Sunday, December 18, 2016

Sunday Post: Weekly Wrap-Up (12.18)

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:
  
Sweet Escape by Nina Lane
Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore
Broken Souls by Stephen Blackmoore

Top Ten Tuesday
Books I'm Looking Forward to in the First Half of 2017 

My Reviews Last Week:
 
Sweet Escape by Nina Lane (my 4.5 star review)
Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore (my 4.5 star review)

What I'm Listening To:

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater 

What I'm Reading Next:

It's You (book 1) by KP Kelley

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Stacking The Shelves (190)

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* Paperback Pretties:
 
Grin and Beard It by Penny Reid
Beard Science by Penny Reid

eARC Awesomeness:
 
Justice Ascending by Rebecca Zanetti
Hungry Ghosts by Stephen Blackmoore
It's You by Katy Regnery

Kindle Fun:
 
Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore
Broken Souls by Stephen Blackmoore

Friday, December 16, 2016

Review: Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore

Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore
(Eric Carter #1)
February 5, 2013
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic
Contains: violence, language, disturbing images

Necromancer is such an ugly word, but it's a title Eric Carter is stuck with.

He sees ghosts, talks to the dead. He’s turned it into a lucrative career putting troublesome spirits to rest, sometimes taking on even more dangerous things. For a fee, of course.

When he left L.A. fifteen years ago he thought he’d never go back. Too many bad memories. Too many people trying to kill him.

But now his sister’s been brutally murdered and Carter wants to find out why.

Was it the gangster looking to settle a score? The ghost of a mage he killed the night he left town? Maybe it’s the patron saint of violent death herself, Santa Muerte, who’s taken an unusually keen interest in him.

Carter’s going to find out who did it and he’s going to make them pay.

As long as they don’t kill him first.

This may be my first necromancer read where the necromancer is the main character, and not just a side character. So perhaps I'm not an expert in this genre. But regardless, I was hooked. This was dark, gritty, and visually disturbing at times, but also splashed with humor and fascinating lore throughout. Despite not agreeing with all of Eric's choices (past or present), I really enjoyed him as our main protagonist and his first person POV. His imperfections made him even more intriguing. This was an addicting read I did not want to put down. We have this mystery of who brutally murdered Eric's sister, which brings up a slew of other issues that Eric has been avoiding for the past 15 years. It was fast-paced and smart, with a host of twists and turns. And though the story did not end in rainbows and kittens, I still appreciated the impactful way it did end. I'm normally pretty good at catching clues and figuring stuff out, but this one had me fooled. Kudos to the author for that. I immediately purchased book two. Looking forward to what comes next.


Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Review: Sweet Escape by Nina Lane

When dessert goes wrong…

Hannah Lockhart travels the world and blogs about love. At least she used to before she promised to look after her sister’s bakery. Now, stuck in small town California for the next six months, Hannah is desperate to find romantic content for her blog or risk losing both readers and income.

Then a whipped cream disaster sends her into the arms of sexy, charming Evan Stone, heir to the Sugar Rush Candy Company.

Since childhood, Evan has been trying to overcome family concerns about his defective heart. Known as “The Heartbreaker,” he’s found an outlet with women. And when bad news strikes him, he seeks a diversion by offering to show Hannah the romance of the Bay Area.

Hannah jumps at the chance…as long as they keep things platonic. But soon Evan’s hot combination of charm, perfect kisses, and a serious sweet tooth melts her defenses.

As Hannah and Evan surrender to their delicious attraction, they are forced to confront the reality of her wanderlust and his heart condition. When love and hearts collide, can Hannah and Evan find their sweet ending?

Add SWEET ESCAPE to Goodreads!

Get your hands on SWEET ESCAPE:

I really enjoyed the first book, 'Sweet Dreams'. Having been introduced to Evan and Hannah as support characters there, I was super excited about them getting their own book. Turns out, I liked 'Sweet Escape' even more than the first book.

Evan has finally been given the opportunity to play CEO while his brother is out of town, but business and health issues are not making things easy. With his history of heart defect, he's been lavished with love and protection from his family, but it's hindered him as well. With Hannah, she has her own history and family issues to overcome. She's the flaky, traveling sister, never around long enough to take care of anyone but herself. So when she's forced to stay in town to take care of her sister's bakery, she's also forced to look at herself and what it means to find a home.

Pairing Evan and Hannah together was a perfect mix. I loved the balance between sexy and sweet, strength and vulnerability, courage and fear, love and hope. It was quite the journey, exploring this tentative relationship between them, with the future so unknown due to Hannah's impermanence and Evan's "heartbreaker" status. But I loved their journey. Their friendship, the dates, the romance, the sugary sweetness, the unknown - Evan and Hannah touched my heart and I absolutely loved them as a couple.

'Sweet Escape' was a solid 4-star-read until the last third of the book, where it got even better and hit the 5 star level! I felt so much emotion that I was afraid I was going to tear up at work on my lunch break when I was trying to finish the book. I definitely fell in love with Hannah and Evan's beautiful (and sweet) story.



About Sweet Dreams

He may own a candy company, but this wealthy bachelor is no Willy Wonka.

Sugar Rush Candy Company CEO Luke Stone is a devoted businessman who doesn't do relationships. He does short-term affairs with clearly defined rules. But when a sexy bohemian angel propositions him in a bar, Luke is tempted to want more.

Polly Lockhart is horrified when she wakes the morning after her twenty-third birthday to realize she made a fool of herself with a sinfully delicious man. She tells herself she doesn't have time for romance anyway, as she's fighting to keep her mother's beloved bakery afloat and finish her culinary studies. That all changes when her class tours the famed Sugar Rush headquarters, and Polly collides with her dream man again.

As she succumbs to their hot attraction, Polly soon realizes her bakery isn't the only thing that needs saving. Luke, driven and unyielding, will burn out unless someone convinces him to taste the sweetness of life. But can Polly remember this sugar rush is only temporary?

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Grab your copy of SWEET DREAMS now:
 

About Nina Lane

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances and spicy erotica. Originally from California, she holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she's that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer.
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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Double Cover Reveal: It's You by Katy Regnery

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Holy shift.... The covers for the It's You DUET by New York Times Bestselling Author Katy Regnery writing as KP Kelley are finally here!
Check out the trailer HERE: https://youtu.be/_Y5wIBJwUw0

It's You, book 1 Release date: January 3rd
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PREORDER NOW!

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From New York Times bestselling author Katy Regnery comes her first duo of paranormal romances!
ONCE UPON A TIME... the most beautiful boy in the world kissed me. I’ve never been able to forget. Perhaps it was his jet-black hair, or the changing copper-color of his eyes, the intense way he looked at me… or the fact that he awakened my passion for the first time, at once otherworldly yet heartbreakingly real. But after that kiss, I never saw him again. His name was Jack Beauloup. Jack, my “Beautiful Wolf.” Twenty years passed. He has returned. For me.

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It's You, book 2 Release date: January 17th
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The thrilling conclusion of Katy Regnery’s first paranormal romance series! HAPPILY EVER AFTER… To some, they’re just words signifying a fairytale ending. For me, Jack Beauloup, they represent an unyielding desire: Forever with Darcy Turner, the unexpected love of my life. A love that has placed her human life in danger. According to Pack Law, my binding is an abomination that must be severed. It’s ignited a fiery hatred that I must confront and control. But what is bound cannot be broken. I will keep Darcy safe. Even if it means giving up on my dreams. Even if it means giving up my life.

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katy Regnery started her writing career by enrolling in a short story class in January 2012. One year later, she signed her first contract and Katy’s first novel was published in September 2013. Twenty-five books later, Katy claims authorship of the multi-titled, New York Times and USA Today Blueberry Lane Series, which follows the English, Winslow, Rousseau, Story, and Ambler families of Philadelphia; the six-book, bestselling ~a modern fairytale~ series; and several other standalone novels and novellas. Katy’s first modern fairytale romance, The Vixen and the Vet, was nominated for a RITA® in 2015 and won the 2015 Kindle Book Award for romance. Katy’s boxed set, The English Brothers Boxed Set, Books #1–4, hit the USA Today bestseller list in 2015, and her Christmas story, Marrying Mr. English, appeared on the list a week later. In May 2016, Katy’s Blueberry Lane collection, The Winslow Brothers Boxed Set, Books #1-4, became a New York Times E-book bestseller. In 2016, Katy signed a print-only agreement with Spencerhill Press. As a result, her Blueberry Lane paperback books will now be distributed to brick and mortar bookstores all over the United States. Katy lives in the relative wilds of northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, where her writing room looks out at the woods, and her husband, two young children, two dogs, and one Blue Tonkinese kitten create just enough cheerful chaos to remind her that the very best love stories begin at home.

Author Links:
Website/Newsletter Signup: http://katyregnery.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7211470.Katy_Regnery
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2dqySsy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatyRegnery
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatyRegnery
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/katharineregner/

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'm Looking Forward To for the First Half of 2017

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 I'm Looking Forward To for the First Half of 2017
(Listed in publication order)

It's You (duet) by Katy Regnery
January 3 & 17, 2017


A List of Cages by Robin Roe
January 10, 2017


Long Way Home by Katie McGarry
January 31, 2017


Justice Ascending by Rebecca Zanetti
January 31, 2017


Hungry Ghosts by Stephen Blackmoore
February 7, 2017


Riveted by Jay Crownover
February 14, 2017


Dating-ish by Penny Reid
March/April 2017


Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
March 28, 2017


Twist by Kylie Scott
April 11, 2017


180 Seconds by Jessica Park
April 25, 2017


Dream Fall by Amy Plum
May 2, 2017

Honorable Mention:
Laws of Physics (trilogy) by Penny Reid
June/July/August 2017