Zara Hoffman's Blog: Zara Hoffman's Goodreads Author Blog, page 25

Cover Reveal: Blood of Stars and Gods by Melissa A. Petreshock

About the BookTitle: Blood of Stars and Gods
Series: Stars & Souls, 2
Author: Melissa A. Petreshock
Genre: NA Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Swoon Romance
Publication Date: October 4, 2016

Forever does not go on unchanged.

Caitriona Hayden’s destiny as the Dracopraesi dragon’s North Star is no clearer to her than it was weeks ago. However, Cait’s eternal future seems a minor concern while the vengeful elves continue taunting the dragons, now using violence against the human population in their desire for war.

Battles of war aren’t the only ones fought.

King Corrin struggles to make peace with his coming end, and as his family bonds heal, stronger relationships and alliances form among Cait and her dragons. Theo may have won her heart, but Oliver fills a void long left by the passing of her uncle, and each dragon is a part of Cait’s family.

But a darkness bleeds through to change their world.

When faced with decisions of life and death, Cait, Theo, and demigod Dante must choose unpredictable paths, chance outcomes of eternal consequences, and make dubious promises. As Cait displays unexpected abilities, complications arise, more details of her destiny are revealed, and she discovers the inherent risks of fearing change.

Every era has a beginning and an end. There are things in the world no one is meant to stop.

Blood of Stars and Gods is book two in the exciting Stars & Souls trilogy, sequel to Amazon #1 Contemporary Fantasy: Fire of Stars and Dragons !
About the Author Romance author Melissa A. Petreshock lives in the Greater Atlanta area, writing whatever strikes her fancy and submitting on unnatural doses of coffee, sarcasm, and music. Spending most of her time weaving reality and imagination into fantastical romantic tales, Mel often loses track of reality and is admittedly more than a tad eccentric.

Look for future works in the Stars & Souls trilogy as well as additional projects of contemporary romance and whatever else the muse sends Mel's way.

Movie Review: Maximum Ride

It's happened! I read  Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment  (book 1) of James Patterson's NYT Best-selling series back in 2005. 11 years ago! I reviewed the whole series a while ago (individual reviews for each book are in the pipeline), and even though I know that the prose isn't amazing, it's engaging (same as the Twilight saga, whether you like it or not), and Max was one of my first literary role models in addition to Hermione Granger (Harry Potter series) and Lyra Belaqua ( The Golden Compass ).
​
And when I first joined MoviePilot as a staff writer 4 years ago (before it became an open-source platform), Maximum Ride was listed as "in development." And then, there was radio silence. And more silence. So much so, that I gave up hope it would ever happen.
​
But then... a poster popped up in my instagram and Facebook feeds.And people were already bitching about "bad casting" in the comments. Some of them forgot that Max is blonde in the books, and were saying she should be a brunette. But, spoiler alert: Max is blonde, and only dyes her hair brown later in the books to disguise herself.And I got SO excited. I was aware of the skepticism in these comments too, and I wasn't naive enough to hope that it would be PERFECT. I mean, look at Percy Jackson and all the Allegiant drama of the Divergent Trilogy. But that didn't stop me from hoping for the best.

I finally watched the movie yesterday (at night, even though people had been posting about it online for 14 hours before I got to see it for myself). And WOW. For a movie that was cast and started filming in the same week, and wrapped filming in 2 weeks, I was blown away.

In my opinion, the casting was perfect. I do wish Fang's hair was darker, but other than that, everything about the actors playing their characters was amazing. Well... almost everything.

@AllieMarieEvans you were my perfect Max! @maximumridefilm @MaxRideBook thank you!

— Zara Hoffman (@AuthZH) August 31, 2016

The dialogue was stilted 90% of the time, which is a shame given how snappy the dialogue always was in the books, but they did their best with it. And there definitely were some awesome one-liners and short exchanges in that 10% that I think were comic gold.

And here's my biggest complaint (of no fault of the actors) were the wings and flying (which... is kind of the point of this story). They looked super CGI, which was disappointing because the opening credits made the wings look AMAZING. And when they were flying, it was clear they were flying in front of a green (or blue, at this point?) screen because there was no interaction with the landscapes that would happen in real life (e.g. water rippling or trees shaking due to the wind from flapping wings).

Man... That flying sequence made me wish @maximumridefilm had had a bigger sfx budget. But everything else is cool imo

— Zara Hoffman (@AuthZH) August 31, 2016

​But all in all? A good movie. Did you know that the storyboarder also worked on the Catching Fire movie (which is my favorite of the book AND movie trilogy)? And even though I did disparage Percy Jackson earlier, I did enjoy that movie. Definitely not as much as I love the Harry Potter movies (which I consider the gold standard—Hunger Games is silver), but I'm not a book-to-movie purist because I know it's not realistic. And this movie hit all the points, did a good job (8/10 for me), and I hope that there will be a sequel. If I'm 100% honest, I want SEQUELS (plural!).

Last night, I was stalking the cast on Instagram and then followed the #maximumride on the social network and saw what other people were saying. The response has definitely been mixed online. There are some people who loved it, some who hated it, and others who were expecting it to be bad, but were hoping for the best (which is what I was thinking when I found out about it, as you know).
​
​Below, here's someone who shared mostly the same opinion as me:

SPOILER FREE MOVIE REVIEW!!!! I loved it!!!! The cast was amazing and the acting was great. If you are going to watch it, don't go in thinking it's going to be like the book. They had the main plot but a lot was left out. However, I really enjoyed it. I got really hooked and I hope we get the next movie since there was a cliff hanger. I thought all the actors stayed true to their character and really connected with them. I also loved the flashback scenes. This movie made me smile, laugh, and it really brought me back to the first time I read this book. I would rate it 8/10□ I recommend you guys watch it!!! Also big shoutout to this amazing cast who made this movie possible. And especially Allie, you KILLED IT!!!❤️□ Good job everyone!! Fly on! @alliemarieevans @patrickjohnsonphoto @gavinklewis @lylianawray @sabajoonmusic @zayneemory @leapyeargirlkz @carriewampler @luke_g_crosby #maximumride

A photo posted by Maximum Ride (@maximumrideposts) on Aug 30, 2016 at 3:06pm PDT

And just for fun, here's the moment I knew I loved this version of Max:

A video posted by @books.aremagic on Aug 30, 2016 at 1:40pm PDT

And here's a moment from the end that had me laughing:

Fang: "I thought you were blind."
Iggy: "Your breathing changed." Me: □ @maximumridefilm @PatrickJordanJ @zayneemory

— Zara Hoffman (@AuthZH) August 31, 2016

​Have you seen it? What did you think? Comment below! And don't forget to read the book:Title: Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment
Series: Maximum Ride, 1
Author: James Patterson
Genre: YA SciFi
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 11, 2005

In James Patterson's blockbuster series, fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"—Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel—are just like ordinary kids—only they have wings and can fly.

It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs.

Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare—this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives.

Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?

My Experience with The Landmark Forum & The Advanced Course

click for more entries A few days ago, I finished The Advanced Course in The Landmark Forum. And as much as I hate clichés, my life has "changed for (what I believe to be) the better." If you didn't catch the Wicked reference, you clearly haven't heard the song "For Good" enough times.

​Anyway, in the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you that I was a sceptic going into The Forum (the first program), even though my mom, and lots of family and friends have done it (or its predecessor, EST) with great success. My mom had told me about this a few years ago, and I said I didn't need it because I was happy at the time. I think that if I had gone then, my life might have been better, but there is no such thing as "too late" here. My Forum had people as old as their mid-80's attending, and besides possible health reasons, there's no excuse for someone even older to not come to the Forum.

The reason I agreed to finally go to the Forum this summer, at the beginning of July, was because my freshman year of college was a hard one (you can read more about my experience here). And at that point, I figured that it couldn't hurt to try this, and worst case scenario: my life wouldn't change. My skepticism lasted the first two days of The Forum, partly because I wasn't learning anything new (that's what you get when you're raised by people who have already done it—it's naturally integrated into their parenting style). But the third day opened something up for me that made me glad I had stuck through it up until then.

Despite having a breakthrough, I wasn't going to continue to the curriculum with The Advanced Course ("The Program") because I didn't think I needed it. I was still much farther ahead than most of my fellow Forum-classmates because I had grown up in it, and had really only hit my second rough patch in what was otherwise an amazing life. But one Advanced Course alumna shared that she had a breakthrough with money and stopped arguing with her mom after The Program, and I knew that I wanted that, too. I should say that I don't argue with my mom a lot, and when I do, we always resolve it quickly unlike some people who shared about having been estranged from their parents for years (which always makes me sad to hear, given my close relationship with my mom).

So, I signed up for The Program at the end of July, and had about 2.5 weeks to come down from the high of The Forum. It was tough the first three days, and then I fell back into my regular routine, but maintained my happier attitude until the last week, when I felt myself slipping back into my depression I experienced at school. I was really glad when The Program started, and was even gladder to see that the group skewed younger (starting with 18-year-olds, and with a few fellow 19-year-olds).

The Forum helped me, but The Advanced Course blew me away. If I had to sum up the difference between the two, The Forum helps you identify issues in your life, and The Program helps you fix them. I think one of the reasons I loved The Program though was because of my leader. My Forum leader was effective, but sometimes abrasive, and a little too sales-oriented. But my Program leader was so patient, kind, and when he recommended we do the Self-Expression and Leadership Program ("SELP"), I believed him when he said he was saying it with our best interests at heart.

I won't lie, I had another drop after the Program, but once I leveled out, I was (and still am) happier than I even was after the Forum.

Does that mean I think everyone should do this curriculum? Yes. Does that mean I'm going to shoe-horn this into every conversation I'm going to have in the future.

My Experience with The Landmark Forum & The Advanced Program

click for more entries A few days ago, I finished The Advanced Course in The Landmark Forum. And as much as I hate clichés, my life has "changed for (what I believe to be) the better." If you didn't catch the Wicked reference, you clearly haven't heard the song "For Good" enough times.

​Anyway, in the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you that I was a sceptic going into The Forum (the first program), even though my mom, and lots of family and friends have done it (or its predecessor, EST) with great success. My mom had told me about this a few years ago, and I said I didn't need it because I was happy at the time. I think that if I had gone then, my life might have been better, but there is no such thing as "too late" here. My Forum had people as old as their mid-80's attending, and besides possible health reasons, there's no excuse for someone even older to not come to the Forum.

The reason I agreed to finally go to the Forum this summer, at the beginning of July, was because my freshman year of college was a hard one (you can read more about my experience here). And at that point, I figured that it couldn't hurt to try this, and worst case scenario: my life wouldn't change. My skepticism lasted the first two days of The Forum, partly because I wasn't learning anything new (that's what you get when you're raised by people who have already done it—it's naturally integrated into their parenting style). But the third day opened something up for me that made me glad I had stuck through it up until then.

Despite having a breakthrough, I wasn't going to continue to the curriculum with The Advanced Course ("The Program") because I didn't think I needed it. I was still much farther ahead than most of my fellow Forum-classmates because I had grown up in it, and had really only hit my second rough patch in what was otherwise an amazing life. But one Advanced Course alumna shared that she had a breakthrough with money and stopped arguing with her mom after The Program, and I knew that I wanted that, too. I should say that I don't argue with my mom a lot, and when I do, we always resolve it quickly unlike some people who shared about having been estranged from their parents for years (which always makes me sad to hear, given my close relationship with my mom).

So, I signed up for The Program at the end of July, and had about 2.5 weeks to come down from the high of The Forum. It was tough the first three days, and then I fell back into my regular routine, but maintained my happier attitude until the last week, when I felt myself slipping back into my depression I experienced at school. I was really glad when The Program started, and was even gladder to see that the group skewed younger (starting with 18-year-olds, and with a few fellow 19-year-olds).

The Forum helped me, but The Advanced Course blew me away. If I had to sum up the difference between the two, The Forum helps you identify issues in your life, and The Program helps you fix them. I think one of the reasons I loved The Program though was because of my leader. My Forum leader was effective, but sometimes abrasive, and a little too sales-oriented. But my Program leader was so patient, kind, and when he recommended we do the Self-Expression and Leadership Program ("SELP"), I believed him when he said he was saying it with our best interests at heart.

I won't lie, I had another drop after the Program, but once I leveled out, I was (and still am) happier than I even was after the Forum.

Does that mean I think everyone should do this curriculum? Yes. Does that mean I'm going to shoe-horn this into every conversation I'm going to have in the future.

Blog Tour: Hitched, Vol 3 by Kendall Ryan

About the Book Marry the girl I’ve had a crush on my whole life? Check.

Inherit a hundred-billion-dollar company? Check.

Produce an heir… Wait, what?

I have ninety days to knock up my brand-new fake wife. There’s only one problem—she hates my guts.

And in the fine print of the contract? The requirement that we produce an heir.

She can’t stand to be in the same room with me. Says she’ll never be in my bed.

But I’ve never backed down from a challenge and I’m not about to start now.
Mark my words—I’ll have her begging for me, and it won’t take ninety days.

On the heels of her smash hit and New York Times bestselling Screwed series, Kendall Ryan brings you Hitched, a romantic comedy that delivers heart and heat.

This is the third and final volume in the story. About the Author A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world.

She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she appeared #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world.

Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her website for the latest book news and fun extras. My Review of Hitched, Vol 1 My Review of Hitched, Vol 2

Book Review: Hitched, Vol 3 by Kendall Ryan

About the BookTitle: Hitched, Vol 3
Series: Imperfect Love, 3
Author: Kendall Ryan
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Everafter Romance
Publication Date: August 2, 2016

I’ve ruined everything.

I’ve broken the cardinal rule and fallen in love with my fake wife, and then I went and did the worst thing a husband can do.

Winning her back will be nearly impossible, but I’ve never backed down from a challenge before and I’m sure as hell not about to start now. Olivia will be mine, and I can’t wait to put a bun in her oven.

You won’t want to miss the final installment in Noah and Olivia’s love story, and especially the way this over-the-top alpha male wins over his bride once and for all.

This is the third and final volume in the story.
My ReviewWhat an end to a rollercoaster story! I was saying trilogy up until now, but it turns out that Olivia and Noah's story is just the beginning of the Imperfect Love series, which now has at least 2 new additional books centering around Noah and Olivia's best friends, Sterling and Camryn, called The Fix Up and  The Shake Up .

Where the second book got a bit predictable, this one had me guessing at most of the turns. What did get annoyed me about this one, is how long Olivia goes before she forgives Noah. Up until now, she had separated herself from other romance heroines who get so hung up about one thing and then miss the big picture in the process, but here she fell back into the crowd and did that for a bit too long. To be fair, she does eventually come out of it (still faster than others) and then the story got back into my good graces and stayed there. And I wish I could say that it didn't bother me enough to lose a star... but I'd be lying.

Everything else was great though. Noah could propose to me any day and I'd say yes. And some not so great people get their just desserts by the end, so that was fun. The end was a bit cheesy, but I didn't mind that. It's kind of to be expected in the contemporary, contract-marriage romances.

So, with all that in mind, I give Hitched, Vol 3 a solid 4 stars and hope that we get to catch up with Noah and Olivia a bit more in The Fix Up and The Shake Up​.
About the Author A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world.

She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she appeared #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world.

Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her website for the latest book news and fun extras. My Review of Hitched, Vol 1 My Review of Hitched, Vol 2

Book Review: Hitched, Vol 2 by Kendall Ryan

About the BookArranged marriage? Check.

Cocky new husband? Check.

It's a marriage of convenience—one I'm determined to keep strictly professional. I can't be stupid enough to fall for this sexy playboy's charm or advances. I have to be strong, even if he is my husband.

Except he has a huge cock with an even bigger ego, and his main goal in life seems to be getting me to stroke both. The arrogant bastard is like sweet, sugary candy for my libido. I know he's bad for me.

But I want to devour every wicked inch of him.

With his sexual prowess and experience, I know he'll be explosive in the bedroom. And since we're stuck together for the foreseeable future—keeping up this marriage charade long enough to turn the company profitable again—I deserve something to look forward to at the end of a long workday, right?

What could one little taste hurt?

This is volume 2 in the Imperfect Love series. Read an Excerpt of Hitched, Vol 2My ReviewAgain, I read this within only a few hours once I started. And unlike the other book, I have a complaint in the front of this book rather than at the end. Again, without spoiling too much, one of the main characters gets new information and takes certain actions that lead to a cliffhanger (which I didn't enjoy too much—more information in my review of Hitched, Vol 1).

And this novel opens with the affected main character and the confusion that started at the end of the first novel, and it's not until the middle of the second chapter (which is a little too long in my opinion, especially since I was expecting it to be in the first chapter to follow the routine of alternating POVs). BUT once that was out of the way, the story picked up with its usual fast rate and took me on one hell of a ride.

And now, just because I guessed that the end of the book (I thought it would happen in the middle, but details, details). I think it's only fair that I talk about it briefly. One, you should know that I have an uncanny ability to guess the ends of movies, TV shows, and books, so this doesn't mean that the end was predictable. Two, what I will say is that even though I kind of guessed it would happen in the middle (was wrong) and then at the end (was right), I still hoped that a certain main character would tell the other a big secret. But... they didn't. And that's why this second volume of the Imperfect Love trilogy has another cliffhanger, making me wish that August 2nd was here already (the release date of the 3rd and final installment).

I still think this book is amazing, despite my one complaint, and definitely recommend it. Unlike a lot of trilogies where the middle sucks, this one just ratchets up the tension leading to a hopefully explosive end of the trilogy. Hitched, Vol 1 (Read My Review)

Hitched, Vol 3 About the Author A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world.

She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she appeared #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world.

Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her website for the latest book news and fun extras.

Book Review: Hitched, Vol 1 by Kendall Ryan

About the BookMarry the girl I’ve had a crush on my whole life? Check.

Inherit a hundred-billion-dollar company? Check.

Produce an heir… Wait, what?

I have ninety days to knock up my brand-new fake wife. There’s only one problem—she hates my guts.

And in the fine print of the contract? The requirement that we produce an heir.

She can’t stand to be in the same room with me. Says she’ll never be in my bed.

But I’ve never backed down from a challenge and I’m not about to start now.

Mark my words—I’ll have her begging for me, and it won’t take ninety days.

On the heels of her smash hit and New York Times bestselling Screwed series, Kendall Ryan brings you Hitched, a romantic comedy that delivers heart and heat. Read an Excerpt of Hitched, Vol 1My ReviewI read this book the day it came out (July 5), and this review should have been posted that day, or at least the day after. But I'm making up for it now, so let's get into it!

WOW, this was hot. Now, for the sake of full disclosure, you should know that I'm a fan of contract marriage books (this inclination started with the Marriage to a Billionaire series by Jennifer Probst, and most recently continued with the Heirs of Damon saga by Noelle Adams—both series I've read in their entirety and the reviews will be forthcoming).

But what sets this apart from the aforementioned series is the humor and fast-paced plot found in this story. I'm a fast reader to begin with, but I finished this book well inside 2 hours and then had to fight the urge to not throw my phone that it ended so quickly. I'll get back to the end, later.

I love Olivia Cane. Probably because I see myself in her (flaws and all) even though I'm younger. She's smart, strong, determined, a little too apt to let work rule her life (guilty as charged), and a force to be reckoned with. What I particularly appreciated about her is that she acknowledges her attraction to Noah while also dealing with her hang-ups. And, unlike many stories where the hang-ups are stupid "I shouldn't, but I wan't to," these were substantial issues. My only complaint about her is her tendency to swing from too serious and locked-up to somewhat abrasively impulsive.

Noah Tate is sex personified. Well, that's my opinion. He's smart, kind, caring, knows how to flirt, and is probably a sex god. I like that we get to see his sensitive side early in his interactions with Rosita and his acknowledgement that he's had a life-long crush on Olivia—something readers know from reading the book description. This is different from so many stories where the guy is all macho until we learn his heart was broken and then we're supposed to take the story's word that he has a heart of gold underneath, even though we've never really seen it up until that point).

And here's my biggest (but still not that big) hang-up about this story is that readers are left with 2 cliff-hangers. Without being too spoilery, something happens that makes one main character do something, leaving the other main character to wonder why and what will happen moving forward. I'm all for a good cliff-hanger. But I'm also a fan of dramatic irony. For those of you who don't know what that means, here's Dictionary.com's definition:

noun
1. irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the play.

Now that that's out of the way, the double-whammy provided by this novel (not knowing what happened and how things will move forward) felt a bit superfluous to me. I think it would have preferred the author showing the reader what happened, making us wonder what will happen, and then hit us with the other main character's emotional reaction to the first's actions and how they are wondering about what will happen next. This would have still been a double-hit, but in a different (and in my opinion, more effective) way of ending this story.

But like I said, this isn't that big of a problem given I immediately preordered Hitched, Vol 2 (available now) and Hitched, Vol 3 (which comes out August 2nd).

So, if you're a fan of funny, smart, and fast-paced contemporary romances (especially revolving around fake, contracted, etc marriages) this one is for you! Hitched, Vol 2 (Read An Excerpt | Read My Review)

Hitched, Vol 3 About the Author A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world.

She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she appeared #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world.

Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

​Visit her website for the latest book news and fun extras.

Blog Tour: Hitched, Vol 2 by Kendall Ryan

About the Book Arranged marriage? Check.

Cocky new husband? Check.

It's a marriage of convenience—one I'm determined to keep strictly professional. I can't be stupid enough to fall for this sexy playboy's charm or advances. I have to be strong, even if he is my husband.

Except he has a huge cock with an even bigger ego, and his main goal in life seems to be getting me to stroke both. The arrogant bastard is like sweet, sugary candy for my libido. I know he's bad for me.

But I want to devour every wicked inch of him.
​
With his sexual prowess and experience, I know he'll be explosive in the bedroom. And since we're stuck together for the foreseeable future—keeping up this marriage charade long enough to turn the company profitable again—I deserve something to look forward to at the end of a long workday, right?

What could one little taste hurt?

This is volume 2 in the Imperfect Love series. The Excerpt“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Just a little tight, is all.”

I inhale through my nose. I have to shove the pregnancy stuff to the back corner of my brain. We’re a long way off from Olivia letting me pump her full of my semen anyhow, so why am I stressing about it now? The first step is showing her how compatible we can be.

And that starts now.

I smile at her. “Sit tight. I’ll be right back.”

I grab a bottle of massage oil from the hall closet and return to the living room. The soft jazz music seems to float in the air, creating a pleasant buzz in the atmosphere.

Olivia’s eyes widen when I rejoin her on the couch, but she doesn’t question me.

“I’ll give you a massage,” I suggest. “Take off your sweatshirt.”

Olivia flinches, chewing on her lip while she watches me. “But I’m not wearing anything underneath.”

That’s the idea. “I promise not to look.”

She hesitates for another second, then turns her back to me and pulls her shirt over her head, dropping it to the floor. The creamy canvas in front of me is one to be admired. The twin dimples in her lower back near the band of her leggings would make lesser men weep.

I warm a few drops of oil between my palms and rest my hands on her stiff shoulders.
​
“Relax. Okay?”About Book 1 Marry the girl I’ve had a crush on my whole life? Check.

Inherit a hundred-billion-dollar company? Check.

Produce an heir… Wait, what?

I have ninety days to knock up my brand-new fake wife. There’s only one problem—she hates my guts.

And in the fine print of the contract? The requirement that we produce an heir.

She can’t stand to be in the same room with me. Says she’ll never be in my bed.

But I’ve never backed down from a challenge and I’m not about to start now.
​
Mark my words—I’ll have her begging for me, and it won’t take ninety days.
 
On the heels of her smash hit and New York Times bestselling SCREWED series, Kendall Ryan brings you HITCHED, a romantic comedy that delivers heart and heat. A NYC playboy turned business mogul has ninety days to win over the woman he's always desired in order to save his father's company. One tiny problem: She hates his guts. About the Author A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world.

She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she appeared #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world.

Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her website for the latest book news and fun extras.

I've Been Nominated for a Liebster Award!

First things first: thank you to the awesome Living Within Fiction for nominating me & sending these questions. We haven't known each other for long, but I love having you as a friend.

Second, if you don't know what the Liebster Award is, it's meant to promote new and rising blogs. It's also a nice way to pay it forward!What has been your favorite book of 2016? November 9 (Kindle | Paperback | iBooks) by Colleen Hoover, hands down. I still need to review it, but I give it ✯✯✯✯✯✯ out of 7 stars (see what that means in my Review Policy).If you could have dinner with one fictional character, dead or alive, who would it be? Professor Dumbledore. Yes, he wasn't perfect, but he was brilliant.Name three of your favorite authors. J.K. Rowling, Wendy Higgins, Cora Carmack (one for MG, YA, and NA — and the order I discovered them in).What is one thing you hope to achieve by the end of the year? Get The Matchmakers finished and ready for publication.Cats or dogs? Dogs, since I have one, but I don't actually mind cats.Starbucks or Tim’s? Starbucks, just because I don't know what Tim's is. I don't really drink enough coffee to go to Starbucks on a regular basis, though.What is the worst movie you have ever watched? Animolisa. I can't even express how awful this was. *shudder*What is your favorite hobby? Besides writing? Making friendship bracelets, or knitting and crocheting, for  Our Hope Is Here .If you could trade places for one fictional character for 24 hours, who would it be and what would you do? Hermione Granger, and I'd use a time-turner while learning magic. That would be perfectly awesome.What is your favorite season? Fall, even though my birthday is in Spring, because it's nice weather and has Thanksgiving & family.Would you rather only be able to read one book for the rest of your life, or have every book you read spoiled? Oh, geez. Either of these would work since I'm a repeat reader, but spoilers also don't bother me since I'm good at guessing them way too early, anyway... so... I'd say "have every book I read spoiled," because that way I can read new books.Did you find my answers interesting? I hope so! Here are 11 "fun" facts about me:I have a crazy, but fickle sweet tooth (e.g. cookies are sometimes too sweet, but cotton candy is always okay)I don't like chocolate-flavored stuff (like cake or frosting), but love chocolate (e.g. bars, kisses, etc)I can't eat food that's too salty or I'll get migrainesNumber 3 makes me sad because I love Chinese foodI am Chinese, so Number 4 also makes me sadI was adopted when I was 1.5 years old. I don't remember much before then, but sometimes I get random snippetsI have never met, have no desire to meet, and probably can't meet (thanks to China's closed adoption policies) my birth parentsThe first novel I wrote when I was eight was a shameful Nancy Drew rip-off. It wasn't "bad," but it was shameful I so clearly copied my favorite series. Thankfully, I grew out of that and know that plagiarism is bad."I'm only 19 but my mind is older" (Hamilton reference) because I was recently the team captain of 6 other people, who were all older than me, in FicFest 2016.I am constantly fighting injuries: feet, ankle, knee, or wrist (which is the worst because it means I can't write or do my aforementioned hobbies in #8 of the previous list)I'm on the Pisces/Aries cusp, and have grown into being more Arian since middle school, but am still the intuitive/sensitive Pisces. The only difference is now I'll stand up for myself when I'm treated badly.And here are 11 new questions for my 3 nominees (see below):What was the title of the first story you ever wrote (not published) and how old were you?What book inspired you to become an author?Is there an author you admire and aspire to be like?If you could be one magical creature (from any mythology), what would you be?Do you like traditional (Dracula, Nosferatu, etc.) or new vampires (Tru Blood, Vampire Diaries, Twilight) better?If you could have one superpower, what would it be?Who is one comic book superhero(ine) that you think deserves a solo movie?
If you could meet a famous writer, dead or alive, over dinner, who would it be and what would you be eating?
Are you a plotter, pantser, or plantser?What is your favorite genre to read? What is your favorite book in that genre?What is a piece of advice you'd like to pass onto other writers?​I nominate: Sierra & The Quest to Write Everything, the Sassy Sisters' Dragon Blog (technically 2 people, but I'm cheating), and S. Alex Martin. Here are the instructions for you:Acknowledge and thank the blog who nominated you. Make sure to link back to them, showing your appreciation, and display the award on your blog! Answer the 11 questions the blogger gives you.Give 11 random fun facts about yourself.Nominate some blogs with less than 200 followers that you think deserve the award.Let those bloggers know that you nominated them.Give them 11 new questions to answer.