Review: Easton's Everything by Amy Gregory

Easton's Everything by Amy Gregory

(Finding Perfect #6)

November 17, 2015

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Standalone; companion series

Contains: Some sex

Source: eARC for Honest review

Easton Montgomery demands control and order. He’s purposely kept to himself, no strings and no nonsense. Preferring to be in charge of his destiny, keeping his life neat and tidy, all wrapped up. Life is perfect, until the bow comes undone and his world completely unravels.

Jessica Pierce left Denver years ago with nothing more than her clothes and a need for a brand new beginning. After planting roots where her car broke down, life was good for a while. Then the ranch owner who helped her rebuild her life threw her a curve ball. Now she’s the new girl in Renlend, Kansas on the Montgomery’s ranch, and their son Easton is a constant source of frustration and distraction. Getting her hands around the veterinarian’s neck and squeezing, looks better by the day.

After a week of stepping around each other, dodging barbed comments, and Jessica’s smart mouth, Easton realizes she’s got more fire than any other woman he’s met. Suddenly Easton wonders if this curvy, blonde spitfire might just be the challenge he’s been waiting for.

It's been a while since I've read an Amy Gregory book, and 'Easton's Eveything' reminded me why I enjoy her books so much. There's a combination of kindhearted characters, small town feelings, heartfelt circumstances, and sweet romance. Plus, this time around we get a deep love for animals, which added a beautiful layer to not only the story, but to the characters themselves.

I loved getting to know Easton and Jessica throughout this story. There was something very satisfying about the fact that different circumstances brought them to the farm, and yet living on the farm brought them together. They have personal reasons why they have shied away from relationships, and yet they find a kindred spirit in the other. But this is not a quick romance. There is a lovely build up that felt honest. In addition to their singular chemistry, the elements of family importance, animal respect, honoring others, and genuine integrity gave this story a great fullness. Add in a bevy of likable secondary characters and you get a well-rounded and endearing romantic tale.

The main thing that kept this from being a higher rating was an awkwardness with some of the writing and terminology around Easton being "controlling." I know controlling alpha males are a thing, but in this situation it felt forced. Or maybe I felt the wrong word was being used. When Easton wanted control, to me the way it was described was that he really wanted Jessica's trust and faith, perhaps unconditional trust. This term discrepancy is a minor issue, but it did make some moments awkward for me. Otherwise, I loved Easton and Jessica together, and truly enjoyed their journey.

3.5 to 4 Stars

Amazon * Goodreads

Finding Perfect series:

Mike's Way Back #1
***FREE***

My Review * Amazon * Goodreads

Gabby Revealed #2

My Review  *  Amazon * Goodreads 

Tyson's War #3

Amazon * Goodreads

Drew's Last Hope #4

Amazon * Goodreads

Ryan at Last #5

Amazon * Goodreads

Easton's Everything #6 

My Review * Amazon * Goodreads

Cover Reveal: Perfekt Control by ST Bende

Look at this beautiful cover of Perfekt Control, Book Two of the Ære

Saga! I love these covers. Can't wait to read the books!!

Perfekt Order, Book 1: coming December 8, 2015

Perfekt Control, Book 2: coming February 9, 2016

Perfekt Balance, Book 3: coming April 5, 2016

Perfekt Order, Book One

All's fair when you're in love with War.

For 18-year-old Mia Ahlström, a world ruled by order is the only world she allows. A lifetime of chore charts, to-do lists and study schedules have helped earn her a spot at Redwood State University’s engineering program. And while her five year plan includes finding her very own happily-evah-aftah, years at an all-girls boarding school left her feeling woefully unprepared for keg parties and co-ed extracurricular activities.

So nothing surprises her more than catching the eye of Tyr Fredriksen at her first college party. The imposing Swede is arrogantly charming, stubbornly overprotective, and runs hot-and-cold in ways that defy reason . . . until Mia learns that she’s fallen for the Norse God of War; an immortal battle deity hiding on Midgard (Earth) to protect a valuable Asgardian treasure from a feral enemy. With a price on his head, Tyr brings more than a little excitement to Mia’s rigidly controlled life. Choosing Tyr may be the biggest distraction—or the greatest adventure—she’s ever had.

Available for pre-order on:
iBooks ~ Amazon ~ Kobo
Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords

I can't wait to start this new series!

While you wait you can read ST Bende's Elsker Saga, which I loved!

Find the Elsker Saga on Goodreads 

About ST Bende: Before finding domestic bliss in suburbia, ST Bende lived in Manhattan Beach (became overly fond of Peet’s Coffee) and Europe… where she became overly fond of the musical Cats. Her love of Scandinavian culture and a very patient Norwegian teacher inspired the ELSKER series. She hopes her characters make you smile and that one day pastries will be considered a health food.

Website -  Blog  - Facebook - GoodReads
ST Bende on Twitter - Ull Myhr on Twitter - Tyr Fredriksen on Twitter 

Sunday Post: Weekly Wrap-Up (11.15)

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:

 
 
Easton's Everything by Amy Gregory
A Royal Christmas Gift by LuAnn McLane
Leveled by Jay Crownover
Campaigning for Christopher by Katy Regnery

My Reviews Last Week:

  
A Royal Christmas Gift by LuAnn McLane (my 4 star review)
November 9 by Colleen Hoover (my 2 star review)
Marrying Mr. English (part 1) by Katy Regnery (my 4 star review)

What I'm Currently Reading:

 
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
Embraced by Jus Accardo

Stacking the Shelves (135)

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!

Hardcover Beauty:

Winter by Marissa Meyer

eARC Goodness:


Hearts of Blue by LH Cosway

Used Book Score:


Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor

Novella Review: Marrying Mr. English by Katy Regnery (Part 1)

Marrying Mr. English by Katy Regnery

(The English Brothers #7)
Part 1: out on November 17, 2015

Genre: Contemporary Romance

*Part 1* is part of the "12 Christmas Romances to Melt Your Heart" anthology
*Get your copy here*

*Part 2* comes out December 18, 2015.
*Pre-order here*

You’ve all met the children and Eleanora and Tom English…but how exactly did down-on-her luck waitress, Eleanora Watters, meet trust fund hottie, Tom English?

You won’t want to miss this Christmas novel in two parts (each a complete novella – the first is a “Happily for now” ending and the second is a “Happily ever after” ending) that tells the story of how Eleanora met Tom, while he was visiting Vail in the 1980s.

The first novella, Marrying Mr. English, Part 1, will be included in the 12 Christmas Stories to Melt Your Heart anthology, which will feature twelve brand-new books and the proceeds of which will benefit The Autism Society of America.

My review is just for Part One of 'Marrying Mr. English.' But let me tell you, I can't wait to get my hands on Part Two. Seriously, Tom and Eleanora are fabulous. If you've read any of the English Brothers series, or just simply read the title to this novella, you know Tom and Eleanora marry. So we go into this story with a blatant spoiler. But despite knowing the outcome, I was still fully engaged in the story, the conflict, and the circumstances. Just because I know the ending, doesn't mean I know the middle. And I loved reading the sweet, sweet story of Tom and Ellie's beginnings. The down-on-her-luck waitress and the trust fund cutie give us quite the show, but in true Regnery fashion, the love bug strikes, and strikes hard. And I loved seeing them work through their personal journey to get where they got in the end (but there's still more to come, so I'm anxious to see what new road blocks come their way before their HEA).

I also loved the setting of the story, 1981, with the hair styles and fashion choices. Very fun. Plus, getting a glimpse into how their sons' names came about. Super fun. Beyond that, simply seeing Tom and Ellie's personalities gave me insight into where their children's personalities came from, and I loved that. So this was a special bonus to Regnery fans. But anyone new to this series should get an idea how great the rest of the series is. With parents like Tom and Eleanora, it's no wonder I love the English brothers. Can't wait for Part 2!!

About The English Brothers series:

*All books in The English Brothers series are approximately 200 pages. The RWA classifies this as "Mid-length Contemporary Romance."

THE ENGLISH BROTHERS

Breaking Up with Barrett, The English Brothers, Book #1
My Review --  Amazon  -- Goodreads

Falling for Fitz, The English Brothers, Book #2
My Review -- Amazon -- Goodreads

Anyone but Alex, The English Brothers, Book #3
My Review  --  Amazon  --  Goodreads

Seduced by Stratton, The English Brothers, Book #4
My Review -- Amazon --  Goodreads

Wild about Weston, The English Brothers, Book #5
My Review -- Amazon --  Goodreads 

Kiss Me Kate, The English Brothers, Book #6
My Review ~ Amazon  ~  Goodreads 

Review: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

November 10, 2015

320 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Contains: language and sexual references

Source: eARC for Honest review

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

I have loved every Colleen Hoover book I have read, up until this point. Unfortunately, and I'm shocked to say this, but November 9 was not a hit for me. In fact, it's my least favorite CoHo book :(

Now this one started well for me. I felt the familiar quirks and giggles from Hoover's well-known writing style. I was drawn into Fallon and Ben's lives. I felt a connection with Fallon and Ben, curious to know if their insta-feelings were real. I wanted to see what would happen... and then I didn't. Because the reason for why they were only going to meet once a year on the same date, but have no contact, not even a phone number or email, not even FB friends, just didn't gel with me. And the way they talked about their plans and justified everything was way too mature for a couple of 18 year olds. They sounded like 30-somethings, not kids barely out of high school.

Personal rant: The reasons behind the no-contact rule made no sense. It wasn't romantic. It was ridiculous. Because I don't believe dating someone means sacrificing everything else in your life and making them your end-all. It doesn't mean one or the other, all or nothing. Dating doesn't have to be full speed ahead. But that seemed to be what Ben and Fallon thought. There was no middle ground, no option for long distance friendship or dating. Because heaven forbid not having access to nearby sex. Imagine the sacrifice. It's impossible to date and still have a life and an education and a career and aspirations. *All said with much sarcasm* So knowing they were already planning years apart, which means they were purposely planning drama, not having any significant time together, seeing other people in between, etc... I found that I just didn't care.

I tried multiple times to force myself to continue the book and find out what happened to them in the next years, but I just didn't feel it. I started this book 24 days ago (yes, I had an arc, but I have also purchased a copy), and it took me probably 21 of those days to finally get around to skimming the rest until I got to the last couple of Nov 9s and reading what finally happened. 24 days to finish this book is too long for me. And when I finally finished, I was relieved I skimmed because drama, drama, yucky drama, plot twist, drama and then the ending. (No spoilers here, I left them on my Goodreads review instead). Perhaps the excess drama in New Adult is getting to me.

So this one wasn't for me. But Hoover's writing is still strong. I am still a fan and hope this is just a blip on my CoHo radar and I will love the next book she offers up. I loved the whole Slammed series and Confess, and wouldn't mind something along those lines again.

2 STARS

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Review: A Royal Christmas Gift by LuAnn McLane

A Royal Christmas Gift by LuAnn McLane

(Happily Ever After #1)

October 10, 2015

116 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Contains: some sex and language

Source: eARC for Honest review

Prince Royal Nicholas Worthington is devastated when he learns that his monarchy is being used as a tax haven for the wealthy and drug runners. To protect his people, he flees to Alabama and poses as Nick Worth, an inspector for the National Historical Society.

Anna Lee is floored when Nick Worth shows up on her doorstep to give her grant money to restore her home. She’s charmed by the handsome inspector with his European accent and takes him up on his offer. The two week restoration project turns into something much more, but Nick fears that his presence could put his southern beauty in danger.

As Christmas Eve approaches Nicholas must decide if he can put the woman he loves at risk or disappear from her life forever…

I am a sucker for Christmas/Holiday books. In fact, I look forward to them every year. 'A Royal Christmas' looked like just the sort of story that was right up my alley. And fortunately for me, it was! Here's a summary of my thoughts:

1. Sweet, endearing characters: I genuinely liked Nick and Anna Lee (even though I'm not a fan of double first names, lol). There was something refreshing about both of them. Nick wasn't a player. Anna Lee wasn't helpless. They had personalities that made you want to get to know them better. So getting to know them was quite nice. And they had a natural chemistry that clicked just right.

2. Friendly romance: What I mean by friendly is that even though this story takes place over a short period of time, it felt like Nick and Anna Lee became friends before becoming more. It wasn't just lust and jumping into bed at first sight. I enjoyed the pacing of the story, and how the dialogue led us to believe they got to know each other more than just skin deep. Their connection felt true, which allowed me to hope for more for the two of them.

3. Interesting family members: We get to know Anna Lee's mother and sister a bit, as well as get hints about Nick's brother and cousins. Now I like a good series that contains a myriad of characters I want to latch onto and follow alongside, especially if they're likable (which these are). So I'm really hoping this series follows more than just Nick and Anna Lee, because I'm always up for a great series, and I'm hoping this will be one of them. And this author is new to me, which makes this discovery even more exciting.

4. Unresolved conflict: Okay, so this one ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, which I was not expecting. It's not the worst cliffhanger I've ever read. Not even close. Actually, the book ends with a sneak peek at the next book, which to me acted like an epilogue, already giving us a glimpse of what's to come. But just be forwarned that the story is not resolved, and will be continued in another book to come. Honestly, I like my holiday reads wrapped up in a pretty bow (pun intended), so I was a bit disappointed, but I also genuinely liked these characters, so I look forward to more of their story.

Amazon ~ Goodreads