Review: Until Fountain Bridge (On Dublin Street, #1.6) by Samantha Young

Ellie Carmichael had a crush on Adam Sutherland, her brother, Braden’s, best friend, for years, and although Adam treated her with proprietary concern he made it clear he thought of her only as a little sister.

Over the years, as Ellie’s crush develops into love, her romantic idealism makes it difficult for her to move on. To make matters worse, as she’s gotten older, Adam’s attitude has changed toward her. His affection for her is now joined by attraction, but his loyalty to Braden, and his fear of losing the only family he has, stops him from claiming Ellie the way she wishes he would.
But one night his attraction is put to the test, and as much as Adam would like things to remain the same everything changes between them in a simple brush of the lips.

Soon lust, love, jealousy and heartbreak combine to force change upon their relationship… and Adam discovers the hard way that life is too damn short to spend it on regret. ~ Goodreads

Source: Purchased

Review:I remember when I was reading On Dublin Street last year that I was far more interested in the relationship of the supporting characters Ellie and Adam.

They get their HEA in that book but because they weren’t the main couple you don’t know their history or exactly how things came around from their POV.

Ellie has known her older brother’s best friend, Adam, since she was 14 years old. She’s always loved him and it just got worse as she got older and he started sending her mixed signals. He tells her she’s beautiful and flirts but then she catches him screwing a girl in a back alley. He kisses her then backs off. But they’ve always remained very good friends in spite of all that.

I loved how their story was told in this novella. Instead of going back and telling their side of the same story in a straightforward manner, Until Fountain Bridge is told in flashbacks while they read Ellie’s diaries starting from the very beginning. Adam gets to hear Ellie’s version of events (& it’s not always pretty) and Ellie learns a few things about what Adam was thinking at the time.

Because we know how it ends in advance we can cut Adam some slack for his behavior and it’s nice to hear about the moment things started changing for him as well.

Short, sweet and sexy – Until Fountain Bridge was a great addition to this series. I do have one complaint…the spelling errors. There were quite a few which surprised me. During very pivotal scenes there would be a misspelling or a word left out which would totally ruin the moment for me. I can’t understand how they would be missed with just a quick cursory read through. Otherwise I would still recommend reading it.

Author: Website | Twitter
Buy the book! Until Fountain Bridge: (InterMix)
Recommended by: Tina’s Book Reviews

Early Review: The Chocolate Touch (Amour et Chocolat #4) by Laura Florand

Dominique Richard's reputation says it all--wild past, wilder flavors, black leather and smoldering heat. Jaime Corey is hardly the first woman to be drawn to all that dark, delicious danger. Sitting in Dom's opulent chocolaterie in Paris day after day, she lets his decadent creations restore her weary body and spirit, understanding that the man himself is entirely beyond her grasp.
Until he touches her. . .

Chocolate, Dominique understands--from the biting tang of lime-caramel to the most complex infusions of jasmine, lemon-thyme, and cayenne. But this shy, freckled American who sits alone in his salon, quietly sampling his exquisite confections as if she can't get enough of them--enough of him--is something else. She has secrets too, he can tell. Of course if she really knew him, she would run.

Yet once you have spotted your heart's true craving, simply looking is no longer enough. ~ Goodreads

Source: E-Arc provided by the publisher (Kensington) via Netgalley for my honest review.

Review:

*SWOON* The Chocolate Touch is hands down my favorite contemporary romance so far of 2013.
Laura Florand has definitely become an auto-buy author for me.They way she writes about food and locals touches all the senses and makes my heart soar at the end of each and every book.

She has outdone herself with The Chocolate Touch. This has become my new favorite book from the Amour et Chocolat series. The characters, the Parisian setting, the romance. Perfection.

Dominique Richard…oh how I wanted to wrap this man up in a hug. He's big and overbearing, as are all of Florand’s heroes, but Dom is also a self described marshmallow. While other chefs command complete order and discipline from their employees, Dom's poke and prod him - making fun of his awkward attempts to woo the mysterious girl that sits quietly in his salon every day.

Jamie feels small and fragile because of a traumatic event in her recent past, yet finds strength and light in Dom's shop eating his chocolates. She sees how confident, sexy women throw themselves at him and knows she will never be that woman.

Feeling like she has nothing to lose by allowing herself to flirt with this beautiful man, Jamie takes chances she would never have allowed herself to take before.

Jamie and Dominique do this beautiful seductive dance around each other, slowly opening their hearts, revealing the inner strengths that they don't even know they have within them.

On the surface they seem so different but they are really two halves of a whole and absolutely complete each other.

This couple…happy sigh…

Final thoughts: I can't wait to buy a final copy of The Chocolate Touch. (I received an e-arc for review) I need to be able to turn to my favorite quotes and scenes…of which there are many! This is what reading good romance is all about.

Author: Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Buy the book! The Chocolate Touch (Amour et Chocolat)

Reviews for Laura Florand’s books: The Chocolate Kiss (Chocolate #2) | The Chocolate Rose (Chocolate #3) | Turning Up the Heat ( La Vie en Roses #0.5)

Review: Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears Oh My! by Candace Havens

A Montana town where no one is who they seem....  Everything about runaway heiress Ainsley McLeon screamed trouble—from her luscious midnight locks to her Louboutin-clad toes.  Yet sexy, stoic bar owner Luc couldn’t deny the instant connection he felt to the tempting stranger…or the long-dead feelings she evoked.  She could work in his pub until her truck was fixed but after that she had to leave town for good.  Ainsley traveled with her own emotional baggage and there was no way she'd fall for the bear-tempered Luc...no matter how many passionate nights she spent in his bed or how safe she felt in his muscular arms. Can these two opposites find love in the middle of a blizzard, or will Luc's darker side and Ainsley's past catch up with them? ~ Goodreads

Source: Free e-arc provided by Entangled Publishing for my honest review

Review:
Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears Oh My! was a bit of a throwback to the fun paranormal books I used to read a lot of a few years ago. They may still be out there but almost everything I find now is filled with over the top angst. This book was a nice change of pace.

Ainsley McLeon is an heiress on the run. She may have money but she doesn't know who she can trust now that she caught her brother and uncle in an embezzlement scheme and people are shooting at her. She runs off to the last place that anyone would think to look for her, Montana, in the dead of winter. Wearing Louboutin heels of course…as one would. Things get weird when a tiger jumps into the bed of her truck and she thinks he can understand her jokes.

Ainsley is just wonderful! She walks into Luc's Cub Club bar, worming her way into a waitress job, and just owns the place. She has obviously led a somewhat charmed life but she's also not afraid to get down and dirty waiting on tables to earn her own money while she's hiding out, or smack around the patrons when they get grabby. This girl can handle herself. She's also prone to eating a pan (or two) of brownies during stressful situations. She could be your BFF.

Luc knows this girl is trouble the second he looks away first when she stares him down. Something he never does. As much as he tries to get her out of his bar he also feels a strong urge to protect her.
Both have suffered great losses in their past and are afraid to take the plunge into a permanent relationship and try to just enjoy their time together while Luc helps her figure out who is after her.
The second half of this book faltered some for me. I noticed a few inconsistencies. In one instance a character was talking to a friend on the phone and then a paragraph or so later he was patting the guy on the shoulder. I thought they were on the phone? This was a e-arc, so it's possible this will be addressed the finished version (or maybe I just misread?). I can usually overlook one or two things but it happened enough that it became a little distracting.

I really loved Luc and Ainsley together but the ending felt rushed and I wished they had talked their issues out a bit more. Especially Luc. He could be an asshat at times but he had been through something devastating and I wish Ainsley took that into account to understand where he was coming from.

Final thoughts: I had a few issues with things that just didn't match up and the ending was rushed but overall I still highly recommend this one if you're looking for a light(ish) paranormal book. It was a l lot of fun to read. The characters and romance were great. I'm hoping this might be a start of a new series because there were definitely a few characters that I would like to know more about. Particularly a certain sexy tiger shifter.

Author: website
Buy the book! Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears Oh My! (Entangled Covet)

Tune in Tuesday: Tim McMorris

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! The feature was originally created and hosted by Ginger over at GReads! but can now be found over at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands.

I have my husband to thank for today’s pick. He found Tim McMorris on Spotify and kept putting his earphones on me for every new song he found lol

Tim is a producer, composer and performer, who according to his website, specializes in creating royalty free music. You can check out all his music and videos here. I love how his style changes up with each song. What do you guys think?

Tim McMorris

Overwhelmed - You might have heard this one before in a Sam Adams commercial



Out of Control



Shape the World



Love on Fire – This one is my favorite



Live Love Laugh Another Day

Summer of Love Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to the Summer of Love Giveaway Hop hosted by my friend Jen from YA Romantics.

For my stop, I’ll be giving away a YA romance book of your choice, up to a $15 value. (Sorry – no New Adult or adult – just YA please.)

International entries ok if The Book Depository ships to your country.

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below and then get hopping!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Freedom Road Blog Tour: Guest post and giveaway!

Welcome to my stop on the Freedom Road Blog Tour with a guest post from author Tia Souders. Don't forget to fill out the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post to be entered to win the Win a Freedom Road Prize Pack!

Coming Up With Novel Ideas

The single, most commonly asked question is, “How do you come up with ideas for your books?” I, personally, have never gone looking for an idea. In fact, I actually have a handful of stories on the backburner, just waiting to be written. Where do I get these ideas? How do they just come to me?

In some ways the answer is easy, but there’s no magic formula for creating the basis of a good book. I find that ideas and/or inspiration for a book are all around us. Usually, a spark of an idea comes to me. It’s always very vague (hence the “spark”), but often comes from a snippet on the news, a talk show, a board game, or a conversation with someone, etc.

For my novel, Waiting On Hope, an image of a woman, so distraught, so desperate and depressed, she wanted to end her life came to mind. I, then, asked myself what would make her want to end everything. Rape came to mind, and so my idea started.

Developing the idea is more difficult and doesn’t come as easily. Brainstorming an entire plot is also another thing altogether, but the method I use to develop an idea, is one many authors use, including NYT bestseller Jodi Picoult. The “what if” method. “What if her rapist was her best friend’s husband?” “What if she found out she was pregnant?” “What if her best friend had been trying to conceive, unsuccessfully, for years?”  I asked myself “what if” with each scenario, until I had begun to develop the plot line and several points of conflict. This is a very effective way of building on ideas, and was, in fact, how my novel Waiting On Hope was born.

The idea for Freedom Road came from a conversation I had with someone about a movie. I had this image of a girl who formed a relationship with her elderly neighbor and there were secrets among them. Then, I had to figure out what this girl’s dream was, which I decided would be to play the guitar at Juilliard. Then, I asked myself, “What if she had one less finger?” “What if it was an accident, or not so accident caused by her father?” etc.

Three of my favorite ideas are for books I have yet to write. One I got from a snippet on the Today Show, another from a board game, and the third from a story that was somewhat folklore about a local business in my area.

The point is, I glean ideas from everything around me. It just depends on what strikes me and gives me that instantaneous spark. I always know it when I see or hear it, and it’s always exciting!

********

FREEDOM ROAD Blurb

**FINALIST, USA Book Awards, Young Adult Fiction, 2012**
**FINALIST, Next Generation Indie Awards, Young Adult Fiction, 2013**
**Second Place/Quarter-Finalist in the YA category of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards**
A father’s selfish demands, broken booze bottles, and unconscious mothers are everyday fixtures in eighteen-year-old Samantha Becker’s life. Armed with her guitar and music to keep her comfort in a volatile world, Sam’s one dream to study classical guitar at Juilliard may very well be her salvation. But when her father’s careless actions lead to an “accident,” Sam’s ability to play the guitar dies along with her dreams of attending the renowned school. Losing all confidence in her future, Sam hides behind the emotional barriers that have protected her for years.

Just when Sam has given up, a budding friendship and an unexpected romance give her the hope she needs, forcing her to reevaluate all she’s ever known. With fresh conviction, Sam battles her father’s plans for her future, band mates using her for personal gain, and a permanent injury. But will it be enough? Julliard auditions are almost here. Time’s running out, and Sam must re-learn to play the guitar or give up her dreams forever.

On SALE for a limited time! ONLY 99 Cents!

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009AFQ7N0
Paperback: http://amzn.to/177cOHJ
B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/130yzKb

Author Bio:

T.M. Souders was born in Johnstown, PA and grew up in the suburbs outside of Pittsburgh.  She graduated in 2004, from Youngstown State University, with a degree in Psychology and minor in Women’s Studies.  She is the author of bestselling women’s fiction novel, Waiting on Hope, as well as the novelette Dashing Through The Snow, and the three-time, award-winning YA novel, Freedom Road. She is the founder of The Serious Reader, a site dedicated to connecting with readers one book at a time. She currently lives in rural Ohio with her husband and children. You can visit the author and chat at her site http://www.tmsouders.com/  

GIVEAWAY – Win a Freedom Road Prize Pack!

*******

    One 15oz. "I Love Freedom Road" Fan Mug
    A pair of purple teardrop earrings
    A CD of Samantha Becker's (the main character's) favorite Indie Music
    Sam's favorite YA book, "Revolution" in hardback by Jennifer Donnelly
    Earbuds
    A red, reusable cold drink tumbler with straw
    3 pack of mini notebooks with pen
    4 pack of mini candles
    3 pack of flip flop car air fresheners
    Candy: Mike 'n Ikes, Peanut M&M's, SweetTarts
    TM Souders bookmark & a personalized note from the author to YOU!

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Review: The Story Guy (Novella) by Mary Ann Rivers

In this eBook original novella, Mary Ann Rivers introduces a soulful and sexy tale of courage, sacrifice, and love.

I will meet you on Wednesdays at noon in Celebration Park. Kissing only.

Carrie West is happy with her life . . . isn’t she? But when she sees this provocative online ad, the thirtysomething librarian can’t help but be tempted. After all, the photo of the anonymous poster is far too attractive to ignore. And when Wednesday finally arrives, it brings a first kiss that’s hotter than any she’s ever imagined. Brian Newburgh is an attorney, but there’s more to his life . . . that he won't share with Carrie. Determined to have more than just Wednesdays, Carrie embarks on a quest to learn Brian’s story, certain that he will be worth the cost. But is she ready to gamble her heart on a man who just might be The One . . . even though she has no idea how their love story will end? ~ Goodreads

Review:
This books was literally ALL OVER my Twitter feed on it's release day. Some of my favorite bloggers and authors were calling The Story Guy their favorite book of the year, despite it being a very short novella.

I was definitely interested but then panicked. Because me being me - I'll be the lone blogger that hates it. But at 120 pages why not give it a shot?

I have to be honest, I wasn't blown away into best book of the year territory but The Story Guy packs an emotional wallop.

The premise seemed silly to me. Kissing….just one day a week…he won't touch below the shoulders?? Visions of tortured heroes with weird kinks danced through my head.

Despite this being a novella and the romance unconventional, I completely bought into the premise. The reason for the kissing only rule was sweet and Brian's reluctance to enter a relationship was heartbreaking. It actually cut a little too close to home for me. Without revealing any spoilers I can absolutely attest to Brian's hesitance. I noticed a few reviewers thought he was begin overly dramatic but I totally got it.

Final thoughts: The Story Guy is a sweet, heartbreaking, (very) sexy and even funny romance that had a surprisingly slow, believable build despite the short timeframe of this relationship.

Also a plus - library humor. Read it and you'll see what I'm talking about.

If you're a fan of Cara McKenna (if not – you should be) and her very smart, erotic romances I think you'll enjoy The Story Guy.

Author: Goodreads | website | twitter
Buy the book! The Story Guy (Novella)

Waiting on Wednesday: The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I love Sarah Beth Durst’s writing and how each new story she writes is completely different from her previous books. She also respects the readers intelligence and gives us gorgeous prose, strong heroines and magical worlds.

The Lost, Durst’s first adult novel, sounds fantastic and creepy!

The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst
Release date: October 29th, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Luna
Goodreads

Lost your way? Your dreams? 

Yourself?

Welcome to Lost.

It was supposed to be a small escape. A few hours driving before turning around and heading home. But once you arrive in Lost...well, it's a place you really can't leave. Not until you're Found. Only the Missing Man can send you home. And he took one look at Lauren Chase and disappeared.

So Lauren is now trapped in the town where all lost things go-luggage, keys, dreams, lives-where nothing is permanent, where the locals go feral and where the only people who don't want to kill her are a handsome wild man called the Finder and a knife-wielding six-year-old girl. The only road out of town is engulfed by an impassable dust storm, and escape is impossible....

Until Lauren decides nothing-and no one-is going to keep her here anymore.

Tune in Tuesday!

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! The feature was originally created and hosted by Ginger over at GReads! but can now be found over at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands.

I’ve been listening to a lot of music lately so I’m trying to catch up on all the songs I’ve missed! Please forgive my laziness and lack of elaboration for each song. I put this post together all quick like lol

Bad Books – “It Never Stops”



Lorde – “Royals”



Avicii – “Wake Me Up” 



The Ceremonies – “Land of Gathering”



Any new song recommendations for me this week?

Review: Façade (Games #2) by Nyrae Dawn

Can love save them?

After her father commits a crime that shatters her family, eighteen-year-old Delaney Cross is tired of pretending everything is all right. Packing up her car, she sets out to find the people her father hurt. Her search leads her to places she’s never been—and into the arms of Adrian Westfall.

To the outside world, Adrian is a sexy, charming ladies’ man. But his playboy persona is just an act. Secretly his soul is tortured by a memory too painful to share. Only Delaney seems to see through his façade to the real man underneath. And for the first time in his life, Adrian feels he can begin to open up about his past.

Together, Adrian and Delaney share a passionate love they never expected to find. Yet both still harbor their own secrets. When the dark truth is finally revealed, will it bring them closer together—or tear them apart forever? ~ Goodreads

Source: Provided by the publisher (Forever) via Netgalley for my honest review

Review:
When I was introduced to Adrian, Cole's best friend in Charade, I knew he had a story to tell. He is your typical NA cocky bad boy. Adrian gets high everyday and hooks up with random girls during the parties he’s constantly hosting at his house. I kind of liked him, because despite his persona you can tell he's loyal to his friends but to be honest he also seemed like a loser.

We all know that the love of a good woman can redeem him (in the book world at least) but I just wasn't sure if it was something I could buy into fully.

Enter Delaney Cross. Delaney is a really good person who's on a mission to right the wrongs of her father’s actions in hopes of finding closure for her and his victims family. Unfortunately (or fortunately), that leads her directly to Adrian. Their connection could be something that heals them both or the thing that threatens to destroy what little grasp on hope, love & forgiveness they have left.

Their story was somewhat predictable in it's early stages and I had a hard time with Adrian. He's in his own head a lot and after awhile I felt as foggy as him when he was high.

However, I really enjoyed how Delaney and Adrian developed and once we really get to the heart of Adrian's problems the story kicks into high gear and is heartbreaking. It was like a sucker punch to my heart. I didn't' expect THAT.

Their love does make things better but instead of hot sex wiping everything away - their friendship and acceptance of each other gives them the strength to confront their problems on their own. Loved that! Adrian needed to deal with things by himself before he could commit to anything with Delaney. And she gave him the space to do that.

Delaney makes quite a few mistakes along the way but her intentions are pure and you can't help but root for what she's trying to accomplish even if she takes a singular view and doesn't notice the toll it takes on others. Particularly her brother, Maddox. I think I may have enjoyed their relationship as much as Delaney and Adrian's. We don't get to see the sibling dynamic in play very often. It appears Maddox's story is up next and I'm very hopeful that Delaney is an important part of it.

Final thoughts: Facade was very emotional and I was blown away by how mature the characters became when they began to deal with their problems head on. The first half is slightly more predictable but Nyrae is one of my favorite NA writers out there. She brings heart to every character and story she writes.

Author: website | twitter | Goodreads
Buy the book! Facade (The Games Series)

Sunday Ramblings…

I’ve been a very good reader this summer! I’ve read 7 of my BEA books so far, 5 Kindle, 4 older TBR and about 6 review books since the beginning of June. Yay me!

I’ve also made time to watch more movies – something I used to love but set aside for reading/blogging.

We watched End of Watch with Jake Gynenhaal. I loved this movie! I wasn’t quite sure where it was going at times which was fantastic. ( Watch on Netflix)



And yes...I totally watched and loved Sharknado! I love bad SyFy movies and this was the best bad movie of them all! Syfy will be airing it again Thursday at 7pm ET (Best Sharknado clips via Syfy)



Next up is Pitch Perfect because everyone keeps telling me that I need to watch it!



And a fun teaser trailer for How to Train Your Dragon 2 via MovieclipsTRAILERS. There isn’t much about what the actual movie will be about but I’ll take it. I loved the first movie. Too bad it’s not out until June of 2014.



BOOKS!

I bought MORE books but it’s ok. I’ve already read these lol There was a big author signing event in Orlando a few weeks ago called Book Bash and a few of my absolute favorite authors were there.




I met Nyrae Dawn, Katja Millay (& said the most embarrassing thing – which I will not tell you but I will be mortified forever – because I turn into a doofus when talking to strangers) and TAMMARA WEBBER!! I got a singed book from each of them (2 by Nyrae!)



Weekly Wrap- up!

Mini reviews: Caged Warrior & It Had to be YouTune in Tuesday: Said the Whale, Arctic Monkeys, The 1975
Review: Secrets and Lies by jody Keplinger

Around the inter webs!

~ I would like to point you in the direction of this awesome post by author, Tracey Garvis Graves, about trends in publishing and “trend saturation”. It’s like she was inside my head! And of course she articulated it much better than I ever could.

~ One of my favorite bloggers, Felicia from Geeky Bloggers Book Blog, started a Facebook Page called Friends Saving Animals in Need. They’ll be posting about pets needing homes, tips, HEA stories for animals that find there forever home and more.

Happy Sunday!

Review: Secrets and Lies by Kody Keplinger

Kody Keplinger both returns to the halls of Hamilton High and explores new territory in her collection of two e-book exclusive novellas. In these short stories, the author revisits a familiar cast of characters from THE DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) and A Midsummer's Nightmare. Explore the uniquely teen world of high school drama, secrets, and romantic entanglements from completely fresh perspectives that will intrigue fans of Kody Keplinger and new readers alike. ~ Goodreads

Source: Provided by the publisher (Poppy) via Netgalley for my honest review.

Review:

Secret and Lies is a two story novella collection.

Abbreviations & Alliterations follows Casey (Bianca’s best friend) and Toby (the boy Bianca dated Briefly) from The Duff. I enjoyed this one even though it was unnecessarily convoluted with you guessed it…secrets & lies.

Casey falls for Toby but thinks it’s violating the “girl code” because he dated Bianca in the past. I guess there is something to that but a.) Bianca dated Toby very briefly and b.) anyone who remembers Bianca from The Duff knows she wouldn’t give a flying fig about that sort of thing. It kind of takes the steam out of the whole story and made me irritated with Casey but she and Toby’s romance was so nice it was ok anyway.

If that kind of drama lasted for a full length book I might have been more annoyed but I’m more forgiving when it’s wrapped up quickly as this was. Plus we get a peek at Bianca and Wes!

People Worth Knowing is far darker, touching on bullying and features Bailey James from Midsummer’s Nightmare. Bailey is faced with a dilemma that’s very real for many kids today. Should she stand with the popular school bully to remain with the "in crowd" or go against everyone and be ostrocized even though it’s the right thing to do.

There are some interesting twists to this story. The good and bad guys are not as clear cut which made this a unique story.

Bailey is a phenomenal character that I would like to see more of in YA. She’s not perfect but takes some pretty brave stands despite the consequences.

I really wish People Worth Knowing was full length. Especially when it came to the romance. It was very sweet but could have been developed more, with major complications because of who the boy was related to.

These were two very short stories but cute and a nice way to touch base with characters you may be missing.

Author: Website | twitter
Buy the book! Secrets & Lies: Two Short Stories – $2.99

Tune in Tuesday!

Tune In Tuesday is a weekly feature in which bloggers get to showcase another one of their loves, music! The feature was originally created and hosted by Ginger over at GReads! but can now be found over at Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands.

It’s been a busy summer so I haven’t done a Tune in Tuesday in awhile but I’ve been keeping a list of songs for this month. So let’s get to it!

Said the Whale – “I Love You” – fun, bouncy and  summery. The lyrics took me by surprise. I thought this was a straight up love song – turns out it’s about siblings. 



Arctic Monkeys – “Do I Wanna Know” – This is the first single released from the groups upcoming Album/CD (I'm old - what are we calling it these days? lol) “AM” iTunes



The 1975 - “Chocolate” – Another fun summer song



What have you guys been listening to this summer?

Mini reviews: Caged Warrior by Lindsey Piper, It Had to Be You by Jill Shalvis

Caged Warrior (Dragon Kings #1) by Lindsey Piper 

The first installment in this fierce and sensual new paranormal romance series features demonic gladiators, ruthless mafia villains, and a proud race on the brink of extinction.

Ten years ago, Audrey MacLaren chose to marry her human lover, making her an exile from the Dragon Kings, an ancient race of demons once worshiped as earthly gods. Audrey and her husband managed to conceive, and their son is the first natural-born Dragon King in a generation—which makes him irresistible to the sadistic scientist whose mafia-funded technology allows demon procreation. In the year since her husband was murdered, Audrey and her little boy have endured hideous experiments.

Shackled with a collar and bound for life, Leto Garnis is a Cage warrior. Only through combat can Dragon Kings earn the privilege of conceiving children. Leto uses his superhuman speed and reflexes to secure the right for his two sisters to start families. After torture reveals Audrey’s astonishing pyrokenesis, she is sent to fight in the Cages. If she survives a year, she will be reunited with her son. Leto is charged with her training. Initially, he has no sympathy for her plight. But if natural conception is possible, what has he been fighting for? As enemies, sparring partners, lovers, and eventual allies, Leto and Audrey learn that in a violent underground world, love is the only prize worth winning. ~ Goodreads | Buy it!

Source: Purchased

My thoughts: This is a dark book -which I loved. The heroine, Nynn, has been locked up and experimented on for years. Her husband murdered and her only son taken away. Her only hope for survival is to become a Cage warrior for her captors with training from Leto - the ultimate Cage warrior.

The world the author created is incredibly complex and riveting. Nynn and Leto were fascinating both individually and as a couple but the pacing of their relationship was off. Leto is as much an anti-hero as I've ever read. He's brutal and crass in his training of Nynn. I liked that the book didn't take the insta-love route and I found their dynamic very interesting. It was slow to build which is great but when you take a guy like Leto and turn him into the good guy…that takes time. Several books even and it felt rushed to me. I'm not sure I bought the ease of the transition from early brutal trainer Leto to the later boyfriend Leto.

There are a lot of things that were hinted at concerning Leto and Nynn's potential together as a couple when it came to their powers but it never came to fruition. As far as I can tell the next book in the series will focus on a different couple but I hope that doesn't mean the end of Nynn and Leto's story because I'm still in need of closure for them. I liked them a lot but I don’t believe in their HEA just yet.

Very interesting world and I'll be sure to pick up the next book even though this one didn't 100% work for me.

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It Had to Be You (Lucky Harbor #7) by Jill Shalvis
Ali Winters is not having a good day. Her boyfriend left her, everyone in town thinks she's a thief, and now she's about to be kicked out of her home. Her only shot at keeping a roof over her head and clearing her name is to beg for help from a police detective who's as sexy as he is stern....

After a high-profile case goes wrong, Luke Hanover returns to his hometown for some peace and quiet. Instead he finds a bombshell brunette in a heap of trouble. As he helps Ali put her world back together, the pieces of Luke's own life finally seem to fall into place. Is this the start of a sizzling fling? Or are Luke and Ali on the brink of something big in a little town called Lucky Harbor? ~ Goodreads | Buy it! 

Source: Free copy provided by the publisher (Grand Central Publishing) at BEA

My thoughts: I’ve never read anything by Jill Shalvis before but she is one of those authors that people keep saying I need to read so I was happy when I saw this book at BEA. Despite being the 7th book in the Lucky Harbor series I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything. I’m sure some of the characters were introduced previously but I didn’t notice. It was very accessible as a new reader to the series.

My favorite thing about Shalvis’s writing is the humor. The introduction between Ali and Luke alone is the worth the price of this book. I almost fell off my couch laughing.

The other thing I enjoyed is that these characters felt mature and realistic to me. Both Luke and Ali are people you could sit down and chat with.

I usually dislike small town settings. I like the close knit community but it’s usually used as an excuse for wacky, nosy neighbor hijinks. Lucky Harbor definitely has the nosy neighbor thing down but you can feel the love and friendships leaping off the page.

The one thing I disliked was Ali getting all bent out of shape all of a sudden when she felt that Luke couldn’t commit. He had been nothing but honest and upfront with her and she agreed to it all knowing that it may come to an end when he needed to get back to his job in another state, yet she freaked out anyway. It’s a minor complaint and didn’t ruin the story for me one bit. More like it left me scratching my head.

And Jack….Luke’s best friend. That boy stole the show every scene he was in. I believe his story is next and I’m looking forward to reading it! Looks like a friends to lovers tale!

My first foray into reading a Jill Shalvis novel won’t be my last. I love how she writes heartfelt, sexy, humorous romance.

Sunday Ramblings…Movie review and the weekly wrap up!

We went to see World War Z the other day and I really enjoyed it.

If you’ve read the book you need to just forget about it. The movie is loosely based on it at best. While the book focuses more on the political/global aspects of a zombie apocalypse with the Brad Pitt character just facilitating the stories from each country – the movie is all about Brad Pitt finding the cure and saving his family.

If you can let that go and enjoy the movie for what it is, rather than what it isn’t, it’s quite good. The first hour is incredibly creepy and intense. There isn’t a lot of actual gore but that works very well with this movie. The implied threat was way scarier than seeing it.

I thought the second half and especially the abrupt ending floundered a bit. There were a few things that I found completely implausible  (I know it’s a zombie movie – but some things were even too implausible for that) Even so the acting was great, and I didn’t even realize 2 hours had passed by.
Most of the movies I’ve seen this summer, including a few of the popular blockbusters, have kept me checking my watch and saying …is it over yet? Please end already!

I still wish they had made a mini series out of the book instead but the movie was a lot of fun.

Wrap-up!
~ Book Blogger Confessions - Author interactions - Are they good? Bad? Do they influence your reviews?
~ Review: Binding the Shadows by Jenn Bennett – This UF series just keeps getting better!
~ Waiting on Wednesday: Cipher & Cinderella Screwed Me Over by Cindi Madsen
~ Cover reveal and giveaway: Ward Against Darkness by Melanie Card

Giveaway!

Pick your book summer giveaway! Open to international entries!

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July and holiday weekend! XOXO

Cover reveal: Ward Against Darkness by Melanie Card

I absolutely loved Ward Against Death (Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer #1) – you can read my review here - and I’m so excited to be part of the big cover reveal for the sequel!

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Today Melanie Card and Entangled Teen are revealing the cover for book 2 in The Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer Series, WARD AGAINST DARKNESS. Also enter below for a paperback of the book or an eBook!

On to the reveal!

Blurb:

The last thing Ward de'Ath wants is more trouble. On the run from both the law and the criminal underworld, Ward and Celia flee Brawenal City only to stumble into the mansion of a powerful evil necromancer. And when Ward discovers the man possesses a dangerous grimoire, his duty leaves him no choice. He can't allow the necromancer to keep the grimoire. But the mansion is filled with monsters--human and undead--and Ward has no way of telling who's friend or foe. The only person he can trust is Celia who dominates more of his thoughts and feelings everyday. But there are still laws in the way of anything but friendship. She's still dead and he's still alive . . . for now.

Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble/The Book Depository

About Melanie:

Melanie has always been drawn to story telling. In fact, she can’t remember a time when she wasn’t telling a story in her head or on paper. In grade school, they had journal writing time which she turned into story telling time, weaving tales of magic and adventure that mimicked the fairy tales and myths that she loved to read. It was there, with the help of two very special teachers, that she nurtured this love and started her journey as a writer.

She writes fantasy, paranormal romance, and everything in between, seasoned with a good dash of adventure and mystery. Join her on my tales of magic, adventure, and romance.

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

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Waiting on Wednesday: Cipher & Cinderella Screwed Me Over by Cindi Madsen

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I’m featuring two upcoming releases by author Cindi Madsen. I love her writing because she can seamlessly slip from YA to adult sweet & sexy romances. Something for everyone!

The first book is Cindi’s new YA contemporary – with magical elements series Cipher. I love the colors and dreamy/ethereal quality of this cover.

Cipher (Cipher #1)
Add to Goodreads
Publication date: July 2013

Summer Davis sees deaths before they happen. She attempts to live a normal life by focusing on the dance team and her quarterback boyfriend. But then the way-too-cheery Angel of Death shows up and tells her she’s a Cipher—a person chosen to help people who are going to die resolve problems with their loved ones. Ashlyn Moore, one of Summer’s classmates, is going to die, and she needs Summer’s help before that happens.

It’s nearly impossible to get through to Ashlyn, who surrounds herself with chess nerds and geeks and makes it clear she doesn’t want to be friends. Desperate to complete her Cipher task before it’s too late, Summer turns to Troy, the guy who’s always been there for her and one of the few people she can trust. With his help, she makes progress. In fact, the closer she gets to Ashlyn and her friends, the more she feels like she’s finally found where she belongs.

As the clock starts running down on Ashlyn’s life, Summer decides to change her objective. She’s going to save her new friend before it’s too late—even if it means messing with fate.

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This next book has the most adorable cover and title!

Cinderella Screwed Me OverAdd to Goodreads
Publication date: October 22nd, 2013
Entangled Publishing
Adult Contemporary Romance

Darby Quinn has a bone to pick with Cinderella. Burned one too many times by ex-boyfriends, Darby has lost all belief in the happily-ever-after that the fairy-tale princess promised her. She's sworn off love, Prince Charmings, and happy endings and she's happy about it. Really. Or at least she was…until she met Jake, her gorgeous neighbor and the manager of her favorite restaurant. But Darby has rules about dating, ones she's culled from her years spent with so-called “princes,” and starting something with Jake would break all of them.

Charming, fun, and unwilling to give up on her, Jake doesn’t fit any of the profiles Darby has created from her case studies of ex-princes-gone-bad. Finally presented with her own Prince Charming, can Darby take a chance on a happily-ever-after?

Full of wit and sarcastic humor, Cinderella Screwed Me Over proves that sometimes the perfect love, like a perfect pair of shoes, is just within your grasp.

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About Cindi: 
Cindi Madsen sits at her computer every chance she gets, plotting revising, and falling in love with her characters. Sometimes it makes her a crazy person. Without it, she’d be even crazier. She has way too many shoes, but can always find a reason to buy a new pretty pair, especially if they’re sparkly, colorful, or super tall. She loves music, dancing, and wishes summer lasted all year long. She lives in Colorado (where summer is most definitely NOT all year long) with her husband and three children. She is the author of YA books All the Broken Pieces, Cipher, and Demons of the Sun and adult romances Falling for Her Fiancé, Act Like You Love Me, and Cinderella Screwed Me Over.
website | twitter

Review: Binding the Shadows (Arcadia Bell #3) by Jenn Bennett

In the third book in this beloved and “riveting” (Romantic Times) urban fantasy series, demon-friendly tiki bar owner Arcadia Bell discovers more about her own evolving, and possibly destructive, magical abilities when her bar is the target of a demonic crime wave.

Renegade mage and bartender Arcadia Bell has had a rough year, but now the door to her already unstable world is unhinging. When a citywide crime wave erupts, Cady's demon-friendly tiki bar is robbed by Earthbounds wielding surreal demonic abilities that just flat-out shouldn't exist. With the help of her devilishly delicious boyfriend, Lon Butler, Cady sets out to find the people who wronged her—but her targets aren't the only ones experiencing unnatural metamorphoses. Can Cady track down the monsters responsible before the monster inside her destroys everything—and everyone—she loves? If she survives this adventure, one thing is certain: it's last call for life as she knows it. ~ Goodreads

Source: Purchased

Review: 
My interest in UF has waned over the years because for the most part (there are always exceptions) the genre has gotten repetitive. Kick ass heroine that everyone wants to f*ck, hot alpha dude who runs hot then cold, lots of angst. It's all very predictable.

Then we have Arcadia Bell. This is the third book in this brilliant UF series and I went into this one terrified for several reasons. First being the third book in a series is usually when the predictability kicks in and things start to happen just to stretch things out. Then there have been a few things looming in the background that I was SURE were going to come to a head in this book. They did….but not in any of the ways that I was expecting. This book blew me away.

I'm not going to get into the spoilery details. If you haven't read the series start now with book #1 Kindling the Moon. You'll be hooked.

I bow to Bennett's brilliance with this book. She could have gone several ways here with Cady, Lon and Jupe. It would have been fine. Interesting, Heartbreaking even. But predictable. Instead she flipped the whole thing on it's head writing a deeper story about family, relationships and the human condition rather than taking the easy way out. Every time someone tells me they need such and such trope to create tension/drama, I will point to this series.

I'm so completely in love with and invested in Cady, Lon and Jupe at this point. I've just never read this type of dynamic written so well. Their relationship leaves me warm and hopeful.

Jenn Bennett has upped the stakes for Cady and company in Binding the Shadows, adding new characters seamlessly while shocking us with new information that will spin this series on it's head once again. I can’t recommend this series enough.

All I can really say is….wow. Job well done.

Author: website | twitter | series extras
Buy the book! Binding the Shadows (Arcadia Bell)

My reviews for: Kindling the Moon (#1) | Summoning the Night (#2)

Book Blogger Confessions: Author interactions

 

Book Blogger Confessions is a meme that posts the 1st Monday of every month, where book bloggers discuss topics that are unique to us. Feel free to share, vent and offer solutions.

Just keep it respectful - no bashing authors or other bloggers! If you want to participate just grab our button and include it in your post with a link to either Midnyte Reader or For What It's Worth. We will be providing a linky at the end of our posts so people can "hop" to see all the participants answers.

Question: Have you ever emailed an author to tell them you loved/disliked their book? As a book reviewer, do you think we should cross that line? 

Do you mind when authors re-tweet or comment on reviews? Does that intimidate you in any way in regards to review writing, knowing that they may be reading it?

Do author interactions - both pro or con - change how you view their work?

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~ Have you ever emailed an author to tell them you loved/disliked their book? As a book reviewer, do you think we should cross that line?

I have emailed authors about how much I loved their book. In fact that’s how I started blogging. I sent an embarrassingly gushy email to an author and she responded. I was stunned and a book blogger was born because I loved the idea of being able to interact with creative people I admired and help promote something that might not get noticed otherwise.

Since I’ve started blogging I do that less often because I think it muddies the waters a bit. I may absolutely adore one book but not the next and that gets AWKWARD when you communicate with them on a regular basis, whether that’s via email or casually on Twitter. But ya know….I can’t help fangirling when I really love something so whether it’s appropriate or not I still do sometimes. To me – I’m still being honest. Possibly annoying and obnoxious – but honest lol

I would never directly tell an author I didn’t like their book. Just as they shouldn’t try to influence how I interpret the book – I shouldn’t question how they wrote it. It’s their story to tell. My review is my own but that’s just plain rude to direct it to them in an email or tweet/facebook.

~ Do you mind when authors re-tweet or comment on reviews? Does that intimidate you in any way in regards to review writing, knowing that they may be reading it?

I know a lot of bloggers don’t want any author comments or feedback but I don’t mind a thank you for taking the time to read/review my book or maybe thank you for the honest review (which I’ve gotten once on a negative review). Obviously, I don’t think they should get into a debate about my review in the comments section and I don't want to get into a discussion but a quick comment is fine.

I do get a little nervous when I know an author googles themselves or monitors reviews before posting a negative review but hey – I have to post my honest opinion. I feel awful when it’s an author I love and talk to online regularly but it doesn’t stop me. I have waffled about wording thinking it’s too harsh but then I ask myself – would I write the same thing if I didn’t know/talk to them online? If the answer is yes, then I stick with what I’m writing. You shouldn’t have two review writing standards that are harsher to one author because you don’t know them but kind to another because you do.

It doesn’t make me angry but I do feel “monitored” – if that’s the right word – when I’m tweet reading a book and the author pops in with a comment. I’m not talking about if I specifically @ them but just a generic tweet. Then I know they’re reading both my positive…and not so positive tweets. It makes me uncomfortable.

~ Do author interactions - both pro or con - change how you view their work?

I have picked up quite a few books just based on funny author tweets or how they treat myself and other people in social media. Once I pick up the book though, it still comes down to if it’s good or not.

On the other side of the coin, if an author is rude or goes crazy on a blogger, I will avoid their books.
I think the standard should be – Talk and interact away with authors. They are awesome! But if you find yourself censoring your own review for one author over another just based on friendships or interactions then you need to stop or find some way to be more transparent about it on your blog.

Question for August 1st: Vlogging. Have you ever vlogged (video blogging)? Why or why not? What do think makes for an interesting vlog? How does a book review vlog compare to a written review in your opinion? What are few of your favorite book review/author vlogs? (Source: Amy Bookworm)