Cover Reveal: Torn by Jennifer L Armentrout

The highly anticipated second book in #1 New York Times Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout's Wicked Trilogy has a cover! The amazing TORN cover was created by Sarah Hansen from Okay Creations with photography by Kelsey Kukal-Keeton from K Keeton designs. Check it out below! TORN is set to release July 19th. Be sure to grab the first book in the series, WICKED, which is on sale for $.99 for a limited time!

TORN Synopsis:

Torn between duty and survival, nothing can be the same.

Everything Ivy Morgan thought she knew has been turned on its head. After being betrayed and then nearly killed by the Prince of the Fae, she’s left bruised and devastated—and with an earth-shattering secret that she must keep at all costs. And if the Order finds out her secret, they’ll kill her.

Then there’s Ren Owens, the sexy, tattooed Elite member of the Order who has been sharing Ivy’s bed and claiming her heart. Their chemistry is smoking hot, but Ivy knows that Ren has always valued his duty to the Order above all else—he could never touch her if he knew the truth. That is, if he let her live at all. Yet how can she live with herself if she lies to him?

But as the Fae Prince begins to close in on Ivy, intent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld, Ivy is running out of options. If she doesn’t figure out who she can trust—and fast—it’s not only her heart that will be torn apart, but civilization itself.

 

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans…

Don’t miss the first title in the series, WICKED, now just $.99 for a limited time only!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** Kobo

About the Author

#1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.   

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite 2016 Release So Far

This is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where each week bloggers share a list of books for the prompt given. So hopefully I'll have a new list to share with you all each week!

This Week's Topic: Top Ten Favorite 2016 Releases So Far

1. Addicted by Elle Kennedy

2. Midnight Revenge by Elle Kennedy 

3. The Score by Elle Kennedy

4. Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

5. The Nearness of You by Sareeta Domingo

6. Settling the Score by RS Grey

7. Summer of Supernovas by Darcy Woods

8. Take Me Home Tonight by Erika Kelly 

9. How the Duke Was Won by Lenora Bell 

10. Winging It by Cate Cameron

Book Review: A Midsummer Night's Fling by Eliza Walker

A Midsummer Night's Fling
By Eliza Walker
Release Date: June 20, 2016
Source: Publisher
Goodreads | Amazon

The show must go on, but the price of admission could be her heart.

Sick of her vagabond life in a Broadway touring company, Nicola is ready to settle down. She wants nothing more than to park her suitcase in California, put out feelers for local auditions, and leave her past firmly behind her.

Too bad her past comes knocking on her door her first day home. All six-foot-three, beautiful man of her past named Max. Stupid Max. The mistake Nicola just can’t seem to stop making.

Even before Nicola—fiery, quick-witted, beautiful Nicola—slams the door in his face, Max is in trouble. She will always be the one who got away. Three times. Which makes convincing her to play Titania to his Oberon a bit…awkward.

Though she has zero desire to re-re-rekindle an old flame, Nicola can’t turn down the chance Max is offering: a lead role with the West Coast’s premiere Shakespeare company. But when their first rehearsal kiss disintegrates into a passionate liplock, she’s questioning her sanity and tempted to jump ship—before Max can break her heart again.

Now it’s up to Max to convince her that the torch he’s been carrying is actually an eternal flame.

As an English teacher, I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Shakespeare. And on of my favorite Shakespeare plays? A Midsummer Night's Dream! So when I saw that this book was a fun romance based around actors in my beloved play, I was excited to pick it up. 

Nicola is a dedicated actress who is always on the hunt for her next job. The last job she expects to earn, though, is from her ex-boyfriend who comes knocking on her door after not seeing one another for five years. Nicola knows she can't go down that same road with Max that she spent most of her youth on, so when she decides to take the part, she does her best to stay away from Max and his irresistible muscles. Their parts, though, have them partaking in more than one on stage kiss, which threatens to rekindle their old attraction and uncover more pain and pleasure that neither of them really want to relive again. 

If you know and love A Midsummer Nights Dream, then you will absolutely love this story of exes who must play lovers on stage. I love the world of Midsummer and it's so much fun watching Max and Nicola at rehearsals and talking all things Shakespeare. And the moment that they quoted The Princess Bride to one another, I pretty much died. I loved the whole world and acting atmosphere of this story and how their desire to find their breakout job drove their lives and really made it hard to be in any sort of relationship, especially with one another. 

I'm normally not a huge fan of second chance romances, but I found myself really rooting for Nicola and Max to work things out. Max is definitely a changed man from who he was before, but I completely understood why it was hard for Nicola to open her heart to him again. If I gave half stars, this book would definitely be a 4.5 read, but I just couldn't give it the full 5 stars because I felt like the story sort of dragged out as Nicola and Max kept on trying to resist one another and not give into their undeniable attraction for one another. You knew they would get together, you were just waiting for it to happen…

If you're a fan of Shakespeare and performing arts romances, your going to absolutely love A Midsummer Night's Fling. There are not enough romances about actors out there and I just love the whole world of costumes, running lines, blocking scenes, and practicing on-stage kisses that forces a couple to be close to each other when they may be trying to resist one another. There is whimsy and fun in this story, but also some serious moments that give the characters depth and heartache. If you want a great romance, you should definitely check this one out!

Book Review: All Wound Up by Jaci Burton

All Wound Up (Play By Play #10)

By Jaci Burton

Release Date: August 4, 2015

Source: Publisher

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Tucker Cassidy is going through a slump—but not on the field. It’s his dating life that’s suffering. After having a painful altercation involving his ex-girlfriend’s knee, Tucker is convinced it couldn’t get worse…until a gorgeous doctor comes to the rescue at his most embarrassing moment.
 
As the daughter of the owner of the St. Louis Rivers, Dr. Aubry Ross has been around jocks all her life. She knows the ins and outs of all their games, and she isn’t interested in playing.
 
When Tucker repeatedly lands in the hospital where she’s working, Aubry starts to think he’s getting injured just to see her. Tucker is both funny and sexy, and Aubry is pleasantly surprised to discover he actually respects her job.
 
When her father disapproves of their relationship, Aubry knows she’d rather lose Tucker than have him lose his job. But Tucker isn’t about to let threats of a trade get in the way of a game-changing love…

I feel like I say this before every sports romance book I review, but I am total sucker for a good sports romance. There's something about athletes that is just so attractive, so I love reading love stories that involve them. Jaci Burton is already on book #10 in her sports romance series and while I have really enjoyed the other books I've read, All Wound Up missed the mark for me. 

Tucker Cassidy has been lacking in the love department lately, especially after his girlfriend dumps him after he refuses to move in with her. But when he continues to bump into the beautiful Dr. Aubrey Ross, who is also the daughter of the owner of his baseball team, Tucker isn't going to let her get away that easily. Aubrey has enough going on during her residency and the last thing she needs is a relationship distracting her, or so her father says. But when the gorgeous Tucker Cassidy lands in her ER, Aubrey finds herself falling for the hunky baseball player and, try as she may, she just can't resist his persistent charm. 

Going into this one, I was super excited. Out of all of the sports, I love baseball the most, so I was excited that Tucker was a baseball player. Sadly, he was preoccupied with the same things about his pitching and it just got annoying by the end. I enjoyed the moments of the baseball games that we got, but I wish he wasn't so hung up on his curveball. His baseball storyline just seemed a bit flat and not that interesting to me. Also, what Aubrey's father did near the end just seemed cliche and thrown in there for drama. I wasn't a fan of that added part of the plot. 

Onto the romance, I loved how Tucker and Aubrey met and how much they liked each other when they didn't want to. However, a lot of their romance was just focused on the physical part and I could have done without the constant sex. Give their romance a little more substance and focus a little more on their actual relationship and not only the physical side of things! 

In the end, I just wasn't into this book as much as I wanted to be. The romance started off great, but nothing really developed more and we didn't get a real depth to the characters. While Jaci Burton is a great author, this wasn't her best.

Stacking the Shelves (198)

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

From Publisher

These four books showed up for me this week and I am definitely intrigued by Sara Shepard's new book! I read a couple of the Pretty Little Liars books and I'm excited to see what Sara has come up with next! The others look great as well! 

From Amazon

After hearing so many amazing things about Amy Harmon, I finally ordered one of her books from Amazon. I am so excited to finally read something by Amy and see if it's as great as everyone says! 

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

Book Review: The Nearness of You by Sareeta Domingo

The Nearness of You

By Sareeta Domingo

Release Date: May 5, 2016

Source: Publisher

Goodreads | Amazon

Falling in love isn't a choice...

Since the moment they met, Ryan and Taylor have shared an unspoken bond. Taylor's drawn to Ryan more strongly than she thought possible and for some reason only he seems able to lift her out of the darkness in her past. 

But Ryan is with Marcy - her best friend. 

Marcy stood by Taylor when everything else had fallen apart, and Taylor refuses to risk their friendship now. Somehow she needs to resist what she's feeling. Yet, when Marcy leaves for a few weeks just as Ryan moves in to their shared flat, the tension grows to unbearable proportions. As the line between right and wrong becomes blurred, Taylor will have to decide whether she can - or should - turn away from what might be the love of her life.

Evocative, moving and heartrendingly romantic, this is a story about real life, true love and the power of friendship.

Something you might not know about me is that I love London. I spent 6 weeks in London three years ago and fell in love with the city. So when I saw Tower Bridge on the cover of this novel, along with the entwined couple that screamed romance, I couldn't wait to read this story. 

From the moment they met in a very vulnerable state for the two of them, Ryan and Taylor have shared an inexplicable bond. But nothing can become of it because Ryan is with Marcy. Taylor's best friend. After he moves in with them, Taylor finds the tension between them unbearable at times, but she must stick up for the girl who stood by her through her worst moments. But when Marcy leaves for a few weeks, Taylor and Ryan are continuously drawn to each other and find it harder and harder to remember why they can't be together…

Ugh, why are British books like 100% more lovable than American books? Just the mannerism and parts of speech that were so normal to them in this book seriously stole my heart. To me, this book reminded me of a British version of Something Borrowed with the whole my best friend is dating the guy I love trope and, you know what? I loved every minute of it. Taylor was actually not really a likable character, but I found myself absolutely loving her because of how raw and relatable she was. She has had some crappy things happen in her life and she's just not in a great place in her life. Not to mention the guy she loves is sleeping with her best friend down the hall. Ugh, my heart just breaks for her!

I was so engrossed in this story that I never wanted to put it down. Taylor and Ryan tried so hard to not want each other and to try and be happy with other people, but that's not as easy as it sounds. While the story may be cliche to some, I really loved Ryan's character and how Marcy was actually a really likable character and you really understood why Ryan and Taylor couldn't be together. Did I mention that they're British? Because they are. And it was awesome. 

Overall, I loved how quirky, raw, and real this book was. Taylor is pretty much the least perfect person out there and she has real insecurities and sad moments that we all have. It was refreshing to have such real and flawed main character. If you want a real, forbidden (and British!) love story with a main character whose fragile state is something we all can relate to, you need to pick up The Nearness of You.

Cover Reveal: The Debt by Karina Halle

We are very thrilled to bring to you the cover for THE DEBT by Karina Halle releasing on August 29.  

About the Book

Her life changed in an instant.

And he's the only one who could have prevented it.

Jessica Charles shouldn't have even been in London when the unthinkable happened.

She should have been back at home in Edinburgh, perhaps hanging with her boyfriend, preparing the baby shower for her sister, or teaching her yoga classes. She should have been going on in her normal, dependable life as always.

But on that fateful day in August, when a mentally-ill ex-soldier opened fire in public, Jessica's world changed forever.

Now single and crippled from the gunshot wounds, Jessica finds herself scared and alone, losing faith in herself and humanity with each agonizing moment that passes.

That is until a stranger enters her life. A stranger who makes her live again.

Keir McGregor has always been the strong, silent type. Throw in tall, dark, and handsome and you've got pretty much the perfect Scotsman.

Except Keir is anything but perfect. He's got a past he's running away from and a guilty conscience he can't seem to shed. But the more time he spends with Jessica, the more he falls in love with her.

And the more his secret threatens to tear them apart.

He may have been a stranger to her.

But she’s never been a stranger to him.

ADD TO GOODREADS   

 

About the Author

 

Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of The Pact, Racing the Sun, Sins & Needles and over 25 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.

Halle is represented by the Waxman Leavell Agency and is both self-published and published by Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.

Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle, on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit www.authorkarinahalle.com and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.

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