Category: New Reviews

Book links:

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Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Kari meets Neil Mars. “Neil as in Armstrong and Mars…as in Bruno.” A boy who beats every vampire, werewolf, highlander fantasy Kari has ever had. But she knows she can’t get close to him. Not ever. Because that would mean telling him everything. Coming clean. And Kari can’t bear the idea of changing the way Neil looks at her. Like she’s the only girl in the world. His reverence is something too precious to lose. Perhaps even at the cost of losing him.

But Kari doesn’t know why Neil calls her his ‘Angel’ and when she finds out, she realizes what love is all about. Boundless joy, unending longing and a fuckload of heartache.

My Review:

All My Life is the debut from author Rucy Ban and the first in the First Things Series. As I sit here and begin this review I have to say….this was one hell of a kick ass debut!

Kari hasn’t exactly had what you’d call the best of luck when it comes to boyfriends.  She’d fallen for the wrong guy in high school and has been paying for it since.  Now, in college, she’s happy for the anonymity college life brings.  Even if she can’t shake the regret her high school ex-loser boyfriend brings, no one else had to know about it on this campus.  It was without a doubt a story she never wanted to share with anyone.  Now, with school going well, she’s longing for more and that comes in the form of a chance part-time job offer at the tattoo parlor opening up right down the street.  Seems interesting enough, and she had always done well in art class, so why not!  Maybe this is just what Kari needs to breathe some life into her miserable, regretful life. What she doesn’t need is the distraction of the positively lickable hottie that has just walked into the shop.  Not making things better is his relationship to the shop owner and the fact that he’s around a whole lot more than Kari would like.  His panty dropping looks and kind and polite personality is a combo she is finding hard to resist and starts breaking down the walls she’s built around her heart.

Neil Mars is a young guy with a whole lot on his plate.  Heartbreaking issues that a young guy shouldn’t have to be dealing with.  But as he walks into the tattoo parlor, he meets Kari.  Kari, the one who ends up representing all that is good in love and life and turns out to be the lifeline he needs.  His angel.

Where to begin?! This story rocked.  Seriously rocked.  Keri is full of snark and had me laughing out loud too many times to count.  Her life kinda sucks when we meet her and she totally knows it.  The cynical outlook she has on things is justified and she weaves that cynicism with sarcasm and a dash of innocence that turns it into a combo that is awesome to read! She’s written in a way that I could see her in my mind’s eye and imagine how she would be behaving at that moment and is someone I would totally love hanging out with.  Neil is such a swoon worthy hero.  The bad boy looks with the big heart, soft-spoken demeanor and unwavering strength in the face of adversity is a package that’s hard to beat.  These two have a whole lot to deal with during this book, and reading some other reviews, some may think too much but I really enjoyed how the whole story played out.  I felt that it kept the story going and never left the reader with a dull moment. The cast along with Keri and Neil are also some amazing characters.  Spunky and heartwarming people who complimented the story at every turn and added to the moments whether they were the laugh out loud or grab me a tissue kind.

All in all, I really REALLY loved this book and am so happy I got a chance to read it.  I absolutely recommend it if you’re looking for a witty, snarky, sexy, heartwarming read with a few “whoa” moments peppered throughout.  Thank you, Rucy, for a fantastic story!

Four Loves

About the author:

Rucy Ban was born in 1978 and still continues to thrive. Ever since she first met Francine (the protagonist of her favorite novel, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn), Rucy fell in love with the written word. Rucy has a B-school degree in Marketing which she now puts to good use teaching lovable rowdy rogues and negotiating with her equally belligerent adolescent. In her previous avatar, she handled corporate communications for companies. At present, Rucy lives in Sao Paulo, travels often, speaks decent, if not quite fluent, Portuguese and really hates talking about herself in third person.

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Book links:

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Synopsis:

Rosethorn is a breathtaking debut novel of love lost and found again that culminates in a stunning end you won’t soon forget.

“I know I could be happy with someone else . . . But it was decided a long time ago. It was always going to be you.”

From Morocco to Paris, Sera has traveled the world over but she never forgot Rosethorn, the beautiful, abandoned mansion where she and Andrew used to meet for trysts. Until the day Sera found her mother’s diary. Sera’s obsession with the shocking secrets it contained tore them apart and sent Sera fleeing to New York with a devastated heart.

10 years later, Sera revisits Rosethorn, only to run into Andrew, all grown up and handsomer than ever. Politeness gives way to a heated confrontation over their painful past. Yet unable to resist each other’s lure, both surrender to the undying power of first love.

Fate has brought them together once again, but will an old tragedy destroy Sera and Andrew’s second chance.

My review:

Rosethorn is the debut work from author Ava Zavora and I was 100% wholly unprepared for how much I ended up loving this book.  Yes, this title goes on the list of books I’ve read in 24 hours and I loved every minute!

Growing up with only her grandmother and not ever knowing the parents she was born to, Sera dreamed of where her life would take her and all of the magical places she would travel to and see.  Now, after realizing those dreams, she knows a piece of her is missing.  The piece she left behind years ago with the memories of her first love and the magical place they shared…Rosethorn.  Now, faced with the decision of accepting her boyfriend’s proposal to take their relationship to the next level, she realizes she has to go back.  Back to Rosethorn and hopefully be able to bury the still potent longing for that lost love once and for all. But she sees the fates have other plans in store for her once she steps foot onto the lands Rosethorn stands upon….

Andrew cannot believe she’s back.  Restoring Rosethorn was a dream of his since he first found the old home with Sera all those years ago.  Now, she’s back and standing here…at Rosethorn.  So many unanswered questions immediately plague his brain.  The most important one being: Would there ever be another chance for them? He had tried for years to put his life back together but the girl who he had always noticed in his peripheral, ever since they were little kids in grade school, was a constant pain in his heart and thought in his mind since she left him years ago.  He knows what they had was so much more than a first love…and he’s determined to make her see that they were always meant to be together.

What.  A.  Book.  Sera and Andrew’s story was so pure and real that it brought me back to the innocence of the first crush and all of the emotion that goes along with it.  Watching their relationship grow from the teasing when they were kids to the realization they both had feelings that went way beyond that as they grew up, was such a treat.  Add the magic of the house itself, with its mystery and allure, and I was completely hooked.  Reading about the adventures Andrew and Sera shared and the stolen moments in an old abandoned charming mansion and it ended up being like their very own fairy tale.  Of course, there was plenty of mystery beyond the house.  Sera never gave up trying to find the truth of who her parents were and what had happened to them.  Never has the phrase “be careful what you wish for” been truer than in this situation.  Sera finds out more than what she had bargained for and, even though her and Andrew had been drifting apart, what she learns about her past stiffens her resolve to go her own way…far from Rosethorn.   I went through every emotion while reading this book…I laughed, got super angry and cried my eyes out.  If you know me though, I love when a book gets the reader to feel and Rosethorn certainly did just that!

Hopefully I haven’t bored you with my blathering!  In the end, I highly recommend Rosethorn (if you haven’t guessed!).  If you enjoy stories about true love, second chances, mystery and self-discovery all wrapped up in an extremely well-written package, then this is a book for you! So, get to downloading, clear your schedule, grab some tissues and ENJOY! Thank you, Ava, for a story that will stay with me for a long time to come.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Five Loves

About the author:

In my childhood, I used to ride water buffaloes and wade in swamps. When I discovered books, I would go adventuring with Anne of Green Gables, the Pevensies, Bilbo Baggins, or Alanna of Trebond. I incurred my mother’s displeasure for reading too many romance novels, so I learned to hide them and read underneath covers with a flashlight late at night. Nowadays, I travel and write dark fairy tales and romantic novels about adventurous women. And I still stay up too late reading, even though I don’t get in trouble for it anymore.

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The Marriage Merger releases July 30

Book Links:

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Synopsis:

Her sisters have found wedded bliss with their wealthy, wonderful dream men, but not Julietta Conte. She’s stayed on terra firma as top executive of the family’s corporation, La Dolce Famiglia bakery. Work is her passion, and her trendy Milan apartment her sanctuary . . . until Sawyer Wells, a masculine masterpiece in a suit, lures her out of hiding with an irresistible offer: an exclusive partnership with his international chain of boutique hotels.

Julietta’s been burned before—and trusting her brother-in-law’s friend, whose powerful gaze alone has her rethinking the best use of a conference room, is the riskiest proposition. But with a once-in-a-career chance to take the bakery global, will she mix stone-cold business with red-hot seduction?

My review:

The Marriage Merger is the fourth book in Jennifer Probst’s Marriage to a Billionaire Series and is Sawyer and Julietta’s story.  I am a huge fan of this series and have been dying to read this installment…and in true Jennifer fashion, she delivered a fabulous story!

As the head executive of her family’s bakery empire, Julietta Conte hasn’t made her love life a priority and with the louses she’s dealt with in the past, one can hardly blame her. Now, with her sisters all being married and convinced she needs to follow suit, she concedes to their requests to recite the love poem to Mother Earth that they has all done and are convinced had brought love into their lives.  So, doubtingly, she does it.  Not expecting much, she’s surprised when a business deal that would make La Dolce Famiglia an even bigger success, falls into her lap almost immediately after her spell was cast.  Why is she surprised?  Because the man with the offer, Sawyer Wells, evokes all sorts of sexual desires and delicious sexual tension within her.  She soon realizes she may have been playing with fire when she recited those words.  Now she just has to decide what to do with it…fan the flames or extinguish them.

Sawyer Wells has been through hell and back and has the scars to prove it…both emotional and physical.  Now, he’s a man on a mission to make his mark on this world and in doing so pay back many promises he’s made to himself and the people who have helped make him who he is today.  With his latest project, a merger of his new luxury hotel and the exclusive old world style bakery, La Dolce Famiglia, he’s one step closer to realizing his dreams.  It hasn’t been an easy road, and he will remember every dark twist and turn along the road leading him to the uber successful business man he turned out to be.  Now, those roads also lead Julietta Conte into his life and with the zing of sexual awareness like he’s never experienced before, he knows there is something special about her.  But when she turns him down flat, he relies on the determination that hasn’t ever failed him to get her to admit there’s something more between them then just a business deal.

Sawyer and Julietta have a great many hurdles to overcome, both personally and professionally.  They both have a lot to prove and can stand to learn a few things about love and trust and breaking down emotional walls.  Will they be able to help one another and maybe find love along the way?

So as I had said, I am a huge fan of this series and I have to say that this is officially my fave in the series.  Jennifer took a slightly darker approach to this book and I think it was simply perfect.  Sawyer is the ultimate damaged hero…the type of hero I absolutely adore.  His past is positively heartbreaking.  There were passages that had me reaching for tissues and damn, if that didn’t make me love Sawyer even more.  One of the things I loved most was that Jennifer didn’t display Sawyer’s past all out in the open at once.  We got pieces throughout the story and bit-by-bit the puzzle of his life comes into focus.  The reader was right there with Julietta as she tries to figure him out.  He is a character I won’t soon forget.  Julietta is 100% kick ass.  Yes, we know she is a tough as nails businesswoman and can hold her own in the boardroom but what was nice to see was that she has a vulnerable side.  She has many facets that round out her personality beautifully.  Together, they are a fantastic couple.  Both strong-willed and used to the take-no-prisoners approach, it’s great to see the push and pull between them and learn their individual weaknesses.  The heat and chemistry between them is delish and the softer moments they share are some of the best I’ve read.

Also a treat was getting to see the whole cast of characters from the Conte crew!  I love when we get to see where life is taking them all and enjoy a Sunday dinner with them and Mama Conte.

I know all of you Marriage to a Billionaire Series fans will adore Sawyer and Julietta as much as I did!  Thank you, Jennifer, for another awesome read!

Five Loves

About the author:

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. At twelve, I took a pen in hand and wrote my first love story. I haven’t stopped since. Those heroines taught me valuable lessons that served me well. I learned to keep my head up high and surge forward when I was afraid; I learned to demand respect in a relationship; I learned about compromise and dreams and independence. Those are the stories I want to write, and I can only hope I give back some of the joy I received over the years.

I live in the beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York. I’ve traveled to many places but always seem to be drawn back to the mountains. I graduated with a business degree, worked for Mercy College, and now spend most days dedicated to my family and my characters. I’ve pursued many career paths such as travel agent, yoga teacher and insurance salesperson. I’ve wanted to be an airline pilot, a dancer, an archaeologist, and a vineyard owner. I have been all of the above through romance novels, and intend to explore many more.

One of my turning points in my career was when I joined Romance Writers of America and met the wonderful people in my local chapter, The Hudson Valley RWA. Through supportive critique sessions, I learned how to develop my raw skills to get a publishable manuscript. I discovered my tendency for wordy prologues and passive phrases that all new writers work through, and now try to help others on their journey.

My “leisure time” is spent writing, reading, and raising two active boys. I believe animals are the other children in this world, and enjoy spending time at the local animal shelter, where I got my first “baby” Bella, a shepherd hound mix who gets into as much trouble as my son! I rescued my second dog from an abusive home, a beagle, basset hound who is the peacemaker in the household.

I met the love of my life when I had finally given up on my own romantic journey. The first time he asked me out he promised to buy my book if he could buy me dinner. We had dinner and fell in love over sushi and haven’t been apart since. We married and settled into domestic bliss. That’s when I learned it wasn’t about happy endings. It was about happy beginnings.

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Synopsis:

Raquel Lindgren knows what her future holds. An arranged marriage. A new home in Ragnarok, Iowa, with another clan of refugees from Asgard. She should be happy. But there’s a mental block preventing her from tapping in to her true abilities as a witch. And she’s more attracted to the best man than she is to the groom…

Fen can’t believe he’s falling for his best friend’s future wife. As a hound, a wolf shifter, his duty lies with the pack. He’s seen too many hounds destroyed by love, and he’s sworn never to take a mate, never to have children of his own. He can’t deny his desire for Raquel, but she deserves more than he can offer her.

Raquel’s been raised to trust in magic, her clan and her destiny. But when a vengeful demon threatens to break out of Asgard and destroy the clan, Raquel learns she must trust in love if she is to take the future into her own hands.

My Review:

This is the second book in Eleri Stone’s Twilight of the Gods Series and for me, was a fresh look at paranormal and I truly enjoyed it!

Nervous and excited, Raquel Lindgren steps through a portal to meet the man she is betrothed to and to meet the new clan she will eventually be the head witch for.  Only there’s a few problems….one major one being she hasn’t exactly come into her full powers yet.  The powers are there,  just simmering beyond the surface and she needs to figure out how to reach into herself and grasp them.  Of course, this has to happen at the same time as demons have been attacking through the portal between the worlds she is supposed to help strengthen.  Another problem? Her sudden and intense attraction to Fen, the best man and best friend of the groom.  What’s a young witch to do when the weight of the clan is on her shoulders and she has a terrible suspicion that she is marrying the wrong man?

For the last 28 years, Fen has come to grips with his decision to remain and unbounded hound…sadly, that means he will forever remain a virgin.  You see, once a hound has sex, he’s bonded to that person forever. The down side to that? Something he’s seen time and time again.  The partner the hound bonds to decided she no longer wants to be a part of it.  Fen has decided that ignoring his desires will always be easier than having a mate who changes her mind….he’d been ok with that…yep, until he laid his eyes on Raquel.  He knows there’s no way he can ignore what he feels for her…too bad she’s going to marry his best friend.

Raquel and Fen not only have to deal with their feelings toward each other, they have to deal with attacks from demons from another realm, Raquel’s issue with her powers, battles, injuries and turmoil within the clan.  Will it prove to be too much?

This was a fantastic story.  I loved the Norse mythology spin on paranormal and thought it was a fresh take on things.  I truly appreciated reading legends that are something new and different!  Raquel is a great heroine.  She realizes her faults and is willing to do what it takes to fix them and become the woman and witch the people need, even if it means putting her own comfort and security aside.  She knows to trust her instincts and is strong and loyal.  Very admirable qualities.  Fen is one of those deliciously dark and distant heroes that had me pining for him from the beginning.  What Eleri did with the triangle between Raquel, Fen and Christian (the man she is supposed to marry) was nail-biting perfection.  I felt for both Christian and Fen and for quite some time, couldn’t decide who I wanted Raquel to choose.  That, to me, is the sign of great writing.  Getting the reader to feel for all sides is a talent.  Ultimately, I was Team Fen and was drooling over him! Of course, I won’t spoil it for you but I will say the last chapter was freaking AMAZING!  A deliciously perfect ending!

I’m sure we will get to see more of Fen, Raquel, Christian and the whole clan because Eleri has hinted at more drama to come for the clan and our favorite members.  Thank you, Ms. Stone, for a fresh and exciting read!  I will be looking forward for more in the Twilight of the Gods Series!

 Four Loves

About the author:

Eleri Stone was born and raised in New Jersey. She graduated from the University of Iowa, married her college sweetheart, and settled in the Midwest where she still lives with her husband and their three children. A lifelong fan of fantasy, she started reading romance as an adult and was instantly captivated by the strong female protagonists, character-driven storylines and guarantee of a happy-ever-after. Writing fantasy and paranormal romance, she is the author of the Lost City Shifters series (shapeshifter paranormal romance), the Twilight of the Gods series (paranormal romance) and the Spellcraft series (fantasy romance).

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Synopsis:

Eight years ago, Eva Sterling left Walnut Hill without a backward glance, her heart and pride shattered. Until recently, she had been living the life she always wanted with her husband Matt, when tragedy struck and turned her world upside down once again. Her hometown has never given her what she needed and has always been more draining than sustaining. Now she must return home to the life…the family…everything upon which she once turned her back and hope the place from whence she came has what she needs to heal. Jesse Hawthorne instigated Eva’s departure. He was utterly responsible for breaking her heart more times than he could count and has carried with him the knowledge and burden that caused her to run away. With her arrival back in his life, he is determined to be the man he always knew she deserved. Second Chances asks its characters and its reader’s one question, “Is it possible to build a future on a foundation of regret?”

My Review:

Second Chance by Jennifer L. Place is a story, quite simply, about second chances and all of the things that come with that… forgiveness, acceptance, trust and courage just to name a few.

Eva Sterling is at a crossroads in her life. The recently widowed wife of a police officer killed in the line of duty, she faces the unyielding question of “what now?”.  Ultimately deciding to move back to her hometown, with the family and friends she had left behind years ago, she now must face all the memories she had been blissfully ignoring…memories of heartbreak and a lost love that she had never been able to get over.

Fresh from signing the divorce papers, and happily kissing his failed marriage goodbye, Jesse Hawthorne is ready to move on.  Now, with the prospect of working on a new project for the construction company he manages, things are looking up.  That is, until he realizes the new project he’s heading is for Eva Sterling….the girl he lost years ago and the girl he is still desperately in love with.

Eva and Jesse have both been through hell in their personal lives since the incident that ruined their relationship.  Broken trust and shattered dreams aren’t something easily forgotten or easily regained.  But, having gone their separate ways they now find themselves once again back in each other’s lives.  Have they each earned a second chance at the happiness and love they let slip away all that time ago?

This was a heartwarming story that takes the readers through all of the emotions the characters are experiencing.  It went from the sadness Eva is feeling from the death of her husband; to the remorse Jesse has for breaking Eva’s heart.  But, also there were some great happy moments spent with Eva and her girlfriends and her family.  I enjoyed Eva’s journey and watching as she decided to grab the second chance at life she has been given by moving back to her hometown and with her family and friends.  I thought the last few pages with her and Jesse were really well done and ended the book on a great note.

Thank you, Jennifer, for an enjoyable read!

Three-and-a-Half Loves

About the author:

I have been writing for as long as I can remember – little snippets here, short stories there, awful teenage poetry, novels. Some people write out of enjoyment and some write out of necessity. I am a bit of both.

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