Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Risking It All by S.M. Koz

Risking It All by S.M. Koz
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Source: I received an e-ARC from the publisher through Xpresso Book Tours. Thank you!
My Rating:

Synopsis: A high-achieving teen who’s determined to become a fighter jet pilot is matched up with an accused criminal at an elite military boarding school in SM Koz’s YA novel, Risking It All. Paige knows exactly what she wants—to graduate from Wallingford Academy and become a pilot in the US Air Force. She’s inherited her father’s no-nonsense attitude and whip-smart intelligence, all of which have made her the perfect Wallingford cadet. Wallingford Academy is the last place in the world Logan wants to be. But after his girlfriend borrows his car and commits a crime, Logan takes the fall and ends up there with hopes of striking a decent plea bargain. For him, graduation can’t come soon enough. When Paige is asked to mentor Logan, it’s the perfect opportunity to prove her leadership skills—but she doesn’t account for the feelings that start to develop or the baggage from Logan’s past which could threaten both of their futures.

+ Add to Goodreads

My Review

I haven't read a lot of military academy YA books, and not only did I learn a lot (the author notes in her acknowledgements that she talked to many military family members and friends), but I found it very interesting. Although I like routine, I would never have lasted with such early mornings.

I automatically loved Paige, the hard-working, honest, goal-driven, cadet who is on her way to joining the US Air Force. On the other hand, I automatically disliked Logan. Although loyal to his friends, he was lazy and extremely rude. When Paige is asked to mentor Logan things get interesting. Not only did I enjoy watching Paige and Logan's friendship grow, seeing them work through their own feelings and grow themselves made them seem very realistic. The novel is told in dual POVs from Logan and Paige, which I think enhanced the story.

Although the novel wasn't perfect, which is rare to begin with, Risking It All was an enjoyable read. My only complaint is that sometimes the transitions between scenes were nonexistent, and I would have to go back and reread a few lines to ease my confusion.

The Bottom Line: Risking It All is a cute read with an interesting setting and realistic characters.

The Author

SM Koz was born in Michigan, but moved to North Carolina for college and never left. She enjoys traveling, camping, hiking, photography, reading, spending time with foster kids who call her house home, and learning new things. When she’s not creating online training for pharmaceutical companies (her day job) or writing, Koz can be found at the local community college taking courses on various topics ranging from digital art to HTML to desktop publishing. SM Koz has written six novels. Although her stories differ by genre, ranging from contemporary realism to sci-fi to fanfiction, two things they all have in common are a young or new adult focus and romance. If you’d like to learn more about SM Koz, check her out on social media.

WEBSITE | GOODREADS | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway