Sorcha O'Dowd's Blog, page 9
November 30, 2015
Book Review ~ ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’ by Laura E. James.
What Doesn’t Kill You by Laura E. James
Genres: Dark Choc Lit, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Choc Lit UK
SYNOPSIS
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger – but how strong can one person be?
Griff Hendry knows what it is to be strong. After a turbulent past, he’s dedicated himself to saving lives, working as a coastguard along the breath-taking shores of Dorset. It’s Griff’s belief that everyone is worth saving – which is why he can’t forgive his father, Logan, for what he did.
Griff’s future is plunged into uncertainty when his wife, Evie, tells him she wants a separation. The revelation is a shock and leads Griff to question what Evie could possibly be hiding – and she isn’t the only one holding back. Griff’s troubled stepdaughter, Tess, also harbours a dark secret.
As the truth is uncovered, Griff is forced to accept that perhaps he’s never understood what real strength is.
From Dark Choc Lit – compelling, emotional, hard-hitting novels. Not your typical romance story.
Book Review ~ ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’ by Laura E. James ~ 5 Stars!
Wow, what a spine-tingling novel Laura E. James has delivered with ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’. Part of Choc Lit’s Dark imprint, James’ latest novel is a hard hitting story of love, family and betrayal in its many forms.
We follow this story from various characters points-of-view, all of whom we grow to love and cherish as the novel goes on. Griff, the hero of our story, is in the middle of watching his marriage crumble, yet unable to fix it. I loved seeing his perspective on his relationship with Evie, and his hopelessness in understanding why his wife is so distant. Evie has her own problems, not helped by her estrangement with Griff which she has the added guilt of having pushed him away. The dilemma she faces in trying to help Griff’s ailing father who wants her to aid him in his attempt to euthanise himself, and keeping her own family safe all wells up within her, andnd Laura James does a fantastic job at adding the pressure to Evie’s perspective and making the reader feel Evie’s stress that is constantly growing.
The perspective that I grew to love the most was of Evie’s teenage daughter Tess. Seeing the conflicting thoughts of this girl who has had a traumatic past, an uncertain future, and demons that she can’t share, was so heartbreaking that watching her develop and grow throughout the novel was something to treasure. As outside forces try to pull the only family that Tess has ever known apart, she is the one who shows the most strength and is the glue that fits the broken family together.
This story is a heartbreaking one. There are demons of the past that won’t let go, promises for the future that can’t be trusted, but most of all, a love so strong that giving up is not an option.
5 Stars!
Laura E. James
~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
November 23, 2015
Book Review ~ ‘I Unlove You’ by Matthew Turner.
I Unlove You by Matthew Turner
Genres: Contemporary
Release Date: 1st December 2015.
SYNOPSIS
My name is Ausdylan Elvis Ashford, a twenty-two-year-old who leads a rather perfect life. With a steady job straight out of university, a charismatic best friend I’m in a band with, and a girlfriend I’ve loved since the moment I first gazed upon, I couldn’t ask for more. Until my perfect girlfriend, B, changed both of our lives forever.
It began with the words, “I’m pregnant,” and the realisation I’d soon guide a new life into this world. Embarking on my own journey of self-discovery, I found new meaning in love, living, friendship, and family. This should have become the greatest love story of all, but I assure you it isn’t.
Sometimes true love and unbreakable trust is built upon lies and deceit. Sometimes those you know better than anyone turn out to be strangers you don’t know at all. My name is Aus, and this is my (un)love story . . .
Book Review ~ ‘I Unlove You’ by Matthew Turner ~ 5 Stars!
Matthew Turner has done it again. In ‘I Unlove You’ Turner has showcased his extreme talent for the written word, and delivered a stunning story of adulthood, love and the struggle for acceptance.
I like my love stories, love them in fact, but there was something so engrossing about Aus and B’s journey that I just couldn’t let their story go, long after turning the last page. I connected with Aus on a very personal level, he’s at that stage in his life where the future is just before him, and one wrong move could change everything. You feel for him yet want to give him a stern talking to about the ways of life, but what makes this story so powerful is that in many cases you are learning about the world and its future from Aus and his actions, even before he knows the consequences of them.
Aus’ story is about love, his journey to finding it for the first time, his awe in its power, his trust in it’s longevity and then his ability to draw away from it, and falling out of it for the very person he had vowed to love forever. It is a strong, emotional tale where Aus is confronted with the reality of life in the fantasy of love.
Alongside Aus is his best friend and together they begin to understand love, life and work together towards acceptance.
5 Stars!
Purchase Links will be added on Release Day.
Note: I Unlove You will be FOREVER FREE!
Matthew Turner
~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
November 21, 2015
Book Review ~ ‘Christmas at Coorah Creek’ by Janet Gover.
Christmas at Coorah Creek by Janet Gover
Coorah Creek #3
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Novella
Publisher: Choc Lit
SYNOPSIS
What if you don’t want to be home for Christmas?
Spending Christmas away from home is one thing but English nurse Katie Brooks is spending hers in Coorah Creek; a small town in the Australian outback.
Katie was certain leaving London was the right decision, but her new job in the outback is more challenging than she could have ever imagined.
Scott Collins rescued Katie on her first day in Coorah Creek and has been a source of comfort ever since. But Scott no longer calls the town home – it’s too full of bad memories and he doesn’t plan on sticking around for long.
Scott needs to leave. Katie needs to stay. They have until Christmas to decide their future …
Book Review ~ ‘Christmas at Coorah Creek’ by Janet Gover ~ 5 Stars!
Wonderfully romantic and a perfect read for the approaching festive season, ‘Christmas at Coorah Creek’ takes us back to our favourite Australian outback, where we see some old friends, and make some new ones.
Janet Gover has a talent of taking you away from your life with her stories. For the hours that I read them, I’m not at home in between another day at work and another part of a dissertation, I am in the blazing heat and part of the small community of Coorah Creek, where life is at the same time so familiar and yet so foreign. I adored getting to see Coorah Creek from Katie’s perspective, a real outsider who has to contend with not only a different climate (jumping from British December to the height of summer would be a shock!) but a very different lifestyle. I loved seeing her struggles which were so true to what somebody so far away from home would be experiencing. The homesickness mixed with her uncertainty about the path she wanted to take in life made for a both emotional and exciting read.
The hero of our story, Scott, was a kind-hearted man who had a kick of bad-boy. With him we get to see another family story within Coorah Creek, and are given another piece of the puzzle that makes up this wonderful town. His and Katie’s relationship was a fast-paced one, but not once did I feel like it was rushed. Instead I felt sure in the way that their romance flourished and looked forward to their scenes together.
A festive novella that ticks all the boxes, ‘Christmas at Coorah Creek’ has romance, family drama, and the desire to find a home and purpose.
5 Stars!
*Review copy was kindly provided by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
Janet Gover
~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
November 16, 2015
Book Review ~ ‘The Art of Christmas’ by Jane Lovering.
The Art of Christmas by Jane Lovering
Genres: Romance, Festive, Short
Release Date: 13th November 2015
Publisher: Choc Lit UK
SYNOPSIS
What if the memories of Christmas past were getting in the way of Christmas future?
It’s been nearly two years since Harriet lost Jonno, but she’s finally decided that it’s time to celebrate Christmas again.
Then she finds a stash of graphic novels belonging to her comic book-loving husband in the attic, and suddenly her world is turned upside down once more.
With the help of eccentric comic book dealer Kell Foxton, she discovers that the comics collected by Jonno are not only extremely valuable, but also hold the key to his secret life – a life that throws Harriet’s entire marriage and every memory she has of her husband into question.
As Harriet grows closer to Kell, she begins to feel like she could learn to love Christmas again – but first, she needs to know the truth.
Book Review ~ ‘The Art of Christmas’ by Jane Lovering ~ 5 Stars!
How wonderfully gorgeous, romantic and festive. The perfect evening read as the nights get darker and colder, ‘The Art of Christmas’ will give you that feel-good, snuggly feeling.
Jane Lovering always delivers, no matter the story, always giving a story brimming with tension, romance, and fun. ‘The Art of Christmas’ is no exception, and I fell straight into Harriet’s world, feeling her loneliess as if it were my own, and understanding so well the desperation to escape into a fictional world, and use the characters as inspiration for how to continue in your own life. I loved seeing her grow throughout this novella, and watching her become stronger, more stable and more accepting of the idea of a future.
Kell was the kind of hero that I fell for on first description. Doctor Who t-shirt and owner of a graphic novels store? “Please,” I begged my kindle, “Please be amazing and wonderful!” And boy was he! With a good heart which he wears on his sleeve, a swoonworthy devotion to his pawed pet ‘Frodo’ and a geeky obsession with all things comic books, he made for a brilliant character who came in and restarted Harriet’s life in a flash.
With hidden secrets, and treasured memories at risk, and Christmas just around the corner, it is down to Kell to help Harriet accept the past, live in the present, and wish for the future.
5 Stars!
*Review copy kindly provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
New Release + Review ~ ‘Drake / Keir: Girl Wife Prisoner Retold’ by Hanna Peach.
Girl Wife Prisoner Complete Box Set by Hanna Peach
Drake / Keir: Girl Wife Prisoner Retold
(Keir was previously released as Utterly Irreversibly)
Release Date: 17 November, 2015
Girl Wife Prisoner by Hanna Peach
(Girl Wife Prisoner #1)
SYNOPSIS
This affair will destroy them all.
This is a specially priced complete Girl Wife Prisoner box set.
Girl Wife Prisoner
Drake Blackwell is successful, controlling, and hiding a violent family past. He just made his latest investment: Noriko.
Imported from Japan and wed to a stranger, Noriko struggles to stick to the rules of a Good Wife. Drake can’t seem to love her, not the way she wants to be loved. She dreams of freedom beyond the gates of Blackwell Manor.
She meets Keir, a passionate young gardener who shares her desire to break free. He gets under her skin and ignites a fire in her she can’t ignore. In the midst of her quiet desperation she thinks she has found happiness. And a glimpse of hope.
But this affair can’t last…can it?
There is a darkness lingering, but not how you’d expect. There are monsters, but not as you usually know them. The truth is, in this story, no one is completely innocent. And it’s always darkest before the dawn.
Girl Wife Prisoner has a NEW cover for the Drake / Keir release.
~ See My Review for ‘Girl Wife Prisoner’ ~
Drake/Keir: Girl Wife Prisoner Retold
(Girl Wife Prisoner Novellas)
SYNOPSIS
Drake
I am Drake Blackwell. Some call me a monster, a wicked husband, a terrible son. It’s so easy to vilify me, isn’t it?
But I’m not the cheater. I’m not the wife stealer.
Noriko was mine. She was my wife. I could have made her happy if it just wasn’t for him. That gardener boy will have his chance to tell you his side of the story.
Here’s the truth.
Keir
What if…
Noriko and I.
You already know our story. So you know how it ends. I’m sorry. Some things are irreversible.
But others things, things like dreams for example, are not. Dreams are fluid as water, as changeable as the memory of the dreamer. Perhaps, then, I may be given license to re-tell our story the way I dreamed it. The way it should have been…
This is Girl Wife Prisoner told from Keir and Drake’s alternative perspectives. Please finish Girl Wife Prisoner before reading this book as it contains spoilers.
WARNING: This is not your typical romance. For ages 18+. There are scenes in this novel that infer or allude to physical violence.
Drake
Noriko.
That was her name.
And now she was Noriko Blackwell. She was my Riko. My wife.
She was waiting for me beyond this door. I lifted my fist to knock and found I had to clear a tiny knot in my throat. Was I…nervous?
Ridiculous. Mr. Blackwell, CEO of Blackwell Industries, did not get nervous. I smoothed down my freshly washed hair and knocked.
I opened her door, stepped inside her bedroom and faced her fully to take in my first look at my wife.
She stood across the room, her fragile body precarious in a pair of towering heels, a black dress that hugged her tiny waist and skimmed over her slim hips. Her dark long hair framed her sweet face, her lashes cast down, her lips a natural pink.
“Noriko.”
“Mr. Blackwell,” she said, her voice as soft as falling snow.
“Please, call me Drake. Are they all treating you well?”
“Very well.”
“Good. Very good. Do you like it here?”
“I do, sir.”
Sir. She spoke to me like I was her teacher. “Noriko, you’re my wife. Call me Drake.”
“Yes, sir, I mean, Drake.”
“Come closer.”
She took several wobbly steps towards me, stopping just past halfway across the room. Not nearly close enough. I closed the gap between us in two strides, causing her to gasp.
Her onyx eyes, wide and pointed at the corners reminding me of a cat’s, caught my gaze before darting away to stare at the ground. Her mouth was a tightly closed rosebud and a pale pink color. She didn’t have any lipstick on. In fact, she was barely wearing any makeup, just a touch of mascara darkening her lashes. A natural beauty if I ever saw one. “You’re even more beautiful in real life.”
“Thank you.”
I lifted my finger to her cheek to feel her skin. Damn. She was softer than anything I had ever touched. A blush deepened under her pale skin. Was she this soft everywhere else? I traced down her neck and to her shoulder where I flicked off one shoulder strap, then the other.
Time to see exactly what I had acquired.
“Turn around.”
She obeyed. She smelled fresh, uncluttered by expensive perfumes that women usually wore like a cloud around them. Just a hint of coconut. Her shampoo, perhaps. I wanted to press my nose into her hair to make sure. But I restrained myself. I didn’t want to scare her any more than necessary.
I brushed her locks aside to access the opening of her dress. My cock hardened at the sound her zipper made as I drew it down. When I let go her dress dropped obediently to the floor.
~~~~~*****~~~~~
Keir
“What?” she said, her voice curt and forced. “No veiled insult, no smirk or scowl for me?”
Her words stung me like a slap on the face. She was angry at me and I deserved it.
But she hadn’t let go of me. I stared down at our fingers laced together, such a contrast to her voice.
She was trying to push me away. She was doing what I had been trying to do these last few days. Why would she do that unless…
I looked back up to her. Our faces were so close that I could just make out where her dark pupils turn into irises. She was so lovely, like a painting that God did by hand. She was too lovely for me. Too lovely.
“Noriko, if I ever say anything to try to repulse you it’s only because…I’m scared of you.”
“Scared of me?”
“Yes.” My heart accelerated and my chest tightened. Now that I had started admitting things to her, I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t even think of stopping. I just felt. “Scared of how you make me feel things that I know I shouldn’t feel.” I wanted to kiss her perfect petal lips. I wanted to take them into my mouth and suck them softly. Would she like it? Would she moan for me? I moved closer to her, drawn by something more powerful than I could resist. She didn’t pull away. “And you make me want to do…things I shouldn’t do.”
Book Review ~ ‘Drake/Keir: Girl Wife Prisoner Retold’ by Hanna Peach ~ 5 Stars!
Let’s start with Drake.
Oh Drake, how misunderstood you are, how desperate for love, but so incapable of understanding how to give it. I was so excited to read Drake’s story as to me, despite everything, he is the most tragic character in this series. We see so many sides of him; the controlling, emotionally abusive husband; the man looking for a trophy wife; the employer with no redeeming qualities; a ruthless business man; and then finally, right at the last moment; a real man, who loves with his whole damaged heart, but has no idea of how to treat someone he cares for. It is heartbreaking, and so, so well done that I had tears in my eyes seeing his side of the story. We wonder what would have happened if Keir hadn’t worked at the house, if Niko and Drake could have worked out together how their marriage should work, and how he may have approached things differently if he had ever seen a relationship based on love and trust.
And then we have Keir, Keir who I love so much, who knows how to behave in love, knows what love means, and wants to be with someone, and not be the owner of them. It is the difference between Drake and Keir’s understanding that is so striking. Love for Drake is something he associates with possession, whereas Keir sees is as freedom. Keir and Noriko’s story was one that tugged on the heartstrings, and had me angry, raging, but so satisfied, as everything ended the only way it could. But in Keir’s novella we have our heart healed just a little. We see Keir’s own experience of falling in love with Noriko, we get to see the utter strength it takes for him to let his guard down, and how right the two are for each other in a whole new way. It is short, but it packs a punch, and it gives you hope that there is love after death, and maybe, just maybe your loved ones can watch over you and wish a bright future for you.
5 Stars!
Hanna Peach
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Hanna is the bestselling author of the Bound romantic suspense series and the Dark Angel fantasy series. Although she writes in more than one genre she can’t write a book without weaving together a complicated plot and filling it with twists. She writes what she believes: good people can do bad things, ordinary people can do great things, and choose love above everything.
Eternally restless, Hanna has lived in Indonesia, Australia, Germany, Scotland, England, Croatia and Ireland – everything she owns fits into one suitcase. She’s planning her next move with her gorgeous (and understanding) partner right now.
If not writing, she can be found wandering a dusty market in Marrakesh or trekking a mountain in Peru, often using her travels as settings in her novels.
To WIN a copy of her next release join her VIP Readers Group: http://www.hannapeach.com/subscribe.
November 6, 2015
Tour Stop + Review ~ ‘Wrapped in Lace’ by Prescott Lane.
Wrapped in Lace by Prescott Lane
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
Release Date: 2nd November 2015
SYNOPSIS
When I was a little boy, the best thing about the holiday season was unwrapping presents on Christmas morning — tearing off the paper and tossing it on the floor. Now that I’m a man, I like to unwrap slowly, deliberately, taking my time to savor what lies before me. I still like to throw the wrapping on the floor, but now I know the best gifts come wrapped in lace.
And unlike when I was a kid, I won’t get sick of this present by New Year’s. I’ll definitely be playing with this girl day after day after day.
After six years avoiding my hometown, the last thing I expected when I returned was a wannabe bad girl to unwrap my heart and rip open my soul. But that’s exactly what happened. Now if I can just get the hell out of my own way, maybe I’ll finally get the best gift of all — her!
Come get unwrapped by Drew this holiday.
“There was this guy.”
“OOH, a guy.”
“Shut up,” I said, laughing. “We flirted and drank all night, and he was so hot and sweet and. . . .”
“You are totally gushing over a boy. I can’t believe it.”
“I am not,” I protested, but I knew I was. “I don’t even know his name.”
“Why not?”
“I threw up before we got that far.”
Sabrina fell back on my bed laughing. “You did not.”
I hid my head back under my pillow. “I did.”
“Girl, you are hopeless,” she said, still laughing. “How hot was he?”
I came out from hiding. “Pretty damn hot.”
“As in you’d shave for him? That hot?”
“As in I’d wax for him.”
Sabrina started to fan herself, and I got up and headed to my bathroom, looking for some aspirin. “We’ve got to find this wax-worthy gentleman,” Sabrina called out.
Book Review ~ ‘Wrapped in Lace’ by Prescott Lane ~ 5 Stars!
A sweet and sexy story which is the perfect excuse to start a little festive reading, ‘Wrapped in Lace’ is swoon-worthily romantic and a great treat for this time of year as the cold nights roll in, and you want to curl up with a good book.
There is a second-chance feel to Piper and Drew’s romance, but it isn’t in the traditional, heart-breaking first love way, but in a natural progression of their being close friends as children, crushing on each other as teenagers, and then being separated by moves around the country, which makes their reunion all that more sweet. It’s not a reunion they’d both been dreaming of, they had their own lives, and seemed to little think of the other, but it was fun and spontaneous, perfectly complimenting their personalities.
Piper is a heroine that is easily relatable for women everywhere. She’s stuck in a rut with her love life, she’s still living in her home-town with a job that she enjoys, but which isn’t her passion. Drew seems to have made the most succesful life away from McAdamville, owner of a successful company, and not weighed down by family or relationships. I loved that what we see at face-value with Drew began to twist and turn throughout the book. We begin to see the pain that he has hidden for years, the impossible situation he is in with his family, and the loneliness and abandonment he carries deep inside, without even realising it himself until he steps back into his home-town.
This story has twists and turns, brilliantly developed secondary characters, real-life issues and of course, a pulse-pounding romance. Piper and Drew’s relationship was sweet, sassy and oh so romantic, and I adored their scenes together where they teased each other, and also just sat in silence. The added festive feel also got me excited for the idea of cold snow, thick coats and roaring fires.
5 Stars!
~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon CA ~
Prescott Lane
Prescott Lane is the author of First Position, Perfectly Broken, and her new release, Quiet Angel. She is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Centenary College with a degree in sociology. She went on to receive her MSW from Tulane University, after which she worked with developmentally delayed and disabled children. She married her college sweetheart, and they currently live in New Orleans with their two children and two crazy dogs. Prescott started writing at the age of five, and sold her first story about a talking turtle to her father for a quarter. She later turned to writing romance novels because there aren’t enough happily ever afters in real life.
Happily Ever Afters Guaranteed.
~ Amazon ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
November 5, 2015
Book Review ~ ‘Magonia’ by Maria Dahvana Headley.
Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley
(Magonia #1)
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Release Date: 28th April 2015
SYNOPSIS
Aza Ray is drowning in thin air.
Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live.
So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn’t think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.
Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who’s always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia.
Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—and as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war is coming. Magonia and Earth are on the cusp of a reckoning. And in Aza’s hands lies the fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?
Book Review ~ ‘Magonia’ by Maria Dahvana Headley ~ 5 Stars!
HOW DARE YOU? I’M NOT CRYING! NOPE, NOT AT ALL! I JUST HAVE AN EYELASH IN MY EYE…OR SANDPAPER…
*lip wobbles*
*bawls eyes out*
*waxes lyrical about Magonia whilst sobbing*
HOLY MAGONIA was this book amazing!!!
I just…can’t even…
*dies*
So yes, the above is a copy of my original review for ‘Magonia’ the minute I finished reading it. Words could not describe the sheer awesome power and emotion that this book contained, and for weeks I could write nothing that would coherently explain why this book made such an impact on me. But finally, I feel I can, and I’ll start by saying ‘Holy Magonia!”
‘Magonia’ is a book that although marketed as Young Adult should be read by readers of all ages. The fantasy world and all its elements rivals some of the greatest fantasy worlds in existence, and is both exciting and believable in its own way. The writing style is electric, realistically portraying the thought processes of a boy and girl at aged sixteen, and the struggles they face in life and in the face of death.
There is an added emotion to this book that makes it a rollercoaster to read. Paced to perfection we follow Aza’s journey through illness, the reality she faces knowing that her lungs will not allow her to live out a long life. Death confronts her everyday, everywhere she looks, but she is strong, and she loves a boy, and she loves her family. It is this love that guides her through life and death.
She drowns on earth, but flies in the sky. If you could would you choose drowning but surrounded by those you love, or flying in a world without them? Devoted best friend Jason is there throughout, never willing to give up on Aza, even in death, knowing that if there was any way in which he could see the girl he loves again, then he can’t give up.
To remain spoiler free, I’ll leave it there, but please, please read this book! My copy had a couple of grammatical errors in the beginning two pages which were missed in the line edit, but I got past them, and Magonia soared through me.
5 Stars!
*Review copy kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
~ Waterstones ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~
~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
November 2, 2015
Release Day Blitz ~ ‘Wrapped in Lace’ by Prescott Lane.
Wrapped in Lace by Prescott Lane
Genres: New Adult, Romance,
Release Date: 2nd November 2015.
SYNOPSIS
When I was a little boy, the best thing about the holiday season was unwrapping presents on Christmas morning — tearing off the paper and tossing it on the floor. Now that I’m a man, I like to unwrap slowly, deliberately, taking my time to savor what lies before me. I still like to throw the wrapping on the floor, but now I know the best gifts come wrapped in lace.
And unlike when I was a kid, I won’t get sick of this present by New Year’s. I’ll definitely be playing with this girl day after day after day.
After six years avoiding my hometown, the last thing I expected when I returned was a wannabe bad girl to unwrap my heart and rip open my soul. But that’s exactly what happened. Now if I can just get the hell out of my own way, maybe I’ll finally get the best gift of all — her!
Come get unwrapped by Drew this holiday.
I sat back and studied the canvas. I’d finally gotten it right — the way his lips turn up in that smile that makes both my heart and panties melt. It had taken me over a dozen tries to get it just perfect, but I finally had. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel any better. I thought if I could capture Drew’s smile on my canvas, my pain would somehow lessen. Because I’d always have his image, that his leaving me wouldn’t hurt so bad. It hadn’t worked. The pain in my heart was just as sharp, just as overwhelming as it was yesterday and the day before. I knew I’d never get over him. I knew it like I knew the deep blue color of his eyes, the rough spots on his hands. I knew it like I knew the way his lips tasted, the feel of his thick brown hair.
~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon CA ~
Prescott Lane
Prescott Lane is the author of First Position, Perfectly Broken, and her new release, Quiet Angel. She is originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Centenary College with a degree in sociology. She went on to receive her MSW from Tulane University, after which she worked with developmentally delayed and disabled children. She married her college sweetheart, and they currently live in New Orleans with their two children and two crazy dogs. Prescott started writing at the age of five, and sold her first story about a talking turtle to her father for a quarter. She later turned to writing romance novels because there aren’t enough happily ever afters in real life.
Happily Ever Afters Guaranteed.
~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Website ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads ~
October 20, 2015
Book Review ~ ‘Anatomy of a Darkened Heart’ by Christie Stratos.
Anatomy of a Darkened Heart by Christie Stratos
(Dark Victoriana Collection #1)
Genres: Historical, Psychological
Release Date: 18th September 2015.
SYNOPSIS
A pair of eyes underlined in weary darkness and punctuated with a knowing stare. These are not the normal eyes of a newborn baby. Abigail Delilah is the firstborn of three Whitestone children – and she is the most regretted.
But is it really her fault?
She can’t help that the revelation of Father’s wretched secret coincides with her birth. She can’t help the fear she feels during Mother’s psychological – and physical – assaults. As the shadows grow stronger over her soul and the noose of pain tightens around her neck, Abigail will find out which is stronger: her family’s wicked assumptions about her or her true self.
Take your first step into the Dark Victoriana Collection with Anatomy of a Darkened Heart.
Multi-layered with motifs, symbolism, and psychological depth, this tale of dark Victoriana will appeal to the literary reader and the leisure reader alike, combining key facets of several popular genres. And don’t be afraid to get addicted – the collection continues exploring the intertwining threads that weave together the complex tapestry of the Whitestone legacy.
Book Review ~ ‘Anatomy of a Darkened Heart’ by Christie Stratos ~ 5 Stars!
Warning: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK BEFORE GOING TO SLEEP!
Wow! ‘Anatomy of a Darkened Heart’ had all my favourite things; Psychology, Darkness and the Victorian Times, and boy was this dark! But not in the way you’d expect. This is sheer awesome psychological darkness that makes you shiver, because it makes you think about whether this could happen to you!
Bringing together some of the common myths, fears and rituals of the time in which it is set, ‘Anatomy of a Darkened Heart’ is rich in historical detail, whilst making the setting seem as normal to us as our own everyday. I felt like I was there in the Whitestones’ house, and experiencing the fear and hysteria that was running rampant.
Abigail was a fantastic character that I really enjoyed getting to know. Like the rest of her family, she is deeply flawed, but it is the way in which she embodies her flaws that makes her perhaps the most terrifying of the characters. Throughout I was drawn to the thought that if her mother had loved her, not rejected her believing she was cursed, or if she had been a boy, and accepted immediately by her father, whether her life would have been so destructive. I loved how it dealt with this issue, as we see her brother and sister thrive in a place where she is constantly trampled.
Although playing with the idea of spirituality, ghosts and curses, ‘Anatomy of a Darkened Heart’ is primarily a story about the evils of humans, and that is what made me sit awake all night, jumping at sounds. It makes you nervous, it makes you think, and it makes you remember in terror.
Incredibly well written, ‘Anatomy of a Darkened Heart’ is not one to miss!
5 Stars!
Christie Stratos
~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
Book Review ~ ‘Butterfly Dreams’ by A. Meredith Walters.
Butterfly Dreams by A. Meredith Walters
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Release Date: 24th November 2015.
SYNOPSIS
In a powerful romance for fans of The Fault in Our Stars and If I Stay, New York Times bestselling author A. Meredith Walters tells the story of a troubled young woman and the unforgettable guy who teaches her to live—and love—to the fullest.
She’s waiting to die. . . . Corin Thompson is paralyzed by her obsession with mortality. Having lost both of her parents, she is terrified by the idea that she too will die young, and she loses control at any sign of illness. But when Corin connects with someone who has survived a very real brush with death, she begins to see the world in a whole new way.
He’s learning to live. . . . As Corin struggles under the weight of her neuroses, Beckett Kingsley is attempting to rebuild a life that feels all too temporary. With the ever-present threat of heart failure never far from his mind, he just wants to make the most of whatever time he has left. And that means pursuing the girl he never expected to find.
Together, Corin and Beckett finally learn to let go of their fears and take solace in everyday pleasures. Who knows what the future holds? After all, nothing lasts forever—the only promise they have is right now.
Book Review ~ ‘Butterfly Dreams’ by A. Meredith Walters ~ 5 Stars!
How beautifully heartfelt and wonderful this book was! I’m a huge fan of A. Meredith Walters, so with each new book I read by her, I always start with a slither of doubt. What if this book isn’t as amazing as her others? But I needn’t have feared, as although ‘Butterfly Dreams’ was unique and different as they all are, it was as gorgeous as I hoped it would be.
Corin was a heroine that I think many people will identify with. She is controlled by fear, like many of us are, but on a level that we may not know exists. Corin is brave in her own way, even in her moments of weakness. She is confronted with the expectation of death everyday, and to have lived her life through such a debilitating mental illness shows just how strong she is to have come so far. The psychological elements of this book were written to perfection. I loved the descriptions of Corin’s anxiety being like butterflies, only ones that consume her whole being, rather than those that give a warm feeling. Her thought processes were so intriguing and I really loved getting the nitty gritty of her illness and learning alongside her, what caused it and how she could overcome it.
Beckett was the best hero for Corin. His development throughout the novel was one that was intrinsicly linked with Corin’s. With every move he made to come to terms with his heart condition, he helped Corin come to terms with her fear of dying, and of living life to the full. It was a heartbreaking, yet warming relationship, that bought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion.
This is a beautiful work of art, written in a style that is both contemporary and hypnotic. I finished ‘Butterfly Dreams’ in one sitting, because it didn’t even occur to me to put it down. I was engrossed and I had the journey of a lifetime.
5 Stars!
Available for Pre-Order
A. Meredith Walters
~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Website ~
