Hey everyone! Meredith from Pandora’s Books here. For those who don’t know, I’m doing a joint Blogoversary celebration with Kayla and Stacie from A Wonderland of Reading. The festivities started on May 26 (their one-year Blogoversary) and will end on June 24 (my one-year Blogoversary). We’ll be alternating days and providing fun guest posts from our fellow bloggers and author friends. You can visit A Wonderland of Reading to see the first post and learn more about the details and the grand prize giveaway!

So today, I have the AMAZING Rachel Harris here with an epically awesome excerpt from her new book, The Fine Art of Pretending (TFAoP) (September 2014, Spencer Hill Contemporary). I’ve been a HUGE fan of Rachel ever since I read Taste the Heat (almost a year ago)! She writes amazing stories with fun plots, lovable characters and swoon-worthy boys! So, without further adieu, please enjoy this super fun exceprt!!

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 8th

7 weeks and 6 days until Homecoming

• ALY •
ALY’S HOUSE, 5:45 p.m.

I sit at my vanity, staring at the free gift-with-purchase bag stuffed with makeup, and try to remember which products Kara used yesterday. The idea of a beauty regime is as foreign to me as losing a volleyball match, but desperate times call for desperate measures. After applying the coral blush to the “apples” of my cheeks (another new term for my vocabulary), I grab the berry-stained lip gloss I’m almost certain is right. I unscrew the cap, pump the wand, and raise it to my mouth.

A sudden rap on the door makes the wand skitter across my cheek, leaving a zigzag stripe of Blackberry Bloom in its wake.

“Lovely,” I mutter, yanking a handful of tissues out of a crochet-covered box. Regardless of how often I’ve watched Gabi and Kara do this, obviously makeup application skills cannot be obtained through osmosis. I toss the balled-up Kleenex into the waste bin and bellow, “Come in, Kaitie!”

Instead of my younger sister, Brandon lets himself in, a notebook with sketched-out game plans tucked under his arm. When he spots me in the corner, he does a double-take, eyebrows shooting up over his jade-colored eyes. “I see Kara got to you. Should I even ask why?”

Well, at least he noticed.

In reply, I walk to the huge mirror over my bed that acts as a massive picture frame for my ultimate Wall of Shame. My feet sink into the plush yellow comforter, and I point to the latest entry.

“Exhibit A,” I tell him. “Junior Prom.”

Brandon hops up beside me, leans in to inspect the picture, and nods. “I don’t get it.”

I exhale and stare at the picture taken three months ago—two weeks after Adam and I had broken up. Adam was my first boyfriend. My only boyfriend. And up until our breakup, I assumed things were going great. We’d been going out for four months, and I’d foolishly thought he could be the one. Maybe not the forever one, but the one for a good while. The one to see me as desirable.

The one to break my curse.

“When I added this picture the other night,” I say, “I had an epiphany.”

Brandon scratches the back of his neck and squints. “An epiphany?”

“Yes, an epiphany. Look again. Do you not notice a demoralizing theme to the dance pictures?” I pause for him to inspect the evidence and sigh when he shrugs. “All my dates are friends, Brandon. Every Homecoming, Winter Formal, and Spring Fling picture shows me with a bunch of girlfriends, an ex-boyfriend pity date, or a just-a-friend guy date. Starting with you.”

 
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Thanks to Rachel, along with this epic excerpt, we have a swag pack for ONE of you lucky readers! The swag pack will include a Brandon Trading Card (pictured below!), a TFAoP teaser card and a bookmark. Plus, this is an international giveaway!

 
So, the rules:

-Giveaway is International

-Winner has 48 hours to respond. If winner does not respond, a new winner will be selected.

-You must be 13 or older to enter OR have your parents’ permission.

-I am not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items.

-I reserve the right to change any rules as I see fit for each individual giveaway

*The above giveaway rules were borrowed and modified from Jessica @ Just a Book Lover.

With that being said, I wish you luck! May the odds be ever in your favor!

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