Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Release Day Launch: Three Broken Promises by Monica Murphy ~ Excerpt & Giveaway


Today is the release day for Three Broken Promises by Monica Murphy and I am so, so excited to share this with you guys. I absolutely LOVED One Week Girlfriend and Second Chance Boyfriend so I was super excited for the next installment. Three Broken Promises is Colin and Jen's story and it was fantastic. Stop back by on January 3rd for my review as part of the blog tour. In the meantime, check out the excerpt below and enter the giveaway.

~Synopsis~
Breakout New Adult sensation Monica Murphy returns with a hot new contemporary romance—a heartfelt story of second chances, forgiveness, and redemption.


Commitment. That’s what I really want from Colin. Ever since my brother, Danny, died in Iraq, Colin’s done so much to help me, including giving me a job at his popular restaurant so I can leave my crappy waitressing job at the strip joint. But lying in bed with him every night to comfort him from his horrible nightmares isn’t enough anymore. I know he feels guilty about Danny’s death, about not going to Iraq, but I can’t keep living this double life. 



I love him desperately, but he’s got so many demons, and if he can’t open up to me now, then he’ll never be the real partner I need him to be. I gave him a month, and now I’m out of here. If he truly loves me like he says, he knows where to find me.


~Excerpt~

“You’re going to turn me away yet again, aren’t you?” she asks when I don’t say anything. The irritation in her voice rings clear as her entire body goes tense. “I can’t believe it. I offer myself up to you with no strings attached and you’re trying to figure out how to let me down easy. God, I am such a moron.”
Unable to hold myself back, I rush toward her, angry that she would insult herself. Panicked that she really is going to walk away and I’m going to lose my chance. Thinking too much sucks. I need to just let it happen. Take this opportunity that she’s presenting me.
And let her go when our time is up.
“You’re not a moron,” I murmur, reaching for her. I cup her face in my hands and position her so she has no choice but to meet my gaze. I skim my thumbs across her cheeks, feel her shudder at my touch. “You make an offer like that and a man needs to process it first.”
The unshed tears still glimmer in her eyes and one escapes, leaving a damp trail across her skin. Leaning in, I stop its descent with my lips, tasting the salt, hearing the catch in her breath. “We do this and it’s not going to be some half-assed thing, you know,” I whisper.
She closes her eyes, her tears tangled in her long, thick lashes. “What’s it going to be, then?”
“A discovery.” I nuzzle her nose with my own, breathing in her scent, her very essence. God, I could devour her! It’s taking everything within me to keep calm and not unleash all over her. “An exploration.”
“That sounds like . . . research.” Her breath hitches in her throat when I drop a tender kiss on the tip of her nose. Chuckling, I shake my head. “It’s the farthest thing from research.” I drift my lips across her cheek, blazing a hot path on her petal-soft skin. “You’re right when you said I don’t do commitment. The closest thing I’ve ever been to commitment is . . . what I share with you.”
She tentatively places her hands on my hips, her fingers curling into the waistband of my jeans. Having her hands on me sends little darts of fire throughout my insides, making me harden in an instant. She has no idea what sort of effect she has on me. How much restraint I’m using at this very moment not to throw her over my shoulder like an oversexed caveman and cart her off to my bedroom.
“But it can be no more than friendship with added . . . benefits.” I lift my head so I can look into her troubled gaze. She doesn’t like what I have to say and I don’t like it either, but I have to be honest. Stringing her along and making her believe this is something more is a mistake. The two of us together would never work. I’m too damn selfish. I’d disappoint her. I’d hold her back when she needs her freedom. I’m not worthy of her. She’s everything sweet and good in my life, where there’s little sweet and good remaining.
I’ve kept her—and our relationship—as pure as possible even after all of these years. With the realization that she’s leaving me, that we’ll never be together again, I need to take my opportunities where I can. Jen bites her lip and drops her gaze. “I can handle that.”
Her body language is more than telling me she doesn’t really want to handle that, but I can’t worry about it now. I want her too damn much.

Buy Links:

ABOUT Monica Murphy:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the foothills below Yosemite. A wife and mother of three, she writes New Adult and contemporary romance for Bantam and Avon. She is the author of One Week Girlfriend and Second Chance Boyfriend.
LINKS:  




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Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten YA Series to Read in 2014


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/meme created by The Broke & the Bookish. Here we list our top ten picks for the topic.

This week's topic is:
Top Ten YA Series to Read in 2014

I did this week's TTT topic last week so I thought I would pick my own this week.
I read and review a large amount of new adult books. Before I started blogging, I read a lot of YA paranormal series and I would love to get back into that genre more so I am listing out the Top Ten YA Series I plan on reading in 2014. 

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
  

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

  
 Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Guards of the Shadowlands by Sarah Fine

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Dust Lands by Moira Young

Apocalypse Chronicles by Laury Falter

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

 Thanks a bunch to Jessica @ Lovin Los Libros for some recommendations!

Monday, December 30, 2013

Release Day Launch: Kiss Me at Midnight by Diane Alberts


Her New Year’s resolution was seduction.

Doctor Ashley Hanes has one mission and one mission only—end her annoyingly long dry streak and ring in the New Year with a bang. Literally. When her long lost and oh-so-sexy ex-best friend, Ethan Pierce, shows up as if he hadn’t broken her heart all those years ago, suddenly she doesn’t want to bring home just any man. She wants Ethan.

What should have been one night of blow-your-mind make-up sex quickly turns into another. And another. Before long, Ashley thinks maybe she and Ethan should reunite for good. If only the elusive bachelor will stop running from his tortured past and trust a future in Ashley’s arms.



Buy Links: 

Diane Alberts is a multi-published, bestselling contemporary romance author with Entangled Publishing. She also writes New York Times and USA Today bestselling new adult books under the name Jen McLaughlin. ON ONE CONDITION hit #18 on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list, and TRY ME hit #76 on Amazon. CAPTIVATED BY YOU hit #31 on the Barnes and Noble bestseller list. Diane is represented by Louise Fury at The Bent Agency. Her goal is to write so many fantastic stories that even a non-romance reader will know her name. Diane has always been a dreamer with a vivid imagination, but it wasn’t until 2011 that she put her pen where her brain was, and became a published author. Since receiving her first contract offer, she has yet to stop writing. Though she lives in the mountains, she really wishes she was surrounded by a hot, sunny beach with crystal clear water. She lives in Northeast Pennsylvania with her four kids, a husband, a schnauzer mutt, a cat, and a Senegal parrot. In the rare moments when she’s not writing, she can usually be found hunched over one knitting project or another.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Mini ARC Review: Wild Hearts by Magan Vernon

Wild Hearts
Forever Wtsild #2
Author: Magan Vernon
Publisher: Beautifully Broken Books
Publication Date: December 20, 2013
Genre: New Adult
Source: eARC via Inkslinger PR

~Synopsis~
Wild Hearts is the second book in the Forever Wild Serial. (This is a six part series with one book releasing every 3 weeks) 

Going back to Chicago with her accidental husband should have been torture for Valerie. But when Wes has her bent over the first class bathroom sink, torture is the last thing on her mind.

After landing back in Chicago reality sets in. So does the glaring eye of her roommate, and her former friends with benefits, Max, who seems to be a lot friendlier since Wes came in the picture.

After a meeting with a divorce lawyer, Valerie and Wes find out that they have thirty days for both of them to sign the papers, ending their quickie marriage.

But Valerie doesn’t know if she wants to move on or forever stay Mrs. Wild.

Note from the author about the series: 
Forever Wild is a serialized series. This means that each book in this series is only around 50 pages, novella length, kind of like a TV show episode. There will be six total books in this series, each one coming out every three weeks.


~Review~
I'm really enjoying this series novel, even though it kills me to only be able to read it in pieces at a time. It's also really hard to write a solid review piece by piece because the story isn't completely developed yet and therefore, neither are the characters. That being said, this will be more like a mini review.

I'm liking the chemistry and connection between Wes and Valerie. She is a bit insecure and has some body image issues. As a little more curvy girl, I can totally understand where she's coming from. However, I don't think she gives herself enough credit and she allows men to use and abuse her because of this. I like that Wes doesn't treat her as if she's just a piece, but rather like something to be cherished. 

I think Wes needs to man up a little. It's clear that he has some real feelings for Valerie and that he wants to see where things can go, just like she might, but he's being to big of a pussy to say anything. He is sweet, charming and sexy as hell so I really want Valerie to give him a chance. Her "bed buddy" has suddenly shown relationship interest and I want her to send him packing. She and Wes and some very steamy moments and he knows how to please Valerie as well as make her feel like more than just another "lay." He makes her feel special.

Book 3 in the series will be out in a few weeks and I'm really looking forward to continuing the story. We'll finally be getting  Wes' POV and I'm super excited about that. I need to get inside that boy's head and see what he's thinking and feeling about Valerie. I have a pretty good idea but I want his confirmation. I also can't wait to see the turns their relationship takes. Also, they have some very steamy moments together  and I'm always looking forward to those.

BUY LINKS: 
Wild Hearts is just .99 cents! 
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1exZW4u

And, some good news: ONE WILD NIGHT is now FREE! 
One Wild Night buy links: 

The Sunday Post: Issue #28 ~ The One with Christmas


The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

I hope you all had a great Christmas! Mine was really quiet and relaxing. I couldn't make it back to Idaho but my sister came to Seattle for a few days and we had a lot of fun. I got some great gifts and had a light week.

Also, the 25 Days of Book Boyfriends, hosted by myself, Jessica @ Lovin Los Libros and Teresa @ Reader's Live a Thousand Lives ended this week and it was fantastic. Thanks to all the awesome blogs that participated and to all of you for stopping by!



December 24, 2013-- Top Ten Tuesday: Top Books of 2013


December 26, 2013-- Swoon Thursday: Three Broken Promises by Monica Murphy
Release Day Launch: Wild Hearts by Magan Vernon


December 29, 2013-- The Sunday Post: Issue #28
ARC Review: Wild Hearts by Magan Vernon


Books I received for Review/Blog Tours
Thanks to the authors, publishers and NetGalley for these ones!
  
 Thanks to the authors, publishers and Inkslinger PR for these ones!

Books I Bought This Week

 Gifted from Blogging Besties
Thanks so much to CeCe at Steaming Mug of Books for this one! That girl knows me so well and I can't wait to read this one.

Lots of thanks to one of my blogging besties, Jessica @ Loving Los Libros for these! She is so awesome and I am so excited to read both!!


December 30, 2013-- Release Day Launch: Kiss Me at Midnight by Diane Alberts

December 31, 2013-- Release Day Launch: Three Broken Promises by Monica Murphy
Review: Dirty Red by Tarryn Fisher

January 1, 2014-- Blogging Resolutions for 2014

January 2, 2014-- Swoon Thursday
Review: Mine & Remy by Katy Evans

January 3, 2013-- Blog Tour Review & Guest Post: Three Broken Promises by Monica Murphy

January 5, 2013-- The Sunday Post: Issue #29

There is a good chance this will change next week because I am crazy like that but as of now this is what I plan.