Thursday, July 31, 2014

Beach Reads in August Giveaway Hop


Waves of Fiction is excited to be participating in Beach Reads in August Giveaway Hop because who doesn't love to spend time at the beach, poolside or possibly by the lake, with that perfect summer read?!   So we're giving away one book from the selection below, winner's choice to one lucky winner.  The giveaway is INTERNATIONAL as long as The Book Depository ships to your country (click HERE for list). Simply fill out the rafflecopter below.  This giveaway hop is hosted by Stuck in Books.  For a complete list of participating blogs click HERE.


Click on cover for Goodreads link:
One Plus One  It Happened One Wedding (FBI/US Attorney, #5)

Lay It Down (Desert Dogs, #1)  Up at Butternut Lake (The Butternut Lake Trilogy, #1)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour & Review: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover





Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
Expected Publication: August 5, 2014 by Atria Books
Preorder: Amazon / B&N

About the book:
When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.
Never ask about the past.Don’t expect a future.
They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.
Hearts get infiltrated.Promises get broken.Rules get shattered.Love gets ugly.

My Thoughts:

Perfection. Absolutely amazing and there aren't enough stars to rate this book. It was an honor to get the chance to read an advanced copy, and I'm still thinking about Miles and Tate's story days after finishing.

I always have really high expectations when I pick up a new Colleen Hoover book. She hasn’t let me down once, and it’s no exception with the perfection that is Ugly Love. This book wrecked me and amazed me all at once. It is powerful, sexy, mysterious, emotional & heart-wrenching. I have always said that Colleen Hoover has the best way of pulling you into her stories with her poetic writing, and once again I felt like I was in this book, living this story, with Miles and Tate. The book is told in dual POV’s with most of Mile’s chapters being flashbacks to his past. I love how the story went back and forth, because it made for a suspenseful read that was hard to put down.

I also love that she continues to write unique story lines. I have been finding it a challenge to enjoy the NA genre lately, and have been chalking it up to just a phase I’m going through. But, I think my problem is that I needed a book like this to remind me why I fell in love with this genre in the first place. It is books like this that make me love to read and want to recommend her books to EVERYONE I KNOW. The beauty that is this book just solidifies why Colleen is my absolute favorite author.

We first meet Tate, who is moving in with her brother with plans to get a new start on life – get her masters, work her butt off as a nurse, and eventually get her own place. And it’s the day she moves into her brother’s place that she has her first encounter with Miles, who is passed out drunk in front of her door. First impressions are sometimes very deceiving and Tate immediately saw there was something painful and sad about Miles.

Miles is a pilot – sexy, brooding, and mysterious. He’s suffered something horrible in his past, and we’re given little glimpses of this in each of Mile’s chapters. The build up to figuring out what happened to cause this man so much suffering is intense, and it kept me wanting more, wanting to just finish so I could find out what broke this man. I loved his intensity. It made me want to know more about him, figure out what was going on in his head.

Miles is friends with Tate’s brother (who’s also a pilot), and lives across the hall from them, so naturally they start seeing each other more. They can’t deny there’s an attraction between them. But Miles makes it clear that he’s not willing to have any kind of relationship. So, they agree on a sex only arrangement, and he sets two rules: don’t ever ask about my past and don’t ever expect a future. Now, what woman in her right mind would go for that, right? Well, Tate wasn’t looking for a relationship because she was focused on her career and getting her life together. She initially thinks this is a perfect agreement. But things get complicated and Tate finds it’s impossible not to fall head over heels for this man.

Because of Miles past, he’s unwilling to move on and refuses any hope for a future that won’t cause him more pain. But Tate starts to get under his skin and makes it harder for him to keep his walls up. It’s all of the subtle moments they have together that melted me. His looks, his rare smiles, the way he was so protective of her. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how hot they were together. Their chemistry was powerful and when they were together, it was scorching.

This book was so emotional and intense (but in the best way possible). ‘Intense’ seems to be my theme for the book but I don’t know of any other more perfect word to describe how it felt to me. And not a lot of books can move me to tears, but this one most definitely made me cry. My heart broke for Miles and then in the next minute it was bursting with love and hope for him and Tate. The heartache is worth every single minute of reading. Although I did love Tate, it’s clear that Miles made this book for me. An incredible and beautiful story – I am blown away once again by Colleen Hoover and her ability to write the perfect novel. If you haven't preordered this book - I recommend you do so immediately!

Some of my favorite quotes:
”If you love me more today than you loved me yesterday, then I can’t wait for tomorrow.”

”God gives us the ugliness so we don’t take the beautiful things in life for granted.” 

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


5 Suns




Cover Reveal: Let Me In by Erin McCarthy

Let Me In by Erin McCarthy
(Blurred Lines #3)
Publication date: September 25th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance
A girl in danger…

Aubrey Walsh never dreamed that she would find herself in an abusive relationship, but after her boyfriend hits her so hard he breaks her tooth, she flees the University of Maine to hide on a remote island with her best friend. Only to discover that she is pregnant. Terrified of what will happen if Jared finds out, she is walking along the rocks, deciding her future, when she slips.

A guy with a secret past…

After a job gone wrong, Riker has left the assassin business and is incognito as a ferryboat operator off the shores of Maine. It’s a lonely life, and when he sees a young woman almost fall off the rocks, he doesn’t hesitate to save her and take her in, though he’s determined to stay unemotionally uninvolved. But when the truth about her situation is revealed, he will do anything to protect Aubrey and her unborn child.

Even marry her. Even kill for her.

When Jared comes looking for the only girl who has ever rejected him, Riker won’t allow it. And Aubrey is torn between protecting herself and her child, or protecting the mysterious husband she has come to love.

And when chance brings them together but fate tears them apart, can their love survive the storm?

AUTHOR BIO
USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has since written almost fifty novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult, and adult romance. Erin has a special weakness for New Orleans, tattoos, high-heeled boots, beaches and martinis. She lives in Ohio with her family, two grumpy cats and a socially awkward dog.


Author links:
http://www.erinmccarthy.net/
https://twitter.com/authorerin
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7941.Erin_McCarthy

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Review: Sweet Revenge by Rebecca Zanetti


Publication Date: December 3rd 2013 by Forever
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo 

About the book:

The One Man She Can't Have

Matt Dean was born to fight…and kill. A member of a secret black-ops military unit, he and his brothers were genetically engineered by the government to be the perfect soldiers with an expiration date. Now, with time running out, he's gone rogue in a relentless quest for the one person who can save them. His mission leads him to Charmed, Idaho…and to a beautiful woman with eyes like emeralds and a body made for pleasure.

The One Woman He Can't Resist

Laney Jacobs knows the mysterious, handsome stranger is trouble from the moment he walks into her bar, looking for a job. She's spent years running from her own past—the last thing she needs is a romantic entanglement. But Matt's strong arms offer her protection, and his gentle touch promises passion unlike anything she's ever known. As lethal forces surround them, revealing explosive secrets about Matt's past and putting everything—and everyone—he holds dear in danger, can he save them all before time runs out?

My Thoughts:
I love it when a book keeps me at the edge of my seat, and the danger, excitement, and spicy romance contained in Sweet Revenge ticked all the right boxes for me! If you love romantic suspense like I do, you can’t go wrong with Rebecca Zanetti!

Matt Dean, is in pursuit of the infamous Dr. Peters, the doctor who implanted the devices in their spines set to detonate in just six weeks, ending the Gray brother’s lives.  A list of suspects brings him to Charmed, Idaho where he meets the sexy bartender, Laney.  Meeting Laney provides Matt with a perfect cover when she offers to hire Matt as a bouncer/fill in bartender, and he’s happy to stay close to the gorgeous and sassy bar-owner.  Little does Matt know that Laney has her own share of dangerous secrets.  Matt feels an immediate pull towards her, but what touches him the most is the help and care she extends.

Raised expressly to become elite soldiers and killing machines, Matt and his brothers were never shown love or kindness. The only love they knew was between the brothers, and they banded together to escape their evil commander and his plans. Their escape will be cut short if they don’t find the surgeon to deactivate the chips and the clock is ticking.

Laney is on the run from a dangerous past, but has spent the last three years in Charmed, Idaho in relative peace. That’s until the hunky and hot ex-soldier passes out in her alleyway.  Laney doesn’t count on having any future with a man because of her past trouble, but it’s hard to ignore the magnetic pull Matt has on her.  Add to all of this is the threatening notes she starts receiving made all the more scary when her friend is brutally murdered.  Is there a stalker/killer loose in the idyllic small country town?  Or is it Laney’s past finally catching up to her? Whatever it is, she’s happy to have Matt at her back. Matt and Laney come to rely on each other in spite of their pasts. 

Rebecca Zanetti is a master at romantic suspense and she did not disappoint with this installment of the Sin Brothers series.  Not only was I on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the identity of the surgeon, there were a few possibilities in town, but I was anxious over Laney being targeted by the serial killer! Add in Matt’s internal ticking time bomb and there was never a dull moment! The ending was one thrill ride!

At the heart of the story are two souls connected deeply. Both thought they’d never have a chance at happily-ever-after; the love and comfort they find in each other is something they’ve never experienced, and something they won’t let go of:

“I’ve lost everyone I’ve ever cared about, and I’ve never loved somebody like this. I can’t lose it, and I won’t lose you … This has nothing to do with equal rights or trust. This is life, and you’re mine.” 


This story wraps up nicely like Forgotten Sins did, but continuing story arc of the evil commander and his pursuit of the Gray brothers is still up in the air.  There were some progress made, but one threat I had hoped resolved is still looming over the boys.

4 Suns





Connect with Rebecca Zanetti:



Monday, July 28, 2014

Review: One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes (Goodreads Author)
Published July 1st 2014 by Pamela Dorman Books
One single mom. One chaotic family. One quirky stranger. One irresistible love story from the New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You

American audiences have fallen in love with Jojo Moyes. Ever since she debuted stateside, she has captivated readers and reviewers alike, and hit the New York Times bestseller list with the word-of-mouth sensation, Me Before You. Now, with One Plus One, she’s written another contemporary opposites-attract love story that reads like a modern-day Two for the Road.

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages . . . maybe ever.

One Plus One is Jojo Moyes at her astounding best. You’ll laugh, you’ll weep, and when you flip the last page, you’ll want to start all over again.


My Thoughts
Love!!! The cast... The story... The plot... The steady but never over the top drama... The unique perspectives.... Yes I quite like this book.

The first book I came across by Jojo Moyes was Me Before You. I read that earlier this year and have not stopped thinking about it since. Easily that book will land on my Top Favorite Reads for 2014… without a doubt. So, when I heard that Moyes had a new novel coming out back in July, I was extremely excited to get my hands on One Plus One. Luckily I was able to acquire a copy at the ALA Convention in Las Vegas, and I found myself lost in the pages shortly thereafter.

I’ll admit, I had high expectations of this book because Me Before You was absolutely mind blowing for me in the best emotional, gut-wrenching way possible, so I was a bit nervous to dive into another book by Moyes for fear of disappointment. Well as you can see by my 5 star rating, I fell in love with this novel as well.  One Plus One exposed me to a cast of characters that I won’t easily forget. This story has moments of struggle, love, heartbreak, hope and perseverance that made my reading experience an absolute joy.

I’ve noticed over the years that I go through reading phases - as evident by my genre jumping that I tend to enjoy, and lately I’m looking for those stories that have something meaningful, thoughtful and provocative in their delivery. Well One Plus One had it all for me. I took me along-side Jesse, Ed, Tanzie and Nicky as they go on a road trip of a lifetime that altered all of their lives.

Prior to this road trip, Ed was going through a tough time when he found himself convicted of insider trading that was truly a result of a spontaneous careless act that in no way reflected his character. As his life began to unravel, he stumbled upon a young, single mother of two who was on her way to take her daughter to a Math Olympiad in the hopes of winning the competition to use the funds to pay for schooling. The four, including the ginormous family pet, traveled at slow speeds to the competition and along the way began to develop a relationship that altered the course of their future.

Jesse was working a couple of jobs to make ends meet for her and her two kids. When her youngest daughter Tanzie was tested and accepted into a prestigious school, Jesse faced the hard fact that she couldn’t come up with the extra funds unless her daughter competed and placed in a Math Olympiad. They set off on an adventure that immediately hit a roadblock… that was until Ed came to their rescue and offered to get her family to the competition that was a few days away by car.

I simply adored all of these characters to an immense degree. Ed was handsome, geeky, compassion and funny. Jesse was hard working, optimistic and full of life. Tanzie and Nicky were the perfect complement to this cast, where you have a math genius and her brother a social outcast. When they all collide, there are a series of mishaps, discoveries and revelations that all lend for a heart-warming adventure that moved my emotions all over the map.

Well as you can see, I’ve clearly shared a lot here, mainly because I don’t want to forget one bit of it. It’s stories like One Plus One that remind me how magical reading can be. Jojo Moyes has cemented a spot on my bookshelf, and I can’t wait to continue reading her stories that are filled with emotional substance and heart. One of my gem picks from ALA and I finished this in two sittings. Perfection!!
5 Suns


Sunday, July 27, 2014

Review: Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti


Forgotten Sins (Sin Brothers #1) by Rebecca Zanetti
Publication Date: July 2nd 2013 by Grand Central Publishing
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the book:

His Secrets Can Destroy Her

From the moment Josie laid eyes on sexy, mysterious Shane Dean, she was in love. Their desire ignited a passionate affair, and within weeks, Shane had slipped a ring on her finger. It seemed her every fantasy was coming true . . . until her new husband disappeared without a trace. Now, two years and one broken heart later, Josie is shocked by the hospital calls: Shane has been found . . . at a crime scene with no memory of how he got there.

Her Love Can Save Him

Shane can't remember the blue-eyed angel at his bedside—or who he even is—but he knows something isn't right. His hearing is razor sharp, his physical strength incredible, and the urge to protect Josie overwhelming. For powerful enemies are hunting him, and Josie is the key to discovering why. As Shane struggles to unravel his past, dangerous new truths come to light. Can he protect the only woman he's ever loved? And can Josie trust a man she thought she knew—one who carries such a deadly secret?

My Thoughts:
I love romantic suspense. Government conspiracy, super soldiers, and a fiery romance all come together to make Forgotten Sins a thrilling and fun read!

Josie’s husband, Shane Dean left without a backwards glance or phone call two years ago, leaving her heart in tatters. They had a passionate whirlwind affair and got married three weeks later, and she felt she finally had someone to call her own, after growing up in and out of foster care.

When she’d given her vows, she’d meant them. In her lonely, solitary life, she’d given her heart once and once only. She’d never get it back.


When Josie is called to pick her husband up after he’s mugged and left with no memory, she’s shocked. Where’s he been all this time? If Shane somehow thinks they can just pick up where they left off, he’s got another thing coming, but Josie can’t just leave him high and dry with no memory or place to go.

Shane has no recollection of how he was injured but he knows the other guys ended up a lot worse. He has deadly skills, and apparently a gorgeous wife that he left two years ago. When he lays eyes on Josie his mind might not recall her, but his body and heart does. Shane can’t imagine any good reason why he left before, but he won’t make the same mistake twice. He’s determined to gain his wife and memory back, but he also needs to figure out why he was attacked.

This was an action packed read pretty much from the beginning all the way through, and I had a blast reading this. Shane and Josie were at danger at every turn and trying to figure out why had me glued to the pages.

Josie is distrustful of Shane and with good reason; he broke her heart and kept secrets. But now that he’s back, Shane is more forthcoming and so Josie dares to hope for a future. Josie is the one thing that Shane ever wanted for this own; as his memories come back so does the knowledge of his intense love for Josie. The pull they have towards one another cannot be ignored. In between trying to stay alive, Shane and Josie can barely keep their hands off each other:

“Did I ever tie you up, darlin’?”
Desire shot through her like a shot of hard whiskey. “No.” She tried to move, tug her wrists free.
“Too bad. Restraining you excites me.” The knife clattered to the floor. “If you don’t want gentle, you should’ve said so.” He flipped her around, and his lips crushed down on hers.
She didn’t want gentle. She wanted Shane—all of him.


Shane and Josie’s story was thrilling from the get go! This is the first story in a continuing series that will center on each of the Dean Brothers. So while Josie and Shane’s story wrapped up, the main story arc did not and continues with Matt the eldest brother. I can’t wait to read his story next!

4 Suns






Connect with Rebecca Zanetti:

Saturday, July 26, 2014

Early Review: Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy, #1) by Ilona Andrews

Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy, #1)
Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy, #1) by Ilona Andrews
Will be Released on October 28th, 2014 by Avon
About the Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews launches a brand new Hidden Legacy series, in which one woman must place her trust in a seductive, dangerous man who sets off an even more dangerous desire…

Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career—a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile case. Nevada isn’t sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire.

Then she’s kidnapped by Connor “Mad” Rogan—a darkly tempting billionaire with equally devastating powers. Torn between wanting to run or surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive.

Rogan’s after the same target, so he needs Nevada. But she’s getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. And, as Rogan has learned, love can be as perilous as death, especially in the magic world.
My Thoughts:
Holy hotness!  This book OMG this book!  I knew this was going to be amazing and I was not disappointed AT.ALL!

Nevada is a private investigator and she runs her family business.  Her normal day to day usually consists of finding the cheating spouse, but when a Prime magic user blows up a bank and kills one of the guards her skills are needed elsewhere.  To save her company from being closed down she has to team up with Mad Rogan and find Adam (the Prime) and deliver him safe to his family before the authorities have their way with him. 

Okay so that is the really short version of the what the story is about.  Ilona Andrews worlds are always very intricate and there is just no way I can even begin to describe everything.  Just know that if you loved the Kate Daniels world I can guarantee you will love this one too.  It is so thought out and well amazing honestly.  I wasn't sure what kind of world I was going to be reading about, but man am I hooked!  I just want to know more and I want the next book NOW!

Love love love the characters!  Andrews always creates a tough kickass heroine and while I do love Kate I kinda like Nevada a little bit better.  I know I know I never thought I would say that either, but Nevada has a soft side which I like.  Kate is still one of my all time favorite females ever, but Nevada I don't know I just really connected with her.  She didn't give in to anybody and she knew what needed to be done and just did it.  I respected her decisions and I cheered for her when they worked out.  I also liked that she knew her strong points and wasn't afraid to admit them.

Mad Rogan oh where do I begin.  First I have to say I don't like the Mad part of his name.  I get its his nickname, but every time his name would pop up I would stumble on the Mad part.  I wish the author would have dropped it and just called him Rogan.  I mean after awhile he wasn't just a side character and he deserved to just have a name.  Okay that all being said my oh my as this man glorious.  He of course was a badass Prime and knew it, but there is something underneath all the cockiness that I can't wait to discover.  I loved his interactions with Nevada and well I did swoon at his words just a tad. Yes he is over confident, but I mean hello just look at him!  I cannot wait to see who wins the stand off between them!  I want Nevada to cave, but this back and forth is just too good! 

There isn't anything I would change about this book except for the name thing which is a small complaint. The ending was interesting and definitely piqued my interest for the next book. I wanted it already before reading the last chapter, but after reading that I am dying for it!  I want to know more about this world! 

This is an amazing book that I know Kate Daniels fans will devour! 

5 Shinning Suns!



Thursday, July 24, 2014

Fifty Shades of Grey Movie Trailer & Countdown Clock!!

For those of you who haven't had a chance to view the FIRST Fifty Shades of Grey trailer that came out today, check out the clip below. 
Also for your convenience, Waves of Fiction is helping you countdown the days with our Countdown Clock on our right sidebar. Check it out! 

Cover Reveal: Filthy Beautiful Lies Series by Kendall Ryan



We are so excited to reveal the covers for Kendall Ryan's new series Filthy Beautiful Lies & Filthy Beautiful Love!




Release Date: August 18, 2014

Book Description:

I have no idea why she auctioned off her virginity for a cool mill. Regardless, I’m now the proud new owner of a perfectly intact hymen. A lot of good that will do me. I have certain tastes, certain sexual proclivities. My cock is a bit more discriminatory than most. And training a virgin takes finesse and patience – both of which I lack.
Sophie Evans has been backed into a corner. With her sister’s life hanging in the balance, the only choice is to claw her way out, even if that means selling her virginity to the highest bidder at an exclusive erotic club. When Colton Drake takes her home, she quickly learns nothing is as it seems with this beautifully troubled man. Being with him poses challenges she never expected, and pushes her to want things she never anticipated.

A sinfully seductive erotic romance where everything has a price and the cost of love is the highest of all from New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, Kendall Ryan.


Release Date: September 29, 2014

Book Description:

I never expected to watch Sophie walk away. She was mine. She just didn’t know it yet. New goal: Seal the deal and rock her world so thoroughly she never wanted to leave again.

Highly sexual and emotionally charged, Filthy Beautiful Love is the provocative conclusion to Filthy Beautiful Lies. 





Connect with the Kendall Ryan here:



Cover Reveal: Burying Water by K.A. Tucker

Burying Water
I've been a fan of K.A. Tucker's Ten Tiny Breathes series so I'm really exciting about her new release: BURYING WATER! BURYING WATER is a New Adult Romantic Suspense novel scheduled for release October 7th! Love romantic suspense!

Add BURYING WATER on Goodreads!

  About BURYING WATER: The top-selling, beloved indie author of Ten Tiny Breaths returns with a new romance about a young woman who loses her memory—and the man who knows that the only way to protect her is to stay away. Left for dead in the fields of rural Oregon, a young woman defies all odds and survives—but she awakens with no idea who she is, or what happened to her. Refusing to answer to “Jane Doe” for another day, the woman renames herself “Water” for the tiny, hidden marking on her body—the only clue to her past. Taken in by old Ginny Fitzgerald, a crotchety but kind lady living on a nearby horse farm, Water slowly begins building a new life. But as she attempts to piece together the fleeting slivers of her memory, more questions emerge: Who is the next-door neighbor, quietly toiling under the hood of his Barracuda? Why won’t Ginny let him step foot on her property? And why does Water feel she recognizes him? Twenty-four-year-old Jesse Welles doesn’t know how long it will be before Water gets her memory back. For her sake, Jesse hopes the answer is never. He knows that she’ll stay so much safer—and happier—that way. And that’s why, as hard as it is, he needs to keep his distance. Because getting too close could flood her with realities better left buried. The trouble is, water always seems to find its way to the surface.

Pre-Order BURYING WATER Now!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iTunes

In Her Wake cover (1)
 
You can read Chapters 1-4 of BURYING WATER in the back of IN HER WAKE, the Ten Tiny Breaths prequel novella from Trent's POV! IN HER WAKE is out September 1st. Pre-order your copy today!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iTunes

Author Photo
  About K.A. Tucker: Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.      

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads ** YouTube ** Pinterest ** Instagram

Monday, July 21, 2014

Review & Giveaway: The Dark Affair by Maire Claremont


The Dark Affair by Maire Claremont
Publication Date: March 4th 2014 by Signet Eclipse
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

About the book:

The Victorian era was full of majestic beauty and scandalous secrets—a time when corsets were the least of a woman’s restrictions, and men could kill or be killed in the name of honor…...

Lady Margaret Cassidy left a life of nobility behind in Ireland, forsaking her grieving homeland to aid war-ravaged men in England. Still, she never expected a cruel turn of fate to lock her into an unwanted betrothal with one of her English patients—much less one as broken and dangerous as Viscount Powers.

Wrecked by his tragic past, Powers’ opiate-addled sanity hangs precariously in the balance, leaving him poised to destroy anyone who dares to utter the names of the wife and child he still so deeply mourns. So when he is forced to marry Margaret in exchange for freedom, he is shocked by the desire to earn her trust, her body, and—most alarming of all—her heart….

My Thoughts:
I don’t pick up historical romances very often but every time I do I enjoy them.  The Dark Affair was no exception.  As a romance set in Victorian England it was a moving story of love and redemption.

Viscount James Powers has descended down a destructive path over the overwhelming guilt of losing his wife and young daughter.  He blanked out the pain by visiting opium dens, getting addicted to the point that he no longer cares about anything, least of all appearances.  His father, the Earl of Carlyle has other ideas because he needs a sane heir to the title, and so he commits James to a psychiatric asylum.  Desperate to get him back to normal, but knowing the danger of him slipping back into his addiction, the Earl arranges for Lady Margaret, a nurse and aid to soldiers ravaged by war, to help him.  More than that, the Earl wants Margaret to marry James to ensure his lasting recovery. Being that Margaret hails from Ireland, even if she is nobility shows just how desperate the Earl is.  Insanity right?

That’s what Lady Margaret thinks, but a sudden change in her circumstances makes this deal impossible to refuse.  That and the fact that she genuinely wants to help James, because something in this man speaks to her very soul.  Margaret knows it won’t be easy to get him back on track, but her heart goes out to James in his state, no matter that he’s an arrogant arse when they first meet.

I was rooting for James and Margaret to find happiness together right away.  I was a little worried that James’ love for his dead wife would mean that Margaret would always come in second, but as details of his past marriage were revealed those worries flew out the window.  James is pretty much taken with Margaret from the get go. I loved that even in his miserable withdrawals James is immediately drawn to Margaret and her feisty ways.  She helps get James to wake up and realize that his problems are not the only ones existing in the world.  Margaret opens James up to see that he is not alone in his suffering, and helping others helps heal his own past pain. For the first time, thanks to Margaret, he’s hopeful about the future.  James can’t help but fall head over heels for this beautiful, headstrong, smart woman:

…nothing could compare with the terrifying way Margaret made him feel, as though he might conquer worlds but could lose it all at any moment. Never in his life had he felt more exposed yet at one with any human as he had last night.

Margaret has her own demons that make her afraid to let James in, but I loved that she opened up anyhow and dealt with her desires honestly and in an adult manner.  She was inexperienced but not embarrassed to admit it, and ask for what she wanted.  Something that James was oh-so-willing to accommodate.  Oh my!  In the end these two prove to be a perfect match of hearts, and I was thrilled at how things wrapped up. 


I was impressed with The Dark Affair. Maire Claremont’s beautiful writing and sweeping romance is sure to please any romance junkie! And check out her character picks for Lady Margaret and Viscount James Powers! Yum!!

4 Suns



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The lovely people at Signet Eclipse provided a paperback copy of The Dark Affair to giveaway to one lucky Waves of Fiction follower.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL!  Simply fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win.  Good luck!

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Upcoming Release: Every Time I Think of You by Tracey Garvis-Graves

Fans of Tracey Garvis-Graves get ready!! She's coming out with a new novel in September. Check it out!!
Expected publication: September 16th 2014
Thirty-year-old Daisy DiStefano has two people she holds dear: the grandmother who raised her, and her three-year-old son, Elliott. But when Daisy’s grandmother is killed in a seemingly random act of violence, Daisy must take steps to protect herself and her child.

Despite a thriving career in San Francisco, thirty-six-year-old Brooks McClain has returned home to spend what little time his mother has left before she succumbs to the deadly disease that is ravaging her. The seasoned investigative reporter has taken a position with the local newspaper and been on the job less than twenty-four hours when he’s summoned to cover the death of Pauline Thorpe.

Brooks is all business, but the more time he spends with Daisy DiStefano, the more invested he becomes; there’s something about a single mother, a defenseless child, and an unsolved crime that has stirred Brooks’s protective instincts like nothing ever has before.

And when the unthinkable happens, Brooks will do whatever it takes to clear the name of the woman he’s fallen for and the child he’ll protect at any cost.

Romantic and suspenseful, Every Time I Think of You shows how far two people will go to fight for the ones they love, and the life they’ve always imagined.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Upcoming Release: Come To Me Recklessly by A.L. Jackson

Come To Me Recklessly by A.L. Jackson
Expected Publication: April 7th 2015 by NAL
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Amazon CA
His heart was turned off…

Until she turned him on…

Christopher Moore gave up on the idea of love years ago. Now, his life is an endless string of parties and an even longer string of girls. Enjoying the physical perks with none of the emotional mess, hes convinced everyone that hes satisfied—everyone but himself.


Samantha Schultz has moved on with her life. Finishing her student teaching and living with her boyfriend, shes deluded herself into believing shes content. But there is one boy she never forgot—her first love—and she keeps the memory of him locked up tight. She will never allow any man to break her the way Christopher did.

When Christopher's sister and her family move into a new neighborhood, Christopher is completely unprepared to find Samantha living at the end of the street. Memories and unspent desires send them on collision course of sex, lies, and lust. But when guilt and fear send Samantha running, Christopher will have to fight for what has always been his.

★★$50.00 AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY★★


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If Forever Comes (Take This Regret #2), Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Come To Me Quietly Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Come to Me Softly, coming June 24, 2014

Friday, July 18, 2014

Blog Tour: Innocents (Dusty #1) by Mary Elizabeth

Synopsis
Bliss knows all about bad choices but has yet to make them herself. With an innocent heart, she searches for freedom and finds it in the delinquent down the hall.

Dusty is a foul-mouthed troublemaker, tear-maker and heartbreaker. The boy with summer sky-blue eyes knows to stay away, but he can't resist the girl who made his house a home.

She's his reason, but he might not catch her when she falls.

She loves him. He loves her crazy. 

This is what happens when a love made of secrets is kept with rules instead of promises.

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Excerpt
Front windows cracked, we’re relaxed in the back of his parents’ old Audi and it feels good again.

“Caffeine isn’t good for you, you know,” Thomas says, glancing over. 

The sun has set and the purple sky and the Yaquina lighthouse paint my temperamental troublemaker in soft hues. The scent and sounds of the sea drift in with the breeze, mixing with smoke from the blunt he’s relit and the low melodies of Citizen Cope singing about a girl that won’t give in and he’ll never let go of.

Taking another drink of the coffee he bought me, I shrug. I don’t know what he said to get the baristas to make a pumpkin spice latte in February, but cinnamon and caffeine fill me with warm relief. 

Under his breath and around a hit, Thomas chuckles.

“It’s bad for your bones and skin,” he says, smirking as I tuck my toes under his leg. “And your heart. Uncontrolled beats are a prelude to heart attack, princess.”

I roll my eyes and laugh some, because I do feel them. I felt them earlier in his bed, and before that, when I was thinking of him. My unsteady heartbeats have nothing to do with coffee.

“Bring on the palpitations,” I say before taking another drink, letting Dusty lecture me about bad habits, as if I’m too young to understand irony.

“I’m serious,” he continues, smoking up and blowing out. “Your body will build a tolerance. When you feel it’s becoming bad for you, you’ll want more. You’ll need more. Caffeine’s a drug, Leigh.”

I laugh. I can’t help it. Maybe I’m still high.

“Oh yeah?” I ask. “Like pot?”

This boy blows a cloud of smoke up, and I watch it swirl-spread out across the car’s ceiling.

“Pot’s from the earth,” he says, puffing smoke rings while I wrap both hands around my cup, absorbing its warmth through my palms. I inhale the cream-sweet scent of cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger, and it may be full of stimulants, but I feel calm.

Thomas’ presence is the best Valentine’s Day gift. Candy is nice, and candy flavored blunt wraps were thoughtful, but this is what I wanted most. Just us.

“Pumpkins are from the earth,” I say. “And coffee beans.”

“You think there’s real pumpkin in that?” he asks. When I can’t do more than smile and stare at his lips, he sits up straighter.

“Caffeine’s an analeptic. It fucks with your impulse control and your insulin resistance.”

I laugh because, “What?”

He pulls a hit. “That shit will give you stress hormones, Bliss.”

“How do you know all this?” 

“Baseball.”

We’re quiet for a second, looking at each other. His carefreeness is back, but his smile is understated.

“You sure you’re not worried it’ll stunt my growth?”

Between licking his bottom lip and bringing the blunt back up, Dusty glances at my chest without a stitch of modesty.

“You’re growing up fine, girl.”

My cheeks heat, and I hide my smile with another drink. 

After I’ve finished my coffee, Thomas offers me the blunt. When I decline, my actual addiction leans into me, nudges his hood from my head, and exhales his smoke all over my neck. 

The playful punk that was lecturing me is gone. This honest to a fault, recklessly unflinching, too-beautiful, fated youth is a person only I know. This is my person. 

He tosses the blunt out the window while I drop my empty cup to the floorboard, and we shift together. We kiss open and deep, claiming and binding. We kiss the way I wanted to earlier, with eyes closed and hearts open, and I know the real drug is here. It’s between us and inside us.

It’s the way he opens my lips with his lips to kiss me deeper, and the way my pulse feels like his name is in my veins.

It’s the way I can’t stay hurt or mad or jealous, and the way he can’t stand for me to.

It’s the craving that never goes away, the need for more that grows as we feed it. It’s the tolerance he was talking about and knowing he’s right. 

It’s this, our secret.

We’re the drug.

Arlene's Thoughts
Alone, we’re us: an innocent secret made of bad habits spread across his bed.
First off, a huge thank you to Mary Elizabeth for humoring my email begging for a copy of this book. After stumbling upon so many amazing reviews and high ratings, I knew I had to get my hands on a copy, and she was gracious enough to hook me up with the blog tour. So thank you! Thank you!

Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let me just say OH.MY.WOW !! I have not been this addicted to fictional madness for quite some time. I’ve just spent the last three days trying to find stolen moments so I could be left alone with Dusty and Bliss. What the hell just hit my system??? I feel distraught, confused, torn up, but most of all in love with the most broken characters I've ever met. This is going to haunt me for days!! I know it!! Innocents is no doubt my new fixation!

There is something absolutely captivating about the writing that seems both unabashedly honest and innocently lyrical. At times I felt like I was reading some beautiful passages that tried to describe love to me in its purest form, and at other times, it was like falling into the world of two characters that are both damaged and flawed in synchronous ways that just makes them fit perfectly together.

I won’t lie… there are moments of self-destruction on the parts of both characters. But at the core of this novel, it’s a story about love. Not a perfect love, nor a love that nurtures, but one that both damages yet keeps them grounded.

From the first moment I met them, I wanted Dusty and Bliss to end up together, and as I journeyed with them through some difficult moments I never wavered on how I felt about them. They both made some tough and oh so wrong decisions, but my feelings for them remained constant. No matter how wrong some of their choices were, I still cared about them. As a reader, there are some topics and themes I have a hard time reading and accepting, and I’ll tell you now… I came across a lot of my limits in this book, but whether it be my fixation or curiosity, I was absolutely captivated by these characters.

Innocents was absolutely addicting for all the wrong reasons!! I loved this cast of perfectly flawed characters to pieces and I can’t wait to read the next installment.
5 Suns


Teaser




MeetTheAuthor

 

Mary Elizabeth is an up and coming author who finds words in chaos, writing stories about the skeletons hanging in your closets. Known as The Realist, she is one half of The Elizabeths—a duo brave enough to never hide the truth. Born and raised in Southern California, she’s a wife, mother of four beautiful children, and dog tamer to one enthusiastic Pit Bull and a prissy Chihuahua. She’s a hairstylist by day but contemporary fiction, new adult author by night. Mary can often be found finger twirling her hair and chewing on a stick of licorice while writing and rewriting a sentence over and over until it’s perfect. She discovered her talent for tale-telling accidentally, but literature is in her stranglehold. And she’s not letting go until every story is told. 

To follow Mary’s upcoming solo and collaborative projects, she can be found at her website http://www.maryelizabethlit.com/.

Brought together by their love of storytelling, Mary and Sarah Elizabeth are a pair of dedicated writers with complementary strengths who’ve cultivated a literary style that captures a Realist’s brutality with a Poet’s grace, uncovering the self-seeking side of tenderness and the undisguised truth of honesty. Inspired by the lyrics of a song, Dusty was born between emails and long G-chats before a single chapter was ever typed. A short story turned into a monster, and more than four years and several edits later, the first half of their collaboration, Innocents, will be released on July 14, 2014. And its conclusion, Delinquents, is set to release on October 23, 2014. 

If you’d like to contact The Elizabeths, they can be located on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheElizabethsDusty?ref=hl.

MeetTheAuthor
   

Listener, messenger, secret keeper, Elizabeth, and TrueLove, Sarah works two jobs by day so that she's able to really work by night. She's written since she was old enough to hold a marker, and her writing bridges the sacred and profane, from first love to forbidden, with a longing for truth and a passion for hearts. She is currently based in Kansas City where her army is comprised of one little buffalo. Her best friends are girls named Moses and Bunny. Her hero is a boy named Bishop, and the one she loves has ocean eyes. In addition to Dusty, Sarah also has a collaborative novella, Light and Wine, due to be released on June 8th, and her solo work will be featured in the anthology Branded, this August.

Brought together by their love of storytelling, Mary and Sarah Elizabeth are a pair of dedicated writers with complementary strengths who’ve cultivated a literary style that captures a Realist’s brutality with a Poet’s grace, uncovering the self-seeking side of tenderness and the undisguised truth of honesty. Inspired by the lyrics of a song, Dusty was born between emails and long G-chats before a single chapter was ever typed. A short story turned into a monster, and more than four years and several edits later, the first half of their collaboration, Innocents, will be released on July 14, 2014. And its conclusion, Delinquents, is set to release on October 23, 2014. 

If you’d like to contact The Elizabeths, they can be located on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheElizabethsDusty?ref=hl.





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