Thursday, December 18, 2014

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: The Charlotte Chronicles by Jen Frederick


Today is my stop on the blog tour for The Charlotte Chronicles, by Jen Frederick, hosted by TRSOR Promotions. I loved this book and am excited to share my review below.

Follow the rest of the tour HERE.

~Synopsis~

Charlotte and Nathan were supposed to be forever. They grew up together. Their families were intertwined. Charlotte was Nathan's first love. Nathan was Charlotte's first everything.
Until they weren't.
How do you hold on to the person you know in your heart you are supposed to be with when everything and everyone in the universe is telling you it's over?
How many times does a heart break?
When is enough…..enough?
How long is forever?


~Review~


I am a huge Jen Frederick fan! I love all her books, especially the Woodlands series and The Charlotte Chronicles are fantastic. This book started out as a weekly chapter in her newsletter and the moment I read chapter 1, I was hooked.

One of my favorite things about this book is watching Nate and Charlotte fall in love and grow up together. They have known each other their whole lives and as they grew up, their feelings slowly grew into something more. Nathan was made for Charlotte. Charlotte was made for Nathan.

Charlotte and Nathan hit a major obstacle and watching them overcome it for their love was really beautiful. There were moments when I wasn't sure they would make it. There were moments when I wanted to kick Nathan in the balls. There were moments when I wanted to cry for Charlotte. 

Part of the book that I really liked was the letters that Charlotte wrote to Nathan. There is a huge time gap in this book and I loved that Jen used those letters to kind of fill it. It worked really well and helped the book flow nicely. 

I also really liked the side characters, including Nate's brother, Nick and Charlotte's best friend, Laney. There is a story between those 2 and I am really looking forward to it. I also loved that some of Nate's SEAL brothers are included and we get to know them a little bit too. 

Overall, this book really blew me away and stole my heart. Jen knows how to create incredible characters and build storylines that keep you hooked. She is also incredible at writing steamy scenes and this book wasn't short on those.





PURCHASE LINKS:


~Excerpt~

But when I close my eyes, I can see him—and me. I can see me pressed up against the mirror in the bathroom, my hands making starfish prints as I brace myself against his thrusts. I can hear his harsh breathing, his commands to come, come now, Charlotte. There was that passage of time that felt endless when he was between my legs, licking me softly and leisurely as if there wasn’t anything in this world that gave him more pleasure than helping me find my own. I touch myself, but it’s useless. My body wants one thing: Nathan Jackson.

I’m on fire and the ache of want is so acute it’s like a knife in my chest. I’ve had multiple surgeries, chemo treatments, radiation but that’s nothing compared to what I feel now.

Time and distance had dulled my pain and that my desire and love for Nathan had actually started to ease only to be stoked into high, hot flames by his reappearance in my life.

He is the poison and the antidote.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jen Frederick lives with her husband, child, and one rambunctious dog.  She's been reading stories all her life but never imagined writing one of her own. Jen loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at jensfrederick@gmail.com.







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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

New Release Blitz: Wicked by Jennifer L Armentrout

Wicked RWB Banner

 We are over the moon excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for Jennifer L. Armentrout's WICKED! WICKED is a New Adult Paranormal Romance and the first book in Jennifer’s Wicked Trilogy!

Wicked
 

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo

 ~Synopsis~

 Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans. 
 Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart. 
 Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer.
 But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. 
Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her. But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul. 

   Wicked Teaser 1   

 ~ Excerpt~
He left me standing there as he disappeared into the bathroom, and I tried to make sense of what just happened. All I knew was that the punch-in-the-chest sadness that came whenever I thought of Shaun wasn’t there. And I didn’t know what to make of that.
Or anything.
Taking a deep breath, I put my clothes on his dresser and all but dashed into the bed, and good Lord, the mattress was comfy! I scooted to the middle and froze, having no idea what side he slept on or if he had a side. I totally had a side—always the furthest away from closet doors because I was a dork. Straightening the shirt out so my undies weren’t saying hi to the world, I tugged the blanket up to my hips and lay flat on my back.
I so needed an adult to explain to me what the hell I was supposed to do from this point on.
There wasn’t much time to stress over it because Ren returned from the bathroom. His ever-present half grin spread as he saw me. I clutched the blanket, my breath caught in my throat. My heart pounded so fast that I wondered if I was going to have a heart attack, and God, wouldn’t that be embarrassing. I swallowed nervously and willed my heart to slow.
Turning off the lamp, shadows fell around Ren, but when he faced me, I could tell that he’d frozen. I couldn’t make out his expression as he bent, taking a hold of the covers on his side.
“Ivy?”
“Hmm?”
He slowly edged the covers back from his side and climbed in, and although I couldn’t make out his eyes, I knew he was watching me. “I’m happy that you’re here.”
My fingers eased off the blanket.
As he stretched out beside me, my eyes adjusted to the lack of light, and I could see that he was smiling. “Are you?”
“Yeah,” I whispered.
“Good. That’s all I wanted to hear.”
Wow, the warmth that flooded my chest could’ve turned me into a puddle of goo in that bed. I waited for him to make a move on me, but seconds ticked by. He seriously was behaving himself. I dared a quick peek at him, and found I could not look away.
Ren lifted his arm closest to me, and a heartbeat passed. I hesitated for a moment, and then, my heart pounding even more, I slid over until my leg brushed his. He curved his arm around my waist and drew me up against his side, guiding me down until I was nestled against his warm, bare chest. Another moment passed and then I lowered my cheek, and the simple pleasure of lying like this nearly broke me right open.


A picture of a fresh cupcak placed on a sensual female butt

   
Author PhotoAbout Jennifer L. Armentrout: # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

 

Saturday, December 6, 2014

25 Days of Book Boyfriends~ Will Goods from Damaged Goods by Nicole Williams


Today is my stop on the 25 Days of Book Boyfriends Tour, hosted by myself, Jessica @Lovin Los Libros and Theresa @Readers Live a Thousand Lives. This is our second annual tour and I'm super excited to share my love for Will Goods with you today. If you've met Will, you're a lucky woman, if not; I hope you'll want to after you learn more about him.

Source: IMDB.com

Will Goods
Age: 28
Likes: Cars, Sunsets, Blackouts
Dislikes: Rattlesnakes, Pity

Top Five Words to Describe Will Goods

1. Sexy- He's tall, handsome, well built and good with his hands.

2. Smart- Will is good at resolving tough situations and creating solutions.

3. Selfless- He puts himself above all others and protects people without question.

4. Adaptable- Will has been through some difficult situations but he knows how to adapt and be strong despite the obstacles.

5. Trustworthy- He is loyal to everyone, especially the people he cares about.

Source: IMDB.com

Top Five Favorite Will Goods Quotes:

"Don't live life like it's an apology. Live like it's full of no regrets."

"A guy wouldn't want to find himself unprepared when the adventure of a lifetime came knocking on his door Or... when I came knocking on yours in this case."

"I think I might love you, Liv Bennett. Wait, no that's a lie. I know I love you Liv Bennett."


"I don't allow hate in my heart."


" I wanted you to know like I did. I wanted you to feel its truth in every last fiber of your make-up, like I did. I didn't want it to be a question in your mind when I came back into your life. Because I wasn't going to let you get away that easily. I couldn't let a moment of insecurity and self-pity be responsible for losing the single best thing that's happened to me. I couldn't let you go without a fight, Liv, and yes, there might be other men who would do anything for you and go to any length for you, but I can't speak for those men. All I can speak for is myself, for this man. And Liv, I am the man who would do anything for you. I'm the man who would go to any length for you."




~Synopsis~

When Liv Bennett said good-bye to her sinkhole of a hometown, she planned to leave that chapter of her life behind forever. But forever turned out to only be three years.

After her addict of a mother up and disappears, Liv returns to what she considers her own personal hell smack in the middle of nowhere Nevada to take care of her two younger sisters, and she promptly reinstitutes the golden rule that got her through her first nineteen years of life without getting knocked up, roughed up, or messed up: don’t date the local boys and, god forbid, don’t fall in love with one of them.

It isn’t long before that golden rule is put to the test.

Will Goods grew up in the next trailer over, but the wild, careless boy who used to tear up the town with his three brothers has morphed into someone else so completely, he’s almost unrecognizable. The quiet, contemplative man who works on cars every night and takes care of his mentally ill mother every day is nothing like the local boys Liv grew up avoiding.

But when Liv considers suspending her golden rule just this once, she finds out something about Will that will change everything.

Will Goods isn’t who he used to be—he’s not even the man Liv thinks she’s gotten to know over the summer. He’s become someone else entirely.

He’s become . . .

Damaged Goods.


Check out my review of Damaged Goods here.

And...

Follow the rest of the tour by checking out the links below!

December 1:
(Madoc, Rival by Penelope Douglas)
December 2:
(Ridge Lawson, Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover)
December 3:
(Bones, Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost)
December 4:
(Perry, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi)
December 5:
(Chaol Westfall, Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas)
December 6:
(Will Goods, Damaged Goods by Nicole Williams)
December 7:
(Connor, Kiss the Sky by Krista and Becca Ritchie)
December 8:
(Warner, Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi)
December 9:
(Cade Maxwell, Caged in Winter by Brighton Walsh)
December 10:
(Kellan Kyle, Thoughtless series by S.C. Stephens)
December 11:
(Preston Riggs, Pieces of Olivia by Melissa West)
December 12:
(Morpheus, Splintered series by A.G. Howard)
December 13:
(Josh Wasserstein, Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins)
December 14:
BFF Book Blog
(Finn Van Brunt, The Collectors' Society by Heather Lyons)
December 15:
(Noah, My True Love Gave To Me anthology)
December 16:
(Prince Tristan, Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen)
December 17:
(Roth, The Dark Elements series by Jennifer L. Armentrout)
December 18:
(Jackson Deveaux, The Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole)
December 19:
(Titus, The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas)
December 20:
(Gansey, The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater)
December 21:
(Gideon Cross, Crossfire series by Sylvia Day)
December 22:
(Matt Finch, Open Road Summer by Emery Lord)
December 23:
(Adrian Ivashkov, Vampire Academy/Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead)
December 24:
(Willem, Just One Day by Gayle Forman)
December 25:
(The Darkling, Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo)

Friday, December 5, 2014

"Will Goods may very well have been the best man to walk the planet..." ~Review: Damaged Goods by Nicole Williams

Author: Nicole Williams
Publication Date: September 9, 2014
Genre: New Adult
Source: Purchased via Amazon

~Synopsis~

When Liv Bennett said good-bye to her sinkhole of a hometown, she planned to leave that chapter of her life behind forever. But forever turned out to only be three years.

After her addict of a mother up and disappears, Liv returns to what she considers her own personal hell smack in the middle of nowhere Nevada to take care of her two younger sisters, and she promptly reinstitutes the golden rule that got her through her first nineteen years of life without getting knocked up, roughed up, or messed up: don’t date the local boys and, god forbid, don’t fall in love with one of them.

It isn’t long before that golden rule is put to the test.

Will Goods grew up in the next trailer over, but the wild, careless boy who used to tear up the town with his three brothers has morphed into someone else so completely, he’s almost unrecognizable. The quiet, contemplative man who works on cars every night and takes care of his mentally ill mother every day is nothing like the local boys Liv grew up avoiding.

But when Liv considers suspending her golden rule just this once, she finds out something about Will that will change everything.

Will Goods isn’t who he used to be—he’s not even the man Liv thinks she’s gotten to know over the summer. He’s become someone else entirely.

He’s become . . .

Damaged Goods.



~Review~


I am a huge fan of Nicole Williams. She's probably one of my favorite new adult authors. New adult is a genre I've been reading for about 2 years now, and it's been getting a little old. However, I find myself constantly enjoying Nicole's books despite my boredom with the genre itself. I think it may be a combination of her writing and the seemingly unique characters she creates. Will Goods is one of those characters. While I have many book boyfriends, the moment I met Will, I gained tunnel vision.

Liv Bennett is finally starting to build the life she always wanted. She's living in LA, getting her degree and working hard to save her money. She's put that podunk hometown in Nevada and the useless mother she had behind her. When her mom disappears and leaves her teenage sisters behind by themselves, Liv is forced to go back and pick up the pieces. She has one rule; never get involved with a local boy. Enter Will Goods.

Will has lived in the trailer near Liv Bennett his whole life but never really knew her. When Liv shows up at his garage after coming back to town, he can't resist her or fight the feelings she invokes. Will left home and made a life for himself in the army but after being injured and discharged, he comes home to take care of his mother, whose mental health is fading. 

While I liked Liv well enough, it drove me a little crazy how much she judged Will simply because he was back living in their hometown. She couldn't see beyond that to what an amazing man he was and all he had done with his life. He came home for his mom, unlike any of his brothers. He has incredible character, he's smart, he's hard working and he's incredibly handsome. However, I did like how she took care of her sisters. She didn't have to give up everything and come home to do that. She did things she didn't want to solely to take care of them. 

Will Goods is a man that sticks with you. He has incredible character and isn't the typical bad boy reformed for a woman. He's a genuine good guy and the way he looks out for Liv and her sisters without really knowing them is enough to make me fall in love. He's been through a lot and he deserves a good woman who will make him happy. I'll gladly take the job if Liv doesn't want it. He will melt your heart.

The writing was fantastic and the character development was really well done. Will will make you swoon and your heart will break for him. I really enjoyed the plot and loved that it wasn't all about the romance between Will and Liv. There are a lot of great moments between Liv and her sisters. Reese and Paige will make you laugh and the book really showcases the importance of family and sibling bonds.

Also, tomorrow is my stop on the 25 Days of Book Boyfriends Tour where I'm featuring Will Goods so come on back and learn more about him!


PURCHASE LINKS:

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

"Save me and I'll save you..."~ Review: Nocte by Courtney Cole

Author: Courtney Cole
Publisher: Lakehouse Press, Inc.
Publication Date: November 3, 2014
Genre: Mystery
Source: Purchased via Amazon

~Synopsis~

Save me and I'll save you...

My name is Calla Price. I’m eighteen years old, and I’m one half of a whole. 
My other half-- my twin brother, my Finn-- is crazy. 

I love him. More than life, more than anything. And even though I’m terrified he’ll suck me down with him, no one can save him but me.

I’m doing all I can to stay afloat in a sea of insanity, but I’m drowning more and more each day. So I reach out for a lifeline. 

Dare DuBray. 

He’s my savior and my anti-Christ. His arms are where I feel safe, where I’m afraid, where I belong, where I’m lost. He will heal me, break me, love me and hate me. 

He has the power to destroy me. 

Maybe that’s ok. Because I can’t seem to save Finn and love Dare without everyone getting hurt. 

Why? Because of a secret. 

A secret I’m so busy trying to figure out, that I never see it coming. 

You won’t either.



~Review~


Holy crap! This book blew me out of the water. I love Courtney Cole; she is a talented writer who has proved to me that she can cross any genre and slay it. Nocte was so much different than anything I have read from her and I was enchanted. I couldn't put this book down; I couldn't stop until I hit the very end. I have been awakened, brought out of my new adult/romance hole and enlightened to how much I truly enjoy a good thriller/mystery.

Calla and Finn are twins. They have that connection that only twins can understand and they do anything and everything together. But Finn suffers. Finn fights the voices in his head. Finn needs Calla. In the wake of a tragedy, Calla struggles with guilt and fear. She knows Finn is slipping and she isn't sure how to save him. When Calla meets Dare, she is instantly drawn to him. She knows he is drawn to her too but he fights it. He is hiding something, something that clearly has to do with her. However, for the first time in her life, she feels free; she feels like her own person. Finn loves Calla and he doesn't want to hold her back but he also feels jealousy. He needs her and Dare will take her away. The louder the voices get, the more secrets are revealed. Finn's hiding something and when Calla finds out, it changes everything.

This book is a total mind twist. It is unpredictable and full of mystery. I wanted to keep reading simply to find out what the hell everyone is hiding. Dare has secrets. Finn has secrets and I want to know them all. I felt Calla's desperation and Finn's loss of control as if they were my own. Courtney Cole pulls you into the story, makes you the characters and drives you mad until the very end. The writing was incredible, the plot was thick and well developed. There is a cliff hanger and while I hate them, I can't be mad at Courtney for it because this is a mystery series and she has to keep us on our toes. Verum comes out in 62 days (yes, I'm counting) and I'm impatiently waiting.


PURCHASE LINKS: