Merry Christmas

I would just like to take this opportunity to wish you all 

A Very Merry Christmas

&

A Safe and Happy Holiday Season

I look forward to continuing to blog with you all in 2015.

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #15 ~ Beautiful Redemption (The Maddox Brothers #2) by Jamie McGuire

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine which spotlights highly anticipated upcoming releases.

This week I’m waiting on: 

Beautiful Redemption
(The Maddox Brothers #2)

by
Jamie McGuire

Expected publication: January 27th 2015

If A Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever. But what if he didn't love you, first? 

No-nonsense Liis Lindy is an agent of the FBI. Deciding she is married only to her job, she breaks off her engagement and transfers from Chicago to the field office in San Diego. She loves her desk. She is committed to her laptop. She dreams of promotions and shaking hands with the director after cracking an impossible case. 

Special Agent in Charge Thomas Maddox is arrogant, unforgiving, and ruthless. He is tasked with putting away some of the world’s toughest criminals, and he is one of the best the Bureau has to offer. Though, as many lives as he’s saved, there is one that is beyond his reach. Younger brother Travis is faced with prison time for his involvement in a basement fire that killed dozens of college students, and the media want a conviction. Travis’s only savior is his unusual tie to the mob. In a deal that will spare his brother, Thomas has agreed to recruit Travis into the FBI. 

Liis is stubborn, defiant, and yet somehow softens Thomas’s rough edges, making her the perfect agent to accompany him to the ceremony. Posing as a couple, they must travel to Travis & Abby’s beach vow renewal and give him the news, but when the pretending ends, she finds herself wondering if they were pretending at all. 

In the second installment of the Maddox Brothers books, experience firsthand the mysterious world of the elusive Thomas Maddox, and how good love can be when you’re not the first, but the last.

What are you waiting for?

Please leave a comment below with your WoW link!

Thanks in advance for stopping by!

Teaser Tuesday #122 ~ The Boys of Summer (Summer #1) by C.J. Duggan

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 to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

My Tease for this week comes from:

The Boys of Summer
(Summer #1)
by
C.J. Duggan

First - The Blurb:

It seemed only natural to nickname them the ‘Onslow Boys’. Every time they swaggered in the front door of the Onslow Hotel after a hard week’s work, their laughter was loud and genuine as they settled onto their bar stools. I peeked through the restaurant partition, a flimsy divider between my world and theirs. I couldn’t help but smile whenever I saw them, saw him... Toby Morrison.

Quiet seventeen-year-old Tess doesn’t relish the thought of a summertime job. She wants nothing more than to forget the past haunts of high school and have fun with her best friends before the dreaded Year Twelve begins.

To Tess, summer is when everything happens: riding bikes down to the lake, watching the fireworks at the Onslow Show and water bomb fights at the sweltering Sunday markets.

How did she let her friends talk her into working?

After first-shift disasters, rude, wealthy tourists and a taunting ex-boyfriend, Tess is convinced nothing good can come of working her summer away. However, Tess finds unlikely allies in a group of locals dubbed ‘The Onslow Boys’, who are old enough to drive cars, drink beer and not worry about curfews. Tess’s summer of working expands her world with a series of first times with new friends, forbidden love and heartbreaking chaos.

All with the one boy she has never been able to forget. 

It will be a summer she will always remember. 

Warning: sexual references, and occasional coarse language.


Second - The Tease:

"I love you, Tess McGee. I don’t do big funny or heartfelt speeches in front of people at birthday parties, but I’m excellent in private alcoves in beer gardens." He paused. "Okay, that sounded really bad, what I mean is …"

I kissed him into silence. I pressed my forehead against his with a sigh. "I love you, too, Toby. In fact, that’s what I was going to tell you before we walked into the beer garden. Right before the really bad singing started."

Toby chuckled. He let out a sigh of relief. "Ready to reminisce?"

I whispered my final word before he closed the distance.

"Always." 

I must admit, I had quite high expectations for this book. Sadly though, I didn't feel like it delivered. 
Why? Well, I guess because I prefer a story which is loaded with romance, and in The Boys of Summer, the relationship between the main two characters (Tess and Toby) didn't really progress to that point until almost two thirds of the way through.

However, having said that, the story is well written and if you want a read which is centered more around fun and not so much around the romance, then The Boys of Summer might just be the book for you.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Okay, so what do you think?

If you liked my Tease, please leave a comment below.

TBR Tuesday #77 ~ The Falling of Love (Falling #1) by Marisa Oldham

My good friend Sharrice from Reese's Reviews: My Addiction to Fiction came up with the idea of 'TBR Tuesday'. 

If you want to join in the fun, then just do the following:

From your book shelf or your e-reader, pick a book that you own that is still on your TBR list. Post it however you want to, then leave a link below so others can see what's waiting to be read.

This week for me its:

The Falling of Love
(Falling #1)
by
Marisa Oldham 

You will never forget your first date, your first kiss, or your first love. You will also never forget how it felt when it was torn apart. 

Seventeen-year old Grace Hathaway does not give much thought to falling in love, until the day that Ian Taylor, rebel and misfit walks into her math class. From their first conversation, Grace is mesmerized by Ian's charisma and rock star façade. 

Ian Taylor, a seventeen-year old kid from the wrong side of the tracks tries to ignore the feelings he has for Grace, but is captured by her caring, non-judgmental personality from the moment they meet. Grace becomes Ian's everything and there is nothing he will not do for her. Hurting her was never part of his plan. 

“The Falling of Love” will take you on a sweet, emotional journey of two young adults falling in love for the first time, and then tear your heart apart when that love is threatened by dishonesty and betrayal. 


I saw this one advertised on Goodreads and thought it sounded interesting. Unfortunately though, I haven't quite gotten around to reading it yet. Hopefully it will make it to the top of the list in 2015.

SO NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!

Leave a comment and tell me what's waiting on your TBR pile.

Stacking the Shelves #79 & Weekly Wrap-Up

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks.

This week, I added two books to my shelf, both from Amazon.

Love's Prey

by

Meg Xuemei X 

Xirena’s life has never been an easy one. Deemed a thief, a brute, and a slut by one's own family and schoolmates might take its toll on your average fifteen-year-old, but Xirena makes no apologies. Then she meets seventeen-year-old Kai, smoking hot and hell-bent on seducing her. But Xirena isn’t having it. Kai must prove to Xirena that his attraction is something more. When he does, Xirena opens to him. Softens around the edges. 

Problem is, Kai’s ex-girlfriends are none too happy about this. They won’t allow anyone, especially an outcast, to have the boy they want and will stop at nothing to ruin Xirena. But Xirena stands her ground even if it means wrecking her one and only chance of escaping these backwoods forever.






I actually saw this one advertised on Goodreads. I thought it sounded interesting, so naturally, I added it to my TBR pile.

&

Tragic

(Rook and Ronin #1)

by

J.A. Huss

How far are you willing to go to start over?

Rook Walsh is homeless, jobless, and down to her last ten bucks when opportunity knocks her in the head and delivers a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Antoine Chaput knows the minute he spies Rook in his studio that she's got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.

Rook is paired up with top model Ronin, and he knows exactly what to do to make her blush for Antoine's camera. Her luck changes in an instant and suddenly she's got more attention and exposure than she can handle--both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

Weekly Wrap-Up

This week has been crazy busy with my daughter graduating from Primary School and Christmas just around the corner. 
I sure am looking forward to the Summer Break (which began today) spending time with the family by the pool and hopefully reading heaps.

Books which featured on my blog this week:

TBR Tuesday ~ Drawn by Lilliana Anderson

Teaser Tuesday ~ Before We Fall by Courtney Cole

Waiting on Wednesday~ Oblivion by Kelly Creagh

Swoon Thursday ~ One More Chance by Abbi Glines

So... what did you add to your shelf this week?

I'd really like to know.

Please leave a comment below.

Swoon Thursday #120 ~ One More Chance (Chance #2) by Abbi Glines

The fabulous girls over at YA Bound created this super HOT meme.

Here's how it works. From the book you're currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag#YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog!

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

My Swoon for this week comes from:

 One More Chance
(Chance #2)
by
Abbi Glines 

First - The Blurb:

Grant Carter did everything in his power to convince Harlow Manning that he was a good guy. More than a smooth-talker and someone she could trust. He had to overcome his reputation as a playboy, and his history with Harlow's half-sister, Nan, a woman with a reputation of her own.

Harlow had taken the chance, falling hard and fast for the guy who thrilled her with his all-consuming desire. After a lifetime of avoiding bad boys like Grant, she had opened herself to the possibilities of love...

But a life-changing secret has torn them apart, and now Grant and Harlow must decide if they have enough fight to make it work - or if the pain of betrayal has permanently destroyed their future.

Second - The Swoon(s):

"Love shouldn't make our choices for us; it should just add importance to our choices." 

* * *

"You came into my life. You changed my world. You made me realize I’m capable of loving completely. You’re my one. You’re it. This is my epic love, and I can’t lose that."

* * *

"I can't lose you. It would destroy me. You might as well take me with you. I won't be able to live if you don't." I stopped and fought the terror that came with those thoughts. I shoved it away, because I refused to accept it. "I want you to be happy, but I want you alive. I'll give you anything. Just ask. But I can't sacrifice you. Your life isn't something I'm willing to gamble with."

There are so many sweet and swoon worthy moments in One More Chance that it was hard to choose. Hope you enjoyed Grant's heart felt words.

Abbi is one of my favorite authors. And once again, she didn't disappoint with One More Chance.

My Rating 5 out of 5

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Okay, so what do you think?

If you liked my Swoon, please leave a comment below!

Waiting on Wednesday #14 ~ Oblivion (Nevermore #3) by Kelly Creagh

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine which spotlights highly anticipated upcoming releases.

This week I’m waiting on: 

Oblivion
(Nevermore #3)

by
Kelly Creagh 

Expected publication: July 28th 2015 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

This electrifying conclusion to the Nevermore trilogy takes one last trip to the dream world of Edgar Allan Poe to reveal the intertwined fates of Isobel and Varen.

The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins? —Edgar Allan Poe

The fine line between life and death blurred long ago for Isobel Lanley. After a deadly confrontation with Varen in the dreamworld, she’s terrified to return to that desolate and dangerous place. But when her nightmares resume, bleeding into reality, she is left with no choice. Varen’s darkness is catching up to her. To everything. Threatening to devour it all.

Isobel fears for her world. For her sanity and Varen’s—especially after a fresh and devastating loss. To make matters worse, the ghostly demon Lilith wants Varen for her own, and she will do anything to keep him in her grasp—anything.

Can Isobel ever find her happy ending? Worlds collide and fates are sealed in this breathtaking finale to the Nevermore trilogy.

So what are you waiting for?

Please leave a comment below with your WoW link!

Teaser Tuesday #121 ~ Before We Fall (Beautifully Broken #3) by Courtney Cole

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 to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

My Tease for this week comes from:

Before We Fall
(Beautifully Broken #3)
by
Courtney Cole 

First - The Blurb:

Sometimes, one dark moment is all it takes to turn your world black...

For 24-year old Dominic Kinkaide, that moment took place on the night of his high school graduation. One dark incident changed him forever. He's a hardened actor now, famous in the eyes of the world, but tortured in his own. He doesn't care about much of anything, except for losing himself in the roles that he plays.

23-year old Jacey Vincent doesn't realize how much her father's indifference has affected her. She is proof that sometimes it isn't one specific moment that wrecks a person, but rather it's an absence of moments. She's like a bird with a broken wing-strong yet fragile, as she tries to float through life, finding acceptance in the arms of random guys, one after the other... to fill the void that her father left in her.

Until she meets Dominic.

After jaded Dominic and strong-willed Jacey are thrown together, his secret and her issues create a dark and damaged energy that will soon turn their attraction to each other into an explosive storm.

Even though when the clouds have cleared and the dust has settled, both of them are almost obliterated... they've learned a priceless lesson.

Sometimes, before we fall... we fly.

Second - The Tease(rs):

Tease 1

"No."

But  Dominic takes that as a challenge. He's not used to hearing the word no and he's not about to start now. I see that in his dark eyes a scant moment before he dips his head and consumes my mouth.

I say consume instead of kiss, because that's what he does.

He consumes me.

Dominic doesn't do anything by half's, and yep, he sure knows how to kiss.

Tease 2

The look on his face, so sad, so vulnerable, so hopeless... it shatters me. And so I do the only thing I can think of to do.

I kiss him.

 I take all of my sadness for him, all of my heartache, and I channel it into a kiss. It's the only thing I know to do. I want to take his sadness away. I want to absorb it in the only way I know how.

This was one heart wrenching moment and I loved how selflessly Jacey responded to Dominic's pain.

I enjoyed reading Before We Fall, but probably not quite as much as the first two books in the series... If You Stay (Pax and Mila's story) and If You Leave (Gabe and Maddy's story). Not sure why, but I had a little more difficulty in connecting with Dom and Jacey.

So, my rating on this one: 4 out of 5

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Okay, so what do you think?

If you liked my Tease, please leave a comment below.

TBR Tuesday #76 ~ Drawn (Drawn #1) by Lilliana Anderson

My good friend Sharrice from Reese's Reviews: My Addiction to Fiction came up with the idea of 'TBR Tuesday'. 

If you want to join in the fun, then just do the following:

From your book shelf or your e-reader, pick a book that you own that is still on your TBR list. Post it however you want to, then leave a link below so others can see what's waiting to be read.

This week for me its:

Drawn
(Drawn #1)
by
Lilliana Anderson 

Have you ever felt so drawn to someone, that you will put up with anything to be with them? That’s how I feel when I’m around him. 

Most of the time, I want to hate him. I want to stay as far away from him as possible. He’s so cocky, and arrogant. And he gets in the way and tells me what to do. He’s all things that I normally detest in a man. But, when we’re alone… I can’t even think for myself – the pull is that intense. 

I know I should run, I know I should stay away. But I can’t. I don’t know if I’m strong enough. 

What do you do when you just can’t stay away? Even when you know you should…

SO NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!

Leave a comment and tell me what's waiting on your TBR pile.

Stacking the Shelves #78 & Weekly Wrap-Up

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews. It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks.

This week I added three books to my shelf: 

From the Library:

One More Chance

(Chance #2)

by Abbi Glines 

Grant Carter did everything in his power to convince Harlow Manning that he was a good guy. More than a smooth-talker and someone she could trust. He had to overcome his reputation as a playboy, and his history with Harlow's half-sister, Nan, a woman with a reputation of her own.

Harlow had taken the chance, falling hard and fast for the guy who thrilled her with his all-consuming desire. After a lifetime of avoiding bad boys like Grant, she had opened herself to the possibilities of love...

But a life-changing secret has torn them apart, and now Grant and Harlow must decide if they have enough fight to make it work - or if the pain of betrayal has permanently destroyed their future. 






I read Take a Chance (Chance #1) a while back and look forward to seeing how Grant and Harlow's story continues. I'm hoping for a HEA.


From Amazon:

Flight

(The Crescent Chronicles #1)

by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Sometimes you just have to take flight.

A summer in New Orleans is exactly what Allie needs before starting college. Accepting her dad’s invitation to work at his hotel offers an escape from her ex-boyfriend and the chance to spend the summer with her best friend. Meeting a guy is the last thing on her mind—until she sees Levi.

Unable to resist the infuriating yet alluring Levi, Allie finds herself at the center of a supernatural society and forced to decide between following the path she has always trusted or saving a city that might just save her.

The Write Stuff

(A Write Stuff Novel)

by Tiffany King

Twenty-two-year-old historical romance writer Nicole Blake, or N.S. Blake to her readers, hasn't taken an official poll, mind you, but she is convinced she may be the only romance author on the planet who is still a card-carrying member of the virgin club.Not that she hasn't tried to end her membership. Life just keeps finding pesky ways to interfere. With no prospects on the horizon, Nicole begins to feel like the closest she will ever get to experiencing a man is within her own stories.

Opportunity presents itself in the form of hot-as-sin-on-a-lollipop-stick bartender/premed student Alec Petropoulos, who agrees to be the cover model for her upcoming book. Sparks fly instantly between them, and Nicole begins to entertain the possibility that she's finally found the right guy to hand over her tattered V-card. Alec has all the makings for a perfect one-night-stand candidate except, much to Nicole's surprise, he seems to be the only man in existence not interested in bagging a virgin.

Stuck between a rock and a stubborn male, what's a virgin to do? Seduce him, of course. How hard could it be? If it works for the characters in her stories, why wouldn't it work for her? After all, what happens under the cover…stays under the cover.


I spotted this one on Brandee's blog -  Bookworm Brandee - and couldn't resist adding it to my shelf. Thank you, Brandee.

Weekly Wrap-Up

Books which featured on my blog this week:

TBR Tuesday ~ Back in the Saddle by K.F. Breene

Teaser Tuesday ~ Crossing the Line by Nicola Marsh

Waiting on Wednesday ~ Inspire by Cora Carmack

Swoon Thursday ~ If You Leave by Courtney Cole

So... what did you add to your shelf this week?

I'd really like to know.

Please leave a comment below.

Swoon Thursday #119 ~ If You Leave (Beautifully Broken #2) by Courtney Cole

The fabulous girls over at YA Bound created this super HOT meme.

Here's how it works. From the book you're currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering.

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag#YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog!

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

My Swoon for this week comes from:

If You Leave
(Beautifully Broken #2)
by
Courtney Cole

First - The Blurb:

26-year old Gabriel Vincent is a badass hero. Or he used to be, anyway. As an ex-Army Ranger, Gabe never thought he needed anyone. But after one horrible night in Afghanistan scars him in a way that he can't get past, he needs someone who can help him heal...even if he doesn't realize it.

25-year old Madison Hill doesn't need anybody...or so she thinks. She grew up watching her parents' messed-up abusive relationship and she knows there's no way in hell that she's ever letting that happen to her.

They don't know it in the beginning, but Gabriel and Madison will soon develop a weakness: Each other.

But Gabriel's got a secret, a hidden monster that he's afraid Maddy could never overcome... And Maddy's got issues that she's afraid Gabe will never understand. They quickly realize that they need each other to be whole, but at the same time they know that they've got demons to fight.

And the problem with demons is that they never die quietly.



Second - The Swoon:

Finally.

Her tongue slips into my mouth and she tastes like Heaven, like an icy drink of water at the end of a hot day in the desert. Our tongues tangle together and her lips consume mine. I find myself instantly rock-hard and she notices.

She smiles against my lips. "I think you liked that."

"What gave me away?" I ask with a grin.

I read If You Stay (Book 1) a few weeks back and thoroughly enjoyed it. So naturally, I wanted to move onto the next book in the series... If You Leave.

Gabe... what can I say, I found his story heartbreaking. What he experienced while he was deployed in Afghanistan and the the dark memories he came home with may have been written as fiction, but undoubtedly, touch on reality. A reality few of us would ever want to face.

Maddy... although not a hero of war, she too, is struggling with a dark past and decisions she made out of loyalty rather than desire.

When these two meet, they seem like an unlikely match. However, as the story unfolds and their lives become entwined, it soon becomes apparent just how good they are for each other.

Once again, Courtney has written a beautiful story which will tug at your heartstrings and keep you enthralled from beginning to end.

My Rating: 5 out of 5

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Okay, so what do you think?

If you liked my Swoon, please leave a comment below!