Tuesday, June 30, 2015

New Release & Giveaway: Searching for Always by Jennifer Probst

Happy Release Day!! 
I'm ready for Arilyn and Stone's story!!
Searching for Always by Jennifer Probst
(Searching For #4)
Release Day: June 30, 2015
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Jennifer Probst sparks a blissful mind-body connection as her “sexy, satisfying” (Kirkus Reviews) new series continues!

She’s an expert in helping others de-stress, but Arilyn Meadows is running on fumes. Along with her job counseling singles seeking soul mates at the Kinnections agency in Verily, New York, she’s a yoga teacher, animal shelter volunteer, anger management therapist, and helping hand to her beloved grandfather. No time to find Mr. Right—but after discovering her yogi boyfriend in a compromising asana, Arilyn would rather dog-sit for her honeymooning friend Kate than risk her heart on another downward dog. And when police officer Stone Petty—radiating masculinity and bad-boy attitude—is sent to her for mandatory lessons in cooling off when the job gets too hot, Arilyn vows to ignore his seductive glances and sexy grin. But there’s no halting their sizzling flirtation—a red-hot, high-speed chase that’s breaking all the limits.




Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.

She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean.
She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, was ranked #6 on Amazon's Best Books for 2012. She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases and her street team at www.jenniferprobst.com.


Help pet rescue shelters by posting a picture of your rescued pet, or sharing your favorite shelter, and using the hashtag #SEARCHINGFORRESCUES. 4 shelters will get a $50 prize (winners choice) and 1 a grand prize winner will also get a prize pack from Jennifer Probst.


  a Rafflecopter giveaway


Monday, June 29, 2015

Cover & Blurb Reveal: Butterfly Dreams by A. Meredith Walters

Butterfly Dreams by A. Meredith Walters
Release Date: November 24th
This is a stand alone contemporary romance.

In a powerful romance, New York Times bestselling author A. Meredith Walters tells the story of a troubled young woman and the unforgettable guy who teaches her to live—and love—to the fullest.

She’s waiting to die. . . . Corin Thompson is paralyzed by her obsession with mortality. Having lost both of her parents, she is terrified by the idea that she too will die young, and she loses control at any sign of illness. But when Corin connects with someone who has survived a very real brush with death, she begins to see the world in a whole new way.

He’s learning to live. . . . As Corin struggles under the weight of her neuroses, Beckett Kingsley is attempting to rebuild a life that feels all too temporary. With the ever-present threat of heart failure never far from his mind, he just wants to make the most of whatever time he has left. And that means pursuing the girl he never expected to find.

Together, Corin and Beckett finally learn to let go of their fears and take solace in everyday pleasures. Who knows what the future holds? After all, nothing lasts forever—the only promise they have is right now.


Sunday, June 28, 2015

Sunday Post: Weekly Wrap-Up (6.28)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, showcase books, share upcoming news, etc. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

What I Read Last Week:
  
Grey by EL James
Burying Water by KA Tucker
Fighting Silence by Aly Martinez


My Reviews Last Week:

Grey by EL James (my 5 star review)
   

What I'm Reading Next:

Proposing to Preston by Katy Regnery

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Stacking The Shelves (115)

STSmall_thumb[2][2]Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tynga's Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

*I'm trying to curb my book addiction, particularly with so many books still on my TBR pile that I'd like to catch up on. Unfortunately, I am also weak-willed, and couldn't resist these additions and Audible deals this week.

Kindle Addiction:
 
Fighting Silence by Aly Martinez
Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey

eARC Goodies:
 
Proposing to Preston by Katy Regnery
Love Drunk by Libby Rice

Used Book Find:

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (signed)

Audiobook Awesomeness:
  
 
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
Undivided by Neal Shusterman
Golden Son by Pierce Brown
Beauty and the Mustache by Penny Reid
Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Review: GREY by EL James

GREY by EL James
(Fifty Shades #4)
June 18, 2015
576 pages
Genre: Adult Erotic Romance 18+
Contains: Explicit sex, BDSM elements, profanity, abuse references
Source: Personal purchase

See the world of Fifty Shades of Grey anew through the eyes of Christian Grey.

In Christian's own words, and through his thoughts, reflections, and dreams, E L James offers a fresh perspective on the love story that has enthralled millions of readers around the world.

Christian Grey exercises control in all things; his world is neat, disciplined, and utterly empty—until the day that Anastasia Steele falls into his office, in a tangle of shapely limbs and tumbling brown hair. He tries to forget her, but instead is swept up in a storm of emotion he cannot comprehend and cannot resist. Unlike any woman he has known before, shy, unworldly Ana seems to see right through him—past the business prodigy and the penthouse lifestyle to Christian’s cold, wounded heart.

Will being with Ana dispel the horrors of his childhood that haunt Christian every night? Or will his dark sexual desires, his compulsion to control, and the self-loathing that fills his soul drive this girl away and destroy the fragile hope she offers him?

This book is intended for mature audiences.

Truth be told, I didn't know what to expect from GREY. Books rewritten from another character's POV are very hit-or-miss. I can think of some I've loved and some I could have done without. Well, GREY was definitely a hit for me! I loved getting Christian's POV from the first FSOG book. I liked the original book, and was a fan of the storyline, but with GREY I loved it even more.

Here are a few specifics on why I loved this book:

  1) The writing has improved from the original FSOG. I liked that I could see the author's growth as a writer. I thought it was more cleanly written without as much repetition of words or phrases. I found this particularly important, as it wasn't entirely new information (although there is still plenty of new stuff to enjoy), and yet I was still hooked on it.

  2) GREY is exactly what it is advertised to be: "Fifty Shades of Grey as told by Christian." It says it right there on the book. But while I expected to relive the scenes between Ana and Christian, what I really loved was seeing his perspective, and how heavily his past affects his present. We got clues and insights in the previous trilogy, but this was so much more. I loved reliving this story and falling in love with Christian and Ana all over again.

  3) I felt Christian's POV in GREY, upon reflection to my past reads of FSOG, matched his character well. I truly felt like I was getting to know him, and seeing his perspective was very eye-opening. On the outside he looked so in-control and put-together through Ana's eyes in FSOG. But through Christian's view and thoughts we see how lonely and lost and misguided he is, and why Ana is such a welcome breath of fresh air to him. If I didn't understand his attraction to her from the trilogy, I get it now.

  4) There was no mention of Ana's "inner goddess." Now, I wasn't totally bothered by Ana's references to her inner goddess in FSOG, but it did get repetitive. Not here. Christian's POV was both mature and childlike. We see him as the successful man he is, as well as the lost, abused, traumatized child he has not recovered from. We also see Ana from a new perspective, giving us a fresh take on her as well.

  5) The ending. Those familiar with FSOG (either the book or the movie), recall that it ended with a cliffhanger. Well, James must have been inspired, because while GREY still ends in a similar place as FSOG, it doesn't quite end in the same place. It ends in a place of hope, as opposed to heartbreak. And I love that she did that. I'm holding out hope that she will write the other two books from Christian's POV. But if she doesn't, at least she left us with this gift.


Now you may have noticed a wide range of love and hate out there for this book. There are many reasons for this, as reviews and reading experience are subjective. All I can say is, if you liked FSOG and want to read this, go for it! I'm so glad I did and avoided most of the negativity ahead of time, and truly had a great reading experience. If you didn't like FSOG, but attribute that to Ana's perspective, maybe give this a shot and see how it goes. If you didn't like FSOG because of the BDSM elements, this has the same stuff, so I doubt you're going to like it any better. If you hated FSOG and its storyline, again this is the same storyline. Now if you've never read FSOG before, but have been curious, you might want to give one a shot. I feel like it can be read as a standalone. And as I listed above, I feel like it was written better and I loved Christian's POV.

My final thoughts: I loved GREY and am so glad EL James wrote Christian's POV. I was addicted to Christian and Ana's story all over again, falling in love with their unconventional romance, and greedy getting more insight about Christian. I really hope she writes his POV from the other books (which have some of my favorite scenes), because I will snatch them up immediately.


Tuesday, June 23, 2015

New Release & Excerpt: Forget Me Knot by Ruth Silver

forgetmeknotbanner
Forget Me Knot
Forget Me Knot (Royal Reaper 2)
by Ruth Silver
Publisher: Booktrope
Published: June 23, 2015

Don’t mess with death.

When Wynter explores his newly developed dark angel powers, regret soon fills his heart and mind. Saving a soul isn’t what he imagined it to be, and it puts the grim reaper he loves in grave danger.

Obligated to take the throne as Queen, Mara must face the truth and unravel secrets she may not be ready to accept.

The second book in the Royal Reaper saga takes you on a paranormal fantasy adventure into a world of grim reapers, dark angels, and undead trucidators.

Also available on Barnes & Noble and iBooks

Death crept into the castle. Mara could feel its darkness pressing her down. As she walked to her father's bedchamber, the thought of marrying a man she did not love weighed heavily on her. All the invitations had been sent out months ago. Just as her life was beginning to almost feel normal, her father, King Philip, had fallen ill along with the court of Casmerelda and much of the kingdom. The second wave of the plague violently spread, leaving a trail of death and burning corpses for the living to clean up.

Her father had been bedridden for three days. His fever spiked and his skin glistened. He grew delirious, falling in and out of consciousness. As much as she despised him for what he’d done to her sister’s boyfriend, he was still her father. She didn’t want to be left alone.

“You must marry Astin at once.”

Mara cringed. “I can’t.” Her lips hidden as she wore a piece of ivory cloth against her nose and mouth, the slightest bit of protection from the disease that had taken over the kingdom. “I don’t love him. Please don’t do this to me.”

“Don’t be selfish.” The words struggled to reach his lips. He coughed and heaved, his chest rising and falling quickly as his pulse raced. “I’ll be with your mother soon…”

“You’ll be dead.”

Taking in several deep breaths, he opened his mouth, his words coming out as a whisper. “You will be reigning queen. Mara, you must act the part. Marry Astin and forge an alliance with the country of Morro, for the sake of Casmerelda. Your people need you.”

“I need you,” Mara said, gripping her father’s hand. She frowned, studying the tips of his fingers, a blackened hue lacing his skin.

“You shouldn’t touch me.” He tried to pull away, unsuccessfully. Her grip remained tight, but more significantly, he’d grown weak from the disease ravaging his body.

“I haven’t been infected, and I’ve been at your bedside every night.” Mara ordered the servants to bring more water and rags. It had done little good to break his fever or alleviate the discomfort he must have been experiencing, but it was all she could think of to help.

“Marry Astin.” His words were rough slipping past his lips. He wheezed, trying to speak, but Mara rested a hand upon his chest.

“Don’t.” She didn’t want to have this conversation again.

“For the sake of the kingdom,” he said, pleading with her.

Mara refused to answer. Marrying Astin wasn’t what she wanted. “I have no desire to be queen so young. You will pull through, do you hear me?”

He’d fallen into a deep slumber, unable to answer her.


Ruth Silver

Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of the Aberrant trilogy. With a passion for writing and a love of story-telling, Ruth is actively writing two series: Royal Reaper and Orenda. She also writes The Federal Agent Chronicles and Palace Secrets, both of which are adult romance under the name Ravyn Rayne for Blushing Books. Her interests include traveling, reading, and photography. Her favorite vacation destination is Australia. Ruth currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.

 

Follow Ruth here:
 Blog- http://writeawaybliss.com
 Facebook- http://facebook.com/writeawaybliss
 Twitter- http://twitter.com/writeawaybliss

  Looking for a steamier read? Check her out here:
 Blog- http://ravynrayne.com
 Facebook- http://facebook.com/ravynraynereads
 Twitter- http://twitter.com/blushingravyn

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Sunday Post: Weekly Wrap-Up (6.21)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, showcase books, share upcoming news, etc. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

What I Read Last Week:

Forget Me Knot by Ruth Silver
(Took much longer for me to read than I expected.)

My Reviews Last Week:
  
The Song of David by Amy Harmon (my 5+ star review)
The Gilded Cage by Lauren Smith (my 4.5 star review)
Never Let You Go by Katy Regnery (my 5 star review)
   
What I'm Currently Reading:
(I'm having book A.D.D. at the moment, so I have a few books I've partially started. Which do you think I'll finish first?)
  
End of Days by Susan Ee
Burying Water by KA Tucker
Grey by EL James