The Bookworm Crush by Lisa Brown Roberts

15 November, 2019 7:29 am , Leave a Comment ,

The Bookworm Crush
by Lisa Brown Roberts
Publication date: Oct. 1, 2019
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Rating:

This spinoff of The Replacement Crush featuring Amy and Toff is sure to melt your heart.

Shy bookworm Amy McIntyre is about to compete for the chance to interview her favorite author, who hasn’t spoken to the press in years. The only way to win is to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight, but that level of confidence has never come easy.

The solution? A competition coach. The problem? The best person for the job is the guy she’s secretly crushing on…local surfer celebrity Toff Nichols.

He’s a player. He’s a heartthrob. He makes her forget basic things, like how to breathe. How can she feel any confidence around him?

To her surprise, Toff agrees to help. And he’s an excellent teacher. Amy feels braver—maybe even brave enough to admit her feelings for him. When their late night practices become less about coaching and more about making out, Amy’s newfound confidence wavers.

But does Toff really like her or is this just another lesson?

 

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Posted in: YA Romance , Tagged:

Sneak Peek Wednesday: Stolen Princess by Nikki Jefford

13 November, 2019 12:19 am , Leave a Comment ,

Stolen Princess
(Royal Conquest Saga #1)
by Nikki Jefford
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: Nov. 11, 2018
Genre: New Adult Fantasy Retelling

She sacrificed herself to save her family from poverty…

I finally regained my freedom, but it’s being threatened.

It wasn’t enough to kill my mate, heir to the throne. My obsessive Fae brother-in-law wants the crown. And he wants me ruling by his side.

I thought I was done with romance until a certain pompous elf reappeared in my life at the illustrious Monster Ball. A little teasing led to bruised lips and captured hearts. No one wants Jhaeros and me to be together, not even my favorite sister, Melarue. She thinks he’s a drag. But she’s a teenager just coming into her elemental powers and discovering boys—the wrong kind—the type I want to shoot arrows through.

My royal in-laws are playing a treacherous game, and my brother-in-law is determined to get what he wants. But this princess no longer has a master. I don’t want a crown. I want freedom, family, and the love of a lifetime. But love might be the one thing that destroys us all.

*Recommended reading after the prequel novella “Enemies and Lovers” in The Monster Ball Anthology. Part of a duology, but can be read as a standalone.

 

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Review: Extreme Honor by Piper J. Drake

11 November, 2019 9:13 am , 1 Comment ,

Extreme Honor
(True Heroes #1)
by Piper J. Drake
Publisher: Forever
Publication date: Jan. 26, 2016
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating:

HONOR, LOYALTY, LOVE

David Cruz is good at two things: war and training dogs. The ex-soldier’s toughest case is Atlas, a Belgian Malinois whose handler died in combat. Nobody at Hope’s Crossing Kennel can break through the animal’s grief. That is, until dog whisperer Evelyn Jones walks into the facility . . . and into Atlas’s heart. David hates to admit that the curvy blonde’s mesmerizing effect isn’t limited to canines. But when Lyn’s work with Atlas puts her in danger, David will do anything to protect her.

Lyn realizes that David’s own battle scars make him uniquely qualified for his job as a trainer. Tough as nails yet gentle when it counts, he’s gotten closer to Atlas than anyone else-and he’s willing to put his hard-wired suspicion aside to let her do the same. But someone desperate enough to kill doesn’t want Lyn working with Atlas. Now only teamwork, trust, and courage can save two troubled hearts and the dog who loves them both . . .

 

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Posted in: Romance, romantic suspense , Tagged: ,

Review: Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert

8 November, 2019 1:12 am , 3 Comments ,

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake
by Amy E. Reichert
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publication date: July 21, 2015
Genre: Romance
Rating:

In downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lou works tirelessly to build her beloved yet struggling French restaurant, Luella’s, into a success. She cheerfully balances her demanding business and even more demanding fiancé…until the morning she discovers him in the buff—with an intern.

Witty yet gruff British transplant Al is keeping himself employed and entertained by writing scathing reviews of local restaurants in the Milwaukee newspaper under a pseudonym. When an anonymous tip sends him to Luella’s, little does he know he’s arrived on the worst day of the chef’s life. The review practically writes itself: underdone fish, scorched sauce, distracted service—he unleashes his worst.

The day that Al’s mean-spirited review of Luella’s runs, the two cross paths in a pub: Lou drowning her sorrows, and Al celebrating his latest publication. As they chat, Al playfully challenges Lou to show him the best of Milwaukee and she’s game—but only if they never discuss work, which Al readily agrees to. As they explore the city’s local delicacies and their mutual attraction, Lou’s restaurant faces closure, while Al’s column gains popularity. It’s only a matter of time before the two fall in love…but when the truth comes out, can Lou overlook the past to chase her future?

Set in the lovely, quirky heart of Wisconsin, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake is a charming love story of misunderstandings, mistaken identity, and the power of food to bring two people together.

 

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Sneak Peek Wednesday: Taming Demons for Beginners by Annette Marie

6 November, 2019 6:46 am , 3 Comments ,

Taming Demons for Beginners
(The Guild Codex: Demonized #1)
by Annette Marie
Publisher: Dark Owl Fantasy
Publication date: Sept. 13, 2019
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rule one: Don’t look at the demon.

When I arrived at my uncle’s house, I expected my relatives to be like me—outcast sorcerers who don’t practice magic. I was right about the sorcery, but wrong about everything else.

Rule two: Don’t listen to the demon.

My uncle chose a far deadlier power. He calls creatures of darkness into our world, binds them into service contracts, and sells them to the highest bidder. And I’m supposed to act like I don’t know how illegal and dangerous it is.

Rule three: Don’t talk to the demon.

All I had to do was keep my nose out of it. Pretend I didn’t find the summoning circle in the basement. Pretend I didn’t notice the shadowy being trapped inside it. Pretend I didn’t break the rules.

But I did, and now it’s too late.

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Posted in: NA Fantasy, New Adult, Urban Fantasy , Tagged:

Review: Clay’s Hope by Melissa Haag

4 November, 2019 4:04 pm , 4 Comments ,

Clay’s Hope
(Judgement of the Six Companion Series #1)
by Melissa Haag
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: April 25, 2015
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating:

Clay is a man of few human talents. As a wolf, he hunts well and can fight off a grizzly twice his size, but has no aspirations. The idea of a Mate isn’t something he has ever seriously entertained. Dreamed about, maybe, but he knows the chances are nearly non-existent. Then he meets Gabby, a human girl. She hates him at first sight, yet he can’t let her go. Who he was is no longer important. Now, who he needs to become to win her over is the only thing that matters.

 

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Posted in: Paranormal Romance , Tagged:

Break Time is Over!

1 November, 2019 8:01 am , 6 Comments ,


I’m linking this post to Sunday Post, Feed Your Fiction Addiction, and It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

So you might have noticed that I took a couple of months off. I wasn’t reading, I didn’t have the focus or drive to sit down and blog, and I wasn’t even on social media. Some of you know that I was having some health issues and thankfully that has all been figured out and I’m on medicine to help keep my levels regulated. Since getting back on track medically, my desire to read came back. I found myself reading as much as I could with my time off from work, and I started to notice my old self coming back.

In the last couple of months I’ve slowly started to get my reading groove back. I also resumed a knitting project I had started months ago. One of my good friends who is a whiz with a sewing machine (she makes so many quilts that she should start an Etsy account), came over and taught me how to use my dusty sewing machine that I’ve had for about 15 years. I swore that thing was just crap, but apparently it was all me. So, I’ve taken up sewing projects during my time off from blogging as well.

I think the biggest thing I did during my time off was the Mister and I did some exploring. We went up to Big Bear for my birthday to do some hikes and explore the mountains. We took some time off from work to go out to Disneyland. Which was something the Mister said he would never do, but I really wanted to see Halloween Disney, so we went. I also took a trip out to the mountains to take in the fall weather and eat some apple cider donuts. Needless to say, I’m starting to get back to normal and be more active.

Thank you to everyone who stuck with me the last few months as I sort of slowed down and disappeared for a bit. I tried to stay active on Instagram so that you all knew I was still alive and well, but I wasn’t really online much more than that. So thanks for sticking with me while I got my health back up to speed. <3

 

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Posted in: meme

Sneak Peek Wednesday: Beasts of the Frozen Sun by Jill Criswell (Giveaway)

25 September, 2019 12:07 pm , 8 Comments ,

Beasts of the Frozen Sun
(Frozen Sun Saga #1)
by Jill Criswell
Publisher: Blackstone
Publication date: Aug. 6, 2019
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Burn brightly. Love fiercely. For all else is dust.

Every child of Glasnith learns the last words of Aillira, the god-gifted mortal whose doomed love affair sparked a war of gods and men, and Lira of clan Stone knows the story better than most. As a descendant of Aillira and god-gifted in her own right, she has the power to read people’s souls, to see someone’s true essence with only a touch of her hand.

When a golden-haired warrior washes up on the shores of her homeland–one of the fearful marauders from the land of the Frozen Sun–Lira helps the wounded man instead of turning him in. After reading his soul, she realizes Reyker is different than his brethren who attack the coasts of Glasnith. He confides in her that he’s been cursed with what his people call battle-madness, forced to fight for the warlord known as the Dragon, a powerful tyrant determined to reignite the ancient war that Aillira started.

As Lira and Reyker form a bond forbidden by both their clans, the wrath of the Dragon falls upon them and all of Glasnith, and Lira finds herself facing the same tragic fate as her ancestor. The battle for Lira’s life, for Reyker’s soul, and for their peoples’ freedom has only just begun.

 

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Posted in: Excerpt, YA Fantasy , Tagged:

Sneak Peek Wednesday: The Fixer Upper by Maggie Mae Gallagher (Giveaway)

18 September, 2019 1:13 am , 10 Comments ,

The Fixer Upper
(Echo Springs #1)
by Maggie Mae Gallagher
Publisher: Blushing Books Publications
Publication date: Sept. 6, 2019
Genre: Romance

Abby Callier is more in love with Shakespearean heroes than any real man, and she’s beginning to wonder if there is life for her outside the pages of a book. It doesn’t help that her esteemed parents tend to view her as they would one of their science experiments gone wrong. On the eve of finishing her dissertation, she escapes her staid existence to live in the house she inherited from her Great Aunt Evie in the small town of Echo Springs, Colorado. Because, let’s face it, when a woman starts comparing her life to horror films, it might be time for a break.

Sheriff Nate Barnes believes in law and order and carefully building the life you want. In his spare time, he has been remodeling his house in the hope that one day it will be filled with the family he makes. But Nate doesn’t like drama or complications and tends to avoid them at all costs. And yet, when Miss Abigail Callier, his newest neighbor, beans him with a nine iron, he can’t help but wonder if she might just be the complication he’s been searching for all along. It doesn’t hurt that he discovers a journal hidden away by the previous tenant and decides to use Old Man Turner’s advice to romance Abby into his life.
Abby never expected her next-door neighbor, the newly dubbed Sheriff Stud Muffin, to be just the distraction her world needed.

The problem is she doesn’t know whether she should make Echo Springs her home, or if this town is just a stopover point in her life’s trajectory. And she doesn’t want to tell Nate that she might not be sticking around—even though she should because it’s the right thing to do, the honest thing—because then all the scintillatingly hot kisses with the Sheriff will come to an abrupt halt. Did she mention that he’s a really great kisser?

 

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Posted in: Excerpt, Romance , Tagged:

How is it already September?

2 September, 2019 9:29 am , 12 Comments ,

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

 

I don’t know about you, but I feel like this year is just flying by. Every time I turn around it’s a new month. It also seems like with every month, a new challenge pops up. For me this month I had some health issues arise. I was getting dizzy and having a hard time focusing. It was kind of scary because no one knew what was going on and why. After a handful of tests the only thing that the doctors could find was that my thyroid levels were a little off. So, hopefully that’s all it was an my body either gets back in line and levels out, or the medicine they gave me fixes the problem. I’m just ready to get back to normal and start feeling better.

So, with that being said, not a whole lot of reading happened… again. Ugh! I’ve exhausted all of my backup reviews that I’ve saved over YEARS of blogging, and I’m a little stressed out about that. Every summer I take part in a reading challenge, and this year I didn’t finish one category. With that being said, I might be taking a bit of a break pretty soon. I’ll still be online and checking out everyone’s posts and talking with you on Instagram, but I might not be posting much of anything myself except for sharing excerpts from books and maybe some discussion posts.

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Posted in: meme