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Bluff by Julie Dill
Pages: 250
Publisher: Amberjack Publishing
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆
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’s life. 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?.
Pages: 250
Publisher: Amberjack Publishing
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆
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’s life. 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
Overall, I liked it. I felt for Chelsea's situation. I never had to rely solely on myself as a kid but I did have responsibilities that sometimes being the oldest in a household that is struggling to make it to the next day have. Perhaps if I knew how to to play poker I would have tried that. However, I didn't so unlike Chelsea I just didn't do things I knew we could afford. Yeah, I missed out on a lot of fun school stuff but this isn't about me...
This took awhile to get into to. So don't go into this book thinking that it is going to grab you from the beginning. It takes awhile but it does get there. The story is pretty much about Chelsea living a double life. She becomes, basically, a teenage gambling addict. And since she knows she shouldn't have even started gambling at the casino in the first place she lies about it. Of course, one lie spins another and so on.
There is a romance aspect that I suppose should be there since she is a teenager and that seems to be the thing many teenagers do. I mean I know I was well maybe not boy crazed but definitely interested. Anyway, it's there but it isn't necessary. I wished that at some point Chelsea realize that she had a problem even if she didn't quit gambling. Since even though a person knows they have a problem they don't just stop cold-turkey overnight. Good read though, worth a shot.
Overall, I liked it. I felt for Chelsea's situation. I never had to rely solely on myself as a kid but I did have responsibilities that sometimes being the oldest in a household that is struggling to make it to the next day have. Perhaps if I knew how to to play poker I would have tried that. However, I didn't so unlike Chelsea I just didn't do things I knew we could afford. Yeah, I missed out on a lot of fun school stuff but this isn't about me...
This took awhile to get into to. So don't go into this book thinking that it is going to grab you from the beginning. It takes awhile but it does get there. The story is pretty much about Chelsea living a double life. She becomes, basically, a teenage gambling addict. And since she knows she shouldn't have even started gambling at the casino in the first place she lies about it. Of course, one lie spins another and so on.
There is a romance aspect that I suppose should be there since she is a teenager and that seems to be the thing many teenagers do. I mean I know I was well maybe not boy crazed but definitely interested. Anyway, it's there but it isn't necessary. I wished that at some point Chelsea realize that she had a problem even if she didn't quit gambling. Since even though a person knows they have a problem they don't just stop cold-turkey overnight. Good read though, worth a shot.
About the Author
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
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
Author Links
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