Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Upcoming Release and Author Tour: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Waves of Fiction is exciting to announce the upcoming release of Rainbow Rowell's newest novel Carry On.  Check out the book details and upcoming author tour as we eagerly await its release!!
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Expected publication: October 6th 2015 by St. Martin's Griffin
Rainbow Rowell continues to break boundaries with Carry On, an epic fantasy following the triumphs and heartaches of Simon and Baz from her beloved bestseller Fangirl.

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.


Purchase Links
Upcoming Author Tour
If you're lucky enough to reside in one of these cities, we hope you can make the tour and tell us all about it. Check it out!




Waves of Fiction 2015 Reading Challenge

It's time for our Waves of Fiction 2015 Reading Challenge Update!
Several of us at Waves of Fiction started this reading challenge at the beginning of the year. To learn more about it, you can go HERE for the details. 

While my bloggy roommates are hard at work trying to finish the last of their reading challenge categories, I thought I could use this time to share some recent reads that I feel would be great options for some of the items. 

I finished my challenge back in April 2015.  Since then, I've tackled quite a few books that would work well for several of the categories, so here you go!

A book set in the Summer - Summer by Summer by Heather Burch
A book with a one word title - Priest by Sierra Simone
A book with a number in the title - Eight Hundred Grapes By Laura Dave
A book with a place in the title - Down London Road by Samantha Young
A book that is a stand alone title - Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A book set in another country - Meet Me at Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan
A book you shouldn't read in public - Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton
A book with a rating higher than 4.25 on GR - My Biggest Mistake by Leddy Harper 
A book that was made into a movie - The Rose Project by Graeme Simsion
A book with more than 300 pages - After You by JoJo Moyes
A third book in a series - Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young
A book by an Australian author - You're the Kind of Girl I Write Songs about by Daniel Herborn
A book with a military theme - Consolation by Corinne Michaels

If you're doing this challenge, let us know how you're doing!

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

New Release: After You (Me Before You #2) by Jojo Moyes

Today, Waves of Fiction is excited to announce the highly anticipated sequel to Me Before You by JoJo Moyes.  I had the pleasure of getting a copy of After You weeks before its release, and you can check out my review on WinterHaven Books
After You (Me Before You #2) by Jojo Moyes
Publication Date: September 29th 2015 by Penguin
Purchase Links:  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble
How do you move on after losing the person you loved? How do you build a life worth living?

Louisa Clark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can’t help but feel she’s right back where she started.

Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kick-started back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies. They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding—the paramedic, whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will’s past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future. . . .

For Lou Clark, life after Will Traynor means learning to fall in love again, with all the risks that brings. But here Jojo Moyes gives us two families, as real as our own, whose joys and sorrows will touch you deeply, and where both changes and surprises await.

After You is quintessential Jojo Moyes—a novel that will make you laugh, cry, and rejoice at being back in the world she creates. Here she does what few novelists can do—revisits beloved characters and takes them to places neither they nor we ever expected.


My Thoughts
Beautiful, emotional and full of hope!!
I absolutely loved this book!! It was everything I could hope for as a continuation of Louisa Clark's story.  This well casted novel was filled with heartfelt moments, funny episodes and powerful emotional punches that truly branded my heart with bliss.  To check out more about my thoughts on the book, you can see my review on Goodreads or WinterHaven Books!
5 Suns
Jojo Moyes Talks With Sophie Kinsella About Writing AFTER YOU

Monday, September 28, 2015

Release Day Launch: Desperate Chances by A. Meredith Walters



Sex changes everything.

And love can turn into an enemy…

Mitch Abrams, the bassist for the popular rock band Generation Rejects, has been in love with Gracie Cook for years. But Gracie, a complicated girl with a lot of baggage, was too blind to see how she felt about the man who had always stood by her.

Until one night of passion brought them closer than they had ever been before.

Feeling off balance and out of control, Gracie does the only thing a girl with self-destructive tendencies can do: end things with Mitch before they can really begin.

So Mitch moves on. With his band, his friends, and a new girlfriend.

Yet he can’t seem to forget about the girl who threw his heart away.

Gracie, who is still struggling to build a life after crashing to the bottom, finds it hard to forget about her one night with Mitch. And even as she tries to convince herself it was only sex, her heart knows differently.

But life is full of chances and desperate moments. And when Mitch and Gracie are thrown back into each other’s lives, will they seize at the opportunity to do things right?

Or will the rock star and the less than ordinary girl crash and burn?





The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary and Paranormal romance including The Find You in the Dark and Bad Rep series as well as the upcoming stand alone romance, Reclaiming the Sand, and a dark new adult series for Gallery Books.

A. Meredith spent ten years as a counselor for at risk teens and children. First working at a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault program and then later a program for children with severe emotional and mental health issues. Her former clients and their stories continue to influence every aspect of her writing.

When not writing (or being tortured with all manner of beauty products at the hand of her very imaginative and extremely girly daughter), she is eating chocolate, watching reality television that could rot your brain and reading a smutty novel or two.

A. Meredith is represented by Michelle Johnson with the Inklings Literary Agency.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Waves of Sunday #74

Welcome to our weekly edition of Waves of Sunday where each Sunday we spotlight a book that has been making waves in the book scene or has simply caught our attention causing a riptide on our TBR.
Today we are spotlighting:
Published September 22nd 2015 by Smashwords Edition
First comes love.

Then comes marriage.

Then comes the… really nasty divorce.

Kate Carter thought she married her soul mate. She thought she had her happily ever after. But seven years into Kate’s marriage, she realizes that her husband Nick is not what she wanted. He’s selfish, he’s oblivious and he doesn’t love her anymore.

Maybe she doesn’t love him anymore either.

Divorce is the only option if either of them wants to find happiness.

Kate and Nick thought they knew what they wanted, but neither is prepared for the heartache that separating will bring them. The journey they embark on is not the freedom they wished for, but a painful look at the people they’ve become.

At the end of it, Kate has to decide if this is really the life she wants or if maybe there’s a way to salvage her broken heart.

Arlene's Thoughts
I'm a sucker for a marriage-in-crisis type book. I think it's the drama hungry reader in me that has me on the constant lookout for an emotional tale of a marriage going south. So when I can across Every Wrong Reason by Rachel Higginson, I also noticed how great the early reviews are stacking up for this book. This book reminds me a bit about After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which I loved!  Can't wait to get my hands on this novel to se if Kate and Nick survive the turmoil in their marriage. Bring it on!

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Sales Blitz: Finding Laila by T.K. Rapp


Finding Laila by Author: T.K. Rapp
Release Date: January 13, 2015
Purchase Link:  Amazon   (Free through September 28, 2015)
Joey, Cole, Haden and Braxton have been a constant in my life since I was five, and I have loved being one of the guys.

I’ve been cheerleader.

I’ve been study partner.

I’ve been listener.

When we’re young, we don’t realize the profound impact certain people will have on our lives. I had no idea twelve years ago I’d meet four boys who would turn out to be my best friends, my soul mates - my barmy.

Now school is almost done, our last summer together is drawing closer, and I’m trying to hold on to what we have while I still can. After this we’ll have to say goodbye to each other, as our choices will take our lives in different directions. But I don't know if our friendship can survive once secrets and surprises begin revealing themselves to us at every turn.

When it’s all said and done, will our friendships remain unbreakable? Or will our once strong bond prove to be weaker than we anticipated?

Letting go is harder than I thought, but some changes are necessary.

And finding Laila...finding myself…may be the greatest journey of all.




Author Information

I am a Texas girl - born and raised. Since we only have two seasons...I suppose I like the less-hot summer.

While my husband was in the military, I stayed home to raise our two daughters and found myself frequently sitting in front of my computer starting stories, but too scared to finish them. They were password protected so no one could read them and somehow I forgot the password. So I will never know what I wrote.

During his military service, we had the opportunity to live in California, Virginia and South Carolina, and there was something in each of those places that I loved. It was a wonderful time. But after 7 years in the Navy we were able to settle down in a small town with our daughters Peece & Gidget.

Before writing, I spent eleven years as a photographer/photo editor with my mom. I love photography, and it was hard to let it go, but writing was where my heart was drawn. After some prodding from my husband, I started writing my first book and never looked back.

Social Media Links
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Website  |  Goodreads

Friday, September 25, 2015

Cover Reveal: Loving Under the Big Sky Series by Kristen Proby

We are so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for Kristen Proby'sLove Under the Big Sky Series! The Love Under the Big Sky Series is a Contemporary Erotic Romance series made up of three full-length, standalone novels and one novella published by Pocket Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster! Grab your copy of all of the books in this amazing series!

Loving Cara- cover

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** Booksamillion ** Indiebound ** iBooks

  About LOVING CARA:
CHEMISTRY WAS NEVER THIS SEXY IN HIGH SCHOOL.
Seducing Lauren - cover
In her sizzling new series, USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby sets the stage for a passionate reunion under the breathtaking Montana sky. Cara Donovan’s summer tutoring job is turning out to be a challenge—and not just because of her troubled twelve-year-old student. It’s his uncle Josh who’s the real problem. If problem is the word for an irresistibly cocky, muscle-bound rancher with a taste for tight Levi’s and shameless flirtation…  Cara is nothing like the wallflower Josh King remembers good-naturedly teasing in high school. This Cara is gorgeous, confident, fun. From the moment the fiery teacher steps foot on his family’s Lazy K Ranch, the stubborn playboy is determined to corral her. So what happens when his luscious lover takes over the reins? The first in a steamy trilogy, Kristen Proby’s enthralling novel is filled to the brim with one hardworking family’s triumphs and challenges, all the wild adventure of the modern West, and a whole lot of titillating fun.  

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** Booksamillion ** Indiebound ** iBooks

FALLING FOR JILLIAN - cover
About SEDUCING LAUREN: In the second book in the Love Under the Big Sky series from this New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the With Me in Seattle series, life in Montana gets spicy when a woman and her divorce lawyer sign off the papers—and sign on to love. Now that his best friend, Josh, has happily settled down with his true love on a Montana ranch, small-town lawyer Ty Sullivan starts thinking that maybe single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. And when Lauren Cunningham’s no-good ex-husband comes after her for an unexpected trust fund, Ty steps in to protect her. But soon he can’t help but think of her as more than a client. Lauren’s in no mood to jump into another relationship, so how can Ty convince her that her mistake wasn’t getting married, but marrying the wrong guy?

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** Booksamillion ** Indiebound ** iBooks

About FALLING FOR JILLIAN: From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby comes the third romance in the Love Under the Big Sky series, featuring a veteran struggling with PTSD and the one woman who can help him recover—and learn to love again. Jillian thought she was a city girl through and through; the fast cars, high fashion, and glamour—she loves it all. But when her ex tells her he’s having a baby with his new wife (after Jillian struggled for years to get pregnant), she hightails it back to Montana to cry on the shoulder of her best friend, Cara. But in truth, Jillian would rather be comforted by someone else…specifically Zack, Cara’s brother-in-law. Zack is a veteran of the Iraq War who came back to the family ranch to raise his preteen son after the boy’s mother took off. He’s struggling to re-establish a relationship with his son, and warding off the demons of PTSD, which still haunt him. The last thing he needs is bold, brassy Jillian…but why can’t he keep his hands off her?   
Saving Grace - cover

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** Booksamillion ** iBooks

About SAVING GRACE (Releasing November 30th): Sparks fly like snowflakes when a klutzy but gorgeous novice crosses skis with a hot resort owner in this tempting tie-in to New York Times bestselling author Kristen Proby’s popular Love Under the Big Sky series! Grace Douglas is on a practice run for her friend Cara Donovan’s bachelorette party ski weekend in Aspen. The problem is, despite living in rugged and picturesque Cunningham Falls, Montana, Grace is the clumsiest person ever born. To prepare for the trip, she is taking lessons at a local ski resort. She just prays that they have an ambulance on standby. Sexy hotelier Jacob Berkley is ready to play ski instructor, but he quickly discovers that the best place on the mountain for Grace is in the lodge with a hot toddy. Her sense of humor and easy laugh quickly pull him in, and soon he’s determined to help her get off the bunny slope for a fun vacation with her friends. He just didn’t expect their steamy chemistry to trigger an avalanche of desire straight to his heart.

  Excerpt from LOVING CARA (Book 1): 

 “This is a great place,” I murmur, and turn in a complete circle, taking everything in. The forest is thick here, but with a clearing by a wide pool of water,which is being fed by a creek that empties into it via a beautiful waterfall about twenty yards away. Slabs of rock frame the pond, making a natural ledge to sit on and enjoy nature. “This is where I’ve always come whenever I’m happy or mad or just need to think.” Josh wraps his arms around me from behind and kisses the top of my head. “You brought me to your happy place?” I ask, half kidding, and turn my head to kiss his biceps. I can’t seem to keep my lips off this man. And he doesn’t seem to mind. “It seems that anywhere you are is my happy place these days, Carolina.” I gasp and look up into his soft brown eyes. “So, I brought the person who makes me happy to my happy place,” he clarifies. Well . . . wow. Before I can respond, he kisses my lips quickly and then pulls away to grab a blanket out of a saddlebag. He takes me by the hand and leads me up onto the rocks by the water. He spreads the blanket out and pulls me down next to him. “Are you hungry?” he asks, and pushes my hair back over my shoulder. “Not quite yet.” He nods and his eyes heat as they rake down my face, my neck, and over my tank top, which I know shows off the girls nicely. If he was going to keep me perpetually turned on today, I was happy to return the favor. “You are so beautiful,” he whispers, and leans in to claim my mouth gently. His lips are gentle and soft, sweeping across my own rhythmically yet slowly, sending shivers down my arms and making my stomach clench. He has only touched me with his lips and my stomach is clenched. I’m panting, ready for him to take me right here, in the middle of nature. He cups my cheeks in the palm of his hand and pulls me closer, sinking into the kiss, but then he abruptly pulls back, his brows pulled into a frown. “You really are warm,” he mutters, and feels my neck and forehead. I laugh at him as I rub my hand up and down his firm chest. “It’s hot outside, Josh.” “Let’s cool off.” He smiles down at me wickedly and begins to peel me out of my clothes. “We might give the wildlife quite a show,” I warn him mildly, excitement coursing through me. “That’s the plan.” He winks at me and quickly strips out of his own clothes. He pulls me up onto my feet and peels my jeans and panties down my legs. “Now what?” I ask with a wide smile. “Now we cool off.”

Check out the Love Under the Big Sky Series on Goodreads!

Author Pic - Kristen ProbyAbout KRISTEN PROBY: New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Kristen Proby is the author of the popular With Me in Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type—fiercely protective and a bit bossy—and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves. Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys coffee, chocolate, and sunshine. And naps. Visit her at KristenProby.com.    

 

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Cover Reveal: The Play by Karina Halle



A troubled Scottish rugby player who doesn't play by the rules.

A vivacious man-eater who's given up on love.
When it comes to Lachlan and Kayla, opposites don't just attract - they explode.

Kayla Moore has always been comfortable with her feisty, maneating reputation. At least it was fine until she hit her thirties and saw her best friends Stephanie and Nicola settle down with Linden and Bram McGregor, leaving Kayla to be the odd one out. Tired of being the third wheel with nothing but one-night stands and dead-end dates in San Francisco, Kayla decides to take a vow of celibacy and put men on the backburner.

That is until she lays her eyes on Linden and Bram’s cousin, hot Scot Lachlan McGregor. Lachlan is her sexual fantasy come to life – tall, tatted, and built like a Mack truck. With a steely gaze and successful rugby career back in Edinburgh, he’s the kind of man that makes her want to throw her vow right out the window. But Lachlan’s quiet and intense demeanor makes him a hard man to get to know, let alone get close to.

It isn’t until the two of them are thrown together one long, unforgettable night that Kayla realizes there is so much more to this brooding macho man than what meets the eye. But even with sparks flying between the two, Lachlan can’t stay in America forever. Now, Kayla has to decide whether to uproot her whole life and chance it all on someone she barely knows or risk getting burned once again.
Sometimes love is a game that just needs to be played.



Karina Halle is a former travel writer and music journalist and The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of Where Sea Meets Sky, Racing the Sun, The Pact, Love, in English, The Artists Trilogy, Dirty Angels and over 20 other wild and romantic reads. She lives on an island off the coast of British Columbia with her husband and her rescue pup, where she drinks a lot of wine, hikes a lot of trails and devours a lot of books.
Halle is represented by the Waxman Leavell Agency and is both self-published and published by Atria Books/Simon & Schuster and Hachette in North America and in the UK.

Hit her up on Instagram at @authorHalle , on Twitter at @MetalBlonde and on Facebook. You can also visit www.authorkarinahalle.com  and sign up for the newsletter for news, excerpts, previews, private book signing sales and more.



Wednesday, September 23, 2015

2015 Audio Reading Challenge

I just came across this challenge and thought it was the prefect one for me. I love listening to audio books, and I’ve recently touted my addiction to Overdrive, which you can check out HERE.  Now I know I am entering this challenge a bit late, but here’s my retro-recap along with some details on the challenge. Enjoy!

Reading Challenge Details:
  • Runs January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015. You can join at anytime.
  • The goal is to find a new love for audios or to outdo yourself by listening to more audios in 2015 than you did in 2014.
  • Books must be in audio format (CD, MP3, etc.)
  • ANY genres count.
  • Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
  • You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Shelfari, Booklikes, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc. – I’ve created a Goodreads Group for the challenge, feel free to join.
  • If you’re a blogger grab the button (on the sidebar) and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Facebook or Tweeting about the challenge.

By request, a new level (Marathoner) has been added this year for the hardcore listeners and the numbers for My Precious has been changed from 30+ to 30-50.

Levels:
  • Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5 
  • Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10 
  • Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15 
  • Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
  • Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
  • My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30-50
  • Marathoner (Look Ma no hands) 50+ 
We’ve decided to go back to having quarterly updates to help keep everyone motivated and to snag new participants through out the year. There will be posts on the following dates for you guys to check in to let us know how your listening is going for 2015.

Update Schedule:
  • March 27th: 1st Quarter Update
  • June 19th: 2nd Quarter Update – Giveaway included
  • September 25th: 3rd Quarter Update
  • December 18th: 4th Quarter Update and Wrap – Giveaway included 

First Quarter Review (January – March 2015)
The Tyrant’s Daughter by J.C. Carleson
Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
I Was Here by Gayle Forman
Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella
Changeling by Philippa Gregory
The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks
Landline by Rainbow Rowell
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
The One and Only by Emily Griffin
Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum
Stormbringers by Philippa Gregory
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel
First Love by James Patterson
On Dublin Street by Samantha Young
The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
Total – 22 Titles

Second Quarter Review (April – June 2015)
Confess by Colleen Hoover
The Return by Jennifer Armentrout
Silver Bay by JoJo Moyes
Hero by Samantha Young
Lick by Kylie Scott
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren
The Shadows by J.R. Ward
Kaleb by Nichole Edwards
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Play by Kylie Scott
The Proposition by Katie Ashley
Rule by Jay Crownover
Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby
99 Days by Katie Cotugno
Lead by Kylie Scott
Down London Road by Samantha Young
Total – 17 Titles

Third Quarter Review (July – September 2015)
Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker
Goodnight June by Sarah Jio
Grey by E.L. James
Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young
The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
Saved by the Rancher by Jennifer Ryan
Sweet Ache by K. Bromberg
Until Fountain Bridge by Samantha Young
Nothing Personal by Jaci Burton
Castle Hill by Samantha Young
Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave
Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton
Total – 13 Titles

Looks like I’ve achieved MARATHONER LEVEL! Look Ma no hands! To date, my Overdrive shelf has me at 52 titles completed for 2015 so far. You can check out my entire Goodreads Overdrive shelf HERE.

Review: Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave

Published June 2nd 2015 by Simon & Schuster
There are secrets you share, and secrets you hide…

Growing up on her family’s Sonoma vineyard, Georgia Ford learned some important secrets. The secret number of grapes it takes to make a bottle of wine: eight hundred. The secret ingredient in her mother’s lasagna: chocolate. The secret behind ending a fight: hold hands.

But just a week before her wedding, thirty-year-old Georgia discovers her beloved fiancé has been keeping a secret so explosive, it will change their lives forever.

Georgia does what she’s always done: she returns to the family vineyard, expecting the comfort of her long-married parents, and her brothers, and everything familiar. But it turns out her fiancé is not the only one who’s been keeping secrets…

My Thoughts
Interesting story of a complex family that blends secrets, desires, and wine all into one entertaining novel.

When thirty-year old Georgia returns home to her family vineyard in Sonoma County for the harvest party, her family immediately knows something is wrong. She never changed out of her wedding gown from the dress fitting in Los Angeles, and she’s suddenly struggling with whether or not she can continue with her nuptials.

Georgia’s fiancé Ben has kept a secret from her for months, and discovering the complexities of her new reality a future without Ben is one she begins to contemplate. If only that was the one single issue Georgia is facing. Unfortunately, her twin brothers and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own and a few days before the annual harvest party, the entire Ford family struggles with how to move forward with their lives.

Eight Hundred Grapes has been on my radar for weeks. I’m very familiar with the setting having been to Sonoma County several times, but reading the story created a whole new perspective on this beautify wine county. I enjoyed hearing about the local establishments I’m very aware of, and it was interesting to learn a bit about the wine making process. Finding out that it takes about 800 grapes to make a bottle of wine might come in handy at trivia time some day.

I did struggle a bit with the Ford family dynamics. Each family member had a conflict in their life and several times it felt like they kept going back and forth with their decisions. I completely understand that indecision is a normal aspect of life, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the constant back and forth didn’t begin to frustrate me.

I don’t completely agree with Georgia’s decision at the end, but the ultimate conclusion was satisfying enough to accept her choice.

Overall, I enjoyed Eight Hundred Grapes as I journeyed through Sonoma County, learned a bit about the wine making process, and maneuvered my way through the Ford family dynamics. Interesting story!
3 Suns

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Review: Watch Over Me by Sydney Landon


Publication Date: September 1st 2015 by Signet
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book: 

Gwen Day has never been lucky in love, but now she’s betting on one man ready to care for her like no one ever has…

Fresh off of the most humiliating romantic disaster of her life, Gwen sees no reason not to get tipsy and throw herself at her sexy bad boy neighbor. But she never expected their one night stand to have consequences that would keep them together...or for his concern to turn into something that feels like it could last.

Dominic Brady has always admired Gwen from afar, and now that she’s single, he has no reservations about saying yes to one wild night. Soon he’s interested in a real relationship. But when their future is uncertain, Dominic is determined to show her that he takes care of what’s his. And that no matter what happens, he’s one man she can’t lose.
My Thoughts:
Even though Gwen wasn’t in love with her last boyfriend, Mac, she’s still smarting by being dumped by him and then having him run off and get married immediately after. She’s having the worst birthday ever until she gets enough liquid courage in her to go after the neighbor she’s been ogling for months, Dominic. Knocking on his door and taking what she wants for once leads to a steamy physical relationship, but there’s something different about Dominic and her heart becomes hopelessly entangled lightening fast.  

Dominic was biding his time to ask Gwen out when his best friend, Mac swooped in and stole his thunder. Dominic knew Mac was dating Gwen more to move on after the love of his life, Ava couldn’t commit.  When Ava finally got her head straight and realized she was going to lose Mac forever Gwen ended up being collateral damage, but Dominic couldn’t be happier.  Gwen was always the one he wanted and so he planned on making his move, but Gwen beats him to the punch and shows up tipsy and taking charge in all the best ways. 

Dominic and Gwen’s romance started off hot and heavy and I loved Dominic! He was a take charge kind of guy but also showed how serious and devoted he was to Gwen right off the bat.  He’d been crushing on her from afar for so long that he wanted everything to go right now that he finally got his chance with her.  Unfortunately, Gwen was struggling with insecurities after a series of relationships that went bad and so this colored her reactions to Dominic even though he seemed utterly devoted to her and their growing relationship.  I understand why Gwen would feel insecure. It would be hard to trust after a run of bad experiences.  If that were the only issue here I would’ve liked this story a lot more, but Gwen witnesses an interaction and makes an assumption, without giving Dominic the benefit of the doubt that leads to misunderstandings and unnecessary drama. This went on for a good portion of the book.  Dominic did make an effort to try and find out what was bothering Gwen, why she pulled back, but when that doesn’t work he starts taking advice from Gage, the absolute last person that should be giving relationship advice and the situation becomes even worse. 

I loved the last Davers installment, Mac and Ava’s romance, so I was really looking forward to Gwen and Dominic’s story, but I wasn’t thrilled with how it all played out.  I hate drama caused by miscommunications, and faulty assumptions, so while Watch Over Me started out really strong, I had to speed read through about 40% of the book because I was frustrated.

2.5 Suns




Sunday, September 20, 2015

Release Day Launch. The Dark Ones by Rachel Van Dyken



To touch a Dark One is death.

To talk to an immortal is suicide.

Yet, I've been marked by both.

A Vampire.

And the King of the immortals.

My life is no longer my own.

And now I know the truth, my life was never mine to begin with.

It was theirs.

It's always been theirs.











EXCERPT

I didn't open my eyes. "No staying in bed all day?"
"About that…" Ethan sighed. "The good news is it will feel like we've been in bed for days when really it could have been mere hours."
"Hmm?" I perked up. "Well, that's a nice trick."
"I'm full of them." His eyes sparkled. "Care to know more?"
"Yes," I whispered, my mouth finding his.
With a groan, he pushed me back against the mattress and loomed over me, his naked body glorious-looking against the sunlight streaming through the window. "Perhaps we'll stay a bit longer."
"Yes." I nodded my head eagerly. "I'm your mate, after all. Don't you want me to be pleased?"
"You were pleased at least four times last night, possibly five, if we count the time I—"
"Shh." I put my hands over his mouth.
He smirked. "Afraid the dust will hear?"
I rolled my eyes.
"Ethan!" Alex's voice boomed on the other side of the door. "Feed her!"
"Ignore him," Ethan hissed.
The knock got louder. "For the love of God, she's human. Give her food."
"He's a siren. He knows nothing." Ethan continued kissing me.
"Mason will break down the door if he has to." Fighting broke out in the hall. "Ethan, I can smell the sex from here. One immortal to another, feed her before you can't feed from her anymore."
Ethan growled and pulled back from me. "They have no manners."
I was half-tempted to cover my face with my hands. Had they heard us? Of course they'd heard us, and they knew, and they could… Yeah, I wanted to crawl under the bed and hide for a few days. Instead, Ethan pounced from the bed, put on a pair of jeans, and jerked open the door while I tried to hide beneath the covers.
Alex peered over Ethan's shoulder and waved.
I had no choice but to wave back and hope that I wasn't as red as I felt.
"She's alive." Alex held up his hand for a high five. "No? Not funny? Too soon?"
"Horrible joke," Mason said next to him. "I made eggs. She's going to need food. Make her eat everything on the plate and—"
He was still talking when Ethan slammed the door in his face and brought a giant plate of food over to me.
"Forgive them." Ethan scowled. "There aren't typically secrets between us, and they're just concerned for you."
I pointed at the eggs, ten slices of bacon, and toast. "Clearly, they don't want me to starve."
"Wolves." Ethan looked heavenward. "He should be more concerned with his own diet, the ass."
"It does smell good." I moved up the bed so I could lean against the headboard. "Do you eat?"
Ethan's lips curved into a predatory smile. "I ate several times last night. Care for me to refresh your memory?"
My cheeks burned.
"So tempting." He reached for a piece of bacon and held it to his lips, taking a small bite that had my entire body clenching to keep from reaching out and attacking him. "And yes, I can eat. I typically do eat but haven't been because when we drink, we don't need normal food."
"But before me…" I grabbed a piece of toast. "You were eating normal food."
"I like you better." He winked. "But yes, I was."
"Good to know I'm better than bacon."
"Your taste…" His eyes brightened. "…is unlike anything I've ever had."
"Hmm…" I licked my lips.
"Stop it," he hissed and looked away. "Damn, I can't watch you eat. I'm going to shower while you eat your entire plate as per Mason's orders, and then I'll contemplate letting you leave this room so you can go to the bookstore."
"Ah!" I almost knocked over the food. "My job! Am I late? Will I get fired?"
Ethan burst out laughing. "It's eight in the morning. He's expecting you when I drop you off. No sooner, no later. You won't get fired. He wouldn't dream of it, and you really are adorable."
"And hot." I sighed.
"That too."
"No, I mean hot, as in, it's scorching in here."
Ethan winced. "You may be that way for a few days."
"Hot?"
He nodded.
"Why?"
"Too much vampire blood makes you overheat a bit." He shrugged. "It won't turn you— You're very much human, like I've said before, but sometimes the vampire blood causes a type of burn to take over in your bloodstream, not painful, just not exactly pleasant if it's a hundred degrees outside."
"Good thing it's Seattle." I bit into the toast.
"Yes, well, I imagine at this point, raindrops would simply turn to vapor if they landed on your skin."
I smiled.
"Shower." He nodded. "I'm going to turn around now and walk away."
"Narrating?"
"Apparently, that's what I do when I can think of nothing more than ripping that sheet from your body, slamming you into the nearest wall, and possessing you all over again."
I dropped the toast.
He growled, taking two steps toward me, then swore and turned back around.
"Have a good shower!" I called.
Another growl was his answer, and then his jeans went flying. I wasn't laughing anymore.



Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor.
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