Susan Dennard and Emery Lord Author Signing

Living in Ohio, there aren't too many authors who come around here often. I'm so lucky, though, to have Josheph-Beth Booksellers in Cincinnati who have some amazing YA authors visit. Emery Lord lives in the area, so I've seen her a handful of times over the past four years. I was so excited to see she would be at the signing and discussion with Susan Dennard, an author who I hadn't read yet. I promptly went on to Book Outlet and ordered Truthwitch. While I didn't finish it in time for the signing (I only had 30 pages left!) I still went and had a blast!

Emery is such a fun, personable person, so her discussion with Susan was so much fun. They started off by saying they were going to approach the discussion as if they were at Emery's kitchen counter catching up. Sounded good to me! The two went on to discuss how Susan got into writing and her writing experience with Windwitch. Hearing them both talking about the hardships and rewards of writing was so inspiring and I loved learning about their writing processes. Both of them are so human and it was so refreshing to hear how writing isn't all sunshine and roses and that they both do struggle with quite a few things when it came to writing. Windwitch was pretty hard to Susan to write, especially since all of her characters had separated at the end of Truthwtich and she had to weave together a bunch of story lines into one cohesive book. 

As a book blogger, I asked if they read reviews written of their books and how they dealt with negative reviews. Both Emery and Susan said that since reviews are written for readers, not writers, they try their best to stay away from them. Though, they do get the occasional glimpse and, like any normal person, it's hard for them to take the hard criticism. They were so funny talking about their reactions to reviews, though, and I loved how lighthearted they both were. 

What more can I say? I had so much fun at the signing and Susan and Emery were so friendly when it was time for the signing. They both discussed how it's crazy for Susan to keep her fantasy world straight in her mind and how it's like a cloud above her head she has to keep up with. I'm already missing them and wish we could just hang out at Emery's and be best friends. Is that too much to ask? 

Book Review: Infini by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Infini (Aerial Ethereal #2)

By Krista and Becca Ritchie

Release Date: January 31, 2017

Source: Amazon

Goodreads | Amazon

"Don’t have a best friend that’s a girl" — this was the advice from my older cousin. I didn’t take it. Because he followed with, "friends don’t f*ck friends. And you’ll want to f*ck her."

It was terrible advice. 

My cousin should’ve told me that being best friends with Baylee Wright — since she was twelve — would be the best and worst decision of my life. 

He should have told me to protect her from what was coming. 

He should have told me that when a darkness crawled towards us, there’d be no safety net. 

Now I’ve signed back on to the same Vegas acrobatic show as Baylee, working together for the first time in years. And she tells me that she’s having trouble in a certain “area” of her life — because of our past. 

“You can help me fix it,” she says. 

And then she hands me a list. 

Krista and Becca Ritchie are one of my favorite writing pairs and I absolutely love the stories they create. The Addicted series is, well, addicting, and I absolutely loved Amour Amour. The moment it was announce that they were releasing another book in the Aerial Ethereal world, I counted down the days until I could pick it up. 

For Luka Katova, the acrobatic world has been his life and he's performed with his family since he could walk. One choice when he was younger put his entire performing life in jeopardy and he had to choose between the love of his life and his family. Family is life, though, so Luka is forced to put his family first. Years later, changes are being made to the Vegas Show that Luka has been hired on for and he finds himself performing with the person he has promised never to speak to or of again. Now that they're back in each other's lives, Luka realizes he never stopped loving her, but can he risk his family, again, for love? 

OH MY GOSH. Talk about chemistry! I loved the Katova men when we met them in Nikolai's story, so I knew Luka was going to be the perfect hero for this book. The moment Bailey walked back into his life, there was no denying the love or attraction between the two. Since they had built a relationship for years when they were younger teenagers, this didn't feel like insta-love at all. Instead, they were able to jump head first back into their feelings, but they knew they couldn't act on them if they wanted to keep their families and lives as performers. Both characters felt so much pressure to keep their jobs, but they found it harder and harder to deny each other, not only because of their lust but also because of their honest and pure love. 

Along with the romance and relationships in this book, the reason I love this series is because of the world of performing and acrobats that the characters live and breathe. Luka and Bailey were born into the business and have no idea how to live any other way, so when their work was put in jeopardy, it made sense why they would give up anything to keep it, including each other. It was so fun watching them practice their performance and work together in such a magical way. I also loved seeing who the family interacted with one another during and outside of work. Books far too often leave out family, so I loved how important family, no matter how near or far, was to our characters. 

If you haven't had the pleasure of reading anything by the Ritchie twins, you are seriously missing out. The relationships, both romantic and familial, are so integral in the characters' lives and make the story so much stronger and addicting. Infini was a fantastic addition to the Aerial Ethereal series and I am already dying for more books about the Kotova siblings!

Series Sale: All I Want by J Daniels

I have an awesome deal to share with you all today! J Daniels' series is on sale right now and one of the books, All I Want, is only 99 cents! I haven't read this series myself yet, but I have it on good authority that they are great reads! Check out the links! 

ALABAMA SUMMER SERIES

SERIES LINK:

US ➜ http://amzn.to/1lFFbZU

UK ➜ http://amzn.to/1Tb6Lt1

Book #1- WHERE I BELONG

US ➜ http://amzn.to/1Oya4en

UK ➜ http://amzn.to/1MNOAVZ

B&N ➜ http://goo.gl/NrUiZH

KOBO ➜ https://goo.gl/thGY2r

iBOOKS ➜ https://goo.gl/V7bgwP

Audio ➜ http://amzn.to/2dVCVy9

Paperback ➜ http://amzn.to/2fa5wMy

Book #2- ALL I WANT

US ➜ http://amzn.to/1VeWCuP

UK ➜ http://amzn.to/1Tb6G8E

B&N ➜ http://goo.gl/sxLxlY

KOBO ➜ https://goo.gl/jD7lVx

iBOOKS ➜ https://goo.gl/nnzLX0

Audio ➜ http://amzn.to/2fa5KDl

Paperback ➜ http://amzn.to/2fa4YX3

Book #3- WHEN I FALL

US ➜ http://amzn.to/1LaCQ4u

UK ➜ http://amzn.to/1Ic6ShB

B&N ➜ http://goo.gl/YFoPnh

KOBO ➜ https://goo.gl/Qioxkq

iBOOKS ➜ https://goo.gl/O9pv02

Audio ➜ http://amzn.to/2eUulNd

Paperback ➜ http://amzn.to/2f5SoZR

Book #4- WHERE WE BELONG

US ➜ http://amzn.to/2fgH3rX

UK ➜ http://amzn.to/1Tb6SVC

B&N ➜ http://goo.gl/TlySrz

KOBO ➜ https://goo.gl/MyUvCo

iBOOKS ➜ https://goo.gl/YJWU23

Audio ➜ http://amzn.to/2e5TRxj

Paperback ➜ http://amzn.to/2fnCbTT

Book #5- WHAT I NEED

*Coming March 5^th, 2017

US ➜

UK ➜

B&N ➜

KOBO ➜

iBOOKS ➜ https://goo.gl/k966zS

Audio ➜

Paperback ➜ http://amzn.to/2fa5R1L

Stacking the Shelves (233)

 

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

From Amazon

I am going to a Susan Dennard signing on Sunday, so of course I had to get myself a copy of her newest release. I am about halfway through Truthwitch, which I'm really enjoying so far! I can't wait to meet Susan! 

Ebook From Amazon

Penelope Douglas is one of my favorite authors and so many people have told me that I have to read Corrupt. It was finally on sale for 99 cents on Amazon, so I didn't hesitate to one-click and get myself a copy! 

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

Book Review: Preston's Honor by Mia Sheridan

Preston's Honor

By Mia Sheridan 

Release Date: February 19, 2017

Source: Publisher 

Goodreads | Amazon

There were two brothers—identical twins—and though I loved them both, my soul belonged to only one.

Annalia Del Valle has loved Preston Sawyer all her life. The daughter of an impoverished migrant farmworker, she grew up as an outcast in what was no more than a tiny, cooped up shack in California’s Central Valley. But her heart found freedom in the land, in the wide-open spaces of Sawyer Farm, and in the boys who were her only friends.

Preston has yearned for Annalia since he was a boy. But a sense of honor kept him from pursuing her until he’s unable to hold back any longer and their worlds—and bodies—collide one hot summer night. A night that sets off a chain of events that will alter their lives forever.

Now Annalia is back in town after disappearing without a trace for six long months. Determined to reclaim her heart, her life, and the baby she left behind—the son who was created in a moment of lust and love and pent-up yearning.

Preston has survived grief, a ravaging drought, and the despair of heartache, but he’s not sure he can survive Annalia again. And he might be unwilling to try. Will pride and bitterness keep him from the one thing he’s always longed for?

How do you heal what is irreparably broken? How do you forgive that which is unforgivable? How do you discover that real honor comes not from circumstance, but from the place deep in our hearts where truth resides? And how do you move beyond the wounds of the past to discover that some loves are as solid as the ground beneath your feet, and as enduring as the earth itself?

Mia Sheridan has a way of writing completely unique and utterly emotional books. I was so excited to see she had a new book coming out that promised yet another heartbreaking story. 

Ever since she was born, Annalia has felt like a burden to her mother, who is an illegal immigrant, and has felt embarrassed about how poor she is. When she is with twins Preston and Cole, though, Annalia forgets about her problems and just enjoys being with her two best friends. Despite how close the three grow over the years, their friendship has never been in the public eye because Annalia knows no one would ever accept her. That doesn't stop Annalia from falling in love with Preston, or Preston from falling in love with Annalia. Preston, though, has never shown Annalia how he really feels because of his honor for his brother. As their chemistry builds after so many years denying what they feel for one another, one night of lust changes their lives forever and they are both drowning in emotions and how to face a future neither of them knows how to live. 

Since this book is told in a nonlinear fashion, you know what is going to happen in the future before being told their past and how Annalia and Preston fell in love. I love stories that do this because you know what's going to happen and you're just waiting for it to finally occur and you need to figure out how that moment was going to even happen in the first place. It was so heartbreaking watching Annalia grow up with absolutely nothing and feel like a burden to all of those around her. I loved how she could forget everything when she was with Preston and Cole. There is nothing more heartbreaking than watching two people love each other but not tell one another they love each other. Preston and Annalia were just kids, so it was so hard to see them have such strong feelings for one another but not communicate well and doubt what the other feels. 

I have to say that I think I enjoyed the years that Preston and Annalia were in high school more than afterwards when we catch up to what was told to us in the beginning of the book. When we got to where Annalia and Preston were after college, I thought it was more of them learning to love again and trust one another instead of them learning that they really did love each other. Things started to drag out near the end and I didn't love it as much as I did when they were trying to deny their feelings for one another. In the later years, they knew how they felt, but they just didn't know a healthy way to show it to one another. In the end, though, it was still a heartbreaking, raw story of two people who didn't know how to properly love each other. 

If you can't tell, this was another emotional, raw romance from Mia Sheridan. There were heartbreaking circumstances outside of our main characters' control and they really didn't know how to be together after years of being apart. There was also a lot explored when it came to being an immigrant and living in poverty, which I think made this book even more emotional and gave Annalia even more depth to her character. For a book that will pull on your heart string and have you rooting for the couple to achieve their HEA from the start, you definitely need to pick up Preston's Honor.

Cover Reveal: Mister Moneybags by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Authors Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward have teamed up once again to bring you another chance meeting, another Cocky Bastard who will charm his way into your heart on April 10th, 2017.

 

Photographer: Maurizio Montani

Model: Richeli Murari

Cover designer: Letitia Hasser, r.b.a. designs

     

I met Bianca in an elevator.

She was on her way to interview me when we got stuck.

The beautiful, raven-haired reporter assumed I was a delivery guy because of the way I was dressed.

She had no clue I was really Dex Truitt, the wealthy, successful businessman she’d dubbed “Mister Moneybags”—her afternoon appointment.

Bianca told me how much she hated Dex’s type—snobby, over educated, silver- spooned men who didn't appreciate the simple things in life.

So, after the elevator finally started moving again, I cancelled the interview and let her believe I was someone I wasn’t—a bike messenger named Jay. I loved the way she looked at the fake me and didn't want it to end.

I began dating her as “Jay”—all the while letting her interview the real me over email.

I didn’t expect that our chemistry online would be just as hot.

I didn’t expect the mess I’d gotten myself into.

I didn’t expect that Jay and Dex would fall in love with her.

And she was falling for two men.

Only, both men were me.

And when she found out, we were both going to lose her.

Nothing could have prepared me for that day. And I certainly wasn't prepared for what came after.

All good things must come to an end, right? Except our ending was one I didn't see coming.

Add to Goodreads

Read the First Chapter here: http://www.subscribepage.com/h8c4d2_MMB

PRE-ORDER

iBooks exclusive ebook pre-order | Amazon paperback

**No Amazon ebook preorder. Will go live on Amazon on release day. **

Sign up for Penelope & Vi’s mailing list now and be the first one notified when it goes live!

       

About the Authors

 

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author. With more than a million books sold, her titles have appeared in over fifty Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twelve languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.  

Website | Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram      

 

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. She’s a fifteen-time New York Times bestseller of twelve novels. Having grown up in Boston with five older brothers, she spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor, before switching to a more family-friendly career. She is the proud mother of a beautiful 12-year-old girl with autism and a 10-year-old boy. Penelope and her family reside in Rhode Island.  

Connect with Penelope Ward 

Facebook Fan Group | Facebook | Website |Twitter | Instagram    

Waiting on Wednesday (173)

 

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

Foolish Hearts

By Emma Mills

Release Date: October 3, 2017

A contemporary novel about a girl whose high school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream leads her to new friends—and maybe even new love.

The day of the last party of the summer, Claudia overhears a conversation she wasn't supposed to. Now on the wrong side of one of the meanest girls in school, Claudia doesn't know what to expect when the two are paired up to write a paper—let alone when they're both forced to try out for the school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

But mandatory participation has its upsides—namely, an unexpected friendship, a boy band obsession, and a guy with the best dimpled smile Claudia's ever seen. As Claudia's world starts to expand, she finds that maybe there are some things worth sticking her neck out for.

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

I absolutely loved the other two YA novels that Emma Mills has written and I flipped out when I saw the cover of her newest novel. Look how cool it is! Reading the synopsis, I was excited to see that it revolved around a high school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. It sounds like this one deals with both friendships and romance, which is a staple in Emma's books, and I can't wait to finally get my hands on it! 

Release Day Launch: Royally Matched by Emma Chase

     

Some men are born responsible, some men have responsibility thrust upon them. Henry Charles Albert Edgar Pembrook, Prince of Wessco, just got the motherlode of all responsibility dumped in his regal lap.

He’s not handling it well.

Hoping to force her grandson to rise to the occasion, Queen Lenora goes on a much-needed safari holiday—and when the Queen’s away, the Prince will play. After a chance meeting with an American television producer, Henry finally makes a decision all on his own:

Welcome to Matched: Royal Edition.

A reality TV dating game show featuring twenty of the world's most beautiful blue bloods gathered in the same castle. Only one will win the diamond tiara, only one will capture the handsome prince’s heart.

While Henry revels in the sexy, raunchy antics of the contestants as they fight, literally, for his affection, it’s the quiet, bespectacled girl in the corner—with the voice of an angel and a body that would tempt a saint—who catches his eye.

The more Henry gets to know Sarah Mirabelle Zinnia Von Titebottum, the more enamored he becomes of her simple beauty, her strength, her kind spirit…and her naughty sense of humor.

But Rome wasn’t built in a day—and irresponsible royals aren’t reformed overnight.

As he endeavors to right his wrongs, old words take on whole new meanings for the dashing Prince. Words like, Duty, Honor and most of all—Love.

  

Kindle | Amazon Paperback | iBooks | Nook | B&N Paperback | Kobo | BAM | IndieBound

About the Author

 

 Emma Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the hot and hilarious Tangled series and The Legal Briefs series. Emma lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children and two naughty (but really cute) dogs. She has a long-standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | NEWSLETTER | TWITTER | GOODREADS

Book Review: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

The Hating Game 

By Sally Thorne

Release Date: August 9, 2016

Source: Amazon

Goodreads

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.

I have heard so many amazing things about this book, so I didn't even hesitate to order it from Amazon. While it took me a little bit longer to read it, I couldn't wait to dive into this laugh out loud, enemies to lovers romance. 

Lucy and Josh are the definition of enemies. Working in the same room as assistants to the co-CEOs of a publishing company that is the product of two separate companies merging, Lucy and Josh dedicate their lives to their work and one-uping one another. When a promotion is announced, the competition between Lucy and Josh becomes even more intense, but Lucy starts noticing something else becoming more intense and it's a feeling she's never had towards Josh before…

Oh, this book. A lot of time, enemies to lovers romances are insta-attraction that turns into insta-love. At the beginning of this book, Lucy hadn't even ever thought of Josh that way and only saw him as an annoying enemy she had to beat. Their competition was so much fun and I loved how Lucy was so observant over everything Josh did and became so annoyed by it. While she may have hated Josh, I also loved how loving and just plain-old nice Lucy was. Lucy's kindness balanced out Josh's harshness well, but they still challenged each other and pushed each other to be each other's best.

What I loved most about this book, though, was when Lucy and Josh started to hang out after work and slowly start to fall for each other. This is definitely a slower romance and I loved how Lucy started to feel weird about how she felt about Josh. Their interactions were so fun and I loved seeing Josh show his vulnerable side as Lucy discovered his past and understood why he was the way he was. 

How is this Sally Thorne's debut novel? This novel had laugh-out-loud moments and a slower romance that evolved the more the characters really got to know each other. I loved both of the main characters and how feisty, yet vulnerable they could be with each other. Lucy was such a relatable character and I loved how flawed and real she was. For a fun, charming, and entertaining romance, you have to pick up The Hating Game.

Stacking the Shelves (232)

 

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

E-Book from Publisher 

 

I have received SO MANY amazing e-books lately! I think they all arrived on my kindle on the same day and I couldn't be more excited. All four of these authors write phenomenal romances, so I can't wait to read them! 

E-books from Amazon

I have heard fantastic things about Amy Harmon, so when I saw this book on sale, I snatched it up. I hope I can get to it soon! 

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

Cover Reveal: Say I'm Yours by Corinne Michaels

 

From New York Times Bestseller, Corinne Michaels, comes a new second chance standalone romance.

I spent twenty years waiting for Trent Hennington to open his eyes and see me. But it was all for nothing. He chose to keep himself guarded and let me walk away, proving that my time and efforts were wasted.

I'm done being invisible.
It's time to move on.

A single dance sets my new reality into motion, and I welcome it. After all, Cooper Townsend is perfect. He's kind, sexy, and attentive--everything a girl could want.

I thought I got it right this time.
That my heart could mend, and I would be happy.
Apparently, some things really are just too hard to walk away from.

❈ ADD TO GOODREADS

Say I’m Yours Pre-Order

❈ iBooks ❈ Barnes & Noble ❈ Google Play ❈ Kobo

   

About the Author

 

Corinne Michaels is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author of The Salvation Series and Say You'll Stay. 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. 

 Both her maternal and paternal grandmothers were librarians, which only intensified her love of reading. After years of writing short stories, she couldn't ignore the call to finish her debut novel, Beloved. Her alpha heroes are broken, beautiful, and will steal your heart. 

Newsletter | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon Author Page | Corinne Michaels Facebook Group