Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Review: Until It Fades, by K.A. Tucker


Twenty-four-year-old truck stop waitress and single mother Catherine Wright has simple goals: to give her five-year-old daughter a happy life and to never again be the talk of the town in Balsam, Pennsylvania: population two thousand outside of tourist season.

And then one foggy night, on a lonely road back from another failed attempt at a relationship, Catherine saves a man’s life. It isn’t until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has saved: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling.

Catherine has already had her fifteen minutes of fame and the last thing she wants is to have her past dragged back into the spotlight, only this time on a national stage. So she hides her identity. It works.

For a time.

But when she finds the man she saved standing on her doorstep, desperate to thank her, all that changes. What begins as an immediate friendship quickly turns into something neither of them expected. Something that Catherine isn’t sure she can handle; something that Catherine is afraid to trust.

Because how long can an extraordinary man like Brett be interested in an ordinary woman like Catherine…before the spark fades?
 


Review
4.5 out of 5 stars

There is a Miranda Lambert song that says “everybody dies famous in a small town.”  Catherine Wright knows the truth of those words all too well.   When she was 17 she fell in love with her high school art teacher.  As you can imagine things spun totally out of control.  The teacher and adults who should have protected her didn't and instead she was ostracized from everyone except a couple of true friends; Lou, the owner of Diamonds, the truck stop where she waits tables is wonderful.  I also love Keith, her best friend who is also totally in love with Cath - he loves her so much he selflessly encourages Catherine to follow her heart even though the path probably won't lead her back to him.  (Side Note:  I need to see him get a happy ending so please, please write a book for him!)  And Misty, a fellow waitress who has stuck with Cath through everything and who always manages to bring exciting drama to any circumstance!

One evening, 5-6 years post teacher scandal, following a horrible blind date, Catherine comes upon a terrible car crash and does the unthinkable.  She single-handedly pulls the passenger out of a burning car and saves his life.  Little does she know the life she saved is none other than the rich, famous and hot, Brett Madden, NHL player extraordinaire.  Catherine knows once news reporters break this story keeping her anonymity is going to be difficult, but terrified to be in the spotlight again, to be on the receiving end of judgmental eyes she vows to do whatever it takes to keep her identity unknown. I cannot say I blame her for wanting to stay out of the limelight, her first experience left her all alone with absolutely no self-esteem - all undeserved especially considering she was the victim!  Nevertheless, at her core Catherine is a genuinely honest, hard-working woman who wants nothing more than to get through her life standing on her own two feet.  This girl is in no way looking for a hand-out nor does she expect life to be easy or sadly even for her own dreams to come true. So, it's really no surprise she would run from any attention or money saving a star's life would surely bring.


When Brett eventually learns his hero's name and finally gets to show his appreciation in person and these two meet, the sparks are undeniable for them both.  As a reader, I loved Brett's character - talk about the ultimate "book boyfriend"!  He is famous but doesn’t act like it.  He's the guy next door only so much better.  He may have fame and fortune but at the end of the day he just wants someone to share his life with and for that life to be as "normal" as possible.  His heart is HUGE, and I promise you I'm not embellishing how wonderful this man is.  But, will Catherine ever allow her heart to love again?  She uses absolutely every excuse imaginable to push him away.  And I understand the reasons behind it, but I was desperate for her to have the courage to at least let herself try!  At her core is the worry Brett will only be around until his feelings fade.  The question is can she trust herself?  Can she trust Brett?  Is she willing to risk it all for a chance at love and true happiness?

The feels in this book are off the chart!  I opened my kindle one night because I couldn't find anything I wanted to watch on TV and didn't turn my kindle off until 3 am because I couldn't even think about sleeping without seeing how the story ended.  It's been two weeks since I read the ARC and I'm still swooning!  I love a good fairy-tale, perfect happily ever-after and this book gave me all that and more wrapped up in a beautifully well written, heart-melting story.  
SaveSave

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Review: Girl Off The Grid by Jillian Dodd and Kenzie Harp


From USA Today bestselling author, Jillian Dodd, and her daughter, Kenzie Harp, comes a travel romance that will take you on the adventure of a lifetime.

NYC fashion blogger, Camille Caldwell, gets offered a dream job by her favorite magazine. They’re going to send her on an all-expenses paid eco-trip to Costa Rica. She doesn’t know what that means, but she assumes she’ll wear fabulous clothes, sip Piña Coladas on the beach, and have her photo taken “out in nature.” Really, the hardest part of the assignment will be giving up social media while she’s gone.

Going off social media is no big deal for London-based wildlife photographer, Adam Lloyd. The only reason he even has an account is to share his photos with the world. He’s thrilled when an international publication wants to hire him, until he finds out it’s a fashion magazine. He decides to take the job anyway—after all, it will be great for his portfolio. But the minute he sees Camille, he knows it was a mistake. She has too much luggage, is too high maintenance, and way too pretty.

When they meet, their feelings are mutual—they hate each other. Can these two stop fighting long enough to complete their assignment? Will Camille give up and go home when she discovers there’s nowhere to plug in her hair straightener?

Or will they both realize that sometimes you have to go off the grid to find yourself?
 


Review
4 out of 5 stars  

Sometimes I think we are all too absorbed with social media, our phones and having an online presence.  I blog so I kind of have to be online pretty frequently, but occasionally I find myself just needing to detox.  Girl Off The Grid does a really great job highlighting the need for all of us to just get outside, push our boundaries and really experience life outside the realms of technology. 

Camille  Caldwell is a relatively famous You-Tube fashion blogger who is offered a "dream job" of contributing on an article with a very popular fashion magazine.  Her assignment -  travelling on an Eco-Trip to Costa Rica and writing an article on her experiences upon her return.  It probably would have been helpful if Camille had done a little research on what an eco-trip is because then she would have known it entailed more third world conditions than luxury.  To say Camille is out of her comfort zone is putting it mildly!    

Adam Lloyd, is a photographer trying to make his way in the world. Adam did not have a typical childhood and spent a lot of time traveling the world with his parents, so living off the land and roughing it is pretty standard for him.  While Camille loves all things trendy, fashionable and luxury, Adam turns his nose up at consumerism in general.  

Camille and Adam are polar opposites and have a hard time connecting at first - well other than the initial physical attraction neither really understands. Camille can be a bit of a diva at times and Adam can be a little judgmental as well.  However, when we let our guards down and take off our judgmental glasses we oftentimes find we have more in common than initially thought.  This sentiment rings true with Adam and Camille and before long they realize their differences lead to a lot of ways they can work together to promote the things they both believe in such as the environment.  

I did enjoy this book, it had less drama and more environmental awareness than I anticipated, but it is YA, and a major force behind it's publication is for the book to be used as a tool to bring awareness to causes and concerns near and dear to the authors hearts.  I definitely feel like I know way more information on Costa Rica and it's environment now than I did before I read the book.  There is a lot of good info weaved into this story.  I truly enjoyed the romance element of this book but for me the ending felt a little rushed and too quickly wrapped up.  In conclusion, Camille and Adam's story is very sweet and endearing and if you like fun, lighthearted reads, give Girl off the Grid a try - not to mention a portion of every sale is being donated to the Sea Turtle Conservatory, and what's better than reading for a cause!

Friday, June 2, 2017

Cover Reveal: Girl off the Grid



Cover Reveal and Blurb Reveal Date:
 June 2nd
Book Release Date: June 27th

Book Link to all Vendors:  http://www.books2read.com/GirlOffTheGrid  


BLURB: 

From USA Today bestselling author, Jillian Dodd, and her daughter, Kenzie Harp, comes a travel romance that will take you on the adventure of a lifetime.

NYC fashion blogger, Camille Caldwell, gets offered a dream job by her favorite magazine. They’re going to send her on an all-expenses paid eco-trip to Costa Rica. She doesn’t know what that means, but she assumes she’ll wear fabulous clothes, sip Piña Coladas on the beach, and have her photo taken “out in nature.” Really, the hardest part of the assignment will be giving up social media while she’s gone.

Going off social media is no big deal for London-based wildlife photographer, Adam Lloyd. The only reason he even has an account is to share his photos with the world. He’s thrilled when an international publication wants to hire him, until he finds out it’s a fashion magazine. He decides to take the job anyway—after all, it will be great for his portfolio. But the minute he sees Camille, he knows it was a mistake. She has too much luggage, is too high maintenance, and way too pretty.

When they meet, their feelings are mutual—they hate each other. Can these two stop fighting long enough to complete their assignment? Will Camille give up and go home when she discovers there’s nowhere to plug in her hair straightener?
MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Part of our goal in writing this book is to make a difference. 10% of our profits from this book will be donated to the Sea Turtle Conservatory. It is the oldest sea turtle research and conservation group. It was founded in 1959 by Dr. Archie Carr. Their headquarters are in Florida, but they have programs worldwide that work to conserve sea turtle populations through education, research, advocacy, and protection of natural habitats. They also have a research station in Tortuguero, Costa Rica, which was one of the places visited in the book. For more information on the Sea Turtle Conservatory, click here.


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Kenzie Harp recently graduated from the University of South Florida—St. Petersburg with a degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences: History and International Studies. She loves to travel and read, lives in Florida with her husband and adorable Maltese puppy, and is currently planning her next travel adventure.

Jillian is a USA TODAY bestselling author who lives in a small Florida beach town, is married to her college sweetheart, has two grown children and two Labrador Retrievers. She is not quite as adventurous as her daughter, but loves to travel, shop, and paint.

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Review: Provocative (White Lies Duet, #1), by Lisa Renee Jones



There are those moments in life that are provocative in their very existences, that embed in our minds forever, and sometimes our very souls. They change us, mold us, maybe even save us. But some are darker, dangerous. If we allow them to, they control us. Seduce us. Quite possibly even destroy us. 

The moment I walked into Sonoma’s Reid Winter Winery and Vineyard and made eye contact with Faith Winter for the first time was one of those moments. Provocative because I know at least one of her secrets, of which, I suspect she has many. Provocative because she believes I was a stranger to her when we met, but I am not. Provocative because I sought her out, with no intention of touching her. But now I have. Now I want her. Now I have to have her. But that changes nothing. It doesn’t change why I came for her.


Review
4.5 out of 5 stars

I never really considered myself a fan of romantic suspense, but then again that was before I had ever picked up a Lisa Renee Jones book.  My first LRJ book, If I Were You, book #1 of her Inside Out series hooked me from the very first chapter and from that point on I've considered myself a fan of the genre.  Every single time I've picked up one of her stories I've fallen hook, line and sinker!  I have devoured my way through series after series of her work, and I can assure the White Lies Duet is everything I've come to love and expect when I pick up one of her masterpieces. It's been at least a week since I finished this one and I am still trying to decide who I think is innocent and dying to know what happens next.  You see LRJ is the master of leaving you always yearning for more.  It's brilliant actually because it's a guarantee you're going to buy the next book because you HAVE to know what happens, you crave the truth - and the suspense - it's utterly addicting. 

Faith Winter is an artist at heart but is stuck running a winery since the death of her parents.  While she still mourns her father, her less than stellar relationship with her mother and the resentment she feels towards her are keeping Faith from moving forward in life.  She hasn't felt even a mustard seed of inspiration and therefore hasn't felt the urge to pick up a paint brush in months.  Add to that the bill collectors who are at every turn and threatening to take away her father’s legacy Reid Winter Winery and our heroine finds herself in a desperate situation, afraid to let her guard down.

Nick “Tiger” Rogers is a well known attorney who “rips the throats out” of his opposition.  He is stubborn, rich and never loses.  What begins as Nick secretly investigating Faith for the murder of his father and her mother quickly turns into him searching for her innocence and not guilt.  But when all their secrets come out will they still care for each other?  Can love conquer all, even forgiveness? I'm personally dying to know what really happened - who was behind the death/murders and their underlying motivation. 

The sparks between Faith and Nick fly from their first introduction.  Their chemistry is undeniable and what starts as a hard limit one night stand quickly turns into so much more than either one was prepared for.  With each chapter the plot thickens and as always, Lisa Renee Jones weaves mystery, love, suspense and more into a wonderful story.  I only wish I didn’t have to wait until July to find out the conclusion!