Tuesday 3 February 2015

***Blog Tour - Hooked by Christine Manzari - 3.5 Stars***


***Review Tour***
Hooked by Christine Manzari
Out Now!!!



Blurb - If you ask the confident and snarky skater girl, and she’s in the mood to share, she’ll tell you her name is Cat. She might even tell you that she’s hooked on graffiti, 80s movies, and having fun—the riskier the better. Cat will share a good time with you, but she won’t ever trust you enough to share her heart. It’s protected by secrets and she’d like to keep it that way. 

Cat knows one thing for certain: Love isn’t really her thing. 

If you ask the confident and rich pretty boy, he might tell you his name is Huck. He might even tell you he loves a challenge and is used to getting his way. He won’t tell you that his life is a mess because he risked his heart by trusting the wrong girl. Huck is ready for a change, he just wasn’t ready to get hooked on someone like Cat. 

Huck knows one thing for certain: Love hasn’t done him any favors, but Cat just might be worth the risk. 

Cat and Huck think a one-night stand seems harmless, but when all the little secrets they didn’t share turn out to be toxic truths, they realize how easily a one-night stand (or a few) could ruin everything. 

The thing is, you can be ruined in more than one way. Once you’re HOOKED, what wouldn’t you risk for the chance at more?






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My Review
3.5 Cate and Huck not Cate and Will Stars

Hooked is the first book I have read by this author and I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review so here goes...

Hooked is a bit of a split personality story we have Cat & Huck meeting on the beach, flirting and having some very sexy no complications sex.

Cat is a full of attitude skater girl, who is bitchy and witty and so sarcastic that I was giggling like a teenager.

Then there’s Huck aka Pretty Boy to be honest his main personality is attracted to Cat, he sort of stalks her. Now that should be creepy but is actually just kind of romantic!!

I love their banter as Cat & Huck there connection is palpable and easy.

Then the book heads in a different direction and they become Cate & Will.

Cate is a super bitch with more attitude that an angry tiger, personally I’m not a fan of Cate. Will is a wannabe control freak who's led around by his dick and his desire to be with Cate regardless of the risks.

I struggled with this section of the book because neither character is exactly at their best, they fight, they kiss and then they start the process all over again. She’s a bitch, he’s a dick and to be honest this is where I put my kindle down and had a break for a few hours.

The situation with Cats mom is the next thing and this was just incredibly sad, Christine Manzari you made me cry. This part of the story is beautifully yet heartbreakingly well written and although it’s inevitable I was really hoping for that miracle!!

There’s a lot of stuff going on in this story, I did enjoy it but I feel like I got whiplash with the way Cat/Cate changed her mind every ten seconds.

I loved Cat and Huck not so much Cate and Will but I’m glad it turned out well in the end.

Hooked gets 3.5 stars from me.





About the Author

The first thing Christine does when she's getting ready to read a book is to crack the spine in at least five places. She wholeheartedly believes there is no place as comfy as the pages of a well-worn book. She's addicted to buying books, reading books, and writing books. Books, books, books. She also has a weakness for adventure, inappropriate humor, and coke (the caffeine-laden bubbly kind). Christine is from Forest Hill, Maryland where she lives with her husband, three kids, and her library of ugly spine books.


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***Review - Falling Sky by Lisa Swallow - Blue Phoenix #2 - 4.5 Stars***

***Review***

Falling Sky by Lisa Swallow
Blue Phoenix #2
4.5 Love For A Lifetime Stars

Blurb - Sky’s world turned upside down when she met rock star Dylan Morgan, and exploded when she discovered his hidden past.

Four months after Sky learns Dylan’s devastating secret, she’s trying to piece her life back together. Without an explanation from Dylan, Sky has no choice but to try and forget him.

Dragged back into the life he ran from, Dylan continues to spiral downwards as he copes with his fame the only way he knows how. Shattered by the revelation Sky knows his darker past, he forces himself to return to England and explain.

Sky and Dylan reconnect, attempting to build on the shaky foundations of their summer. But the outside world continues to conspire against them.

Taking place in the epicentre of the Blue Phoenix world, Sky and Dylan’s story continues amongst the chaos surrounding the band and its members.

Falling Sky is book #2 in the Blue Phoenix Series.

I really enjoyed Summer Sky book #1 in this series, I loved how innocent and childlike Sky and Dylan’s relationship was in the start.

Falling Sky is definitely a much more mature sequel. The story is darker and much more jaded and weary than the first book.

I still really like both Sky and Dylan, which lets be honest is amazing because Dylan is an idiot!!!

I feel incredibly sorry for Sky she spends months doubting both Dylan and herself all because he isn’t mature enough to accept responsibility for his mistakes and move on with his life.

At times it feels like Sky has almost taken on a parental role for Dylan, she has to go into mean mommy mode to get him to behave like an adult.

But what I enjoyed about this book is that with the more adult undertones of this story came a depth of emotion and sincerity that I didn’t feel in the first story.

Summer Sky is all about Sky and Dylan falling in love but this book shows that true, honest love is enduring and infallible. Yes it may be tested but if it is a genuine and sincere love then it will stand hard and fast against any obstacle.
 
In this book Dylan and Sky are pulling along with the tide of crazy that is involved with being a rock star. As far as I can see the person at the rudder steering them all towards crazytown is Steve aka the evil one!!
 
He is manipulative and sly and he really gets my back up!! I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. It amazes me that it takes till right at the end for the band to realize that Steve treats them like an entity not four people with lives and emotions at risk.
 
Now I enjoyed the connection that Sky and Dylan had in the first book, but for me I prefer the tentative Love they express for each other in this one. As a reader I felt the chemistry but I also felt how fragile and delicate it was and how easily it could break.

I really enjoyed this conclusion to Sky and Dylan’s story but I’m really looking forward to Liam, Bryn and Jem's books. Does anyone else think that possibly Bryn may be gay???

Falling Sky gets 4.5 stars from me.


Monday 2 February 2015

***Review Tour - Redeem Me by Eliza Freed - Lost Souls #2 - 5 Stars***

***Review Tour***
Redeem Me by Eliza Freed
Lost Souls #2



Some things can't be forgiven...
Charlotte O'Brien should forgive God for her parents' death. She should forgive her boyfriend for his one horrific mistake that separated them, and she should forgive herself for cutting them both off, but instead she hates everyone.

But when her childhood friend Noble Sinclair arrives, his passion reignites the spark that had vanished so completely in Charlotte's gray existence. And in Noble's arms, Charlotte finally begins to wonder if she might be ready to choose the future with Noble over her shattered past.

Redeem Me is book 2 in the Lost Souls series.


Purchase:

My Review
5 Life Altering, Heart Beating Out Of My Chest Stars
Redeem Me is book #2 in the Lost Souls Series by Eliza Freed, I was lucky enough to be given an ARC in exchange for an honest review so here goes.

Book #1 in this series Forgive Me is a brilliant book I gave it 5 stars here’s a link to my review.

I think to say that I had a strong reaction to the way Forgive Me ends may be a slight understatement. There may have been some shouting, some angry ranting and then a solemn vote that I’m #TeamJason through and through.

I was equal parts squealing with excitement and scared witless to start reading Redeem Me. I have very strong feelings about how I need this series to end, and I was terrified that Eliza Freed would send this happily Ever After in the wrong direction.

Well I pulled on my big girl panties and read Redeem Me and good lord this book is amazing!!!!

I’m going to just say now that this book gets a big fat 5 STARS from me. But now I need to rant without giving away any spoilers so please just bear with me.

#TeamJason#TeamJason#TeamJason#TeamJason#TeamJason#TeamJason#TeamJason#TeamJason

Ok so I just need to clearly state which corner I stand in case you didn’t guess I’m totally #TeamJason.

Charlotte aka Annie starts this book broken and in pain and its completely understandable. Because when you have a love that is so epic that it consumes you and it then gets broken I’m amazed she survived as well as she did.

Now Jason is hardly in this book (sob #TeamJason) but when he does appear or gets mentioned I felt Charlottes heart start beating again. Now he’s a bloody idiot he cheated and I’m not condoning that, but he and Charlotte are soul mates, drawn to each other in a dysfunctional all consuming love and that kind of passion, love and connection doesn’t just go away!!!

Charlotte gets on with her life but she’s simply not the same character she was in the first book. I felt her constant fight to get over Jason and move on. At times when she was at her lowest I even kind of wanted her to fall for someone else (only for a second) but truth be told you can’t truly fall for someone else when you are still heart and soul locked into another.

Noble.... Boo Hiss!!! I don’t dislike him, he’s sweet and he loves Charlotte. I think it was obvious how he has always felt about her and he is the perfect guy.

But just not the perfect guy for Charlotte!!!!

Amazingly Eliza Freed's flawless writing and her obvious passion for this story flows out of every word and at times I almost got on board. I could almost see the perfect happy ever after for Noble. But then everytime I thought it Jason flashed into my head.

He may not be physically present in this book but he’s there at the edge of every though, every action Charlotte takes is second guessed. How would Jason feel about this, what would Jason do, what would Jason say?

I lost myself in this book, my kids were barely spoken to and I read it front to back in a few hours. I constantly checked how much I had left waiting patiently for Jason to come back guns blazing.

What the F**k Jason!!! Where were you???

By the time it got to the Epilogue I was stressed out, literally on the edge of my seat and starting to panic!!!

Noble knows something and I hope it’s what I think it is!!

I NEED Save Me like right now!!! Eliza Freed please, please, please put me out of my misery I just need to know PLEASE!!

I loved this book, I love this series!!!

Redeem Me gets 5 huge, life altering, heart beating out of my chest stars.


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About the Author

Eliza Freed graduated from Rutgers University and returned to her hometown in rural South Jersey. Her mother encouraged her to take some time and find herself. After three months of searching, she began to bounce checks and her neighbors began to talk; her mother told her to find a job.

She settled into Corporate America, learning systems and practices and the bureaucracy that slows them. Eliza quickly discovered her creativity and gift for story telling as a corporate trainer and spent years perfecting her presentation skills and studying diversity. It’s during this time she became an avid observer of the characters we meet and the heartaches we endure. Her years of study have taught her laughter is the key to survival, even when it’s completely inappropriate.

She currently lives in New Jersey with her family and a misbehaving beagle named Odin. An avid swimmer, if Eliza is not with her family and friends, she’d rather be underwater. While she enjoys many genres, she has always been a sucker for a love story…the more screwed up the better.

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***Release Day Blast - Happenstance 3 by Jamie McGuire - Out Now***

***Release Day Blast*** 
Happenstance 3 
by Jamie Mcguire
Out Now!


We're celebrating the release of Happenstance 3 by New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jamie McGuire! 


TitleHappenstance 3
Author: Jamie McGuire
Publisher: Jamie McGuire LLC (February 2, 2015)
Cover Design: Okay Creations, Sarah Hansen

Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it all.

Now that Erin has learned the truth about the girls who tortured her, and about the boy she loves, she finds her time before graduation dwindling at an alarming and exciting pace. What used to be summer break was now a countdown to her final days in Blackwell. Her parents, Sam and Julianne struggle with the fear that just when they’ve found Erin, they must let her go, and the tension is higher than it’s been since Erin discovered who she really was.

Finally with the girl he’s loved since childhood, Weston grows more desperate as the summer days pass. He and Erin will go to separate colleges. His biggest fear is that this means they’ll go their separate ways. Plagued with making the best of the time he has left with Erin, and finding a way to make it last, Weston finds himself in a different state of mind hourly. He is just beginning to realize that hope is like quicksand. The harder Weston struggles, the faster Erin sinks.

Grab HAPPENSTANCE 1 & 2!



TitleHappenstance
Author: Jamie McGuire
Publisher: Jamie McGuire LLC (May 9, 2014)
Cover Design: Okay Creations, Sarah Hansen
Goodreads

#1 New York Times Bestseller Jamie McGuire returns to self-publishing with this page-turning YA account of Erin Easter, one of three Erins in the small senior class of rural Blackwell High School who not only share a first name, but also their birthday. Easter, raised by a neglectful single mom, keeps to herself and admires Weston Gates from afar. The other Erins, Erin "Alder" Alderman and Erin "Sonny" Masterson are the darlings of the community: daughters of the two wealthiest families in town, best friends, cheerleaders, and everything Easter isn't--and they never let her forget it. Alder has even claimed Weston since the 8th grade.

Weston is a well-liked star athlete, and the son of two prominent attorneys. He struggles daily with the pressures of living up to his family name and secretly empathizes with Easter's feeling that she belongs somewhere else; in a different life. Not until he begins sneaking nights out with Easter does he gain the courage to buck expectations and acknowledge his feelings ... both for his future, and for her.

A shocking tragedy rocks the tiny town, and Easter's life is turned upside down in the best way possible. But when the truth is revealed and everything she thinks she wanted falls into her lap, life only becomes more complicated.



TitleHappenstance 2
Author: Jamie McGuire
Publisher: Jamie McGuire LLC (September 2, 2014)
Cover Design: Okay Creations, Sarah Hansen
Erin Easter was now Erin Alderman, because Erin Alderman was dead.

In the second installment of this USA Today bestselling series, follow protagonist Erin, a high school senior in tiny Blackwell, Oklahoma. After a terrible accident leaves two classmates dead, Erin learns that she was switched at birth. Shortly after, she moves into the home of her true parents, Sam and Julianne Alderman, transforming Erin over night from pariah of Blackwell High School, to the only child of one of the most affluent couples in town.

Also being pursued by her childhood crush, Weston Gates, the dream she once had is now reality. But when Erin stumbles upon secrets that gives her the answers she’s been searching for, she also finds a truth she never wanted to know.



About the Author:

Jamie McGuire was born in Tulsa, OK. She attended the Northern Oklahoma College, the University of Central Oklahoma, and Autry Technology Center where she graduated with a degree in Radiography.

Jamie paved the way for the New Adult genre with international bestseller, Beautiful Disaster. Her follow-up novel Walking Disaster debuted at #1 on the New York TimesUSA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. She has also written apocalyptic thriller Red Hill, a novella titled A Beautiful Wedding, and the Providence series, a young adult paranormal romance trilogy.

Jamie lives on a ranch just outside Enid, OK with husband Jeff and their three children. They share their 30 acres with cattle, six horses, three dogs, and Rooster the cat.

Find Jamie at www.jamiemcguire.com or on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

***Release Day Blitz - Get Off on the Pain by Victoria Ashley - Pain #1 - Out Now***

***Release Day Blitz*** 
Get Off on the Pain 
By Victoria Ashley
Pain #1

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Sexy, tattooed and inevitably dangerous. Memphis is all that and more… I live for the pain; it’s what drives me to keep moving. But there comes a time when one has to push the demons aside in order to survive. I thought I buried them deep. I thought I was ready to finally live. Until… my brother, Alex; he throws me into the fire—right into the place I could never control myself, the one place I never want to be again. When I put my hands on people, they get hurt. Things happen that bring me back to that night. The one that will forever torment me. I’m doing fine, keeping to myself in order to ensure no one gets hurt by me. Then along comes Lyric, and all I want to do is touch her, to put my hands in places that I know will only lead to her being crushed by me. She’s the rush that I crave. The darkest of poison running through my veins, killing me bit by bit; like a drug I can’t get enough of even though I’m almost down to my last breath. And being around her only hurts more, but what she doesn’t understand is that I welcome the pain; I get off on it, which in the end leaves me with the hardest decision of my life—one that might get us all killed…


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Ever since she came into my life, standing there behind me on the porch that day, I knew she would be hard to forget. From her messy, caramel hair and pouty lips, to the fire in her big, green eyes, I knew she was going to test me unlike anyone else ever has. I could tell she was a fighter just like me. The only thing I need right now is to get out of my head and away from the woman beside me. “Go inside, Lyric. I’ll wait here until you get in.” She looks over at me from the passenger seat, one hand on the door handle. She’s not letting me go so easily. I can see it in her expression. “You’re not going home?” I turn away and look straight ahead, refusing to look at her. If I do – I’ll cave in. I’ve already done that enough with her. It needs to stop. “No. I can’t be there right now. You really don’t need to worry about it. Now go. Goodnight.” She takes her hand off the handle and pulls her seatbelt back on. “Good, because I don’t feel like going home either.” She nods her head toward the road. “Let’s go.” “No,” I say firmly. “Just go inside.” “Why not? What is the big deal? What is so wrong with taking me along and getting to know me? I’m not asking you for anything other than company. It’s a big fucking world and it sucks being in it alone.” I let out a slow, deep breath and finally look over at her. She needs to see that I’m a fucking monster. I ruin lives and it will be no different with her. “Because I don’t want you around me when I’m drinking. I’m working hard here to keep my fucking hands off you. If I get fucked out of my mind… I’m going to want to fuck you and once I fuck you, the game changes. You don’t want that. Trust me.” She nervously runs her hands through her hair and looks at my lips, swallowing. “You don’t know shit about what I want. Maybe I’m not as innocent as you think. Now can we go? It doesn’t look like Bailey is home anyways. I don’t feel like sitting home alone.” She always does this to me. I don’t get why she is so hard to get rid of. She’s pushing me and I can only hold off for so long before I fuck her senseless and pull her into my dark world; a place she doesn’t belong. “Just keep your distance from me. If your friends are there then you hang out with them. Okay?” I look over at her when she doesn’t respond. “Okay, Lyric? I need you to understand and stay away? Say it.” She looks up at me with fire in her eyes. She’s not happy with being told what to do. Another thing I like about her. Well fuck me. “Fine. I get it. Let’s just go,” she says stiffly.

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New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author. Victoria Ashley grew up in Rockford, IL and has had a passion for reading for as long as she can remember. After finding a reading app where it allowed readers to upload their own stories, she gave it a shot and writing became her passion. She lives for a good romance book with bad boys that are just highly misunderstood and is not afraid to be caught crying during a good read. When she's not reading or writing about bad boys, you can find her watching her favorite shows such as Sons Of Anarchy, Dexter and True Blood. She is the author of Wake Up Call, This Regret, Slade (Walk Of Shame #1), Hemy (Walk of Shame #2), and Get Off on the Pain. Victoria is currently working on more novels for 2015.

Visit Victoria on FACEBOOK! 

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Sunday 1 February 2015

***Release Day Blitz - Keela by L.A. Casey - Slater Brothers #2.5 - Out Now***

***Release Day Blitz*** 
Keela by L.A. Casey 
Slater Brothers #2.5
Out Now!!


Read my review of Keela by clicking 



Synopsis

Keela Daley is stressed out with nightmares and memories from her past, they are haunting her. She has no time to dwell on them as she is moving out of her dog box sized apartment and into her first house with her fiancé. Moving house is a dreaded task, and Keela would love nothing more than for things to go quietly and smoothly, but when you’re engaged to a Slater brother, nothing goes quietly or smoothly. Nothing.
Alec Slater loves his woman. He also loves playing games and surprising her. Picking moving day to do both, turns out to be a failure of epic proportions. Alec wants to make it up to Keela for his mistakes, but as the day goes on, and things go from bad to worse, he doesn’t know if living with him is something she wants anymore. What started out as a simple day of packing and moving house turns into the day from Hell. Unwanted house guests. Business propositions. Alcohol. Pregnancy tests. Panic attacks. Fighting. Arguing. Sex, and everything else that is crazy and represents the name Slater. Keela has a choice to make, and not one she will make lightly. Keela adores Alec, and what Keela adores, Keela cherishes.

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Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | iBooks | Kobo



Excerpt

“Hey,” Alec murmured in my ear. “Is everything okay?”
No, not at all.
“Yeah... I'm just stressed with the move,” I replied, playing it off like it was nothing.
Alec placed his hands on my arms and gently rubbed up and down. “Are you sure that's all?”
I nodded my head.
“Keela,” Alec began. “Talk to me, what's wrong?”
Everything.
“Nothin', I'm fine,” I assured him.
His silence spoke volumes, so I decided to give him a little piece of what I was thinking.
“I've just never moved into a house with another person before, especially not another person who is my fiancé. It's sinkin' in that we're for real. I was convinced for a long time that you wantin' me was some kind of fluke. I was expectin' you to realise that you could have anyone, so why settle for me? Then you'd up and walk out.”
Alec turned me to face him and leaned his head down so he could press his forehead against mine. “I don't know what else I can do to make you realise you're it for me. I don't see anyone but you. You're my life, Keela. I wish you knew just how much I love you and how lucky I am that you picked me. You don't know how beautiful you are, and I hope you never realise it because if you do, you'll realise you can do better than my sorry ass, then you'll up and leave me.”
Yeah, right.
“Stop it,” I mumbled and tried to pull back.
“No,” Alec stated firmly and held me still. “You are beautiful. You are perfect to me. You are my life. You are never going to convince me that I am worthy of you. Kitten, I love you so much it hurts. Please realise that.”
Oh, Christ.
I was about to cry. Again.
I quickly lifted my hands to my face and covered it completely.
“I hate you!” I said then burst into tears.
I hated everything.
I had this unbelievably beautiful person both inside and out, and he wanted me by his side for life, yet here I was doubting whether or not we were moving too fast. I wanted to be with Alec for the rest of my life, I swear I did... so why the hell did everything we were doing feel like it was too fast?
Alec took my emotional state as a good sign and put his arms around me and cuddled me to him. He thought I was overwhelmed by his profession of love, and I was, but what he didn't realise was that I was close to breaking down and revealing what was really wrong with me.
“Cry baby,” he murmured to me.
I lightly chuckled and pulled back. “I'm fine, it's just the stress of movin' that has me so teary.”
Alec nodded his head and kissed my forehead. “Let's go get a start on boxing and speed this day up. What do you say?”
I forced a smile. “I say lead the way.”




Slater Brother Series


Slater Bros Series

Dominic

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Bronagh

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

Alec

Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | iBooks | Kobo


Author Bio


LA CaseyL.A. Casey was born, raised and currently resides in Dublin, Ireland. She is a twenty-three year old stay at home mother to a two year old German Shepherd named Storm and of course, her five year old – going on thirty – beautiful little hellion/angel depending on the hour of the day. She is the author of the Amazon Bestselling book series, Slater Brothers.

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Win one of FIVE $5 Amazon Gift Cards or FIVE ebooks of Keela!

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