Monday, July 31, 2017

Cover Reveal: Palm South University Season 3 by Kandi Steiner



Title: Palm South University: Season 3
Author: Kandi Steiner
Release Date: Aug 10, 2017
Add to TBR






Drama. Lies. Sex.

Welcome to Palm South University.

The weather isn’t the only thing heating up in South Florida. At a school where fraternities and sororities don’t exactly play by the rules, relationships are bound to be tested. Parties and sex are definitely key ingredients in the Palm South recipe, but what happens when family issues, secret lives, and unrequited love get tossed in the mix?

Follow Cassie, Bear, Jess, Skyler, Erin, Ashlei, and Adam as they tackle college at a small, private beach town university. Written in television drama form, each episode of this serial will pull you deeper and deeper into the world of PSU.

Where the sun is hot and the clothes are scarce, anything can happen.








Kandi Steiner is a bestselling author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tampa, FL. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.

An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. She started writing back in the 4th grade after reading the first Harry Potter installment. In 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.” She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.

When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, talking with her extremely vocal cat, and spending time with her friends and family. She enjoys live music, traveling, anything heavy in carbs, beach days, movie marathons, craft beer and sweet wine — not necessarily in that order.


Sunday, July 30, 2017

Book Review: Say You'll Stay by Corinne Michaels

Say You'll Stay (Return to Me #1)
By Corinne Michaels
Release Date: June 20, 2016
Source: Author
One word. 
Stay. 

It was all he had to do. Instead, he got on that bus and took my heart with him. 

That was seventeen years ago. 

I moved on. Marriage. Kids. White picket fence. Everything I ever wanted, but my husband betrayed me and I was left once again. 

Alone, penniless, and with two boys, I had no choice but to return to Tennessee. He wasn’t supposed to be there. I should’ve been safe. However, fate has a way of stepping in.

This time around, the tables are turned. It’s my decision. Second chances do exist, but I don’t know if we can repair what’s already been broken . . .



When I was contacted by Corinne to review the first book in her Return to Me series, I did not hesitate to say yes. I have had my eye on these books for so long and I was so ready for a yummy romance! 

Seventeen years ago, Presley's heart was broken by the love of her life. When he left, Presley grieved but moved on, got married, had kids. But when her world comes crashing down, Presley finds herself moving with her twin sons back home to the small town she hasn't stepped foot in since she left for college. The last person she expects to find is Zach. All the emotions and pain come rushing back, mixing with the pain from her current tragedy. Presley wants nothing to do with Zach, but the town and fate keep pushing them together and Presley is forced to face her past mistakes and reevaluate where she wants her future to go. 

From the first chapter of this book, the story just screamed emotion. I was so heart broken over what happened to Presley and how she had to return to a life that she had given up on so many years ago. I really appreciated how this second chance romance was between two people in their 30s who have had the chance to love other people and make new lives without each other. Zach and Presley have both grown so much, but being back together proved to them that their bond was one of a kind and didn't disappear over time. 

What also made this book so good were the side characters and how involved they were in our main characters' lives. I absolutely loved Zach's brothers and Presley's family and how they were not so subtle about getting those two back together again. We got to fall in love with the side characters just as much as Zach and Presley and I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series. Oh, and I also loved how important Presley's sons were to the storyline and how she had to figure out how to make a better life not only for herself but for her sons as well. 

Overall, this book had all of the feels and second chance romance angst. While it was clear Zach and Presley had a connection like no other, it was really hard for both of them to find it in themselves to trust one another again. How do you forgive the person who completely and utterly destroyed your heart? If you want an emotional romance about two people who have learned to survive without one another but not truly live, you have to pick up this book!






Saturday, July 29, 2017

Stacking the Shelves (254)

 

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!

From Thriftbooks


I am going to the Books in Bourbon Country signing next month in Louisville, so I've been trying to collect books by the authors who are going to be there. I got these two from Thriftbooks for less than $4 each! I read Finding It a few years ago and loved it, so I had to have a hard copy about it. I have only read the first book in Jay Crownover's Marked Men series, but I want to read the rest, so I picked up book 5! I can't wait to meet these two authors next month!


That's it for me! What did you all add to your shelves this week? 

Friday, July 28, 2017

Series Relaunch + Giveaway: The Study Abroad Series by Jessica Peterson


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I read Spanish Lessons back in January (check out my review right here) and it was such a fun study abroad book! If you love travel, you're going to love it! I was so excited to see these new covers and how delicious they are! Spanish Lessons is free, so you all need to pick it up right away! Now is the perfect time to get lost in a travel romance! And did I mention the new, gorgeous covers? Also, Jessica has an awesome giveaway going on! Go ahead and enter right here!

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SPANISH LESSONS is now FREE on all platforms!
I have big plans for my semester abroad in Madrid...but falling for my super hot Spanish tutor definitely isn't one of them #HotForTeacher
Along with her BFF Maddie, Vivian hopes to indulge her inner Art History nerd by visiting the best museums in the world. She also wants to tackle more practical concerns—like a less than stellar GPA in her major, Economics—with the help of a Spanish tutor.
MadrileƱo Rafa Montoya is the stuff study abroad dreams are made of: super studly and super smart. He also happens to be super into Vivian. With his wicked dancing skills and his passion for the arts, he tempts her to throw caution to the wind and live out her wildest dreams.
Only problem? Maddie wants Rafa, too, and Vivian promised herself she’d never settle for second best again…not after a hookup-gone-awry last semester left her heartbroken. Is it best for Vivian to protect her heart at all costs? Or is letting Rafa in worth the risk?
Like hot Spaniards and hotter sex scenes? Start reading the STUDY ABROAD series for FREE today!

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About the Author
Jessica Peterson began reading romance to escape the decidedly unromantic awkwardness of her teenage years. Having found solace in the likes of Mr. Darcy, Jamie Fraser (OMG love the gingers!), and Edward Cullen, it wasn’t long before she began creating tall, dark and handsome heroes of her own.

She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, Mr. Peterson, and her smelly Goldendoodle Martha Bean. You can find her on Facebook in her readers’ group, Peterson’s Pupils, on BookBub, and on Twitter.

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Cover Reveal: We Own the Night by Corinne Michaels


We are excited to bring you the upcoming standalone from New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Corinne Michaels.

WE OWN TONIGHT will be releasing on Sept 7th



Cover Design: Perfect Pear Creative
Photographer: Jon Wong


From New York Times Bestseller, Corinne Michaels, comes a sexy new STANDALONE romance novel.

I’m not a one-night stand kind of woman. I’m especially not the woman who has a few drinks at a concert and ends up in bed with my childhood celebrity crush, Eli Walsh.

However, that’s exactly where I find myself.


What’s a girl to do after a drunken mistake? Run. I grab my clothes and get away from the powerful, irresistible, and best-sex-of-my-life superstar as fast as I can. His gorgeous green eyes, rock-hard body, and cocky smile have no place in my world. My life is complicated enough.


Someone forgot to tell him that.


Eli is relentless. Pushing his way into my heart, wearing me down, proving he’s nothing like I assumed, and everything I need. But when my world shatters to pieces, he holds the broken bits together. 
Unwillingly, I fall desperately in love with him.

He made me think we’d have forever . . . I should’ve listened when he said we could only own tonight.
 



PREORDER NOW



 

About the Author


New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Corinne Michaels is the author of nine romance novels. She’s an emotional, witty, sarcastic, and fun loving mom of two beautiful children. Corinne is happily married to the man of her dreams and is a former Navy wife. After spending months away from her husband while he was deployed, reading and writing was her escape from the loneliness. She enjoys putting her characters through intense heartbreak and finding a way to heal them through their struggles. Her stories are chock full of emotion, humor, and unrelenting love. 

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Book Review: The Unrequited by Saffron A Kent

The Unrequited
By Saffron A Kent
Release Date: July 13, 2017
Source: Amazon
Layla Robinson is not crazy. She is suffering from unrequited love. But it’s time to move on. No more stalking, no more obsessive calling. 

What she needs is a distraction. The blue-eyed guy she keeps seeing around campus could be a great one—only he is the new poetry professor—the married poetry professor.

Thomas Abrams is a stereotypical artist—rude, arrogant, and broody—but his glares and taunts don’t scare Layla. She might be bad at poetry, but she is good at reading between the lines. Beneath his prickly faƧade, Thomas is lonely, and Layla wants to know why. Obsessively.

Sometimes you do get what you want. Sometimes you end up in the storage room of a bar with your professor and you kiss him. Sometimes he kisses you back like the world is ending and he will never get to kiss you again. He kisses you until you forget the years of unrequited love; you forget all the rules, and you dare to reach for something that is not yours.


NOTE: Please be aware that this book deals with sensitive topics like cheating. 18+ Only.



I was seeing this book all over Instagram and could not get it out of my head. I was so excited that I went ahead and pre-ordered the ebook on Kindle, which I never do. When it popped up in my Kindle library, I immediately clicked on it and dove in. 

Layla Robinson is an expert in unrequited love. Having made a huge mistake that left her ostracized from her family, Layla is trying to deal with her stalking and obsessive compulsions. The minute she lays eyes on Thomas Abrams, Layla finds a new focus. Thomas is as broody as it gets and when Layla walks into his class, she finds a new world of poetry, passion, and unrequited love. 

As soon as I started this book, I loved how refreshing Layla's character was. The girl definitely had her issues and some serious obsessive tendencies, but it totally worked for her. I loved how she got lost in her infatuation in Thomas and immersed herself in the world of poetry, a world she had never delved into before. I loved Layla's voice and how different she was. The writing in this book was lyrical and beautiful and it was so easy to get lost in. 

Going onto the relationship, I knew going in that this was a book about cheating and was for mature audiences only. I really enjoyed the relationship between Layla and Thomas and how they really understood each other, but I didn't really buy into the more emotional connection they claimed to have. I understood the physical, animalistic passion they had, especially on Thomas's part. I didn't really feel like Thomas had a more emotional connection to her. Other than that, though, this book was so addicting and it was fun seeing Layla form new connections, not only with Thomas but people her own age as well. 

While there was plenty of heat and I enjoyed how important poetry and words were in this story, I missed the deeper connection these characters claimed to find in one another. I really did appreciate Layla's character and loved how imperfect and flawed she was. If you want an insanely hot story with a unique protagonist and an appreciation for poetry, you have to pick this book up!




Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Book Review: Because You Love to Hate Me

Because You Love to Hate Me
Release Date: July 11, 2017
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Leave it to the heroes to save the world--villains just want to rule the world.

In this unique YA anthology, thirteen acclaimed, bestselling authors team up with thirteen influential BookTubers to reimagine fairy tales from the oft-misunderstood villains' points of view.

These fractured, unconventional spins on classics like "Medusa," Sherlock Holmes, and "Jack and the Beanstalk" provide a behind-the-curtain look at villains' acts of vengeance, defiance, and rage--and the pain, heartbreak, and sorrow that spurned them on. No fairy tale will ever seem quite the same again!

Featuring writing from . . .

Authors: RenƩe Ahdieh, Ameriie, Soman Chainani, Susan Dennard, Sarah Enni, Marissa Meyer, Cindy Pon, Victoria Schwab, Samantha Shannon, Adam Silvera, Andrew Smith, April Genevieve Tucholke, and Nicola Yoon

BookTubers: Benjamin Alderson (Benjaminoftomes), Sasha Alsberg (abookutopia), Whitney Atkinson (WhittyNovels), Tina Burke (ChristinaReadsYA blog and TheLushables), Catriona Feeney (LittleBookOwl), Jesse George (JessetheReader), Zoƫ Herdt (readbyzoe), Samantha Lane (Thoughts on Tomes), Sophia Lee (thebookbasement), Raeleen Lemay (padfootandprongs07), Regan Perusse (PeruseProject), Christine Riccio (polandbananasBOOKS), and Steph Sinclair & Kat Kennedy (Cuddlebuggery blog and channel).




I'm not normally a fan of anthologies, but I could not resist picking up this book. With so many amazing authors and members of the bookish community coming together, I was so excited to see what they could come up with. 

The premise of this book is that each booktuber/blogger gave their paired author a prompt. The author then took that prompt and made an original short story out of it. After each short story, the booktuber/blogger wrote a short essay that either was about the story or was about villains in general. Since this book was an anthology, I found myself reading through it pretty quickly because each story was only about 15 to 20 pages long. I flew through the stories and while some were AMAZING, others missed the mark for me. 

Going into this book, I wasn't sure what kind of stories to expect. Some stories weren't all that villainous to me while others hooked me from the first page. My stand-out favorites were definitely Marissa Meyer's, Amerie's, and Nicola Yoon's. These three stories were very intriguing and I loved how they ended. I think, though, that I liked them the most because they were based on stories I knew very well: The Little Mermaid, Jack and the Bean Stalk, and Beauty and the Beast. Those three were such fun takes on the story and I loved their creativity! 

As for the essays after each short story, they were very hit or miss for me. A lot of the times they read as an analysis of their story and I wasn't all that interested in them. I really enjoyed the more creative takes on villains, but I didn't think these contributions really made the book. Honestly, I think this anthology would have worked just fine with just the prompt and the stories. While it was a fun idea in theory, I was pretty uninterested in the essays included. 

Overall, there were some unique and enticing stories while there were others that I found myself skimming because I didn't really care for them. I could have down without the essays, but I did think the prompts were a unique and fun challenge for the authors.


Monday, July 24, 2017

Blog Tour + Giveaway: Because You Love to Hate Me (Q&A with Samantha Shannon and Regan Perusse)


I have been a huge fan of Booktube for years, so when I saw this book was coming out, I was so excited. Some amazing authors were pairing with some of my favorite bookstubers and I couldn't wait to see how it turned out! As part of this blog tour, I was able to read the book and have a Q&A with Samantha Shannon and Regan Perusse (one of my most favorite booktubers ever, even though we don't have the same taste in books at all. She's just so fun to watch!). Enjoy!

1. If you could be any villain, who would you be and why? 
Samantha: Maleficent. Those cheekbones. Those horns. That fearsome outfit. And who wouldn't want to be able to turn into a dragon at will?   
Regan: If I could be any villain I think I would have to go with Loki. Not only does he have glamorous hair and magic, but he is gray in morality. I feel given the chance perhaps he could end up being a good guy? I suppose my answer is a bit of a cop-out, but I can’t help it – I love the guy! 
2. What hero do you think would make a great villain and why? It could be from any story, classic or recent. 
Samantha: Robin Hood would be pretty easy to twist into a villain. In some versions of the tale, he and his Merry Men were not above violence -- for example, in one ballad, Mulch the Miller's Son kills a young boy to silence him, and one fifteenth-century text describes Robin as a siccarius ("knife man" or "cutthroat"), implying that he wasn't just stealing, but killing.   
Regan: I think Kaz Brekker would be a fantastic villain. To be fair, he is considered a villain by a large amount of people in his world so I feel like his transition could be quite seamless. Not to mention he already has a lot of underworld connections, which I feel like would allow him to become 100% bad very easily (versus the 50% bad he currently is) and I would be 100% into it.
3. If you had to choose a classic or fairytale to retell in your own novel, what would you choose and why?
Samantha: There are many, many stories I'd love to retell. One of those is that of Saint George and the Dragon, which I have retold in a high fantasy context in my upcoming novel The Priory of the Orange Tree, with George as a less-than-heroic figure. That story -- the ultimate tale of a damsel in distress -- has been screaming for a hefty dose of girl power for centuries. (And here's something I've never told a soul: the Bone Season series is a partial re-imagining of a myth.) 
4. If you could ask any author to write you anything, who would it be and what would you ask them to write?
Regan: I am going to exclude Harry Potter as a possible choice to this question (because if this was real possibility my answer will always be Harry Potter). 
I would have Patrick Rothfuss write me a pirate centered fantasy story. Patrick Rothfuss just has the most wonderful writing and I absolutely love his characters. I feel very strongly he could create a fantastic swashbuckling pirate story full of sword fighting, romance, and adventure.


Thank you so much to Samantha and Regan for answering my questions!! 


Because You Love to Hate Me
Release Date: July 11, 2017
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Leave it to the heroes to save the world--villains just want to rule the world.

In this unique YA anthology, thirteen acclaimed, bestselling authors team up with thirteen influential BookTubers to reimagine fairy tales from the oft-misunderstood villains' points of view.

These fractured, unconventional spins on classics like "Medusa," Sherlock Holmes, and "Jack and the Beanstalk" provide a behind-the-curtain look at villains' acts of vengeance, defiance, and rage--and the pain, heartbreak, and sorrow that spurned them on. No fairy tale will ever seem quite the same again!

Featuring writing from . . .

Authors: RenƩe Ahdieh, Ameriie, Soman Chainani, Susan Dennard, Sarah Enni, Marissa Meyer, Cindy Pon, Victoria Schwab, Samantha Shannon, Adam Silvera, Andrew Smith, April Genevieve Tucholke, and Nicola Yoon

BookTubers: Benjamin Alderson (Benjaminoftomes), Sasha Alsberg (abookutopia), Whitney Atkinson (WhittyNovels), Tina Burke (ChristinaReadsYA blog and TheLushables), Catriona Feeney (LittleBookOwl), Jesse George (JessetheReader), Zoƫ Herdt (readbyzoe), Samantha Lane (Thoughts on Tomes), Sophia Lee (thebookbasement), Raeleen Lemay (padfootandprongs07), Regan Perusse (PeruseProject), Christine Riccio (polandbananasBOOKS), and Steph Sinclair & Kat Kennedy (Cuddlebuggery blog and channel).


Win a copy of Because You Love to Hate Me! US/Canada only. 



Follow the Blog Tour




Sunday, July 23, 2017

Book Review: King by T.M. Frazier

King (King #1)
By T.M. Frazier
Release Date: June 15, 2015
Source: Book Signing 
Homeless. Hungry. Desperate.

Doe has no memories of who she is or where she comes from.

A notorious career criminal just released from prison, King is someone you don’t want to cross unless you’re prepared to pay him back in blood, sweat, pu$$y or a combination of all three.

King’s future hangs in the balance. Doe’s is written in her past. When they come crashing together, they will have to learn that sometimes in order to hold on, you have to first let go.


Warning: This book contains graphic violence, consensual and nonconsensual sex, drug use, abuse, and other taboo subjects and adult subject matter. Although originally slated to be a standalone, KING is now a two part series.
 



To say I was excited to read this book would be a huge understatement. With an average of 4.24 stars on Goodreads, I was expecting a mind-blowing story. What I didn't expect was the dark, gritty story that I fell in love with. 

Doe has no idea who she is or where she came from. All she knows is that she woke up beaten and alone and no one is looking for her. King is dangerous. Having just been released from 3 years in prison, King is hard on the outside and even harder on the inside. When Does falls into King's life, King doesn't take it easy on Doe. He knows he should let her go. But there's something connecting the two together that neither of them can understand, but neither of them wants to lose. 

Holy moly. From the start of this book, it's dark. Doe is literally starving to death and only has a drugged-up hooker as a friend. Doe is thrown into King's life and has no idea how she's going to survive. I was drawn into this story and could not put it down because I had to know what would happen to Doe. And even though King is a dangerous guy who has done some pretty bad stuff, I was just as intrigued by him as I was with Doe. Why are the bad boys always the most intriguing?? 

While I was sucked into this book from the beginning, what really sold me on this book were the twists and turns with every page. Some serious stuff goes down in this book that I was literally not expecting, so I was definitely impressed how shocking T.M. Frazier could make the story. I will say, there are some pretty graphic and horrifying scenes in this book, so if that's not for you, don't read this. But if you love a raw, gritty, dark look at romance, you are going to love this book. And that ending! As soon as I put this book down, I picked up book two because I had to know what would happen next. 

I cannot believe it took me this long to read a book from T.M. Frazier, but I'm so happy I finally did. I fell in love with all of the characters in this book and am dying to read their books later on in this series. I'm so happy I got to read this before meeting T.M. so that I could truly fangirl over her and buy the rest of the books of this series. All of you dark romance lovers out there have to pick this book up!



Saturday, July 22, 2017

Stacking the Shelves (253)

 

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!

From For the Love and Books and Florida Signing


I went down to Florida last week and got to go to the For the Love of Books and Florida signing! I got to meet T.M. Frazier and Kandi Steiner and it was amazing! We went to the after party as well and got to spend the whole night hanging out with Kandi! As usual, I got way too many books, but they're all signed and all amazing!


As you can see, I got A TONNNN of books! Sarah bought me Lawless and Soulless for my birthday, but the rest I bought for myself and they're all signed! I'm so excited to own all of these! 


From Amazon Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day had AMAZING deals on books and also a $5 off $15 coupon. I ended up getting all of these for only $13! I couldn't resist! 


Books-A-Million

The day before the signing, Sarah had some homework to do, so we went to Books-A-Million and I had to browse! I found these three in the clearance section and they were buy 2 get 1 free! So I got all three of these hardbacks for only $10! 


That's it for me! What did you all add to your shelves this week? 

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