Kissing Under The Mistletoe (Sullivans #10) by Bella Andre

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 448 KB
• Print Length: 212 pages
• Publisher: Oak Press, LLC (24 Sep 2013)

For Mary Sullivan Christmas is, and always has been, about family. And this year is no different. As she awaits the arrival of her eight children and their partners at the cottage in Lake Tahoe, she hangs the ornaments that they made for her over the years. Each decoration brings with it a tide of memories, all of which she holds dear to her heart. But when she comes across the oldest ornament, the one her beloved husband, Jack, gave her on their very first Christmas together, Mary is immediately swept back to the first days of their whirlwind romance, to the love that would be the foundation on which they built the family she is so proud to call her own. 

Join the Sullivans this Christmas for a story that explores the wonder of the holidays, the meaning of family and a love that transcends time.

Cover:  The covers to this series are all similar- and I really like them, they're simple, sweet and reflect what the books are all about.

I started the Sullivans series early on in 2013 because I took part in a blogtour for the series called 'Fall in Love With the Sulivans'.
And I have to say- I did.
I blazed through them (the first seven in the series) one after the other, and I've purchased each new release in the series.
This one is a little bit different in that in centres on Mary- the Sullivan family matriarch.  We know from the very first book in the series that her husband Jack- father to the Sullivan siblings, died.
So from the very beginning it is a very bittersweet book.
As a fan of this series, I've been dying to know Jack and Mary's story from the very beginning.  I love each book differently, and some more than others, and this was no exception.
Obviously you start out with the knowledge that Jack and Mary did end up together- but Jack died.
That was always at the back of my mind- and as I fell more and mroe in love with them and their story- the sadder I felt.
Love at first stories are hard to pull off, but Bella Andre really made me believe in their romance- a world famous model and an engineer, not the most likely of couples- but it works.
If you're a fan of this series then this is obviously going to be one you want to check out, but if you're someone that wants to start the series- I wouldn't say this is the one to start with.
4/5 stars.

The Christmas Cracker Book TAG

The Way You Look Tonight (Sullivans 9) by Bella Andre

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 403 KB
Print Length: 194 pages  
Publisher: Oak Press, LLC (16 Nov 2013)
 As a very successful private investigator who has caught most of the cheaters in Seattle with their pants down, Rafe Sullivan believes true, lasting love only happens once in a blue moon. Needing to get away from the city to clear his head, he finds the lake house where he spent the best summers of his life is now a wreck...but the sweet girl next door is all grown up and prettier than anything he's ever seen.

While Brooke Jansen is happy making and selling chocolate truffles in her small Pacific Northwest lake town, she secretly longs to experience something wild. So when her favorite “Wild Sullivan” moves in again next door after more than a decade away, and sparks fly between them, she can't stop wondering if being bad is really as good as it always seemed...and just how long it will be before she can find out.

But when their summer fling quickly spirals into deeper emotions than either of them were expecting, can they survive the heat between them? Or will Rafe make the biggest mistake of his life and end up losing the best thing that's ever happened to him?

Cover:  Another cutesy romantic cover that I'm such a sucker for.  I really like that all the covers for this series are similar and all match.

I started reading Bella Andre's Sullivans series back in January when I took part in the Fall In Love With The Sullivans Blogtour and I really did fall in love with them.  I devoured them one after the other.  They're just simple, sweet, romantic reads that are a quick escapist read for me.  I just root for the main characters to be together.
I really enjoyed this one too!
I was worried that I wouldn't connect as much with this one, as it deals with the San Fransciso Sullivans cousins.  So we're breaking off from the initial Sullivans we were introduced to with the previous books in the series.
But I still loved it, and I still connected tothe characters.  I really liked Brooke, she was sweet, but was stronger than everyone gave her credit for.
Rafe- as with all the Sullivan men, is totally swoonworthy.
Brooke and Rfe were childhood friends, but lost touch when Rafe's family lost their family lakehouse.  They meet again when Rafe buys the old lakehouse back, and attraction between them is instantaneous.
I wouldn't say this is my favourite of the series, but I really did enjoy it, and I think the beauty of these books is the simplicity of them.
Highly recommed this series.
4.5/5 stars.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! - A seasonal note from Erin @ Wrathsqueen'sBooks 2013

Hi Guys!

I've had another wonderful bookish year.
I've discovered new authors, new genres, and rediscovered old ones.
I've found new favouite books (if you want to know what they are, be on the look out for my 'Top 13 Books of 2013' video/post that should be up in the next couple of weeks).

This year I also had an awesome time, seeing John and Hank Green at Cadagon Hall, London back in February for 'The Fault In Our Stars UK Live Tour'.

Seeing them in person is something I have wanted for such a long time, but didn't think I would be able to.  So getting the chance was truly a highlight of the year for me.

 I also had the chance to meet Rachel Caine back in May, when she actually came to my town for a book signing.  We hardly get any signings here in the UK, yet alone YA authors.  I love Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires series, and she very kindly signed like 5 of my books, and gave us all some swag.



A further highlight of 2013 was being invited to my first ever blogger event!  It was at Little Brown in London, for a Piatkus blogger evening.  While there (in AMAZING offices lined with books) I met some other lovely bloggers, publicists, and author Sherrilyn Kenyon!!  Sherrilyn was lovely enough to answer our questions and sign some books for us- including the most recent Dark Hunter novel, Styxx.

I had a wonderful evening.

And as always I've thoroughly enjoyed posting both here on the blog and on YouTube, and will continue to do so in 2014.

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

~ Erin

A Fantasy Christmas by Cindy C. Bennett, Stephanie Fowers and Sherry Gammon

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 1996 KB
• Print Length: 284 pages
• Publisher: Prose by Design (21 Nov 2013)

A Fantasy Christmas is an exciting collection of romantic stories by best selling authors Cindy C Bennett, Stephanie Fowers, and Sherry Gammon. You'll find Elves, Greek gods and witches! 

*Halfling by Cindy C Bennett
Banished from the South Pole, Kara tries to carve out a new life among the elves of the North. It’s not easy with a secret to protect—a secret she's cursed with by the unusual circumstances of her heritage: half-elf, half-fairy. In the North, she’s assigned to work with Seb on a special project. He's the most gorgeous elf she’s ever seen - and the orneriest. 
As if being banished wasn’t punishment enough. 
Seb introduces her to Trystin, a fairy from the nearby fairy forest. Trystin discerns her secret right away and promises to teach her how to use the powers given to her by the very thing she’s fighting to keep hidden.

*Aphrodite by Stephanie Fowers
Nothing is simple for Aphrodite’s daughter, especially love. 
Scorned by society in regency England, Affry longs for romance. Upon encountering a dashing nobleman at her aunty's Christmas' ball, Affry gets caught in a lovely intrigue with disastrous results. Worse, she wins the interest of the gods. Now the furies of the underworld and Hades himself are after her. 
When all is fair in war, Affry must use love as her weapon—but only for the one who’s
stolen her heart.

*Loving Marigold by Sherry Gammon
Young Marigold Yarrow has a secret. She’s also in love with Jack Mahoney. In the middle of her ninth grade year, Jack's family up and moves to Port Fare, New York, leaving the small town of Sugar Maple, West Virginia - and Marigold - far behind.
Nine years later Jack and Marigold meet again. They join forces to weed out the shady Abbott boys. The unscrupulous brothers are illegally selling moonshine near her home on Sugar Maple Ridge. And they'll do anything to get Marigold to leave the ridge. Anything.
But this time it could be magic that tears Jack and Marigold apart.

Cover: A pretty little cover.

I found myself super excited to read this one, because it contained stories from two of my favourite authors- Cindy C. Bennett of Heart on a Chain and Geek Girl and Sherry Gammon of Unlovable.  I was also in the market for a Christmas themed book, because I won't ever buy a book to read this time of year just because it's Christmas themed, I felt I was lucky because it was authors I loved plus the bonus of being a Christmas book.

Anyway.  I was really disappointed with this one.

Halfing I feel could have had premise if it had been fleshed out into a full novel, but I don't think it had the time to really make sense.  I found the idea of an elf and fairy hybrid to be a great one, but the romance element between Kara and Seb?  I didn't feel it- when did he fall in love with her?  His grumpiness and mood swings didn't do it for me.

Aphrodite- I seriously disliked this one.  Mixing regency and Greek mythology just didn't work for me.  I didn't connect to either protagonists.  The romance just wasn't believable, and the whole world building fell totally flat for me.

Loving Marigold- this was definitely the best, and my favourite, of the bunch.  It was a really cute, sweet little read.  I liked the characters, rooted for them.  It was simple, but it worked.  Not as great as Sherry's Port Fare series, but I still enjoyed it.

2/5 stars.

Book Haul/In My Mailbox 22/12/13 -The Haul Before Christmas

Winter Wonderland TAG

Legend by Marie Lu

Received for review

Paperback: 262 pages

Published: November 29th 2011

Razorbill

Legend #1

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. 
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. 

Dystopian is not my go to genre.  Having said that there have been those that I've read that I count among some of my favourte books- Divergent and Acid come to mind.

So I'm always willing to try a dystopian, and this is one I saw popping up everywhere when it was released, and so I finally decided to pick it up.

It definitely wasn't one of my favourite dystopian novels...but I didn't hate it.

Overall I found the plot of the corrupt Republic, the differences between the rich and poor sectors, and a lot of the revelations, really interesting.

I really liked how strong and kick ass both June and Day were, and how they were brought together- even if it times I had trouble believing their ages were 15.  Somehow I just didn't buy it- despite the tough circumstances of the world building.

The mystery and suspense of who actually murdered June's brother was really well done, and the revelation of who did was excellent, and I hope that there's more on it in book 2.

I did find it slow paced.  A lot of the time I didn't have the motivation to pick it up and read- not because the plot wasn't solid- but just because I found it slow going.

I liked that we got both Day and June's perspectives, and at first I didn't like June- but towards the end she redeemed herself.

I enjoyed it, and I will continue the series but I'm not in a hurry to do so.

3/5 stars.

W...W...W...Wednesdays 18/12/13

 

To play along, just answer the following 3 questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

I'm currently reading Catching Snowflakes by Nora Roberts.  A re-released bind-up of two of her stories.  I fancied picking up a light, Christmas themed book- and this fit the bill.

I recently finished reading The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer.  I absolutely loved it.  A review will be going up soon, plus a live Buddy Read Discussion with Ryan from RyanReadsBooks.

 

 

I think the book I'll be starting next is Kissing Under The Mistletoe by Bella Andre.  Again, because it's going to be a light, cute, romantic- Christmas read, which sounds just about perfect.  It's #10 in the Sullivans series, the other 9 of which I have read all this year.  Love the series.

 



Teaser Tuesday 17/12/13

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week I'm currently reading Catching Snowflakes by Nora Roberts.

Random page I turned to is 206.

1) "Though she's never considered herself highly competitive, she was swayed by his smug look."

2) "Hester tuned out the sounds and concentrated on keeping the ball in place."

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: Orion (2 Feb 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1409120538
ISBN-13: 978-1409120537
"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . "
Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.
Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.
When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.
By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.
What would he say . . .

Cover: A cute and bright cover.

Well.
Rainbow Rowell has EXPLODED on both Goodreads and BookTube. She has been EVERYWHERE. And I've heard outstanding things about her other two books, Eleanor & Park and Fangirl. But I thought I would start with her first adult nove, and then move on to her two YA novels.
This was definitely an interesting, fun, light, quirky read.
The concept of someone falling in love with someone just from reading their email was definitely interesting, and the premise kind of reminded me of of one of my favourite books, Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot.
I loved the banter between Jennifer and Beth, we all have that friend that we have crazy conversations with, and their humour in their emails was so funny, I instantly loved them.
Lincoln is such a sweety. After heartbreak his first year of college, he's found himself stuck in a rut- still living at home with his mother, and in a job he hates.
But while he hates himself for reading Beth's email, he finds himself falling in love her.
“Every woman wants a man who'll fall in love with her soul as well as her body.”
It started out great, but then the pacing really slowed up, where nothing much happened.
Then towards the end it really picked up again. But it did leave me wanting MORE from it. I wanted more of the romance element. I wanted to see more of Lincoln and Beth together. I wanted all of that build up to lead to something spectacular. But it just didn't.
Over all I loved the characters, the writing style, the humour, and the premise- but there was just a few kinks that I think just fell victim to first novel syndrome, but it hasn't put me off reading her other books.
4/5 stars.

Book Haul/In My Mailbox 13/12/13

W...W...W...Wednesdays 11/12/13

To play along, just answer the following 3 questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?
This week I'm currently reading The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer.  This is the Buddy Read Book for December with RyanReadsBooks.

 

The book I recently finished reading was Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier.  It took me a little while to get into, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 



 

 

I think I'm going to read a Christmas-y book next.  I'm thinking Catching Snowflakes by Nora Roberts, becuase it should be a quick, light read.  But I'm undecided.



Teaser Tuesday 10/12/13

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week my current read is The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns.

Random page I turned to was 316.

1) ""Excuse me," Alex said to one of the guards.  "Is this where Cinderella's stepmother lives?"

2) "One of the higher windows was open and she saw white drapes flicker inside- someone was watching them from the house."

Buddy Read LIVE DISCUSSION: The 100 by Kass Morgan

November 2013 Reading Wrap Up

Crash into You by Katie McGarry

ARC Received for review                                           

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: MIRA Ink (20 Dec 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1848452543

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Cover:  When I first saw this cover, I liked it, but I didn't think it matched the image of Isaiah that I had in my head (where's the pierced ears?!?!?!) but it has grown on me.

Where do I start with this one?
Katie McGarry can do nothing wrong.
Pushing The Limits was a highlight of 2012 for me.  I read Dare You To earlier this year, and so was sooo excited to get to read Crash Into You.  As soon as it arrived for review (October) I knew I couldn't wait until December to read it.  So I read it straight away.
I flew through this!  I couldn't put it down. 474 pages went by so fast, and I could have kept turning pages forever.
Oh Isaiah how I love you.  
Isaiah uses his tattoos and piercing to throw out the 'don't mess with me' vibe, after struggling in the foster care system.  I really liked the bond between him, Noah and Beth that we see in the other books, so I was so excited for the focus to be on Isaiah.
Rachel feels smothered by her over protective family and struggles to live up to the example left by her dead sister.
The chemistry between Isaiah and Rachel was amazing.  I totally loved them as a couple.  Their romance was so sweet.  Isaiah's protective streak makes him so adorable.
I really enjoyed the cars element.  How it brought two seemingly opposite people together.
Highly recommend this, as well as the previous books by Katie McGarry- she can do nothing wrong.  One of my favourite authors.
5/5 stars without a doubt!

W...W...W...Wednesdays 04/12/13

To play along, just answer the following 3 questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

This week I'm currently reading Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier.

 

I recently finished The Way You Look Tonight by Bella Andre, really enjoyed it.

 

 

I think the book that I will read next will be The Land of Stories: The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer, because it is the Buddy Read choice for December.

 



Teaser Tuesday 03/12/13

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week my current read is Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier.   

The random page I opened up was 374.

1) But when I limped over to the doorway, he ws standing silent at the foot of the steps, one hand flat against the wall, his forehead on the cold stones next to it, and his other fist pressed against his mouth so hard the knuckles showed white.

 

2)My spirit was heavy and my heart sick.

 

 

Challenging Zed (Benedicts 1.5) by Joss Stirling

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 169 KB
Print Length: 32 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press (14 Feb 2013)
Benedicts #1.5


 Want to be the first to find out what Zed was thinking when he met Sky? Fancy finding out what Zed was like at nine?

Cover:  Well...there's not really a cover to comment on.


I really enjoyed the book Finding Sky, loved the romace between Sky and Zed, so when I found there was a short story of when Zed found out Sky was his soulfiner, I was so excited.  I fell in love with him in Finding Sky so to get his POV should have been perfect.  And I did like what we got of it- but there just wasn't anything there.  It's only 32 pages- and him finding out about sky was literally the last two pages.  I was looking forward to seeing his reaction, his feelings when he finds out Sky doesn't know about the world of savants and soulfinders or her ability.  But we didn't actually get any of that.
Over all it was just a little something of nothing.  I'd rather we'd seen more of Sky and Zed.
2.5/5 stars.