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Monday, March 31, 2014

Release Day Blitz & Giveaway FIVE MILES by Lili St. Germain

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Five Miles

My father taught me the importance of an eye for an eye—a cardinal rule, ingrained in every club member. 

A life for a life. 

Seven lives in payment for an unimaginable list of sins. 

People might wonder why I’m doing this. If this vengeance is borne from some noble cause, that I’m trying to prevent others from suffering at the hands of Dornan Ross and his sons. 

But I’m no vigilante. 

I’m doing it for me. I’m doing it because I want to. Because the look on Maxi and Chad’s faces when I killed them was a balm to my soul. 

This is the fate they have earned. The penance for their crimes. 

Two down, five to go. 

Time to send some of these brothers off with a bang. 



Five Miles is the third book in the Gypsy Brothers series. The series should be read in the following order: 

Seven Sons (Gypsy Brothers, #1) 
Six Brothers (Gypsy Brothers, #2) 
Five Miles (Gypsy Brothers, #3) 

Four Score, #4 in the Gypsy Brothers series, releases on May 26th, 2014
Other Links:
 
Lili's Facebook Page


Lili's Twitter

Lili's author page at Goodreads

S
even Sons Goodreads Page


iPad mini giveaway!

To celebrate the release of Five Miles, I'm giving one lucky reader the chance to win an iPad mini! Please feel free to include the link to this giveaway on any posts you do:

Lili's iPad mini Giveaway

Review: Separation Anxiety by Lisa Suzanne

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Published February 4th 2014 by Lisa Suzann
 296 Pages


Separation.
We all get one true love in our lives, and it’s up to us to find it. Fate will act and try to push us together, but ultimately it’s up to us to recognize who that one person is when he’s standing in front of us.

It turns out that I recognized who my one person was when I was separated from my husband.

Anxiety.
On the same day I determined that I was finally going to file for divorce, I confessed my secret to Jesse Drake, my swoon-worthy colleague known for his womanizing ways. Jesse invited me to crash with him, and with each new piece of the enigmatic Jesse puzzle that I started to fit into place, I found myself wondering if Fate had pushed us together for a reason.

If only my husband would stop getting in the way of the man with whom I was meant to be


Veronica "V" Thomas is a high school English teacher who is hiding a secret from everyone she knows. Her marriage is failing and after trying to make it work for over a year and having no luck she decides she is done and wants out.

Jesse Drake is the schools guidance counselor. From the moment he laid eyes on Veronica he knew he wanted her to be his but he knew she was in a relationship and she seemed happy so he settled with being friends. When Veronica confides in him about her failed marriage he offers her a room at his house to stay.

Veronica is crushing on Jesse as well but she decides until her marriage is over she can't be with Jesse. The longer they are together, the harder it becomes for both of them but will Richard let Veronica go? When Richard makes life very difficult with lies for both Veronica and Jesse will they crack under pressure? Will Jesse wait for her marriage to be over?

This was an amazing story!! Once I started the book I didn't want to put it down. I loved Jesse Drake!! This book will def go into my list of top 2014 reads!!






Sunday, March 30, 2014

Review: Trust Again by Christy Newton

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Paperback, 126 pages
Published January 19th 2014 by Front Porch Romance 

Once broken, can the heart really trust again?

Dreams of escaping her small town brought Ellie Oliver to New York only to find that life there wasn't all she'd hoped. Seven years later, she is returning to Pleasant Valley, Indiana with new hopes and secrets. She wants nothing more than to fade into the slow pace of small town life and forget about the demons of her past.

Jacob Jones is at loose ends. At twenty-six a man shouldn't be starting his life over from scratch. Finding himself out of work, Jacob looks for a new home in Pleasant Valley. He is ready for the single life just enjoying the company of close friends. All that changes when he takes a job remodeling the town's toy shop and comes head to head with its new owner. Ellie turns out to be sweeter than the candy she sells in her store.

Ellie and Jacob bring out feelings in each other neither were looking for, but both can't deny. Can they truly trust again or will their shattered hearts refuse to mend?

This is my 3 snowflake review for Trust Again by Christy Newton for Eskimo Princess Book Blog.

Trust Again follows the path of Ellie Oliver as she rebuilds her life after running away from an abusive boyfriend to take over her retiring father’s toy store. Her father has wanted her to come back to Pleasant Valley Indiana so she could be closer to him and not in the big city of New York. She never told her father about Bryce the man who abused her.  Will she be able to hide from Bryce in Indiana or will he find her no matter where she runs?

Jacob Jones is starting over in Pleasant Valley after he was laid off from his construction job in Illinois. His friend Ryan is from Indiana so that is where he heads. He has a lot of trust issues too; he is broken and not looking for love, just a job. When he is offered a job to remodel the local toy store, he can’t pass up the offer. Will Jacob find more than just a job when he meets the new owner, Ellie? Will Ellie ever be able to trust again?

This book was a very fast read for me. I found the book very fast paced. I found that Jacob really was a sweetheart. Ellie was sweet but so reserved. I did struggle with this book keeping my attention. The plot was good but I believe my problem was just the pace of the book I just couldn’t get into it. I felt that there needed to be more description or more feelings. Overall it was an okay read for me but Kudos to the author for writing a respectful book she can still be proud of.

I received this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review.        



Christy Newton
Christy Newton is a hopeless romantic with a weakness for warm cookies and dark chocolate. She lives in Indiana with her supportive husband and two amazing daughters. 




Firefly Hollow by T.L. Haddix Book Blitz




Firefly Hollow - WEEK BLITZ
By T. L. Haddix
Romance w/ Light Paranormal Elements
Date Published: 9/23/2012

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The mysterious recluse…

Owen Campbell holds himself apart from other people. Badly scarred from emotional wounds that have never healed, he doesn’t expect to find true love or happiness. He remains isolated in a prison of his own making, determined to not let anyone close enough to hurt him again. But his willpower is shaken to the core when Sarah Browning enters his world.

The girl next door…

Sarah Jane Browning is three years into her college degree when a call from home changes everything. Back at the family homestead in the heart of Appalachia, she’s forced to reevaluate her hopes and dreams for the future.

Distraction from her heartache comes in the form of her parents’ neighbor. Whispers about “odd Owen Campbell” abound in their small community, and Sarah’s curiosity is aroused. When she breaks the rules and trespasses onto his land, what she finds is beyond her wildest imaginings.

As Sarah struggles to overcome tragedy and loss, her burgeoning relationship with Owen is sorely tested. Will love conquer all, or will the secrets from Owen’s past tear them apart forever?

EXCERPT


Checking back over her shoulder after a few steps, Sarah frowned when the deer continued to mimic her path. Dismissing the incident as the curiosity of a wild young deer that hadn’t yet learned humans were the enemy, she let her mind drift. Before long, she heard the sound of water trickling rapidly over rocks, and as she rounded a curve, she saw a small stream curving through the mountainside. The branch of water cut into a shallow hollow, one side protected by a higher ledge of earth that was full of mountain laurel.

Sarah stopped to take in the sight and drew in a cleansing breath. As she looked around, she realized the deer had followed her and stopped a short distance away. The bench of land it stood on converged with the deer path alongside the stream.

If Sarah hadn’t known better, she would have sworn the deer wore a look of consternation. The animal bent its head to nibble at some greenery on the ground, but kept its eyes on her. It almost seemed to glance between her and the water, as though weighing the danger of coming closer for a drink.

“Maybe if I turn away, you’ll feel bolder.” The deer path crossed the branch at a narrow point, and she decided to go a bit further. The water cascaded down a small waterfall above the narrow point, pooling in a shallow area that would be the perfect spot for a thirsty deer to get a cooling drink. Hopping across the water, Sarah followed the trail. To her surprise, the path didn’t continue to the flat bench on the other side of the small ridge, but climbed up and around the rocky outcropping. Curious, she climbed the incline. The sight took her breath away, and for a moment, she didn’t believe what was in front of her was real.

The rocky outcropping the water cascaded down was a sort of natural dam. On its other side, a large pool of water had collected. Fifteen feet across and nearly that wide again going in the opposite direction, the pool was surrounded by sloping granite on all sides except the front, where the water dropped over the edge. The water was blue-green, going from light aqua to deeper cobalt, and the banks of rock and earth protected it on all sides.

On the opposite side, a craggy granite cliff rose about ten feet out of the water, overhanging slightly to form a shallow cave. The mountain seemed to curve around the pool and, mesmerized, Sarah continued around, crossing the branch once more at a point above the pool. From there, she was able to climb on top of the granite boulder that created the cliff. Easing to the edge, she carefully sat down, her legs dangling over the side.

When the curious deer appeared at the edge of the pool below, Sarah laughed. The deer gave a small jerk at the sound, eyeing her warily.

“I’m sorry.” She felt utterly insane, carrying on a conversation with a deer, but it had followed her like a curious puppy. Sarah realized that keeping quiet would feel even more absurd. “It’s so beautiful here. I had no idea any place like this existed.” She looked around, noticing that the trees didn’t arch out over the pool the way she thought they would have.

“I’ll bet it’s really hot here in the summer, and that water feels so good and cool. Or does the pool dry up, I wonder?”

For a while, she just sat, braced back on her hands, her face lifted to the sky. The peace imbued in the place washed over her. When she felt ready, she let herself remember Kathy’s words to Paul, and their laughter. The memory made Sarah sad and still made her cringe with embarrassment, but she realized that she didn’t feel quite as angry about it as she had.

“Thank you, God, for letting me hear that today. At least I don’t have to face Paul until Monday,” she said to the sky. “And… and maybe, if that’s what he likes, then maybe he’s not as special as I thought he was. Let him have his buxom girls. At least I don’t look like a milk cow, unlike someone I could name.”

A snort came from below, and Sarah jumped. She’d forgotten the deer. Looking down, she saw that it had moved to the edge of the exposed granite and settled down on a soft patch of leaves.

“What are you snorting at?”

When the deer shook its head, Sarah laughed. Even though she knew it was probably batting away flies with its ears, the deer acted almost human.

She glanced down at her watch and was shocked when she saw the time. She was going to have to run in order to make it home in time for supper. With a muted curse that she’d heard her father say when he hit his thumb with the hammer, she scrambled to her feet and looked around. Another bench ran down from the side of the boulder opposite where she’d come up and fell naturally into the one the deer had been on when she’d first seen it.

“That saves me a little time.” With one last look at the deer, which had gotten to its feet when Sarah did, she headed down the bench. “I’ll come back someday,” she promised over her shoulder. “Try to not get shot or anything.”

For a day that had gone so badly, she thought as she ran, things had turned out to be okay.

* * *

For a long time after the girl had gone, Owen stood on the edge of the pool, looking after her. With his enhanced hearing, he could follow her progress down the trail and back onto Browning land.

He didn’t know what to think. He’d never encountered another human in all the time he’d been exploring the woods. His parents had seen to that over the years; no one dared come onto Campbell property without his father’s permission. Now that the property belonged to Owen, he guessed he was the one who’d have to do something about trespassers.

He bent his neck, taking another sip from the water. As the girl had guessed, it was cool and delightful.

Owen sighed, a sound that came out in deer form much as it did when he was human. The pool was one of his favorite places to roam, one of his safe places. If the girl came back as she promised, he didn’t know what it would mean for him. He couldn’t risk being caught, and he wasn’t willing to give up his solitude. If the girl threatened that… he hated the thought of having to go to her parents, but if it came to that, he’d do it.


T.L. Haddix


T.L. Haddix was born in Hazard, Kentucky, a small town in the center of the Appalachian coal fields. Taught to read by her grandmother, T.L. has had a life-long love affair with books, devouring whatever she could get her hands on. From childhood favorites such as the Trixie Belden series and Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House” books, to her current favorites from authors like Tami Hoag, Alex Kava, J.A. Jance and Lisa Kleypas (among many others), T.L. still finds refuge in the written word.


“Growing up, I wanted to be everything – astronaut, police officer, doctor, teacher, reporter, psychologist – there was no clear choice for me. I wanted to do it all. Becoming a writer has allowed me to do just that, because I can live vicariously through my characters.”



A resident of eastern Kentucky, T.L. is hard at work on her next book, when she isn’t chasing after her three cat-children with her husband.

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Saturday, March 29, 2014

Alisa's March Reading Challenge Update



 

   


      2014 Reading Challenge
   


       

          2014 Reading Challenge
       

     

        Alisa has
             read 30 books toward her goal of 115 books.
     

     

       
hide

     

     

        30 of 115 (26%)
     

       

          view books
       

 

   





Vampires, angels, demons, werewolves and fae. If you can’t pick a favourite, then that’s okay!

At UTC, we love them all! So let’s celebrate our love for all things immortal with 2014’s Immortal Reading Challenge.

Here’s the rundown:
1. The Immortals Reading Challenge runs from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. You can join at anytime from now and throughout the year. This is a 2014 challenge, so books read before January 1 will not count to your progress.

2. You pick your goal! Read as many books as you’d like for each species. This means that you can do just one category or all five or a combination of. The choice depends on you and your reading pace.

*We have chosen to have a three book per species standard. However, if this is a breeze for you, then feel free to tackle on the additional bonus entries of two more books of the same level.

3. Re-reads are acceptable.

4. Books chosen can be of any genre.

5. To participate, all you have to do is join our Goodreads book club, The League of Lusty Ladies and check in with updates on your progress regularly on the 2014 Immortals Reading Challenge thread. That’s it!

Every month during 2014 we will make an effort to update on how you’re doing with your challenge. We hope you’ll join us!

Category 1: Vampires
Read any THREE books with vampires as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books with vampires
The Search by Kelley Grealis

Category 2: Angels and Demons
Read any THREE books with angels and/or demons as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books with angels and/or demons
Dangerous Book of Demon Slayers by Angie Fox
Category 3: Fae and Magic
Read any THREE books with Fae/Witches as the main characters
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books on Fae/Witches.
 Evershade by Alexia Purdy
Category 4: Shifters/Werewolves
Read any THREE books with shifters or werewolves as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books on shifters or werewolves.


Real Men Do It Better Reading Challenge (Contemporary Romance)

Just like our Immortals/Paranormal themed reading challenge, this year we are offering a Contemporary Romance option for all your book junkies who think fictional boyfriends can be super nova hot without the fangs or the fur. If you’re like us at UTC, you go crazy for Contemporary heroes whether they be rock stars, cowboys, billionaires, bikers or hot jocks! If you want to celebrate with us, here’s what you’ll need to know:

1. The Real Men Do It Better Reading Challenge runs from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. You can join at anytime from now and throughout the year. This is a 2014 challenge, so books read before January 1 will not count to your progress.

2. You pick your goal! Read as many books as you’d like for each category. This means that you can do just one category or all five or a combination of. The choice depends on you and your reading pace.

*We have chosen to have a three book per category as a standard. However, if this is a breeze for you, then feel free to tackle on the additional bonus entries of two more books of the same level. Also, if you’re tired of reading one particular trope, such as billionaires, fear not! You can trade that in for something more to your taste.

3. As this is a Contemporary Romance challenge, we won’t allow any books that have any paranormal/fantasy elements included, even if they fit under the other categories. The books must be set in a Contemporary setting. However, we accept genres such as Contemporary New Adult, Contemporary Erotic Romance and Contemporary M/M in this challenge.

4. Re-reads are acceptable.

5. Books chosen can be of any genre.

6. To participate, all you have to do is join our Goodreads book club, The League of Lusty Ladies and check in with updates on your progress regularly on the 2014 Real Men Do It Better Reading Challenge thread. That’s it!

Every month during 2014 we will make an effort to update on how you’re doing with your challenge. We hope you’ll join us!

Category 1: Bikers
Read any THREE books with bikers as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books with bikers

Category 2: Billionaires
Read any THREE books with billionaires as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books with billionaires
Something Wonderful by M. Clarke 
 The Billionaire's Bet by Clarissa Wild
Category 3: Rock stars
Read any THREE books with rock stars as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books with rock stars

Category 4: Hot Jocks
Read any THREE books with hot jocks as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books with hot jocks
 Skater Boy and My Skater Boy by Kay Manis 
Free Agent by Roz Lee
Category 5: Cowboys
Read any THREE books with cowboys as the main characters.
Bonus Entries: Additional TWO books with cowboys  

I have read:
Challenge runs from January 1, 2014 until December 31, 2014
The goal is to read at least 12 Historical Romance! 
  • Level 1--12 historical romance
  • Level 2--18 historical romances
  • Level 3--24 historical romance
  • Level 4--30-60 historical romances
  • Level 5--61-80 historical romances
  • Level 6--81-100 historical romances
  • Level 7--101+ historical romances
What counts!
  • Every historical romance you read and review in 2014
  • Any time period prior to 1920 qualifies.
  • They can be historical paranormal, historical erotica, m/m, f/f, etc.
  • All historical romances over 100 pages in length--audio, ebook, print
  • Re-reads, cross overs from other challenges

 I have Read:


Are you in any reading challenges? If so, how are you doing?

Review: Take My Hand by Nicola Haken

Take My Hand by Nicola Haken


Book: Take My Hand
Author: Nicola Haken
Genre:  New Adult
Release Date:  October 7, 2013



Twenty-four year old Dexter Michaels has arrived in the UK for a fresh start - leaving everything and everyone he knows behind in the states. Determined to put right some of the wrongs he’ll never be able to forgive himself for making and make his Aunt Sarah – the only person left who still believes in him - proud, he lands in London with the intention of working hard, getting his degree and keeping himself to himself. He can’t destroy anybody else that way…

His heart and his body have other ideas however when he finds himself sitting next to nineteen year old Emily Barton in his Psychology class. Moving down south to find her own New Life, Emily is shy, smart and beautiful – everything Dexter knows he should stay away from… everything he knows would be too easy for him to break.

But she makes him feel things he’d forgotten even existed. She makes him laugh, smile, care… forget. Without her trying, and without him realizing, Emily has wound her way into the one place he swore to keep locked away forever – his heart. But can she stay there when she discovers the dark past he’s so determined to keep hidden from her? Or will he destroy her too, just like he always expected?

(Not recommended for younger readers due to language, drug/alcohol abuse and sexual content)



This is my 4.5 snowflake review for Take My Hand by Nicola Haken for Eskimo Princess Book Blog.

Take my Hand is book one of the Take my Hand Series. This book follows the love and friendship between Dexter and Emily. Dexter is an American who has moved to London England because he wants to better himself and prove to those he loves that he can be better. He doesn’t believe that he is deserving of love, friendship, or anything special. He is gorgeous, but has a deep secret that he doesn’t want anyone to know about. No one knows exactly how lost he really is. Emily is a haunted soul. She has moved from her small town in northern England to live in London with her best friend Rachel. She is running from her past and doesn’t have any desire to go back home. She is such a tender hearted person. She forgives easily but is some things just unforgivable? What will happen when she wants more than just friendship with Dex? Will Dex be able to open up his heart and tell Emily about his addictive past?

This was a book that kept me turning the page way into the night. I thought that the plot line (I don’t want to give anything away so that is all I will say) was different than most books I have read. It is unusual to have English and American dialogue mixed together in a single book. I loved Rachel and Jared. Their personalities give us a refreshing reprieve against the seriousness of the story. I found a couple spelling and grammar issues but nothing that took away from the reading of the story.

I would recommend this story to anyone who isn’t bothered by drug addiction and drinking problems. I look forward to reading the next leg of Emily and Dexter’s story, Hold on Tight.





Nicola lives in Rochdale, England with her husband and four children (six if you include the dogs!) She is the author of New Adult/Contemporary romance novels Inevitable, Saving Amy and the Take My Hand series. When she is not busy playing with her imaginary book friends (or talking about them with real life friends!) she can usually be found carrying out her ordinary mum/housewife/all round slave duties. Oh, and if the kids ever ask, she moonlights as the Pink Power Ranger while they’re sleeping…
 

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Review: Forgiven by rebeca Brooke

Forgiven by Rebecca Brooke



Book Title: Forgiven
Author:  Rebecca Brooke
Genre:  New Adult/Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 10, 2013

Review:
This is my 5 snowflake review for Forgiven by Rebecca Brooke for Eskimo Princess Book Blog.

Forgiven is a full length standalone novel about Caleb Jacobs, a hot and sexy football star that refuses to let anyone into his life and Angelina Powers a smart, beautiful, and tender hearted young woman who is scared to let any man into her heart. What will happen when Caleb’s past collides with his present? What will happen when Caleb pushes Angie away so hard she is scared she may never find her way back into his life?

I really liked this book. It was such an emotional journey. I wanted to clobber Caleb one minute and hold him tight in my arms the next. He really did have such a hard time letting go of his past and accepting the fact that he could have a future, but he had to be the one to forgive. Angie, well her life really was a hard one. I thought what her father put her through was terrible and I am glad she had such great friends to help her realize she really was worth more than what she thought. Caleb showed Angie that a real man knows how to treat a lady he loves with words and actions, not drunken shouts and false accusations. 

"Bad things happen to good people" ~So True!

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read about broken souls who get forgiveness and love. I would also recommend this book to those of you who like to read about college students working on a path of redemption.

I look forward to reading Redemption, Josh’s story.

Synopsis:
What happens when one moment changes the course of your entire life? Do you sit back and accept it, or fight to live the life you choose? Caleb Jacobs has a past that has haunted him for two years. Knowing he can never forgive himself for the events that led to his departure, Caleb chooses to live a quiet life—concentrating on school, sports, and shots. But when he is paired with Angie for a history project he realizes that no matter how much you try to hide from your past, one way or another it will find you.
Angelina Powers knows what she wants from life. Growing up with only an alcoholic father for company, Angie learned early on in life that you can only count on yourself. But that doesn’t stop her wishing for her white knight. She’s confident, happy and focused…until she meets Caleb. So how will she feel when her potential white knight turns out to be more of a black shadow?
Author Information:
Rebecca Brooke grew up in the shore towns of South Jersey. She loves to hit the beach, but always with her kindle on hand. She is married to the most wonderful man, who puts up with all of her craziness. Together they have two beautiful children who keep her on her toes. When she isn’t writing or reading (which is very rarely) she loves to bake and watch episodes of Shameless and TruBlood.

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Twitter URL: @RebeccaBrooke6
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