The Great Scots Blog Tour + Giveaway

The Seduction of Miss Amelia Bell

By Paula Quinn

Release Date: March 25, 2014

Summary: A HIGHLAND ROGUE

Edmund MacGregor will do anything to save Scotland from English rule-even kidnap Lady Amelia Bell for ransom. As the daughter of a duke and the chancellor's betrothed, she's the perfect pawn in this game. But from the moment he first lays eyes on his spirited captive, he can't resist stealing a kiss . . . 

AN ADVENTUROUS LADY

Lady Amelia's duty is to marry well, but that hasn't stopped her from fantasizing about true love. So when a sexy Scot appears in her home, she's beguiled. When he kidnaps her, she's furious. Yet as Edmund introduces her to a world of passion beyond her wildest dreams, can she leave her family behind for this handsome Highlander? And will Edmund risk the only true home he's ever known to capture the heart of this lovely lass?

Amazon // B&N // iTunes // Goodreads

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Paula Quinn lives in New York with her three beautiful children, three over-protective chihuahuas, and a loud umbrella cockatoo. She loves to read romance and science fiction and has been writing since she was eleven.  She loves all things medieval, but it is her love for Scotland that pulls at her heartstrings.

Website // Twitter // Facebook

To Love a Highlander

By Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Release Date: April 29, 2014

Summary: A TEMPTING PROPOSITION

As one of the bastards born to the Stirling court, Sorley the Hawk has never known his mother or father. It's a burning quest he has devoted himself to uncovering at any cost. But as a roguish warrior who serves at the pleasure of the King, his prowess-both on the battlefield and in his bedchamber-is legendary. So when a flame-haired Highland lass sneaks into his quarters with a tantalizing proposition, he can't resist taking her up on her offer . . . 

AN UNQUENCHABLE DESIRE

Lady Mirabelle MacLaren will do anything to keep from marrying her odious suitor, even sully her own good name. And who better to despoil her than his sworn enemy, the one they call "Hawk?" As they set about the enjoyable task of ruining her reputation, Hawk and Mirabelle soon learn that rebellion never tasted so sweet.

Amazon // B&N // iTunes // Goodreads

About the Author

Sue-Ellen Welfonder is a Scotophile whose burning wish to make frequent trips to the land of her dreams led her to a twenty-year career with the airlines.

Now a full-time writer, she's quick to admit that she much prefers wielding a pen to pushing tea and coffee. She makes annual visits to Scotland, insisting they are a necessity, as each trip gives her inspiration for new books.

Proud of her own Hebridean ancestry, she belongs to two clan societies: the MacFie Clan Society and the Clan MacAlpine Society. In addition to Scotland, her greatest passions are medieval history, the paranormal, and dogs. She never watches television, loves haggis, and writes at a 450-year-old desk that once stood in a Bavarian castle.

Sue-Ellen is married and currently resides with her husband and Jack Russell terrier in Florida. 

Website // Twitter // Facebook

Tour Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weekly Roundup [3/25-3/31]

How can it be Monday already? Sadly, my Spring Break has officially ended, so it's back to school for me. Having this week off was so nice, but I have a ton of projects, papers, and homework to get back to. The good news, though, is that there's only about 6-7 weeks left of classes left before summer! Woo hoo! Knowing that it's almost over makes it much more bearable. Also, what's up with that snow that came down on Saturday? It's Spring! Last time I checked, Spring did not include snow. I'm so ready for this cold, snowy weather to finally stop and for warmer weather to finally get here. I guess I'll just have to read more books set on the beach and live vicariously through the characters, dreaming of the sun shining on my face and finally not having to wear a jacket outside...

Book Reviews

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Torn by Kim Karr

Kissing In Italian by Lauren Henderson

Movie Reviews

Divergent

Memes

Top Ten Tuesday: Things On My Bookish Bucket List

Waiting On Wednesday (136)

Follow My Book Blog Friday (129)

Stacking the Shelves (94)

Book Review: Kissing In Italian by Lauren Henderson

Kissing In Italian

By Lauren Henderson

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Source: Publisher

Summary: In addition to her studies, Violet loves the arts, the shopping, and the friendships she's found in Italy. But secretly, her main objective is to learn about her true identity and family history. She never imagined she would fall in love with handsome Italian Luca. And he feels the same about her. But there are certain rumors circulating, that if proven to be true will forbid that they end up together. They need answers, but are they prepared for the truth?

Review: I read the first book Flirting In Italian two summers ago and wasn't all that impressed with the story. I normally love YA books that involve traveling, but the first book revealed nothing about the mystery the main character was trying to solve, and the relationships were too rushed and juvenile. So, I wasn't sure what to expect at all going into this one. I just hoped my questions from the first book would finally be answered! 

Violet has fallen in love with Italy now that she's become good friends with the girls on her trip and discovered her passion for art. Too bad she still hasn't discovered why she looks so much like the ancestors of an Italian prince, who just so happens to be the father of the boy she's fallen in love with. Could she really be related to the guy who she's started to feel intense feelings for? Violet knows she has to move on, but she can't forget Luca no matter how hard she tries, especially when he shows up when she's needing him the most…

While I felt like their relationship was rushed in the first book, I actually enjoyed Violet and Luca's relationship in this one. They didn't know if they were really related or not, so Violet had to try to stay away from him, even though all she wanted to do was throw herself back into his arms. There are possible love interests for her, but who could live up to an Italian? Also, I enjoyed how Violet actually paid attention to her new friends on the trip, and how they all had bigger roles and contributed their own problems to the story that they had to work through. 

With the mystery of Violet's ancestry, I wasn't a big fan of how everything was revealed. It seemed like it was put on the back burner for a majority of this book, with her mother texting "hold on" as she tried to get to Violet to finally reveal the truth in the last 20 pages of the books. I didn't understand why her mom would keep on texting "hold on" when Violet asked her about the portrait that looked exactly like her…it was kind of a weird thing to say in those circumstances. Then, when her mom finally came, the truth seemed way too rushed, predictable, and anticlimactic. I wish something crazy had happened or that there was more repercussion than there was. We had to wait pretty much two entire books to finally hear the truth, so I expected a little more. 

In the end, I enjoyed Kissing In Italian more than the first book, but it still had problems with rushing important events and information. Other than that, I loved how much the other characters were involved in the story. All three of Violet's friends went through their own trials that affected everyone and they all have to work through it together. While the first book was just okay, I really enjoyed Kissing In Italian. It's a fun read that'll have you dreaming of lazy days at the beach and summer romances you'll never forget.

Stacking the Shelves (94)

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

From Giveaway

Two awesome books that I won in giveaways came in the mail this week! I won Dash of Peril by Lori Foster from Bookish Andrea's Twitter. Thanks so much, Andrea, for this yummy looking book! I also won A Million Guilty Pleasures by CL Parker from Romance at Random. I've got some great romance reading ahead of me! 

From my Mom

My mom, sister, and I went to Giant Eagle yesterday and saw that all of their bargain books were 75% off their lowest price. Being the bookworms that we are, we all got super excited and dug through the pile. There wasn't too great of a selection (it never is when you have both Justin Bieber biographies in the mix), but there was a copy of Fated for only $1! My mom, being the amazing mother she is, got it for me! I loved Alyson Noel's Evermore series, so I'm excited to read this one!

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

Follow My Book Blog Friday (129)

This is a meme hosted every Friday by Parajunkee, where book bloggers answer a question each week and check out how others answered it. It's a cool way for bloggers and viewers to connect and learn more about each other!

Question: Snap it time! A picture is worth a thousand words. Anything and anything. Just give us a pic. 

Answer: Anything? Okay, here's a picture to describe what my entire spring break has basically looked like…

This has never happened before, but for some reason my dog has decided that, at 10 years old, she's a cuddlier. Anytime I'm on the couch, she wines to be let up and crawls right on top of me. What a cutie. If you follow me on Instagram, you know how obsessed I've been with her this entire week. Who wouldn't want to cuddle with a puppy as cute as that? 

Book Review: Torn by Kim Karr

Torn

By Kim Karr

Release Date: April 1, 2014

Source: Publisher

Summary: Rock star River Wilde brought Dahlia London back from the brink of hopelessness with his unwavering love and devotion. But their entangled history is about to test the strength of their relationship…

Dahlia was certain she had found true love and met her 'Once in a Lifetime’ when she reconnected with River. But Dahlia’s world comes crashing down when someone from her past resurfaces, and all of River’s carefully hidden secrets are exposed.

River wants to show Dahlia that life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass—it’s about dancing in the rain. But how many times can one broken heart be mended?  Will River and Dahlia be able to stay together or will they be torn apart?

Review: Ever since I read that ending of Connected, I have been dying to get my hands on Torn. With such a huge twist thrown into the plot, I really wanted to see how Dahlia and River were going to deal with the real world crashing in on their passionate love for each other. 

Dahlia has finally moved on from the loss of her fiancé and into the arms of River Wilde, someone she's been in love with for years but never acted on it. Now that they're finally together, they never want to let each other go. But when someone from Dahlia's past shows up, Dahlia and River's relationship is put to the test as they have to find the strength to completely trust each other while dealing with a world that only seems to want to tear them apart. 

I loved Connected, but I'm so happy we finally see Dahlia and River in the real world. They spent a lot of the second book secluded, falling for each other. Now, they really have to learn to trust each other as secrets they've kept (really huge, plot twisting secrets) from each other are slowly revealed. And as soon as they move past one road bump, an even bigger bump is thrown in their way that they have to work through next. Their lives are such an emotional roller coaster in this book and you don't know how they're going to make it to the end. 

Not only do Dahlia and River have to deal with real problems and the real people in their lives, but they have to learn to be able to talk to each other, and not just use their intense physical relationship to fix things. Also, the people in their lives play a much bigger role in this book. River's family and Dahlia's old fiancés family are very prominent in this book, and both River and Dahlia have to learn how to balance all of their relationships as they decide what's important in their lives and learn secrets about one another that have been kept from them for so long. 

Kim Karr pulls no punches in this next book, giving us the couple we fell in love with in Connected and pushing them to their limits. We learn much more about Dahlia and River as they're forced to overcome trials that could very well tear their relationship apart for good. And River was still adorable as ever when he sang the cutest songs just for Dahlia. I fell even more in love with Dahlia and River in this one and can't wait to see what's in store for them next in Mended, which comes out in June. The anticipation will probably kill me, but I know it's going to be worth the wait.

Waiting On Wednesday (136)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of!

Take Me On 

By Katie McGarry 

Release Date: May 27, 2014

Summary: Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means

Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

-------------------------------------

I have been absolutely dying for this story every since I finished Crash Into Me in one sitting. I have devoured every single word Katie McGarry has written in this series and fallen in love with every story. I love that this one involves kick boxing, and that this will be a sports-type romance. I can't wait to read West and Hayley's story and uncover what secrets they're keeping from each other. I know this is going to be another addicting, emotional romance that I just won't be able to put down. 

Movie Review: Divergent

Divergent

Director: Neil Burger

Release Date: March 21, 2014

Summary: In a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris learns she's Divergent and won't fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it's too late.

Review: I have been dying to see this movie pretty much since I heard it was being made into a movie. I was obsessed with Divergent when I read it, so I couldn't way to see it on the big screen.

Tris's world is divided into five factions; everyone knows where they belong. Every year, the 16-year-olds must take a test to tell them the faction where they belong, and are then asked to choose to either stay in the faction they've grown up in, or transfer to a different one. After her test, Beatrice learns that she doesn't belong to any one faction: She's Divergent. That means, though, that she has to choose between staying with her family or choosing the path of who she really is. When she chooses to go Dauntless, Tris uncovers more about the world she lives in and how flawed their "perfect" society really is.

I just have to say this first: I. Love. Theo. James. Honestly, I'm always so worried about who movies are going to cast as the main characters. Four is so perfect and to die for in the book, that whoever they picked to play him in the movie was going to make or break the film. I'm so happy to say that Theo James definitely made this film. I absolutely loved him playing Four and could not get over how perfect he was. Four was such a brooding character and I think Theo captured Four's essence perfectly. He had pretty good chemistry with Shailene Woodley and played the kick-butt, no nonsense hero of the book without a flaw.

I was also worried about Shailene Woodley, because I was not a fan of her at all in The Secret Life of the American Teenager. That show was just awful and she could not act to save her life. Thankfully, though, she's learned a thing or two and actually did a good job playing Tris. She was determined, sassy, and scared at all of the appropriate moments.

I haven't read this book in awhile, but from what I remember, the movie followed the book pretty well. The capture the flag scene was really cool, as well as when Tris and the other transfers first arrived at the Dauntless faction. I thought the movie did a great job bringing Dauntless to life, complete with the jumping on and off the moving trains. I think that Tris's first test could have been more interesting in the beginning of the movie, but as they progressed, the tests became more interesting and how I imagined them in the book. Overall, I thought the movie was really cool and the 2 1/2 hours went by way too fast.

In the end, I loved this movie. I freaked out over how perfect Theo was pretty much the entire movie and loved the action. There wasn't a boring moment and the world Veronica Roth created in her novel truly came alive in this one. If you haven't already, you have to see this movie!

Top Ten Tuesday: Things On My Bookish Bucket List

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 Things On My Bookish Bucket List

1. Read the entire A Game of Thrones series by George RR Martin

I am so obsessed with this show and have had the first book for awhile now. I'm dying to read the series to know what happens next because the wait is just killing me!

2. When I have my own house, have an entire room dedicated to my library

I would love to have floor to ceiling bookshelves filled to the brim with books. With a cozy chair tucked in a corner, this room would be heaven to me. 

3. Go to BEA

I am so jealous of everyone who gets to go to BEA. I haven't gone yet, but would absolutely love for the chance to go one year! Maybe it'll happen next year? We'll see!

4. Read all of Nicholas Sparks's books

This has been a goal of mine for awhile, but I actually only have two more of his books to read! So close, yet I just can't seem to find the time to sit down and read them. Hopefully I can finish this goal soon! It seems like the most likely goal to actually be completed…

5. Meet Nicholas Sparks

I would die if I had the chance to meet Nicholas Sparks. He has been one of my favorite authors pretty much forever. Come to Ohio, please! 

6. Meet any of my favorite authors

I've never even met an author I really adore. Or any author for that matter. I'd love for the chance to meet someone who I've read and loved. 

7. Reach 2,000 GFC followers

I'm not too obsessed with my followers or stats or anything, but it'd be so great if I could reach 2,000 GFC followers on my little old blog! 

8. Read Gone With the Wind

I bought myself a copy of this book over the summer, but I can never get myself to actually sit down and read the thing. It's so long and it's a pretty daunting book. Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to read it soon. 

9. Take part in a read-a-thon

I've wanted to do a read-a-thon pretty much since I've started blogging. Whenever they happen, though, I'm either busy or don't find out about them until they've already started. This summer, it's one of my goals to finally do one!

10. Read for an entire day

This one is kind of linked to the read-a-thon, but I'd love to spend an entire day reading. I'd only take breaks to go to the bathroom or get something to eat. I'd read from the moment I wake up, while I eat, to the moment I go to sleep. Doesn't that sounds like pure bliss? 

Book Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

By Jesse Andrews

Release Date: March 1, 2012

Source: Library

Summary: Greg Gaines is the last master of high school espionage, able to disappear at will into any social environment. He has only one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time making movies, their own incomprehensible versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics.

Until Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel.

Rachel has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.

And all at once Greg must abandon invisibility and stand in the spotlight.

Review: I was so excited to read this book. The cover is so cool and I have read some reviews that gush to no end about how amazing it is. Yeah, it's about a girl who gets cancer, but apparently it was super funny and impossible to put down. I've got to say, though, after reading this book I failed to find anything funny or charming about this book. At all. 

Earl is a pretty weird guy. He's got high school down where he's kind of friends with everyone, but doesn't have a core group to belong to. He hasn't had much luck with the ladies, and sort of just gets by in life. Earl is the only one he'd consider a good friend. They make films together, but never, ever let anyone see them. When Greg's mom tells him that Rachel, a girl he dated by accident in 6th grade, has Leukemia, she wants Greg to become friends with her again. Greg can't say no, so he and Earl start to hang out with Rachel and decide to make a film just for her. But making a movie for a dying girl is a lot harder than they could have imagined… 

I do not get how people thought this book was funny. Greg said the weirdest things that everyone was constantly laughing at, when to me it just sounded stupid. Alien barf? What the heck? I could not even imagine someone saying the things he says in real life, and people actually finding him hilarious. So for the entire book, I was annoyed with Greg and really didn't like his character. Kind of hard to enjoy a book when the main character bugs you so much. 

Going on to the part with "the dying girl," I had no emotion whatsoever when it came to Rachel. The way Greg describes their relationship, there's no real connection or emotion. Greg really doesn't enjoy being around her and is constantly saying how uncomfortable he is. How am I supposed to have any emotions for the girl when the main character is acting that way and doesn't even seem to care? Other reviews I've read have said how they cried and there was so much emotion, but the story gave me nothing. I just couldn't wait to finish the book so that I could find something better to read. 

I do think this book was written in a very unique way, narrated as if Greg were actually writing in, switching between a normal narrative, a film script, and different scenarios in his head. However, Greg was way too weird, annoying, and unbelievable. I felt no connection with the characters and I just didn't care for the story. Maybe I'm completely missing what the people who loved this book saw, but I would skip this book if I were you. 

Weekly Roundup [3/18-3/24]

Happy Spring everyone! Not only is it officially spring, but it's actually Spring Break, which is awesome. I seriously needed a week to escape from school work, so this break could not have come soon enough. I started my break off right by seeing Divergent on Saturday and it was so good! I was freaking out the entire time (how perfect was Four??) and I'm already dying to watch it again. A 2 1/2 hour movie couldn't have gone by faster. It was that good. Granted, it's been awhile since I've read the book, but I thought it was a great adaptation! I've got some more movie dates planned with my sister for the rest of the week, and I can't wait! Between that and my books, I'm going to be one happy girl :)

Book Reviews

Perfect Together by Carly Phillips

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

What a Woman Wants by Judi Fennell

Memes

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Spring 2014 TBR List

Waiting On Wednesday (135)

Follow My Book Blog Friday (128)

Stacking the Shelves (930

Giveaways

Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop

The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna van Praag

What a Woman Wants by Judi Fennell

Giveaway: What a Woman Wants by Judi Fennell

Happy Spring everyone! I'm so excited that Spring is finally here. The weather is starting to look decent and I can't wait to feel comfortable wearing only a light jacket out. But the best way to celebrate Spring is with a giveaway! I have an adorable book up for grabs today. One winner will receive a copy of What a Woman Wants by Judi Fennell! Check out my review right here! 

What a Woman Wants

By Judi Fennell

Release Date: March 4, 2014

Summary: Resort entrepreneur Sean Manley was all set to buy an historic mansion at a great price, making a name for himself while making millions, when the seller and a poker bet change the game. Now he’s in the place as a hunky male maid and there’s one more complication: Livvy Carolla.

The house is Livvy’s inheritance. Her plan? Unload it to the highest bidder and use the cash to start her own bakery business. One look at "the help” and she’s hot to take him with her. Until she finds out he’s got a secret agenda.

But when Sean falls for the free-spirited, strong-willed Livvy, he has new ideas for the estate—and Livvy’s part in it. If all goes well, they’ll both be getting what they want. And then some.

Goodreads // Amazon // Barnes and Noble // Author Website

Giveaway Details

One lucky reader will get to win a paperback copy of What a Woman Wants by Judi Fennell! Just fill out the rafflecopter below! ***US Only*** Ends 3/30

a Rafflecopter giveaway