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Monday, November 30, 2015

It Was On Sale! (Book Haul!)

Hey, ladies!


I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday! If you happened to be doing any Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday shopping, I hope you scored some good deals! Being the antisocial, short tempered person that I am, I did all my shopping online. Got some things for the dogs, and a few books for myself. #HallmarkOfATrueCrazyDogLady



Audible is having a $4.95 sale on a good selection of books until tomorrow, and I snagged a few of those in the sale. Also, I love Whispersync. Love it.




Audible Haul

A Stone in the Sea ~ 

He wanted nothing at all… 

Until he found she had everything to give… 

Sunder lead singer and guitarist Sebastian Stone has everything—fans, fame, and fortune. He also has a heart full of bitterness and a reputation for a short-fused temper. But an outward reputation rarely reveals the true man inside. Facing assault charges after trying to protect his younger brother, Sebastian is sent to Savannah, Georgia to lie low until the dust settles in L.A. 

Shea Bentley is beautiful, kind, and hiding from the very lifestyle Sebastian has always embraced. 

When the mysterious, tattooed stranger begins hanging out at the bar where she works, Shea is quick to recognize he is nothing but trouble, but she's helpless to the way her body lights up every time his intense gray eyes tangle with hers. 

They both soon find themselves drowning in a sea of desire and passion that won’t let them up for air. 

Sebastian knows firsthand secrets never die, and he’s not the only one who’s hiding them. 

Loving someone always comes with a price. But will it be Shea’s past that costs them everything? 
 



This was a heartbreakingly beautiful read! Review to come soon.

 A full-length, standalone romance from the New York Timesbestselling author of Archer's Voice.

Dirt poor. Hillbilly. Backwoods hick. Mountain folk. 

Tenleigh Falyn struggles each day to survive in a small, poverty-stricken, coal mining town where she lives with her sister and mentally ill mother. Her dream of winning the college scholarship given to one student by the local coal company and escaping the harshness of her life, keeps her going.

Kyland Barrett lives in the hills, too, and has worked tirelessly—through near starvation, through deep loneliness, against all odds—to win the Tyton Coal Scholarship and leave the town that is full of so much pain.

They're both determined not to form any attachments, but one moment changes everything. What happens when only one person gets to win? When only one person gets to leave? And what happens to the one left behind?

Kyland is a story of desperation and hope, loss and sacrifice, pain and forgiveness, but ultimately, a story of deep and unending love.


 Virgin. Sex addict. Daredevil. Alcoholic. Smartass … Jackass. Her five friends are about to be filmed. Reality TV, be prepared.

Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she’s a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But with a sex addict as a sister and roommate, nothing comes easy. 

After accepting help from a producer, Rose agrees to have her life filmed for a reality television show. The Hollywood exec is her last chance to revive her struggling fashion line, and boundaries begin to blur as she’s forced to make nice with a man who always has his way. 

Twenty-four-year-old Connor Cobalt is a guy who bulldozes weak men. He’s confident, smart-as-hell and lives with his equally ambitious girlfriend, Rose Calloway. Connor has to find a way to protect Rose without ruining the show. Or else the producer will get what Connor has always wanted—Rose’s virginity. 

This New Adult Romance can be described as Friends meets The Real World. Expect fist fights, drugs, sex of varying degrees, crude humor and competitive alpha males. Definitely for mature readers audiences only.


This is so far out of my normal reading. We'll see!


In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.
 


 Twenty-year-old Camryn Bennett had always been one to think out-of-the-box, who knew she wanted something more in life than following the same repetitive patterns and growing old with the same repetitive life story. And she thought that her life was going in the right direction until everything fell apart.

Determined not to dwell on the negative and push forward, Camryn is set to move in with her best friend and plans to start a new job. But after an unexpected night at the hottest club in downtown North Carolina, she makes the ultimate decision to leave the only life she’s ever known, far behind.

With a purse, a cell phone and a small bag with a few necessities, Camryn, with absolutely no direction or purpose boards a Greyhound bus alone and sets out to find herself. What she finds is a guy named Andrew Parrish, someone not so very different from her and who harbors his own dark secrets. But Camryn swore never to let down her walls again. And she vowed never to fall in love.

But with Andrew, Camryn finds herself doing a lot of things she never thought she’d do. He shows her what it’s really like to live out-of-the-box and to give in to her deepest, darkest desires. On their sporadic road-trip he becomes the center of her exciting and daring new life, pulling love and lust and emotion out of her in ways she never imagined possible. But will Andrew’s dark secret push them inseparably together, or tear them completely apart?



Kindle Haul

In addition to these, I have the Whispersync Kindle versions of Kiss The Sky, Kyland, and A Stone in The Sea.


Mmmm....I'm intrigued. ;)


Eighteen is hard.
And so is Mateo Alesci.
He’s hard to read, hard to predict, hard in every way that counts. He wants things from me.
Dirty things, nasty things, forbidden things.
And I have to give in.
His attention is completely inappropriate, but I can’t say no. The way he looks at me… the way he watches me through my bedroom window… the way he drags me deeper and deeper into his completely forbidden fantasy world just… turns me on. 
He knows it turns me on.
He holds all the power. He holds all the cards.
He holds my entire future in his hands.
And I have to give in.
Because Mr. Alesci is my teacher.
And I need everything he’s offering.



I fell in love once.

It was amazing. She was amazing. Life was amazing.

I lived for each time I could see her, and nothing else mattered, not that our families were enemies, our time together was forbidden, or we had to meet in secret.

Our love could conquer all.

Until it didn't.

So I was ripped away from the love of my life and shoved into hell, forced to continue without her.

It shattered me, broke the best parts of me, left me permanently damaged.

Or so I thought.

Years later, I swear history’s trying to repeat itself because she’s back in my life, and I’m just as drawn to her as I was before. But I'm older and wiser now, and I know she should stay away from a worthless ex-con like me.

So, I will not let her in. I absolutely refuse to hurt her. I will keep her away.

Then again, sometimes risking your greatest fear to get to a smile makes everything worth it, and besides, I’m not sure I can resist her, anyway.

This is the story of how Felicity Bainbridge changed my life forever, starting one summer day long ago after I was forced to change a dirty diaper...

--Knox Parker
 


 Melanie Winters and Daniel Montgomery shared a love most only dream of, a love they believed bonded them together for life. 

When their world is shattered by the tragic loss of their daughter, overwhelming grief and misguided guilt distorts the truth, and their relationship ends in uncertainty and unanswered questions. 

For nine years, they drift through life, each unable to forget the one who holds the strings to their heart. In an attempt to escape the pain of her past, Melanie finds herself trapped in a loveless marriage, while Daniel loses himself in a career that means nothing without Melanie by his side. 

Now, when their lives again intersect, neither can deny the connection they felt so long ago. But will the power that drew them together be enough to heal the wounds from their past, and will they have the courage to overcome the insecurities and fears that threaten to keep them apart? 

Pulled is a story of attraction and separation, of destiny and duty, of a love so strong it refuses to give up even when all others have. 


- The Bibliophile Babe



Sunday, November 29, 2015

The Sunday Post/It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hey, ladies!




The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next. 




I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Mine was low-key and relaxing. My immediate family did our own Thanksgiving on Tuesday, and I opted to stay home from the drama session known as actual Thanksgiving with the relatives. I'm quite happy with that choice. ;)



The Christmas lights are up on the house now! It's still too warm to get a tree, but hopefully it'll cool down to where it won't be a sweat-fest while selecting one soon. It's been in the mid 70s for quite a while. Does not feel like it's almost December!



I feel tired, gross and crampy, so today I will be doing nothing but napping and reading. :p


I'm still really enjoying walking at night. On Friday night, I was lucky enough to stumble across this gorgeous, tiny little owl! Couldn't get close enough to it to get a clear shot, but here it is. I think it's a screech owl, or maybe a burrowing owl?


He was no bigger than a Coke can!



Steps this week:

Sunday - 11,853
Monday - 17,642
Tuesday - 13,588
Wednesday - 23,692
Thursday - 17,016
Friday - 15,335
Saturday - 11,778

Total - 110,904



This Week's Recap








Coming Up*

Book Haul!

November Wrap Up

W...W...W... Wednesday

{Book Review} Kyland OR Stinger by Mia Sheridan

Cover Lust No. 6

*as always, subject to change!



Read This Week

5 stars!

Audiobook, 4 stars!
Audiobook reread, 5 stars!





Currently Reading

I'm so torn on this one! I'm really enjoying it, but I bounce from empathy to extreme annoyance with these characters. It's an audiobook, and the narrators do a fantastic job. 

Still reading this, just a chapter or two each night. I'm enjoying it, slowly but surely. 

Only about 20% into this, and maybe it's because it's not for my mood right now, but I'm not as wowed as I was by the previous two. 






What Will I Read Next?

One of my favorite writing duos! You aren't told much about this character in the Addicted series, but I'm curious to see if my perception changers once I'm in her head. 

Audible is having a sale now through Dec. 2nd, and I snagged this and the above. Can't wait!


I'm on contempoary kick, it seems! This is the only CoHo book I haven't read. Curious about it, since I wasn't big on the first book. 





- The Bibliophile Babe




Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Controlled Burn Book Tour

Hey, ladies!





I'm happy to be part of the blog tour for Controlled Burn by Shannon Stacey! I haven't finished the book yet (I'm around halfway there), since it's been a very busy week, but I am loving the firefighters. ;)




Rick Gullotti lives the good life. He fights fires, dates beautiful women—though none long enough so they cast wistful glances at jewelry stores—and has great friends. And thanks to helping out the elderly couple who own his building, his rent is low. But when concerns about their health lead him to contact their only son, his life starts getting away from him.


Jessica Broussard has no interest in leaving sunny San Diego or her cushy corner office for Boston, but her father—who happens to be her boss—dispatches her to deal with the grandparents she's never met. She's unprepared for the frigid winter, loving relatives who aren't the monsters she's been led to believe, and the hot, scruffy firefighter who lives upstairs.



At first, Jessica is determined to get back to her comfortable life as quickly as possible. All she has to do is talk her grandparents into selling their monstrosity of a house and moving to a retirement community. But she underestimates Rick's dedication—and his considerable charm. Nobody's taking advantage of his friends on his watch, even if that makes the tempting southern California girl with the long legs his adversary. Unfortunately for them both, the only thing more urgent than the matter at hand is their sizzling chemistry, and it's quickly becoming too strong to resist.




                               Goodreads | Kobo Books |  GooglePlay  | B&N | Amazon






This is the second book in her Boston Fire series, though they can easily be read as standalones. I haven't read anything by this author before, and I'm having no problem keeping up with this story.

Like I said, I haven't yet finished it, but I'm really enjoying it so far. It's a really cute, low-angst story! The characters are enjoyable and realistic, with a nice build up to a relationship. I love how they haven't just fallen into bed together right off the bat! I'm enjoying the side characters, especially those firefighters. Excuse me for a minute, I have to go set something on fire.....





About Shannon Stacey:



New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Shannon Stacey lives with her husband and two sons in New England, where her two favorite activities are writing stories of happily ever after and riding her four-wheeler. From May to November, the Stacey family spends their weekends on their ATVs, making loads of muddy laundry to keep Shannon busy when she’s not at her computer. She prefers writing to laundry, however, and considers herself lucky she got to be an author when she grew up.

Giveaway Info:  
Thanks to the team at Harlequin and Carina Press, one lucky winner will receive the following:




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

{Book Review} Hearts of Blue by L.H. Cosway


 She upholds the law. He breaks it. 

Two blue hearts, both alike in bravery
In not-so-fair London, where we lay our scene
From gun crime to petty theft
Where family is blood and survival makes hands unclean
In this place, we find two hearts who should be foes
And yet, amidst the turmoil their love still grows
Misadventure abounds and the divide will bring them strife
But with luck, death doesn’t always mean an end to life.

Hearts of Blue is a standalone contemporary romance that tells the story of star-crossed lovers Karla Sheehan and Lee Cross, a police constable and the thief who steals her heart.
 







She upholds the law.....


Karla Sheehan is a straight-laced constable for the London police force. After growing up in a cold, loveless home, Karla made it her mission in life to help people. She loves her job on the force, despite having to struggle for respect in a very male-dominated environment. She has an unshakable view on the law and what it means to be a good person. 
Until she meets Lee Cross.

He breaks it.


Lee Cross is a thief. He's been involved in one illegal activity or another since his early teens, doing whatever he can to feed and care for his brothers after their mother deserted them. Now in his mid-twenties, he's in too deep to get out of the business. He admittedly loves the thrill of it all, and doesn't think much about going legit. 
Until he meets Karla Sheehan.

Their attraction to each other is undeniable, but with such different backgrounds and so many risks surrounding them, is love worth the risk?





Hearts of Blue is the fourth book in L.H. Cosway's Hearts series, with the reading order being Six of Hearts (5 stars), Hearts of Fire (4 stars),  King of Hearts (5 stars), and Hearts of Blue (4.5 stars). They can be read as standalones, but I highly suggest reading them in order, especially if you're planning to read King of Hearts. 
This is one of my favorite series of all time, and I'm thrilled to have gotten an ARC of this gorgeous story. On to the review!






4.5 Thieving Stars!



Hearts of Blue was a beautiful, unique forbidden love story, with plenty of steam and humor and a dash of moral conflict. It's the lightest book in the Hearts series so far, and was a wonderfully fast paced read! I breezed through it in a day, and was anxious to get to back into the world of Lee and Karla whenever I was forced to adult to, engage in real life to stop reading. 


This was going to end in disaster. We lived in two different worlds.
And yet....



I've never read a book where the woman is in law enforcement, and the man is the criminal, so I was quite curious to see how things would pan out. L.H. Cosway made it a fascinating concept! Karla and Lee are complete opposites on every level, and it somehow worked all the better for them. There was plenty of action to go along with the romance and humor, too! 
As an American, I found it quite interesting to see inside a London police force. Between the officers not being outfitted with deadly weapons and the sheer size of such a city, it was neat to see. 



"I love that about you,"
"What?"
"How you act all tough, but as soon as I touch you, you melt and go all shy. It's gorgeous."


Karla was an interesting heroine, one I wasn't quite sure how to take a first. She was ridged in her ideas of right and wrong, and it was intriguing to see how her feelings shifted over the course of the story. I'm a bit of an anarchist, yet Karla made me think of things from the other side, and brought some compelling ideas to the table. 
Her voice was easy to sink into, and her dry humor kept me giggling. She was a genuinely good person, and I admired her relentless dedication to her job. She was funny, honest, caring, and very smart.
There were a few times I wanted to shake her for refusing to see things from someone else's perspective right off the bat, and I didn't connect to her as much as other Hearts heroines, but she grew on me, and by the end of the story I throughly enjoyed her. I think the disconnect had more to deal with my...flexible views on the law than it her character, I think.



"Sometimes the innocent ones are guilty only because the world didn't give them a chance to stay innocent."



Lee...oh, Lee! The connection that was lacking with Karla was more than made up for with Lee. I loved everything about that man! He was so charismatic, one of those characters that just comes to life before your eyes. He was a badass with a conscience, a generous and attentive lover, a fiercely loyal and protective brother, and an all around good guy, despite his...extracurricular activities. ;)
The icing on the cake with this man is that he's an amazing cook. Be still my beating heart, there is nothing I love more than a hot guy who can cook. Mmmm.

Karla and Lee had great chemistry, with smoking hot sex scenes and plenty of flirty, hilarious banter. I really enjoyed seeing them together!

The side characters were one of my favorite parts of the story. It fleshed out some of the missing information from King Of Hearts, giving us a new peek into Alexis' life and giving more depth to a truly wonderful character. Lee's brothers were a hilarious and intriguing bunch of fellows, and I'm eagerly awaiting their stories!

My favorite thing about Cosway's writing is she never kills us with angst. All of her stories have the potential to turn into serious angst-fests, but it never happens. Real life isn't usually like those stories, and it's so refreshing to pick up a book by her and read something realistic and relatable. The hard parts of the characters' lives are mentioned and acknowledged (and there is some real heartbreak), but not wallowed in. I love it. 




The world isn't blue, isn't lonely anymore, and though I was supposed to be the thief, she was the one who stole my heart. 


Overall, Hearts of Blue is a great forbidden romance, and a lovely addition to the Hearts series. If you like sexy bad boys, humor, romance, action, and some seriously dirty sex, I highly recommend it!




Stats:

Rating: 4.5 stars
Genre: Adult/new adult, contemporary romance
Series: Hearts, #4
POV: 1st person, primarily single perspective
Steam/sexual content: So steamy, graphic sex
Warnings: Some violence
HEA: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
Format: eBook

ARC for review. Thank you, L.H. Cosway!








Hearts of Blue Buy Links



Excerpt 

Tony was about to throw some barb back at him when his radio went off with a call from dispatch. He stepped away so that he could talk to the person on the other end, thus leaving me alone with Lee, who leaned against the doorjamb and gave me a heated little look. “I have to say, I like you in uniform.”
“Oh, shut it.” I rolled my eyes. There was nothing attractive about my uniform. It was basically men’s clothing on a woman.
“I’m not lying. How’s about you come up to my room for a bit and I’ll show you how much I like it?” He paused, eyes flicking to the top of my head as he winked. “You can even leave your hat on.”Completely against my own will, I snickered a laugh, folding my arms across my chest. “No thanks, Tom Jones.”

“I think you’ll find it was Randy Newman who penned the tune. Tom Jones did the cover,” Lee quipped.
I made a concerted effort to regain my professionalism and throw a bucket of cold water over his flirty banter. “When you see your brother, tell him to get himself down the nick to see me.”
“Fucking hell, Snap, you really are Ross Sheehan’s daughter. Growing up must have been shit for you.”
The empathy in his voice caught me off guard. I swallowed but didn’t say anything. Our gazes locked and held, something thick and unspoken passing between us. He took a step outside, past the threshold of his doorway and onto the street. I glanced down at the toes of my boots and back up again, a strand of hair falling from behind my ear. Lee’s hand reached out, as though he were about to tuck it back in, but then he froze before he could touch me. Touching a constable could technically be considered assault. And technically, I could arrest him for that. Maybe that’s why he stopped. Or maybe it was something else.

His eyes softened when he whispered, “If that cranky string of piss weren’t with you right now, it’d be a whole other ball game.”
I looked to Tony, who had just finished with his call. Lee turned and casually went back inside his house, closing the door softly behind him.




L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.


She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.







As a special treat, the author will write a bonus scene after the tour ends. There will be a poll on her FB page – please direct readers there to vote for the scene in which they would like to see in the male POV – winning scene will be announced at the end of the tour

Tour Poll for Male Pov Scene:
Which scene from Hearts of Blue would you most like to read from Lee’s perspective?
  1. The football riot scene.
  2. The warehouse rave scene.
  3. Karla & Lee’s ‘first time’ at the night club.



Giveaway
Competition prizes:
1st prize:
Signed paperback copies of the entire ‘Hearts’ series.
L.H. Cosway swag.
$25 Amazon gift card.
2nd prize:
Signed copy of Hearts of Blue.
L.H. Cosway swag.
$10 Amazon gift card.






L.H. Cosway Hearts of Blue Release Week Giveaway