Monday, March 31, 2014

Contest Time!

I finally had a chance to put a giveaway together for the fans of Volpina Reads. Click below for your chance to win some great prizes at: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Reading! 

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg


"For Macallan and Levi, it was friends at first sight. Everyone says guys and girls can’t be just friends, but these two are. They hang out after school, share tons of inside jokes, their families are super close, and Levi even starts dating one of Macallan’s friends. They are platonic and happy that way.

Eventually they realize they’re best friends — which wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t keep getting in each other’s way. Guys won’t ask Macallan out because they think she’s with Levi, and Levi spends too much time joking around with Macallan, and maybe not enough time with his date. They can’t help but wonder . . . are they more than friends or are they better off without making it even more complicated?

From romantic comedy superstar Elizabeth Eulberg comes a fresh, fun examination of a question for the ages: Can guys and girls ever really be just friends? Or are they always one fight away from not speaking again — and one kiss away from true love?" (Description from Goodreads.com)


If I had to describe this book with one word, I would use AMAZING! The book from start to finish was just amazing. Of course, I've come to expect that from Eulberg since I first read the Lonely Hearts Club (still one of my favorite YA books out there). 

I was currently reading a lot of New Adult and Fiction books with very heavy, serious matter. I'll make a side dialog to say that YA can and does handle very serious topics. I hate when people put down YA because it's main audience is for "teens". I haven't seen my teen years in a long time and I love YA. Honestly, I feel YA does a better job of explaining the world and issues better than some "serious" fiction books out there. Now, off my soap box, I was reading books about abuse survivors (see Axel review) and I needed a breather. Something fresh that made me feel all gooey inside. A love story. A story that wasn't non-stop drama that left you wondering how on earth did that cause a problem This book, this wonderfully awesome book, made me feel all gooey and happy inside.

Eulberg has this amazing talent to pull characters personalities out that you really make you feel like you're there experiencing the good and the bad, loving or hating or angsting with the main character. She also has a talent in creating thoughtful teens who are respectful of each other and their family. Well....about 90% of the time. Any friendship in the teen years can have drama and stress cause from inside and outside factors.

Like an onion this story has many layers  from friendships to relationships to family and dealing with the unthinkable (for one character). We're very lucky that this story was told in both Macallan and Levi POV. We also get snippets of the two characters between each chapter. I imagined these snippets were their future self's. The snippets was a surprising factor for me that made the book even better.

I could go on for paragraphs on the storyline and how true to high school life it felt. But I won't. I don't want to ruin the story for you or the surprises you find along the way. Just know that we first meet Macallan and Levi in the 7th grade and go through to Junior year. 

If you're looking for a amazing read that will leave you feeling better at the end of the story than this should be your next read. Now, fingers crossed that Eulberg loved the characters so much we might see a sequel one day. It's a complete story but I just loved these two characters so much I would love to read more about them. 

Happy reading!

Friday, March 28, 2014

Axel by Harper Sloan

 

"Fate hasn’t always been friends with Isabelle West. In fact, fate has been a downright bitch. Isabelle has learned the hard way how hard life can be when fate isn’t by your side. It can hand you dreams on silver platters, but it can snatch them right back and hand you nightmares. One thing Isabelle knew for sure fate was consistent with was taking away everything she ever loved. For the last two years Isabelle has been slowly clearing the clouds of her past. Happiness is finally on the horizon. She has a thriving business, great friends, and her life back. All she has to do is jump over the last hurdle…her ex-husband. When problems start causing her to fear her new life, and memories that are better left forgotten start rushing to the surface the last thing she needs is a ghost from her past to come knocking on her door. Axel never thought he would look into the eyes of Isabelle West again, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to now. He’s carried his anger for so long he isn’t sure he can just turn it off, but when he is faced with protecting her and an unexpected desire to have her again, life gets a little more complicated. How will Axel and Isabelle deal when all their cards are put on the table and everything they thought was true blows up in their faces?" (Description from Goodreads.com)

Note from the author--This book is intended for a mature reading audience and isn't suitable for younger readers.

Reading the first chapter I came across this paragraph which I thought set the tone for the whole book, a turn on words that take her angst and make you laugh as Iz tries to find a way to deal with the hand she currently has all the while hoping for better. "Fate might hate me, but that doesn't stop me from hoping one day she forget about her favorite chew toy. When that day comes I hope karma has some fun with that bi&^h, fate."

In the prologue you get a glimpse at the horrible marriage and abuse Iz has been enduring. You also will get flash backs to the abuse over the course of the book. They are real and are gritty and really show the abuse and how it can affect someone. There is no glossing over it and I appreciate that the most. I hope that someone reading this book might recognize that their friend is in a similar situation and be just like Dee, offering help when needed and a strong friendship to lean on.  Dee truly saved Iz's life and this books shows you the power of friendship.

Now on to Iz and Axel...I think for younger readers, those who grew up with email and social media might not understand how they could have lost touch. As you read the story you see many factors working against them. With FaceBook, Twitter, email and cellphones, life has changed and it's easier to keep in-touch and track of people. Without these factors, losing touch was sometimes apart of the world we use to live in. Which was sad to read about because you could feel the connection they had as kids. 

As they meet up again, it takes time for trust to become apart of the equation. Some stories you think, "that would never happen" and know the ARC was used to push the story forward. This situation felt very believable and easy to understand.

I also liked how the author showed the contrast between abuse and alpha male. Most books don't show the difference. The alpha male just seems like a huge (insert creative word here).  Axel showed the difference though actions and words. The book showed a stark contrast that between what is and is not acceptable from lovers and boyfriends.

We also get to see the strong bonds of friendship and relationships in the book. Iz has made her own family with Cage and Dee. Two strong people who help support her at her worst moments. As Cage's friends enter the picture we get to see Iz make new bonds but also have old ones tested. I appreciated this in the story since we seem to have all experience this when new friends enter the picture.

On a final note, this book is very sexy between Axel and Iz. On a scale of 0 to 100 (50 Shades), I would say this was around a 60% sexy...Axel is a talker! The book also shows violence between Iz and her ex. The violence is nothing like a horror movie. but abuse is gritty and horrible. Reading about it can make you feel depressed for the character. While saying that, Axel is well worth the read. I look forward to reading more in the series.

I was lucky enough to get my copy from the library...make sure to check out yours to see if they have a copy. Axel is also sold at the usual places...Amazon and B&N.



Wednesday, March 26, 2014

World Book Night...It's coming to a town near you!


I'm excited to be apart of World Book night once again. It's a night where I get to hand out free books to those that want one. Actually, I'll be one of many handing out over a half million free books across America. This year I'll be at the New Ulm Public Library to hand out Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children on April 23 in the evening. I also know that we have two other givers handing out books that night too!

I'm sure you might be wondering what exactly is World Book Night (WBN). On April 23, 2014, 25,000 volunteers from Kodiak to Key West will give away half a million free
books in more than 6,000 towns and cities across America.

WBN U.S. is an ambitious campaign to give thousands of free, specially printed paperbacks to light or non readers. Volunteer book lovers like myself will help promote reading by going into our communities and handing out free copies of a book we love, often to those without
means or access to a printed book.  With the organizational support of our local bookstores and
libraries, we’ll be sharing them in locations such as hospitals, mass transit, nursing homes, food pantries, underfunded schools, and more.

This is not a random giveaway, it's a free book! If you would like one make sure to leave a comment in this post or Facebook or email me. I'll place one on the side so you can get this great YA book.

World Book Night is also making a short, free original ebook available to everyone at their website on April 23. Make sure to check out http://www.us.worldbooknight.org that evening for your free ebook.

If you're not from my area, make sure to check in with your local library or book store to see who is hosting an event.

World Book Night U.S. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization supported by UPS, authors, publishers, the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association, Barnes & Noble, and the Ingram Content Group; a full list of sponsors is at our website.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Sneak Peek at Secret Alpha by Laurel Ulen Curtis

I'm very excited to host another sneak peek for indie author Laurel Ulen Curtis! Make sure to check out the great giveaway she is hosting. Now I'm off to download my copy of the first book for 99 cents. Review to follow soon.

Expected Release Date: 
April 29, 2014

Synopsis

"I’m Dan Smith, and I’m currently living two lives. Maybe even three if you really look into it. Haley, Allison, Hunter, Wade, Sergio, and Isla all exist in one or more of them somehow.

Am I a supporting role in their stories, or are they merely characters in mine?
You decide.

Haley told her story. Now I’ll tell mine.

She said. He said.

This is my story."

Warning: Some explicit language and sexual content. Please note that this is the second book in a series and will be best-received if read after A is for Alpha Male.

Your sneak peek to Secret Alpha

Once again, Allison had no answer, but that didn’t get Haley down at all.
I could feel my feet start to walk in their direction, straight down the bar and stopping right in front of them, as though I was having an out of body experience.
“As far as loosening up, I meant alcohol.....Shot time!”
Perfect. Cue me.
She looked away from her mom right at that moment, honing in like a laser beam on my exact location.
And then, looked right through me.
Burn.
“Two shots of fireball, please,” Haley requested sweetly, but I could tell she didn’t notice me at all.
If anything, that made her even cuter. She was completely there, in that moment, with her mom. Clearly, they had a strong, close, vibrant relationship, and a respect that I hardly ever saw between people anymore.
Living in such a technologically driven era, people rarely interacted with one another without an outside distraction like a cell phone going at the same time.
Don’t worry, I’m not anti-technology, but I am pro-personal connection. The kind of camaraderie that’s strong enough to hold a person’s entire interest. It’s probably a lifetime lacking in close connections that drives my philosophical approach to conversational engagement, but I couldn’t tell you for sure because I’m not a psychologist.
“You got it, sweetheart,” I said, and then began thoroughly kicking my own ass for adding on a term of endearment. I seriously didn’t know what the fuck was wrong with me. I didn’t know what is was about this girl that had me tied in knots, and I didn’t know why in the fuck I kept letting myself forget I was in the middle of a very serious, extremely dangerous investigation.
There was probably a price on my head at that exact moment, for fuck’s sake.
I pulled my lips back over my teeth immediately, putting away the dimples and effectively putting the kabash on my smile. But it didn’t even matter because she still hadn’t even really looked at me. In fact, another man, someone I wasn’t familiar with, had just approached her and started flirting.
He was a cocksucking dork, I could tell, but she flirted back. The really disgusting part is that I felt an immediate flare of fire in my belly, the edges of my flaming jealousy licking the lining of my stomach and burning me alive.
Placing the shots on the bar in front of them, I redirected my mind and energy and moved to the other end of the bar, keen to do any other work I could come up with.
But as I left, I allowed myself one last look, startling noticeably when Allison’s keen blue eyes found mine and a knowing smile crept sweetly onto her face.
Fuck. Me.

 

                                                                                                       

Click the link below for your chance to win the ebook Impossible by Laurel Ulen Curtis


                                                                                                       

Secret Alpha is the companion novel to A is for Alpha Male.
Pick up your copy today while it's only 99 cents!


Buy A is for Alpha Male


                                                                                                       


About The Author

Laurel Ulen Curtis is a 27 year old mother of one. She lives with her husband and son (and cat and two fish!) in New Jersey, but grew up all over the United States. She graduated from Rutgers University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology, and puts that to almost no use other than forecasting for her friends and writing a storm chasing heroine! She has a passion for her family, laughing, and reading and writing Romance novels. She’s also addicted to Coke. The drink, not the drug.
Hosted By

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Be with Me by J. Lynn


"Teresa Hamilton is having a rough year—she’s in love with her big brother’s best friend, but he hasn’t spoken to her since they shared a truly amazing, mind-blowing, change-your-life kiss. She got out of a terrible relationship. And now an injury is threatening to end her dance career for good. It’s time for Plan B – college. And maybe a chance to convince Jase that what they have together is real.

Jase Winstead has a huge secret that he’s not telling anyone. Especially not his best friend’s incredibly beautiful sister. Even though he and Teresa shared the hottest kiss of his life, he knows that his responsibilities must take priority. He certainly doesn’t have time for a relationship. But it doesn’t help that all he can think about kissing the one girl who could ruin everything for him.

As they’re thrown together more and more, Jase and Tess can’t keep denying their feelings for each other. But a familiar danger looms and tragedy strikes. As the campus recovers, the star-crossed couple must decide what they’re willing to risk to be together, and what they’re willing to lose if they’re not…" (Description from Goodreads.com)


Be with Me is the third book in the Stay with Me series. Really it's #2 but the 1.5 book was so good that I count it as it's own and not a 1/2 of the first book. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't get the craze at first for the series...which I'm sure you read in my review of Trust in Me and how that book pointed me toward why the series was so popular. At this point if I had any misgivings or you do, I would throw them away and pick up Be with Me. Really, the book was that good. So good that I couldn't put it down. 

We start off with Theresa (Tess) recovering from her knee operation and at college, somewhere she didn't expect to be since she was a prima ballerina. One bad landing and her knee was blown but hopefully not for long...

I'll pause a moment here to tell you a little about myself and why I connected with this book so much. A long time ago I was also a dancer and blew my knee running track. I remember the moment when they told me I would be lucky to dance again let alone walk normal. It was devastating because I soon learned that I was accepted into a production of the Nutcracker ballet for pointe (fancy way to say dancing on your toes). I remember the knee pain and I remember thinking I would never walk right again.  I was one of the lucky ones, I had a miracle worker as a doctor and with lots of PT, I was able to make my way back to sports and dance. I would never be the graceful dancer I once was but I was thankful I wasn't completely shut out.

So, going in to this book, I somewhat lived what Tess had. I understood the lows and the pain. I have to say that J. Lynn nailed it when describing Tess's feelings and pains and struggles. So much that I started having symphony pain in my own knee. Three days of creaking and cracking and limping all due to this wonderfully written book.

Now back to the book...Tess has had a crush on Jase for years. Maybe at one time it was a school girl crush, looking at a guy as a white knight who came to save her brother's sanity. Over the course of the book, you  see her develop strong feelings and emotions to Jase. (And who doesn't love the name Jase? Some of my favorite books have that name in it.)

Jase has his own set of problems and woes, never revealing them but to his family and Cam. Trying to get him to open up is like watching someone open a tuna can with a knife and nothing else. It was frustration and mind boggling. But when he did open up at different times it was well worth the wait. 
When they finally come together for good, you feel like it was well worth the wait.

Of course there is drama (drama llama as Tess would say) and several ARCS happening in the story. This story felt more real world that other books that I have read. Real situations that people face and wonder how do you help to get them out, how to be the right balance of friend and protector? I really liked that this book addresses abuse and not just physical but emotional as well.

I can easily say, without a doubt, that this book is my favorite so far in the series. The next book will in September and is called Stay with Me. You'll have to excuse me while I place it on my Goodreads list and fan girl over the upcoming book. Happy reading everyone!






Friday, March 21, 2014

Play by Play series by Jaci Burton

As I finished a book yesterday, I realized that on the blog I'm writing about books at the end of a series or a book within a series, never starting from the beginning. So today, I thought it would be best to start with the first in a long and great series...the Play by Play series by Jaci Burton. The book I just finished was "Melting the Ice" and it was just as wonderful as the other books in Burton's series.

Book one in the Play by Play series is "The Perfect Play" and it is the perfect mix of sexy, funny, and witty that I often go back to read it over and over again when I'm in the middle of a book hangover. The series first focuses on Mick and then the next book goes to his brother then sister and so on in the family. By book seven we're on a friend of the family but it's still just as good and within the play by play universe.

What first drew me to the series was the football...as I'm sure you might have guessed. I'm always willing to give a book a try if there's football in it. But what has me coming back over and over again are many things. The strong female characters. Strong bonds of family or friendships. Very sexy scenes that are so not like 50, meaning fun and sexy but not reading and thinking, "what the holy hell happened here?" The good and healthy relationships developed even with missteps and drama.  Finally, the love that develops between the two characters, something that looks and feels real. Who doesn't like a good love story that would hold true in the real world...if you took out the super talented/professional player featured.


If you're looking for your next sexy series that features a fun and witty storyline with a dash of drama then this is the series to try! Read below for more on book one.


"Football pro Mick Riley is an all-star, both on the field and in the bedroom. But a sexy, determinedly single mom just might be the one to throw him off his game...

For years Mick has been taking full advantage of the life available to a pro athlete: fame, fortune, and a different girl in every city. But when he meets and beds confident, beautiful event planner Tara Lincoln, he wants much more than the typical one-night stand. Too bad Tara's not interested in getting to know football's most notorious playboy any better.

As the single mother of a teenage son, the last thing Tara needs is the jet-set lifestyle of Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand was unforgettable. Tara's life is complicated enough without being thrust into the spotlight as Mick's latest girl du jour. Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn't intend to put herself out there again, especially with a heartbreaker like Mick.

But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind." (Description from Goodreads.com)

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop


"After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more.

The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murders of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard—Lakeside's shape-shifting leader—wonders whether their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or of a future threat.

As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet—and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all" (Description from Goodreads.com)


I was on vacation in Florida at Disney World while reading this book and was asked many times to describe what it was about. I found this more amusing than anything else since this is what I do at the library. Recommend books and try to describe them. If you've been reading the blog for a while, you can see that I have a tough time describing the story without giving it away. So I try to keep as many details out as possible so as not to ruin it for the reader. 

What I discovered at Disney was a way to describe this series. Maybe not a good one but one we could all understand from our history lessons as a kid. Imagine Christopher Columbus sailing across the sea to America and instead of discovering Native Americans he discovered the Others who were Werewolves, Vampires, Elementals, and other shape shifters. They controlled and owned the land and have a deep respect for it. What then? Settlements tried and destroyed because humans didn't communicate or ask for permission. Settlements tried again with deals made. Many, many years later humans want more but forget that they don't own the land. The Others then discover a new entity that is human and other to only discover the humans are using them against the Others. 

So, that's where the story starts from with many POVs from the Controller (bad guy) to the Others to the humans who are trying to keep the world as together as they know it. The story mainly focuses on Meg and Simon. Not as lovers but friends. Human and wolf that are developing a relationship. The storyline is on what's happening outside of the two but they do affect it and the choices that are made.

What I really liked about this story was the slow progression of Meg and Simon's relationship. It was nice to see the relationship develop over two books. I also LOVED that the Others Courtyard had a "new" pack, a human pack that surrounded Meg. And with that addition the Others felt compelled to protect them. We also got to meet Others from outside of the region and learned more about how the regions worked. With that they got to meet Meg and see what made her special and why it was important to protect those like her.

One on my favorite moments is when the Others from out of town meet Meg. The first see her on a table in fear of a mouse. A tiny mouse according to them. It was a laughable moment. This book does have serious bits but also humor. The overall story is amazing and not once did I feel I was reading book two or a middle book. Issues were resolved from book one and you were left wondering what is going to come next. I love finishing a story and wonder what's next for the characters. Or that other thought...a year is just too long to wait. Lucky for us, there will be another book in this series due out in 2015 called Vision in Silver. I for one can't wait to read the next story in this series.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Sneak Peek of Fade In by M. Mabie

I'm very excited to give a sneak peek at M. Mabie's new book Fade In a Contemporary Romance due out March 17. Make sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for a giveaway opportunity as well!


"Tatum Elliot is a successful writer on a hit television show, lives in an Upper East Side apartment and loves her life. She wouldn’t change a thing. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have a choice. She's losing her sight.

Tripping over her tongue and her heels, Tatum all too quickly realizes that the things which appeared so important before are slowly slipping away leaving room for what really matters. With the support of her best friends, family and colleagues, she begins to see that there’s much more to life… and herself.

When Ben Harris enters her life as her new personal assistant, she can’t tell if it’s his good looks and charm that are working on her libido, or his kind and helpful nature working on her heart? Whatever it is, neither one of them can resist it.

As her vision fades out, a world of love and happiness just might…Fade In.

Fade In is a contemporary-romance novel about laughing through your tears and telling life to, quite frankly, “Suck it.” This novel contains sexual situations that the author may or may not have tried at home… for your safety, of course. Research is research."

Fade In releases on March 17 and is available at the following places:
Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads 



And now your sneak peek....
"I hope you saved the receipt for the breakfast and all that stuff yesterday, too. You don't need to be buying my meals," I say with a mouth that's half full.

He quickly pulls the Jeep into a parking lot and smoothly parks in an available space. He turns the engine off and turns to face me.

"Okay. We need to get a few things straight for today, Tatum." Emerald eyes look at me with utmost determination. "Today, I'm not working. Neither are you. Today we are Ben and Tatum, out and about, having a good time. Think of it like a date."

"A date?" Is this a date? Hold up. When did I agree to a date? Then again, what could it hurt? It's one day-date.

"A date. I'm paying. I'm driving. I'm in control. Do you agree or disagree to this arrangement?"

"No one has ever asked me to go on a date while I'm already on the date." I can't help but smile and be a little excited that he wants to be on a date with me—and he didn't mind telling me so either.

"Will this date interfere with our working relationship?" That's the responsible question I needed to ask. 

He shakes his head no.

"Is this like a friends-buddies kind of date?" My eyebrows rise and I lean forward, trying to gauge where he's at in this whole thing.

"Not for me, but I can't answer that for you. You don't even have to think about that right now. Just relax and let me show you a good time. Deal?"  He says this with such confidence that I'm speechless. 

And now it's time for the contest... 
make sure to click this link because there are a ton of chances to win a giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author
M. Mabie lives in Illinois with her husband. She loves reading and writing romance, and an active member of the Indie Author Romance Chicks. She cares about politics, but will not discuss them in public. She uses the same fork at every meal, watches Wayne’s World while cleaning, and lets her dog sleep on her head. M. Mabie has never been accused of being tight lipped or shy. In fact, if you listen very closely you can probably hear her flapping her gums.

Make sure to check M. Mabie out at:  Website  Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads


Friday, March 14, 2014

Dare to You by Katie McGarry

Dare You To (Pushing the Limits, #2)

"Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth"

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."


If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all..." (Description from Goodreads.com)


Dare You To is the second book in a series with Pushing the Limits as the first. When Pushing the Limits first came out, New Adult was still in it's beginnings so branding a book NA was not really heard of. Either the book went in Fiction or Young Adult. This book series was placed in Young Adult since it dealt with teenagers and high school. However, since the NA brand has come along, this series would now fall within that. I feel this is due to the emotional journeys each of the kids take. Also, there is serious situations they deal with...drugs, family loss, drinking, and sex. Not that you get 50 Shades of descriptions. No, nothing like that but sex is referred to and talked about, in dept. 

Dare You To was such an emotional journey that I had to place the book down a couple of times to give myself a breather from the emotion is was stirring. I loved watching both Beth and Ryan grow and mature throughout the story. The story is told from both of their POVs giving you a real insight to the teenage mind. What's more important is that we learn that everything is not as it may seem from judging someone on the outside.

I will say that even at the end of the story I still had not so great feelings about Allison. I would have loved to see more resolution between Allison and Beth. Or, at least, understand Allison better. But that happens with any great story, you want more story, more background information and a sequel starring the characters you already met and fell in love with. I was happy to see Noah and Echo in the book, but again, wished for more.

Overall Dare You To is a story that feels very realistic bringing you through the characters emotional journey. I'm also happy to say that the second book in this series does not experience the second book slump that a lot of series tend to do. It's a strong book with great writing and vivid imagery. I'm looking forward to the third Crash Into You the third in the series which is out now. All of McGarry's books are available through B&N, Amazon and your local library!

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Rogue Cover Reveal

Katy Evans the author of Real and one of my personal favorites has a new book coming out...


"Greyson King…
My boyfriend. My friend. My protector. He’s the reason I wake up every morning with a smile on my face, and the reason I fall asleep limp, worn out, and aching for his warm arms around me. When we make love, he says my name like it means something. Like I mean something.
He
Lied.
His name is Greyson King, but his alias is Zero.
There’s zero trace of him, he has zero past, and now I know that with him, I will have zero future.
He may leave no trace of him anywhere, but his imprint is in me, in my very soul—and I hate that a mere look at him commands the beat of my heart. The temperature of my body.
I’ve looked for love my entire life. I’ve waited for the butterflies, the rainbows…
Instead I’m in a free fall of emotions and there’s no one to catch me but the one man I should be running away from. The one man I thought was my prince charming.
Except this prince charming went rogue.
Greyson will stop at nothing to make me be with him. He'll let no one stand in our way, will allow no one to threaten me, and maybe this is what scares me most of all...
What will my rogue do to keep me?"

You can pre-order Rogue through:
AMAZON
&

About Katy Evavns
Katy Evans grew up with books and book-boyfriends until she found a real sexy boyfriend to love, married him, and now they are hard at work on their own happily ever after. Katy loves her family and friends, and she also loves reading, walking, baking, and being consumed by her characters until she reaches “The End.” Which is, hopefully, only the beginning...

Make sure to check out Katy's website and Facebook page. She does great online extras.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han


The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1)
"Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along." (Description from Goodreads.com)

With a winter that never wants to end, what could warm yourself more than a great summer read? For me, The Summer I Turned Pretty, is one of the great YA books out there. Whenever someone is looking for a great YA summer read, I recommend this book. Heck, I recommend this book to almost all of the YA readers I know or ask for help. 

This book represents the coming of age story told from Belly's POV. We meet her in present and throughout the book read different events that happened with her family and the boys. I think most women can remember that summer when you went from the fuggly stage of awkwardness to holding your back straight and head high, knowing you feel confident in the person you're becoming. It also helps at that age when your arms and legs finally make sense and you can walk a straight line without tripping. I remember that age. It was going into my freshman year of high school, I finally felt like I knew how to do my hair and behave around a group of people with embarrassing myself.

Belly discovers she's moving into a new phase in life almost immediately after arriving at the summer house and seeing the boys again. Their funny boy antics right away trying to impress Belly will make you chuckle. What's more important is that you learn about the bond she has with the boys. It was formed over many summers together and is strong even with in-fighting and quibbles. 

As stated above, Belly discovers a terrible thing later on in the novel and turns everything on it's head and that's what the series will focus on in other books. Love, life, death, and what it means to honor someones memory. These are all things you read about in this series. More importantly, you read about the girl slowly becoming a woman and understanding her choices in life. Living with the decisions that she makes and the consequences of those actions...that's mostly in book three.

What's not to love? A summer book based at a summer house with cute brother's. Conrad or Jeremiah? My opinion changed on these two as I read the series. I loved one in one book and hated him in the next. I feel that's a  nod to incredible writing. The characters are developing and changing as they grow up. Nothing in these books felt forced or done to make the story move forward. You truly felt you were with Belly in each and every moment. So, as we face another cold, cold day, give this summer series a try!



Monday, March 10, 2014

Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Scott Magoon

Chopsticks
 
"Meet Chopsticks! They've been best friends forever. But one day, this inseparable pair comes to a fork in the road. And for the very first time, they have to figure out how to function apart. From New York Times best-selling author Amy Krouse Rosenthal and rising artistic talent Scott Magoon, this witty and inventive tale celebrates both independence and the unbreakable bonds of friendship." (Description from Goodreads.com)

There are some children's books that you read and think I'm going to poke my eye out if I have to read this one more time. Then there are children's books that you read and think, how could someone be this clever? With our little one, E, we read a lot of books. So much so that when they had a challenge of 1000 books before Kindergarten, we finished it in three months. Mostly her asking for more books to read and us saying, we've read 20 today, no more! We went from reading cute board books to short picture books to full story picture books and now on to chapter books that have some pictures and had reached 5000 books under two years.

As you can imagine, when we come across a book that is fun to read for both child and adult, we hold on to it with both hands begging her to let us read it again and not the other way around. The funny play of words and cute illustrations make Chopsticks a good, fun read. What makes this a great read is the storytelling for children to understand that while you may have another half that you do everything with or even depend on (ie. sibling, parent, or friend), you can find yourself and your talents by yourself as well. I feel that's a great lesson for children to explore and learn. 

If you have a young child in your life make sure to check this one out. It's well worth the read (over and over and over and over again)!

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Written in Red by Anne Bishop

Written in Red (The Others, #1)

"No one creates realms like New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop. Now in a thrilling new fantasy series, enter a world inhabited by the Others, unearthly entities—vampires and shape-shifters among them—who rule the Earth and whose prey are humans.

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow." (Description from Goodreads.com)


Anne Bishop takes the paranormal as we know it and turns it on it's head. Werewolves, vampires, fairies, shape shifters and a blood profit that are all re-imagined. Instead of the caring and loving wolves from Bitten or New Moon, you have shape shifters (AKA the Others) that rule the land. Who might only take up small spaces but ultimately control everything. At first, it took a few chapters to get into and understand this whole knew world. And honestly, after reading one human's POV on the Others, I kept thinking "who would mess with these guys?"

The story is told from multiple POVs with many story ARCs happening. One of the cop moving to town and being the liaison between the Others and people was a great ARC in the study of human condition. Here he clearly understands that the Others control everything and wants to make his presence know as a positive and not negative one that could lead to his own death. 

What I love even more is that the two main characters didn't fall in love on page 20. I feel there might be something in future book but this focused on the relationships that were being built and the problems/mystery at hand. This is a book that kept me up all night for a few nights in a row. It also kept me guessing on what was going to happen. I also loved that a mystery was presented to the Others leader and by the end I feel he might has a solid lead on what's happening. Most books would have dragged out the mystery but this book didn't. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Written in Red is the first of a series of the Others. The next book Murder of Crows is due out March 4th. I can't wait to get my copy from the local library. However, I might have to buy it just to read the followup. It was that good that I just can't wait to read the next book. If you like fantasy fiction with a good solid mystery then you should this one a try!

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Crashed by K. Bromberg



"When life crashes down around us, how hard are we willing to fight for the one thing we can’t live without, each other?

Life is full of moments.
Big moments.
Little moments.
And none of them are inconsequential.
Every single moment prepares you for that one instance that defines your life. You must overcome all your fears, confront the demons that chase you, and cleanse the poison that clings to your soul or you risk the chance of losing everything.

Mine started the minute Rylee fell out of that damn storage closet. She made me feel. Made me whole when all I thought I could ever be was incomplete. Became the lifeline I never knew I needed. Hell yes, she’s worth the fight…but how do you fight for someone you know you don’t deserve?

Love is full of ups and downs.
Heart stopping highs.
Soul shattering lows.
And none of them are insignificant.
Love is a racecourse of unexpected twists and turns that must be negotiated. You have to break down walls, learn to trust, and heal from your past in order to win. But sometimes it’s the expected that’s the hardest to hold on to.

Colton has healed and completed me, stolen my heart, and made me realize our love’s not predictable nor perfect—it’s bent. And bent’s okay. But when outside factors put our relationship to the test, what lengths will I have to go to prove to him that he’s worth the fight?

Whoever said love is patient and love is kind, never met the two of us. We know our love is worth it—have acknowledged that we were meant to be—but when our pasts crash into our future, will the repercussions make us stronger or break us apart?" (Description from author)

Of recent, it seems that you can pick up a book series out of order and be fine reading from there. I would never recommend this for the Driven series. Not because you can't pick it up on book two or three for a first read but because you'll miss the growth and character development of the two main characters and supporting characters as well. The two main characters have gone through major pains on their own and together to get where they are in book three, at the start of Crashed.

I find it not to be a spoiler to say that book three starts where book two leaves us, Colton crashing the car. Why not a spoiler? Because book three is named Crashed. From here on out I'll keep spoilers out of my write-up...which might be very short because I don't want to give anything away.

What I liked about the start of the book was we saw (or read) the recovery of Colton in real time. Not that he crashed and was back together in a day or two. You feel Rylee's pain, you want to cry for her and her possible loss, you want to throw the punch she almost does, scream, kick and just dig deep to keep it together with her so you can read more. With those emotions invoked in the book, I was caught and couldn't put it down. (I might have let my child take a second gymnastics class just so I could read more).

From there you see the recovery from the pain and anguish to the healing and finally moving forward. I couldn't have loved Becks and Colton's parents more than I did at the beginning of the book. From Beck's interaction with Colton and Rylee it makes me squee with joy to know we'll get a book from him soon.

Us readers, that includes you, when we read a lot of the same genre or area, stories tend to bleed together. You're able to make good guesses on where the story is going. So to say I was surprised at a turn of events in the book was like saying I found more gifts under the Christmas tree. I couldn't have been more excited to be thrown for a loop not once but three different times in the book. For me that is publishing gold, when you can thrown a reader for a loop and not have them hate you but love you for it.

The story is told from both Rylee and Colton's POV which gives it a nice well-rounded feel so you understand what's happening in that boy's head. More importantly you get a view from one year later and 10 years later. Who could not love that?! The biggest thing was how the story came full circle. Truly full circle from the beginning of Crashed. That moment has me wanting to reread the entire series to see if I can catch more moments like that, again.

If you're looking for a series recommendation from the 'Naughty Librarian', which I'm known as in some circles, I would go with this one! Very sexy with great character driven storyline.

Right now Crashed is only available to purchase at Amazon. The first two books in the series are available on both Amazon and Barnes & Nobel.  I'm also excited to say that our local library is looking at getting the series for our collection! Make sure to stop by your local library to see if they have copies as well. 

Also, if you love extras then make sure to check out the author's website. K. Bromberg has a great online community and you'll get a lot of little extras by following her on Facebook and her web newsletter. You can follow K. Bromberg at www.kbromberg.com
  
      Crashed (The Driven Trilogy, #3)

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

A special excerpt and giveaway from Crashed by K. Bromberg


I would file this under a 'Naughty Librarian' book recommendation! The series starts with Driven, next Fueled and then the final book is Crashed, which released on March 3, 2014! Below you'll find an excerpt from the final book Crashed. I tried to get a spoiler free one that won't give much away from the first book if you haven't read the series yet. If you're looking for a series recommendation from 'Naughty Librarian', I would go with this one next! Very sexy with a great character driven storyline. I plan on posting a review once I finish the third and final book. Make sure to keep scrolling to see the giveaway!  Happy reading!

                                                                                   



"When life crashes down around us, how hard are we willing to fight for the one thing we can’t live without, each other?

Life is full of moments.
Big moments.
Little moments.
And none of them are inconsequential.
Every single moment prepares you for that one instance that defines your life. You must overcome all your fears, confront the demons that chase you, and cleanse the poison that clings to your soul or you risk the chance of losing everything.

Mine started the minute Rylee fell out of that damn storage closet. She made me feel. Made me whole when all I thought I could ever be was incomplete. Became the lifeline I never knew I needed. Hell yes, she’s worth the fight…but how do you fight for someone you know you don’t deserve?

Love is full of ups and downs.
Heart stopping highs.
Soul shattering lows.
And none of them are insignificant.
Love is a racecourse of unexpected twists and turns that must be negotiated. You have to break down walls, learn to trust, and heal from your past in order to win. But sometimes it’s the expected that’s the hardest to hold on to.

Colton has healed and completed me, stolen my heart, and made me realize our love’s not predictable nor perfect—it’s bent. And bent’s okay. But when outside factors put our relationship to the test, what lengths will I have to go to prove to him that he’s worth the fight?

Whoever said love is patient and love is kind, never met the two of us.  We know our love is worth it—have acknowledged that we were meant to be—but when our pasts crash into our future, will the repercussions make us stronger or break us apart?"

An Excerpt from Crashed

And the only thing I can focus on—can grasp onto as my heart races and body shakes with anger—is that I need a pit stop. I need to find Colton. I need to touch him, to see him, to quiet the turmoil in my soul.
But I can’t.
He’s somewhere close, my rebellious rogue unable to let go of the damaged little boy within. The man who has just started healing is now broken, and it kills me that I won’t be able to fix him. That my murmured words of encouragement and patient nature won’t be able to repair the immobile and unresponsive body that was loaded onto that stretcher and rushed to somewhere within these walls—so close yet so very far away from me. That he has to rely on strangers to mend and heal him now. Strangers that have no idea of the invisible scar tissue that still lingers beneath the surface.
More hands reach out to touch and soothe me, Dorothea’s and Quinlan’s, but they’re not the ones I want. They’re not Colton’s.
And then a terrifying thought hits me. Every time Colton is near, I can feel that tingle—the buzz that tells me he’s just within reach—but I can’t feel anything. I know he’s physically close, but his spark is nonexistent.

Available to purchase at Amazon and I'm excited to say that our local library is looking at getting the series for our collection! Make sure to stop by your local library to see if they have copies as well.  
  

   

      Crashed (The Driven Trilogy, #3)
   

 

 
 

    Make sure to enter the giveaway to win great prizes!





                                                                                   


 About the Author

 
 
K. Bromberg is that reserved woman sitting in the corner that has you all fooled about the wild child inside of her--the one she lets out every time her fingertips touch the computer keyboard. She’s a wife, mom, child rustler, toy pick-er-upper, chauffer, resident web-slinger, LaLaloopsy watching, American Girl doll dressing multi-tasker of all things domestic and otherwise. She likes her diet cokes with rum, her music loud, and her pantry stocked with a cache of chocolate.

K. lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. When she needs a break from the daily chaos of her life, you can most likely find her on the treadmill or with Kindle in hand, devouring the pages of a good, saucy book.

Fueled is K. Bromberg’s second published novel and is the highly anticipated second book of “The Driven Trilogy.” Driven was her well-received debut novel and Book #1 of the series.

K. Bromberg has a great online community and you'll get a lot of little extras by following her on Facebook and her web newsletter. You can follow K. Bromberg at....
@KBrombergDriven
@ColtonDonavan