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.

REVIEW: THE HAZARDS OF SKINNY DIPPING by ALYSSA ROSE IVY

Category/Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Alyssa Rose Ivy
Publication Date: 5/21/13
Format: eARC
Source: Received from author for review

This isn't a deep book about first loves or self-discovery. If you want a book like that, I'd be happy to recommend one, but I don't have that kind of story to tell. Instead my story is about rash decisions and finding out that your dream guy is bad in bed. It's the story of when I finally went skinny dipping, and how my life was never the same again. Oh, and it's also the story of my freshman year of college and realizing Mr. Right might have been there all along.

The Hazards of Skinny Dipping is a fun, sweet, and surprising story of what happens when a girl decides to let go and gets what she's always wanted... or so she thought.

I've had high hopes for Hazards from the moment I first saw it. That cover is a total win. I'm also a fan of Alyssa Rose Ivy's books, so I expected to like this one as well. What I will first say is that this story surprised me, and I can't pinpoint exactly why. There is a decidedly different tone to Ivy's writing this time around, and I really enjoyed it.

Juliet was a fun and interesting protagonist. The story begins a few weeks before she heads to college. I was thinking she would likely be shy/awkward/naïve (not that there's anything wrong with that), but she was a really cool chick. I love how she just dove into life, and went with it. That's not to say that she was perfect or didn't get swept along, but that only made her more realistic, in my opinion.

Of course, there are guys. Two of them, but those who detest love triangles should not be afraid, this isn't so much of a love triangle as it is Juliet making some realizations and letting go of a dream. Dylan, her long time dream guy, starts out as a guy that any girl might feel happy to be with. He's hot, nice, popular, and well-off. But is he the guy for Juliet? And Reed....I loved him! He's another popular hot guy, but he's soooo much fun and so stinkin' sweet!  And I loved their progression from begrudged companions to really great friends. Reed and Juliet's friendship made this story for me.

The Hazards of Skinny Dipping was more than two guys and a girl. I loved how Juliet's story started with a leap, and came full circle by the end. It was about having fun, taking chances, and realizing that love just might be right beside you.


Favorite Quote:

  "I've wanted this for so long."
  "How long?"
  "Since laser tag." He squeezed my hand.
  "Really? You liked me all decked out?"
  "You look hot in everything, but it was your attitude that got me. Most girls would have hid from me instead of taking me out."
  "I did shoot you in the back."
  "True...I need to remember that."  ~eARC, 78%
     

About the author:

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Connect with Alyssa at:
Website | GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Amazon

 

 

   

TEASER TUESDAY: THE HAZARDS OF SKINNY DIPPING

 

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.




Category/Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Alyssa Rose Ivy
Publication Date: 6/11/13

This isn't a deep book about first loves or self-discovery. If you want a book like that, I'd be happy to recommend one, but I don't have that kind of story to tell. Instead my story is about rash decisions and finding out that your dream guy is bad in bed. It's the story of when I finally went skinny dipping, and how my life was never the same again. Oh, and it's also the story of my freshman year of college and realizing Mr. Right might have been there all along.

My Teaser ~  

 

  "I don't want you to totally drown next year." She shoved a small, pink envelope into my hand. "Here, don't open this until after graduation."

  "But you won't be here. You leave tomorrow."

  She gave me her signature "duh" look. "I'm well aware. Just open it, and do exactly what it says.

  "This kind of feels like the beginning of a YA novel."

  She laughed. "No. Trust me. The contents of this letter are not YA appropriate."   ~eARC, 1%

 

 

 

Hazards releases May 21st, and my review posts on the 16th. Be sure to check it out!

 

 

BLOG TOUR: WRECKED (CLAYTON FALLS #3) ~ REVIEW, GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the Wrecked Blog Tour. The tour is hosted by InkSlinger PR Tours; you can find the tour schedule here. My stop includes a review, guest post and giveaway.

Series: Clayton Falls #3
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: 4/30/13

When your past catches up, it's time to stop running.

Jake Mathews messed up yet again— but this time his misstep lands him in the hospital. He wakes up to find the girl of his dreams and the memory of having his deepest secret revealed.

Emily Taylor needs a break. She's been working double shifts as a nurse just to pay the bills while trying to heal a broken heart. The last thing she needs is to fall for a patient.

Strapped with community service and the knowledge that he's disappointed everyone in his life, Jake is determined not to let Emily slip through his fingers. Emily wants Jake, but can she really open herself up to heartache again?

 

 

I've been wanting Jake Mathews' story since I read book one in the Clayton Falls series, Derailed. No matter what is going on or whose story is being told, Jake always seems to manage to steal the story with a smart alec response, and a smirk to go with it. So when it came time to read Jake's story, I was ready.

 

Like the first two books in the series, Wrecked is a sweet love story, low on angst. Sure, there are some dark and thoughtful moments, and there are some surprising revelations, but the author doesn't rely on high drama and angst to pull her readers in. All it takes in this case are endearing characters.

 

I really liked Jake's romantic interest Emily. She did not seem like the type of girl Jake would go for, which made her perfect for him. She was a sweet, thoughtful, hard-working girl and I admired her strength and determination. She didn't set out to change Jake, but he becomes a better man because of her love, and that makes for a truly sweet love story.

 

Wrecked makes a nice addition to the Clayton Falls series. I wanted Jake's story, and I wanted him to have a happy ending. And once again, Alyssa Rose Ivy delivers.

 

 

Favorite Quote:

 

  "Emily? Why does that name sound familiar?"

  I grabbed a towel and wiped off my hands. "It was the name of one of the nurses at the hospital."

  He grinned. "You're doing your nurse?"

  "She's not my nurse anymore."

  "Only you, man. Only you could get a girl when you were barely conscious."  ~eARC, 30%

 

 

 

Purchase Wrecked at:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

 

 

GUEST POST

 

I love to find out little tidbits about my favorite characters. So when I had the opportunity, I asked Alyssa Rose Ivy for

 

Ten Things You Don't Know About Jake

Hi Andrea, thanks for having me on your blog. Hopefully you’ll find these answers as charming as I think they are.

1) My favorite color is green. Conveniently, that happens to be the color of Emily’s eyes.

2) I’m a nerd for Man v. Wild. I love that show, and I’ve been known to sit and watch hours of it.

3) My dream car: Anything that doesn’t break down. I’m not the kind of guy who needs flashy.

4) I only own one pair of shoes that aren’t sandals—and that’s a pair of sneakers. If an event requires something nicer, chances are I don’t want to be there

5) I had a childhood dream of playing football with the 49ers. I made it as far as a little college football. I can honestly say I’m glad that dream didn’t play out.

6) My favorite restaurant in Clayton Falls is Surf Song. I love the seafood, the view, and the fact that the staff loves me and gives me free stuff. Emily is the first girl I took there.

7) My favorite movie is The Big Lebowski. It’s funny no matter how many times I see it.

8) The only instrument I can play is the ukulele (and only a few chords). It’s nice for camping trips, but the musician of the family is definitely Ben.

9) I’d love to live in a hut over the water. Somehow I doubt I’m going to talk Emily into that one though.

10) Apparently I have a thing for nurses.

(Yup. I now find Jake even more awesome than before!) 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

About the author:

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Connect with Alyssa at:
Website | GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Amazon

 

TEASER TUESDAY ~ WRECKED by ALYSSA ROSE IVY

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.



Series: Clayton Falls #3
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: 4/30/13

When your past catches up, it's time to stop running.

Jake Mathews messed up yet again— but this time his misstep lands him in the hospital. He wakes up to find the girl of his dreams and the memory of having his deepest secret revealed.

Emily Taylor needs a break. She's been working double shifts as a nurse just to pay the bills while trying to heal a broken heart. The last thing she needs is to fall for a patient.

Strapped with community service and the knowledge that he's disappointed everyone in his life, Jake is determined not to let Emily slip through his fingers. Emily wants Jake, but can she really open herself up to heartache again?

 

 

My Teaser ~

 

   "It's good to have the real Molly back."

  "What does that mean?"

  "I don't know how to deal with you when you're nice." I smirked. Smirking always pissed her off.

  "Like you should talk? Are you ever nice?"

  "Just like old times." Ben put an arm around Molly's shoulders.  ~eARC, 10%

 

 

So, what do you think? Pretty good, huh? Be sure to check out my stop on the Wrecked Blog Tour on Thursday.

 

{COVER REVEAL} THE HAZARDS OF SKINNY DIPPING by ALYSSA ROSE IVY

Happy Wednesday! Today is apparently a popular day for cover reveals. I am so excited to be able to share this cover with you. I am a big fan of Alyssa Rose Ivy's books, and this is shaping up to be another fantastic one!

 Get ready...

 

 

 

I don't know about y'all, but I LOVE this! Seriously, June cannot get here soon enough!

Genre: Contemporary New Adult
Publisher: Alyssa Rose Ivy
Publication Date: 6/11/13

This isn't a deep book about first loves or self-discovery. If you want a book like that, I'd be happy to recommend one, but I don't have that kind of story to tell. Instead my story is about rash decisions and finding out that your dream guy is bad in bed. It's the story of when I finally went skinny dipping, and how my life was never the same again. Oh, and it's also the story of my freshman year of college and realizing Mr. Right might have been there all along.

 About the author:

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Connect with Alyssa at:
Website | GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Amazon

FOCUS (THE CRESCENT CHRONICLES) BLOG TOUR ~ REVIEWS AND GIVEAWAY

 

 

Welcome to my stop on the Focus (The Crescent Chronicles) Blog Tour! The tour is being hosted by AToMR Tours; you can find the complete tour schedule here. My stop includes reviews of Flight and Focus (The Crescent Chronicles 1 & 2) and a tour giveaway.

 

 

Series: The Crescent Chronicles #1

Genre: New Adult Paranormal

Publisher: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Publication Date: 8/16/12

Format: ebook

Pages: 268

Source: Received from author for review.

 

Sometimes you just have to take flight.

A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

Fun, exhilerating, and unique, Flight is a great start to the paranormal series, The Crescent Chronicles.

 

I know that I say this a lot, but paranormal books are tricky for me. I often feel as if I'm reading the same story, over and over again. That is so not the case with Flight. I loved the New Orleans setting of the story. I've read a few stories that almost seemed to use the famous city as a gimmick, but not here. This is a city that the author is very familiar with and she uses it to her advantage. As Allie became familiar with the city, I was able to visualize Canal Street, Bourbon Street, Cafe du Monde, and many other notable areas of New Orleans. It felt nice to "revisit" the Crescent City.

 

As for the supernatural elements to Flight, I'm not going to reveal that here. I went into the story completely blind, and I loved discovering the hidden world right along with Alli. What Ivy came up with was so cool, so unique, and pretty darn wicked. Allie finds out what creatures are hidden are hidden with the city fairly quickly, and I loved that she didn't lead us along the whole book, dangling bits and pieces and building frustration. It was nice to know the basics of what was going on, and then to be able to get down to business.

 

Allie was a great heroine. She's so smart, but not arrogant. She handles the supernatural secrets like a champ, maybe a little too well, but I didn't really care. She's fairly pragmatic, not prone to hysterics and denials in the face of the obvious. Levi, the guy who introduces her to the magic, is hot, charming and a little infuriating. I love that he doesn't hide who he is from Alli, but oh boy, he is tricky! Through lies of omission, Levi brings Allie in way too deep, and it costs her a lot. I wanted to dislike him, but I just couldn't do it. *shrugs* Allie's reactions to Levi's deceit was spot-on. She is not going to let him off easy.

 

The story also includes a fantastic cast of secondary characters. Hailey, Owen, and Jared are all big players in the story, and I loved them each time they appeared, which was often. Jared was my favorite, most likely because he's a smarta$$.

 

Flight was a fun and interesting story all the way through. It was such a quick read, and I mananged to fly (pun totally intended) through in just a couple hours. I immediately began book two, Focus.

 

 

Favorite Quote:

 

  Shivering with anticipation, I didn't let my eyes leave his gaze. When the kiss came it was as aggressive as the way he held me--unyielding. Without waiting, he pushed into my mouth, deepening the kiss quickly. Groaning, he pulled me even closer, his hands holding me possessively. I gave myself over to him completely, wanting him more than I thought possible.  ~71%

Series: The Crescent Chronicles #2

Genre: New Adult Paranormal

Publisher: Alyssa Rose Ivy

Publication Date: 1/23/13

Format: eARC

Pages: 331

Source: Received from author for review.

Freshman year of college is hard even when you're not tied to the future king of a supernatural society.

Allie dives into college head first with Hailey as her roommate and the city of New Orleans as her backyard. As things within The Society heat up, Allie realizes that whether she’s with Levi or not, she's in far too deep to turn back.

 

 

 

A fantastic follow-up to Flight,  Focus continues The Crescent Chronicles with a story that did not disappoint.

 

After finishing book one, I immediately jumped into Focus. I wanted to know how Allie was going to deal with being unwittingly tied to the supernatural world, and Levi. How she was going to deal with her feelings for Levi, but her desire to make her own choices and live her own life. In Focus, the author didn't waste time picking up the story, and the hits just kept coming.

 

It's really hard for me to discuss Flight too deeply without spoilers. I will say that I love how the author handled Allie and her feelings. on-going ramifications of her becoming involved in Levi's world. Her feelings of anger, betrayal of trust, and intrigue all made her into a much more believable, genuine character. I loved that Levi, though he's not really sorry for pulling Alli irrevocably into his life, still tries to make things right with her. That he gave her her space, allowed her time to think and deal with her feelings, helped his cause. Despite their sketchy start, I just really enjoy these two as a couple.

 

Focus, like Flight, moved along at an incredibly quick pace. Not too fast, but enough to hold my attention and keep me wondering what was going to happen next. There were some funny moments, some really sweet, steamy moments (which are more of the fade-to-black variety), and a nice twist at the end.

 

With Flight and Focus, Alyssa Rose Ivy has given readers a very cool series. I'm really glad I decided to give the books a try. The Crescent Chronicles will continue with Found, this summer, and I cannot wait to see where the series takes Allie and Levi next.

 

 

 

Favorite Quote:

 

  He closed the space between us, his lips claiming mine with a fierceness I wasn't expecting.

  He carried me over to the bed, and somewhere between the bathroom, and laying me down, he'd lost the towel. "I like this side of you, Al."

  "The naked side or the take-charge side?"

  "Both. Definitely both."  ~71%

 

I can't believe that both quotes I chose came from 71%. Weird!

 

 

 

The Crescent Chronicles Series

 

Click on cover for GoodReads page

 

 

 

 

 

Purchase Flight and Focus at:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Smashwords

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

About the author:

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Connect with Alyssa at:
Website | GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Amazon

{COVER REVEAL and GIVEAWAY} FOUND (THE CRESCENT CHRONICLES #3) by ALYSSA ROSE IVY

What's that? Another cover reveal! This is the cover reveal for Found (The Crescent Chronicles #3) by Alyssa Rose Ivy. This reveal was coordinated by AToMR Tours, and the cover was designed by Once Upon a Time Covers.


Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Publication Date: Summer 2013

 

 

That's hot, right?? I mean, look at those ABS. And when you can drag your eyes away, take a look at the synopsis.

 

 

 

Levi might be hot, strong, and have a cool set of wings, but it's not enough to make up for keeping Allie in the dark.

 Allie's tired of being left with more questions than answers. She's tired of loving a guy who refuses to level with her.  Most of all, she's tired of her life spinning out of control.

 Desperate to save Jess no matter the personal cost, Allie has to face the possibility that the only one she can trust is herself.

 

The Crescent Chronicles Series 

 

 

Click on cover for GoodReads page

 

 

Giveaway

 

To celebrate the reveal, Alyssa is giving one winner their choice of her books, via Smashwords. The winner will be given a coupon code to redeem their prize, in an email, after 2/11/13.

 

Here are your choices:

 

 

(click on cover for GoodReads page)

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway



About the author:

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a Young Adult and New Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Connect with Alyssa at:
Website | GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Amazon