Monday, September 30, 2013

{Romance Novella Minute Review} Play by Play by Kate Donovan


{Romance Novella Minute Review} Play by Play by Kate Donovan


Former college football star Jake Dublin’s wildly popular sports blog also details his personal life. And lately it’s all about Sophie, the pretty young woman who just moved into his apartment building. His readers know her only as “Elevator Girl,” and they’re all rooting for Jake to score.

The blog posts and banter with his followers are all in good fun, and he fully intends to come clean with the woman he’s wooing and wowing. That is, until she confides that she grew up in a house full of jocks and even dated a few. Her verdict? Never again!

Jake knows he needs to confess. But somewhere along the line he fell in love with Sophie and can’t stand the thought of losing her. So he procrastinates, and blogs, and digs himself deeper into a hole, until it all leads to a showdown that’s so nail-biting, not even the best play-by-play guy could ever have seen it coming. (Blurb via Goodreads)
{Details} Kindle Edition, 85 pages, Published September 9th 2013 by Beyond the Page. Source: Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

{Rating} 3/5 - I liked it

{Review} Full disclosure here: I'm not a sports fan, at least not as a spectator, but I was charmed by the story, even the sports talk. Donovan conveyed Jake's enthusiasm and made me understand why people are so excited about sports. I liked the format, what we got to see of Jake through his blog posts and comments. I would have liked the romance to be more developed but it was still a fast, fun and flirty read.

{Cover Reveal + Giveaway} Lost Without You by Liz Hannah





Lost Without You
by Liz Hannah
Expected Publication: December 30 2013
Cover Design: CoverIt! Designs

Summary from Goodreads:
Grace Young thought she was a survivor - until the day her twin brother died, leaving her parents heartbroken and their relationship with Grace fractured beyond repair. Now all Grace wants is a chance to experience something of a normal life, before it's all too late. 

Going to college hundreds of miles from home seems like the right way to embrace her new found freedom, especially after years of homeschooling, but while Grace takes to her classes naturally, it's the other side of college that she's unprepared for.

The parties. The friendships. The boys. Especially one Dean Michaels, the Haven University's star soccer player. Fate throws the pair together, and their friendship starts to turn into something more. But can Grace keep the secrets of her past hidden without hurting those she's come to count on the most?

*New Adult Contemporary Romance, recommended for readers 17+ for mature situations*

Author Bio: Liz Hannah is a New Adult author that calls both Scotland and Australia home. Currently studying her Bachelor of Arts at university, when she’s not busy reading or writing, Liz can be found procrastinating from her studies indulging in her Pinterest habit or watching too many TV shows. Lost Without You is her debut New Adult novel.


{Giveaway} Win 2 New Adult Paperbacks

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (2)




It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme from Book Journey where we spotlight what we finished reading, are currently reading and plan to read next.

{Finished Reading}
 

{Currently Reading}
 

{What I'm Going to Read Next}


What about you? What have you read lately? What's next on your list?

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (20)

 Stacking The Shelves, a weekly meme from Tynga's Reviews, where I write, and squee, about the books I've added to my physical and virtual shelves, what I've read, and what I'm planning to read
  • Legend by Marie Lu
  • Veiled Mirror by Frankie Robertson
  • Intwine by Christina Moss
  • The Reluctant Amazon by Sandy James
  • The Devil's Tatto by Nicole R Taylor
  • Never Let You Fall by Michele G Miller
  • Almost by Anne Eliot
  • Scored by Lily Harlem
  • Reforming the Rogue by Donna Lea Simpson
  • Gone with the Wolf by Kristin Miller
  • Don't Bite the Bridesmaid by Tiffany Allee



*Book image property of Microsoft

Friday, September 27, 2013

First Line Friday (1)



First Line Friday is a meme hosted on Rampant Readers, where we share the first line of the novel we a currently reading in order to pique the interest of other readers like you. So basically, we just share the first sentence or two of the novel you are currently reading, and tell us whether or not it hooked you in!

The book:
 

 The first line:

"My body is numb."

Hooked?

Definitely. It had me so hooked that I'm currently re-reading it.

Join the fun, link up at Rampant Readers

{Cover Reveal} Seven Day Fiance by Rachel Harris

Seven Day Fiancé (Love and Games #2)
Release Date: 10/14/13
Entangled Bliss

Summary from Goodreads:
Angelle Prejean is in a pickle. Her family is expecting her to come home with a fiancé—a fiancé who doesn’t exist. Well, he exists, but he definitely has no idea Angelle told her mama they were engaged. Tattooed, muscled, and hotter than sin, Cane can reduce Angelle to a hot mess with one look—and leave her heart a mess if she falls for him. But when she ends up winning Cane at a charity bachelor auction, she knows just how to solve her fiancé problem.

Cane Robicheaux is no one’s prince. He doesn’t do relationships and he doesn’t fall in love. When sweet, sultry-voiced Angelle propositions him, he hopes their little game can finally get her out of his head. He doesn’t expect her to break through all his barriers. But even as Angelle burrows deeper into his heart, he knows once their seven days are up, so is their ruse.

Pre-Order Buy Links:
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Excerpt:
Angelle stopped beside a folding table boasting boxes of fresh, crispy cracklins and selected a thick piece. Cane watched, mesmerized, as she puckered those gorgeous lips and blew on the sliver. With a flirtatious glint in her eyes, she held it up to his mouth, and he opened.
Holy crap.
He’d had cracklins before. Fried pork fat was a standard gas station treat, usually shrink-wrapped and stale as shit. But this, fresh from the pot and piping hot, was unbelievable. Cane widened his eyes, and it was possible he even moaned. It was thatgood. And as he swallowed, Angel rewarded him with a rich, throaty laugh.
Ca c’est bon?” she asked, grinning when he grabbed another handful.
He touched her nose and popped a piece in his mouth. “Good would be an understatement.”
Grinning, she took a fried morsel for herself and sent the balding, overweight gentleman tending the table a wink. “Now that’s what we like to hear.” Then she closed her eyes as she savored the treat.
The sounds of Angel moaning, and watching her face soften in the throes of a foodgasm, had to be the sexiest damn thing Cane had ever seen. His pants tightened, embarrassingly so considering he knew the audience was still watching, but what pushed him over the edge was when her eyes opened. The pleasure in them was his undoing.
Feeling the weight of the crowd’s disapproving stares and not giving a damn, figuring now was as good a time as any to give the people the show they clearly wanted, he grasped her hip and tugged her forward, pausing only to inhale her gasp of surprise before brushing her mouth with his.
It was like setting off a damn forest fire.
Angelle, his shocking little hellcat, pounced. Forgetting all about their audience, or maybe not giving a damn either, she wound her arms around his neck, lifted onto her toes, and kissed him back with everything she had. Cane had intended to steal a quick taste, take the edge off his craving for her, and prove their point with the town’s people. But hell if he was gonna be the one to back down now. Tightening his grasp on her slim hips, he brushed his thumbs across the smooth, exposed skin near her waistband. He deepened the kiss, thrilling over her telltale shiver. Whimpering, she yanked on the hair at his nape and sucked his bottom lip into her mouth. Hot damn.
Okay, now he had to start backing down. With all her male relatives watching, not to mention the knives and axes still lying around from the butchering earlier, if Cane valued his life, he needed to wrangle control of the situation. He’d heard patience was a virtue. That was a line of bull—he’d always sucked at waiting for anything he wanted. But for Angel, he was willing to try.
Loosening his grip on her belt loops, Cane slowed the intensity of the kiss. He smoothed the hem of her shirt down, grazed her lips one last time, and, placing his forehead against hers, inhaled through his nose. Sunflowers mixed with cayenne may be his new favorite scent. Angelle released a heavy breath, a flush blooming on her cheeks. She darted a glance at the crowd, then looking into his eyes, grinned lazily. “My goodness. If anyone doubted we were a couple before, I guess that showed them.”

About the Author
I grew up in New Orleans, where I watched soap operas with my grandmother and stayed up late sneak reading my mama’s favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, I still stay up way too late reading my favorite romances, only now, I can do so openly. I firmly believe life’s problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations. 

When not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, I homeschool my two beautiful girls and watch reality television with my amazing husband.

I write YA, NA, and Adult Fun & Flirty Escapes. Taste The Heat is my adult romance debut, and I'm also the author of MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY and A TALE OF TWO CENTURIES, as well as a ton of other books to come. I love hearing from readers and dishing books!

Author Links:
   

Cover Reveal Organized:



{Cover Reveal} Soul Oath & Cup of Life by Juliana Haygert

Soul Oath (Everlast #2)
Expected pub date: Nov/25/2013
Length: ~80,000 words

Summary from Goodreads:
It’s been three months since Nadine last heard from Victor, Micah or Ceris, allowing her to concentrate on her own life. But until Victor and Micah find the scepters that will restore them as true gods, their human bodies will require her healing touch and it’s only a matter of time until they wreak havoc on her life again.

As if to prove that, Victor shows up at the hospital dragging along with him a swarm of demons. Nadine is forced to flee to safety. Despite her attempts to keep her loved ones protected, the demons find her, and they bring her to Imha, the goddess of Chaos.





Now, confronted by her greatest fear, Nadine finds a new motivation. Vengeance. And when seeking revenge, no risk is too great, including her own life.


**New Adult Fantasy Novel**


***
Cup of Life (Everlast, #2.5)
Expected pub date: Nov/25/2013
Lenght: ~15,000 words

Summary from Goodreads:
His existence would mean nothing without her.

Book One:
(linked to Goodreads)

About the Author:
New Adult author and contributor at NA Alley blog.
While Juliana Haygert dreams of being Wonder Woman, Buffy, or a blood elf shadow priest, she settles for the less exciting—but equally gratifying—life of a wife, mother, and author. Thousands of miles away from her former home in Brazil, she now resides in Connecticut and spends her days writing about kick-ass heroines and the heroes who drive them crazy.

Author Links:
    photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png  photo iconpinterest_zps6fcf02a7.png

Cover Reveal Organized by:

Thursday, September 26, 2013

{Romance Review} Undertaking Love by Kat French

{Romance Review} Undertaking Love by Kat French


The moment love-phobic Marla Jacobs discovers that the shop next to her Little White Wedding Chapel is to become a funeral parlour, she declares all-out war.

Marla’s chapel in the sleepy Shropshire countryside has become a nation-wide sensation, but the arrival of Funeral Director Gabriel Ryan threatens everything Marla has worked for. She can picture the scene: wedding limos fighting for space in the street with hearses; brides bumping into widows; bouquets being swapped for wreaths

Marla’s not going down without a fight. She enlists a motley crew of weird and wonderful local supporters, and the battle lines are drawn. But, as soon as Marla meets her nemesis, she realises just how much trouble she’s really in. His gypsy curls and Irish lilt make her stomach fizz – how is she supposed to concentrate on destroying him, when half the time she’s struggling not to rip the shirt off his back? (Blurb via Goodreads)
 
{Details} ebook, 280 pages, Published April 25th 2013 by Authonomy: HarperCollins. Source: Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
 
{Rating} 3/5 - I liked it

{Review}
"Marla squinted at her new neighbours from the upstairs office window and fumbled around on the desk behind her for her glasses." (page 1, line 1)

An undertaker as a romantic lead? That's quite a challenge and I was intrigued to see if French could do it and on the whole I think she did. There's more than one love story,  there are beginnings and endings and some beautiful moments along the way. The story made me think of the tv show William and Mary about an undertaker and a midwife who fall in love.

As I said there were some beautiful moments, the umbrella incident and the fireworks, and I absolutely wept at the dog and the lighthouse explanation, I think it's worth a read just for them. There were also a few misses for me, the biggest issue I had was mini spoiler alert at 10% when Gabe declared that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Marla but then takes another woman's word over hers, what kind of love is that? I also couldn't connect with Emily/the baby storyline, the reporter just felt skeevy and unbelievable as a love interest and from the description I expected more of the 'war' between the funeral parlor and wedding chapel and I didn't get it.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (20) Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter



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

This week I'm waiting on: 


Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter
For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand. (Blurb via Goodreads)
Expected publication: November 26, 2013
What are you waiting on?