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Sunday, August 31, 2014

Short and Tweet Reviews: Landline, Believe, Fault Lines, I'll Become the Sea, Hurricane Lily


Two of my favorite blogers, Karen at For What It's Worth and Mary at The Book Swarm occasionally post twitter-style reviews. Karen calls hers Short and Tweet. Mary also pointed the direction to The Daring Librarian's "Twitter Style Book Review Lesson" Basically, the idea is a review that's tweet length, only 140 characters. I annoy myself by my wordiness, in real life and in blogging, so I've been wanting to give this a try.
It's fun to write such a short, super concise review, but it's also really hard! You need to get the essential details in there so readers have enough to go on. I may not get every review down to tweet length, sometimes it might be twitlonger. But we'll see how this goes!


Series: Standalone
LandlineGenre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 7/8/14
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 310
Source: Purchase
Rating: 5 stars


GoodReads  |  Amazon  |  B&N

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.


That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?


Short and Tweet, the Twitlonger Version...

Guest Post and Giveaway: The Only Answer by Magan Vernon



Welcome to the promotional event for The Only Answer, by Magan Vernon. I have a guest post, teasers and great giveaway to share with you today. Thanks for stopping by!












Author: Magan Vernon
Age Group: NA
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 8/25/14


Goodreads



The sequel to the international hit, The Only Exception.


A boy burdened with a family legacy.

A girl haunted by a shattered past.


Both searching for answers to a future threatened by the unknown.


Three years ago, conservative Trey Chapman and liberal Monica Remy met their match in one another - and made the only exception that would change their lives forever.
Now, Trey's father is running for president, forcing Trey and Monica to put aside their personal beliefs to be the model of perfection.


But fate has other ideas, casting the family in scandal.


Some seek to use that disgrace to further their family legacy, while others refuse to let go of the past. Trey and Monica soon find themselves lost among questions that challenge their true feelings. Will they be able to rediscover that the only answer lies with one another, or will they lose each other forever?






Why I Chose to Write About Love and Politics


Saturday, August 30, 2014

The Weekly Rewind, #114: Book Haul and Giveaway





THE WEEKLY REWIND is a weekly post in which I recap books received in the past week, what I'm looking forward to, and giveaways.

 

  

Book Haul
(click on covers to visit GoodReads page)
For Review
 
The Understatement of the Year (The Ivy Years, #3)    Stone, At Your Service (Carolina Bad Boys, #1)    Hot as Hades (Four Horsemen MC #2)


I'm so excited for all of these!



For Review Consideration

The Hook Up (Game On, #1)  Taking Control (Kerr Chronicles, #2)  In Bed with a Spy (Spy in the Ton, #2)  Caged in WinterThe Prince Who Loved Me (The Oxenburg Princes, #1)  Angel Killer  


I'm definitely going to give The Hook Up, Taking Control and The Prince Who Loved Me a try!


Purchases


Don't Let Go   Wife by Wednesday (The Weekday Brides, #1)

I got Don't Let Go because of Brandie at Brandie is a Bookjunkie. Have heard great things about Bybee as well.



Freebies

Secret Sister   Oceans Apart 1    Tucker (The Family Simon, #1)   Honeymoon for One   How to Catch a Wild Viscount    Forever Ours (Shattered Hearts, #0.5)   Happy Pants Cafe (Happy Pants, #1)   Burn for Me (Fighting Fire, #1)




Have y'all read any of these? I personally love Juliana Stone's books and am looking forward to Tucker.
 
Thanks to


Berkley
Pocket Books


 
 
Open to US only

Angel Killer  The Seat of Magic (The Golden City, #2)


 
 photo AndreaSig_zps3f75055b.jpg

Friday, August 29, 2014

Short and Tweet Review + Giveaway: Claudine by Barbara Palmer



Two of my favorite blogers, Karen at For What It's Worth and Mary at The Book Swarm occasionally post twitter-style reviews. Karen calls hers Short and Tweet. Mary also pointed the direction to The Daring Librarian's "Twitter Style Book Review Lesson" Basically, the idea is a review that's tweet length, only 140 characters. I annoy myself by my wordiness, in real life and in blogging, so I've been wanting to give this a try.


It's fun to write such a short, super concise review, but it's also really hard! You need to get the essential details in there so readers have enough to go on. I may not get every review down to tweet length, sometimes it might be twitlonger. But we'll see how this goes!


ClaudineSeries: Standalone
Genre: Erotic Suspense
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Publication Date: 9/2/14
Format: ARC
Pages: 304
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 stars

Maria Lantos has a secret. She’s a post-grad student researching early erotic literature at Yale who puts her studies to work after hours as a courtesan named Claudine specializing in erotic role play. Her allure and stock of sexual tricks command top dollar from international clients. When Maria receives anonymous text messages filled with chilling threats, she knows her secret is out, and someone is hunting her—someone who knows a lot about her past and who’s intent on playing a starring role in her present.



As Claudine, she loves the brief anonymous liaisons that allow her to explore the darker side of power and desire. But now it’s Maria’s turn. Two men—charismatic Yale professor Reid Whitman and her business manager, Andrei Barinov—will test the limits of her sexuality and safety, forcing her to discover the depth of the dark places within her. 


Claudine combines the pace of a thriller, the deep emotional connection of a romance, and the heat of a beautiful woman’s sexual discovery.

My Short and Tweet, Twitlonger-Style

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Review: Shatter (True Believers #4) by Erin McCarthy


Shatter (True Believers, #4)
Series: True Believers #4
Genre: Contemp Romance
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Publication Date: 9/2/14
Format: eARC
Pages: 320
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4 stars

 
GoodReads  |  Amazon  |  B&N


From the USA Today bestselling author of True, Sweet, and Believe comes a tantalizing New Adult novel about finding love in the most unexpected ways…



Kylie Warner prides herself on being optimistic, but after finding her best friend in bed with her boyfriend and flunking chemistry, her upbeat attitude has taken a dive. Even an impromptu hook-up with her sexy new chemistry tutor only brightens her mood slightly. After all, it’s not like she’ll ever see the tattooed scholar again…
While he’s a whiz at complex equations, Jonathon Kadisch has trouble when it comes to figuring out women. So when Kylie tells him that she’s pregnant after their night of passion, he’s at a complete loss. He’s prepared to be a good father—unlike his own deadbeat dad—but he’s less prepared to fall for the genuine and alluring blonde bearing his child.
With emotions running high, Kylie wonders if Jonathon’s devotion is out of growing love or looming obligation. And when heartbreak threatens to tear them apart, Jonathon will have to fight for the only girl who’s ever made him feel whole… 

My Review
Wow! Where do I even begin with Shatter?

"The Story Behind the Story" - This Is Falling by Ginger Scott

Ginger Scott's newest novel, This is Falling, releases today! To help celebrate, Ginger is here with a great post, "The Story Behind the Story". Trust me, this is so good! Thanks for stopping by.



This is FallingSeries: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Ginger Scott
Publication Date: 8/29/14


First, I had to remember how to breathe. Then, I had to learn how to survive. Two years, three months and sixteen days had passed since I was the Rowe Stanton from before, since tragedy stole my youth and my heart went along with it.

When I left for college, I put a thousand miles between my future and my past. I’d made a choice—I was going to cross back to the other side, to live with the living. I just didn’t know how.

And then I met Nate Preeter.

An All-American baseball player, Nate wasn’t supposed to notice a ghost-of-a-girl like me. But he did. He shouldn’t want to know my name. But he did. And when he learned my secret and saw the scars it left behind, he was supposed to run. But he didn’t.

My heart was dead, and I was never supposed to belong to anyone. But Nate Preeter had me feeling, and he made me want to be his. He showed me everything I was missing.
And then he showed me how to fall.






THIS IS FALLING – The story behind the story



Hmmmmm, there’s always a story behind a story. Isn’t that what they say? At least, there is for me. And it doesn’t have to be some weighty experience from my youth that I’m still carrying around—though, I must admit I have been inspired by a great deal of that. (Hint: you’ll probably find a lot of those elements peppered throughout WAITING ON THE SIDELINES.)


When I get hit with inspiration, it’s usually instant and often inconvenient. There have been several…okay hundreds of conversations in the car with my family that I’ve only been halfway tuned into because I’m busy tapping out notes on my iPhone for some thing I just thought of. I’m also big on writing things down on the backs of receipts, bill envelopes and ticket stubs.


This is how THIS IS FALLING hit me.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Review: Rival (Fall Away #2) by Penelope Douglas


Rival (Fall Away, #2)Series: Fall Away #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Fall Away #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: NAL Trade
Publication Date: 8/26/14
Format: eARC
Pages: 368
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4.5 stars

Madoc and Fallon. Two estranged teenagers playing games that push the boundaries between love and war…



She’s back.

For the two years she’s been away at boarding school, there was no word from her. Back when we lived in the same house, she used to cut me down during the day and then leave her door open for me at night.I was stupid then, but now I’m ready to beat her at her own game…


I’m back.

Two years and I can tell he still wants me, even if he acts like he’s better than me.But I won’t be scared away. Or pushed down. I’ll call his bluff and fight back. That’s what he wants, right? As long as I keep my guard up, he’ll never know how much he affects me….


My Review

Excerpt and Giveaway: 42 Hours by Bethany Lopez


Welcome to the promotional event for 42 Hours by Bethany Lopez. Today I have an excerpt and giveaway to share with you. Thanks for stopping by!





Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 8/19/14



Add 42 Hours on GoodReads 



Eight years ago, Scott and Gaby shared one very special night. Not wanting to ruin their friendship, they didn't take things further...but neither of them has forgotten.


When Scott’s friends stage an intervention to make him realize that his fiancĂ©, Victoria, is all wrong for him, he takes time to evaluate his life. He’s earned a big promotion and just bought his dream car, but those things are just superficial. The one time he was truly happy, was with Gaby.


Gaby is in a good place in her life. She loves her job, has the best friends and family a girl could ask for, and is dating a sweet and sexy guy, but she’s never stopped thinking about that night with Scott.


Eager to find happiness again, Scott makes a plan to win Gaby’s heart during a weekend getaway, but she doesn’t want to be his rebound girl. Will 42 hours be enough to convince Gaby that it's finally
their time for love?
 



Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Excerpt and Giveaway: Night Moves by Kristen Strassel



In anticipation for the release of We Own the Night, book two in Kristen Strassel's Night Songs Collection, Night Moves, is available for only $0.99, August 25 -31.









Series: Night Songs Collection #2
Category/Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Publication Date: 3/26/14




We bonded in darkness, over darkness.

Melanie Vaughn’s job ruined everything. Her social life, nonexistent. Her relationship with her boyfriend, a hostile roommate situation. She resolves to fix everything one snowy afternoon, but instead comes home to discover her boyfriend is already exploring other options. Blonder, bustier options. Rage drives Melanie to do the unthinkable.

When Soul Divider was on the top of the world, so was Ryder Maddox. When the band faded into obscurity, Ryder’s luck plummeted with it. In a last ditch effort to rekindle the band’s heyday, Soul Divider teams up with powerful vampire clan leader, Talis de Rancourt. In return for her services, the band pays the ultimate price for never ending fame.

Now on the run, Melanie meets Ryder in a middle of nowhere hotel. She never expected her teenage rock star crush to be as lost and as in need of a companion as she is. Their connection is all consuming, even before they find they share another kinship: murder.

The newly turned vampires in Soul Divider still have a lot to learn. The police and public begin to connect the girls that go missing or die in sync with the band’s tour schedule. Back at home, clues are also adding up against Melanie as well. Between constant media coverage and unrelenting attention from the authorities, Melanie and Ryder find themselves in uncharted territory.







Cover Reveals and Excerpt: Shattered by Pamela Sparkman and Deanna Gohn / With the Father by Jenni Moen

 
We're excited to share the cover reveal for Shattered, by Pamela Sparkman and Deanna Gohn. Check out the gorgeous cover and excerpt, and be sure to let us know what you think!




Waiting on Wednesday: I Saw Her Standing There by Marie Force






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


Monday, August 25, 2014

Excerpt and Giveaway: His Highland Spy by Victoria Roberts

Welcome to my stop on the teaser tour for His Highland Spy. I have author Victoria Roberts, sharing today's excerpt and giveaway. Thanks for stopping by!  


My Highland Spy (Highland Spies, #1)
Series: Highland Spies #1
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casa
Publication Date: 9/2/14



GoodReads  






This Highland Laird won’t bow to the Crown

Laird Ruairi Sutherland refuses to send his only son away to be educated by the English. And he most definitely will not appear in Edinburgh to pay homage to a liege who has no respect for Scotland. So he does what any laird would do—he lies to the king. The last thing Ruairi expects is a beautiful English governess to appear on his doorstep.


But this lady spy might make him...

Lady Ravenna Walsingham is a seasoned spy who is sent to the savage Highlands to uncover a nefarious plot against the Crown. Playing the part of an English governess—a job easier said than done—she infiltrates the home of Laird Sutherland, a suspected conspirator.


If she doesn’t betray him first

Ravenna soon discovers that the only real threat Sutherland poses is to her heart. But will the proud Highland laird ever forgive her when he discovers the woman he loves in an English spy?




Praise for His Highland Spy

“An exciting Highland tale of intrigue, betrayal, and love.”
Hannah HowellNew York Times bestselling author of Highland Master



“Roberts’ newest features a surprise-laden, quick-paced plot, replete with unconventional and fiercely independent characters. Her lyrical prose grabs readers’ attention, and the high level of emotional tension simply adds to the depth of the story. This book begs to be read and reread.”
—RT Book Reviews

Excerpt: It's in His Kiss (Lucky Harbor #10) by Jill Shalvis


Welcome to the Release Event for It's in His Kiss, by Jill Shalvis. Be sure to check out the excerpt. Thanks for stopping by!



It's in His Kiss (Lucky Harbor, #10)
Series: Lucky Harbor #10
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: 8/26/14



GoodReads  |  Amazon  |  B&N


ONE KISS CAN LAST FOREVER
Becca Thorpe has uprooted her life and escaped to the beach. Now's her chance to get away from city living, throw caution to the ocean winds, and live in the moment. Especially if the moment includes the deliciously sexy surfer she meets shortly after arriving in Lucky Harbor. Something about the dark intensity of Sam's eyes and the thrill she gets at his touch convinces her to stay awhile.

Boatbuilder and investment genius Sam Brody is a self-made man who knows how dangerous it can be to mix business and pleasure. But he can't resist offering Becca a job just to hear her laugh and have her near. Yet when her brother comes to town asking for help, will he tempt her back to her glamorous life in the city? Or do Sam and little Lucky Harbor have a chance to win Becca's heart?