Monthly Archives:: May 2013

Tasty Book Tours: Back To You by Natalie Nicole Bates Interview

May 30, 2013 Uncategorized 9


Back
to You
By:
Natalie-Nicole Bates


Blurb
On
the surface, Lynsey Reznor seems to have it all. She is beautiful,
brilliant, and a successful true-crime writer who has been living the
past decade in Miami. But what Lynsey lacks is what she needs the
most—a family.
After
the death of her mother, and yet another failed relationship, Lynsey
makes an impulsive decision to return to her hometown of Unity. But
Unity will present its own bittersweet memories, most notably, her
first love, Nick Lincoln.
Twenty
years ago, Nick broke teenager Lynsey’s heart when he decided to
marry another. He had his own private reasons—reasons he never
explained to Lynsey. Now she is back, along with a chance to reclaim
her love. But Lynsey wants answers from him that he may never be able
to give out of duty and guilt.

Please help me welcome Natalie-Nicole Bates to the blog this morning. She was kind enough to answer some questions for us :)

Can you tell us a little about your
most recent release?
Back To You is a
contemporary romance available from Amazon through Books To Go Now
Publishing. It explores the themes of reuniting with a lost love and
dating again after the demise of a long term relationship. Although
released second, it is actually the introductory story of my Unity
series, with Change of Address being the follow up.
How did you come up with the
inspiration to write Back To You?
I liked the idea of a single,
independent, successful woman returning after many years to her
hometown to be among friends. Back To You is essentially Lynsey being
reunited with her first love, Nick. But, it also covers Lynsey’s
quest to become a wife and mother and introduces the reader to the
various single men of Unity, most namely Owen, Evan, and Caleb. I’d
love to have an individual story for each bachelor. 
Which character did you find the
easiest to write and why? Do you base any of your characters on
people you know?
Caleb Smith was probably the easiest
and most fun to write. He’s this gregarious, larger than life
character, who like Lynsey, is searching for a spouse. Caleb is a
thorn in the side of both Nick and Ben (the hero’s from Back To
You and Change of Address), but the ladies love him!
I don’t think that any of my
characters (especially in my contemporary books) are based on anyone
I know. I sort of dream up these people
How did it feel to publish your
first book?
It was absolutely fabulous! I have been
very, very lucky. I didn’t struggle to find a publisher, and sold
my first book, Change of Address, to Secret Cravings Publishing, my
first choice for that book. The very same week, I sold my short
story, Antique Charming, to Books To Go Now, again, the first
submission to the pub I really wanted to place the story with.
What inspired you to become an
author? Have you always wanted to write?
I was a reader first. Later on, I
became a reviewer. After some time, I realized, ‘Hey, I go do this,
too!’ and started writing seriously.
Do your characters ever try to take
over your writing?
No, I know them so well, inside and
out, that I exercise total control over each character.
What is the current book you are
reading or the last book you have read?
Someone gave me a copy of Valley of The
Dolls by Jacqueline Susann as a gift. It absolutely blew me away! I
couldn’t believe that a book written in the 1960’s could still be
relevant today. But, the situations are easily relatable to
situations going on today. 
What do you like most about the
characters in Back To You?
They are real. I don’t write
characters who are millionaires and live in mansions. These are
people you could know, who you could live next door to. They have
good points, they have flaws, and in the end, they are amazing to me!
Why did you choose the genre you
write and what do you like about it?
I write both contemporary and
paranormal romance. Contemporary romances are easier to write, but
they are a harder sell to readers. Paranormals are an escape from the
contemporary world to that dark place in the back of my mind. More
difficult to write for me than a contemporary, but the rewards are
beyond anything else.
What is your next project?
I’m currently working on two
paranormals. A very dark one called Sometimes in Winter, a lighter
story with a very emotional punch called Sara-Kate’s Spirit.

Author
Info
Natalie-Nicole
Bates is a book reviewer and author.
Her
passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and
Edwardian era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie
contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in
Russia.
She
currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and
adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.
Author
Links

Divider

Review: Connected (Connections #1) by Kim Karr

May 29, 2013 Uncategorized 3

Connected (Connections #1) by Kim Karr

Published
March 20th 2013

Kindle Edition, 364 pages
Series: Connections


Genre: New Adult/Erotica


Heat Level: Sizzling

Source:Borrowed copy.
Amazon 

Mature Content Advisory, must be 18+      

Summary from Goodreads

What if a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ could happen twice?

Suffering
from a past full of tragedy, Dahlia London’s soul has been left
completely shattered. Happily ever after is a far cry from reality in
her world. But, when she is reconnected with her past, the bonds that
form are irrefutable.

When River Wilde, lead singer of The Wilde
Ones, comes back into Dahlia’s life, the intensity that fires their
relationship combined with underlying feelings that have never died lead
her to believe she has met her soul mate.

Struggling with
confusion as old connections fade and new ones begin, Dahlia’s grief
begins to lift—but guilt remains. River wants to be the one to mend all
that is torn within her.

But with a past that is never really gone, can their future survive?

 I debated a long time if I was going to
review this book and today with not much on my plate I decided to
bite the bullet. A few people that I know wanted to know my opinion,
so I am going to put it in the best terms possible.
Like a lot of people I found the
premise of this book exciting and with so many raving reviews, I
needed to read it. Pushed a few of my recent reads aside in order to
do it. Unfortunately for me, this book did not strike a high cord but
in fact fell a bit flat.
The story starts about this girl
Dahlia, who is in a relationship with Ben who is very success and
business oriented. The beginning started strong, it was intense and
there was a storyline and drama. I also did not see any connection
between Dahlia and River when they were first introduces, no spark,
nada for me. In fact, I found it kind of disturbing when she had this
‘great’ relationship going on with Ben… After all, she did have a
hard time getting over the tragedy that befell them.

So time passes, and Dahlia is suffering
from a past full of tragedy and has a hard time dealing. We get to
see glimpses here and there of her progress through the months, which
was interesting and then she runs into River again. Sparks still
fizzle for me there.
I couldn’t get into the relationship of
Dahlia and River. At the beginning, it was physical, with lots of sex
and Dahlia bringing Ben up a lot and almost kind of comparing them?
And River… poor River. I wanted to like him and in some respect I
did, but oh my gosh could he be anymore damn perfect? River
was….too perfect. Which I guess was miss with me because their
relationship ended up being rot your teeth sickly sweet. Now mind
you, I love myself some sweet romance and have read a lot of it. So I
guess this was over the bar of amount of sweetness I was able to
handle. Most of the book moved in a slow pace, and felt like the same
thing over and over again. Lots of ‘You are perfect’ and sickly sweet
kisses, and me skipping a lot of pages.
I kept waiting for something more
exciting to happen. River after all is suppose to be part of the
band, and that alone had my attention when I was reading the premise.
His personality was not what I imagined. He was completely and
totally emotionally invested in Dahlia.
I heard the book had an explosive
ending and I wanted to find out what it was so I stuck it out,
skimmed a lot till the end. It got a little more exciting in the end,
finally stuff was happening, secrets were being revealed and it was
no longer just about them spending time together….The epilogue I
have to say was the most jaw dropping, unfortunately it had my
attention a little too late and I am not sure I am reading book two
:(
Overall, this book was not made for me,
unfortunately. I don’t remember any angst in it, so if you are just
looking for some slow paced very very very sweet romance with stuff
happening in the beginning and end – then this book is for you. A
lot of people LOVED it, I just happened to be not one of them.

Divider

Review: The Nightmare Affair (The Arkwell Academy #1) by Mindee Arnett

May 26, 2013 Uncategorized 5

The Nightmare Affair (The Arkwell Academy #1) by Mindee Arnett

Published
March 5th 2013
by Tor Teen

Hardcover, 367 pages
Series: The Arkwell Academy

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Heat Level: Kissing
Source:

I got this book from Tor Teen

through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being
the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind,
and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But
when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more
complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his
dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is
dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now
Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of
them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the
killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

Dusty is a sixteen year old girl that
comes into her magical power and attends a boarding school for
magickind. She also sneaks into other people’s rooms in the middle of
the night and feeds on their dreams. When she enters Eli’s room one
night, an ordinary boy who she finds herself drawn too – the last
thing she expected was to see one of her classmates die in his dream
or the fact that he was able to chase her out of it the moment he saw
her. When her magic doesn’t work on Eli, Dusty discovers that he is
not just an ordinary human but the fact that her and Eli are a
dream-seer pair. They are forced together by her school in order to
find the killer. It’s bad enough that Dusty is the only Nightmare
student in the school and living in her mothers shadows, but things
are about to get a lot more worse.
What I liked about this book…
  • I thought the concept was fun. I
    liked the whole magical academy with different kind of magic users.
    Ranging from the Nightmare, to sirens, to demons and werewolves and
    so on. The atmosphere was kind of fun, it’s too bad there wasn’t
    enough of it because magic school concepts really interest me and I
    was strangely in the mood for one. Dusty’s powers were different. I
    don’t remember ever reading a book where someone had similar powers,
    but I also realize I haven’t read a lot of books like these lately.
    Nonetheless, I found it original. Her struggle as an isolated girl
    that was different was apparent, but I loved her best friend Selene
    and their friendship.
  • I absolutely loved the scenes when
    Dusty went to feed and slipped into the dream world with Eli in
    order to try and see if the two can find clues about the killer. I
    think those happened to be my favorite parts of the book, they where
    exciting and fun and I wanted more of them! Especially when Dusty
    was starting to discover the true potential of her powers and what
    she can do with them in the dream is when it got even more
    interesting.
  • The cute little love thing going
    on between Eli and Dusty and their significant others. Thought I
    think I failed to understand if both of them where manipulated by
    the sirens they where ‘dating’ I thought the way the two got jealous
    of the other was kind of adorable!
  • The storyline and the world. I
    have to admit was interesting until the very end but I won’t get
    into that. I liked the concept, it was very interesting. I think I
    want to know more about their world and I think the next book is
    going to get even deeper especially the way this one ended. I found
    it amusing that the powers where so controlled by The Will that
    restrained a lot of things magical could do. Also, the glamour
    spells people used to hide their actual identity was creative!
Not so much…
  • Dusty. I had a
    really…really..really.. hard time with her. Sometimes I wanted to
    throw the book. She was immature and the way she interacted with the
    adults left a bad taste in my mouth. No, actually the whole behavior
    of her and the adults around her left me kind of uneasy. I said this
    before, but the amount of bad adults and parents in Young Adult
    books has left me weary and this one was no exception. The way the
    adults where portrayed had left me unsettled and the mother daughter
    interaction has actually left me angry! Of course in the end Dusty
    ends up screwing up big time because she would rather listen to
    everyone else over her own mother. I also didn’t understand how
    Moira (Dusty’s mother) could change her mind so rapidly through the
    book. One minute she was lecturing Dusty and then Dusty says
    something and Moira plays like that was what she was implying when
    she was not, in order to agree with her daughter. Seriously…
  • The ending felt rushed and it was
    a bit dramatic and odd I guess…The Villain who had no hesitation
    in killing, sure did stop and answer a lot of Dusty’s questions as
    she tried to distract him. The book had a bit of holes in it but I
    feel like maybe some of them will end up getting answered in the
    next book. It was interesting to see who the bad guys were and who
    were the good guys. I guess it was a bit surprising because it just
    suddenly happen.
Overall, it was okay magic fix. I was
expecting it to be a little more and somethings where amazingly good
while others left me a bit angry. It did lay out an interesting
concept for book two, that I might see myself getting into.

Divider

Review: Heard It Through the Grapevine by Lizbeth Lipperman

May 26, 2013 Uncategorized 2

Heard It Through the Grapevine by Lizbeth Lipperman

Published
May 8th 2013
by Midnight Ink (first published May 1st 2013)

Paperback, 323 pages
Series: A Dead Sister Talking Mystery


Genre: Adult Mystery


Heat Level: Steamy

Source:

I got this book from Midnight Ink through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

 Amazon | The Book Depository  | Goodreads

Mature Content Advisory, must be 18+    
 
Summary from Goodreads

A debut mystery chock-full of big Texas attitude

Savannah
television personality Elaina Garcia has the opportunity of a lifetime
as a news anchor in Florida, but her plans are disrupted when she learns
about the death of her estranged sister, Tessa, who ran a Texas winery
with her ex-husband.

Back in her hometown of Vineyard, Texas,
Lainey comes face to face with her dead sister. The problem is that
Tessa is not in the coffin. Dealing with the wisecracking ghost of her
sibling, Lainey and her three surviving sisters set out to fulfill
Tessa’s wish from beyond the grave-to find out who killed her.

But
hidden among the vines of the dead sister’s multi-million dollar
wine-making business lurks a killer who will stop at nothing to get what
he wants.

3.5 Solid Stars!

When
Savannah’s television personality Lainey Garcia gets an opportunity to
become the next new anchor in Florida, her travel plans are placed on
hold when she learns about the recent death of her estranged sister. Now
Lainey must travel to her hometown of Vineyard, Taxes for the funeral
only to come face to face with her dead sister in a form of a ghost that
only Lainey could see and hear. With the help of her other sisters,
Lainey sets out to discover who really killed Tessa.

What I really liked.

  • I
    thought the concept was original. Lainey and Tessa had a fall out long
    time ago, over something Tessa did that Lainey believed was to spite her
    on purpose so the two have not spoken since and Lainey had not been
    back to her hometown for a long time. Then, when she comes back for her
    sister’s funeral, the last thing she expected was to be confronted by
    Tessa’s ghost. I kind of liked Tessa. She was funny, and witty and she
    had a really rough life and we get to hear about it as the story
    unfolds. Of course Tessa’s ghost can only appear sometimes, and so she
    doesn’t know who her actual killer is, but only Lainey can see and hear
    her which adds to the amusement. I loved the smart and snarky remarks
    that had me giggling each time Tessa’s ghost appeared, making me wish I
    knew more about her.
  • Besides the loaded mystery there was a storyline
    going on in there that revolved around the past of Tessa, Lainey and
    Tessa’s ex-husband now Police chief – Colt. The tension between them
    left me wondering until the last pages what had happened as Tessa slowly
    opens up to Lainey and the two sisters break down the walls of their
    past in order to learn about the mistakes of the past.
  • I thought the
    story was very fast paced with a lot of interesting characters and it
    kept my attention. There where times I had a hard time putting the book
    down, wanting answers to more then one question. I don’t believe this is
    a cozy mystery thought. The book is fun, and filled with many adult
    themes, including sex and one of the character is even a porn star! It
    didn’t bother me, and at times I found it quiet entertaining, it added
    to the whole storyline. There was even bits and pieces of the killer
    interacting with other characters of the book, but the author kept the
    identity a secret until the very last page.
  • Lainey and Colt. Besides
    Lainey not listening to him and going off to find trouble and him coming
    to her rescue, I thought it was adorable. The tension and the fireworks
    between them crackled and popped and I felt the attraction. I found
    myself rooting for them until the very end.


Not so sure about….

  • When
    the killer was revealed in the end I was confused. Mostly because who I
    thought the killer was, it wasn’t. I actually screamed at the book
    thinking it was exposed earlier, but when I flipped back the pages to
    the part where I thought it happened – I had to re-read only to realized
    the name of the killer was never actually mentioned. But there was just
    so MUCH going on, and so many people got involved that it did get
    really confusing. As it turns out there was more then one bad guy
    involved and it was just a big manipulative ring that left my head
    spinning in circles. I didn’t completely disliked it, as it did shock me
    – but it was hard to follow at times.
  • Tessa and Colt and everything
    that had happened in the past. Okay, so I really had a hard time
    believing their story and what Tessa had done. But I guess depending on
    how you look at it, it could somewhat be believable. It added to the
    tension and the mystery of the plot so I was able to live with it. Not
    going to go too much into this because it just spoils the book I guess.
  • Sometimes there was just too much characters, which made it hard to keep up.


Overall,
this is a nice start to a brand new series and I did enjoy it. I loved
that the mystery took places revolving around a vineyard and it had a
ghost! Which added to it’s uniqueness. It was fun, quirky, sexy and
amusing. I cannot wait for more!

Divider

Descendant by Nichole Giles Tour

May 24, 2013 Uncategorized 6

Descendant by Nichole Giles
Published
May 1st 2013
by Rhemalda Publishing 

Paperback, 278 pages
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal 
Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository | Indiebound

About
DESCENDANT:
 
Seventeen-year-old
Abigail Johnson is Gifted.
Blessed-or
cursed-with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving
from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that
hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to
maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of
past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she
meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby
is drawn to him like he’s a missing piece of her own soul.
Before
Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the
darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this
time she’s not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her
side, and it’s not only Abby’s life at stake.

Magical

Is one way to describe Descendant by Nichole Giles. A story about a Gifted seventeen-year old Abigail Johnson who makes a move to Jackson, Wyoming after an unexpected family tragedy occurs. Like her late grandmother, Abigail has special abilities. Inherited with the ability to heal, Abigail is also special in the fact that she has the gift of Sight. Right off the bat what I liked about Abigail is the fact that she is not perfect, and does not yet have full awareness or control of her powers. In fact she struggles with that a bit through some of the book.
In Jackson, Abigail meets a whole new sets of friends and Kye - a swoon worthy blue eyed boy that she finds herself quickly drawn to him. I have to say, Kye and Abigail had a bit of an insta-love going on, which made ma cringe a bit. Thought their past is explained later on and you get the feeling of why they are so drawn too each other, I still had to cringe. They were sweet, a bit lovely dovely and Kye was very protective over Abigail.
Besides the fact that ironically trouble seems to find Abigail and Kye as they set off on the mission of finding certain magic keys to prevent the baddies from acquiring - Descendant was an interesting story. Action packed with adventure, I didn’t have a dull moment reading this book. It was fast paced and kept you on your toes. I loved all the magical creatures that popped out throughout the book. It also had faeries!
The supporting characters were fun and I loved them as well. Sometimes Abigail got on my nerves with her attitude and the way she approached things. People actually had to force her into doing things because there was 100 excuses with her.
The story of the Kingdom of Dryden was probably one of my favorite part of the book. I loved it’s history and learning about the royal family and how it ended up being connected to the gifted of today. The writing was lovely, beautiful and fun and I am looking forward to more from this author!

** I got a copy of an e-book from the publicist in exchange of an honest review for this tour. I was in no way compensated.

About
Nichole Giles
 
Nichole
Giles was born in Nevada, and moved with her parents to a number of
cities in and around the West. Writing is her passion, but she
also loves to spend time with her husband and four children, travel
to tropical and exotic destinations, drive in the rain with the
convertible top down, and play music at full volume so she can sing
along.  


Divider

AToMR Tours: Emancipating Andie by Priscilla Glenn

May 23, 2013 Uncategorized 8

Title:
Emancipating
Andie

Author:
Priscilla
Glenn

Release
date: April
2013

Age
Group: Adult/New Adult

Genre:
Contemporary
Romance

Tour
organized by:
AToMR
Tours


Amazon

Mature Content Advisory, must be 18+     

Book
Description:
Ever
since the one time Andie Weber threw caution to the wind - and paid
the price for it - she’s learned that it’s safer and smarter to
live life playing by the rules. Now she’s got a great apartment, a
steady job, and a wonderful boyfriend in Colin; he’s sweet, stable,
and essentially perfect – except maybe for the fact that his best
friend is Chase.

Chase McGuire lives his carefree,
unstructured life strictly for himself. Dripping sarcasm and oozing
wit, he refuses to censor his feelings or opinions for anyone, making
no apologies for either and wearing his abrasiveness like a badge of
honor. No one has ever gotten under Andie’s skin the way Chase does
– and vice versa.

So when Andie and Chase find themselves
forced to take a two-day road trip together, they are already
dreading an inevitable all-out war. But as the trip progresses, and
the undeniable friction that has always defined their relationship
slowly begins to wear away their preconceived notions of each other,
Andie and Chase discover they both have a lot to learn about life,
courage, happiness, and the age-old battle between logic and love.



So I was on goodreads the other day,
and I saw a wonderful review of this book. I told the girl I just
started it and she said that I will really like it…
I really really really liked it!
Oh gosh it was
wonderful! Emancipating Andie was a beautifully written book, that
drew me in from the very first page. I had a hard time putting this
book down for most of the part until it slowed down for me.

Andie Weber doesn’t take anymore risks ever since the night she
almost paid for not being as cautious (I am not telling 😛 you have
to read it). Now she lives a safer life, doing things that would
bring her no harm. Colin, her boyfriend a sweet guy who lives a very
stable life and makes her feet safe. Until she meets Chase, Colins
best friend since childhood and his intake on the world has Andie
rediscovering herself.
I loved Chase, he was amazing and his
constant banter with Andie was highly entertaining and amusing as he
tried to break her walls down and see life differently – less
stiffly. I loved his passion and his outtake on life. His carefree
and lives his life for himself and not for others. Thought he is a
bit of a smart ass, and him and Andie clash upon the first meeting
but their personalities are so different you cannot help but admire
the attraction that forms between them.
So when Andie has to drive down to a
wedding with Chase because she refuses to fly and they get stuck on a
two day trip – sparks fly, personalities clash and attraction
forms. I loved the road trip, it had a few fun and amusing stops as
well as its cute moments as Chase tries his best to show Andie that
living uninhibited life is not all as bad as it may see!
This is not really a cheating book!
I don’t usually like book like that and
this one did not give me that vibe. Thought feelings form between
Chase and Andie, I found this book very tastefully done. Emotionally
beautiful. The struggle between whats right and whats wrong that both
Andie and Chase faced felt very real and that much more deep. I
really enjoyed it and looking forward to more books by Priscilla
Glenn!
** A copy of this book was provided to me by the author in exchange of an honest review. I was in no way compensated.

About
the Author
Priscilla
Glenn lives in New York with her husband and three children. She has
been teaching English Language Arts at the middle and high school
levels for the past eleven years while moonlighting as a writer,
mommy, coach, student, and professional laundry-doer.

If
you catch her when she’s feeling sophisticated, she’ll tell you her
favorite things are great books and good wine. In the moments in
between, she’ll admit her love for anything Ben and Jerry’s, UFC
fights, and Robert Pattinson.



Emancipating
Andie is
Glenn’s second novel. She is also the author of the contemporary
romance/young adult crossover,
Back to You.

Social
Media links:






Tour Wide! (2)
Print copies of Emancipating Andie – US/Canada Only. Must be at least 17 years old or older to enter.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Divider

Review: A Passion for Pleasure (Daring Hearts #2) by Nina Rowan

May 22, 2013 Uncategorized 2

A Passion for Pleasure (Daring Hearts #2) by Nina Rowan 

Published
April 30th 2013
by Forever

Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Series: Daring Hearts

Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Heat Level: Steamy
Source:

I got this book from Grand Central Forever through Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads

Mature Content Advisory, must be 18+     

Summary from Goodreads

Prelude to a KissA
brilliant pianist and notorious rake, Sebastian Hall indulges his
passion for music and women with equal aplomb. But now that his elder
brother has married, his father insists he pursue a more respectable
path and find a suitable wife.

Music to Her EarsAs
a girl, Clara Whitmore quietly loved her piano teacher from afar. Yet
her youthful crush cannot compare to the powerful desire she feels when
she unexpectedly meets Sebastian again. Perhaps the man who once
dominated her dreams could be the husband she has hoped for—and save her
from the fate she most fears.

Love Strikes a ChordRisking
scandal, ruin, and their own reputations, Sebastian and Clara enter
into a marriage of convenience. But the pair soon discovers that their
undeniable attraction is anything but convenient. Swept up in a
crescendo of desire, Sebastian and Clara take each other to new heights
of ecstasy—until secrets from the past threaten to doom the duet
forever. Now Sebastian will have to change his tune—and prove his love
is true.

A beautifully written heart touching story about two very broken people who find a way to save each other.

When
Clara Whitmore lost her husband, she didn’t expect to lose her son
Andrew as well to her cold father who has a belief that Clara is unfit
to be a mother.

But Clara isn’t the only one that lost something….

A
brilliant and talent Pianist Sebastian Hall has developed a condition
that prevents him from playing the piano and therefor pursuing his
passion. With nothing left to lose Sebastian Hall lives a reckless
lifestyle and is now in debt. His father is willing to forth him some
money, as long as Sebastian marries.

When Sebastian’s brother
asks him to find the plans to a cipher machine for which he will pay
Sebastian a substantial amount of money, it brings Sebastian and Clara
together in a whirlwind of events.

I absolutely enjoyed this book
and it’s storyline. I loved how strong Clara was and that she would do
anything and everything to save her son Andrew. It was both
heartbreaking and kind of beautiful to see this side of a woman so
strong that she would sacrifice everything she loved just to have her
son back and safe to her. The story of Clara and her husbands death
bought a whole kind of interesting mystery to the book because it left
me wondering what exactly had happened.

Clara’s father was just
downright mean, cruel and kind of a monster. He took Andrew away from
Clara, and I never fully understood why her late husband would leave the
custody of his child to her father. I guess I am not fully familiar
with the laws of that day and age, because it gave Clara like no power
and she didn’t sign off on any papers – so that part was confusing. He
also refused to let Clara see Andrew and made sure that he was aware
that Clara was responsible for her fathers death.

Sebastian’s
story was just as big and interesting. He has mother issues, ever since
she walked out on her family while he was young. Which added to the
depth of the story and his character. His charming, dark, reckless and
rakish, which makes him that much more appealing. His deal with Clara
brings sparks and fireworks between the two and you cannot help but
admire them both as a couple and people who try and get Andrew back. I
loved Sebastian’s heart towards the boy and how he too was willing to
sacrifice a lot for someone he didn’t know. The scenes between Sebastian
and Andrew where heartwarming!

I loved the chemistry between
Sebastian and Clara from the very first time he met her carrying a head
of an automaton. That scene kind of made me giggle. It was sweet and
touching and fun. I love that Sebastian went for the bargain that Clara
struck with him in return that she actually becomes his wife and not a
marriage of convenience.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series!

Divider

Review: Thought I Knew You by Kate Moretti

May 19, 2013 Uncategorized 7

Thought I Knew You by Kate Moretti

Published
September 15th 2012
by Red Adept Publishing
Kindle Edition, 276 pages
Series: Stand-Alone

Genre: Chick-Lit



Heat Level: Sweet

Source: I received a copy of this book from the Author and her publisher in
exchange of an honest review. I was not at all compensated. The Opinions
are strictly my own!

Amazon | Goodreads 
 
Summary from Goodreads

Claire Barnes is shattered when her husband, Greg, goes on a business trip and never returns.

Unwilling
to just wait for the police to find him, Claire conducts her own
investigation. Her best friend Drew helps her look for answers, but all
she finds are troubling questions.

With every clue, she discovers that Greg may not be the man she thought she married.

While
battling her growing feelings for Drew and raising her two young
children, Claire must learn to live with the knowledge that the truth
behind Greg’s disappearance may never be revealed.

Wow…
Okay I think I reeled in my emotions
enough to write a review on this book.
I was so glad that I finally got time
to sit back and finish this book and when I did I found that I had a
really hard time putting it down. I needed to know what happened and
how it was all going to come together in the end.
So Claire Barnes husband of about ten
years goes on the business trip and does not comeback. Unable to just
sit back and allow the police to do their work, Claire dives into her
own search in hopes of finding out what happened to her missing
husband. While looking into her own investigation, Claire comes to
terms that the Greg might not be the man she thought she knew.
What I really liked…
  • Thought I Knew You was a riveting
    and powerful read. I was overcome with so many emotions at the very
    end I didn’t know how to feel. I was angry and sad, and even found
    the book a little unfair. All of which made the book an excellent
    read. Any book that can pull my emotions in different direction that
    way, gets a standing ovation from me. My heart definitely went out
    to Claire and what she was dealing with as well as her two children.
    I also couldn’t help but feel for Drew as well as Greg as their
    stories continued to unfold throughout the book, including the
    flashbacks.
    - Drew. Oh my gosh… how was he this perfect?
    Really.. The guy was like a rug made for walking under Claire’s
    feet. He was so in love with her, he has done so much for her and
    didn’t even ask for anything in return. I couldn’t help but believe
    that Drew deserved better then what he kept on getting from Claire.
    As the story unfolded my heart squeezed for him, because he had to
    sit back and watch the love of his life marry another man and have
    his children… That is really heart breaking.
  • How emotional this book was. It
    was a gritty page turner that left you wanting more. I couldn’t put
    the book down. I know I already said this, but I couldn’t wait to
    learn what was going on. As stuff unfolded my emotions were running
    wildly all over the place. I was sad and happy and glad that Claire
    came out somewhat strong from this, especially for her girls! She
    didn’t give up, even if she felt like she was watching her life from
    the outside she kept right on going.
  • The ending.. I have actually a lot
    of mixed feelings about it. It definitely surprised me, shocked me
    and took everything I was expecting and tore it apart. I both liked
    it, and hated it. I liked it because it was unexpected and good and
    disliked it because it made me actually feel bad about all this
    anger I was harboring for Greg and at the same time… somethings
    made me go…huh…why?
  • I also really loved how most of
    the characters were far from perfect (except Drew…heh…kind
    of…depends how you look at it!). Gregs and Claire’s marriage was
    far from perfect and held a lot of flaws, which made the book that
    much more realistic and powerful.
What I wasn’t so sure about…
  • Claire… I have to say, she kind
    of pissed me off. I really could not wrap my head around her
    relationship with Drew. They had their missed moments they called
    them, but from what little glimpse I learned throughout the book –
    I would think they would have done something about their
    relationship sooner…Oh I don’t know… maybe before Claire got
    married? I remember a scene where Claire had a fit over the
    girlfriends Drew had while in College and things would always get in
    the way. I don’t know.. Greg obviously knew something was going on
    between Claire and Drew. Sarah teased Claire about having two
    husbands. Personally.. if I was under any suspicion that there was
    any attachment between my soon to be husband and his best friend who
    is a girl.. I would set it straight BEFORE I got married. There
    seemed to be a lot of back and forth and wrong timing that should
    have been settled long time ago and maybe the whole mess could have
    been avoided… I guess I am a little frustrated because I actually
    had a similar issue, but it got settled before things spun out of
    control.
  • Did Claire ever go back to work?
    That question hang in the air for me, heh.. Mostly because they
    talked about her sabbatical running out and then, nothing?
Overall, I loved this book. It was an
addictive emotional roller-coaster that was really beautifully
written with a truly different and original storyline that left me
wanting more! I am looking forward to more from this amazing author.

Divider

Bewitching Book Tours: Super Dark (Super Dark #1) by Tanith Morse

May 17, 2013 Uncategorized 8

Super
Dark
The Super Dark Trilogy Book One



Tanith Morse



Genre: Young Paranormal Romance





Publisher: Little Willow



ASIN: B00B139IXK





Number of pages: 256



Word Count: 83,000 Words





Cover Artist: Tanith Morse









Book Description:
For fans of
Stephenie Meyer comes a chilling love story that will have you hooked
from the very first page. Super Dark
is a tale of passion, guilt and redemption with a whopping,
knock-you-to-your-knees twist!

Darkness
stalks seventeen-year-old Sam Harper. Ten years ago on Halloween
night, grotesque creatures snatched her best friend Elliot and Sam
narrowly escaped with her life. Now a decade on, the police
investigation has ground to a halt and Elliot’s whereabouts remains a
mystery.

Traumatized by her ordeal, Sam finds it hard to make
friends. She is mistrustful of authority and changed schools more
times than she cares to remember. To her, the world is cruel and
unforgiving.

Then she meets the enigmatic Lee Weaver. With
his gorgeous face and magnetic presence, he turns heads wherever he
goes. Sam has never wanted anyone as much as she wants Lee, but there
are things about the alluring stranger that don’t add up, leading Sam
to ask unsettling questions about her past. Soon she discovers the
boy of her dreams is keeping a terrible secret: one that threatens to
destroy everything Sam holds dear.
Super
Dark is a seductive love story that
will keep you guessing right until the final page.



Thought I have to say. I am not a Stephenie Meyer fan, but I still really enjoyed did this! 
I needed something different and this was it for me.
Bad memories follow Sam Harper and that night ten years ago on Halloween when grotesque creatures kidnapped her and her best friend Elliot. Somehow Sam managed to escape with her life, after her best friend pleaded for the Gruesome two to let her go if he went willingly with them. After a decade of police investigation and no signs of Elliot, his status remains a mystery.
Sam’s parents are now divorced, and she lives with her mom who does her best to provide for the two of them. Unfortunately Sam also moves around a lot, and has a hard time due to her past making friends or trusting authoritative figures.
I must say I kind of liked Sam. Her past haunts her so she has a really hard time letting people in and feels that people will recognize that girl from the news, the girl who survived while her best friend was still missing. She is kind of hard headed and sometimes set in her own ways. The relationship with her mother made me happy at first, cause for once her mother looked like an active adult in a YA novel. Of course later in the book things get weird and her mothers attitude seems to sway a little.
Anyway, Sam meets this mysteries art student Lee Weaver and she is instantly drawn to him. But not like insta-love lure, more of a thing were she just wants him to notice her. Lust. Unfortunately for Sam, her new friend Becky is like seriously obsessed with him (to the point where it just got downright annoying). Lee of course has his eye on one person and that happens to be Sam. As alluring and gorgeous as the boy is, there are stuff in his life that don’t add up and make Sam question Lee Weaver and what he is hiding.
Great book, it had everything I wanted. A good love story, paranormal, and mystery! I have to say, by 50% I kind of knew a little of what was going on but the ending was different and surprising for me. I liked Frasier, one of Sam’s friends - he had a great personality, very unique and different. Becky I could have went without, she seemed a little ditzy and a little too obsessed over a guy she only saw twice and had no way of contacting when he kept blowing her off. And Lee, I really liked Lee even thought he made me want to throttle him at times when he treated Sam a bit bad. I couldn’t help but feel drawn to her and wanted to hear his story.
Well crafted! Kept he hooked until the very end.. No seriously.. I finished this book in one day, I wanted to know what happened. The book ended on a small cliff-hanger and left me wanting more. I believe the series is finished, so hopefully I can look into getting the next book as well!

About
the Author:



Tanith Morse grew up in
Wandsworth, south London. From a young age she developed a great love
of horror films and gothic romances. Her favorite director is Tim
Burton and her favorite authors include Charlotte Bronte, Stephenie
Meyer and Suzanne Collins. When she isn’t writing, Tanith enjoys
directing short films for the festival circuit and looking after her
cat, Mambo. An avid tea drinker, Tanith can be found hanging out in
cozy London cafes in search of new brews to tease her taste buds.
Super Dark is her first YA novel.




















Divider

Tasty Book Tours: Lachlan’s Bride (Highland Lairds Trilogy, #2) by Kathleen Harrington Review

May 16, 2013 Uncategorized 6

Lachlan’s Bride (Highland Lairds Trilogy, #2) by Kathleen Harrington

Published
April 30th 2013
by Avon Impulse

ebook, 317 pages
Series: Highland Lairds Trilogy


Genre: Adult Historical Romance


Heat Level: Steamy

Source:

I got this book from Avon through Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.
Avon

Mature Content Advisory, must be 18+ 
 

Summary from Goodreads

He is Lachlan MacRath, laird and pirate. And he intends to be her lover…

Lady
Francine Walsingham cannot believe this warrior is to be her escort
into Scotland. It is whispered that Lachlan MacRath has magical
powers…how else do you explain his success as a pirate? But trust him
she must, for a treacherous plot is about to reveal all her secrets…and
Francine has no choice but to act as his lover to keep her enemies at
bay.

When Lachlan first sees Francine, the blonde beauty stirs
his blood like no woman ever before. As luck would have it, they must
now play the besotted couple so he can protect her…and Lachlan is
determined to use all his seductive prowess to properly woo her into his
bed

Wonderful!



Kathleen
Harrington really knows how to spin an exciting brilliant story.
Lachlan’s Bride the second book in the Highland Lairds Trilogy, had
me hooked with its charm from the first page.




Lachlan MacRath is a laird and a pirate who comes accept the task of
escorting a lady to the King of Scotland wedding.




The last thing Lady Francine Walsingham expected was for the highland
warrior to be her and her daughters escort. Rumor has it that he is a
great pirate sorcerer with magical powers. But when they uncover a
plot that can put a damper on the wedding as well as the alliance
between England and Scotland, Lady Francine ends up trapped in the
middle. Now to save the life of her and her daughter, she must play
the part of a lover to Lachlan MacRath in order for him to keep her
in the arms distance and safe.



Absolutely enjoyed it! The plot was
fun, sweet and flowed very nicely. Even thought it had some political
background, it kept me in the loop and was easy to follow.



What can I say about Lachlan…



I loved him! He was fierce, loyal and
protective. Enchanted by Lady Francine’s beauty, his sole purpose at
the beginning is to find a way to bed the widow. Until they embark on
a journey together and he has to play the part of his lover,
promising her to keep his hands off her if it makes her feel safer..
The story has a progressive romance that was just right and not
overwhelming. I really loved the way Lachlan was with Lady Francine’s
daughter. Not only did it melt my heart but Lady Francine’s as
well…



Lady Francine’s was… different. At
the beginning I found it very amusing when she calls him sorcerer and
thought that he would turn her into a cat for standing up to him. I
also like the fact that she had character, even if at times she got
downright annoying. She grew on me through the story, and the
relationship between her and Lachlan took on a sweet turn. The spark
and attraction between the two could be felt from the very first few
pages and of course took on a much heated turn as the story went on.



I enjoy Highlander books and it’s been
a while for me since I read one, so this one was really a great fix.
Looking forward to the next adventure in the trilogy!

Author
Info

ATHLEEN
HARRINGTON, winner of the Colorado Romance Writers’ Award of
Excellence, has touched the hearts of readers across the country with
her sparkling tales of high adventure and unending love. Her
historical romances have been finalists for the Romance Writers of
America’s RITA, The Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards, the
Virginia Romance Writers’ HOLT Medallion, and the Phoenix Desert
Rose Golden Quill. Her fabulous heroes have garnered the KISS (Knight
in Shining Silver) Award. She lives in Southern California.

Author
Links


Twitter:
https://twitter.com/kathleensbooks//@kathleensbooks

Divider