A Dream Within A Dream: My Last Kiss Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the My Last Kiss blog tour! Today I have my review of the book to share and don't forget to enter the awesome giveaway!

My Last Kiss
Author: Bethany Neal
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: June 10, 2014

Rate: 4 Stars

Synopsis:

What if your last kiss was with the wrong boy?

Cassidy Haines remembers her first kiss vividly. It was on the old covered bridge the summer before her freshman year with her boyfriend of three years, Ethan Keys. But her last kiss--the one she shared with someone at her seventeenth birthday party the night she died--is a blur. Cassidy is trapped in the living world, not only mourning the loss of her human body, but left with the grim suspicion that her untimely death wasn't a suicide as everyone assumes. She can't remember anything from the weeks leading up to her birthday and she's worried that she may have betrayed her boyfriend.

If Cassidy is to uncover the truth about that fateful night and make amends with the only boy she'll ever love, she must face her past and all the decisions she made--good and bad--that led to her last kiss.

Bethany Neal's suspenseful debut novel is about the power of first love and the haunting lies that threaten to tear it apart.

My Last Kiss is a touching contemporary novel that explores the depths of first love, betrayal, lies, trust, and death. Despite the heavy topics discussed throughout the book, I found it intriguing and I was sucked into the story within the first couple of paragraphs. I loved the main character - Cassidy - is a fantastic leading lady for the book. Aside from being dead; she's determined, smart, and ready to find and face the truth - even if it isn't pretty. She was a great character who didn't hide her flaws, which I thought made her all the more realistic and accessible to readers. The plot was really original and blended suspense, mystery, and love with the deeper topics mentioned above. There were some definite twists and turns in the story that kept me guessing (and eagerly reading to see what would happen next) right to the end. I loved that the author mixed so many different genres and topics within the book - there's so much going on but it's not confusing at all for the reader. I personally love thrillers and mysteries, so combine that with contemporary issues and romance - and you have one heck of a book. I loved the fast paced writing and the detailed descriptions that the author used - it helped me to submerge myself into the story alongside Cassidy throughout the entire book. The talent of the author is apparent in every aspect of the book, and I thought it was amazing that this is her debut novel. This is definitely an author to watch, and I'll be eagerly awaiting her next book to release. Highly recommended for fans of YA fiction of all genres - and those who want a great story with some deep topics and twists.

Bethany Neal writes young-adult novels with a little dark side and a lot of kissing! She is obsessed with (but not limited to): nail polish, ginormous rings, pigs, pickles, and dessert.

You can find her locked in her Writertorium for insane amounts of time. But, hey, insanity is fun! My Last Kiss is her first novel.