Weekly Reading Update: 07/29 - 08/04/16!

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

I started my week off by reading The Matchmaker’s Playbook by Rachel Van Dyken. You might have seen my review of book two, The Matchmaker’s Replacement, earlier this week. I couldn’t just read the second book without the first! And I’m glad I did - I actually think I liked the first book more. It was told entirely from Ian’s perspective, which felt new and different. And all the characters had a fantastic sense of snark and humor.

Then I moved on to Cream of the Crop by Alice Clayton. This is my first book by this author, and if this is any indication - I can see why she’s so popular! The book was funny, the characters were awesome (I’d love to be Natalie’s friend!), and I totally dug Natalie’s mental soundtrack. I can’t wait to go back and read the first book, and/or start her Cocktail series! I reviewed this one for Romance Reviews Today, so make sure to check it out - appearing in August 2016.

Then I moved on to a graphic novel binge. I got several in the past few days, and just hoarded them until I had a free evening to go through them all. I started out with Hawkeye volume 6: Hawkeyes by Jeff Lemire. While I do love Jeff Lemire’s work, usually, this one just didn’t feel as good as the first few volumes. The Hawkeye series went from four star read to three stars. But I’ll keep going. Then I moved on to Grayson volume 2: We All Die At Dawn by Tom King. If it wasn’t for the fact that I love Dick Grayson, I would drop this and never look back. I don’t enjoy reading this. And while Dick still has some good moments, they’re not enough to make reading it worthwhile. I’d read the next volume, maybe, if I was bored enough.

After that, I went on to Teen Titans volume 2: Rogue Targets by Will Pfeifer. Another series I wouldn’t mind dropping. Some of these characters are interesting, but we don’t get enough about them to really connect to the Titans. I generally really like DC titles, and I love following all the little Batlings (what I call all the Bat-sidekicks) - but not even Red Robin can make this title worth continuing.

Last, but definitely not least, I read The Motherless Oven by Rob Davis. This one is weird, guys. Very weird. The kind of weird that throws you for a huge loop at the beginning, but as you continue reading, you find yourself just sliding into the world as-is, and going with the flow. This was a recommendation from a friend of mine (he loves the odd ones!), and I’m glad I read it. But that ending… I’m still not over that ending! Grrr.

That’s it for me this week, reading-wise. Friday night, I get to meet Colleen Hoover as part of her It Ends With Us tour. I can’t wait!!!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Review: HITCHED PART THREE by Kendall Ryan

Release Date: August 2nd, 2016

Type: Novella, Serial novel, Series, Book 3, Contemporary Romance, Arranged marriage, Just Kiss Already!

My Review: After the way the second book ended, I was on edge and couldn’t wait for the next one. I love Noah, and I wasn’t sure how he would be able to make up for the seriously stupid move he made at the end of book two. And throughout the book, I was stuck somewhere between wanting Olivia to get over herself and forgive him, and wanting her to make him suffer a little more. I loved Olivia for how strong and business savvy she was. But her analytical approach to matters of the heart frustrated me on more than a few occasions.

But because of Olivia and Noah’s completely different natures, I loved seeing the two of them come back together after such a big upset. It’s easy to see that these two work as a couple - they need each other. But now that the series has concluded - I still don’t know why Olivia disliked Noah so much in the beginning. They clearly liked hanging out when they were younger, I don’t think the author ever went into exactly why Olivia was so bitter as an adult. There was a brief mention of the unwillingness to sleep with each other when they were younger, but it’s hard to believe that Olivia would hold that against Noah for so many years.

I did like this series, but this volume didn’t feel like it had as much of a punch as the first book. It was definitely better than book two, which felt a bit more like a placeholder, or a way to further the plot, rather than its own book… but I still didn’t like it as much as the first in the series. But I really liked Kendall Ryan’s writing, so I can’t wait to check out more by her in the future!

Cover Lovin’: Fits perfectly with the series of the series.

Recommendation: This is the last book in the trilogy, so you’ll definitely need to have read the first two!

Final Rating: THREE POINT FIVE out of FIVE stars (3.5/5). A good end to this series, but it lacked the magic of the first book, at least for me. But Kendall Ryan is still on my TBR!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

   

I’ve ruined everything.

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

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

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

This is the third and final volume in the story.

   

✦ Amazon ✦ Amazon UK ✦ iBooks ✦ Kobo ✦ Barnes & Noble

            Marry the girl I’ve had a crush on my whole life? Check. Inherit a hundred-billion-dollar company? Check. Produce an heir… Wait, what? I have ninety days to knock up my brand-new fake wife. There’s only one problem—she hates my guts. And in the fine print of the contract? The requirement that we produce an heir. She can’t stand to be in the same room with me. Says she’ll never be in my bed. But I’ve never backed down from a challenge and I’m not about to start now. Mark my words—I’ll have her begging for me, and it won’t take ninety days. On the heels of her smash hit and New York Times bestselling SCREWED series, Kendall Ryan brings you HITCHED, a romantic comedy that delivers heart and heat. A NYC playboy turned business mogul has ninety days to win over the woman he's always desired in order to save his father's company. One tiny problem: She hates his guts.  

Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | Nook | Paperback

      Arranged marriage? Check. Cocky new husband? Check. It's a marriage of convenience—one I’m determined to keep strictly professional. I can't be stupid enough to fall for this sexy playboy's charm or advances. I have to be strong, even if he is my husband. Except he has a huge cock with an even bigger ego, and his main goal in life seems to be getting me to stroke both. The arrogant bastard is like sweet, sugary candy for my libido. I know he’s bad for me. But I want to devour every wicked inch of him. With his sexual prowess and experience, I know he’ll be explosive in the bedroom. And since we’re stuck together for the foreseeable future—keeping up this marriage charade long enough to turn the company profitable again—I deserve something to look forward to at the end of a long workday, right? What could one little taste hurt? This is volume 2 in the Imperfect Love series.   Amazon | Amazon UK | iBooks | Nook | Kobo              

A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world. She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she's appeared at #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world. Her books have also appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists more than three dozen times. Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her at: www.kendallryanbooks.com for the latest book news, and fun extras

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Review: THE MATCHMAKER'S REPLACEMENT by Rachel Van Dyken!

Release Date: August 9th, 2016

Type: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Series, Book two, hate-or-love?, Just Kiss Already!

My Review: I tracked down the first book in this series, The Matchmaker's Playbook, so I could read it before starting this one. I absolutely loved book one, so I was both excited and nervous for book two. What if it wasn't as good? I liked Lex and Gabi in the first book, but what if they turned flat when they got their chance at their own story? Well, let me ease your fears - I loved the second book just as much as the first.

I have to admit something - before the Wingmen, INC series, I read another Rachel Van Dyken book, and didn't like it. I thought the hero was a total jerk with absolutely no redeeming qualities. So for a few chapters, I was worried Lex was heading into super jerk territory. But no. Yes, he makes some crappy comments, but you can still see he genuinely cares. And when he realizes that those comments can and did actually hurt - he stopped. And I quickly fell in love with the banter and back-and-forth insults. I think their relationship would have been boring without them, honestly.

Both this and the first book are on my wish-list. I think I need print copies to add to my favorites shelf - or rather, shelves.

Cover Lovin': Oh my, yes. Those eyes!

Recommendation: I really suggest reading the first book, The Matchmaker's Playbook, before reading this one. It really helps with the friend dynamic!

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars (4/5). Loved Lex, but I especially loved Lex with Gabi. A match made in heaven, for sure!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

    Wingman rule number two: never reveal how much you want them. Lex hates Gabi. Gabi hates Lex. But, hey, at least the hate is mutual, right? All Lex has to do is survive the next few weeks training Gabi in all the ways of Wingmen Inc. and then he can be done with her. But now that they have to work together, the sexual tension and fighting is off the charts. He isn’t sure if he wants to strangle her or throw her against the nearest sturdy table and have his way with her. But Gabi has a secret, something she’s keeping from not just her best friend but her nemesis too. Lines are blurred as Lex becomes less the villain she’s always painted him to be…and starts turning into something more. Gabi has always hated the way she’s been just a little bit attracted to him—no computer-science major should have that nice of a body or look that good in glasses—but “Lex Luthor” is an evil womanizer. He’s dangerous. Gabi should stay far, far away. Then again, she’s always wanted a little danger.

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA / Amazon AU

  TAKE A LOOK AT THE EPIC COVER HERE    
I hated him. HATED him. Hate, hate, hate. I chanted the words to myself that very next morning as I stomped toward his ridiculously expensive house, next to the ridiculously nice lake, with his ridiculously loud red Mercedes parked out front. Jackass. I’d be doing society a favor if I set it on fire. Seriously. The thing was probably filled with so much bodily fluid and disease that if he got in a car accident he’d infect the entire freeway and start a citywide epidemic. I shuddered. I compartmentalized Lex into two boxes. The first box was Childhood Lex, the friend who used to hang out with Ian and me before he moved across town, never to be seen again. He used to ride with me to school, and when I was sick he gave me my own box of Kleenex—never mind that he stole it from his teacher’s desk. The point is, Childhood Lex was a keeper. Box number two? Asshole Lex, also known as the version I was walking toward. The Lex I met when I was eighteen, who momentarily stunned me speechless with his godlike beauty, had been a figment of my overactive, sad, hormone-riddled imagination. On the outside? The perfect man. With a brooding and sultry smile. Biceps the size of my head. Who gave me the distinct feeling that if I ran my hands over his buzzed hair I’d orgasm before he even touched me. Whatever. I was over it. So over it. A lot of people had stupid crushes when they were eighteen, right? Now all I saw when I looked into his stormy blue eyes was syph or the clap, and that was being generous. The dude was a walking STD and seriously tried every nerve I had. He was an ass. Plain and simple, no sugar coating. He was the type of guy who’d tell a chick that she looked fat in a dress or who refused to share the communal breadbasket. See! He couldn’t even adhere to typical manners during mealtime! Just thinking about him had me tied up in knots. Last year, when I went shopping and stupidly invited Ian along—which of course meant Lex had to come—I was told in no uncertain terms that if I would just stop drinking chocolate milk in the morning I’d be able to fit into a smaller size. He’d smiled. His dimples had deepened. He’d even crossed his arms as if to say, Look, I did you a favor, pat me on the back. Instead I had kicked him in the balls and tried to give him a black eye, clocking Ian in the face. My point? Lex. Was. The. Devil. I made a point of only hanging out with Lex when absolutely necessary, and even then I almost always had Ian as a buffer. But now that he was playing love nest with my ex-roomie, Blake? Well, I was on my own. Lex opened the door after my third aggressive knock. Black sweatpants hung low on his hips, a vintage Mariners shirt fell open around his neck, and he was wearing black-framed glasses that made his eyes more appealing than should be legal. “Sunshine,” he said, his smirk deepening as he crossed his burly arms over his chest. “Dickhead.” I smiled sweetly. “New glasses? They look thicker than last time.” “Better to see you with.” He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing into tiny slits. “There they are.” He reached for one of my boobs. I slapped his hand away so hard my palm stung. “Probably not the best way to treat your new male clients.” He shook his hand and turned towards the living room leaving the door wide open. Manners were completely lost on him. Gritting my teeth, I slammed the door behind me and took off my shoes because I knew if I didn’t he’d give me hell. He was a freak like that. For as much ass as he got, it was shocking how much Lysol he used around the house. His clothes were never wrinkled; everything was pristine. Even his breath. Damn him. He drank coffee like a Starbucks employee but never had coffee breath. It was almost painful, staring him in the face, knowing that everything on the outside appeared perfect—but didn’t match the inside at all, not even close! Beauty like Lex’s was dangerous and wickedly tempting, like something out of a paranormal romance novel. Sometimes, at night, when I dreamed of Lex getting hit by a car, I imagined him as a vampire roaming the streets in his favorite black sweats, shirtless, shimmering under the streetlights, just waiting for whores to line up so he could take a few bites. A pencil flew by my head. “Yo.” Lex’s eyebrows shot up. “We have a lot of work to do if we’re going to get you ready for the next two clients. Daydream about chicks on your own time.” “I’m not a lesbian.” He bit on his bottom lip, sinking back in his chair as his eyes slowly roamed from my mismatched socks all the way up to my head. “Okay, whatever you say, Gabs.” I will not commit homicide. I will not commit homicide. “You know,” I said as I tossed my purse onto the table, “it’s offensive that you assume all lesbians dress like crap.” So what? I was wearing a ratty white T-shirt and ripped jeans, and I was pretty sure I still had mascara on from the night before. It was my Lex repellant. He hated sloppiness. “Offensive.” He nodded. “Also true . . .” He used the spare pencil from behind his ear to slide my purse over to the farthest side of the table. “It wouldn’t kill you to wear something other than jeans and T-shirts, Gabs.” He sighed. “Say it with me: dresssss—” I grabbed the pencil from his hand, broke it into two pieces, and handed them back to him. “I wear dresses, just not for you. Dresses are your kryptonite, especially short black ones. I refuse to be a part of your ‘shower time.’” He snorted. “You wish.” “Yes. Every night when I go to sleep I pray for Lex to dream of me while he jerks off because yet another girl refused to follow his instructions in bed : ‘Damn it, use the manual!’” I said, using my best imitation of Lex’s voice. I’d only heard him shout instructions to a girl once, and it had scarred me for life. What the hell are you doing? Do I look like I’m satisfied? There’s a diagram! Ugh. Lex rolled his eyes. “Very funny, and the manual is there for a reason. Do you even know how many chicks get confused when I call out sexual positions? It’s like, get there faster, you know?” My feelings were torn between fascination and disgust. “So,” I changed the subject. “Let’s train, because I have about ten years worth of Organic Chem homework.” Lex sighed and held out his hand. “No.” I crossed my arms. “I don’t need help.” Okay, I needed help, desperately needed help, and Lex wasn’t just passably smart but a certified genius, at least when he applied himself. I refused to ask him to go over my homework just because Organic Chem was, to me, like reading a foreign language. He cleared his throat. I didn’t move. Finally, he stood, slowly walked over to the end of the table, and fished the chem book from my oversized purse. “What chapter?” “Lex—” “If I’m teaching you Organic Chem, at least say Professor Lex.” “Listen very closely, Lex.” I went over and jerked my book out of his hands. “I didn’t need your help last year when I almost failed biology, and I sure as hell don’t need your help now. Let’s just get this training done so I can go home and suffer in silence, alright?” “Fine.” He dropped my book against the table and then, without warning, grabbed me by my shoulders and pushed me against the counter that bordered the kitchen. My butt hit the cupboard . “Up until now we’ve been helping people find their perfect match. Basically acting like a wingman so that the idiots of this world see the girl who’s been standing in front of them all along .” Why was he standing so close? Did we have to be touching? I told my body not to respond to his proximity, but Lex was magnetic, even if every part of him was evil. My brain was having trouble functioning while his large palms were pressed into the tops of my shoulders. “Okay.” I swallowed. “And now that you’re allowing guys to become clients of Wingmen Inc., I basically do the same thing. Give them confidence, help them capture the one girl who’s always seen them as the friend—or worse, who they’ve been invisible to.” “What’s that like, I wonder?” Lex still didn’t release me. “Being invisible . . . Maybe next time a dude ignores you, take notes.” And another insult. “Lex.” I huffed out a breath. “Just get on with it.” “Right.” His eyes momentarily locked on mine before he rubbed the bridge of his nose where his glasses were perched. It was not sexy. It wasn’t. Really. That. Sexy. “So whenever we take on a new client, we give them a list of questions, meet them in a public place, and then use the power of human emotions like jealousy and curiosity to get the other person interested. That’s where you come in. If another girl sees our client as desirable, he becomes desirable.” “That easy?” “Sort of.” Lex leaned forward. “But you can’t suck.” “Suck?” “At anything.” His lips hovered near my mouth. He was starting to freak me out. I wanted to run away, but I was pinned. “Lex, if you kiss me I will bite your tongue off. I swear.” “If I was actually kissing you”—Lex released one of my shoulders and placed a finger against my mouth—“you’d know it. This, my frumpy friend, is training.” His lips descended. They pressed against mine, then pulled back. “Yeah.” He shook his head. “Gabs, you’re going to need to open your mouth a bit more. Guys are stupid. They always assume that more tongue means better kissing, when the opposite is true, but you still need to have your lips parted, not locked down like Fort Knox.” “What’s happening?” I tried to push away from him. Lex rolled his eyes. “Gabs, believe me, this is all business. You can even keep your hand on my junk the whole time.” “What!” I roared. “So you know without a doubt that nothing about you turns me on.” He grinned menacingly. “Seriously, I don’t mind.” “I do!” “Hey!” He chuckled. “I was just trying to help.” “Grabbing your penis is not the answer, Lex!” “Weird, because it so often is.” “I hate today.” “Is it the rain?” He frowned. “It’s not—” “It is.” “Stop that!” I shoved him. “Hurry up and grade my kissing skills so I can go home and study.” “Kissing, hand holding, hugging, cuddling, laughing, winking—just a few things you need to master.” He was firing off so many horrible, body-numbing words. “Just hurry up,” I grumbled in a defeated voice as I tried to block out the fact that he was a good-looking ass who offended me with every single breath he took. “Ah . . .” Lex held up his hand. “One never hurries a kiss.” “What about a passionate kiss?” “A passionate kiss isn’t hurried, it’s frenzied. Damn, don’t you know anything?” Heat swamped my cheeks. “How many guys have you kissed, Gabs?” “Plenty!” Five. I’d kissed five. “You blush down your neck when you lie.” Lex cupped my chin and then brought his lips down against mine again. “Part.” Sighing against his mouth, I relaxed my lips while his slid across. He pulled back, wearing a frown of irritation. “A bit more, Gabs. Guys want access.” I kept my eyes open. So did he. I didn’t want him assuming I was into it, which was probably his exact line of thinking. Only keeping my eyes open was an entirely raw experience, watching him watch me while I felt him. I shivered. “Cold?” That stupid smirk was back. “Frigid.” I glared, putting myself down before he had a chance to. “You read my mind.” He nodded seriously. “Now stop being a bitch, and let me teach you how to kiss.” “I know how to kiss!” I don’t know what came over me—maybe it was the need to prove myself, or possibly it was just stress over the entire situation. Needing to stay in school and hating that he was the answer, I wrapped my arms around his neck and jumped, my hips colliding with his as I mauled his mouth with as much passion as I could conjure up, this time closing my eyes and putting everything I had into it. With a growl, Lex pushed me back against the countertop. As my butt collided with the edge, his tongue plunged into my mouth and his hands dug into my hair, pulling it free from its ponytail while he changed positions his lips demanding a punishing kiss from a different angle as his he gave my hair a harder tug back. I grasped at his T-shirt, pulling him closer and nearly falling backward into the sink. And then, just when I was in danger of losing myself to the kiss that would probably be the best kiss of my life, I bit down on his bottom lip. That move didn’t work out the way I’d planned, not at all. In my head it was smart. I’d piss him off, get him to pull back and leave me alone. It did nothing of the sort. Nothing of the sort at all. With a hiss he pulled back, fire blazing in his eyes. For a split second that seemed to go on for an eternity, he hovered and I waited, both of us on the edge of something. He wet his lips, I mimicked the movement, and then, like a snake, he struck. His mouth fused to mine in a punishing kiss, one that bruised my mouth while imprinting its essence on my soul.    
   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! Want to be kept up to date on new releases? Text MAFIA to 66866! 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          

Book Release Party: LEGACY by Hannah Fielding! GIVEAWAY!

Legacy launch party: 1 August – 21 August 2016

Synopsis

A troubled young journalist finds her loyalties tested when love and desire unearth dark secrets from the past.

Spring, 2010. When Luna Ward, a science journalist from New York, travels halfway across the world to work undercover at an alternative health clinic in Cadiz, her ordered life is thrown into turmoil.

The doctor she is to investigate, the controversial Rodrigo Rueda de Calderon, is not what she expected. With his wild gypsy looks and devilish sense of humour, he is intent upon drawing her to him. But how can she surrender to a passion that threatens all reason; and how could he ever learn to trust her when he discovers her true identity? Then Luna finds that Ruy is carrying a corrosive secret of his own…

Luna’s native Spanish blood begins to fire in this land of exotic legends, flamboyant gypsies and seductive flamenco guitars, as dazzling Cadiz weaves its own magic on her heart. Can Luna and Ruy’s love survive their families’ legacy of feuding and tragedy, and rise like the phoenix from the ashes of the past? 

Legacy is a story of truth, dreams and desire. But in a world of secrets you need to be careful what you wish for…

Buy links

Amazon - UK

Amazon - US

Barnes & Noble

Hannah Fielding bio

Hannah Fielding is an incurable romantic. The seeds for her writing career were sown in early childhood, spent in Egypt, when she came to an agreement with her governess Zula: for each fairy story Zula told, Hannah would invent and relate one of her own. Years later – following a degree in French literature, several years of travelling in Europe, falling in love with an Englishman, the arrival of two beautiful children and a career in property development – Hannah decided after so many years of yearning to write that the time was now. Today, she lives the dream: writing full time at her homes in Kent, England, and the South of France, where she dreams up romances overlooking breath-taking views of the Mediterranean. 

Hannah is a multi-award-winning novelist, and to date she has published five novels: Burning Embers, ‘romance like Hollywood used to make’, set in Kenya; The Echoes of Love, ‘an epic love story that is beautifully told’ set in Italy; and the Andalusian Nights Trilogy – Indiscretion, Masquerade and Legacy – her fieriest novels yet, set in sunny, sultry Spain. 

You can find Hannah online at:
Website: www.hannahfielding.net
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/fieldinghannah
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fieldinghannah
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5333898.Hannah_Fielding

GIVEAWAY

  Check out the rafflecopter giveaway below, or click HERE to enter on Hannah's blog!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Weekly Reading Update 7/22 - 7/28/16!

As always, click the title for more info!

It's going to be a graphic novel heavy week this time around, since I got a bunch in at the library. I figure I will just lump them all in together, though I read them different times throughout the week. I started off with Robin: Son of Batman, Volume 1: The Year of Blood by Patrick Gleason. It was fairly interesting, there were definitely parts I liked. And it was absolutely amazing when compared to Damian: Son of Batman that I read  a few years ago. Next up was Doctor Who: The Eighth Doctor volume 1: A Matter of Life and Death by George Mann. I love the Doctor Who graphic novels, and this one was especially fantastic because the Eighth Doctor is one of my all-time favorites. A great story, and I can't wait to see where it goes!


Also this week, I read Ms. Marvel, volume 5: Super Famous by G. Willow Wilson.I’m a huge Ms. Marvel fan, so of course I loved this book. I’m actually liking all of Marvel’s heroes reinvented. Lady Thor is awesome, Miles Morales - I like him better than spiderman!, and I can’t wait for the new Iron Man (woman?)! Following that, I read Lumberjanes, Vol. 4: Out Of Time by Shannon Watters. This is an absolutely adorable series, if you’re interested. Great for tweens and up! I finished my graphic novel binge with Saga, Volume 6 by Brian K. Vaughan. Saga is one of my all-time favorite series, and it’s not even done yet! I was actually lucky enough to find volumes 3-5 for cheap at a local bookstore. Yay!

I also went on a Meg Cooper binge. This is an author I got to meet during the Reader Author Get Together, and I bought a few of her books. I’m finally getting around to reading them, and I’m so glad I did! I read Alien Mail Order Bride: Alyssa, Alien Mail Order Bride: Brandy, Bringing A Ghost To Life, and Doing It Right. These are perfect short stories to curl up with before bed. The Alien mail Order Bride books made me chuckle (and wish for my own Alien Mail Order Bride service I could join!), Bringing a Ghost To Life was very amusing, and Doing It Right was a sweet contemporary romance.

Next I got through some stuff that has been on my to-read list for a little while. I read The Best Goodbye by Abbi Glines. I got to meet her and get some books signed a couple weeks ago, so since then I’ve been working my way through the whole Rosemary Beach series. Just two books and a novella left to read! And if you’re interested, I absolutely loved Up In Flames - the very last Rosemary Beach book. And the best, in my opinion! I also read Chase Me by Tessa Bailey. If you have started reading Novel Addiction within the past year, you’ll have seen several reviews of Tessa’s books - I consistently love them. Chase Me was equally awesome, and I had to instantly buy the next book, because I couldn’t stand the idea of waiting!

I also read It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. I got an e-galley of this, courtesy of the publisher. I cannot wait to talk to people about this book when it releases next week. It’s killing me not to discuss what happened. Luckily a friend of mine also got an e-galley, and we’ve been able to at least put some of our emotions into words. Due to the sensitive, spoiler-y nature of the book, I’m going to hold off on a review until a few days after it releases, at least. There still won’t be spoilers, but at least everyone can go in with absolutely NO pre-conceived notions.

Well, that’s it for this week. There’s some reviews scheduled next week, and I’ll finally be able to clear some stuff off my Netgalley account - thank goodness!

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Review: PANTY DROPPER by Jade Sinner!

Release Date: July 28th, 2016

Type: Novella, Hot-and-fast, Contemporary, Romance, Series-but-works-as-a-stand-alone, Erotic, Jade Sinner is my hero.

My Review: I can't say it enough, Jade Sinner is my go-to when I need short and sweet. Or maybe it's better described as fast and hot. The novellas are just long enough to give me a good story, but short enough to read in one sitting. But be warned, if you read it right before bed, you'll get some very interesting dreams. While I did enjoy the first book in this series, Cherry Popper (click to see my review), I think this one is even better. I love second-chance romances!

You have to go into this novella knowing that things will move quickly - very quickly. It's not insta-love, but, well... Maybe you should just read it and decide for yourself. Also, if you try to avoid stories with pregnancy, you might want to give this one a pass. It's not my favorite romance trope, but it is certainly sexy when Jade Sinner does it!

Cover Lovin': Whoa, my... Well done! And definitely goes along with book one.

Recommendation: While this is technically part of a series, no prior knowledge is required. It functions just fine as a stand alone.

Final Rating: FOUR out of FIVE stars! Jade Sinner is my go-to for hot and steamy. And Panty Dropper is another insta-buy!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

BUY LINKS:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

      A one-night stand. That’s all Ashlyn Shepherd is to me. I’ve spent the last five years trying to convince myself that statement is true. But saying it doesn’t make it so.   She’s the one who slipped away in the middle of the night. The one who—after only one night together—took my heart when she left. Literally, she’s the one who got away.   I hate the way she consumes my every thought, even after all this time. I hate the way I dream of her every night. I hate the way I look for her in every crowd. But mostly I hate how I can’t forget her. Not even a little bit.   We were separated by cruel circumstances and now fate has returned her to me. But everything has changed. She isn’t that carefree girl I met five years ago.   I see so much pain behind her eyes. So much uncertainty. But one thing remains unchanged. I still want her.   She. Will. Be. Mine.           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

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

Review: BEARLIEST CATCH by Bianca D'Arc

Release Date: July 26th, 2016

My Review: This is my first time reading a book by Bianca D'Arc, and I will say I'm intrigued enough to read more. If you want to give her a shot, trust me, there is PLENTY to choose from. I enjoyed Bearliest Catch, but over all, there was no wow-factor here for me. But I've already got my eye on a few of her other works, because I liked her voice and sense of humor.

I think what didn't work for me here was not the story itself, but the overwhelming feeling of being told what was happening, instead of being shown. The first third of the book was heavy on the backstory, but I think the history could have been worked in a little more organically than it was. As the book progressed, and we got more into the here-and-now, this was less of an issue, though still present.

I liked the authors voice, and she had some great characters - though unfortunately I preferred the secondary characters to the main couple. I'd gladly look into some of the previous or future books in this series.

Cover Lovin': Whoa boy, look at that arm!

Recommendation: The author catches you up quickly at the beginning, so no prior knowledge is necessary.

Final Rating: THREE out of FIVE stars (3/5). This was a fun, quick read. If you like shifters, and the small-town feel, make sure to give Grizzly Cove a chance!

Disclaimer: I received a free, advanced copy in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

Today we have the great new paranormal romance, Bearliest Catch by Bianca D’Arc. Be sure to check it out and grab your copy, and enter her giveaway About Bearliest Catch:  
 Drew spends his days fishing in the Pacific, far from Grizzly Cove, seeking the peace of the ocean. Jetty lives in the ocean, part of a hunting party of mer folk, in near-constant danger now from the evil creature that roams the deep. When they meet, sparks fly and the ocean comes alive with danger. Can they get her people to safety? IBooks Amazon B&N Kobo  

  About Bianca D’Arc: Bianca D’Arc is the USA Today bestselling author of over 50 romance novels. She has twice won EPPIE Awards for her work, along with the Australian Romance Readers Favorite Erotic Romance eBook of 2008 for her first werewolf romance, Lords of the Were. She is a native New Yorker who worked as an executive on Wall Street during the summer of 2001. She changed careers after the tragic attacks of 9/11 and started seriously pursuing publication in 2005. She has a Bachelors degree in Biochemistry, a Masters in Library Science, and a Juris Doctor, but she doesn’t take herself too seriously. She loves her garden and plays the piano, ukulele and guitar. Connect with Bianca! Website: www.biancadarc.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BiancaDArcAuthor/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/biancadarc

  Enter Bianca’s Giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~