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Thursday, August 24, 2017
Friday, May 22, 2015
(Quick) Book Review: Combative by Jay McLean
We all play victims to our pasts; to the choices we make and the lives we create.
They define who we are.
And sometimes if we're lucky enough, the past stays where it belongs: in the past.
I'm not one of the lucky ones.
I never have been.
Because now the past is knocking on my door, offering deals I have no choice but to take… deals that will help bring justice—not just for me, but for my brothers.
The problem?
The deal is a ticking time bomb.
One I didn't know existed.
So, if you have been reading my blog for a little while, then you know how obsessed I am with Jay McLean's books. I love them so much and have reread her More Series countless times, way more than any other book series or standalone. I just love her writing and the way she can make you fall in absolute and irrevocable love with her characters. So, that being said, when she told all of the members of her MoreMunity on Facebook that she had decided to not publish her novel, Combative, we were crushed. Devastated. Just plain sad. But through it all we came to understand her reason. She wasn't happy with the way it had turned out. And why would you want to publish something, share something with tons of people, if you weren't 100% sure it was the best it could be? The answer, you don't. Jay then began to release a chapter or two at a time on the website Wattpad. Then, boom! I get a notification on facebook from the MoreMunity group saying that Jay McLean had posted something. Me, being curious I click on it. Then my whole world lights up with fireworks because she had just shred the link to be able to buy the entire first book in the Combative Series on Amazon. I bought it no questions asked and immediately stopped reading the book I had been reading at the time to begin devouring this one. And all I've got to say its, I'm not quite sure what she thought was so wrong with this book, because it was freaking fantastic. 
It's a little different than her other books. There's more mystery in Combative than there was in the More Series, Where the Road Takes Me, and Boy Toy Chronicles Vol. 1. It had situations, such as organized fighting (like Fight Club style) in it. This is something that Jay hasn't explored before and I feel she did an amazing job at. I only had one problem with this book, but it wasn't enough of an issue for me to dock any stars off. My problem was that I felt like Madison and Ky's relationship started really quick. It was kind of insta-lovey and I would have liked to see it a bit more strung out. However, as I thought about it more while reading, it seemed like their relationship wouldn't have been able to start out any other way. As you got to know the characters more you realized that they were the type of people that couldn't just skirt around a relationship. They're the all or nothing kind of people. This is the first book in a series and it ends on a huge cliffhanger. I'm super excited to see what book two will bring and I definitely need answers to my many, many questions. 
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1KYlCT8
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1KYp8N6
More Series
Where The Road Takes Me
Boy Toy Chronicles Vol. I
Two people.
Multiple lives.
One ticking time bomb.
Tick.
Tock.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
(Quick) Book Review: Ms. Conception by Jen Cumming!
Abigail Nichols has tried everything from rash-inducing herbal creams to acupuncture in a desperate, last-ditch effort to get pregnant. Wedged into her iPhone schedule among new business pitches and rebranding design meetings is Abby’s ovulation cycle, along with potential opportunities for illicit afternoon quickies. With all of their hopes and savings on the table, Abby and her husband Jack enter the whispered world of fertility clinics. Along with a meddling mother-in-law, competitive pregnancies, and constant obligatory sex, Abby’s baby-track mind conspires to ravage her career, her marriage, and her sanity. One thing she knows for sure: a healthy sense of humor (and the occasional glass of red wine) is the best coping strategy. One thing she wishes she knew: whether it will be enough. Ms. Conception is an honest but light-hearted novel inspired by the ups and downs of fertility treatments and the emotional burden that rests on those trying to conceive.
I received an ARC of Ms. Conception in return for my honest opinion!
When I initially read the synopsis of this book I was highly intrigued. It sounded so refreshing and different. I hadn't and still haven't read anything quite like this book. It was quirky and fun, but also very heart wrenching and at times hard to read. Not because it was bad, no, because it was just hard to hear about the struggles the main characters, Abigail and Jack, were going through.
This was a debut novel for Jen and I think she did a phenomenal job. It was a very powerful and fun story about a couple trying to have a baby. They wanted a family, and Abigail would do just about anything to make that happen. I've never personally gone through something this tough. As I'm only twenty and single, I did find it a little hard to connect with the characters, but I could still feel the pain that they were going through. I thought Jen Cumming did a good job at making the characters feel real. I felt as if they were people that I could know, or someone that you see on the street. They were relatable, which is sometimes a challenge for authors. The scenarios and different situations that characters find themselves in are, at times, are a little unbelievable. I loved the chemistry between Abigail and her assistant Scott. He was so funny and really brought a sense of humor to the book when everything else was so sad. I also really enjoyed the scenes with Jack's mom and Abigail. I pray to the lord above that I never have a mother-in-law like that one day. Please, Lord! :) The one problem I had with the book was the pacing and amount of time that lapsed throughout. I feel as though the book could have been a little shorter, and it became a little repetitive towards the end. Overall, I gave this book a 3.75 rating and will definitely be checking out more of Jen's work!
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO
Jen Cumming had two dreams: to be a mother and a writer. The first was much harder than she’d imagined, but it gave her plenty of material for her second dream. Now she’s realized both and traded drug cocktails and early morning line-ups at the fertility clinic for juice boxes and evening PTA meetings.
Jen’s latest dream is to live in a small village in France and eat croissants. Being allergic to wheat might hamper that dream, so in the meantime she does her best to balance life with two young children and run a business with her husband in Toronto. She loves to spend time at the cottage in the summer, ski in the winter, and travel whenever she can.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Friday Favorites: Young Adult Romance
You know those books, the ones that make you feel something and really think about life after your done reading them? Don't you love those? What about those ones that make you laugh so hard you almost pee your pants? Don't you love those, too? Or how about those books that make you cry your eyes out and make you use half a box of tissues while reading it? Those are the best, right? I have a ton of "favorite books", but there are a few that really stand out to me. The ones that I'm constantly thinking about, or comparing other books to. The ones the I've reread countless times. I want to share those few with all of you, so these next three Fridays are going to be some of my favorite books from young adult, new adult, and adult contemporary romance. I'm not really going to go into too much detail about why I love each book so much. Because as I've said above they're the ones that have made me laugh, cry, and want to do it all over again, so without any more introduction, here are my favorite YA books of all time!
(NOTE 1: This is subject to change, as authors are constantly writing amazing new books and I'm constantly reading new and amazing books, so I'll probably be able to update this eventually ;) ).
(NOTE 2: These are my favorite YA standalones, if you would like to know what my favorite series are, then please feel free to comment below!)
(NOTE 3: You can click on the book cover if you would like to visit it's corresponding Amazon page!)
- The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay. This book is the only one that this author has written and all I've got to say is that it's PHENOMENAL and Ms. Millay needs to write more ASAP! I would also say that this may even be considered New Adult, but I feel like mature teens could read this, as there are some sex scenes.
I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.
Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.
Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.
Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.
The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.
- The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard. This is an older YA book, that I read my senior year of high school and I fell completely in love. It's a short book, not even 250 pages I think and it's just such an amazing story and I would highly recommend it!
Take Romeo and Juliet. Add The Outsiders. Mix thoroughly. Colt and Julia were secretly together for an entire year, and no one,not even Julia's boyfriend, knew. They had nothing in common, with Julia in her country club world on Black Mountain and Colt from down on the flats, but it never mattered. Until Julia dies in a car accident, and Colt learns the price of secrecy. He can't mourn Julia openly, and he's tormented that he might have played a part in her death. When Julia's journal ends up in his hands, Colt relives their year together at the same time that he's desperately trying to forget her. But how do you get over someone who was never yours in the first
place?
- Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. I'm sure you've heard of this book a thousand times, but it's such a great read. I was a little skeptical at first, but once I got into it I fell head first in love with the writing and the characters! It's a definite 5+ stars read!
Two misfits.
One extraordinary love.
Eleanor... Red hair, wrong clothes. Standing behind him until he turns his head. Lying beside him until he wakes up. Making everyone else seem drabber and flatter and never good enough...Eleanor.
Park... He knows she'll love a song before he plays it for her. He laughs at her jokes before she ever gets to the punch line. There's a place on his chest, just below his throat, that makes her want to keep promises...Park.
Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
- Whatever Life Throws At You by Julie Cross. This is a great bridge between YA and NA. It's funny and a little steamy and heartwarming and I really enjoyed myself when I was reading and rereading it!
Life loves a good curveball…
Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas's life is completely upended the moment her dad returns to the major leagues as the new pitching coach for the Kansas City Royals. Now she's living in Missouri (too cold), attending an all-girls school (no boys), and navigating the strange world of professional sports. But Annie has dreams of her own—most of which involve placing first at every track meet…and one starring the Royals' super-hot rookie pitcher.
But nineteen-year-old Jason Brody is completely, utterly, and totally off-limits. Besides, her dad would kill them both several times over. Not to mention Brody has something of a past, and his fan club is filled with C-cupped models, not smart-mouthed high school “brats” who can run the pants off every player on the team. Annie has enough on her plate without taking their friendship to the next level. The last thing she should be doing is falling in love.
But baseball isn't just a game. It's life. And sometimes, it can break your heart…
So, there you have it! Four of my favorite YA books of all time! I really enjoyed this and as I mentioned earlier, if you would like to see a list of my favorite series of all time, then comment below!
If you are curious as to what other books I’ve read, or want to read head on over to my Pinterest page where you can see all of those amazing books! You can also friend me on GoodReads for even more book goodness, and like the HEA…Book Blog Facebook page to keep up to date on book teasers and other blog awesomeness. You can also find me on Tumblr, where I post other blog related items. Check it out!!
Until next time...
Have an "unexpectedly phenomenal" day and happy reading!
Cover Reveal: Getting Dirty by Mia Storm
Introducing brand new author Mia Storm with her debut release,
Getting Dirty.
Releasing on March 19th, 2015
Dirty
A poem by Blaire Leon
If sex is dirty, why would I do it with someone I love?
If sex is dirty, then didn’t we all come from the dirt?
What if I like the dirt?
What if I want to get dirty?
What if I want to roll in the mud until I’m so fucking filthy that
I’ll never be clean again?
When twenty-five-year-old graduate assistant Caiden Brenner
asked Blaire Leon how old she was, she said she was a senior. He chose to
believe she meant in college. They connect over Lord Byron’s Don
Juan and, as their conversations become increasingly thicker with
sexual innuendo, Caiden finds himself obsessing over a totally off-limits
undergrad who’s bold, beautiful, brilliant, and one of the most passionate
poets he’s ever met.
But it turns out Blaire hasn't been totally honest. She's the
seventeen-year-old valedictorian of her high school class, taking courses at
Sierra State while awaiting her acceptance to Stanford.
Will Caiden get too deeply into Blaire to back away before he
finds out the truth? Or will their connection be enough to seduce him into
risking his entire future on Jail Bait?
"A thousand and one feels....Getting Dirty is a thrilling, tantalizing forbidden romance you do not want to miss! I not only devoured this book, it devoured me right back!"
--Katy Evans, New York Times Bestselling author of REAL
--Katy Evans, New York Times Bestselling author of REAL
“What year are you?” I don’t even realize I’ve said it until it’s out of my mouth.
Her eyes flick from the book to mine. “A senior.”
I feel my eyebrows arch before I can stop them. “You look younger.”
She bites her lips between her teeth for a moment. “Is that good or bad?”
“Neither, I suppose.” But my insides burn, knowing that she’s not as off-limits as I originally thought. It’s nearing the end of January. Commencement will be here soon enough. She graduates and all bets are off.
“So…” she says, twisting a finger into the ends of her hair. “I know you like old, dead poets. How do you feel about hearing something fresher?”
I lean toward her. “Such as?”
“I’m reading in a poetry slam tonight. It’s just something over at Tino’s in Jonestown on the fourth Friday of every month. There’s no prize money or anything, but I perform something new pretty much every month.”
“A poetry slam…” I want to say yes in the worst way, but it feels dangerously like a date.
She must read the hesitation in my eyes. “If it’s too weird, no worries. I just thought, since you like poetry…”
She leaves the thought dangling. Like a noose. And I jump right into it. “Yeah. Why not?”
The answer to that rhetorical question is that it’s not May yet and she hasn’t graduated. I’m risking everything I’ve worked the last three years toward. My entire future. But the voice of reason is being drowned out by the raging waves of something rolling up from the deepest layers of my being like an undertow. Something base and essential. And unrelenting.
“Do you want to meet me there?” she asks, standing from her seat and giving me a better view of the entire exquisite length of her.
“Yeah…that’s probably best.” Plausible deniability. No, Dr. Duncan, I didn’t have any clue she’d be there. Just went to hear the poetry.
“Great,” she says as she gathers her book and shoves it in her bag. “It starts at nine. There are usually five or six poets and it’s a random draw, so I don’t know what time I’ll be reading.”
I nod without standing, no longer able to tame my erection. “I’ll be there at nine.”
“You know where Tino’s is?”
Electricity crackles under my skin. I’m really doing this. “Yeah. I’ll find it.”
Mia Storm is a hopeless romantic who is always searching for
her happy ending. Sometimes she’s forced to make one up. When that happens,
she’s thrilled to be able to share those stories with her readers. She lives in
California and spends much of her time in the sun with a book in one hand and a
mug of black coffee in the other, or hiking the trails in Yosemite. Connect
with her online at MiaStormAuthor.blogspot.com , on Twitter at @MiaStormAuthor,
and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MiaStormAuthor.
Brought to you by:
If you are curious as to what other books I’ve read, or want to read head on over to my Pinterest page where you can see all of those amazing books! You can also friend me on GoodReads for even more book goodness, and like the HEA…Book Blog Facebook page and follow HEA's Twitter page to keep up to date on book teasers and other blog awesomeness. You can also find me on Tumblr, where I post other blog related items. Check it out!!
Until next time...
Have an "unexpectedly phenomenal" day and happy reading!
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