Tuesday, May 30, 2017

He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly


Synopsis from Good Reads:

      In the hushed aftermath of a total eclipse, Laura witnesses a brutal attack. She and her boyfriend Kit call the police, and in that moment, it is not only the victim's life that is changed forever. Fifteen years on, Laura and Kit live in fear, and while Laura knows she was right to speak out, the events that follow have taught her that you can never see the whole picture: something, and someone, is always in the dark.

 

My Thoughts:

     This is a dark psychological thriller centering around Kit and Laura and has them hiding out of fear from...someone.  I don't want to give too many details and ruin the storyline but suffice it to say that this is thrilling story.  It goes back and forth in time to slowly give you the full story one tiny bite at a time and it will keep you guessing. 
     The ending wasn't a total shock or surprise to me but it was still very edge-of-your-seat!  He Said/She Said is an enjoyable thriller to take to the beach or pool this summer.  It was hard to put down and I was always wanting to know just exactly what was going to happen next.  4/5 stars

Author's site: http://erinkelly.co.uk/



Thursday, May 25, 2017

The Sunshine Sisters by Jane Green


Summary from Good Reads:


     Ronni Sunshine left London for Hollywood to become a beautiful, charismatic star of the silver screen. But at home, she was a narcissistic, disinterested mother who alienated her three daughters. 

     As soon as possible, tomboy Nell fled her mother's overbearing presence to work on a farm and find her own way in the world as a single mother. The target of her mother s criticism, Meredith never felt good enough, thin enough, pretty enough. Her life took her to London and into the arms of a man whom she may not even love. And Lizzy, the youngest, more like Ronni than any of them, seemed to have it easy, using her drive and ambition to build a culinary career to rival her mother's fame, while her marriage crumbled around her. 

     But now the Sunshine Girls are together again, called home by Ronni, who has learned that she has a serious disease and needs her daughters to fulfill her final wishes. And though Nell, Meredith, and Lizzy are all going through crises of their own, their mother s illness draws them together to confront old jealousies and secret fears and they discover that blood might be thicker than water after all.


My Thoughts:

     The Sunshine Sisters is another good summer read for 2017!  This is a good dysfunctional family/forgiveness story but it doesn’t get too overly emotional or dark which makes it just right for a light summertime read. 
     We move through the lives of the Sunshine sisters from childhood into adulthood seeing how their parental issues affected their lives and relationships.  Each sister dealt with their overly dramatic and selfish mother’s moods in different ways and also carried those coping mechanisms into their working and personal relationships.  I think everyone can identify a little bit with each sister be it Nell’s fear of vulnerability, Meredith’s people pleasing ways, or Lizzy’s constant need for excitement. 
     I really enjoyed reading about how each of the sisters dealt with their relationship issues and how they came to realize that they don’t have to carry their family dysfunction on.  This has a nice wrapped up ending with a tinge of sadness.  The Sunshine Sisters is an enjoyable read even though it was occasionally predictable. 
 4/5 stars


Author’s site:  http://www.janegreen.com

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

πŸ’œπŸ’šEXCESS BAGGAGE RELEASE DAY GIVEAWAY!πŸ’œπŸ’š

πŸ’œπŸ’šEXCESS BAGGAGE RELEASE DAY GIVEAWAY!πŸ’œπŸ’š
Grab your copy now -  myBook.to/ExcessBaggageLB
Win a SIGNED PAPERBACK & Amazon voucher (Details of giveaway below).

'An absolute must read this Summer!' Lady Living in Bookland
'Quintessential British humour, I felt like I was on a girls holiday with my own chicks.' Persuing Princesses Book Blog
'Almost made me pee myself I laughed so hard!' Shelly's Book Corner

Synopsis
Stuck in a dead-end relationship, Erica Bennett finds herself daydreaming of her first holiday romance. She was fifteen, it was exciting, new and full of possibilities…and Jack Lawson was hot as hell. That kind of thing leaves a mark.

So when her friends suggest a girls holiday to Luna Island, it’s exactly what she needs to take her mind off things. What she doesn’t expect is to spot Jack – a much older, hotter version of him – across the hotel lobby.

Their attraction is still there and it isn’t long before sparks fly, but fifteen years is a long time. They aren’t the same people they were back then and besides, it’s only a week, right?

Is it a second chance at something real or will their excess baggage ruin their shot at love after they leave Luna Island?
myBook.to/ExcessBaggageLB
Check out the reviews on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34994195-excess-baggage?from_search=true
GIVEAWAY!
Head on over to Laura's facebook page to enter her release day giveaway to be in with a chance of winning a signed paperback of EXCESS BAGGAGE and a £5/$5 Amazon gift card.



Connect with Laura



Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3490836.Laura_Barnard

Teaser Tuesday with Meghan Quinn!









My Best Friend’s Ex, an all new sexy, laugh out loud romantic comedy is coming June 1st!


When I found an eviction notice taped on my apartment door, I had two options: find a comfortable cardboard box to call home, or move in with Tucker Jameson.

Seeing that cardboard makes me feel itchy, I chose the latter. Which shouldn't be that big of a deal since Tucker is one of my good friends. And because he's still pining after his ex-girlfriend and I'm trying to finish my nursing degree, there is nothing to worry about in the romance department, making my last semester an easy one to conquer.

Boy, was I wrong.

Rules are set, dinners are made, conversations are had, and a shirtless, swoony roommate walks around in nothing but a pair of black briefs, ruining me for every other man.

Before I know it, I turn into a panting, lust-filled woman begging for Tucker to kiss me, touch me, and show me exactly what is hiding under those briefs.

But with great orgasms, comes great consequences.

Tucker might be my friend and roommate but he’s also my best friend's ex-boyfriend, making him completely off-limits. At least that's what my brain is telling me, my heart is speaking an entirely different language.

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/YN7T9k

Monday, May 22, 2017

FEEL ME (O'Brien Family #4) by Cecy Robson


Summary:

     Declan O’Brien was always driven to take his place among Philly’s elite, working hard for everything he’s earned, including the title of Assistant District Attorney. He’s won seemingly impossible cases, so he’s furious when he’s assigned to lead the one unit he doesn’t want.

Melissa Fenske was born hearing impaired to a neglectful mother, finding solace when she was adopted by a young attorney, now Declan’s boss. As the current Director of Victim Services, Melissa’s livid when Declan is placed in the main unit she oversees. She can’t forget their disastrous first encounter. Or shake how he makes her feel.

Declan considers the assignment another step toward his political aspirations, despite that he can’t get Melissa out of his mind. Melissa sees Declan as egotistical and self-serving, kicking herself for how fast she’s falling for his charm. Someone as hot, smooth, and perfect as Declan isn’t supposed to want her.

Releases May 23, 2017
Goodreads | Amazon
Works as a standalone 
  

My Thoughts:

     I love a good romance series with great characters and strong woman. I am a big fan of Nora Roberts and her trilogies/quartets and this book reminded me of her stories a lot.  There’s a bit more sexiness in these than a typical NR book but they are not long drawn out or overdone scenes if you choose to skim those parts. 
     I usually don’t like to start in the middle of a series but was asked for a review and couldn’t resist.  Declan and Mel’s story can definitely be read as a standalone but it is so good you will want to go back and read the first three books just like I’m dying to! 
     It is always great when they subplots are interesting as well as the main storyline and that is very true in this one.  Declan and Mel work in the district attorney’s office helping victims of domestic violence and abuse-there was nothing too graphic-and it was very interesting to read.  My only complaint would be that there was a touch too much drama thrown in at the end.  Every relationship has its problems in the beginning but a few too many were thrown in towards the end.  This did not deter me from enjoying this story! 4/5 stars


Author’s site: http://www.cecyrobson.com/

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Excess Baggage by Laura Barnard


Summary from Good Reads:

 
Stuck in a dead-end relationship, Erica Bennett finds herself daydreaming of her first holiday romance. She was fifteen, it was exciting, new and full of possibilities…and Jack Lawson was hot as hell. That kind of thing leaves a mark.

So when her friends suggest a girl’s holiday to Luna Island, it’s exactly what she needs to take her mind off things. What she doesn’t expect is to spot Jack – a much older, hotter version of him – across the hotel lobby.

Their attraction is still there and it isn’t long before sparks fly, but fifteen years is a long time. They aren’t the same people they were back then and besides, it’s only a week, right?

Is it a second chance at something real or will their excess baggage ruin their shot at love after they leave Luna Island?

My Thoughts:

     This would be a great beach read!   It is light and fun without anything too serious or heart wrenching but still a cute, fast romantic read. 

     My issue with this story was that the main characters are supposed to be about thirty years old but they seemed rather immature to me.  The main characters met at 15 & 16 and were each other’s’ first loves but now they are 30 and 31 but this age seems too old for the way they act.  I think that if Erica & Jack were around 24 or 25 it would seem more plausible.  3/5

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Check out this amazing teaser for MY BEST FRIEND'S EX by Meghan Quinn releasing on June 1st! 



MY BEST FRIEND'S EX
NA Romantic Comedy
Release Date: June 1, 2017
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2oJ8dxH



When I found an eviction notice taped on my apartment door, I had two options: find a comfortable cardboard box to call home, or move in with Tucker Jameson. 

Seeing that cardboard makes me feel itchy, I chose the latter. Which shouldn't be that big of a deal since Tucker is one of my good friends. And because he's still pining after his ex-girlfriend and I'm trying to finish my nursing degree, there is nothing to worry about in the romance department, making my last semester an easy one to conquer.

Boy, was I wrong. 

Rules are set, dinners are made, conversations are had, and a shirtless, swoony roommate walks around in nothing but a pair of black briefs, ruining me for every other man. 

Before I know it, I turn into a panting, lust-filled woman begging for Tucker to kiss me, touch me, and show me exactly what is hiding under those briefs. 

But with great orgasms, comes great consequences. 

Tucker might be my friend and roommate but he’s also my best friend's ex-boyfriend, making him completely off-limits. At least that's what my brain is telling me, my heart is speaking an entirely different language.

About the Author:

Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if "It's Raining Men" starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped.

Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing... enter her first novel, Caught Looking.

Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!


Find me on Goodreads:

Monday, May 15, 2017

SBPRBanner-MyBestFriendsEX-CR.jpg

My Best Friend’s Ex, an all new sexy, laugh out loud romantic comedy is coming June 1st!

MyBestFriendsEx

My Best Friend’s Ex by Meghan Quinn Publication Date: June 1st, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Photographer: Neil Danvers

When I found an eviction notice taped on my apartment door, I had two options: find a comfortable cardboard box to call home, or move in with Tucker Jameson.
Seeing that cardboard makes me feel itchy, I chose the latter. Which shouldn't be that big of a deal since Tucker is one of my good friends. And because he's still pining after his ex-girlfriend and I'm trying to finish my nursing degree, there is nothing to worry about in the romance department, making my last semester an easy one to conquer.
Boy, was I wrong.
Rules are set, dinners are made, conversations are had, and a shirtless, swoony roommate walks around in nothing but a pair of black briefs, ruining me for every other man.
Before I know it, I turn into a panting, lust-filled woman begging for Tucker to kiss me, touch me, and show me exactly what is hiding under those briefs.
But with great orgasms, comes great consequences.
Tucker might be my friend and roommate but he’s also my best friend's ex-boyfriend, making him completely off-limits. At least that's what my brain is telling me, my heart is speaking an entirely different language.

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/YN7T9k

About the Author:

A BLONDE AT HEART
MeghanQuinnPhoto
Born in New York and raised in Southern California, Meghan has grown into a sassy, peanut butter eating, blonde haired swearing, animal hoarding lady. She is known to bust out and dance if “It’s Raining Men” starts beating through the air and heaven forbid you get a margarita in her, protect your legs because they may be humped. Once she started commuting for an hour and twenty minutes every day to work for three years, she began to have conversations play in her head, real life, deep male voices and dainty lady coos kind of conversations. Perturbed and confused, she decided to either see a therapist about the hot and steamy voices running through her head or start writing them down. She decided to go with the cheaper option and started writing… enter her first novel, Caught Looking. Now you can find the spicy, most definitely on the border of lunacy, kind of crazy lady residing in Colorado with the love of her life and her five, furry four legged children, hiking a trail or hiding behind shelves at grocery stores, wondering what kind of lube the nervous stranger will bring home to his wife. Oh and she loves a good boob squeeze!

Connect with Meghan:

Sign Up for Meghan’s Newsletter: http://bit.ly/MQWrapUp
 

Thursday, May 11, 2017

The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck


Summary from Good Reads

     Amid the ashes of Nazi Germany’s defeat, Marianne von Lingenfels returns to the once grand castle of her husband’s ancestors, an imposing stone fortress now fallen into ruin following years of war. The widow of a resistor murdered in the failed July, 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Marianne plans to uphold the promise she made to her husband’s brave conspirators: to find and protect their wives, her fellow resistance widows. 

First, Marianne rescues six-year-old Martin, the son of her dearest childhood friend, from a Nazi reeducation home. Together, they make their way across the smoldering wreckage of their homeland to Berlin, where Martin’s mother, the beautiful and naΓ―ve Benita, has fallen into the hands of occupying Red Army soldiers. Then she locates Ania, another resistor’s wife, and her two boys, now refugees languishing in one of the many camps that house the millions displaced by the war. 

As Marianne assembles this makeshift family from the ruins of her husband’s resistance movement, she is certain their shared pain and circumstances will hold them together. But she quickly discovers that the black-and-white, highly principled world of her privileged past has become infinitely more complicated, filled with secrets and dark passions that threaten to tear them apart.

My Thoughts:

     I enjoy a good World War II historical fiction and this book has been hyped in some circles as being a good one.  I was looking forward to reading it and seeing a different side of the effects of WWII.  This story wasn’t what I was expecting. 
     I was expecting a very Girl Power story of hardship and female friendship as these women fought to stay together and provide for their children after their lives had been torn apart.  Mostly this was various stories from before, during and after the war of where the women came from, how they ended up at the castle and how they dealt with post-war problems. 

     While the writing is good I was left wanting more especially from Marianne von Lingenfels story.  Also, I never really felt that I had a chance to connect with anyone specific character or feel anything for them.  For me most of the characters were a bit cold and unlikable with the exception of Martin, whom I felt empathy for all the way through the book.     

This one just wasn't for me:  2/5 Stars

Author's site: http://jessicashattuck.com/

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Teaser Tuesday with Meghan Quinn





My Best Friend’s Ex, an all new sexy, laugh out loud romantic comedy is coming June 1st!



When I found an eviction notice taped on my apartment door, I had two options: find a comfortable cardboard box to call home, or move in with Tucker Jameson.

Seeing that cardboard makes me feel itchy, I chose the latter. Which shouldn't be that big of a deal since Tucker is one of my good friends. And because he's still pining after his ex-girlfriend and I'm trying to finish my nursing degree, there is nothing to worry about in the romance department, making my last semester an easy one to conquer.

Boy, was I wrong.

Rules are set, dinners are made, conversations are had, and a shirtless, swoony roommate walks around in nothing but a pair of black briefs, ruining me for every other man.


But with great orgasms, comes great consequences.

Tucker might be my friend and roommate but he’s also my best friend's ex-boyfriend, making him completely off-limits. At least that's what my brain is telling me, my heart is speaking an entirely different language.

Add to GoodReads: https://goo.gl/YN7T9k









Monday, May 8, 2017

April Reads




     April was a bit of a slow reading month for me-too much going on! ! On top of it being busy, it was also just an okay month quality-wise.  I read in my usual genres but I wasn't really "Wow-ed" by anything which is a bummer.

Here's my pitiful list: 


Co-Wrecker by Meghan Quinn: Fun romance and a fast read.  See my full review here.












The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda: Crazy twists and turns but the ending was lacking to me. Read the full review here.













Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath: One of my favorite series!  This was a re-read for my April Reading Challenge.  See all my thoughts here.













Hard to Love by Sandra Jones: Waaaay too much drama for me. Read more here.















The Pawn by Skye Warren: This was a Kindle freebie so I tried it out.  A rather unbelievable plot line that was just ok for me.  2.5/5














The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon:  Interesting story and characters but an erratic timeline turned me off a bit.  My full review here.  

Thursday, May 4, 2017

LAURA BARNARD COVER REVEAL & GIVEAWAY!

πŸ’œπŸ’šπŸ’™LAURA BARNARD COVER REVEAL & GIVEAWAY!πŸ’œπŸ’šπŸ’™
How beautiful is this cover of Laura's latest romantic comedy, Excess Baggage?  It's out on the 23rd and you can pre-order now myBook.to/ExcessBaggageLB
Details of giveaway below.

Synopsis
Stuck in a dead-end relationship, Erica Bennett finds herself daydreaming of her first holiday romance. She was fifteen, it was exciting, new and full of possibilities…and Jack Lawson was hot as hell. That kind of thing leaves a mark.

So when her friends suggest a girls holiday to Luna Island, it’s exactly what she needs to take her mind off things. What she doesn’t expect is to spot Jack – a much older, hotter version of him – across the hotel lobby.

Their attraction is still there and it isn’t long before sparks fly, but fifteen years is a long time. They aren’t the same people they were back then and besides, it’s only a week, right?

Is it a second chance at something real or will their excess baggage ruin their shot at love after they leave Luna Island?
myBook.to/ExcessBaggageLB
Add it to your Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34994195-excess-baggage?from_search=true
GIVEAWAY!
Head on over to Laura's facebook page to enter her cover reveal giveaway to be in with a chance of winning an ARC of EXCESS BAGGAGE and a £5/$5 Amazon gift card.



Connect with Laura



Monday, May 1, 2017

All Over the Place: Adventures in Travel, True Love, and Petty Theft by Geraldine DuRuiter


Summary from Good Reads:

   Some people are meant to travel the globe, to unwrap its secrets and share them with the world. And some people have no sense of direction, are terrified of pigeons, and get motion sickness from tying their shoes. These people are meant to stay home and eat nachos.
    Geraldine DeRuiter is the latter. But she won't let that stop her.
Hilarious, irreverent, and heartfelt, All Over the Place chronicles the years Geraldine spent traveling the world after getting laid off from a job she loved. Those years taught her a great number of things, though the ability to read a map was not one of them. She has only a vague idea of where Russia is, but she now understands her Russian father better than ever before. She learned that what she thought was her mother's functional insanity was actually an equally incurable condition called "being Italian." She learned what it's like to travel the world with someone you already know and love--how that person can help you make sense of things and make far-off places feel like home. She learned about unemployment and brain tumors, lost luggage and lost opportunities, and just getting lost in countless terminals and cabs and hotel lobbies across the globe. And she learned that sometimes you can find yourself exactly where you need to be--even if you aren't quite sure where you are.


My Thoughts:

     Geraldine's husband travels a lot so he suggests that she go with him and write about her experiences.  Travel the world with your best friend and the love of your life, why wouldn't you?      
     Ms. DeRuiter has written a travel memoir about loving other places but sort of hating the getting there part.  Much like life, good things are coming but sometimes the getting there SUCKS. 
     This is a story about how traveling can make you realize just how important love and home can be.  It was witty, touching and made me appreciate my husband even more.  Geraldine also has a great gift to not only entertain you but to make you feel like you are right there with her when all of life happens to her. 
     If you are looking for a spiritual epiphany ala Eat, Pray, Love this probably isn't the book for you but if you are looking for a real look at life, love, family and travel with a lot of laughs and a little bit of tears too then pick up this book.  4.5/5 stars

Check out her blog: http://www.everywhereist.com/

Available May 2nd!