Genre: Young Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: April 19, 2016
Publisher: Swoon Reads
It’s all fun and parties until someone falls in love in this modern fairy tale from author Kate Evangelista.
Caleb desperately needs a fake girlfriend. Either he attends a series of parties for his father’s law firm with a pretty girl on his arm, or he gets shipped off to Yale to start a future he’s not ready for and isn’t sure he wants. And sadly, the last unattached girl in his social circle has just made the grievous mistake of falling in love with him. Fortunately, Didi, recently fired waitress and aspiring painter, is open to new experiences. As the summer ticks by in a whirl of lavish parties, there’s only one rule: They must not fall in love!
No Love Allowed if the first book in the Dodge Cove Series by Kate Evangelista. This was the first contemporary book I've read by this author, the others were all paranormal fiction. I enjoyed them so much, I was really curious about reading a book by her that was outside that genre. I have to say... this was pretty darn good. It was a cute, intoxicating love story that starts off as a friendship. Both characters have pretty amazing personalities. I love Didi's spunk. She's a trip. It wasn't all light and fun. There are some mental illness issues that play a role, and that brought some seriousness to the storyline. This was a hard book to put down, and it's one I'd recommend to anyone.
The ARC of No Love Allowed by Kate Evangelista was kindly provided to me by Xpresso Book Tours for review. The opinions are my own.
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The ARC of No Love Allowed by Kate Evangelista was kindly provided to me by Xpresso Book Tours for review. The opinions are my own.
How long have you been writing?
Close to a decade now.
What inspired you to write No Love Allowed?
A girl falling off a cliff and a boy jumping in after her.
Which of your characters do you relate to most and why?
Natasha. She comes from a heart broken place and rises above it to become her own person, which readers will see in her own book.
What is a secret about you that nobody else knows?
I’m super shy. Like quake in my boots meeting new people shy.
If your real life as a teenager was a Young Adult book, what would you, the main character, be like?
The angry teen. Back then I used sarcasm as a defense mechanism.
What book have you read too many times to count?
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. It’s a beautifully written book that I love absolutely.
What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received?
Keep at it. Writing is about finishing the book. If you don’t finish the book then there’s nothing to publish.
If you could hop into the life of any fictional character, who would it be and why?
Meg from Written in Red and the rest of the books in the series. I want to live in the Courtyard. I want to make friends with vampires and wolves and a whole host of creatures. Oh and feed sugar cubes to supernatural ponies.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
The first draft isn’t necessarily the finished product.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Watching movies. I love watching movies. And catching up on my TV shows. Lots of marathons happening in my household.
Are any of the things in your books based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
One example would have to be the way Didi eats a burger. The skill came from a classmate of mine from my med school days.
Close to a decade now.
What inspired you to write No Love Allowed?
A girl falling off a cliff and a boy jumping in after her.
Which of your characters do you relate to most and why?
Natasha. She comes from a heart broken place and rises above it to become her own person, which readers will see in her own book.
What is a secret about you that nobody else knows?
I’m super shy. Like quake in my boots meeting new people shy.
If your real life as a teenager was a Young Adult book, what would you, the main character, be like?
The angry teen. Back then I used sarcasm as a defense mechanism.
What book have you read too many times to count?
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. It’s a beautifully written book that I love absolutely.
What is the best piece of writing advice you ever received?
Keep at it. Writing is about finishing the book. If you don’t finish the book then there’s nothing to publish.
If you could hop into the life of any fictional character, who would it be and why?
Meg from Written in Red and the rest of the books in the series. I want to live in the Courtyard. I want to make friends with vampires and wolves and a whole host of creatures. Oh and feed sugar cubes to supernatural ponies.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
The first draft isn’t necessarily the finished product.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Watching movies. I love watching movies. And catching up on my TV shows. Lots of marathons happening in my household.
Are any of the things in your books based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
One example would have to be the way Didi eats a burger. The skill came from a classmate of mine from my med school days.
Check out my reviews of some of Kate Evangelista's books:
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.
