SULTRY SPRING SATURDAYS: A TASTE OF YOU (THE EPICUREAN #1) by SORCHA GRACE

"Spring is here, and pollen is in the air. While you're sneezing your way towards Summer, pop those Claritin and lose yourself in a Sultry Spring Read."

Sexy Saturdays is a weekly post we started to challenge ourselves to read more steamy books and have a lot of fun. Feel free to join in. (let us know so we can add a link to your post).

The Autumn Review
Sim-Sational Books
Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Reviews
Insightful Minds Reviews
My Secret Romance
Globug and Hootie Need a Book


**The books featured on SULTRY SPRING SATURDAYS are for adults. If you are under 18 years of age, or do not like smexy books, please stop here. **

Series: The Epicurean #1
Category/Genre: Adult Erotic Romance
Publisher: Premier Digital Publishing
Publication Date: 5/28/13
Format: eARC
Pages: 311
Source: Received from publisher for review

She didn’t know how hungry she was… Beautiful and talented Catherine Kelly is intent on starting over as a food photographer in Chicago. With her painful past buried over 2000 miles away, she’s focused on her career and is hungry for little else. Until she meets William Lambourne, a wealthy bachelor with arresting blue-grey eyes filled with enough tragedy to match her own. William urges Catherine to step out from behind her camera and fully taste all that life has to offer, stirring an appetite in her she never knew she possessed - and it’s one only he can satisfy.

He couldn’t wait to feed her… A gourmand who takes great pleasure in food and in women, William Lambourne is rich, powerful, and gorgeous -- and as talented in the kitchen as he is in the bedroom. Longing for a woman to truly savor, William finds his match in Catherine. From the moment he meets her, he is determined to discover the perfect recipe to unlock Cat’s resolve, awaken her senses, and make her his own.

Theirs is a meal worth savoring… William is as mysterious as he is passionate, but as Catherine begins to fall for the stormy-eyed billionaire, she knows she must reveal her own dark secrets. But first, William must win Cat’s heart to ensure their pasts don’t undo them.

Book 1 in The Epicurean series, A Taste of You will leave you ravenous for more of Cat and William’s story!

Okay. I'm just going to be up-front and say this is a tough review for me, mostly because I feel a bit ambivalent about A Taste of You. I was interested in the story, yet I didn't find anything new and exciting in it. I liked the characters, yet I wanted to shake them. I enjoyed the book, yet felt annoyed by some aspects of it, too.

A Taste of You is about a lonely, reserved woman and the cultured, in-control billionaire who steals her heart. It's a nice escape for those who love their romance to be lavish and to read like a fantasy. Catherine meets William, and there is an immediate attraction between them. She's sure he doesn't really want her. Why would he when he can have any woman in the world? But want her he does, and William is determined to have Catherine.

The story has a lot of back-and-forth. Catherine wants William, but decides she's not ready for a serious relationship. She agrees to see him, but spends the entire time doubting that decision and determined to end it. But then he shows up on her doorstep, or actually talks the neighbor into letting him into the apartment, and all is well again. Catherine decides that William could never want to be really be with her, but he tells her that she's the only woman he has ever felt this way about and to please, please stay.

I never formed a strong connection to the characters. They've both experienced tremendous loss, and for that I sympathize. I think for Catherine, it was the constant back-and-forth in her decision making. Now I'm not going to say that it's not realistic, because it probably is for some people, but it just simply grated on me because I could see her mind swinging like a pendulum. And William...yeah, he was sexy and smooth and all, but so frickin' moody. He wasn't the worst cranky, controlling billionaire I've read, not by a long shot, but man was he bossy.

A Taste of You had some really steamy, sexy scenes. YAY!  There's even a bit of #foodporn going on! I love a nice Alpha who knows what he's doing and knows how to please his lady. And once Catherine and William really get going, the sex is plentiful. But...am I the only woman thinks it's kind of hilarious in all of these books when a man can make a woman climax on demand? "Come. Now." Does that work on anyone? Am I alone here? Other than that, I really liked the smexy.

A Taste of You is a story with a very popular trope that many readers will love. Maybe I would have loved this if I had read it before other similar books. But at the end, there isn't a lot to make this story stand out for me. However, the story did end on a very surprising note. One that makes me think that I have to continue the series, simply to find out what happens next.

 

Favorite Quote:

  "Open your mouth."
  My gaze darted to his. His blue eyes were steel grey now. Even as I resisted his order mentally, I felt my lips part, and then sweet warmth exploded in my mouth. I groaned aloud at the taste of the pain au chocolat. I had never tasted anything so sensual, so rich, so addictive. I didn't know if it was the food or the kiss, but I was on the verge of ecstasy.  ~eARC, 26%

 

Purchase A Taste of You at:

 

 

 

About the author: 

Adventurous eater, beach lover, and author of scorching contemporary erotic romance, she's also the nom de plume of a nationally bestselling author who publishes in another romance genre.

 

Connect with Sorcha Grace at:

Website  |  Facebook   |  Twitter

 

REVIEW: LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT (CUPID, TEXAS #1) by LORI WILDE

Series: Cupid, Texas #1
Category/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Avon Books
Publication Date: 5/28/13
Format: eARC
Pages: 384
Source: Received from publisher for review

From the author of the Twilight, Texas books comes the first in a dazzling new Cupid, Texas series. Lori Wilde welcomes us to Cupid, where every wish for love comes true...

Natalie McCleary couldn't believe her eyes-a lean-muscled, darkly tanned, nearly-naked man stood in her path…and then it hit her: love. Everyone always told her it'd hit like a thunderbolt, and she never believed them. But now she knew: practical, sensible Natalie was head over heels in love-with a stranger.

But ex-Navy SEAL Dade Vega wasn't about to be a stranger for long. He'd ridden into Cupid on his motorcycle, vowing to keep a promise he'd made to a military buddy. But a single glimpse at Natalie-soaking wet and unexpectedly tempting-changed his life forever.
But how can he offer her is love, when he can't even promise to stay in one place for longer than a week?

When I received an offer to review Love at First Sight, I was all over it. I almost always enjoy books from this publisher, and the story sounded great, and I liked the cover, despite not being a huge lover of cowboys (sorry). But, the cover doesn't even remotely reflect the story, except for the Texas part. And sadly, there were no chaps in this story. That was something I was excited about!

 

Back on to the story. Love at First Sight is set in Cupid, Texas, a town with a long romantic history that reminded me a lot of the movie "Letters for Juliet". Natalie and Dade were nice characters who I enjoyed. Natalie is the town's center, a young woman who has spent her entire life taking care of her sister and family. I liked that the author didn't write her as the typical heroine: gorgeous beyond belief, but doesn't know it. Natalie has a slight physical disability, her leg, and has self-esteem issues because of it. She's pretty, but not this overwhelming beauty that intimidates. She does however, throw Dade Vega for a loop. Dade is in town to find his friend, but takes much more interest in the woman he can't get out of his mind. I liked that he's interested, but doesn't push himself on Natalie. Dade is kind, funny, and charming when it comes to her, a first for him. I loved how he approaches Natalie, knowing that she needs slow and gentle. Their intimate scenes were loving and sweet. 

 

There is an insta-love angle in Love at First Sight, which is pretty much a given with that title. I don't generally don't mind that if the author makes me believe it. Given the legend surrounding the town, it did make sense, and made the story feel a bit magical. The who issue of Dade's search for his missing friend was a good reason to bring him to town, but seemed to get pushed to the wayside every time Dade got turned on by Juliet, which was basically every time they were together. The story had moments in which it seemed to just veer off track a bit, and took to long to get back on track.

 

I'm always a fan of true love stories, with great characters. Overall, I liked Love at First Sight, not as much as I'd hoped, but it was still a sweet, enjoyable story. .

 

 

Favorite Quote:

  "Hate to break it to you, darlin', but you weren't anywhere near third base," he said, sounding utterly pleased.
  "I'm glad."
  "Me too."
  "But you and me..."
  "Yes," she whispered.
  "We're gonna hit a home run."  ~eARC, 70%
 

 

Purchase Love at First Sight at:

  

 

 

 

About the author:

Lori Wilde can’t remember a time when she didn’t want to write. She even went to nursing school so she could have a schedule flexible enough to allow her to write on the side. She nursed for 20 years, working in a variety of settings from the newborn nursery to the recovery room, to dialysis. But she never lost her desire to write.

She sold her first book in 1994 to Silhouette Romance but later discovered she had a flair for comedy and branched out to Harlequin Duets and now, to Blaze.

Lori is an adventuresome soul who loves to travel. She’s taken flying lessons, completed two marathons, rode in a hot-air balloon, performed with a professional jazz band, traveled Europe as a teenager, hiked volcanoes in Hawaii, trod on glaciers in Alaska, shot white-water rapids, water-skied, snow-skied, raced all-terrain vehicles, bodysurfed in the Gulf of Mexico, and photographed grizzly bears in Yellowstone.

She lives in her native Texas, with her own real-life hero, Bill, her red heeler/Australian shepherd dog, Cinnamon, and four ducks, Quacker, Big Guy, Affleck, and Sheepidy.

 

Connect with Lori at:

Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook

 

 

EXCERPT AND GIVEAWAY: BEAUTY FROM SURRENDER (BEAUTY #2) by GEORGIA CATES

I'm happy to be able to share an excerpt and giveaway of Beauty from Surrender, by Georgia Cates. Georgia is also giving away a Kindle! I have heard only great things about book one, Beauty from Pain, and hope to read it soon. This event was organized by AToMR Tours.

Series: Beauty #2
Category: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Georgia Cates
Publication Date: 5/30/13

How do you move on when he’s every song you sing?

After Laurelyn Prescott walks away from the love of her life, she returns to Nashville to pursue the only dream she has left. Determined to find a distraction from the pain of losing Jack Henry, she immerses herself in her music. But with her old life comes old acquaintances and new expectations. When Laurelyn refuses her record producer’s outrageous demands, she finds herself without a career—until an unforeseen opportunity presents itself. From there it’s a rocket ride straight to the top where Laurelyn finds the success she’s always dreamed of. Will it be enough to bring her the happiness she so deserves, or will the absence of Jack Henry leave her wanting more?

Jack Henry McLachlan never expected to fall in love with Laurelyn Prescott—but he did. After he foolishly let her slip through his fingers, he spends three months searching for her, but their reunion doesn’t come easy. The woman he finds isn’t the same one who drifted away without a goodbye. No longer an insecure girl on an Australian adventure, this Laurelyn is a successful musician with a promising career. Her dreams are becoming a reality, and Jack is terrified his American girl won’t have a place for him in her new life. With only a month to convince her otherwise, will it be enough time to make her visualize a life beyond the glitz and glamour, a life that includes him?

 

 

EXCERPT 

(Jack McLachlan’s POV)

  Three. Long. Fucking. Months. That’s how long it’s been since I’ve seen Laurelyn. And I don’t think I can take another minute. I die a little more each day she isn’t in my life.

  She’s been damn near impossible to find. Fate has worked against us every step of the way. The hoops Jim has jumped through for the smallest bit of information have been ridiculous. One step forward, two steps back—instead of the other way around. A criminal on the run would’ve been easier to find.

  But I’ve finally found her. Laurelyn Paige Prescott—better known to the public by her stage name as Paige McLachlan—that’s the woman I’m here to see tonight.

  I still smile when I think about her taking my name, but I can’t help but ponder why she’d need to use a stage name. She never mentioned using one before and it makes me wonder if something happened with the sperm donor. Or worse—maybe with Blake Phillips.

  I enter the auditorium lobby and the thick crowd makes it difficult to push through. The Martin I’m carrying adds to my difficult navigation as I bump shoulders through the horde, so I have to apologize with each step.

  I find my assigned seat. Because I’m a creature of habit, I’m happy when I see it’s in a dark corner. I sit and place the Martin by my feet. I’m nervous and adrenalized as evidenced by my rapidly beating heart. I’m about to see the woman I love walk out onto that stage.

  I look at the time and see it’s only a minute until eight. My heart is pounding erratically, throbbing in my ears over the loud crowd. Finally, musicians begin filing onto the stage to take their places. That’s when I see her for the first time in three months. My Laurelyn. All the time and distance that separated us disappears upon finally seeing her face again.

  She looks the same, yet different. Her hair is a little longer and darker. Her honey highlights are missing and she’s slimmer. She’s still beautiful as ever but doesn’t fit the image etched in my mind these last few months.

  She’s wearing brown boots—the same ones she wore the first time I saw her—with stonewashed jeans and a strapless white top. Her bare shoulders make me desperate to touch her exposed skin. And kiss it. Her top is fitted below her breasts while the bottom flows loosely over her jeans. I picture them riding low on her hips so I have easy access to kiss her belly.

.

 

 Purchase Beauty from Pain at:

     

 

 

Purchase Beauty from Surrender at:

 

      

GIVEAWAY
 

One winner will receive an ebook of Beauty from Surrender, via Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

 

 

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Kindle Giveaway
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

About the author:
Georgia resides in rural Mississippi with her wonderful husband, Jeff, and their two beautiful daughters. She spent fourteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before deciding to pursue her dream of becoming an author. Despite the struggle, she has no regrets in her decision to try this crazy life. She can honestly say that she’s living the dream.

Connect with Georgia:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Pinterest

 

THE SEA OF TRANQUILITY BLOG TOUR ~ GIVEAWAY

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on The Sea of Tranquility Blog Tour! As a huge fan of this book and Katja Millay, I am honored to be taking part in the celebration of the paperback release of this brilliant book. I have included a few of my favorite quotes from the story, and there's a signed giveaway!

Category/Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: 6/20/13

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

 

A Few of My Favorite Quotes
These are only a teeny fraction of my favorite quotes.
 

 “And maybe I'm a liar and I do need it, because being kissed by Josh Bennet is kind of like being saved. It's a promise and a memory of the future and a book of better stories.”  

 

 

  “Just so you know,” I inform him, “one day, I’m going to get tired of sharing your affection with that coffee table and I’m going to make you choose.” “Just so you know,” he mimics me, “I would chop that table up and use it for firewood before I would ever choose anything over you.”  

 

 

  “True story.”  

 

 

  “I'm not sure how long we sit in Josh's truck, holding hands, surrounded by darkness and unspoken regrets. But it's long enough to know that there are no stories or secrets in the world worth holding onto more than his hand.”  

 

  "I wished my mother was here tonight, which is stupid, because it's an impossible wish." He shrugs and turns to me, drowning the smile that cracks me every time.
  "It's not stupid to want to see her again."
  "It wasn't so much that I wanted to see her again, " he says, looking at me with the depth of more than seventeen years in his eyes. "I wanted her to see you.”

 

 

  “People like to say love is unconditional, but it's not, and even if it was unconditional, it's still never free. There's always an expectation attached. They always want something in return. Like they want you to be happy or whatever and that makes you automatically responsible for their happiness because they won't be happy unless you are ... I just don't want that responsibility.”  

 

 

 Pre-order The Sea of Tranquility at:

                                         

                   

    and many more retailers

                                          



GIVEAWAY
 I have one signed copy of The Sea of Tranquility to give away, courtesy of the publisher.
US Only

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

I grew up in Florida where I spent my time hiding from the sun. Then I moved to NYC where I attended film school at NYU and spent my time hiding from the rats. I was a high school film production/screenwriting teacher in a former life and now I sit at my kitchen table writing stories and ignoring the frightening mountain of laundry threatening to overtake my home. The Sea of Tranquility is my first novel.

 

Connect with Katja:

Facebook  |  Twitter  |  GoodReads

 

MY THOUGHTS ON: PUSHING THE LIMITS, CROSSING THE LINE, and VEER

Series: Pushing the Limits #1
Category/Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: 8/31/12
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 392
Source: Bought

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

 

 

Good lord, why hasn't somebody slapped some sense into me by now. How the heck did I go nearly ten months without reading this book? I OWN IT. I pre-ordered Pushing the Limits before it even released... and yet it set on my shelf. Unread. I'm an idiot.

Look, almost everyone I know has read Pushing the Limits by now, and I'm sure that I have nothing new to add to the discussion. So why am I even writing this? Just to state that I loved Pushing the Limits more than words. That Echo Emerson, with her bravery and heart, is a girl that I will always remember. That Noah Hutchins will go down, in my opinion, as one of my all-time favorite book guys. It's not the fact that he was hot or a bad boy that won me. It was his devotion to his brothers, to his friends, and his unconditional, unselfish, and overwhelming love for Echo that won my heart.

Katie McGarry wrote the hell out of this book and is now an auto-buy author.



 

Series: Pushing the Limits #1.5
Category/Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: 4/1/13
Format: Kindle
Pages: 67
Source: Bought

Katie McGarry captivated readers with her “riveting, emotional”* Young Adult debut, Pushing the Limits. In this gripping novella, she tells the story of Lila and Lincoln, who discover that sometimes it’s worth crossing the line for love…

Lila McCormick, Echo's best friend from Pushing the Limits, first met Lincoln Turner when tragedy struck both their lives. But she never expected their surprise encounter would lead to two years of exchanging letters—or that she’d fall for the boy she’s only seen once. Their relationship is a secret, but Lila feels closer to Lincoln than anyone else. Until she finds out that he lied to her about the one thing she depended on him for the most.

Hurting Lila is the last thing Lincoln wanted. For two years, her letters have been the only thing getting him through the day. Admitting his feelings would cross a line he’s never dared breach before. But Lincoln will do whatever it takes to fix his mistakes, earn Lila’s forgiveness—and finally win a chance to be with the girl he loves.

My goodness. I believe that it is simply not possible for Katie McGarry to write a story that I won't love. She packed so much emotion into this novella and I came away from it with such a full heart. I honestly went into Crossing the Line not knowing what to expect, except brilliant writing. Always brilliant writing where McGarry's concerned.

Crossing the Line went beyond my high, but completely open expectations. I love the story of how Lila and Lincoln connected, though it was extremely sad. I loved the chance to know Lila better. I already adored her for her loyalty to Echo. I could identify with Lila, a lot. As someone who has never, ever lived on my own, I could sympathize with her fear of moving away. Lincoln was another great guy from McGarry. I felt so sorry for Lincoln and what he's going through. I loved that he let himself fall for Lila and took a risk to win her trust and her heart.

Crossing the Line was a beautiful novella. I loved everything about it, but I will go ahead and say what everyone else has likely said. It should be longer. Novel length. But I say that only because I can never get enough of this author's words.



Series: Clayton Falls #2
Category/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Alyssa Rose Ivy
Publication Date:
Format: Kindle
Pages: 286
Source: Bought

Only when you let go can you learn to live.

Between the death of her mother and pushing through law school without her best friend, it's been a tough year for Becca. Needing a break from Boston, she moves to a tiny coastal North Carolina town for a relaxing summer. After bumping heads repeatedly with a local cop, she realizes her summer will be anything but quiet.

Three years after a career ending injury ruins his chance to play Major League Baseball, Gavin has a distrust of northerners and lately girls in general. He wants nothing to do with a girl who is only in town for the summer.

When the two give in to their impossible attraction, they realize that they may just have found the key to freeing themselves from the ghosts of their pasts.

 

 

I'm a fan of Alyssa Rose Ivy and her books. I love her clean, concise writing style, and the characters she creates. I also like how her stories have enough drama to keep me hook, but not so much angst that I feel like I'm going to have a nervous breakdown. I read the first book in the series, Derailed, last winter and was excited to revisit Clayton Falls.

 

I will go ahead and admit, I was worried about Gavin having his own book. I wasn't a fan of his in Derailed. He was too cocky, too pushy. But in Veer, we get to see the other side of Gavin, the man who was dumped for getting injured, the man who's just sort of drifting along.

 

I was very happy that the heroine of Veer was going to be Becca. She didn't play a big part in Derailed, but she was a great friend, and I loved getting to know her better. Strong-willed and with a quick wit and spirited temper, she was an excellent fit for Gavin. The push and pull between the two personalities was fun.

 

As with Derailed, my favorite character was Jake Matthews! This guy is a riot, a button-pusher, and I am itching to get my hands on his upcoming book, Wrecked.

COURTNEY REVIEWS: THE BANKS OF CERTAIN RIVERS by JON HARRISON

Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date:
Format: Kindle
Pages: 331
Source: Received from author for review

Neil Kazenzakis is barely holding his life together: ever since an accident left his wife profoundly disabled, he's been doing his best as a single dad and popular high school teacher. He's also been dealing with Lauren Downey, his sort-of girlfriend of the past two years who's pushing for a commitment—and for Neil to finally tell his son Christopher about their secret relationship.

Neil's carefully balanced world begins to fall apart when some questionable footage of him is anonymously posted to YouTube...just as Chris learns about Lauren in the worst possible way. Doubting his own recollection of the events in the online video and threatened with the loss of his job and the ability to care for his wife, Neil must find a way to prove the truth to his family, his community, and himself as he struggles to regain the splintered trust of his son.

Heartbreaking, poignant, and written with devastating humor and warmth, The Banks of Certain Rivers is a shattering story of memory, loss, and just how far a man will go to show the people closest to him the meaning of love.

 

 

 

The Banks of Certain Rivers impressed me in how real to life it is. I am a huge fan of romance and how great and romantic my favorite alpha male usually is, but Neil is more what I would think of as your everyday, real, and normal guy. That is not to say that everything is always a HEA, but what I think I mean is he is someone you could know and be friends with. There are situations that Harrison could have went completely cliché with, or unveiled in a callous way, but I thought it was a complete and enjoyable journey with every word.

Neil Kazenzakis is a good guy and in good shape in how much he runs, all. the. time. He is a teacher at the local high school and the track coach, and you find out early that he has had a tragedy in his life. His love since 9th grade, Wendy, is involved in a swimming accident that leaves her in a vegetative state permanently. Neil takes on raising their son Christopher, who was only 14 when the accident occurred, grieving for his best friend/life partner who can no longer communicate in any capacity, and go through with everything that comes with keeping someone in a long term care facility. He also is now taking care of his mother-in-law whose health is fading and the orchard that is on their property and an important family legacy. 

Neil has a lot of controversy coming his way. He breaks up a fight after track practice one afternoon, and gets elbowed in the face. He doesn't think anything of it so he doesn't tell the principal he had to step in. Teens being teens anonymously upload a video to YouTube regarding this situation that threatens Neil's entire life including his job, income, and ability to pay for Wendy's care. Plus, he has been secretly dating his mother-in-law's home health nurse for two years and hasn't found a good time to tell his now 17 year old son about it. (Yeah, nary a good time in two years leaves me sensing a big fallout for this one) Things keep piling up, and Neil is having to censor who he talks to, make decisions about his relationship and what it could mean since he is still married to Wendy and handle the fallout when Chris finds out that he's been hiding his girlfriend. 

While all of this is going on Harrison does a fantastic job of weaving the past and present together. There are glimpses of Neil and Wendy as teenagers, and milestones throughout Christopher's life. A lot of information is unveiled through emails that are sent to an account he set up to his wife. He uses this as a therapeutic way to talk to her after her accident and it made me sad. The depth at which we are given these insights into their love and life is sticking with me, and I hate to think of all of the people that have or will go through losing their love this or any way. In the present, we have all of the sensitive situations that I talked about and that brought a little bit more excitement to the story. At first you don't know what is going to be the catalyst for these events so I was formulating all of these awful scenarios in my head. I am happy to report that I was so freaking glad it wasn't the usual inappropriate scenario with a female student. I don't mind stories like that, in certain scenarios...but with Neil being 39 I let out a huge sigh of relief that it wasn't that! 

Alan is Neil's neighbor and best friend. He brought a lot of comedy and wisdom to the story. I would say he and Lauren are the most important secondary characters and their support, loyalty and belief in him when we're wondering when and how he will crack under the pressure was refreshing. Happy moments are remembered and experienced in the now too, but the bittersweetness of some of them brought out my inner sap once again. We see teenagers all trying to find their way, with some being more mature than their years, and others making me glad I am past that stage of my life. I am sad to say that I haven't read a book completely from a male point of view in a very long time, and this one made me so happy.

There are a lot of issues at hand here and I choose to be vague about how things go with Lauren and Christopher so don't forget about them! Nothing was predictable for me, and it really reads fast even though it is 400 pages. Great summer read and I am glad to have experienced it!

 

 

Purchase The Banks of Certain Rivers at:

 

 

 

 

About the author:

A native of the midwest, Jon Harrison currently lives and writes in the Northern Rockies.

You can learn more about him at www.thebanksofcertainrivers.com.

 

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY

 Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selection is...

 

 

 

Category/Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: 7/13

 

For Savannah Rae, living life without her parents was unimaginable. But being blamed for her first love’s suicide? That destroyed every part of who she was.

Gone were the days of innocence, happiness, and dreams. Now her days simply meant attempting to survive. In her mind, her only means for that was replacing her grief with men, booze and the fast life. And for five years, it worked.

When an opportunity to leave the nightmares of her past in Australia opens up, she takes it. Los Angeles beckons - with hopes of late nights, new beginnings, and the promise of a string of endless men to distract her, she can’t wait to dive in.

One thing she didn’t count on was meeting her match.

In the eyes of outsiders, Tate Connors has it all; the ultimate LA bachelor who is content with his lifestyle of wild nights, women and one night stands. He's Mr. Unpredictable with looks that could destroy any woman with one glance.

The craziness of Los Angeles throws them into the chaotic path of each other. Savannah becomes the perfect game, and Tate becomes the ultimate prey. Lines are crossed, emotions are smashed, and the idea of who they truly are begins to be tangled.

However, one thing will become clear.

They are more alike than either one could ever have imagined.

 

 

 

 

Why I'm Waiting ~ I'm a big fan of Australian books. Plus the story sounds pretty intense and I'm all about that right now.

 

SOUTH OF SURRENDER RELEASE DAY EVENT ~ READ EXCERPTS, WIN PRIZES

I am thrilled to welcome one of my favorite authors, Laura Kaye, to the blog today to celebrate the release of her newest book, South of Surrender!

Be sure to read an excerpt from the book and enter to win some amazing prizes.

 

Series: Hearts of the Anemoi #3
Category/Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Publication Date: 5/28/13

She’s the only one who can see through his golden boy façade to the broken god within…

Chrysander Notos, Supreme God of the South Wind and Summer, is on a mission: save Eurus from his death sentence and prove his troubled brother can be redeemed. But Eurus fights back, triggering vicious summer storms that threaten the mortal realm, dangerously drain Chrys, and earn the ire of the Olympic gods who ordered Eurus dead.

Laney Summerlyn refuses to give up her grandfather’s horse farm, despite her deteriorating vision. More than ever, she needs the organized routine of her life at Summerlyn Stables, until a ferocious storm brings an impossible—and beautiful—creature crashing down from the heavens.

Injured while fighting Eurus, Chrys finds himself at the mercy of a mortal woman whose compassion and acceptance he can’t resist. As they surrender to the passion flaring between them, immortal enemies close in, forcing Chrys to choose between his brother and the only woman who’s ever loved the real him.

 

A Message From Laura, and an Excerpt 

 

I am thrilled to welcome Chrysander Notos and Laney Summerlyn to the world today! Chrys and Laney are the hero and heroine of South of Surrender, the third book in my Greek-mythology inspired Hearts of the Anemoi series. The Anemoi were wind gods the Greeks associated with controlling the wind, the weather, and the seasons, and as the summer god, Chrys is the hottest of them all! Chrys just might also be the most tortured of them all. And the thing I love about tortured heroes? Their redemption is so, so sweet! Need more proof? Check out this excerpt with Chrys and Laney in a hot tub (hmm…where could this scene go next? *muhaha!*) as well as the giveaway that follows!

  “Stop it, Laney. Just stop.” Chrys hated the gruffness of his words, but couldn’t control it.

   Her jaw dropped open. “What?”

 “Stop…” He tugged his fingers through his wet hair. Tempting me to give in. Tormenting me with things I can never have but want so desperately I can’t breathe. Desire and regret lodged a knot in his throat.

 A range of emotions played over her face. Hurt. Rejection. Anger.

 Determination.

  Laney pushed into the center of the pool. He sat up straight in his seat, his back coming hard against the tub’s side. “What do you want me to stop doing, Chrysander? Huh?” She waded closer and stopped right in front of him. “Do you want me to stop caring? Do you want me to stop worrying about you when, for the third time since we’ve met, your brother has tried to kill you? And nearly succeeded? Do you want me to stop thinking about making love with you? About how good you felt inside me?”

 “Stop,” he said again, bracing his hands against the walls to restrain the urges her words were letting loose, heartfelt urges that warred with every bit of his common sense.

 She pushed closer, her legs skimming the insides of his spread thighs. “I can’t stop. I wouldn’t want to even if I could. I lo—”

  He lunged for her and claimed her in a devouring, soul-stirring kiss. He knew what was about to come out of her mouth, because she was wearing the emotion on her face, in her eyes. He just couldn’t hear it. He wasn’t ready for it. He might never be ready for it because he wanted to hear the words so damn bad.

  Laney moaned into the kiss. Cradling her face, he drew her in closer, plundered her mouth thoroughly and deeply with his tongue. He poured every bit of suppressed longing into the kiss until she was swaying, jostled by the flowing, bubbling water. She stumbled and threw her arms out for balance. But what she didn’t do was try to touch him.

 As if he didn’t already care more than he should, at that moment he felt what only could be called love for Laney Summerlyn.



GIVEAWAY!

Win 1 of 5 $50 gift cards to winners’ choice of Amazon/B&N/iTunes!

HOW TO ENTER?

Did you have a favorite line from the excerpt? Comment with your email address to enter to win! Open to international! Giveaway runs for one day and ends at midnight PST on May 28!


Visit more participating Blitz Day sites for more excerpts and more ways to win! And look out for the South of Surrender Blog Tour to start next week with more excerpts and giveaways! Check out the awesome early reviews coming in for the book, too!

Thanks for reading!

~Laura

About Laura Kaye:
Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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