Sunday, 6 July 2014

(ARC) Book Review (360): Undeniable (Country Roads #2) - Shannon Richard


Undeniable (Country Roads #2)

Publication: 24th June 2014
Publisher: Forever
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Appropriate: Adult

THEIR LOVE WAS UNDENIABLE

Grace King knows two things for certain: she loves working at her grandmother's café and she loves the hunky town sheriff. She always has. As she bakes him sweet treats, Grace fantasizes about helping him work up an appetite all night long. But whenever she thinks she's finally getting somewhere, he whips out some excuse to escape. Growing up, he never looked twice at her. Now Grace won't rest until she has Jax's undivided attention.

Jaxson Anderson can't deny that his best friend's kid sister is the sexiest woman in Mirabelle, Florida. Unwilling to burden Grace with his painful past, Jax keeps the sassy blonde at arm's length. Yet one heated kiss crumbles all of his carefully built defenses. But when a town secret surfaces, threatening to destroy everything they believe in, can the man who defended Grace from bullies as a child protect her now?
My Thoughts.
Undeniable is the second book in the Country Roads series by Shannon Richard, contemporary romances set in the small town of Mirabelle.

Each book features a new couple, this time around the focus is on Grace and the town's sheriff Jax, growing up Grace always had a crush on her older brother Brendan's best-friend Jax, but he has always denied his feelings because of his parents and they way they've made him feel worthless and unwanted all his life, which has given him the opinion that no one could ever love him least of all Grace, it will take all she has to convince him, that his parents were wrong all these years and he deserves to be happy too.

Throughout the story there is a subplot involving an increasing spate of robberies around town, and there is an investigation into who is responsible for these crimes.

Featuring appearances of characters from the first book, they make a welcome and entertaining return.

Love never runs smoothly in these books, there are hurdles each couple need to overcome before they get their happily ever afters.

Shannon has crafted a series that will keep you entertained on so many levels, I adore these books and characters and devour them in one sitting.

I loved Undeniable more than I did the previous book, and I look forward to continuing on with this series for what I hope is a very long while to come.

I give this 5/5 stars.



All About Shannon

Shannon Richard grew up in the Panhandle of Florida as the baby sister of two overly protective but loving brothers. She was raised by a more than somewhat eccentric mother, a self-proclaimed vocabularist who showed her how to get lost in a book, and a father who passed on his love for coffee and really loud music. She graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s in English literature and still lives in Tallahassee, where she battles everyday life with writing, reading, and a rant every once in a while. Okay, so the rants might happen on a regular basis. She’s still waiting for her Southern, scruffy Mr. Darcy, and in the meantime writes love stories to indulge her overactive imagination. Oh, and she’s a pretty big fan of the whimsy.

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Friday, 4 July 2014

(ARC) Book Review (359): Delicious (Big Sky Pie #2) - Adrianne Lee


Delicious (Big Sky Pie #2)

Publication: 24th June 2014
Publisher: Forever
Pages: 240
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Appropriate: Adult
Workaholic Nick Taziano is the proud owner of a successful marketing company in Montana. But his career takes a backseat when he learns his dad plans to remarry his ex. Nick fears she'll break his heart . . . again. And he doesn't like being reunited with her obnoxious daughter-until the all-grown-up beauty kisses him at the engagement party. The kiss might be a mistake, but once he tastes Jane's lips, nothing-not even her famous blueberry pie-compares.

A promising chef at Big Sky Pie, Jane Wilson never, ever wanted to see Nick Taziano again, but he's just been hired to do the pie shop's marketing. How's a girl supposed to bake the best pastries in town when he's a constant reminder of their steamy chemistry? His chocolate eyes and sexy dimples heat up the kitchen-and every part of her body. Jane has no room for a man in her life, yet sometimes the most delicious dishes don't follow the recipe . . .
My Thoughts.
Delicious is the second book in the Big Sky Pie series, focusing on the love lives of the employees of the Big Sky Pie cafe, the new pastry chef Jane who was lucky enough to get her job straight out of culinary school is dealing with the fact that her Mom is remarrying her second husband Romeo, at their engagement party to avoid talking to him she kisses a complete stranger, not realising till afterwards that it was Romeo's son Nick, her despised ex step-sibling, sparks ignite and there is certainly chemistry there.
The grand opening of Big Sky Pie isn't very far away so they decide to hire someone to do some promotion and marketing of the cafe, that turns out to be the owners son Quint's best-friend Nick, much to the horror of Jane after the embarrassment of their kiss, and while Nick is only too willing to see where a relationship could go, Jane has no such plans for a relationship in the near future, especially with Nick, but he is determined to change her mind no matter how long it takes.
This series is so much fun, the characters are extremely likeable, and the romances are sweet with obstacles in the couples way that they have to overcome before they can have their happily ever afters.
Adrianne's books are a joy to read which leave you grinning from ear to ear, I look forward to the other books in this series, and hopefully many more couples to come.
I give this 4/5 stars.







I’ve been married to my high school sweetheart since those good old rock and roll days when Elvis was The King and The Beatles were galloping over the horizon. We live on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula; the Olympic mountains range is the eye candy out my office window.
My adopted cat, Spooky, is always curled up near me as I create my stories thesedays.
My career as a writer started in junior high school in the form of poetic rhymes and continued to my senior year, when I contemplated writing a book, dreaming up characters disturbingly reminiscent of my classmates. But other than a few notes, the book never left the planning stage. I had a discouraging experience in a creative writing course I was taking at the time and being a sensitive teenage girl. . . I didn’t attempt writing stories again for twenty years. I restarted my writing career by taking a community college writing 101 course. The teacher was wonderfully encouraging and luckily for me, I met my first critique group in that class. At the time, I was writing Mysteries and the others in my new critique group were all writing Romance. Since I’ve always been a romantic at heart, I ended up adding romance to my mysteries.
Lots of romance.
Or as one of the characters in my new story would say, “Sex and Murder!”
I call my Romantic/Suspense and Mysteries “Sexy Whodunits.” Romantic Times calls my Contemporary Romances “HOT!!!”
I love to hear from my readers, and welcome you to email me.  Visit me on my Amazon Author Page for more updates & book information!
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Tuesday, 1 July 2014

Book Review (358): The Marriage Pact (The Brides Of Bliss County #1) - Linda Lael Miller



The Marriage Pact 

(The Brides of Bliss County #1)

Publication: 27th May 2014
Publisher: Harlequin HQN
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Appropriate: Adult
                Book Depository | Chapters | Harlequin
                IndieBound | Powell’s
The women of Bliss County are ready to meet the men of their dreams! See how it all begins in this enthralling new series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller... 

Ten years ago, Hadleigh Stevens was eighteen and this close to saying "I do," when Tripp Galloway interrupted her walk down the aisle. Now that she's recovered from her youthful mistake and Tripp's interference, Hadleigh and her single friends form a marriage pact. She doesn't expect Tripp to meddle with her new plan to find Mr. Right—or to discover that she's more attracted to him than ever! 

Divorced and eager to reconnect with his cowboy roots, Tripp returns to Bliss County to save his ailing father's ranch. He's not looking for another wife—certainly not his best friend's little sister. But he's never been able to forget Hadleigh. And this time, if she ends up in his arms, he won't be walking away!
My Thoughts.
The Marriage Pact is the first book in the all new The Brides Of Bliss County by the incomparable queen of western contemporary romance Linda Lael Miller.

I adored this book and I devoured each and every page, the writing is so well done it's hard to put this book down, it's even harder once you've realised that you've reached the end, and won't get to read the second book till next year.

I love the idea of this series, three best-friends who make a 'marriage pact' that no matter how long it takes they will all marry their true loves and have a family.

This definitely appeals to Hadleigh Stevens, who is all alone in the world with no family left alive, enter Tripp Galloway back from years away (ten to be exact) running his own private charter company which he recently sold to come back home to help his Dad who's been sick with their rundown farm.

Hadleigh and Tripp have quite a bit of history between them, best-friends with Hadleigh's deceased older brother Will, he took it upon himself ten years ago to kidnap her from her own wedding to save her from making the worst mistake of her life, having been in love with Tripp for as long as she can remember, she hoped that maybe they could be together, except for one shock revelation that put an end to her hopes and dreams.

So when Tripp finds his way to her door, it's fair to say that Hadleigh is far from happy to see him, but Tripp is determined that this time he will do things right, and convince her that they were made for each other and that they belong together always, he just has to find a way to get Hadleigh to agree.

This was such an exciting start to a series, from the gorgeous cover, to the storyline and the extremely loveable characters, this book is one of my favorite books of the year, highly recommended.

I give this 5/5 stars.

About Linda

Linda Lael MillerAs the daughter of a town marshal, Linda has come home to the western lifestyle that gave birth to one of today’s most successful authors. She left Washington years ago and pursued her wanderlust, living in Arizona and London and traveling the world. Now the author of more than 100 novels, the “First Lady of the West” is glad to be back home, writing contemporary and historical stories that have earned her awards and placements on all the national bestsellers lists.
Linda traces the birth of her writing career to the day when a Northport teacher told her that the stories she was writing were good, that she just might have a future in writing. Later, when she decided to write novels, she endured her share of rejection before she sold FLETCHER’S WOMAN in 1983 to Pocket Books. Since then, Linda has successfully published historicals, contemporaries, paranormals, and thrillers before coming home, in a literal sense, and concentrating on novels with a Western flavor. For her devotion to her craft, the Romance Writers of America awarded her their prestigious Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.
Linda's current contemporary Big Sky series—Big Sky Country, Big Sky Mountain, Big Sky River, Big Sky Summer and Big Sky Wedding—have all hit the New York Times bestseller lists. Linda will continue to follow the lives of the Parable, Montana, residents in Big Sky Secrets, a January 2014 release.

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Book Review (357): The Vanishing Season - Jodi Lynn Anderson


The Vanishing Season

Publication: 1st July 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 256
Genre: Mystery
Age Appropriate: Young Adult
Girls started vanishing in the fall, and now winter's come to lay a white sheet over the horror. Door County, it seems, is swallowing the young, right into its very dirt. From beneath the house on Water Street, I've watched the danger swell.

The residents know me as the noises in the house at night, the creaking on the stairs. I'm the reflection behind them in the glass, the feeling of fear in the cellar. I'm tied—it seems—to this house, this street, this town.

I'm tied to Maggie and Pauline, though I don't know why. I think it's because death is coming for one of them, or both.

All I know is that the present and the past are piling up, and I am here to dig.I am looking for the things that are buried.

From bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson comes a friendship story bound in snow and starlight, a haunting mystery of love, betrayal, redemption, and the moments that we leave behind.
My Thoughts.
The Vanishing Season is a mystery within a contemporary setting with a paranormal twist.

Maggie and her parents have just moved to Door County, just as a slew of murders of teenage girls begin, Maggie soon becomes friends with Pauline and Liam, two teens who have known each other most of their lives, tension is high as everyone and anyone is a suspect for the murders, interspersed throughout the book is the thoughts of a ghostly presence that seems to have taken up residence in the cellar of Maggie's house, we and the ghost don't find out who this is until the very end with it's shocking and totally unexpected ending.

With a love triangle forming at one point with the three teens, that on contemplation plays a role in the events that will leave you stunned, this is a book with so many elements to it, it should appeal to those that like a blindsiding twist that you will never see coming.

I thoroughly enjoyed Jodi's writing style which gives this book it's haunting quality, once started this book is hard to put down again, and will leave you thinking about this book long after you've read the last page.

I give this 4/5 stars.


I write books about vaguely magical peach orchards, resorts in the afterlife, enigmatic island princesses beloved by Tinkerbell, and...civics! I was an awkward and strange child who kept lots of secrets. Now I live with a sweet Basenji dog named Peanut who loves to eat shoes, and a sweet husband who is good at all the things I'm bad at, like being organized and thinking things through. I've loved writing and reading about mythical and strange things since I can remember

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Sunday, 29 June 2014

(ARC) Book Review (356): Lady Windermere's Lover (The Wild Quartet #3) - Miranda Neville


Lady Windermere's Lover

 (The Wild Quartet #3)

  Amazon     Kindle    Nook/Barnes & Noble    Kobo    iTunes    Amazon UK 
Lady Windermere's Lover is the third book in The Wild Quartet series, historical romances that are based on four friends whom were all scoundrels in their younger years, who each find a woman that they can settle down with, with each book focusing on a different friend this time around we have Damien, Earl Of Windermere, returning from a year away to reunite with his wife Cynthia.

Having an arranged marriage wasn't in Damien's plans, but when he is bribed with marrying a stranger for the title of his late Mother's estate Beaulieu which he lost gambling ten years ago and which resulted in his being estranged from his friends he jumps at the chance, only spending two weeks with his new wife before up and leaving for his job, when he left Cynthia she was dowdy with no sense of style and not fluent in French in which he spoke to her for in the little time they spent together, believing that with she being married to a Foreign Officer as he, she should be expected to learn and learn fast.

So it comes as a bit of a shock when he arrives home and doesn't even recognise his own wife, believing that his wife has also been having an affair in his absence with their next door Julian, Duke Of Denford and Damien's former best-friend, he decides that she is his and she will no longer associate with Julian especially since his new task at work is to investigate some paintings that are believed to be in Julian's possession.

But it's not long before Damien realises what a mistake he made in not getting to know Cynthia when they first married, and he plans to rectify that if only they can get all their secrets out in the open and learn to trust each other, they may find that they are perfect for each other, and together they will only be stronger.

At first I really wasn't a fan of Damien's, it took me quite a while to warm up to him, but once I did I thoroughly enjoyed the romance between he and Cynthia, and I was so glad that they sorted themselves out.

This was the first book in the series that I've read, while I feel that maybe I perhaps missed out on some of the storyline from the first two books this still read really well as a standalone, I do plan on rectifyig that at some point and reading the series the whole way through, it was still a really enjoyable book that I read in one sitting, and I look forward to the others, this is historical romance done well.

I give this 4/5 stars.


I grew up in Wiltshire in southwest England. During my misspent youth I devoured the works of Georgette Heyer, Jean Plaidy and any other historical novels I could lay hands on. As a result I attended the University of Oxford to study history, ignoring all hints that economics might be a more practical subject. I spent several years writing catalogues of rare books and original letters and manuscripts for Sotheby's auction house in London and New York. Much of my time in this job was spent reading the personal correspondence of the famous. This confirmed my suspicion that the most interesting thing about history is people. I'm also a sucker for a happy ending: I howled in the back of geography class when I was supposed to be learning about German coalfields because I hated --HATED -- the end of Gone With The Wind. I still haven't forgiven Margaret Mitchell.
A few years ago I decided to write an historical romance. How hard could it be? Wrong. Several manuscripts under-the-bed (or deep in the hard drive) later, HarperCollins bought NEVER RESIST TEMPTATION, published in 2009 by Avon Books. Since then I've written the Burgundy Club and Wild Quartet series.
I now live in beautiful rural Vermont. I have a grown daughter and a large ginger cat. I am always happy to be distracted from gainful employment by cooking (3o minute recipes only), gardening (don't look at the weeds), cross-country skiiing, arguing about unimportant topics, and general procrastinating.

I love to hear from readers. Email me through the contact page on this site, visit my Facebook page, or follow me on Twitter(@Miranda_Neville)


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Blog Tour & Giveaway Link: (ARC) Book Review (355): Beautiful Oblivion (Maddox Brothers #1) - Jamie McGuire


Beautiful Oblivion (Maddox Brothers #1)

Publication: 1st July 2014
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 336
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Appropriate: New Adult
The Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster phenomenon continues in the first heart-pounding new adult romance in The Maddox Brothers series.

Fiercely independent Camille "Cami" Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.

Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt. 

Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlor to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red. 

As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she’ll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever—even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.

In the first installment of the Maddox Brothers books, readers can experience the rush of reading Beautiful Disaster for the first time, all over again.
My Thoughts.
I was first introduced to the new adult genre via Jamie McGuire's amazing novel Beautiful Disaster, of course like any other red-blooded female I fell in love with the sexy as hell, bad boy Travis Maddox.

This book still remains to this day my all-time favorite new adult book along with its companion novel Walking Disaster, so when I discovered that there was going to be a new series being released focusing on the other four Maddox brothers I may have gotten extremely excited and told anyone and everyone regardless of whether they cared or not.

Jamie has a way of writing extremely likeable and loveable characters that will stick with you long after the book is finished, she's an incredible character writer and I can never get enough of her books, so to receive an early copy of Beautiful Oblivion was like all of my Christmas' arriving at once.

And while I adored Trent in this book, he sadly can't hold a candle to the irreplaceable Travis, although he gives it a damn good shot, with every Travis appearance in this book I ended up squealing like a teenage girl at a One Direction concert.

I loved the fact that Trent and Cami's storyline took place alongside the events of Beautiful Disaster, Trent and Cami made such a great couple and it was extremely hard to put this book down for things like work (don't think it didn't cross my mind to call in sick just so I could curl up and finish reading this addictive book).

Trent and Cami have known of each other from going to the same schools over the years, Cami couldn't ignore Trent's reputation with the ladies, although unbeknownst to her he has always had a thing for her, so when their paths cross again, the chemistry is definitely there, but there's a bit of a snag in the form of Cami's boyfriend T.J, so they become best-friends, but Trent finds it hard to conceal his feelings for her with every man and his dog knowing how he feels for her, but as we all know the Maddox brothers are extremely difficult to resist, and Cami soon finds herself developing  feelings for Trent, but can she admit them to herself let alone Trent, and once he discovers the secret that she's been hiding will it be over before it's even begun?

I can't rave enough about this book, series, characters and the hot, hot, hot romance that Jamie writes so well, now the count is on for the next book, the anticipation is going to kill me, but bring on more of  the Maddox smexiness, and spare a thought for those poor unfortunate souls who have yet to lose themselves in a story featuring the Maddox brothers and becoming enthralled as well.

One of if not the best book of the year, read it you won't be sorry.

An outstanding 5/5 stars.


Visit the Beautiful Oblivion BuzzRoom and enter to win the blog tour prize at www.bit.ly/BeautifulOblivionBook


Jamie McGuire was born in Tulsa, OK. She attended the Northern Oklahoma College, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Autry Technology Center where she graduated with a degree in Radiography.

Her most recent novel, Walking Disaster debuted at #1 on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. She has also written bestselling contemporary romance Beautiful Disaster, and the Providence series.


Jamie now lives in Enid, OK with her three children and husband Jeff, who is a real, live cowboy. They share their 30 acres with six horses, three dogs, and Rooster the cat.

Find Jamie Online
Website: www.jamiemcguire.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Jamie.McGuire.Author
Twitter: @JamieMcGuire
Instagram:  @JamieMcGuire_

Say hi to Atria Books
Website: www.atriaindieauthors.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AtriaIndieAuthors
Twitter: @AtriaBooks
Instagram: @AtriaBooks

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Wednesday, 25 June 2014

(ARC) Book Review (354): Otherbound - Corinne Duyvis


Otherbound

ABRAMS
IndieBound
Barnes & Noble
ABC.nl
Amazon
Book Depository
Indigo
Waterstones
protecting the cursed princess she unwillingly serves. Not when they're fleeing across dunes and islands and seas to stay alive. Not when she's punished, ordered around, or neglected.
Otherbound is a book that is a combination of genre's, with two stories being told simultaneously in a contemporary setting and the other in a fantasy world.

Nolan has been suffering from 'seizures' for as long as anyone in his family can remember, the truth is that every time he blinks/ closes his eyes he finds himself in the head of Amara, a mute servant girl to a runaway princess, in a land where Mages and magic are rife and Cilla the princess is on the run after the whole royal family was slaughtered.

Amara has the ability to self-heal which makes her the perfect companion to Cilla who has been cursed, she is to never bleed in any way, to do so would make the earth retaliate against her and Amara ends up suffering the consequences, with the punishment being put on her.

Nolan discovers that he can control Amara's body, which leaves her extremely angry, but when trouble comes calling for both Cilla and Amara he may be the only hope of helping them both to survive.

While I loved the concept of this book, especially the parallel worlds, I found myself struggling to want to keep picking this book up to read, there was just something missing for me that I just can't pinpoint,also the fact that I just couldn't get my head around a lot of things that happened/ were happening, I still don't really understand how Nolan a normal human boy was actually able to find himself in Amara's head and to control her, I just didn't understand the explanation and by that point I just wanted to finish the book and get it over and done with.

While I did enjoy Corinne's writing style, the plotline lost me towards the end and I found myself taking six days to read a book that would normally only take me one.

This book was not for me but I can see the potential that Corinne has as a writer, this book would be ideal for those who like alternate worlds with a dash of magic thrown in for good measure.

I give this 2.5/5 stars.


At fourteen, I was diagnosed with autism and dropped out of high school in a spectacular fashion; at nineteen, I graduated from the Amsterdam art school Wackers Academie in an even more spectacular fashion. After that, I had my future as a proper artiste all planned out–so it makes perfect sense that, instead, I threw myself headfirst into the writing business the same year I graduated. While I’ve dabbled in short stories, my focus is on science fiction and fantasy novels in the middle grade-young adult age range. I love a wide variety of styles and genres–from high-concept SF to magical realism, from light-hearted fantasy to deliciously messed-up darkness. My debut novel, Otherbound was released in summer 2014 from Amulet Books/ABRAMS, with a second, unrelated book to follow in 2016.
I still create the occasional piece of art, which you can see in my portfolio. I have an affinity for black-and-white portraits–especially when done in charcoal–as I feel it leaves me free to delve deep into the balance between dark and light in a drawing. I’m meticulously attentive to detail and love playing around with contrasts and composition. In 2009, I appeared on Dutch national television with my art in a show called Sterren op het Doek.
These days, however, my life tends to revolve around Microsoft Word and my computer keyboard; on the rare occasions I draw, it’s usually in the form of cartoonesque portraits of the characters from my novels. I miss portrait art dearly, and one of my life’s missions is eventually finding a balance between my writing and my art.
As for the rest: I have a harmless Internet addiction, and my hobbies slant toward the geeky. Think superheroes, comic books, video games, way too much TV, and online fandom. This is balanced out by a couple of years of krav maga training and a tendency to sleep until noon. I occasionally find myself shouting at my computer screen in futile attempts to dismantle the kyriarchy using the power of indignance, but mostly just defy it by sheer virtue of rocking on with my badass queer, disabled self.
I was born and raised in Amsterdam, where I still live alongside my endearingly wimpy cat.

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