Review: Snowed Over by Angie Stanton

Snowed Over

Author: Angie Stanton

Publisher: Vanguard Management Inc.

Publication Date: October 12, 2012

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Holiday

Source: eBook from publisher via Inkslinger PR

~Synopsis~

To college student, Katie Brandt, ‘Home for the Holidays’ sounds like hell. When her parents separated, their holiday traditions shattered like a dropped ornament. What could be worse than celebrating Christmas with her suddenly single mom and mom’s new boyfriend?

Alex Walker, an engaged 20-year-old, dreads going home for his own reasons. He has a daunting task ahead of him and wishes he could skip the holidays altogether. So when a friend of a friend needs a ride north, Alex finds that having beautiful Katie seated by his side proves to be just the distraction he needs.

A simple ride home for Christmas turns into a nightmare when light snow rages into a full-scale blizzard. Katie and Alex find themselves stranded, and a vacant cabin becomes a haven from the storm.
Under different circumstances, time alone with Alex would be the ultimate Christmas gift, but Katie knows Alex is engaged and she must hide her growing attraction.

However, Alex harbors a secret that just might change this holiday from the worst Christmas ever, to the best.

~Review~

I love Christmas time and I have really enjoyed reading Christmas novellas to get into the spirit. When I read the synopsis of Snowed Over, I knew I had to read it. I love the idea behind two people with incredible chemistry stranded in a cabin together for Christmas. It screams romance to me!

Katie is headed to her mom’s new “non-boyfriend’s” cabin for Christmas and she’s not happy about it. It’s the first Christmas since her parent’s divorce and she’s not feeling the holiday spirit. She end up getting a ride with Alex, a friend of her roommate’s brother whose headed the same direction. Alex is on his way home where his fiancé still lives but he’s less than thrilled. Things aren’t so great in paradise and he’s finally ready to let go. When Katie and Alex are caught in a horrendous snow storm, they must hole up in an abandoned cabin until the storm blows over. With an undeniable chemistry between them, things are bound to heat up.

Katie is obviously hurting from her parent’s divorce and she is deeply bothered by the way her Christmas is going to go. She is frustrated with her parents, who refuse to talk about the divorce or explain to her what went wrong. I felt like she acted a little immature towards her mother but I can’t say I wouldn’t have acted the same way because of the hurt she is feeling. The holidays are a time for family and after 19 years of family tradition, change can be hard. I was surprised by how selfish her mom was about the whole situation. She was clearly attracted to Alex but I liked the way she handled herself and that she was always mindful of the fact that he was engaged, even though she didn’t know his situation.

Alex seems like a really good guy and the way he took care of Katie when they were in trouble was really sweet. He kept her safe in a dire situation and made sure that that she was safe. I felt bad for Alex because his fiancé, Trina, really had him wrapped around her finger. She did some messed up stuff to him and she was really selfish. However, I found Alex to be a little weak. The fact that he stayed with her so long and allowed her to manipulate him the way she did bothered me. It took meeting a genuine girl like Katie for him to really see the toxicity of his relationship with Trina.

The chemistry between Alex and Katie was great and it was obvious they were attracted to each other. Being stuck in a cabin together at Christmas is kind of romantic and they really get a chance to know one another and develop feelings for each other. They both confide in each other their displeasure with their current holiday situations and they end up spending a sweet Christmas Eve together, making a romantic dinner with what supplies they can find and I was really sweet and romantic. Once their rescued, Katie’s afraid she won’t see Alex again but her rescues her right when she needs him and it was really sweet. Clearly they were a perfect match and Alex could finally truly be happy.

Overall, this was a cute novella. It was a bit under-developed in the plot and I felt like Katie’s situation with her mom and her parents was left unresolved. However, it was a cute and romantic story that I really did enjoy. I wouldn’t mind being stranded in a cabin at Christmas with my very own hot hero.

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE

Angie Stanton never planned on writing books, she wanted to be a Rockette. However, growing up in a rural setting with her brothers' 4-H pigs as pets, dance didn't work out. Instead she became an avid daydreamer. After years of perfecting stories in her head she began to write them down and the rest is history.
She loves dipping french fries in chocolate shakes, all natural disaster movies and Broadway Musicals. Angie is a proud double finalist of the 2011 National Readers Choice Awards for Love 'em or Leave 'em, as well as a finalist for the Golden Quill Award.
When not writing, Angie is concocting ways to make more dreams come true, whether it be tickets to a Broadway show or convincing her family they should rent an RV and travel the country.
Please "Like" Angie on Facebook at facebook.com/AngieStantonAuthor.

*An eBook was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.*

Swoon Thursday: Last Hit by Jessica Clare & Jen Frederick

Swoon Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by YA Bound.

From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog! We want to know :-)

This week my swoon moment is from Last Hit by Jessica Clare & Jen Frederick.

"Her words are like a knife against the bonds that held me. I spin around and grab her in my arms. My mouth is upon hers before she can say another word, draw another breath. I eat at her mouth as if it is the finest delicacy in all the land. My tongue delves deep into the wet cavern of her mouth. I swing her legs up around me and tip her back into the bed. The mattress envelops us. I trail my mouth over her jaw and down the column of her throat where I find her pulse thrumming madly. I bite it, and her hips rise up to press against me."

What a book! It was such an edgy and thrilling romance and I absolutely adored Nikolai!

Release Day Launch: One Wild Night by Magan Vernon

Today is the release day for One Wild Night, the first episode in Magan Vernon's new Forever Wild serial novel. This is going to be a great story and One Wild Night was an incredible beginning. Check out the details and teaser photo below and stop back by on Dec 8th for my review as part of the blog tour.

~Synopsis~

One Wild Night Can Change Everything

Valerie Wilder doesn’t do serious relationships. She also doesn’t usually wake up in Vegas next to a male stripper…

A male stripper who happens to be her new husband.

A quickie divorce seems like the answer, but the Nevada legal system doesn’t think so. When her new husband suggests flying back to Chicago with Valerie she accepts, wondering if one night in Vegas could turn into something much more. 

*One Wild Night- EPISODE 1 in the first season of the Forever Wild Serial. (This is a six part series with one book releasing every 3 weeks)

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. The first book is One Wild Night that comes out December 5th and the next book is titled Wild Hearts that comes out December 26th.

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1bIeb4F

B&N: http://bit.ly/1dPSDoF

Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. When not writing she spends her time fighting over fake boyfriends via social media. You can find her online at www.maganvernon.com.

Website: http://www.thepunchingbagfightsback.blogspot.com/ 

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Magan-Vernon/215620155165079 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaganVernon 

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5237606.Magan_Vernon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Last Hit by Jessica Clare & Jen Frederick

Today, I have the tour for Last Hit by Jessica Clare & Jen Frederick, hosted by TRSOR Promotions, on the blog. I was super excited to read this book and I am even more excited to share my review with you today!

Last Hit

(Hitman #1)

Author: Jessica Clare & Jen Frederick

Publisher: Pear Tree LLC

Publication Date: November 30, 2013

Genre: New Adult

Source: eARC from publisher via TRSOR Promotions

~Synopsis~

Nikolai:

I have been a contract killer since I was a boy. For years I savored the fear caused by my name, the trembling at the sight of my tattoos. The stars on my knees, the marks on my fingers, the dagger in my neck, all bespoke of danger. If you saw my eyes, it was the last vision you’d have. I have ever been the hunter, never the prey. With her, I am the mark and I am ready to lie down and let her capture me. Opening my small scarred heart to her brings out my enemies. I will carry out one last hit, but if they hurt her, I will bring the world down around their ears.

Daisy:

I’ve been sheltered from the outside world all my life. Homeschooled and farm-raised, I’m so naive that my best friend calls me Pollyanna. I like to believe the best in people. Nikolai is part of this new life, and he’s terrifying to me. Not because his eyes are cold or my friend warns me away from him, but because he’s the only man that has ever seen the real me beneath the awkwardness. With him, my heart is at risk..and also, my life.

~Review~

I haven't read a book by Jessica Clare yet but I am in love with Jen's NA novels, the Woodlands series, so I was excited for the chance to read and review Last Hit. It is so different from Jen's previous writing but damn if I didn't love it, so I will most definitely be reading a Jessica Clare book soon. Last Hit is an edgy, dark romance with a thrilling and action packed plot. If it were a movie, it'd be a mix between Wanted and Beauty and the Beast.

Daisy is a young woman who has been sheltered by her father for her whole life. He is extremely agoraphobic and paranoid and he has kept Daisy from really experiencing life. She loves her father but she wants so much more. She wants to go to college and make friends and experience pleasure. I really liked Daisy. She is definitely inexperienced and naïve but she isn’t completely clueless. She has been controlled by her father her entire life and she wants to take control. She is definitely a character that really grows throughout the book. I loved the way she handled Nick and the risks that she took to come out on her own. She definitely proved she isn’t some naïve country bumpkin in the end and she has some real guts.

I adored Nikolai! He comes off a bit creepy and stalkerish in the beginning but that's just Nick. When it comes to normal social behavior, he's a bit inept but it's kind of freaking cute. He is this hardcore, stealthy, smooth hitman but with Daisy he is awkward and unsure. He doesn’t know how to act around a woman that he has true feelings for and it was entertaining to watch him learn. Nick has never known true love and affection and that has made him an excellent hitman but when it comes to Daisy, he doesn’t know how to act. His attempts to protect and woo her would normally come off as controlling and psycho but being in Nick’s head helps understand where he is coming from. He can spy through my window anytime.

I felt pulled into Last Hit immediately and I was intrigued by both Daisy and Nikolai. They are so different yet so perfect for each other. Nick is immediately enthralled with Daisy from the first time he spies her through his scope. She is the light to his dark and her mere fascination with life buries into his soul. This is where “Beauty and the Beast” comes in because Daisy is the sweet, naïve Belle who thaws the beast’s (Nick) heart and teaches him compassion and love. I loved how open Daisy was to experiencing new things and letting Nick teach her. She should definitely have been weary of Nick’s behavior but his intentions with her were always pure, no matter what he did, and I think she could always see this. By the time all the truths came out, she had already fallen for Nick and she was too deep in.

“I embrace that small, broken part of who I am. If Nick is darkness with a kernel of light inside him, I am light with the matching kernel of darkness. It’s what makes us so perfecto for one another.”

Just as Nick starts contemplating a future with Daisy, shit hits the fan in the name of Nick’s profession. This is where Wanted comes in because I half expected Nick to go all James McAvoy on everyone’s ass and fuck some people up! This is where the plot got a little dark and whole lot real. Daisy strength and character really shined at this point and I liked how she handled herself in her situation. She finds out the truth about Nick and yes, it scares her and she feels foolish and deceived but Nick still protects her and cares for her and she can see that he is still the same man she fell in love with, despite what he does for a living. I was so nervous she wouldn’t be able to look past the hitman part to see the real Nick inside. He finally sees a future for himself and he would do anything to be with Daisy.

I loved the wrap of with the plot and the romance between Daisy and Nick. I love her unwavering acceptance and love of him no matter what. He is so insecure about himself and Daisy sees that and works to make him see himself the way she does. The way Nick helps Daisy’s dad was so sweet and the bond he forged with him forever cements him into Daisy’s heart. I really loved this book and the romance and thrill was both endearing and exciting.

~IPOD Picks~

“Down” by Jason Walker

“Monster” by Eminem & Rihanna

“Unconditionally” by Katy Perry

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | B&N |KOBO

Chapters 1-4 were released November 28th, 29th, 30th and December 1st.

Chapter One posted at Natasha is a Book Junkie and can be found HERE

Chapter Two posted at Angie’s Dreamy Reads and can be found HERE

Chapter Three posted at The Rock Stars of Romance and can be found HERE

Chapter Four posted at The Rock Stars of Romance and can be found HERE

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

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.

Website: https://twitter.com/jensfred

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenFrederick

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jensfred

Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/p3ptasx

Author Jessica Claire

This is a pen name for Jill Myles.

Jill Myles has been an incurable romantic since childhood. She reads all the 'naughty parts' of books first, looks for a dirty joke in just about everything, and thinks to this day that the Little House on the Prairie books should have been steamier.

After devouring hundreds of paperback romances, mythology books, and archaeological tomes, she decided to write a few books of her own - stories with a wild adventure, sharp banter, and lots of super-sexy situations. She prefers her heroes alpha and half-dressed, her heroines witty, and she loves nothing more than watching them overcome adversity to fall into bed together.

Website: http://jillmyles.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJessicaClare?directed_target_id=0

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_JessicaClare

Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/q4272wf

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Surrendering to Us by Chelsea Cameron

They're finally together. But the Universe seems intent on tearing them apart…

Rory Clarke might not be Lucah Blythe's boss anymore, but that doesn't mean they can sneak off to the boardroom for hot sex whenever they want. Keeping their hands off each other in the workplace is harder than they could have imagined, and that's not the only obstacle they have to deal with. Between Lucah's troublesome brother Ryder, and Rory's bff Sloane's inability to understand locked doors, they're drowning in drama.

But it's only about to get a lot worse when a blast from Lucah's past surfaces, and chaos at Clarke Enterprises threatens to take away everything Rory has worked so hard for. Can the couple weather the storm and surrender to each other, or will the challenges of staying together destroy their relationship for good?

AUTHOR LINKS: 

Website: http://www.chelseamcameron.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chel_c_cam

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chelsea-M-Cameron-Official-Author-Page/304422529610919

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5752359.Chelsea_M_Cameron

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Release Day Launch & Giveaway: Before We Fall by Courtney Cole

Courtney Cole's amazing new Beautifully Broken Series novel, BEFORE WE FALL, is out today and I am excited to join in the release day launch for it. BEFORE WE FALL is a steamy, shocking and a Contemporary Romance you are not going to want to miss! Dominic Kinkaide is a bad boy that will keep you screaming for more. So check out what I have for you today and then enter to win in the release day launch giveaway-"A Night With Dominic Kinkaide" Basket of Goodies! There's also a fantastic excerpt for you to check out!

Also, stop back by on December 11 to check out my review and a playlist for the blog tour!

~Synopsis~

Sometimes, one dark moment is all it takes to turn your world black...

For 24-year old Dominic Kinkaide, that moment took place on the night of his high school graduation. One dark incident changed him forever. He's a hardened actor now, famous in the eyes of the world, but tortured in his own. He doesn't care about much of anything, except for losing himself in the roles that he plays.

23-year old Jacey Vincent doesn't realize how much her father's indifference has affected her. She is proof that sometimes it isn't one specific moment that wrecks a person, but rather it's an absence of moments. She's like a bird with a broken wing-strong yet fragile, as she tries to float through life, finding acceptance in the arms of random guys, one after the other... to fill the void that her father left in her.

Until she meets Dominic.

After jaded Dominic and strong-willed Jacey are thrown together, his secret and her issues create a dark and damaged energy that will soon turn their attraction to each other into an explosive storm.

Even though when the clouds have cleared and the dust has settled, both of them are almost obliterated... they've learned a priceless lesson.

Sometimes, before we fall... we fly.

~EXCERPT~

Are you feeling warm yet?”

I watch his lips as he speaks the words, husky and low.   His lips are full, yet manly and suddenly I ache to lean over and press mine to his, to touch them in any way that I can. 

But I don’t. 

Because I’m not a girl who gets used.  Not anymore. 

 “No, not at all.”

But Dominic takes that as a challenge.  He’s not used to hearing the word no and he’s not about to start now.  I see that in his dark eyes a scant moment before he dips his head and consumes my mouth.

I say consume, instead of kiss, because that’s what he does.

He consumes me.

His lips are fiery and hot and he kisses me with a fierceness that touches a secret part of me; moist, hot, firm, sexy.  I want to inhale him, to suck him down.  I vaguely feel his hands on my back, his warmth emanating through my clothes, his hardness pushing into my softness.

I’m breathless when he pulls away. 

“What about now?”

For the life of me, I’m afraid to answer that.  Instead, I pull away, just a bit, just enough that there is some space between us, but I can still absorb his warmth.   As my teeth chatter, both from the cold and from the suddden absence of his lips, I answer.

“I’m good.”

He laughs, a husky, low, naughty sound. 

“Oh, I’m sure of that.”

And just like that, I’m drawn back in… in toward his sexy smile, his arrogant gaze and his knowing smirk.  He’s bad for me.  Very bad for me.   I’ve got to remember that. 

He will decimate you, I tell myself.

But my problem is, every time I look into his dark eyes and see the mysterious things that lurk there, I forget that.   I forget everything that is supposed to matter.

*Amazon*     *Barnes and Noble*

About Courtney Cole:

Courtney Cole is a novelist who would eat mythology for breakfast if she could. She has a degree in Business, but has since discovered that corporate America is not nearly as fun to live in as fictional worlds. She loves chocolate and roller coasters and hates waiting and rude people.

Courtney lives in quiet suburbia, close to Lake Michigan, with her real-life Prince Charming, her ornery kids (there is a small chance that they get their orneriness from their mother) and a small domestic zoo.

Links:

Website:  http://www.courtneycoleauthor.com/

Blog:  http://courtneycolewrites.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Court_Writes

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/courtneycolewrites

Author Goodreads:   http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3112212.Courtney_Cole

BEFORE WE FALL Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18081633-before-we-fall?ac=1

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Courtney-Cole/e/B004Y4Z8ZU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1375577792&sr=8-2-ent

Grand Central: http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/publishers/grand-central-publishing/

Grand Central Twitter: http://twitter.com/grandcentralpub

Grand Central Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrandCentralPub

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: Meant for Me by L.P. Dover

Meant for Me by L.P. Dover 
(Second Chances #3) 
Publication date: December 30, 2013

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Cover Design: Mae I Design

After a night of raw passion with the man Claire O’Briene had been secretly admiring for years, she thought their time together had come once and for all. Fate had finally brought them back to each other, but unfortunately nothing had changed. He was still the same man who ran away from relationships. Against his better judgment, Mason Bradley gave in to the temptation and allowed himself one night with the one woman he’d been too afraid to want … too afraid to need.

Six months after leaving Claire and regretting every minute of it, Mason gets called in for an undercover mission that’s not only dangerous, but brings back a past he spent years trying to forget. A past of fighting … of getting in the ring and using his fists to get what he wanted: money, women, and drugs. Now there are fighters turning up dead, and it’s Mason’s job to find out the truth.

Knowing he might not come out of the mission alive, Mason seeks out Claire to tell her how he truly feels, only to find another man competing for her love as well. Fighting is what he’s good at, and for once he will be fighting not only for justice … but for love.

AUTHOR BIO

I am an avid reader that loves my collection of books. Writing has always been a passion of mine and now I am glad that I get to share my passion with the world. I live in North Carolina and I absolutely love being a southern girl. I spent several years in college starting out with a major in Psychology and then switching to dental. I worked in the dental field for eight years and then decided to stay home with my two beautiful girls. I spent the beginning of my reading years reading suspense thrillers, but now I can't get away from the paranormal/fantasy books. I knew ever since then that if I wrote anything it would be in a paranormal aspect. Now that I have started on my passion and began writing, you will not see me go anywhere without a notebook and pen.

Author Links:

http://authorlpdoverbooks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/LP-Dover/318455714919114?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/LPDover

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6526309.L_P_Dover