It's Been So Long....

I finished a book today... I started reading it last night and I was instantly reminded of how much I love to read. I haven't posted on this blog in a year and half and it makes me a little sad. I remember a time when I was posting daily, when I was interacting with blogger friends, when books and blogging was a huge part of my life. Blogging got me through a very difficult time in my life, when I was lost and didn't know who I was.

And then I met my husband, and we had kids and life got crazy. Periodically I would think about getting on here and writing a post or reviewing a book that I finally had a chance to read but something would come up and I'd get busy.  But this book... It made me feel nostalgic and I had to get on here and write. It may be far and few between but I will always find my way back to this blog; and every once and a while I'll find that inspiration to write about a book.

Happy Holidays! My 2016 Book Recommendations

I hope everyone who celebrates had a Merry Christmas and if you don't celebrate, I hope you had a great 2015! This year is quickly coming to a close and I thought I would share some of my favorite books of 2015 as recommendations for what you should read next year if you haven't read any of these yet. I'm sure many of you received those coveted Amazon gift cards so here's some ideas on how to spend it.

Sacked by Jen Frederick

What he wants he gets... 

Knox Masters is a quarterback's worst nightmare. Warrior. Champion. And...virgin. Knox knows what he wants--and he gets it. All American Football player? Check. NFL pros scouting him? Check. Now, he's set his sight on two things. The national title. And Ellie Campbell. Sure, she's the sister of his fellow teammate, but that's not going to stop him. Especially not when he’s convinced Ellie is the one. 

...but he's never met her before. 

But Ellie isn't as sure. She's trying to start a new life and she's not interested in a relationship...with anyone. Beside it's not just her cardinal rule of never dating her brother's teammates that keeps her away, but Ellie has a dark secret that would jeopardize everything Knox is pursuing. 

Knox has no intention of losing. Ellie has no intention of giving in.

*********************

I am a huge Jen Frederick fan so I will immediately pick up any new book she puts out. Sacked riveted me and I had a major book hangover. I was legitimately saddened when I finished this book because I just didn't want it to be over.

Confess by Colleen Hoover

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin… 

**********************

I wouldn't be surprised if every person reading this post has already read this book but you never know. Colleen Hoover is a literary genius and there is something about her writing that really captures a reader. 

She's had a few books come out this year but this one really stole my heart. 

Kaleidoscope Hearts by Claire Contreras

He was my older brother's best friend. 

He was never supposed to be mine. 

I thought we would get it out of our system and move on. 

One of us did. 

One of us left. 

Now he’s back, looking at me like he wants to devour me. And all those feelings I’d turned into anger are brewing into something else, something that terrifies me. 

He broke my heart last time. 

This time he'll obliterate it.

*******************

A picture is worth a thousand words. I was initially drawn to this book by the cover and when I read the synopsis, I decided to pick it up. I didn't read it until months later and if I had know how much I would love it, I would have read it immediately. This book had such a great story line and really great character development.

Nowhere but Here by Katie McGarry

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both. 

Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down. 

No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.

*********************

While this is definitely a young-adult romance, what really got me with this story was the development between Emily and her father. I really enjoyed watching their relationship grow and change. 

After the Rain by Renee Carlino

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Sweet Thing and Nowhere But Here comes a deeply emotional contemporary romance about the second chances waiting beyond the shattered dreams of youth.

Under the bright arena lights of a rodeo show, young Avelina Belo falls for a handsome cowboy with a larger-than-life personality. After a whirlwind courtship, she happily moves away from her family in northern California and settles into married life with her cowboy on a seven-thousand-acre cattle ranch in Montana. One freak accident later, Avelina’s hopes for the future come to an end.

Nate Myers graduated from UCLA medical school at the top of his class, ready to follow in the footsteps of his father, a superstar cardiothoracic surgeon. Six years later, Nate’s career is being ruined by a malpractice suit. Questioning himself for the first time, he retreats to a Montana cattle ranch to visit his uncle and gain perspective. There, he meets a beautiful young woman named Avelina who teaches him more than he ever knew about matters of the heart.

*******************

This book left me with tears streaming down my face more than a few times. Renee Carlino snagged me as a fan with her first book, Sweet Thing, but After the Rain solidified me as a fangirl. I love a good "out on the ranch" romance and this book delivered.

Three Brothers by Nicole Williams

I grew up with three brothers. They weren’t tied to me by blood, but our connection went beyond genetics or bearing the same last name. Our connection was forged the summer I turned thirteen, the summer my mom ended her life and left me in the custody of John Armstrong, a man I’d never met. Packing all I owned in a couple of boxes, I left the familiarity of the big city and headed west to Red Mountain Ranch, set in a lonely valley outside of Jackson Hole.

Nothing was as it seemed at Red Mountain—it didn’t take long for me to figure that out. John was kind to me but distant, as if he was afraid to let anyone get too close. His three teenage sons had their own devices for keeping love as far away as they could. The eldest distracted himself with cheap relationships that had a shelf-life of one night. The middle son threw himself into the rigor of running a ranch, and the third wielded cruelty and mind-games in his quest to keep people from getting close.

Time has gone by, and I’ve spent those years trying to forget the brother I’d fallen for—the biggest mistake of my life.

Finally, I’ve moved on. Finally, I’m back. But what I didn’t realize was that running away from the wrong brother meant I’d also run away from the right one. The one who’d been there for me all along, waiting in his brother’s shadow for the day I either would or could move on.

But a decade is a long time to wait. Has the brother I should have chosen all of those years ago moved on too? Am I about to discover that my biggest mistake wasn’t falling in love with the wrong brother, but failing to return the love of the right one sooner?

Does unrequited love have an expiration date?

I’m about to find out.

*********************

If you've read anything by Nicole Williams then you know what a talented writer she is. This was one of the first books I read in 2015 and it really left an impression. It was so much more than just a romance. Scout's character development was well done and I felt like she really grew. I also read enough to be able to predict fairly well and there were some twists and turns I didn't see coming.

Blog Under Construction

Hello to all my friends and followers. It has been many months since I posted on my blog and my posts had been sporadic at best for several months before that. I have had a lot going on in my life over the last year and while blogging and reading is a huge part of who I am, I had to take a break for a while. However, I am making a comeback!

I have decided to completely revamp my blog with a whole new name and design so for the next few weeks, my blog will be under construction while I make lots of changes. The first notable change will be the name. While I still love Starbucks and that will remain in my twitter name, I think part of getting back into blogging is to almost start over and that includes coming up with a new name. I remember when I first started blogging a huge part of the excitement was naming my blog and coming up with the design and I need to bring back some of that enthusiasm to get me in the mind frame to blog again.

While my blog will be going through major design changes, myself as a blogger will still be the same. I still read the same books so my reviews won't be changing. I still love telling anyone and everyone about a book I love so that won't be changing. I still love checking out other blogs and talking to fellow book lovers about books so that won't be changing.

I really miss being a part of the book blogging world and I especially miss my blogging besties so I'm excited to be jumping back in again and if you've missed me, I'm glad to be back. If you didn't miss me, that's ok too. I'm still coming back.

Trailer Reveal: Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the Trailer Reveal for Katie McGarry's NOWHERE BUT HERE! NOWHERE BUT HERE is a Young Adult Contemporary Romance being published by Harlequin Teen and is a part of Katie McGarry’s Thunder Road Series. It is being released on May 26^th, 2015!!

NOWHERE BUT HERE Pre-Order:

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Add it to your Goodreads Now!

   

Pre-Order NOWHERE BUT HERE, Register your Pre-Order and you’ll get the eBook you’ve been asking for, Abby’s Story, CHASING IMPOSSIBLE absolutely free! PLUS, you’ll also be entered to win a $500 VISA Gift Card! Register at http://bit.ly/1Mt8cjr.

 

And check out the amazing trailer for

NOWHERE BUT HERE!

 

An unforgettable new series from acclaimed author Katie McGarry about taking risks, opening your heart and ending up in a place you never imagined possible 

Seventeen-year-old Emily likes her life the way it is: doting parents, good friends, good school in a safe neighborhood. Sure, she's curious about her biological father—the one who chose life in a motorcycle club, the Reign of Terror, over being a parent—but that doesn't mean she wants to be a part of his world. But when a reluctant visit turns to an extended summer vacation among relatives she never knew she had, one thing becomes clear: nothing is what it seems. Not the club, not her secret-keeping father and not Oz, a guy with suck-me-in blue eyes who can help her understand them both. 

 Oz wants one thing: to join the Reign of Terror. They're the good guys. They protect people. They're…family. And while Emily—the gorgeous and sheltered daughter of the club's most respected member—is in town, he's gonna prove it to her. So when her father asks him to keep her safe from a rival club with a score to settle, Oz knows it's his shot at his dream. What he doesn't count on is that Emily just might turn that dream upside down. No one wants them to be together. But sometimes the right person is the one you least expect, and the road you fear the most is the one that leads you home.  

  About Katie McGarry: Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

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Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Asa by Jay Crownover

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Asa by Jay Crownover. I am so honored to take a part and so excited to share my review with you.

~Synopsis~

Jay Crownover’s New York Times and USA Today bestsellingMarked Men series continues with the much anticipated story of southern charmer and certified criminal Asa Cross.

Starting over in Denver with a whole new circle of friends and family, Asa Cross struggles with being the man he knows everyone wants him to be and the man he knows he really is. A leopard doesn’t it change its spots and Asa has always been a predator. He doesn’t want to hurt those who love and rely on him, especially one luscious arresting cop who suddenly seems to be interested in him for far more than his penchant for breaking the law. But letting go of old habits is hard, and it’s easy to hit bottom when it’s the place you know best.

Royal Hastings is quickly learning what the bottom looks like after a tragic situation at work threatens not only her career but her partner’s life. As a woman who has only ever had a few real friends she’s trying to muddle through her confusion and devastation all alone. Except she can’t stop thinking about the sexy southern bartender she locked up. Crushing on Asa is the last thing she needs but his allure is too strong to resist. His long criminal record can only hurt her already shaky career and chasing after a guy who has no respect for the law or himself can only end in heartbreak.

A longtime criminal and a cop together just seems so wrong . . . but for Asa and Royal, being wrong together is the only right choice to make.

~Review~

Jay Crownover is a masterful new adult writer and she has created a beloved series that follows a bunch of tattoo artists in Denver and the women who's hearts they steal. Asa is the final Marked Men book in the series and I am sad to say goodbye. If anyone could close it out with a bang though, it would be Royal and Asa.

Asa is a former con-artist who is somewhat reformed. Asa knows who he is and he doesn't bullshit. He's done some pretty shady things and mixed himself up in a lot of bad shit. Shit that almost got him killed. His near death experience has somewhat reformed him and he wants to prove to his sister, Ayden, that he can do right. Asa knows he owes that much to her.

Royal is a beautiful girl with a past that she has overcome. She could have gone a lot of directions but she kept it straight and now she's a police officer; and a damn good one at that. After a shootout that left one officer dead and her best friend and partner, Dominic, in the hospital, Royal is struggling. She blames herself and she's headed down a path that could cause her to lose it all.

Asa and Royal run in the same circle so they know each other but she's a cop and he's a con so both of them see no future there. However, there is definitely an attraction and Royal starts throwing herself at Asa to numb some of her pain. Normally Asa would be all about that but he likes Royal and he doesn't want to be any part of her self destruction. However, he only has so much control.

I loved the way Asa and Royal come together. They are two opposites who definitely attract. More important though, is that they are two opposites who fall in love. Asa helps Royal find herself again and realize that she is worth everything. Royal shows Asa that your past doesn't define you and that he can rise above his. There are a lot of obstacles in their path but they both fight them like champs.

Falling in love isn't easy; it's damn hard. Dropping your defenses to let somebody in is near impossible. When Asa and Royal finally make it through all that, they prove that it's all worth it.

Once again, Jay is a master of new adult. She brings in unique characters and a great storyline to tie it all together. Of course there's sex but the sex doesn't overshadow the true theme of this story; overcoming life's obstacles. I can't wait to see what Jay does next!

BUY LINKS:

 Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo ** IndieBound ** Other

About Jay Crownover:

Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series. She will also be introducing the dark and sexy world of The Point in a new series this summer starting with Better When He’s Bad. 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.

Links:

Website ** Blog ** Facebook ** Twitter

** Jay Crownover Goodreads

And don’t miss the previous books in The Marked Men Series!

RULE

JET

ROME

NASH

ROWDY

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Cover Reveal: Chasing River by K.A. Tucker

We have been dying to share this Cover Reveal for K.A. Tucker's CHASING RIVER with you all! CHASING RIVER is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel, and the third novel in K.A. Tucker’s Burying Water Series, published by Atria books, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster. CHASING RIVER is set to be released July 7, 2015! If you haven't had a chance to check out this series yet now is the time!

To celebrate, BURYING WATER is just $1.99 for the month of April and... If you buy Burying Water, you will get an excerpt from Chasing River!! So get your copy now!

Grab BURYING WATER and BECOMING RAIN while you wait for CHASING RIVER!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | IndieBound | Books-a-Million

~Synopsis~

 Armed with two years' worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.

 Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn't let her die, but he also couldn’t risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around.

 Chasing her off would be the smart move. Maybe it's because he saved her life, or maybe it's because he's completely different from everything she's left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone. And River isn't the kind of guy she'd want to catch.

And don’t forget BURYING WATER and BECOMING RAIN, the first two books in this thrilling series…

 

BURYING WATER is just $1.99 for the month of April!

About BURYING WATER: 

 The top-selling, beloved indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths returns with a new romance about a young woman who loses her memory—and the man who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away. Left for dead in the fields of rural Oregon, a young woman defies all odds and survives—but she awakens with no idea who she is, or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body—the only clue to her past. Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crotchety but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor, quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him? Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. He knows that she’ll stay so much safer—and happier—that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried. The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface.

Amazon ** Barnes & Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo ** IndieBound

About BECOMING RAIN: 

 Luke Boone doesn't know exactly what his uncle Rust is involved in but he wants in on it-the cars, the money, the women. And it looks like he's finally getting his wish. When Rust hands him the managerial keys to the garage, they come with a second set—one that opens up the door to tons of cash and opportunity. Though it's not exactly legal, Luke's never been one to worry about that sort of thing. Especially when it puts him behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 and onto the radar of gorgeous socialite named Rain. Clara Bertelli is at the top of her game—at only twenty-six years old, she's one of the most successful undercover officers in the Washington D.C. major crime unit, and she's just been handed a case that could catapult her career and expose one of the west coast's most notorious car theft rings. But, in order to do it, she'll need to go deep undercover as Rain Martines. Her target? The twenty-four-year old nephew of a key player who appears ready to follow in his uncle's footsteps. As Clara drifts deeper into the luxurious lifestyle of Rain, and further into the arms of her very attractive and charming target, the lines between right and wrong start to blur, making her wonder if she'll be able to leave it all behind. Or if she'll even want to.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound | Apple | Blio | Books-a-Million | Google

About K.A. Tucker: Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.      

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Review: With a Twist by Sawyer Bennett

Author: Sawyer Bennett

Publisher: Big Dog Books, LLC

Publication Date: January 6th, 2015

Genre: New Adult

Source: Purchased via Amason

~Synopsis~

Wyatt Banks is ready to give one woman the world. Unfortunately, his job as a cop tends to interfere with other goals. When Wyatt is sent deep undercover to investigate a sex slave ring, he doesn’t have time to do anything but focus on staying alive in a dark and dangerous underworld.

Wyatt isn’t alone though in his quest to save the women that are being sold into sexual slavery. 

His partner, FBI Agent Andrea Somerville, is immersed just as deeply as he is, and she’s the bait to lure the sex slavers out into the open, as she poses as an erotic dancer in an attempt to snare the enemy. But danger runs as high as the sparks between them, and now Wyatt is caught between the job he loves and the woman he wants.

~ Review~

I adore this series by Sawyer Bennett. I love the cocktail titles and the Atlantic beach setting. I love the strong female leads and the stubborn men who fall for them. However, this one didn't quite captivate me like the others.

I like Wyatt and he definitely has all the qualities that the other men have. I liked Andrea, she was another strong female lead; but for some reason I just didn't connect with these characters like I did the others or really get pulled into this book. I think it had an interesting plot line but it felt rushed and maybe a little shallow. I felt like it lacked some of the depth that the others in the series. 

Wyatt and Andrea meet under abnormal circumstances but I think that is also what helped them connect. They both have tough jobs and they can understand each other better. It was apparent that there was a mutual attraction and I liked that Wyatt protected Andrea but didn't get all caveman on her. He understood her need to be able to do things on her own too and I liked that about him.

Andrea definitely had a desire for Wyatt and I think she kept her feelings in check well. However, I wanted her to let go a little. Fall for Wyatt and let him be the man she needed. For a strong woman, I felt that she held back too much when it came to her feelings.

While this wasn't my favorite in the series, I did still enjoy the book. I like Sawyer Bennett's writing style and I think this book was still well written. It was my inability to really feel for the characters that brought this one down a little. I am definitely still looking forward to the next book in the series, Shaken, Not Stirred.

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | B&N