This review is going to be a little different, since I'm reviewing a product and not a book, like usual. So, really - mostly that means it will be shorter, and a little more technical.
My Review: Let's start with the design itself. This journal, titled "Brain Freeze" is 100% adorable! The journal itself is made to look like an ice cream sandwich. That means the front and back covers are a soft, textured brown made to look like the cookie part of an ice cream sandwich. The pages inside are colored like neapolitan ice cream - chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry.
I think what I like best about this is that I can open it to any page - including the very middle! - and I can write it in easily. There are journals out there that get tough to write in because you feel like you have to constantly hold it open because the binding is too tough. Not the issue here! The binding is strong, for sure, but it's also flexible enough to allow for comfortable writing. Which is incredibly important for a journal, wouldn't you say?
Recommendation: If you're looking for a fun, funky new journal to record your secret thoughts - or your all too important opinions on your recent read - look no further!
Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars (5/5)! I love it, and I can't wait to keep using it - journaling in style!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
A home for this book addict to review or share any recent reads. Feel free to stick around and comment.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Review: EASY FOR KEEPS by Kristen Proby! & EXCERPT
Release Date: May 24th, 2016
Type: Novella, Series, Book 4.5, Contemporary, Romance, 1001 Dark Nights, Kristen Proby is an insta-buy.
About the Book: Adam Turner loves women. All women. Every shape and size, regardless of hair or eye color, religion or race, he simply enjoys them all. Meeting more than his fair share as the manager and head bartender of The Odyssey, a hot spot in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter, Adam’s comfortable with his lifestyle, and sees no reason to change it. A wife and kids, plus the white picket fence are not in the cards for this confirmed bachelor. Until a beautiful woman, and her sweet princess, literally knock him on his ass.
Sarah Cox has just moved to New Orleans, having accepted a position as a social worker specializing in at-risk women and children. It’s a demanding, sometimes dangerous job, but Sarah is no shy wallflower. She can handle just about anything that comes at her, even the attentions of one sexy Adam Turner. Just because he’s charmed her daughter, making her think of magical kingdoms with happily ever after, doesn’t mean that Sarah believes in fairy tales. But the more time she spends with the enchanting man, the more he begins to sway her into believing in forever.
Even so, when Sarah’s job becomes more dangerous than any of them bargained for, will she be ripped from Adam’s life forever? [Description from Goodreads.com]
My Review: Kristen Proby has already put herself on my insta-buy list. This book is 100 pages - this woman can make me giddy, excited, and nervous in a mere 100 pages. I think she's a wizard, that's the only explanation. This is the first of the Boudreaux books I've ever read, so you better believe I went and bought book one, I'm addicted. Adam is just so perfect. Sometimes you read characters and you know they're fictional, there is just this plastic sheen that makes them feel fake. There is absolutely no sense of that in this book. Adam and Sarah, even the awesome little Hailey, feel so real. I want to be friends with them. Or, well.. in Adam's case, I'd like to be so much more than friends.
Usually I only like novellas as a continuation of characters that have already met and fell in love - a "where are they now?" kind of thing. Generally, novellas just try to pack too much story into too short a time-frame. But this book gives us a full story without trying to hard. It's the right amount of romance and plot for the amount of pages therein. Really, all of the 1001 Dark Night stories I've read have been well done.
Cover Lovin': Fits right in with the rest of the 1001 Dark Nights series.
Recommendation: This can be read as a stand-alone, no problem. And it's a perfect one-sitting read!
Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars (4/5). Excellent story, and I can't wait to read more of this series!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for a review.
EXCERPT:
“Having trouble?” I ask and grin
when she looks up at me in surprise. Hailey is buckled into the back seat now
and waves at me with a big smile, and I wave back.
“It was running fine when I left
the apartment and came here.” She sighs and lays her forehead against the
steering wheel. She’s a pretty woman. She has curves in all the right places,
but doesn’t wear clothes that hug them. Her hair is long and just begging for
fingers to thread through it.
And her lips are plump and damn
kissable. Especially when she bites them the way she’s doing right now as she
lifts her head and looks up at me.
“Sounds like your battery is dead.”
“Great,” she replies and blows out
a breath.
“Do you have someone you can call?”
She hesitates and then shakes her
head no. She’s not quick to trust, that’s for sure, and for some reason, that
makes me want to try to help all the more.
It’s been a while since a woman was
a challenge.
“We just moved here,” Hailey
informs me.
“Hailey—”
“It’s okay,” I reply. “I can call
you a tow truck. I know a guy.”
She nods.
“But I have to tell him your name.”
“Sarah,” she replies. “I’m sorry, I
don’t mean to be rude.”
“Hey, stranger danger. I get it.” I
nod and text my friend, then stare at the two girls for a moment. I can’t just
leave them here.
“I can take you wherever you needed
to get to.”
“No,” Sarah replies immediately.
“Look, let’s start again. My name’s
Adam. I’ve never been arrested for anything, and I’ve received two speeding
tickets in my life. I co-own a bar in the Quarter, and that’s why I haven’t
been to bed yet today. I can give you references to call if you really want
them.”
Her lips twitch into a slight smile
and her eyes calm. They’re not just brown. They’re rich, dark chocolate.
And
she has a kid.
Just be a Good Samaritan and go home to bed.
New York Times Bestselling author Kristen Proby brings readers a glimpse back into her sexy as sin The Boudreaux Series. EASY FOR KEEPS is a Contemporary Erotic Romance novella in The Boudreaux Series, brought to you by 1001 Dark Nights. Grab your copy of this sexy novella today!
Amazon ** Paperback
ABOUT EASY FOR KEEPS:
Adam Spencer loves women. All women. Every shape and size, regardless of hair or eye color, religion or race, he simply enjoys them all. Meeting more than his fair share as the manager and head bartender of The Odyssey, a hot spot in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter, Adam’s comfortable with his lifestyle, and sees no reason to change it. A wife and kids, plus the white picket fence are not in the cards for this confirmed bachelor. Until a beautiful woman, and her sweet princess, literally knock him on his ass.
Sarah Cox has just moved to New Orleans, having accepted a position as a social worker specializing in at-risk women and children. It’s a demanding, sometimes dangerous job, but Sarah is no shy wallflower. She can handle just about anything that comes at her, even the attentions of one sexy Adam Spencer. Just because he’s charmed her daughter, making her think of magical kingdoms with happily ever after, doesn’t mean that Sarah believes in fairy tales. But the more time she spends with the enchanting man, the more he begins to sway her into believing in forever.
Even so, when Sarah’s job becomes more dangerous than any of them bargained for, will she be ripped from Adam’s life forever?
And don’t forget to grab the first three books in the Boudreaux Series!
EASY LOVE
EASY CHARM
EASY MELODY
Preorder the 4th full-length novel in the Boudreaux Series here!
EASY KISSES
ABOUT KRISTEN PROBY:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.
Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.
Website**Facebook**Twitter** Newsletter Sign Up**Author Goodreads**Novella Goodreads
Kristen Proby’s EASY FOR KEEPS – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
May 25th
Mommys naughty playground – Review
The Smut-Brarians – Review & Excerpt
The Heathers Blog – Review & Excerpt
Book Angel Booktopia – Review & Excerpt
Bookaholics Reading Haven – Review & Excerpt
Take Me Away To A Great Read – Excerpt
May 26th
The Literary Gossip – Review & Excerpt
Gi's Spot Reviews – Review & Excerpt
SBB Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Melena`s Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Kimmy Loves to Read – Excerpt
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
May 27th
Reading Between the Wines Book Club – Excerpt
Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads – Review & Excerpt
She Hearts Books – Review
Brittany's Book Blog – Excerpt
Shannon's Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Books Need TLC – Review
May 28th
Escaping Into Books – Review & Excerpt
SnoopyDoo's Book Reviews – Excerpt
Only One More Page – Review & Excerpt
Marieke's Books – Review & Excerpt
Reviews from the Heart – Review
The Sassy Bookster – Review & Excerpt
May 29th
I Love Romance – Review & Excerpt
Sofia Loves Books – Review
Socially Awkward Book Nerd – Excerpt
In Between The Pages – Review & Excerpt
Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous – Review & Excerpt
My One True Obsession – Excerpt
May 30th
A Brit and a Yank – Excerpt
A Fortress of Books – Excerpt
Four Chicks Flipping Pages – Review
Nose Stuck in a Book – Excerpt
Read-Love-Blog – Excerpt
Book Bitches Blog – Review & Excerpt
May 31st
Krista's Dust Jacket – Review & Excerpt
Oh My Growing TBR – Review & Excerpt
Princess Reads – Review & Excerpt
Alphas Do It Better Book Blog – Review
Novel Addiction – Review & Excerpt
Obsessive Reading Disorder – Review
June 1st
Ramblings From This Chick – Excerpt
Alpha book club – Review & Excerpt
Queenzany – Review
Toot's Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
True Story Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
The Romance Reviews – Review
June 2nd
Beneath The Covers Blog – Excerpt
Renee Entress's Blog – Review
The Recipe Fairy – Review & Excerpt
The Butterfly Reads – Review
Wicked Babes – Review & Excerpt
The Book Avenue – Review & Excerpt
June 3rd
Shh Moms Reading – Review
Naughty and nice book blog – Review
Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews – Excerpt
The Book Reading Gals – Excerpt
Evermore Books – Excerpt
Two Book Pushers – Review
Friday, May 27, 2016
Weekly Reading Update 5/20 - 5/26/16!
Another week, another update! Let's see what sort of trouble I got to up this week, hmm?
As always, click the title to get more information about each book!
I also read a short novella (or novelette?) by Mary Robinette Kowal titled The Forest of Memory. This was a random find at work, and I’m so glad I read it. It was weird, but oh-so-good. If you like strange, haunting science fiction - definitely check out this short book. And by short, I mean 80-ish pages! Definitely perfect for a lunch break or stormy evening. I’ve already decided to hunt down more books by this author.
To finish off my weekend, I went on a graphic novel reading binge. Surprise, right? I read Figment and Figment 2: Legacy of Imagination, both by Jim Zub. I love love love all things Disney, so of course I had to pick these up when my library bought them. They were adorable! I want a Figment of my own. I also read Young Avengers 1: Style > Substance by Kieron Gillen. I’m not the biggest Young Avengers fan, but I really enjoy Kieron Gillen’s work, so I had to pick it up. And it was definitely worth a read. I already have the next volume requested.
I moved onto the paranormal and science fiction route after that - reading The Devil You Know by K.J. Parker. This is another one of the short novellas/novelettes from Tor.com, like The Forest of Memory. It was a very interesting read, with devious characters and the whole selling your soul to a demon thing. After that, I moved onto Rocked By Love by Christine Warren. This is the fourth book in her Gargoyles series. Christine Warren is a go-to for me when it comes to paranormal romance. I have several of her books on my keeper shelves. And I love the direction she’s taking with this series.
I finished off this week reading Creed by Kristen Ashley. I read Knight a few months ago, and it really got under my skin. I didn’t think I liked the book, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about it.. So I searched out the second book. As of writing this, I’m only halfway into the book (hopefully finishing it
tonight), but it’s already got the same feel. I even dreamed about the characters last night! It’s just frustrating - I didn’t know I could like and hate something at the same time.
Saturday was ALA’s annual Readathon, so I spent my day reading an 800 page book - The Fixed Trilogy by Laurelin Paige. This author is part of the writing team Laurelin McGee, so I’ve decided to try reading some books by both individual authors. So, since The Fixed Trilogy seemed to be Laurelin Paige’s most well known book, I requested a copy to read. 800 pages later, I’m still torn about my feelings. These characters are messed up, very very messed up. But it’s been several days since I finished it, and I still can’t stop thinking about it. So that says something about the author’s ability to write a compelling story - it definitely gets under your skin.
I also read a short novella (or novelette?) by Mary Robinette Kowal titled The Forest of Memory. This was a random find at work, and I’m so glad I read it. It was weird, but oh-so-good. If you like strange, haunting science fiction - definitely check out this short book. And by short, I mean 80-ish pages! Definitely perfect for a lunch break or stormy evening. I’ve already decided to hunt down more books by this author.
To finish off my weekend, I went on a graphic novel reading binge. Surprise, right? I read Figment and Figment 2: Legacy of Imagination, both by Jim Zub. I love love love all things Disney, so of course I had to pick these up when my library bought them. They were adorable! I want a Figment of my own. I also read Young Avengers 1: Style > Substance by Kieron Gillen. I’m not the biggest Young Avengers fan, but I really enjoy Kieron Gillen’s work, so I had to pick it up. And it was definitely worth a read. I already have the next volume requested.
Next up was Royal Wedding Disaster by Meg Cabot. Since the Princess Diaries series ended with Royal Wedding (though I will always hold out hope for more Mia!), I have to get my Michael Moscovitz fix in however I can - even if it means reading the diaries of Mia’s younger sister. But you know what, they are legitimately adorable books, just like the rest of Cabot’s work. The first book in this series, From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess was just as cute - and frankly, I think they will both have to be added to my wish list.
I moved onto the paranormal and science fiction route after that - reading The Devil You Know by K.J. Parker. This is another one of the short novellas/novelettes from Tor.com, like The Forest of Memory. It was a very interesting read, with devious characters and the whole selling your soul to a demon thing. After that, I moved onto Rocked By Love by Christine Warren. This is the fourth book in her Gargoyles series. Christine Warren is a go-to for me when it comes to paranormal romance. I have several of her books on my keeper shelves. And I love the direction she’s taking with this series.
I finished off this week reading Creed by Kristen Ashley. I read Knight a few months ago, and it really got under my skin. I didn’t think I liked the book, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about it.. So I searched out the second book. As of writing this, I’m only halfway into the book (hopefully finishing it tonight), but it’s already got the same feel. I even dreamed about the characters last night! It’s just frustrating - I didn’t know I could like and hate something at the same time.
Happy Reading
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Excerpt! J.T. Geissinger's WICKED SEXY!
J.T. Geissinger's WICKED SEXY is releasing from Jack's House Publishing on July 18th - but we just couldn't wait to give you a sneak peek! See the stunning new cover, check out an excerpt below, and enter to win an Amazon giftcard!
About WICKED SEXY
A badass ex-Special Ops officer and a smartass hacker fight a dangerous enemy…and a blistering attraction to each other.
Connor Hughes is an ex-special ops officer, CEO of Metrix Security, and bonafide badass. His private security firm is renowned for its effectiveness. He’s renowned for his lethal precision and iron self-control. But when the former Marine meets a gorgeous young hacker with a mouth as smart as her brain, his control unravels in ways he never could have predicted.
Tabitha West is a genius MIT dropout with a bad attitude, an obsession with Hello Kitty and piercings in unmentionable places. Tabby amuses herself by outwitting the most secure technology systems on the planet. Known in hacker circles as Polaroid due to her photographic memory, she’s as secretive as she is accustomed to working alone. So when Connor decides she’s the only one who can help him catch a cyber criminal intent on taking down one of his clients, she tells him exactly where he can stick it.
But when the cyber criminal turns out to be the Hannibal Lecter of computer crime—and a dark presence from Tabby’s past—Tabby and Connor are drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse. They quickly find themselves fighting not only their common enemy, but also an explosive desire that threatens to consume them.
When the stakes are this high and the game this deadly, will falling in love be the most dangerous move of all?
WICKED SEXY will be available July 18th – add it to your Goodreads list here!
Preorder WICKED SEXY now:
For Kindle readers, sign up for J.T. Geissinger's newsletter to be notified when the book goes live on release day!
Read a sneak peek from WICKED SEXY:
For a moment Connor just examines my face in silence. There’s a strange tension in him, a stillness, like a held breath but in his entire body. Then he abruptly swings around in his seat so he’s facing me, his massive thighs on either side of my bar stool, his booted feet planted on the floor. Trapping me. “What do you think you’re doing?” I ask, my voice high with panic. “Got something to say to you. It’s important, so don’t talk until the end.” He looks dangerously intense. His dark eyes are heated, drilling into mine. His cheeks are flushed from the fire, or from something else, but I don’t have time to think about what that something else might be because he opens his mouth and starts to speak, and my brain faints dead away, leaving me to fend for myself. “I want you. Bad. Don’t know exactly why, you’re a complete pain in my ass and pretty much the most contrary, foul-tempered woman I’ve ever met, and you’ve made it really clear what you think about me, but every time I look at you I have an almost overpowering urge to touch you, kiss you, do a lot of bad things to you, and I don’t know how to manage it. Yeah, it might be more prudent for me to keep this shit to myself, but I know that when you don’t talk about shit it festers, gets worse, and if the way I feel about you gets any worse I won’t be able to put my goddamn shoes on in the morning. So I’m putting it out there.” He takes a breath. Deeply shocked, I stare at him with my mouth open, my heart up in my throat. “We’re both professionals. We have a job to do. And I don’t mix business with pleasure. Ever. But the way I figure it, we’ve got one more night until the work actually starts, and if I don’t do something to get you straight in my head I won’t be able to do the job at all.” He stops abruptly. Then he waits, watching me with unwavering intensity as I attempt to digest what just happened. I whisper in disbelief, “You’re propositioning me?” His gaze drops to my lips. When he looks back into my eyes, his own are burning. “You liked that kiss.” He gives me time to deny it, but I don’t. How could I? We both know I’d be lying. He adds, “And you called me hot, so I know you don’t think I’m a complete troll, even though you act like you do.” “That was an accident.” “Yep.” He nods. “And you fuckin’ hated yourself for it. Which is why I know it was true.” Things are happening in my body. My nipples harden, my breath quickens, there is a distinctive throb and ache between my legs. All because this jarhead I hate just told me he wants to do bad things to me. Bad things. Dear God, were any two sexier words ever spoken?Want to win?
Want to win a $25 Amazon giftcard? Be sure to enter via the Rafflecopter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
WICKED BEAUTIFUL will be re-releasing from Jack's House Publishing on July 11th – add it to your Goodreads list here!
About WICKED BEAUTIFUL
Life coach and best-selling author Victoria Price has it all: a successful career, fabulous friends, a fantastic penthouse in Manhattan. What she doesn’t have—and doesn’t want—is a husband. Fifteen years ago her high school flame broke her heart so badly she swore she’d never love again. Now she makes millions teaching other women how to be just like her: a ruthless bitch.
Drop-dead sexy restauranteur and infamous playboy Parker Maxwell has only three rules for the women he dates: no questions about his past, no expectations for the future, and no spending the night. When he meets Victoria, however, he’s willing to break his own rules if it means sating the explosive desire she arouses in him. What he doesn’t know is that the alluring Victoria Price used to be the mousy Isabel Diaz, the girl he deflowered and dumped long ago.
Presented with a perfect opportunity for revenge, Victoria decides the game is on. But when her connection with Parker proves more than just skin deep, she has to make a choice: continue with her plan for payback, or risk her career, her reputation, and her heart by taking a second chance on love?
Pre-order WICKED BEAUTIFUL:
For Kindle readers, sign up for J.T. Geissinger's newsletter to be notified when the book goes live on release day!
About J.T. Geissinger
J.T. Geissinger is an award winning and best-selling author of dark, sexy romance. She is the recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and was a finalist for the prestigious RITA© Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her work has also finaled in the Booksellers’ Best, National Readers’ Choice, and Daphne du Maurier Awards. She lives in California with her husband, on whom all her heroes are based. Website | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | InstagramTuesday, May 24, 2016
Review: CHARGED by Jay Crownover! & EXCERPT!
Release Date: May 24th, 2016
Type: Series, Book 2, New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Pink Hair Don't Care
About the Book: Avett Walker and Quaid Jackson’s worlds have no reason to collide. Ever. Quaid is a high powered criminal attorney as slick as he is handsome. Avett is a pink-haired troublemaker with a bad attitude and a history of picking the wrong men.
When Avett lands in a sea of hot water because of one terrible mistake, the only person who can get her out of it is the insanely sexy lawyer. The last thing on earth she wants to do is rely on the no-nonsense attorney who thinks of her as nothing more than a nuisance. He literally has her fate in his hands. Yet there is something about him that makes her want to convince him to loosen his tie and have a little fun…with her.
Quaid never takes on clients like the impulsive young woman with a Technicolor dye job. She could stand to learn a hard lesson or two, but something about her guileless hazel eyes intrigues him. Still, he’s determined to keep their relationship strictly business. But doing so is becoming more impossible with each day he spends with her.As they work side-by-side, they’ll have to figure out a way to get along and keep their hands off each other—because the chemistry between them is beyond charged. [Description from Goodreads.com]
My Review: This book right here - this is a perfect example of why Jay Crownover is one of my favorite authors, and a total insta-buy! Not only does she write a seriously good story, but she can make me not only like, but fall in love with, a character I hated in previous books. She managed to do it with Asa in the Marked Men series, and now she's done it again with Avett. From page one, I was already identifying with her - which is saying a lot considering she's in jail for accessory to an armed robbery. Those already familiar with the Marked Men series will remember this as the big climax from Asa's book.
So we all know that opposites attract, and that it's definitely fun to read about. Well, here we have Avett - one bad life choice after another, and this time she's facing some serious jail time, and Quaid - straight as an arrow, not to mention the lawyer hired to defend her. To say Quaid is uptight might be putting it lightly, so his attraction to a girl who's made a lot of mistakes, not to mention died her hair a bright pink, is so very fun to watch. But what makes this story so fantastic is that it's not just Quaid bringing Avett into the light, she's changing him too - and for the better.
Jay Crownover knows how to bring the drama, but a lot of times, it's more of an emotional drama - some sort of trauma the the hero and/or heroine needs to overcome to truly be happy. Sure, that's not always the case, but she knows how to toy with the readers' and characters' emotions. But Charged felt so incredibly action packed. I was clinging to my kindle so tightly while reading this that my knuckles were going white. It was non-stop awesome.
Cover Lovin': Yummy!
Recommendation: To really get Avett's backstory, it really does help to read at least Asa, if not Rome as well. But trust me, you'll want to anyways!
Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars! I loved this, and couldn't put it down! Jay Crownover has hit it out of the park once again!
Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
EXCERPT:
About Jay Crownover:
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point,and the Saints of Denverseries. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.
Type: Series, Book 2, New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Pink Hair Don't Care
About the Book: Avett Walker and Quaid Jackson’s worlds have no reason to collide. Ever. Quaid is a high powered criminal attorney as slick as he is handsome. Avett is a pink-haired troublemaker with a bad attitude and a history of picking the wrong men.
When Avett lands in a sea of hot water because of one terrible mistake, the only person who can get her out of it is the insanely sexy lawyer. The last thing on earth she wants to do is rely on the no-nonsense attorney who thinks of her as nothing more than a nuisance. He literally has her fate in his hands. Yet there is something about him that makes her want to convince him to loosen his tie and have a little fun…with her.
Quaid never takes on clients like the impulsive young woman with a Technicolor dye job. She could stand to learn a hard lesson or two, but something about her guileless hazel eyes intrigues him. Still, he’s determined to keep their relationship strictly business. But doing so is becoming more impossible with each day he spends with her.As they work side-by-side, they’ll have to figure out a way to get along and keep their hands off each other—because the chemistry between them is beyond charged. [Description from Goodreads.com]
My Review: This book right here - this is a perfect example of why Jay Crownover is one of my favorite authors, and a total insta-buy! Not only does she write a seriously good story, but she can make me not only like, but fall in love with, a character I hated in previous books. She managed to do it with Asa in the Marked Men series, and now she's done it again with Avett. From page one, I was already identifying with her - which is saying a lot considering she's in jail for accessory to an armed robbery. Those already familiar with the Marked Men series will remember this as the big climax from Asa's book.
So we all know that opposites attract, and that it's definitely fun to read about. Well, here we have Avett - one bad life choice after another, and this time she's facing some serious jail time, and Quaid - straight as an arrow, not to mention the lawyer hired to defend her. To say Quaid is uptight might be putting it lightly, so his attraction to a girl who's made a lot of mistakes, not to mention died her hair a bright pink, is so very fun to watch. But what makes this story so fantastic is that it's not just Quaid bringing Avett into the light, she's changing him too - and for the better.
Jay Crownover knows how to bring the drama, but a lot of times, it's more of an emotional drama - some sort of trauma the the hero and/or heroine needs to overcome to truly be happy. Sure, that's not always the case, but she knows how to toy with the readers' and characters' emotions. But Charged felt so incredibly action packed. I was clinging to my kindle so tightly while reading this that my knuckles were going white. It was non-stop awesome.
Cover Lovin': Yummy!
Recommendation: To really get Avett's backstory, it really does help to read at least Asa, if not Rome as well. But trust me, you'll want to anyways!
Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars! I loved this, and couldn't put it down! Jay Crownover has hit it out of the park once again!
Make sure to get your copy of Jay Crownover's CHARGED today! And grab BUILT while you're at it!
Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~
Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
EXCERPT:
Avett
Don’t worry, Sprite, bad decisions always make for good stories…
I could hear my dad’s gruff voice, lightened with humor, in my ear as he told me those words every single time I got caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to do when I was growing up. I was always doing something I shouldn’t then and now, so I heard those words a lot from him. Unfortunately, as an adult, my bad decisions resulted in consequences far worse than a scraped knee or a broken wrist from falling out of the tree in the backyard he warned me repeatedly wasn’t sturdy enough to limb. And sadly, my dad reassuring me in his firm and gentle way, while calling me his little Sprite as he kissed my boo-boos, wasn’t going to help my current situation at all.
This boo-boo was big-time.
This boo-boo was life-changing.
This boo-boo was anything but a good story waiting to be told.
This boo-boo very well could be the end of me, the end of the rope where my patient parents had dangled precariously for years, and it very well could be the end of any kind of future I may have had. A future I was well on my way to letting a lifetime of bad decisions and even worse choices screw up. At barely twenty-two, bad decisions had sort of become my stock in trade and were as familiar to me as my own face. I was almost legendary, at this point, for putting all my trust in the absolutely wrong kind of people. If there was a wrong path to take, I was going to skip gleefully down that road and not look back until I ended up exactly in the kind of situation I found myself in at the moment. It wasn’t like this was even a new dead end; it was the same one I ran into over and over again. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get myself turned around, and the longer I was at this dead end, the darker and more wicked it became.
I knew better. I really did, even if there was a boatload of evidence contradicting that fact.
I wasn’t stupid, naïve, immature, or senseless. I might appear that way to anyone on the outside looking in, but I had my reasons for being a consummate failure and lifelong loser. All of those reasons had nothing to do with me not knowing better and everything to do with me knowing exactly what I deserved.
For a long time now I had been spiraling out of control, whirling, falling deep and deeper into a pit of really awful actions and consequences, each seemingly worse and more painful than the last. I also hadn’t made any kind of effort to try and pull myself out of it, so logically I knew the only place I was going to end up was right here, right at the lowest part of rock bottom. I never imagined the landing would be so jarring.
From New York Times bestselling author Jay Crownover comes CHARGED, the latest in her sexy The Saints of Denver Series, releasing May 24th! Known for her strong heroines and alpha males, you won’t know what hit you as you read Avett and Quaid’s story. Keep reading for more about the Leagle Eagle and Avett and order your copy today.
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About CHARGED:
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Marked Men books comes the second installment in the Saints of Denver series featuring a bad girl and a by the book attorney who could be her salvation…or her ruin.
Avett Walker and Quaid Jackson’s worlds have no reason to collide. Ever. Quaid is a high powered criminal attorney as slick as he is handsome. Avett is a pink-haired troublemaker with a bad attitude and a history of picking the wrong men.
When Avett lands in a sea of hot water because of one terrible mistake, the only person who can get her out of it is the insanely sexy lawyer. The last thing on earth she wants to do is rely on the no-nonsense attorney who thinks of her as nothing more than a nuisance. He literally has her fate in his hands. Yet there is something about him that makes her want to convince him to loosen his tie and have a little fun…with her.
Quaid never takes on clients like the impulsive young woman with a Technicolor dye job. She could stand to learn a hard lesson or two, but something about her guileless hazel eyes intrigues him. Still, he’s determined to keep their relationship strictly business. But doing so is becoming more impossible with each day he spends with her.
As they work side-by-side, they’ll have to figure out a way to get along and keep their hands off each other—because the chemistry between them is beyond charged.
And don’t miss the first titles in The Saints of Denver Series!
LEVELED
BUILT
About Jay Crownover:
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men, The Point,and the Saints of Denverseries. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she’ll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.
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CHARGED Goodreads ** Jay Crownover Goodreads
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Monday, May 23, 2016
Review: TOO HOT TO HANDLE by Tessa Bailey!! & Excerpt!
Release Date: May 17th, 2016
Type: Series, Book one, Siblings, Contemporary Romance, Favorites, My new Book Boyfriend
About the Book: When rescue looks like a whole lot of trouble . . .
The road trip was definitely a bad idea. Having already flambéed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted-ass car and her three temperamental siblings, who she hasn't seen in years. When rescue shows up---six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle---Rita's pretty certain she's gone from the frying pan right into the fire . . .
Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in this town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he's about to be sorely tempted. There's something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn't just for tonight---he's forever. [Description from Goodreads.com]
My Review: Oh, wow. I didn't know I needed this book until I started reading it. At the beginning of this book, I was struck by how completely different it felt. The tone, the writing, it all felt so strange - but a good strange. The way Rita talks about her family, and their past - it's like she's haunted by how things turned out, but at the same time, she just accepts it as fact, no way to change it. I'm usually not the biggest fan of insta-love, because it never feels real - but I felt Rita and Jasper's connection like a snap. This is the second book I've read by Tessa Bailey, but this is the one that makes me realize she truly is a genius.
This novel definitely has some hot, erotic scenes - but I wouldn't call it erotica. And at the same time, this was incredibly emotional - but I wouldn't call this dramatic or suspenseful. It will hurt your heart, but it will also make you feel peaceful. This is one of those books that I can see how some people might not love it, but it hit all the right chords for me. And as much as I loved Rita and Jasper, I love the siblings just as much. I cannot wait for them to get their own books - I'm desperate to see these people get their happy endings. They deserve them. And I hope just as much that this brings them closer - they need that too.
I would also like to add how grateful I was to read about a guy who is not just a manwhore. Yes, Jasper definitely had his manwhore days, but he realized that's all his town thought he was good for - a good lay. So he became celibate, because he wanted something more meaningful - and this was years before he met Rita. It felt like such a breath of fresh air!
Cover Lovin': Oh yes! That may not be exactly how I pictured Rita and Jasper, but.. I don't even care, man.
Recommendation: I need the next book now - and you will too! So be prepared to preorder book two!
Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars (5/5). I loved this. I couldn't put it down. It was hot, it was emotional, and it was everything I needed!
Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced copy in exchange for a review. Thanks Inkslinger and Tessa Bailey!
EXCERPT:
OFFICIAL TOUR INFORMATION:
About Tessa Bailey:
Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.
Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.
She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
Type: Series, Book one, Siblings, Contemporary Romance, Favorites, My new Book Boyfriend
About the Book: When rescue looks like a whole lot of trouble . . .
The road trip was definitely a bad idea. Having already flambéed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted-ass car and her three temperamental siblings, who she hasn't seen in years. When rescue shows up---six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle---Rita's pretty certain she's gone from the frying pan right into the fire . . .
Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in this town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he's about to be sorely tempted. There's something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn't just for tonight---he's forever. [Description from Goodreads.com]
My Review: Oh, wow. I didn't know I needed this book until I started reading it. At the beginning of this book, I was struck by how completely different it felt. The tone, the writing, it all felt so strange - but a good strange. The way Rita talks about her family, and their past - it's like she's haunted by how things turned out, but at the same time, she just accepts it as fact, no way to change it. I'm usually not the biggest fan of insta-love, because it never feels real - but I felt Rita and Jasper's connection like a snap. This is the second book I've read by Tessa Bailey, but this is the one that makes me realize she truly is a genius.
This novel definitely has some hot, erotic scenes - but I wouldn't call it erotica. And at the same time, this was incredibly emotional - but I wouldn't call this dramatic or suspenseful. It will hurt your heart, but it will also make you feel peaceful. This is one of those books that I can see how some people might not love it, but it hit all the right chords for me. And as much as I loved Rita and Jasper, I love the siblings just as much. I cannot wait for them to get their own books - I'm desperate to see these people get their happy endings. They deserve them. And I hope just as much that this brings them closer - they need that too.
I would also like to add how grateful I was to read about a guy who is not just a manwhore. Yes, Jasper definitely had his manwhore days, but he realized that's all his town thought he was good for - a good lay. So he became celibate, because he wanted something more meaningful - and this was years before he met Rita. It felt like such a breath of fresh air!
Cover Lovin': Oh yes! That may not be exactly how I pictured Rita and Jasper, but.. I don't even care, man.
Recommendation: I need the next book now - and you will too! So be prepared to preorder book two!
Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE stars (5/5). I loved this. I couldn't put it down. It was hot, it was emotional, and it was everything I needed!
Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced copy in exchange for a review. Thanks Inkslinger and Tessa Bailey!
EXCERPT:
He
dipped down until they were nose to nose, saw the rush of thought going on
behind her eyes. It was pretty damn breathtaking up close. “Mind cluing me in
as to what’s going on in there?”
“If—if—we need to stay overnight—”
“You will.”
“—then I might see you at the bar.” She
wedged a hand between them and separated their bodies. “I’d rather see
someone’s worst than their best. Saves time.”
Jasper heard the tow truck pulling into
the garage parking lot and cursed. Not even remotely confident that his first
attempt at polite conversation with an available woman had been successful,
Jasper walked her backward until they were hidden behind a rusted pay phone.
She’d broken away from his touch, so he was careful to respect that. He dropped
his mouth to an inch above hers and said, low, “I didn’t get near enough time
with you, Rita. If you don’t show up tonight, don’t be surprised if I come
looking.” He laid his palms against the warm building, above her head, watched
her gaze dip to his stomach. His lap. “And if I have to come looking, I’ll be
twice as determined to get that kiss.”
Her head came up. “W-what kiss?”
Jasper lowered his mouth until their
lips brushed. He listened to her breath accelerate, watched her wet her lips.
“The one I want to give you right now.” He allowed himself to linger another
few seconds, then, with the effort of ten oxen, Jasper stepped back. “Tonight,
beautiful.”
On his way to his bike, Jasper tipped
his hat at Rita’s gaping siblings.
From New York Times Bestselling author Tessa Bailey comes the first novel in her hot, new Romancing the Clarksons Series.
When Rita Clarkson’s Suburban takes its last breath on a New Mexico roadside, rescue roars up on a Harley in the form of smooth-talking honkey tonk owner, Jasper Ellis, a man as mysterious as he is charming. Rita’s cross-country journey to New York City–with her three estranged siblings in tow–is only beginning, but now that Jasper has found Rita, his plans do not include her leaving.
Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo ** GooglePlay
When rescue looks like a whole lot of trouble . . .
The road trip was definitely a bad idea. Having already flambéed her culinary career beyond recognition, Rita Clarkson is now stranded in God-Knows-Where, New Mexico, with a busted-ass car and her three temperamental siblings, who she hasn’t seen in years. When rescue shows up—six-feet-plus of hot, charming sex on a motorcycle—Rita’s pretty certain she’s gone from the frying pan right into the fire . . .
Jasper Ellis has a bad boy reputation in this town, and he loathes it. The moment he sees Rita, though, Jasper knows he’s about to be sorely tempted. There’s something real between them. Something raw. And Jasper has only a few days to show Rita that he isn’t just for tonight—he’s forever.
Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Goodreads
Tessa Bailey’s TOO HOT TO HANDLE – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
May 19th
A Literary Perusal – Review & Excerpt
Book Angel Booktopia – Review & Excerpt
Bookaholics Reading Haven – Review & Excerpt
Booklovers For Life – Guest Post
CherryRed's Reads – Review & Excerpt
Krista's Dust Jacket – Review & Excerpt
Lit. 4 Ladies – Excerpt
Reads All the Books – Review & Excerpt
Romance Playlist – Review & Excerpt
SBB Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads – Review & Excerpt
Sultry, Steamy Reading – Review & Excerpt
Take Me Away To A Great Read – Excerpt
The Book Cellar – Review & Excerpt
The Book Disciple – Review & Excerpt
The BookWhisperer – Review & Excerpt
The Bookworms Obsession Blog – Review & Excerpt
The Lusty Literate – Review & Excerpt
The Reading Cafe – Review & Excerpt
Total Book Geek – Review & Excerpt
Vi3tbabe – Review & Excerpt
May 20th
Alphas Do It Better Book Blog – Excerpt
Book Lovin' Mamas – Review & Excerpt
Chelles Life in Books – Excerpt
Ellesea Loves Reading – Excerpt
Hot Pressed Books – Review & Excerpt
Jack of All Trades, Master of None – Excerpt
JOJO THE BOOKAHOLIC – Review & Excerpt
Pink Lace & Silver Buckles Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
She Hearts Books – Review & Excerpt
Socially Awkward Book Nerd – Excerpt
The Book Bellas – Review & Excerpt
The Literary Gossip – Review
May 21st
A Brit and a Yank – Excerpt
A Fortress of Books – Guest Post
Becky on Books – Review & Excerpt
Beneath The Covers Blog – Excerpt
Book Lit Love – Review & Excerpt
Bookaholics Not-So-Anonymous – Review & Excerpt
Hart's Romance Pulse – Excerpt
I Love Romance – Review & Excerpt
Kick Back & Review – Review & Excerpt
Kris & Vik Book Therapy Cafe – Review & Excerpt
Liz's Reading Life – Excerpt
Shannon's Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
The Book Sirens – Review & Excerpt
Wicked Babes Blog Reviews – Review & Excerpt
May 22nd
Aly's Miscellany – Guest Post
Evermore Books – Excerpt
Kimmy Loves to Read – Review & Excerpt
Nose Stuck in a Book – Excerpt
Renee Entress's Blog – Review & Excerpt
SnoopyDoo's Book Reviews – Excerpt
The Fairest of All Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
May 23rd
Best Book Boyfriends – Review & Excerpt
Book Reader Chronicles – Review & Excerpt
Books 2 Blog – Excerpt
Books by Migs – Review & Excerpt
Bridget's Book Bungalow – Review & Excerpt
Four Chicks Flipping Pages – Review & Excerpt
My Book Filled Life – Review & Excerpt
my midnight fantasies – Excerpt
Nice Ladies, Naughty Books – Review & Excerpt
Novel Addiction – Review & Excerpt
Obsessive Reading Disorder – Review & Excerpt
Oh My Growing TBR – Review & Excerpt
Romanticamente Fantasy Sito – Review & Excerpt
Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Southern Belle Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Stephanie's Sexy Reads – Review & Excerpt
May 24th
Alpha Book Club – Excerpt
bi n i b i n i – Review & Excerpt
Books Over Sleep – Excerpt
BooksPieAndCoffee – Review & Excerpt
G & T's Indie Café – Excerpt
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Jax's Book Magic – Review & Excerpt
KatyaRath – Review & Excerpt
kimberlyfaye reads – Review & Excerpt
Miss Riki – Review & Excerpt
My Girlfriends Couch – Review & Excerpt
My YA NA Book Obsession – Review & Excerpt
Okie Dreams Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Once Upon a Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
Ramblings From This Chick – Guest Post
Romantic Reads and Such – Excerpt
Short and Sassy Book Blurbs – Review & Excerpt
Talking Books Blog – Review & Excerpt
The Eater of Books! – Excerpt
The Phantom Paragrapher – Review & Excerpt
The Readdicts – Review & Excerpt
Toot's Book Reviews – Excerpt
True Story Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
WickedGoodReads – 2 Reviews & Excerpt
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