Teaser Tuesday 31/03/2015 'Somewhere Only We Know'

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 “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 teaser.

This week's teaser comes from the very beginning of Somewhere Only We Know by Barbara Freethy, book 8 in the Callaway series.





"The cold wintry night was eerily similar to the one three years ago when thick clouds of fog had swept into San Francisco just after dusk, shutting out the last bit of daylight, holding the city in the icy fingers of late January.  And just like that night, Burke felt a chill run down his spine, an uneasy feeling, that was heightened by the sirens that suddenly lit up the air."

I Love How You Love Me (Sullivans #13) by Bella Andre

• Format: Kindle Edition
• Print Length: 221 pages
• ASIN: B00O3V6KMO

Dylan Sullivan's story (Seattle Sullivans #4)

Dylan Sullivan, a renowned boat builder, has spent his entire life sailing around the world. But while he’s always enjoyed the freedom of the ocean, when Grace Adrian shows up at his Seattle boathouse to interview him for a magazine, it’s love at first sight. Love for both Grace and her ten-month-old son, Mason, with whom Dylan has an immediate bond. And every moment they spend together makes Dylan more and more certain that a love like theirs is worth risking everything for.

A year and a half ago, Grace’s entire world turned upside down. Not only did she learn that she was pregnant, she also found out that she was nothing but a dirty little secret to her boyfriend and his elite Washington D.C. family. Since then, Grace has been rebuilding her life in Seattle, giving one hundred percent of her attention to her son and her freelance writing career. Believing she can never risk her heart—or her son’s—again, especially to a man like Dylan who could sail away at any moment, Grace tries desperately to guard her heart from the charismatic and sexy sailor.

For as sweet and protective as Dylan is during the day, at night when one incredibly hot kiss turns into so much more, Grace simply can’t find a way to keep from tumbling into his arms again and again. But can she ever learn to trust in love again?

Cover:  I'm a sucker for the cute, romantic covers of this series.

After reading Just To Be With You, I was on a Bella Andrea kick, and so wanted to start the next book straight away.
This one was such a sweet little read.
It was definitely more of a 'love at first sight' read, which is definitely won't be for a lot of people.
It was so sweet and romantic, that while it was a tad unbelievable, and fast moving.  I could forgive it.
Dylan falls for Grace and her little boy straight away.  But convincing Grace to trust give and give them a chance, will take a lot of convincing as she was badly hurt by a guy back in D.C.
How can Dylan show her that he's not like that, and that he not only loves her, but her little boy?
Another strong, romantic read from Bella Andre.
Not my favourite of the series, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you haven't check out this series yet, I really recommend that you do.
4/5 stars.

Read from November 24 to 26, 2014

Opposition (Lux #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

• Hardcover: 533 pages
• Publisher: Entangled Publishing; Spl Col edition (5 Aug 2014)
• ISBN-10: 1622667336
• ISBN-13: 978-1622667338

Don't miss Opposition, the fifth and final book in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s bestselling Lux series. Also included only in the print edition is Shadows, the prequel novella never before seen in print! "A thrilling ride from start to finish," says RT Book Reviews.

Opposition

Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came. She can’t believe Daemon stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

Cover:  As much as I like this cover, I don't feel it matches the covers to the other books in the series.

I love Jennifer L. Armentrout.  And I love the Lux series.
So it was both with great excitement and trepidation that I picked up the final book in the series.
And I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I couldn't imagine how everything was going to pan out for the best.
I wasn't as 'hooked' with this one.  I didn't find what should have been the most exciting plot of them all, all that exciting.
But as always, I loved Daemon and Katy- and no one writes chemistry like Armentrout.
Over all, it was a great read, and a good end to the series- but I came away from it feeling like it could have been so much more.
3.5/5 stars.

Read from October 20 to 22, 2014

Erin Recommends #1 - New Adult

Waiting On Wednesday 25/03/2015 'The Wicked Will Rise'

Waiting on Wednesday is all about sharing the books that I'm eagerly waiting to be released.

This week, the book I'm waiting to be released is The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige.  I still haven't read book one, but it's a series I can't wait to start.
Released March 31st.

In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestsellingDorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.

To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die....

But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?

W...W...W...Wednesday 25/03/2015

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 All a Heart Needs by Barbara Freethy

I recently finished reading Between Now and Forever by Barbara Freethy 

I think my next read will be That Summer Night by Barbara Freethy

Teaser Tuesday 24/03/2015 'Between Now and Forever'

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 “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 teaser.

This week's teaser comes from Between Now and Forever by Barbara Freethy.  Book 4 in the Callaway series.
Teaser comes from the 73% mark.





"She lifted her head and looked up at him. "I'm lost".  
"You're not lost.  I'm here.  And you'll always know where you are when you're with me."  It might have been a cocky statement given their history, but it was one that came from his heart."

Forever With Me (With Me In Seattle #8) by Kristen Proby

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 2112 KB
• Print Length: 290 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1633500039
• Publisher: Ampersand Publishing (2 Dec. 2014)
• ASIN: B00PSMR5QC
• From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the With Me in Seattle Series comes the end of a saga…
  
  Dominic Salvatore seemingly has everything a man could want. He’s found a new relationship with his father and the entire Montgomery family. His vineyard, Cuppa di Vita, is a success. There’s only one thing that eludes him: a certain driven, intelligent, and sexy as hell blonde named Alecia.
  
  Alecia works tirelessly building her event planning business. It’s the most important part of her life. Despite the beautiful, lavish weddings she organizes, Alecia is convinced that the idea of true love is a myth. While Dominic is a sexy, intriguing man, welcoming the handsome Italian into her bed, and her life, is a risk she’s not so sure she’s willing to take.
  
  However Dominic isn’t used to taking no for an answer, and it’s not long before these two are burning up the sheets and discovering a connection that neither can deny. But will it be strong enough to last forever?
  
  “I’m going to eventually make you understand how amazing you are,tesoro.” – Dominic Salvatore

Cover: I love this cover.  I love the black and white with that pop of gorgeous green.  Sweet and sexy.

I have loved this series and am sad to see it draw to a close.

This was another great addition to the series, a cute, light and fluffy romantic read.

I loved Dom.

A charming, sexy Italian.  Needless to say, he was swoonworthy.

Alecia however, I never felt as if I got to know her.

So I had trouble feeling any chemistry between them.  It didn't built in the way I'm used to.

I did still enjoy it, but I didn't believe in it, like I have with most of the other books in this series, which was a shame seeing as it's the last one.

Over all 3.5/5 stars.

My stand out favourites from this series are;

Fight With Me

Play With Me

Safe With Me

March 2015 Book Haul/In My Mailbox

W...W...W...Wednesday 17/03/2015 (On a Thursday!)

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?

My current read is Falling For a Stranger by Barbara Freethy

I recently finished reading So This Is Love by Barbara Freethy

I think my next read will be Between Now and Forever by Barbara Freethy

Teaser Tuesday 17/03/2015 'Falling For a Stranger'

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 “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 teaser.

This week's teaser comes from page 1, the very beginning of Falling For a Strange by Barbara Freethy.

"Ria Hastings was in the mood for trouble.  It was a warm tropical night on Isle de los Suefios, a small island off the coast of Costa Rica, known for its white sandy beaches, water sports, deep sea fishing, and rum drinks.  On one side of the island, several large estates sat on the rugged hillsides with spectacular views of the ocean."

[BLOGTOUR] Hero by Samantha Young

Format: Kindle Edition
Print Length: 416 pages
Publisher: Piatkus (3 Feb. 2015)
ASIN: B00OYTQ6HO

Hero by Samantha Young is published by Piatkus in paperback and eBook. You can find of all Samantha Young’s titles in the Kobo website here:https://store.kobobooks.com/List/the-hottest-new-voice-in-romance-samantha-young/J-xrHY0rhcp8fAjSHjnPlQ

The explosive, emotional and unforgettable new romance from the NYT bestselling author of the On Dublin Street series

Alexa Holland's father was her hero-until her shocking discovery. Ever since, Alexa has worked to turn her life in a different direction and forge her own identity outside of his terrible secrets. But when she meets a man who's as damaged by her father's mistakes as she is, Alexa must help him.

Caine Carraway wants nothing to do with Alexa's efforts at redemption, but it's not so easy to push her away. Determined to make her hate him, he brings her to the edge of her patience and waits for her to walk away. But his actions only draw them together and, despite the odds, they begin an intense and all-consuming affair.

Only Caine knows he can never be the white knight that Alexa has always longed for, and when they're on the precipice of danger, he finds he'll do anything to protect either one of them from being hurt again . . .

Cover:  I love the colours on this cover.  Really drawn to it.

I've read a few of Samantha Young's Dublin Street novels, and while I enjoyed them, I didn't love them.
I loved Hero.
From beginning to end I was hooked.  I couldn't put it down- it was sexy,suspenseful and fun.
Alexa's family caused irrevocable damage to Caine's.  Instantly making them enemies. But despite that- there's chemistry between them from the moment their paths cross.
And when Caine gets Alexa fired from her job, ends up hiring her as his PA.
I loved their banter- constant back and forth.  Caine is a little dark and moody- but Alexa doesn't take any of his crap.  She's determined to show Caine that she's not the same as the rest of her family.  She has such a great, snarky but bubbly sense of humour.
Caine pushes Alexa away- stubbornly refusing to give them a chance to be more than casual.  I understood his reasons but boy were they frustrating.
I loved seeing his jealousy over other guys (aka his best friend) flirting with Alexa- it may be shallow but I did.
Also, his protective streak?  Slays me every time.
I've seen a few reviews saying that they preferred the Dublin Street novels, but for me, I loved this stand alone novel so much more.  The only thing that could have made this book any better for me, was to have Caine's POV.  I wanted it SO badly.  Desperately wanted to get into his head.
5/5 stars.

About the author:

Samantha Young is the author of the runaway bestselling On Dublin Street, which sold over 150,000 copies within five weeks and has now been sold in more than 25 countries. Published by Penguin UK until recently, her first book with Little Brown (Castle Hill) was one of the top 10 Hachette ebooks for 2014. This year she has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Author and Best Romance. She lives in Stirlingshire, Scotland and is available for publicity purposes, along with corresponding regularly with her 22,000 fans on FB and 15,000 Twitter followers.

Falling For Jillian by Kristen Proby (Under the Big Sky #3)

Format: Kindle Edition

Print Length: 369 pages

Publisher: Pocket Books; Reissue edition (27 Jan. 2015)

ASIN: B00LD1MHYM

From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby comes the third romance in the Love Under the Big Sky series, featuring a veteran struggling with PTSD and the one woman who can help him recover—and learn to love again.

Jillian thought she was a city girl through and through; the fast cars, high fashion, and glamour—she loves it all. But when her ex tells her he’s having a baby with his new wife (after Jillian struggled for years to get pregnant), she hightails it back to Montana to cry on the shoulder of her best friend, Cara.

But in truth, Jillian would rather be comforted by someone else…specifically Zach, Cara’s brother-in-law. Zach is a veteran of the Iraq War who came back to the family ranch to raise his preteen son after the boy’s mother took off. He’s struggling to re-establish a relationship with his son, and warding off the demons of PTSD, which still haunt him. The last thing he needs is bold, brassy Jillian…but why can’t he keep his hands off her?

Cover:  I love that all the covers for this series match.

I really enjoyed Kristen Proby's With Me In Seattle series, as well as the other two books in this Under The Big Sky series.  So I was really looking forward to this one.
Zack and Jilly have been in the other books- you could see there was something between them, so their story has been building.
And I loved it.
I was sucked in right from the get go- I couldn't put it down, reading it in just one day.
I loved the chemistry between Zack and Jilly- and I was happy to see them get their story and happy ending.
While you could read it as a stand alone, I would recommend reading the other two books first, to get that build up.

4.5/5 stars!!

Read on January 26, 2015

#FridayReads 13/03/2015

Booking Through Thursday 12/03/2015

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Booking Through Thursday and a different question is posted every week.

Two part question:

In an ideal world, what kind of book cases would you have? Built-ins? Barrister ones with glass doors? The cheapest you could find so you could have lots of them?

And … what kind of bookcases do you REALLY have?

Ever since I was small, I've wanted the bookcases, aka library from Beauty and the Beast.  That is my idea of heaven.  Wall to wall shelves, floor to ceiling with ladders to climb.  Perfection.

My actual bookcases, 5 of them, are bog standard beech bookcases.

W...W...W...Wednesday 11/03/2015

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?

My current read is Easy Love by Kristen Proby

I recently finished reading Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

I think my next read will be On a Night Like This by Barbara Freethy

 

Teaser Tuesday 10/03/2015 'Slave To Sensation'

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 “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 teaser.

This week's teaser comes from page 236 of Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh.





"Mercy's words had Sashca's throat closing up. "I need to ask you both a favor."  Vaughn raised a brow.  He might have let her live but she knew he waswitholding final judgement. 
"If I get taken in when we put the plan into effect, if I get sent to the centre instead of being of being executed," she began, "I want you to kill me.  I won't be able to do it myself.  I won't be able to do it myself because they'll lock my mind."
A mental straitjacket that she knew would propel her into the final madness.

Deluge (River of Time #5) by Lisa T. Bergren

• Paperback: 430 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; first edition (3 Sep 2014)
• ISBN-10: 1500784389
• ISBN-13: 978-1500784386

The Bettarinis and Forellis have found rich fulfillment together in medieval Italia. But after fighting off countless enemies, they now must face the worst foe of all. As the Black Death closes in upon them, threatening everything and everyone they hold dear, Lia and Gabi–and the knights they love–must dig deep within to decide how they might remain safe…and if they need to risk it all in order to truly live as they’re called.




Cover:  I really enjoy the covers to this series, so love that this matches the others in the series.

The River of Time series is one of my all time favourite series.  
History, time travel, romance, medieval Italian knights, kick-ass heroines.
It's an amazing series.
So it was with both great excitement and trepidation that I picked up the final installment of the series.
And I was sucked right back in to the world.
And boy, this book didn't pull it's punches.  I've been left emotionally devastated by this book.
Characters I grew to love, were wiped out.
This book is set where the plague is imminent, so it was highly unlikely that all the characters I love where going to be left unscathed.
But I loved it.
My favourite book in the series?
No.  But was it necessary?
Yes.
If you haven't checked this series out, I highly recommend that you do.
If you never read another series that I recommend- read this one.
4.5/5 stars.

Read from November 11 to 14, 2014

Vision In Silver (The Others #3) by Anne Bishop

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Roc (3 Mar. 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 045146527X
• ISBN-13: 978-0451465276

The Others freed the  cassandra sangue  to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before—both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.

Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy. She knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict.

For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep… 

Cover:  Another beautiful cover.  I love that it matches the first two books.

Oh my god.  I waited an entire year for this book.  My most anticipated book of this year.  And now I'm so sad it's over.
I love this series.
I make no bones about it.  I rant and rave about it to everyone and anyone that will still listen to me.
I can't even pinpoint what it is about this series- the characters are wonderful, the world is so different and captivating and the writing just hooks me from page one.
It was great to see all the characters again, and while this installment wasn't action packed- it definitely still had pace and things were happening....INTERESTING THINGS.  It has set a lot up for the next book- the interaction between the humans and the terre indigene is set to change.  Danger is most definitely afoot.
I have never wanted a romance between two characters to happen more in my entire life, than I want one to happen between Simon and Meg.  I love them.  They're such good friends and I love every single interaction between them in this book, but EVERYONE CAN SEE THEY'RE MEANT TO BE TOGETHER.  It's weird because I love them as they are, but I need more from them too.  The frustration is very real.
When I'm reading a book in this series, I never want it to end.  I want to keep turning pages forever.
All in all, a fantastic book and I cannot wait for book 4, Marked In Flesh.  It's a long wait.
If you haven't picked up this series, you really must.
5/5 stars.

February 2015 Reading Wrap Up

Booking Through Thursday 05/03/2015

Booking Through Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by Booking Through Thursday and a different question is posted every week.

Hardcovers or paperbacks?

I love books.
Both have their pros and cons.
I love how sturdy a hardcover is.
But when the book is bigger- it can be heavy to lift and carry around.
While paperbacks are lighter- I hate that the spines crack and generally can become quite beat up.
I think the book collector in me leans towards hardbacks.

W...W...W...Wednesday 04/03/2015

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?

 

My current read is Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop

I recently finished reading The Liar by Nora Roberts

I think my next read will be The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

 

Teaser Tuesday 03/03/2015 'Vision In Silver'

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 “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 teaser.

This week's teaser comes from my most anticipated release of the year, Vision In Silver by Anne Bishop, page 82.

"She squinted as light filled the room.  The she looked at the floor.  She looked at the girls in the beds who were past being overwhelmed by images and expectations.

They didn't want to live, she thought as she stared.  They chose this instead of trying to live.  Easier to choose this."