Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: His Reverie by Monica Murphy

Today is my stop on the blog tour for His Reverie by Monica Murphy, hosted by Inkslinger PR. I am excited to share my review and a giveaway with you today!

~Synopsis~

I knew from the moment I first saw her she was the one. The only girl I could ever want.

The only girl I could ever love.

She is light.

I am darkness.

She is innocent.

I’ve done too much.

She is good.

I am bad.

She is my every dream.

I should be her every nightmare.

We come from different worlds. She’s…perfect. And I’m…

Not.

Somehow she wants me anyway. So we’ll grasp at what we can. We’re going to make this summer count. She’s my secret. And I’m hers.

The problem with secrets is they never last for long. And when others discover we’re together, they’ll do whatever it takes to keep us apart. All I know is: I won’t let them.

Because Reverie Hale? She’s mine.

~Review~

I love Monica Murphy and her new adult titles are some of my favorites so I was excited to see her come out with something new. His Reverie is mature young adult novel and a bit different than anything I've read from her in the past. I think Monica did a great job transitioning into this genre and I enjoyed this book.

Nick and Reverie are very different and come from complete opposite backgrounds. Nick grew up with a single mom and a modest lifestyle where as Reverie grew up in a wealthy conservative home. She is definitely sheltered and I liked how considerate Nick is of that. He doesn't think he's good enough for her but he can't help his desires. Reverie is like no girl he's ever known and he falls in love with that. Reverie is very inexperienced, especially with boys but when she meets Nick, she feels something that she didn't know existed. She wants him to teach her how to live, to break her out of her shell. These two have been through a lot of difficult things in their lives and finding each other is what they both really needed.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I was a big fan of the writing style. I liked the way Monica wrote Reverie's point of view in the form of a journal entry and Nick's point of view as the story. Nick is the narrator but we get insight into Reverie's feelings and thoughts through the journal entries and I found that very unique. I also liked the forbidden romance element as I am a big fan of those types of story lines. Nobody wants Nick and Reverie to be together and I like to see characters overcome that type of obstacle.

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | iBOOKS | KOBO

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:

Website ** Blog ** Facebook ** Twitter

HIS REVERIE Goodreads ** Monica Murphy Goodreads

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Sneak Peek: All of This by Lexi Ryan

Releasing August 4, 2014

New Adult Contemporary Romance

Pre-order NOW

**ALL FOR THIS is book three in the Here and Now series. It is not a stand-alone and it’s intended to be read after LOST IN ME and FALL TO YOU.**

~Synopsis~

What if you would never remember the day you made the most important decision of your life?

That’s what they’re telling me about the day of my accident—the day I put on Max’s ring and chose him over Nate. I’m counting on the wisdom behind a decision I don’t remember making.

Max is amazing—sexy, sweet, and kind. I was starting to believe happily-ever-after might be in my future after all. Then the unthinkable happened and my world imploded. If I’m going to make this work with Max, I need my missing memories, or at least answers from about those five days before my accident.

But what does my future hold if those answers aren’t anything like I imagined?

The following excerpt from ALL FOR THIS by its very nature contains spoilers for the first two books in the Here and Now series, LOST IN ME and FALL TO YOU. If you hate spoilers and haven’t read the first two books, I recommend you don’t read any further.

~Excerpt~

Max

“How are you holding up? Did it go okay with Nate last night?”

She stiffens at his name. “He asked me to move to LA.”

Of course he did. “And what did you say?”

She blinks at me. “I’m not leaving New Hope. This is my home.”

“He wanted more than for you to move to LA.” I take a step closer. I need to touch her. I wonder if she knows she’s pulling away from me, if she can feel it like I can. It’s as if we’re connected by a thousand little threads like those in a woven rug and they’ve been breaking one at a time since the moment Nate came back into town. With every breath, I feel another thread snap. “He wanted you.”

She shrugs. “I’m already taken.”

I draw in a deep breath. She lifts her hand to my face and skims her fingers along my jaw.

I groan softly and slide my hand into her hair as I lower my mouth to hers. She’s soft and sweet, and I need more of her.

Taking a fistful of her skirt, I yank her dress up around her waist and find the cotton of her panties. She gasps, and I rub her through the fabric as her fingers curl into my back. My lips find her neck and the skin in the sensitive juncture of neck and shoulder.

“Max,” she says. But it’s not the normal breathy, needy whispering of my name. The word is a warning. A yield sign. “Max.”

My hand stills and I pull back to look into her eyes. I’m blindsided by the apology I see there. “Let’s move in together.”

“What?” She blinks at me. If she’s thinking I have the world’s worst timing with important proposals, she’s not wrong.

“We could rent out our apartments and use the money to rent a little place together. Someplace without those stairs that scare the living shit out of me every time I think of you climbing them. Someplace we can make our own.” I take her hand and squeeze. “You didn’t want to move in together last spring because you knew your mom would flip if you lived with a guy before marriage, but we’re not trying to maintain appearances anymore, are we?” She looks at the floor, and I tilt her chin back up so her eyes meet mine. “I could give two shits about appearances. I want to wake up with you in my arms, Hanna. I want to know I’m going to be right there when you need me, every time you need me. You and Claire are all that matter in my world. I want everything that matters to be what I come home to every night.”

“I’m sorry.” She steps back. “I just can’t. I’m too confused right now.”

My lungs burn as I fill them—it hurts to breathe in a world where Hanna isn’t mine.

“I know it’s not fair. And I want a future with you, but…”

“But you can’t stop thinking about him.”

“I can’t move in with you right now,” she says softly. “That wouldn’t be fair to either of us. It’s not that simple.”

“You keep saying that.”

I swallow back the rest of what I want to say right along with my anger, frustration, and the betrayal I’ve never allowed myself to feel. While I was waiting for her to take my ring, she was with another man, and I was never allowed to be angry because that man died and she needed to grieve.

I drag a hand through my hair and look at the ceiling. “Was it that simple when you made love to him?”

“Can we not do this?”

Torment is etched across her face, and I can’t stand to know I’m the one who put it there. I pull her against my chest.

“I won’t rush you, but remember something for me,” I whisper into her hair. “You put on my ring.”

About the Author

Once a college English professor, I now write full time. I live in rural Indiana, where, when I’m not writing, I get to hang out with my husband and two kids–a six-year-old boy and a two-year-old hellion, er, girl. Not surprisingly, reading and writing remain my favorite activities, though both come in bits and pieces these days, not the big hunks of time I enjoyed before I had children. When I’m feeling virtuous, I like to go running (I use that word liberally. I’m really, really slow) or do yoga. Don’t worry, I’m always careful to balance out such activities with a hearty serving of ice cream or a chocolate martini.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Release Day Launch: Sugar on the Edge by Sawyer Bennett

SUGAR ON THE EDGE

By USA Today Best-selling Author Sawyer Bennett

Last Call, #3

Adult Contemporary Romance

Released July 28, 2014

~Synopsis~

He’s utterly alone…

Tortured and existing in a dark spiral of despair, bestselling British author, Gavin Cooke, has come to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to escape the seedy lifestyle he had been living in London and in a desperate attempt to regain his writing focus. He’s twisted, bitter and angry at the world. He’s a loner… needing not a single thing other than his Scotch and a laptop upon which he can bang out his next erotic, dark thriller.

She’s running in place and getting nowhere…

Savannah Shepherd’s life is falling apart. Her dream of being a wildlife photographer seems a distant memory and she’s barely able to make ends meet. Driving herself forward with no clear goals apparent, she’s about ready to pack up her bags and head home with her tail between her legs.

Two unlikely lovers…

He’s raw, forceful and a dirty talker. She’s a flowers and romance type of girl. Yet within each other, they find a mutual craving that can only be satisfied by giving in to their desires for one another.

Lust turns into something more… something they were not looking for but tentatively accept. Will it be enough to push them past the obstacles of Gavin’s bitter past?

*SUGAR ON THE EDGE can be read as a stand-alone*

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22671745-sugar-on-the-edge

~Excerpt~

He smiles at me then, and it’s the most brilliant smile I’ve seen on his face yet. He reaches his hand across the table at me, and I release my napkin to take it. “Now that that’s out of the way, tell me your secret.”

“My secret?” I ask in confusion.

“The secret you said you would tell me maybe someday,” he reminds me while stroking his thumb over the back of my hand.

“Oh, that,” I say with immediate understanding. “It’s not all that interesting.”

“It must be if it’s a secret,” he prompts.

“It’s not really a secret. It’s public knowledge, just not something I talk about.”

“Yet, you told Brody about it.”

“He’s my friend… my closest.”

“I’m betting Brody was never as close to you as I was this morning… when I was deep inside your body.”

I pull my hand away and glare at him. “Why do you always try to shock me with your sexual innuendos?”

“Love,” Gavin drawls in that sexy, English accent. “That wasn’t innuendo. That was pure fact… I was deep inside your body this morning, feeling every inch of your sweet pussy surrounding me.”

“Stop it,” I hiss at him across the table.

He leans back in his chair slowly, giving me a calculated smile. Drumming his fingers on the table, he says, “It’s time for you to stop being shy with me, Sweet. I know you inside and out now.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” I counter.

“I know plenty. I know you’re unbelievably sweet, kind, and caring. I know you have an amazing work ethic. I know you’re smart and funny, and you’re fucking sexy as hell. I also know that you’re a risk taker and that you are nothing like I first thought you were. I know you’re private and timid, but when you get angry, you stand up for yourself. I know your body feels amazing wrapped around me, and I know that I want to feel it again… tonight as a matter of fact. I know that I love to hear you scream in pleasure, and I know my cock is aching for you right this very minute. If I thought you’d let me, I’d pull you into the bathroom right now and fuck you standing in one of the stalls, hopefully while someone came in, and we’d have to be very quiet so as not to get caught. And I know… without a doubt, you’d scream anyway, regardless of the danger.”

Heat courses through my body, along with gratification that he does know quite a bit about me already. That means he was looking at far more than just my tits and ass, and he has found appreciation outside of those things that normally a man would notice about a woman.

“Now, tell me your secret,” he commands.

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

About the Author

USA Today Best-Selling author, Sawyer Bennett, is a snarky southern woman and reformed trial lawyer who decided to finally start putting on paper all of the stories that were floating in her head. She is married to a mobster (well, a market researcher) and they have two big, furry dogs who hog the bed. Sawyer would like to report she doesn’t have many weaknesses but can be bribed with a nominal amount of milk chocolate.


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Blog Tour Review + Playlist: Teaching Roman by Gennifer Albin

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Teaching Roman by Gennifer Albin, hosted by Inkslinger PR. I am excited to share my review and a playlist for the book with you. 

~Synopsis~

Jessica Stone has her life in perfect order until her perfectly boring boyfriend Brett puts things in perspective. So when she receives a call to action from her heartbroken best friend Cassie, she ditches her plans for Winter Break in gloomy Olympic Falls and sets off to Mexico for some fun in the sun.

Determined to use her oceanview to prep for her MCATS, she doesn't plan to run into anyone from Olympic State, least of all the cute communications prof she's been crushing on for a year. When he unexpectedly saves the day, the two are thrown together in a distinctly extracurricular activity.

Roman Markson doesn’t expect to run into anyone he knows from Olympic Falls while visiting his family in Puerto Vallarta, especially not a former student. Although Jess Stone has a way of catching men’s attention, a relationship with her is strictly off-limits. However, the rules feel less strict in Mexico, so they agree to a plan: one week in paradise and nothing more.

But avoiding each other back on campus is harder than they anticipated, especially when they can’t stay away from one another. Neither is sure what they have to learn—and lose—before life teaches them a lesson they’ll never forget.

~Review~

I really enjoy the Good Girls Don't series and I absolutely loved Catching Liam. We meet Jessica and Roman in the first book so I was excited to see that they would be getting their own. I kind of like the forbidden romance theme so I'm glad that  Gennifer took it that way.

Jessica is not a risk taker. She plans to go to medical school and she's worked very hard to get there. Everything seems to be going as planned until her perfectly acceptable but boring boyfriend springs something unexpected on her. She flees to Mexico with her heartbroken best friend, Cassie for the winter break where she runs into grad student and professor, Roman Markson. Jessica and Roman have always been attracted to each other but she was his student and he was her teacher. However, they aren't in school anymore and neither of them can fight the attraction anymore.

I like Jessica. She reminds me a lot of myself. I'm not much of a risk taker or a rule breaker and sometimes I feel kind of boring. I liked that she opened herself up and finally went after what she really wanted. She knows there may be consequences but she has never felt the way she does with Roman and I was glad that she risked it for him. I also think that she is a really good friend and I like the way she supports Jillian and Cassie. She is always the rock in the friendship so it was nice to see her be able to lean on them for a change.

Jessica and Roman have incredible chemistry. While I felt like they moved a little fast in the relationship and their feelings, I really felt the sparks between them. They definitely brought out the best in each other and I liked the way Roman really opened Jessica up to life. He helped her see that there is more to it then just school and classes and grades. Before him, she was just going through the motions but after they met, she felt alive. Their relationship didn't come without it's problems though and I was a little disappointed by Jessica's reaction to some of the situations but I felt like she bounced back quickly and with the help of her freinds, always made the right decision and we didn't have to wait long for it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I found the writing to be well done, the plot paced nicely and I thoroughly enjoyed the characters. I really connected with Jessica. While I was a bit disenchanted with the pace of the relationship, being that I felt like it was a bit of insta-love, it was easy to overlook because I don't feel like it was over done. If you haven't jumped on the Good Girls Don't bandwagon, I highly recommend you do.

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

~Playlist~

Author Information

  

 Website:  http://www.genniferalbin.com/

Facebook Fan Page:  https://www.facebook.com/genniferalbinbooks

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/GenniferAlbin

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4906436.Gennifer_Albin

Cover Reveal: Burying Water by K.A. Tucker

We are absolutely thrilled to bring you the cover reveal for K.A. Tucker's BURYING WATER! BURYING WATER is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel scheduled for release October 7th! This book will blow you away. Get. Ready.

 

Add BURYING WATER on Goodreads!

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.

Pre-Order BURYING WATER Now!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iTunes

AUS (eBook)

Apple

Amazon

Google

AUS (paperback)

Bookworld

UK (eBook)

Amazon

iBooks

Google

Sainsbury’s

UK (paperback)

Amazon

Waterstones

Foyles

WHSmith

You can read Chapters 1-4 of BURYING WATER in the back of IN HER WAKE, the Ten Tiny Breaths prequel novella from Trent's POV! IN HER WAKE is out September 1st. Pre-order your copy today!

 

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iTunes

  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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ARC Review: Accidentally Married on Purpose by Rachel Harris

Love & Games #3

Publisher: Entangled Bliss

Publication Date: July 14, 2014

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: eARC via InkSlinger PR

~Synopsis~

One ring plus one wild night equals one crazy love

Sherry Robicheaux loves men. She loves love. And she loves an adventure. So when she meets a mysterious man while working backstage at a country music concert in Vegas, she’s all about what’s happened in Vegas staying there.

Country music superstar Tyler Blue just wants a weekend of anonymity…though there’s something about the spunky waitress with the streaks of purple hair that tempts him like no other. Until the next morning, when they both wake up with fuzzy memories…and rings on their fingers.

Convincing Sherry to maintain the ruse for his public image isn’t the hardest part—it’s reminding himself that their time spent playing husband and wife in her small town of Magnolia Springs can’t last. Tyler’s first love will always be music—and the road is no place for a sweet downhome girl.

~Review~

Most people who know me, know that I adore Rachel Harris and I have loved everyone of her books I've read. I love the way she can write both YA and NA so seamlessly. She once mentioned that Sherry and Ty were perhaps her favorite to write in this series and I would have to agree. While I love Jason & Colby, Cain & Angelle; Sherry and Ty just have this chemistry that is so undeniable and a really exciting story. I am a huge fan of fake relationship plot lines, it's perhaps one of my favorites so this book really hooked me.

Sherry is a hopeless romantic. She wants true love and the fairy tale but she is always picking the wrong guys. After her latest heartbreak, she decides it's time to settle down with a nice, dependable, boring man. However, she wants one more wild fling before she straps herself to a life of mediocrity. Enter Tyler Blue. Tyler is a big time country star and music is his life. He's not a playboy like most people think but he doesn't want anything to get in the way of his dreams and he's afraid settling down would do just that. When he meets Sherry and she doesn't know who he is, he's intrigued by her and excited to have a night with a woman that doesn't want him because he's Tyler Blue. Too much tequila and a night in Vegas leaves them both with a little morning surprise.

I really love Sherry! She is sweet, smart and really down to earth. She loves her family and will do anything for them. She has dreams of her own but she puts them aside for her family. She's confidant but I love that she also has a bit of self doubt. It makes her real. No matter how confidant we appear, we all are a little afraid to fail. Tyler is the exact kind of guy that she doesn't want to fall for but as she gets to know him, she can see that he isn't at all what she expected and her heart betrays her. I feel like Tyler shows her that she doesn't have to settle, she just had to find the right guy.

Tyler is charming, sexy, sweet and misunderstood. Because he hasn't settled down or had a serious relationship, he is viewed as a playboy. However, that isn't him at all and I loved getting to know him because it's obvious from the start. He loves music; it's his passion and he doesn't want anything to derail his dreams. While I think he's a bit disillusioned to think that he can't have love because of his dreams, I understand his feelings, especially after learning a bit more about his family. Like Sherry, he is a family man and he is living the dream just as much for them as he is for himself. Despite his best efforts, he can't help but fall for Sherry and she definitely opens his eyes to life.

Sherry and Tyler have incredible chemistry. They were made for each other and it is obvious from the moment they meet. Sherry doesn't care about his money or his fame. She gets to see the side of Tyler that most people don't and it's the real Tyler Blue. What woman doesn't love a man that can sing and play the guitar? I really liked how protective he became of Sherry. He wanted to make her happy and to help her realize her dreams. I really respected Sherry considering what Tyler was asking of her and I loved that she was willing to do it because she truly cared about him and wanted to help him. She would never hinder his career but only encourage and support him. What started out as a drunkin mistake and then became a mutually beneficial agreement, turned  into a true love story. Sherry finally got her fairy tale ending and she deserved it!

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE