt that it brought everything together for Rob, Emma, and Shane...and somewhat for Tyler, as well. I felt like I was back watching some of my favorite "Brat Pack" movies as I read through these books. Good reads!

Be sure to check out the rest of the Series of Imperfections!

imperfectly perfect

Emma, Tyler and Shane have been best friends since they were kids. Along with their college addition, Rob, the four friends have an exciting life in NYC. In fact, Emma Sloan appears to have it all.

Despite being happy with her current situation, a big family announcement leaves Emma questioning whether she is truly content with her life. With her thirtieth birthday fast approaching she vows to find her 'perfect' man any way she can. But Emma will soon discover that the path of true love never runs smoothly and that sometimes, instead of chasing love, you have to wait for love to find you...

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imperfectly real

When nothing in your life goes right … go left.

Tyler Johnston has a life that would be the envy of most twenty-somethings. He lives in New York City, surrounded by his closest friends, has a job in a field he loves, and remains unattached—able to flit from one lady to the next without responsibility. Only problem is, Tyler isn’t in his twenties anymore…

Having watched two of his best friends fall in love and start a family, Tyler is left wondering what will become of his life. So when life hands Tyler his happy ever after, he struggles with his conscience. Can something be right when it’s so very, very wrong? Because everyone knows that two wrongs don’t make a right. In fact, most of the time, they just make things a whole lot worse.

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A.E. lives in Vacationland with her husband and two children. Between her real job and writing she finds little time to enjoy life’s finer things. However in the free time she does manage to steal, she enjoys spending time with friends and family and reading. A.E. is the author of Kismet and A Series of Imperfections: Imperfectly Perfect, Imperfectly Real, and Imperfectly Bad. She is currently writing her fifth book, Working Girl.

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Review of Imperfectly Real by A.E. Woodward

Synopsis: When nothing in your life goes right … go left.

Tyler Johnston has a life that would be the envy of most twenty-somethings. He lives in New York City, surrounded by his closest friends, has a job in a field he loves, and remains unattached—able to flit from one lady to the next without responsibility. Only problem is, Tyler isn’t in his twenties anymore…

Having watched two of his best friends fall in love and start a family, Tyler is left wondering what will become of his life. So when life hands Tyler his happy ever after, he struggles with his conscience. Can something be right when it’s so very, very wrong? Because everyone knows that two wrongs don’t make a right. In fact, most of the time, they just make things a whole lot worse.

4.25 Stars!

Review: This is the second in the Series of Imperfections series, and it is about Tyler and Emma's sister, Liz, whom we briefly met in the first book. I already loved Tyler from the first book, when he was so supportive and non-judgmental as Emma and Shane muddled their way through figuring out their love for each other. Tyler is this big, somewhat bumbling, amazingly good-hearted guy, and you really want to see him find someone that is worth him...Which is why I struggled with about 80% of the book.

Liz comes to visit Emma and the guys out of the blue. Yes, they are all still living together, along with Emma and Shane's son, Felix. Liz, if you read the first book, is a carbon copy of Emma's mother - snooty, judgmental, seemingly perfect, etc. She comes to visit, though, and even Tyler can see that she appears to be broken. The just adorable, gooey chocolate, inside of Tyler that makes him amazing, works to help Liz - even at the expense of himself. Thus begins their secret relationship, though, different people slowly find out as the months move forward. I had trouble with this, since Tyler had been on the opposite side, along with Emma, when she had been cheated on. I don't think that is ever the answer, even if Liz's husband does end up being nowhere near a stellar guy. 

Tyler and Liz slowly build on the memories and barely there relationship that they had in the past. For some reason, I had a difficult time really connecting to them. I wanted Tyler to find someone so badly, and I absolutely loved him. And...to be honest, once I knew Liz's story, my heart broke for her, too. I want her to find herself, and I want her to find happiness. I guess I'm not convinced, yet, that that includes one another. Their story is not over, yet, however, so I guess we will have to see what happens with them. Hopefully, they will make an appearance in Rob's story, because I need to know if they make it!

Jessica

Review of Imperfectly Perfect by A.E. Woodward

Synopsis: Emma, Tyler and Shane have been best friends since they were kids. Along with their college addition, Rob, the four friends have an exciting life in NYC. In fact, Emma Sloan appears to have it all.

Despite being happy with her current situation, a big family announcement leaves Emma questioning whether she is truly content with her life. With her thirtieth birthday fast approaching she vows to find her 'perfect' man any way she can. But Emma will soon discover that the path of true love never runs smoothly and that sometimes, instead of chasing love, you have to wait for love to find you...

4.5 Stars!

Review: In many ways, Emma's close friendship with guys reminded me of earlier times in my life when I had several close guy friends. She had known Tyler and Shane since elementary and middle school, and they added Rob, along the way, in college. They had shared many important times and milestones in life with one another, however nothing has prepared Emma for the new feelings that she has in her life - feelings for a family and, possibly, for babies. 

Emma goes home for a big family event and, while there, she discovers that she does want a life similar to her mom and sister, even though she has denied it for years. She is just under 30 years old, and she feels that her time is running out to find the man of her dreams and get started on a family. She decides on a plan, however, and clues Shane, Tyler and Rob in on it when she gets home. They all support her in her quest, even when they do not agree with the guy that she ends up dating. 

It was truly touching to watch the dynamics of the friendships play out throughout this book. There is the collective friendship of the "foursome", but then each person has their own friendships, and for Emma, she truly cherishes each guy. She does have a favorite, however, and it was great to watch this relationship grow and unfold into something different. 

As much as I liked the story, I did sometimes have a hard time connecting to Emma, for some reason. I wanted her to see what was right in front of her, but she kept not seeing it. I was also very disappointed in one of the guys - I kept shouting at my kindle for him to "grow a pair"! I can't wait to see what happens with the rest of the roommates, now, though. 

Jessica