Waves of Fiction: Follower Appreciation Giveaway #5

Waves of Fiction has another Follower Appreciation Giveaway! I have four books in this bundle for one lucky winner.  Be sure to let us know what book you're excited to dive into!

Thanks for all your support these last few years!

Be sure to fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win, and let us know what book you're interested in reading. Because of the number of books we'll be shipping, this giveaway is open to US Residents only.

This week we are giving away the following, some of which are ARC editions:

Taking Chances by Molly McAdams (Paperback)
Forgiving Lies by Molly McAdams (ARC edition)
Leaving Amarillo by Casey Quinn (Paperback edition)
When We Fall by Emily Liebert (ARC edition)

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Review: Next to Never by Penelope Douglas

Next to Never (Fall Away #4.5) by Penelope Douglas

Publication Date: January 17th 2017 by Intermix

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

New York Times bestseller Penelope Douglas introduces Quinn, younger sister to Jared, Madoc, and Jaxon, in the latest novella in the series that began with Jared and Tate in Bully....
Quinn Caruthers has several problems.

Her father, Jason, and her three older brothers, Jared, Madoc, and Jaxon.

Under the close watch of the men in her family, Quinn has found it nearly impossible to spread her wings—or even date—without them jumping in to hover. And when a family friend—several years older—from her childhood captures her heart, she knows they’re going to be a problem. Lucas Morrow is a man—experienced, sophisticated, and important. And knowing her brothers, he may as well be forbidden.

But Lucas left town years ago and shows no signs of returning. Quinn knows she shouldn’t wait for him anymore.

But then a package turns up on her doorstep with no return address and its contents reveal family secrets that threaten to turn Quinn’s world upside down. She’s never asked about the tumultuous path of her parents’ romantic history, but she soon learns their happy marriage had a very rocky and passionate start.

As she begins to see things around her with new eyes, Quinn will have to make tough choices about whether she’ll keep waiting…or finally go after what she really wants.

My Thoughts:

Next to Never is told from Quinn’s POV, Katherine (Jared and Jax’s mom) and Jason’s (Madoc’s dad) seventeen year old daughter.   This isn’t really Quinn’s story, it’s the romance and history of Katherine and Jason, but there is definitely a set up for her story to come next.  Katherine and Jason’s story was passionate, at times toxic and heartbreaking, but this is a romance so you know ultimately there’s a HEA! That’s no spoiler since we already know Katherine and Jason are together in the present, but I had no idea what they went through to get there! I have to say, I felt more pain for Katherine than Jason; she lived her life around Jason’s because she was so in love with him; basically let him call the shots for so many years. I wanted to shake some sense into her, and then let her cry on my shoulder after sharing some ice cream!  I wanted to kick Jason in the goods, but I could understand why he held back, too.

I didn’t expect to like Next to Never as much as I did, because let’s face it, Jared’s mom was kind of a train wreck, and selfishly didn’t put her son first in her life.  This highly contributed to Jared being a monumental ass for a lot of his teenage years!  But Penelope Douglas has a way of putting you in a person’s shoes, even the unlikable characters, and I had a very different opinion of Katherine by the end.  Not that I condoned some of her decisions, but I could understand and sympathize.  Ms. Douglas really captured the mixed feelings one can feel toward a parent who has screwed up or the pain of regret over our own errors.  Most of us have made mistakes and wish we could go back and hit the redo button, so I get it. Katherine felt genuine regret and tried to right her wrongs. She has a lot of wisdom and love to share with her family. I was moved to tears a few times, swept up by all the emotion while reading! 

I had no idea Ms. Douglas was going to fast forward so many years!  Interspersed between chapters of Katherine and Jason’s romance are present day snippets from the teenage children of Jared, Jax, and Madoc. Quinn is one of the teenager’s of the bunch, just a couple years older than her nieces and nephews.  With all the happenings I’m very interested in what happens next with Dylan (Jared & Tate’s teenage daughter) and Kade and Hunter (Madoc and Fallon’s teenage twin boys)! There is some definite drama between those three! Keep in mind that they’re not related. 

Seventeen year old Quinn has had a mad crush on her older brother’s friend, Lucas, who’s been abroad for the last three years.  At present she is seventeen and he’s close to thirty, but I think the story will happen when she’s in college. Still, that’s a big age difference and I think there’s going to be a lot of flak from the family if/when he returns Quinn’s feelings!

If you’re a fan of this series, this is a must read novella! The story was captivating and made me feel a whole range of emotions!

4 Suns

Connect with Penelope Douglas:

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Review & Giveaway: Hard Hitter by Sarina Bowen

Hard Hitter (Brooklyn Bruisers #2) by Sarina Bowen

Publication Date: January 3, 2017 by Berkley

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

From the USA Today bestselling author of Rookie Move comes the second novel in the series that’s hot enough to melt the ice.
 
He’s a fighter in the rink, but he’s about to learn that playing nice can help you score...
 
As team captain and enforcer, Patrick O'Doul puts the bruise in the Brooklyn Bruisers. But after years of hard hits, O'Doul is feeling the burn, both physically and mentally. He conceals his pain from his coach and trainers, but when his chronic hip injury becomes too obvious to ignore, they send him for sessions with the team’s massage therapist.

After breaking up with her long-term boyfriend, Ari Bettini is in need of peace of mind. For now, she’s decided to focus on her work: rehabilitating the Bruisers’ MVP. O'Doul is easy on the eyes, but his reaction to her touch is ice cold. Ari is determined to help O'Doul heal, but as the tension between them turns red hot, they both learn that a little TLC does the body good...

My Thoughts:

As the rough-around-the-edges team captain of the Brooklyn Bruisers, I was looking forward to Patrick O’Doul’s story, and I thoroughly fell for the man! Under all that gruffness, Patrick has a soft center! The romance started off strong with Ari and Patrick’s sexual chemistry sizzling and sparking off the page!  The massage table scene had me melting and overheated! Along the way, though, I was a little frustrated with Ari pushing Patrick away with the excuse that she was just coming off a long-term relationship.  I would get that if not for the fact that things seemed over with Vince, her previous beau, long before they officially split.  

Still, I’m loving the series; who wouldn’t want a bunch of romances with hot and sexy hockey players?! The recurring characters definitely have me intrigued:  Leo and Georgia are going strong, and I’m very interested in Becca and Nate’s interactions!  I can’t wait for their story (what happened to Becca in the end?) but I guess I’ll have to because Lauren, the ice queen, is up next in Pipe Dreams.  It does sound like she has some reasons for emitting a chill…

3.5 Suns

Connect with Sarina Bowen:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Berkley has kindly provided a Paperback Copy of Hard Hitter to giveaway to one Waves of Fiction follower.  Please fill out the rafflecopter below for a chance to win. The giveaway is open to US or CA residents only.  Good luck!

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Review: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

Published August 9th 2016 by Thomas Dunne Books

As the daughter of a meth dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. Struggling to raise her little brother, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible "adult" around. She finds peace in the starry Midwestern night sky above the fields behind her house. One night everything changes when she witnesses one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold, wreck his motorcycle. What follows is a powerful and shocking love story between two unlikely people that asks tough questions, reminding us of all the ugly and wonderful things that life has to offer. 

My Thoughts
I’m not going to lie… I struggled with this book, and I feel somewhat disappointed that I’ve missed something extraordinary that everyone seems to experience when they read All the Ugly and Wonderful Things.

Having picked up this novel because of convincing praise from one of my favorite authors, and seeing it validated by all of the high ratings and rave reviews, I was certain this would be at the top of my list when I was done. However, I found myself putting it down quite often and leaving it untouched for days. It took me a few weeks to get through this book, and that wasn’t a good sign. I can only attribute it to resisting a connection with the characters and their story. Yes, there was some resistance on my part, and let me tell you why…

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things catapults us into Wavy’s turbulent life. This four-year-old little girl is subject to horrific living conditions, having a meth drug dealer for a father and a bi-polar/manic depressive mother. It’s never quite clear what Val suffers from, but there was clearly an imbalance of some sort that had an affect on her daughter. As a result, Wavy refuses to eat in front of people, speak to anyone, or form any sort of connections with others due to the abuse and volatile relationships in her life. As a few years pass and her mother brings home a baby brother, eight-year old Wavy assumes responsibility for Donal. Then, one fateful day, her world changes when she meets Kellen who happens to work for her father. Kellen and Wavy soon form a bond that develops into something deeply significant for Wavy, having never been able to rely on or trust anyone. He becomes her protector, and these two, along with her little brother Donal, become a family.

Overall, I can’t seem to accept the relationship that formed between Kellen and Wavy. He was an adult and she was a child. I feel Wavy had too many people in her life that abused her emotionally, physically and psychologically, and it’s not a far stretch to stay Kellen didn’t take advantage either. He was a good guy… I’ll give him that. He took Wavy to school, paid for her expenses, and protected her. However, what happened when she was fourteen (and he was 25 or so) and even before then was tough for me to swallow, and I won’t deny that I found it unacceptable what took place between these two.

However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit that Bryn Greenwood writes a powerful story. It just wasn’t within my comfort zone, but it was powerful. She paints a daunting picture of what could happen to child when they don’t have the protection and care of a parent or guardian. My heart broke for Wavy and Donal, and I wanted more for these two children.

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things is a story that blends hard-hitting topics into one emotionally raw novel of a child and grown man who fall in love in the most unlikely of circumstances. It won’t land as my top pick for 2017, but it will unwillingly stay on my mind for quite a while.

3.5 Suns

Review: Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan

Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan 

Published: November 29, 2016

Publisher: HQN Books

It will take a Christmas miracle for two very different souls to find each other in this perfectly festive fairy tale of New York!


Hopeless romantic Eva Jordan loves everything about Christmas. She might be spending the holidays alone this year, but when she's given an opportunity to house-sit a spectacular penthouse on Fifth Avenue, she leaps at the chance. What better place to celebrate than in snow-kissed Manhattan? What she didn't expect was to find the penthouse still occupied by its gorgeous—and mysterious—owner.


Bestselling crime writer Lucas Blade is having the nightmare before Christmas. With a deadline and the anniversary of his wife's death looming, he's isolated himself in his penthouse with only his grief for company. He wants no interruptions, no decorations and he certainly doesn't appreciate being distracted by his beautiful, bubbly new housekeeper. But when the blizzard of the century leaves Eva snowbound in his apartment, Lucas starts to open up to the magic she brings…This Christmas, is Lucas finally ready to trust that happily-ever-afters do exist?

My Thoughts
Sweet, sexy and fun! Sarah Morgan delivers the perfect holiday romance that had me charmed by the characters and their story. Miracle on 5th Avenue is a great Christmas story to enjoy during the cold winter months!

Eva Jordan believes in the magic of Christmas and love. So when she’s hired by Lucas Blade’s grandmother to decorate his home for the holidays, she’s put to the test by the elusive crime-writing author who lives on 5th Avenue.

Lucas has been struggling with his latest novel. With a deadline looming over his head and the pain of the anniversary of his wife’s death, the last thing he needs is a chatty, spirited woman intruding in his home. However, when a snowstorm forces Lucas to offer Eva a place to stay, he’s shocked to realize how her presence helps him make significant progress on his story.

Eva, however, has love and romance in her sights, but with Lucas guarded heart, it’s highly unlikely he’ll fall for her charm.

I really enjoyed the banter between these two characters. I knew from the beginning they would be perfect for each other. Despite Lucas’s hard edges, he did have moments of tenderness that was heart-warming and sincere. Eva was a nice complement to Lucas. I enjoyed her unabashedly honest nature and sensitive ways. When the chill between these two finally melted, it was nice to see them come together and fall in love.

Miracle on 5th Avenue is my first encounter with Sarah Morgan, who I’ve been meaning to try for quite some time. Having enjoyed this holiday novel, I’ll definitely be checking out other stories by Morgan. She has a light, fun way about writing her characters and presenting her story. I enjoyed it quite a bit!

4 Suns

Review: On Broken Wings by Chanel Cleeton

On Broken Wings (Wild Aces #3) by Chanel Cleeton
Publication Date: January 3rd 2017 by Berkley
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

The author of Into the Blue and Fly with Me returns with the newest, hot and high-flying Wild Aces romance...

A year after losing her husband, Joker, the squadron commander of the Wild Aces, Dani Peterson gets an offer from his best friend, Alex “Easy” Rogers, to help fix up her house. Dani accepts, and their friendship grows—along with an undeniable attraction.

Racked by guilt for loving his best friend’s widow, Easy’s caught between what he wants and can’t have. Until one night everything changes, and the woman who’s always held his heart ends up in his arms. Yet as Easy leaves for his next deployment, he and Dani are torn between their feelings and their loyalty to Joker’s memory.

But when Dani discovers something that sends them both into a spin, the conflicted lovers must overcome the past to navigate a future together…

My Thoughts:

On Broken Wings was an emotional story of both finding love after loss, and of unrequited love.  I’ve been waiting for Easy’s story for a while since witnessing his yearning for the one woman he couldn’t have from the beginning of this series, and I was not disappointed!

Easy’s been in love with Dani ever since he laid eyes on her not knowing at first that she was the wife of his squadron commander, Joker.   Upon finding that out Easy resigned himself to loving Dani from afar, knowing he’d never move on a married woman.  Since the death of Joker it’s been both heaven and hell to be around Dani, thinking she’ll never feel the same for him.  But Dani needs him now more than ever, and Easy’s determined to be there for her even as it breaks his own heart.

Dani was drowning in grief, never thought she’d feel desire again, but the stirrings of it surface when she starts to look at Easy in a new light.  She’s always felt a special bond with him, especially since he’s been there for her during the roughest times in her life, but only ever thought of him as a friend.  Hanging around with him, taking comfort in their closeness gradually changes her feelings, and she’s blindsided by the lust she feels for him.

This romance was a slow buildup; something that crept up on Dani before she even realized and took root in her heart.  I cried several times, but I think my heart went out to Easy even more, maybe because I’ve had his side of things from the beginning; felt his painful longing for a women he thought he could never have. Unrequited love brings a special kind of torture, and I wanted Easy to get his HEA so badly! 

I read On Broken Wings in one sitting consumed by Easy and Dani’s story! I’ve loved this series so much reading all three books within a week!  I hope this isn’t the last book of the series, because I’m not ready to say goodbye to this world yet!

4.5 Suns

AUTHOR BIO:
Chanel Cleeton is the author of the e-books Flirting with Scandal, Playing with Trouble, and Falling for Danger. She received a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Richmond, the American International University in London and a master’s degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She’s also a graduate (survivor) of law school—she earned her J.D. from the University Of South Carolina School Of Law. A summer cruise in the Caribbean changed Chanel’s life when she met and fell in love with a fighter pilot. A happily ever after later, she’s currently living an adventure with her husband and three pups.

Connect with Chanel Cleeton:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Happy New Year from Waves of Fiction

Waves of Fiction would like to wish our fellow readers and blog friends a safe and Happy New Year. We hope that 2017 brings you lots of love, good health, happiness and amazing reading adventures! Happy New Year!

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