Throwing My Life Away by Liz Czukas

Title: Throwing My Life Away

Author: Liz Czukas

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: December 20, 2016

Source: ARC from Author

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Kobo

7 photographs, 2 weeks, an entire life to get back. No problem, right?

After her stepfather accidentally throws away her high school mementos, sentimental Mariska is pretty sure the world is over. That is, until she comes up with a plan. She’s going to recreate her past, with a little help from her friends.

It’s not easy to rally everyone into helping, especially Caine, who couldn’t be less sentimental about anything if he were a park bench. But from a guerrilla kite festival to convincing her ex-boyfriend to recreate her lost prom picture, Mariska is willing to do what it takes.

With a little nudging from Caine, Mariska starts to realize she can’t actually get her past back. And maybe that’s okay. Because while she’s so focused on the past, she’s missing out on the present, where her friends are busy having the summer of their lives. And where funny, quiet Cain might just be the future she never knew she wanted.

As someone who reads a lot I know that there are some books that will stick with me more than others, it's just what happens. But those books that stick with me, they do so for a reason. Sometimes it's because they resonated with me in a particular way, in other cases it's because it was a particularly good story. I don't know exactly what it was about Liz Czukas's Throwing My Life Away, but I know that also two months later, I'm still thinking about it.

Despite having her books on my shelves, I haven't actually read any of Liz Czukas's books. Well, that's not entirely true; I've read the New Adult titles she's written as Ellie Cahill and I absolutely loved them. So when she approached me to see if I would be interested in reading Throwing My Life Away I jumped at the opportunity. And I'm glad I did because I loved reading this story. Right from the start, it made me nostalgic for that time between high school and college where I was ready to move forward and see what the future had to offer while also wanting to hold on to all the memories of the past (granted I'm someone who actually liked high school and have lots of good memories from it). While reading, I could understand Mariska's sadness and anger at losing all her pictures because it felt like she was losing all her memories. But as much as it sucked, if that hadn't happened, I wouldn't have had a story to read and that would have sucked just as much. 

As much as I enjoyed reading all about Mariska and her friends recreating her memories (or at least doing their best to recreate something close to her memories), my favourite part of the story was Mariska's relationship with Caine. At first, I honestly didn't think their relationship would be anything beyond friendship and that it would just be some side plot that wouldn't really get explored. And I was immediately disappointed because there was something about the way they interacted with each other that made me want to know and see more. And then Caine started popping up all the time and before long I was rooting for Mariska and Caine. They so clearly made sense together even if it took forever for the both of them to figure it out. And even when they figured it out, I still wasn't quite sure they were going to happen. But they did and it was perfect. 

There's a lot about Liz Czukas's Throwing My Life Away: the nostalgia it brought on, the photo quest, the yearbook battle, the slow build of the romance. It was so many things I love all in one book. To make a long story short, this is a story you definitely don't want to miss.

Cover Reveal - Throwing My Life Away by Liz Czukas

Title: Throwing My Life Away

Author: Liz Czukas

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: December 20, 2016

Add on Goodreads!

7 photographs, 2 weeks, an entire life to get back. No problem, right?

After her stepfather accidentally throws away her high school mementos, sentimental Mariska is pretty sure the world is over. That is, until she comes up with a plan. She’s going to recreate her past, with a little help from her friends.

It’s not easy to rally everyone into helping, especially Caine, who couldn’t be less sentimental about anything if he were a park bench. But from a guerrilla kit festival to convincing her ex-boyfriend to recreate her lost prom picture, Mariska is willing to do what it takes.

With a little nudging from Caine, Mariska starts to realize she can’t actually get her past back. And maybe that’s okay. Because while she’s so focused on the past, she’s missing out on the present, where her friends are busy having the summer of their lives. And where funny, quiet Caine might just be the future she never knew she wanted.

Isn't this cover absolutely gorgeous? I've been lucky enough to read Throwing My Life Away already and let me just say that it's a story you don't want to miss--look out for a full review next week!

Here's what Liz had to say about her beautiful new cover:

I am so excited to share this cover with you all! I am seriously in love with it. Sarah from Okay Creations did such an amazing job! I can’t wait for you all to read the book so you can see exactly how perfect each one of the images she chose is. Seriously when I saw it, I was almost spooked by how utterly perfect they were.

It’s completely surreal to be sharing this cover so close to the release! In only 5 days, Throwing My Life Away will be up on all digital platforms and also available in paperback. Such a chance from the usual way, where we have to wait months just drooling over a gorgeous cover image before we get to see it in person. 

And you guys, seriously, the paperback is possibly even more gorgeous. I’ll post pics as soon as I can.

Thank you Sarah, for the bee-you-ti-ful cover! I’m proud to have it among my covers. And a huge huge hank you to all the awesome bloggers who have helped to spread this cover far and wide. The suppose of the book blogging community is one of my absolute favorite parts of being an author.

Now for the giveaway! You could win one of three paperback copies of Throwing My Life Away! If the winner is in the US, I can send a signed copy, but that doesn’t mean you international peeps can’t enter! You’ll get a paperback copy shipped to you, and I’d be happy to drop a signed bookplate in the mail to go with it!

That giveaway she mentioned? Just go here to enter!

Release Day - Edge of Bliss by Molly E. Lee

Title: Edge of Bliss (Love on the Edge #4)

Author: Molly. E. Lee

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: December 14, 2016

Source: ARC from Publicist

Buy the Book: Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Amazon AU

I never knew how perfect life could be until Blake Caster was finally mine.

Chasing storms with her only doubles the passion and the rush, but as we travel down tornado alley at the start of the season, we run into more than our fair share of nonweather-related trouble.

My past on the alley catches up to me in a bad way and with each captured storm, a wedge is driven between us. The harder I try to hold on to Blake, the faster she is slipping away.

Add to that an unexpected call from her ex, new pressures from the reality show filming our every move, and a job offer Blake may not be able to pass up, and my perfect life is on the same chaotic path as the storms we chase.

All I want to do is make her mine—forever—but one trip down tornado alley might be our last. 

In the past year, Molly E. Lee has become one of my go-to authors for New Adult romance. I've devoured every single one of her books and have loved each one more than the last. With Edge of Bliss, I was excited to get back to the story and characters that started it all and I don't think I could have loved this story more.

Here's the thing: I have a love-hate relationship when it comes to sequels and romance novels. I love them because I'm never unhappy to spend time with characters I love. But I also hate them because for there to be a story in a sequel, then it means that something's going to get in the way of characters I love being happy together. If it were up to me, romance sequels would just be about the couple being happy together and living their life with nothing getting in their way. I get that that wouldn't exactly make for the most interesting read, but at least that way I people (well, characters) I care about wouldn't end up unhappy. And that's just my really ramble-y, longwinded way of saying that I was a little scared of what Edge of Bliss was going to be all about. I love Blake and Dash and I was more than happy to revisit them, but after everything they'd gone through, I just wanted them to be happy once and for all. Much as I didn't want a lot of what happened in Edge of Bliss to happen to them, I can now say that they're stronger for it and it's something they needed to go through. And yeah, I totally loved being back with them, but also with John and Paul as the four of them chased down storms all along tornado alley. 

I will say this, I loved getting to see Dash and Blake as an actual couple. So much of the first book, Edge of Chaos, is about Blake finding her strength and getting out of an abusive and toxic relationship that you don't really get to see that much of Blake and Dash being something more than friends. Don't get me wrong, I loved the start of their relationship, how they became friends before they became anything else. Edge of Bliss, on the other hand, is all about them as a couple and I loved it. I loved seeing how their relationship grew and still had that strong basis of friendship. I loved that Blake was finally able to be herself despite being in a relationship, in fact how being in that relationship helped give her some of the confidence she needed to be herself. And Dash was still his ever charming self and I loved him for it. I loved how much he loved Blake, how he was willing to be there for her no matter what. And do I really need to say that I love Blake and Dash together? Because by this point, that should be plenty obvious.

Despite my concerns whenever it comes to romance sequels, I absolutely loved Edge of Bliss. If you're a romance lover and have yet to read any of Molly E. Lee's books, then I strongly urge you to do so. I can guarantee it.

Giveaway

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Cover Reveal - Edge of Bliss by Molly E. Lee

Title: Edge of Bliss (Love on the Edge #4)

Author: Molly E. Lee

Release Date: December 14, 2016

Add on Goodreads

I never knew how perfect life could be until Blake Caster was finally mine.

Chasing storms with her only doubles the passion and the rush, but as we travel down tornado alley at the start of the season, we run into more than our fair share of nonweather-related trouble.

My past on the alley catches up to me in a bad way and with each captured storm, a wedge is driven between us. The harder I try to hold on to Blake, the faster she is slipping away.

Add to that an unexpected call from her ex, new pressures from the reality show filming our every move, and a job offer Blake may not be able to pass up, and my perfect life is on the same chaotic path as the storms we chase.

All I want to do is make her mine—forever—but one trip down tornado alley might be our last.    

Giveaway

One of Five ARC's for Edge of Bliss

 
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About the Author

Molly E. Lee is an author and editor best known for her debut novel EDGE OF CHAOS, and as a fourth year mentor at Pitch Wars - a program which connects promising writers to established authors in the community. Molly writes New Adult Contemporary and Young Adult Urban Fantasy featuring strong female heroines who are unafraid to challenge their male counterparts, yet still vulnerable enough to have love sneak up on them. In addition to being a military spouse and mother of two + one stubborn English Bulldog, Molly loves watching storms from her back porch at her Midwest home, and digging for treasures in antique stores.

 

Connect with Molly

Newsletter Sign Up: http://bit.ly/2gqr35d

Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2c6GO2r

Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2cKYIFb

Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2gC6jGU

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2gQklZy

Instagram: http://bit.ly/2fGbpkp

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2gQdK1d

 

 

Blog Tour - More Than Friends by Monica Murphy

Title: More Than Friends (Friends #2)

Author: Monica Murphy

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: November 14, 2016

Source: ARC from Publicist

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Kobo

He’s not perfect, but he’s all I want…

I’m your average girl at your average high school, trying to figure out my place in life. After catching my now ex-boyfriend messing around with my now ex-best friend, I’ve made some big changes. No more band, no more backstabbing friends and no more boring old life. Now I have new friends, a new job and new interests.

But there’s a certain someone who’s interested in me, and i don’t get it. Jordan Tuttle could have anyone he wants. He’s the most popular boy in school. Rich, gorgeous, smart and the star quarterback, he’s perfect. Yet he acts like he wants no one else but…me.

So despite my fears and about, I let him get close. Probably too close. I discover that he’s not so perfect after all, but it doesn’t matter. I’m falling for him, even though he runs so hot and cold. I know someday he’s going to break my heart.

And I’m going to let him.

Though Monica Murphy is known for her romance and New Adult titles, I've been enjoying her recent foray into young adult romance. So far, I've found myself enjoying all the YA she's written and it was no different with her latest, More Than Friends.

I'm not going to lie, the first book in Monica Murphy's Friends series, Just Friends, left me wanting in some ways. But I was still curious about what would be coming next, especially when it came to some of the secondary characters. With More Than Friends I got to know two of those characters better, Amanda and Jordan, and I loved having that chance. I'll admit that at first, I was getting a little frustrated with their back and froth will-they-won't-they because I could clearly see they liked each other and wanted to be together even though they each had their reservations about it. But when they finally decided to take that plunge, I was happy they did because Amanda and Jordan just fit. I don't really know how to say other than they just made sense together even when they didn't. (Could I possibly be making any less sense right now?) 

Much like with the first book, More Than Friends left me curious about many of the secondary characters. Even after two books, I feel like I still have so many questions about Olivia and Ryan and their relationship and I would love to get a second chance to read a book all about them. The other person I still really want to know more about is Em, Olivia's former best friend. Reading Just Friends, I feel like I got a really biased view of her because the story was told from Olivia's perspective. In More Than Friends, I kept getting these little glimpses of her that made me wish I could get more Em, to finally be able to understand everything that is going on with her. So I'll just be over here keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a third book in this series that will be all about Em.

If you like YA and you like Monica Murphy's romance, then I strongly recommend you check out her YA titles. They're different from what she's written before, but at their core they're still great stories with the same kind of romance you've come to expect from this author. And I can't wait to read more.

Twisted Palace by Erin Watt

Title: Twisted Palace (The Royals #3)

Author: Erin Watt

Publisher: Everafter Romance

Release Date: October 17, 2016

Source: ARC from Publicist

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

These Royals will ruin you…

From mortal enemies to unexpected allies, two teenagers try to protect everything that matters most.

Ella Harper has met every challenge that life has thrown her way. She’s tough, resilient, and willing to do whatever it takes to defend the people she loves, but the challenge of a long-lost father and a boyfriend whose life is on the line might be too much for even Ella to overcome.

Reed Royal has a quick temper and even faster fists. But his tendency to meet every obstacle with violence has finally caught up with him. If he wants to save himself and the girl he loves, he’ll need to rise above his tortured past and tarnished reputation. 

No one believes Ella can survive the Royals. Everyone is sure Reed will destroy them all.

They might be right.

With everything and everyone conspiring to keep them apart, Ella and Reed must find a way to beat the law, save their families, and unravel all the secrets in their Twisted Palace.

Over the last few months, you’ve probably heard about Erin Watt’s Royal series. You know, those books that feature some seriously twisted characters and their very addicting story. The conclusion, Twisted Palace, was just as good as the first two books and wrapped everything up perfectly.

Erin Watt’s Royals series took me completely by surprise. Sure the two authors behind the pen name are authors whose books I love, but I didn’t think I would get as hooked on these books as I did. I was able to read Paper Princess and Broken Prince back to back (thankfully!) but then the wait for Twisted Palace was painful. Especially after the way that Broken Prince ended. I remember thinking that the October release date couldn’t come soon enough because I just needed to know what happened next. Every time I thought I had a handle on everything that was happening, another curve ball was thrown at me and I was back at square one trying to figure out exactly what was going on with all these people. Basically, this book was just as twisted as the title hints it would be (at this point, with a title like Twisted Palace it would be weird if it WASN’T twisted at all). But at the end, everything was resolved in a way that made sense for the overall story. And, the best part, it left the door open for more books about the Royal clan. In particular Easton and I am VERY happy about that. Because Easton is my favourite and I will fight pretty much anyone for him. But I digress.

Much like I was surprised by how addicted I got to these books, I was surprised by how much I found myself caring about the characters. The Royals, in particular, weren’t necessarily unlikable but they also weren’t particularly easy to like at times. But by the time I reached the end of Twisted Palace I loved those baggage-laden Royals. A lot. I would be more than happy to keep reading books about them for a long, long time. I’m already excited about the possibility of an Easton book. And I wouldn’t mind a book about the twins. Or about Gideon for that matter. And I would obviously love to keep reading more about Reed and Ella. And I want more about Val and Wade because I have a strong feeling that would be both entertaining and interesting to read. Basically, I just want more books set around the Royals and their friends. That’s not so much to ask, is it? I hardly think I’m the only one who wants that…

If you like stories packed with romance, twists and intrigue and haven’t yet read Erin Watt’s Royals series, you seriously need to get on that. And if you choose to read them, I dare you not to become addicted to this story.

Keepsake by Sarina Bowen

Title: Keepsake (True North #3)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Release Date: October 25, 2016

Source: ARC from Publicist

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

There’s a first time for everything.

Lark Wainwright used to be fearless. Her life was a series of adventures, each one more exhilarating than the last. But her recent overseas adventure was one too many. Now she’s home and in one piece. Mostly. But her nights are filled with terror.

When her best friend offers her a stay at the orchard in exchange for help at the farmers’ markets, Lark jumps at the chance to spend fall in Vermont. But her nightmares don’t stop. Desperate to keep her fragile state a secret, she relies on the most soft-spoken resident of the Shipley Farm to soothe her when her dreams prove too much.

Zachariah is a survivor, too. It’s been four years since he was tossed aside by the polygamist cult where he grew up. He’s found a peaceful existence on the Shipley’s farm, picking apples and fixing machinery. But getting thrown away by your own people at nineteen leaves a mark on a guy. He doesn’t always know what to make of a world where movie quotes are the primary means of communication. Before hitchhiking to Vermont, he’d never watched TV or spoken on the phone.

Actually, there are a lot of things he’s never done.

Zach and Lark slowly grow to trust one another. One night they become even closer than they’d planned. But Lark may still be too broken to trust anyone. When she pushes Zach away, he will have to prove that he’s good for much more than farm labor. 

If you love romance and have yet to read any of Sarina Bowen's books, then you are seriously missing out. I have loved every one I've read and am always left begging for more. Her latest, Keepsake, was everything I hoped it would be and I loved reading every single page of it.

I absolutely LOVE getting to read a new Sarina Bowen book, especially when it's one I feel like I've been looking forward to reading for forever. Reading one of her books is like reconnecting with old friends after not having seen them for a while and feeling like no time at all has passed. And I love that feeling. So it really should come as no surprise that I loved reading Keepsake. In fact, I pretty much devoured it. Zach's story was one I had been curious about for such a long time and I was so happy to finally be able to read it. And the story completely lived up to my expectations. Lark and Zach's story wasn't always an easy one to read, especially when you find out everything's that happened to them to bring them to where they are today. But at the same time, their story gives you hope that no matter how horrible things are at one time, there is always a chance they will get better. that you'll meet someone that will help you leave that horrible past behind. That's very much what Zach and Lark were for each other and I loved seeing their unlikely relationship grow and develop. They might have been an unlikely match, but they just worked and somehow made sense. And I had full faith that they would make it through everything and come out stronger together on the other side. 

In the previous two True North books, Zach was always there in the background, quietly doing his thing. And because we only ever found out the bare minimum about him, I was beyond curious as to what his story was. I loved getting to know him in Keepsake. Even though it wasn't pleasant, I loved finding out about his past and seeing how that past still affected him today. And there were moments where my heart was breaking for him. Because Zach never deserved what happened to him, and despite his doubts, he deserved to be loved and he was worthy of it. And obviously I loved Zach, but that's pretty much a given at this point. Lark was the perfect balance to Zach's quiet nature. Even if she was putting up a front after everything that happened to her in South America. She was struggling so much with everything even though she didn't want to be struggling. I wanted so badly for Lark to find her way back to herself without too much pain, but at the same time the pain was necessary to get her to where she needed to be. It wasn't easy to read, but I loved reading it and seeing it all come together. 

Sarina Bowen's Keepsake was an absolutely beautiful story. Though it wasn't always easy to read, I loved every moment of it and would have happily kept reading about Lark and Zach. And the Shipley clan in general. Based on the ending of Keepsake, I may be getting my wish about that at some point...

A Place in the Sun by R.S. Grey

Title: A Place in the Sun

Author: R.S. Grey

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: October 24, 2016

Source: ARC from Author

Buy the Book: Amazon 

When her mother’s incessant matchmaking hits an all-time high, Georgie Archibald does what any sensible woman would do: she flees the country.

Seeking refuge in the picturesque seaside village of Vernazza, Italy, Georgie’s only plan is to lie low, gorge herself on gelato, and let the wine and waves wash her troubles away…that is until she was up in a bed that belongs to the most romantic-looking man she’s ever seen.

Gianluca.

After going out of his way to rescue her, the former London financier turned mysterious recluse makes it clear that despite acting as her white knight, he has no plans to co-star in her fairytale.

But Georgie isn’t asking for his heart—she’s merely intrigued.

After all, Gianluca isn’t just gorgeous—tall and tan from days spent in the sun—his touch sets her world on fire. With him, Georgie experiences the most intoxicating passion she’s ever known, and it only takes a few steamy nights for her to realize that sometimes running away from trouble is the best way to find it.

I always get excited about a new romance story from R.S. Grey. She’s one of my go-to romance authors and for good reason. Her latest, A Place in the Sun, reminded me of why I love reading these stories as much as I do all while making me fall in love with new characters.

Over the last few years, R.S. Grey has become one of my go-to authors when it comes to romance. I’ve read all but a couple of her books, and I’ve enjoyed every single one. Sure there are some that I’ll love more than others, but I have yet to read a book by R.S. Grey and not get sucked into the story. And of course that was no different with her latest, A Place in the Sun. Her stories always manage to grab my attention right away, and while reading them everything else around me seems to just disappear. A large part of that is, of course, the romance. And since I'm a sucker for a good love story, that really shouldn't come as much of a surprise. In this particular case, I loved seeing things slowly develop between Georgie and Gianluca, the constant push and pull that was there between them until they finally gave in to what was happening there. It might not have exactly been easy going for them, but the end result was definitely more than worth it. Not just because Georgie and Gianluca were great together, but also because I loved them as individuals.

If you’ve read The Summer Games: Settling the Score then you might remember Georgie Archibald as Freddie’s spirited younger sister. In this book, Georgie is all grown up and looking to find love for herself. Or at least to find love without her mother’s meddling. And you can’t really blame a girl for wanting to get away from a matchmaking mother, especially when it means running away to the Italian Riviera (side note - if you don’t want to immediately hop on a plane to Cinque Terre by the time you finish this book then there’s something wrong with you). And that’s what I loved about Georgie, that she wasn’t afraid to just take things in her own hands and leave what she knew behind in order to do things her own way. And she was determined to get what she wanted. When she decided that she was going to renovate the bed and breakfast, there was no way she was taking no for an answer, no matter how many times Gianluca told her just that. I loved her strong will, even if it sometimes got her into trouble (because those parts usually had me laughing). As for Gianluca, I loved seeing him slowly come out of his shell as he decided to start living in the present a little more. Sure it wasn’t always easy going, but he was doing his best and sometimes that’s all you can really ask for at the end of the day. And just like with all of R.S. Grey’s books, the cast of secondary characters is just as fantastic as the main characters.

Once again, R.S. Grey didn’t disappoint. A Place in the Sun was just as great as I hoped it would be and I would have been happy to keep reading about Georgie and Gianluca forever. The only downside is that I now really want to go to Italy.

About the Author

I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things... everyday.

​

I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors are Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I'm a comedy geek and love all things "funny". Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.

   

Cover Reveal - A Place in the Sun by R.S. Grey

Title: A Place in the Sun

Author: R.S. Grey

Release Date: October 24, 2016

Add on Goodreads

When her mother’s incessant matchmaking hits an all-time high, Georgie Archibald does what any sensible woman would do: she flees the country.

Seeking refuge in the picturesque seaside village of Vernazza, Italy, Georgie’s only plan is to lie low, gorge herself on gelato, and let the wine and waves wash her troubles away...that is until she wakes up in a bed that belongs to the most romantic-looking man she’s ever seen.

Gianluca.

After going out of his way to rescue her, the former London financier turned mysterious recluse makes it clear that despite acting as her white knight, he has no plans to co-star in her fairytale.

But Georgie isn’t asking for his heart—she’s merely intrigued.

After all, Gianluca isn’t just gorgeous—tall and tan from days spent in the sun—his touch sets her world on fire. With him, Georgie experiences the most intoxicating passion she’s ever known, and it only takes a few steamy nights for her to realize that sometimes running away from trouble is the best way to find it.

About the Author

I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things... everyday.

​

I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors are Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I'm a comedy geek and love all things "funny". Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.

   

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Title: It Ends With Us

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: August 2, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never topped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened. 

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. Combining a captivating romance with a cast of all-too-human characters, It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

Every book I read by Colleen Hoover becomes a favourite. There’s no way around it. But even then, whenever I pick up a new one I can’t help but be afraid it won’t live up to the expectations I have. But every time those expectations are more than surpassed. And it was no different with It Ends With Us.

I am a big lover of all of Colleen Hoover’s books. The way she writes and tells stories always manages to both break my heart and give me hope in love. Reading the synopsis for It Ends With Us I thought I was going to be in for a the usual Colleen Hoover story. But as I found out more about the book and more reviews started popping up, I realized that this story was going to be completely different from the rest. If you’re picking up It Ends With Us expecting a typical romance, you’ll be disappointed because that’s not all what this is. Yes, there’s a romance element since much of the book is about how Lily fell in love with Ryle in the present and how she fell in love with Atlas when she was a teenager. And, yes, at first it does read like a typical romance but very quickly there are hints that things are not going to go the way you think they will. Instead of a love story between a boy and a girl, it’s a story about a girl loving herself and putting herself instead of her relationship first, no matter how hard that was to do. And that’s where the power of the story is: it shows the reader that no matter how strong you think you are, those hard decisions are always going to be hard and that your happily ever after may not look the way you thought it would. 

It Ends With Us is very much Lily’s story, whether that’s her story with Ryle in the present or her story with Atlas in the past. But more than being about her relationship with either guy, it’s about her choosing herself over either guy. There were so many times where I struggled with reading Lily’s story. And I mean that in a good way because it wasn’t an easy story to read. As much as I knew she deserved better than someone like Ryle, someone who had the potential to physically hurt her, I could see how she was struggling to put herself first and protect herself because of her feelings for him. While reading, I understood her struggle and I understood how even the strongest of people can end up in situations like the one Lily finds herself in. And much like Lily, despite everything, there were moments when I really like Ryle, moments when I wanted to believe that his anger was just a one off thing and that it wouldn’t happen again. As for Atlas, for a long time I wasn’t sure what I thought of him. And I think that had to do in large part with how I felt about Ryle. I didn’t want to be disappointed by both men in this story, I wanted one of them to be good for Lily. And after everything, I couldn’t help but doubt that Atlas could be that for her. And I was more than happy to be proved wrong. 

With It Ends With Us Colleen Hoover wrote a powerful and heartbreaking story that needed to be told. It wasn’t easy to read, in fact there were times when it was painful, but that’s what made this story so great. It broke my heart, but it also gave me hope.

Cover Reveal - Three Simple Words by AJ Pine

Stud alert! I am so excited to share with you the first look at the sexy cover for Three Simple Words by AJ Pine. The highly anticipated third book of The Kingston Ale House standalone series releases 10.17.16.

Title: Three Simple Words (Kingston Ale House #3)

Author: A.J. Pine

Publisher: Entangled Select

Release Date: October 17, 2016

Add to Goodreads!

She’s holding out for a happily ever after.

Annie

I know where to find my happily ever after—between the pages of a romance novel. It’s why I sell books, why I blog about them, and why I’ll never get disappointed by love.

So what if my bother’s best friend from high school is now a bestselling author? Or that he just blew back into town on a Harley, filling out a pair of jeans like her never did before? Or that he’s agreed to do a signing at my bookstore on such short notice? Because despite all his adoring female fans, I kind of hated his book.

Wes

That last time I saw Annie Denning, she was a senior in high school, three years older than me and way out of my league. Now I’m her last minute date to a wedding, and what started as a night of pure fun has turned into something more real than either of us anticipated.

Annie is my muse. When I’m with her, my writer’s block fades away, and the words finally flow.

The only problem? She wants the fairy tale—her very own happily ever after—and anyone who’s read my book knows the truth. I just don’t believe they exist.

About AJ Pine

AJ Pine writes stories to break readers’ hearts, but don’t worry—she’ll mend them with a happily ever after. As an English teacher and a librarian, AJ has always surrounded herself with books. All her favorites have one big commonality–romance. Naturally, the books she writes have the same. When she’s not writing, she’s of course reading. Then there’s online shopping (everything from groceries to shoes). And a tiny bit of TV where she nourishes her undying love of vampires, superheroes, and a certain high-functioning sociopath detective. You’ll also find her hanging with her family in the Chicago ‘burbs. AJ Pine is the author of the If Only series, the Only You series, and the current Kingston Ale House series.

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Blog Tour - Just Friends by Monica Murphy

Title: Just Friends (Friends #1)
Author: Monica Murphy
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: September 13, 2016
Source: ARC from Publicist
Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

It’s the end of summer. Just before I start senior year with my two best friends in the whole world. Dustin and Emily are everything to me. We’ve been inseparable since middle school, and when we’re together, nothing can go wrong.

But things aren’t always what they seem. Em’s turned into a drunken mess who parties too much. Dustin and I have hooked up a few times—and now he’s ready to take our relationship to the next level. Yet I’m not sure I want things to change. I’m scared if I take it any further with Dustin, our friendship will be ruined forever. Then there’s Ryan. The new guy. He’s hot. He flirts way too much. And Em has totally set her sights on him.

So when my best friend betrays me in the worst possible way, guess who’s there to help me pick up the pieces of my broken heart? Ryan. But he’s so confusing. Annoying. Sweet. Sexy. I want to trust him, yet he makes it so hard. What I really want is for everything to go back to the way it was before. 

Before I found out that best friends make the worst kind of enemies.

Though I've only been reading her books for a year (and I still have a lot of catching up to do), Monica Murphy has quickly become one of my go-to authors. Every time I hear she has a new book coming out, it automatically gets added to my TBR. Though her latest, Just Friends, left me wanting in some ways it was still a story I enjoyed reading.

When I first heard about Just Friends over the summer, I was seriously intrigued. I'm all about friendship stories, especially ones where the friendships don't seem to be all that healthy. So if the description was anything to go by, that's exactly what Just Friends was going to be. And it most definitely was. I can't quite remember the last time I read about a friendship as dysfunctional as the one between Liv, Em and Dustin. In fact, I would actually go so far as to say that Liv and Em's friendship was downright toxic. What I couldn't quite figure out was the why. For so much of the book I wished I could be reading part of the story from Em's perspective as opposed to just Liv's because I wanted to know why she was acting the way she was and doing the things she did. I wanted to believe there was more going on with her than her just being a "mean girl" for the sake of it. So much of Just Friends revolved around what was going on between Em and Liv and I just wish I could have gotten deeper into what that was...fingers crossed that gets explored in the sequel. Em and Liv's friendship aside, I loved seeing all the different relationship dynamics at play in the book, even if sometimes some of those relationships (or the motivations behind them) had me scratching my head a little. I'll be curious to see how everything plays out in the sequel because when Just Friends ended everything was pretty much all up in the air and I was left with a lot more questions than I got answers.

Though it didn't quite meet all my expectations, I still really enjoyed reading Monica Murphy's Just Friends and I look forward to reading the sequel. Mostly I just want answers to all the questions 

Stay Until We Break by Mercy Brown

Title: Stay Until We Break (Hub City #2)

Author: Mercy Brown

Publisher: InterMix

Release Date: June 21, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / B&N / Indigo

What happens on the road stays on the road in the latest New Adult novel from the author of Loud Is How I Love You.

Twenty-one-year-old Sonia Grant, a business major, has big plans for a career in the music industry. So when she's offered the job of manager for her best friend's band, she jumps at the chance for some real life experience. When her number one crush, bassist Cole McCormack, jumps her the first night on tour, she hopes she's in for three weeks of some hot backstage action, too. But Cole turns out to have more up his sleeve than she or anyone realized.

Nobody knows that Cole is on the road to party like a rock star one last time before quitting his dream to take a more practical job and settle down. What he hadn't planned was to fall in love with a girl he believes is out of his league. Will Cole play out the rock star fantasy he thinks Sonia wants from him, or tell her the truth and take the chance that she'll either break his heart or make an even bigger dream come true?

Mercy Brown’s debut, Loud Is How I Love You, has to be among my favourite books from this year. There was something about the story that worked for and that got me majorly excited about what was to come from this new author. So Stay Until We Break? I loved it just as much as the first one.

I would like to officially nominate Stay Until We Break for best opening of a book ever. Seriously. Go read the opening paragraph of this story and tell me you don’t want to read the rest of the story immediately. That it doesn’t immediately make you fall in love with Sonia. Or that it doesn’t make you laugh all while nodding your head in a agreement. Because I totally did all of those things just after reading one paragraph. If I didn’t already know I was going to love this story. That paragraph alone would have sold me on it. It was just that great an opening. But moving on to the rest of the story which, spoiler alert, I also absolutely loved. Much like with the first book in this series, Loud Is How I Love You, I got completely sucked in to Stay Until We Break. There’s just something about reading about this particular group of people as they go about trying to make it in the music scene of the 90s that works for me. I just didn’t want the story to end because I just wanted to keep spending time with these people. And the romance you might be wondering? It’s hot. Like, REALLY hot. And I loved every single page of it. I couldn’t get enough of Sonia and Cole and their tour romance.

I adored Sonia and Cole (if you hadn’t figured that out already). I seriously loved them and I would have been perfectly happy to keep reading about them forever. I loved the sort of push and pull that was always there between them, the way neither one of them seemed to think that they were what the other wanted, needed, or deserved when in reality they were pretty much perfect for each other. Granted there were plenty of bumps along the road while they were figuring that out, but I loved seeing it all happen and feeling like I was part of what was going on between them. Besides Cole and Sonia, and this is something I also mentioned in my review of Loud Is How I Love You, what I love the most about these stories is all the other relationships outside of the romance. There’s such a fantastic bond between all the members of band that makes for fantastic friendships. And though I might be repeating myself (no “might” about it, I am totally repeating myself) I want to be best friends with all the people in Stay Until We Break, I want to go on crazy tour adventures with them. But for now, I would just settle for more books about them. 

Mercy Brown’s Stay Until We Break was absolutely fantastic. I loved every single page of this story and couldn’t help but want more. And I’m definitely hoping more is coming in the form of a book all about Joey. Because I would most definitely read that.

Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen

Title: Rookie Move (Brooklyn Bruisers #1)

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: September 6, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

The first novel in a sexy new series featuring the hockey players of the Brooklynn Bruisers and the women who win their hearts—from the USA Today bestselling author of the Ivy Years series.

In high school they were the perfect couple—until the day Georgia left Leo in the cold…

Hockey player Leo Trevi has spent the last six years trying to do two things: get over the girl who broke his heart, and succeed in the NHL. But on the first day he’s called up to the newly franchised Brooklyn Bruisers, Leo gets checked on both sides, first by the team’s coach—who has a long simmering grudge, and then by the Bruisers’ sexy, icy publicist—his former girlfriend Georgia Worthington.

Saying goodbye to Leo was one of het hardest things Georgia ever had to do—and saying hello again isn’t much easier. Georgia is determined to keep their relationship strictly professional, but when a press conference microphone catches Leo declaring his feelings for her, things get really personal, really fast…

It's no secret that over the last two years Sarina Bowen has absolutely become one of my favourite and go-to authors when it comes to romance. I've read and loved every book she's written and I'm always looking forward to the next one. Her latest, Rookie Move, was just as fantastic as all the others and I loved every moment of it.

Though it's the start of a new series, I loved Rookie Move because it sort of brought me back to the world of Sarina Bowen's Ivy Years series. That series is one of my favourite romance series and I was so happy when this spin-off was announced. I knew there were more stories to be told about some of the hockey players I met in that original series and I was happy that Leo Trevi's story was the one I got. Especially his and Georgia's story. Because from the moment I heard about their past through DJ in The Fifteenth Minute, I knew that was a second chance romance waiting to happen and second chance romances just happen to be some of my favourites. And this one hit all the right notes for me. I got sucked in right from the start, wanting to see how things would play out once Leo realized that his ex-girlfriend was his new team's PR person and his new coach just happened to be said ex-girlfriend's father. Who seriously has it in for him. I mean, how could things not get interesting when that's your starting point? And from that starting point, it just kept getting better. And as is usually the case for me, the reason I loved this story as much as I did (besides the whole second chance romance thing) was the characters.

I know I'm repeating myself, but I had been curious about Leo and Georgia since they were first mentioned in the final Ivy Years book. I knew there was more to Leo than being the big man hockey player on campus and I was so right. I loved getting to know him better in Rookie Move, getting to see who he really was and how he still carried the past with him, especially where Georgia was concerned. It sucked seeing him struggle with that past, but at the same time he had to work through it in order to be able to find his way with Georgia. It sucked, but it was necessary. And that's also true for Georgia. Because Leo was so tied to that one event from their past, she had to find a way to separate him from that event and be able to be with him without constantly remembering the past. And I loved that they were able to move past it all because Georgia and Leo just made sense together, no matter how much they both tried to deny it at various times. Georgia and Leo were great, don't get me wrong, but what I love about Sarina Bowen's books is that the secondary characters always feel completely fleshed out. And in this particular case, it means I'm already excited by the idea of reading O'Doul's story in Hard Hitter and that I might be holding out hope for a story about Silas. And I wouldn't say no to glimpses of Leo and Georgia here and there. Just saying.

In case it wasn't clear, I really loved Sarina Bowen's Rookie Move. It was the perfect start to what promises to be an exciting new series. I can't wait to see where Sarina Bowen goes next with the members of the Brooklyn Bruisers, but I already know I'm pretty sure I'll love it all.

Mini Reviews - Paper Princess & Broken Prince by Erin Watt

Title: Paper Princess (The Royals #3)

Author: Erin Watt

Publisher: Everafter Romance

Release Date: April 4, 2016

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep school, one girl tries to stay true to herself.

These Royals will ruin you…

Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her slightly mother, struggling to make ends meet an believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone.

Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.

Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.

He might be right.

Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees.

I can't quite remember the last time I read a book that was as addicting as Erin Watt's Paper Princess. There was just something about this book that kept me turning pages almost faster than I could read them. Which worked out nicely for me because it made the flight I was on go by way faster since I was so caught up in the book. And that's because there was just so much going on in this story. What at first glance felt like it could be a new take on Cinderella (I mean, the main character's name is Ella) ended up being something else completely. And, to be honest, I don't know quite how to put that something else into words other than to say that it was completely addicting. And kind of twisted. Because the Royal family? They give the word "dysfunctional" a whole new meaning. With every new piece of information Ella uncovered about her new family she was able to realize just how screwed up the whole family was. But at the same time, the more dysfunctional I realized they were, the more I found myself caring about them. And I don't quite know what that says about me. 

But slowly but surely, the more I read, the more I found myself caring about not just Ella but also about Reed, Easton and the twins. Which considering how I felt about them at the start of the book, was a complete and total surprise. Reed was the biggest surprise of all. I fully expected to completely hate him, but by the time I reached the end of the book I kinda maybe didn't hate him? And Easton? I would read entire books about Easton because if anyone in Paper Princess stole my heart, surprisingly it was him. But that's besides the point. The point is that Paper Princess was a seriously addicting read. Fair warning though, if you choose to read Paper Princess make sure you have Broken Prince on hand because you're going to desperately want to read it when you finish the first one. Trust me.

Title: Broken Prince (The Royals #2)

Author: Erin Watt

Publisher: Everafter Romance

Release Date: July 25, 2016

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

These Royals will ruin you…

From wharf fights and school brawls to crumbling lives inside glittery mansions, one guy tries to save himself.

Reed Royal has it all—looks, status, money. The girls at his elite prep school line up to date him, the guys want to be him, but Reed never gave a damn about anyone but his family until Ella Harper walked into his life.

What started off as burning resentment and the need to make his father’s new ward suffer turned into something else entirely—keep Ella close. Keep Ella safe. But when one foolish mistake drives her out of Reed’s arms and brings chaos to the Royal household, Reed’s entire world begins to fall apart around him.

Ella doesn’t want him anymore. She says they’ll only destroy each other.

She might be right.

Secrets. Betrayal. Enemies. It’s like nothing Reed has ever dealt with before, and if he’s going to win back his princess, he’ll need to prove himself Royally worthy.

If I thought that Paper Princess was addicting, it was nothing compared to Broken Prince. The only reason I even put the book down while reading was because I couldn't keep my eyes open and just had to get sleep (stupid jet lag). It was just that addicting. And quite possibly even more twisted than the first book and that is saying something. What I loved about Broken Prince was getting to be in Reed's head. For so much of the first book (the entire first book, really), I couldn't figure him out and truth be told I thought he was pretty much the biggest asshole and didn't get what Ella could possibly see in him. But that changed pretty quickly in Broken Prince. Getting to read part of the story from his perspective allowed me to see that maybe he wasn't the complete ass I thought he was. It doesn't excuse all of his horrible behaviour, but at least now I understand where some of that behaviour was coming from. And it allowed me to see what Ella saw in him. And speaking of Ella, I loved seeing her come into her own in Broken Prince. I feel like I got to see another side of her and it made me love her that much more. As for the other Royals, I'm still waiting for a book all about Easton (desperately so) and I am weirdly fascinated by the twins, Sawyer and Sebastian. Like I want to know how they work but I also don't want to know. And I don't want to say too much about it so as not to spoil things. 

There was just so much going on in this story. The ending of Paper Princess was definitely a huge part of this story and it's still not resolved by the time Broken Prince ends. And more mysteries get thrown in the mix and by the time I finished reading I had so many theories about what was going on that I couldn't keep all of them straight. Oh, and I desperately needed the final book. If you thought Paper Princess ended on a cliffhanger, wait until you get to the end of Broken Prince. Even though it's not that far away, the wait for Twisted Palace is going to feel like it lasts forever.