Sarah Billington

Life in Poppy's world is far from dull. Even though she is connected to a rock star which is anything but ordinary, she comes across as grounded and has a down to earth personality which is a definite plus in appeal. Surreal situations that are entertaining occur frequently and add a lot of fun to this story. I felt the relationship between Poppy and Ty lacking however, I was a tad disappointed. This segment of the series leaves one peaked waiting to see just what Poppy's world will bring on next. With out a doubt it will be also be worth the read.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review… (plus d'informations)

Poppy thinks her world is coming to an end when her boyfriend cheats on her with one of her close friends. In a moment of heartache and drunkenness, she decided to get her revenge. The result? She writes a song about their breakup called the Kiss off, and posts herself singing it on Youtube.

The response? An overwhelming mass of hits on youtube and a local band - The Academy Lies - wanting to perform it. It doesn't hurt that their sexy lead singer, Ty, is interested in Poppy. Poppy suddenly goes from just a girl with a broken heart to a girl who, not only is dating the lead singer of one of the hottest new bands on the radio but also a songwriter with a smash hit. She becomes an overnight sensation.

Add to the mix a picture of her topless is leaked online, her love life is in tatters - with the indication her new boyfriend is a cheat and her ex boyfriend wanting her back, and suddenly Poppy feels like everything is spinning out of control and she doesn't know who or what to believe anymore.

A wonderfully well written book by Sarah Billington - a Melbourne Indie Author and editor. The characters come alive and the story sucks you in so deeply that you are hoping that Poppy and Ty can make it through the throes of success and find true love with each other.

I can't wait to see what Sarah Billington does next.… (plus d'informations)

The Kiss Off sounded like a cute book, so I picked it up and thankfully it was! Poppy is an angry, sarcastic, songwriting mash-up of teenage girl and drama. Boy was this book filled with drama. Poor Poppy has been wronged by her ex-boyfriend who cheated on her with her ex-friend/coworker. So, what does she do? Write an angry girl song about and put it on YouTube. An up and coming band recognizes it for the genius that it is and has a meteoric rise to fame due to said song. Poppy and the lead singer hit it off and a relationship ensues. The this is Poppy is only 16 years old and might not be ready to deal with not only a long distance relationship, but having a rock star for a boyfriend. To top it all off her ex-boyfriend is showing interest again their breakup might not have been what she thought.

I must admit I loved Poppy's boy drama, especially because it isn't mine. Both of the guys in her life have their good and bad qualities. Cam is the ex and throughout the story readers can see that he still feels something for Poppy, whether friendship or something more...you'll just have to read and see. Then there is Ty the super talented and sexy rock star who loved her song. He is nice and seems to sincerely like Poppy, but there is always the question of if he really likes her or just her song. Add to that the troubles that come with being a celebrity boyfriend on tour and Ty and Poppy are in for a bumpy ride.

There is a host of other characters, but my favorite by far was Poo Bum the dog! I loved his stinky doggy self and the comedic relief he added to the story. The only characters that I wasn't too impressed with were Mads and Vanya. Mads seemed to do a complete 180 and Vanya had all but disappeared by the end of the book. . Last and most pickiest was some of the phrases seemed a little off...almost British. Perhaps it was just me. I definitely can't wait until the sequel comes out. I give this book a 4 STAR rating!… (plus d'informations)

Originally posted at The Wandering Fangirl.

In this world of regular kids becoming internet or YouTube superstars, it’s easy to see where Sarah Billington got her inspiration, and easier still to relate to Poppy Douglas. From having her heart broken and pouring her emotions out on the internet to dealing with the new found fame it brings her, she’s a great character to follow. She’s incredibly upbeat, even when she’s getting her emotions all tangled up by boys, adolescence, and real life. She actually makes some decent decisions, and even when she makes stupid, rash ones, it’s easy to see why her mind took her there because everything’s so clearly laid out.

Seeing her relationship with Tyler form and become solid was actually really nice. While it seemed to move pretty fast, it fit with the teenage characters (though I have a question — did Tyler really just up and totally forget about high school to go be a rock star?) and they were really freaking cute.

Along with Poppy and Tyler are some pretty good secondary characters, from her best friend to her parents and her little brother who inadvertently names their dog ‘Poo-Bum’, if I’m remembering correctly. Poppy didn’t overshadow her supporting cast, and I really appreciated that. Hell, I even enjoyed her ex-boyfriend Cameron.

I had very few problems with the book, my only main concern being how…well, self-indulgent it felt at times. I mean, to have Poppy write a song, have that song picked up by a local band who just happens to have a hot lead singer who likes her, and then they go on to be rock stars and maybe Tyler is cheating on her with all those groupies but maybe he really does love her… I wrote stuff like that when I was 15 and passing Nsync fanfic notebooks back and forth between classes with my best friends. It could have been a bit better.

But to be honest, that kinda spoke to me more than it should have. (I’m 27 and I read YA fiction, what else do you expect out of me?)

At it’s heart, The Kiss Off is a really fun, upbeat contemporary novel. The characters are fun, the plot zips along even though it’s kind of easy to tell what’s going to happen, and I ended up reading it in one shot.… (plus d'informations)