Blog Tour & Giveaway: Bluff by Julie Dill

Bluff
Julie Dill
Publication date: February 7th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

Seventeen-year-old Chelsea Knowles is surrounded by the privileged. Michael Kors gym bags and designer shoes are part of her daily scene, but the talented cheerleader has a secret: she and her dad can barely pay the bills. Broken by his wife walking out on their family, Chelsea’s father ignores his responsibilities. Between cheer costs, grocery bills, electricity, and other regular financial burdens, it’s no surprise when a cut-off notice arrives in the mail. Chelsea knows it’ll be up to her to keep the lights on.

With the deck stacked against her, Chelsea decides to bet their future on the dubious poker knowledge she learned from her father before he gave up on parenting. Nervous but determined, Chelsea heads to a casino with very little security and wins big. Thrilled by her win, she’s quickly drawn to the casino again and again. She risks it all, especially when the attractive, young pit boss takes an interest in her.

Chelsea’s life, no longer filled with cheerleading, school, and hanging out with her friends, is now consumed by smoky casino floors and the ups and downs of a gambler’slife. True gamblers know when to fold, but Chelsea keeps betting long after her needs are met. The complicated web of lies soon begins to spin out of control, threatening to expose everything. Will someone see through her bluff?

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My Review:

3 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Teen--

17 year old Chelsea goes into a casino in an act of desperation to attempt to get money to pay for the electricity bill since her father has pretty much just given up on life. When one lucky night turns into two, where can she drawn the line to stop? When does her desire to gamble and the high she gets turn into an obsession?

Can I just say that this book was absolutely nothing like I was expecting? I went into reading this story expecting a fun high stakes book, kind of like an Oceans 11 but with a teenage girl. Well, let me tell you, I was so off. Instead this is the emotional struggle of a girl who is desperate, in over her head and so very alone. This was not an easy read for me because I spent most of the book either wanting to have an intervention or at least give Chelsea a hug.

The story it's self was very quick and the author created such a believable character in Chelsea. I did have a hard time accepting the fact a 17 year old girl was allowed to gamble at a high stakes poker in a casino ( My mom is a card dealer at one and man are the rules strict and you are ALWAYS being watched). I did have to suspend my belief with that one, but the emotions were 100% real. There was a hint of love in this story, with the cute older Nick, but that was not the focus of the story. Instead the story focused on Chelsea, the responsibility of her life as well as the inner struggles that weigh her down.

Overall I feel a little sad about this story, and the very end made me want to throw my ereader on the the floor because it was awful (and so very honesty). This was a well written book, but it was not something I want to read again since the topic of addiction hits too close to home with some that I know. I would like to read more from this author though.

I received this title in return for my honest review.

Author Bio:

Julie Dill lives in Oklahoma City where the wind always comes sweeping down the plains—literally.

As a young girl she always wanted to be a teacher, so she went on to receive her Bachelor’s of Science in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and taught in elementary schools for ten years. Currently, she serves as an adjunct professor and loves helping students achieve success. One of her greatest professional accomplishments is earning her National Board Certification.

She holds a Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Oklahoma City University and continues to work on various writing projects. From hiking in Colorado, to playing poker in Vegas, she’s always up for a new challenge. Julie is a busy mom of two teenage daughters, and any extra time that she may carve out is spent reading, writing, and rooting for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Her debut novel, Bluff, is scheduled to be released on February 7th, 2017.

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