Blog Tour- Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: Freeing by E. K. Blair

Freeing by E.K. Blair

Release Date: September 13, 2013

Coming of Age

New Adult

Synopsis:

FREEING: a companion novel to the USA Today bestseller, Fading.

Knowing who you are and accepting who you are come at different prices.

Jase Kinrick grew up in your typical, all-American household. But after the death of his sister, his parents shut down, forcing him to deal with everything life throws his way alone. Terrified of the person he’s discovering himself to be, Jase has his way with every willing girl to try and rid himself of what he fears he is—gay.

Escaping California and moving to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, Jase frees himself to the reality that he likes men. Never staying with any guy long enough to get to know them, he doesn’t realize that he’s still hiding from who he is until he meets Mark. Scared of having real feelings for another guy stirs up the questions and fears he’s fought hard to bury.

To strip away the barriers to the heart of what is real, and to be okay with what lies underneath, will be Jase’s moment of truth. But he’ll need Mark to lead him there.

**THIS IS A FULL-LENGTH COMPANION NOVEL TO FADING**

Goodreads ~ Amazon

The author can be reached by:

Facebook ~ Twitter

My Thoughts:

This is my first m/m romance I have read and I must say it was great. In Fading, we meet Jase, Candace’s best friend; they are more than friends, they are family. Their own families have disowned them so they only had each other for the longest time. Freeing is in Jase’s POV and overlaps the events in Fading. We see Jase going through his own struggle and journey on accepting himself for who he is.

Jase grew up in California and moved to Seattle because he wanted to escape his home life. He knew he was gay in high school even though he slept with a lot of girls; he couldn’t admit it to himself and thought something was wrong with him. After his sister’s death, his parents shut down, so he didn’t have anyone he could talk to. In Seattle, Jase is still at war with himself because he admits to himself that he is gay but afraid of what people might think. It is only when he meets Candace that he can tell someone who he truly is. Even then, he is still not completely comfortable with it. He has hookups with men but never a real relationship. It is not until he meets Mark that everything changes for him.

I love how E.K. Blair writes about taboo subjects but make it bearable and not so taboo for the reader. With Fading, I was bawling my eyes in the aftermath of Candace getting raped and in Freeing, reading Jase prospective on things I think I cried even harder. The emotion the author puts behind every word is magnificent and a real talent. Not many writers can do that. I was awed when I first read Fading and I am still in awe because Ms. Blair makes you care about things or situations where you might not have cared before. While reading I put myself in Jase’s shoes, through finding out about the rape of his friend/family member, I would be angry as well if that happened to one of my close friends. I think it is a very hard situation, being supportive for your friend/family member and also knowing who did it and not being able to do anything about it.

I think that Mark is exactly what Jase needed to start accepting himself for who he is. I really liked Mark. I think it was awesome how he stepped in and helped take care of Candace. It shows the kind of person he is.

I think many people would be surprised by how the author writes this m/m romance. She will have you caring about the characters no matter your opinion on the subject. For me, this is 2 for 2 for E.K. Blair’s books; I am excited about what she writes in the future. I will gladly read it!

My Rating: 

5 out of 5 stars

Excerpt:

Everything tunnels: my hearing, my vision. My heart thuds. Hard. I drop my head in my hands, and the tears just spill out. Allie continues to talk, but I’ve already heard all my soul can handle at this point. This girl is my fuckin’ heart, and I’m terrified to see what’s left of it.

I turn to look at the nurse when she hands me a tissue, but I don’t reach out to take it. I just look at her with no words.

“I’m so sorry. You can utilize this room for as long as you need, but it’s not going to be good for her to see you so upset. You need to be strong for her right now.”

I nod my head. She’s right. I’ve got to pull my shit together. I finally take the tissue from her hand. I could sit here and cry for the rest of my life if I allowed myself, but I need to see her. So that’s what I tell the nurse. “I need to see her.”

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Blog Tour: Imperfectly Perfect by A.E. Woodward

Imperfectly Perfect by A.E. Woodward  

Series: A Series of Imperfections #1

Publication date: June 19th 2013

Genre: Adult/17+ Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Emma, Tyler and Shane have been best friends since they were kids. Along with their college addition, Rob, the four friends have an exciting life in NYC. In fact, Emma Sloan appears to have it all.

Despite being happy with her current situation, a big family announcement leaves Emma questioning whether she is truly content with her life. With her thirtieth birthday fast approaching she vows to find her ‘perfect’ man any way she can. But Emma will soon discover that the path of true love never runs smoothly and that sometimes, instead of chasing love, you have to wait for love to find you…

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Author Bio:

A.E. Woodward lives in Vacationland with her husband and two children.  Between her day job and the pursuance of a master’s degree, she wrote her first novel.  Her novel Imperfectly Perfect, will be the first book in A Series of Imperfections.

Goodreads ~ Facebook

My Thoughts:

Imperfectly Perfect was a light read focused on a woman’s journey, changing her life to find her perfect person. We start off with Emma living with ‘her boys’, care free. When Emma is told some news about her sister, she is forced to re-examine everything she thought made her happy.

I really liked this book. I found that I could really identify with Emma as I am currently going through some of the same issues as her. Emma is smart and successful but I didn’t really like her calling women bimbos by just looking at them with basically no justification.

I have to say what made the book for me, was the boys: Shane, Tyler and Rob. I wish I had guy friends like them. No matter what, they have each other’s back through thick and thin. They also provided a lot of comic relief which definitely made the book all that more enjoyable.

The author’s writing style was extremely easy to read and I found that it flowed really well. I finished the last half of the book in one sitting because the writing style was so pleasant and of course I wanted to know what was going to happen.
I really liked how the book played on the ‘perfect’ factor. Instead of finding the perfect person (this person doesn’t exist), you have to find the perfect person for you. This is a motto I have had had for myself for many years, something I always tell my friends.

I also really liked that the book was both in Emma’s and Shane’s POV. You found out a lot about what Shane went through when they weren’t speaking. I felt bad for the guy but I thought he could of spoke up sooner about his feelings for Emma; it definitely could have saved a lot of heartache for the both of them.

I am definitely looking forward to reading the other books in the series which will feature the other boys.

My Rating:

4 out of 5 stars

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Blog Tour: The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard

The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard 

(The Danaan Trilogy #1) 

Publication date: April 30th 2013 

Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

Synopsis:
Allison O’Malley’s plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she’s been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison’s mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn’t trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother’s sanity.

Author Bio:

Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

My Review:

The Forgotten Ones is a light and entertaining read about a girl named Allison. Her mother is schizophrenic and her ultimate plan is to take care of her so that her grandparents won’t have to. Allison blames herself for her mother being schizophrenic because she was normal before her mother gave birth to her. Allison starts noticing strange things and all of a sudden her father comes and informs her that he will do anything he can to cure her mother.

The first part of the book was more a contemporary romance. We learn that Allison has always been in love with Ethan since they were children. Ethan also has feelings for Allison, but she has been keeping him at arm’s length, like everyone else in her life. I still don’t really understand why Allison kept pushing him away before she found out about her Fae heritage. I think the excuse was a poor one.

I thought Allison had some great qualities about her. She was brave in wanting to take care of her mother and trying to save her and the ones she loved. She did what she had to do in order to make sure everyone was ok. I also liked Ethan. I felt bad for him every time Allison blew him off. I liked the way he handled himself, he kind of made it into a game so that Allison would go out with him. But I have to say my favourite character would be Aodhan. He seems badass and I sensed he has some feelings for Allison and that’s one of the reasons he helped her. I liked how he doesn’t conform to anyone, especially not the king and queen of the Fae. He will do what he wants on his own terms. There is also this rare intensity about him. I hope we see him more in the second book.

The second half of the book is faster paced. Allison has to go the Tir Na Nog. The Fae she meets are definitely interesting to say the least. I would like to learn more about the history of some of the characters and how they got to be the way they are now. I would also like to learn more about the Fae customs and mentality. I thought the book was a little short and I found just when I was getting hooked, it ended abruptly for me. When meeting the fae, the names were hard to remember and I couldn’t remember who was who. I found I had to skip over most of the names.

The Forgotten Ones is an adventurous read with some romance. I would recommend this story to anyone who loves fantasy novels.

My Rating:

3 out of 5 stars

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Review: Lick (Stage Dive #1) by Kylie Scott

Title: Lick (Stage Dive #1)

Author: Kylie Scott

Release Date: July 1, 2013

Publisher: Momemtum

Pages: 286

Source: Bought from Amazon/Kindle

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads)

Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this.

Evelyn Thomas’s plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure as hell never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened.

One thing is for certain, being married to rock and roll’s favourite son is sure to be a wild ride.

My Thoughts:

Lick was an addiction for me the 2 days I read it. If I could have blown off work to read it, I would have but unfortunately I could not or else I would have finished the book in 1 day. I was reading this book all through work because I just could not get enough. It was so good.

We start off with Evelyn waking up in a strange place, hung over in Vegas. This is where she first meets David (well when she wasn’t drunk) and she notices a huge diamond ring on her finger. David then tells her that they got married. Evelyn doesn’t remember getting married and most of that night. Evelyn and David must decide if they should give the marriage a chance or get an annulment.

I think my favourite part of the story is the fact that after meeting Evelyn once and spending time with her, David knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her; something as romantic as that, hardly ever happens in real life. David blew my break away. When he cares about someone, he will do anything to make them happy. He is extremely hot, kind, sincere and persistent. Once he sees what he wants he goes out and gets it, no matter what. Also he is very romantic. I love that he takes Evelyn for what she is it doesn’t matter to him if she was fat, and have a big butt or curves. He will love her for who she is, not just her body. I liked Evelyn. She is kind, smart and knows when to stand up for herself. She is shy at times to voice her opinion but she knows how to take care of herself. I found the chemistry between David and Evelyn to be electric. Their sex scenes were HOT. They are the opposite of each other but they work. They make sense.

At about 65-70% in the book, a twist I didn’t expect happened and I was tearing up. Everything else in Lick was pretty much predictable but the book was still so good. I found that the book could also use a little bit of editing then it would be perfect.

Mal was another of my favourite characters in Lick. I found myself laughing out loud when he was around. I am really looking forward to his book and the woman that tames him. Lick is an unconventional love story that will make you swoon. I think everyone should read it.

My Rating:

4.5 stars

Raquel

xoxo

Review: Tangled by Emma Chase

Title: Tangled (Tangled #1)
Author: Emma Chase
Release Date: May 20, 2013
Publisher: Omnific Publishing
Pages: 240
Source: Bought from Amazon/Kindle

Goodreads

Synopsis:
Drew Evans is a winner. Handsome and arrogant, he makes multimillion dollar business deals and seduces New York’s most beautiful women with just a smile. He has loyal friends and an indulgent family. So why has he been shuttered in his apartment for seven days, miserable and depressed?

He’ll tell you he has the flu.

But we all know that’s not really true.

Katherine Brooks is brilliant, beautiful and ambitious. She refuses to let anything - or anyone - derail her path to success. When Kate is hired as the new associate at Drew’s father’s investment banking firm, every aspect of the dashing playboy’s life is thrown into a tailspin. The professional competition she brings is unnerving, his attraction to her is distracting, his failure to entice her into his bed is exasperating.

Then, just when Drew is on the cusp of having everything he wants, his overblown confidence threatens to ruin it all. Will he be able untangle his feelings of lust and tenderness, frustration and fulfillment? Will he rise to the most important challenge of his life?

Can Drew Evans win at love?

Tangled is not your mother’s romance novel. It is an outrageous, passionate, witty narrative about a man who knows a lot about women…just not as much as he thinks he knows. As he tells his story, Drew learns the one thing he never wanted in life, is the only thing he can’t live without.

My Thoughts:

I was hooked from the very first page of reading this book. This was the first time I read a book from a male’s POV and it was absolutely hilarious. I was laughing so much that people on the bus probably thought I was crazy. I don’t know where this guy comes up with the stuff he says but it is priceless.

Drew Evans is a handsome and extremely confident guy. He gets women by just looking at them and of course his handsome smile. When Drew meets Katherine or Kate Brooks at his work, he first recognizes her by her butt (which is so wrong on so many levels, lol); he realizes that he might not be able to abide by his rule of keeping his workplace professional. Drew and Kate are extremely competitive, always trying to beat the other in work projects. After awhile, their attraction to one another grew undeniable.

I really like the heroine of this story, Kate. She is smart, sassy, and extremely determined. She does not take crap from anyone especially Drew and puts him in his place if need be. She is in a man’s world when it comes to her job and is very successful doing it.

This book was a delight to read. It is the kind of book where you can’t really read to many reviews, you just have to dive in. It is a feel good book. I honestly could not stop thinking about the book days after I finished. Even now, I want to read it again. The author did an excellent job portraying a man in her writing. I was so excited to learn that there will be 2 more books coming out in the series. Twisted, which is the second book coming out in March 2014 and Tamed, out May 2014.

My Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

Raquel

xoxo

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Release Date: November 15, 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 248
Source: Bought from Amazon/Kindle

Goodreads

Synopsis:

"You can't touch me," I whisper.
I'm lying, is what I don't tell him.
He can touch me, is what I'll never tell him.
But things happen when people touch me.
Strange things.
Bad things.No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.

But Juliette has plans on her own.

After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.

My Thoughts:

Shatter Me is such a unique novel. It is something that I will not forget.

The writing in this book is INSANE. It is the most beautiful writing I have ever read in my life. The author makes insignificant, small things that we don’t really think about and writes them like they have a purpose, she makes them significant.
For Example:
“I always wonder about raindrops. I wonder about how they’re always falling down, tripping over their own feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble right out of the sky toward an uncertain end. It’s like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn’t seem to care where the contents fall, doesn’t seem to care that the raindrops burst when they hit the ground, that they shatter when they fall to the floor, that people curse the days the drops dare to tap on their doors. I am a raindrop.” This is one of my favourite quotes; I get chills every time I read it.

Juliette is such a strong character. I love the character development in her. In the beginning, she appears to be this weak, frightened girl but in time she turns out to be a powerful woman. I find it very interesting that she is able to touch a few people but can’t touch others. I am very excited to find out more about how her powers work.

I liked Adam. I thought he was sweet when he admitted he was always in love with Juliette. Although I found him to be a little boring but I liked him all the same. On the other hand, I also liked Warner. He is such a controversial character for me. There is something about him that didn’t make me outright hate him but there were other times when I did. My feelings are all over the place when it comes to him. Maybe in the next book they will become clearer.

I really liked the concept of the story and the setting. If you think about it, the same could happen to this world. I really want to find out why certain people have powers. To tell you the truth, that aspect of the story through me for a loop, I really wasn't expecting it but it was a great twist all the same.

I am really looking forward to reading Destroy Me and Unravel Me but I am afraid Unravel Me will end in a cliffhanger and the third book won’t come out until 2014. Either way it will be a long wait.

My Rating:

4 out of 5 stars

Raquel

xoxo

Review: Selling Scarlett by Ella James

Title: Selling Scarlett
Author: Ella James
Release Date: April 14, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 269
Source: Received for review from author

Goodreads

Synopsis:

Elizabeth DeVille doesn't belong at a party like this—one where the gowns cost more than her Camry and cigars run higher than her grad school utility bills. Dragged out of seclusion by her best friend Suri, Elizabeth is merely playing dress-up, rubbing elbows with a crowd that banished her troubled family years ago.

Hunter West is tired. Tired of parties, tired of pretending, and tired of trying to right a wrong that haunts him every day. Bourbon heir and professional poker player by day, by night Hunter is gambling with his life in a high-stakes game of crime and blackmail.

When Elizabeth stumbles into Hunter's den of vices, she's a light in the darkness, a flame in the void. And, just like everything he touches, Hunter mars her in a record time. To rectify the damage done, Elizabeth needs money she doesn't have, and she's come up with a foolproof way to get it.

Follow Elizabeth—code-named Scarlett—to the lush Nevada brothel where she'll auction her virginity and risk the only thing that's not for sale: her heart. The highest bidder is a familiar face, with wicked hands and the devil's mouth. And a secret so dark that it could cost her life.

***RECOMMENDED FOR READERS 17+ DUE TO SEXUALITY AND MATURE LANGUAGE.***

My Thoughts:

In Selling Scarlett, we meet Elizabeth Deville who is a 23 year old virgin. She has known Hunter almost her entire life but has never really talked to him. Lizzy (Libby, Liz or Scarlett) has a major crush on him and sees the good in him. At one of his parties, Lizzy’s best friend Cross, admits he has feelings for her. After they have a fight, Cross ends up in a major accident and in a coma. Cross is not able to pay for his treatment and Lizzy comes up with a plan on how to pay so that he can get the best treatment. She decides to sell her virginity to the highest bidder.

I was really looking forward to this book but it fell short of my expectations unfortunately. The beginning of the story was a little confusing, I didn’t know what was going on or if the same person was being talked about. After that got figured out, the story picked up but after awhile I predicted what was going to happen.

I find this book a little hard to review. There were some parts I really liked and thought was interesting like Lizzy going to a brothel to get training lessons on smut. The story was definitely unique, someone actually selling their v-card to make money; this was extremely new to me. Who knew men would pay such a price for a woman’s virginity. I mean $10,000,000…wowser.

I really didn’t like Hunter. I find he was always 5 maybe even 10 steps behind Priscilla and her partners. I think this is what bugged and irritated me the most about this book. Overall, the book was ok for me. This book is so much more than ‘Selling Scarlett’, it has a lot of mystery behind it as well.

My Rating:

2 stars out of 5 

Raquel

xoxo

Dirty Little Secret Blog Tour: Review and Favourite Quotes

Synopsis via Goodreads:

From the author of the “real page-turner” (Seventeen) Such a Rush comes an unforgettable new drama that follows friends-turned-lovers as they navigate the passions, heartbreaks, and intrigue of country music fame.

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

Release date: July 16th 2013

Publisher: MTV Books

Purchase: Amazon

About the Author

Jennifer Echols was born in Atlanta and grew up in a small town on a beautiful lake in Alabama—a setting that has inspired many of her books. She has written nine romantic novels for young adults, including the comedy MAJOR CRUSH, which won the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the drama GOING TOO FAR, which was a finalist in the RITA, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Book Buyer’s Best, and was nominated by the American Library Association as a Best Book for Young Adults. Simon & Schuster will debut her adult romance novels in 2013, with many more teen novels scheduled for the next few years. She lives in Birmingham with her husband and her son.

www.jennifer-echols.com

 

My Thoughts:

Dirty Little Secret is unlike any other book I have read. We learn about the nitty, gritty aspects of the music business and what some bands have to go through. This is my first Jennifer Echols book and I am so happy I started with this one.

We start off with Bailey employed in the mall, playing her fiddle, impersonating deceased country stars. She has been in music festivals with her younger sister, Julie but Julie is the only one who gets signed with a record deal. Therefore, Bailey is left betrayed and sent to live with her grandfather. When Bailey meets Sam, there is an instant attraction. They are opposites of one another but both broken, so they understand each other really well.

 I really liked Bailey. I thought she was strong in the way she handled herself especially with her family. I mean, personally, if I lived, eat and breathed music growing up, I definitely would want to have a career in it no matter what. Bailey is also fiercely loyal to her sister. She will do anything for her, even though she may feel hurt or jealous in the process. Sam, on the other hand, will do anything to get a record deal, anything; he has this persona about him that makes everyone like him, even with his ‘52 girlfriends’.

For me, the beginning of this book was a little hard to get into but once I did, I really enjoyed it.  Dirty Little Secret is a must read for anyone who likes to read contemporary romance based on the music industry. I look forward to my next read by Jennifer Echols. I am not sure why I waited so long.

My Rating: 

4 out of 5 stars

Favourite Quotes:

"If I expected nothing, I was never disappointed. But as he moved toward me, there was a point when our eyes locked. He looked so sincere that in that moment, I believed him. I believed in him. I believed anything he wanted to tell me."

""Let me kiss you just this once," he said. Just this once was a refrain with him. He was the devil in disguise, the handsome but low-down, no-good sneaky guy from a thousand country songstresses' revenge plots."

"You wear your heart on your sleeve."

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Review: With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent

Title: With All My Soul
Author: Rachel Vincent
Release Date: March, 26, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 377
Source: Bought ebook from Amazon.com



Synopsis:
What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America? It's time to kick some hellion butt...

After not really surviving her junior year (does "undead" count as survival?), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She's going to find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another in order to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.

But then she meets Wrath and understands that she's closer to the edge than she's ever been. And when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realizes she can't save everyone she loves without risking everything she has....

My Thoughts:

With All My Soul starts off 2 weeks after the events of Before I Wake; the gang is at Emma’s (body) funeral and still reeling from everything that happened. Avari lets it be known that he would do anything to get Kaylee’s soul, ANYTHING.

The world of the soul screamers series is unique and I absolutely love it. I love how there is a whole world within the normal human world portraying bean sidhes, reapers and demons. I really enjoyed the whole series. In my opinion, the story got better and better in each novel.

I have been waiting for With All My Soul for awhile to be released. I was so excited but when reading it, I found that there was something missing from this book; something that the other books had and was lacking a little. I found it to be a little irritating how Avari would always be a step ahead of Kaylee and the gang. It was like they couldn’t catch a break, not even a little one and because of that, things got progressively worse.

My favourite thing about this book was the ingenious plan Kaylee came up with to save herself, and her family and friends. I had tears in my eyes when everything came together at the end because that is how GOOD the plan was. I was happy everything worked out the way it did. This was one of the best plans and the best outcome I could have hoped for. This is what made the book great.

Another great part was when Nash finds out what his brother did for him. This was another moment where I was teary eyed, seeing the brothers get along, finally. There was no anger, no sarcasm, just brothers having a heart to heart moment. I read that part over and over again because I could not get enough. I really wanted this to happen in this book and was very happy when it did.

With All My Soul is a fast paced and enchanting read that will make you want to stay up all night reading just so you know what happens next. I am really going to miss Kaylee, Tod, Nash, Sabine and their family and friends.

My Rating:

4 out of 5 stars

Raquel

xoxo

Blog Tour: Good Vibrations by S.L. Scott- Review & Giveaway

Title: Good Vibrations (Welcome to Paradise, #1)

Author: S. L. Scott

Release date: June 10, 2013

Age Group: New Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Book Description
I grab her exploring finger just as it reaches my happy trail—a trail that if I let her wander down further will lead us to do things we can’t take back. Things like three-word phrases being confessed that would end me if I was rejected. Things like selfishly wanting to own her body and doing things to her that would make my fantasies blush. And things like making her promises too soon that won’t do either of us any good. She makes me want a future that’s not possible, and one I don’t deserve.

Listening to my ego got me into this situation. Will listening to my heart get me out?

About the Author:

S.L. Scott has a degree in Journalism and is the author of the novels—Naturally, Charlie, and A Prior Engagement as well as several novellas, including Sleeping with Mr. Sexy and Morning Glory--all currently available on Amazon. Pursuing her passion for telling stories, she spends her days escaping into her characters, letting them lead her on their adventures. She is a Contributor to Huffington Post and writes for her own blog along with several other popular sites. 

Travelling, music festivals, and surfing are a few of the hobbies she loves, but she doesn't get to enjoy on a regular basis. She has an obsession with movies, a varied taste in books, and collects Fitz & Floyd teapots. With a memory full of useless trivia facts, and a Keurig addiction, she loves a fun night in with her family as much as a loud night out with her friends.

Scott lives in the lively city of Austin with her husband, two young sons, and two Papillons, enjoying life in the beautiful hill country of Texas.

She welcomes your notes at sl@slscottauthor.com.

Author Social Media Links:
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My Thoughts:

Good Vibrations is a fun summer read. We start off with Mallory going to Hawaii to visit her best friend Sunny. As soon as she lands in Hawaii, she sees this hot guy, Evan. He hits on Mallory and gives her car ride since Sunny isn’t able to make it to pick her up.
When Mallory first meets Evan, she is smitten with him. They have an instant attraction to each other. Evan is a bad boy, player and has one week girlfriends while they are on vacation. When Evan meets Mallory, it knocks him out of his element. He can’t stop thinking about her; he is a little bit obsessed. Mallory sees through Evan’s bull****. She sees who he really is deep down when he is not hiding behind arrogance and selfishness. Evan also sees through Mallory’s façade as well.

This story was entertaining. There were some funny parts in the book. In the first 7%, I found myself laughing out loud. Close to the end of the book, a part of the book with Kate, Murphy, Evan and Mallory, I found myself dying of laughter. I could not stop laughing for 5 minutes straight. It was great. I really liked how the author was able to add some comedy to this story.

When Evan and Mallory finally connect, they are very cute together and sweet. Evan is such a different person when he cares about someone. He puts Mallory’s needs first, and then takes care of himself. The whole book kind of reminds me of Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire. I saw a lot of similarities between Evan and Travis and Mallory and Abby. With Evan and Travis, they were possessive and protective over their women; with Mallory and Abby they would forgive almost anything the men did because they had such strong feelings for them. I think this was one of the reasons why I liked this story.

Good Vibrations is a great read while you are at the beach and have a few hours to spare. We still have to find out a lot of information about Evan and his family. I feel like we just hit the surface. There is something major going on with Evan. He has secrets that we still need to know. Adding this kind of character development to Evan would enhance the book and make it great. I am hoping everything will be explained in the second book. I am looking forward to it to seeing all the drama that unfolds. From the sneak peek at the end of the book, it will definitely be entertaining.

My Rating:

3.5 stars out of 5

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Blog Tour: The Do Over by A.L. Zaun

Title: The Do Over

Author: A.L. Zaun

Release date: May 20th, 2013

Age Group: Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

Goodreads ~ Amazon 

Book Description

Life doesn't look like it's supposed to for Daniela, aka Dani. After a painful break-up with Rick, Dani decides she doesn't want to deal with the hassles of relationship.

After almost two years, Dani's friends stage an intervention, forcing her out of her holding pattern and back into the real world of dating.

Liam, a down to earth firefighter, may be just the person to show her she’s still worth something. Their chemistry is instant and electric. But will Dani be able to trust her patched-up heart with him?

And what will happen when Rick decides he’ll go to any lengths to get her back?

About the Author

 

A.L  Zaun graduated from Florida International University with a degree in English Literature a long time ago. A degree she didn’t use at all in her professional endeavors. She loves to read, write and take pictures. She walks around with her camera, and most importantly she has her e-reader available at all times. Healthcare Management by day, Mommy in the evening and most nights, you can find her sitting in front of her laptop with a bottle of Diet Pepsi, bringing the voices in her head to life on the pages of her debut novel, The Do Over.

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My Thoughts:

Dani is a hopeless romantic. She dates Rick; a man she thinks has so much potential to be a great person. After a year of dating, Rick breaks up with her giving no real reason why he wants to. Dani retreats into the world of her kindle and books to help her cope with the loss. Two years have passed by and Rick sees Dani again and decides he must have her by any means necessary.

Dani is very relatable. She is a kindle lover with book boyfriends, and I am just like her although not as intense. My heart broke the way Rick broke up with her; the worst thing, he didn’t even care enough to stop watching the television to do it. When Dani meets Liam, it is like a scene out of a book. It was so hot and what he says to her, “I’m a jealous fool and I don’t share. Mind putting it away?” This was one of my favourite lines in the whole book. Their meeting was electric and I desperately wanted to see what was going to happen.

The story is told in multiple points of views: Dani, Liam and Rick. For me, Liam carried the whole book. I found his POV to be interesting but at times a little too sappy. At the same time, after everything that happened with Dani’s past relationships he was perfect for her. She needed a night and shining armour to save her and change her perception of men. Liam showed her what a true gentleman was. He always put her and her needs first and stayed at a pace she was comfortable with. He showed her the difference between pricks (her previous boyfriends) and a good and decent guy.

One person I did not care for was Rick. He manipulated everyone so that he could get what he wanted. He was an ass and only cared for himself until Madison started showed him the errors of his ways. Even though, I didn’t like him, I found Rick’s POV to be mildly entertaining.

This was a good read. I would definitely recommend this book to people who have had their hearts broken by pricks. It shows them that there are still good men out there, they just need to be found. I thought the ending of the story was kind of predictable. From about half way through I sort of knew what was going to happen but I still enjoyed it. 

My Rating: 

3.5 out of 5 stars

Review: Real by Katy Evans

Title: Real (Real, Raw & Ripped #1)
Author: Katy Evans
Release Date: April 8th, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 266
Source: Bought from Amazon.com

Synopsis:
A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition…

He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting…

Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I’ve ever met in my life.

He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I’ve never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong–but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents . . .

But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.

I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.

If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?

Mature New Adult/Adult Contemporary Romance - recommended for ages 18 and up

My Thoughts:

Remington “Riptide” Tate is an underground fighter. His fans love him and everyone around him loves him. And I LOVED this book. I found it to be refreshing; I think I was in the beginning of a reading slump but this book brought me out of it. If I could have read it all day I would have (but that would mean neglecting my family I went to Texas to visit). I wanted to know what was going to happen. It was that good, I was always thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading.

I thought this book was great from the very start. The chemistry between Remington and Brooke, whew, it was HOTTTTT…Yes it needed the extra T’s. It was so strong; I could literally feel the attraction between them. I think the author did a really good job at making you feel what Brooke was feeling.

And about Remington…all I can say is WOW. He is the ultimate alpha male. From the first time he laid eyes on Brooke, he considered her to be his. He reminded me of the men in the Black Dagger Brotherhood marking their mate so other males would know they were taken.

My favourite part of the book was the last chapter which was in Remy’s POV. That was unexpected and surprising but I was so happy to get a little slice of his take on things. I think “Remy” which is his POV of the event of Real will be awesome.

The only thing that bugged me was Brooke’s constant guessing if Remy did actually want her in the beginning of the book; it was clearly obvious that he was. This was the small thing that annoyed me.

Real is highly addictive and entertaining. I am looking forward to reading the next part of the story, Mine, coming out June 2013.

My Rating:

5 out of 5 stars