Contemporary Romance – Page 320

Good Girls Don’t Date Rock Stars by Codi Gary…blog Tour Stop & Review

Title: Good Girls Don’t Date Rock Stars

Author: Codi Gary

Genre: Contemporary Adult Romance

Publish Date: April 22, 2014

Publisher: Avon Impulse an Imprint of HarperCollins

Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.

~ Book Synopsis ~

Gemma Carlson didn’t plan on waking up married.

She also didn’t count on running into her old flame—and her son’s father-turned-country-rock star—Travis Bowers, followed by a night of drunken dares. Apparently one of those involved a ring on her finger and a vow…neither of which she intends to keep. Now with a hangover from hell, this good-girl-gone-bad knows there’s just one thing to do: run.

Travis has been all over the world, but Gemma has never been far from his thoughts. So when he had the chance to catch up over a few drinks, he didn’t hesitate. Of course he didn’t expect it would lead to marriage, or a runaway bride! Travis finally has a second chance and doesn’t plan on losing Gemma again—or the son he didn’t know he had. He proposes—albeit belatedly—a date. Or rather, a few. If they can make this marriage work by starting over, he stays. If not…

Gemma’s not interested; she’s got a son to protect and a heart to heal. But having Travis around could make both a little easier. Still, good girls don’t date rock stars…right?

My review:

Good Girls Don’t Date Rock Stars is the second book in author Codi Gary’s Rock Canyon Romance series and the first in the series I have read. I know there are a lot of rock star books out these days but I have to say, this one was different. This story held a whole lot of heart and I absolutely loved it from start to finish.

Single mom Gemma was enjoying every second of her weekend away in Las Vegas. She was here for a romance book convention of sorts and had been having an amazing time. Sure, she missed her son like crazy, but getting away in the past 9 years since he’d been born wasn’t an option to she was going to savor every second of this trip. The last thing she ever expected was running into Travis. The country rock star god who also happened to be her ex high-school boyfriend….and father of her son. The even bigger problem was that he had no idea he even had a son. She shouldn’t be worried though. She would just go along with the pleasantries, say her goodbye, and go back to living without him. He, of course, had other plans and she’d never been good at saying no to Travis. Agreeing to a night out didn’t seem like a terrible idea but when she wakes up the next morning, in Travis’ bed, wearing a wedding ring, she knew she should never should have said yes. In a blind panic, Gemma leaves Travis in Vegas and heads home. Back to her son and her normal life. Imagine her surprise when Travis shows up at her front door….to give their marriage a real shot. What. A. Mess.

Gemma had never been far from Travis’ thoughts. Even all these years later he knew he let “the one” slip away and now that he had gotten a second chance, there was no way he would let her go. Even if she did give him a “Dear John” letter and his ring back. He had been prepared for the fight to convince her that they were meant to be. He wasn’t prepared to find out he had a son. With Gemma. That she never told him about. He was also unprepared for the immense feelings of hurt and betrayal he now harbored toward her or the instant love her felt for his son. He had come to save his marriage. Now he was here to become the father his son had never known. Would he ever be able to forgive Gemma and could they ever be a real family?

The obstacles Gemma and Travis have to overcome are great and many but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about reading a great book, is that where there’s even a bit of will, there’s a way. And this book surely didn’t disappoint!

Oh, how I loved this book. I said earlier that it was different than all of the other rock star books I have read lately and I meant it. The rock star part was really secondary to the journey Gemma and Travis had gone on and the road that lay ahead. This was one hell of an emotional read and Cori did a kick ass job at getting me to feel the emotion in both points of view. I understood why Gemma didn’t tell Travis she had been pregnant. Travis had a pretty sad childhood and his talent was his ticket to a better life. She didn’t want to be the one to hold him back from that and end up resenting her one day. On the flip side, I really felt for Travis and I hurt for him and the betrayal he felt and I was angry right along with him at Gemma. It was really a push and pull of emotion and I think it’s a huge talent that a writer be able to get the reader to feel that. I was cheering these two on from the beginning and really, really wanted them to have a happy ever after. There were a lot of times I didn’t think they would and I was a worried mess! I won’t ruin it for you, but know that I wouldn’t recommend a book that ended badly and I totally DO recommend this book. (so you can take that as a hint!)

Thank you, Cori, for an amazing and emotional book. I will absolutely be keeping up with this series and can’t wait to see what you have in store for us!

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Purchase Links

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Excerpt from GOOD GIRLS DON’T DATE ROCK STARS by Codi Gary

How many glasses of champagne did I have last night?

Gemma Carlson groaned, gritting her teeth against the stabbing pain that seemed to be spreading through her brain. She didn’t want to open her eyes, afraid of what she would find. Right now she was only sure of two things. One, her head hurt like a son of a bitch and two, she was very, very naked.

Prying open her right eye, she tried to focus on her surroundings, but instead of seeing intricate, golden wallpaper, she found the walls were now light colored. A couch sat in the corner of the room, though her room had had a tiny office chair and desk. The landscape on the wall was new, too.

She opened both eyes, blinking rapidly at the dryness, and realized she had no idea where she was.

Which meant she obviously wasn’t in her hotel room.

A light snore behind her caught her attention and she stiffened, turning her head slowly to look at her bedmate. She sucked in a breath at the sight of dark curls and a broad back, the only things visible above the heavy comforter.

What have I done?

Sitting up, she swallowed down the rolling nausea and fought the splitting headache, catching her face in her hands. And then she felt it. Something cool and metal on her finger. Something that definitely shouldn’t be there.

Pulling her hands back, she stared at the large three-stone diamond ring on her left index finger and froze.

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About the Author

An obsessive bookworm, Codi Gary likes to write sexy small-town contemporary romances with humor, grand gestures, and blush-worthy moments. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading her favorite authors, squealing over her must-watch shows, and playing with her children. She lives in Idaho with her family

Authors Social Media

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Review…Perfect Pitch by Mindy Klasky

Book links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:

Reigning beauty queen Samantha Winger is launching her pet project, a music program for kids. All she has to do is follow the pageant’s rules—no smoking, drinking, or “cavorting” in public.

That’s fine, until D.J. Thomas—God’s gift to baseball—throws her a wild pitch. He slams her in an interview, and the video goes viral. Sam’s no shrinking violet. She parlays D.J.’s apology into a national T.V. appearance—and a very unexpected, very public kiss.

Soon, paparazzi catch the couple in a steamy make-out session, and Sam’s music program is on the block. The blazing hot relationship is threatened even more when D.J.’s son begs to trade in Little League for music class.

Can Sam and D.J. sizzle past the sour notes and find their perfect pitch?

My review:

Perfect Pitch is the first volume in author Mindy Klasky’s Diamond Brides Series and threw one hell of a home run. I loved this book!

Beauty queen Samantha Winger had given up a lot for this title. She had to pretty much act like a complete vanilla angel in public, lost a lot of her friends because she couldn’t go out and party, and certainly wasn’t allowed to go out on dates and be caught kissing anyone. You’d think it was the 1940’s with the rules this pageant had in place. But it was all worth it when she’s able to get her music education program into the local schools. She had become the person she was thanks to her love of music and she wanted other kids to be able to experience what she had. Things were going smoothly until baseball star D.J. Thomas belittles her on national TV. Ok, he didn’t exactly belittle her, just her title. He shows up a day later with an apology and she sees this as one hall of a golden opportunity….to help get her music program some TV exposure. Only problem was that from their first introduction, there are some serious sparks between the beauty queen and the baseball star. A problem because she couldn’t act on in while reigning as queen. It was written in the rules. And when they start spending time together, and are caught by the paparazzi kissing, her time as queen may be over. But like a run of strikeouts that bring the losing team back from being down to win the game, can D.J. make everything ok?

Oh man, the amount of heat packed into this story was positively delectable! Both Sam and D.J. were likeable characters from two pretty different backgrounds and with two pretty different views on things. But you know what they say about opposites attracting, right? Thanks to a baseball team road trip, their relationship was able to grow over hours long phone calls and that made their story even more special and believable. They learned one another inside out and backwards in those phone calls. They also had some sexy convos that I’m sure would have any eavesdropper blushing! Of course, it wasn’t all happy moments for this unlikely couple and they have more than one obstacle to overcome. But like all good love stories, they are able to make it all work out in the end.

Thank you, Mindy, for a sexy, sweet read! I will definitely be looking forward to the next in this series!

Four Loves

About the author:

Mindy Klasky learned to read when her parents shoved a book in her hands and told her that she could travel anywhere in the world through stories. She never forgot that advice.

Mindy’s travels took her through multiple careers, including copyright lawyer and law librarian. Mindy now writes full time. Her books fall in a number of genres — including traditional fantasy, urban fantasy, and category romance.

In her spare time, Mindy knits, quilts, and tries to tame the endless to-be-read shelf in her home library. Her husband and two cats do their best to fill the left-over minutes in her days.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Gabby Revealed by Amy Gregory…Blog Tour Stop & Review

Welcome to my stop on the Gabby Revealed Blog Tour!

Title: Gabby Revealed (Finding Perfect #2)

Author: Amy Gregory

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: March 25, 2014

Event Organized By: Literati Author Services, Inc.

Synopsis

Gabby James didn’t have the idyllic childhood many in her little hometown of Renlend, Kansas had. High school was a living hell, but when she graduated she couldn’t bring herself to leave Renlend. The town was her prison, but her family’s bookstore, The Looking Glass, was her one true love. It was the place she could run to, and escape the prying eyes of the ones who taunted her.

Shane Compton was a literary agent in one of the most prestigious publishing houses in New York City. He found no greater rush than finding the next big talent, someone who could take the written word and turn it into an art form. In the span of one rude phone call Shane was drawn into the mystery of just who the fiery new author from Kansas was. When everyone else in the office refused to deal with her, Shane willingly accepted the challenge. There was no logic to the madness, but every time he had contact with her, she drove him wild.

Gabby tried every trick in the book to keep Shane at arm’s length, but he had made good on his promise to come to Kansas. He wanted to pull her out of anonymity, he wanted her in the public eye. Now here he stood, on the sidewalk in front her bookstore, and one look told her he was everything she was afraid he’d be. Too bad she was anything but who he thought she was.

Gabby quickly discovers Shane has more on his mind than just books and with a little help from an ornery matchmaker, he shows her a whole new life through her looking glass.

My review:

Gabby Revealed is the second book in author Amy Gregory’s Finding Perfect Series. I read and enjoyed the first book but had been dying to get my hands on Gabby’s story. We met Gabby briefly in the first book and there was something about her that I knew would make a great character. Well, I wasn’t disappointed…this book was amazing.

Gabby James has come to terms with small town life. Well, as much as a girl that had been tormented by the “in-crowd” all through high school could be. The thing was, if she could have moved out of this town, she would have been able to let it all go. But she could never leave this town because this town held the very thing she loved the most….her book store. Within the shelves of this store, among the typed pages, she could let go of those years of hurt and live in her own skin. Sure she still had to deal with the uppity mean girls when they came in from time to time to buy the latest bestseller from the current most popular author, but she could deal with them because she had a secret. A secret that kept her smiling inside and giving those mean girls the silent “eff you” every time she sold one of those best selling books from that über popular author. It’s also the secret that lands literary agent Shane Compton on her doorstep. The same agent she’s been trying to keep firmly outside of her emotional barriers for the last five years. Now that he’s here, she realizes she’s in big trouble and in danger of those very carefully erected walls to come crumbling down.

Lit agent Shane Compton was always up for the challenge and the chase of finding the next big author. He’s found more than a few but the one he is most proud of, and the one he’s determined to meet, is the one he’s travelling to small town Kansas to see. She has piqued his interest for the last five years he’s worked with her and as crazy as it sounds, he’s pretty much resigned to that fact that he’s fallen for her. A woman he’s never seen in person. But he knows her and he knows her amazing mind. He also knows her smart mouth and somewhat abrasive personality…a personality he truly adores. Now, standing on the doorstep of the address the checks have been coming to, he can’t believe his eyes. The beautiful storeowner was one in the same as his amazingly talented and smart-mouthed author.

In reality, they’ve known each other for years. They’ve talked on the phone millions of times and know a lot about one another for the most part. But meeting in person for the very first time proves to be life changing for Gabby and Shane. The feelings that have Shane convinced that Gabby is worth moving across the country to be with are the same feelings that had Gabby running for the hills and hiding behind the hurt she suffered years ago. Will Shane have what it takes to convince Gabby that love is worth taking a chance on? Because Shane is convinced what they have is real and worth everything.

Before I start the (probably) long-winded part of this review, I just have to say that I’ve been talking about this book to anyone who will listen since I finished reading it two days ago. Oh, how I loved it!

As I said earlier, there was something about Gabby that had me anxiously waiting for her story. She was the broken butterfly. The kind-hearted artist that just wanted to see the good in life and was knocked down at every chance. A victim of the mean girls in high school, Gabby tried for years to get over all of that hurt…but just couldn’t. It was always there, that nagging feeling of unworthiness. I hated that she felt that way. But as much as I hated what those girls did to her, I had to thank them because they turned Gabby into an amazing person. Yes, she’s foul-mouthed and far from sweet and fuzzy, but damn that’s why I loved her. I am not a fan of the fluffy heroines so Gabby had me from the very first time she called Shane a jackass. I want to go out and share a beer with her…cause she’s so awesome. I relate a lot to her because I’m not a warm and fuzzy gal myself (seriously, just ask Mr. Read-Love-Blog, he’ll tell you).

As for Shane? Damn. That guy paid such careful attention to all of Gabby’s personality traits for five years and when he shows up in person, she has no case against why they can’t make it work. He knows her inside out and backwards before they even laid eyes on one another. And he’s got a fight in him that kept going. He’s amazing and just what Gabby needed when she needed it most. What a catch he is!

I also have to mention (and give a shout out to a certain 4^th grade teacher for having tissues in her room at school) that there was a part that had me crying my eyes out. If you know me, you know I love that and that just added to how awesome this story was for me.

Amy, thank you for Gabby. This story is one that will stay with me for quite some time and one I will continue to recommend!

Five Loves

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Purchase Links

Gabby Revealed: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Mike’s Way Back: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the Author

When asked ‘when do you have time to write’, Amy Gregory simply laughs. The real answer is, “in bits and pieces”. She and her husband live in Kansas City with their three fantastic kids that keep them running in three very different directions. Because she sits so much, she always carries a notebook with her at all times.

She has an off the wall, snarky, off the cuff sense of humor that often shocks even those who’ve known her for years. And she loves that her children have all been blessed that ability to make others laugh as well. At least she’s grateful most of the time! Her husband often teases her about how she “makes this stuff up” when he’s reading a piece of her work. … The answer—“it just comes to me when I’m typing”. Scary thought, huh!

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