Destined to Succeed - Lisa Harley | Book Review

Rating : C+

Goodreads | Amazon 

Author: Lisa Harley
Publisher: Self published / Lisa Harley
Release Date: June 2013
Genre & Age Group: Romance / Adult

Goodreads Rating: 4.57/5Amazon Rating: 4,8/5

Destined to Succeed, the second book in Lisa Harley's Destined Series, was our guest for Release Event last week. I haven't read the first book, but really, I haven't felt anything missing, except for wondering Cade's relationship with Loralei and how she could have not choosen him. ;) - have I mentioned, I want me a Cade please :D... 

Destined to Succeed is Cade's and his childhood best friend Suzanna's story. The book begins from the end of Destined to Change, with a short Prologue. And then its pace increases with a tragic event on the farm in present. Then the story of Cade and Suzy B starts from their first meeting at the age of nine. We read their friendship and their growing love with the important moments they share, as if looking through an old photo album, with a smile on our face. The love for each other is so palpable, you can almost feel it yourself. 

Cade Walker is handsome, cocky and a little (!) arrogant, a typical women's men. But with all these traits, when it came to Suzanna, he is caring, protective and sensitive... but they are - and can be - just friends!!!  He lost his parents and shouldered the responsibility of the Walker Ranch at an early age. And loosing his best friend during the same time to a marriage wasn't helping either. He was definitely a womanizer, and every woman was after him - he is what you'd call a sex on a stick - damn! I am not a cowboy fan and even I wanted to have him for myself ;) But he wasn't really interested in them, except for some fun, he never had with any of them what he had with Suzanna once.  My heart went out to him during those days, I must admit... 

Suzanna is sweet and always loyal, she made sure her love for Cade could be seen by the reader from the first moment she laid eyes on him. However, I would be lying, if I say, I never thought to shake some sense into her!!! ;) She was in an abusive marriage with her longtime boyfriend, Branch, from the first day of their marriage I should add. She felt as if, she had no choice and this was her destiny - which I will never understand why - she chose this life. I felt broken for her and IzzyB, especially Izzy B - I had a daughter same age and couldn't bare the thought of happiness around sweet Izzy B. Noone should bare this type of abuse. Wish she reached out for help sooner... 

“Son, when you find the right one, you’ll just know it. Your dick won’t pick her. Your heart will. Always listen to your heart, because your dick can be a lyin’ bastard.”~ Cody

During their teenage years, they came to cross the thin line between a friendship and being lovers, but they didn't have luck on their side; they moved on to others - though they were always close through their lives. SuzyQ had an abusive marriage, that she could only stand for her lovely daughter IzzyB and nothing else to make her happy. And Cade had his share of women; many who he can't even remember their names...

This wasn't my usual cup of tea; however, I really enjoyed reading it and loved Cade, I must add. Lisa didn't just put a simple love story out there; she showed family bonds, friendship and a heavy subject-matter; domestic violence, but never overwhelm the reader or take these issues lightly. Even though I wanted to strangle the two main characters at times, their feelings and frustrations were perfectly reflected which helped the readers to connect them, in a perfect sense. 

I would suggest this book to any romance reader, and fans of sweet love story fans with some taste of reality in their books; you can grab your cold drink - let me warn you, you will need that cold drink at times with Cade out there!!! - settle on your comfy couch, and get ready to have a couple of hours of fun with this fast read. I will definitely be checking out the next book in the series...

Cade walked up behind me and pulled my hand with the shot glass up to his mouth. He had me press it to his lips as he slammed it back. He was standing so close to me. His chest was pressed against my shoulder. 
“You havin’ a party without me, hon?” I could feel his breath against my neck. 
“A party just ain’t a party without Cade Walker, right?” I was trying to be funny, but my voice was shaky because he was just too close for me to think straight. He gently turned me around to face him. I felt his finger under my chin as he tilted my head up to look at him. His eyes were smoldering and this might have been the shots talking, but he was totally kissing me with those eyes.

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SMALL TOWN GIRL has a new cover! | Cover Reveal

SMALL TOWN GIRL has a new cover!

Title: Small Town Girl (Small Town #1)

Author: Linda Cunningham

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Release: November 11, 2011

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Age Group: Adult

Reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12675462-small-town-girl

Book description

When Lauren Smith begrudgingly returns to the small Vermont town where she grew up to arrange for the sale of her late grandmother’s old farmhouse, she has everything she’s always worked for. Lauren drives a Mercedes. She’s engaged to one of the most powerful businessmen in the country and wears a three-carat diamond ring to prove it. She lives in a penthouse on Central Park West. 

Yes, Lauren has everything she considers important. She is smugly prepared for any eventuality in dealing with these country people so Lauren isn’t surprised when the hot water isn’t working at the old house. No problem. She simply looks in the phone book and calls the local plumber.

The moment Caleb Cochran steps through the old screen door to fix the hot water, the glittery facade that masquerades as Lauren’s life begins to crumble around her. Though she tries hard to deny their mutual, magnetic attraction, Lauren is finally forced to reevaluate her focus and come face-to-face with her true self. Small Town Girl is a story of discovering the true meaning of life and love.

This novel is the first book in the Small Town series, however, each book can be read as a stand-alone.

About the Author

Linda has written steadily throughout the years, but usually other people’s papers, speeches, or articles for agricultural trade magazines. Her only published work of fiction was a children’s book, “The Copper Angel of Piper’s Mill”, written in 1988 when her children were still small. Now that the kids are out of the house, Linda is writing fiction again, and this time it’s personal! She writes full time and it’s Romance! Her first romance novel, “Small Town Girl” is being published by Omnific Publishing and should be available late summer/early fall of this year.

Linda lives in a romantic stone house in the green mountains of Vermont surrounded by her gardens and her animals who include horses, sheep, cats, dogs, chickens, a parakeet and various wildlife visitors who wander in and out at will. When time permits, she also enjoys sketching and painting.

Linda Cunningham | Facebook | Twitter

Emancipating Andie - Priscilla Glenn | Cover Reveal

Title: Emancipating Andie
Author: Priscilla Glenn
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Cover Designer: Okay Creations
Expected release: March 2013

Links to find the book:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17318931-emancipating-andie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EmancipatingAndie?ref=hl

Book Description

Ever since the one time Andie Weber threw caution to the wind - and paid the price for it -
she’s learned that it’s safer and smarter to live life playing by the rules. Now she’s got a great
apartment, a steady job, and a wonderful boyfriend in Colin; he’s sweet, stable, and essentially
perfect – except maybe for the fact that his best friend is Chase.

Chase McGuire lives his carefree, unstructured life strictly for himself. Dripping sarcasm and
oozing wit, he refuses to censor his feelings or opinions for anyone, making no apologies for
either and wearing his abrasiveness like a badge of honor. No one has ever gotten under Andie’s
skin the way Chase does – and vice versa.

So when Andie and Chase find themselves forced to take a two-day road trip together, they
are already dreading an inevitable all-out war. But as the trip progresses, and the undeniable
friction that has always defined their relationship slowly begins to wear away their preconceived
notions of each other, Andie and Chase discover they both have a lot to learn about life, courage,
happiness, and the age-old battle between logic and love.

About the Author

Priscilla Glenn lives in New York with her husband and three children. She has been teaching
English Language Arts at the middle and high school levels for the past eleven years while
moonlighting as a writer, mommy, coach, student, and professional laundry-doer.

If you catch her when she's feeling sophisticated, she'll tell you her favorite things are great
books and good wine. In the moments in between, she'll admit her love for anything Ben and
Jerry's, UFC fights, and Robert Pattinson.

Glenn is also the author of the contemporary romance/YA crossover BACK TO YOU.

Shooting Scars - Karina Halle | Cover Reveal

Today we have another cover reveal for  Shooting Scars by Karina Halle, the sequel to Sins & Needles - a book which is on the top of my TBR these days - designed by Najla Qamber Designs.

Excerpt for both books:

Shooting Scars by Karina Halle (The Artists Trilogy #2)--Publication date: May, 2013 by Metal Blonde Books

A second chance at first love.

There are a few things worth risking everything for - even your life. For Camden McQueen, this is one of them.

Shooting Scars is the second book in The Artists Trilogy and is told from the dual POV of Camden and Ellie.

You can find more on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17230559-shooting-scars

Sins & Needles by Karina Halle (The Artists Trilogy #1) -- Publication date : Jan, 2013 by Metal Blonde Books

Ellie Watt is used to starting over. The daughter of a grifting team, Ellie spent her childhood being used as a pawn in her parents' latest scam. Now she’s much older, wiser and ready to give her con artist life a rest. But returning to the dry desert town of Palm Valley, California means one more temptation than she bargained for – Camden McQueen.
Once known as the high school weirdo, Camden is bigger and badder than the boy he used to be and a talented tattoo artist with his own thriving business. Ellie’s counting on Camden still being in love with her but what she’s not counting on is how easily unrequited love can turn into obsession over time.
When Camden discovers Ellie’s plan to con him, he makes her a deal she doesn’t dare refuse, but her freedom comes with a price and it’s one that takes both Ellie and Camden down a dangerous road.

You can find more on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16029994-sins-needles

Author Bio

Karina Halle
The daughter of a Norwegian Viking and a Finnish Moomin, Karina Halle grew up in Vancouver, Canada with trolls and eternal darkness on the brain. This soon turned into a love of all things that go bump in the night and a rather sadistic appreciation for freaking people out. Like many of the flawed characters she writes, Karina never knew where to find herself and has dabbled in   acting, make-up artistry, film production, screenwriting, photography, travel writing and music journalism. She eventually found herself in the pages of the very novels she wrote (if only she had looked there to begin with).

Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she's preparing for the zombie apocalypse.

Author Links:
Website: http://experimentinterror.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4785031.Karina_Halle
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karina-Halle/140649372629593?ref=ts&fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetalBlonde

You can buy from here:

Smashwords: Sins & Needles (The Artists Trilogy #1)
Kobo :The Artists Trilogy Book 1 
Amazon:

   

Review: Road to Tomorrow - Mary Metcalfe | Novel Publicty Blog Tour

Rating : C

Author: Mary Metcalfe
Pages: 220
Language: English
Publisher: Laskin Publishing

Here is my post for Novel Publicity’s Blog Tour – Road to Tomorrow. What I love about blog tours is, I am usually coming across with a novel, I would not otherwise pick up. Road to Tomorrow is one of those novels. Now, for my review...

Even though, the subject matter is heavy, this is quite a page turner and a quick read. Andrea Garrett is a young wife and a mother. Her husband is a soldier, and they had gotten married before they knew each other better. Sean has an abusive streak, well hidden under his respected demeanor, and he is showing this side of his only to Andrea. In the beginning, Andrea was working hard to find excuses for his violent behavior, in the hopes of having family and the husband of her dreams. When she no longer could stand the abuse, she decided to took of with her two children and ran away. She left her children, with her twin brother and got on the road, to look for their future...  

However, Andrea’s ordeal wasn’t over. While she was on the run, she fell asleep on the wheel and fell into a ditch. Residents of a small town step in to rescue her, however, they also let her husband on where she was. Blinded with rage, Sean was after Andrea, with the aim to kill her. He couldn’t accept her denial and being left. After this point, we witness the story of  Andrea’s decisions, plans, and her efforts of a new life in the shadows of Sean’s threats, with the author’s clear and direct writing. Of course for the details, you have to read the book...

But I can tell you this much, this is an emotional and intense one. The story is about an abusive husband, a deviant child behavior, PTDS and the consequences of those on  young women; her love life, her survival, and her new beginning... A little too much on the social messages part (maybe necessary but still a little over the scale).

Andrea is a very strong character, when she decides something, she acts on it. She struggles even though her marriage was an abusive one, to end it and leave her husband, showing that it can never be easy to leave everything behind and this side of the story makes her a very realistic character.

But I believe the best drawn character was Sean. A friendly, courageous soldier and man, among his friends, but in reality a seriously emotional wreck inside. A man stuck in between two personalities, one a respectable soldier, a good friend, a charming and handsome man and one very abusive, violent husband, an uncontrollable rage. It was quite heartbreaking.  

Richard was far the most annoying character, for me. He questions her sister’s pleas and tried to believe his best friend because he appears to be a respectful man.  There were also two wonderful kids (way too wonderful if you ask me) and a nice new boyfriend (this part of the story was too shallow and fast developed for me).  

The story telling is alluring, and concise, scenery and settings, especially in the town were very vivid, the dialogue, relationships and happenings were well developed and very relatable. However, especially on the relationships part, I had some issues; after, what Andrea has been through, I found, finding and accepting a new boyfriend in her life seemed too easy and quick. So this falls a little away from being realistic. After living all those horrible things with Sean, wanting to have a new life and a new beginning is something believable, but adapting to have a new man and trusting him so soon seemed a little off for me. This might be done like this, regarding to the length of the book and weight of the emotional structure. Because I believe, this is fairly a short book for this type of heavy subject matter.    

Over all, this was an emotional ride with a nicely drawn characters, and presented a heavy issue without overwhelming the readers. And there is suspenseful end, with an unexpected twist.  

About the Book - About the Author - Prizes!!!

About the book: Andrea Garrett is trying to escape her abusive marriage. Fearing for her life, she leaves her two small children with her twin brother and flees her home the day before her husband is due to arrive back from a tour of duty. After falling asleep at the wheel and landing in a ditch, her life takes on a new direction when strangers step in and introduce her to a life she could only have imagined and one that could save her soul and give her children the future they deserve. Get Road to Tomorrow through Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

About the author: Mary Metcalfe lives in the foothills of the Laurentians, northeast of Ottawa, Canada with her husband, three cats and a very large dog. Love of writing runs in the family. Their daughter is a published literary non-fiction author. Clarion Review described Mary’s debut novel as a “sparkling debut… readers will love being swept along by Winds of Change.”Road to Tomorrow is her third novel in the Look to the Future series. Connect with Mary on her website, blog, Facebook, GoodReads, or Twitter.

About the prizes: Who doesn't love prizes? You could win one of two $50 Amazon gift cards or an autographed copy of Road to Tomorrow! Here's what you need to do...

1. Enter the Rafflecopter contest
2. Leave a comment on my blog.

That's it! One random commenter during this tour will win the first gift card. Visit more blogs for more chances to win--the full list of participating bloggers can be found here. The other two prizes will be given out via Rafflecopter. Good Luck!

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From This Moment On - The Sullivans - Bella Andre | Excerpt

Enjoy the following excerpt for FROM THIS MOMENT ON...

Marcus Sullivan was known for his patience. After helping to raise his seven siblings, he’d learned to wait out tantrums, fistfights, even tears.

But tonight, he was all out of patience.

He’d come to the club tonight to find a woman, to proposition her, to claim her for one no-holds-barred night, but he’d been watching the dancers for long enough to know that he wasn’t going to take a single one of them to bed. None of the women who’d walked in through the thick red curtain in the past thirty minutes had been contenders, either.

Sylvain Reynard Interview on Gabriel's Trilogy | Interview

Sylvain Reynard’s Gabriel’s Rapture is a nominee for the GoodReads Choice Awards 2012 for Best Romance, along with this years some hottest bestsellers; Fifty Shades Freed and Bared to You.

Gabriel’s Rapture picks up where the national bestseller, Gabriel’s Inferno, left off.

Professor Emerson and Julianne Mitchell, who have finally put their relationship out in the open, are enjoying their romantic visit in Florence. But jealous colleagues, conspiring students, former lovers and academic politics await their return. Is their love strong enough to endure the tests they face?

Mr. Reynard is here with us to talk about Gabriel’s story…

The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap - Paulette Mahurin | Review & Interview

Rating : B+

Author: Paulette Mahurin
Pages: 212
Language: English
Publisher: PSelf-Published

The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap is the debut novel by award-winning author Paulette Mahurin.  It is a historical novel about tolerance, love, friendship and loyalty, set in 1895.

It begins with Oscar Wilde’s imprisonment in Britain, for indecency, under the new law that made sex between males a criminal offense.

Mildred Dunlap is living with Edra in a small town called Red River Pass, in Nevada. They have a secret…

Edra, who is known to the people of Red River Pass as Mildred’s cousin, is, in fact, her friend and life partner.

Bring Up The Bodies - Hillary Mantel | Review

Rating : B+

Author: Hillary Mantel
Pages: 407
Language: English
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company Inc. 

Hilary Mantel has won the Man Booker Prize 2012 with her novel Bring up the Bodies. The book is her sequel to the 2009 winner, Wolf Hall.

With this award, she has become the first British writer and the first woman to win the Man Booker more than once.

At London’s Guildhall on Tuesday evening, She accepted her award with the words “You wait 20 years for a Booker Prize. Two come along at once.”

The Garden of Evening Mists - Tan Twan Eng | Review

Rating : A+

Author: Tan Twan Eng
Pages: -
Language: English
Publisher: Mrymidon 

Tan Twan Eng, the writer of The Gift of Rain, a Man Booker Prize Longlisted book in 2007, is back with his second book.

With The Garden of Evening Mists, an alluring, historical story of loss and grief,  he is in the running for Man Booker Prize again. This shortlisted book is published by independent publisher Myrmidon Books.

The story takes place in three different time periods; the second World War, Malaysia in the aftermath of World War II, and the present.

The Lighthouse - Alison Moore | Review

Rating : B+

Author: Alison Moore
Pages: -
Language: English
Publisher: Salt Publishing

Less than a week to Man Booker Prize 2012 gala,  The Lighthouse,  Alison Moore’s debut novel, is one of the most talked about shortlisted books.

Alison Moore takes a tale of an ordinary man and turns it into an extra ordinary book.

This short, but powerful, story begins with Futh’s appearance on a North Sea ferry. He is a middle-aged man, running away from a broken marriage. He is on his way to a week-long walking holiday in Germany.

Building Stories - Chris Ware | Review

Rating : A+

Author: Chris Ware
Pages: -
Language: English
Publisher: Pantheon

Chris Ware’s new graphic novel, Building Stories, was published on October 2. At the age of 45, he is one of the most well-known and creative American comics artists.

His new book is a work of art and genius. It comes in a large rectangular cardboard box, assorted as 14 various sized booklets, pamphlets, magazines.

Swimming Home - Deborah Levy | Review

Swimming Home is Deborah Levy’s first novel in 15 years and is short-listed for the 2012 The Man Booker Prize.

The book was first published in 2011 by a British independent. It was later picked up by a mass-market publisher and will hit store shelves on October 16.

The story is set in Southeast France during the heat wave in 1994. The main characters of the story are Joe Jacobs, a poet who came to England from Poland, right before the WWII, at the age of five; Isabel Jacobs, Joe’s wife, a war-correspondent; and Nina Jacobs, their fourteen year-old daughter. And of course… there’s the stranger, Kitty Finch, a young, beautiful, unstable, would-be poet and, so called, botanist.

Joseph Anton : A Memoir - Salman Rushdie

Yesterday, Salman Rushdie released his new book, A Memoir: Joseph Anton.

After his book The Satanic Verses was published, as some might remember, he was sentenced to death with a fatwa by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, on Valentine’s Day in 1989.

The book was found highly offensive to Islam by many. However, he described The Satanic Verses as his least political book, “…an artistic engagement with the phenomenon of revelation.”

The River - Michael Neale | Review

The Dove-award winning songwriter Michael Neale’s debut novel, The River, is getting its place on the shelves today, September, 18th.

The River is an inspirational story about loss and redemption. With the fast pace, you should get ready to be drawn in quickly and to have a hard time putting it down.

The story takes place in the Colorado Rockies and “The River.” Gabriel Clarke is mysteriously drawn to The River; he witnessed a terrible event, something no child should ever see, on The River when he was five years old, and his life changed forever. He withdrew into his own world and became mostly unreachable. You will read through his whole life, filled with pain and resentment, until something brings him back to The River.

The Passage - Justin Cronin | Review

The Twelve, a sequel to  Justin Cronin’s The Passage, is set for an October 16 release date.

With almost a month before the release, if you are not familiar with The Passage, the most talked about and hyped book of Summer 2010, you better be a fast reader! This epic-trilogy is massive.

Justin Cronin is an award-winning writer and a professor of English at Rice University and yet this wasn’t enough to save him from the vampire craze. But be aware, this is not the type of the story, where the charismatic, handsome vampire fallen in-love with the innocent girl, you are used to read. Not at all! “This is a mixture of Stephen King’s “The Stand” and “Salem’s Lot” in that lab at Jurassic Park, with rich infusions of Robert McCammon’s “Swan Song”, “Battlestar Galactica” and even Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road.”” says the infamous Book Critic Ron Charles.  So it is!