Friday, May 22, 2015

Review: A Beautiful Kind of Love by Ellie Wade

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25115747-a-beautiful-kind-of-love

Every choice has a consequence.


I believe in soul mates. Why? Because I have one and his name is Jax Porter.

I have known Jax my whole life and I have loved him with every breath I’ve ever taken. The fact that we were born a mere month apart to mothers that are best friends has made us inseparable since birth.

What we have is so rare, one would think our story would be written, our fate sealed. But, unfortunately that’s not how life works. Life offers us many choices that can turn destiny into chance.

I now find myself heading toward a destination that I could have never imagined and I have to figure out where to go from here. 

Will the choices that have been made change our path forever or will fate find its way?
I am such a sucker for a good friends to lovers book. There is just something about being a part of two people's journey and seeing it all building towards that inevitable shift long before they do. A Beautiful Kind of Love definitely gave me that and so much more. 


Lily and Jax were easy characters to love. To see their childhood friendship grow into something more was so sweet. But their shift happened at a pivotal time in their lives, the end of high school. And as much as Lily loves Jax, she feels college is HER time, so she chooses not to follow him.

"Someday, I know that I’ll be Mrs. Porter, and Jax and I will be living the American dream. I will forever be linked to him, just as I always have been, and that is great. I couldn’t ask for anything more. For now though, while I can, I need to experience life on my own. Even if only for a short time, I have to know what it is like to be just me."- Lily

I was rooting for them from the moment I realized they would have to endure a long distance relationship. I was hoping they could stand this test and make it through. But time and distance takes its toll on them. Can their love for one another survive it all? And if not, will a lifelong friendship be lost? 

Well, you will have to read this book to see what happens with these two! And just an FYI, it does end on a "to be continued" note BUT the next book releases in just a few short weeks!


B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-beautiful-kind-of-love-ellie-wade/1121725278?ean=2940152200744



Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Blog Tour: Never Never (Part Two) by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher

Goodreads Link: 

Silas races against time as more truths unravel, while others twist tighter together. “Where are you, Charlie?”  Never Never: Part Two is the continuation of the Never Never series.

At the end of the last book I'm sure everyone was thinking WTF? Silas was left wondering where the heck Charlie is and why is this happening to them. There are lots of twists and turns in this continuing story, more characters from the first book come into play so you are left trying to figure out why they too are involved in Silas and Charlie's situation.

It's  like doing a wasgij puzzle, having no idea what the big picture is but very slowing trying put the pieces of the puzzle in to make sense of it before the hours run out and they have to start doing it all over again.

I feel like they are finally getting somewhere now and think they will find the answers where they least expect to.

This series has definitely stirred up a lot emotions and discussion amongst readers with lots of theories being considered.  I cannot wait for the final installment of this riveting story.

I give this 5 stars. 


Never Never (entire series) Spotify Playlist:

 Never Never: Part Two 

Never Never: Part One 
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1wxU6E8 
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1w62qtx

Tarleen.jpg
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Slammed, Point of Retreat, This Girl, Hopeless, Losing Hope, Maybe Someday, Finding Cinderella, Ugly Love and Confess. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. 

Author website http://colleenhoover.com
Tarryn Fisher is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of six novels.  Her latest novel, Marrow, just released in April 2015 and she is currently working on the third installment of Never Never.  She is the co-founder of the fashion blog Clothed Caption. Tarryn resides in the Seattle area with her family. She loves rainy days, Coke, and thinks Instagram is the new Facebook.  Tarryn is represented by Amy Tannenbaum of the Jane Rotrosen Agency.
Author website   http://www.tarrynfisher.com/






Monday, May 18, 2015

Cover Reveal: The Song of David by Amy Harmon

By: Amy Harmon
Available: June 15, 2015
Cover by: Hang Le

She said I was like a song. Her favorite song. A song isn’t something you can see. It’s something you feel, something you move to, something that disappears after the last note is played.


I won my first fight when I was eleven years old, and I’ve been throwing punches ever since. Fighting is the purest, truest, most elemental thing there is. Some people describe heaven as a sea of unending white. Where choirs sing and loved ones await. But for me, heaven was something else. It sounded like the bell at the beginning of a round, it tasted like adrenaline, it burned like sweat in my eyes and fire in my belly. It looked like the blur of screaming crowds and an opponent who wanted my blood. 

For me, heaven was the octagon.

Until I met Millie, and heaven became something different. I became something different. I knew I loved her when I watched her stand perfectly still in the middle of a crowded room, people swarming, buzzing, slipping around her, her straight dancer’s posture unyielding, her chin high, her hands loose at her sides. No one seemed to see her at all, except for the few who squeezed past her, tossing exasperated looks at her unsmiling face. When they realized she wasn’t normal, they hurried away. Why was it that no one saw her, yet she was the first thing I saw?

If heaven was the octagon, then she was my angel at the center of it all, the girl with the power to take me down and lift me up again. The girl I wanted to fight for, the girl I wanted to claim. The girl who taught me that sometimes the biggest heroes go unsung and the most important battles are the ones we don’t think we can win.






Amy Harmon is a USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in several countries, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

Amy Harmon has written seven novels - the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, Infinity + One and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her newest release, The Law of Moses, is now available. For updates on upcoming book releases, author posts and morejoin Amy at www.authoramyharmon.com

Website  Blog  Twitter  Facebook  Goodreads





Saturday, May 16, 2015

Blog Tour: Sweet Something by K.C. Harper

Sweet Something
Series: Sweet Series #1
Author: K.C. Harper
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 31, 2014
6a922-goodreads

Friday, May 15, 2015

Blog Tour: Under the Influence by L.B. Simmons


Dalton,

I loved you once. A love I thought irrevocable. A love I mistakenly believed could transcend both time and circumstance. Under the influence of my dimwitted, naïve, traitorous heart, I became intoxicated with what I now know was simply a figment of my self-indulgent imagination. So drunk on the feeling, I couldn’t see what was right in front of my face. So foolishly enamored, I blindly followed my heart into the depths of an emotion that would ravage me. 

Years later, I know now what I wish I knew then. I am stronger. Smarter. Tougher. I will not allow myself to be broken again. 

I loved you.
I raged for you.
I wept for you.
And now, I’m letting you go.

Author’s Note:  Under the Influence is the journey of two childhood friends that spans the course of five pivotal years in their lives. It is a story about their discovery of true friendship as it blossoms into first love, their experience of crucial sacrifice and ultimate betrayal, and their endurance of agonizing heartbreak on the way to finding lasting redemption.

As soon as L.B. Simmons started posting teasers for this book, I knew I had to read it. I was so intrigued by the little peeks we were getting. Factor in the synopsis, that promised this to be an angsty read and I knew I was in for a roller coaster ride of emotional torture.

And I was right!

The thing I loved most? That it was NOTHING like I was expecting. Yes, it ripped my heart out and I cried more than once. But it was for reasons I never expected. This story takes you places you don't want to go. The subject matter is tough to read at certain points. But it is that realistic look into things that happen everyday that made the read that much more appealing. The author never sugar coated the ugly parts and I appreciated the story even more for that.

But it isn't all sadness. Ms. Simmons isn't completely evil after all. There are happy moments mixed in there. And ones that will make you laugh, out loud (loved Rat and his "that's what I said" moments). There are definitely swoon worthy moments throughout the book as well (Dalton sure knows how to woo a girl!). 

That's it. I'm not saying anything else. As I said above, the book was a million times more enjoyable for me because I had no clue what to expect. So, I am not giving away anything that truly pertains to the storyline. Just trust me when I say, this is a MUST read! Don't believe me? Just download the sample. I was hooked immediately and you will be too. 


Spencer POV:
Cassie maintains her wide smile. You go on a date and I guarantee what you find regarding Dalton and his feelings will surprise you.
Cassie. No one wants to go out on a date with me. Trust me.
She shakes her head before she busts out laughing. The ridiculous sound of it reverberates around my room. You really have no idea, do you? Every guy at school has a hard-on for you, you fool. Theyre fucking scared to come within even ten feet of you because of Dalton. He let it be known that if they did, he would deal with them.
Oh my God! You have no idea what youre talking about! Im laughing outright now. She really has lost her mind.
She shakes her head, the severity of her statement tightening her features. Im totally serious, Spence. I swear on my Kindle.
At this, I take a sharp breath and sober immediately. To Cassie, her Kindle is sacred as the Bible.
She nods slowly, dramatically, as she watches me grasp the meaning of her statement. Right hand raised, she states, On the over-abundance of trashy romance novels within my possession, I solemnly swear that before Dalton graduated, he straight-up took out a vendetta against any male in our school who dares approach you.
He did what?! I screech, pressing myself off the bed and catapulting into upright position.
Anger ignites and my face heats wildly as realization dawns.
This whole year, in fact, the entire four years of high school, no one has looked at me. No one has asked me to come to parties, to go on dates, to go to prom. Not that I would go, but it would be nice to be asked, you know? Okay, I probably would go. I mean, its a rite of passage, right?
Two black painted fingernails make their appearance as they snap directly in front of my face, jolting me out of my inner thoughts.
Hooker! Pay attention!
I shake my head and refocus. Still seething, I whisper, This whole time, I thought it was me. That I wasnt dating material or pretty enough. Four years, Cass. Four years of feeling like I wasnt good enough. My molars grind together. It all makes sense now.
She waves her hand dismissively. Were getting off track here.
My eyes bulge as she continues, “I have found someone who, luckily for you, seems to have recently acquired a death wish."

Amazon US ----> http://tinyurl.com/lx3ayhq
Barnes and Nobles ----> http://tinyurl.com/pc5es2o
Kobo ----> http://tinyurl.com/jvgced5
Apple iBooks ----> http://tinyurl.com/lcbr2x5

L.B. Simmons is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds a degree in Biomedical Science.  She has been a practicing Chemist for the last 11 years.  She lives with her husband and three daughters in Texas and writes every chance she gets.


Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Release Day Blitz: Compulsive by Lia Fairchild

It’s release day for Compulsive by Lia Fairchild! We are so excited to be sharing this new contemporary romance with you. To celebrate the release, Lia is giving away a gift card, and sharing an exclusive excerpt with us!
Compulsive RDL Banner

Compulsive_FrontCover
Compulsive (Liar, Book 1): From Bestselling author, Lia Fairchild

Lies hurt.

Lies destroy.

But some lies protect…and heal. At least that’s what Gray Donovan had hoped for. She’s a compulsive liar using it as a defense mechanism to survive life and her shattered past

When she starts seeing therapist Daniel Harrison, she can no longer deny the truths that have haunted her for so many years. She must now stand and face them.

Opening up to Daniel leaves her exposed and vulnerable. When her soul is bared to him, she can’t contain the attraction or the feelings he elicits.

Daniel feels drawn to his new patient, but knows he will have to fight it in order to resurrect Gray from her demons. His will and his judgment are tested when he must overcome his own doubts and face his own secrets.

Well this was a completely different read for me.  I'm very much a romance reader but was completely intrigued with the synopsis of this story.  Once I got into the story I found it very difficult to put down.

Gray Donovan is a really interesting girl, she likes to embellish the truth a bit and it just comes naturally to her.  Being honest does not. 

"I'm talking about bold-faced lies that spilled from my lips as easy as the breath from my lungs.  Lies that ruined people, lies that protected people, lies for the hell of it.  I ate, slept, and drank lies.  

I bathed in deceit." - Gray

Then she meets her new therapist, Daniel Harrison. Apart from the fact that he is strikingly good looking, there is just something about him that has her opening up and being more honest than she ever has in her life.  Outside of their sessions they also form another connection of sorts via two teenage girls.  This reveals another side of Daniel that shows the more vulnerable part of him. Gray really looks forward to her sessions with Daniel and there is an growing attraction between them. 

Doctors are just human like the rest of us and Daniel seems to have his own burdens to bear.  He is doing a wonderful job helping Gray but it seems there is a lot he needs to work on to get to a place where he is available to explore what he is feeling for Gray.  You know how sometimes you can find the right person buy the timing is just not right.  Sometimes you have to walk away and take a step back if you want to move forward.

I really liked Gray, she was so interesting to read about and I loved how she developed from when we first met her until the end of her therapy sessions. Daniel helped her face her past and she seems to have finally found the strength to stand up and have a future.  The only question is, will Daniel be in it?

I give this 4 stars

The ridges on the stark white ceiling blurred from my intense stare as I listened to the steady even breaths coming from the body next to me. He wasn’t a bad guy. Just an idiot. Maybe even married for all I knew. The clock read four twenty-three. That wouldn’t work for me. I waited for a nice round even number. Something that felt right. I held my phone with the message typed out: I need you. I keyed in the address, and when the clock hit four thirty, I hit Send.

At ten before five AM, I eased my body out of the bed the way a mother slips from her sleeping child, hoping not to rouse her angel. He stirred a moment and turned on his side, his arm involuntarily reaching for me.

“Sky,” he murmured with his eyes closed. His dark buzz cut hair was sprinkled with gray flecks, and a small rectangular scar bordered the hairline on the right side of his face. I hadn’t noticed that the night before, or I would have asked him. Now my curiosity had me pausing, conjuring up various scenarios for its origin. Whatever the cause would forever remain a mystery. With a gentle hold around his wrist, I lifted his hand and rested it on the comforter. His eyes flitted open and closed. Frozen, I waited to see if he’d wake. I didn’t worry about coming up with a story. It always came.

Still sitting on the edge of the bed, I reached over to an adjacent chair to snag my black silk shirt. When I pulled it over my head and then glanced down, two light blue eyes met mine.

“Hey, you,” he whispered. His soft, sweet smile almost made a dent, but I pulled my hand away.

“I’ve got to run.”

Surprise and confusion colored his face. “What time is it?”

“Around five. I’ve got early rounds.”

He seemed satisfied with my excuse and looked thoughtful. “Ah, yes, Dr. Phillips. Time to save lives.”

I gave him a nod and a tight smile just before a knock at the door sounded. I rose from the bed to pull on my skirt and slip my feet into my heels.

He sat up watching me closely like a cat that’d dart out of an open door. “Who could that be at this time?” he said.

“My ride,” I threw over my shoulder. I scooped up my purse from the dresser on the way out, catching his face in the mirror. They always had that same look the next day. Or perhaps I was the one who saw things differently.

I heard him jump out of bed and scramble for his pants as I made my way to the living room, picking up my pace. “Sky, wait.”

When I reached the door, he came in and leaned against the couch, folding his arms. “I could have driven you home.”

“It’s okay,” I said, pulling the door open.

Nathan stood in the doorway, hands stretched out to the jams on each side, his brown hair ragged from being dragged from the comfort of his bed. He shot me that look that said, you owe me and then let one hand fall and sweep to the side as if making a path for royalty.

“Wait,” a voice came from behind me. “Who’s this guy?”

Nathan took a step into the doorway. “Oh, hey, man.”

“John, this is my cousin, Nathan,” I said.

Unfortunately, Nathan had spoken at the same time I did and said, “I’m her neighbor.”

John walked over to the two of us, eyes darting between me and my partner in crime. “Well, which is it?”

Nathan and I exchanged looks, and I opened my mouth to speak.

John held up his hand. “No. Let me guess,” he said in a sarcastic tone. “He’s your cousin who lives next door.”

I half-shrugged while looking him dead in the eye. “I really should get going.” A split second later, I plastered on a smile. “I’ll call you.”

“You haven’t given me much choice,” he said to my back as I sidled past Nathan. “I don’t even have your number.”

I’d be willing to bet John wouldn’t be holding his breath.

Advance Praise for Compulsive:

“Fairchild spins an emotional story that is saturated in sex appeal.”

“What a beautiful, beautiful story!”

“OMG! I honestly loved this just like every book I've read by this talented Indie author!”

“I was flipping pages like a maniac trying to figure out what in the heck was going on and what Gray was hiding.”

“This is my third book by this author and it won't be my last!”

HS1
Bestselling author, Lia Fairchild, is both a traditionally published and independent author who writes women's fiction, romance, and chick lit. Fans of her books praise her endearing, real characters who come to life in stories that will touch your heart.

Fairchild is addicted to the warmth of Southern California and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and a multiple-subject teaching credential. She is a wife and mother of two teenagers.

Look for updates on her and her books at http://www.liafairchild.com or follow her on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/#!/liafairchild or Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lia.fairchild.author?fref=ts