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A Shot of Bourbon

(Bourbon Series #1)

A.C. Land (Goodreads Author)

3.95 · Rating details · 40 ratings · 20 reviews

In the little highway town of Bourbon, Missouri, deadly secrets lurk behind southern charm.

Seventeen year old Charli Valentine didn’t expect to spend the last few weeks of summer break nursing a broken heart, icing a black eye, and watching her ex kiss another girl. Since being a good girl has gotten her nothing but heartache, Charli decides to give rebellion a try. She p ...more

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Paperback, 338 pages

Published March 29th 2016 by BookFish Books

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Feb 16, 2016 Jessica Calla rated it it was amazing

A SHOT OF BOURBON is a great read! This mature YA features a thoughtful plot and complex, imperfect characters. Beware: This is not cookie-cutter YA. Charli and Lucas will frustrate you as they work through the plot and their feelings for each other but in the end, you'll be left wishing for more. The talented Ms. Land has perfected the voices of the MC's--both the rich, inexperienced girl from the good side of the town as well as the "he-slut"-yet-charming boy from the infamous family in the tr ...more

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Mar 02, 2016 Shelby (Grace with Books) rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, reviewed-books

I received the book via email about a month back and my first reaction was from the cover. Book covers give you an insight into the author’s mind before we even open the first page. A Shot of Bourbon has a dark cover which gives us insight that it’s going to be mystery type of book. I love analyzing covers and applying my english class skills in real life

Here is my full review:
http://gracedwithbooks.com/2016/04/05... ...more

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Mar 05, 2016 Anna (Adventures with a Book Nerd) rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2016-release, arc, e-book, for-review, review-copy, all-nighter, read-in-2016, read-in-march-2016, read-in-march, two-star

More reviews like this can be found on Adventures with a Book Nerd.

Actual Rating: 2.5 stars

*My thanks to the BookFish Books crew for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own. Also, I kind of go into a rant in the third paragraph, so mild spoilers might occur (but I mean pretty mild in my opinion).*

I don't know what to rate this! I honestly don't! Because I hated the first half, but I really like the second half! I really hate when More reviews like this can be found on Adventures with a Book Nerd.

Actual Rating: 2.5 stars

*My thanks to the BookFish Books crew for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own. Also, I kind of go into a rant in the third paragraph, so mild spoilers might occur (but I mean pretty mild in my opinion).*

I don't know what to rate this! I honestly don't! Because I hated the first half, but I really like the second half! I really hate when this happens...

In this book we follow Charli, and all of her various friends as she tries to to figure out her her biological father is. To be completely honest though, this seemed more of a soap opera than anything else.

Sex! Sex! Sex! That was the first half of this book. You may not see it, but it's there. The majority of the first half of this book was about sex, and a very annoying relationship in the making. And this isn't necessarily a bad thing. It is though when when that's it. I mean, we already had the question of who is Charli's biological dad, and almost no major plot development happened! It was all about her relationship! What!?! You have the big question, so I want more clues, and want more development. And yes, you could argue that there was some development, but not nearly enough in my opinion. I think, that if the big relationship development part was taken out (practically the whole first half), the book could have been cut in half. You still would have gotten to the same ending, but with half of the moody teenage hormones.

Can I just talk about Charli for a bit, because she was so annoying! I don't think that I have read about such an annoying character sense The Selection Series. Except that Charli was more of a baby. I mean, there's a thing between having a protective boyfriend, and just being completely dependent on him. And some of the things he said were really concerning! For example...

"Get your little ass outta the car, Charli Chip."

He then threatened to set the car on fire if she didn't get out. Let me ask you this, if you were in this situation, would you A.)get out of the car, and go with him into the vacant garage; or B.) punched him in the face and run away? I know what I would do. Is this how women let guys talk to them now a days? Am I that antisocial? Honestly! This is concerning to me! I get that their just two teenagers having fun, but in my opinion, you should never let anybody talk to you, or threaten you like that. Other than Luke treating her like that (and he doesn't treat her like that for the whole book), I kinda liked him. He was brutally honest, and it was refreshing!

I know I am saying all of these negative things about the book, but there were some things that I liked about it. One of them, the second half of the book. I though that it was really well mapped out and well written. I really enjoyed reading the ending, and I'm happy how things turned out. Also, that epilogue was amazing! It really hooked me in from the ending, and now I really want to read the second book. I honestly don't know how it happened. This really shows you the power of a good ending and epilogue! Guess that I'll see you guys in the fall when the second book comes out. ...more

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Apr 08, 2016 Natshane rated it really liked it

I'd take a shot of Bourbon for the cover and another one just for Luke Parker.

I'm usually a sucker for romance (even the cheesy kind!) so how could I pass up on the opportunity of reading Charli and Luke's version of Romeo and Juliet? I was infatuated with the characters to the point where Luke Parker appeared in my dream and kissed me on the lips, just like what he did with Charli, and I woke up feeling extremely longing (don't judge! The dream was that vivid :p)

My Luke!

Anyway, I got to stop th I'd take a shot of Bourbon for the cover and another one just for Luke Parker.

I'm usually a sucker for romance (even the cheesy kind!) so how could I pass up on the opportunity of reading Charli and Luke's version of Romeo and Juliet? I was infatuated with the characters to the point where Luke Parker appeared in my dream and kissed me on the lips, just like what he did with Charli, and I woke up feeling extremely longing (don't judge! The dream was that vivid :p)

My Luke!

Anyway, I got to stop thinking with my ovaries and start writing some serious review.

I really enjoyed AC Land's writing, the story was narrated from both Charli and Luke's perspective therefore we got to experience the story from dual perspectives, which made the reading experience much more better. I was caught up in the story right from the start and the writing kept me curious till the end. The quest to find out Charli's birth father was a great build up to the story, there were so many puzzling questions that were introduced in the prologue that prompted the readers to delve further into the story, making the book an engaging read.

The chemistry between Charli and Luke was sizzling hot, and I particularly enjoyed the fact that the secondary characters were given as much thought as the mains, I really loved how the author narrated Collin and Luke's bromance and Lonna and Charli's friendship and it made me connect with the story even more. However, there were also times where I felt the story progressed rather slowly, and I was irritated at the fact that Charli was so accepting of Bo's behaviour (I totally would call on his bullcrap!), but when everything falls into place in the ending, it was all worthwhile :P

I can't wait for book 2! Thank you Lola's Blog Tours for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Posted by,
Natasha @ Dreamland Teenage Fantasy: My Tour Stop

*US ONLY* : Stand a chance to win an Ipad Mini by participating in A Shot of Bourbon's Blog Tour taking place from 29th March to 11th April. You can find the full tour schedule at Lola's Blog Tours ...more

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Mar 11, 2016 Ang -PNR Book Lover Reviews rated it liked it

A Shot of Bourbon
by A.C. Land

Unfortunately this one want for me! I felt like i needed a shit ton of bourbon to get through this one.

This one was a little over dramatic Young adult, Perfect for the #BookLovers that love dramatic young teen romance and all that jazz.

The two characters, gah!

But for me, no i couldn't do it. I really wanted to love this, i adore the cover a lot!

This was told in dual POV. Honestly this was not your easy YA typical read, this was angst. #NotAngFriendly

Charlie and Lu ...more

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Mar 25, 2016 Amanda B Gillespie rated it really liked it

Shelves: blog-tour, lola-s-book-tour

17-year-old Rich girl left alone for a week while parents are overseas anniversary trip and no one expects trouble? Well, trouble is always to be found. In this case, Charli is interested in finding why she doesn't know her birth father and why her mom clams up at the mention. Add in the one boy mom says to stay away from no matter, an overbearing, confused, borderline abusive sometime boyfriend, and an overprotective best friend with her own issues and we have a roller coaster ride in the makin ...more

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Apr 03, 2016 Siobhan Davis rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, review-copy, romance, series, ya

Actual rating 3.5 stars.

Charli has had quite a sheltered upbringing and it shows. Her mom has a genuine reason for keeping her protected, and away from the Parker boys, but, in all honesty, she did her no favors. Charli is way more innocent than her BFF Lonna, and the boys run rings around her. She also has a tendency to wear her heart on her sleeve which was cringeworthy at times. Bo was an asshat for the first two-thirds of the book but he showed a slighter nicer side toward the end. Though C Actual rating 3.5 stars.

Charli has had quite a sheltered upbringing and it shows. Her mom has a genuine reason for keeping her protected, and away from the Parker boys, but, in all honesty, she did her no favors. Charli is way more innocent than her BFF Lonna, and the boys run rings around her. She also has a tendency to wear her heart on her sleeve which was cringeworthy at times. Bo was an asshat for the first two-thirds of the book but he showed a slighter nicer side toward the end. Though Charli professed to be in love with him, she changed her mind pretty quickly, however, that is totally a teen prerogative and it was believable.

Luke Parker is not your stereotypical bad boy though it may appear that way at first. I loved him, even if I did have a few minor irritations. He was rough around the edges, but very sweet and protective of Charli, and I always adore that in the male lead.

I thought their chemistry was good and the romance was well written.

The writing is excellent, especially considering it's a debut work, and the words flowed effortlessly. The pacing was also decent and I didn't skim or feel like any part dragged. I liked the world building and the setting.

I really enjoyed the subplot with the Bourbon murderers and wish it had been more of a focus of the story. Though it was predictable, it was interwoven well around the highs and lows of contemporary teen life. The suspense ratcheted up in the last few chapters and there is plenty of potential for development in the next book.

The biggest issues I had with this book were characterization and voice. Charli spoke and acted very immaturely at the start, more like a fourteen-year-old than an eighteen-year-old. She also had zero self-esteem and she let Bo and Luke treat her terribly at times. She was too weak to be completely likeable and I hated how she treated Luke when Bo and the other idiots he calls friends turned up at her house. I also disliked the friendship between Lonna and Charli. I actually thought Lonna was pretty mean to her, even though she is presented as the protective friend. She came across as a bitch to me. And Lonna and Gage's abusive relationship was not pleasant to read. I don't understand why she let him treat her like that. One thing I hated was Luke's vernacular. Uh. It pulled me out of the story every time he used the 'dumb speak.' Now, it's explained at the end, and it had me laughing at the genius of it, but it still irritated me no end while I was reading it. I found several of the conversations between characters awkward and unnatural and consistency was lacking at times.

I am intrigued to know where the story is progressing. I think the next book centers on Lonna and Colly, and I am definitely engaged enough to want to continue!

I would recommend this for a mature YA audience as a lot of the focus is on sex. Definitely not suitable for younger teens.

All in all, this was a decent debut and a solid start to this series. I look forward to reading more!

And I love that cover - very striking!

I received a copy of the book from the author via Lola's Blog Tours in exchange for my honest opinion. ...more

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Mar 02, 2016 Samantha Kilford rated it it was ok

Shelves: sent-to-me

For more book related content visit my blog

Thank you to Lola's Blog Tours and A.C. Land for letting me be a part of the Bourbon Blog Tour and sending me a copy of the novel!

I feel like this is one of those books where if you gave it to me five or six years ago, I would've loved it. Wait, hear me out!

Before you think War and Peace has turned me into a YA snub, it hasn't. I haven't read Young Adult fiction in quite a long while so it was strange to jump straight back in. A Shot of Bourbon follows the Young Adult recipe very closely and has some key ingredients. Good girl deciding to turn to the wild side. Check. Over dramatic wouldn't-happen-in-real-life action. Check. A alluring sex pest of a bad boy. Check. Switching POVs. Check.

Two characters that particularly stood out to me were Lonna, Charli's best friend, and Colly, Luke's brother. While I will admit that Luke and Charli had some very adorable moments in the novel, I feel like Lonna and Colly's story would've been more interesting as opposed to the whole Bourbon Butcher plotline. Popular girl falling for the lovable outcast guy. Sure, it's been done before but I cared more about those two than I did the main characters and that's never good.

That being said, A.C. Land's prose is excellent. The story may not have pulled me in enough and you can blame that on me either growing up and growing out of the genre or on a few months engrossed in heavy classical literature, but I cannot fault how poetic some of the writing itself is.

I can see a much younger reader eating this up and falling in love with Luke and Charli's romance. For me, it wasn't that bad. It passed the time between exam revision sessions and made me reminisce on what it was probably like to be fourteen or fifteen as this was the kind of book that would've made me squeal and swoon. Damn, maybe I am getting too old for this!

Either way, if you're a young teen girl or someone who solidly reads Young Adult fiction all the time then I know you'll love Luke Parker and you'll love this book. ...more

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Apr 03, 2016 Diana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: chick-lit, ya, romance

When I first started reading A Shot of Bourbon by A.C. Land I wasn’t quite sure what the story was about. Of course I kept reading till the end. It basically is a story of the good rich cheerleader girl and the bad tat boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Except there is a lot more to the story. I felt the author did a great job of building up to the peak moment and then did a great finish with an epilogue of what is to come next of the story. This story had a lot of fun and plot twist. Like I When I first started reading A Shot of Bourbon by A.C. Land I wasn’t quite sure what the story was about. Of course I kept reading till the end. It basically is a story of the good rich cheerleader girl and the bad tat boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Except there is a lot more to the story. I felt the author did a great job of building up to the peak moment and then did a great finish with an epilogue of what is to come next of the story. This story had a lot of fun and plot twist. Like I said I was interested in this story all the way through to the end.
The start of the story is Charli hiding in the closet and her parents come in the room, she is too young to understand what is going but as readers we kind of have an idea. Next Charli is in high school. She is a cheerleader along with her best friend. They are both dating a football player from the same back ground they are. Of course she has known the bad boy Lucas all her life from school. But Charli is a sweet good girl. She sees Lucas at the drugstore trying to buy Sudafed. But they wouldn’t sell it to him. She figures that either he or his brother is sick and she buys him some and takes it out to him. He was very surprised.
I know the above is just a start. Also the blurb about the book tells more. I think the blurb doesn’t even tell it all. There is so much in this story. Charli wants to know who her real father is even though she is happy with the man who has raised her since she was born. She is just curious and when Lucas finds out who her real father is all he wants to do is protect her.
I would say I enjoyed reading this book. It is a pretty quick read, I can’t wait for the next one to come out. I also liked that there was Charli’s POV and Lucas’s POV, I found it is great to read both of their POVs. There are some bad language and talk of sex. I would say this is for the mature YA.
I did receive a copy of this book from Lola’s Book Tours for an honest opinion and this is all my opinion. I received a free copy of a book in exchange for an honest review
...more

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May 04, 2016 Ara Prado rated it really liked it

Here's the thing, I had such high hopes for this book because the blurb really set me up for something so high, that I found myself left hanging a little bit when I finished reading the last page. I'm not saying it was bad, I'm just clarifying that it wasn't as amazing or exciting as I expected it to be.

But that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy reading A Shot of Bourbon. Most of the characters were interesting in their own merit, but I find myself more attracted to Luke's brother, Collin. If I had on ...more

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Apr 03, 2016 Amy Neighbors Senethavilay rated it really liked it

A Shot of Bourbon offered a look into the tangles webs we weave in life and the idea that fate has a way of playing out in the future. It is about looking past the differences we hold to discover true friendship. As 17 year-old Charli Valentine tests her new found freedom when her parents leave her alone for ten days, Charli decides to toss aside her good girl ways to push the limits. So when her broken heart and compassionate ways lead directly into the path of Luke Parker, the son of the notor ...more

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Apr 07, 2016 Kristi rated it really liked it

Yeah - I was pulled into this book from the very beginning. There is a mystery introduced in the prologue and it is kept under wraps for most of the book. I had an idea - but of course my first thought was wrong (for which I was very happy!) Anyway - loved the book. It kept me up way passed my bedtime.

I don't think the blurb above does the book enough credit. She ends up getting together with Luke more by accident than be design. She does discover a box in her mom's closet - but others seem to ...more

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Apr 21, 2016 Cindy Dorminy rated it it was amazing

I loved this book. A.C.'s characters are so real and flawed. The story has such depth. I got so attached to the characters that I didn't want it to end. I cannot wait for book 2! ...more

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Apr 24, 2016 Heather rated it did not like it

*This review has been edited from a previous and slightly meaner version. It's still one star for me though*

So I reviewed this book on my phone as soon as I finished reading it and it was full of word vomit and kind of mean spirited. I don't want to be a person who rants about the things I didn't like without giving credit for how hard it is to write and finish a book. I have plenty of book ideas, but how many have I written down beyond a few pages? None. It's a lot of work and it's not always ...more

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Apr 01, 2016 Michelle rated it liked it

**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
A Shot of Bourbon is the first book in the Bourbon series by A.C. Land. It is an upper young adult (really, could be new adult based on the subject matter.) suspense/mystery/romance/dark book. It had a gritty and edgy vibe that I was digging a lot. This is the kind of book that I have to be in the mood to read, and I was in just that kind of mood. It struck me at just the right time. I didn't love the main character C ...more

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Apr 04, 2016 Alison rated it liked it

This is a YA book .. in some ways it is typically suited to teens in other ways I would recommend it to a more mature audience.

It took me a while to connect with the characters and at times they really annoyed me but that was part of the appeal. It comes across as very ‘American’ not sure if it’s designed that way due to the location it is set in, as a Brit it’s quite endearing. Charli is a mixed bag, she certainly has her problems and perhaps this accounts for her behaviour or maybe she is jus ...more

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Dec 20, 2016 Emmyjo rated it it was amazing

This book is so awesome. I finished in one day and couldn't get enough of these characters.
It's told from two different point of views, Charli and Luke.
When Charli's parents go away for 10 days, she can't wait to go through her parents things with her best friend and find out who her real father is. However by doing this it opens old secrets that she was never meant to find out. Which includes brothers that she has been told to stay away from.
Luke who is a bad boy and lives up to being rough ne ...more

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May 01, 2016 Shawn rated it it was amazing

I've just recently got into reading again and I fell into a book funk with some bad books. I picked up this book because I'm from Bourbon. I'm really glad I gave it a shot (pun intended). I definitely had to treat it as fiction because the author took a lot of liberties (specifically about the poverty level). More people fit into Luke's class than Charli's (which doesn't really exist here).

Luke and Charli were amazing. At first, I thought they were simple (bad boy meets rich girl--which has bee ...more

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