Review: Knocked-Up Cinderella by Julie Hammerle

12 November, 2018 10:23 am , 5 Comments ,

Knocked-Up Cinderella
by Julie Hammerle
Publisher: Entangled: August
Publication date: Nov. 12, 2018
Genre: Romance
Rating:

I’m a walking contradiction.
School principal who liberally drops the F bomb.
Fiercely independent yet willing to auction myself off for charity.
Serial monogamist who’s down for a no-strings one-night stand.

Except now I’ve gone from one-working-ovary to co-parent in the time it took a stick to turn blue.

F. Bomb.

Ian Donovan may be a richer-than-hell venture capitalist, but he’s no Prince Charming ready to sweep me off my feet. Good thing I don’t need him. I’ve been doing fine on my own for forty years, and I’m not about to start changing that now.

Ultrasounds, swollen feet, midnight cravings? Bring. It. On.

But why is it when you finally swear off men, you meet one who’s too sexy—and determined we can make it work?

F. Bomb.

 

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Posted in: Romance

Review: The Lying Woods by Ashley Elston

9 November, 2018 12:18 am , 3 Comments ,

The Lying Woods
by Ashley Elston
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication date: Nov. 13, 2018
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Rating:

Owen Foster has never wanted for anything. Then his mother shows up at his elite New Orleans boarding school cradling a bombshell: his privileged life has been funded by stolen money. After using the family business, the single largest employer in his small Louisiana town, to embezzle millions and drain the employees’ retirement accounts, Owen’s father vanished without a trace, leaving Owen and his mother to deal with the fallout.

Owen returns to Lake Cane to finish his senior year, where people he can barely remember despise him for his father’s crimes. It’s bad enough dealing with muttered insults and glares, but when Owen and his mother receive increasingly frightening threats from someone out for revenge, he knows he must get to the bottom of what really happened at Louisiana Frac–and the cryptic note his father sent him at his boarding school days before disappearing.

Owen’s only refuge is the sprawling, isolated pecan orchard he works at after school, owned by a man named Gus who has his own secrets–and in some ways seems to know Owen better than he knows himself. As Owen uncovers a terrible injustice that looms over the same Preacher Woods he’s claimed as his own, he must face a shocking truth about his own past–and write a better future.

 

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Posted in: YA Suspense , Tagged: ,

Sneak Peek Wednesday: The Memory of You by Jamie Beck (GIVEAWAY)

7 November, 2018 12:20 am , 3 Comments ,

The Memory of You
(Sanctuary Sound #1)
by Jamie Beck
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Publication date: Oct. 30, 2018
Genre: Romance

When Steffi Lockwood returns to Sanctuary Sound to start over, she has no idea she’ll also get a second chance with her first love.

Steffi Lockwood has survived more than most. Recovering from an assault, she returns to her coastal Connecticut hometown to rebuild her life the best way she knows how: with her hands. But starting a remodeling business with one longtime friend puts her in the middle of a rift with another. Worse, being hired by her ex-boyfriend’s mother forces her to confront old regrets.

Public defender Ryan Quinn wasn’t shocked when his wife left him, but he was floored when she abandoned their daughter. With his finances up in the air, the newly single dad returns to his childhood home in Sanctuary Sound. The last person he expects, or wants, to see working on his family house is Steffi Lockwood—his first love who shattered his heart.

Although Steffi and Ryan are different people now, dormant feelings rekindle. But when Steffi’s secrets begins to surface, will it bring them together…or tear them apart for good?

 

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Posted in: Excerpt, Romance , Tagged: ,

Review: The Vegan 8 by Brandi Doming

5 November, 2018 8:30 am , 8 Comments ,

The Vegan 8
100 Simple, Delicious Recipes Made with 8 Ingredients or Less
by Brandi Doming
Publisher: Oxmoor House
Publication date: Oct. 17, 2018
Genre: Vegan Cookbook
Rating:

Five years ago, popular blogger Brandi Doming of The Vegan 8 became a vegan, overhauling the way she and her family ate after a health diagnosis for her husband. The effects have been life-changing. Her recipes rely on refreshingly short ingredient lists that are ideal for anyone new to plant-based cooking or seeking simplified, wholesome, family-friendly options for weeknight dinners. All of the recipes are dairy-free and most are oil-free, gluten-free, and nut-free (if not, Brandi offers suitable alternatives), and ideally tailored to meet the needs of an array of health conditions. Each of the 100 recipes uses just 8 or fewer ingredients (not including salt, pepper, or water) to create satisfying, comforting meals from breakfast to dessert that your family—even the non-vegans—will love. Try Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins, Fool ’Em “Cream Cheese” Spinach-Artichoke Dip, Cajun Veggie and Potato Chowder, Skillet Baked Mac n’ Cheese, and No-Bake Chocolate Espresso Fudge Cake.

 

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Posted in: cookbook , Tagged:

Review: Umbertouched by Livia Blackburne

2 November, 2018 12:01 am , 6 Comments ,

Umbertouched
(Rosemarked #2)
by Livia Blackburne
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication date: Nov. 6, 2018
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Rating:

The mission was a failure. Even though Zivah and Dineas discovered a secret that could bring down the empire, their information is useless without proof. Now, with their cover blown and their quest abandoned, their only remaining hope is to get home before Ampara brings the full might of its armies against their peoples.

As Shidadi and Dara alike prepare for war, Zivah and Dineas grapple with the toll of their time in the capital. After fighting alongside the Amparans against his own kin, can Dineas convince the Shidadi—and himself—where his loyalties lie? After betraying her healer’s vows in Sehmar City, can Zivah find a way to redeem herself—especially when the Dara ask her to do the unthinkable? And after reluctantly falling in love, what will the two do with their lingering feelings, now that the Dineas from Sehmar City is gone forever? Time is running out for all of them, but especially Zivah whose plague symptoms surface once again. Now, she must decide how she’ll define the life she has left.

Together, healer and warrior must find the courage to save their people, expose the truth, and face the devastating consequences headed their way.

 

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Posted in: YA Fantasy , Tagged: ,

Sneak Peek Wednesday: Painless by Marty Thornley (GIVEAWAY)

31 October, 2018 12:34 am , 9 Comments ,

Painless
by Marty Thornley
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication date: Jan. 12, 2018
Genre: Physiological thriller, Horror

The debut psychological-horror novel from author Marty Thornley is a page-turning ride, a front row seat to a clinical trial gone horribly wrong.

For Greg Owens, this was supposed to be a chance to end years of back pain and escape his reliance on pain pills. If it all worked out, he could maybe even get back the life he left behind as the pills took control.

Instead, as the patients are cured of their physical pain, they encounter a different sort of pain building inside them – obsessive thoughts, depression, self-destruction. The side-effects grow worse, and the suspense ratchets tighter. The patients want answers and violent revenge, setting them on a collision course with a crazed doctor, determined to protect his life’s obsession.

 

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Posted in: Excerpt, Horror, Thriller

Review: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

29 October, 2018 8:17 am , 10 Comments ,

Stalking Jack the Ripper
(Stalking Jack the Ripper #1)
by Kerri Maniscalco
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson
Publication date: Sept. 20, 2016
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Rating:

Presented by James Patterson’s new children’s imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion…

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story’s shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

 

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Posted in: YA Historical Fiction, YA Suspense

Desert Living

28 October, 2018 8:21 am , 13 Comments ,

I’m linking this post to Sunday Post, Stacking the Shelves, and It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

I’ve been pretty busy the last couple of weeks. It seems like the weekends just get away from me and before I know it, it’s Monday. I’ve been on track with keeping my posts scheduled to go out on time, but when it comes to these wrap-ups that I kind of have to do the night before or the day of, that’s where I keep dropping the ball. I’m starting to think I should just do a monthly wrap-up. Make it a little bit easier on myself.

Anyway, some friends and I rescued an African Spurred Tortoise that had wandered onto my friend’s property the other week. These guys are not native to our area and he clearly got out of his enclosure and was doing a bit of exploring. It was definitely an experience. He was huge and heavy, and didn’t want to be corralled. Which meant that I had to pick him up and carry him back towards the house so that we could get him loaded into a vehicle. He got to spend the night with my friend’s other tortoises before he was reunited with his owner.

Yesterday I was able to attend the Mojave Desert Land Trust plant sale event. I have been looking forward to this for months. Usually when you go to nurseries out here, they are selling fancy desert plants. However, the MDLT was focusing on the native plants to the area that help benefit the ecosystem. So there were palo verdes, creosote, and even baby Joshua trees. The residents out here have been fighting for years to get the Joshua trees added to the Endangered Species Act as a threatened species. Usually you can only get a Joshua tree if you grow it from seed, so I was really excited to get my hands on a baby JT. Plus, the proceeds from the sale went to the MDLT which strives to protect, restore, and educate the public about this amazing landscape. So it was all for a good cause.

 

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Posted in: meme

Review: Fall by Kristen Callihan

26 October, 2018 12:19 am , 3 Comments ,

Fall
(VIP #3)
by Kristen Callihan
Publisher: Plane Jane Books
Publication date: Oct. 23, 2018
Genre: Romance
Rating:

The first time I met Jax Blackwood things went a little sideways.

In my defense, I didn’t know he was Jax Blackwood—who expects a legendary rock star to be shopping for groceries? More importantly, a blizzard was coming and he was about to grab the last carton of mint-chocolate chip.

Still, I might have walked away, but then he smugly dared me to try and take the coveted ice cream. So I kissed him. And distracted that mint-chip right out of his hands.

Okay, it was a dirty move, but desperate times and all that. Besides, I never expected he’d be my new neighbor.

An annoying neighbor who takes great pleasure in reminding me that I owe him ice cream but would happily accept more kisses as payment. An irresistible neighbor who keeps me up while playing guitar naked–spectacularly naked–in his living room.

Clearly, avoidance is key. Except nothing about Jax is easy to ignore—not the way he makes me laugh, or that his particular brand of darkness matches mine, or how one look from him melts me faster than butter under a hot sun.

Neither of us believes in love or forever. Yet we’re quickly becoming each other’s addiction. But we could be more. We could be everything.

All we have to do is trust enough to fall.

 

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Posted in: Romance , Tagged:

Sneak Peek Wednesday: The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox (Giveaway)

24 October, 2018 12:24 am , 4 Comments ,

The Witch of Willow Hall
by Hester Fox
Publisher: Graydon House
Publication date: Oct. 2, 2018
Genre: Historical Fiction

Two centuries after the Salem witch trials, there’s still one witch left in Massachusetts. But she doesn’t even know it.

Take this as a warning: if you are not able or willing to control yourself, it will not only be you who suffers the consequences but those around you, as well.

New Oldbury, 1821

In the wake of a scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters—Catherine, Lydia, and Emeline—flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall. The estate seems sleepy and idyllic. But a subtle menace creeps into the atmosphere, remnants of a dark history that call to Lydia, and to the youngest, Emeline.

All three daughters will be irrevocably changed by what follows, but none more than Lydia, who must draw on a power she never knew she possessed if she wants to protect those she loves. For Willow Hall’s secrets will rise, in the end…

 

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Posted in: Excerpt, historical fiction