Sunday, December 21, 2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (26)

2a
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

What I Read in the Last 2 Weeks:
Undertow (Undertow, #1) Stormfront (Undertow #2) Mr. 365
Stay with Me (Wait for You, #3) Snowed Over Searching for Perfect (Searching For, #2)
Christmas on 4th Street (Fool's Gold, #12.5) Yours for Christmas (Fool's Gold, #15.5)
Undertow by K.R. Conway
Stormfront by K.R. Conway
Mr. 365 by Ruth Clampett
Stay With Me by J. Lynn
Snowed Over by Angie Stanton
Searching for Perfect by Jennifer Probst
Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery
Yours For Christmas by Susan Mallery
  
My Recent Reviews:
Merry Christmas, Baby (Lucky Harbor, #12.5) The Heart of Christmas (Whiskey Creek, #7)
Undertow (Undertow, #1) Searching for Perfect (Searching For, #2)
Merry Christmas, Baby by Jill Shalvis (3.5 stars)
The Heart of Christmas by Brenda Novak (
3.5 stars)
Undertow by K.R. Conway (5 stars)
Searching for Perfect by Jennifer Probst (5+ stars)
  
What I'm Reading This Week:
 Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School, #1)
Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Cover Reveal: Hearts of Fire by LH Cosway

HeartsFireFACEBOOK
We are excited to share with you the cover reveal for HEARTS OF FIRE, the spin-off book to L.H. Cosway's AMAZING book Six of Hearts, which tells the story of Jack McCabe, Jay Fields’ long lost, presumed dead brother. This is a standalone romance scheduled for release on March 9th.
LHCHeartsFireCover6x9
add-to-goodreads-button
Synopsis
The Circus Spektakulär is proud to present Jack McCabe: Fire-breather, knife-thrower, risk-taker.

My uncle lied. I never died.

I breathe fire, eat the poison that almost killed me.

Crowds come to see me night after night. Men for the spectacle, women for the thrill. I’m an oddity to be stared at and desired. With each flame I spit, I risk my life.

I wear scars on my body that will never go away, but the scars inside my head are far more difficult to overlook.

My brother doesn’t know the truth, and if I have it my way, he never will.

Life was going exactly the way I’d planned until Lille came along. She wanted to run away with the circus, have an adventure, but this world was never meant for her.

I try to keep her safe, because she doesn’t know the dangers that are out here on the road. She doesn’t know the monsters that lurk behind the bright lights of the ring. In truth, I could be considered one of them.

We were fashioned from different cloths, never intended to mix. So I watch her. I try not to touch, even when her eyes invite me.

Join us in the Spiegeltent and let us give you a show. Allow my Lille to draw a picture for you in paint and sweat and skin.

The truest love is always the hardest to let in.  

Excerpt
Before I knew it I was standing and a spotlight had landed on me, alongside Jack’s dark, indecipherable gaze. I stood frozen for a moment, uncertain of what to do. Then Marina was calling me to the stage and my feet were moving, one after the other, the traitorous bastards.

Jack held his hand out to me when I reached him and I placed my palm in his. Without realising it, I’d given him my right hand, my dominant hand, and also the hand that had been burned. When he gripped it, I hissed in a tiny breath at the sting.

“Sorry,” he murmured, but he didn’t sound sorry.

“It’s okay,” I replied as he led me to an upright wooden panel. Taking my shoulders in his big, warm hands, he gently situated me against it, my back flush with the wood.

“I hope you’re good at holding still,” he said and his breath hit the side of my neck.

“Why?” I practically whispered. He was incredibly handsome, even more so now that I was seeing him up close, and I felt a little drunk on it.

The edge of his mouth twitched, like he was holding back a smile. With one hand braced above my shoulder, he leaned in as he replied, “Because, blondie, I’m gonna be throwing knives at you, and I’d really hate to make you bleed.”

Again, he didn’t sound like he meant what he said at all. And I didn’t think there was a single pore on my body that wasn’t tingling. I remembered items number three and four on my list: Have sex with a stranger and do something dangerous. Perhaps if I could get Jack McCabe to do me, then I could kill two birds with one stone.

I hadn’t noticed before, because I was too busy staring at him, but there was a belt attached to the wood. I stood there as Jack took it and buckled it extra tight around my waist. He gave it a firm tug once he was done and smirked. I’m not sure why, but the action caused me to tremble. I think he noticed, too, because his eyes grew darker, if that was even possible.

Surprising me, he placed his flattened out palm to my belly. I had to try my hardest to concentrate on his words rather than the fact that my libido (the little slut) was willing his hand to move lower.

“This is your core. Visualise it. Focus on it. Keep your body in this exact position and everything will be fine.” There was the tiniest edge of a smile tugging at his lips and it made me wonder if he was enjoying this, if maybe he was trying to make me nervous.

Sucking in a breath, he continued randomly, “You smell like turpentine.” Then he drew up to his full and impressive height and walked to the other side of the stage. I knew I smelled like turpentine, because I often used it to clean my paintbrushes and sometimes the smell got into my clothes. That wasn’t the part that preoccupied me, that part would be the fact that he’d taken the time to smell me, and I didn’t know if I should be weirded out or turned on.

Okay, so I knew which option my libido was going for.

  LHCHeartsFireCover6x9_BW_360  
AboutTheAuthor
LH Cosway
L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.
 

♥READ THE BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL!♥
Six of Hearts
 
Giveaway

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Stacking the Shelves (88)

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!

Signed Book Purchased:
Beauty and the Mustache (Knitting in the City, #4)
Beauty and the Mustache by Penny Reid (my 5+ star review)
 
Gifted:
Snowed Over 
Snowed Over by Angie Stanton (eBook)

For My Kindle:
 The 2014 R.L. Mathewson Chronicle Collection The Year We Hid Away (The Ivy Years, #2)
Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2) Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy, #1)
The 2014 RL Mathewson Chronicle Colleciton by RL Mathewson
The Year We Hid Away by Sarina Bowen
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
 

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Review: Searching for Perfect by Jennifer Probst

Searching for Perfect (Searching For, #2)
Searching for Perfect by Jennifer Probst
(Searching For #2)
April 29, 2014
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance 18+
Contains: explicit sex, language
Source: eARC for Honest review

The up-and-coming matchmaking agency Kinnections is the hottest thing to hit Verily, New York—just like Kennedy Ashe, social director for the service she owns with her two best girlfriends. A coach, consultant, and cheerleader rolled into one super-sizzling package, Kennedy creates dream dates, encourages singles to shine, and never refuses a challenge—not even Nate Ellison Raymond Dunkle, rocket scientist, nerd extraordinaire, and Kennedy’s newest client.

Kennedy vows to work her magic and transform this hot mess in a lab coat with a disastrous relationship track record into the most wanted man on the Verily dating scene. If only she could turn the wand on herself . . .

Though she radiates confidence and sex appeal, Kennedy harbors deep-seated insecurities from a tormented past and lifelong struggle with weight issues. When she realizes she and Nate are cut from the same cloth and might be perfect together, can Kennedy learn to let her heart lead the way? Or will her fears sentence her to the sidelines as Nate finds love—with someone else?


Searching for Perfect is my newest book hangover. I absolutely loved it. While this is the second in a series, and this series is a spin-off of another series, it is easily read as a standalone. But after this you may want to go back and catch up on some of those previous books.

This book had me hooked from chapter one. I just love a nerdy guy, and Nate was perfect from the start. Using a bit of a My Fair Lady twist, Nate was the perfect Eliza Doolittle to Kennedy, the seemingly perfect (on the outside) professional matchmaker. Kennedy's plan is to transform Nate and coach him into someone who doesn't scare women off with the first words out of his very direct mouth, clean him up, and find his perfect wife. But who said plans always go as planned?

The chemistry and connection between Nate and Kennedy was amazing. I loved their banter and the way they were so comfortable with each other. I loved that they could see beyond the surface of each other's stereotypes. Each had a difficult past that still affects them, but in one another they have found a kindred connection. And with that bond, I love that they were able to start as friends (actually, Nate was just a client), which slowed down their "fall" for each other and allowed them to see each other's true self. Did I mention I loved this book?

I absolutely loved Nate! He's funny, he's smart, he's honest and direct, he's socially awkward, he's attentive. He also makes scientific analysis and research super sexy. Like, super sexy! Even when he was getting his heart broken, Nate was a stand-up guy. Kennedy had her own issues, and after a while you will probably want to shake her, but if you've ever been even remotely insecure, taken advantage of, or found lacking in the eyes of others, you will be able to relate to her, and her story has far more layers than that. But put these two together, and they are perfect for each other.

What more can I say? I loved Searching for Perfect! It was a beautiful balance of humor, tenderness, friendship, drama, sexiness, and love. I already want to read it again. I'm looking forward to more from this series. Can you say, Wolfe?




Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Cover Reveal: ASA by Jay Crownover

Woot! Check it out! I am so excited about the cover reveal for Jay Crownover's ASA! ASA is the sixth and final book in Jay's Marked Men Series, published by HarperCollins. Check out the hot cover and don't forget to pre-order your copy today! I absolutely love this series and cannot wait to read ASA!

  Image Map  

Amazon US ** iBooks ** Barnes & Noble ** Kobo

Starting over in Denver with a whole new circle of friends and family, Asa Cross struggles with being the man he knows everyone wants him to be and the man he knows he really is. A leopard doesn’t it change its spots and Asa has always been a predator. He doesn’t want to hurt those who love and rely on him, especially one stunning arresting cop who suddenly seems to be interested in him for far more than his penchant for breaking the law. But letting go of old habits is hard, and it’s easy to hit bottom when it’s the place you know best.

Royal Hastings is quickly learning what the bottom looks like after a tragic situation at work threatens not only her career but her partner’s life. As a woman who has only ever had a few real friends she’s trying to muddle through her confusion and devastation all alone. Except she can’t stop thinking about the sexy southern bartender she locked up. Crushing on Asa is the last thing she needs but his allure is too strong to resist. His long criminal record can only hurt her already shaky career and chasing after a guy who has no respect for the law or himself can only end in heartbreak.

A longtime criminal and a cop together just seems so wrong . . . but for Asa and Royal, being wrong together is the only right choice to make.  

Marked men Banner

And don’t miss the previous books in The Marked Men Series!

RULE

JET

ROME

NASH

ROWDY

And don't miss Jay at 3pm EST over at the Between The Covers page on Facebook today! Come chat with her!



Jay CrownoverJay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series. She also introduced the dark and sexy world of The Point the started with Better When He’s Bad and is currently working on her newest series The Saints of Denver. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.      

Website ** Blog ** Facebook ** Twitter ** ASA Goodreads ** Jay Crownover Goodreads

Image Map

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday (24): Top Ten Books I Read In 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
For more information and a list of past and future topics, go here.

Top Ten Eleven Books/Authors I Read In 2014
(alphabetical order by author)

Middle & Young Adult:
Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days, #1) World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)
Angelfall & World After by Susan Ee
Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Wonder
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Flat-Out Celeste (Flat-Out Love, #2)
Flat-Out Celeste by Jessica Park

New Adult & Coming-of-Age:
Painted Faces (Painted Faces, #1)
Painted Faces by L.H. Cosway
Rowdy (Marked Men, #5)
Rowdy by Jay Crownover
Play (Stage Dive, #2) Lead (Stage Dive, #3)
Play & Lead by Kylie Scott


Adult Romance:
Awaken (Spiral of Bliss, #3) Break the Sky
Awaken & Break the Sky by Nina Lane
Skygods (Hydraulic, #2)
Skygods by Sarah Latchaw
Seduced by Stratton (The English Brothers, #4) Wild About Weston (The English Brothers, #5)
The English Brothers Series by Katy Regnery
Neanderthal Marries Human: A Smarter Romance (Knitting in the City, #1.5) Love Hacked (Knitting in the City, #3)
Beauty and the Mustache (Knitting in the City, #4) Scenes from the City (Knitting in the City, #4.5)
And last, but certainly not least... gems from the Knitting in the City Series by Penny Reid