Tag: Contemporary Romance (Page 22 of 86)

BLOG TOUR + REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0 (The Boyfriend Whisperer #2) by Linda Budzinski

BLOG TOUR + REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0 (The Boyfriend Whisperer #2) by Linda Budzinski

I am excited to be participating in this blog tour, introducing the second book in her Boyfriend Whisperer series, The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0! If you're looking for a fun and sweet contemporary with lovable characters and hilarious banter, I would definitely give this one a try!

BLOG TOUR + REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0 (The Boyfriend Whisperer #2) by Linda BudzinskiThe Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0 (The Boyfriend Whisperer #2)
by Linda Budzinski
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Alicea Springer was Boyfriend Whisperer Enterprises’ top success story. That is, until her dream date, Ty Walker, dumped her a week before prom. Now it’s senior year, and Alicea has taken over the business and given it an upgrade using an automated matchmaking program designed to help her classmates find their perfect match.

Alicea has no interest in using the program herself. She already knows who her perfect match is … Ty. She doesn’t need an app to tell her that (or worse, match her up with someone else). In a moment of weakness, Alicea allows her friends to convince her to give the program a try. To her horror, it matches her with the last boy on earth she'd ever want to date — Darius Groves, the class deadbeat.

When she and Darius are paired up for a class project, Alicea learns there's more to him than his bad reputation. But the more she spends time with Darius, the more she questions their match. They have so little in common. Why did her program match them?

Can Alicea defy the odds and make a match of her own heart’s desire? Or will the matchmaker remained unmatched?

Review:

Before this book I swear I haven’t read a YA contemporary in what feels like ages. Over the last few years I’ve kind of stopped trying because a) a lot of them lately seem to be pretty morose and dealing with suicide and that’s just not something I really want to get into and b) now that I’m in my late 20s and a mom I feel like I can relate more to the parents of these characters than the actual characters themselves. I don’t want to ruin the book because I’m spending too much time thinking about all of the dumb decisions that the MC is making and wondering why the parents are never around and don’t seem to realize their children always being shady lolol.

ANYWAYSSSS, when Linda approached me asking if I wanted to read and review this early, I said sure, why not! I like staying up to date with all YA genres so I can recommend things better to people at the library and lately, like I said, I’ve been lacking in the contemporary department. This really was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed the writing and it was a simple but sweet story that I flew through in a day. While I found myself getting super annoyed at Alicea’s hangup with Ty for the first half of the book (because why she thought she couldn’t do any better is beyond me–but again, high school), when she finally made the decision to leave that idiot behind for Darius, I was satisfied. I loved Darius’s interactions and relationship with his sister, Jaycee too! I don’t know if this is a trope, per say, but I do enjoy when the love interest has a younger sibling that ends up really liking the girl and they end up having a sweet relationship. Darius was probably actually my favorite character in the whole book. He was always sweet, had some unique interests, and was funny, too. This book does have its share of dramatic teens (well mainly just Alicea, lol) but it’s nothing out of the ordinary that really impacted my thoughts of the book. Overall, if you’re looking for a sweet, quick YA contemporary, give this one a try!

Big thanks to Linda Budzinski and Swoon Romance for allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review ♥

 

Additional Purchase Links:

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Giveaway:

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About Linda Budzinski:

Linda Budzinski is the author of four young adult novels, all published by Swoon Romance YA: The Boyfriend Whisperer and The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0, Em & Em, and The Funeral Singer. When she’s not writing, she works in nonprofit communications and outreach. She lives in Northern Virginia with my husband, Joe, and is active with her church’s youth group. She’s a sucker for romance and reality TV and has been known to turn off her phone’s ringer when watching “The Bachelor.” Her favorite flower is the daisy, her favorite food is chocolate, and her favorite song is “Amazing Grace.”

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BOOK REVIEW: The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen

BOOK REVIEW: The Kiss Thief by L.J. ShenThe Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

They say your first kiss should be earned.

Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.

They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.

Mine were broken before we left church.

They say your heart only beats for one man.

Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.

I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.

Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.

They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.

I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.

One kiss.
Two men.
Three lives.
Entwined together.

And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.

 

He turned around to face me. “No love is fully requited. No love is equal. No love is fair. There is always one side that loves more. And you better not be that side—because it suffers.”

The suspension of disbelief I have for how much I loved this book is unparalleled, seeing as I literally hate-and avoid them at all costs-mafia books and romances.

Seriously-look at my TBR shelf and my read shelf. You will see nary a mafia book with a favorable rating on my shelves, no matter the content. But yet, I am lying because I loved this book I want to marry this book I am going to order this book for my shelf and-

A story of a Nemesis and a Villain with no chance at a happy ending.
Where the prince doesn’t save the princess.
He tortures her.

I am broken, you see, because here is a cheesy mafia book that I just plain DEVOURED and had hardly a complaint about. Yeah, come on, I don’t buy some of it (the parents *eyeroll* Angelo pining as he does *eyeroll* Don’t buy it), but a lot of it?? I cashed in and bought a load. I’m eating crow, if you can’t see the feathers sticking out of my teeth. But that’s the thing about making best friends on here that you trust with your bookish heart-they know you in and out and know the book boyfriends that will inevitably send you to your knees, make you lose sleep, and altogether consume your mind and soul. Well done, Britt. I love you dearly.

And the beauty doesn’t sleep. She’s stuck. In a nightmare.

This was extremely well-written, convincing, and altogether enough to teach me to shut my mouth, because miracles do happen and, apparently, pigs do fly.

But I truly think the thing that sets this book apart from the rest is the ability to create a story surrounding the mafia…without needing the mafia? See, the most association we get is that our MC is the daughter of a crime lord (or whatever you call them) and she grew up in that world-but, other than that, it’s talked about, there is danger on all sides from it, but we don’t have to deal with all the gangster talk and cheesy dialogue. I mean…a little. But it’s scarce, my friends.

“I take it back. You do have a bit of a spine. Granted, I could snap it like a wishbone.” He smiled proudly. “Nonetheless, it’s there.”
“Why, thank you for the recognition. As you know, there is nothing I value more than your opinion of me. Other than, maybe, the dirt under my fingernails.”

And that in and of itself is the largest miracle, ya know? Upon finishing this, I looked up this author and immediately added the original mafia book this author wrote a while ago (people said to) because she is clearly a genius who knows how to cut the boohockey (Friends lol) and get straight to the lustful, hate-filled, passionate enemies to lovers I-Hate-You-But-I-Have-To-Make-Out-With-You-Because-You-Are-So-HAWT ness. Oh….did I not mention this is enemies to lovers?? MY BAD.

Yes, Senator Wolfe Keaton (did I mention my husband’s name is Keaton? This was surreal to me, to read lol) is cold, heartless (this I can attest to…jk lol. But…), and hell-bent on revenge for something Francesca’s father did, so she becomes collateral damage in their silent war from years before, because she is the apple of her daddy’s eye, and Wolfe knows it. It doesn’t hurt that she’s easy on the eyes, either, we can say. But-like with all enemies-lovers tropes-he didn’t count on losing his heart all over again-to her.

To say this book gave me life is an understatement. Some of my favorite scenes of all time come from the bowels of a book like this, making me insatiable in that I don’t get to see them often. I like when authors can explore a somewhat ‘taboo’ moment and still make it kind of hot (no, I’m sure it wasn’t truly meant to be, but I’ve always said I’m somewhat of a monster) and something that makes you both hurt for the heroine and fall a little deeper for the hero-even though he did something wrong. I can’t say many will like it like I did, or even like it at all, but that’s why books are created-they aren’t adapted the same way for everyone such as movies are where we have to picture all the same people, see all the same things, and listen to all the same music-in that way, we are forced to somewhat feel the same, because the tone tells us to. But-BUT-in books? Yes, there’s a certain tone in books that tells us what the author is trying to convey, but in no way can they make us feel only one way, and that’s the beauty of books.

I hate you.
I like you.
I wish I could quit you.

What turns people off turns me on, and vice versa. What enrages people might very well keep me interested or lift my spirits. I LIKE when authors have charged moments that don’t go how they are meant to for that beautifully illuminated scene, that picturesque fairy-tale that we all so love and admire (and I do-love fairy-tales and books like that)-but it’s also nice for bad things to happen-for moments to flip their axis and throw us all for a loop-sometimes. It’s nice to see something beautiful come from such chaos-but that’s me. When it comes to books? I’m Mayhem from the AllState commercials. I LOVE happy moments that go perfectly-but I love destruction more.


Wretchedly gorgeous.
Wickedly innocent.
Irrevocably mine.

Maybe that’s why TCP and WK are my favorite books of all time-those and THG lol. GASP! What a monster. Welp. Sorry ‘bout your luck, because this book was one big cluster**** and I am totally here for it-each twisted, demented, misunderstood, and unruly moment. Now, that being said-Yes, this book had its moments of incredulity, of course-I did say it was cheesy! But, to be fair, it actually wasn’t that bad, that cheesy, that over the top. Even though I’m going on about certain moments, they only added to the story and weren’t all that over the top like in most romances that people would consider cheesy. It had balance, and that’s probably why I loved it so much. It wasn’t too much or too little-it was just right. And I loved every moment of it, no matter how much it sometimes hurt my heart (or, you know, charged it’s evil little battery lol).

Francesca already proved to be able not to eat for long periods of time. If disobedience was a competitive sport, my future wife would make it to the Olympics. And medal.

The banter, the way Francesca met Wolfe head to head-it was wonderful. And I even liked the dynamic Angelo added to the story, even though he is mainly a plot device and the need for ‘Team Angelo’ can’t possibly exist. And, okay, I just LOVED the way Wolfe got jealous, even when he didn’t realize he was jealous. I, again, live for this, so I am just a happy little bumblebee. Do I really need to say more?

The heat, the story, the way the mafia was merely off to the side yet still added danger-I loved it all. And that cover?? COME TO ME. COME TO MY WARM BOOKSHELF. There really isn’t much to not like here, unless you just don’t like drama. No, it wasn’t the most drama filled-I actually expected more-but it had drama all the same-drama that could be avoided with a few words, at times. But then…we wouldn’t have such a rage-fueled story, now would we?

PS, how he was so confounded that she talked to her garden LMAO.

“With a little bit of hope, and a lot of love, you will make it to winter,” she told the… radishes? And was she talking about herself or them? Her conversing with vegetables was a new and disturbing twist in her already awkward personality.

******************


RTC

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REVIEW, GIVEAWAY & EXCERPT: Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry

REVIEW, GIVEAWAY & EXCERPT: Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry

I absolutely loved Only A Breath Apart and I’m so thankful to be on this tour! So check out my 5 Star Review below and enter a fabulous giveaway! Enjoy!

REVIEW, GIVEAWAY & EXCERPT: Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarryOnly a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

They say your destiny is carved in stone. But some destinies are meant to be broken.

The only curse Jesse Lachlin believes in is his grandmother’s will: in order to inherit his family farm he must win the approval of his childhood best friend, the girl he froze out his freshman year.

A fortuneteller tells Scarlett she's psychic, but what is real is Scarlett’s father’s controlling attitude and the dark secrets at home. She may be able to escape, but only if she can rely on the one boy who broke her heart.

Each midnight meeting pushes Jesse and Scarlett to confront their secrets and their feelings, but as love blooms, the curse rears its ugly head…

Review:

Only a Breath Apart was a beautifully, emotional story.  It held my heart in the palm of its hand and I kept finding moments here and there that stole my breath away.  This book was filled with heartfelt characters and friendship, love, forgiveness, bravery and finding oneself was a huge part of this story.  If you’ve never picked up a Katie McGarry book, know that one of my favorite things about her stories are the characters she creates.  They always feel so real, it’s like I could reach into the pages and touch them.  So yes, I definitely recommend this book!  It’s one that will stay with me for a long time to come.

I loved him once—the way a six-year-old loves with abandon. I loved him how I once loved myself. Jesse was freedom when so much of my life meant confinement. He was laughter during dark nights, he was the warrior who scared the monsters under my bed away . . . he was my friend.

Stepping into this story, I was already gutted within those first two chapters.  We jumped back in time and got to see Jesse Lachlan and Scarlett Copeland as children.  While they were both from extremely broken homes, as children they always had each other.  Jesse and Scarlett were not only neighbors, but best friends too.  It hurt to watch them both witness abuse and I could feel their fear pouring off the pages.  I was heartbroken with how hard their lives already were.  But years later, we caught up with them when they were 17.  And while they were both still in a world of pain, they were no longer friends with one another.

Jesse has done this a handful of times since our freshman year. Glance at me as if I’m someone worth looking at, someone worth laughing with a little too loud and smiling with a little too much. Then he remembers who I am and snaps his gaze to someone else.
But he’s not looking away now.

From one event, Scarlett bridged the gap between them and set them on a path.  One that was filled with hope, redemption, heartache, friendship and even the possibility of love.  Hold on though, because it was definitely not an easy path.  Not only do they have their own personal struggles, but there was distance between them.  Even with that distance, when Scarlett and Jesse had the tiniest amount of interaction, I was smiling and sighing out loud.  I just wanted them both to find happiness, and I knew they could find it in each other.

Scarlett lifts her head and smiles . . . at me. It’s a gentle smile, and one that causes a spike of excitement in my blood . It’s as if the sun has melted off her outer shell and has revealed the girl I once knew, and a woman I want to get to know.

Scarlett was a girl who made me feel every single emotion she did.  I felt suffocated by the way her father treated her and in other moments her fear consumed me.  Chills ran down my back and the hair stood up on my arm. I found myself terrified for Scarlett and the life she was stuck in.  Thankfully, she started to find her voice and I was so proud of her.  Scarlett was strong, resilient, loving and I kept hoping her life would change.  That every moment could feel like when she was with Jesse.  Because when Scarlett was with Jesse, it felt like she could be breathe.

The breeze plays with the ends of her hair, and I capture that moment. A snapshot of something I want to remember. Scarlett’s back on my land. My friend. My foe. The person who used to push me, compete with me and made me alive. My Tink.

Jesse captured my heart by listening, helping and always caring for Scarlett when she came back into his life.  While I had my guess for why he shut her out his freshman year, I was still upset with him.  That didn’t affect that I loved him with my whole heart and soul. I quickly connected with Jesse, just like Scarlett.  They both struggled and saw more in their lifetime than anyone should.  But Jesse had a family curse and he was fighting to keep what belonged to him.  His land.  As the story unfolded it became evident that if Scarlett and Jesse both wanted what they desperately needed, they’d have to work together.

“Scarlett, there are two times that I can breathe in deeply without wincing in pain, and being with you is one of them. If I could, I’d keep you here forever.”

My third favorite person in this story was Glory Gardner.  She was a distant cousin to Jesse and played such an important role in Scarlett and Jesse’s life.  I don’t want to say what role she played, but Glory fascinated me with her tarot cards and being able to converse with the spirits.  So I kept hoping that she would lead Jesse and Scarlet into happier times.  Because they more than deserved it!

His fingers trail up and down my arm and the sensation tickles, causing pleasing goose bumps along my skin. There’s a safety that radiates from his touch. A safety I wish I could take with me wherever I go.

Only a Breath Apart was so easy to devour, even with the story constantly pulling on my heart.  So many times I’d go from smiles, to having my heart in my throat and then to having tears pour down my face.  It was such an emotional book. So when I finished that last page, I was so thankful that I stepped into Jesse and Scarlett’s lives.  Now I can’t wait to devour whatever Katie McGarry writes next!

PS I’d love a look into the future!  If Jesse and Scarlett ever have a novella about where the road takes them, I’d one click that so fast!

Here are a few more of my favorite quotes:

Each time I think it’s impossible for my heart to hurt any more than it already does, it finds another painfully imaginative way to twist. – Scarlett
 Second star on the right. I haven’t been Tink to his Peter Pan for a long time. But watching Jesse head off to the land the two of us conquered in battles that belonged in our heads creates a sense of nostalgia I can’t ignore. I start for the land that calls to Jesse, the land that used to call to me. It’s definitely time for an adventure.
 I hate myself because I wish I could feel. I wish I were normal. I wish I wasn’t me.- Scarlett
 I will always risk everything to save her. She didn’t know it then. She doesn’t know it now. Scarlett once said she was empty. I’ve never been empty. I’ve been loved, and I’ve loved in return, but I don’t do it with many. She was one of the few. Still is. Always will be.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by Macmillan-Tor/Forge. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

 

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Excerpt:

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~SCARLETT~

Evangeline fans herself. “That boy is hot.”

Hot isn’t exactly the word I would use for him. Hot somehow feels…lacking. Hot is for some boy in our gym class who has recently grown facial hair. Jess Lachlin is no boy. He has fire-red hair, a sun kissed tan from all the hours working on his land, deep green eyes and a body made to handle rough, rugged days.

I might have been ignoring Jesse for years, but I’ve seen him. Every girl in this school has gone out of her way to drive or walk along one of the country roads to watch Jesse as he works his land. Living across the street, I’ve had a front-row view. His shirt off, drenched in sweat, muscles rippling as he moves, the way he sometimes pauses in his front yard and looks across the road as if he knows I’m watching. A fluttering in my chest and then—

“Would you date him?” Evangeline asks.

“No.” Camila’s answer is swift. “And it’s not like he dates anyone. Except for his friends, the boy is a recluse.”

“Why wouldn’t you?” The kneejerk question surprises even me when it pops out of my mouth. Camila and Evangeline look at me as if those were the first words I’d ever spoken. If I could hide under the circulation desk without making this moment worse, I would.

“Besides the fact he’s cursed and anyone a Lachlin falls in love with drops dead?” Camila walks toward me and Evangeline follows. Camila watches me with more curiosity than I care for, but it’s nice that she’s moving the conversation in my direction. “Jesse’s a train wreck, and he taints anyone in his vicinity. Dating him would be a social, emotional and literal death sentence.”

I’m familiar with the curse, and it’s no truer than Glory and her prophesies. “That sounds melodramatic.”

“It’s not.” Camila has a swear-to-God seriousness to her. “Mom and Dad had Bible study at our house last night, and Pastor Hughes came. Everyone thought I was in the basement, but I went to the kitchen for something to drink, and I heard Pastor Hughes ask everyone what they knew about Jesse.”

Eavesdropping. How Camila.

“Did you know that before Veronica started hanging with Jesse that she was on track to be a concert pianist?” Camila says.

“Seriously?” Evangeline tilts her head in disbelief, and I’ll admit to putting down my cell.

“Seriously. And Leo Wheeling was a star soccer player, predicted to be the first freshman to play varsity for our high school, and then he started hanging out with Jesse.”

Faint middle school memories of hearing Leo’s name over the announcements regarding soccer emerge in my mind.

“Then someone said that before Nazareth Kravitz moved here, he had taken the ACT in the seventh grade and received a perfect score. He moved here, met Jesse and the rest is history.”

Nazareth sleeps through most of our classes, that is, when he bothers showing for school.

I nibble on my bottom lip as I’m not sure how much I like the Jesse-is-the-devil enthusiasm. I may share the opinion, but that doesn’t mean anyone else should.

“Of course, then there’s Jesse himself. Drinking, drugs.”

“The fights,” Evangeline pipes in.

“Don’t forget the suspensions—”

“And he’s been arrested!” Evangeline finishes Camila’s statement like the two share a brain. Her eyes sparkle like that precious piece of scandalous gossip was just too good not to spread.

“The boy is a walking disaster,” Camila continues. “Anyone who hangs out with him wants to become a loser. It doesn’t matter he’s going to be a millionaire once he sells his grandmother’s land. Anyone who spends time with Jesse is asking for hurt.”

And death.”

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Giveaway:

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About Katie McGarry:

Katie is the author of the PUSHING THE LIMITS series, THUNDER ROAD series, SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME, and the upcoming YA novel, ONLY A BREATH APART. Her novels have received starred reviews, critical acclaim and have won multiple awards including being a multiple Goodreads Choice Award Finalist for YA Fiction, multiple RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Award Finalist for Best YA Fiction, including a win in the category, and she was a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumbler | Instagram

 
Tour Schedule:

 

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January 21st

@booksniffer7 – Review

 Bickering Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

 Book Ballistic – Excerpt

 

Book Hoarder Mom – Review

 Brittany and Elizabeth’s Book Boutique – Review & Excerpt

 Celindareyesblog – Excerpt

 Cinta Garcia de la Rosa – Excerpt

 Crystal’s Book World – Excerpt

 Do You Dog-ear? – Review & Excerpt

 Little Shop of Readers – Excerpt

 Novel Addiction – Excerpt

 Resch Reads & Reviews – Review

 Sister Sister Book Blog – Excerpt

 This Jabberwocky Eats Books – Excerpt

 Writing My Own Fairy Tale – Review

 

January 22nd

 A Book Lovers Playlist – Excerpt

 Beware Of The Reader – Excerpt

 Beyourselfbebhaltair – Review & Excerpt

 Booknerd1107 – Review

 CeliaMoontown – Review & Excerpt

 Crazy Chaotic Book Babes – Review & Excerpt

 Echoing Books – Excerpt

 GataLeitora – Excerpt

 Its a mun thing – Excerpt

 Mean Girls Luv Books – Excerpt

 Mythical Books – Excerpt

 Read more sleep less – Review

 Stellar Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

 The Lovely Teacher Addictions – Excerpt

 The Romance Reviews – Excerpt

 Words Are Life – Review & Excerpt

 

January 23rd

 A Novel Glimpse – Review

 Bewitching bibliophile – Review & Excerpt

 Book Freak – Review

 Books Are My Life – Review & Excerpt

 Bookworm Misfit – Excerpt

 ClaryNathanWill – Excerpt

 Craves the Angst Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

 Latteandbook – Review & Excerpt

 Once Upon a Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

 Phishbowl’s bookshelf – Review

 Red Hot + Blue Reads – Review & Excerpt

 Sascha Darlington’s Microcosm Explored – Excerpt

 The Book Hammock – Review & Excerpt

 The Readdicts Book Blog – Excerpt

 Velarisreads – Excerpt

 

January 24th

 A Court of Coffee and Books – Review & Excerpt

 Avid Reads – Excerpt

 Book Boyfriend Reviews – Review

 Bookishly Nerdy – Review & Excerpt

 Collector of book boyfriends – Review

 Dazzled by Books – Review & Excerpt

 Kick Back & Review – Excerpt

 Lisa Loves Literature – Excerpt

 Milky Way of Books – Review

 Star-Crossed Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

 Sweet Red Reads – Excerpt

 Tale Out Loud – Excerpt

 The Cover Contessa – Excerpt

 The Lovely Books – Excerpt

 The Start of Something New – Review & Excerpt

 

January 25th

 A Literary Perusal – Review & Excerpt

 Abellafairytale – Excerpt

 Book Bite Reviews – Review & Excerpt

 Boundless Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

 Confessions of a Wordaholic – Review & Excerpt

 Fandomly Bookish – Excerpt

 Girl Plus Books – Review

 I Heart Romance & YA – Review

 Kaidans Seduction – Excerpt

 Short and Sassy Book Blurbs – Excerpt

 Tales of dreams and nightmares – Excerpt

 The Book Branch – Excerpt

 The Book Trollop – Review & Excerpt

 VoxLibris – Review & Excerpt

 Witchy Richey’s Booktastic Reviews – Excerpt

 

January 26th

 Ali’s Bookshelf – Review & Excerpt

 Beauty and Lace – Excerpt

 Blunt Book Blog – Excerpt

 Book Angel Booktopia – Review & Excerpt

 Bookish Intoxication Writes – Review & Excerpt

 Confessions of 2 Book Lovers – Review & Excerpt

 Crazii Bitches Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

 Family, Books and Food – Excerpt

 Jesssiereads – Excerpt

 Little Read Riding Hood – Review & Excerpt

 Lovelyreadspublishing – Excerpt

 Madison’s Library – Review & Excerpt

 Rainy Days and Pajamas – Excerpt

 Reese’s Reviews – Review & Excerpt

 Southern Vixens Book Obsessions – Excerpt

 

January 27th

 3 degrees of fiction – Excerpt

 All Things Dark & Dirty – Excerpt

 As the Book Ends – Excerpt

 Book Bitches Blog – Review

 Books 4 Girls – Review & Excerpt

 Bumbles and Fairy-Tales – Review & Excerpt

 Chasing Faerytales – Review

 Feed Your Fiction Addiction – Review

 K&M Sultry Reads – Excerpt

 K’s Korner – Excerpt

 Less Reality More Books – Review & Excerpt

 My Fangirl Chronicles – Excerpt

 Poetry law and something more – Review & Excerpt

 Roxy’s Reviews – Excerpt

 Two Books in a Shelf – Excerpt

 

January 28th

 Aaly and The Books – Review

 A Book Fanatic Obsession – Review & Excerpt

 BenderDreamerGirl: read.dream.escape – Excerpt

 Book Reader Addicts – Review & Excerpt

 Bookishly Slytherclaw – Review & Excerpt

 Contagious Reads – Review & Excerpt

 Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

 Escape 2 Fiction – Review & Excerpt

 Midnight Book Girl – Excerpt

 PBC – Excerpt

 Rad Babes Read – Review & Excerpt

 The Book Hookup – Review & Excerpt

 Tween 2 Teen Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

 We Live and Breathe Books – Review & Excerpt

 

January 29th

A Gingerly Review – Review & Excerpt

 A Lovely Book Affair – Excerpt

 Bangor belle books – Excerpt

 Becky on Books – Review & Excerpt

 Books & Tea – Review & Excerpt

 Chapter by Chapter – Review & Excerpt

 Cupcakesandbookshelves – Excerpt

 Desperately Seeking HEA’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt

 Echosreviews – Excerpt

 GotToReadThoseBooks – Excerpt

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REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Playing for Keeps (Heartbreaker Bay #7) by Jill Shalvis

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Playing for Keeps (Heartbreaker Bay #7) by Jill Shalvis

I absolutely love this series and couldn’t wait to get my hands on Playing for Keeps! So check out my review below and enter in a fabulous giveaway! Enjoy!

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Playing for Keeps (Heartbreaker Bay #7) by Jill ShalvisPlaying for Keeps (Heartbreaker Bay #7)
by Jill Shalvis
Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

If you’re planning on falling in love…

When it comes to the confident, charismatic Caleb Parker, Sadie Lane feels the spark—the kind that comes from rubbing each other the wrong way. She’s yoga pants, he’s a suit. She’s a tattoo artist, he’s a straight-laced mogul. But after they accidentally co-rescue an abandoned dog from a storm, Sadie sees a vulnerable side to the seemingly invincible hottie.

you’d better be sure…

Caleb doesn’t do emotions. Growing up the underdog, he’s learned the hard way to build up an impenetrable wall. Perfect for business. Disastrous for relationships. He’s never worried about it before—not until he finally gets behind Sadie’s armor and begins to fall.

… someone is there to catch you.

Both guarded and vulnerable, Sadie and Caleb are complete opposites. Or are they? Shocked at their undeniable connection, can they ever admit to wanting more? That all depends on what they’re each willing to risk.

Review:

Playing for Keeps was a heartwarming love story where opposites attract.  With the help of their friends and a dog that quickly stole both of their hearts, destiny seemed to be in the air.  I absolutely adore the Heartbreaker Bay Series and I couldn’t wait to read Caleb and Sadie’s story!  While each book can easily be read as a standalone, I highly recommend starting back at the beginning.  You don’t want to miss a moment with this group of friends and coworkers.

He was everything she no longer let herself want.

Sadie Lane opened her heart up to us from that very first chapter.  The relationship she had with her mother was heart wrenching and she was jaded towards men.  But thankfully Sadie was working hard doing something she loved.  She was building up her clientele as a tattoo artist, but to make ends meets she also works at a spa.  Finances were tight and she was definitely struggling, so I found myself sympathetic to her from that very first chapter.

“Not interested,”said her mouth.
Her brain though, it was telling her a different story.
He just grinned. He knew. Dammit. She forced her gaze off his body and into his eyes.

One dark and stormy night, Sadie found herself helping Caleb Parker rescue a dog.  Caleb was someone who had been around Sadie for the last year.  They knew mutual people, worked near one another, but Sadie quickly labeled him Suits.  She didn’t ever stop to think that his past wasn’t just a golden spoon.  Or how hard he worked to get to where he was.  But when they both ended up rescuing a three-legged dog, Sadie named Lollipop, everything slowly started to change.

He’d taken Lollipop to a pet park. He held her hand whenever she got scared. Damn. The man was dangerous to her heart and soul.
Which made him the very opposite of perfect . . .

I have fallen for every single male Jill Shalvis has created, so of course I heart Caleb.  While he was in the Forbes top 100 and was labeled a billionaire, he was so much more than that.  Caleb was the most kind, patient, compassionate and thoughtful man ever.  He loved his family deeply and helped to take care of them.  They were such a huge part of his life.  And I loved watching how his sisters would meddle in his love life, whoops lol.  But Sadie intrigued Caleb from the beginning, and no matter what was thrown at them, he fought for them to be together.

“I keep telling you, there’s no this.”
“Are you sure?” Very slowly and carefully, clearly giving her plenty of time to get away if she really wanted, he stepped into her, making her extremely aware that she now stood hemmed in between the alley wall and his body, neither quite touching her.

Even though they now shared a dog, Sadie still had her walls up high and was closed off.  As they started to spend more time around each other, Sadie realized she judged Caleb wrong.  And while she started to share herself with him, it was not always easy.  You see, she lacked faith and jumped to conclusions at times with Caleb.  It hurt not only them, but me too.  Especially when she wouldn’t just take a breath and listen.  Thankfully Caleb had the most patience ever and thankfully Sadie knew how to apologize and step up her game.  Their road to a HEA was an emotional journey, but I kept faith that it would all work out in the end.

When he was gone, she looked at Lollipop. “Okay, maybe I see a tiny bit of why you heart him so much. But just a little bit, mind you.”

Luckily they both had help from their friends, Ivy, Rocco and Spence.  Plus Lollipop.  Lollipop was so important to this story.  Not only did she initially bring them together, but she helped them.  She got them to see each other in different ways.  She helped them  grow as friends and slowly into something more.  It didn’t even matter that she was really good at interrupting them lol.  Lollipop added a ton of heart to this story, she was the hugest star ever!  Just don’t tell Caleb I said that!

“Okay, fine,” Sadie said. “I know what I have to do.”
Ivy narrowed her eyes. “Do you really?”
“Sure.”
Ivy shook her head. “You don’t have a clue, do you?”
Sadie’s eyes filled. “No,” she whispered.
“You
follow your heart.”

So if you’re a fan of Jill Shalvis, this series or stories where a kind man, an adorable dog and a women who’s learning how to love and trust fill the pages then definitely pick up this book.  This story made me smile so much and this is completely random but I loved Sadie’s take on food.  I love that she requested In N Out, they’re my favorite burgers in the world, and I’m a huge sucker for muffins and everything else she loved  too!  Playing for Keeps was an adorable love story and I can’t wait to see who the next book in this series is about!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

 

Kindle  I  iBooks  I  Book Depository  I  Nook  I  Kobo  I  GPlay  I  Series Buy Link  I  Read First Chapter Here

 

About Jill Shalvis:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis writes warm, funny, sexy contemporary romances and women’s fiction. An Amazon, BN & iBooks bestseller, she’s also a two-time RITA winner and has more than 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS  I  NEWSLETTER  I  BOOKBUB

 

 

Giveaway:

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BOOK REVIEW: Arrogant Devil by R. S. Grey

BOOK REVIEW: Arrogant Devil by R. S. GreyArrogant Devil Purchase on: AmazoniBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

A full-length STANDALONE romantic comedy from USA TODAY bestselling author R.S. Grey.

Everyone in Cedar Creek, Texas, knows Jack McNight is an arrogant devil. Physically, I get it: he’s tan and fit, with coal-black hair that’s clearly been scorched by hellfire. Oh, and his personality? It burns just as hot.

When I show up on the doorstep of Blue Stone Ranch, I’m run-down and rockin’ my last pair of underwear. I’m hoping for a savior, but instead, I find him.

My opinion of Jack is marred by a dismal first impression, but his opinion of me is tainted even before I arrive. He’s heard I’m a spoiled princess there to take advantage of his goodwill. To him, I’m more trouble than I’m worth.

Our button-pushing banter should get under my skin. His arrogance should be a major turn-off. Problem is, devils are known to offer their own form of temptation.

Every one of his steely glares sends a shiver down my spine.

Every steamy encounter leaves me reeling.

Sure, it could be the Texas heat messing with my head, but there’s no way I’ll survive the summer without silencing him with a kiss and wrestling him out of those Wranglers.

Who knows…going to bed with the devil might just be the salvation I’ve been looking for all along.

Review:

Be glad I’m with you.
Be glad I’m with you.

He was holding my head under water, and I didn’t drown, didn’t break. I grew gills.

As Kevin says to Dwight when they show up at his bar during Dwight’s bachelor party during the finale, “Well, well, well, well, well, well.” (I’m pretty sure after reading like three Office references that Grey must also be a rabid fan like myself) I found another winner, guys!!!! I don’t know about everyone else but I LOVE when I find a romance author who has consistently great/ HILARIOUS writing, especially when they already have quite a few books out. I had read a few of her books previously, one being a hit and one a miss, and I just didn’t feel like venturing forth into more for a while. THAT IS until I signed up for a free month’s trial to Kindle Unlimited and basically all of her books are free muahahah.

“Oh I’m sorry, Alfred! I just realized I didn’t give you any. How rude of me to bring it up.”
He forgives me because he’s a dog and he doesn’t speak English. Also, I think he’s my best friend.

Anywayyyys this particular book is about Meredith and Jack. Meredith is a woman who came from a well off family and married a well off man straight out of college. She really hasn’t had to ever work for anything in her entire life until the day/night she decides to finally leave her emotionally abusive/manipulative sleezeball of a husband and run to Texas where her half-sister lives. When she finds that her sister is in fact halfway across the world on a vacation because her house is being renovated, she is forced to take a job at Jack’s ranch. Jack is a hot, prickly cowboy who would really rather not have Meredith around. He’s heard from Meredith’s sister about how she’s never had to work a day in her life and has probably just left her husband to get attention of some kind. Obviously that all changes once the two actually get to know each other/ each other’s stories.

Alfred follows after me, acting as my accomplice, and together, we hightail it back to the shack. Once we’re inside, I slam the door closed and press my back against it. Mission: Possible, apparently. 
I glace down at my bounty. I managed to nab a bottle of Jack Daniels. Fitting. I pour myself a bit and barf a little in my mouth when I take my first sip.
“It’s so bad,” I tell Alfred, trying to keep the rest of it down.
He looks at me with sad, questioning eyes as if to say, Hmm, and I thought you weren’t a little bitch.

There were so many things to love about this book:
-Meredith’s tenacity to prove to Jack that she can work her butt off and that she isn’t just some rich, flighty girl who left her husband because she was somehow bored or unhappy
-Alfred the golden retriever who sounds exactly like my dopey golden named Oakley
-Jack’s grandma, Edith, who is a hilarious angel sent from above
-Jack and his prickliness and how he obviously is a big softy on the inside and once he hears Meredith’s story he immediately believes her like no one else ever has
-Sexy scenes that will make you blush
-Meredith getting to tell off her horrible husband and being extremely brave about it and realizing her self-worth
-More Alfred
-More Edith
-Super adorable epilogue

I have one thought before I reach her: if there have to be consequences, make them all worth it.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND

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