Monday, September 30, 2013

COVER REVEAL: A LITTLE TOO MUCH by LISA DESROCHER

I am very excited to be participating in today's cover reveal for A Little Too Much, by Lisa Desrochers. I recently read A Little Too Far, and absolutely loved it!
Check it out...







 
Series: A Little Too Far #2
Category/Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: William Morrow/Harper Collins
Publication Date: 11/12/13


In the follow-up to Lisa Desrochers’ explosive New Adult novel A Little too Far, Alessandro Moretti must face the life he escaped and the girl he loved and left behind.

Twenty-two year old Hilary McIntyre would like nothing more than to forget her past. As a teenager abandoned to the system, she faced some pretty dark times. But now that’s all behind her. Hilary has her life on track, and there’s no way she’ll head back down that road again.

Until Alessandro Moretti—the one person who can make her remember—shows up on her doorstep. He’s even more devastatingly gorgeous than before, and he’s much too close for comfort. Worse, he sees right through the walls she’s built over these last eight years, right into her heart and the secrets she’s guarding.

As Hilary finds herself falling back into love with the man who, as a boy both saved and destroyed her, she must decide. Past or future? Truth or lies?
 
 



A Little Too Far Series 
 
A Little Too Far (A Little Too Far, #1) 
 (cover leads to GoodReads)
 
 
 

 
Purchase A Little Too Far
   Amazon  |  Amazon (UK)  |  Barnes & Noble  |  iBooks  |  Kobo  |  Book Depository

 
 
Pre-Order A Little Too Much
 



 
 
About the author:Lisa Desrochers
Lisa Desrochers lives in central California with her husband and two very busy daughters. There is never a time that she can be found without a book in her hand, and she adores stories that take her to new places, and then take her by surprise.


Look for her New Adult novel, A LITTLE TOO FAR , courtesy of HarperCollins Sept 2013, and the first companion, A LITTLE TOO MUCH , in Nov 2013. Also in stores is her YA PERSONAL DEMONS trilogy (Macmillan).

 
Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  GoodReads
 
 

 
 
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TEN DAYS OF TEN TINY BREATHS GIVEAWAY




In celebration of the paperback release of Ten Tiny Breaths, I'm helping to bring you 10 Days of Ten Tiny Breaths! This event was coordinated by InkSlingerPR


Ten Tiny Breaths (Ten Tiny Breaths, #1)Series: Ten Tiny Breaths #1
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Atria Books

Just breathe, Kacey. Ten tiny breaths. Seize them. Feel them. Love them.

Four years ago Kacey Cleary’s life imploded when her car was hit by a drunk driver, killing her parents, boyfriend, and best friend. Still haunted by memories of being trapped inside, holding her boyfriend’s lifeless hand and listening to her mother take her last breath, Kacey wants to leave her past behind. Armed with two bus tickets, twenty-year-old Kacey and her fifteen-year-old sister, Livie, escape Grand Rapids, Michigan, to start over in Miami. Struggling to make ends meet, Kacey needs to figure out how to get by. But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle anything—anything but her mysterious neighbor in apartment 1D.

Trent Emerson has smoldering blue eyes, deep dimples, and he perfectly skates that irresistible line between nice guy and bad boy. Hardened by her tragic past, Kacey is determined to keep everyone at a distance, but their mutual attraction is undeniable and Trent is determined to find a way into Kacey’s guarded heart—even if it means that an explosive secret could shatter both their worlds.


Ten Tiny Breaths Series
 
  Ten Tiny Breaths One Tiny Lie (Ten Tiny Breaths, #2) Four Seconds To Lose (Ten Tiny Breaths, #3)
(click on cover to visit GoodReads page)



Purchase the series
Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository


Visit all the participating blogs

September 22: The SubClub Books
September 23: Aestas Book Blog
September 24: Vilma's Book Blog
September 25: 3 Chicks and Their Books
September 26: The Autumn Review
September 27: Natasha is a Book Junkie
September 28: Tsk Tsk What to Read
September 29: I *Heart* Big Books
October 1: The Bookish Babe
 
 
 
GIVEAWAY
 

 
 

About the author
K.A. Tucker




Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.


 
 
 
 








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TEASER TUESDAY ~ RED HILL



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

·Grab your current read
·Open to a random page
·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.


Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
Publisher: Atria
Publication Date: 10/1/13


When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?

Red Hill grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go until its stunning conclusion. This is #1 New York Times bestselling author Jamie McGuire at her unforgettable best.


My Teaser  ~

  We passed more people, unsure of who was running and who was chasing. I saw parents carrying their young children, and pulling older ones along by the hand. A couple of times people screamed at me to stop, begged me to help them, but stopping always meant dying in the movies, and I was barely eighteen. I wasn't sure how long we could survive, but I knew I wasn't dying on day one of the f*cking zombie apocalypse.   ~pg 51


This book was so fantastic. My review posts tomorrow!
 
 
 
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Sunday, September 29, 2013

REVIEW; WILD CARDS (WILD CARDS #1) by SIMONE ELKELES

Wild Cards (Wild Cards, #1)Series: Wild Cards #1
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 10/1/13
Format: eARC
Pages: 288
Source: Received from publisher for review
Rating: 3 stars


After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.  
Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

 

I've never read a Simone Elkeles book before, but had heard really great things about her Perfect Chemistry series. When everyone started going bananas about Wild Cards being available on NetGalley, well, I naturally jumped on the bandwagon, excited to read the first book in a hopefully fabulous new series.

I liked Wild Cards, but didn't fall in love with the story like I'd hoped to. Derek and Ashtyn were good characters, and I found them both to be worthy of a deeper story than they were given. I felt as if the writing skimmed the surface, sometimes beginning to truly dig into the real heart of the story, what Derek and Ashtyn were going and had gone through in their lives, and what they might find together. This didn't happen, though. Just when I felt the story was really going to go there, the moment was gone.

The first half Wild Cards was so good. I was getting into the characters and their story. I could feel the big "hook" coming, but that never happened. It was like the second half of the story was rushed. Derek and Ashtyn had a very antagonistic relationship, and I couldn't see why, not that teens really need much of a reason. (Or at least, I never did.) But these two went from "I hate you. Stay away from me. Why are you even in my space. I hate you."  to "I love you." without a big moment to connect the dots. If there was a moment I was supposed to feel the change, I must have missed it. I could see it coming, but I didn't feel the heart behind it.

Something else that felt off to me was the secondary story with Derek's estranged grandmother. It started off nice and complicated by past hurts, very angsty, but turned into something entirely different, almost comical, but I felt like I was missing the joke. I'm still not even sure what was going on there. It was like the author started in one direction, lost motivation, then headed in an easier path. I just didn't get it.

For me, Wild Cards just didn't dig deep enough. It didn't pull me hopelessly in and win my heart. I enjoyed Elkeles's writing style, there were a lot of moments that had me smiling, and I flew through the pages. Despite the convenient and slightly over the top ending, I did appreciate Derek and Ashtyn's story. Even though I didn't love Wild Cards, I will likely continue the series.



Favorite Quotes:

  "Seriously, Ashtyn, I bet my left nut you wouldn't even notice if I got your dog fixed."
  "Your left nut?" I ask. "Why not your right one? Guys never say they'll bet their right nut, only their left. Why is that?"
  "Because all guys know their right nut is the dominant one, so bettin' the left one is a safe choice. Now don't change the subject and answer my question."   ~eARC, 46%

  "You want to break the rule?"
  He nods slowly. "Yeah."
  "Why?"
  "Because I'm tryin' to push you away when all I want to do is hold you. I know you say you don't want a hero, but damn I'd like to be that guy who'll save you from spiders and whatever and whoever else hurts you."   ~eARC, 66%
 



Purchase Wild Cards


About the author
Simone Elkeles is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of novels for teens. Simone’s books have won many awards including being YALSA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, being named to the YALSA Popular Paperbacks and Teens Top Ten lists, and added to the Illinois “Read for a Lifetime” Reading List. Simone also won the coveted RITA award from the Romance Writers of America for her book Perfect Chemistry. Simone is especially proud of the fact that the Illinois Association of Teachers of English named her Author of the Year.

Simone was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, where she still lives today. Simone went to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign and received her Bachelor’s of Science there in Psychology in 1992. She continued her education at Loyola University-Chicago where she received her Master’s of Science degree in Industrial Relations while working for a manufacturing company creating diversity programs for their employees.

She loves animals (she has two dogs – a labradoodle and a German Shepherd), kids (she also has two of those) and her family. In her spare time she’s the Hockey Mom for her kids hockey teams and is an active Girl Scout leader specially trained in outdoor education. She also spends time mentoring other teen and adult authors. (She also loves sushi, which you can probably tell by reading her books.) Simone writes about teens because she was a teen in the 80’s (when spiked hair and blue eye shadow were “rad”) and she loves writing about those exciting teen relationships and romances.

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

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REVIEW: JULIA (THE GOOD LIFE #1) by SARAH KRISCH

Julia (The Good Life, #1)Series: The Good Life #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: 8/8/13
Format: ebook
Pages: 150
Source: Received from author for review
Rating: 3.5 stars

A failed actress, twenty-something Julia McCarthy begins writing a fictionalized blog as a form of self-therapy. Based on her carefree summers at her grandparents' farm, she never expects her little experiment to garner a viral following, but it does. Boy, does it ever.

Now, with thousands of loyal blog followers, and a syndication deal with the Chicago Herald, Julia is approached by GreenTV to adapt her blog into a TV show. The producers see her as a "Rachel Ray on the Prairie-type". She sees herself as a fraud.

In Julia's fictional world, she's successful. She can pay her bills on time. Heck, she even has a fictional gorgeous husband and charming little boy. Ready to realize her dreams, Julia returns to her grandparents' farm to shoot the TV pilot.

Brad Taylor is definitely not her type: he’s rugged, sensible, and oh-so smug about learning that Julia’s blog is a farce. As the manager of her grandparent’s farm, Brad doesn’t have time to deal with whimsical women who don’t even know how to cook.

Julia can't allow her attraction to Brad to distract her, not when her dreams are about to come true. But are these truly her dreams, her good life?

A fun, fast (150 pages) contemporary romance
 




The description states that Julia: The Good Life is a fast, fun read. And that's true. I flew through this "Going Home" story in less than two hours total, and enjoyed it.

I tend to enjoy novellas more than most of my friends. There's something about a quick escape between my longer reads that feels nice. Almost as if it provides a reset, of sorts. This may seem like I am discounting the novella in question, but that's not my intention. I've read novellas that have left me completely unimpressed, but this is not one of those.

Julia was a sweet and thoughtful story of a woman who's lost her way, but doesn't realize that until she finds herself back at her childhood home. There she reconnects with her childhood crush, Brad, a vet who's now made his home on her grandparents' farm. Julia has led an almost double life, and must decide if she'd rather continue the sham, or live the good life with Brad.

Julia: The Good Life was a fast and sweet read, with a nice dash of spice.


Favorite Quotes:

  Brad sighed. "You women and your food. I don't get it. If you want a second piece of pie, just have the second piece. If you think it'll chase away Mr. Right, you obviously don't know much about men or what they like."   ~ebook, 30%


 "I know our timing couldn't be worse. There's no room for me in your life; I get it. But I just wanted you to know that I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere. I can't see into the future, but I do know where I will be tomorrow, next month, five years down the road."  ~ebook, 94%


Purchase Julia: The Good Life
About the author:
Sarah Krisch's debut novel, Julia, The Good Life Book 1 is set on a rural farm in the cozy community of Harmony Grove. She was inspired to pursue her secret passion for writing by her husband and author Glen Krisch.

She likes to write fun, fast-paced stories of romance which explore the deeper aspects of what makes people tick.

Sarah has three rambunctious boys who keep her on her toes, but she wouldn't have it any other way. They have taught her more than she ever thought possible about Godzilla, frog-catching, and the best way to track escaped pet snakes in her home.
  

Saturday, September 28, 2013

THE WEEKLY REWIND, #68: BOOK HAUL AND GIVEAWAY




THE WEEKLY REWIND is a weekly post in which I recap the bookish awesomeness from the past week, and post a book haul.
 
 
 

Book Haul

For Review


Cinderella Screwed Me OverRift (Cipher, #2)Off Chance (Off Series, #5)Crash into You (Pushing the Limits, #3)
 


Bought:

Raid (Unfinished Hero, #3)Unattainable (Undeniable, #3)CakeLaid Bare (Brown Siblings, #1)Never Enough (Brown Siblings, #4)




Amazon Freebies:

Damaged But Not Broken (New Adult Rockers)Sleeves


Won:

Ruin (Summer in Winter, #1)
Unsolicited Books
Delia's Shadow




 
Thanks to

Giveaway

In an effort to reduce the books piling up on the floor in front of my bookcase, I'm giving away more books!

Delia's Shadow  I Dream of Danger (Ghost Ops, #2)
(covers lead to GoodReads)

 
 

Thanks for stopping by. Leave a comment, and I'll come check out your blog. Have a great week!





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Friday, September 27, 2013

FRISKY FALL SATURDAY: HE SAID/SHE SAID: BREATHE (COLORADO MOUNTAIN #4) by KRISTEN ASHLEY



Summer is over, but just because the temperature is dropping, doesn't mean we have to stop reading scorching hot books! Frisky Fall Saturdays is a weekly post dedicated to sexy stories. Feel free to join in. (let us know so we can add a link to your post) As those leaves start piling up in the yard, ignore them and pick up a sexy book!

The Autumn Review
Insightful Minds Reviews
Globug and Hootie Need a Book

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



Since falling in love with Kristen Ashley's writing in the Rock Chick Series, I've decided to dedicate one week each month to more of her books. First up is the Colorado Mountain Series, at the insistence of my friends Erin, Cindy and Jess. But this time around, I'm doing "He Said/She Said" reviews with my guy, who read this series first.


Breathe (Colorado Mountain, #4)Series: Colorado Mountain #4
Category/Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self-Published (now published by Forever)
Publication Date: 7/23/12
Format: ebook
Pages: 554
Source: Purchased
Rating:

When the local police department's secrets are revealed and the wife he's forced to marry is murdered, Chace finds himself the town of Carnal's hero. Knowing how deep in the mud he was forced to sink, Chace feels he'll never get clean. The quiet, content future he envisioned of the love a good woman with whom he could build a family was now beyond his reach. The only thing he can do is find his wife's murderer.

But he isn't the only one looking.

While searching for new leads, he runs into Faye Goodknight, the town's quiet, shy, pretty librarian. Chace has long since had his eye on what could possibly be the town's last remaining virgin but he has also long since given up hope he could make her his. Faye is pure and clean and Chace refuses to dirty her with his sordid past.

Pure and clean Faye may be, but when the shy librarian is forced to go head to head with the man who she's had a crush on since he hit her hometown, Chace finds Faye is full of surprises. And he doesn't know what to do with her.


He Said.....


Breathe has to be my favorite of the series, so far. I’m also going to go so far as to say that I liked these more than the Rock Chick series. Call me crazy?… To each their own, I guess. I was either reading The Gamble or Sweet Dreams, I don’t remember which, but I mentioned this same thing to KA and she was shocked as well. Happy, but shocked. Now don’t get me wrong, the RC series was a freakin’ blast to read, they were fun, exciting and full action, and I wish it wasn’t over. But, this series, for some reason, was a lot more relatable…

I absolutely loved Faye Goodknight. And for good reason – she is pretty much my wife in book form. She, like Faye – the town librarian, is kinda shy but also the strong, silent type with a big heart. Never one to raise a ruckus unless provoked, and always with her nose in a book (or her kindle). And the TV geek? Just a couple of weeks ago, while eating, our eight year old started to talk about Star Wars – like he knew all about it – and she put him in his place like she had just watched each movie… Rattling things off that I didn’t even remember.

Faye has had her eyes on Chace since he moved to town 13 years ago, immediately falling in love, and vowing to save herself for him. He was the one for her. Chace Keaton is a good guy, one of the only “good” cops left in Carnal, with a difficult past and present. He, too, has had eyes for Faye, but having to deal with his asshat of a father and the unsolved murder of his wife, Chase is in a dark place and he’s allowing these burdens to keep him from her.

“Everything that was Chace Keaton urged him to follow her. To ask her to dinner. To get to know her. To find the right time to taste her mouth. To find the right time to taste her body. To take the time to teach her how to pleasure his. To lay his burden on her.”


As much as Chace is fighting his urge for Faye, he can’t help but notice the little things about her. Little things that send him over the edge.

“Top to toe, she was an itch he’d wanted to scratch for a long time. Faye Goodknight talking and reacting two feet away, her voice coming at him, her face expressive, her scent filling the room, she wasn’t an itch. She was a craving.”

Chace doesn’t push, knowing Faye’s lack of experience, he takes his time. But, once Faye is ready to explore beyond kissing, the connection between them is “frakking” ridiculous. Faye goes from quiet librarian to eager student, unleashing the librarian stereotype and becoming a wildcat in bed! 



She said....


Breathe. Was. Frakking. AWESOME. I loved loved loved loved every single thing about this book.

Starting with Faye Goodknight. Out of all of Kristen Ashley 's heroines, she is the one I identified with the most. So much so that my husband sometimes calls me  "My Faye". Faye is a librarian, always has her head in her e-reader, a sci-fi geek (a good thing), shy and quiet, though very strong in spirit. She inexperienced in love and relationships, and while that hasn't applied to me in many, many years, I can identify with her shyness and innocence in spirit. But clearly, Faye is more awesome than I could ever be. I just love a heroine whom I feel "speaks" for me.

Faye has been in love with Chase Keaton for thirteen years, from a distance. Age difference, life, and a steamy pile of poo kept these two apart. But once they get it sorted, Chase and Faye were a brilliant couple. Chase loves everything about Faye, and it was the sweetest thing to see him embrace Faye exactly as she was. Chase was pretty fabulous himself. A man determined to live right, clean, and free of the filth that corrupted his life. Chase provably initially infuriated me less than any man in this series, with the exception of Max.

Breathe has a beautiful love story. And I love how Kristen Ashley writes intimate scenes. I find myself getting so caught up in these moments, and am always surprised to realize that the words she uses and the scenes she creates are not very explicit at all. She just has a way of building intensity and steam without giving away very much. I love it.

I can't quite believe I am actually saying this, but I love the Colorado Mountain series even more than Rock Chick. While both series are awesome, this series has more relatable characters living easier to identify with lives. Minus the murders and kidnappings, of course. The heroines in the series range in professions, life styles, and ages ranging from twenty-nine to early 40s. The men vary from a (wrongly convicted) ex-con Harley mechanic to a contractor, a cop, and an ex-NFL pro/bounty hunter. So maybe most of us can't relate to everything about these folks, but we can relate to their feelings and experiences in love and relationships. I can't wait to continue my love for this series with Jagged.


A Favorite Moment:

  "When I was sixteen, I saw you and when I did, I was young, romantic, and it might sound stupid but the minute I saw you, I knew I wanted to give that to you. I knew it was only you. I waited thirteen years, honey. It was worth the wait." 


Colorado Mountain Series


  The Gamble (Colorado Mountain, #1) Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain, #2) Lady Luck (Colorado Mountain, #3)
 Breathe (Colorado Mountain, #4) Jagged (Colorado Mountain, #5)

(covers lead to GoodReads page)
Kaleidoscope (Colorado Mountains #6) release 2/4/14

Purchase Breathe



About the author:
Kristen Ashley was born in Gary, Indiana, USA. She nearly killed her mother and herself making it into the world, seeing as she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck (already attempting to accessorise and she hadn't taken her first breath!).

Kristen grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana but has lived in Denver, Colorado and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multi-generational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland and existed amongst the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).

Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.


Website  |  Twitter  |  Facebook   |  GoodReads



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