**Blog Tour Review, Guest Post & Giveaway ~ GUNS ~ J.A. Huss**

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for J.A. Huss' GUNS. My stop includes all the important details about the book, the trailer, a guest post, my review, and a giveaway!

If y'all haven't yet met Rook, Ronin and the gang, there's no better time. The Rook & Ronin Omnibus, which includes Tragic, Manic, and Panic, is **ON SALE FOR ONLY 99 CENTS**! 

To follow along with all the stops on the tour, click here.

***

GUNS: The Spencer Book by J.A. Huss
(Rook and Ronin Spinoff)

Release Date: March 31, 2014

Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Source: I received an eARC of this book but also purchased my own copy :)
Rating: 5 Beautiful Bookworms!!

Description

The Team is growing. It’s no longer just Ford, Spencer, and Ronin and the three new additions have Spencer Shrike off his booze, off his bikes, and paranoid to the extreme. Every Team member has a job, and every job is important—but only Spencer’s job keeps everyone alive.

Veronica Vaughn has put up with Spencer Shrike’s shit for years and where has it gotten her? A big fat nowhere. No ring, no house, no kids, and no promises. In fact, Spencer is worse than ever—completely distant and moody—and his fascination with weapons has turned into an obsession.

Now there’s another man in town with his eye on her. And she’s ready to jump ship. The last thing on Spencer’s mind is a relationship, and Veronica Vaughn has had enough.

But what if Spencer has a reason to keep Veronica at arm’s length? What if her life depends on his painful indifference? And what if… a very dangerous man with a very real vendetta sees through his ruse with killer clarity?

GUNS brings the entire Rook and Ronin series full circle. Every con, every lie, and every skeleton in the closet is back for one final shot at vengeance and the only thing standing in the way… is Spencer Shrike.

**TRAILER**




**GUEST POST**

Brandee wanted me to write about ‘nailing the male point of view’ in my books. I’m flattered that people are loving the guys in the Tragic Series and I think it’s because I hung out with a lot of guys in my life. Most of my best friends were guys growing up. I always had a best girlfriend, but for some reason, there were always guys in the friend zone with us. 

Guys are so different than girls. One time I was with my best friend Dena. We lived in Anaheim at the time and we were meeting these hot guys at this game center – a miniature golf place, arcade, go-carts and shit. So Dena and I hung out with these two friend-zone guys named Mike and Danny. Mike and Danny were not boyfriend material. They were just goofball friends we did lots of questionably legal things with. Mostly it involved drinking lots of beer on the beach and smoking pot. So we brought Mike and Danny with on this freaking date with these two hot guys and we told them to just stay in the car. Smoke their pot and be good. We’ll be back later. 

Yeah. Needless to say, the date ended abruptly when we caught the friend-zone guys driving the car around the parking lot yelling at girls from the window. We never got second dates with the hot guys. But Danny, Mike, Dena, and I stayed friends for a long time. ;) 

So I think I “get” the “guy” POV and my characters talk like the guys I know. When I started this series I had a very specific goal for each character and I tried to stay true to those traits in each book. All three of the guys are very different. Ronin is calm and patient. Ford is controlling and mysterious. And Spencer is protective and funny. So I think there is room for everyone to find a favorite. 

If these guys were real and I had to choose, I’d pick Ford. I like that he can be funny, even when he’s not trying, and I like that he just takes care of things without telling people. He’s got a lot of rules, but if you’ve read Taut, you know the rules don’t apply to Ashleigh. She’s running that show even though he doesn’t realize it.

Thanks so much for being part of the GUNS tour and having me on your blog, Brandee!

**Please note: Do NOT read GUNS if you have not read the Rook & Ronin trilogy. GUNS is not a standalone.**

*sigh* I truly hate that this series has to end - but I couldn't have asked for a better ending. J.A. made me giggle, made me swoon, and made me cry. I've loved every minute of this ride with Rook, Ronin, Ford, Ashleigh, Spencer, and Veronica. GUNS definitely went out with a bang!

In GUNS, J.A. give us more intrigue with some interesting plot twists, as well as lots of feels. I stated in a previous review that Spencer is 'the muscle' of the Team. This point is really illustrated in GUNS. With the trial approaching, tensions increased as Spencer, Ford, and Ronin worry over protecting their girls. And since Spencer's job is to keep everyone alive, the weight of this task falls heavily on his shoulders. We're made aware of all his reasons in treating Veronica the way he does as well as seeing his struggles in his treatment of her. But more than that, we get to see how protective and loyal he is to everyone on his Team. Although he would put one above the rest, Spencer would do anything to save his friends.

And then there's Veronica. She's a pistol! She's tough - she knows how to throw a punch and shoot a gun. But when it comes to Spencer, well, she melts into a puddle of goo. She hates not being a part of Spencer's Team. But mostly she hates not being a part of Spencer's life. 

I so love all these characters. I particularly enjoyed learning more about how Spencer initially wooed Veronica. I am, first and foremost, a Ford woman. But I will admit that Spencer would have free-reign with his airbrush and paints. :)

J.A. did an incredible job of tying up this story and leaving me absolutely fulfilled. It was fun, exciting, tense, swoon-worthy, blush-inducing and evoked such emotion from me. As raw as this story is, I appreciate all the details. I adore that J.A. incorporates things such as Rook and Veronica's feelings about one another, Ashleigh, and themselves. I laughed so hard at Ronin and Ford thinking they know their women so well...that they're the bosses in the relationships, when that couldn't be further from reality. And the epilogues...yes, two! Seriously satisfying!

I could go on and on with the fangirling. :) It's been such a pleasure getting to know these characters and live in their world, if only for a brief period of time. I've delighted in watching them grow, mature and 'figure it all out' on their own terms. 

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J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

**Teaser Tuesdays ~ #12**

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!

***

GUNS: The Spencer Book by J.A. Huss
(Rook and Ronin Spinoff)

Release Date: March 31, 2014

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Synopsis

The Team is growing. It’s no longer just Ford, Spencer, and Ronin and the three new additions have Spencer Shrike off his booze, off his bikes, and paranoid to the extreme. Every Team member has a job, and every job is important—but only Spencer’s job keeps everyone alive.

Veronica Vaughn has put up with Spencer Shrike’s shit for years and where has it gotten her? A big fat nowhere. No ring, no house, no kids, and no promises. In fact, Spencer is worse than ever—completely distant and moody—and his fascination with weapons has turned into an obsession.

Now there’s another man in town with his eye on her. And she’s ready to jump ship. The last thing on Spencer’s mind is a relationship, and Veronica Vaughn has had enough.

But what if Spencer has a reason to keep Veronica at arm’s length? What if her life depends on his painful indifference? And what if… a very dangerous man with a very real vendetta sees through his ruse with killer clarity?

GUNS brings the entire Rook and Ronin series full circle. Every con, every lie, and every skeleton in the closet is back for one final shot at vengeance and the only thing standing in the way… is Spencer Shrike.

**Teaser**

"I can't do this anymore, Spencer. You're killing me. Every day you play these games with me, you're killing me. I can't take it anymore. I quit. I quit this stupid fucking job and I quit this stupid nonexistent relationship."

**Blog Tour Review & Giveaway ~ Captivate Me ~ S.J. Pierce**

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for S.J. Pierce's Captivate Me. My stop includes all the pertinent details for the book, my review, and TWO giveaways!

You can check out other reviews on this tour by clicking here.

FYI, Captivate Me is **ONLY 99 CENTS** during the tour.

***

Captivate Me by S.J. Pierce

Publication date: April 1st 2014

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

Source: I received an eARC as part of the tour in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms

Synopsis:

“My mom had always told me – when you meet “the one”, you’ll know; they’ll captivate your heart the moment you lay eyes on them. I had always wondered, though, if my mom’s words of wisdom were finite – if they applied to everyone. Maybe those who had found their one great love were the lucky few, and maybe the rest of us would have to settle for less than earth-shattering.”

Seventeen-year-old Kat Walsh is a Gifted – a human with paranormal abilities. With her mom a former Angel and her dad a dream prophet, it’s always been in her genetic make-up to be extraordinary. Unfortunately for her, the world can’t handle the strange or unusual. So when she slips up and uses her powers at her high school in Ireland, the entire student body treats her like a freak – even the ones she thought were her closest friends.

Broken, but hopeful for a fresh start, she allows her parents to enroll her in a boarding school buried deep within the forests of a small Colorado town. At Midland Pines, School for the Gifted, she feels as though she can finally be herself; she makes new friends and even has the attention of the most popular guy in school – Levi. Everything feels normal again… or does it?

Not long after her arrival, weird dreams of an alluring boy whom she’s never met surface during the night, and the eerie, shadowy trees encircling their school seem to call to her. As these disturbing, yet enticing developments intensify, other bizarre occurrences happen – students and staff turn up missing, and mystery visitors leave gifts while she sleeps. With all of these other things vying for her attention, a desperate Levi has to fight even harder to keep her interest. But with the dreams of the attractive boy slowly captivating her heart, Kat has to make a choice – will she settle for ‘great’ Levi, or will she search for her elusive dream visitor, possibly stumbling across ‘amazing?’

From the author of the Alyx Rayer Chronicles, comes a refreshingly different Young Adult series with plenty of love, suspense, and a new take on the Paranormal.

Recommended for readers 16 and up due to mature content.

Captivate Me is a YA spinoff of Ms. Pierce's Alyx Rayer Chronicles, although you don't have to read that series to enjoy Captivate Me. I quite enjoyed my introduction into Kat's world.

Kathrin Walsh has always been able to hide her special ability from the outside world. However, following an incident that was the result of a simple mistake made when she was running late, Kat now finds herself at Midland Pines, a school for the Gifted. Here she finds there are others like her, and she can finally be herself.

In the midst of making new friends and worrying over finding that special one, Kat begins to feel a pull to the woods beyond the school grounds. It is there she meets a young man. The young man that's been visiting her dreams. He introduces her to his small group he calls family, who share even more startling information about her life. As Kat tries to come to terms with this new information, as well as explore her pull towards Gabriel, students begin disappearing.

The story line is initially heavy on the romance - finding it, figuring out what true love might feel like. However, just as it was beginning to wear on me, the mystery and action kicked in. These elements amped up my pleasure. Once all the dust settles, Kat has some important decisions to make.

Kat, despite her ruminating on romance, is a likable heroine. Kat is smart and brave and I liked that Ms. Pierce gave her her father's artistic gifts. She's dealing with normal teenage things like making friends, finding the perfect dress for a school dance, and taking exams. She's also missing her family, whom she's close to, now that she's moved to the States. And she also is learning how to embrace her gift and those of others, along with how the information she learns from Gabriel. It's a lot for a teenage girl and it was gratifying to watch her handle it all.

The supporting characters are all likable as well. I'm curious to learn more about Sarah, Anna, Dawson, and Ronnie, Kat's friends at school. And I'm eager to find out more of Piper, Aubrey, Brad and Colton's history. We don't get to spend much time with some of them and I want to get better acquainted with them. Levi, Kat's first love interest, is sweet, compassionate and gentlemanly. I liked that he wasn't a typical boneheaded high school boy.

But it was Gabriel that stole my heart despite not getting to spend much time with him. Ms. Pierce did well in defining his character in a short period of time. I felt a pull to him as Kat did. He's charming, protective, and even though he wasn't initially completely honest with Kat, he rectifies that issue. I was able to feel the chemistry between he and Kat from the beginning. 

I'm fascinated with all that's been revealed to Kat and I'm excited to spend more time her her world. I want to see where she and her cohorts go from this point forward.

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Susan James Pierce has a degree in Marketing Management, works for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta, Georgia, and devotes her precious, spare time to writing Fantasy and Sci-fi novels. 

Even though her full-time career has nothing to do with books at all, she has always enjoyed complex storytelling with fascinating characters, and has had a penchant for the written word since grade school. As a matter of fact, her first publishing credit was a poem she wrote at the age of twelve. Why her love for writing never translated into a career, she can only attribute to 'life happens', but her wish is that she can redirect her career path into something that satisfies her creative inner-self.

Website ~ Goodreads ~ Facebook

**Release Day Blitz & Giveaway ~ Dear Tabitha ~ Trudy Stiles**

Happy Release Day, Trudy Stiles!

Dear Tabitha is *NOW LIVE**

Dear Tabitha is the second book in Trudy's Forever Family series. If you haven't read Dear Emily yet, you can pick it up for **ONLY 99 CENTS**. If you missed my review of Dear Emily, you can read it here. My review of Dear Tabitha posts on Thursday. 

Today, I have the trailer and a few teasers for y'all, as well as an awesome giveaway!

This blitz is presented by Brandee's Book Endings.


Join the Release Day and Tour Event on Facebook here:

***

Dear Tabitha ~ Series: Forever Family #2 by Trudy Stiles

Genre: New Adult/Romance

Synopsis

You know me. You know who I am. What I am.

Damaged. Confused. Alone.

You feel sorry for me.

You pity me.You know what I’ve done. What I’ve given up. Who I’ve given up.

You try to understand what I’ve been through and how I can possibly go on with my life. But you can’t possibly understand.

I’ve lost too much. Sacrificed too much. Given up everything so that I can find myself.

Well I’m done.

I’m done walking away from everything that matters.

It’s time for me to heal. It’s MY TURN to earn…

Redemption.

Love.

Family.

Dear Tabitha is the second book in the “Forever Family” series.

 

 Smashwords – Kobo

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Trudy Stiles is a New Adult author, mom to two beautiful children, and married to the love of her life. She is the author of the Forever Family series including “Dear Emily” and “Dear Tabitha”. There will be many more stories from this series and you never know who may have a standalone or novella written for them. Stay tuned! Trudy is a music junkie and you’ll know that she’s writing when you see her plugged into her laptop with her earbuds in. Her playlist is unique and is a must for her writing sprints. When she’s not writing, she’s carting her children to their various activities while avoiding any kind of laundry or housework. She also loves to run along the boardwalk of the beautiful New Jersey shore.She’s always been an avid reader and frequently escapes into the fictional worlds of the many characters that she has come to love. Well, now there are some fictional characters in her head dying to get out!This first story is called “Dear Emily” and was released in December 2013. “Dear Tabitha” will be released in March 2014. The Forever Family series will continue with several companion/stand alone novels.

Email ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter  

**Bought, Borrowed, & Bagged ~ #13**

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. :)

Here's what was added to my ereader and/or my physical library this week:

BOUGHT

I didn't one-click much this week...thanks to being 'on vacation'. The Shadow Prince is a **FREEBIE** and is the prequel to Stacey O'Neale's Mortal Enchantment series. Sex and the Single Vamp is currently **99 CENTS**! 

BAGGED

I won Sisters in Love on the Lost in Love Tour presented by AToMR Tours. I won The Wicked We Have Done from Teresa @Readers Live 1000 Lives! Yay!  

I received The Resurrection of Aubrey Miller and GUNS for review.

Last Week's Reviews
Teaching Willow by Paige James
Under the Orange Moon by Adrienne Frances
Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews

Upcoming Reviews
Captivate Me by S.J. Pierce
GUNS by J.A. Huss
Secrets of the Dark by 
Dear Tabitha by Trudy Stiles

**Blog Tour Review & Giveaway ~ Under the Orange Moon ~ Adrienne Frances**

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Adrienne Frances' Under the Orange Moon. My stop includes all the pertinent details on the book, my review, a teaser, and a giveaway!

Join the Blog Tour Event by clicking the below link. 

This tour is presented by Brandee's Book Endings.

***

Under the Orange Moon by Adrienne Frances

Genre: New Adult/Contemporary/Romance
Release Date: March 20, 2014
Source: I received an ecopy as part of the tour in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms

Dylan Mathews grew up in a house that was always filled with good-looking guys. However, with four protective older brothers they never stood a chance.

Except for one.

Dylan knew she loved Ben McKenna from the first time she laid eyes on him. When he started sneaking in her room, she thought he felt the same way.

But just as their passion ignited, he left for college and never came back.

Until now.

Returning home after 5 years, Ben realizes Dylan has always been the one for him.

Can he win back her heart and finally find love under the orange moon?

You can read a sneak peek of the book at iBooks

Under the Orange Moon is a fantastic read! It is a well-crafted story that, despite primarily being about two characters, incorporated an entire cast beautifully.

The story revolves around the Mathews family and Ben McKenna, who for all intents and purposes, is also a Mathews. Dylan, the only girl in the Mathews' clan and twin sister of Jonah, has been smothered and teased her whole life - by both her overbearing four older brothers and Ben. The boys even nicknamed her Weed. At twenty-two, she's trying to figure out what's next in her life, how she can get some privacy, and whether or not she can get over Ben. Ben, whose family life has always been less than stellar, has returned home for a visit. He picks up with the Mathews clan as if he never left. And he seems determined that things be different this time with Dylan. However, he has to figure out if he can trust love.

I delighted in Ms. Frances' inclusion of the entire Mathews family as it went far in illustrating the importance of family and the strong foundation a loving and supportive family provides. This was an important element to the story. Ben's parents and his interactions with them broke my heart. It impressed upon me the power of words and their lasting effects.

Despite Ben's closeness withe the Mathews family, despite the love and support he's always received from them, his parents' words and actions left him feeling lake a bad person - unworthy of love. Especially unworthy of love from the one girl he's always desired it from.

There's a lot going on in Under the Orange Moon. I kinda feel as though the story belonged to them all. The antics of Brandon, Charlie, Hugh, and Jonah were fun. Linda, the Mathews matriarch, was the quintessential mom. Even Carl, the deceased patriarch, played an important role. It's how they all circle the wagons, so to speak, when Dylan was hurting that spoke to my heart. I even appreciated that Ben had caring professors surrounding him for support when he needed it. Under the Orange Moon is also about accepting love, realizing your own worth, and not letting go of the life you want.

Obviously, I rather enjoyed this story. It made me feel good although there were times when I was so frustrated - usually with Ben. :) The epilogue was the perfect ending. I don't know if we'll see more from the Mathews or not but I certainly wouldn't mind. The story flowed well and I adored her use of multiple POVs. Ms. Frances has written an impressive debut.

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Adrienne Frances spends her time as a writing consultant at a university near her home. In her spare time, she loves to be with her husband and two sons, who have made her exactly who she is today. Writing is a passion that she has appreciated for as long as she can remember. She believes that a wild imagination is a terrible thing to waste and should be captured and brought to life by all that are blessed to have one. This way of life is what led her to become a writer and later an author under Bandit Publishing. Her first celebrated novel, Under the Orange Moon, is set to release in March.

Website ~ Facebook