Lori L. Clark's Blog, page 188

Release Day Blitz & Giveaway: Out of Line

OUT OF LINE by Jen McLaughlin: Desperate to break free…

I've spent my entire life under my father’s thumb, but now I'm finally free to make my own choices. When my roommate dragged me to my first college party, I met Finn Coram and my life turned inside out. He knows how to break the rules and is everything I never knew I wanted. A Marine by day and surfer by night, he pushes me away even as our attraction brings us closer. Now I am finally free to do whatever I want. I know what I want. I choose Finn.

Trying to play by the rules...

I always follow orders. My job, my life, depends on it. I thought this job would be easy, all the rules were made crystal clear, but when I met Carrie Wallington, everything got muddy. She's a rule I know I shouldn't break, but damn if I don’t inch closer to the breaking point each time I see her. I’m ready to step out of line. And even worse? I’m living a lie. They say the truth will set you free, but in my case…

The truth will cost me everything.












Jen McLaughlin writes steamy New Adult books for the young and young at heart. Her first release, Out of Line, is due out September 2013. She also writes Contemporary Romance under the pen name Diane Alberts. She is a multi-published, bestselling author and is represented by Louise Fury from the L. Perkins Agency. Since receiving her first contract offer under the pen name Diane Alberts, she has yet to stop writing.

Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another. Her goal is too write so many well-crafted romance books that even a non-romance reader will know her name.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads



GIVEAWAY:
Even though the book was just released, it is already zooming up the charts on Amazon and B&N. To celebrate this, Jen is offering a one-of-a-kind prize for a lucky reader! Anyone who helps spread the word about OUT OF LINE (through tweets, facebook messages, leaving a review, etc.) gets entered to win 30 pages of the manuscript, which include editing marks and special never-before-seen notes from Jen! You will have all the deets on what Jen changed, deleted scenes, and special extras.


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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Burn

Book: Burn (Spark, #2)
Author: Brooke Cumberland
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Release date: October 8, 2013
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Just when Velaney thinks she is safe again…her worst nightmare comes back to haunt her.

Eric is dealing with his own insecurities as he tries to accept Velaney’s decision to help the enemy…can he get past it? Will they be there for each other in the end?

He struggles to step aside and trust Velaney...but will his past keep him from doing so? Can he let go in order to move forward?

Velaney and Eric had their fair share of ups and downs in SPARK…they love was undeniable and intense. Just when you think they could get their happily ever after…pasts collide and merge together…will they fight for what they want?

Or will their love crash and burn?



Brooke is a midwestern gal, from the cheese state of Wisconsin! Go Packers! She's a stay-at-home mom of three beautiful children (one daughter & two stepsons) and a black fury dog. She's studied psychology in college, and counseling and education in graduate school where she found her love for writing. Most days you can find her reading or writing, or just hanging out with her family! She loves movies, cooking, and shopping! She's addicted to Starbucks, Coach purses, and wearing yoga pants.



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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Promise Me Light

PROMISE ME LIGHT by Paige Weaver: The epic conclusion of New York Times bestselling book “Promise Me Darkness”

“I’m darkness, Maddie. Stay away from men like me. You’ll only get hurt.”

At one time my life was simple. Easy. But that was before the war. Now I was no longer an average college student. I was a survivor. A woman living in a ravaged world. My future was not bright and my life was far from perfect. The war had taken so much from me… but it wasn’t finished yet. It wanted more.

It wanted my heart. My soul. The one person I couldn't live without.

It wanted Ryder Delaney. My best friend. The bad boy. The one person who could fight like no other and love me like no one else. I watched him walk away one hot summer day and I prayed he would return. I needed him like I needed air to breathe and water to drink. Without him I was lost. A light without her darkness.

Until he returns, I’ll wait for him. And I believe he will return because love is powerful…

And so is the light calling him home.



Title: Promise Me Light
Author: Paige Weaver
Series: Promise Me #2
Available: September 24, 2013
Cover Design: Sarah Hansen of Okay Creations

Pre-order @ Amazon.com:






Paige Weaver lives in Texas with her husband and two children. Her love for books became a love for writing at a young age. She wrote her first book as a teenager and continued writing throughout the years. Encouraged by her husband, she finally decided to self-publish. Her debut novel, Promise Me Darkness, was released in April 2013 and quickly became a New York Times and USA Today bestseller. Her second book, Promise Me Light, will be released in September 2013. She is currently working on other novels to be released in 2014.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


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Amazon Top 10 New Adult Books: September 8, 2013

Amazon Top 10 New Adult Books: September 8, 2013




1. Dear Rockstar by Emme Rollins -- She's obsessed with a rock star. He's crazy enough to want to be one. Sometimes the best things in life are crazy. Amazon Top 100 Bestseller.

Random Acts of Crazy by Julia Kent -- Darla isn't the type to pick up hitchhikers -- especially naked ones. But when she makes an exception for handsome Trevor, she finds herself caught between two delicious men in this fun-filled, steamy USA Today bestseller.

Mad for You by Anna Antonia - Loving Gabriel Gordon was like trying to love the sun...Emma Adams was destined to burn. Given their tumultuous natures and personal demons, there was only one way a relationship between them could survive: in madness.

Me, Cinderella? by Aubrey Rose -- One kind deed can change your life forever.... Brynn Tomlin could never afford to follow her heart, but when she buys a cup of coffee for a stranger sitting in the cold, she sets into motion a course of events that can only lead to one kind of fairy-tale ending.

Dance For Me by Helena Newbury -- When troubled ballet student Natasha agrees to be the muse of millionaire designer Darrell Carner, she doesn't expect to fall for him...or to discover that his past is just as dark as hers. Can two broken souls heal each other...or will their secrets tear them apart?


2. I'm not your typical girl. I've been running away from the memories that haunt me for so long that depression has become my only comfort. I was content in the darkness...until Wes Michels offered to be my light.

I didn't know that time wasn't my ally -- that every second that ticked past was one step closer to the end of something that was beginning to mean the end of myself. He tried to warn me. He promised me all he was able to offer--each moment as it came--but it would never be enough.

Sometimes when you think it's the end, it's only the beginning. Wes thought he could save me, but in giving me everything, he ruined me. Because after one kiss, one touch, I couldn't--I wouldn't ever be the same.

And from that moment on, his heartbeat became my own.


3. Logan Martelli is a bad boy. He's handsome, sexy, and knows what he wants. He steals cars. He doesn't do relationships. And he has the hottest green eyes in River Valley.

Maddie Wright is a good girl with a wild streak. She's confident, strong, and goes after whatever or whoever she wants. And Maddie wants Logan Martelli with a passion.

One fateful night brings Logan and Maddie together and electricity sparks between them. Maddie and Logan make a real connection, but when Logan finds out who she is, he wants nothing to do with her. However, he soon realizes he can get the ultimate revenge for his family if he continues to date Maddie. The problem is he's starting to fall for Maddie, and he knows that a relationship will mess up everything.

Logan has to decide if revenge is worth losing his one shot at real love. What price will he pay if he betrays the one woman who may finally see behind his bad boy image?

Crazy Beautiful Love is a new adult contemporary romance book. This book has mature content and is recommended for ages 18 and up. Crazy Beautiful Love is an 85,000 word full-length standalone book, with no cliffhanger! It is Book 1 in The Martelli Brothers series!


4. Fearless is the exciting continuation of the NY Times Bestseller - Breathless.

In Fearless, life is looking up for Jesse. With expert help from Chase, his injuries are healing and he makes preparations to enter the Pro motocross circuit again. A decision that could force Niki to make a difficult choice.
Kenny starts chemotherapy treatments but his bar, Rookies, is hurting from the lack of attention and lack of customers. As Jesse and Niki work to find a way to keep the bar from going under, life throws other obstacles in their way. From Niki's manipulative dad and flirtatious step mom, to news from home about Jesse's mother, that lands them in New York state in search of answers from the past. Dark secrets that were never meant to be revealed.

I am strong, because I've been weak. I'm fearless, because I've been afraid. I'm wise, because I've been foolish.


5. The V Card. Virgin. Most of us want to punch that sucker ASAP, and hide the fact until then, but not Cassie Hale. Three years ago she frickin' covered hers in glitter and laminated the thing, proudly telling me that she's waiting for the perfect guy.

So when I see her half naked, tangled together, rolling around on the floor with another stripper, I'm kind of shocked. Okay, that's an understatement. I'm enthralled. I have to know what cracked her picture perfect world and landed her here, and I hope it's something horrible-an event that broke her the way she broke me. Because, that's who Cassie Hale is--the woman who stole my heart and crushed it in her hand.


6. Live young. Live hard. Love deep.

Charley Redford was just an ordinary girl until Jake Caplin moved to her small town in Indiana and convinced her she was extraordinary. Almost from day one Jake pulled Charley into the deep and promised he was right there with her. But when a tragic incident darkened Jake’s life he waded out into the shallows and left Charley behind.

Almost four years later Charley thinks she’s moved on. That is until she takes a study year abroad in Edinburgh and bumps into none other than Jake Caplin at a party with his new girlfriend. The bad-boy-turned-good attempts to convince Charley to forgive him, and as her best friend starts spending time with Jake’s, Charley calls a truce, only to find herself tumbling back into a friendship with him.

As they grow closer, the spark between them flares and begins playing havoc with their lives and relationships. When jealousy and longing rear their destructive heads, Charley and Jake struggle to come to grips with what they mean to one another.
And even if they work it out, there is no guarantee Charley will ever trust Jake to lead her back into the deep…


7. So how did I get myself into this situation, you ask? Simple: desperation. When you're faced with being homeless and hungry or taking off your clothes for money, the choice is easier than you'd imagine. That doesn't make it easy, though. Oh no. I hate it, in fact. There's nothing I'd like more than to quit and never go into another bar again, never hear the techno beat pulsing in my ears again, never feel the lecherous gazes of horny men again.

Then, one day, I meet a man. He's in my club, front and center. He watches me do my routine, and his gaze is full of hunger. Not the kind of desire I'm used to though. It's something different. Something hotter, deeper, and more possessive. I know who he is; of course I do. Everyone knows who Dawson Kellor is. He's People Magazine's Sexiest Man alive. He's the hottest actor in Hollywood. He's the man hand-picked for the role of Rhett Butler in the long-awaited remake of Gone With the Wind.

He's the kind of man who can have any woman in the entire world with a mere crook of his finger. So what's he doing looking at me like he has to have me? And how do I resist him when he looks at me with those intoxicating, changeable, quicksilver eyes?

I'm a virgin, and he's an American icon of male sexuality. I'm a stripper, and he's a man used to getting anything and everything he wants. And he wants me. I know I should say no, I know he's the worst kind of player...but what my mind knows, my body and my heart may not.

And then things get complicated.


8. “My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold.”


Tess Snow has everything she ever wanted: one more semester before a career in property development, a loving boyfriend, and a future dazzling bright with possibility.

For their two year anniversary, Brax surprises Tess with a romantic trip to Mexico. Sandy beaches, delicious cocktails, and soul-connecting sex set the mood for a wonderful holiday. With a full heart, and looking forward to a passion filled week, Tess is on top of the world.

But lusty paradise is shattered.

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.

Captive and alone with no savior, no lover, no faith, no future, Tess evolves from terrified girl to fierce fighter. But no matter her strength, it can’t save her from the horror of being sold.

Can Brax find Tess before she’s broken and ruined, or will Tess’s new owner change her life forever?


9. At the young age of eighteen, tragedy and a dark secret force Lara to flee all she has known and loved to start a new life. Now years later, with a new identity as Amy, she's finally dared to believe she is forgotten-even if she cannot forget. But just when she lets her guard down, the ghosts of her past are quick to punish her, forcing her back on the run.

On a plane, struggling to face the devastation of losing everything again and starting over, Amy meets Liam Stone, a darkly entrancing recluse billionaire, who is also a brilliant, and famous, prodigy architect. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it. And what he wants is Amy. Refusing to take "no" as an answer, he sweeps her into a passionate affair, pushing her to her erotic limits. He wants to possess her. He makes her want to be possessed. Liam demands everything from her, accepting nothing less. But what if she is too devastated by tragedy to know when he wants more than she should give? And what if there is more to Liam than meets the eyes?


10. New Adult Novel--Raising Ryann (Book 1 in the Bad Boy Reformed Series)

Twenty-year-old Reese Johnson can finally leave her troublesome past behind. She enters college with her best friend, Gia, and spends her time doing what she loves--working as a self-defense instructor at a local gym. Then Luke Ryann enters the picture. He's the tall, dark, and tattooed MMA fighter her boss hires to privately train her. One minute, he captivates her with his piercing brown eyes and boyish dimples. The next, he infuriates her with his relentless banter and cocky bad boy behavior. He's the last thing she wants or needs, and she never expects to fall in love with him.

Luke's jaded past has him keeping a safe distance. Despite what he feels, some things are better left alone. He has a dangerous secret--one that has the potential to risk their lives. As he fights the attraction between them, can he resist the growing tension and protect the woman he'll never be able to have?

Raising Ryann, the first book in the Bad Boy Reformed series, isn't just a story about first love. It's filled with action, suspense, mystery, and a touch of humor.

Recommended for mature audiences due to situations of abuse, violence, strong language and sexual content.



 

Book Review: Seductive Shadows

Seductive Shadows by Marni Mann: Charlie is a passionate, sensually-inspired art student, desperately seeking an escape from the abusive past that haunts her and a tragic accident that emptied her heart. Scarred and unable to love, her yearning for physical pleasure leads her into a tantalizing, dangerous world of power and seduction. The anonymity of the deal offers security; the money brings financial freedom and the madam is the mother figure she longs for.

But the thrill of the mansion and its arousing dominance quickly fades when she meets renowned-yet-mysterious Cameron Hardy, whose intense baby blue eyes send a nervous flutter through her core. Cameron is sexy, and not in a subtle way. He stimulates Charlie’s art, her intellect and her desires. Just as he begins to break through her emotional boundaries, she discovers a devastating connection between her past and her scandalous work at the mansion, shattering everything she thought to be true.

Provocative, intoxicating and erotic, Seductive Shadows is the unforgettable tale of a young woman’s self-discovery as she learns to forgive, to love and be loved, and to find redemption amidst a remarkable journey that will captivate your mind and stimulate your soul.

This book is for mature audiences. It contains explicit language and sexual content.
TeriLyn's thoughts: 5++ brilliant hearts! I absolutely loved Seductive Shadows. Ms. Mann's writing is as haunting as it is beautiful. This story is dark, mysterious, and alluring. Every sentence I read I always felt a sense of loss or brokenness. It was very powerful reading.

Charlie's life will captivate you in a haunting way. You always feel her pain even through her pleasure, whether that pleasure is art or sex. She's broken, living a nightmare, and we live it right along with her because of this author's amazing storytelling. I liked that we don't see all her pain as flashbacks, there is so much happening in her life in the present and I felt that. She feels guilty and broken; damaged beyond repair. In direct contrast to her life, she beholds a sense of innocence and naivety. I just wanted to reach out and hug her. I wanted to see the dark pieces of art she created. Professor Freeman tells her that she'll captivate her audience because of the irony of her light appearance versus the dark reflections of her art. And as the reader, you feel that irony too. Cameron, the Professor, the Doctor, and Dallas show her true love, albeit in different ways, and help her believe she is capable of loving herself. All four of those men are crucial to herself discovery and I believe a bit discovery within themselves. Cameron finally gives her a sense of home and belonging. His art is a representation of himself and in that she finds a kindred spirit. The progression of their relationship is slow and sweet. Again, in direct contrast with the life she is living. The nuances in the story between light and dark are ever present.

Charlie is propositioned to become part of a dark family where she will live behind a mask and fulfill her desires. The parts of the story where we are in the mansion are the most cryptic. Everyone wears a mask. As the reader you'll want to know; what are they hiding in this place? What are they escaping from in their lives? And what will they need to escape from here? The descriptions of the gothic castle paint a very vivid picture and make you want to take a walk inside. The allure of the mansion is its dangerous mystery within its beauty. I always felt that sense of danger when Charlie was inside even though I had no idea what the danger could be. Mansion secrets become revealed and their twisted and crazy. I expected danger; I never expected what the danger actually was.

I highly recommend this book. If you like dark stories then you will not regret reading this. It's engrossing, extremely well written, and beautifully haunting. I cannot wait to read book 2. Bravo Ms. Mann, I loved it!

Spotlight Saturday: Julie Johnson

10 random facts about Julie Johnson:

1. I grew up in the smallest town in Massachusetts.

2. Most people call me Jules, not Julie.

3. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling’ 22…. For ten more months, at least.

4. I suffer from an extreme case of wanderlust.

5. I’m a senior in college. (Go Blue Hens!)

6. I drive a Jeep Cherokee named Lola. She’s a showgirl.

7. I’m obsessed with Clean Cotton scented Yankee Candles.

8. Veronica Mars is (still) my favorite show, and I’ve seen every episode approximately a bajillion times.

9. I drink at least two cups of coffee every day – sometimes more.

10. I was once stung by a scorpion… and lived to tell the tale.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

10 random facts about Like Gravity:

1. It is my first novel, and I didn’t tell anyone I was writing it for the first six months.

2. I wrote most of it during sleepless nights, when I should’ve been studying for midterms or analyzing psychological research reports.

3. Like Gravity is standalone, and I’d never considered writing a sequel until fans began asking for one. Who knows? Maybe someday I’ll revisit Brooklyn and Finn.

4. My computer crashed while I was writing it, and for a few horrible hours I thought I’d lost 90,000 words. (Thank goodness for Apple Geniuses and their magical hard drive recovery skills.)

5. The main theme in Like Gravity is about overcoming our demons – those on both the inside and the outside.

6. Brooklyn, “Bee,” came to me before any other parts of the story. More than anything, I wanted to write about a fiercely vulnerable, damaged-yet-resilient character – a girl I’d respect, but still want to do tequila shots with on a Saturday night.

7. In the book, Finn’s band is called Apiphobic Treason. Apiphobia is the fear of bees.

8. There is no love triangle in Like Gravity – partly because I hate them, and mostly because Finn would never look at anyone but Brooklyn.

9. Dr. Angelini’s character is a direct result of my inner psychology nerd. The emotional journey that Brooklyn undergoes from prologue to epilogue is profound, and I felt I needed to incorporate a stable, therapeutic influence in her life.

10. The title was inspired by the song Gravity by Sara Bareilles.

Book Review: Like Gravity

LIKE GRAVITY by Julie Johnson: Twenty year-old Brooklyn “Bee” Turner is no stranger to grief. After witnessing her mother’s brutal murder at age six, Brooklyn is guarded, damaged, and – by all accounts – a bitch. And that’s just the way she likes it, if it means keeping everyone at arm’s length.

When she stumbles, quite literally, into Finn Chambers – campus ladies’ man and the lead singer of a local band —she’s unprepared for his persistence in befriending her, and for the dangerous attraction she begins to feel for him.

Because with Finn, she knows it would be more than just sex.

More than just friendship.

And maybe even more than just love.

When a sinister presence from her past reemerges, Brooklyn will be pushed to her breaking point. For the first time in fifteen years, she will confront both her grief and her memories, as she plays a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with an unforeseen enemy.

Because sometimes, the demons we must confront aren’t only on the inside...


**Like Gravity is a new full-length standalone romantic suspense novel, intended for audiences ages 17+**
TeriLyn's thoughts: **I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Like Gravity is easily one of my favorite books of the year. 5+ hearts for this debut novel from Julie Johnson. It was that phenomenal. Ms. Johnson’s writing style is so descriptive, colorful, and reflective that I felt as though I was a part of their lives through the entire book. In the epilogue, Ms. Johnson suggests that this love story isn't just a love story between Finn and Brooklyn but a love story with Brooklyn and herself and I wholeheartedly agree.

Through the author’s brilliant writing you feel everything for Brooklyn and Finn. You laugh and cry with them, you love with them. As for the story itself: the romance was passionate, the banter was funny, and the suspense was a mystery. All of these elements are seamlessly woven together. The most captivating element for me is the progression of the emotional transformation Brooklyn goes through. Literally, as soon as I finished I was so sad it was over I just want to pick it up and start all over.

Our heroine, Brooklyn Turner, is completely shut off from emotion, devoid of any real relationships in her life. The walls she’s constructed to keep her safe are so high she truly believes they are impenetrable by anyone. Brooklyn is sassy and smart. Underneath all her hardness is an emotionally fragile girl that needs love. We get great insight to that through her many flashbacks of the past. Her journey through this book is one of self-discovery and letting go. The tests that she puts herself through and steps she takes towards finally healing are so gratifying to read because you feel for her every step of the way. 

What I love about this heroine is that she knows she’s strong. So many female characters find their strength through the man they meet. Not Brooklyn, she’s strong, she’s been through hell, she’s independent and she knows it, embraces it even. It’s through her strength that she has shut people out effectively deciding she’s better off alone. I also admired her take charge attitude. When her mind is made up there is not stopping her. Through Finn, she starts to believe that she can be herself, essentially altered by her past, but still be loved by a good man. Through Finn she starts to change and open herself up to memories and hurt that she has long buried. The progression of their relationship parallels Brooklyn’s relationship with herself so beautifully. And as the reader we see both sides of that discovery. She also goes through the same sort of discovery with her best friend Lexi. Although best friends, she thinks they are virtually strangers when it comes to Brooklyn’s problems and how Lexi handles their friendship. Brooklyn comes to realize that not only is Lexi in her corner but Lexi’s not the narcissist Brooklyn always though she was. Their relationship is fun and heartwarming.

Finn Chambers is the catalyst, the driving force, in Brooklyn’s revival. He is kind, compassionate, and extremely patient. As the reader the mystery behind Finn is solved well before Brooklyn understands so it’s easier to understand how he can be so patient and giving. He knows exactly what she needs and when she needs it even though she is a complete enigma to him. The way Brooklyn describes how Finn looks at her is that of complete awe and admiration. Through her, the reader understands how much Finn cares for her and needs her. Finn is an angel in her life, without him peeling back her layers she may have been emotionally stunted for much longer. He’s perfect in so many ways. Funny at the most inappropriate times making those moments so tender between the two of them because he knows exactly how to handle her. 

Finn is romantic and reflective at the same time making his emotions run far deeper than Brooklyn can even comprehend at first. He is all in with her and makes no mistake pushing her to at least be friends then continuing make breakthroughs and push through her walls. Every time she opens up a little bit or even smiles a small victory is won for Finn. My favorite thing about him is that even when Brooklyn’s sassy and provoking him to banter with her questions he can flip a switch and answer with the most sensual, serious response about his feelings for her. He isn't ashamed of those feelings. There are way too many quotes in this book from Finn to list but his constant reinforcement of his feelings for her will make you swoon.

There is mystery and suspense here too when random events in Brooklyn’s life start connecting. I don’t want to give anything else about the story away in fear that it would ruin the allure. Like gravity is an extremely well written story. It completely consumed me. I’m so happy I was able to read it and review it for this great author. I can’t wait to see what other stories she has in store for us. You won’t regret reading Brooklyn’s compelling story. Julie Johnson has made a fan girl out of me with Like Gravity.

Book Review: Wethering the Storm

Wethering The Storm by Samantha Towle: Music journalist Tru Bennett has done the impossible: capture the heart of rock-star bad boy Jake Wethers. Now they’re busy planning a wedding and navigating their new life together in the US. Of course Tru misses London and her best friend, Simone, but living happily ever after with Jake in LA is going to be great…right?

Wrong. Even the bright California sun can’t whitewash the dark side of celebrity coupledom. Greedy music execs, merciless paparazzi, and Jake’s wild past are lurking around every corner. Making matters worse, Jake announces he doesn’t want kids, which just may be a deal breaker.

Tru loves Jake more than anything. But when a devastating crisis threatens to destroy everything they’ve fought for, the couple must face the hard truth: What if, this time, love is not enough?
File Size: 684 KB
Print Length: 401 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1477805052
Publisher: Montlake Romance (August 20, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00AQM870C
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Enabled
Lending: Enabled

TeriLyn's thoughts: I really enjoyed Wethering the Storm. The first 20-25% was annoying me slightly because I wanted so badly for Tru to lose her insecurities. However it finally dawned on me that Tru and Jake wouldn't be Tru and Jake without their insecurities and issues. It's what makes them whether I agree with all of them or not. In an ironic way fighting brings them closer together. Without their fights they'd never understand each other. I love their fights, their make ups, their banter and their support group. The book was a sweet ending to their story. I'm glad we got to see some the events through Jake's POV. I think he describes it's perfectly when he says his love for her is 'limitless'. Great ending to great love story.

Book Review: The Mighty Storm

The Mighty Storm by Samantha Towle: A rock-and-roll love triangle…a music journalist’s story of a lifetime…the bad boy front man who broke her heart.

Tru Bennett was just fourteen years old when her best friend and first love, Jake Wethers, moved from England to America and left her brokenhearted. Now twelve years later, Jake is the world’s biggest rock star, lead singer of The Mighty Storm and every woman’s bad-boy fantasy. Every woman, that is, except Tru.

A successful music journalist, Tru knows better than to mix business with pleasure. But then she receives the assignment of a lifetime: interview Jake before his band launches its highly anticipated world tour. Tru vows to keep the meeting strictly professional—but nothing can prepare her for the sparks that fly the moment their eyes meet again.

Now Jake wants Tru to join the band on tour, offering her a behind-the-scenes exclusive that any journalist would kill for. There’s just one problem: Tru’s boyfriend, Will. Can their relationship withstand Tru hitting the road with rock and roll’s most notorious womanizer? Or will she risk it all for a second chance with the one who got away?
File Size: 643 KB
Print Length: 529 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1477805028
Publisher: Montlake Romance (August 20, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00ANAE6O8
Text-to-Speech: Enabled
X-Ray: Enabled
Lending: Not Enabled

TeriLyn's thoughts: The Mighty Storm is quite an enjoyable rollercoaster ride. It wasn't anything like I expected it to be. Tru and Jake are best friends who have been reconnected after 12 years. The connection and passion they share for each other is evident from the beginning when Tru first walks into Jake's hotel room. The plot becomes angsty and explosive from there forward. I'm not the biggest fan of love triangles and cheating but for this story it was fitting. It added to the complexity of Tru and her many issues with being Jake Wethers' girl.

Tru drove me crazy, absolutely crazy. Her feelings were everywhere; she was back and forth about her decisions. I couldn't keep up. She would be explaining why Jake and she could never work and then within a sentence she'd be so madly in love Jake and all over him forgetting her previous words in an instant. I wish she would have openly communicated with him more and not internalized her fears. Tru's fears were the driving force of her. It wasn't until later events in the book that I understood her reservations and those fears about the relationship; finally I could sympathize with her a LITTLE bit. Tru's main reservation is the spotlight and fame; it's her underlying issue and laced in every thought she has about Jake. I totally believe her love for him is of the purest form; his lifestyle keeps getting in the way of that love and she's unsure of whether their love will survive it. Tru always went back though. I even felt a bit proud of her for facing him when things were going wrong on the US tour. I thought she summed it up perfectly when she said Jake needs her and he's her "storm to calm". I just wish her communication skills and insecurities weren't the exploited characteristics in the story. I think the fact that she is the one to calm Jake obviously means she has some strong qualities. Unfortunately those weren't always showcased.

Jake was awesome. His character was so complex. Jake was broken, fragile, romantic, and protective. He's independantly dependant and imperfectly perfect; a walking contradiction. Tru becomes his lifeline. He needs her and you can feel that through his actions and words. You really feel for him and fully believe in his feelings for Tru. When he is confessing his feelings to her time and time again they are genuine. He does not make light of the fact that he needs her. Jake makes you believe that love will survive anything. I love his grand gestures and how cute he can be. I love that he remembers everything about "his girl" and love his vulnerability about his best friend that has passed on. He's not an untouchable rock star. He's real, he's human, he's flawed and I enjoyed reading about him.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story of Jake and Tru. The writing was not the best and some aspects of the plot were overkill but overall it's an engrossing read. I hope they both show some growth in Wethering the Storm.

Relaunch: Real by Katy Evans