Weekly Reading Update 7/8 - 7/14/16!

Another week, another update! As always, click the title for more information.

It feels like I have been super busy this week, but I’m not sure that’s really true. I think I’m just exhausted. We’re down five employees at work, so we’re all rushing at work to get everything done. Unfortunately, this means I’m worn out by the time I get home, and so I haven’t read too much. Mostly shorter books.

I finally read Driven by K. Bromberg. I’ve read another book by this a while ago, a later book in the series. I can see why people are so obsessed with it. I had to request the second book from the library, and I’m not sure how much longer I can stand to wait for it. There were quite a few moments where I wanted to shake both of the main characters, so they would come to their senses about each other. But in general, the first book has that tension that I enjoy so much in my romances.

I read a couple more Tor.com novellas. I’m working my way through all the ones my library system owns - I’m pretty addicted. I read Pieces of Hate by Tim Lebbon, as well as The Last Witness by K.J. Parker. Honestly, Pieces of Hate didn’t work for me. It’s a classic case of “great idea in theory, not so much in execution.” sigh. But The Last Witness was good. Not as amazing as some of the other novellas, but still a good read.

I’m still working my way through the Aftershock series by Jill Sorenson. Book three, Badlands, is Owen and Penny’s story, and I have been looking forward to this since book one! Just like the previous books in the series, this was another awesome romantic suspense, and one that immediately went on my wish-list upon finishing. I already have the next book, which is a quick novella in a book with another author. Honestly, I’m so eager to read Jill Sorenson’s story that I might just skip the other story in the book…

I finally got the chance to read Stuck-Up Suit by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward. I loved it! I can see why it got so much good press in the romance community. It was another instant wish-list book. And now I’m going to have to find what else these two authors have written together.

I read Someone Like You by Jennifer Gracen for Romance Reviews Today. It was a good read, I really liked it, but it took me forever to read because I had so much other stuff going on. Tossing in the titles of a few other quick reads from this week - Learning to Ride by Erin Knightley, Batman & Robin Eternal Volume 1 by Scott Snyder, and Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore. I read Learning to Ride because I wanted to give one of those Bookshots novellas a chance.. But I hate James Patterson, so I refused to read one of his books. Luckily another couple authors joined in the trend. Batman & Robin Eternal was awesome, and I can’t wait for the next volume. And Dead Things was read for our paranormal book club at work - it was so good. Amazing character development and story, despite it being less than 300 pages.

See you next week!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Review: ASHTON: THE AGREEMENT by Jade Sinner!

Release Date: July 14th, 2016 - And as a special release day price, get it for 99 cents! This deal won't last!!!

My Review: Jade Sinner is my go-to for a fun, fast, steamy read, and Ashton is just as delicious as the rest. If you need something hot that doesn't skimp on the plot (rhymes!), then look no further. Ashton: The Agreement focuses on that beloved romance trope, friends-to-lovers. And even better, it's done well. I get tired of the same-old, same-old, and for the most part, it's the female that falls in love first. But in this book, Ashton figures out his feelings before Jess does.

Jade Sinner is a bit like crack-fic for me. When I need a quick fix, I bring up Duncan and re-read it. And now, Ashton has added himself to the re-read pile. This is a perfect read for right before bed - and I'm sure you'll get some excellent dreams from it!

Recommendation: Ashton works just fine as a standalone. As does the previous book, Duncan: The Deal.

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars (4/5)!!

        Ashton Friendship—forever and always. Sex—never. That is our agreement. Besides, I'm not looking for sex. I get lots of sex! I'm also not looking for forever. I'm a now kind of man. Jess has been my best friend since we were dirty faced kids finding trouble around every corner. We are the kind of friends who are always there for one another, through thick and thin, the one who knows each other's secrets and dreams. That can't change just because we've both grown up, or because she's beautiful, funny, smart and quick witted. Until it does. One call, one night. That won't change are agreement...then again, agreements can be amended, right? Jess Ashton is a manwhore. I've heard all his stories and despite them all, I love him. Not the passionate love. I've never looked at him like that—like the cocky, confident, sexy, man he's become. Because to me, he's just Ashton, my best friend—until one night. One night when I learn that the rumors are true, that in reality, they don't do him justice. His mad skills are off the charts. Yet, that can't change our agreement. One night has to be enough. It has to be. I'm not giving up my best friend for crazy hot lovemaking. But then again, do I have to?   Read this fun, predictable, short, hot, and steamy book and learn how friendship can become more! Ashton The Agreement, is a standalone with a guaranteed HEA. Don't miss your next bookgasm.  

AMAZON

                  Jade Sinner is two friends, two New York Times bestselling authors, and two chicks with a secret. We like to write sexy, dirty books—the kind of books that would make both of our mothers blush. Since we don't want to see that across the Thanksgiving dinner table, we came together and created Jade. If you have a secret too—if you like to read books that make you not only blush but flush—if you like quick reads, hot guys, naughty love stories, super-steamy sex scenes, and the promise of always having an HEA (Happily Ever After) then we have the books for you. We won't tell your secret if you don't tell ours... Then again, if you like our books and you don't mind telling the world about our dirty little secret, by all means, please, share! We promise to keep writing until we have enough to keep you and your friends busy with bookgasms late into the night! You're welcome! FACEBOOK | NEWSLETTER  

Excerpt: THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF STONES by M.J. Rose!

   

THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF STONES is a stunning historical gothic romantic suspense published by Atria, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, releasing on July 19^th. Written to be a total and complete standalone novel, THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF STONES is the second title in M.J. Rose’s The Daughters of La Lune Series. Sexy, compelling, and seductive, be sure to grab your copy today!

       

 EXCERPT:

Outside I found quiet. No sirens, few cars. The streets of Paris were eerily unwelcoming, but at least everything existed in three dimensions. Walking on cobblestones, looking above me at the stars, I focused on the facts of the world around me, not the fantasies I kept crafting in my little room. The buildings loomed large in the moonlight; footsteps of one other late-night pedestrian echoed in the still night. Glancing over I saw a lasciviously dressed woman hurrying in the opposite direction. Crossing rue Royale, I walked under the archway and into the Louvre’s courtyard and kept going until I reached the quai du Louvre. I descended the wide stone steps down to the path running along the river, the quai des Tuileries, and made my way as close as I could get to the water.

But this was nothing like walking by the sea in Cannes. I missed the scent of salt, the sound of the waves crashing, the give of the sand underfoot. Instead, the swiftly flowing river smelled cold and slightly metallic; the stones underfoot were uneven and unforgiving. Only the moon was the same. At that very moment, the same moon was shining down on the beach at home. And the soldiers in the field. And the tombstones in the cemetery.

The path appeared empty. I was alone. With no destination in mind, I just kept moving forward, hoping I might walk into proof that my mind wasn’t infected. Or even proof that it was. I just wanted an answer.

If I could just know I wasn’t insane, I could live with the discomfort. I could withstand the bittersweet romance with a lover whom I knew I would lose one day. I could tolerate the noise. But this lack of proof? This uncertainty? That’s what I couldn’t endure anymore. Were the voices in my head or in some other place? Was I making up Jean Luc, or was he a trapped soul communicating with me?

And if Jean Luc was real—if any ghost could be real—then this love affair was doomed, wasn’t it?

I’d reached the oldest bridge in Paris, the Pont Neuf, and stood underneath it. Water swirled in eddies around the bridge’s piles. So many had walked across its span since it had been built in the sixteenth century. How many times had my ancestor, the original La Lune, traversed it? Had she stood here and stared down at the water, missing her lover, wondering how she could live with the mistakes she’d made in trying to recapture what she’d lost, what she’d destroyed? Had she ever stood here and wondered if the river would welcome her and offer her the release she so badly wanted . . . freedom from longing, from loneliness?

Despondent, I climbed the stairs to the street level. I meant to turn away, not to walk out onto the bridge. But I did. I walked halfway out, stood at the railing, and stared down.

M.J. Rose’sTHE SECRET LANGUAGE OF STONES – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:

July 11th

What the Cat Read – Excerpt

Deluged with Books Cafe – Review & Excerpt

Fiction Adventures – Excerpt

July 12^th

Mes Livres – Review

Adventures in Writing – Excerpt

The Book Hammock – Review & Excerpt

July 13^th

Hart's Romance Pulse – Excerpt

Penny For My Thoughts – Review

Socially Awkward Book Nerd – Excerpt

Novel Addiction – Excerpt

July 14^th

Brooke Blogs – Excerpt

Vagabonda Reads – Review & Excerpt

I Read Indie – Excerpt

July 15^th

Zach's YA Reviews – Review

A Brit and a Yank – Excerpt

The Book Sirens – Excerpt

Sassy Moms Say Read Romance – Review

July 16^th

Roxy's Reviews – Excerpt

Gaga Over Books – Review & Excerpt

Kick Back & Review – Excerpt

July 17^th

Only One More Page – Excerpt

Fly Away on the Wings of a Book – Review & Excerpt

July 18^th

Okie Dreams Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt

KT Book Reviews – Excerpt

Vampire Book Club – Excerpt

July 19^th

Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews – Review

Romance Book Nerd – Excerpt

Rachel's Rambles – Review & Excerpt

July 20^th

My Fictional Escape – Excerpt

Literaria – Review

Mama Reads Hazel Sleeps – Excerpt

July 21^st

WTF Are You Reading? – Review & Excerpt

Julalicious Book Paradise – Excerpt

Love Affair With Fiction – Review & Excerpt

July 22^nd

G & T's Indie Café – Excerpt

Rebel Heart Bookshelf – Review & Excerpt

With Love for Books – Review

BCS reviews – Review & Excerpt

   

"The most powerful book I've read this year! Seductive, compelling, and beautifully written." ~New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster

   

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As World War I rages and the Romanov dynasty reaches its sudden, brutal end, a young jewelry maker discovers love, passion, and her own healing powers in this rich and romantic ghost story, the perfect follow-up to M.J. Rose’s “brilliantly crafted” (Providence Journal) novel The Witch of Painted Sorrows.

Nestled within Paris’s historic Palais Royal is a jewelry store unlike any other. La Fantasie Russie is owned by Pavel Orloff, protégé to the famous Faberge, and is known by the city’s fashion elite as the place to find the rarest of gemstones and the most unique designs. But war has transformed Paris from a city of style and romance to a place of fear and mourning. In the summer of 1918, places where lovers used to walk, widows now wander alone.

So it is from La Fantasie Russie’s workshop that young, ambitious Opaline Duplessi now spends her time making trench watches for soldiers at the front, as well as mourning jewelry for the mothers, wives, and lovers of those who have fallen. People say that Opaline’s creations are magical. But magic is a word Opaline would rather not use. The concept is too closely associated with her mother Sandrine, who practices the dark arts passed down from their ancestor La Lune, one of sixteenth century Paris’s most famous courtesans.

But Opaline does have a rare gift even she can’t deny, a form of lithomancy that allows her to translate the energy emanating from stones. Certain gemstones, combined with a personal item, such as a lock of hair, enable her to receive messages from beyond the grave. In her mind, she is no mystic, but merely a messenger, giving voice to soldiers who died before they were able to properly express themselves to loved ones. Until one day, one of these fallen soldiers communicates a message—directly to her.

So begins a dangerous journey that will take Opaline into the darkest corners of wartime Paris and across the English Channel, where the exiled Romanov dowager empress is waiting to discover the fate of her family. Full of romance, seduction, and a love so powerful it reaches beyond the grave, The Secret Language of Stones is yet another “spellbindingly haunting” (Suspense magazine), “entrancing read that will long be savored” (Library Journal, starred review).

       

A dazzling mix of history, mystery and mystical arts . . . Rose's paranormal historical bewitches from start to finish. Her amazing ability to make her story line believable and her extraordinary protagonist relatable result in an unforgettable psychic thriller." (Library Journal (Starred review))

"An exciting mix of adventure, intrigue, and romance in this thrilling historical tale." (Booklist)

“Haunting, spellbinding, captivating; Rose's story of the power of love and redemption is masterful. More than a romance or ghost story, this is a tale of a young woman learning to embrace her unique qualities...So carefully crafted and beautifully written, readers will believe in the magical possibilities of love transcending time.” (RT Magazine (Top Pick))

“Rose follows up The Witch of Painted Sorrows (2015) with Sandrine’s daughter’s story, set against the tragic yet exquisite canvases of Paris, the Great War, and the Russian Revolution, and offers fascinating historical tidbits in the midst of bright, imaginative storytelling and complex, supernatural worldbuilding. A compelling, heart-wrenching, creative, and intricate read.” (Kirkus Reviews)

 

And Don’t Miss the First Book in The Daughters of La Lune Series, THE WITCH OF PAINTED SORROWS!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound

Daughter of La Lune Pendant
 Giveaway!

We're celebrating the release of THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF STONES by giving away a beautiful Daughter of La Lune pendant. Designed by Cadsawan Jewelry, the silver pendant contains a labradorite, a magical stone excellent for awakening one's own awareness of inner spirit, intuition, and psychic abilities.

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About M.J. Rose:

New York Times Bestseller, M.J. Rose grew up in New York City mostly in the labyrinthine galleries of the Metropolitan Museum, the dark tunnels and lush gardens of Central Park and reading her mother’s favorite books before she was allowed. She believes mystery and magic are all around us but we are too often too busy to notice… books that exaggerate mystery and magic draw attention to it and remind us to look for it and revel in it.

Rose’s work has appeared in many magazines including Oprah Magazine and she has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, WSJ, Time, USA Today and on the Today Show, and NPR radio. Rose graduated from Syracuse University, spent the ’80s in advertising, has a commercial in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC and since 2005 has run the first marketing company for authors – Authorbuzz.com

The television series PAST LIFE, was based on Rose’s novels in the Reincarnationist series. She is one of the founding board members of International Thriller Writers and currently serves, with Lee Child, as the organization’s co-president.

Rose lives in CT with her husband the musician and composer, Doug Scofield, and their very spoiled and often photographed dog, Winka.

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KEEP by Rachel Van Dyken - Available NOW!

 

My name's shouted on rooftops.

It's written on bras, bathroom stalls, hell my name is everywhere. To say my name is to experience an orgasm without ever leaving your house.

My name?

Zane "Saint" Andrews.

I'm sex.

I'm a rock god.

I'm also a virgin.

What they don't know won't kill them right? Give the people what they want. And what they want is the idea of me; the pleasure they gain at listening to my song and knowing without a doubt I'm talking about them and only them.

It worked for a while. Until a nerdy girl with glasses falls at my feet, literally, and suddenly I don't want to be Saint anymore, what I want? What I really need? Is to be kept. By her.

 

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

          Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers! You can connect with her on Facebook www.facebook.com/rachelvandyken or join her fan group Rachel's New Rockin Readers. Her website is www.rachelvandykenauthor.com. FACEBOOK / TWITTER / GOODREADS / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE / NEWSLETTER

Release Day Blitz: HOTTEST MESS by J. Kenner!

   

The S.I.N. series continues with the seductive follow-up to the Stark International Novel Dirtiest Secret, from the New York Times bestselling author of “red-hot and angsty” fiction that “keeps readers guessing” (Publishers Weekly, on Under My Skin). No one can know about our love—and hiding only makes it hotter. Dallas Sykes has a reputation. He is known for his parties, his money, and the countless women on his arm. Yet the Dallas I know is a different man—darker, smarter, and unbearably sexy. Just one look from him can leave me breathless; the anticipation of his touch can make me lose control. Inextricably bound by our past, we keep each other’s secrets. And while there are people who have the power to hurt us, it’s the truth that threatens us most of all. Dallas can be mine only behind closed doors, our passion as searing as it is forbidden. Yet nothing in this world has ever felt so desperately, deliciously right. Hottest Mess is intended for mature audiences.  

Amazon US | Amazon Print | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Audible | Kobo | Kobo UK | iBooks

| iBooks UK | iBooks AU | B&N/Nook | Google Play

                 

From the New York Times bestselling author of such “racy, sizzling Stark novels” (RT Book Reviews) as Release Me and Say My Name comes the provocative first Stark International Novel—the beginning of the S.I.N. series. It was wrong for us to be together, but it was even harder to be apart. The memory of Dallas Sykes burns inside of me. Everyone knows him as a notorious playboy, a man for whom women and money are no object. But to me, he’s still the one man I desperately crave—yet the one I can never have. Dallas knows me better than anyone else. We bear the same scars, the same darkness in our past. I thought I could move on by staying away, but now that we’re drawn together once more, I can’t fight the force of our attraction or the temptation to make him mine. We’ve tried to maintain control, not letting ourselves give in to desire. And for so long we’ve told ourselves no—but now it’s finally time to say yes. Dirtiest Secret is intended for mature audiences.  

Amazon US ** Amazon US Print ** Audible ** iBooks ** B&N/Nook

 

 

J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and #1 International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres. Though known primarily for her award-winning and internationally bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list and #1 internationally, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, "chicklit" suspense, urban fantasy, and paranormal mommy lit. JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a "flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations" and by RT Bookclub for having "cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swopn for him." A four time finalist for Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy).

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Cover Reveal: HIGHWAY THIRTEEN TO MANHATTAN by Kourtney Heintz

Book Summary:

His secrets almost killed her. Her secrets may destroy them both.

Kai is recovering from a near-death experience when she realizes something isn’t right. Her body is healing, but her mind no longer feels quite like her own. Her telepathic powers are changing, too. She can’t trust herself. The darkness growing inside of her pushes her to use her telepathy as a weapon.

Oliver clings to the hope that he can save their marriage, even though he was the one who put her life in jeopardy. As his wife slips further and further away from him, he becomes increasingly obsessed with bringing the man who ruined his life to justice.

The sequel to The Six Train to Wisconsin is a genre-defying tale of love and consequences. Once again, award-winning author Kourtney Heintz seamlessly weaves suspense and paranormal intrigue into a real-world setting, creating characters rich in emotional and psychological complexity. 

Author Bio:

Kourtney Heintz writes award-winning cross genre fiction that melds paranormal, suspense, and literary into an unforgettable love story. For her characters, love is a journey never a destination. Her debut novel, The Six Train to Wisconsin, has been on the Amazon Bestseller lists for Psychic Mysteries and Paranormal & Urban Fantasy.

Kourtney resides in Connecticut with her warrior lapdog, Emerson, and three quirky golden retrievers. Years of working on Wall Street provided the perfect backdrop for her imagination to run amuck at night, imagining a world where out-of-control telepathy and buried secrets collide. As K.C. Tansley, she writes bestselling YA time travel murder mysteries. 

She has been featured in the Republican American, on WTNH’s CT Style, and Everything Internet on the radio. She has a B.S. in Business Administration from Georgetown University with a double major in finance and international business and a minor in Chinese. She received a Master of Pacific International Affairs from the University of California, San Diego.

You can find out more about Kourtney and her books at: http://kourtneyheintz.com