Blog Tour & Book Review: The Barter System

The Barter System
By: Shayne McClendon
Published By: Always the Good Girl LLC
Release Date: May 20, 2012
Buy it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble
Source: Provided by Author (digital copy) & Purchased by Reviewer (print copy)
Audience: Mature (18+) Audiences Only
NOTE: This story contains explicit sexual scenes and language and is intended for mature audiences only. Do not read this novel if intense sexual situations offend you.

First things first - Happy Birthday to Author Shayne McClendon! Now, Shayne has graciously offered to supply some delicious little gifts for YOU in honor of her birthday. I didn't get as many responses to the two giveaways as I would have liked. So instead of announcing winners today, I'm keeping the giveaways open through the week and will select winners using random.or this weekend. So click on the link that applies to you and enter to win!

1. U.S. Only Giveaway: A Swag Pack including signed print copies of The Barter System, Damaged, and Not a Bride is being provided by Shayne. It's her birthday - but you get the gifts!! Enter HERE!

2. Non-U.S. Giveaway: Your choice from the same three books (The Barter System, Damaged, and Not a Bride) provided in the eBook format of your choice. Enter HERE!

AND....Here is the Rafflecopter Link for the Blog Tour Giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Thoughts:
I have followed Shayne McClendon's facebook page, Always the Good Girl, for a few years now and become addicted to not only the amazing pictures she finds and edits but especially to her writing. When she started talking about The Barter System, I hit her up immediately and begged for a copy to read and review. Shayne didn't hesitate, she sent it to me immediately. That was two summers ago. *hangs head* Yes, it has take me that long to get my review done and the blog tour promoting the book is what pushed me to do it because I wanted desperately to be part of the blog tour. So THANK YOU Shayne, for the book and to Mackable Book Babes for letting me be part of the blog tour. 

Aside from having a bit of a fan-girly crush on Shayne, what drew me to The Barter System was the concept of the book. Riya plans to conduct research on male sexuality...by traveling across the nation and indulging in mini-relationships of sorts with eight different men. I was fascinated and curious to say the least. And for a girl like Riya, who is the farthest thing from a promiscuous and much closer to a "good girl", would she be able to keep up with her self-imposed guidelines? How would it change her? And most importantly, how could she NOT fall in love with each and every one of her subjects? I was a little apprehensive and beyond anxious to begin this book.

I was not disappointed. I brought The Barter System with me on my Nook to my family's beach vacation. And I read. We went to the beach, and I read. We went to the pool, and I read. We sat on the balcony, and I read. I could not put this book down. I was completely drawn into the story and was able to completely become Riya while reading. Like Riya, I left a bit of my heart with each of her subjects. Riya is so many faceted, and she's got this huge, warm, loving heart. She is completely identifiable to the reader. I loved watching Riya grow, seeing how she adapted to the wide range of needs each of her subjects had. I mean, let's face it - how often do we get a story that allows us to fall in love with 8 different men? I loved the survey questions and "research" parts of the book and found my self smiling at each one. Even the subjects that were not my "type" had me swooning and biting my lip. With each new subject, I thought okay, she won't be able to leave this one. There is no way! And yet, she did. She gave so much of herself, leaving a small piece with each of her subjects, that I didn't know what she would have left at the end. How would she survive the emotional impact this process was having on her? Because it was emotional, and beautiful and heart-warming. But what each of her subjects gave back to her filled the empty places in Riya's heart. And the end... well, let's just say that the end was perfect for Riya. 

Now, what everyone wants to know - how hot is it? Well, it's an erotica... about male sexuality. It's pretty damn steamy! Beyond steamy. It's thigh-clenching, bring on a blush, HOT. 

Shayne's writing is casual and vivid, captivating the reader in a tight grip from page one all the way through to the very last page. Does this book answer all of woman kind's questions about male sexuality? Of course not, silly. But it sure as hell was fun researching! If I had only one complaint about the book, it would be more of a wish. I would have loved to have had some type of write-up from Riya at the end, summarizing what she learned from her research. Basically, I'm greedy - and I just want more. TBS is definitely earned a solid 5 stars from me!

Synopsis:
Riya O'Connell requests applications from men around the country willing to participate in the research she needs for her dissertation on Male Sexuality. She narrows down her thousands of submissions to eight men. In return, Riya will give them...whatever they want.

As her project progresses, Riya realizes she's chosen the eight men in the country who would love her well and that she could easily love in return. She leaves subject after subject with a small piece of her heart.

Ultimately, Riya discovers where she truly belongs...and gets an education she didn't plan on.

Find TBS on AMAZON, SMASHWORDS, Shayne's Website, and GOODREADS

About the Author:
Shayne McClendon is an indie author who has received rave reviews for her premiere novel "The Barter System." Other projects recently released are "In the Service of Women," "Yes to Everything," "Damaged," "Being Delightful," "The Hermit," and many more.

Shayne believes love crosses all boundaries, social castes, races, genders, and belief systems. If you are lucky enough to find soul-deep love, you should fight for it. She currently lives in Oklahoma wrangling teenagers, opening doors for her pets, and running her content writing company. She dreams of peace, quiet, travel, and always having plenty of coffee.

Shayne loves to hear from her fans. You can contact her by email at shayne@alwaysthegoodgirl.com, stop by her Facebook page, or visit her website and subscribe for your free story!

Shayne McClendon's work is available at all major e-book retailers. Print editions of her work are available on her website. SHAYNE'S LINKS: Website, Facebook,Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+