Today I’m delighted to host the blog tour for Stilettos & Stardust by D.L.Pitchford
A modern day Cinderella with a twist…
When high school seniors Noah Barton and Eden Prince’s academic rivalry ruins a thermodynamics demo, their physics teacher decides to help them get along. By forcing them to be lab partners.
As graduation approaches, Noah and Eden are too busy figuring out college to deal with each other. Noah’s football-loving dad sabotages his chance to win a big scholarship. Eden’s traditional mother cares more about finding her a serious boyfriend than encouraging her dreams. Winning big at the regional science fair is their last hope.
Will Noah follow in his astronaut mother’s footsteps?
Can Eden show her parents the environment is more important than any relationship?
Will Noah and Eden finally learn to work together?
Follow Noah and Eden’s budding romance in this emotionally charged, gender-swapped retelling of Cinderella.
A few months back I watched a documentary on the 1986 Challenger disaster. It sparked so many emotions in me. The excitement leading up to the doomed mission, the aftermath and of course the families of those left behind. Stilettos & Stardust took my mind briefly back to that documentary and the thoughts on how hard it must be to have a mother working in space. Noah’s mother is an astronaut and as the stories begins we know that she has been involved in an accident that will change the family forever. Noah is devastated but determined more than ever to follow in her footsteps. Eden however has a mother who wants her to be ‘looked after’, to never have to worry about security. Eden however has very different ideas. She is equally determined to win a scholarship and make sure that she is in control of her future, one that doesn’t involved a husband!
Bringing Eden and Noah together as lab partners creates an incredibly volatile situation. Both are competitive, argumentative and wanting to take control but to stand a chance of winning the scholarship they need to learn to work together. We soon see that there is a very fine line between love and hate and before long the sparks are throwing up lots of complicated situations with families, friends and feelings that both are finding hard to understand.
I loved the STEM element of this novel. It added so much interest and really gave the story a great hook. Eden is rude, difficult and likes to be very much in control, it took me a while to warm to her. But, once I got to know her I could see the beauty of the girl underneath and I was hopeful that all would come good for both her and Noah (who was easy to love right from the very start). The thing I loved most was the way that both characters were equal, there was no damsel in distress – I think this may be where the reference to Cinderella comes from in the synopsis. I personally wouldn’t class it as a Cinderella story, but a contemporary story about fighting for what you want and, hopefully, finding someone to share it with along the way.
A really lovely teen/YA read that will be enjoyed by romance and science lovers alike.
Thank you so much to Anne Cater for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour. I shall definitely be adding a copy of this in to the School Library. A super YA read!
About the author
D.L. Pitchford
YA and NA author D. L. Pitchford is best known for her brutally honest stories and realistic characters. Throughout her childhood, art and literature were encouraged in every form. Pitchford fell in love with The Lord of the Rings, The Dark Is Rising, and Harry Potter. By age ten, she wrote her first fantasy book. Her love of writing grew exponentially.
In 2013, Pitchford received her BA in English, Writing, and Fine Arts from Drury University. During her studies, she focused on the human condition and penned the first scenes of her debut novel. IF WE HAD NO WINTER released April 2017 and has been commended for its gritty tone and character growth.
Pitchford lives with her husband and two sons in Springfield, Missouri, where she continues writing young and new adult novels.
Website: http://www.dlpitchford.com/
Twitter @dlpitchford
Author Page on Facebook
Instagram @dlpitchford
