Review Tour & Giveaway: Capture by Penny Reid

Capture by Penny Reid
(Elements of Chemistry #3)
May 16, 2015
234 pages
Genre: New Adult Romance 18+
Contains: Sex, strong language
Source: eARC for Honest review

One week. 

Manhattan apartment. 

Super-hot ex-boyfriend.

…What’s the worst that could happen?

It’s been nine months since Kaitlyn Parker has seen or heard from Martin Sandeke—nine months and five stages of matter. She’s lived through the worst of first-love heartbreak, and is most certainly stronger (and less likely to hide in science cabinets) than ever before.

But now Martin is back. And he wants to be friends. But he’s sending mixed signals to the Bunsen burner in Kaitlyn’s pants.

Will Martin re-capture Kaitlyn’s heart? Can Kaitlyn and Martin ever be just friends? Or, despite an abundance of chemistry, are some bonds just too unstable to endure?

If you are familiar with this trilogy, then you know that book 1, Attraction, introduced us to Kaitlyn Parker and Martin Sandeke, fabulous collegiate chem partners turned spring break vacationers with a heavy dose of mutual attraction. In book 2, Heat, this attraction turned red hot as Kaitlyn and Martin coaxed their relationship into heated passion. But then the unthinkable happened, and we were left heart-broken alongside them in a wretched cliffhanger.

But all the waiting was completely worth it. Even though all three books are now out, I still highly recommend taking even a small break (at least a few days to a week) between books. There is something necessary about this timely pause to let the previous events simmer, yet also prepare you for the next stage in Martin and Kaitlyn's relationship. Each book is its own personality, and each stage allows Martin and Kaitlyn to grow in incredible ways. So just as their journey needed its own "breaks," so also do we so we can be even more impacted by their conclusion.

Having said all that, all the intense anxiety I felt throughout this book was completely worth it. I was so excited to fill myself up with Martin and Kaitlyn, having not a clue how things would turn out, except desperately hoping for a happy ending. As the synopsis reveals, K&M have been apart for months. From Kaitlyn's perspective, she has been trying to heal and move on from her love for Martin, and at the same time she has been exploring a new side to her that Martin brought out, the confidence and vision for her musical side. When Kaitlyn sees Martin again, we learn that he has also been busy these last months, but the specifics of what or why remain elusive until the details are slowly revealed.

What is not slowly revealed, but glaring obvious, is that these two are not done. Not by a long shot. The sparks may have been ignored, but they were not forgotten. But Martin's approach to Kaitlyn is all new. Which is good because Kaitlyn and Martin are also new. And I loved their story. Yes, I may have trembled with anxiety and anticipation. Yes, my stomach may have been was in knots. Yes, I may have swooned over a certain someone and all his yummy awesomeness. Yes, I may have smiled and sighed and cheered and fanned myself. But I cannot go into great detail with what actually happens. That is something you will want to enjoy all on your own!

I also deeply loved Kaitlyn & Martin. Penny Reid develops characters beautifully, and K&M are two characters you can tell she put her heart and soul into. They are so well thought out, and in this final book, their transformation and maturity is amazing. And I have to say that Martin steals the show a bit here. Seriously, if you were on the fence at all about Martin in the previous books, you won't be after this. I loved Martin! And then having K&M together... All the feels!!

I loved Capture and loved the entire Elements of Chemistry trilogy. I miss Martin and Kaitlyn already, and hope they appear somewhere in something at sometime in some way in the future, the near future, because I loved them so.

Amazon • Nook • Kobo • iBooks

Elements of Chemistry:

Martin and Kaitlyn's Trilogy

Part 1: ATTRACTION

Review ~ Amazon ~ Kobo

iBooks ~ B&N

Part 2: HEAT

Review ~ Amazon US ~ iTunes

B&N ~ Kobo

Part 3: CAPTURE

Amazon • Nook • Kobo • iBooks

About Penny Reid: SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing). By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.

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Teaser Tuesday (52): The Consequence of Revenge

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, 

hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.

The Consequence of Revenge
by Rachel Van Dyken
Expected Publication date: June 9, 2015

**I loved The Consequence of Loving Colton. Hilarious!! So I was super excited to read Max's story, in The Consequence of Revenge. Max did not disappoint!**

Teaser from 49%:

"But, you know, if I was to ask what his favorite food was-"

"Mexican. We're Canadian, but it doesn't stop him from believing he was adopted and his real father is in the Mexican drug cartel."

(*Quote comes from my eARC copy, therefore it and its location are not final.)

After losing his best friend to another guy, the notoriously too-confident Max Emory suddenly feels lost. He may have devastatingly good looks, an abundance of charm, and a claim to one of the biggest hotel empires around, but he has no ambition anymore. So when his fed-up friends decide they’ve had enough of his moping, they sign him up to be the next bachelor on the reality series Love Island. And between his pride and his forged signature on an ironclad contract, Max just can’t say no.

Now he’s stranded in paradise with twenty-four women, one terrifying goat, and Becca, the breathtaking barista who already turned him down back home. The closer Max gets to Becca, the more determined he becomes to win her over. As she gets to know him better, things start heating up. But is Becca really after Max’s heart—or is she after the cash prize she could claim once the cameras stop rolling?

Goodreads ~ Amazon 

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: The Song of David by Amy Harmon

Isn't this cover gorgeous?!!!!

The Song of David by Amy Harmon

Coming Soon: June 15, 2015

Cover by: Hang Le

She said I was like a song. Her favorite song. A song isn’t something you can see. It’s something you feel, something you move to, something that disappears after the last note is played.

I won my first fight when I was eleven years old, and I’ve been throwing punches ever since. Fighting is the purest, truest, most elemental thing there is. Some people describe heaven as a sea of unending white. Where choirs sing and loved ones await. But for me, heaven was something else. It sounded like the bell at the beginning of a round, it tasted like adrenaline, it burned like sweat in my eyes and fire in my belly. It looked like the blur of screaming crowds and an opponent who wanted my blood.

For me, heaven was the octagon.

Until I met Millie, and heaven became something different. I became something different. I knew I loved her when I watched her stand perfectly still in the middle of a crowded room, people swarming, buzzing, slipping around her, her straight dancer’s posture unyielding, her chin high, her hands loose at her sides. No one seemed to see her at all, except for the few who squeezed past her, tossing exasperated looks at her unsmiling face. When they realized she wasn’t normal, they hurried away. Why was it that no one saw her, yet she was the first thing I saw?

If heaven was the octagon, then she was my angel at the center of it all, the girl with the power to take me down and lift me up again. The girl I wanted to fight for, the girl I wanted to claim. The girl who taught me that sometimes the biggest heroes go unsung and the most important battles are the ones we don’t think we can win.

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Smashwords

Amy Harmon is a USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in several countries, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

Amy Harmon has written seven novels - the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, Infinity + One and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her newest release, The Law of Moses, is now available. For updates on upcoming book releases, author posts and more, join Amy at www.authoramyharmon.com

Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

Giveaway- (6) $25 Amazon Gift Cards

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Sunday Post: Weekly Wrap-Up (5.17)

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. 

My Week in a Nutshell:
I did not get as much reading in this week, because life has been chock full of busyness. Baseball playoffs for two of my boys. Injured leg for the other boy. Yearbook planning. Dentist. Working. You know, life. And, of course, trying to keep the kids focused on school as we are all ready for it to be over. But it's not really over, because I'm in the middle of planning next year's curriculum and classes. (Have I mentioned I homeschool my kids?) But I still managed to squeeze some fun reading in, and bought some new books that I've added to my ever-growing TBR pile. Can you relate to having an overflowing TBR pile?

What I Read Last Week:

  
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion 
(DNF'd at 30%. Didn't like it as much as the first book. Didn't like the direction it was going in. Skimmed the end instead and decided that was enough for me. But I still recommend the first book, The Rosie Project.)
The Consequence of Revenge by Rachel Van Dyken (loved!)
Greed by Fisher Amelie

My Posted Reviews Last Week:

 
 
Bidding on Brooks by Katy Regnery (my 4.25 star review)
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (my 4.25 star review)
All Played Out by Cora Carmack (my 4.5 star review)
Under the Spotlight by Angie Stanton (my 3 star review)
   

What I Started Reading:

The Shadow Revolution by Clay & Susan Griffith

New Release & Giveaway: Capture by Penny Reid

Capture by Penny Reid Hypothesis #3 

Publication Date: May 16, 2015 

Genres: Contemporary, Humor, New Adult, Romance

Amazon • Nook • Kobo • iBooks

Elements of Chemistry: CAPTURE is the third part in a three part series; it is 70k words.

Part 1: ATTRACTION

Review ~ Amazon ~ Kobo

iBooks ~ B&N

Part 2: HEAT

Review ~ Amazon US ~ iTunes

B&N ~ Kobo

Part 3: CAPTURE

Amazon • Nook • Kobo • iBooks

About Penny Reid

SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing). By day I’m a biomedical researcher with focus on rare diseases. By night I’m a knitter, sewer, lino block carver, fabric printer, soap maker, and general crafter. By the wee hours of the morning or when I’m intoxicated I love to listen to the voices in my head and let them tell me stories. I hope you enjoy their stories.

Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stacking The Shelves (109)

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've been trying to curb my book buying tendencies, but I just couldn't resist these beauties.**

New Bookshelf Pretties:
  
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen (signed)
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Lead by Kylie Scott (finally have the full set of this series)

Review: Under the Spotlight by Angie Stanton

Under the Spotlight by Angie Stanton

(The Jamieson Collection #3)

May 5, 2015

Harper Teen

400 pages

Genre: YA Contemporary 16+

Contains: some mature language, sexual references

Source: eARC for Honest review

After an embarrassing stint on a reality-TV music competition years ago, Riley vowed never to sing again. Now she's behind the scenes, working at the prestigious Sound Sync recording studio, and life is looking up. But then Garrett Jamieson, the oldest brother in the famous Jamieson brothers band, crashes into her world. Garrett has hit rock bottom, and he is desperate to reinvent himself. After calling in a few favors, he ends up working at Sound Sync to learn the ropes of record producing from the industry's best. And he can't believe his luck when he discovers that Riley has been keeping a secret—she is an amazing singer. By producing her album, he's sure to top the record charts again. But Garrett is forced to use every trick in his arsenal to persuade the sassy girl to record. Riley refuses to sing—or even entertain the thought of it—and sparks fly as Garrett finally meets his match. But in the heat of the moment, one stolen kiss changes everything. Will Riley be the first person to finally rein Garrett in, or will Garrett succeed in getting Riley back under the spotlight?

I read the previous two books in this series, but almost three years ago. And I did not re-read them prior to this book. Having said that, I don't feel like you need to read the previous books to be completely engulfed in this one. There is very little reference to the previous books, except for the fact that the Jamieson band has broken up and Garrett's brothers have girlfriends. So if you get caught up in the Jamieson fever, you may want to check them out if you haven't already, otherwise this is a standalone. (Side note: Book 1, Rock and a Hard Place, is still my favorite of the 3.)

Garrett was a jerk in the beginning. But he was a jerk in the other books, so that was to be expected. He took a while to warm up to. Then just when I was liking him more, he'd do something stupid again. The boy did not learn quickly. He was stubborn, arrogant, narrow-minded, self-centered. He'd have moments of humanity and decency, but he was also his own worst enemy, messing his persona up again. I was rooting for him to grow up, but he didn't make it easy.

Riley was spunky and fiery, and had a bit of a chip on her shoulder. Now, her brutal singing past having an affect on her is understandable. And her mom. Don't even get me started on her. She's not winning Mom-of-the-Year any time soon. So I liked how independent and self-reliant Riley was trying to be, very goal-oriented and hard-working. But she's just as stubborn as Garrett. I wanted to tell her to just relax and be open-minded to learn. But she needed to learn the hard way. When it came to her mom, she definitely was getting some tough lessons. But with music her lessons and re-exploration came about in a different way, with a lot of interference (or encouragement) on Garrett's part.

I was really caught up in the story in the beginning. I liked getting in the studio with Riley, seeing the business through her eyes. I liked the hopefulness I felt that these two characters would grow and learn and light up the story. And they were entertaining and revealing. But by the middle it was starting to drag for me. The plot progression is a bit slow at times. The momentum is steady - not quite the slow lane on the freeway, but certainly not the fast lane. On a four-lane highway, I'm gonna say lane two.

The romance was very slow in coming. Which I didn't mind. It was good to see these two not hit it off in the beginning and not have insta-love. Turning the tide from dislike to like was a process. But once they finally turned that corner, I felt like the story was going to finally take a leap... and then it didn't. Honestly, Garrett and Riley were a bit exhausting, and realistically, I'm not even sure they are a good match for each other. But I was willing to give them a shot.

And while I liked the turnabout in the end with the characters and their maturation, I felt like the ending was rushed. I felt like I'd just invested 400 pages into their love story and in the end it was a bit anti-climactic and unfulfilling. Which is unfortunate, because the story started out really great for me, but slowly and surely progressed downhill.

Note: Garrett is 22 and Riley is 18, but I would label this more Young Adult speed than New Adult. This is nice for the reader looking for a story with this age range, but not wanting all the hot-and-heavy so prevalent in the New Adult genre.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Under the Spotlight Goodreads 

 

The Jamieson Collection:

 

Book 1: Rock and a Hard Place

Book 2: Snapshot

(My Double Review)