Friday, February 27, 2015

#COYER & #ShelfLove Review ~ The Governess Affair ~ Courtney Milan

The Governess Affair (Brothers Sinister, #0.5)The Governess Affair
Brothers Sinister #0.5
Release Date: April 21, 2012
Genre: Historical Romance
Source: Purchased on B&N
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Goodreads

Synopsis
She will not give up...

Three months ago, governess Serena Barton was let go from her position. Unable to find new work, she's demanding compensation from the man who got her sacked: a petty, selfish, swinish duke. But it's not the duke she fears. It's is merciless man of business--the man known as the Wolf of Clermont. The formidable former pugilist has a black reputation for handling all the duke's dirty business, and when the duke turns her case over to him, she doesn't stand a chance. But she can't stop trying--not with her entire future at stake.

He cannot give in...

Hugo Marshall is a man of ruthless ambition--a characteristic that has served him well, elevating the coal miner's son to the right hand man of a duke. When his employer orders him to get rid of the pestering governess by fair means or foul, it's just another day at the office. Unfortunately, fair means don't work on Serena, and as he comes to know her, he discovers that he can't bear to use foul ones. But everything he has worked for depends upon seeing her gone. He'll have to choose between the life that he needs, and the woman he is coming to love...




I read this book as part of Lexxie's COYER Mini-Challenge 3 Historical Romances in 3 Weeks. I'd had it on my shelf since March, 2013.


***

Ah, I believe I have developed a tendre for Mr. Marshall. What a sweet, tender man, in the body of a cunning and ruthless man. And Serena - how could you not pull for this plucky young woman? A woman determined not to let circumstances, those beyond her control, dictate her future.

Serena and Hugo meet under duress. Serena has found herself in a predicament compliments of the Duke of Clermont. She demands he make amends for a transgression. However, the Duke doesn't want to concede, as his Duchess is already out-of-sorts over his behavior. Hugo works for the Duke--he solves his problems--by any means necessary. In this case, he doesn't wish to resort to his usual ruthless ways. So he sets about getting rid of Serena in a more pedestrian manner. The problem for Hugo is, in Serena he's met his match.

This story was delightful. Although only ~100 pages, Ms. Milan did an excellent job in setting up the world and developing her characters. The banter between Hugo and Serena was so playful. I did a lot of cheering and sighing. This was my first read from Ms. Milan and I enjoyed the introduction. I'm eager to see if all her stories are as captivating as this one.


~~Favorite Quotes~~
"Mr. Marshall, she wrote, I am delighted that you are delighted that I am delighted with my new home. Can I predict the substance of your next missive? That you are delighted that I am delighted that you are delighted, et cetera. I have saved up both a great deal of postage and awkward conversation. If we keep this up, we shall quickly run through our ink." -Serena


***


"You are too kind."
"No, I'm not," he contradicted. "I'm deliberately confusing you out of a desire to assuage my own meager excuse for a conscience. To add to my sins, defiance of all society's rules, I wish to become better acquainted with you. Don't imaging there's anything akin to kindness behind my selfish behavior." -Serena & Hugo




Thursday, February 26, 2015

#2015HW, #ShelfLove Review ~ Breathe ~ Abbi Glines

Breathe (Sea Breeze, #1)Breathe
Sea Breeze Series #1
Release Date: May 16, 2011
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased from B&N
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Goodreads

Synopsis
Sadie White's summer job isn't going to be on the beach life-guarding or working at rental booths like most kids her age. With her single mother's increasing pregnancy and refusal to work, Sadie has to take over her mother's job as a domestic servant for one of the wealthy summer families on a nearby island.

When the family arrives at their summer getaway, Sadie is surprised to learn that the owner of the house is Jax Stone, one of the hottest teen rockers in the world. If Sadie hadn't spent her life raising her mother and taking care of the house she might have been normal enough to be excited about working for a rock star.

Even though Sadie isn't impressed by Jax's fame, he is drawn to her. Everything about Sadie fascinates Jax but he fights his attraction. Relationships never work in his world and as badly as he wants Sadie, he believes she deserves more. By the end of the summer, Jax discovers he can't breathe without Sadie.



Y'all, I've had Breathe on my nook since June 2012. I picked it up after reading The Vincent Boys and loving it. And I'm pretty sure it was only 99 cents but I'm too lazy to try to figure it out. ;) I know it's been through several rounds of editing since then but I'm reviewing this version and the only knock against it, for me, is Glines' lack of contractions. I've not been to Alabama (yet) but I did grow up in Texas and I feel safe in saying teens do not speak so formally. No, they don't. Other than that...nada. :)

I am really late to the Sea Breeze party. I wish I'd read it a long time ago - but better late than never, yeah? (Thanks Marilyn and Naomi for constantly tempting me to start it) Since y'all have probably read more than a few reviews of Breathe, I'm going to list the things I liked.

  • Glines did an excellent job of realistically conveying the personality and character of Sadie - a young girl who's had to grow up way before her time. She's smart, capable, and responsible.
  • Glines also did well in painting the picture of Jax - who lost normal at an early age but was still a little boy, craving acceptance - normal beneath all the pomp and circumstance of being a rock star/teen idol.
  • The cast of supporting characters is very well fleshed out - Jessica, Sadie's mom, is well defined as someone I simultaneously pitied and despised; Marcu is so believable as a guy smitten with Sadie but willing to be a good friend; Ms. Mary and Mr. Greg are so well-developed I feel I know then as well as I know Sadie and Jax - Mary, in particular.
  • Glines accurately and realistically portrayed the emotion and angst of first love coupled with the lovers being from distinctly different worlds
  • Glines had me sympathizing with both Sadie's and Jax's woes, and wrought quite a bit of emotion from me. I was a weepy mess at several different times during the story.
I really enjoyed my introduction to the Sea Breeze series. I'm not sure if the series is complete or not, but I'm thrilled to have so many at-hand. I can't wait to see what comes next for Sadie and Jax.




Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Travel by the Book ~ Lake Quinault


Welcome to Travel by the Book. I mentioned on a Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged post one time that many, many of my vacations with Hubs have been inspired by a book. Hubs is kind enough to indulge me and take me to said places. So I got the idea to share those books and vacations with y'all. This will be a monthly feature and I hope y'all enjoy it!



***The Book***


Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood
When I first moved to Colorado (1999), I joined a moms group and started a book club. It was for that book club that I read The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. If any of you have read it, you know it's a story about finding out who you are, where you come from, the bonds of friendship, and the difficulties that can strain a mother-daughter relationship. Sidda escaped to Lake Quinault after a falling out with her mother, Vivi. While there, Vivi sends her a scrapbook entitled "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" and in it, Sidda discovers a lot about her mother and herself...while sitting on the banks of the lake, hiking the trails around the lake, and swimming in the lake. Despite the fact that the story is really more Vivi's and takes place in the heat and humidity of Louisiana, it was the peace Sidda found at Lake Quinault that struck me. After the location was first introduced, I put the book down and told Hubs, "I want you take me here." We got out maps to figure out the exact location and planned a trip...which was taken several years and a couple of kids later. :)




***The Travel***

In June, 2008, we finally made the trip. I have to tell y'all that the Olympic Peninsula in June is GORGEOUS! We had mostly sunny skies - okay, there was a day where it was mostly cloudy) - and I found Lake Quinault to be just as peaceful as Sidda described it. Lake Quinault is on the Quinault Indian Reservation. It's very remote - no cell service or wifi. It's lush, quiet, and the perfect place to explore the rainforest or just sit by the lake and read.

We stayed in the historic Lake Quinault Lodge. It's rustic, charming, and served wonderful food!


Here is a photo of the back side of the lodge. The lawn gently rolls down toward the lake.



Doesn't this look like the perfect place to relax with a book?



Okay, so we did actually spend a lot of time on the lawn here. We could relax, read, and play bacci ball. :)



But we did take advantage of seeing a few of the sights in the Quinault Rainforest...like seeing the World's Largest Spruce tree.



And these wild blackberry bushes/trees. Y'all these bushes are taller than me! The Lake Quinault Lodge restaurant served a great compote made with these.




Can you believe the size of this tree? Or my incredible display of strength?!? *snickers*



And proof that things in the rain forest just grow to abnormally large sizes...look at this slug! But it is such a pretty shade of green.



So, my hubs and I really enjoyed our trip to the Olympic Peninsula (it wasn't to be our last) and the Lake Quinault Lodge. I absolutely can see what Sidda would want to escape to this peaceful location. And I'm grateful I got to make the journey.


Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Blitz & Giveaway ~ Broken Souls ~ Laurie Olerich


I'm happy to be a part of the blitz for Laurie Olerich's Broken Souls. Below you'll find information about Broken Souls and the Primani series. There is also a fabulous giveaway!


***


BROKEN SOULS (Primani #4)
by Laurie Olerich
Dark Urban Fantasy Romance
Published on September 2014

This is the first standalone book in the Primani series. It’s a dark romantic suspense that layers a decades-old murder with chilling demon possession on top of two broken people who must somehow heal wounds too deep to see the light of day.
Stalked by evil... Psychic Rori Austin’s life is over. She just doesn’t know it yet. Suffering from recurring nightmares and terrifying fugues, she’s hanging on by a thread. When she blacks out and wakes up in 1969, she knows she’s out of control. Broke and alone in the city that never sleeps, she’s desperate to find someone who can hold back the darkness in her mind. When gorgeous Declan shows up out of nowhere, she’s thrilled until he starts asking questions she has no intention of answering.
Haunted by guilt... Declan Manning is a ruthless killer and a renowned healer. Demons fear him. Humans love him. Life is good. The last thing he needs is a human woman. After saving Rori’s life, he walks away but can’t forget the fear in her exotic eyes. It haunts him, dredging up memories better left buried deep. Intrigued by her secrets, he uncovers the horrifying truth: She’s marked for Hell, and her time is almost up.

SPECIAL OFFER:
The first book in the series, Primani, is currently FREE!



Moving carefully so he wouldn’t startle her, he pulled the shirt over his head. Turning to the side, he dropped his eyes over his shoulder. At his nod, she reached for him. Slowly, softly, she explored him with feathery strokes that tickled yet sent his blood racing.
“Go ahead, darlin’. Look. Touch. Find your answers.”
Rori was treading on shaky ground, she knew that. He was beautiful. Perfect. His face was like a painting, a sculpture. The hard planes could seem cruel, but right now were softened by his emotions. Love? Patience? She didn’t know, but she knew one thing for sure. He wasn’t trying to hide now. He’d taken his shirt off, and she’d lost the use of her vocal chords. He was beautifully made; muscular without being massively huge, golden skin that begged for kisses… he turned so she could see him, and she froze. What would she do if he had wings sprouting from his shoulders?
“No wings?”
Grinning like a naughty little boy, he shook his head. “Sorry. No wings.” He captured her roaming hand and kissed it. “I have other mad skills though if you’d like me to demonstrate. For instance, I can make you hot.”
He placed her hands on his shoulders and busted out laughing when she snatched them back with a horrified gasp. What the hell? He was glowing! The harder he laughed, the more obvious the light became. She was trying to put some distance between them, but he wouldn’t let her. Instead, he reclaimed her hands and forced them flat against his chest.
He scolded, “Uh-uh. You wanted answers. Man up and get them. The light is my saol. It’s our life force, technically. You might consider it the source of my powers. You have one too; but yours isn’t strong like mine is. Yours is human.” The teasing smile vanished. “Mine isn’t. Anymore.”
He wasn’t human? This was getting better and better! She seriously needed to put some space between them. She couldn’t think straight.
He pressed her hand harder against his chest. “Do you feel that? That’s my heart beating just like yours does. Don’t be afraid of me, Rori. I’m here to protect you. It’s what I do. I tried to tell you that before, but you didn’t want to trust me then. Do you trust me now?”
That was a good question. Did she?
She studied the trees in the distance while she considered her answer. After all of the crazy things that had happened in the past few months, she had to admit he’d been there for her without asking for payment. Strangely enough, she didn’t think he was insane anymore. “I do.”
“I’m sensing a ‘but’.”
He was really, really hard to resist. She brushed his bangs back from his eyes. His mouth curled into a lopsided, sexy as all hell grin. The impact slammed all the way to her toes.
“You could melt butter with that smile. How do we mere mortals resist you?”
Flushing an adorable shade of pink, he choked on his snappy comeback before clamping his lips together in a line. Was he embarrassed? How cute was that? Grumbling under his breath, he reached for his shirt, and she shocked them both by stopping him.
“Wait! I want to look at you.” Did I say that out loud? Crap.
He shot her an incredulous look before dropping the shirt and pushing gracefully to his feet. He moved so fast she scooted backwards with a girly cry of alarm. The grin he wore this time was all heat, no humor. Slow, sexy… forget butter, her entire body might combust. Before she could squeak out a protest, he unsnapped his jeans and dropped them in a pile. Kicking out of them in a movement that was so smoothly done he must’ve practiced it, he hauled her upright with her mouth hanging open.
Not an ounce of material in sight.
“Uh… uh, Dec… I’m not sure--” She kept her eyes pasted on his chest. His muscles were nicely shaped, hard, tanned... flat nipples begged for a kiss.
Oh, yeah, he certainly looked human!
He stood in full naked glory, daring her to look lower. He gave her that sexy grin again. She backed up. He stalked forward until her back came up against the granite boulder. His bare chest brushed her breasts. Something hot and velvety brushed her belly. With her heartbeat pounding in her ears, she swallowed hard and placed her hands on his forearms. The hard muscle blazed at her touch. He had fine golden hair dusting across skin that she couldn’t resist caressing. Soft…
“Admit it. You wanted to know if I had all the correct equipment.” He was teasing her. She could tell by the humor in his voice, but he was so right. At that moment, she wanted to look down more than anything in the world.
He turned around and said over his shoulder, “I’ve been told I have a nice ass. What do you think?”
“Dec! You’re horrible! I am not looking at your ass!” But she couldn’t resist bursting into giggles at the lift of his eyebrows.
“Are you sure? I can stand here all day.”
“I’m sure you can.” A wistful sigh slipped out when she snagged a peek at his butt. Yum!
He was beside her so fast he was a blur. Lifting her chin, he winked before dropping a sweet kiss on her open mouth. “Don’t be so obvious. There’s time for us to get naked and hump like bunnies later. Right now, you need to recover your strength so you can keep up.”
With that he stepped into his jeans while she focused on his hands. Capable. Smooth. Hard. Those hands had nursed her, held her. How would they feel making love to her?




a Rafflecopter giveaway








Laurie Olerich is the author of the urban fantasy romance series Primani. She loves to create guilty pleasures full of exciting locations, roller coaster action, strong, quirky heroines, and steaming hot heroes who’ll raise the temperature in any room you’re in! Paranormal romance? Check! Urban fantasy? Check! Romantic suspense? Check! Her Primani series combines the best of the three. When not plotting, writing, or fantasizing about her next hero, she’s planning parties, traveling the world, and spending lazy nights with her son, her Dal pals, and friends. Laurie spent most of her life in the Northeastern United States and in Germany. She now lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her son and Dalmatian duo, Domino and Rambo. Before throwing caution to the wind and diving into a writing career, Laurie dedicated 20 years to a career spent around men with guns and cool toys...this explains her obsession with both!

Teaser Tuesday ~ #57


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



***




Craved by an Alpha (Eternal Mates, #5)
Craved by an Alpha
Eternal Mates #5

Synopsis
Having turned his back on his snow leapord pride, Cavanaugh has been counting the days until he's free of a role he never wanted--one that separated him from his fated female and stands between him and the future he craves with her.

Just days from the night he will finally be free to be with the low-ranking beauty who stole his heart, she walks back into his life and threatens to destroy everything he's worked towards in the five long years they've been apart.

Eloise has traveled across continents searching for the male who was once her best friend and so much more to her, but was now her pride's true alpha. Desperate to fulfil a promise to her kin to save them from the tyrant he left in charge, she convinces Cavanaugh to return to his pride, but as they journey to Bhutan, doubts bloom and old feelings resurface, tearing her between duty and her deepest desires and impossible dreams.

Will Eloise be able to resist the burning need that Cavanaugh reignites in her and remember her place in the pride? And can Cavanaugh find a way to save his kin and claim the future he craves with the woman he loves?




***Teaser***

"More than their bodies were linked. They were joined in every way, from their bodies to their hearts and right down to their souls."


Monday, February 23, 2015

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway ~ Incite ~ Erica Crouch


Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Erica Crouch's Incite. This is the second book in her Ignite series. If you'd like to check our my reviews of Ingite and Entice (a prequel novella), just click on the titles. Below you'll find all the information about the book, my review, and a giveaway!


***

Incite
Ignite Series #2
Publisher: Patchwork Press
Release Date: February 17, 2015
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Source: I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N

Synopsis
Earth is in ruins, and the war of Heaven and Hell has spilled over into the mortal world. In the frozen wasteland of the apocalypse, Azael and his band of cohorts search for Pen 
and Michael with orders to kill. Little does he know that his sister has incited a rebel army of her own. 

Angels and demons alike stand side by side, ready and willing to fight for a future they didn’t realize they could have. Change doesn't come easy, though. Pen is wary of joining New Genesis's 
revolution, but when Azael shows his hand and Pen learns all that he holds over them, she chooses to fight back, no matter the risk. She only has to survive, one hour at a time.




Hell now rules in Heaven. Earth is turning into a frigid wasteland where humans are dying at the hands of demons, if not the cold. Pen and Michael are on the run with angels and demons both on their heels. And a little band of rebels, inspired by Pen and Michael's choosing something different, are asking them to join forces against Heaven and Hell. Azael, the King of Hell, is determined to find Pen and Michael before anyone else -- in hopes of being the one to end Michael and save Pen.

I marveled at the dichotomy between Azael and Pen. One reveling in his evil but missing the one who saw goodness in him, the other so bent on being good and yet believing she might be beyond redemption. Az wanted to see the bad in Pen - I think it made him feel better about his choices. Pen wanted to see the good in Az.

Crouch creates such beautiful prose. Her descriptions are so vivid and paint gorgeous images -- even in a post-apocalyptic world. The version of Hell she's created -- blue, cold, and icy -- is so unique, as is the rest of her mythology. Crouch also quotes classic literature such as Milton's Paradise Lost, and poetry such as James Joyce and Robert Frost. Not only did this complement the story but it warmed this English Lit major's heart.

Incite is full of thought-provoking suppositions. Watching as angels and demons realize they have free will - seeing them question their ideas and beliefs, question even the existence of God, was fascinating. That angels and demons would band together, fight for a common goal seems ironic. Along with the grim landscape of an Earth encased in ice and the gore and violence perpetrated against everyone made for a visceral and exciting read. The only reason I'm not rating this higher is that the story dragged a bit in the middle. It was necessary setup but I felt it could have been shortened so as to move the story along to the action sooner. I'm very eager to see what comes next, who will rise and who will fall, in the epic battle I feel certain is coming.







a Rafflecopter giveaway





Erica Crouch is a young adult and new adult author from Baltimore, Maryland. She has a strange blended aesthetic of cute and spooky, and her books reflect her ever changing mood. (You may find romance, you may find gore—sometimes both in the same book, but probably not at the same time. Probably.)

Erica is the cofounder of Patchwork Press, an author-powered publisher of middle grade, young adult, and new adult titles. She is the head of editorial services and design, with nearly fifty projects to her name. Find a complete list of Erica’s books at ericacrouch.com.

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged ~ #55


Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged is a weekly meme, hosted by TalkSupe, where I share with you the books I have bought, borrowed, or bagged (gifted or won) plus a recap of the previous week's reviews, upcoming reviews, and any other bookishness I want to share. :)


***

Busy, busy, busy...and now Snowpocalypse! How was your week? I picked up some great looking freebies this week. I'm thinking subscribing to Book Bub might not have been the brightest idea! ;) And I won a few as well. *squee* 


Here's what was added to my ereader library this week:


BOUGHT
*Freebies*

An Undeniable Rogue (Rogues Club, #1)Under My Thumb (Serenade #1)Unethical (Drexler University, #1)Sweet Blood of Mine (Overworld Chronicles, #1)Before You Go (Impossible Love, #1)Miami Hush Club: Episode 1 (Miami Hush Club, #1)


*My ONE 99 Cent Buy*
Forgotten Sins (Sin Brothers, #1)

I didn't want to wait on this one - it's been on my tbr for a long while and I didn't want to miss out on the sale! :)



Bagged

StreamlineRain CheckGrave Vengeance (Grave, #3)

I won both Streamline and Rain Check at the release party for Trisha Wolfe's Fading Out - thanks to Natasha Boyd and Gypsy Rae Choszer for the goodies! And thanks for Lori Sjoberg for Grave Vengeance! I'm excited to review this one.



Last Week's Reviews

Upcoming Reviews
Incite by Erica Crouch
Hunted by a Jaguar by Felicity Heaton
Breathe by Abbi Glines
Fight With Me by Kristen Proby
Dance For Me by Helena Newbury
Spend the Night Volume 2 by Elizabeth Lee