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Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Books We Didn't Finish - August Edition



Nine women, One Dress: This was not the book I thought I was getting.   I thought it was going to be how one dress affected nine different women.  Instead, I got a mess of unlikable stereotypical characters, too many points of view and a lot of lying and cheating.  I failed to really find any humor in the story, so I stopped at about 40%.  I was very disappointed as I was looking forward to reading this one.

The Trap: I found this to be really boring and kind of confusing.  The heroine goes in and out of reality and I had a hard time following it.  I just didn't care enough to finish.




You Know Me Well-Normally I really enjoy David Levithan books, but this one was just not doing it for me.  Neither of the main characters seemed believable.  They seemed more like gay caricatures which seemed kind of sad to me...especially considering its a YA book.

 The Disappearance at Devil's Rock:  I listened to the audiobook and I got through about 2 parts and realized I had no idea who most of the characters were.  A character would say something and I would have to sit there and think about who it was.  It was too much work for a audiobook in the car.  Also there seemed to be a lot of breaks that weren't clearly defined.  The scenes would shift suddenly.  It was confusing.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Release Day Blitz: Excerpt and Review of Meant to Be Mine by Lisa Marie Perry



Happy Release Day to author Lisa Marie Perry.  Enjoy this excerpt from Meant to Be Mine on sale today!


Author: Lisa Marie Perry
Series: Guilty Pleasures series #1
On Sale: August 30, 2016
Publisher: Forever
Formats: Mass Market & eBook
Price: $6.99 USD (MM) / $6.99 USD (eBook)

Loving him was hard. Wanting him was so damn easy . . .

Sofia Mercer may have been sick as a teen, but she’s no delicate flower. And she’s proven it by making it on her own and starting a new life away from the town that turned against her, away from the boy who broke her already fragile heart. But when her aunt Luz dies unexpectedly, leaving Sofia with a mountain of regrets and the keys to a quirky boutique, Sofia has no choice but to return to Cape Cod. Only, this new life in her old town comes with complications.

Burke Wolf was Sofia’s first love—a relationship that burned bright and went up in flames. Seeing him again, Sofia can’t help but get caught up in that all-too-familiar tornado of passion and pain. He’s battled his own demons—that much is clear. But Sofia can’t afford to be careless with her heart . . . and loving Burke again might just break it completely.


My thoughts:

Meant to Be Mine is the first in a new series about the small town of Eaves on Cape Cod.  Sofia is back for her aunt's funeral when she discovers she has inherited everything.  Burke was the first boy she loved, but their friendship ended badly.  Now she is stuck with a dog, an erotic boutique and some life decisions to make.  

I thought this was an enjoyable  first in a series. This second chance story was gritty and intense.  Both of the main characters have major issues.  Sofia had a heart transplant 12 year before and Burke is battling with 10 years of sobriety.  I liked that they were both struggling with something.  It made them more real.   This book also sets up for future books in the series. The secondary characters added a lot of depth to the story.   I look forward to reading them!


Enjoy this excerpt:

She hid her scar behind her clothes, hid her sexual hunger behind mannequins in a window, but eventually, he would bring Sofia Mercer out of hiding.
Their lips parted and he traced a finger between her breasts, up the jagged trail of thick, knotted scar tissue. He wanted to see it, assure her it wasn’t ugly, but he’d given his word that he wouldn’t look, and he would kick his own ass before he violated that trust.
“It doesn’t feel ugly,” he said plainly. “I’ve got scars, too.”
“From fighting. This is different.”
What had she been imagining, all these years? Schoolyard brawls? A teenage fight club? Did she define him as someone so out of control that he’d gone searching for split lips, black eyes, and fractured ribs?
Yeah, it was different. Her scar was a result of a lifesaving medical procedure . . . not violence.
Laying his hand flat, he felt her heart pound quick and strong. Caught up in the moment, caught up in her, he whispered, “Losing you would’ve killed me.”
He felt her slip away from him before she moved a single muscle. When she did retreat, sliding off his lap, fixing her clothes, and raking an arm across her mouth, she said, “I told Abram we weren’t together. Was that a lie? Can we be together, Burke?”
“Casually, yeah. As friends, of course. But don’t rope me into more. It wouldn’t be good for you.”
“That’s not your call.”
“It is, though. Tell me something and be truthful about it. How many panic attacks have you had since coming back to town?”
“A few.”
“Uh-huh. And how many came on when I wasn’t near you?”
“Uh . . .”
“Sofia.”
“None.”
“That’s my point. Think it’s a coincidence that your health teeters when I’m around? I’m harmful to you. I’ve known for a long time that I’m no good.” She didn’t know all the hell he carried. He’d do anything to spare her heart the burden of his skeletons.
“Stop it,” she whispered, getting to her feet. “You’d never hurt me.”
“Not intentionally, but the fact is I trigger something in you that you can’t physically handle. I meant what I said earlier—it would kill me to lose you. As much as I want you, and damn it, you know I do, I can’t keep putting you at risk.”
“Are you sure my health isn’t your excuse to justify walking away?” she challenged. “Hold me off, resist what’s good and real and permanent, then take off on your boat. That’s your plan, right?”
“It’s worked out nicely for years. You wouldn’t be the first woman to step back because she can’t handle my career. It’s dangerous, the hours can be shitty, and sometimes I can be on the water for weeks. I’d never ask you or anyone else to shut up and like it. If you want to bail now, I won’t hold it against you.”
“That does terrify me, but I’m not bailing. A career is one thing. Escape is something else altogether. I don’t think I can love you halfway—either I’m all in or I fold.”

Excerpted from MEANT TO BE MINE by Lisa Marie Perry. Copyright © 2016 by Lisa Marie Perry. Used with permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.

BUY THE BOOK HERE


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Lisa Marie Perry encounters difficult fictional men and women on a daily basis. She writes sizzling, deep fiction featuring flawed heroes brought to their knees by the love of complicated women. She has received high praise from USA Today and has been nominated for an RT Book Reviews literary award. She lives in America's heartland, drives a truck, enjoys indie rock, collects Medieval literature, watches too many comedies, has a not-so-secret love for lace and adores rugged men with a little bit of nerd.

For laughs, randomness and occasional inappropriateness, visit LMP at www.perrytalebooks.com.


FOLLOW FOREVER ONLINE

           


Monday, August 29, 2016

Blog Tour: First Star I See Tonight by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Publisher: William Morrow
Date of publication: August 2016

Piper Dove is a woman with a dream—to become the best detective in the city of Chicago. First job? Trail former Chicago Stars quarterback, Cooper Graham. Problem? Graham’s spotted her, and he’s not happy.

Which is why a good detective needs to think on her feet. “The fact is . . . I’m your stalker. Not full-out barmy. Just . . . mildly unhinged.”

Piper soon finds herself working for Graham himself, although not as the bodyguard he refuses to admit he so desperately needs. Instead, he’s hired her to keep an eye on the employees at his exclusive new nightclub. But Coop’s life might be in danger, and Piper’s determined to protect him, whether he wants it or not. (Hint: Not!) If only she weren’t also dealing with a bevy of Middle Eastern princesses, a Pakistani servant girl yearning for freedom, a teenager who just wants of fit in, and an elderly neighbor demanding Piper find her very dead husband.

And then there’s Cooper Graham himself, a legendary sports hero who always gets what he wants—even if what he wants is a feisty detective hell bent on proving she’s as tough as he is.
From the bustling streets of Chicago to a windswept lighthouse on Lake Superior to the glistening waters of Biscayne Bay, two people who can’t stand to lose will test themselves and each other to discover what matters most.

I've read most of the books in the Chicago Stars Football series and with the exception of a couple of them, I have really enjoyed the romances.  Nobody's Baby But Mine will always be my favorite.  I was looking forward to trying out First Star I See Tonight.  It can definitely be read as a stand alone. For me, this one was another just "OK" book in the series.  Piper is a private detective hired to follow Cooper.  He ends up hiring her to do security work in his night club. Someone is out to sabotage Cooper. Along the way, a lot of other quirky and silly things happened to them. 

I think that was part of my problem with the book.  Everything was quirky and silly.  Almost like it was trying too hard to be that way.  It took away from the romance that I was looking for between the couple.  Neither of them seemed to like each other.  Even when they finally hooked up it was almost like a chore.  So in the end, I couldn't believe the HEA.  It's not a bad read and there are some funny parts. I just didn't love it as much as I wanted to.


About the author:

Susan Elizabeth Phillips soared onto the New York Times bestseller list with Dream a Little Dream. She’s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award. A resident of the Chicago suburbs, she is also a hiker, gardener, reader, wife, and mother of two grown sons.

Visit Susan at her website, susanelizabethphillips.com, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter andInstagram.

Tour Stops
Wednesday, August 24th: Books and Bindings
Thursday, August 25th: Into the Hall of Books
Friday, August 26th: Booksellers Without Borders
Monday, August 29th: From the TBR Pile
Wednesday, August 31st: Staircase Wit
Thursday, September 1st: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Thursday, September 1st: A Soccer Mom’s Book Blog
Tuesday, September 6th: As I turn the pages
Wednesday, September 7th: Leigh Kramer
Thursday, September 8th: Queen of All She Reads
Friday, September 9th: Seaside Book Nook


Sunday, August 28, 2016

August Mini Musings




Tell Me Three Things: Just an OK YA for me. I had a little bit of a hard time buying that everyone at the school would be so not accepting of her. While, I did like the interactions with SN, a lot of the story got a bit angsty and tedious. I ended up skimming to the end to see if I was right about SN's identity. This will probably bit a hit with teens, but as an adult I was rolling my eyes a lot.

The Daughter: I know this was a DNF for Autumn.  I ended up making it through to about 75% and them skimmed to the end.  I was pretty underwhelmed by the book.  I also had a hard time finding a character to like.  This isn't one I would really recommend.

Ruthless: Scientology, My son David Miscavige and Me:  This one was just OK for me.  I don't think I walked away from this one with much more information about the organization than I have gotten from other books.  The author tells us a little of David's early life, but there was really no insight into how he became so powerful in the church.  After reading about Ron's experiences while under David's rule, I do believe even more than I did that the church has turned into a money grubbing cult and has changed significantly from what it was when the founder L. Ron Hubbard was alive.  

The Space Between: I loved this one even more than the first.  Loved Patrick and Andy's relationship.  The texts between them were a really cute and fun part of the book.  Can't wait for the next one!


Saturday, August 27, 2016

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

by:  Joelle Charbonneau
published by:  Houghton Mifflin
publish date:  June 3, 2013

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career. 

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one. 


This is a book I've had on my TBR pile forever.  My library got the audiobook so I was finally able to get this one done.

Basically this a pretty typical dystopian type book.  The world has been destroyed by war.  The country has been broken up into large sections.  Each section sends its best and brightest to The Testing each year.  If a candidate is able pass the testing then they are able to attend university and be eligible for some of the more coveted jobs.  However, the students that pass are given medication to wipe all memory of the test.  No one can pass tips down, except Cia's father, who was able to maintain some memory of the test.  He gives her advice that gives her a leg up on all the other candidates.

Despite the fact that I've been trying to stay away from YA dysopian trilogies, I wanted to give this one a try.  I'm glad I did, it was a pretty story.  It wasn't anything super amazing, but there were a few spots that I was surprised about.  I would recommend this book for fans of the genre.

Friday, August 26, 2016

The Ultimate Western Blog Tour: Guest Post with Barbara White Daille author of Cowboy in Charge


Join 12 Western romance writers as they talk about their love of all things Western! 

We have Barbara White Daille with us today.  Giveaway details are at the end of the post!

Make sure to check out the tour schedule to visit the other participating blog!


Author: Barbara White Daille
Publisher: Harlequin
Date of publication: July 2016

 Single mom Layne Slater thought she'd seen the last of Jason McAndry when he chose the rodeo over her and their unborn son. Now Jason's back in Cowboy Creek and just as handsome as ever. But Layne can't give in to those feelings again. She has to protect her children…and her heart.

Jason wants to try to make up for the pain he caused when he left. The least he can do is help Layne while he's home. Before long, Jason realizes he's finally ready to be the husband, father and man his family deserves. But can Jason prove to Layne that this time, their love is forever?

Enjoy this guest post from author, Barbara White Daille!

Hi, I’m Barbara, and I write contemporary romance. My stories usually include kids and cowboys, the first because they’re cute, funny and touching, and the second because…well, there are so many things to like about writing cowboys, the list could go on forever.

Here are just a few reasons cowboys are easy to love:

5. Their spirit. They’re brave and adventurous, like the men who once ventured into the unknown and blazed trails to settle the West.
4. Their determination. Working alone or together, cowboys have what it takes to face the unexpected and overcome any obstacle.
This is a perfect trait for a hero, especially when it comes to resolving conflicts with the one woman meant for him.
3. Their heart. Cowboys follow a Code of the West that says they “must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.”
We get to know any hero partly by seeing him on the page, watching him interact with those around him, finding out how he treats others. Sometimes in a romance, the conflict keeps the hero from showing these qualities to the heroine. That’s not always a problem, because then we as readers get to see—and fall in love with!—the man he truly is long before the heroine does.
2. Their trustworthiness. The Cowboy Code also says a cowboy “must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.”
This is yet another reason a cowboy makes the ultimate romance hero. When the story opens, he might have issues he’s trying to deal with. He may be flawed or in trouble or seeking redemption. Yet he has an inner core of goodness and strength, and when the crisis comes, he always does the right thing.
And last but by no means least:
1. Their wardrobe. You have to admit it—a cowboy looks pretty darned good in scuffed boots and a pair of worn jeans!

Here’s a look at my cowboy hero, Jason, that I hope illustrates a few of the points above:
“I’m green at this, pardner,” Jason admitted, taking the diaper the boy held out.
Green?” Scott said, looking at him with his mouth open, probably expecting to see him turn into an alien before his very eyes.
“A greenhorn,” he explained, feeling foolish again. How could he explain that concept to a three-year-old? How could he explain anything when he’d never had the practice? The chance? All he could do was try. “It means I’m new at this. A beginner. Someone who’s just learning.”
“I learn my ABC’s!” Scott grinned.
He smiled back at him. “Yeah, that’s it. Just like you learn your ABC’s.” He ruffled the boy’s hair.
Why couldn’t he be such a quick study?
It was a sobering idea. Especially when he connected the thought to getting what he wanted from Layne.
In the years he’d been gone, once he’d stopped sending her those envelopes she kept returning, he’d given up worrying about her. She was an adult. She could take care of herself—as she had made all too plain to him. No doubt about it, the woman had a way with words.
But the boy…
When he’d left, the child hadn’t been close to being born yet, hadn’t even made his appearance evident in the swelling of Layne’s belly. Hadn’t, somehow, been real to him. Now, his son was very real, as smart as a whip and as loving as his mama. A little boy his daddy could be—and was—proud to know was his.
But could he be the kind of man, the kind of daddy, to make his little boy proud of him?

Please feel free to share what you love about cowboys or your favorite fictional heroes, or to leave a comment or question.

A final note:  The Cowboy Code of the West has been in existence for a long time. It’s primarily an unwritten code, as it’s not a set of rules but a way of life. There are written variations of it available. 

The quotes in my post come from the list on Gene Autry’s website: http://www.geneautry.com/geneautry/geneautry_cowboycode.html

Click the photo for giveaway details!



About the author:

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the wild Southwest, where they deal with lizards in the yard and scorpions in the bathroom. A writer since before she knew how to spell, Barbara loves creating home and family stories--with cowboys!--for Harlequin American Romance. When not writing, she can be found near books and chocolate. Please visit her at: www.BarbaraWhiteDaille.com.

Western Blog Tour TOUR STOPS:

Monday, August 1st: The Romance Dish – Delores Fossen guest post
Wednesday, August 3rd: Broken Teepee – Trish Milburn guest post
Friday, August 5th: Reading Reality – Lindsay McKenna guest post
Monday, August 8th: Read Love Blog – Linda Warren guest post
Wednesday, August 10th: Buried Under Romance – Diana Palmer guest post
Friday, August 12th: Smexy Books – Maisey Yates guest post
Monday, August 15th: Books and Spoons – BJ Daniels guest post
Wednesday, August 17th: Reading is My Superpower – Cathy Gillen Thacker guest post
Friday, August 19th: The Sassy Bookster – Jodi Thomas guest post
Monday, August 22nd: Bewitched Bookworms – Roz Denny Fox guest post
Wednesday, August 24th: The Reading Date – Linda Lael Miller guest post

Friday, August 26th: From the TBR Pile – Barbara White Daille guest post

Thursday, August 25, 2016

Throwback Thursday: Loving Lies by Lora Leigh




Author: Lora Leigh

First published in 2006 by Samhain Publishing

Love will find a way. Slade was Jessie's life, the first love that filled her heart and soul and bound her woman's spirit. Years of waiting culminating in an incredible weekend of sexual abandon-teaching her everything she needed to know to be his woman and branded her as Slade's woman for life. Jessie was certain Slade had to love her. Until he whispered the lie, the ultimate betrayal, and walked away only to wed another woman. Now five years later Slade returns, his soul has withered without Jessie's presence, and now he'll have her, one way or the other. 

The love for her, the fierce overriding hunger and need consumes his heart and binds his soul. No matter the obstacles, Slade will get her back. Whatever it takes. Whatever he has to do. Warning: this book contains lots of steamy, hot lovin'.


It's been a while since I have read a book by this author.  I forgot how intensely erotic her books can be.  Loving Lies is no exception.  With the upcoming release of one third "Boys of Summer" book, Dirty Little Lies, I thought it might be good to go back to the beginning of the series to catch up.  

For the most part, I enjoyed the story.  Slade is an uber-alpha male and a little over the top at times. But I was rooting for him to get Jessie back.  I had to suspend a little bit of disbelief over the reason Slade left.   I liked how Jessie grew over the five years he was gone.  It would have been nicer had the book been a little longer to be able to see what went on while they were apart.

If you are looking for intense and well written erotica, you can't go wrong with this author.  Why not start with this one?


Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Blog Tour: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Author; Sally Thorne
Publisher: William Morrow
Date of publication: August 2016

Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.
                       2) A person’s undoing
                       3) Joshua Templeman
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.
Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.

Have you ever picked up a book and knew you weren't going to want to put it down until it was over?  That happened to me with The Hating Game.  I started the book and was quickly drawn into the rivalry between Josh and Lucy.  They have been rivals ever since the merger of their two companies.  The only question is do they love to hate each other or hate to love each other?

I really enjoyed this sweet and cute romance.  The banter between Lucy and Josh was so fun to read.  I found myself rooting for them. Their attraction was such a slow burn that I was compelled to keep reading to see if they would finally get together.  I'm not going to give away any of the plot because I want you to experience it for yourself.  The secondary characters rounded out the story nicely.  I especially loved Lucy's parents.  I loved the way her dad called Josh a different "J" name every time he mentioned him.  That had me cracking up.  

I highly recommend this debut. I think Ms. Thorne has a hit on her hands and I look forward to more from this talented author!



About Sally Thorne


Sally Thorne lives in Canberra, Australia and spends her days writing funding submissions and drafting contracts (yawn!) so it’s not surprising that after hours she climbs into colorful fictional worlds of her own creation. Sally believes that romance readers are always searching for intensity in their next favorite book—and it isn’t always so easy to find. The Hating Game is her first novel.

Follow Sally on Facebook and Twitter.

Tour Stops

Tuesday, August 9th: BookNAround
Tuesday, August 9th: Staircase Wit
Wednesday, August 10th: A Bookish Way of Life
Friday, August 12th: Luxury Reading
Monday, August 15th: Ms. Nose in a Book
Tuesday, August 16th: Books and Bindings
Wednesday, August 17th: The Book Chick
Thursday, August 18th: Kritters Ramblings
Tuesday, August 23rd: A Bookworm’s World
Wednesday, August 24th: Thoughts On This ‘n That
Wednesday, August 24th: From the TBR Pile
Thursday, August 25th: StephTheBookworm
Friday, August 26th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
Monday, August 29th: Ms.Bookish.com

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Blog Tour: Excerpt and Giveaway - Roadside Assistance by Marie Harte

Author: Marie Harte
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Date of publication: August 2016

Underneath the axle grease and tats
He’s a gentleman

Foley Sanders figured he’ll always be content with a life of cars and casual hookups. Until a run-in with Cyn, a statuesque firecracker with a hate-on for men, leaves him bewitched and intrigued—much to her annoyance.

Maybe Cynthia Nichols was a little hard on Foley, that muscular, tattooed, super-hot mechanic next door. But she’s tired of feeling defensive about her size and has sworn off men. She’s got a new job, new life, perfect plan. Foley has trouble written all over him—no way is she going to fall for his charms.

Foley might look like a bad idea, but underneath, he’s all gentleman. Too bad Cyn’s not buying it. What’s a bad boy to do when the goddess of his dreams won’t give him the time of day?

Buy Links: 

Enjoy this excerpt!

 Short black hair framed a handsome face. Rough yet manly. He had a five o’clock shadow, and that rumpled hair look that on her would have appeared messy but on him shouted “sexy”. Bright gray eyes watched her with caution, showing he had a measure of intelligence under all that muscle and ink.
She steeled herself not to get taken in by so much manliness. Neighborhood cat lady, remember? Besides, his cars are littering the parking lot! Men suck. He’s probably only into skinny chicks anyway.
That made her feel better, imagining his intolerance for real women.
But real women can be any size. Plump or stick thin, fat or slender, tall or… Shut up, Cyn! This isn’t time for a life lesson. Deal with Conan and love your gender later.
“Yes?” she said with an icy politeness that had Nina trying to bite back a grin.
“I’m sorry. I think we got off on the wrong foot.” He smiled, but she wasn’t buying the charm. “I’m Foley Sanders.” He held out a hand.
Nina stepped on her foot, and she jerked toward Foley before realizing it. She glared at Nina before reminding herself to be a professional. She’d dealt with overwhelming men before and would no doubt again. So she held out her hand and pasted a smile on her face. “Cyn Nichols.”
He blinked. “You’re related to Matt?”
“Yes, is there a problem with that?” She didn’t even have to pretend to be tired of that question. Matt was so handsome and in shape and popular. What tree had they shaken her out of?
“Not at all.” His grin broadened. “I just hadn’t realized Matt had such a hot sister.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Before I somehow piss you off again, I’m here to get the cars,” he said in a hurry. “Dale, our new guy, must have parked them in the wrong spot. Apparently our agreement was with the sewing place next door, not your parking lot. And I’m sorry I never answered your calls. I misplaced my phone again.” He gave her a disarming smile that—damn it—worked.
She felt herself blushing. “Oh. Sorry if I came on a little strong.” A little? Even she knew she’d been over-the-top bitchy. “It’s just that we had some complaints with customers and I couldn’t understand why no one had gotten back to me.” She still didn’t understand that. What professional these days ever parted with his or her cell phone? But he’d made amends, so she could forgive him the lapse. “So you’ll move the cars?”
He held up a ring of tagged keys. “Right away, Ms. Nichols.”
“How do you know I’m not a Mrs.?” she asked, annoyed with the assumption. Was she so unattractive and ungainly she couldn’t land a man?
He had the gall to wink and nodded to her hand. “No ring. Trust me. First thing I checked…after that dress. That’s a really, really nice dress you’re wearing.” He let out a small sigh and left before she could think of something to say.
Like I’m sorry for being so damn defensive about my size. It’s not you, it’s me. But then, it’s guys like you who made me this way. Well, you and my mother.
Thoughts of her mother scared her straight. She’d told herself time and time again to stop letting Ella Nichols dictate her feelings about herself. She just needed to follow her own advice.
“Ahem.”
Knowing she had to face the inevitable, she looked at the smug woman standing next to her and groaned at Nina’s wide smile.
“You and Foley Sanders. Oh my God, will you guys have the best looking, tallest babies or what?”



a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Caffeine addict, boy referee, and romance aficionado, MARIE HARTE is a confessed bibliophile and devotee of action movies. Whether hiking in Central Oregon, biking around town, or hanging at the local tea shop, she’s constantly plotting to give everyone a happily ever after. 

Visit marieharte.com and fall in love.

Monday, August 22, 2016

Blog Tour: Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale

Author: Kerry Lonsdale
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Date of publication: August 2016

Sous chef Aimee Tierney has the perfect recipe for the perfect life: marry her childhood sweetheart, raise a family, and buy out her parents’ restaurant. But when her fiancé, James Donato, vanishes in a boating accident, her well-baked future is swept out to sea. Instead of walking down the aisle on their wedding day, Aimee is at James’s funeral—a funeral that leaves her more unsettled than at peace.

As Aimee struggles to reconstruct her life, she delves deeper into James’s disappearance. What she uncovers is an ocean of secrets that make her question everything about the life they built together. And just below the surface is a truth that may set Aimee free…or shatter her forever.


A luminous debut with unexpected twists, Everything We Keep explores the devastation of loss, the euphoria of finding love again, and the pulse-racing repercussions of discovering the truth about the ones we hold dear and the lengths they will go to protect us.

In Everything We Keep, Aimee was set to marry her fiance James one day in July. Instead, she buried him.  She has been left to pick up the pieces and move on.  At the funeral, a mysterious woman tells Aimee that James is still alive.  

For the most part, I liked this debut.  It was compelling enough for me to read through to the end.  I wanted to know what happened to James.  The mystery was suspenseful with a twist. I also enjoyed the relationship between Ian and Aimee.  I was happy that they developed a friendship that built over time. It allowed Aimee time to realistically grieve over her loss. 

That all being said, I was left with some questions. Why did it take Aimee over a year to look for James.  I'm not sure I would have taken so long to get answers.  If Lacey had information about James, why didn't she give it all to Aimee at once?  Why spread it out and give it to her a little at a time?  The ending was a little far-fetched and was kind of too neat for me.  There was an epilogue that leaves it open for the possibility of another book.  So maybe some questions will be answered then.  

This was a quick read and I would recommend giving it a shot.  I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
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About Kerry Lonsdale


Kerry Lonsdale believes life is more exciting with twists and turns, which may be why she enjoys dropping her characters into unexpected scenarios and foreign settings. She graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and is a founder of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, an online community of authors located across the globe. She resides in Northern California with her husband, two children, and an aging golden retriever who’s convinced she’s still a puppy. Everything We Keep is Kerry’s first novel.

Connect with Kerry

Kerry Lonsdale’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Thursday, July 14th: Why Girls Are Weird
Tuesday, August 2nd: Rebel Mommy Book Blog
Wednesday, August 3rd: Worth Getting in Bed For
Thursday, August 4th: Kritter’s Ramblings
Friday, August 5th: Palmer’s Page Turners
Monday, August 8th: A Bookish Way of Life
Wednesday, August 10th: Just Commonly
Thursday, August 11th: Books and Bindings
Friday, August 12th: Caryn, The Book Whisperer
Tuesday, August 16th: West Metro Mommy 
Wednesday, August 17th: FictionZeal
Thursday, August 18th: Chick Lit Central – author Q&A
Thursday, August 18th: The Reading Date
Friday, August 19th: Not in Jersey
Monday, August 22nd: Kahakai Kitchen
Monday, August 22nd: From the TBR Pile
Tuesday, August 23rd: BookNAround
Wednesday, August 24th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Friday, August 26th: I’d Rather Be at the Beach
Monday, August 29th: Books a la Mode – author guest post
Tuesday, August 30th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
Wednesday, August 31st: Write Read Life