Monday, June 30, 2014

Jill Shalvis Blitz Week + Giveaway


Then Came You 
By Jill Shalvis 
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Summary: Veterinary intern Emily can’t believe she wound up in the small town of Sunshine, Idaho, instead of the Los Angeles clinic she had always imagined. Now she has to put her plans to move to L.A. on hold for a whole year while she fulfills the obligation of her vet school scholarship.

Then Wyatt, her gorgeous one-night stand from a Reno vet conference, introduces himself as her new boss. And Emily is just as drawn to his seductive looks and quiet strength as she was on that very steamy night. She soon learns that Wyatt isn’t just a laid-back doctor, but a delicious alpha male tempting her away from her carefully laid-out plans


Amazon // B&N // Books-A-Million // iTunes


Emily sat on a fallen log and leaned back. When she was little, she’d loved to try to star watch. In LA, this was tricky because of all the city lights, not to mention smog. Doing it here, in the land of the big sky, was a whole new ball game. “I’m not lonely,” she said to the horse, who snorted again and swished his tail.

“Good. Cuz you’re not alone.”
Two long legs came into her peripheral. Wyatt crouched at her side and looked into her face.  “How are you?”

“Fine,” she said.

Nodding, he sat on the log at her side and leaned back, presumably to look at whatever she was looking at. “Pretty night.”

His hands were behind him, his shoulder and a part of his chest brushing her arm and shoulder. Actually it was more like he was encircling her within his arm span, which was considerable. It was a guy move, an alpha guy move, and it made her feel ... protected.

She was getting far too used to that, she thought with a sigh. “Where is everyone?”

“Gone,” he said, and there was an odd quality to his voice that had her taking a second look at him. He didn’t take his gaze off the sky so she got him in profile, the tousled hair, the fine lines crinkling the corners of his eyes from long days out in the sun, the square, scruffy jaw. A broad shoulder built to take on the weight of the world. 

He’d been working his ass off, here at Belle Haven, helping Dell take up the slack for the out-of-town Jade, and then going home and helping his sisters with the monstrous house they were fixing up. He did so much for everyone, and she found herself wanting to do something for him. Make him smile. Make him relax. Make him forget, even for a few minutes…  She nudged him with her shoulder.

He nudged her back and turned to look at her then, his eyes dark and unfathomable behind his glasses.

Chickening out, she turned her head this time, and stared up at the sky as he had been only a few seconds before.

“Emily.”

When she didn’t tear her gaze off the stars, he leaned in and nipped her ear.

Sucking in a breath, she looked at him again. His was still dark, but there were things swirling in those dark depths now. Need. Heat.

Affection.

He stole her breath. 

“Let the record state,” she said, reaching out to snatch off his glasses, “that I don’t always make the first move.”

He blinked in momentary confusion, and probably also because he could no longer see. He opened his mouth to say something, but she sank her fingers into his hair and kissed him, hard and long and deep.

“Emily,” he said when they broke for air, his voice rough and husky.

She climbed into his lap and then pushed him backwards off the log so that he fell to his back in the wild grass with her straddling him.

Laughing, he slid his hands beneath her top and up her back, drawing out a delicious shiver from her.  Then his hands slid slowly down her spine, and into the backs of her jeans.  “Let the record also state,” he said in a delicious growl. “Who made the rest of the moves.”

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill's bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.



Giveaway
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Weekly Roundup [6/24-6/30]

Happy Monday! Can you believe that it's already the last day of June? Tomorrow starts July and I could not be more excited. In the next month, I am running a 4th of July 5k, reading some fabulous books, watching even more movies, and going to Myrtle Beach at the end of the month! I couldn't be more excited for the next 31 days. And even though it feels like June flew by, I still have almost two whole months of my summer left, so I have a lot of time left to read as many books as I can! While I'm still 6 books behind on my Goodreads reading challenge, I am determined to catch back up this month. Here's to a fantastic July! 

Book Reviews
Solsbury Hill by Susan M Wyler
Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley
For the Longest Time by Kendra Leigh Castle
Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton

Memes

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Book Review: Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton

Rusty Nailed (Cocktail #2)
By Alice Clayton
Release Date: June 24, 2014
Source: Publisher
Summary: In this sequel to Wallbanger, the second book in the Cocktail series, fan favorites Caroline and Simon negotiate the rollercoaster of their new relationship while house-sitting in San Francisco.

Playing house was never so much fun—or so confusing. With her boss on her honeymoon, Caroline’s working crazy long hours to keep the interior design company running—especially since she’s also the lead designer for the renovation of a gorgeous old hotel on Sausalito. So with her hotshot photographer boyfriend gallivanting all over the world for his job, she and Simon are heavy-duty into “absence makes the heart grow fonder” mode. Neither has any complaints about the great reunion sex, though! Then Simon decides he’s tired of so much travelling, and he’s suddenly home more. A lot more. And wanting Caroline home more, too. Though their friends’ romantic lives provide plenty of welcome distraction, eventually Caroline and Simon have to sort their relationship out. Neither wants “out of sight, out of mind,” but can they create their own happy mid-ground cliché?

USA TODAY bestselling author Alice Clayton delivers another delicious, frothy cocktail of a book, shaking up her characters, stirring in laugh-out-loud humor, and serving sizzling romance straight up!


Review: Last summer, my sister stumbled across Wallbanger and decided to read it on the beach during our vacation. She loved it so much that she told me I just had to read it, so I pushed aside my huge TBR pile and devoured Wallbanger in one day. I absolutely loved Caroline and Simon's story and couldn't wait for even more!

Caroline is more than enjoying her relationship with Simon. While he's constantly away for work, photographing breathtaking locations all around the world, they're absolutely crazy about each other when they're together. But when Caroline's boss gets married and leaves Caroline with full control of the design business for an unspecified amount of time, Caroline's life becomes work, work, work. While she's drowning in designs, though, Simon starts canceling his business trips and spending more and more time just…around. What started out as an unconventional, passionate relationship is turning into something that freaks Caroline out and appears to be going towards a future she hadn't thought she'd ever want.

Like I said, I loved Caroline and Simon's fiery and flirty relationship in Wallbanger. But in Rusty Nailed, we get to see how Caroline and Simon deal with real relationship problems. No longer is it a question of "are we together," but instead it's "what do we do now that we're together." Things seem fine and dandy in the moment, but what happens when real life, like jobs, friends, and the future, comes into the picture? Simon and Caroline still have their lovable personality with their equally stubborn attitudes and complete and utter attraction towards one another. While life throws them obstacles, their raw passion for one another is never going to go away, which is completely fine with me! And Caroline is even more in love with her Kitchenaid mixer, which I can totally relate to. Any heroine who loves baking is okay in my book. 

Along with Caroline and Simon, we also get more of Mimi and Ryan, as well as Sophia and Neil (definitely some drama there!). Oh, and Jillian and Benjamin! I love how Caroline and Simon's friends are still a big part of their lives and their friends' relationship dramas will always affect them too because that's just how best friends are. Oh, and let's not forget Clive! He's just as mischievous and lovable as ever. With a strong cast to back up the lovable main couple, it's impossible not to love this novel. 

In the newest release in the Cocktail series, Caroline attempts to grow up and realizes the fears every 20-something has of growing up and actually being an adult. We still get the immensely adorable and smoking hot Simon, but we also get to see the more serious side to their relationship. With witty dialogue, a quirky and lovable cast, and a whirlwind of a romance, you can't go wrong with Alice Clayton's latest release!


Saturday, June 28, 2014

Stacking the Shelves (106)


Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what they got throughout the week!

From Publisher
Two fantastic books came in the mail for me this week. It's no secret that I absolutely love Maya Banks and the third book in her Surrender trilogy is finally in my hands! So excited for the last book of her trilogy. And you can never go wrong with Jaci Burton! I loved the first two books of Jaci's series, so I'm excited to read Carter and Molly's story next! 


That's it for me! What did you all add to your shelves this week? 

Friday, June 27, 2014

Follow My Book Blog Friday (142)


This is a meme hosted every Friday by Parajunkee, where book bloggers answer a question each week and check out how others answered it. It's a cool way for bloggers and viewers to connect and learn more about each other!

Question: Post a photo of your favorite coffee mug (or mugs if you can't choose one)!

Answer: Well, I guess it's about time you guys learned this little secret about me. I'm obsessed with mugs. If I see a cute one, I immediately want it, even though I already have too many mugs at home. At this point, most of my mugs serve as pure decoration since I don't really use them to drink from (sorry, not a coffee drinker…yet). So I picked out some of my favorites and here they are

I managed to narrow it down to my six favorite mugs, so you guys should be proud! The squirrel mug and the Friends Central Perk mug were both gifts from my wonderful sister who just knows me too well. Then, I got the Pride and Prejudice Penguin mug and the Westminster Abbey mug while I was in London. My Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mug was only $5 from TJ Maxx and as soon as I saw it by the register, there was no question that I had to own it. Lastly, my "You are my cup of tea mug" that's on the end is from Target! Don't even get me started on Target's mugs…they're way too addicting! But those are all my favorite mugs! Do you have any favorite mugs you use over and over again? Or are your favorite mugs on display in your home? 

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Book Review + Giveaway: For the Longest Time by Kendra Leigh Castle

For the Longest Time (Harvest Cove #1)
By Kendra Leigh Castle
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Source: Publisher
Summary: For Samantha Henry, it took a ten-year absence to appreciate the close-knit New England town with an appeal all its own....
 
After a perfect storm of events leaves Sam high, dry, and jobless, she has to head home to Harvest Cove to regroup. Growing up, she was the town misfit, and a brief high school romance that resulted in heartbreak made her realize she was never going to fit in. But now with the support of her mother and an unexpected circle of allies, Sam starts to wonder if she’s misjudged the town all these years.
 
Life’s been good to Jake Smith. He transitioned from popular jock to town veterinarian without any trouble. But Sam’s homecoming makes him question his choices. The sharp-tongued beauty was never a good fit for the small community, but he’s never forgotten her—or how good they were together. While she makes it clear she’s not about to repeat the past, Jake’s determined to convince her to give him—and Harvest Cove—a second chance. 


Review: I am absolutely in love with small town romances. Like two of my favorite contemporary authors Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery, Kendra Leigh Castle has taken the contemporary romance genre and created an utterly lovable story full of adorable kittens and a second chance romance. 

After life has left Sam with no other choice but to admit she needs to pause and regroup her life, Sam finds herself back home in the small town of Harvest Cove. Sam was always the outcast in high school, never understood by her classmates and neighbors in town. So when she was hurtfully rejected by Jake Smith because he was trying to look cool in front of his friends, Sam has been scarred by the heartbreaking experience. Now, Jake is the town veterinarian and is adamant that he's not the same high school kid anymore. When Jake runs into Sam on her first day back in town, he's determined to show her he's changed and hopes that this exotic, unique woman will learn to forgive and explore where their attraction can lead them. 

Kendra Leigh Castle knows the one way into my heart with contemporary romances: Animals. Seriously, nothing is more hot than a guy who is completely smitten with animals. I love how Sam and Jake were thrown together in the beginning because of a stray litter of cats under Sam's mother's porch. Then, the fact that Sam falls in love with one of them, and names him Loki, is too adorable for words. Oh, and let's not forget that Jake has a dog he loves spending time with and going on runs with. Seriously, where are the men like Jake in this world? Not only is he dedicated to his animals, he's also determined to show Sam he's different and earn her forgiveness for what he did when he was a stupid teenager. 

While I absolutely loved Jake, Sam was really fun too. I loved how funky she was and how she wasn't afraid to be a little different, even though she was made fun of for it. A girl who stays true to who she is definitely gets my vote. Not to mention her love of art, and struggle to find her passion for it again, really makes her a dynamic, multi-dimensional character. I also loved how whitty and cute Jake and Sam were together when they actually got along and let go of their past griefs. They are both so down to earth, so of course they would get along with each other when they let themselves enjoy each other's company. 

As one of her first dabbles in contemporary romance (I've loved her paranormal books!), I have to say Kendra Leigh Castle has created an adorable romance that includes all of the elements that I love. Jake and Sam were fun, and their human and fury friends added even more quirk and cuteness to the story. Hopefully Kendra writes another one in this Harvest Cove series, because she has herself a new contemporary fan!



Giveaway
One lucky reader will win a copy of For the Longest Time by Kendra Leigh Castle! Just fill out the rafflecopter below! ***US Only*** Ends 7/3

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Book Review + Giveaway: Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley

Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountain #2)
By Kristen Ashley
Release Date: June 24, 2014
Source: Publisher
Summary: She's ready for the ride of her life . . . 

Lauren Grahame is looking to reinvent herself. After leaving her cheating husband, Lauren moves to Carnal, Colorado, and gets a job as a waitress in a biker bar called Bubba's. It's a nothing job in a nowhere joint . . . until Tatum Jackson walks in. Lauren has never seen a man with such good looks, muscles, and attitude. But when he insults her, Lauren doesn't want anything to do with him. Too bad for Lauren he's also the bar's part owner and bartender.

When the rough-around-the-edges Tate meets the high-class Lauren, he thinks she won't fit in at Bubba's. Yet there's more to Lauren than meets the eye, and Tate soon sets his mind on claiming her as his own. Before long, the desire burning between them is heating up the cold mountain air. But when violence strikes the town, Tate must reveal a dark secret to Lauren-one that may put an end to their sweet dreams.


Review: My first thought when I saw this book was, holy cow, what a long book. With 638 pages ahead of me, I was hoping Sweet Dreams would live up to it's 4.46 star rating on Goodreads. Thankfully, Kristen Ashley's story captured my attention for every single page. 

All her life, Lauren Grahame has been looking for that something special. So when she discovers that her husband has been cheating on her with her supposed best friend for the past five years, she hops in her car and drives. When she stumbles into Bubba's, a nowhere bar in the nowhere town of Carnal, Colorado, Lauren decides to stay and start her nowhere life. What she doesn't expect, though, is for Tatum Jackson to walk into the bar and turn her life upside down. When Tate first meets Lauren, he sees a high-class woman who has no place in a biker bar. Despite their rocky start, Tate and Lauren have a fierce attraction and can't seem to stay away from each other. When danger strikes Carnal, Tate will do everything in his power to keep Lauren safe and a permanent part of his once tattered life. 

In the beginning, I thought there was no way this book could go on for 638 pages without becoming boring and drawn out. Boy, was I wrong! So much happened in this book and I was furiously flipping through every page until the very end. Lauren was a major factor in why I loved this book because she was so relatable. In the beginning, Lauren is completely lost after her life turned upside down and Tate is not so nice to her when they first meet. Slowly, though, she starts to make friends, gain confidence and courage, and really settle down into her life in Carnal. Lauren is honestly a kind person and I immediately loved following her story. There wasn't a moment where I wasn't rooting for her to finally find her something, or in this case someone, special. 

Oh, and that something special of this book? Definitely Tate! Wow, what a man. I loved how Tate and Lauren were constantly bickering, but once they talked things through, they realized they really shouldn't be fighting about whatever it is they were fighting about. And while there was a possibility that Tate could have been an overbearing, over controlling jerk that walked all over his girl, Lauren definitely did not let that happen. She called Tate out when he was being a jerk and never let him order her around without a fight. So while we got the headstrong man, we also got the headstrong woman who challenged her man and really made an impact on his life, as well as all of the lives around them. 

Not only were the characters great, but so was the story. There was so much drama and more kept coming all throughout the novel. When Lauren and Tate would finally get over one drama, another one would pop up, which means that the reader was constantly kept on their toes. What was going to happen next? How would Lauren and Tate deal with yet another huge secret coming out? Tate and Lauren's relationship was fast and furious, but also genuine and sweet. Oh, and let's not forget all of this other characters in this novel were just as lovable. Tate's cat Buster was probably my favorite character. What a cutie! Everyone should definitely check out Kristen Ashley's Colorado Mountain series right now! I can't wait to pick up the other books in her series for some more quirky characters, a passionate romance, and a journey you'll never forget.


Giveaway
One lucky reader will win a copy of Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley! Just fill out the rafflecopter below! ***US Only*** Ends 7/2

Waiting On Wednesday (149)


This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of!

I'll Give You the Sun
By Jandy Nelson
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Summary: A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell

Jude and her brother, Noah, are incredibly close twins. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude surfs and cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and divisive ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as an unpredictable new mentor. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.
 
This radiant, fully alive, sometimes very funny novel from the critically acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once. 


--------------------------------------

As a huge fan of both John Green and Rainbow Rowell, I just had to add this book to my TBR list as soon as I read the summary. Not to mention it's a story of first love, which is always an emotional topic. Also, as a twin myself, I was very intrigued by Jude and Noah's relationship. What happened to them to pull them apart? I guess I'll have to wait and see! 

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Launch Day Blitz: Sweet Dreams by Kristin Ashley


Sweet Dreams
By Kristin Ashley
Release Date: June 24, 2014
Summary: She's ready for the ride of her life . . . 

Lauren Grahame is looking to reinvent herself. After leaving her cheating husband, Lauren moves to Carnal, Colorado, and gets a job as a waitress in a biker bar called Bubba's. It's a nothing job in a nowhere joint . . . until Tatum Jackson walks in. Lauren has never seen a man with such good looks, muscles, and attitude. But when he insults her, Lauren doesn't want anything to do with him. Too bad for Lauren he's also the bar's part owner and bartender.

When the rough-around-the-edges Tate meets the high-class Lauren, he thinks she won't fit in at Bubba's. Yet there's more to Lauren than meets the eye, and Tate soon sets his mind on claiming her as his own. Before long, the desire burning between them is heating up the cold mountain air. But when violence strikes the town, Tate must reveal a dark secret to Lauren-one that may put an end to their sweet dreams.

B&N // iTunes // IndieBound // Amazon

About the Author
Kristen Ashley grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana, and has lived in Denver, Colorado, and the West Country of England. Thus she has been blessed to have friends and family around the globe. Her posse is loopy (to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write. Kristen was raised in a house with a large and multigenerational family. They lived on a very small farm in a small town in the heartland, and Kristen grew up listening to the strains of Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO Speedwagon, and Whitesnake. Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music and love was a good way to grow up.  And as she keeps growing up, it keeps getting better.

Giveaway
One winner gets a copy of the book with signed bookplate and an OPI nail polish set. Five winners get a copy of the book with signed bookplate. Ends July 22 **US/Canada only**

Top Ten Tuesday: Cover Trends I LIke


This is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where each week bloggers share a list of books for the prompt given. So hopefully I'll have a new list to share with you all each week!

This Week's Topic: Top Ten Cover Trends I Like


1. Hand stitched covers from Penguin Threads


2. Hardcover Classics from Penguin


3. Unique Fonts


4. Hearts covering cover models 


5. Christmas Lights


6. Titles Written in Lipstick


7. Sunshine/Sunset in the background


8. Hand-written titles


9. Font that makes up the entire cover


10. Backside of cover models
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