Can’t Stay Away Review and Giveaway

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Cant-Stay-Away-Lilly-Avalon

Rating: 3/5

Book Summary:

Piper Winchester is fresh out of college. With only three weeks until her father remarries and five weeks until her first business venture launches, she’s got her hands full. She certainly doesn’tneed any distractions to get in the way of building the future her father’s always wanted for her. But when a familiar boy with bright green eyes walks back into her life, she’s thrown for a loop.

Four years ago, Chase MacKenzie left for college without looking back. He didn’t mean to disturb the peace then, and he definitely doesn’t want to do that now. Once he lays his eyes on Piper again, there’s no way he can leave without fixing what went wrong in the past. Although she’s more determined than ever to push him away, he still manages to get under her skin. Regardless of what happens between them, there’s one thing that will always be standing in their way…

He’s about to become her stepbrother.

Cant-Stay-Away-Lilly-Avalon-Happy

Purchase Links:
Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks | Smashwords

My Review:

Can’t Stay Away was a super cute love story about a girl named Piper (slightly spoiled) and a boy named Chase. Piper is on her path to becoming a Wedding Planner and is about to get a new mother-in-law. The only problem is that she’s had a thing for her soon to be step-brother since high school. Chase hasn’t been around for four years and had left Piper on somewhat bad terms, the two of them hadn’t spoken since. But the second they see each other, it’s obvious that there’s some sort of magic between. And though Chase tries hard to set ground rules and keep their relationship as platonic, they just can’t seem to stay away from each other. Plus there’s something Chase has been keeping from her. A reason for why he pushed her away all those years ago.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Their love story was super cute. I enjoyed reading from both their point’s of views. Piper is a bright, people pleaser that has a hard time sticking up for herself, and Chase is courteous, kind, and a dreamy young man. The only thing I didn’t like about this book was that there was a little too much adult content. It seemed to be more adult content than story itself, which I would have preferred more story since the story itself was adorable. The author really excels at setting a scene and having her characters interact with each other. I really enjoyed the dialogue between Chase and Piper. And I’m hoping there will be more books to come since it did leave off at a bit of a cliffhanger.

If you like NA, steamy scenes, and a great love story, than be sure to check out Can’t Stay Away!

About the Author:

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Lilly Avalon is the author of the RESIST series as well as other romances. She’s somewhere in the midst of her twenties and lives mostly in the stories in her head. When she’s not enveloped in the worlds she creates, she’s out in the real world making stories happen. That or reading other romances. It’s a toss-up.

Author Links:

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads | Amazon

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The Trouble With Family Book Blitz and Giveaway

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The Trouble with Family
by Heather Hobbs
Release Date: March 3rd 2016
Loomis Park Press

Summary from Goodreads:

Molly Anderson just found out her dad is getting married to a woman she’s only met once.

Fourteen-year-old Molly had planned to spend the summer before high school reading books, eating junk food, and napping. Instead, she’s forced to spend her days juggling four new family members, a grumpy older brother, a crazy grandmother, and Max, the new boy next door. Having lost her mother in a car accident a year before, she’s not sure how many more changes she can take before she hits her breaking point.

Based on an award-winning short story, The Trouble with Family tells the tale of a girl trying to make the most of her summer, not just survive it.

This is the first book in the Molly Anderson series.

Excerpt:

The courtroom smelled like burnt popcorn. Holding my breath, I shifted in my seat, making the hard wooden bench creak.
“This is taking forever,” Ben hissed into my ear.
I ignored him and glanced across the aisle at my soon-to-be stepsiblings. Clara cut her icy blue eyes at me without actually turning her head. She sat beside her brother Sam, stiff and plastic-looking with perfectly highlighted blond hair, only reinforcing my initial suspicion that she was, in fact, a living Barbie doll. Sam, on the other hand, actually looked over at me and offered a slight nod.
“Children of the Corn,” Ben whispered.
I rolled my eyes and faced forward. “Just because they’re blond-”
“Blond and creepy,” he interjected.
The doors at the back of the room opened and Judge Newton walked in, followed closely by Dad and Susan.
Dad wore a charcoal grey suit; the only one he owned. He looked nervous but happy as he smoothed the back of his dark brown hair, making sure it was in place. Susan wore a short, lacy, white dress that accentuated her long legs and blue wedge sandals that matched her eyes. Her poorly-dyed orange hair was pulled back into a chignon. They held hands tightly and walked slowly down the aisle until they were standing directly in front of the judge.
“The scandal of Oak Lake,” I muttered.
Ben looked at me quizzically and I shook my head. Never mind. That’s what I’d overheard Ida Miller call the wedding yesterday. In a town of five thousand people, a recently widowed man marrying a relative stranger was something worth talking about.
Judge Newton was an older gray-haired woman with small glasses and an air of indifference. She gave a tight smile and looked around at all of us. “We are gathered together in the presence of these witnesses to join this man and this woman in matrimony.”
Oh Lord.
Reality hit me like a ton of bricks. The smell of popcorn mixed with the fact that my father was marrying a woman I’d only met once made my stomach churn uneasily.
Beside me, Ben’s head fell into his hands. “I can’t believe he’s doing this, Molly,” he mumbled.
My heart pumped faster; suddenly this was too real.
Ben lifted his head and unbuttoned his two-sizes-too-small suit jacket. He looked ridiculous but had refused to get a new suit for the wedding. He also refused to comb his hair, which made him look like a fifteen-year-old Albert Einstein.
Catching movement out of corner of my eye, I looked across the aisle again. Clara was shifting in her seat, taking deep breaths. It was hard to imagine the two of us sharing a bedroom. Sam’s foot shook uncontrollably under the bench, but otherwise he appeared totally unaffected.
Glancing back one row, I eyed Joseph, the oldest of the three. He sat with his knees slightly askew so they wouldn’t hit the back of the bench in front of him. He ran a hand through his sandy blond hair, letting out an agitated sigh. While the rest of us were in dresses and suits, he was wearing dark blue jeans, a white t-shirt, and dirty sneakers.
“If anyone can show just cause why this man and this woman may not lawfully be joined together, let them speak now or hereafter remain silent.” Judge Newton glanced around the courtroom.
Ben sat up straighter and I stared at him wide-eyed, silently pleading for him to not do anything stupid. Dad would never forgive us if we caused a scene.
The bench behind Ben squeaked and we all turned our heads.
“Oops, sorry,” Big Mike, who was Dad’s boss, laughed nervously.
If Gram had come to the wedding, she would have objected. Instead, she refused to attend and moved out of the house. I was going to miss her but understood the decision. Her daughter died a year ago and her son-in-law was already getting remarried.
Judge Newton nodded, satisfied, and looked back at Dad. “Do you have rings?”
Susan turned and motioned to Joseph. He stood slowly and walked up the aisle, his dark brown eyes blinking rapidly, and gave her two boxes. As he reached out his hand to pass her the rings, I noticed tiny white scars that ran all the way up his left arm, like little flecks of light trying to escape through his skin.
“Thanks, sweetie,” Susan said, squeezing Joseph’s shoulder.
Judge Newton cleared her throat. “Susan Katherine Wright, will you take this man…”
Joseph returned to his seat behind Clara and Sam, all three of their faces expressionless.
“I do.”
“Ugh,” Ben moaned.
“Charles Ronald Anderson, will you take this woman…”
I closed my eyes and swallowed hard as my stomach rolled again. “This is actually happening,” I whispered, more to myself than anyone.
Everything was about to change. “Oh man.” I put my hands over my stomach and turned my attention back to the ceremony. I wanted it to be over so I could leave.
“I do,” Dad said.
Judge Newton finally smiled. “By the authority vested in me by the State of Michigan, I pronounce you husband and wife.”
Dad and Susan turned and grinned at us as Big Mike stood up, clapping his large hands together.
No one else clapped.

Buy Links:

Amazon

About the Author

Heather was born and raised in Michigan and currently lives in Colorado with her husband and two sweet but poorly-trained dogs. She has a BA in English Literature and a MA in Library Science. She is hard at work on her second book.

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Evanescent Review

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Evanescent by Gabriella Lepore
Published by: Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing
Publication date: March 15th 2013
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

3.5/4 Stars

Book Summary

“Then it is settled,” Felix declared. “Come hell or high water, when this is all over, at least one of us here will not make it out alive.”

When Bronwen Snow is pulled from her cottage in the middle of the night, she finds herself seeking the help of three mysterious boys who reside in an abandoned castle deep in the hillside. With only a hasty handwritten note and a vague sense of dread to guide her, Bronwen is forced to put her trust in the eccentric and willful Felix Cavara and his eternal curse – immortality.

Purchase Links

Amazon | B&N

My Review

Evanescent is like a wonderful mixture of supernatural, comedy, and romance. It was incredibly easy to get lost in and I read it in less than a day and throughly enjoyed it. Lepore has a way of effortlessly moving the plot forward with a sense of humor and continued mystery throughout the book.

The basis of this story begins when Bronwen is told by her Ada to leave their cottage immediately and go to the mysterious castle in the woods for protection. Holding a note from her Ada, she runs for her life from a monster that she didn’t know existed until moments ago. There she meets three boys that seem larger than life and learns they are immortal from drinking the blood of a dragon. I really took to Bronwen’s character by the midpoint of chapter one and instantly enjoyed her interactions with the three immortal boys she was stuck with. Felix, Alistair, and Loki reminded me of the lost boys from Peter Pan. They had their own mix of being fearless monster hunters and fearful boys of the outside world. They quite literally have shut themselves away in a castle and when Bronwen suddenly invades their lives, it both hilarious and revealing as to how the boys have been so isolated since they changed.

I do have to say that the romance between Bronwen and Felix comes on very quick and strong. I actually did not mind it since it was quite obvious that they shared a spark from the moment they met. Plus their interactions between each other were hysterical and quite unique from what I’ve usually read. Another drawback was that this book is actually quite short and could have had a lot more detailed involved. I really wanted to know more about the hellhound that was hunting her and more basics into how the supernatural world seemed to fit in this modern one.

Overall I enjoyed the book. I won’t say much about the ending other than I understood the author’s choices on how to complete it. It really is a fun, enjoyable, and quick read and I’d actually recommend it for people with some time to kill and need a good distraction.

About the Author

Gabriella Lepore lives on the coast of Wales in the United Kingdom. She began writing at an early age and grew up with a passion for all things supernatural—especially witches! She currently has six Young Adult books in print: Evanescent, The Blackheath Witches, How I Found You, Secrets In Phoenix, and The Witches of the Glass Castle books 1 & 2.

Author links

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Curse of the Sphinx Review

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Curse of the Sphinx

By Raye Wagner

Release Date: August 11th 2015

Summary from Goodreads

How long can a monster stay hidden in plain sight? Seventeen year-old Hope Nicholas has spent her entire life on the run. But no one is chasing her.

In fact, no one even knows she exists. With her mom, she’s traveled from town to town and school to school, barely staying long enough to meet anyone, let alone make friends. And she’ll have to keep it that way.

It’s safer.

When her mother is brutally ripped away from her, Hope’s life shatters.

Is this the fulfillment of Apollo’s curse, murder from the shadow monsters of the Underworld, or have the demigods finally found her? Orphaned and alone, Hope flees again, but this time there’s no one to teach her who to trust — or how to love.

Set in a universe where mythology is alive and well in the modern world, Curse of the Sphinx irresistibly blends action, suspense and romance.

Buy Link

Amazon

My Review

Curse of the Sphinx is exactly one of those books that I enjoy. It’s fast paced story telling with a whirlwind of curses, demigods, monsters, etc. I really love reading about greek mythology and it was interesting having the modern spin of greek characters we all know and its integration in this world’s society.

This storyline has a prequel called Origin of the Sphinx which I would probably recommend reading first as this book could be a bit confusing at times in the beginning. However, once I really got into it, I couldn’t put it down.

The story centers on Hope and her family who have unfortunately been dealing with a rather nasty curse (as Greek Gods tend to do that kind of thing). After losing her mother, Hope ends up running alone and fighting for her life and the sadness of losing all she knows. This book did a really good job of making you sympathetic towards Hope. I really rooted for her and wanted her to find happiness in her life throughout this book. She’s one of those characters that could be frustrating and likable at the same time and was really great to read.

Things get even more complicated, of course, once she meets Athan who is the son of Hermes. Athan has his own agenda to find Hope and bring her back to his father but his interest in her starts to put that in jeopardy. Believing her to be a demigod, they grow closer and spark a young love. Of course, secrets are meant to be discovered and once they find out who they each are, things really start moving. Athan’s actions surprised me and I enjoyed the further development of them both, flaws and all. I really couldn’t get enough of this spin on greek mythology and after a ending on a cliffhanger, I look forward to the next journey Hope must go on.

This book has a great sense of flow in character development, world building, and the strong additional characters that are the best. I’d really be interested in reading the next book to this series and will be adding it to my long list.

Excerpt

“How was your weekend?” Athan asked.

He stood at her locker staring at her. It was the oddest sensation. A mixture of pride and anxiety coursed through her, and she wanted to giggle and run away. “Fine. I hung out with—”

“Hey Hope.” Haley bounced up. “How are you?” She smiled at Athan as if just noticing him.

As if. She turned back to Hope. “Oh, I was going to ask you, have you had any more phone calls?”

And so much for secrets.

“Phone calls?” Athan frowned.

Hope rolled her eyes. “No.” She turned to Athan. “It was nothing. Just a wrong number, but they kept calling back. Kinda freaked me out.” She snapped her locker shut.

“You two hung out?” Athan asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

“Well, yeah,” Haley said. “That’s what friends do, you know.”

“Yes, so I’ve heard.” He gave Hope a hard look.

“What?” She asked him. “We hung out on Friday.” Why was he acting all weird?

“I bet she didn’t have to coerce you to hang out,” he grumbled.

The three of them walked down the hall drawing several stares.

“Of course not,” Haley responded. “My motives aren’t questionable.”

Hope laughed and walked into mythology, but she still heard him . . .

“There is nothing questionable about my motives, either.”

About the Author

Raye Wagner grew up in Seattle, the second of eight children, and learned to escape chaos through the pages of fiction.

As a youth, she read the likes of David Eddings, Leon Uris, and Jane Austen. Inspired by a fictional character, Raye pursued a career in nursing, thinking to help the world one patient at a time.

One summer afternoon, when her then young children were playing in the pool, a plot dropped into her head, and she started writing.

She enjoys baking, puzzles, Tae Kwon Do, and the sound of waves lapping at the sand. She lives with her husband and three children in Middle Tennessee.

Origin of the Sphinx, a novella detailing the story leading up to the creation of the mythological creature, is her first publication. It is the beginning of the Sphinx series. Curse of the Sphinx, the first book in the series, is completed, and set to be released in August 2015.

Author Links

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Temper Review

Posted on February 29, 2016 by The Page Unbound

Tempertour

Rating: 4/5

Book Summary (Goodreads):

FREEDOM COMES WITH A PRICE.

Free from the spaceship and reunited with Samuai, Asher should be happy. But thoughts of her dead family weigh heavily on her mind.

Things worsen when temper problems in camp lead to a murder. When Asher volunteers to get the drug need to calm people down, tension ignites.

Loyalties are questioned.

Jealousy rears its head. Sparks fly.

And when rumor of a second ship hits close to home, all bets are off.

Have the aliens returned? Is this the end of everything Asher has ever known?

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Purchase Links:

My Review:

Temper was an amazing sequel to Lifer. I honestly loved Lifer, but I loved Temper even more! What an intense adventure Asher ventures out on. The Lifers and Fishies have sought refuge with the green robes. Tempers begin to rise and they soon discover that the aggression is something that the The Company has done to them. A cure is needed in order to treat this Temper. Asher, having nothing let to live for, volunteers to go and retrieve the cure and selects Davyd to go with her. Davyd and Asher set out to the city while in the mean time, Samuai begins to unlock secrets that the green robes are keeping. There’s betrayal, action packed from beginning to end, mystery, suspense, and quite a beautiful unsettling love. I loved Asher even more in this book. She’s confident, determined, and not afraid of anything. I love that the author paired her up with Davyd throughout this book, and I LOVE their interactions. Davyd is as mysterious as ever, and you never know what he’s going to have up his sleeve. It’s obvious though that he loves Asher and I can’t help but route for him, despite all his actions and decisions. Davyd is very much a do it himself and tell no one what I’m doing kind of guy, and he’s extremely difficult to trust. As for Samuai, I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed him in this book. He’s extremely sweet and thoughtful in Temper. In Lifer, I wasn’t a big fan of his, but I feel like I’m starting to understand him more now. Still, despite Samuai being just about Mr. Perfect, there’s something about Davyd that I just LOVE and I’m hoping she chooses him in the end.

The plot was amazing. Beck Nicholas really keeps us on our toes with this action packed novel! I read this book in a day, I was that eager to find out how the book was going to end. And though it was a very epic and gripping ending, I am left with this feeling of needing more! I need the next book to be released because I’m dying for some answers!

I enjoyed the world building as well. I think Beck Nicholas paints a great picture of the world we are in. And the characters were awesome. Asher is fierce and hard not to love! She has really blossomed in Temper. Samuai is gentle, handsome, and kind, and I loved how he handled the Megs and Asher conflict. I was happy to see his feelings for Asher in this book. Davyd is dark and mysterious and I just want more of him all the time. He is truly the most complex character in this series. Is he good? Is he bad? Is he selfish? What. Is. He? I have my thoughts on what kind of person he is, but I have a feeling we won’t find out his true intentions until towards the end of the series. I said this with book one, and I still stand by it. I would just LOVE a chapter at least from his POV.

If you enjoy science-fiction, action, betrayal, and adventure, then I highly recommend you check out the Lifer series by Beck Nicholas! They are simply wonderful reads!

About Book 1:

The Bourne Identity meets Under the Never Sky in this intergalactic tale of love and deception from debut novelist Beck Nicholas.

Asher is a Lifer, a slave aboard the spaceship Pelican. A member of the lowest rung of society, she must serve the ship’s Officials and Astronauts as punishment for her grandparents’ crimes back on Earth. The one thing that made life bearable was her illicit relationship with Samuai, a Fishie boy, but he died alongside her brother in a freak training accident.

Still grieving for the loss of her loved ones, Asher is summoned to the upper levels to wait on Lady, the head Official’s wife and Samuai’s mother. It is the perfect opportunity to gather intel for the Lifer’s brewing rebellion. There’s just one problem—the last girl who went to the upper levels never came back.

On the other side of the universe, an alien attack has left Earth in shambles and a group called The Company has taken control. Blank wakes up in a pond completely naked and with no memory, not even his real name. So when a hot girl named Megs invites him to a black-market gaming warehouse where winning means information, he doesn’t think twice about playing.

But sometimes the past is better left buried. As Asher and Blank’s worlds collide, the truth comes out—everyone has been lied to…

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About the Author:

Beck-Nicholas-head-shot-248x300

I always wanted to write. I’ve worked as a lab assistant, a pizza delivery driver and a high school teacher but I always pursued my first dream of creating stories. Now, I live with my family near Adelaide, halfway between the city and the sea, and am lucky to spend my days (and nights) writing young adult fiction.

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Obsidian Review

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Obsidian
by Kimberly Loth
Release Date: February 17th 2016
Rating: 3/5

Book Summary (Goodreads):

Aspen—a skydiving, rock-climbing, bear-cuddling—adrenaline junkie, finds herself in real danger when she unwittingly ensnares the heart of Obsidian, the dragon king.

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Buy Links:
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My Review:

Obsidian was a super cute love story about a dragon named Obsidian that becomes the Dragon King despite not wanting to be, and is forced to live ten years as a human as part of his requirements for being king. Aspen loves dragons, has always been drawn to them. She always tries to get close and one day stumbles upon a black dragon. As she get’s close to the dragon a mark is left on her ankle, one that she isn’t sure as to what it means. Obsidian takes on the name of Sid as a human and is drawn to Aspen, the girl that seemed so intrigued by dragons. He still remembers her from the moment he met her, and as a human is eager to know her. But Aspen wants nothing to do with Sid. So Sid finds a way to win Aspen’s heart. In the mean time hikers are being killed and the only obvious cause is a dragon. But which dragon is going against the rules and hunting humans?

Obsidian was just an adorable character, as a dragon and as a human. He’s super sweet, and is very genuine about his feelings towards Aspen. He truly wants to know who she is, despite the fact that she turns him down at every corner. And Aspen, though she’s been incredibly hurt and some what damaged by it in the past, becomes a very strong protagonist. It’s a very cute love story. The story is quick pace, and just flat out adorable.

If you love dragons, love stories, and a little bit of suspense and mystery, then definitely check out Obsidian.

About the Author:

kimberly loth

Kimberly Loth can’t decide where she wants to settle down. She’s lived in Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Utah, California, Oregon, and South Carolina. She finally decided to make the leap and leave the U.S. behind for a few years. Currently, she lives in Cairo, Egypt with her husband and two kids.

She is a high school math teacher by day (please don’t hold that against her) and YA author by night. She loves romantic movies, chocolate, roses, and crazy adventures. Kissed is her first novel.

Author Links:
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Between Hurt and Healing Review

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BETWEEN HURT AND HEALING

by Jackie Melvin

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Tate Publishing

Date of Publication: February 2, 2016

# of pages: 424

Scroll down for Giveaway!

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Introverted Denise Staukhill just wanted a quiet life. She never dreamed she would find a man like Darren Olsen to share it with. An unexpected tragedy ends their fairy-tale romance, and Denise once again finds herself alone and devastated.

Years later, the handsome head football coach from the local high school and Darren’s best friend, Eric Ortellio, tried desperately to help her find peace. As their relationship starts to grow, the manipulative Coach Nick Nelson, trying to protect his secretive past, steps in to ruin both of them.

Will Denise and Eric’s friendship sustain the lies and manipulation that the evil Nelson weaved? Can Denise find the strength to let go of Darren and hold on to Eric, or will her faithfulness to Darren keep Eric out of her life forever?

Visit the author’s WEBSITE for best pricing

or purchase from:

Amazon Tate Publishing

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Denise talking to her twelve-year-old daughter Cissy, about her own mother:

“She loved color in her drawings, bright colors: greens, reds, blues, yellows. All her pictures were happy. She told me when I was your age to take whatever makes you sad and color it in. I guess she just meant that colors are happy and sad is black and white.”

Cissy’s response:

“Maybe that’s what Grandma meant when she said, “color it in.” Celebrations are colorful like birthday balloons and wedding cakes. Funerals are black, and hospitals are white. Funerals are always sad and hospitals can be sad sometimes too. So if you find what makes you sad and color it in, you can be happy.”

My Review:

This book really surprised me with it’s maturity and consistency with life. I really appreciated the level it took to not only display different signs of grief but personality types as well. While it’s a slow and steady journey of a woman struggling with grief, there are moments that really display the little beauties in life that stand out. Like first meetings with people that end up changing our life forever. Or reminiscing great moments in our past to make us smile on a bad day. I really did connect to these parts and appreciated the author including a very real look on family. Denise and her three children go through a life altering event with the death of their husband and father. It’s heartbreaking to think about but also very moving how they each endure and support each other. After moving away and returning a couple years later, Denise reconnects with their old neighbor Eric.

All of these characters are very well developed and easy to read and connect with throughout the book. Though I’ve been known to flinch while reading a few love stories, I really liked the easy flow of the tender moments between the characters. The moments written of Denise and Darren’s relationship, while brief, were really great and I almost forgot for a moment that he passes away. It was really nice how consistent Melvin was in keeping Darren’s memory alive while introducing the new love interest in Eric. The author did a great job of writing the subtle differences of each characters unique personality and sense of humor. Especially the younger kids still figuring out who they were.

This book was great read about closures and new beginnings as well as some surprising plot twists and even more struggles along the way. It’s definitely one of the more slower reads than I am used to but was just so real and refreshing. I would certainly recommend this very meaningful and heartfelt book for readers wanting a romantic and mature read.

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Jackie is a hopeless introvert: hasn’t seen the inside of a movie theater in a decade. She is despairingly sappy: will cry at commercials, songs and memories. She is a disheartened housekeeper: good before the kids, great with the kids, now the laundry room doubles as the master closet. An unexceptional athlete, the weather matters! A wanna be nutritionist, if only chocolate had nutritional value. A mediocre musician: been playing the same songs for thirty years.

A happy wife, she married up. A reluctant empty- nester, miss those kids so much. And she is a writer: the author of a series of children’s books, and Between Hurt and Healing is her first novel.

She currently lives in Lubbock, Texas with her husband, her dog, and her cat, and spends as much time as possible visiting those kids.

WEBSITE FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM LINKED IN

GIVEAWAY! One winner gets signed copies of Between Hurt and Healing and all of Jackie’s Bartholomew Bear Series

February 22-MARCH 3, 2016

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Check out these other great blog stops on the tour!

2/22 Missus Gonzo – Review

2/23 All for the Love of the Word – Author Interview

2/24 The Crazy Booksellers – Promo

2/25 The Page Unbound — Review

2/26 Hall Ways Blog – Author Interview

2/27 Books and Broomsticks – Guest Post

2/28 Blogging for the Love of Authors and Their Books — Review

2/29 My Book Fix Blog – Promo

3/1 A Novel Reality — Author Interview

3/2 The Librarian Talks — Promo

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EDGE Book Blitz and Giveaway

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EDGE: A Young Adult/New Adult Paranormal Collection
Publication date: April 5th 2016
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Young Adult

Limited Edition Paranormal Boxed Set

20 New York Times, USA Today, and International Bestselling Authors.

20 of today’s most magical, sought-after titles.

Yours for only $0.99.

Twenty Edgy Young Adult & New Adult Paranormal Tales

Twenty of today’s favorite young adult and new adult authors have come together to bring you a collection packed with full-length, spellbinding reads sure to keep you keep you on the edge of your seat and up way past your bedtime!

But reader beware: These novels take everything to the edge–and not just the edge of your seat. With authors who aren’t afraid to push the boundaries, you get stories that take everything to limit, creating whimsical reads that teens can actually relate to and that adults can enjoy, too.

Save over $50! This set is only available at this price for a limited time, so scroll up and grab your copy before it’s gone!

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PRE-ORDER today for only 99¢!

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Sneak a peek at a couple of books in this collection:

Pretty Little Wherewolf

“Whatever, Di. Help if you must, but don’t baby me.”
If Di heard her, she didn’t respond. Not that Giselle needed verbal confirmation; she turned back around and slammed her locker shut without looking, and then stumbled straight into something… someone… hard.
“Oh, sorry,” Giselle mumbled, trying to steady herself. She hadn’t caught the scent until after she looked up and saw who she’d almost knocked down – or, well, collided with. She couldn’t have knocked him down if she’d tried.
Hello, Boy!
He was magnificent. Was every guy in this school a male model? Towering over her at well above six foot, with muscles that went on for days, he was built like a statue with a hard jaw and stone-cold eyes to match. Though his looks were definitely worth paying attention to, it was his smell that had her standing dumbfounded. In all the years since she’d first experienced the change, she had never run into anyone like her. Now, standing here right in front of her was yet another wolf. She’d thought the lingering scent of wet earth might have been left in Di’s wake, but the longer he stood here, looking down at her, the stronger the smell got.
“Do you have a problem?” he asked with a voice that complemented that spectacular body of his. Smooth and deep. Seriously… what a package. Her wolf was definitely at attention and begging for a second to come to the surface for a closer inspection. It was all she could do not to wolf out right there in the hallway, with all the students around to see. Yeah. That would make for a great first impression.
Hiya, everyone… I’m the new girl, and… oh, yeah, and I’m a wolf, too. She might as well tape an old “Kick me” sign on her back; it would be less conspicuous.
While she was practically drooling where she stood, the strange boy, wolf, man –whatever he was – looked positively murderous. “Are you going to stand here all day, or can I get to my locker?”
So much for making a good first impression on him. “Sorry.” Giselle cleared her throat, wanting to say something smart, but for once, she didn’t have the words. She sidestepped sheepishly, and enjoyed the back view of him as he brushed past her to his own locker.
Damn. Nice butt.
Her wolf agreed, too. Wonder what his wolf looks like. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours! She couldn’t help but stare. How often did she run into other wolves? Male wolves.

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Other Side of Forever

“Allie, why do you hate me so much?” he asked softly as he stared into the sky.
His question took me by surprise. Did he really think that?
“I…I don’t hate you, Ethan.” I stumbled over my words. “I barely know you.”
“Then why do you try so hard to avoid me?”
“I don’t,” I lied, knowing that I did, but not in a mean type of way. I closed my eyes and sighed, wishing he didn’t have to ask so many questions. Couldn’t he just go back to saying nothing at all?
“You do,” he argued. I could hear the change in his voice. He was smiling.
“No. I don’t,” I answered sarcastically. His persistence was pinching my nerves.
“Then look at me,” he challenged.
Without thinking, I turned my head and looked at him. His warm, sweet breath blew against my face as he exhaled. The scent of peppermint. His dark eyes snatched me up and whisked me away. I was lost and unprepared as he drew me deeper and deeper inside him. The walls he created around me were getting higher and harder to climb. Like I had slipped into a trench and I was sinking into the earth.
Ethan pressed forward, attempting to close the gap between us. His lips were so close to mine I could feel the heat emanating from them. And just as our lips were about to brush, the voice in my head begged and pleaded and screamed for me to stop.
Then I turned away.

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Temper Release Day Blitz

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Happy Release Day to

Temper (Lifer #2) by Beck Nicholas!!

Join us in celebrating this release from Month9Books!

Enter the giveaway found at the end of the post.

Happy Book Birthday, Beck!

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FREEDOM COMES WITH A PRICE.

Free from the spaceship and reunited with Samuai, Asher should be happy. But thoughts of her dead family weigh heavily on her mind.

Things worsen when temper problems in camp lead to a murder. When Asher volunteers to get the drug need to calm people down, tension ignites.

Loyalties are questioned.

Jealousy rears its head. Sparks fly.

And when rumor of a second ship hits close to home, all bets are off.

Have the aliens returned? Is this the end of everything Asher has ever known?

Temper (Lifer #2) by Beck Nicholas
Publication Date: February 23, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books

AND DON’T MISS THE FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES:

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The Bourne Identity meets Under the Never Sky in this intergalactic tale of love and deception from debut novelist Beck Nicholas.

Asher is a Lifer, a slave aboard the spaceship Pelican. A member of the lowest rung of society, she must serve the ship’s Officials and Astronauts as punishment for her grandparents’ crimes back on Earth. The one thing that made life bearable was her illicit relationship with Samuai, a Fishie boy, but he died alongside her brother in a freak training accident.

Still grieving for the loss of her loved ones, Asher is summoned to the upper levels to wait on Lady, the head Official’s wife and Samuai’s mother. It is the perfect opportunity to gather intel for the Lifer’s brewing rebellion. There’s just one problem—the last girl who went to the upper levels never came back.

On the other side of the universe, an alien attack has left Earth in shambles and a group called The Company has taken control. Blank wakes up in a pond completely naked and with no memory, not even his real name. So when a hot girl named Megs invites him to a black-market gaming warehouse where winning means information, he doesn’t think twice about playing.

But sometimes the past is better left buried. As Asher and Blank’s worlds collide, the truth comes out—everyone has been lied to…

About-the-Author2

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I always wanted to write. I’ve worked as a lab assistant, a pizza delivery driver and a high school teacher but I always pursued my first dream of creating stories. Now, I live with my family near Adelaide, halfway between the city and the sea, and am lucky to spend my days (and nights) writing young adult fiction.

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The Black Lotus Review

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The Black Lotus
by Claire Warner
Release Date:June 29th 2014
Rating: 3/5

Book Summary (Goodreads):

….though I would dearly love to play court to you, I would hurt you more than any other.

It is 1752.
The year that will change the life of heiress Melissa De Vire. As she makes her first fumbling steps into society, she meets the handsome young cad Justin Lestrade and his world tears her perceptions apart. For Justin is more than he appears and his secrets and enemies are manifold. Drawn irresistibly to him, she finds herself sinking into a realm of feuds, magic and old curses and her life will never again be the same.

The Black Lotus ebook cover

Buy Links:
Amazon│Amazon UK

My Review:

The Black Lotus is a story that will make you feel like you’re reading a supernatural version of a Jane Austen novel. It’s even written like it came right out of the 1700’s. Just like a Jane Austen novel, there’s dancing, there’s the way they talked back then and used their fancy words to get under each others skin. It’s cleverly written, and the suspense and supernatural element to it was very refreshing for a romance written like this.

The Black Lotus follows a girl named Melissa that is just coming out and being welcomed into society. At her first coming out party, she meets the dangerous and deliciously handsome Justin. She’s warned about him, that he’s seductive and a flirt, and moves on from girl to girl. Still, she’s tempted to talk to him, a talk that leads her to believe he is exactly what everyone says he is. Still, she’s drawn to him, and she can’t explain why. As their flirtatious friendship grows, secrets about Justin begins to uncover. Justin isn’t just some wealthy lad. He is filled with a darkness and a dangerous secret. He tries to keep Melissa away from him, but Melissa does everything she can to discover just what secrets Justin keeps. But she doesn’t realize what price such dark secrets come with.

I am a huge fan of stories written in this time, and I thoroughly enjoyed The Black Lotus. However I wasn’t sold by Justin’s character. He’s a womanizer, and I, personally, am not a fan of these bad boy types. But the story itself is very interesting and Melissa is a very likable character. I’m curious to find out where Justin and Melissa’s story takes us in the sequel.

If you enjoy historical romances with a supernatural twist to it, then be sure to check out The Black Lotus!

About the Author:

claire warner

When I was a child, I made up games and characters when my sister and I played with dolls. As I grew older, I would make up scenarios and scenes, fully intending to write them down but never finding the time. In my late teens, I discovered the world of role playing and settled into an avid ‘geeky’ life of D&D, comics, sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Years passed and I finally gave voice to the stories in my head. I write romance, fantasy, action and adventure. I love tales of steampunk and history, tales of magical powers and dark curses lurking in the shadows. Though The Black Lotus is not my first attempt at a novel, it is the first I have finished.

And some fun facts about me:

I sew.

My favourite Disney film is Atlantis.

I’ve been a film extra and stood 5 feet away from Sam Rockwell.

Babylon 5 is my fave sci-fi show.

I cried at the end of Toy Story 3.

Author Links:
Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

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