Sorcha O'Dowd's Blog, page 42
May 3, 2014
Blog Tour ~ ‘Perfectly Broken’ by Prescott Lane.
Perfectly Broken by Prescott Lane
Publication date: March 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
۞
SYNOPSIS
Even after years of trauma therapy, Peyton still believes she’s broken. She has little desire to date or show off her natural beauty, content simply to hang out with her best friends and run her pie shop in New Orleans. But her world turns upside-down when a handsome architect and self-confessed player shows up in her shop and thinks she’s perfect, much more than the usual hook-up. While Peyton does her best to resist his charms, believing she could never be enough for him, she can’t deny the obvious heat between them.
With Reed determined to have her, Peyton must decide whether to continue to hide behind her apron and baggy clothes or take a chance and share her scars with Reed, a man with a playboy reputation and scars of his own — a dark past he can’t possibly share with Peyton, not after learning the horrors she’s endured. But if they can find a way to trust each other, and themselves, they just might be able to heal, to save each other, to live perfectly broken together.
۞
۞
Book Review ~ ‘Perfectly Broken’ by Prescott Lane ~ 5 Stars!
Oh where to start with this gorgeous book? What can you say when you just love a book, its characters and its story so much?
The subtext of this story is just so meaningful. It was so beautiful to see the wonderful development of the characters and story through this book, I loved seeing how Peyton and Reed helped put each other back together after the pain of their pasts.
Peyton was a character that I wanted the best for right from the word go. The horrific rape she’d experienced when at college had emotionally ripped her apart, and not even years of therapy has been able to make her feel like she can be normal. It was so heartbreaking to see the pain that Peyton carried around with her every second, she was such a kind-hearted individual, so genuine and loving that I desperately wanted her to find her other half that could help her past her pain.
Reed was an absolute whirlwind of a hero. I liked that his player ways were originally a topic of teasing and subtle flirting between him and Peyton, and I knew from the start that this was the first man that Peyton could smile with, and forget for a time about her past. Despite normally staying hidden behind baggy clothing, her transformation during the beginning of her relationship with Reed was so wonderful to watch. I admired her strength for accepting a date with Reed, even though she struggled to see why he wanted to go out with her.
The development of their relationship was stunning to read, and I absolutely adored every moment on the pages that they spent together, getting to know each other, being able to be themselves with no desire to hide themselves. I felt for Peyton when she trusted Reed with her painful secret, and loved Reed all the more for his gentle and moving response to it, proving to himself that he could be the man he wanted to be who would be there for the people he loved even when it was hard for him to do so.
Throughout the book though there was one character who I just loved to hate. Poor Griffin probably didn’t deserve my loathing for him, but he just rubbed me the wrong way, which made me identify with Reed all the more. I understood that he had feelings for Peyton, but I couldn’t understand why he would want to cause Peyton more pain by doing everything in his power to keep her and Reed apart. There was something that Quinn said, about him not wanting to go through the hard work of fixing Peyton but wanting to be with her that really got to me. I would have respected him more if he’d been there for Peyton more, listened to her, been a true friend to her and not acted like a jealous lover, and just wanted her to be happy. I felt he was just too wrapped up in wanting Peyton for himself that he didn’t stop to think what would make Peyton happy. It was a strange relationship that I forged with Griffin throughout this story, particularly as I was strongly on Team Peyton, and I just knew that from the different ways that the two men treated her, that she deserved better than Griffin.
This really was a spectacular, emotional and beautiful love story, and Reed and Peyton have really stuck with me since I finished reading this story, as it gave me as a reader hope that there is someone out there for everyone who will be there for them and help them through their lowest points.
5 Stars!
۞
Prizes: Open Internationally
*$50 Amazon gift card*
۞
Prescott Lane
Prescott Lane is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Centenary College in 1997 with a degree in sociology. She went on to Tulane University to receive her MSW in 1998, after which she worked with developmentally delayed and disabled children. She currently resides in New Orleans with her husband and two children.
۞
۞
Blog Tour organised by Xpresso Book Tours.
To follow the ‘Perfectly Broken’ Blog Tour. Click the banner above.
۞
Book Review ~ ‘Begin Again’ by Tamsyn Bester.
Begin Again by Tamsyn Bester
Beautiful #2
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Release Date: 5th May 2014.
۞
SYNOPSIS
One year ago, Brody Scott made the biggest mistake of his life and has lived with his regret every day since then…
One year ago, Demetria ‘Demi’ Rosemead watched the love of her life turn his back on her, leaving her to face one of the hardest things she’s ever had to go through on her own.
So much has happened, and when Brody and Demi are forced to spend a week together after a year apart, they will be drawn back into the raw intensity of what they feel for each other. Only this time, Brody won’t walk away so easily…
But Demi is keeping something from him, and not only will she have to forgive him, but he will have to forgive her too…
Can they erase the time that has passed, and move forward? Or will Demi’s secret and Brody’s mistake keep them from their forever?
*This can be read as a standalone, but it is highly recommended that you read Beneath Your Beautiful to enhance your enjoyment of this book. Due to mature language and adult situations, this book is not recommended for readers under the age of 17.*
۞
Book Review ~ ‘Begin Again’ by Tamsyn Bester ~ 5+ Stars!
Ever since I heard that Demi and Brody would be having their story told, I proceeded to jump around like a lunatic and facebook stalk Tamsyn Bester (guilty as charged). It can sometimes be difficult to pull off making a sequel as great as the first book, but Tamsyn Bester nailed it! From the word go ‘Begin Again’ just drew me in and had me so enraptured and invested in the storyline and characters that I would scream at people if they disturbed me during my reading time. My heart pounded as the story went on, and I wanted more than anything for Demi and Brody to get their happily ever after.
The emotion with which Tamsyn Bester wrote Demi and Brody’s story just seeped off the page, I could feel the passion, love and devotion that went into these characters, making them seem very real to me as a reader. She very cleverly switched from past to present, breaking my heart with every little snippet of the past that had lead to Demi and Brody’s present separation.
I loved the psychological aspects that were entwined so neatly throughout this book. Demi’s gradual development in accepting and moving on from the past, really nicely contrasted with Brody’s descent into confusion and devastation as he finds out about what has been kept from him, and how he hadn’t been there for Demi through her ordeal. I loved how Demi and Brody really had to work through their past and the pain that they had put each other through before they could even begin to think about starting over. The slow development of their forgiveness made it so beautiful and heartfelt to read, and made me really see the strength of their feelings for each other that they were desperate enough to save each other from more pain.
What really made this story even more amazing was the great insight we had into Huntley and Grayson’s relationship in the future. Huntley is such a loving and kind-hearted person and I just admire her strength so much. I loved seeing the brilliant mother she was to Hunter, and seeing how well her and Grayson had adapted to parenthood. To see what happened after their happily ever after in ‘Beneath Your Beautiful’ was just such a gift, and had me grinning from ear to ear, and desperately wishing for my own happily ever after.
‘Begin Again’ was just a wonderful, heartfelt and beautifully written story. Tamsyn Bester is definitely an author to watch as everything she writes is just so heartfelt, pure and amazing.
5+ stars!
* ARC was kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
۞
Purchase links will be posted on release day.
۞
~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
۞
May 2, 2014
Book Blitz ~ ‘Ransom’ by Rachel Schurig.
Ransom by Rachel Schurig
Publication date: April 28th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
۞
SYNOPSIS
**The first book in a brand new series from USA Today bestselling author Rachel Schurig. This New Adult Contemporary Romance novel is a complete story with no cliffhanger.**
Daisy Harris has no reason to suspect that her day will be any different than usual. She’ll go to class, alone. She won’t speak or make eye contact. She’ll spend her entire day doing her best to go completely unnoticed. That’s what life is like for Daisy now—an endless cycle of loneliness and fear. A life lived hiding behind the walls she so faithfully maintains.
Then she sees it. A magazine, left behind in class. A simple picture—just his face. And it changes everything.
It’s been a year since she’s seen Daltrey Ransome. A year since he and his brothers left town to pursue their dreams of rock and roll superstardom. A year since he left Daisy behind—left her to watch as everything she knew crumbled around her. She’s been running from Daltrey ever since, desperate to keep her secret.
But she can’t run anymore. And now that Daltrey has found her—the girl he’s loved his entire life, the girl he’d give up everything for—he’s determined never to let her go again.
۞
I told him everything, showed him the scarred, broken part of me, and he didn’t run or push me away. Instead, he held me and cried with me until I was sure I would break with the pain of it. And after all of that, he still wants me.
I can feel it in the way he kisses me so desperately, as if he can’t get enough. He trails his fingers across my face and holds me tightly to him until I’m sure I won’t be able to breathe. Daltrey wants me. He loves me.
“I don’t want to waste any more time,” he says, pulling back so he can look into my eyes. “I want this with you. Forever.”
۞
۞
Prize: Open internationally
*$50 Amazon Gift Card*
۞
What was your inspiration for writing Ransom?
I’ve wanted to write a rock star romance for a long time. When I was in college some friends and I spent a few months following our favorite band on tour. It was one of the best times I’ve ever had! There’s something about a good road trip with good friends—add in the thrill of live music and it can’t be beat! I wanted to write about girlfriends going on an adventure like ours—and finding love along the way. Who doesn’t want to fall for a rock star??
What can you tell us about Daisy?
Poor Daisy’s had a rough year. After her best friend, Daltrey, left to hit it big with his band, Ransom, things went south for Daisy. The victim of some pretty vicious online bullying, she began to withdraw from the world around her. Severe panic attacks brought on by the trauma make it very difficult for her to interact with her peers as she starts college. By the time she meets Ransom fans Karen and Paige, she’s almost forgotten what it’s like to have friends. Karen and Paige help her regain her confidence and find the strength to rekindle her friendship with Daltrey.
What about Daltrey?
Daltrey is one of my favorite characters I’ve ever written. In many ways he’s your classic rock star—sexy, kind of dangerous, very talented, a little cocky. But he’s also incredibly sensitive and emotional. He never got over losing Daisy and now that she’s back in his life he’s determined not to lose her again. His dedication to the girl he’s always loved is pretty swoon worthy!
Can you give us three random facts about Ransom?
1. I plotted this entire book, right down to the names of all the characters, in one afternoon. In fact, I was waiting in line for a ride at Disneyland when inspiration struck. I was so glad I had my cell phone to take notes! By the time I reached the front of the very long line I had all the details squared away.
2. Daltrey and his brothers are all named after famous rock stars who influenced their father. I spent a lot of time choosing the names; I wanted the most influential musicians I could think of but I also needed to make sure the monikers sounded good as first names.
3. Music was a very big part of my writing process with this story. I created a playlist as I wrote, adding more songs as I went along. By the time I was finished I had a huge list, and I listened to it every time I worked on the book.
۞
Rachel Schurig
Rachel Schurig lives in the metro Detroit area with her dog, Lucy. She loves to watch reality TV and she reads as many books as she can get her hands on. In her spare time, Rachel decorates cakes. Her THREE GIRLS series is available now from Amazon!
۞
~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
۞
Book Blitz organised by Xpresso Book Blitz.
۞
May 1, 2014
Blog Tour ~ ‘Picture Perfect’ by Elisabeth Grace.
Picture Perfect by Elisabeth Grace
(Limelight #2)
Publication date: March 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
۞
SYNOPSIS
Being the daughter of a big-city mayor, twenty-one year old Skye Summers has giant shoes to fill in her first real job out of college. With the public spotlight on her family, and her dad’s expectations running high, she jumps at the chance to work side-by-side on an important project with her sexy new boss.
Playboy entrepreneur Landon Steele has built a successful entertainment PR firm and broken more than a few hearts along the way. He’s counting on his enthusiastic new assistant to help him expand his business into LA… until he discovers she’s a pampered rich girl who’s in the public spotlight as much as his famous clients. Still, he agrees to give her a chance, and soon the two are heating up the bedroom as well as the boardroom.
But when Skye’s ex-boyfriend threatens to reveal a dangerous secret from her past, her job, relationship with Landon, and her father’s career are suddenly all on the line. Will she be forced to leave Landon? Or will she pursue her heart, regardless of the cost?
۞
~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~ B&N ~
۞
Book Review ~ ‘Picture Perfect’ by Elisabeth Grace ~ 5 Stars!
I absolutely adored ‘Rumor Has It’ by Elisabeth Grace, so when I saw that Skye was getting her own book, I jumped up and down in excitement, and boy did Elisabeth Grace deliver.
This book was one of those ones that just had me so engrossed that I had to remind myself to take breaks to exercise my eyes a bit and eat, because honestly I would have just read and read. Elisabeth Grace has such a fantastic writing style that is just such a pleasure to read. I don’t ever feel the story is moving at too fast or slow a pace, and the characters always seem so real, making them relatable to me.
Like with ‘Rumor Has It’, there is no lack of laughs in ‘Picture Perfect’, and after an emotional start where I literally wanted to kick Skye’s ex-boyfriend where it hurts and beat my chest screaming about women’s rights, I was cringing and laughing as I despaired for Skye when even a night out can’t go right. At first I wasn’t sure about Landon as his arrogant and cocky demeanour made me feel he was just as bad as the guy he’d told to back off from Skye in the club. But feeling wary of him pleased me as I knew he was going to have to work hard to get into my good books, which was fine with me because after the way she was treated by her ex-boyfriend I knew Skye deserved the best. I looked forward to seeing him become less high-handed and arrogant and start to see Skye in a way that made him sorry for his earlier prejudice.
After Landon got into my good books, I loved the heated relationship he and Skye developed, especially how being with Skye made him a better person, and how he in turn helped Skye realise her worth and potential. It was a wonderful relationship that I really hoped would weather the storm that I could feel was brewing.
The drama in this story was paced well, as it was just at the time when Landon and Skye’s relationship became more serious, and it was wonderful to see the way that Landon, whilst upset at Skye’s betrayal of him, knew Skye well enough to see that there was more to her actions than she said. It was nice not to see him thinking the worst of her, and instead waited for her to come to her senses. I really felt for Skye’s situation and although I could understand her reasoning for trying to keep Landon out of her problems, I really hoped that she would see the light and understand that she didn’t have to do everything on her own. Her relationship with her father was heart-warming and it was wonderful to see her go to him with her problems, which just highlighted how important her father was to her.
This was a beautiful, fun and sexy story that I couldn’t put down. There were some issues with formatting and tenses where sentences were unfinished with both tenses used next to each other, but I assume this was perfected before publication so may not be a worry for potential readers, so get reading!
5 Stars!
۞
Open Internationally
*Signed copy of Picture Perfect*
۞
Elisabeth Grace
I have a soft spot for romance novels with happily ever afters and a hot spot for alpha males! I currently live outside Toronto, Canada with my hubby and two small children. Life is busy, but never too busy for a good story and to share my love of reading and writing with others.
My debut New Adult Contemporary Romance, Rumor Has It, releases December 6, 2013.
For more of the lowdown on me feel free to visit my author website at http://www.Elisabeth-Grace.com
۞
~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
۞
Blog Tour organised by Xpresso Book Tours.
To follow the ‘Picture Perfect’ Blog Tour, click the banner above.
۞
April 30, 2014
Cover Reveal ~ ‘Whatever It Takes’ by Ashley Simone.
Whatever It Takes by Ashley Simone
Publication date: May 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Cover Designer: damonza.com
۞
SYNOPSIS
What would you do if you got a second chance at life?
Nicky is not having a great year. After her mother’s sudden death, she’s forced to deal with the family finances, move away from the small town she grew up in, and drop out of college. Her bank balance dwindles, her landlord evicts her and she’s just about to become homeless…
Could a twist of fate give you everything you ever dreamed of – or make things so much worse?
When Nicky seems to have won a jackpot, her financial woes appear to be over… until her ex-boyfriend, Aiden Weilz walks into the room and claims that her future is dependent on him.
Is he telling the truth, or is this all a ploy to keep her from moving on with her life? How much worse do things have to get before they get better?
۞
Cover Reveal organised by Xpresso Book Tours.
۞
Book Blitz ~ ‘Late Call’ by Emma Hart.
Late Call by Emma Hart
(Call #1)
Publication date: May 1st 2014
Genres: Adult, Erotica, Romance
۞
SYNOPSIS
She’s a high class call girl. He’s taking over his father’s business.
Seven years ago, they fell in love in Paris.
They walked away at the end of the summer, never imagining they’d meet again.
Now he’s her client.
We fell in love the way you jump from a cliff. Hard and fast with a reckless sense of abandon. The six weeks we spent together changed my life, but at seventeen, I was naive. I was a dreamer. A believer.
Now I’m twenty-four and cynical. I don’t believe in love. There’s no place for such emotions as a high class escort. The only things I’m allowed to feel are physical – and that’s why it’s so damn hard when the client of a last minute job turns out to be the man I left in France seven years ago. When he buys me for six weeks at triple my rate, my agent makes it clear I have no choice but to take the job despite our previous relationship. And my heart makes it very clear I have to stay firmly on top of the cliff this time.
Because for six weeks, I once again belong to Aaron Stone.
۞
“Don’t think I didn’t notice what you did back there,” he says in a low voice.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I give him my best innocent eyes.
His lips quirk into that smirk, and he steps forward when the barman disappears again. He rests his hand on my waist, his fingers flexing against the lace of my dress, and drops his eyes to mine.
“No, you have no idea of the effect you have on men simply by walking past them.”
“Not at all.” I run my fingers up his stomach, ignoring the feeling of solid muscle there, and tweak his bow tie. “It’s not my job to know the effect I have on them, rather, merely to affect them.”
“Well let me say you do it…” He bends his head toward mine. “…Spectacularly.”
“Thank you.” I pull on the tie harder and it unravels, hanging loosely around his neck, and I undo the top button of his shirt.
“What are you doing?”
I lean up and rest my mouth by his ear. “Giving people something to talk about. Isn’t that what I’m supposed to be doing?” My thigh brushes against his as I cross my legs.
“It’s absolutely what you should be doing.” Aaron says his words into my hair, and I turn my face into his.
“Then you should stop questioning me and allow me to do it.”
His hand flattens against my back, drawing us closer. “You play a dangerous game, Dayton.”
“It’s only dangerous if you don’t trust the person standing in front of you – if you don’t know their breaking point.”
“What makes you think you know mine?”
I smile against his cheek. “Have you forgotten? I know your breaking point and your tipping point, and I know exactly how to get you there.”
“It’s been seven years, as you keep reminding me. What if it’s changed?”
“I’m very good at adapting.” I pull back so a whisper of air hovers between our lips. “But it hasn’t changed a bit.”
“She think she’s so smart.”
Another smile tugs at my lips, and I whisper, “She knows if she drops her hand and brushes it against your groin, you’ll be hard and ready to take her in the first possible place.”
“Is that right?”
“Mhmm. A wall is the likely choice…” I rest my fingers against his belt, and he tenses. “Looks like she’s as smart as she thinks she is if you’re tense at my fingers sitting here… nowhere near the erection you’re failing to hide.”
He chuckles low, a raspy tone to it. “Your game is very, very dangerous, Miss Black.”
“And you get to play it for a whole six weeks. Aren’t you lucky?”
He curls his fingers around mine at his belt. “The only luck here will be if we leave Vegas without me fucking you against every wall of our suite.”
۞
۞
Prizes – Open Internationally
*1) One signed copy of Late Call, a signed swag pack, a Late Call inspired necklace, and 20$ Victoria’s Secret gift card.*
*2) One of three signed Late Call swag packs.*
۞
Where do you draw your ideas for characters from? Are they ever based on real people?
The characters really form in my mind on their own – it’s that easy and that hard to create them! I never base them on real people, especially not anyone I know, but I tend to take certain phrases/quirks/likes from people and apply those. You may have noticed my female MCs are all kind of sarcastic and snarky, and that would be a bit of my own personality creeping in. ;)
What gave you the inspiration to write your first book?
I’d been downloading endless free books of iBooks before I moved to Kindle, and I started to realize they were all self-published. Around the time I was seriously considering starting to write myself, Mr. H turned around and said, “Why don’t you write your own book instead of bloody reading all the time?” And the rest is history.
Have you ever used a moment of your own life in a book? If so which book?
Not a moment, exactly, but THE RIGHT MOVES is loosely based on my own past and my struggles with depression.
How do you think up ideas for your books?
They come to me randomly. The GAME series started off because I dreamed the first few chapters of THE LOVE GAME and had to know how it ended. NEVER FORGET was inspired by the song Don’t Stop Believing by Journey. And LATE CALL was one of those random ideas that came from nowhere – it was actually sitting on my laptop for a year before it morphed into anything solid enough to become a story.
How do you deal with deadlines and fan expectations?
I thrive off of deadlines. If I don’t have them, I tend to procrastinate to the nth degree and do sweet FA. They’re a must for me, so I deal with them fairly easily.
Fan expectations are a funny thing-I never really know what they’re expecting. Not because I don’t pay attention, I do, but because I don’t let myself dwell on it. I’ve had several mini freak outs over Final Call (the sequel to LATE CALL) because I don’t know if it will live up to the first book, but there’s nothing I can do about them. I can only write my best, so that’s exactly what I do!
What’s the book you’d take with you to a desert island?
*grins* My electronic one, of course. My Kindle.
Who is your favorite author and what are you currently reading?
I have several favorite authors, so I’m not going to answer that in case they read this and I forgot them, ha. I’m not currently reading anything, but my next reads will be an early copy of Make It Count by Megan Erickson, and a beta reads for Elizabeth Otto and Delancey Stewart.
Do you prefer paperback or ebook?
Despite my choice to take my Kindle to a desert island, I’m a paperback girl. I love the smell of proper books.
Would you like to see one of your books made into a movie? If so, which one?
I think every author dreams of seeing their books on the big screen, so yes. If the opportunity ever arose, I’d love to see one of my books as a movie! And I think at this point I’d have to say LATE CALL.
۞
Emma Hart
By day, New York Times and USA Today bestselling New Adult author Emma Hart dons a cape and calls herself Super Mum to two beautiful little monsters. By night, she drops the cape, pours a glass of whatever she fancies – usually wine – and writes books.
Emma is working on Top Secret projects she will share with her followers and fans at every available opportunity. Naturally, all Top Secret projects involve a dashingly hot guy who likes to forget to wear a shirt, a sprinkling (or several) of hold-onto-your-panties hot scenes, and a whole lotta love.
She likes to be busy – unless busy involves doing the dishes, but that seems to be when all the ideas come to life.
۞
~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
۞
Book Blitz organised by Xpresso Book Tours.
۞
April 29, 2014
Blog Tour ~ ‘How To Say Goodbye’ by Amber Lin.
How To Say Goodbye by Amber Lin
Publication date: April 7th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
۞
SYNOPSIS
Amy has a secret: no one has ever held her hand. She doesn’t even know how to hug. Everybody thinks she’s brilliant, but that’s because school was all she had. Then she meets Dane, a golden-haired surfer whose easy charm and hot touch teach her what she longs to know.
Dane lives for the salty breeze and a sweet wave, because that’s all he has. He’s lived on the streets since he was fourteen. A drifter. Homeless. But Amy changes everything. Smart and accomplished, she’s everything he’s not. He wants to be the sort of man who deserves her.
Except that means facing down his past—and that past might very well swallow them both.
۞
~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~ B&N ~
۞
Book Review ~ ‘How To Say Goodbye’ by Amber Lin ~ 5 Stars!
Well wow! What a refreshing read! I honestly loved how unique this storyline was, with the characters and situations being so unlike any other that I have read in the ‘New Adult’ genre.
Amber Lin has taken a brilliant concept and transferred it beautifully onto paper. The characters she created were real, broken and hopeful, everything that young people today feel on a regular basis. Amy and Dane were relatable characters, and were a brilliant example of how different stresses can cause different outcomes for some. Both Amy and Dane’s stories were different, but no less heartbreaking. For Dane, his emotional and physical scars come from a sexual abuse that he found the only way to escape from was to leave his life behind, whereas Amy’s issues come from a more neglectful past.
Amy was a wonderful character and I loved seeing her development throughout the story. We see her at the beginning of the book desperate to make her own way in the world, to take a job not forced upon her by her mother, and her gift of seeing beauty in the smallest things, after years of coldness and neglect from her mother leaving her insecure. It was heart-warming to see her blossom through Dane’s love to become a confident and sometimes sassy young woman who spoke her mind, and fought for the things that meant the most to her.
However, Dane was the character that stood out for me. I commend the author for her originality in having Dane being homeless not by circumstance, but by choice. It really got me thinking, and had me in the mindset of Dane, desperately trying to understand his reasoning for staying on the streets, when other options open up. His emotional scars were so deep and I felt my heart breaking for the internal pain he was suffering, and his desire to remain anonymous, just one in a crowd.
The relationship that developed between Amy and Dane was a rocky one, and at times had me feeling unsure on behalf of Amy. I felt for Amy so much as she struggled to understand why Dane would become sarcastic and hollow in his words, and how she desperately tried to help him live up to the potential he had to be a great man. I felt bereft on Amy’s behalf when Dane tried to shut her out, doing so in a seemingly cruel way when he was doing so to keep Amy’s heart safe. The psychological scarring he had made me understand his actions a little more, even when I didn’t agree with them, and that really shows the talents of the author for having created such multi-dimensional characters that like with real people you can’t understand the reasons for their behaviour and actions until you can see into their mindsets as we do with the altering points of view.
This story really is a beautiful and poignant one that I recommend to readers who like characters with layers and who have to fight their deep rooted instincts and fears to keep hold of the ones they love.
5 Stars!
۞
Prize: Open Internationally
*$50 Amazon gift card*
۞
Amber Lin
Amber Lin is an author of edgy and emotional erotic romance. RT Book Reviews gave her debut, Giving It Up, 4.5 stars and called it “truly extraordinary.”
۞
~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
۞
Blog Tour organised by Xpresso Book Tours.
To follow the ‘How To Say Goodbye’ Blog Tour, click the banner above.
۞
April 28, 2014
Book Blitz ~ ‘You Make Me’ by Erin McCarthy.
You Make Me by Erin McCarthy
(Blurred Lines #1)
Publication date: April 21st 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
۞
SYNOPSIS
The guy she wants…
Growing up on the coast of Maine with a revolving door of foster siblings, Caitlyn Michaud spent one intense and passionate year falling in love with her foster brother, Heath. Then he left without a word. The betrayal devastated Caitlyn and made her vow to forget the compelling bad boy. But forgetting his sensual touch and their deep all-consuming friendship is easier said than done.
Isn’t the guy she needs…
Determined to move on, in college Caitlyn has risen above her small town impoverished roots and has joined a sorority, reinvented her appearance, and landed the right boyfriend. Pre-law major and frat president, Ethan, is thoughtful and always laughing, and he makes her feel happy, calm. He also gives her the social acceptance she craves.
But the perfect world she tried so hard to attain is ripped apart when Heath appears one night out of nowhere. Caitlyn remembers all the reasons why she loves him, even if they don’t make sense to anyone but her. Out of the military, Heath is as brooding and intense as ever, and he is determined not only to win her back, but to exact revenge on everyone who kept him from her…
And when one love allows her to breathe, but the other feels as essential to her life as air, how does she choose between them?
۞
I blinked, sure I was wrong. But I wasn’t. It was him, with shorter hair and broader shoulders.
“Heath!” I yelled out, overcome with shock and joy that he was there. Alive. Not dead in a ditch or in prison. “Oh, my God!”
Stepping away from Ethan, I squeezed his forearms to indicate it was okay. Then without thought for the fact that everyone was still staring at me or that I had just gotten engaged sixty seconds earlier, I ran in my high heels the ten feet to Heath hovering in the shadows and threw myself at him.
“Hey, Cat,” he murmured, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me tight against his chest. His lips buried into my hair.
I sank against him, breathing in deeply. He smelled the same, earthy and masculine. He felt different, bigger, more muscular, but his hands were just as I remembered, strong and tender, and his voice was low, casual. A thousand memories assaulted me all at once, running along the coast, going out on the water in a stolen boat, laughing, talking. Kissing.
“Oh, God,” I whispered, pulling back to study his face, to cup his cheeks and outline his bottom lip with my thumb. I couldn’t believe it was real. He was real. “You’re alive. You’re here.”
The corner of his mouth turned up. “I am.”
“Caitlyn, who is this?” Ethan had come up behind me and his hand landed on the small of my back.
I suddenly realized how close I was to Heath and I jerked back, cheeks flushing with heat. My hands shook and my voice sounded high-pitched and breathless. “Ethan! This is Heath, my…
There was no way I could explain who Heath really was to me. How much he had meant. How I thought I wouldn’t survive when he left. What it meant to have him punch a hole in my perfect world now and walk back into it.
“My brother,” I finished.
As Ethan’s eye’s bulged, Heath gave a soft snort of derision beside me.
“You have a brother?” Ethan asked, sounding completely astonished, as he should. “I didn’t know you have a brother.”
I did. A biological one that I no longer spoke to and who I didn’t acknowledge, but Ethan didn’t know that, and I never wanted him to.
“Is that what I am?” Heath asked, sounding both amused and annoyed. “A brother from another mother, Cat?”
“He’s my foster brother,” I added. “My family always took in foster kids and some stayed longer than others. Heath stayed long enough that we got close.” In a manner of speaking.
“I didn’t know that. You never mentioned foster siblings.”
Shit. Ethan was looking at me like he didn’t know me. But he did. He knew the me I wanted to be, the me I could be. I didn’t want to drag him through my past. But here was Heath. My past. And who I had once considered my present and my future.
Speaking of…
“Where the hell have you been?” I asked Heath, my initial excitement turning to frustration as I realized that he had just appeared out of nowhere and hadn’t even bothered to speak to me first. Let alone any sort of text or other contact.
He shrugged. “Around.”
Seriously? I went straight into pissed off. Four fucking years. Four years and not a word. “That’s not an answer. I thought you were dead!”
“Not dead. Though I wasn’t aware you would care either way.”
Was he crazy? Confusion made my breath shallow, my palms sweat. I had suffered when he left. I had cried until I threw up. I had taken off after him, only to walk two miles and realize I had no idea when he’d left or where he was going. I had stalked him online, never finding anything. I had stopped eating. Stopped showering.
And he was going to stand there and act like I hadn’t cared?
“How could you say that?” My voice shook.
But his eyes just studied me, dark and angry. “Maybe this isn’t the time or the place to discuss it.” He took my hand into his.
My frustration faded at his touch. A deep, intense longing rose up in me. God, I had missed him. But he merely turned my hand so that my new engagement ring was visible.
“Congratulations, Cat.” A mocking smile crossed his face. His jaw was tense. He took my hand and gave it to Ethan, who laced his fingers through mine.
“I’m Heath, Cat’s foster brother, like she said,” he told Ethan, and I could hear the edgy irony in his voice. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Ethan Walsh. Nice to meet you, too. It sounds like you and Caitlyn have a lot of catching up to do. Maybe tomorrow we can all grab some coffee.”
“Sure. Sounds delightful.”
That was attitude. Plain and simple. My eyes narrowed at Heath and I shook my head slightly in warning. What the hell was he doing? Why was he even there?
“I didn’t mean to interrupt a big moment,” he added. “I’m heading downstairs.”
A million questions were racing through my head, but there was no way to ask them. Not where we were. Not with who I was with listening.
Ethan stuck his hand out, because Ethan had good manners. For a second Heath just stared at it, but then he took it and shook briefly.
I’d never seen him in a suit before. He looked… dangerous. Very James Bond. He was even better looking than I remembered and I had spent a lot of time coaxing his image out of my memory banks. Especially alone in my bed late at night when I was lonely and my body ached.
“See ya,” he told me casually, before turning and leaving.
۞
~Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~ B&N ~
۞
Erin McCarthy
USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has since written almost fifty novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult, and adult romance. Erin has a special weakness for New Orleans, tattoos, high-heeled boots, beaches and martinis. She lives in Ohio with her family, two grumpy cats and a socially awkward dog.
۞
~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
۞
Book Blitz organised by Xpresso Book Tours.
۞
April 27, 2014
Book Review ~ ‘Dark Prophet’ by K.N. Lee.
Dark Prophet by K.N. Lee
The Chronicles of Koa #2
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance.
۞
SYNOPSIS
Not all vampires are created equal…
Koa is a half-blood vampire with not only the ability to fly, but survive in the sun’s light. She will do anything to protect her mother, and break her curse. The demon, Bund, wants more than her mother’s life. He wants something from Koa, a power that she doesn’t even know she has, and will rip through as many humans as he can to get her to surrender.
Agent Koa Ryeo-won, and her boss, Halston, formed a crew of supernatural agents to stop Bund. But is a prophet, a temptress, a War-Breeder, a half-blood with an enchanted sword, and a few angels enough to stop what Bund has planned?
In the midst of a war between the humans of the mortal world, and the creatures of the Netherworld, Koa discovers the truth of her past. She finds herself torn between two men, and in the center of everything. Faced with all of her returned memories, Koa also finds herself more powerful than ever. Being a half-blood is hard enough, but what exactly is Koa’s other half?
The truth can save…or destroy everything.
Will the Netherworld Division stand behind Koa once they learn her secret?
۞
Book Review ~ ‘Dark Prophet’ by K.N. Lee ~ 5 Stars!
I can’t even begin to express how much I loved this book! I started it this morning and did not put it down until I’d devoured every single page. It was just so brilliantly written and paced perfectly that I was just so enthralled in the story that I just had to know what happened.
Halston was a favourite of mine in the first book, and yet again K.N. Lee just had me swooning at his every word, action and look. *sigh* I am so in love with him. I felt my heart leaping in my chest when Koa’s past was revealed, a past that includes a long lost love that has been returned to her, and I really hoped that Koa wouldn’t forget the new life she had made for herself and the connection that she shared with Halston, now that memories of her past had been returned to her.
The action and drama in this book was paced perfectly, and I was on the edge of my seat throughout, biting my lip and glaring at anyone who dared interrupt me when I was reading. I loved seeing how the allegiances changed throughout this story, and those who we thought we could trust turned to other sides, and what we thought was the truth is far from it. This really brought the suspense to a whole new level and I felt giddy with nerves and excitement as everything that Koa was fighting for began to change.
A brilliant continuation of the Chronicles of Koa series, and I CAN’T WAIT to see what happens next. I am addicted!!
5 Stars!
۞
~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~ B&N ~
۞
K.N. Lee
~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
۞
Book Blitz ~ ‘To Know Me’ by Marcy Blesy.
To Know Me by Marcy Blesy
(To Know Me #1)
Publication date: August 21st 2013
Genres: Romance, Young Adult
۞
SYNOPSIS
To know me is to die.
Seventeen-year-old Mae is convinced that the consequences of her poor decisions have caused the untimely deaths of her dad, sister Laura, and grandma who all die within a year, no matter how ludicrous her thoughts seem to those she loves. The solution? Run away so no one else she cares for gets hurt (even if she has to keep a GPS tracker on her phone at all times).
Desperate to earn her diploma and salvage something of her life, she transfers schools when people get too close. After switching to Woodson Prep with only two months to go until graduation, Mae keeps her goals in sight. But when she meets Ty, the “perfect boy” with his own secrets and a relentless interest in Mae, she must decide if she can stop running from the past and still protect those she loves.
___
TO KNOW ME is the first book in a new YA romance series that follows Mae from her senior year in high school through her first two years in college as she learns to accept the consequences of her past mistakes that keep impacting the relationships with those she loves…and those she shouldn’t. Out now: TO KNOW ME…TO LOVE ME…TO FORGIVE ME…and coming in summer 2014: TO CHOOSE ME.
۞
“Is this for me?” I ask as Ty stands in the center of the clearing with a yellow rose in one hand.
“No. It’s for that grandma who’ll be passing this area in about ten minutes. I’m just practicing my delivery.” He’s so cute when he’s being sarcastic. I take the rose. In an instant I am shocked back to the day of Laura’s funeral. Everyone in her sixth grade glass brought roses to the cemetery to lay upon her grave, yellow ones, her favorite color. “Why aren’t you smiling?” Ty asks. “Did I do something wrong?”
“N…no.”
“Your hand is shaking,” he says coming over to my side. “Sit down.” He points to the picnic table. “Mae, if you don’t tell me anything I won’t ever be able to help you. I want to help you. I know what it’s like to need help. There’s a lot you don’t know about me, too. And I’m willing to tell you. It’s weird because I hardly know anything about you, but I feel like we’re a lot alike.”
“We’re nothing alike,” I say. I want to tell him. But if I do? Then what? He won’t understand. No one does.
“Is yellow not a good color for brunettes?” he jokes. I can’t help but smile. He takes the rose, breaks off the stem, and tucks it behind my ear. He leans in to smell the rose and kisses my cheek. Only the crunching of sticks from the older couple on the path stops him from reaching my lips.
۞
To Know Me is currently on Sale at $0.99. Grab it now!
۞
Prizes: Open Internationally
*5x ebook copies of To Know Me*
۞
Marcy Blesy
Marcy Blesy is the author of several middle grade and young adult novels and short stories. Her picture book, Am I Like My Daddy?, helps children who experienced the loss of a parent when they were much younger. She has also been published in two Chicken Soup for the Soul books as well as various newspapers and magazines. By day she runs an elementary school library and enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys.
Marcy is a believer in love and enjoys nothing more than making her readers feel a book more than simply reading it. She likes to connect with her readers via twitter (@marcyblesy), email (mablesy(at)yahoo.com), or her blog(www.marcyblesy.com).
۞
~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
۞
Book Blitz organised by Xpresso Book Tours.
۞
