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.

He Will Be My Ruin by K.A. Tucker

Title: He Will Be My Ruin

Author: K.A. Tucker

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: February 2, 2016

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

On the surface, Celine Gonzalez had everything a twenty-eight-year-old woman could want: a one-bedroom apartment on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, a job that (mostly) paid the bills, and an acceptance letter to the prestigious Hollingsworth Institute of Art, where she would finally live out her dream of becoming na antiques appraiser for a major auction house. All she had worked so hard to achieve was fairly within her reach. So why would she kill herself?

A man who was supposed to be her salvation…

Maggie Sparkes arrives in New York City to pack up what’s left of her best friend’s belongings after a suicide that has left everyone stunned. The police have deemed the evidence conclusive: Celine got into bed, downed a lethal cocktail of pills and vodka, and never woke up. But when Maggie discovers a scandalous photograph in a lock box hidden in Celine’s apartment, she begins asking questions. Questions about the man Celine fell in love with. The man she never told anyone about, not even Maggie. The man Celine would change her life.

Until he became her ruin.

On the hunt for evidence that will force the police to reopen the case, Maggie uncovers more than she bargained for about Celine’s private life—and inadvertently puts herself on the radar of a killer. A killer who will stop at nothing to keep his crimes undiscovered.

Over the last three years, K.A. Tucker has become one of my absolute auto-buy authors. I don’t need to know what the book is about, I will buy it and I will read it. And I can guarantee I will love it every time. Her latest romantic suspense, He Will Be My Ruin, was no different.

If you asked anyone, they would have told you that Celine Gonzalez had everything she wanted. But appearances can be deceiving. Everyone, the police included, believes that Celine killed herself. Everyone except for Maggie Sparkes, her best friend since childhood. Maggie believes there was something more going on with Celine. The friend she knew just wouldn’t kill herself. As she packs up Celine’s apartment, Maggie discovers a lock box containing more questions than answers. In it, she finds a picture of a man Celine was in love with, a man she knew nothing about. Maggie knows something’s not quite right about everything that happened. And the more she digs for answers about her friend’s death, the more she’s putting herself at risk.

I have read and loved all the books in both the Ten Tiny Breaths and the Burying Water series. You might even go so far as to say that K.A. Tucker is one of my all-time favourite authors (spoiler alert: she totally is). So I was definitely excited about He Will Be My Ruin. I pretty much read it the moment I got my hands on it. And I will say this: it’s definitely different from K.A. Tucker’s previous books, but it didn’t stop me from loving it just as much as the ones that came before. Here’s the thing, reading all of K.A. Tucker’s other books, I’ve gotten used to romance and lots of it, so I kept expecting that with He Will Be My Ruin even though it was romantic suspense. Though romance was definitely present in the story (hello sexy rooftop garden with a hammock scene!), it wasn’t the main focus of the story. The focus of the story would have been that whole mystery, thriller part of things. Yeah, that. And to say that He Will Be My Ruin kept me guessing would be a major understatement. I typically pride myself on being able to figure out mysteries before everything is laid out in front of me. I credit that ability to excessive watching of crime shows and police procedurals. But this time, I didn’t see it coming. Like at all. I kept thinking I had what happened to Celine figured out, but then I would be given another piece of information and things just didn’t fit anymore. I literally needed everything laid out in front of me before I finally understood it all. And that’s because there were so many layers to the mystery and it just made the story that much more engaging. So yeah, He Will Be My Ruin may not have had as much romance as I’m used to with K.A. Tucker, but it had one hell of a suspense story.

I loved reading the bulk of this story from Maggie’s perspective because it meant I was finding things out at the same time as she did. Not only that, but her connection to everything made everything that much more intense. She was desperate for answers about what happened to her best friend, and her determination to get answers really spoke to how much she cared about Celine. She just didn’t want to accept that her friend committed suicide and she was ready to do just about anything to prove it, even putting herself in danger. And put herself in danger, she definitely did. Though she didn’t realize it. And that’s because, like me, Maggie was a little confused about who she could trust. And I can’t really blame her because every time I thought I could trust either Grady or Jace, something would happen to make me doubt their trustworthiness. And then I would start trusting them again. And so it went for pretty much the whole book. I’ve said it already, but I honestly couldn’t figure out who the bad guy was supposed to be or if either one of them was even a bad guy to begin with. It drove me absolutely crazy, but in the best way possible.

K.A. Tucker completely blew me away with He Will Be My Ruin. This story had so many layers and kept me guessing until the very end. And even then, I wasn’t sure I had everything right. If you love a good romantic suspense, then you need to get your hands on this books ASAP.

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Title: November 9

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: November 10, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

In the last couple of years, Colleen Hoover has easily become one of my favourite authors, one whose books I will automatically buy no matter what they are about. And those books alway manage to hit me right where it hurts in the best way possible. And it was no different with November 9.

Fallon never planned on falling in love at eighteen. Her plan was to move across the country and find herself before she fell in love with someone else. But on the day before she’s supposed to move, Fallon unexpectedly meets Ben and she considers changing her plans. But after spending her last day in L.A. together, they make a deal: for the next five years they’re going to spend November 9 together but continue living their own lives every other day of the year. And if after five years that attraction and those feelings are still there, then they will start their lives together. But not before that. But can you really know someone when you only spend one day with each year?

Until about a week ago, I thought I knew which of Colleen Hoover’s books was my favourite (Maybe Someday for those interested), but then I read November 9 and that changed. It’s one of those things. Every time I pick up a book by Colleen Hoover, I know it’s going to be emotional, I know it’s going to hurt at times, and I know tears are pretty likely to appear on my face. The extent to which all those things will happen just depends on the book and the story. So I had certain expectations when I started reading November 9 and I can now say that those expectations have more than been surpassed. This book is officially my new Colleen Hoover favourite. Once I started reading, I just couldn’t stop. And every time I thought I was done getting punched right where it hurts (in a good way, of course), the hits just kept on coming. I was a mess of tears and feelings by the time I finished and I didn’t know what to do with myself. Or how I was supposed to pick up another book to read after this one. No matter what I say, it’s just not going to come close to doing November 9 justice. Just know that you should have tissues (and lots of them) on hand when you decide to read November 9.

The interesting thing about November 9 is that because of the way the story is told, you never really get a full picture of who Fallon and Ben are. Admittedly by the end of the book, I had a pretty good grasp on who they were but it still took a while to get there. That’s what happens when you only see someone for one day each year. That’s how it was for me as the reader, and that’s what it was like for Fallon and Ben themselves. And it made their story that much more interesting to read. And when everything was revealed it was that much more powerful. Did I mentioned I cried a lot while reading? Well, In the last third of the book that was all Ben’s fault. Overall, though, Fallon and Ben, as much as they gave me a lot of feelings and were responsible for a lot of my tears, they were really fun people to read about. In the first few chapters I couldn’t help the huge smile on my face while I was reading because they were just so adorable and their banter was perfect. And the more I read about them, the more I loved them. And the more I loved them the more I was scared of what was going to happen to them. Because let’s be real here, this was a Colleen Hoover book and we all know what she does to her characters. Even when it all ends well, it hurts to get there.

Colleen Hoover’s November 9 was so much more than I had hoped it would be. This book made me smile, it made me cry, and it made me feel every other emotion in between. Even though this is now my favourite Colleen Hoover book and I don’t know how anything else can possibly compare, I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.

Before We Were Strangers by Renee Carlino

Title: Before We Were Strangers

Author: Renée Carlino

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: August 18, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a love story about a Craigslist “missed connection” post that gives two people a second chance at love fifteen years after they were separated in new York City.

To the Green-Eyed Lovebird:

We met fifteen years ago, almost to the day, when I moved my stuff into the NYU dorm room next to yours at Senior House.

You called us fast friends. I like to think it was more.

We lived on nothing but the excitement of finding ourselves through music (you were obsessed with Jeff Buckley), photography (I couldn’t stop taking pictures of you), hanging out in Washington Square Park, and all the weird things we did to make money. I learned more about myself that year than any other.

Yet, somehow, it all fell apart. We lost touch the summer after graduation when I went to South America to work for National Geographic. When I came back, you were gone. A part of me still wonders if I pushed you too hard after the wedding…

I didn’t see you again until a month ago. It was a Wednesday. You were rocking back on your heels, balancing on that thick yellow line that runs along the subway platform, waiting for the F train. I didn’t know it was you until it was too late, and then you were gone. Again. You said my name; I saw it on your lips. It died to will the train to stop, just so I could say hello.

After seeing you, all of the youthful feelings and memories came flooding back to me, and now I’ve spent the better part of a month wondering what your life is like. I might be totally out of my mind, but would you like to get a drink with me and catch up on the last decade and a half?

M

Despite owning two of her books and having heard nothing but good things about them, I hadn’t yet read any of Renée Caroline’s books. But I was curious about Before We Were Strangers and its premise. And this book did not disappoint in the least.

Fifteen years ago, Matt and Grace met, became friends and fell in love. For a year, they were inseparable, spending every minute they could together. Playing music, taking pictures, and enjoying life in New York City. But after a year, it all fell apart and Matt and Grace lost touch. But a chance sighting on a subway platform brings back feelings both of them had long thought had been buried. A lot can happen in fifteen years, and this could be Matt and Grace’s second chance at love.

Before We Were Strangers is the first of Renée Carlino’s books that I’ve read, but it certainly won’t be the last. When I first heard about the premise for this one, I was very curious about what the story would end up being. I wanted to know more about this story about two people who reconnect after fifteen years thanks to a missed connection post. And I love a good second chance romance story. Basically, it was like Before We Were Strangers was calling out my name and I had no choice but to read it. And this story, guys. I loved the way it was told, how I got to see Matt and Grace falling in love at 22 just like I got to see them reconnecting when they were 36. And I honestly didn’t think this story would affect me as much as it did. I expected romance, and lots of it, considering what the story is. And I saw revelations coming long before they were revealed, but they still hit me right where it hurts. There were tears involved. Lots of them. And by the time I finished reading Before We Were Strangers, I was basically a puddle of feelings and tears. 

Because of the way the story was told, it was like I got two couples for the price of one: Matt and Grace as college seniors, and Matt and Grace as 36-year-olds. And actually, it’s almost like I got to see three versions of them, because the story went from the present to the past and back to the present. Does what I’m saying even make sense? Hopefully it does. This is all to say that I loved seeing who these two people were as young adults who were trying to find their way in the world. And how, finding each other again once they were older, was almost like they were brought back to life, like they were finally living the life they had hoped to be living. Basically, there wasn’t a single moment  in Before We Were Strangers when I wasn’t rooting for Matt and Grace, whether that was in the late 90s or in the present day. I wanted these two people to be together and I loved seeing them together. And they were absolutely responsible for a lot of the crying I did while reading.

Renée Carlino’s Before We Were Strangers was a beautiful story of second chance romance. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and most of all I loved every single page I read. And those other Renée Carlino books sitting on shelves? They are absolutely getting read.

Blog Tour - Chasing River by K.A. Tucker + Giveaway

Title: Chasing River (Burying Water #3)

Author: K.A. Tucker

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: July 7, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / B&N / iBooks / Indigo

Armed with two years’ worth of savings and the need toe experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.

Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn’t let her die, but he also couldn’t risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Casing her off would be the smart move. 

Maybe it’s because he saved her life, or maybe it’s because he’s completely different from everything she’s left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.

And River isn’t the kind of guy she’d want to catch.

By now it shouldn’t be a secret or a surprise that I love K.A. Tucker and her books. In the last year and a half I have devoured every book she’s published and I just can never seem to get enough. The last few months I was dying to read her latest, Chasing River, and I was not in the least bit disappointed by the story.

Amber Welles has never ventured outside the comfortable bubble of her small Oregon hometown, but she’s decided that it’s time to experience life for what it is. Setting off on a trip around the world, Amber is ready for an adventure wanting to see what the world has to offer. What she never expected was almost dying in a terrorist bombing in Dublin. At the last second, a stranger jumps in and saves her, before taking off again without giving her a chance to thank him. Determined to find her mysterious saviour, Amber keeps looking around Dublin hoping she’ll find the man who saved her life. The one problem is that River is doing everything he can to stay away from Amber, no matter how much he feels a pull towards her. It’s not just to protect himself and his family, it’s also for her own protection. But even if it means putting themselves in danger, Amber and River can’t keep fighting the forces that keep pulling them together.

Here’s the thing about writing reviews for books written by a favourite author: it’s HARD. If I’m being completely honest, all I really want to say about Chasing River is that it was freaking amazing and everyone should read it. But in my opinion, I could say the exact same thing about every one of K.A. Tucker’s books that I’ve read (so all of them), so that’s not entirely helpful. Unless you’re just going to take my word for it and walk over to your local bookstore to pick up any one of her books. So I’ll try to give you all a little more than that where Chasing River is concerned. For starters, this story gave me wanderlust like no other. I’ve been to Dublin and other parts of Ireland before, but reading Chasing River totally made me want to go back, even with the book starting off with a bombing in one of the busiest areas of Dublin. And speaking of that bombing and all its implications, I really enjoyed how much of the story was tied to the history of the IRA and how over time the organization has changed from what it originally was. It added another layer of depth to the story, beyond just the “traditional” suspense and the romance. Which, speaking of the romance, it should go without saying that I loved it. I loved the way the relationship between Amber and River developed, how despite that initial attraction they both tried to resist it, knowing that it was likely not going to end well. It only made it that much better when they did get together

In many ways I could related to Amber, especially when it comes to doing the “safe” thing and never really doing anything to stray from that supposedly “safe” path. Because that’s pretty much what I’ve done with my life so far. So I appreciated and understood that side of Amber’s personality. And I could totally understand her desire to want to go on an adventure, to see what the world had to offer. So it didn’t take long for me to connect to Amber and her story. And as much I would love to go off on a trip around the world the way Amber does, I would like to hope I wouldn’t end up almost killed in a bombing like she did. Or if that were the case, maybe there would be my own River on hand to save me. Because I wouldn’t mind having my own River, or even stealing this River from Amber and keeping him for myself, because, well, yeah. River was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but he was doing the best he could to do the right thing by his family and the people he cared about and that often put him in difficult situations. But I admired his loyalty, even if sometimes it led to him making some questionable decisions. It all worked out though, but there were still some close calls. But none of that stopped me from absolutely loving River. Also, Ivy was awesome. I loved seeing so much of her in Chasing River and it made me that much more excited about reading her story in Surviving Ice.

Chasing River was exactly what I had hoped it would be. This story was packed with intrigue, drama and romance, just the way I liked it. K.A. Tucker absolutely delivered with this story and I can’t wait to see what she does next with Surviving Ice. 

Giveaway!

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Cover Reveal - Surviving Ice by K.A. Tucker

 

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Cover Reveal for K.A. Tucker’s SURVIVING ICE!! SURVIVING ICE is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel, and the fourth novel in K.A. Tucker’s Burying Water Series, published by Atria books, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster. SURVIVING ICE is set to be released October 13, 2015!

About Surviving Ice

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Ivy Lee, a talented tattoo artist who spent the early part of her twenties on the move, is looking for a place to call home. She thinks she might have finally found it working in her uncle’s tattoo shop in San Francisco. But all that changes when a robbery turns deadly, compelling her to pack up her things yet again.

When they need the best, they call him. That’s why Sebastian Riker is back in California, cleaning up the mess made after a tattoo shop owner with a penchant for blackmail got himself shot. But it’s impossible to get the answers he needs from a dead body, leaving him to look elsewhere. Namely, to the twenty-something-year-old niece who believes this was a random attack. Who needs to keep believing that until Sebastian finds what he’s searching for.

Ivy has one foot out of San Francisco when a chance encounter with a stranger stalls her departure. She’s always been drawn to intense men, so it’s not wonder that she now finds a reason to stay after all, quickly intoxicated by his dark smile, his intimidating strength, and his quiet control.

That is, until Ivy discovers that their encounter was no accident—and that their attraction could be her undoing.

Pre-Order SURVIVING ICE today!

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And don’t forget BURYING WATER, BECOMING RAIN and CHASING RIVER, the first three books in this thrilling series…

About BURYING WATER

The top-selling, beloved indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths returns with a new romance about a young woman who loses her memory—and the man who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away.

Left for dead in the fields of rural Oregon, a young woman defies all odds and survives—but she awakens with no idea who she is, or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body—the only clue to her past. Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crotchety but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor, quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him?

Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. he knows that she’ll stay so much safer—and happier—that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried.

The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface.

Get your copy of BURYING WATER now!

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About BECOMING RAIN

Luke Boone doesn’t know exactly what his uncle Rust is involved in but he wants in on it—the cars, the money, the women. And it looks like he’s finally getting his wish. When Rust hands him the managerial keys to the garage, they come with a second set—one that opens up the door to tons of cash and opportunity. Though it’s not exactly legal, Luke’s never been one to worry about that sort of thing. Especially when it puts him behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 and onto the radar of gorgeous socialite named Rain.

Clara Bertelli is at the top of her game—at only twenty-six years old, she’s one of the most successful undercover officers int he Washington, DC, major crime unit, and she’s just been handed a case that could catapult her career and expose one of the West Coast’s most notorious car theft rings. But, in order to do it, she’ll need to go deep undercover as Rain Martines. Her target? The twenty-four-year-old nephew of a key player who appears ready to follow in his uncle’s footsteps.

As Clara drifts deeper into the luxurious lifestyle of Rain, and further into the arms of her very attractive and charming target, the lines between right and wrong start to blur, making her wonder if she’ll be able to leave it all behind. Or if she’ll even want to.

Get BECOMING RAIN now!

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About CHASING RIVER

Armed with two years’ worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-years-old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except drying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.

Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn’t let her die, but he also couldn’t risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, hoe wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Chasing her off would be the smart move.

Maybe it’s because he saved her life, or maybe it’s because he’s completely different from everything she’s left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.

And River isn’t the kind of guy she’d want to catch.

Pre-order CHASING RIVER today!

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About K.A. Tucker

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

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Cover Reveal - Chasing River by K.A. Tucker

We have been dying to share this Cover Reveal for K.A. Tucker's CHASING RIVER with you all! CHASING RIVER is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel, and the third novel in K.A. Tucker’s Burying Water Series, published by Atria books, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster. CHASING RIVER is set to be released July 7, 2015! If you haven't had a chance to check out this series yet now is the time!

To celebrate, BURYING WATER, with an excerpt of CHASING RIVER, is just $1.99 for the month of April!!
Grab BURYING WATER and BECOMING RAIN while you wait for CHASING RIVER!

About Chasing River

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Armed with two years’ worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year-old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.

Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn’t let her die, but he also couldn’t risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Chasing her off would be the smart move.

Maybe it’s because he saved her life, or maybe it’s because he’s completely different from everything she’s left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.

And River isn’t the kind of guy she’s want to catch.

Pre-Order CHASING RIVER today!

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And don’t forget BURYING WATER and BECOMING RAIN, the first two books in this thrilling series…

About BURYING WATER

The top-selling, beloved indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths returns with a new romance about a young woman who loses her memory—and the man who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away.

Left for dead in the field of rural Oregon, a young woman defies all odds and survives—but she awakens with no idea who she is, or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body—the only clue to her past. Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crochet but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor, quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him?

Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. He knows that she’ll stay so much safer—and happier—that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried.

The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface.

BURYING WATER is just $1.99 for the month of April!

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About BECOMING RAIN

Luke Boone doesn’t know exactly what his uncle Rust is involved in but he wants in on it—the cars, the money, the women. And it looks like he’s finally getting his wish. When Rust hands him the managerial keys to the garage, they come with a second set—one that opens up the door to tons of cash and opportunity. Though it’s not exactly legal, Luke’s never been one to worry about that sort of thing. Especially when it puts him behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 and onto the radar of a gorgeous socialite named Rain.

Clara Bertelli is at the top of her game—at only twenty-six years old, she’s one of the most successful undercover officers in the Washington, DC major crime unity, and she’s just been handed a case that could catapult her career and expose one of the West Coast’s most notorious cart theft rings. But, in order to do it, she’ll need to go deep undercover as Rain Martines. Her target? The twenty-four-year-old nephew of a key player who appears ready to follow in his uncle’s footsteps.

As Clara drifts deeper into the luxurious lifestyle of Rain, and further into the arms of her very attractive and charming target, the lines between right and wrong start to blur, making her wonder if she’ll be able to leave it all behind. Or if she’ll even want to. 

Get your copy of BECOMING RAIN today!

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About K.A. Tucker

Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

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Where Sea Meets Sky by Karina Halle

Title: Where Sea Meets Sky

Author: Karina Halle

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: March 31, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

A new adult novel that perfectly captures the existential angst of your early twenties with raw wit, fresh insight, and true feeling from a critically adored USA TODAY bestselling author.

Joshua Miles has spent his early twenties spinning his wheels. Working dead-end jobs and living at home has left him exhausted and uninspired, with little energy to pursue his passion for graphic art. Until he meets Gemma Henare, a vivacious out-of-towner from New Zealand. What begins as a one-night stand soon becomes a turning point for Josh. He can’t get Gemma out of his head, even after she has left for home, and finds himself throwing caution to the wind for the first time in his life.

It’s not long before Josh is headed to New Zealand with only a backpack, some cash, and Gemma’s name to go on. But when he finally tracks her down, he finds his adventure is only just beginning. Equally infatuated, Gemma leads him on a whirlwind tour across the beautiful country, opening Josh up to life, lust, love, and all the messy heartache in between. Because, when love drags you somewhere, it might never let go even when you know you have to say goodbye.

Books that feature travel are some of my favourites to read. So whenever I hear of a book where the characters are travelling, it automatically gets added to my to-read list. That’s how I found myself being interested in Karina Halle’s Where Sea Meets Sky. I knew the travelling alone would hold my attention. Though it didn’t hurt that the story completely grabbed me as well.

On the night he met Gemma, Josh never expected that his life would take an unexpected turn. Until that night, he was working dead-end jobs, saving money in the hope of being accepted to art school in order to pursue his dream of being a graphic artist. But after meeting Gemma and spending a night with her, Josh’s life changes. He can’t get the New Zealander out of his head, and before he has time to overthink it, Josh hops on a plane to New Zealand, hoping to see Gemma again. In New Zealand, Josh finds Gemma and together they go on a road trip, exploring the country. On the road together, Gemma and Josh can’t deny the connection they feel, but will they be willing to let the other in when they know whatever they have will end once Josh leaves?

I’m not going to lie, the traveling aspect of the story is what initially drew me to Karina Halle’s Where Sea Meets Sky. Well, that and the fact that it was New Adult. I read the description and it sounded interesting beyond just the traveling around New Zealand aspect. I figured this was a story that, if nothing else, I would likely enjoy. What I didn’t expect was how much I loved it and how much some of the themes and characters resonated with me. First and foremost, I would say that Where Sea Meets Sky is a love story. This is about Josh and Gemma opening themselves up to the idea of falling in love and basically falling in love in the process. But it was also about two individuals trying to figure out their lives. That’s the part that really resonated with me. Both Gemma and Josh are in this sort of transitional period, where they mostly know what they want to be doing with their lives, they’re just struggling with how to get there. That idea of having a goal and working towards it because that’s what you feel like you should be doing even if it’s not really what you want to be doing. That, right there, resonated with me so much. It’s the point I’m at in my life. I have a university degree, I have a job that’s related to my degree, but is it really what I want to be doing? I have goals, I more or less know how to make them happen, but I’m not necessarily going to extra lengths to make them happen. And Where Sea Meets Sky got me thinking about that. It got me asking myself what I’m doing with my life. And if only for that, I loved this story. There’s nothing better than a story that makes you think and question your own life. So needless to say that because of that, I was able to relate quite a bit to Josh and Gemma.

I was a little skeptical about Josh and Gemma when I first started reading. I mean, things between them happen pretty fast and escalate pretty fast. But granted, that’s the nature of a one night stand. Which is what both of them thought it was. Except it wasn’t really. And that’s where I got a little skeptical. Because both of them kind of became very much focused on the other even though they knew they would likely never see each other again. But even though I was skeptical, I admired Josh for his impulsive decision to just go for it. To hop on a plane to New Zealand and go for what he wanted. So often, I wish I could be like that. But I’m not. Though like I’ve said, the book definitely got me thinking about it. But as much as I admired Josh for that, Gemma I had a tendency to get a little more annoyed with. I wanted her to once and for all make a choice about who she wanted to be with and stop jerking Josh around. And I wanted her to stand up for herself and realize that she deserved so much better than her ex. But as the story moved along, I started liking her more and more as I understood where she was coming from and what she was trying to move on from. And I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say that by the end of the book I was completely rooting for Josh and Gemma.

Karina Halle’s Where Sea Meets Sky took me completely by surprise. This story made me think in ways I didn’t expect and gave me characters I could relate to in ways I didn’t know I would. I can't wait to read the companion, Racing the Sun, and finding out more about one of the characters I met in this story. In the meantime, excuse me while I go look up flights to New Zealand…

Becoming Rain by K.A. Tucker

Title: Becoming Rain (Burying Water #2)

Author: K.A. Tucker

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: March 3, 2015

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo / B&N

Luke Boone doesn’t know exactly what his uncle Rust in involved in but he wants in on ti—the cars, the money, the women. And it looks like he’s finally getting his wish. When Rust hands him the managerial keys to the garage, they come with a second set—one that opens up the door to tons of cash and opportunity. Though it’s not exactly legal, Luke’s never been one to worry about that sort of thing. Especially when it puts him behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 and onto the radar of gorgeous socialite named Rain.

Clara Bertelli is at the top of her game—at only twenty-six years old, she’s one of the most successful undercover officers in the Washington D.C. major crime unit, and she’s just been handed a case that could catapult her career and expose one of the west coast’s most notorious car theft rings. But, in order to do it, she’ll need to go deep undercover as Rain Martines. Her target? The twenty-four-year old nephew of a key player who appears ready to follow in his uncle’s footsteps.

As Clara drifts deeper into the luxurious lifestyle of Rain, and further into the arms of her very attractive and charming target, the lines between right and wrong start to blue, making her wonder if she’ll be able to leave it all behind. Or is she’ll even want to.

I am such a huge K.A. Tucker fangirl and I will read and will very likely love just about anything she writes. This was true of her Ten Tiny Breaths series, and it’s been true with her Burying Water series so far. I loved the first book, and the second one, Becoming Rain, completely blew me away.

Luke has always known there was more to his uncle Rust’s business than just an auto-repair shop. Sure, the garage is successful, but there’s no way it could support his uncle’s lifestyle. And Luke wants in on it. He doesn’t care that the dealings may are shady, he wants the women, the cars and the money his uncle’s business seem to bring in. Especially when he meets Rain Martines. What Luke doesn’t know is that Rain isn’t exactly who she says she is. Rain is also Clara, an undercover cop on assignment. And her target? None other than Rust, Luke’s uncle. Clara knows what she has to do in order to take down Rust’s car theft ring. Her assignment is clear: seduce Luke Boone and gain access to the operations. But lines becomes blurred between where Rain ends and Clara begins, especially as she spends more time with Luke. When the time comes, will Clara be able to do what she needs to? And if she does, will Luke ever be able to forgive her?

Oh how I love reading a new K.A. Tucker story. There’s just this feeling when starting a new book by a favourite author that I just won’t ever get tired of. And that feeling was definitely there when I started reading Becoming Rain. When I first received my copy of the book for review, I told myself I would just read a few pages and then go back to what I was supposed to be reading. Yeah, that didn’t happen. I got completely sucked in, and before I knew what was happening, a few pages turned into a few chapters and then that quickly turned into me staying up way too late because I couldn’t put the book down. To say that Becoming Rain was captivating and engrossing would be a serious understatement. With this new series, K.A. Tucker has included an element of mystery to the stories, giving the books an almost thriller feel. And I love it. The whole time I was reading, I was waiting for things to be explained, to see if how I had pieced things together was the way they actually were. And as with any good K.A. Tucker book, the romance was there and it delivered. But of course I can’t talk about the romance without talking about Clara and Luke.

Let me just preface any talk of Clara and Luke by saying that my feelings about them were complicated. I knew what I felt, but there were times when I was conflicted about what I was feeling. But by the end of it, there was no doubt in my mind that I was rooting for Luke and Clara. But rooting for them when for the better part of the book one of them was pretending to be someone else was hard. At first I just felt very conflicted. I was reading and I could see the chemistry between Clara and Luke and I could see that they were attracted to each other. But at the same time, Clara was so against the idea of being attracted to Luke that I started to feel that way. But I still wanted them to be together. Did I mention that my feelings were complicated? Beyond wanting Luke and Clara to be together in spite of everything happening around them, I really loved them as their own people. Sure, there were plenty of moments when I wanted to yell at Luke. When I wanted to tell him that he should turn around now before he got in way over his head. Hell, I’m pretty sure there were times when I was straight up talking at the book as if Luke could actually hear me (I swear, I’m not crazy). But at the same time, I knew that Luke was a good person. He was just stuck in a bad situation. And I could understand Clara’s struggle about the way she felt about Luke because half the time I was right there with her. Through it all Clara was being pulled back and forth between her feelings and her duty as a cop. I really enjoyed seeing her work through all that, and I kept hoping that whatever decision she came to would involve her being with Luke. Because as confused as I was about my feelings about their relationship, I would have been seriously angry if Luke and Clara didn’t find a way to work it out.

K.A. Tucker’s Becoming Rain was absolutely fantastic. If anything, I loved this story even more than I did the first one in this series. It’s a little darker, it’s sexy and it has some of the best characters I’ve read about recently. I”m excited to see whose story K.A. Tucker will be tackling next!

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

Title: Maybe Someday

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: March 18, 2014

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendships, betrayal, and romance.

At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter’s cheating on her—and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by Ridge, her mysterious neighbor. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves need each other in more ways than one…

2014 was the year that I discovered and read ALL the Colleen Hoover books. And with each one of her books, I just love this author more and more. Even though I’ve loved every single one of her books I’ve read, my favourite just has to be Maybe Someday. Something about this story broke my heart, but then slowly put it back together. It was perfect.

Sydney thought she had it all figured out. But when she walks in her apartment on the day of her twenty-second birthday to find that her long-time boyfriend has been sleeping with her best friend and roommate, everything falls apart. Sydney no longer has a place to live and she isn’t sure what she’s supposed to do anymore. That’s when Ridge steps in. Ridge, Sydney’s mysterious neighour who sits on his balcony night after night playing his guitar. The same Ridge Sydney hasn’t been able to keep her eyes off of. As the two begin spending more and more time together, they can’t deny the feelings that are building between them. But the feelings complicate things. Both have so much they need to work out. But what do you do when you need a person as much as Sydney and Ridge need each other?

How do I even begin to explain how much I loved this book? Before I attempt to do so though, I should thank my awesome friend Katie (@isolateme on Twitter—go say “hi” she’s awesome!) for telling me to read this book (and all of Colleen Hoover’s other books) because I would have seriously been missing out. Moving on. This book. I just had so many feelings while reading it. Every time I thought the story couldn’t possibly affect me any more, it would. It was just an emotional story to read. Or at least it was for me. But that was most definitely not a bad thing. A lot of the time, this story was heartwarming. I was rooting for the characters and the romance. But then it went and ripped my heart to shreds. It was painful. Like, I felt like my heart was breaking over and over again. But I had faith in Colleen Hoover. I knew she wouldn’t disappoint me and I knew she wouldn’t leave me with a broken heart. And she didn’t. If I thought the story was heartwarming before, by the end of the book, I felt like my heart was going to burst I was so happy with what I was reading. And a lot of that had to do with the romance. Because in Maybe Someday, the romance between Sidney and Ridge was just perfect. 

Explaining how much I loved Sydney and Ridge is going to be difficult. No matter what I say, I feel like I wouldn’t even come close to doing them justice. At the start of the story, Sydney’s life pretty much falls apart. Or at least that’s how it feels to her. Understandably so. I mean, she just found out her boyfriend and her best friend have been sleeping together behind her back and since she lived with said best friend, she doesn’t really have a place to stay anymore. So she’s pretty much at a low point in her life. Right from the start, I was rooting for Sydney. I wanted her to find a way to get through all of this, and to figure out who she really was and what she really wanted in life. And Ridge stepped in to help with all of that. And Ridge was, well, Ridge was pretty much perfection. He wasn’t perfect, not by any stretch, but reading about him and reading part of this story from his perspective, he was exactly who I wanted him to be. He was caring, loyal and loving and would do anything for the people he cared about. And when that started including Sydney, things got interesting. It shouldn’t surprise anyone when I say that I loved the idea of Sydney and Ridge together and I spent the whole book rooting for them, no matter what. As a side note, Warren was also awesome and if you choose to read Maybe Someday, also read Maybe Not, the novella all about Warren. It’s worth it.

I’m so glad that I started reading Colleen Hoover’s books in 2014. I would still be severely missing out otherwise. Maybe Someday was pretty close to a perfect book. At least to me. And I adored every single second of my time reading it. 

Blog Tour - Burying Water by K.A. Tucker + Giveaway

Title: Burying Water (Burying Water #1)

Author: K.A. Tucker

Publisher: Atria Books

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository / Indigo / B&N

The top-selling, beloved indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths returns with a new romance about a young woman who loses her memory—and the man who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away.

Left for dead in the fields of rural Oregon, a young woman defines all odds and survives—but she awakens with no idea who she is, or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body—the only clue to her past. Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crotchety but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor, quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him?

Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. He knows that she’ll stay so much safer—and happier—that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried. 

The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface.

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of K.A. Tucker and her Ten Tiny Breaths series. With that series having come to an end, I was excited to see what she would do next. Burying Water sounded like it had a lot of potential. Memory loss and a mysterious neighbor? Count me in! And I was not in the least bit disappointed.

When she wakes up in the hospital, she has no idea who she is, much less how she got there. Having been left for dead in field outside a small Oregon, she doesn't know where she comes from or what she could have done to be attacked in way she was. After months in the hospital being called "Jane Doe," she renames herself "Water," after discovering a tattoo o her body. Taken in by Ginny, an old lady who owns a ranch outside of town, Water sets about getting on with her life hoping that her memories will one day return. But she can't help but feel drawn to Jesse, the neighbor who spends most of his time playing with the engine of his car. Does she know him? Does he know what happened to her before she lost her memory? Jesse knows he should stay away from Water. After everything that happened he shouldn't let himself get close to her. But his feelings, much like Water's, can only stay buried for long.

There's so much I want to say about K.A. Tucker's Burying Water. I just don't know if I'll be able to get it all out, much less if I'll be able to do so coherently. But I'll try. I was a little apprehensive when I started reading Burying Water. I love K.A. Tucker's other new adult books so FREAKING much that I didn't know how this one would possibly be able to compare. I didn't help that when I started reading I didn't know how it was going to work not only to have the story told from two perspectives, but from two different points in time. Once I started reading, though, I got swept up in the story. The way Burying Water is written, it's almost as if I got two love stories: one of Jesse falling in love with Alex, and one of Water falling in love with Jesse. I absolutely LOVED seeing these two stories unfold. With Jesse's story, there was definitely more drama, questioning of whether he was doing the right thing. With Water's story, it was all about jumping into the unknown. And as much as I loved seeing the relationships and the romance develop, it also broke my heart. The more I read, the more I knew what was coming but I couldn't stop reading even if I knew it would result with me in tears. Through it all though, I was falling in love with Jesse and Water.

It would have been very difficult for me to not fall for Jesse Welles. From the moment I met him in Burying Water, I knew that he would quickly work his way into my heart. He didn't thin highly of himself, but the more I read, and the more I saw him interact with Alex (and I REALLY want to talk about Alex, but I can't because it would just be too complicated), I just knew that he was more than he was giving himself credit for. Sure, he had made bad decisions in the past, and even now some of his decisions were questionable at best, but what he did came from a good place. He was willing to do whatever it took to keep Alex safe, even if it meant hurting himself in the process. And that happened again with Water. Water is one of those people you can't help but feel for. She wakes up in the hospital after having been brutally attacked not knowing who she is. You an't help but want to root for this girl. And believe me when I say I did. It didn't take long for me to figure out what had happened to her, and when I did it only made me want to root for her even more. And as much as I wanted her to get her memories back, to understand who she really was, I didn't want her to have to relive everything that happened to her when she was attacked. And Water and Jesse were just good for each other, despite what the people around them might have believed. And more than anything, I wanted everything to be okay for them.

As you might have guessed by now, I loved K.A. Tucker's Burying Water. As apprehensive as I might have been about this book, I have no regrets now that I've read this story. And I can't help but look forward to Becoming Rain, the next book in this series.

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