Stacking the Shelves (191)

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

From Publisher

The first two of these showed up together and I am definitely intrigued! They aren't the normal genre I turn to, but the summaries sounded interesting so I think I'll give them a try! I also received an e-ARC of Settling the Score by one of my absolute favorite authors and I am still freaking. I plan on reading that one until the very last page before putting it down. I can't wait! 

From Half Price Books

These two were on clearance at Half Price Books and I couldn't resist! Just look at how gorgeous they both look! And $3 for the pair? I was sold :)

Bought from the Author

On Monday at school, I got a call from the office during 3rd period letting me know that they had a YA Dystopian author in the building who was free to talk to any of my classes. I was immediately excited and invited her to talk to my two honors classes about writing and publishing as an indie author. The author's name was Tracy Lawson and she was absolutely wonderful! I loved hearing her speak and my students were great for her. Tracy was selling her books for $5 each, so I bought the first two in the series! I can't wait to read them! 

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

Book Review: Shy Kinda Love by Deanna Eshler

Shy Kinda Love

By Deanna Eshler

Release Date: February 26, 2015

Source: Author

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When I was eleven, my best friend died in a car accident. When I was twelve, my mom walked out, leaving only a note to say goodbye. When I was eighteen, I was forced into witness protection. 

My new name is Shyanne Adams. To protect myself, and painless existence, I do not live. I do not laugh. I do not love. For the last three years, the only meaningful thing I’ve done is care for the horse I rescued. 

But now, at the age of twenty-one, the one person from both my past and present is pushing me to start living. Before I know it, I’m moving in with new friends who make me laugh. And next door is Kade Cross, the guy who wants me to love. 

Kade knows that I will complicate his life, but he welcomes the challenge. He sees that I’m broken, but he doesn’t try to fix me. When he knows I’m trying to push him away, he braces for the impact. 

What Kade doesn’t know is that I could have to relocate at any time. So I have to decide: is experiencing love for a short time worth the pain of losing it? 

As a new adult fan, I was excited to see what Deanna could bring to the genre. I had the pleasure of meeting Deanna two years ago at a Colleen Hoover signing and we bonded over our love for all things new adult. She contacted me a little bit later asking if I wanted to read her book and I couldn't resist. I mean, just look at that cover! That being said, though, my review is (as always) completely honest and is in no way swayed by the fact that I personally know this author. 

Shyanne Adams wasn't always Shyanne Adams. That's the witness protection identity she received after finally standing up to her father and the men her father let use her for her body. Broken and untrusting, Shyanne lives the next three years seeking solace with her horses and her best friend Ryker. When Kade Cross appears in her life, though, Shyanne starts shedding her guarded layers and finds herself making friends and learning to trust others. As soon as she let's go of the pain of her past, though, it comes rushing back, reminding her of who she used to be…

Holy moly, talk about an emotional new adult. Shyanne was seriously damaged because of her father, so she was so broken and found it very hard to trust others. I loved the moment she met Kade, aka Patron, and was freaked out over having feelings over someone. Kade is the image of my perfect guy- nerdy, smart, caring, and impossibly good looking. My only problem with Kade, though, is that I felt like we barely got to know anything about him! What did he used to do before Shyanne got there and where was he from and what was his family like? I felt like his only identity was that he was a nerd and I wish that we got to know him as much as we had gotten to know Shyanne. 

But back to the emotion. There were some very, very intense scenes in this book, especially near the end when Shyanne's past started to catch up to her. And how connected Shyanne was with her horses? So heartwarming and heartbreaking. I loved how Shyanne used her own broken past to connect with broken horses. Any book with animals just completely steals my heart. Oh, and I can't forget Shyanne's newfound friends! Keagen and Gemma were amazing characters and I loved the flare they added to the story. 

Overall, this was a stellar debut from Deanna Eshler. She brought the emotions, fun characters, and a heartbreaking romance. While it leaned on being the cliche-broken-girl-new-adult, it held it's own and added lovable elements like the horses and Kade's adorable character. If you want an emotional new adult full of growth and a tender relationship, you should pick up Shy Kinda Love.

Waiting on Wednesday (239)

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

You Before Anyone Else

By Julie Cross and Mark Perini

Release Date: August 2, 2016

New York City model Finley is fed up with hearing the same feedback at castings: she needs to take some serious action to wipe the "good girl" stamp from her resume if she wants to launch to stardom.

Enter Eddie Wells. He's shallow, predictable…and just as lost as Finley feels. Deep down, Finley is drawn to Eddie's bravado, his intensity. Except Eddie is hiding something. A big something. And when it surfaces, both loving and leaving Finley will become so much harder.

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

I love love love Julie Cross. Whatever Life Throws at You is one of my favorite books, so when I saw she had a new book coming out, I was definitely excited. I've never read a book about a model before, so the summary for this one intrigued me. Of course, one of the characters is hiding something big and I can't wait to find out what it is! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookworm Delights

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 Bookworm Delights

1. Meeting one of my favorite authors. Some of my personal highlights have been Colleen Hoover, Jamie McGuire, and Rainbow Rowell. I've met Colleen and Rainbow twice and every time I feel like I'm meeting a celebrity. I seriously get so nervous before meeting an author and it's so amazing to meet these incredibly talented people in real life!

2. Meeting amazing people over books. I have met some great people thanks to blogging and I wouldn't have met them if it weren't for books. 

3. Seeing all of my beautiful books. Since I started blogging in 2011, my personal collection has blown up and I have an entire wall of books in the living room of my apartment. I love looking at it every day and having so many words at my fingertips. 

4. Sharing my passion for reading and hearing people love books because of me. I love it when someone comments on my blog or my youtube channel saying that they read a book that I had recommended and loved it. Spreading the love of reading is my passion and I love it when people find a great book because of me! 

5. Finding a new favorite author. I love the feeling of reading a fantastic book and wanting to devour absolutely everything by that author. This happened to me with RS Grey and recently with Erika Kelly. I get so excited when I start a new book by them and I feel like it's Christmas morning when I open up that first page. 

And that's my list for this week! It's only five, but they're five pretty awesome moments as a book reader. What do you love about being a bookworm? 

Cover Reveal: Worked Up by Tessa Bailey

We are loving this cover for Tessa Bailey’s WORKED UP, the third novel in Tessa’s bestselling romance Made in Jersey series. WORKED UP is being published by Entangled Brazen in August 2016. Check out the sexy cover below and add it on Goodreads today!

 

ABOUT WORKED UP (Made in Jersey #3):

New Jersey factory mechanic Duke Crawford has watched his loved ones’ marriages fail, time and time again, so he’s not interested in a relationship. Who could have guessed Samantha Waverly, a fellow commitment-phobe—and his new boss’s off-limits sister—would make him question his dedication to bachelorhood? And get him good and worked up in the process…

 

Add it to Goodreads here!

MADE IN JERSEY Series

 

And don’t miss the first three books in the Made in Jersey…

CRASHED OUT (#1)

✦ Amazon ✦iBooks ✦ Barnes & Noble

ROUGH RHYTHM (#1.5)

✦ Amazon

THROWN DOWN (#2)

✦ Amazon ✦iBooks ✦ Barnes & Noble

About the Author

   

Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days. Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention. She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.  

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Goodreads

   

Book Review: Quinn by JC Cliff

Quinn

By JC Cliff

Release Date: February 23, 2016

Source: Publisher

Goodreads | Amazon

Fearless and determined, Quinn is the perfect man for the job the Moretti mob has in mind: track down missing mafia princess, Alexis Moretti, and bring her home.

What starts out as a simple task to repay an old debt turns into so much more than he bargained for... And so does she.

As Quinn and Lexi grow close, she becomes more than just his mission. But Lexi and Quinn are both keeping secrets--secrets that could destroy their blossoming romance just as quickly as it ignited. When Lexi's past catches up with them, secrets and lies will be revealed, and the ultimate test of forgiveness will be upon them both.

The moment I read the summary for this book, I was excited to read it. I love romances where someone gets close to someone for bad reasons and they end up falling for each other. This one looked like it would promise some serious heat, too, and I couldn't wait to read it!

When Quinn gets a phone call from a mob boss asking for him to cash in on an owed favor, Quinn doesn't want to get involved. But he's the perfect man for the job of finding a runaway mafia daughter wanted for murder. When Quinn finds her, though, she's far from the mob princess he was expecting. Lexi is running from a horrible situation with some horrible men, so when she meets Quinn, she is surprised by how sweet and protective he is. As they spend more time on the Appalachian trails together, the more they start to fall for each other. But can Quinn keep her safe and keep her trust when she finds out who he really is? 

This book had so much promise. It started out pretty good and I loved how moved Quinn was when he finally found Quinn and got to know her. They didn't want to like each other because of their real identities and pasts, but they just couldn't help it. I loved how Quinn was trying to go slow with her because he knew that she was different than all of the other women that flew in and out of his life. 

The problem I had with this book, though, was how slow it ended up being. Yes, it was sweet how Quinn didn't want to go too fast, but I found myself skimming sections and becoming bored with the story by the end. It was obvious where the ending was heading and I just wanted even more of a connection between Quinn and Lexi than we got. 

Overall, this one had promise and started off pretty good, but the middle and end were lacking for me. I wanted more development from the main character and a less predictable ending.

Stacking the Shelves (190)

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

From Amazon

I ordered one book from Amazon this week and I could not be more excited! I love RS Grey and have been pining after all of her other books after reading Scoring Wilder. I had an Amazon gift card, so I decided to go for Chasing Spring. I can't wait to read it!

For Kindle

I have had both of these on my wish-list for so long and they were both recently on sale for only 99 cents each! I couldn't resist a deal like that!

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

Book Review: Summer of Supernovas by Darcy Woods

Summer of Supernovas

By Darcy Woods

Release Date: May 10, 2016

Source: Publisher

Goodreads | Amazon

As the daughter of an expert astrologer, Wilamena Carlisle knows that the truth lies within the stars. So when she discovers a rare planetary alignment, she is forced to tackle her worst astrological fear – The Fifth House of Relationships and Love. But Wil must decide whether a cosmically doomed love is worth rejecting her mother’s legacy, when she falls for a sensitive guitar player hailing from the wrong side of the chart.

Debut author Darcy Woods explores love in all its complexities and how to best honor the loved ones who have passed before us, in a novel packed with both humor and heart.

There's nothing that I love more than a contemporary YA romance, so this one had me written all over it. I couldn't wait to see if the story was really as adorable and sweet as the cover promised. 

Wil Carlisle has always looked to the stars when it comes to making big decisions in her life. So when time starts ticking on finding her true love, Wil is determined to listen to the stars and her mom when looking for the one she is destined to be with. But when Darcy finds herself falling for a guitar player who is the one person the stars have deemed doomed for her, Darcy tries everything to follow her head. But the more time she spends with her guitar player, she finds it harder and harder to ignore her heart. 

Oh this book. This book reminds me of the adult romances I love that have musicians in them and adds the adorable factor of a cute YA romance. I really enjoyed Wil's character and fell in love with just how cute this book was from the beginning. When she met Grant in the beginning, it was so funny and I found myself telling my sister little tidbits from the book that I just loved as I was reading. And I loved how Grant was a musician, especially since he wasn't lead singer but rather the guitar player. The cocky lead singer trope gets a little old after awhile, so I loved seeing a different musician who loved music but wasn't the center of attention all the time. 

The one thing that did bother me was the extent to which Wil fought against her feelings in order to follow the stars and her mother. I get that Wil believed so strongly in all of that, but by the end I just wanted to shake her and tell her to stop hurting herself and all of those involved in her love life. If you don't like love triangles, beware, because this one is a love triangle between Wil and two brothers who can't stand each other. I loved Wil's intense connection with the brother her heart really loved and I was definitely rooting for them the entire time. 

What else can I say? This was an adorable, funny, and refreshing romance that reminded me of everything I love about YA contemporaries. As a debut novel, I definitely can't wait to see what Darcy Woods has in store for us next!

Waiting on Wednesday (238)

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

The Summer Games

By RS Grey

Release Date: May 3, 2016

As an Olympic rookie, Andie Foster has spent far more time in her cleats than between the sheets. For 21 years, her Friday nights have consisted of blocking shots rather than taking them. But now that she's landed in Rio, she's ready to see for herself if the rumors about the Olympic Village are true:

• The athletes are all sex-crazed maniacs...
• The committee passes out condoms like candy...
• The games continue long after the medals have been handed out...

As Andie walks the line between rumor and reality, she's forced into the path of Frederick Archibald, a decorated Olympic swimmer and owner of a sexy British accent—too bad he's unavailable in a way that "it's complicated" doesn't even begin to explain.

In other words: off limits.

It doesn't matter that he has abs that could bring peace to the Middle East and a smile that makes even the Queen blush; Andie fully intends on keeping her focus on the soccer field. But the Village is small. Suffocating. Everywhere Andie goes, Freddie happens to be there—shirtless, wet from the pool, and determined to show her a whole new meaning of the phrase "international affairs".

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

OH MY GOSH. I can't even form words when I start to talk about how excited I am about this book. I am obsessed with Scoring Wilder and when I saw there would be a second book set in the same world, I flipped out. I love RS Grey's writing and just fun stories, so I can't wait to see what she comes up with to happen in Olympic Village! Bring on the hot athletes! 

Release Day Tour: Quinn II by JC Cliff

Quinn II

By JC Cliff

Release Date: April 19, 2016

Goodreads | Kindle

QUINN IS BACK and pushing the limits on it all -- suspense, sex, love, gut-wrenching emotions -- with a fiery intense conclusion to his and Lexi's story. The more Alexis runs, the harder Quinn fights for her.
 
It's an undeniable truth; bad things happen to good people, and Lexi is not impervious to the realities of the life she left behind.
 
Keeping Lexi safe at all cost, Quinn remains unwavering in his duties, constantly putting his life on the line, time and time again.
 
Two tortured souls are pushed to the edges of their sanity and their love will be put to the test. Tempers flare, emotions burst, and love flickers, but after the ultimate explosion, can forgiveness be found amongst the rubble?
 
Alexis needs Quinn more than ever...and Quinn must decide if Lexi is truly his fate or if their romance was never meant to survive beyond his mission. One thing is for certain: neither Quinn nor Alexis will be the same after surfacing from the mountain trails. Now that they've survived the wild, can they survive each other?

Quinn

By JC Cliff

Release Date: February 23, 2016

Goodreads | Amazon

Fearless and determined, Quinn is the perfect man for the job the Moretti mob has in mind: track down missing mafia princess, Alexis Moretti, and bring her home.

What starts out as a simple task to repay an old debt turns into so much more than he bargained for... And so does she.

As Quinn and Lexi grow close, she becomes more than just his mission. But Lexi and Quinn are both keeping secrets--secrets that could destroy their blossoming romance just as quickly as it ignited. When Lexi's past catches up with them, secrets and lies will be revealed, and the ultimate test of forgiveness will be upon them both.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Made Me Laugh

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 Books That Made Me Laugh

Hmmm, this one is a hard one for me. Do I want to list books that made me laugh A LOT or books where I chuckled here and there? There are only a few books that I can really think of that made me laugh a lot, so I'm going to include only five of those that really put a smile on my face and were just fun to read. 

1. Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

2. Bad Romeo by Leisa Rayven 

3. Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

4. Pucked by Helena Hunting

Okay, so I lied. I can only come up with four. I was asking my sister for ideas and she made a good point that we just don't read flat-out funny books. We like the drama and the romance! So I hope it's okay that I only have four to share with you today!