Friday 28 February 2014

Cover Reveal - Keeping Thyme (Thyme Trilogy #3) by TJ Hamilton



Miranda is back and shes back with a vengeance. Her sight is set and her target is Tench. Too many people in her life have fallen at the hands of the man who has a strange obsession for with her. Could Miranda be his next victim?

She knows how her friend Sally died, but she still doesnt know why. Could this information be the key to unlock everything the Agency needs to put Tench away forever? Or is an unlikely ally and a piece of her past the answer to it all?

Her heart may be torn with grief, but her head is filled with a burning reprisal. Could Tenchs unhealthy desire for Miranda be her best weapon against him or will she push him too far?

     











Fierce ~~ Clarissa Wilde

    

Nerdy girl Autumn Blakewood is the prime example of a goody two-shoes. She studies every night, is never late for class, and always follows the rules. She has never felt the need to step out of her comfort zone. That is, until she meets Hunter.

Hunter Bane is a cocky, confident bad-boy, who's nothing but trouble. He
s a dangerous distraction to everyone around him. Sexy and strong, Hunter enjoys the swooning effect he has on women. Especially those who aren't used to attention, like Autumn.

Autumn finds it hard not to give into Hunter
s advances, even though it all seems like a game to him. Trying to understand him is impossible, because he shrouds himself in mystery. 

What she doesn't know is that Hunter has more baggage than anyone should have to carry. When she discovers he's in an illegal frat club to save the one person that matters to him, Autumn realizes this could mean the end of her undeniable connection to him. Even their lives are at risk.
But it's too late to turn back now ...
ARC received from author for an honest review 

The premise of Fierce is not a new one - nerdy girl meets bad boy - but the synopsis had me intrigued and wanting to read.

As much as I wanted to LOVE Fierce, I couldn't.  Don't get me wrong, I liked it, just didn't love it.

Autumn was bullied all through high school and was after a fresh start with her best friend at college. Her other best friend is already at the same school, but gees, I couldn't find anything to like about him, Brody ,at all!  What a douche!!

Hunter is the resident bad boy that Autumn instantly lusts after, but really I didn't find him much of a bad boy at all.  Sure some of the things he did weren't great, but  he wasn't all that bad.

I felt that the characters didn't stay true to form.  They were a bit hipolar sometimes with their behaviour, especially Autumn.  She's the shy nerd girl who wants to do well at school, acts all virginal then BAM she is swearing like it would make sailors blush, getting all up in people's business and coming on to Hunter!

I also felt that there was too much going on in the book.  There was the nerdy best friends/I'm in love with my best friend, ex-best friends gone bad, frat parties, shady deals etc etc.  

And I still haven't completely got my head around the deal with the frat house ~~ is it a frat house? A gang? An underground fighting club?  A drug syndicate??
The story also lacked flow.   It seemed to jump around from one story line to another which just added to the confusion.  If a few of the side stories were removed it might have read a lot better.

I didn't really connect with any of the characters, couldn't get immersed in the story with them.  I like to really lose myself in a story but I felt completely disconnected from this one.

And then I felt that the ending was very rushed.  There had been all these story lines, but POOF within a chapter or 2, all the loose ends were tied up and everyone was happily moving on.  Huh??  Really??

While Fierce was obviously not the book for me, you may love it, like a lot of others do, but I have to be honest in my reviews and I just didn't feel this one at all.

BUT - I do LOOOOVE the cover!!










❇ Flawed Perfection ❇ Cassandra Giovanni ❇ Review ❇



© Bianca  




CASSANDRA GIOVANNI
FLAWED PERFECTION
• 400 Pages
• release date - 7 March - 2014
• Publisher: Show N'ot Tell Publishing
• Cover Designer: Gio Design Studios



NEW ADULT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Book #2 PIECES OF PERFECTION will be out in May 2014





Bobby Beckerson was the American All-Star hockey player--he was the spitting image of perfection to his family. Goofy, sweet and undeniably gorgeous, he had everything but the one girl he wanted: River Ahlers.
River Ahlers is successful in everything but love. She's been in love with Adam Beckerson since they were kids. Worst of all she's stuck right in the middle of the brother's dueling over everything and anything, and she doesn't even know she's the ultimate prize.
Adam Beckerson was a boy with a guitar, a smile that sunk girl's hearts and a stone wall around his own. He was anything but perfect, and no matter how hard he tried he was nothing compared to Bobby. Sweet, damaged, with boyish good-looks, nobody thought Adam loved anyone but himself.
Bobby loved River, River loved Adam and Adam only loved himself--or so everyone thought. Then one night everything changes, and as it threatens to destroy everyone involved a tragedy strikes that will break them all...



MY THOUGHTS

River has been best friends with the Beckerson brothers Adam & Bobby all her life.
She has been in love with Adam since she was 12.
Bobby is in love with River.
Bobby is the golden boy of the family &
Adam doesn't seem to get any love or recognition from his parents. The boys have always been in competition with each other - about everything in live.
☺ It's all horribly & wonderfully complicated.☺

 

Now they're all grown up - living in the same building.
River is still in love with Adam, but he's just her best friend, or is he???☺☺☺

Bobby is crazy jealous of his brother. He's always known his brother has feelings for River too. But he never told River about that.

Poor River is overwhelmed with all those feelings and friendships and it's all so sad and crazy and exciting and sexy and frustrating.


WILL RIVER GET HER HAPPY EVER AFTER WITH ADAM?
And what about poor Bobby - he always had this secret hope that he will one day be enough for River.

And Adam - he always thought he won't ever be good enough for her, because that's what he felt like growing up - not being good enough for anybody. 

I won't tell you what will happen of course ☺ 



You have to read it yourself - AND PLEASE DO READ IT!





♥ I LOVED THE BOOK ♥


Once I started reading, I just couldn't stop!!! I read it in one night!!!
It was just so interesting - I NEEDED to know what will happen with those 3!

You start reading thinking, ok - hurry up already - Adam & River will end up together - Bobby is unlikable and that's it - The End - HEA.

HA!!! Nope - you start reading - and yes, you want Adam and River together - but you're really sorry for poor Bobby too, some of the time at least ;)
And you're sorry for Adam too and for River - she's trying so hard not to hurt anybody and still be happy.
It's such a complicated relationship they all have. You just want to know how it all ends.

But it's not ending at all!!! There will be 4 books in this series! 

At the end of book 1 you will probably sit there and cry, just like I did.... cry for Adam & River & Bobby & everything that could've been and may be or never will be ....

I loved the story.
In the beginning I wanted them to hurry the F up - I wanted Adam & River happily together - but they take their time and when they finally make it, there's still Bobby to think about - they don't want to hurt him more than they already did.

A few things that bothered me? 
Well - the sex scenes - there weren't any really. Yes, there were some, but not explicit enough for my taste. It wouldn't have hurt the story to make those scenes a bit longer and more explicit. But that's just me - most people don't have a problem with that.
 But that's the only thing that bothered me a bit - oh and of course the tiny little fact that we have a
CLIFFHANGER-ish Ending ☺



THIS WAS A WONDERFULLY MOVING AND ROMANTIC AND SEXY AND SAD ROMANCE!!!
YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO STOP THINKING ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE AFTER YOU FINISH READING!


GRRRRRR ... 
NOW I CAN'T WAIT FOR BOOK #2 TO COME OUT IN MAY!!!!!





LINKS TO THE BOOK AND AUTHOR

The Buy-Links will be live on release day ☺


 
Stalk Cassandra on:

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ABOUT CASSSANDRA
                                                    
Cassandra doesn't remember a time when she wasn't writing. In fact, the first time she was published was when she was seven years old and won a contest to be published in an American Girl Doll novel. Since then Cassandra has written more novels than she can count and put just as many in the circular bin. Her personal goal with her writing is to show the reader the character's stories through their dialogue and actions instead of just telling the reader what is happening. In 2012 she became a published Young Adult author, releasing In Between Seasons (The Fall, #1) and Walking in the Shadows. In 2013 she branched out by using her artistic illustrating talents to publish her first Children's novel, The Adventures of Skippy Von Flippy: Tales of Friendship (Skippy Tales, #1). Cassandra will also release her first New Adult novel, Love Exactly, in the Spring of 2013.

Cassandra is a freelance professional photographer known for her automotive, nature and architectural shots. She is the owner of Gio Design Studios, a photography and publication marketing company that designs covers and marketing materials for authors utilizing the company's photography. She is currently studying to receive a degree in Marketing. Cassandra is happily married to the man of her dreams and they live in the rolling hills of New England with the other loves of her life their dogs, Bubski and Kanga.


Wednesday 26 February 2014

✾ Evening Stars ✾ Susan Mallery ✾ Blackberry Island #3 ✾



© Bianca  





SUSAN MALLERY - EVENING STARS
• Blackberry Island #3
• 368 Pages
• release date -  25 Februrary - 2014


★★★★★
4.9 Stars



New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery returns to Blackberry Island with the poignant tale of two sisters on the verge of claiming their dreams.

Small-town nurse Nina Wentworth has made a career out of being a caretaker. More "Mom" than their mother ever was, she sacrificed medical school—and her first love—so her sister could break free. Which is why she isn't exactly thrilled to see Averil back on Blackberry Island, especially when Nina's life has suddenly become…complicated.

Nina unexpectedly finds herself juggling two men—her high school sweetheart and a younger maverick pilot who also wants to claim her heart. But as fun as all this romance is, Nina has real life to deal with. Averil doesn't seem to want the great guy she's married to, and doesn't seem to be making headway writing her first book; their mom is living life just as recklessly as she always has; and Nina's starting to realize that the control she once had is slipping out of her fingers. Her hopes of getting off the island seem to be stretching further away…until her mother makes a discovery that could change everything forever.

But before Nina and Averil can reach for the stars, they have to decide what they want. Will Averil stay? Will Nina leave? And what about the men who claim to love them? Does love heal, or will finding their happy ending mean giving up all they've ever wanted?



Click here to see the Blackberry Island Series on goodreads

Click here to see Susan's Blackberry Island Page





MY THOUGHTS

 Like the 2 previous books in the Blackberry Island series, Evening Stars also has more than one main character.
We have Nina (30) & Averil (26) - sisters.
Nina, has always been the responsible one in the family. Her mother had her when she was only 16 and as soon as Nina was old enough, she wasn't only acting as a mother for her little sister, but she also had to take care of her Hippie/carefree mom.
That's the main reason why she never left the island, why she never went to medschool and why her first love Dylan left her 10 years ago.

Now Dylan is back - working in his Dad's medical practice.
But he's not the only one who's back. There's also Kyle ☺ He's only 26 and he had a huge crush on 16 year old Nina when she was babysitting his little sister ☺ Now he's a Navy Pilot and stationed nearby. And he wants to convince Nina that she's still the girl of his dreams. But he's only looking for a short fling, because he's only staying for a few months.

Then there's Averil.
She's a bit like her flighty mother.
Nina made her go to college. So she went to UCLA. Then she met Kevin, fell in love and married him. But now things are weird at home. She doesn't really know why. Kevin wants a baby and she wants to write a Novel - but she just can't seem to bring herself to do either.
Her answer - flee home to Blackberry Island - and try to find out who she really is and what she really wants.

Then we have the girls' mom - Bonnie and her gay partner Birdie. They have been together for 10 years now - and Birdie thankfully has a calming influence on Bonnie.

The older couple runs an anitque store in town - but in reality it's Nina who's responsible for everything her family does.


Will Nina have to choose between Dylan & Kyle? Or is she just a fling for Kyle? Does Dylan want her at all? Or does he just feel guilty for leaving her?



Will Averil be able to find out what she wants? Will she fix things with Kevin?

And then the Antique store thing!!! Could be that Bonnie & Birdie haven't only found their usual junk on this last antiquing-road-tour......

 NOPE..... I'm not telling you ☺



____________________________________________________________

I REALLY LOVED THE BOOK!!!


I loved the previous 2 books in the series and I loved this one too.

If you're expecting one of those sweet and cute Susan Romances that we're used to.... this series is different.
But good different. It takes a moment to get used to it, but once you do - you'll love it.

Evening Stars was a really interesting and moving and funny and cute Story.
I especially love the location. Susan describes Blackberry Island so wonderfully real. I wish I could live there!!! ☺

I somehow got the feeling - with this whole series - that Susan had read a few Luanne Rice books to prepare for Blackberry Island. It's really not a typical Susan Mallery Series.
It's much deeper and intense - it's not so much a Romance, more of a 'finding-yourself-literature' - thing ☺
 I loved it - BUT I have to admit I love Susan's Fool's Gold Series and her other books a bit more.
And this last one in the series was my least favorite. The first 2 were much more moving and interesting.
Not that I didn't love this one too. There were 3 really great guys in here (I always need my heroes!!) - Kevin (Averil's husband) and Kyle & Dylan (Nina's 2 choices).
And I really loved Nina too - but I just didn't get how she could choose between the 2 guys - I would've taken them both!!!! ☺ It was a difficult situation that Susan put Nina in, I would've left out one of the guys - one would've been enough to cause trouble for Nina.

What I really liked about the book was that we got to hear about the Girls from the last book - Andi, Boston & Deanna. And we even met Michelle from book 1 again! It was really great to read what happened to them!

BUT - if you love Susan Mallery & Luanne Rice - you will love this book too!
Just try it!!! ☺

it's worth it - if only for the great Location ;)




LINKS TO THE BOOK AND AUTHOR



ABOUT SUSAN:
STOLEN FROM GOODREADS


With more than 25 million books sold worldwide, New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery is known for creating characters who feel as real as the folks next door, and for putting them into emotional, often funny situations readers recognize from their own lives. Susan’s books have made Booklist’s Top 10 Romances list in four out of five consecutive years. RT Book Reviews says, “When it comes to heartfelt contemporary romance, Mallery is in a class by herself.” With her popular, ongoing Fool’s Gold series, Susan has reached new heights on the bestsellers lists and has won the hearts of countless new fans.

Susan grew up in southern California, moved so many times that her friends stopped writing her address in pen, and now has settled in Seattle with her husband and the most delightfully spoiled little dog who ever lived.